Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Showing Talent at the Audition
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I kept scanning the waiting room.
‘The only bright spot is someone around my semi-top-tier level?’
Mid-tier companies looked grim too. Jax was mid-tier. And he was getting torn apart like that.
Probably, low-tier and mid-tier would have a hard time surviving unless they got lucky.
⚙ TV ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ [Then, next person, come on in.] Soon, a voice calling for the next person echoed from the TV. And I saw Jax shuffling out, his face drained white as a sheet.
Just from that, the result was obvious. Failure.
‘I need to be careful too.’
I couldn’t get too cocky. But I couldn’t lose my confidence either. Striking the right balance was key.
I kept my mind in check and watched the TV.
And gradually, the waiting room started emptying out.
⚙ TV ANNOUNCEMENT ⚙ [Alright, time to decide pass or fail. Judges who want to team up with Tangguri, raise your hands.] [More than half raised hands, so Tangguri passes!] [Thank you!] And as I’d predicted, most passers so far were top-tier streamers. Or streamers with genuine martial arts talent.
Semi-top and mid-tier had mostly bombed. The one surprise pass was a stunningly pretty low-tier streamer.
‘Knew it.’
I’d called it. All that talk about maximizing passes was bullshit.
If I’d shown up unprepared, I’d have flunked on the spot.
The cutthroat side of streaming I hadn’t felt in ages?
‘Phew, good thing I prepped hard.’
That’s when a familiar face popped up on screen.
⚙ STREAMER HAEDAL ⚙ [Ah, hello! Whether it’s games, singing, dancing, mukbang, or even martial arts—I can do it all! Streamer Haedal here!] It was that sycophant Haedal, stepping up to share his “pass secrets” with me.
I focused on the TV.
Pretty curious if he’d pass or flop.
‘If he passes, it’ll stir up a massive wave.’
Low-tiers had only passed if they had real talent so far.
Haedal pulling it off would draw huge attention.
⚙ JUDGE ON TV ⚙ [Um... alright. Haedal. Got anything prepared?] [Yes! I do!] He looked way more confident than expected. Nothing like the other quivering low-tiers.
‘Oh, gonna show that sword draw he prepped?’
I watched the TV with heightened anticipation. Would be fun if he nailed it.
Soon, Haedal’s hand slowly drifted toward his sword.
He’d splurged on a pricey real sword just for today, he said.
Then Haedal gripped the hilt.
Grip.
‘So far, so good?’
Even to my eyes, it was flawless up to now. I zeroed in on Haedal harder.
And that was the moment.
Shing-!
Haedal’s hand flashed out fast. Solid speed.
The blade slid free from the sheath in an instant.
Two weeks of polishing his sword draw, unveiled.
After drawing, Haedal’s face lit up with excitement. Looked like he’d shown his full prep. Nostrils flaring wide.
He held the pose, then eyed the judges.
As if asking, ‘How’s my sword draw?’
That’s when Dokgo Hwaryeon—who’d watched his draw in silence—spoke up.
⚙ DOKGO HWARYEON ON TV ⚙ [So... when are you showing it?] [Pardon?] [Aren’t you drawing to show us something?] [Ah... w-well...] Yeah.
Haedal’s draw looked slick to him, but to the judges? Nada.
They figured he’d just unsheathed to demo something. Hence the reaction.
‘Well, if two weeks turns you pro, why bother with geniuses?’
I sighed at the sight. The outcome screamed obvious.
⚙ JUDGES' VERDICT ⚙ [I... prepared sword draw?] [That’s it?] [Y-Yes...] [I’m out.] [Same here.] [Ahem, me too.] [Ditto.] [Urk!] Haedal crashed out in seconds. Pathetic end for the guy who’d bragged his secrets to me.
I wiped his “tips” from my brain on the spot.
‘Yeah, nailing your prep beats gimmicks any day.’
Big lesson courtesy of Haedal. I sent a quiet prayer for his soul(?) as he slunk away.
That’s when it happened.
Creak.
The waiting room door swung open.
Dokgo Hwaryeon’s manager stepped in—heading straight for me.
“Jae-ho? Follow me.”
“Ah, sure.”
My turn, apparently.
I grabbed my wooden sword and stood.
