True Incubus: The Demon with No Limits

”Ah.”

Evelyn didn’t know how she was supposed to react.

”Your concert started with a few hundred people.”

Naomi started giving a brief explanation according to what she had read so far.

”From hundreds it moved to thousands, then a few tens of thousands. People started coming from everywhere, filling the nearby streets, then the streets behind those streets filled, many people left their cars, public transport couldn’t move properly, several roads were completely blocked, at some point nobody even knew exactly how many people were physically there anymore.”

Evelyn kept staring at Naomi, listening to everything she was saying in silence.

”The estimates I’ve seen say over a hundred thousand were packed throughout the surrounding area at the peak, everywhere your voice could be heard, there were people.

As for those who could not hear you...

There was the internet.”

The internet was the worst, the moment Evelyn’s team began live-streaming the entire thing, the numbers shot up. Clips spread everywhere, every major social platform picked it up, news channels began showing footage.

Within an hour, tens of millions were watching and by the end—

More than a hundred million unique viewers had reportedly watched some portion of the concert.

Naomi explained it all and Evelyn stared at her with this blank look on her face.

”There were... a hundred million people watching live...?”

She couldn’t believe it.

”You didn’t know?”

”I wasn’t really concerned about the online numbers...”

Evelyn shook her head.

”But... I don’t think a hundred million is a normal number.”

”It is not.

The previous record for the most-watched live stream was less than ten million, yours was ten times that.”

Naomi spoke with an awed look on her face.

”You broke multiple records, by a very very large margin. I doubt anyone would ever be able to break your record.”

”That... is surprising.”

Evelyn nodded, she too, was obviously overwhelmed by the numbers.

”Then... what about charity? If the view count was so high, many must have donated, no?”

She asked curiously.

That was the excuse they used in order to suddenly perform in the middle of the city.

A charity event.

And Naomi—

”People took that very seriously, especially when they saw you sing for hours, without a single break.”

”How much did we gather?”

Evelyn asked.

Naomi looked at her phone, confirming the number.

”Direct donations crossed sixty million dollars before you stopped.”

”Sixty million...?”

Evelyn blinked.

Naomi nodded.

”Then various companies joined in, not wanting to miss the opportunity. They chipped in, making the number bigger, more donations came when the clips spread even further.

It all ended at about one hundred and fifty million dollars.”

Evelyn stared at the number.

Naomi waited for her to react, Aevrienne looked mildly interested as well and Evelyn—

”Oh.”

She nodded.

”Oh?”

Naomi tilted her head, not liking the reaction or lack thereof.

”What else am I supposed to say?”

”I don’t know! Say something!”

”Something.”

Evelyn did what she was told and Naomi nearly lost it.

”You...”

Evelyn chuckled at the reaction. Aevrienne stared at Naomi in amusement as well. Then, Evelyn let out a small laugh.

”Well, since we have the money, we will donate it all. Hospitals, schools and food, this is where I think we should put it.”

She spoke with a genuine look on her face.

She didn’t intend to keep the money for herself. She didn’t do what she did for the money anyways, she did it for Lucian.

But Naomi—

”You should talk to your team first.”

”Hm?”

Evelyn tilted her head, a little confused.

”They made different arrangements.”

”...what happened?”

Evelyn asked, she wasn’t clear regarding most of the details related to the concert since she only sang, the rest was managed by others and of course, she has had no time to read about it online.

Naomi, however, did have the time.

A lot of it actually.

”The government was not exactly thrilled about the part where you paralyzed several major roads.”

”Ah.”

Evelyn realised it.

”Your team had meetings, there were fines being discussed. Permits, traffic violations, emergency access problems and whatnot.”

”That sounds... concerning.”

Evelyn nodded.

”It was.”

Naomi nodded back.

”But public sentiment was completely on your side. Millions had watched you sing until you physically collapsed, clips of the exhausted you refusing to stop spread everywhere, because of that, tens of millions had donated. If the money is used correctly, it could improve the state of the world by a huge margin.

So no attempt to turn the entire incident into a political fight worked. In the end, your team and the authorities found another solution.”

