A Swordsman's Stream

Chapter 125

Seven years ago was a time when most virtual reality-related businesses had not yet truly begun.

At that time, virtual reality was akin to a developing country with inadequate infrastructure.

So if one asked how it grew explosively over the past seven years, the answer would be simple.

The massive capital, known as ‘Surface’, with ample investment funds, had poured out virtual reality infrastructure all at once starting the next year.

A professional league that propelled the explosive popularity of virtual reality was born.

The streaming company, Travel, began offering official capsule streaming services after being acquired by Surface.

All transactions related to avatars or lobbies became active, and large-scale advertisements about virtual reality were broadcasted throughout the city.

For this reason, the video from seven years ago, linked in the email, had poor quality.

“Wow, this brings back memories.”

Seven years ago, Travel hadn’t yet arrived, but there had been a company providing a beta version of streaming services, albeit crudely, leaving the videos behind.

The problem was that the video quality was quite poor.

The technology to convert the neural signals—shot from capsules to the brain—into digital signals was lacking.

Inside virtual reality, one could see those streams clearly without needing to change signals, but most viewers, both then and now, didn’t watch streams inside capsules.

The streaming market had just grown because getting inside the capsule itself was quite a barrier to entry.

Moreover, back then, knowing about virtual reality itself was rare compared to now, so most older videos remained in a poor state or were deleted due to low views.

With a warm smile, Sojun followed the link.

It wasn’t on a streamer’s video but simply on a channel abandoned after uploading several game recordings in the past.

Most of the people in those videos used basic avatars, which brought a sense of nostalgia to Sojun.

Nowadays, only a handful used basic avatars, but back then, playing games with one’s own face was an unfamiliar concept.

It wasn’t the period of the very first users, 1 or 2 years earlier than Sojun, but rather just when it was normal for early pioneering users to create their own avatars.

Basic avatars mostly had faces covered with masks or hoods to lessen the unease.

Honestly, facing and fighting against several people with the same face might have scared Sojun a bit too.

In the video, Sojun discovered a glimpse of himself from seven years ago.

He was the opponent in the middle role against the video’s owner.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sojun from 7 years ago insisted on quickly striking vital points, even though it wasn’t necessary according to the game’s mechanics.

“No need to watch more. I should just check the rest.”

There were multiple links in the email, and Sojun quickly moved on to another video.

Similarly, this video was uploaded for fun by a regular person, and as he skimmed through it, he appeared again.

“This is definitely me, too.”

Sojun played another video.

It was the same story.

While Sojun was not always the protagonist of the video, he wondered how they even found these clips.

It was slightly uncanny.

“They’re all me, aren’t they?”

The ability to find these video uploads with views not even reaching 100 was impressive.

The reason was curious, too.

Why on earth would anyone do this?

Just then, a reply came to the email Sojun sent.

It arrived as a Travel message.

『It would be an honor to collaborate if given the chance!』

* * *

The next day.

Sojun finished playing a game from The League and returned to the Hall of Heroes.

It was a marketplace and lobby-like space in The League.

“It’s over. That was fun.”

Sojun was currently streaming.

He had been streaming for about two hours.

Of course, he still hadn’t shared his strategy.

-The streamer is really mean lol
-Look at how quiet the Kael-noobs are
-Better be careful lol
-You’re not shutting down the stream here, right, streamer-nim?

Although he promised to share tips today, he never said he’d provide them as soon as the stream started.

The diligent Kael-noobs, who prepared by following the channel the day before, were ready to cause a stir in the chat.

After Sojun banned a few troublesome characters as an example, his audience learned to control their temper.

-Forcing a two-hour stream, how unfair! Boo hoo
-If you’re annoyed, just leave and watch the replay lol
-But honestly, he’s incredibly good
-Suspicions of cheating have disappeared

“Glad to hear the suspicion of cheating is gone. I’ve never cheated during a stream. However, existing viewers tend not to believe that, which is frustrating. Now, let me tell you!”

Sojun headed towards the training room.

The training room allowed one to summon scarecrows and bots and invite friends for one-on-one sessions.

Moreover, there was no need to purchase any hero.

-Wow!
-Thank you!
-But even if he tells you, you guys won’t be able to do it, will you?
-Exactly lol
-But I still need to know

Even users who called themselves Kael devotees were fully aware.

No matter how detailed Sojun’s explanation was, only a very few with very high skills would gain any benefit from it.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t resist watching the stream proudly as Kael-noobs.

There were still plenty who remained skeptical.

People had overlooked it for now, believing Sojun had unearthed similar things in the past, but under normal circumstances, there would have already been accusations of hacking or exploiting bugs.

They waited with a mindset to see just how reasonable this explanation would be.

If it wasn’t convincing, they would tear into him immediately.

‘Convincing them is impossible.’

It was a matter of instinct.

Thus, instead of convincing them, Sojun needed to show them.

“Ah, everyone, today we have a special guest. Please welcome Wind Sword-nim!”

Sojun, having reached the training room, issued an invitation right away.

-Oh??
-Isn’t this the Kael-expert streamer who first succeeded in the double ultimate?
-The one who first achieved a double ultimate vs. the guy who did it in one game lol
-Looks like he’s going to teach the Kael-expert lol

Wind Sword.

The top-tier challenger user who had spoken with Sojun the day before.

Interestingly, he mentioned that he streams every now and then when playing games as a side job and had about one to two thousand fixed viewers.

The reason for his nickname, Wind Sword, was that he used to play a swordsman character with the wind and then transitioned to Kael.

