Chapter 1
The catalyst was simple.
"Is it really that fun?"
Jung-hoon thought as he overheard the conversation of two people passing by.
No, it wasn't just those two.
Nowadays, no matter where or when, you could often hear discussions related to "that game."
"Wow. It's seriously amazing."
"It's not for nothing that every other RPG has gone down the drain. It's touching no matter how many times I see it."
The gaze of many people on the street lingered on the rooftop of a massive building, where a screen advertisement was displayed.
- ROAAARRR!!!
Although it seemed improbable for sound to come from the screen ad, when the dragon in the screen roared, it felt as if the dragon was roaring right in front of you.
It was truly overwhelming. This must be what they mean by automatic voice playback.
And then, a handsome knight dashed towards the dragon.
The knight's charge was relentless even in front of the gigantic dragon, and as he closed the distance, he leaped forcefully, pounding the ground.
Thud!
In a burst of air, the knight's sword glowed with a brilliant golden hue, while the dragon countered with a fierce blast of flames from its mouth, as if to show it wouldn't be outdone.
At the moment when the knight's sword and the dragon's breath were about to collide!
In stylish font, the words "Last Savior" appeared, signaling the end of the advertisement.
And then, only a few people who had been staring blankly at the ad began to find their way and walk away.
Except for one person, Jung-hoon. He continued to gaze at the screen ad.
"...It's pretty impressive."
Having seen the ad at least a dozen times before, today it strangely struck a chord in his heart.
Jung-hoon stood there, blankly watching the repeatedly playing ad.
And when the same ad passed exactly nine times, Jung-hoon nodded.
"Let's give it a try."
Without purpose, Jung-hoon's footsteps, which had been aimlessly wandering the streets, began to head towards the towering building.
It was a day about six months after the release of the second virtual reality game, Last Savior.
* * *
"Alright. The basic structure seems similar."
Jung-hoon murmured to himself as he lay back on the large capsule sofa.
Fortunately, the connection device for Last Savior wasn't much different from that of other virtual reality games.
The plush cushions enveloped Jung-hoon's body softly.
"Has it been almost a year since I played a virtual reality game?"
23 years old.
Like most men in their early twenties, Jung-hoon enjoyed playing games.
But he wasn't at the level of a hardcore gamer. Jung-hoon was more of a casual gamer who dabbled in various games rather than sticking to one until he mastered it.
There were just too many other fun games in the world to play only one.
If categorized, he wasn't a hardcore gamer but a casual one. Jung-hoon was a casual gamer. Whenever a new game was released, he would dive in first, enjoy it for a while, and then switch to another game.
That's why, naturally, he tried the first virtual reality game in the world as soon as it was released.
"Real Fantasia. Was it about a year and a half?"
About a year and a half ago.
The game company Nox released the world's first virtual reality game.
With an 11-year development period and a production cost exceeding $1 billion, it was a massive VR MMORPG.
From six months before the game's release, everywhere you went, it was Real Fantasia's advertisements, and naturally, the eyes of countless gamers turned to RF. Jung-hoon was one of them.
And on the day of Real Fantasia's release.
The results of the massive blockbuster game were...
"It was underwhelming."
Another reality. Another fantasy.
It sounded like a joke. The graphics were worse than a B-grade movie's CG, and the optimization was so bad that playing in crowded places was nearly impossible.
Moreover, the story was a mess. The content was a mess.
It was an utter disaster.
- "Nox did it again."
- "What about those who bought Nox stocks?"
- "I just checked the temperature of the Han River. It's still a bit cold. Maybe in a month."
- "Whether you're incompetent or we're incompetent, the results speak for themselves. Are there any sheep left to be deceived by Nox?"
The game failed miserably, and Jung-hoon also stopped playing after about six months of enjoyment.
However, despite the failure of the massive virtual reality game, Real Fantasia, due to the demand from a certain portion of the audience, Real Fantasia managed to barely keep its lineage going... Ultimately, RF only left people with the impression that "virtual reality games are still too much."
But exactly one year after the release of Real Fantasia.
A company unheard of before released the second virtual reality game, Last Savior.
"And they're really an alien cult, aren't they?"
Known as L.A.S.E, the development company behind Last Savior, Lase.
Whether it was a coincidence or intentional, the name of the company was the same when Last Savior was abbreviated in Korea.
"Let's see."
With the intention of finding out anything, Jung-hoon manipulated the capsule and accessed the official website of Last Savior.
But...
"It's as rumored."
The website greeted Jung-hoon with such barrenness that it felt not desolate, but unprofessional.
Except for a few game photos, a free bulletin board, and a Q&A board, there was nothing else on the homepage.
Not even the basic description of the game, let alone an introduction to the game developer, was provided on the official website.
It was a perfect recipe for failure, but Last Savior was different.
A hidden developer.
Game information hardly provided, as if encouraging people to find out for themselves.
Abundant hidden pieces and easter eggs.
Technology so overwhelming that it was difficult to distinguish from reality.
And fun.
All of this combined to create a peculiar synergy.
