Chapter 51: My Tori-Sense is Tingling
I stared at the new Gacha banner, "Nyx’s Embrace," transfixed by the shadowy woman with dual daggers. Two hundred SP for five pulls. That was a lot of my hard-earned points—points I’d gained through sweat, manipulation, and so genuinely embarrassing monts with my stepsister.
"Two hundred points for five pulls?" I muttered, shaking my head. "That’s almost half my stash. Highway robbery, even with a rate-up."
As if summoned by my complaint, a small, golden pixelated avatar popped into existence in the corner of the interface. The tiny chibi version of Apollo wore ridiculous sunglasses and had the most punchable smirk I’d ever seen on a digital face.
[Worried about the price, little mortal?] A text bubble appeared next to his smug face. [Greatness isn’t cheap! This is a VIP, limited-ti offer, curated by yours truly for a rising star. The normal Pity Protocol is for plebeians. This banner? This is a Sovereign’s Welco.]
I snorted. "A Sovereign’s Welco that drains my treasury. What’s the catch, Apollo? The last ’guaranteed’ banner you gave
ended with an immortal snail and a baseball bat."
The chibi Apollo waved a dismissive hand. [Details, details! This ti is different. I’m feeling generous. The Audience demands a spectacle! So, for this one-ti-only pull, I’m personally guaranteeing every. single. draw. will be GOLD rarity or higher. How’s that for divine favor?]
My eyebrows shot up. Five guaranteed Gold
pulls for 200 SP? That was an insane bargain—like a drug dealer offering the first hit for free, knowing you’ll be back for more. I knew it was a hook, designed to get
spending, but it was a hook I couldn’t afford to ignore.
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "You’ve got a deal, you little golden loan shark. But if I get another gastropod, I’m coming for your temple."
[Excellent! Let the Fates sing your na!]
The chibi threw a shower of pixelated confetti before disappearing. I took a deep breath and hit the purchase button, watching my SP counter drop from 285 to 85.
Instantly, my vision was consud by a swirling galaxy of stars. This wasn’t the usual Gacha animation. My entire field of view beca a cosmic nebula, billions of stars spinning around . Five motes of light broke away from the cosmic dance, four blazing with brilliant gold, and one—impossibly bright—shining with the cool, hard light of platinum.
The first golden star streaked forward, slamming into my consciousness with the force of a physical blow.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: SHADE CLOAK (Gold Active Ability)]
Knowledge flooded my mind—cold and elusive, like trying to grab smoke with your bare hands. I suddenly understood how to manipulate the light around , how to bend shadows to conceal my presence. Not true invisibility, but the next best thing—the art of making others’ eyes slide right past
as if I weren’t there.
Before I could process this, the second golden star hit.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: SEVER (Gold Active Ability)]
This one was a razor’s edge pressed against my mind—the kinesthetic understanding of shaping my energy into an invisible, cutting blade. I could extend my will outward, creating a blade of pure force that could slice through nearly anything. I felt my fingers tingle with phantom energy, already knowing exactly how to form the deadly edge.
The third golden star approached, and this one felt different. Instead of flooding my mind with new knowledge, it seed to target sothing deeper—my very essence.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: RIVALRY (Gold Trait)]
A burning sigil felt like it was being branded onto my soul. My personal aura shifted, gaining a sharp, challenging edge. It wasn’t knowledge or power, but a fundantal change to how I existed in the world. I now radiated an energy that invited confrontation, that commanded respect through the promise of conflict. It was the aura of soone who could and would fight back—and win.
The platinum star hurtled forward next, outshining all others. When it crashed into , I nearly fell backward onto my bed.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: PROTECTION FROM ARROWS (Platinum Passive Ability)]
My senses exploded outward. It wasn’t just seeing or hearing; it was a new, primal awareness. The air in my room was no longer empty; it beca a space filled with vectors, potential trajectories, and silent threats. My brain processed incoming projectiles before they were even launched, calculating angles and speeds with supernatural accuracy. It was like gaining a sixth sense dedicated solely to keeping
alive.
