"Relax, Nick, stop get panic and being nervous like a child who has been guilty in front of parents, we had all been going too long for this event and have certainly prepared for it, be confident, we can't let our chef fail, he's done so much for us." - I grumbled into phone while lying on the bed trying to calm down my friend, who was terrified before tomorrow's event.

Even after all talk things through over a glass of whiskey among friends, he could not stop winding himself up because of the upcoming competitions.

It was all too absurd, he is the one who will take the chef position when our BOSS retire.

To be fair, Nick should have been the one who was supposed to maintain everyone calm, but, to everyone's wonder, instead of becoming the pillar on which we will rely, he became who needed our support.

This man who able to become the most skilled cook in the kitchen in just two years panicked because of a stupid world contest.

It really, I would rejoiced of such a achievement, he came to our kitchen as an ordinary kitchen worker and during his stay there, made a stunning leap in this work.

Everything was given to him so easily that everyone began to look him a crook and a man who was just sent to inspect our staff.

As it turned out, he is just a talented dude with good taste buds.

I just sighed at his timid soul

"You don't understand, Bruce..." - came a voice on the other phone side

"Actually, I do, you have a lot of responsibility right now and you can't let us lose, fortunately, you won't do it, but if you make a mistake, I'll still back you up and got your back. You need a good sound sleep right now, Rebecca told us you were in such a catatonic state for 48 hours. Ease, tomorrow we will smear everyone, and you will shine showing your skills." - I said, scratching labrador behind the ears, ending talk and putting the phone on the other bed side

Grabbing dog muzzle with both hands, I smiled at it.

It had been my friend for 18 years and was very old. I don't know how I will survive the moment when this dog leave me alone

The worst thing is that tomorrow is it 19th birthday and I read on Internet forums that only a few labradors live to 15.

"Well, Shirakuro, I think it's time to go to sleep, isn't it?" - I asked, freeing dog from my grip, covering myself with a blanket in an attempt to quickly fall into a deep sleep calming my breathing.


Cap. Cap. Cap. Cap. Cap.

I began to sense drops of water falling on forehead every now and then causing the muscles on face to contract because of my inconvenience.

"Shirakuro stop doing this, it's not game time, I really need to get some sleep because I have an important day ahead of me. Let me sleep." - I muttered in irritation with intention of covering head with a blanket, but couldn't find it, so I was necessary to open my eyes with the intention of getting it.

As soon as I reluctantly opened eyes, I was in a state of shock since I was not in my bed at all, but in some dirty alley lying among garbage cans.

"What happened and how did I end up here?" - I asked myself, taking a sitting position, trying to understand how I turned up in such a situation.

'Well, let's assume that I was just robbed and taken out along with expensive things, which has no logic behind it because everything of value I keep in another apartment.' - I thought, getting up with the intention of understanding where I am.

Moving along the alley, I walked more and more confidently towards the light, which was supposed to lead me to a crowded street, where I could ask for help from someone

Finally reaching my goal, my eyes widened because something appeared in front of me.

A DeLorean DMC-12 from "Back to the Future" movie flew past me.

"Well, at least now I understand that I'm dreaming. At any rate this DeLorean destroyed all my anxious thoughts away. Right now I just a need of exploring this place until my circadian rhythm wakes me up." - I hissed under breath.

With hands in pockets, I set off on a journey with exploring intention, starting to wonder and admire the design and color outline of all the buildings in this place. I have long been used to the fact that in my world there will never be such beautiful places in the Rave style, which has bright colors.

Continuing to turn head like a madman attracting more and more attention from people, who were dressed in Cyberpunk-style clothes, I accepted for myself that everything here looks like it's the future world.

Passing by another building, I bumped into a man who looked like the hero of the Tron: Legacy movie with a glowing disk on his back.

It was definitely Sam Flynn. I'm starting to like this dream more and more. The very essence of Cyberpunk and technologies based on virtual reality really liked it to me.

It's like I got into the "Ready player one" and "Elysium" movie

All crowd I met along the way were either wearing virtual reality glasses or with a modified body that enhanced them.

'Impressive. Damn. I really wanna had 2 mechanical hands. With it, I would have time to cook much more dishes in a restaurant, which means my productivity would be higher.' - I muttered, plunging into thoughts, not noticing that I was walking straight into a red traffic light.

"Hey guy, watch where you're step" - a policeman who looked like Robert Patrick grasped my hand and shook his finger in a condemning gesture, just like he did in the movie Terminator 2.

