A Swordsman’s Stream

Chapter 53

“Even a swindler can dodge to this extent, I see.”

What is with this person now?

In virtual reality, it’s uncommon for someone to abruptly start a dispute for no apparent reason.

Of course, if you encounter an opponent during gameplay, that’s an exception. Beating an opponent can be thrilling, and the simplest way to enjoy that thrill is by taunting them.

Anyway.

Sojun glanced at the ID of the person who had just spoken upon entering.

‘Tang So.’

Judging by the surname Tang, the green-tinged clothing, and the throwing knife recently hurled, the opponent was undoubtedly a user from the Tang family.

“Who are you?”

Swordsman inquired as he stood up.

Tang So approached them.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Daring to not know who I am?”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

“Vulgar creature.”

“?”

It seemed as though a question mark floated above Swordsman’s head for a moment. Observing this, a thought grew strongly in Sojun’s mind: he did not want to get involved in that conversation.

Despite Sojun’s hesitation, they continued talking.

“Can you not see the ID?”

“Tang So?”

“Yes.”

“What does Tang So mean?”

What meaning could it have? It’s probably just a name.

Sojun speculated nonsensically.

“It means I am the young master of the Tang family!”

Tang So declared with pride, eliciting a gasp from Swordsman while Sojun gazed at the distant mountains.

So that’s what it meant?

Nicknames weren’t all that important, as long as they were understood personally, he rationalized.

“And what does the title ‘No. 1 Swordsman Under Heaven’ mean, then? Explain.”

“It doesn’t mean much.”

“I see.”

After that, a brief silence fell.

The assessment came quickly: he’s a fool.

– That Tang So guy is famous for always seeking attention, lol.
– He’s the one who wrote a criticism post yesterday.
– You can just ignore him, lol.
– Sent again (link)

Sojun discovered through the chat that Tang So was indeed a well-known troublemaker. This was one of the game’s advantages, making searches unnecessary.

Since “For Justice” was a mature game, many players seemed to know each other to some extent.

“So why did you suddenly throw a knife?!”

Sojun asked Tang So in a manner fitting the Heavenly Demon, reflecting the antagonistic nature of the Demonic Cult to the Tang family.

It seemed more amusing to speak condescendingly, as his opponent was doing the same. Besides, the players in “For Justice” hardly cared about decorum given the number of eccentric individuals.

Tang So lifted his chin.

“Heavenly Demon14.”

“What?”

“I am a direct descendant and young master of the Tang family, whereas you are merely the 14th substitute. Mind your speech.”

Why did he adopt such a concept?

Sojun shook his head, playing along.

“Is it a source of pride to be a young master from a family categorized as unorthodox for using poison?”

In his previous life, the Tang family wasn’t categorized as unorthodox, but they were objects of avoidance and disdain for their use of poison.

Tang So mumbled indifferently after hearing Sojun’s words.

“What nonsense does the Demonic Cult spew?”

Suddenly, Sojun found himself at a loss for words.

Was this why one needed to join a successful faction?

Ah, I should not have fed into his concept.

“Anyway, Heavenly Demon14.”

“Yes, speak.”

“What scam did you pull?”

“Scam?”

“Yes, a scam. That Grandmaster title proudly displayed beside your nickname.”

Of course, they were questioning him about the Grandmaster title.

“I’m not scamming.”

“What trick did you use to obtain it? Seeing as it isn’t a fake means you did something. I’m curious whether you obtained the Grandmaster title through some method other than the Demonic Cult test.”

Tang So tilted his head in curiosity.

-They have everything on live stream, what’s with that guy? LOLOLOL LOLOLOL
-Are they in denial of reality?
-Info) Half of the community thinks he actually did something.

-That ridiculous fool.
-It definitely would have been in the Travel replay too.

Sojun had decided to speak up to shake off the nuisance that was sticking to him.

“Yeah, I cheated.”

Simultaneously, Tang So also spoke.

“Then prove it… What? You cheated?”

“Yes.”

“As expected. I knew it. It was obvious, huh. How could I, who reached the Transcendent, lose to a martial technique amateur like you, barely gaining the highest level with a basic technique? Ridiculous.”

Sojun hadn’t known there was such a backstory.

He simply nodded in understanding, silently closing his lips.

Go away now.

The battlefield would open soon.

“To gain eternal happiness, what should one do?”

“One should not argue with fools.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Yes. You’re right.”

– LOLOLOL LOL Such great unity.

But Tang So was not as simple-minded as Sojun had wished.

“Then how did you get the Grandmaster’s title? What about the Travel edits?”

“That was left to a professional company. You have no use knowing since you can only get the Grandmaster’s title by entering the Demonic Cult.”

He was vaguely foolish indeed.

“Is this brat trying to drive me away now? But if the Grandmaster’s title is real, that doesn’t make sense. Indeed.”

Yeah, it doesn’t make sense.

Leave quickly.

Sojun wasn’t particularly keen on convincing him.

“Fine. Prove it then. Go before Baek Wigang and show it’s not a scam.”

“No, thanks.”

“Hmm, since you can’t prove it, it seems you really are a scammer. Then, I’ve proven my point.”

With that declaration, Tang So turned and walked toward the door.

– Agh, Tang So, you foolLOLOLOL LOL
– Is this proof?
– How did he manage 13th place?

Sojun shrugged.

Since when has not proving something become synonymous with being unable to prove it?

But upon reflection, the battlefield would begin soon, and there was nothing much to do with the spare time.

Might as well have a bit of fun.

“Saying the brain has been damaged from consuming too much poison, Oh dear, one shouldn’t say such things.”

