Chapter 49: Pool Gacha again
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With Orm's addition, Dean indirectly earned points for the first time, proving that Orm is indeed the purest and most well-intentioned among the villains he has encountered so far. Orm's only concern is the welfare of Atlantis, his people, and his kingdom.
There is nothing inherently wrong with Orm's worldview, but his understanding of governance is flawed. He assumes that the human world functions similarly to Atlantis, where centralized power is the foundation of rule. What he fails to grasp is that modern society runs on something far more chaotic—bureaucratic red tape and political maneuvering.
Dean firmly believes that once Orm gains a deeper understanding of these complexities, he—being a ruler who genuinely cares for his people—will spearhead reforms in Atlantis, cutting off any dangerous trends before they take root.
Of course, it is unrealistic to expect the Seven Seas Gang, now under Orm's leadership, to constantly wage war with rival factions. The frequency of conflicts will naturally slow down over time, and with it, the rate at which Dean accumulates points. Still, a steady trickle of progress is better than nothing.
"It feels like I just activated a subscription in a game… but all I got was a bad check," Dean muttered to himself, glancing at the remaining 1,114 points in his system. His fingers twitched with temptation.
"How about…"
Unable to resist, Dean accessed the system space and exchanged 100 points for a golden fishing rod.
Looking around, he noticed that the water level in the mysterious pool had risen considerably since the last time he visited. However, it still wasn't as high as it had been at the very beginning, and the once-dazzling golden light no longer shone from beneath the surface.
"Was that golden glow just a newbie bonus?"
The description in the Omnitrix had once warned him: Betting on luck is a road to ruin. The words had spooked him so much that he had refrained from fishing in this pool ever since. Even after saving up ten points, he hadn't dared to try again.
Golden light used to signify guaranteed rewards, but now that it was gone, nothing was certain. A pool without guaranteed drops could very well be a bottomless pit of trash, especially if it required 300 attempts before yielding something worthwhile.
However, the system's evaluation of item quality had always been unusual. The Hoshikudaki blade, which was only rated one and a half stars, had proven to be far more useful to Dean than the Omnitrix itself. In contrast, the Omnitrix—despite its immense potential—was rarely utilized because unlocking new alien forms was too difficult.
In truth, Dean had overlooked a key factor: while the physical and mental toll of using Hoshikudaki was only temporary, its influence on a person's fighting style and instincts was permanent. As a result, Dean now had a habit of eating donuts three times a day just to replenish his energy.
In a way, the cost of using Hoshikudaki was barely better than the risks associated with consuming an orc's fate.
But now that all his points had been spent, there was no turning back. If this pool truly was a trap, the only way to find out was by diving in.
With a mix of anticipation and dread, Dean cast the golden fishing line into the water. The moment the hook disappeared beneath the surface, he felt a change in weight—but it was incredibly light.
Based on past experiences with the Omnitrix, Dean knew that the rarer the item, the more willpower it required to pull up. Given how effortless this felt, he already suspected that whatever he had caught was likely worthless.
Even so, when he reeled in the fishing rod and saw what was hanging from the hook, he couldn't help but stare in disbelief. A row of black lines appeared on his forehead.
"What the hell is this…?"
[Name: A Straw Hat]
[Type: Armor]
[Quality: -★]
[Defense: None]
[Attribute: None]
[Special Effects: None]
[Description: This is a simple straw hat with a hole at the top. It provides no defense but can offer some protection from the sun.
PS: Legend has it that if a person who has consumed the Nika Fruit wears this hat, they will be destined to become the Pirate King. Otherwise, it's just a useless piece of straw.
Dean rubbed his eyes, forcing himself to focus. Did he see that correctly?
There were negative-star-rated items in the system? Even the old body armor that Officer Kevin had given him had at least half a star. And yet, here he was, holding a straw hat so utterly worthless that it had been assigned a negative rating.
He stared at the item for a long moment before exhaling slowly.
"Seriously? This thing is basically trash."
He wasn't naïve enough to expect amazing loot every time, but this? This was an insult.
Dean examined the straw hat carefully, running his fingers along its rough texture. There was a small hole at the top, and as the system description had suggested, it truly was just a simple straw hat. There were no hidden abilities, no special properties, not even a decent aesthetic appeal—it was just straw.
Still refusing to accept the result, he turned it over in his hands, inspecting every inch as if some mystical power might suddenly reveal itself. But after several minutes of examination, he had no choice but to reluctantly admit that the description was completely accurate.
It was a hat.
A hat with a hole in it.
A hat that could do nothing.
Dean let out a long sigh before muttering under his breath.
"Those who consume the Nika Fruit are destined to become the Pirate King… but those who don't? Useless."
He shook his head.
"This is the most absurd conditional effect I've ever seen."
Out of curiosity, he placed the straw hat on his head. Immediately, a tuft of his hair stuck out through the hole, making him look—upon reflection in the water's surface—like a scarecrow standing in the middle of a field.
A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
"Perfect. Now I look like something out of a horror movie."
He reached up and adjusted the hat slightly, then glanced at his reflection again. No improvement.
With a smirk, Dean muttered, "When I go to Arkham someday, I'll just hand this thing over to Scarecrow. He might actually like it."
He took one last look at the calm, rippling pool, his expression unreadable. The first attempt had been an undeniable failure, but the pull of gambling psychology was strong.
