“More precisely, it is one of several skills I possess,” said Mei. “May I be allowed to appraise you, Master Light?”
“Uh, sure, go ahead.”
“Then, if you will pardon me. Appraisal!” Mei announced. “Your attributes are concealed in such a way that no one below my power level could have determined them. You continue to amaze me, Master Light. I could hardly have imagined how much power you possess. Your Gift, the Unlimited Gacha, grants you limitless access to gacha cards,” she continued. “The probability of receiving a certain card changes with the amount of mana. Ranked from high to low, you can receive: EX cards, Super Ultra Rare cards, Ultra Rare cards, Super Super Super Rare cards, Super Super Rare cards, Super Rare cards, Rare cards, Normal cards, and Errors.”
“Huh? What does all that mean?” This was definitely not something a poor little farm boy like me found easy to get his head around. Mei tried to fill in the blanks for me.
“When a sorcerer casts a spell, that magic uses the mana from the air around them. The Unlimited Gacha appears to produce cards by absorbing that very same mana. However, there is not much mana on the surface world, so the chances of your Gift producing an SUR card like mine were infinitely close to zero. However, because there is much more mana in the lowest reaches of this dungeon, the chances of producing an SUR card increased dramatically.”
“Okay, I think I get it,” I replied, having not understood half of what she’d said. The bit I did get was it looked like my Gift could produce cards as powerful as Mei on the bottom level of the Abyss.
“You are certainly astonishing, Master Light,” Mei remarked. “You were unaware of the particulars of the Unlimited Gacha that I have since revealed using my Appraisal, yet you knew enough about your ability to travel to the very bottom of the Abyss and summoned me regardless. You are indeed the perfect master for me to serve and it is my honor as a maid to do so.”
Mei paused, then continued.
“But do you not think it was somewhat reckless for you to journey to these depths alone, given your current status?” Mei asked. “From this day forward, I will never leave your side, and I swear on my honor as a maid that you will never come to harm in such a manner again.”
I could only respond with silence.
“Master Light, whatever is the matter?”
“Oh, no, it’s not what you think, Miss—I mean, Mei. I didn’t come to the Abyss by myself.”
I went on to tell Mei the whole story of how I’d gotten my injuries and how I’d found myself at the bottom-most level of the world’s most notorious dungeon, but doing so made me recall how the companions I’d once trusted had betrayed me in such a horrible way, and I was unable to hold back the tears.
Once I was done telling the tale, Mei embraced me tightly, and since she was taller than me, my face ended up being buried in her ample bosom. I’d been so focused on my feelings of despair that I didn’t at any point consider that a beautiful woman like Mei might hug me and smoosh my face in between her breasts. My submerged face, as well as the rest of my body, turned beet red. A scent sweeter than flowers filled my nostrils and made me dizzy with elation as Mei—who hadn’t noticed I was blushing—stroked my head over and over, and did what she could to console me.
“A solitary maid like me could never understand how painful and degrading that was, and how angry you must feel after what you went through, Master Light,” said Mei. “However, you have the means to exact the most appropriate retribution against those who have proven themselves to be lower than animal droppings. Please simply give me the order, and within the hour, I will have the heads of those reprobates lined up before you!”
“No, wait, Mei! You can’t!”
“I understand that you are a gentle soul, Master Light, but I do not believe there is a need to show a shred of mercy to those villains.”
I drew away from Mei’s chest and shook my head.
“No, I’m not saying I want to show them mercy. I just want to grow stronger and take revenge on them myself. I also want to find out why a nation would seek out and befriend a so-called ‘Master,’ only to turn around and try to kill him. I guess you don’t think a human like me would be able to do any of that, do you, Mei?”
“On the contrary. What you desire is what I desire, Master Light. If you wish to execute this act of vengeance on your own terms, then on my honor as a maid, I pledge to support you in that endeavor. However it comes to pass, it is my firm belief that you will succeed in having your revenge and uncovering the truth.”
“Thank you, Mei,” I said, after a pause.
“I am humbled by your words,” Mei replied.
I’d been betrayed by a group of friends I’d trusted, but on the upside, it had led to my Unlimited Gacha giving birth to Mei, a woman who swore her undying loyalty to me. My party’s betrayal had angered me so much, it boiled my guts, and I’d felt so hurt by it, I’d wanted to die right there on the spot. But because I’d ended up in the bottom-most level of the Abyss, I’d met Mei, and now, I felt joy welling up from the bottom of my heart.
Mei took out a handkerchief and wiped my tear-stained face. “To my most unbearable shame, I must inform you that I cannot help you fulfill your desires on my own. I ask that you use your Unlimited Gacha to summon other allies like me.”
“What? But you’re incredibly powerful. I mean, your power level is 9999,” I responded, flustered by this suggestion. “Why would I need more allies?”
“Indeed. I can tell you upon my honor as a maid that I am powerful enough to single-handedly lay waste to a nation or two with the utmost of ease. If it were simply vengeance you sought, that would not give me even a momentary pause. But in order to uncover the reasons behind your plight, my powers alone will be far from sufficient, and the most likely outcome would be that you never discover the truth.”
“So in other words, you’re saying I can just use my Unlimited Gacha to summon other people like you?”