"Ah."
Maybe Mei finally realized what she had done because her cheeks became as red as a tomato, her eyes glued to the chopsticks as if they had stolen her precious toy.
But the deed is done, and as expected, her food tasted really good. Even the karaage was surprisingly tender and crunchy; clearly it was the work of an experienced cook.
"Hmm... Yeah, you're good. Your karaage tastes much better than the fast food."
I muttered with an appreciative nod like a professional reviewer on a Master Chef TV show. I pretended not to notice the way she was nervously glancing between my lips and her chopsticks. In the end, she succumbed to it and used the same chopsticks to continue eating her lunchbox.
"...Thank you."
Hm? Isn't that considered an indirect kiss? I was stunned for a moment, realizing being fed by Mei turned out to be a bigger deal than I expected. And right on cue.
[★ Feat Achieved! Sharing an indirect kiss with Raiden Mei!]
[You gained x1 Random Gold Ticket!]
Alright, you don't have to splatter it on my face. Even I feel a little embarrassed from this unexpected curveball. But it wasn't exactly my fault, is it? She's the one who offered it to me first.
I, being the kind individual that I am, can only graciously accept her delicious food.
Anyway, that means I now have 1 silver ticket and 2 gold tickets I can roll in the Chaos Gacha. That was quite a reward considering I hadn't gained any new tickets before transferring to this academy.
The only explanation would be that the Chaos Gacha only rewards me with a ticket if I interact with the plot. Now I know my choice in risking my life by coming here was a well-paying risk.
I was a little bit hesitant at first when my mom wanted me to transfer to Chiba Academy. I knew sooner or later, something would go wrong and the whole of Nagazora City would become the land of the dead.
The zombie outbreak.
I wasn't worried about my parents because I knew they're very strong-willed individuals and can protect themselves without my help. The pistol my dad carries around isn't for nothing.
So my plan from the beginning was to amass as many tickets as I could and gamble my life until I became strong enough to shatter the tragic destiny myself. And that's why...
Let it ride.
[Rolling the Random Silver Gacha.]
[Dress Break]
|Rare Ability|
High School DxD - By touching a target you can destroy their clothing or armor; you can also delay this effect for up to an hour.
This is... from that ecchi anime, right? The one where the protagonist powers up by poking the heroine's nipples? I feel like I would be cursed if I were to use this ability on a woman.
But a rare ability is better than nothing. Is my luck returning? Then I shouldn't waste any more time assessing the potential of [Dress Break]. That can be done later; I need to ride on the luck train while it's still here.
[Rolling the Random Gold Gacha.]
[Flame Bone of the Starving]
|Epic Ability|
Kagurabachi - Allows you to summon parts of a giant skeleton wreathed in searing flames by expending energy. Such as summoning ribs to protect yourself, using hands as gauntlets, summoning parts to impale from the ground, and even exploding parts of the skeleton at will.
...Holy macaroni. Is this real? Look at that purple font color, it's so beautiful.
My only means of attacking so far had been [Heatwave] and [Mist Flame]. Both didn't have much firepower even though they are versatile, so I would be helpless if the outbreak were to occur a few minutes ago.
But with this new necromancy-like ability, I can pretty much stand on even ground against the Honkai Beasts. Well, it likely won't stand a chance against an actual Herrscher, but it surely as hell can help me with escaping if I pair it with my other abilities.
[Five abilities detected.]
[Unlocking a new ability slot.]
Well, that's rather nice timing. I immediately put [Flame Bone of the Starving] in the second slot without a second thought. Of course, the first one is [Tinker - Macro].
I'm rather thankful that [Adept Spycraft] is a skill and not an ability that requires a slot to activate. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to fake my normal expressions for so long.
Oh right, I still have one more gold ticket. Alright! Give it to me, Miss System!
[Rolling the Random Gold Gacha.]
[Wind Cloak]
|Rare Ability|
Allows you to cloak yourself in powerful winds; these winds will assist your movements, making you faster and swifter, and allowing you to dash and float with their help.
Are you Mister System? Have I been misgendering you this entire time? My apologies, Mr. Chaos Gacha. But I'll take that rare ability.
I was just thinking about using my abilities to the fullest if I ever ran into an enemy I couldn't face head-on, and now I got an ability that will do nicely for the job. Though it's a shame that it wasn't a skill, but if the pattern is anything to go by, I'll likely unlock another slot if I gain another four abilities.
By the time Mei closed her lunchbox, the sound of the bell ringing around the premises signaled the end of lunch. We simultaneously stood up, exchanged a brief look, and started walking toward the exit to the stairs.
It felt like there was a bit of an awkward, thin line between us, but it wasn't the uncomfortable kind. I might not have as much experience in relationships as I'd like to have, but I do know when a girl dislikes me, and Mei is far from that.
As I walked down the stairs right behind her, I couldn't help but wonder how the outbreak happened to begin with.
It had been a while since I last played the game, so my memory of it isn't the best. I know at the very least that the outbreak will turn the entire Nagazora like it's straight out of the apocalypse.
And it's related to the three main casts.
If I wanted to prepare myself, then it'd be good to train my abilities secretly while keeping a close eye on Mei. I don't think I would ever meet Kiana here; there's just no way her deadbeat dad can afford to send her to this academy.
That means they likely run into each other once the outbreak begins, including Bronya Zaychik.
Once classes are over, should I go straight to the training arc? Maybe I can find some abandoned warehouse on the way home; there should be one somewhere in this city, right?