Debut or Die - Chapter 485

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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A Fatal Illness if I Don’t Debut – Episode 485
Chung-ryeo sees the Popup message from Big Dal.
Ironically, the one most bewildered by this situation was the one absent from the scene.
The very person who had triggered the Popup.
[Wh-wh-what is th-this]
“There’s even a typo.”
Chung-ryeo rested his chin on his hand as if observing some fascinating phenomenon. Big Dal let out another piercing shriek through the Popup.
[Ahhhhh!!]
This was quite the commotion.
I suppressed the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose and asked.
“When did you first see it?”
“Well, this is the first time for me.”
Chung-ryeo didn’t even blink, watching the Popup continue to spill out whimpering sounds for a few more seconds.
Then he spoke with utter indifference.
“That’s… the junior member’s previous body being used right now, isn’t it.”
“….”
“Ryu Gun-woo.”
Chung-ryeo smiled faintly.
“I noticed your body seemed to have switched recently, and I’d like to hear an explanation.”
“…!?”
He was referring to the incident where Big Dal and I had swapped bodies.
Wait, was that it? Hold on.
“…Did you figure it out at the Awards Ceremony.”
I had sensed something odd when our eyes met as the camera zoomed in with that telephoto lens.
“That’s right.”
Chung-ryeo readily confirmed it.
And he tapped his own chin with his finger.
“Well, let’s just say the junior member’s… judgment seemed somewhat clouded. Unusually so.”
“….”
Was he saying Big Dal looked stupid?
‘Look at this guy choosing his words so carefully.’
A non-industry person had entered an idol’s body, and here he was assessing judgment as if it mattered.
‘Sigh.’
In any case, the atmosphere had conveniently shifted to a point where I could explain why he looked that way.
“There was an incident.”
I summarized and conveyed the events from back then, relating to the System fragment that had lodged itself in Big Dal.
Chung-ryeo’s reaction to the story was unremarkable.
Probably because the issue had been resolved at a relatively mild level instead of something insane like a building collapse.
…Or perhaps he had already suspected as much.
“I see. Ah, you uploaded the photos you took back then to the Internet too, right? I saw them.”
“….”
How did you even know that… never mind.
Seeing him laugh while thanking me for the good shot leaves me speechless.
‘Let it go.’
Uncanny bastard.
In any case, I can hazard a guess as to why Chung-ryeo suddenly started checking the status window.
“It seems like being a GM in the virtual world created by the System had some influence.”
“Hmm. That’s persuasive.”
That’s right.
Chung-ryeo had once been a GM—a Game Master—in a game created by the System.
‘He could manipulate the settings window and pause the game.’
Though I’d gotten blindsided by it before, that overwhelming power had also made it possible for me to land a hit on the System itself.
‘If the power of that role has returned to some degree now that I’ve reactivated this System… it makes sense.’
Well then.
There’s something I want to test.
“….”
Without a word, I summoned a status window popup into the empty air.
[New! Update Completion Reward]
[New! New Feature Unlocked]
[New! Survey]
….
In a different location from Big Dal’s popup.
[Hyung…?]
I deliberately didn’t respond.
Then Chung-ryeo in front of me opened his mouth.
“It seems like you’re calling the Junior Member.”
“Yeah. I’m sending a message so he doesn’t panic.”
That confirmed it.
‘Chung-ryeo reacted only to Big Dal’s popup.’
So then.
‘He can’t see the status window next to him?’
I pretended not to notice and observed his demeanor once more.
His pupils, his expression, his gestures….
‘…It’s natural.’
Of course, this bastard has spent decades successfully working in a profession where he has to manage his expression to the extreme.
There’s a non-zero chance it’s fake, but….
I uncrossed my arms.
‘I’ll let this one slide.’
If he really could see it and was just hiding it to mess with me to this extent?
No, I haven’t reached the point of being at odds with this bastard over something like that.
‘I had reached that level of trust now.’
That was my conclusion.
The problem, however, was that Chung-ryeo’s analysis was only just beginning.
He traced his finger across the surface of a glass beaded with condensation where cold met moisture.
“Hmm, so this ‘System’ you call it… it didn’t completely disappear, but entered multiple bodies instead.”
“….”
“Even if it’s spoils of war, you’re absorbing and using it? Don’t you think you’re engaging in an act with excessively high risks?”
He lifted his gaze from the glass and met my eyes.
Applied the System to the Company?
-What if you get the urge to ‘restart’?
“….”
His eyes seemed to speak exactly that.
