Chapter 20 - Ready for Battle (1)
Ready for Battle (1)
Translator : Elizabeth
"Ah."
Honestly, this was an unexpected situation.
Since the community was currently ablaze with talk of Gale and the Speed Swordswoman, I expected a fair number of people to show up, but I never imagined it would be this many.
🔴 4,061 viewers
‘Four thousand...?’
I was bewildered by the number of viewers, which had already surpassed four thousand—a figure beyond my wildest imagination. Even considering the circumstances—the first broadcast of a ranker like Gale, and the fact that I had just crushed Harim and Sakiride—from the perspective of a rookie streamer, I couldn't help but be dumbfounded.
Of course, having so many people interested and joining the stream was a good thing. Compared to my worry of ‘What if not a single person comes?’ it was a result I should be deeply grateful for.
‘What should I do?’
However, there was a major problem: I possessed zero ability to control four thousand people. I was already full of anxiety due to my trauma; there was no way I could manage four thousand viewers and maintain smooth communication with them.
It wasn't as if I had a moderator to manage the stream in real-time, and the chat window was scrolling so fast it was difficult to even read the messages, let alone block someone. Furthermore, if you were to ask if everyone currently watching my broadcast was a sane person who loved the Speed Swordswoman... that obviously wasn't the case either.
「 Heueungh Noona, I love you, Heueungh Noona, I love you... (Spamming) 」
From the crazy person suddenly confessing their love,
「 Are you only here because you were scratched by being called a man? Or were you fired from your company? T_T The voice modulation is so f***ing obvious;; It’s disgusting, so just turn off the stream and go back to solo queue. 」
To the person who was, for some reason, absolutely furious,
「 GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! GIRL! Let us hear your voice! Let us hear your voice! 」
To those solely focused on my voice and gender,
「 Ah f***, why isn't it a man... she’s spoiled. 」
……?
“...It’s not settling down.”
Mixed with all sorts of trolls and toxic users, the chat window was quite literally out of control. At this rate, it felt like I wouldn't be able to conduct a normal broadcast at all. Veteran streamers might have known how to calm them down and continue a smooth stream, but I didn't have the slightest clue how that was possible.
‘Should I just turn off the chat?’
I considered closing the chat window entirely, but I shook my head. One of my purposes for starting this broadcast was to overcome my trauma through communication with viewers. Originally, my goals weren't that ambitious. At most, I wanted to communicate with 700 or 800 cute Speed Swordswoman aspirants and give them lectures on the build.
By having that kind of "healing" experience, I hoped to overcome my past and the traumas that were covered in nightmares.
‘Hmm...’
But looking at the state of the chat now, it seemed that small and precious goal of mine had already flown out the window.
‘Should I be a bit more firm?’
I had to come up with a countermeasure. At the very least, I wanted to cleanly remove the impurities that were plastering the chat with useless topics and picking at my nerves. The viewers I wanted were those interested in the Speed Swordswoman, not those trolling and spamming the chat.
Therefore, I spoke firmly.
“Those of you who aren't going to play Speed Swordswoman, please just all leave. Right now. I’m going to give a Speed Swordswoman lecture.”
Ah, how long had it been since I spoke so coldly?
Was it because it was Gale’s voice and not my original one? Even I felt a chill and was a bit scared by my own words. It was a tone surely enough to make the viewers shrink back in horror!
‘Since I said I’m doing a Speed Swordswoman lecture, a lot of them will leave, right?’
I had added that I would be lecturing on a build known as the "troll build of all troll builds," notorious for its extreme difficulty and having as much popularity as a speck of dirt on an ant's claw. I was certain the majority would lose interest and drop off.
……That’s how it should have gone, but—
🔴 5,325 viewers
“Huh...?”
The viewer count only continued to increase as time went by.
