Bloodline Evolution: I Can Choose Opposing Paths-Chapter 76: Soundcheck

The Imperial Auditorium rose above the surrounding district like a palace of glass, its curved exterior shone brightly against the afternoon light.

Even from half a block away, the place buzzed with activity. Cargo trucks with all sorts of props were being moved, their back doors open as stagehands wheeled out stacks of lighting rigs.

Aren slowed slightly as he approached the entrance with the others, taking in the scene without saying a word. The concert wasn’t until tomorrow night, yet the venue already looked like it was preparing for a full-scale event.

He lifted Aqua Veil off of Miu as they got closer.

"Neat trick," Daniel commented. "What else can it be used for?"

"Not the time, man," Aren replied dryly.

As they approached, several of the guards recognized her immediately and stepped aside, murmuring quick greetings as they waved the group through.

But his eyes weren’t paying attention to them—they were on the perimeter. On the frankly ridiculous amounts of guards at the scene.

They weren’t the half-bored venue staff he’d expected to see standing around a concert hall. The men stationed here wore fitted black suits with discreet earpieces. Their posture was straight as they scanned the crowds of workers moving in and out.

Some stood near the barricades while others lingered in pairs along the outer walls, watching every approaching vehicle and pedestrian.

Aren’s steps slowed almost imperceptibly.

He counted them without meaning to.

Ten near the front entrance. Another four along the east loading dock. Three more by the side corridor leading toward the backstage entrance.

And that was just the ones he could see at a glance.

His brow furrowed.

Why the hell are there more guards here than the idol’s freakin’ house?

Daniel must have noticed the same thing, because he leaned slightly closer as they passed another pair of suited men near the doorway.

"Are they expecting a full-blown riot?" Daniel muttered under his breath.

Aren didn’t answer. His gaze drifted across the plaza one more time before he stepped through the main doors.

He didn’t realize how big everything was in Imperial City, and this place was one such example. The massive lobby stretched upward, to what must’ve been at least 5 to 6 stories tall. Dozens of workers rushed back and forth between the seating area along with the standing pit in the middle.

Posters of Miu Harmonia hung along the walls, her bright pink hair and dazzling smile was frankly how she managed to steal so many people’s hearts.

But even here, the guards didn’t thin out.

Aren spotted more of them stationed near the staircases and even the upper tiers of seats. Something about the entire arrangement felt... wrong.

At the penthouse earlier, security had been almost laughably lax. Two guards at the door and a handful scattered through the lobby of the hotel.

For someone who claimed to be hearing voices and fearing something was wrong, the protection around her personal residence had barely existed.

Yet here...

This place looked like a fortress.

Before Aren could dwell on it further, a sharp voice cut through the noise.

"Miss Harmonia?"

A man in a fitted gray suit hurried toward them from across the lobby, clutching a tablet in one hand. His expression shifted from confusion to relief the moment he reached Miu.

"We weren’t expecting you," he said quickly, adjusting his glasses as he caught his breath. "Your rehearsal schedule is tomorrow morning."

Miu shrugged lightly.

"I wanted to see the venue early," she replied casually. "Thought I’d get a feel for the stage."

The man nodded slowly, though the explanation clearly hadn’t been part of his plans. His eyes shifted to the others standing with her.

"...And they are?"

Miu gestured lazily toward Aren.

"Just...some of my friends who wanted to see the stage."

"Miss Harmonia, we keep a list of your contacts and friends," the man paused before looking at his tablet. "These two aren’t amongst the ones we know."

Miu made a dismissive noise that almost sounded like she was blowing a raspberry.

"They’re new friends."

"Right," the man said as he pushed his glasses up. "Just make sure you don’t hang out with...unsavory groups that want to latch onto your fame."

Aren felt Daniel stiffen slightly beside him. Even he wanted to sock this guy right in the face, but that wouldn’t work out so well.

Miu gave the manager a casual wave before drifting away toward the stage. One of the technicians looked up in surprise as she approached, but she was already stepping up the short staircase leading onto the platform.

"Just doing a quick check," she called lightly, reaching for the microphone stand near the center.

The technician hesitated for half a second before shrugging and nodding toward the control booth.

"Go ahead."

Aren and Daniel remained near the edge of the hall, watching as she tapped the mic twice.

"Testing... one, two."

Her voice echoed across the empty rows of seats as the sound system picked it up. Technicians adjusted a few sliders in the back booth before giving her a thumbs-up.

Aren didn’t watch her for long.

Instead, he slowly turned his attention to the rest of the auditorium.

Daniel moved with him naturally, both of them drifting away from the stage area like two bored spectators wandering through a museum exhibit.

Neither of them spoke. More importantly, neither of them released even the slightest trace of ether. To anyone scanning the area with Mystic senses, they would feel like nothing more than background noise.

Daniel leaned slightly closer as they walked along the side corridor of the auditorium.

"You notice it?" he murmured.

Aren nodded faintly.

"Yeah."

They were practically deploying an entire military base in here. Though most guards seemed to be Novice or Adept Grade Mystics, the sheer number was enough to raise alarms.

Eventually, they reached the rear edge of the stage platform, where a narrow corridor led toward the backstage area.

They didn’t even get two steps inside before a voice cut them off.

"Stop."

A tall, tanned man in a black suit stepped forward from the shadows beside the corridor entrance.

"Backstage access is restricted," the man said evenly. "You’ll need to return to the main floor."

Aren blinked once before letting his posture slump slightly, his expression instantly shifting into something far more sheepish.

"Oh—sorry about that," he said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "We’re actually film stage students."

Daniel nearly choked beside him. Aren didn’t even glance his way.

"We heard they were setting up a concert here and thought it’d be cool to see what things look like behind the stage."

Aren continued, giving the guard a slightly embarrassed smile. "You know... for inspiration and stuff."

The guard didn’t react, not even slightly. His eyes studied Aren for a long moment before shifting briefly toward Daniel.

Aren felt it immediately.

So he’s a Line 3, huh? Seems to be the Head Guard stationed here. But why would he be all the way in the backstage?

The guards weren’t really guarding the idol herself...but something else here.

"No backstage access," the guard repeated calmly. "Leave the area."

Aren sighed softly, like a disappointed student whose field trip had just been cancelled.

"Ah... worth a shot, I guess."

He turned as if preparing to leave.

But as he did—

Something caught his eye.

Just past the guard’s shoulder, deeper inside the backstage corridor.

A machine.

It was partially hidden behind a stack of equipment cases, its metallic frame surrounded by thick cables running across the floor and disappearing beneath the stage structure.

At first glance, it almost looked like an oversized audio processor. Except it wasn’t connected to the soundboard, and the cables running from it weren’t audio lines either.

Daniel must have noticed his pause, because he casually stretched his arms overhead like a bored student.

"Guess we’ll head back then," Daniel said lazily.

The guard didn’t respond.

He simply stood there, watching them until they turned and walked back toward the auditorium floor. Only once they were out of earshot did Daniel lean closer.

"You see that?" he whispered.

Aren nodded once.

"Something’s definitely going on here."