A Swordsman's Stream

Chapter 122

『”Who the heck is this guy, and why does he have 20,000 viewers? Never seen him before.”』

A new post emerged on The League’s community forum.

A streamer, unfamiliar to most, had surfaced in The League’s Travel category.

A viewer count of 20,000 was exceptionally high for a streamer.

Though this would classify him as a mid-tier streamer rather than a major corporation figure, it was a statistic not to be overlooked.

Only a select few among mid-tier streamers could achieve such status.

However, curiosity was inevitable since an unknown streamer occupied such a position.

==

(Travel screenshot)

Who is this?

==

The question, asked with apparent curiosity, quickly received comments.

– Don’t you know Heavenly Demon?
└Yep (original poster)
– How clueless
└For real, lol

The original intent wasn’t entirely innocent.

The post was titled with derogatory language, so the comments were bound to be equally harsh.

– Do I have to know? (original poster)

The original poster seemed frustrated.

And how could so many people know this streamer?

It appeared that most comment posters were in the know.

After all, community users who didn’t know likely wouldn’t bother commenting.

└I’m a regular viewer, and even I’ve never heard of this streamer? (original poster)

“Never heard.”

It’s slang that means someone or something that’s unheard of.

└To say you’ve never heard of him, it’s the Heavenly Demon
└He’s the Sword God now
└Oh, Orthodox Faction. Stop your nonsense
└Go!
└Hmm. Are you perhaps from No Justice? (original poster)

Seeing such comments, a user with a slight interest in games might naturally think of “For Justice.”

It’s about the only martial arts game of its caliber.

The original poster, recalling that a Battlefield just ended, commented as follows:
– Is the Battlefield that enjoyable? Hmm, lol (original poster)

The original poster thought this way,

People only watch the Battlefield event if they’re interested, and even if it gets high views like Ark or a sudden viewership explosion, wouldn’t it just about reach mid-tier?

They didn’t even reach The League’s average.

Surprisingly, the comment was spot-on.

The League’s status was so dominant that dismissing it was understandable.

└Now you disrespect “For Justice”?
└You should get parried by Heavenly Demon to wake up
└This is the League’s community, so you guys should wake up (original poster)

In a world where there were numerous unnoticed iTubers with 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 subscribers, it was unavoidable that more people didn’t recognize Sojun, despite his widespread recognition and achievements in For Justice.

Thus, League users who recalled Sojun’s days in For Justice began to encourage watching his play videos.

└You all noob over any streamer, lol (original poster)
└Just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean you should speak mindlessly
└You’ll know once you watch him play
└He’s really good. A skilled streamer. Just watch once
└Here it is (clip) (clip) (clip)
└Check this out too. It’s incredible. (clip)

However, the poster responded this way,
└Sure, you’re all this way because you fought in For Justice, lol “For Justice” tier, lol (original poster)

They realized that the poster wasn’t even watching the clips and was just commenting.

Because if they had seen Sojun’s play, they wouldn’t be making such comments.

At the very least, if they had proper eyesight.

Thankfully, it seemed the poster was indeed watching something.

└Wow, they’re choosing Kael? Are they a Kael-noob? (original poster)

At that realization, those who knew of Sojun felt at ease.

└You’re watching the stream, after all?
└Then there’s no need to say more, lol
└Withdraw!
└Where are you guys going in the middle of a fight? (original poster)
└This guy is going to become a Demonic Cult follower soon, lol
└For real, lol
└What nonsense is this! (original poster)

* * *

Kael was a character who lived and died by vital points.

His skill required hitting three vital points within a set time to activate.

The set time was 10 seconds after striking a vital point.

If the next vital point wasn’t hit within 10 seconds, everything reset.

It was a surprisingly lenient condition for a moderately experienced player with some focus.

Of course, it was challenging enough to create numerous noobs.

The ultimate skill required a total of 6 hits beyond the initial 3.

This was doable but also challenging enough to create fans.

“It’s high-risk, high-reward, missing just slightly, and you lose everything.”

The measure of a Kael user’s skill was how quickly they could hit vital points to trigger skills.

And why was that?

Because creating vital points was random, right?

“It’s not random, though.”

Sojun embedded his sword in the vital point before directing it towards the next anticipated vital point.

