25th March 2023 - Windsor Square - 9:45 PM
Kai collapsed onto his bed, muscles aching but a satisfied smile lingering on his lips. The soft sheets felt cool against his skin, a stark contrast to the warmth still buzzing in his chest. He exhaled deeply, stretching his limbs as exhaustion settled in like a heavy blanket. Exhausting? Absolutely. Worth it? Even more so.
He had expected today to be monumental because of the quest completion—but never in his wildest dreams did he think so much would unfold in just a single day.
His mind replayed the events like a highlight reel: the endless medical tests, Lydia's unexpected kindness, learning to drive under Steven's guidance, the bumpy yet thrilling first ride, and the way laughter and teasing had filled the car. Then there was Zach, his little brother's infectious joy over ice cream, making the day feel less like a series of challenges and more like a collection of small, precious moments.
Kai let out a quiet chuckle, rolling onto his side. Who would have thought that something as simple as a driving lesson could leave him feeling this accomplished? He had spent so long focusing on the system's rewards, but today proved that real progress wasn't just about stats—it was about experiences.
Still, that didn't mean he wasn't eager for what came next.
With a renewed sense of energy, he pushed himself up, stretching out the tension in his shoulders. His gaze drifted toward the glowing interface hovering in front of him, where his stats screen awaited. His fingers hovered over the inventory, his heartbeat quickening slightly.
The anticipation built as he scrolled through his rewards, his mind already racing with possibilities. What new skills would he gain? Would there be something game-changing?
A slow grin spread across his face.
Time to claim his rewards.
[User Stats]
Name - Kai Jones
Talent Grade - A
System Level - 2 (1350/5000)
Titles - Voice of Empathy, Limit break
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Strength - 20
Agility - 21
Intelligence - 21
Stamina - 23
Charisma - 20
Luck - ??
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Skills -
Observe
Singing - Level 6
Piano - Level 6
Guitar - Level 5
Swimming - Level 4
Yoga - Level 5
Korean Mastery - Level 4
Cooking - Level 4
Calisthenics - Level 3
Driving - Level 3
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Inventory -
Random skill upgrade card, Physical Enhancement Roll, Lucky Ticket x3
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As Kai scrolled through his stats screen, something caught his eye.
"Wait… an extra point in Intelligence? And a new Driving skill?"
His brows rose slightly as he processed the unexpected gains. He hadn't anticipated these particular rewards, but he certainly wasn't complaining. The Intelligence boost was always welcome—it meant sharper thinking, better decision-making, and perhaps even a slight increase in his learning speed. As for the Driving skill? Well, that would definitely come in handy.
A small, satisfied smirk played on his lips before he shook his head, pushing aside unnecessary thoughts. Right now, the real treasures awaited in his inventory.
His eyes landed on two specific items.
[Physical Enhancement Roll] & [Lucky Tickets]
"Hmm…" He rubbed his chin, feeling a bit torn about the Enhancement Roll. Sure, improving his body even further was tempting, but there was always the chance of unpredictable effects. Too much of a good thing could turn bad… right?
But after a brief hesitation, he let out a breath and made his decision.
"Ah, screw it. No point overthinking—more power is never a bad thing."
With that, he tapped the blank white credit card-shaped item floating in his inventory and selected [Use].
As soon as Kai clicked the button, the familiar light blue system interface suddenly flickered—and then shifted into something completely different.
For a brief second, he blinked in confusion.
It felt as if a whole new app had suddenly launched on the screen.
Gone was the clean, minimalistic design of his usual stats window. Instead, the interface had transformed into something dazzling, almost overwhelming. Bright neon lights flashed at the corners, pulsing rhythmically in a way that eerily reminded him of the slot machines in casinos.
At the very top of the screen, bold, oversized letters spelled out:
PHYSICAL ENHANCEMENT LOTTERY
Beneath the title sat a massive roulette wheel, taking up nearly the entire screen.
The wheel was mesmerizing—its vibrant, multi-colored outlines gleamed like a rainbow, shifting in an anti-clockwise rotation with an almost hypnotic effect. Each section of the wheel had different markings, though Kai couldn't make out the details yet.
For a moment, he just stared.
"Wow."
That was all he could say.
He had expected something... different. Maybe a simple randomized number generator or a basic text pop-up that announced his enhancement. But this?
This was a full-blown spectacle.
