Chapter 2
Darkness.
Endless, suffocating darkness.
Jayden felt nothing. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't even tell if he still had a body. He just existed floating in the abyss like a lost thought.
"So... this is death?"
The thought drifted through his mind, slow and weightless. He had imagined death as something dramatic—a tunnel of light, a chorus of angels, or maybe even a flashback of his life's best moments.
Instead, he got this.
Cold. Silent. Empty. Total darkness
"...Well, this sucks."
Just as he was beginning to think eternity in darkness was his fate, something changed.
A blinding white light suddenly exploded around him, erasing the void.
Jayden blinked. "What the—?"
He wasn't in the void anymore.
Instead, he stood on a vast, circular platform floating in an endless sky, with two colossal pillars rising on either side. They were so massive he had to crane his neck just to see the tops.
Above him, two titanic figures loomed on separate floating thrones.
One was clad in white and gold, its face hidden behind a swirling golden fog. Its presence radiated calmness, like a wise old king.
The other was dressed in black and red, its face concealed by dark, swirling mist. It had an aura of pure chaos, like a villain who just discovered a new way to blow up a city.
Jayden stared up at them, completely expressionless.
"Ah. I'm dreaming."
Just as he was about to dismiss this as another weird anime-induced hallucination, a deep, booming voice rang out:
"Welcome to the Judgment Podium."
Jayden choked on air. His eyes widened slightly.
"Oh. So, I'm not dreaming."
His mind screamed at him to react—maybe freak out a little, maybe beg for his life—but his face remained as deadpan as ever.
"Let's send him to hell."
The black-clad figure's voice thundered across the podium, its tone unapologetically evil.
Jayden's heart skipped a beat.
"Wait, wait, wait—HELL?! Like, actual hell? The one with demons, lakes of fire, and bad WiFi?"
His mind raced with every horror story he had ever heard as a kid. Being alone in the real world was one thing. Being eternally tortured by horned demons? Not exactly on his bucket list.
The white-gold figure shook its head.
"No. This boy has done a righteous deed. He does not deserve to go to hell."
The black figure snorted.
"Righteous deed? Please. He was a fool. Who rushes into a burning building just to die like an idiot?"
Jayden raised a finger. "Uh, in my defense, there were children."
"AND?!" The black figure barked. "Now you're dead! What good did that do you?"
Jayden opened his mouth. Closed it. Shrugged. "Fair point."
The two godly beings started arguing loudly.
Jayden, still expressionless, just stared at them. Here he was, dead, standing before literal gods, and they were bickering over his soul like two customers fighting over the last PlayStation at a Black Friday sale.
After what felt like an eternity, the white figure sighed.
"We have decided. You shall be given a second chance."
Jayden blinked. "...Come again?"
The black figure growled. "Tch. Fine. But he won't be going to some peaceful world. He'll be thrown into a world of chaos!"
The white figure nodded. "And to survive, we shall grant him a special ability."
The two gods stared down at him.
"You may make a wish. Choose wisely."
Jayden's mind blanked. A wish? Any wish?!
His brain scrambled through possibilities. Immortality? Instant godhood? The ability to eat unlimited ramen without getting fat?
Then—like a thunderbolt—it hit him.
A stupid, impossible, utterly ridiculous wish formed in his head.
He hesitated. Was this too much? Would they kill him again for being greedy?
The black figure suddenly slammed its fist on the armrest. "Hurry up and CHOOSE!"
Jayden flinched. "I want every anime character's powers!"
The two figures froze.
The universe itself seemed to pause.
Jayden gulped. "...I might've asked for too much."
The two gods exchanged knowing glances, then suddenly leaned toward each other, whispering.
Jayden couldn't hear them, but he saw their intense discussion—hands moving, silent nods, occasional glances at him like he was some rare Pokémon card they couldn't decide whether to trade.
Finally, the white figure turned back to him.
"We shall grant your wish."
Jayden blinked. "Wait, what?"
The black figure groaned. "With restrictions, of course."
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense—wait, YOU'RE REALLY GIVING IT TO ME?!"
For the first time in forever, Jayden grinned like an absolute idiot.
"HAHA! LET'S GOOOO! I'M GONNA BE AN OP PROTAGONIST!"
The black figure sighed. "We will grant you a system that allows you to level up and acquire anime abilities gradually."
The white figure nodded. "With effort, you will grow stronger. But it will not be instant."
Jayden, still grinning like a madman, nodded rapidly. "Yeah, yeah, whatever—GIMME THAT SYSTEM!"
The two divine beings raised their hands. A mystical light erupted from the podium, swirling around Jayden like a golden storm.
Then—
A SEARING PAIN RIPPED THROUGH HIS BODY.
Jayden's entire existence felt like it was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time. His muscles clenched, his mind screamed, and for the first time in years—
He let out a bloodcurdling scream.
His vision turned black.
A robotic voice echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[The Anime System has been granted to Host.]
[Initializing Transmigration…]
[Welcome to the new world.]
His consciousness faded into oblivion.