「 Wow, that voice…… 」 「 Noona, please belittle me one more time, Noona, please belittle me one more time... (Spamming) 」 「 Finallyyyyyyy!! 」 「 Is the Speed Swordswoman lecture actually happening??????? 」 「 You’re all dead now LMAO 」 「 Fine, I’ll play Speed Swordswoman, just let me stay. 」 「 Hah, Alice, I’m sorry. I’m switching to the Gale Faction. 」 「 Ah f***, finally T_T 」 「 Two years... it’s been two years... 」 「 The Great Speed Sword build I’ve been keeping in storage... it’s finally time to take it out. 」
<User123 has donated 1,000 won!>【If I play Speed Swordswoman, can I stay?】
<Alice’sFootstool has donated 5,000 won!>【I’ll play Speed Swordswoman, so please say ‘right now’ one more time.】
‘Wait...?’
The situation was flowing in an unintended direction.
‘They’re saying they’ll play Speed Swordswoman just so they don't have to leave...?’
The countless chats and donations—naturally mixed with weird ones—were claiming that they would try the Speed Swordswoman just so they could stay and watch the broadcast.
“…….”
Currently, there were five thousand viewers.
‘A five-thousand-strong Speed Swordswoman Corps...?’
Does that mean five thousand Speed Swordswoman aspirants are about to be born...? Is the Great Era of the Speed Swordswoman finally arriving? Are the Speed Swordswoman skills finally going to get buffed? Is the build finally going to be recognized as OP?
“Pfft, hic...”
Of course, most of it was likely empty words and lies, and from my position, I couldn't exactly check if every single one of them was actually playing the build...
“Ehe, ehehehe...”
Still, I couldn't hide my twitching lips. The sudden flood of interest and praise for the Speed Swordswoman made my heart dance. Considering that for a long time, most posts regarding the build were full of contempt and mockery, this was a very fresh experience.
‘Well, alright then...’
Fine, so what if there are five thousand people? So what if I’m lacking in viewer-control skills? So what if I have trauma? Everything is learned by directly clashing, realizing, and moving forward. Just like how I first practiced the Speed Swordswoman by throwing my whole body into it and getting hit.
the Speed Swordswoman does not stop. There is only moving straight ahead. I resolved to lead all five thousand people who found my broadcast and take on the challenge of the Speed Swordswoman lecture. If I teach well, even those who weren't interested will find it intriguing.
Yeah, perhaps this depended on my own capability.
“...Still, I’m going to permanently ban anyone who says weird things or spams.”
I wasn't sure if I could pick out the toxic users from the sea of chat while playing... but I left a minimum warning for now.
「 Yes! 」 「 Listen to what Noona says. 」 「 If anyone spams from now on, I, Park Tae-pung, will not forgive you. 」
“...”
Is ‘Permanent Ban’ truly such a powerful phrase? I felt as though the chat window had suddenly become much better behaved.
“Hmm...”
Having confirmed a slightly cleaner chat environment, I opened a notepad with a satisfied smile. I scribbled something onto it and moved it to the corner of the broadcast screen.
【Welcome to the Speed Swordswoman Training Ground】
※ Please only talk about the Speed Swordswoman ※
※ Questions Welcome ※
‘Good.’
The proud signboard of the Speed Swordswoman Academy.
...Now, the first lecture was beginning. Watch out, Tanking Spearmen. The era of the Speed Swordswoman is coming.
02.
“Um... I should probably start by apologizing. I feel like... I started this broadcast a bit late.”
Before officially starting the lecture, I left a brief word of apology. Considering other rankers start guide broadcasts or release posts as soon as they create a build, two years had passed for me... so it could be called quite late.
「 A bit? A biiiiiiiit? Did you eat your conscience for breakfast? 」 「 F***, you call that an apology?? 」 「 I got permabanned while playing Speed Swordswoman, you btch... 」 「 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 」 「 Teacher, does time flow differently for you? 」 「 I’ve been shtting my pants every day waiting for Gale... 」 「 I’m just glad you turned it on at all... 」 「 Noona, please say ‘right now’ one more time. 」
<PlasticBottle has donated 1,000 won!>【It’s fine, looking forward to the stream. Just do well from now on lol.】
<GuitaronesHead has donated 5,000 won!>【Two years since Gale went dark... the pain our Speed Swordswoman Corps had to endure was...!!】
“Ahem...”
