Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: The Taste of Indirect Success, Fight Among Yourselves
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“Want to try hugging this doll really tight this time? As affectionately as possible.”
Kooook.
“Good. Now add a slight smile to that?”
Grin.
“Hmm… Something’s still missing…”
…What could be missing?
My smile, which had grown fairly natural after repeated takes?
Or the strength of my hug on the doll?
Or maybe, since it was the first time wearing this type of outfit, I wasn’t bringing out my true charm?
Unfortunately, none of those three were the right answer.
Tap, tap, tap.
The coordinator approached me while I held my pose and lightly patted my cheeks with a cushion.
The cushion had a faint reddish tint. It must have added a subtle blush to my face.
“This looks perfect right now. Hold still.”
Click!
An OK sign came with the umpteenth flash.
It was intense light, but I’d adapted so well now that I didn’t even blink.
Instead, it cost me the moisture in my eyes.
Thanks to the contacts, it wouldn’t show much in photos, but they were probably bloodshot red by now.
‘…I’m tired.’
Pulling an all-nighter and then doing modeling made me feel my brain turning to mush in real time.
My lips curved up reflexively, and my fatigue-lined eyes created a subtle smile.
Outfits that had embarrassed me at first no longer stirred any emotion.
A state close to thoughtlessness.
I couldn’t even tell if I was modeling or just a dress-up doll.
That said, it also meant I was a great subject.
“Next, try putting the doll on your head? Hugging Molrang like that should work well.”
Click!
“Next… Let’s hold all three and shoot.”
At Sky’s words, the coordinator handed me the keychain and bag she was holding.
Like the doll, they were pudding slime… merch with an overall look similar to Molrang.
For reference, these three—keychain, bag, and doll—were all the new merch launching.
Which ultimately meant…
‘…Is this the final shoot?’
No matter how I chewed it over, that was the logical conclusion.
“Your expression’s great right now? Hold it.”
Suddenly, motivation surged.
Dopamine or adrenaline or whatever burst from my brain, melting away the body’s fatigue.
Is this how office workers feel ten minutes before clocking out on Friday?
Thanks to it, I could nail the perfect shot.
“Ready… one, two~”
Click!
And with that, the final flash of the day went off.
I’d kept my eyes open with such enthusiasm that I nearly teared up.
“OK~ That’s a wrap.”
Finally, the shoot end declaration from Sky’s lips.
“Haa…!”
My legs gave out, collapsing right there.
“Good work. Dawn, you’ve got talent?”
“Ahaha…”
Sluuurp!
The mint choco latte Hayoung handed me got sucked down fast. The cold, sweet liquid flowing down my throat finally brought me back to my senses a bit.
“What time is it now, by chance?”
“7:10.”
No way. The sun had already set.
Being in a windowless studio, I hadn’t noticed at all.
I’d thought it’d be three or four hours at most…
But the results were satisfying, so all good.
‘The merch quality’s top-notch too.’
I liked the keychain’s cuteness that fit perfectly in one hand, and the bag’s clean finish.
This was… White Night’s sincerity?
Especially the doll was the best.
No idea what arcane technique they used, but it recreated about 80% of real Molrang’s squishiness.
Looks like handing over all those slime balls for research paid off.
Anyway, even I, who’s oblivious to the merch industry, was impressed, so I could trust them going forward.
“Dawn, good work today.”
Sky finished talking with the shoot director and patted my head.
Her hand ignored the hairspray-stiffened locks.
From that soft palm spread something warmer than mere body heat.
Mana. Mana.
The delicately spread mana gently loosened the tension in my hair and scalp.
This… was an S-Rank hunter’s sincere pat?
“No, no. How’re the results? Is today’s stuff enough?”
“Yep. You’ll see the final edit within two weeks at latest.”
“…Nice.”
“By the way, heading straight home?”
“Yeah… Probably. It’s pretty late.”
Worry crept up.
I’d warned them firmly before leaving, but our cute mana beast friends might’ve trashed the factory.
The mana flows through the threads suggested no major issues, but…
“How about sticking around for something nice? One hour’s plenty.”
…Something nice? What could that be?
Even guessing, my foggy brain couldn’t grasp it.
So I turned to Hayoung to probe her intentions.
“…”
Hayoung just grinned instead of answering.
Meaning it was fine to stay.
“Sure. I’ll hang out a bit longer.”
“Good choice. Let’s head out now. It’ll start soon.”
We followed Sky to a higher floor.
The final destination: White Night Castle’s rooftop.
Chilly air beyond mere coolness and a dizzying height I’d never experienced greeted me.
At the center was a luxurious terrace. As if waiting for us, a lavish spread of food covered the wide table.
A party? But why a sudden party like this…?
“Wow, perfect view from here.”
“View of what?”
“Fireworks tonight, right?”
Ah.
Hayoung’s words made everything click like puzzle pieces.
