Returning to his private quarters, silence and calm enveloped him as he rested upon the embrace of his comfortable bed. Damien's thoughts lingered on the agreement he and his senior had made. It was simple. In exchange for unveiling her Brand, he owed her a favor.
It was a fair exchange, and he was already pushing it. Brands were special cards held tightly by Jaegers. The less information about it that was disclosed, the better. After all, knowledge was power.
As long as one has enough information about something, they could search for a weakness and wield it. Even Damien didn't reveal the intricacies of the system; only the surface was divulged.
Closing his eyelids, he took a deep breath and pondered the Monster Gacha System. Since the update, he had experimented with the limits of what could be done. And the results were dumbfounding.
The system update brought about two new features.
The first feature was the emergence of missions. These missions were separated into two types: primary missions and secondary missions. Primary missions involved tasks related to the outside, while secondary missions constituted his personal growth.
Training with his senior awarded him Terror Points. Although the rewards weren't excellent, it was better than nothing. At least, his reserves have grown and reached a significant level.
Especially when it was combined with his efforts to show Eclipse to every personnel in SIGIL. No matter how little it was, his Terror Points were growing. That was what mattered to him.
In any case, he hadn't been granted a primary mission yet. Unfortunately, SIGIL has not taken any action to deploy him. Perhaps, he could only wait for his boss to return.
The second feature was monster evolution. Killing the dhampir wasn't without its rewards. The ability to evolve monsters was of utmost importance. Though evolution was a can of worms in its own right.
It seemed that the evolution bar required his monsters to dispatch their adversaries. At the moment, only Eclipse had a percentage of its bar filled. From the looks of it, dozens of dhampirs would probably be needed for evolution.
When Damien first learned of this. His thoughts regarding the prospect were complicated. It appeared that the Monster Gacha System was setting him up to become a villain.
At the very least, there were those he could kill without a tinge of guilt; From Aberrants to cryptids and even criminals. Since the system desired blood, he needed to understand where his bloodlust must be pointed.
Of course, he needed to be flexible since he didn't plan to become a vigilante: part judge and executioner. He wasn't a hero, but he also wasn't a bloodthirsty murderer.
A balance needed to be maintained.
'How about I take a look?' A thought flashed through his mind. Immediately, a digital window displaying his status materialized before his perception. It glowed with a bluish neon hue.
---
| Monster Gacha System |
-| Boss Title : [ Oberon ] |
-| Monster(s) : One-Star EX Monster: Eclipse(Fragment), One-Star TE Monster: Silhouette |
-| Skill Index : Raptured Blink(Eclipse), Psychic Operation(Silhouette) |
-| Command Seal(s): [ 25/25 ] |
<| Terror Point(s) : 712 |>
---
His sable-tinted gaze observed the status window with scrutiny. The quantity of his Command Seals has doubled while his Terror Points have tripled. It was an adequate growth, though it was far from the best.
"Maybe... It's time to start summoning more monsters from the banner." He squinted while muttering to himself. He could try grinding for another week and reach a thousand Terror Points for an extraterrestrial monster.
But what he needed at the moment was numbers and versatility. He needed more cards on the table, so summoning through the terrestrial banner was unavoidable.
With this in mind, he hardened his decision and opened the gacha window of the system. In mere moments, a bluish digital window materialized and displayed the three banners.
---
| Summon Banner |
-| Terrestrial (100 TP) |
-| Paranormal (500 TP) |
-| Extraterrestrial (1000 TP) |
<| Terror Point(s) : 712 |>
---
The three banners were terrestrial, paranormal, and extraterrestrial. Each of them provided advantages, but Damien wasn't interested in experimenting with their differences. Instead, he wanted to spend 500 Terror Points on the Terrestrial Banner.
The edges of his lips curled up, interested in the monsters he would summon. He hoped it wouldn't be a duplicate, but there could be some function in the copy.
Although that was for him to discover later on.
'Alright, purchase 5 spins from the Terrestrial Banner.' With a lone thought, the gacha window flickered, replaced by a gigantic wheel. It promptly spun in accelerated revolutions as names imprinted on its surface blurred.
Meanwhile, Francine walked through the hallway with finesse and grace. Although she didn't have that much authority in SIGIL, her identity as the second-in-command of Block 7 drew attention.
Her golden-tinted eyeglasses shifted as she furrowed her eyebrows. The gentle and calm secretary had disappeared, replaced by a displeased but gorgeous lady. Orders from the higher-ups have been received.
It wasn't pleasant.
"Damien has been commissioned by CORE to investigate a missing group of researchers in the exclusion zone." Usually, it wouldn't bother her as much since commissions were normal for Jaegers in SIGIL.
However, the identity of her junior warranted attention and caution. Damien's status as an Aberrant wasn't concealed, as Block 7 didn't bother with secrets. The authority of Miss Alastair was undisputed.
Those who dared to question her were already taken care of. Their corpses became fertilizer by what remained of nature in the New World.
At any rate, the exclusion zones were areas barred by law from entry. It was forbidden, a crime that could send one to federal prison. The nearest exclusion zone was Manhattan, followed by the Bronx.
These were one of the thousands of Ground Zeroes scattered throughout the continental North America. All of them were dangerous, especially since these were areas where Aberrants usually emerged.
But after pondering for a few seconds, Francine sighed to herself. She wanted her junior to decide for himself, so instead of grumbling about it. Let her junior choose what must be done.
If he didn't want to participate in the mission, she would personally reject the commission. And if otherwise, she could ensure his safety by tailing from behind. After all, she didn't trust SIGIL or CORE regardless.
Her displeased state faded, usurped by the usual calm. Politics... She never wanted to dwell on such foolish matters. For this reason, she joined Block 7, becoming the first subordinate of the seventh Paragon.
Nevertheless, it was inevitable. But...
"Against power, even inevitability shall make way."
---
Damien's obsidian-like irises glinted with interest as he observed the bombardment of notifications that filled the digital window. 500 Terror Points have been consumed, but his heart maintained its tranquility.
Terror Points were temporary, while monsters were eternal.
His heart pounded in trepidation as his arsenal had grown further. It wouldn't be too long until he commanded an army of them. 'It seems that I underestimated the capabilities of the Monster Gacha System.'
You have received One-Star TE Monster: Hellhound.
You have received Two-Star TE Monster: Scorpion Tank.
You have received One-Star TE Monster: Freedom Eagle.
You have received Two-Star TE Monster: Wyvern.
You have received One-Star TE Monster: Silhouette(Duplicate).