Chapter 5
Startled by the notification window, Jung-hoon exclaimed with a surprised expression, "Wow! Heavenly Lord! Did you see that? It's the all-time highest record!"
-Yeah, I saw it. The notification you see is the same as mine. And don't call me Heavenly Lord, just call me hyung.
"Wow! Heavenly Lord Hyung!"
-This guy... sigh.
Cheonma, or rather Jin-ho, sighed before casting an unexpectedly meaningful gaze at Jung-hoon.
-It's the tutorial's highest record.
The unfamiliar notification wasn't a surprise. Witnessing the title of the tutorial's highest record for the second time this lifetime, Jung-hoon was the previous holder of the highest record.
-Anyway, well done. Although you missed the hidden pieces in the forest.
"Huh? Hidden pieces? Can't we go get them now?"
-Haven't you seen the notification saying the tutorial is over? You shameless guy. Trying to get away with everything.
"No, as gamers, we can't help but get excited when we hear the term 'hidden pieces.' Oh, that's a shame."
-There's no need to regret it. Since it's quite deeply hidden, if you had obtained it, the fastest clear time would have been out of reach.
Hidden pieces and fastest clear time.
If you had to choose one, the reward for the fastest clear time was undoubtedly much better. After all, hidden pieces hidden in the forest were difficult to utilize with a 0-star background.
Still, the instruction to enter the forest was because, in the first place, Jung-hoon's abilities made it seem impossible to achieve the fastest clear time.
-Your movements are much better than I thought.
The stat boost of 'All Stats 22' was certainly enormous. With just one well-aimed blow, one could blow off a monster's head.
However, that was only when it came to landing a clean hit.
Even with title adjustments, could someone who was experiencing Lase for the first time slaughter tutorial monsters?
No matter how sturdy a person's mind might be, encountering vivid monsters for the first time tended to freeze them. Even if it was a game.
-Have you ever done anything like martial arts in real life? Were you an athlete in high school or something?
"Me? No. The only sport I've tried is soccer, and I wasn't good at it either, except for being a goalie or defender."
-Hmm. Then have you played any other virtual reality games besides Lase?
"I have. For about half a year?"
-What? You played something else? Besides Lase, the only other real fantasy game is Real Fantasy, that crappy game, and you played that for six months?
"The graphics were terrible, and there was no content, so we just fought in the arena all the time. But even after half a year, I got bored and quit."
-I see.
Jin-ho nodded as if he understood. When it came to the arena of 'Real Fantasy,' it was a comprehensive content where you could experience both PvP and PvE. Naturally, one could only get used to battling monsters.
-...Considering that, you seem to be fighting well.
Just as Jin-ho was about to ask a few more questions, ding.
[Tutorial rewards are being granted.]
"Wow. Finally!"
In front of Jung-hoon, along with the notification, three boxes appeared. Each box had a large question mark drawn on it, reminiscent of item boxes in classic games.
"What's this? Looks like something you'd smack to get mushrooms or stars."
-It's similar. The difference is that items pop out instead.
Jin-ho chuckled as he spoke.
-Pay attention. That there is Lase's ultimate weapon, the Completely Random Draw Box, affectionately known as the 'Brick.'
True to its name, 'Completely Random.'
Until you open it, no one knows what will come out.
Weapons, armor, accessories.
Sometimes, even rare divine beast eggs that can't be obtained with gold, or starting items for hidden quests appear!
-Of course, most of it is junk when opened, and the higher grade or better performing items have lower drop rates.
"Well, that's how most games are, aren't they?"
-Yeah. Random boxes are all like that. Let's not drag it out and just open them quickly.
"How do I do that?"
-Like I said earlier, punch the box. Items will pop out. Just choose one to take with you.
"Oh? Just one? Not all three? It's the highest record, though."
-Enough with the shameless talk about fairness...
Jin-ho sighed deeply.
-For this time, what you said is right.
Ding!
[Tutorial highest record clear confirmed.]
