An indescribable piano technique wove a flawless movement. This was music that truly struck the soul. The peace and stillness it brought even helped Tsukika press her pounding heart back into a normal rhythm.

Tsukika slowly recovered from her panic. She listened quietly for a while, but in the end, she still couldn't hold herself back and cut into the piece. She tried hard to keep her teasing tone.

"Didn't the Chosen Hero say you didn't care?"

"Then why did you choose the same piece as that guy just now? Trying to prove something?"

What Li Wei was playing was also Fairy by the Lake.

But there was some special difference in the piece as he played it, and the effect was completely different.

Even Tsukika, who had no real ear for music, could feel it. Every note Li Wei struck seemed to leap softly into her heart. It was as if endless moonlight, together with that distant dreamlike lake, had been placed inside the banquet hall, soaking the entire place.

The wildly dancing crowd had unknowingly returned to where they belonged. They were truly immersed in the wonderland brought by the performance, entrusting their surging emotions to that unreachable spirit by the lakeside, feeling that faint trace of sorrow.

It was as if this performance had pierced through even the veil over sound itself. Even Yue Lin stared blankly at the stage, sunk into this performance that no one understood, yet had stolen everyone's heart all the same.

Within the gentle melody, Li Wei answered calmly.

"I'm not trying to prove anything. I just don't want anyone to misunderstand this piece."

"What do you mean, misunderstand?"

Li Wei said softly, "I just think this piece shouldn't be used for courtship."

Tsukika looked a little surprised and curious. "The Chosen Hero sounds like you really know your stuff. The way you're saying it, it's almost like you wrote this piece yourself."

Li Wei fell silent for a moment. "Maybe."

Tsukika chuckled lightly. "But there are some things I can't agree with."

"Even if you really did write it, I'd still say this—what would the Chosen Hero know about Fairy by the Lake~?"

"A work is like that. From the moment it's created, it goes beyond whatever meaning it originally wanted to express. The emotions it conveys, the things it shows, were never about what it was originally saying. They're about what the listener or viewer wants it to become, in that moment of resonance."

Li Wei was silent for a moment.

To be fair, that actually made a lot of sense.

Li Wei said nothing more, as if he had completely sunk into the performance.

In the entire banquet hall, only the music remained, flowing quietly. Everyone seemed to have fallen into a great dream.

In the Chosen Hero's arms, Tsukika tilted her head up and looked at him, listening to his interpretation.

Though Li Wei never said it aloud, in that moment, she truly understood where this piece had come from.

So it was for her?

This really wasn't a piece meant to pursue love. It was a farewell song.

That final joyful passage had been "misread" into something like that. No wonder the Chosen Hero had seemed a little angry.

To Li Wei, that rebounding joy wasn't hope for a beautiful romantic ending. It belonged to a certain girl, her final blessing for his future.

Just like that candy once placed in the girl's hand. At the end, in a way the boy had never imagined and never wanted, it had gone in circles and returned to his hand.

When he lost that girl, she had returned a piece of candy to him.

"When the future makes you unhappy, eat something sweet. Draw a taste of happiness from it."

But that was all a promise of the past now.

And that certain idiot had never fulfilled it. Instead, he had chosen an even harsher road.

No matter what the past had been, at least from today onward, the meaning of this piece really should change.

Tsukika thought quietly.

She actually understood very well why Li Wei had drawn his blade against her the moment they met in the past.

Because the Undying had been born from a vast, blood-soaked sacrifice.

And what that sacrifice had offered up was Li Wei's "past."

If not for that night of Annihilation, when she had first loosened part of the knot in Li Wei's heart, then on the night they met, Li Wei would probably have gone to his death without hesitation.

When the piece ended, Li Wei sank into a long-unfamiliar sense of melancholy.

It was as if some bitter taste had filled his mouth as well.

