(A/N: I'm back, and I hope this new work of mine will have a longer lifespan than my previous novel. Please understand that I may not be able to upload regularly due to my busy schedule as a college student xD)
In a deserted alley, Rozen Tendou, a high school student, awoke to a state of bewilderment. His mind was a whirlpool of anxiety and confusion about his surroundings. Just moments before, he had been on his way home before consciousness slipped away from him.
Now, he found himself not in the familiar confines of his room but in an isolated alleyway.
"Where am I? Is this a dream?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes and cradling his throbbing head. A glance around confirmed his fears; this was no place he recognized.
Panic began to claw at his thoughts, conjuring up the worst of scenarios.
Have I been abducted? Why else would I wake up here, in this desolate place, without any recollection?
Standing, Rozen was consumed by a sense of dread, his senses on high alert. Relief washed over him when he realized he was alone, with no sign of any ominous figures lurking nearby.
Fumbling in his pocket, he found his cellphone. A wave of relief hit him upon discovering he still had it with him.
"How odd... why is there no signal?" His confusion deepened. The alley suggested an urban setting where a signal should be a given.
He ventured out, hoping to discern his location, all the while praying that his supposed captors were not out there waiting for him.
"What... the hell..." The sight that greeted Rozen was one of sheer astonishment. Imagine witnessing technology so advanced it seemed alien, technology that had never before been seen or known to the public.
Cars of futuristic design in very odd shape, watches projecting holograms, futurstic billboard sign and transparent phone or tablet—Rozen took in these marvels with wide-eyed wonder.
"Am I truly awake?" He pinched himself hard, a sharp pain confirming the reality of his situation, which only deepened his disbelief.
Could this be reality?
As Rozen was on the cusp of piecing together his predicament, a woman's voice nearby caught his attention.
"Excuse me."
"Oh! I apologize if I'm in your way," Rozen said, stepping aside awkwardly. The woman looked at him with an expression of utter surprise, as if the concept of an apology was foreign to her.
"No, it's fine," she said before moving on, leaving Rozen to ponder her strange reaction.
"Weird... why was she so taken aback by my apology?" He questioned internally but put the thought aside, knowing he had more pressing matters to attend to.
Surveying his surroundings once more, Rozen felt a growing certainty about his situation. He was experiencing what he had only read about in his favorite Isekai novels—transmigration.
"I can't believe it... my lifelong wish has come true," Rozen said to himself, a smile spreading across his face. He had always dreamed of being transported to another world, much like the protagonists in the stories he cherished.
Yet, amidst the thrill and excitement, a pang of anxiety and sorrow struck him.
My family...
He felt a tear form but quickly composed himself, fortifying his resolve amidst the chaos of his thoughts.
Hoping against hope that his family would not be consumed by grief over his disappearance, he resolved to gather information about this new world. With a newfound determination, Rozen set off to learn what he could.
As he explored, Rozen was captivated by the unique and breathtaking vistas of this civilization. Despite its sci-fi veneer, the city's charm was undeniable.
"Excuse me," he said, approaching a man who appeared to be sweeping the park.
"Yes, how may I assist you, Sir?"
Sir? Are people here so exceedingly polite that they address a high school student as 'sir'?
Rozen pondered inwardly before inquiring, "Could you tell me today's date and our current location?"
The man paused momentarily, a small ring on his forehead changing color.
This sense of déjà vu...
"It is August 21, 2037, and you are in Tokyo, Japan, Sir," the man replied, leaving Rozen astounded to realize he was in the future.
"So, this is the future..." Rozen whispered in awe. The technological advancements of this world were a stark contrast to his own.
"One more question, if I may—are you, by any chance, an Android?" The question slipped out as Rozen experienced a familiar sense of déjà vu.
"Yes, I am an android, model XB-700, from Cyberlife's Japanese division," the man—no, the Android—replied, bowing politely. Rozen's mouth twitched involuntarily at the confirmation.
Am I truly transmigrated into a game world? And Was this the world is a Detroit: Become Human?
Now he understood why the woman earlier was so taken aback after he apologized to her; after all, the woman, who was an android marked by the same circular ring on her head, was discriminated against by humans in this world.
It's not surprising, given that most humans lost their jobs due to the arrival of androids, who proved to be significantly more convenient and efficient than humans.
After excusing himself, Rozen walked away, lost in thought. A tinge of disappointment crept in as he processed the truth of this world. He had hoped for a transmigration to a familiar anime world or a realm of magic and adventure, complete with the cheats often found in novels and fanfics.
Speaking of cheats, shouldn't someone who transmigrates like me be granted such powers?
"System! No? Panel!...perhaps I'm mistaken? Chat group!"
Alas, his expectations were dashed as no panel appeared, nor did a mechanical voice respond to his calls.
It was at that moment Rozen realized the gravity of his situation.
"Shit..."
Hours had passed since Rozen's inquiry about the date, and now he was overwhelmed with anxiety and discomfort.
Without an official identity in this world, he was a ghost in the system.
He had been consistently denied access to public places due to his lack of identification, which eventually led to a harrowing chase by the police who recognized the anomaly he represented.
Luckily, Rozen had managed to evade the police and their drones, finding refuge in a dilapidated building.
Catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his brow, he peered outside to ensure he was alone.
"Damn... I'm really exhausted..." He collapsed, panting heavily.
At this point, he would rather return to his old world than be captured and subjected to research as an anomaly.
