Shanghai, China
Lyon walked out of a Hotpot restaurant with a blissful expression while rubbing his slightly inflated stomach, followed by an angry man looking at Lyon wanting to trash him but being unable to do so.
Looking at his friend who was forced to pay the bill for their food, Lyon could only express his helplessness as he really didn't have any money, while trying to forget that he was the one who invited the poor guy for a meal.
Realizing that this friendship would soon capsize if he did not make any amendments, Lyon could only take out the remaining 2 yuan note from his pocket with a troubled expression and give it to his friend while stating, "Fine, Fine! Here you go! I'll pay for my share of food"
Just after he finished handing over the money, he turned around walked away as fast as he could, ignoring the angry shouts behind him stating, "The Bill was 50 yuan, you piece of s**t"
Returning to his house, or rather a shack, Lyon sat down on the blanket which also serves as his bed and started thinking of how to get his next meal, and how to earn enough money for his needs.
Life wasn't always so hard for Lyon, or rather, it was pretty good for him until he signed a form out of curiosity about living in China, without reading the Fine print properly.
Now, he is stuck here, for a long time, probably lifetime. The embassy also tried it's best to help him out of it, and he is thankful for what they did, or else he might be living in a prison now.
Taking out a very old Smartphone from his pocket, he started to watch anime for comfort. They really were the only ones that could give him some help in these troubled times. He watched a lot of anime, read a lot of manga and even watched gameplays of famous games since he couldn't really play much.
'Knock Knock'
"The door isn't locked . . . Or rather, the door can't be locked"
The door opened revealing a man wearing a suit, with a monocle on his left eye, carrying a suitcase. The white suit and the black suitcase gave Lyon a weird feeling. The combination wasn't uncommon, but irks him slightly now.
The man has brown skin, black hair and black eyes. He has some gold rings on his fingers with colourful stones and gold chains around his neck. Looking at the man in front of him, Lyon couldn't really figure out who he was.
He was expecting some friends of his to come, not that he has many left now. Or maybe his landlord asking him for rent, or some debt collectors. And he really couldn't recognise the man in front of him.
He wasn't afraid though, since he really doesn't have anything of value with him other than himself.
"Who are you?"
"Lyon Wright, age 28, born in London, you are poor in wealth, intelligence, literature, arts, sports and more importantly, Luck. You were cheated into writing every bit of your possession except your life in an agreement which should technically be illegal, but people still believed it. You should have been rescued but you are still here. Forcing your friend to pay a bill shouldn't have been a major problem, but you lost friends that way.
All I can conclude is, you are born with bad luck."
". . . Ok. Kinda weird, but who are you?!"
"Your Bad luck is very fun to watch for me, to be honest. And it also successfully piqued my interest, so I am here to give you an offer"
"I refuse"
"Why?"
"Seriously? You haven't even introduced yourself"
"It's different than I expected. I thought you would have already lost your mind after all that has happened to you, but you look fine to me. Nevertheless, let me introduce myself first. I have no particular name and I came here to give you a splendid offer"
". . . Are you sick? What should I even call you?! Mr. No Name?!"
"True, that doesn't sound particularly good. Well, you can call me Raj."
"Are you from India?"
"You can assume that for now. You will understand everything sooner or later. Let's talk about the deal now."
The man, Raj, stopped speaking and turned to look at the setting sun. Lyon walked to Raj and looked at him clearly. Raj looks to be around 25 years old, with light brown skin. His actions give an aristocratic feeling but it always feels misplaced on him.
Raj tipped his hat slowly and spoke, "Let's put this matter aside for now. How about we meet at the restaurant down the street tomorrow afternoon while having lunch? Consider it my treat"
"Sure, no problem"
Although Lyon is wary of being cheated again by the man in front of him, he isn't really afraid since he doesn't have anything valuable with him, and he really, really has no idea where to get his next lunch from, and he is offered now.
"Alright then. Let's meet tomorrow at 1 PM. Have a good sleep, Lyon. You will really need it."
After he finished speaking, the man walked away leaving Lyon to ponder on his last words. He isn't worried but something tells him that he might really need a good sleep.
-----------------------------------------------------
"Hmm~"
Still sleepy, Lyon decided to freshen up first and get ready well to meet Raj in the afternoon. He decided that even if the 'deal' as he calls it falls apart before it even starts, he might as well stuff his stomach to maximum.
