The wheel slowed, then stopped with a satisfying click. Five cards materialized in the air before Xavier, hovering at eye level. Three glowed with a dull bronze light, one shimmered silver, and the fifth—the fifth crackled with electric pink lightning that snapped and hissed across its surface.
"Ooh! You got a UR!" Calypso squealed. "That's insanely rare for a first pull!"
Xavier studied the cards, suspicious. "So what now? How do I find out what these actually are?"
"Just touch them, silly!" Calypso floated closer, her silver hair defying gravity as she leaned toward the cards. "They'll flip when you touch them. Start with whichever one you want."
Xavier's gaze lingered on the pink lightning card. Something that excited made him nervous. In his experience, things that glittered often concealed poison.
"Might as well see the baseline," he muttered, reaching for one of the bronze cards.
His fingers brushed against it. The card flipped with a soft whoosh, revealing an image of a man with a sword, surrounded by glowing blue energy. Beneath it, text appeared:
[N-RANK ABILITY: BASIC SWORDSMANSHIP]
You possess fundamental knowledge of sword techniques. Your muscle memory allows for competent defense and attack with bladed weapons. Nothing special, but better than stabbing yourself.
Xavier snorted. "Not exactly impressive."
"Well, duh. It's an N-rank," Calypso rolled her eyes, floating upside down now. "What did you expect, the power to cut mountains in half?"
He tapped the second bronze card. It flipped to show a man with his hand outstretched toward a small flame.
[N-RANK ABILITY: MINOR FIRE MANIPULATION]
You can create and control flames about the size of a candle. Useful for lighting campfires or setting small objects ablaze. Don't expect to burn down castles.
"Again, underwhelming." Xavier's lips thinned. He'd hoped for something that at least matched his previous life's combat abilities.
"That's gacha for you! Sometimes you get trash!" Calypso grinned, clearly enjoying his disappointment.
Xavier touched the third card. It expanded, showing a sprawling medieval landscape with castles, forests, and mountains.
[N-RANK WORLD: TERRAVALE]
A standard medieval fantasy world with kingdoms, monsters, and basic magic. Technology level equivalent to Earth's 14th century. Contains: humans (common), elves (uncommon), dwarves (uncommon), and various magical beasts. Magic exists but is rare among the general population. Political climate: unstable. Four major kingdoms vie for power while monsters roam the wilderness. Opportunity for adventure: moderate.
"Medieval fantasy." Xavier rubbed his chin. "Could be worse."
"It's basically the vanilla ice cream of fantasy worlds," Calypso offered. "Nothing special, but not terrible. Now for the good stuff!"
Xavier's eyes moved between the silver card and the crackling UR card. The pink lightning intensified as he watched, almost as if it sensed his attention.
Lady luck, if you're out there, now would be the time to smile on me.
He reached for the UR card. The moment his fingers made contact, the card exploded with light. Pink and gold energy spiraled upward, forming a pillar that reached toward the infinite ceiling of the Liminal Space. Spectral music played from nowhere—triumphant horns and drums that built to a crescendo.
The light coalesced, taking shape. For a moment, Xavier saw a silhouette of immense power, wings spread wide, a crown upon its head. His pulse quickened. This had to be something incredible.
The card flipped dramatically, spinning three times before revealing its contents.
[UR-RANK FLAW: COSMIC MISFORTUNE]
Luck actively works against you. Weapons break at crucial moments. Weather turns foul when you need clear skies. Wild animals are inexplicably drawn to attack you during stealth missions. Critical failures occur at three times the normal rate. The universe itself seems to enjoy watching you struggle. Note: This flaw does not directly cause death but creates the perfect conditions for it.
Xavier stared at the card, jaw clenched tight enough to crack teeth.
"THIS IS BULLSHIT! A UR-level FLAW? What kind of sick game is this?"
"GAHAHAHAHAH!" Calypso doubled over, tears streaming down her face as she howled with laughter. She kicked her feet in the air, literally rolling through space as her body convulsed with hysterics.
"Your FACE!" she gasped between fits of giggles. "Oh my gods, your FACE when you saw it! Priceless! Absolutely priceless!"
She wiped a tear from her eye, still floating sideways. "That's premium gacha for you! The higher the rarity, the more extreme the effect—good OR bad!"
Xavier glared at her, his purple eyes darkening to the shade they turned just before he killed someone. "You set me up."
"I did not!" Calypso protested, finally managing to right herself. "It's random! That's the whole point of gacha. But hey—" She snapped her fingers, and the cards vanished. The wheel reappeared, reset and ready. "You have four rerolls left! Make them count!"
