Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Survival Island
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Survival Island.
One of the national variety shows that's been running for 20 years, it's a program set on an island, just like the name suggests.
It usually follows an intense and grueling concept—sometimes surviving in a harsh environment with nothing at all, other times having up to 100 contestants compete to eliminate each other.
The game-like progression that fits the sensibilities of the 34th Earth, combined with the facilities and environment that make such progression possible in reality, and the cast that ties it all together—the end result has turned Survival Island into a popular program known not just on the 34th Earth, but across the greater universe.
Pop!
As we step through the teleport gate at the signal from the broadcast writers, the pitch-black night sky instantly turns into broad daylight.
'The opposite side of the planet, huh.'
"This time~! The special guest who'll show off some scorching survival skills on Survival Island! The charismatic Emperor! Han Jaeyeon!"
Fwoosh—!
I step forward in front of the camera, parting the shooting flames.
"Wow, that's a face you hardly ever see."
"I've never seen him before. Never!"
"He's so handsome!"
The men and women lined up in a row laugh and greet me.
I barely watch TV, so they're all strangers to me, but at least the one in the middle is a face I recognize.
"Emperor! Nice to meet you!"
A girl with a cute face beams at me.
Around 160 cm tall, with pink-dyed hair, a frilled skirt, and an adorable white knit top.
Anyone living on the 34th Earth would know her.
'Eternal Magical Girl, Kang Boram.'
Not a Transcendent, but maybe something more. An 8th-class master-level barrier master and a peak Fire Realm expert. Owner of the special-grade armament Gungnir.
Contractor of the Untouchable Golden Dragon God, and pilot of the In-Grade Giggas Joan of Arc.
But on the 34th Earth, she's known by another nickname.
'National MC.'
She's the top MC in Korea and a world-famous superstar. Her cute looks, affable personality, endless intriguing backstory, and outstanding eloquence propelled her to the top.
"Calling me Emperor even here is a bit embarrassing. I wasn't even a proper emperor in that movie."
"Aw, come on, it's fine. Here, Seongjae calls himself the Hottest Guy in the Multiverse."
"Noona. That's a fact, though?"
"Ugh. Making a fool of yourself again."
At Boram's words, Seongjae, standing next to her, protests innocently.
"You should at least call it my face value, not fool value! Outside, everyone calls me handsome?"
"Where's 'outside'?"
Boram smiles brightly as she asks, and Seongjae stammers.
"Out... side..."
"Which outside?"
"So... outside..."
"Does that make this inside?"
Seongjae shrinks in an instant under the relentless teasing.
Cornered, the guy blurts out the forbidden word.
"...Grandma."
"......"
Boram's face freezes in that playful smile.
And then.
Fly away now~♪ Fly away right now~♩ Gold dragon~~♬
'What the... a song?'
A fast-tempo song suddenly fills the surrounding space like it's taking over. I subtly plug my ears.
It still rings in my head.
'What is this? It's not physical sound, but I'm hearing it?'
I freak out. With my trash mana aptitude, [Spiritual Information] is getting through to me!
But the ones really freaking out aren't me—they're the regular cast.
"Uwaaaak! It's the transformation song!? Stop her! Stop her!"
"No, unnie, calm down! That guy's lost his mind! He's crazy!"
Gold dragon~~♬ Dragon lady~~♪
"Uwaak! It's still going! Keep going! She's gonna transform!"
"The show's doomed! We're all dead!"
"Seongjae, you lunatic, let me hit you! Like this! Like this!"
"Ow! It hurts! What did I do wrong!"
......
After the chaos settles down.
Unlike my bewildered self, the cast members—who are used to this—quickly get things under control, and I manage to greet the camera without issue.
"Hello. I'm Han Jaeyeon, a former aspiring professor who appeared on that show, and now I write."
I give a simple greeting and rattle off some updates. Boram and the other MCs and panelists chime in appropriately or ask questions to keep things moving.
It's a very different vibe from acting, so I'm a bit awkward, but thankfully it doesn't last long. There are plenty of other guests besides me.
"Hello! It's an honor to be invited. I'm Kim Hye-young!"
Hye-young is here as a guest too.
"I'm TJ. Nice to meet you!"
A big Black guy. No idea who he is.
"I'm Kang Shinwon!"
"I'm Jello from ToyX! Please take care of me!"
"I'm Neulpureun from Boyfriend!"
Unknown guys.
"I'm Lea from Shabet Girl!"
"I'm Pink from Bluepink! Nice to meet you!"
"I'm Spica. Nice to meet you."
And unknown girls too.
'This is it. Guess I need to memorize some celebrity faces.'
Honestly, I couldn't care less about any of them, but if I'm gonna keep working in entertainment, I should at least know names and faces. Annoying, but that's social life for you.
Then there's an unexpected face.
"Ooh. A ton of famous celebs! Nice to meet you all! I'm Olya Grant!"
Flames burst out again as Olya appears. Boram screams in horror at her outfit.
"Aaak! Olya! What's with that outfit!?"
"Huh? It's my battle suit."
"No way, no! Outfits like that are banned on sacred Saturday evenings! Magical Change!"
Pang!
With a light whoosh of air, Olya's bikini changes into sporty, functional activewear.
"Ah! Where'd it go!? That was my work clothes too!"
"No means no! That indecent underwear is getting returned after the show!"
"It's not underwear!"
I listen to their noisy exchange and think.
'A pro fighter gets invited... She must really be famous. No sign of the Diana Platinum Fighter, though.'
