Chapter 5
[Dance Stat Booster Draw]
: Increases the practice efficiency of the corresponding ability for 24 hours after using the item
I clicked on one of the items stored in my mailbox and read the description again.
Is the multiplier determined by the draw?
When I clicked on the blue text, a spinning wheel shaped like a disk appeared.
"!"
Each of the six squares had a different multiplier written on it. 2x, 4x, 10x, 100x, 200x...and even a blank. I almost had hope for a moment because the numbers were bigger than I thought...
'It's all up to you.'
I wonder if it's 1 centimeter wide.
The larger the multiplier, the smaller the square.
Compared to the blanks that took up more than a third of the roulette, the space occupied by the 200x was quite small.
Is this a taste?
As I was gritting my teeth in a way that made me feel better, a new pop-up window appeared.
[Rearrange the roulette to reflect the characteristics of the beginner pack!]
Then, all of a sudden, the multipliers were mixed up.
It was the power of the beginner pack, but it was distributed fairly evenly regardless of the multiplier.
'The one placed in the largest square is 10x, and if I just bet on that, it's worth it.'
I pressed the [START] button in the middle of the roulette.
Tiring riiiing-!
The roulette spun quickly.
Then, with a solemn sound effect, it gradually slowed down.
Dungdungdung —dungdung —dung
After passing 100x, 4x, and 10x... the roulette stopped.
"...."
[Bam! Too bad~ Next time!]
Fxck.
I closed my eyes tightly and barely swallowed my curses. Damn system, relocation, and all that. Don't talk about beginner pack.
"Haah…."
I pressed my forehead and took a deep breath. Even if I try to get angry, I'll just lose energy.
At this rate, the daily quest is a sure failure. The reward lifespan will also be blown away. There are only 5 days left until the evaluation, and at this rate, I'll probably just end up learning the choreography.
'... In the end, I have to use that method.'
[Life remaining 38:23:57]
If I fail, I'll die anyway.
Now is not the time to be nitpicking.
I quietly called up the status screen.
Then I raised my shaking hand and pressed the button.
[Would you like to purchase dance stats?]
[Deducted lifespan 24:00:00]
[Yes/No]
Time to hesitate is a luxury.
I took a deep breath and made a decision.
System windows appeared one after another in front of my eyes.
[Dance stat purchased.]
[Dance stat increased from D→D+!]
[Remaining life 14:23:12]
[Insufficient life! Headache penalty applied.]
As soon as the penalty window appeared, my head started to tingle and I started to feel pain everywhere.
I never thought I would do this crazy thing.
"Ha."
I rubbed my temples and got up.
From now on, it's a race against time.
I have to do this somehow.
If I don't, I'll really die.
***
[Daily Quest Success!]
[You have mastered all the choreography for the Performance Evaluation Song!]
[Proficiency 100%/100%]
X.
As soon as I saw the pop-up window, I fell down.
"...gasp..gasp...whoa…."
I caught my breath that was welling up to my chin.
This time, it was close again, but the results of my crazy choices were fortunately successful.
'The difference in one stat is this big.'
After all, Hyun-jil is the best.
[Hyun-jil = A new word meaning to buy paid items in a partially paid game with cash. In addition to real money, it is also called cash money.]
For me, it's not money, but life.
It was worth practicing by splitting it into seconds.
'Thanks to that, my body feels like it's going to break apart.'
[Life remaining 05:00:58]
[Life not enough! Headache, high fever penalty in effect.]
The sweat running down my forehead was chillingly cold.
High fever penalty applied from the point where there were 10 hours left to live.
Ten, fever or so, I didn't think much of it...
A hot body, a queasy stomach, shortness of breath, and a throbbing head.
This wasn't even a penalty set, it was really the worst condition.
My arms and legs were shaking little by little regardless of my will. The system window floating in front of me was spinning and distorted.
[Would you like to receive compensation?]
[Yes/No]
I think I need to get some more rest.
I don't want to press the No button while feeling dizzy and lose my life.
"Hyung, are you really okay?"
"..... Yes."
Kim Eden frowned and suddenly stuck his face out.
Kang Se-hyun, who was standing next to him, looked surprised.
"Your face is completely red! It's not going to burst?!"
It's not going to burst.
I didn't have the energy to answer and just let out a hollow laugh.
"Here."
Kim Eden handed me water with his already droopy eyes like a puppy's. I put the water bottle on my cheek.
The heat felt a little bit cooler.
It also seemed to be coming into focus.
The members had already finished learning the choreography.
Shin Yeonwoo, who had the highest dance stat, followed the choreography first, and Kang Sehyun and Kim Eden, who had finished learning in turn, started to help me.
'The quest progress slowed down as I started to feel damp from the penalty, but thanks to these guys, I was able to finish it safely.'
I was practicing like a crazy person without time to eat, so later on, they took turns feeding me food.
Did I look pitiful?
"It's already been a few hours. Take some medicine and rest."
I wondered why I didn't see him.
Shin Yeonwoo handed me some cold medicine.
If I received the quest reward, I would feel better in an instant, but I couldn't ignore the sincerity, so I got up and took the pill. It was better.
It would look strange if the guy who was limping suddenly became fine.
'But why is it so burdensome.....'
The three of them were huddled together and just staring at me taking the medicine.
It was the moment when I swallowed the medicine, feeling somewhat embarrassed. An unpleasant warning sound rang out like a stab in the head.
[Life Remaining 04:59:59]
[Insufficient Life! Bleeding Penalty Added.]
Soon, the heat rushed to my face as if my head was going to spill forward.
"Hyu, hyung! Nosebleed!!"
