บท 131: Ghosts in trouble!
(Arthur POV)
It's mind-blowing how fast "Demonfather 2" accumulated 180 million dollars in just four days!
Fuck, it even surpassed the box office of commercial films from my previous life!
And that's with tickets selling for 2 dollars here, compared to 12 or so in my old world. Surpassing 100 million in four days was rare even there.
I guess it makes sense - people here have limited entertainment options. Films, radio, music, and newspapers are their main pastimes. Spending 2 dollars on a film doesn't seem like much to them.
Plus, the theatre infrastructure here is surprisingly well-developed for its time. Cities have multiple theatres with hundreds to thousands of seats each.
Even before "The Demonfather" introduced colored films, popular actors' movies were making 100 thousand or more in nations like Morningstar or Bharat Kingdom.
It's thanks to the thousands of theatres established by major studios in large nations like Morningstar, Bharat, Empirica, and others. People here are used to watching films for entertainment, which further boosted theatre infrastructure.
Ironically, those studios trying to bring me down actually paved the way for my success. Without their established distribution networks, accumulating millions would've been impossible.
{Creator's Realms}
Thanks to them, I received the system reward yesterday when the film hit the 100 million mark.
I also got a reward for my fifth film surpassing 100 million box office - a new magic element, {Sin Magic}.
Nothing too impressive, it's the same magical element my siblings have. But I can see my proficiency in it improving.
I tried using {Creator's Realms} yesterday, but it needs about 3 million magical power to activate. A pain, but not impossible. I just need to upgrade the {Devourer Ring} to level 4.
The catch? It costs 50 million points to upgrade. I'm at 38 million now, so I just need to wait a week to hit 50 million entertainment points.
At level 4, the ring will have a 10 million magical power storage. Accumulating that won't be a problem. I'll use the portal to visit the Moonlight Kingdom, or maybe the Gloomstone Forest, and suck the mana dry before making a quick exit.
Then I can use the ring to activate {Creator's Realms}. Simple enough. Just need patience.
And I'm not in a rush, especially with "Dragon Ball" gaining popularity not just in Horn Kingdom, but also Morningstar, Choson Dynasty, and Japon. I've been using my free time to draw volume 2.
I bought a skill from the shop to make my hands more flexible and draw faster. Cost me 500 thousand Entertainment points, but worth it.
Hours later, one chapter was done.
These past weeks, after wrapping up "Demonfather Part 2" filming, I've been laser-focused on "Dragon Ball." I'm already approaching completion of volume 2.
A day later, I finished the drawing and submitted volume 2 for mass production.
Soon, Horn City Dragon Ball fans will get their hands on volume 2. Then it'll hit Morningstar, Thorn, Choson, and Japon.
In Japon, Shounen Manga was saved from bankruptcy thanks to Dragon Ball.
I've also started talks with Empirican comic publishers to bring Dragon Ball to their market.
***
(3rd Person POV)
Diddy, Puffy, Daddy, and the other ghosts were having a field day scaring people around.
Demons proved disappointing targets, treating the ghosts like annoying children rather than fearsome specters. Dwarves, with their lack of emotional intelligence and excess of regular intelligence, were equally unimpressed.
So the ghosts turned their attention to elves and, especially, humans.
Humans were by far the most entertaining to scare.
"Shit, I knew I shouldn't have come to the demon realm! There are ghosts here!" One human shrieked, much to the ghosts' delight.
Diddy and the others giggled mischievously.
They'd been enjoying themselves for weeks, determined to make the most of their freedom before Arthur inevitably called them back to work.
Strangely, they'd been feeling more energetic since Arthur had taken them on as employees. They couldn't quite explain it.
As the ghosts continued their pranks on unsuspecting humans, their luck took a turn for the worse. They unwittingly targeted a Solarus bishop.
Diddy and the others found themselves paralyzed with fear as the bishop prepared to unleash a famous Holy Magic spell.
"You ghosts won't escape!" The bishop roared, his anger palpable.
"No!" Diddy exclaimed in terror.
"Run!" Puffy yelled to the others.
They managed to flee, but not before Diddy sustained a serious injury. The bishop gave chase, but the ghosts' speed proved superior.
"Hmph. Lucky," the bishop muttered disdainfully as the ghosts disappeared from view.
As they fled, the ghosts realized they might have pushed their luck too far. The encounter with the bishop was a stark reminder of the dangers that still existed for them, even in their spectral forms.
***
Arthur occasionally glanced at his system entertainment points. After just a day, they'd reached 41 million. Once Dragon Ball volume 2 hit stores in Horn City in a few days, that number would climb even higher.
Meanwhile, a giant company called "HOLLOW" had begun selling televisions. This normally wouldn't have caught Arthur's attention, but HOLLOW, a dwarf-based electronics company worth billions, had partnered with the USE human-based "Waves Corporation".
