[Quest "Descendant of the Perverted, Rivan Dyer" has been completed.]
[You have been rewarded 200,000G.]
[You have obtained 2 additional 3-star shards of Sara Rehinar.]
[Your relationship with the Dyer family has worsened.]
[The Dyers may have a warning for you].
The quest was completed, but the ongoing story was still far from smooth.
With the family's weakened power, they were nearly a laughingstock.
'I need to deal with the Dullard trait first.'
Kane realized his growth would soon be limited by gold.
Money is money, but it's very inefficient since it's only half as effective.
To enhance growth and potential, the UR-tier Dullard trait had to be eradicated.
Most importantly!
'It's ridiculous that Camilla is Mark while I, her master, only am Rune.'
Because of the Dullard trait, the beginner benefit express pass was nearly useless.
[EXP +500%]
[Training Effect +500%]
[Mana Affinity +500%]
'These incredible effects were going to waste.'
This obstacle had to be removed first.
And this wasn't the only problem.
'In order to get 'Bond,' the Dullard must be removed.'
In the past, he had even gotten the 'Oath'.
He was so close to reaching the pinnacle of his abilities, yet now he struggled to reach 'Mark'.
His current goal was the 5 Runes.
In this life, he absolutely had to obtain the 'Blood Pact.'
That was the only way to avoid being backstabbed and killed like in his previous life.
'In that case, hitting a jackpot in the draw is my only option.'
Kane immediately opened the system.
He passed by the character shard draw and the weapon draw sections.
He even skipped the weapon enhancement shard draw.
Then, the trait conversion draw caught his eye.
"I have to get rid of the Dullard trait this time. Only then can I maximize the express pass's effects through training."
In the end, he chose the gacha.
All or nothing.
He staked his fate on gambling.
Even if he spent all his money, he could always earn more later.
It might take a long time to progress through the story, but it wasn't a huge loss.
If he hit the jackpot, his life would turn around completely.
– Inventory –
[Gold: 819,000G]
[Firante's Sword (★★) – 330,000G]
[Dyer troop's Spear (★) – 38,000G]
[Dyer troop's Leather Armor (★) – 27,000G]
...
...
...
[Dyer troop's Leather Boots (★) – 27,000G]
"If I sell everything I have, I can get about 500,000 gold."
Kane sold all the items he had taken from the Dyer troops at the shop.
[You have sold Firante's Sword (★★).]
[You have obtained 330,000G.]
[You have sold Rivan Dyer's belongings without permission.]
[Rivan Dyer's favorability has decreased.]
[Rivan Dyer's favorability has turned to 'Hate'.]
[You have sold Dyer Soldier's Spear (★).]
[You have obtained 38,000G.]
...
...
...
[Gold: 1,340,000G]
It didn't matter what happened to Rivan's favorability. After beating Rivan, his relationship with the Dyer family was already over.
"Gacha time."
He took a deep breath quietly.
[1 Trait Conversion Draw] – 100,000G
[12 Trait Conversion Draws] – 1,000,000G
The trait draw was ten times more expensive than the growth shard draw.
It was a gacha that allowed characters to exchange their traits.
The system was notorious for its outrageously low odds and high cost, often criticized as a scam.
It might be a waste of money, but if he hit the jackpot, it would be worth every penny.
To exchange the 'Dullard (UR)' trait, he had to overcome a 0.000001% chance and draw a UR-tier trait.
Not just any UR-tier trait, though. Even among UR traits, there were some shitty traits like the 'Dullard.'
He shut his eyes tight and pressed the 12-draw button.
[You have purchased 12 Trait Conversion Draws.]
[1,000,000G has been spent.]
Twelve trait cards appeared. He opened his eyes slightly.
"Damn it."
A curse slipped out automatically.
The gacha system was a total scam.
Some cards were shining, but they were all white.
"They're all common traits."
White meant F~E rank.
Green indicated D~C rank.
Blue indicated B~A rank.
Purple indicated S~SR rank.
Gold indicated SSR rank.
