Chapter 95: The Gacha Temptation and an Unexpected Trip to Okinawa

The men ordered whiskey and potato dishes, then started chatting loudly.

“What are we supposed to tell the Bureau this time? That a newbie pissed himself and died?”

“Just say he died due to lack of experience. The Bureau guys don’t even read the reports anyway.”

Being a Hunter was an incredibly dangerous job.

In a world where even Awakeners had to risk their lives to kill Ire, ordinary non-Awakened Hunters didn’t stand a chance.

『In the era of <Cosmic Ossuary>, where Awakened abilities have developed to their peak, Awakeners wouldn’t struggle against mere low-tier Ire.

But this was the past.

Awakening ability research was still primitive, and the abilities themselves were far from refined.

Even so, I wished for an Awakening ability.

Because only with one could I hope for a slightly better life in this wretched world.』

As the narration played, the protagonist skillfully prepared food and served it to the Hunters.

『“Here’s your food.”

“Hey, what the hell? The potatoes aren’t cooked properly. Is this what you serve to customers?”

“If I cooked them any longer, they would’ve burned.”』

The protagonist responded in an exasperated tone, but the man simply stood up, ignoring him.

It was a confrontation for confrontation’s sake—something a person at their breaking point might do.

Hunters put their lives on the line every day, and today, they had even seen a corpse.

So it made sense that someone would lash out and take out their frustration on whoever was nearby.

Gajunsik understood that much.

He just didn’t sympathize.

The man rolled up his sleeves and approached the protagonist.

Watching this unfold, Gajunsik checked the system.

He figured it was about time he took control of the character and started the combat tutorial, but before he could do that—

BOOM!

The ceiling suddenly collapsed, cutting off Gajunsik’s train of thought.

The protagonist, caught in the shockwave, stumbled as his vision blurred.

A grating sound, like metal scraping against metal, made him lift his head.

At the center of the shop, a monster loomed.

Panicked, the protagonist grabbed a rifle that had fallen to the ground.

No one objected—its previous owner had just died.

The rifle roared.

Ting!

A barrier formed around the Ire, deflecting the bullets. It was an Awakening ability.

『“f*cking hell.”』

Sensing danger, the protagonist turned to run, but the Ire wasn’t about to let him go.

A massive fist shot forward.

CRACK!

The protagonist raised the rifle as a makeshift shield, but it shattered instantly, and he was sent flying.

THUD!

His body slammed into the wall and tumbled to the floor. His consciousness wavered.

As he teetered on the edge of blacking out, he muttered softly.

『“…Someone… please help me.”』

And as all of this unfolded, Gajunsik watched with his arms crossed.

“I don’t really like this protagonist. Even if he doesn’t have knowledge of the original story, this is ridiculous. All he’s done is cook so far—nothing about this makes me want to spend money.”

[user has donated 2,000 won.]

• In gacha games, the protagonist isn’t important. The characters you pull from the gacha are what matter.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to see how it plays out. But how are they planning to incorporate gacha into a story like this? Just… make me roll?”

Just as Gajunsik mumbled to himself—

A surge of powerful psychic energy erupted from the protagonist’s body.

An Awakening.

Yeah, that was necessary.

What kind of ability was it?

Enhancement? Transformation? Control? Summoning? Divine? Or something else entirely?

As if answering Gajunsik’s question, the protagonist murmured softly.

“…Bond Gacha?”

At that moment, Gajunsik’s perspective shifted.

From third-person to first-person, from an observer to the protagonist.

When he lifted his head, the Ire was already charging at him at terrifying speed.

And then—

[From past lives, parallel worlds, and the future—bonds reach out to find you!]

With that cheerful message, a figure appeared out of thin air.

Shing.

A single, fluid motion cleaved the Ire in half.

Then, the figure spoke.

“Junshik, you still seem as dazed as ever. With that attitude, do you really think you can make me the greatest actress?”

“?”

“I missed you. It feels like just yesterday when you ate all the boiled eggs by yourself. I can’t believe so much time has passed.”

“??????”

Gajunsik’s jaw dropped.

It was inevitable.

Because someone had made this happen.

Han Yurim.

She reached out and helped Gajunsik to his feet.

“It’s been a while. Tell me, what do you think of my power?”

“…Who are you?”

“I am me.”

“No, I mean—”

Gajunsik was still flustered by the unexpected situation, but Han Yurim continued.

“I’d love to catch up, but it seems our time is up.”

“…Why?”

“This power isn’t my own, so I don’t really understand it. In any case, if fate allows, we shall meet again. So don’t worry too much.”

“Hey!”

Before Gajunsik could finish his sentence, Han Yurim’s figure vanished.

As he reeled from the surreal encounter, another cheerful message appeared.

[Bond Gacha is your Awakening ability.]

[To use the summoning-special hybrid ability ‘Bond Gacha,’ strong willpower is required.]

[Furthermore, to summon a character permanently, an extremely strong will is needed.]

Extremely strong willpower.

Gajunsik understood what that meant the moment the newly unlocked shop screen appeared.

