Dante kept his hands clasped as he stared at the glowing number on the System panel.
He had finally gathered the one thousand Gold Coins needed for another ten-draw.
However, pressing the button immediately felt far too careless after spending years saving for this moment.
He rubbed his hands together with the solemn expression of a priest preparing for a sacred ceremony.
“Before drawing, a man must shower, change into clean clothes, fast, and clear his mind.” It was an absurd superstition he had picked up from games, internet forums, and fantasy novels in his previous life.
Dante knew it probably had no real effect on the System.
Still, a little psychological comfort could not hurt.
What if it worked?
What if his luck finally changed tonight?
Dante left his desk and entered the bathroom connected to his bedroom.
He turned on the shower and stepped beneath the hot water.
Steam quickly filled the room and covered the mirror in a layer of mist.
He scrubbed himself from head to toe until he felt completely refreshed.
Once he finished, he dried off and changed into a clean set of pajamas before returning to his desk.
Dante sat down and slowly inhaled.
He tried to settle his thoughts and calm his racing heart.
The effort failed the moment he looked at the ten-draw button.
Strength meant everything in this nightmare of a world.
Pennywise hunted children beneath the streets of Derry.
Jason Voorhees slaughtered anyone foolish enough to approach Camp Crystal Lake.
Freddy Krueger entered dreams and killed people with the blades attached to his glove.
Dante did not want to disappear into a storm drain because he followed the wrong red balloon.
He also had no intention of being torn apart in his sleep by a burned serial killer.
If he wanted to survive, he needed more power.
“Open the System panel.” The translucent blue screen appeared in front of him.
[Name: Dante] [Gender: Male] [Age: 18] [Main Quest: ???] [Inventory: Ebony & Ivory, Sterling Silver Cross] [Abilities: Eidetic Memory, Sun-Blessed Constitution, Charm] [Pet: None] [Achievement: Ghost Hazard — Caused a ghost to trip over you three times] [Gold Coins: 1,000] [Basic Draw: 1,000 Gold Coins for ten draws] [Standard Draw: 100,000 Gold Coins for ten draws] [Premium Draw: 1,000,000 Gold Coins for ten draws] [Mythic Draw: 100,000,000 Gold Coins for ten draws] Dante stared at the number beside his Gold Coins.
His eyes burned with anticipation as he leaned closer to the screen.
The moment had finally arrived.
He extended one finger with the determination of a man scratching the last number on a winning lottery ticket.
Then he pressed the button marked [Basic Draw: Ten Draws].
Ding!
A crude pixelated slot machine appeared on the panel.
Its ten slots began spinning so quickly that the images inside became streaks of color.
Dante watched without blinking.
His heart rose into his throat as the first slot began to slow.
“Come on, System.
Give me something useful.” The first slot stopped.
[Item Obtained: One Pack of Tissues] Dante’s hopeful expression collapsed.
“You have got to be kidding me.” Of all the possible rewards in the universe, the System had given him tissues.
He had crossed worlds because he went to the bathroom without toilet paper and now the damned thing was mocking him with paper products.
Before Dante could finish complaining, the second slot came to a stop.
[Item Obtained: One Box of Strawberry-Flavored Condoms] His expression froze as one eye began to twitch.
“What am I supposed to do with those?” He was an eighteen-year-old high school student who lived in a town haunted by an ancient child-eating monster.
Staying alive occupied most of his attention.
Romance was not high on his list of survival concerns.
The third slot stopped before he could recover.
[Item Obtained: One Pair of Black Pantyhose] Dante stared silently at the three rewards displayed before him.
Tissues, condoms, and black pantyhose formed a combination that would be extremely difficult to explain if his mother entered the room.
“System, are you trying to get me arrested?” His blood pressure rose as he imagined all one thousand Gold Coins vanishing in exchange for garbage.
He had spent years saving that money and living as cheaply as possible.
If every remaining reward was equally useless, he might tear the panel off the air with his bare hands.
The fourth slot flashed with a faint white light before stopping.
[Ability Obtained: Holy Light Effect — Basic] [Holy Light Effect: A faint white halo will appear around your body whenever the ability is activated.
It looks sacred but provides no practical benefit.] Dante read the description twice before leaning back in his chair.
“A special effect.
You gave me a cosmetic special effect.” At least the System had been honest enough to admit that the ability was useless.
It would make him look impressive while a ghost strangled him, which was apparently supposed to be comforting.
Dante slumped in his chair and prepared himself for six more disappointments.
His expectations had already fallen low enough that another box of tissues might seem generous.
The fifth slot stopped.
[Item Obtained: Sterling Silver Cross] Dante straightened slightly and raised an eyebrow.
He already had one Sterling Silver Cross in his inventory, but a second was still useful.
Silver could injure several kinds of supernatural creatures.
The cross might also affect demons or hostile spirits.
Even if neither property worked, it was heavy enough to throw at someone’s face.
The sixth slot soon followed.
[Ability Obtained: Charm +1] Dante’s mood improved a little more.
Charm would not help him overpower Jason Voorhees, but looking trustworthy could open doors and prevent unnecessary trouble.
