章 11: Virtuous Tamer Gift Package?
Khalil took a deep breath, his fingers twitching as he stared at the 0.01% success rate. The number was etched in his mind now, blinking at him like a glaring, critical error he couldn't ignore. If this were any other project, that rate would signal one thing—failure was almost certain. But here? He had no codebase to audit, no patches to install, and no chance to optimize his approach. This was, apparently, a new reality, and there was no safe mode to reboot back to.
The memory of his professor's words surfaced: "When the conventional approach gives you a 1% success rate, it's not telling you to give up. It's telling you to think differently."
But even that had been 1%. This was so much worse. Still, she'd taught him to never give up before he'd even tried.
With a long, steady breath, Khalil looked back down at the portal. Another candidate stepped forward, blissfully unaware of anything beyond their personal trial, their steps a mix of apprehension and determination.
Khalil couldn't help but wonder if they would eventually receive a similarly mind-breaking revelation. Or perhaps he'd been singled out for this specific mission, this strange fate. The weight of it settled on his shoulders, heavy as a stone. If he didn't succeed, if he failed to "save the world" somehow… Did that mean this world would end?
Would he disappear?
His mind reeled, almost desperate for an answer.
"Is this… even a real world?" The thought escaped his lips, the words drifting into the quiet space around him.
Could it be possible that everything—the sights, the people, the scents of the air—was nothing more than some sort of simulation? An elaborate game? He glanced around, his gaze drawn to the unfamiliar runes that glowed faintly in the stonework.
Khalil, despite himself, felt like a beginner—a newcomer to the IT world, dropped into a complex system he didn't fully understand, with only the most basic troubleshooting skills at his disposal.
But his gaze returned to the message, and he noticed something. "Wait…" he whispered, his brow furrowing. "The success rate… It said 0.000001% at first, right? And now it's at 0.1%." The increase was minuscule, but it was there, clear as the lines of code he'd written a thousand times before. Could that mean… could he actually raise it? Again? How much?
Just then, the screen blinked and changed, a new message taking its place.
[You have been gifted a Virtuous Beast Tamer's Gift Package. Good luck in your journey to save the world.]
[Say "Accept" internally to accept the gifts.]
Khalil's mind spun with questions, but he caught himself, his gaze fixed on the words "Virtuous Beast Tamer's Gift Package."
Did that mean he'd be receiving some kind of support? Aid? He hesitated, chewing the inside of his cheek. It felt strange to just go along with this, as if accepting the gift might somehow solidify his commitment to this whole… otherworldly purpose. But that success rate. If he was going to be thrown into this insane situation, then he needed every advantage he could get.
"Accept," he thought with as much conviction as he could muster.
The message vanished, replaced by yet another window, but this one felt different, loaded with an almost tangible significance.
[Congratulations, Khalil. Your Gift Package includes the following:
- Beginner's Light Shield (One-time use)
- Guiding Star Pendant (Increases clarity in dangerous areas)
- Legacy Map (Indicates locations of past light guardians)
- An Additional Beast Space
- Insight Flask (One sip grants brief foresight) ]
Khalil read through the items, his mind still catching up. Each one sounded like something out of his brother's game collection, things he had only ever heard about secondhand. And yet, here they were, offered to him as if he'd somehow been selected for this twisted quest.
With a flash, the items materialized in front of him, small icons floating in midair. He blinked, too stunned to move. Tentatively, he reached out, and his hand brushed against one of them—the Guiding Star Pendant. It felt real, warm to the touch, its gentle glow reassuring against the otherwise dark reality he found himself facing. Another notification appeared, pulling his attention back to the screen.
[Success Rate: 0.10002%]
Khalil felt a flicker of triumph.
"It went up," he muttered, half in disbelief. That was… something, at least. It was hardly reassuring, but it proved he wasn't completely helpless. The gift package had improved his odds, however slightly, meaning he had a shot at influencing this situation. Maybe it really wasn't impossible, just… wildly improbable.
Another notification appeared, the lettering bold and sharp.
[Increased Success Rate indicates proactive steps. Continue to pursue your mission to improve your chances further. Good luck in your journey, young tamer.]
The notification blinked out, and Khalil was left alone once more, holding the Guiding Star Pendant, feeling the strange reality of it pressing into his palm.
His racing thoughts stilled, and a quiet determination started to settle in. Yes, his odds were still painfully slim. And yes, he didn't have answers for even half of his questions. But, in a way, this was just like debugging: he just needed to keep making incremental improvements until he figured out how to crack this problem open.
Slowly, he exhaled, his gaze returning to the scene below, to the young candidates who had no idea of the lurking dangers or hidden stakes surrounding them. Perhaps this world was real. Perhaps it wasn't. Either way, it had presented him with a challenge he couldn't ignore.
At least he believed it was wrong.
But it didn't meant he would stop searching the truth - the truth behind this messed up situation. And...
Whether he truly died or was being lied to.
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