Rewind With A Superstar System-Chapter 37: Voucher Gambling!
<🎧 Song Recommendation: Cry Me A River by Justin Timberlake>
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(Room 4 — 11:40 PM)
"Man, my calves are still killing me," Max exclaimed as he walked out of the bathroom, its light bathing the previously dark room. "Marco is a sadist."
"He knows what he’s doing," Julian’s voice came from the other side. "But he was harsh today. Especially on you, Von."
Von laid on his back, staring at the dark ceiling. "He was kinda right though. I’m just not cut out for dancing."
"Don’t worry about it," Max chirped. "Me and Julian can cover the front. We can hide you in the back formation! You just have to stand there and look handsome. That’s a valid strategy!"
Max meant it as a comfort, but it was a useless proposal. That was exactly what Von couldn’t afford to do. If he hid in the back, he would get zero screen time. If he got zero screen time, he wouldn’t gain fans. If he didn’t gain fans, he wouldn’t get enough EXP.
And that wasn’t even the worse scenario as he could get eliminated if he didn’t perform well.
"You picked that up fast, Alex," Julian turned to the last guy in the room. For once he wasn’t covering his ears and that was the perfect opportunity to strike a conversation.
"It’s just patterns," Alex replied in a low voice. "Like memorizing chords."
Von ignored the conversation that brewed between the two and closed his eyes. He didn’t think he was hopeless yet. Von still had the System. His greatest asset, and right now he was just waiting for something before he made his move.
[Current Fans: 399]
Von’s eyes remained focused on the interface, waiting for the counter to change. To the others, it seemed like he was staring at the ceiling blankly, lost in a depressive episode or something.
After over fifteen minutes, just when he was about to give in to sleep, he heard the satisfying sound.
Ding!
● Acquire 500 Loyal Fans (500/500)
[Milestone Rewards: +400 EXP, 3x Star Shop Vouchers]
○ Acquire 1000 Loyal Fans (501/1000)
[Reward: +500 EXP]
’Finally,’ Von grinned internally like a kid who had won the lottery.
His fame had been growing all these days, especially with the release of episodes from Hollywood Week, which saw him getting far better screen time than in the Auditions.
While it wasn’t exaggerated, it was enough to satisfy Von, or at least he hoped it would be enough for what he was about to do.
● Star Shop: 11 Vouchers, 1x Zone State (A)
It wasn’t even the EXP that drew Von; it was the vouchers. A wild idea had popped up in his mind earlier during the torture session. Imagine if he could buy a Dance-related skill!
Unfortunately, the System didn’t have a search button, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t try his luck with all the Vouchers he had accumulated.
’If it works, I’ll breeze through the round. But if it fails... I’ll be left with nothing.’
Regardless of how many times Von weighed this choice, he was resolved to gamble. He stood to gain more than he could ever lose. So, Von didn’t even think twice.
’Open up the Shop!’
Von used the first voucher, and the holographic case unfolded above him.
[Consumable: Health Recovery Pill]
● Cost: 100 EXP
● Description: Instantly recovers full health after being dealt non-fatal injuries. (Only one can be saved)
[Consumable: Mimicry]
● Cost: 10,000 EXP
● Requirement: Willpower A
● Description: Allows the user to permanently copy one skill from a target upon physical contact. Can only be used once.
[Consumable: Stamina Recovery Pill]
Von gulped after reading through the first options. ’Two insane items from just one pull. I must be really lucky today.’
But with that luck also brought temptation. Now Von was seriously considering using his Save on at least one of those items.
The first one was special, but the second was godly, especially when Von considered all the potential skills he could copy from people like Julian or even the judges.
’I might not meet the requirements yet or have the EXP, but it might play a great role in the future.’
Von was really drawn to it, but using a save meant less chance of getting a Dance-related skill, as he would only see two options per roll from then on.
Now the debate settled on the now, or the future. It was a difficult decision, but Von settled on the former.
’I would likely see it some other time.’
He had once asked a question to the System AI, and it had made it clear that its products could sometimes be influenced by his desire. And the chances of special items being repeated were always high.
So, that allowed Von to ignore the offerings from the System and use the next Voucher.
For the second one, it seemed like Von had used up his luck as he only saw useless items, ranging from cosmetics to minor consumables that he didn’t even know why they were being offered.
It seemed like Von’s luck was really in the negative as he kept going, voucher after voucher, but nothing meaningful came out of it.
Thud!
"Fuck!" Von hit the bed loudly when he used the tenth one and still received nothing meaningful.
"Anything?" Julian turned on the room lights and turned over to him.
He was the only one awake among the trio besides Von. For some time, he had noticed Von was staring up at the ceiling and twitching his face like he was reading invisible text, and he couldn’t take the creepiness anymore.
"Nothing, I’m just meditating," Von replied with a wry smile, trying to look normal. "Turn off the lights, please."
With the room bathed in darkness again, Von turned away from Julian and focused on his interface this time with desperation.
’Please, System gods! As I use this last voucher, shall it give me the Choreography skill I asked for.’ Von closed his eyes tight and clasped his hands together under the blanket before using the last voucher.
The air was once again filled with purple holograms, and the box was unveiled.
[Consumable: Stamina Recovery Pill]
[Consumable: Mirror Mimicry]
Von was about to complain that the System was playing games with him when his eyes focused on the last option.
[Consumable: Star Voucher Bundle]
● Cost: 20 EXP
● Description: Can be used to purchase additional Vouchers to access the Star Shop. (Cannot be saved)
● Limit: 10
’Wow, who could have imagined! But thinking back, they did say I could purchase vouchers.’
This wasn’t even something Von gave a moment of thought to. He spent the 200 EXP immediately to buy the max amount.
[-200 EXP]
[Acquired: 10x Star Shop Vouchers]
Immediately after the vouchers were confirmed, Von decided to ignore saving the Copy consumable that the System had tried to bait him with once again. He used up another voucher, ready to spend them all quickly before he got to what he wanted.
But to Von’s surprise, his mouth widened when he used just the first of the new batch and got exactly what he desired most.
[Skill: Basic Rhythmic Movement (D)]
● Cost: 300 EXP
● Requirement: Charm E
● Description: Grants the user the ability to perform basic dance routines with standard flexibility, timing, and control.
’Finally!’ Von exclaimed inwardly.
He tapped on the skill to check the potential growth. And from what he saw through the System Upgrade perk, he knew he had struck gold.
[Upgrade Options]
[Skill: Advanced Choreography Mastery (B)]
● Cost: 600 EXP
● Requirement: Charm C
● Description: Improves balance and isolation and allows for complex formations and rapid learning of dance moves.
[Skill: Rhythm Master (A)]
● Cost: 3,000 EXP
● Requirement: Charm B
● Description: Your movement dictates the heartbeat of the crowd. You don’t make mistakes, and can perform moves that border on physically impossible.
Von couldn’t control his grin. While the A-tier upgrade option wasn’t something he was considering right now; especially when [Emote] and [Resonance] offered better utility but he hadn’t upgraded them yet; the B option were more than enough for whatever the competition would throw at him!
Right away, he used his Save on the skill!
’I won’t buy it now. It’s better I surprise them at the last minute, and I don’t want the stress of explaining my sudden improvement.’
By the time he needed it, Von would have enough EXP to buy and upgrade it instantly. But now, he could sleep happy.
"I might just skip this entire week of lessons with this," Von muttered as he pulled the blanket over his head and closed his eyes.
The schedule for their practice involved learning basics from Marco through the week, before practicing their specific songs with their group privately for the following week. So, Von had already decided to sit out the week-long torture mentally.
