Chapter 80: First Friend and Familiar Gem
Having received his reward from the lord, Carpe exited the castle through a side gate rather than the main entrance.
As he left, he caught a glimpse of some commotion near the front gate, but Carpe paid it no mind.
"Hmm. A Raid Party Freedom Pass, though. Feels a bit ambiguous."
Would a solo player like him ever need to assemble a massive raid party?
—You never know what the future holds. Who knows, maybe you'll lead one yourself. A raid on the Four Calamities or something.
Cheonma chuckled as if even he found the idea ridiculous.
"I figured since everyone who enters the lord's castle becomes a ranker, they'd at least cough up a Legendary item as a reward."
—Legendaries sounding like some mutt's name... Makes sense when you're lugging around four of them already.
Items that most players never saw even after quitting the game—Carpe already had four equipped.
And with the Servant Lord's Token, an Epic item to boot... no wonder Legendary rolled off the tongue so easily.
—Anyway, think of it the other way around if you're talking rankers.
"The other way?"
—Yeah. It's not that entering the lord's castle makes you a ranker. It's that people destined to become rankers are the ones who can enter in the first place.
"Ah... Yeah, that makes sense."
Carpe nodded.
From personal experience, the lord's castle wasn't a place you could just waltz into on a whim.
You needed achievements worthy of visiting it, and anyone stacking those kinds of feats was bound to have insane game talent.
"So all those folks wandering in front of the gates are just wasting their time."
—Exactly. Even if they got in that way... no chance they'd become rankers. Last Savior isn't that easy.
"Rankers, huh..."
—What? You interested?
"Sure, a bit."
—Huh. Didn't peg you for the fame-hungry type.
"Nah, not really into rankings."
He'd felt zero thrill climbing to second in the arena of that godawful game Real Fantasia.
As Cheonma said, Carpe wasn't the type to crave rankings or glory.
Carpe wanted just one thing.
"I wanna open a ranker box. Really bad. Like, intensely."
—Ranker boxes aren't that special, dude. Just slightly better odds than a regular random box.
"Still. That tiny edge is what makes it thrilling."
—...I don't get it. Why gamble like that? Failing just pisses you off.
"But succeeding? Ten times the fun. Want an example?"
Two boxes in front of you.
One has a 1% chance for a Legendary and 99% for nothing.
The other: 99% for a Unique, 1% nothing.
"So, which do you pick?"
—That's even a question? Obviously the second one.
"Obviously the first. Man, you're hopeless. How do you not get this?"
—I'm the hopeless one?!
Cheonma realized this could kill a man twice over.
He was on the verge of a rage-induced stroke.
Why was he the weirdo here? Unacceptable.
—If Legendary odds were 10%, maybe I'd think about it. But 1%? That's basically zero.
"In gacha games, 1% is god-tier luck!"
—...Fine. It's not your fault. Society's the problem.
Cheonma made a vow.
If he regressed again, he'd run for parliament.
And propose a bill chopping the heads off devs who toyed with drop rates.
Games like Last Savior, run overseas? Ban 'em from Korea entirely!
It was the only way to save these gambling addicts.
Cheonma sighed deeply.
—Anyway, rankers are far-off. Wake up and smell reality. Hit level 100 to even sniff top 1,000.
"Guess that leaves power-leveling. Next hunting ground, pronto... Huh?"
Right then.
As Carpe bantered with Cheonma, someone approached. A familiar face.
"Oh?"
"What a coincidence! It's been too long, Tusin."
In-game name: Tado Tusin.
A ninja-concept user who called herself "Hanjo" (nationality: American).
"Truly remarkable serendipity! To cross paths in vast Ruana like this. Surely the threads of fate from a past life!"
"Yeah, uh, total coincidence."
She seemed even more hyped than usual. Her enthusiasm bordered on overwhelming.
"You look well. Glad to see it."
"Yeah. You seem pumped too. Something good happen?"
"As expected of Tusin. Sharp eyes. Heh, spot on."
Carpe had just tossed out a casual pleasantry, but Hanjo nodded in awe.
"Curious what it is?"
