Little Pink Starfish

The President Wears Plate Armor

Rowen’s critique had been brutal…

But after seeing the status window, I couldn’t even argue.

[Lee Seol]
– Level: 232
– Titles: “Rowen,” “Judge of Time,” “The One Who Descends Without Looking Down”
– Constellation: “Lightning That Swirls Like the Wind”
– Constellation Rank: SS

Base Stats:
Strength: 93
Agility: 221 (+43)
Stamina: 242 (+67)
Mana: 92
Charm: 521 (+372)

Special Skills:
[Sharp Tongue LV.22]
[Hera Detector LV.43]
[Surviving Hera’s Attacks LV.67]
[Cheating While Running from Beatings LV.372]
[Patricide LV.632]
[Flea LV.MAX]

…He outclassed me in every way.

It was like looking at a game character’s maxed-out stats after finishing the game.

At such a height, everything below probably looks equally small.

To someone like Rowen, a trainee like me must seem microscopic.

Even his special skills were on another level.

I tried to view the descriptions of his skills, but—

[Insufficient permissions.]

Apparently I wasn’t allowed to peek.

Still, his feedback was way too harsh…

“Was I a bit too blunt? Sorry. I tend to get cold when it comes to work…”

Ugh… Apologizing right away makes it even harder to be mad!

“Hold on, Eunyul.”

Rowen set up a camera in the dance studio and sat beside it.

“Let’s record it and review together. Want to go again?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Great. I’ll play the track. One, two…”

The backing track for Black Burn – Meet Me in the Dark started.

Rock-heavy instrumental filled the studio.

I straightened my posture.

Rowen’s gaze sharpened.

“What are you doing?! You’ve lost your edge since last time!”

Grit.

I clenched my teeth.

I cleared my mind and moved my body.

“Again!”

The track restarted.

“Is there a cockroach on your foot? What kind of move was that?! Again!”

…And again, the music restarted.

After several painful attempts, Rowen finally gestured to stop.

Panting, I stood behind him.

He popped the memory card out of the camera, slotted it into a laptop, and started playback.

There I was, on-screen.

Every time he yelled “Again!” I flinched.

…Even more embarrassing than my elementary school graduation photo.

“He looks like a one-legged goblin throwing a tantrum,” said a certain fly somewhere.

I was mortified.

“But hey, for no rehearsal, that was decent.”

Rowen’s kind words felt fake, especially after all the roasting.

“But as you are now, you’re just ‘Competent Trainee A’ to the judges.”

“I know.”

“You’re also aware that I’m going to work you to the bone starting now?”

I nodded enthusiastically.

Rowen smiled.

“Good. No need to discipline you.”

Excuse me…?

That wasn’t discipline just now?!

From that day on, I went to Rowen’s studio after every lesson.

He always arrived before me—30 minutes early, even an hour early.

Was he living here?

Nope. He was just that diligent.

And this was his “break.”

“You’d best pay attention.”

The Fallen Star offered advice.

“He never won the world championship. I’ll help you all I can, mortal, but if you don’t work for it, forget the world stage—you won’t even win the national one.”

“I know.”

…Honestly, winning the world championship isn’t even on my radar.

Those who win CYB go on to become global superstars—or even enter politics.

Winners receive a blessing from The Savior Who Is One and All.

The Creator’s blessing, no less.

But no one knows exactly what that blessing is.

Because upon receiving it, the Creator alters their memories.

Even the blessed don’t remember what they gained.

I never imagined I’d stand in that position.

Not even someone like Rowen reached that level.

Still, I can’t let myself think, “I’ll just settle for being a moderately successful idol.”

“…My goal is to win it all.”

Even if it feels impossible, I keep repeating it to myself.

Only that way can I harden my resolve.

I pushed myself to meet Rowen’s standards.

But Rowen wasn’t the type of teacher to give answers.

He wasn’t even the type to guide you to the answer.

If you couldn’t find it…

…he’d push you until you did.

With a smile on his face!

He had me analyze last season’s CYB national finals while choosing my 1st-round audition song.

“So, about the song I picked before… That’s a no-go, right?”

I asked, sheepishly.

“What was the title again? Meet Me in the Dark?”

“Yes…”

Rowen placed a hand on my arm.

Zzzzt!

“AGH—!!”

A weak current ran through me.

“That won’t do, Eunyul.”

He whispered in my ear.

“If you don’t want to end up grilled and eaten by maggots, pick another.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Shaking off the static on his hand, Rowen sighed.

“Retro concepts only work when they complement an existing image. The concept, choreography, performance, and personality have to synergize by chance. Don’t be lazy.”

“I-I understand…”

“Good. Let’s rethink things from the top.”

He beamed.

I clutched my tingling arm.

His Constellation’s powers were restricted, so there was no real pain, but…

That electric shock still felt a bit much!

---

It took me two all-nighters just to find my audition song.

