Chapter 12

Chapter 12: [Knight Soul] Is This... a Human Being? (4)

Silence.

“Ah...”

A momentary hush.

Strachia Magnex also temporarily halted its offensive... and a suffocating atmosphere flowed through the enormous cave.

“This works?”

However— that was only a story within the game. In the chat window displayed in the streaming window, the viewers were running wild.

-Legendary!!!!!!!!

-Kyaaaaaaaaaaa!

-??????????????????????????????

-He knocked away the fake knight’s Lesser Slashes and made them offset the follow-up Lesser Slashes flying in afterward???????

-Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin! Ju Seo-jin!

It was a strange thing.

Myangbangwool— those who had not subscribed to Ju Seo-yoon’s streaming membership for three months or longer could not even write in the chat window.

Despite that, everyone cheered and marveled.

They immersed themselves in Ju Seo-jin, who had been nothing more and nothing less than a special guest until just a short while ago.

As though they were looking at a brightly shining star.

-Holy...

-He’s not human..?

-Lesser Slashes << ?? Isn’t getting the bounce-off judgment on this shit crazy hard? How did he do it?

-Getting the judgment to knock away Lesser Slashes is one thing, but... you’re telling me he can even control the angle and direction he knocks them away..?

-Someone who logged into a virtual reality game for the first time today... can do this? It really doesn’t make sense... This is ridiculous...

Everyone was busy talking about Ju Seo-jin’s gameplay and burning with excitement.

The donations were the same.

Even though the donation amount had been set high, a surprisingly large number of voice donations burst out.

Continuously.

[<Let’sGoHardcore> has donated ‘50,000 won.’]

━Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa, this is so damn fun, so damn fun lololololol. This is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kki-yat-hoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ has donated ‘50＄.’]

━OMG.... Is this for real? How is this even possible????????

[<Let’sGiveItAShot> has donated ‘50,000 won.’]

━Wow.. He said he’d show us something fun if we paid, so I wondered what he’d do lololololololol. He’s seriously insane lololol. Even if he fails the no-hit mission, I’ll acknowledge him lolol.

‘It worked.’

Ju Seo-jin wore a faint smile at the formless heat of the streaming window that kept bursting out without pause.

The Power of Foresight.

Beyond activating the ability to its maximum, he had succeeded in using it to provide pure entertainment.

If he did his best and showed a technique close to impossible with the Power of Foresight, he could draw out everyone’s cheers.

‘Streaming... personal broadcasting. I feel like I understand it a little now. If I can do things the way I think, I can satisfy everyone.’

As a streamer.

As a personal broadcaster, Ju Seo-jin was growing rapidly. 

At an unprecedented level.

‘There are limits, though.’

However.

Being able to use the Power of Foresight did not mean he possessed perfection.

Realistic limitations existed.

[Sword of Inheritance : Old Longsword]

*Sword of Inheritance. A longsword passed down from a nameless knight in the distant past. It is a weapon passed down through generations to the Knight’s Descendant, but it is unclear whether it was truly inherited from a ‘knight.’ Though slightly old, its value as a weapon still remains intact.

━Durability: 1787/4500

━When Equipped: Additional Attack Power +10 / Overall Attack Power +0.8%

‘The durability of the Longsword, worn down by the boss battle with Trinex, is now approaching its limit. There’s a real possibility it’ll shatter before long.’

Longsword.

Having to fight while enduring the restriction caused by the equipment’s durability was troublesome as well, but the more difficult problem was─── the fact that there was a time limit.

‘The Power of Foresight... There’s also a limit to how long I can keep the ability activated at its maximum. This isn’t a power I can use forever.’

Twelve minutes.

That was the time limit for how long he could realistically keep the Power of Foresight activated to its maximum.

If he failed to achieve his desired objective within the time limit, the Power of Foresight would enter an overheated state.

He had to knock away every one of the enemy’s attacks and make them mutually destroy each other, while also controlling things so that the Longsword would not break within the time limit, and defeat Strachia Magnex.

‘It’s definitely difficult. It feels very tricky.’

It was close to impossible.

However, just because succeeding would be hard, that was no reason to be discouraged.

‘This is a mission with well over five million won on the line...... There’s no reason not to do it just because it’s hard.’

Ju Seo-jin’s eyes quietly flowed with motivation as he adjusted his stance.

‘I have to pull off something like this.’

And then───.

