And now, right in front of his eyes, glowing text appeared in a blue pannel:
[The Interdimensional Adventure app is online]
[Player may now register]
"Huh…?" Luke blinked. The interface that unfolded looked exactly like the one he had designed—down to the color scheme, the button shapes, even the little animation he'd made for the opening menu.
"Name: Luke Haken."
"Gender: Male."
For a brief moment, Luke's eyes lingered on the gender field. If I entered 'Female,' would it actually change my body? The thought sparked a flicker of curiosity—this app clearly had power—but he wasn't in the mood to test something that extreme. This wasn't the time for risky experiments.
"Age: 24."
Next was the class selection. In his game's original design, this part would pop up with a neatly organized menu of options—Sword Master, Mage, Alchemy, Archery—each with preset stat distributions.
The player's choice would determine how their character's body was built in-game, providing the appropriate physical abilities from the start, with the race set to human by default.
But here, there was no neat menu. Just a blank field. No restrictions. Does that mean I can type whatever I want?
The thought made him pause. If this really worked, then this single choice could set the foundation for his entire survival in the Marvel universe.
His first attempt was bold. "Cosmic Being." In Marvel lore, higher-dimensional entities and ancient powers all seemed to draw on cosmic energy. If he could tap into that from the start, it would be an incredible advantage.
But almost instantly, a notification popped up:
[Class request denied – exceeds starting parameters.]
Yeah… I figured as much. No harm in trying, though.
He leaned back against the cold brick wall, thinking carefully. This was his one shot to grab something strong early on. In his game's design, there had been one overpowered hybrid class he had made just for fun—something he thought would be great for a protagonist: "Combat Mage."
It had absurd versatility even at the beginner stage—solid physical combat ability combined with magical offense and utility. In his game's balance notes, it was a class that could snowball quickly if played right.
So, he typed it in.
[Class accepted: Combat Mage.]
[Character customization completed.]
[Recreating physical body…]
Before he could react, his feet lifted off the ground. His entire body began to float, as if unseen hands were holding him in place. A faint blue glow wrapped around him, brightening until it almost obscured his outline. The cold wind in the alley seemed to vanish, replaced by a strange, weightless sensation.
Then the transformation began.
Luke's worn-out, dirt-stained clothes started to dissolve into faint blue particles, drifting away like ash caught in the wind. In their place, a long black coat materialized, its fabric looking both light and durable.
Beneath it, a crisp white shirt took shape, neatly fitted against his frame. Black, skin-tight pants followed, tucked cleanly into a pair of jet-black boots polished to a faint sheen.
A pair of black gloves formed over his hands, each marked with a small pentagram design on the back—subtle, but carrying a certain weight to it. The symbols faintly shimmered as though they weren't just decoration.
His body changed too. The grime in his hair vanished, the strands straightening into a neat, natural brown. His face didn't become impossibly handsome like in some wish-fulfillment fantasy, but the rough, worn-out look was gone.
His features sharpened slightly, his skin cleared, and his eyes looked brighter—he now appeared like someone who took care of himself, not a man scraping by in an alley.
The beggar was gone. What remained was someone who could pass for a professional—if you ignored the faint, otherworldly air around him.
"Holy—! Even the costume is exactly the same," Luke thought, glancing down at his hands. The gloves weren't just for style. In his game's original design, they were catalysts—similar to wands in fantasy stories—but worn on the hands so they could channel and amplify magic instantly without needing to be held. Practical, fast, and versatile.
A new notification appeared in his vision:
[Skill Tree Unlocked]
[Skill Points: 5]
A branching diagram unfolded in front of him, faintly glowing. Four main paths radiated outward from the center—Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Each one had a series of nodes representing skills, the early ones dim while the higher-tier ones were locked entirely.
Luke didn't even hesitate. He remembered his own game design well enough to know that, at the start, Fire was the only element with decent offensive skills. The others were almost useless in combat early on—more for utility and defense until upgraded.
He dumped all five points straight into Fire.
The system responded instantly:
[Basic Martial Arts Unlocked] – Improves unarmed combat efficiency, enabling smoother integration with elemental attacks.
[Fire Fist Unlocked] – Envelops the fist in flames, increasing striking power and causing burn damage.
[Fireball Unlocked] – Condenses fire into a projectile. Effective for mid-range combat.
[Fire Kick Unlocked] – Channels fire into a swift, high-impact kick.
[Flame Sweep Unlocked] – A low sweeping attack with a burst of flames, effective against multiple enemies in close range.
[Heat Burst Unlocked] – Briefly releases an intense wave of heat in all directions, pushing back enemies within a short radius.
[Blazing Dash Unlocked] – Uses a burst of fire underfoot to propel the body forward quickly, useful for both closing gaps and dodging.
Seven skills in total, and every one of them was something he'd once programmed into his game for a "balanced but aggressive" playstyle.
Luke focused on the thought of status, and just like in the game, a translucent blue window slid into view.
[Class: Combat Mage]
[Level: 1]
[HP: 120 / 120]
[MP: 150 / 150]
[Stamina: 100 / 100]
[Strength: 10]
[Agility: 12]
[Endurance: 10]
[Intelligence: 16]
[Wisdom: 14]
[Luck: 7]
[Skills: Basic Martial Arts, Fire Fist, Fireball, Fire Kick, Flame Sweep, Heat Burst, Blazing Dash]
[Equipment: Arcane Catalyst Gloves (Basic), Combat Mage Coat (Basic), Mage's Boots (Basic)]
Luke studied the numbers, quickly realizing the balance. Strength and Agility weren't too bad, but his highest stats were Intelligence and Wisdom—perfect for magic use. His Luck was… well, depressing, but at least the system didn't make him start with a crippled stat somewhere important.
In the game's original design, there had been two main ways to level up: the straightforward method—fighting monsters and defeating enemies—or the more unpredictable one—exploring other worlds.
The second method worked like this: in a newly discovered world, you could collect rare, special items and offer them as a sacrifice to the mysterious god who had supposedly granted the player their powers.
Luke had coded it that way for lore flavor, but now… in this situation… he wasn't sure if that "god" was even real.
A faint chime pulled his attention back to the interface.
[Exploration Tab – Available]
[Otherworldly Exploration: Ready]
[Cooldown: 30 days after each use]
His heart skipped slightly. The feature looked exactly like it had in his game—press it, and you'd be transported to another world entirely.
That world could be anything: peaceful, hostile, or downright nightmarish. In the game, it had been a set of gamble for five random worlds he designed… and in reality, the risks would be far greater.
Luke hesitated. Pressing that button meant walking into the unknown. No safety net, no guarantee he could even survive the first few minutes. But then he thought about where he currently was—the Marvel universe.
A place where a certain purple Titan was, at this very moment, preparing to "balance" the universe by wiping out half of all life. Not to mention alien invasions, killer robots, sorcerers, and a dozen other threats lurking in the future.
Staying weak here was basically the same as signing his own death warrant.
He exhaled. "Alright… risk it is."
His finger hovered over the glowing button.