Chapter 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Moonlight
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gasp, gasp!
Yuhyeon ran until he thought his lungs would burst.
How long had it been since he'd experienced a moment so heart-poundingly exciting?
I can hear music!
To him, music was his entire life.
It was the driving force that helped him endure hardship and the only thing that gave him hope to move forward.
That was why Yuhyeons life had been no different from death since the accident.
For a musician, losing ones hearing and being unable to listen to music was nothing short of a death sentence.
I never thought Id be able to hear again.
And in that situation, two miracles had arrived at once.
The miracle of hearing sound and the miracle of hearing musicthose two miracles, simultaneously.
This was why he didn't stop running, even when his breath came in ragged gasps.
He wanted to taste this miracle as soon as possible.
Anyone have extra potions? Buying cheap!
Haha! So I kicked that bastard right in the rump!
After running for a while, the beginner's village began to come into view.
The place was bustling with all sorts of people.
In the village, users in white shirts and tunics chatted away, while guard NPCs in medieval armor patrolled the streets.
Swoosh
He could see shops made of old timber and a fountain spouting water.
It looked exactly like a village from a fantasy world.
As he ventured deeper into the plaza, the sound of an instrument grew louder.
Here it is!
At last, Yuhyeon spotted a piano in the plaza. It was a magnificent and splendid grand piano.
A user was sitting in front of it.
Their hands were poised over the keys, as if they were just about to play.
Thump, thump. Yuhyeon's heart pounded violently.
I can finally hear the piano!
In this moment, more thrilling than any other, Yuhyeon barely managed to swallow as he watched.
Ting. A beautiful piano melody echoed through the plaza.
Ah
The sound of a piano, heard for the first time in ten long years.
A thrill ran through him, making his whole body tremble.
I want to hear it from a little closer.
Driven by the desire to hear more clearly, he pushed through the crowd, only for someone to speak to him in an irritated voice.
Hey, don't cut in line. Get to the back, will you?
Startled, Yuhyeon bowed his head slightly and replied.
Ah, I'm sorry. I was just trying to watch.
If you're just going to watch, do it somewhere else. This is the line for people waiting to play.
Play? You mean I can play, too?
As Yuhyeon tilted his head, the man spoke with a bored expression.
A total newbie, huh? Go back there and fill out an application form if you want to play. And stop blocking the view!
At his words, Yuhyeon turned around and saw a long line. It was so long he couldn't see the end.
I can play the piano? Really?
It was the most welcome news he could have heard.
He had only come to listen, but now he even had a chance to play!
Yuhyeon smiled brightly and bowed.
Thank you!
He soon found his way to where the user had pointed and saw an NPC handing out application forms.
You here to apply as a performer? If so, sign here.
Tiring!
Event Quest: Trial to Select the Ritual Performer
Grade: C
Requirement: Must be able to play the piano
Reward: 50 Gold, Honorary Follower's Crest, Participation as the Ritual Performer
Failure: Cannot participate in the ritual
Description: We are recruiting a performer for the ritual to be held in one week. The conditions to pass are very strict, but success will bring commensurate honor and rewards.
My arm's getting tired. If you're going to sign, sign. If not, move along.
If I sign this, I can play the piano, right?
The NPC yawned widely and said.
Of course you have to participate to play. You think you can just play for free? Haaah, why did the elder have to give me such a bothersome task.
So I can play, right? Then I'll participate!
Do you wish to sign the note?
Tiring!
You have participated in the event.
Current queue: 411 people. Estimated waiting time: 1 hour and 27 minutes.
The wait was quite long. But right now, it didn't feel long at all.
I can listen to my heart's content while I wait.
With the preparations done, all he had to do was relax and enjoy the performances until his turn came.
I'm so excited.
Yuhyeon gently closed his eyes.
As he did, all his senses sharpened.
The so-called five senses.
With his sight closed off, his other senses naturally became more acute.
He could smell the sweet fragrance of flowers, feel the cool breeze on his skin, and his hearing, more sensitive than ever, picked up sounds with crystal clarity.
Soon, he heard the sound of a performer pressing a key.
Ting.
D-sharp.
If his memory served him right, that note was D-sharp.
He knew it the moment he heard it.
To be precise, it felt as if the sounds he remembered in his head had come back to life.
The piano, befitting its nickname the king of instruments, was an instrument with many charming characteristics.
True to its nature as a keyboard instrument, one of its greatest features was that anyone could produce a sound simply by pressing a key.
Its wide range, capable of freely producing ultra-low and ultra-high notes difficult for humans to create, was another of its charms.
And what about harmony?
Unlike other instruments, the piano could produce harmonies with great ease. Due to its structure, there were almost no limitations.
In the end, as long as one had the skill, the piano was an instrument that allowed for any kind of performance.
But why isn't the performance continuing?
Despite it being such a wonderful instrument, not a single proper performance was being played.
To be more specific, the biggest problem was that the performances ended before he could even really hear anything.
Failed!
One person failed after playing just a single note.
I can tell just by the way you sit on the bench!
Another failed just by sitting down.
I can tell just by the position of your fingers on the keys!
And another failed just by placing their fingers on the keyboard.
At the absurd sight, Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed to slits.
Ah, come on! Let me hear a performance!
If this was a trial, shouldn't they at least listen to the entire piece?
Just as he was thinking he wouldn't get to hear a proper performance by the time the trial was over
Ugh, I'm nervous. Oppa, you think I can pass?
A voice came from in front of Yuhyeon.
A female user and a male user were talking there.
Nah, of course you'll pass. You even made a new character for this. And you put points into skills, too, hehe.
I leveled it to 3 just in case, that should be fine, right?