While Sojun made split-second predictions, the viewers recalled the events that had just transpired.

-No way there’s a rule everyone memorized, lol
-It’s insane to build skill stacks in 2 seconds, lol
-High-level players are fast, but… this is too fast! Streamer-nim!

Indeed, high-level players could string vital points faster than regular players.

By “high-level players”!

It meant those who have played thousands upon thousands of matches with a single character, honing their skills as experts.

Sojun’s sword moved unhesitatingly.

Spots illuminated by light formed critical areas.

A horizontal slash followed. Then, a thrust.

Ching! Ching!

And as soon as it formed, the tip of the sword struck and broke it.

Exactly 2 seconds.

『Blessing of Light』

A reloaded arrow flew, encasing Sojun in a brilliant glow.

-Not again?
-Crazy
-Does invincibility skills get copied?
-What the heck, seriously, lol, so insane
-This is too OP

Experts were players who dug into the extremities, combining skill and incredible proficiency, at least with that character.

Kael tended to have many experts.

Kael’s experts showcased incredible displays of skill.

Quickly fulfilling skill conditions and using ultimate skills under various complex and unfavorable battle situations.

Meeting skill conditions within 20 seconds, under any circumstances, was commendable.

Drawing the skill within 10 seconds meant one could join the ranks of experts.

If one could use the skill within 8 seconds, they were undoubtedly a Challenger-level Kael expert in physical prowess.

But then.

-Again with the 2 seconds! lol
-This can’t be real?
-Is there honestly some hidden rule?
-Hidden secrets, lol, for real

Sojun’s sword slashed through the vital points.

And slashed again. Without pause. Using the best-performing skills when about to be obstructed.

Ching! Ching! Ching!

“Hey? Uh. Wait, hold up!”

Every time Sojun attacked a vital point, the opponent’s health dwindled, reducing to nothing.

『FIRST BLOOD!』

The enemy, wide-eyed in shock, was dead.

『MID NICE』
『What the! Kael, well done!』

Such were the voices of his teammates.

In The League, players could communicate with teammates during the game.

They could see the positions on the minimap.

Basic communication could be sent via pings.

By bringing up the Chat Interface, one could pull up desired options like calling.

Such conveniences were The League’s strengths since its inception on PC.

Sojun smiled lightly and proceeded to farm minions.

“Oops. I failed at controlling my power.”

* * *

『There’s no stopping him!』

Sojun opened the interface for a moment at the narration.

The enemy’s KDA was seen.

0/5/0.

Sojun’s KDA was 5/0/0, indicating the opponent’s mid-lane had already died to Sojun five times.

『Hey, hey. Kael’s gone crazy!』
『Were you a Kael expert all along!』
『Knew I could trust you.』
『Isn’t the opposing mid-lane just trolling?』

Listening to his teammates’ cheers, Sojun spoke.

“Well, the enemy mid-laner came in and left already. Leaving me alone.”

-If he fails to control his strength twice, he’ll pull off a pentakill, lol
-Streamer, just reveal the secrets already! Reveal the secrets! Reveal the secrets!
-No, seriously, how does he do it? Must be some sort of rule?
-Those Kael fans drooling get all the thumbs up, lol

Back in the day, when Sojun played, Kael was somewhat different.

‘Yesterday, when I checked the information, I was a bit surprised.’

Although the concept was the same—spot, react quickly to vital points to gain benefits—there was no invincibility skill, nor any condition for ultimate skill back then.

Instead, the speed buff gained from striking vital points was more than twice what it is now.

The core remained. Skills had simply changed slightly.

‘That’s why back then, everyone focused not on quick hits but something else.’

It’s different now.

-No, there’s definitely a rule.
-No, if there were, we’d have discovered it… quite intriguing.
-This is the flavor! Finding like back then! The Streamer is an alien!
-Is this achievable due to intelligence?
-Nope, the Streamer must be the successor of Surface, and game companies disclosed all secrets.
-So, why is this esteemed person streaming on Travel? lol

For today’s Kael, speed was vital.

“If it were truly random, it would be luck, not speed.”

The reason experts could chain Kael’s vital points faster than ordinary players,

They, through thousands and thousands of games, had grasped pieces of the rule intuitively.

