"So… what now?" Kevin Cross scratched his head, suddenly feeling at a loss.
Truth be told, he still hadn't fully adjusted to his new identity.
He'd transmigrated just like that. No warning. And somehow, ended up in the United States, inhabiting the body of a Chinese-American citizen with foreign nationality.
Honestly? Kevin wanted to return to China. But changing citizenship wasn't so simple. In fact, Chinese citizenship was among the hardest to obtain in the world. As someone raised in the U.S. since birth, could he even switch back?
Land of the free, they said. More like land of daily shootouts. Just think about how the original host's parents died that said it all.
Fortunately, Kevin had the standard cheat of any proper transmigrator: a multi-dimensional chat group.
Thanks to that, he could at least survive maybe even thrive. The cheat would bring all kinds of perks. Compared to China, where cameras covered every street corner, America was ironically the better place to stay off the grid if something supernatural cropped up.
"Well, I'm not getting back anytime soon… so what now? According to the original's memories, I'm supposed to go to school?" Kevin's eyes widened. "Seriously? Spare me. I'm hopeless at studying. I spent over a decade grinding through school, finally graduated and now I'm supposed to start all over again? No thanks."
Sure, lots of people regretted not studying harder after entering society. But to actually go back and tie yourself to a desk again? That was a whole different beast.
"Yeah, no. I'm dropping out. The original host's parents are already gone, and I've got no ties holding me here. No one's going to make a fuss if I quit. And now that I've got my cheat, I'm not counting on school to offer me anything anyway. So yeah, dropout life it is!" Kevin made the decision with a grin.
And once he made a choice, he acted fast. You could call him a man of action at least in that moment.
The next morning, he glanced at the chat group. Still quiet. He didn't bother Uchiha Izumi or Serena Tranquil those two were probably still binge-watching anime.
He grabbed a quick bite for breakfast and headed out to school.
But just as he was about to leave, a wave of memory crashed over him vivid and visceral, like he was reliving it firsthand.
In the memory, several students bullied the original host. Two Black students, in particular, would shake him down for money and beat him regularly. The original Kevin had been timid to the point of complete helplessness.
To be fair, he was scrawny, while the other two were built like athletes. Even if he tried to fight back, he would've just gotten beaten worse. And the reason they targeted him? Because he was Asian.
In America, especially in certain neighborhoods, some Black kids saw Asians as easy targets wealthy, weak, and unlikely to retaliate.
It was the 21st century, but racism was still very much alive. Just look at how quickly some cops pulled the trigger on a Black suspect who so much as twitched.
And while the Black community was quick to decry racism from others, it wasn't uncommon for them to turn into bullies themselves particularly toward Asians.
When others discriminated against them, it was racism. But when they picked on Asians, it was just "normal." Asians were easy prey, and they often filmed the abuse to chase online clout.
In short, this was America where hypocrisy and violence often walked hand in hand.
Kevin frowned, the memory leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I swear, the two things I hate most are racism… and guys like that."
If he went to school now, he'd probably run into those thugs again. And while he wasn't the same timid pushover anymore, they were still bigger than him. Odds were, he'd get wrecked all the same.
"Maybe I really shouldn't go wait a second. Didn't I get a cheat for a reason?"
He slapped himself on the forehead.
The harem chat group if a female member became his woman, he'd inherit all her abilities.
Uchiha Izumi had already agreed to be his. That meant he should've inherited her entire package: Uchiha bloodline, Sharingan, chakra, ninjutsu, taijutsu… the works. With powers like that, those bullies wouldn't stand a chance.
"Chat group, what's the holdup? Izumi already agreed to be mine. Where are my powers?"
…
No response.
"@Uchiha Izumi. The chat group said once you're mine, I get your abilities. But I haven't received anything yet. Do you know what's going on?" Kevin typed.
Still glued to her screen, watching Naruto, Izumi blinked at the message. Her expression turned a bit awkward.
Still, Kevin had saved her life and given her access to the entire Naruto saga. That was a massive favor. Plus, after learning the truth about Itachi, she had no lingering feelings toward her old life.
"I said I'd be your woman," she replied, "but you haven't actually taken me yet. That's why the system hasn't activated."
"Haven't taken you…? You mean-" Kevin trailed off.
"Exactly what you're thinking. You haven't claimed my body, so technically, I'm not really yours," she said, perfectly matter-of-fact.
"Oh… I see," Kevin replied, the realization clicking into place.
"You can summon me to your world or come to mine. Once I truly become yours, the chat group will deliver the benefits," she added.
"Got it. Sit tight. I'm on my way," Kevin said, eyes zeroing in on the Traverse button in the chat group interface.
Without hesitation, he pressed it.
In the blink of an eye, his surroundings shifted.
And just like that, Kevin stood before Uchiha Izumi.
She looked at the young man who had suddenly appeared in front of her. Somehow, without needing to ask, she knew it was him.
And as her eyes settled on his face, they lit up with unmistakable delight.
Wow. He's really handsome.