Before I could react, my nosebleed started pouring out. I realized the seriousness of the situation only after seeing the members in shock.
"How can you have this much nosebleed! Are you going to die!?"
"...That's right."
Kang Se-hyun's fuss wasn't exaggerated this time. A person can bleed this much from their nose.
'If I had failed the quest, I would have really died like this. The cause of death was 'excessive bleeding?'
I was out of my mind, looking at the blood soaking my clothes and the floor.
Kang Se-hyun grabbed a wad of tissues and grabbed my nose as if he was going to suffocate me.
Even Shin Yeon-woo tried to stop Kang Se-hyun.
I quietly filled my lifespan while looking at the members who looked even more crazy than me with a strange feeling.
***
The team leader headed to the evaluation site with excitement.
"Hello!"
"Hello, team leader!"
When she opened the door, the trainees who were warming up greeted her all at once.
The team leader looked around as if she was not paying attention while receiving the greetings.
The trainee Kwon Yoo-hyun, whom she had been looking for, was warming up in a corner.
"Team Leader, Team Leader. The camera can't capture the real thing?!"
The employee who was following right next to her whispered to the team leader.
The team leader nodded happily.
As she had expected, the rookie development team was shocked after seeing Yoo Hyun's audition video.
The employee lowered her voice and muttered excitedly.
"Just looking at his face is fun. What should I do? He's really perfect for Team A!!"
The team leader also had the same thought.
The current trainees, Team A, Team B, and Team C, were a combination that the company had carefully considered and divided up.
Among them, Team A was the team that the rookie development team had decided on as the debut group.
Outstanding star power and skills.
With TP's rookie male idol debut receiving the public's attention and expectations, Team A, with its flashy and unique atmosphere, was the best in every way.
However, the board of directors' evaluation was a little different.
There is no disagreement that Team A is closest to the rookies that TP is drawing.......
'There is no last shot to send them out right away.'
In fact, the team leader had similar thoughts.
They lacked a decisive impact that could immediately grab attention.
In the midst of all this, they discovered a unique visual.
'They really go together so well.'
The colors matched perfectly, as if they had been a team from the beginning. The part that the director mentioned and the team leader felt was lacking.
That point felt like a perfect puzzle piece that was completed with Yoo Hyun's addition.
At that moment, the practice room door opened and the judges, consisting of Lee Sang-woo, came in.
The evaluation began without delay.
"Thank you!"
The first order of today's evaluation was Group C.
It was the team that included Yoon Jun-woo, who came in first in the last evaluation.
-... Sorry. Let's do it again!
Debut group evaluation.
Was the weight too heavy?
Yoon Jun-woo made the mistake of forgetting the lyrics entirely.
There are many trainees or aspiring trainees who are good at dancing or singing.
However, it is rare for someone to be good at both.
The reason Yoon Jun-woo always gets high scores in evaluations is because both his dancing and singing were top-notch.
The evaluation started with everyone's attention, but Yoon Jun-woo's mistake was fatal.
Excessive tension.
It was the only obstacle for the all-rounder Yoon Jun-woo.
'I thought it would improve after seeing the weekly evaluations.'
It seems that the more cameras and audience than usual were variables.
Group C was fortunate to get one more chance, but the judges' expressions were already frozen.
"Junwoo ya, as you know, there is no second chance in real life. No matter how well you do in everyday life, if you don't do well on stage, it's over."
A brief summary given to the trainees for quick progress.
Yoon Jun-woo lowered his head.
"...Yes. I'm sorry."
"You shouldn't be sorry to us. You should be sorry to your teammates who practiced hard for these 3 minutes. And to yourself."
The atmosphere instantly became heavy at the judges' cold evaluation.
"Next, Group B."
Group B, who had been handed the microphone, began their performance.
A team made up of young, fresh trainees.
The performance was not bad overall.
However, in other words, it was just okay. Their potential was clear, but they weren't mature enough to be sent out on the field right away.
'If this happens....'
The team leader swallowed hard.
Today was the day to show the board of directors the new potential of Team A.
'Your role is the face anyway! I won't expect more than that right now, so let's just avoid last place!'
She looked at Team A, who was coming forward for the stage, with hopeful eyes.
As Team A members stood in formation for the choreography, a powerful intro immediately flowed out.
— Yeah ah oh to be done
Kang Se-hyun's introduction, which caught attention with powerful rap and expressiveness.
'Wow.... As expected, he uses expressions really well.'
The team leader was impressed and admired it.
The expressions that changed to match the music and lyrics.
He was a trainee who knew exactly how to make himself look more attractive.
— Can't stop Oh
— Here is One way street
Shin Yeon-woo's part continues.
The live is a little shaky, but it's not annoying at all.
The original singer just makes it look easy, but this evaluation song, < Burn Up >, is famous for its difficult choreography that is more complicated and tricky than you can imagine, making it difficult to keep the ending.
Shin Yeon-woo was performing it accurately and clearly without any flying movements.
As expected, he is an ideal dancer with power, flexibility, and technique.
— Burn it all
— The Barrier that blocks my path
Kwon Yoo-hyun's dance was as expected.
He must have practiced hard, but compared to the audition, his stiff movements had softened a little, but the details and dance lines were still lacking.
On the other hand, although his parts were not many, his relatively stable live performance exceeded expectations.
'Yeah, this isn't bad.'
At the last moment, Shin Yeon-woo slid, and at the same time, trainee Kwon Yoo-hyun spun around and flew through the air, gliding gracefully over it.
"Wow!"
Gorgeous visuals and skills.
It was a feast for the eyes.
There was a small gasp and a nod of approval from the judges.
'Okay, that's it.'
The team leader cheered inwardly.
—