In the next few days, Maria watched gameplay videos of the Inheritance Kingdom to prepare herself for the game. She also watched all the live streaming, read every forum, articles, and reviews of the game. "Looks like there are hidden classes that will only appear once the conditions are met." She has never been this excited in her life.
Her priority right now is to earn money. She needed to raise 100,000 PHP for the rental. She wanted to get her hands on that capsule. "Okay, the road to 100,000 pesos starts today! Let's do it!"
She sat at her workstation. She was mentally prepared. Her inspiration was money. She was optimistic again about this new feat.
"Oh, oh, oh! Eureka!" she shouted excitedly. "Hahaha! I hope this works." Suddenly Maria's mind flowed with bright ideas. She started working on her new manga diligently. She toiled nonstop and stayed lively until her fuel burned to the core daily. She only paused occasionally to watch live streaming of the Inheritance Kingdom while eating, then went back to work after it ended.
***
"What is this?! The Secrets of a Smelly Man?!" What a bad joke, Maria!" Mr. Tan called Maria after receiving her work. His voice was a bit raised as he couldn't believe a title as unpolished as this.
"Nope. That's my new masterpiece. Hehehe." She was working on it for the past couple of months and was proud of her work. "You want romance, I give you romance."
"I hope this is good, otherwise, I will only pay you your normal pay!" Mr. Tan was dubious about this new work. The title was a farce. This was Maria's first romantic manga and he was feeling ominous about this new work.
"Readers like this kind of unconventional titles. You will like the story, promise. Please, enjoy reading. Okay, time to go. Bye!" She immediately hung up the phone. She's busy watching a live streaming video of the Inheritance Kingdom online. She didn't want to be interrupted. (It's better to read the manga first before giving comments because of the title. Hmph! It was not wise to judge with just the title alone.)
After a few hours, her phone rang. She knew who it was without looking at it.
"Mr. Tan, are you done reading it?"
"Not yet, but this is more of a comedy-romance than ecchi-romance."
"Why? Didn't you see it? I drew some panties there." Maria laughed.
"Hmmph! I called to tell you that I will wire your pay today."
"Thank you, Uncle. But do not give me another work with that genre. I do not like my mind getting corrupted with panties and boobs."
"Brat, you are already 23 and corrupted with games. Don't spend your money on useless pastimes." He hung up after nagging again.
(Geez! He just doesn't want to admit that it was good, and he liked it. What a stingy man!) Maria laughed and got excited about her pay. She did quick math. (I only lack 25000 pesos if I receive my pay today. But how will I earn that money?)
Her face suddenly lit up. (Oh, could it be - can I use it for that?) She suddenly had a spark of an idea. She looked for the lucky coin in her drawer. When she held it in her hand the message popped up again.
[Ting!]
[You obtained a lucky coin.]
***
Maria looked at the holographic signage with anticipation: Metropolitan Gaming Center. It was the largest hub for gamers like her in the country. It was a haven for all gamers in the city. All the latest games were housed here except for the elusive Inheritance Kingdom. This center was one of the famous ones in the Philippines based on the facilities and artificial intelligence of game consoles. In fact, it hosted some of the biggest team game Olympics and Virtual Game events in South East Asia.
When she stepped inside, she could feel the cold air welcoming her. "Ahh... Air-conditioning is so refreshing!" Because it was too hot outside, she instantly liked the atmosphere.
She checked the maximum bet for slot machines before exchanging her money for game credits. She was trembling with excitement and anticipation. (I don't know if the lucky coin will work here...it is a gamble. Money, please don't fly away. I need you for my capsule.) She silently pleaded for luck. She selected an area for the virtual slot machine on the very far end so no one will notice her.
She groped in her pocket and held the coin in her hand.
[Ting!]
[You obtained a lucky coin.]
"Here goes nothing." She flipped the coin in her hand and a message appeared in front of her.
[Do you want to use the lucky coin now? Yes/No]
"Yes!" She controlled her breathing. She could feel her pulse pumping on her temple.
Maria set the highest bet and drew the slot machine. The highest bet was five hundred game credits that will yield fifty thousand game credits if you hit a jackpot. To her, this was the longest spin of a slot machine in her entire life. It was as if it was spinning in slow motion. Her eyeballs almost pop out from their sockets when she saw the dollar appearing one by one in a row. Jackpot!
"I can't believe it! Is this really happening? Grabe!!!" she shouted.
A light appeared in the middle of the room, indicating someone hit a jackpot! The people who noticed the light murmured about how lucky the winner was. Some people nearby who looked her way when they heard her shout did not connect it with the jackpot winner. Nobody would be able to pinpoint who the winner was because it was a vast entertainment place. There were also lots of people in the hub.
A message appeared in her view.
[Lucky Coin: Usage 1/3]
"Oh my gosh! It really happened!" Her mind was screaming. But she better contains her emotions. She didn't want uncalled attention.
She thought of drawing another. (But wouldn't that be too greedy?) She was berating herself. She already reached her goal. (But what about my loan? I must pay all my bills in advance at least, right? If I play the Inheritance Kingdom, I won't be able to accept work for a bit, so better if I secure my obligations first. That way, no one will knock on my door like Mrs. Doti). She decided it was not too selfish if she would use the coin one more time. It would just save her a lot of anguish for not paying her bills on time. Then she could play without worrying about the bills.
She flipped the lucky coin again.
[Do you want to use the lucky coin now? Yes/No]
"Yes."
[Lucky Coin: Usage 2/3]
The slot machine drew straight dollar signs in a row. A light went off in the middle room once again.
"Is it easy to hit jackpot in this gaming center?" some people murmured. And hurried to try some game of luck as well.
Maria gained more money than what she needed.
"I hope this is not considered cheating. Everybody wears charms and talisman for good luck in gambling, right?"
She noticed the lucky coin's lustre became dull. (Was it because I used it?) She felt a little guilty. After exchanging the credits back for money, she hurriedly went home. She could not contain her delight. (I hope this is not just a dream!) She pinched her cheeks several times to check if she was not dreaming. Alas, she was feeling the sting. Her smile reached from ear to ear not minding the pain. "Yes! Success!"