Lumine managed to stay relatively composed, but her expression was still filled with delight. "I've been traveling for so long, and the weapon I've been using is just a one-star Dull Blade. Even if I work hard, the earliest I could upgrade to a two-star weapon would be next month.
I never imagined that today I'd suddenly get so many high-level weapons, and even a legendary four-star weapon! Player you really are amazing!"
Seeing their reactions, Zephyr was taken aback. "Wait, what? They're this happy over what I consider garbage?"
He thought for a moment and concluded, "Right, I've misunderstood. I can't judge this new reality by the standards of old games. In the past, a game was just a game. But now, this is practically a real world.
Looking at it that way, this ten-pull isn't so bad. After all, having decent equipment makes fighting monsters much easier. Not a loss!"
Zephyr equipped the Sacrificial Sword. Lumine's face lit up with joy.
"I feel invincible now."
"There's nothing to be afraid of anymore!"
Zephyr couldn't help but mutter, "Please don't jinx it! Besides, the wishing isn't over yet."
"Ha?"
Just as he finished speaking, another streak of meteors flashed across the sky.
This time, the guaranteed four-star item was The Widsith. While it was a great weapon, Lumine couldn't use it—it was a catalyst for mages!
"Next pull!"
The guarantee this time was the Sacrificial Bow.
"Again!"
The next guaranteed pull yielded Lion's Roar!
"I can't take this anymore," Zephyr groaned, rubbing his temples. Forty pulls—forty pulls! And all I've gotten is this junk.
For the first time, he began regretting falling for the trap of the 100-pull banner.
He took a deep breath and said, "Alright, one last time. If I don't get anything good, I'll pull for artifacts."
In the old game settings, artifacts didn't need to be pulled—they dropped from domain bosses. But now, things were different.
At level 1, how could he possibly take on a domain? In the game, five-star artifacts only dropped consistently at Adventure Rank 45, with characters at level 80 to 90.
But Zephyr's current level? One.
"It'd take forever to get to that point. And besides, can I even risk dying here? Reality doesn't have a respawn button."
"Pulling for some artifacts might not be such a bad idea," he reasoned.
And besides, he wasn't even sure if this world had domains to begin with.
"This is it—my last pull."
He clicked the wish button.
Nine blue weapons appeared, a familiar disappointment. But then…
The final item gleamed with a golden light in the sky!
"Five-star! A five-star!" Zephyr's heart raced with excitement.
He had actually pulled a five-star weapon!
A brilliant golden light materialized before him.
Five-Star Weapon: Lunar Water Greatsword
Description: A five-star greatsword forged from water elements. It allows the wielder to harness the power of water elements. This elemental weapon was introduced in version 5.0.
Zephyr was stunned. "What… what is this?"
But after glancing at the description, his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Brilliant!"
This weapon enables any character, regardless of their element, to perform Normal Attacks infused with Hydro. That was incredible!
For example, if Diluc used this greatsword, he wouldn't need any other characters to trigger Vaporize—he could do it all by himself!
Zephyr was ecstatic. The only downside? It was a greatsword, and Lumine couldn't use it. This left him with mixed emotions.
Meanwhile, Lumine and Paimon stood dumbfounded.
"So… so many weapons…" Lumine whispered.
Paimon giggled foolishly, "With this many weapons, we've struck gold! Hehe…"
Lumine was less over-the-top but still swallowed nervously.
Zephyr reassured them, "Don't get too excited; there's more."
"More? Still more?"
With a tap of his finger, Zephyr started the artifact pulls. A meteor streaked across the sky—standard procedure.
Instructor's Brooch, Instructor's Feather Accessory, Instructor's Pocket Watch, Instructor's Tea Cup, Instructor's Cap…
"..."
Zephyr sighed. "Say no more. I get it."
Biting the bullet, he decided to go all in. "Why suffer through the suspense? Might as well blow it all at once!"
"Time to gamble. Single bike to motorcycle!"
Closing his eyes, he dumped the remaining forty pulls in one go.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a golden artifact and couldn't help grinning.
"Not bad, not bad!"
The five-star artifact turned out to be a Viridescent Venerer Feather.
"Feather? Feathers are great!" he exclaimed. Feathers are arguably the most practical artifact pieces because they consistently add flat Attack, unlike other pieces, which might boost HP, Defense, or other less desirable stats.
Zephyr felt satisfied. Out of 100 pulls, 50 went to weapons, and 50 to artifacts, yielding two five-star items overall.
Not a bad haul!
The rest of the pulls yielded several four-star Instructor's artifacts, conveniently forming a complete set. While their stats were mediocre, having a full set meant they were still useful.
Unfortunately, neither the weapons nor the artifacts could be upgraded.
Why?
Because they were broke.
"What can you even do with the hundred-something Mora in the inventory? Absolutely nothing!" Zephyr lamented.
Zephyr gathered all the equipment that had fallen to the ground into his inventory.
He felt uneasy about this system.
What if, next time I make a wish, someone else snatches the loot before I can pick it up?
"Artifacts, equipped already? You don't need to wear them physically?" Lumine asked curiously.
Paimon puffed up with pride. "Hmph, clearly you don't know this! Artifacts can only be equipped by those with a Vision. You just need to equip them; there's no need to actually wear them.
At the same time, you can still wear cloth armor or heavy armor on top for additional protection. It's like having double defense!"
"Oh, I see! Paimon, you actually know quite a bit," Lumine said, impressed.
"Of course!" Paimon crossed her arms, looking smug. Then she paused and asked, "Wait a second. Lumine, do you even have a Vision?"
"A Vision? No, I don't. What's a Vision?"
Paimon froze. "What?! You don't have a Vision? And it doesn't seem like you have a Gnosis either. So how can you use artifacts?"
"What's a Vision?" Lumine asked again, clearly lost.
Paimon took a deep breath. "A Vision is... well, when people face something they can't overcome, they often feel powerless.
But at life's most critical turning points, if someone's desire reaches its absolute peak, the gods will turn their gaze upon them.
That's how Visions are bestowed. They're external magical organs granted to those recognized by the gods, allowing them to harness elemental powers.
The skies above are the realm of the gods. When a Vision holder dies, the chosen one ascends to the heavens."
"Uh... in simpler terms?"
"Fine. Basically, when someone desperately desires a Vision—so much that they even dream about it—the gods might send them one.
Also, don't let the name fool you. A Vision may sound grand, but it's basically just a glass orb that lets you channel elemental energy."
"Ah, I see now. So, what's a Gnosis?"
"Oh, that? It's just a higher-level version of a Vision."
"That explanation's way too simple, but fine. I'm not too concerned about it anyway."
"Since we've got so much powerful gear now, should we test it out?"
Lumine stroked her sword, her face full of anticipation. "Mm, sounds good."
She then fell silent.
"Hey, Traveler, why aren't you moving?" Paimon asked.
Lumine sighed, clearly exasperated. "I told you, I have no freedom. I'm a puppet. You'll have to ask our dear player here."
Paimon cleared her throat. "Ahem. Esteemed Player, we'd like to go level up. Would that be all right?"
Zephyr chuckled. "Go ahead."
"Yay!"
And so, they set off.
...