The final golden star drifted forward slowly, unlike the others. Instead of slamming into , it unfolded like an origami creation, revealing itself as an ancient, shimring golden scroll.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: FAMILIAR CONTRACT (Gold Item)]
This wasn’t a power, but a tool. A key to a door I hadn’t known existed. The knowledge of how it worked—what it was—settled into my mind with the weight of ancient law. A contract that would bind another being to , making them my familiar. They had to sign willingly, knowing what the contract entailed, but once signed...
The cosmic display faded, returning
to my bedroom. I sat still for a mont, letting the new abilities integrate with my consciousness.
Acting on pure instinct, I grabbed a pen from my desk and, without looking, threw it hard against the opposite wall. As it ricocheted back toward my head, my body moved before my mind gave the command. I tilted, the pen whistling past my ear by a milliter.
"Holy shit," I whispered, staring at the pen now lying on my floor. "I didn’t even think about dodging. My body just... knew."
I walked to the mirror on my closet door. I looked mostly the sa—the improved physique from my training was there, the darker expression I’d cultivated since arriving in this world—but sothing was different. My reflection seed sharper, more dangerous. The RIVALRY trait wasn’t visible, but I could feel it radiating from , turning the man in the mirror into a challenger sizing
up for a fight.
I opened my inventory and pulled out the FAMILIAR CONTRACT. It materialized in my hands as a weighty scroll made of so golden material that wasn’t quite paper, parchnt, or tal, but sothing in between. Ornate script decorated the edges, and when I unrolled it, the writing shifted and changed, as if alive.
I read the description carefully:
[FAMILIAR CONTRACT (Gold Item): A binding magical agreent that transforms the signatory into the contractor’s familiar. The subject must sign willingly and with full knowledge of the contract’s purpose. Once bound, the familiar gains enhanced abilities but must obey direct commands. The bond can only be broken by mutual agreent or death. Note: Contracted beings cannot harm their master directly or through inaction.]
My mind raced through the possibilities. Could I make anyone my familiar? Like a pet?
Could I force a monster to sign this? A Gate boss? Ta it and turn it against its own kind?
But why would I want a pet monster when I was building a harem of human weapons?
Wait... a human? Could a human sign this? What would that even an? To be bound to
not just by loyalty or manipulation, but by the fundantal laws of the System?
I thought of Natalia, already mine in nearly every way that mattered. I thought of Emi, the sweet, naive healer who was next on my list.
This went beyond even the Ensemble system. This wasn’t just giving soone powers or gaining their loyalty—this was ownership at a fundantal level.
I carefully rolled the contract back up, storing it in my inventory. This wasn’t sothing to use lightly. This was an ace in the hole, a weapon of last resort.
I checked my updated status screen:
SATORI NAKANO
Level: 1 | Title: None | Class: None | Schema Points: 85
ATTRIBUTES:
Strength: D-277 Endurance: D-291
Dexterity: D-208 Magic: F-110
Agility: D-231
ACTIVE ABILITIES (2/2):
Ember, Freezing Breath
PASSIVE ABILITIES (2/4):
Mysticism, Protection From Arrows
SKILLS & TRAITS:
Charming Eyes, Interdiate Kama Sutra, Basic First Aid, Consort’s Touch, Rivalry
My ability slots were now nearly filled with a terrifying arsenal of Gold and Platinum skills. But my SP had plumted to 85—not even enough for another five-pull on the regular Gacha. I was broker than a college student after textbook season.
The chibi Apollo avatar popped back up, giving
a thumbs-up and a final, smug wink.
[Pleasure doing business with you! Enjoy the toys. Try not to die before you can afford your next purchase!]
"Smug little bastard," I muttered as the avatar disappeared.
I flopped back on my bed, staring at the ceiling and processing everything. From pathetic Zero to stealth assassin with supernatural reflexes in less than a month. Not bad.
Bartholow the immortal snail had finally reached his lettuce. I watched him munching away with the slowest, tiniest bites imaginable.
"Well, Bartholow," I said to my glacial pet, "looks like I’m broke, but at least now I’m dangerous. What do you think? Should I use the contract on soone?"
Bartholow continued his eternal feast, unconcerned with my ethical dilemmas.
The entrance exams were approaching fast. Natalia was mine. Emi would be next. My arsenal of abilities was growing more powerful by the day.
The pathetic, fat Satori that everyone had overlooked was dead and buried. In his place stood a Sovereign in the making.
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