An amazing hero from another world

The dim glow of my computer screen bathed my small, cluttered bedroom in a pale, flickering light. I lay sprawled on my bed, my head propped up on a pillow, arms tucked behind my head. My headphones, large and over-the-ear, clamped down on my ears, drowning out the world beyond. The familiar sounds of an intense anime battle filled the room—the clash of swords, the roar of demonic beasts, and the triumphant music that always accompanied the hero's victory. My eyes were locked on the monitor, where a character stood tall against a hulking, monstrous demon.

On the screen, Sung Jin-Woo from Solo Leveling raised his black blade, a glowing weapon forged from the shadows, as his army of eerie figures materialized around him. The swirling energy of his Monarch's Domain crackled, creating an aura of unstoppable power. His face was cold, determined—no fear in his eyes.

"Yes! This is it!" I whispered, my voice trembling with excitement. My pulse raced as Jin-Woo launched himself forward, slicing through the demon's massive arm like it was made of paper. The animation was flawless, the combat choreography smooth and intense. Every movement of Jin-Woo was pure power, raw and controlled.

"That's my guy!" I cheered, raising my fist in the air. My room echoed with my excitement, but it didn't matter. This was my world—this was where I belonged. I'd seen this episode at least three times already, but it never got old. The thrill, the sheer overwhelming strength of Jin-Woo—it was everything I longed for in life. The kind of power that could change everything.

The demon roared in pain, stumbling back, and I felt my heart race. The screen cut to Jin-Woo's iconic inner monologue, the words forever etched in my mind:

If I can't protect them… what kind of king am I?

I mouthed the words along with Jin-Woo, feeling a sense of deep connection. The hero's desire to protect, his inner strength, was something I admired—something I wished I could embody.

"If I had powers like that," I murmured, staring at the screen with a sense of longing, "I'd save everyone. No hesitation. Just wreck everything standing in my way."

The Dream of a Hero

The credits rolled, and I hit pause. The haunting soundtrack faded into the background as I stretched out my arms and legs, my muscles sore from hours of sitting in one position. I glanced around my room, eyes scanning the carefully curated chaos. Posters of Solo Leveling's Jin-Woo, Sword Art Online's Kirito, and One Piece's Luffy were plastered across the walls. Shelves overflowed with manga volumes, some stacked neatly, others precariously leaning to one side. Action figures in pristine boxes rested along the edges of my desk, and unopened limited-edition collectibles sat untouched, serving only as a testament to my obsession.

Life outside this room felt... irrelevant. School? A drag. Friends? Nonexistent. My parents? Always nagging me to get out more, but I didn't mind. I liked my space, my world. A world of anime and manga, where anything was possible. Heroes didn't need to be strong because of some arbitrary fate—they made their own. And that's what I admired most.

"If only I could live in a world like that," I muttered, staring at my glowing monitor. "I'd be just like Jin-Woo. I'd save everyone. No hesitation."

I grabbed a half-empty can of energy drink and took a long sip, savoring the sugary taste as my eyes drifted back to the screen. The clock on the wall ticked past 2:00 a.m., but I didn't care. I was lost in the fantasy, my mind swirling with the possibilities of another episode, another adventure, another victory.

But then, just as my finger hovered over the mouse to click Play, something strange happened. The screen flickered. The vibrant colors of the anime faded into static.

"Hey, what the—?" I frowned, tapping the side of the monitor, wondering if it was a simple glitch. But when the static didn't clear, I sat up in my bed, squinting at the screen. A strange, glowing message appeared in the center of the display, its text bold and out of place.

[System Error Detected]

"System? What system?" I muttered, perplexed. My computer wasn't a top-of-the-line gaming rig—it was an old secondhand machine held together by duct tape and prayers. There was no way it should be malfunctioning like this.

The screen flickered again, and the static cleared to reveal a new message:

[Player Detected: Ethan Takahashi]

My heart skipped a beat, and my hand instinctively went to my throat. "Wait… what?" My pulse quickened. This was no normal error message. Who the hell was detecting me? Was this some kind of joke?

Before I could think further, a bright, blinding light erupted from the screen. I froze, eyes wide, as the wind in my room kicked up, sending my posters flapping violently. My room, my safe space, seemed to be coming alive, the energy pulsating from the monitor like an ominous force. I tried to shield my eyes from the light, my heart pounding in my chest.

