Gacha Harem System

The bear still slept, waiting for him to attack, but Lukas didn’t mind.

He now had his [Blood Armor] activated, so he was permitted to be a little reckless.

A grin spread across his face as he took a step forward.

The bear wouldn’t know what hit it.

He dug his heels into the ground, and the next second, he blurred forward through the air, the earth shattering from the force of his dash.

The moment he was within range, the Zipper Bear surged awake, faster than Lukas had anticipated, its claws catching him in the torso.

His [Blood Armor] cracked but didn’t break. However, his [Dread Cuirass] registered the attack, sending twenty percent back into the bear.

The bear’s arm recoiled backwards from the backlash in the same instant that the attack sent Lukas flying.

But instead of the force pulling Lukas back, he stabbed his sword into the bear’s arm, using it to hook himself in place.

The beast roared in pain, raising its arm in order to slam it, and Lukas, who was holding onto his sword, into the ground.

Lukas’ eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he immediately let go of the sword. The action still sent him flying to the ground, but this time, it was controlled.

He landed with his palms, using it to push himself away from the beast in the same motion.

The beast’s arm, now excluding him, slammed into the ground, sending stone shards flying. Lukas’ sword was sent even deeper into the bear’s arm.

It roared in pain, stumbling back as it tried to rip the sword out of its arm.

Lukas capitalized on that moment of weakness, dashing forward. Before the bear could realize what was going on, he was already inside its guard, arm pulled back with all his strength.

Smash!

His fist slammed straight into its chest, the impact making its ribs crack and sending it flying.

The bear sailed into the air, slamming into the ground a few times before finally hitting the wall.

Lukas was there an instant later, his knee slamming into the bear’s face. The bear moaned in pain, the hit sending its head an inch deep into the wall.

Lukas didn’t stop.

He pulled his arm back, sending another punch into its face. Then another. And another.

He kept raining punches, the impact sending cracks through the walls and floor as the bear’s head was driven deeper and deeper into the wall.

He didn’t stop, even as blood kept splattering into the air. Not until the notification appeared before him.

Ding!

[You have killed a C-rank Zipper Buff Bear.]

[Congratulations! C-rank dungeon, Zipper Cave, successfully cleared!]

Lukas stepped back, staring at his handiwork with cold eyes, and blood dripping down his arm.

[Congratulations, you have cleared the quest.]

[Reward: +300 Gacha Points.]

He had no reason to pull back his punches or be merciful. This was a kill or be killed world. If he tried to relent for even a moment, the boss bear would kill him without a second thought.

[Calculating contributions...]

[Rankings:]

[1. Lukas (MVP)]

[Distributing rewards...]

[Congratulations, you have received: +100 Agility, +50 Strength, 8000 gold coins, ten Zipper Buff Bear claws, ten bear hides, and ten bear pelts]

He stared at the rewards, feeling a little bit disappointed. He’d expected his performance to net him a new [Item], but it was now clear to him that effort didn’t really matter when it comes to getting one.

He clearly hadn’t met whatever metric the dungeon uses to decide who got an [Item] and who didn’t.

But the rest of the rewards were still generous. The Buff Bear claws would sell well as they could be used to make incredibly sharp knives or serve as ornaments.

The hides and pelts were no different. They could be transformed into leather, clothing, or rugs, and other different materials. That depends on which merchant the pavilion sold them to.

He collected the rewards into his spatial ring, and the moment they were secured, he was enveloped in a white flash of light, finding himself standing in front of the dungeon’s spatial gate.

He stood there for a moment, his [Blood Armor] still thick around him.

Then a familiar sound echoed in his ears.

Ding!

[Quest: Better Than I Was A Minute Ago]

[Tries: 0/1]

[Beat your own best time at the C-rank dungeon, Zipper Cave, by at least one minute.]

[Reward: +300 Gacha Points]

[Penalty: None]

Lukas chuckled at the notification, raising a brow as if asking ’really?’

He’d started slow on his previous run because he wasn’t used to fighting Zipper Bears in closed quarters. But now, especially with his [Blood Armor] thick and active around him, there was no way he was failing this quest.

He now had two thousand and one hundred Gacha Points, but he was not in any hurry. Besides, there was nothing wrong with amassing more points, if only for the fun of it.

And so he stepped back into the spatial gate, unaware of the guard watching him from atop the walls.

***

Inside a large mansion existed a dining room of similar stature.

The room had a high ceiling with several golden chandeliers hanging from it and illuminating the space.

The walls were painted a light cream, and with the large windows sending sunlight streaming in on the gold gilded furniture, gave the room a happy atmosphere.

In the middle of the room was a large table, and sitting at the head of it was a man.

He looked to be in his early thirties, and was currently eating, the plates in front of him filled with several delicacies.

He chewed, before glancing at the S-rank Awakener who stood in a subservient position by his side.

"A newly minted Awakener, you say?" The man asked, his deep voice rumbling through the air.

"Yes, my lord." The man bowed lightly as he spoke. "The latest reports say he’s still at the Zipper Cave, clearing it all on his own."

The man took a sip of wine, humming to himself as he thought. "A newly minted Awakener clearing several dungeons all on his own. The stats that would be required for that..."

He glanced at his servant. "What did you say his class was again?"

"[Thief], my lord. But we suspect a secondary class."

"I see. Another secondary Awakener in one year." The man ate from the plate in front of him. "I wonder just what kind of class he’d awakened to produce such a formidable Awakener. I’ve heard of a few rare ones, and it seems a future Elite has been created in my little city."

The servant blinked in surprise.

The City Lord laughed as he noticed the expression on the man’s face. "Don’t be so surprised, Rollo. With this kind of pace, as long as he’s mentally up to the task, this kid will one day reach the Third Floor of the Tower. As for if he would be able to go beyond, that’s up to the powers that be."

Silence filled the air.

"So what should we do?" Rollo reluctantly asked.

"Nothing." The City Lord waved dismissively. "I’m sure he’ll eventually leave and join the games the rest of the Tower plays."

"I’ve kept Havenhart safe from it all, and I’ll keep doing that. But there’s no need to form connections with someone who’s destined for such... activities."

He paused, then sighed. "I’m sure I’ll have a chance to meet the kid though. Assuming he doesn’t die before the tournament. I have a feeling he’ll surprise us all."

He raised his glass as if giving a toast, then downed it in one gulp.

"And another one enters the great game."