As the last chord dissipated in the air, the rehearsal room fell into quiet again.
However, this time, it wasn't that dead silence produced by awkwardness, but a silence carrying astonishment.
Although Lin Feng's fingers were still not flexible enough, occasionally emitting a few muffled sounds during barre chords, compared to that auditory disaster just now, the current him was simply like he had changed into a different person. Those lines under Ren Yichen's pen that were like ghost drawing talismans were automatically translated in his mind by the [Absolute Score Eye] into standard staff notation.
"Holy shit." Ren Yichen was the first to break the silence. He took off his guitar, circling Lin Feng two times with a face full of suspicion. "Old Lin, you kid were just playing the pig to eat the tiger[1], right?"
Lin Feng rubbed his sore wrist, his face not changing color: "Just now I didn't understand your handwriting."
"This reason you found..." Ren Yichen clicked his tongue in wonder. "But this pickup speed is okay, right?"
Lin Feng didn't take up the conversation, but instead opened the system interface at the first moment.
[Lu Mingxuan: 15/100 (Acquaintance)] That bassist who was always half-asleep gave him 1 point of favorability, probably because this rehearsal didn't disturb his rhythm.
[Ren Yichen: 37/100 (Friendly)] The bro's value didn't move a hair. Also true, this level of surprise for a friend counts at most as "this kid didn't lose face for me," and hasn't risen to the level of worship.
Then, his gaze moved to that name which was locked.
[Shen Linyin: 21/100 (Interested)]
Lin Feng's pupils slightly contracted.
Directly rose 16 points? From "Weak Aversion", it directly jumped to "Interested"?
He subconsciously looked up at Shen Linyin behind the drum kit. This cold and high department flower was currently sizing him up with a probing look. Although she didn't speak, that impatience from before that wanted to drive him out had already disappeared.
Lin Feng felt a chill rise in his heart.
Reasonably speaking, even if he played okay, it was just a passing level. How could it suddenly rise this much?
Unless...
The [Eternal Padlock] isn't just locking the lower limit to 5.
Lin Feng deduced rapidly in his mind: If this lock's function is a mandatory "not allowed to drop," then the mistakes, muffled sounds, and dragging beats caused by his unfamiliar hands just now during rehearsal—which should have caused favorability to drop—were all forcibly filtered by the system. In Shen Linyin's perception, only "this person improves with god-speed" and "comprehension is extremely high" remained as bonus items.
Only in, no out. Only keep the good, don't keep the bad.
Lin Feng swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This isn't a lock used for maintaining stability; this is clearly a favorability farming cheat!
If it's like this, as long as he continues to stay in the band, even if he just breathes normally, won't Shen Linyin's favorability toward him sooner or later rise to 100?
That is his bro's girlfriend!
"Must stay far away from her in the future." Lin Feng swore secretly in his heart. "This system is a bit improper."
...
The rehearsal lasted until evening.
Returning to the dormitory and pushing open the door, a familiar heat wave mixed with the smell of instant noodles, feet, and radiator burning pounced on his face.
"Attack attack attack! Where is the milk[2]? Where the hell did the heal die to?" "Stop screaming, my skill is still on CD!"
His three roommates were currently shirtless, outputting crazily at the computer screens, keyboards clacking loudly. This group of salted fish, their university life besides attending class was just swaying their youth in this virtual world named Azeroth or Summoner's Rift.
"Lin Feng is back? Come come come, lack a DPS, get on the account!" His roommate Old Zhang roared without turning his head.
"No, I'm tired." Lin Feng put down the guitar, refusing crisp and neat.
If it were yesterday, he might have followed the momentum to sit down and degenerate together. But today was different.
He lay on the bed, the light blue system interface appearing before his eyes.
Although his body was very tired, his spirit was unusually excited. Because in the depths of the system menu, he discovered a new continent.
[Daily Tasks] have refreshed:
[Instrument Practice (Any): 2h/2h (Completed, claimable)]
[Vocal Practice (Any): 0h/2h]
[Lyric Creation (Any): 0h/2h]
[Melody Creation (Any): 0h/2h]
[Arrangement Production (Any): 0h/2h]
...
Below there was a row of densely packed small text; it looked just like those mobile game task lists that tell you to "recharge[3] to become strong" or "explode the liver[4] to become strong".
Besides daily tasks, there was an even more mysterious tag—[Dao Path].
Lin Feng clicked open to look, almost thinking he had walked into the wrong film set.
[Dao Path: Choose a path to start cultivation. After Mortal Stage is complete, can open Foundation Establishment Stage.] [Piano Dao (Mortal Stage)] [Guitar Dao (Mortal Stage)] [Erhu Dao (Mortal Stage)] [Violin Dao (Mortal Stage)] [Drum Kit Dao (Mortal Stage)] [Suona Dao (Mortal Stage)]...
Lin Feng looked at that "Mortal Stage," the corner of his mouth twitching a bit. Is this system engaging in music as if it were Xianxia cultivation? Practicing instrument is cultivation, writing songs is alchemy?
Then does he have to undergo tribulation later? For example, forgetting lyrics in front of a concert of tens of thousands, or being blackened by the media across the whole net, and as long as he survives it he can ascend?
Although full of suspicion, Lin Feng's eyes lit up.
As a senior web novel reader, he understood this cliché too well. As long as one is willing to grind, there is no one who cannot become a god. Since ordinary practice can be quantified into rewards by the system, then as long as he transforms into a "Liver Emperor," isn't becoming a Music God just around the corner?
What talent, what inspiration, in front of absolute diligence (and a system cheat), are all floating clouds.
"First look at the reward."
Lin Feng clicked the "Claimable" button behind that [Instrument Practice (Any)].
[Congratulations on completing Daily Task: Instrument Practice.] [Obtain Reward: Lucky Wheel Draw Times x1.]
"Only once?" Lin Feng was somewhat disdainful. "Forget it, mosquito legs are also meat[5]."
He skillfully switched to the lottery interface, watching that remaining number turn from 0 to 1.
"Give a skill book, even "Elementary Music Theory" is fine, I'm not picky."
The wheel turned, rays of light flashing.
A few seconds later, the needle steadily stopped on that gray area which occupied 99% of the wheel's surface area.
[Thank you for your patronage.]
Lin Feng stared at those four words for a long time, then expressionlessly closed the system and pulled the quilt over his head.
Sleep. The road of the Music God, the way is obstructed and long.
[1] Idiom meaning to feign weakness or stupidity to catch an opponent off guard and crush them.
[2] Online gaming term meaning Heal.
[3] Buy microtransactions.
[4] Grind.
[5] Idiom meaning that even a very small gain is still a gain; better than nothing.