Chapter 69
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: The Rhythm of Courage
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Now, what song should I play?
Yuhyeon murmured to himself as he sat on the cajón.
As of now, he hadn't composed any specific music or sheet music for the cajón.
After all, it had only been two hours since he left the weapon shop, so there hadn't been any time to compose.
In a situation like this, there's really only one option.
Yuhyeon thought to himself, lightly tapping the cajón.
What does it matter if there's no sheet music? So what if there's no prepared song?
Isn't this the very advantage of an unpitched percussion instrument?
Let's go with improvisation.
Unlike string instruments, all it needed was to express rhythm, making it perfect for improvisation.
He just had to express the emotions he was feeling without holding back.
Yuhyeon looked at his party members in the distance.
Yunaring! I'll hold the front line, so please provide cover from the back!
Okay! I'm charging my skill now!
A band of twenty bandits surrounding the caravan, a merchant fleeing in terror.
Kain stepping forward to face them alone, with Yunaring providing support from behind.
It was a truly volatile situation.
Let's give them courage.
Yuhyeon wanted to instill courage in them.
A song of courage to push Kain and Yunaring forward, despite being outnumbered.
This was more than enough inspiration for an improvisation.
Dum!
Dum-dum!
Yuhyeon's palm struck the cajón hard.
Clack!
Ssssh!
A bright yet powerful rhythm began to spread across the plains.
At the same time.
Kain, who had drawn his sword and stepped forward, looked at the group of bandits and thought.
...Twenty-two of them. That's quite a few.
He had boasted to Yuhyeon that he could handle them alone, but
Facing over twenty bandits was proving to be more pressure than he'd expected.
My class isn't specialized in combat, after all.
That was because his class was 'Explorer.'
The Explorer was a versatile class that could invest skills in various fields.
Combat, exploration, cooking, weavingit covered both combat and life skills without distinction.
The problem is, at low levels, the lack of skill points makes it feel mediocre.
On the one hand, it meant you could build a well-rounded character, an all-rounder.
On the other hand, at low levels with few skill points, it meant being a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
What good were numerous skills if they weren't effective until they were mastered?
I don't have many skills yet, so a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous.
This weakness was especially pronounced for a low-level Explorer like him.
He didn't have a one-hit-kill skill, nor was his attack power particularly high.
I need to clear out the minions as quickly as possible and move on to the boss.
All he could rely on was his own skill and experience.
He had to trust in his own combat style, honed over three years of playing Wonderland.
First, I'll take care of all the fodder.
Kain glanced back at Yunaring and Yuhyeon.
He was considering how to utilize them in the battle.
I'll have Yunaring help with dealing damage to the boss.
The longbow had a low attack speed, but each shot was powerful enough to be a significant hit.
In other words, it was a weapon that shone in boss battles rather than field hunting.
Unfortunately, I'll have to act as if the bard isn't even in the party...
Kain finished his brief assessment as he looked at Yuhyeon.
The buffs of a bard below level 60 were mostly useless in combat.
They might slightly increase health and mana regeneration or provide a negligible boost to defense, and that was about it.
We'll do this with two.
Therefore, only two people were needed for this battle.
Himself and Yunaring.
Just as Kain gripped his sword and charged toward the bandits.
Dum! Dum-dum!
At that moment, the powerful beat of the cajón pierced his ears.
A sharp, rattling vibration.
It was a powerful rhythm reminiscent of a heartbeat, yet it carried a tremor as beautiful and delicate as a string instrument.
Huh?
And in that instant.
A warm, brilliant light enveloped Kain's body.
A buff?
It was a buff.
The signature skill of a bard, their identitya technique that boosted the stats of party members.
Wh-what is this?
But Kain wasn't surprised simply because it was a 'buff.'
The buff's effects were a little different from what he was used to.
Ding!
Player Yuhyeon's performance has granted the 'Courage' buff.
Attack Power temporarily increased by 20.
Attack Speed temporarily increased by 10.
Defense temporarily increased by 10.
Health and Mana Regeneration temporarily...
.
.
.
Wh-what is this?
Kain's eyes trembled as he stared at the notification window.
Could all these buffs really have come from a single person?
A twenty percent increase in attack power?
Of course, it wasn't his first time seeing a buff that increased attack power.
Nor was it his first time seeing buffs for attack speed, defense, or health regeneration.
He had just never received all of these buffs at 'once.'
Crazy.
On top of that, the duration was a whopping ten minutes.
This meant the buff would remain active even after the performance ended.
Weren't a bard's buffs supposed to end as soon as the music stopped?
Can a level 25 even give an attack buff? Was there a patch I don't know about? Or is this a bug?
It was a moment that made no sense.
It was so unbelievable that it would have made more sense to call it a 'bug' rather than a buff.
Just as he was wondering if he should send a bug report to the GMs.
How strong would I be if I fought right now?
The thought suddenly occurred to Kain.
I can already feel the difference.
The grip on his sword felt stronger, his steps lighter than before.
He even felt the illusion that all five of his senses had become sharper.
Forget whether it's a bug or not, I should just swing my sword first...
The only weakness of the Explorer class was being a mediocre all-rounder.
But now, with all his stats boosted, things were different.
