Remarkably, short-form videos on Instar (TL Note: A fictionalized version of Instagram) cannot be searched.
They are primarily designed for random playback.
One might wonder, then, how they accumulate views.
1. When a video is uploaded, it is randomly exposed to a few other users.
2. A score is then assigned based on factors such as whether those users watched it, their viewing duration, and the number of times they replayed it.
3. The higher the score, the more users it is exposed to.
4. Once it gains popularity through the algorithm, views multiply exponentially.
In conclusion, anyone who watched my video was captivated, replaying it numerous times.
[Unnie, you’re so beautiful! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
[Who is this person?????]
[When are you debuting?]
[You’re telling me someone like this isn’t active in the industry?]
[Please, any information on who this is?]
[This is Chae Hyeon-jin sunbae, a graduating senior from OOO High School.] (TL Note: Sunbae is a Korean term used to address a senior or mentor figure.)
[Same school??? So jealous.]
[Don’t graduate, sunbae ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ]
[Isn’t telling someone not to graduate basically a curse, lol?]
[Wow, noona, your figure is insane.] (TL Note: Noona is a Korean term used by a younger male to address an older female.)
[♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥]
Such reactions from Koreans were precisely what I had anticipated.
However, what truly astonished me was this:
[Meu Deus 😍🔥 This cover is simply perfect! The movements are so synchronized and full of energy, it even seems better than the original version. You were truly born to dance, I’m completely thrilled! 🇰🇷💖]
[Copy this comment and paste it into a translator.]
This indicated that even foreign reactions had exploded.
But if they could use a translator to post a comment, why were they telling *me* to put *their* comment into a translator?
‘What an unfathomable and profound culture,’ I mused.
In any case, foreigners contributed significantly to my acquiring a million followers.
Perhaps it was because the uploaded videos featured KPOP idol dances—a form of dance that transcends language barriers.
As I became a supernova influencer, my family immediately found out.
After all, with my face plastered everywhere and even my school identified, how could someone living under the same roof not know?
“What on earth possessed you? You never showed any interest in this kind of thing before.”
“Things just happened.”
“So, now that you’re graduating, are you going to seriously pursue a life as an influencer?”
“No, it’s just a one-off.”
Chae Ye-jin, seemingly fascinated by having a million-follower influencer in her own home, clung to me all day.
“Follow me. Follow me.”
“It’s a work account, so don’t even think about getting involved.”
“Hmph, you can’t even do that much for your family?”
“Didn’t you tell me not to act like we knew each other at school? Said it was embarrassing.”
“Did I? I couldn’t possibly have said something so harsh, could I? Aren’t you misremembering?”
That facial expression.
‘That’s definitely the face of a liar,’ I thought.
I remembered it clearly.
Though, to be fair, I *was* a guy when she said that.
It’s practically an unwritten rule (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘gung-rul,’ meaning an unofficial but widely accepted rule or norm.) for siblings born a year apart to pretend not to know each other at school.
“I’m going to tell Mom that my unnie became an internet star.”
I grabbed the collar of the girl, who was about to bolt.
“You have to keep it a secret.”
“Just like that?”
“I’ll follow you.”
“Yay!”
Thus, my younger sister became my second follower.
My first, of course, was the CEO’s shopping mall.
“So, what suddenly possessed you? Tell me, tell me, tell meeee.”
Unable to withstand my sister’s physical assault, I finally spilled the beans.
‘I’m about to tell the story of how I utterly wrecked the practice room floor and caused a major renovation.’
“Puhahahahaha! A gorilla! No, even a gorilla couldn’t do that. You’re totally a Tyranno, aren’t you? Puhahahahat!”
And just like that, I acquired a new nickname: Tyranno.
“Kyaooo! Wanna get bitten by Tyranno?”
Still, thinking about it now, it was fortunate that I only destroyed the practice room floor.
If I had ended up breaking my constantly mischievous sister’s bones in half while scolding her, it would have turned into a full-blown tragedy.
No wonder I always felt a strange premonition whenever I saw her.
“Tyranno. Pass the soy sauce.”
“…”
Chae Ye-jin called me Tyranno in front of the whole family during dinner.
While glaring at her, I quietly handed over the soy sauce.
After all, I would be the one at a disadvantage if things got noisy.
“What does Tyranno mean?”
“It’s just… a thing.”
Watching her giggle with me about something only the two of us understood, right in front of Mom and Dad, made me truly want to punch her.
‘Want to have your skull caved in?’
“But Hyeon-jin.”
“Yes?”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“Puhak!”
“Cough! Cough, cough! Gurk!”
