Chapter 27: Born to be a Star

Chapter 27

The woman Kim Jinsung had killed, Lee Young-eun, was a notorious hunter known for her beauty traps, a thief, and an assassin. If Kim Jinsung had fallen for her ruse, he would have been hit by the throwing glass bottles at her waist, leading to a status ailment and a potentially fatal situation.

‘It looked like the most dangerous situation for Kim Jinsung, but luckily…’

Most men would fall for such a beautiful woman openly flaunting her body, even knowing the danger. Especially someone like Kim Jinsung, who was not yet an adult and at an age brimming with vigor. Yet, he acted with cool judgment. This proved his strong mental fortitude, maintaining composure even in such a situation.

‘With that skill and strong mentality, he’s likely to survive for a long time.’

A born fighter isn’t just someone with physical talent. They must also possess quick adaptability to environments, the ability to make split-second decisions, and a sponge-like capacity to learn. Among these, a strong, unshakeable mentality is crucial. No player with a weak mentality, prone to fluctuations in combat effectiveness, had ever survived until the end of a season.

“Mr. Representative.”

Baek Jun turned his head when Jang Seungwook called him from the side.

“It’s almost midnight. Should we convene a meeting?”

“Ah, please do.”

“Understood.”

Shortly after, the production studio’s meeting room was filled with key executives, including Baek Jun.

“Alright, the first day of Season 12 has concluded. Let’s summarize what happened today.”

When the Colosseum season goes live, they hold a brief meeting every day to review the day’s events. The meeting members change daily. Since the survivors are broadcast live 24/7, they rotate in shifts according to rank. Baek Jun and his deputy, Jang Seungwook, were on a two-shift rotation. However, they both came in together today since it was the first day of the season.

“Let’s start with the number of participants.”

“Yes. Out of 322 participants, 187 are currently alive, and there have been 135 deaths.”

“Not many have died.”

“Yes. This season has an unusually high survival rate.”

Typically, more than half die on the first day of a season, and the second day begins with the survivors. But so many survivors? There was only one reason.

“Based on what we’ve observed today, the level of participants this season seems high. We’ve seen many survive in places where they would have normally died in previous seasons.”

“How many died at the grocery stores?”

“The death toll from all four grocery stores combined is only 31.”

“About half of what we expected.”

“Yes.”

The grocery stores were designed with the expectation that at least 50 people would die, but that prediction was off.

“Your comment about the high level of this season’s participants was spot on.”

Baek Jun, thinly dressed, responded to the PD’s praise.

“Proceed with the planned difficulty level tomorrow. There’s no need to lower it just because many have survived.”

“Understood.”

“What about the ratings?”

“The peak viewership was 29%, with an average of 21%. Live viewers exceeded 800,000. All are record highs.”

“Hmm.”

Baek Jun was pleased.

He had a feeling this season would be a hit, and it had started with a bang on the first day.

Baek Jun continued to inquire.

“Have you analyzed the reason?”

“Firstly, there are more standout participants than in other seasons. The most talked-about player is…”

“Kim Jinsung, right?”

The PD nodded.

“Correct. He’s currently the top search term on all sites, and he holds the first and second place for the most viewed preliminary videos.”

“How many views does the first place have?”

“3.89 million. It’s the scene where he defeats the Twin-Headed Ogre.”

Baek Jun expected this response from the PD.

He then turned to the female PD beside him.

“What do you think is the reason for Kim Jinsung’s popularity?”

“Well… his combat is flashy. He shows the typical combat style that has drawn popularity in past participants.”

“The style where he dodges everything and attacks?”

“Yes, exactly. And above all, he doesn’t avoid monsters when he encounters them. The comments on the videos mostly mention this.”

“Hmm.”

In survival situations like this, it’s usually best to avoid monsters if possible. There’s no point in showing off and getting hurt.

Kim Jinsung didn’t follow this now-standard approach. He had repeatedly charged into fights with monsters he could have easily avoided.

“Personally, I find it puzzling. There’s not much to gain from fighting recklessly. Anyway, viewers love his relentless fighting style.”

Colosseum viewers generally prefer intense action. Like in fighting sports, a player who fights fiercely and aggressively is more popular than an invincible champion who wins by decision in a boring match.

Kim Jinsung was perfectly meeting the viewers’ needs, at least for now.

“There’s not nothing to gain.”

“Pardon?”

The female PD couldn’t grasp the momentary comment from Baek Jun. But instead of explaining, Baek Jun posed another question, “Any other factors?”

“Well… yes, there are many. His young age, gentle appearance with a clean-cut visual, and viewers who sympathize with his background as an orphan and his past being bullied.”

“Sounds perfect to me?”

“Yes. He really has no downsides.”

Skill, visual appeal, youth, a compelling backstory, and a strong mentality.

It’s as if this level of stardom was destined for him the moment he decided to join the program.

Baek Jun then gave everyone an order.

“From now on, Kim Jinsung is marked as the ‘key figure’ for this prelim. Allocate at least three cameras at all times and dedicate a drone to him.”

“Understood.”

They dedicated three cameras and a drone to a single survivor among over 180—a special treatment only afforded to the most watched players in the history of the seasons.

