Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OCs, and this is my first fanfic. English is my second language. I welcome constructive criticism, but please be kind to me!
֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎
3rd Person POV
'My monthly Gacha, the moment when I can get stronger the fastest. I missed you, my dear :3'
[...]
Max was anxious to see what he would get. As far as he knew, anything could come out, even some absurdly OP character that would solve all his problems in the Invincible universe at once…
'Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen.'
He adjusted his own expectations so he wouldn't get too disappointed in case the first Gachas of his life had been exceptionally good because of some beginner bonus that wouldn't repeat.
Since it was May 4th, he had 23 Gacha points, accumulated from the free daily point. With the new month starting, he bought another 100 GP, totaling 123 points, enough for four rounds of 10 Gachas.
Looking at the available options, he realized he had never used the In-setting Gacha function of the Invincible universe. He wanted to test that at least once, even if it cost double the 30 points of a normal 10-roll. He was willing to pay the price, after all he would still have two normal rounds left after this one.
It wouldn't be such a big loss, and items from the Invincible universe usually weren't bad either.
'Alright! Let's go! Gacha, roll out!'
01 - Mauler Twins Technology
'This Gacha started well. If I get the Reanimen technology, can I build an army of clones of someone?'
He started thinking about how to use the Mauler Twins' cloning technology.
'Wait a second! I can have my own clone army! I just need to find my Jango Fett! Who would be the best option? Best Tiger? Yeah, probably him.'
With high expectations of building his own clone army, setting the Reanimen aside for now since they probably couldn't grow organically, an army of clones capable of receiving complex orders sounded much more interesting than an army of cyborg corpses.
'Okay, I have to admit that an army of cyborg corpses also gives a lot of aura. But why not both? Hehehe~'
With the plans in mind, he continued.
02 - Bio Therm Discs
'Hum, this one is really good. I think I can study this energy storage method, and it's replicable… if the clones have this in them…'
He already considered that a good decision, even having spent extra points. Just the Mauler Twins technology was already worth it. Now he was even more curious about what the tenth Gacha would be.
03 - Inhibitor Collar
'Item to trade with Nezu. They don't have this technology over there. He denies it, but I know I can squeeze the flying fortress blueprint out of him. This might be my chance.'
Even though the BNHA world was technologically advanced, with 80% of the population having powers, they didn't possess this specific technology. Trading it for the flying fortress wasn't impossible, since that collar was probably something Nezu dreamed of having.
04 - Telepathic Neural Implant
'Good technology for space communication. I can also use it to spam thoughts at the enemy for free. Hehe, I need to update my repertoire of insults.'
It also opened the path to studying technological telepathy, even if this version only worked for simple conversations. It was an interesting area of science, and even though he already had telepathy through other powers, he liked the idea of having more than one way to do the same thing. Different methods are never too many.
05 - Coalition Scan Pad
'This one's good! My own galactic smartphone with several functions.'
Even though it was something common in the galaxy, this specific version was the high-level government model. Having something like this early in the journey was a huge upgrade.
It also had the location of several planets and some other data.
06 - Best Tiger
'Look at the guy! My Jango! The only problem is that there's already a Best Tiger in this world, so I'll see if I can isolate his DNA somehow when I assimilate.'
Best Tiger was a mix of Daredevil, Punisher and Nightwing, a near-superhuman precision shooter who wore a blindfold just to make his own job more challenging, since his other senses were sharp enough to compensate.
07 - Nolan's Book Collection
'… Are you serious?'
Max was left speechless. Those books could be bought in any online store. They would be completely useless.
'Sigh. Come on, is the Gacha messing with me? What did I do to deserve this?'
There was nothing he could do now. All that was left was to continue.
08 - Scourge Virus
'There it is, something I'll never use. This almost wiped out the Viltrumites. It's staying locked away until I'm absolutely sure I can handle it safely.'
It wasn't a toy. It was a mass racial genocide weapon. Even researching it isolated in some corner of space, he wouldn't have the courage to find out firsthand what it felt like to contract that virus.
09 - Shadow-Verse Connection
'Wow! Now we're talking! …wait, wasn't that dimension dangerous? It was never really explored in Invincible, but there are creatures inside. I'll have to be careful.'
