The darkness of the room felt heavier than usual. The sound of the city outside—jeepneys roaring, laughter echoing from the street, the faint barking of dogs—slowly bled into silence.
Nox lay on the thin foam mattress, staring blankly at the ceiling. His mind drifted between despair and nothingness. The floor beneath him felt colder than ever. So this is what failure feels like, he thought.
Then—
Ding~
A sharp chime pierced the quiet. It was clear, crystalline, and far too vivid to be a dream.
A translucent window appeared before his eyes, hovering in the air like a floating glass screen.
> [God System: Activated.]
Welcome, Chosen Mind — Nox Ando.
Initialization complete.
He blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes. "What the…? Is this some kind of—"
> [Stats Identified.]
INT: 6 | STR: 4 | AGI: 3 | STA: 3.5 | LCK: 1
He froze. The numbers looked so small it almost hurt to look at them. "Tsk… even a system thinks I'm trash," he muttered bitterly.
But the moment he whispered it, the window shimmered again.
> [Would you like to enter the Mind Realm?]
He hesitated. His body felt numb, his thoughts scattered. It was absurd—but something deep within him stirred. A pull, a quiet whisper saying: Go.
"…Yeah," he whispered. "Let's see what kind of joke this is."
---
The Mind Realm
The air twisted. The walls of the room dissolved like ash scattered by the wind. His consciousness fell—no, ascended—into a vast expanse of emptiness.
There was no up, no down. Just silence.
He felt… infinite. His thoughts moved like waves, sharp and clear, yet untethered from his body.
Then, something shifted. A dim light appeared—a massive table forming out of nothing, stretching endlessly into darkness. Thirteen chairs surrounded it, their wood black and gold, ancient and divine.
And one—larger, commanding—stood at the center.
The air trembled as he approached. The moment he sat, he felt power surge through him—a weightless authority, a silent voice whispering at the edge of his mind.
>You are seated upon the Throne of the Mind Realm.
All within this domain shall bend to your will.
His breath caught. "This… this isn't real."
Yet it was. The sensation was undeniable—every thought, every instinct heightened a thousandfold. Knowledge seemed closer, clearer, as if he could reach out and touch it.
For a brief moment, Nox felt what it meant to be limitless.
---
> [New Feature Unlocked: Roulette System]
You currently possess ₱500 (real-world currency).
Roulette Cost: ₱250 per spin.
Free First-Time Draw Bonus: Available.
Nox frowned. "You're telling me I can gamble real money in this thing? Even in another world, I'm broke?"
> [Proceed with Free Spin?]
He sighed, smirking. "Free, huh? Sure. Let's see what you've got."
The table began to hum. A circular interface appeared before him—five sections glowing with faint light.
> Common | Uncommon | Rare | Epic | Legend
The wheel spun, colors flashing like gemstones scattered across the void. The clicking sound echoed with each rotation—slow, deliberate, teasing.
"Come on…" he whispered.
It slowed past Epic, then trembled on the line—before finally landing on Legend.
The sound that followed was like a soft choir mixed with thunder.
> [Congratulations! You have obtained: Legendary Skill — Eye of Truth]
Nox's mouth fell open. "Legendary?"
A golden light erupted in front of him. Words and runes danced around, forming a description.
---
Skill: Eye of Truth
> Type: Passive / Active
Description: Grants the user perception beyond ordinary limits. Allows viewing of basic information, hidden intentions, and the truth behind facades.
Restriction: Limited to entities within +2 INT of user's current stat in the real world. Fully unrestricted in Mind Realm.
---
He felt his eyes tingle. The world around him shimmered—suddenly, he could feel everything.
In this realm, he could see through the void itself—the structure of the table, the energy pulsing through the air, even faint threads of light connecting the chairs. It was overwhelming, divine.
"Eye of Truth, huh…" he murmured, awe mixing with disbelief. "Guess I can finally see who's lying."
But then—greed whispered.
If one free spin gave him a Legendary skill, what if… what if he tried again?
> [Would you like to Spin again for ₱250?]
He hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Let's double down."
The wheel spun once more.
Faster. Louder.
His heart raced, hands trembling. The pointer slowed—Epic, Rare, Nothing—and stopped on… Nothing.
Silence.
The golden light vanished.
> [Result: Nothing.]
He stared blankly, the regret hitting like a slap. "No way… ₱250—gone? Just like that?"
He clenched his fists. "I could've bought lugaw for three days…"
(Author's Note: "Lugaw" — a simple Filipino rice porridge, often eaten when broke or sick.)
A bitter laugh escaped him. "Figures. Luck's never been my thing."
---
Only ₱250 left. The last of his food money.
He stared at the glowing wheel, torn between reason and desperation.
"I've already fallen this far…" he muttered. "Might as well fall all the way."
The wheel spun one last time. His pulse thudded in rhythm with each tick. Click. Click. Click.
The pointer slowed—then landed on Rare.
> [You have obtained: Rare Skill — Copy Record]
He blinked. "Copy Record…?"
The system responded.
> Skill Description:
Type: Active / Utility
Function: Allows the user to replicate the knowledge and structure of any physical document, book, or scroll.
Restriction: Does not apply to digital sources.
As he read the description, something stirred deep within the realm.
Nox smiled faintly. "So that's how it is, huh?"
---
> [Mind Realm Exit Confirmed.]
[Remaining Balance: ₱0]
[Skills Acquired: Eye of Truth (Legendary), Copy Record (Rare)]
The world blurred again. The table, the shelves, and the grand emptiness faded.
Nox's eyes fluttered open to the dim room in Cebu. His heart still raced as if lightning crackled in his veins.
The faint glow of the holographic interface hovered before him, then slowly dimmed.
He touched his temple, whispering, "Eye of Truth…"
For a second, faint data appeared over his reflection in the cracked mirror—his stats, his fatigue level, even his emotion gauge at 4% Stability. Then the numbers faded.
He exhaled deeply, laughing under his breath.
"₱500 gone… but maybe," he murmured, eyes glinting, "just maybe, this time I didn't lose."
Outside, the world kept moving—jeepneys honked, vendors called, and life in Cebu marched on.
But inside that cramped room, a new reality had already begun.
The God System had chosen.
The Mind Realm had awakened.
And Nox Ando—the broke student who had lost everything—was no longer powerless.
He looked at the faint shimmer in his eyes and smiled.
"Let's see what kind of god you want me to become."