Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Work Song
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A music shop where the gentle scent of wooden furniture coexisted with the musty smell of parchment.
There, amidst stacks of old sheet music, two men were talking.
The shop's owner and Yuhyeon.
That'll be 2 gold and 37 silver in total.
Tiring!
You have purchased a Parchment Bundle (100).
You have purchased Pens (2) and Ink (3).
Thank you! I hope your business thrives!
Yuhyeon left the music shop with a bright smile.
Got all my supplies!
In his hands were a cheap, yellowish ream of parchment and a quill pen.
All supplies for Magical Score Creation.
This should be enough, right?
Today was the day he would try composing in Wonderland for the first time.
Even though he had already done plenty of research on the community forums, he felt a bit anxious and bought a large stash of materials.
What kind of piece should I compose?
Yuhyeon strolled leisurely through the square.
He was hoping to find inspiration and musical ideas for his song.
Looking for party members for a dungeon run. Need a tank and a healer, two spots open. We go as soon as you join!
Buying Red Herbs for potion crafting in bulk. 2 silver each, 1.9 gold per 100.
Will be your friend for a fee. 5 gold!
Lutetia's square was bustling with people.
From those recruiting party members for dungeons to those looking to buy items.
Among them was even someone offering to be a friend for a fee.
Do people really pay for that?
What on earth would be the reason for wanting a friend so badly you'd pay for one?
From Yuhyeon's perspective, it was a sight that didn't make much sense.
Hmm-hmm.
Yuhyeon walked slowly, running his hand along the stone wall.
He could feel the rough, bumpy texture of the wall's surface under his fingertips.
This town is really beautiful.
He took in the sights of Lutetia.
A cat flopped over and rubbing itself on the ground, a child running happily with fruit in hand, a mother watching her child with a smile
All these sights were supposed to become his inspiration, his musical ideas.
Just then, a tavern employee called out to Yuhyeon in a friendly voice.
Hey there, adventurer. Care for a mug of beer?
Yes, I'd love one.
Tiring!
You have purchased Lutetia's Special Beer (Portable).
5 silver has been deducted.
A draft beer for about fifty cents.
Since 100 silver was 1 gold, and 1 gold was worth about ten dollars in real money, he had essentially bought a beer for fifty cents.
Could they even make a profit on this? What's more, it tasted quite good for the price.
It's refreshing.
The feeling of strolling through a European-esque square with a cold beer in hand.
It felt like he was traveling abroad for less than half the cost of an actual trip, all for the price of the capsule.
It was a moment that made him realize that hunting wasn't the only form of enjoyment a game had to offer.
Mmm.
Yuhyeon's eyes narrowed as he took a sip of beer.
His heart felt light and the air was fresh; it was, in many ways, a pleasant moment.
So why wasn't any suitable inspiration coming to mind?
An inspiration as powerful as before isn't striking me.
In the span of a few short days, Yuhyeon had experienced a series of incredibly impactful events.
From the ritual ceremony and defeating the Skeleton Knight to changing to the legendary class, Conductor of Melody.
He had experienced incredible moments, the kind one might only have a few times in a lifetime, and had created music based on the powerful inspiration hed gained from them.
Has my threshold for inspiration become too high?
Perhaps it wasn't that inspiration wasn't coming at all, but rather that nothing as grand as before was coming to him.
In other words, his threshold for inspiration had become too high.
Oh, I've already walked a full circle.
Lost in thought, he had wandered aimlessly until he reached the edge of Lutetia.
Yuhyeon found a spot under a shady tree and sat down.
I should rest for a bit.
Leaning his back against the tree, he began to take in the scenery of the plains.
The brilliant sun, the farmers working and moving without rest.
Yuhyeon murmured, as if remembering something.
Ah, maybe I should try out the creation skill while Im at it.
He had been planning to try out the game's score creation skill anyway.
Since inspiration was eluding him, now seemed like the perfect time to test the skill.
With that thought, Yuhyeon took out the parchment and pen from his pouch and spread them on the ground.
Would you like to use the Score Creation (F-Rank) skill?
A blue hologram window appeared before his eyes.
It was a virtual display of a music staff.
Welcome to the world of Score Creation!
The tutorial guide will now begin. To skip
The tutorial guide started automatically.
A UI window related to creation appeared, along with a list of relevant categories.
Rank of Compositions Available for Creation: F
A perfect success can result in a score of up to E-Rank.
You currently possess a Recorder (Woodwind Instrument) and can create a score for woodwind instruments.
Compositions Currently Available for Creation: Tutorial Guide Song (Woodwind Instrument)
Please select the desired buff effects. (Up to 2 selections possible)
Increase item drop rate upon harvesting (1 item) by 3
Decrease harvesting time by 2 seconds
Decrease stamina consumption when using farming skills by 5
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.
