True Pros Clear Dailies Before 5 AM

What’s the price of a human life? Society constantly throws that question at us through its judicial systems, life insurance, medical services, and all that jazz. Of course, I couldn’t give two shits about such philosophical crap. My own life was worth exactly 16,000 Yuanbao, or 300,000 won in cash. In other words, just enough for a single 10-pull.

Only 23 minutes left already? It had been a full three hours just before I borrowed the money. My shoulder, where my little bro had punched me, was throbbing. All I asked for was 300,000 won, and the bastard swung first? What kind of animal does that? Worse than a dog. A sneaky prick.

I hit yes without a second thought.

“I’ve already done 160 pulls... Please, just once!”

This was my last 10-pull, my entire fortune poured into it. How much time and money had I sunk into pulling Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition Cao Cao? It was a limited pickup—if I didn’t get her now, I’d probably never have another shot. Everyone else had this meta character, but not me? That was enough to make me quit.

“Let’s see some purple smoke. If not, I’ll just uninstall.”

Of course, that was the tenth time I’d said “uninstall.” I forced myself to stay calm and hit the next button.

Please...

Anything but blue or purple. I closed my eyes, waiting for the gacha animation sound to end, then slowly opened them.

Whoa... jackpot?

“Holy shit!! Two golds!!!”

Two of the ten gems shone gold, dazzling my retinas. My heart pounded like it was about to leap out of my chest. Drowning in dopamine, I first tapped the blue and purple gems in order.

“Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition Yuan Shao, pre-Battle of Hefei... Skip this crap, hurry up...”

Eight gems spat out beautifully dressed girls. Newbies might go, “They’re so pretty, how’s that a dud?” But to veteran players like me, they were just space-wasters clogging up the general slots. The only usable pulls were SSRs from those golden gems.

Heart racing, I clicked the fifth ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠golden gem.

“Please be Wei... Wei...”

My target was the limited hero, Wei’s ruler, Cao Cao. Golds had a special animation—the nation flag appeared before the hero.

“Argh!!!”

Not Wei—Han instead.

The blonde bob-cut girl looked down at me mockingly. I’ll feed you honey water till you burst. Vowing to fodder Yuan Shu for favorability, I clicked the remaining gold with bated breath. This was the tensest moment.

“Pleasepleasepleaseplease...”

They say sincere devotion moves the heavens. Brilliant blue text appeared before me.

Yes! That’s it!!! Wei!!! In the Anti-Dong Zhuo Cao Cao limited pickup, Wei meant Cao Cao was guaranteed—almost certainly the one I wanted.

I tapped the screen without hesitation.

“...Huh? Where’s my Anti-Dong Zhuo Cao Cao?”

Total bust.

“Pickup pierced...”

In my game, [Beauties of the Three Kingdoms 8: Origin Remake Power-Up Kit for Cao Cao], the odds of piercing a limited pickup for a non-limited hero were a whopping 0.03%. Famous for how hard it was to pierce, and it happens to me?

This was... seriously...

“Nemgul ticket? Hell yeah, jackpot.”

I dazedly opened the browser and typed in the Beauties of the Three Kingdoms gallery.

No time for anything else. I hit the new post button.

I spammed refresh. A minute later, a reply popped up.

11 minutes left? What? I read the rest.

Should I leave a parting comment? I hit refresh.

Whoa... they work fast. Whatever, didn’t matter anymore. No meta char meant quitting. Earth still had ten more servers anyway.

“Time for the graduation ceremony?”

Graduation ceremony: Combining away every character in Beauties of the Three Kingdoms. Or “fodder” for short.

“Might as well squeeze out one honey water on the way out, right?”

I shoved honey water—the favorability item—down Yuan Shu’s throat. After 20, her favorability hit max.

The event would net 250 more Yuanbao, but with five minutes left on the limited pickup, no way to farm a 10-pull.

“If you’d been born as Anti-Dong Zhuo Cao Cao, we could’ve been together forever...”

I stared at Governor of Chenliu Cao Cao on my phone for a while, then combined her with Yuan Shu.

