Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps

[TL notes: I would be happy if you gave `The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology` a read pretty fun story :D]

When we climbed the slope and reached the top of the rocky mountain, we were greeted by a gray landscape devoid of any vegetation, a stark contrast to the forest below. The ground was mostly flat but uneven in places, with various sizes of rocks scattered everywhere. Identifying any monsters among these rocks seemed impossible at first glance. The opposite side of the canyon showed the same scenery, making one wonder how far Rugen Valley extended.

"It's wide, but it's just rocks everywhere."

"But the view from here is great. Did we come from over there?"

"Thinking about how we climbed all the way from there, it feels quite emotional. Makes me want to shout, 'Yaaahoooo!'"

"Stop it! What if monsters come over?"

Sisya began to cup her hands around her mouth as if to shout, but I hurriedly stopped her. The view from the rocky mountain was dull, but the colorful scenery of the forest and river below was beautiful, like a stark contrast between a desert and an oasis. I understood the urge to shout upon reaching the top, but attracting unnecessary monsters would be troublesome.

"Onii-san and the others still have energy, huh? I'm tired, so could I take a little rest?"

Estel, crouching with her hands on her cheeks, looked at us, clearly exhausted. Upon hearing her request to rest, Runa responded immediately.

"Yes, that's a good idea. Let's take a break."

"You look way too happy about that... Well, I wasn't planning to hunt right away, so take your time and rest."

Runa quickly sat on a nearby rock, looking quite pleased. She still seemed full of energy—no surprise, considering she's a vampire. We had planned to rest upon reaching the rocky mountain anyway, so it was a good time to take a lunch break with the bento Noru had prepared.

"Mmm, delicious. Eating up here makes it even better!"

"You really do eat a lot."

"The scenery adds to the flavor! It makes me want to eat even more!"

"You always look that happy when eating, though..."

Nor was rapidly devouring sandwiches while Estel looked on with an exasperated expression. Although the view did make the meal more enjoyable, I felt Noru's appetite wasn't really influenced by it.

"Mmm, yum... Don't sweat the small stuff."

"That's true. Let's enjoy our meal while taking in the view."

As Runa bit into her sandwich, Estel nodded in agreement, and all three of them continued to eat while enjoying the scenery below. I noticed that Sisya had wandered off somewhere. Looking around, I saw her walking and curiously examining the nearby rocks.

"What are you doing wandering around? Here, have this to eat."

"Ah, thank you."

I brought another sandwich slice to Sisya and called out to her. The rocky area seemed ordinary, but perhaps something had caught her attention.

"So, what are you looking at?"

"Well, the thought of finding gemstones has me excited... I've actually been looking forward to coming to Rugen Valley."

"Oh, you like gemstones?"

"Not particularly, but there's a certain romance to it, isn't there?"

"Yes, yes, I get that. Kindred spirit."

"Uh... yeah."

Sisya sharing my sense of adventure made me happy. I offered my hand, and after a moment of hesitation, she shook it.

"But this rocky mountain is vast. There are rocks everywhere, and finding the Lupes Rex is going to be tough."

"They did warn us it would be hard to find. I didn't think it would be this vast, though..."

I had expected a large mountain, but I hadn't imagined the top would be like this. The flat terrain made it easier to move, but the vast expanse with countless rocks where monsters could be hiding made it challenging.

"Hey, look over there. Did a landslide occur? The way it's collapsed looks odd..."

"Hmm? It does look strange. Maybe it's the aftermath of a battle between a monster and adventurers?"

Sisya pointed to a small rock mound partially collapsed in a semicircular shape, as if a powerful force had gouged it out. The semicircle was over 4 meters wide.

"That seems likely. Whether it was caused by a monster or adventurers is concerning."

"If a monster caused that, it could be the Lupes Rex. We should be careful of our surroundings when fighting."

If an adventurer caused that, they must be quite strong. Gouging out a rock like that is impressive but not impossible. If a monster did it, it must be strong, so we need to be cautious. Getting knocked off a cliff or impaled by a sharp rock could be deadly.

"Alright, let's search thoroughly! How does the map app look, onii-san? Any reactions?"

"Nothing, unfortunately. They're probably camouflaged like the Trent."

"Hmm, I guess we have to hit each rock one by one."

"It looks like it'll be a painstaking process."

After finishing our meal, we began our search for the Lupes Rex. As expected, the map app showed no red dots. Knocking on each rock seemed tedious.