It was the kind of certainty only someone who had repeatedly experienced and internalized something, who had established their cognitive framework, could possess.
That you’d definitely become addicted if you used it.
‘It’s almost like fanaticism.’
A strange, eerie sensation crawled up my spine with such intensity that even in summer, the back of my neck prickled.
Enough to make me doubt my own judgment in deciding to use the System that had become my exclusive item.
‘…Damn it.’
I swallowed a sigh.
“I used it to break away from T1 and become independent. I’m not planning to use it anymore.”
“I see.”
Chung-ryeo shrugged as if to say do as you please, but then casually tossed out his next words.
“I’d like to verify something.”
What?
“Your status window?”
“Yes.”
At that, a new Popup appeared as if my ears had perked up.
[‘GM 【CHR】’ as System administrator. Do you accept?]
Is he insane?
This bastard has no sense of boundaries.
‘Disappear.’
Where does he get off asking me to openly share internal information with a competitor? I immediately closed the status window.
And I barely managed to open my mouth.
“I just closed the status window.”
“Is that so? I still can’t see it, as expected.”
“Right.”
The conversation ended there.
But I felt oddly unsettled instead. Because I had just realized something anew from meeting this man.
‘The truth is, I did say earlier that I’d eliminate the Company System….’
Damn it, there’s something nagging at me about this.
I looked at Chung-ryeo and recalled something.
The Popup that had appeared when I encountered Kwon Hee-seung last time.
-Confirmed holder of ‘■■■ Fragment’!
“….”
The ‘■■■ Fragment’ must be a piece of the System.
And since Kwon Hee-seung had it, there was an extremely high probability that this bastard, who had also experienced the System, carried fragments of it as well.
So that was the problem.
‘I could only absorb this fragment by raising the Company’s rank.’
Translating that meant this:
-If I terminated this System, naturally the Company rank that the System operated would cease to exist.
-Then I wouldn’t be able to recover the ‘■■■ Fragment’ that Chung-ryeo possessed.
…This bastard would face a mission failure without a status window.
I couldn’t just say it would be fine because he was experienced.
‘I don’t even know how many times this bastard restarted while going through that.’
Moreover, if I made a careless mistake and Reset Syndrome flared up again, there was nothing more horrifying than that.
‘Hell, in the worst case, the backlash could hit me and I could die.’
Besides… hadn’t this bastard given me crucial help escaping once when I was afflicted with status abnormalities?
During the building collapse.
“….”
‘Fine.’
Yes, I needed to draw a line for the sake of conscience.
I reached a conclusion.
‘I’ll leave the Company System as is.’
But I couldn’t let myself be caught off guard like last time.
‘At minimum, I need to understand the reason and mechanism behind the updates caused by the fragments.’
-Why did my consciousness from before I became Park Moon-dae suddenly manifest?
-And why was it specifically Cha Yu-jin?
The effect and the target. At least that much,
‘I need to prepare thoroughly and minimize variables.’
After that, I’d need to construct a stable framework where mission failures wouldn’t occur for this bastard and I could recover the fragments.
However, I would refrain from using the System recklessly from now on.
I’d leave it untouched and observe for now.
‘At least until Big Dal finishes the analysis.’
The quiet Popup glimmered again.
[I’ll do my best…!]
Thanks.
‘I’ll make sure to pay you well.’
[Brother… but right now I don’t have much more money….]
“….”
[I’m so sorry. I mean, you created all of this anyway, so please use it comfortably….]
It’s fine.
We witnessed a dramatic resolution through the Popup—concert invitations.
By the way, Chung-ryeo examined the Popup with interest from the side, asked a few questions, and only then belatedly inquired about my recent activities.
Though it was still work talk.
“Ah, I heard your group is filming a reality variety show this time.”
Did that leak too?
“Well, but the director you originally worked with… should be affiliated with a studio under T1.”
“Yeah.”
All those variety production crews—from the hotteok-selling travel show to that family’s grandson carrot coins—are completely under T1’s thumb.
So we had quite a difficult time.
Chung-ryeo smiled softly and continued speaking smoothly.
“Would you like me to introduce you to a suitable person?”
Oh.
This bastard was scheming to get something out of me.
“We’ve already secured someone.”
Be satisfied with behind-the-scenes content on a paid platform, you bastard.
Because the person we secured is none other than….

* * *
“…Hello.”
“Wow, hello, Writer!”
Across from Testa, who greeted energetically, sat the main writer in charge of Testa’s reality show this time.