I wonder what this Demon Lord was thinking, listening to me play while thinking about someone else. Li Wei didn't know why such a strange thought had suddenly appeared in his mind.

But toward that girl, he probably didn't really...

Before the thought could finish turning over, Li Wei suddenly felt something soft push into his mouth.

—Tsukika, with her slender fingers, had pinched a rosy candy and slipped it between his lips.

Sweetness spread through his mouth, across his lips and teeth, like the lingering aftertaste of that joyful piece.

Li Wei held the candy in his mouth, and in that instant, his emotions surged violently.

But then he noticed the Demon Lord looking at him with a wicked little smile. "You looked kind of unhappy, and that put me in a great mood, so here's a candy as a reward to spice things up?"

The first half of her words pulled Li Wei back to reality. The last few words made his expression shift slightly.

Seeing that look on his face, Tsukika clutched her stomach and burst into laughter, carefree and heartless, laughing so hard there were tears at the corners of her eyes.

She reached up and wiped away the tears she had laughed out, then said softly,

"Relax. There's nothing mixed into it."

"Even if the Chosen Hero wanted it, I wasn't prepared to give it to you in a place like this."

After saying that, she put both hands behind her back and skipped down the steps.

In that moment, under the moonlike, water-soft glow of the lights, her figure really did seem to become that unreachable fairy the boy had once glimpsed traveling by the lakeside.

There was a distance to her that was dizzying and heartbreaking.

But halfway down, she stopped. Then she turned around, tilted her head, and looked at him.

"What's wrong with the Chosen Hero? Still immersed in the performance and don't want to leave? If you're in that kind of mood, why not come home and keep performing for me? We can use this piece somewhere else to set the mood too."

The emotion that had risen in Li Wei's heart suddenly receded like a falling tide.

Sure enough, the one in front of him was the Demon Lord, not some fairy.

Then he smacked his lips.

Putting aside whatever she might've added to it, the candy this Demon Lord picked was pretty sweet.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

"No weakness!"

"Not a single weakness."

Backstage behind the performance area,

Vivian, now fully awake, wore a dazed expression, like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

At some point, the performance outside had suddenly come to an end.

The joint performance by Li Wei and Tsukika had been like a great dream cast over everyone.

Everyone knew they had gone through a dream. But after waking from it, those emotions and sensations were still deeply branded into their hearts.

Vivian knew exactly what that meant—

Absolute Art!

This was one of the highest realms a musical performance could reach.

Something countless musician-class professionals dreamed of.

As a support class, the vast majority of musicians relied on skills to grant all kinds of buffs to others.

They wove skills into their music to temporarily boost strength, speed, and spirit, or increase skill damage, reduce cooldowns, and even soothe and inspire the heart.

But beyond that, musicians—or rather, music itself—also possessed a special power.

Just as top-tier Chosen Heroes all pursued Limit Break, top-tier musicians all pursued music's Absolute Art!

Once they reached the realm of Absolute Art, performers could completely cast off skill assistance. With technique alone, fused with true emotion and the weight of their own experience, they could fully awaken the emotions within the piece itself and bring resonance to everyone listening.

Under that resonance, listeners immersed in the music would fall as if into a great dream, as though undergoing a special kind of baptism, and gain astonishing benefits from it.

But performances at the level of Absolute Art were almost impossible to come by.

Many famous high-level musician-class professionals needed a long time to prepare even one. And tickets were priceless and nearly impossible to get. Most people could only enter through invitations or connections.

And yet, in an ordinary restaurant performance like this, she had witnessed a "Miracle" so hard to reproduce that it could only be called a miracle?

Vivian felt like she was still dreaming.

She wiped the tears from her face.

It hurt. It really hurt too much.

At first, when Tsukika started playing, Vivian had instinctively dismissed it.

She thought Tsukika was trying to save the scene with attitude. Sure, it might've worked, but there was still a gap between them. Maybe Li Wei would compare it to her earlier performance and the difference would be obvious at a glance.

