Just as reality began to crumble around him, it suddenly stopped. Everything—space, time, even the unraveling of existence—froze in place. Everything except for the portal. That swirling, chaotic tear in space continued to pull at him. Slower now, but relentless.
"I'm really sorry… this is all my fault. I can't do anything about it, but… well, I can't stop it, though I can offer something else. The Shop—it can be accessed even in the most obscure corners of existence. I've added the Full House purchase from my side. Now, everything depends on you. I'm sorry I can't fix it all, but… I hope you're happy wherever you go."
The woman, who had formed from the shattered pieces of reality, spoke to him gently as he was slowly dragged into the portal.
Then, he was falling.
Thankfully, he landed on soft sand. Unfortunately, that was all there was—sand, stretching endlessly in every direction.
What the hell just happened?
One minute, he'd been playing chess online with some noob. The next—checkmate. Not in the game, but in reality.
Now, even trying to remember those final moments felt impossible. His mind couldn't process them; everything felt distorted, illusionary.
Wait… something caught the corner of his vision.
As he focused on it, it expanded to cover his entire field of view.
Yes—that woman had said something about a Shop. Was this it?
{The Shop
Everything can be bought here, as long as you can pay for it—and are lucky enough to see it on display.
Note: As a new member of the Shop, you gain the guidebook to the Shop for free.
Display: (reset in: 23:54:03)
Full House Paid by: Anaisiya (Empress of Desires – Omniversal Elder Goddess)
Come back after the display resets to shop more.}
A small guidebook appeared in his hand. It was surprisingly thin—only ten pages, most of which were filled with images.
So, this Shop… it was a mysterious power that existed across all of reality. Its purpose was simple: it displayed a set of six random "items." Though calling them "items" was misleading. It could be anything—skills, abilities, divine powers, forbidden knowledge, physical objects, even people or gods and their Divinities.
As for currency, that was just as bizarre.
Some items could be bought with regular money—dollars or coins. Others required payment in lifespan, karma, faith, or even stranger things: a person's ability to lie, or memories of loved ones.
Thankfully, you were only charged when purchasing. Just browsing was free.
And apparently, if you bought from the Shop a thousand times, you could invite someone else.
As for the Full House Paid—Anaisiya had simply paid for every item in his current display as a parting gift.
He opened the mailbox—the Shop had one of those too. All acquired items would be delivered here.
{Unclaimed Purchases:
H-Omnitrix: A hybrid of the Omnitrix and H-Dial. Allows the user to select from ten super-powered individuals and gain their powers. New forms can be unlocked by fulfilling certain conditions or exposure. Transformation lasts one hour, followed by a 30-minute cooldown. Each form also has a 24-hour cooldown.
Master Key: Opens any lock not protected by supernatural seals. Can unlock digital systems, unless enhanced by supernatural or advanced genetic tech. Self-repairs within 100 days if at least 0.1% remains.
Space Ring: A spatial storage ring with 1,000 km³ capacity. Requires Qi to access full space. Without Qi, a bonded user can access 100 m³. Vulnerable to high-level space manipulators (Return to Void Realm or higher).
Ultimate Skill - Raphael, Lord of Wisdom: A skill for advanced analysis and appraisal. Includes sub-skills and adapts to the user's needs and the nature of their reality.
Cookbook by Some Guy: Contains 10 recipes based on nearby ingredients. Always safe to eat, but not always tasty. The book will attempt to make meals delicious, but safety takes priority.
Acquire Card: Allows legal ownership of any non-supernatural company or organization. Cannot be used on entities with destructive power over large-city level or valued over $100 billion. Employees may still leave post-acquisition. }
He claimed the H-Omnitrix and examined the current list of available transformations.
H-Omnitrix:
Endeavor
Hulk
Brainiac
The Deep Sea King
Deadman
Speed-o'-Sound Sonic
Homelander
Ben 10 (random alien)
Anti-Venom
Cyborg
Well, here goes nothing.
He chose Homelander.
A rush of transformation washed over him. His clothing morphed into Homelander's iconic suit. His body surged with raw power, and instincts filled his mind—flight, laser vision, super strength—it was all second nature now.
He launched into the sky, soaring upward, adjusting speed and height with practiced ease.
Damn, he thought, this feels amazing.
In that moment, he didn't even care that he had been transported to a strange new world.
He had powers now.
After flying around for a while, he managed to get a sense of direction. Fortunately, one hour was enough to escape the endless desert.
The city looked old, with a blend of traditional urban architecture, but the surrounding landscape was undeniably beautiful. He landed just a few kilometers away, and as he took in the scene, he noticed the sun slowly dipping toward the horizon. By the time he reached the city, it would probably be evening.
Thankfully, the setting sun worked in his favor—walking even a couple of kilometers in full daylight after crossing the desert would've been miserable. He didn't usually need water, but after trudging through the arid terrain, he found himself craving a drink.
As he started walking, he spotted a dusty pickup truck rumbling down the road toward the city. He raised his arms, waving to flag it down. The truck slowed, kicking up a small cloud of sand. The driver, a weathered man with a red-and-white keffiyeh wrapped around his head, leaned out the window with a questioning look.
