Despite knowing the odds of any new [Available Skills] or changes in my Gift were low, I still felt obligated to check.
Sitting at the kitchen corner, I took a sip of coffee and searched for something new.
After finding nothing, I took another sip.
The lack of a clear path forward bothered me, but I wasn't dissatisfied with [Gacha Kingdom Building].
If anything, how quickly I claimed the two tickets showed it already had me hooked. I felt something special towards it.
It wasn't the only Gift that grew with its user, level by level or at certain checkpoints. Even indirect growth through mana wasn't unique.
No... The thought that refused to leave my mind was much simpler: It wasn't that level-ups made me grow. They only accelerated the rate.
It made me wonder if there was a limit.
But… It didn't seem so.
I had wished for a simple, if slightly powerful Gift.
Instead, I got a unique, if slightly scary one.
Even though I had checked everything about it already, I couldn't shake off the feeling inside me that I was still missing something.
Gifts themselves were still a big unknown, so thinking about patterns, differences, and uniqueness was fated to be a wasted effort.
Miwen: "Oh, well..."
The caffeine didn't help me think much. I decided that, strange as it was, this power only worked in my favor. As long as that didn't change, I'd stay happy.
However, I was more motivated to push past the unease, into the wonderful unknown of another roll in the gacha.
As always, the list of banners was too long. I gave it a chance, skimming past anything that didn't seem interesting, but after my eyes landed on 'toys', 'chairs', 'doors', and 'cans', I decided to call it quits.
I didn't want to call my own ability useless, but it was hard to picture myself ever using a ticket on these banners when I could just walk into a store for them.
This gave me an interesting idea, though.
Using the banner list's search bar, I looked for expensive or rare items, like potions.
Random potions wouldn't help me much, but having a stockpile of them would be a different story. Especially since I could access them from the Kingdom.
With two tickets a day, I couldn't yet afford to do something like this, but it was nice to have an alternative plan so that I wouldn't rely so much on luck with the banners I was already using.
Still, in this moment, they were the best alternative.
Except for the [Armor Banner] that let me down last time. The difference between it and the [Weapons Banner] at a single mana point was just too high for me to justify using a ticket on it over the [Weapons Banner].
Until it showed its worth through mana, I'd save my tickets for the better options.
And the option I was mostly excited for was, of course, the [Skills Banner].
It disappointed me a little last time, but my expectations were too high to begin with. Thinking with a clearer mind, the skills I got were strong enough in their own manner.
With only good results so far, I took the safe bet.
My mind went blank, the kitchen disappeared, as did the flowing water and the soap I used to wash the mug in my hands.
I was caught, for a brief second, in an endless white void.
Before a single heartbeat, I found myself back in the kitchen, mug in hand, water warming my skin.
Not only that, I had two new skills to check.
[Appraisal
This skill has an upfront cost of 1 mana point. After the price is paid, the user can use the skill 10 times without extra mana cost.
Once a target is selected and the skill is used, the user will receive information regarding the chosen target.
Some targets are invalid for appraisal, and the information provided varies.
At higher levels, more targets and information become available for appraisal.
This skill can fail, be noticed, and resisted.]
The first skill was [Appraisal], one of the most recognizable skills on Earth.
It was essential for scouts, and most adventurers, whether they were mages or warriors, considered it a must-have.
The biggest problem was the mana thread it created, connecting the user to the target. There were defensive measures, and even traps, built around that connection.
Still, it was a great skill to have.
With it, I could prevent what happened with Roy today from happening again.
[Reading Speed Up
The holder of this skill receives a passive boost to their reading speed.
This skill can only be used on texts that the user derives meaning from.
The effects of this skill will remain active without cost until the user deactivates the skill.]
I almost wanted to laugh.
[Appraisal] was a good skill, really.
I could, again, complain about timing and the fact that I had too little mana to use it, but that was on me.
In the future, it wouldn't be a problem, and the skill would help immensely.
However, [Reading Speed Up] was, for lack of a better word, total trash.
I felt like the ticket I used to get it was wasted.
For once, there was no excuse, no silver lining.
I just hated it.
Miwen: "There goes an entire day, I guess..."
...If I found myself in a tough situation, [Physical Prowess] was the better lifeline.
Looking at it this way, they both felt useless.
Miwen: "Well, not useless, but..."
Hah...
I started considering the other banners more after this.
A little dejected, I went and claimed the daily [Kingdom Points] I was owed. I now had a total of five whole points, and not a single useful thing to use them on.
Except for the well for the Kingdom. It'd be perfect if a water shortage were to happen.
I could also buy a change of clothes for my citizens with five [Kingdom Points]. If only I had another citizen...
Before I made a mistake through frustration, I left the Kingdom, saving my points.
Still bothered, I decided to end the day with the [Mana Gacha].
Like yesterday, I gave the [Armor Banner] a try, hoping it would show me something good this time. Or at least something worth investing a ticket in it next time.
Unfortunately, the result was the same as before.
Miwen: "...Great."
Another ring.
Perhaps not the same ring, but still...
Nothing special about it.
I was done.
And I didn't even have the energy to stay mad.
I did my best to reach the bedroom, despite the headache caused by the Mana Depletion, and after throwing the ring in the same drawer as the other one, I got myself some shut-eye.