He clicked on it, almost entranced.

[○○ has donated 2,000 won.]

• Han Yurim just poisoned Gajunsik’s wallet.

That day, Gajunsik learned what it meant to get a bad pull and hit the pity system.

As well as what Limit Breaks and signature weapons were.

A forehead-exposing original anime girl character, summoned through an awakening ability, dramatically saved Moss.

“……”

[Moss has fallen into hypnosis!]

As if possessed, Moss opened the store window and started rolling the gacha.

I nodded and typed in the chat.

• Han Yurim: There are roughly 13 characters that perfectly match your taste, MalangMabbak, so you need to be careful with your pulls.

• Paepae: MalangMabbak! Snap out of it!

• Bunnyrun: Unnie, you’re really good at exploiting people, huh?

Moss, seemingly deaf to their desperate voices, quickly pulled a forehead-exposing soft-character and stared blankly at the bond story.

That absentminded look.

In other words, if we were to engage in a deduction battle right now, my victory would be certain.

I’ve won again this time.

“Hah. What have I done?”

Moss muttered after pulling a third forehead-character in a daze.

Haah. She’s already coming to her senses?

As expected from someone who lost to me in a deduction battle by just a hair’s breadth.

• Han Yurim: MalangMabbak, what are you doing? You need to meet the fourth one too. Can’t you hear the cries of the abandoned characters?

• Paepae: MalangMabbak! Wake up! The only sound you’re hearing right now is your bank balance wailing!

• Bunnyrun: Unnie, you’re good at hypnotizing people too, huh?

Unfortunately, Moss’s gacha spree stopped at the third character.

This won’t do.

The next new character has to be a forehead-exposing maid.

Anyway.

I glanced at the time and, shaking my head in disbelief, started typing.

• Han Yurim: MalangMabbak, you’re taking another day off just to play games? If the South Korean economy collapses, it’ll be your fault.

“If the South Korean economy collapses, it’ll be because your gacha games are draining too much money.”

• Han Yurim: Why have you been taking so many breaks lately? Even during Irimpic, you could’ve streamed longer since so many people liked it, but for some reason, you ended it earlier than planned and took weeks off. Did you… become unemployed?

• Paepae: I told you MalangMabbak had the face of a jobless person.

• Bunnyrun: Unnie, you’re good at reading unemployment vibes too, huh?

“You guys are just saying whatever comes to mind now. I was busy back then too, remember? I only joined after work.”

Han Yurim’s Random Fact!
In truth, Moss didn’t take that much time off during Irimpic.

“Rather, I was juggling work and Irimpic, so I was completely exhausted. Well, I did enjoy playing with you guys, but right now, my body is in desperate need of a vacation.”

A vacation.

That’s when you go somewhere warm and peaceful to heal your tired body and mind.

Many modern people take “hotel vacations,” where they do nothing but relax in a hotel.

• Han Yurim: Are you planning a hotel staycation?

“I’d rather go to a proper vacation spot. Maybe abroad?”

Abroad, huh.

Hmm.

That word instantly triggered a thought in my mind.

Without hesitation, I cast the magic spell.

• Han Yurim: Yurimgers, assemble!

• ChocoPpang: Yurim noona, did you call?

• Chae Narin: …Why?

“You guys, be honest. There’s a group chat without me in it, isn’t there?”

Leaving Moss to her sudden bout of paranoia, I got straight to the point.

• Han Yurim: It’s almost vacation season. Should we go on a trip together?

Technically, it was a little late to call it vacation season, but that’s the beauty of freelancing.

When regular people are on break, we work.

When everyone’s working, we take breaks.

That’s the ultimate vacation power.

For me, now is vacation season.

“Out of nowhere?”

• Han Yurim: You’re the one who brought up vacations first, MalangMabbak.

“That’s true, but… hmm. I don’t mind.”

Moss agreed easily, and one by one, the others chimed in.

• Paepae: I’ve been working too hard lately, so I was thinking of taking a break too.

• Bunnyrun: Unnie, it’s finally swimsuit time?

• ChocoPpang: I’m good too! I’m still on break!

• Chae Narin: …Me too.

It seemed like everyone secretly wanted to go on a trip, considering how quickly they agreed.

I was slightly moved.

You guys were thinking the same thing as me, huh?

• Han Yurim: Judging by how quickly you all agreed, you were all thinking, ‘If we don’t go on a trip now, fall will be here soon, and then we won’t get any beach scenes! What do we do?!’ Right? Me too.

• Paepae: What the hell are you talking about?

• Bunnyrun: Paepae, you still have a lot to learn. I finally understand unnie. That’s just nonsense. You don’t have to take it seriously.

• ChocoPpang: Yurim noona is still hard to understand…

• Chae Narin: …So, Yurim unnie wants to go to the beach?

“A beach trip? Where?”

Where?

Are you seriously asking me that?

• Han Yurim: I told you before. Okinawa.

“Ohhh.”

The Han Yurim Squad.

Japan’s Okinawa trip, confirmed!