Chapter 3
Jung-hoon stared intensely at the Patron.
"...."
He was a man in his late twenties, with striking thick eyebrows. However, his appearance had a significant difference compared to other Patrons.
White tee and jeans.
It was a modern attire that couldn't be found by rubbing one's eyes in fantasy or martial arts settings. And with the name 'Kang Jin-ho' added to that, there was only one possibility.
"He's Korean."
A modern man as a Patron? Was such a thing even possible?
Jung-hoon cocked his head and searched for information again by logging into the game.
However, he couldn't find any information about a modern man appearing as a Patron. Not even about a 0-star Patron.
"...Is it a bug?"
While LaSe was known for being bug-free... how could there be 'perfection' in a game made by humans?
Undoubtedly, there might be minor bugs, and Jung-hoon thought that the current situation might be one of those minor bugs.
"Maybe it's data from another user... Why does he seem so familiar though?"
He seemed like someone Jung-hoon had seen before.
Jung-hoon tried to recall for a moment, but couldn't remember who it was. At least it meant that the person had no direct relationship with him.
"Well, whatever. I'll just send a bug report to the developer and play the game."
Just as Jung-hoon was about to write the bug report.
Ping.
Information about the 0-star Patron caught his eye.
「0-star - Kang Jin-ho」
[This Patron does not have unique dialogue.]
[This Patron does not have a background description.]
[Class: Player, Irregular]
"...."
Take a look at this.
Jung-hoon stopped writing the report and looked back at the Patron. It didn't seem like a simple bug.
Although short, each piece of information was alarming. However, Jung-hoon didn't notice any other information.
One word immediately engraved in his mind upon seeing it.
'Irregular!'
He felt his heartbeat quicken.
Jung-hoon had read quite a bit of fiction during his middle and high school years. Of course, by 'read,' it meant manga, fantasy novels, martial arts, and so on.
Although he wasn't obsessed enough to exchange his grades for reading, he had reached a level where he could enjoy conversations if the topic came up.
As such, Jung-hoon naturally knew.
Clichédly, the word 'Irregular' couldn't be anything but significant!
'And it's clearly labeled as [Irregular] in the information window. It must not be a system error, right?'
It wasn't a bug.
Although not yet known, there was a profession called 'Irregular' in LaSe, and he had just drawn it.
'...There's no other choice.'
Jung-hoon shifted his gaze, locking eyes with the knight emitting a silver aura. It wasn't quite as majestic as a 7-star, but still, his commanding presence was captivating.
In LaSe, starting with a 6-star Patron was considered a pretty decent start. Many others struggled to even draw a 6-star, often settling for 4 or 5-star Patrons.
A 6-star, especially one like Kay from the popular 'Knight' class, promised stable growth.
"But going for a 0-star!"
Jung-hoon wasn't the type of gamer to consider stable growth. If he had cared about that, he would have chosen a 7-star Patron right from the start.
Fun over grind.
If there was a choice that seemed more enjoyable, even if it meant sacrificing some gains, he'd go for it.
Jung-hoon was that kind of person.
Ding.
["Finalize Kang Jin-ho, the 0-star Patron, as your Patron?"]
[Patrons play a significant role throughout the game, impacting players. Once chosen, a Patron cannot be changed through conventional means.]
[Are you sure you want to proceed?]
"Scare tactics."
Despite the obvious warning, Jung-hoon didn't pay it any mind. As if he'd been waiting, he touched 'Yes.' Immediately, a response ensued.
"Ah."
The other Patrons began to fade away.
As they disappeared, leaving behind a faint blue energy, including the vending machine. Gradually, the blue energy began to converge, seeping into Kang Jin-ho, the 0-star Patron.
And then...
The Patron, who had closed his eyes, began to slowly open them. Unconsciously, Jung-hoon swallowed hard.
"After selecting a Patron completely, there's supposed to be some time for a conversation."
LaSe had countless Patrons. However, unfortunately, there were far more players than there were Patrons.
Naturally, one Patron had to handle multiple players, and as they were spread thin, they couldn't provide meticulous care to each player.
"They say you can occasionally have a conversation or two when the actual game starts."
No, calling it a conversation was embarrassing. Usually, Patrons just said one-sided things and disappeared. It was more like receiving a prophecy or a message.
But even with busy schedules and high noses, there had to be time for introductions when they first met.
"They say Patrons like Jojo make a big impact during the first encounter."
It was said to be a level of storytelling that could move people with words alone. Listening to it, you couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement deep in your chest, as if you wanted to ride into the battlefield right away.
It wasn't just Jojo's story. Countless players had heard stories of being deeply moved during their first encounter with their Patrons.
Swallow.
Indeed, what kind of impression would this Patron leave on him? With eager anticipation, Jung-hoon gazed at Kang Jin-ho.
"Phew."
With a short breath, the Patron opened his eyes completely. Perhaps he needed some time to register his surroundings. He briefly examined his body, clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, and even rolled his feet in place.
Then, he straightened his head, looked at Jung-hoon, and spoke.
"What the hell is going on?"
"......"
And thus began Jung-hoon and Kang Jin-ho's first encounter.
* * *
"Phew. So..."
After roughly explaining the situation to Jung-hoon, Kang Jin-ho scratched his chin in disbelief.
"So, let me get this straight..."
"I'm Kang Jung-hoon. Feel free to speak comfortably. You're senior to me by a long shot."
"Well, not by that much... Oh well, if you say so... Anyway, that's not the point. So, let me get this straight. According to you, I appeared in LaSe's Patron draw, right? As a 0-star."
"Uh-huh. That's right."
"Huh. What a mess."
"Looks like a bug, after all."
