Rewind With A Superstar System

<🎧 Song Recommendation: On The Floor by Jennifer Lopez>

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[SUPERSTAR SYSTEM — STATUS PANEL]

[BIO]

● Name: Von Varley

● Age: 20

● Class: Musician, Actor

● Title: Uncrowned King (equipped), Street Performer, Mogul, The Visionary.

● System Level: 1

[STATS]

● Vocals: A (0/3000)

● Composition: A+ (0/3000)

● Charm: S (Level Up System to upgrade)

● Willpower: C+ (0/300)

[CHARACTER PROFICIENCY]

● Aiden: 83%

[PROGRESSION]

● Skills: Basic Instrument Mastery (C), Resonance (D), Emote, Advanced Choreography Mastery (B), Master Chef (A), Golden Vessel (S), Immersion (A+), Director’s Eye (A).

● EXP: 4,100 EXP

● Current Fans: 13,000,111

● Quests: 1 available.

● Star Shop: 18 Vouchers

Von stared at the hovering holographic screen. He only thought for a few seconds before realizing exactly what he needed to spend his points on.

An arena tour was a completely different beast compared to a television stage or a movie set. He needed to dominate a massive physical space, and he couldn’t afford to be anything less than spectacular.

He vividly remembered how Advanced Choreography Mastery had helped him qualify during the dancing round of Project: Star back then.

But he also remembered that it wasn’t the absolute peak of dancing. There was still a higher tier waiting to be unlocked.

He navigated through his skill tree and opened the upgrade path.

[Skill: Rhythm Master (A)]

● Cost: 3,000 EXP

● Requirement: Charm B

● Description: Your movement dictates the heartbeat of the crowd. You don’t make mistakes, and can perform moves that border on physically impossible.

Von couldn’t help but grin. In a high-stakes live performance where a single misstep could go viral for all the wrong reasons, this was the ultimate golden finger. It was exactly what he needed to ensure his stage presence was entirely flawless.

He didn’t hesitate. He mentally confirmed the purchase.

[-3,000 EXP]

A sudden wave of heat washed over his entire body. It felt like his very muscles, tendons, and joints were being unspooled and perfectly rewoven.

He felt like he could backflip off the balcony and land on a tightrope without breaking a single sweat.

He flexed his fingers and shifted his legs under the covers, marveling at the sudden elasticity of his own body.

"I feel really light," Von whispered to himself, a wide smile forming on his lips. "I want to try it out so bad."

He was genuinely tempted to jump out of bed and test something. But he turned his head and looked at Emily sleeping peacefully next to him.

"It can wait. I’ll see what it can do tomorrow."

He turned his attention back to the interface. He still had a balance of 1,100 EXP left. It wasn’t enough to push his vocals any higher, but it was exactly enough for a specific item he had kept saved in the Star Shop for a while now.

He pulled up his wishlist.

[Skill: Rockstar Touch (B)]

● Cost: 1,000 EXP

● Requirement: Basic Instrument Mastery

● Description: Grants the user superb mastery over the electric guitar.

Von knew how to use an acoustic guitar perfectly. That was his bread and butter during his busking days and his initial television auditions.

But he was still largely unfamiliar with an electric guitar. For his previous live shows, he would usually rely entirely on backing tracks or just strum his acoustic to set the mood.

But he had to do something different this time.

He confirmed the purchase.

[-1,000 EXP]

Immediately, a small, glowing red pill materialized in the palm of his hand.

Von popped the pill into his mouth. It dissolved instantly on his tongue. A split second later, a sharp surge of electricity shot straight through his chest and his fingers.

Suddenly, he knew exactly how the instrument worked, as if he had been touring with a heavy metal band for a decade.

The tingling in his hands slowly faded, leaving behind a confident, buzzing energy.

Satisfied with his preparations, Von finally dismissed the system interface. He wrapped his arm around Emily’s waist, pulled her warm body close, and finally allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

***

The morning sun beat down on the structure of the Kaseya Center in downtown Miami.

The arena had been entirely booked out by Vanguard to serve as the launchpad for Von’s tour rehearsals.

