The Phoenix

Balun was an international student from Country D.

During his time studying in Dragon Country, Balun's greatest hobbies, aside from gaming, were rock music.

Because of that passion, he and several friends studying abroad formed a rock band and charged toward their rock-and-roll dream.

However, after accidentally discovering Battle Online, Balun nearly forgot he even had a musical dream, spending every day immersed in the game.

In the game, he was a Berserker and had joined a guild. Passionate open-world PKs with his guildmates, dungeon runs, and leaving the Netherworld together to explore had become part of his daily life.

The game made him feel as if he possessed a second, utterly real world, and Balun was completely addicted to it.

That day, after twelve hours of gameplay, Balun was kicked out of the game while still wanting more.

After taking off his helmet, Balun smacked his lips and grumbled gloomily about trashy developers before habitually opening the game forum, wanting to see what bizarre incidents had happened in the game that day or whether any top players had posted guides he could learn from.

However, his attention was soon caught by an official pinned post.

Game Theme Song Submission:

In the world of the underworld, there was such a peaceful and tranquil paradise. Under the King's rule, thousands of races lived together in harmony, dwelling in this serene land free from conflict.

Yet peace and raging war were separated by only a thin line. When the evil dragon descended, the land of Beiqi entered its darkest hour.

Light and darkness rose and fell against one another. A new evil force emerged, and war once again ignited this land that had been silent for thousands of years.

At this moment! As a descendant of Beiqi, polish your sword, equip your gear, unleash your passion in the forests, uphold justice upon the seas, and use blood and tears to write your new journey!

Theme Song Submission Requirements:

1. The song's content must be positive and suited to the game's setting.

2. The author of the submitted song must own all copyright to it. Plagiarism of others' work was strictly forbidden.

3. Battle Online Corporation reserved the final right of interpretation for this theme song submission event.

Prize Details:

The winner whose song was selected as the theme song could choose one of the following rewards:

1. 3,000 Soul Coins

2. 1,000,000 in cash

When Balun saw the theme song submission event and the two possible rewards, his eyes widened.

After checking the comments, he found that the other Players were just as shocked as he was.

Invincible_Loneliness: I'm taking those 3,000 Soul Coins! I'm going to pay someone to compose a song right now. Soul Coins, wait for me!

Crayon_Shinchan replied to Invincible_Loneliness: What a rich guy. But wouldn't you lose big if your song doesn't win?

Invincible_Loneliness replied to Crayon_Shinchan: Money isn't a problem. I'm just afraid there won't be any Soul Coins for me to splurge with!

Xueli_The_Strongest: 3,000 Soul Coins... Oh my god, I'm getting dizzy. My vision's blurry too. That's 2.4 million when converted... Someone hold me up.

Ye_Xue'er_is_the_cutest: I choose the 3,000 Soul Coins!

Strike_Gold: Only idiots would choose one million in cash. Everyone is short on Soul Coins right now. Once you get them, you can casually sell them for more than double that price.

A Mammoth: I know a famous lyricist too. I'm grabbing a few bottles of Moutai and heading out to butter him up. That reward is mine!

Watermelon_Taro: This poor loser can only eat popcorn and watch you big shots tear each other apart!

After reading the comments for a while, Balun fell silent.

It had to be said that this event tempted him immensely. Moreover, it was about creating a theme song for a game he loved so much. His rock dream began stirring once more.

Finally, he dug a notebook out of a drawer, picked up a pen, and began creating...

Early the next morning, several close friends who had rushed to the school music room after receiving his call stared in surprise at Balun, who had dark circles under his eyes.

"Brothers, do me a favor!" Balun said weakly.

As his friends exchanged puzzled glances, Balun handed them the photocopied sheet music in his hand.

"The Phoenix"

"Balun? You wrote this? I heard you've been addicted to gaming lately. Why are you making music again?"

Balun shook his head weakly and told them about the theme song submission event.

"So, are you willing to help me?"

Seeing Balun's expectant gaze, his friends looked at one another and smiled.

After receiving their answer, Balun grinned as well.

A guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, a lead singer, and a rhythm guitarist.

After Balun had rested, the five gathered in the school music room once more and launched their challenge for the theme song submission event.

Put on your war paint

Put on your battle makeup.

You are a brick tied to me that's dragging me down

Though you are like a massive stone tied to me, dragging me into the abyss,

Strike a match and I'll burn you to the ground

I will strike a match and burn you into nothingness.

We are the jack-o-lanterns in July

We are like jack-o'-lanterns in July,

Setting fire to the sky

Burning freely as we tear through the sky.

Here, here comes this rising tide

And now the tide was rising, danger closing in from all sides.

So come on

We shall all charge into battle and slay the enemy with courage.

Put on your war paint

Put on your armor.

Silver clouds with grey linings

And I had already seen victory's dawn behind the dark clouds.

So we can take the world back from a heart attack

We would eventually reclaim the city from loss and rage.

Then I'll raise you like a phoenix

Then you would rise like a phoenix reborn from the flames.

Put on your war paint

Please put on your battle makeup.

Their ensemble echoed through the music room, drawing the attention of countless students passing by.

As they listened to the passionate music, they stopped unconsciously. Gradually infected by the soaring melody, the blood in their hearts began to surge...

This theme song submission event had naturally been launched by Lu Wu. Before Wu Guoyi gave him an answer, he felt that perhaps he could find a surprise among the Players.

As the sole judge, his workload suddenly skyrocketed one day after the theme song submission officially began. Looking at the densely packed submissions in his alternate email inbox, Lu Wu's scalp went numb.

He glanced at Bei Li, who was eating, and gave her a hopeful look. Bei Li responded with a resolute gaze and a gesture of encouragement.

On the verge of tears, Lu Wu could only grit his teeth and begin screening them.

To be responsible toward the Players, Lu Wu carefully listened to every submission, filtering out the unbearable ones before comparing the songs he thought were decent.

After five arduous days of screening, only three songs remained in Lu Wu's hands.

Lu Wu liked all three of them very much. They were:

"Who Rules the Land of Beiqi," submitted by Invincible_Loneliness (Gu Yu).

"Awakened King," submitted by Zi Ye.

"The Phoenix," submitted by Balun. This song really existed!

Though he liked them all very much, there could only be one first-place winner. Lu Wu fell into deep thought.

After listening to them repeatedly several more times, Lu Wu finally decided that the winning song would be "The Phoenix," submitted by Balun.

Compared to the other two, this song was better at stirring the blood and was highly suitable for a game themed around conquest.

After confirming first place, Lu Wu sent Balun an email informing him that he had won, and that the reward would be sent to his account after the song was officially released.

All Lu Wu had left to do was wait for the professional singer Wu Guoyi had invited.