The gacha screen was a new experience for Richard. A very new experience. He had heard of slot machines, pool tables, card games and more, so when he was told gacha was gambling, he imagined one of those. What he did not imagine however, was this.
Before the little hatchling stood a giant contraption, a clear box on top of a stand with a weird claw contraption hanging inside the clear box. On the bottom of the clear box laid hundreds, if not thousands, of eggs coming in all shapes and sizes. He even saw a few seeds, weird as that was in the box. All the eggs came in a weird two-part container, divided horizontally, with the bottom half being a colorful substance, and the top being the clear substance revealing the egg. The hatchling came to the assumption that those held seedlings, though he was now left wondering how mammals were dealt with. The machine was huge, easily 3 times the size of the hatchling.
The machine itself was fancily decorated with pictures of dragons, phoenixes, ants(?), and dozens of other creatures, with gold decorations on each corner of the machine. The system called it a claw machine but assured him that no actual control from the player was required. Poor Richard had no idea at all what the system meant about that, and chose to ignore the comment. Looking at his points, Richard saw that he had 500 hundred points. Despite having paid 100 points for a template, he had gained 150 through the snacks he’d had since then, and a few saber tooth rats had managed to get through wherever the first had gotten through. Not that it mattered, since he was now able to quickly disorient them and kill them. A quick charge and the lightning pulse, followed up by a splash and a second lightning pulse quickly finished them. He did make sure to sharpen his own skills using them of course.
Richard was 500 points richer and decided familiar eggs would be a good way to do so. Looking at this machine filled him with anticipation and excitement, which was then followed my worry and doubt. ‘Is this how gamblers feel all the time? Feels like I’m a lamb about to be fleeced’. He was indeed, about to be fleeced of five hundred points. Upon putting his paw to a giant
|Tap Here| button, Richard felt something sap out of him. He assumed that was the sensation of points leaving, but it felt weird. He imagined 500 points being used, and watched as the claw expanded before sinking into the machine’s pit of weirdly-colored balls containing eggs. The claw eventually got pulled up, holding five containers, which it promptly lowered into a hole on the side which lowered into a hatch. Yes Richard was interested and very much weirded out. It was an interesting contraption to be sure, though he was left wondering the point about why didn’t the system just hand him the eggs, if the machine did nothing.
[It’s about presentation. If you do something, make sure to do it in style]
Huh. The system almost never goes first, and yet for this, it decided to go first.
[The creator was very proud of the gacha section of the system, due to its recycling of abandoned eggs that would’ve went nowhere. Every egg you hatch is an egg unwasted.]
‘So that’s where they get the eggs. And I Just assumed it was just being created out of thin air like mana spawned creatures. Makes more sense this way I suppose.’ Moving on from this, Richard excitedly looked at the 5 eggs he got.
One egg was an obsidian black, which pulsated ever so slightly, revealing a reptilian, almost drake like shape on the inside. Casting appraisal on it revealed:
[Onyx raptor: onyx raptors are part of the branch-off species of the long-forgotten race of dinosaurs. Abandoning their ancestors use of qi, the onyx family relies on mana, resulting in their attuning to the rock element. The onyx raptor will work in packs, often under the service of a greater onyx beast. Rarity: mythical Stats: Epic]
While that was exciting, there were four more eggs to go, so Richard pushed these questions aside for later, once he finished reviewing the other 4.
The 2nd egg was not quite what he expected, as it seemed to be an egg very similar to tadpole eggs, being a very thin transparent membrane, revealing… an octopus. This kind of worried Richard, because he needed something mobile, and something that depended on water would be bad. Alright, appraisal time:
[Octopulse are rare variant octopi’s monsters capable of blinding their foes using their tentacles which have the ability to blind enemies thanks to bulbs on their appendages near and above the suckers. Intelligent and witty, they are just as capable of surviving on land as on water, needing only small doses of liquid to keep themselves in good condition. This one has the bloodline of a kraken Rarity: master Stats: epic]
The next egg was a small orb, far smaller than the rest, and looked tiny even in its own container. What it was, however, was shocking.
[blood ticks are parasitic insects that will borrow into their hosts body, pretending to be a scale, or even skin. They will feed on the mana of their hosts, but in return will give an increase in defense and attack. As a result of being viewed as parasites, they are often removed from the host before they can evolve. A waste of potential Rarity: rare stats: rare]
Blood ticks were something he knew of, and yeah, they were considered parasites. But the system mentioned not only a stat increase, but clearly there was something people didn’t know. Perhaps the evolution was something great and no one ever discovered it because the blood tick was a parasite. As it was, the strength boosts already sounded great, and it sounded like the blood tick was a low maintenance partner too.
