translation by mourningmoor
The second power of the god. ‘Media Acquisition.’
Activating the acquisition ability, I instantly grasped the surrounding situation.
A man resembling a black bear.
He’s neither my family nor anything else, just a ‘manager’ from the ‘company,’ they say.
No, no. Before that.
I am no longer myself.
The hope of the ‘Armania’ continent, a magical power so rare it appears perhaps once in a thousand years.
Not the youngest 9th-circle magician, ‘Jesquière.’
Instead, I am a 19-year-old boy named ‘Kang Ichan,’ living in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, in a country called South Korea.
“Gyuhyung hyung.”
For reference, Gyuhyung is the name of the man who resembles a black bear. He’s 28 years old, nine years older than Kang Ichan.
And here, it seems they call older men "hyung." A symbol of intimacy… is using informal speech.
“Yeah, Ichan.”
“So, you're saying I got memory loss… due to an accident?”
“Yeah, but they said it’s temporary, so don’t worry too much.”
They took brain scans, but there’s no sign of injury. They just said the severe accident caused temporary memory loss.
Quacks.
If they had even a bit of magical power, they’d know my soul has been switched.
“So, I originally didn’t have any family?”
Gyuhyung’s expression subtly shifted at my question.
"It's not that you don't have a family, but it's almost like you don't. Your mom said she’d disown you from the family register when you left home to become an idol."
Idol, family register. More words to acquire.
"So, does that mean I’m an idol now?"
This time, Gyuhyung chuckled dryly.
"You'll be one soon. Anyway, you need to get better quickly if you’re going to stand on stage and all that."
Gyuhyung patted my shoulder with his thick hand. I could feel a trace of 《comfort》 in his touch.
Comfort, huh…
So, it looks like Kang Ichan hasn’t become an idol yet. Or maybe he has, but he’s a rather unimpressive idol.
Idol. From my "language purification" ability, it means ‘idol’—but with Kang Ichan’s appearance, becoming an ‘idol’ is out of the question. Out of the question.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
"I want to rest now."
I pulled the blanket up to my chin, and Gyuhyung nodded.
"Yeah, rest. I’ll go now. I’ll come back around dinner, so sleep as much as you can."
Sleep as much as I can? I can’t even fall asleep.
Something’s seriously wrong, but I can’t find the cause.
"Let’s go over it again."
I was clearly participating in the Third Magic War, which took place in the year 4,896 of the Armania Calendar.
The Armania Allied Forces, made up of a mix of holy knights and mages, had wiped out the Demon Lord faction and driven the Demon Lord and his 1,000 commanders to the Grayland Plateau.
Finally, the last battle.
After a fierce fight, the Armania Allied Forces had defeated all of the Demon Lord's 1,000 commanders, but they, too, had almost no strength left.
Now, the only one left was the Demon Lord, Daimond.
But getting rid of him wasn’t easy at all.
In the end, it was a situation where mages of the 7th circle or higher had to step forward.
Naturally, I, being a 9th-circle mage, took the lead, with 8th-circle mages Raeren and Salimandra flanking me.
My mentor, Yondran, had almost exhausted his energy while setting up a defensive barrier around the entire Grayland Plateau, so it was an unavoidable choice.
It was a path that I pondered all night.
There was a way to annihilate the Demon Lord, but the annihilation itself would deal a tremendous blow to the land of light, ‘Armania.’ The fragments of the Demon Lord’s destruction would surely be a menace.
So, I made my choice.
I decided to open the portal to another world.
[If the two 8th-circle mages can hold out for just 10 minutes, it should be doable, right?]
[But, Grand Mage, if you get that close to the portal, you’ll be sucked in as well.]
[I'll endure with the power of mana. Surely the mana of the earth that loves me will allow me to withstand this much.]
Both of them nodded at my words.
Grand Mage Jesquière, beloved by the land of light, ‘Armania.’ The mana of the earth wouldn’t let him be lost.
However, contrary to their thoughts, I had abandoned the mana of the earth.
It was also an incredibly selfish thought to want to end the boring life of a grand mage.
A genius grand mage who perished along with the Demon Lord.
Forever spoken of through the mouth of a wandering bard, revered by the people of the continent.
It was the perfect ending for a life that had been lived so magnificently.
Yet, despite throwing myself into the portal to another world, I didn’t vanish.
"Why did I end up in this kind of body? Why?"
"Hyung, you're handsome, though."
A boy from the same room approached me by the bathroom mirror at the end of the corridor.
Yeah, I admit it, I’m handsome.
Kang Ichan’s face was pale with no color, and his expression and gaze were dark, but other than that, he had a face that wasn’t too bad to look at.
A small, slender face with big eyes and no double eyelids, a straight and sharp nose, red and distinct lips, thick eyebrows, and pale, clean skin.
Based on my acquisition ability, this face would certainly be considered a ‘flower boy’ by South Korean standards.
T.N.: In South Korea, the term "flower boy" (꽃미남, kkotminam) refers to a man with a delicate, attractive, and youthful appearance, often characterized by smooth skin, fine features, and a stylish fashion sense. This aesthetic contrasts with more traditionally rugged masculine ideals and emphasizes charm, elegance, and even a gentle demeanor.
