Chapter 350
Oh, what a lively place.
Eiji was in a place called 'Amusement Park.' To put it simply, it was like an arcade. The sound effects from all sorts of games mingled with the voices of players, making it a fairly chaotic space. It was completely different from the atmosphere of the outside world, but I suppose that was acceptable because this event area was for players only.
I walked around looking for Eiji. Since he was a large man, I found him right away. Despite his enormous physique, he was playing a dance game. He was surrounded by many players, including Shichiko and Wool.
"Oh, it's the boss. Good work."
"Yeah, good work. More importantly, what's going on here...?"
"Eiji's really good at dancing! It's his first time, but he's getting full combos!"
I looked at the display on the machine Eiji was playing. Arrows were streaming down from the top at incredible speed, and he was stepping on the floor panels to match them. Every time he stepped on one, 'PERFECT!' appeared on the display alongside a rainbow-colored effect.
Eiji's massive body stomped around, yet he continued building his score with astonishing accuracy... and in the end, the screen displayed 'ALL PERFECT!' He had apparently cleared it flawlessly.
"Whoa! Amazing!"
"A perfect score on the highest difficulty on his first day? What kind of monster is he...?"
The players watching him reacted in various ways—some praised him, some were impressed, and some were awed—but all of their reactions were positive. I had no idea Eiji was so good at dance games.
Eiji stepped down from the machine while making a show of wiping the sweat from his brow. He wasn't actually sweating, of course, but perhaps he felt as if he should be. Then he noticed that I had joined them and came over with a smile.
"You came!"
"Yeah, it worked out. More importantly, you surprised me. I had no idea you were so good at dance games."
"Hahaha. I suppose you could call it a skill from my younger days...? Anyway, that's about the size of it."
Eiji scratched his head bashfully. I wondered if he had once been really into dance games. Well, it didn't matter. Playing together would be more fun than prying into his past.
"I just got here and don't know anything about the place, so I'd appreciate it if you showed me around."
"Then leave it to me. I took a look around first and checked what was where."
"Wow. How thorough."
Wool praised Shichiko, who rattled his staff and puffed out his chest. Gathering information in advance was important. We decided to tour the 'Amusement Park' by following his guidance.
The first place we headed was the 'UFO Catcher.' It certainly was an arcade staple, but its contents were completely different from those in the real world. Instead of stuffed animals and snacks, the machines contained potions, material items, weapons, and things like that.
There were many machines, but their contents apparently came in categories, such as potion machines and machines containing metal materials. The weapon machines in particular had a wide variety, and their sizes differed considerably. After all, they stocked everything from daggers to spears.
Playing all the different 'UFO Catchers' looked fun. What concerned me was how they had turned this into a competition. I would check the rules before playing.
"Let's see... You can play ten times a day, and playing doesn't cost anything. You can take any items you win home. Getting items at no cost is a pretty good deal. Each item has a point value based on its rarity, difficulty to obtain, and size, and the winner is whoever has the highest total over five days... I see, so that's how it works."
Although there was a limit on the number of plays, it was still nice to be able to obtain items without spending any money. The competition seemed to be decided by who earned the most points over five days.
To aim for first place, I would have to carefully choose which machine and which item to target. Smaller items were generally easier to obtain, but they were worth fewer points. Even if I obtained ten of the highest-point small-bottle potions each day for five days, the sword with the fourth-lowest point value would still earn more points.
Should I obtain large numbers of easy-to-grab items, or gamble on a single chance to target a high-point item? Anyone aiming for first place would have to devise a strategy based on their own skill. Personally, I would probably ignore the competition and try for items I actually wanted.
"All right! A man's gotta have guts! I'm going for one of the big ones!"
"I think I'll play it safe. We use a lot of potions, after all."
"Hmm, what should I do? Oh, I'll go with that one."
Shichiko bravely charged toward a machine containing swords. He was apparently going for the one with the highest rarity, too. What courage... Even though it was a no-risk, high-return choice, I couldn't help wanting to secure an item. I wouldn't follow his example, but I'd cheer him on. Good luck!
Eiji headed straight for the potion machines without hesitating. He wasn't aiming for individual bottles of potion, but for a boxed set like nutritional drinks. As a frontline fighter, he received priority for healing during battle, but when healing didn't reach him in time, he had to use potions himself.
As a result, he ended up consuming the most potions. I tried to give Eiji as much of the surplus from my potion-making as possible, so he probably wanted to stock up here as well. Oh, he already picked it up. Was he even good at this, too!?
