A Bard’s Band of Bad Luck
A budding singer and broadcaster, Choi Cheong.
He possessed an idol-like beauty in his appearance, a personality free of wrinkles, and a voice that could devour even the toughest singer's lyrics.
Everything was there for him. Yet luck alone eluded him.
Three years of audition rejections!
He could have pursued music production or singing as a solo artist, but Choi Cheong chose a different path.
[Ludius's Horizon Exploration]
– Subscribers: 700,000
Bard ranked 31st with Ludius.
Instead of singing, he had become a bard who roamed Horizon with countless subscribers in tow.
Of course, it wasn't easy.
The misfortune that once tormented him in reality still clung to him even after becoming Ludius.
Especially now, in this era when peace had ended and war had erupted.
Orcs and bandit hordes rampaging from all directions, various monsters everywhere!
If others considered encountering monsters the number one threat, Ludius faced something ten times worse.
Until now he had survived by singing like a divine being, but this time even that seemed difficult.
“Viewers, I'm afraid I might really die this time. This darn luck of mine... what a terrible game...”
GT__hidra973 : Survival “Failed”
GT__sanseongyemun : lol lol lol lol You can't pass!
GT__midbae : Where do you respawn here?
“I think I'll respawn at the starting point. But that's no good...”
Ludius looked around after replying in chat.
‘There are too few people here.’
Even with the bard's buffs, the number of allies was limited.
As people fell one by one, the burden on the survivors only increased—a vicious cycle.
If this continued, the final line would break through soon.
‘I was warned that my party would split in half earlier... damn it!’
He had expected it, but it was still his bad luck.
Ludius steeled himself and plucked his harp.
Just then, as the final defense line was about to crumble.
The surrounding people holding the line shouted.
“Huh?”
“They're retreating!”
All at once, the orcs began to flee.
While the others stood in confusion, Ludius quickly scanned the area.
‘There...!’
Among the orcs appeared a man in a robe, his face hidden behind a mask, swinging his sword.
GT__midbae : Huh? Why are the orcs retreating?
GT__postica : Is this an event?
“Viewers, what I saw... I think someone is wiping out the orcs.”
GT__postica : No support team arrived, did they?
GT__soju135 : lol Looks like the ogre fled. I've been watching this broadcast and it's always that.
GT__postica : lol lol lol
Ludius ignored the reply and headed in that direction.
A moment later, the mysterious robed user reappeared.
‘That person... a necromancer?’
A necromancer swinging a sword while commanding skeleton soldiers.
An extremely strange combination, but at that moment Ludius felt a chill run down his spine.
‘This one... it's working.’
Bards and minstrels grow by composing songs or music.
But not just any song.
They travel while collecting insights through a skill given the moment they switch classes.
When they witness important historical events or major quest moments, saga points for composing songs finally fill up.
‘The more unusual the person, the more points they give.’
Soon after, a chance to speak with the necromancer arrived.
Ludius, after telling the story of the gates, immediately proposed.
“Excuse me, Necromancer-nim!”
“Yes?”
“If it wouldn't be a bother, could I join a party hunt? As long as the buffs help and don't burden you too much...”
“Um... a party?”
Fafnir shrugged.
‘This is a good chance to see just how great bard buffs really are.’
The image from the novel of bards' songs echoing during large-scale wars, PVP, or raids!
In the story, bards were an essential class for group battles, and this was a perfect opportunity to check the effects.
“I understand.”
“Oh, and one more thing... I'm currently streaming. Is it alright if you appear on my stream?”
“Streaming? That's a bit...”
Fafnir looked hesitant, but Ludius added.
“Ah, it's not a huge broadcast. Just a hobby stream that I keep on... to avoid it being turned off.”
“Hmm...”
Fafnir disliked broadcasting but knew the minor streamer suffered.
After a moment of hesitation, Fafnir nodded.
“Well... alright. I'll accompany you only to the destination.”
“Ah, thank you!”
Ludius's expression brightened.
‘What a polite person.’
Normally, when asked to broadcast, they'd demand absurd amounts or swing weapons first.
Fortunately, this one accepted without much trouble.
