Back in my crummy apartment, I tap the Digivice, releasing Gatomon and BlackGatomon from their digital confines. They materialize with a soft glow, stretching and yawning like housecats after a nap.
"Well, that was a productive afternoon," I say, tossing my keys on the rickety table. "Anyone hungry?"
As if on cue, a chorus of rumbles erupts from their stomachs. Gatomon blushes slightly, while BlackGatomon just grins.
"Guess that's a yes," I chuckle. Time to play chef.
I rummage through the sad excuse for a pantry, hoping to find something edible. Ramen… ramen… more ramen… yep, that's pretty much it. I pull out a package of instant noodles, staring at the picture of the delicious-looking meal on the cover.
"Ugh, I can't feed you guys this garbage," I mutter. They deserve better than processed sodium bombs. Especially after saving the day back there. I sigh, closing the cabinet. "Looks like we're ordering in."
I reach for my wallet, mentally picturing my meager funds. I open it, and my heart sinks. Empty. Completely and utterly empty. Not even a stray penny.
"Crap!" I exclaim. "I forgot I'm broke!"
"We can go a few days without eating, Ethan," Gatomon says, trying to be helpful, but I can see the disappointment in her eyes.
"Yeah, no biggie," BlackGatomon chimes in, but her stomach betrays her with another loud growl.
"Absolutely not," I say firmly. "You guys just saved the day. No way I'm letting you starve."
I looked through my Digivice and saw that new functions were unlocked when I hit level 2.
First is the stats page.
[Stats]
[Available Points: 5]
STR: 7 (+0)
VIT: 7 (+0)
DEX: 7 (+0)
AGI: 7 (+0)
INT: 7 (+0)
WIS: 7 (+0)
CHA: 7 (+0)
"Hey, uh, System?" I ask, tapping the screen. "Are these stats... like, my physical state? Do I get super strength now or something?"
[Negative. These stats are added to your physical form. Since hitting level 2, your body has become partially composed of data. The listed stats augment your existing capabilities.]
"Wait, seriously? Am I gonna be like Aiba from Cyber Sleuth?"
I scroll further down, and my eyes widen. Two skills are listed: Connect Jump and Hacking Lvl 1.
[Connect Jump: The ability that allows the user to enter the Digital Space through any digital device or being, as well as move between two places that are connected by a Digital Network.]
[Hacking Lvl 1: Beginner hacking skills]
"Well, Connect Jump could be useful for quick escapes, and Hacking... hmm, maybe I can use that to get us some food," I muse.
I continue to browse, and another function grabs my attention: Digital Home.
[Digital Home: A private home in the Digital Space for the user to hang out, relax, and train]
"A place to chill and train? Score! Maybe it's better than this dump." I glance around my apartment. "Okay, definitely better." Now, the question is, how do I use this stuff?
"System, how do I get to my Digital Home?"
[The Digital Home can be accessed through any computer. Please stand in front of any PC to access it.]
I smirk. "Alright, ladies, who wants to see our new crib?"
Gatomon's tail twitches with curiosity, and BlackGatomon practically vibrates with anticipation. "Lead the way, partner!"
We gather in front of my ancient desktop. It's a dinosaur, but it should work. Suddenly, we are sucked into the PC screen. My body felt like it was disassembling and converting into lines of code. It was a strange sensation, to say the least.
Then, BAM!
We're standing in an open field under a clear blue sky. Numbers and data stream above us. It's surreal, but also… kinda awesome.
In the distance, there's a modest 2x4 house, fully furnished.
"Whoa," I breathe.
"Not bad," Gatomon admits, impressed.
BlackGatomon grins. "Home sweet home!"
I look at the house. Not bad, System. Not bad at all! I notice it was a Digital Home Lvl 1, which means it can be upgraded in the future. The possibilities already fill my head. I wonder if I can add a dojo or maybe even a virtual beach.
