Max Sterling was always more than just an ordinary young man. There was a passion in the depths of his eyes, a light burning within him, but it was a light most people never noticed. His height was average, his build not particularly muscular, but the determination in his gaze spoke louder than anything else. His most striking features were his dark brown hair and the green glint in his eyes. But Max's appearance didn't reflect the true strength within him. At night, wearing a mask, he was a maniac fighting crime in the streets near his home in an ordinary costume. But his goal wasn't just to catch criminals; he wanted to make the world a better place. Becoming a superhero was the only meaning in his life.
During the day, he tried to be a diligent and careful student at school. But when night came, everything changed. He was "the light that illuminated the night." No one saw the real passion behind that young man. To those around him, Max seemed like just a normal person, but he was someone wearing a mask, chasing his dreams. He wanted to be a superhero, but no one knew how much effort he was putting into it.
Max's girlfriend, Eliza, had reached a point where she could no longer bear his obsession. Eliza was graceful and brave, with dark brown, slightly wavy hair, and a beauty that captivated anyone who looked at her. She was popular and well-liked at school. However, over the past few months, Max's inability to spend time with her was slowly killing their relationship. While he spent his nights pursuing his superhero dreams, his days became increasingly difficult to divide between school and Eliza.
Eliza spoke with a voice that trembled with sadness, her eyes full of tears, though she was trying hard to appear strong. "Max, there's no point in being with you anymore. Your childish goals are ruining our relationship. You had to choose, but you chose to play superhero. That's why I'm leaving you. I hope you find happiness in whatever you do from now on."
Max had always believed that everything was temporary, that if he could just fulfill his dream of becoming a superhero, everything would fall into place. But seeing the disappointment in Eliza's eyes was something he couldn't accept. In that moment, Max lost Eliza, drifting into the world of his dreams, unable to face the reality.
That day, Max realized it was all over. Eliza had left him. The emptiness inside him was maddening. It felt like the end of everything. But unfortunately, things weren't as simple as that.
Right after being abandoned, Max went out into the streets one last time, to stop a notorious criminal. He wanted to see it as his final mission, thinking he would put aside his superhero dreams and devote his life to his girlfriend. This was his last mission. As always, he put on his mask, gathered his courage, and began to illuminate the night. But this time, things were different. While trying to catch the criminal, things went awry. An explosion… and everything went dark.
Max's body hit the ground. He could feel that the strength inside him had vanished. The explosion had caused his soul to leave his body, and he didn't even have the chance to feel the pain of death.
"I guess this is it. Is this what death feels like? I thought it would hurt more. I wish… I wish I could see Eliza one last time. I should've apologized to her. Ah… God, it's all over." These were Max's last thoughts. He had accepted his death.
In that moment, his dreams, his battles, his ideals of heroism were all reduced to shattered remnants. Before Max's eyes went completely dark, there was only one thought left in his mind: "Eliza… I should have told her something. Maybe everything could still have meaning." And for a brief moment, in that closest moment to death, the ideal of heroism that had filled his dreams was replaced by his lost love. Just before his eyes closed, a figure appeared. This figure was a divine being watching over him. In a world without light, it appeared only as a silhouette. A glowing silhouette.
"Welcome, child. Wasn't it an honorable death?" The glowing silhouette spoke, its voice deep and serious.
"Where am I? What is this place? And who are you?" Max had many questions in his mind. But the only thing he knew was that he had died from the explosion. The sensations he felt were too real to be a dream.
"I understand you have a lot of questions. Right now, you're in a limbo. You're in a place where your life is being evaluated, but we've decided to give you another chance. The life you lived promised you less than what you deserved. You lived an honorable life and died an honorable death. But we cannot allow the world to lose someone like you," the figure said. "We'll give you a new life. In a different world. A world you've dreamed of."
Max couldn't comprehend this. A new life? A different world? Did it mean that everything from his previous life – his family, his friends, Eliza, his identity – would be erased? It felt as if he would never have existed.
After a deep silence, the divine being spoke again, acknowledging the pain Max was feeling. "I know, little warrior. You think you've lost everything, but everything exists for a purpose. Every death lays the groundwork for a new birth. This world needs someone like you. I'll give you a second chance... but not just for you. For the entire world."
The voice suddenly cut off, and Max's eyes went completely dark. As Max closed his eyes, a voice echoed in his mind: "All your life, you wanted to save others, but true heroism requires facing your own dark side first. Now, we're starting a different time for you, but remember… true heroism comes from knowing how to both lose and be reborn. Now, it's time to show how far you can go..."
When Max opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the warm air. It seemed like the air itself was talking to him. He took a deep breath and felt his body awakening with a sensation he had never experienced before. Everything was different, but at the same time, it felt strangely familiar. He looked at his hands—they were like a baby's hands. Max's blurry vision focused. He saw his mother and father in front of him. He stared at them in disbelief. His mother, with yellowish hair and bright green eyes, looked at him warmly, wearing an apron with the name "Stella" on it. His father, with black hair, blue eyes, deep gaze, calm but strong, smiled gently. Suddenly, a flash struck his mind, and he realized that everything was right.
Max had awoken in a new world. As he looked toward the nearby television, he noticed a hero flying and shooting freezing beams from his eyes. This was Hypernova. Max had heard a lot about him; he was one of the most famous heroes in his world. This world… It seemed like a part of the anime he had watched, but now everything was real.
"Am I… here?" he whispered.
His mother, Stella, looked at his father and smiled. "Mike, look, our son is trying to talk. Isn't he adorable?" Her voice was full of warmth and cheerfulness. "His eyes are like mine, but I'm sure he'll be as handsome as you someday."
His father, Mike, smiled back. "Well, if he got his beautiful eyes from you, what else could we expect? Welcome to the world, Maximilian Sterling. Your mother and I love you very much."
Max's eyes shone brightly. In this new world, he had the chance to become the superhero he always dreamed of, and he was born into a family that loved him. But here too, there were new rules, new enemies, and new limits. For the first time, Max thought that everything he had lost in his past life was an opportunity given to him for a greater purpose. This was the beginning of a journey.
And as Max stepped into this new world, he realized one thing: Beyond his dreams, he needed to learn much more to truly become a hero… And this journey was just beginning. Max had been isekai'd as a superhero in a new world.