|First Blood Reward Chest

It is a special reward for the first slayed boss monster on each continent. Please choose a category.

Categories: Weapon, Armor, Skill Book, Tool, Recipe, Money

Friendly reminders:

1. Excluding the monetary price, the grade of the pulled-out item is Legendary or Epic.

2. The item is randomly generated.

3. Besides the monetary price, all other options will be bound to the player.

4. This chest is untradeable.

When you are ready, verbally proclaim the option.|

Cash!

Midnight nearly blurted out on instinct. His heart thumped louder sending hot blood through his veins. His pupils dilated and he felt elated. His head buzzed, overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions, and excitement.

I will get the cash! It is exactly what I need!

Craftmanship resembles a business. I need talent, knowledge, capital, and motivation. I don't know about the first, but I definitely lack the third. This reward is a proposal. It's like the AI will invest in me!

Yes, if I get the coins, I won't need to worry about food and rent for quite some time. I can buy equipment without selling my materials! This will save me time and effort. It will guarantee a head start compared to the other craftsmen. What a godsend opportunity!

The word was already rolling on the tip of his tongue. It tasted sweet and fragrant. He opened his mouth to say it when he froze. He skipped a beat and goosebumps popped up covering his skin.

This isn't like me... I am not acting like myself!

No, I do have a penchant when it comes to money. I can't deny it. However, I have never been a Scrooge. This is too peculiar. Something is abnormal...

It's like an invisible influence is stirring my emotions. My sense of urgency is intensified to the point of drowning out my vigilance and logic. What is going on? Why didn't I read the other options? Why am I so rash?

A sunray gently caressed through his hair. It was reflected by countless tiny drops of sweat. His forehead and brows slowly wrinkled. His previous smile disappeared and he frowned. Suddenly he felt a strange exhaustion. It was different from the fatigue related to his prior battle. It was born from his inner struggle and desire to restrain his mouth.

It was like the low tide following the use of drugs.

As the sun slowly drew above the horizon, more light showered on his head. He squeezed his eyes blinded for a moment. And he had a thought. He looked up and tightly pursed his lips.

The sun has fully risen... It is already considered daytime...This...

Previously, he had a similar experience.

Back then, he attributed his unnatural behavior and stupid blunders to the Clumsy skill. He believed that it passively affected his subconscious. As he had no way to deal with this odd influence, he could only shove his worries to the edge of his perceptions and bury them deep. Now, the anxiety returned and stormed his mind. His pupils trembled and he shivered in the still-cool morning air.

This is terrifying. I am simply a marionette. Occasionally, I will perform a script and I may not even realize it!

His fist clenched tighter around the tiny crimson chest. If he was one of those strong races, by now, he would have crushed it into powder.

No, I need to think. I have to carefully consider everything. Calm down. Calm down...

He sucked a breath and chanted silently. The monotonous words of 'calm down' helped him clear his mind. He shook his head and felt the strong desire slowly vanish.

The tide has passed. Did I manage to suppress it? It was shorter than expected. The influence is intermittent and momentary. If I sense it timely, I can deal with it.

Hmm... Previously, I could only recollect my actions and analyze them after harm was done. Now, however, it felt different. I noticed it, which means that there is improvement...I need to think. What could be the reason?

Is it because I grasped the use of magic? The essence of mana is rather similar to this intangible influence and guidance. Perhaps, this is the case.

There is another possibility. The skill is growing weaker over time. It is because I am active in the day for longer and I try to pay attention. As the dev team wrote before, depending on one's actions, a skill can be strengthened, weakened, gained, or lost. If this is the case, my situation isn't bleak. I need to think twice before I act and observe myself from many different points of view. If I can constantly suppress the skill, it will weaken until it disappears!

Phew

He exhaled and found a shaded place to sit. Then he brushed his sweat away, shut his eyes, and meditated for a while. His inner turmoil gradually calmed and the strained expression on his face relaxed. After more than five minutes, he escaped the darkness of his eyelids, and carefully reread the message.

Thankfully, I stopped myself in time. I didn't succumb to the devil's temptation. But seriously, the poverty and my subconscious worries nearly pushed me into a trap! The crafty AI's trap.

He browsed the words again and rubbed his aching temples. Now, that his thoughts were straightforward, he noticed some problems with his prior choice.

The main concern is that the monetary price is rather vague. Unlike the recipes or items where their Grade is clear, there is no information about the amount or denomination of the coins. In such a case, the random Gatcha takes priority.

Or am I overthinking? The second reminder states that 'items' will be pulled at random. Can money be considered as an item? Money itself is a concept. However, the coins, that represent it, are objective. Then, maybe, the grade applies to cash as well. The system will convert the worth of a Legendary or an Epic object into coins...

