Free 10 Draws (1)

The next day when I woke up, everything was as it was.

"Whew..."

I let out a deep sigh from the depths of my chest.

It had been quite a while since I quit smoking, but I hadn't wanted a cigarette this badly since I blew a 6-star party on the 80th floor.

I decided to accept it.

The childish tantrums had to end now. This was the world of Pick Me Up, and I had been summoned as a 1-star hero.

A pitiful ability that was compared to Shay's.

A novice class with not even the basics.

No skills at all. That was my current state.

I washed my face in the bathroom and boiled some ramen. The pot from yesterday was still there. I did the dishes while the water boiled.

As I scrubbed the pot with a sponge covered in bubbles, I thought.

What kind of game is Pick Me Up?

If someone were summoned as a hero in Pick Me Up with the game's rules still intact, how could they survive?

There are two ways a hero can disappear: dying in battle or being synthesized.

And I was a 1-star.

What does it mean to be a 1-star hero in Pick Me Up?

To most masters, a 1-star is a consumable. The lowest tier of consumable, at that. Basic stats are poor and growth rates are very low. Moreover, they're already annoying to use, and they frequently suffer status ailments that reduce their combat effectiveness.

The situation is the same in other mobile games.

Characters obtained from free draws are always treated that way.

I slurped down the noodles.

Somehow, I found a piece of paper and a pen in my hand. I had found them in the drawer next to the bed. I didn't know why such things were in the room, but I would use them if I could.

'Goals.'

I scribbled the word on the paper.

First, a goal. The primary goal is obvious. Survive in this world. Then I needed to set detailed objectives. If this had happened in another mobile game, I might have given up. Character growth rates are fixed, and skills are predetermined. No matter how much you struggle, you can't escape your origins.

But Pick Me Up is different.

Depending on the training method and the hero's individual abilities, even a 1-star can become a hero rivaling a 5-star.

That's because each hero has unique potential. In addition to the visible status screen, heroes have other abilities that are not displayed as numbers and must be identified by the master through observing battles.

Even heroes with the same stars and abilities can become entirely different beings.

Therefore, to become a master of Pick Me Up, you need a discerning eye to pick out the 'buds that will grow.'

The pen continued to write.

'Goal. Become strong.'

I had to become strong.

Surviving, seeking revenge, and returning home would all be impossible unless I grew stronger.

It wasn't just about physical strength. I also needed to change my mental state.

With the same complacent mindset I had on Earth, I would never survive.

I didn't know how things would proceed from now on. If I kept being startled and flustered like yesterday, could I really survive?

'No.'

If you can't adapt, you die.

If you can't accept it, you'll be devoured.

I had experienced such situations before.

Now I was just an ordinary young man, but it was different in the past.

In my childhood, I remembered the orphanage director's annoyed look. At that time, I had nothing. No parents, no relatives, no friends. Everyone was an enemy, and I was alone.

I clawed my way up. To live a life like others, I lived a life like a war.

'It's okay.'

I was used to unfairness.

The important thing is to calmly grasp and accept the situation.

The absurd fact that I had fallen into the world of the game I enjoyed.

In this situation, I shouldn't trust anyone.

The only one I could trust was myself. After eating the ramen, I went out to the square.

The square was still empty. "Isel, are you there?"

I shouted.

After a while, a small fairy appeared in the air.

[Oh, what now! I'm a busy person!]

Busy, yet she came out readily.

[No matter how much you ask, I won't tell you anything! If you're curious, climb the tower. The answer is in there. Oh, of course, there's no way a trashy 1-star like you could make it to the top, hahahahaha!]

Isel laughed, clutching her belly.

I wasn't angry. My mind was much calmer now, and I could check this brat's level.

[Isel Lv.257]

257 meant she was around the level of the late 80-floor bosses.

"I have something to ask."

[I said I won't tell you.]

"This status screen, is it only visible to me?"

[Status screen?]

Isel flapped her wings and circled around in the air.

"The level 257 floating above your head."

[Ha, you, you can see that, huh? It's not even researched yet. Annoying, so annoying.]

From her reaction, it was clear.

The game's messages were only visible to me.

[Is it because the entities are mixed? Anyway, that person did something annoying... Oh no! What am I saying!]

Isel looked around and quickly flew away.

Mixed entities? Whatever. "Equipment screen!"

[Han Islat (★)]

[Main Weapon: None]

[Sub Weapon: None]

[Armor: None]

[Accessory: None]

As expected.

The iron sword I used in the tutorial was a supply item given automatically when a hero had no weapon. Shay, being a 4-star, had basic weapons and armor.

'Good.'

I clenched my fist.

