Chapter 100 World H: 3 What is an idol? ...
What is an idol?
It is the sweat shed day after day, the rigorous self-planning, and the effort to show the most perfect side of oneself to the fans who love one.
It was a decision made after overcoming numerous difficulties, standing in the spotlight in the center of the stage, looking at the fans who were all around me, that I wanted to convey my heart through dance and songs.
It's the moment when you've given it your all and finally received what you've been longing for: the passionate and sincere hearts of your fans, their warm encouragement, and your heart filled with immense satisfaction.
The above... is actually somewhat different from the guardians of this world.
This world is different from other worlds. In other worlds, the guardians are directly empowered by the city's will. Although this world was also chosen by the city's will, its fighting style relies on singing and dancing, making it quite different from the others.
While they did need some fan support in the early stages of becoming guardians, their power remains relatively stable as they grow stronger, unless they become universally disliked. This stability won't diminish due to some fans leaving. Their strength will primarily come from their singing and dancing abilities later on.
Like idols in other worlds, the Guardians need to maintain their figures and put in a lot of effort in dancing and singing.
Unlike idols in other worlds, they are trained to use greater power to quickly defeat monsters and minimize damage. Human life is of paramount importance, far more so than anything else, and they train for at least ten hours a day.
Their efforts paid off; the fans were incredibly enthusiastic, sometimes even excessively so, to the point that some felt scalded and were at a loss for what to do.
Oh, of course, this doesn't include Ethan.
When he encounters his fans, he often feels like they want to kill him; they all seem very menacing, probably because they think his dancing in the sky is too awkward.
If you're at a loss, shouldn't you be wondering how to escape?
But what other choice did he have? He just jumped, regardless of whether others wanted to or not, regardless of whether he himself wanted to or not, he had to jump.
...But was that a fan?
Ethan asked him why he became a guardian.
Actually, Ethan didn't know either.
Actually, he was bewildered when he was chosen to be a guardian. He only came to his senses when he first stepped onto the battlefield.
Although he had undergone a period of training, he was still a bit flustered at first, and he couldn't keep up with some of the movements. He made one mistake after another, and when he got nervous and anxious, he made even more mistakes. After the first time, he felt like burying himself alive.
Although he received some comfort and advice from his seniors in the team, it still took Ethan quite a while to get himself in a better state.
"Why did you become a guardian?" Turnas asked.
"Why become a guardian?" Tenas asked, feigning deep thought. "That's a good question."
He said it was because he wanted to protect the world he was meant to protect, to preserve everything he cherished: his family, friends, and neighbors, the city where he had grown up. He didn't want to lose any of them, from the little cats and dogs he knew to his closest family and friends. He didn't want to see an innocent disaster take them away.
He said he actually hates suffering. The world is too unfair. Many tragedies happen one after another, crushing one family after another. He feels very sad every time he sees them.
He said he was fed up with this feeling of helplessness.
Tenas lowered his head, revealing only his excessively long eyelashes and obscuring his facial expression. His tone was different from his previous impassioned manner; it was calm, as if he were stating a fact.
The atmosphere froze because of this somewhat heavy and serious topic.
Turnas thought that this world and their world were not that different, except that the attack pattern was a key point, but otherwise they were very similar.
For example, his idea is the same as Tenas'.
Why did he accept the invitation from the will of Yangyan City to become a guardian? Because he knew all too well what the world before him needed—it needed more and stronger people.
If one could possess power, who would willingly choose to be an ordinary person, unable to control the lives of those around them or even their own?
Turner was greedy; he wanted everyone to live unharmed, and for no one to take anything he cherished away. If everyone could live happily and peacefully, he hoped so.
This is why Tenas, a pampered young master who shouldn't have known the hardships of life, resolutely became a guardian. He even had a falling out with his parents, who wanted him to go into politics, and didn't return home for three years until his sister was born.
"Ahem." After a half-minute silence, Turner, not used to the atmosphere, coughed a few times to pull everyone back from their sad thoughts and change the subject: "Aren't you embarrassed at all when you're dancing?"
“Hmm, of course.” Upon hearing this, Tenas’s face gradually broke into a smile, almost blindingly bright in the sunlight: “These are just minor difficulties, just a small part of my journey to becoming a Guardian.”
“He’s lying.” Reena said, a cigarette dangling from her lips, her long, slender hand toying with the delicate lighter. The urge to smoke was simmering, but she suppressed it. However, her body was also somewhat hyperactive, feeling uncomfortable all over. “He was hypnotized and will believe that he won’t feel embarrassed. The members with thinner skin will then undergo related procedures.”
