Did I say that my throat felt dry?
Sorry I wasn't being truthful, actually...
I WAS FEELING LIKE I HAD JUST FALLEN INTO FUCKING HELL.
It wasn't possible, it just couldn't be.
Unless...
Yes.
It might be that.
It has to be that.
Otherwise, I might actually end up going crazy, or even crazier than I already am.
Before I could sink even deeper into madness I heard her voice from the other side of the door once more.
Elizabeth: "I-I'll come later, m-maybe you'll have calmed down then."
I heard soft footsteps getting further and further away from the door until I couldn't hear them anymore.
It was only then that my dead heart settled, if only a little.
What I didn't notice was that I was gripping the sides of my head so hard that I was pulling off my... hair?
But, my hair fell off a long time ago.
Standing up from my bed in record time I went directly to the mirror mounted on the back of the door. I was very vain in my youth.
I was very much afraid of what I could find the moment I saw myself, especially with the fact that I was getting too hopeful.
And the moment I saw myself in the mirror I...
...
I don't, really know how to feel.
On one hand I was happy of having my 80's hair back, with all the natural curls and and the thickness that characterized the 80's as well as its beautiful brown chestnut color. On the other hand my skin still looked purple as hell, a very dark purple.
Taking a better look at myself I was stunned for a moment.
Touching were my nose used to be, it was there, my nose was back.
I felt tears accumulating in my eyes but took a deep breath and held it in.
Now's not the time to be crying about getting back your beautiful hair and pretty nose...
...
Ahem.
I guess I am indeed a tiny bit excited about it.
...
Anyway, let us focus.
Going back to my bed I sat on it while holding my face in my hands, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly until I, once and for all, truly calmed down.
So, this isn't a dream, it really is happening, I'm somehow back to how I was before getting scooped, but, with purple skin.
But that is the least of my worries right now.
No, the thing that I should be worrying about is that my dead sister that I should have freed from her metal prison, is somehow here, with me, in our old home.
That in itself was already nerve wracking, but what if...
What if my whole family was actaully here.
That thought made me feel as if a bottomless pit had opened in my stomach. Because that meant that everything that I had done, everything that I had sacrificed, was all for naught.
I felt like covering myself with the bed covers and letting myself cry into unconsciousness.
It was all for naught, in the end, I couldn't change anything, I couldn't help anyone, not even my family.
...
The thought of crying until I fall unconscious was becoming more and more appealing by the second.
Before I could even give that idea some thought the clanking of thousands of cogs started to sound in my ears.
Covering them with my hands did nothing for the sound, it made it seem as if the action made the sound become even... more.
Just the volume and the amount of clicks and clacks that were resounding in my mind made me feel as if my head was about to explode.
Falling onto the ground from the sheer pain I adopted a fetal position while covering my ears while grinding my teeth.
And like that, what felt like hours passed, until the sound started to glitch and suddenly stopped.
Breathing erratically I looked around my room to see if the sound had come from somewhere, but it looked normal.
Maybe I AM going crazy.
[Such will]
What!
Michael: "Who said that!"
I screamed into the room, and seemingly, it heard me.
[Such sacrifice, such accumulated Karma]
Out of nowhere a purple transparent window with black borders appeared before and answered me back.
Wha?
[Such weight that you carry]
It continued on, ignoring me.
[Such is life, with chaos unbound, free, with no certainty of anything]
...
[Do you want a chance?]
...
What chance are you talking about?
[The chance of freedom, of choice, of having control of ones own destiny]
[What is your choice, oh, Apostle of Chaos]
...
I truly have gone crazy.
You know what, why not?
[Good]
I felt a chill run down my spine just reading that, single, word. Not only that but I could swear that I heard a deep, demonic voice talk. It felt as if the word was giving me a feral smile full of, and this is the best I can describe it, "innocent chaos".
Huuuuuh~
...
This is going to end up coming back to bite me in the ass if I were to accept, wouldn't it?
Then again what kind of a choice do I have, seeing as my dead sister has somehow escaped; which would mean my father has also escaped from going up in flames.
I just can't leave her alone with him. Not after all that he's done to this family. Not after what he did to her.
Michael: "Alright, I accept your offer, whatever you are."
[Allow me to inform you then, oh, Apostle of Chaos, of all that you need to know]
Michael: "C-could you not, like, call me that, please."
[Very well User]
Michael: "Thank you."
[You're welcome]
Mochael: "Now then, you said something about explaining how things are going to be."
Standing up from the ground I took a seat on the chair.
Before I could say anything else the transparent window appeared before me once more.
[Congratulations for becoming the User of the Chaos Gacha]
Did it just say Gacha?
[The following will explain everything having to do with the Chaos Gacha:
- Tickets: the source that will allow you to obtain power. There exist different tiers of tickets, the following being from weakest to strongest: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Legendary, Mythical, Divine. Then there are the types of tickets one can get, which are the following: Abilities, Items, Traits, Skills and Familiars.
- Feats: A feat is, in essence, anything impressive you manage to accomplish. And the more impressive what you do is, the greater the ticket you get from it. Feats are judged off of several factors, such as how objectively impressive it is, and then the comparison of the feat to your current power level. That is how one gets the different tiers of tickets.]
Oh.
Fuck.
It really is a Gacha.