"Whoa!? What is that!?"

"A stone is running around!"

"What a hassle. Anyway, take this!"

Suddenly, a soccer ball-sized rock that I kicked started rolling away. It transformed, sprouting limbs, and began running on two legs, trying to escape. Although it was strange to see, it wasn't entirely unexpected given other monsters like the mushroom and bamboo ones. Runa threw her spear at the fleeing stone, and I quickly checked its status before it was hit.

――――――

● Species: Lapis

 Level: 10

 HP: 1500

 MP: 0

 Attack: 100

 Defense: 500

 Agility: 40

 Magic Resistance: 0

 Special Ability: Camouflage

 Skills: None

――――――

This is quite a weak monster. After confirming its status, Runa's spear pierced it, shattering the stone into light particles. Climbing here was tough, but the monsters here seemed weak...

"Is that the monster that drops gemstone raw materials? The drop item is..."

Going to the spot where the Lapis vanished, I found a normal-looking stone.

"Just a stone..."

"All that effort for a stone."

"Looks like gemstones are rare drops."

"In that case, let's keep breaking rocks! Let's go!"

"Our goal is the Lupes Rex, so let's not get too distracted."

So, gemstones were rarer than I thought. I wanted to keep hunting until we got one, but our main objective was the Lupes Rex and the magic core it dropped. It's supposed to be a large, hand-sized, white stone, meaning the monster itself should be big. We'll focus on the bigger rocks.

We began exploring, focusing on larger rocks and using ranged attacks. Despite many encounters, none of the rocks moved, making me doubt their camouflage ability. Suddenly, a soccer ball-sized rock started moving.

"Whoa!? What the...?"

"A stone is rolling around!"

"What a hassle. Anyway, take this!"

The soccer ball-sized rock I accidentally kicked began rolling, sprouting limbs, and attempting to escape. Runa threw her spear at it, and I checked its status just before it was hit.

――――――

● Species: Lapis

 Level: 40

 HP: 14,000

 MP: 0

 Attack: 600

 Defense: 2400

 Agility: 50

 Magic Resistance: 0

 Special Ability: Camouflage

 Skills: Rolling

――――――

The larger the Lapis, the stronger it seems. This one had significantly higher stats and even a skill. We need to be cautious.

"These monsters vary in size and strength. And they're all camouflaged. Let's be careful."

"Right. I won't use magic recklessly."

"Good idea. Triggering too many at once would be troublesome."

The Lapis' size and strength variation was unexpected. Larger ones could mean larger gemstone drops. I continued hunting, hoping for a big drop. Suddenly, Noru came running, shouting.

"Oni-sama! I found something!"

"Really? Show me!"

"Yes, here!"

Noru excitedly showed me a red fist-sized chunk. It felt rough to the touch. A gemstone raw material?

"This is a gemstone raw material?"

"No, it's rock salt!"

"Rock salt!? How did you know?"

"I had a feeling, so I licked it."

"Oh... okay..."

Noru's instincts seemed sharp, if unusual. Tasting a rock? But it turned out to be right.

"Rock salt? I joked about it, but it's real."

"This motivates me! Let's find more!"

"Keep an eye on her, Estel. Don't let her eat anything weird."

"Got it."

Noru could probably tell what's safe to eat, but better safe than sorry. With Estel's help, I continued hunting alone until Sisya approached me.

"Oni-sama, look!"

"What is it?"

"Hehe, I finally found one."

"Really? Show me!"

"Here."

Sisya revealed a small, greenish stone. Though cloudy, it was translucent and gleamed in the sunlight.

"Wow! Finally!"

"Hehe, I may not have gacha luck, but I seem to have luck in this."

Sisya looked proud. I felt a bit jealous but relieved to see a real gemstone drop.

"But this gem doesn't seem fitting for Runa-san. We need to find a better one..."

"You're planning to give it to Runa?"

"Yes, I'd like to make it into jewelry for her."

Sisya's affection for Runa never wavered. Meanwhile, Runa was lazily poking rocks with her spear.

"Oni-sama, you should give something to Estel too. I'm sure she'd love it."

"You're right. I'll do my best to find something."

"That's the spirit! Even if we don't find the perfect one now, we can come back together later."

"True. Our main goal is the Lupes Rex."

Remembering the magic stone necklace Estel gave me, I thought a gemstone gift would be a good idea. Although our focus was the Lupes Rex, I could search for a suitable gem with Sisya's help later.