"Guess the system has a flair for the dramatic," he thought, shaking his head with a chuckle.
But extravagant or not, the only thing that mattered now was what he was about to win.
As Kai's gaze settled on the massive roulette wheel, he finally noticed the various names written on its sections.
The wheel was divided into roughly 24 slots, but something immediately stood out—six of them were completely blank. A chill crept up his spine at the realization.
"What happens if I land on one of those? Do I get nothing? Or worse… do I lose something?"
His eyes flicked to another concerning detail—three sections were painted in a deep, ominous red. Unlike the others, these didn't have any names written on them. Yet somehow, just looking at them set off every warning bell in his head.
"Yeah… I definitely don't want to find out what those do."
Pushing aside the uneasy feeling, Kai focused on the other sections, scanning the names that were visible. Some of them immediately caught his attention:
"Raging Berserker"
"Celestial"
"Demon Baron"
"Incubus"
He raised an eyebrow.
"These sound way too over-the-top. Did a fantasy novelist design this thing?"
Despite the ridiculousness, he couldn't deny his excitement. If the names were anything to go by, some of these options could grant him insane enhancements.
However, his enthusiasm dimmed as his eyes landed on some of the… less appealing names.
"Perv Grandpa"
"Good-for-Nothing Loser"
A visible shudder ran through Kai's body.
"Nope. Absolutely not. I refuse."
As if those weren't bad enough, other names like "Average Joe" and "Flat Henry" didn't seem outright disastrous, but they weren't exactly thrilling either. He had worked too hard on himself to end up with some mediocre downgrade from what should have been a reward.
He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temples.
"This is a lottery, huh? A gamble with my own body on the line."
For the first time since activating the roll, a thought crossed his mind.
"Maybe… I should've thought this through a little more."
"The odds aren't in my favor here."
Kai chewed his bottom lip, his brows furrowing as unease settled in his chest. His gaze flickered back to the roulette wheel, taking in the blank slots, the ominous red sections, and the sheer randomness of the names. The more he analyzed it, the clearer the problem became.
"The chance of getting nothing—or worse, something that actively harms me—is way higher than actually landing on a good upgrade."
The realization left a bitter taste in his mouth.
For a moment, doubt crept in.
What if he ruined his hard-earned physique with a single spin? What if he ended up with a downgrade instead of an enhancement? His mind flashed back to some of the absurd names on the wheel. "Perv Grandpa"? "Good-for-Nothing Loser"? The very thought made him grimace.
"No way. There has to be a way to tip the odds in my favor."
And that's what made this situation even stranger.
So far, since acquiring the System, it had been challenging—sure. But it had always rewarded effort, always given him a fair shot at improving himself. It never hand-held him, but it didn't feel outright malicious either.
"But this? This is pure luck. A complete gamble. There's no skill involved, no effort to measure—just blind chance. That doesn't make sense."
Kai frowned, racking his brain.
"The System wouldn't throw something at me that could straight-up destroy my career before it even starts… right?"
He replayed everything he knew so far, searching for a missing piece.
And then—
A memory clicked into place.
"The Ticket!"
Kai shot upright from his bed, eyes widening as the realization struck him like lightning. That's what he was missing.
"The Lucky Ticket was meant to be used with the lottery!"
He scrambled to pull up his inventory, his pulse quickening. He had been so caught up in analyzing the risks that he completely forgot about the one item designed to manipulate the odds in his favor.
He quickly re-read the Lucky Ticket description, and as expected—
All the pieces fell into place.
"So that's how I win this."
Kai exhaled, his previous hesitation vanishing. A grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Alright then, let's do this properly."
[Lucky Ticket x3 - An item of mysterious origin. Upon use, the user will be blessed with infinite luck for 60 minutes. Any difficult task will seem trivial, and even the impossible will be within reach.]
As the realization hit him, Kai's eyes darted across the system interface, frantically searching for a way to close the Enhancement Lottery and activate the Lucky Ticket.
But there was nothing.
No exit button. No back arrow. No clear way to close the tab.
A sliver of panic crept into his chest.
"Damn it. There has to be a way to close this."
He tried tapping on the screen's corners, swiping left, swiping right—nothing worked. Clicking outside the roulette wheel? Nope. He even attempted the old-school double-tap like a malfunctioning phone app, but the screen remained stubbornly locked in place.