[Additional rewards will be granted. You can select one more item from the three random boxes.]
"Ah. One plus one."
-Yeah. One plus one. So, please, let's quickly open those boxes. Do you want to spend the whole day just doing the tutorial?
"Well, no. We need to finish quickly and move on. You said Heavenly Lord Hyung will make me a Supreme Being."
-That was the plan, but looking at your personality, whether you'll become a Supreme Being or just a mouse's milk, I can't quite decide now.
Ignoring Jin-ho's grumbling, Jung-hoon approached the boxes. After taking a short breath.
"Inhale!"
He swung at the first random box. Suddenly, the question mark on the box emitted a brilliant light, and soon spat out an item.
"A sword?"
-It's a sword. Damn, you're really lucky.
"Oh? Is it a good thing?"
-Well, you can't know until you check the information. Still, at least it's an equipment item that came out. Just avoiding junk items alone is considered lucky.
"Oh, I see. I was surprised, thinking it was a god-tier item."
-I've been playing Lase for over 10 years, and you're the first one I've seen who's so shameless. Hoo... Just check the information or something.
Jung-hoon picked up the rough-looking sword. Then, an information window appeared before him.
[Unidentified Sword]
[This is an unidentified item. You need to use an identification item or skill to check the information.]
Looking at the text, Jung-hoon glanced at Jin-ho with a bewildered expression.
"No, nothing shows up even after checking the information? It says it needs to be identified."
-...An unidentified item?
"Yes."
-Wow. Seriously shameless. Some people are rolling in it while regressing, and others are getting titles and items from the start. Is this fair?
"Why? What's an unidentified item?"
According to Jin-ho's excited explanation, it went like this:
In Lase, dropped items are divided into 'identified' and 'unidentified' states, even if they are the same item.
For example, if an item called 'Goblin Chief's Sword' drops after defeating a Goblin Chief, it could be in either the 'identified' or 'unidentified' state.
"Oh... I see."
Although it was his first time in Lase, Jung-hoon had spent more than half of his life playing games. He quickly caught on to what this self-proclaimed "Regressing Gamer Spirit" was trying to say.
"Unlike identified items, do unidentified items give additional bonuses when identified?"
-Correct. As expected, someone who's played a lot of games can talk comfortably.
In the game Last Savior, when identifying unidentified items, there is a low chance of additional options being attached.
Additional damage, elemental damage, critical hit chance, damage reduction options, etc.
Or it could raise rare stats, or, if you're really unlucky, it could act as a penalty.
-There could be one option attached, two options, or... if you're really lucky, more than that, increasing the item's unique grade.
"Why is everything in this game about random draws? It even applies to item options."
-That's why Lase is popular. Whether you're rich or poor in society, high or low in status, it doesn't matter in Lase. It's all about luck and skill. You only need these two things to win.
"Really? Can't rich people just buy items with real money?"
-There are limits to what you can buy with real money. The really good items are mostly bound items. If you want to rise high, you have to forge your own path.
In a capitalist society, you can't start from the same starting line. Everyone is born with different spoons in their mouths.
But Lase is different. Whether you were born with a silver spoon or dug in the dirt, you start from the same starting line.
-...That's what everyone thinks.
Cheonma sighed abruptly.
-People wouldn't even dream of it. They think there's someone who's been carrying around a Lase strategy guide for 10 years from the starting line of the game... Damn it. Is this a country? Is this a game?!
"No, why are you suddenly shouting like that?"
-Because I feel unjust for how I spent the past years! Why!
"Is that my fault..."
Ignoring the excited Jin-ho, Jung-hoon opened the second box.
And he realized why this random box was called a 'brick.'
“…..”
A grayish cubic stone measuring 20cm horizontally, 10cm vertically, and 6cm in height.
Literally, a brick popped out!
And upon seeing that brick, Cheonma nodded satisfactorily.
-There we go. Finally, it's coming out properly. Now, quickly, the last box...
"No, wait a minute. Are you just going to pass over this as if it's nothing?! Is this really a brick?"
