Chapter 124

However, it couldn’t be helped. In the past, when I earned 300,000 won per day, I thought ‘I can buy up to 30 class cards with this money!’ Now, despite saving for a whole year, I barely managed to earn 100 million won.

“Login.”

Entering Ardenia, I unfolded the Steel Flame skill book.

Paklak!

It was small enough to fit comfortably in one hand, making it easy to read like an old genre novel.

“Ah…it is quite thin indeed. Won’t you consider giving some sponsorship since the content is so short?”

Feeling uneasy, I started writing frantically.

“Login.”

“Log out.”

The progress was incredibly swift, more due to the book’s slimness than my increased speed. Within just half a day, I had transcribed about half of the book and took a brief breather.

When I looked up, I saw numerous Ahjins busily moving about in the distance. Quite a few of them were glancing at me, but it didn’t bother me much. After all, this was something I experienced regularly within the Human Empire.

Suddenly, I recalled the request made by the Ahjin leaders.

”…Abolishing slavery.”

If they knew the situation in the Human Empire, they wouldn’t have asked for such a thing. Although democracy hadn’t fully spread yet, the Human Empire had already entered the realm of rule of law.

In this world, everyone was equal under the emperor. Nobility had been completely eradicated, and domestic slavery was banned long ago. Nowadays, if one wanted to find slaves, they would likely be slave soldiers arrested for crimes.

It must’ve caused quite a stir.

The change had been abrupt, and naturally, there was much debate about this unimaginable system in what used to be the Land of Midgard.

In truth, politics shouldn’t work like this. People often assume that tyrants can do whatever they please, but nothing could be further from the truth. Even an emperor wielding immense power would never want to turn all influential figures against them. A foolish leader who does so inevitably ends up with a knife in their back. After all, even Caesar, who enjoyed absolute authority, met his end at the hands of multiple assassins.

A cruel ruler who plunges the world into chaos and massacres hundreds of thousands might live comfortably, but no matter how great a leader is, if they fall out of favor with those in power, they’ll eventually taste the bitterness of rebellion—that’s simply how the world works.

In that sense, I am constantly tightening the leash on those with power and reshaping the empire against their will, so it wouldn’t be strange if I died at any moment. Thus, common sense dictates…

“Such talk is absurd.”

The ‘me’ in Ardenia doesn’t follow common sense. If the strength of the Human Empire was rated as 100, then 95 belonged to me alone. Honestly, even 95 is a very modest estimate… The important thing is, not just I but the entire Empire acknowledges this fact.

When my minions obstruct reforms or raise their voices in protest? They should ponder whether they lack sufficient power. When rebellions break out? Again, they should question their own inadequacies.

In historical dramas, when the king did something displeasing, his subjects would loudly shout, “Your Majesty~! Please reconsider!” This was possible because they believed either other ministers would agree with their opinion or that even if the king killed them in anger, he couldn’t do anything to their family or entire influence.

It wasn’t possible in the Human Empire. Politics were difficult but having sufficient power made it just as easy.

“Truly the logic of a tyrant.”

I smiled bitterly and continued writing. Then at that moment…

“Mew mew mew.” Cheeda started crying, which was unusual for him. I turned my head to see Cheeda speaking, “A message from Director Alan has arrived.”

“What, is it long? Read it out loud.”

Cheeda’s voice changed at my words. It seemed to be a voice message rather than a regular text.

“It has been a long time, Jae-yeon-ssi. I have three things to discuss.”

“Cutting straight to the point.”

I continued writing while listening intently.

“Firstly, there is excellent feedback from the professor candidates who entered Noblesse! Well, the dragons think you are very cute and are extremely excited! You know that despite their small numbers, every dragon is wealthier than any tycoon? Expect profits and we might need to go to Draconian for fan service later! I don’t know if you will need to coordinate your schedule since you don’t have a manager!”

I listened blankly before laughing at the absurdity.

“No, suddenly talking about dragons…”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the Alliance dominated the entire macrocosm. Among them were the two pillars called Noblesse and Elohim.

Among them, Noblesse was composed of transcendent beings born as nobles. This included the dragon species, known as the supreme among transcendents, and the Prayana, referred to as psychic cats. There were also the Candlemakers who developed Iron Heart and the Stone Monkey Clan famous for producing Great Ascetics.

‘Although, technically, the Great Ascetic joined Elohim later.’

Elohim consisted of individuals who honed themselves to reach transcendence. Unlike most Noblesse residing in the material world, they had their base in a dimension called the Immortal Realm, with the supreme being Jade Emperor at its pinnacle.

“It’s unbelievable. In Ardenia, we couldn’t even handle a dragon corpse, let alone a live dragon, but here I’m meeting one as a star and fan.”