The fourth egg was a large egg, with it easily being twice the size of Richard. It had a smooth opaque appearance, and Richard sadly could not see the inside. He already knew this one would probably be a no go to hatch for now, but with the power of inventory he could likely keep it to hatch later. But for now:
[mesarcgo titanus is a creature that once existed on the surface. However, due to REDACTED they were forced to head underground alongside many other creatures. Mesarcgo titanus is a horrifying mix between what people would call sharks and crocodiles, considering those are the closest modern-day counterparts. The mesarcgo titanus has the terrifying jaw strength of crocodiles, the intense teeth growth a shark does, and the hard scales of a crocodile Mesarcgo are great swimmers. Maintaining the traits of both sides, and especially good surprise attackers, and despite having water and earth affinities, it is unsurprising for them to gain shadow affinity. They are huge, with young adults often sizing around a small mansion or so, often dwarfing your average dragon. It’s important to be aware though that they are not the top chain predators underground… rarity: mythical stats: master]
This one would have had Richard salivating, if it weren’t for its size. Richard wasn’t ready to gain too much attention, and if the mesarcgo really do reach those sizes, then it’d ruin the whole point of getting the shapeshifting ability. Just like blood ticks however, there was definitely something to observe. Not the top predator, how ominous…
The fifth egg was far more average, and quite normally sized. At least, as normally as monster eggs usually are. The egg was the size of pigeon. Upon appraising it however, he was left breathless. If Richard was surprised before, he was simply in awe now.
[Screeching squirrels are a rare creature, that may appear to be normal squirrels, if not prettier than the average squirrels. They are very good at speaking all kinds of languages. They like to then use said languages to raise pandemonium, causing people and creature alike to turn on one another, all while it watches from above with amusement. Despite their poor mouth, they can make loyal friends, if not mildly sadistic. Despite their generally weak bodies, they are favored by Ratatoskr, the squirrel god who tends to Yggdrasill the world tree. This one in particular is a son of Ratatoskr. Rarity: mythical stats: epic]
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Wow” gasped Richard. A god. He’d never heard of this one, though he’d never heard of a monster god either. Such a thing was quite new to him. The monster itself didn’t seem to be strong, but it seemed to be a strong support, and a huge distraction from enemies. Ignoring the little squirrel here though, there was a lot to look at, and plenty to digest. What to start with…
Dinosaurs. That had to be it. “What is “dinosaurs” system?”
[Sadly, the system considers most knowledge in regards to dinosaurs classified. Would you still like to hear what you can hear?]
“Alright, sure.” This was the first piece of classified knowledge that Richards had heard of, and it left him wondering what else could be filed away, and why this was important to be enough to be restricted.
[Very well. Dinosaurs were an ancient race that once stood in opposition to the dragons. Due to RESTRICTED they eventually disappeared, leaving behind only the branch-off races and pseudo-dragons who are the results of interbreeding. Even the dragons have forgotten them. The rest of the info can be purchased for 1000 points]
That was something. An enemy race of dragons? Richards had never heard of dinosaurs, and only some of the most powerful races such as phoenixes had been seen as the natural enemies of dragons. Well, now dinosaurs too, though he assumed it hardly mattered as dinosaurs seemed to be long extinct. What he did find interesting and relevant is that all modern-day pseudo dragons seemed to be the result of dinosaur blood. Was it inferior to dragon blood? Or was the dinosaur bloodline diluted over millennium.
The branch-off species were probably rare, or dragons wouldn’t have forgotten this foe. That’s probably why it’s considered mythical in rarity, just below legendary decided Richard, versus it’s epic level stats, below master and mythical. Richard was really curious what this “raptor” would look like, but he decided to put it on the maybe list. As cool as it sounded, he wasn’t sure he needed it yet.
For one thing, he wasn’t even sure how a dinosaur would react to a dragon, their once enemies. Maybe later. Perhaps after he paid for that extra secret knowledge, he’d make a new judgement. The system offered 50 points back if he put it back into the system. For now, it goes into the inventory.
The blood tick was pretty much a yes for him. He didn’t see any need for the blood tick to be fed anything except his own blood, and it’d be a stat booster in return for a low amount of mana trade-off. And it was teasing something greater too. He could ask the system about possible evolutions, but he’d rather wait and find out. There would be multiple options, and there might be different ones depending on conditions he hadn’t fulfilled yet. Better to wait and find out.
The Octopulse was something he was still considering. The egg wasn’t that big, only 2 feet tall, hardly something large. But the fact that it had the kraken’s bloodline meant that it might grow large in the future. On the other hand, it was small now and that was what the book of oaths was for. He could choose the smaller evolutions in the future. The Octopulse seemed to have good compatibility with him. Blinding and shocking foes would make a good combo. He’d also investigated where the saber tooth rats had been coming from, and the best he could tell it was a hole borrowed out of the mountain, presumably from a cave of sorts.
The screeching squirrel seemed to be an absolute yes. Not only did he seem small and inconspicuous, but blood of the god was a good voucher for the critter. He’d also work as nice support, as screecher squirrels are great distractions. He didn’t know what a demigod one was like, but the occasional adventurer spoke of them, calling them out for being annoying and at times even a serious threat. Of course, that goes both ways, and he’d heard of times when a monster was brought down because it was far more focused on the loud critter.