Waves Corporation had successfully developed signal towers not just in Horn Kingdom, but also in Empirica, parts of Evros, and the Eden region.
Arthur could see the "Era of TV" approaching, and with it, an opportunity to create a TV program called "Hellfire Got Talent". He envisioned hiring Horn's popular and veteran singers as judges.
Waves Corporation was open for business, selling signal towers or offering assistance in building them. Arthur considered the potential of a "Hellfire Channel".
Most of the world had yet to grasp TV's full potential. Many studios were reluctant to risk investing in TV and signal towers. Even governments, barring USE and dwarven kingdoms, hadn't established laws and regulations for TV and signals.
The rest of the world underestimated TV's impact.
Newspapers, feeling threatened, attempted to mock the new technology. "Who needs a TV when we have theaters to watch films on wide, large projections?" proclaimed one major Empirican newspaper.
More newspapers worldwide expressed their disdain for TV, publishing negative press about HOLLOW and Waves Corporation, despite these being multi-billion dollar companies.
Even magazines, with their colorful pages, expressed negative views on television.
Radio wasn't fond of TV either. One famous radio host declared, "What's the need for TV? We have newspapers, magazines, and films! VFX-heavy films are the future! TV is just a waste of electricity!"
The public, constantly hearing criticism of television, adopted a similar stance.
But not Arthur.
He recognized TV's potential to revolutionize entertainment and information dissemination. While others hesitated, he saw an opportunity to get ahead of the curve. With his experience from his previous life, he knew the impact TV could have.
In fact, after contacting "HOLLOW" and "Waves Corporation", Arthur found their higher-ups eager to meet him. They seemed to respect his influence and wanted his support for TV, signal towers, and the concept of "channels".
As Arthur pondered this in his office, he suddenly frowned. The ghosts, Diddy and the others, passed through his office walls.
"Boss, help! Diddy and the others are injured!" Puffy exclaimed.
"Nani?" Arthur stood up, surprised.
บท 132: Creator's Realms and win the Budokai?
(Arthur POV)
I didn't think these ghosts would get into trouble.
According to Puffy and the others who escaped unscathed, they'd encountered a powerful member of the Solarus Church.
Looking at Diddy and the few who were injured, I saw their already transparent appearance had dimmed further.
"What do we do, boss? They're disappearing!" Puffy said fearfully.
I shook my head. I didn't think I'd be using this magic so soon.
"No worries, guys. They'll be fine," I said.
Puffy and the others still looked afraid, seemingly doubting my words.
With a thought, I activated {Rose Magic}. My palm suddenly exuded a rosy colour, which I directed towards Diddy and the others.
Rose petals drifted towards the ghosts, eliciting surprised expressions.
"This..." Diddy and the others realized they were gradually healing. Their ghostly essence returned to normal.
"Wow!" Puffy exclaimed.
In just seconds, Diddy and the others were fully healed.
"This is amazing!" Diddy exclaimed.
I'd used about five thousand magical power, so I immediately stopped. It was tiring.
"You guys are okay now," I said.
"You're amazing, boss!" Daddy exclaimed in astonishment.
"Yeah, that was cool!" The others murmured.
Diddy said, relief evident in his tone, "I thought I was about to die for a second time!"
They looked at me with amazement before I admonished, "You guys should stop getting into trouble. You almost died a second time!"
"We won't misbehave anymore, boss!" The ghosts said in unison.
"Alright, go rest and stop pranking people for now." I waved my hands. The ghosts, still grateful, thanked me, but I shooed them away and they left.
I shook my head. Seriously.
I hadn't expected those ghosts to get into trouble, let alone encounter a powerful Solarus member. They were lucky I could help.
***
(3rd Person POV)
Dragon Ball's volume 2 hit select stores in Horn City, selling out within hours of its release. Its popularity immediately contributed to Arthur's entertainment system points.
Two days prior, "Dragon Ball" had debuted in Empirica, gaining instant popularity. Within 48 hours, stores were struggling to keep it in stock.
The manga brought a novel experience to Empirican readers, who were already clamoring for volume 2.
In his office, Arthur's entertainment points finally reached 69 million.
'With Dragon Ball's huge success, it's time to level up the ring and activate the Creator's Realms,' Arthur thought.
Without hesitation, he purchased the upgrade for the {Devourer Ring}, increasing its storage to 10 million magical points.
Arthur felt the ring's enhanced power on his finger. It was an incredible sensation, unlike anything he'd experienced before.
The ring currently held only 1 million magical power, leaving 9 million to collect.
Arthur entered the secret room in his office, revealed by pushing the dummy book titled "48 Laws of Power" on his bookshelf.
Inside, he approached the portal stone. Using it, he was transported to the Gloomstone Forest.
As the portal appeared, Arthur stepped through. The journey was disorienting, as always, but he'd grown accustomed to it.
