Dark.
Not like when you turn off the light in your room and run to wrap yourself up in a blanket so that you don't get dragged away by the monster under the bed. No, this darkness was of a different kind.
Absolute, impenetrable, oppressive.
I even first tried to walk carefully around the place of my appearance and feel everything with my hands, but I found out one minor problem.
I don't have any hands. My legs, too. Instead of the body and head, the same emptiness. How I think and perceive the surrounding reality is unclear. And, frankly, this is the least important piece of information right now.
Two main questions: how did I get here and what will happen next?
I don't know.
The last thing I remember was standing in front of the train platform, hearing a woman's scream behind me, and turning around… And I'm here. What happened? Why my memories are so fragmented is beyond me.
However, my thoughts (I don't know how long they took – I lost this feeling) were interrupted in the most striking way – in every sense–.
First, a ball of white, almost holy energy appeared in front of me. He hovered in front of me for a few seconds, as if scanning my entire being, and the attention made me feel a little uneasy. When those agonizing moments were over, the globe began to transform.
Now it was a light-skinned, blue-eyed man in an incredibly stylish white three-piece suit. There was a mischievous smile on his handsome face, and he was looking at me with undisguised interest, his hands clasped together in an expectant gesture.
"Well, wow. Someone here has managed to survive the maelstrom of souls. What's your name, little intruder?"
I tried to answer.
I didn't remember. And this discovery hit me harder than I would have liked.
The man's smile faded, turning into a sad expression.
"Yes, I understand. Sometimes this happens. You're lucky to have at least retained most of your memories and personality. Others were much, much less lucky."
Suddenly clapping his hands together, which distracted me from my sad thoughts, he beamed again and continued to speak in a more cheerful tone.
"Well, let's not talk about sad things. Let me pass away – my name is Duke Random, and I am an extra-dimensional, morally chaotic entity that seeks entertainment. From the looks of it, you wouldn't mind an adventure, would you?"
Even though I was a little sad about my situation (because it looks like I died after all), I still nodded. Or tried – it's hard to nod without having a head, neck, or body… Well, you understand.
"Wonderful! So, let me ask you – do you like gambling?"
I shook my head ... something.
"Casinos, gacha, lotteries?"
Again the negative sign. Once again, the Duke's face is sad.
"Too bad. But so much the better for you – you will be able to give an unbiased assessment of my creation, which has already been experienced by hundreds of random souls-the Chaos Gacha!"
Arms outstretched, as if in some kind of performance, a giant wheel appears behind him, divided into many segments. And I immediately feel an invisible pressure coming from him. Not dangerous, but it requires attention.
"The rules are very simple: for completing various tasks or performing any significant feats, you will receive tickets. The more tangible the action that you have performed – the better the ticket is. From the start, you will receive three gold random tickets, and then a world will be selected. If you want more power..."
He tried to rub his hands together like he was some kind of devil… But it didn't work out – clearly for him it was just a pretense.
"...then you can also put curses on yourself!" With a commensurate benefit, of course. So, let's get started!"
The wheel behind him started spinning wildly with a crackling sound, making it impossible to see what was going on. But as it suddenly began, so it ended-stopping at one of the options.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha Ticket…
[Earthbending]
|Elite Skill|
Avatar - You are an apprentice Earthbender, being able to use your internal energy to interact with the earth in the world around you, using movements to bend to your will. The more experienced and trained you are the stronger your bending.
------------------------
"Oh, you're so lucky! The first roll - and immediately an elite skill. I'm impressed!"
Earth magic from Avatar? Although I watched it a long time ago, I remember a little how it works – a firm stance, direct intentions and unshakeable faith. Yes, it will be possible to work with it. Not immediately, but you can.
After that, the second ticket flew. And again at an impossible speed for the eyes.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha Ticket…
[Audacity]
|Elite Ability|
Allows you to go unnoticed by people, they try to ignore you to the best of their ability, you can pick the lock to someone's house, grab their wallet while they are having dinner, kill their wife and leave without them even commenting on it. Stronger targets are less affected by this and will notice actions that are drastic, this ability consumes energy and stamina to keep active.
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A good stealth ability, though energy-dependent. Although the examples presented are ... alarming.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha Ticket…
[Transhuman]
|Rare Trait|
You are a transhuman... or whatever race you are, genetic and mechanical augments work very well with you. You suffer no penalty for changing your race or installing cybernetic implants. Change your body however you'd like, it was meant to be changed anyway.
