Chapter 7: Choosing Dungeon Location After Activating a System
[Host is mistaken. There are about ten thousand people out there with the Overload Dungeon System and another ten thousand with the Fortress Overlord System.]
Like a bucket of ice water dumped on a bonfire, Zach's excitement died a quick and merciless death before it even grows bigger.
This was too brutal, too harsh that Zach couldn't help but clutch his chest in his mind with anguish expression like a man who's lover rejected him in public after the bragging he did.
The system was too brutal!
His grin turns into twitched, but instead of sulking, he straightened up, puffed out his chest, and declared, "Then doesn't that mean that out of billions or even trillions of people, I'm one of the only 20,000 to awaken a unique system? HAHAHA! I'M SPECIAL!"
[...]
Zach ignored the system's robotic attitude and laughed like a lunatic, hands on his knees, practically wheezing. After a few minutes, he wiped the tears from his eyes, exhaled deeply, and winces from the smell of the prison and refocused.
"This isn't part of the plot of the storyline. There were no systems in what he knows. What happened or am I in a different timeline? System, what year is this?"
[August 20th, 2024. Host is currently on Planet Mansory.]
Zach's brows knitted together as he absorbed the information. A rat scurried past his foot, its beady eyes gleaming in the dim, mold-infested prison cell. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped steadily from a rusted pipe, carrying the foul stench of damp decay. None of this bothered him—his thoughts were too tangled.
This isn't part of the plot.
According to his memories, the novel's timeline ended on 9095 Danbuary 23rd—a weirdly named date, sure, but that was how the world worked. If he had entered the story properly, he should've arrived around 9004 Danbuary 15th, the day the protagonist was born. Yet here he was, stuck in a setting that used Earth's time system. And worse, now there were systems running around like it was some sort of knockoff game world.
Something was very, very wrong.
[Host, the system will go online in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Before that, Host must select his dungeon.]
Zach snapped out of his spiraling thoughts and focused on the glowing text hovering in front of him.
"Choose my dungeon? What does that mean?" He had a vague idea, but better to be sure.
[After selecting your dungeon and being transported to it, the host will naturally understand the dungeon better.]
"Yeah, yeah, but at least tell me a little about them."
[Would Host like to choose his dungeon?] The system's cold, emotionless tone remained unchanged.
Zach sighed. Damn it. Other people in novels get systems with personalities, ones they can bicker with, negotiate with, maybe even extort rewards from. Me? I don't even get a damn starter pack.
"Fine, fine! I'll choose the damn dungeon. Show me the options." He grumbled, arms crossed.
[Ding! Loading dungeon maps... %1... %20... %25... %50... %90... %100.]
[Ding! Choose the planet where your dungeon will be located.]
1. Dracaena
2. Mansory
3. Ultra
4. Sparta Ohio
5. Dreamcatcher
...
66. Earth
67. Galaxiou
Zach's eyes skimmed through the list lazily—until he saw it.
"Wait!" His dazed expression snapped into focus, his breath hitching. He reread the name just to make sure his eyes weren't screwing with him.
Earth.
His heartbeat spiked, and a chill ran down his spine.
"This… This… Impossible! How... Damnnnn!"
A normal person, after being yeeted into some fantasy world and suddenly seeing their home planet listed as a valid destination for their dungeon, would obviously be thrown into a blender of emotions. And that blender was currently running at max speed inside Zach's head.
He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I… I choose Earth."
[Ding! Earth chosen. Now loading Earth's dungeon maps.]
[Ding! Loading dungeon maps... %1... %20... %25... %50... %90... %100.]
[Ding! Choose the continent where your dungeon will be.]
Zach didn't hesitate. "Asia."
Excitement bubbled in his chest, his pulse pounding. This was real. This was actually happening.
In his past life, he had been American, sure. But his dream? His fantasy? It was to be in Asia—the land of his favorite martial arts legends, the birthplace of anime, the holy ground of… waifus.
[Ding! Asia chosen. Now select your country for your dungeon.]
Zach exhaled sharply, rubbing his chin. His younger self would have screamed "China!" without hesitation, all because he once wanted to learn every martial art under the sun. But now?
Fuck martial arts. I want waifus.
His choice was obvious.
"Japan! I choose Japan!" He declared with the confidence of a man who had sorted his priorities in life.
If anyone were to pass by and see him right now—alone in a dim prison cell, talking to thin air with the enthusiasm of a lottery winner—they'd assume he had completely lost his mind due to the fear of death.
[Ding! Final destination. Choose the exact location of your dungeon.]
A flickering hologram appeared before Zach, displaying a full map of Japan. Red markers dotted the country, indicating dungeons, while gold ones were likely Fortresses. Some locations even had green check marks.
Zach's eyes narrowed. Occupied, according to Earth's digital ways, green tick should mean so.
He wasn't about to pick a dungeon out in the middle of nowhere. What was the point of choosing Japan if he wouldn't have interactions? He needed humans around. He needed civilization.
Most importantly—he needed access to waifus.
His gaze landed on a dungeon nestled between two Fortress markers.
A wicked grin spread across his face. Perfect.
If his instincts, honed by years of reading brain-dead system novels, were correct, Fortresses were places where humans took refuge. Meaning, the areas without Fortresses were most likely abandoned wastelands.
Why the hell would he isolate himself in the middle of nowhere? Hell no.
Zach made his choice without hesitation. "Tokyo!"
[Ding! Location has been chosen! You will be transported in 1 hour and 15 minutes.]