"Rin Tohsaka's Notebook (White)" x1
"Ittou Ryuudou's Atlas (White)" x1
"An Unknown Student's Love Letter (White)" x1
"An Unsent Letter of Rejection (White)" x1
Hachiman Hikigaya checked the item details. Only "Viper Arts" and "One Step Snake Fist" were Craft Essences; the rest were food and miscellaneous items.
The detailed panels for the two Craft Essences were:
Item: Viper Arts Type: Craft Essence Quality: Purple (Good) Description: In remote mountains far from civilization, certain people had spent more than twenty years from birth being trained by mysterious assassination organizations into tools capable of killing someone with a single strike. This was the physical ability extracted from the most adaptable Souichirou Kuzuki. Effect: By enduring inhuman pain, greatly increases bodily endurance, motor control, explosive strength, and more, by up to ten times. Can be automatically adjusted. If the pain cannot be endured, the mind will die before the body. Note: This is a key Craft Essence in the Viper Arts series. Item: One Step · Snake Fist Type: Craft Essence (Can be embedded into the Craft Essence "Viper Arts (Purple)" as enhancement material) Quality: Blue Description: A set of killing techniques Souichirou Kuzuki had trained for over twenty years of his life. The attack trajectories are extremely bizarre, making it an assassination technique highly suited for surprise assaults. "The viper takes five steps before its venom strikes; the venomous fist kills in a single step." Effect: Aim the right hand at the opponent's vital area, seize the right moment, and strike like a cannonball, tearing tendons and shattering bones. With sufficient proficiency, the move can even change midway. Even if the opponent evades the blow, the fist can become a claw and crush the targeted body part in its grip. Note: This causes immense damage to both the opponent and the user's arm. If "Viper Arts" is equipped and its effect activated, it can reinforce the damage inflicted on the user's own arm, further amplifying the Snake Fist's damage.
Another item with negative effects.
But this time,
Hachiman Hikigaya was quite satisfied. If the negative effect was only pain, he could accept it.
He was already used to it.
He replaced "Brillia's Shriek" with the Craft Essence "Viper Arts." There was no rejection at all, and his compatibility was quite good.
Let's activate the effect and the pain response. First, set it to three times Body Reinforcement and give it a try.
"Ah—!"
Hachiman Hikigaya only let out a faint cry before the pain robbed him of speech. He clutched his arm with both hands and fell to his knees.
Kazuma Satou asked,
"What happened?"
"I'm fine."
Hachiman Hikigaya turned off the reinforcement effect. Just a few seconds had left him drenched in cold sweat and pale-faced. He could not help saying,
"Does every power in this game setting come with some kind of price?"
Mahiro Oyama and Shido Itsuka sighed.
"Yes."
"Really? Why don't I feel anything?"
Kazuma Satou blinked and opened Medea's box. There were only two items inside, one taking up 2×6 slots and the other 1×1. The 2×6 item spun for quite a while.
Gold again?!
Hachiman Hikigaya cursed angrily,
"You lucky bastard!"
"Hehehe, I've always had good luck since I was little."
Kazuma Satou gave a smug chuckle and shared the panel in the group.
Item: Imitation Hecate Wand Type: Noble Phantasm Quality: Gold (Excellent) Size: 2×6 Description: A wand bestowed upon Medea when she graduated from the goddess Hecate's tutelage in her youth. The goddess had hoped it would protect her adorable disciple, but unfortunately, it did not achieve the result she wanted. Passive Effect: Once equipped, increases all team members' mana, recovery speed, total mana capacity, and magical attack effects. Reduces the cooldown between uses of magic-type Craft Essences and lowers their fixed mana consumption, while slightly enhancing the effects of magic-type Craft Essences. Note: At night or under moonlight, it draws moonlight to illuminate the user's location, greatly enhancing the passive effect. Active Noble Phantasm Effect: Can only be activated by "Medea" in any form. By offering eggs and fish at a crossroads, it draws the attention of the goddess Hecate and randomly summons multiple Underworld guardians such as "Cerberus," "Chimera," and "Nemean Lion" into manifestation. They are empowered by darkness and moonlight. Note: Underworld guardians are not allies. Those allied with "Medea" will not be attacked; otherwise, they will be harmed.
Kazuma Satou looked at the remaining 1×1 item, which spun for quite a while as well.
"Ah, can it still give gold?"
"Wait... something's wrong?!"
"Why is it taking... so long?!"
