Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Breath of the Blade
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Sarah-.
The sound of wings fluttering as thin as a sheet of paper tickled his ears.
The tip of the sword in his hand elegantly shifted direction, like an acrobat's flourish.
As if he'd intended to swing it that way from the very start. Perfectly natural.
Sguk-.
"Soo-hyuk, it's seriously amazing how you do that."
From the past.
Kim Si-woo's words came back to him.
"You definitely changed direction mid-swing, but it feels like one continuous breath."
"One breath?"
"Like you planned to swing it that way from the beginning. No breaks, no pauses, just steady. How the hell do you do it?"
Changing direction usually slows you down, and any hesitation creates a momentary gap.
But not for Soo-hyuk.
It was as natural as if he'd always intended it that way.
And it wasn't something he could teach just because someone asked.
"It just... happens."
"Ugh, you're so annoying."
"Isn't it weirder if you can't do it?"
"Normal people can't."
"Guess you're not normal, then."
He could almost hear Kim Si-woo spitting out a curse in response to the subtle teasing.
The type of weapon didn't matter.
Sword, spear—anything he could grip and swing worked just fine.
As long as he knew where the attack was coming from, there were no blind spots. As Soo-hyuk sliced through the One-eyed Bats, he addressed the viewers.
"When facing multiple One-eyed Bats, you have to abandon any thought of targeting their eyes one by one."
Suaak-.
Once again, a single swing severed the necks of two One-eyed Bats.
"One-eyed Bat attacks mainly involve biting and sucking blood, which means they have to shove their heads right in your face."
Kwak-.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Soo-hyuk's free hand snatched the neck of a One-eyed Bat lunging from the side.
"Just like this."
Puk-!
The sword tip plunged straight through the One-eyed Bat's eye.
Hududuk-.
Blood splattered on his hand as he yanked the blade free from the bat's head and continued.
"Ah, don't try this at home. If you can't grab it, it'll bite you."
Quite some time had passed since he started hunting deeper in the dungeon.
The viewer count climbed steadily without a single dropout.
Most reactions fell into one of two camps.
Either amazement or suspicion about the trial itself.
These reactions didn't bother him at all.
He might have felt wronged in his past life.
'They're right, though.'
What they were saying was spot on.
If anything, they were underselling it.
They thought some mid-tier player had come down to lower floors for a gimmick stream.
But he was the real deal.
Lee Soo-hyuk himself.
Puk-.
The last remaining Land Eel was pierced through the neck.
After passing through the 'swamp area' deep in the dungeon, Soo-hyuk could finally catch his breath.
"Huuu-."
At the viewer's advice, Soo-hyuk finally remembered the pending mission.
"Oh, right."
This was all for making money, after all.
From One-eyed Bats to the swamp teeming with Land Eels—he'd cleared it long ago, so the mission was done.
But...
"...How do you even claim it?"
Laughter exploded in the chat.
Unlike during the hunt, his streaming side was endearingly clumsy.
Following the viewers' advice, Soo-hyuk claimed the mission reward.
His first sponsorship since starting the stream.
Not a huge amount, but the meaning outweighed the sum.
'First step.'
Missions and sponsorships would grow as the stream did.
It was still a tiny channel under 20 viewers.
But at 2,000 or 20,000? That changed everything.
"How do you share trial status, though...?"
Had the keyword in his words triggered it?
The trial details popped up before his eyes.
The system's trial status share couldn't be faked.
It was ironclad proof he was tackling floor 2.
No upper-floor player could drop down without dying and respawning.
"Why'd it pop up all of a sudden?"
"Aha. Thanks for the explanation."
Trial status share.
He'd use it often for the viewers' sake.
Soo-hyuk memorized the command and started moving again.
'151 points is a solid haul.'
Trials were usually team efforts.
Which made them easier but capped points.
In his past life, he'd scraped by with about 100 before exiting.