This scene always made me shiver when I watching this movie, and seeing T1000 a meter away from me became a new feeling.

This dream was too real for its own good.

But I think now I have to stop shuddering when watching this scene.

"Are you okay? Need any help?" - this officer continued , looking at me intently with serious look

I could only nod at this behavior because this Robert Patrick character was the fear of my childhood.

Here I am a man of 25 years tremble through imaginary character.

My fantasy has always amazed me.

"Good, take care, mammoth migration will take way here soon, so you need to find a safe place as soon as possible" - he nodded affirmatively and crossed the road

A nervous laugh fall from my lips

Sam Flynn, T1000, DeLorean, Mammoths and Cyberpunk style.

What's next? Alita? Neo? Rick Deckard?

"Ou my gosh, we only had a few of glasses, what the hell is my imagination playing out like this. I think I should examine some magazine or a big market, the only way I can spend time during mammoths migration" - I muttered to himself

'Wow-wow, why am I even bothering about this, it's just a dream and if I get some injury here, I'll just wake up in the real world' - mentally facepalmed myself for such unsound thoughts

Going towards the big signboard, I noticed another huge difference between this place and the real world.

The people I met didn't have any gadgets with them. Although there was only one explanation for this.

They all had virtual reality headset some kind of holographic searchlights with which they talk like phone.

It was only after a few moment that I understood that while looking at buildings and architecture, I glanced at the sky several times and did not see any stars, moon, or sun there.

What kind of odd place is this anyway? It's like I woke up in a box with artificial light.

It feels like this city is littered only with the help of these big lanterns with orange lamps.


"All the little intricate parts, I don't even know now it's day or night, does the concept of time even work in this place?" - I said to myself under nose as I walked into an cafe with "Limbo" sign, which had only one stand, the draw wheel and the vending machine is like in all schools.

And actually, instead of a huge hall which I saw outside, but as soon as I came in here, it turned into a white room did not exceed the size of my bachelor kitchen

I frowned because it was oddly since of this situation. From the street side, this hall was filled with tables and visitors.

I squeezed eyes to evade from the bright light and shuffled feet to man who was standing with back to me and minding own business.

"Hello there, mister, could you help me?" - I asked, banging on the stand, drawing his attention to me with a big smile

"You're finally arrive here, I've been waiting for you for quite a while, where have you been?" - this seller asked, turning to me, showing his face

I wasn't even wondered by his appearance through anything could happen in my dream and so I start to circle my head in search of another man.

"Um, where could he hide? Did you hide him in the wall?" - I asked this dark-skinned old man with a raised eyebrow, returning to the stand

This old man was definitely surprised by my behavior, but he just took a broom sweep and start to clean the floor in this room.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Bruce."

"You are my imagination which appeared here. The most memorable character of one of my favorite movies. Morgan Freeman. Where did you hide Jim Carrey? HEY BRUCE COME HERE. I NEED YOUR HELP" - I asked, sitting down on the stand, crossing arms over my chest, lifting legs so that dont interfere GOD from cleaning the floor.

Returning look to the exit, I did not find a door, windows to my surprise also disappeared. Only a bright light remained.

"Still think you a sleep? You should must already got it that situation is much more complicated than you can assume" - Morgan Freeman said, leaning on broom, showing his senile smile that could calm anyone.

I shook head in annoyance and jumped off the stand since I felt that I was starting to wake up.

"Okay, I think this is goodbye, dude, my biological clock is start to work. Please return the door, I would like to take one last look at this world and return to reality" - I sang, straightening hair, drew swiftly nearer, the wall where the door was and began to wait for the moment of it back.

'Geez is stupid. Why am I talking with him like that?' - I smiled gently at such stupidity

"I can't do this Bruce" - he sighed heavily

"Bruhh, you right, it's dream, I can do it myself" - facepalming himself for such stupidity and began to concentrate on the wall where the exit was to be located, straining brain

In an attempt to create an opening to exit the room, like a fool, imagining myself as a wizard, I started waving arms and shouting various spells and it didnt worked, absolutely nothing happened except Morgan laughter behind my back.

"Well old man, I can't do this, could you let me out? Please" - I declared to man with irritation along with this my eyebrow began to twitch

What was so funny in that?

"I can't do it either. I don't think anyone can do that. No one able returned from this place yet, although many have tried." - he calmly replied, continuing to clean the floor

I crossed my arms on chest in displeasure and sat down against the wall as if protesting against his behavior.

