Ch.66[Chapter 66] My Little Universe

“It’s heeeeeere-!”

When Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica’s cards appeared, the Star I’m Not Little let out a cheer.

Surely fate had seen her passionate fandom and granted her wish.

Even better, she got two Sir Dominic cards! That’s like raising the probability to the power of seven decimal places!

No, adding the Sir Dominica card made it cubed!

It was only natural that her joy and cheers erupted with equal intensity.

But she had forgotten one crucial fact.

“It… appeared?”

“Is this some new kind of scam?”

The fact that the Stars who were opening hundreds or thousands of packs trying to get Sir Dominic were on edge.

I’m Not Little, too caught up in her joy to read the room, felt a prickling sensation on the back of her neck and turned around with a start.

There stood Stars and Pioneers with murderous gazes.

To I’m Not Little, who lacked communication skills, those stares looked like they belonged to vengeful spirits risen from hell.

“Um… need secret passage meow?”

The cat beastkin, sensing the atmosphere, asked I’m Not Little.

I’m Not Little nodded vigorously.

Before the cat beastkin could even pull her along, I’m Not Little leaped over the desk and started running.

“She’s escaping! Catch her!”

The living card pack zombies rushed forward, but the exchange’s barrier blocked them.

The Stars and Pioneers could do nothing but pound on the barrier like zombies beating on the walls of Jericho.

“This way meow!”

The cat beastkin opened a back door.

I’m Not Little dived through the door at the fastest speed of her life.

The secret door activated, teleporting her to a random coordinate and making her disappear from the exchange.

“Damn it! At least show us the card’s stats before you go!”

Someone’s desperate cry echoed as I’m Not Little entered the door.

I’m Not Little ran and ran.

She ran until there was no one in sight.

Finally reaching a deserted alley, I’m Not Little, too exhausted to run any further, stopped to catch her breath.

“They probably won’t come this far. But where am I anyway?”

I’m Not Little looked around.

She had been running so frantically that she hadn’t paid attention to her surroundings and had no idea where she was.

The alleys of Gacha Land were intertwined like a maze, making it difficult to gauge her location.

I’m Not Little took out her phone and opened the map app.

She thought figuring out her location should be her first priority.

“An alley, huh. I hope no thieves show up this time.”

Flag.

“When I get back, I must send Sir Dominic a thank-you gift.”

Flag.

“Look at this. It’s Sir Dominic. Isn’t he cool…?”

A series of flags.

I’m Not Little pulled out the data of Sir Dominic she had just obtained and showed it off to someone beside her.

“Yes. Very cool. So cool I want to have it.”

A chilling sensation ran up I’m Not Little’s spine.

As she turned her head with a creak, she saw a mohawked man missing several teeth.

“So, be generous and hand everything over to this thief.”

It was a thief.

The thief brandished a dagger in each hand, threatening I’m Not Little.

I’m Not Little was considering handing over her remaining money, but the thief’s words changed her mind.

“If you’re just going to take my money, forget it. You might as well kill me and take everything.”

I’m Not Little, beyond terrified, grinned at the thief.

The thief grinned back at I’m Not Little.

I’m Not Little rummaged through her pockets and took out a pouch containing Credits.

“Good. Very cooperative. How nice.”

As the thief reached for the pouch with a vile smile, I’m Not Little threw it in his face and started running again.

“Help! Thief!”

“Y-you! Catch her! Catch her and tear her limb from limb!”

The Credit coins scattered on the thief’s face weren’t particularly painful, but the thief, his pride wounded, shouted to his subordinates.

Thieves who had been hiding in every alley emerged and began chasing I’m Not Little.

The thief watched his subordinates go, then hurriedly picked up the Credit coins that had fallen to the ground.

Every little bit counts.

…

Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica raised their shields simultaneously in response to the ominous atmosphere emanating from the Chief of Staff and the administrative official.

“As expected. Nobles never teach this kind of thing.”

“That’s because it’s a skill only conscripts learn.”

The two naturally aligned the corners of their shields as they waited for the Chief of Staff and the administrative official’s next move.

“You kidnapper…! I’ll avenge the humiliation you gave me last time!”

“Yes! You insolent fool, I may have fallen to your underhanded tactics before, but this time is different!”

The Chief of Staff equipped his Magitech Gauntlet MK.5.

He believed his previous loss to Sir Dominic was due to inferior equipment.

The administrative official also took out a thick book and unrolled a parchment scroll.

Mysterious patterns emerged from the scroll, emitting a subtle magical light.

[Chief of Staff Einz activates the special skill [Magitech]. Equipment with magitech applied will have increased performance.]

[Administrative Official Zwei activates the special skill [Engineering Magic]. Additional damage will be inflicted as magic chains together.]

