Chapter 104
Translator 8uhl
Chapter 104
Chapter Title Harvesting Patiences Fruits
The reason Id tried to push through the third round without any help from the system was exactly this.
The third round was nothing more than a stepping stone to the final live broadcast.
Today was the day that would decide our debut fate.
I had to pour every ounce of strength and every resource into that final live show.
My takeaway from replaying Idol Training Simulation with the system in hand was that this Lucky Draw shop could flip the entire game in a single moment.
If the socalled goddess of luck decided to side with me, I could achieve the impossible with ridiculous ease.
But the Lucky Draw shop followed the law of high risk, high return. It was gambling through and through, relying purely on fortune.
If luck wasnt on my side, there was always the chance Id end up emptyhanded despite a massive investment, just like what happened in the second round.
Thats why Id gritted my teeth and held out, doing everything I could to boost the odds of hitting the ultimate jackpot.
Honestly, thered been more than a few times during each round when Id desperately wanted to tap into the Lucky Draw shops power, but Id suppressed the urge, thinking only of the final stage.
And right nowthe moment to reap the fruits of that endurance had finally arrived.
After wrapping up the first rehearsal, we had a brief break back in the waiting room to regroup.
I waited calmly for my turn, silently summoning the system window in my mind.
Without hesitation, I accessed the Lucky Draw shop.
These flashy effects are still eyesearing no matter how many times I see them.
As the dizzying array of items whirled past in the login effect, I let out a slow breath.
It didnt have to be an Sgrade item like the first timejust please, anything but a total dud.
Would you like to use a Lucky Draw coin?
I prayed fervently in my head and hit Yes.
The gacha machine whirred noisily.
A single item rolled out from the slot machines chute.
Congratulations! You have acquired the Bgrade item, Steel Body 1day.
Reading the description, it was an item that immediately boosted the users stamina and reduced fatigue accumulation for the entire day upon use.
In short, a perfectly average item.
It was a bit tough during practice, but not enough to affect todays final live. Of course, more stamina is always good, but it wont deliver any immediate boost to my ranking.
It wasnt a result to celebrate wholeheartedly, but at least it wasnt the absolute disaster from last time.
I steeled myself again and used my last remaining coin.
The gacha machine let out an even louder racket before grinding to a halt.
Then, a familiar purple capsule slowly rolled out from the chute.
My eyes widened instinctively.
Purple. A purple capsule had definitely come out before.
Not recently, but quite a while ago.
Which meant...
Congratulations! You have acquired an Sgrade item.
I clenched my fist tight.
Finally, finally, the goddess of luck had returned to me.
Now, the key was what effect this item would have.
Sgrade item, Audience Overwhelm Passive skill grades temporarily increase the more spectators are present during a performance.
1 level to 1 random passive skill when performing for 500 audience members
2 levels to 1 random passive skill when performing for 1,000 audience members
0.5 levels to 2 random passive skills when performing for 3,000 audience members
1 level to 2 random passive skills when performing for 5,000 audience members
1 level to 3 passive skills when performing for 10,000 audience members
Upgraded passive skill grades revert to normal after 24 hours.
A shiver ran through my entire body the moment I finished reading the details.
All that endurance through every hardship has paid off. Finally!
Even with skills keeping my composure in check, my heart raced with excitement.
It was the exact item I needed most right now.
And the perfect venue was already set up for it.
Boosting passive skills was far more efficient than pumping up my base stats in the status window.
I witnessed its power firsthand during the first contest.
The skill that seized the audiences attention and drew them in Bow Down and Reverence.
Id once taken the stage after upgrading it from Cgrade to Bgrade for the first contest.
The results were devastating.
Every time my part came up, the cheers and screams from the audience were deafening.
Thanks to that overwhelming onsite reaction, we even snagged the group benefit in the end, racking up enough votes to beat Song Hyeongbins teamthe one everyone had been watching out for most.
If Bow Down and Reverence went from C to Bgrade again this time...
It would be the card to change everything in this final live, where every vote counted.
Location confirmed Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium. Maximum audience capacity 7,000.
Two passive skills will increase by one level.
Selecting passive skills to upgrade...
...
Passive skills Bow Down and Reverence and Demon King Slayer have risen from C to Bgrade.
I nearly shouted out loud the instant I saw the message.
Perfect.
Everything had fallen into place.
Not only had Bow Down and Reverencethe one that absolutely had to upgradehit the jackpot, but Demon King Slayer, which boosted my poise on stage, had temporarily leveled up too.
I could hardly believe it had skipped right over Master of Eloquence, which had zero use at the moment.
An extraordinary energy seemed to converge on me.
I cant believe we have to watch this from home. This is so pathetic.
Tell me about it, sis.
Pyo Joohyun and Pyo Jihyun sat side by side in front of the TV.
The clock on the living room wall ticked slowly toward 10 p.m.
It was the night of the Idol Training Simulation final live broadcast.
The sisters had naturally applied for tickets to witness the debut lineup in person, but theyd bowed to the abysmal odds.