After the brief excitement came the caution. Omnipotus had also come from a strange dimension. There could very well be something far too powerful hidden in there.
'Well, now the tenth. Will it surpass all the previous ones?'
With that, he rolled the last Gacha of the Invincible universe.
10 - Space Bike
'Even giving more value to the Mauler Twins technology, this one really is a higher tier. I can travel through the universe now, and Invincible's stellar travel system works through faster-than-light speed, not wormholes or alternative dimensions, so it should work in any universe I'm in.'
Combined with the Coalition Scan Pad, he could travel safely now.
Not that he was going to start traveling through space right away, but it was good to have the option available. Even preferring the Infinity Ray, this hadn't been a bad Gacha at all.
That concluded the first In-setting Gacha of the universe. With 63 GP still left, he decided to continue the sequence with the General Gachas.
01 - Beriache's Underclothing – Overgeared
(A/N: No pictures unfortunately 😢)
'This one's good, high level of defensive protection, and on top of that it's literally described as the strongest underwear in the world… but am I going to have to wear female panties for it to fit my shape?'
It started with a high-level item that has the ability to negate damage below a certain level, so Max wouldn't be able to be defeated by some ant-level technique. It was a magical item from one of the Three Great Primordial Evils of Overgeared.
Created by the Great Demon Beriache, woven with her own magical power as if it were thread, the piece magically molds to the body of whoever wears it, offering a high level of defensive protection. It also carried a hidden skill called Blood Master, which granted total immunity to blood magics with a 5-minute cooldown, but that seemed to depend on a specific bloodline condition he didn't possess, though the Gacha might be able to bypass that.
'Alright, now I have an overgeared pair of underwear… it's kind of embarrassing when I say it like that.'
02 - Ferris Bueller - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
'This… what do I use it for?'
Ferris was just a normal teenager. There was no way to turn him into a soldier, at most a good friend.
'Wait a second! Doesn't he manage to make friends with everyone? Even with the police? How would that translate to real life if I assimilated him?'
Max was almost certain he would be able to absorb that kind of supernatural charisma from Ferris if he assimilated him.
'The Gacha isn't that bad after all…' He thought, almost relaxing, as if the system itself had decided to give him a break after the previous items.
03 - 8 oz. of sweet Mexican black-tar heroin - Cards Against Humanity
'Dude! What's going on with this Gacha!? Why is it giving me trash!? First Nolan's books, now this!?'
Max knelt on the ground, forehead almost touching his own forearm, in an exaggerated dogeza, apologizing out loud as if the Gacha were an offended deity.
"Sorry, Gacha! I don't know what I did! But I'm really sorry! I promise I'll treat you well and stop complaining so much… or at least I won't complain about you, only about what I get."
After apologizing, for whatever reason, he continued.
04 - Tuxedo - The Tuxedo
'Now I have a stylish, technological and expensive suit.'
Max got excited about the possibility of applying the Tuxedo's technology to his own clothes, making them more resistant and functional. He even considered incorporating that same fabric into the newly created hero suit, another layer of reinforcement on top of what he had already developed.
At least this time he hadn't gotten trash again, which was already a considerable relief.
05 - Shonen Setting Travel Ticket (Low-Tier / One Week)
'Hum? Travel Ticket, not Gate? Unfortunately only one week, and I don't want to travel right now. This one stays for later.'
Max had already spent too much time traveling lately, and this item had a short expiration date. It would require going somewhere he could resolve everything quickly. It stayed stored for the future, maybe for next month.
06 - Glasses - One-Punch Man
'Damn! This guy is basically Saitama at the beginning of his training! After being saved by Saitama and getting inspired by him, he left the Blizzard Group to train on his own, and in a short time he was already able to exchange a few blows with a weakened Garou.'
Max suspected he had some kind of natural limiter that loosened with training time. Maybe in about five years he would become a second Saitama. He wasn't absolutely sure, but he thought it was worth assimilating just for the possibility of learning how to remove that kind of limitation.
He even thought this should have been the number 10 Gacha on the list, but the system probably weighed the character's current level more than his future potential.
