Chapter 5

Jung-hoon, who saw the notification, exclaimed in surprise.

"Wow! Lord Cheonma! Did you see that? It's the best record ever!"

-Yeah, I saw it. The notification you see is the same for me. And don't call me Lord Cheonma, just call me hyung.

"Wow! Hyung Cheonma!"

-This kid... sigh.

Cheonma, or rather Jin-ho, sighed and then looked at Jung-hoon with a surprised expression.

-The best tutorial record.

It wasn't an unfamiliar notification. This was the second time he had seen the title of the best tutorial record in this life. Before Jung-hoon, the best record holder was Jin-ho himself.

-Anyway, well done. You missed the hidden piece in the forest, though.

"Huh? Hidden piece? Can't we go get it now?"

-Didn't you see the notification that the tutorial ended? You greedy brat. Trying to get everything in one go.

"Well, as a gamer, I can't help but flip out at the word 'hidden piece.' Ah, what a shame."

-There's no need to be disappointed. It's hidden quite deeply, so if you got it, the fastest clear time would be out of reach.

Hidden piece and fastest clear.

If he had to choose one, the reward for the fastest clear was definitely better. The hidden piece in the forest was hard to use even with a 0-star background.

Still, he suggested going into the forest because he thought it would be impossible for Jung-hoon to achieve the fastest clear time with his current abilities.

-Your movements are much better than expected.

The 'All Stats 22' value was indeed formidable. If he could hit it properly, it would be enough to blow a monster's head off in one hit.

However, that was only if he landed a clean hit.

Even with the title's bonus, could someone who was seeing Lase for the first time slaughter the tutorial monsters?

No matter how bold a person was, their body would stiffen when they first encountered a real monster. Even if it was just a game.

-Did you do any combat sports in real life? Like being a high school athlete.

"Huh? No, I only played soccer, and I wasn't even good at it. I was only a goalkeeper or a defender."

-Hmm. Have you played any other VR games besides Lase?

"Yeah, for about half a year."

-What? You played? Lase is the only one besides Real Fantasia, and you played that crap game for half a year?

"The graphics were terrible, and there was no content, so I only did the arena. I got tired of it after half a year and quit."

-Ah.

Jin-ho nodded as if he understood. The arena in 'Real Fantasia' was a comprehensive content area where you could experience both PvP and PvE. Naturally, he would be familiar with fighting monsters.

-...Even considering that, you seem to fight well.

Just as Jin-ho was tilting his head and about to ask a few more questions, a notification appeared.

Ding.

[Tutorial rewards have been granted.]

"Ooh. Finally!"

In front of Jung-hoon, three boxes appeared with the notification. Each box had a large question mark, reminiscent of item boxes in classic games.

"What are these? They look like they'll drop mushrooms or stars if you tap them."

-They are similar. The difference is that items pop out instead of mushrooms or stars.

Jin-ho smiled and continued.

-Keep an eye on it. This is Lase's ultimate weapon, the completely random draw box, commonly known as 'bricks.'

As the name suggests, 'completely random.'

No one knows what will come out until you open it.

Weapons, armor, accessories.

Sometimes, even rare items like eggs of mythical creatures that can't be bought for any price, or items that start hidden quests!

-Of course, most of the time, you get junk items, and the higher the grade or better the performance, the lower the probability of appearance.

"That's true for most games, though."

-Yeah, random boxes are all like that. Let's just open them quickly.

"How do I do it?"

-Just punch the box like I said. An item will pop out, and you can choose one to take.

"Huh? One? You're not giving all three? It's the best record, right?"

-I want to tell you to stop being so greedy...

Jin-ho sighed deeply.

-This time, you're right.

Ding!

[Best tutorial record confirmed.]

[Additional rewards have been granted. You can choose one more item from the three random boxes.]

"Oh. One plus one."

-Yeah, one plus one. So please, open those boxes quickly. Do you want to spend the whole day on the tutorial?

"Well, we should finish it quickly. Hyung Cheonma said he would make me the best."

-I was thinking that, but looking at your personality, I'm not sure if you'll become the best or just a nobody.

Jung-hoon approached the boxes, ignoring Jin-ho's grumbling, and took a deep breath.

"Deep breath!"

He punched the first random box. The question mark on the box emitted a brilliant light and spat out an item.

"A sword?"

-A sword. This kid is really lucky.

"Huh? Is it a good one?"

-Well, we won't know until we check the information. But at least it's an equipment item. Avoiding junk items is already good luck.

"Oh, I see. I thought it was a god item."

-I've been playing Lase for over ten years, and I've never seen someone as greedy as you. Sigh... check the information.

Jung-hoon picked up the crude-looking sword, and an information window appeared in front of him.

[Unidentified Sword]

[This item has not been appraised. Use an appraisal item or skill to check the information.]

Jung-hoon looked at Jin-ho in disbelief.

"But nothing appears. It says it needs to be appraised."

-...An unidentified item?

"Yes."

-Wow, you're really greedy. Some people roll through the game, while others get titles and items from the start. Is this a country?

"Why? What's so special about an unidentified item?"

According to Jin-ho's excited explanation, items dropped in Lase can be either 'appraised' or 'unidentified.'

