"Huh, neat. Solo Leveling is finally getting an anime," I muttered, absentmindedly scrolling through my phone. Sprawled out on my bed, I lazily kicked my legs over the edge.
It was the summer holidays, and I was bored as fuck. Sure, it was nice not having to stress over exams anymore, and people tell me that senior year is a breeze, but it didn't matter at the moment. Since my only two hobbies, gaming and reading, were already starting to feel stale… and it had only been two weeks.
To make things worse, the heat was unbearable. I was barely wearing anything, and yet I still felt like I was about to turn into a puddle.
"Haaah…" I sighed, tossing my phone aside as I rolled out of bed.
I grabbed the nearest clothes I could find and threw them on before heading to the fridge. No one was home, but still - walking around half-naked in my own house just felt icky.
Arriving at the fridge, I yanked the doors open, only for my mood to plummet instantly.
"For fuck's sake," I groaned.
"Dad probably took it… again. Maaaan," I grumbled, throwing the fridge door shut before sulking back to my room to resume lazing about,
buuuuuut...
"I really am craving ice cream, though...." so, with a groan, I jumped back up, grabbed my phone, and threw on a thin black hoodie and some sweatpants.
"I'll just go to the nearby McDonald's. It's not like anything bad will happen. But damn it's hot"
---
The walk was short, but in this heat, it felt like a death march. Even in just a thin hoodie and sweatpants, sweat clung to my skin like a second layer of suffering. By the time I stepped into McDonald's, the air conditioning hit me like divine salvation.
"Finally," I muttered, sighing in relief as I shuffled toward the counter. The place wasn't too crowded, just a few customers scattered around—some families, a couple of high schoolers, and a guy in the corner looking way too sketchy for a fast-food joint.
Ignoring him, I ordered my ice cream, tapping my phone impatiently as I waited. Just a normal, lazy summer night.
Then the doors slammed open.
"Alright! Nobody move!"
My head snapped up just in time to see a guy in a cheap ski mask waving a gun around like he was in some budget action movie.
Oh, what the fuck.
People screamed. A few ducked under table while the employees froze behind the counter. The robber stormed forward, shoving a bag toward the cashier.
"Money. Now."
Seriously, robbing a Mcdonalds? They can't even pay their employees a living wage, what makes you think they got money?
The guy's head snapped toward me, gun following, and just like that, fear crept in as I had zero power. Did I say that aloud?
"DON'T THINK I'M PLAYING!!" he screamed like a child having a tantrum, but unlike most children. He had a gun. And what do people in a rage do?
I barely had time to process what was happening before
BANG.
A gunshot rang out, deafening in the tense silence.
…Huh?
Pain bloomed in my chest, hot and searing, stealing the breath from my lungs. My vision blurred as my legs gave out beneath me. The cold tile met me fast, and my body collapsed like a stringless puppet.
The screams around me felt distant, like I was hearing them from underwater. But the worst thing was my ice cream. Now, on the table, not a single bite taken out.
B-but... I didn't get to have my McFlurry...
yes, that was my only thought before death, that I didn't get to have my McFlurry. A thing more important than my own death, was ice cream. I mean very rare ice cream, as the machine doesn't "work" at any time. Butt ice cream, nevertheless.
Thankfully, at least one entity out there thought my life was meaningful.
[Congratulations! You have been chosen and have acquired the right to become a Player.]
[Do you accept?]
[Will you become a Player?]
[Yes] [No]
A light blue translucent window appeared before me with that message displayed on it.
…Am I hallucinating? Wow, Because this is straight out of Solo Leveling, right? Yeah, it is! What the fuck?
[There is not enough time for your indecision. Your heart will cease functionality in 0.05 seconds if you refuse the offer. Do you accept?]
[Yes] [No]
—
...
Well, I guess there is only one way to find out, I mean, it's either death or having a system. I think I know my choice.
[Yes]
[Yes]
[Congratulations on becoming a Player.]
The second that screen popped up, a blinding flash of light swallowed everything around me. Then, just as quickly - It all went black, and I lost consciousness.
A/N tf am I doing?