Chapter 125
Chapter 125
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: Unexpected Variety Show Offer
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However, there's no helping it.
Back when I earned 300,000 won a day, I'd think, "That's enough to buy thirty Class Cards!" But now, I just think, "Even if I save up like this for a whole year, I'll barely scrape together 100 million?"
"Log in."
I enter Ardnia and open the Iron Flame Engineering Manual.
Flip!
Its handy size fits perfectly in one hand, easy to read like an old genre novel.
"Ah... It's really thin after all. If the content's short, they probably won't donate much."
Feeling uneasy, I begin copying it down by hand.
"Log in."
"Log out."
Progress is incredibly fast—not because my speed has improved, but because the book is so thin.
In just half a day, I've transcribed about half of it and take a moment to catch my breath.
Looking up, I see the Ain tribespeople bustling away in the distance.
Many of them are sneaking glances at me, but it doesn't bother me much. It's something I deal with constantly in the Human Empire anyway.
Suddenly, I recall the request from the Ain leaders.
"...Abolish slavery."
If they knew the Human Empire's situation, they never would have asked.
It's not that democracy hasn't spread— the empire has already entered the realm of a rule-of-law state.
A world where everyone is equal under the emperor.
They've wiped out the nobility entirely, so things like private slaves were banned ages ago. If you're looking for slaves nowadays, it'd only be penal laborers convicted of crimes.
'It caused quite a stir in all sorts of ways.'
It was a drastic change. Naturally, a system unimaginable in the old medieval lands drew all kinds of criticism.
Truthfully, politics shouldn't be handled like this.
People often mistake tyrants for doing whatever they please, but that's far from the truth.
No matter how much power an emperor has, he never turns the entire elite class against him.
Any leader that foolish deserves a dagger in the back. Even Caesar, who wielded absolute power, was assassinated with dozens of stab wounds, right?
Tyrants who plunge the realm into chaos and slaughter hundreds of thousands live cushy lives.
But leaders who anger the power brokers taste rebellion, no matter how capable they are—that's the way of the world.
In that sense, I'm in a position where I could die at any moment. I've leashed the powerful, reshaping the empire against their will.
So, logically speaking.
"That's nonsense."
The me in Ardnia isn't a logical being.
If the Human Empire's total strength is 100, I'm 95 of it.
Honestly, 95 is humbly lowballing it... The key point is that it's not just me who knows this—the entire empire does.
Ministers blocking reforms left and right and raising their voices?
They should reflect on whether their own power is lacking.
A rebellion breaks out?
They should reflect on whether their own power is lacking.
In historical dramas, when the king does something displeasing, the ministers swarm forward crying, "We beg your mercy~ Please show understanding!" because they believe other ministers will back them or that even in anger, the king can't wipe out their entire clan or faction.
In the Human Empire? Not a chance.
Politics is difficult, but with enough power, nothing is easier.
"Literal tyrant logic."
I chuckle and continue transcribing. And that's when it happens.
"Nyaong, nyaong, nyaong."
Cheda, who never meows like this normally, starts crying out. I turn to face her, and she speaks.
"Director Allen's message has arrived."
"What, a long one? Read it."
At my words, Cheda's voice changes. It seems to be a voice message rather than text.
"Long time no see, Jaeyeon. Three things."
"Straight to the point."
I keep transcribing as I listen.
"First, the aspiring professor fans who advanced to Noblesse are loving it! No, get this—the dragons are going crazy saying you're cute! You know even a few dragons are all richer than chaebols, right? Expect some revenue, and you might need to visit Dragonia for fan service later, so keep it in mind! No manager to schedule for you? Insane!"
I listen blankly, then burst out laughing in disbelief.
"What? Dragons out of nowhere?"
It's no exaggeration to say they dominate the entire macrocosm—the alliance, with Noblesse and Elohim as its two pillars.
Noblesse among them is the nobility of the universe.
A faction of transcendent beings promised transcendence from birth, from the transcendent-of-transcendents known as dragonkin to the superpowered cats called Prayana.
The Candler saints who developed the Iron Heart, the stone monkey tribe famous for producing the Great Sage Equal to Heaven—they all belong here.
