Reincarnated With The Degenerate System-Chapter 229: Lucky?

News spread fast. Mythical tried to sue over the building.

I pointed out that I chased a criminal who burned our base. He ran into their property. That was not surprising, given how much real estate they owned.

It helped that the building was not in use. It had been sitting empty, like those condos bought by individuals who hoped the price would rise someday.

They still made it sound like I caused the destruction on purpose.

Fortunately, thanks to my recent achievement, the government let the Association handle it quietly, without turning it into a big deal. They were busy with other more important things.

From what I overheard, a major incident had just happened near the main city—and if I had to guess, Darkness was involved.

"Yes, Director Hayes, I’ll attend the proceeding," I said before ending the call.

Leaning back, I stared at the tower in front of me, unable to hide my frustration. The recent incident had thrown my plans into chaos, and even my stock shares had taken a serious hit.

That’s why I decided to focus on clearing another floor—to rebuild my reputation.

I spent my free time overseeing everyone as they renovated the main guild building. Since the fire had been contained quickly, no structural damage was beyond repair.

Then I told Ellie and the others to stay at the vacation house for now.

The enemy was after me and keeping them close would only put them in danger. To be safe, I posted guards around them.

Once everything was settled, I returned to the secured section of my building and activated my System Store.

My vision flickered, and I was back in the store. I didn’t hesitate. I went straight to the glass display, eyes settling on the card priced at five hundred points.

Frankly, I was saving for the one costing a thousand points, but it would take too long—and there wasn’t much worth grinding after Darkness retreated.

Just as I was about to hit buy, I noticed the sealed cards and felt a twinge of temptation. Buying a random card could land me a higher‑ranking one—but the risk was just as high.

With 500 points, I could afford a single Titan Rank.

Temptation got the better of me. I scrolled through the options.

Checking the odds, the 200‑point card offered a 32% chance of an Uncommon Rank, 23% for rare, 18% for Legendary, 15% for Asura, 10% for Titan, and a 3 % chance at Behemoth.

Titan rank granted me Duality before so it shows just how powerful it was —if I hit the lottery and got it, all my problems would be solved.

The lower-tier cards topped out at Titan, and anything 100 points or below barely offered a chance at all. We’re talking like 0.5%.

There were higher‑priced cards that offered better chances, but I wasn’t keen on risking it all on a single bet.

I did the math and realized I could afford up to three of the 200‑point cards right now.

’I’ve been lucky so far, so I’ll just leave it to fate.’

’Three shots,’ I muttered to myself, ’three chances to change everything.’

I bought all three cards. One by one, I placed them on the glass table, the silver wrapping gleaming under the store lights.

Slowly, I tore open the first, letting a soft glow spill out.

[Avatar Card: ...]

[Uncommon]

"MOTHERF—" I slammed my fist into the glass table.

The table reacted like I’d just poked a sleeping dragon.

A sudden blast sent me flying across the hall like a ragdoll in a cartoon.

I landed with a thud, pain exploding in every direction. Yep... that one hurt worse than a boss battle.

Alright. Mental note.

The system didn’t tolerate violence inside its domain.

I got to my feet and walked back to the glass table. The cards hadn’t even shifted, proving the blast had been aimed squarely at me.

"Second time’s the charm," I muttered to myself, tearing open the next wrapper.

[Avatar Card: ...]

[Uncommon]

I almost cried. At this point. The system was basically cheating, messing with me on purpose.

Fine. Lesson learned—gambling was bad. But two uncommon cards in a row? That was just cruel. I would’ve had better odds playing blackjack.

I stared at the last card on the table. The silver wrapper gleamed, quiet and smug, like it already knew the result.

My hand didn’t move.

If fate wanted to mock me, then fine. Let it do it properly. I took a slow breath and pinched the edge of the wrapping.

"One more," I muttered. "Then we’re done."

The foil tore open. Light spilled out—brighter than before. Not the dull glow of Uncommon. This one pulsed, heavy and dense, pressing against my vision.

’...No way,’ I whispered.

The card finished materializing in my hand.

[Avatar Card: ...]

[Behemoth.]