You dumped all the skill points you saved up to level 10 into Performance. You think there's anyone else who'd do that?
Right? There can't be, right?
Skills? Points? What on earth were they talking about?
It was a conversation he couldn't make sense of.
However, the other users who overheard the conversation generally showed reactions of pity.
Harsh. So harsh. Leveling Performance to 3 just to pass this?
What's she gonna do if she fails? At level 10, she won't even be able to kill a single wolf.
Their expressions all seemed to say, "Why would you put points into such a useless skill?"
Yuhyeon, oblivious to this, was the only one whose eyes sparkled.
Is she a good performer?
He had little interest in talk of hunting or skills.
Only one thing piqued his interest.
And that was hearing a proper performance!
Oppa, I'm off!
Soon, the user who had invested in the skill could be seen walking to the piano.
And then, the female user's performance began.
A melody flowed from the keys.
At the rather beautiful and colorful melody, the eyes of the users in the trial area widened.
Flawless execution without a single error, perfect pitch expressioneverything was up to standard.
Hmm.
It was the same for Charles, the judge.
At the clean performance, the likes of which he hadn't heard until now, a small crack appeared in his inscrutable expression.
Still, it's the best one so far.
It wasn't exactly amazing, but considering the performers he'd seen so far, it was a more than decent performance.
Charles stroked his beard and murmured softly.
Yes, with your level, we can just about manage the ritual.
Does that mean I passed? Really? Awesome!
The female user jumped up and down on the spot with an excited expression.
I wish she were as good as Saint Paolo No, that's too greedy. We can barely even proceed with the ritual as it is, what does skill matter? As long as someone can participate, that's enough.
In truth, while her skill was enough to participate in the ritual, it didn't change the fact that she was lacking.
Last year, he wouldn't have given someone like this a second glance.
But was turning this woman away the right choice? Not really.
Hadn't he seen nothing but subpar participants so far?
Considering that, he should be grateful just to find someone who could play in an ensemble.
If only I had a few more days.
Charles's dilemma deepened.
The other users watched the deliberating Charles with surprised expressions.
Whoa, first time I've seen that reaction. The judge is actually thinking about it? I guess she's getting the 50 gold?
Well, she did say she leveled Performance to 3 for this. With that much dedication, you gotta give it to her. I wouldn't do that even for the honorary crest; the skill points are too valuable.
This was the man who had been failing everyone in one second, no matter their performance.
For such a person to be deliberating so much, it wouldn't be strange to think the winner had already been decided.
With that thought, many users began to leave.
Tch, looks like first place is decided. I'm just gonna go hunt.
Yeah, let's go hunt.
Watching the queue empty in an instant, Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed.
What? It was almost my turn?
It certainly felt like they were wrapping things up and calling it a day.
He had a feeling it would end before he even got a chance to play.
And this was after waiting for nearly an hour.
He had to play at least once.
With that thought, Yuhyeon hurriedly walked toward the event area and shouted.
W-wait a minute!
?
At his shout, the gazes of everyone remaining turned toward Yuhyeon.
Could I please have a turn, too?
Could I please have a turn, too?
An out-of-the-blue shout from a man. Charles looked at Yuhyeon with a puzzled expression and spoke.
You want to play the piano?
Yes! I want to play.
Charles's eyes narrowed.
Of course, the trial isn't over yet, but
As it happened, he had been deliberating, feeling that the previous woman's skills were lacking.
He had also been hoping for someone a bit more skilled to appear.
You there, can you play the piano well? If you can, you may have a try.
If he said he could play well, giving him a chance wasn't a difficult matter.
However, if he said he couldn't, there was little reason to listen.
Wasn't every minute, every second, precious right now?
Um, if you mean play well
Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed.
What level is considered playing well?
What level of performance would qualify as good?
In Yuhyeon's book, at least, a good performer had to be a world-class pianist.
It was his first time playing in ten long years. In such a situation, it felt presumptuous to rashly claim he could play well.
Hmm, if you're not a good player, then there's not much reason to let you try, Charles said in a cold tone.
I-I just need to play once. I've waited all this time, can't you just let me try once? Yuhyeon answered urgently.
Seeing his desperate expression, Charles thought to himself.
Hmm, he's begging to play like that.
As a fellow musician, he wasn't so cruel as to forcibly stop him.
It was just that he was growing weary after listening to so many low-level performances.
He was busy and his head was already aching; he didn't want to listen to any more subpar playing.
Then have a go. But be warned, if your performance is dreadful, I'll kick you out just like the others.
Yes, yes!
Yuhyeon's eyes lit up brightly.
Could I possibly play a different piece, not the one on the sheet music?
Hmm? A different piece? Well, do as you please.
Yuhyeon's heart began to pound like crazy.
He said I could play whatever I want.
He had already decided on a piece.
It wasn't something he had just decided on; it was a piece he had chosen, it would be no exaggeration to say, ten years ago.
Moonlight.
It was the first piece Yuhyeon had ever composed, and the one he would have played at his recital if not for the accident.
A piece he had devoted over three years to composing.
But a piece that had never once been revealed to the world.
Yuhyeon tried to calm his trembling heart as he slowly sat on the bench.
Hoo
Then, he gently placed his fingers on the keys.
His hands on the keys, his back held straight, the slight angle of his chin.
Just by taking his posture, the air of a musician emanated from him.
Like a performer who had handled an instrument his entire life.
Yuhyeon pressed a key, very slowly, yet meticulously.
Tiiing.
A beautiful and clear melody resounded throughout the plaza.
!
!!
Yuhyeon's time, which had been stopped for ten years.
In that moment, it began to move once more.