'Though the Great Sage ended up in Elohim anyway.'
Elohim is the collective of those who forged transcendence through self-cultivation.
Unlike Noblesse, who mostly live in the material realm, they base themselves in a dimension called the Immortal Realm, topped by a transcendent being known as the Jade Emperor.
"It's ridiculous. In Ardnia, I can't even handle a dragon corpse, but here I have to meet them as a star and fans."
Still, the prospect of incoming revenue is good news.
Cheda continues reading the message.
"Second, I'm probably shooting the next project, so don't book anything from March next year! We can talk that over slowly... And third."
Cheda pauses for a moment before speaking again.
"Sigh... Sorry. I gave out your contact. I know it's rude, but this little friend I've known forever kept nagging me. Still, he's number one among Korea's variety PDs, so it's not a bad connection."
"Huh? Variety PD?"
I'm puzzled by the unexpected words when—
"Nyaong, nyaong, nyaong."
"A call?"
"Unregistered contact. The caller's name is Super Nyan Na Taeseok."
"Super Nyan?"
Puzzled, I boop Cheda's nose. He's the top PD per Allen's intro, so ignoring him feels awkward.
"A sync request has been received. Accept?"
"What's sync? Fine, accept it."
At my words, Cheda shudders all over.
And then.
Hum!
Her body floats into the air, beginning to shift form.
"Her appearance..."
Cheda's form is your typical cheese cat—Korean Shorthair breed.
But floating in midair, she transforms in an instant.
A white body tinged overall in gray, with ears, tail, muzzle, and paw tips in chocolate brown—a Siamese cat.
She nimbly hops onto the desk and tilts her head back to look at me.
"Ah! Nice to meet you! Jaeyeon! I'm Na Taeseok, the broadcast guy!"
A simple greeting, but it tells me a few things.
'Must be a famous PD.'
A mid-tier one would've name-dropped their show. Just introducing himself by name instead. I nod to the Siamese cat.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Na Taeseok. Are you watching me in cat form right now?"
At my words, the cat—no, Taeseok—flinches.
"Ah, th-this is embarrassing... This is my true form."
"Oh."
His words surprise me too. Obviously not because he's some cat yokai.
'No way, then he's a Prayana?'
The superpowered cats called Prayana are transcendent beings rivaling dragons in prestige.
Known for brains surpassing supercomputers, they possess psychic powers from birth capable of easily slaying mid-tier demons.
"Aigoo, I should've introduced myself properly. Na Taeseok here. Directed interstellar travel shows, Survival Island, Dream Factory. An old Korean cat who defected twenty years ago."
"Wait, calling yourself a cat... Isn't that like species discrimination?"
"Why? Cats are so cute and great. And discrimination flows down from above. Who dares discriminate against transcendents?"
Cheerful, yet brimming with clear confidence.
I nod.
"I know Survival Island."
I don't watch much TV, but I know a few shows in passing, so I play it off, and Taeseok lights up.
"Ah! That makes it easier to explain. STN's longest-running program, Survival Island, is launching a massive project this time: Universe War! The concept fits perfectly with the emperor from Aspiring Professor!"
"Ah, yes..."
The Siamese cat speaks in an increasingly cat-like voice, but honestly, it doesn't appeal.
'Hmm, variety show.'
It's not my first variety offer.
Aspiring Professor's huge success drew massive interest to me—an unknown with striking acting.
But I turned them all down.
Because of the pay.
'Honestly, no need to sell my face for 300,000 won.'
The fees were lower than expected. With zero interest in fame or stardom, just chasing money, variety wasn't appealing.
Taeseok picks up on my vibe.
"Ah, not interested? How about this?"
"This?"
"Yeah! Space star F·D is guesting on this project!"
"What's F·D? Stage director?"
"You don't know at all...?"
Taeseok looks deflated. Thinking it'll drag on, I cut to the chase.
"How much is the appearance fee?"
"Ah! The approved fee is 2.5 million won."
Top-tier among offers so far—good conditions. I feel a bit tempted and ask.
"How long is the shoot?"
