Star Platinum unlocked "The World," after reaching level six full level, Ryosuke's one-on-one frontal assault ability could handle most enemies.
But Orochimaru, the cult leader, the White Snake Sage… these kinds of hard-to-kill enemies, Ryosuke found a bit troublesome to fight.
'I'm missing large-scale AOE ability.'
''Aerosmith' barely counts, but its missile speed and attack power, good enough to bully ordinary ninjas, but really facing experts it can't keep up, can't hit, and even if it hits, it can't kill.'
'I'm also missing DOT ability, continuous damage.'
'As long as it hits, it will keep causing damage nonstop, cutting off the enemy's recovery.'
'If I could have some healing ability too, that'd be great.'
'Following this line of thought, best would be Red Magician, Purple Haze, Crazy Diamond, Golden Experience…'
Ryosuke thought it through, then gave a dry laugh.
It seemed like he was missing everything, needed everything, but the system wasn't a wishing machine, it's impossible that whatever he wanted, it would give.
What Ryosuke could do was the same as before, play well with the cards in his hand.
He gently rubbed his cheek.
6477 soul fragments. Ryosuke's budget today was 4000 fragments, draw until he got a suitable Stand, then stop, leaving the rest for upgrading the current ones.
'4000 fragments, that's 400 pulls. Based on past odds, about 160 pulls for a five-star, as long as my luck today isn't too bad, I should get 2–3 five-star Stands.'
Ryosuke took a deep breath, clapped his hands.
'Then let's do this!'
'Draw cards!'
Amid a sound like coins clattering in an arcade, soul fragments were rapidly consumed.
Ten pulls… fifty pulls… a hundred pulls…
One hundred fifty pulls… one hundred sixty pulls.
'Still nothing?!'
Ryosuke put in again.
One seventy… one eighty.
His vision went dark, starlight fell from the sky, Ryosuke closed his eyes and listened carefully.
Ding ding ding ding ding!
'Five stars!'
'It came!'
Starlight gathered into a small round ball.
[Item name: Zeppelin's Steel Ball]
[Five-star]
[Owner: Gyro Zeppeli]
[Description: Records the Zeppeli family's Spin Steel Ball technique passed down through generations]
[Note: "Spin is pretty hard, can you learn it… Ryosuke?"]
Ryosuke caught the green steel ball falling from the sky.
The ball was about the size of a tennis ball, fitting just right in the palm.
As he held it, a series of techniques for throwing and spinning the steel ball appeared in his mind.
'A long-awaited five-star… didn't expect it to be the Steel Ball technique.'
The so-called "Golden Spin" came from JOJO Part 7, Steel Ball Run, a miraculous ability passed down the Zeppeli family.
In the manga, the Zeppeli family were executioners; to let the condemned go peacefully, they created the Steel Ball technique, using the power of "Spin" to relax muscles, so one slash could take the head without pain.
But in Steel Ball Run, what "Golden Spin" could do was much more, from throwing combat, to vibration detection, to even physical healing.
It could be said "Golden Spin" was like "Ripple Energy", not a Stand, but even better than a Stand, an all-purpose skill.
As for why Ripple Breathing was four-star while Golden Spin was five-star…
Ryosuke guessed, most likely because Ripple was more about "self-cultivation," while Golden Spin was about "overcoming enemies."
Especially after mastering Golden Spin's Lesson 5, one could unleash the Cavalry Spin powerful enough to pierce dimensions, striking the enemy with aging in one blow.
That was truly a relentless causal attack.
"But, Cavalry Spin's offensive power goes far beyond what a five-star item should have.
The system's star rating balance is still fair.
Which means, for me to train up to Lesson 5 won't be easy."
Otherwise, if it had no limits, easy to train, huge power… the star level would definitely be raised to six.
Regardless of its limits, Golden Spin filled Ryosuke's lack of pursuit ability, even granting a chance to execute across space.
"Once Golden Spin is trained, when I meet the masked man again, just one Golden Spin shot, let's see how many Sharingan eyes he can afford to burn through."
One hundred eighty pulls, and Golden Spin came out.
That was a good sign.
Ryosuke put away the steel ball.
'Continue.'
Ten pulls… twenty pulls… thirty pulls.
His vision went dark again.
'That fast?!'
Ding ding ding ding.
Four chimes.
It was a four-star Stand… but to get one in just thirty pulls, that was absolutely a win.
Ryosuke waited for the starlight to fade.
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[Stand name: Burning Down the House]
[Four-star]
[Owner: Emporio Alnino]
[Ability: Open a hidden ghost room in the cracks of reality, able to enter it for a short rest, also able to store items inside, or use items that already existed in the ghost room, like books, food, etc. But food only gives the taste, no actual fullness.]
[When activating, one must first find a "crack," spend ten seconds designating it as an "entrance," then the ghost room can be entered.]
[If the crack is discovered by an enemy, they too can enter through it.]
[Once the ability ends, items stored in the ghost room remain, but anyone inside, enemy or ally, will be forced out, back to reality.]
[Current level: Level 1]
[Note 1: Take a break sometimes]
[Note 2: Listen carefully, you can smell pure oxygen; listen carefully, you can hear the cries of cowards.]
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"This Stand…"
JOJO Stands mostly go two ways, mechanism or stats. The Stand Ryosuke owned, Star Platinum·The World, was a perfect mix of both.
But "Burning Down the House" completely gave up stats, purely relying on mechanism.
Ryosuke found a crack, activated the ability.
After a short wait, the ghost room was constructed. He reached out to touch the crack, a huge pull came, and the next second, he was lying on a tatami mat.
'A strange ceiling… no, not strange.'
Ryosuke sat up.
In front of him was a TV, below it two game controllers. Not far away came the hum of a refrigerator. Ryosuke turned his head and saw outside, a small courtyard.
He remembered clearly, the gravel in that yard poked uncomfortably when sitting.
'The ghost room Burning Down the House creates, it's the Uchiha old house where 'I' died?'
Ryosuke walked out, stepping on the gravel, crunch crunch, then pushed open the gate.
Outside was pitch black.
The house and courtyard, that was the range of the ghost room.
'If I place chairs, or a steamroller, inside the ghost room, then in battle, set up a 'crack' in advance, then during time stop pull out the steamroller to crush someone?'
That was indeed a possible usage.
Besides that, it could also serve as a storage space for big items useful day to day.
'Anyway, only thirty pulls for it, not a loss.'
Budget still had 190 pulls left.
'Continue.'
Maybe the early Stands drained his luck, because the whole 190 pulls burned out with no new Stands or items.
Ryosuke's breathing grew a bit rapid, his jaw muscles tense.
'One last time, come out or not, I stop here.'
Another ten-pull went in.
Finally, his vision turned dark for the third time, and…
This darkness was deeper than before.
Ding ding ding ding ding.
Five stars.
The starlight became a human silhouette.
The figure held both hands to its chest, arms crossed.
Light flared suddenly, then as if sucked into a black hole, vanished in an instant.
A Stand with crimson radiance rising all over its body appeared in the air, coldly meeting Ryosuke's eyes.
'Killer Queen'
Ryosuke looked at Killer Queen, then looked at the steel ball in his hand.
A thought came to him, 'Golden Spin: First Bomb?'
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