Chapter 6
[The rule for serving coffee to the deceased is one beverage per person. Do you have a specific reason for asking?]
"The beans are provided by KarMa Transport, and the deceased aren’t paying extra. Since they’re invited guests, I thought refills might be acceptable."
[……]
Nahan’s reply didn’t appear.
I’d assumed it was just a pre-saved system message, but it seems capable of actual thought.
Is this an AI?
Or does KarMa Entertainment have a dedicated employee relaying messages?
When no answer came, Jeongjikhan spoke first.
"Will refills curse me? Because I’m breaking the rules?"
[No. However, coffee refills transfer your personal fortune (吉, gil) to the deceased.]
"Huh?"
[While one beverage per person is standard, employees may serve additional cups at their discretion.]
So the fortune (吉) I earn from the first cup gets passed to the deceased?
Why would the dead need a living person’s fortune?
How does this even work?
As Jeongjikhan frowned in confusion, Nahan’s message followed.
[Some deceased who receive fortune (吉) resolve their grudges and attain enlightenment.]
"Enlightenment from a coffee refill?"
[Yes. Enlightenment occurs when their resentment dissolves. Occasionally, simply listening to their story suffices.]
Enlightenment through conversation.
No wonder they say a single word can repay a thousand debts.
[Some deceased bequeath their fortune (吉) to descendants. Others attempt to repay the benefactor.]
"If it’s all positive, why hesitate to refill?"
[Deceased holding fortune (吉) become targets for evil spirits.]
Evil spirits?
Jeongjikhan gulped dryly as Nahan’s next message surfaced.
[Recipients must use the fortune (吉) within three days. Failure results in annihilation by evil spirits.]
They’re killed just for having fortune (吉)?
Trash exists everywhere, alive or dead.
Jeongjikhan stroked his chin.
"If a deceased attains enlightenment… do I gain more fortune (吉)?"
[Yes. Your reward scales with the depth of their grudge.]
"How much?"
[Minimum 100 fortunes (吉). Maximum: a Great Fortune (大吉, daegil).]
"A Gr-Great Fortune?! In one shot?!"
A Great Fortune equaled 5,000 fortunes (吉)—colossal good karma (善業, seon-eop).
And it could be earned instantly?
High risk, high reward?
A spark of inspiration struck him.
"Nahan, question."
[Proceed.]
"KarMa’s housing blocks evil spirits, correct?"
[Correct.]
"Can regular deceased enter?"
[Non-malicious deceased may enter with resident consent.]
Jeongjikhan clenched his fists.
"Then let them stay with me! They’d be safe from evil spirits!"
[Prolonged proximity drains a living person’s life energy. Lethal risk.]
"I know. But the goblin token protects me, right? No energy loss?"
[……?]
Even Nahan seemed unprepared for this logic.
If the token was an invincible shield, why not exploit it?
Some might call refills reckless—gambling fortune (吉) for uncertain returns.
But with multiplied rewards?
The risk-rebalance justified it. Especially with the token.
Nahan responded:
[I am neither obliged to support nor oppose your decisions.]
A diplomatic dodge, but acceptable.
Jeongjikhan sought approval, not cheerleading.
Just don’t break underworld laws.
"Understood. Thanks."
[Inquire anytime.]
"Keep up the good work, Nahan."
[Likewise.]
Jeongjikhan rose, energized.
He tidied up, humming a tune.
Beep-beep-beep!
The alarm blared.
Normally an early riser, stress from his café debut had granted him rare deep sleep.
…What time?
He blinked groggily.
9:00 a.m.
He bolted upright.
Right—no more dawn shifts.
Construction work was history.
He’d quit post-accident.
Jeongjikhan flopped back, relieved.
Chirp-chirp!
Sparrows sang outside.
Peaceful? Or unnervingly quiet?
The old him would’ve been laboring, oblivious to life’s shifts.
Now, lazing in bed felt surreal.
Habits die hard.
Gotta move.
Restlessness propelled him to the bathroom.
A cold shower sharpened his mind.
Job hunt.
Hospitalization had severed all work ties. He needed income between mornings and 10 p.m.—café shifts started at 11.
But who hired middle school grads? Most underpaid anyway.
Stock trading intrigued him, but capital was scarce.
My good karma (善業)—how much?
He recalled fortune (吉) could be spent in the real world.
Stock market applications?
"Nahan."
A system window materialized.
[Proceed.]
Accessible outside the café—good.
"Can others see this?"
[KarMa affiliates only.]
"Can fortune (吉) predict rising stocks?"
[Correlation exists between fortune spent and growth potential.]
"Can I manipulate my stocks?"
[No. I can only recommend high-potential options.]
Disappointing but fair.
No becoming a market whale—just a shrimp hitching rides.
Jeongjikhan browsed the Wealth Luck store.
Lottery wins, windfalls—all priced in karma.
"Lottery jackpot: 5 Great Fortunes? Madness!"
[Pricing fluctuates with inherent luck: Three Calamities, windfalls (횡재수, hoengjaesu), etc.]
"Inherent luck?"
[Determined by your birth chart’s cosmic phases.]
Surprisingly intricate.
Like shamans dispelling bad luck first.
In a windfall year, maybe cheaper jackpots?
He scrutinized stock tools:
[Finder: 1–5% gain – 10吉]
[Finder: 5–10% – 30吉]
[Finder: 10–20% – 70吉]
[Finder: Limit Up – 150吉]
Gacha mechanics?
10吉 for 1–5% seemed risky versus 30吉 for 5–10%.
No probability tables—typical lootbox ambiguity.
70吉 for 20% teased greed.
"Domestic market only?"
[Yes. Inapplicable to China/Japan.]
After deliberation, he gambled 10吉:
"Buy 1–5% Finder."
[Confirmed.]
[OO Studio will rise 5% (1:20–1:30 p.m.). Invest ≤₩5 million.]
First try 5%? Lucky!
Specific timing and cap. But why the amount limit?
No way…
He dismissed the absurd idea.
Checking OO Studio’s chart: no whale activity, low volume, bearish trends.
How’s this rising 5%?
Insider or divine knowledge only.
At 1:20 p.m., he refreshed the chart—
"Huh?!"
Vertical surge.
No news. No institutional flags.
Just massive buy orders.
Whale accumulation—predicted perfectly.
Jeongjikhan gaped.
Intel beyond mortals—secured for 10吉.