He checked his phone to see if the embassy had contacted him, something he does everyday, with a tiny hope that things might get better.
To his surprise, there really was a message. The message is from a contact of his who is working in the embassy. She messaged that his case had finally attracted the attention of the higher-ups and they wanted to meet him tomorrow and have a chat with them.
Lyon looked at the message and his eyes slowly turned red. Tears started to fall from his eyes, but his expression of shock still didn't change. He came back to his senses and started laughing loudly, scaring the birds perched on the shack.
"Finally!!"
He really couldn't believe the message. After 2 years of struggle, he finally has a chance to go back. Now he doesn't care much about the appointment in the afternoon.
"Speaking of afternoon . . ."
Lyon feels that Raj coming to visit might be a good thing, and Raj is really a lucky star for him. So, although he doesn't need to, he still decided to honor his appointment.
Afternoon
Walking down the street, Lyon started to enjoy his surroundings. Although he has lived here for the past two years, he hasn't really appreciate the beauty of the city since he was under constant pressure just to survive.
The area he lives in isn't the best of the neighbourhoods. Racism is prevalent here, and if it wasn't for the price, he wouldn't really want to come to this area. But they got used to him and he also got used to them. It isn't as bad as it was in the beginning.
Reaching the end of the street, he is surprised to find his 'ex'-friend from the previous day.
His friend, also spotting Lyon, dodged his eyes and walked away. He stopped abruptly and turned around, and started walking straight towards Lyon.
"Hey~, How are you, Lyon?"
"Me? I'm fine, alright."
"Well, anyway, If you need something, just tell me."
"Sure, sure"
The man walked away leaving Lyon pondering about the day's changes. Everything started to become different from today. Generally, Lyon would have to escape on meeting his victims, but they have never felt guilt for their harsh behaviour later on.
Living in dire straits in an area that excluded him for reasons he cannot control made Lyon look at things in a cautious manner. If things start to feel different abruptly, then there definitely a reason behind it. Although twice can be a coincidence, he isn't ready to risk his life on it.
He started to hesitate on meeting this dealer now. Anyone who can change the minds of both the officials and the citizens so quickly are either too powerful or too mysterious, and he didn't want to get involved in either of them.
Just as he was about to walk away, he found that Raj was sitting on a table near the mirror, sipping some Boba tea and looking at him with a smile.
'Don't Run'
He turned around and ran towards crowded areas hoping to divert some attention, but he wasn't sure if it would work. He is sure, Raj just appeared abruptly, because if he really was sitting there he would have noticed it.
Definitely Supernatural
And the voice telling him not to run, he is sure that no one around him spoke it. It's as if it directly appeared in his mind.
Just as he turned around a corner, he found himself standing in front of the restaurant again, and Raj sipping his tea with a sunny smile and empty eyes.
Don't think too much! Lyon ran around a different corner and the same thing happened again. It repeated again and again until Lyon was out of stamina.
He started to calm down and feel it properly. He is sure that he can't escape, but he doesn't want to walk in yet. This time, he walked to the end of the street calmly and slowly. Just when he reached the corner, he opened his eyes wide open and started to feel around himself.
Just as he passed the corner, he appeared in front of the restaurant again, but the smile shifted from Raj's face to his face.
Lyon felt a weightless sensation ever so slightly when he turned around the corner and he saw darkness for a very small moment.
Thinking of the phenomenon, a bright smile appeared on Lyon's face as he walked towards Raj. He is still afraid of Raj,or anything supernatural in general, but he also wants to have an encounter with it, since he can't escape it.
"That's quite a surprise to be honest. I didn't think someone would actually feel teleportation without having prior knowledge of mystic arts."
Just when Lyon sat down at the table, he heard Raj speaking about his previous endeavor.
Mystic arts, huh~
"It just felt that way"
Lyon wasn't lying about that. He really felt that there was something whenever he was teleported back to where he was standing. Only when he calmed down that he could grasp it.
"Who are you?"
"As I said yesterday, you can call me Raj"
"Fine. What do you want from me?"
"An offer. I want you to accept an offer from me. It isn't exactly anything difficult, and I think you will have a lot of fun doing so."
"Tell me about your offer. But I cannot guarantee that I will accept it."
