It was only since I hit 20 years old that I ever had the gall to actually go to the casino. Playing poker of all things, where luck played a small part, nothing more, nothing less. It was how I liked it. Gambling, that was. That said, it was pretty fun when luck played the whole part and you won too. That rush is another reason why I liked it so much.

That was why I came today. The parents were out of town and it was in their absence that I didn't have an excuse not to go. More than that, the challenge was what I craved. Or was it more about overcoming odds? It was a character flaw to be sure, that allure to risk and challenge. When I realized I was too chicken was when "going to the casino" became a challenge in my head. And so here I am.

Speaking of which, I had a game to get to.

My face was decidedly blank. It wasn't a skill I actively practiced. There was really never a need to in the modern-day. But judging from the face of the gentleman across from me, it was at least somewhat annoying. For new players, I'd suspect multiple glances at your two dealt cards was normal since they'd probably not be practiced enough to commit the cards to memory. I hadn't the urge to do so since I arrived.

I could go into detail but I already had the game. Despite it being my first time at a legit casino I've been gambling decent stakes for a while. What I'm getting at is that I know poker. By my reckoning, this hand would take the wind out of the guy across from me's sails. If there was anything I was good at it was taking calculated risks. That was most of poker, incidentally.

I flipped my cards.

"Damn." The older man said. "That's it for me then. Good luck man." He waved, pushing out his seat and proving me correct.

"Thanks." I nodded, raking my chips. It was a low stakes game, so even though I won about $20 in that pot, it was no hair off his head.

The dealer was a formal woman so it surprised me when she spoke up. Of course, it wasn't against casino rules but she hadn't said anything the whole time I've been at the table today. Which was at least long enough for four different people to come and go.

"You seem a little young to be enjoying yourself at a casino without any friends." She said preparing for the next hand and next table guest. I smiled because she was right, most people my age who come to casino's come with a bunch of their friends. Usually, it's a whole celebratory thing. Not so much my casual visit.

"Not too young for a gambling addiction." I joked. "Got me early too. Been betting candies and chocolate too long. Thought it was about time I hit the big leagues."

She laughed. "More skill than luck in those hands. You're pretty good." Her smile was wise even though she was probably only less than a decade older than me.

I wasn't so good as she implied. I'm sure I was nowhere near playing professionally, for example. Though that meant, betting thousands up thousands of dollars. That didn't mean I was averse to betting hundreds.

"Well, I always had a good time losing money. Was about time I changed my attitude." I had made myself comfortable at this particular table a long time ago. That being, I had no real pressure to continue the conversation and I doubt she had either. The small talk was nice though. "Might as well make money while I'm playing." I grinned.

"So, why the two-four stakes?" She asked. "You could be doing a lot better. You've already earned a lot."

"No reason. I just like gambling." I responded cooly. "I'm here to relax on my day off not make money. It's a casual night for me." I shrugged, nonchalant.

It was my first time at a casino. I wasn't expecting anything spectacular to happen so I came in today only looking for fun. I'd be the first one to tell you trying to make a living in a casino did not favor the average man.

"Fair enough." She said lightly, ending the conversation.

I looked around the bright casino at that. Garish purple carpet decorated with those funny little triangle-circle-square and confetti borders rung the walkways. Despite the terrible taste, I thought it complimented all the flashing slot machines and game tables pretty well. The sounds of the casino filled the air, even in the relatively empty section I found myself in.

It didn't look like the table I was sitting at was getting any newcomers soon so I gathered my chips. I said a short goodbye to the dealer since chances were I'd see her again. I did like the place.

It was a Friday night and nothing especially spectacular was going on. The casino was full, actually. I just happened to choose the most peaceful and empty corner of it, well at least as much as you could get in a casino. It wasn't so much I decided I wanted to have peace and quiet, I actually enjoyed the bustling ambiance of the place. It just happened that I chose the first poker table I saw which was in fact in a less crowded area.

I wasn't particularly low on money so I could afford to stay here all night. Since I just multiplied what I came in with by a factor of six, even more so. That left me with $300. It was a surprising amount of money in my hands. I never walk around with so much money. That's close to what I make in a lazy week.

It wasn't long before I made my way to the slot machines. The jackpot was something in the thousands but truthfully I wasn't expecting to win. I paused for a moment before just shrugging and putting my butt on the stool.

Pulling the lever was more satisfying than I wanted to admit. And after a second of it spinning, looking at the possible rewards on the side I could easily find the allure. If I didn't wholly believe that these things were ever so slightly rigged in the casino's favor I'd call this true gambling. Just throwing randomness and betting on an outcome.

