NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31: Chapter 31: A Not-So-Cursed Ten-Pull
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After thoroughly washing his hands and face—ritual complete—Asher sat down, mentally prepared. Superstition or not, it was good psychological prep. With a deep breath, he opened his talent interface.
The [Fairy Butterfly] section now displayed a new option: Skill Extraction.
Excited yet apprehensive, Asher clicked on it. A new dilemma immediately presented itself:
[Single Pull]
[Ten-Pull]
Asher froze for three seconds. Somehow, from this simple interface, he felt the unspoken words "pay-to-win" staring him down.
Though it wasn't his wallet being drained, gathering recognition points was no easy task.
For a moment, Asher considered closing the interface altogether, pretending he hadn't seen anything. He could grab breakfast, go about his day, and forget this "gacha-style" mechanic even existed.
But in the end, he sighed. "If I have to face it sooner or later, might as well rip the bandage off now."
Resolving himself, he hovered over the options for less than a second before decisively selecting... [Ten-Pull]
True bravery was all about going big. All in.
The results rolled in:
[Missed Pull]
[Missed Pull]
[Missed Pull]
...
...
...
[Missed Pull]
[Purple Item: Lucky Four-Leaf Clover]
[Missed Pull]
[White Item: Book – Care Guide for Mythical Birds (Three-Legged Golden Crow)]
Ten pulls. An entire ten-pull.
And not a single skill?
Asher stared at the results, his emotions oscillating wildly between anger and despair.
If this interface weren't intangible, he'd be smashing it with a chair right now.
'Skills! Where are my skills?' he bellowed internally.
'Is this system seriously about to hit me with a pity guarantee mechanic?'
Taking deep breaths to keep his temper in check, Asher managed to avoid giving himself a morning aneurysm.
'Calm down... stay calm...'
At least he'd gotten something, right?
Right?
After an intense self-pep talk, Asher plastered a seemingly calm smile across his face.
Little Raven, perched nearby, saw his owner's unsettling grin and quietly shuffled farther away.
Asher noticed. With a swift yet gentle motion, he grabbed the bird and placed it on his shoulder.
"Little Raven, don't you love sticking close to me? Running off hurts my feelings."
The small bird stiffened, its tuft of fluffy feathers swaying nervously.
Little Raven: 'Is it something I did? Did I cross a line?'
Feeling a twinge of guilt, the bird began reflecting on its recent actions, wondering if it had somehow wronged its Beastmaster.
Seeing Little Raven lost in thought, Asher chuckled and relented. "You're just too cute, you know that?"
The heartfelt compliment snapped the bird out of its brooding. It tilted its head before spreading its soft wings, offering Asher an adorable, clumsy hug.
With a laugh, Asher placed Little Raven against his collarbone, its favorite spot for snuggling.
Now in a much better mood, Asher turned his attention back to his loot.
[Lucky Four-Leaf Clover (Purple Item): When carried, grants a temporary luck boost. (Effect halved when gifted to others)]
[Book (White Item) Enhances understanding of Three-Legged Golden Crows, improving training and care techniques for related beasts]
[Missed Pull]: Accumulate ten missed pulls to earn one universal draw(Guaranteed skill drop after 30 pulls)]
Asher blinked. For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Ten pulls and this was the result? Yet, somehow, it didn't feel as devastating anymore.
Looking at the guarantees and cumulative mechanics, he began piecing together the system's rules.
Skills were clearly the main prize, with a hard pity guarantee after 30 pulls. Additionally, every ten missed pulls earned him a universal draw applicable to all his contracted beasts.
Asher glanced at the rapidly climbing recognition points for the Fairy Butterfly. With this kind of pace, the system's mechanics suddenly didn't seem so bad.
Besides, Fairy Butterfly's remaining skill pool wasn't particularly large or diverse. Using it to soften the odds for his future [Fire Fox Queen] was a reasonable strategy.
He looked at Little Raven thoughtfully.
[Beast: Oriental Peacock]
[Species: Mid-tier, Low Rank]
[Level: Tier 2, High Rank]
[Skills: Eagle Eye, Guardian's Heart, Peck]
[Evolution Path: Three-Legged Golden Crow (Locked)]
[Evolution Items: Incomplete]
[Mood: Warm and Fuzzy – Wants More Snuggles!]
Asher smiled. "You really are too precious, Little Raven."
Curiosity led him to open the detailed progress tracker for the Golden Crow evolution path.
[Affinity: 49/100]
[Synchronization: 31/100]
[Beastmaster Mental Space: 1+/4]
[Sunlight Exposure: 17 Days]
[Moonlight Exposure: 17 Days]
[Little Raven's Mental Strength: 1-/4]
[Fire Skills: 0/?]
[Special Skills: 2/?]
[Refined Fire: Incomplete]
The quantified data laid out months of effort in black and white.
However, Asher frowned slightly at the Affinity value.
"Only 49? I'd have thought it'd be higher."
He glanced down at Little Raven, who was sprawled on his palm like a boneless dumpling.
'How is this not maxed out affection?'
Still, the Synchronization score was a pleasant surprise. After all, they hadn't done much coordinated training.
Curious, he recalled seeing a similar score between June and Little Fire Fox. If six months of bonding only brought their Affinity to 68, perhaps these values were more complex than they appeared.
Asher made a mental note to investigate later.
He also noticed two particular stats:
[Beastmaster Mental Space: 1+/4]
[Little Raven's Mental Strength: 1-/4]
It seemed he was on the verge of unlocking capacity for a second contract. Conversely, Little Raven's mental strength barely met the minimum threshold for contracting.
"Guess I'll need to add meditation to your training regimen," Asher said, stroking Little Raven's feathered crest.
Little Raven: (・_・;)
The small bird's eyes widened in disbelief as its plumage fluffed defensively.
"Don't worry," Asher added with a kind smile, "we'll combine it with sunbathing for efficiency."
The bird's bean-shaped eyes shimmered, pleading.
Asher was unmoved. "No negotiation on training."
Gentle voice, merciless intent.
Little Raven turned away, its tail aimed squarely at Asher in protest.
Unable to hold back his laughter, Asher reached for Little Raven's breakfast: a mix of fresh fruits and red mud worms.
The bird's resolve instantly crumbled at the sound of food rustling.
Gone was the sullen act as it perked up, hopping eagerly toward its meal.
After its feast, Little Raven flopped dramatically into Asher's palm, wings flailing.
'Rub my belly.' its movements demanded.
Asher chuckled softly, obliging the spoiled bird.
And just like that, all grievances were forgotten.
As far as Little Raven was concerned, nothing out of the ordinary had happened that morning.
Asher: Mission accomplished
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