Juan Morales
In the sleepy town of Dullsville, where the most thrilling event was the annual pigeon feeding contest held in the sagging town square, Juan Morales lived a life so painfully ordinary it could make watching grass grow feel like a rollercoaster ride. At 18, Juan was a gangly figure, his skin a sickly pale that seemed to reject sunlight, topped with a mop of greasy brown hair that clung to his scalp like a sad, wet mop left out in the rain. His eyes, a watery gray, peered out from behind smudged glasses he had taped together with duct tape after dropping them in a muddy puddle outside the Dollar Dump last month.
His wardrobe was a pitiful affair, consisting of a single faded hoodie, once a proud black but now a mottled gray from countless coffee stains, and a pair of sweatpants with a gaping hole in the knee that he insisted added character, though no one ever cared to comment. He worked part time at the Dollar Dump, a dingy discount store on the edge of town, restocking shelves with off brand toothpaste that smelled like regret and expired ramen packets that crunched ominously when squeezed. His meager paycheck barely covered the rent for his basement apartment beneath a chain smoking landlord named Maude, whose raspy coughs rattled through the floorboards day and night.
Juan days melted into a monotonous blur. He woke up at noon, his mattress groaning under his bony frame as he rolled out of bed, microwaved a burrito that oozed questionable grease onto a chipped plate, and slumped onto his threadbare couch to scroll through pirated episodes of High School DxD on a phone with a screen so cracked it looked like a shattered windshield. The basement was a dim cave, lit by a single flickering bulb that buzzed like a trapped insect, its walls adorned with peeling paint and a faint mildew scent that lingered like an unwelcome guest. He would spend hours lost in tales of overpowered protagonists, dreaming of a life where he was not the guy who tripped over his own feet or spilled coffee on himself daily, leaving brown splotches on his hoodie like a map of his failures.
He was not muscular, his arms resembling limp noodles rather than the sculpted biceps of Issei Hyoudou. He was not clever, his last attempt at a witty comeback at work earning him a blank stare from a coworker named Tina. He was not charismatic, his nasally voice and awkward stammer making even the cashier at Dollar Dump avoid eye contact. His coworkers barely remembered his name, calling him Lenny one day and Lard the next, depending on their mood. Yet, deep down, Juan nursed a tiny ember of hope. Did not every nobody secretly believe they were destined for greatness? He had binged enough webnovels and anime to know the pattern. A quiet loser stumbles into a cheat skill, rises to power, collects a harem of busty beauties, and slaps arrogant faces until the world kneels. It was only a matter of time before fate kicked down his door.
The day began like every other. Juan sprawled on his couch, the springs creaking in protest as he shifted his weight, flicking through a fan subbed episode of High School DxD Season 3 on his phone. The video lagged, the subtitles a garbled mess of broken English, but it was free, and that was all that mattered to a guy whose bank account hovered at twelve dollars and forty seven cents. He sighed, muttering to the empty room,
"Man, if I got a system and had Issei's Boosted Gear, I would be unstoppable. No more Dollar Dump. No more Maude banging on the ceiling about rent. Just me, a badass weapon, and a hot devil girlfriend like Rias Gremory." His voice was nasally, tinged with the self pity of a man who had lost an argument with his own reflection in the cracked bathroom mirror that morning.
As if the universe had been listening to his whining, his phone buzzed violently, the screen flickering like a dying lightbulb on its last gasp. Juan yelped, fumbling it out of his hands, and it landed with a wet plop into a puddle of spilled energy drink he had meant to clean up yesterday but had not. Before he could curse his perpetual clumsiness, a blinding flash erupted from the device, searing his retinas and flooding the basement with a harsh white glow. He flailed, knocking over a stack of Naruto manga volumes that tumbled to the floor in a cascade of crumpled pages, and when the light finally faded, a translucent blue panel floated before him, glowing with crisp, digital text that hummed with otherworldly energy.
System Activated: Path to Eternal Supremacy
Juans jaw dropped, revealing crooked teeth he had not brushed since Tuesday. "No way," he breathed, scrambling to his knees on the stained carpet. "No freaking way! I have a system! I am the Main Character!" His heart thudded in his scrawny chest, a wild mix of disbelief and glee surging through him. This was it, his golden ticket out of Dullsville, his chance to shed the skin of a basement dwelling loser and become the overpowered badass he had always fantasized about while rewatching Fate/Stay Night. He adjusted his glasses, smearing the lenses further with sweaty fingers, and leaned closer to read the text, his breath fogging the air in front of the glowing panel.