"But I think you will. It's a very enticing offer, after all"
After saying that, Raj started to call the waiter. Lyon was confused about why he hasn't answered and wanted to tell him to continue when he heard
"You ran a lot. I think you should eat something first and regain your energy"
Lyon was stunned by this momentary kindness and looked at the menu in daze. When he came back to his senses, he was stunned again looking at many dishes in it. He visited this restaurant multiple times, so he is sure that this restaurant didn't serve Italian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Indian and many other cuisines, some which he didn't even recognize.
"It's magic. Or you can at least think of it as magic for now"
"Do you make it out of nothing?"
"Hm~, Yes? Kind of. I change a few things here and there"
"It violates the Gamp's law"
"Different concept"
"You watched Harry Potter?"
"You can say that. In fact, I know about almost all the things"
"Really?"
"Yeah"
"What's my favorite color?"
"Purple-Gold. You like it so much that even in such troubled times, you still saved money to buy your Underwear only of that color"
". . . The example was unnecessary"
Angry at Raj, Lyon decisively ordered the most expensive dishes on the menu, trying to get Raj mad. And then remembering that food would actually be conjured and the pricings written in the menu are only for decoration, Lyon became depressed.
Soon, all the dishes were conjured. Lyon ordered hundreds of dishes, each one famous across the world, because he knew that he could afford them even if he went back to London with his Wallet.
Tasting all the dishes, he was very satisfied. He feels that this day has been the best of his life overall, although it might be in the palms of others, he still enjoyed it wholeheartedly.
"Now that you are full, shall we get back to the topic then?"
Hearing Raj's words, Lyon's droopy eyes turned into a serious expression. He knows that this is the moment that might decide his life. He might die, or he might live a life of suffering again. Maybe he will go back to his peaceful life in London or, more importantly, he might become someone extraordinary, quite literally.
"I want to hire you, Lyon. I want you to do some tasks for me, and in exchange, I will send you to a different world. You know-"
"HOLD!! Back up! Back up!!! You can send me to a different world?!"
"Yes. I suppose you would love that. And considering that you don't have many relations you are keen on or deeply involved with."
"So, is it an isekai summoning? Will I get summoned to another world?"
"No. I'll just send you there."
"You're that powerful?"
"I never said I was weak. I just don't want to draw unwanted attention. Back to the topic, You go to a different world and I will give you a task or some tasks in that world. You do that and we are even"
"Can you tell me about the world?"
"No"
"Is it a fantasy world?"
"Yes"
"Is it a fictional world?"
"Yes"
"Is it one with toxic nationalism where I have to always look out for Mount Tai?"
"No"
"Is it-"
"No more. You can find the rest yourself. In fact, the moment you see the task you might be able to figure it out."
"Oh, Ok. Fine."
"So, you agree?"
"Nope."
"Why don't you? Considering all the circumstances, I think you would be more than ready to go on an adventure."
"Considering it's a fantasy world, I might not even be able to survive after reaching the world. In case you forgot, I am a normal human."
"Indeed, but your luck has started to rise tremendously over the past couple hours. You wouldn't have many problems then. But its not a good idea to leave everything to luck. Fine then, you can have one cheat. What do you want?"
"Are you sure you will give me anything I want? What if, you think that it is too good and decide to back out later on"
"Hmm~, I can take a vow, then"
"Will it be useful?"
"Trusting me will depend on yourself. At Least, I have never lied to you, have I?"
Lyon stared at Raj for a while, weighing his options. He decided to bet on this for once. Lyon has read a lot of novels and mangas, and he watched a lot of anime too. He knows a lot of crazy superpowers but he is sure that Raj would rather go back on his word than give him those powers.
"Simulator"
"Hmm?"
"I want a life simulator"
". . ."
Thought so
Lyon was glad he didn't ask for some crazy powers. Perhaps he would be killed right away. Anything that is OP or is guaranteed to OP is always out of bounds, like Kryptonian Body.
Lyon looked at Raj without batting an eye. He knows that a simulator is also something that will most likely help him to grow OP, but he is willing to take a bet, because this isn't a request, but a deal. Lyon is sure that he has something Raj wants, so Raj will consider what Lyon wants.
". . . No rewards"
"Ok!"
