My Scumbag System Chapter 461: The Gacha God Plays Favorites

"Those are terrible odds."

"Those are gacha odds, my boy. Besides." With a casual wave, he made the banner change, uncovering shadowy outlines of items just beyond my clear view. "This banner was tailored exactly for your setup. Close-range fighter. High burst damage. Requires mobility fixes and defenses versus distant foes."

"So it’s rigged."

"It’s optimized. There’s a difference."

Nel cautioned.

"Or," I replied deliberately, "that’s when I draw something that leaves Reyna regretting her challenge."

Apollo’s laughter boomed through the space, smooth as silk over thunder.

"Now you’re talking my talk."

I pondered it deeply.

Thought it through for real.

The cautious route offered slow gains through grinding.

The gacha promised wild unpredictability.

Possibility.

A shot at snagging an item that flipped Reyna’s edge right back at her.

Or landing a Divine Feather Duster plus a trait boosting birds’ odd affection for me.

"One pull."

"Boring."

"Two pulls."

"Better." Apollo smacked his palms. "But I get you, Satori Nakano. You’re no two-pull type. You’re the fool picking Impossible Mode. Charging an Arborist bat in hand. Taking a death beam to shield your healer."

"Your point?"

"My point? You’ll go full throttle. Six pulls. Three thousand SP. All your points on the line."

"That’s insane."

"That’s exactly why you’ll dive in."

He hit the mark.

Safe moves left me uninterested.

Ever since Tokyo.

From that first Yamaguchi safehouse entry, talking my exit with a pistol pressed to my skull.

Safety kept things tiny.

Tiny got crushed underfoot.

"Six pulls."

Nel let out a groan.

Apollo’s smile stretched wide enough to crack peaks.

"Perfect pick. Time to uncover what destiny delivers."

The banner burst forth in radiant glow.

Golden cards appeared floating, rotating lazily.

Every one pulsed with promise.

Or letdown.

Impossible to know before revealing them.

That thrill defined the gacha.

Along with its terror.

"First pull!"

I extended my hand.

Snatched the card.

Silver brilliance erupted from it.

[THERMAL VISION]

Passive Ability - Silver Tier

Decent enough.

Handy indeed for spotting foes or hidden traps.

Yet hardly a revolution.

"Solid B-plus!" Apollo declared. "A tad dull, yet useful. Next one."

Second card.

Gold shimmered from it prior to contact.

[KINETIC ABSORPTION]

Passive Trait - Gold Tier

My brows lifted.

"Now that’s intriguing."

"Right?" Apollo spun around. "Absorb a blow, power up. Pure shonen vibes for you."

Nel conceded.

"Three more cards. Let’s keep rolling."

Third pull gleamed.

Platinum radiance.

[STEEL BODY]

Active Ability - Platinum Tier

"Oh, you’re heating up." Apollo’s gaze sparkled. "Ten seconds invincible. Plenty to gap the distance, tank lightning, smash a face flat."

"I like it."

"I figured. Fourth pull!"

The card whirled.

More sluggishly now.

Its glow moved from gold through platinum to a blinding intensity.

Diamond.

Genuine Diamond-tier.

[SOVEREIGN’S MANDATE]

Trait - Diamond Tier

I fixed on the details.

Scanned them thrice.

"This is a team buff."

"This is the ultimate team buff," Apollo set straight. "Dreaming of a kingdom? Congrats. You’re now the foundation elevating all allies just by being there."

Nel murmured.

"Two pulls remaining."

My fingers trembled for real.

Fourth had hit Diamond.

Diamond pulls weren’t casual.

Apollo reserved those for epic moments or favored leads.

So the final pair might flop to offset the streak.

Or deliver worse.

Apollo swept toward the last cards with dramatic sweep.

"Come on. Two left. Does luck back the reckless?"

I seized the fifth card.

Blinding explosion forced my eyes shut.

Vision returned to one word suspended.

[MYTHICAL]

"Oh." Apollo’s tone hushed. "Oh, now that’s something."

The card expanded to full display.

[LIGHTNING ROD]

Active Ability - Mythical Tier

I reviewed it once more.

Then repeated.

"This counters Reyna."

"This is Reyna’s worst fear." Apollo’s grin flared back. "Her lightning hits you? Devour it. Marionettes strike? Soak the power, hurl it back. Sixty seconds as her ultimate dread."

Nel spoke softly.

"You rigged this."

"I tuned the pool to your foe." Apollo shrugged. "Big difference. Plus, RNG could’ve dumped the feather duster."

"One more card."

"One more card," he consented.

The last draw lingered there.

Rotating gradually.

Poised in suspense.

My hand stretched forward.

I snatched it up.

The burst of light held no gold, no platinum, nor even diamond.

It transcended every category.

A power that shook the windows and forced Bartholomew to withdraw into his shell.

[DIVINE]

Apollo's grin faded away.

"That’s not supposed to happen."

The card swelled to form a vast screen dominating my full sight.

[ASPECT EVOLUTION TICKET]

Item - Divine Tier

Breath failed me.

Thoughts deserted me.

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Apollo replied deliberately, "that your cute little Thermal Incision can become something adults use. An Aspect worthy of the name Sovereign."

"What’s the catch?"

"There’s always a catch with Divine-tier items." He inched forward. "The evolution is random. Could be good. Could be catastrophic. Could turn you into a walking god. Could fry every neuron in your skull and leave you drooling."