A dark-blue Porsche 718 Boxster Convertible cruised smoothly into the parking lot.

Von pushed the door open and stepped out into the humid air, wearing a relaxed pair of sweatpants, a fitted white tee, and a pair of dark sunglasses.

Just as he grabbed his gym bag from the passenger seat, two other vehicles, a blacked-out SUV and a clean silver sedan glided to a stop only a few spaces away.

The doors popped open, revealing two faces Von was very familiar with.

"Conor! Alex!" Von called out, a bright smile breaking across his face as he walked toward them.

Conor looked as bright and energetic as ever. His clean-cut look easily shaved a decade off his appearance, making him look like he was in his early twenties again.

Meanwhile, Alex stepped out of the sedan, radiating a really positive aura. He was all smiles. He had even braided his hair, giving him a fresh look that suited him perfectly.

"Great to see you, bro!" Alex laughed, stepping forward and pulling Von into a tight, brotherly embrace the moment they met.

Conor didn’t waste time either, stepping in to give Von a firm hug and a heavy pat on the back as well.

"I couldn’t think twice after getting the news that you considered me for your tour," Alex said. "I knew this day would come one day, and you’ll slay it as usual. And I’ll be right beside you when you do."

Conor puffed out his chest, adding with a proud, smug grin, "Trust me, this tour will be the best. While you were busy conquering Hollywood, I’ve kept honing my drumming skills every single day. I even worked with Gingerbread Man on a top 10 song recently."

Von chuckled with a wide smile, bumping fists with Conor in pure admiration.

"I’ve been seeing that song everywhere on the charts," Von said. "It’s even today Emily told me you did the backing track for it. That’s super cool, man. You deserve it."

"We all do," Alex smiled. "Now let’s get to work."

They turned and began walking toward the arena’s private entrance, engaging in light, easy chat about their lives over the past few months.

Walking through the tunnels of the arena, the muffled sounds of heavy bass and shouting voices grew louder with every step.

As they pushed through the double doors and entered the massive backstage staging area, David was already waiting for them.

The veteran tour director stood with a clipboard in his hand, looking completely in his element.

"Gentlemen, welcome to the war room," David greeted them with a chuckle. "We don’t have a lot of time, so we’re dividing and conquering today."

After exchanging greetings, he got to explaining.

"The main stage is currently being built in the bowl, and the dancers are already out there running through their initial spacing. Conor, I’ve got a personal drum tech and a sound engineer waiting for you in Studio A. They’re going to help you map out your kit and practice your specific transitions."

Conor nodded eagerly. "Sounds perfect."

"Alex, your vocal and harmony director is set up in Studio B. You’ll be running through the backing tracks and locking in your cues."

"Got it," Alex said, giving Von a quick wave before heading off down the hall.

David finally turned to Von. "As for you. I’ve brought in a premier stage movement coach and a personal trainer. They are going to help you with your stage presence, your stamina, and your dancing if you wish to brush up on it. Whenever you’re ready, you can join the main dancers on the floor to rehearse the group numbers."

Von simply nodded, keeping his amusement hidden. With his newly acquired Rhythm Master skill coursing through his veins, he highly doubted a movement coach could teach him anything he didn’t already know on a molecular level. But he played along.

"Lead the way, David."

Von dropped his bag in his assigned dressing room and walked out into the main arena bowl.

The sheer scale of the place was breathtaking.

Down on the floor, the heavy, rhythmic thumping of a hip-hop beat echoed through the empty arena seating.

A group of about thirty professional backup dancers were sweating heavily under the work lights. They were moving in perfect, aggressive synchronization, hitting sharp isolations and complex footwork as a choreographer shouted eight-counts from the front of the pack.

Von stood near the soundboard, crossing his arms as he observed the talent of the crew Emily and David had assembled. They were elite.

But as his eyes tracked across the back row of the dancing formation, his gaze suddenly locked onto a specific dancer.

Von froze for a second, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. But there was no mistake.

Among the sea of faces, Von caught a very familiar face he did not expect to see.

A wry smile crept onto his lips.