I slumped back into the hospital bed after my sister left, staring at the glowing words of the Favor Meter of Verdamona.
Level 4 already? That's way too fast. In the game, you weren't supposed to hit that after just two interactions. And I been here for what, a day? Not even two.
That was when I remembered the MoDS system.
In the game, it had been one of the most addicting, rage-inducing, wallet-destroying mechanics ever programmed. Players cursed it, praised it, and sacrificed sleep for it. And now, it was staring me in the face.
Normally, there are three banners: the Weapon Banner, the Character Banner, and the Fluveheart Banner.
The Weapon Banner is self-explanatory. It gives you weapons and relics. The odds of pulling a five-star weapon or relic they chose for each other were criminally low. People used to swear the developers were sadists.
The Character Banner let you pull for love interest enhancements like story boosts, new routes and even secret endings. Players dumped fortunes trying to max out their favorites.
The Fluveheart Banner was for raw power. Slot a Fluveheart into a character and suddenly they are powerful. But this wasn't a game anymore. And the second I pulled up the system, I noticed something missing.
The Character Banner was gone.
Of course it was gone. The "characters" were real people now. You couldn't just roll for a stronger version of Verdamona, or Xaessiarerich, or anyone else. They didn't come in shiny alternate costumes with boosted stats. That left me with two options: Weapons and Fluvehearts. What if I gamble on the banners here?
The thought sent a dangerous little thrill down my spine. It was stupid amd reckless but my fingers were already moving.
"Alright. Ten-pull. Let's go."
The instant I confirmed, the entire hospital room shattered.
The bed dissolved beneath me. The IV drips, the monitors, the sterile white walls all broke apart into shards of light, falling away into a vast void. My heart lurched as I found myself suspended in a rainy sky. Clouds churned below me like an endless ocean. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Water droplets drifted past me in slow motion, as if time itself didn't work here.
I looked up.
The stars were everywhere. White lights were scattered across the black vault above, orbiting me like I was the center of the universe. A shooting star ripped across the heavens, bright enough to sear my vision. My breath caught in my throat.
"No way… that's a five-star."
This was the kind of pull gacha addicts dreamed about. I almost laughed out loud. My luck really freaking worked. Weapons began materializing around me, floating like ghostly projections.
One. A battered pistol, three-star. Useless.
Two. A plain longsword, three-star again.
Three. A hunting bow. Another three-star.
Four. A crooked staff. Still three-star.
Mediocre garbage. Exactly what I expected.
Then four glowing Fluvehearts appeared beside them, each radiating a different color, pulsing with power, orbiting me like tiny suns. My eyes widened.
"That's… actually not bad."
Four four-star relics in a single ten-pull? People in the game would have sold their souls for this.
Then, golden light descended and not one but two.
I shielded my eyes as twin golden stars split the void. The world trembled. Thunder roared so loud it shook my bones.
The first item unfurled from the light. It's a combat suit called Igniferous Edge, famous in the game's lore. But it was the second weapon that stole my breath. A construct floated before me, shaped like an atom.
At its center, an emerald crystal nucleus pulsed with living light. Six orbitals spun around it like ghostly rings.
"The Atomicus Structure…"
I remembered it from the forums. It's one of the rarest weapons in the entire game. Almost no one has ever pulled it. Its gimmick was unique. One had to slot six powerful Fluvehearts into its orbitals. Do that, and it turned one's Flux into a powerhouse engine. And now it was hovering in front of me.
"This… this is perfect. This is literally made for me!"
I extended a hand, and the Atomicus Structure floated into my palm. It was surprisingly light.
I just hit the jackpot.
When I blinked, the sterile smell of the hospital returned. The sheets were already cold. My sister hadn't come back after storming out earlier. Still, I wasn't about to sit around sulking. I had work to do. I glanced at the Fluveheart I'd ripped from that humanoid cow. Strong? Sure. Rare? Maybe. But not enough. Not for what I had now. The Atomicus Structure was powerful, but once a Fluveheart clicked into place, it would never be removed. That cow's heart was trash compared to what I would eventually need. Using it now would've been like taping a glow stick to an aircraft.
I sighed, closed my hand, and shoved the Fluveheart into my System Inventory. Turns out I actually had one. It's a neat little pocket space where anything can be placed. I flicked my wrist and a transparent screen manifested before me. Weapons, junk three-stars, four random Fluvehearts, and of course, the Atomicus Structure. Pushing myself off the bed, I let the sheets fall back into their messy folds. My body felt lighter. Hours ago, I was spitting rainwater out of my mouth beside a cow's decapitated head. Now? I felt brand new.
Time to test this suit out.
"Igniferous Edge."
The hospital gown flickered like static and dissolved into air. In its place, sleek fabric snapped around me. It morphed into a compression-fit long-sleeve shirt, black athletic pants and sneakers. I took a step, and it was like my entire body synced to the outfit.
"Damn."
I caught my reflection in a window. The shirt clung perfectly without feeling tight and the sneakers had bounce, like I could run a marathon without breaking stride. Not gonna lie, this beats the game design by a mile. I twisted my torso and tested the range of motion. Nothing pinched. The sleeves stayed in place. Whoever coded this into reality, bless their soul. And the best part? It wasn't flashy.
I exhaled, shoved my hands into my pockets, and headed for the door.
The hallway outside buzzed faintly. A nurse gave me a once-over—probably wondering why a discharged patient looked ready for a jog—but said nothing. I wasn't in the mood to explain and she said I was fine so...
As I pushed through the hospital's glass doors, cold air hit me, carrying the faint scent of petrichor from yesterday's storm. I tightened my jaw and looked at the city skyline beyond the campus. I really wasn't going back, huh?
I touched my wrist, feeling the strings beneath my skin twitch. A day ago, I was preparing for internships. Now, I had the Atomicus Structure and wearing Igniferous Edge like a second skin in an otome-gacha nightmare made real.
I need power.