Three days had passed since Kuro began his activities in this world.
During that time, quite a number of things had happened. His experiments had proceeded smoothly, the Mystic Code pillars had been successfully installed, and as usual, his daily check-in system continued to provide highly satisfying rewards.
On the first day, Kuro obtained one hundred Prototype Noble Phantasms of Rank A+++ and below.
On the second day, he received two hundred Prototype Noble Phantasms of Rank B+++ along with various lower-tier variations.
Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon's reward was far simpler, yet still pleasant: eight hundred thousand gold coins.
All of these rewards, without exception, had been neatly stored inside the Gate of Babylon.
Now, the atmosphere felt much calmer.
The midday sky over I-City was clear, with the sun hanging high and bathing the streets in warm light.
In one relatively safe corner of the district, there was a small café with a modern minimalist interior.
The warm brown wood tones, soft lighting, and faint aroma of coffee made the place feel comfortable.
However, the café appeared empty.
Not because it lacked customers, but because Kuro had rented out the entire place temporarily.
It seemed he wanted to enjoy a bit of quiet without interruption.
By the large window facing the city street, Kuro sat comfortably in his chair, leaning back in a relaxed posture.
One hand held a cup of black coffee that was still faintly steaming, while his gaze drifted outside, watching the flow of people in the distance.
Opposite him, Chiyome sat with her usual composed and refined posture.
Her presence remained elegant as always.
Her coffee cup rested untouched on the table, while her attention seemed more focused on the conversation than on the drink itself.
Kuro lifted his cup slightly.
"Relaxing while enjoying a cup of coffee…" he said casually. "Not bad, right?"
Chiyome looked at him for a moment, then shifted her gaze toward the window.
This kind of peaceful atmosphere was clearly in stark contrast to their activities over the past few days.
Battles.
Observation.
Covert movements.
And various other actions far removed from anything resembling relaxation.
She finally gave a small nod.
"…Yes."
Her tone was soft.
"It feels quite peaceful."
Her fingers gently touched the warm coffee cup in front of her.
"To be honest, I didn't expect My Lord to take time for something like this."
There was a brief pause.
Her gaze returned to Kuro.
"But…" the corner of her lips lifted slightly. "I like it."
Chiyome slowly lifted her cup again and took another sip of the warm coffee.
Her violet eyes blinked faintly.
"…It's bitter."
The comment came out flat, but honest enough.
After a brief pause, she added calmly, "Still… it's not bad."
Kuro let out a soft chuckle.
"Here's something interesting," he said casually. "Try adding milk, latte, or a bit of sugar. You might like it more."
Chiyome stared at her cup for a few moments, as if seriously considering the suggestion.
Meanwhile, Kuro set his coffee cup back on the table and slightly raised his hand.
"Excuse me," he called out casually. "Could you bring milk, a latte, and some sugar?"
Behind the counter, the young woman who had been quietly managing the cashier area turned her head.
She wore a simple black apron over a white shirt. Her long black hair was neatly tied back, and her expression remained professional.
"Yes, sir."
She gave a brief nod before immediately preparing the additional items.
The soft sound of the coffee machine and faint clinking of equipment gradually filled the silence of the café.
After a while, the barista returned carrying a small tray with milk, sugar, and a small glass of latte.
"Your additional order."
With careful movements, she placed everything on the table and gave a polite bow.
"Please enjoy."
After confirming there was nothing else needed, she returned to the bar area, leaving the two guests to their quiet midday atmosphere.
Kuro gently slid the small tray toward Chiyome.
"Try it," he said calmly.
Chiyome's gaze shifted from Kuro to the additional ingredients in front of her.
She fell silent for a moment, as if facing a surprisingly important decision.
Carefully, she took a bit of sugar and poured it into her coffee. After that, she added a small amount of milk.
The spoon in her hand moved slowly, stirring the contents of the cup with precise, controlled motions.
After a few seconds, she lifted the cup again.
Her violet eyes stared at the surface of the coffee for a moment.
Then, slowly, she took a sip.
Silence followed.
Her expression remained unchanged.
But there was a subtle shift in her gaze.
"…Better."
The comment was short and honest.
She looked back into her cup.
"The bitterness is much lighter."
After a brief pause, she added,
"It's easier to enjoy."
Her eyes then shifted toward Kuro.
"…Thank you."
Kuro slightly opened his mouth, as if about to say something.
But before a single word could come out, a familiar notification sound rang out.