Xavier took a deep breath, nostrils flaring. His hands flexed at his sides, muscle memory seeking weapons that weren't there. Part of him wanted to storm off, but that feeling…
"Alright then..." He cracked his neck, a dangerous smile spreading across his face. "Let's go gambling."
He pulled the lever with more force than necessary. The wheel spun, colors blurring as it picked up speed.
"That's the spirit!" Calypso clapped her hands, pink eyes gleaming with excitement. "Second pulls are luckier anyway. Statistically speaking."
"I thought you said it was random." Xavier kept his eyes on the wheel, watching for any sign of manipulation.
Calypso waved a dismissive hand. "Random, schmandom. Every gacha player knows there are lucky times to pull. Like when you're on the toilet, or at 3 AM when you have work the next day."
This time, three gold cards appeared, along with one silver and one bronze.
"Ooh, better already!" Calypso pointed at the gold cards. "Those are SR-rank! Super Rare!"
Xavier reached for the first gold card.
The card flipped to reveal a warrior surrounded by a whirlwind of blades.
[SR-RANK ABILITY: WEAPON MASTERY]
You possess exceptional skill with all conventional weapons. Swords, bows, spears, maces—if it's designed to hurt someone, you can use it with expertise that takes others decades to achieve. Your muscle memory adapts to new weapons within minutes rather than months.
"Now we're talking." Xavier nodded, satisfaction warming his chest. This was more like it—something that matched his previous life's skills.
"Not bad," Calypso admitted, examining her nails. "Nothing flashy, but solid."
He tapped the second gold card. It flipped to show a shadowy figure blending into darkness.
[SR-RANK ABILITY: SHADOW STEALTH]
You can merge with shadows for limited periods, becoming nearly invisible in darkness. Duration increases with practice. Initially limited to 30 seconds at a time with a 5-minute cooldown. Cannot attack while merged with shadows.
Xavier's eyes lit up. "This could be useful."
"For a sneaky-sneaky assassin type, sure," Calypso teased, mimicking exaggerated tiptoeing motions. "Very on-brand for you."
The third gold card revealed a medieval city with towering walls and a massive central castle.
[SR-RANK WORLD: CROWN OF THORNS]
A brutal medieval world where five royal families wage constant war for the Iron Throne. Magic exists but is feared and persecuted. Technology level equivalent to Earth's 15th century with some magical innovations. Contains: humans (common), changelings (rare), giants (rare), and ancient dragons (nearly extinct). Political climate: extremely unstable. Betrayal is common, and power shifts frequently. Winters last for unpredictable periods, sometimes years. Opportunity for adventure: high. Danger level: extreme.
"Well, well." Xavier's lips curled into a smile. "This is more my speed."
"Ooh, you got the good stuff this time!" Calypso clapped her hands together. "That world has the BEST drama. Backstabbing, secret heirs, murder plots—it's like a royal soap opera but with more beheadings!"
Xavier touched the silver card next. It flipped with a musical chime, revealing a figure surrounded by a golden aura.
[R-RANK ABILITY: ENHANCED REFLEXES]
Your reaction time exceeds human limits. You can dodge visible projectiles, catch falling objects, and respond to threats faster than normal humans. Does not grant increased speed for attacks, only defensive reactions.
"Useful, but not spectacular," Xavier mused, then glanced at the remaining bronze card. "Let's see the flaw."
The bronze card flipped to show a man shivering in cold weather.
[N-RANK FLAW: COLD SENSITIVITY]
You suffer more in cold environments. Stamina and dexterity decrease by 20% in cold weather. Requires warmer clothing than others to remain comfortable.
"That's it?" Xavier raised an eyebrow. "I can live with that."
"Not bad for a second pull!" Calypso floated around him. "Definitely an upgrade from Cosmic Misfortune. So, what'll it be? Keep this set or try again? You have three rerolls left."
Xavier considered the options. Weapon mastery, shadow stealth, enhanced reflexes—all useful abilities that aligned with his fighting style. The cold sensitivity was manageable. The world sounded dangerous, but danger was familiar territory.
He closed his eyes, weighing his choices. Part of him wanted to see what other abilities might appear with another roll. Something with more power, perhaps. But his years as an assassin had taught him to recognize when a deal was favorable.
"I'll keep this set," he decided, opening his eyes. "It suits me."
Calypso's face fell slightly. "Aww, no more? But you still have three pulls left!"
"Sometimes you need to know when to walk away from the table," Xavier said. "I'll take what I've won."
The goddess pouted, pink eyes wide and shimmering with the beginnings of tears. "But... but what if you could get something even better? Like, a legendary ability? Or a super cool world with dragons you can ride?"
Damn it, she got me.
"Fine… one more roll won't hurt."