After excusing myself to go to the bathroom, I locked myself inside an empty stall.Improvised sanctuary. Throne of questionable decisions.
And I started reading.
[WHAT WAS PROMISED IS A DEBT]
[DON'T BOTHER ME FOR A WHILE, KID. I GOT THIS FOR CHEAP.]
…Great. That has never ended well in the history of humanity.
[SYSTEM]
[MESSAGES] {1}
[TRASH GACHA] {NEW}
[THE NAME IS LITERAL.]
[EVERYTHING OTHERS CONSIDER USELESS, REDUNDANT, OR STRAIGHT-UP TRASH… YOU WILL OBTAIN IT THROUGH GACHA.]
[YOU'RE WELCOME, BY THE WAY.]
[DON'T THEY SAY ONE MAN'S TRASH IS ANOTHER MAN'S TREASURE?]
[ANYWAY. YOUR GIFT IS ALSO IN MESSAGES.]
…Yeah. I definitely expected too much from the system's "creator."
I sighed and opened the next message.
[SYSTEM]
[MESSAGES]
I HAD TO READ WAY TOO MANY FANFIC NOVELS TO UNDERSTAND THIS CRAP YOU TRANSMIGRATORS LOVE. SO PICK ONE… AND SHUT UP.
— Mr. Hercule (DBZ)
— Reigen Arataka (Mob Psycho 100)
— Unlicensed Cyclist (One Punch Man)
REMEMBER: THIS TRASH CAN ALSO SHOW UP IN THE GACHA.
…Okay. This is relatively good, and that's terrifying.
I looked at the options.
The first one was very tempting. An elite martial artist… not bad.
I selected it preemptively.
And then…
— Mr. Hercule
Strength Increase: High
Ego: High
Charisma: Very High
Luck: Extremely High
Passive Skill:"I Did It!"Greatly increases credibility when taking credit for others' achievements. Improves chances of encountering extremely powerful individuals.
Secondary Skill:"Protagonist Aura"You are always at the center of major events. Injuries that should be fatal become painful but superficial wounds. People perceive you as a hero and overanalyze your actions.
Special Skill:"My Stomach Hurts"Provides the perfect excuse to avoid fights. Even the most calculating enemies will believe it.
Compatibility Rate: 47%
[CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED ONCE APPLIED]
[THE MUSTACHE IS INCLUDED]
[PERSONALITY CHANGES MAY OCCUR UPON ACTIVATION ACCORDING TO COMPATIBILITY RATE]
[1%–25%: EXTREMELY NOTICEABLE CHANGES]
[26%–50%: MINOR BUT EVIDENT CHANGES]
[51%–75%: NOTICEABLE ONLY TO OBSERVANT OR CLOSE PEOPLE]
[76%–99%: ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO NOTICE]
[100%: OBVIOUSLY, NOTHING CHANGES]
I slowly closed the window.
No.
No, no, no.
Maybe… maybe I should check the other options before making a rushed decision. I mean, I can't picture myself with a yellow mustache acting like him.
Besides, relying too much on luck in a world full of monsters sounds like an elegant way to die. Sure, luck could help… but I don't think it's worth the side effects.
I opened the next one.
— Unlicensed Cyclist
Strength Increase: Medium/Low
Endurance Increase: High (on Bicycle)
Determination: Scales infinitely when at a disadvantage
Common Sense: Reduced in combat
Passive Skill:"Pedal or Die"While riding a bicycle, your speed, balance, and endurance increase drastically.Physical pain is partially suppressed as long as you keep moving.
Secondary Skill:"Justice Crash"Turns your bicycle into an impact weapon.Base Damage: 150%Bonus: +X% proportional to the power difference with the target.Additional Effect: the attack never misses
Special Skill:"Even if I'm no match for you, even if I lose, I still have to fight!"
Activates if you refuse to retreat even in situations where defeat is certain.The more impossible the battle, the greater the temporary boost to willpower and endurance.
Compatibility Rate: 62%
[BICYCLE NOT INCLUDED]
[CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED]
Alright… this one's good. Even without a bike, that's an easy fix.
But let's check the last one first.
— Reigen Arataka
Strength Increase: None
Charisma: Very High
Cunning: High
Luck: Highly variable (dependent on mental state)
Passive Skill:"Live your life the way you want without hurting others"
As long as the user is genuinely convinced they are acting according to their own creed, their luck increases progressively.Improbable coincidences begin aligning in their favor.
However…
If they doubt themselves, contradict their principles, or act without conviction, their luck reverses.Small mistakes quickly escalate into disproportionate consequences.
Secondary Skill:"You're Not Special"
Reduces hostility through conversation, emotional manipulation, or shameless improvisation.Allows you to dismantle egos, break convictions, and force introspection in your opponent.
Success probability increases with:
— User confidence
— Target confusion—
Target intelligence (the higher it is, the more they overanalyze)
Special Skill:"It's Not a Lie If It Works"
If the user maintains a statement long enough without wavering, the probability of the target accepting it as reality increases progressively.
In extreme cases…reality itself may slightly "adjust" to avoid obvious contradictions.
Compatibility Rate: 89%
[CANNOT BE DEACTIVATED]
Alright… let's think this through.
First option.
Objectively, the best for combat.
Real strength. Absurd luck. Guaranteed survival in situations where anyone else would die.
But…
It can't be turned off.
I frowned.
—I don't want to be the protagonist…
No.
Definitely not.
Let the actual protagonist deal with that. I'm out.
I want a normal life. A quiet one, once I finish preventing humanity's destruction…
And this thing…
This throws me straight into the epicenter of disaster.
And the idea of being credited for someone else's achievements…
Makes me physically uncomfortable.
Though, of course…finding important characters would be easier.
Next option.
Unlicensed Cyclist.
…
I won't lie.
It's good.
Very good.
Perfect for starting from the bottom. Street hero, vigilante, gradual growth…
Clean progress. Earned.
Honest.
…
And completely incompatible with my desire to sleep eight hours.
Because realistically…
That means a part-time job.A normal life.And playing hero on top of that.
…
Basically condemning myself to live like a superhero with a miserable salary and chronic stress.
Remnant's Spider-Man.
No thanks.
And then there's…
Reigen.
Not built for fighting.
But…
The more I think about it…
The more sense it makes.
I don't need to win fights.
I need to not fight at all.
I don't need to be strong.
I need to be the side character.
If I can avoid conflict… better.If I can manipulate situations… perfect.If I can make the problem resolve itself without me taking the hit…
Then I can survive.
I leaned back against the stall door.
Thinking.
Connecting pieces.
Strength… attracts problems.Determination… forces you to face them.
But this…
This lets you be the side character, the talkative mentor, and comic relief who occasionally drops wise advice.
Slowly, a smile formed on my face.
—I've got an idea…
Author's Notes:
Today, Cosmo had an idea.