Welcome, User Juan . You have been selected as the Chosen Vessel of Destiny. Complete missions to unlock unparalleled power and ascend to the pinnacle of existence. First Mission: Achieve Basic Strength Enhancement. Task: Run 5 kilometers without stopping. Reward: Plus 10 Strength Points. Time Limit: 48 hours.
Juan blinked, then broke into a wide, goofy grin. "Five kilometers? Psh, that is nothing. I have seen Naruto run across entire countries in a single episode, but I will take it. Every legend has to start somewhere, right?" He leapt to his feet, ignoring the twinge in his lower back from sleeping on a lumpy mattress that sagged like a deflated tire. Sure, he had not exercised since that humiliating gym class in high school where he had tripped over a dodgeball and faceplanted into the mat, earning snickers from the entire class, but this was a system mission. The universe was on his side now, guiding him toward greatness like Shirou Emiya with a Holy Grail up his sleeve.
He laced up his sneakers, their cracked soles peeling at the edges, and shuffled outside, the crisp March air hitting his lungs like a cold punch to the chest. Dullsvilles streets stretched out before him, quiet and dreary, lined with sagging houses whose paint flaked like dandruff and leafless trees that stood like skeletal sentinels under a sky the color of dishwater. Juan started jogging, his spindly legs wobbling like a newborn foals, his breath puffing out in ragged gasps after just ten steps. Sweat beaded on his forehead despite the chill, trickling into his eyes and stinging like cheap body spray. "This, this is fine," he wheezed, ignoring the sharp stitch blooming in his side. "Protagonists push through pain. It is all about grit and determination, like Asta in Black Clover."
By the first mile, his pace had slowed to a shambling shuffle, his sneakers squelching on the uneven pavement. His glasses fogged up from his labored breathing, his hoodie clung to his damp skin like a second layer of misery, and his chest burned as if someone had lit a fire inside his ribcage. An old lady walking her poodle overtook him, her orthopedic shoes clicking briskly as the tiny dog yipped mockingly, its curled tail wagging like a taunt. Juan waved a shaky fist, his voice a hoarse croak. "Laugh now, granny! I will be bench pressing tanks soon, just you wait!"
By kilometer three, he was hunched over a park bench, dry heaving into a trash can overflowing with fast food wrappers while a group of kids on scooters circled him, pointing and snickering. "Look at Sweaty Lenny!" one shouted, snapping a blurry photo with his phone. But Juan pressed on, driven by the promise of power, and finished, barely, collapsing onto the grass after 5.1 kilometers, chest heaving, legs trembling like jelly, his hoodie plastered to his back with sweat.
The system chimed, its robotic tone cutting through the sound of his wheezing.
Mission Complete. Reward: Plus 10 Strength Points. Current Strength: 15 (Average Human: 10). New Mission Unlocked: Achieve Basic Agility Enhancement. Task: Climb a 10 meter tree without falling. Reward: Plus 10 Agility Points.
Juan grinned, wiping snot from his nose with the sleeve of his hoodie. "See? Easy. I am already stronger than the average loser. Next stop, agility god like Yuji Itadori in Jujutsu Kaisen." He stumbled to his feet and staggered to a nearby oak in the park, its gnarled branches looming overhead like the twisted fingers of an ancient giant. It was not that tall, maybe 12 meters at most, but close enough for a rookie protagonist like him. He grabbed the lowest branch, his newly enhanced strength giving him a faint boost as he hauled his scrawny frame upward. Bark scraped his palms, leaving red welts, and a squirrel chittered angrily from a higher perch, its beady eyes glaring at the intruder. Juan climbed, grunting with effort, sweat dripping into his eyes. "This is my montage moment," he panted, imagining a swelling orchestral score from Attack on Titan. "Cue the epic music."
At 8 meters, his foot slipped on a mossy knot. He flailed, glasses tumbling to the ground with a faint clatter, and crashed through the branches, twigs snapping under his weight as he landed in a heap with a yelp that echoed across the park. The system buzzed.
Mission Failed. Penalty: Minus 5 Agility Points. Current Agility: 5 (Average Human: 10). Retry available in 24 hours.
Juan groaned, sprawled in the dirt, glasses cracked beyond repair and half buried in the mud. "Okay, fine. A little setback. Every MC has one, right? Builds character, like Deku in My Hero Academia." He limped home, bruised but undeterred, muttering about his inevitable rise as he nursed his throbbing ankle.
