Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: The Spring Waltz
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Your class change is complete. Returning to your previous location.
Along with the notification, Yuhyeon's vision returned to normal.
From overlooking the town's scenery, he was now back on the stage.
Yu-Yuhyeon! Are you alright?
Charles asked Yuhyeon with an urgent tone.
Yes, what's wrong?
From the moment the blessing descended upon the town, you've been standing completely still!
Everyone else had been captivated by the goddess, but Charles, who was right beside him, had noticed the subtle change.
After all, this was a man who considered himself Yuhyeon's devotee.
I was worried something might have happened to you. Are you truly alright?
Yuhyeon was the one who had made the distinguished contribution that allowed the highest-grade blessing to be bestowed upon Hemona Village.
If anything were to happen to him, Charles wouldn't have been able to face the others.
However, despite Charles's worries.
No, thank you for your concern.
Yuhyeon offered a gentle smile, as if to tell him not to worry.
For a moment, Charles felt relieved by his expression, but he quickly continued in a rush.
Yuhyeon, by the way, we have a problem.
A problem?
Well
Charles's gaze then turned toward the audience.
Yuhyeon's eyes naturally followed his.
!
Yuhyeon's eyes widened as he looked at the crowd.
Wooooah!
The audience, still caught in the afterglow, was roaring with cheers.
Encore!
Encore! Encore!
The immense cheers and applause were enough to make the stage feel like it would float away.
And with it came the special request for an encore.
The audience wants an encore. What should we do?
In all his time conducting the ritual ceremony, Charles had never once experienced an encore.
It was also the first time in his life that such a large crowd had visited Hemona Village.
In other words, they hadn't practiced an encore for the audience while preparing for this ceremony.
An encore? I'd love to.
A broad smile spread across Yuhyeon's lips.
In fact, his face was filled with satisfaction, as if this was a situation he had always hoped for.
It's been a while.
How long had it been since he was asked for an encore?
It was safe to say this was the first time it had happened since he stopped performing as a violinist.
In terms of years, it was a special occasion he hadn't experienced in a decade.
Refusing when the audience wants an encore is no way for a performer to act.
Music is an art form that only truly comes alive when there is an audience.
The performer offers the audience a range of emotions, and the audience, with their fervent cheers and encouragement, helps the performer grow.
In essence, their meaning and value grow only when they are together.
We don't have a piece for an encore. Do you have any ideas?
Charles asked Yuhyeon, his tone laced with worry.
He too knew that an encore was a precious experience for a performer, but the practical difficulties remained.
They weren't in a position to perform an encore right away, so what could they possibly do?
How about an improvisation?
I-Improvisation?
Yuhyeon nodded calmly.
If I can give them something through music, that's enough.
Music wasn't something you only listened to with your ears.
Sometimes you listened with your eyes, and sometimes you felt it with your heartthat was music.
If his performance could resonate with the audience in some way, that was all that mattered.
How about a waltz? I think it would be perfect for a finale.
Thanks to the goddess's blessing, Hemona Village was now as warm as spring.
A cool breeze tickled his hair, and the fresh scent of grass teased his nose.
The harmonious scenery was like a waltz that lifted the spirits.
A waltz of spring, gifted by the warm season itself.
Let's just enjoy ourselves. As long as we can play happily, that's all that matters.
In that case we'll trust you and follow your lead.
Seeing Yuhyeon's bold demeanor, the members quickly shed their doubts and nodded.
Wasn't he the one who had shown them a miracle just moments ago?
I'll take the lead.
Yuhyeon smiled softly.
A warm spring waltz, peace and joy.
And
Happiness.
A special performance for the audience and the goddess.
It was happiness itself.
I'm the only streamer who has a connection with him right now!
It was the moment Pengkun spoke up, trying to conceal Yuhyeon's identity.
'Thompson' has donated 10,000 won.
- So you're not going to reveal his identity easily, huh. It'd be nice if fellow streamers helped each other out.
- Helped what now?
- What kind of foreigner speaks Korean this well?
- The translation feature is so hit-or-miss lolll
'Inun' has donated 10,000 won.
- Pengkun... is it really okay to do that to the Godfather... I'm gettin' scared...
- I don't think Pengkun actually plans on telling us
- He worked hard to meet him, of course he's gonna keep it a secret
- You guys still don't know Pengkun? That's just a cash grab tactic
Heh.
Pengkun blinked as he stared at the chat window.
It was flooded with speculation and criticism about why he was hiding Yuhyeon's identity.
Are these guys on my side or Thompson's?
He'd been with these viewers for almost three years, yet how could they not understand him at all?