"You know Survival Island runs long. Including travel to the set, about a week. We cover food, lodging, wardrobe—everything!"
He acts like it's a sure thing, but I think differently.
A whole week.
'Eh.'
My interest cools instantly.
The sharp cat notices right away and continues.
"Ah! Our show airs not just on 34th Earth but other planets too—universal popularity! Appearing will boost your fame even more."
But weak sauce. Especially since I'm in tournament mode right now?
Even small tournaments with mostly office workers and students guarantee at least a million in prizes.
And those are just 1-2 hours max.
Plus, pro tournaments pay way better.
"Hmm. Sorry, I've got matches lined up for a while."
"Ah, no. Huh? Really?"
He looks stunned, like he never expected rejection. The cat's expression is like exaggerated cartoon comedy.
"Got it. Then, 4 million! 4 million won—how's that?"
The fee nearly doubles in one go, leaving me baffled.
"You can pay that much more?"
"Of course not! We have internal limits... This is me chipping in personal funds. Deal? Worth it now?"
I ponder his words.
4 million won.
Decent money, but lately I'm thinking writing pays better than acting.
Right now, transcribing the Iron Flame Engineering Manual and the World Tree's Scripture—and the imperial citizens are churning out writing like mad.
Becoming a celebrity would just complicate Revenge sessions with schedules.
"Sorry..."
"Jaeyeon! Think about it. Our show airs across planets beyond 34th Earth, with frequent reruns—super popular! Meow, embarrassing to say, but nothing boosts recognition like my program. Don't you do MyTube too?"
Excited, his voice mixes with a "waong!" meow.
"Yes, but..."
"You're writing too, right? They say you're a hyper-prolific author! Just wish the views were higher! I read them—outstanding quality!"
Not sure if he's desperate or well-researched, but he's not wrong.
The Siamese on the desk persuades me passionately.
"Hmm."
I deliberate.
And decide.
"Uwoeong!"
Before I can answer, Taeseok lets out a beastly yowl. Stunned, I stare as he yells.
"You were about to refuse! How can you even think of turning this down! You're not some face-fearing normie—you're already a famous actor!"
This cat's intuition is insane. Prayana psychic powers?
"Well, even if you say that."
"I'll add a million from my pocket—total 5 million!"
"Hmm."
As I keep mulling, Taeseok's tone turns deadly serious.
"Jaeyeon. Recognition is real power. It's not just the immediate cash. Build fame, and you'll rake in incomparable money from novels, videos—way beyond now."
Not wrong. My [Emperor] fame did boost subscribers.
But one question.
"Why go this far?"
I'm a promising rising star, sure, but a top PD dipping into personal funds? Doesn't add up. No reason to push this hard unless...
And there was a reason.
"Ah, truth is... F·D made booking you a condition for their appearance. They're so hard to get..."
Seems a universe-famous space star wants to meet me.
'Been working too much lately—forgot who. Singer?'
I think it over and reply.
"...Alright. When's the shoot?"
"Ah! You won't regret it!"
We discuss the schedule and end the call. Cutting off, I sink into thought.
"Variety, huh..."
Even with fame from Aspiring Professor, my resume is pathetic—just one movie, barely qualifies as actor.
Taeseok's offer is basically "ditch the awkward spot and go full entertainer."
"Well, once the debts are paid, I did plan to do more films."
I don't aspire to celebrity life. I'm no artist.
Last theater movie was high school with friends. No clue on dramas, variety, barely read novels—anti-art type.
However.
"If that's where the money is... gotta do it."
Gotta conquer the flower gardens. Build at least legendary, ideally mythic castles there, defensive outposts, station big garrisons.
'In the end, money again.'
Endless grind.
Now that I grasp charging power's existence, I need to stack it to see what I can achieve.
"Finish the Iron Flame manual before that variety thing. Ideally, the World Tree's Scripture too before it starts."
I figure both will yield Grimoire of Magic-level or lower efficiency. Weapon forging and spirit arts obviously drew from real-world motifs.
"Last hope is the Scripture of Light... Damn. What if that's Bible-ripoff too?"
Anxious, I continue transcribing today as well.