The Genius Composer Starts Again - Chapter 93

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Something warm moistened my upper lip. What had suddenly gushed out flowed along my lip line and dripped down to my chin.

Red stains spread across the measures I had just completed.

“My sheet music!”

That thought came to me before anything else. I frantically grabbed tissues and pulled them out.

I lowered my head forward and held the tissue under my nose. Then I tried to rescue the sheet music, but it was already stained with blood.

“I’ll have to redraw it.”

A sigh escaped me naturally.

Of all things, it was for a professor who insisted on hand-drawn sheet music, so I had to write it all out by hand again.

“Why the sudden nosebleed? Did I push myself that hard?”

But this was the first time in my life that I’d had such a heavy nosebleed.

I’m not usually the type to get nosebleeds from overexertion.

‘Oh, could it be?’

I opened the skill window again.

‘Skill, Flame of Creation.’

Then, below the incredible effect of +200% creation efficiency, I saw an ominous warning.

> Warning :

– Excessive use may cause damage.

‘I was curious what this damage meant. Was it physical damage?’

If so, it was a much lighter side effect than I had thought. The skill description said it “burns the soul,” so I was worried about what would happen if my soul got damaged or something.

Is that too much like a novel?

But just the fact that I had regressed 10 years and was carrying around this game-like system was already unrealistic enough.

‘Just this?’

When I went to the restroom and looked in the mirror, my face was clearly visible.

Dark circles under my eyes, and a reddened lower face. I looked exactly like an “overworked music student.”

‘This much is bearable, right?’

I folded a new tissue and stuffed it into my nose.

It looked ridiculous, but that was all.

Meow-.

Startled by the sudden commotion, Nuri came over and rubbed against my head.

“Oh, Nuri. It’s okay. It was nothing serious.”

When I stroked her, she seemed to feel better right away and made purring sounds. Seeing that brought a faint smile to my face again.

“You should sleep soon. Why are you staying up all night too?”

The warm sensation at my fingertips made me want to pretend to sleep, but I had too much work to do for that.

I sat back down at my desk, trying to ignore my dizzy vision and the throbbing headache.

I could copy the sheet music later.

“Just one more time.”

I muttered quietly to myself.

“Let’s use it just one more time. The competition isn’t far away.”

It was a soliloquy to no one in particular. It was like a resolution I was making to myself.

‘Skill, Flame of Creation.’

Again, I felt something burning from deep within. Heat rose throughout my body and my vision narrowed.

[ SYSTEM – WARNING ]

> You are overusing Flame of Creation !

> Current fatigue level : 78%

> Damage risk increasing

> Would you like to stop using it? [Y/N]

“Just a little more.”

I muttered through my teeth. I had already pushed the warning window to one corner.

I was swept up in a strange elation, as if only the sheet music and I remained in the world. I even felt like I couldn’t stop this.

Musical ideas freely roamed through the air.

They danced to the rhythm, and harmonies bounced around playfully. All distracting thoughts disappeared, leaving only pure concentration.

Scratch, scratch.

The pen raced across the staff paper.

My breathing became labored.

The sensation of squeezing out my remaining energy felt distant.

[ SYSTEM – WARNING ]

> You are overusing Flame of Creation !

> Current fatigue level : 86%

> Immediate cessation recommended.

> Would you like to stop using it? [Y/N]

“Not yet.”

I felt like I couldn’t stop now.

Having pushed myself to the extreme, there was music that could only be created in this moment when my mental strength was precarious and haziness was setting in.

Something utterly delicate,

Something that seemed like it would crumble at a touch.

That kind of music. It was right in front of me.

> Current fatigue level : 92%

“Please.”

The staff paper had turned completely black.

A ringing sound echoed in my ears.

> Current fatigue level : 97%

“Hold on…!”

My body moved first.

The final note.

The piece I had poured everything into was almost complete.

> Current fatigue level : 99%

.

.

.

> Current fatigue level : 100%

At that moment,

Something flashed before my eyes. It was like a small burst of light.

A pure white lightning-like afterimage remained etched inside my eyelids.

And then,

Beeeeeeeeeep-.

“Ugh!”

I clutched both ears and curled my body into a ball. As if instinctively trying to protect my most vulnerable organs.

Haa, haa.

After the terrible ringing passed, quiet finally came. As I was catching my breath, I felt that soft sensation at my feet again.

“Nuri?”

—.

“Huh?”

Nuri opened her mouth, but no sound reached me.

She would have meowed like usual.

It was strange.

I hurriedly crouched down and examined Nuri. Oblivious to my anxious heart, Nuri was rubbing her head against me.

And once again,

Her mouth opened.

—.

Only the faintest trace of sound at best.

“….”

Looking at Nuri’s completely calm face,

A chill ran up my spine.

I couldn’t hear any sound at all.

The faint buzzing from the fluorescent light, the sound of wind brushing past the window, even the refrigerator running.

Nothing.

Had the world ever been this quiet before?

‘No. Not since I regressed.’

Conversely, before my regression, this had been all too familiar. That’s why it took me a moment to realize something was wrong.

I placed my fingertips on my throat and opened my mouth.

“Aah.”

I could feel the vibration, but heard nothing.

My heart began pounding. My knees trembled. I suddenly felt cold sweat soaking the back of my neck.

On the desk before me lay sheet music, neatly completed down to the last note.

A finished song.

But how it would sound, I would probably never know.

I staggered toward the piano. And frantically pressed the keys.

Bang, bang, bang!

I could feel the strings vibrating through my hands. Yet still, no sound reached my ears.

It felt like being trapped in a terrible prison.

Again.

I fell endlessly to the bottom. Just reliving that horrible experience brought waves of revulsion.

When I came to my senses, I was scratching my entire body with my nails.

Then a system window flashed into view.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

> You have overused the skill ‘Spark of Creation (A)’.

> Temporary damage has occurred to your sensory organs.

The following text was clear.

[ SYSTEM – V1.0 ]

> Status abnormality ‘Sensory Loss – Hearing (I)’ has occurred.

> Description: Auditory information is not being received normally.

– Unable to recognize external sounds

– Unable to monitor own vocalizations

> Duration: 96 hours

> Warning:

– Sensory circuits are temporarily blocked due to overload.

– If you use ‘Spark of Creation’ additionally in your current state, the status abnormality may evolve to ‘Sensory Loss – Hearing (II)’.

“Duration, 96 hours…!”

My eyes widened.

The system window clearly showed the duration.

[ Duration: 95 : 57 : 33 ]

Then a large stopwatch appeared floating in the air. It seemed to be showing the remaining time.

96 hours meant exactly 4 days.

‘So it was a status abnormality.’

As my mouth went dry, I gradually began to breathe again.

It was fortunate.

‘It’s not completely broken.’

Temporary blockage. Right. I’d just lost my hearing for a while. It meant it would return to normal with time.

“Haa.”

I let out a long sigh of relief while supporting myself on the floor.

As my extremely tense body suddenly relaxed, I could barely move a finger. My already fatigued body refused to obey, saying it couldn’t take anymore.

‘I just need to wait 4 days.’

I was thinking that and smiling faintly when—

“Ah! The competition!”

I jerked my head up to look at the desk calendar. I checked the date circled in red several times, but nothing changed.

‘There are only 4 days left!’

This had to be a joke.

I somehow had the sheet music I’d just finished.

‘But face Mun Ah-rin with Park Hee-jae backing her when I can’t even hear?’

My heart sank with a thud.

Could I really do it?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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