I settled into the plush cushions of the mansion's main sitting room, finally allowing myself a moment of genuine relaxation. The past weeks had been a whirlwind of divine appearances, city construction, and managing the influx of new cultivators. For once, I could simply exist as Ben Mason rather than the Eastern Region God.
The peaceful afternoon shattered when Christine burst through the doorway, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Ben! Come on, we have to go right now!"
She grabbed my arm with surprising strength, her Body Tempering sixth layer cultivation making her grip feel like a steel clamp. Before I could protest, she was dragging me toward the door.
"Where are we going?"
"You'll see! Just trust me on this one."
I allowed myself to be pulled along, curious about what had gotten my sister so worked up. Christine rarely showed this level of enthusiasm about anything that didn't involve robotics or lightning cultivation techniques. We hurried through the obsidian streets of American City, past the commercial district and toward the entertainment quarter I'd constructed but rarely visited.
"Christine, seriously, what's the rush?"
"We're going to miss the opening if we don't hurry!"
She refused to elaborate further, maintaining her mysterious excitement as we approached a massive stadium structure. The building could easily seat fifty thousand people, its polished black walls reflecting the dual moons above. A steady stream of cultivators flowed through the main entrances, most looking equally excited.
At the ticket booth, I reached for my identity token to pay the ten merit point entry fee, but Christine waved me off.
"No way! We're getting VIP seats for this."
She paid one hundred merit points without hesitation, causing the attendant's eyes to widen slightly. VIP access was expensive enough that most cultivators saved for weeks to afford it. Within minutes, we were being escorted through private corridors to the front row seating area, complete with cushioned chairs and an unobstructed view of the stage.
"Christine, what exactly are we here to see?"
Before she could answer, the lights dimmed and a figure walked onto the stage. My breath caught as I took in the performer's appearance.
The woman was absolutely stunning, even by cultivation standards. She stood barely five feet two inches tall, her petite frame creating an almost doll-like quality. Her auburn hair cascaded in perfect waves past her shoulders, catching the stage lights like liquid fire. But what truly commanded attention was her figure. Despite her small stature, she possessed curves that defied physics, particularly her chest, which strained against the fabric of her performance outfit in a way that would make any man take notice.
"That's Emma Sullivan!" Christine practically bounced in her seat. "She's only the most amazing singer in the entire world! I've been following her YouTube channel and streaming performances for years. She's my absolute favorite artist of all time!"
Emma began her performance, and I immediately understood Christine's enthusiasm. Her voice carried a crystalline purity that seemed to resonate through the spiritual energy in the air itself. She moved across the stage with fluid grace, her dance steps perfectly synchronized with the music. Every gesture, every note, demonstrated the kind of natural talent that couldn't be taught or faked.
My enhanced senses picked up the subtle energy flowing through Emma's body. Body Tempering fifth layer. Impressive, considering she lacked access to the resources I'd provided my family. Christine had reached the sixth layer with a superior cultivation technique and regular access to the Core Region's concentrated spiritual energy. For Emma to achieve the fifth layer with standard cultivation methods and the Eastern Region's diluted energy meant her natural talent was exceptional. She must have worked relentlessly these past weeks, dedicating herself to cultivation between performances.
Cultivation had clearly enhanced her already impressive talent, lending her beauty an almost ethereal quality. Her skin seemed to glow with inner light, and her movements possessed a supernatural fluidity. Most distractingly, her figure moved with every dance step, creating a hypnotic rhythm that made it difficult to focus on anything else.
One might expect cultivation to diminish physical attraction, that achieving supernatural power would somehow elevate one beyond such base concerns. The reality was precisely the opposite. Every increase in realm and layer heightened my senses, sharpened my perception, and made me more aware of every subtle detail. The way Emma's body moved, the curve of her smile, the flush of exertion on her cheeks—my enhanced vision captured it all with crystal clarity. Cultivation didn't transcend desire. It amplified it, making every attractive quality impossible to ignore.
As the concert wound down to thunderous applause, Christine grabbed my arm again.
"Come on! VIP tickets get us backstage access. I have to meet her in person!"
She pulled me toward the rear of the stadium, chattering excitedly about Emma's background.
"She lives in San Jose, just like you! Can you believe we might actually get to talk to her?"
***
Emma Sullivan PoV
I collapsed onto the sofa in the back room, my muscles aching despite the enhanced stamina that came with Body Tempering fifth layer. The performance had been incredible, but singing and dancing for two hours straight never got easier, no matter how much I loved it. The spiritual energy that improved my body helped a little, but it couldn't eliminate the physical demands of entertaining fifty thousand people.