No, this is too subjective. The value of an item depends on many aspects. The Grade is definitely not the main. What matters most are the effects. The state of the market, such as saturation and demand. The production costs. The urgency the buyer feels...

The more he thought, the more terrible he felt. He nearly placed his fate in the hands of the AI! It was not a benevolent existence. Instead, it liked to pull cheap pranks and flip the finger at the players.

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Phew

Yes, I'd rather throw this chest away, than pray for the system's favor. Here the AI is a god, and I do not believe in deities!

Anyway, even if I get a huge monetary reward, for now, it will be useless. I am trapped inside Lesotte. The market here is stagnant and there are not many available or useful items. What am I to do with the coins? Stack them in a pile and sleep on top? That sounds enticing but uncomfortable.

I can save them for the future, but the future is obscure. I don't know when or how I can leave the newbie village. What I need is something useful here and now. A reward that can strengthen me directly.

With his thoughts flowing in a particular direction, he scanned the first three options. Armor, Weapon, and a Skill Book. They could more or less translate directly into strength.

If I consider the randomness, I can't choose the former two. I may pull out something great but useless. I am physically weak. What am I to do with a bastard sword or heavy armor? Can I even lift them? Having such items on me will be a hindrance. It can even entice players to rob and kill me. I can't sell or trade them either.

Heh, I just imagined myself with a spiky mace in hand...

Phaha

He laughed out loud, amused by his imagination. It was too ridiculous and funny.

As his mood improved, he wiped away a tear and rejected choosing skill as well.

Excluding the behavior and action method, players could learn skills contained in books as well. However, this required certain aptitude and understanding. Otherwise, the only fate was failure.

And most importantly an Epic Book didn't mean an Epic Skill. The Grade only signified potential and an upper limit. What one ultimately grasped, depended on themselves and their efforts.

If the book describes an ability about blunt weapons, the skill won't even reach the Rare Grade. My physical characteristics and PE talents aren't bragging-worthy...

In the end, a Recipe or Tool it is. They fit with my development direction and my aspirations...

Musing silently, he stretched his numbing limbs, put the chest away, and took a tiny chunk of meat. It was one of his spoils of war, and his soon-to-be breakfast.

"Flamma."

A tiny flame flickered above his opened palm and he began to grill the meat. Occasionally, he rotated it to get an even char. When a sweet and slightly bitter scent drifted through the air and the chunk looked cooked, he dispelled the flame.

It doesn't look that great, but what matters is the taste!

The meat was hot and steaming. He blew at it until it wasn't scalding anymore, and carefully took a juicy bite.

It's not exactly what I had expected. Definitely not like chicken. The taste is burnt, bland, and gamey... I can only blame my cooking skills. I didn't have salt, but I should have used some herbs. Meh, the chewy texture is annoying. I hope that in her next life, the snake lady won't hit the gym so often.

When he was done, satisfying this small urge and getting his revenge, he thought about his last two options. It didn't take him long to make a choice.

I don't need a Recipe. They resemble instructions and patents. The outcome entirely depends on one's own skills. Instead, I prefer the trial-and-error method. It is a slow and difficult process with greater material waste, but it sounds like fun. It contains the craftsmanship spirit that I yearn for.

What was it called again? A man's romance? I can't deprive myself of this experience, now can I?

Heh, then I can only bet on a Tool...

Although he felt certain, he didn't rush to voice it out. In his heart, the prior fear had taken roots and kept him vigilant. Therefore, he held his chin and first considered all the benefits and risks.

The pros are clear. I can get a high-quality Tool. It will greatly aid me in my future journey. What can a craftsman do without his implements?

The main risk is still the random Gatcha. There are too many possibilities. I may get an Epic shovel or brand-new Legendary dancing shoes... Well, I guess, that works. I will grow potatoes or become the best pole dancer in Euclex...

He quipped and leaned on a gravestone's cool and mottled surface. The fresh sensation unwound his high-strung nerves and expelled his grievances and doubts. After two more seconds, he curled his lips, took the chest in hand, and spoke. His voice was deep and his diction calm and clear, "Give me the Tool."

Bang

The chest popped open with a loud and startling noise.

I just calmed down! Can you please not scare me again?

Please, don't be an Epic needle. Give me something related to medicine, alchemy, or smithing...

He chanted inwardly, and couldn't help but feel some anticipation for this gamble.

He crossed his fingers and curiously leaned forward. At the same time, he tried hard to reduce his expectations. He didn't want to feel too disappointed later.