Dean's fingers tightened around the fishing rod.
"One more time… Just one more. Maybe this next pull will change everything."
With that, he exchanged another 100 points and cast his line once again.
The fishing line cut through the water, creating gentle ripples as it disappeared into the depths.
Seconds passed.
Then—
A sudden resistance.
Dean's grip tightened instinctively. Unlike before, he couldn't just reel it in effortlessly. There was weight to this one.
"Huh?"
His pulse quickened. The stronger the resistance, the higher the likelihood that the item was actually useful.
He dug his heels in, pulling the fishing rod with steady force. The tension in the line grew stronger, and for the first time, he felt a sense of anticipation.
"Alright, come on… come on…"
With a final tug, he lifted the catch from the water. As soon as he saw what was hanging from the hook, his eyes widened slightly.
[Name: Soul Gem]
[Quality: ★★★★]
[Attribute: Spirit]
[Special Effects: Mental Resistance, Mental Enhancement, Mental Modification, Mental Control]
[Description: One of the six legendary Infinity Stones. The wielder of the Soul Gem possesses psychic power that surpasses even Galactus. If all six Infinity Stones are gathered, the user can achieve dominion over the multiverse—
…provided their body is strong enough to withstand the energy.]
[PS: The Infinity Stones originate from a different universe. Due to this, their power is completely ineffective in this one.]
Silence.
Then—
"Are you kidding me!?"
Without hesitation, Dean hurled the yellow gem onto the ground, watching as it bounced several feet away before coming to a stop.
At that moment, his last shred of patience snapped.
He could accept pulling garbage like the straw hat because he had no expectations when he reeled it in. But this?
This was outright robbery.
For a brief moment, his heart had soared with hope—only for it to be crushed by fine print.
A powerful artifact. A legendary relic from another universe. An item that should have granted him unmatched power.
And yet, in his universe?
It was nothing more than a shiny rock.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a slow breath to steady himself.
"So let me get this straight…"
He turned his gaze toward the mysterious pool, his eyes cold.
"My first pull gave me a hat with a hole in it.
My second pull gave me an artifact that doesn't even work.
What kind of scam is this!?"
His grip on the fishing rod tightened. He stared at the still, rippling water, his frustration threatening to boil over.
The first failure had been laughable. But this?
This was mockery.
His heart screamed for another attempt. Just one more. One more pull to set things right.
But before his rationality could be completely overridden, Dean slapped himself across the face.
Hard.
The sharp sting brought him back to his senses. He exhaled slowly, letting his fingers loosen from around the fishing rod.
"No. Stop. That's how they get you."
Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to physically turn away from the pool, resisting the temptation to cast his line again.
Gritting his teeth, he muttered under his breath.
"Damn it… This was supposed to be a lucky day."
Dean stood still for a moment, staring at the calm surface of the mysterious pool. His hand itched to reach for the fishing rod again, but he knew better. The last two pulls had already been nothing short of infuriating.
He clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and muttered under his breath, "Forget it. I'm not falling into this trap again."
The temptation was there, gnawing at the back of his mind, but he forcibly pushed it down. Giving in would only lead to more frustration, and right now, he had neither the patience nor the points to waste.
With one final look at the Soul Gem—now resting uselessly on the ground—Dean exited the conscious space, returning to reality.
The transition was seamless. One moment, he was standing before the enigmatic pool; the next, he found himself back in his car, his fingers gripping the steering wheel.
For a brief moment, his mind lingered on the items he had pulled—one utterly useless hat and one powerful yet completely ineffective artifact.
"What a rip-off."
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head before glancing down at the objects now in his possession.
In one hand, he held the Soul Gem, its surface glimmering under the light. In the other, the straw hat, still as laughably worthless as before.
Dean scoffed, tossing the gem onto the dashboard before placing the hat on his head.
Even after spending two hundred points, he felt like he had lost more than he gained.
From the passenger seat, Manaphy observed his movements with curious eyes, her tentacles gently brushing against the straw hat perched atop Dean's head.
"Mana," she chirped, tilting her head slightly.
Dean glanced at her, catching the way she poked at the brim of the hat with clear interest.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You want a hat too?"
Manaphy blinked up at him before nodding eagerly, her small body bouncing slightly with excitement.
Dean chuckled, reaching out to ruffle the tiny Legendary's head before gently pushing her tentacles away from his hat.
"This one's way too big for you," he said, measuring her size with his hands. "If I put this on your head, it'll cover your whole body."
Manaphy pouted slightly, retracting her tentacles.
Seeing her disappointment, Dean tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, thinking for a moment.
"Tell you what. I'll sell this useless gem later, and with the money I get, I'll have a custom-made hat made just for you."
Manaphy's eyes lit up.
"Mana!"
Dean smirked.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll make sure it looks stylish and fabulous too."
She nodded in enthusiastic agreement, clearly pleased with the idea.
As Dean adjusted his position in the driver's seat, the police scanner in the car suddenly crackled to life, breaking the silence.
A familiar, deep, and hoarse voice came through the speakers, its tone as steady as ever.
[Dean, the preliminary repair plan for the Omnitrix has been completed. Come to Wayne Tower.]
The moment those words reached his ears, Dean's expression shifted.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.
"Finally, some good news today."
With a swift motion, he turned the wheel, shifting the car's direction toward Wayne Tower without hesitation.
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