Ha Se-gi's Age of Tribulations (3)
The next day, she turned on her phone with Ppase's stream muted and fired up Tuhon. All for Ppase's personal training hell. A white text overlay blared across the screen: "Answers unified as 'evil!'" The title was PT, but the catchphrase screamed boot camp. Instead of unifying answers, he needed to unify the concept.
The viewer count looked pathetic next to Ppase's usual numbers, but the watchers were making more fuss than ever.
The viewers were playing themselves even though the stream was hands-off. No donations meant no moderation hassle. Streaming was a breeze.
Ppase finished his content intro from his room and came back.
It wasn't arrogance; she knew it was stream baiting. But hearing Ppase's voice made a vein throb in her temple anyway. Even for stream, this guy learning from her was provoking her.
But don't get mad. Ppase's fate was sealed today. He'd suffer until he barely landed one hit on her. Or just suffer as her rank point dispenser.
# Ppase respected L.P.'s skill, but only with Ren so far. He'd never seen her play other characters. His provocation had reasons, but chat wasn't buying it.
"Me beat boss on random? Impossible."
"Penalty from boss? Sure."
Arnold—what character was that? The pinnacle of current Tuhon. The king of overpowered chars. Duke pride on the line against L.P.'s unknown random. No way he'd lose this random match.
"Someone dug up L.P. boss's record—no plays outside Ren at all."
What flew in? Just a single consonant. Everyone but Ppase tensed up.
"Hey hey, quit freaking out! You idiots. What, like something huge dropped? Huh?"
After L.P.'s brief deliberation, the penalty revealed.
Relief washed over the stream. Better than 100 dad jokes.
"Psh, easy."
"Psh... uh..."
Shadow fell over Ppase's face. He finally sensed something wrong.
"What? Hey. You think I'm auto-losing? Boss randomed. Random."
"Hey. No dad jokes in our stream except boss. No more dons if you don't want an hour ban."
"Aigoo! 50k....... Think I'd thank you? Well, thanks but. Huh? Thanks but. Aid my ass. Hour ban."
No way she'd lose without using any strength. Even with good guard and movement, without knowing the char's moves and air combos, options were limited. She had to cook Ppase with basics and one main move. Basically fighting with limbs cut off. Even strong, Ppase should take a game or two normally. Or was it a feint for more suffering? Trap to watch him break harder?
"You~ really. Unban and you go essay mode?"
As worried viewers backed off realizing Ppase's stubbornness, it hit.
"Said until you win." Clear declaration of war. The stone rippled Ppase's calm pond.
"Am I fucked?"
"Am I fucked?! Answer!"
Ppase realized too late his stream ego had blown it up. But too late to turn back.
*
Hoped first random was shit tier. Nope, overpowered Hanra. Taekwondo base, quick feet to toy with foes. But she knew moves but not inputs? Tower hell left only Ren commands in memory.
But Ppase could still toy. Basics and one main enough.
During loading, dropped a line for curious chat.
Ppase twice bodied by her. But top 0.1% Black rank, Duke. Viewers wouldn't think he'd get dev'd by random pick. She'd never shown other chars. Viewers thinking her disadvantaged weren't wrong.
But Ppase had bad habits. Habits were weaknesses in Tuhon. Given his spot, patterns were inevitable. Chatty streamer—that's Ppase. Talking nonstop while playing bred habits. Naturally worse than silent pros allocating all brain to play.
Halve talk, redirect brain to play. Winning hard, but maybe snag 1-2 of 5 sets. His physicals pro-level. No need systematic lectures for high-rank vet. Just engrave: fix habits or die. Perfect underground arena map with walls. Time to prove he's king on walls. Or it'd be boring.
FIGHT!
Match start, she threw Hanra's fastest side kick. To test if he dropped habits or switched patterns.
Normally he'd whiff forward, eat counter air combo. But.
"Oh."
He guarded. Ppase, who usually mashed first, recognized her speed edge and pulled back. Even ground now. Both reset.
What was Ppase thinking? Read him.
Boss knows some Hanra. Pretending ignorance. Side kick bluff: only knows this. Won't repeat. Guard up first. Dash guard mid/low, counter.
Heya!
Read one step ahead. Side kick again. Timing his dash guard drop. Hanra's long leg stretched. Arnold jumping right upper to evade? Tripped mid-air.
She didn't know air combos. No green rank guide. But remember: Tuhon air max 6 hits. No launchers or smashes—anything goes. Of Hanra's four known moves, only left upper and jab one-two fit. Upper pushes farther—chose that over one-two.
One. Two. Three. Dash four. Five. Final sixth left upper—Arnold slammed wall barely.
Wall hit? Wall combo time. Max 3 hits: high/mid/low or mid/mid/low. Harder than air, no guide. Pro gimmick extra damage.
Left jab. Left upper. Low left kick. Basic three: simple wall combo.
See? Easy, right?
Something off. Really off. Ppase felt possessed by a demon.
"Fuck, Hanra's legs that long...?"
Side kick: mid poke using long reach. Counter? Air combo like Ren siege hammer.
"Ok long whatever. Everyone knows. But how side kick spam?! Thought no more than three. But again and again!!"
Side kick good, sure. But whole game spamming? Complex but faster sky kick exists. Easy pressure options make Hanra OP.
Yet L.P. side kick only. Perfectly timing Ppase's pokes. One set fine. But.
Len_Daisuki ◇◇◇ - VS - ◆◆◆ L.P.
Winner is L.P.!
Three sets straight side kick hell. Won't this time. Knows others, forcing side kick. Won't this time. Won't really this time.
...Again?!
"Fuck. Three sets side kick only? Makes sense?!"
Ppase fumed, uncalm. No time to posture.
"Boss, that tone ain't gym trainer—it's drill sergeant?!"
"Evil! 10 squats! Eviil!!"