[N/A: See any mistakes? Let me know and I'll fix them when I can.]
-/-
Crouching in front of the frog, Daniel pokes it with a finger, trying to get it to do its show again.
"Come on, do something," he mutters as he nudges it a little, but gets no reaction.
The frog's expression remains completely indifferent, letting out only the occasional croak.
"I think it's not going to do it again..."
Daniel can only shrug, not giving it much importance, and carefully picks up the frog along with the tiny hat and cane, placing them back inside the box before closing it.
Rosella approaches him, tilting her head with curiosity.
"What are you going to do with the frog?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I'll come up with something," he replies, placing the box in a safe corner and turning his attention back to the gacha pulls, one at a time.
[Starting Gacha]
[Item obtained: Gold Armor Kit]
You have obtained a gold armor and an anvil to repair it.
Warning: the armor offers little protection and breaks quickly. To repair it, you need gold... Have fun!
As usual, a few meters away from him, the items appear: a full set of golden armor and an anvil, both landing with a dull thud that echoes throughout the warehouse.
Seeing there's no danger, Daniel approaches without hesitation, crouching to examine the armor, which looks oddly square and rigid.
"Golden armor?" GLaDOS asks in a dry tone.
"Correction, gold armor," he replies, carefully removing Aegis from his head and handing it to Rosella, then begins to take off the upper part of his clothing as he prepares to put on the chestplate, which is relatively easy.
"You look ridiculous"
GLaDOS's comments are as cutting as ever. Daniel rolls his eyes, but before he can answer, the armor reacts, softening its square shape and adjusting better to his body until it becomes more streamlined.
"Much better. Hahaha!"
He can't help but get excited as he looks at himself in a mirror, admiring his new look. The design is decent, but what surprises him the most is the weight, which he barely feels. He doesn't know if it's because of his stats or some special property of the item…
His thoughts are abruptly interrupted by a loud metallic screech.
SKRRRIIIING!!!
A quick glance to his side reveals Rosella holding a thin thread of gold in her claws. When he checks his armor, he sees a deep line marked on one side.
"I wanted to see how resistant it was..." Rosella murmurs, visibly nervous.
Daniel blinks in disbelief, seeing how his brand-new armor has just been ruined.
"...It's trash," he mutters, taking it off and tossing it toward a corner along with the other pieces and the anvil.
"Sorry…" Rosella lowers her ears, clearly regretful.
"Forget it, it wasn't your fault. The armor was already trash," he reassures her, because it's true: the description warned about its low durability, so it wasn't Rosella's fault.
He can only sigh, motioning with his hand.
"Let's just put it with the rest of my stuff."
As he says this, something catches his attention. He quickly looks around, frowning.
"Wait a moment... where are the items I asked you to store?" he asks, and as soon as he says it, Rosella lifts her head, proud.
"I buried them!"
There are a few seconds of silence.
"...You know what? Good job."
What did it matter if they were buried; as long as they were safe, it worked. Of course, that also meant they would have to be dug up later.
"Problems for later," he thinks, turning his focus back to his next pull.
[Item obtained: Mythril Pebble of Pig Smiting]
Long ago, this pebble was forged in the fiery pits of Tartarus, by the grand blacksmith of Lucifer himself in a time long before the world began. War upon war was waged in the abyss of pain before it was ultimately bequeathed to the lowliest of peasants, a man named Makenzie. Quickly corrupted by its power, he began a lone siege of the kingdom. Having seized power, war after war was waged, all sourced from the newly-crowned king's lust for strength. Generations of kings continued his conquest: Yamato, Carrie, Budva, Logan, Bread, and many others were led astray by its perverting power. Each king fought on the front-line of their bloodshed. Finally, another king, blessed by the gods, confronted the pebble with the mighty weapon Demon's Bane, and felled the depraved regent. For centuries it lay dormant in the vaults, only being unearthed when the kingdom was on death's door. The finest warrior would be tasked with exclusively wielding both weapons. But treachery! The thief Cocainus had obtained the holy weapon! Confronting him, the pebble's wielder slew him in a single strike, but not before his foe could reciprocate. And thus, Mardoza, Guardian of the Pebble, fell to his knees, and passed from this world, leaving behind the mighty weapon. For he knew that one day, its power would be required once more.
