บท 130: Part 2: Bro is speed running
(3rd Person POV)
While arcade machines captivated Hellscape Center's customers, Arthur greeted a diverse group of international studio representatives.
Some were familiar faces - partners who had distributed his films globally, like Bryan Brothers, Lava Brothers, and Western Studio. Others were new acquaintances.
A demon from Bharat Kingdom resembled a genie with legs and feet, looking almost comically like a popo. A half-demon, half-elf from Choson Dynasty sported pointed ears. Demons from South East Anatolia mingled with average-looking humans from Empirica and Evros, alongside elves and dwarves from the Eden region.
Arthur ushered them into a private theater. After the screening, applause erupted.
"Amazing!"
"What an incredible film!"
Arthur smiled, graciously accepting their praise.
***
As days passed, September 15, 1272 arrived. Dragon Ball, released just over a month ago, had taken Horn City by storm. Hundreds of thousands were now engrossed in its pages.
Newspapers and entertainment magazines couldn't ignore the phenomenon:
"New Manhua: Dragon Ball Takes the City by Storm!"
"Is Arthur Morningstar truly a pure demon? Experts believe he might have traces of elf and dwarf blood, explaining his creativity despite his magical weakness. His latest manhua, Dragon Ball, seems to suggest that Arthur may not be a pure demon after all!"
Ridiculous claims proliferated, but they only served to fuel Dragon Ball's popularity.
Meanwhile, Maya Yamato from Japon, owner of Shounen Manga, made a special trip to meet Arthur.
Dragon Ball had amazed Maya ever since her son Ichiro introduced it to her. She hoped to distribute the manga in Japon, but there was a problem - her company was struggling, losing ground to other manga publishers.
Doubting Arthur would take her seriously, Maya was surprised by his respectful welcome and attentive ear to her proposal.
"I can't offer much, but... I'll do my best to publish your manga in many Japon cities!" Maya exclaimed, her voice tinged with desperation and hope.
Arthur smiled. He'd reached out to Japon manga publishers before, but they'd rejected him outright, not even glancing at Dragon Ball. He suspected discrimination due to his Morningstar heritage.
Now, a manga publisher had come to him, eager to bring Dragon Ball to her kingdom. Despite the low offer, Arthur didn't hesitate. "Okay, I'll have my manga published by your company."
"Really!?" Maya's surprise was evident. She'd expected rejection.
Arthur nodded. "Yes. In fact, I'm willing to invest in your company to ensure Dragon Ball's production and increase supply in case it becomes successful there."
Touched, Maya's eyes welled up. She bowed so low it startled Arthur. "Thank you very much!"
Arthur smiled, helping her up. "Hey, no need to bow." He shook his head, amused. "Seriously, you Japonese... Why do you bow so much?"
Maya, overcome with gratitude, bowed even lower. "Thank you!"
"Okay, okay!" Arthur chuckled wryly. "Jeez, let's just go and discuss the procedure."
Maya's emotions intensified as Arthur revealed his willingness to invest substantially in her company for a mere 3 percent share. This generosity moved her to bow repeatedly, though Arthur gently discouraged it this time.
***
While Arthur made inroads into the Japon manga industry through Maya, the arcade machines at Hellscape Center gained popularity among thousands.
In just a few days, the machines attracted significant foot traffic to the mall.
James Blaze's event at Hellscape Center further amplified this trend. Thousands of demons flooded the mall, creating a tight squeeze that threatened to overwhelm the space. Only the diligent efforts of security prevented chaos.
The event cemented Hellscape Center's growing reputation.
Simultaneously, promotion for "Demonfather Part 2" began across Horn City, Morningstar, Thorn, Bharat, Empirica, parts of South Anatolia, Evros, and the Eden region.
Media outlets buzzed with anticipation for the Demonfather sequel.
In a café, demons discussed the upcoming film:
"I can't wait for Demonfather Part 2!"
"Yeah! The first Demonfather was amazing! I wonder if the sequel will be as good?"
An imp demon added hopefully, "I hope it will be good."
"It will be," a monkey demon assured. "Just don't listen to the media. They always like to bully Arthur just because he's a weak royal prince."