People were usually more willing to help someone they liked.
The seventh slot slowed as a soft green glow spread across the panel.
Dante leaned forward when the light grew brighter than anything produced by the previous rewards.
[Ability Obtained: Purification] [Purification: What do you want to purify?] Dante stared at the short description before a wide smile appeared on his face.
“Now that is useful.” Purification had enormous potential in a world filled with curses, demonic possession, haunted objects, and supernatural corruption.
The System had not explained its limitations, but even a weak cleansing ability could save his life.
His excitement returned as he focused on the final three slots.
Seven rewards had already appeared and the draw had finally started improving.
He silently urged the remaining images to stop.
The eighth slot erupted with a burst of shifting colors.
[Item Obtained: Gourmet Tablecloth] [Gourmet Tablecloth: Place the cloth on a flat surface and request a dish.
The requested food will immediately appear.] Dante’s mouth slowly opened.
The Gourmet Tablecloth could produce any meal he wanted with a simple request.
It might not help him fight a supernatural killer, but it meant he would never need to spend money on food again.
That alone made the entire ten-draw worthwhile.
He could save every dollar from his allowance.
He could enjoy meals from expensive restaurants without leaving his bedroom.
More importantly, he would never starve if some supernatural disaster trapped him inside the house.
“I finally hit the jackpot.” Dante almost jumped out of his chair.
Before he could celebrate properly, the ninth slot released a heavier golden-brown light.
[Item Obtained: Ox Talisman] [Ox Talisman: One of the Twelve Talismans.
Its holder gains immense superhuman strength.] Dante stopped breathing for a moment.
The Ox Talisman.
It was one of the Twelve Talismans and represented the power of strength.
As long as he possessed it, his physical power would rise far beyond human limits.
A surge of excitement rushed through his body.
His face grew warm as his heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
This was more than a useful reward.
It was the first item he had received that could directly transform him into something stronger than an ordinary person.
Dante forced himself to look at the last slot.
He had already obtained Purification, the Gourmet Tablecloth, and the Ox Talisman.
Even if the final reward turned out to be another pair of pantyhose, he would accept it without complaint.
The tenth slot began to slow.
Brilliant golden light exploded across the System panel.
It was brighter than every previous effect combined and filled the bedroom with a warm glow.
An orange glass sphere appeared in the center of the slot.
A single red star rested inside it.
[Item Obtained: One-Star Dragon Ball] [One-Star Dragon Ball: A Dragon Ball from another world.
Collect all seven Dragon Balls to summon Shenron and receive one wish.
Probably.] Dante stared at the One-Star Dragon Ball without moving.
His eyes shifted toward the Ox Talisman.
Then he looked at the Gourmet Tablecloth before returning his attention to the glowing orange sphere.
He reached down and pinched his thigh as hard as he could.
“Hiss!” The pain was immediate.
This was not a dream.
The Ox Talisman was real.
The Gourmet Tablecloth was real.
He had also obtained one of the seven Dragon Balls needed to summon Shenron.
A laugh escaped his throat.
Dante tried to suppress it so his parents would not hear him, but the excitement had already overwhelmed his self-control.
“Hah…
Hahahaha!” He covered his mouth and lowered his voice.
His shoulders continued shaking as he stared at the collection of rewards.
The first few items had made the ten-draw seem like a disaster.
The final four had transformed it into something far beyond his expectations.
Dante immediately transferred the Ox Talisman from the System inventory into his hand.
The small octagonal stone felt cool against his palm.
An engraving of an ox rested at its center.
Power surged through his body the moment his fingers closed around it.
His muscles did not grow larger and his appearance did not change.
Even so, Dante could feel overwhelming strength waiting beneath his skin.
He crouched beside his bed and placed both hands beneath the frame.
Then he lifted.
The entire bed rose from the floor without resistance.
Dante held it above his head with both arms extended.
The mattress, wooden frame, blankets, and pillows felt lighter than an empty cardboard box.
He carefully lowered it into place to avoid making noise.
A delighted smile remained on his face as he looked at the Talisman.
“With this, I might actually survive meeting Jason.” Dante returned the Ox Talisman to his inventory before testing his new cosmetic ability.
“Holy Light Effect.” A pale white glow appeared around his body.
It spread across his skin and clothes before forming a faint halo that made him resemble a saint in a church painting.
Dante examined himself in the bathroom mirror.
The ability had no combat value, but he had to admit that it looked impressive.
“At least I’ll look holy while running for my life.” Only Purification remained untested.
Dante dismissed the light and looked toward his bedroom door.
His thoughts immediately turned to Lily.
His sister had been acting strangely for several weeks.
Her personality had not changed enough for their parents to notice, yet Dante continued to feel that something was wrong whenever he saw her.
Her grades had also fallen without any clear reason.
Perhaps she was only going through a difficult period at school.
However, they lived in Derry and shared a world with demons, curses, and body-snatching creatures.
Ignoring his instincts could lead to something much worse.
Dante stood and quietly approached the door.
He would find Lily and test Purification on her.
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