The legend of the pebble lives on.
"That's a very long description just to say it kills pigs," he thinks, picking up the small pebble and finishing the details on the screen.
[Image]
In his hand, the metallic surface shines faintly, giving it an almost normal appearance, but the text mentions it was forged in the fire pits of Tartarus and made of mythril, a legendary metal.
Curious, he squeezes it tightly, applying all his strength, but the pebble doesn't even flinch. He's not surprised: if it really is made of mythril, the least it should do is endure his strength without issue.
Wasting no time, he takes a step back and hurls the stone with force toward the other end of the room.
The pebble bounces off a pile of boxes, hits a beam, then slams right into GIR's head, who lets out a muffled whimper, bounces off the anvil, and finally lands back in his hand as if nothing had happened.
[Ability: Rock Thrower, level 25]
He never thought he would actually use that skill seriously, but now that he has this stone, maybe he can get some use out of it.
"There have to be Grimm shaped like pigs or boars," he thinks, storing the pebble along with the rest of his things, knowing that even if it's useless as a weapon, the fact that it's made of mythril already makes it a valuable resource as material.
[Item obtained: The Penetrator]
A melee weapon built from a one-meter-long dildo attached to a baseball bat handle.
The item materializes instantly in the middle of the room, and the silence that follows is immediate.
[Image]
"...You're disgusting," says GLaDOS, not even bothering to hide the contempt in her voice.
"I don't control the gacha! It's random!" he raises his voice, clearly defensive, turning his head toward Rosella for support, but she avoids eye contact, looking away without saying a word.
Aegis also turns his back on him.
Curiously, GIR does look at him, though with a blank expression, clearly not understanding what's going on. Even so, when he sees everyone turning their backs, he imitates them too.
Daniel can't help the vein that twitches on his forehead.
"Bastards," he thinks. "Apparently, loyalty vanishes the moment a one-meter dildo shows up."
"Screw all of you," he mutters, kicking the weapon into a corner, avoiding touching it as much as possible.
But the bad mood passes quickly. A smile slips out.
"I'm going to send it to Neo. No! …even better, I'm going to send it to Roman!" he thinks, already imagining his reaction.
[Item obtained: Kilo of Cocaine]
It's a kilo of cocaine. You're welcome…
[Image]
"That's a lot of cocaine," he mutters, handling it carefully and setting it aside with the rest of the items.
"I'll send this one to Neo too," he thinks, certain that she could find some use for it, or at the very least would know how to take better advantage of it than he would.
[Skill obtained: 'Random' Skill from Roronoa Zoro]
Congratulations. You have obtained a 'random' skill from Roronoa Zoro.
[Beginning randomization…]
Daniel frowns as he reads the message. He doesn't like at all that the word "random" is in quotation marks.
[Passive skill obtained: Directional Incompetence]
Congratulations. You no longer know where north is.
After reading the description, he sighs and turns toward Rosella, who was holding Aegis with both hands. He takes his time, lifting the plush until it's at eye level, staying silent for a few seconds.
"Well… congratulations. You've been promoted to guide animal," he says with complete seriousness before handing him back to Rosella.
GLaDOS, clearly confused, speaks for everyone.
"Are you going to explain what that was?"
"Well… I don't know how to say this, but..." He pauses briefly, wearing an uncomfortable expression.
"My sense of direction is dead."
"Explain," replies GLaDOS, sounding genuinely interested.
Daniel places his hands at his sides, letting out a sigh.
"I got a skill that basically removes my ability to reach any place without help."
"Really?" GLaDOS's voice sounds even more intrigued than before.
"Can you point north?" she asks.
Daniel thinks for a second and raises his hand, confidently pointing… in the wrong direction.
"Incorrect," GLaDOS says without surprise, while Rosella calmly takes his hand and turns it toward the real north.
