Player Chapter 26. Gacha Skill Spin
Second wolf slammed into him from behind, except he wasn't there.
He had already dropped low.
Its claws sliced empty air.
He rolled under its belly, one blade carving open muscle along its abdomen as he passed. Warm blood spilled over his sleeve. The creature twisted violently in pain. He rose behind it and severed the back tendon in a clean horizontal line.
It collapsed.
Third wolf hit him dead center.
Fast. Smart.
It bit down on one blade and snapped it in half with crystalline jaws.
Riven blinked once.
"…Rude."
He dismissed the broken blade instantly.
He stepped inside its reach before it could recoil and drove his knee into its chest, using the impact to launch himself upward. His remaining blade plunged down between crystalline ridges along its spine.
He twisted. Hard.
Bone cracked.
The wolf shrieked and thrashed violently. He rode the motion for half a second before ripping the blade free and landing lightly behind it.
It staggered three steps.
Then collapsed.
Blood pooled around his boots.
He wiped his cheek absently with the back of his hand.
The fourth one was different.
It didn't rush.
It circled.
Intelligent.
Riven tilted his head slightly.
"Okay," he murmured. "You get the special treatment."
The wolf darted in suddenly, fangs aiming for his throat.
He leaned back just enough for the jaws to graze his collar instead of flesh. Its breath was hot. Rank.
He grabbed its upper jaw with his left hand mid-lunge.
Mana reinforced his grip.
The wolf snapped, claws tearing through his coat and slicing shallow lines across his ribs. Pain flared, sharp and real.
He grinned.
There it is.
He drove his knee upward again, slamming into the creature's sternum. Its body jerked upward.
[Summoned: Ice Lance]
A jagged spike formed instantly in his free hand.
He shoved it straight through the wolf's open mouth and out the back of its skull.
Silence.
He released the jaw. The body dropped.
Blood splashed against the stones.
He stood there for a moment. Breathing steady.
Not excited.
Not thrilled.
Just… mildly inconvenienced.
[Quest Progress: 5/5 Valley Predators Eliminated]
[EXP Gained]
[Coins Acquired: +1,250]
A warm surge rippled through him.
[Level Up!]
[Level 31 Reached]
He exhaled slowly, feeling the subtle recalibration inside his body.
Level 31.
"Nice."
Then the System chimed again.
[Since you are making a fast progression. I will give you a bonus.]
[Bonus Reward Acquired: Random Skill Spin Available.]
His eyes lit up faintly.
"Finally."
A translucent roulette wheel materialized in his vision. Sections glowing in different colors.
AOE.
Crowd Control.
Buff.
Debuff.
Defense.
And a thin, almost microscopic sliver labeled: Ultimate.
He squinted. "That ultimate slice looks like it was drawn by someone who hates me."
[Probability is balanced, sir.]
"Sure."
He raised a hand.
"Alright. Spin—"
The roar interrupted him.
It wasn't close.
It wasn't distant either.
It was… vast.
Not lion.
Not wolf.
Not even beast.
It was beast-beast.
Ancient.
Deep.
The valley itself seemed to vibrate.
Then came the sound of wings.
Not flapping like a bird.
Beating like thunder.
Wind exploded downward from above, scattering dust and blood into spirals.
Riven slowly tilted his head upward.
The sky darkened.
A massive silhouette descended from behind the cliffs.
Scales black as midnight oil. Wings stretching wide enough to blot out the sun. Veins glowing faint violet beneath the armored hide. Horns curved backward like crescent blades. Eyes burning with cold silver light.
Its presence pressed against his skin.
He swallowed once.
[Target Identified: Night Dragon]
[Type: Legendary]
[Level: ???]
[Threat Level: Extreme]
"Level question marks?" he muttered.
[System cannot accurately measure target level.]
The dragon landed with a ground-shaking impact across the valley. Stones shattered under its claws. Its tail dragged behind it like a living blade.
It lowered its head slightly.
And looked at him.
Directly.
Riven cringed.
"…Okay."
The dragon exhaled. Not fire.
Black mist rolled from its nostrils, spreading across the valley floor like creeping shadow. The air temperature dropped.
"This is my second day," he muttered flatly. "And I need to fight this?"
[You fought the main villain on your first day of transmigration.]
He opened his mouth to complain.
Then closed it.
Fair.
He stared up at the Night Dragon.
Its wings shifted slightly, casting moving shadows over the dead wolves around him.
The Random Skill Spin still hovered in his vision. Untouched.
He glanced at it.
Then back at the dragon.
"You couldn't have waited five seconds?"
The dragon's head tilted slightly. Almost curious. and the Legendary Night Dragon staring at him like he was a mildly interesting snack.
He grinned awkwardly.
The dragon opened its jaws slightly.
Dark energy gathered deep in its throat.
Riven's grip tightened as mana condensed in both hands.
Spin or survive?
He stared at the roulette wheel.
Then at the dragon.
"…I hate cliffhangers," he muttered.
The dragon's throat flared.
Darkness gathered like a collapsing star. Not flame. Not smoke. Pure void energy spiraling inward before exploding outward.
"Survival first," he snapped internally.
He threw himself sideways.
The Darkness Breath tore across the valley floor where he had been standing a split second earlier. Stone disintegrated. Grass evaporated. The air screamed.
He hit the ground hard, rolled twice, came up on one knee, barely.
Okay. Not easy.
The dragon's Fear Aura rolled outward next.
It wasn't sound. It wasn't visible. It was pressure. Ancient. Predatory. Something primal in his spine screamed run.
His heartbeat spiked violently. His vision blurred for half a second.
[Status Effect: Fear (Minor)]
[Willpower Check… Passed.]
He exhaled sharply through his teeth.
"Not today."
The dragon launched upward. Shadow Flight. Its wings didn't flap normally, they dissolved into streaks of darkness that carried it across the sky like a living eclipse.
It reappeared above him.
Too fast.
He dove again as its claws cratered the earth. Stone shards exploded outward, slicing across his arm and cheek. Blood finally, his this time, streaked down his sleeve.
He skidded backward, boots carving lines in the dirt.
"Okay," he muttered. "We're doing this."
[Summoned: Dual Daggers]
Compact. Penetration-focused.
He rushed forward instead of retreating.
The dragon swung its tail, massive, armored.