Chapter 176

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 176

Chapter Title: 검술 고인물의 게임방송-176화

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 176

Chapter Title: Battle for the Throne

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“Hahaha. Thirty seconds might be a bit tough. It feels like that streamer gave me a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nice boost.”

Baek Do-yul looked at the viewers with a friendly face.

More precisely, at the chat.

Since the streaming camera was currently set to the chat view.

He even feigned a bashful look, as if flustered by the praise.

As expected.

There was no benevolent smile behind the face Baek Do-yul had crafted.

His true intent was simply to slip out of this situation with appropriate humility.

And to give Seo-jun a slight dunk in the process.

'Thirty seconds... He didn't say anything about not taking a single hit, so maybe that guy's got a shot?'

In the current situation, that held true. Assuming the AI didn't improve further, that is.

In any case, Baek Do-yul acknowledged Seo-jun and wanted to clash with him sometime.

But.

'Save the real matchup for next time.'

It wasn't because he thought he'd lose.

There was just no gain in publicly brawling right now, with all eyes on them.

Why bother with a proxy ego battle via AI in the Training Ground when it wasn't even direct combat?

'But that Taker guy's going for it.'

Baek Do-yul began spectating just like everyone else, eyes gleaming with interest.

This streaming session that kept veering into the bizarre.

It might actually be kinda fun?

'Hyung, you gonna do something about this?'

Dong-soo sent Seo-jun a telepathic message.

Seo-jun had essentially been randomly provoked out of nowhere.

Of course, Taker wasn't exuding any hostile vibes or blatantly showing disdain.

He'd just said it smiling, like prove it.

If the guy speaking had been some RIOS contestant instead of a pro gamer, it wouldn't have felt off at all.

Sure, since it was a pro, the setup was a tad weird, but it was still something that happened during a stream.

Now, how Seo-jun responded was key.

Would he actually prove it?

Or throw a tantrum and bail?

Seo-jun's viewers were going wild now that they'd broken 30k.

'Yun-ho's viewer count didn't drop much.'

He hadn't been fazed.

But things might change from here.

Seo-jun was in a position where he couldn't back down. Not after everything he'd built.

Still, he decided to just do things his way, as always.

'Dong-soo, no choice.'

The world was out to get him.

'Hyung, stop with that nonsense.'

The two kept conversing with eye contact. Surprisingly in sync.

Then he turned his head.

The one Seo-jun needed to respond to wasn't Dong-soo.

“Everyone. Am I mad? He said it smiling, like just try it. That... Tate guy?”

Viewer merit #1.

They overhype it themselves.

“Ah, Taker, right. Anyway, let's wait and see. Maybe... Nah.”

Viewer merit #2.

They get even garbled speech perfectly.

Lee Dong-soo thought.

'Unsealed mouth.'

He pulled aggro unconsciously before, but now on purpose?

As expected.

Coming out swinging from the start.

Should he just bail?

Was it better to eat shit for running in RIOS or stand in the eye of this storm?

He was pondering when Taker's stream audio came through, unaware of Seo-jun's provocation yet.

Seo-jun nodded.

“Full HP, one minute, I guess.”

Through ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rain's stream, they could see Taker moving.

He touched the air in front of him.

Setting the difficulty.

Soon, Baek Do-yul's clone spawned.

Not set to Unknown, so it was a lumped-up version of Baek Do-yul's physical features.

And then.

Taker began fighting Baek Do-yul's clone.

Taker's swordplay was mostly variable forms.

In other words.

'Trickery.'

Ever-changing.

Unpredictable.

Thrashing about.

Of course, trickery honed to that level would pack a punch, but Baek Do-yul wielding the same sword with overwhelming skill and solid fundamentals would be far more devastating.

'Must've hit his limit.'

Ways to overcome that limit: stick to basics or patch it with other tech.

The former builds a sturdy tower. Can go much higher.

The latter is slapping bricks on desperately. Quick but shaky.

The latter was fast but prone to collapse. Taker's innate talent kept it standing this long.

“Don't try to do it like that pro, everyone. Got it?”