His fingers curled into fists. "God damn it, System! Close this tab. Open inventory!"
The second half of his sentence came out sharper, more desperate—
And just like that—
The system obeyed.
The flashy, casino-like interface of the Enhancement Lottery vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar sight of his inventory menu.
Kai froze.
"Huh? That actually worked?"
He blinked, completely perplexed. He had never used voice commands before—aside from casually asking the system to open his stats. He always just clicked through menus, assuming that was the only way to navigate.
But now that he thought about it—
"The system is basically a part of me. It should be able to register my voice… maybe even my thoughts?"
The realisation settled in, leaving a strange mix of embarrassment and excitement swirling inside him.
"Man… how have I not figured this out until now?"
With a shake of his head, Kai pushed aside the thought. He had more pressing matters to focus on.
Like using the Lucky Ticket and making sure he didn't ruin his entire physique with a single spin
"Anyway, back to work." Kai murmured, shaking off the lingering thoughts.
With his inventory open before him, his gaze landed on the Physical Enhancement Roll—only to notice it was now greyed out.
Still there, but inaccessible.
"Huh. So I can't mess with it until the Lucky Ticket is used?"
That was fine. He had no intention of spinning that cursed wheel without tipping the odds in his favor first.
Ignoring the greyed-out roll, Kai tapped on the Lucky Ticket.
[Use Lucky Ticket x1]
The familiar system prompt popped up.
[Yes] | [No]
Without hesitation, Kai clicked [Yes].
The moment he did—a golden glow radiated from the screen. A shimmering slip of paper, adorned with intricate engravings and brimming with ethereal energy, floated out of the interface and gently landed into his outstretched palm.
Kai's breath hitched.
"It actually came out…?"
He stared at the ticket, mesmerized. Despite there being no direct light source, it seemed to gleam and shimmer on its own. Every inch of the paper looked exquisite—almost sacred.
Just holding it, Kai felt like he was gripping something truly precious.
He didn't waste time.
With a sharp exhale, he ripped the ticket in half.
The golden light instantly erupted from the slip, swirling around him like a celestial storm before sinking into his body.
Kai's entire being thrummed with energy.
It wasn't just a rush of warmth—it was something deeper, more powerful. His muscles tingled, his senses sharpened, and for a fleeting moment, he felt like he could do anything.
He felt invincible.
Then, just as quickly as it arrived, the glow faded.
Kai stood still, his breathing steady, his heart pounding.
"That… felt unreal."
"Maybe it's just a placebo effect… but I really do feel kinda lucky right now!" Kai mused, his lips curling into an eager grin.
Testing his theory, he mentally commanded—
'Open the Physical Enhancement Roll system.'
Like clockwork, the glowing Lucky Ticket's magic took hold. The inventory screen vanished in an instant, replaced by the dazzling neon spectacle of the Enhancement Lottery.
This time, there was no hesitation. No nervousness.
Only pure anticipation.
With no second thoughts, Kai extended his right hand toward the massive roulette wheel. He swiped his palm across it like a gambler spinning the jackpot wheel at a casino.
Click. Click. Click.
The wheel whirred to life, spinning wildly. The multicolored lights blurred together in a mesmerizing spectacle, creating streaks of gold, crimson, and deep violet as the names flashed past in a blur.
Kai's excitement surged.
"Come on, come on... Celestial, Baron, something good!"
The spinning slowed.
His heartbeat quickened.
One by one, the sections became visible again.
Tick.Tick.Tick.Tick.
The wheel slowed to a crawl, the once-wild spin now dragging forward agonizingly.
Kai's breath hitched.
The glowing sections flickered one by one, inching forward with each sluggish tick. And then—
His stomach dropped.
The wheel was about to land on the bright red section.
Red. The color of danger. The unknown. The unwanted.
"No, no, no—please no!" His mind raced, fingers clenched into fists as if sheer willpower could nudge the wheel just a little further.
For a split second, he forgot everything.The Lucky Ticket.The enhanced odds.The fact that the system had never outright sabotaged him.
All he could think of was how badly this could go.
The wheel teetered on the edge of catastrophe.
Then—
Tick.
A final, resounding click echoed in the air.
The wheel came to a stop.
Kai's eyes widened. His pulse thundered.
Not red.
But…
"What the hell is this?" he muttered, staring in utter disbelief.