Gacha Addict in a Matriarchal World

“Jo-Jonah? Where did you go?!”

Benny, who was in the middle of showing off, looked around in confusion.

I whispered softly into her ear.

“Shh! I’m in stealth mode.”

“Gasp!”

Even in this situation, her ears being ticklish was inevitable. Benny squirmed and made a strange noise.

However, she seemed to have the sense that she couldn’t show any weakness to the opponent in front of her. She widened her eyes and gritted her teeth, managing to suppress her ticklishness.

That sight made her look as if she was trying hard to quell her rising anger… It seemed I wasn’t the only one who thought so, as Morgana’s lips curled into a smirk.

“Well. Are you blaming me for the death you caused with your own hands? Did you really expect that child to be safe after rending through space with force? How foolish. Didn’t I warn you? You’re not a mage.”

Morgana laughed grimly and pulled her staff out. It was an elegantly designed staff, carved from wood and adorned with gold. The transparent gem at the tip was cut in multiple facets, boasting a dazzling brilliance.

Though momentarily captivated by the expensive-looking staff, it became apparent that the staff wasn’t the only extravagant item.

The robe draped over her body was a traditional but magnificent mage’s robe, white with gold embroidery.

However, the material, which seemed unusual and ominous, and the densely packed magical runes, almost imperceptible unless closely observed, suggested that this was no ordinary item either.

I remember Lydia telling me once. The items sold at the Magic Tower are not only expensive, but there are also things that can’t be bought with money. And she said that’s the real deal.

In other words, it’s not surprising if the artifacts are of a much higher level than those on the market.

It must have an incredible defense enchantment that surpasses Lydia’s bikini armor.

I can’t be sure, but the chances are low that a woman who has reached that age and status on the Pan Continent is a virgin.

As long as I can stab her with the Unicorn Dagger, I can deal a fatal blow. Yes. If I can just stab it in. Though it’s highly likely to be blocked.

As I squinted and pondered how to create an opening, Benny shouted in a fierce voice.

“If you die, you won’t be a mage either! Shadow! Devour that damned woman!”

-Kurrr!

I thought I had gotten quite strong, but Shadow threw its body at an invisible speed.

But as expected, Morgana’s robe glowed, forming a translucent barrier around her.

Blocked by this, Shadow made a splat sound, spreading widely in the air like mud hitting a glass dome.

The incessant grinding sound. The sound of the sharp teeth, which had grown to fill its entire body, gnawing at Morgana’s shield.

However, it was not the usual sound of teeth I knew. It was an ominous roar, like the twisting of dragon bones.

With the noise and Shadow’s body blocking Morgana’s sight and hearing, Benny urgently whispered.

“Run away!”

“…What?”

“Jonah, this is not a fight for you to get involved in! If you really get caught up in this, it could be dangerous, so run away from here immediately!”

“How can I run away and leave Benny behind? I’m sure there’s something I can do…”

“…No! To be honest, it’s a hindrance! We can’t focus on our full strength while worrying about you, Jonah, when we don’t even know where you are! And Lydia asked me to ensure your safety.”

Benny, glaring towards Morgana, said this. But the hand she was gripping tightly was trembling slightly.

Ah, is that it?

Being told to run away because it’s dangerous, but not going and ending up in danger together, the heroine.

At that moment I paused, having never thought I’d be in such a position. Benny, perhaps interpreting my silence in some way, added in a much gentler voice.

“I’m not telling you to just go. Go and bring Ellie. You’re good at finding your way, right?”

“But Benny, you just used a big spell back to back and got really tired. Are you okay?”

“Of course. Who do you think I am?”

Benny, with the witch hat pulled down snug. The purple hair peeking out fell onto the dress clinging to her body.

Only the heart-shaped pupils gleamed chillingly in the shadows.

“Win.”

That single word became a spell that wrapped around Benny. Shrouded in a golden glow, Benny scattered a strong presence as if she were the center of this space…

Why is it? The declaration that should be grand sounds hollow.

With a sense of foreboding, I forced my lips to move.

“…Got it. I’ll be back soon, so please hang in there.”

As if saying to go quickly, Benny waved her hand instead of answering.

In any case, it was indeed dangerous, so I created some distance. Has the battle really started? Loud explosions and vibrations could be felt from behind me.

