The Devil’s Blessing, and the Transparent Man
It took a full week for the results of the first preliminary round to be announced.
Not only Korean media, but international outlets were abuzz with CYB coverage.
It was only natural—this was a globally celebrated event.
Each country revealed their results at 8 p.m. local time on Saturday via the official CYB app and website, called Neoverse.
Edited videos were also uploaded at the same time.
Because CYB featured numerous categories and a massive scale, it was impossible to air it properly as a TV show.
At most, TV and YouTube broadcasts only showed highlight reels or summary timelines.
That would change when the TOP 10 finalists were determined—but for now, the full experience could only be found on Neoverse.
Most viewers stuck to their own country’s competitions.
But many fans followed foreign contests too.
Neoverse streamed footage from all regions and provided details in real time.
For contestants like me, Neoverse was critical.
It not only announced who passed or failed, but also let us monitor our rivals and see how viewers were reacting.
Of course, during early rounds with mass eliminations, we only had access to our own results.
The real promotional content would start with the finals.
Today was Saturday, 8 p.m.
The new season of CYB had opened on Neoverse—and I got the message.
I passed.
“YES!”
I shouted with joy.<As expected.>
The Star That All Despise landed gently on my hand.
<You were chosen by me, after all. You were never going to fail the first round.>
Of course, I had to pass.
I had the powers granted by The Star That All Despise, plus Rowen’s coaching.
…Still, I’d been terrified.
I’d been trembling under my blanket for the past hour, unable to calm down.
After all, every idol trainee aiming to debut this year, and even former contestants trying again, had shown up.
<Hmph. For taking your first step so magnificently, I shall reward you.>
“A reward?”
I blinked.
The Star That All Despise began to fly in slow circles.
<Indeed, my creation. My power is limitless. Even with my true body still in hell, I can bestow my blessings. Observe! I shall demonstrate a special authority.>
Gulp.
Annoying as he was, his powers were always useful.
Just like the status screen ability—it had already proven invaluable.
Being able to gauge my own level—and my opponents’—was a game-changer.
So, what now?
Shhhhh…
A dark, viscous orb the size of my head appeared above me, swirling in the air.
“…What is that?”
<A slime, perhaps?>
The Star That All Despise cleared his throat dramatically.
<Behold! This is a blessing of hell!>
CRACK!
The orb shattered like glass, and from within emerged—
A translucent button with the words:
[♥ Beginner Free Artifact Draw ♥]
…What was with the heart?
<Allow me to explain! This is the pride of hell’s latest technological innovation! A weapon crafted solely to corrupt humankind—called… “Gacha.”>
…This really is hellish.
“So you’re telling me the entire loot-box industry came from hell, huh?”
<Obviously! Now go on, try it. It’s free—only for beginners! From the second draw onward, there is no such thing as free! Nor will you ever get what you want! That’s the true essence of gacha!>
“You’re way too excited about this…”
Still, I tapped the “Draw” button.
Ding-a-ling!
A bright sound rang out as the button dissolved into light.
A silver orb materialized in front of me.
<In beginner gacha, only rare-tier artifacts appear. Black is basic, silver is rare, gold is relic. Go on—grab it.>
I followed his instruction and grabbed the silver orb.
A flash of light burst from my hand—and a new item appeared in the air:
A flaming eyeball.
It was burning, yet completely intact, hovering in place.
Next to it floated the status window:
[Burning Eye of the Demon]
― Rarity: Rare
Description: The eye of the fire demon Ifrit.
Ifrit—whose body, tongue, and even leg hair were ablaze—longed to burn the world to ash.
But alas…
He took a shower, cooled down, and died.
Effect: Allows the user to glimpse the hidden truths of the world.
Durability: 5 uses
Duration: 3 hours
Cooldown: 4 days
“…He died from a shower?”
<I told him to go wash up because he stank so bad. Guess he wasn’t heat-resistant enough. Poor guy.>
“…You killed him, didn’t you?”
<It wasn’t intentional.>
…God. What a classic Satan move.
I sighed and reread the artifact’s description.
“Allows the user to glimpse the hidden truths of the world…”<The world seen by demons differs from the one seen by humans. We can perceive what lies beneath. Try using it.>
“How?”<Say the name of the artifact.>
“‘Burning Eye of the Demon.’”
<Now say ‘Use.’>
“‘Use.’”
Just as he said, a voice echoed in my mind:
[Artifact ‘Burning Eye of the Demon’ activated.]
FWOOSH!
My vision turned red.
Then, slowly, it returned to normal.
“…Doesn’t look like anything changed.”
