Pay to win: Story of Surviving fiction

The remnants of dinner had long since gone cold, but the questions swirling in Rio's mind burned brighter than ever. His father's cryptic note played on a loop, words like contingency and grandma anchoring themselves in his thoughts. He stared at the flickering flame dancing above Surtr's fingertips as she toyed absentmindedly with her power.

"You okay, mage?" Surtr asked, her tone sharp but carrying a faint undercurrent of concern.

"Stop calling me that. I'm not a mage," Rio muttered, his voice distant.

"Say whatever you want," she shot back, leaning forward, her fiery hair casting shadows across her face. "But you summoned me here, didn't you? That makes you a mage, dumbass."

"I'm not—" Rio stopped mid-protest, the memory of the system screen flashing in his mind. He hesitated, then raised his hand to eye level, willing the interface to appear again.

>Rio (Level:1)

>STR: 6 | > SEN: 6

>STA: 6 | > CHA: 0

>MGC: 6 | > WIS: 12

>INT: 10 | > LUK: -5

>Potential: E#@§r

↑>Skill: Summoning (Skill level: U)↑

He stared at the stats, his heart pounding. The words seemed both meaningless and monumental. Scrolling down, his eyes fell on the summoning interface, and there it was again: the banner with the beautiful woman in white and the impossible drop rate odds.

>SSS-rank (Surtr: 00000.1%)

His heart sank. The odds were infinitesimal yet here she was, glaring at him in all her fiery glory.

"I think…" Rio began, piecing together the realization. "I think I weakened you when I summoned you."

"Yeah, no shit," Surtr replied, rolling her eyes. "Your mana is so weak it can barely contain me in this form. I should be scorching the heavens, not babysitting you!" She gestured at her diminished form, flames flickering faintly around her frame. "But here I am."

"Wait, mana? Are you saying I can use magic?" Rio's disbelief was quickly replaced by a spark of excitement.

"Obviously, you idiot." Surtr sighed and leaned back. "Though looking at you, I have to wonder how you're even alive. The amount of mana flowing through you would kill a normal person."

"Kill me?" Rio asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah. Your body's like a leaky faucet, constantly sucking in mana from the environment and bleeding it out. You're a walking siphon."

Rio frowned. "That sounds… kinda gay."

"What?!" Surtr's shout nearly ignited the table. "Never mind that! Look, you've got potential, but it's wasted on you right now. Get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll make sure you don't dissapoint me further." She stood abruptly, grabbed her sword, and disappeared into one of the rooms, slamming the door behind her.

Left alone in the kitchen, Rio mulled over her words. Determined to distract himself, he opened the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. Sitting down, he reopened the gacha interface, his curiosity piqued by the summoning banner.

>1 spin (1000 omni-dollars)

>10 spin (10,000 omni-dollars)

"What the hell are Omni-dollars?" Rio muttered.

Unable to ask Surtr, he decided to search for answers elsewhere. Limping into his father's room, he began rummaging through drawers and under the bed. His hand brushed against something solid, and he pulled out a heavy steel case. When he opened it, his breath caught.

Inside was an arsenal of weapons blades, guns, and strange, rune-marked artifacts even wooden stakes. Several slots were empty, suggesting his father had taken some with him. Among the weapons lay a journal. Flipping through it, Rio discovered detailed notes on supernatural creatures: vampires, werewolves, ghosts, and more.

His eyes stopped on a sketch of the troll he had encountered earlier, classified as a "Catastrophic Danger." Nearby, a list of weaknesses was scrawled in his father's tight handwriting. Troll's weakness: Fire, can sever its regeneration. Do not engage without backup. Danger Level: Catastrophic.

Next to it, there was a faded map with red circles marking hotbeds of supernatural activity. One spot stood out a cluster near their town.

Toward the back of the journal, Rio found a photograph: his father standing alongside two other men, each holding hunting rifles. The caption read: Winchesters.

"Winchesters?" Rio whispered, confused. "Dad's name isn't Winchester… it's Demiurgos."

At the very end of the journal, another note awaited him.

>Son, if you're able to find this, you might be asking a lot of questions but you need to go to grandma and ask about the contingency and ask for Sam and Dean Winchester.

-Dad

Rio stared at the gacha interface, his chest tightening with unease. What does this mean for me? For my life? His gaze flicked to the journal resting on the table. His father's voice echoed in his mind, contingency, grandma, Winchesters. He shook his head. Why didn't you just tell me, Dad?

Rio's heart raced. His father wasn't just some ordinary man, he had been fighting these creatures long before Rio ever encountered them. Determined to uncover the truth, Rio closed the journal and lay down, his mind swirling with newfound purpose.

The next morning, Rio woke to the sensation of something burning hot beside him.

"Rise and shine, little mage!" Surtr's voice boomed.

Rio groaned as her buster sword came down not to kill him, but to slap him on the head. "Ow! What the hell?!"

"Training starts now," she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him outside.

"But I can't even use magic!" Rio protested, stumbling after her.

"That's why we're starting with the basics, dumbass. Now sit down."

Reluctantly, Rio complied, sitting cross-legged on the ground. Surtr knelt behind him, her hands resting on his back.

"First, feel the mana around you. It's everywhere. Close your eyes, focus, and—"

"AAAAHHH!" Rio screamed as Surtr's hands heated up, sending searing pain through his back.

"Shut up and concentrate!" she snapped.

"First, feel the mana around you," Surtr instructed.

"How do I feel it?" Rio asked skeptically.

"Shut up and let it flow into you."

"Flow into me? This sounds weird."

"Everything about you is weird, mage. Now concentrate!"

Through gritted teeth, Rio closed his eyes and tried to focus. Slowly, he began to feel it: streams of energy flowing through the air, converging on him like rivers to a dam.

"I can see it," Rio said breathlessly. "The mana… it's like little streams of light."

Surtr raised an eyebrow. "You're picking this up faster than I thought. Maybe you're not completely useless after all."

"What now?" Rio asked, sweat pouring down his face.

"Now, you shape it," Surtr said, holding out her hand. A fireball sprang to life, glowing bright and hot. "Focus your mana, imagine it taking the form of a ball, and let it ignite."

Rio extended his hand, mimicking her movements. The mana wavered, then collapsed, dissipating into the air.

"Don't copy me, idiot. My flames are as old as the cosmos. You need to find your own fire."

Taking her advice, Rio tried again. This time, he focused on his own energy, guiding it with intent. A tiny, flickering flame appeared in his palm.

The mana felt like molten lava coursing through his veins, burning and tearing at his insides. Every breath was a battle to stay conscious. "It's too much!" he shouted.

"Control it!" Surtr barked. "If you let it overwhelm you, it will destroy you."

Rio clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He visualized the energy stabilizing, forcing it to obey his will. Slowly, the fireball reappeared, trembling but steady.

"I did it!" Rio exclaimed, grinning ear to ear.

Before Surtr could reply, he collapsed, the strain of using mana draining him completely.

"Pathetic," Surtr muttered, though there was a trace of pride in her voice. She hoisted him onto her shoulder and carried him inside.

"Well done, little mage," she said softly. "You're not entirely hopeless."

After Surtr carried Rio inside after his collapse, her fingers brushed against his back, where faint scars shaped like ancient runes glowed for an instant before fading. She paused, her brow furrowing. "What are you hiding, little mage?"

For the first time in a long while, Rio drifted off to sleep feeling like he'd achieved something worthwhile.