My Ability Is OOOO (11)

Having slammed down on the rock button, I lifted my head and stared straight at the monitor.

Bzzzzzt—!

With a sudden burst of harsh static, fresh lines of text flickered into existence across the glass.

An utterly nonsensical, game-breaking advantage was spelled out right before my eyes.

Judging by the (3/3) counter displayed on the screen, it looked like I could exploit this three whole times. A buff that guaranteed unconditional victory in a contest of chance? To receive a perk this absurdly overpowered…

Now I finally understood why my junior back in the military had practically sung the praises of ‘Special Perks’ at the top of his lungs whenever he scored recruit reward leave. The system had literally slapped together every single auspicious idiom guaranteed to bring good fortune. For a degenerate gambler willing to wager their very life, this was practically heaven on earth.

Just as I stood there in awe, admiring the radiant glow of the buffs, the display shifted once again.

If it was offering guaranteed wins with zero questions asked, who was I to refuse? Naturally, pulling that lever was the only polite thing to do!

I grabbed the handle and yanked it down with everything I had.

Ding!

Clatter-clatter-clatter—!

Without me even having to touch another button, the word VICTORY flashed across the monitor in brilliant neon hues.

Chime!

A crisp notification sound rang out as the screen refreshed at blinding speed, leaving me barely enough time to register what had just flashed across it.

Wait, what?! What did it just say?

As I stood there staring blankly at the glass, the System helpfully broke down the outcome for me.

Wh-What in the world?!

A… Subspace?! Did it just say Subspace?!

Holy shit… That was the ultimate fantasy dream! An extradimensional pocket dimension, handed to me on a silver platter just like that? This privilege perk was the real deal!

"No, don't apologize at all… A Subspace? I love it! It's beyond perfect!"

Half anxious and half ecstatic about what the remaining two guaranteed wins would yield, I let anticipation drown out any lingering doubt and pulled the lever twice in rapid succession.

Ding!

Clatter-clatter-clatter—!

Ding!

Clatter-clatter-clatter—!

So I could trigger it with a physical movement or by chanting out loud, huh? Still, this was the ceremonial opening of my very first pocket dimension. Doing it with a silent gesture felt like cheating myself out of the full experience; it deserved proper theatrical flair.

"S-S-Subspace, open!"

Heart hammering against my ribs, I thrust out my left arm and shouted the command.

Vwoooom—

A strange suction tugged at my fingertips as though a miniature singularity were forming in the air. Right before my eyes, a circular rift about a meter in diameter hummed into existence, opening wide enough to envelop my forearm all the way to the elbow.

"Whoa, whoaaaa?!"

Panic took over, and an undignified shriek slipped past my lips. My sudden yell instantly startled the three administrators and the Goddess, sending a wave of chaotic voices crashing through the space.

"Wh-What the hell?! What's happening over there?!"

—No way… That's impossible…—

『A… A subspace?!』

[My system… Why is my personal system doing that…?]

One of those lines sounded less like shock and more like someone mourning their stolen property, but I didn't have the luxury to care. Focusing entirely on the tactile feedback meeting my left hand, I swept my fingers gingerly through the void.

Suddenly, my knuckles brushed against something solid.

It was a compact, sturdy little box. Grasping it firmly in my left hand, I yanked my arm backward, pulling the prize out of the rift. Even with my limb clear, however, the swirling aperture remained hovering in midair.

Did I need to give it a closing phrase too?

"Subspace… o-off…?"

Whirrrr—

The rift began to spin lazily in place, shrinking inward until it melted seamlessly back into empty space. Fascinated, I watched the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tear vanish entirely before turning my attention down toward the object clutched in my hand.

It was palm-sized, but surprisingly hefty—about five centimeters thick, roughly the depth of a pocket legal code. The casing was crafted from lustrous, premium dark wood, designed to slide apart neatly from top to bottom.

Swallowing hard, my pulse racing with adrenaline, I pinned the base with my left hand, took hold of the lid with my right, and pulled.

Click—

The two halves separated smoothly, and from within the velvet-lined interior, a loose slip of parchment fluttered out, drifting down toward the metal footplate of the arcade cabinet.

Still holding the empty wooden shell in both hands, I stared dumbfoundedly at the floor. Judging by the way it fluttered, it was definitely some kind of paper…

Holy shiiiiiiiit!

A silent scream tore through my throat.

Emblazoned right across the parchment in glowing golden script were the exact words I never dared dream of seeing.

[Skill Creation Ticket]

Fuck yeah! We're going ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠straight to the moon! Let's fucking gooooooooo!