Ats opehe first Rank-A ticket, and a scroll floated in front of him.

  A blueprint?

  [You have received Rank-A Blueprint: Healing Spring Blueprint]

  [A small pond that restores health and removes poison effects when pyers rest nearby.]

  “What is it, My Lord?” the troops called out to him eagerly.

  “It’s something like a healing spring… but it’s just a blueprint, so we’ll o gather materials to actually build it.”

  “Woah, a spring? I love hot springs!”

  “Yay, we could have a hot spring here!” They cheered.

  Ats checked the list of materials required for stru:

  [Aqua Crystal (1) – Found in freshwater caves or crystal-rich areas.]

  [Lifevine Essence (30 mL vial) – Found in magical forests or ruins, harvested from Lifevines.]

  [Purified Stones (5) – Collected from rivers or created from ordinary stones using Aqua Crystal infusion.]

  Aqua Crystal? Isn’t that the item I already used to create a water sour the isnd and even start a river flow?

  But he’d already used it up.

  “Jackpot, I use the Aqua Crystal I previously installed as a material for this?”

  [Host, yes, you could repurpose it, but its current fun would be lost. Your nd would again ck a water source, and the river flow would be redirected to power this small pond.]

  “Not ideal… let’s keep this blueprint on hold for now.”

  Ats touched the rank-A ticket, and to his surprise, a tiny spark of electricity jolted from it.

  Everyone’s eyes widened as a sudden storm of crag energy erupted from the ticket, bolts of lightning arg out in bursts before the ticket finally transformed into a crystal emittirical pulses in all dires.

  “Woah, that’s incredible!”

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a rank-A item; it must be something amazing.”

  Ats carefully reached for the crystal, and this time, it didn’t sting. Instead, it settled into a steady blue glow with occasional sparks flickering inside, as if lightning were captured within.

  [You have received 1 Rank-A Item: Lightning Infusion Crystal]

  [Adds lightning damage when applied to a on or increases lightniance when applied to armor.]

  Oh… this infuses lightning damage into a on? Isn’t that amazing? But wait—would the user also be affected by the lightning effect? Would they need lightniao hahis safely?

  Ats felt a surge of excitement, eager to try using this crystal on a on someday, though he didn’t yet have the perfect match for it. He could use it on the spear he’d obtained from Fre Peak, but it wasn’t quite the optimal on he hoped for.

  What element would pair best with lightning? Fire? Water?

  “This is a Lightning Infusion Crystal,” he expio the others. “It add lightning damage to a on.”

  “Woah… incredible!”

  “I want my sword to have lightning damage!”

  “That must be worth a fortune!”

  “We could fund our whole isnd with that money!” someone joked.

  Ats chuckled but quickly dismissed the thought. No way am I selling something this valuable. Besides, I’ve got other ways to make money, he thought. At least for now, I don’t o be desperate.

  Two rank-A tickets down, and yes, both items were valuable. The first one would be incredibly useful—a healing spring would offer everyone a pce to escape and recover once he mao build it. And the sed item, the Lightning Infusion Crystal, would be an impressive enha for his on.

  Ats sidered sharing the crystal with others—maybe Karian, whose greatsword already had a fire element, or perhaps Edrik. But on sed thought, Karian was strong enough for now, and Edrik didn’t really . Manna, of course, would hate having strange elements spped onto her scythe.

  No, he decided, this lightning crystal will be perfee.

  Hehe, he thought with a grin, I’ve still got one more rank-A ticket and the rank-S pull left. I ’t wait to see what’s !

  He touched the rank-A ticket, and suddenly a whirlwind formed around it, with something spinning rapidly in pce of the ticket. All eyes watched with curiosity.

  After a few moments, the swirling winds settled, revealing a long with a curved bde at its end.

  Oh, a on? Iing.

  [You have received 1 Rank-A on: (Unique-grade) Whispering Kusarigama]

  Ats smiled at the on’s name, already imaginily who this on would be perfect for.

  But then he realized—Holy cow. The grade was Unique?!

