Cloud gazed at the dazzling girl on stage, his eyes gradually taking on the look of someone eyeing a mobile, singing, ultra-rare golden treasure chest.
His mind raced with fantasies of what kind of SSR cards he might pull!
The concert proceeded without a hitch.
Athena conquered every member of the audience with her heavenly voice and energetic dancing.
Hit after hit sparked massive singalongs throughout the stadium.
The entire venue was immersed in an ocean of joy and emotion.
But beneath this sea of light, shadows were quietly gathering.
In a dark corner of the stadium, several thuggish-looking men fixed their greedy, lecherous gazes on Athena.
"Boss, that chick is way too hot!" One lackey drooled. "She's like ten thousand times prettier than on TV!"
"For real. Those legs—I could play with 'em for a year!"
The leader, a man with a scar across his face, was a lieutenant in a local gang called the Viper Gang.
He licked his cracked lips, greed glinting in his eyes. "Hot doesn't even cover it. She's a cash cow! I heard just ticket sales for this concert are worth tens of millions!"
"Grab her, and forget ten million—her management company would cough up a hundred million without blinking!"
"Boss is brilliant!"
"When the concert ends and she comes out the back, we make our move!" Scarface issued his orders.
"Everyone stay sharp. We pull this off, and we're set for life!"
"Pretty legs? We'll have as many as we want!"
...
Two hours later, the concert reached its perfect finale amid thunderous applause.
Fans began filing out, still buzzing with excitement.
"Ahh~ That was amazing! Athena's live performance is god-tier!" Yuri was still riding the high, her face flushed pink.
"It really was good." Even Mai nodded in rare approval.
"Let's go. The VIP exit is less crowded." Terry suggested.
The group headed toward the VIP corridor near the backstage area.
Cloud, however, had been lost in thought for a while now.
His [Mind's Eye] skill had been picking up faint signals—several clusters of malicious, greedy "qi" were gathering in the direction of the backstage.
[Ding! Random Event Mission triggered: Crisis for the Idol Singer!]
[Mission Description: Idol singer Athena Asamiya has been targeted by gangsters. Her backstage route has been secured by Viper Gang members. Please intervene and resolve this crisis.]
[Mission Rewards: Source Points ×8,000, Athena Affection +20, Special Reward: One chance to plunder "Psychic Essence (Faint)."]
"Something's up." Cloud subtly signaled to Terry.
Terry instantly understood. The easy smile vanished from his face.
As they reached the corridor connecting to the backstage, the sound of a tense argument drifted from around a corner.
"Who are you people?! What do you want?!" A voice that sounded like a manager, filled with terror.
"What do we want? Heh heh. We just want to invite our lovely star Miss Athena for a little... tea party!" A crude voice sneered.
"Help! Security!"
"Don't bother screaming. The security guards have been sent on a nice long break! Just come quietly, or we might have to do something unpleasant to that pretty face of yours!"
Hearing this, Yuri and Mai's expressions darkened instantly.
"It's Athena! She's in danger!" Yuri tried to rush forward without thinking.
"Wait!" Cloud grabbed her arm.
"Why are you stopping me?! Athena's being kidnapped by bad guys!" Yuri demanded.
"Easy." The corner of Cloud's mouth curved into a meaningful smirk. "A chance to play hero and save the beauty—how could I miss that?"
He turned to Terry and Andy. "Terry, Andy, I've got this. Take the girls out another way so things don't get too 'lively' and cause a panic."
Terry glanced at him and nodded. "Alright. Be careful."
He knew Cloud's capabilities. Handling a few street thugs would be child's play.
Andy noticed the flash of worry that crossed Mai's face. Silently, he led the two girls toward an alternate exit.
...
Backstage. Outside the dressing room.
Athena Asamiya and her manager were cornered against a wall by seven or eight weapon-wielding Viper Gang members.
Though fear gripped her heart, Athena summoned her courage to shield her trembling manager behind her.
Her clear eyes blazed with anger and vigilance.
As a powerful psychic, dealing with these lowlifes would be child's play.
A single Psychic Attack could turn them all into drooling idiots.
But she couldn't do that.
She was an idol—someone who brought hope and dreams to people.
She couldn't casually reveal her powers in public. She was afraid people would fear her.
So she could only endure, hoping for a miracle.
"Come on, little beauty, don't give me that look. You're making my heart melt." Scarface leered, reaching out to grab Athena's chin.
Just then, a lazy voice drifted from behind them.
"Hey, fellas. When you want a girl to have tea with you, shouldn't you ask if she's interested first? You can't force someone to enjoy a drink, you know."
The Viper Gang members spun around.
A young man leaned casually against the corridor wall, hands in his pockets, watching them with an easy smile.
It was Cloud.