"Yeah, better late than never," Takeru murmured, a small smile forming. With a system now at his disposal, he felt a flicker of hope. His strength could grow beyond the limits he'd been trapped by all these years.
"So," he asked, "what exactly are your functions?"
The system's voice rang out in his mind with a bit too much enthusiasm. "I have one simple, glorious function: the lottery. Through this lottery, you'll get powers and abilities from anime characters who, like you, wield strength with just one hand."
There was a pause, and then the system continued, sounding almost amused. "Oh, and you don't have to speak out loud, genius. Just think about what you want to say, and I'll pick it up. Honestly, you're an embarrassment to all the reincarnators and transmigrators who were born with a system. You don't even know the basics."
Takeru rolled his eyes, his hand resting on his forehead. "Everything about you is great, especially how you remind me of the AI bots from my old life, but do you have to be so overdramatic?"
Before the system could launch into another sarcastic retort, he quickly asked, "Alright, if you're a lottery system, then show me the lottery interface. And how many chances do I have? Also, what are the rules for earning more chances?"
The system gave an exaggerated sigh. "Whoa, calm down! That was a lot all at once. Sure, thinking isn't slowed by breathing, but there's a limit, even for me."
Takeru smirked, remaining silent as he waited for the system to finish its mini-tantrum and finally answer his questions.
The system's voice returned, now sounding more composed. "I'll answer your questions one by one. First, you currently have three lottery chances, which include compensation for my delayed arrival and the novice gift pack. So don't ask me for anything else."
Takeru's lips twitched, but he stayed quiet, letting the system continue.
"Now, as for earning more chances," the system explained. "It's all about patience. The lottery operates on different levels, ranked from low to high: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and the final, most coveted—Diamond."
Takeru listened carefully, his mind turning over each word.
"For every Bronze-level lottery, you need to wait three months before using it, and the prize will, naturally, be at Bronze level. But," the system continued with a note of anticipation, "if you skip that chance and hold out another three months—making it six months in total—you'll earn a Silver-level lottery chance. Should you push your patience further and wait an additional six months, totaling one full year, you'll qualify for a Gold-level prize."
Takeru absorbed the information, the idea beginning to form in his mind.
"Now, if you resist the urge to draw for another year, making it a full two years from your previous lottery," the system concluded, "you'll have a chance at the highest tier—the Diamond level."
Takeru took a steady breath, letting the system's words sink in fully. He thought about the weight of these decisions—choosing when to wait and when to strike, a balancing act that could make or break his future strength.
Satisfied with his understanding, he nodded. Two years for a Diamond-level prize. A daunting wait, but he'd seen firsthand what patience—and persistence—could achieve.
After a few moments of silence, the system's voice returned with an exaggerated sigh. "Now, give me a breather. I got tired explaining all that! And please, don't tell me you didn't understand like some clueless MC—I'm not repeating myself over and over."
Takeru smirked, replying in his mind, "Don't be dramatic. You're a system—you can't get tired. And yes, I understood everything perfectly. No need to worry."
The system let out a sound that almost resembled relief. "Thank goodness you're not completely hopeless. Now, let me show you the lottery interface."
As soon as the system finished speaking, a panel appeared in front of Takeru's eyes. It looked like a collection of cards, arranged in three rows of three. The cards were a clean, white colour, adorned with a simple, artistic pattern.
"This is the interface for your current lottery," the system explained. "The cards are white because, at this stage, you won't know the prize level."
With a soft shimmer, the cards shifted to a bronze colour.
"This," the system continued, "is what you'll see when you have a Bronze-level lottery chance."
Another shimmer, and the cards turned silver, then gold.
"And here," the system added, "are the interfaces for Silver and Gold-level lotteries, respectively."
Finally, the cards returned to their original white.
"Now," the system's voice came through, expectant, "would you like to use one of your lottery chances?"
Takeru's answer was immediate, his heart thrumming with anticipation. "Yes."
As he confirmed, the cards began to glow softly, their patterns swirling as the system prepared to draw his reward.
======
You can read 05 chapters ahead of everyone on patreon.
Link:https://www.p@treon.com/Hkj822
Discord: https://discord.gg/HSHVxvdY
...
(A/N: If you like the story please vote power stones.)