It wasn't long before I truly got into it. The flashing lights, my money on the line, the potential of something greater. It felt like such a dishonest way of making money. It was exhilarating. I loved it. The money-like cha-ching of the flashing pictures as they slotted into place was satisfying on a primal level to me. Maybe it was something in my DNA but this was fun.

"Come on, here we go." I whispered, eyes flashing as I pulled the lever for what had to be the hundredth time. My hands clenched just as they had every other time. Every lever pull seemed to make the slots roll by longer and longer. I had maybe gone through about half of my money playing this and earning about a quarter of that back.

The ringing of my particular slot machine drowned out the rest of the casino. The cha-ching money noise filled my ears as the picture of a glowing red seven slotted in. It was the first symbol for a jackpot which happened to be three of them in a row. My heartbeat went faster, shocked into the rhythm of the slots. The second symbol was another glorious glowing seven too. I didn't even realize I was smiling so hard. I was holding my breath like I was underwater. My eyes were firmly affixed to the last rolling slot as it slid just past the third glowing seven and fell backward to lock back onto it.

Lightning shot down my spine. My eyes went wide and I threw my head up to look at the jackpot counter. The sound of coins cashing out burst from the slot machine. It was $5000 all told. A huge jackpot compared to most in the casino. I couldn't keep from grinning stupidly. Exhilarating.

There were cheers around the slot machines. The sound from mine alerted not only everyone nearby but also one of the slot machine attendants. He took my casino card from me and paid out the jackpot to it using a handheld tablet, after checking everything was in order.

"Congratulations! Haven't seen anyone win the jackpot here in months!" He said, handing my card back.

"Thank you!" I couldn't stop smiling.

My heart had yet to slow down its beating. I was joking about having a gambling addiction, but I could definitely see myself falling into that rabbit hole if I let myself. I like to think my self-control was pretty solid though. I calmed myself down just as a man beside me exclaimed.

"Damn! I've been trying for hours!" He said, more happy for me than jealous.

"How long have you been here?" I asked him, still riding my high.

I stared at him in askance for a moment, before that moment became uncomfortably long. Then I realized he was frozen. As in, not moving at all. Stuck.

The ringing cha-ching of the slot machine was what drew my wide eyes. What was happening? Everything around me had frozen. Like time just stopped. I spun in my stool staring at the slot machine. It's loud and overbright design was unchanged and still slightly painful to look at but what caught my curiosity was something else.

The flashing words displayed on the now otherwise blank slots.

Something pulled on me and I forgot about the state of the world. My heart slowed and the rush of my jackpot meant little to me. This slot machine, now, more than anything was my only focus. Why that was, or how, I didn't know. I only knew I didn't care about the frozen guy beside me or the people on the purple carpets frozen mid-step. I was inexplicably drawn to the words now blinking on the slot machine's screen.

[Welcome to the System Shop]

[Powers]

[Items]

[Attributes]

...

I stared at the words. [System Shop]? [Powers]? [Attributes]? At the very least, I'd like to think I knew what [Items] were. The lights of my slot machine were still flashing, annoying in their brightness and assaulting my eyes. What the hell was happening?

I didn't know what I was expected to do. So I listened to my intuition. I felt like my night at the casino had been instantly derailed. But this was too interesting. Gingerly, I pulled the lever on the slot machine and the choices were highlighted as they were selected and passed by. Because what else were you supposed to do sitting at a slot machine? Turned out it was the right choice. More options presented themselves to me.

[Weapons]

[Armor]

[Classes]

...

[Weapons]? [Armor]? From the looks of it, it's a shop, somehow. I wasn't a detective or anything, the display banner clearly says [System Shop]. Am I supposed to buy something?

Just as I asked, the certainty that I was expected to shop drifted across my body and mind. I shivered, looking around but finding only the brightly casino, paused in its vibrancy. Nothing. That left me with an eerie feeling as if I was being watched.

I felt rushed, in short. But then that certainty ran through me in assurance. I had all the time in the world. Looking around, I guess it was true. Time had stopped after all. It bothered me that right now, that didn't bother me. I shivered again, the whole situation was wrong. Something was up, but my mind could focus only on the slot machine and not the larger implications of it.

I shifted the lever with a satisfying clunk sound down to the option [Classes]. I might be able to learn something about this whole situation. To select the option the lever simply had to be shifted out from the machine. With a slight metal slotting noise, some new information sprang up.

