The next 3 days passed quickly for Max. And in corresponding rugged fashion, he treated them like preparation for war because in this world, that was exactly what a performance could become.
He woke early each morning and practiced vocals for hours. Not just singing, he also practiced control, emotion, and clarity.
In this world, the attributes of singers were not just abstract numbers, they represented real skills.
Vocal force was about raw power, emotive clarity was about targeting specific feelings, rhythmic control determined how precisely artifice energy could synchronize with music, and echo retention influenced how long emotional effects lingered after a performance.
Max focused heavily on emotive clarity.
Experience taught him that if singers truly manipulated emotional states then precise control would be extremely valuable.
It was easier to connect to an audience with high emotive clarity.
He experimented constantly and he didn't restrict himself. He tried happy songs, melancholy melodies, aggressive rhythm, and even slow ballads.
Each practice generated tiny fragments of artifice energy and the system tracked everything accurately.
By the third day, his artifice energy had risen to eighty.
It was still basic rank but progress has been made regardless. More importantly, his understanding of Resonance had grown.
Yes, Resonance, the primary ability of singers.
He had not officially unlocked the Singer Class yet, but the system hinted that once he performed on stage with enough emotional connection the awakening would trigger naturally. This meant the audition itself might activate it.
After 3 days of being locked in, working and practicing non-stop, refining his singing ability, it was finally D-day.
Max arrived at the Golden Stage audition building early.
The line outside stretched around the block as hundreds of hopeful singers waited nervously.
Some practiced scales, others whispered lyrics under their breath, a few stared blankly ahead with the hollow look of people who had already faced rejection before.
Max understood that look. He had worn it once, but that was in the past, he had no intention of wearing it today.
A tall guy in front of him turned around.
"You here for the audition too?"
Max nodded. "Yeah".
"What song are you doing?"
"Original". Max responded.
The guy raised his eyebrows. "Bold choice, homie".
Max simply smiled.
After a few minutes of waiting, the doors opened and staff members guided the contestants inside. The interior hall buzzed with energy so much that Max could almost feel it- Artifice!
Even casual performances generated faint traces of it.
This building had likely hosted thousands of auditions up till now, residual energy lingered in the air like invisible electricity.
Finally, his number was called.
"Contestant 347".
Max stood up and walked down the hallway toward the stage.
As he walked down the hallway, his heartbeat slowed instead of speeding up. That surprised him. In his previous life, he would have been terrified but now; somewhere along the line something had changed.
Maybe because it was his second chance, maybe it was the system or maybe it was the knowledge that this performance was a literal make or break type performance for him.
Max stepped onto the stage, then his eyes swept across the judge area.
His eyes counted three judges sitting across the stage from him with bright lights filling the room.
For a brief moment, memories of his previous rejection flashed through his mind. However, he quickly cautioned himself and pushed them aside.
"Name?" One of the judges asked.
"Max Walker".
"Age?" The judge asked again.
"Twenty two". Max responded.
The judge glanced at his notes.
"What will you perform today?" The judge fired at Max once again.
"An original song".
The judges exchanged quick looks, one of them shrugged.
"Alright then, break a leg".
Max inhaled slowly and closed his eyes.
The guitar rested comfortably in his hands, then he started.
🎵🎼🎶
The first chord echoed through the auditorium, then the second. The melody flowed naturally and he began to sing. This time he did not try to impress the judges, he did not try to sound perfect.
Instead he focused on one thing, the authenticity of the song.
The lyrics spoke about falling apart, about waking up in a new world, about refusing to waste a second chance- exactly what was going on in his new life here.
Emotion poured into every line, spreading across the hall and quietly saturating the atmosphere and halfway through the song something shifted.
🎵🎼🎶
Max felt it immediately, a strange vibration rising from deep inside his chest.
The system voice whispered quietly.
["Singer Class Awakening!]
["Primary Ability Unlocked: Resonance!"]
Energy surged through his voice and for a moment, the sound seemed to expand beyond simple music.
The judges immediately leaned forward as their expressions changed.
For the first time, they looked captivated.
🎵🎼🎶
Max continued singing and as his voice echoed, the emotion grew stronger. The room itself seemed to respond, then the final chorus arrived.
Max poured everything into it.
The last note rang out in a beautiful symphony that captivated the entire audience, then silence followed.
Max exhaled, then the system announced.
DING!
["Chorus Effect partial activation!"]
["Audience emotional response detected!"]
["Artifice Energy gained!"]
["Total Artifice Energy: 520/520."]
["Singer Class Awakened!"]
Max slowly opened his eyes.
The judges stared at him but this time it was different. They didn't stare at him with boredom, not with indifference, but with surprise.
The first judge cleared his throat.
"That was..." He paused. "...unexpected".
The second judge nodded slowly.
"There was something genuine in that performance, you killed it! If I was Gen Z, I'd say you ate and left no crumbs!"
The third judge pressed a button and a green light appeared.
"Yes from me". He said with a smile.
Another green light.
"Yes".
The final judge smiled faintly. "Welcome to the next round Max Walker".
Three green lights!
Max exhaled slowly. Finally, he let his lips curl up in a faint smile.
He had just scaled through to the next round! But more importantly, the system window glowed brightly before him.
DING!
["Rank Achieved: Basic Rank Singer."]
["Artifice Energy: 520/520."]
["Your Singer Attributes have increased! Vocal Force: 11; Emotive Clarity: 13; Rhythmic Control: 9; Echo Retention: 8."]
Max felt a wave of excitement, his journey had officially begun!
As he walked off the stage one thought echoed in his mind, this was only the beginning because somewhere far beyond the sky the alien beasts waited.
And the power to fight them came from stages like this one.
Max Walker smiled quietly, remembering something he once heard from the Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti, during a Champions League match he once saw in his previous life.
"Let the show begin. Hasta el final!"