Followed the manager at an easy pace.
‘Not as nervous as I figured?’
Semi-top-tiers like me had tanked plenty. Just watched Haedal get shredded.
Yet no jitters. Weird.
‘Huh.’
Maybe solid prep had me chill.
I shrugged it off and kept walking.
Hell, I wanted to get to the audition already.
That was it.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The audition was in the first-floor broadcast studio.
Real five-major vibes?
Dokgo Hwaryeon’s studio was massive. Could’ve played futsal in here.
⚙ STUDIO CALL ⚙ [Next person, come on in!] Then the call came from inside.
I pushed the door open and stepped in.
Creak.
Suddenly, eyes on me from all sides.
Judges in view. Manager types too.
I picked a spot with decent space.
Dokgo Hwaryeon’s intro voice rang out.
“The guy no one on Express doesn’t know these days? Streamer Jae-ho!”
“Hello. Streamer Park Jae-ho here.”
I replied evenly. No over-the-top swagger, no shrinking violet vibes. Right in the middle.
Sneaked a glance at the judges’ reactions after.
‘How’m I doing?’
They were murim folk, sure. Judges, yeah. But streamers too.
Judging top-tiers? They’d tread light. Fanbases were beasts. Harsh words could unleash fan wars.
And I was the hot new star. Cringe to self-admit, but true. Beyond semi-top.
That why?
Wondered how they’d handle me.
More warmly than expected.
“Ah! Jae-ho! Pleasure! Go Usan here.”
“Hahaha! Same! Hwang Boseok!”
“You know me, right? Dokgo Hwaryeon. Been a while.”
Dokgo Hwaryeon especially acted like she recognized me. Didn’t see that coming. Mild shock.
“Dokgo lady. You two know each other?”
“Yeah. Met once before. Fun times.”
Her words hit my fanboy heart. Couldn’t help it.
Her in person? Still gorgeous. Nobly so. One-of-a-kind.
‘Prettier than usual today?’
But I reined in the hype. Wrong moment.
Not everyone was chummy.
“Tch, y’all too welcoming? Fair judging!”
“Ah, right. Sorry, Shinbi.”
I eyed the mood-killer.
Delinquent vibe hard. Flashy earrings, tats, bleached blond hair amped it up.
‘Thinks he’s some golden boy?’
Second-biggest fanbase here after Dokgo Hwaryeon.
Not top-tier, semi-top maybe.
Ma-sam’s close buddy too.
That it?
His glare screamed trouble. Pure punk challenge. Maybe heard dirt from Ma-sam.
Cold voice dripped from him.
“Anyway, Jae-ho.”
“Yeah.”
“Intro too half-assed, no?”
Fair point. Unlike others, just my name.
But confidence flex.
So I hit back mild.
“Confident I’ll pass anyway.”
“Hah!”
Incredulous look. First time for this clown.
Other three? Different story.
“Hah! Bold kid.”
“Love that confidence.”
“Big personality shift? Hm, suits you.”
Shinbi aside, the rest stayed warm.
Three votes? I pass. Majority rules.
Shinbi knew. So he dug for dirt.
“Got some unique trick only you do?”
“Nah. None.”
“Hm, no signature move...”
“......”
“Longtime martial arts student?”
“No. Month or so.”
“Build screams it. Just a month...”
I didn’t push back. Facts only.
Why?
Chat vibes turned sour.
— Anonymous Viewer I get Park Jae-ho’s blowing up, but too half-assed, right? — Ma-sam Fan That’s Ma-sam’s manager. Manager acting all cocky? Mostly Ma-sam stans piling on.
But I stayed cool.
Just spoke casual-like.
“Anyway, wanna see my prepped swordsmanship?”
“Hm, sword arts? That month-learned stuff?”
“Nah. Sword’s just a week old.”
“Hah, week-old sword... Fine. Show us.”
Shinbi smirked. Zero faith I’d pass.
I eased to camera center.
Gripped the wooden sword at my waist.
‘Shoulda brought a real blade?’
Haedal at least flashed steel for his draw stunt(?). Flopped, sure, but beats wood.
Shook it off. Too late. Crush the demo now.
Gripped firm, flowed into motion natural.
The blade arced diagonal.
Whoosh.