Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Ashen Cemetery (3)
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As far as I knew, the people here were aware that equipping Valkyries with gear made them stronger, but they had no intention of using diamonds to pull for it.
They seemed to be pouring all their diamonds into summoning Valkyries, leaving no room to worry about armaments.
Instead, I'd heard they bought the Valkyries' weapons using their current wealth.
They used items dropped by monsters while hunting in fields or dungeons.
That was why nobles were still a bit stronger than commoners. Nobles had financial resources commoners lacked, allowing them to own stronger Valkyries even at the same rank.
However, a Valkyrie's rank outweighed her equipment in determining strength.
If I had spare Valkyries, it might be different, but right now, I desperately needed more.
My priority was to summon Valkyries first, then upgrade their gear to boost combat power.
"Hoo..."
A sigh escaped me involuntarily, recalling the time I'd pulled in a dingy motel corner.
Luck had been abysmal back then. Now I had over five times the diamonds, so things might go better, but it all boiled down to luck in the end.
I opened my Status and tapped the Valkyrie summon screen.
With trembling hands, I hit the 10-pull button.
A burst of white light erupted.
As expected, duds. But I hadn't pinned high hopes on it, so I wasn't too disappointed. You can't fill your belly on the first bite.
I'd known my luck was rotten, so no big heartbreak.
High expectations breed deep disappointment, after all.
I pulled again.
White. White. White. White. Blue. White. White. White. Blue. Blue.
Ten pulls, and the best was B-rank.
"Not easy..."
"Ah..."
Sua, watching from beside me, let out a sympathetic groan. Even to her, my pull luck looked abysmal.
That had burned through 30,000 diamonds—two months' worth of mining investment for most folks, gone in minutes.
"Sua, come here and rub my shoulders? It worked last time."
"Got it."
Without a word, Sua circled behind me and kneaded my shoulders.
Her rough touch felt refreshingly good against my muscles.
By now, Sua barely flinched when I pulled.
She seemed to sense my state of mind.
Her growing trust in me had eased her anxiety.
Feeling the warmth of Sua's hands on my shoulders, I went for another summon.
The white light shifted to blue, then red, finally blooming into gold.
Gold meant SR-rank Valkyrie.
Nereysia was classified as a healer, but she was a unique one who applied buffs and debuffs simultaneously.
Plus, she didn't heal through actions—instead, she automatically healed allies and attacked when her turn came.
With her trait handling heals and buffs/debuffs, plus her skill hitting all enemies, she shone as a support healer and buffer in 9-player battles or larger, rather than 6-player ones.
Not a bad Valkyrie at all.
Sua's shoulder rub really seemed to improve my pulls.
But the next 15 pulls yielded nothing worthwhile.
An A-rank tanker showed up, but it wasn't one I'd use effectively.
75,000 diamonds spent so far. I planned to cap at 300,000 today.
I just hoped for something good before then.
It was the 26th pull.
An ominous glow poured from the light.
'Th-this...!!!'
It felt exactly like when I pulled Lije.
Gold light exploded into a brilliant rainbow sheen.
Last time it took 100 pulls for an SSR; this time, just 26. Huge progress.
Luck or not, with everyone here hyping my talent, it felt like part of my skill.
I flipped the iridescent card.
"Kuh-hurk!!!"
Arin's appearance shocked me so much I could barely breathe.
She was the first SSR I'd ever pulled in the Valkyrie game—and after five years, still my steadfast companion.
In a word, my Valkyrie had arrived.
As top-tier ranged DPS, I'd poured love into raising her.
Having her back in my hands filled me with joy.
"Jackpot... Pulling Arin..."
It felt even more thrilling than Lije.
"Hmmm... Guess she was a favorite?"
Sua commented briefly, watching my reaction.
"Huh? No... You're still my top pick."
Sua smiled faintly.
"Heehee... Just teasing."
Teasing or not, I was relieved she didn't seem upset.
I considered stopping after Arin but decided to push to 50 pulls.
The rest netted a few A-ranks and another SR.
This SR was a tanker. Not mainline material with Lije around, but solid nonetheless.
Taini was a classic tanker with solid HP and defense. Her unique trait let her counterattack her killer upon death.
That trait occasionally turned the tide. Ranged DPS often had low HP and defense, so they'd kill the tanker only to get finished off while weakened or dead.
Not bad for frontline use.
150,000 diamonds for one SSR and two SRs? Decent haul.
I spent the last 150,000 upgrading main Valkyries' gear to A-rank.
Felt rock-solid now. Especially with Arin, hunting would be a breeze.
After a hearty breakfast courtesy of Erekina, we headed back to the Ashen Cemetery.
New Valkyries were level 1, risky, but "busing" them through hunts leveled them fast.
At the cemetery, I summoned Lije, Lussera, Jaira, and Garujan, plus newbies Arin and Nereysia.
Three new ones would've thinned my forces too much.
Normally, for busing, you'd hit a lower-level spot or pair five mains with one newbie.
But I trusted Arin enough for two.
Even at level 1, Nereysia's buffs/debuffs would help plenty.
Lije's tanking and Lussera's healing made it feasible.
They were my core mains, after all.
With six Valkyries, we delved deeper into the Ashen Cemetery.
Arin scanned around with an expressionless face—stunning and cool.
Her lore as the Celestial bow commander's ace made her illustration pop, but her vibe was pure style.
"Five zombies ahead!"
Garujan scouted first.
Arin drew her bow, aimed, and loosed an arrow.
Shooo!
The arrow sliced through the air, embedding in a zombie's head.
But it didn't stop there. Arrows flew from her fingertips at blinding speed toward the zombies.
Even at level 1, her shots staggered them with massive damage.
Thanks to her Demon Slayer trait.
Undead like zombies counted as Demons, amplifying her damage.
Zombies crumpled under her arrows, triggering a flood of alerts.
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Nereysia's level has increased.]
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Nereysia's level has increased.]
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Nereysia's level has increased.]
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Nereysia's level has increased.]
[Arin's level has increased.]
[Nereysia's level has increased.]
Level-up notices for Arin and Nereysia. Their rapid gains amped Arin's arrows even more.
Watching that, I figured it was time to get a little cocky.