''…Ethan-ssi is very strong.'' Lee Hyunsung muttered in a slight daze.
It had been about 2 hours since the first scenario, and I was currently in the above-ground station known as Oksu. The place was currently being overrun by monsters. Mutated creatures, Zombies, etc. Their grade level would be around 9-8. Nothing crazy just yet…
I was currently beating the crap out of all of them. Singlehandedly. With Lee Hyunsung standing as backup, making sure Yoo Sangah and Lee Gilyoung did not get attacked out of nowhere.
I didn't need the backup
I'll be honest. I knew fuck shit about fighting. The most experience I ever got was punching a concrete wall when I got upset, before immediately regretting it later. So, how exactly was I doing so well right now? The first answer would be my physical stats. Combined with Thought Acceleration and Obs. Haki, it was practically impossible to hit me. Even for someone like Yoo Joonghyuk.
[Many Constellations are impressed with your physical prowess]
[Constellations have sponsored 200 coins]
'Many huh…' It would seem there were still a couple of Constellations watching me still. They must be curious about me, as they were with Kim Dokja.
Speaking of him, he seemed to be having a lovely conversation (Scam) with Bihyung. I was listening to it while fighting. Thought Acceleration was really nice, not only did it offset a lot of mental strain from keeping Obs. Haki activated at all times, which allowed me to multitask.
I moved my right arm upwards to avoid a hit from a zombie, who had decided to attack me from behind while I was busy smashing a rat-like creature into mush. Before bringing the arm down with enough force to literally obliterate its head.
''We should move underground. I don't intend on fighting forever.'' I said to Hyunsung before I swung my arm sideways. 19 zombies were launched across the platform like broken mannequins.
''A-Ah! Yes! I apologize for my thoughtlessness.'' Hyunsung snapped out of his daze and replied hurriedly, slightly embarrassed that he was relying on someone younger than him by a lot. I had exchanged some words with him while we made our way here.
''It's fine. Also, didn't I tell you to just call me Ethan? I'm not used to honorifics.'' Hyunsung only nodded sheepishly before getting serious and moving towards the Oksu tunnel with the other two.
»»–––––⍟–––––««
''Thankfully, there aren't many monsters in these tunnels…'' I said while massaging my head. I needed to level up Thought Acceleration fast. These headaches suck.
''Yeah. Are you sure you're feeling okay? You were fighting for nearly 2 hours straight…'' Yoo Sangah said softly, her expression one of worry.
''I'm fine. Just a headache from using Observation Haki too much.'' I said casually. Lee Hyunsung had the expression of someone who realized something very important.
''Is that the skill that you used to see beyond the barrier?'' He looked slightly shocked, maybe the fact that I had a skill activated for 2 hours straight, and was only now suffering after effects.
''It's not that impressive. Haki is an extension of my will—practically another sense. Overuse can be tiring, but nothing serious.'' I revealed this intentionally.
'The channel is closed…' That faint feeling of being watched was gone. I could confirm since I was still eavesdropping on Kim Dokja. Something interesting was being discussed in that stomach. It seems Bihyung told Dokja about the existence of another incarnation who didn't select a sponsor. His panic was hilarious.
''…Ethan-ssi didn't need to tell us about his skill so openly.'' Hyunsung looked a bit taken aback by my casual info reveal. As someone who had a sponsor, he knew how valuable keeping skill information hidden was. Maybe it was also his experience as a soldier.
''You seem like someone I can trust with something as trivial as this. It's not like you were going to backstab me, right?'' Yes, that was the second reason. I wanted to trust these three, and I wanted them to trust me. Maybe it was bias, or just a childish desire. I did look up to these people at some point. And I still do. One of the main reasons I hadn't broken down in tears for killing so many people was probably because of this attribute. It didn't just give me exclusive skills. It also gave me a small passive Thought Acceleration. Much like Dokja's own reading speed. I would have to contemplate this later.
