My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 33: Eyes

Episode 33: Eyes 

(Note: Special for this chapter, dialogues through speaker, telephone or faraway voice is in ‘……’.)

After the appraisal was completed, Rindou decided to head home early. 

“I have to report what happened today.” 

“Understood… um, will I be able to enter the gate tomorrow?” 

Rindou understood that it was important to investigate whether it was an irregularity or a human error. However, if the Association decided to conduct an investigation, it was likely that he wouldn’t be able to enter the gate designated for new players for a while. For Rindou, that particular gate was a precious opportunity to fight monsters safely. And if possible, he wanted to enter again tomorrow. 

“Hmmm, that’ll depend on the Association’s decision. Since I’m part of the Association, I can’t just ignore it. Sorry about that.” 

“You don’t need to apologize, Yada-san!” 

“That’s right! I’ll let you know tomorrow whether you can enter the gate, so can you give me your contact information?” 

Kyousuke’s offer was very helpful, but Rindou hesitated. He wasn’t sure if it was okay to share internal matters with someone outside the Association. 

“Is it really okay?” 

“I won’t go into any details. If you can enter, I’ll just say it’s fine. And if not, I’ll let you know it’s not possible in one sentence.” 

“…I see. Well, if that’s the case…” 

“Good. So, can I have your contact info?” 

After thinking for a moment, Rindou decided to exchange contact details. He trusted Kyousuke’s explanation. 

“Thanks, I’ll get in touch once I know.” 

“Alright, I’ll contact you as soon as I find out.” 

The two of them parted ways, but no one noticed the eyes watching them—especially Rindou. 

“…I’ve found him, Rindou Amachi.” 

The owner of the gaze was one of Gakuto’s followers. He was the male player who had been punched in the stomach. He hid in the shadows and quickly pulled out his smartphone to contact someone. 

‘—Did you find him?’ 

“Yes! He just left the Association building and is heading home!” 

The person on the other end of the phone was Gakuto. And the man could hear him laughing. 

‘—Heh, and?’ 

“Uh, he was with a staff member guarding the gate for new players. They also entered a private room, so he might have been exchanging rare items he got from the gate for cash.” 

In reality, it was a large amount of drop items. But the man didn’t know that. 

‘—So, Rindou might have been hanging around that gate for a while.’ 

“Maybe. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so friendly with the staff…” 

‘—You need to watch Rindou’s movements from now on.’ 

“…Right now? But it’s already pretty late…” 

‘—Are you saying you can’t follow my orders? Huh?’ 

It was late at night, the time when most people were asleep. The man had planned to head home after his report. But that plan was quickly derailed. 

“…I understand.” 

‘—He should be heading back to the gate tomorrow. We’ll make our move then.’ 

“Got it… Damn it! He hung up!” 

The man was frustrated after Gakuto abruptly ended the call. He muttered angrily. But he knew that if he defied Gakuto, he would become the target instead of Rindou. He had no choice but to follow Gakuto’s orders. 

“As a player, I might be done for…….. I guess I have no choice but to follow Gakuto…” 

Muttering to himself, the man hurried after Rindou, who had almost disappeared from view. 

“…What’s going on? Wasn’t he supposed to be heading home?” 

The man had planned to stop at a convenience store to get some food on his way home. For him, it was the worst possible development. But when he saw where Rindou was headed, he was shocked. 

“……….A hospital?” 

Rindou didn’t look injured, so the man was curious about why he was heading there. 

Using his [Hearing Enhancement] skill, the man decided to eavesdrop on a conversation between the hospital guards. 

“Oh! You’re late today!” 

“Yeah, there were some things at the gate.”

“Isn’t your sister waiting for you? I’ll hold onto this, so hurry up and go!”  

“Thank you, I’ll be counting on you.”  

Having left his weapon with the man, Rindou disappeared into the hospital. The man, after cutting off his skill, looked down.  

“…Could his sister be hospitalized here? Is that why he’s working hard at the new player gates, which no one else approaches, ever since he awakened as a player?”  

Thinking this, the man felt embarrassed about what he was doing.  

“There were times when I thought I had to do my best as a player too. But, but…”  

The man had awakened as a player. But the skill he received was [Hearing Enhancement], a skill that wasn’t particularly useful in combat.  

Though useful for scouting, it became a hindrance when facing monsters directly.  

He thought he was being helpful by tracking enemy positions and warning others based on sound. But his companions were the problem.  

Gakuto believed that defeating monsters was the only thing that mattered. And no matter how much he supported others, he was never acknowledged. The man was always treated poorly.  

“…It’s hopeless. My [Hearing Enhancement] is useless in battle. If I’m not with Gakuto, no one will ever pick me up.”  

Because of this, the man’s self-esteem was at rock bottom. And he began to think of himself as one of the lowest-ranked players.  

“………..I wonder what’ll happen to him. Will Gakuto end up killing him? No, he wouldn’t go that far, right?”  

Player versus player killing was, of course, strictly prohibited. If it was discovered that the conflict was due to personal grudges, the player’s certificate would be immediately revoked. They would never be able to re-register again.  

If someone had a skill, they could of course fight monsters without being a player. But even so, the Association would never allow them to enter the gates.  

This rule was in place both to protect players and to ensure they wouldn’t harm civilians.  

“…Sigh. I’m hungry.”  

Shifting his thoughts to his hunger, the man rubbed his stomach. He resigned himself to the fact that he would be pulling an all-nighter.