“Thank you. I'm Ludius.”
‘Ludius?’
Fafnir tilted his head for a moment.
‘I've heard that name somewhere.’
He wasn't a main or supporting character in the novel.
Still, the memory suggested a minor role or someone from a game guide researched after reincarnation.
“Then what's your nickname, Necromancer-nim?”
“Fafnir.”
Fafnir.
This time, Ludius's head tilted again.
‘I remember? Who is this?’
GT__eommanankeosuhorondaegdoelraeyoyo : Fafnir?
GT__jaedeus : I knew it was ZypFynil. Recently, a lot of necromancers are copying Fafnir. One of them, I guess.
GT__sejin : Ludius-nim, what time do you end your stream today?
Several viewers guessed his identity, but that was all.
“Then where are you going, Fafnir-nim?”
Ludius asked.
“I'm heading to Byron City because of a quest. If you come along, we can still party hunt until then.”
“Byron City... near the capital... so to go sideways and avoid it would take about twenty days.”
“Sideways?”
“Yes.”
“Why? We could just go straight.”
“...Really?”
Just reaching the Nevermore Gate meant plenty of named orcs.
But that wasn't all.
Behind the Nevermore Gate, elite orc groups and several local monsters had set up positions.
“Haha, you joke well too. Right in front are rows of named orcs. You'd need two hundred people to break through that.”
Ludius's words made Fafnir shrug.
“I haven't fought too many orcs, but...”
“Eh...?”
Ludius blinked rapidly.
Meanwhile, viewers watching the conversation reacted strongly.
GT__lol lol lol lol
GT__ah lol lol lol lol
GT__spunk lol
GT__orcs... you've fought plenty... hehe...
GT__philip : lol He jokes well too. Going straight lol
Most treated Fafnir's words as a joke.
Some went even further.
GT__‘Sera'ie's diamond 100 donation.
GT__“If you kill ten gate orcs for real, I'll give 1,000 diamonds”
The broadcast mission appeared!
One diamond was 100 won, so 1,000 diamonds meant 100,000 won.
‘A mission... the one who receives it gets to fulfill it, I suppose.’
In the distance, a few small stone towers and city walls came into view.
Around the walls the size of five-story buildings, dozens of orc warriors wandered.
They had reached the Nevermore Gate.
***
“I'll go in alone, so just apply the buffs.”
Standing before the gate, preparing for battle, Ludius asked Fafnir.
“By the way, are you perhaps a hidden class, Fafnir-nim?”
“Eh? No.”
“Then why are you holding a sword?”
“Ah, it's because I trained my stats a bit oddly.”
“Eh?”
“I put my stats in a strange way, so I can only use elite skeleton soldiers and a few attack spells.”
Unlike most necromancers, Fafnir held a sword and looked like a warrior.
GT__This close-range necromancer!
GT__Skeleton General-ddd
GT__ZypFynil is still trying to copy Fafnir...
Ludius smiled while watching the viewers' reactions.
‘Their responses are great.’
Perhaps his luck was finally turning.
Just then.
An orc on watch duty from the stone tower pointed at the two of them and shouted.
“Kyaa, two human beings! Catch them!”
Immediately, orcs burst out from inside the gate.
Some were nearly bear-sized and released ominous auras around them.
[Cursed Black Iron Orc Warlord Tazhak]
[Dark Black Iron Orc High Shaman Shairok]
Named orcs with multiple titles!
Among them was a much larger orc wielding a massive iron hammer.
[Krochu]
No titles, but even more terrifying for that reason.
“That's him! He's the leader of these orcs!”
“Bard-nim, buffs.”
“Ah, yes.”
Ludius plucked his harp and began singing.
A warrior's music and a mage's music echoed with clear voices!
– Attack power increased.
– Accuracy increased.
– Status resistance increased.
– All attribute resistances increased slightly.
– Magic attack power increased.
– Movement speed increased.
– Stamina increased.
Every time Ludius plucked the strings, Fafnir's body felt a surge of energy.
It felt completely different from fighting alone.
If he composed a proper song, it would help in many ways.
