Chapter 302: Breath of Eternity
June rubbed his eyes in case he was merely seeing things. However, even after those measures, Uno's status window remained the same.
[Uno, born in 2002
Vocals: A+
Dance: S+
Rap: C+
Visuals: S]
He almost couldn't believe what he was seeing.
It was June's first time seeing the 'S-tier' in one's stats. He fully thought A+ was the maximum grade one can have—since that was how it was in the educational system.
However, seeing Uno's stats made him think otherwise.
"Do I need to get a haircut?" Zeth asked, also staring at Uno. "That guy is really handsome. I can't believe this."
"You're just being paranoid. You have different charms," Jaeyong reassured his teammate. "You're both good looking."
While that was true, it couldn't be denied that Zeth's paranoia was based on reality.
This guy, Uno, was objectively more handsome than him.
June snapped out of his thoughts and focused on their performance. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched their center dance. Truly, he was worthy to be on the S-tier.
There was something different about the way he danced.
His other members didn't lag too far behind. However, Uno definitely took everyone's attention with his undeniable talent. He also appeared to have more experience than June in performing, too.
They had a quiet backtrack, but their live vocals could also be heard. Uno sang most of the song, but he didn't sound tired at all.
It made June reflect about his own skills.
Then, as their performance ended, June locked gazes with Uno once more. He had the same icy expression, but there was a hint of smugness in his eyes. June wasn't sure if he was merely hallucinating, but it seemed like this Uno guy was silently saying—'I'm better than you.'
They left the stage, yet June still couldn't move.
The others rehearsed their songs, and June continued looking at their stats.
LUNIX was up next, and Akira tried to stand to get their attention, but Jaeyong pulled him down and covered his mouth before he could do so.
Meanwhile, June intently looked at two of their members.
Amira and Darcy.
They, too, had S-tiers in their stats.
Amira was an S- in singing while Darcy was an S+ in dancing.
He couldn't take his eyes away from Amira, since this was the first time he saw someone's vocals at the S-tier.
The 25-year-old seasoned idol couldn't shake off the feeling she was being watched. So, when she wasn't at the center, she glanced to her side.
Amira's eyes widened when she saw June looking straight at her. Then, her cheeks warmed up before abruptly looking away.
'Does that handsome rookie like me?'
After LUNIX, it was finally time for BOYMYSTIC to take the stage. June paid more attention than usual since they also came from Rising Stars.
As expected, they also had an S-tier member.
Jordan Lee, the center of BOYMYSTIC.
[Jordan Lee
Vocals: S-
Dance: S
Rap: B+
Visuals: A+]
With these revelations, it seemed like S-tiers weren't too uncommon especially with older idols. However, to think that Uno, a guy his age who was also debuting as a rookie, had already achieved an S-tier stat, made June a bit nervous.
He was definitely satisfied with his skill set. Even among older idols, he would be considered very talented. However, June acknowledged that he still had a lot of room for improvement, especially with his lack of experience.
Moreover, ever since Rising Stars ended, June hasn't hunted any missions yet.
It seemed like Fu was determined to make him suffer even more by making the missions impossible to seek.
BOYMYSTIC's stage finally ended, and Jaeyong decided to go back to their lounge area.
June silently followed after his teammates, still pondering upon his new revelation.
They entered their lounge and saw their other teammates sleeping. June sat on the couch and thought about their debut.
He already knew it was going to be difficult especially with their new competitor. After watching OCTA's performance, there was a slight nervousness that budded inside his heart.
Their groups were more similar than he had thought.
The public will definitely compare them with each other after their debut. Heck, they were already comparing the two groups when they haven't even debuted yet.
With that thought in mind, June wanted to do better for their upcoming festival performance. He wasn't able to do his best during the rehearsals, and although he was sure he was going to do better on the actual performance itself...there was a part of him that knew he needed more time.
June was still an amateur.
He didn't have any background in singing except when he was still a thug who silently aspired to be a singer.
He also didn't have any formal training on it.
If you think about it, Rising Stars was the only time he ever got mentored for his skills. The other guys, including Uno, had been training for years already. So, there was still a gap in their skills despite June having straight A+'s for his stats.
Just then, like Fu heard his thoughts, his interface popped-up right before him.
It had been a while since he had a mission, so he was surprised at first.
[A side quest had opened!]
June sighed in disappointment when he saw it was merely a side quest. What he really wanted right now was a real mission so he could improve one of his stats and also move to the S-tier.
[The title of this side quest is: Unli-Oxygen]
[Reward: Breath of Eternity]
[Breath of Eternity is a booster that stabilizes vocals during critical segments, providing 20 seconds of precise air/breathing regulation.]
June took his words back.
This booster might actually be what he needed at the moment.
[Host will gain one Breath of Eternity once the side quest is accomplished. Does the host accept the quest?]
'I accept,' June internally said without any hesitation.
[Great choice, host. The side quest will be simple!]
[Get autographs from four artists with at least one S-tier stat. Deadline of side quest: 1 hour]