I was expecting lessons. Or maybe some instruction on what was going on. Not these... people? I wasn't exactly sure.

[Fire Mage]

One versed in flame. They control the element of Fire and wield it as an extension of themselves. A [Fire Mage]'s destructive power and range are seldom if ever matched.

Growth: [INT] + 1, [WIS] + 1, [FOC] + 1

Perks: [Fire Affinity]

Price: 7300 [Points]

[Joker]

The [Joker] is one who takes nothing seriously. Their power lies in nonchalance and silliness. It is birthed from underestimation and scoff. Anyone familiar with their kind knows the danger is true when the [Joker] acts like it isn't.

Growth: [CHA] + 2, [WIS] + 2

Perks: [Natually Funny]

Price: 8450 [Points]

[Elemental Warrior]

These are [Warrior]'s who empower themselves with the elements. Their martial instincts are guided by the elements. They are capable of harnessing the stability of the earth, the fierceness of fire, the elusiveness of air, and the relentlessness of water.

Growth: [STR] + 3, [END] + 2, [WIL] + 1, [WIS] + 1

Perks: [Elementally Attuned]

Price: 8700 [Points]

What were these supposed to be? These weren't classes. How was I supposed to get any information? I rubbed my chin. That didn't mean I couldn't still try to learn from it. They were... job titles? Professions? Why? What exactly was this in the context of the shop?

I shook my head, feeling too leisurely given my situation. I doubled my focus and went over each one slower.

Growth. There were growth rates for each one. There were some kind of abbreviations that indicated something and following that: what I guessed were how they changed over time. There were probably too many for me to reasonably deduce.

The perks did draw my eye though. [Elementally Attuned] and [Fire Affinity] weren't anything I could relate to a real situation but [Naturally Funny] was a clue. So if I purchased [Joker] I'd be funny? That seemed pretty helpful. From the description of the... [Class], I guess I'll call it, they were more dangerous when they were silly. My natural instinct was to scoff at such a thing, but of course, the inclination of many people to do exactly that made me reconsider.

I spent the next few minutes just reading some of these outlandish [Classes]. After some fiddling, I was able to shrink down the size of the display. For some odd reason, the lever on the side of the slot machine had happened to increase greatly in functionality. I pulled hard on it and watched what had to an inordinate number of these [Classes] fly by. My eyes barely tracked them until I realized the thing was not gonna stop anytime soon.

I skimmed through them slower. What even was a [Fish Grabber]? Or [Fungus Sniper]? Those didn't even make sense. I wouldn't have blamed anyone for stopping and figuring out what they even were. I know I did.

[Fish Grabber]

These are those who dive for fish. Who strive so hard to become one with sea they are able to do so. They reach for the most magnificent of aquatic life and command their powers. That is the essence of the [Fish Grabber].

Growth: [DEX] + 9, [SPD] + 9, [WIS] - 1, [INT] - 1

Perks: [Endless Breath], [Aquatongue]

Price: 12342 [Points]

[Fungus Sniper]

The fungus of an individual [Fungus Sniper] is particularly unique to themselves. The [Fungus Sniper] is one who has mastered the art of infecting single targets from a great distance. The effects of their individual fungi can range greatly. With it, they can bring whole regions under their control without moving an inch.

Growth: [DEX] + 5, [ACC] + 3, [INT] + 4

Perks: [Evolving Fungus], [Infection]

Price: 9125 [Points]

My face was the picture of confusion. These were so outlandish. What exactly happened if I bought these? Did I become a [Fish Grabber] and a [Fungus Sniper]? Or maybe this was some person I could hire? Did I become a fish ridden with fungus if I bought both? Or were they lessons in how to? I was simply flabbergasted at the sheer number.

I became so engrossed at the unthinkable magnitude of the list of entries I sat dumbstruck for a few moments.

I looked at the price of each. Up in the thousands of [Points]. That was the only thing I had seen that indicated some kind of transaction here. It was just that thought that made something pop up suddenly and unobtrusively in my vision. I was startled at the suddenness but I calmed just as suddenly. It wasn't malicious that I could tell. It hovered in my vision.

My points.

I thought about looking but instead vetoed the idea for now. The number of points I had might persuade me into buying something I didn't need. I didn't want to be tempted to do something stupid. I knew I would be too, because when I won the jackpot that was exactly what I wanted to do. Whatever this [System Shop] was, the very least I knew of its capabilities was that it had the power to freeze time itself. Or at least make it seem so.

