Chapter 265
"Have you heard the new cheering method? They call out our names in order!"
"It's always amazing, how do they always find the perfect beat?"
"The cheering sticks all turned pink, it was so pretty!"
The members who successfully finished the pre-recording headed to the waiting room hallway while enjoying the adrenaline they had tasted for the first time in a long time.
Despite the early hour, it seemed like the energy we got from the fans who gathered together in one heart and one mind to cheer us on was properly conveyed to everyone.
Song Hyung-bin smiled as he took out his in ears.
"I was a little worried because it's been a long time since I was on stage, but I'm glad it ended safely. Everyone did so well."
"Hey, let's not get nervous anymore!"
During that time in
That's why he would sometimes go to the bathroom in a hurry.
I didn't necessarily say this out loud, but unfortunately, Kang Si-yoon didn't seem to have the heart to show him such mercy.
"It's true, these days, Yu-bin goes to the makeup room before going on stage. He used to be so flustered, so when I was checking the transmission pack, he suddenly said, "I'm in a hurry now!" and ran out."
"T-That happened in the past! There's no need to talk about that! We're even filming the behind-the-scenes right now-!"
"Oh, that happened?"
"It's not something you can just pass over like that!"
The staff member holding the YouTube camera behind us tried to smile and signal to Heo Yu-bin, "I'll edit this out."
Chae Eun-gyu, who was watching his younger brothers continue their wild talk, burst into laughter without thinking.
"I miss this waiting room atmosphere."
"It's been a few months since our last activity."
"Yeah, time seems to pass really quickly."
Chae Eun-gyu nodded and said to me as if something had suddenly occurred to him.
"We're about to have our group formation day."
April 30th.
The day the last episode of
'
That means it's been over a year since I defeated the Demon King in
Demon King.
Quest, System.
Real World, Crown Prince.
A lot of words came back to me, entangled.
Yes. Today, at this filming location, I might find out something I had only guessed in my mind.
Data that clearly existed only in the game. Non-playable characters whose existence players cannot even know.
The so-called 'NPC' is here right now, breathing the same air as me.
We spent time in the waiting room until the last 1st place announcement was filmed.
Our album was released at the same time as our music show comeback, so unfortunately, we won't be able to receive the 1st place trophy on this week's Music K Showdown.
Maybe next week,
"Will we be able to break our initial record this time?"
"That's right, our 2nd album was so high. I wonder if it will surpass it?"
Song Hyung-bin and Kang Si-yoon recalled the record of
It's a new record in itself. If
Even if we break our own record with our own hands.
If we succeed like that, it would be even better.
Things related to records are so volatile that you shouldn't drink kimchi stew early.
I quietly called up the status window and checked the linked quest set this time.
'But this goal must be achieved.'
A newly updated linked quest for the comeback.
This quest was none other than [Achieve Triple Crown].
Since Seleste had missed out on Triple Crown during the two promotions, the members' desire for this record was enormous.
However, I had another motivation along with my desire.
The reward for this linked quest was a whopping 8% system recovery.
'This is the first time I've seen a reward with such a high percentage.'
Of course, the skill points, experience points, or lucky draw coins that were previously given out were not listed together, perhaps for balance reasons.
The reward box only said [Reward: System Damage Recovery 8%].
This was a great opportunity to instantly raise the recovery rate to 30%.
But.....
'If I fail here, I'll definitely be penalized.'
A penalty I received only once while filming
When I failed to achieve the linked quest goal, the system randomly dropped my stats and even inflicted physical pain.
At first, I didn't know why a system that was supposed to be friendly to me was giving me such a penalty, but after I found out that the system was damaged by the Demon King's 'seed,' I began to understand.
Now that the situation has changed a lot since the survival, I was thinking about various possibilities in my head.
The part that bothered me the most was 'what to impose as a penalty'.
Now that I'm doing a new grand quest, I wonder if the system recovery gauge will drop when I fail to achieve my goal.
Or maybe it's not just dropping one stat, but dropping all of them.
Because I've been avoiding penalties for so long, I've ended up imagining the worst-case scenario in my head.
If it were a normal quest, this wouldn't have happened.
The mission that came out as a linked quest this time was Triple Crown.