If my brain worked for two days, now it was my body’s turn.

Dieting began.

Whole wheat cereal, chicken breast, salad, eggs…

I forced down foods that made me gag.

…I’m sorry, chickens and plants.

Strength training was relentless.

To get into peak condition, I had to live in a constant state of pain.

Dance practice and vocal training were equally intense.

My fellow trainees began to suspect something.

“Eunyul, are you… dating someone? You vanish right after lessons. Or did you get scouted by another agency?”

…As if.

It was tough, but I was enjoying a ridiculous advantage.

Rowen was personally training me.

He ate the same meals I did. Worked out at the same time. Led by example.

My abilities grew rapidly.

Ding!

Every time I felt like dying, I heard that sound in my head:

[Ryu Eunyul’s level has increased.]

When I pushed my body past its limits, I leveled up.

And with it, my stats rose too.

[Ryu Eunyul]
– Level: 19
– Title: “Descendant of a Deeply Rooted Demon Worshipper”
– Constellation: “Fallen Morning Star, Enemy of All”
– Constellation Rank: ?

Base Stats:
Strength: 15 (–13)
Agility: 30
Stamina: 20 (–3)
Mana: 666
Charm: 31 (+11)

Special Skills:
[Dark Magic LV.11]
[Wisdom from the Lowest Place LV.1]

Status Effects:
[Chronic Muscle Pain LV.13]
[Hunger LV.3]

Though my strength and stamina were dragged down by status effects, my overall stats had improved.

Most notable were the title and skills.

Title: Descendant of a Deeply Rooted Demon Worshipper
Welp. Your ancestor was a mistake.
…Yup. Not important. Damn you, Son Bokgyu.

Next, the skills.

[Dark Magic LV.11]
A power drawn from your Constellation.
As your level rises, you’ll grow more adept with darkness.
Also helps with night blindness.

…Night blindness, seriously?

Magic was banned, so it wasn’t even useful.

[Wisdom from the Lowest Place LV.1]
Feeling guilty about cheating the system, huh?

This bizarre skill was probably granted by the Fallen Star himself.

It had levels—meaning it could grow.

“Of course. I’ve prepared 666 underhanded strategies to help you win.”

He said proudly.

Haah…

…If I said I wasn’t excited, I’d be lying.

---

Time flew.

Only a month remained until CYB’s first round.

Today, I had a meeting with the YN executives.

A “meeting” in name only—we just had to show our faces and report our Constellation affiliations.

At least I got to take a break from Rowen’s training.

I slept in for the first time in ages, then rode to the YN building with my fellow trainees and Manager Pilyeon.

The Fallen Star was hidden inside my Bluetooth earbud case.

“This stifling prison… Is this hell of your own making, humans?”

“Shut up. If they see a fly on me in front of the execs, I’ll die of embarrassment.”

“…I am humbled, mortal.”

Felt like I just scored a win over Satan.

“Hey, Ryu Eunyul.”

Hamin, my dormmate, spoke up.

“You’re acting super weird lately. Not gonna tell us what’s going on?”

“What’s weird?”

I feigned innocence.

“Seriously? You’ve ditched group practice, always running off somewhere. You’re not… dating someone, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who’d be crazy enough to date during this chaos?”

“Still seems shady…”

Hamin narrowed his eyes.

We shared a room, so of course he noticed my every move—even our sleep talk sometimes synced.

There’s no way I didn’t seem suspicious.

But I had to play dumb.

“Hey, we’re almost there! Get ready! Reporters might be lurking!”

Manager Pilyeon shouted as we entered YN’s underground parking lot.

With CYB around the corner, reporters were desperate for inside info on trainees.

I smoothed my outfit and checked my hair.

Avoiding cameras was impossible.

Best I could do was not look like a complete fool.

Satisfied with my appearance, I exited the car with the others.

No reporters in sight.

But they were probably hiding somewhere.

We headed to the elevator casually—but alert.

A single weird photo could unleash a storm of hate.

Comments like…

– What’s with this YN trainee lineup?
ㄴ LOL is that a monster from the Gates?
ㄴ Do they have no talent left? Looks like a half-orc.
ㄴ Isn’t that a bit harsh? These trainees worked so hard to—
ㄴ ㄴ No, their face is worse.

Ugh…

Even imagining it made my skin crawl.

I approached the elevator—and my mind went blank.

A man was already standing in front of it.

“Oho! You’ve arrived!”

…He was wearing golden plate armor.

What the hell?

“To meet you here, of all places! A pleasure!”

The man approached us, his tone friendly.

Clank! Clank!

The armor clattered with each step.

He looked like a Hunter from the Gate era.

“No way…”

Pilyeon-hyung’s face turned pale.

“P-President! Good day, sir!”

…Huh?

Did I hear that right?

That walking cosplay disaster—head-to-toe in full armor, even carrying a longsword—

Was our company President?