But settling here meant it'd take a century to get revenge on Kim Il-su.
'Can't wait.'
From the moment he entered, he'd set one goal.
'Wonder how many points that guy got.'
Kkuuk-.
Soo-hyuk gripped the hilt of the demon sword at his waist.
The Starting Dungeon's final content.
For that, he held back on drawing it now.
"KyaAaAaK-!"
Unhyang, lost in the screen, shrieked.
Her high-pitched squeal made Cheongryang, who was intently watching the trial beside her, flinch back.
"Whoa, you scared me. What?"
"He's insane, seriously insane..."
Her face and voice buzzed with excitement.
Unhyang's eyes were glued to Soo-hyuk on screen, effortlessly cleaving a Land Eel on the floor.
Since the trial began, Soo-hyuk hadn't paused once.
Was this really a rookie's first try?
Achievement points already over 200.
As Soo-hyuk dispatched another wave of monsters, Unhyang turned to Cheongryang.
"Isn't he nuts? You ever seen anything like this? Soloing for that many points?"
"Hey, calm down."
"Do I look calm? Wow, this is huge-."
Unable to contain herself, Unhyang jumped up, stomping her feet.
Cheongryang sweated trying to calm her, but even she double-checked the numbers in disbelief.
'Huge indeed. This score on a solo first-run trial.'
Rookies usually washed out fast.
Land Eels and One-eyed Bats in the Starting Dungeon excelled at ambushes, catching most players off guard.
Average attempts to clear? Over 4.
Yet...
'Has anyone solo-cleared on first try? Let alone this score?'
As a management scout, he knew countless player records.
Solo clears existed, but by veterans after dozens of runs—not rookies smashing high scores.
'He's insane, for real.'
A chill ran down his spine.
Maybe history was unfolding right now.
Oblivious, Unhyang kept gushing.
"See how he wields that sword? Two One-eyed Bats and a Land Eel in one swing! No skills!"
Like reuniting with first love, her face glowed with thrill.
"Where's he from? Oh right, Earth? Damn, Earthlings are OP. Or anyone named Lee Soo-hyuk-."
"Stop fangirling. My ears hurt."
"You dissing Lee Soo-hyuk? Don't you know I'm in his fan club gen 2?"
Clap-!
Unhyang clapped her hands hard.
"He's perfect! Mask hiding his face, name's Lee Soo-hyuk, and the skills!"
As original Lee Soo-hyuk stan, this was rain in her drought.
Name. Gimmick. Talent.
Enough to make her eyes spin.
"You saw it too, right? So badass. What if it's really Lee Soo-hyuk reincarnated?"
"Girl, fix that tone-."
"Whoa, dizzy. Head spinning. Cheongryang, I'm fainting here-."
"All that Lee Soo-hyuk stanning turned you dumb..."
Cheongryang sighed.
Then, seeing Unhyang's sparkling eyes, he jolted and shook his head.
"No."
"What?"
"You're thinking of recruiting him, right?"
Cheongryang crossed his arms, shaking his head.
"Told you. No."
"Why not!"
"Potential's there, but he just started streaming today. Viewers barely cracked 10."
Scouting needed baseline fame.
A fresh face on floor 2's Starting Dungeon? Talent yes, but risks galore.
"Listen. Skill doesn't guarantee streamer success. If he were real Lee Soo-hyuk, maybe—but he's floor 2. Starting Dungeon."
"I know."
"Then why tell the team lead and eat shit for it?"
"You were gambling earlier—now playing straight?"
"I don't get caught, done. But you're bragging about wasting time."
"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm bragging about."
Firm reply.
Unhyang's eyes sparkled like long ago. Cheongryang shut his mouth, knowing better.
Old friend—she wouldn't budge now.
"I'll snag him for sure."
With renewed resolve, Unhyang turned back to the stream on her kit.
"For sure..."
Soo-hyuk was nearing the dungeon boss.