Even though I was a 1-star, I had a unique ability that others didn't. The ability to observe my status from a master's perspective. This would greatly help me in my future path.

I wouldn't be left behind. Never.

I resolved once again.

But,

What if the master quits?

The mistake the master made yesterday wasn't a simple one.

They synthesized a 4-star with a 1-star. The chance of getting a 4-star from a paid summon is about 1%.

The luck that happens once in a hundred tries was wasted with one control error.

Pick Me Up is linked to a phone, so restarting wasn't possible.

'Let's not think negatively.'

I'll deal with that when it happens.

There's no need to waste mental energy on events that haven't occurred.

I shut myself in the room and scribbled on paper. The drawer was overflowing with notebooks and pens. Things I needed appeared as if by magic.

What I was creating was a strategy guide. I wrote and organized all the information I remembered about Pick Me Up so I wouldn't forget over time.

A week passed like that.

[Master Amkena, welcome to Pick Me Up!]

With a cheerful sound, a hologram window popped up.

I stood up from the chair.

[Loading is complete.] [TOUCH! (select)] [1. 100 gems a day for 10 days! Receive a total of 1,000 gems.] [2. Special package for new masters! Purchase the new package for only 65,000 won and receive 5,000 gems and 300,000 gold!]

The notices and ongoing events were listed.

Most of the events I remembered, but there were things I didn't recognize.

The notice was quickly skipped.

I couldn't check it during the tutorial, but now it was different. I needed to understand the master's tendencies to devise a survival strategy.

Are they a non-paying user or a paying user? A casual user or a hardcore user? I focused on the system messages.

[Master, please check your tutorial rewards!] [500 gems, 20,000 gold obtained!]

'500 gems for one paid draw, 20,000 gold for 20 free draws.'

[Popup! Would you like to purchase the new package for 65,000 won?] [Yes / No (select)]

'Not buying, huh.'

At least for now, they're a non-paying user.

They might still be assessing the situation.

It would be nice to see the game screen directly, not just the system messages, but unfortunately, that function wasn't available.

So, what will you do?

In this situation, there's only one hero, me. So, the master's next step would be...

[Hero Summon!] [Summon heroes with gold or gems. Try your luck with the Möbius Summon for unlimited heroes!]

Unlimited heroes, my foot.

If my hypothesis is correct, the Möbius Summon and the unique hero AI are all nonsense. I could only understand this after falling into the game myself.

[Advanced Summon]

[Conduct advanced hero summon.] [1 summon – 500 gems]

[10 summons – 5,000 gems]

[Summon]

[Conduct hero summon.]

[1 summon – 10,000 gold]

[10 summons – 100,000 gold]

As expected, Amkena touched the summon tab.

It's only natural. No one in their right mind would proceed with just one 1-star hero.

The top option is the paid summon with gems, the bottom is the free summon with gold.

Amkena selected the free summon.

[Master, starting a 10-summon. Let's see which heroes come out!] [Click, clack.] [Tada!] [Common!] [Master 'Amkena' has acquired hero 'Lyle (★)!'] [Common!] [Master 'Amkena' has acquired hero 'Toby (★)! [Uncommon!] [Master 'Amkena' has acquired the hero 'Mormont (★★).] [Common! ] [Master 'Amkena'...]...

A total of ten messages appeared. The summoning was complete.

I started counting numbers slowly in my mind.

From 1 to 100. As I counted, I calmed myself down. No matter what was happening outside, I didn't get excited. I didn't rush.

After counting all the numbers, I went out to the square.

The summoning portal was open, and ten men and women were gathered near the entrance of the summoning portal.

They were chattering with confused faces in the corner of the square.

"Where is this place? Is it a dream?"

"Oh, it's harvest season..."

"Maybe we were brought here by a wizard? To be used as experimental tools..."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Although their ages, genders, and appearances were different, they had a few things in common.

First, they were of the same race. Probably Caucasian.

Second, they spoke the same language. It wasn't Japanese or Chinese. It wasn't Spanish or French either. It was a language similar to English but felt different, and I could understand what they were saying. I could speak it too.

And lastly,

They were human.

"Alright, since we've met here by chance, let's introduce ourselves."

A middle-aged man with a magnificent beard stepped forward. He was wearing a leather tunic and old pants.

The middle-aged man gestured towards me, who was standing far away.

"You, come over here."

I trudged into the crowd.

A red-haired girl pointed to the summoning portal's door and shouted. The door was already closed.

"Brother, he came from outside, not through that door! He's different from us! He might know something."

"Is that true?"

"Yes, I saw it."

What a sly move.

I said,

"I'm just like you. I came from that door."

People immediately started whispering...