The item that appeared before his eyes was actually—
Red!?
Item: Golden Fleece Type: Material & Noble Phantasm Level: Red Size: 1×1 Description: Wool from the legendary golden sheepskin of Colchis, the treasure sought by the crew of the Argo. Legend said that if it was thrown onto the ground, a dragon would appear. Because it was simply too beautiful, admiring the wool could also restore one's spirit. Note: This is merely one soft, fluffy strand of Golden Fleece, not the sheepskin itself. Effect 1: Can be used as a universally applicable material for Skill Enhancement and Spirit Origin Enhancement. Effect 2: If the holder possesses Skills or Noble Phantasms ranked B or below that summon Dragon Kind or sub-Dragon Kind, this material can be used directly to activate them, negating all required costs. Effect 3: Holding or observing it continuously restores damage and strain to the mind and soul, while continuously healing a small amount of physical injury.
"Holy shit, Kazuma Satou, are you even human?!"
"No way, man?!"
"Bro, bro, you're cheating, right?"
"Ohohoho!"
Kazuma Satou held the Golden Fleece, and an "Inspect" option actually appeared?
Hohoho! This red item even had a special inspection animation?!
Kazuma Satou chose to inspect it. The soft golden wool slipped out of his hand and floated before his forehead.
The wool puffed up slightly, becoming a thumb-sized little golden sheep. Plump and fluffy like a marshmallow, it floated through the air and circled around him like a tiny fairy.
From time to time, it darted down to nuzzle his cheek and the tip of his nose. It was incredibly soothing.
"A little itchy... hahaha."
"I feel like my body and mind have been healed."
Mahiro Oyama looked at the tiny fairy formed from the Golden Fleece. It was so beautiful and adorable that it was almost absurd. As its wool trembled, the effect it gave off seeped directly into their hearts, dispelling their exhaustion and pain.
"Ah..."
Shido Itsuka gradually emerged from the inner hell of his social death.
"..."
Hachiman Hikigaya watched the Golden Fleece's wool ripple. Exhaustion rose from deep within his heart and drained away, and his eyelids started fighting each other. He nearly fell asleep standing up.
"Heh."
Kazuma Satou inspected the "Golden Fleece" and the "Hecate Wand" back and forth.
The "Hecate Wand" actually had a certain inspection effect as well.
If released, it would draw down a great amount of blue moonlight.
It floated quietly within the moonlight.
It granted them the blessing of the goddess of the night moon.
Megumin: "What a beautiful wand! But it would be even better if the moon were replaced with the sun!"
Kanna: "The wool is so soft~"
Kobayashi: "So healing..."
A-Xiu: "Who understands the feeling of salvation after being tormented all day and then seeing this..."
Shiro: "Brother, want."
Sora: "I want it too."
Shiro: "Brother, wants Golden Fleece to make a pillow."
Sora: "Wouldn't that be way too much?"
Shiro: "When the open beta starts, farm Medea with me ten thousand times. If that's not enough, then one hundred thousand times."
Medea: "???"
Circe: "Hehehe, little junior, you really are popular. So loved by others."
Medea: "This kind of love... I can't bear it."
Hohzuki Academy courtyard.
Kazuma Satou looked at the goddess's wand floating in the moonlight.
Moonlight...?
He raised his head and looked at the sky, where the moon had already vanished into complete darkness.
It was nighttime?!
"Come on, time to evacuate!"
Hachiman Hikigaya woke up. To be honest, it would have been a lie to say he did not want to play with the Golden Fleece.
But he knew what he should take and what he should not.
"Here, have a go."
Kazuma Satou stuffed the Golden Fleece into his hands. Before he could react, Kazuma immediately turned and ran.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Once tonight is over, we won't be able to evacuate normally anymore."
Watching the three run toward the school gate,
Hachiman Hikigaya inspected the Golden Fleece, smiled, grabbed it in one hand, and chased after them.
The three caught the last train and arrived by Fuyuki Bridge.
Kazuma Satou traded some items to NPCs at a nearby general store in exchange for several binoculars.
They took turns watching the high-rises across the river, searching for the spawn-sniping artilleryman who might be there.
"Found him."
Shido Itsuka spotted the sniper on the rooftop of a fifty-story office building.
White hair, dark brown skin, a red coat. What he held was not a rocket launcher at all, but a black bow... and a spiraling sword.
"What fucking time is it, and he's still camping? What a Divine Gold bastard."
Before you continue