The Heavenly Demon Teaches (3) - Who Are You! Who Are You! Who Are You!
The broadcast had exploded into chaos. Viewers knew exactly how hopeless Enry was at Apis. They were the same people who constantly teased her, claiming her Gold rank came from paid boosting and that Silver was her true ceiling. In their eyes, Enry was absolutely not someone capable of a ten-win streak.
“The opponents seem easier than usual today.”
The most bewildered person of all was Enry herself. She liked to shout that she was Platinum material, but Enry actually had better self-awareness than anyone. After entering various minor tournaments, she had come to understand exactly where her level sat. Yet what was this? After sharing a heated night with Ara last night, facing Silver players had suddenly become far too easy.
That Silver was empty of real players was something everyone knew. But until today, Enry had been one of those beasts herself. She should never have been able to win so simply. Nevertheless, today the game felt ridiculously easy to Enry. Perhaps it was because her point of comparison was yesterday’s passionate teacher. Riding that overwhelming momentum, she soon found herself standing at Gold’s doorstep.
Just one. Just one more win and she could return to Gold! This smelly Silver badge ended today. Farewell, you Silver trash. I am ascending to glorious Gold!
Ding. Match found.
When she saw the opponent’s class, a joyful laugh slipped from Enry’s lips. A Crusader? That was Dragon Hunter prey.
Crusaders were warriors clad in thick plate armor. They boasted high health and defense, and each mace strike carried crushing weight—perfect for brawling. In exchange, their slow speed made them fatally weak against Dragon Hunters who could poke them from range.
A free win?! Back to Gold?!
With her heart pounding, Enry checked the name.
‘Enry’s Broken Lance.’
“Hey! You son of a bitch!”
Enry’s Broken Lance—shortened to En-Bu-Jang—was one of the malicious snipers who frequently dropped into her stream. He was the very bastard who had dragged her down from Gold to Silver in the first place.
Enry’s scream-like wail caused laughter to erupt across the chat window. As usual, a streamer’s misfortune became the viewers’ happiness—so long as it wasn’t too cruel.
Matching Prepared
Dragon Hunter VS Crusader
Game begins in 20 seconds.
[20]
“Enry. Silver suits you perfectly.”
A heavy voice flowed from the warrior clad in thick plate. It was an attractive voice, yet the words it carried were utterly malicious. Enry marched right up to En-Bu-Jang’s face and screamed.
“Can’t I be happy for once?! Huh?!”
“It is all God’s will. Accept it.”
“What god would want to send me to Silver?!”
Enry’s furious shouting broke En-Bu-Jang’s acting. Laughter leaked out from beneath his helm, and Enry ground her teeth.
What now? Even while raging, her mind spun. Setting personality aside, En-Bu-Jang’s skill was real. The fact that she could count on one hand the number of times she had beaten him when he got serious proved it. She had already won ten matches in a row; he wasn’t going to go easy on her. She could have finished with a stylish eleven-win streak and entered Gold in style. Did he really have to ruin it here?!
Enry, boiling with resentment, took a deep breath. It wasn’t decided yet. No matter how good he was, she could win if she played better. She even had the favorable matchup. Honestly, no matter how strong En-Bu-Jang was, could he possibly be stronger than Ara?
Stay calm. Remember what Ara taught me yesterday.
[3]
[2]
[1]
MATCH START
The moment the system voice rang out, Enry retreated. The memory of being thoroughly drilled by Ara yesterday still lingered in her body. She stubbornly prevented En-Bu-Jang from closing the distance. It was an obvious declaration that she would run the full time limit, but from En-Bu-Jang’s perspective there was no good counter. No matter how strong a Crusader was in close-quarters brawling, it meant nothing if he couldn’t close the gap.
En-Bu-Jang clicked his tongue at how persistently—almost pettily—Enry maintained distance. Last time she had abandoned her lance’s reach and charged in herself; he had been grateful. What happened to change her so much? Did she find a new teacher?
What was fortunate for En-Bu-Jang was that Enry was only using Correction System techniques. He was an old veteran who had played Apis for years. He knew exactly how to dismantle a Dragon Hunter’s corrected skills. The annoying part was that dismantling them only minimized the damage he took.
His health slowly chipped away. The distance never closed. The frustrating situation continued. At this rate, defeat was certain.
Defeat itself was fine. En-Bu-Jang was the type to throw a quiet loss when Enry was having a bad day. The problem was the situation. Right now Enry was riding a ten-win streak and her arrogance had reached its peak. It wouldn’t be strange to say pride completely ruled her. Losing in this state? Not only would she get roasted on stream, he couldn’t imagine how much she would nag him every time they met afterward.
