Beginner's Luck (2)
“Nah~ No way~”
As I said this with a broad grin, Merlin scowled and reached out with both hands towards the machine.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
Sure enough, the machine rejected Merlin’s hands and flicked them away.
“Aaaargh!”
Unable to get his way, Merlin let out a scream, scowled, and pulled the staff from his waist, aiming it at the machine.
Look at that temper of his!!!
Just look at him, wondering whether to swing his staff or cast a spell because things aren’t going his way.
Watching Merlin like that, I looked at Lord Cheonma to ask him to intervene.
Lord Cheonma was staring at the machine with eyes as wide as a rabbit’s, but sensing my gaze, he turned his head sharply and met my eyes.
“Hmm—ahem! Merlin, give it up now and make this man fulfil his promise.”
Seeming a bit embarrassed, the Celestial Horse cleared his throat as he spoke, but Merlin shook his head from side to side and stubbornly refused.
“No! I... I want to too! I’m going to touch it too!”
At that, the Celestial Horse wrapped his arms around Merlin from behind to stop him.
“Merlin… you’re not a child, why are you acting like this? First, let’s watch what that man does and figure out a way. I want to see what his abilities are as soon as possible. Please.”
“Hmph… all right…”
Perhaps calmed by Lord Cheonma’s actions, Merlin seemed to have regained his senses. He sheathed his staff and, together with Lord Cheonma, looked at me.
It’s quietened down a bit now…
I suppose I’ll get on with the job.
“Right then, I’ll do it.”
Ding-a-ling-a-ling ♪
Still listening to the melody playing in the background, I sat down in the integrated chair of the machine, its multicoloured neon LED signs flashing.
“Open sub-space”
I stretched out my arm and, thinking to pull 100 GACHA COINS from my inventory onto the centre of the joystick panel, shouted. A black form quivered, taking the shape of a circular medallion, and stood upright like a pillar.
A moment later, as the black form vanished, a glittering golden GACHA COIN revealed itself .
Flashing...
The LEDs from the colourful neon signs reflected off the coin and spread outwards.
“Is this... the coin you were talking about?”
Cheonma-nim, who had approached me without me noticing, asked from a distance of about two footballs’ length away from my ear.
“Ah, yes. Eh? But you’re not getting bounced out, are you, Cheonma-nim? I suppose… that’s because you’re Cheonma-nim?”
“...Eh?”
“Eh!?”
Cheonma-nim seemed taken aback by my question and quickly looked up to check on Merlin.
“Ah… well…”
“H-hey! Why should you be the only one allowed to do this! I... I want to go up close and have a touch too!”
Merlin, acting like a child, leapt back onto the machine, and this time he wasn’t bounced off.
“Oh... Ooh! What’s this, what’s this! I’m not getting bounced off this time either. Ooh-hoo! This is really amazing!”
Watching Merlin examine the machine with wide eyes and a curious gaze, Lord Cheonma looked at me with a pleased expression and asked,
“Is this round golden thing... a coin? Do we put this into that slot?”
“Yes.”
As expected, Lord Cheonma asked a sharp question that cut straight to the heart of the coin’s purpose.
After answering Her Highness’s question, I picked up the coin from the top of the joystick panel with my left hand and slid it into the slot.
Ding!
The moment the ding sounded, I pulled the lever with all my might.
Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
※ Jjang Kke Ppo ※
Images of Scissors, Rock and Paper appeared in the centre of the screen, constantly changing.
A moment later, accompanied by a beep, the screen changed and a countdown began.
Beep—
10
9
...
At last, finally...
The gamble that would decide whether my fate would be life or death had begun!
Would the coin remain?
Or would I die?
...
2
1
!
Rock!
Paper!
Scissors!
‘A man’s got to go with his fist!’
Thud!
No sooner had the machine’s voice finished speaking than I pressed the button hard, thinking, ‘A man is all about his fists!’
※ Rock, Paper, Scissors ※
Me: Rock VS Rock, Paper, Scissors: Scissors
LOSE WIN
I lost~
The machine’s voice announcing this unbelievable, shocking result rang in my ears.
I lost?
I lost?
You say I lost?
In one go?
Just like that, without a fight?
Spitting blood... sweating buckets... the coins I’d earned... down to minus (-)1... so easily right from the start?
Stunned by the unbelievable result, I stared blankly at the screen.
But the screen remained silent, merely displaying the images of Scissors, Rock and Paper, which kept changing in the centre.
Seeing me sitting there in a daze, staring at the screen in disbelief, Cheonma-nim asked if it was all over.
“You lost? Is it over?”
“No. I still have 99 coins left. It’s just… I’m a bit flustered because the coins I worked so hard to collect vanished in an instant.”
“Ah… but… what’s the point of winning this?”
“Ah, yes. I believe if you win, you’ll be able to acquire more coins. You can exchange those coins for all sorts of good things… for example…”
It was then.
The machine blared out the voice of a vicious demon’s temptation, shaking my very soul.
Ping~
What are you doing after losing, eh~
You’ve got to make up for your losses quickly!
I’ll be your opponent!
“Damn it!”
Bloody hell!
Just give it to me.
I’ll win it back double.
Having succumbed to that temptation, I stopped trying to explain the gacha system to Lord Cheonma, glared at the screen, and mindlessly fed coins into the slot.
Didi didi didi!
Ta-da!
※ Punch Crack Pop ※
Beep—
10
9
...
2
1
!
Jang!
Kke!
Ppo!
“One more time, fist!”
Thud!
※ Jjang Kke Ppo ※
Me: Rock VS Jjang Kke Ppo: Paper
LOSE WIN
I lost~
The mechanical voice announcing my inevitable defeat rang in my ears.
From that moment on, I forgot all about the heroes around me, my eyes blazing as I stared intently at the screen and began pressing the buttons with total focus.
The real battle starts now!
It was during the seventh round.
※ Jjangkkeppo ※
Me: Rock VS Jjangkkeppo: Scissors
WIN LOSE
I won!
After six losses and one win, I finally heard the machine’s victory chime.
I did it!
I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!!!