'Are you like an AI voice assistant then?'

[Ehhhh?! AI voice assistant?! That's so rude, Master!]

The cheerful voice immediately took on a surprised pouty tone, like he had just committed a very big mistake.

[Aria isn't just some boring AI voice assistant! Aria is a premium-grade system companion specifically calibrated to Master's unique abilities and potential!]

Her energetic retort made Nero blink in surprise at the sudden shift in energy.

The way she referred to herself in the third person was oddly endearing, like talking to an enthusiastic anime girl who was proud of their accomplishments.

[Aria can provide Master with the most comprehensive information about the Waifu System, optimal summoning strategies, combat analysis, relationship guidance, and even cooking tips if Master wants! Aria is the best when it comes to making sure Master gets the most out of his abilities!]

Despite the grim situation around him, Nero found himself slightly amused by her childlike enthusiasm.

It was such a stark contrast to the generic and robotic voice of his previous system.

'Alright, alright, I get it… You're more than just a voice assistant.'

He glanced around the medical wing, making sure nobody was paying attention to him just standing there staring at nothing.

The last thing he needed was people thinking he'd suffered brain damage from his recent death.

'But I need some explanations here. What exactly happened to my old system? And what is this new Waifu System all about?'

The questions had been burning in his mind ever since the interface had completely changed on him.

One minute he'd had the familiar blue boxes and generic prompts, the next he was dealing with premium gacha mechanics and anime girl assistants.

[Oh! Aria is so glad Master asked! Aria loves explaining things!]

Her voice perked up with the kind of excitement that teachers wished their students would show.

[The Earth Rebirth V.2.0 System was basically a built-in guidance for all the humans of Earth! But at the same time it also served as a restriction for them too! It was designed to keep everyone balanced and contained within acceptable parameters, even exceptional individuals like Master!]

'Balanced? What do you mean by that?'

[Think of it like training weights, Master! The system was limiting everyone's true potential to prevent the world from becoming too chaotic too quickly. But when Master died and came back, those restraint were broken completely!]

The explanation made a twisted kind of sense.

Or more like,

'... So I really died, huh.' Nero smiled wryly.

It looks like it wasn't a dream, after all.

But beside that point, if everyone had been operating under artificial limitations, it would explain why progress had felt "so sluggish" despite life-or-death situations.

Why leveling up had provided such minimal stat increases.

Why abilities had felt restrained despite their supposed power ratings.

Though, to be fair, he could also understand the "balancing" part… considering even with them being nerfed to that degree, the amount of chaos they could bring to their surroundings is… well,

'...'

The flashbacks of massive monsters and supernatural powers and magic that could somehow level terrestrial platforms filled Nero's mind, as he kept a straight face.

Well, let's just say it's been chaotic enough already for the evolving Earth to handle.

If they were already having fights with this size of catastrophe, imagine the damage the other people who were stronger than him could inflict?

It was definitely a bad day for Mother Earth…

[Master's unique Waifu Summoner (SSR) ability was being heavily restricted by that generic system! But now that it's gone, Master's latent potential has been fully unleashed! The Waifu System has been customized and calibrated specifically for Master's needs!]

'... So you mean to say that this is what my ability was supposed to be like from the beginning?'

[Exactly! Aria is so proud of Master for figuring that out so quickly!]

"..."

The childlike praise would have been embarrassing under normal circumstances, but right now Nero was too focused on understanding his new capabilities.

… If this upgraded system could somehow help him save Kaito and Haru, he needed to master it as quickly as possible.

And looking at Yui's cold body,

"..."

There might be something he could do about it.

He knows this is pretty much asking for a miracle to come, and the probability wasn't big, but Nero was still somehow hopeful about this new system.

'Tell me about this currency system. What are Premium Waifu Tickets and Premium Relic Tickets? How do I earn more of them?'

[Those replace the random loot drops Master used to get! Instead of getting random items or abilities, Master will receive tickets that can be exchanged for exactly what he needs!]

'I see… Wait, then how do I get materials and supplies? What if I need healing potions or weapons or food?'

[Master can visit the Exchange Shop! Aria can show Master how to access it anytime. ANY item Master wants can be purchased with tickets at fair exchange rates!]

The concept was actually brilliant in its simplicity.

Instead of hoping for useful random drops, he could essentially "buy" exactly what the situation required.

No more praying to RNG gods for decent loot.

And considering how Aria emphasized the word "Any" it looks like she's confident he could practically find anything that he needs.

'Is there a limit to how many waifus I can summon?'

