'Year 202X, the pandemic is still going...

Now it's been the 9th time I've tested positive for the virus.

Hopefully... it'll finally be the end for me.'

Ryan thought in his mind as he looked at the self-test kit for the virus after having the symptoms.

He put the kit down and laid sideways on the bed. Covering his skinny body with a thin blanket, he checks for a part-time job with his phone.

Although he tested positive, he plans to do nothing about it. If this takes him out, finally his mundane and stressful life will be over.

The pandemic has caused him to lose everything – his friend, his family and his loved ones.

A life of depression – which he resides inside a 5m² single-room lodging. A cramped room with bare necessities, trying to survive in the world.

Suicidal thoughts tempted him every day– yet he is afraid to do it.

So he's hoping the virus will do it for him. He didn't actively seek the virus, but his hard life won't give him a break. Until today he is unsure whether his luck is good or bad.

After trying to avoid the responsibility, he still dragged himself to the hospital for a proper checkup.

Taking out a neatly folded shabby brown coat from his organized small drawer, he put on a mask and walked to the hospital.

For his first infection, irreparable damage occurred in his lung, causing him to cough all the time. In the cold weather, his coughs worsen as he is walking – causing people to stare at him on the streets.

"I'm sorry sir, your credit card declined", said the hospital receptionist.

Ryan is silent when he hears what the receptionist said. The young receptionist looked at him with a concerned look, but there is nothing she can do about it.

All these years of treatment have emptied his bank account. He's badly in debt and now he lost himself in fantasy.

He couldn't get his medication this time as he didn't get enough money. After thanking the nurse, he left the hospital.

On his way back, he scrolls on his phone, searching for novel recommendations. The cracked screen is displaying some of the novels he had added to his to-read list.

His favorite thing to read is a transmigration novel.

A desire to start over in another world, maybe become young again instead of nearing 40 years old.

In which life is simple in the tale.

Maybe trying world-building or can become overpowered with a system.

Maybe...just maybe...he will love his life there.

Nothing is interesting to him in his life right now other than the novel and manga he read. His daily life consists of working, eating, or sleeping.

Sometimes he couldn't eat, or couldn't sleep, but he never couldn't work – without it, he'd lose his ability to eat and his place to sleep.

Still on his phone, Ryan tuned out the surroundings as he walked home.

A drunken man is driving carelessly on the road a block away. Loud music is blasted from the truck speakers as the man sings along with the song that is playing.

Unaware, Ryan is crossing the street to get across the bodega on the other side, maybe buy a sandwich or two for tonight's dinner.

'If I can get to another world it'll be perfect. As long as it's not Marvel or DC universes. Those universes are too dangerous.'

Although he likes to read transmigration novels, he had a very specific taste. Genres, where the MC is badly manipulated, are his worst fear.

"WATCH OUT!!!!" cried out a random stranger.

Ryan then sees the truck only 10 meters away from him. Death finally comes for him but all he thought was: 'Please be Truck-kun. Please be Truck-kun'

The truck driver widened his eyes and sobered a bit when he saw the pedestrian on the street. He makes a last-minute effort to avoid the crash by swerving to the side of the street where there are no people

He may be drunk but never a killer. The heavy truck passed by the deer frozen in headlight —fluttering Ryan's coat with its fast speed. It swerved into the sidewalk and crashed onto the 10-meter-tall street lamp on the road.

Ryan, who was frozen as death flirted with him, finally moved and tried to save the drunk driver by pulling him out of the truck.

'Well, too bad I've missed the chance to get hit by a truck-kun, maybe it's not for me after all.'

By the time he finished that thought, he already pulled the driver out of the vehicle and is applying first aid to the man. An ambulance and the police arrived at the accident site.

He breathed in relief after the driver got in the ambulance and was driven to the hospital. The driver is fine, just a little injured. After taking his statement, the police drove away.

Ordinary people would find a new meaning in a life-or-death situation. Not Ryan. He rubbed his cold, bare hands together and deleted the incident from his mind.

This was just a small episode for him. It wasn't worthy to be registered in his core memory. The storage inside the memory core is already full.

Rubbing his dirty hand on his coat, he continues walking toward his house, turning away from the accident site.

Unbeknownst to him, the damaged street lamp is tilting slowly. It knocked over after the pole couldn't support it anymore and hit the unlucky guy below in the head.

'Wtf, I thought you didn't like me death-sama.'

The hit was critical. Ryan fell to the sidewalk, the pole crushed his body.

He died in this world a broken man, spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

Or is it?

"Nooo truck-kun don't leave me!!", Ryan screamed before he opened his eyes.

He squirmed in the hospital bed, pushing the blanket with his hand. His eyelid fluttered but it didn't open.

"Doctor... Doctor!!!''

The nurse who is checking up on him yelled and ran outside the ward to get the doctor in charge.

She was surprised as the man who had been in a coma for 3 years finally opened his eyes.

Although a bit weird when he called a truck, she is glad he finally woke up.