Strangely, the intermittent screams and impacts vanished as if they had never existed. The feeling of repeatedly playing and pausing, only then did I recall Morgana’s specialty.

Spatial Magic must be having some influence.

I deliberately didn’t look back. To focus solely on getting out of here, as Benny said.

Gradually, when I could no longer hear the aftermath of the battle behind me or Benny’s curses.

“…Huh?”

Suddenly. Without any warning. The anxiousness that weighed heavily on my heart spread throughout my body like wildfire.

The sensation of my breath hitching in my throat. My mind filled with just one thought that this shouldn’t be happening.

And this unknown anxiousness soon took on a distinct form.

“Ugh!”

An image flashed through my mind with a brief headache.

Just like being sliced by an invisible sword, she is being cut into pieces at the same speed I was running.

Despite having her limbs severed, Benny does not bleed a single drop, and Shadow wails mournfully at her.

A monster, indistinguishable whether it resembles the frenzied Benny or the frantic Shadow.

A rejuvenated Morgana exults while looking at her own skin, only for it to boil and countless eyes to emerge.

Ellie and I biting our lips in front of Benny’s corpse, which has an empty heart.

Countless horrific scenes repeatedly flash and disappear in my mind.

In reality, only a few seconds have passed. But the hallucination, which felt like it lasted almost an hour, finally ends, and a passage surrounded by dirt fills my vision.

A head blurred and cloudy as if shrouded in fog. Breathing heavily like someone utterly exhausted, the scenes from just moments ago start to fade from memory, and clarity begins to return.

As my mind fully comes back, all that remains is the impression of having seen something horrifying; no detailed memories exist.

As if it had been my delusion from the very beginning.

“What is this…”

In confusion, I placed one hand on the wall and clutched my head. Instinctively, I knew from the anxiousness clinging like embers at the bottom.

That something did indeed happen a moment ago. And that it should not be ignored.

“Phew.”

Taking a deep breath, I tried to sort out the situation for a moment.

If I am there, Benny cannot fight properly, even if present, I cannot intervene.

However, if things continue like this, I feel like something bad is going to happen. This is not just a simple illusion.

“Damn it.”

So what do you want me to do? If neither side is the right answer, I don’t know what you expect me to do.

I don’t even know why I’m suddenly feeling this unease and déjà vu that I’ve never felt before.

Is this some kind of magic? A brainwashing app…or some kind of mental magic that calls back witnesses?

Frustration turns into anger, and my hands, not knowing what to do, rummage through my pockets.

Of course, there’s nothing to find. Just some simple snacks, a smooth stone given by Shadow as a gift, and some crossbow bolts ready to be loaded at any time.

Since I got the Subspace Ring, I’ve put all the important things in the subspace.

Knowing it was meaningless, how many times did I rummage through the subspace?

Squish.

“…Huh?”

A soft sensation in my hand. There is only one thing that feels as soft as human flesh.

The fully upgraded Goddess Statue.

However, the touch I feel at my fingertips is slightly strange. It’s not the usual posture with slightly open arms, as if to hug me.

Curious, I take it out, and the Goddess Statue is clasping her hands together in front of her chest, as if in prayer.

What’s this? Is it a desperate prayer meta to spin the gacha?

But all the Magic Stones I’ve collected so far are with Shadow. All I have now is the emergency fund of 1 silver coin tucked in the sole of my shoe.

Just in case, I tried a single spin.

Ding!

[1 Star: Well-Dried Magic Herb]

“Darn it!”

This isn’t it either.

Then what on earth is that prayer for…

I hesitated for only a moment while chewing on the Magic Herb. I finally recalled the function of the Goddess Statue that I hadn’t used well until now.

If I pray to the Goddess Statue that became a holy relic through refinement, I can build a mini sanctuary.

Normally, it would only boost physical abilities and regenerative powers…but this is a Labyrinth.

It’s the tomb of Gods, where the Goddess of Love sacrificed herself and secluded them, a place that shouldn’t exist, given rules by the intertwined space and time.

And Morgana is a being that mainly uses Spatial Magic.

“Aha?”

I finally understood what the Goddess was trying to say.

“Sigh. Would it kill you to explain things a bit more simply?”

Grumbling, I turned back the way I came from,

no longer feeling anxious.