"Now turn around."
Daniel obeys without protest, curious to see where she's going with this, slowly turning in place.
"And now? Where's north?"
Daniel thinks for a moment and points again, this time in a completely different direction than before… but still just as wrong.
"AHAHAHAHAHA! x2"
The laughter erupts immediately. More specifically, GLaDOS and Aegis burst out laughing. The drone floats erratically, nearly crashing into a wall, while Aegis almost falls out of Rosella's hands from laughing so hard.
Daniel watches them, visibly offended.
"I don't know what you're laughing at," he mutters, staring directly at Aegis.
"This only means I'm going to have to take you everywhere with me. Everywhere…" he emphasizes the last word as he says it, making Aegis stop laughing instantly.
"Oh... no," he manages to mutter, instantly realizing what that implies.
"Yup," Daniel replies, with a malicious grin.
"I was planning to complete GLaDOS's list on my own, but now you're going to be with me the whole time." A low, wicked chuckle escapes him as he activates another gacha pull.
[Item obtained: Head of Megatron]
The whispers of war still echo through its molten casing. This is the head of the fallen tyrant, torn off after the final battle. Hollow inside, but still bearing the weight of thousands of devastated worlds.
"What the hell am I supposed to do with the head of a synthetic lifeform?" he complains as he approaches… but before he can touch it, GLaDOS gets ahead of him.
"Don't worry," she says, excited.
The drone descends quickly as one of its mechanical claws extends, grabbing the head and carrying it away without ceremony, placing it in a separate corner from the rest of the gacha items.
"I'll take care of this one."
GLaDOS has just claimed Megatron's head for herself.
Daniel is left visibly frustrated.
"Great. Why not? I mean, apparently anyone can just take whatever they like, right?" he says with sarcasm, crossing his arms.
"Well, technically that's what you've been doing this whole time, isn't it?" replies GLaDOS in her usual neutral but equally critical tone.
Daniel frowns. He'd like to say no… but there's really no way to deny it.
He gave a sword to Rosella, a dildo to Roman, cocaine to Neo… technically, he has been handing out gacha items to whoever he felt like.
With no real argument, he makes the most mature decision he can think of: he flips the drone off.
"That's what I thought," GLaDOS laughs, clearly satisfied.
[Item obtained: Davy Jones' Heart]
The torn-out heart of the infamous Captain Davy Jones, locked inside a chest.
In front of everyone, a closed chest materializes. It looks old and worn. The hinges creak slightly as it settles onto the floor.
"What is it?" asks Rosella, cautiously approaching.
"Sniff, sniff…" She makes a motion with her nose, as if trying to pick up a scent.
"A cursed heart," Daniel replies without thinking too much, walking toward the chest.
"From what I know, if you destroy it, you're doomed to sail the seas forever, surfacing once every ten years. Or something like that… I don't remember it well."
Now in front of it, he opens it carefully, and inside is, indeed, a beating heart.
Thump… thump… thump…
The sound is clear, echoing through the room.
"It seems to emit a strange energy," comments Aegis, observing it closely.
"Really?"
Daniel leans down a bit, curious, and activates his skill to see through Aegis's perspective. What he sees leaves him confused: the heart is emanating a dark, dense, and strange energy, one he's never seen before.
"Do you know what it is?" asks Aegis, noticing Daniel's expression.
Daniel shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the heart.
"I have no idea…"
With that, he closes the chest immediately, making sure to lock it securely before moving it to a safe corner. He didn't want anyone nearby to end up cursed by accident. He'd figure out a use for it… probably.
[Item obtained: Screaming Ice Cream]
An ice cream with a face that regenerates and screams in a shrill voice every time you take a scoop.
A tub of ice cream materializes on the floor, releasing a light cold mist that slowly fades away. He barely has time to register the object when, as expected, GIR reacts first.
"ICE CREAM!!!!" he shouts with excitement, running straight toward it.
He rips it open in one go, eager, and inside is a surprise: a face staring directly at him from inside the tub.
