Chapter 257: No Objections, Right?
Overall, Nagato's strength can be considered an Advanced Gold Legendary.
"Not bad!"
Ren was very satisfied.
[Recycle the selected character?]
"Recycle!"
[Ding! Recycle successful! Your mana has increased!]
Ren felt a surge of warm energy coursing through his magical circuits. He casually recycled Kakuzu and the other fodder character cards from the previous pulls. The sensation of his mana pool expanding, even incrementally, was intoxicating. It was a rush that never got old—like a dry sponge soaking up water, his very soul seemed to expand.
"Just another dozen or so recyclings and my mana capacity will officially jump by another half-star," Ren mused, clenching his fist as blue sparks danced across his knuckles.
In the current stage of his progression, raising his rating by half a star was an extremely difficult endeavor. It was no longer a matter of simple training; the System required the raw magical essence obtained from recycling five Gold Legendary characters to facilitate such a breakthrough. The cost was high, yet the power boost resulting from such an upgrade was equally massive, solidifying his foundation for the god-like tiers of magic.
"Keep going! Keep going!"
Having drawn a Gold Legendary in the form of Nagato, Ren's confidence soared. The gambler's fallacy didn't apply when you had the luck of a protagonist—or so he hoped.
Ren started his fourth ten-pull.
[Perform a ten-pull?]
"Confirm!"
The familiar roulette of lights spun before his eyes. Blue, blue, blue...
The fourth ten-pull was unlucky—not even a purple glow graced the screen. It was a sea of trash mobs and consumable items. Ren clicked his tongue in annoyance but didn't lose heart. This was the nature of the gacha; the valleys made the peaks look higher.
Ren began the fifth ten-pull.
The lights flickered, and this time, a violet hue illuminated the interface.
The fifth ten-pull yielded a purple card. The artwork depicted a man in a checkered coat with a piece of hamburger stuck to his cheek, wielding a bamboo stick infused with Busoshoku Haki.
It was Vergo, the "Demon Bamboo," the top executive of the Donquixote Family and the undercover agent inside the Marines G-5 base from the world of One Piece. He was a formidable Haki master, famous for being sliced in half by Trafalgar Law in the SAD production room on Punk Hazard Island.
"Vergo-san..." Ren murmured, looking at the card. "Decent physical stats and Haki mastery, but compared to the magic power I need? Insufficient."
Ren naturally recycled this sort of character on sight. The raw stats were converted instantly into fuel for his own growth.
Ren started the sixth ten-pull.
[Perform a ten-pull?]
"Confirm!"
His heart beat a little faster. The anticipation was the best part.
"Gold! Gold! Gold!"
Ren kept staring at the System's gacha screen, silently chanting the mantra of all gacha addicts, praying for that golden radiance to pierce the mundane blue.
Suddenly, the screen erupted.
A brilliant, blinding golden light flashed, illuminating Ren's room with the promise of immense power.
"It's gold!"
Ren's eyes lit up—tonight's second gold had finally arrived. The rush of dopamine was instantaneous.
Ren flipped the Gold character card with trembling fingers.
"It's actually him!!"
Ren was stunned the moment he saw the figure on the card.
The artwork didn't depict a terrifying monster or a god in divine armor. Instead, it showed a rather ordinary-looking middle-aged man. He had tawny hair combed neatly, a tawny stubble under his lips, and gentle blue eyes behind glasses. He was bare-chested, his muscles bulging with an exaggerated, almost grotesque perfection, and a massive, ornate golden one-handed axe rested casually on his shoulder.
"Escanor!!"
Despite the plain appearance of his face, Ren recognized the sheer arrogance radiating from the posture at once.
Escanor.
The Lion's Sin of Pride from the anime Seven Deadly Sins.
"Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one."
The quote echoed in Ren's mind. He was a member of the legendary Seven Deadly Sins, titled the Lion's Sin of Pride. Among the fans of his previous life, Escanor was arguably the strongest and most popular character of the entire series.
He bears a Lion tattoo on his back and is technically of the human race. However, he wields the Grace known as "Sunshine," a sun-based magic originally belonging to the Archangel Mael. This power fundamentally alters his physique and personality in sync with the position of the sun.
At night, he is the weakest Holy Knight, timid, submissive, and fragile.
But as the sun rises, he grows.
At high noon, when the sun is at its zenith, he possesses peak combat power, entering a state known as "The One." In that singular minute, he is the incarnation of power itself.
In the final battle of his original world, he stood against the Demon King, a literal god, and slew him, ultimately perishing when he burned away his own life force to maintain his power.
After that, Seven Deadly Sins was jokingly called the story of an honest man and his six actor teammates because Escanor carried the team so hard.
Though a joke, it wasn't far from the truth.
By Ren's estimate, Escanor was already formidable by daylight—easily a Wizard Saint level threat. But for that one minute at noon? He became invincible.
"This is huge," Ren muttered, analyzing the data. "Undoubtedly another Advanced Gold Legendary. During that noon minute, his combat strength likely pierces the ceiling, nearing Top-tier Gold Legendary status. He could probably tank a Dragon King's roar with his bare hands in that state."
"Jackpot, jackpot!!"
Although it had taken sixty pulls to get two Gold Legendaries, both Nagato and Escanor were incredible heavy-hitters with versatility and raw destructive power.
Ren looked at his remaining crystals.
Seeing 21 pulls left, Ren decided to use them all.
[Perform a ten-pull?]
"Confirm!"
Magnolia Town
Twilight Ogre Guild Hall
The atmosphere inside the Twilight Ogre guild hall was thick with smoke and the stench of stale alcohol. It was a stark contrast to the warmth of Fairy Tail; this place felt like a den of bandits masquerading as mages. The furniture was mismatched and broken, and the members leered with open hostility.
