When Bell woke up again, it was already daylight.
'It's morning? How long was I out?'
Groggy and disoriented, Bell rubbed his head and looked out the bright window.
He remembered everything from the night before—the Spell Tome, the counterparts, and the Black Dragon. But the whole situation was just too convoluted for him to think about clearly. Even though he experienced it firsthand, most of it was still a blur. For all he knew, it could have been real or just a dream.
Still, there was one thing he was sure of. If those counterparts from parallel worlds really existed, then it made sense they would have encountered the Type-Moon System like he did. But none of them seemed to be outliers like him. The Type-Moon System had practically pulled him completely out of the "counterpart" category. His transmigration wasn't because of some alternate version of himself—it was because of the Type-Moon System.
So the conclusion was clear: either those visions were his own imagination, or someone had been pulling the strings from behind the scenes.
'Don't overthink it... maybe it's just me.'
He gently patted his chest, trying to calm himself down. He didn't want to dwell on what happened yesterday. In truth, he suspected the Spell Tome had influenced his thoughts, nudging him to rationalize his transmigration as something it wasn't. That might've been what triggered that strange conversation, even giving him an excuse to stop thinking about the real reason behind it all.
'First, I need to be clear about one thing. This transmigration—whatever else it might be—was the result of my own decision. Maybe I was just being reckless... but it was still something I did myself.'
Clicking on that sketchy-looking website was entirely on him, and Bell had to own that. Whether it was soul hijacking or soul transmigration, it didn't matter now—the fact was, he had transmigrated. After slapping his cheeks to snap himself out of it, Bell straightened up and refocused.
When he was looking at the Spell Tome yesterday, he hadn't even bothered checking out the one- or two-star Craft Essences. The three-star ones were mostly usable—things like weapons, Spell Tomes, or experience-based items like the Hidden Blade: Tsubame Gaeshi. But actual holdable Craft Essences? Not a single one. Even now, Bell had no idea if those low-star Craft Essences could actually become part of his power.
If they could, though, then the 100,000 Valis he spent would've been totally worth it.
In the game, one- and two-star Craft Essences were basically trash. But in the real world? Completely different story. These things came with all kinds of bonuses. Take something like "Personal Training"—in the midgame, it's practically useless. But in reality? That kind of experience gain could be game-changing.
Experience = Accelerated growth?
That equation alone was terrifying. It turned "Personal Training" from a worthless piece of junk into a god-tier Craft Essence for catching up fast.
Bell took a deep breath, walked over to the door, and leaned against it as he began examining the one- and two-star Craft Essences he'd drawn yesterday.
Ninety different Craft Essences floated in front of him, neatly arranged. Every five cards, their appearance shifted, showing a total of 18 different types.
'After ten full pulls with the guaranteed rate, I've probably drained the entire one- and two-star pool, haven't I?'
Looking at those 18 types of Craft Essences, Bell felt exhausted. It wasn't that he was upset about the guaranteed draws—it was the cost of upgrading them that had him feeling drained.
'The enhancement cost for a three-star Craft Essence is one million Valis. Hopefully the cost for one- and two-star Craft Essences won't be that high.'
Craft Essences only reach their full potential when enhanced. Given the chance, Bell intended to max them all out with money. After all, maxing out a three-star Craft Essence was incredibly difficult—so far, the only one he'd fully enhanced was "Hidden Blade: Tsubame Gaeshi."
And even that didn't grant him the technique itself. It merely gave him a way to reach that level, along with the finely honed skills required. That synthesized Craft Essence gave Bell an opening—a shortcut to executing Tsubame Gaeshi.
"Enhance all Craft Essences."
[Enhancement will cost 1.8 million Valis.]
'So, it's 100,000 Valis each for the one- and two-star Craft Essences?' Bell nodded slightly. That was a cost he could manage.
"Do it."
As soon as Bell gave his confirmation, the 1.8 million Valis stored in four-dimensional space turned into golden light and was absorbed by the Type-Moon System. At the same time, the 90 floating Craft Essences in front of him began to fuse.
Eighteen Craft Essences completed their enhancement.
"And now?"
One of the Craft Essences floated toward him. Bell immediately noticed the label "NO.1" on it.
But before he could react, the Craft Essence named "Tenacity" dissolved into glowing particles and started drifting around his body.
The sight made Bell freeze. He still had "Personal Training," a Craft Essence with the "Early Bloomer" trait, yet now he was seeing this one-star Craft Essence turn into light and encircle his body.
'Wait... does that mean there's no limit to how many Craft Essences I can have active in reality?'
The glowing particles slowly began to merge into his body.
Boom!
In that instant, every muscle in his body pulsed violently, his flesh seething like it was boiling. A strange blood-red hue spread across his skin. The surging blood made Bell feel like it might burst from his body—and that wasn't just a metaphor.
He wanted to scream, but he couldn't. All he could do was grit his teeth and endure. He could feel it clearly—his body was changing. Every drop of blood in him seemed to be reacting to some extreme stimulus.
After about three minutes, the rush of blood finally began to settle. But the effort to suppress it had drenched Bell in sweat.
"Ha..."
A heated breath escaped his trembling lips.
It shot out like a white arrow across the room, flying three or four meters before dissipating.
But Bell, the one who exhaled that heat, was in bad shape. The wild surge of blood had nearly made him lose control. He could feel his blood vessels and even his heart straining to the breaking point. The sensation was awful—so bad it was beyond anything he could have imagined.
'Craft Essences... so they actually directly enhance the body. If I hadn't received Falna's blessing, my blood probably would've exploded on the spot.'
Right then, Bell could only feel thankful he hadn't rolled the gacha earlier.
'Good thing I was broke back then.'