Dean Smith slumped in his dorm chair, staring at his laptop screen. Another Tuesday night. Another essay due tomorrow that he hadn't started. The cursor blinked mockingly in the empty document.
At twenty-one, Dean felt stuck in neutral. College was just going through the motions. Classes felt pointless. His roommate was out partying again while Dean sat here, scrolling through comic forums and fantasy wikis instead of writing about 19th-century literature.
His phone buzzed with another notification he ignored. Instagram stories of classmates having fun. LinkedIn posts about internships he didn't want. The usual digital noise.
He closed the essay document. 'I'll start it later.'
Dean's thumb moved on autopilot, scrolling through random links. Gaming forums. YouTube videos. Reddit rabbit holes. Then something caught his eye—a sleek banner ad he'd never seen before:
"Ever wanted to leave your world behind? Try the Isekai Gateway."
Dean snorted. "Right. Let me guess, hot anime girls in my area want to truck-kun me?" But his cursor hovered over it. Boredom won.
The site loaded instantly. No lag, no loading screen. Just clean, dark interface with glowing text that looked suspiciously professional for what should be a scam:
Welcome, Traveller. Ready to discover your true potential?
"My true potential is procrastinating," Dean muttered, but kept scrolling.
A quiz materialised. Not the usual "Which Disney Princess Are You?" garbage—these questions felt different. Deeper. Uncomfortably insightful.
You find a wallet on the ground with $500 cash. No ID. What do you do?
Dean clicked Turn it in to authorities. "Because I'm not a Thief. Also, cameras are everywhere."
A friend asks you to help them cheat on an important exam. They're desperate.
Refuse but offer to help them study instead. "I mean, I'm not gonna snitch, but I'm also not gonna risk it."
You witness a superhero accidentally cause property damage while saving lives. What's your reaction?
Understand that saving lives is more important than property. "Duh. Insurance exists. Dead people don't."
The questions kept coming, each one more specific than the last. Then the nerdy stuff kicked in:
Which anime protagonist archetype do you relate to most?
Dean scrolled through the options: The Overpowered but Bored Hero, The Strategic Mastermind, The Reluctant Leader, The Power-Growing Underdog, The Morally Gray Anti-Hero.
The Power-Growing Underdog, he clicked. "Because if I'm gonna be transported to another world, I'd rather be loved by the reader than be another Kirito-clone Generic Protag."
Your ideal anime power system?
Magic with strict rules and limitations, Ki/Energy manipulation, Devil Fruit abilities, Alchemy, Stand powers, Quirks, Sacred Gears.
Magic with strict rules, Dean decided. "I want my power system to come with a manual and consistent physics, thank you very much."
Choose your preferred manga/anime genre for your new life:
Shonen battle manga, Slice-of-life with supernatural elements, Dark fantasy seinen, Mecha pilot, Isekai but you're the villain, Comedy with occasional serious moments.
Comedy with occasional serious moments, Dean paused. "Because if I'm gonna die horribly, at least let it be funny."
Which type of anime companion appeals to you most?
Tsundere with hidden depths, Loyal AI/robot partner, Wise mentor figure, Childhood friend who's actually competent, Team of misfits who become family, Talking animal sidekick with attitude.
Team of misfits who become family, Dean clicked. "Who doesn't want to win with the power of Friendship?"
Your ideal base of operations in an anime world?
Mobile fortress/ship, Hidden underground facility, Floating sky island, Pocket dimension, School that's secretly a training ground, Ordinary-looking shop with extraordinary back room.
Mobile headquarters. "Rent's expensive enough without having to pay interdimensional property taxes."
How do you prefer to solve conflicts in your favourite series?
Outsmart opponents with elaborate strategies, Power of friendship speeches that somehow work, Overwhelming force applied tactically, Talk-no-jutsu and convert enemies to allies, Exploit enemy weaknesses through careful observation.
Overwhelming force applied tactically, Dean decided. "Brain with brawn. My PE grades prove I'm not built for punching things."
Which anime trope would you want to avoid in your new life?
Truck-kun transportation, Harem misunderstandings, Tournament arcs that last forever, Friendship speeches during battle, Getting stronger by getting angry, Beach episodes with inevitable perverted incidents.
"ALL OF THEM," Dean muttered, but selected Harem misunderstandings. "I can barely handle one relationship, let alone accidentally collecting a bunch of them."
What's your preferred character development style?
Slow burn over many seasons, Sudden power-up moments, Learning through failure and loss, Mentorship and training arcs, Unlocking hidden potential through emotion, Building strength through teamwork.
Building strength through teamwork, Dean clicked. "Eh, goes well with rest of my choices."
The final question made him pause: What drives you most? Power, knowledge, connection, or justice?
Dean stared at the screen. "Well, power corrupts, justice is exhausting, and know-it-all's have zero Social EQ" He clicked Connections. "At least being friends at high places makes your life easy."
The screen flashed rainbow colors like a slot machine. ANALYSIS COMPLETE.
You've been selected for a Multiversal Journey—time to claim your gifts.
"Selected?" Dean laughed. "What, did I pass the 'Are You Pathetic Enough for Isekai?' test?"
A spinning wheel appeared—multiple sections glowing: Going from F-Rank all the way up to EX-Rank.
"This is so dumb," Dean muttered, but clicked anyway. "Might as well see what fake superpowers I win."
SPIN 1: A-RANK - POWER TWEAKINGThe ability to analyze and modify existing Powers of others.
"Cool, I can be a supernatural tech support." Dean spun again.
SPIN 2: A-RANK - POWER SHARINGGain and share powers temporarily from and to your allies.
"Great, I'm a walking power bank. Very useful if I actually HAD powers." Third spin.
SPIN 3: S-RANK - KARMIC BATTERYStores karmic energy from your Actions and perform miracles based on the amount.
Dean blinked. "Wait, S-Rank? That sounds... actually broken. Like, reality-warping broken." He leaned back. "Okay, whoever made this site has read way too much manga."
The wheel disappeared. New text appeared:
Your journey begins soon. A package will arrive shortly. Please enable location services for optimal transfer.
Dean laughed out loud. "Enable GPS? What is this, Uber for interdimensional travel? 'Your isekai driver Truck-kun will arrive in 5 minutes'?"
He scrolled down, looking for the inevitable 'Send $19.99 for your starter pack!' But there was nothing. Just a simple button: CONFIRM DELIVERY.
"This is either the most elaborate scam ever, or someone's really committed to the bit." Dean's finger hovered over the button.
What's the worst that could happen? They send me a plastic ring and a photocopied 'certificate'?
With trembling fingers, he clicked CONFIRM.
The screen went black, then displayed: Package dispatched. Sweet dreams, Traveller.
Dean closed the laptop and flopped onto his bed, but sleep wouldn't come.
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