The moment I opened my eyes, the orc was already in position, preparing for another attack.
I couldn't dodge it—I knew that much. My only option was to brace myself. I gripped my giant bat tightly, raising it to intercept the incoming blow.
As the orc's attack landed, the sheer force rattled through my arms, making them feel like jelly. The ground beneath me cracked from the impact, sending dirt and debris flying everywhere.
If I hadn't blocked that... Well, let's just say I wouldn't be here to tell the story.
"Interface-san, are you okay?" I asked, half-joking, trying to lighten the tension.
"Don't concern yourself with me! I'm immune to physical attacks, unlike you."
Her tone was as sharp as ever, but I could sense a hint of frustration. She must've been analyzing the situation, and judging by her tone, she didn't like the odds.
The ringing in my ears from the earlier roar hadn't stopped, and the dull ache was starting to mess with my focus.
"Shun, listen to me. You need to retreat. Right now. As you are, you can't defeat that thing!"
"No. Just watch me, Interface-san. I'm not running anymore. I'll take this monster down!"
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to focus. The orc was strong—terrifyingly strong—but slow. His attacks were predictable, his movements sluggish. I could work with that.
As he bent down to retrieve his massive bat, I decided it was time to go on the offensive.
"Rage!"
The last of my mana surged through me, filling my body with raw energy. My movements felt faster, sharper. The weight of the bat became almost nonexistent in my hands. Meanwhile, the orc's sluggish movements seemed to slow down even further, like I was watching him in slow motion.
He swung his bat downward again, the same move as before. I dodged effortlessly, leaping mid-air. The ground beneath him shattered from the impact, forming a massive crater.
The orc stumbled, losing his balance from the force of his own attack. Desperate to recover, he let out another deafening roar.
"That trick won't work twice!" I shouted, ignoring the sharp pain in my ears.
Without hesitation, I swung my bat with everything I had, aiming for his exposed abdomen. The hit connected, and the orc fell backward with a thunderous crash.
"This is it!"
I jumped into the air, using gravity to add momentum to my final strike. As I came down, I swung my bat, aiming directly for the orc's head.
A sickening crunch echoed through the orc as the blow landed. Blood sprayed everywhere, some of it hitting me, but I didn't feel grossed out. Maybe it was the adrenaline.
"Congratulations, Shun! You've successfully killed a D-rank entity. Awarding 50 pulls," Interface-san said, her voice as robotic as ever.
"Hell yeah!" I pumped my fist in the air, feeling a rare sense of triumph.
But I didn't stick around. The orc's corpse was bound to attract other monsters, and I wasn't in the mood for round two. With what little strength I had left, I stumbled away, eventually collapsing on a giant rock.
The rock was just big enough to keep me off the ground. I lay there, staring at the sky, trying to process everything that just happened.
Minutes passed, maybe hours—I couldn't tell. My body ached everywhere, my ears still rang, and my brain felt like it was melting from exhaustion.
"Man, this world doesn't hold back," I muttered.
"Do you need me to list your injuries? Your vitals suggest you've torn a muscle or two," Interface-san chimed in, floating beside me.
"Gee, thanks, Dr. Interface. I hadn't noticed," I replied sarcastically.
"You're welcome. Shall I also calculate the likelihood of you surviving the next encounter?"
"Pass. I'd rather stay in denial."
As I lay there, trying to catch my breath, an idea popped into my head. A dumb, ridiculous idea. But the more I thought about it, the more it started to make sense.
"Hey, Interface-san," I said, sitting up slightly.
"Yes, Shun?"
"Can I pull you?"
The silence that followed was almost deafening. I looked at Interface-san, whose usually expressionless screen now flickered as if processing my words.
"...Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Can I pull for you? Like, summon you as a proper entity?"
"That's... absurd! Absolutely ridiculous! I am your interface, not some item or skill to be pulled!"
"Yeah, but if you're part of the system, you should have a rarity, right?"
"That's not how it works!"
"Oh, really?" I raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you sound so nervous?"
"I-I'm not nervous! I'm simply baffled by your idiocy!"
"C'mon, just tell me your rarity. Let's see what I'm working with here."
"No." Her voice was firm, almost panicked.
"Why not?"
"Because it's irrelevant! And besides, you can't pull me. That's just not a thing that can happen."
I smirked. "If it's not a thing, then what's the harm in telling me your rarity?"
She flickered again, her usual confidence replaced by... was that fear?
"Fine," she finally said, her tone laced with resignation. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Analyzing... now..."
Her voice became unusually robotic, like she was trying to distance herself from what was happening. After a few seconds, she spoke again.
"Analysis complete. My rarity is... null."
"Null? That means I can summon you with just one pull, right?"
"Yes, but—Shun, this is ridiculous! You don't need to pull for me. I'm already here, aren't I?"
"Yeah, but you're just a floating screen. I need someone who can actually fight alongside me."
"...You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Nope!" I grinned, opening the gacha interface.
"Wait! Don't you dare!"
Before she could protest further, I pressed the pull button.
The screen lit up, glowing brighter than anything I'd ever seen. A gust of wind swept through the area, whipping up dirt and leaves.
"Shun! Stop this nonsense right now!"
The light grew stronger, enveloping everything around me. I could barely see, but I could hear Interface-san's voice, filled with panic.
"This isn't supposed to happen! You can't—! Wait, what's happening to me?!"
Her voice cut off as the light reached its peak, blinding me completely. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the light faded.
Standing where the floating screen used to be was a figure—a real, living person.
She was breathtaking.
A woman with long, snow-white hair and piercing silver eyes stood before me. Her sleek, fairy like outfit looked both elegant and battle-ready, and her expression was a mix of annoyance and disbelief.
"Well, here I am," she said, crossing her arms. Her voice was the same, but hearing it come from an actual person was... strange.
"Wait... Interface-san?"
"That's right, Shun. I'm your null-rarity summon now. I hope you're happy."
I stared at her, dumbfounded. "You're... beautiful."
Her cheeks turned slightly pink, but she quickly masked it with a glare. "Focus, Shun! We're in a dangerous world, remember? This isn't the time to ogle me!"
"Right, right. Sorry." I scratched the back of my head, trying to hide my embarrassment.
She sighed, placing a hand on her hip. "Well, since you've pulled me, I might as well make myself useful. But don't think I'll go easy on you just because I have a physical form now."
"Noted."
I couldn't help but smile. This day had been insane, but somehow, it felt like things were finally starting to look up.
STATS SUMMARY
Shun Kirisaki
Pull counts remaining: 103
Skill: Unique Passive: Physical ability boost. (E) ~ Night vision (E) ~
Summons: Interface-san (Null)