”Solution?”

”They gave you an auditorium.”

Naomi smiled.

”A what?”

Evelyn blinked.

It did not sound like a punishment.

”An open-air auditorium.”

Naomi explained.

”Located on the outskirts where almost all roads have alternatives, so the traffic can be planned, the auditorium is quite large as well, has twice the capacity of a normal auditorium, not that the extra capacity does a lot in your case.”

Naomi rolled her eyes.

Evelyn chuckled softly, Naomi continued explaining.

”The official agreement is basically that if you ever want to do another spontaneous charity performance like this, you use that venue rather than shutting down half the surrounding district.”

”...they gave me a venue so I stop singing in the street.”

Evelyn blinked.

”Well... yes.”

Naomi nodded after a bit of hesitation.

Stating it like that did make it sound less impressive, but that did happen.

”Also, this was where your team made a few independent decisions.”

”Independent decisions?”

”It was decided that when you are not using the venue, it can be opened to new artists.”

”New artists?”

Evelyn paused.

”The unknown ones.”

Naomi nodded.

”People without labels, or connections, or the money for huge venues, almost anyone can apply. They say there’s a small selection process that they will announce soon, the venue will assure basic quality and safety measures.

Basically, new, unknown artists get a professional stage, equipment and staff basically for free.”

”...that sounds quite impressive.”

Evelyn was impressed.

She could already guess how it would affect the entire music industry on its own.

And she was right.

”The idea exploded online.”

Naomi continued to explain what happened.

”Many people are already calling it your stage.

A fair place where someone who actually has talent gets a chance without needing the right family, right manager or enough money.”

”A talent platform.”

Evelyn nodded, knowing exactly what direction this was going in.

Naomi nodded as well.

”Yes, and quite a big one. Since artists get everything for free, the ticket prices will be low, most of the artists have written how they won’t even charge for performing if it means they get to perform on a stage.

It basically opens the possibility of free concerts, where people can go and enjoy, while an artist can use the platform to shine, gain recognition and grow in their career.

A platform that benefits everyone.”

”That’s... genius.”

Evelyn blinked.

She was very surprised.

”Who came up with the idea?”

”That’s not revealed, it is said you discussed it with your team when you woke up.”

”But I only woke up now...”

Evelyn frowned, but the very next second, she realised it.

Naomi nodded as well.

”It was most probably the Enclave.

That’s why the authorities backed down and gave you a personal venue instead.”

Evelyn couldn’t help but remember a certain woman who she had been in contact with all this while.

’She really knows how to manipulate events how she wants, huh...’

She muttered inwardly.

Claire was honestly terrifying.

”Oh also, it is said you will not use the money that was donated to fund the venue and everything it does for the new artists.

You will use your own ten million for that.

The donation money will all go to charity.”

”Wait... I am using my own money...?”

Evelyn’s expression changed.

”Yes.”

Naomi nodded.

”Yes, this was another one of the reasons people supported you so wholeheartedly today, you not only gathered money to make the world a better place, you also gave back to the community you came from.

The community of art and artists.

How charming.”

Naomi chuckled.

Evelyn only stared at her with this flat look on her face.

Ten million...

It was a huge amount, even for her.

But in the end—

”Well, that’s fine. I’ll manage.”

She sighed.

She never cared about money anyways, to her, that was only a means to an end. If more people can benefit from her money, not to mention, if it allows her to step on the stage and gather Energy of Desire for Lucian whenever she wants to—

The money spent was worth it.

Naomi saw how easily she gave up on the money and that made her raise an eyebrow—

”You don’t find it the least bit odd that they made you pay ten million when you were asleep.”

”Well... it is more than I expected...”

”Exactly! It’s much more than expected! These people of the supernatural world have a skewed concept of money.”

She snorted.

”Skewed concept?”

”Yes!”

Naomi nodded again.

”You won’t believe how much I won from a bet I made with someone inside the Trial.”

”How much?”

”Sixty million.”

”...what?”

”Yes.”

Naomi revealed it and Evelyn—

She couldn’t believe it.