I closed my eyes and tried to steal a few moments of rest before the VIP meet and greet began. As much as I adored my fans and their enthusiasm, these backstage sessions could be exhausting. Usually, this was the most nerve-wracking part of any concert. Back on Earth, I'd always been on high alert, surrounded by bodyguards and security personnel, never knowing when an obsessed fan might cross the line into dangerous territory.
But here in the Eastern Region, those concerns felt almost quaint. The divine rules enforced by the Eastern Region God made violence impossible within city limits. No fighting, no aggressive behavior, no threats. For the first time in my career, I could actually relax during fan interactions.
Part of me almost hoped someone would try something inappropriate, just to witness the legendary intervention of the Eastern Region God himself. I'd heard countless stories about his appearances throughout American City, but they were always so random and brief. By the time word spread about his presence, he'd already vanished. I'd been hoping to catch a glimpse of him for weeks.
"Come on, Ben, I want to meet her!"
The excited voice carried through the hallway, signaling the arrival of my first VIP visitors. I stood up from the couch and arranged my features into my most welcoming expression as two figures rounded the corner.
The girl was stunning in her own right, standing a few inches taller than my five foot two frame but maintaining a delicate, petite build. Her enthusiasm practically radiated from her as she bounced on her toes. But the man beside her made my breath catch.
He was tall and lean, probably around five foot ten, with the kind of understated handsomeness that didn't need to announce itself. His casual attire suggested he'd just wandered in off the street, but I could see the subtle definition of muscle beneath his simple shirt. There was something about his bearing, a quiet confidence that spoke of hidden depths.
The girl was clearly dragging him forward, calling him Ben, though he seemed more resigned than excited about the encounter.
"There she is, Ben, there she is! Oh my god! It's really her! My absolute most favorite singer! Come on Ben!"
Her enthusiasm was infectious, even if her companion appeared less than thrilled to be here. Was he not a fan? That would be unusual for someone attending a VIP meet and greet.
"Oh my god, Emma! It's me, Chrissy29 on YouTube, do you remember me?!"
Recognition sparked immediately. Chrissy29 was one of my most dedicated online followers, always leaving thoughtful comments on my videos and streaming performances. She'd been particularly vocal about my recent cover of "Thunder in the Rain," praising how I'd incorporated lightning special effects into the performance.
"Oh wow, of course I remember you! You left that amazing comment about how the lightning effects during my Thunder in the Rain cover reminded you of your own cultivation practice. You said it inspired you to reach Meridian Opening Realm faster!"
"Haha, you do remember me! My name is Christine, it's so awesome to finally meet with you!" Christine suddenly spun toward her companion. "Ben! You both live in San Jose, right?! You two should date! That way when I visit I can also see my Idol Emma!"
She struck a dramatic pose, hands clasped together with stars practically shining in her eyes. Her blatant matchmaking attempt sent heat rushing to my cheeks. So Ben wasn't her boyfriend then? The assumption had been forming in my mind, but Christine's enthusiastic suggestion made it clear they were siblings or friends instead.
I glanced at Ben, curious about his reaction to his companion's bold declaration.
Ben laughed off her comment, though I caught what sounded like a hint of nervousness threading through his tone. He coughed, clearing his throat before speaking.
"Well, I'll be honest. It was my first time hearing your performance, I don't really spend much time on YouTube and social media, sorry. But I can say that your singing is among the best voices I've ever heard! You can count on me as your fan from now on."
His words carried genuine sincerity, and I felt a flutter of warmth at the compliment. There was something refreshing about meeting someone who wasn't already familiar with my entire catalog of work.
"Yeah! Isn't she the best singer of all times?!" Christine's timely interjection burst with enthusiasm. "But you didn't answer my question, Ben!" She fixed him with an almost comical squinted confrontational expression, hands planted firmly on her hips.
Before Ben could respond, Christine spun toward me with the same dramatic flair she'd displayed moments earlier.
"This is my older brother Ben. Believe me, you two should date! Ben here just got dumped recently, so he's totally on the rebound! Ben, you like big breasts right?"
The words hit the room like a thunderclap. Ben's expression transformed into something that could only be described as mortifying, his face cycling through several shades of red as his mouth opened and closed without producing any sound. My own embarrassment crashed over me like a tidal wave, heat flooding my cheeks as I stared at Christine in absolute shock.
