Chapter VIII

The type of System I will talk about in this chapter is often, for reason unknown to me, called Gatcha.

What are Gatcha type Systems?

Basically, Systems where everything, or at least a lot is based on a lottery system.

You gain, through a variety of means, lottery lots.

Those can gain you anything from utter, worthless trash, which might even be actively harmful, to insanely strong powers. Well, at least from the perspective of the users.

The poor users have not, after all, seen the multiverse, like I did. And thus do not know how real power looks like.

Poor users.

Now, something to keep in mind, Gatcha Systems are not the only ones where lotteries are used in a big way.

There are in fact a lot of Systems were lotteries are, on some level at least, available, and a viable path to great power.

However, Gatcha Systems are special in that it is the most accessible, or even only way to gain power.

Gatcha Systems tend to be entity bound, but not always. The universe were they are not are freaking weird.

Gatcha Systems have even bigger issues in regards to the economy than normal Systems.

Fascinatingly enough, they do not necessarily solve their economics issue through the free and wide application of mind control.

That must be a first for Systems. I think.

I might be wrong, though. I am certain there are weirder things in the multiverse.

I do not, however, think, that there are very many of those weirder things inside the multiverse.

After all, Systems do love their mind control, be it subtle or overt.

Now, how do Gatcha Systems work?

First, the available lotteries are often sorted by type and how weighted they are.

Some are weighted towards getting trash and some are weighted towards at least decent stuff.

Also, sometimes the chance for getting something actively harmful is displayed.

Depending on the System, the following things can be gained:

Items. That one is essentially universal, or should I say multiversal?

Ok, I stop. But it is honestly incredibly common.

The next thing commonly gained from these types of Systems are Skills or abilities.

Not that multiversal, but still very common.

Perks are also a very common possible reward.

Straight up attributes and levels, where those things make sense inside Gatcha Systems?

Not that common, to be honest.

There are countless possible types of rewards, and you only need to search for one to find the one you want in some System.

Gatcha Systems are often suprisingly nice to their users, often designed to be a reward. Which has to do with the fact that a not insignificant percentage, and with that I mean most, are bound to entities, not universes.

Now, Gatcha Systems seem to tend to have it harder to travel their local sub section of the multiverse, but that is not to say it is impossible, merely far rarer, in comparision to to other entity bound Systems. Most of those seem to be capable of traveling their little pocket of the multiverse.

I have no idea why that difference exists, maybe the ones I have observed where just unlucky with their lottery draws?

Hm. That could actually be it.

Anyways.

Now, what is the goal of the entity bound Gatcha Systems?

From what I could observe, make their users more powerful. Which is a common goal for entity bound Systems.

The exact way that goal manifests differ, and the exact known reasons do as well, but the goal almost always is the same. Make the user more powerful, let him grow strong.

But while the Gatcha type Systems are one type of System that is commonly entity bound, it is not the archetype of those Systems. And there is such an archetype.

I will go into more detail when I deal with that particular mess.

But lets consider how weird it is for a System to base itself around chance.

Especially when it wants its user to succeed. Why would it do that?

Why take the risk?

Systems like that obviously have considerable power, so why are they choosing a route thats that dangerous for their users, potentially at least?

What advantage can it offer to them to take the risk that their users either only gain trash or only gain, admittedly very powerful things, which they cannot use, be it because there is some sort of requirement they are missing, be that knowledge, training or even something System based?

Maybe the lottery is merely for the benefit of the user there, while what is gained is everything the System can give, for some reason?

For the results to be predecided?

Everything is a possibility with Systems.

Who knows. I certainly do not.

Or maybe they simply weigh the result more in favor of what they are saying, so that the disappointment is lesser when the user gets something they do not want, and the happiness they feel when they get something they do want is bigger.

Again, who knows, for I certainly do not.

Some of the things those Systems give to their users are just plain weird.

A three year old moldy bread? And yes, before you ask, this was classified as trash, thank whatever higher power you believe in.

A half eaten banana? Again, trash. But still. How does it get those things, and why does it give them.

