Yeon Miwol.
A bona fide superstar hailing from South Korea. Even in Rayen's birthplace from his previous life, she's a famous icon.
Not only was she an exceptional drama actress, but she also shone on theaters and musicals. Some Disme Princesses were voiced by her, and all renditions of her Disme songs were top-notched.
Recently, she had been getting popular in the West after breaking into Hollyforest and the Dillboard Music Charts. Her latest movies were all box-office hits. And just with her looks alone, she could probably sell millions of tickets.
She's a global celebrity.
'Is she also an Entity?'
Entities had lived countless lifetimes, so it wouldn't be impossible for them to rise quickly from any industry. But Yeon Miwol... It was still a shock.
"Yeon Miwol!!!!"
The participants in their seats were already squealing in excitement. Observing them, Rayen could also tell that their enthusiasm was genuine and wasn't just an act.
Adrian nudged Rayen with a grin.
"Aren't you a fan? Why aren't you screaming?"
Rayen only stared at him with pursed lips.
'Please, don't bring back my past mistake.'
Rayen just wanted to ignore this fellow's teasing, but when he felt the sharp gaze of the cameras pointing at him, Rayen felt like it would be wrong not to react. So, he abruptly stood up and bellowed using his diaphragm's full power.
"Yeon Miwol, my idol! Look at me!!!" He imitated the way his fans called for him on their concerts.
As befitting of an S-stat vocalist, his voice rose above the crowd.
"....."
In the silence that had ensued after Rayen's loud cheering, Yeon Miwol and the others turned their heads to him. Feeling his face burn, Rayen sank back down on his seat.
'I already did it, so I should solidify it... It would be weird if I acted excitedly just before, only to seem indifferent after seeing her.'
"Hahaha. It seems that some of our participants are a bit too excited. Thank you for your support."
Yeon Miwol smiled sweetly, but it wasn't Rayen that was affected—it's the participants who were her fans. Their calm gazes turned into sharp glares, drilling into Rayen's already thin face.
'I'm just acting, ah! Just acting! No need to glare at me like that!'
"Ultimate fanboy," Adrian said, chuckling.
'Stop!'
Easing the tense atmosphere, Yeon Miwol switched the topic. "Am I right? Are you guys excited for the next round?"
The participants roared in agreement, screaming with their lungs and trying to outdo Rayen's bellowing earlier.
"Then, I will not make this too long. But first, let's explain how we'll determine the participants who will make it into the debut line-up!"
Another video was played on the screen, accompanied by Yeon Miwol's recorded narration. The noisy filming set gradually turned quiet.
Even if everyone was still enamored by Yeon Miwol's presence, with their own survival at stake, they focused intently on the screen.
Thud!
A string of text appeared on the screen with a loud sound effect.
[Public voting]
Yeon Miwol began to explain these two terms. "Our audience will decide the winners through our official site!"
The text dispersed and another one replaced it, accompanied by an intense music that increased the tension in the atmosphere.
[1 Participant = 1 Vote per Day]
"A participant can only receive one vote everyday from each person. However..." Yeon Miwol dramatically paused with her speech.
Meanwhile, the animation effect continued, slamming down another line of text.
[1 Voter = Multiple Participants]
"... One person can vote for multiple participants. This rule would ensure that the audience wouldn't take advantage of the next rule!" she continued.
'So, this is what they meant when they found a way to let us take space in someone's Life Book without burdening their lifespans?'
Every time a person votes for a participant, the participant's name will be recorded on their Life Book.
'But why only one vote per participant per day? And why allow votes for multiple participants?'
"Hmm..." Adrian also frowned thoughtfully beside Rayen. "Maybe, aside from the still unannounced rule, it's to track the precise number of Life Books we're recorded in?"
Rayen unconsciously replied, "But that wouldn't explain why a person could vote every day. If we're already recorded on their Life Books, then what's the need to vote for tomorrow?"
"Then maybe it's not the Life Book itself they're counting, but its pages. That's why votes are limited so we don't take up too much space in their Life Books."
Rayen nodded in agreement thinking that it was possible, but quickly turned to Adrian after realizing it.
"How did you read my thoughts?"
Adrian laughed. "Don't you know that your thoughts are always showing on your face?"
'Really?'
Rayen touched his face and blinked. He tried to ease up his expression to make a poker face.
At the same time, he said, "Won't it be bad if they're recording what we're saying right now?"
Adrian glanced around only to find no cameras focused on them.
Shrugging, he said. "They can just edit it out."
Rayen stopped touching his face and smirked. This fellow sometimes has useful ideas.
'If it makes the writer work harder, so be it.'
Imagining Plotter busy with work and unable to mess with them, Rayen rejoiced inwardly before turning his attention back to the rules again.
"So what's the rule I'm talking about?" Yeon Miwol tried to hype up the atmosphere.
[No fixed number of members!]
"The final line-up will depend on how many participants will meet the threshold!"
'Threshold?'
The screen immediately displayed a bar graph with a green line on it.
[1 million]
"Participants who achieve a cumulative score of 1 million by the show's final episode will be the ones to debut!"
'If Adrian was right, then 1 million scores means 1 million Life Book pages... How do we do that?'
For a makeshift show, it was talking too big. If it turned out to be a flop, how would the participants accumulate that much? They even limited the number of votes per day!
'What if this show drags out forever until someone reaches the threshold?'
With that thinking, Rayen's lips twitched. He recalled the endless dramas his mother used to watch, where the writers would drag out the plot indefinitely to maximize the show's earnings.
'I don't want to get stuck in this show for that long! Just send me back to my coffin if that happens!'
Suddenly, the intense music grew even louder.
"But that's not all," Yeon Miwol added ominously.
[Eliminations]
The word that entered the participants' vision sent them a chill. On their seats, everyone had turned more silent.
In the public's eyes, eliminations will just be eliminations. However, for the participants, it spelled their ultimate deaths.
Those who will be eliminated will disappear.
"In survival shows, eliminations are necessary to determine the winners," With a serene expression, Yeon Miwol announced. "But..."
Amidst the low atmosphere, the ominous message on the screen was suddenly crossed out.
"There will be no eliminations in this round."
The tension eased as Yeon Miwol at the stage below also let out a smile.
"Now, let's reveal the mechanics for the first round!"