GIR falls silent for a second, locking eyes with the ice cream.
Very slowly, a smile forms on his face… while on the ice cream's, an expression of clear concern appears.
GIR's hand changes shape, turning into a spoon.
"AHHHH!" screams the ice cream as it's stabbed.
GIR scoops up a spoonful and eats it without hesitation, ignoring the shrieks.
"Delicious," he murmurs, savoring it.
The screaming doesn't seem to bother him at all.
He takes another scoop.
"AHHHH!"
And another.
"AHHH!"
And one more.
"AHHH!"
The ice cream regenerates at an incredibly fast rate, screaming every time GIR digs the spoon in, but that only encourages him to keep eating, enjoying the taste.
"STOP!" Daniel finally yells, snatching the tub out of his hands, the screaming genuinely starting to get on his nerves.
GIR looks at him with sadness.
"WAAA!" He cries for a second, turns around to run away… only to immediately swerve toward Rosella's tuna and start playing with it like nothing ever happened.
"Ah…"
Daniel just exhales at the scene, his shoulders dropping slightly. Then he looks at the ice cream, which now stares at him visibly annoyed, frowning.
[Image]
Without saying a word, he slams the lid shut.
"Mmm… I could send it to Neo…" he thinks, "…but that would be torture for the ice cream."
Tough decision. He thinks about it a bit more, then decides to set it aside, placing it out of GIR's reach, right next to the chest with the cursed heart.
"I'll decide later."
[Passive Skill: Sadako's Curse]
Congratulations. You are now cursed with Sadako's curse.
"...Oh no."
The gacha system doesn't give him time to prepare.
In the middle of the room, an old television materializes, with a built-in VHS tape slot.
No one moves.
A dark presence floods the space, and suddenly, the TV turns on by itself, displaying only static. It lasts just a few seconds before switching to the image of a damp, dark forest with a well in the center.
Daniel draws his weapon instantly… but he can't fire. His arms won't move, his body frozen. He looks around at the others, seeing they're just as still, caught in the same effect.
The screen changes back to static… and then, from the well, a female figure begins to climb out slowly. She's dressed in white, with long black hair covering her face, dragging herself with stiff movements.
The tension builds with every step she takes.
The girl's hand touches the screen from inside… and passes through it.
Her head comes next, soaking the floor of the warehouse as her whole body begins to crawl out, dragging herself unnaturally across the floor, coming closer and closer.
Two more steps and she stops right in front of him, standing upright. Her gaze is empty; dead eyes stare at him intensely.
[Image]
And then, a horrifying shriek breaks the silence.
"HIIIIAAAAHHHH!"
The scream shakes the entire room…
…
…but to Daniel's surprise, several seconds pass… and nothing happens.
Sadako is still there, standing in front of him, doing nothing else. With every second that passes, Sadako looks more confused, clearly expecting something else to happen.
A second later, in front of Daniel, an alert flashes in his system:
[Psychic Immunity activated: Instant death blocked]
In that moment, after the initial fear and surprise fade, Daniel regains control of his body. He takes a deep breath, relieved, lifting his eyes to stare the specter directly in the face.
"You shouldn't have done that, bitch," he says with all the rage he'd been holding back, then raises his fist and slams it straight into Sadako's face.
The punch sends her flying across the warehouse, spinning through the air until she crashes into a pile of boxes.
As soon as the impact occurs, the others are able to move as well. Rosella reacts instantly, her hands transforming into sharp claws.
"How dare you?!" she yells, clearly furious, ready to pounce on the specter.
But Daniel raises a hand, signaling her to stop.
"That won't be necessary. I can handle this."
He says it with confidence, although deep down he's not entirely sure whether Sadako can use her instant death ability on the others or only on him because of the curse… but just in case, he prefers to deal with it himself.
Without another word, he takes off his coat and tosses it aside, preparing himself. Then he stretches out his arms, cracking his shoulders as he takes a deep breath.
