Thalia lay on the narrow cot, listening to the notification echo in his mind:

[Your frog cub is off on its journey! It will send travel albums periodically, so check them carefully. When the frog cub returns, it will bring back world-specific gifts and commemorative items. Be sure to review them, host!]

He exhaled a long, slow breath. "Finally, it's leaving."

The room around him was dim and claustrophobic, a stark contrast to the bustling, neon-lit chaos of Night City outside. The space was a cramped twelve square meters, its metal walls cold and windowless. High-tech devices crowded every corner, their screens perpetually displaying "Insert Credits" in stark, unwelcoming fonts.

The only connection to the world beyond was a small vent in the wall. Even late at night, it carried muffled echoes of electronic music, drunken laughter, and occasional gunshots. But none of that intruded on the oppressive quiet inside. Here, there was only silence—and the suffocating weight of survival.

Thalia had been trapped in this room for a month.

It hadn't started here, of course. A month ago, he'd been an ordinary gamer from Earth, playing a casual mobile game to pass the time. Then, inexplicably, he'd been pulled into a new reality: the violent, dystopian world of Cyberpunk 2077.

His new home, Night City, was a treacherous place—a sprawling hive of corporate greed and unchecked brutality. Cyberpsychos roamed the streets, gangs waged constant turf wars, and the destitute lived as disposable pawns under the shadow of colossal megacorporations.

As an unmodified human with no cyberware, Thalia was at the very bottom of the food chain. In this world, being unarmed and unaugmented was akin to painting a target on your back.

At first, he'd been overwhelmed by panic, his mind racing for a way out. That was when he discovered his one saving grace: the system.

To his disbelief, it was tied to the game he'd been playing—a simple title called Traveling Frog.

The mechanics were familiar: prepare a small frog's provisions, send it on a trip, and wait for it to return with souvenirs. But here, the system had an extraordinary twist.

The destinations weren't ordinary places—they were worlds pulled from across dimensions.

The gifts the frog brought back? They weren't just trinkets. They were tangible items imbued with the power and technology of those worlds. And they weren't decorative either. Thalia could use them.

In a place like Night City, such treasures could mean the difference between survival and annihilation. If his frog cub ventured into a world of cultivation and brought back a spiritual pill, he could leapfrog past the need for cyberware entirely.

But there was a catch.

Each trip came with a cost.

For the first journey, the price was €2,000—an obscene sum for someone scraping by as a powerless drifter. The cost would only increase with each subsequent trip.

For a month, Thalia had scraped and clawed for every euro. By day, he worked menial jobs. By night, he served drinks at a dive bar, occasionally pocketing tips from inebriated patrons. In one desperate moment, he scavenged cybernetic implants from a gang shootout and sold them on the black market.

Finally, the funds were secured.

And now, the frog cub was on its first journey.

A notification buzzed from his phone, dragging him from his thoughts. In a world where everyone had cyberware built into their bodies, Thalia's outdated smartphone marked him as a relic.

He glanced at the screen.

[Arasaka Bank Notification: €2,000 has been debited from your account. Remaining balance: €10.20. Please maintain a minimum balance to avoid service termination.]

He scowled at the message. "Even the banks are predatory. Perfect."

The second notification was from his boss:

[Greer – Afterlife Bar: Be here early tomorrow. There's a big event, and we're short-staffed.]

Thalia replied with a curt "Understood" and tossed the phone aside.

As he lay back, the tension in his chest eased slightly. He stared at the ceiling, but his mind focused on the system interface only he could see.

"What kind of world will the frog visit first?" he murmured, his tone calm and measured. His gaze shifted to his hand, pale but steady, veins pulsing faintly beneath the surface.

If the frog didn't return with something useful, his options were grim. He'd have to join the masses and get cyberware, trading pieces of himself for the faintest chance of survival.

He shook his head. "The body is a gift from your parents. I won't abandon it unless I have no choice."

His voice softened, almost tender. "Frog cub… my future rests with you now."

The rhythmic hum of the city outside lulled him into an uneasy sleep.

---

Morning broke, and Thalia was still lost in restless dreams when a sharp chime jolted him awake:

[Ding! Your frog cub has returned from its journey! It has brought back unique travel items. Please review them immediately!]

His eyes snapped open, and he sat upright in an instant. "Already back? Overnight?"

For the first time in weeks, a flicker of hope stirred in his chest.