Keitaro Yamada had always dreamed of living in a world of magic and adventure. Unfortunately, he was stuck in the mundane reality of Earth, living out his otaku fantasies by watching anime and reading endless volumes of manga. At 23 years old, he was a full fledge weeb a walking encyclopedia of every anime and mangas known to mankind. His room was a shrine to all things of anime such ass posters of Naruto, One Piece, Attack on Titan, and every other iconic series plastered his walls while figurines lined his shelves in neatly arranged rows. It was a little messy okay it was a lot messy but it was his paradise.
Today however his paradise was about to be shattered and by shattered, I mean utterly annihilated by a truck.
Keitaro was crossing the street glued to his phone as he read the latest One Piece chapter. His earbuds blasted the opening theme from Attack on Titan, and he was so engrossed in the panel where Luffy was about to face off with Kaido that he didn't even notice the massive truck barreling down the road.
"HA! Kaido, you're going down! Rubber beats dragon scales any day!" Keitaro shouted fist bumping the air as though he was actually a part of the fight.
In hindsight yelling like a maniac in the middle of a crosswalk probably wasn't his best idea.
HEY! WATCH OUT! someone screamed from a distance. Keitaro finally glanced up from his phone only to be met with the blinding headlights of a speeding truck. The logo on the side read Delivery Express, but to Keitaro, all he could think was Truck-kun!. A jolt of recognition hit him. He had seen this scene hundred times in anime. The familiar chill of doom crept up his spine.
"Oh crap is this really how I go out? Truck-kun?! Seriously?!"
The truck didn't stop. It didn't slow down. It didn't even screech.
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The honking of the horn was distant, almost like it was happening in another world. Keitaro barely had time to throw his arms up in a useless attempt to protect himself. He could see the truck's gleaming grille up close now right before it slammed into him with the force of a bullet train.
Then his mind was shrouded in darkness. After a while Keitaro regain his conciouse in a void which was full of blackness and nothing else.
He couldn't see, feel or hear anything. Was this death? It was less painful than he expected. He half-expected some kind of afterlife, or at least an angel descending from the heavens to explain what had just happened.
"Hellooo?" he called out into the void. His voice echoed, but there was no response.
Is this purgatory? Keitaro thought "Damn this is boring am I really just gonna float around like this forever?"
Just as he was about to resign himself to an eternity of nothingness a small robotic voice spoke up from the void.
"Initializing... Welcome, host."
Keitaro blinked. "Huh? Who said that?"
The voice continued, in a mechanical but oddly polite tone. "Congratulations on your death Keitaro Yamada you have been selected as a host for the Multiversal Ascension System. Would you like to begin your new life?"
Keitaro's heart or whatever essence he now had, skipped a beat. His mind raced with excitement. Could it be? . Hving been an otaku for almst all off his life how could he not understand where this whole thing was going he thought in excitement Was this the moment? The very anime moment he had dreamed of dying and being reincarnated into a fantasy world? Was this his isekai moment?
"Y-YOU BET I DO!" he shouted throwing his arms up in a fully excited state. "I'm ready! Let's go! Give me the cheat system! Give me the overpowered abilities! Is this the part where I get reincarnated as a legendary hero? Do I get a harem? Can I get a dragon? No wait I want a magic sword and a dragon! And maybe....."
Suddenly a mechanical voice cut him off.
System analyziation in progress...
Please remain calm while your profile is created."
"Wait, what? Profile? analyziation?" Keitaro asked, confused.
Suddenly, a glowing blue screen appeared before him, filled with floating text and charts. It looked like the character creation screen from an RPG. Stats, skills, and traits were all blank for now, but there was a small text box with his name at the top.
Name: Keitaro Yamada
Level: 0
Health: N/A
Mana: N/A
Strength: N/A
Dexterity: N/A
Intelligence: N/A
Skills: None
Bloodline: None
Titles: None
Keitaro frowned at the screen. "Level zero? Are you kidding me? Shouldn't I at least start with like level one or something? And where's my cool overpowered ability? I thought I was supposed to be the chosen one!"
"Please be patient host. The system is currently updating your profile based on your preferences and qualifications. Initial tutorial commencing."
Before Keitaro could respond, his surroundings shifted. The void around him dissolved, and he found himself standing in the middle of a vast glowing field. Bright green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, and above him, a surreal sky shimmered with hues of purple and gold. It was as if he had been dropped into the middle of a fantasy painting.
"Whoa… this is… amazing!" Keitaro spun around, taking in the vibrant scenery. "Is this my new world?"
Systems mechanical voice chim in "This is merely the system's tutorial space. You will be sent to the real world shortly."
Keitaro's eyes sparkled with excitement. He was finally going to live his dream. An isekai adventure complete with a cheat system. He could already picture it slaying dragons, defeating demon lords, unlocking legendary bloodlines. The possibilities were endless!
"So, how does this work? Do I start by picking my class? Am I gonna be a swordsman? Or a mage? Or maybe a... his mind was full of wild imainations.
The system's voice interrupted him again. "Please select your starting perk. You may choose one option from the following list."
Starting Perks:
Saiyan Bloodline: Increases strength and had potential to grow infinitely stronger through combat.