A deep, resonant voice echoed through the room, and I could feel the words vibrating in my bones:

"You wished to be a hero, Ethan Takahashi. Your wish shall be granted."

"What the hell is going on?!" I shouted, scrambling back on my bed, fear creeping into my voice. "This isn't real, right?"

But the voice continued, unaffected by my panic:

"Humanity faces extinction. A savior is needed. You have been chosen."

"Chosen? Me?" My voice cracked.

The light grew brighter, almost blinding, and I felt myself being pulled toward the screen. My body felt weightless, as if the very gravity of the room was shifting, pulling me in. My fingers clawed desperately at the edge of my bed, trying to hold on, but it was useless. There was no escaping this strange, unreal force.

"Wait! I'm not ready! I didn't mean it like this!" I shouted, panic flooding my chest. "Please, no! Not like this!"

The last thing I saw before everything went black was the final message flashing across my screen:

[Reincarnation in Progress]

Got it! Here's a rewritten version of the latter part of the chapter, reflecting Ethan's excitement about being summoned to another world rather than dying:

Into the Void

When I opened my eyes again, everything was different.

I found myself floating in an endless void, the darkness stretching out in all directions, broken only by the swirling light of distant stars and galaxies. The air was cool and carried a strange sense of weightlessness. A soft hum filled the silence, echoing in the vast space, and then, from the deep shadows, a figure emerged.

The figure was radiant, its form cloaked in a golden light. Its presence was overwhelming—everything about it screamed power and authority. But its face was obscured, hidden behind the blinding glow.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly—not with fear, but with awe.

"You stand at the threshold of worlds," the figure replied, its voice resonating with both kindness and strength. "Ethan Takahashi, your longing for heroism has reached the heavens. You have been summoned to fulfill a grand purpose."

"Summoned?" I repeated, my heart skipping a beat. My mind raced. This couldn't be real… could it? "Wait… I'm not dead, right? You didn't just, like, pluck my soul or something?"

The golden figure chuckled softly, the sound warm and reassuring. "No, child. You are alive. You have been chosen, not as a punishment, but as an honor."

My eyes widened, and I felt a grin slowly spreading across my face. "Wait, wait, wait—are you serious right now? This… this is like one of those isekai stories! You're saying I'm being summoned to another world?"

The figure inclined its head. "Indeed. The world you are about to enter is one of chaos and despair. Humanity faces extinction under the oppression of powerful beings. A savior is needed, and you shall be their hero."

My pulse quickened. My heart pounded in my chest, not from fear, but from sheer, uncontainable excitement. "This… this is insane! Are you kidding me? I've been dreaming about this my whole life! I get to be a hero? For real?"

The figure raised its hand, and a glowing square window appeared in front of me, like something straight out of an RPG. The text inside shimmered with a soft golden light:

[System Activated]

Gift: Use the Abilities of Heroes from Fiction.

My jaw dropped as I stared at the screen. "No way. No freaking way! You're saying I can use powers from, like, Jin-Woo? Or Kirito? Or Luffy?" My voice rose with every word, my hands shaking with exhilaration.

The golden figure's tone was calm but resolute. "You may draw upon the strengths of the heroes you admire, but their power will come at a price. Your trials will not be easy, Ethan Takahashi. The fate of an entire world depends on your choices."

I barely heard the warning. My mind was spinning with possibilities, each one more thrilling than the last. This was it. This was the moment. My chance to be something more than the guy wasting hours in a dimly lit room.

"This is unreal," I whispered, then shouted, "No, this is the best thing ever!" I clenched my fists, my grin now stretching from ear to ear. "You don't even need to convince me. I'm all in! Let's do this!"

The figure raised a hand, and the void around us began to glow brighter, the stars shimmering like diamonds. Its voice echoed one last time as the light enveloped me:

"Very well, Hero. Your journey begins now. Prove your worth, save humanity, and forge your destiny."

The golden light exploded outward, and I was pulled into it, my body weightless and my mind brimming with excitement. As the world around me dissolved into brilliance, one thought filled my mind:

This is my chance. My chance to be a hero in a fantasy world!

End of Chapter 1