(Arthur POV)
My team and I swiftly handled negotiations with international film distributors - days flew by in a blur. Meanwhile, the news about the sudden "Mana Drought" from a few days ago remained the hot topic.
Of course, being the actual culprit behind that "Mana Drought", I felt a pang of guilt towards my employees and the people of the New District.
I couldn't help but overhear my crew discussing it loudly.
"I really don't know what happened. One moment, I'm working, then suddenly... I felt my mana sucked dry for some reason and then I fell into a slumber."
"Me too... I can feel my magic was sucked dry... Remembering it is terrifying!"
Another chimed in, "Did you guys read the news?"
A demoness nodded, "Yeah... They're saying the world is about to experience a 'Mana Crisis'. It's been a long-term problem, but I never thought much of it. What happened a few days ago changed my perspective. Maybe that so-called 'Mana Crisis' is more serious than we thought."
I shook my head and approached them, feigning ignorance. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Ah, boss!" they turned to me and nodded.
Lilith explained, "We're talking about what happened a few days ago, boss. When we strangely fell asleep without any explanation."
I nodded, putting on a confused expression to avoid suspicion. "Yeah, it was a strange phenomenon. I remember being in my office when my cat and I suddenly succumbed to sleep."
Klein added, "There's news that wizard scientists are saying the world is lacking mana to sustain itself - so it forcefully borrowed magical mana from the people of this district."
Hearing that theory almost made me break character, but I was genuinely amused and curious about the theories people in this world were concocting. They simply had no idea that the ring on my finger was responsible for the incident a few days ago.
As I listened to their speculations, I couldn't help but marvel at the imagination of this world's inhabitants. If only they knew the truth behind the "Mana Drought", but that was a secret I'd have to keep to myself.
"So the world is sentient enough to forcefully suck magic mana from people?" I voiced my thoughts, playing along with their theories.
Klein and the others nodded. "That's what those experts said."
"If the world is really conscious enough, it's probably thinking of reducing people on the world so that the mana will be balanced," I mused, curious to see their reactions.
"Yeah, the experts say that the world will end in about 100 years if it continues to lose mana," another chimed in.
"End of the world? Heh, that was news a hundred years ago, but we're still alive," someone snorted skeptically.
Indeed, there had been news a hundred years ago that the world would end if it continued to lose mana. I stroked my chin, listening intently to their conversation.
"But this time, it's different. I also thought that news claiming the world will end due to 'Mana Crisis' was bullshit. But now I understand, there's some truth to it - after all, we just experienced how bad the world is lacking mana a few days ago," the demon added. "The dragons in the Eden continent are growing extinct because of mana problems-"
"Alright, you guys get back to work. You'll have enough time to discuss this later," I interrupted, knowing it would likely turn into a debate soon.
"O-okay, boss!" They saluted and scurried back to their workstations.
I shook my head with a sigh. Glancing at the newspapers on their desks, I had a feeling that the events from a few days ago would remain hot news for a while. After all, the media would milk this mysterious and controversial story, knowing people would continue to buy such news.
This whole situation gave me a deeper understanding of the ring on my hand and reinforced the need to be extremely careful in using it. The consequences of its power were far-reaching, and I couldn't afford another slip-up like the Mana Drought incident.
I decided to stick to the basic functions of the ring. Its more powerful modes would only be used when absolutely necessary. After all, the "Abyssal Mode", just the second most powerful mode, had already caused catastrophic effects.
I shuddered to think about the "Nightmare Mode", the ring's most potent setting. If "Abyssal Mode" could affect an entire district, it's possible that "Nightmare Mode" could impact the whole city.
And that's with the ring at just level 3.
At level 4, could it affect half of the Horn Kingdom? Or maybe even the entire kingdom, given that Horn is comparatively small compared to Morningstar?
I glanced at the ring on my finger. It looked like an ordinary gold band, belying its immense power.
