Chapter 35: A week
It had been a full week since I'd gotten my car, and I was starting to settle into the rhythm of everything again. I hadn't had much time to drive around just for the sake of it, but even the short trips—from the set to home, or to pick up something quick—felt different.
There's something about owning a car that adds a small layer of control to your life. You go where you want, when you want.
No waiting on anyone.
On top of that, Justin finally confirmed that the collaboration had gone through with the other artist as well.
Our managers had handled the bulk of the back-and-forth, but it was official: the song would be released soon.
I'd even be making a brief appearance in the music video—not a major role, just a casual cameo—but it still counted as screen time, and Ethan was the one who made that happen. It felt good knowing my contribution was being acknowledged publicly. Writing a song and getting actual credit for it in the early stages of my career wasn't something I took lightly.
Meanwhile, on the Teen Wolf side of things, we'd just wrapped up shooting episode nine of season one. This one took an entire week to film, which was longer than most of the episodes we'd done before. Part of that came down to pace. While I could hit my scenes in one take—since the system handled most of the actual "acting"—the others understandably needed more time. They weren't machines, and it was easy to forget that when you were in a groove.
Acting to be was natural but the others, they still had to warm up, reset after tough takes, and deal with regular fatigue. It was a lot, and the production team understood that. No one complained about slowing down, especially since we were still ahead of schedule. We only had three episodes left—10, 11, and 12—and at our current pace, we'd be done with season one in about two more weeks. Just in time for April.
Speaking of time, my dad's birthday was only three days away. I'd already finalized the car gift with the dealership. They'd be delivering it directly to my family's address the morning of his birthday, and I was planning to swing by personally, just to see the look on his face.
Another unexpected development this past week was that I hit another 100,000 Entertainment Points, which unlocked one more bronze lottery spin. I didn't expect much, considering the first spin gave me beginner-level live streaming. This time? Beginner-level board game mastery.
Weird choice.
I mean, sure, I played a ton of board games growing up. Monopoly, Risk, Clue, Uno—if it involved a group of friends and some good-natured competition, I'd played it. Add to that the fact that I had memories from three different lives—my original life, the one I currently lived in, and Scott's perspective as well—and I'd say I was more than qualified. Intermediate level, easy. Even advanced, depending on the game. But apparently, the system decided to start me at the bottom.
Still, it was another skill. Another step closer to unlocking the silver lottery. I didn't complain. Every skill added a layer, even if I couldn't immediately use it.
The system was starting to make more sense to me now. Every week, with consistent YouTube uploads and good content, I could reliably pull in 100,000 EPs. The daily vlogs weren't performing at viral levels anymore, but they had settled into a strong average—enough to bring in steady points. The original vlog with Crystal, which MTV was still quietly pushing in promotions, kept racking up views as well.
"Lord of the Mysteries," on the other hand, had become something of a passion project. It earned EP, sure, but nowhere near the numbers my YouTube content was bringing in. I didn't mind. It was still my legacy piece. And I had a plan for it.
For the past few weeks, I'd been subtly teasing it in my vlogs. Always including clips of me typing, or short shots of a manuscript file on my screen. Never enough to give anything away, but just enough to build curiosity. The long game here was to wait until my YouTube subscriber count crossed 100,000, and I was regularly pulling 50,000 views within the first day of uploads.
That was the threshold. Once I hit that, I'd reveal that Lord of the Mysteries was mine.
It would be the perfect crossover—funneling my YouTube audience toward the novel, and pulling my literary fanbase back toward my personality. That dual exposure would multiply my entertainment point income. I didn't want to waste the reveal. When it dropped, I wanted it to hit hard.
So for now, I waited. I built. And I kept my uploads consistent. Week by week, the numbers grew. And with them, my plans.
Over the past few days, I'd also started dedicating a bit of time each evening to track down artists from the future—those who would eventually dominate the charts, redefine genres, and shape the landscape of music over the next decade or two. It was oddly nostalgic to see some of their names pop up in forums, news blurbs, or early press releases. In my past life, many of these people were titans. But now, they were just names at the start of something.
Taylor Swift, for example, was already fairly well-known. Her country-pop style had caught on in the United States, and she was building a solid fan base with songs that felt both intimate and commercially polished. Her lyricism was already being recognized for its sharpness, especially considering her age. Right now, she was somewhere between a popular indie sensation and a mainstream breakout star. She'd go on to be a global icon, obviously, but it was surreal to remember that in 2010, she was still "up and coming" to a lot of people.
Then there were others like Ariana Grande and Selena Gomez. Both were starring in TV shows on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, respectively. Ariana was on Victorious, while Selena was front and center on Wizards of Waverly Place—a show that, if I'm being honest, I really enjoyed even in my last life. Seeing her now, acting in that familiar magic-themed world, gave me the strange idea: if I gained enough influence in the future, could I possibly land a guest spot on a show like that? Even just a one-off appearance? It sounded crazy, but then again, so did half the things that were now normal in my life.
I reminded myself not to get carried away. The goal wasn't to shoehorn myself into every little opportunity. It was about picking the right ones—the ones with strategic value. Still, the thought lingered.
As for Dua Lipa, she was completely off the grid at this point. From what I remembered, she'd only start doing music covers on YouTube in the 2011–2012 window. That gave me time. She wasn't established yet, and very few people knew her name. I jotted that down on my list of "future powerhouses to watch."