"Nah, no big—"
"If you're curious, no helping it. 'Twas to be secret, but for Tusin's query, I shall reveal."
"...Right. Forgot. You don't take hints."
Ignoring Carpe's exasperated look, Hanjo leaned in, voice low.
"Truth be told, I head to the lord's castle now. On a special mission."
"...Yeah?"
"You may not know, but 'tis grand indeed. Mine especially—from the head steward himself. Not some mid-level; the lord's closest aide."
Head steward.
Probably that elderly gentleman standing beside Marquis Chris earlier.
Name was...
"William?"
"Aye! Steward William... Wait. How knows Tusin the steward's name?"
"Just overheard it."
"...Overheard by chance?"
Hanjo tilted her head at Carpe's reply but soon shrugged it off as plausible and nodded.
She glanced at the air, then continued wistfully.
"Alas, Tusin. Here we part. I'd deepen our bond, but time grows short."
Her login time must be running low.
"Must complete the mission today..."
"Got it. Take care. Good seeing you. Catch you next time—"
"Wait! One final request, Tusin."
"Huh? Short on time?"
"This'll be quick."
With that, Hanjo took a deep breath and muttered softly.
"Huuuuh. Okay. Confidence. Leina. You got this. Yeah."
Then she tentatively extended her right hand to Carpe.
"Fr-friend. Shall we?"
Tado Tusin has requested to add you as a friend. Accept?
"..."
"N-not possible? Rejected again?"
Mistaking his silence for refusal, her voice deflated. Carpe chuckled.
"Nah, thought it was something huge. Just a friend add? Easy."
"So...?"
"Yeah. Let's do it. Should've after the beetle boss last time."
You have accepted the friend request.
You have registered your first friend. Friend window activated.
"Oh yeah, first friend ever."
"First? Not a single one before?"
"Yup."
"I-see. First... First."
"Huh? Your voice?"
"Eek?! Slipped in the moment."
Like when they first met the giant slater boss, her deep, husky concept voice cracked to her real one.
Cheonma had mentioned it could happen when flustered... Was adding a friend that big?
"...But Tusin. Why's your level like that?"
"Level? Oh."
Friends showed nickname, current level, and base job in the friend window. Same as party.
Hanjo was level 36. Five below Carpe.
"How? I raced the optimal route!"
Hanjo panicked. She'd assumed she'd be ahead.
Post-slater, she'd swept a secret route for EXP... Why?
And not just 1-2 levels—a full five. Insanely fast.
"Uh... luck?"
"Kuh. Must've snagged some epic opportunity. I'll push harder. Can't lag behind a friend. Oh, Tusin. Got the Patron Spirit App?"
"Patron Spirit App?"
"App that notifies Patron Spirit quests."
"Oh, that!"
He'd heard of it.
Cheonma explained it in the starter village.
"Install if you haven't. Miss a quest, disaster."
"Mine doesn't give quests, so fine."
"...My apologies. Rude of me. Forget I said it."
Hanjo eyed him pityingly.
So convinced no quests... Must've pulled a trash 0-star Patron Spirit.
—That ninja girl's thinking something super rude right now.
"Anyway, still worth installing. Messenger for friends, too."
"Got it. Hit me up. Good luck on your quest!"
"You too. Nail that quest."
Hanjo headed to the castle; Carpe to his next quest.
The now-familiar secret Arkram base.
Carpe reunited with Drek in Ruana village and followed him here.
"Heh heh. 'Even sages rub eyes after three days apart,' they say. But you've outpaced that, heir. Strengthening so swiftly."
"All thanks to you."
"Heh heh. Arkram's fortune. Now level 40, time for the next relic. But first."
Drek handed Carpe a small box.
"A humble gift from me."
Last Savior players got Patron Spirit gifts every 20 levels.
Gift levels.
But Carpe's Patron Spirit lacked that, so a job-related NPC filled in.
"Heh heh. Hope it's useful."
"Thanks. I'll put it to good use."
Carpe opened the box carefully.
"Huh?"
Inside: a small red gem.
He'd seen it before.
Exactly like the one beside Tina when he first got her.
"This... an Empty Soul Stone?"