Hey, here is a trash item that actually makes sense: a to small hoodie.

I have no words and I must see, or something like that.

Hm, here is a trash skill thats weird, burping on command. But at least its trash, and not the next legendary skill of jore.

Maybe those Systems have been created with those limitations, but they just do not make sense.

Which is, admittedly, fairly standard for Systems.

They, and their limitations, do not make a whole lot of sense.

Hm. I am out of ideas, but that bastard want to see me write more today, and does not want to allow me to use a new topic. that bastard is annoying.

Oh well, so I need to figure out how to fill the next 800 odd words with senseless stuff. Hey, maybe I even get an idea of what I could say in regards of those Systems, the Gatcha type Systems, or lottery type Systems.

Maybe. But I am bored. that bastard is sadly someone who annoys me and he gave me this annoying duty. Sadly, fighting my duty would be a spectacularly bad idea, especially because I actually like this job normally.

Hm. What could I write about that will not annoy that that bastard too much, while still being easy and quick to write, so that I hopefully can go of this duty soon.

I heard from that bastard that he wants me to write five times the five in word count, which is a weird unit.

I had hoped he meant five times five, aka twenty five, but I have passed that number in words a long while ago, so it cannot be that.

I hope it is not five times five times five times five times five, which would equal to a mere 3125. Damn. I thought that was higher. I really need to work on my intuition math skills some more.

At least I thought about checking with a calculator.

I also have passed that a while ago.

But what else could it be that makes sense?

Hm. No idea.

Oh well, I will figure it out at some point, and be that the moment when I reach that word count and that bastard tells me to wrap this mess up.

I just wish I knew what it was, so that I could ensure that I would be ready to wrap up almost immediately after getting the ok to do so.

So, lets go through it. He said that it was five times the five.

Hm. If we write that down it is. Fuck. Which base does he mean?

Ok. It must be at least base six. It cannot be lower than that, because the five does not exist in the bases before that.

Now, base six it cannot be, because that is 7775 in decimal terms.

So, base six cannot work, because I have already passed it. Let us figure out what it is in base 7.

Hm. Well, it could be 14005. I would be very happy about it. But I do not think so for a multitude of reasons.

Hm. I do not think I will get a definitive result, so I am not sure what I will do with all that math.

I am fairly sure that he will not have chosen a base above 16, so let us calculate what the rest is.

Base 8 results in it being 23405. That would be nice, and is at least getting into realistic territory.

Base 9 results in the number series of three six nine zero five, or in numbers, 36905 in the decimal system.

Base ten is simple, for it results in 55555.

Damn. Was there not something about a writing project he planned to do that takes fifty thousand words?

And then he simply took that and replaced all zeroes with fives?

That makes far too much sense.

It might be that. I definetly will put myself into a position were I can end it quickly when I am approaching this.

But simply for completions sake, lets solve the rest as well.

Base 11 results in the number 80525.

Base twelve ends up with the number 113105, which is a bit more than double of what the pure decimal value of 55555 is.

Base thirteen, a number considered by a number of cultures to be unlucky, a feeling that seems to be disproportionally be the same in Systems for no obvious reasons results in the number 154705.

Base fourteen, we are nearing the end here, results in the number 206855.

Base 15 result in the number 271205.

And finally, base 16 results in the number 349525, which is nearly fifteen times the amount that the number 55555 in base fifteen is.

Truly fascinating, if I am being honest.

So, it is most likely 55555 in base ten.

Thanks half forgotten knowledge.

No idea why he choose to increase that amount, maybe he just wanted to annoy me.

Oh well, I will figure it out. And maybe he used base 7 or 8, that would be really nice.

I do not think so, but I sure hope so. Oh, he could also have used base 9, forgot about that.

I hope he is doing the same thing I am doing currently, writing something, and having the same end goal.

Knowing him, he does. Damn that that bastard.

He is annoying and he makes my job really fun most of the time. Only when he has those weird ideas of his, he does not.

Annoying. I am not sure if I like him currently.

I will like him when this horror is over again, I am sure. He is great like that.