------------------------
"Here's the first Trait!"
Yes, it may be a lower rank, but it mentions that I can modify myself and change my race with this Gacha. And with this trait, I don't incur any penalties for it. It will be revealed a little later, I hope.
"So, the rewards are received. I can congratulate you, because this is not the worst thing that could have happened to you. I hope you're happy, because now you have to choose the world!"
The wheel changed – now there were segments with the names of different worlds in their names. Some of them were quite attractive, while others were not very attractive. Games, anime, movies and books-there was everything! Some are familiar, some are not. But, to be honest, this makes it more interesting.
While I was thinking, the wheel had already started to slow down, slowly coming to rest on my fate.
Baldur's Gate 3.
"Oh, incredible luck! A legendary adventure, mysterious dangers, great opponents and incredible personalities that meet on the way! Please accept my congratulations!"
The Duke was bursting with enthusiasm… And me, to be honest, too. Even though I've played it a bit, the key word here is "a little bit". I was only able to walk to the camp gate, looting some ruins along the way, and that was it. What happened next, I do not know.
"Well, what do you say-are you ready to go towards the unknown? Or... "
Lowering his voice to a dramatic whisper, he pointed to a new wheel that appeared behind him – black, with red segments where everything was written in devilish script. I don't know if there really is one, but it's like it's supposed to look like this.
And the sight of it triggered one of my worst traits – greed.
I've always been greedy for as long as I can remember. To save an extra chocolate bar for myself, to take a little more than I needed from somewhere, to turn the attention to myself – all my life I tried to take more. It wasn't made absolute, but I can't exactly call myself sinless either. The only thing is, I tried not to do this to the detriment of others, if it was possible.
And now, seeing a source of even greater power in front of me, I made a rather impulsive, but perhaps profitable decision.
I formed the number "10" in my head.
The Duke was clearly shocked by this. But there was definitely a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
"You're not shy. Please accept my respect. Since it's your will, we'll do it without stopping!"
He snapped his fingers, and ten empty fields appeared in front of us, as if they were made of blood. The wheel began to spin wildly, burning as it did so, and the void began to fill.
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[Yandere]
There is a yandere out there yearning for your love, and she won't take no for an answer, and she will not be very willing to listen to reason.
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[Perverted Aura]
You have an aura of perversion and deviancy around you, making people generally assume your intentions to be such. Even if you are a kind-hearted celibate saint, people might assume you have lewd ulterior motives for your actions.
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[Bad Blood]
You were born into a family of bad people, could be criminals, cultists, crooks, gangsters, or god forbid, a corpo.
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[Celebrity]
You are great at drawing attention, whether you like it or not. People tend to notice you, and if you ask them to pick out someone random in a crowd, they would pick you more likely than not. Can be useful for gathering fame, but the downsides edge out the positives.
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[Honesty]
You are an honest person, way too honest. You cannot communicate with the intent to deceive someone, no lies, no lie by omission, no clever wording, whatever you say, you say what you mean. So either don't talk or tell the truth.
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[Horrible Night]
Your entrance into the world will be in very bad circumstances, whether that is having been kidnapped by a cult, in the middle of a terrorist attack or owing a lot of debt to some bad people. Your start to the world is not a good one.
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[Infertile]
Whatever reproductive organs you have, they refuse to harbour life or help in the formation of life. You cannot impregnate anyone or be impregnated, no matter what.
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[Curse of Arms]
You cannot wield weapons; the moment you try to hold a weapon or try to utilise it to any extent, they will be ripped out of your hands, and you will be shocked by lightning that increases in severity with each attempt.
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[Leviathans]
"Detecting multiple Leviathan-class lifeforms in the region. Are you certain whatever you're doing is worth it?" The world you are in is occupied by several giant, powerful monsters that possess a special animosity towards humanity.
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[Weakness of Metal]
"From the moment I understood the weakness of metal, it disgusted me. I craved the ever-changing nature of flesh." Your body naturally and violently rejects any augmentations and implants you try to add to it. Even adding a metal tooth would cause your flesh and body to reject it violently.
------------------------
Ouch.
Well, it looks like I paid for my impertinence.
[Perverted Aura], [Celebrity], [Infertile] и [Weakness of Metal] not as bad as you might think. In my opinion, these are just inconveniences that do not affect me much.
But everything else is another matter.
[Yandere] - I have absolutely no idea how this is going to work, but I sincerely hope that I will not be tried to kill or rape from the start.
