Chapter 2

“...Huh?”

The ten capsules that rose from the vending machine began to circle above Jung-hoon’s head as if begging to be caught.

Jung-hoon blinked his eyes wide. If his memory served him right, the Gold Effect was definitely... a 7-star, right?

And there were two of them. Two 7-stars.

“...Is it really that easy to get 7-stars?”

Jung-hoon first accessed the Lase forum before opening the ten capsules. He then quickly posted on the ‘Behind Order Board.’

“Guys, are 7-stars really that easy to get? I just got two 7-stars from a 10-roll.”

Comments flooded in as if they had been waiting.

- Haha, your trolling is so low-level. If you want to troll, at least stalk the board for three months first. Kid.

- What’s Lase?

- Behind Order Board, you idiot. Stop making up concepts.

- No, I really got two.

- Prove it. Does your Behind Order not have a screenshot function? Oh, so your Behind Order is Behemoth of the Seven Sins (七罪宗). Congratulations on the 8-star.

- I’m serious. Are you jealous?

- Haha, I’m jealous. What’s so great about a 7-star? It’s just an illusion. You might as well say you won the lottery. That would be more realistic.

“Hmm.”

Jung-hoon scratched his chin. From the reactions, it seemed like a rare case... but he felt more bewildered than happy.

“I’m not usually this lucky... What’s going on with this?”

Last time, he had spent so much money on a gacha game but failed to get the target card... Ah, maybe it was a lucky streak?

“Well, whatever. The important thing is that I got them.”

Jung-hoon convinced himself and threw a screenshot onto the Behind Order Board. Instantly, the board was in an uproar.

- Wow. Ten-roll. It’s real. Is this a game?

- Haha, it’s obviously a fake. It’s so obvious.

- Yeah, it’s always the same with fakes. Just go back to your hole.

- Our Hermes Guild would like to recruit you...

After enjoying the board’s reactions for a moment, Jung-hoon returned to the game. The guy who had started the argument was writing an apology, but... right now, he was more curious about the results of the capsules.

“Phew.”

Jung-hoon took a short breath and touched the bronze capsules above his head.

Bang! Bang!

With the sound of fireworks, the capsules began to open one by one. Each time a capsule opened, smoke-like material flowed out and gradually formed a shape.

“Wow.”

The first shape was complete. A man in his early 50s, with thick eyebrows. As Jung-hoon focused on the man, text began to appear above the completed shape.

Ding.

「1-star – Duraqan」

[Gray Wolf Mercenary Captain - Duraqan]

[Survival is the proof of strength!]

[He was the captain of a second-rate mercenary group in the small country of Halis on the continent of Liuona. As a seasoned veteran, he will be an excellent guide for the player.]

[Class: Warrior]

“Hmm. So it’s like this.”

Just in case, he checked for additional information, but nothing more appeared. The detailed information would likely show up when he made a final selection in Behind Order.

‘Good. Now I know how it works.’

There was no need to hesitate any longer! Jung-hoon quickly checked the other capsules.

Ding.

「2-star – Jinshuman」

「3-star – Laphkne」

「3-star – Zhuge So」

「1-star – Guldan」

「1-star – Krasia」

「4-star – Nympha」

「1-star – Jinhyun」

Including the 1-star he had already opened, a total of eight bronze capsules. Jung-hoon lightly skimmed through the information.

‘Nothing special.’

When the 4-star appeared near the end, he paid a bit more attention, but the description was just a bit longer than the others, with nothing particularly noteworthy.

Even if there was something special, he wouldn’t have paid much attention, given the two shining gold capsules in front of him.

“Phew.”

Finally, this moment has come.

Jung-hoon took a deep breath for a moment.

Thud!

He touched each gold capsule simultaneously with both hands. A cheerful effect sound, which he hadn’t heard when opening the bronze capsules, played as a golden aura began to flow out of the capsules.

“Wow.”

Indeed, this is a 7-star! The effect was far more splendid than the bronze capsules. It didn’t take long for the two auras to transform into two human figures.

“Amazing visuals.”

One was a middle-aged man with black hair, wearing an Eastern-style fish-scale armor. The other was a young man with blonde hair, wearing full plate mail.

「7-star – Cao Cao」

「7-star – Roland」

One from the East, one from the West.

If you have even a slight interest in history or games, you wouldn’t be able to miss these two super-famous names.

‘While not absolute, the performance of Behind Orders is said to be related to their fame.’

He remembered reading something like that in the guidebook he had just seen. Most Behind Orders are fictional characters from fantasy or martial arts worlds, but mythological figures and historical heroes from Earth also appear as Behind Orders.