But when the first note leaped from beneath Tsukika's fingers, Vivian was shaken.

It felt like a hand had forcibly dug open her heart and yanked out the floodgate of her emotions.

It also felt like a fist had punched her tear ducts hard.

What kind of violent emotional impact was this? What kind of performance laid the heart bare this directly?

If it had only been that, she might have thought she was under some kind of illusion spell.

But later, once her emotions had gradually calmed and she had fully sunk into it, she realized Tsukika's performance wasn't something as crude and simple as illusion magic.

It was the same Fairy by the Lake, yet what Tsukika played felt like a completely different version, like the elusive song even its creator had longed for but never attained.

As the music rose and fell, Vivian felt as if she had truly entered the performer's world and state of mind. It was as if she could smell the fragrance of some beautiful hope.

And the strongest proof of that performance's technique was the many notifications on her status panel showing increases in proficiency.

That was the main reason she had judged Tsukika's performance to be Absolute Art!

[Frostheart Skill Proficiency +1!]

[Moon Soul Skill Proficiency +1!]

[Steadfast Will Skill Proficiency +111!]

[...]

Aside from Steadfast Will, which seemed to have been beaten half to death and somehow gained triple-digit proficiency, most of Vivian's skills had only improved by tiny amounts. But even those tiny gains were something an ordinary performance could never possibly achieve.

And for skills like Moon Soul or Frostheart, that 1 point of proficiency could save her several days of hard training.

Items that could increase class skill proficiency were extremely rare. Under normal circumstances, people could only improve through bitter practice. That made the existence of Absolute Art all the more precious.

Even the lowest level of Absolute Art was still Absolute Art. If someone could enter that state once, there was no saying they couldn't do it a second time later. And Tsukika had only played a single piece.

On top of that, this experience of Absolute Art had given Vivian a very strange feeling.

It made her feel that the Absolute Art she had experienced seemed to hide something else. It felt like what it gave her wasn't just simple growth in skill proficiency.

It was almost like her soul had been shaken apart, then repaired once.

Why did she have such a strange feeling?

Vivian couldn't figure it out, and she was too lazy to think any deeper. She only felt a little sour and powerless inside.

When the day came that Tsukika's Absolute Art could directly raise skill levels through support, how many people would rush after a performance like that?

She had practiced violin for so long, yet she had never entered such a special state. She hadn't even touched the threshold.

She had thought Li Wei needed her to save the scene. Who would've thought she had almost become a clown again? She was just glad she hadn't really rushed onstage. Otherwise, with the before-and-after comparison, she would've become a joke.

Vivian never connected the source of that Absolute Art to Li Wei at all.

Leaving aside the fact that, under the illusion's influence, she hadn't even seen Li Wei go onstage, from a theoretical standpoint alone, even the lowest level of Absolute Art required magical assistance to achieve.

Li Wei had no panel. He'd already lost the right to use magic. Even with an external tool like a magic crystal, there was no way he could pull off something like this.

As for an even higher art that needed no magic at all...

Vivian had never really considered it. There had been a Chosen Hero like that in the past, one of Li Wei's teammates. She had once met that wise older sister. But that sister had already become history.

So the one who achieved all this... was Tsukika?

Yeah—

Her thinking had been too narrow after all.

Just like Li Wei would never casually pick some random woman to start a family with, how could he have chosen his wife just because she was pretty?

That harmless-looking girl definitely had something special of her own.

Maybe she was a top-tier musician. Even if not, she was already walking that path.

The strongest Chosen Hero and the strongest musician...

Back in the old days, they really would've been a pair others envied.

Only then did Vivian notice the elf beside her.

The elf who had been eagerly trying to egg her on earlier now had her little mouth hanging open, eyes rolled back, tongue out, looking like she might faint at any second.

"Tiffany, are you okay?"

The strange state startled Vivian. She rushed over and shook Tiffany a few times, finally managing to bring her back around.

