Chapter 73: Running to the Edge of the Sky (10)

As the final lingering note of the song faded,

A heavy silence settled over the concert hall.

As if time had stopped,

As if everyone had forgotten how to breathe.

Then—

A beat late, a roar of cheers erupted.

“That was insane! You guys heard that, right?!”

“Wow, such a beautiful song, right?!”

“Seo-yeon! That was amazing!”

“I-I’m not crying, okay?!”

[“That was insane”]

[“She sang it softly and it was still amazing”]

[“Argon’s crying right now lol”]

[“Her vocal technique is something else hㄷㄷ”]

[“What’s with those lyrics… so sad”]

[“Is this song on any music platform?”]

[“Seo-yeon’s voice is seriously gorgeous…”]

Streamers and viewers alike were deeply moved.

The awkwardness and doubt from moments before were gone.

Only awe and emotion filled the space.

Seo-yeon took a breath of stage air,

Parted her lips for a moment,

Then bowed deeply and returned to the waiting room.

She felt that anything more would dilute what the song had already said.

“Silver—no, Seo-yeon!”

Raidel was the first to rush to her.

With teary eyes, she pulled Seo-yeon into a hug.

“Wahh, seriously… I was so moved!”

She ruffled Seo-yeon’s hair with both hands.

“That song was beautiful! The melody, the lyrics… it felt like a heartbreaking love song, but different somehow… I don’t even know how to explain it!”

[“What is she even saying lol”]

[“LMAO”]

[“But fr, the song was good”]

[“My ears feel cleansed”]

Raidel, usually full of energy, now rambled on, overwhelmed with emotion.

“You were so nervous, but once you were on stage, it was like you became someone else! Your voice… it was art. Pure art!”

Under the flood of compliments, Seo-yeon’s pale cheeks flushed pink.

“N-No, you were amazing too, Raidel.”

Her soft voice and shy posture were a far cry from the singer who had just wowed the audience.

She was back to her usual quiet, sweet self.

“Eh, I was just there to hype the mood!”

Raidel waved her hands with a grin.

“So, is that song a love song? Wanting to see someone you love again?”

“It’s more about longing than love… though they are similar emotions.”

“Ahh, I see… that kind of feeling did come through.”

Still deep in thought, Raidel suddenly asked,

“By the way, what’s the title? I really want to look up the original. Would it show up on Melon or something?”

She looked ready to search it right away.

But Seo-yeon slowly shook her head.

“The song is called Letter to the Sky. And… it probably won’t show up in any search.”

“Huh? Why not? It’s such a beautiful song.”

Raidel blinked in confusion.

Seo-yeon just smiled faintly, saying nothing more.

There was no need to explain that it was a song written only for the two of them.

---

In her tiny goshiwon room,

Yoon Ha-yeon watched the finale performance through her laptop screen, holding her breath.

On screen, Seo-yeon was singing Letter to the Sky, a song Ha-yeon had written.

A song even she couldn’t fully express.

Yet this girl was doing it perfectly—no, beyond perfectly.

She remembered their call before the concert.

Seo-yeon’s voice trembling with nerves as Ha-yeon made her confession.

“And… about the song you’re going to sing tonight.”

“Actually, it’s something I wanted to say to my parents. After they passed, I hoped they might hear it… from somewhere up in the sky.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to put pressure on you.”

There had been a pause.

Then Seo-yeon replied with a voice that had lost its tremble, now steady and clear.

“N-No, it’s okay. I actually perform better under pressure.”

It was clumsy,

But Ha-yeon had thought it was a very kind joke.

And perhaps it wasn’t just a joke.

It had helped calm Seo-yeon.

Now, that same voice blossomed like a miracle on stage.

The song ended.

Applause and chat filled the screen.

But Ha-yeon heard none of it.

Tears streamed—not from sadness,

But from a swell of gratitude and release.

It was wonderful, Seo-yeon…

A song born of grief,

written after losing her parents in a car accident,

after thinking she’d lost the world.

