Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 156
Chapter Title: The Arena Opens
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There.
The arena was open.
⤷Hashtag: It's just boring, what's the big deal making all this noise? I don't care about you guys sucking each other off, but disparaging the entire contest like that? Typical.
⤷Wiki: It's a great piece, just disappointing it didn't get more attention.
⤷Hashtag: Great my ass. I forced myself to read it and quit. Isn't this just literary snobs coming to the genre novel section to flex their pure lit superiority? Why pull this in a genre contest? Go submit to one of the countless lit contests out there.
⤷StruggleStruggle: Genre lit and pure lit aren't separate categories. Sure, pure lit covers a broader range, but that's not the whole story.
- Genre lit is a subgenre of literature, and pure lit is a subconcept of literature too.
The distinction is super vague anyway.
⤷Hashtag: I'm saying it's not fun?
⤷StruggleStruggle: Every novel always aims for fun. Even When New Sprouts Emerge does. If this work really had no fun and was just literarily valuable, an unknown newbie writer's piece wouldn't blow up like this, right?
- Fun's purpose is pleasure.
Which means novels pursue pleasure-derived fun.
The scene where Nuttina, from a fallen noble family, whispers love to a noble only to get glared at in return is suffocatingly tense, but her escape via a flash of wit grips you with sweat despite the calm narration.
And the reunion with the knight who protected her family, overcoming hardships—pure catharsis.
⤷Terraria: Ugh, explanation too long. Is it fun or not?
⤷StruggleStruggle: Content's great, but above all, the prose is beautiful. Digging into every phoneme... Not even a short story, but sustaining a full novel at that rhythm? Astonishing. Artistic aesthetic doesn't even cover it.
⤷Terraria: Ah, got it.
⤷Terraria: Just hearing the explanation killed my interest. Thanks ^^
⤷StruggleStruggle: ...
⤷StruggleStruggle: Ugh, can't deal. What a level.
⤷Terraria: What? Level?
Replies kept pouring in as I browsed. Fans praising [When New Sprouts Emerge] and haters tearing it down were going at it like wildfire.
"...Is this good?"
It was great that an unknown newbie's ignored work was suddenly exploding in attention, but it birthed endless antis too. The classic fast-fan-to-hater pipeline.
And it wasn't just this one work blowing up.
⤷FriedPotato: Emperor Knight fun or nah? Kinda fairy-tale-ish but hilarious lololol
⤷Kyukyu2020: You trash, take the Emperor's Sword lolololol
⤷Swordsman: Plot structure makes zero sense lololol Kid wrote it, dying laughing lolol
Emperor Knight Never was sailing smoothly, controversy-free. Already climbed to 32nd place. At this rate, top 20 was in sight.
Not just that.
Slender Legs' [By Ear] was steadily racking up buys on recs from mystery and suspense fans.
Even Chocolate Author's [Tyrant Survival] and Fast Author's [My Survival], which I hadn't noticed at all, were surging in sales.
The rest were total flops, but even they had over ten buys each. For normal authors, that'd mean ditching paid serialization, but hundreds from those add up—not negligible.
"Satisfying."
A farmer's smile blooms watching crops grow tall.
[Killians: Thanks for the update, Flower! Honored you'd pay attention personally!]
I sent a polite reply. Gotta watch my tone with a Transcendent like her.
'Not just any Transcendent, either.'
Flower, the young Noblesse wearing a mask, was really a Chromatic Dragon—the strongest dragonkin in the great universe.
With at least mid-tier god-level power, she was a god in flesh.
[GreenDragonie: Hehe. If you're grateful, treat me to dinner? Royalties rolling in and all.]
"...What?"
Head tilts at the nonsense. A Chromatic Dragon pinching pennies? Even a 1,000-year Holy Dragon wouldn't.
[Killians: Pardon?]
One puzzled letter, then radio silence.
"What?"
Flustered by the weirdness, a reply comes.
[GreenDragonie: Works are getting good reactions, just thought we'd chat! No big meaning! ㅜ_ㅜ]
"Usually, when authors meet platform staff, the staff treats, right? She's Transcendent-rich."
Kinda stingy, I think, but reply anyway. No need to ruffle feathers.
[Killians: Then once contest royalties hit, let's meet!]
[GreenDragonie: Sure, see you then!]
Chat ends. I pat Cheddar's belly, close the window, launch Revenge.
"Feels off."
Time to drop 10 billion.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
Steady ragged breaths, dump the full 10 billion from the account into charging.
"With this cash... luxury time!"
Straight to auction house, rebuy +9 lucky gear. Player boom's got trades flying.
'With Hyperion equipped here, [Golden Stack] hits 9 stacks!'
Legendary drop rate 900%!
And [Divine Sword Unity] bumps it to 1,800%.
"Plus this."
Eye the watch on my left wrist.
Transcendent Weapon. Zero-Sum.
Time to use it.
"But first."
Sit down.
"Log in."
Enter Ardenia.
"Flower."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Upgrading the castle."
"...Noted immediately."
Flower leaves. Gaze out office window at the city—bells clang wildly, soldiers and knights pour from buildings.
