The Heavenly Demon Arrives: Narak (5)
No way, this makes zero sense.
lmao lmao lmao lmao how is this even possible?
No... how is the great disciple of the Mount Hua Sect...
Just a man who smiles.
A man who truly cannot be understood.
A Mount Hua spy shedding tears over Cheong-gyeong's defeat.
Yet the very person who caused this reaction, Myeong-yun, remained perfectly calm.
The time it took Myeong-yun to subdue Cheong-gyeong was less than five minutes.
To showcase the charm of martial artists to the viewers, he had swiftly overwhelmed Cheong-gyeong.
After grasping every trajectory of Cheong-gyeong's sword, he relentlessly targeted only the vulnerable points and delivered nothing but critical strikes.
To the viewers, Myeong-yun looked utterly insane.
The Plum Blossom Sword Art Cheong-gyeong unleashed was the pinnacle of splendor.
Even seasoned Narak players found it nearly impossible to distinguish the sword paths with their eyes alone.
Yet Myeong-yun, facing Cheong-gyeong for the very first time, had perfectly dismantled him.
“Did you see that clearly, children?”
“Hmm. To put it simply, the Plum Blossom Sword Art has a distinct characteristic. Since not every move is a real technique, once you identify the feints, it becomes easy to exploit.”
Given Narak's popularity, many viewers had played it themselves. Quite a few had even faced Cheong-gyeong directly after investing dozens of hours into the game.
Yet no one had ever defeated him on their first attempt.
Not in Korea, and likely nowhere else in the world either.
Right now, they were witnessing the birth of a legend.
“Your discernment is still lacking. Strive harder.”
The viewers ultimately typed GG and gave up thinking.
After all, a sparrow trying to follow a stork would only tear its legs.
“Two ‘GG’s? What does that mean?”
One viewer who gave a vulgar reply to Myeong-yun's question was instantly banned.
In an era where AI chat moderation was commonplace, crossing the line even slightly resulted in immediate chat deletion.
Myeong-yun cleared his throat and was about to move on as usual when—
“...Hmm.”
He stopped upon discovering an unusual reward among the selectable options.
It radiated an ominous and eerie aura.
It was a black fragment, with black light flowing from its effects—an unsettling sight indeed.
Yet Myeong-yun's instincts told him he needed it.
Myeong-yun reached out and grasped the fragment.
Immediately, an unknown force pressed heavily upon his body.
Frowning, he checked the item's effects.
Link: [Curse] [1/3]
Curse: Physical Ability ‘10%’ Reduction
A bizarre effect indeed.
Narak was a game where collecting multiple items to complete sets made you stronger.
Normally, penalties came with compensating benefits, yet this fragment had no stat increases whatsoever.
Moreover, judging by the chat, no one seemed to recognize it.
‘This is it.’
The “uniqueness” Sang-hyun had mentioned.
To survive in the virtual streaming industry, one needed individuality and a distinctive point.
If Myeong-yun had merely been a Heavenly Demon VTuber with average physical skills, he would never have generated this level of buzz.
Previous VTubers who revealed their organs, displayed exceptional singing talent, or brought cutting-edge technology had all done so for the sake of uniqueness.
Something different from others.
Something only you could show! That was the true strength of exceptional VTubers.
“This should be entertaining. Until now, everything has been far too easy.”
Myeong-yun placed the fragment into his inventory.
It did not seem to affect his job, so it would not hinder future play.
Besides, playing with such shackles might actually be better for the viewers.
“If This Lord becomes slower, it will be easier for you all to follow the movements.”
No one could explain it because no one knew.
Myeong-yun once again clasped his hands behind his back and rapidly cleared Narak.
Numerous donations and missions poured in.
Those hoping for his failure wagered large sums demanding handicap play.
Yet Myeong-yun effortlessly triumphed over every handicap, causing the number of mission requests to dwindle.
After clearing the 3rd and 4th floors...
