– Jyn –
In hindsight, there really was no reason why I decided to click on the shady email that popped up in my inbox, but here we were.
Someone had sent me, for whatever reason, a Choose Your Own Adventure browser game. It was one of the real CYOA's too, not just a wish-fulfillment tool that some authors used for their stories.
Though considering some of the perks available, I could see it being used for that too.
The only reason I'd even considered playing through this game, though, was the tagline:
–You wake up in a dangerous universe. Survive–
No context. No fluff. It was so vague it might as well have been a dare.
I'd spent the last hour tweaking my build, balancing drawbacks and perks to the best of my ability.
There were some insane choices on this CYOA, like being able to have Saiyan biology or straight-up giving the player galaxy-conquering power. That seemed like a fun time after a few playthroughs but…
Eh.
I didn't want to ruin my first experience with a game like this by just picking all the overpowered options, so I went with the standard Earthling race.
Besides, it was the only race without any abject flaws. Saiyans had a sanity system attached—a mechanic that I despised. Kryptonians would introduce kryptonite into the game and every enemy had a 30% chance to carry it with them. Namekians? The entire cooking system was thrown out the window since they only needed water to survive.
I wanted a first-time experience without missing any of the mechanics. Therefore, Earthling was the best choice.
Being the default race was a flaw in itself, but it was also the one race that had a perk without any downsides besides just playing in normal mode.
The Perk? [Human Adaptability]. It would let me adapt to any environment my character started in, whether it was the jungle or a tundra.
Practical, simple, and, yeah, a little boring. But I was a sucker for safety nets.
The only other perk I decided to pick up was [Vessel of the System]. From what I could tell, it was the only way to accurately measure my stats in the game without having to reach a checkpoint or something. That, and if I didn't have it, the game warned me that I wouldn't be able to check what skills I had.
Finally, to top it all off, I randomized my background. The true blind playthrough experience was mine.
–Confirm Build? Y/N–
"Just spent an hour on the character creation screen." I chuckled to myself as I clicked yes. "Classic."
As the loading bar on the screen filled up, my PC fans started up all of a sudden, whirring loudly in the background. I gave them a look, confused why they suddenly decided to start freaking out.
Abruptly, my screen went dark.
My eyes snapped forward, and my heart sank. Did I really spend an hour on a cheap phishing scam that bricked my PC? Whose bitch ass—
The floor beneath me vanished.
No warning, nothing. Just... gone.
"Huh—"
The world tipped sideways. My desk, my chair, my fortress of desk trash—they all blurred into streaks of light. I was falling. The sensation was both nauseating and weightless, like being flung into a black hole.
And then, with a stomach-lurching thud, I landed.
Flat on my back, staring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.
For a long moment, I just laid there, trying to make sense of what had happened. Did I fall into the first floor of my apartment? Where the fuck did the floor go?
A voice snapped me out of my confusion.
"Hey! Dickhead! On the ground!"
I turned, still dizzy, only to find a group of… aliens, standing in rows, all facing forward. All of them were wearing ugly gray jumpsuits. Some looked curious, others were dead serious, while a few even looked bored.
I think. I'm not sure. How does one tell the expression of aliens, again?
"You deaf, clown?!"
I sat up quickly, snapping my head toward the sound of the voice, and found a tall, broad-shouldered man standing at the front of the group. He was wearing a uniform much nicer than ours, even if it looked as old as he did with his graying hair.
Ah, yes, his skin was also light blue. And his uniform resembled the Galactic Patrol Uniform...
'I'm in Dragon Ball.' And somehow, the realization didn't fill me with dread. 'Fuck.' Oh, there it is.
"Back in line! Now!" he barked.
I blinked, still trying to process everything. The dizziness hadn't fully worn off, and my legs felt like jelly. The last thing I expected today was to be yelled at by a blue galactic patrolman, but here I was.
I staggered to my feet and hurried to join the group, doing my best to ignore the fear bubbling in my gut.
The man's gaze swept over us like a laser, lingering on me just a little longer than the others.
"Listen up, maggots!" he barked, his voice cracking like a whip. "This is not your cozy home planet, and I am not your friend. If you want to be in the Galactic Patrol that means you will either become useful—or you'll get yourselves killed trying. I don't care which."
Someone audibly gulped.
He pointed a bony finger toward a giant display on the wall. It blinked to life, showing a galaxy map littered with blinking red dots.