-Then what? A fake brick? Oh, if you think there might be a quest or skill hidden inside the brick, wake up. It's just a pure brick.
"Wow, what the..."
At Jung-hoon's reaction, Jin-ho chuckled.
-It's often called a brick because bricks come out frequently. The probability is roughly around 70 percent? From items worth tens of millions of won in cash, only a single brick might come out. That's the class of Lase. What do you think? Shall we not open the next box?
"...Hearing that makes me scared to open it."
-But not opening it isn't an option either. It's a tutorial reward, so you can't sell it.
"Sigh. Let me take a deep breath first."
Although a bit... no, quite taken aback by the appearance of a brick, it was still okay. As long as a brick didn't come out of the last box!
"After going through all the trouble to get a one-plus-one, I can't just take a brick!"
-Oh, so there's a 70 percent chance of getting a brick, huh? Just now, you laid out a double entendre with those words.
"Stop it, let's just get on with it!"
With a spirited shout, Jung-hoon banged on the random box.
Pop!
The lid of the random box opened. With a short popping sound and a flash of light, a hand-sized silhouette of something black appeared.
Judging by the size, it definitely didn't seem like an equipment item.
-Here it is! A brick!
"Oh, come on! Whose side are you on, Cheonma?"
-Anyone who eats without earning is my enemy!
As they bickered, the light disappeared, and an item popped out of the box with a thud. As expected, it wasn't an equipment item.
However, it wasn't a brick either.
"...An egg?"
-Indeed, it's an egg.
What popped out of the box was a slightly larger than adult male fist-sized white egg.
Ding!
[Unidentified Egg]
[It's impossible to know what creature's egg this is without identification. Emotions are required. However, even through identification, it may still be impossible to know what creature's egg it is.]
-It's a form I've never seen before... Hey, what's wrong with you? Why are you trembling?
"...Let's eat it."
-What? That thing? Why all of a sudden?
"Let's evolve to the pinnacle!!!"
-...Are you crazy? Why the sudden nonsense?
"Hehe. You've been making jokes about being the protagonist of a novel while being a regressor for 10 years, and you still haven't caught on?"
The hidden reward obtained through the tutorial's shortest record.
And the mysterious egg that popped out of that hidden reward.
In addition, if a person who has devoted more than 10 years of their life to gaming doesn't know what the egg is?
It's a perfect cliche.
"Hidden pet."
Legendary creatures or the seeds of Elemental Kings, among others!
It was undoubtedly the unique eggs of beings that others couldn't even imagine!
-You're talking nonsense... I want to say that.
It's scary that the possibility isn't zero. Cheonma trembled.
-Really? No, this guy's luck isn't ordinary, but is it for real?
Obtaining the 10-year strategy guide, bonus stats, unappraised sword, and divine beast in the tutorial stage?
The world was inherently unfair, but wasn't that crossing the line a bit? If it really happened, he might ascend out of sheer luck.
-Sigh.
"Why are you sighing? If I do well, isn't it good for you too, Cheonma?"
-Logically, I know that, but emotionally, it's hard to accept. Anyway, make your choice. We're not choosing a brick.
"Of course not."
Jung-hoon picked up the unappraised sword and the egg among the three rewards placed in front of the box. Then, a notification appeared.
[Reward selection completed.]
[Tutorial is ending. You will be warped to the city of beginnings, "Raycine," shortly.]
"Sigh. Is it finally over?"
-Yeah, it was darn long. Probably three times longer than other players.
"But the rewards we obtained must be over thirty times better."
-Really, this kind of luck-based crap game needs to go down. Ugh.
"A game of skill, god-tier luck, and imbalance. Long live..."
However, their conversation couldn't continue any longer. Just when they thought the tutorial was over after putting the sword in the inventory, an unexpected notification popped up.
Ding!
[Emergency Situation Occurred.]
[A Trap Item has been detected.]
[The 'Random Monster Egg' is hatching!]
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