''Ethan-ssi…'' Yeah, he was never going to leave the honorifics, was he? If I had Dokja's attribute, I'd probably hear something like 'Lee Hyunsung has started to trust you'.
[The Second Main Scenario has arrived!]
[Swiftly move underground to avoid getting poisoned.]
Good thing we were already very near Guem- I mean, Geumho Station.
''So. About Kim Dokja.'' As we made our way there, I began telling them about where he was and that he was still alive at the moment.
''DOKJA-SSI IS WHERE…?!''
''Inside that giant sea serpent?!?''
The two adults looked like they had been told the One Piece was the friends we made along the way. While Gilyoung had an expression that screamed, 'As expected'.
''Ethan-ssi, are you completely sure Dokja-ssi is okay?'' She looked even more worried than before. I felt a little bad. ''Yeah, he seems to be doing okay. If my estimate is right, he should be out of that thing in about 3-4 days.'' I said, looking in the direction where Dokja currently was.
''Hopefully your judgement is correct, Ethan-ssi…'' Of course it was. I knew what was going to happen after all. Can't tell her that now, can I?
»»–––––⍟–––––««
The station was filled with people, nearly 100. I could sense Joonghyuk killing ground rats in the nearby tunnel. Bro was in a hurry, damn. After some persistent requests from me and Lee Hyunsung, Yoo Sangah had finally fallen asleep late at night, with Lee Gilyoung next to her.
''Are you sure you will not sleep, Ethan-ssi? I can stand guard.'' He looked a bit embarrassed. I had dealt with all the monsters on the way here; he probably wanted to be of use. And the fact that I was almost a decade younger than him did not help ease his mind.
''I'll go to sleep in a bit, don't mind me.'' He paused for a bit and nodded in understanding. Today had been a long day after all.
I had some things I needed to be sure of.
'Explain yourself now. What are you, Chaos Gacha. Where did you come from? Why me? What is your purpose? Limits? How do I pull rolls? What is the cost? What AM I? Who Am I? These memories from this world, they are obviously fabricated. Were my old memories also fake? Answer me.'
[The Gacha is a fragment of 『■』. The host merged with this fragment by sheer chance. The Gacha's purpose is to elevate the host's strength to someday match 『■』. The Gacha is limited to powers/abilities/items/familiars WITHIN the fictional plane. The rolls are pulled simply by asking. The cost can depend on the Avg Luck value the host picks, usually coins, but rolls can be given to the host after completing a scenario. The host is now a fragment of 『■』. The host's old memories were merely a result of his fusion with『■』.]
''…'' That was a lot to unpack. I was expecting it not to answer at all. What's with the censorship… Kinda ironic, the Constellations were complaining about censorship earlier, now I'm the one complaining. I could already feel a headache coming my way.
[Thought Acceleration Lv. 1 has been activated.]
[Logical Deduction Lv. 1 has been activated.]
[Observation Haki Lv. 5 has been deactivated.]
'Explain in detail…How do you function?' I decided to get down to the real crux of the matter.
[The Chaos Gacha offers the host powers, traits, items, familiars, or all of these through random Gacha draws. The host can choose what specific type of Gacha to draw, such as an item ONLY or completely random. After making a selection, the host must pay a certain number of coins to roll, with luck values that vary. For example, 50 coins for Avg. Luck 1, 100 coins for 2, 500 coins for 3, 1000 coins for 4, 5000 coins for 5, 10,000 coins for 6, 100,000 coins for 7, and 1,000,000 coins for 8.]
[Host can also get ONE draw for every scenario he completes; the Luck value depends on the type and difficulty of the scenario. The host has a limit of only 5 draws per day if he is to buy them with coins.]
[The Gacha does not have an inventory; items that the host gets can be stored initially, but once summoned, cannot be put back. The host needs to get an inventory ability or item on his own. Familiars can also be absorbed if the host does not want to summon them. And in doing so will get all their powers with their experience and everything they entail.]