He peeked inside the chest and his eyebrows drew an arch. What lay beyond the lid was a serene dark hollow. Nothing could be seen or sensed.

That's it? Did I get a black hole? A tool for mass destruction?

Pa

"Ouch. What the..."

Suddenly something leaped forward. A tiny metal object shot up straight and slapped him in the face. He rubbed his cheek, and before he could inspect his tool, the chest trembled, expelling one more item.

Pa

Two things? Thankfully the objects are metallic. It is not a pair of high-heels...

He felt surprised and apprehensive. Reaching out, he took his first reward. It was a tweezer...

It doesn't look like a medicine-related one. It doesn't have spikes, and the head is rectangular and flat. A beautifying tool?

My future beauty salon will be open for all races, genders, ages, and beings of every social standing. Hurry up and grab the rare offer! If you let me obliterate one of your eyebrows now, I will rid you of your second one for half the price!

Pa

Pa

The next moment, his chaotic mental ramblings were interrupted by another swift attack. Then a fourth one followed, accompanied by the fifth, the sixth, and more.

Pa

Pa

Pa

Pa

The black hole inside the chest seemed to suffer from an indigestion. It continued vomiting objects, bombarding Midnight in a fast barrage.

Pliers, a tiny one-handed saw, a diversity of hammers, tweezers, brushes, a pair of fine chisels, a smooth metallic tube with a gradual increase in its diameter, countless cutting wheels and burs, something that resembled a piece of optical equipment, and even more unfamiliar paraphernalia littered up the cemetery ground with an increasing speed.

Th...this thing is very creepy...What the hell is going on?

Spooked by this development, he used his free hand to guard his beaten face. Just now, one of the pliers shot out with such impeccable precision that only his racial traits and his instincts as a mage kept his eye intact.

Gugugu

The tremor in the chest intensified, the rumble low and threatening. With no more thoughts, Midnight threw it on the ground. Then he ran away and hid behind a monument.

Gugugu

"What now? Do you want to try me?"

He peeked out and glared at the chest. It had rolled away and stopped with the opening towards the ground. Nothing could emerge and it just kept on shaking and creating noise.

Let's see what you do next. He narrowed his eyes, concentrated, and erected a barrier. Then he rubbed his injuries in indignation. Preposterous! To be assaulted by my own reward! And we even had a friendly conversation. Well, a monologue... I need to consider calling Beatrice for counseling these days...

Gugugu

Four seconds later, the trembling stopped, but the chest didn't disappear.

Phew

That's it? You were all talk no action, heh...

Behind his cover, Midnight grumbled and released the spell. With a swoosh, the wind-wall dissipated.

Bang

The next moment the chest shone deeper crimson and exploded with a bang.

You little piece of...

Midnight took a step away and his thoughts were interrupted. Several larger objects emerged from the void, hit the ground and the surrounding monuments, squashed the weeds, and broke the edges of the stones. Then everything returned to normal. Silence ruled the tiny cemetery.

So pompous and exaggerated... There is always something new inside this game.

Narrowing his eyes, Midnight prepared a new structure just in case and took a step forward.

One step, two steps, three steps.

He slowly drew closer ready for the next surprise. A minute later nothing happened and he heaved a sigh.

The first object that attracted his attention was a familiar machine.

It resembled a flamboyant table with a grinding metal disk on top. Appointed to its sides and surface was a container with a hose, a magnifying glass, a source of artificial lighting, and a mobile pen-like structure. Finally, there were components related to angulation, index, and mast adjustments.

Isn't this a gem facetting machine? I am rather certain. I have studied them before. This one is a high-tech version. Very professional...

His eyes glossed over, for a moment, and he rushed to check the rest. A minute later, he stretched his lips into a foolish smile and used his hands to press his face. He stifled down the laughter but even so, some giggles slipped away.

I hit the jackpot!

Ping.

|Congratulations! You received the bound (untradeable) Epic Grade Full Jewellery and Lapidary Toolkit.|

Yes! Fuck, this is the best. I have everything I need to make jewelry inside the game! This is even better than a jackpot. If I master this domain of crafts, coins will come rolling on my way. It is the full toolkit! This goes way beyond my wildest expectations!

Perhaps...Perhaps, I am the AI's adopted son or something? It just pretended to tease me out of pure affection?... Yeah, right, even I don't believe this shit. This luck must have come from my new Legendary skill. So it can affect even such rewards. Indeed, this can be considered an encounter...

He jumped in place as if he urgently required a toilet. Then he swirled a tiny dance and even kissed his new machine.

After quite some time, he took a deep breath and his eyebrows twitched.

How am I to carry all of this?...