Lord of Entertainment C24 Leveling up is unexpectedly painful

(Emilia Stark POV)

"So there you have it," Arthur concluded with a wink. "I showed them how 'trash' demons can be, and they called it art. Funny how that works, isn't it?"

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications of his words. This interview was shaping up to be far more provocative than I'd anticipated.

As I thanked him for his time and watched him move on to other admirers, I couldn't help but feel that this story was far from over.

A while later, back in my modest apartment, I settled in for what I knew would be a long day.

After collecting the photographs from our photographer, I positioned myself at my trusty typewriter. The familiar clicking sound filled the room as I began to type, my fingers flying across the keys as I tried to capture the essence of the extraordinary event I had just witnessed.

I started with my initial expectations - the anticipation of seeing a demon perform, the skepticism, the curiosity. Then, I delved into the revelation that the "demon" was actually a human in disguise. But that was just the beginning. The real story was how this human, Arthur Whitlock, had managed to surprise and captivate the crowd with a completely new style of music.

"A Music From The Lands of Demons - Grunge," I typed, feeling a thrill at coining what could become a significant cultural term.

I described the style in detail - unpolished, gritty, dirty. It was a sound that should have made everyone uncomfortable, yet it had an undeniable charm. The catchy tunes and chaotic sounds stood out in a way that had captured the audience's hearts.

I made sure to include the dramatic moment when the church official had tried to intervene, only to be rebuffed by the audience themselves. It was a powerful illustration of how quickly this new music had won people over.

Hours passed as I typed, edited, and refined my article. Before I knew it, the clock read 4:00 PM. I gathered the papers, beginning the tedious process of editing.

"Ugh... Really hard to be a newbie journalist," I muttered to myself. Having only arrived in Saint Angeles two weeks ago, I was still finding my footing. I didn't have an editor yet, partly because I was still proving myself to the newspaper, and partly because the recent budget cuts had left the Saint Angeles Today short-staffed. It meant more work for me, but also more opportunity to make my mark.

As I collapsed onto my bed, exhaustion finally overtaking me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. This article could be my big break.

Tomorrow, I would submit my article to the newspaper and see how it was received.

As sleep began to claim me, my mind drifted to Arthur Whitlock. There was more to his story, I was sure of it.

With that thought, I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of demons singing grunge music and a city on the brink of cultural revolution.

***

(Arthur POV)

It was already late at night, but sleep eluded me. My restlessness was partly due to the advancement of my craftsmanship and mechanical skills, which had progressed from beginner to intermediate stage. Additionally, the new function I'd unlocked in the system kept my mind racing with possibilities.

Firstly, the advancement in my skills brought with it a flood of knowledge. I could feel new ideas and understanding flowing through my mind, begging to be put to use. Without hesitation, I began to lay out blueprints for the next evolution in audio technology: the cassette tape.

In this world, the current pinnacle of portable audio was the 8-Track Tape. However, it had significant drawbacks. It was expensive, prone to breakage, and lacked the ability to rewind. Vinyl records, despite being older technology, often provided better quality at a similar or even lower price point.

The 8-Track's main advantage was its use in car audio systems, allowing for continuous playback. But beyond that niche, its appeal was limited. Yet, I could see that the people of this world were investing heavily in 8-Track technology, believing it to be the future of audio.

Little did they know that I was about to introduce something that would revolutionize the industry: the compact cassette.

My blueprint for the cassette tape was taking shape. Smaller, more durable, and with the ability to rewind and fast-forward, it would address all the shortcomings of the 8-Track. But I didn't stop there. Alongside the tape, I began drafting plans for a cassette player.

The basic blueprint for the player came easily with my enhanced skills. I even attempted to draft plans for a Walkman-style portable player, but quickly realized that was beyond my current capabilities. It seemed I would need to advance my craftsmanship and mechanical skills even further to tackle that level of miniaturization and complexity.

As I worked through the night, my mind wandered to the potential impact of these inventions. Introducing cassette technology would do more than just provide better audio quality and convenience. It could fundamentally change how people in this world consumed and shared music.

The second reason for my sleeplessness was the new "Fame = Power" function of my system. Excited by the possibilities, I decided to immediately put it to use, focusing on leveling up my {Sinful Magic} to increase its potency.

However, I quickly discovered that magical advancement wasn't as straightforward as I had assumed. As I attempted to level up my {Sinful Magic}, I realized with growing horror that my mana pool couldn't support the increased potency.

The mana pool, located in the area of my stomach, felt like it was about to rupture under the pressure of the enhanced magic. The mana vessel circulation throughout my body gave the alarming sensation of being on the verge of bursting.

The pain was excruciating, and for a terrifying moment, I felt like I was dying. Panic set in as I realized the gravity of my mistake. Acting quickly, I immediately diverted my focus to upgrading my mana pool instead.

Only then did the pressure start to subside. My mana pool and the connected vessels gradually calmed, the immediate danger passing. But the ordeal wasn't over. Without warning, I found myself vomiting blood - but this was no ordinary blood. It had a jelly-like consistency and glowed with the eerie light of {Sinful Magic}.

Gasping for breath, I muttered to myself, "Heck... I would never upgrade the {Sinful Magic} again if I didn't have a capable mana pool to hold it."

It was a harsh lesson, one that could have cost me my life. I had naively thought I could level up my {Sinful Magic} and simply train my mana pool to expand later. I couldn't have been more wrong. If I had pushed any harder, I might have caused irreparable damage to my magical core, or worse.

As I cleaned up the glowing, jelly-like blood, I reflected on how fortunate I had been. If I had rashly spent all my Fan Points on upgrading {Sinful Magic}, the consequences could have been catastrophic. My body might have literally burst from the uncontainable magical energy.

This experience was a stark reminder of the complexities of magical advancement in this world.

My knowledge from my previous life, while valuable, clearly had its limits when it came to the intricacies of this world's magical systems.

As the pain gradually subsided, I began to formulate a new strategy. I would need to approach my magical advancement more holistically, ensuring my mana pool and circulation could support any increase in magical potency. It would be a slower process, but a far safer one.

Moreover, this incident highlighted the need for secrecy in my magical development. If anyone had witnessed what had just happened, it would have raised far too many questions - questions I wasn't prepared to answer.