  Damn. Sure, he’d gotten a Legendary-grade on for Manna before, but this was his first time obtaining a Unique-grade on, just oier below Legendary. And it was for her than his Rank-A character, Kurogasa!

  This on was on airely different level from what he’d expected.

  [Whispering Kusarigama]

  [Grade: Unique]

  [Agility +200

  Attack Speed +200

  Movement Speed +10%]

  [Skills:]

  [Binding Shadows (Passive)

  Each successful strike with the has a ce to slightly slow the target, making it harder for them to escape follow-up attacks.]

  [Fade to Shadows (Active)

  Swings the kusarigama in a rapid, circur motion, creating a brief mist of shadows around him. This grants a momentary stealth effect, allowing him to vanish and reposition.]

  [Phantom Strikes (Passive)

  When attag from stealth, kusarigama strikes are faster and more accurate, making initial hits nearly unavoidable.]

  Absolutely incredible. Ats turoward Kurogasa, who was standing beside Edrik, and smiled at him.

  “Master Kurogasa, I believe this beautiful Unique-grade Kusarigama belongs to you,” he said.

  A murmur of awe spread through the crowd.

  “But damn, Unique-grade?!”

  “No wo looks so stunning.”

  “I’d die happy fag a on like that.”

  Kurogasa stepped forward slowly and bowed deeply before Ats, holding his bow a moment lohan usual.

  “My Lord, I feel unworthy to receive this on when I have yet to prove myself to you. I am humbled.”

  “This is your ce to show us your true worth. I have high expectations for you,” Ats replied, handing him the on.

  Kurogasa accepted the Kusarigama, and… smiled! Damn! No!

  With the rank-A tickets finished, it was finally time for the highly anticipated rank-S ticket. What could it be?

  A character would be fantastic—having another rank-S character would definitely help, though he hoped it wouldn’t be someooo high-maintenanbsp;

  A rank-S on would also be incredible, as long as there was someone suited to wield it. A blueprint… Well, that could be tricky, especially if the materials were hard to find. But whatever it was, he was ready!

  Ats took in everyone’s excited faces. “Are you ready?!”

  “Yeah!” they shouted in response.

  Ats touched the ticket, which shimmered for a moment before he stepped back. Suddenly, the ticket multiplied into a stack of cards, floating like a card deck. The crowd watched in awe as the cards shuffled themselves, then scattered into the air, falling slowly to the ground.

  “Woah, cool… like a magi?”

  “Damn, it has to be a rank-S Magi Character?”

  “I ’t wait to see what kind of character we’re getting!”

  The cards settled on the ground, and a swirl of bck cloth appeared, spinning before f into the figure of a man in the ter.

  An S-rank character! Ats felt satisfied, though the man’s appearance was... rather… normal?

  The man wore a slightly rumpled bck suit, his brown hair tousled. He sported a scruffy beard and mustache, giving him a look of someone who hadn’t shaved roomed in days.

  [You have received 1 Rank-S Character: Milo Bckwood - The Wandering Magi]

  All eyes were fixed on the new arrival standing before Ats. The man, Milo, gnced around before meeting Ats's gaze and grinning.

  “Heh… looks like I got summoned,” he said, scratg the back of his head.

  He gave a casual bow. “My Lord, the name’s Milo,” he introduced himself, then shrugged and held up a deck of cards in his hand with a nervous chuckle.

  Shuffling the deervously, he added, “I’m… a magi.”

  “Hi, Milo, wele to the team. o meet you,” Ats replied warmly.

  Ats observed the man standing before him. Milo looked nervous, probably in his forties, and—was he even… strong?

  “Hey, show us your power!” one of the troops called.

  “Yeah, you must be special, right?”

  Milo looked startled, gng back at the others. He took a few steps backward, right to the edge of the ptform… and suddenly slipped and fell.

  “Milo!” Ats called out, surprised.

  The man nded with a sheepish grin, quickly scrambling back to his feet. “No, no, it’s okay, I’m fine…”

  He shuffled his deck of cards again.

  “I’m a magi… wanna see my trick?” he offered, smiling nervously.

  “Trick?”

  “Not… power?”

  ***

  (Author’s Note:)

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