Chapter 210

Despite having no prior musical experience, I was diligently learning. There was no choice. Even if the musicians of Ardenia sent over sheet music, I needed the technical skills to manipulate the program and turn it into actual music.

Boom-boom taka! Boom-boom tom!

I was running the sheet music through the music production program Orpheus. Still not fully accustomed to it, my progress was excruciatingly slow.

Ah… This is quite difficult.

However, compared to the rigors of martial arts, magic, and chakra training, wasn’t this supposed to be relatively easier? I turned to my mentor, the vast expanse of the internet and YouTube, to gain proficiency in the program. Gradually, I began crafting the melodies of Ardenia.

It took me a grueling two hours to complete the first song.

“Haah… There are still over 120 songs left to transcribe…”

Even after meticulously curating the list, it had ballooned this large due to the sheer volume of popular hits from the past decade.

If not for the emperor’s penchant for bizarre genres and his obsession with imperial-themed songs—complete with anachronistic references—the schedule would have been far more arduous. We would have had to abandon all other projects and slave away for months, churning out thousands of melodies.

Ding-dong… Ting-a-ling!

“Log in,” I commanded.

As I entered a composition into the program, my face contorted into a mask of exasperation.

“Seriously, what kind of instrument is ‘Floria’ now? Didn’t I explicitly tell them to stick to standard instruments?!”

But that wasn’t the only source of trouble.

“And what’s with these lightning-patterned notes? Those composers are getting on my nerves!”

I summoned the responsible parties and gave them a severe dressing-down.

The offending musicians also received harsh punishment.

Naturally, the penalty wasn’t imprisonment or a fine, but rather, they were mandated to create 10,000 points’ worth of new songs—about 1,000,000 won—using only standard instruments and notation.

“I’ve ordered that until they complete their quotas, their meals will be restricted to wild boar haunches and water,” I declared. “All seasoning is strictly forbidden.”

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, I’m sorry! Please, just a touch of salt…!”

“Take him away.”

“Your Majesty~~!”

As a musician, he crafted melodies amidst the controlled chaos, like an artist managing his errant instruments.

One by one, virtual melodies and voices were added to Orpheus’s playlist.

“Hmm.”

Yet with each addition, the maze only grew more convoluted.

This was “The Path I Walk,” a masterpiece by Fletcher, a giant among musicians who had once been part of the opera Children of Light—the national anthem of the Holy Empire. Despite countless performances, it still elicited standing ovations on every stage.

“I don’t quite get it…”

He sensed that the music was good—but only just. Somehow, he couldn’t discern what would make a song truly great, nor what would render it a hit with audiences.

“Ah, is this right…?”

With web novels, I could just post as I pleased and call it a day. The best works, chosen by readers, would rise to the surface on their own merit.

But music was different.

Even if I uploaded my compositions to music-related websites, all that would happen was other musicians’ various appraisals. There’d be no profit or public exposure whatsoever.

Indeed, the music industry is not like the novel business at all.

The audience doesn’t gather of its own accord. Because a single song isn’t a complete piece of content. It needs the right singer to make it work.

If I’m going to send my tunes to talent agencies, I should narrow down my options and focus my efforts, rather than just bombarding everyone indiscriminately.

“Log out.”

I crossed over to Earth and played one song: a male solo piece.

Not bad.

Then another. A duet for male and female voices.

Also good.

I listened to another song. A choral piece this time.

Not bad…?

I felt like I was going crazy. I just couldn’t make sense of it all.

A new song began to play.

This one, it… it’s supposed to be harmonious, right?

I sighed at the sharp and neurotic lyrics. We had reached a crucial juncture.

“This is good too…”

It happened right then.

“Huh? Ohhh? This is great!”

“Um?”

I turned towards the sudden voice.

Ruby, who appeared to have arrived at some point, was peering into the workshop.

“Rudy. I told you not to come in while I’m working.”

“Oh, I just wanted to pass by. And there’s a jewel mixed in with all this trash.”

“A jewel among this trash?”

I couldn’t understand what she was saying, so I looked at Orpheus’s playlist. There were 128 songs.

I thought I’d picked the best of the best, and she says it’s trash?

“All of it is fine, isn’t it?”

“What do you mean? This music isn’t trendy at all. It’s almost like the lyrics were just hot air. How can you call this music?”

“Well… I wrote it all.”

”…What?”

Rudy stopped in her tracks. I had no choice but to be shameless about it. If I tried to claim where I got this from anywhere else, the conversation wouldn’t make any sense.

“Well, I’ve been training my chakras. Literature and… music are byproducts. This is what’s produced during my cultivation.”

”…I’ve never heard such nonsense before. Who completes their chakras like that?”

Though Ruby found it absurd, as I continued to effortlessly compose one piece after another before her very eyes, she began to believe my words.

“Flower! Flower, come here for a moment!”

“What is it?”

At the voice calling into the void, Flower naturally traversed the space and materialized before us. She had been wielding a mystical energy-infused kitchen knife, but upon seeing me, she swiftly disappeared along with it.

What was she cooking up?

Regardless of the circumstances, Ruby addressed Flower once she manifested:

“Jaeyeon has created a song!”

“Wow, a song too?”

“Yes, a song!”

“She writes novels as well. She can produce several dozen volumes in a single day.”

“Huh? What’s that? Instead of practicing magic or martial arts, she was writing novels?”

“Wait a moment. Snow! Hwakyu! Sapphire!”

In the end, the Oryongi had gathered and listened to all 128 songs I had composed.