Finally, rainbow indicated UR rank.
Just from the light emitted by the cards, one could roughly determine their rank.
[Strength Enhancement (F)]
[Support (E)]
...
...
...
[Student (E+)]
[Steel Mentality (F+)]
With ranks of F and E, it wasn't possible to convert them with the 'Dullard (UR)' trait.
[No convertible traits available. Would you like to store these traits in the Trait Storage (5 slots)? (Y/N)]
The trait storage could only hold five traits. None of these traits suited him.
"It's better to just discard them."
Discarding the traits obtained from the draw would refund some money based on their value.
Since the traits were unsuitable anyway, it was better to recover some money.
"No."
Kane selected N.
[You have discarded the trait 'Strength Enhancement (F).']
[You have obtained 30,000G.]
[You have discarded the trait 'Support (E).']
[You have obtained 56,000G.]
[You have discarded the trait 'Student (E+).']
[You have obtained 70,000G.]
...
...
...
[You have discarded the trait 'Steel Mentality (F+).']
[You have obtained 41,000G.]
"Hah. This is infuriating."
He felt his anger rising.
This was the true danger of gacha.
Despite his initial resolve, it was hard to resist spending until he got something worthwhile.
Once you got hooked, it was difficult to stop.
"I'll try just one more time, and then I'll stop."
Thinking about how to get more money, he soon headed off somewhere.
***
The entire Rehinar estate was buzzing with excitement.
"Did you hear? Lady Camilla put those Dyer troops in their place!"
"Yeah, I heard she took down nearly twenty of them in one go."
"Who would've thought Lady Camilla was that strong?"
Camilla had never been considered an outstanding knight.
She was diligent but had been a failed knight, even dismissed from the Fortress Knights due to her lack of qualifications.
But today, all of that changed.
Her supposed lack of ability was a complete misconception.
Although the estate's finances were ruined and the Fortress Knights disbanded, their minimum requirement was a 3rd Class rank.
Camilla had easily subdued Dyer troops and two 2nd Class paladins. Such a feat required at least an early 3rd Class skill level.
And Camilla had accomplished it.
"Something seemed different ever since she rescued Lord Kane from the demon forest."
"Lady Camilla must have been hiding her strength all this time."
"Indeed, bringing Lord Kane back from a place swarming with mutated monsters was no small feat."
"She's always been so clumsy that I forgot Lady Camilla was a knight."
The maids were eager to praise Camilla, feeling a great sense of relief.
Whenever the Dyers visited, it was like a weight on their shoulders.
In the past, they wouldn't even dare to look the Dyer family in the eye, but now they strutted around like they owned the place, which was infuriating for them.
"Rehinar isn't dead yet."
"Of course not! A noble house doesn't disappear so easily."
The maids' faces were bright with newfound hope, but soon their expressions darkened again.
"But I'm also worried."
"Me too… If the Dyer family finds out about this, there'll be trouble."
"I hope the Family Head returns from the battlefield soon…"
"If the Family Head were here, even the Dyer family wouldn't dare to act out."
"No matter how powerful Dyer has become, they can't match our Lord."
The maids fell into a somber silence. Then one maid spoke up, brightening their mood again.
"I heard the Young Master used magic! Did you see it?"
"Really?"
"You didn't see it either? He knocked out Rivan Dyer with a single spell."
"I wish I'd seen that scoundrel get humiliated with my own eyes."
"Does that mean the Young Master is as strong as Lady Camilla?"
"Absolutely! Knocking out Rivan Dyer in one hit isn't easy either."
"Our once delicate Young Master… what a transformation!"
The maids chattered excitedly about Kane, speaking with pride as if it were their own achievement.
Rehinar was filled with laughter for the first time in a long while. The excited voices of the staff, including the maid, could be heard beyond the estate walls.
They served Rehinar without compensation, staying to repay the kindness they had received.
They fervently hoped for Rehinar to regain its former glory.
***
Kane stood in front of the mansion which was primarily used for receiving guests.
