Chapter 9

 
Ziiing.

As the bow struck the strings, a sharp note resonated through the cathedral.

Though the sound was slightly unrefined, Yuhyeon’s eyes gleamed with pure exhilaration.

‘To think I’d hear this sound again.’

While he had consistently played the piano for composing, it had been ten whole years since he’d last held a violin.

Yet the moment he grasped the bow, memories from the past flooded back.

The way he positioned the bow and violin, the slight tremor in his left-hand fingers, the posture of his body—

It was as if his very being was speaking to him.

Telling him that he could never forget the violin.

‘What should I play?’

His eyes sparkled.

There were countless pieces he wanted to perform.

But before choosing a piece, there was something he needed to decide first.

‘What do I want to express?’

Art, at its core, was the act of conveying one’s values or messages through a chosen medium.

Even with masterful technique, if there was no emotion, no meaning, no message within, then one was merely a technician, not an artist.

Then what did he, at this moment, wish to express?

‘Thrill.’

Yuhyeon wanted to show Gueye the thrill he felt now.

The electrifying sensation that coursed through him the moment he held the violin. He wanted to translate that feeling into sound.

“I’ll begin.”

Lifting the bow lightly, he secured the instrument between his chin and shoulder, his left hand resting gently in place.

Every movement was seamless, as if the violin was an extension of himself.

Charles, Martin, and Gueye, waiting for his performance, all wore serious expressions.

The room fell into complete silence—so much so that the sound of a swallowed breath was audible.

Then, with a smooth motion, Yuhyeon drew the bow across the strings.

A powerful melody burst forth from the very first note.

Ziiing!

Double stopping.

A technique where two strings are played simultaneously, producing a deep and resonant sound that filled the cathedral.

Since this was a solo performance without accompaniment, he had to use double stops to enrich the emotion and depth of the melody.

Even just watching the technical prowess in his playing was enough to make one’s body tense with anticipation.

The piece he had chosen—

One of Bach’s masterpieces: Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004—Chaconne.

Yuhyeon’s bow moved with the intensity of a man facing a raging inferno.

As if he were about to be consumed by the flames, yet refusing to back down. The bow clashed against the strings with fierce determination.

Ziiing!

A chaconne was a form of variation, where a theme was introduced and then transformed in multiple styles.

Bach’s Chaconne presented its theme in the first four measures, then developed it through 64 variations.

In other words, it was a relentless 256-measure battle against a single theme.

♬

And so, Yuhyeon fought his battle.

A fierce, breathless struggle that left no room for retreat. The melody teetered on the edge of collapse, yet pressed forward with unyielding intensity.

But none of the listeners could even blink.

The performance was sacred—like a firefighter facing the blaze, fragile yet heroic, tragic yet breathtakingly beautiful.

One by one, those in the hall were drawn into the storm of sound.

‘W-what is this…?’

‘H-Holys—’

‘This is insane…’

Some envisioned a knight battling a dragon.

Others saw a firefighter braving an all-consuming fire.

Yet all of them imagined the same essence—a figure standing on the precipice, fragile yet courageous, a hero in the face of overwhelming odds.

And as the melody surged to its peak—

Zing. Ziiing!

The performance ended.

“…Gasp.”

“Hah…”

“Huu…”

A collective gasp filled the cathedral.

Everyone instinctively looked to one another, as if to confirm what they had just witnessed.

Yet there was no need for words.

For in each person’s gaze, a unique yet equally profound inspiration shone through.

Thus, Yuhyeon’s thrill had been conveyed—through 256 unwavering measures.

*  *  *

Just before Yuhyeon began his performance—

Pengkun muttered under his breath, eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the quest window.

“A sudden quest…?”

Because he was part of the party, he could see the quest that Yuhyeon had just received.

And the reason for his shock was clear.

A sudden quest was something that only appeared when highly specific conditions were met.

A hidden piece—one that couldn’t be obtained through ordinary means.

In the past three years, Pengkun himself had only encountered one. That was how elusive these sudden quests were.

– Whoa, a sudden quest??

– Is this gonna lead to a hidden quest chain?!

– Beginner’s luck? No way this just happened at this timing, lmao.

[ ‘Hamdin’ has donated 50,000 won. ]

– This is unfair. Some people grind 10 hours a day and get nothing, while others get it immediately LOL

– LMAO, big spender’s losing it again.

– Beginner’s luck >>> money and effort.

– Life is all about luck, after all.

The chat exploded.