[Bad Blood] - I think this means that I will appear in a different – not my – body, which will have some history. I don't know how bad this is – I haven't studied ENT in enough detail.
[Honesty] - Absolute honesty has never been a good idea. I'll just try to believe that I won't have to solve anyone's moral conflicts.
[Curse of Arms] – it might have been bad if it wasn't for the fact that I have the ability to get a variety of magic through Gacha. I think this can be fixed in time, as well as other curses.
There are only two left, and that's the worst of it.
[Leviathans] - from what little I already knew about the DnD setting, there was already a lot of big killer shit going on. And now, thanks to me, it's even bigger.
[Terrible Night] - probably the worst of the fall. I guess I could have appeared in the middle of a quiet forest or on the ocean… But with this, I'll be in some kind of ass. I hope it's figurative.
"Well, I'm impressed. Knowing the possible outcomes, I think you're just incredibly lucky. Again. Are you sure you've never noticed any randomness in your life?"
The way Random asked that question both bothered me and made me think hard. But after going through all the memories I had left in my mind (which turned out to be faster than I had planned), I came to the conclusion that nothing extraordinary had happened to me. Never.
Well, up to that point after his own death, of course.
"Okay, I'll trust you. And yes, even though you'll get your reward now, I'll tell you a few things. First of all, you won't be able to get any more curses from Gacha, and all the curses that will come from the world you're going to will not give you any benefits. Secondly, all curses are either one-time or can be cured, but only you will have to find out for yourself how. Finally, for your sincerity, recklessness, and bravery, I will grant you a prize."
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Feat Achieved: Get 10 curses from the start, thereby impressing (and scaring) everyone.
+ 1 Diamond Advantage Random Gacha Ticket
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"My advice to you is not to play games like this with the local deities. They are very touchy. Well, rip up your tickets – you've earned them.
I did just that.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha Ticket…
[Manticore]
|Rare Familiar|
A chimeric creature with the body and head of a lion, tail of a scorpion and the wings of a bat. In addition to their large size and powerful physical abilities, they possess a powerful paralytic venom that can put a white whale into a coma. This one is capable of laying eggs to reproduce asexually.
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Rolling Gold Random Gacha Ticket…
[Void Dragon's Breath]
|Elite Ability|
Allows you to charge and unleash a breath attack of erosive and destructive void energy that exhausts the energy of whatever it touches. The longer you charge for and the more energy you use the stronger the breath is.
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Rolling Gold Advantage Random Gacha Ticket…
[Rabbits Foot]
|Rare Trait|
You are naturally very lucky, being on the good books of lady fate pays off. You can rob a casino blind and in general, things without a high impact on fate go in your favor.(Does not affect Gacha)
OR
[Restful]
|Uncommon Trait|
"Nap time." Your energy and health recover faster when you are sleeping.
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Rolling Gold Advantage Random Gacha Ticket…
[Cupid's Blessing]
|Rare Trait|
Your luck with your romantic life seems to be greatly increased. Remember to thank Cupid.
OR
[Sakuya Fumo]
|Uncommon Item|
A Fumo of one of the greatest maids, it is said that whatever house this plushie is placed in is maintained as if 10 maids are cleaning and organizing it 24/7.
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Rolling Gold Advantage Random Gacha Ticket…
[Goth Magnet]
|Uncommon Trait|
Goths and emos are drawn to you for some reason, making it easier for you to garner affection and favor from goths or those with daddy issues. In addition, people turn a blind eye to your less-than-favorable actions more easily, just like how those fathers turned a blind eye to their daughters.
OR
[Hentai Logic]
|Elite Trait|
Apparently this world runs on Hentai Logic, objects revolving around you are far more perverted and people's logic is slightly skewed.
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Rolling Gold Advantage Random Gacha Ticket…
[Snow Warning]
|Uncommon Ability|
Allows the user to summon a snowstorm on their location that slightly boosts ice-based abilities.
OR
[Canis Companion]
|Uncommon Trait|
You have great affinity with dogs, canines, wolves, and creatures that are aligned with them. Making it easier to earn their affection and favor, and form relationships with them. Thanks to your affinity with the Canis, your sense-based abilities and traits are more potent, and it is easier to control your own senses.
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Rolling Platinum Random Gacha Ticket…
[Shut Off]
|Elite Ability|
You are able to shut off people's powers by making physical contact with them. The amount of energy you need to expend to do so depends on the power difference between you and the target. Strong enough targets may only be partially affected.
------------------------
Oh.
