The Veteran Swordmaster’s Stream (Novel) - Chapter 55
Chapter 55
He ran a simulation in his mind.
He could take pride in having confirmed most of the elements regarding the deathmatch in just the first round.
From the structure of the rooms, the material of the stairs, to the shape of the outer walls.
As a result of running it through his mind like that,
“It is possible.”
He declared confidently.
– 4 minutes, lolololol
– I’m an expert, and I think it would take about 6 minutes
– Typical ‘I’m a [fill in the blank]’ trait: they’re actually not.
– If it’s the streamer, it’s possible!
– I believe in you, Heavenly Demon!
– Boss Jin, open the door! Boss Jin, open the door! Boss Jin, open the door! Boss Jin, open the door! Boss Jin, open the door!
Public opinion was split fifty-fifty.
However, most of the people who believed it was possible were just joking.
Rather than actually believing it was possible, it felt more like they were agreeing because they didn’t want to deny him?
There were also those who were crazy about betting, telling him to open the door.
“Hmm. Let’s do the point betting later.”
He didn’t particularly want to do it.
– Why aren’t you opening the door? Why aren’t you opening the door? Why aren’t you opening the door?
– I’m trying to give you my points! I’m trying to give you my points! I’m trying to give you my points!
– Ah lol, I have to make up for what I lost last time, lol.
The reaction was intense.
They seemed like a bunch of addicts.
The world was truly coming to an end.
“Since it’s obvious that I’ll finish within 4 minutes anyway, who would bet on failure? That’s why I won’t open the betting.”
Even to himself, or to anyone who heard it, there was no basis for those words.
But it was fine to act like this. Because he had always been this way.
Just as one gets criticized for doing poorly once after doing well a hundred times, wouldn’t one get criticized for saying something unreasonable once after saying the right things a hundred times?
But what if he usually just went around talking nonsense?
– Just shut up and open the door
– Crazy bastard, lololol
– I want to bet, T_T T_T T_T
– Can you handle these guys?
There was some backlash, but he just brushed it off.
Since streaming is a live broadcast, broadcasting comfortably was more important than anything else.
Only when the streamer was comfortable could the viewers be comfortable as well, and after all, the viewers had not come to get mind-blowing content or information, but to hang out with the streamer.
In that respect, Seo-jun was a decent streamer.
He was highly skilled, not overly serious, and good at making silly jokes.
Such was the evaluation of the veteran, Tae-woo.
– Hopeless.
– I always bet on the underdog, so I might bet on failure, you know?
– So, what is the route to hit 4 minutes?
– Reveal your strategy!
A strategy.
Honestly, there was not much of a strategy to speak of.
“Speaking of strategy, as you all know, I’m quite good at games.”
Seo-jun sat down.
The building in the center of the game was in the shape of a restaurant, so he almost called out to the waiter out of habit.
Perhaps because it was a public channel, he made eye contact with a viewer watching from a distance.
They rarely approached closely. It seemed to be because it was virtual reality.
– You are good, lol.
– In fact, this guy is a real genius.
– Except for the fact that he occasionally talks crazy.
“I’m a bit bad at fighting, but because I’m so smart, I’m good at gaming, you know? Hey, don’t laugh. If I were dumb, would I have unraveled the secrets of Dawn of the Assassins that no one else could?”
The evidence was solid.
Even if the viewers did not acknowledge it, that is.
– lolololol Immediately talking crazy, what a level lololol
– He completely crushed them with mechanics, yet he’s pretending to be a big-brain player.
– ???: What is parrying?
– ???: What is a Ruler?
– ???: I don’t even know the lore of Dawn of the Assassins very well, though?
“Anyway, there’s only one thing I want to say. Play to your strengths.”
That was the best strategy.
In order to play to one’s strengths, one had to know oneself.
The same went for the enemy.
Why else would there be the saying, ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles’?
– So, what is the strategy?
– Real lol
– Just hurry up and play the game.
“Yes.”
Seo-jun turned his gaze from the chat window to the battleground interface.
He selected the same area again.
Just as he was about to press start game.
A donation alert rang out.
[‘Dang So’ has donated 10,000 won!]
[4 minutes? As expected. You’re good at talking nonsense, like a true scammer!]
The donor’s name was Dang So.
The name of the foolish Unorthodox Faction member he had met earlier.
“Ah, thank you for the 10,000 won donation.”
He did not know if that donor was the same person as the player in the game.
This was because the donor’s name could be changed freely when donating.