"The reception room should have plenty of valuable items."
As he entered the mansion, the staff greeted him.
"Greetings, Young Master."
"But what brings you here…?"
"Mind if I look around for a bit?"
"Of course not."
Kane smiled as he surveyed the mansion.
'There are so many expensive decorations. Even if everything falls apart, it's still a noble house.'
Since it was a place for hosting guests, costly decorations were prominently displayed.
– Items for Sale –
[Pianco Plate Set (★★) – 179,000G]
[Dellu's Sunset Painting (★★) – 225,000G]
[Cardi's Sofa (★★) – 300,000G]
...
...
...
[Decorative High-Quality Double-Edged Axe (★★) – 268,000G]
'I can sell everything and replace them with better ones later.'
Kane boldly sold the displayed furniture and decorations.
[You have sold Pianco Plate Set (★★).]
[You have obtained 179,000G.]
[Warning! Your relationship with Rehinar may deteriorate.]
[You have sold Dellu's Sunset Painting (★★).]
[You have obtained 225,000G.]
[Warning! Your relationship with Rehinar may deteriorate.]
After selling several items, a scream was heard from somewhere.
"Ahhh!"
"What's the commotion with the Young Master here?"
"The painting that was on the wall is gone!"
"Don't be ridiculous! Excuse me for a moment, Young Master."
The maid who managed the mansion went upstairs to check.
It was true that Dellu's Sunset, which had hung prominently on the staircase, was gone, as the downstairs maid had said.
"Really… it's gone?"
Then another scream echoed.
"Mom!"
"Now what?"
"The sofa is missing!"
"Sister! The decorations on the wall are gone too!"
"Stay here. I'll go get Miss Sara!"
The maid realized this was beyond her ability to handle. She hurried out to fetch Sara.
'I feel a bit guilty.'
The maids had no idea that Kane had sold the items on his own accord.
Meanwhile…
The sofa, the table, the wall-mounted candlesticks—everything was gone.
A frightened look festered on the faces of the maids as they huddled behind Kane.
"I'm so sorry, Young Master. Ghosts are just too scary…"
"We should be the ones protecting you, Young Master, but we're so scared!"
"If we stay here, the ghost will get us…"
Kane gently reassured the young maids.
"It's alright. Nothing is going to happen."
Then he proceeded with another round of the trait conversion gacha.
[Gold: 2,780,000G]
He had enough gold for two sets of 12 draws.
He went all in on the gacha.
'Please!'
As Ray Hatzfeld, he could never have imagined doing such a thing.
He barely slept and trained incessantly, but he was financially secure.
Kane was in the opposite situation, as the Grand Duke of a fallen noble house.
[You have purchased 12 Trait Conversion draws.]
[1,000,000G has been spent.]
His hopes were utterly shattered.
[Marksman (E+)]
...
...
...
[Trader (E+)]
'This gacha system is a scam.'
He failed completely with both the first and second sets of draws, losing 2,000,000G in an instant.
Most would have given up, but he didn't. Why? Because he still had one chance left.
'This is the last shot. If this fails, the game's difficulty will switch to hard mode.'
Three million gold was enough to build a soldier training facility, a magic tower, or a commercial district.
Especially in cash-strapped Rehinar, it was a huge amount. In real-world terms, it was like throwing away three million Wons.
"Everyone."
"Yes?"
"Let's all pray."
Kane took the maids' hands.
"Yes! If we pray to the goddess, the ghosts won't come near us."
The maids misunderstood his intention and closed their eyes tightly.
"Here we go!"
[You have purchased 12 Trait Conversion draws.]
[1,000,000G has been spent.]
Twelve cards appeared.
'There's nothing left to sell at home, please!'
Kane opened one eye slightly to see the color of the cards.
Through his partially opened eye, he saw a light.
Nervously, he tried to determine its color…
"Hell yeah!"
Kane swore involuntarily. Right in front of his eyes, not a purple card, not a gold one, but a radiant rainbow-colored card was shining brilliantly.