- "There's really nothing on the website. They've got guts. If other games were like this, they'd just fail straight away."
- "Yeah, but honestly, it's okay for Lase. Over-hyping games in a cheesy way is what weak crap games do. The real deal doesn't need to brag. It just proves itself."
- "Doesn't it make you more curious? If you're curious about the game, go find out for yourself. Isn't that it?"
- "What's that? Play One? There was talk that if you achieved certain game milestones, the company would give you shares like in old virtual reality game movies."
Like something out of a novel or movie setting, the veiled company's creation, "God Game," stimulated gamers' fantasies.
"Now that I've made up my mind to play, it's a shame I didn't start earlier. If I hadn't had that job half a year ago, I would have started right away."
Six months.
It might seem like a short time, but in the world of online gaming, it was enough for the frontrunners to establish dominance and leave others behind.
Jung-hoon had been mentally exhausted due to some personal issues six months ago, and he didn't have the mindset to play Last Savior.
And just when he was starting to recover mentally after about three months and was thinking of starting the game, another incident occurred. This time, it wasn't a problem for Jung-hoon but a problem arising from Last Savior itself.
A user died while playing the game.
- Breaking News) Virtual reality games cause death!
- Safety concerns about virtual reality games. Is this okay as it is?
- Research on the effects of VR virtual reality games on the human body...
The first death from a virtual reality game in Korea occurred, and society became noisy.
However, the uproar didn't last long.
After this incident, there wasn't a single person who died while playing Last Savior worldwide, and it was revealed that the person who died was in an extreme state of malnutrition.
In other words, the problem wasn't with the game itself but with the fact that the person neglected food and drink because of the game.
It was an official announcement from the Korean medical community.
"I should have started without hesitating back then."
But human psychology didn't work that way, purely based on facts.
Even though the medical community announced that the problem wasn't with the game, many people still harbored doubts like "What if a problem arises?"
Jung-hoon was one of them, and that's how three more months passed, making it a total of six months.
Of course, during those three months, he couldn't even bear to watch news of deaths.
"Well, regretting it now won't change anything..."
Muttering to himself, Jung-hoon put on the VR goggles. Now, all he had to do was press a button to start.
"Here goes."
After taking a deep breath, Jung-hoon pressed the login button.
Click.
He began his journey into a new world.
* * *
"Wow. This is insane."
Jung-hoon clenched and unclenched his fist in disbelief. Then, he explored his body here and there.
He couldn't help but marvel at the sensation so similar to reality.
"Compared to this, Real Fantasia was really lame."
To think that there could be such a stark difference between virtual reality games that appeared in the same era.
Does that even make sense?
There were rumors that the developers of Last Savior were actually an alien cult, and seeing this, it was understandable why such rumors arose.
"Let's see... Ah, is that it?"
Just as he marveled, Jung-hoon looked around and soon found something.
In the completely white space, that object was the only thing that felt out of place compared to the surroundings.
"It's as they said... It's really a gacha game in plain sight."
A vending machine.
In the pristine space, a large vending machine emitted a sense of alienation.
With an expression of disbelief, Jung-hoon muttered a word and approached the vending machine.
It looked slightly different from a regular drink vending machine.
First of all, it was a bit larger, and instead of drinks, there were capsules marked with '?' behind the transparent glass on the upper part of the vending machine.
It was unique that there were no separate buttons on the front, only a coin slot for inserting coins.
"Is this where I draw my 'Patron' and start? Hmm..."
Unlike typical MMORPGs, Last Savior required users to draw a Patron to accompany them before starting the game.
A 'Patron' was a kind of guardian deity that accompanied users throughout the game, affecting the user's direction of growth and skill tree depending on which Patron was drawn.
In other words, the initial Patron draw was extremely important. That's why many users called Last Savior a 'luck-based crap game.'
"It feels eerie."
Jung-hoon had enjoyed many games, and naturally, among them were several gacha games.
There were games he had played for years. However, if you were to ask him if he liked gacha games because of that, his answer would be a resounding 'No.'
"How much did I waste? Ugh..."
In gacha games, it's typical to obtain items or heroes through draws and progress your character.
The problem was that the items obtained through paid draws in the game were much, much better than those obtainable through regular gameplay.
It was a natural structure that compelled spending, and Jung-hoon had indeed spent a considerable amount of money.
His enjoyment of gacha games for several years wasn't because they were fun but because he couldn't bear the thought of wasting the money he'd invested. He couldn't help it!
Ridiculous inducements to spend money.
But inversely proportional to that was the abysmal draw probability.
With these two factors colliding, many gamers approached gacha games with caution, if at all.
But Last Savior didn't receive such condemnation from its users. The reason was simple.
Last Savior was exceptionally fair when it came to gacha.
Whether you were a minimum-wage worker or a Middle Eastern oil magnate, the number of draws you could make was fixed.
Ten consecutive draws, ten times.
In other words, a total of 100 draws.
No matter how much money you poured in, you couldn't draw more than that. Since Last Savior was based on iris recognition, the principle was one account, one character per person, making it impossible to grind for a good Patron until one appeared.