After some deliberation, Richard decided to go with 3 familiars. The screeching squirrel, the Octopulse and the blood tick. Following the info on the book of oaths and cut himself, wincing as the slit opened. It was definitely different when you cut your own skin open. He decided to start with the blood tick, as it was likely to be more painful. Popping open the foreign substance called plastic covers covering the egg, Richard dripped the blood on it, focused on establishing a contract. A drip of mana seemed to leave him as he felt something bloom in his mind, a connection, and as it blossomed, he felt something.
Hunger.
The creature that emerged out of the egg looked more like a hairless crimson red tarantula rather than a tick, and Richard thanked the heavens for it. Real ticks were horrifying. Though this was still going to hurt. The blood tick quickly clambered up his body before nestling in the spot between his wings. And then it bit down.
It hurt less than he expected of course, but the shock surprise elicited a growl, as it bit through his scales and started sucking. He walked over to the river to get a better look, and he watched as the blood tick changed to the stark white he had as his color. It wasn’t completely camouflaged, but he reckoned it was good enough for dumber creatures not looking for it. As it sucked, he received a notification:
[The Skills leech is acquired]
[Leech: by biting onto opponents, the user can heal their own wounds and regrow their energy supply the more blood acquired.]
‘Neat’ thought Richard. It wasn’t the most amazing skill, but it would allow him to regenerate as long as he could bite someone. That could also open more paths for him, though he wasn’t sure that vampiric dragon was on a list of options for him. He’d have to see if the leech was as good as he hoped it was. The blood tick sent him a rather nice vibe, which almost felt like a greeting, though Richard felt a lack of intelligence in the critter. ‘Guess the blood tick isn’t a smart creature’ thought Richard. Not that it mattered, since he was playing defense more than anything else. Hopefully it would get smarter as time went on.
Having settled the blood tick on his back, Richard squeezed another drop of blood, and watched as it settled into the thin membrane of the Octopulse egg. He felt something drain from him, but it wasn’t that bad, though a bit more uncomfortable than the blood tick. The blood flooded the egg, changing it into a bloody red membrane, and the Octopulse inside started squirming. Richard got a little worried, but felt relieved one tendril managed to get out, squirming through the membrane. The rest of the young critter soon followed suit.
The Octopulse was a small critter, with a diameter of four feet and a head the size of a watermelon. Its tentacles were lined with small translucent orbs embedded in the skin, which he could only assume were the pulse orbs. Other than that, it looked like a normal bright yellow octopus. unlike the blood tick which merely sent an amiable feeling through their newfound connection, the Octopulse put a word through.
‘Hello’. Richard felt a little giddy, “hearing” someone else speak. He had yet to speak to anyone in ages except for the system, but the system made for some rather bland conversation, especially when it held things back.
‘Greetings’ was Richard’s response, and the octopus shook a little before settling down, with a little joy gleaming through those eyes, which felt quite intelligent. The Octopulse seemed to have cost him 10 mana, so more expensive than the blood tick, but that wasn’t all that bad.
[The skill expand was gained]
[The skill expand, gained from an octopus’ natural elasticity, allows the user to not only appear bigger to intimidate cowardly foes, but to give a 5 percent increase in strength, and a 1 percent decrease in speed]
Not as amazing as the blood tick, Richard had to admit, but gaining the ability to blind foes would be pointless, since he already had the Octopulse to do it for him. It seemed alright, though he wondered if he could use it to shrink instead of expand.
Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, Richard walked up to the last familiar. It was time for the big one. Staring at the final container, he cracked it open and stared at this new egg, before dripping his blood into it. Unlike the Octopulse and blood tick, which had given him a tiny sense of draining, this one felt like it was draining him alive, as he watched with awe and terror as his mana drained down rapidly. This was a mythical being, the child of a god. He worried the egg would be negatively affected by a lack of mana, though he had little choice, as the drain had already begun, and unlike before, he couldn’t even think straight.
3.
2.
1.
As his mana approached zero, the vortex stopped, and relief flooded Richard as he felt the drain stop. The egg started shaking, and as it did, for a moment Richard felt something. An overbearing presence, as if something was watching. Not him thank Isis, though he felt he was already being squashed. No, it was focused on the hatching egg, as the egg cracked and rolled. And though it was hidden, he could swear he almost felt… affection. As a rounded nose broke though the egg, the presence abruptly disappeared, leaving Richards even more relieved and tired. Seriously, two scares on one egg. How exhausting.
The nose was soon followed by a head, and soon followed the body, and finally a bushy tail, covered in birthing fluids. The newborn squirrel shook itself, splattering fluid everywhere, and a little even got on Richard and his two new pets. Richards could swear he saw a smirk on the squirrel’s face, a thought interrupted by the squirrels greeting.
“Good Fucking Morning Bitches!”
… What?