It meant he had evolved into a perfect all-rounder.
My body is itching for a fight.
Moreover, the cajón's rhythm continued to pound in his heart.
Thump-thump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump-ba-dump!
The buffs were one thing, but the powerful vibrations from the music itself were exhilarating.
I want to fight like crazy.
With that thought, Kain swung his sword with all his might.
I'll cut you all down!
Booooom!
With a powerful explosion, a bandit's body vanished before his eyes.
Kain wore a bewildered expression.
D-did I kill him? In a single blow?
He was sure he hadn't felt the impact, so how did the bandit die in one hit?
Just then, he heard Yunaring's excited voice from behind.
Yuhyeon, your buff is insane! My attack speed is so fast I can rapid-fire! Mwahaha!
Thwack! Thwack!
She was firing her longbow at a speed that should have been impossible.
Oh, no.
Kain muttered with a look of dismay.
He couldn't just let her take all the monsters after receiving a buff like this.
I-I'm going to get some too!
Kain gripped his sword tightly and charged forward.
Die!
Slish!
Wh-what are you guys!
Sliiish!
R-run away!
Thwack! Thwack!
Ding!
Remaining Bandits: 21
Remaining Bandits: 20
Remaining Bandits: 19
.
.
.
The notifications counted down in an instant.
Wh-what is this monstrous strength!
When even the minions were being taken down in a single blow, the boss was no exception.
As the leader's head was cleanly severed by Kain's swift strike.
The-the boss is dead! Retreat, retreat!
Aaaargh! S-save me!
The remaining bandits scattered in terror and began to flee.
At the same time, a familiar sound reached the party members' ears.
Ding!
Remaining Bandits: 0
Side Quest Completed.
And just like that, the bandits were dealt with in a flash.
It all happened less than two minutes after the battle had begun.
Ding!
Side Quest Completed.
Quest rewards have been added to your inventory.
You have gained a small amount of experience.
You have gained a small amount of experience.
.
.
You have leveled up by 1!
Hmm?
Yuhyeon's eyes widened as he looked at the notification window.
The battle was over less than two minutes after he had started playing.
And from such a side quest, he had gained a whole level.
Being a buffer is a pretty sweet deal, isn't it?
He had done nothing but play music from the back.
And quite comfortably at that, all while improvising.
He had received all the rewards without much effort.
Y-Yuhyeon! Wh-wh-what was that buff you just used!
That was awesome! Totally awesome!
Just then, Kain and Yunaring came running breathlessly to the carriage.
Y-you said you were level 25, didn't you? But what...!
Kain, in particular, had a look of utter astonishment.
Haha.
Yuhyeon, unsure how to respond, gave an awkward laugh.
Of course, I know the reason...
By playing manually instead of using a performance skill, he was able to trigger the 'Special Performance' effect.
Thus, the A-rank performance had been elevated to S-rank.
How do I explain this?
However, explaining this to his party members was another matter entirely.
Should he just kindly reveal that he had a legendary class?
Having no intention of doing so, Yuhyeon spoke evasively.
We finished the quest successfully, so that's all that matters.
Th-this isn't just a matter of being successful! It took less than two minutes!
As Kain continued, his face a mask of shock.
...Excuse me for interrupting.
A man with a portly build approached Yuhyeon and spoke.
My name is Willis, the head of this caravan.
He was a man whose affluence befitted his title as caravan master.
The sheen of oil on his face and his luxurious clothing were clear indicators.
Willis bowed politely to Yuhyeon and said.
Thank you for saving us from the bandits. I'm not sure how we can possibly repay you...
It's nothing. It was the right thing to do.
Yuhyeon gave Willis a gentle smile.
He would have helped even if there were no reward.
He didn't want to stand by and watch innocent merchants suffer such a tragedy.
N-no need for a reward, you say.
However, Willis's thoughts were a little different from Yuhyeon's.
To deal with a band of bandits so swiftly, they had to be outsiders with special abilities.
I have to secure them as escorts, no matter what.
If he could get help from the outsiders before him, the success rate of his trade journey would increase exponentially.
This was especially true now, as he was traveling without any guards.
If you don't mind my asking, may I inquire as to your destination?
The Eirn Mountains.
The Eirn Mountains...
Willis's eyes narrowed for a moment.
Unfortunately, it was only a midpoint to his final destination, but for now, even that was a blessing.
In that case, might I request that you accompany us? If you agree, we will provide you with lodging and meals.
He continued in an earnest tone.
Of course, since we are the ones making the request, we will offer you suitable compensation.
Ding!
A quest has been generated.
Sudden Quest: Escort the Golden Apple Caravan.
Rank: C
Requirement: User who has cleared the 'Subjugate the Bandits' quest.
Reward: Small amount of experience and gold, significant increase in affinity with the Golden Apple Caravan.
Failure: Slight decrease in affinity with the Golden Apple Caravan.
An escort...
The appearance of a Sudden Quest, known to have better rewards than side quests.
Yuhyeon turned to his party members to ask for their opinion.
What should we do?
...W-we have to do it.
Kain said, his eyes wide with excitement.
Y-you must accept, Yuhyeon!
As if he already knew a special reward was waiting for them.