Because
This time, I really have to do whatever it takes to get
The Music K Showdown ending filming began around 6 o'clock, and when all the official schedules were over, the numerous idol groups gathered at the KNet building began to disperse to their respective destinations one by one.
We were also getting ready to go back to our dorm.
"May I talk to someone?"
"Huh? Suddenly?"
"Yes. An acquaintance of mine called me earlier......."
"Hmm."
The manager hesitated for a moment after hearing me say that I would meet the acquaintance briefly.
Then he checked one important thing.
"Just in case, it's not a female acquaintance, is it?"
"No. It's a male."
"Then it's fine. Talk slowly and come back. I'll have the youngest one wait here."
"Thank you. I'll be back soon."
The manager asked the gender just in case there were any misunderstandings or pictures.
After saying thank you, I quickly left the waiting room.
Then I went to the waiting room that said
In front of the waiting room, people dressed in black were moving busily.
I spoke quietly to the oldest-looking one among them.
"Excuse me. Are you the manager of Jerene?"
"Oh, yes. That's right -Ah!"
Jerene's manager widened his eyes after seeing my face.
"Are you Seleste Karis? What do you need me for......?"
"If you don't mind, I have something to say to Owen, a member of Jerene. Is that okay?"
"Of course it's okay, but we have to leave soon."
The manager briefly checked his watch.
"I think I can make it for about ten minutes."
"That should be enough time. Thank you."
"I'll call him."
The manager went into the waiting room to pick up Owen.
I swallowed my saliva in the tension that suddenly rose and waited for a few seconds.
And then.
"Hello, senior."
"...Hello."
Owen Cromwell welcomed me politely and smiled kindly.
Since I still had eyes to see, I responded with a formal greeting.
"Then, take your time talking and come back. Owen, I'll wait in the waiting room, so come here."
"Yes, thank you."
Jerene's manager naturally gave in, and we headed to a place where there were no people.
After hiding on the stairs on the second floor, where there were few people, I looked straight at Owen's face.
How should I start?
Do you remember me? Do you remember that you had a brother?
Do you know the game
Just then, as countless questions were running through my head,
"Owen von Walden greets you, hyung-nim."
Owen kneeled down on one knee and bowed his head to me.
In such an abrupt situation, even I, with my composure skills, couldn't help but stutter.
In the midst of confusion, I managed to say.
"Owen, you... do you remember me?"
"Of course...... I want to say that with confidence, but that would be a lie."
Owen lifted his head slightly and smiled awkwardly.
"I don't know the details, but the moment I saw you with my own eyes today, all my memories came back."
"All your memories came back?"
"Yes. Until recently, I had no memories of the royal family."
One of the things I was most curious about.
If Owen von Balden, who existed as data in the game, came to the real world, what happened to his memories in
If it's not like the actual Ankan's soul entered the body of a game character like mine, but a being that is purely data itself came to reality, there would definitely be many restrictions.
From the beginning, it doesn't make sense for a prince in a game to become an idol in the real world.
So I thought that his memories were manipulated, and it seems that my guess was somewhat correct.
I stood Owen up and asked quietly.
"When you first came here, you had no memories of the continent of Arcadia at all?"
"Yes. I only remembered that I was an idol trainee from England....... No, to be exact, I only slowly remembered that I was from another world after seeing your face on the internet."
Does that mean that he didn't realize that he had come from another world and that it came to him later?
If that's the case, then it would explain how he lived as an idol trainee without any strange signs.
But how did Owen von Walden, a non-playable character who wasn't even a human-possessed character, come here?
"Owen. Excuse me, but I'd like to ask you what your last memory was on the continent of Arcadia."
"Haha, you don't have to be so careful, hyung-nim."
Owen covered his mouth and smiled slightly before speaking again in a serious tone.
"I left the imperial palace as soon as I received the report that the advance force led by hyung-nim had crossed the Demon King's castle walls and entered battle. When I arrived with reinforcements, the situation had already ended, and I quickly ran around to see hyung-nim... but hyung-nim was nowhere to be seen. And."
"And?"
I was summoned by God right after I cut off the Demon King's head, so of course I wouldn't have stayed on the battlefield.
I already knew that, but looking at Owen's expression now, I could guess that something else had happened.
"And....... Demon King Seir's body was also nowhere to be found."
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