An Extra’s Rise in an Eroge

Sol's voice chimed in his mind, laced with amusement. [The saying, 'Ignorance is bliss,' really is true.] Sol chuckled. [If she knew that your professor is the avatar of the Succubus Queen and is trying to turn you into her puppet, she wouldn't call this an opportunity.]

"Shut up," Arthur muttered, rubbing his temples. "And suggest something useful, would you?"

[There's no 'useful' suggestion here,] Sol quipped. [Your best bet is to trust your luck and try using the system's gacha feature.]

Arthur frowned but relented. "Fine, let's give it a shot. Open the gacha panel and explain the rules."

In response, a holographic system window materialized before him, displaying a large circular wheel divided into sections of various colors. The grey section dominated nearly half the wheel, followed by smaller blue, violet, purple, red, and gold segments.

Sol's voice took on a businesslike tone. [This is the Gacha Wheel. Each spin costs 100 EP or 1,000 FP. The rewards can include skills, items, artifacts, beast eggs, and more. The colors represent the rarity of items: grey for common (39.56%), blue for rare (32.41%), violet for epic (17.36%), purple for legendary (6.67%), red for mythic (3.67%), and gold for divine (0.37%).]

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "So, what you're saying is… I'm likely to end up with garbage."

[Your words, not mine,] Sol replied, a hint of mischief in her tone. [It's all about your luck.]

Arthur stared at the wheel, arms crossed, his irritation bubbling to the surface. "Seriously, Sol? A 39.56% chance for common garbage and less than 1% for divine items? Who designed this scam?"

Sol's laughter echoed in his mind. [Oh, Arthur, it's not a scam. It's a test of faith! Besides, wouldn't victory taste sweeter when earned against the odds?]

Arthur glared at the floating wheel. "Sweet? Faith? This thing is highway robbery. I swear, if I get a pile of useless junk, I'll—"

[You'll what? Complain to the non-existent Gacha Customer Service?] Sol teased. [Face it, you're hooked. Just spin already.]

Grumbling, Arthur admitted defeat. "Fine. Let's get this over with. Open the 10-spin option. I'm not wasting time spinning one at a time."

The screen displayed two glowing buttons: 1x Spin and 10x Spin (10,000 FP).

Arthur groaned, hitting the 1x-spin option with reluctant acceptance. "Let's try one at a time, What if I by some stroke of luck I get the desired item in the first spin."

[Huh! Wishful thinking]n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

The wheel spun, the glowing sections blurring rapidly before coming to a halt. The first item appeared in the reward window, and Arthur stared at the chipped, rusted blade. A sword.

"Rusted Iron Sword (Common)." He sighed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Exactly what every aspiring warrior needs—an oversized butter knife."

[It's vintage, Arthur!] Sol teased. [You can probably trade it for... oh, nothing.]

Arthur scowled. "Yeah, real vintage. If by vintage you mean a piece of junk." He was about to spin again when the wheel stopped at the grey section once more.

A new image popped up: a Sexy Bunny Girl Outfit (Common), complete with fluffy ears and a cute tail. Arthur's eyes twitched. "You've got to be kidding me."

[Aw, come on, Arthur. Just imagine—Alicia in that!] Sol said, her voice barely containing a laugh.

Arthur shot an annoyed glance at the screen. "One more word, and I'm throwing this thing into the nearest volcano."

[You're no fun. It's cute!]

"Yeah, if I wanted to make everyone around me question my sanity." Arthur shook his head, resigning himself. "Next spin, please."

The wheel whirred again, coming to a stop at a new section: blue.

Mana Recovery Potion (Rare). Arthur's face brightened. "Now this... now this is something useful."

[There you go! At least one good spin,] Sol acknowledged, though her voice still had a teasing edge. [Better drink that when you're about to pass out from all the garbage.]

Arthur muttered something under his breath and spun the wheel again, just hoping it wouldn't land on something as ridiculous. The wheel spun and stopped at the grey section once more, but this time it was something... unusual.

Vibrator of Warmth (Rare).

Arthur froze, staring at the image of the vibrating device. "Sol?! What the hell is this doing here?!"

[Oh, it's a premium item! Keeps you warm during the coldest winters... and other... uses,] Sol said, her voice laced with mischief. [Want me to gift-wrap it for someone?]

Arthur slapped a hand over his face, groaning loudly. "You!!"

[What? It's got more than one purpose,] Sol teased. [Could come in handy.]

Arthur could only shake his head in disbelief. "Next spin. Immediately."

The wheel spun once more, landing on the grey section again. This time, the reward wasn't quite so lewd, but still... questionable.

Bikini of Buoyancy (Common).

Arthur stared at the skimpy outfit with a look of complete annoyance. "Is this a prank wheel? Do I look like I'm going swimming?"

[Safety first! You wouldn't want to drown while heroically battling sea monsters, would you?] Sol quipped.

Arthur gave the screen a deadpan stare. "I think the only thing I'll be battling is my sanity."

The wheel spun again, and the next item appeared: an iron breastplate, battered and rusty, much like the sword.

Iron Breastplate (Common).

"Great, now I'm outfitted like a junkyard warrior," Arthur muttered. "Where's my dragon-slaying armor?"

[Don't worry, it's got character! Vintage, just like your sword,] Sol teased.

Arthur rolled his eyes. "I need something actually useful, not a museum exhibit."

The next spin landed on a rare item: the Blindfold of Submission (Rare), with its ominous description: Heightened senses for those who wear it... but at a cost. Arthur stared at it blankly. "Sol, explain this. Slowly."

[It's for tactical purposes,] Sol said, her voice almost dripping with mischief. [Heightened senses, like the smell of fear... and possibly other things, depends where and how you use it.]

Arthur rubbed his temples. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that."

Finally, the wheel stopped at an item that seemed promising.

Sword of Frostbite (Epic).

Now that got his attention. A shimmering blue sword, its blade icy and dangerous. Arthur grinned, inspecting the weapon. "Now this... this is what I'm talking about."

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[Now we're talking! This one actually seems useful,] Sol said, her voice more impressed than usual. [Plus, it's got a chill vibe to it.]

Arthur felt a bit of relief. "Finally, something that won't make me question my life choices."

But the wheel didn't stop there. As it continued to spin, Arthur found himself staring at yet another outfit. A Cosplay Maid Outfit (Common).

Arthur groaned, rubbing his forehead. "This wheel has a serious fetish problem."

[Just admit it—you're tempted to try it on,] Sol teased.

"Try it on yourself!" Arthur barked, already over the endless parade of ridiculous items.

And then the wheel spun one last time, landing on a more practical item.

Mana Shield Pendant (Epic).

Arthur looked at the glowing pendant with an approving nod. "Now that's more like it. This could actually help in battle."

[There you go! A little protection goes a long way,] Sol said, sounding genuinely impressed. [After all, you'll need it after all that nonsense.]