I woke up in an unfamiliar alley, my head pounding as if I had just survived a car crash. The last thing I remembered was staying up late, working on a new manga draft, then suddenly blacking out. Now, I was here, in a city that felt strangely familiar yet different. The air smelled of gasoline and fast food, and towering billboards flickered in the distance. I stumbled forward, catching my reflection in a store window. Same face, same bodyโno sudden superpowers or dramatic changes. Then a voice echoed in my head.
[Welcome to the Marvel Universe. Your mission: Draw comics and manga. The more people engage with your work, the more points you earn. Use points to acquire knowledge, items, or abilities.]
A system. Just like in the novels I used to read. I didn't panic, just took a deep breath and let it sink in. If this was real, then I had been thrown into a world full of superheroes, villains, and gods. And my job? To create comics. It sounded absurd, but the system's message was clear.
I checked my pockets and found a small notebook labeled "Creator's Sketchbook." Opening it, I discovered it worked like a digital drawing pad, allowing me to sketch instantly without needing a computer. Next to it was a wallet with just enough money to survive for a week. No instructions, no guideโjust a mission and a tool to fulfill it.
With nowhere else to go, I wandered the streets, quickly realizing I was in New York City, the heart of Marvel's chaos. Heroes like Spider-Man and the Avengers would one day rise here. But in this timeline, they didn't exist yet. That meant I was ahead of the curve. If I drew Marvel comics now, I wouldn't just be adapting their storiesโI would be creating them before they happened.
I needed a place to work, so I used most of my money to rent a tiny apartment. It was barely livable, but it had a desk, a bed, and an internet connection. That was all I needed. I opened my sketchbook and started drawing. My first choice was Attack on Titan. A world filled with despair, struggle, and monstrous titansโsomething that would instantly grab attention. The moment I finished the first chapter, the system notified me.
[New manga published: Attack on Titan. Reader engagement: 0. Points earned: 0.]
Of course. No one knew me yet. I needed to get my work out there. I scanned the pages and uploaded them online, creating a website and sharing links on forums. Then, I waited. The first few hours were dead silent. No clicks, no views. Doubt crept in, but I pushed it aside and kept drawing.
Then, at midnight, something changed.
[Reader engagement: 12. Points earned: 3.]
Twelve people had found my work. It wasn't much, but it was a start. I refreshed the page, and the numbers kept climbing. By morning, the views had jumped to 2,000. People were talking about it, sharing theories, debating the story. And with each new reader, my points increased.
I had taken my first step. Now, it was time to change this world.