Lief stood staring at the ceiling for a few moments, then jumped up and approached the floating screen in front of him.
[Coins: 48,151,899]
"Let's hope luck is with me," he murmured, rubbing his chin as seriousness returned to his face.
The mission to the Underworld required maximum preparation.
But going directly to the advanced draw was an unacceptable risk. If the system decided to give him a streak of bad luck and squander ten million coins on useless trash, the heart attack it would give him would be more dangerous than any demon.
It was better to test the waters before going big.
"System, let's start with the Basic draw."
[Do you confirm consuming 1,000 coins to perform a Basic ten-draw?]
"I confirm and let it be what destiny wants."
With his confirmation, a roulette appeared on the screen and began to spin rapidly.
It spun twice, slowing down to a stop and ten flashes of white light flew out of the screen, materializing into a row of small cards suspended in the air.
Interlacing his fingers over his chest and, with the feeling of wasting time, he clicked on the first card.
[Food: A bag of Arabica Cocoa Beans]
"..."
What was this supposed to mean? Did the system fear he would die of hunger in the Underworld and wanted him to grind his own hot chocolate to warm himself up?
He clicked on the second card.
[Item: "The Bible"]
Bible?
His expression twisted into an even stranger grimace.
Did he really need that book? Perhaps the next time he encountered a demon, instead of using his purification, he would use it to hit him directly in the face?
He clicked on the third card.
[Item: Crystal Necklace]
A simple glass necklace.
Without any trace of energy, without any discernible utility, and even the workmanship looked cheap.
He flipped the fourth card.
[Item: Blue Trench Coat]
A long trench coat, midnight blue in color and with an elegant classic style cut.
It wasn't a weapon, but at least it wasn't cocoa and he had to admit it looked great.
The fifth card.
[Skill obtained: Good Voice LV3 (Passive)]
[Description: Your voice will become more magnetic and persuasive, and at the same time you will obtain a professional level in singing.]
"Oh!"
This was something, finally, decent.
The capacity for persuasion would definitely be useful to negotiate without having to resort to force.
As for the singing... Remembering the singer Dorothy mentioned, maybe he could present himself as the opening act at the Underworld Christmas Gala.
His mood improved slightly and he clicked on the sixth card.
[Item: Wooden Toy Helicopter]
The corner of his eye began to twitch again.
A wooden helicopter?... What the shit do I do with this!?
The seventh card.
[Item: Anal Plug (Futuristic Design)]
"..."
No comment.
[Item: "Smiles" Alarm Clock]
An alarm clock materialized before him with the painted face of a clown suspiciously reminiscent of Pennywise...
Ninth card.
[Item: Superman Glasses]
A pair of thick, black-framed glasses fell into his hand.
They were... normal, he didn't see anything special about them.
Intrigued, he approached the full-length mirror and put them on.
The image that the reflection returned was... disappointing.
It was still him.
There was no magic something blurring his features.
He just looked like a librarian or a reporter now.
"So, the logic of this item is based on the 'Clark Kent Effect'," he deduced, taking them off with annoyance and throwing them onto the bed, "People won't recognize me because they'll think I'm too pathetic to be a hero."
The last card remained.
With frustration building up in his chest, he clicked on the last card without any ceremony.
[Upgrade: "Holy Light Effect" Level +1]
This time, there was no physical object, but a warm sensation, similar to drinking a shot of whiskey, ran through his bloodstream, settling in his brain.
"..."
With everything finished, he dropped back onto the bed, looking at his "investment."
Ten attempts. One thousand coins.
The result: cocoa beans for a picnic, a Bible to hit people with, futuristic sex toys, second-hand store junk, and a passive upgrade so small he barely noticed the difference.
"Well," he said running a hand through his hair, "I guess you get what you pay for. It is a basic draw, after all."
His gaze drifted to the upper corner of the screen.
Forty-eight million coins were still shining there.
Then, his eyes dropped toward the large, tempting gold button, "Advanced Draw."
But the price flashing next to it made him hesitate.
It could be the biggest scam or the key to surviving what was coming.
He thought of Dorothy. He thought of the Christmas Gala. Of the Underworld.
He was going to voluntarily enter the lion's den, surrounded by entities that saw humans as snacks or toys.
With his current abilities, maybe he could defend himself, but if something went wrong... he didn't have a safe exit.
He needed a trump card.
He needed something that would allow him to walk among true demons with his head held high or, if necessary, blow the whole place to smithereens to cover his escape.
His gaze, previously doubtful, sharpened with cold determination.
The stored coins were useless if he was dead.
"Doubt is the prelude to defeat," he murmured, feeling the adrenaline rush through his veins, "System! To hell with the scraps! Give me a ten-draw Advanced Draw!"
[Do you confirm consuming 10,000,000 coins to perform an Advanced Level Draw?]
"Confirm!"
The instant his intention transformed into an order, the coin counter plummeted dizzily to [38,150,899]
The bronze roulette disintegrated into pixels, being replaced by a massive and ornate structure, forged in what looked like liquid gold and strange lines.
The entire room was bathed in a majestic golden light. The sound was no longer an electronic hum, but a deep roar, like that of celestial machinery starting up.
"This is something else..." he whispered, his heart pounding hard against his ribs.
The golden wheel began to spin, gaining speed until it became a vortex of light.
"Come on!" he shouted, unable to contain the excitement, "Give me something that can kill a god!"
With a final crash that made the window panes vibrate, the great wheel stopped.
________
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