"A bug? Ridiculous. There are no bugs in LaSe. If it says on the information screen that I'm a 0-star Patron, then the system has acknowledged me as a Patron. I've really become a Patron. Damn it."
"What? No, it's clearly a bug. Where does a user suddenly become an NPC?"
"It may be a first-time occurrence, but it's definitely not a bug."
"How do you know that..."
"I know. Except for developers... No, including developers, I'm the person who has played LaSe the longest."
"......"
He's not in his right mind.
Although Jung-hoon stepped back at the overly juvenile dialogue, Kang Jin-ho muttered on with a serious expression, paying little attention to Jung-hoon's reaction.
"What's going on? This wasn't supposed to happen..."
And Jung-hoon, in turn, didn't pay much attention to Kang Jin-ho's muttering. He just thought he should send a bug report and go eat.
"Anyway, I'm going to log off now. I have to get some sleep before watching the championship finals at dawn."
"Wait, what? The championship finals?"
"What nonsense is this? The championship finals are in June."
"Yes. June 5th. So, it's early morning today."
"But it's March now, isn't it? March 19th."
"...Um, I hope I'm not intruding, but are you feeling a bit mentally off?"
It was rude to ask, but Jung-hoon couldn't help himself.
Earlier, Kang Jin-ho seemed to know more about the game than the developers, and now his sense of date was skewed. Did he spend about three months in cryo-sleep and just wake up? Is he some sort of Captain America?
"Damn it. Seriously, June 5th?"
"Yes, really. While it's understandable to confuse a day or two, mistaking March for June is beyond belief. How could you mix that up?"
"Yeah, you're right. Normally, that's not something you'd confuse."
Normally. Kang Jin-ho muttered on, seemingly suspecting something, and then asked Jung-hoon.
"Did anything significant happen around March 19th... I mean, I can't remember the exact date. Alright. Was there any big event or incident around mid-March?"
"Why are you suddenly asking about that? Big event?"
"Whether something major happened in the world or related to you. Or even something about LaSe. Anything significant enough to be an issue?"
"Hmm."
It was a sudden question. But Kang Jin-ho's gaze was serious, so Jung-hoon, despite finding it strange, pondered his memory.
"Let's see. Around mid-March, what did I do?"
Nothing significant seemed to have happened. Just the usual process of applying for a leave of absence and enjoying the leisurely life of being on a break.
"So, I decided to take a break and play some games, and then... Huh?"
In that moment, as thoughts rushed through his mind, Jung-hoon looked up at Kang Jin-ho. And as he confirmed the familiar face, a shiver ran down his spine.
"I've seen him somewhere!"
Yes, he had definitely planned to start playing LaSe about three months ago. And for some reason, he had abandoned that decision due to an incident.
That incident was none other than...
"Kang Jin-ho. The first user to die while playing 'The Last Savior.' Due to that death, sanctions on virtual reality games became an issue..."
"Oh goddamn it. So, after all this time, I end up being immortalized as a game NPC after dying. Did my face make it to the news?"
"Yes. So, that's why you looked familiar. Well... But..."
"Why?"
"Could it be a ghost?"
"I have no idea. But probably not. Since LaSe's system identified you as a Patron. Maybe during the game, something exploded, and my physical information, data, or even my soul got incorporated into the game's system. Maybe it's that kind of story?"
"That doesn't make sense."
That sounded like something out of a fantasy novel or movie. It seemed like ghosts were more realistic.
"Well, why are you so calm about this? This is a huge deal."
"I've experienced weirder things."
"...Hmm."
What could possibly be stranger than dying and having your soul turned into an NPC? Kang Jin-ho scratched his head in frustration, wearing an expression of utter bewilderment. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed heavily and spoke up.
"I'm not sure if you'll believe this, but..."
Just then.
Ding!
[Skill Selection has begun.]
Simultaneously with the system notification, a new vending machine appeared on the floor with a swoosh. Before Jung-hoon could properly process what was happening, the capsules inside the vending machine began vigorously swirling around.
"What's this?"
"Looks like Skill Selection has started. After selecting a Patron, a conversation usually ensues. But it's not as exciting as Patron Selection; the grade is predetermined. Just like with Patron Selection, the higher the grade, the more spectacular the effect..."
"Spectacular effect?"
"...What kind of effect is this supposed to be? I've never seen anything like it. What's going on?"
Six stars shine silver, seven stars shine gold.
The same goes for skill grades. The effect corresponding to the grade begins emanating from the vending machine. If it's six stars, it shines silver; if it's seven stars, it shines gold.
However, the vending machine before them displayed no particular color.
Instead, a faint golden light began spreading across the entire vending machine.
"Wait... Earlier, my grade was 0 stars, right?"
"Yeah, it was... Wait, could it be?!"
"Yeah, probably."
The fact that Skill Selection is much less exciting than Patron Selection is not due to something else.
It's because the grade is predetermined.
The sum of the Patron's grade and the skill grade in LaSe's gacha system always remains constant at 10!
Creak...
The vending machine's crack reached its climax.
Boom!
As the vending machine shattered into pieces, a single capsule popped out.
Ding!
[10-star skill granted.]
[Congratulations. You have obtained a 10-star skill, the first in the server.]
[Title: You have acquired the title 'First 10-star skill.' Bonus granted to the respective 10-star skill. Additionally, skill points will be awarded with each level up.]
[Congratulations. You have obtained the first 0-star Patron in the server.]
[Title: You have acquired the title 'First 0-star Patron.' One restriction of the Patron is lifted.]
[Title: You have acquired the title 'Two Firsts.']
"Wow. This game's insane."
"Wow. This game's godly."
Jung-hoon's decision to select 0 stars hit the jackpot.
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