Have you ever had an experience where you became totally engrossed in something?
I’m not just talking about thinking, ‘Oh, this is fun,’ but being so deeply impressed that you ended up spending extra time and money on it.
There must be something like that, right?
If it’s a movie, watching the director’s cut. If it’s a game, buying the artbook. If it’s a webtoon, paying for early access. If it’s a singer, going to their concert…
Going a bit further, buying related merchandise could be another example.
Yes, I’m talking about what they call merch.
Figures, banners, badges, dolls…
I can confidently say that I’ve never spent money on such things in my life.
Until now.
Here I am at a department store.
A popup store that opened to a great turnout, and by 10 AM, the moment the department store opened, all the waiting tickets had already been distributed.
And yes, I got one of those tickets.
“The 2:30 PM time slot is now open for entry!”
“Finally!”
“Hey, let’s go!”
The cheerful teenagers standing next to me ran excitedly toward the staff.
‘2:30 PM… that’s right.’
I pulled my hat down as far as it would go and stood in line.
But then, I overheard whispers behind me.
“Uh…”
“A reseller?”
“Isn’t he a dealer?”
“……”
I felt so wronged, but honestly, it made sense.
I was the only adult male who looked like an office worker in this line!
‘Haa…’
I sighed as I glanced at the entrance of the popup store.
[Welcome, explorer of the darkness.]
‘This is ridiculous.’
A theme with black and red backgrounds, caricatures of various monsters, occult elements, and symbols of corporations, religions, and governments all intertwined.
It’s exactly the kind of universe that would captivate a teenager’s heart.
Even the title is a masterpiece.
[Prophecy of the Apocalypse: Dark Exploration Records]
Ugh…
I barely resisted the urge to cover my eyes with my hand.
‘Why did I have to see this at work…’
<Dark Exploration Records>.
It’s the world of a ghost story universe that’s been super popular recently.
You know, the kind of open-source collective intelligence universe where people can participate and create their own stories?
At first, it seemed like it stemmed from a famous creepypasta and started spreading modestly among students, but then it hit the YouTube algorithm and started getting viral like crazy.
The concept of ‘records of exploring various paranormal phenomena called <Darkness>’.
Eventually, it grew into an independent wiki with hundreds and thousands of creepypastas, and that’s how it caught my eye.
‘…It was so easy to read at work because it’s just text.’
And isn’t it said that anything other than actual work is fun when you’re at the office?
I got so hooked on this universe that I even ended up creating and posting my own creepypasta…
How did things come to this? Is it because my office life is so devoid of dopamine?
And this <Dark Exploration Records> itself…
‘Who knew it would get this big?’
It’s now a massive IP that practically dominates YouTube as a major sensation for teenagers. freёwebnovel.com
Naturally, companies jumped on board to make a profit.
This popup store is part of that.
‘But come on, this thing had a 15+ age recommendation slapped on the wiki!’
Why are there so many kids here?
Hearing whispers behind me again, I couldn’t help but feel increasingly self-conscious.
“He’s definitely a dealer…”
“Hey, maybe he’s just buying something for his nephew or a cousin… don’t be too harsh.”
No, I’m buying this for myself.
…The truth is, I came here last week too, but the merch I wanted sold out just before I got to it, so here I am again…
I even took a day off work.
‘Last week, at least there were women around my age.’
Unfortunately, it was a weekday afternoon, and the only adults here were parents who had come with their kids, so I felt like I might die of embarrassment, but I held on.
‘I don’t even know why I’m trying to endure this…’
Anyway, I followed the staff’s guidance and entered the store.
The fact that the staff didn’t seem fazed was my only comfort.
“Wow!”
“Hey, it really looks just like it!”
I could hear the middle schoolers exclaiming in awe as I took in the intricately designed interior of the popup store, which felt almost like a theme park.
And the exhibit themes were thoughtfully organized:
[Daydream Inc.]
[Supernatural Disaster Management Bureau]
[Church of the Luminous Unknown]
In this horror universe, there are three major forces: corporations, governments, and religions, all trying to observe and secure the paranormal phenomena… that’s the setup.
‘At first, it was just stories about the government’s disaster management bureau, but as more people joined in and got excited, it turned into this.’
Anyway, it seemed like this popup store had picked out the most popular parts of the universe and gathered them here.
It was clear that they were targeting fans’ wallets by focusing only on popular characters and horror items, but the quality wasn’t bad.
‘Well, when would I ever come to a place like this again…’
Ignoring the stares, I quickly grabbed the items I wanted.
It was a relief that most of the popular items were already sold out, so there was less suspicion that I was reselling.
“Would you like to purchase an L-sized eco-bag to carry your items? It’s 5,000 won.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I successfully completed my purchase, but instead of leaving the popup store right away, I hesitated.
I turned my head to see a line of people gathering near the cashier.
[Roulette Event]
: Create your own <Dark Exploration Records> character.
That.
I saw it last week too, but I couldn’t bring myself to join the line and participate…
‘They said this popup ends tomorrow.’
It was a moment of intense inner conflict, wondering if it was really worth exchanging my social dignity for this.
Just then, the cashier who had just started her shift smiled at me and spoke.
“The roulette event ends today! Would you like to participate?”
“…Yes.”
Thank you. Really, thank you, dear staff member…
“Great! Please come this way! Oh, just stand here…”
The staff member swiftly guided me to the line in front of a giant black roulette, and I naturally found myself at the end of the line.
The line moved faster than I expected.
Soon, I was at the front and handed a button that looked like a walkie-talkie.
“Now, we’ll spin the lucky roulette! Please press the button to stop it whenever you’re ready.”
Beep.
With an artificial sound effect, the roulette started spinning.
Each section displayed a prize and rank.
There were merch I had already bought, merch that weren’t for sale, and even some random Bluetooth earphones.
Of course, the largest section—7th place—was just a small memo pad. That’s probably what I’d get.
But it didn’t bother me. After all, I almost left without participating at all.
“Let’s not expect much.”
I thought as I pressed the button the staff gave me, carefully.
Rrrrr… click.
But then, the black roulette slowed down… and surprisingly stopped right there.
A thin, golden sliver.
Translator’s note: sorry for having to cut the chapters into parts! the original chapters are hella long ㅠㅠ
Btw, i might switch between ‘ghost story’, ‘horror story’ and ‘creepypasta’ sometimes depending on which term fits best in the english context, but basically what Soleum (our MC) got hooked on are creepypastas in a huge wiki that grew and grew after so many people started adding their own stories there