However, it seemed there were quite a few people who had been waiting for a Speed Swordswoman guide, because despite my apology, the chat was quickly plastered with shouts of anger.
“I had my reasons... I’ll work hard from now on.”
But humans naturally try to avoid their mistakes. I also tried to avert my gaze and vaguely move past the two-year gap as best as I could. I really did have unavoidable circumstances, after all.
「 Boo, don't just skip it! 」 「 Explain! Explain! 」
Of course, the chat didn't seem to want to let it go... but I didn't want to darken the atmosphere of the broadcast by talking about my parents' deaths, my trauma, and other depressing things. The first step is the most important; if I talked about those things on Day 1, there was a chance the broadcast's concept would be set as "trauma and depression."
I aimed for a hopeful broadcast where Speed Swordswoman aspirants could grow. That kind of "depleted" atmosphere was not suitable for a Speed Swordswoman lecture. Besides, the situation the aspirants had faced all this time was already a tragedy. It was now time for them to taste only hope and light. I had no interest in a "Menhera" or "Jirai-kei" style broadcast.
“I’ll tell you about that gradually later on. It’s not a very bright story, so...”
Therefore, I laughed it off once more. The reason why a ranker named Gale hadn't streamed could be explained naturally and slowly when the time was right. For now, the most important thing was lecturing on the Speed Swordswoman. That was the reason for this broadcast's existence.
“Well then, first, let me show you the build I’m using.”
Before anyone could say more, I hurriedly changed the subject and brought up a new holographic screen. Seeing how naturally and shamelessly I handled that transition, I inwardly wondered if I might actually have a talent for broadcasting.
“Can you see it?”
...What I displayed in the air was none other than my basic status distribution chart. However, instead of being balanced like most players', it was a bizarre chart where everything was all-in on SPD—Speed and Agility. I began to explain it with a proud voice.
“This is the status chart that serves as the base for the Speed Swordswoman build.”
A status distribution chart of a lunatic who dumped every single starting point into Agility. Except for Agility, every other category was set to the minimum value required to play the game. I had 1 point in both Attack and Defense just so I could actually function... but it was essentially a meaningless level.
Excluding Slimes and the Golden Monkey, I wouldn't be able to kill a single Jungle monster, let alone an enemy player.
「 F***, oh my god…… 」 「 Teacher, what on earth is that status chart... 」 「 Oh Lord 」 「 Kyas, look Muggles, this is the Great Speed Swordswoman status chart. 」 「 "Romance" 」 「 You crazy speed-freaks;; 」 「 No wonder kids can’t even balance themselves. 」 「 F***, you hit Rank 7 with those numbers? LMAO 」 「 Just what kind of battles have you been fighting…… 」 「 Ah, simply the Godly Swordswoman. 」
At the sight of the nonsensical numbers on the chart, the chat was filled with messages of horror and shock. It was a natural reaction. If you entered a game with just those statuses, it was 999% certain you would be torn apart like a piece of paper without doing anything.
I suddenly remembered my very first match after starting Legend Frontier, when I jumped into the battlefield with those stats without any skills or item buffs and died instantly to a single basic attack from a Berserker. I believe I was reported for intentional trolling and received a 300-minute account suspension penalty then...
“Obviously, if you recklessly join a game with just those statuses, you’ll hit 30 deaths and get your account permanently banned.”
I once again put emphasis on the words ‘Permanent Ban’ as I continued my explanation.
“Therefore, for a Speed Swordswoman, the item tree and skill combinations are more important than any other build.”