Well, it was good news that there seemed to be potential earnings on the horizon.

Cheeda continued reading the message, “Secondly, I think there will be another work to shoot next year, so don’t schedule anything from March onwards! This can be discussed slowly… And thirdly.” Cheeda paused before speaking again, “Sigh… Sorry. I gave out your contact information for Jae-yeon. It isn’t polite, but my close friend kept nagging me relentlessly. Anyway, he’s considered the top variety show producer in South Korea, so it might not be bad to know him.”

“Huh? Variety show producer?”

I was puzzled by this unexpected statement.

“Meow, Meow, Meow.”

“Incoming call?”

“It is an unregistered number. The caller’s name is Super Nya Taesuk.”

“Super Nya?”

Confused, I pressed Cheeda’s nose. Since Alan introduced him as the top producer, it wasn’t easy to dismiss his call lightly.

“A synchronization request has been received. Do you accept?”

“What is synchronization? Yes, accept it.”

At my words, Cheeda trembled all over. Then…

Wooong!

His body floated in the air and started to change shape.

“The appearance…”

Cheeda’s usual form was that of a ‘cheese cat’, also known as a Korean shorthair breed. However, the floating Cheeda instantly changed its appearance. It became a Siamese cat with a white body, grey overall coloration, chocolate-colored ears, tail, muzzle, and legs. The cat nimbly climbed onto the desk and turned its head back to look at me.

“Ah! Nice to meet you! I’m Nataek Na from the broadcast!”

It was a simple greeting but conveyed several things.

‘He must be a famous producer.’

If he was an ordinary producer, he would’ve mentioned his program but he only gave his name. I nodded while looking at the Siamese cat.

“Nice to meet you, Nataek-nim. Are you watching this side as a cat?”

At my words, the cat—no, Taesuk was surprised.

“Ah, th-this is embarrassing… This is my true form.”

“Oh.”

I was also surprised by his words. It couldn’t be because he was some type of cat monster?

‘No, then it isn’t Prayana?’

Prayana, commonly known as psychic cats, boasted power comparable to dragons and were classified as transcendent species. They possessed tremendous brain capabilities surpassing supercomputers. From birth, they had supernatural abilities that could easily kill mid-level demons.

“Ah, my introduction was too brief. My name is Nataek Han. I directed programs such as Stella Travel, Survival Island and Dream Factory. Also, I am a South Korean cat who has been exiled for over 20 years.”

“No, cat… Isn’t that some sort of racial discrimination?”

“Why? Cats are cute and good. Discrimination only happens from above to below. Who would dare discriminate against transcendent species?”

There was confidence clearly visible amidst his cheerful demeanor. I nodded.

“I know about Survival Island.”

I didn’t watch much TV but pretended to be familiar with it, causing Taesuk’s face to light up.

“Ah! It will be easier to explain now. The longest-running program of STN, Survival Island, is planning a large-scale project called Space War! This concept of space war fits well with Emperor from Professor Candidate!”

“Ah, yes…”

The Siamese cat’s voice became increasingly excited, but honestly, I wasn’t thinking much about it.

‘Oh, a variety show.’

This wasn’t my first offer for a variety show. After Professor Candidate achieved great success, there was significant interest in me due to my impressive acting despite being unknown. However, I rejected all offers. It was because of the fees.

‘Honestly, there was no need to sell my face just to earn 300,000 won.’

The appearance fee was lower than I expected. I had no desire to become famous or be a star. For me, working solely for money meant that variety shows weren’t particularly attractive options. Indeed, Taesuk noticed my attitude.

“Ah, it doesn’t appeal to you much. Then how about this?”

“This one?”

“Yes! In this project, Space Star FD is scheduled to participate as a guest!”

“What is FD? A stage director?”

“No, don’t you know at all…” Taesuk looked disappointed.

I realized the conversation was dragging on and asked, “What’s the appearance fee?”

“Oh! The proposed fee is 2.5 million won.”

Among the offers so far, this was one of the best conditions. I felt slightly tempted and asked, “How long is the filming?”

“As you know about Survival Island, the filming time is quite long. It takes seven days to move to the set. During that period, we will be responsible for all expenses such as meals, accommodation, clothing, etc!”

He seemed confident it would attract me but my thoughts were different. A whole week…

‘Eh.’

My heart cooled down immediately. The quick-witted cat noticed this and continued speaking, “Ah! Our program boasts universal popularity, being broadcast not only on Earth-34 but also on other planets! If you appear, your recognition will greatly increase.”

