Ding!
Would you like to merge the [2-Star: Wrist Crossbow]?
“Uh.”
Wait, there’s a breakthrough system too?
That’s typical for gacha games. Enhancing duplicated characters or weapons is a great way to entice more spending.
But I never thought there’d be a breakthrough function in this gacha system.
I mean, there’s no pickup to increase the odds of a specific item, no clue on what’s coming, and the overall probabilities are a complete mystery. It’s the ultimate in unfriendliness for my gacha system.
It seems likely this ridiculous gacha system was gifted by the Goddess of Love, who’s already raking in massive donations with exclusive worship across the globe. She probably doesn’t feel the need to coax me into spending.
So naturally, the system has become annoyingly… I mean, lacking in friendliness.
An ordinary person would know that a gacha with no ceiling and terrible odds is just throwing money away, so they wouldn’t easily touch it, but…
Well, someone like me, whose brain melted after getting 3-star fodder in the very first free gacha, is throwing money at it.
If I’d been investing the money I spent for myself… no, if I actually wanted to live a stable life, I wouldn’t be running around like an adventurer.
I have a reason to get stronger. So, I’m rolling the gacha, which is the fastest way to do it.
It’s not that I’m a gambling addict, dripping in dopamine, wanting to roll the gacha just at the sight of money.
Anyway, in this situation, I never expected there would be a breakthrough system.
How could I look at this system and think of money-making?
There’s no separation of items, skills, or powers—they all come out together.
With a gacha pool so absurdly wide, no ceiling, and no guaranteed gacha, with terrible odds to boot, how could there be a breakthrough system?
“This is a complete trash game…”
Well, it’s not a game, but still.
I sighed and looked at the Mana Herbs and Healing Herbs still scattered on the floor.
There were so many it could make you cry just to look at them, and yet there was no notification back then.
“Is it possible only from 2 stars?”
1-star items come out too easily, so maybe merging them isn’t allowed.
Of course, I’m not sure. This is the first time I’ve gotten a duplicate 2-star, so I need to see a few more duplicates of 2-star or higher to confirm it.
For now, I decided to deal with the notification glowing in my field of vision since a while ago.
As I sent a positive thought inward, the notification quietly disappeared. At the same time, the crossbow I was holding began to glow white.
Whoosh—
In an instant, the crossbow was scattered into particles of light and started to absorb into the existing crossbow. Then it began to sparkle as well.
However, this time instead of being scattered, the silhouette of the crossbow began to change while still glowing.
The metal content was slightly increased. Pulleys attached here and there. Finally, a handle with gear appeared on the upper part of the string.
As the light covering the crossbow vanished, a new notification finally popped up.
Ding!
By merging [2-Star: Wrist Crossbow], it has become [2-Star: Wrist Crossbow+1].
“Indeed. Is this what it feels like?”
Nodding, I examined the completed crossbow.
You could tell at a glance that it had a more refined design. It truly felt like a mechanical bow.
The limbs of the bow had turned metal, and with the pulley system attached to the end of the bow, its power must have greatly increased as well.
Sure, the draw weight must have gone up, making loading it tougher, but that gear with a handle on the string must be a device to assist with that.
Turning it clockwise, the string was pulled back without much effort.
“Wait, but the old traces are almost gone.”
There’s just the leather bracer to secure it on my arm, right? Everything else has changed so much.
It’s almost as if instead of reinforcing the existing crossbow, it has been swapped for a completely different one.
After looking it over and trying it on my wrist, I gauged the new handling.
Surprisingly, the comfort didn’t change much. And it’s not just because the bracer remained.
The sensitivity heightened by the Sound-Consuming Steps whispers that my center of gravity is still the same as before.
Despite the metal content increasing, the weight itself did significantly rise, but I’ve been steadily leveling up, so it’s not hard to handle.
In other words, my familiar weapon has just gotten stronger.
“This is nice.”
I need to put it to real use to know its details, but for now, I’m quite satisfied.
Maybe my expectations were low due to the craziness of this unfriendly system including breakthroughs, but anyway, this is far better than some mediocre new 2-star or equipment like a steel shield that I can’t even make proper use of.
In simple terms, it’s highly efficient for breakthroughs.
“Then, shall I organize the rest?”
I grabbed a handful of Mana Herbs and Healing Herbs and shoved them into my mouth.
It had a bitter mint flavor.
*
“Jonah, where did you steal that from?”
“…Why do you assume I stole it?”
