I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

In her pursuit of the mad witch who killed her master, Elize had prepared several daggers - metaphorically speaking. She'd wandered the archipelago posing as a mysterious witch, recruiting skilled individuals with various backgrounds. In other words, she'd managed to find the archipelago's hidden talents - the 5★ characters.

The first candidate was an instructor at the Sword Guild. He used to teach village kids who dreamed of becoming adventurers or mercenaries how to swing wooden swords. He'd moved to the capital after some of his students gained fame as mercenaries or joined knight orders.

Though he claimed to be just a humble countryside instructor who only taught basic sword techniques at the guild... according to Elize's investigation, he'd completely annihilated both bandits and monster waves he'd encountered while traveling to the capital, likely with just a wooden sword.

The second candidate was a squinting priest doing penance in the slums. He believed that while traveling far to help others was noble, one shouldn't ignore suffering right in front of them. So he'd settled in the slums to care for children before even starting his pilgrimage.

He appeared to be a kind but clumsy priest who supported slum children without temple backing... but Elize discovered he was actually behind the 'disappearances' of gang members who'd been abusing orphans.

The third candidate was the retired mercenary I'd gotten to know over the past week. He'd shown me the training ground and appeared to have left active duty long ago, evidenced by his growing belly and deteriorating physique.

But his unmarked body, wealth despite his mercenary background, and the chilling sensation he gave off suggested his skills hadn't dulled at all despite retirement. Elize had included him on her list because of his terrifying accomplishments from decades in the mercenary business.

"I can only pick one of these three?"

"Unfortunately yes. As chance would have it, all three want the same thing as payment."

Both Han Se-ah and her viewers suggested taking all three to form a large party, but the quest apparently wasn't that simple.

Elize's act as a suspicious witch distributing valuable items mixed with junk in back alleys had been bait. She'd spread cheap items to build word of mouth, then showed real treasures to skilled individuals who took interest.

The problem was that only these three people in the archipelago would accept Elize's request. And coincidentally (or rather, due to the game's quest system), all three demanded the same reward.

"But what kind of item would all three want?"

"A very rare medicinal herb. It seems they all have someone they need to cure."

The countryside sword instructor needed it for his former student's sick child.

The suspicious squinting priest wanted to cure a disease spreading in the slums.

The retired mercenary hoped to heal the little girl next door.

...Each backstory sounded like it could be its own web novel.

While I was thinking how these stories resembled plots from web novel sites I'd browsed when bored, Han Se-ah's chat suddenly erupted.

"Oh... is this one of those branching quests where the NPCs I don't choose die?"

-Isn't there that classic RPG where unselected characters start with nooses around their necks?

-Yeah that Conan game where only the chosen one's rope breaks and survives

-Pick the old guy, someone trying to save a neighbor kid is definitely strong lol

-The squinting priest seems like the true route, he's suspiciously suspicious enough to be super strong

-Whatever, just throw stones at Han Se-ah for killing two people lol

"What do you mean throw stones, you jerks!"

The viewers were already getting excited, eager to tease her about this cruel choice. The situation was even messier since different party members knew different candidates.

Katie knew the sword instructor

Irene knew the squinting priest

Roland knew the neighbor uncle

No matter who she picked or why, they had the perfect setup to tease her! Since Han Se-ah usually dodged their teasing or counterattacked sharply, the viewers were already stirring excitedly at this opportunity.

"Hmm, is that so?"

Who would she choose, and who would she abandon?

After a brief moment of contemplation, Han Se-ah logged out without hesitation.

※

When faced with choices where every option leads to bad outcomes, like some twisted game show, what should you do?

The answer is to pass the buck.

"Alright, got it? Now fight to the death."

Instead of formally logging off at the inn at night, she'd used pause, creating that slight sense of disconnection when the game freezes. That's how I noticed Han Se-ah had done something outside Heroes Chronicle.

Sure enough, when I checked the internet browser, several hours had suddenly passed. In that fraction of a second, hours had elapsed outside and Han Se-ah's gambling-promotion stream had been uploaded to a video platform.

Well, guess I have to watch it now?

I crossed my arms and retreated to a corner, leaving our party and Elize to talk while I checked the freshly uploaded video. It was a raw upload without editing, explaining the quick release.

"Alright everyone, here's the viewer participation content you've been begging for. Candidate 1: Sword Instructor, Candidate 2: Squinting Priest, Candidate 3: Retired Mercenary. If you want a companion, explain why with your donation... but if I just leave it at that, you'll call me money-hungry or greedy, right?"

She was waving her hands in her real-world room, not the fantasy inn. Wearing a white tank top and dolphin shorts that showed off her impressive figure - enough to make most female streamers lose confidence.

Though knowing Han Se-ah's personality, she'd chosen comfortable, loose clothes for long gaming sessions rather than trying to entice male viewers.

Anyway, unlike her usual self - the bumbling mage Hanna in the fantasy world - she was now Han Se-ah, the corporate female streamer, filling the screen with familiar-looking tables. It looked like something cam girls would use for donation goals, except instead of cute female nicknames, it listed three middle-aged men.

"If your chosen candidate performs better than expected, I'll return the favor spectacularly! I'll match donations between 2x to 5x depending on how it goes! The winners can choose whether they want channel subscriptions, chicken, pizza, whatever!"

-What is this, some gambling site ad with 2x-5x returns lol

-5x TENBURGER GO 5x TENBURGER GO 5x TENBURGER GO 5x TENBURGER GO 5x TENBURGER GO

-What's this Excel sheet mean? Results change based on our rankings? Definitely engagement bait :)

-Look at the foreigners praising how organized it is cause they don't know Excel streams lol

-Feels like she's about to get another nickname

Anyway, Han Se-ah, now earning global revenue from her global audience, promised generous paybacks. Even multiplying donations several times would barely scratch her bank account.

So at her generous offer, even viewers who'd been crying foul at her schemes had their eyes rolling back. Whether Han Se-ah had engineered the conflict or not, they could get 5x returns while continuing to enjoy their chosen NPC and Empire content.

The only downside was having to choose between neighborhood uncles instead of pretty female characters, but viewers who'd already confirmed their suspicious nature didn't care - or rather, preferred male characters, showing intense enthusiasm.

"Come on, why hesitate? You get to pick your NPC and guide the content, plus maybe get 5x returns if you're lucky! Where are all the people who kept yelling about house odds?"

-This crazy girl turning this into a point gambling den too lol

-Why make such a big deal out of this lol

-Triple combo of real gambling, point gambling and game gambling, you mad? lol

-You gonna bet or not? You gonna bet or not? You gonna bet or not? You gonna bet or not?

-Mom I'm sorry I'll win it back Mom I'm sorry I'll win it back Mom I'm sorry I'll win it back

On top of that, Han Se-ah provoked viewers by opening a point gambling system, causing the easily excited viewers to rush in with both points and cash.

'...So who won?'

But the video ended with a cliffhanger before showing the winner - like streamer, like viewers I guess.

Enjoy the chappy!