"You could delete a character and create a new one, but the penalties were immense, weren't they?"
Wasn't it that your character's stats got reduced, not the money?
Anyway, there was a vague memory of a system that strongly deterred reset grinding.
In short.
Compete fair and square with luck alone!
That's what Last Savior said. The affluent class might have found it frustrating, but there were more poor people in the world. Many people liked the gacha system without pay-to-win elements.
"Wow. Offering 100 draw chances? That might seem like a lot, but..."
Ten consecutive draws, ten times.
At first glance, it seemed like a lot, but in reality, it wasn't. Jung-hoon summoned the system window and started surfing the internet.
- RaSe IpVen (Last Savior Input Vending)
The official website didn't provide information, but the users did.
It had been half a year since the game was released, and many users shared information.
Thus, the largest Last Savior community, RaSe IpVen, was formed. Users typically obtained information about Last Savior there.
"Let's see... Ah, here it is."
- Patron Board
Among the numerous boards on RaSe IpVen, this was one of the hottest.
Dozens of posts were being updated every second on the board.
- ㅠㅠㅠㅠ. I got a 5-star Jildra in the last 10 consecutive draws. Is this good? She looks kinda mediocre.
└ It's decent. Both the Mage and Knight paths have their merits. It's considered a decent 5-star Patron.
- F***!!!! It appeared!!!! Golden effect!!! I got a 7-star!!!
└ What's it without proof?
└└ We have a golden calf at our place^^. If you prove it, I'll prove mine too.
- Sigh. I started with a 4-star generic Patron, but I did okay in the skill draws, so it's a decent start.
└ Sometimes, the skills can outshine the Patron in the beginning. Keep at it.
"This is insane."
Newbies starting the game now to evaluate their Patrons.
Veterans curious about the Patrons newbies drew.
For these reasons, the Patron board was always bustling.
Jung-hoon clicked on the post at the top of the board with the most recommendations, titled "Perfect Patron Strategy Guide. This Is All You Need. by. LuckBasedCrapGameShuttingDownSoon."
[Hello. It's LuckBasedCrapGame. Since many people have been asking whether this Patron is good or crap, I'll summarize what I know about Patrons to the best of my ability.
I've compiled information from various sources, so it's quite reliable.
As you know, Last Savior has two major draws: Patron draws and Skill draws. Both are divided into grades from 1 star to 9 stars. These draws are crucial as they accompany you throughout your game life.
Now, this crazy game leaves such important decisions to luck alone? You might think so, but surprisingly, the balance is decent.
The sum of the Patron grade and the Skill grade is always 10.
In other words, if you draw a 1-star Patron, you'll automatically get a 9-star skill, and if you draw a 2-star Patron, you'll get an 8-star skill.]
Hmm...
After intentionally pulling a 1-star Patron, everyone probably knows what happened next... Anyway, based on my experience and what I've heard, it's safe to say that you should always aim for a good Patron. Drawing a good Patron is far more efficient than focusing on skills. Good skills are only beneficial in the early stages... Darn. Oops, sorry. Anyway, newbies should definitely go for Patrons...
"Hmm."
After that, there was a list of which Patrons were good. The conclusion was that you should draw a good Patron...
"Well, then I should pull one."
Jung-hoon touched the exclamation point twinkling in the corner of his vision.
Ding.
[System Notification: You can use the keyword 'Inventory.' Saying 'Inventory' will activate your inventory. You can change the keyword in settings.]
"Inventory."
As Jung-hoon murmured, the inventory appeared before him. Inside were a total of 10 coins.
Anyone with common sense would know what to do with these.
Jung-hoon took out a coin from the inventory.
"Hmm."
According to the guide, Patrons ranged from grades 1 to 9. Naturally, the higher the grade, the lower the appearance rate. It was said that it was almost impossible to see anything above 7 stars.
In addition, when drawing high-grade Patrons, there would be flashy effects, like in other gacha games.
There were no effects for grades 1 to 5.
Grade 6 had a silver effect, 7 had a golden effect, and 8 had a dazzling multicolored light.
Grade 9 was shrouded in various rumors. Only a handful of people had drawn it, and they hadn't even properly authenticated it.
"They made the game well. I can feel my heart racing just from this."
What's there to get nervous about?
Jung-hoon chuckled and inserted the coin into the vending machine.
Swoosh.
"Huh?"
The moment he inserted the coin, Jung-hoon felt a tingling sensation in his chest, precisely near his heart.
Jung-hoon tried to look at his chest, but he couldn't move.
Chrrrr!
The capsules in the vending machine began to mix vigorously. Jung-hoon's gaze was fixed on the vending machine.
Plop!
As the vending machine's lid opened, a total of 10 capsules popped up into the air, spinning around.
"...Huh?"
And Jung-hoon couldn't help but gasp in amazement for the second time. This time, it wasn't because of the strange sensation in his chest.
Golden.
Among the 10 capsules, there were two dazzling golden capsules that were difficult to look at directly.
"Jackpot."
And not just one, but two. Out of the 10 capsules, a whopping two were shining with a brilliant golden hue.
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