Dad and I simultaneously choked, spilling food all over the dinner table.
‘Mom, what on earth are you talking about?’
“It’s just strange that you’re eating raw beef (TL Note: A Korean dish, ‘yukhoe,’ consisting of seasoned raw beef.) for all three meals, when you never used to eat it. Has your palate changed?”
“Who immediately jumps to pregnancy just because someone’s taste in food has changed?”
“Conversely, what other reason could there be for a change in appetite besides pregnancy? You absolutely mustn’t keep such things a secret from your mother. Don’t be scared; you need to tell me quickly.”
“As if I would!”
I wanted to demand who she thought I had done something with, but I decided to hold my tongue, fearing further damage.
****
After showering post-dinner, I settled into a lotus position on the floor.
The bed, it seemed, was too soft, making it surprisingly uncomfortable for me.
‘Things are rather eventful, aren’t they?’
I had quite an important task to undertake today.
If this turbulent daily life continued, I might suddenly fall into a state of mental confusion (TL Note: A Korean term, ‘simma,’ referring to a state of mental deviation or inner demon, often experienced during martial arts or spiritual cultivation.).
‘Focus. Focus.’
The sensation of naturally circulating the energy drawn in through my breath throughout my body.
Normally, martial artists would accumulate this absorbed energy in the Dantian (TL Note: A Chinese term referring to the main energy centers of the body, often translated as ‘elixir field’ or ‘sea of qi.’), specifically the lower Dantian below the navel.
However.
‘Should I call it a fortuitous encounter?’
Astonishingly, the Azure Dragon Heart Sutra (TL Note: A cultivation technique), given to me by Dragonkiller, contained a Qi accumulation method that focused on the middle Dantian.
Dragons, from their very nature, were magical creatures that accumulated mana in their hearts.
Therefore, to emulate a dragon, one had to accumulate Qi in the middle Dantian, which is the heart.
Having already accumulated sufficient internal energy in my lower Dantian, I intended to open my middle Dantian today and cultivate Qi there as well.
“With the heart of a dragon.”
Martial arts were profoundly esoteric.
They were not merely a collection of simple fighting techniques.
If that were the case, modern martial arts, born from a blend of physics and sports medicine, would have long since surpassed all traditional martial arts.
Yet, what held even greater importance in martial arts was the mind’s imagery.
The mental cultivation of *what one wished to become*, *what one sought to obtain*, and *what one aimed to protect* was immensely crucial.
‘But I’ve never actually seen a real dragon.’
Had even Dragonkiller ever seen a real dragon?
They said real dragons lived on the neighboring planet, Midland.
Dragons were described as apex predators who wielded magic and devoured all intelligent beings, including humans.
Why would Dragonkiller have wanted to become a dragon?
Why would he have created such a martial art?
“Huh?”
Suddenly, a vision appeared before me.
I saw a dragon roaring in a vast desert.
Its massive body, sturdy four legs, and wings that seemed a bit too frail to lift such a form.
It was a king, no, an emperor.
The pinnacle of life, a creature that had never knelt to anyone throughout its existence.
Before it stood a small human.
The difference in size exceeded a hundredfold.
The human looked as if they would be flattened like dried squid if the dragon were to press down with a forepaw.
Yet, that was no mere human.
It was, likewise, a dragon.
The dragon roared with a colossal sound.
[Roar!]
They say a person’s body becomes paralyzed if a tiger roars in front of them.
Dragons, however, were said to be even more potent, capable of rendering all creatures weaker than themselves immobile with fear.
The two dragons roared at each other, as if vying to see who was stronger.
Neither of their bodies froze.
This was a stalemate, a clash of titans—no, since it was just two dragons, a clash of dragons.
Finally, the claws of the two dragons clashed.
A desperate struggle, a deadly fight.
They began to kill each other, determined to decide who was the true ruler of this land.
–’I wish to become a dragon.’
A strange man’s voice, one I had never heard before, echoed.
‘Is that so?’
‘The true nature of this martial art is…’
‘What this martial art strives for is…’
–’I wish to become a dragon and devour the world. To become an undefeated dragon, bowing to no one!’
A young, weak human, longing to become the strongest creature.
–’I no longer wish to lose anything.’
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
Before, I had achieved the feat of accumulating internal energy in my Dantian.
Today, I challenged myself to accumulate mana in my heart.
However, the outcome was that I opened all three Dantian.
Essence (精) in the lower Dantian, Qi (氣) in the middle Dantian, and Spirit (神) in the upper Dantian.
In other words, I was now accumulating internal energy in the Dantian, mana in the heart, and spiritual power in the brain.
