New Powers
"Host, please calm yourself. Your face is quite scary and will probably frighten even the strongest warriors."
Confused, I frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Without warning, a mirror shimmered into existence in front of me. As I leaned in to look, my breath caught. I was smiling—but not in a normal way. No, this was the kind of smile you'd see on a madman. Wide, twisted, unhinged. My eyes gleamed with something dark—something that made even me shiver. A chill crawled down my spine.
I didn't think I was capable of that, I thought, staring at my reflection. The expression didn't feel like mine, yet I knew it was. That smile… was real.
Then, as if to interrupt my spiraling thoughts, a familiar chime echoed in my head.
—System Notification—
Your Fire Dragon Slaying Magic has leveled up.
You have acquired a derivative skill:
Skill Acquired: Dragon Presence – Release an aura that forms a mirage of a dragon behind your form. Instills fear in lower beings and intimidation in peers.
You have completed a Legendary Achievement:
Kill: Fenrir
Reward: 10 Tickets, 100,000 Points
Title Acquired: Kingslayer (Passive)
Effect: When fighting kings, rulers, or leaders, gain a 50% boost in all stats.
Your Fire Dragon Slaying Magic has reached Level 20.
A metamorphosis is required to proceed.
Proceed with Metamorphosis?
[Y/N]
"Yes," I stated immediately, without hesitation.
[One day later]
My eyes snapped open. The world around me felt… still. Like I was emerging from deep water.
"System, how long was I out?"
Host, your metamorphosis lasted 24 hours.
"I see," I muttered, rubbing my chin. My body felt different—denser, stronger. Like everything had been reforged in a hotter flame.
"Oh yeah, my stats. They should've improved."
"System, show me my status."
[Status Window – Opened]
Strength: 62
Defense: 63
Dexterity: 61
Stamina: 62
Intelligence: 34
Magic: 67
A grin crept across my face again—but this time, it felt natural.
"Hell yes," I muttered. "All my stats except Intelligence have surpassed 60."
The boost was enormous. My whole body buzzed with energy, and I could feel my magic crackling under the surface like a barely contained inferno. I clenched my fists, feeling the weight behind every movement.
Then I remembered something else.
This system had a gacha function. One I hadn't touched in a while.
I opened the menu and smiled. I had completed thousands of quests and almost a hundred achievements across different rarities. That had to mean something.
"Hey, System. Do I still get ten tickets for every year I've been in this realm?"
Yes, Host. Even though you haven't aged in your original world, time still passes here. Every 365 days since your birth earns you 10 tickets.
The screen loaded—and when I saw the number, my eyes widened in shock.
[Tickets Available: 7,300]
"Holy shit."
System Notice: You have exceeded 1,000 tickets. A new feature has been unlocked: [Amount Selection]. You may now choose how many tickets to spend at once.
"That's not bad, I guess."
I started small.
"Let's go with 10 pulls."
[Gacha Pull x10 – Results]
Items Acquired: 10x Skill Upgrade Cards
"…Where's the rest of my items?"
Host, those ten Skill Upgrade Cards are all you received.
My mouth twitched. "But why are they all Skill Upgrade Cards?"
Host, you have reached a level where common or low-tier items are no longer useful. The system now filters rewards based on compatibility with your current power. Only unique, high-tier, or scalable items are awarded. The odds of receiving such items have slightly improved—but they remain rare.
I narrowed my eyes. "So I'm too powerful for trash, but not lucky enough for the good stuff."
Essentially, yes.
"Fine. But how many tickets do I need to spend to get something decent?"
If you are lucky, you may obtain something unique in 100 draws. If not, it could take up to 1,000.
There is a guaranteed unique reward every 1,000 pulls. This counter resets after each unique item is obtained.
"Alright then… let's test my luck."
I typed in 100 and clicked [Confirm].
[Gacha Pull x100 – Results]
Items Acquired: 100x Skill Upgrade Cards
My eye twitched.
"I guess my luck really isn't that good."
New Feature Unlocked: Item Combination.
You may now combine multiple identical items to create stronger versions.
Note: To upgrade unique skills using Skill Upgrade Cards, you must use 1,000 cards per enhancement. Higher levels or divine-tier enhancements will cost significantly more.
My eyes widened.
"Wait… I can use these to strengthen my Unique Skills?"
Affirmative.
A grin crept back onto my face.
"Screw it. Let's go all in."
I typed in 1000 and hit [Confirm].
[Gacha Pull x1000 – Results]
Items Acquired:
997x Skill Upgrade Cards
Acquired Unique Skill:…..
Acquired Unique Skill:…..
Acquired Divine Skill:…..
I stared at the screen. My heart skipped a beat.
"…Holy shit."
System Message: …
I laughed—loud, reckless, full of disbelief and exhilaration.
"Hahaha! I guess I'm just lucky after all!"
But just as the laughter echoed off the chamber walls, a voice cut through it—sharp, sudden, unfamiliar.
"Why are you laughing?"
"AAAHH!"
I leapt back, heart hammering.
But the space was empty. The voice had vanished as suddenly as it came.
I looked around. Nothing. Only silence, and the soft hum of power thrumming beneath my skin.
I exhaled slowly.
But the tension in my body didn't fade. My nerves were still on edge, every instinct on high alert.
Then a small voice called out from below.
"Down here."
I jumped again, heart skipping a beat. Reflexively, I dropped into a defensive stance, fists raised like a boxer ready to strike. My eyes snapped downward—and then widened in disbelief.
"A… a child?"
Standing there was a small girl. At first glance, she looked no older than five or six, her delicate frame wrapped in a loose white robe. Her silver hair shimmered in the light, and her golden eyes sparkled with a strange, ancient familiarity.
"Who are you?" I asked sharply. "And how did you get in here?"
The girl puffed out her cheeks and pouted.
Something about that face… It was so punchable. Not in a bad way—just in that annoying, irresistibly smug kind of way.
I felt a sudden urge to poke her cheeks, but I shook it off. What the hell was I thinking?
As I tried to pull my thoughts back together, the girl finally spoke.
"Did you forget me already? I'm Moon."
My mind stalled for a second.
"What… is she talking about?"
Then it hit me.
The silver hair.
The golden eyes.
The twin wolf tails swaying behind her.
And the ears—those soft, twitching wolf ears.
My jaw dropped.
"Holy shit… it's you."
She smirked.
"So you've realized who I am, human. A few days ago, I completed my next evolution and finally obtained the ability to transform."
I stared at her, slowly lowering my fists as the realization settled in. The aura was unmistakable—it was Moon.
But I still couldn't help asking, confused, "Why… this form? Why choose to look like this?"
Her smirk faded. Her golden eyes dimmed slightly as her expression turned solemn.
"…This is what my master looked like."
The room fell silent.
I didn't know what to say.