Max woke up early the next morning.
And like expected, Los Angeles woke up to sounds as the city roared with loud West Coast music, quietly rousing Max to full lucidity.
He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling and for a few seconds he did not move, then he groaned softly. "Man..."
BUZZ!
His phone alarm buzzed again, he slapped it into silence without looking.
Max rubbed his face and sat up slowly, his hair was messy.
"Alright, let's see what kinda mess today got waiting". He looked towards the window outside.
The skyline of Los Angeles stretched across the horizon with an even spread of towering buildings, distant palm trees, and long highways that were already crawling with traffic.
Max stretched his arms and cracked his neck, then the Artifice System interface appeared in his vision.
DING!
["Artifice Energy."]
["Total: 912."]
["Rank: Basic Rank Artificer."]
Max blinked. "Damn".
That number had climbed again overnight.
He whistled. "So people really watched those clips all night huh?"
He was feeling like Merlin.
Recognition still trickled in from the internet as every comment, share, and every emotional reaction added a little more artifice energy to his total.
Despite the fact that it was already a few days since he woke up in this world, Max still couldn't help but feel that it was strange.
He walked to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
While drinking, he opened the system interface again and the artifice shop appeared. This time, he took his time to study the options again.
He had enough energy to buy at least one decent upgrade, maybe two if he chose the cheaper ones.
Max leaned against the counter and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Alright system," he said quietly. "Let's make smart choices".
He focused on the options again.
["Basic Vocal Training Module."]
["Cost: 300 Artifice."]
…
["Emotion Resonance Enhancement."]
["Cost: 500 Artifice."]
…
["Rhythmic Control Boost."]
["Cost: 400 Artifice."]
…
["Stage Presence Micro Enhancement."]
["Cost: 250 Artifice."]
Max scrolled slowly.
Each option came with a short description explaining what it improved, most of them focused on refining artistic ability rather than giving instant power which made sense.
Afterall, Artifice was not magic in the traditional sense.
It was still art, which means improvement came through practice, understanding and emotional growth. The system simply accelerated the process.
Max tapped his finger against the counter.
"Emotion resonance sounds nice," he murmured, but spending 500 Artifice immediately felt risky.
He looked again at the cheaper option.
["Stage Presence Micro Enhancement."]
["Cost: 250."]
Max tilted his head in quiet deliberation. 'This one might actually help during performances'.
He imagined walking on stage again with slightly stronger natural charisma, better control of body language, and better instinct for reading the audience. Yeah, that sounded useful.
Max nodded slowly. "Aiit, let's try this one first".
He selected the option.
DING!
["Purchase confirmed."]
["Artifice Energy deducted."]
["New total: 662."]
The system interface shimmered.
["Stage Presence Enhancement installing."]
Max suddenly felt a strange sensation.
It was not pain, nor was it pressure. It felt more like a quiet shift in his awareness as his posture adjusted slightly without him thinking about it.
His breathing felt steadier, and even the way he stood in the kitchen felt subtly more balanced.
Max blinked. 'Huh?'
He walked toward the mirror on the wall and for a moment, he simply looked at himself. Same face, same hair, same relaxed expression, but something about the way he carried himself felt different.
It felt smoother.
Max smirked. "Oh yeah," he said softly. "I like that".
Knock! Knock!
Hearing the knock, Max immediately glanced at the clock.
[8:55 AM.]
He walked to the door and opened it and just like he expected, he saw Jalen standing outside wearing a hoodie and holding a cup of coffee.
"You look like you fought a pillow monster," the tall Singer joked.
Max stretched his arms. "Morning to you too".
Jalen stepped inside without waiting. "You ready for orientation?"
Max grabbed his jacket from the chair.
"Yeah yeah".
They stepped back into the hallway together.
Several other contestants were leaving their rooms as well. Victor Kane walked ahead of them already looking perfectly styled as if he had woken up inside a fashion magazine.
Max chuckled quietly. "Man wakes up ready for a photoshoot".
Jalen smirked. "Some people are just built different".
Max leaned closer. "You think he practices his mirror face every morning?"
Jalen snorted. "Probably".
They entered the elevator with a few other contestants, and immediately the atmosphere felt slightly awkward.
This was the curse of competition and rivalry.
A few seconds later, the elevator doors opened on the ground floor. A large conference room had been prepared for the orientation meeting.
Rows of chairs faced a stage where the Golden Stage host stood beside several production staff members. Contestants slowly filled the seats as Max dropped into a chair beside Jalen while Lila sat one row ahead.
The host smiled brightly once everyone settled down.
"Good morning contestants!"
A few sleepy voices replied, Max only rubbed his eyes.
The host continued energetically. "Congratulations again on making the Top 20! From this point forward, the competition becomes much more intense".
A large screen behind him lit up as images of upcoming challenges flashed across the display- live performances, collaboration rounds, creative composition tests, and even audience vote segments.
Max leaned forward slightly. "This shi' bouta get interesting".
The host continued. "Each round will test different aspects of your artistry".
Then his tone shifted slightly.
"Remember, Golden Stage is not just about singing".
The screen showed images of famous artificers performing across different artistic fields, from actors commanding massive crowds to directors orchestrating performances, and even painters creating breathtaking visual displays.
"Here," the host said, "Art is power".
Max crossed his arms. Yeah, he was definitely starting to understand that.
The host clicked the remote again and the next slide displayed a shocking statistic.
[Global Artifice Network Status=]
Max frowned. "What's that?"
Jalen leaned closer. "Barrier system".
The host explained calmly. "As you know, the Artifice Network protects our world from extraterrestrial threats".
The screen showed an image of a glowing barrier surrounding the planet. Max's eyebrows lifted slightly. 'Right, the alien thing'. He had almost forgotten about that part of the world.
The host continued. "Every powerful artistic performance strengthens the network".
The host smiled. "So remember contestants. Every time you perform, you are contributing to something bigger than just yourselves".
Max leaned back slowly as he let that sentence replay in his head. "Something bigger".
He glanced around the room of 20 contestants chasing fame and success, but apparently their performances also fed energy into a global defense system protecting humanity from alien attacks.
Max scratched the back of his head. "This shi's really nuts," he muttered.
The meeting continued with more rules and scheduling details being explained, but Max's mind wandered slightly because for the first time since arriving in this world, he thought of the world outside the barrier.
'Just what type of aliens live outside the barrier?'