No. Calm down. Let's think this through clearly.
Yoichi took a slow, measured breath, forcing his frantic heart rate to stabilize. His small hand clutched the porcelain bottle, the coolness of the ceramic a sharp anchor in his swirling anxiety. He stared into the darkness.
"Hmmm. I have two immediate problems: the pills and the inspection. I have two choices for the bottle. Either I frame Masaru, since he clearly bypasses the inspection rules and could likely hide it. Or, I dispose of the bottle in the latrine. Throwing these resources away is simply too wasteful."
His mind rejected the idea of waste. These pills were his key to survival. The only way to find a better solution was to gain a new asset, specifically a storage item. He decided to leverage his remaining tickets for a solution.
He ripped two [Golden Tickets]. The physical world dissolved, and Yoichi was instantly back in his sea of consciousness. The Golden Roulette wheel was indeed larger and more comprehensive than the Silver one, filled with dazzling potential.
「Golden Roulette」
[Secret Technique: Face Changing]
[365 portions of True-Qi Pills]
[Space Ring] (100 cubic meters)
[Night Guardian]
[Nature Affinity]
"Holy moly. The wheel is magnificent. Hehehe. Spin."
[Drawing...]
[Congratulations on winning (Old Skin)]
[Congratulations on winning (Self Healing Constitution)]
The light of the revelation faded. Yoichi was back in the sleeping quarters. He felt an intense, crawling itch beneath his skin, like tiny insects working furiously. He immediately glanced at the injuries on his forearms. The shallow cuts looked as if they were being rapidly stitched together, the edges sealing and fading right before his eyes. His bruises seemed to soften and lighten by the second.
[Old Skin] (Gold)
—Injuries and bruises will recover much faster.
[Self Healing Constitution] (Gold)
—Faster injury recovery in combat.
"Whoa. Some of my small incisions healed quickly." Yoichi flexed his fingers, testing the repaired skin. "However, these things must consume stamina. After all, energy cannot be destroyed nor created. From now on, I will have to call them passive, since they work autonomously like passives in a game."
Despite failing to win the spatial artifact, Yoichi was satisfied. He had gained critical tools for enduring the constant physical abuse of the mine.
If there are helpful passives like this in the roulettes, survival will be much smoother. Still, the crisis is not over. I hope that Prismatics will do well.
He saw the [Prismatic Tickets] displayed in his mental status, and with them, two new categories of roulettes.
「Prismatic Resource Roulette」
[Spirit Pills]
[Intrinsic Soul Artifact]
[Advanced Weapon Forging Ledger]
[...]
「Prismatic Passive Roulette」
[Whetstone]
[Excellent Offspring]
[Gathering Storm]
[...]
Yoichi immediately discarded the idea of the Resource Roulette. It felt wasteful to gamble for more pills when he had a bottle currently burning a hole in his hand. He needed a passive that solved his current dilemma or enhanced his core abilities.
He ripped two [Prismatic Tickets].
The system pulled him into a mental space dominated by two gigantic, slow-turning wheels, radiating brilliant, divine light.
Uwah... The roulette was split into two. Regardless, I will go passive.
[Drawing...]
[Congratulations on winning (Incinerator)]
[Congratulations on winning (Battle Instinct)]
A low, deep rumble erupted from Yoichi's stomach.
GRRRRRRR!
It was an immediate, animalistic hunger, a fiery desire that sent intense, urgent signals through his brain demanding sustenance.
"Hmmm. So hot." On his left, Hikari mumbled against his hip, instinctively hugging him closer, seeking the unnatural warmth radiating from his body.
Fuck! This is too much! I have to stabilize this.
Yoichi unscrewed the porcelain bottle. He was originally going to take one pill, but the intense starvation passive made him reckless. He swallowed the first pill.
Hmmm. Not enough.
The pill was instantly consumed by the void in his stomach.
He swallowed another.
Again.
Consumed by desperate starvation, he ate all the [Qi-Blood Pills] in the bottle. A wave of scorching heat washed over his tiny body, followed by a profound feeling of being fed and fulfilled, a sensation Yoichi hadn't felt in either of his lives. He savored the potent energy rushing through his veins.
