The Heavenly Demon's Overwhelming Debut

Level 7 account but a 37-win streak? Has to be a smurf.

"Do you guys know who it is?"

"Master-nim got wrecked? Then it's gotta be at least a Challenger smurf. We're in serious trouble now?"

It probably wasn't a pro league player, right? Jong-woon was a former pro, sure, but that was ancient history. Against a second-string pro he'd have to grit his teeth and pray. Against a first-string pro he'd be lucky to steal a single win out of ten matches. If he'd kept the skill level that actually worked in the pro scene, he never would have retired in the first place.

"For real?"

"Then it's doable."

Apis was an old game. The amount of knowledge required wasn't something you could count on one hand. No matter how monstrous your physical reflexes were, there was a hard limit if you couldn't account for all the game's layered systems.

"Guys. Going no-mic hardcore mode now."

"Aish, these people are unbelievable."

He was absolutely going to win. He'd win and sweep every last won of that mission money.

The battle map was the Temple. An ancient, long-abandoned shrine turned into a stage. There was only one variable here: the special victory condition.

"Apis is straight-up trolling me."

Even that special victory was practically impossible to achieve, making the map no different from the Coliseum that had zero variables. It wasn't called one of the Big Three skill-check maps for nothing. To get matched against a pure physical one-trick on this stage of all places. What terrible luck.

When Jong-woon's face twisted into a scowl, the chat window exploded with cheers. These people really couldn't stand to see anyone succeed. Not that he could talk; he acted the exact same way whenever he visited other streamers' rooms.

"Hmm. A knight wielding a shield this time."

On the opposite side of the arena, the Heavenly Demon character materialized. Her customization was relatively plain. If anything, it felt like the base Heavenly Demon model with a touch more mature decadence layered on top. Even her voice sounded exactly like the real thing. Whether she was doing an impression or using a voice changer, it was clear the user named Hwaryeong took her Heavenly Demon roleplay extremely seriously. Her movements, her gaze, her tone; everything. The user Hwaryeong was literally like an AI version of the Heavenly Demon that had stepped into reality.

"Insane. The roleplay is next level."

"I can totally see it."

"Who exactly are you conversing with?"

She must have caught him whispering to the audience. Hwaryeong tilted her head slightly and asked Jong-woon, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"Hello. I'm Turret streamer Dekay. I'm currently live, so I was just chatting with my viewers. If being on stream makes you uncomfortable—"

"It is fine. I care not if my face becomes known."

Dignity radiated from her voice. She might not be an ordinary gamer after all. Maybe she was an actual actor in real life. This was pure MyTube content. The title practically wrote itself: I Met the Real Heavenly Demon. Since the story was already circulating in the community, this encounter was probably being relayed live somewhere. Uploading the footage later would make it spread like wildfire.

He just hoped her skills lived up to the hype. If she was mediocre, he wouldn't be able to post it with a clear conscience.

"You. You are appraising me."

Maybe his stare had been too obvious.

"I pray your arrogance is matched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by skill. Thus far I have only encountered rather dull children."

"Despite appearances, I'm a former pro. I won't be that easy."

"Ho? You?"

The corner of Hwaryeong's mouth curved upward. Jong-woon felt a chill race down his spine. It was certain. The person standing before him was the real thing. She possessed strength that perfectly suited that arrogant tone.

The moment the system announced the start, Hwaryeong's figure vanished. An illusory shift. Moving carelessly would only create an opening. He had to wait. Had to sharpen every sense and wait for any trace of her presence.

Now!

KWAAAANG!

Even though steel met fist, the one forced back was the steel. Jong-woon felt his shield arm go numb from the impact.

"Your instincts are sharp."

What kind of power was that? It looked like a casual punch, yet it carried the weight of a high-level technique!

"Let us see how long you can endure."

Hwaryeong never once surrendered the initiative she had seized. Overbearing strikes infused with the profound principles of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art rained down without pause. Jong-woon was completely occupied with defense. It felt like his breath was being stolen away.

Apis was a game. There was no such thing as an attack without weaknesses. Between those relentless chains of strikes that left no room to breathe, there had to be an opening to counter. But what the hell was this onslaught? Why couldn't he find a single gap? Why were all his techniques being dismantled? Why?

Jong-woon was essentially forced into true no-mic gameplay. He was too busy trying to breathe; there was simply no time to speak.

"Keuk!"

It didn't take long for Jong-woon's concentration to reach its limit. For the briefest instant, the tiniest gap appeared, and the Heavenly Demon did not miss it. It was a fatal opening.

