I immediately grabbed the gems on top of the table, their smooth surfaces cool against my fingertips. They shimmered like fragments of stardust, casting faint, multicolored glows that reflected off the polished wood. As soon as my hands made contact, a soft chime echoed in the air, clear and crystalline, like the ringing of wind chimes swaying in the breeze.

Then, suddenly, a holographic screen materialized in front of me. The interface had a sleek, ethereal glow, its text shimmering with a soft white light. My breath hitched as I read the prompt displayed before me.

[Convert 100 Luminous Gems into one Redshift Ticket]

[Yes] [No]

The choice hovered in the air, waiting, expectant. My fingers were trembling slightly. Anticipation and uncertainty mingling in the pit of my stomach. Furukawa watched me in silence, her expression unreadable, but there was an amused glint in her eyes, as if she already knew what I would do.

Without hesitation, I pressed [Yes].

The moment my fingertip touched the option, a pulse of light surged through the screen, rippling outward like a drop of water in a still pond. The Luminous Gems in my grasp dissolved into golden particles, swirling into the air like tiny fireflies before being absorbed into the holographic interface. The air around me felt charged, humming with unseen energy, as if the very fabric of reality was shifting in response to my action.

A mechanical whirring noise followed, a sound akin to gears turning, like an ancient mechanism stirring awake after centuries of slumber. The screen pulsed, then dimmed, and in the next instant, a single item materialized before me.

A Redshift Ticket. It hovered slightly above the table, its edges lined with faint traces of cosmic energy, pulsing like the heartbeat of a star. I swallowed, my fingers reaching out toward it, hesitant yet drawn in by its allure.

"So," Furukawa's voice cut through the charged atmosphere, bringing me back to the present. "Are you ready for the roll, Mikan?"

Her smirk was knowing, teasing. The frills of her magical girl outfit shifted as she adjusted her posture, the pastel ribbons in her silver hair swaying with her every movement. The gemstone accessories adorning her gloves and boots caught the dim light of the library, casting prismatic reflections onto the wooden table between us. Her corset-style bodice shimmered with celestial embroidery, and the layered skirt, with its translucent fabric, rippled with every slight motion. The outfit, a mixture of elegance and fantasy, was undeniably eye-catching, though completely out of place in the quiet setting of the library.

I could feel the weight of her gaze, the expectation hanging in the air. The Redshift Ticket pulsed softly in my palm, warm to the touch, almost as if it carried a will of its own. I exhaled slowly.

"Yeah," I murmured, tightening my grip.

I took a deep breath, feeling the faint warmth of the Redshift Ticket against my fingertips. The ticket pulsed gently, as if alive, its shifting hues of crimson and violet resembling the dying light of a setting sun. A strange sensation coursed through me, anticipation mixed with something unexplainable, like standing at the edge of a dream just before waking.

Without a second thought, I ripped the ticket in half. The moment the paper was torn apart, a surge of energy erupted from it, spreading like ripples in water. The library around me shuddered, the air trembling with an unseen force. A blinding light flashed from the torn halves, forcing me to shield my eyes as a rush of warmth washed over me.

The moment the paper split, a burst of radiant energy erupted from the tear. The library around me flickered, the once-muted glow of the lamps drowned out by an overwhelming cascade of light. The air vibrated with an unseen force, making my skin tingle as shimmering particles spiraled upward, swirling like a miniature galaxy.

Colors erupted in rapid succession, painting the space before me in an array of vibrant hues: white, green, blue, purple, gold, and rainbow. Each shade pulsed with a life of its own, swirling like celestial ribbons unfurling in the void. The light flickered and danced across the polished wooden surface of the table, casting prismatic reflections onto the shelves lined with countless books. The gentle hum of energy in the air resonated with an almost musical quality, as if the very essence of magic was singing in response to my action.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Each color pulsed, flickering as they arranged themselves into a circular formation, orbiting around the point where the Redshift Ticket had once been. My heart pounded in my chest as I clenched my fists, watching the glowing spectrum spin faster and faster, merging into a single, blinding burst of radiance.

Furukawa watched me with an amused smirk, her silver hair gleaming under the ethereal light. "Well?" she mused, her voice carrying the faintest edge of curiosity. "What do you think you'll get, Mikan?"

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the glowing vortex before me. My hands curled into fists at my sides.

"I don’t know," I murmured. "But I’m about to find out."