Ding!
A holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
[System detects that the Host has not performed today's check-in.]
[Does the Host wish to check in now?]
[Yes / No]
Kuro fell silent.
He blinked slowly.
"Oh."
The timing was genuinely terrible.
Without touching the holographic screen, he slowly stood up from his seat.
Before walking away, Kuro turned slightly toward Chiyome.
"Sorry," he said casually. "I'm going to the restroom for a moment."
Chiyome looked at him for a few seconds.
"…Understood."
She gave a small nod.
"I will wait here."
Her gaze briefly lowered to the cup of coffee in front of her.
After a short pause, she added in a calm tone,
"And I believe… I am beginning to understand why My Lord enjoys this drink, aside from alcohol."
The corner of Kuro's lips lifted slightly.
"Good."
Without saying anything further, he turned and walked toward the café restroom.
Meanwhile, the transparent holographic screen still floated beside him, silently following his movement like an impatient reminder.
***
Ding!
[Congratulations! Host has obtained: Ten Gacha Tickets.]
[Automatic storage enabled. Reward has been transferred to Gate of Babylon.]
Seated casually on a toilet in the men's restroom, Kuro crossed his arms while staring at the holographic screen in front of him.
"…Ten gacha tickets, huh?"
A faint smile slowly formed at the corner of his lips.
Without hesitation, and with only a slight mental focus, Kuro immediately used all the tickets—even though they were still stored inside the Gate of Babylon.
Ding!
A series of new notifications appeared one after another.
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Divinity Summon Choose Ticket. A ticket that allows the Host to summon any Servant possessing Divinity.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Five hundred high-purity gemstones.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Special EXP Eyes. An item capable of increasing the level of one special eye-type ability.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: The Arrowhead That Carves Open Creation's Dawn (Utu Duranki).]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Five hundred thousand gold coins.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: One thousand Mana Prisms—crystals formed from condensed mana, where a single one is equivalent to fifty thousand OD.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: 100 Mithril swords from another world.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: One hundred Vibranium ingots, each weighing two hundred grams.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: A cup containing five hundred liters of wine made by mixing Astral Blood, Orochi Flesh, and high-grade alcohol with Totsuka no Tsurugi.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: One hundred Mystic Codes in the form of female outfits.]
[Automatic storage enabled. Reward has been transferred to Gate of Babylon.]
Kuro's eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, he actually looked surprised.
"…Okay."
He fell silent for a few seconds as he reread the list of rewards.
"Setting aside the tenth reward," he muttered while rubbing his temple, "why does this system always feel like it has such questionable taste?"
He let out a short sigh.
"Still…"
His gaze shifted back to one of the notifications.
"All of these rewards are incredible."
His tone turned slightly more serious.
"Especially the Special EXP Eyes."
Kuro narrowed his eyes, sinking into thought.
"If this item can really enhance special ocular abilities…"
His index finger tapped lightly against his arm in a slow, rhythmic motion.
"Then my Sharingan could evolve too."
The corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Pretty useful."
He leaned back further into his seat, looking far more relaxed now.
"I've barely ever properly developed my Sharingan anyway. Besides, my mental condition isn't anywhere near breakdancing like most Uchiha tend to be."
Kuro's gaze shifted back to the holographic screen in front of him.
"…And now I've just obtained Utu Duranki, right after getting Enkidu yesterday."
A brief silence followed.
Kuro fell quiet, staring blankly ahead as if calculating something invisible.
"…My recent check-in rewards feel way too good."
A short pause.
"Usually, when RNG is this generous, it means the universe is preparing something annoying."
Kuro let out a soft sigh.
"Well, for problems that haven't even shown up yet—or might suddenly appear out of nowhere—it's better to think about it later."
He rested his chin on his hand, looking briefly thoughtful.
"For now, since it's a period of peace, I should use this time to make more preparations."
Without wasting time, Kuro opened a small Gate of Babylon beside him.
The golden portal rippled gently, its surface shimmering like liquid metal before a glowing blue ticket slowly floated out and landed lightly in his palm.
Special EXP Eyes.
Kuro stared at the ticket for a few seconds.
The corner of his lips curved slightly.
"Alright."
He casually clenched the ticket in his hand.
"Time to level up."
Without much hesitation, he immediately crushed it.
In an instant, the item shattered into fragments of blue light. The particles didn't fall—they transformed into a thin stream of energy that flowed directly toward both of Kuro's eyes.