Tiffany let out two silly little chuckles.

"Mm... I'm fine..."

"I just almost passed out from how good it felt."

"That last piece was amazing. It felt like I got yanked straight from hell to heaven in one go. That contrast..."

With a flush on her face, Tiffany rubbed her legs together a little awkwardly.

"Vivian, wait for me a second. I need to go change my pants."

Vivian: "???"

So this is what elves are like?!

Even the way they appreciate music is on another level. That was meant to elevate you, not turn you on...

Vivian held her forehead and let out a sigh.

Gradually, everyone in the banquet hall came back to their senses one by one.

Ordinary people only felt deeply moved. They wiped away their tears. But when they looked again, the family of three was already gone, whether from the stage or the table.

As for the Chosen Heroes who knew of supreme arts, they couldn't help but feel shaken and stunned. It felt like a giant pie had fallen right into their laps. This meal... had been absurdly worth it.

But when they thought back and tried to remember what that family of three looked like, they realized they couldn't recall their faces at all.

Of course, even if they really could remember, all they could do was sigh quietly. They wouldn't dare hope for anything more.

Meeting them today was already a blessing from Lady Luck. As for a formal performance of such an art, how could people like them ever casually reach it?

More than ten minutes passed before the banquet hall truly settled down.

Backstage, Vivian had already packed her things and was preparing to leave.

But suddenly, Vivian frowned slightly. She heard a burst of heavy, hurried footsteps outside.

There was also someone shouting, "Wait, Mr. Bayis, you can't go in there."

"Get lost. Why can't I? I paid for this!"

Amid the shouting, there was a bang.

The door was violently shoved open. Then a round-headed, fat-bodied middle-aged man reeking of alcohol stumbled in. He even tripped at the doorway and hit the floor with a heavy thud.

"The hell, you dare hit me!?"

The middle-aged man cursed from the ground.

Old Aiden followed behind him with both hands raised, looking helpless. "Mr. Bayis, you fell on your own. I didn't do anything."

Then he noticed Vivian's gaze, and his expression collapsed. "Miss Vivian..."

"What is this supposed to be?"

Vivian glanced at the middle-aged man on the floor.

"Th-this..."

"The master's here for you!" The middle-aged man staggered to his feet and slurred.

Old Aiden spoke awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Miss Vivian. I really couldn't stop him. He's the investor for this performance, and also... the one who promised to sponsor Dawn."

"Oh. According to the contract, my performance is over. So he's here to pay?"

Vivian said flatly.

"What do you mean over? You only played one piece!"

Bayis shouted.

"Wasn't one piece exactly what the contract said?"

Vivian looked at Old Aiden.

After everything that had happened today, she had no mood left to stay any longer.

Only by clearing her debt and starting over as soon as possible could she pull herself back up from blow after blow.

Bayis burst out laughing. "How is that possible!"

"I'm paying two hundred thousand gold coins."

"So?"

Vivian asked.

She didn't actually have that strong a sense for money.

To her, two hundred thousand gold coins was only enough to clear her debts. What remained still wouldn't be enough to launch a campaign against the cadre level.

"Don't you think it's a little too easy to earn two hundred thousand gold coins with just one performance?" Bayis said. "And do you really think your performance compares to that one just now?"

Bayis wasn't an artist. He couldn't understand whether music was good or bad. But even a pig, after hearing that performance, would know what it meant for the echoes to linger for days.

Vivian's gaze trembled for a moment. Then she said coldly, "Wasn't your two hundred thousand gold buying Dawn's name?"

Admitting that out loud made Vivian clench her fists without meaning to. Breathing became a little hard.

Old Aiden: "...That's true."

"In that case, hasn't your goal already been achieved?"

Vivian said coolly,

"Or are you planning to change the terms of the contract?"

Old Aiden looked miserable, like he was about to cry. "Miss Vivian, you may not have read the contract carefully."

