Chapter 68: Running to the Edge of the Sky (5)

Due to a food poisoning issue, Argon suddenly disappeared.

An awkward silence followed.

Yoo Seo-yeon tilted her head as she looked down at the small bundle in her hand with curious eyes.

‘Couldn’t give the gift…’

Thanks to Yoon Ha-yeon, a fan of Argon, a great connection had started, and she had wanted to express her gratitude.

But Argon suddenly bolted, claiming stomach pain.

The timing couldn’t have been worse.

Watching the situation unfold, Raidel shrugged and said,

“Wow, Argon must’ve been in a real hurry. Logged out at the speed of light.”

“Yeah. I guess… his stomach hurt a lot.”

Yoo Seo-yeon tilted her head again.

She never imagined he ran off because he mistook her intentions for a PvP challenge.

She had zero interest in PvP, so the idea of someone fleeing in fear of her didn’t even occur to her.

She simply thought, ‘I should be careful with raw beef…’

“So, what was the gift you were going to give?” Raidel asked curiously.

“Gold. Honestly, that’s all I could really give right now.”

Money was better than any other gift.

No one knew how much from this server would carry over to the next season,

But gold always held value in any situation.

Just buy carryover items with it.

Even if only gold itself carried over, that would be even better.

Besides, Yoo Seo-yeon had more than enough to go around.

‘I’ll just give it to him next time he logs in.’

She made a mental note.

“Hmm. Argon would be really disappointed, then.”

Raidel chuckled lightly.

The kind of guy who would jump for joy over the smallest gift from a girl,

Missing this chance because of food poisoning?

Definitely a loss for him.

“By the way…”

The two began walking back toward the town square.

Pixelwars Streamer Server, now in its final stretch after two months of activity.

The central city, Belheim, had taken on a fortress-like appearance.

During the ‘Foundation of the Final Battle’ event, Yoo Seo-yeon had spent 45 million gold to purchase 30 ancient power cores.

These power cores had activated powerful magic cannon turrets stationed behind the city walls, showcasing their might.

Gleaming crystal orbs took the place of cannon muzzles.

Clearly, this was preparation for an impending large-scale monster invasion—the final defense event.

However…

“This is so weird… Why hasn’t the invasion event been announced yet? Feels like it should be up by now.”

Raidel muttered as she looked at one of the turrets.

Other streamers and viewers gathered in Belheim Square were asking the same question.

The server was supposed to run for exactly two months.

Everyone expected the finale to feature a massive boss-level monster invasion,

With a defense event serving as the highlight.

[“Yeah, I’m wondering that too”]

[“Lmao why build all those turrets then? Just for decoration?”]

[“Looking at those things, feels like something big’s coming”]

[‘Piggybank’ has donated 3,000 won!]

• Didn’t Argon run away after seeing Silverhair?

[“LMAO fr”]

[“Makes sense tbh lol”]

[“Failed difficulty scaling lol”]

[“Are we seriously ending with no invasion event?”]

Chat was filled with similar sentiments.

“Spent 45 million gold just to activate those turrets… What was the point of the Foundation of the Final Battle event, then…”

Raidel sighed while pointing at one of the massive cannons.

Even though Yoo Seo-yeon had won 1.5 billion at the underground gambling den,

45 million gold was still a massive sum.

Despite the hefty cost to activate the turrets, there still hadn’t been an opportunity to use them.

It wasn’t even her money, but Raidel still felt the sting.

Meanwhile, the one who had actually spent the money, Yoo Seo-yeon,

Merely gazed up at the turret with a neutral expression.

“Hmm… But they look cool. Firing them once in a while is good stress relief.”

She seemed genuinely pleased with the turret design and didn’t seem bothered.

That 45 million gold? No big deal.

Raidel let out a hollow laugh at her response.

“Well, I mean… Silverhair, you’re rich now. Definitely our Miss Chaebol.”

Raidel joked playfully.

Even after activating turrets and throwing gold around,

Yoo Seo-yeon still had over 1 billion gold left.

She was the undisputed financial queen.

Even if you added up all the wealth of the Kreetzone Clan, they wouldn’t come close.

[“45 million gold toy, damn”]

[“Classic Silverhair lol”]

[“If it looks cool, that’s all that matters”]

[“???: Still looks cool though”]

[“But seriously, isn’t that a waste of money?”]

[“Might wanna complain to the devs?”]

[“Silverhair doesn’t do that”]

[“Silverhair is famously chill;;”]

Just then.

Ding–!

