Chapter 47

- I don't know much since I haven't played other games, but there's nothing particularly special about the Lase reinforcement system. It's probably similar to other games.

You find a reinforcement NPC.

You hand over the equipment and reinforcement materials to the NPC and start the reinforcement.

That's it. It's a very simple reinforcement system.

- If I had to point out one special thing, it's that there are quite a few reinforcement NPCs, not just one.

"Hmm. That does seem to be the case."

There were quite a few buildings with 'Reinforcement Shop' signs on the street.

The street was filled with unique buildings, which made it visually pleasing, but it was also true that one might wonder, "Do we really need so many reinforcement shops?"

"There are more than I expected. Is it because a lot of people want to reinforce their items?"

- Well, that's probably the biggest reason. If one NPC had to handle everything, it would be overloaded.

"But it seems to be crowded in certain places..."

As Carpe said, most of the reinforcement shops were deserted, and the most popular one was a rather ordinary-looking shop.

"Phew. I have to succeed this time. I've slipped four times already."

"You're lucky to have just slipped. My rare weapon exploded. If it fails again, I'll have to fight bare-handed."

"Ugh!! It worked!! Ugh!! It's 9th reinforcement!!"

"Ooh! Congratulations! This place really does a good job."

A common scene in other online games. There was nothing particularly special about this place.

Carpe asked, just in case.

"Could it be that the reinforcement success rates are set differently for each shop? That's why people are crowding there..."

- No way. The reinforcement success rate is the same for all shops. Exactly the same, with no 0.01% difference.

"But why only there?"

- It's the same as in real life. Think about lottery shops.

"Oh... I see."

It made sense as soon as he mentioned lottery shops.

Logically, the probability of winning the lottery should be the same no matter where you buy it in the country, but people's psychology was different.

1st prize hot spot! Featured on TV!

10 1st prizes won here!

National lottery hot spot guidebook...

If a rumor spreads that a 1st prize was won at a certain location, people will flock there. With more people buying lottery tickets, the probability of a winner appearing naturally increases.

When another 1st prize appears, more people will flock, and the cycle continues, turning that location into a 'hot spot.'

The actual number of 1st prizes won per number of tickets sold is not considered.

People flock to this place!

More 1st prizes come from this place!

- That's the hot spot for reinforcement. People flock there for the same reason as lottery shops.

"Indeed!"

- So, there's no need to go there...

"Do I just have to wait in line there?"

Carpe said this and joined the long line at the hot spot reinforcement shop.

- ...Did you hear what I said?

'I heard. You said it's a hot spot. The line was long for a reasonable reason.'

- Do you want to go somewhere else while I'm being nice? I don't want to see you die from high blood pressure.

'Even if I'm already dead... Anyway, you might not know much about games since you haven't played much.'

- Is there?

'Actually, reinforcement does require a good spot.'

- ...What sins did I commit in my previous life?

Tears almost welled up in his eyes.

How did I end up with such a guy? What karma did I have?

Did I put all my stats into physical attributes, making my brain useless?

No, he shows excellent brainpower when playing games. Battle sense requires not just reflexes but also rational thinking and animal instincts.

But why!

Why is such a smart guy's brain broken when it comes to probability!

Cheonma drew the character 'endurance' in his mind about thirty times before speaking.

- Phew. Let's try the hot spot later. Let's go to another place first. We'll only do safe reinforcement.

'Safe reinforcement? Of course, Lase must have it too.'

Reinforcement and destruction are inseparable. Taking risks to gain more powerful damage is natural!

But if equipment starts exploding from the first reinforcement, is that a game? It's more like a pseudo-game.

Most RPGs have a safety mechanism that ensures 100% success up to a certain level.

"How many reinforcements are 100% successful in Lase?"

- It varies by grade. Up to 6th for Hero and below, 5th for Unique, and 4th for Legendary and above.

"Hmm... What about the maximum reinforcement level for equipment?"

- It's 20th, but in reality, even a 10th for Unique is rare.

