A Swordsman’s Stream

Chapter 90

The nickname was ‘DemonicCultILoveYou’.

He had been positioned in a thicket slightly away from the Outpost in accordance with Sojun’s orders.

Initially, Sojun had told him to stay hidden and, once he clearly saw the enemy at the central area, to attack the Outpost upon his signal.

Following this, he instructed him to hide again. Thus, he was concealed in the undergrowth.

‘They’re coming.’

NamgungClanStoreOwner approached the distant Outpost. The enemy ranker, appearing somewhat fatigued, began the process of reclamation.

‘He said to wait for them to leave and then immediately capture the Outpost this time.’

Sojun didn’t disclose his entire plan to them. He simply instructed each of his team members on their precise roles. As he observed the events unfolding, it seemed everything was proceeding smoothly according to the plan.

‘What will he do next?’

Should he return to the central area to gain more experience points? Or will he come to the Outpost?

There wasn’t much to do but watch, yet it was satisfying. The idea of facing three rankers at once had been quite shocking initially.

It even made him wonder if the gaming company was in their right mind. No matter how incredible a player might be in contributing to the team, it was bewildering.

But the significant part was —

‘We are winning the game right now.’

Even if it seemed impossible, the streamer had managed to single-handedly defeat three rankers, cutting them down efficiently as he intended. What was his username again?

HeavenlyDemon14.

‘Is he truly the Heavenly Demon?’

Regardless of the result, they had certainly shown their skill.

‘Oh?’

The NamgungClanStoreOwner suddenly left the Outpost with a look of bewilderment. Though he didn’t know the reason, he immediately captured the point as Sojun instructed. There were no additional instructions, so he just followed previous orders.

Moments later, as the messages appeared, ‘ILoveTheDemonicCult’ could not help but be astonished.

『HeavenlyDemon14 –〉 Heaven-Slayer Star』
『HeavenlyDemon14 –〉 JustOneCoin』

“Crazy.”

Could it be that he defeated them right after they resurrected?

It was unbelievable. They weren’t ordinary players or rankers; they were top-tier. From the depths of his heart, a creeping sense of anticipation began to rise.

‘If it’s the Heavenly Demon, perhaps!’

No, that sounded too much like fanaticism.

Still, there was a budding hope that this battle might just result in a victory for the Demonic Cult.

『Heaven-Slayer Star Defeated!』
『Enemy Fortress Health -20』
『JustOneCoin Defeated!』
『Enemy Fortress Health -20』

Was it daunting to face three opponents at once?

No, it was not difficult at all. Although the remaining health after the battle made it seem not as easy, Sojun had allowed himself to be attacked only because he was trying to end the battle swiftly.

In battle, the most crucial element was visibility.

Being surrounded could obstruct one’s view, but it was manageable by glancing occasionally to predict the opponent’s next move.

How did he know that Heaven-Slayer Star would go for a powerful attack?

Even if their skills were at their maximum potential, Sojun was confident that he wouldn’t lose.

“I will return to the center now.”

Sojun announced as if addressing the fallen enemies in front of their stronghold and avoided the wide-open path, instead taking the narrow path between Outpost A and Outpost B.

– Are you planning some psychological strategy as the descendant of Jaegal and the master of the Demonic Cult?
– Are you going to cut down the NamgungClanStoreOwner next, you goat of the assassination world?
– When did he even assassinate anyone? LOL
– Manager, don’t just go on about goats; manage the chat, LOL

Sojun moved until he reached a spot out of the enemy’s sight and then shifted from the narrow path back to the central road.

The narrow paths were troublesome as they were obstructed by branches and were narrow.

“Alright. Let’s get back to leveling up in the center.”

Once on the main road, Sojun utilized his lightness skill to increase his speed. Immediately upon arrival, he leaped into the ongoing battle among soldiers.

“Did the Heavenly Demon arrive?”

A teammate, who had been continuously defeating enemy soldiers as Sojun asked, recognized him with delight.

“Yes, hello.”

“I had faith in you!”

Together they began defeating the soldiers. Even if they captured many, it wouldn’t shift the frontline, so there was no need to worry about that.

“Let’s get them all.”

With the three of them determinedly targeting only the enemy soldiers, they hoped to see their allied troops relaxing before the next wave arrived.

『Enemy Fortress Health -5』
『Enemy Fortress Health -5』
『Enemy Fortress Health -5』

.

.

– As expected, you’re a genius!
– Shake them up first, then earn as much experience as possible
– I trust you! You are truly the pride of Korea!
– But pushing so hard is a bit…

Such were the initial reactions.

“The Outpost has been captured.”

Sojun held his shield up, charging at the advancing enemy, destroying their shield with his sword ki.

『Enemy Fortress Health -5』

– Your use of sword ki is as flawless as ever, Heavenly Demon!
– Surely you have a reason for leaving Outpost A alone!
– Clearly, it’s all part of your plan.

However, the longer he stayed in that spot, consistently defeating soldiers, the public’s reactions started to shift.

“Are you all really cowed?”

Even as he spoke, Sojun ducked to dodge a soldier’s predictable attack, then attacked another soldier who had exposed his weakness.

『Enemy Fortress Health -5』

– Doing such earnest work makes folks have doubts LOL
– Time to stop defeating them and let’s fight!
– Seems like he’s serious this time
– Shaking them up to widen the level gap LOL
– Even this is strategic.

Public opinion swung back and forth.

“But, I showed you earlier, didn’t I, crushing the three top-ranked Orthodox fighters?”

– Ah, indeed, you crushed them.
– Your tactical brain is pretty sexy LOL
– It was delightful to see those Orthodox guys taken down without a fight LOL
– Anyway, you’re focusing on leveling up to prevent future struggles

While reading the comments, Sojun said, “This game is already in the bag. We’ve won.”

