Chapter 0: My turn, draw a card!

*

“Only three draws left… Are you really going to force the guarantee?”

Just by staring at the Wishing interface on his phone, Vis could feel an aura emanating from Africa, as if it was about to break through the screen and howl right in his face.

Ever since being dragged into some medieval Western fantasy-themed second game under the pretense of an offline beta,

he had foolishly been transported into this world based on the game’s background setting—

and now it had already been two and a half years.

The only consolation was that the game’s built-in Wishing feature was still usable.

In plain terms, it was a gacha system.

Whether it was gold, silver, weapons, magical items,

rare treasures, everyday essentials, or advanced technology,

there was always a chance to summon them.

To be honest, Vis had actually thought he was incredibly lucky at first.

— Crossing over with a gacha system, finally the protagonist treatment from novels was coming his way, right?

But after eighty Wishing draws with a small guarantee each cycle, he still hadn’t seen a single golden glow.

Vis had come to face reality.

Being the protagonist was impossible; he had no magic potential or spiritual talent. His only way to survive was to scrape by by pulling something useful from the gacha…

“Three draws, 160 Vis each. If I’m going for the full guarantee, that’s 480 Wish Power. I only have two hundred right now, and I don’t even know how much I’ll get from finishing this quest…”

Vis put down his phone, deciding it was better not to look.

Using the last bit of sunlight, he checked the road signs and clearly saw the place name—

Jingri Town.

This was definitely the place.

The quest was to find the employer’s daughter who had gone missing after traveling to Jingri Town, and escort her back safely.

Since becoming a Mercenary, Vis was no stranger to assignments like this.

Before setting out, the Bartender Miss at the tavern had mentioned,

something about “Jingri Town has been restless lately, with the Calamitous Tide approaching the surrounding area.”

Vis hadn’t paid much attention.

If anything, having the Calamitous Tide nearby meant more danger, and the more danger there was, the better.

Crisis ignited a strong will to survive,

and Wish Power came from the desire to live.

The Wishing system consumed Wish Power.

Hopefully, he could gather enough Wish Power in one go to pull the guarantee,

so he wouldn’t be tortured by missing the limit by just one draw.

Vis double-checked his equipment and supplies, tied his horse outside the city gate, and entered the town on foot.

It felt… eerily quiet.

No townsfolk or villagers were around, making the atmosphere very different from the Main City.

Maybe, as the Bartender Miss had said, the Calamitous Tide forced the evacuation?

Vis looked around.

The houses on both sides had doors and windows wide open; the wind swept through the rooms, stirring a few dry leaves that made a hollow whistling sound.

The air was thick with a mix of dust and a rotting, sickly sweet stench.

It was too quiet.

This wasn’t just the Calamitous Tide approaching—it was the aftermath of a calamity sweeping through.

What was even stranger was that there wasn’t a single shadow of an Evil Form.

Vis placed a hand on the short sword at his waist and treaded lightly, wary of every possible corner.

Just as he turned a street corner, a sudden “plop” sound came from behind,

a slight noise that stabbed at his nerves like a tremor.

Vis abruptly drew his sword and spun around,

but all that appeared in his sight was a rag doll.

It wore a tattered red dress made from scraps, and its dirty face was expressionless.

Vis cautiously stepped closer, scanning the surrounding area before looking up.

Probably blown down by a cold wind from a broken balcony?

The creaking window frame upstairs swayed in the wind, as if confirming his guess.

“Just scaring myself.”

Vis exhaled and sheathed his sword.

At that very moment, the rag doll’s head suddenly twisted,

facing Vis directly, blood seeping out to form a chilling smile that made his scalp crawl.

Then a massive, suffocating pressure fell from above, pinning him to the spot.

His muscles tensed instantly, his blood seeming to freeze.

His instincts screamed warnings:

This was the aura of a Lord-level Evil Form.

From the doll’s shadow stretched a colossal outline, and a chaotic spiritual entity slowly emerged.

It seemed made of the purest darkness and resentment,

countless twisted, tormented faces writhed on its surface, screaming silently.

“Is that… the Soul-Devouring True Lord?”

