Subscriber of the Gods

A new semester.

The Ivecar Academy had a curriculum consisting of a total of two semesters.

And after all these semesters were over, the Academy Exchange Festival took place during the winter.

‘There are two major events. One in the summer, and one in the winter.’

The biggest one was the Exchange Festival in the winter. It was an academic exchange event where various academies, led by Ivecar and Freya, participated.

‘The biggest problem lies with the students.’

The students of the Ivecar Academy could be broadly divided into three categories.

There were the elite nobles of the Twelve Stars, a very small upper class, the high-ranking nobles who were not part of the Twelve Stars, and the offspring of wealthy merchants.

‘And there is one more group.’

In addition to these, there were those who entered Ivecar based solely on their exceptional talent.

They had no money or influential background, but their talent was remarkable enough to receive recommendations from nobles and enter through special examinations.

However, even if they possessed exceptional talent, they were the lowest class in the Ivecar Academy.

‘A class of commoners who were practically treated like servants.’

The current Ethan came from the Whiskers family, which could be considered an unknown family.

He had not inherited any titles yet and had no notable reputation.

If he were to be a swordsmanship teacher, achievements in line with that position were important.

Like significant contributions in monster subjugation battles or had shown prowess in a certain knight order.

Alternatively, he might have been recognized for his potential by individuals at the Swordmaster level.

Such things were necessary for students to truly appreciate him.

However, Ethan had none of those things.

He was a blank slate, so to speak.

‘So, I also belong to that commoner class.’

Who would take Ethan’s classes seriously?

They would probably ignore and ridicule him.

‘To overcome that, I need more abilities than I have now.’

He could be certain of that. With his current abilities, Ethan couldn’t control those unruly students.

To subdue those insolent individuals who had no regard for authority, he needed overwhelming power.

‘Teaching is familiar to me. But to teach, I need keener observation skills than I have now. And I need the ability to overpower the students.’

It didn’t matter if he didn’t possess truly overpowering skills.

He just needed to appear as though he did.

‘That way, I can manipulate the students as I desire.’

Time was running out. The fate of the Ivecar Academy had already been determined. After the upcoming Winter Exchange Festival, it would head toward ruin.

‘But that time could be accelerated. Because I will build my reputation here.’

Therefore, to sway the predetermined fate, he needed strong allies who believed in and followed him.

The students were excellent candidates to become such allies.

‘A master-class lecture. It requires a unique ability to make it possible.’

The title of “master” was given to the top instructors in the academy.

Although only a few instructors in each academy were called masters, once they were given that title, their influence followed them until their death.

Of course, having an enormous reputation was only natural.

‘The difference between being called a master in an insignificant academy and being called a master in the continent’s best academy is on a different level.’

As soon as Ethan opened the [New World], he searched for the keyword “education.”

-The algorithm is analyzing your keyword…

Numerous gods related to education appeared.

At the top was Chiron, the mentor of countless heroes in Greek and Roman mythology.

Below that was Mentor, from whom the famous word’s etymology originated.

‘No, something different.’

What Ethan needed right now wasn’t educational philosophy.

He already had an abundance of knowledge. What was important was the ability to make that knowledge shine even brighter.

‘For that, having a perceptive eye is crucial. Both in swordsmanship and in assessing the abilities of the students.’

No matter how much knowledge Ethan possessed about various swordsmanship techniques and magic, it would be difficult to completely overpower students with strong swordsmanship skills.

Those individuals had shining backgrounds that granted them the authority to do anything.

Even if they injured a teacher during a practical class, they could simply offer a few coins and resolve the situation.

‘Of course, I won’t be the one getting injured. But if that happens, the students will be hurt. I can’t afford to win by sacrificing them while keeping myself unharmed.’

Ethan was merely a teacher of swordsmanship. Therefore, he needed abilities befitting that role.

As the conditions were quite demanding, Ethan continued to scroll through the list.

Zurrrrrr.

He needed to subscribe to a god who could supplement those abilities.

Continuing to scroll, Ethan’s eyes caught a promotional phrase that stood out.

-A method of seeing through the world with the eyes of a falcon that sees day and night [Difficulty: Intermediate]

“Oh.”

The introductory phrase about seeing through things was incredibly appealing to Ethan. It was the ability he needed most at the moment.

To see through things.

With such ability, it would be possible to overpower opponents.

“Horus?”

The god’s name was Horus.

As it was Ethan’s fourth subscription, following Heo Jun, Hercules, and Hong Gil-dong, he needed six likes to subscribe.

Ethan pondered for a moment.

Seeing through the world.

Although it required a significant number of likes, he thought it would be close to the ability he needed.

‘First, let’s check the reviews.’

Ethan checked the subscription reviews. It was essential to review them before subscribing.

-Steel Special Forces: Thanks to subscribing to Horus, I was able to copy the arm movements of the person in front of me. As a result, I scored top marks on the exam and passed. Thank you.

-Elf’s Righthand Man: With the ability to see further than myself, I was able to defeat and date the Elven Queen, who promised to date only those who can see beyond.