When playing Kael, they had instinctively set a foot in the realm Sojun stood in.

“Everyone, why exactly did you think the vital points create randomly?”

-Because we never found out, lol
-You can tell horizontally and vertically after a lot of experience, lol, but going into details, we didn’t know.
-It was partially random.

Thus far, users and experts speculated so,

One could roughly discern right or left, up or down after enough experience!

However, more specifically—the diagonal swipe, circular thrust, or vertical draw, where the trajectory began—was unknown!

Because we couldn’t locate it!

That had been the general consensus before Sojun joined the game.

And likely, most of those not watching Sojun likely still believed so.

“Now you understand, right? Game developers only love randomness when selling loot items.”

Sojun’s viewers witnessed there were patterns in Kael’s vital points.

-What
-You found this like you found that pattern!
-Lol, loot items, lol
-Love gacha
-No, seriously, what does this guy do to even see these things!
-Typical newcomer’s experience
-This is the streamer!
-Please explain in more detail!!!!

“Details later. Now then. I’m level 6, so let’s see how long it takes to achieve ultimate.”

If it took 2 seconds for 3, then for 6?

As it happened, the mid-lane opponent—having died 5 times—was trudging along absentmindedly.

Ordinarily, being killed that many times drains one’s soul, making them move like a machine.

Sojun approached.

The opponent mid noticed him moments too late, startled out of their stupor, reacting sluggishly.

The first trajectory cut diagonally.

Ching!

Next was thrust.

‘Left chest seems likely.’

Sojun retrieved his sword, thrusting it straight forth.

Ching!

Many directional lines appeared and vanished, all felled by Sojun’s Swift Sword.

“No more……”

Glass cracks sounded six times swiftly.

With conditions met, a mark appeared over the enemy’s head.

‘That’s the heretic mark.’

The mark indicated the target for his ultimate skill.

‘Back in the day, it took precise placement of the ultimate; now, with the mark, it’s a guaranteed hit.’

What’s better for Sojun was clear.

It’s only been 4 seconds.

“That was how it was done, wasn’t it.”

Sojun placed his sword on the ground with both hands, envisioning a descending heaven-sent sword.

Kukukung!

『Judgment Sword』

A great tremor shook the air as the sky parted.

In just 4 seconds, Kael’s ultimate skill triggered.

A gigantic sword descended from the heavens, landing squarely on the face of the bewildered opposing mid-laner.

“Wow. Seeing it, Kael’s skill really looks cool.”

Remarked the opposing mid-laner.

After dying whenever they walked into the lane, this was a natural reaction.

“Didn’t die, though.”

Judgment Sword had an execution effect that instantly killed those under a certain health threshold.

However, the enemy’s health, despite being struck critically six times, wasn’t low enough.

“Yes, didn’t die. Well, kill me now. Great skill demonstration.”

-Lol, seems like their mental state really broke, lol
-Kael’s supposed to be 0/6/0, not this, lol
-Enjoyed watching your skill demo~
-Please explain how… I play Kael and can’t wait any longer.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Sojun, Kael had seen a resurgence in popularity post-rework (skill redesign).

Gaining a reputation as the successor to a storm-riding swordexpert character from the PC era—one known for its typical noob following.

However, those who cultivated such perceptions were unfazed by being labeled noobs.

They neither cared about skills nor the game’s outcomes.

Only the ultimate!

Choosing Kael solely to use Judgment Sword, these players cared only about how quickly they could unleash the ultimate skill.

Speed mattered even in the past.

During the PC days, a precursor character wielding a rapier to puncture vital points existed.

The ultimate for this 2D character created vital points in four simultaneous directions.

And people crafted countless combos to hit all four within a single second.

This speed equaled prowess and skill.

As it transitioned into a virtual reality, countless elements—basic environment, vital point mechanism, hero concepts—changed, but the essence seemed unmovable.

Kael’s experty lay in how swiftly one could predict and strike ensuing vital points, the very thought dominating Kael fan circles.

Now, a piece of news had just surfaced in the community, bound to drive Kael fans wild with excitement.

『Wow… insane… was there a 4-second Judgment Sword??』

The one who first spread this news was none other than the initial inquiry poster about Sojun.

Though beginning differently, a new era for the assassin from the second Joseon had just dawned.