– LOLOLOL LOLOLOL
– Who on earth does that?
– It’s starting againLOLOLOL LOLOLOL
– Crazy provocation skill LOLOLOL
– Jabber Fighter.
– It’s impressive.

Thump.

Tang So’ steps halted as he headed outside.

He turned his body back around.

“Are you talking to me?”

“Nope.”

“It sounds like you’re talking to me.”

“So what if I am?”

“You!”

Daggers materialized in Tang So’ hands and he charged at Sojun.

Just like in a game where the background is a world of knife-dancing with just a mere eye contact.

Look at these players.

Sojun clicked his tongue, using the sword he held to deflect the daggers.

*Clang!*

He then swung his sword to counterattack.

*Swish!*

The sword Sojun swung skimmed Tang So’ cheek, flying past him.

“How about now? Do I still look like a scammer?”

*Gulp.*

In the flurry of events, Tang So’s throat bobbed.

Sojun put his hands behind his back, donning a gentle smile.

He was curious about how the now despondent opponent would react.

Tang So opened his mouth.

“Hah, boasting even when you missed. The battlefield opens soon, so let’s choose it to be in the border region with the Unorthodox. I’ll reveal your true colors there!”

Ah, the battlefield, is it this time?

Sojun let out a hollow laugh while Tang So exited the sparring ground with great pretense.

Sojun didn’t stop him. Instead, he waved him goodbye.

“Hmm, I’m not planning to engage with the Unorthodox today.”

Even so, he had no intention to alter his original plans just because of Tang So.

– You can do itLOLOLOL LOL
– He really looks like his brain’s been marinated in poison, haha.
– Does that ranker seriously not know today’s battlefield game mode?

Viewers were bursting into laughter.

Sojun understood the reason for their amusement.

“Oh, that’s right. Today’s game mode is different from yesterday, isn’t it?”

“Yep. Today is a raid mode, hahaha.”

“A mode that’s only available in battlefields when you face the opposing faction’s NPC!”

“Next is an escort mission!”

Indeed, the game mode for today’s battlefield was not PVP.

Yet, there had been talks about sniping and whatnot.

“The future of the Tang family is truly bright.”

Even though he was just a young master in name, Sojun thought the Tang family should probably sue for defamation by now.

– It’s so bright, it’s blinding, haha.
– Whether it’s too bright or too dark, you can’t see a thing, hahaha.
– It’s definitely confusing, haha.
– This is the Tang family speaking. I want to get rid of that guy.

Meanwhile, Swordsman who had been silently standing by spoke up.

“Sweet! It’s almost 7 o’clock. Thanks to that, I won’t be training any longer.”

* * *

After returning to the village, Sojun adjusted his trait.

Since the morning, he had been meticulously reading through the detailed description of the traits on his cellphone while attending lectures at the university.

He then adjusted it in the best possible way.

The previous day, he had hastily configured it and had suffered minor losses in the details.

“Though entering a berserk state happens faster, the power of the Absorption Technique increases.”

“When an enemy is killed, the technique dissipates.”

These were the core traits that remained unchanged.

They increased power but also heightened penalties.

If Sojun chose traits from other options, it would lessen both power and penalties, granting higher stamina and defense.

Once the major path was set, he fine-tuned the detailed traits.

“The damage dealt to enemies by sword ki increases.”

“The consumption of internal art decreases.”

“When stamina is stolen from an enemy, movement speed increases for 3 seconds.”

And so on.

The traits Sojun selected in detail could be summarized in one word,

– Not prioritizing defensive traits at all, hahaha.
– I understand the build’s logic, but the core improvement is missing. It’s for stomping noobs.
– Will it hold up for later?

It was indeed for stomping noobs.

The build was heavily focused on offense, which meant that if an opponent’s attack got through even once, it could be catastrophic.

“But all I need to do is replenish my stamina!”

Sojun thought.

Just as he finished setting his traits, it became 7 o’clock, and the battlefield opened.

Sojun brought up the game window and initiated the battlefield.

A map appeared, with icons in the war-torn regions kicking up clouds of dust, briefly illustrating that a battle had taken place.

With day and night reversing, the results emerged.

“Well, we’ve successfully defended all areas.”

Nothing had changed from the previous day.

Every faction had successfully defended all regions.

Conversely, it meant that no one had succeeded in attacking.

– Let’s check Streamer-nim’s contribution.
– Based on the reputation points, streamer-nim is ranked first among those we’ve seen.
– Let’s assess the contribution.

In battlefields, contribution rankings were publicly announced midway through the period only after they were officially tallied.

Until then, viewers pieced together the self-reported contributions from streamers or rankers.

While some wanted full disclosure for this reason, “Why are you all eager to see it already? We’ve barely started.”

Sojun wasn’t inclined to reveal his data.

His personality was more about focusing on his work than fussing over highs and lows.

– Streamer-nim should disclose their contribution immediately! Reveal it!
– Weren’t you aiming for 16th place, haha? We should plan our strategy together.
– I’m just curious.
– But even if he doesn’t reveal it to you all, strategies can still be developed, right?
– Fact-combat.
– We plan for you!
– Aren’t you guys in the bronze tier? Haha.
– No, seriously, we plan well.
– Trust us!
– Streamer-nim’s words) I don’t take tutoring from someone in the 7th percentile (somewhat paraphrased) – it was fact-combat.

Not only Sojun, but most people seriously aiming for 16th place didn’t disclose their information.

There was no gain from doing so.

Maybe a bit of anticipation?

Thus, the audience tended to understand this stance.

“Alright, let’s get started.”