The swirling vortex of colors slowed, each hue fading one by one as the energy condensed into a single point of light. My breath hitched as I watched the glow settle into a deep, rich purple.

Epic. The holographic screen flickered to life before me, lines of golden text forming as the result finalized.

<< Yumi Lv. 1 (Epic) >>

EXP: 0/100

Magical Attack +18

Description: A bow used by Miko. Use it carefully, or she would pout dramatically, crossing her arms and refusing to talk to you for a full minute. It takes 15 MP to shoot a single arrow made out of magic, as well as the dwindling hope of the game developers when they first implemented this mechanic into Luminous Dream, praying it wouldn’t break the balance too much.

A brilliant purple light coalesced before my eyes, taking shape in the air. Slowly, the glow faded, revealing a sleek, elegant bow. The wooden frame was lined with delicate crimson inscriptions, pulsating faintly as if alive. At the center, an intricate talisman was tied near the grip, fluttering slightly as if caught in an unseen breeze.

I let out a small breath, my fingers twitching slightly as I reached out. The bow felt warm in my hands, lighter than I expected yet sturdy. When I brushed my fingers against the string, a faint hum resonated through the air, almost like a whisper of something forgotten.

Furukawa Shiro let out a soft chuckle, leaning forward with an intrigued expression. "Ah, so you got Yumi, huh?" she mused. "A relic of nostalgia. A weapon meant for those with precision… and patience."

I furrowed my brows, staring at the bow in my hands like it had just insulted my entire lineage. Precision and patience? Two things I wasn’t exactly known for. In fact, if I had a personal stat sheet, those would be sitting at a solid zero. I gave the bow an experimental tug, half-expecting it to scold me for my recklessness. Instead, it hummed softly, as if mocking me. "Great," I muttered. "Guess I just rolled myself into a self-improvement arc."

I inspected the bow further, running my fingers along its polished wooden surface. The crimson inscriptions pulsed faintly, as if acknowledging my touch. In Luminous Dream, this bow was part of a frustratingly difficult archery minigame, one that had tormented players with its finicky hitbox detection and wind resistance mechanics. Many had raged, few had mastered it, and yet, here it was in my hands, daring me to relive those moments of trial and error in real-time. I sighed, wondering if the developers had a personal vendetta against casual players like me.

In the game, it was used by Miko, one of Mashiro's closest friends, a shrine maiden known for her sharp tongue and even sharper aim. She was infamous for scolding players who misused her weapon, often appearing in-game to deliver a disappointed glare if someone fired an arrow recklessly. The bow carried her essence, imbued with both spiritual energy and a lingering sense of passive-aggressive judgment.

"Well, it’s still an Epic," I muttered, tightening my grip on the bow as I eyed the description again. A single arrow cost 15 MP, not exactly cheap.

"Why don't you try it?" Furukawa said, her silver hair catching the dim library light as she pointed towards a towering bookshelf with an apple precariously balanced on the top shelf. Her cape fluttered slightly, as if caught in an unseen breeze, adding to the theatrical effect. The moment she spoke, a strange hush fell over the room. One by one, the library's patrons flickered like glitches in an old video game, then disappeared entirely, leaving behind only the faint echo of pages turning in the empty silence.

I aimed my bow at the apple, and the moment I did, a transparent arrow materialized, shimmering faintly with an ethereal glow. It hovered just above the bowstring, pulsing slightly, as if awaiting my command. The sensation was eerily familiar, just like in the game. My fingers tensed instinctively, feeling the subtle hum of magic flowing through the weapon, the weightless energy of the spectral arrow ready to be unleashed.

I unleashed the arrow, watching as it sliced cleanly through the apple perched five meters above me. The satisfying thunk of impact barely had time to register before an ominous creaking noise echoed through the empty library. My eyes darted upward just in time to witness the entire bookshelf, an absolute behemoth of literature and impending doom, tilting forward at an alarming angle.

"Oh, not again!" I yelped, instinctively raising my arms as if they could somehow stop a cascade of hardcover-bound knowledge from flattening me. Pages rustled like a thousand whispering voices preparing to eulogize my short-lived victory.

Furukawa, ever the spectator in my suffering, grinned with far too much amusement. "Oops," she mused, not even trying to hide her laughter as gravity claimed its prize.

With a dramatic crash, I was buried beneath an avalanche of books, my only solace being that at least they were well-written.