Ding.

「7-star – Cao Cao」

[Emperor Wu of Wei (太祖武皇帝) - Cao Cao Mengde (曹操 孟德)]

[I will not abandon the world, but the world will not abandon me!]

[The last Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty and the founder of the Wei Kingdom. He was one of the greatest commanders, politicians, and rulers in Chinese history. His charisma and military tactics will guide you on the path of a great leader.]

[Class: Ruler, Commander]

「7-star – Roland」

[Mad Knight - Roland (罗兰)]

[Chivalry will never be broken!]

[The epitome of a Paladin. Among the many legendary knights in history, he stands out as the most renowned, a legendary knight of the Franks. His sword can cut through anything, and his steel-like body is unbreakable.]

[Class: Holy Knight, Mad Warrior]

‘There’s no particularly special explanation for 7-stars.’

Compared to 1-star Behind Orders, the descriptions were a few lines longer, but that was it. The detailed information wasn’t visible just because they were 7-stars.

If this continued, he would have to choose based on a gut feeling.

‘Lase is a game that’s been out for half a year, right?’

Jung-hoon called up the guidebook for the game again and searched for the keyword [Cao Cao]. He quickly found the information he needed.

「7-star Cao Cao - by LuckBuster」

[Wow, finally it’s our Chancellor’s turn. Actually, if you got Cao Cao, you don’t need to read this guide.

If you rolled the vending machine and Cao Cao appeared with a golden glow? Congratulations. You must have done a lot of good in your past life.

Just pick him. Unless you’re a Shu fan... no, even if you are, pick him. He’s the front-runner in the 7-star line. The great Chancellor Cao Cao. Oh! Chancellor!

Actually, he wasn’t a very notable Behind Order in the early stages. In the beginning, he was often criticized as a 6-star in a 7-star’s disguise. He was quite ambiguous overall.

But as users grew and formed factions, the evaluation changed dramatically. The guild wars officially began.]

“Ah.”

That’s right. Jung-hoon nodded, remembering that Cao Cao was described as a ‘commander’ in the earlier information.

[The precious Commander attribute Behind Order! The best of the best among Commanders! In large-scale battles, especially against human opponents, Cao Cao’s true value shines. When his special skill <Despotism of Wei> is activated... the enemy will run around in a spectacle during the duration of the buff.

No need for words. He’s the ultimate weapon for large-scale battles. If you got Cao Cao as a Behind Order, congratulations. If you send me a private message, I promise you guild recruitment and the best treatment.

By the way, this is just a rumor, but if you build enough intimacy with Cao Cao, you can get the legendary item ‘Yitian Sword (倚天剑)’ through a hidden quest...]

“Favoritism, huh.”

The description was overwhelmingly long compared to other Behind Orders. The user LuckBuster must be a Three Kingdoms fan, especially a Wei fan.

Jung-hoon then searched for information on Roland.

「7-star Roland - by LuckBuster」

[One of the 7-star line! The immortal knight Roland. Are you a solo player? Are you interested in PvP content? Just pick him. In 1v1 battles, you can get a special skill that outperforms any other Behind Order... Ah, I’m getting frustrated again. Admin, patch it! This is worse than a bully... Sorry. I got frustrated because I was badly beaten in PvP. Anyway, objectively, it’s a must-pick. To get a better Behind Order than Roland, you need an 8-star or higher... You know, right? You won’t get it. Just pick me.]

“Ah, this one is also a 7-star.”

He thought he would reduce his worries by reading the guide, but it seemed to have deepened them... However, he could clearly decide on a direction.

If he aimed for cooperative play, focusing on party and guild battles, he should choose Cao Cao.

If he aimed for solo play, focusing on PvP, he should choose Roland.

‘And if not...’

Jung-hoon checked his inventory. There were still nine coins shimmering there, meaning he had 90 more rolls left.

‘Hmm.’

The Behind Order gacha system in Lase is dirty. Very dirty.

In a typical gacha game, you would choose the best out of 100 rolls and be done with it... but Lase is not that easy.

If you don’t choose from the current 10-roll and proceed to the next 10-roll...

The results of the previous 10-roll are completely erased. Even if you got two 7-stars, they become non-existent.

Conversely, if you choose one from the first 10-roll, the remaining 90 rolls are all gone.

The moment you choose, it’s over.

The moment you proceed, it’s over!

This is the ‘Behind Order gacha’ in Lase, known as the alpha and omega of the game.

‘Ah. The system is really messed up.’