Sojun introduced these facts to the viewers before greeting him.

“Hello, Wind Sword-nim.”

“Sojun-nim. Hello. Thank you for inviting me.”

“No, thank you for appearing on my stream today. Shall we get started?”

“Sounds good.”

“Oh, by the way, Wind Sword-nim is in the same position as viewers since he hasn’t heard the explanation yet.”

“That’s right.”

As Sojun stepped into the training room, a window popped up asking him to choose a hero.

Sojun chose Kael and entered, summoning a scarecrow in front of him.

“Now, let me explain in detail. Wind Sword-nim, please listen closely too.”

Sojun drew Kael’s sword from his waist and approached the scarecrow.

A line of light formed.

“In these games, unless patterns are random, they contain the developer’s intent. In other words, their creation follows a formula. You understand this to some extent, right, Wind Sword-nim?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Wind Sword nodded beside him.

He might be one of the users who had grasped the most about patterns.

Except for Sojun, that is.

“The same was true for the Assassin’s Dawn, where understanding their intent allowed me to find the weakpoint.”

First, Sojun mentioned something most have already checked out from his iTube videos.

“Now, let me reveal the developer’s intent behind Kael. It’s all about the middle.”

He began explaining.

-The middle?
-What’s he talking about?

“The next vital point will be spawned at a location that’s neither too hard nor too easy to link following the previous vital strike. If the next vital point appears in the easiest position to link, where would it spawn?”

Sojun made a gesture of slicing the scarecrow diagonally.

“Hmm, will it be created exactly the same way?”

-The easiest would be drawing the same line upward again, right? Not touching the stabbing circle.

Vital points have dots and lines.

To activate them, merely cutting or touching them isn’t sufficient.

For lines, one must cut at least 80% through, and for dots, only stabbing attacks count, making it fairly demanding.

The easiest then should be upward again where the previous cut was made.

“More or less, instead of being the exact same line, tilting it a bit more could sometimes be easier, but your understanding suffices.”

With variables like one’s position, the opponent’s position, the arm’s angle after the vital point was broken, and many others, vital points are spawned considering numerous factors, even Sojun is unaware of.

Right now, it’s impossible to know with precision.

If the developer would provide this support, Sojun would quickly grasp the knack.

“A thrust would generate a line based on the point stabbed. So, what seems like the hardest position to link up with?”

“Hmm.”

Wind Sword hummed softly while moving his sword a few times through empty space.

He seemed a bit uncertain.

“Just roughly understand that, for easier linkage, it appears in positions that naturally bend your arm. Now, do you have an idea?”

He was waiting because logically, one can’t know until realizing it themselves.

“Ah… hmm…”

Wind Sword sort of got the hang of it swiftly.

After being deep in thought for a moment, he spoke.

“Well, I don’t really get it fully, but I think I roughly understand. But how then does this ‘middle’ factor into it…?”

-Lol exactly
-Such a hazy explanation
-Isn’t this cheating?
-Really, hmm…

“Cheating, you say?”

Sojun rapidly and gently sliced the scarecrow from the front.

The unmoving opponent made it faster.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

『Judgment Blade』

After six crisp sounds, a vibration followed.

Kael’s ultimate descended from the ceiling.

-Not cheating, but lololololol
-I get it lololol
-I think I’ll just believe it’s a hack lololol
-But seriously, I’m kind of suspicious?
-I don’t care. Refund me!
-What?
-My time lololol
-Crazy lol

Though some were laughing, there were comments from people who weren’t convinced.

‘Guess it can’t be helped.’

Again, it’s something one must discover on their own.

Vital points fall into the category that can’t be described or memorized.

Too many variables make it a matter only intuitive responses, cultivated from countless experiences, can solve.

By providing examples alongside real insights, Sojun offered these.

If enough experience and skill were built, merely recognizing this intent could lead to substantial growth.

Understanding the level of proficiency claimed by those called experts, Sojun assured himself.

‘The problem is, most people lack both skill and experience.’

As time went on, naturally, experts would begin to validate Sojun’s words.

However, how many days it would take was uncertain.

-I really have no idea
-It’s nonsense. It feels like total nonsense just like last time with Assassin’s Dawn.
-If you Kael-noobs can’t trust the Streamer-nim, then leave.
-They’re called Kael ‘noobs’ for a reason
-Then do you guys believe in such things?
-Because he’s showing us lol the Streamer-nim always proves his point.
-Does knowing the parrying principle mean you can do it? lol
-Forget it, just refund me quickly
-Black consumer lololol

That’s why Sojun had a person prepared, and he spoke with a smile.

“Oh dear, a refund, you say. It’s not cheating if at least one person understands my lecture, is it?”

-That’s true if someone truly understands lol
-What kind of lecture
-Professor, you were so quick that no one could follow!
-Bring out the one person who got it lololol
-I bet no one did lololol

“Yes, right here. Someone clearly witnessed the explanation and fully understands from the look in his eyes.”

Sojun pointed to Wind Sword.

“…?”

Wind Sword’s eyes widened.

Huh? Me? When?

His expression seemed to scream these questions.

-lolol his eyes are so wide
-He really doesn’t look like he understands.
-His expression is totally lacking confidence lolol
-This is exactly it: “I am doomed.”

Naturally, Wind Sword would need much more time to reflect on it.

However, Sojun had a method to shorten that duration.

“Recognize Wind Sword-nim if he captures the pattern’s essence. Understood?”

Sojun, at that moment, was prepared to deceive.