Wool trotted over to the material-item machines, specifically the ones containing gems. As a sheep-type avatar, Wool had to use equipment specially made for him. However, Iris could make it as long as he had the materials. That made materials more valuable to him.
Wool, in his sheep form, stood on his hind legs and braced himself with his forelegs while using his nose to press the button. He was so cute that I almost forgot his Race was Demon. I took a screenshot and decided to send it to Shifune later.
Everyone had found a machine that suited them, but I was still undecided. There wasn't anything I particularly wanted, nor was there an item attractive enough to make me rush toward it. Hmm, which one should I choose?
"Oh? What's this...? A Mystery Catcher?"
What I found was a machine filled with black spheres marked with '?'—in plain terms, capsules like those in a gachapon machine. According to the description, the contents of the black capsules were completely random and would be converted into an item the instant they were taken out. And the possible items included every single prize in this 'UFO Catcher.'
The points awarded corresponded to the item produced, so with good luck, I could easily obtain a valuable item worth a high number of points. With bad luck, I might get a potion that I could make better myself. In other words, it was a blind grab bag with far too much of a gambling element.
"All right, I've decided on this one!"
I didn't particularly want any specific item, so I decided to play this Mystery Catcher. I might get nothing but duds, but even that would be part of the fun. I could make a choice like this precisely because I wasn't spending any money.
The Mystery Catcher started moving when I first pressed the start button. Within the time limit, I had to use a lever to move an arm with four claws forward, backward, left, and right. Once I decided on a position and pressed the button, the arm would descend and grab a capsule. Since the contents were random, the capsules seemed to have been designed to be easy to grab.
When I touched the machine, the credit display showed 'Ten Plays Remaining.' Pressing the start button began a lighthearted tune, and I was able to move the lever freely. Since they were all the same, I decided to grab them quickly.
"This should do... Oh! As expected, that was easy!"
Just as I had expected, the black capsules were incredibly easy to grab. Even a complete beginner like me managed to get eight out of ten. Now that I was used to it, I felt I could get all of them next time. I wouldn't know what was inside until I opened them, but simply being able to grab them was fun enough.
I still hadn't opened the eight black capsules I had. Since I had them, I thought it would be fun to open them all together with everyone else. Carrying my spoils, I went looking for the other three. I found Shichiko with his shoulders slumped, Eiji consoling him, and Wool playing with a purple gem balanced on his snout. That alone was enough to tell me how well the three of them had done... Too bad, Shichiko.
"Ah, Izamu-san... What's that?"
"I'll tell you later. More importantly, is Shichiko all right?"
"I was so close... Really, really close... If I'd had one more try, I definitely could've gotten it..."
"They say he dropped it when he was so close. Poor thing."
"Wool, it looks like you got something, didn't you?"
"Yeah. It's called a Purple Demon Crystal. Pretty, isn't it?"
Shichiko kept his head bowed and muttered to himself, while Wool was in an excellent mood and more talkative than usual. This was the difference between winners and losers... wasn't it?
"As for me, I found an interesting machine and decided to try it. Let's open everything together."
I explained the Mystery Catcher to the other three, then opened the eight black capsules one by one. Each time, an elaborate effect played out: the capsule released a flash of white light, and then the prize item appeared.
The first was a potion barely any different from the first one I had ever made. The second was iron ore. The third was copper ore. The fourth was one kilogram of salt. The fifth was an iron dagger. The sixth was a bolt of cotton cloth. The seventh was a wooden cup. I was surprised when an item clearly larger than the capsule appeared, but every item was so mediocre that there was nothing to get excited about.
"Um... Hmm."
"A dud?"
"What's wrong, Izamu-san? Don't let it get you down."
"Ugh... I've lost every single time so far..."
Eiji gave me an awkward, wry smile, while Wool bluntly stated the painful truth. Shichiko even placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke to me with great kindness. He was acting as if he had found a kindred spirit. Was he trying to say we were fellow losers?
No, not yet! There was still one capsule left. It didn't have to be a jackpot, and it didn't even have to be useful—I just wanted something to come out! Praying to the gods and Buddhas, I opened the final capsule.
"Oh? Oooh!?"
"Huh? The color of the light changed..."
"It's gold!"
"You betrayed me!?"
A golden light different from the others began pouring out. Had it finally happened? Had I finally gotten a winning prize!? My heart pounded with anticipation, and even the time it took for the light to fade and reveal the item felt interminable.
Once the light subsided, the prize item fluttered down into my palm. It appeared to be some kind of ticket, and written on it were the words 'Transforming Weapon Exchange Ticket R.'