Chapter 61
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: A New Skill
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The Genius of Music in Virtual Reality
Chapter 61
Sharu, the third city of Wonderland.
It was a city that anyone level 50 or higher could enter without restriction, making it one of the most densely populated places in the game.
Its main concept was that of a free city, where merchants and artisans from all over had gathered, creating a bustling hub of economy and trade.
Officially, a free city was not under the rule of a lord.
Instead, wealthy merchants or minor nobles typically held power, with the city's influential figures acting as de facto lords.
This also applied to players, and among Sharu's most prominent authorities was Cheon Sooryeon.
Cheon Sooryeon, ranked 17th and the master of the Eternal Guild.
"Master, I've completed the task you requested."
In a certain old castle, distinguished by a spacious terrace.
A woman with ash-gray hair sat there, sipping tea and reviewing documents.
The document was titled Raid Party Development Direction.
"...You've worked hard. How many were there in total?"
"A search for 'Yuhyeon' on the Korean server yielded a total of 753 players. Of those, 87 were between levels 20 and 30. When we narrowed it down to players who were logged in on the day the time attack record was broken, we were left with 11. I sent mail to all 11 of them."
A man dressed as a butler reported.
"First, all 11 messages have been marked as read."
"Did you get any replies?"
"We received replies from 10 of them, but upon verification, they were all found to be false. They had no idea what the first-place reward was."
"..."
Through her acquaintance with Yuryeong (Ghost), Cheon Sooryeon knew that there was a special reward given only to the player who achieved first place in the time attack.
Of course, she didn't know the exact reward, but she knew it was something special.
Considering the reward hadn't appeared on the auction house when Ghost completed the time attack, it was presumed to be at least a legendary-grade skill.
And knowing Ghost's personality, it was unlikely he'd borrow another account to sell an item.
"What about the last one?"
"The mail was marked as read, but no reply came. The sponsorship funds were also left untouched."
At the man's words, Cheon Sooryeon's eyes narrowed.
"...The entry requirement for the Elder Trent Dungeon is level 20."
In Wonderland, a single good dungeon run could earn you between 500 and 1,000 gold.
However, that was for high-level players; at lower levels, earning even 100 gold was no easy feat.
The fact that most players used store-bought items until level 50 said it all.
It meant that in the early stages, players were so poor they could barely afford store-bought weapons.
"At that level, 500 gold is certainly not a small amount of money."
Cheon Sooryeon instinctively became suspicious of the one player who had refused the sponsorship.
"Most people would take the money."
"Indeed. I know I would have."
It wasn't that he hadn't checked his mail; he had, but he still didn't accept the funds.
After conversion fees, 500 gold was worth approximately 4.9 million won.
To see an amount equivalent to an average office worker's monthly salary and not take it?
It was certainly worth being suspicious about.
"...Was my offer not sincere enough?"
Cheon Sooryeon said with a puzzled expression.
Honestly, she had thought that with her guild's reputation, a moderate sponsorship would be enough to win anyone over.
After all, this was a massive guild where top 1000 rankers were lining up to join.
'What if the person is financially well-off? What if they don't need the money?'
But what if the person was financially comfortable?
For instance, what if they were rich or born with a silver spoon?
'You can't break Ghost's record with just any gear.'
Hard dungeons were places where you needed a full set of legendary items and a healthy dose of 'luck' just to barely set a record.
Hadn't she watched countless rankers fail time and time again?
"Hmm, I wonder if 5,000 gold would satisfy them?"
"F-Five thousand gold, you say?"
The man's eyes widened.
5,000 gold was far more than an average office worker's annual salary.
Even if the goal was to recruit a guild member with potential, this was, frankly, a bit excessive.
"But we can't just give it away. Let's ask them to come for an interview. Tell them they'll get the 5,000 gold even if they don't join."
However, Cheon Sooryeon was willing to buy that potential with 5,000 gold.
The potential of a player who had broken Ghost's record, which had stood for the past three years.
Of course, recruiting him would be the icing on the cake, but even if that didn't happen, she wanted to at least maintain a connection.
If breaking Ghost's record were a common occurrence, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths in the first place.
"Well, you're serious about this."
The man saw the sincerity in Cheon Sooryeon's eyes.
Her strong will to achieve and obtain whatever she desired.
When she had that look in her eyes, trying to dissuade her was pointless.
"Then I will send the message as you've instructed... Hmm?"
As the man was about to press the send button, a look of confusion crossed his face.
"Recipient has blocked messages."
"...What?"
"The user is currently blocking incoming mail. It seems they've turned off the option to receive mail from unknown players."
At the man's words, Cheon Sooryeon let out a dry laugh.
"Ha, hahat."
Simultaneously, the small suspicion that had been mere possibility solidified into certainty.
'This is a clear rejection, isn't it?'
Other than Ghost, she had never had a recruitment offer rejected.
She was a ranker herself, her guild was top-tier, and most players were lining up to get in.
To reject an offer in such a situation?
"Interesting."
For her, it was a moment where her pride was wounded, sparking a strange sense of stubbornness.
Now that it had come to this, she felt she wouldn't be satisfied until she at least saw the player's face.
"M-Master?"
Seeing her strange expression, the man spoke, preemptively intimidated.
That look in her eyes was one that had gone beyond sincerity and was bordering on madness.
"Heukjipsa, I have a favor to ask."
"..."
"Find that player for me."
"Pardon?"
What did she mean by that? Was she telling him to go to a beginner village in person?
He could already think of at least ten villages that handled the Elder Trent Dungeon.
Lutetia, Everflow, Breket, Yuba...
