From Thug To Idol: My Celebrity Hunter System

Chapter 4: Becoming Somebody 2

Jonny Saint stood frozen in the middle of the warehouse break room. His eyes remained fixed on the giant television screen as Hunter Leon Valor smiled for the cameras.

For a brief moment, jonny imagined himself standing there. Being admired and respected.

Having people actually know his name.The thought felt so foreign that he almost laughed.

"...Impossible." he told himself.

The System interrupted his thoughts.

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Attention Energy Detected.

Nearby individuals are directing their attention toward Hunter Leon Valor.

Attention flows regardless of distance.

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Jonny frowned. "So, They're making him stronger?"

[Affirmative.]

"Just by talking about him?"

[Affirmative.]

"What if they've never met him?"

[Irrelevant. Recognition is sufficient.]

Jonny's expression became serious.

"So. If the entire world knew my name..."

The System answered before he could finish.

[Your potential would increase exponentially.]

His heart skipped a beat and the realization down on him. This wasn't just another game-like ability.

This.. This could change everything.

"Break's over!" A loud whistle echoed through the warehouse.

The workers reluctantly returned to their stations.

Jonny followed silently.

Few hours later, Jonny clocked out.

The orange glow of the setting sun painted the streets as he boarded the evening bus.

This time he didn't lower his head.

Instead...

He watched people.

Really watched them.

A little girl waved excitedly at the bus driver.

"Hi, Mr. Paul!"

The old driver smiled warmly.

"You're going home already, Lily?"

Golden threads flowed between them.

Not many...

But enough for Jonny to notice.

The driver wasn't famous.

Yet dozens of passengers clearly recognized him.

[Attention Energy Generated.]

"So even ordinary people can gather it..." Jonny asked as his eyes widened.

[Correct.]

"Then why aren't they becoming stronger?" He asked.

[Because they lack a compatible System.]

Jonny leaned back in his seat. "So I'm the only one?"

There was a brief pause.

Longer than usual.

[Information Restricted.]

"...That's not an answer." Jonny said.

The System offered no further explanation.

By the time Jonny reached his apartment, one question had been bothering him for nearly an hour.

He kicked off his shoes and dropped onto his worn-out couch.

"System." He called out.

[Awaiting Host Query.]

"You said attention makes me stronger."

[Correct.]

"Then explain it properly."

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then multiple blue windows unfolded one after another.

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ATTENTION ENERGY: The emotional and mental focus directed toward an individual.

Attention is converted into Fame Points.

Fame Points fuel the System.

Another window appeared.

TYPES OF ATTENTION

Fame: Wide recognition built through admiration or achievement.

Stable.

Reliable.

High quality.

Respect: Recognition earned through competence and trust.

Produces high-quality Attention Energy.

Extremely valuable.

Fear: Recognition born from power and intimidation.

Produces unstable but powerful Attention Energy.

Infamy: Recognition gained through scandal, crime, controversy, or humiliation.

Produces large amounts of low-quality Attention

Energy: Highly volatile.

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"...Hold on." Jonny blinked "So, I could become famous or infamous?"

[Attention has many forms.]

Jonny scratched his chin.

"So if I robbed a bank..."

[Your Fame Points would increase temporarily.]

His eyes lit up.

"Seriously?"

[Yes and you would also be pursued by law enforcement.]

[Probability of death: 91.7%.]

[Recommendation: Do not rob banks.]

"...Fair." he replied as he thought for another moment.

"What if I pull harmless pranks?"

[Possible.]

"What if I embarrass myself online?"

[Possible.]

"What if I become the greatest hero in history?"

[Optimal Path Identified.]

Jonny smiled. "See? That one sounds much better."

He stood up and stretched. "If people just need to know me, Then I'll make them know me."

He pulled out his aging smartphone.The screen was covered in tiny scratches, the battery sat at seventeen percent.

He opened a social media app.

Three followers.

One was his mother.

One was an old classmate who hadn't spoken to him in four years.

The third...

He didn't even recognize.

"We all start somewhere." He murmured.

He propped the phone against a coffee mug.

Adjusted the angle and ran his fingers through his messy hair.

"...No." He wet it but Immediately regretted it.

Now it looked worse.

"Whatever." He said as He hit record.

"Hey, everyone!"His voice cracked as he also coughed awkwardly.

"Today I'm going to..."

He paused.

"...Actually, what am I doing?"

He stopped recording.

Deleted it.

Tried again.

"Hey guys!"

Delete.

"What's up, everybody?"

Delete.

"Yo!"

Delete.

After nearly thirty minutes...

He finally managed to upload something.

It wasn't funny.

It wasn't clever.

It was just...

Jonny attempting to tell an awkward joke before tripping over the same chair that had nearly killed him.

"...Perfect." He sighed. "Nothing screams quality content like almost dying twice."

He uploaded it.

Then waited.

Five minutes.

Nothing.

Ten minutes.

Nothing.

Thirty minutes.

Still nothing.

He refreshed the page.

One view,His own.

An hour later...

Two views.

"I didn't watch it again..."he frowned.

Another refresh.

Three views.

"Three!" He said as his face brightened.

Then he looked closer. One was him.The second was also him.

He had accidentally refreshed the video twice.

The final viewer left after watching three seconds.

Jonny slowly lowered the phone.

Silence filled the apartment.

"...I think the internet just rejected me."

A notification appeared.

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Current Video Statistics

Views: 3

Average Watch Time:

3 Seconds

Likes:

0

Comments:

0

Shares:

0

Followers Gained:

0

Fame Points Earned:

0

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The System spoke without mercy.

------------

Evaluation Complete.

Content Quality:Poor.

Entertainment Value: Minimal.

Virality Potential: Negligible.

Recommendation: Please improve.

-----------

Jonny stared at the screen.

"You know... I liked you better when you weren't judging me."

He flopped backward onto the couch, letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

"So becoming famous... isn't going to be easy after all."