Chapter 35

□ Duel City Gideon • Alejandro Store 【Holy Knight】 Ray Sterling

The gacha, a vending method, has been around since my childhood.

Facing the gacha of my favorite anime or games, I would insert a 100-yen coin and twist the lever.

Then, various toys would be obtained randomly.

The excitement lies in not knowing what you'll get.

It's a fond memory from my childhood.

However, when it comes to gacha in games, the story changes.

There used to be a genre called social games.

These could be played on mobile devices or PC browsers, and most were advertised as free-to-play.

Fantasy games with weapons and armor, monster raising, robot team building, and idol production—social games had various genres.

However, to obtain high-performance weapons, armor, monsters, robots, or idols in these games, additional payments were required.

The primary method for this was the paid gacha.

For about 300 yen per pull, you could get items randomly.

However, items had rarity levels, and the highest rarity items had a very low drop rate.

The performance of the items increased proportionally with their rarity.

Users would pull gacha to win in the game, show off to others, or admire idols, pulling as much as they could.

But since it was just data, the operators didn't lose anything no matter how many good items were pulled.

As a result, users would become more eager to pull a good item each time they got a bad one, leading them to invest more money.

There were countless stories of people who, despite the games being free-to-play, ended up spending tens of thousands of yen per month. Some even spent hundreds of thousands.

These were real stories.

It's a terrifying tale...

◇

Compared to that, the gacha in front of me now uses rils instead of real money, so it should be okay to pull it a little, right?

"Master, are all your thoughts just excuses?"

"Because I want to pull it."

I love pulling gacha and buying card packs.

Now, about this particular gacha.

It looks the same as the gacha I know, but there are a few differences.

First, the amount of money you can insert is apparently free.

There was a small line in front of the gacha, with some people inserting 100 ril coins and others using 10,000 ril gold coins.

According to the instructions, the gacha prizes have rarity levels from S to F.

C rank gives items of equal value to the amount inserted.

F rank gives items worth 1/100 of the amount inserted.

S rank gives items worth over 100 times the amount inserted.

The minimum amount you can insert is 100 ril, and the maximum is 100,000 ril.

Low risk means low return, and high risk means high return.

"But, this system seems like it would be difficult to manage, doesn't it?"

After paying at the register, I asked the clerk about the gacha. The clerk gave an unexpected answer.

"Not really. While we manage this magic item, we don't interfere with the prizes or the money inserted."

What does that mean?

According to the clerk, this gacha is a rare item originally excavated from the <Graveyard Labyrinth>.

Its effect, as described in the instructions, is to dispense items with a value ranging from 100 times to 1/100 of the amount inserted.

There are records of several other gachas being excavated.

Some tried to break it open to get the prizes inside, but even after the effort, they found it empty.

It seems to summon prizes from somewhere using the inserted money as an offering.

Of course, once the money is inserted, it cannot be retrieved, so it doesn't work as a business.

"However, the owner thought it would be useful for attracting customers, so it's installed in the store. Only customers who have shopped at our store on that day can pull it."

This thinking is correct, as it has created a positive flow where customers who come for the gacha also buy other items.

Alejandro is a shrewd businessman.

"By the way, how did you get it?"

"It was purchased from a previous owner who went bankrupt."

"By the way, was the reason for the previous owner's bankruptcy...?"

"......As you might imagine."

It seems the previous owner went bankrupt from pulling this gacha too much.

Alejandro might be using it as a customer attraction tool because of this.

When you get excited about something, there's no limit to it.

However, I'm also interested in this gacha.

I thanked the clerk for the explanation and joined the line at the end.

"So, how much do you plan to spend, Master?"

"100,000 rils, huff."

When I answered Nemesis's question, I got a body blow.

It hit at a good angle, making my body bend.

"Master, even after hearing the story about someone going bankrupt from pulling gacha, you still plan to spend that much!?"

"But, 100,000 rils per pull might be expensive, but if I get lucky, I could get a high-value item."

"I think you'll just get junk."

That would make a good story for later.

"... Phew, don't regret it."

"Okay."

Eventually, it was my turn.

Since there were no 100,000 ril coins, I inserted 10 gold coins of 10,000 rils each.

... If the limit was 1,000,000 rils instead of 100,000, I'd have to insert 100 coins.

After inserting the gold coins and turning the lever, a capsule was dispensed.

Opening the capsule reveals the item inside.

The capsule has a "C" written on it.

It seems I got an item of equal value. Not bad.