I mean, I knew my breasts were big. They'd been nothing but trouble for me ever since my growth spurt when they suddenly sprouted horizontally seemingly overnight. Finding clothes that fit properly had become a nightmare, and the constant attention they drew made performing more challenging than it needed to be. But things like that tended to only be talked about in secret, whispered conversations I wasn't supposed to hear. Never had anyone addressed the topic so directly to my face.
"Christine!" Ben's voice cracked slightly as he finally found his ability to speak. "You can't just..."
"What? I'm just being honest!" Christine threw her hands up in the air, completely oblivious to the mortification she'd caused both of us. "You're both single, you're both attractive, and you live in the same city! It's like fate!"
I pressed my hands to my burning cheeks, trying to regain some semblance of composure. This was definitely not how I'd imagined this meet and greet would go. Usually, fans asked for autographs or photos, maybe shared stories about how my music had impacted their lives. They didn't typically attempt to set me up with their recently dumped brothers while commenting on my physical attributes.
"I'm so sorry," Ben managed to get out, shooting his sister a look that could have melted steel. "She doesn't have a filter when she gets excited."
"It's... it's okay," I stammered, though I wasn't entirely sure that was true. The situation was so far outside my normal experience that I didn't have a script to fall back on. "She's just... enthusiastic."
Christine beamed at us both, apparently taking our mutual embarrassment as encouragement rather than the mortification it actually was.
"See? You're already bonding over how awesome I am at matchmaking!"
Ben buried his face in his hands with a groan that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
Christine pulled out her identity token with a flourish, the small device gleaming in the backstage lighting. "Come on, let's exchange contacts with our identity tokens!"
My stomach dropped. This was exactly the situation I'd been dreading. I had a strict policy about not exchanging contact information with fans, no matter how dedicated or sweet they were. It was a boundary I'd established early in my career to protect both my privacy and my sanity. Once you started making exceptions, where did it end?
But Christine's eager expression made my resolve waver. She'd been such a loyal supporter, always leaving encouraging comments on my videos and sharing my content with her friends. Her enthusiasm was genuine, not the calculating obsession I sometimes encountered from other fans.
"I... I don't usually..." I started, then trailed off as Christine turned to Ben with the same demanding energy.
"Ben! Take out your token too! Don't be shy!"
Ben looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor, but he slowly reached hand out and extracted his identity token. The hesitation in his movements suggested he was just as uncomfortable with this situation as I was, which somehow made me feel a little better about the whole thing.
I stared at both tokens, my mind racing. If I rejected Christine now, after everything she'd said about being my biggest fan, I would definitely regret it later. And Ben... there was something about him that intrigued me. Maybe it was the way he'd complimented my voice with such sincerity, or the mortified way he'd reacted to his sister's matchmaking attempts. He seemed genuine in a way that was rare in my world.
'Besides,' I thought, 'what's the worst that could happen? If they become annoying, I can always block them.'
"Okay," I said, pulling out my own token. "But I forbid you to reveal that I shared my contact with my fans."
"Oh my god, yes! I promise! I swear on my cultivation progress!" Christine practically vibrated with excitement as we touched our tokens together, establishing the connection.
Ben's warm hand brushed against mine as our tokens touched. The accidental contact made me blush a little.
We'd just finished putting our tokens away when voices echoed down the hallway, signaling the arrival of more VIP fans. My heart rate spiked. If anyone saw that I'd just exchanged contacts after publicly stating I never did that, it could create a whole mess of drama and hurt feelings.
The next group of VIP fans rounded the corner just as we finished putting our tokens away. I exhaled slowly, slipping back into my professional persona as five excited faces appeared in the doorway.
"Emma! Oh my god, that performance was incredible!"
"The way you hit those high notes during 'Starlight Dreams' gave me chills!"
"I've been following you since your first album, and this was definitely your best show yet!"
The familiar rhythm of fan interactions washed over me like a comfortable routine. These were the moments I genuinely treasured, hearing how my music touched people's lives. I smiled warmly as they crowded around, each eager to share their favorite moments from tonight's concert.
"Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Which song is your favorite?"
"Definitely 'Thunder in the Rain'! The lightning effects were amazing. Are you cultivating a lightning affinity?"
I laughed, shaking my head. "No lightning affinity here. Just some creative stage effects and a lot of practice."
"Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up! You're incredible!"
As they chatted excitedly about the performance, I caught Ben and Christine watching from the side, both seeming content to let my other fans have their moment.