Duel Tower (3): Pushing the Limits
"It's getting tough."
I muttered as I rotated my broken right arm in circles. The injuries from the duel and the depleted aura had all recovered the moment I returned to the lobby.
Duel Tower, 8th floor. That was my current progress.
And in the last duel on the 7th floor, my right arm had snapped.
My opponent's level was 144. A player 123 levels higher than me.
Naturally, they had overwhelmingly superior stats. But the fracture in my right arm wasn't from any injury they inflicted.
It was because my current body couldn't withstand the sword strike I forced beyond its limits.
I had no choice but to push it.
To fight an enemy with such overwhelming power.
In wuxia novels, there's that saying four taels to move a thousand catties. A technique often mentioned in the Wudang sect, meaning you control a thousand catties' weight with just four taels.
Conversely, it means you need at least four taels of strength to control that thousand-catties weight.
I'm the same.
If my head's cut off before I can even employ any skill or draw my sword, even I have no answer.
And now, without pushing my limits, I could barely muster even those four taels—the spec gap was growing that wide.
Still, for now.
I can win.
I can climb higher.
If I have no teeth, I'll fight with my gums. Battling stronger opponents was something I'd grown numb to.
My life had always been defined by desperate struggles against beings far stronger than me.
The Beast King, the False Gods, the Demon King. All the same.
Entities with power surpassing the me of that time.
And against them, I'd always emerged victorious.
How far can I go?
Guess I'll find out by trying.
I started another match.
Just like when I challenged the Physical Test.
Facing a tough challenge, my heart pounded without fail.
You have been defeated in the duel!
Moving to Duel Tower - 8th floor.
Title 'Duel Tower 9th Floor Climber' has changed to 'Duel Tower 8th Floor Climber'.
"...Ah, fuuuuck!! If I hadn't messed up that last number game!!"
A scream echoed through the Duel Tower 8th floor lobby.
The players nearby glanced over briefly at the outburst but soon lost interest.
It was an extremely common sight in the Duel Tower.
Losers from duels—especially those who'd dropped floors—wailing in agony was everyday life here.
And the fact that the target was a streamer wasn't particularly unusual either.
The world was now in the age of Asteria Online.
In a world where over 5 billion people played Asteria, it was natural that professional streamers—those making a living from Asteria broadcasts—would proliferate.
Of course, it had become a brutal red ocean now, making success as rare as stars in the sky.
"No, seriously... wasn't that opponent kinda weird just now? Didn't feel like 9th-floor level."
'FactAssault' has donated 1,000 won!
[Isn't it you who doesn't have 9th-floor skills, not the opponent?]
"......"
Lucian ground his teeth silently at the immediate donation shot.
He was a streamer who'd started broadcasting from Asteria Online's launch and successfully carved out a niche.
With top-tier Physical Test scores, decent banter, and a passably handsome face, he'd secured a solid viewer base.
Plus, his level 162 was enough to claim pro status.
...Even if his viewers teased him endlessly about it.
He glanced at his stream title.
[Duel Tower 10th Floor Channel King Run]
Duel Tower 10th floor. Lucian had reached it before.
His peak... or whatever you'd call it. He'd definitely climbed to 10 once upon a time.
But Duel Tower PVP content dropped your floor if you didn't queue for a while.
Busy with ongoing quests, Lucian naturally fell to 8th.
And after that, he never reclaimed the high ground.
Until today.
With higher levels and confidence in his improved skills, he'd boldly challenged for channel king.
...This is fucked, isn't it?
Stuck at 9th, and now dropped back to 8th? No way.
"...Hold up. From now on, I'll show you a miraculous 15-win streak."
No, that's not it.
Lucian gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve.
Yeah, my skills aren't lacking.
Just bad matchmaking luck.
A bit of luck, and I can hit 10th no problem...
With his mind armed, he queued again.
Blind to how his thinking mirrored those who blamed "team luck" for being bronze.
And then.
Matching... Match found!
Automatically moving to duel arena.
His vision shifted as the match completed.
Opponent is on a 30-win streak!
Duel starts in 3 seconds!
The moment he saw the messages, Lucian doubted his eyes.
"Level 21? 30-win streak? No, what the...?"
What is this?
Does this make sense?
Looking across in bewilderment, a girl stood with sword in hand—blue hair flowing, wearing a mask.
Maybe because of the mask, she had a mysterious aura.
Her light pink lips, visible below the mask, curved alluringly.
Feels familiar... where have I seen her?
A sudden sense of déjà vu pierced his mind.
Like he'd seen her recently somewhere.
As Lucian racked his brain.
'BestSwordInTheWorld' has donated 1,000 won!
[That's the one from the community post lololol bullet deflection video person, right?]
Quickly scanning the donation, Lucian's eyes widened.
Bullet deflection... ah!
He knew that viral community video too.
Some streamers even did challenges with it.
No way he wouldn't know—it hit 10 million views on HotTube.
After Lancelot joined the challenge, it spread overseas.
That's why she seemed familiar.
Lucian recalled the girl deflecting bullets and looked at his opponent.
Confirmed.
No doubt. Same person.
Rabbit mask design, blue hair, outfit, petite build—all identical.
Thoughts like She was a newbie?Not a high ranker?Is she even human? swirled chaotically, but one thought led:
This is huge!
10th floor channel king? Duel win/loss? Forgotten.
Stream instinct kicked in.
If he interviewed her properly... viral gold.
HotTube upload? Views jackpot.
That realization hit.
"Wait a sec, miss!!"
Whoosh—
Lucian swiftly retreated, stowing his weapon in inventory.
Completely unarmed.
His quick reaction halted Yuri mid-charge as the countdown ended.
Lucian thrust both hands forward, rushing his words.
"I'm Lucian, streamer from Lion! Streaming right now—mind a quick interview if it's not too much trouble?!"
"...Streaming?"
Yuri tilted her head.
Streamers. She knew the concept.
When she got the capsule, Moira staff mentioned broadcasting.
Even pre-Possession, streamers were booming.
"Yeah, uh... sure, whatever. What interview?"
Just interview felt odd.
What could they want from me?
Unlike Asteria, she was a total unknown on Earth.
Sudden interview reason... level maybe?
Curiosity about a level 21 reaching here? Plausible.
She didn't care about the interview.
As long as it skipped Possession, return, Sword Saint stuff—let it leak.
Terminal life anyway. Whatever.
But Lucian's question missed her guess.
"You're the one from the bullet deflection video, right?"
Bullet deflection? The warrior training hall incident?
Video... oh.
Right, one player there was recording.
If they uploaded and it went viral, makes sense.
Yuri nodded briefly.
"If you mean the warrior training hall thing, yeah, that's me."
The chat exploded at Yuri's confirmation.
Expected, but hearing it from her made it real.
Meanwhile, 28k viewers...!
Lucian checked numbers, suppressing a grin.
Word spread on communities—viewers surging live.
'RomanticMartialArtist' has donated 5,000 won!
[Ask if she's Sword Saint tho quick]
"...Next question. Mind if I ask how far you cleared the Physical Test?"
Lucian checked donations and followed up.
Beyond streaming, he was curious too.
PT 99th stage. Before difficulty, was it even humanly possible?
World rank 1, undefeated since launch Heavenly Sword Freid never passed 85.
Thus "Heavenly"—untouchable.
Yet Sword Saint crushed him for PT rank 1.
Community buzzed with guesses.
And the masked girl from [Bullet Deflection]—Yuri—was a top suspect.
As Lucian and viewers fixated on her lips, the light pink parted slowly.
"—99 stages."
The chat exploded.