I opened the capsule.

[Obtained: Graveyard Labyrinth Exploration Permit]

Holding the item and hearing the announcement, I collapsed to my knees.

"Oh, oh..."

From the [Graveyard Labyrinth Exploration Permit], I heard the words "o•ma•ta•se" in my head.

"It's a duplicate."

Indeed, it's worth 100,000 rils, but...

"Luke... here, take it."

"But you just won it, is it okay?"

"Yes, you can only have one, and I already have one..."

Besides, I'm a [Holy Knight], so I don't need even one...

"Ah, thank you. ...By the way, shall we go exploring together next time?"

"That sounds good..."

I've only gone as far as the first floor.

... Well, let's get back on track.

"One more time."

"Shouldn't you learn your lesson!?"

"No! It's unlikely to happen twice in a row! This time it should work!"

"That's the thinking of a loser!"

Ignoring Nemesis's objections, I joined the line again for a second attempt.

This time, I also inserted 100,000 rils.

Considering the cost of new equipment, this was my last chance.

I prayed, "Please, please," and pulled the gacha.

The result was...

"?"

A capsule was dispensed.

However, the rarity level written on its surface was neither S nor F.

It says "X."

What does this mean?

Is it above S? Or is it actually an "X" (cross) and below F?

I don't know.

The capsule also has a warning, "Open in a wide space."

According to the clerk, this warning appears when a large item like a carriage is won.

The contents seem to be quite large.

Moreover, the clerk has never seen an "X" rarity before.

It seems to be a good prize.

Since it says to open it in a wide space, I'll keep it in the item box for now.

However, after pulling the gacha and calming down, I thought about it.

The gacha costs 100,000 rils per pull.

And my new equipment costs a total of 110,000 rils.

... Considering it's almost the same as my new equipment, the gacha was quite expensive.

From a rarity perspective, I shouldn't have lost anything.

"It's because you pulled it twice for 100,000 rils each."

I have no words to say.

By the time I finished paying, Luke was also pulling the gacha.

It seems he got interested after watching me.

"... But you don't have to spend 100,000 rils like me."

I felt bad for him if he got a bad result, but...

"!? !? !?"

The shock was shared by everyone except Luke.

I, Nemesis, the clerk, and the other customers were all equally astonished.

Luke's capsule was rainbow-colored.

A rainbow-colored capsule made of what seemed to be a rainbow-colored mineral.

On its surface, it said "S" in large letters.

—He hit a super jackpot on his first try.

"Ah, Ray! It seems I won something!"

"Congratulations!"

I was so surprised my voice went up.

"Luke, open it quickly!"

"Y-Yes! I want to see what I won!"

Bavi said it calmly, while Nemesis was more enthusiastic.

A 100,000 ril pull for a 100 times prize, meaning at least a 10,000,000 ril item.

Not just us, but other customers and the clerk were also watching closely.

Since Luke's capsule had no warning, he opened it on the spot.

[Severing Chant Gloves: Valtbuer]...?

I tilted my head at Luke's mutter.

The naming style is similar to my [Miasma Flame Gauntlets: Gardranda].

However, these MVP rewards from <UBM> can only be obtained by defeating <UBM> and cannot be transferred to others.

"... Wow."

Luke seemed to be looking at the performance of the [Severing Chant Gloves: Valtbuer], but his face was tense.

I had never seen Luke with such a face before.

"Luke, what kind of equipment is this?"

The [Severing Chant Gloves] are long gloves that cover up to the elbow, made of blue leather with golden metal patterns.

However, the problem is the overwhelming pressure it exudes.

Moreover, not just Luke, but some of the other customers—likely high-level appraisal skill users like <Masters> or Tian—also had tense faces.

What kind of item is this?

"To put it simply, this is an MVP reward from <UBM>."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ah, let's talk about the rest elsewhere."

Luke said this and led me out of the store.

I thanked Alejandro and followed Luke.

Glancing around, the line for the gacha had grown, and the amount people were inserting was almost fixed at 100,000 rils.

It seems the possibility of getting MVP rewards has heated up the gacha.

... I hope no one goes bankrupt.

◇

Luke led me to a room in the inn he was staying at.

It seems he learned something he didn't want others to know.

"To put it simply, this is an MVP reward that no longer has an owner."

"What do you mean?"

Luke explained as follows.

First, MVP rewards can only be used by their owners and cannot be transferred.

However, there is an exception.