‘Should I move soon?’
The next moment.
Fafnir charged straight at the orcs.
GT__popora : Wait? Fafnir-nim? Why are you using front dash?
GT__aahyeolgachigui : Oh no, bad luck struck again???
GT__hidra973 : Solo “Failed”
The chat kept getting hammered, but he ignored it.
In an instant, the distance between Fafnir and the orc warriors closed.
The orcs' charge was supposed to be dodged.
But Fafnir swung his sword head-on.
The next moment, a surprising event occurred.
“Kyakueeeek!”
“Kyak?!”
“What the?!”
The body of the charging orc split cleanly in two.
The nearby orc warriors flinched in shock.
“Kyiik! Monster humans!”
“What! Surround and capture him!”
The orcs quickly recovered and encircled Fafnir.
Suddenly, bone hands shot out from the ground beneath Fafnir.
“What?!”
“Kyak!”
Elite skeleton soldiers appearing like in zombie movies!
Thanks to previous battles, their levels had risen 20 points.
With proper equipment, the orc warriors were now being pushed back by the skeleton soldiers.
– 20 enemies defeated in a row.
– Blood Soul Attack effect activated.
Purple orbs emerged from the sword and orbited Fafnir like a shield.
The souls inside the blood souls spread like auras.
‘No... this is really strong?’
Fafnir, who had been fighting, was surprised.
Normally he would have controlled the fight carefully, but with such good equipment, a single attack killed an orc.
And not only that.
Thanks to the blood-sucking effect, HP that slowly decreased was immediately restored.
Combined with the existing blood aura and Nepenthes attack, it was almost planarian-level regeneration!
‘I'd fight all day if I had to.’
He could feel how amazing the effect of epic items was with his own skin.
Fafnir commanded joyfully.
“Unit 3, continue defending! Unit 1, break through the enemy lines! The rest follow me!”
The regular skeleton soldiers didn't even need to be summoned—the battle continued.
It was a slaughter in reality.
“Wow... how is this? Everyone, look! He's alone fighting 500 orcs.”
Ludius, watching from afar, opened his eyes wide.
GT__‘Sera'ie's diamond 1,200 donation.
GT__“Mission successful! 200 is a tip.”
GT__yeonkaesomun : Wow... I just saw it? He took the orc attack head-on without dodging.
GT__hidra973 : Solo battle “Passed”
GT__‘I am the Stock King’ diamond 500 donation.
GT__“ZypFynil is fighting well!”
The viewers watching the stream were equally surprised.
GT__soju135 : Who is that? Is he today's guest?
“Ah, he's the person I met today. When I heard about the named orcs, he suddenly asked to guide me.”
GT__sanseongyemun : Hey, why didn't you scout him in advance? He's a guest.
“No way. I met him before this stream started.”
GT__soju135 : lol Don't lie... Ludius wouldn't have such good luck meeting someone like that.
The viewers of Ludius's channel had built trust over a long time.
But this time they had no choice but to doubt.
The orcs at the Nevermore Gate were a monster group that normally required at least four or five six-person parties to handle.
Even with skeleton soldiers, facing them alone and crushing them meant the viewers had to suspect he was someone scouted in advance.
“Huu. Then I can't just stay still. I'll cheer for that person with a song.”
By now the number of viewers had exceeded 150, far more than the usual 30.
Just then.
While continuing the battle, Fafnir turned around and flinched.
“Ludius-nim!”
“Yes?”
“Don't touch there!”
“Touch? Where... ah.”
Ludius's foot touched a magic circle while scanning around.
– Ludius-nim has unlocked the ‘Sealed Magic Circle’.
– The ‘Cursed Orc Warriors Soaked in Chaos’ inside the magic circle have been released.
– Orc reinforcements have arrived.
– Luck is insufficient.
– Extreme Bad Luck!
– The Crimson Axe Orc Elite Cavalry has joined the battlefield.
Black energy rose from the ground, and fourteen orc warriors with mixed black and red colors appeared.
But that wasn't all.
A group of orc cavalry mounted on wolves joined from afar, and the orc numbers had already returned to before the battle.