Big Sae-jin smiled brightly and extended his hand for a handshake.
“It’s been a while!”
“Ah, yes.”
Ryu Seo-rin.
The very same person who had been a writer for Ajusa.
Moreover, she was my university senior and Twin Home Manager Ryu Seo-jin’s blood relative… but I’d think about that later.
In any case, this person was one of the most important production crew members secured for Testa’s reality show.
And the reason was quite simple—two things.
First.
“It’s nice to work with you again like this, Writer.”
“…Ah, yes.”
She too had been abandoned by T1.
The reason this architect of the Ajusa series was abandoned?
‘Because we all debuted there and then left together independently.’
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason—there were complex broadcasting industry power struggles intertwined with political factions.
And caught up in that fierce internal office politics, the freelance sub-writer had her rice bowl half stolen.
‘Though given her personality, she probably could have stubbornly clung on.’
It seemed she simply chose not to.
There was no need for that.
After collaborating with Netplus a few times and hitting it big, she’d apparently built up connections there and completely pivoted her career in that direction.
For reference, we participated in her first project too.
That… the Hellfire K-pop Camp.
“It’s been years since 【K-Now】, hasn’t it?”
“Quite a while. I was grateful back then.”
Ryu Seo-rin nodded. She even offered some lip service, saying things went well thanks to the Testa team.
Of course, that wasn’t the reason for working with this person.
The second reason was precisely….
“So… about this reality show.”
She was good at it.
Whether she sacrificed participants as offerings to viewers or created narrative beats to amplify a single point of emotion into ten, she was simply skilled at producing entertainment.
She had a good eye for people too.
Which meant there was no one better suited for Testa to partner with right now.
“You’re not looking for one of those cute little reality programs that idols usually produce, right?”
It sounded like she was saying to look elsewhere if that was the case.
Ryu Chung-woo nodded immediately.
“Right. We’ve always approached reality programs by putting in more effort and time to make them entertaining.”
“Exactly.”
Ryu Seo-rin answered without hesitation.
“Then let’s go with a style similar to that PD’s approach. I’m also acquainted with the writers on that team.”
Confidence resonated in Ryu Seo-rin’s casual tone.
‘As expected.’
She would deliver that atmosphere properly, without any half-measures.
That playful, mischievous vibe of pranking and deceiving the cast.
Besides, we’d already produced entertainment with that PD’s production crew multiple times, so the public would likely be generous, thinking this was just Testa’s style.
But.
“No.”
“Hm?”
Still, it would be hard to avoid accusations of it being a knockoff.
‘Ryu Seo-rin’s specialty isn’t this.’
Naturally, it would lack originality compared to that insane production crew, and there was no need to accept that compromise.
So what I’m saying is.
“Do what you originally do best.”
“…!”
Each person should do what they do best.
Ryu Seo-rin’s eyes narrowed slightly as she asked with a ‘surely not’ expression.
“What I originally do best, you mean….”
“Yes.”
“….”
Isn’t there a representative example we all know?
This Testa reality show will proceed in that manner.
“Like Ajusa.”
Soon, Ryu Seo-rin’s expression turned as if I’d said something insane.
But investors always have strong say.
A few days later.
Testa’s reality show filming began proceeding as scheduled.

* * *
I opened my eyes.
The ceiling I saw was familiar.
The ceiling of my room in the Dormitory—one I’d been seeing for years.
“….”
On the surface, it seemed natural.
Seeing a familiar ceiling upon opening closed eyes was quite normal, wasn’t it?
And there was one more premise to this.
‘Testa moved.’
In other words, this wasn’t Testa’s current Dormitory.
A space made to resemble the old Dormitory before the move.
“What?”
I sat up.
In the dim room, something lay on top of my stomach.
“…?”
A yellow folder.
I squinted my eyes to adjust to the darkness, and deliberately read the cover of the document folder aloud so the camera would catch it clearly.
“Your profile file.”
And I opened it.
[Your occupation is a doctor.]
And below that were explanations and characteristics written out.
Hmm.
‘So it’s like this.’
In truth, Testa deliberately hadn’t received detailed briefing on the specific settings within the program.
For the sake of authenticity.
I only knew the format and purpose.
“What’s this for?”
I spoke dutifully aloud while getting out of bed.
In my mind, the dialogue from the group meeting when we recruited Ryu Seo-rin was rewinding again.
-We’re experienced, so we already know.
The concept of Testa’s reality show this time.
-That writer’s survival show is entertaining.
It was Death Survival.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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