Chapter 51: Overgearing Is Always The Answer (5) |
Ding!
Would you like to merge the «★★: Wrist Crossbow»?
“Eh?”
There’s an upgrading system?
It was a common feature in gacha games. Enhancing characters or weapons that had been drawn multiple times was a popular method to encourage more in-game purchases.
But I had never expected this gacha system to include an upgrading feature as well.
My gacha system was notoriously unfriendly, lacking any pickup events to increase the probability of drawing a specific item. It never disclosed what could be drawn or the odds of drawing each grade.
I wasn’t certain, but it seemed likely that the gacha system was a gift from the Goddess of Love.
Being a goddess who already monopolized the faith of the entire world and earned an enormous amount of offerings, she probably didn’t need to encourage in-game purchases.
Ordinary people wouldn’t touch this system, knowing all too well that a gacha with no ceiling and terrible odds was equivalent to throwing money away…
But someone like me, whose brain had already melted after receiving a 3-star fodder in the first free gacha, would be the one to sink money into it.
If I had invested the money I’d spent so far on myself… no, if I had wanted to live a stable life, I wouldn’t have chosen to be an adventurer in the first place.
I have a reason to become stronger. Thus, I spin the gacha, which is the fastest way to gain strength.
Itotallydon’thaveagamblingaddictiondominatedbydopamine,eagertospinthegachathemomentIgetabitofmoney.
(I totally don’t have a gambling addiction dominated by dopamine, eager to spin the gacha the moment I get a bit of money.)
Anyway, that was the situation, so I never imagined that there would be an upgrade system.
An upgrade feature in a system that seemed entirely disinterested in profit.
Items, skills, and powers weren’t categorized separately; they all emerged simultaneously from the same pool.
With an absurdly expansive gacha pool, no spending limit, no guaranteed rewards, and abysmal rates, there was a breakthrough system?
“Such a crappy game…”
Except this wasn’t a game.
I sighed deeply, surveying the magic and healing herbs still strewn across the floor.
There were so many it was almost tear-inducing, yet no notification had popped up at the time.
“So it starts with 2-stars.”
Perhaps combining them was futile since 1-stars were so prevalent.
Of course, I couldn’t be certain. This was the first time I had received a duplicate 2-star. Clarity would come with more instances of duplicates at 2 stars or higher in the future.
For now, I decided to address the notifications flashing in my field of vision.
Once I acknowledged them internally, the notification vanished. Simultaneously, the crossbow in my grasp began to glow intensely.
Whoosh—
In a flash, the crossbow disintegrated into particles of light, merging with the crossbow I already possessed. This one, too, began to sparkle.
However, this time, instead of dispersing, the silhouette of the crossbow transformed as it shone.
The metal components slightly increased, pulley systems were attached at various points, and finally, a gear with a handle was mounted atop the bowstring.
As the light covering the crossbow faded, a new notification appeared.
Ding!
«★★: Wrist Crossbow» has been upgraded to «★★: Wrist Crossbow +1».
“I see, so this is how it works.”
Nodding, I examined the upgraded crossbow. At first glance, it boasted a more sophisticated design, resembling a true compound bow. The frame had transformed into metal, and a pulley system at the end of the bow significantly enhanced its power.
However, this also meant an increased draw weight, making it more challenging to load. The gear with a handle attached above the string must be the mechanism designed to assist with this. When I turned it clockwise, the string pulled back with minimal effort.
“Wait, but this is barely the same device.”
At best, the leather bracer that secured it to my arm remained unchanged. Too many other components had been altered.
It was as if they hadn’t merely enhanced the existing crossbow but had replaced it with an entirely different model.
As I examined the device from various angles, I tried it on my wrist to assess the feel of the new handling.
Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in how it felt to wear, and it wasn’t solely because the bracer was the same. The heightened senses granted by Sound-Eating Footsteps informed me that the weight balance had remained consistent with the original model.
Although the weight had increased significantly due to the higher metal content, my consistent training in the dungeon had also made me stronger, so handling it wasn’t too difficult.
In other words, the weapon I had become familiar with had simply grown stronger.
“That’s nice.”
I would need to see how it performed in actual combat, but so far, I was growing fond of it.
Perhaps my satisfaction came easily due to my low expectations, which stemmed from the absurdity of such an unfriendly system having a merging feature.
Nonetheless, this was a much better outcome than acquiring mediocre new 2-star items or equipment like the steel shield that I couldn’t properly utilize.
In other words, the efficiency of merging an item was satisfactory.
“Then, I should start sorting out the rest now.”
I shoved a handful of magic herbs and healing herbs into my mouth.
They tasted bitter and minty.
“Jonah, where did you steal that from again?”
“…Why do you assume I stole it?”
“……”
Lydia, who had come to the Fairy and Silver Coin to enter the labyrinth together, clamped her mouth shut. For the record, Ellie was giggling in the background.