"This is the state of the universe," He said. "Chaos. Pirates. Criminals. Invaders. And here's the Galactic Patrol, cleaning up the mess because no one else will."
He turned back to us, his expression hard. "You rookies are worthless to me as you are. Back in my day, you had to have at least a Power Level of 100 to sign up. But lucky for you, we've got a new program in place."
"F-Class!" The man suddenly announced. "A new rank that puts you at the very bottom of the Galactic Patrol. It ain't a real rank in my eyes, but a symbol that you all still need training to be worth a damn."
"But why should we train you?" He continued, pacing in front of us, "You passed all the written exams and interviews, but that won't help you when you're ambushed out in the galaxy! I don't care about your race, your background, or your pathetic excuses. If you can't survive the basics, you'll never make it in the field."
He clapped his hands together. A loud, mechanical grinding echoed through the room as panels in the walls slid open. My stomach dropped as I saw what came out.
Flying fuckin' robots.
Dozens of them hovered into the room—small, floating spheres with blinking red eyes and stubby cannons mounted on their sides. They were about as intimidating as oversized tennis balls, but something about the way they moved told me they were not here to play nice.
"So prove it!" He shouted. "Prove you're worthy to be in the Galactic Patrol!"
The drones' eyes glowed brighter. Then, with an electric whir, they opened fire.
"The fuck?!" I yelped.
I dove to the side as a bolt of energy zipped past my head, slamming into the ground where I'd been standing. The other recruits scattered, some shouting, others already throwing punches or dodging as best they could.
A holographic screen glitched into my vision, stunning me for only a moment.
o–o
Quest Alert!
[Beginner] – Galactic Patrol Trial
Objective: Survive for five minutes without being knocked unconscious.
Bonus Objective: ?
Reward: Title – [F-Class]
Bonus Reward: ?
Failure: User will be forcibly extracted to the nearest galactic hub, where further survival will depend solely on personal abilities.
o–o
I barely had time to read the quest alert before another drone opened fire, its energy blast sizzling the air.
I threw myself to the side again, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn't have time to think, just react.
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One drone zipped by overhead, firing wildly at a recruit who'd tried to duck behind a pillar. The poor guy didn't even have time to scream before the blast hit, sending him sprawling to the ground in a crumpled heap.
I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the tightness in my limbs as I tried to find some kind of cover. I wasn't sure if it was fear or just the shock of being thrown into something like this without warning.
A bolt of energy ricocheted off the wall near me, missing by mere inches. The drones were relentless.
"This is such bullshit," I muttered under my breath, trying to steady my breathing. "I just wanted to play a game. Not join a fucking galactic—"
WHAM!
A drone decided that ranged attacks weren't enough and promptly slammed into my side, sending me sprawling to the ground. It hurt like hell, but it hadn't incapacitated me yet.
Another drone fired. I gritted my teeth and forced myself to dodge through the pain.
The screen from earlier crackled into my vision.
4:23 minutes remaining.
'Okay, fuck this.' Whether I liked it or not, this was my reality now. I could freak out about being sucked into the world of Dragon Ball later.
A new drone locked onto me; its red eye glowing brighter as it prepared to fire.
I hit the ground with a painful grunt, but the blast missed me, slamming into the far wall with an electric crack.
I pushed myself up to my knees, panting. "I sort of regret picking my perks now..."
I needed a strategy—something, anything—or these little metal monsters were going to fry me before I even got thrown into the universe with nothing but the clothes on my back.
'On second thought, they'll probably take my clothes too.' I couldn't help but think.
My eyes landed on a pile of broken drones near the far corner of the room. Some other recruit must've taken them out earlier, but their remains were still smoldering.
'Better than nothing.'
I darted toward the pile, weaving as much as my burning legs would allow. Blasts of energy zipped past me, and for a terrifying moment, I thought I wasn't going to make it. Then, with one last lunge, I threw myself behind the heap of sparking metal.
The drones hesitated—like they couldn't quite figure out where I'd gone—and then split off to target the other recruits.
I took a moment to catch my breath, leaning against the broken remains of a huge pile of drones. My vision was still swimming, my body aching, but at least I wasn't actively being shot at.
3:17 minutes remaining.
Huddled behind the pile of sparking drone parts, I could feel my pulse hammering in my ears. My breathing came fast and shallow, adrenaline keeping my limbs from turning into complete jelly.
For the briefest moment, I considered staying put, waiting for the clock to run out.
But that thought died as quickly as it came.
