The fourth 10-roll was definitely going to yield something good.
Adam once again controlled the system interface with his mind and tapped the cursed 10-roll button.
[Bronze Apple ×1]
[Silver Apple ×2]
[Golden Apple ×2]
[1★ Craft Essence ×1]
[2★ Craft Essence ×2]
[4★ Craft Essence: Upholding Elegance]
Adam stared at the result in genuine surprise.
It came through!
A 4★!
Right on the very first try!
His gut feeling really had been spot on.
Was he finally shaking off his eternal bad-luck curse?
Excitement surged through him as he examined the card, which featured the impeccably elegant figure of Tokiomi Tohsaka. For some reason, the phrase "Everything is Tokiomi's fault" immediately popped into his head.
Adam shook it off, pushing the random thought aside, and carefully read the details of Upholding Elegance.
[Upholding Elegance: With great power comes great responsibility. Elegance is the indulgence of the ruling class.]
Adam stared blankly at the description.
Something felt… off.
Where were the actual effects?
What did this 4★ Craft Essence even do?
It couldn't seriously be just for looking fancy, right?
"System, why doesn't the description list this Concept Craft Essence's ability?"
[Replying to Host: When equipped, this Craft Essence causes the wearer to unconsciously become more elegant.]
Adam stared at the message, convinced he must have misread it. He checked again just to be sure.
System, are you telling me the only effect of Upholding Elegance is that the person wearing it becomes more elegant?
[Affirmative.]
Adam: …
He fell completely silent. For a split second he seriously considered hurling the card to the ground.
Becoming more elegant after equipping it? What kind of utterly useless Craft Essence was this?
It might have some niche value at high-society events, but it offered zero combat benefit whatsoever.
Staring at Tokiomi Tohsaka's refined face on the card, that same phrase bubbled up again.
"Everything is Tokiomi's fault."
Adam shook his head once more.
It was fine. There was always a solution.
Even if he thought the card was trash, someone else might find it valuable.
For example… Rin Tohsaka.
Hadn't she always wanted to maintain an air of perfect elegance?
This Craft Essence would suit her perfectly.
Yeah. If the chance ever came, using it as bait to lure in Rin Tohsaka wouldn't be a bad plan at all.
Adam checked his remaining Mood Points.
[Mood Points — 60]
Only 60 points left—just three single pulls.
Whatever. No point saving them now. Might as well use them all.
Who knew? Maybe a miracle would happen on a solo roll.
Continue!
First pull!
[Bronze Apple]
Adam stayed quiet for a second.
No big deal. Two pulls left. Keep going!
Second pull!
[1★ Craft Essence: Severance]
This time his silence stretched much longer.
He let out a long, heavy sigh toward the ceiling.
"Haah…"
Perhaps he really was destined to be unlucky for life.
Memories of his past gacha suffering resurfaced—the countless times he had gone all the way to pity only for the guaranteed 5★ to be the wrong one.
Maybe he simply wasn't fated to win at draws.
Adam glanced at the remaining Mood Points.
[Mood Points — 20]
One pull left.
It didn't matter anymore. Just pull.
Adam mentally pressed the single summon button.
However, things didn't go quite as he had imagined.
He had assumed this final pull would also give him nothing good. At best, maybe a Golden Apple.
But then—
A rainbow circle appeared on the summoning screen!
This wasn't an ordinary result!
Could it be…?
Was something amazing actually coming?
Adam watched the pool with nervous anticipation.
The colorful ring spun rapidly for several rotations before quickly condensing into a single point.
After a few more spins, the Craft Essence slowly came to a stop.
It was a 5★ Craft Essence.
[5★ Craft Essence: Curse of Love]
Adam was so excited he nearly threw both hands into the air in celebration. He could feel the color rush back into his face.
He had finally escaped his bad-luck streak!
A 5★ from a single pull!
He was turning into a true European!
Only after the rush of joy settled did he take a proper look at Curse of Love.
Wait a minute… Why did the character on this card look so familiar?
Wasn't that Manaka Sajyou?
She looked… dangerously yandere.
The type who would stop at nothing for the sake of "love."
If her personal abilities were average it wouldn't matter, but Manaka Sajyou's power level was frighteningly high.
Although she only possessed a single Magic Circuit, its quality was EX-rank.
She had been connected to the Root since birth, granting her near-omniscience and omnipotence.
Adam was extremely curious about what this 5★ Craft Essence actually did.
The moment he tried to check its detailed description, the card instantly dissolved into particles.
Adam frowned deeply at what had just happened.
What the hell?
The one 5★ he had finally pulled had vanished just like that?
[Replying to Host: This Concept Craft Essence is one-time use only.]
[You activated it the instant it was summoned.]
[That is why the card has dissipated.]
Adam raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the card to activate automatically the moment it was pulled.
Still, it was better that he had used it rather than losing it for no reason.
But what exactly was its effect?
He hadn't managed to read the description in time.
"System, what does Curse of Love do?"
[Replying to Host: The system does not have permission to view items summoned by the Host.]
Adam fell silent.
——————————
At the same time.
In a parallel world.
The Sajyou residence.
In this timeline, the Sajyou family had not participated in the Holy Grail War.
Manaka Sajyou was in the kitchen, helping her younger sister Ayaka Sajyou prepare dinner.
Suddenly, Manaka paused, as if sensing something. She looked off into a certain direction and murmured softly,
"This feeling…?"
Ayaka noticed her sister's unusual behavior and asked curiously,
"What's wrong, sister?"
Then she witnessed a sight she had never seen before.
Manaka was smiling.
It wasn't that Ayaka had never seen her sister smile, but those previous smiles had always felt empty—as if only the muscles in her face were moving, without any real emotion behind them.
This smile was different.
Manaka replied calmly and unhurriedly,
"I've discovered something… interesting."
"Or rather… an interesting person."
***
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