07 - Gay-o-meter GLS Plus Tabajara (pink) - Casseta & Planeta
'Pff! Hahahaha! This is from a Brazilian comedy show. I never imagined I'd see a reference like this here. It's completely useless, but hilarious, hahahaha!'
It was a belt that beeped when someone gay was nearby, more of a comedic device than anything useful. And being the pink version, it would make beeps the entire time.
08 - Teaching Presence
'Interesting. I almost forgot the Gacha doesn't only give things from fiction works.'
It was a passive talent, and according to the card description, this and other talents and skills could be turned on and off at will. It worked as an invisible aura that accelerated the growth of anyone nearby, without requiring conscious effort. Good for training his contractors and friends in the future.
09 - Neo – Matrix
'Cool! The hacker Jesus! But… wait, he was only truly strong inside the Matrix… actually no! Outside of it he could hack the Sentinels with his own mind, even while blind. That's real technopathy. Will I be able to hack technology with my own mind too?'
This opened interesting implications. If he had already had this power before, Nezu would never have noticed him invading UA's systems. A much more sophisticated hacking method than even Nano could offer.
'[…]'
Nano felt that her own master was having offensive thoughts about her, but preferred not to comment.
10 - Package: Cryptosporidium - Destroy All Humans
'Hell yeah! Good thing I can always trust the last Gacha of the round to be good!'
Crypto had mental powers and advanced alien technology, psychokinesis to throw objects, mind reading, hypnosis, the ability to disguise himself as a human, and even the power to extract brains to collect DNA.
His mental powers could stack with Lucius's, something Max could already do in theory. The problem was that neither he nor Lucius himself really knew how to deepen it. The Lucius he had assimilated was the child version, without real control over his own powers, and Max had never had that kind of mental power before to develop on his own. With Crypto, he could now add real experience to his own telepathy, going beyond just passively reading minds.
Not to mention the technological devices and advanced weapons that came with it, and being a "Package," it also included his own spaceship.
Unfortunately it didn't come with the mothership, but he was already gaining way too much just with that.
'Now only the last ten left. Let's go! I believe in the heart of the cards!'
The Gacha rolled another sequence of ten general items.
01 - Skin Customization Perk
'A system Perk, interesting…'
Max read the card description.
'Allows altering the visual appearance of items, powers (visual effects) and aesthetic traits of assimilated/summoned characters, without changing function or mechanics. Changes limited to form, within the same category as the original.'
Basically, a watch could become any color, size or design, but it would still be a watch, it couldn't become a shield or a weapon.
'Really good. Now I can use the Pip-Boy without looking weird carrying a retro computer on my wrist. Not only that, I can also change the color of [Turbo] to red so it doesn't look out of place with the new hero suit.'
Satisfied with the first Gacha, he got more excited. Maybe there wouldn't be a problem in this round.
02 - 1 CYOA Store Point
'FFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!'
The Gacha seemed determined not to stop trolling Max. Even so, he held himself back from cursing it directly.
'Check the tape! Run it back! I want to talk to the manager! The game was rigged from the start!'
Not using slurs against the Gacha didn't stop him from showing all his dissatisfaction in other ways.
'Sigh. I'm tired, boss.'
In that discouragement, he decided to continue. He was convincing himself that this had already been the worst possible result, the rest would definitely be better.
03 - Background Customization Card x5
'Ahh, I'm accepting anything now… just no more bullshit. If it's going to be bad, at least let it be funny like the Gay-o-meter.'
Max didn't think the Background Customization Cards were bad at all, but he was demotivated by all the injustice he felt he was suffering from the Gacha.
'Alright, it wasn't trash. I can use this.'
04 - Floch Forster - Attack on Titan
'Oh, a determined soldier. A very good summon. I can turn him into a general or something like that.'
In the final moments of his life, he had to face the Jaw Titan and the Cart Titan alone in a desperate attempt to sink the ship the rival group was boarding. He would have succeeded if Gabi hadn't shot him and deflected the Thunder Spear, making him fall into the sea heavily injured.
It didn't end there. He clung to the ship with his own maneuvering gear until they reached a plane that would take them to Eren, and managed to shoot the plane's fuel tank, disabling the aircraft. That was when Mikasa killed him, driving the gear's hooks straight into his neck. He died believing he had fulfilled his own mission to the end.
