Haruto stared at the glowing blue screen floating in front of him.
"...Am I hallucinating?"
He looked around the construction site.
The other workers continued talking, smoking, and counting their wages as if nothing had happened. Nobody seemed to notice the strange window hanging in the air.
Haruto slowly reached out.
His finger passed through the screen like it was made of light.
"What... is this?"
The words on the screen changed.
[Host Confirmed]
[Initializing Gacha System...]
[Synchronization Complete.]
[Welcome, Haruto Sato.]
Haruto's heart pounded.
"My name..."
It knew his name.
He had never seen anything like this before.
"Is someone playing a prank on me?"
Another notification appeared.
[Mission: Become the guardian of children.]
[Keep children happy and healthy.]
[Every smile, laugh, achievement, and act of kindness increases Happiness Points.]
[Happiness Points can be exchanged in the Gacha.]
[Rewards include money, skills, items, and abilities.]
Haruto blinked several times.
"...Money?"
The word immediately caught his attention.
His hands trembled.
"If this thing can really give me money..."
Images of his unconscious mother flashed through his mind.
The hospital.
The debt collectors.
The overdue bills.
He clenched his fists.
"I don't care if this is a dream."
"I'll do anything if it can save Mom."
The screen shimmered again.
[Beginner Gift Available.]
[Would you like to claim it?]
YES / NO
Haruto hesitated.
"If I press this and explode, that'd be a terrible way to die."
After a few seconds, he sighed.
"...Whatever."
He pressed YES.
Golden light burst from the screen.
A wheel covered in hundreds of colorful rewards appeared before him.
Weapons.
Books.
Money.
Food.
Mystery boxes.
Even things that looked impossible.
"What the..."
The wheel began spinning at incredible speed.
It slowed...
Slower...
Slower...
Finally—
DING!
Congratulations!
You obtained: Beginner Care Package.
Haruto frowned.
"...That's it?"
The package opened by itself.
Inside were three rewards.
Reward 1: ¥100,000 Cash
Reward 2: Beginner Cooking Skill
Reward 3: Orphanage Recommendation Letter
Haruto froze.
"...One hundred thousand... yen?"
He looked around in disbelief.
A thick envelope suddenly appeared in his hands.
Opening it with shaking fingers, he found stacks of crisp banknotes inside.
His breathing became uneven.
"It's... real."
Tears threatened to fall from his eyes.
For the first time in months, he felt hope.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
He could save his mother.
Before he could celebrate, another notification appeared.
[Main Quest Unlocked]
Create a Home Filled With Smiles
Objective: Become the caretaker of at least one child.
Reward: 10 Gacha Tickets
Failure Penalty: None
Haruto frowned.
"A caretaker?"
"Why children?"
Before he could think any further, his phone suddenly rang.
It was the hospital.
His heart skipped a beat.
He answered immediately.
"H-Hello?"
A nurse spoke from the other end.
"Mr. Sato? Your mother's condition has changed. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible."
Haruto's face turned pale.
Without another word, he grabbed the envelope of cash and ran.
The system window quietly followed behind him.
Its final message glowed in the evening sky.
[The story of the strongest guardian has begun.]