On the male side of things, people like Shawn Mendes were still literal children. If I had my math right, he'd be around 10 years old in 2010. That meant I could use nearly all of his future discography without raising any red flags—another goldmine in terms of songwriting opportunities. I could already imagine feeding those songs into the pipeline one by one, spacing them out with the right voices and production.
Ed Sheeran, meanwhile, was already beginning to stir the waters. I'd read somewhere that he'd just been selected to go on tour—opening act status, sure, but it was the kind of break that snowballs quickly. In just a year or two, he'd be dominating every wedding playlist and radio station with his debut album. If I could somehow connect with him—or even find a way to collaborate down the line—I'd be planting a seed in soil that was guaranteed to grow.
Then there was The Weeknd. Right now, he was uploading music anonymously to the internet, releasing haunting, raw tracks that nobody could quite place. No image, no interviews—just sound. It was working for him, and in a few years, the world would know his name. I made a note to keep tabs on his releases, maybe even to approach his team when the time was right. He wasn't the easiest artist to work with, if I remember correctly, but when the stars aligned, the result was magic.
And then there was Bruno Mars.
Even now—back in 2010—he was beginning to rise. "Nothin' on You" had already dropped, and "Just the Way You Are" was right around the corner. Soon after that, he'd hit the world with "Grenade" and never look back. Bruno had always been one of my favorite artists. His vocals, his stage presence, the emotion he packed into every line—it was a masterclass in performance. I couldn't help but smile when I thought about the idea of working with him one day. That was a distant goal, but it wasn't impossible.
The music industry was starting to take shape. Names I knew from the future were still unknown to the world. But I had the map. I knew where they were headed, even if they didn't. And if I played my cards right, I could meet them at the crossroads.
Somewhere down the line, the headlines might even read: Breakout Star Collaborates with Pop Icons. And maybe, just maybe, I'd be the star they were talking about.
I had just wrapped up shooting for the day, my energy somewhere between worn-out and wired. It had been another intense episode—lots of emotional scenes, some action, and a whole lot of focus. But now that the cameras were off and the sun had started to dip, I figured it was the perfect time to relax a little. More importantly, it was the right moment to finally bring some of my worlds together.
Crystal and Dylan had become genuine friends, Crystal more than that—the kind you're glad to see when you walk onto set. And Sam? Sam was a brother to me. He'd been there long before all of this started. We shared too much history to keep him boxed away from this part of my life. So I thought: why not introduce them? Sam had a day off today, and the timing couldn't be better. I was planning to take them out somewhere casual. Nothing too flashy—just a way to get everyone in the same space, maybe grab a late dinner, laugh a bit, break that invisible wall between "onset" and "real life."
I leaned back in my trailer, letting my body settle as I stared up at the ceiling. Just as I was about to message Sam, my phone buzzed. Ethan's name lit up the screen.
He rarely called. We mostly communicate via email or text, and if the situation was urgent, he'd usually just send a voice note. So when I saw his name and the ringing didn't stop, I picked up immediately.
"Hey, Ethan. What's up?" I said, sitting up straighter. "You don't usually call—something important?"
There was no hesitation in his tone. He dove straight into it.
"Jace, I just wanted to let you know that the casting director for Harry Potter reached out. They're seriously interested in progressing with you for the role of Cormac McLaggen."
I paused for a second—not in disbelief, but in confirmation.
I'd expected this.
Call it confidence, call it system-assisted arrogance, but if someone with perfect acting skills couldn't land an audition, then what was the point? Besides, I'd felt the shift in energy when I'd filmed that self-tape. The way I dropped into character. The way the Hogwarts set came alive to me.
"Okay," I said calmly. "When do they want me to come over?"
"They mentioned that it should be within the next three weeks," Ethan replied. "But I told them I'd speak to you first. I think I can negotiate an extension—maybe stretch it to a month if needed."
"That works," I said, already mentally calculating the timeline. "We should be wrapping up filming for Teen Wolf within two weeks. I'd like to take one week off before flying out. Recharge a little."
"Sounds fair. They're expecting to start shooting not long after confirming casting, maybe two weeks post-audition," Ethan added. "I'm not sure how big your role will be in terms of shoot days—it depends on the final schedule."
"Right," I nodded. "Any logistical issues?"
"Well," Ethan sighed lightly, "they won't be covering your travel expenses. So flights, accommodations—you'll need to take care of that upfront. But if you get cast, we'll be doing proper negotiations. Appearance fees, usage rights, possible bonus structures, the works."
I smiled slightly. "I'll leave all of that to you. Just let them know I'll be there a week after shooting ends."
"Done," he said. "Congratulations, by the way. Not everyone gets this kind of callback from a major franchise."
"Thanks, Ethan. I appreciate it," I replied sincerely.
After we hung up, I sat there for a moment longer, letting the news settle. Not with shock, but with a calm sense of forward motion. The pieces were aligning. First Teen Wolf. Then the YouTube channel. Then the songwriting. Now a potential role in Harry Potter. It was a lot—but it wasn't overwhelming. It felt earned. Like I was finally tapping into everything I was meant to do.
I reached for my phone and messaged Sam.
"Hey, you free in an hour? Got a dinner planned. You'll finally get to meet Crystal and Dylan."
He replied within seconds.
"Let's do it. Can't wait."
As I grabbed my coat and stepped outside, the sun was already setting across the lot, casting the set in gold. I had one foot in two worlds now—on screen, and behind it. And it was only just beginning.
…
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator