Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend

Chapter 30: Raw Talent

I released the gunblade from my hand. Before it even touched the ground, it shattered into glowing blue particles and vanished.

"Next one, what will I choose~" Bob hummed, his fingers dancing in the air as he navigated toward the next pack.

"Alright, stop right there!" I shot my arm out and blocked him.

"What are you doing? That’s not fair! You got an SR card. I want one too!" he pouted, hands on hips like a disgruntled toddler.

"Hey, don’t blame me, blame your luck," I replied. "Besides, I think it’s not wise to burn through all our BP now."

Bob narrowed his eyes. "So what, you get shiny sword and I get financial advice?"

"Look," I said, trying my best to convince him,like trying to promote insurance, "how about we focus on leveling up our Bond level first, then stockpile more BP? That way, we can afford the higher-grade booster packs. Even the common cards from those are probably better than what we’ve pulled."

He looked unconvinced.

I gave him the look. "Trust me."

"Hmmm..." Bob scrolled through the other card packs on the screen. Most of them were still locked in a dull grey.

After a few seconds of indecisive humming, he finally said, "Alright, this time I’ll follow your advice. Tomorrow, we hunt monsters in the forest and build up our BP."

"Deal," I said, and we clapped hands.

Just as we were about to call it a night, Bob suddenly squinted at something.

"Wait... there’s a little number ’5’ on the Inbox icon."

We both leaned over. He tapped it, and like opening a floodgate, a series of notifications rolled in.

---

[Bond formed with Novice Mage. Class Card obtained: Mage]

[Bond formed with Novice Archer. Class Card obtained: Archer]

[Bond formed with Novice Warrior. Class Card obtained: Warrior]

[Bond formed with Innkeeper. Class Card obtained: Innkeeper]

[Bond formed with Farmer. Class Card obtained: Farmer]

---

"...Huh," I muttered.

"Why do I get the feeling we just adopted a small village worth of classes?" Bob blinked, half amused.

"This is the card from people we met," he continued. "The archer is Evelyn, the warrior is William... the mage must be that lioness."

As me and Bob stared at the notifications, a thought crept into my mind. For the mage, archer, and warrior classes, sure, that made sense. But... Innkeeper? Farmer? Was it just because we talked to them?

"Wow! Innkeeper!" Bob grinned like he just found buried treasure. "I can use this to help Tania-chan."

"She’ll probably quit her job if that happens."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

I then tapped on the mage card, curious.

---

[Class Card: Mage]

Card type: Bond Bonus

Rarity: Common

Class Type: Magic

Role: Ranged Damage / Elemental User

---

Class Description:

The Mage is a fundamental spellcaster who draws upon elemental forces to strike enemies from afar. Though fragile and lacking in physical strength, Mages make up for it with their diverse spell options and high burst potential. As a common class, this version of the Mage offers a solid foundation in four basic elements and Arcane.

Base Attributes Bonus (when class is equipped):

+10 INT

+5 Mana Regen

+2% Cast Speed

-5 Physical DEF

Skills:

1. Firebolt

Hurls a small bolt of fire that deals moderate fire damage to a single target.

Element: Fire

2. Ice Shard

Launches a sharp shard of ice, dealing ice damage and slightly slowing enemy movement.

Element: Ice

3. Wind Blast

Release a gust of wind forward that deal wind damage.

Element: Wind.

4. Basic Barrier

Creates a weak magical shield that absorbs a small amount of damage.

Element: Arcane

5. [Required Novice Mage in Party]

6. [Required Novice Mage in Party]

7. [Required Advance Mage in Party]

8. [Required Advance Mage in Party]

9. [Required Prime Mage in Party]

10.[Required Prime Mage in Party]

---

I see. So if there’s a more advanced Mage in our group, then I can unlock more skills?

But, is Maya really just a novice mage? If that girl’s a beginner, I don’t even want to imagine what an advanced one looks like, let alone a Prime.

After reading the card, my eyes began to strain from the screen time.

This is why I never liked watching TV or staring at my phone too long, it always makes my eyes feel dried.

I tapped the screen and equipped the card.

[Host: Alan equipped Mage Class]

With that done, I stood up and shuffled toward the toilet to wash my face and get ready for bed. Bob, meanwhile, was still glued to the screen.

Today had been... a lot.

I just wanted a good sleep now. And tomorrow, I finally get to try out that glorious weapon.

And before I knew it, the world faded... and I slipped into the realm of dreams.

-----

The next day, I woke up feeling surprisingly energized. I stretched, yawned, and looked over, only to see Bob sleeping in the weirdest posture imaginable. His pillow was at his feet, his head dangling off the bed, and one leg somehow stuck between the bed frame.

Now this was the Bob I knew.

He must’ve stayed up late staring at those cards.

I walked over and gave his face a solid slap. "Hey man, wake up. It’s morning already. We agreed to go monster hunting today, remember?"

Bob groaned and sat up, blindly patting around for his glasses.

We did our usual morning routine, cleaned up, geared up, all that. But before heading downstairs, I turned to him.

"Unsummon Mina. We don’t need any unnecessary attention."

He hesitated, "But... she’s so cute. I want the world to see her."

I gave him a stern look.