"Are you telling me to visit all of them?"
"I'll give you a bonus."
"Even with a bonus..."
"I'll double it on top of that."
"Hah."
At Cheon Sooryeon's firm tone, the man let out a deep sigh.
'Cleaning up the mess is always my job.'
Look at that expression. Did she look like she would listen to reason right now?
It seemed better to at least pretend to search and come back later.
"I'll be on my way, then."
Heukjipsa, level 173, set off for the beginner villages in search of Yuhyeon.
At the same time Heukjipsa was heading to the beginner villages.
"First, we'll start by making a new bow with the wood you brought. The old one is completely warped and unusable,"
Gessin said as he prepared a plane.
"I'll replace the frog with the ebony from the blacksmith's, and I'll just reuse the button attached to the old bow. In a way, it's less like repairing and more like crafting a new one."
Then, he added with a slight smile.
"But don't you worry. The moment I saw it, I knew how to make it. I have plenty of wood, so I'll get the feel for it after making a few test pieces."
Gessin's words were filled with strong confidence.
The conviction that no one in this world could repair this bow better than he could.
Perhaps he had spent his entire life chasing the Conductor of Melody for this very day.
"Are you going to stay here? The work will take quite a while. I can contact you when I'm done, so feel free to leave if you have other things to do."
"If it's alright with you, Gessin, I'd like to watch from the side."
"...Well, I don't mind."
Gessin wasn't the type to lose focus just because someone was watching.
He just hoped Yuhyeon wouldn't get bored watching the repair process.
'I've seen violin repairs many times at the workshop.'
But for Yuhyeon, there had never been a moment more exciting than this.
He was curious to see how a bow would be crafted in Wonderland, where different woods and tools were used.
Given the game's excellent historical accuracy, this might be his only chance to glimpse the bow-making methods of the medieval era.
"Then I shall begin."
As he spoke, Gessin began to draw lines on the Trent wood.
It was to mark the shape of the bow for cutting.
Screetch, screeetch!
There was no hesitation in his movements as he drew.
It was like a talented painter wielding a brush with complete freedom.
After drawing the shape, Gessin let out a short breath and picked up a saw.
He then began to cut the wood along the lines he had drawn.
Screee, screeeak!
Under his touch, the wood began to take shape.
What was once a mere piece of wood was becoming the form of a bow.
"That's one."
After completing one frame, Gessin set the bow aside and spoke.
He still had to make several more like it.
"The reason I'm making several bows isn't just for testing..."
"It's because the sound changes depending on the piece of wood, so you're making several to compare them, right?"
"Hmm?"
Gessin looked at Yuhyeon with an expression that said, how did you know that?
"I've also watched bow crafting being done over the shoulder a few times. Of course, I don't know as much as the maker."
Yuhyeon's knowledge of the crafting process was partly thanks to Kim Seongdeuk from the workshop, but it was more due to his upbringing.
'I tinkered with them a lot when I was young.'
Back when he was at the orphanage, the only way to fix broken pianos and violins was to repair them himself.
'I took them all apart, tried changing the strings, and tried gluing different things together.'
He had replaced a piano's broken bridle tape with a shoelace and had even tried to replace a violin's broken bridge by carving a piece of wood he had found somewhere.
'Thinking back on it now, it's quite funny.'
If Kim Seongdeuk had seen him then, he would have clutched his head in shock.
Of course, those experiences had undeniably and significantly improved his understanding of the crafting process.
"Hoh, it's rare for a musician to know about crafting as well."
Gessin looked at Yuhyeon with fascination.
Usually, the domains of those who make instruments and those who play them are completely separate.
Was that why?
"Even with the best wood, there are good parts and bad parts, so you have to choose carefully when crafting."
Though it was unnecessary to explain every detail, a detailed account of the crafting process began to flow from his lips.
"Some parts of the wood are heavy with oil, like pine resin, while others are light because all the oil has seeped out."
This was his desire to share the knowledge he had accumulated over decades with someone.
"Ultimately, after making several bows, you have to remove impurities with chemicals, apply rosin, and select the one in the best condition."
Just as Gessin was continuing to explain the crafting process.
Ting! A cheerful notification sound rang in Yuhyeon's ears.
You have a high understanding of instrument crafting.
You receive a class bonus from Conductor of Melody (Legendary).
You have successfully obtained a hint for the 'Instrument Crafting and Repair' skill!
A series of notification windows began to appear.
A quest has been generated.
Chain Quest: Let's Craft My Own Instrument
Grade: B
Requirement: One with a high understanding of instrument crafting.
Reward: Acquire 'Instrument Crafting and Repair' skill.
Failure: Fail to acquire 'Instrument Crafting and Repair' skill.
Description: With your high understanding of instrument crafting and your keen eye, you have successfully obtained a hint for a crafting skill. Ask Gessin for help and learn the instrument crafting skill.
'A crafting skill?'
Yuhyeon's eyes widened.
In this world, crafting professions held enormous influence.
Alchemy, handicrafts, merchantrythese were professions where one completely gave up combat in exchange for immense wealth.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there was an insurmountable wall between combat and non-combat professions.
'...I can learn a crafting skill even though I'm not a crafting class?'
But now, an opportunity to learn such a crafting skill had presented itself.
Even if he didn't make and sell instruments, just being able to repair or fix the instruments he used would be a huge advantage.
'This sounds like fun.'
Above all, this was a golden opportunity to create his very own instrument.
For a musician, could there be a more thrilling and joyful moment?
"Gessin, I have a favor to ask."
"Hmm, what is it?"
Yuhyeon said with a broad smile.
"Could you teach me how to craft instruments?"