Harry stared at the glowing window in silence. His heart raced, but a wild grin stretched across his face. Highest score in the class — it was the kind of result he had never even dared to dream of. For once, his mother wouldn't scold him. Maybe she'd even praise him.
With trembling hands, he took a screenshot of his result and rushed to show his family. His mother squinted at the score in disbelief, muttering, "You… actually studied?" His father chuckled, patting his shoulder with rare approval. His younger sister looked up from her phone and frowned. "No way. Did you cheat?"
Harry just laughed it off, clutching his phone tightly. Cheat? If only they knew…
But deep inside, he couldn't shake the glowing words from his mind:
[Special currency provided. Use it wisely.]
That night, he couldn't sleep. By morning, curiosity burned hotter than fear. He needed to know if the system was real — if "luck" could truly be controlled. But where?
The answer struck him as he passed by the toy arcade downtown. The place was packed with claw machines, gachapon capsules, and flashy lottery games that ate coins like candy. It was the perfect testing ground.
Harry stepped inside, the jingles and flashing lights washing over him. Kids cheered as machines spat out prizes, while others groaned after losing yet again. He approached a claw machine filled with plush toys — the kind he had never won, no matter how many tries.
A soft chime echoed in his head.
[Luck Exchange Available.]
[Spend 1 unit of Life Currency for a minor increase in luck.]
[Spend 5 units for a guaranteed success.]
Harry's breath caught. The screen floated only for him, unseen by anyone else. His hands trembled as he inserted a coin, staring at the choices.
So it's real… I can actually trade my life for luck.
He hesitated. One coin. One claw attempt. Normally, he knew it would fail. But with a flicker of thought, he selected the smallest exchange.
The claw descended. It grabbed the plush… and held it firm. Harry's eyes widened as the toy dropped neatly into the chute.
For the first time in his life, he had won.
The system chimed again:
[1 unit of Life Currency consumed.]
[Remaining balance: 49.]
Harry picked up the plush toy, staring at it as if it were made of gold. A thrill surged through him. This was no dream. This was power.
But power always came with a cost.
To be continued…