They all knew how rare a sudden quest was.

These quests often had high rewards—or even led to quest chains with ever-increasing benefits.

And this one explicitly mentioned a linked quest as a reward. Meaning the real treasure lay ahead.

Yuhyeon had just reeled in a big one.

But that wasn’t even the most surprising part.

“W-wait. Is this for real?”

Pengkun’s eyes went round.

– What??

– Now what?!

– ???!?

“He’s bringing out… a violin?”

– ???

– ?!???!

– Isn’t this the guy who played the piano yesterday?? He knows violin too?!

No wonder everyone was baffled.

Yuhyeon, who had played the piano just the day before, was now bringing out a completely different instrument.

‘I mean, I’ve heard that musicians sometimes learn multiple instruments, but…’ Pengkun murmured to himself.

It was true that some of history’s greatest musicians had mastered several instruments—composers like Liszt and Johann Strauss were famous examples.

But this wasn’t just any moment. A sudden quest had just appeared, titled “Move Gueye’s Heart.”

‘There’s no way he’d bring out a hobby instrument at a time like this. That means… he’s just as good at violin as he is at piano?’

A thought flashed through Pengkun’s mind.

If Yuhyeon was this skilled at both instruments… and if he chose the Bard class—

“Hold on. I just had a chilling thought. What if he becomes a Bard and masters both instruments?”

– Bruh, at that point, he’s practically a national treasure.

– There are plenty of players who use multiple instruments. Just none who actually master them both, lol.

– There’s only one player in the world who has two instruments at level 7.

– Yo, stop speaking in riddles. Explain properly.

Pengkun let out a short chuckle.

“Alright, I’ll explain. The Bard class is basically—”

In Wonderland, the Bard class was a buffer, granting unique performance-based buffs that no item or potion could replicate.

These buffs could be tailored to the situation, making Bards an incredibly versatile support class.

“These days, top-tier parties even swap out a healer for a Bard. That’s how valuable they are.”

Each instrument—strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboard—granted different buffs. A high-skill Bard could adapt to any situation, making them one of the most high-ceiling classes in the game.

But, of course, it wasn’t without its drawbacks.

[ ‘C2C’ has donated 10,000 won. ]

– But it’s a real pain to level up, huh? It’s so weak early on that you can’t even join a party, right?

“Yeah, in the beginning, the buff effects are barely noticeable, and its combat skills are seriously lacking.”

Even bards had an inherent disadvantage—their extreme difficulty in leveling.

Among all professions in the game, bards had the worst reputation for being notoriously hard to raise.

Most players who picked the class for its late-game potential ended up quitting in frustration during the early stages. Even those who managed to survive often abandoned combat altogether and switched to a lifestyle-based path—

Choosing to max out their performance skills and aim to become a royal court musician or a salon performer instead.

“Not to mention, the setup cost is insanely high compared to other classes. If you’re not filthy rich, you can’t even get started.”

– Instruments are expensive, sheet music is expensive, lol.

– I checked the auction house—piano prices are insane.

– Well, some instruments cost as much as a house, so…

– And the only way to get them is to buy them. No monster drops at all.

There were only two ways to obtain instruments in the game:

Buy handcrafted ones from NPC workshops or purchase them from player crafters.

Since crafting was difficult, and there were no monster drops, demand far outstripped supply, driving prices through the roof.

– Honestly, I kinda feel bad for bards. T_T

– Lol, if you chose the class for the romance, you gotta deal with the pain.

– The fact that they can’t even dual-wield like other classes is ridiculous.

In Wonderland, skill trees generally followed the player’s main weapon.

Like how blunt weapons and swords had their own mastery skills, bards had separate masteries for string instruments, keyboard instruments, and so on.

In theory, if you had enough skill points, you could master multiple instruments.

But in reality, there was only one bard in the ranking leaderboards who played more than one instrument.

“Instruments are expensive, skill points cost the same, so no wonder there’s only one bard ranker who plays multiple instruments. The U.S. top-ranked bard, that guy’s the only exception.”

The main issue was, of course, the instrument prices.

They were so absurdly expensive that even if someone wanted to master multiple instruments, they simply couldn’t afford it.

That’s why most players built their bards around string instruments, which were optimized for combat.

Wind instrument builds, which specialized in farming and lifestyle buffs, had long been abandoned.

“This is why I got chills just imagining it earlier. If he’s got that level of skill, his buffs must be insane. And if a bard like that can master multiple instruments… Damn.”