"So, old man, no more chatter; return the money you borrowed—plus the interest in ashes. That's all we ask."
Sitting on a makeshift throne of crates, Twilight Ogre's Guild Master, Banabost, puffed his thick cigar. He was a large, grotesque man wielding a spiked mace that looked more like a torture device than a weapon. Arrogance was written across his face, his small eyes gleaming with predatory greed as he looked down at the diminutive Makarov.
"Even if you say that, you know we're broke!"
Makarov said, his voice strained. Now that he was back from the seven-year stasis on Tenrou Island, the first order of business was dealing with Twilight Ogre's loan-shark debt. The reality was harsh—the guild had no funds, no jobs, and their headquarters had been seized. They were destitute.
Beside him, Mirajane looked over a crumpled piece of paper, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously.
Mira smiled sweetly, but the aura radiating from her was anything but kind. "After looking at your ledger, the cash flow looks pretty suspicious, Banabost-san. Compounding interest daily? Hidden fees for 'protection'? This is essentially robbery."
The Twilight Ogre Guild Master sprang up like a cat with its tail stepped on, slamming his mace onto the floor. "What?! You planning to renege?! Don't give me that technical mumbo-jumbo!"
Makarov raised a hand to calm the situation, sweating slightly. "No, no! We'll pay back the principal and the fair interest—someday... once we get back on our feet..."
"I want it back right now!!" Banabost roared, spit flying from his mouth. "I don't care about your excuses! Pay up or we start breaking bones!"
"Nope, nope. Let's start by recalculating the interest," Makarov insisted, trying to buy time.
"Five of our boys got roughed up by you! As creditors, being stiffed—this is about our guild's Face!!" Banabost yelled, pointing his cigar at Makarov's nose. "Do you think you trash from the past can just walk in here and—"
Suddenly—
A heavy wooden crate whistled through the air, moving at the speed of a cannonball. It flew over the heads of the stunned guild members and smacked the Twilight Ogre Guild Master directly in the Face.
Bang!
"Gah!"
The impact was brutal. The wood splintered, and Banabost was sent reeling backward, blood spurting from his nose.
The Guild Master cried out in pain, dropping his cigar.
"Guild Master!"
The Twilight Ogre members were startled, reaching for their weapons in panic.
"Who was that?!"
The Guild Master clutched his broken nose, tears streaming from his eyes as he shouted in rage. "Who dares attack me?!"
"Me!"
A calm voice cut through the chaos.
Ren walked over from the entrance, his footsteps heavy and deliberate. He wore a relaxed expression, but his eyes were cold.
Makarov exclaimed, his jaw dropping, "Brat, what are you doing here?"
"Didn't you need to repay the money? I heard you arguing from down the street." Ren dusted off his hands. "Over the years, my bank deposits have earned a ton of interest. Being an S-Class Mage pays well, and compound interest pays better. I thought I might as well use it to settle the debt."
Hearing that, the Twilight Ogre Guild Master ignored the pain in his nose. He scrambled forward, grabbed the shattered crate, and ripped it open. His eyes bulged.
It was stuffed with cash. Stacks of Jewels, tightly bound. It was more than enough to cover the debt; it was a small fortune.
Banabost drooled, about to pocket it immediately.
Makarov slapped a hand down on the crate. "No way! Brat, that's your money; the guild can't use your personal cash to clear the debt! We have to take responsibility ourselves!"
"Hey, geezer! Don't wanna pay up?!"
The Guild Master snarled, pulling the crate back. He couldn't care less whose money it was—once it was in his hands, it was his. "Money is money! The debt is settled!"
Ren waved it off casually. "It's fine, Master. The guild's in trouble; I can help out. Consider it a loan if you must. The money can be repaid to me slowly later. Besides, I can't stand seeing you bow your head to trash like this."
He loved money but wasn't stingy; if the guild needed help, he'd step up. Money was a renewable resource; pride was harder to regain.
"Brat..."
Makarov was touched, tears welling in his eyes. Ren really was dependable. He had grown so much.
"Hand it over!"
The Twilight Ogre Guild Master snatched the money, hugging the crate like a lover. "Heh, looks like you fairies are good for something after all."
"All right, debt repaid—now you can get lost!" Banabost sneered, feeling victorious. "Get out of my guild!"
Makarov's expression shifted. The deferential, worried look vanished, replaced by the imposing aura of a Wizard Saint.
Makarov said, "Hold it!"
"Old man, what else do you want?" Banabost asked, annoyed.
"We've paid what we owed you; strictly according to the numbers," Makarov said, his voice dropping an octave. "Time to settle what you owe us."
The Guild Master's heart skipped—something bad was coming. The air in the room suddenly felt heavy, suffocating. "Nonsense! When did we ever owe you?! We're the creditors here!"
Ren stepped forward, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Makarov. He looked calmly at the Twilight Ogre crowd, scanning their fearful faces. "For seven years you've damaged our guild property, insulted us, and abused our members. You humiliated Romeo, bullied Macao and Wakaba, and treated Fairy Tail like your personal punching bag. Now... you'll repay every last bit."
Makarov stood up, his body slowly enlarging. His muscles swelled, and his shadow stretched across the terrified Twilight Ogre members.
"For seven years… the pain and tears of our kids… Hey, Brat, we settle this with a fight—any objections?"
The intimidation was palpable. The Twilight Ogre members realized too late that the sleeping dragon had woken up.
"Eeeeeek—?!!"
The Twilight Ogre members were terrified, backing away as Makarov's fist grew to the size of a boulder.
"Gyaaaaah!!!"