You Acquired a Coin [3]

[You have found a 'Store'.]

[Do you wish to learn more about 'Stores'?]

I remembered once, when I installed a game app on my cell phone. It had quite the simple mechanics, with some puzzles and tons of distinct characters I could choose to complete my daily missions. The main issue most players had with that game, however, was its gacha system.

The initial characters were bland with lacking designs, and the scenarios one got to complete with them got repetitive after a few months. To get the good characters, I had to spin the roulette. To get different skins and weapons for the characters, had to spin the roulette. To gain new and fun scenarios, spin the roulette. It didn't help that the algorithm was unfair and rarely gave the best prizes. In order to really win the characters I wanted, I had to dedicate my entire week to playing that game and, in the end, it was simply not worth it. I had better things to do with my time and if all I was seeking was a way to distract myself, there were other games I could, and did, play. However, I could recall my frustration and anger with every spun roulette where I got the same trashy character and boring scenarios. I actually broke my cell phone screen that way; it was embarrassing.

As I stood at the store, all those memories came rushing back to me. In front of me there was a giant gacha, with a few categories I could choose from. Armor, Weapons, Cards and Consumables. It even had in display the best items: an incredible full-set golden armor, a breathtaking ice spear, potions with the most powerful and vivid colors, and at last, purple and silver cards with beautiful covers.

Yet they could be giving me a fucking black, flying unicorn for free, with fries and gold on the side-

It was still a gacha system.

"If you could see the look on your face..." Hal's voice brought me back to reality, the boy holding back a laughter with much difficulty. I passed my hand through my hair, trying to lessen the rage. They couldn't settle for the normal, decent stores, could they?

"How does it work? Do you have to exchange your points here as well?"

Hal opened his mouth yet Hildr jumped in front of him. "You chose the type of item you want, then you say how many attempts you want and the system will convert the value."

"If your Coin status is high, you can get better items." Hal's head popped up on Hil's shoulder, resting his arms on her.

As I recalled, the Coin status meant 'Luck'.

Hah.

Was that system joking with me? If I could punch whoever was behind that...

"Did you try to get anything yet?"

Hil gave a spin while Hal took out a small knife from his pocket.

"Hil got the dress, I got this knife. But we increased our Coin status before trying."

How could a kid like that hold a knife in such a carefree way?

Better question; why did he know how to use it that well, enough to do tricks with it?

"My dress protects me against fire spells!"

I raised my eyebrows. That was actually very good. Maybe it was worth it to invest a bit in 'Luck' to try to get a nice armor. My clothes were like a tutorial equipment, they granted me no bonuses or skills whatsoever. I had no idea what those cards were, and potions' effects had time limits. At that moment, I wanted ever-lasting items that could give me an advantage not only during the next trial but throughout the 'games'.

I tried to open the menu without speaking out loud and it worked; the icons popped up in front of me. I went to the Statuses window, clicking on the Coin icon.

[Do you wish to spend 75 points to increase Coins by 3?]

Oh? It was cheaper. Interesting.

I confirmed, then repeated the transaction a couple of times. By the end, I had spent 710 points.

[Coins: 10]

That seemed good for a first try, right?

"Wait, are you seriously going to try?"

"Oh, what are you trying to get, mister?!"

They spoke almost simultaneously, getting closer to me as I approached the gacha.

"I will try to get an armor."

"You should try some potions, too. A guy came here earlier and left with two full bags."

"He also got a cool coat."

"It was not that cool. It was pretty boring."

"It was cool." Hil reaffirmed, which only gave her an annoyed look from her brother.

At that point, I was wondering who was the person who decided to invest so much in potions.

I pressed the 'Armor' button, and then the number '1' that appeared in front of me.

My jaw fell off my face once I saw the price.

[Do you wish to expend 1500 points to buy 1 attempt at the roulette?]

Yeah, I really wanted to know who was the maniac who spent points enough to leave, not only with a coat, but two full bags of potions.

1500?! For ONE attempt?!

I wanted to meet the demonic spawn who created the gacha system so I could curse their entire life and family line. Perhaps it was a good thing I didn't have a cell phone in this world.

Damn, should I really spend so much just for one item? No matter how I looked, it was quite an investment.

Hal appeared at my side, impatience showing on his voice. "What are you waiting for? Are going to get something or not?"

"You know, kids like you should act cuter."

"Bite me."

"Hal, language! My brother is actually really cute, mister. He just doesn't express himself well."

"Yes, I do. I mean exactly what I say."

Somehow, seeing how the two interacted and supported each other... It reminded me of me and Hana. She was the cute, kind and polite child that would steal attention the same way she would steal people's breath away. Our parents doted on her as if she was a national treasure and my mother...

I shook my head. I did not want memories of that woman haunting my memories at that moment. I was finally free from her; I wanted to keep it that way.

"Okay! Let's do this. Hope I won't regret it."

I confirmed, the entire gacha trembling and shaking. I could see thousands of colored ampoules turning and moving from the inside until, finally, a single one begun its descent in a spiral. When it finally reached the end, the sound of trumpets echoed into the space.