That guy was probably the type of elite soldier with a practically inexhaustible and inflexible will.
05 - Aurora - The Legendary Mechanic
'I LOVE YOU, GACHA! A BEYOND GRADE A…'
Max's excitement faded way too fast. When the card materialized, he realized it wasn't the Beyond Grade A Aurora, it was the Aurora who had been turned into jelly for soldiers of the Germinal Organization.
'And here I was thinking I could assimilate her and become someone capable of destroying planets in no time…'
She had suffered several experiments to extract vitality and blood, used in the creation of super-soldiers, since she possessed the Esper Ability [Dawn of Life], which allowed her to control life and heal living beings. In the original timeline, Aurora died young, when her body and blood were used to manufacture a mixture that quickly healed disposable soldiers of the Germinal Organization. Players never had direct contact with her, they only learned her story after her death.
'I just saved Eri, a child who was suffering inhumane experiments, and now I get in the Gacha a teenager who died suffering inhumane experiments. What's next? Nina Tucker?… No! The Gacha wouldn't do that, right!?'
Max wasn't worried about getting her and "saving" her from her own tragic story, but he also didn't want to end up assembling a personal daycare. At least Aurora wasn't a small child, but a 14-year-old teenager. She could handle her own things. He also suspected that in the future she would be a bit childish, like in the original work, refusing to admit she was already over thirty.
'I have a support for the group now. Destroying planets stays for later.'
06 - Unparalleled (Immortal Beauty, Top-notch Charm) - Top Tier Providence
'… I don't dislike it, but how does this work? Will my features stay the same, or rearrange in a way that makes me even more handsome?'
Far from complaining, Max actually liked this a lot. Even though he was already handsome, who would refuse another boost like that? It was just another push for his own self-esteem.
'I remember when Han Jue traveled the world and some cultivators tried to capture him just for his appearance. Better stay away from cultivation worlds… not that I planned on stepping into one anytime soon anyway.'
He nodded with a satisfied smile and moved on.
07 - Mero Mero no Mi - One Piece
'Alright, now Unparalleled actually serves for something beyond making me handsome. Will I be able to unlock the Lady Killer Perk already?'
The power of this Devil Fruit turned into solid stone anyone who felt genuine love, desire or admiration for the user.
From what he knew, someone strong enough could resist the effect, but in Boa Hancock's hands that was what made her one of the most dangerous pirates in the world. And now it was with him.
Fortunately, it was listed as a pure Gacha power, without coming with the curse those fruits usually carried in the original material. Even if it came in the form of a physical item, he doubted the curse would come along. If the One Ring hadn't come cursed by Sauron when he got it, a fruit wouldn't either. The Gacha's own description already made it clear that items obtained there couldn't harm the user.
'Alright, the Gacha sequence is good now. I hope it stays that way.'
With that, the next one came.
08 - The Hercules Method - The Strange Talent of Luther Strode
'I love you so much, Gacha.'
This item was so good that Max was left with no more words beyond those.
It wasn't just a training method, it could also make a person biologically immortal, without aging or diseases. The Hercules Method was a rare technique that allowed aligning mind, body and spirit to expand and control one's own physical capabilities, with the limit depending on each practitioner's natural talent. Body Supremacy gave total control over muscles, tissues and nerves, allowing one to block pain, boost powers and nullify attacks on vital points.
The user's physical characteristics could reach extreme levels of superhuman resistance against bullets and weapons, stamina to go long periods without air or food, strength capable of tearing steel, and hyper-developed senses, including amplified hearing almost like echolocation (able to hear heartbeats and footsteps hundreds of meters away), biological x-ray vision (seeing muscles, bones and nerve impulses in real time), movement prediction through reading muscle tension, and extreme elasticity enough to dislocate one's own joints when necessary.
The only problem was that he would have to cause some carnage out there to use it properly, and he wasn't very comfortable with that part. If he went around causing massacres, the GDA might end up being notified, and there were many heroes in this world he didn't even know properly. Probably a good portion of them would have no problem killing criminals, but the scale of carnage that method required would probably make even the toughest ones uncomfortable if they found out.
It was also a very good method to create super-soldiers like Captain America without needing the serum.
