Hikaru Sato scratched his head lazily, blinking at the flickering glow of his laptop screen. Empty ramen cups littered his cramped apartment like tiny monuments to his lack of ambition. A can of soda, three-fourths empty, sat precariously close to the edge of his desk, threatening to spill with even the faintest breeze. Not that he cared—he barely had the energy to move these days.
His eyes scanned the screen, pausing on a particularly flashy banner ad for the latest isekai anime. Bright colors and over-the-top action filled the panel as a spiky-haired protagonist declared, "With my cheat skills, I'll save the world!"
Hikaru scoffed, running a hand through his disheveled black hair. "Oh sure, save the world, get a harem, become OP overnight. Must be nice, huh?" He grabbed the soda and took a swig, only to grimace when he realized it had gone warm.
Life hadn't always been this bleak. At 17, Hikaru had been a promising athlete with dreams of playing professional soccer. His talent had caught the attention of recruiters, but one rainy night, a reckless driver had shattered not just his legs but also his future. Rehabilitation had been grueling, both physically and mentally, and when it became clear he wouldn't return to the field, his motivation disappeared.
Now, at 23, his days were an endless loop of eating junk food, browsing forums, and binge-watching anime. He laughed bitterly. "What a catch I am. Bet even an isekai god would pass me up."
As if in response to his sarcasm, the lights in his apartment flickered. The air felt heavy, like someone had cranked up the gravity, and a strange humming sound filled his ears. Hikaru glanced around, confused. "Did I forget to pay the electric bill again?"
A sudden, blinding light erupted from the ceiling. Before he could move, a circle of intricate symbols materialized around him, glowing in vibrant gold and silver hues. "What the hell?! Did my laptop get hacked by a cult?!"
The light enveloped him entirely, and the world around him dissolved into an overwhelming void.
When Hikaru's vision cleared, he found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest. The trees were enormous, their gnarled roots weaving like ancient arteries through the moss-covered ground. The air smelled cleaner than anything he had experienced in his urban existence, tinged with the sharp scent of pine and damp earth.
"What the—?!" Hikaru stumbled back and nearly tripped over his own feet. He was no longer in his ragged apartment clothes but dressed in a sleek black tunic and durable leather pants, with boots that fit perfectly despite never having worn such footwear before.
"What is this, cosplay?" he muttered, patting himself down. His voice echoed faintly, which only added to the eerie serenity of his surroundings.
Before he could finish assessing his situation, a holographic screen popped up in front of him.
[Welcome, Hikaru Sato, to Astraleon!]
[You have been summoned as the Divine Champion by Celestia, Goddess of Light!]
[Primary Objective: Overthrow the Tyrant Gods and Restore Balance to the World.]
"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up!" Hikaru yelled, waving his arms as if trying to get the screen's attention. "I didn't sign up for any of this! Who's Celestia? What is Astraleon? And why do I suddenly feel like the protagonist in one of those dumb light novels?"
His complaints were ignored as another prompt appeared.
[As the Divine Champion, you have been gifted extraordinary abilities. Please check your Status Menu to review them.]
A new screen materialized in response to his confused expression. It displayed various stats and abilities, with titles that made his jaw drop.
Hikaru Sato
Class: Divine Overlord
Abilities:
Reality Override (Limitless): Rewrite reality with a single thought or phrase. Activation requires humor or wit.Infinite Energy Matrix: Endless energy reserves. Physical limits and fatigue are irrelevant.Chrono-Weaver: Absolute mastery of time. Rewind, pause, or accelerate time at will.The Eternal Mind: Instantly learn, adapt, and improve any skill or magic.Voidstep Sovereignty: Total dominion over space, enabling teleportation, dimensional rifts, and area control.Boundless Creation: Bring imagination to life—create worlds, weapons, or armies with a thought.
For a long moment, Hikaru just stared at the screen, dumbfounded. Then he burst out laughing. "Okay, this is too much! Did someone seriously just slap all the cheat codes on me?" He paused, his grin fading. "Wait… is this real? Like, can I actually do all this stuff?"
Hesitantly, he thought of something small. "Uh… I wish for a bowl of ramen."
Instantly, a steaming bowl appeared in his hands, complete with chopsticks and a napkin. The smell made his mouth water, and when he took a bite, it tasted exactly like his favorite brand. "Holy crap," he muttered between mouthfuls. "This is nuts."
His satisfaction was short-lived, as a sudden rustling in the bushes made him freeze. He quickly turned to see a monstrous wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes emerge from the shadows. Its claws dug into the earth, and saliva dripped from its snarling jaws.
"Of course there's a boss fight right after the tutorial," Hikaru muttered, dropping the ramen bowl.
The beast lunged.
Panicked, Hikaru stumbled back, his mind racing. "C'mon, c'mon, do something cool!" he shouted at himself. His fear triggered an instinct, and he blurted out, "Why don't you just float away already?!"
The wolf froze mid-air as a strange ripple passed through the world. Then, defying gravity, it floated upward helplessly, its legs thrashing in the air. Hikaru gawked. "No way… Did I just—?!"
He grinned. "Okay, this is actually awesome!" He waved his hand like a conductor. "And now, spin!"
The wolf began spinning rapidly like a furry top, yelping all the while. Hikaru's laughter echoed through the forest. "All hail Hikaru Sato, Master of Physics!"
Once the initial panic wore off, he snapped his fingers. The wolf stopped spinning and dropped harmlessly to the ground. Strangely, it didn't attack again. Instead, it gave Hikaru a wary look before retreating into the shadows.
"Yeah, you better run!" Hikaru shouted, hands on his hips. The adrenaline rush was intoxicating. "Man, I'm starting to like this place already."
Before he could revel in his victory, another flash of light erupted nearby, accompanied by the sound of someone crashing into the undergrowth. Hikaru cautiously approached, finding a woman sprawled face-first in the dirt. She wore a white priestess outfit, though it was slightly singed at the edges, and her golden hair was a tangled mess.
"Oh, great, another NPC," Hikaru muttered, poking her shoulder. "Hey, you alive down there?"
The woman groaned and pushed herself up, glaring at him with striking silver eyes. "Do you have any idea what I've been through to bring you here?"
"Uh… nope?" Hikaru said, stepping back. "Are you Celestia?"
"I am not Celestia!" she snapped, brushing dirt off her robes. "I'm Lira, her priestess! Do you even know what's happening right now?"
"Not really," Hikaru admitted with a shrug. "One minute I'm chillin' at home, and the next, bam! Magic forest."
Lira smacked her forehead. "Unbelievable. You're the Divine Champion, aren't you?"
"Yup. At least, that's what the hologram thing told me."
Her eye twitched. "Hologram? You mean the System Interface? This is worse than I thought…"
As she rambled on about prophecies and cosmic threats, Hikaru tuned her out, instead marveling at how surreal the situation had become. Gods, monsters, cheat abilities—it was like a dream come true. Or maybe a nightmare.
Either way, he figured, it sure beat sitting in his apartment.