The orientation finally came to an end after the host told the contestants all the rules and regulations that they needed to know.
Standing outside the Golden Stage residence building, Max leaned against the balcony railing as he stared down at the streets below with a coffee on one hand and his phone on the other.
His hair still looked rough and unkempt.
"Man..." he muttered softly.
He was not thinking of the orientation, rather he was thinking of the Golden Stage clip from his first performance yesterday that had blown up overnight.
The view count kept climbing.
At first, it surpassed two hundred thousand views, then three hundred thousand, and now four hundred thousand. Comments scrolled endlessly beneath the video, leaving Max slightly dizzy.
He read a few.
["Yo! This dude really just came outta nowhere! I don't think I've heard of him before the Golden Stage contest this time."]
["That voice got some soul fr."]
["He better win the whole show."]
Max scratched his cheek and smiled in a sheepish manner. "Aiit, y'all should chill out a bit," he murmured with a smile.
But the Artifice System did not chill as the interface lit up again with a faint glow that filled his vision.
DING!
["Artifice Energy."]
["Total: 978".]
Max blinked. "Wait, what???"
Yesterday, he had just over 600 after buying the Stage Presence upgrade, and now he was pushing 1,000? How?!
He grinned, then he whistled slowly. "Alright system, keep cooking!"
The number pulsed slightly as Recognition continued flowing in from viewers around the world.
Every emotional response and every connection someone felt while watching his performance, all of it translated into artifice energy.
Max leaned his elbows on the railing and looked out across the skyline. For a moment, he just stood there quietly, then he chuckled. "Damn man, ain't no way my music's helping to save the planet. Ain't no freaking way".
"Am I a superhero now?" He shook his head with a smile.
Even saying it out loud sounded ridiculous, and yet, everything in this world confirmed it. Art powered the Artifice Network, and the Network protected Earth from aliens. And technically speaking, this meant…
Max sipped his coffee slowly. "I guess dropping fire tracks' really saving lives now huh?" He chuckled.
Behind him, the balcony door slid open and Jalen stepped outside rubbing his eyes. "You been out here talking to yourself?"
Max glanced over his shoulder. "Just thinking".
Jalen leaned against the railing beside him. "You check the numbers?"
Max turned his phone around.
When he saw the figure on the screen, Jalen's eyebrows jumped. "Yo! 400k already?"
Max grinned. "Internet's been moving fast".
Jalen chuckled as he looked at his own phone. "You trending on ArtStream too".
Max blinked. "The hell is ArtStream?"
Jalen stared at him with a dumbfounded expression that Max was already beginning to get used to. "You serious?" He asked incredulously.
Max shrugged. "Man, I just got here".
"Just getting to Golden Stage doesn't mean you're an alien!" Jalen immediately fired back. "Did you grow up in a cave? You know nothing bruh, ArtStream is basically YouTube for Artificers".
Max ignored all the extra talk and focused only on the explanation as he nodded slowly. "Oh! Makes sense".
Jalen opened the app on his phone and showed him, right at the top of the screen was Max's performance clip which was on the trending page. Thousands of new comments poured in every minute.
Max rubbed the back of his neck. "That's kinda wild".
Jalen grinned. "You blowing up bro".
Max chuckled quietly. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I prefer to take it one step at a time".
Just then, the system interface lit up again.
DING!
["Artifice Energy"]
["Total: 1002"]
Max froze, then the interface changed.
["Basic Rank Artificer."]
["Energy Threshold Reached!"]
Max blinked rapidly. 'Huh?'
A new notification appeared.
DING!
["Basic Rank Advancement Available!"]
Jalen noticed his expression. "You good?"
Max slowly nodded.
"Yeah... just system stuff".
Jalen whistled. "You hitting a milestone?"
Of course, Jalen didn't think of the Artifice System. That was something that was unique to Max. He only thought it was the usual interface that every Artificer had access to after getting access to artifice energy.
Hearing Jalen's question, Max grinned. "Sum'n like that".
In his vision, the interface expanded.
["Advancement Requirements Met!"]
["Basic Rank Tier 2 unlocked!"]
Max tilted his head and mumbled. "So Basic Rank got tiers too?"
The system interface lit up again and confirmed it.
DING!
["Basic Rank Range."]
["10 to 1000 Artifice Energy."]
["Advancement beyond 1000 initiates Rank Stabilization."]
Max frowned slightly. 'Rank stabilization?'
He focused on the prompt and immediately the system reacted.
["Begin Stabilization Process?"]
'Sure'. Max thought.
The moment he confirmed it, warmth spread through his body. It was not painful neither was it overwhelming as a steady pulse of energy flowed through his chest like quiet music vibrating under his ribs.
Max closed his eyes for a moment.
The sensation reminded him of standing on stage when the audience truly connected with a performance, it felt alive.
A few seconds later, the process finally ended as the Artifice System interface lit up again.
DING!
["Rank Stabilization Complete."]
["Current Energy Capacity Expanded."]
["Artifice Energy."]
["Total: 1002."]
["Capacity Expanded!"]
Max finally opened his eyes and there was a different gleam in his eyes.
Jalen watched him curiously and finally he broke the silence. "You look like you just drank spiritual coffee or some herbs type shi'".
Max laughed. "Something like that".
Knowing just how important the privacy of Artificers was, Jalen didn't ask further as they both headed back inside the apartment.
The day's rehearsal would start soon.
…
A few minutes later, the Golden Stage contestants gathered in the practice hall around mid-morning. The hall buzzed with energy as some contestants warmed up their voices while others practiced choreography.
Victor Kane stood near the mirrors practicing smooth vocal runs like he had nothing better to do with his time.
Max walked in with Jalen and Lila. The moment they entered, Victor glanced at him briefly, then he smirked.
"So the internet darling arrives".
Max scratched his head. "You talking to me?"
Victor folded his arms. "Enjoy the attention while it lasts".
Max shrugged casually. "Hey man, its attention that pays the bills, you don't even know something that simple?"
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly but in the end, he refrained from saying more.
As the trio left, Jalen leaned closer to Max. "Dude's lowkey salty".
Max chuckled under his breath.
Rehearsal started soon after as the contestants took turns performing short segments while coaches observed and supervised them.
When it finally came to Max's turn and he stepped onto the small rehearsal stage, something immediately felt different. It was subtle but noticeable.
The stage presence enhancement he bought earlier now showed its effects.
And as he rehearsed, his movements flowed more naturally and his breathing stayed calmer than before, even his eye contact with the small practice audience felt smoother.
The coach watching him nodded slowly. "Interesting".
When Max finished the rehearsal verse and stepped down, Lila gave him a quick thumbs up.
Jalen whispered with a smile. "Yeah bro, you leveling up".
Max grinned. "Damn right".
While they discussed among themselves, across the room Victor watched silently. His expression looked thoughtful now rather than dismissive.
Meanwhile something else stirred quietly inside Max's system interface as a new category blinked faintly to life.
["Potential Class Detection!"]
Max noticed it immediately. He paused in the hallway outside the practice room.
'What's that?'
The system responded.
["Multiple Artifice disciplines detected"]
["Possible Class Awakening Pending"]
Max's eyebrows lifted.
"Oh we doing multiple classes now?"
The interface flickered as three faint icons appeared.
["Singer"]
["Actor"]
["Combat Artist"]
Max paused. "Hold up....!"
Combat Artist? He chuckled softly.
"Aiit system, you tryna turn me into a superhero now?"
But the icon remained. Waiting, silent. Max rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then he whispered under his breath.
"Damn... this shi- 'bouta get real interesting!"