In my previous life, never once did I spend money on lottery, for I knew nothing in my life would change if I won. At least, not the things I was so desperate to change. The things I wanted to get rid of—be freed of.
My friends, on the other hand, would often talk about their dreams. Of all the things they would do if they ever won millions by sheer luck.
Hyeon wanted to travel around the world and settle in a place with beautiful beaches. A place where she could wake up with the sun on her face, and be able to go out with her friends every night. A life where she would never be bored and never tire.
Jiho wanted to invest in real estate and send a letter of resignation, so he would never have to work again. Then, he would open an art studio and do whatever he wanted, without having to worry about money or expenses. A life where he would be free to explore his passions and improve.
I always thought it was funny. How the kind of lives they wanted were so similar to mine, yet theirs seemed way more achievable. Money was all they needed to get their freedom and conquer their dreams.
To achieve happiness.
At times, listening to them would make me wish for a solution just as simple. Something money could buy with ease. Yet that was all I ever did. Wish. Hope. Because I knew reality was not as kind as to make my problems disappear with mere “money”.
Which was why, at that precise moment, I could hardly believe the situation I was in.
“Why are you thinking so much? It’s not like there are many options for you to choose from.”
“Stop it, Hal. Let Mister think.”
The boy rolled his eyes, impatience showing in his voice. “Like he doesn’t have enough coins to get everything he wants.”
They were not wrong there.
[Total Points: 82,097]
That morning, I had received 50,000 points for unlocking the ‘Unregistered Ending’. I could spin that roulette more than twenty times, and there would still be plenty to be spent. However, the reason I had been standing in front of the Store for almost five minutes was something else.
The other reward I got.
[Craftsman’s Touch - S Class Potion]
[Made with golden dust, from an esteemed and talented craftsman tool set.]
[Increase Coins by 20]
[Attention: Only valid at a Store.
[Effects duration: One attempt.]
[ Rarity - Special]
One attempt. One spin.
Wands: 15
Cups: 3
Swords: 30
Coins: 20
Armor. Weapon. Cards.
What should I try? No, that was not the question I should be asking myself…
What do I need most?
[Primal Sword: The Ace of Wind]
[Rarity: Unique]
[Warrior's Protector - B Class Armor]
[Increase Wands by 2]
[Rarity: Uncommon]
Until that point, I had no problem with my current sword, even when it didn’t possess any particular status. And I did want to try to get some good gear, especially when I didn’t have any combat skills, and the only armor I had protected me only against physical attacks.
Yet was it worth spending the potion on that attempt?
[Passive Skill - The Fool’s Journey I]
[Cards effects are boosted 200%. Bonuses will be granted based on status. Cards that share your Destiny are boosted 250%]
[Active Skill - Blissful Freedom I]
[Choose between two attributes from a Card. Bonuses will be granted based on status. May only be used once per day]
I had two skills related to cards, and they did prove to be quite useful. Yet what exactly could I gain by being lucky with ‘cards’? Gain two instead of one? A card with boosted effects? Would it even be worth the portion, in the end?
“…yeah, I’m done waiting. Step out of the way, old man.”
Without fighting Hal’s push, I let my body be moved to the side—still pondering my options. Yet with the corner of my eye, I watched as the boy spun the roulette for ‘Weapons’, the ampoules mixing together until one began to fall.
It was then that a thought occurred to me, almost making me feel stupid for never considering that before.
What was a gacha system?
Why some players spent so much money on it?
Why was ‘luck’ so important?
Hal was about to break his ampoule when he raised his gaze, the boy’s eyebrows frowning as he looked at me.
“You are making a very ugly face. Stop that.”
My thoughts were racing alongside my heart, a giddiness filling me as if I were a child again—one as old as Hal.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
…if I’m right…
There was no reason to hesitate, even if I was wrong. Not when I was already so captivated by the possibility of winning, of the chance of ‘winning the lottery’. Yet to really increase my chances, I had to be brazen. I had to do what the system wanted me to do, the reason why the Store functioned like a gacha.
Which was to spend a lot of points.
[Total Points: 74,320]
[Total Points: 67,670]
{Total Points: 59,597}
24,500.
That was the amount of points I spent to increase my Coins by 17.
[Do you wish to spend 7500 points for 5 attempts at the roulette?]
I confirmed.
Before the ampoules had even fallen, I took the S Class potion with shaking fingers. Fingers that were trembling not due to fear or nervousness, but excitement.
If this works…
I would get way more serious about gaining points and visiting the Store.
The potion had a bittersweet taste, followed by a metallic flavor at the end.
Coins: 37 (+20)
If the status maxed at 100, that meant I had passed the halfway mark.
After the five ampoules fell, a new message popped up in front of me.
[Do you wish to spend 4500 points for 3 attempts at the roulette?]
I pressed ‘Yes’.
Three ampoules got sorted out, among the thousands that kept twinkling and glowing. The moment the three ampoules reached the end, trumpets echoed around us.
The twins exchanged glances, without saying a word.
Hal hadn’t even broken his own.
Soon enough, there were eight ampoules with me, their starry liquid flowing inside as if it were alive. I crushed them all the same time, watching the purple and glowing mist come out of the glasses.