[Notice. Powers from the Gacha CANNOT be used or copied by anyone unless the user wills it to be. And even then, it can only be used for a short period of time, and only a weakened version of it. Items CAN be given to another person if the user consents. Powers from the Gacha have no way of harming the user, no matter what.]
I skimmed through the text, my eyes moving at insane speeds. After reading it twice, I had it all memorized. My exclusive attribute was more insane than I thought. My memory had improved.
'I see. This system is a lot more thorough than I thought…'
This…could be fun. 'How many rolls do I have right now. I completed two scenarios.'
[1 roll – Luck Value 1]
[1 roll – Luck Value 2]
I cleared the first scenario with a difficulty rating of F, and the bridge one at E. Unfortunately, I completed it just before it changed to D. If I'd known the rewards were tied to that, I would've waited. Well, no use crying over it. I'll have plenty more opportunities anyway.
-Yawn-
[Exclusive skill 'Thought Acceleration Lv. 1' has been deactivated.]
[Exclusive skill 'Logical Deduction Lv. 1' has been deactivated.]
My eyelids were starting to get heavy. Even a constitution of 35 didn't stop the mental exhaustion from drowning out my clarity. Today was a long ass day…
I sat down on the bench behind me. Gilyoung and Sangah were fast asleep. All my abilities, aside from Heavenly Restriction, were currently off. I wanted to get some shut-eye; my mind was still reeling from the drawback of Haki earlier today. And the fact that this isn't a dream. Actually, we'll see about that last part tomorrow…
The fluorescent lights of the station hummed overhead, casting a pale glow that made everyone look half-dead already. I let my head rest against the cold tile wall, eyes half-closed as I watched Hyunsung talk with a group of survivors nearby. He stood with his back straight but ready to move at any moment. Reliable guy. Though he seemed a bit wary of the people he was talking to. Wonder what it is they are talking about.
'Purchase five Gacha rolls of luck value 1. And roll all the ones I currently have. For Items only.'
[Rolling Gacha rolls]
My eyes drooped. I would check the results tomorrow…I needed some shut-eye.
Just like that. I ended up dead asleep.
»»–––––⍟–––––««
"Haaah…" I opened my eyes lazily to look at the station ceiling. But I didn't find the sight I was expecting. Why was…
"Good morning, Ethan-ssi, did you sleep well? You were out for almost 13 hours!" Sangah-ssi said from above me. I was currently getting a lap pillow. From a woman! I could almost cry.
"Yesterday must have tired me out more than I thought." I said casually while getting up. My attribute is saving my ass from embarrassment once more. Speaking of which.
[Exclusive Skill 'Observation Haki Lv. 5' has been activated.]
There was no way I was spending more time with this off. As much as I trusted these guys, I couldn't risk it. Though I could definitely lower the base output a lot more. 5 kilometers is still a fuck ton. Maybe 200 or so meters is fine. I don't need to know everything happening kilometers away all the time. If I feel threatened by killing intent, I'll know even if it's 10 kilometers away. Keeping Haki activated all the time at a high output will tire me out way too much. I don't wanna get the Gojo treatment.
"You can rest more if you want…" She said with a soft smile. Guh…women might be my only weakness in this verse. Even my exclusive attributes couldn't fix my introverted heart, and nonexistent love life.
"I've rested enough, I feel refreshed. Besides, a lot has to be done today." I said while looking away from her. I needed to check the items I rolled for yesterday.
''A lot has to be done? What do you mean?'' She said in slight confusion. She probably couldn't fathom what one would do in this situation. What CAN we even do? The world is collapsing; world governments show no signs of doing anything, and no one is coming to help. She hasn't fully adapted to this world yet. To her credit, no one aside from three people have. Well, four, now...
''We can't just stay in one place. We are sitting ducks here. With how the world is now, stagnating is the worst thing one can do. Adapting is what humans are known for, after all.'' I said before checking my spoils, ignoring Sangah-ssi's complicated expression.