Sadako slowly rises and starts advancing toward him, dragging her feet, letting out another horrifying scream…
…but the result is the same.
[Psychic Immunity activated: Instant death blocked]
Daniel doesn't give her a chance to try a third time. He charges immediately and lands another punch straight to her face, whipping her head to the side from the force of the blow.
Sadako is left dazed, stumbling. She tries to react, but before she can, Daniel grabs her by the hair, lifts her effortlessly, and slams a brutal knee into her stomach.
"AGH!"
The grunt is loud, her eyes nearly popping from the impact, and her body goes flying several meters through the air.
"Damn, you're light… you went flying," he mutters with a low laugh.
From the back, he hears voices cheering him on.
"That's it! Show her who's boss! Beat her down!" Rosella yells, completely fired up.
"You can do it, sir!" adds GIR, dancing in place like a makeshift cheerleader.
Sadako finally hits the floor, bouncing a couple of times.
"Surprised you, didn't I? Hahaha," he grins as he walks toward her.
"Instant death doesn't work on me." He looks down at her, defiant.
"What are you waiting for? Get up! Weren't you going to kill me?"
He doesn't even give her time to respond —if she even can— before grabbing her by the clothes, lifting her up, and landing another punch.
Sadako staggers back again.
Daniel doesn't let up.
A high kick hits her in the neck, making her lose balance. She tries to stay upright, but she can't keep up with him.
A strike to the stomach doubles her over, and he uses the moment to attack her from the other side.
Double kick: first to the gut, then to the face. He follows up with an elbow to the head, then a savage knee to the abdomen, and to finish, he clasps both fists together and slams them down in a combined blow that crushes her against the concrete, forcing her to her knees before smashing her flat into the ground.
The impact cracks the floor, sending dust into the air around them.
Every movement follows Aegis's training to the letter: quick, direct strikes, designed to break the enemy without giving them a chance to react.
Sadako is left sprawled out… but she's still moving, struggling to get up.
"Still got strength in you? You're tough…" he says, laughing under his breath.
Then he frowns, watching as she keeps trying to stand.
"Though this went from fun to pathetic really fast…"
"Dodge…" Aegis's voice cuts in, just in time.
Daniel turns his head, but it's already too late. He takes a punch straight to the face that sends him back a few steps.
A small drop of blood drips from his nose; he wipes it away with the back of his hand, then looks back at Sadako.
She's standing again… fists up, ready to keep fighting.
[Image]
A smile forms on his face when he sees her.
"So, you've chosen the path of violence."
-/-
Aegis is focused on how the fight unfolds.
Sadako—or at least that's what Daniel calls her—gets back on her feet once again, throwing another punch straight at his face.
But this time, Daniel isn't distracted. He effortlessly raises his forearm, blocking the hit before countering with a clean punch to the stomach that sends her flying back.
She doesn't scream, doesn't complain—she just gets up again, ready to continue.
Aegis is impressed, even if it doesn't make much sense. The girl has spirit, something he didn't expect to see in someone like her.
The same pattern repeats several times. Sadako falls, gets up, throws another attempt. At first, it looks like a pointless cycle… but with each round, something begins to change.
It's almost imperceptible to the rest of the room, but not to him… and probably not to GLaDOS either.
Sadako is getting faster and, little by little, stronger.
"She's improving," GLaDOS says, speaking directly to Aegis.
"I know," he replies, without taking his eyes off her.
"Do you know why?"
He doesn't answer right away.
♬♪ Risin' up, back on the street... Did my time, took my chances... ♫♩
To everyone's surprise, Sadako dodges a hit for the first time. She ducks just in time and manages to land a punch that makes Daniel frown.
"She's making better use of her energy," Aegis mutters quietly.
"What kind of energy?" asks GLaDOS.
"The same kind that radiates from the cursed heart in that chest."
♬ Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet... Just a ghost and his will to survive... ♪♫
Sadako lands a few hits. Her technique is still clumsy, but each movement improves slightly. It's not enough to push Daniel back, but it is enough to stop him from beating her down without resistance.
