"Ah!!!"
Blake sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat.
"Where is this place?"
He looked around at everything that was completely unfamiliar to him.
Wasn't he just at home, watching a movie and falling asleep?
Blake had a bad habit of watching movies on his phone until he fell asleep at night.
Not only would he watch movies until he fell asleep, but he also feared his phone would run out of battery, so he watched while it was plugged in and charging.
He didn't know if it was because the summer was too hot, or if his phone had an issue with overheating.
When Blake was in a daze, his phone exploded.
Yes, the phone exploded, so does this mean... he transmigrated?
Blake racked his brain trying to figure out what had happened. Suddenly, a flood of memories surged into Blake's mind. After a while, Blake finally understood his current situation.
Transmigration was certain, to a parallel world similar to Earth.
The person's name was the same as his, but his fate was rather tragic.
His parents died in an accident, and his family's assets were almost entirely swindled by relatives. He finally mustered up the courage to risk everything, mortgaging his house to go into business with a friend.
He was conned by his friend and girlfriend, losing all his money and incurring a huge debt.
Then...
Blake glanced at the pesticide on the bedside table.
The small, shabby rental was a converted ground-floor garage, damp and stuffy. He had a debt of over three million, and all his assets amounted to just over 500 dollar.
He had been betrayed by his best friend and his partner. How unlucky must one be? Even the transmigrated Blake felt a desire to die.
What kind of terrible beginning was this?
Maybe he should try dying again to see if he could transmigrate back?
Blake glanced at the pesticide on the bedside table again.
Forget it, better a bad life than a good death. If he died, it would be a huge loss.
It's just a debt; he could figure out a way to pay it off. This body was only twenty-three years old, he still had a long life ahead.
Blake consoled himself.
As he was thinking about his next steps, suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Discovering world entrance, system binding...]
"Hmm? A system?"
Blake perked up, sat up straight, and lit a cigarette.
After about twenty seconds, a beep sounded in his mind.
[Binding successful]
[System Activated]
[Host Blake, currently discovered a world entrance, would you like to transmigrate immediately?]
"Wait, wait, don't just start with transmigration, tell me what functions you have, and what does world entrance mean?"
Blake hurriedly asked in his mind.
"This system can provide the host with transmigration services. The host completes tasks to earn points, which can be exchanged for various items in the system store."
"Open the store, let me see what can be exchanged."
[Host lacks sufficient permissions. The store will open after the host completes tasks and earns points.]
The system's voice was emotionless.
"At least let me know what kinds of things are available?"
[Skills, gene enhancements, money, etc... For detailed information, please open the store as soon as possible.]
Although the system didn't provide detailed information, Blake understood that his golden finger had arrived.
"So, what about the world entrance? What does that mean?"
Blake asked another question.
[Transmigrating to other worlds requires coordinates. The system detected residual world coordinates on the host.]
This time the system was very considerate, not only answering the question but also providing an image in Blake's mind.
It was an incredibly familiar scene, a massive, heavy iron suit raising its right arm at the entrance of a cave, spewing flames outside.
Around it was an endless desert.
Iron Man!
Blake realized that he had been watching this movie just before his phone exploded.
Was the world entrance to Iron Man's world?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe?
That's a world full of superheroes, with his current physique, what tasks could he accomplish there?
"System, that world is pretty dangerous, can you give me some benefits before I go in? Otherwise, I might not be able to complete the tasks."
Blake bargained in his mind.
[No pain, no gain. The host should understand this principle. Besides, with your current situation, what do you have to lose?]
"Dammit!"
Blake could actually hear a hint of disdain in the system's emotionless voice.
But the system was right, with his current miserable state, what was there to fear? He had finally transmigrated and even got a system; how could he not seize this opportunity?
"Let's do it! Transmigrate, now!"
Blake had no reason to hesitate. This place was a mess, without the system, he would have to find a job to support himself while figuring out how to pay off the debt. Not to mention seeking justice for the original Blake.
[Congratulations to the host for your courage. Before transmigrating, you should know that during the transmigration process, real-world time will stop. The host can rest assured to transmigrate, and upon completing the required tasks, you can choose to return to this world. The transmigration will begin shortly. 3...2...1.]
As the system counted down, the moment the countdown ended, Blake's vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing on a shabby street.
There were few people around, and the ground was littered with trash and fallen leaves.
The two-story buildings around looked very dilapidated.
It was clear that this was a very poor community.
"System, tell me where this place is?"
Blake asked in his mind.
[Identity has been loaded, relevant memories have been generated, please review them yourself!]
The memories given by the system were peculiar. Unlike the fully integrated memories of the original Blake, these memories felt like a book that Blake needed to read, without the sense of having personally experienced them.
Blake, twenty-two years old, graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, with excellent grades and received a scholarship from Stark Industries.
This granted him the opportunity to intern at Stark Industries.
The system wasn't bad after all, at least it provided an identity close to the protagonist. Though it was unrealistic for an intern to meet Tony Stark, there was at least a slight chance.
Muttering a few words, Blake continued to peruse the memories.
Then it got interesting.
When Blake was thirteen, a large group of HYDRA terrorists broke into the neighboring black family's home, and the ensuing battle affected his family.
His parents died in that battle. Perhaps out of guilt, that black man had been sponsoring Blake's education and living expenses.
They had maintained good contact over the years, and this time Blake came to Baltimore, Maryland, to find that black man and share the good news of his Stark internship opportunity.
And that black man's identity was the second super-soldier after Steve Rogers, Isaiah Bradley.
A brief introduction: (Isaiah Bradley, the original super-soldier, appeared in "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier". He is a Korean War veteran who was unwillingly subjected to human testings of the Super Soldier Serum in the 1950s.After the government feared the ramifications of an African-American super soldier, he spent three decades in prison experimented on by the U.S. government and HYDRA. After his release, he was frequently hunted by HYDRA, including the Winter Soldier!)
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