Shwaaaaaaaaaak───!

The next moment.

The instant the bastard sword left behind a gray afterimage and once again spewed out Lesser Slashes— he moved.

Tap—.

A charge.

Ju Seo-jin began running forward with all his strength, without the slightest hesitation, and then swung his Longsword as though dancing.

Pa-kaang─! Chaaang—! Pa-baang...!

He knocked away the incoming Lesser Slashes one by one without pause, making them collide with the Lesser Slashes surging in behind them and mutually destroy each other.

One step, and then one more step.

He advanced.

His movements, which began to grow faster, soon reached the realm of technique that was hard to follow with the eyes.

A sword dance.

It reached the point where it looked as though Ju Seo-jin himself were unleashing slashes as he danced with his sword.

The viewers could not help getting excited.

-This is so damn fun, fuuuuuuck lololololololololololololololololol.

-Is this real?? Is he really winning?? It’s not fake, right?? This is real, right???

-No.. Are characters with the Knight’s Descendant Origin originally this strong in Knight Soul??? What is this?????

-Wow lololololol. Dopamine is exploding?? This is so freaking thrilling lolololololololololololol.

While the chat window ran wild and voice donations also rang out chaotically, Ju Seo-jin moved exactly according to his calculations, without the slightest margin of error.

Pa-kaaang───.

He knocked it away……

Craaaack!

And it collided.

──────.

‘I can see it.’

With the Power of Foresight activated, he controlled every possible case within three minutes.

At first, he had thought it was difficult, but now it was not like that at all.

‘Following their movements and knocking them away... Have I gotten to the point where I can more or less do it by feel?’

He had gotten the knack of it.

‘So that’s how it is?’

A fierce smile.

At the same time a cold light, rare to see, flashed in Ju Seo-jin’s black eyes, his movements changed.

Tskwaaang───!!

The sound of impact.

Along with that rough roar, a Lesser Slash drew a strange elliptical trajectory, bounced away quickly─── and finally reached its target point.

Fwhaa, aak───...!

-!?

-This crazy bastard lololololololol.

-???????????????????????????????;

-Wow.. Holy, what is this?????? What did he just do??

The next moment.

[ ──────~!! ]

Strachia Magnex.

‘Wraith Who Longs for Knighthood.’

That Great Enemy... was struck by the Lesser Slash Ju Seo-jin had countered, and roared.

***

Her mind went blank.

Even to Sword Empress, a former professional gamer of [Limitless War] who had won the world championship four times in a row, this was a realm beyond comprehension.

Ju Seo-jin.

That unidentified man visible before her eyes... had already surpassed the realm of human beings.

It was overwhelming Physical Skill.

‘...Isn’t that on a level where I can’t just brush it off with words like “he has some talent”?’

He was alien.

Words such as genius or heaven-sent talent were things Sword Empress herself had heard countless times.

No.

Not only Sword Empress, but anyone who had worked on the front lines as a professional gamer had probably heard such things.

What one must not misunderstand was that skill was not synonymous with talent.

Skill did not reach completion in a single instant.

Even those called geniuses by the world only became complete after going through practice, training, and cultivation.

There could be differences in the amount of practice, training methods, or certain senses that did not exist in other people.

However, the advantage provided went no further than that.

Skill, techniques, and systems were things no one could simply obtain.

Since there was no way one could be born already having learned techniques or a system, it was an entirely natural chain of cause and effect.

A result without a cause could never exist.

But───.

‘...How can movements like that keep coming out without him having practiced even once properly?’

Ju Seo-jin casually shattered that principle, which was close to common sense.

‘Without a doubt... he said today was his first time playing a virtual reality game......’

Unable to escape her mental shock, the Sword Empress muttered.

“That makes no sense. How, exactly, can something like that be possible......?”

The viewers watching Sword Empress’s stream were the same.

-Huh.. That.. Could it even work like that? Incredible..

-Incredible.. Is that really all this should be called? Shouldn’t he become a professional gamer?

-Our Sword Empress was honestly a crazy genius too, so she hit Challenger in middle school and debuted as a professional gamer in high school.. That’s why she won [Limitless War] four times in a row too.. But that guy..

-If he really is playing a virtual reality game for the first time and can do that much.. Isn’t he above our Sword Empress....? He might be able to carve his name into e-sports at least once..?

