CHAPTER 90: CHAPTER 88: SYSTEM UPDATE II

His pack opening luck had been solid overall—mostly good pulls, the occasional blank, nothing like this. Two Bronze whiffs in a row felt wrong, like the system had suddenly turned against him.

Need to spend the points wisely, he reminded himself, even though the urge to immediately pull another pack burned in his chest. Milan is Saturday. Can’t waste everything on bad RNG.

But the gambling itch was already there, that voice whispering just one more, your luck has to change that every gacha player knew too well.

"Let’s try again, UG," he said, his jaw tight. "Bronze Pack."

「BRONZE PACK SELECTED」

「Please select currency: 100 TP OR 50 MP」

"Let’s use TP this time," Demien decided, wanting to preserve what little MP he had left for a potential Silver Pack.

「100 TP CONSUMED」

「REMAINING BALANCE: 234 TP | 20 SP | 116 MP」

The copper lever appeared again. He grabbed it harder than necessary, pulled it with more force, like that would change the outcome.

The bronze pack tore open. Three cards appeared.

First card flipped.

TRY AGAIN

His chest tightened.

Second card.

TRY AGAIN

His hands clenched into fists.

Third card.

TRY AGAIN

"FUCK!" Demien shouted at the empty apartment, standing up from the bed so fast he nearly kicked the nightstand. "Maybe I should just go to sleep. What if I use SP and it comes out blank?"

The system interface stayed silent, not offering comfort or advice, just displaying the results with cold digital objectivity.

He paced three steps, turned, paced back. One hundred training points—hours of work at the facility, drills and sprints and tactical sessions—converted into three grey "try again" messages and nothing else.

Two packs in a row, he thought, and the anger mixed with something else now, a creeping anxiety that maybe his luck had run out, that the Gold Pack was his only win tonight and everything else would be wasted currency.

"UG," he said, his voice sharp with frustration. "What the fuck is going on?"

「I informed you previously: all pack results are based on LUCK. Your current luck is insufficient for favorable outcomes.」

The words appeared in that same calm, neutral formatting, completely unbothered by his anger.

"So you’re telling me I can spend twenty SP and get nothing?" Demien asked, though he already knew the answer.

「Correct. The gacha system operates on pure RNG. No pack guarantees specific results.」

He wanted to punch something. Instead, he sat back down on the bed, breathing through his nose, forcing himself to calm down because losing his temper wouldn’t change how the system worked.

One more, he decided, and the gambling addict voice in his head sounded exactly like David Drinkwater used to sound at three in the morning after a bad loss, convincing himself the next bet would fix everything. Just one more. If it’s blank, I’ll stop.

Famous last words.

「Would you like to continue?」 the system prompted, as if reading his internal debate.

"Hmm," Demien said, and he rubbed his face with both hands. "Okay. One more time. If it shows try again, I’ll go to sleep."

He had to set boundaries. Had to.

"UG," he said, more controlled now. "Let’s try the Silver Pack."

Silver was middle-tier—more expensive than Bronze, cheaper than Gold, five cards instead of three or seven. Better odds than Bronze, worse than Gold, the compromise pack for players who wanted guaranteed trait shards without paying premium prices.

「SILVER PACK SELECTED」

「Please select currency: 200 TP OR 100 MP」

Demien looked at his balance in his mind. 234 TP remaining, 116 MP. He could afford either option.

"200 TP," he said, deciding to save the MP for emergencies.

「200 TP CONSUMED」

「REMAINING BALANCE: 34 TP | 20 SP | 116 MP」

The lever appeared—silver this time, brighter than copper, dimmer than gold—and he pulled it with measured force, trying not to let desperation bleed into the action.

The silver pack materialized, tore open, five cards flying out in sequence.

First card flipped.

AGILITY +3

UNCOMMON

Orange glow, particles flowing in, his body immediately responding—joints feeling more fluid, lateral movement sharper, that ability to change direction without losing balance suddenly enhanced.

Relief flooded through him. Not a whiff. Actual results.

Second card.

FREE KICK ACCURACY +4

UNCOMMON

Another orange boost, stacking with the earlier +3 from the Gold Pack, and suddenly dead balls felt natural in a way they hadn’t even with his previous technique, his mind calculating trajectory and spin with precision that bordered on instinctive.

Third card.

AGGRESSION +3

UNCOMMON

Orange again, and something shifted in his mentality—willingness to challenge for the ball, to press harder, to make that tackle even when timing was tight, competitive fire burning hotter than before.

Fourth card.

TRAIT SHARD [NUTRITIONIST UPGRADE]

Collect 4 to craft: Nutritionist Upgrade

White glow. He’d had one shard already; now it read 2/4. Halfway to something that would help with recovery and performance.

Fifth card, final card.

RARE SKILL SHARD [BALL ROLL CUT]

Collect 5 to craft: Ball Roll Cut

White glow, 1/5 next to the skill name, another technique he’d need more shards to unlock.

「RESULTS APPLIED」

The smile came unbidden. Five cards, all useful, no whiffs. That’s what Silver Packs were supposed to do—consistent value without the premium cost.

"Let’s try again," Demien said immediately, the gambling momentum carrying him forward, and he didn’t even question the impulse. "UG, Silver Pack again."

「SILVER PACK SELECTED」

「Insufficient TP (34/200)」

「Using available currency: 100 MP」

「100 MP CONSUMED」

「REMAINING BALANCE: 34 TP | 20 SP | 16 MP」

The silver lever appeared again. He pulled. The pack tore open. Five cards flew out.

First card.

CROSSING +3

UNCOMMON

Orange particles, and his right foot suddenly understood whip and curve in new ways, the ability to bend deliveries around defenders feeling more natural.

Second card.

FINISHING +2

COMMON

White glow this time—common rarity, smaller boost—but his body still accepted it, shots on goal feeling slightly more precise, slightly more confident.

Third card.

HEADING ACCURACY +5

RARE

Blue burst, and his spatial awareness in aerial duels jumped significantly, timing and positioning in the box suddenly sharp in ways that surprised him because heading had never been his strength.

Fourth card.

TRAIT SHARD [AERIAL THREAT]

Collect 4 to craft: Aerial Threat

White glow. He’d had one shard; now 2/4. Stacking nicely with the heading accuracy boost.

Fifth card.

TRAIT SHARD [SET PIECE SPECIALIST]

Collect 4 to craft: Set Piece Specialist

Another white glow, another shard moving from 1/4 to 2/4.

「RESULTS APPLIED」

「STATS UPDATED」

The system chimed, and a new panel materialized—his full profile, numbers adjusted across multiple categories.

「PLAYER PROFILE - UPDATED」