Shifting my focus from the ring, I turned my attention to upcoming projects. I was eager to start on my second film to gain that {Creator's Realms} ability.
Besides the film project, I'd been working on a new venture for weeks. I'd been laying the groundwork to distribute the manga "Dragon Ball" in the Horn Kingdom, as well as Morningstar, Choson, and Japon.
'Manga' already existed in Japon, but it was only gaining traction there. Japon manga were essentially copies of 'Comics' from Empirica, which had been gaining popularity in Empirica and some parts of the world.
I was confident readers wouldn't be too confused by "Dragon Ball". This world already had the concept of 'comics' and 'manga', even if they weren't wildly popular yet.
While these mediums weren't mainstream, I believed the story of "Dragon Ball" would stand out. Its unique blend of action, humor, and adventure could potentially revolutionize the manga industry in this world, just as it had in my previous life.
I'm also betting on this world to make "Dragon Ball" popular. After all, I'm thinking of visiting the Dragon Ball world through {Creator's Realms}.
If "Dragon Ball" isn't successful, I won't be able to visit its world. I can only visit the worlds of fictions that become hugely successful in reality.
I'm also considering creating "Naruto", so I could visit that world and learn basic jutsu, like the cloning technique.
With the cloning technique, I'd be able to produce manga faster. My clones could help with the drawing process of the manga I'm planning to create.
***
(3rd Person POV)
While news of the "Magical Mana Drought" gained traction worldwide, stirring worry about the future, media outlets didn't forget about Arthur's fourth film, a martial arts epic.
As soon as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" was advertised simultaneously across Horn, Morningstar, Choson, Japon, and other nations, it immediately captured media attention.
Unlike Arthur's previous three successful films, this new one would be screened simultaneously in many nations. This wider distribution piqued people's curiosity about the martial arts film.
Headlines across various kingdoms read:
"Arthur Morningstar's New Martial Arts Epic: A Global Release!"
"Morningstar's 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' Set to Premiere Worldwide"
"Can Arthur's Martial Arts Film Conquer the Global Box Office?"
The simultaneous release strategy was a hot topic among film critics and industry insiders. Some praised it as a bold move, while others questioned whether a martial arts film could resonate with such a diverse global audience.
As the release date approached, anticipation built. Would Arthur Morningstar's winning streak continue? Or would this foray into martial arts and global distribution prove to be his first misstep? The world waited eagerly to find out.
People were genuinely curious about Arthur's martial arts film, especially in Anatolia where such films still held a special place in their hearts.
News of Arthur's new film, along with the usual mix of negative press, celebrity gossip, business news, and entertainment industry controversies, seemed to bring a sense of relief to many.
If it was before, people might have grown tired of such news. But this time was different. They actually preferred hearing about celebrities and entertainment industry drama over the more ominous news about the "Mana Crisis", "The end of the world", or "Prophecies of Renowned Seers from Bharat Kingdom".
These doomsday headlines were spreading fear across the globe. In contrast, entertainment news offered a welcome distraction, a breath of fresh air in an increasingly anxious world.
Meanwhile, James Blaze's first concert was set to take place in about a week, and his fans were buzzing with excitement to see him perform live.
The concert venue itself was a departure from the norm. Instead of the usual theatre setting favored by other artists, James' performance was scheduled to take place in Horn Park - a public area where fans would watch the concert standing up.
This unconventional approach aligned perfectly with James' fresh, innovative sound. It was new and refreshing, much like his music. However, it also drew criticism from media outlets and some members of the public.
Headlines reflected this mix of excitement and skepticism:
"Standing Room Only: Is James Blaze's Outdoor Concert a Hit or Miss?"
"Music Critics Question Safety of James Blaze's Public Park Venue"
Despite the criticism, many fans saw the unique venue as just another reason to love James Blaze. His willingness to break from tradition only added to his appeal, making the upcoming concert an even more anticipated event.