"Another stupid protagonist…"
I muttered under my breath, tossing my phone onto my desk as the latest episode of Another Generic Isekai finished. My room was a shrine to everything anime, manga, and light novel-related—shelves overflowing with series both mainstream and obscure, posters of my favorite waifus covering the walls, and an expensive gaming setup that I spent every last yen upgrading.
And yet, despite my love for all things isekai, I couldn't help but feel infuriated every time I watched one of these clueless protagonists stumble their way through another fantasy world.
"They get reincarnated with god-tier powers and what do they do? Waste time building a farm, starting a potion business, or worse—becoming a damn adventurer and grinding slimes for months!" I ranted, rolling in my chair.
I wasn't some self-insert loser like them. No, if I ever found myself in another world, I'd be different. I'd min-max my stats, abuse the system, and make sure I climbed to the top as efficiently as possible. No wishy-washy hesitation. No pointless slice-of-life detours. Just pure, unfiltered power-gaming.
Unfortunately, reality was a cruel mistress. Instead of slaying demon lords, I was stuck in my tiny apartment, barely scraping by with part-time work and spending all my free time consuming the very media I loved to mock.
Sighing, I stood up to stretch. "Man, if only I could actually go to another world…"
And then—it happened.
A sudden ringing filled my ears, like an echoing chime reverberating through my skull. My vision blurred, colors melting together as my body felt weightless. Panic surged through me, but before I could even process what was happening—
THUD!
I landed face-first onto cold, hard stone.
Groaning, I pushed myself up, wincing as the sensation of solid ground under my hands felt… off. It was rougher, more textured than my apartment floor. My fingers brushed over tiny pebbles, and as my eyes adjusted, I realized I wasn't in my room anymore.
I was inside a grand, medieval-style hall with towering pillars, glowing crystal chandeliers, and stained glass windows depicting scenes of warriors battling monstrous creatures.
And in front of me?
A group of people in luxurious robes, looking down at me as if I were a zoo animal that had just spoken fluent Japanese.
"Another one?" one of them muttered, rubbing his temples.
"A… summoning?" I whispered, my heartbeat accelerating. "Holy crap. Did I just… get isekai'd?"
Then, as if on cue, a translucent blue screen popped up in front of me.
Welcome, Summoned Hero!You have been chosen by the Great Kingdom of Eldoria to serve as its champion.Please proceed with your initial setup.
[Confirm]
I blinked. I blinked again.
Then, an uncontrollable grin spread across my face.
"Oh… hell yes."
My hands trembled as I reached out to press the confirmation button, but before I could, something unusual happened.
Ding!
A second window appeared.
[ERROR: SYSTEM OVERRIDE DETECTED]
Adjusting parameters…
Synchronizing with user's cognitive database…
New System Configuration Initialized.
Welcome to the Otaku System!
"The… what?"
More lines of text filled my vision.
Your journey shall follow the path of legendary tropes!Earn experience by fulfilling classic isekai roles.Achieve hidden objectives to unlock unique skills.
Sample Missions:• [A Hero is Born] – Arrive in another world (Completed!)
➥ [Reward: Starter Pack]
• [Meet Your First Tsundere] – Encounter a girl who hides her true feelings behind hostility.
• [Overpowered Entrance] – Instantly defeat a strong enemy in your first battle.
• [Steal the Princess's Heart] – Gain the affection of a royal within the first week.
I stared at the screen in disbelief.
This wasn't just a standard system. This was my system—one that operated on the very tropes I had obsessed over for years!
It was like my deepest fantasies had merged with reality. I wasn't just in a fantasy world—I had game mechanics based on isekai clichés!
"Oh man… this is gonna be fun."
Before I could revel in my newfound system, a sharp voice interrupted my thoughts.
"Ugh, another failure," a stern-looking knight muttered. He turned to the robed figures. "This one seems weak too. I suggest we discard him like the others."
Wait… what?
"Excuse me?" I snapped, finally standing up. "What do you mean 'discard'?"
One of the mages sighed, rubbing his beard. "You see, out of every ten heroes we summon, only one or two have the qualifications to receive divine blessings. The rest…" He shrugged. "We send them to the outskirts. They usually die within a week."
A cold sweat ran down my forehead.
The world around me wasn't as carefree as the anime I had watched. There were no guaranteed power-ups, no helpful guides, no easy beginnings. If I didn't prove my worth immediately… I was nothing more than dead weight.
And dead weight was tossed out without a second thought.
"Wait, wait, wait! Don't I at least get a chance?" I protested, my voice tinged with desperation.
The knight let out a derisive scoff. "Fine. Prove your worth. Right now."
He stepped aside, revealing a massive iron gate at the end of the hall. A low, guttural growl echoed from behind it, sending chills down my spine. My breath hitched as I locked eyes with a pair of glowing red orbs glaring menacingly through the bars.
"A dungeon beast," the knight said with a smirk, his tone dripping with mockery. "Defeat it, and we'll reconsider."
Ding!
[Emergency Quest Activated!]
Prove Your Worth – Survive the Dungeon Beast's Trial
Difficulty: ???
Reward: ???
My breathing stopped.
I knew I needed to prove my worth, but... was this really the way?! Clearly, this world was a dark fantasy isekai, I thought with a bitter laugh. Still, I wasn't about to lose hope. If I died here, it'd be game over, sure—but giving up? That wasn't an option. Not now, not ever.
It was going to be difficult, yes, but clearly, I wasn't going to give up. Somehow…
I'LL MANAGE TO WIN AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.
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Author's Note: Don't Expect Much, I'm Just Writing This For Fun.