The twins widened their eyes briefly, exchanging glances.

"What? Something wrong?" I asked as I furrowed my brows.

"Just see what item you got already."

Yup, Hal—not a cute kid at all.

My hand reached for the ampoule, a strange starry liquid inside.

"What do I do now? Do I drink this or-"

Hal took the object out of my hands, throwing it on the ground. A dense, purple and glowing mist came out of the glass, going up and condensing itself in front of me, taking a shape. After only a few seconds, there was a silver breastplate facing me with an eerie glow surrounding it.

[You received 'Warrior's Protector'!]

I clicked to see the descriptions.

[Warrior's Protector - B Class Armor]

[An item that once belonged to a powerful warrior; It shall protect its user from blunt attacks.]

[Increase Wands by 2]

[Rarity: Uncommon]

I raised my eyebrows, touching my chin. That was not bad at all, when I thought about it. Especially the status increase, it could be extremely helpful. I noticed a '+' icon at the top of the description and the moment I pressed it, a small window appeared with a single sentence being displayed.

[This item possesses a hidden trait. Meet the requirements to unlock it.]

I must have pressed that button a thousand times, trying to see what the requirements were. Apparently, the system was not really fond of telling me. Could I expect anything less from a system that used a gacha store?

Still, a hidden trait, huh? That was actually quite interesting; my curiosity was picked. I wondered what I had to do in order to unlock the mysterious trait. I kept trying to remember everything I knew about these kinds of games and also the fantasy stories I would read from time to time, yet I liked strategy games best and would usually read thrillers and suspense novels. There was a game I really loved; StarAlliance Across Frontiers, it had quite a unique system for invading and conquering planets. One of the rules was that players could not enter planets they knew nothing about, and to increase their knowledge they had to study the planets' atmosphere, gravity and classification; if it was a gas or ice giant, terrestrial worlds, and so on. Another thing; players had to reach a minimum level depending on the planet they wanted to conquer, and the levels were based on the players' knowledge regarding the type of planets.

Maybe my current situation was similar...? Still, it was hard to know when the system would share nothing more regarding the item's requirements.

"Pick the item already. How long it takes for you to read the descriptions?"

"Mister, what does it say?! Is it a cool item?"

"It looks pretty ugly."

"C'mon, Hal, it looks cool!"

I left the twins to their own discussion, reaching for the breastplate. It disappeared for a moment, appearing on my chest only a few seconds later. Huh, didn't look so bad.

"So, what does it do?"

Although there was annoyance in his voice, I could see curiosity shining on both the twins' faces. They were children, after all.

"It says it protects me against blunt attacks and that it possesses a hidden trait."

I wished I had a camera to take a photo of their faces.

"A hidden trait—that sounds awesome! Do you know how to activate it, Mister?"

"I bet he doesn't." When he saw my expression, Hal grinned; a smile so wide it could swallow his face. "Hah, you really don't know?! Maybe the system thinks you are stupid t-"

Hildr pushed her brother to the side, giving him a nasty look. When she turned to me, she was back to being a small angel. "Mister is smart! You will figure it out in no time."

Darn, she was too adorable. That cuteness hurt my heart.

"Well, thank you both for sharing what you knew. I'm sure this item will come in handy," I said as I knocked a few times on the breastplate, feeling the metal vibrate on my chest. "Are you guys hungry?"

They both nodded.

"Do you know a place where we can eat?"

And the look they gave me was priceless.

I was truly shocked. Not only for the fact that there was an actual food court, as rustic and Renaissance-like as it could be, but by the fact the twins' preferred choice was crepes.

[Welcome to 'Oh my Crepes!'. To order, choose an item from the menu.]

1- Crepe with cheese.....100

2- Crepe with meat.......100

3- Crepe with meat and cheese.....180

4- Crepe with sweets.....150

....

Were they kidding me? Couldn't they be less lazy with the names? Sometimes I could swear—that system was controlled by a five-year-old.

"Which one do you want?"

"Will Mister pay for us?!"

"What, are you rich or something?"

"I'm older, and also you helped me earlier. I also gained a lot of points for saving you, so consider this a payback." It was not a lie per se. I did gain quite a lot of points for surviving the tracks.

"Option 4!"

They both shouted at the same time. I glanced at the menu, a smile playing on my lips.

"Sure thing, wait for me at the table."

The twins slapped their hands together, their eyes glowing like stars as they laughed and ran toward the tables and chairs. Damn, even Hal could act like a sweet and adorable angel sometimes. There were quite a lot of people here, I didn't want to wait for available tables.

I bought the twins' sweet crepes and a meat one for me. But perhaps later I would pass on the barbecue restaurant across the court.

Something told me it could be quite expensive, though.

When I joined the twins, they widened their eyes as they saw the chocolate-filled crepes I was holding. The moment I put the food on the table, their hands grabbed the crepes in a desperate movement, brother and sister staring at the paste in their hands for long seconds until each one gave a big bite.