Considering that people usually did not impersonate others, and assuming Dang So had left while trying to act cool only to realize later that today’s battleground mode was a raid and sought out the stream, there was a possibility that the donor was indeed Dang So.
Or it could be for information gathering.
Whatever the case.
The 10,000 won was a profit.
– Is it really that guy?
– It’s possible. He’s famous for being an attention seeker.
– If he’s that famous, then lololol
– That idiot is watching the stream.
[‘Dang So’ has donated 10,000 won!]
[If you do it in 4 minutes, I will personally give you 100,000 won!]
Out of nowhere, a mission was even placed on him.
“Hmm, thank you for the 10,000 won donation. But if you’re really that person, don’t donate, just let me know your Travel ID. Let’s talk in whispers.”
Seo-jun’s current minimum donation amount was 10,000 won.
This was because if it were 1,000 won, donations that disrupted the flow could come in.
It was a waste of money.
[‘Dang So’ has donated 10,000 won!]
[Do you think yours truly wouldn’t have a measly 10,000 won? minj4635]
– He claims to have a lot of money, but why is he exposing his ID?
– Guess he wants to show off.
– Cute, cute.
– Not at all.
Reading the ID, Seo-jun smiled wickedly.
Naturally, Seo-jun had not asked for the ID out of consideration for Dang So’s money.
Seo-jun immediately found the identical ID in the chat window and banned the user.
A 100,000 won mission?
He didn’t need it.
“Thank you for the 10,000 won donation. And you’re banned.”
Trolls had to be dealt with mercilessly.
“A Travel ID is not something you give out so easily.”
You should have hidden it somehow, like Lee Dong-soo did.
– lolololol Spent 30,000 won only to get banned.
– He got schooled, nice!
– The streamer is a god during live streaming! He can even ban people!
In any case.
He handled it well.
Seo-jun laughed along with the viewers, looking satisfied.
Later, just as he was about to chat a bit more and start the game.
“Hold it!”
Someone tried to grab Seo-jun’s wrist, and sensing the approaching presence, Seo-jun brushed the hand away.
Turning his head, Seo-jun showed a hint of admiration.
He had only kicked him out thinking he was a troll.
It really seemed to be him.
As expected, Seo-jun thought it was a good thing he had kicked him out.
“Unban me this instant. If you do, I shall specially overlook it just this once.”
Dang So approached and threatened.
“I don’t want to.”
But Seo-jun did not even bat an eye.
Instead, he chuckled.
“If you do not unban me immediately, you will have to refund me 30,000 won!”
Contrary to Seo-jun, Dang So’s face turned solemn.
– lolololol
– Ah lol, it’s annoying when a vending machine eats even 1,000 won, but the streamer just ran off with 30,000 won!
– True. 1,000 won is pretty annoying too, lol.
– Seeing how quickly he came over, he must have been in a real hurry.
Reading the chat and thinking about it, it did seem like something to be angry about.
No matter how much it was for fun, if he couldn’t play around anymore, the money he spent earlier was bound to feel like a waste.
It couldn’t be helped.
“It’s a hassle because the only way to refund is via bank transfer, but I’ll do it after the game. Tell me your Travel ID, and I’ll send you a whisper.”
Seo-jun wore an expression of showing mercy, but a smile full of irrepressible playfulness was etched on his face.
“Is that so? My ID is minj— wait. Didn’t I just tell you earlier!”
Quick to anger and slow to catch on, Dang So flared up again.
– The god of toxicity, lolol.
– Good at teabagging, lol.
– Honestly, streamers have no obligation to refund donations, you know.
Exactly, who told him to troll?
Anyway, having extracted enough entertainment, Seo-jun decided to refund him.
“Send me your account number now. I’ll send it to you after the game.”
“Very well. By the way, where on earth did you learn the habit of running away after taking donations? Good grief.”
Dang So muttered as he began to write the message to send to Seo-jun.
Seo-jun added one more word to him.
“Is the 100,000 won for succeeding within 4 minutes still valid?”
Hearing those words, Dang So raised his head and stared at Seo-jun in silence.
It was as if he were cursing with his eyes.
The gaze was slightly piercing.
– Seriously endless, lol.
– What an amazing guy.
– Anyway, the streamer is nice for refunding him.
After a brief silence, a game message popped up.
After confirming it, Seo-jun turned his head toward Dang So.
“Is it all set now? Run along.”