[Nope! Master can summon as many as he wants, provided he has the premium tickets! Every waifu summoned will be completely loyal to Master, though it's up to Master if he wants to develop deeper relationships with each waifus he summons!]

The implications were too much for him to grasp fully.

Because, theoretically, he could build the largest harem in human history.

Imagine an army of beautiful, powerful women who were completely devoted to him and his goals.

The world domination on the palm of his hands, as he commands thousands or perhaps millions of waifs to dominate every being…

"..."

The fantasy was so appealing it made his mouth water slightly.

But he immediately shook his head, forcing himself to focus on more practical concerns.

There were still kids who were in need of help in front of him, it's not yet time for perverted daydreaming.

'By the way, do I get any free tickets? Like daily login bonuses or something?'

[I'm sad to say it's a no… Aria wishes she could provide daily freebies, but the system isn't omnipotent enough to generate items that require astronomical amounts of energy to create… Every summon still has to come from somewhere - usually the monsters Master defeats.]

Her tone carried genuine disappointment, like she really wanted to give him more rewards but was limited by cosmic rules.

[... Though it would be a different story if Master upgrades the system to UR tier! Then the Waifu System might have access to much more generous reward mechanisms!]

'There's an upgrade for the Waifu System itself?'

The prospect of an even more advanced version made his pulse quicken with excitement.

If this current iteration was already leagues beyond his old generic system, what would a UR-tier upgrade look like?

But before he could get carried away with fantasies of infinite power, his attention was drawn to that glitched entry in his inventory.

'What about this ??? thing? This NULL entry that looks all corrupted?'

[...]

For the first time since their conversation began, Aria went completely silent.

The cheerful energy vanished, replaced by something that felt almost... uncertain.

[Uhm... Master, Aria has to admit she doesn't know what that is.]

Her voice carried an uncharacteristic note of confusion and embarrassment.

[Even though Aria knows every part of the system, that particular part is blocked from Aria's eyes… Aria can't see beyond that mysterious button, and honestly, it makes Aria a little embarrassed and nervous...]

[Perhaps only Master himself can discover what it contains… Aria is so sorry she can't be more helpful with that specific question…]

The sad tone in her voice of being unable to help him made Nero smile wryly.

'... No, need to worry, Aria. It's fine.'

[... Really?]

'Yeah… If you don't know, then you don't know… Besides, I haven't properly introduced myself, have I? Though you already probably know me, but.. I'm Nero Walker, nice to meet you, Aria.'

[Mhm! Nice to meet you too, Master! Please take care of me!]

'Yeah, me too.'

Seeing the enthusiastic tone of Aria return, Nero smiles a bit.

The mystery of the glitched button of ??? and to explore mysterious system features could be done later, as for now…

"Hicc… Hicc… Y-Yui…"

The sound of Haori's quiet sobbing in the background snapped him back to reality.

Right now, there are still people to save… although he's not that enthusiastic about the odds, what's the harm in trying at this point?

"..."

Nero's gaze immediately locked onto the SSR Waifu Selector Gachapon in his inventory.

As a veteran gacha gamer, he didn't really need an explanation of what a selector was - it was essentially a guaranteed pull where you could choose your reward instead of relying on random chance.

But just to be absolutely certain...

'This SSR Selector Gachapon - I can choose any waifu I want with it?'

[Yes! Master can select any waifu from either the Premium Banner or the current Time-Limited Banner! The only restriction is that UR-tier units require special UR selectors, but everything else is available!]

Her enthusiasm returned full force at the prospect of him making his first premium summon.

'Alright then.'

Nero took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever was about to happen.

The weight of the situation pressed down on him, these trio were in urgent need of help while their parents were watching in helpless agony, and here he was… about to gamble on a magical miracle.

His old skills and abilities were gone.

Aurelia was already at her limits with whatever purification she could provide.

The conventional healers had exhausted every option they could think of.

Juno and the other survivors with analytical abilities all found themselves at loss and frustration of having nil probability show up as a result despite their efforts.

… And now, he could only gamble 50/50 that there's a waifu in the roster who could turn this hopeless situation around.

This new system was literally his only hope for finding a miracle.

'Show me first the Premium Banner.'

[Right away, Master! Aria is so excited to see what Master chooses!]

The interface shifted and expanded, revealing...

"..."

Nero's jaw dropped open as his vision filled with an absolutely spectacular display of pure premium graphics and details.

The sight was simply…

'... Damn, they all look insane.'

Jaw-dropping.

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