Lyon is happy for what he has got. Although no rewards in a simulator means it will be difficult for him to have explosive growth, it's still better.
"So, how does it work?"
Raj didn't reply, but took out the black briefcase he had with him the previous day and took out a parchment paper from it. It has their deal written on, but not entirely. Raj took out an ink bottle and a quill and wrote down about the simulator.
"Can't you use magic?"
"You can't use magic on this parchment."
Lyon took the parchment and read it thoroughly. He hates signing deals because of his previous experience. After not finding any fine text, he re-read the parchment multiple times, thoroughly. It's nothing complex, and just states whatever Raj said. However, Lyon feels that there is something off about how simple it was.
"If you don't want to, you can give it back to me"
"No, No. I just want to make sure everything is alright."
Lyon tried his best to suppress his inner voice telling him not to sign it. He knows that he would probably die if he didn't sign it.
"So~, just sign?"
"Yes, it records your soul, so it doesn't matter much on what you sign"
"Neat"
Understanding the principle, he wrote down 'F**k you' in the space for signature.
"Hahaha!!!"
Raj looked at the parchment and burst out laughing. Lyon was stunned because it wasn't really a big thing to write something like that, and more importantly, because he has never seen Raj showing much of a reaction to anything.
"Is it funny? Even you decided to show some reaction"
"Wasn't I surprised by you finding out about teleportation?"
"I can see the stiffness in your expression."
"I just felt like I wouldn't be bored anytime soon"
". . ."
"So, are you ready to go?"
"Not yet. I need to prepare something first"
"No, just go"
"What-"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Lyon opened his eyes, all he saw was a blank area covered in orange light.
"That Bastard!!"
Lyon didn't have anything with him. He didn't bring his wallet since he didn't have any cash or cards, and his house, or shack, has no keys.
Well, where is this place, anyway? I don't think I know this place. Was there any orange space in any fictional work that I read?
"Lyon"
"Hmm~?"
Lyon turned towards the direction of the voice and found someone he was familiar with, his contact in the embassy. He was stunned at first, but his expression soon turned into realization, since she was the only one who never got mad at him for insignificant reasons.
"No explanation?"
"Do you want one?"
"No, I can guess. Whatever attracted Raj to me is also the reason you came to me. You just took a gentler route."
"Spot on. Except, its not something you have, but you"
"I see. So what? You have an offer for me too?"
"No, I just don't want the one before to succeed. And its actually very helpful if you are to listen to me."
"What is it? Is it about the weird feeling I felt before signing the parchment?"
"Yes. To put it simply, the contract was bugged, the simulator was bugged and you have no idea about your current state"
"Wow~. It's a lot more serious than I expected it to be. I didn't think Raj to be so calculating against me~!"
"Raj, huh? It might be his recent victim."
"What?"
"It means, he was the previous contractor, before you. Anyway, I can tell you about him later, but we are short of time now. So let me be clear about your current problems.
First, your simulator won't work. You forgot to add the clause 'working' or 'without any error', etc.
Second, the contract is too simple, and full of loopholes. You are just so bad at contracts that you hadn't realized something so simple.
Third, Your luck is still bad, it never recovered or something. It's a complete lie."
". . . Shit."
"I can only adjust your simulator and make it work. I can't change anything about your contract. Although I can't increase your luck, I can give you a protection, at least you won't die from bad luck in danger. It won't affect your simulator though. And don't be too reliant on the simulator, it's not yours, after all."
"By the way-"
"Time's up"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Argh!!!"
Lyon shouted to the sky, cursing it for his ill fate. He fell right into a lake the moment he came into the world, and he didn't even know how to swim. Fortunately, it was pretty close to the shore, so he quickly came ashore. He found a path leading somewhere but was attacked by monsters enroute. Fortunately, some adventurers passing by saved him.
After coming to a clearing near a small town, he checked his state. Although he was hurt, they were just bruises. The only thing that he has is a smartphone in his pocket, which surprisingly works even after getting wet.
"Hmm, it seems the phone is slightly modified"
Before Lyon could actually check the features of the phone,the phone gave him a prompt
[Mission Triggered]
Cool~
The moment Lyon looked at the quest, he realized the world he was in. Good news, the world is actually nice. Bad news, his mission is a million points too hard.
[Mission: Be the villain. Suppress the protagonist Mochizuki Touya]