‘This is a phenomenon I’ve never heard of before.’
In such cases, the Hunter Gallery (TL Note: A fictional online forum for martial arts and cultivation enthusiasts.) is the place to go.
[Anonymous) I’m a Newbie (TL Note: A term for a novice, often used in online communities.) who wasn’t ‘eaten and discarded’ (TL Note: A Korean slang term, ‘meokbeo,’ literally meaning ‘eat and throw away,’ used to describe someone who is used for a short time and then abandoned, often in romantic contexts or for benefits.), and my upper Dantian opened. Is this a good thing?]
:I was practicing the Azure Dragon Heart Sutra that Dragonkiller gave me, and I originally only intended to open my middle Dantian today.
Somehow, while doing it, I ended up opening my upper Dantian too.
Is this okay?
Is this good??
[The habitual ‘eaten and discarded’ culprit has appeared again.]
[You’ve come again today and opened your upper Dantian?]
[It’s problematic to speak so casually about a realm that 99% of martial artists can’t achieve in their lifetime.]
[Ah, that’s just the talent of a Martial God.]
[Please, get out of the gallery…. It was novel at first, but seeing it continuously makes me feel deprived.]
[ㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗㅗ] (TL Note: A Korean emoji representing a middle finger.)
[The world is truly unfair.]
[If you’re so bothered, you should’ve drawn the Martial God’s talent too.]
[F*ck, you’re the ‘eaten and discarded’ guy himself, aren’t you?]
[Busted.]
[BuysElixirsCheaply) Didn’t Killer-hyung (TL Note: A Korean term used by a younger male to address an older male, or by a female to a male friend who is like an older brother.) only open his middle Dantian?]
:I received the martial art from Killer-hyung, so why did my upper Dantian suddenly open????
[Ah, there’s a good saying in the world: ‘The student surpasses the master.’]
[F*cking hell, I’m telling you, only that bastard has different hardware!]
[What’s hardware?]
[Are these bastards idiots, lol? If you have Martial God talent, you should ride the coattails and blindly suck up, not act hostile out of jealousy, lol. All of you are priority target #1 for execution. Martial God Newbie, you’ll remember me, won’t you?]
[I don’t like opportunists much. I prefer real men.]
[Your mom.]
[That’s not a family insult, you f*cker.]
[You’re priority target #0 for execution.]
Judging by the general atmosphere of the gallery, opening the upper Dantian seemed to be a good thing.
After all, gaining a non-existent stat couldn’t possibly be bad.
For instance, even just receiving one ‘all-stat’ bonus would mean an additional ability point increase.
[Prospective Immortal) Hey, ‘eaten and discarded’ Newbie, a top instructor is going to give you a pinpoint explanation of the upper Dantian.]
:Do you know why martial artists who accumulate internal energy in their lower Dantian barely ascend to immortality (TL Note: A Korean term, ‘deungseon,’ referring to the act of becoming an immortal or transcending the mortal realm.) at a rate of one in ten million?
It’s because they only cultivate Essence (精) like idiots, when they should be cultivating Essence (精), Qi (氣), and Spirit (神) simultaneously.
Originally, you’re supposed to put three cups of water into three separate vessels, but they’re trying to perform the trick of pouring three cups of water into a single vessel, like someone with a hole in their head.
You might ask how that one in ten million who succeeded managed it.
I don’t know either. How *did* they do it?
Anyway, if you’ve opened your upper Dantian, you’ve opened all three vessels, so you can consider it a free pass to becoming an immortal.
Your life just got easy, buddy lol.
[So how do you open the upper Dantian??? You should tell us that!]
[Don’t know.]
[But *they* opened it.]
[F*ck.]
[Anyway, mediocre bastards can’t even cultivate properly even if they open it.]
Above humans are superhumans, above superhumans are immortals, and above immortals are gods.
While there are more detailed aspects, this roughly summarizes it.
To think that the foundation for becoming an immortal has been laid.
‘It’s nothing special,’ I mused.
After all, I am a Newbie with the talent of a Martial God.
‘Becoming an immortal is just a natural stepping stone, isn’t it?’
[This crazy person is building up ‘likability’ points.]
[So what if they’re likable? What can you do?]
[The fact is that everything is fact, so no one can refute it. We can only watch.]
[Oops, I didn’t mean to write that.]
[You wrote it all out, pressed the confirm button, and now you’re saying ‘oops’?]
[Newbie…. You didn’t throw away the boomerang, did you…? You’ll cultivate again, won’t you…? I sometimes miss the time we spent together….]
