Popularity Settlement for the First Three Episodes…
There’s also OP and theme song camera rewards?
Yun Ruoxi blinked in surprise and focused her gaze. On the system panel, a long leaderboard had just refreshed:
【Popularity Ranking of Characters in the First Three Episodes】
NO.1 Lin Zhen | Total Popularity: 390,000+
NO.2 Yun Ruoxi | Total Popularity: 240,000+
NO.3 Zi Jiu | Total Popularity: 190,000+
NO.4 Yun Che (ID 2357) | Total Popularity: 140,000+
NO.5 Kaios (ID 1399) | Total Popularity: 110,000+
NO.6 0001 | Total Popularity: 92,194
NO.7 Anvil (ID 6371) | Total Popularity: 82,145
NO.8 Xiaguang | Total Popularity: 52,104
The list displayed every character who had appeared on camera in the first three episodes of Starlight. Yun Ruoxi immediately spotted herself in second place and nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Zhen, as the male lead, naturally suited the audience’s point of view, and with over 60% of the screen time, as long as his character design had no flaws, securing the top popularity spot was a piece of cake.
As a secondary female character, her screen time was originally less than half that of Zi Jiu, the female lead.
But by changing the plot, establishing her character, and pulling at the audience’s emotions, she had now surpassed Zi Jiu by nearly fifty thousand popularity points.
That was already a great success.
In terms of the entertainment industry from her previous life, this meant she had successfully grabbed a better role position.
Yun Che, Kaios, and Anvil were all members of the main cast and had plenty of scenes in the third episode, with well-liked character settings.
Their rankings were entirely within Yun Ruoxi’s expectations.
Without altering the plot, her rank would generally be among these characters.
Only 0001’s ranking was somewhat unexpected—this guy actually managed to climb to sixth place.
“Should I say he truly is the ultimate boss of the first season?” Yun Ruoxi murmured quietly in her heart.
0001 was powerful and calm; in the original storyline, the word “invincible” was practically written all over him.
Plus, he was the protagonist’s main opponent with plenty of confrontations, making him naturally attractive to fans who liked strong characters.
If she hadn’t interrupted in the third episode and successfully broken through 0001’s defenses in the final battle, exposing his flaws, his rank might have been even higher.
But overall, the higher 0001’s rank was, the better it was for Yun Ruoxi.
Because this fully proved the viability of the villain route.
“Big sister? Big sister, what’s wrong?”
Yun Ruoxi was still scanning the list downward when a soft voice suddenly called from beside her.
She quickly looked away and raised a gentle smile: “Nothing, just suddenly feeling a bit tired again.”
“Is that so? Then how about we go to the cafeteria first? It’s almost mealtime…” 9993 asked with concern.
“Sure.”
Yun Ruoxi nodded, looking at 9993, the corner of her mouth curving slightly.
They left the recuperation room together.
***
Side by side, they headed toward the cafeteria, occasionally passing students rushing from the training or practice grounds to eat.
The camp’s management of students was no longer as strict as before, allowing them some freedom to allocate their own time and do extra training.
9993 watched the passing crowd, occasionally sprinting by, and whispered in awe:
“It’s only been a month, but everyone already seems to have gradually adapted to camp life.”
Yun Ruoxi gazed out at the dark night outside the window without turning her head: “You’re no exception—you’ve improved a lot too.”
“I’m still far from it…” 9993 shook her head, sounding a little downcast.
“I performed terribly in the combat class. Instructor Saxin said I have no talent at all for fighting……..”
She laughed self-deprecatingly.
“When I see the enemy in the ring, my whole body goes numb, I forget everything I learned, and I lost two straight fights in the combat evaluation.”
“If it weren’t for points I pulled from other subjects, my rank would have dropped even further.”
“But weren’t you quite brave when you faced 786 and the others?” Yun Ruoxi asked curiously.
9993 had radiated an unusually strong aura at that time.
Yun Ruoxi had no doubt that if 0001 had come instead, this little girl would have charged straight at him and tried to bite him.
The blonde girl clutched her shirt hem, her cheeks flushed: “That, that was just an impulse… Now that I think about it, I don’t know where I got the courage from back then.”
A bunny-type girl who bites when nervous…… Yun Ruoxi’s eyes flicked down to the lower ranks of the popularity list, and her gaze suddenly sharpened.
【NO.12 Instructor Behemoth | Total Popularity: 14,921】
【NO.13 Aili (ID 9993) | Total Popularity: 8,989】
9993—or rather Aili—actually made the list?
She wasn’t supposed to have any significant screen time or role ranking, just a pure background character.
Could it be because Yun Ruoxi dragged her into scenes and even had rival interactions with Lin Zhen?
Yun Ruoxi stared at the girl’s flushed profile, her thoughts churning.
Originally, she had just treated 9993 as a convenient outlet to display her mask-self and vent her mental stress.
After all, since 9993 had no role ranking, she was destined not to appear on camera.
As long as she was careful, no matter what expression she showed in front of her, there wouldn’t be any flashback or special scenes that would boomerang back.
But now, because of Yun Ruoxi, 9993 had made it onto the popularity list.
Perhaps there would be even more scenes for her in the future, meaning Yun Ruoxi could no longer treat her simply as a tool for venting.
Her approach and attitude toward 9993 needed to be adjusted.
“However…….. this actually is a good trial opportunity.”
Yun Ruoxi’s eyes sparkled.
She had the popularity system and could improve her role ranking after each season’s popularity settlement.
But what if it was a passerby character originally without any lines?
Could they also gain an official role ranking thanks to her influence?
Yun Ruoxi felt this was well worth testing.
It would help her understand more deeply how this “anime world” operated.
Besides, Aili’s existence as a [character] was destined to be deeply connected with her. Perhaps the popularity she gained could even partly flow back to her.
That could become another channel to gain popularity.
After finishing dinner in the cafeteria, Yun Ruoxi declined to join the other students rushing off to training and also politely refused 9993’s company, returning alone to her dormitory.
But when she reached the dormitory entrance and saw unfamiliar roommates inside, she suddenly remembered that after the evaluations ended, the dorms had undergone a third round of reassignments.
She looked down and lifted her collar. The number on it had already changed to 1003, a leap of 1,192 ranks from before.
Following the dorm number on her collar, she quickly found her new room.
A double room, with a private bathroom!
No one was in the dorm; her roommate seemed to be training extra, so Yun Ruoxi felt at ease, took a shower, and went to bed early.
Using rest as an excuse, she opened the system.
She wanted to see what this OP and theme song business was about.
【Congratulations, Host! You have won second place on the Popularity Ranking!】
【You have earned 20% exclusive OP screen time and 20% of the theme song’s singing share. Would you like to proceed with OP camera customization and theme song recording immediately?】
“Twenty percent isn’t bad, but are you seriously asking me to film a video and sing the song myself for the customization and recording?”
Yun Ruoxi narrowed her eyes, an uneasy premonition rising in her heart.