“He’s awake,” Minji exclaimed just as Zeno opened his eyes. A group of worried faces flocked toward him, each wearing expressions of intense concern. Zeno felt overwhelmed so he closed his eyes once again.
“I can’t breathe,” he muttered, still feeling heavy with fatigue. He felt like he was being squished by an elephant, and it was a struggle just to keep his eyelids open.
The group’s eyes widened with alarm, and Maxie began barking hysterically.
“Zeno can’t breathe!” Doha cried out. He turned to Eli, who was already in a state of distress, his brows furrowed and hands trembling slightly.
“Do something!” Minji urged.
“What should I do?” Eli asked desperately, looking between his friends.
“You’re the doctor here!” Doha argued, pointing an accusing finger at Eli.
“I’m not a doctor… yet. I’m still studying to be one!” Eli protested, his voice shaky.
“Same thing!” Minji retorted. “Come on—do something before our friend dies!”
“B-but,” Eli stammered.
Zeno, who had been observing the chaos with a blank expression, finally spoke up, massaging his temples in exasperation.
“I can’t breathe because you’re too close!” he exclaimed, finally breaking the tension, causing the three of them to freeze mid-panic.
They observed Zeno for a short moment, one by one realizing that he was indeed fine.
“Oh,” Doha chuckled sheepishly, relief washing over him. “Sorry about that. You’ve been asleep for nearly twenty-four hours, so we wanted to wake you.”
Zeno clicked his tongue in annoyance and sat up straight, leaning against the bed frame. Maxie, sensing the change in atmosphere, quickly followed, jumping onto his bed and quickly settling into the corner.
“Don’t you remember what happened?” Minji asked gently, tilting her head in concern.
Zeno didn’t respond right away, closing his eyes again to try and block out the memories. After a lengthy pause, he sighed and turned his gaze to the side. “I wish I didn’t remember,” he muttered.
However, he recalled every single moment!
As soon as he finished his speech, tears still glistening in his eyes, the comment section of the live stream began to fill with praise. The audience was moved, too, with some moved to tears.
– I really needed to hear those words.
– Who knew I could get such comfort from an acceptance speech?
– You know what, Zeno might actually not be as bad as I thought he was.
– He was never bad. He was just misunderstood.
– I love him so much. I want to make a clone out of him with all his physical and emotional traits and make him my slave.
However, even then, the Pain Trial didn’t stop. It persisted like an unwelcome guest.
He returned to his seat, feeling both physically and emotionally drained, tears still threatening to spill. His co-stars turned to him, their expressions filled with admiration, but all he felt was a visceral urge to lash out.
They misunderstood him completely!
He wasn’t touched by their praise! He was in pain!
The moment the award show concluded, the agony still lingered. The worst part was that other artists kept approaching him backstage.
Influencers eagerly requested him to join in various challenges—dances, lip-syncing videos, thirst traps. Without hesitation, he declined each one of them.
He also had to refuse autograph requests, concocting excuses that the people asking were more famous than him.
Was he lying? He didn’t care.
Zeno just wanted to go home.
After what felt like an eternity, a grueling half an hour stretched out before him, he finally managed to board Moby’s truck, which would take him back to the comfort of his home.
However, Bobby and Moby, with their unyielding excitement, still didn’t allow him a moment of respite. They rambled on about how Zeno’s PRYSM360 video had garnered the most likes during the duration of the award show, their voices a constant buzz in his overstimulated mind.
To make matters worse, they invited him to a late dinner, already having invited some of his co-stars and friends.
In the end, he couldn’t refuse their invitation due to their enthusiasm and effort. At that point, the pain was still there, and he found himself wondering if simply jumping off a cliff and dying would be the better option.
He endured the pain for a total of four exhausting hours. When they finally arrived home, he craved nothing but sleep.
However, just as he began to relax, his system pestered him nonstop with notifications about his new upgrades.
[Fame Meter: 100%]
[TALENTS:
Acting: S
Modeling: A
Singing: B
Chess: A+]
[CURRENT ITEMS:
Passive Boosters:
Angel Voice
Sparkling Eyes
Star Scanner
Silver Tongue
White Aura
Minty Fresh
Active Boosters:
Lament’s Embrace
Halo Effect
Consumables:
Stamina Booster (2)
Bulletproof (1)]
Zeno, feeling increasingly tired, immediately drowned one of his stamina boosters in a desperate bid to regain some energy. However, it didn’t help one bit.
“Fuck you!” he cursed the heavens, frustration spilling over as he covered his entire body with a blanket, seeking refuge from the relentless notifications.
Even then, his system showed no signs of stopping.
[NEW ITEMS:
1. Recall – Unlocks one chosen aspect/information about the host’s life.
2. Skill Creator – Automatically creates a new skill at the C level.]
“I get it!” Zeno exclaimed. “Make this pain stop!”
[Eligibility: Complete]
For a brief moment, Zeno was confused. In his entire life, he had never received such a notification from his system.
Then again, it was also his first time exceeding his fame meter by a staggering 200%.
Despite the pain radiating through his body, Zeno forced himself to sit upright, his heart pounding as he tried to comprehend the details of this so-called Eligibility.
[Congratulations.]
[You have exceeded 200% meter capacity. System Evaluation has confirmed your potential for Transcendence.]
[SUPERSTAR SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[Welcome to the highest tier of recognition. This system exists for one goal: to propel the host into undeniable, world-class stardom.]
Zeno’s throat felt dry as he continued reading, his heart racing in sync with the revelation unfolding before him.
[WARNING: This system comes with a permanent binding clause. Failure to achieve global influence will result in punishment.
[Punishment: PERMANENT DEATH]