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[Gacha roll rewards:[Gacha roll rewards:
2008 Menu #4 Cheese and Vegetable Omelet (Trash {0.5})
Cookie Jar (Common {1})Cookie Jar (Common {1})
Five Hundred Cigarettes (Trash {0.5})
Shrimp Fried Rice (Trash {0.2})Shrimp Fried Rice (Trash {0.2})
The Straw Hat (Trash {0.7})The Straw Hat (Trash {0.7})
Pip-Boy 3000 (Uncommon {2.4})Pip-Boy 3000 (Uncommon {2.4})
Heavy Blade (Uncommon {2.9})
⫸-–––––––––––––––––––-⫷
I looked at the items with focus. From what I saw, the Gacha rated these items very strangely. Anything below a rating of 1 was useless, temporary food, and daily items. Around 2 was where the actual value was held. This sword…
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[Heavy Blade
|Uncommon Item|
A very durable longsword that you can control the weight of, going from 5kg at lightest to 50,000kg at heaviest.]
–––––––––––––––––––
That was actually pretty decent. I checked the description of the other items, but none were as good. The watch was okay; I could give it to Gilyoung. It's not my style, if only it were the Omnitrix.
My eyes widened when I looked at the description for the cookie jar. What the fuck…?
–––––––––––––––––––
[Cookie Jar]
|Common Item|
[Cookie Clicker - One of the flagship products of "The Bakery", a glass jar that contains a practically limitless supply of perfectly warm and fresh chocolate chip cookies, endlessly produced by the compressed universe contained inside the jar, optimized solely for cookie production. (Note: DO NOT BREAK THE JAR.) (Note 2: DO NOT BREAK THE JAR; THE BAKERY IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF BREAKING THE JAR.)]
–––––––––––––––––––
'I am NOT taking this jar out of the inventory until I get my own.' I thought while staring blankly at the screen. How on earth was this just a COMMON ITEM?!
Anyway…I could now confirm a few things about this Gacha and how it works. Rolling for Abilities was not a good idea for now. My low mana stat makes it very hard to fully utilize the skills even IF I get something as good as Ice Age. Currently, the best I can do with mana level 5 is freeze a small area, barely a street's floor. Sure, the Ice quality was high, and so was my precision with it. But not only was the cooldown and mana exhaustion terrible, but the range was not as good as Kuzan's. I could for sure not freeze an entire damn ocean floor. Let's see what options the Gacha gives me.
[ Roll for Abilities –
Roll for Familiars –
Roll for Traits –
Roll for Items –
Roll for Skills –
Roll Randomly – ]
Hmm…
Before I could ponder further, I was distracted by a commotion elsewhere. A slim-looking guy with strange eyes was rallying a bunch of people. Something was strange with the way he was speaking, though… Hmm?
[The character 'Cheon Inho' has activated the 'Incite Lv. 2' skill.]
[The skill was ineffective on you due to the difference in strength.]
I see. So that's what it is. What should I do about this guy… Wait for Dokja to take care of him. Or do it myself. Joonghyuk was still here, and if memory serves me right, he supplied some food to this guy in the novel, likely to strengthen Cheon Inho's standing in the station. Why? Obviously, a test for Dokja.
What should I do… What's the most logical thing to do? Obviously, to sit tight and wait for canon to start properly, so I could avoid fucking up the timeline. But my heart disagreed.
I looked around the station. And the faces of traumatized children, scared mothers, and tired elderly people greeted me. They looked like they didn't get much sleep either, probably due to the constant sound of monsters from above. If I leave things be, a lot of these people would die. And be abused by the mainstream group in the future. I couldn't, in good faith, just sit tight and wait for someone else to fix problems I could on my own. I was not Kim Dokja, someone detached from the world due to past trauma. I was also not Joonghyuk, someone who had lived two times already and couldn't slow down for anyone, someone who'd let people who weren't useful just die. I wasn't Han Sooyoung, Yoo Sangah, Hyunsung, or Gilyoung. I wasn't anyone but me.