The next day, he retried the tree climb, clinging to the branches with desperate determination, and succeeded, barely, scraping his knees bloody but earning his agility boost. The system kept rolling out missions, each a step above mundane but still within the realm of classic webnovel fare. Punch a wall until his knuckles bled for endurance, leaving smears of blood on the basement concrete. Hold his breath underwater in his bathtub for lung capacity, nearly passing out as Maude banged on the ceiling above, shouting about the splashing. Juan obeyed every task, his frail body slowly hardening, his confidence swelling like a balloon ready to burst. By day five, he could jog a full kilometer without wheezing, lift a 20 pound bag of dog food at work without straining, and climb a tree without breaking anything vital. He strutted through Dollar Dump, flexing his noodle arms at Tina, who did not notice as she scanned a customer's dented tuna can. "I am basically a devil king now, like Sirzechs Lucifer," he told himself, ignoring the fact that he still lived in a basement, smelled like stale burritos, and had not showered since the system arrived.
On day seven, the system raised the stakes, but only slightly, keeping the trajectory familiar.
New Mission Unlocked: Achieve Elemental Fire Affinity. Task: Burn your most prized possession in a public bonfire. Reward: Basic Fire Manipulation. Time Limit: 12 hours.
Juan hesitated, clutching his phone, the very device hosting the system. "My High School DxD Blu ray? My hoodie? No way." But then he pictured it, hurling fireballs like Koneko in a rage, roasting enemies with a smirk, being the coolest guy in Dullsville. He grabbed his prized possession, a battered Naruto Volume 1 he had bought secondhand at a flea market, its cover creased from years of obsessive rereading, and headed to the town square. There, under the flickering glow of a streetlamp, he built a pitiful bonfire with twigs scavenged from the gutter and crumpled receipts from his pocket, lit it with a match that nearly burned his fingers, and tossed the manga in. Flames licked the pages, curling them into ash, and Juan winced as Naruto's goofy grin crackled and vanished in the smoke. A homeless guy lounging on a nearby bench clapped sarcastically, his gravelly voice cutting through the night. "Nice show, kid. Real dramatic."
Mission Complete. Reward: Basic Fire Manipulation. Note: Snap fingers to ignite small flame.
Juan snapped his fingers, and a tiny spark flared at his fingertip, barely enough to light a candle, let alone impress anyone. "Lame," he muttered, but his grin returned, lopsided and eager. "Still counts. I am a mage now, like Megumin from Konosuba. Step one to world domination."
The missions grew stranger but stayed within the bounds of tolerable hardship. Eat 50 raw eggs for stamina, though he puked after 12, the slimy yolks coating his chin as he gagged into the sink. Stand naked in the rain for resilience, shivering under a downpour in the backyard until Maude caught him through her kitchen window and threatened eviction, her cigarette dangling from her lips as she yelled. Each task was weirder, each reward slightly shinier, and Juan ate it up, convinced he was on the cusp of godhood.
By day nine, he could snap his fingers to light a cigarette (if he smoked), jog two kilometers without collapsing, and feel a faint tingle of power in his bones. He spent his evenings flexing in front of his cracked mirror, imagining a chiseled jaw and rippling muscles replacing his current scarecrow physique, picturing himself as a hybrid of Issei and Sasuke Uchiha. Webnovel readers would have cheered at this point, nodding at the humble beginnings, the steady grind, the classic MC vibes of a loser clawing his way up. Juan was living the dream, one small victory at a time.
Then, on day ten, the system flickered ominously, the blue panel pulsing with a darker, sinister edge.
New Mission Unlocked: Achieve Sharingan Eye. Task: Consume 1 kilogram of raw sewage. Reward: Sharingan (Basic). Penalty: Permanent tastebud dysfunction. Time Limit: 24 hours.
Juan froze, the glow reflecting off his sweaty, unshaven face. "Sewage? Like poop?" His voice trembled, the bravado of a week long power trip evaporating like mist in the sun. "This has to be a typo. I am supposed to fight rogue ninjas or devils, not eat crap!" He tapped the screen, hoping for a glitch, his fingers leaving greasy smudges, but the text remained solid, unyielding.
No error detected. Locate nearest sewage source. Proceed?
He paced his basement, kicking a pile of dirty socks that scattered across the floor like fallen soldiers. "No. No way. I am not that guy. I am the hero, not some disgusting freak!" His voice rose, cracking with panic, but then he stopped, his eyes darting back to the panel. The Sharingan, straight out of Naruto. The ultimate ninja eye. Copying moves with a glance, predicting attacks, looking badass in a flowing cloak while enemies trembled. He had watched Sasuke awaken it, dreamed of wielding it himself. MCs ate weird herbs or endured brutal training for power, how was this different? It was just grittier, more raw, a test of his resolve. He could handle it. He had to handle it, or he would stay Juan , Dollar Dump drone, forever.