'Hum, can I make clones with the Mauler Twins technology? Or even use Dupli-Kate's power! If I manage that, he could simply kill me repeatedly… it's going to be a bit weird, but it's still better than being marginalized by everyone if they find out.'
With only two Gachas left, he decided to move forward.
09 - BT-7274 - Titanfall 2
'HELL YEAH!!! I MISSED YOU, BROTHER!!!'
He hadn't just gotten a mecha, he had gotten a real Brother In Arms, one he had missed.
Even if Titanfall 3 launched by some miracle, he knew seeing BT again there would be practically impossible, unless EA wanted to destroy their own story just for forced nostalgia.
'Dude, they would totally do that. It's exactly their style.'
He considered buying EA from this world. He would have more than enough time to change the terrible fate of that mercenary company, and he didn't even need to stop there. Take-Two, Steam, investing in indie games… he hadn't played anything since arriving in that world, but he really liked games, and even without playing anymore, it cost nothing to create cool games that maybe he himself would play in the future. After all, he didn't plan on dying… ever.
'Damn, I'm anxious for the last one. Thanks for stopping the trolling, Gacha. You're much nicer like this.'
Then the last one was rolled. As soon as the card appeared, the color drained from Max's face, leaving him extremely pale.
'That horrible eldritch creature can't be in front of me. Right!?' he thought.
But reality was brutal.
10 - Goddess CPU Blue Heart - Sonichu Series
Even being an omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent goddess, Max didn't want to get even a millimeter closer to that card.
He didn't want to assimilate, or summon, or even take it out of the system to take a closer look. He just wanted distance.
That didn't even come from any regular fictional script, it came from the completely out-of-reality personal mythology the creator of that work developed about himself. Who knows what the real personality of a summoned version of that would be, or how assimilating it would affect his own brain and personality. It was something he didn't even want the temptation of considering, just because of the sheer size of the power involved.
'Gacha, tell me what I did! TELL ME WHAT I DIIIIIIIIID!!!'
That could be the Gacha's final troll. It wouldn't give such a powerful goddess like that without a gigantic hidden side effect. It was clearly a trap.
'I'm tired. I'll deal with this later.'
Max decided to end the day right there. He didn't even do his usual nighttime good deed, he just lay down and passed out.
…..
After a night of sleep Max hadn't had in a long time, since he no longer got tired physically, he was deciding how to use the remaining Gachas, but before that he started reflecting on a few things related to the system itself.
'This reminds me, what if next time I roll 30 Gachas at once? Will it have the same effect as three consecutive rounds of 10, or is there some kind of qualitative improvement from rolling in larger blocks?'
That would be a good test for next month. For now, he decided not to try another Invincible universe In-setting Gacha so soon. Even though the first one hadn't been bad, he preferred spending 60 GP on two normal rounds of 10 rather than spending the same amount on a single round restricted to one universe.
That was considering the Gacha still didn't seem willing to hand out Viltrumites, Brit, or even Divine Spawn that easily.
Max looked at the remaining GP.
[ <1/4> ]
[GACHA]
Gacha Points (GP): 3
General Gacha
In-setting Gacha (Invincible)
Specific Gacha Mode]
'Should I? There's still enough to roll one more time, just without the ten-roll bonus… you know what? 99% of gamblers quit right before hitting the jackpot!'
He decided to roll one extra Gacha, leaving it up to luck.
01 - Orc Forbidden Arts - It's All the Orc Dick's Fault
'What!? This is a magic? A sexual one, at that.'
According to the description, the Orc Forbidden Arts increased the user's arousal, also altering the intimate parts, while intensifying the overall aphrodisiac effect.
'It's much safer than Damien's demonic magic, but I didn't want to become an out-of-control horny monkey. Good thing the Hercules Method gives me total control over my own body. Once I master that, it won't be a problem at all.'
Even with Nano's help, he wasn't sure if he could completely neutralize the magical effect on his own, but combining it with the Hercules Method on top, he was certain he could.
'Not that I'm complaining. What man would refuse this? But this isn't a hentai world. The most this helps me with is in bed and in magic studies, a foundation before moving on to real demonic magic. I'm going to have to make this sacrifice for science.'