I really want to smoke, but I can't. I'll just have to hold back. She's always been the best at enduring things, isn't she?
...I still really want to smoke, so why are fans copying things from other countries? They don't even want the Guardians to do something as trivial as smoking.
They said they were afraid it would turn their lungs black, cause addiction, and make their teeth yellow.
Just kidding, they've hired a professional team to take care of their image. Forget about yellow teeth, from now on everyone's image is fixed, their teeth will only be so white that toothpaste commercials will be begging them to shoot.
This is a constraint, Reena thought.
In the past, people didn't care whether you smoked or not. This kind of thing only happened in some countries with stricter regulations. Their country has always been the most free, a kind of chaotic freedom. It's just that some people get disappointed because they smoke and stop liking it.
Smoking isn't the same as inhaling. Although Reena doesn't understand the fans' thought process, she is still forcing herself to quit smoking and is also keeping an eye on other members who have a smoking habit.
"...What?" Upon hearing this, Tenas immediately turned his gaze to Tenas, his eyes becoming somewhat strange: "You...so you also thought it would be awkward?"
“No.” Tenas shook his head gently, his whole being shining brightly, his voice clear and bright: “I have no memory of it. I think I didn’t do it. Why would I be ashamed of these things? These are nothing serious. You always have to lose something on the road to growth. I only lost some face, but I gained many fans who love me and many sincere hearts.”
This guy... he's definitely been hypnotized. Tenas thought with a dark expression, feeling a little embarrassed by what he was hearing, but Tenas's face seemed serious.
"Did you accept it too?" Ethan whispered to his counterpart when they were children.
"I don't know, I don't have any related memories, but it feels very likely, because I feel a little embarrassed." Ethan muttered under his breath, "It wasn't just the dancing on the battlefield at the beginning that was a little embarrassing, but hearing these words also made me a little embarrassed. I wonder if he really said these things? It's too outrageous, isn't it?"
Reena rolled her eyes impatiently, snapped her fingers, and made a crisp sound that reached everyone's ears clearly: "Ethan's effect has indeed weakened a bit, but I've reinforced it."
The moment he heard the snap, Ethan felt a moment of dizziness. After receiving the familiar snap, the commands began to operate, clouding his memory and altering his thoughts.
"Are you embarrassed?" Ethan's expression was no longer as bad as before, and he gave a shy smile: "Actually, I think it's okay. You get used to it after a while."
……！
It's like brainwashing, oh my god, it's terrifying! Does a leader actually know this trick? I wonder if Rena in my own world does it too.
"And you?" Nadia and Nadia snuggled together on the sofa, very close, as if having an intimate conversation between sisters. "Why did you become a Guardian?"
Nadia's words were like a key that unlocked the door to her memories, bringing back many things she thought she had forgotten.
Dirty, ragged clothes, numb and blank eyes.
The ruins, what should have been a home, have become a scene of devastation. The home that once represented happiness has become a death knell for loved ones, taking them away one by one.
Tears streamed down their cheeks, leaving small white streaks on their dirty faces. The survivors clutched their wounds, lifeless like puppets.
Numb and useless tears; some people can't even shed tears anymore, they just stare blankly, as if their souls have been taken away.
There was a deathly silence; not even a mournful cry could be uttered, let alone a painful scream or the devastation of losing everything.
The helplessness after everything was over, the suffering she personally experienced on the scene, the soul-shaking experience, the pain directly filled all her senses.
Why must there be war?
What benefits does war bring? It causes children to lose their parents, parents to lose their children, siblings to lose the relatives they grew up with, and leaves everyone with a lifelong sense of unease.
When will there truly be no more war?
When will we be able to sit down and talk things out calmly instead of violently launching wars that destroy our homes?
When will there be true peace? When will children no longer be displaced, and when will their innocent voices turn into desperate cries?
What purpose does war serve besides shattering families, taking countless lives, causing pain and tears?
Dove, representing peace, how long will it take you to fly before peace is truly achieved?
Nadia's eyes were dull and lifeless. She buried her head in Nadia's neck to make the soreness disappear.
"I must become a guardian; I have a reason to do so."
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Author's note: In this world, Ethan doesn't yet know why he became a Guardian. As he remains a Guardian for longer, he will find out.
Ethan: They said if I jump again, they'll kill me outright (?)
This article also has a slightly anti-war tone, but it's not obvious.
What is a hero?
Heroes all possess tender hearts; they didn't want to see the current situation, and resolutely walked their own paths, even to the bitter end. That's one of the things I admire about them. [hugs]
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