Chapter 81

After receiving an explanation from Wij, we immediately set off for the Angori Ruins.

The B-Rank promotion request involves investigating the Angori Ruins. The content is to confirm the presence of monsters in the Angori Ruins, which exist in the desert area west of the capital, and to obtain a special magic light stone inside the ruins.

The Angori Ruins are usually a C-Rank hunting ground, but since B-Rank monsters have reportedly appeared, it has been declared off-limits.

We were assigned this investigation because we have experience in defeating Asterios and have resolved a major extermination quest.

Normally, only C-Rank equivalent monsters like Sand Lizards and Sand Eagles should be around the ruins, but now a B-Rank monster called a Sand Worm has been confirmed.

We were asked to enter the ruins and investigate since the interior has not been surveyed yet.

To complete the request, we need to obtain the proof of defeating each monster and the green magic light stone that glows deep within the Angori Ruins.

"Angori Ruins, huh..."

"Is something bothering you?"

We are currently riding on a magic carpet, moving at high speed.

Since Sisha isn't with us this time, there's space for someone to sit behind, but Estelle is, as usual, sitting in a cross-legged position on my feet, which has become her designated seat.

When I muttered the name of the ruins, she turned her head up and asked me.

"Well, I was just wondering why there are monsters in the ruins."

"Maybe they've made it their home?"

"Making it their home? They don't usually move much from where they spawn."

"Oh, that's true..."

Ruins are typically artificial structures created by people in the past. While they could just be ruins, since this request includes an investigation of the interior, there must be a building.

But what does it mean that there are monsters there?

"They wouldn't have built it in a place where monsters appear, so did it become a place where monsters spawn later?"

"Who knows? According to the lady, no one knows when it was built, so it might be something like a dungeon."

Hmm... Come to think of it, I haven't even heard when the dungeons appeared.

If it's something like a dungeon, it might have been built as a place for monsters to live from the start?

"But many people have investigated inside in the past, right? If it were a dungeon, I think they would have warned us to be more careful."

"You're right... Well, there's no point in thinking about it. We just need to do what we're told."

The Angori Ruins have already been thoroughly investigated by adventurers. We've also received a map of the interior from Wij.

We are here to confirm if there are any powerful monsters inside, but normally, a C-Rank adventurer party can go all the way to the back and collect magic light stones.

There doesn't seem to be a boss like the slime in the 10th floor of the capital's Hajino Dungeon, so the possibility of the Angori Ruins being a dungeon is low.

Still, it's a bit concerning, but thinking about it won't solve anything, so let's just finish the monster investigation and collect the magic light stone and head back.

"Investigating the monsters around the ruins, and obtaining the magic light stone to prove the investigation of the interior... This one seems quite troublesome."

"The monsters themselves aren't that strong, and the ruins aren't as dangerous as a dungeon, but... the monsters that come out."

Until now, it was just about defeating monsters and being done with it, but this time it's different.

We need to confirm what kind of monsters appear and go deep inside to collect the magic light stone.

There seems to be a place where magic light stones are generated at the deepest part of the Angori Ruins, which is a good source of income for adventurers.

That's why the main C-Rank adventurers are troubled when it's declared off-limits.

Additionally, there are special monsters inside the ruins.

There are humanoid monsters wrapped in bandages and scorpion-like monsters similar to those in the northern cave, but the scorpions have much lower defense compared to those in the northern cave.

Personally, I don't like the idea of mummies appearing... I'm not good with horror stuff.

While thinking about these things, my smartphone suddenly started vibrating.

"Huh? What's this at a time like this?"

I thought it might be a call from Sisha, but it stopped after one vibration, so it wasn't that.

Thinking it might be... I stopped the carpet, took out my smartphone, and checked it...

"Whoa!?"

"Is something wrong?"

"This reaction... It's a gacha."

Noll called out to me from behind as I suddenly stopped the carpet and stared at the screen, frozen.

Estelle, who turned her whole body to look at me, immediately realized it was a gacha. Impressive...

"Yeah, as Estelle said, it's a gacha. ...I did think it was about time, but I didn't expect it to come at this moment..."

"What are you going to do? Should we stop going to the ruins and hurry to collect magic stones?"

"Well, collect magic stones..."

Hearing 'gacha,' Estelle thought I would go collect magic stones.

Noll, upon hearing the word 'collect magic stones,' muttered in a displeased tone.

It had been a while since the complete gacha ended, and I had expected it to come soon... but there's no helping it.

I haven't hunted at all during the holidays, so my magic stones are completely empty.