However, oblivious to this fact, Kim Jinsung was,

“Yaaawn~.”

Stretching and yawning from exhaustion, he rose from his spot.

Watching the sun rise in the east, he rubbed his swollen eyes.

“I’ve been tossing and turning all night…”

He was in a cavern near a valley that seemed to have been a monster’s lair, which he had fortunately found the previous day and spent the night in.

Of course, he hadn’t slept properly due to maintaining constant vigilance, the longest sleep being barely 30 minutes.

‘Can I keep this up, losing sleep like this for a week?’

With that concern, he walked toward the stream.

After checking his surroundings, he began to strip off his clothes one by one…

to wash himself.

‘I have to take the chance to wash and remove the smell of blood.’

Recalling what he had seen in past programs, he went into the stream in his underwear, fortunately having soap he had snagged from the two-story house he first discovered.

Kim Jinsung planned to not only wash himself but do some laundry for the clothes he was wearing.

He was completely unaware that four cameras, including a drone, were live broadcasting this very scene.

– Woah!

– Kyaaah, Jinsung oppa!!!

– Look at those abs, I’m dying…

The live chat was rapidly filling up due to this exposure.

In the control room, some staff members were also reacting intensely.

“Camera 8, keep the zoom. Camera 7, focus on the abs! No, no, don’t be vague, zoom in as much as possible!”

“Yesterday you were so stern with me, and now you…”

“That’s it, perfect angle! Perfect!”

The female PD, ignoring the male PD’s chiding, was engrossed in capturing the subject, her eyes sparkling more than ever.

Baek Jun, seated behind her, suppressed a chuckle.

Satisfying the needs of female viewers wasn’t a bad strategy, given that Colosseum was popular among all genders.

‘Looks like it’s about time.’

Tap, tap.

Checking his watch, Baek Jun tapped his desk.

The two chattering PDs immediately turned to look at him, and he commanded,

“Start the announcement.”

“Ah, yes.”

The male PD cleared his throat and picked up a document lying beside him.

A moment later,

***

“Alright, ready to go.”

Kim Jinsung, not losing anything, ensured all his belongings were intact by checking the cave one last time.

All preparations to set off were complete, except for his still damp clothes from washing.

‘Well, they’ll dry as I move. But I hope the walkie-talkie didn’t get wet?’

Just as he was checking the walkie-talkie in his chest pocket,

“Good morning, contestants.”

In an incredible twist of timing, a voice began to emit from the walkie-talkie.

“The second day has dawned. We sincerely congratulate all contestants who have safely survived the first day. Today, we will introduce a new element.”

‘A new element?’

“Starting today, we will be dropping supply boxes for you from airplanes.”

‘Ah!’

The supply box.

One of the hallmarks of Colosseum Survival, known to anyone who had ever watched an Chapter like Kim Jinsung had.

– The plane will fly three times a day, and each time it will drop at least one supply box, maybe up to three, at random locations where you are.

‘Three times a day…’

– Inside the supply box, you will find excellent items that you cannot obtain in the survival area.

‘It’s not just “good” level stuff…’

From what Kim Jinsung knew, the items contained in the supply boxes were roughly as follows:

– Special grade weapons and armor produced by Colosseum, known for their durability.

– Also produced by Colosseum, special grade bags with the largest inner capacity.

– Essential survival items like food and potions, usually found inside the bag.

– Occasionally, there are special items like a ‘ghillie suit’ which can blend into bushes and natural surroundings.

‘Often, the one who gets the supply box items passes through the prelims.’

They’re filled with the best items on all fronts. For someone with low abilities, it’s a significant boost to survival, and for someone skilled, it’s a stepping stone to becoming the strongest.

– When the supply box descends, red smoke will be released automatically so you can spot its location from afar.

‘It’s not the smoke that’s the problem; as soon as it drops from the plane, people crazily swarm towards it…’

With such desirable items inside, there are naturally many who aim for it. As seasons go by, the competition for them becomes fiercer.

‘If you are near where the supply box drops, you might want to consider aiming for it to increase your chances of survival in the future.’

‘No, I don’t think so. Getting greedy only increases the chance of dying…’

…

– That concludes the new announcements. We wish all contestants luck today.

The voice coming from the walkie-talkie ended there.

Simultaneously, a distant engine roar could be heard from the sky.

‘The plane’s taken off already.’

The supply plane, silently gliding in from behind, was starting to drop the supply boxes.

‘Forget about it. Just keep moving on my path.’

Kim Jinsung redirected his gaze from the plane and started walking along the valley. He had no intention of aiming for the supply box.

On TV, he had seen at least ten people running towards a supply box, which meant if he partook, his chances of surviving would be less than 10%.

‘It would be suicidal to aim for the supply box when there could be many stronger players around.’

Kim Jinsung made his judgment very coldly and realistically.

While he was walking,

Vrooom~!

The plane’s engine sound grew louder until it was directly overhead.

By sheer coincidence, the path of the plane and Kim Jinsung’s location overlapped.

‘It’s not going to drop a supply box right on my head, is it?’

On a whim, he looked up, and his complexion changed as he saw what entered his vision.

A red box getting closer and closer.

It was a supply box.

‘Damn.’