Anyway, once all the guests are lined up, the lights suddenly cut out, and a spotlight shines down.
A Siamese cat stands there.
"We sincerely welcome everyone to Survival Island. I'm Na Taeseok, the Super Nyan PD."
"Kyaaw~!"
"PD-nim! Call me more often! You know I'm STN's son, right?"
"Wow, so cute... and what level is that? Not even fully grown yet."
"Wow, same age as my dad and still a kitten?"
The celebs chatter away. Meanwhile, smart pets like dogs, cats, eagles, and bears film them.
Taeseok speaks.
"As always, but especially this time, we have some very esteemed guests. It was ree~ally hard to get you all here."
Glancing at me as he says that—probably not my imagination.
"The opening was too long, so let's get to intros quick. Today's concept is [The Five Dragons Are Watching]."
The twenty or so guests murmur at Taeseok's explanation.
"The Five Dragons...!"
"I heard rumors, but... F·D is really showing up?"
"We're seeing dragons in person today?"
Taeseok presses on, ignoring the buzz.
"Seongjae, any guess what we're doing today?"
"Honestly... my gut's screaming. The guest lineup... is way too stacked."
"Yeah, the members kinda give it away."
As they talk, I scan the guests. Their common trait isn't hard to spot.
'Everyone's... got perfect posture. Their auras are no joke either.'
Seongjae confirms my hunch right away.
"Everyone here is a master-level expert!"
"Oh, it's straight-up combat content. Ugh~ PD-nim, my hips have been killing me lately. Hips~. The doc said no overdoing it!"
"You're not doing a Battlegrounds-style scatter survival, right?"
The regular Survival Island members start complaining.
Unlike Seongjae, who commands 7th-class spells, or Boram, the 8th-class master, the other fixed members are just celebs.
They look like first-rate experts or 4th-class mages at best—clearly outclassed by the guests.
'But all the guests being masters? No way.'
It's true the 34th Earth is the best environment for raising one's realm above any other civilization.
It forcibly awakens supernatural abilities in all humanity, and talent scouts at government offices guide your direction.
Plus, elixirs are dirt cheap, and all secret arts are freely available.
But even so.
Completion isn't a realm just anyone can reach.
Exceptional talent.
Unyielding will.
Even in the 34th Earth—called a paradise for the gifted—only a scant handful, a true handful, can reach Completion.
"Alright, now for the rules. You're all heroes with amazing skills and talents. Choose the dragon you'll worship, receive their blessing, and explore the island. There are dungeons, puzzles, traps, treasure chests scattered around. The team that completes the dragon's sacred relic first wins Survival."
One fixed member raises a hand at Taeseok's explanation.
"So picking a dragon god decides the teams?"
Taeseok grins. A cat, but his intentions are obvious—like a cartoon with exaggerated expressions.
Taeseok declares boldly.
"No coordinating opinions starting now!"
Chaos erupts immediately.
"What? What? I can't hear anything suddenly!"
"Hey! Wow. I know you're there, but gestures aren't getting through either."
People look around in confusion.
'......What?'
I stay calm and observe. Unlike what they're saying, I feel no change.
'Some kind of telepathy block? Or hallucination.'
Unlike that transformation song earlier, my trash mana aptitude blocks it. The no-coordination rule doesn't apply to me.
Taeseok says—his chocolate-brown tail swishing happily.
"I'll announce the Five Dragons' blessings now, so choose based on your judgment. First-come, first-served, though—no picking a dragon god whose spots are full."
I stand quietly and listen to the blessings.
1. Red Dragon's Blessing
Red Dragon. Ruby's Guardian appears and aids progression equal to one stage. Cooldown: 3 hours.
2. Blue Dragon's Blessing.
Blue Dragon. Sapphire's Bunker is summoned. Stable attacks possible until bunker is destroyed. Cooldown: 5 hours.
3. Black Dragon's Blessing.
Black Dragon. Black Yao's power lets you bring in one external equipment item pre-designated in the waiting room. Cooldown: 24 hours.
4. White Dragon's Blessing.
White Dragon. Snow's power heals all injuries. Cooldown: 1 hour.
5. Green Dragon's Blessing.
Green Dragon. Flower's Flower Carriage can be summoned. Usable only for that—lets you sleep comfortably at night. Cooldown: 5 hours.
"I'll take the Black Dragon Black Yao."
"O! Black Dragon means Giggas too, right? That Black Dragon!"
"Black Dragon!"
The Black Dragon, which can summon external gear, is super popular.
'No surprise—if you brought a Giggas, no reason not to. Piloted vs. unpiloted is a massive gap.'
"Black Dragon! Agh! Full already? Argh~!"
I watch the commotion here and there, then choose.
"I'll take the Green Dragon Flower."
No matter how I think, combat power won't be an issue. Injuries aren't a problem, and I have no gear to bring anyway.
And the result.
"Ah! Teacher! Why didn't you tell me you were coming! I was totally shocked earlier! Never dreamed your timely vacation lined up with my show."
Olya waves both hands excitedly at me.
"Jaeyeon, long time no see."
Hye-young greets me calmly, unlike in front of the camera.
"Whoa, what? All three of us picked Green Dragon? Ah! Nice to meet you again. I'm Lee Seongjae."
Somehow, it's all familiar faces. Not entirely, though.
"Hello! Sweet! Lea from Shabet Girl!"
Olya, Hye-young, Seongjae, me, and one girl idol.
The moment the lineup later dubbed the 'Thug Party' was complete.