Trapped in the Idol Universe

The training time arrived.

Since this was our first chance to synchronize, we decided to gauge each other’s abilities today.

“Then who goes first? The eldest?”

Roy looked at Anna with an innocent expression.

“Ugh. Why does it always have to be by age?”

“Then ladies first.”

“Oh ho. Where did the maknae learn such manners?”

Finding Roy adorable, Anna ruffled his hair once, then stepped forward. Roy had hoped that our experienced member Seohyunwoo would lead the training, but that was too much to ask. He simply stood behind the group like a shadow, arms folded as if uninterested. Roy glanced at him once more, then refocused on Anna.

“Just show whatever you’re most confident in, right?”

“Yes.”

The training hall was equipped with various apparatus, including training dummies. Anna selected one dummy and stood before it. She swung her arm in a wide arc, then—

KWAANG!

She sent it flying out the window. The dummy was a training tool built to the weight of a full-grown man and likely bolted to the floor—but she blasted it away in one strike...

“Think that’s enough?”

Anna turned with a bright smile. The watching team members flinched and each took a step back.

“What, are you dodging me?”

Just as Anna looked hurt, Roy leapt in to flatter her.

“Nuna, you’re the best! Let’s be friends.”

Pleased by Roy’s cuteness, Anna patted his head indulgently. Roy accepted the affection obediently and vowed never to get cocky again.

Next it was Taeeon’s turn.

“They must be seismically reinforced, right?”

“Yeah! I asked the PD. They said even a magnitude-100 quake wouldn’t phase it.”

With that confirmed, Taeeon was free to demonstrate his strength. Yet under the team’s gaze, he seemed nervous. When he hesitated, Roy shouted loudly:

“Fighting, hyung!”

Buoyed by encouragement, Taeeon placed his hand firmly on the floor.

KUGUGUGUNG!

Moments later, the entire hall shook violently and cement dust began sprinkling from the ceiling. Team members wobbled, struggling to keep their balance—then one side of the floor jutted upward, tilting the hall to the left. Roy, caught off guard, lost his footing and tumbled across the floor. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“Ugh!”

He only stopped when Seohyunwoo grabbed the back of his collar, but even then, his S-rank dignity was in tatters.

Next up was Gyebokji. He was the same age as Taeeon and specialized in illusions, so he needed no equipment.

“So, um, like this?”

With a boastful smirk, he snapped his fingers. A mist began to seep around us. After a few blinks, our vision turned entirely white.

“For wide-area use, it only obscures vision, but when focused, it can do this.”

With another snap, the mist vanished and we saw two of him standing side by side.

“Oooh!”

It felt like watching a magic show, and applause broke out spontaneously. I don’t know how it is in the pros, but it looked excellent to me.

Then it was Seohyunwoo’s turn. His reputation preceded him—some even said he was destined to become the next Pluton Guildmaster. I thought he’d be our strongest rival on . Roy calmly watched his back as he stepped forward.

‘I heard a rumor that he infiltrated on an assassination contract.’

Of course Roy didn’t believe it. It’d be stranger if no rumors surfaced about someone so gloomy who hung around in dark corners. It made more sense that his ShusBong item was so coveted by information guilds.

Standing before a pillar, Seohyunwoo reached out over his own shadow. The shadow flickered, then vanished in an instant.

“Eh? Where’d it go?”

Not only Roy but the whole team looked around bewildered. Then—

Swoosh—

A chill ran down Roy’s spine from behind. Reflexively he turned and saw a massive shadow ballooning as if to engulf the team.

“Wow, it’s huge!”

At Roy’s exclamation, the others finally turned to look.

“Ah! Shit, you scared me!”

“Wow. I had no idea.”

Yeonwoo screamed and hid behind Taeeon, while Taeeon marveled genuinely at the sight. The rest reacted similarly. Only Seohyunwoo looked deeply unsettled. His eyes flickered behind the mask, but everyone was too engrossed in his shadow to notice.