A Metaphysical Gacha of all things.
I felt like smashing my head against the damn table until I couldn't think anymore.
Some might question, why would you do something like that?
BECAUSE, every last game that contained in any way, a gacha, I SUCKED, at it. Like, really sucked.
This is going to be a nightmare.
Michael: "Alright, hit me, do I get any kind of starter package or...?"
[Quite indeed, starter package initiating]
[Congratulations, starter package has been opened:
- 3x Golden Ability Gacha Ticket.
- 1x Golden Item Gacha Ticket.
- 1x Golden Trait Gacha Ticket.
Roll now?]
Michael: "Sure, why not, roll'em."
I said without any kind of enthusiasm while waving around my hand.
[Rolling Golden Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Elite - Level Up!]
| Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Elite (Gold) |
Whenever you kill something, you absorb 10% of their stats and permanently add it to your own, such a simple ability with promises of so much power.
Huh, that isn't so bad, actually, it's pretty good.
And then it dawns on me that it says kill.
And that's when all happiness drains from me.
I will not be like him, I will not be like my father.
[See it as a way to protect your family if the need ever arises]
I guess it could be looked at that way.
[Rolling Golden Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Rare - Soul Spear]
| Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Rare (Gold) |
Darksouls - Draw energy from your life and soul and shape it as a weapon, the power of the soul condensed, refined, and sharpened into a powerful spear that can curve mid-air to home in on enemies and pierce through defences. As the origin of the spear is linked to the soul, its power scales with the might of one's soul in addition to their energy levels.
Alright, this looks just as promising as the previous ability.
[Rolling Golden Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Elite - Density Manipulation]
| Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Elite (Gold) |
Allows you to increase and decrease your own density or the density of objects you are wielding, the more you decrease or increase a target's density the more energy you need to expend to keep it that way.
Oh, neat.
[Rolling Golden Item Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Elite - Covetous Gold Serpent Ring]
| Type: Item |
| Rarity: Elite (Gold) |
Dark Souls - The serpent is an imperfect dragon and a symbol of the Undead. Its habit of devouring prey even larger than itself has led to an association with gluttony. This gold ring, engraved with the serpent, boosts its wearer's luck so that more items can be amassed.
...
Weeeell...
I mean, it's not bad, I guess I could use it to get money.
[Rolling Golden Trait Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Rare - Cupid's Blessing]
| Type: Trait |
| Rarity: Rare (Gold) |
Your luck with your romantic life seems to be greatly increased. Remember to thank Cupid.
...
...
...
For real.
Like, for real.
Seriously.
I feel like the Gacha is mocking me.
Asshole.
...
Is that everything that you have in the starter package?
[Yes, but now, your feats shall be judged and given appropriate recompense]
Wait what?
[Feat achieved!]
[Die and revive through sheer willpower alone]
[+1x Diamond Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Feat achieved!]
[Free the souls of the missing children]
[+1x Diamond Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Feat achived!]
[Stop your fathers reign of terror with the help of someone]
[+1x Platinum Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Feat achieved!]
[Open your own successful restaurant]
[+1x Golden Skill Gacha Ticket]
The face I was making must've been a very comical face.
Wow...
It seems that my efforts were finally being recognized. It feels good, like, really good.
Well then, roll them, but from lowest to highest.
[Rolling Golden Skill Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Rare - Taekwondo]
| Type: Skill |
| Rarity: Rare (Golden) |
You are an apprentice in Taekwondo, a dynamic Korean martial art specializing in speed, agility, and powerful kicking techniques. It combines high, spinning, and jumping kicks with fast footwork and precise strikes to deliver devastating blows. With sufficient mastery, you can enhance your strikes with your internal energy.
Well, well, well, something that finally is of use to me without the need to kill. I mean, I could use the other abilities without needing to kill anybody or anything, except [Level Up!].
[Rolling Platinum Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Rare - Ukaku]
| Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Rare (Platinum) |
Tokyo Ghoul - Allows you to manifest a wing-like biological appendage made of special RC Cells that allow it to freely go from fluid-like water to tough as steel. These wings can release a barrage of high-speed armour piercing feathers at will with good precision or sweep in slicing motions to attack like a steel whip.
...
Wha-a...
...
I feel like the Gacha is trying to tell me something.
...
A GHOUL, THAT IS THE BEST YOU COULD COME UP WITH?!
Siiigh~
Forget about it, just, forget about it.
[Rolling Diamond Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Legendary - Profaned Guardian Transformation]
| Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Legendary |
Calamity Mod - Allows you to accept the influence of Providence, the Profaned Goddess and temporarily take the form of one of her guardians. Massively increasing your physical stats, granting you wings of flame and the ability to manipulate Profaned Flames. But maintaining this transformation heats up your insides and burns you slowly inside out until it is released, this effect is only mitigated by fire resistance.
...
Continue.
[Rolling Diamond Ability Gacha Ticket]
[Ding!]
[Elite - Branding]
|Type: Ability |
| Rarity: Elite |
You can brand unresisting targets, marking them as yours, you are able to know the location and condition of the branded targets and you can even summon yourself to them or them to you with a 24-hour cooldown.
That ability didn't sit right with me. Owning someone just felt... wrong.
Maybe... maybe let us not think as if it was a marker for slavery but as a mark to check that nothing bad happens to those that I care about.
Yeah, let's go with that.