“If Anti-Dong Zhuo Cao Cao comes out here, I’ll keep playing.”

I hit combine. But something felt off. Why’s the screen flashing white? Shouldn’t the results pop up?

“Wha—what the hell? What’s this!!!”

A blinding light filled the room, too bright to open my eyes. At the same time, an unknown voice echoed in my head.

That was my last memory.

How the hell did this happen? No time to freak out.

“Kyaaah!! Help, please spare me!”

Before I could get my bearings, a shrill scream pierced my eardrums. I turned toward the sound: five men in yellow turbans surrounded a woman.

Then it happened. Text sharpened above their heads, glowing red.

Yellow Turbans? What the—?

“P-please...! Someone help!”

Our eyes met. Her terrified gaze, the remnants closing in mockingly. I knew this scene all too well.

“It’s the Misam8 tutorial!”

I’d reset dozens of times chasing the meta char—this was burned into my brain.

“Kekekeke!! Who’s gonna save you in these rugged mountains?!”

“Give up and submit quietly!”

Even the dialogue was word-for-word. That’s when I realized: I’d entered the world of Misam8.

My hunch was right. This was the Misam8 world. So what now? Life’s full of twists. Panicking like a noob was for scrubs. True pros...

“Obviously, clear the daily before 5 AM.”

60 Yuanbao. Peanuts for a pull, but free is free. Single pull: 160. 10-pull: 1600. Should’ve checked Yuan Shu’s favor event before combining. That 250 Yuanbao haunted me.

“Who’d guess I’d drop into Misam8 outta nowhere?”

“Hey kids, what’s that guy babbling?”

“Dunno? Lost his mind?”

“Kekekeke!! Why care what a soon-to-be-sold slave says? Look at that face—prime noble lady bait!”

Following the script, I said, “Take me instead of the lady!” And got surrounded nicely.

“Hey buddy, come quietly and we won’t kill ya. Better than starving as a plaything for noble ladies, right?”

They gripped crude daggers and spears, rusty with dark bloodstains. Tetanus city if that hit.

“One, two, three, four, five... Perfect for the daily.”

“What the hell’s this guy saying?!”

Ignoring their yell, I tapped the projected screen’s pull button.

“Yes.”

Gacha whirred, results flashed purple.

A ring-pommel sword dropped from thin air. I gripped the handle with both hands, drawing it from the sheath. The pristine white blade gleamed against the dark red hilt—gorgeous.

“Haven’t pulled SR free in forever. Always N trash.”

“Hiiik! A w-weapon from the sky...!”

“M-magic?!”

“Don’t panic! He’s one, we’re five—rush him!”

They flinched at “magic” but the bald leader barked them into charging. Rusty dagger incoming.

Hm...? What’s this?

The world slowed, like YouTube at 0.25x. The dagger’s path etched clearly in my mind. Do nothing and it’d slice my throat. Hate pain—block it.

—Swish.

I raised the ring-pommel sword, flicking my wrist lightly.

—BOOM!!!

“Gaaahhh!!”

A massive shockwave sent the leader flying. The three behind crashed into him like bowling pins against a rock.

“Huh?”

“Wha...?”

Dust settled: four sprawled dead.

Just a wrist flick, and four down.

“M-monster!!”

As I approached, the last one fell back in terror.

“...”

“P-please spare me...! I’ll give my wife and daughter, just... my life...”

“Offering family to save your skin? Hmm... perfect.”

He brightened. “Th-they’re decent enough! Please, sir!”

—Slash.

“...Guhk! Wh-why...? You said perfect...”

“Meant no guilt killing trash who’d sell his family.”

Glittering golden horse-coin Yuanbao scattered in the air. Daily cleared before 5 AM—I nodded contentedly.

“How much Yuanbao now?”

Hmm... 90. Need 1600 for 10-pull. Any other ways? Then—

“Five pull tickets?!”

My eyes lit up. I glanced at the Yellow Turban corpses.

“Should’ve asked where this is before killing.”

First, find the nearest village, figure out the location, pick a faction. I shook the blood from my sword and stepped forward.