He felt a truly disappointed and conflicted emotion.
What's so important about revealing his identity? The important thing is that we're here right now, haha.
- Boooo cash grab boooo
- Were you that desperate for money? Boooo
- Cringe, Pengkun... for real..
He was trying to handle the situation somehow, but the reactions were far from good. Just then.
Ting.
A clear piano sound echoed from the stage.
It was followed by a glissando, heralding the brilliant start of the performance.
For Pengkun, it was a perfectly timed moment of salvation.
E-Everyone! Now's not the time for that! It looks like the performer is about to start playing again!
- fr fr wasn't it already over?
- They even do encores, this performance is top-tier damn
- I wonder what kind of special performance he'll give us this time
- He summoned a goddess, so is he gonna summon a demon god this time?
- lmaooo that's not a performance, that's a nuke
At the sudden sound of the piano, the viewers' attention naturally shifted to the stage.
Pengkun's eyes also sparkled as he looked at the stage.
I wonder what kind of performance he'll show us this time.
From the surprise quest and the first-time achievement to clearing the storm and summoning a goddess.
He had experienced all sorts of special things since meeting Yuhyeon.
But the look in Pengkun's eyes now was quite different from expecting something like that.
What song will he play?
He was curious about the performance itself that Yuhyeon would deliver on stage.
Perhaps it was closer to the pure excitement or anticipation of a listener.
Tiding!
The clear and beautiful sound of the piano rang out.
Oom-pah-pah!
Soon, a rhythm that made the listeners' spirits soar spread through the air.
Pengkun's eyes flew open.
A waltz!
The waltz was one of the most popular and famous dance forms in the West.
Originating in Austria, this genre was so influential that it turned the entire cities of Paris and Vienna into ballrooms.
It was no exaggeration to say that it dominated 19th-century European high society.
But a waltz, at this moment?
A momentary doubt crept into Pengkun's mind.
Just moments ago, they had delivered a performance magnificent and grand enough to part a storm.
It was the audience, captivated by that grandeur, who had requested an encore in return.
Amidst all that, it was admittedly a bit strange to hear a performance with a completely opposite atmosphere.
Uh wait a minute.
However, his doubt didn't last long.
Oh, the mood of this piece is completely different, isn't it?
It feels perfect for the weather right now. It's so good, right?
It's exciting, but it also calms the heart, don't you think?
It was because he heard the vivid reactions of the audience around him.
Their lips were all curved into smiles.
If their reaction to the storm performance was closer to shock, now they seemed to be genuinely enjoying it.
Ziiiing.
Soon, following Yuhyeon's lead, the other members also picked up their instruments.
The viola, cello, and violin glanced at each other, finding the right moment to join the performance.
They looked a bit clumsy, as if playing an unrehearsed piece, but they soon fell into rhythm under Yuhyeon's lead.
Ting! Ta-da-ran!
Smiles gradually appeared on the faces of the performers as they synchronized.
There were some off-key notes and disjointed parts where they weren't in sync, but their expressions looked more peaceful than ever.
It was then that Pengkun realized.
I think I can see it.
He gently closed his eyes.
Focusing solely on the sound entering his ears, he slowly began to imagine.
He entrusted his body to where Yuhyeon's performance led.
It's spring.
Pengkun pictured the fields of a village in spring.
He saw himself enjoying a cool breeze under the leaves that shielded him from the sun.
He saw a small child making a ring from flowers, and a woman drying fabrics in the sunny weather.
As if enjoying the rare warm breeze that was blowing now.
It's so warm
The lively waltz rhythm thrilled him, and the warm melody soothed his heart.
A true spring waltz that calmed the soul.
A thought suddenly occurred to Pengkun.
It's truly strange.
He had always played Wonderland by pursuing all sorts of stimulating and bizarre content.
Thrilling content that he could never experience in reality, only in Wonderland.
That was his way of enjoying the game, both as a streamer and as a player.
To think that classical music, which I never even glanced at in real life, could move me so deeply
And yet here he was, feeling a thrill from a performance inside a game.
The beautiful melody created by the various instruments gave him a new kind of stimulation, one different from a dopamine rush, and as a listener rather than a gamer, he found solace for his heart.
To think I'd feel this kind of emotion inside a game.
Pengkun simply smiled, finding the situation both amusing and wondrous.
This moment, where he was so immersed in Yuhyeon's performance and feeling such strong imagery, felt utterly new to him.
The same was true for the chat window.
'TheBardBoomIsComing' has donated 10,000 won.
- Is this real music... my ears are being purified...
- Was classical music always this good...?
- I had a bad day today, but listening to this strangely makes me feel better..