The viewers would be angry too, but En-Bu-Jang didn’t care about their rage. The only thing he feared was Enry’s razor-sharp tongue. To think he would be forced to use his trump card against her.
En-Bu-Jang clicked his tongue and stepped forward. Until now he had focused on defense, but now he moved while accepting damage. Yet Enry didn’t panic at all. She had practiced exactly how to handle this situation until she was sick of it yesterday. Ara had even closed the distance at speeds invisible to the eye and scolded her for failing to respond properly. In comparison, the En-Bu-Jang before her was practically announcing “I’m coming in” as he walked forward. Dealing with that was simple.
First, use small attacks to annoy him, then aim a heavy strike at the legs. If he couldn’t block, she gained the advantage. Even if he blocked, it didn’t matter. Blocking an attack meant stopping his movement, so she could widen the distance again. That way the opponent would be forced to eat damage while never closing the gap.
En-Bu-Jang! Do you know how many hours I practiced this?! If you thought you could break through easily, you’re gravely mistaken! You don’t know how vicious Ara is! She stayed up all night teaching me how to respond in every situation! She made me roll in the dirt until I got it right!
Just remembering yesterday made her dizzy. It really had been a nightmare. Next time you ask me something you don’t know in language class, I’ll pay you back the same way.
Even while thinking all that, Enry didn’t give En-Bu-Jang a single inch. In the end, he raised both hands before the massive wall called Enry.
Congratulations. You have been promoted to Gold. We wish you the glory of a warrior’s honorable battle.
“I’m back, my hometown!”
While savoring the joy of promotion together with the viewers, Enry searched for En-Bu-Jang in her friends list.
“You always mocked me every time I won, but today you’re so quiet.”
The other side remained completely silent, but Enry didn’t care. How often did a streamer have anyone else to talk to anyway? After years of solo streaming, roasting a silent opponent was child’s play for her. Just as she was continuing her stream of comments that would make En-Bu-Jang’s face flush and his body tremble, a donation with unusual content appeared among the messages congratulating her promotion.
“Really?”
Ara’s video must have gone up today. Perfect timing. Her head had been spinning from the eleven straight wins and she was feeling drained. Watching Ara’s video would be a good break.
“Everyone, shall we watch the video together?”
After receiving the viewers’ consent, Enry closed Apis and opened MyTube. Finding Ara’s video was easy. It had only been uploaded recently, yet it had already entered the trending section. The view count had already surpassed several hundred thousand, and the comments below were filled with nothing but praise for Ara.
I’m excited. What kind of trouble did Ara cause this time? Still, it probably won’t be bigger than fighting an Outer God last time, right?
The video began from the scene where the Third Elder and Baek Ara were facing each other. The Third Elder looked at Baek Ara as if she were laughable, while Baek Ara—despite her smaller stature—seemed to look down on the Third Elder instead. The first to move was Baek Ara. Responding to the Third Elder’s provocation, she swung her fist. But that fist was pathetic. It was hard to believe it came from the same person who had fought an Outer God.
“Is this what you call requesting a spar?”
The Third Elder’s mocking words flew out, but Baek Ara paid them no mind. She simply tilted her head while staring at her own fist.
She didn’t turn off the Correction System. She’s so thorough when it comes to fighting, yet so clumsy in the strangest places.
Enry had been laughing at Ara’s mistake, but it didn’t take long for her eyes to widen. After nodding, Ara swung her fist once more. This time the result was different. The Third Elder who blocked the punch was pushed backward.
“Why did the Third Elder get pushed back?”
It was incomprehensible. Enry had faced the Third Elder countless times before. Each time, the Third Elder had casually received her punches and mocked that they were lighter than feathers. He had never once widened his eyes and hardened his expression like this.
The chat window had gone wild, but Enry continued the video. Since Enry had just attacked, it was now the Third Elder’s turn to throw a punch. The ferocity of the Third Elder’s fists was well known. Even without inner energy, a single hit would leave the opponent on the verge of death. With inner energy, it was an instant game over. The basic rule when facing an Elder was to never allow even one attack.
Yet Ara did not dodge the Third Elder’s fist. She stretched out her hand, placed it against his wrist, and simply redirected the punch. The fist sliced through empty air and Ara’s hair fluttered. Within that moment, her smile flashed.
“She just parried the Third Elder’s punch, right?”
The exchange of blows continued. Although the Third Elder led the attack, it somehow looked as if he were the one being chased. Even amid the continuous barrage, Ara never lost her composure. The first to take damage was the Third Elder. After being struck in the abdomen with a heavy blow and retreating, he quickly regained his calm and his eyes changed.
Inner energy poured from the Third Elder’s body, crushing the very air. Even within that pressure that made simply standing difficult, Ara did not lose her smile. She looked like she was having fun.