Chapter 126: Lumina Theme Box

“Truly, it was astonishing.”

Gideon continued speaking quietly from across the screen. A distinct awe was evident on his face. Even he, typically expressionless, couldn’t hide his emotions now.

“Subduing that, in those circumstances, was an impossible feat under normal conditions.”

According to his explanation, the subject referred to as ‘that’ was the giant humanoid being that appeared at the end of the test.

Codenamed [M-003: Monolith Drifter].

A special AI designed for sensory deprivation and confusion induction. An experimental subject designed as a living environment, a map in itself.

“Sensory deprivation, perceptual disruption, and information distortion. The core of this experiment was to simultaneously activate these three stages to break down response patterns. The Monolith Drifter was created to confuse the user’s very concept of the battlefield.”

Gideon displayed my combat data on the monitor and continued his explanation, tracing the graphs with the tip of his mouse.

“Even with sensory feedback blocked, you accurately aimed your bow. Despite the interruption of weight, vibration, and direction input, you identified the threat’s location in real-time without delay and continued precise shooting.”

He raised his head.

“This experiment exceeded expectations. And thanks to you, we can now move on to the next stage.”

I listened to him silently, then finally spoke.

“What have you prepared for next?”

“Thanks to the responses you’ve shown, beyond simply ‘reproducing’ sensations, we now have a clue to designing the very way consciousness perceives and reacts to the battlefield. If until now we tried to replicate the stimuli of reality, now we can find a way for the user’s brain to immerse itself without stimuli.”

Gideon gave his final remarks.

“We ask for your continued cooperation, Leah.”

I slowly nodded at his words.

“…Alright.”

I stared at the monitor’s blank screen for a moment, then closed my eyes.

I realized that immersion wasn’t about senses, but about my way of interpreting them.

Then, wouldn’t these experiments be unnecessary anymore?

But.
Still, just once.

In a perfectly realized otherworldly environment –

I want to fight with all the conditions in place.

And if I could share that, not just with myself, but with someone else…

It might be more than just immersion.

It might be a way to show the world I lived in to another person.

Yes.
This experiment was still worth continuing.

---

Week 2 on the Blooming Core server.

I turned on my stream and logged in, and there was something different about the village signpost.

[Current Contribution Points: 10,288 / Stage 1 Unlocked]

And the floor in the center of the square had also changed.

[Until Lumina Core Activation: 17%]

“Unlocked… I wonder what’s changed?”

---

– Go exchange your contribution points
– Coin shop opened
– Super fun costume gacha, here we go
– Leah’s broke right now ㅜㅜ

“I’m not broke. I have 420 contribution points.”

– That means you’re broke…
– Koharu has 1800
– What a Voxel maniac lol
– She failed the gacha so badly, she’s about to become a real maniac…
– Pull a rare mount with your 420 and flex

---

Since many Pia were watching other streams, the information gathered quickly.

It seemed the random boxes at the coin shop were getting the most attention.

When I arrived at the exchange and the attached coin shop, I saw Koharu, who had just been mentioned.

The louder her voice got as I approached, the closer it came to a scream.

“This is a scam! A total rip-off! What do you mean 1%! What!!”

Throwing the last box in her hand to the ground, her shouting gradually turned into despair.

“My 1,840 coins… a whole week of mining… gathering… construction… all the crafted items I made squatting in that sandy wasteland… all gone to
…?”

In front of her, the NPC, without a word, calmly welcomed the next customer.

“…I can tell what happened just by looking.”

– She’s become a real maniac lol
– She blew 1800 coins on gacha? lol
– The fall of the server’s top contributor…
– Now’s your chance, Leah, inherit Koharu’s stack

“Leah!”

I stepped back from her charging momentum. Although her square Voxel avatar didn’t show her eyes gleaming, I definitely felt it just now.

“How many coins do you have?”

“Calm down. I haven’t even exchanged them yet. I don’t even know the exchange rate.”

“It’s 1:1. Just use your contribution points.”

“Then I have 420 coins.”

“Really? Then you can pull 21 more times. Lend me some! I lent you my bow!”

– Lol
– Gambling is scary…
– She’s lost it

“Okay. Wait a moment.”

I exchanged my points and checked the coin shop items. Items not normally available in Voxel Craft had been added as mods. Special decorations, ornaments, ultra-rare metals, and such.

Meanwhile, the lamentations continued beside me.

“I spent all 1840! All on boxes! But how can I not get a single 0.5% rare mount or rare pet?”

She probably bought the <Lumina Theme Box> for 20 coins each, right?

