ebookslot Chapter 6 Misfortune and fortune are intertwined
Chapter 6 Misfortune and fortune are intertwined
"Nogizaka First-term Student·Nishino Nanase"
As the official photos slowly surfaced, the results of this draw were finally revealed. Rito looked at the pigeon's big head with mixed feelings, feeling both joy at getting what he wanted and a little regret. Copying homework was certainly reassuring, but after all, it was a game that could only be played once in a lifetime, and clearing the game in the same way always felt a bit lacking in novelty.
"That person is just despicable. He can't have everything he wants. Enough is enough. It's not like he won't be able to draw Sha Sha again."
With a self-deprecating laugh, Rito shook his head and crushed the card as usual. However, the process seemed to have changed this time. The scattered starlight did not gradually disappear into the space as usual, but instead condensed again in mid-air into three symbols of different shapes. Before he could ask what was going on, the corresponding explanations appeared below the three symbols on their own. He quickly stepped forward to check the details.
"Music, dance, acting... what the heck is this? They've really copied the gacha game formula?"
After reading for a short while, Rito's vision went black. He was so angry he wanted to curse. It turned out that the so-called Hall of Fame Card was just a half-finished product. The member drawn only had the original appearance, physique, and other physical attributes, but all other qualities related to idols were forcibly suppressed to barely passable levels. Of course, the system's explanation was to satisfy the user's desire for growth, and stated that the Hall of Fame had a special slot mechanism. When the user filled all the slots, they could break through the member's upper limit and become a truly complete member.
"What's the point? I might as well have drawn Sasa. She's already a Death Songstress, so adding an incoordination debuff won't matter."
The clever Rito wasn't fooled by the so-called "complete form" gimmick at all. Top idols, after all, just need to be passable in singing and dancing. Reaching the top level isn't cost-effective at all. Only lower-tier idols with no special characteristics need to use these special skills to make a name for themselves. Now, she's been given a budget version of Nishino Nanase, and she's even told that there will be some kind of slot-filling fragments to pollute the gacha pool. It's such a huge loss! If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have bothered with this so-called Hall of Fame pool. Anyway, if she did more tasks, she could eventually complete the collection, right?
Just then, seemingly sensing the decline in user experience caused by the new mechanism, the usually composed electronic voice unusually revealed a hint of urgency, hastily adding:
"In addition, the Hall of Fame Card has a brand new roguelike mechanism: after drawing a card, users can choose any two traits to mix and match, creating a unique Sakamichi Idol that is exclusively yours. Some traits can be drawn from other gacha pools and given to other members to equip."
"Wow, it even has hot patching, that's pretty smart."
Unexpectedly, his casual complaint had triggered the system's new mechanism. Rito smiled and was no longer so angry. Looking at the large electronic screen that appeared on his right, he rubbed his eyes and clicked on it with great interest.
"Hmm... the first column seems to be full of terms related to body shape and appearance: voluptuous, peach-shaped butt, A4 waist. What is all this? We don't need any of that. Okay, maybe she really does want it, but I don't like it, pass."
Having arbitrarily filtered out entries related to body shape, Rihito continued reading.
"Facial feature correction, skin texture improvement, hair color modification, body hair length... um, I don't really think it's necessary. Mainly, I'm not her, so I'm not sure which one would suit her."
"Let's see what else we have: a boost to approachability, slowing down aging... Hey? This one's perfect, you're the one."
Upon seeing the "delay aging" option, Li Ren's eyes immediately lit up. Without a doubt, this was the most widely used of all the terms he had seen. From elementary school students who were just beginning to realize the value of beauty to octogenarians, no one would refuse to have this trait in themselves, and Pigeon would probably be no exception.
After selecting the first trait, Rito moved on to the second trait section. Compared to the first trait, which was more focused on appearance, the entries here were more complex. There were specialties like ballet, piano, and drums, as well as full-body buffs like boundless energy and stamina, and even surprising options like ambitious and knowing when to retire—almost like personality traits. After some time of selection, Rito finally chose the following for the pigeon:
"Open your heart, let's do this. I hope you can get along well with your teammates this time, Nana."
Feeling he had already wasted too much time, Rito no longer hesitated. After making his selection, he pressed the confirm button. After a flash, the card re-condensed at his fingertips, but this time, the text in the description section below visibly grew longer.
"Nogizaka 1st Generation: The Ageless Nishino Nanase
Feature: More likely to increase favorability among specific groups of people.
音乐天赋0/6，舞蹈天赋0/6，演技天赋0/6』
"So this is what they call being one of a kind, I hope it doesn't disappoint me. That's all for now, Nana, I'll be waiting for you at the audition, bye-bye~"
Rito sighed, crushed the newly formed card again, and before the starlight faded, exited the draw interface and returned to the real world.
After washing her face in the bathroom, Rito calmed down her complicated feelings caused by the twists and turns of the selection process. She tidied her clothes in front of the mirror before leaving home and arriving at her neighbor's door.
Knock knock knock
He knocked on the door for a while, and then he heard the clattering sound of someone running in slippers inside. Then the door was opened, revealing a憨憨 (simple-minded) face with a wide smile that almost obscured the eyes.
"Kubo-san, what's wrong?" Airi asked expectantly as she pulled the door all the way down.
"Just as you thought, it's all done." Rito didn't mince words and told her the information she wanted directly. Airi was overjoyed and cheered. She tiptoed towards him without hesitation.
"Ouch!"
Rito, caught off guard by her unexpected move, seemed to simultaneously hear a groan from his aching back. After all, his predecessor was someone who could faint from excitement, so his physical condition wasn't exactly in great shape. He secretly resolved to work out more, freeing his right hand to give the girl in his arms a firm tap on the forehead:
"Hey, Airi Suzuki, you're seventeen already. Can't you be a little more mature? What if I don't catch you?"
Airi chuckled and didn't argue. She just leaned on his shoulder and kept saying thank you. Rito sighed. There was nothing he could do with her, so he just held her and walked into the room.