There's a lot going on here. Both good and not so good. Tickets with a choice, and that diamond one, I'll roll when I figure it out.
[Manticore] is good. I'll have at least some sort of ally at first. I don't know about his fighting skills, so I'll just hope he doesn't decide to eat me.
[Void Dragon''s Breath] - sounds like a formidable weapon against wizards. I think it will become stronger as you learn, just like other abilities, if you follow the logic. It will be necessary to test it – you never know what hidden opportunities there may be.
Now you can buy tickets with an advantage.
[Rabbits Foot] - I'll need all the luck I can muster to survive. If the [Terrible Night] curse is really that bad, then any advantage will play into my hands.
[Cupid''s Blessing] – because I hope it helps me level out the disadvantages of [Perverted Aura] and [Yandere]. And, to be honest, I wouldn't mind the luck of finding a lovely lady who doesn't throw vinegar in my face on a first date.
A long story.
[Hentai Logic] - because...
No, I could think of logical excuses for my choice. But let's be honest – it sounds too tempting. Yes, and I'm still a degenerate who is proud (albeit secretly) of his "collection". I don't think that's a bad thing.
I'm talking about the ticket result.
Not about the "collection".
Never mind, let's move on.
[Snow Warning] - I need whatever damage and defense options I can get from the start to level out the curses ' minuses.
Now, the remaining tickets. I'll choose one per ability, skill, and trait.
------------------------
Rolling Gold Ability Gacha Ticket…
[Electric Discharge]
|Rare Ability|
Allows you to channel potent electricity through your body and discharge, with training you can channel where your electricity goes to aim it more precisely.
------------------------
Rolling Gold Trait Gacha Ticket…
[Child of Artemis]
|Elite Trait|
You are a child blessed by Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. Your proficiency and talent with all ranged weapons are greatly increased. In addition, your tracking and wayfinding abilities are enhanced to a supernatural level, allowing you to easily track prey across a country and not get lost in even the deepest of woods.
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Rolling Gold Skill Gacha Ticket…
[Expert Blunt Weapon Mastery]
|Elite Skill|
You are an expert of blunt weapons like hammers and clubs, the might with which you swing these weapons can brown the pants of any common man. If these were the old ages, there would be folklore about how you splattered a man across the battlefield with a simple mace.
------------------------
You have acquired 5 unique abilities! +1 Active Ability Slot
------------------------
Great, just fine. Well, except that in two of the three results I have advantages in owning different types of weapons. Which I can't get my hands on. For now.
Now I can discharge electricity into opponents, survive in the woods, and look at hammers and such, just hoping to use it someday.
Well, the last ticket.
Don't let me down.
------------------------
Rolling Diamond Advantage Random Gacha Ticket…
[King of All Trades]
|Epic Skill|
You have Adept-level expertise in all basic trades (Adept Blacksmithing, Medicine, Mechanics, Cooking, Interfacing) with competence comparable to an actual veteran of the trade and are greatly talented in those fields.
OR
[Warp Mist]
|Legendary Ability|
MHA - Allows you to create and control dark mists that act like portals you can shape your liking, you can form this mist to anywhere you have been to or can see. With training, you can create more mist and use co-ordinates and images to form portals to places you haven't been to
------------------------
Fuck yes! It was worth it!
[Warp Mist] - and this is not up for discussion. Yes, becoming a jack of all trades is good, but having the ability to teleport both yourself and your opponents is too tempting a trump card.
All the time I was spinning my tickets, the Duke was standing right next to me, watching me intently. Most likely, he just likes to watch others try their luck for strength. I can't blame him for this – it really looks funny from the outside.
When I'm done sorting through my awards, I mentally nod to let him know I'm done.
"You're really lucky. I hope this will continue. Now that it's all over, it's time to embark on an adventure."
After saying that, a blue hole appeared below me, as if it was beginning to suck in my essence. I didn't resist.
Finally, I heard only a few words:
"...I'll be rooting for you..."
And then the world went dark again.
***
It wasn't a pleasant wake-up call.
My whole body felt weak, my bones ached, and my head felt strange, as if someone was crawling there.
And then I opened my eyes.
I froze in a silent scream.
Because everything around me was like a slimy purple slush, and my place of appearance was like a capsule.
It looks like an Illithid capsule, if I understand correctly.
And the sensation in the brain is not phantom.
I'm infected.
And I need to get out – as soon as possible.
Otherwise, I'll die before I can do anything.
So help me Luck.