Nurse Shirley Temple, 31 years old finally gets the doctor to see the patient.

The female doctor was shocked to see that Ryan's brain activity was restored.

She says urgently to Shirley, "He may wake up soon."

The doctor and the nurse are doing some tests on the patient, but the man still isn't fully conscious.

Ryan showed some response in the test before he fell back to sleep.

A day passed, and the patient finally woke up after a long sleep.

Opening his eyes slowly, his sense of sight is bombarded with the harsh light. It takes him a few minutes to re-adapt to his sight.

"Where am I?"

"You've been in a coma for 3 years. You were hit by a drunken driver and fell into a comatose state. We thought you'll never wake up." Shirley replied.

"You... should have let me die. It's not like I have something to live for, '' Ryan said in a sad tone.

'Why did they save me? I...didn't want them to save me...'

Shirley was alarmed after hearing what the young man said.

Ryan put his arm over his head, blocking the light and ignoring the nurse. He's thinking about bills to pay after this.

If it's been 3 years, the bill would be enormous. He couldn't pay any of that. Nor did he have any insurance.

Shirley notices Ryan's disorder, she quickly notifies the doctor and his guardian.

The message from the hospital administration is clear that no other people could know about this kid's condition other than the doctor in charge and his guardian.

A few moments later, the doctor whose name Ryan had already deleted from his mind, said to Ryan after a thorough checkup.

"Your body is healthy, this is very rare... albeit impossible... for a man who's been in a coma for so long and a horrible car accident. But it's a good thing for you, Mr. Ryan Knight ."

"Who the hell is Ryan Knight, I'm Ryan.....", he stopped because he had a massive headache at this time.

Countless information appears in his mind about Ryan Knight. He finally understands. He did die getting hit by a street lamp before.

Now he's transmigrated into a 17-year-old body. The son of the Knight's family.

'If 3 years have passed that means I'm 20 now..'

"Ryan, are you okay?" the doctor asked in a fuss.

"We already called your guardians, they will be here soon."

Ryan was still processing the information he got and he ignored the doctor.

By referencing the Stark industry in the memory, Osborn corporation, and more, he finally realized he's in the universe he doesn't want to be in, that is the comic hero universe.

The doctor looked at him in concern. She is worried about his fluctuating emotional state, and she wanted to guide him to understand.

"Do you have any questions you want to ask?"

"I'm...fine. Doctor, could you give me some time to process this..."

He couldn't handle the energy of the doctor. It is borderline annoying for him.

Prolonged isolation in his previous world caused him to avoid unnecessary interaction at all costs. During the time he needed to process this, the doctor was…unnecessary.

The doctor leaves him alone to check up on the other patients. She is giving him some time to collect himself.

Ryan takes a look at his reflection with a mirror on the table beside him. There is a vase with a sunflower inside it, a jug of water and glass, and some tissues.

He looked at his face and saw that his eyes are purple. His body is very scrawny, showing signs of 3 years of sleep.

His body is only skin and bones. He can see his ribcage from the gaps of his patient gowns. His blonde hair is short, and his nails are neat.

'Someone has been taking care of me while I sleep. Wait. Taking care of Ryan Knight. Not me...'

Although his cleanliness is taken care of, he feels very uncomfortable with his body condition.

Especially... the odor.

It wasn't a disgusting smell, but it was the smell of hospitals.

'I need to take a bath!'

But his body is still too weak for him to stand up by himself.

He took a look around the ward. It wasn't even a private ward, there was another bed beside him. There is an old man on life support, comatose beside him.

'Isn't his family rich? What happened to them? I don't want the genre to be a family drama or a prodigal son's return. It didn't suit me.'

He tries to lighten up, but he's very afraid of transmigrating into this universe. His heart is beating quickly the more he processes his memory.

It's a universe where you can die at any time.

People may think that reading novels or fanfiction will cause them to be prepared for the transfer, but it'll never do that.

It'll cause you a lot of fear and spiraling instead.

'What if it's a dark multiverse? What if my existence will cause the ancient one to banish me from the world? What if I cause a butterfly effect that makes a small incident into a universe destroying one? '

He keeps staring at his hand, his reflection, and his room, as this all feels unreal.

Right now, he just woke up from his stupor.

He wants to calm his beating heart and start to take a deep breath.

Inhale for 7 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, then exhale for 8 seconds.

In his previous life, he always did this when he was anxious.

He needs to wait now, for his guardian to come.

Maybe by then, he can get more answers.

Sitting alone in the room, he feels empty on the inside.

"I want my phone," he mumbles slowly.

Luckily there's no one around to hear it. He didn't refer to the 3310 phones in 2005, but his smartphone.

There are still numerous stories he hasn't finished yet.

He didn't even get to see the ending of 'One Piece' that he had followed for more than 15 years from the first time he found it.

His hand now feels incomplete, and his finger becomes restless.

When he wakes up, the first thing he'd do is check his phone.

To go back to the era when it's not there, makes him miss it.