“Imitating it will hit your limit super early. Only talented folks like him can pull it off. Just do overhead strikes 10,000 times a day. Then you can be like me.”

It'd take 200 years, but sure.

Not praise.

“Humility mode? Nah. Then what? I'll show you right now.”

One minute passed.

Taker succeeded as promised, without losing any HP.

A bit tougher than Baek Do-yul's previous run.

Anyway, now the crowd was clamoring for proof.

But Seo-jun had no intention of stopping there.

“Everyone. How about we switch it up—who takes a hit first, same conditions so far?”

Seo-jun summoned without waiting for a reply.

Just like Taker had.

Refusing this would disqualify him as a streamer.

Aiming his sword at Taker's doll, Seo-jun grinned.

“One minute.”

From now on, the proof wouldn't be Seo-jun's alone.

Training Ground Rankings.

Ranks 2 through 99 are based on scores the AI assigns from records against Stage 9 AI.

But #1 is different.

It's the throne only the Stage 10 conqueror can claim.

And that throne.

Was undergoing cataclysmic change.

In real time.

The community was paralyzed with posts from the real-time throne war.

Every other stream was just spectating this fight.

So viewers didn't need screen-within-screen.

Thus.

Mass exodus from Ha Yun-ho and Rain's streams aside.

Each room hit 10k.

20k.

30k.

Growing as the fight dragged on.

Before long, Seo-jun's stream.

All-time high viewer count gathered.

Rain, direct-viewable, same.

The duo was sucking in viewers like a black hole.

And.

Taker finished his fight in a dubious state, then immediately opened Seo-jun's stream—which he'd closed during battle.

Until now, checking Seo-jun right away meant he'd be mid-fight, but not this time.

Seo-jun stood still, without summoning him. Looking at Ha Yun-ho.

'Damn, a tad late this time? Or not?'

Getting taxing now. Opponent too, probably.

'Anyway... Did I lose?'

Viewers weren't saying much different.

Just curious why idle Seo-jun was standing there.

He was curious too.

'Ending it here... Pretty smart?'

Hitting his limit too, no doubt. Given the conditions.

Said 30 sec but kept dodging.

Sensing danger now, trying to bail.

Impressively sly.

Of course, it irked him.

'What does that hyung know about me to act like he gets it.'

He'd overheard via chat what Seo-jun said during his Baek Do-yul AI fight and got it instantly.

'Thinks I'm plateaued.'

Overstepping.

And that moment.

Seo-jun raised three fingers.

As three fingers clearly entered everyone's view, Seo-jun smiled silently, turned, and summoned Taker's AI.

Then bolted at it like lightning.

Swords clash. AI's HP drops.

The sword's motion changed, chipping the AI's HP.

A sword not shown before.

Kang!

But a sword someone else had shown. Not Seo-jun.

'That's... variable form? No... me?'

AI and Seo-jun's motions overlapped then. Same. No, different.

Same change, but shorter path. Shorter means faster. Yet powerful.

'How...'

A shift occurred amid the proxy battlefield.

Attack and defense unify.

Seo-jun defended while attacking simultaneously.

With Taker's sword.

HP drops per exchange.

Sword shows unexpected motion.

In tough timings mid-fight, reverse grip, spin body for instant attack.

'What I did moments ago.'

As if scripted, AI mirrors Seo-jun's prior move.

But Seo-jun had already slashed.

The slashing sword descends as is.

Blocks on the way down.

Taker's reverse-grip sword.

Then Taker felt himself being dismantled.

His own sword blocks him.

He gets attacked.

Watching it unfold was strangely novel and immersive.

No.

Not immersive because he was losing.

That attack.

'How the hell did he pull that attack from there...'

That instant.

Done.

Chat explodes harder.

But Taker couldn't focus on the end, fixated.

What snapped him out: Seo-jun's words.

Seo-jun said casually, like no big deal.

But the content.

Was ignoring Taker.

No, not ignoring.

A strongman's courtesy, halving the time.

His turn came again.

Effortlessly, as before.

But otherworldly pressure crashed down unlike before.

And viewers—even Rain's—started flocking to Seo-jun's side.

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