The old man—the bane of my existence—barked orders at the swarm of drones. "Kick it into second gear! If they break now, they're worthless!" His voice thundered over the chaos, spurring the drones to become even more relentless.
'I fucking hate this guy already.' I thought as I peeked over the heap of broken drones, taking stock of the chaos.
Other recruits were scattered around the room, some faring better than others. A lean woman with razor-sharp reflexes was weaving between drones like she'd been born for it, landing well-placed strikes that sent sparks flying. A hulking alien with armored skin was outright tanking hits, lumbering forward with unstoppable momentum.
And then there was me—a skinny Human with no flashy powers, hiding behind a pile of garbage.
'No, I do have something,' I recalled. 'Reveal yourself system and show me my Status!'
o–o
Status
Name: Jyn
Age: 18
Race: Earthling
Title: [-]
Power Level: 5.6
Body: 7
Mind: NaN
Spirit: 8
Ki Control: 10%
Abilities: [Human Adaptability], [Vessel of the System]
Major Skills: [-]
Minor Skills: [-]
o–o
The lack of a leveling system was disappointing, but if this was truly the world of Dragon Ball, then it didn't matter much. Simple training should be enough.
...And why does my mind stat say it doesn't have a number?
The stats themselves were pretty self-explanatory. My Power Level was clearly a multiplication of my Body and Spirit, which was being hindered by my dogshit Ki Control.
If I had perfect ki control, I'd have a power level of 56 even though my body is built like a twig.
But none of that was truly important. The thing I was looking for was the one actual ability I had in my arsenal.
I needed to know if it worked how I thought it did.
o–o
[Human Adaptability]
Allows the user to develop resistance to extreme conditions over time.
o–o
'Perfect.'
It didn't seem like much at first glance, but with this, I was confident that I didn't need to just hide like a coward.
Another red laser slammed into the pile of broken drones, sending a shard of smoking metal whizzing past my ear. I ducked even further down instinctively, my heart thudding in my ears.
'Okay, maybe confident isn't the right word.'
Truthfully, I was scared out of my mind.
Knowing that I had an ability that would help me and experiencing that ability were two different things. Jumping out there with only that much was a leap of faith I wasn't ready for.
I needed something else. Something tangible I could latch onto.
I swallowed, suppressing my fear as I peered over my cover. But what did I have that these other people didn't? I wasn't strong, I wasn't fast, I damn sure wasn't a good fighter by any means.
No. Wait.
That's wrong.
Even before I had this system and even before I had this adapting ability, I relied on something else growing up—my brain.
These drones weren't hyper-intelligent death machines. They had a pattern.
They aimed. Fired. Hovered. Repeat.
It was mechanical. Predictable.
'I can use that.'
Gripping a sturdy shard of broken drone casing—jagged but solid enough to act as a makeshift club—I waited. My hands were slick with sweat, but I forced myself to focus.
"Come on," I whispered under my breath. "Come closer…"
A lone drone peeled off from the chaos and floated toward my cover, its glowing red eye sweeping side to side. It beeped twice, hovering lower as if it could sense me.
Now.
I launched forward like a spring-loaded trap.
The drone's eye locked onto me, starting to glow brighter—it was charging up—but I didn't give it a chance.
"Haah!"
With a desperate yell, I swung the metal shard like a caveman with a grudge.
CRASH!
The impact reverberated up my arms as the drone shattered under the blow. Sparks burst from its damaged core as it wobbled mid-air, its systems failing. A second strike smashed it completely, sending the busted sphere clattering to the ground.
"YES!" I shouted, punching the air. "Take that, you stupid—"
Two other drones immediately turned toward me, their glowing red eyes whirring to me as if I'd just waved a giant flag over my head.
"Oh, shit."
I didn't wait for them to fire.
I sprinted toward the closest one, zigzagging wildly.
The first drone's shot went wide, searing past my shoulder with a crackling hiss. I reached the second drone just in time, hurling the metal shard like a spear.
It wasn't pretty, but it worked.
The shard jammed into the drone's stubby cannon, sparks flying as the weapon overloaded. Before it could recover, I jumped up and grabbed its frame with both hands. It buzzed and bucked in the air, trying to shake me off, but I held on for dear life.
"DOWN YOU GO!" I shouted, wrenching it toward the ground with every bit of strength I had.
The drone slammed into the floor with a loud CRUNCH. Its light flickered, then died.
The second drone didn't miss, however.
I saw the blast coming a split second before it hit.