With a dramatic sigh, he waved his hand, and Mina gently dissolved into sparkles. He looked like a man forced to part with his puppy. I almost felt bad. Almost.

Downstairs, we had breakfast. As usual, Bob had a grand time talking to Tania, offering to help her with work. Tania, ever the polite soul, refused with a strained smile that clearly signal ’Please leave me alone’.

I sipped my drink in silence, watching the scene unfold with deep sympathy for her.

She probably prayed every night for us to check out and never return.

"Let’s go buy some potions and food," Bob said, already halfway out the door.

As we stepped out of the inn, my eyes instinctively scanned around, and that’s when I saw someone in a hood sitting at the corner of the building. He was looking directly at me.

Our eyes met.

He quickly pulled the hood down to cover his face and turned away.

Why does that face feel familiar?

I paused for a second, but Bob was already dragging me toward the shop street, rambling about snacks. I shelved the thought for now.

We hit the shop street and grabbed supplies, life potions, mana potions, and, naturally, food. About 60% of our inventory ended up being food. And guess who was responsible for that?

After stocking up, we made our way to the east gate of the forest. The morning sun filtered through the trees ahead, and a light breeze stirred the leaves.

I wasn’t afraid of running into the Black Eagle anymore. In fact, a part of me hoped we’d run into them.

I wanted to test this new weapon, Indra.

Funny, just a few days ago I was all about pacifism and avoiding conflict. But now something had changed.

Now, I wanted strength.

As we were walking and chatting, a voice suddenly called out.

"Heyyy, Alan! Bob!"

We turned toward the source and saw Evelyn and her party waving at us from the roadside. They each carried large backpacks, clearly packed and ready for travel. We approached them.

"You guys heading back already?" I asked.

"Yeah," William nodded. "We’ve already reported everything to the Mayor. Time to return to the capital."

"You sure you guys don’t wanna come with us?" Evelyn chimed in, her hands stretching wide as if to display something grand. "We could show you around! The city’s gorgeous, huge and full of life!"

I smiled politely and shook my head. "I think we’ll pass for now. Maybe later. If we head to the capital, we’ll definitely look for you."

Evelyn looked a little disappointed.

I was thinking...are they really just being friendly? Or... do they want us to come with them because they saw what Bob and I can do?

Something about how eager they were gave me that itch of suspicion. Still, I kept it to myself.

"Evelyn, show me the best food in the city when we go there!" Bob said, grinning ear to ear.

"Alright," Evelyn laughed. "I promise to feed you so much your body gets bigger, hehe."

Behind her, Maya stood quietly beside William. Evelyn walked over, bumped shoulders with her, and whispered something in her ear. Maya’s expression tensed. She took a deep breath, then let out a long sigh.

"Alan," she said, her voice even but stiff, "next time we meet in the city, I’ll treat you to strawberry cake. It’s quite a delicacy. Consider it a small repayment for what I owe you."

She tried to act calm, but her hands were practically strangling her ornate staff.

"O-Okay, Maya. Can’t wait for the...cake," I said, trying not to choke on my own words.

William cleared his throat, clearly trying to move things along. "Then, we’ll be on our way. See you later, and stay safe."

"Bye-bye!" Evelyn waved cheerfully.

We waved back until their figures disappeared beyond the hill’s edge.

Bob nudged me with a smug grin. "Looks like someone has a date. Good luck, Romeo."

"At least someone wants to treat me," I muttered, shooting him a side-eye.

Laughing, we turned and headed for the east gate, our day of hunting finally about to begin.

---

William and his party had left the village about fifteen minutes ago. Now, they were crossing a shallow river, the cold water brushing against their boots, before stepping into the open plains beyond. The group was quiet, their thoughts weighed down, until Evelyn finally broke the silence.

"I really hope they join our guild," she said, gazing at the horizon.

"Me too. They’re strong and reliable. I’m sure our leader, Mirinda would love it," William replied. "However , they’re still raw talent though, and classless. There are other guilds out there that’ll offer them better deals than us," he added.

"That’s exactly why I want them with us!" Evelyn snapped, tossing a stone into the river. "I can’t take being looked down on by other guilds anymore, even in the capital."

Maya, walking behind them, adjusted her staff and said, "The other guilds have wealthy backers propping them up. That’s why they’re stronger and more resourceful. They monopolize most of the dungeons around their territories. Meanwhile, we get nothing from the capital. Their focus is all on economy. All we get is a building and a good luck."

"I know," William said. "That’s why high-ranking adventurers leave. We just... don’t have anything to keep them."

"If Bob and Alan joined us, we might actually have a shot," Evelyn said, her eyes lighting up. "With them, we could compete."

William nodded slowly. "Yes. That’s possible."

Maya gave a soft nod of agreement.

Then, silence quickly returned, like a rain falling on their head.

The hope faded as quickly as it came, and gloom settled over their faces.

"But Bob and Alan... with Mirinda?" Evelyn muttered, despair creeping into her voice. "They might be the worst possible match."

"I think our guild would become way more chaotic with them in it," William said with a sigh.

No one argued.

The group continued walking toward the city, each of them lost in thought, pondering the future of their guild, caught somewhere between hope and impending disaster.