Chapter 5: Character Card - Kuchiki Rukia
For some reason, despite being an ordinary gacha machine with no guaranteed rewards, there was a conspicuously considerate [10x Draw] button.
It seemed even after mutating, the system retained some game-like features designed to tempt players into spending.
Driven by curiosity about the system mechanics, Kyle reluctantly pressed the [10x Draw] button on the ordinary gacha machine.
Instantly, a long list of system notifications flooded his vision.
[Congratulations! You obtained E-Rank item: Mitsurugi Meiko's school uniform!]
[Congratulations! You obtained E-Rank item: Sakurajima Mai's bunny girl outfit!]
[Congratulations! You obtained E-Rank item: Shimura Shinpachi's glasses!]
[Congratulations! You obtained E-Rank item: Saionji Sekai's hatchet!]
[...]
[...]
Seeing the endless stream of E-Rank items, Kyle's mouth twitched involuntarily.
Though he'd mentally prepared himself, watching 10 million Berries vanish for such useless loot still dealt a heavy blow.
"As expected, whether before or after transmigration, gacha machines never change their scammy nature!"
One-fifth of his starting funds had evaporated.
For a moment, Kyle even began reflecting on whether his smooth sailing since setting sail had made him overconfident.
Yet...
Just as regret crept in, the final notification of the 10x draw flashed before his eyes:
[Congratulations! You obtained A-Rank item: Character Card — Kuchiki Rukia!]
"Huh?!"
Kyle froze, disbelief flooding his eyes. He quickly straightened up, staring intently at the fading notification.
"What?! An A-Rank from the ordinary gacha?! And a Character Card, no less?!"
He swiftly opened his inventory. Among the clutter of nonsensical equipment, there it was — a card icon depicting a short-haired girl in black shihakushō.
The girl stood resolute, gripping her zanpakuto with both hands as if confronting an enemy.
"A real Character Card… Do I really have this kind of dumb luck?!"
The card's crimson-glowing border mirrored the excited red glint in Kyle's eyes.
Though Rukia's petite frame didn't match his preferences, she was undeniably a beauty. More importantly, her Bankai-enhanced combat power rivaled that of Navy Admirals!
Whether for aesthetics or practicality, she'd make an excellent addition.
Without hesitation, Kyle mentally clicked the card.
But just as he expected to summon Kuchiki Rukia like in the games…
A [WARNING] prompt exploded across his vision:
[Warning! No compatible crew member detected. Loading failed.]
Kyle: ???
"What?!"
Like cold water dousing flames, Kyle's excitement vanished. Another system explanation appeared:
[Character Card: Can be equipped to crew members, granting them the corresponding character's attributes. Crew members with loaded templates will maintain absolute loyalty to the captain. Requirement: Compatibility ≥60%.]
"So…" Kyle muttered, confusion overtaking him. "It doesn't summon characters, but imposes templates on existing crew? My dream of raising a harem of busty beauties just went up in smoke?"
He clicked his tongue in disappointment.
Still, this mechanism ensured loyalty from template-equipped crew. For building a stable faction, this was invaluable.
"Fine. If those are the rules, I'll play by them. But how does compatibility work…?"
The system offered no further explanations. Trial and error seemed the only path.
Two requirements stood: Twilight Pirates membership and ≥60% compatibility. While 60% sounded manageable, the criteria remained mysterious. If based on Rukia's soul reaper powers, finding matches in this world would be near-impossible!
"Let's not overcomplicate this. Maybe it's simpler—like finding a flat-chested female swordsman."
Gazing at the shrinking outline of Yakkusu Island, an image surfaced in Kyle's mind:
Sunlit fields. Childhood friends. A girl proudly thumping her chest as a green-haired boy blushed.
When thinking of female swordsmen in this world, Kuina came to mind first—though her fate was sealed.
But the East Blue held a perfect substitute: Marine Headquarters Petty Officer Tashigi, stationed at Loguetown!
Best of all, her Marine status might make recruitment… creatively feasible.
"Guess I'll need to bother Uncle or Fleet Admiral Sengoku…"
Shaking his head, Kyle refocused. "The Character Card's unusable for now. Let's test other features."
Despite the A-Rank jackpot, he resisted gambling further on the ordinary gacha. Whether beginner's luck or hidden pity, limited funds demanded caution.
Turning to the premium gacha, Kyle took a deep breath and pressed the single-draw button.
Miraculously—
The machine shuddered. Another red notification bloomed:
[Congratulations! You obtained A-Rank weapon — Zanpakuto!]
"Holy—! Another A-Rank?!"
A crimson weapon icon flew into his inventory. Kyle could hardly believe his eyes—this luck dwarfed anything from his gaming days.
Though considering the 20 million Berries spent (enough for prime real estate in minor kingdoms), the excitement felt somewhat dampened.
Calming himself, Kyle inspected the new acquisition:
[Zanpakuto]
[Type: Weapon]
[Rank: A]
[Description: Soul-forged blade from the Shinigami world. Restricted to specific characters.]
"Restricted equipment?!" Kyle groaned. The mutated system kept throwing curveballs.
Fortunately, the earlier Character Card provided context. "At least Rukia can use this. Two A-Ranks for 20 million Berries? Worth it."
Meanwhile, his captain interface had updated:
[Captain: Kyle]
[Level: 1]
[EXP: 10/50]
[Total Combat Power: 0]
[Skills: Awaiting Selection]
The 20 million Berries had leveled him up. But with EXP resetting each level, even spending all 50 million wouldn't reach Level 2.
Eyeing the [Awaiting Selection] skill slot, Kyle clicked without hesitation.
A massive roulette wheel materialized, covered in illegible colored text. Before he could study it, the wheel spun wildly—
The pointer landed on a crimson phrase…
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