"If you pull 'Trash' 99 times..." Asher muttered, his eyes tracking the holographic counter floating in the air.
"...The 100th pull is a guaranteed SSR-Rank."
Beside him, a ball of blue light flickered and expanded. Nova, the pixie-sized system AI, materialized with a dramatic yawn. She hovered near his ear, her translucent wings buzzing like a glitching fan.
"Correction, Genius," Nova sneered, crossing her tiny arms. "That was a bug in the beta version of Infinite Tower. The developers fixed it. You're just throwing your starter coins into the void. Do you know how hard it is to earn 1,000 Gold?"
Asher ignored her.
He stood in the damp darkness of the [F-Rank Dungeon: Goblin Sewers]. The smell of sewage and rust filled the air. Somewhere deeper in the tunnel, the chittering of goblins echoed.
Most new Hunters would be trembling. They would be saving their gold for a sturdy shield or a healing potion.
Asher was staring at a glowing roulette wheel only he could see.
[Current Pity Counter: 0/100]
"Open the Shop," Asher commanded.
[System Shop Opened]
[Starter Promo: 10x Common Pulls for 100 Gold]
"You have 1,000 Gold," Nova pointed out, floating in front of his face. "Please, for the love of the Constellations, buy a sword. You are holding a pipe. A rusty pipe!"
"Statistically," Asher said, his voice flat, "A sword increases my survival rate by 15%. But an S-Rank Class Card increases it by 9,000%."
He tapped the [Purchase 10x Pull] button.
Whoosh!
Ten cards spun in the air, glowing with a dull, grey light.
[Common: Rock]
[Common: Stale Water]
[Common: Stick]
[Common: Ripped Trousers]
...
Nova burst into laughter. "A rock! You spent 100 Gold on a rock! Oh, this is going to be a short series."
Asher didn't flinch. He watched the counter tick up.
[Pity: 10/100]
"Again."
Whoosh!
[Common: Dull Knife]
[Common: Empty Bottle]
...
"Again."
Nova stopped laughing. She looked at him with genuine concern. "Asher, stop. You're addicted. You haven't even killed a monster yet. The Silverwing Guild is speed-running this dungeon right now, and you're gambling in the entrance!"
"Silence," Asher said. He wasn't gambling. He was executing a script.
In the original game, the RNG (Random Number Generator) wasn't truly random. It was based on a seed value tied to the user's emotional state—monitored by biometrics. The calmer you were, the worse your luck.
The System wanted you to rage. It wanted you to despair so you'd spend real money.
But if you remained perfectly calm... you triggered the "Pity" mechanic. The fail-safe.
[Pity: 90/100]
He had 100 Gold left.
The sound of wet footsteps slapped against the concrete floor.
KIEEEEK!
Three green-skinned Goblins rounded the corner. They held jagged shivs. Their yellow eyes locked onto Asher.
Nova shrieked. "Enemies! Asher, you idiot! You have a stick and a rock! Run!"
Asher didn't move. He tapped the final button.
[Purchase 10x Pull]
The cards spun. The Goblins charged.
Grey... Grey... Grey...
The first Goblin leaped, raising its shiv.
[Pity: 99/100]
The last card didn't glow grey.
It exploded with a blinding Gold and Violet light.
The air in the sewer froze. A pressure, heavy and ancient, slammed into the floor, cracking the concrete. The Goblins skidded to a halt, whimpering.
[CONGRATULATIONS!]
[Pity Triggered: The System acknowledges your terrible luck.]
[You have obtained the SSR-Rank Class Card: 'The Shadow Monarch']
Nova's jaw dropped. "No... way..."
Asher caught the card falling from the light. It was cold to the touch, depicted with a figure sitting on a throne of black iron.
He slammed the card into his chest.
[EQUIP!]
BOOOM!
Shadows erupted from Asher's feet like black ink. His eyes, once brown, flashed a glowing purple.
[Class Changed: Civilian -> Shadow Monarch (Lv. 1)]
[Strength: 5 -> 30]
[Agility: 5 -> 45]
[Mana: 0 -> 100]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Step]
[New Skill Unlocked: Dagger Mastery (S)]
Asher looked at the lead Goblin. The creature was trembling, its survival instinct screaming that the human was no longer prey.
"Nova," Asher said, his voice echoing slightly. "What's the drop rate for Goblin ears?"
"Uhh... 20%?"
"Let's fix that."
Asher took a step.
Whoosh.
He vanished.
[Skill Activated: Shadow Step]
He reappeared instantly behind the lead Goblin. He didn't have a dagger, so he used the [Common: Dull Knife] he pulled earlier.
With [Strength: 30], the dull knife moved like a guillotine.
SLASH!
The Goblin's head spun in the air before its body even hit the floor.
[You have defeated a Level 2 Goblin!]
[EXP +50]
The other two Goblins shrieked and turned to run.
Asher flicked his wrist. He threw the knife. It wasn't a technique; it was pure, raw stats.
THWACK!
The knife buried itself to the hilt in the second Goblin's skull.
Asher looked at his hands. The power coursing through him was intoxicating. It was exactly like the game. No, it was better.
"Hey, Nova," Asher smiled, a cold, predatory curve of his lips.
Nova floated out from behind a pipe, looking terrified and impressed. "Y-Yeah?"
"Loot the bodies. We need more coins."
[Constellation 'The Watching Eye' has entered your channel.]
[Constellation 'The Watching Eye' is intrigued by your gambling addiction.]
[Donation: 100 Coins]
Asher dusted off his jacket.
"The grind starts now."