Impossible to kill by physical means, only magic could put it down—

a Mercenary’s ultimate nemesis.

Vis recognized it at a glance.

The Lord-level Evil Form he had only heard about in Mercenary whispers,

was now standing right before his eyes.

No wonder the town already hit by the Calamitous Tide had no corresponding disaster reports sent back to the local Main City,

no survivors remained, so no one knew what had actually happened here.

Vis clenched his teeth, his expression grim as he stared at the Evil Form.

Judging by its size and the number of faces on its body,

the entire town’s population—not just the residents, but even passing travelers—had probably fallen victim to this monster.

Running into the final boss right after entering the area—talk about insane luck, nearly a one-hit KO.

“Damn it, how come my gacha luck has never been this good?”

Vis spat bitterly.

“—Haibardura…….”

A cold, emotionless voice echoed directly in his mind.

The countless faces forming the Soul-Devouring True Lord stared blankly back.

Their eyes were empty, yet Vis could clearly feel countless gazes piercing through him like spears.

“Haibardura!”

The next second, a huge hand made of black mist slowly reached out.

It moved slowly but carried an irresistible locking force.

Vis instinctively took a step back,

but his mind suddenly failed to command his body.

Only then did he realize the legend that “when you meet its gaze, your soul is already captured with no escape” wasn’t some dramatic exaggeration, but literal truth.

This unavoidable preemptive strike meant that by the time you realized you were hit, it was already too late.

Vis stood frozen, unable to move.

The black mist hand was almost within reach; he could feel his soul being pulled and torn from his body.

They say being a Mercenary means dying anytime is no surprise.

But dying like this, so casually—

he absolutely refused to accept it.

The black mist hand suddenly accelerated, grabbing his shoulder.

Agonizing pain!

Like countless icy needles stabbing into his soul’s core.

But just before his consciousness was ripped apart,

a purple light burst forth, accompanied by an invisible shockwave, forming an invisible barrier that knocked the black mist hand aside.

In that instant, the sensation of his soul detaching vanished, and it snapped back into place.

As control returned to his body, Vis was thrown to the ground.

“What…”

He instinctively looked down and realized—

the short sword at his waist had shattered.

This weapon, summoned from the Wishing system,

had triggered a protective failsafe at this critical moment, saving his life.

But the Evil Form was still right in front of him.

From the black mist that the Soul-Devouring True Lord exuded, four or five more arms sprouted again.

Seeing the misty hands rushing to attack him,

Vis gritted his teeth.

This time, there was no saving him.

Where could he even get a second Guardian Spirit Blade now?

— No, wait, there was still a chance…

With that thought flashing through his mind, he grabbed the shattered blade from the ground, raised his left hand,

and with all his strength, slashed the sharp fragments across his right palm.

Blood immediately flowed out.

Vis took a deep breath, astonishingly calm, and stared at the terrifying Evil Form.

“You can’t be the only one taking action forever, can you?”

For some reason, a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He slammed his bleeding palm onto the ground.

“Now, it’s my turn—Wishing!”

A golden array composed of countless intricate runes suddenly lit up, centered on his palm, rapidly spreading outward.

The light from the array grew fierce, sacred, and vast power surged from it, instantly dispersing the black mist.

The Soul-Devouring True Lord was stunned by the force, momentarily forgetting to move.

Following the glow rising from the array toward the sky, Vis looked up.

He admitted there was a gamble involved—

his only way to survive right now

was to pull something from the Wishing system that could deal with the Soul-Devouring True Lord,

and if he failed, well, he was as good as dead.

The next second, a Starfall streaked across the dusk sky from the horizon.

Vis’s eyes widened.

It wasn’t the usual white,

nor the occasional purple signaling a ten-draw guarantee.

This meteor falling straight toward him

shone with golden light—

Here it comes!

That’s right,

the Little Guarantee!

Vis’s heart pounded wildly.

As the star drew closer,

a pure white light descended from the heavens, instantly engulfing all of his vision.

The roaring force leveled nearly every building nearby.

The already desolate and dilapidated street turned to rubble.

As the dust slowly settled,

a figure emerged—

a young girl.