The annual fireworks festival held around this time.
No wonder there were so many people. Looked like the department store crowd had come for the show too. The building was tall enough for a great view.
“Wow…”
Naturally, White Night Castle’s rooftop boasted a fantastic vista.
A front-row show with no obstructions. Did I deserve such luxury?
“Dawn, come sit quick. It’s about to start.”
At Sky’s urging, I dashed to sit beside her.
And almost simultaneously.
Fweeeee… Boom boom boom!
Brilliant flowers bloomed across the pitch-black night sky.
“…Pretty.”
This was the taste of success.
An indescribable ecstasy soaked my brain.
Boom boom!
Someday, if I built a skyscraper and watched this from its roof…
“…”
Goosebumps rose all over, a thrilling shiver running down my spine. Dopamine levels had overflowed.
Unable to hold it in, I swayed giddily.
Pop!
A crisp sound different from fireworks burst from beside me.
Champagne. Bubbles fizzed as glasses filled.
“Dawn. Wanna drink too? But no. You’re a minor.”
“…”
“Instead, I brought some sherbet. Be happy with this.”
Hing.
**
They call it an upward spiral.
Something like… how success breeds greater success.
Two weeks ago, that taste of indirect success from White Night Castle’s rooftop was plenty to fuel my drive even more.
Click!
“Custom armor development, 146th experiment underway.”
Right after confirming the shoot was done, I tossed materials into the boiling cauldron.
Basically, after 77 experiments, I’d found the optimal mix.
Mixed agent, shed skin, and slime balls in a 2:2:1 ratio.
That balanced hardness and softness. Wearability was best too.
But issues remained.
It took a ton of mana for form changes, and after a few shifts, it wouldn’t revert.
Plop! Plop!
So from the 78th, I added mana herbs.
Grew the mana herb varieties from one to twenty for this.
The yard turned into a jungle, but… the mini golems handled maintenance anyway.
“Mini, mold!”
Whee!
Got a new mold too. Nothing fancy, just a big rectangular one.
About 50cm x 50cm.
Fitted perfectly for full-body adult armor.
If not for Hayoung’s ordeal, I’d never have found it.
She threw a fit about wearing it… but no helping it.
‘I’m petite.’
Average hunter age was over twenty, so armor for a girl my size was ridiculous.
Clank!
Turned the cauldron handle, pouring the mix into the mold.
Sizzle…!
The mold had mana-rapid cooling, so no more labor for Snow White.
“Nice!”
The mix’s color looked great—successful blend.
Drip. Drip.
Dropped sky-blue dye on top.
The mostly black mix instantly took the dye’s hue.
Freely changeable color? Pass, as expected for custom armor.
Everything up to here always passed. What mattered more—
“Mini!”
—was the wear test.
Whee!
Mini lifted the mold and swung her arm.
Splat!
A sticky sensation enveloped me, but I stayed calm and infused mana.
Shhh… Swish!
The mix bonded like skin, covering my body.
Looked like being eaten by a slime, but wear wasn’t unpleasant.
What was once stocking-like was now winter underlayer level.
Ignore it, and you barely noticed—right at that comfort.
Plus, wearable over clothes, so basically superior thermal wear.
“Good.”
Took exactly five minutes to form as desired. Mana cost wasn’t high.
Worth adding those mana efficiency herbs used in hunter boosters.
Next: transformation test.
Previously, five changes ruined it.
Even just donning/doffing five times made it unusable.
Huge flaw, considering longevity was the point.
Wanted at least twenty…
“Hup!”
Unleashed my imagination for changes.
Clack!
Once to a sleek suit.
Again to classic medieval knight plate.
“This one’s cool?”
Tried hero suits from old tokusatsu shows.
“…Nothing else coming to mind.”
Reached the 16th—my imagination’s limit—successfully.
Finally a good one?
Maybe the extra two mana herbs at the end helped.
“Mini.”
Whee!
…Boom!
Defense was top-tier within my test limits.
But no settling here.
Couldn’t go pro off a few clacks.
Needed real-world combat testing.
And right on cue, I had a plan ready.
A way to get insanely good test results.
[Hello. Word is Molrang Mall’s new product drops soon, so I checked it out early! See for yourselves…!]
Review VTubers.
They test anything hunters use or hunter-related.
Molrang Tory had long been VTuber catnip.
[Yes! Today, dipping Molrang Tory in lava. It’s famed for heat resistance… Let’s check now.]
Countless Molrang Tories died in their brutal experiments.
So, handing them this beta armor? They’d love it.
Time to squeeze every drop.
For that, I’d cleverly emailed various review VTubers.
[Hello. This is AspiringDragonRaiser, operator of Molrang Mall. We’ve developed a new product and request testing.
.
.
.
To whoever tests most enthusiastically, we’ll grant early access to future products.
If interested, please reply.]
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
They’re all raring to go already.
Good. Now fight it out among yourselves.