<Heh. Just wait.>
Shrugging, I got off my bed and walked toward the door.
I wonder how the others did.
I opened the door to go check—
“Eunyul.”
Ha Min was already standing there.
“Did you get your results?”
I nodded.
“Pass.”
He added:
“ed.”
High five!
SMACK!
As our hands connected, I suddenly noticed something…
A mask was covering the back of Ha Min’s head.
Half-black, half-white. Like a yin-yang.
…What the hell?
There’s no way that’s just fashion.
Could this be the artifact’s effect?
<Correct,> said The Star That All Despise, now perched on my back.
<…This is the true face of the world.>
So that’s what he meant.
I nodded slowly—
And one name came to mind.
Ma Dojin.
Passing the first round wasn’t a reason to relax.
If Round 1 judged your skills as a singer,
then Round 2 tested your variety sense—the ability to entertain.
Being an idol isn’t just about vocals or dancing.
You have to appeal to fans—to charm them.
After the first round, discussions exploded online about Round 2 of CYB’s male idol division.
It was called:
“Stairway to Heaven.”
The “Stairway to Heaven” event is a fan meeting for contestants who passed the first round.
500 attendees are selected by lottery, based on viewer applications submitted via Neoverse.
Winners get a QR code, which grants entry.
There, we’d perform skits, show off hidden talents, or just chat.
Exactly a week after passing the first round, my schedule for Round 2 arrived.
Ha Min and I were both extremely tense—
As were the other qualifiers.
Out of 12 YN trainees who applied, only 6 passed—including us.
Two of my dormmates were eliminated.
It stung, but there was no time to dwell.
I got a message from Rowen:
[★My Role Model★: Hey, Eunyul!]
[★My Role Model★: Congrats on passing Round 1! Round 2’s up next, huh?]
[★My Role Model★: If you stutter on stage, I’ll roast your tongue so bad you’ll never speak again! ^_^]
…This guy.
Even when texting, he left no room for escape.
Perfect grammar. Punctuated like a school essay.
And that smiley face… looks like something a church elder would send.
Forget it—let’s just survive this.
Round 2 was right around the corner.
The “Stairway to Heaven” event was held in Apgujeong.
Once, an A-class Gate had opened here.
Monsters had poured into the city.
They were led by a vampire lord—Count Eissen.
His name was infamous enough to appear in school textbooks.
He destroyed Apgujeong, then built a giant mansion on the ruins.
He declared it “Eissen County.”
There, he murdered countless civilians and hunters—bathing in their blood.
…Until he was finally killed.
Now, that mansion was the venue for Round 2 of the CYB Korean preliminaries.
Vampire aesthetics fit male idols perfectly.
Tuxedos, smoky makeup, vampire manor—
Perfect setting to meet fans.
Eissen’s mansion had a party hall larger than most concert venues.
From the mansion’s balcony, you could see all of Apgujeong spread out below.
<Heheheh. That little vampire brat… Used to build sandcastles when he was young.>
Of course, The Star That All Despise was feeling nostalgic.
“Oh, yeah? That bastard caused so much trouble. He doing okay in hell?”
<He showed up soaked in garlic, mouth full of cloves. Reeked so bad, no one went near him for a week. Poor imps had to scrub him clean.>
“A former monster who terrorized humanity is just hanging out in hell now, huh.”
<Hah! Papa doesn’t go easy. Even I was imprisoned for eons. You’d wet yourself if I told you what that vampire’s punishment was.>
“I don’t wanna know. Just get back in your case.”
<Huuuuuuh…>
Did he just make a cutesy sound?
I stuffed him back into my Bluetooth earbud case.
Then checked my reflection in my phone.
My skin was toned-up to fit the vampire theme.
I was wearing green contacts, dark suit, and matte red lip tint with a plum scent.
…Not bad.
“Ah, there you are, Mr. Eunyul.”
A voice called out.
“…Mr. Dojin.”
Ma Dojin stood at the archway to the balcony, staring at me.
“I knew you’d pass.”
He strode right up to me, unbothered.
To make sure, I whispered:
“Burning Eye of the Demon, use.”
FWOOSH.
The world turned red.
Ma Dojin’s voice echoed beyond the tint:
“I’m sure we’ll do well from here on out.”
“Ah, yeah…”
“I just wanted to say that. See you later.”
He turned and walked away.
Step, step…
His footsteps faded.
<What did you see?>
The Star That All Despise asked.
I bit my lip.
“…Nothing.”
Ma Dojin—
He didn’t have a form.
He was invisible.
Little Pink Starfish 
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