I had to roll with the punches and adapt. That's one trait of mine I'll always value. It's weird to think about but no one really taught me those lessons. Betting candy and trading cards as a kid did. I had to keep on my toes in a sense.

I decided to scroll back, exiting out of the [Classes] section completely. I looked through [Weapons] and [Armor] and while some were completely out there I could understand the utility. The [Shard Sword] for example, described a fragmented crystal roughly in the shape of a blade and attached to a hilt. Useful, if I ever needed to kill something. I chuckled.

Perhaps the most reasonable part of these sections was the inclusion of even mundane [Armor] and [Weapons]. A simple [Kevlar Vest] or [Handgun] were some that I saw. There didn't need to be anything that absorbed the sun and powered your strikes, or shot sunlight itself. Which were, actually, some of the things I saw. Not all the things I saw were geared toward violence. Well, generally [Weapons] were, understandably. But the [Classes] weren't so one-dimensional.

I shook my head.

I went through [Items] and [Attributes] next. The [Items] had some very interesting stuff. I went through them first, curious to what fell under the category.

[Myst Comb]

A blessed hair comb intended to be worn as an accessory. Sparkling deep blue, when tied up in someone's hair a thin cloud of mist forms enough to hide the wearer's features. The mist blocks magical scrying as well.

Effects: + 5 [CHA], [Mist Veil]

Price: 400 [Points]

[Vampwolf Necklace]

A threaded necklace of vampwolf teeth. The necklace bestows upon the user the vitality and ferocity of a vampwolf. In the past, the magical properties of vampwolf teeth have been known to bestow something more of their owners.

Effects: + 10 [VIT], + 10 [STR], [Blood Scent]

Price: 1000 [Points]

I rose my brow at some of these items. Suffice to say I was looking for a while. If not from plain old bafflement, then from the creativity of some of these things. To me, so far this section was the most intriguing. The [Myst Comb] and [Vampwolf Necklace] for example. A vampwolf? Vampires and werewolves? Those weren't even real, not to mention some made-up combination of the two.

I did spy an important clue though. Vitality. Or rather, [VIT]. It was obvious given the [Vampwolf Necklace]'s description. So those mysterious letterings corresponded to... well, words, but those words meant what? It didn't take me long. I stared at the letters [STR] for all of two seconds, before mentally hitting upon the word "strength".

Ah, [Attributes]. Of course. I swung the lever outward, rolled the slots, and selected [Attributes], a strong hunch of what I would see.

My intuition was correct.

[STR]

The ability to apply a physical force. The [STR] of an individual marks their physical power and might. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects physical hardiness and robustness and thus effects the corresponding governing [Attributes].

Price: 1 for 800 [Points]

[VIT]

The ability to live. The [VIT] of an individual marks the vibrancy of their life force. The higher the [VIT] an individual possesses the more difficult it is for them to die. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects physicality and thus effects corresponding governing [Attributes].

Price: 1 for 800 [Points]

So that's what they were. It confirmed my general theory of the things for sale at least. Whatever I bought from this store would directly affect me. Well, aside from the [Weapons], [Armor] and [Items]. The [Attributes] themselves were absurdly expensive. That peculiarity didn't escape me. A single [STR] for 800 [Points]? That didn't make any sense considering the growth rate of some of the [Classes] I saw.

Maybe it was for people who couldn't afford that initial cost of thousands of [Points] though. I concede I didn't really have much to go off though. It was no use thinking about it since I didn't think I'd be spending anything on them.

Finally, I checked [Powers].

My eyes widened at the implications at what I was seeing. I think I understood what the [Classes] were now. And why they're so expensive. They must be some type of way to naturally grow and achieve these. That was what I came up with. For no other reason other than that the [Powers] seemed to be things that [Classes] could do. I would know too, I had spent ample time reading up on them.

Now that I thought about it, these seemed to fit into the "Perks" section of the [Classes] too.

[Light and Dark]

Flip between two modes. [Lumen] and [Void]. The effects of these individual magics are enhanced with this [Power], however, only one can be used in a given mode. The [Lumen] state increases healing, brightness, and buff effectiveness. The [Void] state increases damage, darkness, and debuff effectiveness.

Price: 4000 [Points]

[Absorbtion]

Your body is a natural conduit for kinetic forces. You attain the ability to absorb kinetic forces, nullifying them and storing them within yourself. Releasing the gathered force can be deadly for your foe and yourself. [Absorbtion] is a [Power] complimented by the fitness of the individual user.