In Wonderland, players with outstanding real-life abilities—whether physical, mental, or technical—received stat boosts in-game.

For example, someone with exceptional dynamic vision could consistently target enemy weak points, landing critical hits over and over again.

That’s why Olympic medalists and pro fighters often ranked among the top players in combat professions.

In other words, if Yuhyeon became a bard, it was inevitable that he’d receive those same in-game stat bonuses.

‘Of course, right now, he doesn’t have any skills, so he’s just a good musician. And even if he switches to bard, he’ll need to afford the instruments first…’

Pengkun was thinking along those lines when—

“I’ll begin now.”

Yuhyeon, now fully prepared, raised his bow and took position.

He was about to start playing.

– Wow, can’t wait for this. Badump badump (≧ヮ≦) 

– Is that a baby violin? It’s tiny, so cute, lol.

– Shhh, the performer is entering.

Pengkun glanced to the side.

Charles was watching solemnly, while Martin looked intrigued.

Gueye, however, still seemed uninterested, his expression indifferent.

‘Man, it’d be nice if this knocked him down a peg.’

Pengkun wasn’t particularly close to Yuhyeon, but after facing so much disrespect from NPCs, he couldn’t help but root for a fellow player.

Not to mention, they’d be working together for the next few days—he wanted things to go well.

So, with that thought in mind, he silently cheered Yuhyeon on.

And then—

Ziiing. The bow brushed against the strings, and a melody resonated through the air.

“……!”

In an instant, something extraordinary unfolded within the cathedral.

*  *  *

Back to the present.

As the final note faded, Yuhyeon slowly lowered his bow.

“Huu……”

He let out a small breath—so quiet that no one else could hear.

After six intense minutes of battling the flames, he didn’t want to let go of that tension with just a single exhale.

As his bow, which had been raised high, gently descended, he felt himself returning to reality.

From the world of just him and the violin, back to the real world.

Just like last time, it was a bittersweet moment.

Because this kind of experience—this feeling—could only be found in music.

Opening his eyes, Yuhyeon took in the scene before him.

“……”

Charles, Martin, Pengkun, and Gueye—all of their gazes were fixed on him.

‘Did they feel it?’

It wasn’t a perfect performance.

There had been small mistakes, minor slips in tone.

But he had played with more sincerity than anyone else—with every ounce of his soul.

Had they been able to sense the emotion in his music?

The answer came immediately.

“…Gasp.”

“Hah…”

“Huu…”

Everyone in the cathedral exhaled sharply in shock.

Gueye’s skeptical gaze had long since disappeared.

As for Charles… it was hard to say, but his expression seemed to have gone up a level—from trust to something even deeper.

Just as Yuhyeon was processing this—

Ding!

[ Gueye was deeply moved by your performance. ]

A familiar sound. A welcome notification.

It meant the quest had succeeded.

‘Got it…!’

This was the moment he secured the opportunity to perform alongside Gueye.

And proof that he had delivered a truly satisfying performance.

But then—

Ding!

[ Gueye’s favorability has skyrocketed from the lowest to the highest possible value. ]

[ First-time achievement unlocked! ]

[ Title Acquired: “First Impressions Are Just That.” ]

Description: You are the only player to ever turn an NPC’s favorability from rock-bottom to max in a single moment.

Ding!

[ Martin was deeply moved by your performance. ]

[ Martin’s favorability has risen from neutral to maximum. ]

Ding!

[ Charles was deeply moved by your performance. ]

[ Charles’ favorability has exceeded the maximum threshold! ]

[ First-time achievement unlocked! ]

[ Title Acquired: “Fanatic.” ]

Description: Your exceptional performance has converted a listener into a devout believer. This NPC will now trust your words, even if you claim to make soy sauce out of red beans.

The flood of notifications and system messages was overwhelming.

‘W-what is all this…?’

Yuhyeon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

[ You have raised three NPCs’ favorability to maximum in a single performance. ]

[ You are the first player in the beginner server to unlock two first-time achievements at once. ]

[ The synergy of these two achievements has amplified your rewards. Calculating the appropriate compensation… ]

[ Evaluating suitable rewards… ]

‘R-rewards?’

Yuhyeon’s eyes grew even wider.

Ding!

[ Calculation complete. ]

[ Your extraordinary performance has increased your Charm by 10 points. ]

[ A temporary buff has been applied to the cathedral. ]

[ This is a groundbreaking achievement! ]

[ You are the first player to grant buffs without using a skill! ]
 

To be continued

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