"What do you mean "no one able to return from this place". Then I should just wait for the right moment when I wake up. Don't talk to me anymore, I don't want to have anything to do with you even if you're of my imagination" - I exclaimed, turning on the tsundere mode

I just closed eyes in an attempt to destroy this picture in my head, but this annoying voice called out to me again.

"You won't wake up Bruce, you're dead. Didn't you notice name of this place?" - he asked, hitting me on the head with a stick, causing sparks in my eyes to flare up from this blow.

But all this immediately faded into the background when I handled his words.

Am I dead?

AHAHAHAHA

What nonsense. It just couldn't be.

The last thing I remember is a important talk with Nick after our drinking and how I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"Am I dead? Heh, okay, let's assume that your words had an effect on me. What's next? Why am I here and who are you? You're not going to tell me you're a GOD, right? That would be a outstanding cliche. Do you want to give me GOD power?" - I snorted in expectation when everything will happen just like in the movie Bruce Almighty.

Ha, we even share the same name.

"The God power? Do you really think God is capable of such shenanigans? It wouldn't make any sense. This ENTITY abilities are too HUGE, but it doesn't care about ordinary people." - he answered, holding out hand to me, which I grabbed and got up from my seat.

Instead of explaining the situation to me, he led me to a strange draw wheel on which the names of famous works were marked.

Books. The film industry. Animation.

"Listen, what is this? You're not going to suggest that I should spin this wheel for a strange choice among the titles of these works." - I turned involuntarily looking at this wheel closer trying to find the worlds familiar to me, from which the corners of my lips lifted.

I found the universes of John Tolkien and Eiichiro Oda THERE.

Just imagining that everything around me is reality, I crossed fingers in the hope that the arrow of choice would fall on one of these options.

Just because Tolkien is a genius, and Oda created the best manga.

Although it was subjective since that One Piece was the only anime I've ever read and watched.

The chapters with Gear Five were to be animated very soon and I can't wait for it

"According emotions that appear on your face, you are already interested in this. Do you want to do it? If so, hurry up, you don't have much time. We are approaching the endgame of everything that is happening" - an old man with a beard asked in an unusually restrained voice to provoke me to make this scroll

"Stop seducing me, we don't have much time because I'm should to wake up and break out of this very real dream, but just as a mark of Morgan Freeman personal respect, whose appearance you took to appear in front of me, I will do as you ask." - I answered with a strong push and spun the draw wheel, waiting for which of the names it would stop.

I think I wanna play his game

"Hey old man. You said I was dead. Let's pretend I believed you. How did it happen? Judging by how slowly this wheel spins, we have a little time to talk about it. I really wonder how you will wiggle of this moment" - I asked with a note of excitement, blinking eyes like a small child waiting for an answer.

Since old man's face looked like the face of a deer in the headlights, he did not expect that I would ask about this.

"What has your mother advised you to do in the last 2 years?" - he replied, shifting gaze to the wheel, which began to lose inertia

"Correct, electric wiring. As soon as I wake up, I will definitely solve this problem and please mother with this solution."

The wiring was bad and in emergency state then, when I resettled into this apartment and even after 6 years, I didn't find free time to completely replace wiring. According to mother, I literally walked on a tightrope stretched over a volcano from risk of becoming a victim of a short circuit.

Thinking about this, I keeped head down in thought, but a loud bell attracted my attention.

"Oh, are you know this world? Can you say anything about it before I send you there?" - declared Morgan walking towards a similar vending machine with food that standing are in schools.

"Nope. but I watched some analytical videos in youtube and I know that Naruto world is based on militaristic law, in which democracy prevails. A very primitive world in terms of strength and mind, where orders given by people with great authority solve people fate. The universe where the main character able to defeat his enemies only with own words is too boring and illogical, that's the only reason why I didn't watch this anime" - I reported superficially, shrugging shoulders, remembering what the plot of this anime was based on.

"It is in the three pillars that created Holy Shounen Trinity, are you sure that anime is so uninteresting?"

Before I answered, I thought what I knew about this story.

4 wars in 100 years

A world where children were sent to the battlefield when they were not even 10 years old.

A man who, according in obedience to history, thought like a hokage already at the age of 7, found no other choice and destroy his entire family and clan.

Big idea.

A villain who went crazy because his love interest just dead and the most absurd thing, this girl did not even consider him as a love partner.