The new passives were immediately integrated.
[Incinerator] (Prismatic)
—Every time you digest food, it will be 100 percent perfectly digested. At the same time, you will starve faster.
Note: rich in nutrition foods will give additional Qi-Blood or unknown attributes.
[Battle Instinct] (Prismatic)
—In battle, you are like a fish in water. Increases focus, perception, and sense of rhythm in combat.
Note: can also sense surrounding malice towards the user.
"So that's why." Yoichi analyzed the situation with cold clarity. "An augment type and a battle type passive. Regardless, it's a double-edged blade. Looks like I need to satiate this hunger constantly unless I want to die from starvation."
He was energized, healed, and suddenly a walking furnace, radiating warmth and needing ten times the normal food intake. His immediate priority shifted.
I need to dispose of this bottle immediately. I will think about this hunger later on. Shit, this is too much nourishing.
Yoichi stood up, his small hands clutching the empty bottle and instinctively covering the strange, tense pressure in his lower abdomen.
He moved quietly towards the latrine.
Right between the toilet shed and the sleeping quarters, Yoichi felt a sudden spike of malice. His Battle Instinct flared, a cold tingle tracing up his spine, and he glanced at the source of the intent. Continuing into the comfort room with trepidation, he hid the bottle behind his back.
"Did you see that? He looked at us."
"Huh? Are you that paranoid after losing mission activities, Yukiko? Look at him, trembling. Maybe he was chilly and felt the wind on this side."
Near a nearby tree, a boy and a girl, roughly twelve years old, were positioned for the night watch. They were Chunin-level guards.
"Do you take me as a fool, Mitsuru? We both saw him looking at us." Yukiko closed the distance between the tree and the toilet shed, checking all the sparse escape routes along the fence.
"Hah, then what? Even if he ran away, he's definitely dead from these kunai." Mitsuru followed, glancing at the shed and then back at the girl.
"This little boy appears to be suspicious. Maybe we should check the room for any questionable acts."
"Hehehe, do you really want to go in?" Mitsuru joked lecherously.
"Fuck off." Yukiko glanced at him with disgust, dismissing the notion of entering the foul space.
Shit! Those shinobi are so scary!
Yoichi stood over the hole.
As for this hole, I pray for these cleaners a good stomach after seeing this mess.
He looked down at the putrid mix of yellow piss and brown excrement, a slurry swarming with maggots and flies.
Releasing the porcelain bottle, it dropped with a soft, final plop and gradually sank to the bottom of the putrid lake.
"Hoy, are you done now?"
Startled, Yoichi glanced at the door. His heart hammered with a mix of anxiety and adrenaline. When he opened the door, it was not the patrol.
"Heh, shitting yourself, Yoichi? Or eating shit? Hahaha."
It was one of Tadao's lackeys, appearing to relieve himself in the middle of the night.
"Hehehe, sorry for the wait."
Yoichi replied nonchalantly and walked swiftly back into the sleeping quarters, cleansing himself of the stench and separating himself from the evidence.
After the lackey was finished, Mitsuru and Yukiko emerged from the shadows. Mitsuru was lazily leaning against the tree, and Yukiko stood with her arms crossed.
"Come on now, Yukiko. You can't just report somebody just because he accidentally peeked at us from far away. It's utterly ridiculous even if you report it to Hayate-sama."
"Tch. It's you who is faulty. If you just chose to follow me, these problems in this shitty area would be complete."
"Here we go again with your delusional tantrums."
"Oy, get back here. I'm not done talking."
In the blink of an eye, the two shinobi left, deeming the event a coincidence and avoiding proper investigation.
I need to scheme for that Space Pouch and practice the Heavenly Demon Postures early. One step at a time, one step at a time.
Yoichi slid back into his spot. He felt a profound, satisfying warmth all over his body, ignoring all extraneous thoughts.
He drifted back into dreamland, his immediate survival secured, but his future now tied to an insatiable, Incinerator hunger.