Theyd heard through articles that over 140,000 people had applied for the 7,000 available seats.
That put the winning odds at barely 5.
Swallowing their disappointment, they had no choice but to follow the trainees through the TV screen.
I wonder what rank Karis von Walden will debut at.
It might be jinxing it, but Karis von Walden debuting was practically a done deal.
Unless some absurd twist of fate occurred, the guy whod placed third in the third ranking announcement had virtually 0 chance of falling outside the top seven.
The question was just how high hed land in the final rankings.
Hey, be honestwhat rank do you think Karis will debut at?
Hmm. Should I give you a realistic take, or speak from my personal bias?
You pick.
Pyo Jihyun scrolled through her phone as she replied.
Realistically speaking, third place is a lock at minimum. Thats the only benchmark we have from the third announcement, and his vote gap with Yuncheol and Song Hyeongbin was tiny. Plus, hes got a massive core fanbase, and it feels like even more international fans have piled on lately? He might actually take first like youve been hoping, sis.
Right? Saying Karis number one isnt just nonsense, is it?
Of course, as a Yuncheol stan, Im praying Karis stays at third. Go get that first place, Yuncheol!
Look at you showing your bias right away.
Youre the same, sispot calling the kettle black much?
As the sisters bantered away, the final episode of Idol Training Simulation finally began.
96 boys who boldly stepped before the national producers in pursuit of their idol dreams.
Their journey was a long one.
The narration flowed in Choi Sias voice, the judge and MC.
Highlights from the 11 episodes rushed by in quick cuts, following the narration.
A 237day odyssey.
1,096 hours of practice.
Over 100 million cumulative votes.
Then, every trainees profile tiles flew across the screen in an instant.
Where will this story end, and who will emerge victorious?
Tonight, the seven brightest boys will achieve their dreams.
With Choi Sias ominous line, the screen transitioned.
Not prerecorded footage, but the brightly lit exterior of Jamsil Indoor Gymnasium appeared, with text forming at the bottom .
Choi Sia soon filled the screen, bathed in dazzling lights.
The global project to raise the ultimate idol, Idol Training Simulation. After 237 days of fierce competition, only 14 trainees remain. And tonight, right here, the nextgen boy group chosen directly by the national producers will be born.
Who will be the last ones smiling to the end?
The stage plunged into darkness in an instant.
The camera zoomed out from Choi Sia, revealing lithe figures positioned on the central stage one by one.
Soon, the intro to , which had set so many national producers hearts racing, kicked in.
Whoa, the kids are in uniforms!
Wheres Yuncheol? Wheres my Yuncheol?
The trainees wore the exact same outfits from the video first uploaded to Nutube.
The 14 boys rose in perfect sync and belted out the chorus powerfully.
Yes, Im the Winner!
Pyo Joohyuns eyes darted around frantically, searching for Karis.
Observing the formation, it was lined up by third ranking announcement order.
So it didnt take long to spot Karis in the second row of the triangular setup.
Ah, halfbangs Karis again today. Love it.
Definitely better than fully covering his face.
Right? His forehead and brow bone are so killershowing a bit is the way to go.
It had been ages since theyd seen this stage.
The broadcast had never actually shown the trainees performing the theme song.
The Nutube video had been prerecorded.
And now they were singing it live, which hit different.
Theyre all super fired up.
As it was the finals, everyones mindset was on another level.
Not just desperation to debut, but a desire to leave a great final impression for the fans whod supported them to the endtheyd give it their all.
Pyo Joohyun had hopped on the Idol Training Simulation hype a bit late, but she was fully immersed in the trainees now.
That choreography looks like they learned it ages ago, but the sync is insane.
Mustve practiced like crazy.
Ah, cant wait for the mission song stages. No audience this time, so no spoilers leaked. Who teams up with who is gonna be key.
What concept the final mission songs had, which trainees teamed up...
That mattered, but for Pyo Jihyun and the national producers like her, the practice process VCRs couldnt come soon enough.
After the opening stage wrapped, the live feed went dark for a moment.
A short video explained the final voting format.
Oh no, what do we do?
I dont know what to do...
...Haa.
EP 12 Final Round
The longawaited practice footage began.
It kicked off with trainees anguished cries, sparking intense curiosity about the situation.
The final round mission is the Debut Showcase. There are 14 surviving trainees, but only 7 will achieve their debut dreams. You must come up here and choose one of the two songs crafted by Koreas top composers. However. Unlike before, its not as simple as just picking a song.
Choi Sia, addressing the trainees gathered in the grand hall, paused dramatically before announcing the special rule.
Trainees, upon selecting a song, youll stand directly on the part you want. Marked here are key positions center, main vocal, main dancer, main rapper, and more. Selection order starts from the lowest rank in the third ranking announcement. And this round has a special rule pushing.
The word pushing dropped, and dozens of cameras zoomed in on the trainees faces.
Among them, one trainee trembled with particular unease.
Baek Sihwa ...The moment I heard pushing, I was totally thrown off.