In the blink of an eye, the world turned upside down.
The scenery shifted from a luxurious hotel to a dim, damp prison cell. The soft warmth of companionship was replaced by the stench of filthy bodies and rotting air.
As Aurelius Viremont struggled to process what had happened, a sharp sound cut through the gloom.
Clang!
The sound of a metal club striking iron bars made Aurelius Viremont jump. His body trembled instinctively; it was a conditioned reflex, a deep-seated physical terror etched into the very nerves of this new body.
A moment later, several towering men walked into the light, sliding trays of murky, viscous liquid into the metal cages. When they reached Aurelius Viremont's cell, one of them paused.
"Hey, boss, this yellow monkey is still alive," one man remarked, his voice dripping with malice. "Talk about cockroach-like luck."
The leader, a bald man covered in fierce tattoos, shot a cold glance at Aurelius Viremont. "Leave him alone for now," he warned his subordinate. "The trade is coming up soon. If he dies, the organs won't be fresh, and the price will drop."
"Right, right... I hear you."
The subordinate nodded obsequiously, but then turned back to glare at Aurelius Viremont. He subconsciously rubbed a scar on his hand, his teeth gritting. "Kid, consider yourself lucky today."
Organ trafficking.
As the footsteps faded, Aurelius Viremont pieced the situation together from their conversation. Suddenly, a stabbing pain erupted in his skull as a flood of fragmented memories rushed in.
The original owner of this body was also named Aurelius Viremont, an ordinary college student. A month ago, he had suddenly awakened a mutant ability, using it to escape a house fire completely unscathed.
But survival didn't bring a happy ending. When his parents discovered he was a mutant, they were horrified and kicked him out. Shortly after, he was hunted by a mysterious organization and eventually kidnapped by a gang from Hell's Kitchen, ending up in this underground hellhole.
The man from before was his captor. During the struggle, Aurelius Viremont had bitten a chunk of flesh out of the man's hand. Because of that, he had been "specially cared for" ever since.
Aurelius Viremont looked down. Beneath his tattered clothes, his skin was covered in festering, weeping sores. The original owner had likely died from infection and abuse.
But the immediate danger was worse: in one week, the gang would sell their "inventory" to another criminal organization. They would be slaughtered like cattle to have their organs harvested.
To make matters worse, Aurelius Viremont realized where he was. Mutants, Stark Industries... this was the Marvel Universe. Even if he survived this cell, how would he survive the eventual "Snap" that would wipe out half the universe? He didn't like those odds.
As for his mutant power? If it were truly strong, he wouldn't be in a cage.
His original ability was Energy Absorption, identical to the infamous Sebastian Shaw. However, after the initial adrenaline-fueled awakening, the power had weakened significantly. He couldn't even fully absorb the kinetic energy of a punch, let alone a bullet or a superpower.
Despair washed over him. He had just crossed over, only to face a death sentence. But just as he felt his resolve crumbling, a voice rang out in his mind.
[Congratulations! You have awakened the Universal Character Template System!]
[You have obtained the Character Template: Satoru Gojo!]
[You have awakened the skill: Six Eyes (Lv.1)]
Status Panel:
Name: Aurelius ViremontTemplate: Satoru GojoEnergy Absorption (Lv.1): Can absorb most forms of energy. Current absorption speed and storage capacity are low.Six Eyes (Lv.1): Provides a 360-degree long-range field of vision. Allows the user to see the flow of energy with incredible dynamic vision, enabling precise energy manipulation.Template Integration: 1%(Note: Increase integration to unlock new skills.)Energy Points: 0
Immediately, the world changed. Aurelius Viremont could see everything in a 360-degree radius. His vision was supernatural; he could see individual specks of dust dancing in the air.
More importantly, he saw blue lines of light weaving through the darkness. The lines led directly to the dim wall lamp behind him. He was seeing the flow of electricity—the power of the Six Eyes.
A surge of joy hit him. His first template was Satoru Gojo! Even if people joked about Gojo's eventual fate in his own world, there was no denying he was the "Honored One," the ceiling of power in Jujutsu Kaisen.
If he could master Gojo's techniques—even just a fraction—escaping this prison would be child's play. And besides, Gojo's powers were undeniably cool.
Confidence replaced despair. Aurelius Viremont heard heavy footsteps returning. It was the man from earlier, a thug named Jim. Jim sneered through the bars.
"Still hanging on, huh? I'll let you live one more day. Tomorrow, I'm going to have some real fun with you."
To emphasize his point, Jim unzipped his pants and relieved himself directly into the bowl of gruel on the floor. He expected to see Aurelius Viremont cower, but Aurelius Viremont just watched him with the cold, detached gaze of someone looking at a corpse.
Annoyed by the lack of reaction, Jim spat a curse and walked away.
Aurelius Viremont waited until Jim was gone. He ignored the tainted food and moved to the back of the cell. Using a coughing fit to mask the sound, he shattered the glass cover of the dim wall lamp behind him and hid a shard in his sleeve.
Now came the moment of truth.
With the Six Eyes, he could control energy with surgical precision. He reached out and touched the exposed filament.
As his finger made contact, he felt the current surge. Under the guidance of the Six Eyes, he didn't just take the hit; he channeled the electricity and heat directly into his core.
[Energy Points +1]
[Energy Points +1]
[Energy Absorption XP +1]
Time ticked by. Aurelius Viremont stayed huddled against the wall, acting as a human battery. He funneled every point of energy he absorbed into the Satoru Gojo template.
Hours later, the system pinged again.
[Template Integration: 5%]
[New Skill Unlocked: Limitless Technique]
[Congratulations! Your 'Energy Absorption' skill has leveled up!]
Aurelius Viremont looked at his hands and smiled. Tomorrow, the "hospitality" was going to be mutual.