The city had stopped screaming.
That was what frightened him most.
A city this large shouldn't be silent.
Not with buildings burning.
Not with Superman hovering above the streets.
Not with Thor gripping his hammer while lightning crawled across the clouds.
Not with Iron Man standing several meters away, armor damaged and smoke rising from his shoulder.
Yet nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Everyone was looking at the thing that had stepped through the golden tear in reality.
The protagonist couldn't see its face properly.
Not because it was hidden.
Because his mind refused to understand it.
One second it looked like a man.
The next, a silhouette.
Then something taller.
Then something impossibly vast, as though the shape standing before them was only a tiny piece of something existing somewhere beyond the sky.
His eyes hurt.
He looked away.
The pain stopped.
He looked back.
It was still there.
Watching him.
"Okay," he whispered.
His voice sounded ridiculously small.
"That's definitely not normal."
[Correct.]
He nearly jumped.
"You can talk now?"
[I never stopped.]
"Then why did you go quiet?"
A pause.
[I was evaluating.]
"Evaluating what?"
Another pause.
[Whether you should be informed.]
His expression hardened.
"That's not an answer."
[It is the safest answer.]
He stared at the screen.
For the first time, he noticed something strange.
The system's text was flickering.
Not the normal blue.
It was changing between blue, white, and red.
Then—
[WARNING: EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED.]
The protagonist's eyes widened.
"External?"
The entity moved.
One step.
That's all.
But the entire street cracked.
Thor immediately raised his hammer.
Superman's eyes narrowed.
Iron Man's weapons deployed.
The protagonist's instincts screamed at him to run.
He didn't.
The entity looked at Superman.
Then Thor.
Then Tony.
Then back at him.
It spoke.
"None of you."
Its voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
The words seemed to appear directly inside his head.
"None of you are the reason I came."
Thor stepped forward.
"You enter this realm uninvited and threaten those within it."
Lightning gathered around his hammer.
"Speak your purpose."
The entity slowly turned toward him.
Thor raised Mjolnir.
The protagonist's stomach dropped.
"Oh, no."
Tony's helmet closed.
"Yeah."
Superman moved forward.
"Everyone stay back."
The protagonist looked between them.
"Shouldn't we—"
Tony raised one hand.
"Kid."
The protagonist froze.
"Stay."
"Kid?"
Tony's helmet turned toward him.
"Do you have a better name?"
The protagonist opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He suddenly remembered.
He didn't know his name.
Not anymore.
The system had listed it as:
Unknown.
He looked at the entity.
The entity smiled.
"Interesting."
The protagonist's blood went cold.
"Stop saying that."
The entity tilted its head.
"You still don't remember."
He froze.
"What?"
Superman's head turned.
Tony's armor became completely still.
Thor lowered his hammer slightly.
The protagonist stared at the entity.
"What did you just say?"
The entity stepped forward.
"You died."
His breathing stopped.
The world seemed to shrink.
"What?"
"You died."
The words hit harder than the explosions.
His mind flashed.
A phone.
Pavement.
Tires.
A scream.
Darkness.
He staggered.
"No."
The entity continued.
"And then you were placed here."
His hands trembled.
"Placed?"
[SYSTEM WARNING.]
The protagonist ignored it.
"Who placed me here?"
The entity didn't answer.
"WHO?"
His voice echoed through the ruined street.
Superman looked at him.
Tony looked at him.
Thor looked at him.
Even the Symbuster had stopped moving.
The entity finally spoke.
"That's the wrong question."
The protagonist clenched his fists.
"Then what's the right one?"
A smile.
"Why did you survive?"
Silence.
The protagonist's face went pale.
He looked at the system.
[...]
Nothing.
"System?"
No response.
"Answer me."
Still nothing.
He looked back at the entity.
"Why did I survive?"
The entity's eyes glowed.
"Because someone needed an extra."
His heart sank.
"An extra for what?"
The golden symbol above them suddenly expanded.
The sky cracked.
Something enormous moved behind it.
Superman immediately shot upward.
"Everyone move!"
A beam of heat tore across the sky.
The entity raised one hand.
The beam stopped.
Not deflected.
Not absorbed.
Stopped.
Frozen in midair.
Superman's expression changed.
Thor's lightning struck next.
The entity turned its palm.
The lightning disappeared.
Tony fired everything.
Repulsors.
Missiles.
Energy blasts.