.
Oh, so this is how it works.
Yuhyeon casually selected the buffs he saw and started the creation process.
Since his main goal was just to test it out, he didn't hesitate.
Tiring!
Beginning Score Creation.
With the notification, Yuhyeon's hand began to move automatically.
Swish! Swish!
The pen moved as if following a predetermined path, drawing lines smoothly across the parchment.
The process of creating notes, without a single second of hesitation.
The empty staff paper was soon filled with notes through the system's creation process.
This feels a bit strange.
Creating a score automatically.
For Yuhyeon, who had spent his entire life playing and writing music himself, it was a rather unfamiliar sensation.
Tiring!
Score Creation complete. Assessing the grade
The rank of this score is F!
Would you like to name the score?
Practice Score.
Tiring!
The score has been named Practice Score.
You have acquired Practice Score.
You have gained a small amount of experience.
It only takes three minutes to create a score?
Yuhyeon let out a small laugh.
If he were actually composing, three hours would hardly be enough, let alone three minutes.
It was a moment that made him realize that a game was, after all, a game.
Hmm?
His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the score.
The Practice Score was a piece consisting of a single part.
It was what you'd call a monophonic piece, with no harmony or contrapuntal elements.
Hmm-hmm.
However, the flow of the melody within it was incredibly natural.
The progression was relatively simple, but it had a flow that followed the basics and was well-structured.
To be honest, it was a better score than he had expected.
I wasn't expecting much.
If the lowest F-rank was of this quality, the results from ranking up the skill would likely be quite impressive.
He imagined that compositions by high-ranked players would probably sound like the work of a skilled composer, even to his ears.
But emotion is still the most important thing.
Fundamentally, the musical ideas and the composer's emotions embedded within were what truly mattered.
Of course, if the system could capture all of that, then there wouldn't be much left to say.
Alright, should I try making one myself?
Yuhyeon took out a second sheet of parchment and spread it open on the ground.
What kind of piece can I make with a recorder?
Thanks to the passive effect of his mythic skill, Magical Score Creation, he could create a score without being restricted by his instrument mastery.
This meant he could create a score completely unrelated to the recorder he currently possessed.
In other words, as long as he had the ability to create it, he could compose any piece he wanted.
Mmm
But the crucial inspiration still wasn't coming to him.
Should I try using a money chord progression? Or maybe capture the natural atmosphere of Lutetia?
All sorts of ideas flickered through his mind, but nothing concrete took hold.
Should I just start writing something, anything?
Yuhyeon's mind grew complicated.
Was it really okay to compose with such ambiguous feelings?
It was then.
Hey, pick up the pace!
Haha, give me a break. I was just resting for a second.
The voices of two men reached Yuhyeon's ears.
They were sturdy-looking farmers working in the vast plains.
We need to hurry if we want to clock out early. The break's coming up soon, so let's keep at it.
Whoa, is it break time already? Alright, let's do this!
The farmers' clothes were soaked with sweat.
The weather was so hot that their bodies were caked in salt, yet there was no shadow of hardship on their faces.
Instead, their faces were full of smiles, as if they were already thinking about the end of the workday.
Yuhyeon's eyes gradually narrowed as he watched them.
The weather is this hot
It was so hot that sweat would bead on your skin just from sitting still.
In such a harsh environment, what was it that made them so energetic?
Just then, the sound of the farmers' singing reached Yuhyeon's ears.
Today again, we sweat and we toil
Today again, we sweat and we toil
The song began with one man's lead.
Then, the surrounding farmers all joined in.
Our sweat will ripen the golden grain.
Rii-pens the graaain
In an instant, the plains were filled with their harmony.
The melody was simple and the men's voices were rough, but it was a song more powerful and passionate than any other.
...A work song?
Yuhyeon stared at them with wide eyes.
He had never imagined he would hear a work song here, of all places.
But strangely enough.
This is good.
As he listened calmly to the song, a sense of cheerfulness began to bloom in Yuhyeon's heart.
The melody had become familiar after hearing it a few times, and his body naturally began to sway.
So much so that he found himself humming along to the lyrics.
Rii-pens the graaain
It was a truly, astonishingly addictive melody and hook.
Ah!
In that moment, a thought flashed through Yuhyeon's mind.
Maybe the reason I couldn't compose was
Maybe I was trying too hard to come up with something grand.
Could it be that the feeling that he had to create something amazing was holding him back?
The obsession that he had to create a masterpiece, like the anthem he made after defeating the Skeleton Knight, or the song of happiness he dedicated to the goddess.
Music isn't supposed to be that difficult.
Was there ever a right answer in music to begin with?
If you could just enjoy it, if you could feel something from itthat alone was enough. That was music.
And it was something anyone could attempt, as long as they had the passion and the will.
