New Novel - Read Here
I somehow managed to trudge through the first half of the classes, though everything flew over my head, and soon it was recess. I was still sprawled on my table, spiritually exhausted. I didn't even feel like eating—not that I brought lunch to begin with.
"His illness is back, eh?"
"Mhm, he was like this for three days in his last fumble. I fear it's going to last even longer this time."
Yeah, that disastrous pull record really hurt my soul. However this? It was world ending—no, multiverse ending event for me.
"Souta, aren't you going to eat?"
"No appetite.. ...Not that I brought lunch either way."
"Woah, buddy. I can understand the shock, but not eating is a big no. Here, you can have half of my pork-cutlet sandwich."
At Daiki's urging, I accepted the sandiwch. ......Hmm, I never knew pork-cutlet sandwich tasted so bland.
"It's been three weeks since I last had meat... and yet, I am not feeling anything at all."
Three weeks…… You really are following your words, living on scraps, aren't you~?"
"I don't think I know any other high school boy who would skimp on meat."
As if I would waste on trivial stuff. There's nothing above gacha... not that I would be able to do it now... *Haa.*
"«Spendlock». Just why......"
"Hey, if you really put that one thing aside, it's not like you can't play your gacha games."
"Maybe so... speaking of, what do you two do in the game when you can't spend?"
"Souta...... you do know your gacha games are free-2-play, right?"
"Isn't that precisely why you want to spend more?"
I mean, the free-2-play aspect was merely a tutorial to give the basic rundown to the player. After that, you’ve inevitably wanted to switch to the real thing, gacha.
"No good, this guy has started speaking alien. ...Alright. First thing first, I would login everyday for the login bonus without fail, complete the missions to gain gems for my weekly gacha pulls, and for the last, it would be split between event and story."
"And then?"
"This is all though?"
"Are you kidding me?"
It was incredulous how he was narrating the obvious basic stuff with a straight face.
"I am not really joking. I mean, besides finishing all the missions for gems, farming in events, and progressing in story, what else was there to do?"
"What about gacha?"
If anything, this was the main dish!
"Well, I do that during the event, or if there's the debut of a character I want."
"But, there must be some times where you just don't have enough gems without spending, right? You don't top-up then?"
"It really baffles me how every topic circles back to spending with you. Well, yeah, there are times I don't have enough gems. I just give up then."
"...What?"
"Don't give me the "what the heck is that guy saying" eyes, alright. It is what it is. No gems, no gacha."
"Isn't precisely why you spend?!"
"...Souta, you didn't forget about your skill, did you? The entire point of the conversation was that you can still play without spending."
Ugh...... right, it was the situation.
"Still, even counting all that, you only have enough for 20, or at best 30 pulls during banners and other events, no?"
"Only if you're pulling on every banner."
...Just what?
"You skip some events and banners and save the gems until there's a character that I really want."
"............Ah."
"Can you not look at me with your despair-stricken gaze? I feel like I said something I shouldn't have."
How could I not? He's talking about skip and save tactics. I...... I was not born for that.
"That said, there are often cases where even exhausting your stash doesn't get you your desired character."
"You, what......?"
"What's there to be surprised about? I do save them, but even then, monthly pulls only amount to what you can get in 20,000 or 30,000 spending."
"T-That's...... absurd."
"Tch, don't give me the "I am impressed you managed to play around with those chump changes" eyes, you good-for-nothing whale."
"Grg...h......"
Just how was I supposed to live now...?!
"Now he's crying like he has seen the end of the world."
"He's Kashima "Whaling on gacha is my reason to live" Souta for a reason. If anything, it might as well be the end of world to him~."
"I am confused. If this is so important to him, I am surprised he's moping here instead of registering to become an adventurer first thing."
...........................Huh? Why the adventurer??
"True, the only chance to change the demerit skill is by leveling in the dungeon after all."
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!?"
"Woah! You startled me......."
There was something I couldn't ignore in Daiki's words. I got up, or practically jumped up, from my seat and pulled closer to him.
"What do you mean I can CHANGE my skill?!"
"Huh? You didn't know?"
"I don't think it's exactly common knowledge either. Just take me. I wouldn't have known about it if you hadn't dragged me to the dungeon."
"You do have a point. To put it concisely—you can raise your level in the dungeon, just like games, and your skill also upgrades itself at certain point. So I just thought maybe your skill can change as well."
"Very well. I will become an adventurer then."
I could see the light. Finally a path out of this dark world.
"Woah, prompt decision?! Shouldn't you be, like, weighing pros and cons more?"
"What's there to contemplate? Only fools wouldn't take the path of possibility that lies within their reach."
"Damn, even your tone has changed... hahaha. Your reactions are truly fun."
Akihito looked at me in amusement, almost like a pet owner watching its pet desperately trying to get its food out of its pet bottle with glee. I ignored him. That wasn't important right now, and bowed my head to Daiki.
"Since that's the case, please teach me the ropes of adventuring."
"Sorry, can't do that."
"Nande?" (T/N - He had said WHY in english, so I changed it to japanese.)
"Just talk like a normal person, damn it. Nevermind that. I can't do that because Adventurer Union prohibits active adventurers from teaching novices in case they feed them wrong information. Instead of me, just visit Adventurer Union and take their classes."
"Yeah, that's the only way~. Also, you will get to enter the dungeon alongside other novice adventurers. Use that chance to scout for potential party members."
"Wait, you will not come with me, Daiki?"
Akihito had stopped going to the dungeon, so I wasn't going to bother him. But Daiki was a regular dungeon-goer, and apparently he visited them as many times as I had part-time shifts in a week. I was just hoping to get through with him.
"Sorry. I usually explore the dungeon alongside like-minded fellas, we all share the same goal, so I don't think i would've enough time to accompany you."
"Well, they've been chasing after fame and wealth to get the chance for harem~. It certainly would be a problem if Daiki suddenly leaves them."
Tch. I did know Daiki's motivation for the dungeon was harem. With his dream on one side, I really couldn't push him to come with me.
"I visit dungeons around five times a week. I can accompany you on another one or two weekdays."
Daiki said with an apologetic expression.
Dungeons were dangerous places. It would be putting the cart before the horse if he gets injured due to insufficient rest just to accompany me. "Don't sweat over it," I said to him, and began to think of a plan inwardly.