The entity walked through them.
The protagonist stared.
"Yeah."
He slowly backed away.
"That's definitely an eleven out of ten."
The Symbuster roared.
Its symbiote tendrils expanded.
It charged.
The entity finally looked annoyed.
"Enough."
It flicked one finger.
The Symbuster vanished.
Not exploded.
Not thrown.
Just—
Gone.
Tony stopped firing.
Thor tightened his grip.
Superman landed.
For the first time, all three heroes seemed genuinely uncertain.
The protagonist swallowed.
Then the system returned.
[EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE TEMPORARILY DISRUPTED.]
[System functions restored.]
[New information available.]
A new panel appeared.
[MULTIVERSAL NEXUS — USER RECORD]Designation: Extra-Level Civilian
Status: Unassigned → MULTI-PATH ANOMALY
Paths:
Watcher — Active
Wildcard — Active
Redemption — Active
System Rank: F
Extra Points: 25
Script Immunity: Rank F
Cameo Interference: Rank F
Unknown Trait: Locked
The protagonist stared at the last line.
"Unknown Trait?"
[Requirement not met.]
"What requirement?"
[You haven't remembered enough.]
His expression hardened.
"Then help me remember."
[Unable.]
"Why?"
[Because the memory was sealed before system integration.]
He stopped.
"Sealed by who?"
The system went silent.
The entity answered instead.
"By you."
The protagonist slowly turned.
"...What?"
The entity looked directly into his eyes.
"You sealed your own memory."
He laughed once.
Not because it was funny.
Because the alternative was losing his mind.
"That's impossible."
"Is it?"
"I don't have powers."
The entity smiled.
"Neither did you before."
The protagonist stared.
The entity lifted one hand.
A tiny image appeared above its palm.
A room.
Dark.
Metal walls.
Machines.
A chair in the center.
Someone was sitting in it.
The protagonist.
Older?
Younger?
He couldn't tell.
The figure's face was hidden.
But the voice—
He knew it.
His own voice.
"If you're seeing this..."
The image distorted.
The protagonist stepped forward.
"Wait."
The recording continued.
"...then something went wrong."
His heart hammered.
"What the hell?"
Tony looked at him.
"Okay, I officially have questions."
The recording flickered.
His own voice continued.
"You can't trust the system."
The protagonist froze.
The blue panel in front of him flickered.
[SYSTEM ERROR.]
The recording continued.
"You can't trust the Watchers."
Thor's expression darkened.
"And whatever you do..."
The recording became distorted.
The protagonist leaned closer.
"Come on."
Static.
"Come on!"
The voice returned.
"...don't let them remember you."
The recording vanished.
Silence.
The protagonist stared at the empty air.
Tony was the first to speak.
"Well."
He looked toward the protagonist.
"That was horrifying."
Thor stepped closer.
"What did it mean?"
"I don't know."
Superman looked at him.
"You expect us to believe that?"
The protagonist's head snapped toward him.
"Believe me?"
He laughed bitterly.
"I woke up yesterday thinking I was dead. I found out Superman and Thor exist in the same city. A giant monster tried to kill me. A glowing system appeared in front of my face. And now some cosmic nightmare is telling me that apparently I used to know more than I do now."
He pointed at Superman.
"So no. I don't know anything."
He pointed at Thor.
"And I'm really hoping you don't expect me to explain it."
Then Tony.
"And you definitely don't get to interrogate me."
Tony paused.
"Fair."
Superman looked at Tony.
"You're agreeing with him?"
Tony's helmet opened.
"I'm not saying I trust him."
He looked at the protagonist.
"I'm saying I trust that he has absolutely no idea what's happening."
"Thanks?"
"Don't get excited."
The entity watched them.
Then laughed.
The sound was quiet.
But something about it made the protagonist's skin crawl.
"Good."
The entity's gaze returned to him.
"You're already gathering them."
The protagonist frowned.
"Gathering who?"
The entity raised its hand.
Three symbols appeared.
A shield.
A hammer.
An arc reactor.
Then a fourth symbol appeared.
A simple circle.
The protagonist stared at it.
"What's that?"
The entity smiled.
"That is why you are dangerous."
The circle shattered.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Superman grabbed the protagonist and flew him away.
Thor summoned a wall of lightning.
Tony's armor locked onto the entity.
The protagonist hit the ground behind a ruined car.
"Why does everyone keep throwing me around?!"