MOVE!
I threw myself sideways as the energy bolt grazed my shoulder, sending white-hot pain lancing through me. I hit the ground hard, my shoulder screaming in protest as my vision went black for a moment.
"Shit!" I hissed, scrambling to my feet. My gray jumpsuit was singed, the fabric smoking where the blast had hit. But as the heat slowly faded away, the pain started to fade as well—like my body was adjusting after exposure.
o–o
User has experienced extreme heat and survived. [Human Adaptability] is reacting…
Minor skill [Lesser Resistance: Heat] has manifested!
(+1 Body)
o–o
The system flashed in front of me, and with it, I felt something flow through me, soothing my pain even further.
My body suddenly felt weird—lighter, but… stronger, somehow. I flexed my fingers experimentally, marveling at how every movement felt just a little sharper than usual.
I felt… good.
The lone drone hovered closer, its eye glowing menacingly. This was no time to start power-tripping over a single stat point increase.
I needed to take this thing out now.
My eyes snapped to my cover—a jagged hunk of metal lay half-buried in the debris. I lunged for it, grabbing the heavy, twisted scrap with both hands.
The lone drone's cannon glowed red, priming to fire.
I sprinted toward the drone, gripping the heavy chunk of metal in both hands like a war hammer.
My legs burned, and my chest heaved, but there was no stopping now. The drone tracked my movement, its glowing eye narrowing.
Now!
The instant I saw its cannon flare, I dropped to a slide, my momentum carrying me under the drone as its energy blast streaked over my head. Sparks flew off the ground where it struck, but I was already moving.
In one fluid motion, I popped up to my feet and swung hard.
Sparks flew as the drone wobbled, flickering. I didn't stop.
I had no idea what I was doing, but swinging this thing around felt intuitive. Far easier than the feeling of powerlessness I got from being empty-handed.
I adjusted. More power. Steadier grip. And a little something more.
I swung—No, I pulverized.
CRUNCH.
The crumpled wreck hit the ground with a final, satisfying thud.
o–o
User has gained sufficient enough understanding to constitute a skill. [Vessel of the System] is reacting...
Minor skill [Ki Imbuement] has manifested!
(+1 Spirit)
o–o
That last attack drained me enough that I didn't bother reading the message, my eyes glossing over it and scanning the room instead.
My hands were trembling, adrenaline singing through my veins. For a second time, I felt stronger.
Around me, the chaos still raged. Energy blasts cracked through the air as drones peppered recruits with relentless fire. Some were holding their own—barely—while others weren't so lucky.
"Calm down," I muttered under my breath, forcing my aching legs to move again. "It's almost over, anyway. I can squeal about getting superpowers later."
The timer ticked down, but it felt like an eternity.
0:37 seconds remaining.
I clenched my fists tightly, blood pounding in my ears as I searched for any incoming threats. A drone zipped overhead, firing off a wild blast that seared the floor inches from my feet. My legs screamed in protest, but I couldn't stop now.
"Almost there," I whispered to myself. "Just a few more seconds…"
A final drone almost whirred past before abruptly froze. Its glowing red eye zeroed in on me standing there, the familiar hum of energy building in its cannon.
I froze, my body straining to react.
Being simply grazed almost made me pass out from the pain. I wasn't sure if I could take a head-on blast, even with my new resistance to heat.
And I really didn't want to test it.
I threw my makeshift weapon with everything I had.
Time slowed as the shard spun end over end, whistling through the air. The drone's blast was fully charged, ready to streak at me with excessive force.
But the shard struck first.
The impact shattered the drone's cannon, sending it spiraling off course. Its blast missed me a hair's breadth, searing past me so close I felt its heat graze my skin. The drone crashed to the ground, sparking and twitching as it joined the growing graveyard of metal.
A sharp, electronic chime cut through the room like a gong.
"STOP!"
The drones froze mid-air, their red eyes dimming to a neutral glow. The silence was deafening, broken only by the ragged breaths of the remaining recruits. I collapsed to one knee, hands on the ground to steady myself.
My whole body trembled with exhaustion, sweat dripping from my brow.
But I was still conscious. I'd made it.
o–o
Quest Complete!
[Beginner] – Galactic Patrol Trial
Objective: Survive for five minutes without being knocked unconscious.
Bonus Objective: Defeat as many training drones as possible. +1 [Body] stat per drone.
Reward: Title – [F-Class]
Bonus Reward: +4 [Body]
o–o