It was a fact anyone who knew even a little about professional gamers and the history of that industry had no choice but to feel.

In other words───.

-Professional gamer level.. If he’d been in [Limitless War], he might’ve become Sword Empress’s rival..? That person’s talent alone is seriously on an all-time level.

Ju Seo-jin was an existence close to the realm of professional gamers.

...Or perhaps, when it came to [Knight Soul], he had surpassed it.

Of course, there were also those who showed an extreme rejection reaction to such talk.

They were the ones who said Ju Seo-jin was not that far.

-Bullshit lolol. Do professional gamers look like a joke to you? Even in a 1:1 PVP game like [Limitless War], professional gamers are on a different level lol.

-For real lolol. Get a grip lolololololololol. If you’re a genius on our Sword Empress’s level, you can carve your name into the e-sports industry lol.

-Come on.. If you compare him to professional gamers playing in the first division of games like [Eternal Saga] or [Gun Ground], that guy is nothing lol. You’re overrating him too much lol.

They had a point.

Professional gamers of the world’s top competing popular games like [Eternal Saga] and [Gun Ground] were on a different track.

All the more so if they were professional gamers belonging to the first division of major regions such as Korea, China, Japan, or the United States.

Furthermore, since [Limitless War] had also enjoyed global popularity, the realm of its professional gamers belonged to a very high level, even if it was less than [Eternal Saga] or [Gun Ground].

No matter how well an ordinary person who had tried a virtual reality game for the first time played, it was only natural to feel resistance toward saying he had immediately reached the realm of professional gamers.

However.

That was only what the viewers thought.

Sword Empress judged differently.

‘No... I do not know about team games, but when it comes to solo play, if one uses [Limitless War], where pure Physical Skill such as high combat intelligence and reflexes is emphasized, as the standard... he is already at the level of a professional gamer.’

When Sword Empress had still been an active professional gamer, she had won her fourth world championship in [Limitless War] and, at the same time, realized her limit and retired.

Because at that time, she had nearly lost to a male player called ‘Black Moon,’ a professional gamer who had a record of winning the world championship in [Eternal Saga] and had played [Limitless War] as a hobby.

A professional gamer with one of the most outstanding Innate Talents in [Eternal Saga] had reached a level on a different track from [Limitless War].

After that day, Sword Empress judged that she could no longer stand as a professional gamer of [Limitless War], and had no choice but to retire.

It was the same feeling as back then.

‘Since [Limitless War] purely demands high combat intelligence, reflexes, and other Physical Skill... when it comes to [Limitless War], it would not be an exaggeration to say he has reached the realm of professional gamers.’

Ju Seo-jin.

That insane genius was someone who could fully reach the realm of professional gamers, or perhaps had already reached it.

When it came to [Limitless War], he was already at the level of an active professional gamer, so perhaps he might even be able to aim beyond that.

‘...Hah. Perhaps he might even become a skilled player comparable to the professional gamers of [Eternal Saga] or [Gun Ground].’

The Sword Empress was not certain either.

The legendary professional gamers of [Eternal Saga] and [Gun Ground] were existences even she could not understand.

She had merely noticed for certain that Ju Seo-jin was an out-of-standard talent who could stand in the realm of professional gamers.

That was why she was about to answer the viewers’ comments by saying that yes, he was at the level of a professional gamer.

Craaaack───...!

That is, until she saw Ju Seo-jin’s figure beyond the streaming window— and the Longsword in his hand developing an enormous crack.

“Huh? Ah— I see! The weapon’s durability... has reached its limit...! This is a serious matter!”

Sword Empress’s eyes went round, and at the same time, the viewers watching her stream also showed excited reactions.

-He’s in big trouble!

-Doesn’t that crack only appear when equipment durability has about 10% left?? He’s screwed lololololol.

-Ah.. Well.. He’s a newbie, so he probably couldn’t calculate that far hehe; What a shame..

-Equipment durability <<< Is he losing because this ran out?? No way?? Legendary lololololololol.

-If he were professional gamer level, wouldn’t he have calculated even that while playing? He wasn’t truly pro-level after all lol.

It was a crisis.

He had continued to shave away Strachia Magnex’s Life Force by countering the Lesser Slashes, but he had not yet driven it to the verge of death.

Now, if he knocked away Strachia Magnex’s Lesser Slashes a few more times, the Longsword’s durability would reach 0 and break.