“……”
Lydia, who had come to the Fairy and Silver Coin to enter the labyrinth with me, sealed her lips tightly. Meanwhile, Ellie was snickering in the back.
Lifting the shiny metal crossbow, I spoke with pride.
“I bought this with the money I’ve been saving up! Stealing? What on earth are you seeing me as?!”
“A little brat who’s a complete idiot.”
“A pickpocket who’d steal not just items, but life itself.”
“Shut it, you complete idiot who tried to break into that little brat’s room! And Lydia! We agreed to call that a killer, not a pickpocket!”
In the face of the malicious editing, Ellie made an innocent expression, but it wasn’t a big deal.
Lydia, shaking her head, suddenly narrowed her eyes and glared at me.
“Wait a minute. Jonah, something seems off.”
“Just like Ellie this morning. Are you going to bury your nose in my hair, too, Lydia?”
As I casually leaned forward, Lydia glared at Ellie with a serious face.
“…Ellie-senpai?”
“W-well, I’m a beastman, so I’m sensitive to smells, and I didn’t mean to…”
“Isn’t this a situation that’s not the first time for a beastman? That’s a criminal’s excuse for giving in to impulse.”
“No, it’s not?! Lydia, you’d sense the difference if you got closer!”
“I can smell it from this distance. You’d probably made some money selling Iron Wolf hides, so you’d have bought some perfume. But that’s not a reason to bury your nose in it.”
“Hey…! I’m telling you it’s not some perfume smell!”
Scratching the back of my head, I felt frustrated. In the midst of their bickering, I raised my hand, trying to interject.
“Stop! Don’t fight over me…!”
“Oh, that’s not right.”
“Yeah. That’s not it.”
“……”
As soon as I tried to interject, they unified in shaking their heads. I felt a bit hurt.
“Hmph! I’m done with Jonah.”
“I’m done with you joking. So? What’s the real deal? Lydia has been waiting for you to speak for a long time, but you feel like a completely different person than yesterday, don’t you?”
“Yeah. It’s a crossbow I’ve been using well, so I decided to upgrade it at a big cost. As long as you don’t steal, I’ll be fine. …But like Ellie-senpai said, I’ve also changed in other ways aside from just the smell.”
“…What exactly has changed?”
“My movements.”
“Your steps have changed.”
As if waiting for this cue, Ellie and Lydia responded promptly. Oh wow. Are they really picking up on the Sound-Consuming Steps? I haven’t even used it yet!
Of course, I can guess what’s changed about me.
Even without fully sinking into stealth and suppressing my presence, I’ve naturally become more sensitive.
Naturally, the way I perceive the world has shifted a bit too.
Things that didn’t bother me before, like the sound of my steps, now annoy me, or slight imbalances feel uncomfortable, or unnecessary tension in my shoulders seems strange.
So, I slightly adjusted my posture and actions. No, calling it adjustment doesn’t seem right.
I just moved in a less uncomfortable direction because my body knew better.
For that reason, it’s true different details have changed from yesterday, but I didn’t expect them to notice it right away.
“Lydia, I could understand, but Ellie really is an impressive adventurer after all?”
“…If I had all my arms, I could beat Lydia.”
“But you don’t have arms. Ellie-senpai is weak.”
“What did you say, you little brat?!”
The two naturally started bickering. But the process felt unusual compared to usual; it was clear they were glancing my way.
…Maybe my changed sensitivity made me feel that way.
Right now, those two have tossed me a choice. Whether to explain why I suddenly changed or let it slide and continue as normal.
Regardless, as long as I keep the gacha hidden, it should be fine. Since it’s not such a big secret, I decided to spill it.
“Ahem. It’s not like anything big happened yesterday… The Goddess of Love just suddenly granted me a blessing. That’s why I smell good.”
“?”
“?”
Both of them blinked in confusion after I said I woke up blessed. They both looked a bit cute, even though they’re adults, making me feel a bit mischievous.
“And the reason my movements have changed is because…”
I said that much and, feeling shy, glanced away from Ellie while muttering softly.
“Yesterday, I accidentally made a loud noise during a certain incident, and Ellie came looking for me. That’s when I had my realization.”
“What?”
I smiled broadly at Ellie, who appeared bewildered.
“I figured if I move quietly like this, Ellie wouldn’t hear me, right?”
“Uh, no, what…?”
Ellie’s ears perked up.
“And if I smell good like this, I could hide the scent of night flowers too.”
“……!”
Ellie wrinkled her nose slightly.
What an easy person to understand.
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