“Ha ha ha! Does it disappear if you touch it? Look, it’s running away!”

Roy, clearly delighted by the shadow, reached out to grab it. Each time he did, the shadow flickered and slipped from his grasp.

“It’s like it’s alive! I want one as a pet.”

If only that were possible—it’d be perfect for reconnaissance. Seohyunwoo watched Roy hopping about then reabsorbed his shadow.

Next came Dongayoil, Dongyoe, and Dongyosam’s demonstrations.

Dongayoil raced from one end of the hall to the other in the blink of an eye.

Dongyoe used a small doll to pluck a leaf from outside the hall.

Dongyosam restrained all our feet for three seconds with a curse technique.

“Then now it’s my turn.”

Spurred on by the others, Yeonwoo swaggered forward. Raising his hand to the air, he announced,

“Watch closely. Tran-sfor-ma-tion!”

It sounded like a line from a kid’s anime hero.

“Wow...”

He actually said that aloud. The team averted their gazes and coughed awkwardly. Beside Roy, Anna looked puzzled.

“X-sin?”

“Ehyanghyanghyang!”

A Korean overseas accent—Anna clearly couldn’t parse it. Roy burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. Meanwhile Yeonwoo, bow in hand, aimed at the target downrange.

Shuuk!

Within three seconds of drawing the string, the glowing arrow struck dead center. Everyone already knew Yeonwoo was a skilled archer. The real question was how many arrows he could produce.

‘If he could generate arrows indefinitely, he’d be unbeatable.’

No matter what, Yeonwoo’s C-rank felt too low for such a crucial role... Roy sighed inwardly. At that moment, a tattered book suddenly appeared in his mind’s eye.

[Secret Tome of the Forgotten Awakened: A compendium of ancient awakeners’ experiences and skill-study know-how.]

I’d seen it before—in the cave on Mount Wilderness during the last shoot. I thought it had vanished for good, but apparently not. When Roy reached out, the status window popped up.

【Use the “Secret Tome of the Forgotten Awakened”?】

Is this a joke? Of course I have to!

The book opened, unleashing a burst of radiant light. When Roy opened his eyes, the tome was gone again.

“...”

Had I been tricked again? Twice now! Roy clenched his jaw in annoyance. Then, when his eyes met Yeonwoo’s, a small status window appeared above Yeonwoo’s head.

【- Craft Giant Needle (0/100)

What is that?

Roy blinked drowsily and stared. Yeonwoo bristled and snapped back:

“What? Why are you glaring at me like that? Are you hinting I can only make one arrow?”

Roy hadn’t hinted anything, but Yeonwoo seemed stung.

“I didn’t say anything.”

Roy shook his head in disbelief and looked at Taeeon. A new status window hovered above Taeeon’s head.

【- Create Canyon (0/50)

The tasks differed. He glanced at Anna—and a window appeared above her head, too.

“...!”

Roy realized in that moment: this was connected to the tome that had vanished. At the same time, cold sweat trickled down his back. With quest windows floating over everyone’s heads, he didn’t know where to focus.

‘What were the conditions again?’

Right. It said the tome contained ancient know-how on skill training. If I meet all these requirements, what happens? A status window reappeared.

【Upon meeting conditions, you will re-awaken at a higher level.】

“Holy shit!”

Roy exclaimed without thinking.

‘Re-awaken? Wasn’t that just a legend?’

When he first heard rumors about Yeonwoo’s rank, Roy looked into re-awakening. Cases did exist, but they were minor corrections by the Awakened Management Department—no real re-awakening. Everyone said an established rank never changes. Yet now the window claimed it was possible.

‘If I fulfill this, a C-rank could become S-rank.’

Should I start a church? Opposite the Salvation Church, we’d open the Re-awakening Church! Of course I’m not serious about a real church...

‘Anyway, it was worth trekking Mount Wilderness.’

It felt like a lifeline had swung down into my hopeless future.