He: (Pointing toward the city, then back at himself, miming walking with exaggerated tired steps) "City... me... go city... please?"
Driver: (Frowns, confused) "Shu biddak?" (What do you want?)
He: (Points again at the city, then sticks out his thumb in a classic hitchhiking gesture, his expression pleading) "Lift... you... me... city?"
Driver: (Tilts his head, still puzzled) "Wein rayeh?" (Where are you going?)
Frustrated, he tried a different approach. He pointed at the city again, then mimed drinking from an imaginary cup, patting his stomach with a weary expression. After that, he pointed at the truck, then at himself, miming opening a door, sitting, and driving.
The driver watched the entire pantomime, his confusion slowly giving way to amusement. Finally, a light seemed to click in his eyes.
Driver: (Chuckling softly, nodding) "Aha... biddak tawseelah lal-madina?" (Ah... you want a ride to the city?)
(He gestured to the passenger side.) "Tafaḍḍal, irkab." (Please, get in.)
Relief washed over him. He grinned and climbed into the passenger seat of the dusty truck, glad the driver finally understood. The language barrier had been frustrating.
'Why don't Isekai stories ever show this part?' he thought.
As the truck bounced down the road, he suddenly remembered something—he still had unclaimed items in his System inbox. He'd gotten too excited after receiving the H-Omnitrix.
He didn't need most of them right now, but one would definitely help.
He selected the Raphael module and mentally confirmed the claim.
'Raphael, you there?' he asked.
[Affirmative. I've been activated successfully.]
Immediately, his perception shifted. What was once 720p vision now felt like full 4K Ultra HD. Not only that—he could see everywhere. Up, down, behind him. It was a full 360° x 180° field of awareness.
[I've recreated Magic Sense. Due to the lack of Voice of the World, it has not manifested as a formal skill, but it can still be used.]
'Thanks, Raphael. Can you translate the local language?'
[Affirmative. This is Arabic. Based on your memories, I've managed to learn approximately 28%. Exposure to the local population will enhance comprehension.]
Within minutes, the truck reached the city outskirts. Fortunately, there were no checkpoints or security, and he entered without issue.
'Raphael, can you access the internet?'
[Negative. I require a medium to connect. Acquire a device with internet access; once scanned, I will analyze the relevant electromagnetic frequencies.]
And so began his next task: stealing a phone.
With Parallel Processing and Thought Acceleration, it was surprisingly easy. The real issue? Most phones were outdated and lacked internet access.
Still, after several scans and a bit of luck, Raphael managed to connect—though the connection was limited and painfully slow. According to Raphael's digging, it was June 2011.
As Raphael explored the early web, he sat in a local restaurant, sipping a lemon and mint drink—at least, that's what Raphael translated it as. It didn't look like juice, but it was refreshing. He munched on a mezze platter, filled with colorful dishes he couldn't name.
He hadn't traveled much in his past life, so this experience—new culture, new sights, strange food—felt surreal.
Oh, and now he finally knew where he was.
Aqaba.
A coastal city in Jordan.
He paid the bill with cash that definitely hadn't been his five minutes ago. Was it stealing if you were dying of thirst in a parallel universe? He decided to let karma sort it out-preferably after he'd had another glass of that lemon-mint stuff.
"Got anything, Raphael?"
[The internet speed is insufficient. I suggest using the H-Omnitrix to transform into Cyborg. This will enhance your connection, allow access to nearby electronic networks, and provide an opportunity to test whether your inherited abilities persist post-transformation. It may also allow experimentation with Boom Tube functionality within this universe.]
"Wouldn't it make more sense to use Brainiac instead? He'd probably have better tech, higher processing power, and enough gadgets to do whatever we want."
[Negative. Brainiac is currently a high-risk transformation. Until your synchronization with the H-Omnitrix improves, we cannot guarantee containment. We do not want a repeat of the Zs'Skayr Incident. Brainiac is the only transformation in your current set capable of forcibly overriding system protocols.]
He made his way to a quiet, isolated beach—a little off the main coast, where fewer people wandered. Then, without hesitation, he activated the Omnitrix and shifted into Cyborg.
[Connection established.
I have fully integrated with Cyborg's neural framework. Collecting environmental data… Boom Tubes are unavailable. However, a substitute—Cyborg Tubes—can be accessed. These allow for long-range teleportation across the planet, provided sufficient energy reserves are available.]
This transformation hit different. It wasn't just the upgraded strength or enhanced sensory input—he could feel himself syncing with the web itself. His thoughts swam through clouds of data, his brain decoding streams of code like they were second nature.
It was exhilarating.
Until he started seeing things that didn't add up.
"Raphael… why am I seeing news posts about Iron Man? And more importantly, why did I just see a freaking Humungousaur tearing through a back alley in Texas? What the hell—is this Marvel? Ben 10? Where am I?"
[Affirmative. Preliminary scans confirm that this universe is a hybrid reality. Detected timelines and anomalies include: Marvel, Ben 10, Doctor Who, and Supernatural. I am currently searching for indicators of other universes integrated into this construct.]
"FML."