After four intense days of brutal training, Ats decided that the following day would be a well-deserved break for everyohey ime to physically recover, and he po use the dowo go over strategic discussions and dive into the non-physical aspects of their mission, such as tactid resource ma.

  That night, Ats reviewed his Gacha pulls. He’d used 10 exclusive tickets in the Character banner and hit the jackpot, pulling Manna. Then, he’d used 20 exclusive tickets in the on banner and secured her signature on.

  His luck had been exceptional.

  Afterward, he’d hit another Rank-S pull with a standard ticket on his 40th pull, which was when he’d drawn Lyrassa. Now, with 100 standard tickets used in total, he calcuted that with a guaranteed Rank-S pull every 80 tickets, he’d need only a maximum of 20 more pulls oandard bao nd another Rank-S!

  Twenty more pulls, max, he thought, and that’s only if my luck doesn’t match my earlier streak.

  Ats stood fidently before his subordinates, pride clear in his gaze as he took in the group assembled before him.

  He could see the exhaustion on their faces, but they no longer looked as tense as they had at the start. By now, they’d begun to bond, supp one another and w as a true team.

  Aether team, led by 18-year-old Zara, had the you leader. The Bze team had Kaida, fierd bold. der team’s leader, Garen, was a massive figure with a calm presenique in his own way. And then there was the Dusk team, led by the mysterious Ronan, who only spoke when absolutely necessary.

  Each team brought its own personality, and Ats could feel the strength in their diversity growing.

  He took out 10 standard tickets. Surely a red ticket would appear this time, right?! Yes! Everyone was watg, faces full of hope, waiting for the rare sight of a red pull.

  Ats tossed the tickets into the air, watg as they spun and slowly ged color.

  Brown, brown, brown, brown…

  Damn it, where’s the red?!

  Another brown… then finally, a purple.

  Alright, now the red! e on, red!

  Brown, brown, brown… brown.

  Seriously?! Nine browns and one purple? Ats sighed, shaking his head with a wry smile.

  He noticed a hint of disappoi on everyone’s faces. But he smiled, hiding his own frustration.

  It looked like he’d have to keep going until he hit the guaranteed Rank-S pull after all.

  He touched the purple ticket, and suddenly vines sprouted from the ground, rapidly curling upward to form a long, polished wooden handle in the ter.

  “What…?”

  A hoe, ed in leafy vines, appeared before him.

  Seriously? A hoe?

  Ats immediately sensed an aura of excitement nearby. Gng to the side, he spotted Mira staring at the hoe with wide, sparkling eyes. He quickly looked away with a sigh. He took the hoe in his hand, knowily who would be thrilled to put it to use.

  [Bloombde Hoe]

  [Grade: Epic]

  [Agility +150

  Strength +50]

  [Skills:]

  [Stretg Vines ( Extension Passive)

  Effect: The hoe’s extend up to 10 meters, transf it into a flexible, mid-range on. The reach adjusts acc to the user’s i, allowing for trolled strikes at a distance or rapid pullbacks for quick repositioning.]

  [Nimble Harvester (Passive)

  Effect: Every time the user nds a hit on an enemy, there’s a small ce tain a bit of stamina, helping the user stay energized in prolonged battles.]

  Yes, it was indeed a hoe designed for battle and… killing!

  Alright, this bunny girl is clearly not just a cute gardener, but a killer bunny!

  “Mira,” he began, turning toward her, but it was already too te. The bunny girl rinting toward him, her face lit up with a huge grin.

  “Danger!” Karian shouted in arm.

  “Kurogasa!” Edrik warned, and in an instant, Kurogasa vanished from his side, ready to intervene.

  “My Lord!!! That’s my hoe!” Mira cried, her expression impossibly… cute, before she unched herself and hugged Ats.

  “Mira?! Wait… Mira—” Ats gasped, nearly out of breath as she hugged him tightly.

  “My Lord, yht me my hoe!” she ughed, squeezing him even tighter. “Thank you, my Lord. I love you!”

  Mira hugged him tightly, boung up and down iement, uionally jostling him with each joyful leap.

  “Mira… Mira… Mira…” Ats gasped, nearly overwhelmed. It wasn’t the tight hug making him short of breath—it was… the ESS OVERLOAD!

  I ’t hahis… I’m about to pass out!

  He stumbled back, but Kurogasa appeared from the shadows, steadying him just in time.

  "That’s too cute… I ’t breathe!" came cries from the troops.

  "Medic! Medic!" someone shouted frantically. "We have a man down!"

  "It’s too cute… I ’t… hahis…" another soldier mumbled, nose suddenly bleeding.

  "Zara! Zara, what’s wrong?!" someone yelled as Zara staggered, looking faint.

  "Help, Zara’s colpsing!"

  "Medic, we need medics over here too!"

  "My Lord! Use your Mental Fortitude," Kurogasa urged, though he quickly averted his gaze from Mira, clearly struggling himself.

  “Ku...ro... please... take Mira away…” Ats mao gasp.

  In an instant, vines shot up from the ground, ing firmly around Mira from her legs up to her torso, f her to release Ats and drop to the floor.

  Ats exhaled in relief, but—

  “Nooo, don’t tie me up, Lyrassa… nooo!” Mira wailed, wriggling against the vines. Somehow, her pints only intensified the “damage” to everyone nearby.

  “Medic! Medic! More are down!” came frantic shouts from the troops as several others dropped like flies.

  Then, a thick sack made of heavy cloth dropped down from above, nding over Mira and pletely c her, muffling her voiside.

  Manna approached, swiftly tug the girl fully into the sad seg it. Taking hold of the bundled-up Mira, whled and protested from within, Manna dragged her away without a word, her muffled cries fading as she disappeared from sight.

  It took a full few minutes for everyoo calm down again.

  Ats, still breathing heavily, shook his head. “The damage… is just too high.”

  He hahe hoe to Edrik, watg as the troops began to recover from the earlier “ess overload” i.

  In the distance, Mira accepted the hoe from Edrik, hugging it tightly before breaking into a little dance, radiating pure joy.

  That’s hoy she is to have her signature ohought with a sigh.

  Finally feeling posed, Ats took out another 10 standard tickets. This time, everyone k was a guaranteed Rank-S pull, aement filled the air as he drew a deep breath and tossed the tickets up.

  Brown, brown… purple.

  The troops rose to their feet, anticipation running high.

  Brown, and… another purple!

  The icket took a little loo ge, shimmering before it trembled, then fshed red!

  Everyoed in cheers.

  Brown, brown, purple.

  Damn! Six brown, three purple, and one red!

  ***

  (Author’s Note:)

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