Through Aegis's eyes, the situation is clear.
The dark energy that once floated loosely around her is now starting to concentrate, becoming more compact and controlled, more precise.
It's somewhat similar to how hunters use their aura to protect themselves… except, in her case, Sadako is using her own energy, the same kind Aegis has decided to call cursed energy.
Sadako starts to wrap her body in it, enhancing her strength, increasing her speed.
♬♪ So many times, it happens too fast... You trade your passion for glory... ♫
"Do you think she has a chance?" GLaDOS suddenly asks.
Aegis picks up a slight tone of concern in her voice, something very rare for her. He doesn't answer immediately, keeping his focus on observing every detail.
Sadako charges at Daniel at full speed.
He dodges the first punch, deflecting her arm with his forearm, trying to counterattack right away.
But Sadako reacts quickly. She uses her own arm as a shield, copies his block, redirects the attack, and launches a counterpunch that, for a moment, almost lands.
The fight has turned into a constant exchange: striking, blocking, countering… all fast and fluid.
And yet…
"I doubt she can kill him," Aegis admits, watching every movement closely.
"Are you withholding something?" GLaDOS replies.
"Her cursed energy is depleting rapidly. Even though her technique improves quickly, she's burning far too much of it with every move. She'll be exhausted soon."
"I see... so it's not—"
♬♪ Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past... You must fight just to— ♫
"COULD YOU SHUT UP?!" GLaDOS suddenly yells, whipping around toward GIR, who hasn't stopped singing since the fight began.
"It's the eye of the tiger… Okay," says GIR, finally falling silent and sitting cross-legged on the floor, watching intently.
"Ahhh..." GLaDOS sighs, noticeably relieved.
"Thanks. As I was saying—"
"IT'S THE EYE OF THE TIGER!!" GIR bursts out again, screaming at the top of his lungs, completely out of tune.
"Goddamn it," GLaDOS groans, resigned to endure it.
Meanwhile, Sadako charges at Daniel again. He counters, but she dodges with precision, using his fist as leverage to propel herself and land a clean kick to his face
Visibly annoyed, Daniel tackles her midair before she can land, and both of them crash to the ground, with him on top.
"YES!" shouts Rosella from the side, thrilled. "Beat her down!"
"WAAAH!" cries GIR, with giant tears rolling from his eyes. "Why, why?! They're killing each other!!!"
Aegis hears a low grunt from Sadako, followed by a brief, awkward silence.
Daniel hasn't moved.
GLaDOS lets out a long sigh. "No, they're not killing each other..."
"Agh…♡"
A vague sound, more a moan than a groan, escapes from Sadako, breaking the silence.
Rosella cheers again with renewed energy.
"That's it, boss! Beat her up! ♡~" she shouts, but bites her lip as she says it, eyes locked on the scene, her breathing heavy.
"Agh…♡"
"I don't know why I'm not surprised," murmurs GLaDOS, sounding somewhere between exasperated and resigned as the drone slowly turns away.
"Well… I'm out of here."
One of her mechanical claws extends from under the drone and grabs GIR by the head, lifting him effortlessly. Another claw picks up Megatron's head, securing it carefully.
"Where are we going?" asks GIR, dangling from the drone like a sack, but his voice full of curiosity.
"We're going to play a game called 'Dismantle.'"
"YESSS!!! A game!" GIR shouts joyfully, kicking his legs in the air as he's dragged toward the same hole he had made earlier.
Aegis watches them leave in silence… wishing they had taken him with them.
"...Damn it."
[Image]
-//-
Author's Note:
I don't know why people wanted so much of that cursed energy and ghost stuff, but hey… there you go! Hope you're happy.
Oh, and it's been a year since I started writing this monster! Crazy, right? Feels like I'm never gonna finish it.
Anyway, want more chapters? Want me to write faster? Here's my Patreo—! Just kidding, I don't have any of that. Leave me a comment, that helps me a lot!
There should've been more gachas, but… I'll save those for the next gacha chapter I do. See you then!
Hugs and kisses! 💋