Chapter 99: Season's Number One Popularity King!

【The Prequel of the Stars: Embers – Season 1 Ends】

【Season Playback Settlement Initiated. Popularity Ranking Calculating…】

【Character: Tian Dao Siming – Season Popularity Rank: #1】

【Rewards Awarded:】

【1. Guaranteed 35% Screen Time Share in Next Season】

【2. One Exclusive Promotion Worth 1 Million Popularity Points】

【3. One Special Character Background Modification Permission】

A clear system chime rang inside Tian Dao’s mind.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Tian Dao glanced around, instantly sensing the anomaly.

Though he was still in the familiar Quantum Center Control Room, the control platform nearby—normally a pulsing sea of blinking indicator lights—had been frozen mid-motion, as if someone had pressed pause on reality itself.

Worse yet, he felt like he was in a state akin to out-of-body experience. Not only could he see his physical form inside the simulation chamber, but he also perceived the surrounding world—frozen in grayscale, utterly still.

【System Notification: You are currently in Creator Mode. You may freely explore within defined boundaries, unrestricted by time. Upon exiting Creator Mode, your consciousness will fully return to the anime world.】

Understanding dawned on Tian Dao.

With time no longer a constraint, he leisurely turned his attention to his own status panel.

【Name: Tian Dao Siming (Stellar Envoy Association – Class A Fugitive)】

【Age: 13】

【Rank: First-Rank Stellar Envoy】

【Base Stellar Energy Value: 999 (Maxed Out)】

【Stellar Source: Vector Control (Development: 100% – Awakening Condition Not Yet Met)】

【Stellar Core: Star-Eclipse Eye (Awakening in Progress)】

【Attributes: Strength S, Agility S, Mind S, Constitution S】

【Skills: ……】

【Current Popularity Points: 3.4 Million】

【Loaned Popularity Points: 1 Million (Max Capacity Reached)】

Class A Fugitive of the Stellar Envoy Association?

So that was it—despite being “killed” in the Embers arc, since his body had never been found, the Association hadn’t officially declared him dead. Instead, they’d marked him as missing, and issued a nationwide wanted bulletin.

To be fair… this Class A fugitive status was perfect for cementing his role as the ultimate villain of the Stellarverse.

But honestly? Tian Dao didn’t care much about the label.

He had no intention of making a public appearance in Season 2—certainly not before reaching Level 3. At least not yet.

After all, the other Stellar Prodigies beneath him were already powerful enough to shake the foundations of major Stellar Envoy organizations.

If the #1 Star of the universe revealed himself too early, chaos would erupt—potentially beyond control.

But refusing to show his face didn’t mean he had to stay quiet.

As the ultimate popularity powerhouse, Tian Dao could endure almost anything—except being underrated.

So while he hadn’t yet unlocked the original The Stars · Faint Light storyline, he already had a rough plan in mind.

And that plan was called: [Above the Heavens].

Of course, the full details of Above the Heavens were still vague—just a framework. The precise strategy would only crystallize after he’d read the original source material.

With that in mind, Tian Dao immediately used one million Popularity Points to repay his loan.

【Ding! Popularity Credit received your repayment. Given your excellent popularity credit history and your #1 ranking in this season’s popularity settlement, the Popularity Credit system is now re-evaluating your loan capacity.】

【Evaluation Complete. Your current seasonal popularity loan limit: 5 Million】

【Loaned Popularity Points: 0 (Max: 5 Million)】

Whoa… free money?

Tian Dao blinked, stunned at the sudden surge in his credit limit.

After all, he’d worked himself to the bone for one full season—barely scraping 3–4 million Popularity Points.

Sure, the show was still new, the fanbase still forming, and the franchise hadn’t fully taken off yet.

But that only proved how difficult it was to earn Popularity Points.

As for how to spend it—Tian Dao decided to wait. He’d only spend it after watching the original The Stars · Faint Light script.

Because every point had to count. The return had to be maximized.

True, his unexpected appearance in Season 1 had altered several key plot points, meaning Season 2 of The Stars · Faint Light would inevitably deviate from the original.

But even so, Tian Dao wasn’t hesitating.

Why? Because the original script wasn’t just about knowing the story’s direction.

It also revealed hidden lore—crucial details the production team might have left out.

Like: What exactly did the Twelve Miracle Stones represent?

Or: Where were the legendary Seven Floating Cities located? What kind of worlds lay within? And—most importantly—was there any Kong-connection to exploit?

No matter how much the official Season 2 deviated, one thing was certain:

He was buying the original script.

【You have purchased the entire The Stars · Faint Light series. Access available at any time.】

After spending a massive 500,000 Popularity Points, Tian Dao dove into the original story—not once, not twice, but dozens of times.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally finished watching the entire series.

“Phew.”

Tian Dao exhaled deeply.

Even though he was still in a disembodied, soul-out-of-body state, the long session had left him drained. He instinctively stretched, rolling his shoulders.

And he was… surprised by what he’d just seen.

He’d expected Faint Light to be a classic underdog tale—Chen Kong rising from the ashes, overcoming odds, proving himself.

But the truth was… the production team had way more flair than he’d thought.

No underdog. No slow grind.

The Stars · Faint Light was a full-blown Overpowered Return to the City fantasy.

If someone skipped Season 1 and jumped straight into Season 2, they’d never guess that the guy casually crushing enemies in the background—cool, calm, and utterly unstoppable—was the same weakling from Season 1, the one who always hid behind others.

It wasn’t that Chen Kong was weak.

It was just that everyone else in the Stellarverse was too damn strong.

Then, in the final episode of Season 2, Chen Kong claimed the Miracle Stone · Law—a power that allowed near-instantaneous manifestation of will.

And in that moment… a slightly sinister thought began to take root in Tian Dao’s mind.

Moments later, his spirit form—though intangible—adjusted an imaginary pair of sunglasses.

“Kong,” he murmured, voice dripping with quiet amusement, “this Season… you really ate the whole buffet, didn’t you?”

“But that kind of power? Miracle Stone · Law—something that makes words turn into law? I think you’re still too green to handle it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll just keep it safe for you. When you’re ready… I’ll give it back. I promise. No tricks.”

With that, Tian Dao immediately began refining his [Above the Heavens] plan.

He mapped out every possible threat—enemy strength, numbers, potential plot twists, and variables.

After careful calculation and revision, he finally locked in every detail.

“Done.”

【New Plan: Above the Heavens】

【Target: Seize the Miracle Stone · Law】

With the plan finalized, Tian Dao turned to another task he’d been planning for a long time.

Using his Season 1 #1 popularity reward—Exclusive Character Background Modification Permission—he would now unlock a unique, AI-exclusive talent: Overclocking Computation.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end