The Gacha Wheel spun rapidly.
The colors flashed by until the needle slowed.
It finally stopped on an iron rarity.
[Congratulations, Host has obtained: Lucky Coin.]
"Iron rarity?"
A small coin appeared in his palm.
It was dull and gray, with a faint metallic glow.
"I pulled the worst rarity on my last spin."
[H-How? Why is that item there?]
The system's voice rang in his mind, unusually shaken.
Alex tilted his head.
The System wasn't this shocked when he got his highest rarity reward.
"What is this Lucky Coin?"
[Check your palm.]
He looked down again.
The iron coin rested in his hand.
Both sides had the same design: a lady watering her feet.
[That coin will increase your luck when you use it. Since it's Iron Grade, your luck will only increase for a few hours.]
Alex narrowed his eyes. "Is it really something that would shock you?"
[…]
The system stayed quiet for a long moment before finally explaining.
[Host....]
[Radiant rarity Lucky Coin and Iron rarity Lucky Coin both increase luck by the same amount. The only difference is the duration of effect.]
"Wait… that sounds like a good thing. Even if it's short, I'd still get the same effect."
He stopped mid-sentence.
Slowly, his hand moved to cover his mouth.
A serious expression replaced the smirk on his face.
"…This coin increases luck," he said carefully. "But not just good luck?"
[Yes, seems like Host noticed the problem.]
[Luck can mean good luck or bad luck. That coin will magnify both.]
[Its effect makes it a deadly artifact.]
[Use it only when you have no other choice.]
Alex's hand tightened around the coin before he slipped it into his pocket.
"Got it."
He scanned the empty infirmary.
He needed to leave before anyone came in. He couldn't afford questions about his new appearance.
"I should leave a note saying I felt unwell and went home."
He began searching for paper and a pen.
The door creaked open.
Alex froze, note halfway pulled from a drawer.
Emma walked in.
Her eyes landed on him and widened slightly.
"You…" she whispered.
Alex forced a casual smile.
"Oh, Class Representative. You are here."
His mind raced.
How was he supposed to explain his appearance?
He was ready to spin a story when he noticed her stiff hands sliding into her pocket.
She pulled out a badge, holding it with a steady grip.
"Don't move," she said firmly.
Alex's eyes narrowed.
The badge looked like some kind of ID card, not a school item.
"I'm Emma Halls from the Special Service Bureau. I'm here to arrest you on charges of murdering Alex Gunn and overtaking his body… Transmigrator."
The words hit him harder than any strike.
Transmigrator were people who overtook the body of another.
People like him.
He froze, then let out a laugh that sounded more forced than natural.
"What are you talking about? Murder? Transmigrator? That's insane, Emma. Did you read too many novels?"
"You aren't the first one to come here like this and possess someone else's body," Emma said.
Her voice was calm but sharp.
"The Special Service Bureau handles people like you."
Alex's face stayed confused, but his mind burned with questions.
How did she know?
Then, he remembered muttering to himself when he woke in this body.
He had spoken aloud about being on the road.
And when he stared at the mirror, he had wondered who he was.
His stomach dropped.
Had those small slips given him away?
'What kind of rotten luck do I have to stand next to someone from the Special Service Bureau the moment I transmigrated?'
But then another thought struck him.
Why was someone from Special Service Bureau next to him when he transmigrated?
Was it a coincidence?
No, this was too strange to be a coincidence.
'Wait a moment…'
Emma Halls.
His memory of her only began three days ago.
Before then, there was no student named Emma in his class.
Yet, three days ago, she appeared suddenly, and everyone in the class acted like she had always been there.
A chill spread down his spine.
'How did no one notice something so strange?'
The teacher had sent her to escort him to the infirmary…
Why her?
He had a fever so bad he could barely walk.
Why not send one of the stronger boys instead of a girl?
And… he realized something worse.
'How do I even know she is the class representative?'
He had never spoken to her before, but the moment he saw her, he knew she was Emma, the class representative.
As if the information suddenly appeared inside his head.
'Has she done something to me?'
His evolved bloodline sharpened his senses, and mind.
That's why he could now notice these strange occurrences he had ignored in the past.
'Dangerous.'
His gaze hardened.
'This girl is dangerous.'
Emma still hadn't moved closer.
She stood tense, watching him carefully.
'Why isn't she trying to arrest me?' Alex wondered.
'Now that I think about it, why did she leave me alone in the infirmary. She should've arrested me already.'
Then it clicked.
Reinforcements.
She wasn't confident in handling him alone or she wanted backup before fighting.
Either way, it meant she was stalling for time, and waiting for reinforcements to come before engaging him.
'There's no way I'm letting myself get dragged away.'
'If they find out about my system, I'll end up dissected on a lab table.'
Alex had taken only a few seconds to complete his thoughts.
All while he had maintained a confused expression.
"I don't really understand what you're saying, Emma."
He glanced behind her at the empty doorway.
"Nurse Anna, is this some kind of prank?"
Emma's eyes widened and she spun around.
"Get back! This place is dangerous! He is—"
The doorway was empty.
Nurse Anna was not there.
Alex had tricked her.
Realizing her mistake, she turned back—
And Alex was already at the window.
"Wait! Don't jump!" she shouted, running forward.
Alex ignored her.
He looked at the ground that was three floors below.
'System, if I assimilate the Void Horror Physique now, I can survive this jump, right?'
[Yes, Host.]
Alex leapt from the infirmary window on the third floor.
'Give me the Void Horror Physique!'
[Assimilating the Void Horror Physique.]
His body trembled.
His muscles tightened like steel cables, his vision sharpened, and his mind sped up.
He felt like he was born anew.
Strength: 15 → 35
Dexterity: 16 → 40
Constitution: 16 → 51
Perception: 12 → 52
He slammed into the ground three floors below, knees bending hard. Pain shot through his bones but they didn't break.
[Void Horror Physique is adapting to your environment.]
[Impact Resistance skill (SSS-rank) gained.]
Alex staggered, then straightened, glancing up.
Emma stood at the window.
Their eyes met.
She was shocked.
He turned and sprinted for the school wall.
'No reinforcements yet. I can escape.'
[Host, you should use the Lucky Coin. It will increase your chances of getting away.]
Alex clenched his jaw.
Emma worked for an organization.
There was no knowing how many people they had, and how strong they were.
For all he knew, they had surrounded the entire area already.
He had to use everything he had if he wanted to escape.
As for bad luck? His situation couldn't get worse than it was already.
He yanked the coin from his pocket and flipped it.
[Lucky Coin used.]
It landed in his palm.
He didn't feel any different.
His thoughts churned.
Would he get good luck or bad luck?
He pushed the thought aside and vaulted the school wall easily with his new stats.
Landing on the road, he had just started thinking about where to run when—
Honk! Honk!
Alex's head turned.
His eyes widened.
A dump truck was barreling down the street, only inches away from his face.
This was the lucky coin's effect?
"System, you give one advice and motherfu—"
The truck smashed into him before he could finish.
His body flew across the street like a rag doll, slamming into a metal pole with a sickening crack.
[Impact Resistance skill mastery has increased.]
[Impact Resistance skill: Level 0 → Level 1.]
Blood filled his mouth.
He tried to push himself up, but the world spun violently.
His limbs trembled.
Vision darkened at the edges.
Then, everything went black.