"Hmm? Where am I?"
In a dark and secluded alley, a young man with messy black hair slowly stood up. He held his aching head and tried to remember what had happened recently.
He narrowed his eyes and thought in silence for a moment.
"So, I was hit by a truck and died? This sucks. I didn't even run a red light. I was just looking at my phone while waiting for the light to change when I got hit. My luck is terrible."
Tsukasa crossed his arms and complained as he remembered the accident. He reached down instinctively to find something, but his hand found nothing.
"Where is my phone?"
Tsukasa realized his body didn't feel hurt anymore, so he immediately started looking for his phone.
After another moment of silence, Tsukasa lay back down on the ground and began to think.
"I'm not in a hospital. I woke up in this strange, dark alley instead. Even if people are cold these days, they wouldn't just watch someone get hit by a truck and then let some thugs drag them into an alley to rob them."
"I don't remember my country being this dangerous. It's not like I'm in some lawless place."
As Tsukasa lay on the ground, his brain working fast to figure out his situation, a clear mechanical voice rang out in his mind.
[The Infinite Transcendence System has been successfully activated. Binding in progress...]
"1%... 22%... 48%... 69%... 88%... 99%... 100%"
[System binding successful!]
"Alright, fine. Unless I've gone crazy, I've been sent to another world by a truck driver trying to meet his sales quota."
"Damn it! Could you at least wait until after the New Year?! I finally got a long vacation from that horrible manager and was ready to just relax at home!"
Tsukasa scratched his head in frustration. He didn't hate the idea of being transported to another world. He wasn't a hardcore shut-in with a massive figure collection or a professional cosplayer, but he did enjoy anime.
He played many mobile games, like the Naruto game, the One Piece game, Honkai Impact 3rd, and Star Rail.
Over the years, he had read at least a thousand fanfiction novels. It would be a lie to say he wasn't interested in being an isekai protagonist.
"But why me? My parents are still alive. My sister is a bit annoying—she only calls me 'brother' when she needs something—but she's still there. I don't fit the 'orphan' template for a main character at all."
As he spoke, a tear fell from the corner of Tsukasa' eye. Even though he always complained about being tired, he had daydreamed about going to another world to have adventures and do whatever he wanted.
However, leaving the world he knew and his family so suddenly was hard to accept for any normal person.
"Whatever. Instead of thinking about that, I should figure out what to do next. If I'm lucky, maybe I can go back home with god-like powers at the end of all this."
Tsukasa stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"System?"
[The Infinite Transcendence System is online. What do you need?] the cold mechanical voice asked.
"Give me a simple introduction of your functions. And open my status screen," Tsukasa ordered, remembering how it worked in the novels he had read.
[Infinite Transcendence System detected. Basic functions unlocked: Missions, Inventory, and Exchange.]
[Missions: You can request objectives. Harder missions pay better rewards.]
[Inventory: 100 m³ of storage. Non-living items only. Time does not pass inside.]
[Exchange: Spend Mission Points to purchase items from other worlds.]
"Hmm. Standard system stuff. Nothing crazy yet."
Tsukasa rubbed his chin. Systems like this always saved the good features for later.
[Infinite Transcendence System — Status]
User: Tsukasa
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Race: Human
Stats
Constitution: 1 (average adult male: 1)
Strength: 1
Agility: 1
Spirit: 1
Infinite Transcendence: (No limits. You can keep surpassing your own boundaries.)
Inventory
Starter Pack
"Infinite Transcendence… that's it? Is it like Saitama's limiter? Do I have to train for it to matter? And what about my hair?"
Tsukasa ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't bad-looking. Going bald would be a tragedy.
"Looks fade. Power doesn't. If it happens, it happens."
He exhaled, made up his mind, and focused on the one thing that mattered right now.
"Let's open the Starter Pack."
"System, open the Starter Pack."
[Opening Starter Pack…]
[Reward obtained: Ryomen Sukuna — Max-Level Abilities (Peak Condition: 20 Fingers).]
"Sukuna… okay. That changes everything."
Tsukasa caught the key words, and his pulse jumped.
[Max-Level Abilities acquired. Integrate now? YES / NO]
"That's not even a choice. Yes."
He didn't hesitate—he slammed YES again and again on the translucent interface.
[Integration in progress…]
A few seconds later, circular markings spread across his skin—down from his forehead, along his cheeks and chin, from the bridge of his nose to his chest, and across his shoulders, back, stomach, and wrists.
When Tsukasa opened his eyes again, they looked feral. A red glow flashed heavy with killing intent.
"Heh… not just abilities. Even the combat instincts came with it. This is the full package."
He flicked his index finger.
A slash tore across the ground. Dozens of meters long. Concrete split. Steel screamed. The cut kept going—deep into the dirt below.
"…Yeah. That'll do."
Tsukasa stared at the trench, then swallowed.
"System—what world am I in?"
[Current world: A Certain Magical Index.]
"Oh… A Certain Magical Index. Hahaha—"
He smiled for half a second.
Then the cold sweat hit.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
[In this world, even "laws" can be rewritten through the magic recorded in Grimoires.]
[What must be true—death, gravity, even math—can be broken and replaced.]
[One plus one can become three. Apples can fall upward. The dead can return.]
[Those who can do that are called Magic Gods.]