Chapter 64 : Reach the Ends of the Sky (1)

“What the heck was that? A VR game debut?”

On screen, her movements toyed with an almost semi-pro level opponent.

Dodging bullets, deflecting them, even catching them with her teeth.

Even if it was her first time playing Raid and Master,For a moment, I thought—could she be a veteran of similar physical games?

But all of that gameplay… from a complete VR game newbie?

「?? Is this real?」

「Look at Argon’s face lol, he’s completely brain-dead」

「No matter how good your reflexes are, how is that possible in your first game?」

「This is insane…..」

「No way this is real」

The chat exploded with disbelief.

I’ve never seen anything like this even during my pro days.

I’ve met countless geniuses and elite players throughout my pro gamer career.

I’ve even seen the kind of talent that made me stop and genuinely admire them.

But even with all that experience, I’d never seen talent quite like this.

It was like comparing a tiger to a housecat.

“…Haah. Seriously… I’ve got nothing to say. That’s just incredible.”

Argon swallowed his amazement and watched the replay in a daze.

‘If…’

If he, at his peak, faced off one-on-one against that silver-haired player.

Could he guarantee a win?

No.

Argon shook his head.

He couldn’t picture any scenario where he came out on top.

***

Pixel Wars Streamer Server.

It was that time of day when the warm afternoon sunlight gently rippled across the river.

Beside the calm, flowing water, two women sat side-by-side with fishing rods in hand.

Yoo Seoyeno, whose avatar mirrored her real appearance with long, shimmering silver hair, and Rydel, casually humming as she baited her hook with worms.

As if they had planned it in advance, the two were enjoying a peaceful break.

Thanks to the massive pile of gold they swept up at the underground casino earlier—Money had long ceased to be a concern.

No need to grind endlessly for items with bloodshot eyes like before.

‘Of course, Yoo Seoyeno was the only one who actually became rich,

But..’

“Should we try something other than hunting?”

She had handed over her money pouch and asked Rydel to show her other content in the game,So Rydel gladly tagged along.

“Ahh… Now this, this is happiness.”

Rydel stretched with a deeply satisfied voice.

“Sometimes it’s nice to just take it easy like this, Silver Hair.”

“Yes. I like it too.”

Yoo Seoyeno gave a small nod.

Her golden eyes, fixed on the float at the end of her fishing rod, sparkled under the sunlight.

After all the non-stop monster-slaying and intense action streams.

This kind of peaceful scene felt refreshingly new, even to the viewers watching Rydel’s stream.

「Fr fr, she’s made enough money, now she’s just chilling」

「Honestly this is better than constant monster killing lol」

「I’m here for the healing vibes, not bad at all」

「Kinda like a grandma who retired and moved to the countryside」

“What do you mean grandma? I’m still a young, bouncy woman in my 20s.”

Despite her words, Rydel didn’t really pay much attention to the chat.

She, too, was enjoying this calm and peaceful moment quite a lot.

“Come to think of it, there’s really just two big things left now.”

Rydel suddenly recalled the last major events left on the server.

A massive defense event to stop the final monster invasion.

And the grand finale concert that would close the server in style.

“Silver Hair, how’s your concert prep going?”

At Rydel’s question, Yoo Seoyeno let out a tiny sigh.

Yoo Seoyeno almost never showed emotion, so that small sigh felt surprisingly heavy.

“…Honestly, that’s what I’m most worried about.”

“Huh? Not the monster defense event?”

Rydel looked surprised, her eyes going wide.

“That one… I just have to fight like I always do…”

Yoo Seoyeno trailed off, sounding hesitant.

“But the concert… I have to sing. In front of all those people…”

Her soft voice trembled slightly.

Seeing that, Rydel almost burst out laughing without realizing it.

Well, yeah. 

No wonder she’s not worried about monsters.

‘Still…’

The fact that someone who shredded everything with god-tier control in both field and PvP Was more afraid of standing on stage for a concert.

It was honestly kind of cute.

「The final boss isn’t monsters, it’s the concert lololol」

「Silver Hair’s reaction is golden lol」

「Singing in front of tens of thousands? Yeah I’d be nervous too」

「Hyped for Silver Hair’s concert fr」

「Is Delbung not practicing for the concert?」

“I’ve actually been practicing my singing super hard lately! What about you, Silver Hair?”

“I… I’ve been practicing a little too.”

Yoo Seoyeno answered while gently adjusting her fishing rod.

“On You tube… I play karaoke backing tracks… and sing along by myself.”

「So cute lolololol」

「Playing MR in her room lol」

「Should’ve gone to a coin karaoke room lol」

「Preparing for a concert from her room lol」

Honestly, when she said she was preparing by playing MR at home, I wasn’t sure if that was even okay.

‘But since it’s Silver Hair, she’ll probably do fine, right?’

Well, there’s probably no need to worry.

If anything, the one who should be worried was herself—Rydel thought.

***

“Haah…”

The next day at lunchtime.

Lying on her bed, she let out a deep sigh.

Displayed on her phone was the notice for “Pixel Wars Streamer Server – Finale Concert.”

The concert was getting close.

Way too late to back out now.

But even so, she still had no idea what to sing on stage.