"Holy—what the hell?!" It was so unreal that I could only spit out a mix of shock and curses.

The card glowed brighter than Asura or Titan, a swirl of gold, black, and purple twisting together.

If this wasn’t an overpowered, rare item, then nothing was. Patterns traced along its edges, and a smile crept onto my face.

’Could this really be it?’

I didn’t hesitate and used the card.

[Accelerator doesn’t work on Behemoth-Rank items.]

"I don’t care. Start the simulation."

The world black out. Light folded in on itself, and the store vanished.

Cold air brushed my skin. Not the sharp kind—soft, damp, unfamiliar. I stood on wooden floors, but everything felt wrong. The weight was off. Balance felt strange. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

I raised my hands. They looked... distant. Too small.

"Hey—" I tried to speak.

What came out was thin and weak. A small sound. Barely a voice at all.

My chest tightened. A bead of sweat slid down my forehead. No. This isn’t funny.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an old wooden cabinet with a chair beside it. I climbed up and caught my reflection in a vanity mirror.

The image staring back confirmed my fear.

A kid. No older than ten years old.

Orange hair. Blue eyes. Round face. Soft skin.

The reflection blinked.

So, did I.

.

.

.

Seven years passed, and I was forced to live this new life against my will.

Days blurred together, each one tying me tighter to a body and world I never asked for. If there was a silver lining, it was freedom. No invisible rails. No forced choices.

Unlike the other simulations, there was no fixed order and no scripted path. I could act—or refuse to. Learn. Ignore. Live like a normal person if I wanted.

The system gave me only one directive.

Save the world.

And so far, life has been very eventful. I met a dragon and inherited its power. Studied magic at an academy.

Now I was at war with beings from another continent, creatures set on wiping mine out.

’Another big battle. These invaders and their ships,’ I sighed, eyes drifting over the wreckage—most of it courtesy of me.

Honestly, if I hadn’t been this strong thanks to my past-life knowledge, this continent would’ve already fallen. The power gap was that wide.

"Shadow , let’s go," I commanded.

She answered with a roar and dove from the sky. I could’ve given her a proper name. I chose not to.

Getting attached was pointless, and I wasn’t about to let a simulation mess with my perfect personality.

That didn’t stop me from enjoying myself though. I had my ways here.

Over a hundred women, give or take—the academy teachers, the princess, even the king’s wife and her daughter... opportunities kept showing up, and I wasn’t about to say no.

"LOOK! IT’S OUR HERO! LONG LIVE THE GENERAL!!!" the human army cheered.

As I passed, I gave them a wave, boosting their morale.

From a lower vantage point, I scanned the battlefield. The humans were the most numerous, followed by the dwarves, and then the other races spread across the field.

They once fought each other, but facing a common enemy forced them to set aside their differences—for now—or they risk losing their own territories.

None of it mattered to me. I just wanted to finish this simulation and return to my world.

After confirming there was no immediate danger, I flew back to the main camp, where the army leaders were gathered for a meeting.

Right away, I was summoned to the largest tent. Inside, commanders of different races had already assembled.

The human commander, Agusto, stepped forward with a broad smile.

"Thank you, General Arden. Once again, you’ve defeated their high-ranking fighters."

"Just doing what needs to be done," I replied, keeping my tone serious.

The other commanders smiled at me, though a few clearly didn’t like that I was taking all the credit.

Fucking idiots. If they were even half as useful, I wouldn’t have to carry the whole army on my back... maybe I should start charging them rent for all this free manpower.

"What’s the status of our ships? We can’t just stay on the defensive all the time," I turned my attention to the dwarves.

"Hey, kid!" one of them barked.

"I’m a general, so mind your words," I corrected, letting my aura press down on him.

After mastering my dragon’s abilities, I was the most powerful figure on the continent—and they all knew it. Some, though, were just too prideful to read the room.

"General Arden, please forgive my brother," a milder-looking dwarf pleaded.

"Discipline him properly. This isn’t your workshop, where you can act like rascals." I paused, letting my gaze sweep over everyone.

"We’re at war with beings far superior to us in every way—magic, martial arts, technology, even innate talent. Do you really think I alone can hold this front?"