As darkness fell, despair settled in Rozen's heart, the uncertainty of his future in this world weighing heavily on him.
But rather than feeling sad, he burst into uncontrollable laughter upon reflecting on his situation.
"Hahahaha, I can't believe my experience of transmigrating to another world is nothing like what the novels describe, Hahahaha," Rozen laughed so hard that he appeared to be crying from the sheer absurdity of it all.
"Haa... But, is there really no hope for me in this world?" He stared blankly at the dark, dirty ceiling as he contemplated an even darker future looming ahead.
The sound of his growling stomach, coupled with a piercing thirst, left Rozen gritting his teeth as he endured his current discomfort.
Should I resort to stealing? But what if I get caught? Yet, there's no harm in trying since I'm likely to be caught sooner or later due to my lack of identity.
These were the only solutions Rozen could think of in this world. As a law-abiding young man, he didn't want to break the law, but his current situation forced him to consider it.
He sighed, tired and sad, lying against the dirty wall, his attention fixed on his phone, which was now the only possession he had in this world.
"Maybe I could sell this phone if I can't find a way to get food and water in the next few days. Hopefully, I can find someone who wants to buy it as a collectible, considering how advanced other phones and gadgets are compared to what I have," Rozen muttered to himself, gripping his phone tightly.
He was actually unwilling to sell his phone; after all, it contained many memories and pictures of his family and connections from his previous world, but he could only swallow that bitter pill for the sake of survival in this new world.
After contemplating his options for the next day, Rozen decided to sleep in a safer room, making sure to secure the door properly.
Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to sleep, accompanied by the sounds of Tokyo's still-active nightlife. Naturally, he couldn't easily fall into a deep sleep without the sense of security and comfort he was used to at home.
His mind, filled with negativity, made it difficult for him to fall asleep. That's why he tried to hypnotize himself to clear his mind, which, of course, didn't work and instead backfired on him.
Just when Rozen was about to give in to his emotions, something surprising happened in his mind. Out of nowhere, a panel appeared, displaying a Start button amidst his chaotic thoughts.
What is this?!
He jolted awake and saw that he could see the panel with his eyes open, a feeling of immense joy and happiness overwhelming him, making his heart race.
"Is this my Golden Finger now?!" He said, touching the Start button with trembling fingers.
No mechanical voice emerged, but the panel changed, displaying several options: [Life Simulation], [World List], and [Exit].
Unfortunately, the intriguing [World List] option was locked, prompting him to choose [Life Simulation] first.
[
Personal Status:
Name = Rozen Tendou
Age = 17
Race = Human
Alignment = Chaotic – Neutral
Personal Attributes:
Intelligence = Scale 1-10 (7)
Physical Strength = Scale 1-10 (8)
Charm = Scale 1-10 (7)
Talent = Scale 1-10 (6)
Luck = Scale 1-10 (5)
Personality = - - - - - (Introvert, Fun-Loving Person, Chaotic, Imaginative, Cautious)
Destiny/Template = —
(Note: 5 stat points are considered average for a human)
Simulated World: — ]
Seeing this panel, Rozen was somewhat surprised by what this Golden Finger revealed comprehensively about himself.
"Simulated World? So, this Golden Finger is actually a life simulation cheat like the ones I've been reading about recently?" Rozen said while contemplating, satisfied with this since the life simulation Golden Finger is quite overpowered if used properly.
"Then let's give it a try! But how do I start?"
[Do you want to Life Simulate?]
"Of course!"
[You are given free 5 Attribute points to allocate for having all attributes over 5 or exceeding 5 points.]
"Hell yeah!!! Then, let me allocate all points to Talent and Intelligence!" It was no impulsive decision for him, considering that all geniuses have a much easier life compared to ordinary people.
Intelligence = 7 -> 10
Talent = 6 -> 8
[You can modify all your personality traits for simulated life and also set a priority, currently only one, that you wish to achieve during the life simulation.]
"Seriously?! I thought this Golden Finger was just so-so, but I never expected it to be this convenient," Rozen said happily. After all, from the life simulations he had read about before, most of them exploited the Talent feature, which provided three different colored and ranked talents for the MC to grow strong as quickly as possible.
But with the feature to modify personality and set life priorities, the lack of a Talent feature is compensated for.
Personality = Persistent, One Minded, Diligent, Patient, Pioneering
Life Priority = Becoming the best hacker or Software Engineer in the World
Rozen chose this priority because, as a hacker, he could try to hack all the networks in this futuristic world to forge a new identity while also earning money for living with just a computer.
[Are you sure this is alright? If so, please choose YES to Life Simulate and NO to go back.]
[Note: Every Skill/ability and memory in the life simulation will be retained after the simulation is over.]
"Are you kidding me?! Hahaha, God bless me!!!" With a grinning face, Rozen chose YES without hesitation.
[Searching for a World to simulate… Done]
[Anchoring a soul and preparing to transfer the soul.]
"I…" With a thud, Rozen lost consciousness.
[Life Simulation starting in 3…2…1…]
It was at this very moment that the life of a teenager named Rozen Tendou changed entirely.
(A/N: I'm a bit confused about which anime to include in this world, aside from Detroit: Become Human. However, I've decided to make this world a comprehensive mashup of various anime works. Just to clarify, Sword Art Online and Honkai are part of this universe. Additionally, the first simulation will take place in an Ordinary world, separate from other anime cosmologies. And if you have any suggestions or improvements for my life simulation, please feel free to share them.)