- I got so into it I started bobbing my head, am I the only one?
- What are you doing not dancing? I'm already on my feet
- lol insaneeeeee
- With a performance this good, I'd skip grinding and just come watch concerts all day
Even the viewers, who would normally throw out all sorts of jokes for fun, had become completely serious.
To unite the hearts of the viewers like this
For him, who knew their usual level of energy, it was a moment that was hard to explain.
A moment that "amazing" was insufficient to describe, a moment that perhaps should be called "great."
It was then.
Tiring!
A familiar notification sound rang in Pengkun's ears.
At this very moment, while Yuhyeon was performing, a message window appeared before his eyes.
Huh? N-No way?
He instinctively recalled the message he had seen last time.
The shocking message that had appeared when he cleared the surprise quest to change Geye's mind at the cathedral.
Just as Pengkun was remembering that moment.
A special performance grants a buff.
Buff: Happiness has been granted.
Happiness?
Pengkun's eyes narrowed.
Did a buff like this even exist in this game?
A buff is just a buff, but what did it mean for one to have a name?
As Pengkun read through the effects with a doubtful expression, his eyes gradually filled with shock.
Huh, what the, eh? Is this right?
He muttered in a daze.
His expression was one of disbelief, as if questioning whether he was reading it correctly.
'TheBardBoomIsComing' has donated 1,000 won.
- What is it! Tell us already! Do you want to see me go crazy?
'Inun' has donated 10,000 won.
- You've stalled long enough, time to reveal it go go
'BlackKing' has donated 10,000 won.
- Damn, he's really milking the donation angle today
He wasn't trying to milk donations. He was just so dumbfounded that he had frozen.
With that thought, Pengkun opened his status window and revealed the buff.
Buff: Happiness
All Stats 10
Removes all current status effects.
Curse Resistance (Fear, Madness, Confusion, etc.) 50.
Skill Cooldown -10.
Stamina Consumption -50.
Buff Duration (2 hours)
The buff's effects filled the status window.
What stood out was that it raised mental stats.
It was reminiscent of a Priest's Bless, but the cooldown and stamina reduction put it in a completely different league.
It was no exaggeration to say he had never seen such an all-in-one gift package of a buff in his life.
Whoa, the Howling curse I got from that wolf is completely gone.
50 stamina reduction? I could grind all day!
Hey, let's go to the hunting grounds right now. With this, we can easily take on wolves!
As expected, the other players' eyes were also filled with astonishment.
If their ears had felt an unprecedented happiness, the system was now giving them a happiness closer to a dopamine rush.
- wtf 50 curse resist?
- If you listen to this once, aren't you basically invincible against undead;
- holy crap 50 stamina reduction? This would be insane for grinding mastery proficiency
'Thompson' has donated 1,000,000 won.
- A mental buff and a stat buff too? I don't think I've ever seen a buff like this before.
Pengkun's eyes went wide.
Even Thompson, a famous streamer and top ranker, was saying it was a buff he'd never seen before.
'Thompson' has donated 1,000,000 won.
- It's getting more and more curious. I wonder if Ray might know. I'll have to ask him.
R-Ray? The top-ranking Bard?
To top it off, he even said he would ask Ray, the top-ranking Bard.
That wasn't the end of it.
'hòuniǎo' has donated 500,000 won.
- When he comes to a major city, I'll have to invite him to our Nine Dragons Guild.
From talk of inviting Yuhyeon to a large-scale guild the moment the guild system opens.
'TheGame' has donated 100,000 won.
- Is no one curious about the man's performance itself?
'MaloneJoe' has donated 100,000 won.
- Right, his playing is so good he could be a famous pianist in real life. Who is he really?
To people starting to grow curious about Yuhyeon's identity.
'HOTGUY22' has donated 100,000 won.
'Raid' has donated 100,000 won.
.
.
.
I-Insane
All sorts of donations were pouring into the chat.
It was a crucible of excitement created entirely by Yuhyeon's performance and buff.
Seeing the sight, Pengkun realized he had been thinking about it all wrong.
This wasn't something I could hide even if I wanted to, was it?
He realized that whether or not he drew attention wasn't up to him.
His gaze then turned to Yuhyeon on the stage.
In the end, this time too
The one who had created a miracle once had gone and created another.
How could anyone see such a person as a level 10 beginner?
At that thought, Pengkun let out a small smile.
They say a star's aura can't be hidden, no matter how hard you try.
Perhaps Yuhyeon was destined to become a monumental figure.
A superstar with a massive, unhidable aura.
Things are about to get noisy.
It was a groundbreaking debut for Yuhyeon, now a Conductor of Melody.