With a crisp, clear notification chime, a server-wide message appeared.

[Pixelwars Streamer Server: Finale Concert Announcement]

[To all streamers and viewers participating in the Pixelwars Streamer Server:

After a breathless journey,

The radiant finale night awaits you.

The place where countless stories were born and unforgettable memories made:

We proudly announce the final concert of the Pixelwars Streamer Server.]

[Date: 2 days before server shutdown, 8:00 PM]

[Location: Special Stage, Belheim Central Plaza]

[Thank you.]

Surprisingly, instead of a final city defense event,

The official schedule revealed a finale concert.

“It’s here… It’s finally here…!”

Raidel exhaled deeply, face tightening with seriousness.

She was going to participate in that concert.

Rumor had it that not just streamers but also singers would be attending.

Yoo Seo-yeon silently stared at the announcement.

Her small fist clenched and loosened without her realizing.

Yoon Ha-yeon’s face from the cafe came to mind.

Along with the sheet music she’d handed over.

The song Yoo Seo-yeon would sing at the finale concert.

Would her voice reach people through that song?

Alongside nervousness and tension,

She felt a bit of pressure, maybe even a sense of duty.

Meanwhile,

Raidel, who had been nervously bouncing her leg, suddenly spoke to the viewers with newfound confidence.

“Whew, this stage? I’m just gonna steal the show. No lie, I think my vocal cords have finally opened up. Feels like I’m a diva now.”

[“????”]

[“Classic Raidel overconfidence”]

[“Where’s that confidence even coming from lol”]

[“Delbung Delbung please…”]

[‘OatGod’ has donated 1,000 won!]

• Raidel’s singing is actually decent, right? Got a unique vibe…

[“That’s gotta be a weird kink lol”]

[“Living up to the nickname lol”]

[“Does give off metal vibes ngl”]

[‘TearsOfTheWaterDeer’ has donated 2,000 won!]

• Raidel-senpai really turned the stage upside down. Truly… a vocal style no one uses…

[“LMAOOOO”]

[“Wow. Beat, rhythm, soul. All there.”]

[“But for real, she uses a technique no one does lol”]

[‘SilverhairLover’ has donated 10,000 won!]

• But what song is Silverhair doing? I remember she was practicing with MR before lol

[“What’s she singing?”]

[“She’d probably kill any song”]

[“She sang an anime OP so well last time;”]

[“Would love something emotional this time”]

“Ah, right. Silverhair, did you decide on a song? I pretty much picked mine.”

Raidel asked, recalling Yoo Seo-yeon practicing with an MR track on Etube.

Yoo Seo-yeon smiled faintly.

“Yeah. I decided… There’s a song I really want to sing.”

---

【Pixelwars Streamer Server Recap】

[So like, weren’t monsters supposed to invade? Still nothing. Why did we even build turrets lol

Silverhair said, ‘But they look cool,’ after spending 45 mil on them. She won’t complain to the devs.

Finale concert date is set: 2 days before server closes, 8 PM.]

• So no invasion event?? Kinda anticlimactic
• Can’t wait for Silverhair’s performance ㅠㅠㅠ What song will it be
• ㄴ Not revealed yet?
• ㄴ Most performers haven’t said. Gotta keep it a surprise
• Should we… look forward to Delbung’s stage?
• ㄴ lololol Expectation leads to disappointment

---

Frost skimmed through the real-time data, brow deeply furrowed.

The data was filled with keywords about the “Finale Concert,”

Along with players asking, “When’s the invasion?”, “Did the monsters fall asleep?”, and “Are the turrets just for show?”

With a heavy sigh, Frost turned toward Zeronix, who stood with his arms crossed.

“Hyung.”

Despite the call, Zeronix didn’t respond. He was just staring intently at Yoo Seo-yeon on Raidel’s stream.

“…Are we really going through with this?”

There was clear anxiety in Frost’s voice.

“The turrets are already set up in Belheim, and everyone’s expecting a massive invasion event to end the server…”

Things were moving in the complete opposite direction.

Instead of an invasion, they suddenly announced a concert.

“Wouldn’t it be better to go the safe route? Announce the invasion, build hype with a monster defense, and then end it clean with a finale concert.”

Frost continued,

“That would be the smoothest way.”

It was the safe play, the one least likely to cause backlash.

Trying something unpredictable at the end of the server could backfire.

Only then did Zeronix finally look at Frost.

“Little bro.”

His voice was still playful.

“That’s too boring. Gotta mix up the rhythm a little, make it fun.”