The important thing in broadcasting is viewership ratings.
Recently, with the rise of internet broadcasting stations, video websites, and OTT platforms, new indicators have emerged, but the foundation remains based on viewership ratings. Since the past, broadcasting stations have been transmitting through TV, and to assess their influence, viewership ratings have always been the most reliable metric.
“This is promising.”
“Tracking, investigation, reporting” had a reputation and the program performed reasonably well in terms of ratings. Furthermore, it had been running for a long time, and the treatment at the broadcasting station wasn’t too bad either.
However, there was a limit to being an investigative reporting program.
Unlike dramas that could expect viewership ratings in the 10-20% range just for being decent, or variety shows that boast not only high viewership ratings but also widespread influence, an investigative program had its clear restrictions.
To put it differently, one could say that investigative reporting shows existed in a different weight class compared to other programs.
Indeed, that was true.
In comparison to dramas that could achieve over 40% viewership ratings if they hit a home run, or variety shows that had even been exported overseas, investigative programs were clearly on a lower level.
But this time it was different.
With elements that felt like cheat codes, an engaging sense of entertainment, and the video quality was simply outstanding.
It raised questions about how everything was going so smoothly, as things were truly falling into place perfectly.
“Hehehe.”
The PD started to fill with expectation.
This time, he thought, it wouldn’t just be compared with other investigative reporting programs, but it could potentially match up against the aces of the variety or drama departments.
“We’re almost there. Just a bit further, it seems.”
The PD looked at Jinseong with eyes full of anticipation. Jinseong continued walking forward, surrounded by several people.
Next to him stood Chaine, who had positioned herself perfectly to be on camera, and the shamans who were just curious about Jinseong and observing him, not caring much about the broadcast.
“Wow, this is amazing. Does that thing really show you what you need to see with that blood in the pot?”
“It’s my first time seeing a shaman. I’ve seen a few Western shamans who just seem like con artists with their cards, so it’s hard to take them seriously.”
“Goodness, I’ve never met such a hick. What do you mean by calling Westerners con artists? Where did you come from, the Joseon Dynasty? Mr. Kim here probably hasn’t even paid a shaman for a divination. Those guys set up cards like it’s a game, and their readings were so spot on that trying it once turns out not to be a regret.”
The shamans spoke to Jinseong in their rustic dialects, and in between, they bantered among themselves cheerfully. Their dialect revealed they had traveled from various regions.
“Can you see that thing, whatever it is? I have a son who’s hanging around with some weird kids, and I’m really worried about him. Not even asking for him to get into some prestigious university, just hoping he can find a job out there.”
“Oh dear, you mean that profession-related fortune-telling? Whenever I go to get a reading, they always mention that, can you really not see it?”
With a smile, Jinseong replied to the shamans, whose vigilance had faded while climbing the mountain with the filming crew. He explained the payment for the reading and asked for a photo of the son along with his birth date and time from those requesting a divination, while sharing intriguing stories to engage those curious about shamanism. For those asking for talismans, he politely declined, explaining his lack of training in giving them out yet.
Thanks to Jinseong’s interactions, the shooting atmosphere began to lighten up, contrasting sharply with the earlier tension.
“Ah, the mood seems good.”
One might wonder if the soldiers working hard upfront were feeling neglected, but that wasn’t the case.
To prevent discontent among the exhausted soldiers supporting the broadcast, the PD had brought in a popular female celebrity who was liked among the troops.
Chaine dutifully showcased why she had managed to stay afloat in the broadcasting industry, frequently approaching the tired soldiers to offer encouraging words or interviewing those on break to keep any dissatisfaction at bay.
“I was annoyed when she was late, but… she really is doing well.”
The PD smiled satisfactorily at the sight.
“Everything is going smoothly.”
Everything was progressing just right. If it continued like this, they would receive a phenomenal viewership rating as a reward without any issues, and would get back several times the cost of the struggles they had faced so far. They’d be cruising down a flower-paved road to success.
Indeed. There was nothing wrong.
They were becoming the talk of the town and earning respect and admiration for how well they managed to produce the video in such a short time.
And just like that, he would rise beyond the status of just a PD, achieving greater heights and renown.
That was the thought of the PD.
He believed it intuitively, thinking it was bound to happen.
And his prediction wasn’t wrong.
They say artists have a more sensitive intuition compared to average people.
The PD’s instincts were right.
What was wrong, though?
“This is the place.”
“Here? There’s nothing special about it…?”
“There’s not even a trace of people around! No signs of animals either. What could possibly be here?”
“The scans didn’t really catch anything.”
“There’s no magnetic field, and no energy detected either… Nothing unusual on the surface.”
“Then there’s nothing we can do. Let’s start digging!”
“…Understood.”
The distinction between being wrong and being right lies in knowing that a seemingly promising outcome doesn’t necessarily guarantee a smooth process — that’s merely an illusion.
Thud —!
Thud —!
With the PD’s thoughts that everything would flow smoothly, the team led by Jinseong arrived at the designated location and was able to easily find something strange.
The soldiers scanned the ground for anything unusual using their equipment, confirming nothing odd on the surface, believing that if anything was hidden, it would be deep below the ground, out of the scanning range.
Beeep —!
Beeep —!
“Uh? The signals are coming in as we dig!”
“What’s the energy type?”
“SN-04-M03, SN-04-T07. It’s metal and wood energy!”
The soldiers’ guesses were correct. As they dug deeper, beyond a person’s height, the machines seemed to sense something.
The readings indicated energy.
Not just any energy, but a concentrated and dense form that was difficult to naturally create.
“Hey, is there anything special about the environment here?”
“Yes. Besides being rich in life force and wood energy, nothing particularly stands out.”
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
It wasn’t unheard of for an excessive amount of energy to naturally converge and create essence. For example, ice spirits found in cold regions or fire spirits discovered in volcanic areas.
Moreover, elixirs absorbed with surplus energy or spirit beings could also appear.
However, for such cases to happen, one condition had to be met.
That condition was that the environment itself needed to be overflowing with energy.
Not just a slight excess, but an overwhelmingly apparent abundance visible to the naked eye.
Yet at this location, that prerequisite was not met.
Rich in wood energy?
That was common in dense forests.
In primaries, one could feel an even greater intensity of wood energy than this.
Moreover, the metal energy posed a problem.
Why was it here, something that should only be found in a mine, and in a condensed form, no less?
This was without question.
Without question, it had to be man-made.
The soldiers, energized by the thought they had caught onto something, continued to dig enthusiastically.
No, even the officers jumped in to start digging themselves.
Thud —!
Thud —!
As the ground grew harder and more rocks surfaced, visibly delaying progress, officers took it upon themselves to dig.
One officer snatched a shovel from a soldier and infused energy into it, beginning to dig.
Perhaps because he infused it with energy, the shovel effortlessly sunk into the ground like it was pudding.
Thud —!
Thud —!
The officer cut through rocks and hard dirt, gradually digging deeper into the pit.
And finally.
Clang —!
The shovel, infused with energy, struck something metallic.
“Finally found it!”
After digging over 10m down, something emerged.
The officer threw the shovel back and took out a flashlight to verify what had been struck.
It was a wooden box heavily adorned with metal decorations, its lock seemingly broken.
From its dented appearance, it seemed that it was this lock that had come into contact with the shovel earlier.
Could it be that the lock was broken?
The box’s lid was slightly ajar, revealing what appeared to be a scrap of silk within.
On that scrap of cloth, characters written in ink were inscribed, but due to the narrow gap, only a rough view was possible.
The characters read.
“Heaven… Emperor…?”
