"I'm sorry to tell you this, Mr. Adrian, but our examination results show that you have advanced lung cancer. We can start chemotherapy right away if you choose, but from my perspective, I'd still recommend palliative care."
"How effective is the chemotherapy now?" Adrian raised his head and looked at the doctor.
"If I'm being optimistic, it might buy you a few more months."
"I'll think about it. I need some time."
When Adrian left the hospital, his face looked worn, his lips dry, and a few strands of hair had fallen onto his pale forehead. The people at the hospital entrance ebbed and flowed like a tide—both close and yet distant, gradually drifting away. Adrian felt like he was in another world, isolated and helpless.
He returned home in a daze and collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted. His reflection on the TV screen showed sunken cheeks and hollow eyes, as if each breath required every ounce of his strength.
He had just graduated and had only been working for two years, finally making it in a big city. Despite missing out on promotions and raises, he had kept going. But just days ago, he had noticed blood in his cough and sharp chest pains. Now, after that fateful hospital visit, it was all too late.
He raised his arms and looked at his hands. His heart felt empty, like a blank page. The cancer diagnosis had shattered his hope and future. He just wanted to fade away, drifting into a state of numb despair.
That seemed better than spending a fortune to live for a couple more months hooked up to tubes in a hospital bed.
"Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you really want to live?"
"Who… who said that?"
Adrian jolted up from the couch, looking around in alarm. He soon noticed a crystal-clear, white light floating in front of him, with a line of text swaying slightly across it, the same as what he'd just heard.
An illusion? Adrian shook his head, rejecting the thought. He reached out to touch the text, but his fingers passed right through. He circled the light, but no matter where he moved, it stayed in front of him.
Then, two more lines appeared, their letters slightly faded, like buttons:
[Yes] [No]
"Do I really want to live? Yes or no? Who hasn't seen something like this in Infinite Horror?"
Adrian sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Am I going crazy? Or is this some kind of setup?"
It wasn't uncommon for characters in novels to be pulled into new worlds with similar prompts, but could he really believe this was happening to him? If he clicked "Yes," he might be stuck in some terrible situation. But if he clicked "No," would he miss his last chance?
"This feels like my only way out… but why only 'Yes' and 'No'?"
Realizing something was off, he lowered his hand. Just then, a notification popped up.
[Ding!]
[The host did not make a selection in time. Random choice made.]
Before he could react, the options disappeared. He thought he saw the "Yes" on the right briefly flicker into a "No."
[Starting transmission to target world…]
[Transfer complete!]
[Target World: Marvel Universe—2149]
"2149?"
Adrian scratched his chin, his mind racing. He loved reading about comic book worlds, but he couldn't immediately remember this universe number. So he grabbed his phone and looked it up.
"This… this can't be."
He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his hands. Realization dawned on him, and he stepped back, horrified. The Marvel Zombie Universe—known for its nightmarish, infected superheroes—was no safe place.
[Transfer confirmed]
"Wait!"
A flash of white light erupted, and Adrian vanished from his living room, leaving his phone to fall to the floor with a crash.
A pink lightning bolt slashed through the New York sky, twisting through dark clouds like a serpent. After a moment, the sky echoed with a series of loud booms, and heavy rain began to fall.
"Ahhhh!"
A figure plummeted from the sky, landing in a large trash can. Adrian scrambled to get out, coughing and gasping for air.
"Ow… my back."
He patted himself down, relieved that the trash had softened the impact.
[Distributing beginner's reward]
[Desert Eagle pistol with limited ammo]
A Glock 20 pistol materialized in front of Adrian, along with a handful of yellow bullets. He picked up the weapon, and a rush of information surged into his mind, giving him instant knowledge of how to use it.
His body no longer felt weak; he was filled with energy.
[System experience completed. Default positive review registered.]
Before he could process the system's disappearance, a loud roar echoed above him. Looking up, he saw a massive black fighter jet hovering in the sky, its wings arched like a bird's, with the rear hatch wide open as if waiting for someone.
"Luke, move it! There's another call from Times Square. Something's changed—we need to hurry!"
A voice shouted from the plane. Adrian squinted and made out a figure waving at the door.
"Coming!" A muscular Black man in a yellow jacket leaped from a nearby rooftop, ignoring the dizzying height, and landed smoothly on the jet. Its engines roared to life, sending twin blue flames shooting out as it vanished into the clouds.
"If I'm right, that guy who just got on the plane is Wonder Man, Luke Cage."
Adrian gulped, realizing what this meant.
Today was the day everything changed in Universe 2149. Today was the day superheroes became zombies.
🛡️Ronin 🛡️
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