Chapter 4: Character Draws are Fair to Everyone.

‘Oh… I can play mobile games on the computer.’

[Impact: Galactic Train] was a more serious game than I thought.

It had a proper official website, and even though it was supposed to be a ‘mobile game’, I could download a PC version.

This is more shocking than I expected.

Back in the day, to play mobile games on a computer, you had to use a well-known app player.

“I couldn’t even just use them easily, could I…?”

“There were headaches about whether certain files needed to be deleted or not because of crypto mining or whatnot…”

Have mobile games changed this much while I was preparing for my exams?

Or is ‘this world’ somewhat special?

Honestly, I wasn’t curious which it was, so I left the bedroom, turned on the computer, and downloaded Galactic Train.

I thought the computer would naturally have a password, but it didn’t.

The fact that all the messenger notifications were turned off, that’s also a bit strange.

“Anyway… Galactic Train is a space opera turn-based RPG game made in China…”

The official website, which I checked while installing the game, had more information than I expected.

“Wow… these subculture games these days look completely different, huh?”

The games I used to play, were they Live2D?

Just using that was considered a huge hit and caused a commotion.

Is it called cel-shaded graphics?

Seeing characters, overflowing with what anyone would call an otaku-ish feel, moving with 3D modeling filled me with a sense of wonder.

“I thought this kind of thing was only possible in console games…”

If you ask whether graphics overflowing with this subculture feel have never existed on Earth, the answer is, of course, no.

The famous ‘Arcana’ series, which has released up to its fifth installment, was a turn-based game with 3D graphics overflowing with otaku power…

If you turn your gaze entirely to console games released in Japan, they are so plentiful that it’s hard to even recall them all.

“But… for mobile games, there was subtly a lack of them… It’s not that there were none at all, but I don’t think there were any with such a serious feel, right?”

If I searched, I might find a mobile game somewhere made with graphics overflowing with this kind of subculture game feel.

But at least I had never played one.

So I was quite excited.

“But this… the installation is taking longer than I thought…”

What kind of game needs a 30GB download?

Were the graphics not just good, but exceptionally good?

Anyway, I got all the information I could from the official website.

It’s not like this is the first mobile game I’ve ever played, so shall we go find the ‘real information’…!

[Search: Galactic Train Gallery]

To get the ‘real information’ about a game, there’s nothing like an anonymous community.

In the first place, the official website doesn’t tell you what the monetization elements are like.

…Even as the youngest daughter of a chaebol, going into this kind of community feels a bit awkward for no reason, but whatever!

It’s not like I’m revealing my face when I go in!

[Can I take off with this, bros????? (3)]

[Just call it Genshin 2 lol f*ck the game is exactly the same hahaha (12)]

[Upvote if you’re happy for unspeakable reasons hahaha (4)]

[Guys, damn, I pulled a character named Seele, is she bad? I wanted Bailu ;;; (43)]

[If I buy 1 truck, how many pulls can I do??? 100 pulls possible?? (1)]

[Anyone willing to build a deck for a newbie?? (4)]

“As expected, it’s a mess…”

The community was chaotic, but that was actually a relief.

If Galactic Train were a dead game, there wouldn’t be this many people.

“Let’s see… Genshin?”

“The monetization seems similar to this game…”

I quickly read the post pinned in the community’s announcements.

Funnily enough, right from the beginning of the post, the fact that this game’s monetization elements were dirty was written in red letters.

[If you, reading this post, have played ‘Genshin’, then the monetization elements are the same ㅇㅇ]

[If you want to be a C6 owner, you’ll have to easily spend over a million won.]

[Each version will probably release 2 new characters, and if you lose the 50/50 once, you should be prepared to buy 2 trucks immediately.]

[Never said it was a generous game, and if you’re thinking of getting all characters with just the monthly pass and battle pass, don’t even start ㄴㄴ]

“…Normally, don’t they say, ‘It’s a generous game, so give it a try’?”

Just how intense is this game called Genshin?

Is it as hardcore as the games I used to play?

No matter how I think about it, I don’t think it’s that bad?

“Anyway… character gacha just feels familiar, right?”

“Honestly, there’s no way I’m short on money.”

The talk about money honestly didn’t resonate with me.

How fun this game was, that was what mattered.

“Since it’s installed, shall I give it a try…”

Unlike console games, mobile games allow for ‘tasting’ as much as you want.

The installation took some time, but if I play a bit and find it boring, I can just delete it.

And so, ‘Galactic Train’, which I started with such a light heart, was different right from the beginning.

“Oh… what’s this, they talked about a space opera, and it’s a space station?”

It feels more serious than I thought, doesn’t it?

Even the music playing was quite good.

It wasn’t some cheap-sounding song, but a violin?

Anyway, it had an orchestral feel…

“Wow, the graphics are really good, huh?”

Are games really made with graphics like this nowadays?

When I used to play mobile games back in the day, they were at a level where you could call them paper doll dress-up games and have no argument?

This isn’t SD, it’s proper 3D, isn’t it?

“I can move with the keyboard, huh?”

“Huh?”

“I can control the character?”

In the center of the large monitor stood a purple-haired woman wearing a coat and pants that emphasized her well-rounded butt.

She made a really strong first impression because she appeared playing the violin right from the start of the game.

“What, it’s even dubbed in Korean?”

“I thought this was definitely a Chinese game?”

…What is this?

Is China in this world a bit different?

Weren’t Chinese games all dubbed in Japanese?