For example, if you kill a Goblin Chief and get the 'Goblin Chief's Sword,' it could be either appraised or unidentified.

"I see... I understand."

Although this was his first time playing Lase, Jung-hoon had spent more than half his life playing games. He immediately understood what the self-proclaimed regression gamer was trying to say.

"Does appraising an unidentified item give additional bonuses?"

-Exactly. It's easier to talk to someone who has played a lot of games.

In the game Last Savior, appraising an unidentified item can add additional options with a low probability.

Additional damage, attribute damage, critical hit chance, damage reduction options, etc.

Sometimes, it can add rare stats, or in the worst case, penalty options.

-It can add one option, two options, and if you're really lucky, it can even increase the item's grade.

"Everything in this game is a draw. Even item options are a draw."

-That's why Lase is popular. In the real world, whether you have a lot of money or a high status, it doesn't matter in Lase. It's all about luck and skill.

"Is that so? Can't rich people just buy items with real money?"

-There are limits to what you can buy with real money. The best items are mostly bound items. To reach the top, you have to earn them yourself.

In a capitalist society, everyone doesn't start on the same line. People are born with different silver spoons.

But Lase is different. Whether you were born with a golden spoon or a dirt spoon, everyone starts on the same line.

-...Or so everyone thinks.

Cheonma suddenly sighed.

-They have no idea. There's a 10-year Lase guidebook following them from the start of the game... Damn. Is this a country? Is this a game?!

"Why are you shouting all of a sudden?"

-I'm just frustrated with the past ten years I wasted!

"That's my fault...?"

Jung-hoon, ignoring the excited Jin-ho, opened the second box.

And he realized why these random boxes were called 'bricks.'

"..."

A gray rectangular brick, 20 cm long, 10 cm wide, and 6 cm high.

A real brick popped out!

Cheonma nodded in satisfaction.

-There you go. Now it's normal. Quickly, the last box...

"No, no, wait a minute. How can you just brush this off?! This is a real brick?"

-Is it a fake brick? If you think there's a quest or skill hidden inside, forget it. It's just a plain brick.

"Wow, what the...?"

Jung-hoon's reaction made Jin-ho chuckle.

-They're called bricks because they come out so often. The probability is about 70%? Even a few million won item can result in just a brick. What are you waiting for? Open the next box.

"Your words make me scared to open it."

-But you can't not open it. You can't sell tutorial rewards anyway.

"Deep breath."

Although he was a bit... no, very surprised by the brick, he was still okay. As long as the last box didn't give him a brick!

"I can't take a brick from the one plus one I worked so hard for!"

-A 70% chance of a brick, right? You just set up the foreshadowing.

"Shut up, I'm going!"

Jung-hoon shouted and punched the random box.

Paf!

The lid of the random box opened. A short whistling sound and a burst of light revealed a palm-sized black silhouette.

By its size, it definitely wasn't an equipment item.

-Here it is! A brick!

"Hey! Whose side are you on, Hyung Cheonma!"

-Anyone who gets everything easily is my enemy!

While they were bickering, the light disappeared, and an item popped out of the box. As expected, it wasn't an equipment item.

But it wasn't a brick either.

"...An egg?"

-An egg.

The item that popped out of the box was a slightly larger than a fist-sized white egg.

Ding.

[Unidentified Egg]

[It is unknown what creature this egg belongs to. Appraisal is required. However, even after appraisal, it may not be possible to identify the creature.]

-I've never seen this form before... Hey, why are you shaking?

"Let's eat."

-What? That? Why suddenly?

"Let's eat to become the best!!!"

-...Are you crazy? What nonsense are you talking?

"Tsk. The 10-year veteran, the regression, and the novel protagonist jokes... still can't get it?"

The hidden reward for the best tutorial record.

And the unidentified egg that popped out of the hidden reward.

If a 10-year veteran who dedicated his life to the game didn't know what this egg was...

It was a perfect cliché.

"A hidden pet."

A divine creature or legendary monster. Or a seed of an elemental king!

It was definitely the egg of a unique creature that no one else knew existed!

-You're talking crap... but.

The possibility isn't zero, which is scary. Cheonma shivered.

-Can't be? But this kid's luck is extraordinary. Really?

To get a 10-year guidebook, bonus stats, an unidentified sword, and a divine creature in the tutorial?

The world is unfair, but isn't this going too far? If it really is, he might die of envy.

-Sigh.

"Why are you sighing? If I do well, it's good for you too, Hyung Cheonma."

-I know that logically, but emotionally, I can't accept it. Anyway, make your choice. You're not picking a brick, right?

"Of course not."

Jung-hoon picked up the unidentified sword and the egg from the three rewards in front of the box. A notification appeared.

[Rewards selected.]

[The tutorial has ended. You will be warped to the starting city 'Rhein' shortly.]

"Phew. Finally."

-Yeah, it was really long. Probably three times longer than other players.

"But the rewards I got are probably thirty times better."

-Really, this game should just die. Ah.

"Skill, god, and balance. May it last forever..."

However, their conversation was cut short. Just as he put the sword in his inventory and thought the tutorial was over, an unexpected notification appeared.

Ding.

[Unexpected situation.]

[A trap item has been detected.]

['Random Monster Egg' is hatching!]

The 10-star player who became stronger through the draw.