“Handsome, you say?”
Just to be sure, I double-checked.
"Yes, you’re pretty handsome for sure. And that's without any grooming. Your body line is also slim."
Slim body line? Yeah, that’s the problem. It’s not a compliment, it’s an insult.
How am I supposed to survive in this harsh world with this scrawny, shrimp-like body? Huh?
I won’t even be able to handle a mage’s staff with these weak arms.
"If you just add a little muscle to that body, wouldn't it be perfect? You have long legs, too."
A little muscle? Perfect?
The aesthetics of this world are truly laughable. A world where a shrimp-like body is revered.
I couldn’t help but frown. Then the boy added more explanation.
"You're an idol, right? So, that’s why you're perfect. You’re not going to become Mr. Korea or anything."
Returning to the bed, I took the phone Gyuhyung had brought and resumed my ‘acquisition’ process.
I, who should have been annihilated, was still alive and well.
Of course, I wasn’t perfectly intact.
Only my soul had survived and merged into this unfamiliar body.
Since I had no idea how long I would have to stay in this place and in this form, I needed to learn as much as I could about this world.
Idol, Mr. Korea, trainee, Blade Ent., Yongsan District, celebrity, adolescence...
Based on the knowledge I had gained from Gyuhyung and the nameless boy, I would now embark on endless ‘acquisition.’
* * *
A full week had passed.
In that week, I learned many things and experienced no small amount of shock.
The most shocking revelation was that an "idol" is not a literal god or figure of worship.
The correct term is "idol singer." Their work is similar to that of minstrels, but their status is akin to that of a mage in Armania.
Like mage apprentices, they go through a trainee period and debut once their skills reach a certain level.
Just as the ranks of mages are meticulously divided from apprentice to my level as a Grand Master, idols too seem to climb the ladder, starting as unknown trainees and advancing step by step to become world stars.
Of course, depending on their abilities, many drop out or quit midway, and the level they can reach is also predetermined.
"It’s annoyingly similar."
"Huh? What is?"
Gyuhyung, who was preparing for my discharge, approached.
"What have you been looking at so intently? An online encyclopedia?"
Gyuhyung glanced at my phone with a furrowed brow.
"Ah, I was just curious about a lot of things."
"If you're curious, ask me. The internet doesn't have all the answers."
Gyuhyung dropped his bag onto the bed with a thud and crossed his arms over his chest.
"And you've changed quite a bit since the accident."
For a moment, a sharp pang struck in the middle of my chest. But since there was no way my true identity had been discovered, I decided to act a bit shameless.
"Changed how?"
I looked at him as if I had no idea what he was talking about. Gyuhyung slowly began to speak.
"Listen carefully, Kang Ichan."
I sensed a faint trace of 《concern》 from Gyuhyung.
"You never spoke informally to me before."
Ah, damn. Did I mess up from the start?
"And you didn’t call me 'hyung' either."
This time, a hint of 《excitement》 surfaced.
“With a voice that practically disappeared, you'd call me 'Team Leader Lee' and always spoke formally. Not that you talked to me much anyway.”
“Ah—”
“But I prefer how things are now. So let's keep it this way.”
Hearing that change was better brought some relief, yet an odd sense of emptiness lingered.
“You used to be so invisible. No wonder the CEO didn’t even know your name until they were forming the debut group.”
The CEO of Blade Entertainment must be referring to PD Pyo Cheonhee, a former composer.
“It’s not like the company is huge with dozens of signed artists, and there are only nine trainees. Yet you’re one of the two the CEO couldn’t remember by name.”
An invisible presence even to the CEO—that was Kang Ichan. Somehow, the thought left me feeling strange.
This kid must have lived a life entirely opposite to mine. I was always a shining presence wherever I went.
“If an idol can’t appeal to their own CEO, what hope do they have with the public?”
In the end, it’s like being an apprentice mage who doesn’t even get recognized by their guild master.
No, not just unacknowledged—a complete zero in presence.
Such a mage would fail the qualification exam without question. Yet somehow, this kid managed to pass his version of that test.
“But now, it feels like things might change for you.”
The words lingered as my mind grew more entangled.
“Anyway, since I’m the one who picked you up, if you do well, it’s good for me too. Got it?”
Ha, is that really a good thing?
Once you start getting attention, a tiring life might begin again, right?
I recalled my life in the center of the continent of Armania. In the land of mages, ‘Parapara.’
The promotion test that starts at the edge of the mage’s land eventually leads to the ‘Mage Tower’ located at the center of Parapara. The highest level of the ‘Mage Tower’ is reserved only for grand mages.
How many trials did I have to go through to get to that position?
You want me to do that again? No thanks.
“I’ll try, though.”
“I told you to speak casually.”
“Then, yeah.”
I nodded with a serious expression and then glanced at Gyuhyung with a slight smile.
Satisfied, Gyuhyung smiled back and picked up his bag.
"Shall we go?"