The morning sun crept through the windows, but Rex was already wide awake. His laptop was open, notes scattered across the table, sketches, logos, slogans — it looked like the desk of a fashion designer crossed with a marketing agent.
Ash stumbled into the room, yawning. "You... didn't sleep again, did you?"
Rex looked up with a tired grin. "We're about to drop merch, bro. Who has time for sleep?"
Kai joined them moments later, shirtless, a protein shake in hand. "Merch? Already?"
Silas came last, rubbing his eyes and carrying a fresh pot of coffee. "We have one song."
"One viral song," Rex corrected. "And now over 200K views on our YouTube channel and 4K followers on Instagram. Fans are literally commenting things like, 'Where can I get an Obsidian Saints shirt?'"
Kai raised an eyebrow. "For real?"
Rex nodded and turned the screen toward them. Dozens of comments were highlighted.
> "Banger. Dropped this track at the gym and felt like a war god."
"Obsidian Saints? Sickest name. I'd buy a shirt just for the logo."
"Is this on Spotify yet? And merch WHEN?"
Ash whistled. "Well damn."
Rex opened a file labeled "Blueprint: System Merch Drop". It glowed faintly — invisible to everyone but him. The System had already laid the groundwork: suppliers, pricing, marketing milestones, design advice. He just had to make it look organic.
"Here's the plan," Rex said, clicking through mock-ups. "We go minimal. Black shirts, charcoal gray logo. Front print only for now. Make it exclusive — limited drop. Thirty units max. A test run."
Silas leaned forward, examining the design. "That logo... did you make this?"
"Yup," Rex said. "Spent all night tweaking it. The 'O' in Obsidian is shaped like a halo, but jagged. Saints... aren't supposed to be clean."
Ash smirked. "Edgy. I like it."
Kai scratched his chin. "What about size stock? Shipping? Returns?"
Rex had answers ready. "Print-on-demand via a partner store. No bulk cost, no overhead. We set the price, they handle fulfillment. We take about 40% profit per sale."
Silas nodded. "Sounds clean. Professional."
Rex added, "And here's the kicker — each shirt comes with a QR code on the tag that links to an exclusive behind-the-scenes video of us recording The Four Horsemen."
That got their attention.
Ash grinned. "Smart. That kind of fan access is gold."
Kai leaned back. "How much are we charging?"
"Thirty-five bucks," Rex replied confidently. "Twenty-nine for early supporters with a promo code we'll drop only on our YouTube Community tab."
Silas nodded again. "You thought this through."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of it all sinking in.
This wasn't just a band anymore.
They were becoming a brand.
---
The rest of the day was a blur of activity.
Kai set up the storefront using a platform Rex had already integrated. Ash helped film a short video announcing the merch drop — raw, energetic, and personal.
Silas handled the camera angles and post-production.
Rex oversaw everything, tweaking wording, ensuring consistency, uploading their designs to the site.
And the System whispered subtle guidance all the while:
> 🧠 "Add urgency: 'Only 30 units — ever.'"
📈 "Use timestamp captions in the video. Fans want to feel part of the process."
💡 "Include a poll on Instagram: 'Would you rep Obsidian Saints?'"
Rex obeyed. And it worked.
By nightfall, they posted the drop announcement video on every platform they had.
---
[Instagram Story – @obsidiansaints_official]
🔥 MERCH DROP LIVE! 🔥
💀 LIMITED TO 30 PIECES ONLY
🎥 Includes EXCLUSIVE behind-the-scenes video
📦 Ships Worldwide
🛒 Link in bio
---
The response was explosive.
Comments poured in.
> "TAKE MY MONEY"
"Already ordered two. You guys are going places."
"This is how legends start."
The Shopify dashboard dinged.
[1 Order Placed]
[3 Orders Placed]
[12 Orders Placed]
Ash whooped. "We're selling shirts, man!"
Silas blinked at the screen. "Holy hell."
Kai looked up from his phone, stunned. "We're almost halfway sold out in under two hours."
Rex just smiled.
He knew this was only the beginning. And the System confirmed it.
> 🎉 SYSTEM REWARD UNLOCKED
💰 Bonus Funds: +$500
🧠 Passive Skill: "Brand Magnetism – Lv1"
🔍 Description: Increases natural fan conversion through merchandise, design, and aura.
---
Later that night, as the others celebrated, Rex stepped outside. The cool air felt sharp against his skin.
He opened the System again. Silent. Watching. Always there.
"Why me?" he whispered.
> 💬 SYSTEM: "Because you remember the gods of heavy music. And now, the world will remember you."
Rex stared at the stars, a small grin creeping onto his face.
They had the music.
They had the name.
Now they had the look.
The Saints were rising.
---