Since I went all-in on Agility for my base stats, the Speed Swordswoman had to rely solely on skills and items to supplement her disastrous Attack and Defense. That meant more caution was required in selecting skills and items than with any other build.
“From now on is the important part, so those who want to play Speed Swordswoman, listen carefully. Open your notebooks if you have them.”
Showing the status chart was just a warm-up; the introduction of the item tree and skills was the real start of the lecture.
「 Yes!! 」 「 Ah, if it is Gale’s will. 」 「 Gale, Oppa just picked up a mechanical pencil for the first time in 20 years. 」 「 For real, I’ve been curious about this. 」 「 Fi. Nal. Ly. 」 「 Noona wear glasses Noona wear glasses Noona wear glasses (Spamming) 」 「 What was the reason for selecting those skills?? You bring things I didn't even know existed. 」
“...Yes, I’ll explain now, so listen well.”
The chat responded like a flock of cuckoos. Is this what it feels like to be a teacher? Seeing the chat slowly fill with talk only about the Speed Swordswoman and seeing people focus made me feel proud. Perhaps I really did have a talent for teaching.
<RIMUHA has donated 1,000 won!>【LOL, she makes a total troll build then acts like it's good.】
“Huh...?”
But as soon as I had that thought, a malicious donation came in as if to tell me to stop dreaming.
“……First, let’s look at the skill settings.”
Well, with this many people, there was bound to be at least one toxic user. Although it soured my mood, I didn't want to break the flow, so I ignored it and naturally continued my explanation.
“For a Speed Swordswoman, it’s important to increase the other stats through skills and items. Especially the skills, which are the core—”
<RIMUHA has donated 1,000 won!>【The audacity to stream only now is fing shameless, you btch LMAO】**
“...For skills, you must first bring more than half as buff-type skills—”
<RIMUHA has donated 1,000 won!>【Don't spread that trash build, it’s fing disgusting.】*
“However, the first one should be ‘Point Break,’ which allows you to deal damage and heal at the same time, making it the most important for a Speed Swordswoman—”
<RIMUHA has donated 1,000 won!>【You’re gonna get crushed by a Tanking Spearman anyway, why play a sh*t Swordswoman lol】
“……Whew.”
……Finally, having reached my limit after three strikes, I let out a deep sigh and paused the lecture.
<RIMUHA has donated 1,000 won!>【If I play seriously with an OP class, you’d even lose to me, you fake, overhyped loser LMAO】
“……”
Looking at the content of the donation, I hesitated for a moment. ...Yeah, perhaps I had skipped the most important explanation—the one I should have started with.
“Um, everyone.”
Gale’s voice was originally blunt, but I tried to sound as bright as possible as I spoke to the Speed Swordswoman aspirants.
“Thinking about it, I think I forgot the most important explanation. ……The reason why you should play the Speed Swordswoman.”
I had forgotten the most fundamental explanation.
“……If the Speed Swordswoman is truly pure trash regardless of romance, and is just an inferior version of every other build with zero advantages, then what I’m doing right now isn't a lecture—it’s nothing more than spreading a cult or being a subway peddler.”
...But the Speed Swordswoman had clear advantages, and depending on the team composition, there were times when she was a more excellent choice than any other class. In other words, choosing the Speed Swordswoman was a valuable act, and watching my broadcast and lecture wasn't meaningless.
“Besides romance, there has to be some kind of standout advantage. Well, actually there are dozens, but I suppose you’ll only try the build if I show you directly, right?”
So, it seemed right to explain that first.
“Um... Rimu-ha-nim...? Is that how you read it?”
Closing the status screen and the skill list, I spoke toward the viewer named ‘RIMUHA,’ who had dared to send donations insulting and belittling the Speed Swordswoman.
“You say you’d crush me if you used an OP class? Yes, fine. It’s time to show you.”
The reason you should play the Speed Swordswoman.
“I accept. Join me for a 1v1.”
I’ll show you in person.