After tumbling across the ground and barely regaining his stance, Jong-woon glanced at his health bar. More than half had been shaved away. In contrast, the Heavenly Demon's health bar remained exactly as it was at the start.

"Is that all? How disappointing."

Jong-woon's defeat was all but guaranteed. There was an impassable wall between the user Hwaryeong and himself. Having faced countless skilled players, Jong-woon could tell that Hwaryeong possessed talent that would thrive even in the professional scene. She could claim a starting position on a first-string team immediately. That was the level of her gift. That was the level of her skill.

Jong-woon silently gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand. What he was about to do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from this point forward would likely amount to meaningless struggling. But he had to do it. This was a matter of pride.

"Hmm. You possess some tenacity, at least."

He didn't need much. Just once. If he could land a single successful attack. After being beaten for nearly a full minute, the pattern of her strikes had become familiar. It was still difficult to handle, but if he stopped worrying about winning and simply played the numbers, he might be able to land one hit.

He raised his shield.

"What is this? Do you intend to simply stand there like a turtle and endure?"

Would she come to attack? Logically, there was no need. From here she could secure victory simply by kiting him. Why introduce any variables? But that person wouldn't do that. Because she was the Heavenly Demon. Because she was the ruler of the Overbearing Path. Because she was acting exactly as the role demanded!

"Then will you simply continue watching?"

"A childish provocation, but very well. I shall come."

Wait. Calm down. Watch her. Watch the Heavenly Demon. Watch the movement of her muscles. The rhythm of her breathing. The direction of her gaze. Burn it all into your mind so deeply you can feel it without looking.

The instant the Heavenly Demon's form disappeared, Jong-woon closed his eyes. He focused solely on the presence around him. Before his heart could even beat ten times, he heard it; a faint 'thud.' It was so weak it was quieter than his own heartbeat, yet Jong-woon didn't miss even that minuscule signal.

Now.

He dropped his shield and thrust his sword forward. A bold strike that could never have been imagined from the turtle-like Jong-woon of moments before. No matter how skilled she was, she couldn't possibly have predicted this.

"A fine aim. However, it was still slightly lacking."

The sword had definitely reached her. The thin cut on her cheek proved it. In other words, the all-or-nothing strike Jong-woon had bet his defeat on had only amounted to that.

Jong-woon laughed without realizing it. This was too much. What a monster.

After the match ended and he returned to the starting area, Jong-woon collapsed straight onto the floor. Maybe he'd overworked his brain; his head was pounding. The chat window was... Ah, screw it. Who cared. The mission had failed, so they were probably spamming about that.

"Child."

"What do you want? I feel like I'm about to die here."

"You performed admirably. Among all I have faced in this Apis, you are the first to have wounded me."

It was definitely praise. The problem was that it was the kind of praise he couldn't brag about to anyone. He imagined telling his younger acquaintance and laughed. That guy didn't know how to mince words; he'd probably just ask if Jong-woon had lost his mind.

"That being said."

"Shall we not continue? It is not easy to find an opponent of your caliber."

The words "If you want a fair match, just queue ranked" rose in his throat, but Jong-woon swallowed them. If she knew that, she wouldn't be doing this here. Still, he really didn't want to play any more with this person. It genuinely felt like his lifespan was being shaved away with every match. He'd already given up his pro career; he didn't want to grind Apis this desperately. MyTube content or whatever, he needed to survive first.

"What?!"

He'd shouted so suddenly that Hwaryeong's eyebrows shot up, but Jong-woon didn't notice. His entire focus was locked on the chat and the donation alert. Only now did he understand why the donations were pouring in. The viewers were completely hooked on the Heavenly Demon. The overwhelming skill that crushed Dekay, one of Apis's top streamers. The arrogant tone that never lost its composure. The charisma burning in those eyes. People wanted to see more of the user named Hwaryeong.

Especially the moment Jong-woon had managed to draw a little blood, the chat had gone almost silent. Everyone had been completely absorbed in the match. The nonstop barrage of donations that exploded the instant the game ended proved it.

Jong-woon instinctively understood. He couldn't run away from this. Even if the human Lee Jong-woon was worn down to nothing, the streamer Lee Jong-woon had to plant his bones here. The thought of playing another ten games against that monster made his heart tighten, but there was no choice.

"Hwaryeong-nim."

"What is it?"

"If you grant me one request, I'll play around ten games with you."

"Speak. If it is within my power, I shall grant it."

"Please allow me to upload the video of our match on MyTube."

Hwaryeong blinked once, then let out a small chuckle.

"Did I not already tell you? I care not if my face becomes known."

Permission secured. Time to get back to work.

Jong-woon lifted his heavy arm and pressed "Yes" on the rematch prompt.