That was the reason I fell in love with music.
It was for that same reason that a little kid from an orphanage could become a violinist.
Because music requires no specific environment or prerequisite.
Let's just write what comes to mind.
He almost lost sight of the most important thing.
The joy of simply being able to create music should have been enough.
Hoo.
Yuhyeon let out a long breath.
His cluttered mind instantly felt at ease, as if a tangled ball of yarn was slowly unraveling.
Inspiration, which had been completely absent, began to well up once more.
I've decided.
Now, he knew exactly what he should write.
The moment he realized it.
Swish!
Yuhyeon's hand began to move swiftly.
He transcribed the feelings of his body and soul directly onto the parchment.
At ease.
Notes began to fill the staff, one by one.
A veritable flood of notes, without a hint of hesitation.
He wrote with such furious speed that anyone watching would have mistaken it for him using the creation skill.
The scorching sun, the farmers' passion, their joy
Yuhyeon poured his current feelings onto the staff paper.
The chirping of insects in the grass, the brilliant sunlight, and the clear sky.
Even the vigorous energy of the sweating farmers.
Swish!
Swish! Swish!
Something I myself can enjoy.
But no matter what he included, he didn't lose sight of the most important thing.
It was the profound emotion he was feeling in this very moment.
He focused on the joy of composing in a world where he could hear sound.
This is fun!
A wide smile spread across Yuhyeon's lips.
His hand was moving even faster than his mind could think.
It was as if someone else had possessed his body.
A rare experience, one that could only be felt when deeply immersed in something.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Before long, a new world began to emerge on the staff paper that had been as blank as a white canvas.
A fairytale-like world, filled with various notes and Yuhyeon's musical ideas.
And in the very moment his dancing hand came to a stop.
Hah!
With Yuhyeon's long exhale, a familiar notification window appeared.
Tiring!
Score Creation complete.
The notification that the score was finished.
Tiring!
This score was created without using a skill.
Assessing the grade of the score based on system criteria
A series of notifications popped up before his eyes.
The pleasant notifications that always brought him joy.
Tiring!
This is a score with a quality comparable to that of a Royal Court Musician.
The rank of this score is B!
B-rank?
Yuhyeon's eyes went wide.
The highest rank he could create using the creation skill was F.
Even with a perfect success bonus, the max rank was E.
B-rank was five entire ranks above that.
But that wasn't all.
Tiring!
The passive effect of the mythic skill Magical Score Creation is activated.
A special magic is bestowed upon the score created without using the creation skill.
The effect of the already bestowed magic is increased by 30.
The number of uses for the score increases from 100 to 500.
.
.
.
The ability of this score has been elevated by one rank!
You have gained a large amount of experience for creating a special score.
You have gained 1 level.
.
.
Notifications flooded Yuhyeon's vision without pause.
And then, the final notification window appeared.
Tiring!
The effect of this score is vastly superior to that of a Royal Court Musician's score.
The score's rank evolves to A!
Would you like to name the score?
Yuhyeon nodded without hesitation.
His gaze turned toward the vast plains.
Toward the scorching sunlight, and the farmers working vigorously beneath it.
Work Song.
It was a score he never could have created without them.
And so, the title of Yuhyeon's first self-composed score was.
I'll call it 'Work Song'.
It was a hymn dedicated to the farmers, a work song.
Tiring!
The score has been named Work Song.
You have acquired Work Song.
Yuhyeon unfolded the score.
It was truly a beautiful piece of music.
A score I made.
And he was the one who had made it.
The melody and harmony packed onto the staff paper vividly contained his emotions.
It was as intense as the blazing sun, yet as passionate as the farmers who toiled tirelessly.
It was an overwhelming yet joyous piece, one that seemed to capture both the hardship of farming and the pleasure of the harvest.
I want to play it, right now.
Best of all, he could play this piece immediately.
Unlike in reality, there was no need to search from a distance for flawed parts or areas that were lacking.
He had an instrument in his possession; all he had to do was pick it up.
Yuhyeon stood up abruptly and headed toward the plains.
Hello, may I have a word with you?
To be precise, to the farmer whose song he had heard.
Hm? Are you talking to me?
The man with sun-tanned skin asked, tilting his head.
I just finished composing a piece of music.
...A piece of music, you say?
The farmer's eyes narrowed.
A piece of music? What a strange thing to say to a complete stranger.
I was greatly inspired by your work song, and it helped me create this piece. As a way of thanks, I'd like to play it for you.
Haha! If that's the case, we'd be grateful. Feel free to play for as long as you like.
The man said with a hearty laugh.
Yuhyeon smiled back at him.
Thank you.
Yuhyeon brought the recorder to his lips.
And the moment he carefully breathed out the first note.
Piiii.
A beautiful melody scattered across the golden fields.