Link: [Curse] [3/3]
Curse: Physical Ability ‘50%’ Reduction
He obtained fragments from the bosses of both the 3rd and 4th floors as well.
After defeating the 4th floor boss, the renegade monk “Cheol-u,” the completed curse synergy bound his body.
A 50% reduction in overall physical ability.
Now burdened with an absurd penalty, Myeong-yun clenched and unclenched his hands a few times before speaking.
“How amusing.”
“Do not get so worked up, children. You will understand soon enough.”
Though the curse had greatly diminished his physical abilities, Myeong-yun thought it was fine.
Having consumed elixirs as they appeared, his overall stats were still around 40% of normal.
“The 5th floor is clearly the last. There might be something waiting there.”
Roughly an hour had passed since the stream began, including the opening.
The current record for a Narak speedrun was just under two hours.
The viewers were gradually becoming certain.
Myeong-yun would break that record.
And with an absurd handicap play at that.
Myeong-yun resumed his clear.
Bearing the penalty of the curse, he challenged the final floor—the 5th floor.
“I wonder who will appear on the 5th floor. Aside from the great disciple of Mount Hua, the others were not even worth speaking to.”
Myeong-yun's stream was spreading in real time across various communities.
Events were unfolding that even those who had played Narak did not know.
Due to the roguelike nature of the genre, countless branches existed depending on builds, yet the session Myeong-yun was playing was utterly alien.
Even self-proclaimed Narak veterans had never seen such things.
And before long, Myeong-yun finally reached the final room of the 5th floor.
His pure Narak playtime had just passed 1 hour and 19 minutes.
The live viewer count had already surpassed 17,000 and was approaching 18,000.
Thanks to video clips spreading everywhere and rumors of a new record drawing all sorts of people in.
As donations began pouring in with the rising numbers, Sang-hyun turned off the alerts so Myeong-yun could focus on the game.
“So this is the end.”
Myeong-yun stood before the firmly closed iron door, looked up for a moment, then extended one hand and pushed it open.
With a spine-chilling creak, the door opened, revealing a black cavern within.
“Someone is here.”
Having pierced through the darkness, Myeong-yun took a step inside and tilted his head slightly.
Then something brushed past his head and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
In response to the viewers' questions, Myeong-yun answered.
“A spear.”
Glancing back, the spear embedded in the wall pulled itself free and flew back into the cavern.
After dodging the returning spear, the interior of the cavern began to glow with a dim light from a night pearl, illuminating a single figure.
The person who emerged from the darkness was a man holding a spear in one hand.
The muscles and scars visible through his tattered robes clearly showed how long he had trained.
As Myeong-yun stepped inside, the spear-wielding man spoke.
“...You shall not take another step forward.”
Myeong-yun also chuckled at the mention of the Beggar Sect beggar.
From appearance alone, it might seem that way, but Myeong-yun could tell.
This man was stronger than any martial artist he had encountered in Narak so far.
“Martial artist, if you value your life, turn back. I will not warn you again.”
“How audacious. None who have stood in This Lord's path have survived.”
One viewer had spent a fortune to inform the others who the man was.
Though it did not appear on Myeong-yun's notification window, donations were displayed prominently in the chat.
Of course, Myeong-yun had read the donation message.
“Divine Spear... Let us see if the title suits you.”
His fighting spirit surged.
Everything he had faced until now had not even served as a proper warm-up.
“Since he claims to contend for the greatest under heaven, he should be better than the scarecrows I have faced so far.”
At Myeong-yun's arrogant remark, Bi-ryeong gripped his spear with both hands and glared at him.
The man who contended for the greatest under heaven judged that Myeong-yun was no ordinary opponent.
Aiming the spear tip at Myeong-yun, Bi-ryeong spoke.
“I am Bi-ryeong, the Divine Spear who contends for the greatest under heaven. I shall hear your name before I kill you.”
“This Lord is the Heavenly Demon.”
“......?”