Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Found It
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Why are you doing that?
——
📰 Title What Actually Happened to Me Today 📄 Content This is my first time on Ghost Story Gallery, but something so bizarre happened today that I had to post about it. I'm still breaking out in cold sweats, so forgive me if this is a bit rambling. Day after tomorrow is when my credit card bill is due. I was exactly 1 million won short, freaking out like, "Damn it, anyone I can borrow from?" while scrolling through my contacts. Even thought about hitting up a loan shark for a quick fix—what a crazy idea. Then I spotted this alley, and out of nowhere, there it was. (Photo of a lavish and enormous capsule gacha machine) LOL, even looking at the photo now, I can't believe it. You see the prize list there? Eyeball, 1. Cash, up to 1 million won LOLOLOL Anyone would think it's sketchy. Hidden camera prank, right? Cash for 1 million won doesn't even make sense, but an eyeball? What the hell LOLOLOL But. My eyes just glazed over. I don't get it myself, but the moment I saw it, it was like I had schizophrenia or something—Aha! I can pull 1 million won here!—total conviction. Ran straight to the convenience store, withdrew 10,000 won from the ATM, and changed it into twenty 500-won coins. Like a gambler who'd sold his house deed, eyes bloodshot, hands shaking, I fed in the coins and turned the lever. Rattle clunk. But when I opened the capsule. Holy shit. Just some crappy chocolates. You know, the small red and yellow ones. That's when I finally noticed the usage rules written on the machine. You can designate the prize you want and add penalties to the capsule to boost the odds. Super suspicious LOLOLOL What gacha machine has complex features like that? Not even AI. But at that point, I was like a madman—Aha! Got it!—and dove right in. Designated 1 million won cash and bumped the odds by 10x. Then the penalty list popped up on the screen? (Photo of the penalty list) LOLOLOLOLOLOL Pain of having a toenail pulled. Pain of a hard punch to the solar plexus. Pain of a hard kick to the balls. Minor luck payment. 300 strands of hair. 500ml of blood. 1 tooth. The moment I saw it, my head spun like crazy. No way this was a joke—it just didn't feel like one. But I desperately needed the money, so I went for it. Luckily, nothing too bad—just pain ones. Clean. Rattle clunk. Opened the capsule, and it was a note. What was the first one? Oh, right. Solar plexus punch pain. The instant I read the note, my solar plexus cramped up, vision went white. Collapsed, gasping for a full minute, couldn't breathe. It really hurt. Then the ball-kick pain came later LOLOLOL Solar plexus was nothing LOLOLOL Every capsule had a penalty. Burned by fire pain, head smashed by hammer pain—you name it. Even funnier? After suffering all that pain, suddenly "Strong Painkiller" appeared on the prize list? Doesn't this feel off? Like it made painkillers from the pain it dumped on me. Anyway, after about 10 tries... I pulled it? (Twenty 50,000-won bills spread out on a bed.) I actually pulled it. Spent a bit over 5,000 won and got 1 million won. Opened the capsule—'1 Million Won Cash' right there, clunk! And a fat stack of bills dropped out! How is this real? It's great. But kinda scary. Anyone seen stories like this? Looking closely, the machine's name seems to be 'Rational Gacha Machine'. And next to it, 'From KEH?' What's KEH? Some country? Manufacturer? Anyway, Ghost Story Gallery, thought maybe someone knows something. If you do, spill. I'm scared maybe I'm crazy, no gacha machine existed, and the 1 million came from another personality robbing someone... And. I went back to where the machine was... (Photo of an empty alley) Nothing there... What is this? Someone explain. 💬 Comments — Anonymous ↳ Schizophrenia treatment and counseling link http:/xxxxx.xxx — OP I'm not crazy ㅜ — Anonymous ↳ Got your 1 million won, huh? — Anonymous ↳ Lend — Anonymous ↳ This style of ghost story is cool. Feels real. — OP It really happened. — Anonymous ↳ Yeah right — OP ;; — Anonymous ↳ Ugh... what the hell is "pain of a hard kick to the x balls" — OP I suffered so much ——
"Found it."
It had been three days.
I'd finally discovered traces of the [Rational Gacha Machine] I'd created.
This time, the split vision that let me watch didn't activate, leaving me on edge by myself.
With no idea where it had gone or what it was doing, bad thoughts kept creeping in.
"Luckily. It seems to have gone well enough."
He'd suffered pain, sure, but it looked fair. He'd kept going despite knowing the risks.
"The issue is... whether it'll stay that way."
I found myself gnawing at my lip.
Could the 'Rational Gacha Machine' really become the kind of ghost story I hoped for—one that coexists with people without harming them?