However, it was weak. Above all else, I’m currently participating in various competitions, aren’t I? Even if the prizes for small-scale tournaments involving mostly students and office workers weren’t much, they were still at least one million won as a baseline. Moreover, most matches could be resolved within 1 to 2 hours. And let’s not forget, competing professionally would eventually lead to even better payouts, right?

“Hmm. Sorry, but I have several scheduled matches coming up.”

“Oh, really? Wait… What?” The cat seemed taken aback, clearly not expecting my rejection. Its expression looked like something straight out of an exaggerated comic strip.

“I understand. Then how about…four million won!”

The fee had nearly doubled like magic, leaving jae-yeon bewildered.

“Can you really afford to pay me that much?”

“Of course not! We have internal guidelines for these things…but I’ll cover the difference out of my own pocket. So what do you say? Is this enough to entice you?”

jae-yeon pondered his offer briefly.

Four million won was quite a sum, but lately, he’d been considering it more profitable to be a writer than an actor. After all, he was currently translating the blueprints for Steel Blossom and the Book of World Tree, and countless authors within the Empire were churning out stories at a rapid pace.

If I became an entertainer with various schedules, it would be inconvenient to run Revenge.

“Excuse me…”

“Jae-yeon-ssi! Think about it. Our program is broadcast not only on Channel 34 but also on other planets, and it is very popular with frequent reruns! Waong, it is embarrassing to say this myself, but there is nothing better than my program for increasing your visibility. Don’t you have MyTube as well, Jae-yeon-ssi?”

There was a ‘waong’ sound mixed in Nataek’s voice due to his excitement.

“Yes, that’s right…”

“You are writing too, aren’t you? You are said to be an incredibly active writer! However, the number of views is quite disappointing! The works I read were outstanding!”

I didn’t know if he was desperate or well-informed but at least his words weren’t wrong. The cat on the desk passionately persuaded me.

“Hrmm.”

I pondered and then made a decision.

“Woohhh!” Before I could answer, Taesuk let out a scream. It was truly the sound of a beast, making me look at him with amazement as he yelled, “You were about to refuse! How can you even think about refusing here?! You aren’t some ordinary person afraid of losing face; you are already a famous actor!”

This cat’s perceptiveness was really incredible. Was it one of the superpowers possessed by the Prajanas?

“Well, no. What do you mean?”

“I will add another 1 million from my own pocket, bringing the total to 5 million won!”

“Hrmm.” As I continued to hesitate, Taesuk spoke with a more serious voice, “Jae-yeon-ssi. Fame is a powerful force. It isn’t just about the money you receive right now. Once fame accumulates, it will be possible to earn incomparable amounts of money through novels or videos.”

He wasn’t wrong. In fact, my subscribers increased thanks to the recognition from ‘Emperor’. However, there was still one question:

“Why are you going this far?”

I might be quite promising as a rising star but it wasn’t normal for a top producer to use his own funds. Or maybe there was some reason why he had to go so hard to recruit me? Indeed, there was a reason.

“Ah, actually… Space Starin F·D asked for Jae-yeon as part of their appearance conditions. They are quite difficult to meet…”

Apparently, some universe-famous star wanted me.

‘By the way, I have been working too much lately and don’t know who they are. Is it a singer?’

I thought briefly before answering, ”…Okay. When is the filming?”

“Ah! You won’t regret it!”

In the end, we discussed the filming schedule and ended the call. After hanging up, I couldn’t help but think,

“A variety show…”

Despite gaining considerable recognition through the movie ‘Professor Candidate’, my career was truly insignificant. Having only shot one film, it felt almost embarrassing to be called an actor.

PD Taesuk’s proposal was essentially telling me to fully enter the entertainment industry instead of straddling both worlds.

“Well, I did plan to make movies once all my debts were paid.”

Honestly, I didn’t envy the life of celebrities. I wasn’t interested in art at all. The last time I watched a movie in theaters was with friends during middle and high school. I knew nothing about dramas or variety shows, and I hardly read any novels—a true non-artistic person.

However…

“If it makes money… then I guess I should do it.”

I needed to build flower shops. At minimum, they had to be legendary rank, while some would need to be mythical rank. Additionally, defensive structures must be installed around them, and a substantial number of troops stationed nearby.

‘In the end, it’s all about money.’

I really needed to earn endlessly. Since I realized the potential of purchasing power, I had to make more money to know what could be achieved with it.

“I have to finish deciphering the Steel Flame Technical Drawing before going on that variety show. If possible, I should also start deciphering the World Tree Book beforehand.”

Both were likely to produce results similar to Mago or lower efficiency. The technology for crafting weapons and elemental magic was obviously inspired by real-world concepts.

“My last hope is the Book of Light… Damn. What if this is also based on the Bible?”

Feeling uneasy, I continued my frenzy once again today.