“I shall withdraw for now. For the record, 4 minutes will be impossible. If you want to achieve a good record, yours truly will give you a special piece of advice: it would be best to go all in on movement speed-related traits. And wait. Follow the route that others have found. If you do, you’ll probably get a time in the 6-minute range. Also, here is another great tip: among the other traits of the Demonic Sect…”
He was talkative, indeed.
Dang So was passionately lecturing him.
Had his mood improved just because he was promised a refund? Was he showing goodwill in his own way?
Seo-jun chuckled and spoke.
Since it was too bothersome to listen any further.
“Then let’s do this.”
“I’ve played the Demonic Sect, so I know… What is it?”
“We make a bet. If I clear it in the 4-minute range, I win. If I can’t, you win.”
Dang So let out an amused laugh.
“Ha. Confident as expected of a scammer! What will you wager on the bet? 100,000 won?”
“No. The loser has to change their faction to the winner’s. Today, immediately. How about it?”
“Uh…”
Dang So seemed momentarily speechless.
“Did you say you’ve tried the Demonic Sect? Then perfect.”
Hehehe.
Are you scared?
If one lost the bet and changed factions, it would only be wasting a single day at most. But if one was aiming for the top, that single day was critical.
– Scared?
– If you’re scared, back out.
– He can’t answer immediately.
– Ah lol, come to the Demonic Sect.
– The Demonic Sect is a great place to live~
“……”
“Scared? Then never mind.”
“What are you talking about? Yours truly does not know fear. …Fine. Let’s bet. But you must start immediately. Right now. Without watching other people’s gameplay.”
Chats saying he was being pathetic popped up.
“I was planning to do it immediately anyway, but you really are pathetic.”
“Shut up. Start quickly.”
***
– But is the streamer really able to do it?
– Do not doubt the Heavenly Demon.
– If you fail, it’s an immediate penalty.
Seo-jun was summoned to the exact same place as before.
60 seconds until the game started.
“I told you earlier, didn’t I? Play to your strengths.”
What were his advantages and disadvantages right now?
The disadvantage was that it took a long time to climb up to the 13th floor where the enemy commander was located.
Because he could not utilize his traits against ordinary NPCs.
What about the advantages?
The time to defeat the enemy commander itself would be short.
With a click,
The game started, and an enemy who had kicked open the door appeared.
Seo-jun immediately snatched the weapon of the rushing enemy, infused the sword with internal energy, and demolished the wall.
Cool outdoor air rushed inside.
Seo-jun went outside through the collapsed wall.
Landing outside, he looked up.
The top of the 13th floor was wide open.
If he wanted to go up there.
He would have to consume all of his internal energy.
And fighting the enemy commander with all his internal energy depleted would not be easy.
But his other strength.
He had skills. Additionally, his traits were advantageous for resource recovery.
Seo-jun prepared to kick off the ground.
– No way, lololol
– Is he going to climb up the outer wall using a lightness skill?
– So there was a method like this, lol.
– But wouldn’t it be impossible to go up all at once?
It was just as the viewer said.
Unfortunately, ‘Walking on Air’, a lightness skill that allowed stepping on empty void, did not exist in the game.
‘No matter how much internal energy I use, the maximum height I can climb at once is about seven floors.’
In that case.
Bending and then straightening his knees, Seo-jun’s body soared high.
“Hup.”
With a short shout, Seo-jun threw the sword he had snatched from the enemy into the wall while ascending.
Having infused a small amount of internal energy beforehand, the sword lodged firmly into the wall.
– No way, lol
– The system’s handling of lightness skills is pretty generous, so it might be possible, but can he land on that?
– Would it be impossible for him?
Naturally.
For Seo-jun, who had kept this situation in mind even before jumping, landing on the sword embedded in the wall was not a very difficult task.
As he infused internal energy into his feet and landed on the sword, the blade supported his weight perfectly.
The system’s generous treatment of the lightness skill, which made the body light, was in his favor.
Pouring in all of his remaining internal energy and kicking off once more, Seo-jun defied gravity at high speed, soaring up to grab the railing on the 13th floor, the very top.
“I told you, didn’t I? It works.”
His internal energy seemed to be almost completely depleted.
Still.
– It works well, lol.
– Wow, lololol
– Kyah! Now that’s a master!
– Why are you constantly showing off acrobatics when we told you to play the game, lolol.
– If you waste all your resources like this, how are you going to defeat the NPCs?
– Well!
– Somehow!
– You don’t trust the streamer— no, the Cult Leader?
Only 18 seconds had passed.