An hour later, Juan stood over a storm drain behind the Dollar Dump, a rusty spoon trembling in his hand. The stench hit him like a physical blow, a nauseating blend of rotten eggs, decay, and despair that clawed at his nostrils and made his eyes water. He gagged, doubling over, but scooped a dripping lump anyway, the brown sludge quivering like a living thing, thick and glistening in the dim streetlight. "For the Sharingan," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his heart. He shoved it into his mouth, and the taste exploded across his tongue, bitter, sour, and somehow alive, coating his mouth like tar and sliding down his throat in a sickening lump. He retched, tears streaming down his face, but forced it down, picturing those red, swirling eyes as he spooned another bite, then another.
Customers leaving the store stared, their faces twisting in disgust. Tina snapped a photo with her phone, muttering, "Lenny has lost it for real this time." Juan did not care. He ate, spoonful by spoonful, the sludge clinging to his chin and staining his hoodie, until his stomach churned and his vision blurred with nausea. Halfway through, the system dinged, its tone colder, more menacing.
Progress: 50 percent. Additional Task Unlocked: Achieve Rinnegan Upgrade. Task: Strip naked, expose posterior in public, and be penetrated by a man. Reward: Rinnegan (Basic). Penalty: Video evidence uploaded to Pornhub.
Juan dropped the spoon, sewage dribbling down his chin and plopping onto his sneakers. "Strip? Penetrated by a man? What the hell?!" His voice cracked, panic surging through him like a tidal wave. "This is not heroic! This is insane! I am not that kind of protagonist!" He clutched his head, pacing the alley, the stench of sewage clinging to him like a second skin. The Rinnegan, god tier power from Naruto, summoning meteors, defying death, was it worth this? He shook his head violently, his greasy hair flopping into his eyes. "No, no, no, I am not doing that! I am a straight guy, a hero, not some, some degenerate!" His hands trembled, sweat mixing with the filth on his face, his breath coming in shallow, ragged bursts.
But then he stopped, staring at the glowing text, the promise of the Rinnegan burning into his mind. He could see it, himself standing atop a battlefield, eyes glowing purple with concentric rings, enemies cowering as meteors rained from the sky. Every anime MC suffered for their power, right? Naruto's training, Ichigo's battles, even Issei's perverted trials. This was just another hurdle, a grotesque, humiliating one, but a hurdle. If he quit now, he would stay a nobody, a pathetic loser with nothing but a cracked phone and a stained hoodie, mocked by Tina and Maude until he died alone. The system had chosen him for a reason, trusted him to rise above. He had come too far to turn back.
"Okay," he whispered, his voice breaking, barely audible over the distant hum of traffic. "I do not want this. I hate this. But I want the reward. I need it. I will do it." His stomach twisted, not just from the sewage but from the dread coiling in his gut like a snake. He shuffled to a dumpster in the alley, hands shaking as he peeled off his hoodie and sweats, the cold night air biting his pale, bony frame. "Just get it over with," he mumbled, bending over the rusted metal, his cheeks burning with shame, his entire body tense with reluctance. "Someone show up and, and do it. For the Rinnegan."
Minutes dragged by, each second a knife twisting in his pride. A shadow loomed behind him, a hulking figure staggering into the alley. It was an ugly homeless guy, his face a roadmap of scars and grime, teeth jagged and yellow like a broken fence, his matted hair hanging in clumps over bloodshot eyes. He reeked of cheap whiskey and unwashed clothes, a sour stench that mingled with the sewage already coating Juan . The man scratched his scruffy beard, his voice a low, guttural rasp. "You for real, kid? This some sick joke?" Juan squeezed his eyes shut, his breath hitching, every fiber of his being screaming to run. His hands gripped the dumpster edge, knuckles white, and he nodded once, his voice a choked whisper. "Yeah. Just, just do it quick. Please." He braced himself, trembling, hating every second but clinging to the promise of power with a desperation that drowned out his disgust and fear.
The homeless guy shrugged, muttering something incoherent, and stepped closer. The act was fast, brutal, and left Juan gasping, tears mixing with the grime and sewage on his face as he slumped against the dumpster, the cold metal biting into his skin. The man stumbled off without a word, disappearing into the shadows, leaving Juan crumpled in the alley, naked, trembling, and utterly broken. The system chimed, its tone flat and merciless.
Mission Complete. Rewards: Sharingan (Basic), Rinnegan (Basic).
His eyes twitched, one flaring red with swirling tomoe, the other glowing purple with concentric rings, faint lights in the darkness as he lay there, filthy and sobbing. Juan forced a laugh through his tears, a jagged, pitiful sound. "I am, I am OP now," he rasped, curling into a ball on the cold pavement, the stench of sewage and shame enveloping him. "Totally worth it."
And so, Juan legend began!!!!