If the answer was YES...
"Hoo."
I kept plugging search terms into the search bar, meticulously checking for more gacha ghost stories.
Fortunately, follow-up reactions started popping up, centered around the community post.
The original post got buried after a few comments, but a day or two later, others who'd experienced the gacha ghost story found it via search and started commenting.
— Anonymous ↳ Pulled the latest model notebook here! Godly gacha machine is a god! — Anonymous ↳ F*** this s***ty world. Kept getting luck payment penalties, couldn't pull jack. — Anonymous ↳ What happens if you pay luck? — Anonymous ↳ Hit by bird poop 3 times a day. Wish I never knew... — Anonymous ↳ LOLOLOLOL — Anonymous ↳ Sucks... why only me. — Anonymous ↳ That's called 'skill'. — Anonymous ↳ F*** you There was anger from those who couldn't pull, but plenty of praise from those who did.
Each time, my lips twitched upward.
Not me getting the praise or attention, but it still felt good.
Because it was my ghost story!
My creation was making people laugh and cry!
A swelling sense of pride.
A sweet stickiness of accomplishment.
I felt great.
Of course,
I worried a bit seeing those hit with harsh penalties.
But no bloody disasters like I'd feared.
— Anonymous ↳ Penalty demanded the super expensive silver dagger I bought from a master artisan recently. Didn't even have it then, but it knew somehow—bring it within 3 days. ↳ Reply Isn't that expensive? Did you give it? ↳ Reply Yeah ↳ Reply You gave it up. ↳ Reply No way, I ignored it at first... then a crazy ominous feeling hit. Felt like I'd be screwed if I didn't, so I delivered it right away f***... — Anonymous ↳ No don't. Please say it didn't go bad. It demanded a latest phone I don't even have, so I ignored it... ↳ Reply Ignored it? Demands from some unknown ghost phenomenon? Ballsy ㄷㄷ ↳ Reply This guy's dead. ↳ Reply Crazy LOLOLOLOL "Uh oh. That's not good. Gonna get forcibly collected on..."
I don't know how forced collection works, but it doesn't sound body-friendly.
I nodded at times, clicked my tongue at others, worried sometimes, reading through the gacha machine records.
Then it hit me.
"This is... fun..."
How my ghost story was actually playing out.
How people interacted with it.
What results came from their choices.
What the hidden rules were.
Diving into people's conversations like that, time flew by unnoticed.
"So fun..."
Even useful, too.
"Profits hit 1 million won in a week."
Leave a cardboard box by the door like before, and cash presumed from the gacha machine appeared inside.
1 million won in a week already.
A proper salaryman would be jealous.
Fun.
Money.
"And coexisting with people? Just look at reactions—more praise than curses. No deaths or serious injuries."
Truth be told, I'd been thinking of never making ghost stories again.
I didn't want to see sudden harm no one could handle because of me.
Maybe because of Mom and Dad.
Dad died in a sudden car crash,
Mom from an unavoidable heart attack. I know how awful that is.
Didn't want to be the guy causing that.
Or maybe just my nature.
Anyway, I'd steeled myself that way. Ready to quit ghost stories if needed.
But.
If the Rational Gacha Machine is like this.
This useful, fun, and coexisting well...
I could decide.
Make up my mind.
"Keep... making them?"
Ghost stories.
Third, fourth, keep going—change the world with my hands? Influence people? Make more money? More money's always better.
My heart raced. Sweet just imagining it. Feels like fate.
And,
"Agh!"
Suddenly, my head split with pain.
"This is..."
Quiet for so long, but suddenly vision opened. Looking down on somewhere else, not here.
A large, brilliant gacha machine appeared.
A blind woman was opening a capsule in front of it.
She fingered the braille note from the capsule and murmured,
"Ear?"
Shrrrip!
I saw it.
Her right ear tearing off.
"Aaaah!"
She clutched her ear with her white cane in hand, collapsing.
Her bloody ear greedily sucked into the machine's slot.
"Aaaah!"
The woman's scream echoed down the alley.
And,
Blackout.
"Gasp!"
I swallowed a sharp breath without thinking.
"Damn."
First blood.
Far as I knew, the first time the Rational Gacha Machine drew blood.
I was speechless for a moment.
Just decided to keep making third, fourth ghost stories.
But my mind grew tangled. Is this really okay?
That day, I fell asleep in a daze.
And the next day.
"Urk!"
Again with pain, vision opened, and I clearly saw.
"Why again?!"
The young blind woman who'd lost her ear yesterday was back at the gacha machine. Bandages wrapped from ear to face.
Gazing resolutely at the machine. Though she couldn't see it.