If the owner is Tian and they die, the MVP reward is collected and becomes a super rare drop in the depths of a divine dungeon or a prize in a high-value gacha like this one.

... Hearing this, I understood what was wrong.

"If this becomes known, there might be people who try to kill Tian to get MVP rewards."

"Yes."

I don't know how many Tian have MVP rewards, but there might be <Masters> who try to kill them to increase their chances of getting MVP rewards.

... At the very least, we don't want to be the trigger.

Luke didn't talk about this in public for that reason.

"But is it okay? Appraisal skill users might have seen it."

"No, the information came in the form of an announcement, so no one knows."

That's a relief.

Well, thinking about it, there probably aren't many who would take such a risk.

If they get caught for killing Tian, they might not even get the item they want.

"Here's the performance."

Luke showed me the performance window of the [Severing Chant Gloves].

[Severing Chant Gloves: Valtbuer]

<Legendary Ancient Weapon>

A treasure that embodies the concept of a "mage killer," a humanoid beast.

It increases the owner's magic and skill power while providing strong resistance to mental status effects and attack magic.

- Equipment Bonuses

MP + [Wearer's Total Level] × 10

SP + [Wearer's Total Level] × 10

Mental Status Effect Resistance + 100%

Attack Magic Resistance + 100%

- Equipment Skills

[Severing Chant]

[???] * Unlocked Skill

Wow, it's strong. Especially the resistances.

In other words, it doubles the defense against mental status effects and attack magic.

"So, what does the equipment skill do?"

"It's interesting. It cancels magic skills in the preparation phase within a certain range."

"Hmm."

What does "preparation phase" mean?

"For example, if you use it while the opponent is casting a spell or waiting for a spell to activate, you can cancel the spell. It doesn't affect skills with no preparation time or spells that have already been cast."

It's like a mage's worst enemy, but it seems quite useful in many situations.

If the spell is canceled as soon as it's cast, mages can't do anything in a one-on-one fight.

... Moreover, Luke has Bavi, Marilyn, and Audrey.

"The original owner was Tian, but... I see."

Probably, the [Valtbuer] from <UBM> was specialized in defeating mages.

Therefore, it was defeated by a "strong without magic" type of Tian, and the Tian also died for some reason, leading to it ending up in Luke's hands.

This makes sense.

"However, Luke, you have quite good luck."

I also thought about it.

With Marilyn, Audrey, and now this, Luke has been very lucky.

Maybe good luck is a result of good behavior.

"But Ray, you also won something, didn't you?"

"Oh, right. I have this."

I took out the X rarity capsule.

If it contains something like a carriage, I can't open it indoors, so I'll go outside the north gate to open it.

"Are you coming with me, Luke?"

"No, I've been getting announcements and need to log out for a bit."

"Huh? [Visitor] or something?"

"No, [Hunger] and [Sleep Deprivation]. I've been hunting non-stop since yesterday and haven't eaten or slept here."

"Go eat, take a bath, and get some sleep!?"

"Ahaha... I will. I'll make sure to wake up in time for our appointment tomorrow."

"Take care of yourself."

Luke logged out, so I left his room.

However, to be so engrossed in hunting that he forgets to eat and sleep, he's quite a hardcore player.

Maybe he's a student on spring break, so he can play like this?

◇

After leaving Luke's inn, I thought of the same <Nex Plain> as this morning for a "wide space," so we headed towards the north gate.

"Master, isn't it about lunchtime?"

"Oh, right. Let's eat somewhere before heading to the north gate."

If I open the capsule and go hunting right away, it might be a good idea to eat first.

Since it was lunchtime, all the restaurants were busy, but we chose one that was relatively empty.

I hoped it wasn't empty because the food was bad, and as I entered, I saw something.

A group was confronting the shop owner.

They were all wearing white full plate mail and cloaks with the emblem of the Alter Kingdom.

They were showing a photo and questioning the owner.

Thinking this might be why the restaurant was empty, I observed them.

The person questioning the owner looked very anxious and spoke harshly.

He seemed desperate, but the owner shook his head with a troubled look.

Then, a woman who seemed to be part of the group calmed him down... Ah.

I recognized her face.

"Liliana?"

"Ah? Is that you, Ray?"

Liliana Grandria, Deputy Commander of the Alter Kingdom Royal Guard and a [Holy Knight].

We hadn't seen each other since the burned <Noz Forest>, but we unexpectedly met again in this duel city.

"... I sense trouble."

Nemesis's ominous telepathic message came through.

To be continued

The next update is tomorrow at 21:00.