Los primeros rayos del amanecer apenas traspasaban la ventana mugrienta de mi apartamento. Todavía me dolían los músculos por la descarga del camión de ayer, pero ahora me acosaba un dolor diferente: la gloriosa y desgarradora agonía de la derrota virtual. Me arrastré fuera de la cama, con una determinación férrea. *Hora de recibir mi dosis diaria de humillación*.
Me dejé caer en mi postura de meditación —con las piernas cruzadas sobre mi alfombra desgastada— y me sumergí en el **Sistema Musical**. La **Arena del Dao de la Tierra** resplandecía ante mí. ¿El reto "fácil" de hoy? El **Cantante de Cafetería (Nivel F)**.
"Vamos", murmuré, mientras mi guitarra fantasma se materializaba. La silueta de una joven, bebiendo tranquilamente de una taza virtual y agrietada, apareció en el estudio. Ajustó un micrófono inexistente. Parecía... inofensiva. Engañosamente inofensiva.
Empezó a cantar. Era una balada sencilla y emotiva, de esas que se escuchan en una tranquila mañana de domingo. Pero en mi percepción, era una **supernova sónica**. Cada delicada nota florecía en una **"Explosión de Eco Resonante**, que destrozaba mis defensas. Su zumbido, aparentemente suave, creaba **"Torbellinos Vocales"** que amenazaban con destrozar mi esencia musical. Cuando se balanceaba, todo el escenario se derrumbaba bajo **"Ondas de Gravedad Rítmicas**, desbaratando mi ritmo. Esto no era de primera; era como un **Anciano del Gran Dao** echándole una canción de cuna a un discípulo de secta menor. Intenté contraatacar con furia con mis propios riffs fantasmales, vertiendo hasta la última gota de la maestría de mi vida pasada en complejos arpegios y acordes potentes. Era como intentar combatir un tsunami con una manguera.
Una y otra vez, caí. Mis melodías se desmoronaron. Mi fantasmal presencia escénica fue aniquilada por su elegancia desenfadada. Cada derrota era una confusión vertiginosa, que me dejaba la mente exhausta, pero también, curiosamente... revitalizada. Este era el desafío que ansiaba, incluso si eso significaba ser un **masoquista de la iluminación musical**.
---
**[ARENA VIRTUAL: RESULTADO DE LA BATALLA]**
**OPONENTE:** Coffee Shop Singer (Nivel F) - DERROTA
**RENDIMIENTO:** Completamente aplastado (una vez más).
**RECOMPENSA:** +1 PUNTO DE MELODÍA (Participación), "Fragmento de pureza lírica" (Ganancia de atributo menor).
**MISIONES ACTUALIZADAS:**
**Misión del Dao de la Tierra: El Pollo Invencible (0/50 Derrotas) - Still Dreaming**
**Misión del Dao de la Tierra: El Maestro Ronroneante (0/50 Derrotas) - Totalmente desesperanzado**
* **Misión del Dao de la Tierra: El barista melodioso (0/50 derrotas) - Ni siquiera estás cerca.**
---
*Ni siquiera estás cerca.* La franqueza del sistema fue extrañamente alentadora. Salí a trompicones de mi sesión virtual, con un dolor familiar asentándose en mi cabeza.
My phone buzzed. A message from **Maya**, a friend from university. *"Hey, Alex! Still alive? We haven't seen you since graduation! Thinking of hitting up the new K-pop fusion place this weekend. You in?"* Below that, a message from **Leo**, another classmate. *"Yo, Alex, heard a wild rumor – apparently, the 'Crimson Lotus Sect' of drummers is hosting secret trials in the Old Docks district. Think you could sneak us in for a peek?"*
It was a stark reminder that I wasn't alone in this world. This wasn't just my lonely quest; it was a vibrant, noisy tapestry of aspiring artists, hidden sects, and gossip.
I quickly typed a reply to Maya, my fingers moving faster than my mind. "Hey, Maya! Yeah, just been... busy. New hobbies! K-pop fusion sounds fun. Maybe. I'll let you know." I hesitated, then added, "Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you about... music." My heart gave a little flutter. Maya, with her bright eyes and infectious laugh, had always been easy to talk to. I promised myself I'd get better, strong enough, perhaps even attractive enough, to truly engage with this world.
Later that afternoon, after another soul-crushing shift, the **Musical System** chimed again.
---
**[MUSICAL SYSTEM: AUTOMATIC MISSION]**
**MISSION: Urban Echoes Scavenger Hunt**
* **Objective:** Discover 3 "Forgotten Melody Fragments" (Common or higher rarity) in the city streets.
* **Reward:** 10 Melody Points, +1 RHYTHM SENSE.
* **Bonus (First Time):** Unlock "Basic Card Summoning" - Summon F-tier silhouettes for temporary inspiration!