Jung-hoon knows.

There’s no chance of getting a better Behind Order by proceeding further.

But.

But!

To just throw away the remaining 90 rolls?! I’m going crazy with curiosity!

What if there’s an 8-star, or even a 9-star, hidden among them!

If he were a hardcore gamer, he wouldn’t have this dilemma. But unfortunately, Jung-hoon is a casual gamer.

Jung-hoon quickly posted on the Behind Order forum, and comments started flooding in.

“Guys, I got a 7-star Cao Cao in my first 10-roll. Should I just start the game?”

- Are you kidding? Immediately bow and roll. There’s someone thinking about this.

- Tsk. You fool. How can you be tempted by a small thing and miss the big picture? Roll four more times, and you’ll get an 8-star Raphael. Or I’ll compensate you.

- Hey, I honestly rolled about 70 times and would tell you to stop if I got Cao Cao, but it’s too precious to pass on the first 10-roll. The first gacha is the most fun.

- I’d keep rolling even if I got an 8-star on the first 10-roll. The gacha is the most fun.

- That’s a bit too much. An 8-star should be picked immediately.

- Writer, do you know that the people who know the first 9-star Behind Order in the server appeared in the last 10-roll after passing on a 7-star in the first 10-roll?

- Oh, these crazy casual gamers are burying another 7-star Behind Order...

Jung-hoon turned off the forum and lifted his head.

The two golden 7-stars were shining as if begging to be chosen.

But... Jung-hoon’s mind was already made up.

‘Yeah. Thinking rationally, I’m lucky today.’

It wasn’t a rational thought, but Jung-hoon’s brain was already corrupted by the ‘gacha’ drug.

He usually only wasted money on other gacha games, but this time he got two 7-stars right from the start.

Today is different.

His usually terrible luck had stacked up with a massive lucky streak, and it exploded today! The chill running down his spine was clear evidence that today was his lucky day.

‘The courage to pass on a 7-star.’

What he needed was only that. The cold, clear mind that doesn’t get tempted by small things is the path to a 9-star!

Jung-hoon didn’t hesitate any longer.

He passed by the two 7-stars and stood in front of the vending machine, taking a coin from his inventory.

“Let’s go!”

And he inserted the coin without hesitation.

* * *

How much time had passed?

A man was staring at the vending machine with bloodshot eyes, as if he had met his worst enemy.

“...”

There was no twist.

Jung-hoon, who had used all his luck in the first 10-roll, didn’t see a single effect in the following 80 rolls.

The highest rank he got was 5-star.

In the fourth 10-roll, a 5-star Behind Order known for its truth was drawn, but... after passing on a 7-star, a 5-star and its truth were nothing to him.

Jung-hoon boldly passed it and continued the 10-roll.

Of course, he didn’t see a 5-star after that.

“Damn. LuckBuster. Really.”

Jung-hoon usually tried to avoid swearing, but this time, it just came out naturally.

But he soon resigned himself. Who could he blame? It was all his own foolishness.

‘I was momentarily enchanted by something.’

That was the only explanation. The chill running down his spine made him feel like a character in a gambling manga! There was a magic that made anyone, not just him, unable to resist.

“Phew.”

He took a deep breath. As his mind calmed down, his rationality returned.

‘Yeah, this isn’t just a gacha game. I’ve heard that even top players have Behind Orders that are just okay.’

The Behind Order gacha is just a small part of Lase’s content. A good Behind Order is certainly a big help, but there are countless other variables.

‘I’ll put in the last coin and start the game quickly.’

Jung-hoon calmly inserted the last coin.

Bang!

“Huh?”

An effect appeared.

“Wow. At least one more at the end.”

A silver light.

It was the effect for a 6-star. Jung-hoon smiled and checked the last 10-roll.

「1-star – Gillian」

「2-star – Hoiger」

「3-star – Namgung Jinchun」

「3-star – Adeas」

「6-star – Kay」

「2-star – Oh Ryuhyun」

...

“Kay?”

Jung-hoon checked the guide again.

One of the Knights of the Round Table, a Behind Order that is considered decent among 6-stars. Jung-hoon nodded.

“Lucky. I’ll start with this...”

Then.

Just as Jung-hoon was about to choose Kay, he noticed the other Behind Orders he hadn’t checked.

There was something that shouldn’t exist.

「0-star – Kang Jin-ho」

“What, what is this?”

Jung-hoon muttered in a dazed voice.

It was the moment when the first 0-star Behind Order appeared in the server.

A 10-star player who became strong through gacha.