The main antagonists who were defeated by the plot armour

"Yes, definitely, it's too stupid to be considered great and interesting" - I nodded in confirmation and went to the vending machine, starting to examine its contents.

There, instead of food, there were various pills with the name of abilities from different universe.

Devil fruit, Quincy and Shinigami abilities, Quirk, Grimoires, Saiyan and ect.

And also there was a compartment with different characters templates above all, which cost 100 points.

"How stupid it all looks, please can we finish this as soon as possible, this dream was interesting from start, but right now everything looks so trivial and predictable." - I asked with an empty expression, looking at this cute old man who started digging in his pocket.

"Sure, but before you make a choice, I want to ask you only one thing. Before I throw you into this world and erase your memory, I'm really have one interesting question, what kind of people do you want to keep in your head? All available information will come back to you after you see or meet them." - this old man continued, holding out for 100 points coupon, looking at my indifferent face, on which a vein appeared on my forehead.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, stop this gig, stop it, please, it's not funny, I promise never to drink again and immediately change the wiring, I will even begin to repent for my sins in front of people, but please let me wake up right now before I go crazy over this idiocy situation. I want to go back" - I shouted at him, snatching this coupon, starting to furiously try to shove this unnecessary paper into the machine.

"You need to calm down, breathe evenly, right now you have a panic attack" - a calm said he, slapping me on shoulder

"Stop talking, I'm tired of your behavior, you're just a figure created by my imagination. You don't exist. If I spend it will the dream end? Wonderful, the sooner I do what you're begging me for, then sooner I'll get away of this place." - I called to heaven, waving away his hand, finally shoving this coupon into the vending machine and pressing random button without worrying at all about what would fall to me.

I just had a mad desire to finish this as soon as possible and wake up in my room. I could already feel how my feelings changing and gradually began to lose the ability to move and think.

"Perfect, but before you eat what falls to you, take a look at this screen and accept your reality" - a man with Morgan Freeman face suddenly said in a firm voice

"Yum. ahem. ahem. yum" - I croaked, shoving into mouth what had fall out to me, with a concentrated glance, I looking at the screen on which was what happened to me after I finished talk with Nick.

There was a video of how the wire beside to table really flared up, the spark of which spread to the silk curtains and then quickly spread throughout my room.

My confidence was a little shaken, but I continued to doubt it because if this really happened, Shirakuro would wake me up. The sensitive sleep of this dog has pulled me out of awkward situations many times.

"It's still unconvincing, in case of such emergency situations, I have a dog, which would certainly bring me to my senses, and since Shirakuro is not in this video, then it can't be real. It was trained specifically for such situations" - I finished speech right after I chewed a nasty berry called ****, it looked like a date fruit with an emetic taste that made my stomach clench and I barely restrained from spitting it out.

I will never cook dishes with dates again for anything in my life, I'm afraid now I have a phobia.

"Shirakuro is dead, only one labrador out of 1000 lives to at least 15 years old. Yours was an exception, having able to live to 19 years. How ironic that Shirakuro died with you. Now that doubt has appeared in your heart, are you ready to finally share the last words with me? I can leave and addition memories of one character from this universe, whoever he is" - he asked in an authoritative voice, holding a notebook and pen in hands

I lost coordination and fell on ass and clutching my hair.

Am I really dead? What acrap. It doesn't make any sense.

I believe there is an here after but to make it look like this?

If I am dead, why is there no panic and inevitability feel in me, I must feel a disappointment, but my mind is extremely calm.

Or am I just trying to escape from the truth?

And if I'm really dead, why am I here? Why did this suspicious old man choose me?

Mayhaps I'm just the one they're testing some kind of simulation on?

Does this mean that the real world was really a Matrix?

"Dude, I won't tell you even 10 names from this universe. I was not interested in plot and I did not sink into it, but name that most often flashed in discussions as the most mystery character. If I'm not lose my mind and actually go to Naruto world, then give me information about a character who named himself as Tobi. Ensure that I remember this name only when I meet him. I read comments in reddit and youtube that he's the one behind everything." - I shrugged, accepting fate with a boyish smile, crossing my arms over chest, after which images began to blur in front of me to the sounds of how this person began to write down the name which I called in a notebook.

I began to feel that I was about to lose control because a bright light began to penetrate my consciousness.

"Good luck Bruce" - the entity said, snapping fingers and dissolving the notebook in the air.

"Wait, why did YOUR choice fall on me? Right now..." - I tried to object, but the world around me turned black.