Azea stared at his monitor, half-drained energy drink in one hand, his other hand hovering over the mouse. His heart wasn't in it. He used to be the best at this—strategizing, adapting, dominating—but these days, even logging in felt like a chore.
He sighed and clicked into another gacha dungeon run. The same wolf-dragon boss appeared on his screen, its massive claws glinting in the moonlight. The fight wasn't even a challenge anymore. Just muscle memory. Azea's assassin avatar darted left, landed a flurry of slashes, dodged right.
"Bleed effect triggered. Cool," he muttered to himself.
The boss reared back for a final attack. Azea flicked the mouse, preparing the finishing blow—except his hand cramped, locking up for just a second too long. The boss lunged, its claws ripping through his character.
Game Over.
Azea slammed his mouse down, sending his desk into a wobble.
"Bullshit."
He pushed himself back from the desk, massaging his wrist. The same pain, the same reminder. Once the top-ranked player in the world, now he couldn't even handle a mid-tier grind.
"You're done, Azea," he muttered, staring at his reflection in the blacked-out monitor. Dark circles under his eyes, messy hair, yesterday's hoodie.
This wasn't what his life was supposed to look like.
A familiar ping snapped him out of his thoughts. His System notification blinked in the corner of his vision.
[Exclusive Gacha Pull Available: Click to Redeem!]
"Huh?"
Azea frowned. This wasn't part of the game he'd been playing. A glitch? Some kind of new update? He clicked out of instinct, the notification expanding to fill his entire screen.
[Congratulations, Azea! You've been selected for a ONE-TIME SUMMON!]
The screen swirled with neon colors, spinning like a kaleidoscope. Azea leaned closer, squinting.
"What is this, some scam ad?"
The screen flashed white, and suddenly, the words changed:
[Reality Shift in Progress.]
"What the hell?"
Before he could move, his entire room started to shake. The neon lights from his monitor bled out, flooding the walls and ceiling.
"Hey! What's—"
The air seemed to twist around him, folding in on itself. The desk, the pizza boxes, the energy drink—everything warped and stretched until it vanished. Azea felt like he was falling, his stomach dropping as light and sound swirled around him.
Then, everything went black.
---
Azea groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was the ground beneath him—soft, but not carpet. Grass?
"What the…"
He sat up, rubbing his head. Around him was a massive forest, the kind you'd see in a high-budget fantasy game. Towering trees with glowing blue leaves stretched into the sky. Strange flowers lit up the ground like scattered LED lights. The air smelled clean, almost too clean.
"Did I… pass out? Is this a dream?"
He stood, brushing dirt off his hoodie. His heart raced as he took in his surroundings. This wasn't his room. It wasn't even his world.
A faint ping echoed in his ears. A familiar System notification popped up, but this time, it was floating in front of him, like a hologram.
[Welcome, Azea! You have been summoned as a Player in the World of Infinite Gacha.]
His stomach dropped.
"Summoned?" he said out loud. "Like, isekai summoned?"
The notification continued:
[Class Assigned: Summoner]
[Rank: ???]
[Starting Level: 1]
Azea blinked. His head was spinning.
"This has to be a joke. I've seen this anime. I get dropped into a new world, overpowered as hell, right? Where's my cheat skill? Where's my—"
A roar shook the trees. Azea froze.
The sound came from somewhere close, deep and guttural, like a mix between a lion and a chainsaw.
"Oh no."
The bushes in front of him rustled. Azea's heart pounded. He stumbled back as a massive creature stepped out—a wolf with molten red eyes, its fur crackling with streaks of electricity.
"Oh HELL no."
The wolf growled, lowering itself into a crouch.
"I don't even have a weapon!" Azea shouted, glancing around. "Where's the tutorial?!"
The wolf lunged. Azea dove to the side, hitting the ground hard. The impact knocked the air out of his lungs, but he scrambled to his feet, adrenaline kicking in.
"Okay, think. Think!"
Another notification appeared, glowing in his vision.
[Summoner Ability Activated: Basic Summon]
"What? Summon?!"
Before he could process, his hand moved on its own, drawing a glowing circle in the air. Sparks flew as the circle expanded, energy crackling around it.
The wolf lunged again, but this time, something slammed into it mid-air.
Azea's jaw dropped.
Standing in front of him was a figure—a man, clad in battered armor. His black cape fluttered as he raised a massive sword, flames licking the blade. He didn't even glance at Azea.
"You summoned me?" the man asked, his voice deep and gravelly.
"I—I think so?"
The man scoffed. "Stay back."
The wolf snarled, charging again. The armored man didn't hesitate. He dashed forward, faster than Azea could follow, his sword cutting through the wolf like butter. Sparks flew as the creature dissolved into particles, leaving behind a small glowing crystal.
Azea stared.
The man turned, sheathing his sword. His dark eyes studied Azea, unimpressed.
"You're my Summoner?"
"Uh… yeah. I guess?"
The man crossed his arms. "You don't look like much. What level are you?"
"Level 1."
The man groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Another clueless beginner."
"Hey, I didn't ask to be here!"
"Neither did I," the man muttered. "What's your name, kid?"
"Azea."
"Well, Azea, if you want to survive, you'd better start leveling up. Summoners are only as strong as the heroes they pull. And if you're weak…" He tapped his sword. "We're all dead."
Azea frowned. "What's your name, then?"
"Amon," the man said, turning away. "And you'd better not waste my time."
Azea stared at him, then at the glowing crystal left behind by the wolf. His System pinged again.
[Quest Complete: First Summon Successful!]
[Reward: Beginner Summoning Crystal x1]
Azea sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"This is going to suck, isn't it?"
Amon glanced back. "Welcome to Infinite Gacha."