"Wait, hold up," I say, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. "The house isn't the only thing here." I spot two smaller buildings nearby: a Digi-Lab where I can hatch Digi-Eggs, and a healing station to patch up my partners after battles. I smirk. This is getting better and better.
I test the waters, seeing if what the System said was true. With a thought, I control the weather, shifting from the clear blue sky to a sky with gray clouds, with some light rain. Then, with another thought, I change the time to nighttime. Yep, I'm totally going to abuse this feature.
I tap the Digivice screen again and see the Shop icon. "Oh, sweet! A store!"
I tap on the icon. Rows of items fill the screen. X-Antibodies, Legendary Spirits, Evolution Crests... Even gear.
"Okay, now we're talking!" My excitement deflates as I see the prices. Everything is listed for over 100,000 Digi-Coins.
"System, how do I get these Digi-Coins?"
[Digi-Coins can be obtained through Supply Boxes or by converting real-world currency. 100 USD = 1 Digi-Coins.]
I blink. And then I stare. "Wait, seriously?"
"You gotta be kidding me!"
I do a quick mental calculation. A Legendary Spirit costs 1,000,000 Digi-Points. That's... 100 million dollars!
I groan, flopping onto the digital grass. "This system is a money sink! I'm flatter than a pancake!"
Okay, I need to chill. The shop is clearly out of reach for now. I tap the screen again, navigating back to the main menu. My eyes land on "Supply Boxes".
From what I can tell, Supply Boxes are straight-up gacha, with four rarity tiers: White is the most common, then Blue for Uncommon, Purple for Epic, and finally, Gold for Legendary.
"System, what's the drop rate on these things?"
[White: 70%, Blue: 20%, Purple: 8%, Gold: 2%.]
"Ugh, those are terrible rates!" I exclaim. "But hey, it's free, right?"
[If the user requires more Supply Boxes, the System can provide them in exchange for real-world currency. The price of a Supply Box is 1000$.]
"Of course that is an option... why am I not surprised…" I grumble. Seriously? I'm not even out of the tutorial, and they're already hitting me up for microtransactions. I push down the irritation and focus on the task. "Okay, System, open all five of my Supply Boxes."
The Digivice screen spins, and boxes pop open one by one.
[White: 60 Digi-Coins]
[White: 50 Digi-Coins]
[White: 80 Digi-Coins]
[White: 100 Digi-Coins]
[Blue: Leomon Digi-Memory]
"Seriously? Not even a single purple?" I complain, shaking my head. I was hoping for something good, but I guess my luck stat is still at rock bottom.
I tap on the Leomon Digi-Memory, and the screen displays its description.
[Leomon Digi-Memory: Summons a digital copy of Leomon. Duration: 5 minutes. One-time use]
"Huh, interesting," I muse. "So, I can summon a Leomon for five minutes. That could be pretty useful in a pinch. I wonder if I can stack Digi-Memories…" I shrug. "Well, even if it's just a one-time deal, having a backup like Leomon isn't bad."
I check my Digi-Coin balance: 290. Not exactly a fortune, but it's something. I navigate back to the shop, filtering for the lowest-priced food items. Thank god, there's actually food here that doesn't cost a fortune.
"Alright, guys, let's see what we can afford," I say, scrolling through the options. "Looks like we can get a decent spread of food for under 10 coins."
I grab a mountain of burgers, pizza slices, and even some fancy-looking sushi rolls, paying with my hard-earned coins. In a flash, the food appears on a picnic blanket inside our Digital Home.
"Chow time!" I shout, grabbing a burger.
Gatomon and BlackGatomon pounce on the feast, devouring the digital delicacies with gusto. I laugh, watching them stuff their faces.
"Easy there, ladies," I say, chuckling. "Save some for me!"
We spend the next hour feasting, sharing stories, and enjoying our little digital paradise. For the first time since waking up in this crazy world, I feel a sense of peace and belonging. Maybe this new life won't be so bad after all. I've got my partners, a home, and a whole lot of potential. Plus, there's still a whole universe out there for me to see.
***
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