Magical Prodigy: Grants innate talent in magic and the ability to learn all elemental spells quickly.
Shadow Assassin: Expertise in stealth, assassination, and dark magic. Increases agility and speed.
Divine Beast Tamer: Ability to communicate with and tame mythical creatures. Gains buffs when accompanied by beasts.
Otaku Arsenal: Access to weapons and abilities from various anime worlds, from energy blasts to sword techniques.
Keitaro's eyes went wide. "Oh man, oh man, these are all awesome! I can be a Saiyan?! Or a magic genius?! But… Otaku Arsenal sounds perfect for me!" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Do I want to go full Goku and punch my way to the top or do I want to blast people with Kamehamehas? Or maybe… both?"
He couldn't contain his excitement. "Otaku Arsenal! I choose Otaku Arsenal! Gotta keep things weeb, you know?"
"Selection confirmed. You will now begin your adventure equipped with the Otaku Arsenal. Additional skills, powers, and bloodlines may be unlocked through quests and leveling up."
"YES!" Keitaro shouted, punching the air. "I'm gonna be unstoppable!"
"Commencing world transfer in 3… 2… 1…"
Without warning, the ground beneath Keitaro gave way. He plummeted through the void, his surroundings spinning and distorting into a swirl of colors. The rush of wind made him feel like he was free-falling, but there was no sensation of pain or fear. Instead, he laughed wildly, his voice echoing in the endless expanse.
"HA! THIS IS JUST LIKE ANIME! LET'S GOOOOOO!"
When Keitaro finally landed, he wasn't in the colorful tutorial space anymore. He was lying flat on his back in the middle of a dense forest, staring up at the leafy canopy overhead. Birds chirped in the distance, and the air smelled of fresh pine. He could feel the rough earth beneath him, the cool breeze against his skin. This was real. He was really here.
Keitaro slowly sat up grinning from ear to ear. "It worked. It actually worked! I'm in another world!"
He scrambled to his feet, looking around the forest with wide gleaming eyes. It was just like the fantasy settings he'd seen in countless anime and RPGs. Massive trees towered overhead their branches swaying gently in the wind. Strange glowing plants dotted the forest floor casting an ethereal light. But before Keitaro could fully take in his surroundings a translucent screen popped up in front of him.
New Quest: Survive the Forest!
Objective: Escape the Darkwood Forest alive.
Rewards: 100 XP, 1 Free Skill Unlock.
Penalty: Death.
Keitaro blinked at the screen. "Wait… penalty? Death?"
As he was looking at the screen with a shocked expression the sound of something snarling in the distance caught his attention. He turned just in time to see the bushes rustling. His heart rate spiked.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no—this is happening way too fast!" Keitaro muttered. He wasn't ready to fight monsters yet! Where was his party of companions? Where was the wise old mentor who was supposed to give him an easy tutorial quest?
The bushes parted, and from the shadows emerged a massive wolf-like creature. Its fur was matted and dark its eyes glowing red as it stalked toward him. Sharp fangs gleamed as it growled sending a shiver down Keitaro's spine.
Oh crap! A monster already?
"Host, please equip your Otaku Arsenal.''
"Right, right! Arsenal activate!" Keitaro shouted not entirely sure what he was doing.
Immediately another translucent screen appeared before him and a list of weapons and abilities appeared. His eyes darted across the options.
Otaku Arsenal (Level 1):
Shadow Clone Jutsu (Naruto): Create up to 2 shadow clones to assist in battle.
Spirit Gun (Yu Yu Hakusho): Fire a powerful energy blast from your finger.
Zangetsu (Bleach): Summon the iconic sword from Bleach for close combat.
Haki (Basic) (One Piece): Allows you to sense the presence of others and enhance physical attacks.
Keitaro grinned, his panic subsiding. "Oh, this is gonna be fun!"
The wolf lunged at him, but Keitaro was ready. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he shouted forming the hand seals just like Naruto.
In an instant, two shadow clones appeared beside him. They grinned at each other all sharing the same thought.
"Let's show this wolf how an otaku fights!" they yelled in unison.
As the wolf charged Keitaro and his clones split off surrounding the creature from both sides. His first clone jumped onto the wolf's back distracting it while the second clone threw a punch enhanced by Haki sending the beast stumbling.
Now it's my turn! Keitaro aimed his finger at the wolf and focused his energy. "Spirit Gun!"
A bright blue energy blast shot from his fingertip striking the wolf dead-center. The explosion sent the creature flying crashing into a nearby tree.
The wolf let out one final whimper before collapsing, its body dissolving into particles of light.
Quest Complete: Survive the Forest!
Rewards: 100 XP, 1 Free Skill Unlock.
Congratulations! You have leveled up!
Keitaro stared at the screen, panting but grinning like a madman. He'd done it. He'd survived his first fight. And he'd leveled up!
"This… this is AWESOME!" Keitaro laughed, feeling the rush of excitement flood his veins. "I'm gonna be the strongest otaku this world has ever seen!". Although, I dunno if this had ever seen one he said with a sheepish grien
As he stood victorious over the fallen monster place Keitaro glanced at the horizon his eyes filled with determination. His journey had only just begun.
"Let's go, system. Time to conquer this world and mastering one anime power at a time."