Hoisting the sparkling metal crossbow, I continued in a triumphant voice.
“I bought this with the money I’ve saved up! Stealing, you say? What do you take me for?!”
“A cheeky brat with guts,” Ellie retorted.
“A pickpocket who steals everything, including lives,” Lydia added.
“Why don’t you, Ellie, who tried to break into said cheeky brat’s room, keep quiet! And Miss Lydia! That’s called an assassin, not a pickpocket!”
Ellie’s face distorted momentarily, a silent protest to my unjust editing of yesterday’s events, but that wasn’t really important.
What mattered was Lydia, who had been shaking her head, she suddenly narrowed her eyes and glared in my direction.
“Wait. Something’s off with Jonah.”
“You’re saying the same thing as Ellie did this morning. Are you going to bury your nose in my head because I smell good too, Miss Lydia?”
As I leaned my head forward slightly, Lydia turned her serious gaze toward Ellie.
“…Senior Ellie?”
“No, it’s just that I’m a hybrid, you know? I’m sensitive to smells, so I just… couldn’t help myself.”
“Yes, but you weren’t born yesterday. Using an inability to resist one’s urges as an excuse is something criminals do.”
“It’s not like that! Lydia, you’d definitely notice the difference too if you get closer!”
“I can sense it from here too. Jonah is at that age, and since we made some money from the Iron Wolf leather, he must have bought some perfume. But that doesn’t justify you sniffing him.”
“Ugh…! It’s not just ordinary perfume smell!”
Ellie scratched the back of her head in frustration. Timidly, I raised my hand and stepped between the bickering pair.
“Stop it! Don’t fight over me…!”
“Nope, it’s not that.”
“Yeah, it’s not that.”
“……”
Silence fell as soon as I intervened, both of them shaking their heads in unison. Wow, that’s a bit hurtful.
“Hmph! Jonah’s mad.”
“Stop joking around. So, what’s really going on? I’ve been waiting to discuss this until Lydia got here, but Jonah, you seem like a completely different person overnight. You know that?”
“Yeah. You could have invested in upgrading your crossbow. That’s fine, as long as you didn’t steal it. But as Senior Ellie mentioned, it’s not just your scent; you’ve become a completely different person.”
“…In what way?”
“Your movements.”
“Your footsteps.”
Ellie and Lydia responded as if they had been waiting. My goodness. Had they already noticed the Sound-Eating Footsteps? I hadn’t even used it yet.
Of course, as the person who had undergone a change, I guessed at what and how I had transformed.
Even if I wasn’t actively entering a state of stealth by erasing my presence, my basic sensitivity had increased.
The way I perceived the world had subtly shifted.
The sounds of my footsteps, which hadn’t bothered me before, now seemed irritating. My slightly off balance stance made me uncomfortable, and my unnecessarily tensed shoulders felt awkward.
So, I gradually adjusted my posture and behavior to be more comfortable. No, that wasn’t quite right. ‘Adjusted’ wasn’t the perfect word.
My body simply moved on its own toward a more comfortable state.
For that reason, there had indeed been some minor changes since yesterday, but I hadn’t expected them to notice so quickly.
“I knew Miss Lydia was perceptive, but it seems the rumors about Ellie being a formidable adventurer were true.”
“If I had both my arms, I would be stronger than Lydia.”
“But you don’t have an arm. Senior Ellie’s weak.”
“What did you say, you brat?!”
The two started bickering again. However, this time it felt awkwardly different from usual, and their blatant glances in my direction were hard to ignore.
…Perhaps my heightened senses made it easier to notice.
Now, they were leaving the decision to me. Should I explain the sudden change or just let it go and continue as usual?
Well, I only needed to keep the gacha a secret. It wasn’t that big of a secret, so I decided to just tell them.
“Ahem, ahem. It’s not like anything special happened yesterday… just that the Goddess of Love suddenly blessed me. That’s why there’s a fragrance emanating from me.”
“?”
“?”
Both of them blinked in surprise after hearing that I’d received a blessing overnight. Their expressions were so adorably confused; they looked like cute children despite being fully grown adults, which made me feel a bit playful.
“And the reason my movements have changed and I’m walking so quietly is…”
I paused, then shyly avoided Ellie’s gaze as I muttered softly.
“Yesterday, I made a loud noise by accident while… um, pleasuring myself, and Ellie came to check on me. That’s when I had my realization.”
“What?”
I gave Ellie a shy smile in response to her bewildered reaction.
“If I move this quietly, it won’t reach Ellie’s ears, right?”
“W-wait, what does that…”
Ellie’s ears perked up.
“And if I smell this good, it might even mask the scent of the chestnut flowers.”
“……!”
Ellie scrunched up her nose slightly.
Really, she was so predictable.
Editor’s Note:
The clamped text is intentional; I was originally gonna leave it like that but decided to help our brains. Besides, Jonah is not a gacha addict, right? right?