Eight identical shapes beginning to form.
“Did you get something cool, mister?!”
“You took all this time to spend points with that…what did you get?”
The curiosity and eagerness in their voices almost made me laugh. Someone could almost think they were the ones getting the items.
I kept waiting for the system’s notifications while also watching the shapes in front of me, trying to see which one would show the results first.
Both appeared at the same time.
“Oh, Mister got something good! You did, didn’t you?”
“After spending that much, it would be pathetic if he didn’t…”
I hadn’t even said a word, and the twins could already tell—I couldn’t stop smiling, after all. And soon enough, I was laughing while still staring at the notifications in front of me.
[Total Points: 45,597]
Even if I had spent almost half of my points, even if I indulged the system’s wishes, I couldn’t help but feel proud of myself. Happy with my silly yet big accomplishment.
Because not only I got what I wanted, I was also able to confirm something else.
[You received a card blessed by a Benefactor!]
Because I could tell for certain that the Benefactors were, for a fact, personifications of cards in the Tarot.
So wouldn’t that mean that, when pulling a card that was one of the major arcana—instead of one of the suit ones…
[You received the card ‘Wheel of Fortune’!]
…I could use powers and skills from different Benefactors?
“Did something good happen, Park Eun-Woo?”
“Why you ask?”
The person in front of me smiled, her lines soft, her eyes amused. I was half surprised and half pleased when I saw Kaduna’s message. The partner assigned to me in the previous trial, the woman who had such an overwhelming presence and intense gaze, it made you feel reluctant to stand too close.
We were at her cottage, sitting at her table, and even though it looked exactly the same as mine, being in that space made me feel extremely uncomfortable for some reason. As if the place had absorbed some of its owner’s aura.
“I can see the sun shining behind you—whatever fortune found its way to you, it certainly made you happy.”
Somehow, I couldn’t be sure if she was being literal or not.
“Oh, ye-yeah, I got something I wanted at the Store.”
Kaduna closed her eyes for a moment, taking the tea to her lips. “I see. A true delight, indeed.”
This woman…
She is certainly odd.
Yet even if it wasn’t here, I was pretty sure my excitement was quite noticeable to anyone around me. Though I never considered myself superstitious, I did end up relying on ‘lucky numbers’ to help me get the cards I wanted. Like doing a total of eight attempts, and raising my Coins to a number that ended with seven.
And was it due to sheer luck or silly superstition, I got two Benefactor cards.
From my past experiences with gacha games, if I managed to get two cards like that when I hadn’t even spun the roulette many times so far, it meant those cards—although difficult to get—were not as strong as the real “golden prize”. Still, considering Kurosawa had spent so much with Cards and never got a single one, I was certain it would be a lot stronger than the ones I had used so far.
“So, I assume you called me to talk about my offer,” I said after clearing my throat.
“I did, yes. After some thought, I decided what I would like from you.”
My heart stopped for a few seconds, dozens of possibilities of her request crossing my mind. And even when I kept jumping from one to the other, I was still left with uncertainty.
As if I would never be able to predict what that woman would do, or what she was thinking.
Kaduna locked eyes with me as she clasped her hands together, the power and strength of her gaze making me lose my breath.
“Park Eun-Woo, I request your friendship.”
I blinked at least four times, her words echoing and repeating in my head.
“My…friendship?”
The intensity of her gaze did not lessen. On the contrary, it became even fiercer—something that contrasted directly with the warmth and soothing tone in her voice.
“Yes. Your existence fascinates me, and I wish to be friends with you. I hope you can respect the terms of your offer, since this does not seem to be something too troublesome for you to accomplish.”
Indeed, it wasn’t.
Although I couldn’t guarantee how much of close friends we would get, being on friendly terms with someone like Kaduna only benefited me. Through the previous trial, I knew what it was like to have her as an ally.
Why wouldn’t I want to be her friend?
“If that is truly what you wish for, then I have no reason to say no.”
Kaduna smiled, a smile that was bright and content.
“I’m glad, then. I hope this friendship will bring us much fortitude moving forward,” she spoke, extending her hand to me. I shook it without thinking much.
“Likewise.”
The woman finished drinking her tea, putting the cup aside.
“Now, since we decided to become friends, I would like to share something I learned regarding the fourth trial.” I must have been unable to hide my thoughts, seeing how she chuckled in amusement. “There is no need to suspect my actions, Park Eun-Woo. You can consider this me paying back a small favor—since I aided you achieve the “ending” in the last trial, I was rewarded accordingly.”
Oh. I had forgotten about that.
I wonder what that guy got…
Yet as I wondered if my employer had gotten the same rewards I did, and how the system calculated our participation level to give out rewards, Kaduna’s words once again sent my mind to a halt.
Making me realize I really had no idea who that woman was.
“This tournament, it will be broadcast. Not only to the territory governed by Wands, but all others as well.”
And that I should never, not even in the most dreadful of nightmares, turn her into a foe.
so much, so it's always a delight to have more scenes with her. My plan is to make her more present, and have even more interactions between her and the rest of the cast. I'm particularly looking forward to her first meeting with Touma (￣▽￣)?