“…That means you tried 92 times. Isn’t it natural you didn’t get one? The two combined are 1%, so it’s one out of 100.”

“Are you!! Trying to!! Pick a fight!!”

– Cold analysis from Elf-Leah lol
– Leah doesn’t understand the human heart…
– Ah, you should’ve saved up for 8 more pulls lol

“Okay. I can let that slide. But why didn’t I get a single normal pet? That was a 5% chance!”

“That is unfortunate… Ah, my Pia say the expected value of not getting a single 5% pet is 1.04%. Koharu, in a way, you defied 1% odds.”

“Are you picking a fight? You’re definitely picking a fight now, right!?”

– Bottom 1% luck lol
– Hold on, Leah! Further provocation is really dangerous!
– Evil Leah lol
– The best part of gambling is making the losers lose their minds

“Lending them isn’t a problem, but…”

Looking at the items, I didn’t see anything I needed right now. I didn’t know if more would be added later.

“Oh my, I didn’t recognize our investor! How could I have the outrageous thought of picking a fight with the heavenly Great Leah who’s offering 21 gacha pulls! Bad Koharu! Bad Koharu!”

This girl. Of course, it’s stream banter, but… it seems half-serious, which is a little scary.

“But what do you mean investor? Creditor, maybe…”

“Come on. Would I just take the principal and shut up? The boxes also give out <Glim Coins>. They’re separate from contribution points but can be used just like exchange coins. If I get 500 coins, I’ll give them to you right away! I’ll pay you back on the spot and guarantee an additional profit of 80 coins!”

“What’s the probability of getting 500 coins?”

“…0.05%.”

– She’ll pay you back after winning!!
– I wonder if anyone will pull that before the server closes lol
– The odds are too abysmal for the reward lol
– Probably because of inflation?

I tilted my head slightly. I looked at Koharu once, then at the floor scattered with boxes, and finally at the coins in my hand.

“Seeing your abysmal luck, I wonder if lending these would even be meaningful…”

“…What?”

It was a cold tone, and I could feel her expression harden even through the screen.

“What do you mean? You clearly said you’d lend them! Or was that just something you said to be polite?!”

“…I’ll lend you 200 coins. Any more than that, and I feel like it would deplete both my contribution points and my emotions.”

“Really?! Really 200 coins? Well, I’m grateful for even that. Shin-Leah-nim! This Koharu will repay your kindness for a long time…”

---

– Does Koharu have bipolar disorder? lol
– Real seriousness followed by immediate attitude change lol
– Wow, a person can break down like this…
– This should be used in a public service announcement against gambling lol

---

“Then, good luck. May the blessings of the forest be with you.”

“…Thank you for your blessing, Transcendental Leah-nim… I will definitely put these coins to good use…”

Her back as she headed back to the coin shop with the coins somehow resembled a soldier going off to war.

And, a few minutes later.

Koharu returned, mumbling blankly, looking like a defeated soldier retreating without a flag.

“…This is rigged… it’s a scam…”

– Total failure lol
– Wow, she’s really unlucky
– Should Leah try it too?

I wasn’t as interested as Koharu, but since my Pia wanted it, it seemed fun to try.

I put the 10 boxes I bought in my inventory and started opening them one by one.

Each time a box opened, various costumes popped out with flashy sound effects.

[Costume: Stitched Cowboy Pants]
[Costume: Slime Pattern Scarf]
[Accessory: Bubblegum Lip Mask]

– Ah lol
– A feast of junk items lol
– The 3rd generation just has no luck…
– The slime scarf is cute though? Someone coordinate it lol

The 8th, 9th, 10th boxes.

I thought a rarer animation might appear at least once, but the results weren’t much different.

No pets, no mounts, not even Glim Coins.

“It seems gambling doesn’t suit me. Luck is certainly necessary on the battlefield, but… relying on it weakens an elf.”

– Don’t you have coins left?
– One last pull
– There’s still one left…

I took out the last 20 coins from my pocket.
Just to wrap things up.
Because I liked seeing the remaining number go down to zero.

One box.
I clicked on <Lumina Theme Box> one more time.

A meaningless routine. No great expectations, no desires.

The lid of the box opened.
At first, it seemed no different.

But –

After a short delay.

Whoosh.

With a strange frictional sound brushing against my eardrums, the entire floor subtly shook.

The center of my vision momentarily darkened, then multicolored particles, sparkling like starlight, scattered explosively.

The lid of the box shattered, and a rainbow-colored stream of air surged from the gap.

The light shot upwards, then slowly descended in a spiral, forming a circular pattern that aligned with the floor beneath my feet.