Peering out from the mouth of the alley, Kael noticed the streets were noticeably emptier. While most residents had retreated behind locked doors, the usual hustle and bustle of Cloud Mist City had thinned into a ghostly silence.

  "At least my favorite bun shop is still open," Kael observed. After watching the street for a while, he headed out to grab two steamers of buns for dinner.

  That night, sitting on his bed, Kael prepared for a new round of restocking.

  The Lan Ye Squad’s visit had brought in a mountain of Spirit Crystals, but their feedback had stuck with him. His inventory of weapons and armor was simply too small. While he had enough types of pills for now, his armory was lacking variety.

  "Tonight, I’m going all-in on the Superior-grade pool. I have to round out the weapon selection," Kael muttered fiercely, calling out to the System in his mind.

  "System, top me up."

  [System: Fee collected.]

  And so, Kael spiraled into the addictive world of "single-pulls." Back on his original world, Earth, there was a saying: A single pull births a miracle. Kael had always been a firm believer.

  He still was.

  [Gilded Stinger]: Slightly increases Attack Power; grants Armor Penetration. (Superior-grade Weapon)

  [Viper Dagger]: Slightly increases Attack Power and Attack Speed; small chance to inflict Snake Venom on hit. (Superior-grade Weapon)

  [Blaze Staff]: Slightly increases Magic Power; specifically empowers Fire-element spells. (Superior-grade Weapon)

  [Wind-Chaser Bow]: Slightly increases Attack Power; adds the "Gale-Rip" effect to arrows. Gale-Rip: Enhances arrow speed and power, adding Wind-element damage upon impact. (Superior-grade Weapon)

  Then, a golden flash erupted.

  [Holy Light Knight Sword]: Moderately increases Strength. Skill: Holy Radiance. > Class Restriction: Protection Knight. Holy Radiance: A Knight’s duty is to be fearless! While active, the user enters a state of Absolute Defense but cannot attack. All allies' attributes are doubled for 10 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours. (Rare-grade Weapon)

  After nearly twenty single pulls, Kael had secured four new Superior weapons and one Rare-grade masterpiece.

  The old wisdom holds true, he thought. The odds for new items feel so much higher on single pulls than on ten-pulls.

  "My luck is a bit off today," Kael lied to himself, rubbing his hands together and glancing at the warehouse as if to "reverse-jinx" his fortune. He closed the weapon pool and switched to Armor.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Keep the single pulls coming!

  [Earth-Spirit Heavy Armor]: Slightly increases Physical Defense. Effect: Thick Earth. While in combat, as long as the user remains in contact with the ground, Physical Defense is doubled. (Superior-grade Armor)

  [Water-Spirit Cloth Armor]: Slightly increases Physical Defense. Effect: Soft Water. When hit, the user will randomly blink to any location within 20 meters. Cooldown: 24 hours. (Superior-grade Armor)

  [Fire-Spirit Leather Armor]: Slightly increases Physical Defense. Skill: Ring of Fire. Releases a wave of flame that knocks back nearby enemies. Cooldown: 6 hours. (Superior-grade Armor)

  [Wind-Walker Boots]: Slightly increases Physical Defense. Skill: Wind-Tread. Active: Moderately increases Agility for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 12 hours. (Superior-grade Armor)

  Then, another heavy thud of luck hit the tray.

  [Black Tortoise Greatshield]: Moderately increases Physical and Magic Defense. Skill: Black Tortoise Protection. > Level Restriction: Brave-rank. Black Tortoise Protection: Passive: No attack can bypass the shield to hit allies behind the user. Active: Massively boosts Physical and Magic Defense for a short duration. Cooldown: 72 hours. (Rare-grade Armor)

  "Yes!" Kael shouted.

  A Rare-grade shield restricted only by rank (Brave-rank) rather than a specific class! He hadn't been nearly as excited for the Holy Light Sword, as that required a Protection Knight—a class he’d only seen hinted at in someone like Blood Wolf.

  "Single pulls truly are the path to miracles," Kael gloated. He did a quick victory lap through the warehouse to inspect the new stock before flopping back onto his bed and falling into a deep, satisfied sleep.

  The next morning, Kael was drifting through a hazy dream. He was just about to open his mouth to catch a grape offered by a beautiful maiden when—

  [System: Store renovation complete. Combat Strength Training Room is officially open. Please inspect, Host.]

  The voice boomed like a thunderclap in his brain, nearly launching him off the mattress.

  "System! What are you doing?! I’m already a single dog—can’t you let me enjoy a little fantasy in my dreams?!" Kael’s hair was standing on end. He looked like a frazzled, electrified mutt.

  Wait, no—a lone wolf!

  The System, of course, didn't care.

  [System: Store renovation complete. Combat Strength Training Room is officially open. Please inspect, Host!] The voice seemed even more insistent this time.

  "Fine, fine... no use arguing with something that isn't even human," Kael yawned. Scratching his belly and sliding into his slippers, he wandered outside.

  Uncle Hai’s old, dilapidated shop was gone. In its place stood a sleek, modern extension of Kael’s store. Kael checked his status; it wasn't a "branch" but a direct expansion of his existing shop.

  The new facility—the Combat Strength Training Room—featured magnificent glazed walls and intricately designed glass doors. Pushing his way inside, he found a service counter by the door and two long aisles. On either side of the aisles were individual booths, each containing a plush leather sofa and a table.

  On every table sat a crystal ball about the size of a watermelon.

  Kael counted twenty booths in total. Walking further in, he saw a side door that connected directly to his original shop.

  "Wait... why does this layout feel so familiar?" Kael stared at the room, a sense of deja vu washing over him.

  An Internet Café!

  That was it! If you replaced the crystal balls with PCs and added a snack shelf behind the counter, it would be a carbon copy of a luxury cyber-café from Earth.

  "System, explain. How do I use this 'Training Room'?" Kael sat down in one of the booths.

  [System: Touch the base of the crystal ball with your hand.]

  Kael followed the instruction. The base felt smooth and surprisingly comfortable to the touch.