"What do you mean?"

"Mr. Bayis's requirement was that one piece had to be completed on stage. But there were other clauses attached below, and... if the restaurant had additional needs, Miss Vivian had to assist in fulfilling them. The duration lasts until the restaurant closes."

As Old Aiden spoke, sweat poured down his face. When he'd written that clause at Bayis's request, he hadn't thought much of it at all. Who the hell would've expected someone to make trouble for Dawn?

But this Bayis was practically insane, acting without the slightest restraint.

At first, Old Aiden had thought being favored by a supreme art meant he'd hit the jackpot. But looking at the situation now, it felt more like he'd been rammed by some giant heavy object called "jackpot."

Vivian also remembered that clause. Back then, she hadn't thought much of it either. She'd assumed it would mean, at most, helping maintain the atmosphere.

But Bayis's intentions were clearly far from innocent.

Vivian said coldly,

"My apologies. I'm not in the mood for that kind of thing right now."

"If you feel dissatisfied, you can deduct part of it from the payment as appropriate."

Bayis sneered. "Miss Vivian, I'm not discussing this with you."

"To tell you the truth, I'm not so extravagant that I'd spend two hundred thousand gold coins just to have Dawn prop up the scene."

"Either you stay and play a few songs for me in private, or I'll count this as you tearing up the contract unilaterally."

Seeing the chill on Vivian's face, Bayis lifted his thick neck, utterly fearless.

"Let me make this clear first. We're conducting normal business here. If you dare lay a hand on me, I'll report you to the Legion."

At that moment, Vivian's blood pressure practically shot through the roof.

As if sensing she was on the verge of exploding, Bayis suddenly changed his tone.

"Of course, if you're unwilling, there's another option."

He wasn't an idiot. He knew Vivian's background wasn't simple. But not everyone in Dawn had a background.

Thinking of that, Bayis couldn't suppress the greed on his face.

"You don't have to keep me company. I want that elf."

"Pretty good deal, right? It's just one elf, and you get two hundred thousand gold coins."

"Heh heh, those big—"

Bayis showed a filthy grin and grabbed at the air.

But before he could finish—

Bang.

A figure was smashed flying. He rolled a few times like a ball, then ended up embedded in the wall beside them.

"I've put up with you for a long time. You think you deserve to be called 'sir'?"

Vivian's face was expressionless.

Vivian cast a cold glance at the sweating Old Aiden.

"If you want to report me, go ahead."

"I-I'm sorry, terribly sorry... Miss Vivian. I'll talk sense into him. Mr. Bayis may have had a little too much to drink and lost his mind."

Old Aiden was terrified. He apologized again and again, as if afraid Vivian might hit him too.

Vivian took a deep breath. "When he wakes up, if he still has complaints, he can come to Dawn and find me. But don't let me hear of you using Dawn's name for anything again. As for today's money, we'll calculate it as a normal performance. No problem with that, right?"

Old Aiden nodded repeatedly.

Only after he saw Vivian leave did he finally let out a breath of relief. Then he went to rescue Bayis from the wall with a face dark as death.

Old Aiden truly couldn't understand what was inside Bayis's head. To court death like this, to disgust people for no reason... did he really think he could take advantage of Dawn?

And Vivian had obviously held back with that hit. If she'd used real force, he wouldn't have been smashed into the wall. He would've exploded on the spot.

Vivian left the room. After closing the door, the icy look on her face shifted for a brief instant, turning fragile, humiliated, and exhausted.

She knew what she'd done was impulsive. It had basically cut off any chance of those two hundred thousand gold coins reaching her hands. But how could she possibly do something that disgusting? And that bastard had even tried to lay a hand on Tiffany.

As for the debt she owed...

Maybe there were other ways to repay it.

But as Vivian left in dejection, she failed to notice that several portraits in the hallway were quietly staring in the direction she went.