A front-line warrior and a back-line mage combination.

It was a well-refined formation focused entirely on offense.

However, both Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica were tanks.

They were seasoned in enduring damage.

[Sir Dominic of Feralant’s special skill [Standard Bearer] has been activated. Damage received by allies is reduced.]

But here, a difference between the parallel worlds became apparent.

Only Sir Dominic’s passive skill had activated.

“Sir Dominica. Is yours perhaps an active skill?”

Sir Dominic asked, recalling knowledge he had gained when he acquired his special skill.

“You’ll like it. It’s quite a decent ability.”

Sir Dominica nodded with an eerie smile.

Sir Dominic was concerned that he didn’t know Sir Dominica’s ability, but everyone had a secret trump card.

“You!”

The Chief of Staff, apparently feeling insulted that Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica were conversing as if ignoring them, charged forward with fury.

In an instant, he arrived before Sir Dominic and swung his gauntlet at the shield, as if intending to shatter it with sheer force.

“Not so fast.”

If Sir Dominic had been alone, the Chief of Staff’s attack might have succeeded.

But Sir Dominica was beside Sir Dominic, and she used her shield to slightly push Sir Dominic’s shield, creating an incline.

The fist that had been aimed at a precise point slid off the slightly tilted shield and cut through empty air.

The Chief of Staff’s posture naturally faltered.

“Now’s our chance!”

Sir Dominic thrust his sword forward.

But just as Sir Dominic had Sir Dominica, the Chief of Staff had the administrative official.

A magical arrow flew through the air.

Sir Dominic saw the arrow like a dot before his eyes and quickly changed the trajectory of his sword to deflect it.

“I don’t like this, but…”

Behind the administrative official, numerous books and parchments were floating in the air, unfolded.

“I dislike rudeness even more, so I’ll cooperate just this once.”

The administrative official muttered a small incantation.

The books and parchments floating in the sky began to glow, and numerous arrows of light appeared.

“The situation doesn’t look good.”

Sir Dominic said.

“But it’s fun.”

Hmph. Sir Dominic laughed.

His previous duel with the Chief of Staff had been quite anticlimactic, but this time seemed different.

“True. But the administrative official’s magic is problematic. As you heard, it’s threatening to tanks without mobility skills.”

Sir Dominica laughed with a hmph.

She too found the duel with the administrative official interesting.

Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff, having regained his posture, returned to the administrative official’s side.

“As much as I hate to admit it, we seem to have excellent synergy.”

“As much as I hate to admit it too, our composition isn’t bad.”

The Chief of Staff and the administrative official looked at each other.

The two old men shared their tactics through eye contact.

Whether they understood each other well is uncertain, but being parallel world versions of each other, they could read each other’s plans sufficiently.

“I’ll go first.”

“Hold out for a bit.”

The administrative official began casting.

And the Chief of Staff rushed between Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica to buy time for the administrative official’s casting.

Sir Dominic and Sir Dominica also looked at each other.

And they nodded.

Being parallel world versions of each other, they didn’t need words.

Sir Dominic stepped forward toward the charging Chief of Staff and thrust his shield.

This was a move to disrupt the Chief of Staff’s attack timing, but the Chief of Staff, not being careless like before, simply slid past the shield and moved behind Sir Dominic.

Sir Dominic pulled back his shield and swung it so that the edge faced the Chief of Staff.

However, the Chief of Staff read this move as well and grabbed the edge, pushing it outward.

Sir Dominic’s posture faltered.

The push was so strong that Sir Dominic lost his balance and had to place a hand on the ground.

“A crisis is also an opportunity.”

As Sir Dominic faced danger, Sir Dominica finally revealed her hidden trump card.

[Sir Dominica of Feralant activates the special skill [Shock and Awe].]

As soon as the announcement of the special skill activation was heard, Sir Dominica’s shield glowed softly.

Sir Dominica immediately rushed toward the Chief of Staff.

“Ugh!”

A shield bash with sufficient power from running at full speed struck the Chief of Staff.

[Chief of Staff is stunned for 0.5 seconds!]

The impact wasn’t particularly strong, but the Chief of Staff momentarily lost control of his body due to the tingling sensation that ran through him.

“There’s still… one more?”

But Sir Dominica’s skill wasn’t over yet.

Having shown the “shock” with her shield bash, now it was time for the “awe.”

Sir Dominica took out something from her waist bag that couldn’t be considered a knight’s weapon.

Bang!

[Chief of Staff has been afflicted with the [Suppression] status effect! Attack speed and movement speed are greatly reduced for 30 seconds, or until hiding behind cover.]

Smoke rose from the barrel of the gun that Sir Dominica had drawn.

It was truly a weapon befitting “awe.”