“I am Kal.”

“Me too.”

“Hmm. Now that slander and gossip are rampant, it seems fitting.”

“Agreed.”

“Let’s do it.”

Their minds were swiftly aligned. I raised my hand.

“What about the other songs? There are 127 of them… I’ll sell them cheaply.”

”…”

”…”

”…”

”…”

”…”

The Oryongi exchanged glances.

It didn’t take long for them to reach a conclusion.

“Yes. Let’s not do it.”

“We’ll give them to Eddusuni’s big bro. He’ll scatter them to various small and medium-sized businesses.”

“At least one of them turned out well.”

“Let’s practice. Practice!”

As I watched the Oryongi scatter, I couldn’t help but shrug.

“Well… I guess they won’t deceive me.”

And so,

Time flowed by…

“Edward.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“From this moment on, you are appointed as The Nine Sword. You shall receive Mythic Phoenix Knight and Mythic Pet Phoenix, along with Phoenix Devotion Aura and Vision Phoenix. Embrace these resources with relentless determination and fulfill your sacred duty to the utmost.”

As the Emperor spoke, he handed over three cards and a skill book.

And then, it happened…

Krrrrk…

Boom!

Dark clouds gathered. Though now familiar, the awe-inspiring spectacle still managed to leave everyone breathless.

“Oh, my. This sight is…”

“That this should occur once again… And to witness it granted to someone other than the Emperor himself…”

“It’s nothing short of remarkable…”

The sky darkened as towering clouds surged across the heavens, yet not a soul flinched in fear. For I had already witnessed this spectacle unfold multiple times, through my own eyes and those of others.

Dong… Dong… Dong…!

Sure enough, with the reverberation of majestic bells, the clouds parted as light flooded upon the city.

This was the continent-wide announcement heralding the arrival of a Mythical-class individual.

Since I had obtained all 18 mythology classes, Edward could be considered the second owner of a Mythology Class, making him the 19th mythology being.

But that’s not all.

I had acquired all mythology classes, as well as all mythology pets. And all myth-ranked familiars were mine too.

Yes, I had achieved a 100% completion rate for the Revenge Collection.

I was truly the Supreme Being of Revenge, unprecedented and unmatched!

Although it may not yet be evident in Ardenia…

However, I could achieve it anytime I wanted, as long as I had the payment power. I was merely delaying it since it wasn’t urgent.

Creak! Creak-creak!

Like my past self, Edward’s body groaned under the strain of powerful buffs and rapid growth, but he didn’t even blink.

“I’ll give it my all!”

“I believe in you.”

Phoenix Knight had been a job I’d been considering for quite some time. Not only did it perfectly match Edward’s Direction attribute—an aptitude for striking hard—but it also possessed the ideal skills for his Tai Chi Fist and Tai Chi Sword techniques.

Of course, there was another job that could truly make him strong.

White Lord.

This was Edward’s potential in Revenge. Instead of succumbing to demonic influence and becoming a madman, he would overcome temptation and follow the path of a transcendent being in a parallel universe.

Even so, it would be unconscionable to squander such transcendent talent in such a manner. Though they speak of memories from another universe, Class degradation is a perilous experiment that could contaminate one’s very self.

In retrospect, Hayes was extraordinarily fortunate. In his Class configuration, there were neither extraterrestrial entities nor any trace of madness.

Of course, one must experiment.

I gazed upon the assembled knights.

The participants in today’s [Investiture] were not those receiving the Mythical Rank. No, they were just below it. The majority were preparing to receive the Prestige rank.

And among them…

him.

Namgung Iljeon.

Once leader of the Xian Monastery, now Broken Knight.

He had stormed my castle, taking me hostage in a bid to absorb my power. As the Emperor’s right arm, he’d accomplished much.

However, unlike the notorious emperor who died of illness while imprisoned after his defeat, this individual survives as a knight of the Human Empire.

Indeed. He is truly the Sword King—a master of the blade and… a god of war.

Today, I intend to satisfy my long-standing curiosity under the pretense of a reward ceremony.

Just how far can the power of [Potential] reach? Is it truly possible for him to transcend his limitations in a single leap, propelled by the power of a Class Card?

Instead of the usual formal reviews or celebratory fireworks commonly associated with national festivals, this grand occasion was truly unnecessary. The appearance of a Myth card and its subsequent announcement served as the most splendid celebration itself.

The Myth cards were distributed one by one. This way, even those who weren’t Transcendents would possess strength comparable to them, allowing them to stand against their power.

With abilities on par with a Transcendent, along with skills that rivaled theirs, venturing into a Myth-rank dungeon wouldn’t be a death sentence. After all, it wasn’t as if they could get more dead than they already were.

This feature made Return Scrolls even more indispensable in emergencies.

After Edward, Hayes, Stestone, Red, and Flower, Healing (of course, a name change was in order!) rose to be the title of the best healer. The Goddess bestowed upon him the Mythical Class.

Naturally, I couldn’t employ their full power immediately. They would need a considerable amount of time to adapt to Transcendent stats, skills, and so on.

Now the most important person is Namgung Iljeon.

However, my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an unexpected turn of events.

”…Huh?”

I groaned as I saw Harmony enveloped in light.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

I heard muffled exclamations from the others.

Harmony looked at me with clear tears in her eyes. I sensed that something terrible had happened.

No, why is it Harmony?!

Before I could even summon the demon sword.

A second Transcendent opened his eyes in Ardenia.

And his awakening was utterly unexpected.