'[Master, you're not making any sacrifice. You're just-]'
'You don't need to stop me, Nano! I'll do this for both of us! And for the magical and scientific community!'
'[…]'
Max was acting as if he were a martyr for getting that magic. Nano didn't really understand how, being a machine, she could feel anger and secondhand embarrassment at the same time. It was a completely new sensation.
Max then decided to use some of the cards he had obtained.
He started with the Mauler Twins Technology. As soon as he activated the card, a large notebook full of notes materialized. It wasn't just their technology, it was their own thoughts and the reasoning process behind how they had gotten there. Actually, the process of only one of them, since originally they were just one person before the cloning.
He flipped through it quickly, using Nano's analysis combined with [Laplace] to speed up the process. After finishing the reading, he closed the notebook and his eyes, staying still for a few minutes to consolidate all the technology in his own mind. He also took the chance to create a few of his own variants with the analytical help of Nano and [Laplace], developing a version that didn't clone consciousness, but rather transferred it to a new body. He planned to use that on the robot, so his story wouldn't have to end as sad as the first time.
Then he moved to the next card, Bio Therm Discs. There wasn't much he could do with that for now. He would need to study how it worked carefully later, since it didn't come with any instruction manual. He would have to reverse-engineer the entire device.
The next item, Inhibitor Collar, was in the same situation, no manual, no immediate use. Maybe it would serve in the future to find out which of his own powers were susceptible to inhibition, but that would stay for another time.
The Telepathic Neural Implant would have its own emitted waves analyzed, but the internal components remained a mystery, technology too different from what he already knew. Maybe the Coalition Scan Pad had some relevant article about Coalition technology, but it was unlikely he would find anything really useful there.
Speaking of the Coalition Scan Pad, he decided to use it as a normal cellphone for now. The amount of information that device carried was outstanding. He also had no way of reverse-engineering it right now, unfortunately.
Beriache's Underclothing materialized as female panties. Max, embarrassed, put them on anyway, and as soon as he did, the item started changing, the appearance adjusting until it became something similar to male boxer briefs.
'Nano, we're never going to talk about this, okay?'
'[About what, master?]'
'That's right, Nano. I knew I could count on you. You're the best!'
Continuing as if nothing had happened, he picked up the magazine The Hercules Method, which at first glance looked like just a regular bodybuilding magazine. He flipped through it quickly and absorbed the content into his mind, hoping to reach an advanced level of the method in less than a month.
He then picked up the Tuxedo, an elegant suit that practically screamed sophistication. Of course he planned to study the tech behind it eventually, but he also fully intended to actually wear the thing. Just not right now. He hung it up in the Sanctuary's Dressing Room, saving it for the right occasion.
Lastly, the Space Bike. He didn't know exactly how much faster it was compared to Crypto's ship, but it was definitely more compact and practical. He would just need some way to survive in the vacuum of space while using it.
That would be the last item of the round before moving on to the powers, but he still remembered two more that he didn't intend to use for real, just keep in the collection. They were the meme items, the 8 oz. of sweet Mexican black-tar heroin and the Gay-o-meter GLS Plus Tabajara (pink).
"*Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep* *Beep*"
'Now I'm going to have an item that beeps eternally. Wonderful, isn't?'
He also looked at the heroin bar. He decided to leave both on display, with identification plates, in his own treasure room, putting the Gay-o-meter behind soundproof glass so it wouldn't be annoying all the time.
'My collection only grows. One day it's going to be gigantic.'
The treasure room was still relatively empty, since he had absorbed practically everything that was useful. What was left scattered around were armor parts, technology fragments and bars of various materials, used in the past or stored for the future.
'Alright, now it's time for the powers.'
֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎
Hello folks. I just started a Patreon. This is both to keep me motivated to write and to help me make some side income while I'm studying. If you want to read ahead and support my work, you can find me on Patreon searching for WorldHunger.
Lastly, please send me your ideas for Characters, Items, Perks, Gacha Mechanics, Powers/Abilities/Skills (Especially this, I need it), Consumables, and Worlds (for Travel Tickets). Even semi-useful powers are welcome!
Thanks for reading this far. Now, give me your Power Stones! They were promised to me 3,000 years ago! (And remember, everyone gets a free stone daily, for those who don't know).