---
My eyes lit up. *Treasure hunting! Now this is my kind of mission.*
I ventured out, my worn sneakers hitting the grimy pavement. The city was a sprawling, chaotic symphony of car horns, distant construction, and muffled chatter. Most people saw trash. I saw potential.
An old, discarded guitar pick, chipped and faded, lay near a bus stop. I picked it up.
---
**[SYSTEM ALERT]**
**FOUND: Forgotten Melody Fragment (Common) - +1 MELODY POINT.**
* *This pick once danced with casual indifference. Its Dao speaks of simplicity.*
---
I pocketed it, a manic grin spreading across my face. Passersby gave me wide berth, probably thinking I was some kind of eccentric garbage collector. *Let them think what they want. They don't know the riches under their feet!*
Further down the street, near a bustling noodle stall, I overheard snippets of conversation.
"Did you hear? The Mayor's daughter, Elara, is back from the Sacred Strings Monastery!" a woman whispered, her voice laced with awe. "They say her 'Celestial Harp Body' talent allows her to manifest pure sound waves. She's practically a living instrument!"
"Yeah," her companion replied. "And the rival 'Iron Fist Clan' of drummers from the West District? They're beefing up their 'Percussive Physique' techniques. Apparently, their bodies are so hardened by rhythm, they can tank anything."
My eyes widened. *Celestial Harp Body? Percussive Physique? This world truly is a **cosmic musical cultivation realm**! Everyone's got some kind of talent, some kind of Dao. Even the F-tiers that destroy me.*
I kept walking, eyes peeled. Under a cracked bench in a small park, I found a tangled mess of old guitar strings, some broken, some rusty.
---
**[SYSTEM ALERT]**
**FOUND: Forgotten Melody Fragment (Uncommon) - +3 MELODY POINTS.**
* *These strings once yearned for perfection. Their Dao speaks of perseverance.*
---
The sun began to set, painting the city in hues of violet and orange. I still needed one more fragment. My gaze caught on a peculiar glint in an abandoned lot. A rusted, dented trumpet, half-buried in dirt. It looked awful, but something about it called to me. I dug it out, shaking off the soil.
---
**[SYSTEM ALERT]**
**FOUND: Forgotten Melody Fragment (Rare) - +6 MELODY POINTS.**
* *This trumpet once wailed with unspoken sorrow and fierce joy. Its Dao speaks of raw, unfiltered emotion.*
**MISSION COMPLETE: Urban Echoes Scavenger Hunt!**
* **Reward:** 10 Melody Points, +1 RHYTHM SENSE.
* **Bonus:** "Basic Card Summoning" unlocked!
---
Back in my tiny apartment, exhausted but exhilarated, I collapsed onto my bed. My current Melody Points total was a pitiful 25, mostly from losing to chickens and cats. But now, I had **"Basic Card Summoning."**
I activated it. A new panel appeared, displaying blurred silhouettes, mostly F-grade from Earth Dao. But higher up, tantalizingly out of reach, were glimpses of truly legendary figures.
---
**[BASIC CARD SUMMONING: EARTH DAO INSIGHTS]**
**AVAILABLE F-TIER SILHOUETTES (TEMPORARY INSPIRATION):**
* **"Garage Band Guitarist":** *[Image: Blurred silhouette, holding a guitar. Description: Pure, unbridled youthful ambition. Cannot copy; only provides momentary insight into its raw energy.]*
* **"Coffee Shop Singer":** *[Image: Blurred silhouette, holding a cracked mug. Description: Simple beauty, profound emotion. Cannot copy; offers brief understanding of melodic purity.]*
* **"Basement Drummer":** *[Image: Blurred silhouette, holding a broken stick. Description: Relentless rhythm, unyielding passion. Cannot copy; provides a fleeting grasp of rhythmic determination.]*
**LOCKED LEGENDS (Requires higher "Profound Instrument Sync" and deeper Dao understanding):**
* **[Silhouetted Figure with a Single Glove]**: **[DATA BLOCKED]**
* **[Silhouetted Figure with Wings and a Gothic Rose]**: **[DATA BLOCKED]**
* **[Silhouetted Figure with a Top Hat and Cane]**: **[DATA BLOCKED]**
* **[Silhouetted Figure with a Blues Harmonica]**: **[DATA BLOCKED]**
Eso era todo. El verdadero esfuerzo. Perder sin parar contra talentos de primera categoría, recorrer la ciudad en busca de vestigios musicales abandonados y, lenta y minuciosamente, reunir los puntos suficientes para vislumbrar a las verdaderas leyendas. Era absurdo. Era masoquista. Y por primera vez en esta nueva vida, se sentía absolutamente correcto. Mi viaje para convertirme en un titán musical, para conquistar este mundo vibrante, extraño y terriblemente talentoso, había comenzado de verdad. Y tal vez, solo tal vez, algún día, de verdad le ganaría a una gallina.