– Then stop defeating them and move to Outpost A!

Though Sojun ignored the chat, seeing the approaching enemy soldiers, he raised his sword.

‘But who knows about the next round.’

From that round on, knowing the enemy would prepare and counter meant a higher likelihood of psychological warfare.

No matter how confident he was, psychological battles inherently carried a high failure rate.

Currently.

The enemy fortress’s health continued to decrease steadily.

The NamgungClanStoreOwner returned to the Orthodox’s fortress after seeing Sojun appear in front of it and then returned with his three teammates.

In Sojun’s estimation, it was the correct move.

If the enemy had initially assigned one person to each of the three forts, it would have rendered Sojun’s countermeasures more challenging.

But as the game went on, the dynamics changed.

Maybe MubiSoft hadn’t completely lost their minds, since his teammates’ skills were quite advanced.

‘Didn’t they say they were just below rankers?’

Now, if Sojun stayed in the center and sent three of his teammates to one location?

While three versus one might work for their opponents if they were on the same level, at level 6, his three teammates were formidable as well.

“Besides, the Orthodox rankers seem to focus on reaching level 6 instead of dying meaninglessly, right?”

– LOL, those Orthodox guys are so desperate
– As a part of the Unorthodox Faction, this stream is immensely entertaining LOL
– BD Bd
– The Unorthodox special: they’re bound to be wiped out soon
– Nope, not happening.
– As long as the Demonic Cult controls the stream, they’re unstoppable!

Therefore, victory was essentially assured to him.

『Enemy Fortress Health -5』
『Enemy Fortress Health -5』
『Enemy Fortress Health -5』

The soldiers were gone again, and it wasn’t that the enemy fortress’s health had been heavily depleted either.

“The enemy’s level is 5.”

The automatically gained experience and the additional experience from holding a single fort resulted in their gradual level-up.

But Sojun was at level 10.

A twofold difference.

That was why the central area was critical.

While the time spent capturing three forts had been substantial, it paled compared to the experience gained by defeating enemy soldiers.

“When they hit level 6, I’ll likely be at level 11.”

Many were grinning in the chat.

Apart from the Martial Techniques that strengthened at every 6 levels, the difference in stats from levels wasn’t exceptionally significant.

Most agreed he was aiming for level 12.

‘Although it’s unnecessary.’

He just wanted to continue defeating them.

Honestly.

– The enemy rankers are heading to Outpost A.

Upon confirming this from the team chat, Sojun began his preparations, while one of his teammates quietly exited the scene.

– Let’s make a comeback! The streamer hasn’t reached level 12 yet!
– Still possible, right? Rankers equipped with Martial Techniques are something else LOL
– Yep, the scenario where basic skill Korean champion streamer gets defeated by martial-arts-less rankers was improbable foremost
– Can’t wait to see what happens next

***

The martial technique, the flower of For Justice, was the main reason it left the game in ruins.

The reason was that the techniques were complex and highly useful.

Then again, which games aren’t challenging at all?

The true reason lay with the veterans, who continuously researched and dueled utilizing that martial technique’s characteristics and forms.

Forms weren’t merely skills but practical and applicable movements.

Claiming Sojun’s victory came naturally through pure skill alone wasn’t entirely accurate.

For Justice rankers particularly excelled physically, and most dismissed 9-dan AI, purportedly professional-grade, without a second thought.

The issue arose when Sojun effortlessly won the duel the previous day, shattering their pride.

“Swordsmanship! Fight without skills!”

Whenever these prideful refrains arose, they often originated from For Justice users. Other game users, while slightly exasperated, secretly acknowledged their prowess.

But, after the duel, their pride was shattered, leaving only “focused on martial technique.”

“Our own well-dwelling-player” became part of their self-criticism, causing great internal conflict.

So in this fight, they truly wanted to win, but—”Darn it! Just get hit!”

JustOneCoin wielded his club, slightly modifying the form of his Club Art to strike at Sojun.

Though his martial trait was Eight Drunken Immortals, allowing no additional effects from Martial Techniques, the form alone was still powerful.

It was the perfect tactic, considering Sojun’s current situation.

“Think that’s going to work?”

Instead of retreating backward, Sojun leaned in and swung his sword. Seeing this, JustOneCoin foresaw the ensuing situation naturally unfolding.

The opponent would soon parry the club, then proceed to strike him.

He questioned, why did such a simple countermeasure lead to this result?

As Sojun’s sword struck the club diagonally, poised to slash his throat—

*Chink!*

Fortunately, Heaven-Slayer Star’s support arrived just in time.

NamgungClanStoreOwner followed up with an attack, but—’How is this possible? It’s three against one!’

Sojun, having his attack blocked, now shifted to block NamgungClanStoreOwner’s assault.

Neither had successfully landed an attack.

Though losing wasn’t an issue per se, breaking even still deeply wounded their pride.

“If we don’t finish this quickly, we’re going to lose!”

Heaven-Slayer Star shouted, drawing his sword, infusing his art, and steeling himself to unleash a form.

Then, Sojun preemptively thrust his sword into the air.

That exact point in the air was positioned precisely to intercept Heaven-Slayer Star’s movement.

“Come.”

While he diligently intercepted every move, JustOneCoin couldn’t fathom what Sojun meant by inviting them in.

And then, Sojun—

– It’s coming
– Haven’t seen this in a while LOL
– Didn’t get a chance to witness this during the Absorption Technique fight because of ensuring a quick finish.
– Ah! How exciting!
– No longer is the Dull Sword dull!

He leisurely retrieved his sword, beckoning with a finger.

The reason he sent his teammates away would reveal itself soon enough.