And yet, the world had taken away her voice, too.

She had lost everything she cherished.

Then she met Seo-yeon.

The silver-haired girl who felt like an angel.

Looking at the sheet music she had held onto like a lingering regret,

Seo-yeon brought the song into the world in her place.

Her presence seemed to say:

The world may be full of sorrow,

But sorrow isn’t all there is.

Without realizing it,

Seo-yeon had deeply impressed two of Korea’s top music producers

—and become the target of their attention.

Ha-yeon, unaware of that,

simply smiled as she watched Seo-yeon being congratulated by Raidel.

It felt like she had finally let go of a heavy burden.

---

After being surrounded by streamers for a while, Seo-yeon was finally pulled aside by Raidel.

“That was a truly magnificent performance.”

A familiar, grounded voice.

Zeronix—the admin and host of the finale concert—approached with a smile.

The true owner of the server and its greatest wildcard.

A curious duo’s first meeting.

“Silverh—no, Yoo Seo-yeon now. Your performance tonight was unforgettable.”

Zeronix extended his hand.

Seo-yeon hesitated briefly, then gently took it.

“…Thank you.”

Up close, the silver-haired girl felt different than on screen—

delicate and ethereal.

Zeronix was quietly awed.

Avatars were typically modeled after the player’s real body.

To reduce dissonance and improve VR immersion.

So, Seo-yeon must really be this small and slight.

Where did that gaming skill and stunning voice come from?

A compressed talent package.

Like the saying, “the finest perfume comes in the smallest bottles.”

‘Guess I was right.’

She was the irregular who threw the whole server into chaos.

And ironically, the one who drew constant attention to it.

Zeronix had expedited her stream approval.

He was also the one who put her on the finale stage.

It was a bit of a gamble.

But Seo-yeon had delivered the perfect final act.

“Phew… anyway, this brings the streamer server to a close.”

Raidel spoke with a hint of melancholy.

“But like, they hyped up that Foundation of the Final Battle event so much…

I really thought something big was coming at the end. It feels a little underwhelming?”

Her tone was playful,

But there was truth in it.

[“Gasp”]

[“Gasp”]

[“She said what we were all thinking lol”]

[“Fact is fact”]

[“For real tho, what were the turrets even for lol”]

It was a fair point.

Every streamer and viewer watching likely felt the same.

Like eating a big, hearty steak with no drink afterward.

No proper closure.

Was the turrets-from-Final-Battle-Foundation thing just a red herring?

Just a gold sink event?

She wasn’t just complaining.

Zeronix would’ve picked up on that. He always had a plan.

Raidel was, in effect, asking him to share it.

As if reading her mind,

Zeronix chuckled and nodded.

“Haha, you’re right, Raidel. I think a lot of people feel the same way.”

[“Then do something about it lol”]

[“LMAO”]

[“‘A lot of people feel that way.’ (but nothing happens)”]

Just as Raidel tilted her head, wondering if that was really it—

Zeronix’s eyes sparkled.

He continued.

“As the admin, I can’t ignore disappointment from our streamers and viewers, now can I?”

Snap!

He flicked his fingers.

A system-wide message lit up the server.

[The hidden final scenario, [Final Assault: Descent of the Apocalypse], has begun!]

[A massive invasion by beings from another world has started!]

[Objective: Defend the outer walls of the city ‘Belheim’ and eliminate as many enemies as possible!]

[Special rewards will be granted to the streamer with the most monster kills!]

[“Wait, this is real?! lol”]

[“A BIG one’s coming”]

[“Zeronix always ties up loose ends”]

[“Finally, we get to use the turrets”]

[“Why didn’t you say so earlier lol”]

In an instant, the mood flipped.

Seo-yeon, momentarily caught off guard, smiled and drew her greatsword.

She had been focused on singing,

But Pixelwars Streamer Server was, at its core, a combat game.

And this—

Was the perfect finale.

“Shall we?”

As Seo-yeon moved her fingers,

Her command triggered the turrets, and a surge of mana began to gather.