"Hmm…"
Stretching my arms, I opened my eyes. The same ceiling greeted me yesterday.
So… not a dream. I really have transmigrated.
Without moving from the bed, I opened the system screen and checked the assimilation status.
Fully Assimilated:
– None
In Progress:
[Frank Castle — 12%]
[Derek James — 18%]
'…So it increased.' I frown while staring at the numbers. Was I assimilating their memories while sleeping? That would explain the progress. But then… why is a superhuman's assimilation faster than that of a normal human? Sideways was already ahead of Frank Castle. Does it depend on compatibility? Or maybe the nature of their abilities? Frank has more combat experience, more skills… maybe that takes longer to integrate
I exhaled slowly. Data. I need more data. More templates. Only then would I actually understand how this system works.
My eyes shifted to the slots again. Two. Only two.
Tch.
That's a limitation. It made me wonder if it would stay like this forever, or if more slots would unlock later along with other functions. I really hope so. Otherwise, completing multiple templates is going to take way too long.
Pushing myself up, I walked toward the window and looked outside. The sunlight was still soft, not fully bright yet, and the air looked cold. I turned toward the clock. 5:33.
Yeah… still early.
My gaze dropped to the floor. Without thinking much, I leaned forward, and before my face could reach the ground, my hands caught my weight as I started doing push-ups.
A small thought crossed my mind. The templates were influencing me more than I expected. That sudden urge to exercise? Definitely not something I'd normally do. I probably wouldn't even wake up this early in my old life.
And yet… here I am.
But I'm not feeling any urge to go out and kill criminals. Or play hero.
So is it selective?
Either the assimilation isn't high enough yet, or personal values aren't being transferred. Only useful skills. Only what benefits me. But then… how is it even deciding what's "good" for me and what's not? And even that isn't absolute. Sometimes what looks like a bad act isn't really bad. It just depends on perspective.
"…So what's the filter?"
I slowed down slightly, still doing push-ups as the thought deepened.
Maybe the system is using my own memories. My own mindset as a reference point. That would make the most sense.
That would explain why I'm not suddenly turning into Punisher 2.0.
Continuing the push ups, I opened the system inventory to check the rest of the cards I got yesterday. Honestly, it's a bit of a pity this inventory only stores system cards. Once something is taken out or used, it can't be stored back again.
Since I had already checked the useful cards from the free mode, I moved on to analyse the normal and in-setting mode ones.
First…Lasso of Truth.
"Well… that could be useful in a bondage game."
I paused for a second as some weird fantasies got in my head, striking them down I didn't let the rhythm break.
On a more serious note, it's actually a very powerful tool. Forcing someone to speak the truth is already broken enough, but depending on the version, it can do more. Changing length, resisting or breaking mind control, even protecting against certain magical effects.
At its core though…it forces honesty. I am not going to use it infront of wonder woman to create complications between us. But I am really curious to see how she will react seeing it.
Then I got the Thanagarian Mace. My expression turned more serious.
"…Yeah, not touching that anytime soon."
Nth metal.
That alone says enough.
Negates gravity, boosts healing, interferes with magic, possibly even affects things like reincarnation too… and that's just the basic stuff. There are also deeper connections tied to it. Including things I really don't want to mess with right now.
Like its relation to opening paths to the Dark Multiverse.
"…Nope." I'm not using that anytime soon.
My attention shifted to the next item.
The Atlantean armor.
From what I remember, there are multiple variations of it. The elite soldiers have better versions, royal guards even more advanced ones… and then there's this.
"…common one." The lowest rank set. Not bad, but nothing special either. Still, it's useful. I'll need to test it properly later, check its durability, mobility, and most importantly… its weak points. Just in case. If I ever decide to take over the Atlantis.
Of course, it's also possible that the Atlanteans in this world use completely different armor. Still, having this as a reference isn't a bad thing.
As for the grapel gun, I will definitely try it sometime soon.
Black mercy, I didn't noticed it last time but this is too a character card though I can't absorb it myself. Does that mean I can only summon him? Was it because it's a completely different species? Whatever… I'm not touching that right now. That thing is dangerous. If I remember correctly, it traps people in a dream world, feeding on their mind while keeping their body completely paralysed. Even someone like Superman got caught in it.
Moving on, there were the consumable cards.
Power upgrade cards are pretty straightforward. They boost abilities, though how much they improve things is probably random.
Then there are the background customisation cards. Those are actually interesting. They basically let me enter another world with a proper identity instead of just drop in setting. And it works for summons too, which is useful. No awkward "who are you?" situations legally.
Potion of healing. Simple enough. It heals normal living beings. But not undead. So zombies, vampires, or anything similar would actually be harmed by it. Though… that depends on the world. Not every vampire or zombie is technically undead in every setting.
I checked the next card. It was an item too.
The magical bell from Konosuba, it is what was used for introgation of the Great Kazuma. "…Wait a minute." It's magical in nature, right?
I stopped doing push-ups and immediately took it out. Placing it on the floor, I lay down in front of it and started testing it.
"I am a girl." No response.
"I am the world's smartest man in DC." Still nothing
"I am ONE ABOVE ALL." Silence.
I frowned slightly.
"…That's weird." Then it clicked. The ring. I quickly took off the Ring of Mind Shielding and tried again.
"I am a girl." Chime.
"I am the world's smartest man in DC." Chime.
"I am the ONE ABOVE ALL ." Chime.
I stared at the bell for a moment, then at the ring in my hand. "…Well, that confirms it."
The Ring of Mind Shielding actually works.
Pleased with that, I moved on to the last unchecked card, the world travel ticket. Just like the name suggests, it allows me to travel to other worlds. Honestly… that's insane. I actually have a way to move across the Omniverse now. The thought alone is exciting. Though, it's a bit of a pity this one already has a fixed destination. So yeah… no chance of randomly dropping into some wild place or learning "skills" from someone like Quagmire.
The one I got leads to Van Helsing. The movie version, the one where Hugh Jackman hunts vampires.
That world isn't exactly high-tier compared to DC, but it's still useful. Probably even better for me right now. It's dangerous, sure, but not overwhelmingly so. Which means I can actually fight. Train. Get real combat experience without constantly worrying about running into someone like Batman. It's a controlled risk. Enough danger to grow stronger. Not enough to get instantly crushed.
I don't fear him… but I definitely don't want to deal with the mess that'll come if we cross paths. It would've been way easier if I didn't have his sidekick's face, voice, and body. I don't want him figuring anything out. From what I remember, it barely took him anything to recognize Jason, just one line, one rope cut, and he already knew. That's the kind of person he is. Observant to an insane level.
My gaze shifted to the bell in front of me, and after a moment of hesitation, I removed the ring again. Taking a slow breath, I muttered, "I didn't kill Jason Todd, nor am I responsible for being in this body." Silence. No chime.
"…Good."
That was a relief. At least, as far as I knew, I wasn't responsible for whatever had happened. That mattered more than I expected.
Sliding the ring back onto my finger, I picked up the bell and walked toward the bed, placing it beside the invisibility cloak before heading toward the bathroom. It was honestly a bit surprising that the water hadn't been cut off yet, even though the electricity already was. I really need to look into this place properly. The last thing I want is to get dragged into some random mess or scandal because of whoever owned this house before me.
For now it's shower time.
*************
Sentry vs Superman