Chapter 11: [Demonic Weapon Gacha Available]

The white-haired woman remained motionless in front of them while the ice continued spreading slowly across the tavern floorboards.

The entire atmosphere had become cold. Much colder than the storm outside.

Dawn silently observed Audrey for a few seconds.

Then...

Slowly, she brought one hand toward the sheathed katana at her waist.

Nox narrowed his eyes slightly behind the mask.

’...Well, that never means anything good.’

The samurai slowly pulled the katana’s hilt out of the sheath.

But there was no blade.

It was only the handle.

Audrey immediately grabbed her massive bow and stepped back into a guarded stance.

Claws growled instantly.

The enormous bear positioned himself beside Audrey, shielding her with his giant claws.

Nox stared at the empty hilt in confusion.

"...Did your sword break?"

Then he saw it.

Dawn slowly lifted the hilt toward her chest.

And from the center of her chest...

Ice began to grow.

A crystalline blade slowly emerged from her body.

The ice connected directly to the hilt.

And within seconds...

A complete ice katana had formed before them.

Nox slowly opened his mouth.

’...Nah, this world never stops surprising me.’

The blade glowed with a pale blue light.

Tiny frozen particles floated around Dawn.

Audrey pulled back the bowstring.

Her eyes tracked every movement the samurai made.

Waiting for the attack.

Claws bared his fangs.

Meanwhile, Nox...

Had absolutely no idea what to do.

He quickly looked around.

No bow.

No sword.

Nothing.

Then he noticed an empty bottle on the counter.

"...Well, nothing better than this."

He grabbed it and smashed it against the bar.

CRASH.

Now he held a broken bottle in his hand.

Nox looked at his improvised weapon.

"...Perfect. An armed alcoholic."

Dawn faintly smiled at the sight of him. Then she slowly closed her eyes.

And lowered her body slightly, taking an attack stance.

The ice started spreading faster around her.

The wood creaked as it froze.

Nox raised the broken bottle.

"Hey!"

Dawn opened one eye slightly.

"Hm?"

"I gave you an entire bottle!"

He pointed at the destroyed whiskey on the floor.

"Is this really how you’re planning to repay us?!"

And at that exact moment...

Dawn vanished.

FWOOOSH.

A freezing gust swept through the tavern.

Nox barely caught a glimpse of a blue flash.

Then...

CLANG.

CLANG.

CLANG.

Three explosions echoed outside.

Dawn appeared several meters ahead, holding her ice katana.

Something fell to the ground in pieces behind her.

Nox blinked in confusion.

"...Huh?"

The samurai slightly turned her head.

"Are you all going to stand there?"

Audrey frowned.

Dawn pointed toward the snowy forest.

"The pests already arrived."

Then she dashed out of the tavern, directly toward the direction the attacks had come from.

Audrey slowly smiled. But there was anger in her eyes.

"Perfect."

Dark energy began running through her body.

"I’m not letting that woman be the only one fighting those damn witches."

She quickly climbed onto Claws’ back.

The enormous bear roared.

And launched himself after Dawn.

Leaving the tavern completely empty.

Well...

Almost empty.

Because Nox was still standing there.

Holding a broken bottle in his hand.

"...Ah."

He slowly looked down.

Several shattered objects lay on the floor.

Nox crouched down curiously.

"...What the hell is this?"

He picked up one of the fragments.

It was a stone.

But it had been sliced perfectly in half.

Nox’s eyes widened slightly.

’...Wait.’

He looked outside.

’Were those what they threw at us?’

He hadn’t even managed to see them.

They had traveled so fast they looked like actual projectiles.

Nox sighed.

"...The women in this world are completely insane."

He looked at the broken bottle in his hand.

Then back at the sliced stones.

"...And I was planning to fight with this."

He went silent for a moment.

"...What a shitty idea."

Slowly, he lifted his gaze toward the ceiling.

As if he could see the sky beyond it.

"Hey, shitty goddess."

His voice echoed through the empty tavern.

"How the hell do you expect me to survive alone in this world?"

He raised the broken bottle.

"Look at the kind of monsters I have to fight against!"

He threw it aside.

CRASH.

"I need a weapon on the level of these crazy women!"

And then...

A blue window appeared before his eyes.

[Demonic Weapon Gacha Available.]

Nox blinked.

Then slowly smiled.

"...Oh."

His eyes lit up instantly.

"That sounds interesting."

Another window appeared.

[One draw is granted every time a compatible ally is obtained through Fallen Genesis.]

[Current Draws Available: 1]

[Use Draw?]

Nox felt something awaken inside him.

Something dark and dangerous...

And completely idiotic.

"...This awakens my gambling addiction."

He dramatically grabbed his chest.

"Now I don’t miss the casino as much."

He smiled excitedly.

"Or visiting Las Vegas once a month."

Without hesitating...

He pressed accept.

Immediately, a massive list of weapons began spinning before him.

Swords.

Spears.

Bows.

Scythes.

Chains.

Strange guns.

Everything moved so fast he could barely see it.

Nox swallowed hard.

"Come on..."

The roulette slowly began to decelerate.

And finally...

It stopped.

[Reward Obtained.]

[Demonic Dual Knives.]

Two small daggers appeared floating before him.

The hilts looked forged from polished black horns.

And the blades were double-edged.

Dark. Curved. Elegant.

A description appeared before Nox.

[Weapons forged from demonic horns.]

[Attacks inflict burning sensation on enemies.]

Nox slowly grabbed them.

And the moment he held them...

He smiled.

"...Nah."

He spun them between his fingers.

"They look like a premium skin for the dagger from my favorite shooter."

He slashed rapidly through the air.

FWISH.

FWISH.

His body reacted naturally.

Grand Hunter’s Agility made the daggers feel perfect in his hands.

Nox smiled even wider.

"...Now we’re finally speaking the same language."

Quickly, he hid the bag filled with alcohol and milk behind the counter.

He carefully adjusted it into place.

"I’m not losing this."

Then he stood up.

And looked at the daggers again.

"...Now it actually feels like the system is helping me a little."

Then he walked out of the tavern.

The freezing air instantly struck his face.

And the first thing he saw...

Was an explosion of ice and lightning colliding in the middle of the snowy village.

Dawn was blocking a massive lightning-covered greatsword with her frozen katana.

Dawn slightly turned her head when she noticed Nox.

And smiled.

"Are you enjoying the show?"