“Hmm.”

The subscription review was nothing but praise and gratitude.

‘Now that I see the others write their subscription review like this, I know why my subscription review is popular.’

What on earth are the conditions to be able to use [New World]?

‘Nevertheless, the ability I want is undoubtedly related to vision. It’s about seeing through with some power related to the eyes.’

Ethan immediately subscribed to Horus.

-You have subscribed to Horus!

-You have used a like.

Horus’ video was slightly different from the videos of other gods.

‘One video is long.’

-[NEW!] How to See Through with the Eyes of the Falcon

Ethan immediately clicked on the video.

And there appeared Horus, adorned with a splendid crown. More precisely, it was closer to a mask than a crown.

The enormous mask of a falcon.

Horus’ deep voice echoed.

-Subscriber, you have subscribed to me. I am Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, the guardian deity of the Pharaoh, and the archer of the sun. You’ll never regret subscribing to me…

Using the skip feature he obtained earlier by spending 1 million gold, Ethan efficiently skipped through the beginning, skipping, skipping again.

-I believe this power will be of great help to subscribers…

There was a reason for the length of the video. The introduction was too long.

‘To the point, please.’

Finally, after skipping through the middle of the video, the main content was revealed. Fortunately, the duration of the main content was quite long, considering the number of likes given.

-My power is very simple. Those who watch my videos will gain eyes that see a little better. However, that alone is not enough. I cannot claim that you have fully mastered my abilities.

“Huh? What is this about?”

Not being able to fully obtain the abilities through videos?

-In this [New World], the gods strive to gain subscribers and likes in various ways. However, among these gods, there are those who cannot bestow their abilities through videos. Gods like me.

Horus continued his explanation.

-That’s why we try to pass on our powers in slightly different ways. In the process, we also receive subscriptions and likes.

Shaaak!

A new notification window appeared before Ethan’s eyes.

-You can purchase Horus goods.

“…Goods?”

-Subscribers like you can buy goods! Selling goods comes with restrictions on uploading videos. But I can’t convey my abilities through videos!

Ethan immediately checked the purchase list.

-[Horus Goods!] Falcon’s Eye

“Falcon’s Eye? Do I have to replace my eyes?”

-You can even choose the color of the iris. That kind of power is a piece of cake to apply to the goods!

Ethan cautiously checked the number of likes required to purchase the merchandise.

“This is insane.”

The total number of likes he used to subscribe to Horus was six.

However, the price of the goods was a whopping fifteen likes.

-I’ve made it affordable. Compared to other gods, I am quite generous.

Surely the video was recorded and uploaded rather than a live stream, but Horus calmly spoke as if he could read Ethan’s thoughts.

‘No, I can’t afford it. It’s too expensive.’

-Don’t worry. Even if you can’t buy it because it’s expensive, you can still use the ability. Of course, it’s more of an imitation than proper use.

“This is a scam.”

-Surely you don’t think it’s a scam? No, no. It’s goods on a completely different level. It’s my goods!”

Horus spoke as if he could read Ethan’s thoughts, which made it even more infuriating.

‘Ugh, what should I do…’

Ethan was lost in thought for a moment.

He had used six likes and had only eight left. Not enough to purchase a single piece of goods.

But then, a good idea crossed his mind.

‘Wait a moment.’

He immediately opened his mailbox and checked the contents of the desired email.

“As a reward for writing subscription reviews, they’ll give me likes.”

They clearly mentioned that they would distribute likes. This meant that there was definitely a feature to share likes.

‘My subscription reviews are my weapons.’

The gods are craving Ethan’s subscription reviews.

While Ethan might not know how sharp his weapon was, he was aware to a certain extent.

He immediately wrote a message in Horus’ subscription review section.

-I would like to leave a subscription review.

* * *

“Hmm, should I add one more good? Or should I purchase the authority to upload another video with the likes I earned from selling the existing goods?”

Horus had been contemplating his subscribers and likes, which had recently entered a stagnant phase.

Normally, he wouldn’t have had such concerns. After all, he believed he was doing his best.

However, a problem arose.

There had been fluctuations in the rankings of the [New World], which had remained relatively stable until now.

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t caused by the gods themselves.

It was all because of one subscriber who had subscribed to them.

“The Eastern Doctor of All Things. Surely, there wouldn’t be much difference compared to other medical gods. Yet, a single subscription review caused such a drastic change in rankings.”

Horus learned that the Eastern Doctor of All Things, who was once ranked much lower than himself, was now above him.

And all because of a review written by a single subscriber.

“Are subscription reviews really that important? What kind of review could have caused this?”

Like other gods, Horus became deeply curious. He briefly considered sending a letter, but soon gave up on the idea.

“After all, a god is a guiding presence, a bestower of light. Everyone looks up to the sun not just because it is above them.”

With a solemn expression, he checked his [New World].

“Ahem.”

And there, he discovered a new post in his subscription review section.

All his previous thoughts vanished in an instant.

Before him lay a tremendous opportunity.

Horus immediately sent him a letter.