I had decided. I was going to do what I wanted to do.
»»–––––⍟–––––««
''Ethan-ssi… Are you sure you don't want to eat anything?'' I heard Hyunsung ask me in concern. I was currently leaning against the wall of the station, eyes closed and arms crossed. Earlier today, Joonghyuk had given a small portion of food to the now-formed 'Mainstream' group (That was fast…). They had quickly risen in power in just a day and were now distributing the food. Those who argued were basically beaten up. Hyunsung had done nothing about it, and neither had I. Till now.
[Several Constellations are feeling bored.]
''No. I'll eat now.'' I said serenely, with my eyes still closed.
''Oh! I'll go get your port-''
''I'll get my own food from above ground. Myself.''
''…'' He stared at me for a few seconds, speechless. Similar expressions were seen on Lee Gilyoung, Yoo Sangah, and now, Jung Heewon. She had joined us a bit earlier, complaining about the 'Mainstream bastards'.
[Several Constellations are surprised to hear your words.]
[Many Constellations are looking forward to what you're about to do.]
[Constellations have sponsored 200 coins.]
''ARE YOU INSANE KID?''
''Ethan-ssi. I don't think…''
''Good luck, Hyung.''
I'm sure you could figure out who said what. Anyway, Joonghyuk had finally gone back to the tunnels for grinding. It was my time to shine. I am going to avoid complications with him for now, even if I COULD beat his ass relatively easily right now.
''Don't worry about me. I'm strong. I have a way to deal with the poison. I'll be fine.'' I said while walking away, towards exit 3. Heewon had gotten up to try and knock some sense into me, but Hyunsung stopped her. I had expected her reaction, which is why I had convinced Hyunsung before them, and asked him to stop her if she did.
I was going to be fine. [Heavenly Restriction] wasn't just for show.
[Exclusive Skill 'Teleport Lv. 6' has been activated.]
-Blink-
I teleported over to the exit. I hadn't exited just yet, though.
[The Constellations are wondering how you will avoid the poison fog.]
[The Constellation 'Secretive Plotter' is curious about your existence.]
Oh? Why is this one here… The only thing I knew about him was that he was a different future version of Joonghyuk. I had no idea what that meant, nor what he knew. Doesn't matter. Eventually, even the Strongest Constellation wouldn't be able to beat me. If this Gacha really DOES have a large number of fictional worlds in its database, this verse stands no chance.
''Although I don't have a skill that directly helps with poison, gas is still gas.'' I explained to the constellations, acting like a teacher. ''Now, let me ask you, what was the first skill you ever saw me use?'' I said before, finally revealing how I was going to survive in the gas.
[Exclusive Skill 'Heavenly Restriction Lv. 5' has been deactivated.]
[Exclusive Skill 'Ice Age Lv. 5' has been activated.]
A thick, icy aura began appearing around me. Gas was just particles that had a lot of kinetic energy. In other words, stopping it from spreading was as easy as slowing the particles down. And what better way than lowering the temperature? Unexpectedly, this skill actually came in handy. Though I do need to do this, too.
[5,500 Coins have been invested into 'Magic Power'.]
[Magic Power Lv. 5 -> Magic Power Lv. 20]
[Coins: 8,187]
Oh yeah, that's the good stuff. I could feel a drastic change in the output of my ice. I could probably freeze an entire city block. A BIG one at that. Sheesh…
I finally teleported out of the safe zone surrounding the stations.
Time to lock in
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(AN: Yes, I'm still alive. Tho After those 4 consecutive exams, I feel like I got hit with 4 black flashes from Yuji. This must have been how Hanami felt… U can tell I'm a huge jjk fan. Which is also the reason why Heavenly rest is so op for MC. High intimacy = High level and proficiency with the skills. Anyway. I may upload less until, like Early July. Exams are stressful when u have parents that care too fuckin much. And as always, I accept criticism. Please comment more, and write reviews too :P. I won't ask for power stones…Yet)