‘There’s really not much time left… this is bad…’

Should she go with a calm song after all?

Maybe pick a ballad or a soft pop song?

But she couldn’t quite picture it.

It was going to be a festival-like concert with tons of streamers and viewers.

What if she suddenly ruined the mood with a downbeat ballad…?

‘What if people say it’s boring and I lose all favor with the viewers?’

Although that might not happen.

Still, she had never done anything like this before, and waves of anxiety kept bubbling up.

Maybe if she picked an upbeat song, even if she didn’t do great, she could at least pass as average?

‘…No. I can’t sing those.’

A version of herself jumping around on stage, owning the concert.

She couldn’t even imagine it.

‘Ugh… my head hurts.’

She turned off the screen of her phone.

Then slowly got dressed and dragged herself outside.

After getting used to the outside breeze for the first time in a while,she headed to a small café tucked away in a nearby alley.

The building looked a bit old, but for some reason, the quiet and calm atmosphere appealed to her.

‘Maybe if I get some different kind of stimulation than usual, I might get inspired?’

Artists and creative people often go to cafés like this, after all.

The introverted version of her wouldn’t have even thought about stepping into a place like this.

But this more desperate, creativity-starved version of her—might just be able to.

Ding.

The soft chime rang as the door opened.

Since it was a little past lunch hour, the café was reasonably quiet.

‘But now that I’m here… I have no idea what to order…’

It had been way too long since she’d gone to a café.

She had swung the door open and walked in—but now that she was actually inside, she had no idea what to order.

If she’d known it would be like this, she would’ve decided what to get before coming in.

To make matters worse, the entire menu was scribbled in strange cursive English, and she couldn’t make out a single word.

“Um… if ordering’s a bit difficult, would you like a recommendation?”

At that moment, a soft and calm voice reached her ears.

When she looked up, a neatly groomed, black-haired part-timer was smiling gently at her.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties. 

Though he gave off a slightly worn-down vibe,there was kindness in his eyes.

“Ah… yes…”

“Since the weather’s gotten a little chilly lately, how about a warm vanilla latte? It’s our café’s signature item. It’s not too sweet and really smooth—people seem to love it.”

Thanks to his kind and detailed explanation, she found herself nodding without realizing it.

“Yes! I’ll… have that.”

Just as she was about to hand over her card after managing to place her order, maybe from nervousness…,her hand slipped, and the card dropped to the floor.

“Ah!”

It rolled—right to the narrow space under the counter.

As she scrambled to bend down and pick it up, the part-timer crouched down first.

“Oh, I’ll get that for you.”

And just as he reached his hand toward the narrow gap—the cloth bag sitting in the corner of the counter tipped over with his movement.

Thud.

Its contents spilled onto the floor.

A small makeup pouch, a pencil case with a few pens—and…Several sheets of sheet music.

“I-I’ll help!”

She quickly began picking up the scattered items with him.

That’s when her hand picked up a sheet of music.

<A Letter Sent to the Sky>

It seemed to be the first page.

Beneath the notes drawn on the staff lines,there was a title and a few lines of lyrics.

‘Huh?’

She caught her breath.

How could she describe it?

It was as if something deep in her chest buzzed with emotion,a sensation that spread through her whole body.

It was just a piece of sheet music—and yet, she felt a strange illusion, as if the melody was already forming in her mind.

Sad, yet oddly stirring.

Before she knew it, she was standing there blankly, her eyes fixed on the sheet.

“Here’s your card.”

The part-timer handed her the card he had picked up from the floor,quickly stuffing the fallen sheets of music back into his bag at the same time.

A somewhat flustered look crossed her face.

Only then did I snap out of it and take my card.

“Th-thank you…”

“No problem. That window seat over there is quiet and comfortable.”

When I handed back the sheet music I had been holding,the part-timer gave me a gentle smile again and recommended a seat.

“A Letter Sent to the Sky…”

A song title I’d never seen before.

Even after sitting down, the sheet music I had just seen lingered in my mind like an afterimage.

I took out my smartphone and searched the title—but nothing came up.

“So… what song was that, then?”

As I sat by the window, staring blankly outside,the part-timer approached my table.

“Here’s your vanilla latte.”

She placed the steaming cup down on the table, a faint smile on her face.

“Um… that sheet music from earlier…”

I was a bit surprised at how loud my voice came out.

“Would it be okay if I asked what song that was?”

A title I’d never seen before, just a few lines of lyrics. 

That was all—but somehow, it left a deep impression on me.

I had this sudden urge to listen to it someday.

“It just… really seemed like a beautiful song. I only glanced at it, but…”

Of course, it’s not like I knew anything about music.

I just clumsily blurted out the feelings that had come to mind.

“It just looked… nice.”

At my words, her face lit up with a bright smile.

It was the expression of someone who was truly, genuinely happy.

But – that smile only lasted a fleeting moment, like a mirage.

It quickly faded away.

With a bitter curve of her lips, she said softly,“That song… I wrote it a long time ago.”

“Huh? You—really?”

An original composition?

No wonder it didn’t show up in the search.

Seeing the surprise on my face, she added with a somewhat sorrowful smile,“Though… it doesn’t mean anything anymore.”