Kaneki Ken sat upright in the hospital bed, eyes locked onto the glowing system interface hovering in front of him. He'd spent the last ten minutes getting familiar with it—and while it wasn't exactly complicated, it wasn't all that generous either.
There was no newbie bonus, no "Welcome to the Game" bundle like he'd hoped. Instead, the system offered two primary functions: attribute allocation and prize lottery. Simple enough.
The point allocation mechanic was straightforward. Complete missions, earn attribute points, and assign them to his stats. As for the lottery, the system had a more… unique twist.
Apparently, whenever Kaneki had a significant emotional reaction upon encountering characters from different "narrative tiers"—or if his actions altered the main storyline—he'd earn corresponding lottery spins. The bigger the ripple, the higher the prize tier.
His current hospital visit had netted him one S-rank and one A-rank lottery chance—courtesy of crossing paths with Aomine Daiki (S-tier protagonist) and Momoi Satsuki (A-tier).
"Well, I guess that's not the worst deal..." Kaneki muttered, lips curling into a half-hearted pout. "No starter pack, but at least I got two pulls."
He navigated to the lottery page, where five roulette wheels lined the screen—ranked from S to D. Only the S and A wheels glowed with activity; the rest were greyed out, inaccessible for now. A small "1" blinked in the top corner of each lit wheel, signaling his available chances.
Kaneki leaned closer and squinted at the screen.
"Man, this interface looks straight out of one of those tacky web games," he complained, dragging a hand down his face. "What's next? 'One Spin = 999 Swords, Come Slash Me If You're My Bro?' Give me a break..."
Still, as the great general and cultural icon Li Datuan once said, "A good plaster draws out the pus—better to have it than not."
With that oddly wise sentiment in mind, Kaneki tapped the A-rank roulette.
The wheel spun to life, each tile packed with names of powerful techniques pulled straight from anime. His eyes scanned over them eagerly: Dual Blades, Swallow Reversal Flash, Zero-Step Slice...
"Damn, these are actually legit," he murmured, licking his lips. "But... with my current body, even if I win something incredible, I probably can't put it to use."
He let out a resigned sigh.
"Whatever. Let's just get it over with. Worst case, I become some kind of YouTube basketball god and cash in on views."
With a mixed heart, Kaneki hit the spin button.
Ding~
The wheel blurred with motion. Time stretched. Then, the pointer ticked slowly to a stop.
Prize: Basketball Bible
Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the skill: [Basketball Bible].
Kaneki blinked as a new screen unfolded before him, revealing the details.
Skill: Basketball Bible
Type: Technical Skill Rank: A+ Condition: Permanent Effect: Grants the host flawless foundational basketball abilities: dribbling, shooting, post moves, rebounding, blocking, and steals.
"Not bad at all," Kaneki murmured, a faint smile forming.
He remembered how hard he'd tried in his past life to polish his fundamentals—only to hit a wall again and again. Now, with this skill... he was leagues ahead of where he used to be.
"At least I won't have to relearn the basics from scratch," he said softly. "Even if I don't make it pro, I could still kill it online. Maybe blow up as some flashy basketball influencer... not a bad fallback."
As the A-rank roulette dimmed and grayed out, Kaneki's attention shifted to the S-rank wheel.
Visually, it looked the same—but the prizes were clearly on a whole different level.
Only seven options appeared on this wheel (not counting the ominous "Thank you for playing" tile):
God's Chosen Body, The Zone, Originator, Skywalker, Copy & Transform, Unknown, and Flow.
Kaneki tilted his head.
"Some of these I recognize... 'Chosen Body,' 'Skywalker,' sure. But what's this 'Originator' one?" He wondered aloud, eyes narrowing at a blond, blue-eyed figure in the image.
His brows knit in thought.
"Honestly, even if I pull something crazy like 'Zone' or 'Flow,' my body can't handle that kind of strain right now. I don't have the stamina, much less the explosiveness."
He scratched his head, frustrated.
"Copy & Transform sounds great, but again—what's the point of copying stuff I physically can't execute?"
Grumbling, he jabbed the spin button with a hint of desperation.
"C'mon... Give me a body buff. Please, just once—give me a body upgrade!"
The wheel spun. Kaneki held his breath, hands clasped like he was praying.
"Body, body, body... please land on a damn body!"
The pointer teased him, slowing as it skipped over God's Chosen Body... passed Zone...
...and finally clicked to a halt on—
Originator.
Congratulations, Host. You have acquired [Body Template – The Originator]. This is a unique template. All future body-related rewards will now be locked.
Kaneki's jaw dropped.
"Nooooo! My God's Chosen Body... and Skywalker!" he wailed, clawing at his hair. "Watch it give me some kind of caveman physique. If I get paired with an actual Neanderthal, I swear I'll jump out this hospital window!"
But curiosity got the better of him. He clicked on the detailed description.
Golden light radiated from the screen, nearly blinding him.
Talent: Originator
Type: Physical Body Template Term: Demigod Sub-Ability: Divine Sight Rank: SSS+ Effect: Modeled after Adam, the first being made in God's own image. This body surpasses human limitations, boasting unmatched potential. Divine Sight allows the user to see through all human techniques. The demigod body can mimic and enhance any skill witnessed. Superior cognitive function allows preemptive prediction of enemy movements.
Kaneki stared in stunned silence.
Then, quietly...
"Jackpot... heh... I freakin' hit the jackpot."
He rubbed his eyes, still adjusting to what he just read.
"This is the real deal. I struck gold."
A chime rang out as the system updated his stats.
Host: Kaneki Ken
Age: 13
Height: 180cm → 200cm (Potential)
Weight: 85kg
Wingspan: 200cm → 220cm (Potential)
Talent: The Originator (Teen Body)
Strength: 85/110
Speed: 85/110
Jump: 85/110
Coordination: 85/110
Agility: 85/110
Stamina: 85/110
Flexibility: 85/110
Skills: Basketball Bible
Rating: S-tier (Top 100 players worldwide in your age group)
"Top 100 in the world?" Kaneki smirked, the fire in his eyes burning brighter.
"That's cute... but this body's worth way more than just top 100."
He clenched his fist.
"I'm going to rewrite the story."
(End of this chapter)
POWER STONE!!!?
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