That’s why we used to laugh about them being otaku games made by the three East Asian countries?

No way, can I change it?

[Selectable Voices: Korean, Chinese, Japanese, English]

“Oh…”

When I went into the options menu, I could naturally choose from four languages.

Korean is definitely not bad, but…

Yes, if you’re an otaku, you should naturally use Japanese, the Latin of otaku!

“…Then, shall I continue playing the game?”

After simply controlling the character and walking forward, a message appeared telling me to attack the enemy in front.

So, I pressed the left mouse button, and the battle began, with flashy effects and the familiar ‘turn-based combat’.

“I know this feeling.”

“There’s a speed bar on the left, weaknesses… what’s this?”

“A shield?”

“Anyway, there’s something above the health bar…!”

As expected of a Chinese game, it brought in a lot of familiar things!

There are tons of elements I’ve seen in the Arcana series, right?

“Skill points?”

“Normal attack… Ultimate… Okay, I roughly get the feel of it…!”

Galactic Train’s UI was so clean it made me wonder if it was really a mobile game.

And the motions for normal attacks and combat skills were different.

Usually, since normal attacks are basic attacks, don’t they reuse motions or make them look obviously shoddy?

…In the games I played, they did?

“This game… isn’t bad, huh?”

The moment the first tutorial, overflowing with familiarity, ended, I was certain.

Galactic Train was fun.

***

“Alright… Galactic Train.”

“You deserve to receive this Kwon Se-ah’s money.”

I said this as I returned from the bathroom and sat in my chair.

I had just finished the tutorial, chosen the female protagonist, and seen the ending of a small story arc.

It was a situation where I needed to go to the next planet or something, but there was something more important than that.

“Earlier… I need to pull that woman.”

The woman in tight leather pants.

It seemed she was significantly related to the game’s protagonist; I wanted to have that mature woman.

Considering I could control her from the tutorial, she must be the character featured in the first pickup banner, right?

“… … Huh?”

While thinking that, I went back into the ‘Character Gacha’ that had opened up earlier, and a female character I had never seen before was standing there.

A blue-haired female character was holding a scythe and striking a cool pose.

“What?”

“Where did that ‘mommy’ from before go?”

“Who is this girl?”

“Butterfly on the Blade’s Edge?”

[Character Event Gacha]

[Butterfly on the Blade’s Edge]

[Guaranteed ★4 or higher target every 10 pulls!]

“No… who are you.”

…If it were that woman from before with the full butt and slightly large chest, I would have definitely pulled for her.

Since a character I’m seeing for the first time popped up, I’m a bit hesitant.

“No… why am I even hesitating about this?”

“Se-ah, are you a beggar?”

I quickly moved the mouse and clicked ‘Details’.

“Hunt… Quantum… Seele.”

I quickly checked the information of the first pickup character.

I skipped the story because opening it might lead to spoilers, and checked her skills.

“What is this… isn’t this broken?”

“If you defeat an enemy, you get another turn?”

I wondered if I had misread it and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, but the content didn’t change.

“This… isn’t this totally OP?”

“Is this why it’s a Chinese game?”

“In a turn-based game, you get an extra turn just for killing an enemy?”

Without even mentioning Darkest Dungeon or the Arcana series, an extra turn in a turn-based game holds immense value.

And they give it to you for free just for killing an enemy?!

“It’s broken… no matter how I think about it, this is broken, right?”

“Alright, let’s pull for this!”

“Let’s pull!”

With my right hand, I clicked the mouse to open the game’s payment window, and with my left hand, I turned on my smartphone.

Of course, having just finished the tutorial, there was no way I had enough currency to do a ’10-pull’.

“Let’s see…”

[6,400 Glimmering Dreams + First-Time Purchase Bonus 6,600]

So this game calls its gacha currency ‘Glimmering Dreams’, huh?

I’m used to calling it ‘stones’.

Saying the full name is annoying, so I’ll just call them stones from now on.

“120,000 won for 13,000 stones… To do a 10-pull, I need 1,600 stones, huh?”

If I roughly calculate this, I can pull about 80 times, right?

“No… but one character is 120,000 won?”

“The tuna set I had for lunch was 50,000 won…”

Is this a bit of a waste…?

How much is one of those famous Souls series games?

Since I’m just going to ‘taste’ it anyway, wouldn’t it be fine to just play without paying?

What kind of whale thinks of buying a truck right after starting a game?

“But Se-ah… the Souls series doesn’t have boobs and butts, does it…”

Even though I’ve become a woman, I still like women.

I liked that woman from the start of Galactic Train with the pretty voice and overflowing decadent beauty.

“Tsk… honestly, this… character named Seele doesn’t look bad either…”

Console games don’t have butts and boobs.

There are no beautiful girls!

“Aish! What am I hesitating for!”

“It’s only 120,000 won!”

The bag my cousin bought me cost tens of millions of won…!

– Bzzzz!

[₩119,000]

And just like that, with a single click, I coolly blew 120,000 won.

…Back when I used to play mobile games, if I bought 1 truck, I’d have to eat only ramen for a while, so it was agonizing.

Heh, hehehe… why don’t I feel regretful now?!

“Let’s just think of it as buying an expensive game!”

“Anyway, back in the day, you had to buy games to play them!”

– Chiring!

[Obtained 12,000 Glimmering Dreams!]

The moment I saw the system message appear with a sparkling light, a thrill ran through my entire body.