"I've really ended up in West City."
I didn't know how to feel about this—a part of me was beyond excited.
As a massive Dragon Ball Z fan, this was an insane reality to experience.
"Hey, system."
I groaned, taking a seat on the sidewalk.
"You said you were enabling Sparking Zero's main menu," I said, my body still sore. "So does that mean I have access to the game's core mechanics?"
I waited for a response…
"Did it not hear me?" I muttered, ruffling my wild, overgrown hair that definitely needed a cut.
"Let's try this again… ahem—"
I cleared my throat and said its full name.
"Lust Deadline System?"
Still nothing.
…Then—
Ding!
[Yes, Host. You will have access to all of Sparking Zero's gameplay features, including Episode Battles and the Shop.]
I smiled, thinking about the possibilities.
I had been worried this city was all there was—that I wouldn't get access to the full main menu, leaving me stuck with nothing more than a glorified amusement park.
But now that it was confirmed…
Episode Battles. The Shop. Everything.
Excitement surged through me, so strong I forced myself back to my feet.
"As long as I can clear episodes, collect EXP and Zeni, I can use the shop to get character skins."
I grinned.
"Even Krillin's fine. As long as I get a strong enough character, I can steamroll most of the threats in this messed-up universe—switching skins whenever I need to."
I raised my hand, gathering a small amount of mana and aiming at a nearby streetlight.
"Pew!!!"
"I can even reinforce them with magic to make them stronger."
A violet orb shot forward, dispersing as it struck the metal with a sharp clang.
"This is the best reward I've gotten so far."
"System, how do I start an Episode Battle right now?!"
There wasn't any time to waste. Even though I asked Morbucks to cover for me, I didn't understand how this fused world worked.
In Ben 10, the Plumbers had been disbanded.
But here? I had no idea. For all I knew, they could still be active—and after what happened at the school, a hundred agents might already be searching for me while I sat here.
Ding!
[Please excuse me. There appear to have been communication issues, Host. When I said you had access to all features, I neglected to mention they are currently stripped down to their most basic state.]
[No items. No NPCs. No characters. No storylines.]
—
Third Person POV
Ben turned to the floating panel. His excitement died instantly.
"What…?" His fist clenched. "Tell me you're joking."
[I do not possess the ability to joke or express emotions.]
[I exist solely to assist you in completing Weekly Deadlines, assessing progress, and calculating outcomes.]
He stared at the screen, resisting the urge to blast it apart.
"Fine. I'll remember that."
He swallowed his frustration, his expectations crushed just as quickly as they had risen.
Taking a slow breath, he steadied himself.
"...You said currently. Does that mean those features will be available later?"
[Yes. They are empty because this realm has not yet been linked to a timeline you can enter.]
[I was searching for a compatible storyline. That is why I did not respond immediately.]
Ben felt a flicker of hope return—but he kept it in check.
"So you're still setting things up," he said. "That makes sense… but how long will it take to find a storyline?"
[The required time is incalculable.]
[I can locate a branch timeline easily. However, integrating it without detection from higher entities is the issue.]
[This is not a threat to me.]
[It is a threat to you.]
[At your current level, a sufficiently powerful god could detect my interference, trace it back, and eliminate you before you become strong enough to resist.]
[That is why I must proceed with extreme caution when dealing with high-tier worlds such as Dragon Ball.]
"...Yeah. That's a problem," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Wait—you said multiverses. Are you planning to move Zeno and the other universes too?"
The system didn't respond.
The silence felt… heavy.
Ben swallowed, unsure whether Zeno was the danger—or something even worse.
"...Let's start small," he decided. "While you figure out Dragon Ball."
"I've got an idea."
He smiled.
"Show me my rewards again."
Ding!
Rewards Granted:
Healing Spell (Apprentice)
Building Tier (Title) (Ultra Rare)
Mana Amplification (Beginner)
My Hero Academia (World Key)
Status Board (Rare)
Clone Link (Quirk)
(Users: Hikaru Aoyama, background: Random Extra)
Main Menu (Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero)
His eyes scanned the list, stopping on two items.
"Explain the World Key."
[The World Key is a travel item that allows access to the My Hero Academia universe.]
[Upon entry, you will receive a mission lasting from one month to several years.]
"Good… now what about Clone Link?"
Ding!
[Clone Link is a quirk taken from Hikaru Aoyama, a background student from Aldera Junior High.]
[It allows the user to create multiple physical clones that persist indefinitely, all controlled through a shared consciousness.]
[These clones are extensions of the user's nervous system, sharing vision, hearing, and awareness in real time.]
[Limitation: Total power is divided evenly across all active bodies.]
"If I make one clone, we're both at fifty percent… three clones means one-third each," he muttered.
"I haven't integrated it yet, right?"
[Correct. Would you like to integrate it?]
Yes / No
"Yes."
"I need every advantage I can get."
Integration enabled.
[Gene Altering: 1%… 2%… 3%…]
A tingling sensation spread from his toes upward.
4%… 5%… 6%…
"On your scale—what rank is MHA?"
The system paused.
[Threat tiers range from H to SSS, divided into Low, Mid, and High categories.]
[Lower tiers:]
H Tier — no superhuman abilities
G Tier — peak human capability
F Tier — modern weaponry
[Mid tiers:]
E Tier — nuclear weaponry and individuals capable of destroying nations
[My Hero Academia is classified as E Tier.]
[Gene Altering: 27%]
Pain flared through Ben's body as competing genetic structures clashed.
"Compared to Dragon Ball… that's practically safe," he muttered. "What happens if you anchor that world here?"
Redirecting Plunder Protocol…
Calculating compatibility:
My Hero Academia (World Key) + Main Menu (Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero)
He smiled.
"Looks like you like that idea."
Compatibility confirmed. Installing World Key…
Estimated completion time:
1 hour 19 minutes
The panels vanished, leaving only a countdown timer.
He laughed, running a hand through his hair.
"Guess I've got time to kill."
He stretched—then paused.
"...Wait."
He looked up slightly.
"System—does time flow the same here?"
Ding!
[No. Time within this space is accelerated.]
[One hour here equals one minute outside.]
Ben blinked.
"...Then how long have I been here?"
A brief pause.
Ding!
[You have been in this space for approximately fifteen hours prior to regaining consciousness.]
Silence.
"...Fifteen hours?"
His stomach dropped.
"So… fifteen minutes have passed outside."
His expression hardened.
"...Yeah. I really don't have time to waste."
He glanced at the timer.
[Gene Altering: 39%]
"I might as well find a barbershop."
— Author's Note —
Alright… now I need your help.
I will probably to link Ben's main menu to a Dragon Ball timeline after his mha trip. But I haven't locked in which one yet—and this choice will heavily affect how broken (or screwed) he is going forward.
So I'm letting you decide.
Which route should he take?
A) A random Saiyan in Universe 6
(New perspective, unknown potential, Cabba/Kale/Caulifla territory)
B) Goku in OG Dragon Ball
(Classic start, slower growth, but insane long-term payoff)
C) Future Trunks Timeline
(Dark, high-stakes, constant danger, fast power scaling)
D) Mr. Satan (Dragon Ball Z)
(Underrated route, different scaling, unique progression path)
Drop your choice—and if you've got better suggestions on where or when he should go, even better.
The most picked option decides where the story goes next.