I watched as their eyes exploded with joy, surprise and pure excitement as they chew, the twins' gazes locking on me as if in a silent appreciation.

I tried my best not to laugh as I asked, "Is it good? Did you guys like it?"

They nodded their heads several times, their mouths still full.

"Then eat up! Next time you kids pay, okay?" They kept nodding yet at that point, I was not that sure they were listening to me. That somehow made me think and ponder my childhood, once again. My memories of that time were fuzzy, filled with moments not really worth remembering and others that were plain painful to recall. However, as I watched the twins and their innocence and childlike behavior, it simply made me think... Made me want to remember something that joyful and precious, either a moment I shared alone or with Hana. Yet my memory kept failing me and at some point, I stopped forcing it to recall days that may not have ever existed.

When I gave the first bite of my crepe, I widened my eyes.

'This is quite decent! And pork meat, huh?'

Did they know it was my favorite?

"Mister, this is so good! What is this filling?" Hildr asked with her crepe half eaten, while Hal was busy licking his fingers.

I blinked a few times in order to control the surprise in my voice. "Are you talking about the chocolate?"

Hildr stared back at her crepe in awe, whispering back my words as if she had never heard of it before.

"We don't have that where we came from," Hal answered a question I hadn't even asked yet, making my heart stop for a few seconds, my mind processing his words.

That shouldn't be possible, right? I didn't know what part of the world they were from, but with their physical traits and their names—they had to be from somewhere in Northern or Western Europe, like Denmark, Norwegian, Germany—one of those places.

How come they had never seen or heard of chocolate?

Before I could ask them, a new voice called them out. As I turned my head, I saw a man accompanied by a small group of two men and a woman along with someone who appeared to be her daughter. Hildr lost all the glow in her eyes, her smile fading while Hal clenched his fists, one hand going for his pocket.

"What do you want, uncle?"

"Hal, just let it go..."

Hildr whispered those words to him, yet the anger that shone in Hal's eyes did not go away.

The group was already acquainted with the gacha machine, apparently. The woman had a bronze bracelet on her wrist, while the men and her daughter wore different colors of the same cape. However, the cape from the man that spoke before was a bit different, something in the way it reflected the light at times.

"Hey, is that any way to talk with grow-ups when you are a small kid? You should show respect, you know. Your parents should've taught you that much."

I saw Hal starting to get up, his hand grabbing something in his pocket. It was then that I remembered; he had a knife.

"Didn't your parents teach you how ungraceful and pathetic it is for a man your age to talk like that to a child?" I stood up from my chair, putting my hand on Hal's shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze, my heart racing faster against my chest. The man chuckled, his eyes focusing on me. He gave me the same impression as Giorgio, but stupider.

"And you are? Don't really recall anyone being chummy with those two back at the cabin."

"Mister was an operator! He is way better than you all!"

"Hil...!"

Hal put his hand over Hildr's mouth as a shadow crossed over the stranger's eyes, a new weight being dropped in the air as the people from the group shifted in their places.

"So, you were one of those guys?" The man took two steps forward, standing only a few breaths away from me.

"Yes, what about it? Why, don't tell me you are going to bring that classicism bullshit right now?" I replied with a smile, giving another bite of my meat crepe.

'It also has a nice seasoning, now that think about it.'

The man left eye twitched a few times, his mouth half open.

"You know our points changed depending on what you chose, right? I lost points because you kept fucking up your choices." He grabbed my collar with one hand, a part that was not covered by my armor. Look at that guy, being so cozy with me when we were not even colleagues.

I gave another bite, shrugging. "Not really my fault. You should've tried to think about the other variables if what you really wanted was to score more points."

"You shitty bastar-"

"But hey, don't worry." I grabbed his hand—the one that was holding my shirt—staring at his eyes with a quiet fire burning within my gaze, twisting the hand until he let it go. "I killed the asshole that was messing with your points."

He got paler for a brief second, taking a few steps back. He glanced at the almost-finished crepe at my hand, giving a smirk. "You should wash your mouth after this, your breath really stinks."

I put all the crepe in my mouth, not bothering to swallow everything before I replied, "Then you should take a shower."

The people behind him let out small chuckles, not daring to meet his gaze when he looked back at them.

"If you are done here, uncle, go find an empty table. Otherwise, I will get indigestion by looking at your face."

I almost choked with Hal's words, trying to control my laughter; that boy could be brutal when he wanted, huh?

The woman grabbed the stranger by his wrist, guiding him away from us. Yet that man still exchanged a few glances at us, as if making a promise that sooner than later we would meet again.

When he finally left, I felt the twins relax, their shoulders dropping, their breathing lighter. I felt that was not the moment to ask about their relationship with that group, so instead I asked something else.

"Do you want another crepe? I'm still feeling a bit hungry, to be honest."

Hildr opened the cutest smile, the glow coming back to her eyes as she nodded. However Hal shook his head, a certain distance being shown within his gaze. When I followed the direction he was looking, I saw small a clock tower in the middle of the court. Time was almost up.

It was difficult to acknowledge that, as far as anyone of us knew, that could've been our last meal.