Warhammer-Byrne propped his head on one hand. "What's with those looks? I'm not dead yet."
Boy-Byrne sighed with emotion. "Even though being a primary schooler is a bit annoying, comparing myself to you makes me feel like my world is paradise."
White-Byrne nodded repeatedly. "Indeed. Compared to your situation, my mortgage, car loans, endless overtime, and workplace gaslighting don't seem like much at all."
As they spoke, both men reached out, patting Warhammer-Byrne on his left and right shoulders respectively. In unison, they said, "Bro, you've had it rough."
Warhammer-Byrne's mouth twitched slightly. "Alright, quit making fun of me. Let's change the subject—did either of you get a 'cheat'?"
In truth, he'd had questions about a "cheat" or "gacha" since the first day of his transmigration. As a transmigrator, Byrne's special advantage had been long delayed. He had been waiting all this time, yet no system had awakened, and he had discovered no superpowers other than his psychic abilities.
"A cheat?"
Boy-Byrne and White-Byrne looked at each other and then shook their heads simultaneously, indicating they hadn't seen anything of the sort.
Warhammer-Byrne breathed a private sigh of relief. So everyone is in the same boat. That's fine then.
Boy-Byrne continued, "Even without a cheat, I've become good friends with Nobita Nobi. Thanks to him, I got to experience flying with a Bamboo-Copter. That feeling was incredible—I wish I could let you guys try it."
Warhammer-Byrne replied, "Even though the Warhammer world is a nightmare, a novel experience like that sounds pretty exciting."
White-Byrne gave a self-deprecating smile. "I'm actually quite envious of you two. You get to experience different worlds. Unlike me—I was a corporate slave before I crossed over, and I'm still a corporate slave now. It feels like I transmigrated for nothing."
Warhammer-Byrne asked, puzzled, "We all went to different worlds; there's no reason yours should be ordinary. Since it's America, maybe you're in a sci-fi world like DC or Marvel?"
White-Byrne rested his chin on his hands with a bitter expression. "Hah, don't even mention it. I thought the same thing when I first arrived. I searched the internet for ages and couldn't find a single mention of superhumans, aliens, or masked vigilantes. Even Marvel and DC themselves don't exist here."
"A few days ago, a bank was robbed. The police surrounded it for hours and eventually settled it through a negotiator. If this were the Marvel world, Spider-Man would have swung in long ago."
Hearing this, Boy-Byrne immediately offered a suggestion: "No Marvel or DC? That's even better! You can become the 'Father of Marvel and DC.' You could make a fortune off those world-class IPs."
White-Byrne rolled his eyes and complained, "Heh, drawing comics isn't that easy. Besides, even if I learned how, I wouldn't have time to draw. I have a mountain of work troubles—especially this guy Eddie. He signed a book deal nearly a month ago and hasn't submitted a single chapter."
Eddie?
The name sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Warhammer-Byrne thought for a moment and asked, "Is that man's full name Eddie Morra?"
White-Byrne froze, asking in confusion, "Yes, that's right. How did you know?"
Upon receiving confirmation, Warhammer-Byrne smiled slightly. "Eddie Morra, the protagonist of the movie Limitless. That means you've likely transmigrated into the world of that sci-fi film."
Hearing this, White-Byrne finally realized. "Oh! Now that you mention it, I remember. Is that the movie about the guy who becomes a genius by taking a pill?"
Warhammer-Byrne nodded. "Exactly. Eddie Morra, the guy who used NZT-48 to go from a failing writer to the Wolf of Wall Street. If you get those pills, you can overclock your brain. You'll be able to accomplish anything you want."
White-Byrne looked excited at first, but his expression soon dampened. He said worriedly, "Even if the name is the same, it might not be the same person. Besides, even though those pills are god-like, they have massive side effects. I don't want to lose my life before I even finish the comics."
Boy-Byrne added, "If I recall correctly, by the end of the movie, Eddie Morra refined the formula and eliminated the side effects of NZT-48. If the protagonist could do it, maybe you can too."
Warhammer-Byrne chimed in, "Regardless, I think it's worth a shot. Even if my theory is wrong, the attempt adds a bit of flavor to your dull life, doesn't it?"
With their encouragement, White-Byrne's doubts began to fade. He repeated the name of the pill over and over, rubbing his hands together in excitement, looking ready to give it a try.
Industrial World Korol, 7:00 AM.
Byrne slowly opened his eyes, the events of the dream still vivid in his mind. He sat up and muttered to himself, "That was an interesting experience. Pity it was only a dream."
Byrne shook his head. After getting up and washing, he began reading while eating breakfast. He had to give his all for the qualification exam in a week.
He read for an hour before putting down the Tax Collector's Code of Conduct. He leaned back, rubbing his eyes and resting with his lids closed, but his thoughts drifted back to the dream—specifically, the words of Boy-Byrne.
"...the feeling was incredible—I wish I could let you guys try it."
As one of the childhood classics, who wouldn't want a magical Doraemon like Nobita had? Heh, I really envy that guy, getting to go to that world.
With his eyes still closed, Byrne fantasized about holding a Bamboo-Copter in his hand. As he imagined it, he suddenly felt a weight in his right hand.
Huh?
Byrne looked down and was instantly stunned. There, in his hand, a real Bamboo-Copter had appeared.
This...
The thing I imagined actually appeared?
Could this be my 'cheat'?
After a brief surge of excitement, he quickly calmed down. Although a Bamboo-Copter had appeared out of thin air, it didn't necessarily mean it was the real deal from Doraemon. He remembered that in the manga, the device was essentially an anti-gravity tool that could fly for up to eight hours before the battery died. However, the charge would eventually recover on its own.
There was only one way to find out. Byrne took a deep breath and pressed the Bamboo-Copter to his head. The moment it touched, it fixed itself firmly in place, like a magnet to metal.
Then, he heard a faint whirring sound from above as the blades began to spin. A split second later, he felt a pulling force at the back of his neck, as if an invisible thread were hoisting him up.
The change was so sudden that Byrne was caught off guard. Seeing himself about to collide with the ceiling, his pupils shrank and he instinctively threw his hands out in front of him.