Not huge chaos. Not a full city yet, just my guard and support troops on standby.
Wait till they're all safe, especially underground, then tap lord menu.
[Upgrading Perfect Fortress City (Heroic) to Earth Temple (Legendary)!]
Rumble!
Castle shakes. Hit the instant next button.
[Earth Temple (Legendary) ascends to Mythic realm!]
[Lord's choice in progress.]
Mythic castles vary sub-buildings by theme.
Botanical? Giant gardens. Zoo? Monster/divine beast enclosures.
Empire-wide, Gigas Land's optimal, so all themed same.
'But different here.'
[Castle of Art and Festival!]
[Festival Land (Mythic) manifests!]
Creak! Boom!
Stone walls bloom with colors like spreading paint. Not just reshaping—materials of walls, floors, buildings transforming!
The redesign from roots shakes watchers' sense of reality.
Medieval city morphs past modern to futuristic—knights, soldiers, merchants gape slack-jawed.
'Hm?'
Spot Flower in central square, pad in hand.
Filming the upgrade.
"Smart thinking."
Smirk proudly as purchased upgrades apply.
[Upgrading Guild Tower (Heroic) to Guild Tower (Legendary)!]
[Installing Comprehensive Control Room (Legendary) in Guild Tower!]
Rumble!
Ground drops away. Building shoots up like bamboo.
Walls shove out, swallowing plains and hills, expanding territory!
Walls thicken to apartment-block scale instantly.
Like Gigas Land... but materials differ.
"Heh. Knew it, but."
Festival Land walls aren't stone or iron.
Full displays.
Inside/out screens let me play any footage.
"Game durabilities same... but reality? Different story."
Won't shatter easy, but inferior to solid-steel Gigas walls.
So what?
"Build more defense towers."
Artists here will earn back the cost tenfold.
[Integrating 50 residences. Constructing Mixed-Use Complex (Rare)!]
[Constructing 10,000-Seat Concert Hall (Rare)!]
[Constructing 2 Large Music Halls (Fine)!]
[Constructing 2 2,000-Seat Amphitheaters (Fine)!]
Buildings sprout from empty lots or merge existing ones. Dia spent, but investment.
"And defenses."
[Starting construction of 30 Heaven Ring Launchers (Heroic)!]
[Starting construction of 30 Concert Cannons (Heroic)!]
Maxed out. Bought 10,000 War Guitars (Rare) and War Drums (Rare) too—no heavy artillery, just siege objects.
First storm-charge in ages—chest swells.
"Ah, feels good."
Gaze out office window at vibrant city.
"View's way better."
Gigas Land outshone any medieval dump in flashiness for imperial citizens, but screamed military base.
Metal walls, metal buildings—no escaping it.
Festival Land? Brighter. Earth tourist spot or theme park vibe.
Ding.
Elevator to first floor—knights and soldiers salute in shock. Casual wave back, then to Flower.
"As planned, house guards in Guild Tower. Assign homes to soldiers and merchants. Usable ones unlock."
"Yes, Your Majesty. And the authors?"
Point to distant massive building—the complex.
"Floors 3+ are residences. Assign by author rank. Higher floors, bigger rooms."
Catching my intent, Flower asks.
"Heading out?"
"Off to Wild Boar. Back by dinner..."
Freeze. Weird sensation.
"This feeling."
Raise left arm. The only Earth-Ardenia link, Transcendent Weapon Zero-Sum, vibrates.
"Already? Merlin calling with a move, or event?"
Events: probabilistic [Incidents]. Fed it 1M points in items, could've stored and triggered anytime.
"Ah, crap."
Haven't unlocked yet. Too busy!
So dragged away helplessly.
Flash!
Scene shifts. Not drastically.
Landed in a modern-vibe city.
"What... modern?"
Before doubt settles.
Whooom!
Red-robed figure flees from me. Thought escaping me? No—chased by motorcycle.
Rider?
Cop.
"What the hell's this?"
Cop ignores my confusion, points at fleeing red-robe, yells.
"Catch that guy! He's a Realist!"
Crowd rages.
"Realist? That evil bastard! Get him!"
"I'll help!"
"Deck!"
Masses chase one man. They vanish.
Flash!
Now beside the red-robe guy. Didn't move myself.
'Seems... can't stray too far from this guy?'
He turns mid-air hover, spots me.
"What. Why're you here?"
Merlin.
"...Getting chased? By those guys?"
Glance back—chasers. Fully attuned Qi Sense reads them.
No strong ones. Ability users, but Merlin-level? Could slaughter tens of thousands in a blow.
"Damn. Can't solve with force here... Damn, caught!"
Flash!
Circular field blooms on ground. Cop and Merlin at opposite ends.
Cop draws card deck.
"I'll arrest you with this deck!"
"Ah... Aah! So stressful!! You! Busy? Come later!"
Merlin shoves me—space warps, new world fades. Beyond, two men face off, decks out.
They shout.
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
Flash!
Back in Ardenia.
"..."
Stand dazed awhile.
Mind blanks in moments like this.