My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 23: One vs Many

Episode 23: One vs Many

“Hah… hah… hah… hah… damn it, I’m not going to make it!”

Perhaps due to the overwhelming number of monsters, the ground shook as they approached. Sand and dust began to fall from the ceiling.

“…I have no choice. I’ll do it!”

Rindou quickly turned around. He realized that facing the monsters head-on and taking them down for sure would increase his chances of survival. It was definitely a better choice rather than being attacked from behind by a large number of monsters. He unsheathed his Gale Sword.

“Fortunately, the tunnel here is narrow. I won’t have to face an overwhelming number of monsters all at once.”

The sound of the monsters’ footsteps gradually grew closer. Then, Rindou’s eyes locked onto the approaching creatures.

“Those are… Soldier Ants!”

“Gigi-gigi-gigi!”

The Soldier Ants looked like giant ants with their limbs moving in a frantic, busy manner. They were advancing towards him. These ants typically moved in groups. They acted as soldiers to defend their territory and hunt intruders.

“But still, I’ve memorized the best way to fight Soldier Ants. They won’t take me down easily!”

“Gigi-giga-gagaga!”

Due to their size, Rindou could only take on three at a time.

As a player without any magical skills, Rindou knew that to survive. He needed to take down three monsters at a time with precision. He focused his attention on the first group of three Soldier Ants.

“Hah! Huft! Seeii!”

With flowing swordsmanship, Rindou struck down the first three Soldier Ants. However, more emerged from behind, with three more charging at him.

But it didn’t stop there. Countless more Soldier Ants were charging in from all directions. It was all to kill a single intruder.

“Damn it! Ha! Haaah!”

As the relentless Soldier Ants continued to charge, Rindou took step by step back. He was still making sure to reduce their numbers as he fought for survival. His body was filled with minor cuts, though none of them were fatal.

Whenever there was a brief pause in the fighting, Rindou quickly poured a potion over his head to heal his wounds. He then continued to swing his sword.

There was no time to rest. There was no room for carelessness. He remained focused, constantly thinking through every action to find the best course of action.

What felt like hours of enduring the fight was only thirty minutes in reality.

“Hah… hah… hah… hah… are they… are they not coming anymore?”

Rindou had no idea how many Soldier Ants he had killed. But looking at the cave floor, he could see countless Soldier Ant corpses. They were scattered from where he had stepped back during the battle.

“…Haaa… I really thought I was going to die this time…”

With a deep breath, Rindou collapsed onto the ground. He felt the earth beneath his hands, realizing that he was still alive. As he thought about the thrill of having survived, his excitement grew.

[Over 100 gacha rolls have been performed. The summary will be shortened.]

“A-A hundred rolls!?!”

This meant that Rindou had killed over 100 Soldier Ants. Given how many he had defeated, he expected great rewards from the gacha. A broad smile spread across his face.

[You obtained a total of 37 rare equipment, rare items, and other items. The breakdown will be provided later.]

There was no time to waste. If he were to be attacked again now, he wouldn’t be able to fight, exhausted as he was. The fact that the breakdown would come later was a relief to Rindou.

[You gained 20% proficiency in a skill.]

“20%! It can also level up through combat, so maybe…!”

[The proficiency of the skill [Basic Swordsmanship] has reached 100%. It evolves into the higher-tier skill [Intermediate Swordsmanship].]

“…I did it!!”

Clenching his fists, Rindou raised his arms. He was exploding with joy. He never expected to reach his goal so quickly—just about four hours after entering the door.

With his newfound strength, Rindou couldn’t wait for the next battle. But the gacha wasn’t over yet.

[You have acquired the Soldier Ant’s skill [Resonance].]

“…Huh? Eh? Eeeeeh!?!”

Not only had his [Basic Swordsmanship] evolved into [Intermediate Swordsmanship] after increasing his proficiency, but he had also gained the Soldier Ant’s skill [Resonance]. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. And Rindou was immediately filled with the urge to check what kind of skill it was.

“This is definitely something to look into. But I’m tired. So for now, I’ll leave the cave and move to a safer spot.”

Some might think that, after defeating over 100 Soldier Ants, the cave would be safe. But Rindou didn’t think so. 

The reason was that this was still the inside of the gate. It was a place where anything could happen. He couldn’t be sure how monsters were born in this area. And with the dim lighting and poor visibility, he just couldn’t consider it a safe place.

“That said…… what should I do with these items?”

Since skill proficiency and skills themselves didn’t have physical forms, they weren’t a problem. But the various items he had acquired were a different matter. Facing the number of items that he couldn’t possibly carry alone, Rindou pondered for a moment.