"I agree with you, we shouldn't judge Arthur based on the unreliable media these days," a bull demon said, sipping his coffee. "While Arthur may not be as powerful as his brother, he's certainly talented in entertainment."
"True," another demon friend nodded. "Though I wonder how the first prince of the Morningstar Kingdom is faring."
A panda demon chimed in, "Last I heard, he was sent to the prison realm to guard the gate. Supposedly keeps dangerous demons from escaping."
"Haha, come on. You still believe in the prison realm? It's a myth!" one scoffed.
"Then where is the first prince, huh?"
"Probably abroad, studying and living it up."
"But no one's spotted him anywhere. I really think he's in another realm."
"Haha, we haven't been able to travel to other realms for ages. We've even lost portal travel. Only the powerful and influential can use it now."
Many believed the "Prison Realm" was just a myth.
Four hundred years ago, after the demons lost the war, it was said that humans couldn't kill some demons, so they locked the dangerous ones in the "Prison Realm" - known in the western world as "Nether Realm".
Rumor had it that first prince Azazel Morningstar was sent to the Nether Realm to become its warden and oversee the gate.
Whether this was true or not remained a mystery to both demons and humans.
***
Around the world, millions eagerly awaited "Demonfather Part 2".
Whether the media or rival studios liked it or not, Arthur's first work, "Demonfather", had revolutionized the picture industry. Not just as the first colored film, but for its thrilling, edge-of-your-seat storytelling.
Even in kingdoms where the first film hadn't been screened, many had seen it through store-bought copies. Now, with the sequel's imminent release, those who'd missed the original rushed to buy it. Distributors lowered prices to boost sales before the sequel's premiere.
In the Bharat Kingdom, neighboring Morningstar, demand for the first film in developed cities quickly outstripped supply. Distributors ramped up production to meet the surge.
Arthur's profits soared, earning him about 3 million dollars in just a week since promotion began.
The hype reached fever pitch as "Demonfather Part 2" premiered in Horn, Morningstar, Thorn, Japon, and Choson Dynasty two weeks after promotions started.
Media outlets, abandoning their smear campaign, now praised the film sight unseen. "Experts believe Demonfather sequel will be a masterpiece like the first!" trumpeted newspaper headlines.
Media moguls hoped inflated expectations might lead to disappointment, tarnishing Arthur's reputation if the film fell short.
The first day's box office of 36 million dollars didn't surprise them. They patiently waited for a plummet.
Instead, the second day saw 42 million, the third a whopping 55 million. Even with a slight dip to 49 million on the fourth day, profits continued to soar.
Unexpectedly, the media found itself praised for its "accurate" predictions.
"Didn't expect the media was right. The Demonfather Part 2 was a masterpiece!" exclaimed a demon leaving the theater with friends.
"True. I can't believe Michael could be so cold. He's terrifying!" His friend nodded.
"Damn that Michael! He's one scary demon. He's the only one I'd never dare offend!" Another added.
"Do you think Arthur really wants to replace his father as king and rule Morningstar like Michael Corleone?" One said, a chill running down his spine.
"Dude, it's just a movie. Besides, there's no way Arthur could overthrow his father!"
"True."
"Demonfather Part 2" stirred a whirlwind of emotions across the world.
In Empirica, Aztec, and Kanata on the Empirica Continent, people began romanticizing mob life.
In Apple City, Empirica, a group of thugs fresh from watching "Demonfather Part 2" donned suits like Michael's. Their leader, Manny, embraced Michael Corleone's persona.
When one thug betrayed Manny, the others watched as their boss held the traitor affectionately, saying, "I know it was you, Buttcake. You broke my heart!"
"I... I'm sorry boss!!!" Buttcake wailed, imagining a Michael-esque fate awaiting him.
At the prestigious Harvard magic high school, a student president declared in a meeting, "My father taught me many things here—he taught me in this room. He taught me—keep your friends close, but your enemies closer."
"Umm... President, didn't your father die before you were born?"
Michael's lines permeated various cultures. In Japon, a Yakuza boss told his group, "If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it's that you can kill anybody."
His subordinates exchanged terrified glances.
The film's impact extended far beyond entertainment, influencing behavior and speech across diverse societies.
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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.
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