Soon, Arthur found himself in the Gloomstone Forest, where his elephants were under the care of the orc tribe. He occasionally visited secretly to check on them, but today's mission was different.
With a thought, Arthur activated the Abyssal Mode of the Devourer Ring.
It quickly began absorbing all magical power in the area. Arthur had anticipated the forest beings would faint, but he hadn't expected the effect to reach the nearby villages and even the large Gloomstone Town.
"I feel tired," a demon muttered lazily, gazing at the clouds.
Forest creatures - magical monsters, trolls, goblins - all succumbed to slumber.
Arthur immediately deactivated Abyssal Mode as the ring hit 10 million magical power in just a minute.
Ready to return to Horn Kingdom, he found the portal stone dimmed. "It seems affected by the absorption too..." Arthur muttered.
After a few anxious minutes, the stone returned to normal. Arthur quickly activated it and fled the forest.
***
Back in his office, Arthur sighed with relief at his swift success.
He used 3 million magical power points, leaving the ring's storage at negative 3 million.
Before he could reflect further, Arthur found himself transported to a world of pure whiteness.
He looked around in astonishment.
"Wow..." Arthur said, awestruck.
A panel materialized before Arthur.
{Welcome to the Creator's Realms}
[You can travel to any fictional world, provided it's your own creation and a successful fiction in your reality.]
[Do you want to travel to your fictional world now or later? (The magical power used to activate Creator's Realms will be saved)]
[Yes.]
[No.]
Without hesitation, Arthur selected yes.
The panel shifted. [Based on our analysis, you can travel to eight worlds from your successful fictions:]
[Demonfather] /[Godfather (Original)]
[Lord of the Rings]
[The Good, The Bad and The Ugly]
[Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon]
[Harry Potter (your version)]/[Harry Potter (Original)]
[Dragon Ball]
Arthur raised an eyebrow at the two versions listed, finding it intriguing.
He chose Dragon Ball without much deliberation.
The interface transformed into a main menu:
[New World]
[Save]
[Load]
[Options]
"Interesting..." Arthur mused, stroking his chin. He explored the options, discovering he could select his preferred language, attire, and hairstyle.
After customizing his appearance, Arthur returned to the main menu. The 'Save' and 'Load' options were empty.
"What's this for?" he wondered aloud. A new panel appeared, offering an explanation.
Arthur read it out, "You can save your progress in the fiction world. If you load the save file, you will return to the world as if you hadn't left at all." He nodded appreciatively. "Very useful."
With that, Arthur tapped "New World". A wave of disorientation hit him, far more intense than any portal travel he'd experienced.
***
Arthur awoke, shaking his head to clear the disorientation. He found himself in a lush forest under a vivid blue sky dotted with picturesque clouds.
"Am I finally in the Dragon Ball world?" he muttered to himself.
A system notification flashed before his eyes:
[System Mission: Legend of the Tenkaichi Budokai!]
[The Tenkaichi Budokai, the greatest martial arts tournament in history, is about to begin. As a hidden warrior from another world, you must enter and win the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai using only your martial arts skills—no magic allowed.]
"21st Tenkaichi Budokai?" Arthur's interest piqued. "So I'm at the beginning of the Dragon Ball story..."
He stood up, a smile spreading across his face. With a thought, wings sprouted from his back, and he took to the sky.
Here, he could do everything he wanted without caution. Unlike his world, where powerful and potentially divine beings lurked in the shadows, Arthur knew the lay of the land in this realm.
This was his chance to unleash his true power, honed through months of hard work. No need to hold back or hide his abilities.
Arthur descended upon a nearby city, his wings drawing immediate attention from the civilians below.
"Woah! Look, a person has wings!" exclaimed onlookers, their voices a mix of awe and surprise.
The crowd on the streets buzzed with excited murmurs.
"Mommy, can I fly like that handsome man too?" a young girl asked, tugging at her mother's sleeve. The woman hastily pulled her daughter away as Arthur glided down towards them.
Landing softly, Arthur glanced around. "It feels different here..."
A chubby man approached him, seemingly unafraid. "Hey there! First time I've seen someone flying! How'd you get wings on your back?"
Arthur, recognizing the man as a typical Dragon Ball background character, decided to focus on his goal. "Hey, do you know where the Tenkaichi Budokai is being held?"
"Tenkaichi Budokai?" The man pondered for a moment. "I believe it's on Papaya Island, about that way." He pointed in a specific direction.
Arthur flashed a grateful smile. "Thanks!" With that, he took to the skies once more, heading towards Papaya Island.
As he soared away, Arthur couldn't help but marvel at the simplicity of this world. The people's easy acceptance of his supernatural abilities, their willingness to help - it was refreshingly different from the complexities of his own reality. Yet, he knew better than to underestimate this world. The upcoming tournament would surely test his limits, magic or no magic.
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