Price: 5000 [Points]

[Immunity]

You can invoke absolute immunity from damage for small intervals at a time. During these intervals, nothing can cause you damage or otherwise harm you. This effect encompasses all types of attacks. This includes mental, spiritual, magical, and physical harm.

Price: 10000 [Points]

I must have read through thousands of [Powers] all told. [Mind Poison], [Phase], [Mechanical Gift], [Natural Spring], the list went on for what seemed like forever. Hours of my time, just poring over them and cross-checking if anything lined up with the listed [Classes]. That was where I was most surprised.

I could search for things. Keywords and the like. But not every [Power] was present in a [Class]. Some, in fact, were unique to a [Class] so far as I could tell.

It was then I finally decided to check how many points I had.

[Total Points] : 6550

Initial [Points] are rewarded to the individual arbitrarily by the System. Additional [Points] are rewarded based upon an individuals merit and feats throughout life.

And so now knowing, I browsed the entirety of the [System Shop]. I had no idea exactly what I was supposed to pick. I did have a few curious ideas though. [Flying] seemed particularly tempting, although that used more than two-thirds of my [Points]. There was [Telepathy] and [Mind Sense] too, which would've seemed cool if they weren't priced at 10000 [Points]. Most of the [Classes] were predictably out of my price range. The ones that were affordable didn't seem as good as the higher priced ones, which I guessed, was the point. I wasn't sure I was ready to pick one though. The choice seemed eerily final, like settling on a career path.

[Items], [Weapons], and [Armor] didn't particularly catch my eye either. With the [Points] I had and the relative cost of those categories I'd either be laden with a bunch of regular gear or be carrying around a single shiny sword and maybe some magic belt. I calculated the risk. I wasn't too keen on something that could be stolen.

With that said, I felt naive, like there were things I was so obviously missing. I wanted to pick up a [Power] since everything else was crossed off and [Attributes] were exorbitantly expensive. Like a little kid, I was indecisive.

I didn't know what I wanted.

"So what do I like then?" I asked myself chuckling at the fact I was even talking to myself.

I paused for a moment.

The answer was so plainly simple. "Well, I liked to gamble." I rubbed my chin, humming.

What did they have in the [Power] section to do with chance? Risk-taking?

"Come on." I crossed my fingers. "What do you got for me?"

I tried every keyword I could think of, mentally bookmarking the [Powers] as I found them. And man, were they more interesting and exciting than anything I've seen so far! Yes, I could feel myself get excited. My eyes widened as I briefly skimmed them, not reading any descriptions until I judged my search over. The thrill!

Without a doubt in my mind. I found what I wanted to spend my [Points] on.

[Bet]

[Bet] something of true worth to yourself. The rewards and losses of the [Bet] are dependent on the individual's perceived and actual value of the stakes. The greater the stakes, the better the reward, and more terrible the losses.

Price: 6000 [Points]

[Wager]

Formally challenge an able participant to a [Wager]. This [Power] is heavily influenced by the perceptions of both parties. Only a [Wager] deemed fair by both parties will proceed. The challenged cannot deny a fair [Wager] and is bound absolutely by its terms. The terms of the [Wager] are decided amongst the participants.

Price: 6000 [Points]

[Risk]

Launch a sufficiently foolhardy attack of any nature. [Risk] when activated amplifies the effectiveness of an attack based upon its stupidity in logical reasoning.

Price: 6000 [Points]

Now those were [Powers] I grinned. The power to challenge someone to a [Wager] that by my guess they couldn't refuse so long as they deem it fair. And a [Bet], how fitting was that for me to buy? It's what I've been doing all day. [Risk]? I chuckled at that one. It was probably one of the most fitting ones to my character, although its description wasn't necessarily something I could see myself doing.

They were single-handedly three of the most alluring things I have seen in the shop so far. The dice inside of me rattled, waiting to be thrown. But it wasn't [Bet] or [Wager] or [Risk] I was looking at anymore.

"Though, I guess you could say I was, in a way, invoking all three of them." My smile was electric. The moment before I took that leap.

[Gamble]

To attain [Gamble] your bet must be worth the price. [Gamble] is one of many [Powers] where the price is one you name. It is, however, one of the few [Powers] that has a different function in the [System Shop]. [Gamble] is a power all its own and may be rewarded after purchasing dependent on the bet. Before then, its function is hidden. Throw your [Points] into the pot and see how they come back to you.

Price: Make a bet.

Between heartbeats, I threw 6500 [Points] in.