"System! Get out here and explain! Why is a theory book so damn expensive?!" Takashi Kuroda was fuming as he stared at the exorbitant price in villain points. The fact that he was just short of being able to afford it made him even angrier—he couldn't shake the suspicion that the system was deliberately screwing him over, embezzling his hard-earned villain points.
"Host, this is The Complete Guide to Imaginary Number Magecraft Even Side Characters Can Master. Once used, this book will instantly elevate you to the pinnacle of theoretical mastery over imaginary number magecraft! You'll be able to develop any imaginary number spell to its utmost potential and effortlessly teach it to others without worrying about them failing to learn. It will catapult you to the status of the foremost theoretical authority on imaginary number magecraft in the Type-Moon universe. Moreover, if you find someone with an affinity for imaginary numbers, you can quickly nurture them into a powerhouse. Doesn't that justify the price?" the system retorted.
"But that's equivalent to five epic-level gacha pulls!" Takashi protested.
"Ah, but gacha is unreliable—you might not get what suits you. This book, however, is something you can use immediately. Besides, gacha is all about luck. Get lucky, and you might hit the jackpot on the first try. Get unlucky, and you'll keep drawing trash. Naturally, it's cheaper than guaranteed purchases," the system consoled.
"Still, I don't have enough villain points… Tch, 20 points short. Should I go kick the old worm again?" No sooner had he said it than Takashi shot to his feet, startling little Sakura Matou, who was eating beside him.
"Host, the old worm is already dead. That's just a puppet you're controlling—it's not even human anymore. Abusing it won't net you any more villain points," the system deadpanned.
"Fine, then there's Shinji and his old man, Byakuya. I'll go kick them a few times." Takashi immediately headed in the direction the two had just left.
"What did those two poor saps Shinji and Byakuya do to deserve this? Ugh, fine, host, no need to go through all that trouble. You actually have some unclaimed villain points waiting for you," the system sighed.
"What? Unclaimed? Where from?" Takashi asked, puzzled.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten your malicious bug exploitation yesterday? Ahem, please receive your reward. Ding—Congratulations, Host! You discovered a system item bug and shamelessly exploited it to amass power you shouldn't have possessed. Your sharp wit and audacity have left countless systems trembling at the mere mention of your name. As a reward, you receive 2000 villain points, 1 epic gacha ticket, and the system will not confiscate the power you illegitimately accumulated. Your current points: 6980." The system finished its announcement.
"So that's how it is. Exploiting system bugs can earn villain points too? But is that bug patched now?" Takashi inquired.
"Of course it's patched. The system world operates with terrifying efficiency," the system replied.
"Damn, I was hoping to milk it a few more times… Whatever. System, buy this book. And you'd better not be lying to me." Takashi returned to his seat, waiting for Sakura to finish her meal. Though confused by his sudden departure and return, the little girl's reverence for her teacher remained unshaken.
"Confirmed! The Complete Guide to Imaginary Number Magecraft Even Side Characters Can Master has been purchased. Remaining points: 1980. Would you like to use the book now?"
"Use it."
"Congratulations, Host! You have acquired the ability: Imaginary Number Magecraft Theory (EX-Rank). Your memory now contains all theoretical knowledge on orthodox and variant forms of imaginary number magecraft. Additionally, you gain a special bonus when teaching disciples, allowing them to comprehend concepts with unprecedented speed—grasping advanced principles with minimal guidance, drawing parallels effortlessly, and so on. The higher the disciple's innate talent, the more pronounced the effects." As the system finished speaking, a violet light flashed through Takashi's pupils.
"Whew… My brain's struggling to process all this. Feeling a bit dizzy. Still have 1980 villain points left… Let's see what else the shop has." Takashi browsed the store but found most items beyond his budget. Giving up on the limited-time offers, he turned his attention to the permanent inventory.
At the top of the list was a red-framed item: Dimensional Home, a pocket dimension capable of linking to countless worlds. By setting anchors in different worlds, he could freely travel between them via this space—effectively a safehouse for interdimensional travel or escape.
This is perfect, Takashi thought. A dimensional safehouse is exactly what I need right now. But his excitement dimmed when he saw the price: 10,000 villain points. He swallowed hard. It'd take a while to save up that much.
"Alright, new short-term goal: earn 10,000 villain points." Takashi steeled his resolve to secure this lifeline.
"Now, what else is in the permanent stock… Hm? Epic and normal gacha tickets? Wait, so the gacha pulls require buying tickets from the shop first? You can't just spend villain points directly? Why make it so convoluted… Hold on. Why is the normal ticket only 90 points? Didn't you say a normal pull costs 100?" Takashi asked, surprised.
"Ah, Host, you're in luck! Today's random discount landed on the normal gacha ticket."
"Random discount? That's a thing?" Takashi blinked.
"Indeed. To encourage spending, the system shop offers one daily discount on a random item. This time, it happened to be the normal gacha ticket. A bit of a shame it wasn't the epic one, though," the system lamented. "So, Host, do you still think direct villain point gacha would be better?"
"Nah, this works. System, buy me a 10-pull. Let's test my luck." Rubbing his hands, Takashi prepared for his first normal gacha session.
After purchasing 10 tickets for 900 points (leaving him with 1080), he was about to stop browsing when he spotted something called Experience Points, exchangeable 1:1 with villain points.
"System, what's the deal with these experience points?"
"Host, check your status panel. These are tied to your abilities and skills. Experience points unlock or upgrade skill levels. For example, after using Viego, the Ruined King, you gained his basic abilities and skill tree. His core ability, Ruination, is currently at Lv. 3—only because you exploited the bug to flood this world with the Mist, forcibly boosting it from Lv. 1."
"Normally, upgrading Ruination from Lv. 1 to 2 costs 5,000 EXP, and Lv. 2 to 3 costs 20,000 EXP. Your bug exploit saved you a massive amount of villain points. And you know how valuable a 25,000-point item is—the advantage it grants is substantial," the system explained.
"Tch, all thanks to my quick thinking. Pity I couldn't hoard more Mist. Now I'll have to grind properly. At least Viego's skills are cheap to unlock—Sovereign's Domination (sword techniques), Harrowed Path, Black Mist, Heartbreaker, and Phantom Onslaught only cost 500 EXP each. The upgrades are pricier, though," Takashi mused.
"No worries, Host. Remember that Skill Upgrade Card you have?"
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