"That's similar to other games."

Carpe walked through the reinforcement district.

There was no need to insist on the hot spot if they were only doing safe reinforcement.

"Is it possible with just weapons and gold?"

"No, my lord. Special materials called reinforcement stones are also needed."

- That's right. Reinforcement stones are usually sold at reinforcement shops, and of course, they can also drop from monsters.

"Really? Tina, you know a lot about reinforcement?"

"Of course. Reinforcement was not a choice but a necessity for those who roamed the battlefield."

"Is that so?"

Indeed, it made sense that NPCs could wear equipment.

"One of the noble families in Arclam rose to the rank of Count solely through their reinforcement and blacksmithing skills. They were responsible for reinforcing high-ranking officials' equipment. The equipment I used in the past was also reinforced by that family."

Tina frowned slightly, saying she couldn't remember the family's name.

"Your past equipment?"

"Yes. A 12th-reinforced Legendary sword..."

- Wow. Giving a mere rare item to someone who used a 12th-reinforced Legendary sword. That's a questionable reward.

"...It's only mentioned in legends. The one I used was ordinary and couldn't compare to the sword you gave me."

After saying this, Tina started to look at Carpe's reaction.

She usually had no emotional fluctuations and a blank expression, so a smile escaped him.

How can she be called a doll?

- Just go to any shop. They're all the same, right? Oh, that one looks good. It's close and looks clean.

"Is that so?"

As Cheonma pointed to a shop, they were about to head there.

Bang!

The door of the shop next to them opened with a loud noise.

"Damn! I just lost dozens of pieces of equipment. That NPC is a trap, just as the rumors say!"

"I-I'm sorry, but I clearly explained it beforehand..."

"Enough. If you can't do it, just close the shop and do something else. Don't create innocent victims."

The user who came out of the shop left with a frown, and the shop owner, who followed, sighed and sat down.

"...What's going on here?"

- I need to correct something. I said all reinforcement shops have the same probability, right?

"Yes, you did."

- To be precise, one place is different. It has a lower probability than other reinforcement shops.

"Is that the place right there?"

- Yes.

Cheonma nodded.

"Why is it only there?"

- If you're curious, ask directly. You'll get a related quest.

"Wow. That's great. It's fun to uncover these things."

Carpe approached the shop owner with sparkling eyes.

"Excuse me."

"Ah... I'm sorry to show you such an unpleasant sight. What brings you here? Are you here for reinforcement?"

"Yes, I am..."

"You're a customer! Please come in."

...I didn't say I was going to do it here.

He followed the owner, who seemed to have drunk the soup, into the shop.

"Have you heard any rumors about our shop?"

"No, this is my first time in this district."

"Then let me explain first."

The shop owner sighed slightly.

"My reinforcement success rate is a bit lower than other reinforcement masters. I'm one level short of safe reinforcement."

So, for Hero and below, it's only up to 5th, for Unique, 4th, and for Legendary, 3rd.

"Our family has been in the reinforcement business for generations..."

The shop owner, seemingly upset, started telling the story without Carpe asking.

"In the past, we were better than other reinforcement masters. I heard we even reached the rank of Count thanks to our reinforcement skills... but that's old news now."

"Hmm?"

Carpe was slightly surprised, as it sounded familiar, but the shop owner continued without noticing.

"Our family's reinforcement method is unique and requires a special hammer, a family treasure, to proceed."

The problem was that the special hammer could no longer be used.

"My great-grandfather accidentally dropped the key to the chest containing the family treasure into the sea. He took his own life, saying he couldn't face our ancestors, and thus the family's reputation was ruined."

"Um..."

"To find the key, we invested all the family's wealth, but how could we find a key that fell into the sea? The family declined and now barely makes ends meet."

I had a rough idea of the story.

And if my guess is correct, there will definitely be...

"Would you bring the key to us if you found it? I'll give you the best reward in the family's name."

Ding.

[Would you like to accept the hidden quest 'Fergus Family's Wish'?]

[The current head of the