[UNLIMITED GACHA UNLOCKED – 1x Daily Draw Available]
[Would you like to pull now?]
Takuya stared at the screen floating in front of him for a long time. He was still hesitant to touch it. The last time he did a gacha, the result was garbage. He didn't even know what he would get this time.
"What if something like a bear shows up and mauls me?" Takuya shook his head. He didn't want to die. "But… in novels, manga, manhwa, or manhua I've read… summoned creatures are usually obedient to their summoners."
[Yes/No]
Takuya had already raised both hands but was still unsure. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Then he nodded, trying to reassure himself.
"All right."
With trembling fingers, Takuya pressed the [Yes] button.
A blinding blue light burst from the floating screen. The air around him trembled, as if something were trying to break through from another dimension. A magic circle glowed on the ground, forming a complex pattern that reminded him of classic magic anime.
It was slightly similar to the magic circle that had summoned him to this world. Takuya swallowed hard, his heart pounding.
Then, from the swirling glow… something emerged.
Something very small.
Plop!
The object dropped right in front of Takuya's feet. There was no explosion. No tremor. No dragon's roar or giant tiger's growl. Just a light drop, like a fruit falling off a table. Takuya stood frozen, staring blankly in disbelief.
"…What is this?" he murmured.
He looked down.
An apple.
Bright red. Shiny. Half-bitten, with a clear mark where someone had taken a bite. This wasn't what he was expecting. In isekai novels, summoned heroes always received overpowered items or creatures. But… he had only received an apple. Just an apple.
"..."
Takuya stood stunned. A quiet breeze passed by his ear.
"…WHAT THE HELL?!" he finally shouted, shattering the silence.
[Congratulations! You've summoned: Apple]
[Effect: Unknown. Try eating it?]
Takuya blinked several times. He waited for further explanation—but nothing came. No mysterious narrator voice. No elven woman emerging from light to explain things. Just an apple. A bitten apple. No movement, no magical event whatsoever.
"'Try eating it,' it says. What if it's a poison apple?" he muttered, eyeing the fruit suspiciously. But its sweet aroma was tempting. Fresh. His stomach growled suddenly—he realized he hadn't eaten anything since arriving in this world.
"Did they forget about me?" Takuya complained.
He stood up, glancing around. No servants came to where he was. He was a victim of a one-sided summoning. The kingdom should at least treat him well. Or at least give him food.
But there was nothing. He had truly been forgotten.
"…Looks like I don't have much choice," he sighed quietly.
Hesitantly, Takuya picked up the apple. Then, he bit into it.
In an instant, his eyes widened. Not because of the taste—though it was incredibly sweet and juicy—but because the next notification appeared right in front of his face.
[Enjoy your meal!]
That was all. Takuya finished the apple. He sat in silence, cross-legged. Hoping something unique would happen to his body. A cheat skill, or a summoned elf girl, or at least a useful weapon.
But nothing happened.
"What the hell? Is this completely useless?" Takuya groaned.
He reached out to the screen still hovering in front of him. He tried touching the [Gacha Draw] button again—but the screen immediately changed.
[Daily Gacha already used.]
[Reset Time: 6 Hours 32 Minutes Remaining]
"Eh…?!"
He stared at the notification like it was a curse. He couldn't believe it. His fingers poked at the screen again, trying to force the system, hoping for any additional option—anything!
[Failed. Gacha can only be performed once per day.]
[Want to buy extra tickets? Sorry. Shop feature not yet unlocked.]
[Account level too low.]
"It really is just once per day? Then I'm just a regular human stuck in a foreign world without any cheat powers. Isn't that completely unfair?" he grumbled.
Takuya grabbed his own hair in frustration. His only hope of surviving in this world was… gacha? And only once a day? And even then, all he got was an apple. He had no idea what he might get tomorrow. If the result was trash again, he would curse everyone he met.
"If this keeps up, I'll be dead before I even get a rare item or skill!" he groaned.
Takuya lay down on the foul-smelling straw inside the horse stable. The stench of urine and leftover manure clung to the floor. Loud hoof stomps and snorts from a nearby horse made him flinch. Sleep was difficult.
"Why are they so disgusting," Takuya muttered.
He closed his eyes, forcing himself to sleep, despite the itchiness, cold, and noise piercing his ears.
Before long, his breathing slowed.
Takuya fell asleep.
***
The next morning, he got up and tried to speak to the servants, but they ignored him. Takuya insisted, and eventually, he was able to meet Seraphina in the training grounds.
When Takuya arrived, Seraphina only glanced at him briefly. Then she turned her attention to the other three heroes.
"What are you doing here?" Seraphina snapped.
"Hey, lady!" Takuya said, his voice slightly raised. "You summoned me to this world. The least you could do is provide me with proper facilities."
"What's the result of your Gacha skill today?"
Takuya scratched his head, hesitant to answer. If he told the truth, he would be looked down on even more. But if he lied and couldn't prove it...
He was done for!
"Haha, I haven't used it yet," Takuya said, still scratching his head.
"You only got an apple, didn't you?" Seraphina said.
At that moment, Takuya froze. His eyes widened, and he gulped. It turned out Seraphina already knew what had happened.
"…I'm sorry," Takuya said quietly.
"Tomorrow, we'll head to the forest to level up. You may come, and we'll provide proper food. Don't be late."
Seraphina said this without even looking at Takuya. In this world, skill and potential were everything.
If you had an overpowered skill, you would be strong and respected. But if it was the opposite, you'd be looked down upon.
Just like Takuya, who only had one skill: [Daily Gacha].
"If you become a burden, we'll leave you behind."
Takuya wanted to curse, but then he saw Shigeru battling Aika. Explosions of magic sent powerful gusts of wind sweeping through the area.
Takuya stared in awe. "This is like a magic anime," he whispered, swallowing hard.
"No wonder they're treated so specially. They're strong. Meanwhile, I…" Takuya gave a faint, awkward smile,
"…only have one dumb skill."