This gacha ends today, and it's already past noon. It's impossible to collect them now.

I wish they would stop these surprise gachas without prior notice.

"No, it seems it's too late for today. I'll skip this one."

"O-Oh, you're skipping it!? What's gotten into you?"

"Are you okay? ...No fever..."

"Hey, hey..."

When I said I would give up, Noll opened her mouth in exaggerated surprise, and Estelle got up on her knees and put her hand on my forehead.

I feel like I've been treated like this before... Is it really that surprising?

"Do you think I go crazy over every gacha? Think back. There have been times when I was more restrained, right?"

"Now that you mention it, there were times... right?"

"If my memory serves me right, I don't think there were..."

Noll folded her arms and tilted her head, saying there weren't. Estelle also put her hand on her cheek and said there weren't.

Huh? That's strange... I remember there were times when I said I would be more restrained and went for the gacha...

In my original world, I often had to give up on limited gachas due to lack of money. When I really wanted something, I even cried into my pillow to endure it...

This gacha is tempting, but I can just about give it up. So, I'll give it up this time and forget about it.

...I really want to pull it, though.

"Well, well, let's just forget about it, hahaha..."

"You're trying to brush it off... Anyway, what kind of gacha was it this time?"

"It's a step-up gacha."

"A step-up gacha? What's that?"

The gacha that was notified this time was a step-up gacha.

It's a typical gacha where the rewards get better with each pull, and the final pull guarantees the highest rarity.

"It seems that if you do four single pulls, you get a free UR at the end."

"...What do you mean by 'free,' Estelle?"

"I don't know either. Is it philosophy?"

When I said it was free, Noll and Estelle tilted their heads.

Ah, being able to get a guaranteed UR gacha for free by consuming magic stones is truly wonderful.

"But if it's four single pulls, that's just 20 stones, right? That should be doable even now, right?"

"No, the first pull is 10 stones."

"Oh, even then, it's just 40 stones."

"Haha, this is a step-up gacha. It won't be that easy."

Unlike the usual 5-stone gacha, this one starts with a 10-stone single pull.

If it were just 40 stones for four single pulls, I would have already turned the carpet around and headed back to the northern cave.

However, this step-up gacha isn't that generous.

"The number of stones increases with each pull. According to the description... it goes up by 10, 30, 40, and 60 stones with each pull."

"Wow, that's a lot..."

"Meaning, it's 140 stones in total... It's too late to collect them now."

The gacha seems to work like this: the first pull guarantees an SR or higher, the second pull increases the chance of SSR or higher, the third pull guarantees an SSR or higher, and the fourth pull guarantees a UR.

Being able to do this for 140 stones is quite a good deal.

"Ah... Well, there's nothing we can do. These things happen."

"If you could always give up this easily, that would be great..."

But we don't have any magic stones right now. Even if we hunted our hearts out, it's impossible to collect 140 stones.

I always try hard for gachas, but when it's this impossible, it's easier to give up.

Especially since we had a holiday in between, I could have predicted this.

So, I have no regrets... No regrets at all!

"Hmm..."

"Estelle? Is something wrong?"

I decided to give up and continue on the carpet towards the Angori Ruins, but Estelle, who was sitting in front of me, seemed to be deep in thought.

Is there something on her mind?

"There might be a way to pull this gacha."

"Really!?"

"You were going to give up, right..."

I had completely given up, but Estelle said there might be a way to pull it.

Is there really a way to get 140 magic stones now, even without automatic collection?

"We're going to the ruins, right? Maybe if we clear it, we might get magic stones."

I was expecting some secret strategy, but her answer was more ordinary than I thought.

It's true that we've received magic stones for clearing major quests and the Goblin Dungeon. So, there might be something in the ruins that gives us magic stones.

However, the Angori Ruins we're going to have already been thoroughly investigated by ordinary adventurers, and I doubt there's anything left to 'clear.'

"Ordinary adventurers have already gone all the way to the back. Unlike a dungeon, there's nothing to 'clear,' right?"

"But, but, we won't know unless we try. If it's about clearing the ruins, I'm up for it!"

"Since we're going anyway, why not hope for the best?"

If we can get magic stones at the Angori Ruins, that would be very helpful. Plus, something unusual is happening there, so there might be something related to that.

"Hmm... You're right. Let's think about it when we get there."

I was planning to finish quickly and return, but if it's for magic stones, it might be worth putting in some effort to investigate the ruins.

Alright, let's hurry to the Angori Ruins!