[Survival recommendation: Remain behind stronger characters.]
"Finally, some useful advice!"
Tony flew overhead.
"HEY!"
The protagonist looked up.
"What?!"
Tony pointed.
"Your weird blue screen."
The protagonist blinked.
"What about it?"
"It's showing something."
The protagonist looked.
The status screen was different.
The blue panel was covered with red symbols.
[EMERGENCY QUEST]
THE STORM HAS BEGUN
Primary Objective: Survive
Secondary Objective: Protect the Three Anchors
Anchors Detected:
1. Superman
2. Thor
3. Tony Stark
The protagonist's mouth dropped open.
"No."
Tony landed beside him.
"What?"
He turned the screen slightly.
Tony read it.
There was a long pause.
Then Tony looked at him.
"You're kidding."
"I wish."
Thor landed nearby.
"Who are the three anchors?"
The protagonist slowly looked at them.
"...You."
Thor frowned.
Tony pointed at himself.
"Me?"
The protagonist nodded.
"And him."
Superman landed.
"Me?"
"Apparently."
Thor looked toward the entity.
"What happens if we fail?"
The protagonist stared at the final line.
It hadn't been there before.
Now it was.
[Failure Condition: ANCHOR DEATH]
[Consequence: MULTIVERSAL COLLAPSE PROBABILITY — 61%]
His face went pale.
Tony noticed.
"What's wrong?"
He showed them.
Tony read the message.
His expression immediately changed.
"That's not good."
Thor looked toward the sky.
"Then we shall not fall."
Superman nodded.
The protagonist stared at them.
Three of the strongest beings he'd ever seen.
Standing beside him.
And somehow...
He was the one with the mission.
"Wait."
He looked at the entity.
The entity wasn't attacking anymore.
It was simply watching.
"Why does the quest want me to protect you three?"
The system responded.
[Because you are the fourth.]
He froze.
"What?"
[Fourth Anchor detected.]
The protagonist slowly looked down at himself.
His heart began pounding.
"No."
[Anchor 4: Unknown.]
"No, no, no."
[Identity: Hidden.]
"System."
[Yes.]
"Tell me I'm not the fourth anchor."
Silence.
His eyes widened.
"System."
Nothing.
"Tell me!"
The blue panel flickered.
Then—
[Anchor 4 confirmed.]
The protagonist stared.
His mouth went dry.
Tony looked at him.
"What?"
The protagonist slowly raised his head.
"I'm one of the anchors."
Thor's expression hardened.
Superman looked toward the entity.
The entity smiled.
And then it spoke.
"Now you understand."
The protagonist's blood turned cold.
"What?"
"You thought you were brought here to survive."
The entity stepped backward.
The golden portal began opening behind it.
"You weren't."
The protagonist stared.
"Then why?"
The entity's eyes locked onto his.
"Because this universe is going to die."
The portal widened.
"And you..."
The entity smiled.
"...are the reason it might not."
Then it disappeared.
The golden tear closed.
The city remained silent.
The protagonist stood frozen.
Tony finally broke the silence.
"Okay."
He looked at Superman.
Then Thor.
Then the protagonist.
"Anyone else feel like we've just been handed the worst team assignment in history?"
Thor lifted his hammer.
"I do not understand the comparison."
Tony sighed.
"Of course you don't."
The protagonist didn't laugh.
He was staring at his system.
One final notification appeared.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
SURVIVE THE STORM
New Objective: Find the Fourth Anchor.
Warning: The Fourth Anchor may not be you.
His eyes widened.
"Wait..."
The screen flickered.
[Correction.]
[The Fourth Anchor is not the person you think you are.]
The protagonist stared.
"What does that mean?"
No answer.
Then another notification appeared.
[CAMEO EVENT DETECTED.]
[Unknown Hero approaching.]
He looked toward the end of the street.
A figure stepped out of the smoke.
Black suit.
White emblem.
Red eyes.
The protagonist slowly backed away.
Tony's armor powered up.
Superman moved forward.
Thor raised Mjolnir.
The stranger stopped.
Then looked directly at the protagonist.
And spoke four words.
"You finally found me."
The protagonist's blood ran cold.
"Found you?"
The stranger smiled.
"No."
He pointed at the protagonist.
"You found yourself."
The system immediately went black.
[SYSTEM OFFLINE.]
And for the first time since waking up in this impossible world...
The protagonist was completely alone.