‘Ah. There is nothing to be done about this. He is going to lose by a narrow margin—’

But.

Tap—!

Streaming.

In the video being broadcast in real time, Ju Seo-jin did not stop and sprinted.

Forward— toward the place where the enemy stood.

-Sudden action.

-This is making me sigh so damn much.. I was enjoying it like crazy.. Tsk..

-Is he giving up? He’s just charging in headfirst lololol.

-Guess he doesn’t even know the Longsword is about to shatter.. Well, he’s a newbie lol.

Longsword.

The durability value of his equipped weapon was already on the verge of shattering.

It was obvious that if Ju Seo-jin knocked away a few more Lesser Slashes from here, it would be over.

《 O, oooooh— oooooooooooooh───! I will, kill, you─! I will, kill, you───! G- oooooooooooooh!! 》

Strachia Magnex’s battle phase also entered its final stage as its Life Force percentage fell below 40%— and then, vicious slashes poured out.

Pa-baang—! Chajajak—! Shweeeek─!

A net.

A net of slashes unfolded— one that Ju Seo-jin could never avoid with his mobility.

It was the worst possible attack technique for Ju Seo-jin, who could not allow himself to be hit even once.

Even if, hypothetically, he gave up on the mission clear condition set as ‘win without getting hit even once,’ the moment he was struck by the net of Lesser Slashes, survival would be impossible.

A crisis of absolute desperation.

An unavoidable attack technique.

Before it, the conclusion Ju Seo-jin reached surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Paaak—!

Into the net of Lesser Slashes bearing down on him from the front— Ju Seo-jin threw his body as it was.

Without the slightest hesitation.

Instantly.

It was an ultra-aggressive move.

Whiiish—!

Ju Seo-jin.

The moment his body was thrown into the air, his entire body began rotating around his waist.

With the sound of tearing air.

Spiiiin───!

He twisted his waist, rotating his entire body to adjust his direction and trajectory, and at the same time... he was seen curling his body up slightly.

The next moment.

By a paper-thin margin, Ju Seo-jin’s body passed through a slightly widened gap in the net of slashes— and landed on the ground.

Though he braced his left hand on the ground, he had clearly landed on both feet.

Screeech.

A scraping sound.

The moment Ju Seo-jin’s hands and feet scraped against the ground and his movement from inertia stopped— Ju Seo-jin kicked off the ground once again and dashed forward.

And then───

Clatter───!

At the same time, he charged while aiming the deeply cracked Longsword at Strachia Magnex.

Toward the enemy preparing a Grand Slash— a finishing blow that, unlike a Lesser Slash, required a large attack motion.

At an unexpected moment, he delivered the decisive strike.

In that instant, Strachia Magnex’s Grand Slash was canceled one beat too late, and it hurriedly tried to fire a Lesser Slash.

However, the timing was already too late.

Paaang—!

Checkmate.

Ju Seo-jin, who had reached the very front of Strachia Magnex, drove his Longsword upward from below faster than the bastard sword raised high.

It was to pierce the jaw— in other words, Strachia Magnex’s skull.

And— that action was immediately expressed in the form of a result.

Fwhaaaak───!!!

Black blood flowing down the blade of the Longsword seeped into the cracks.

Gush, gush—

After Ju Seo-jin put strength into the hand holding the Longsword, he pulled it out of Strachia Magnex’s skull, and black blood flowed downward.

Shwaaaak───!

The next moment.

Thuuud—!

Strachia Magnex’s body fell backward, and a small wind rose with the dust.

At the same time───

Crack—!

The Longsword.

The attacking equipment Ju Seo-jin had used until now also reached 0 durability and broke.

The blade shattered into pieces and scattered, leaving only the handle behind.

《 End. 》

The instant Ju Seo-jin declared the end of the decisive battle, a system message also appeared together with it.

〈 GREAT ENEMY 〉

【 Wraith Who Longs for Knighthood : Strachia Magnex 】

━[LEGENDARY VICTORY]

《 I’ll consider the mission cleared. 》

Silence.

Excitement did not burst out together with cheers.

Sword Empress’s stream, and its chat window, fell quiet.

《 I. Since I won without getting hit even once... I’ll be taking all the mission funds. 》

And then.

One beat late, reactions began appearing in the chat window one by one.

-Is this real..?

-Lolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol.

-Fuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Le gen dary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was insane!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin Great Seo-jin!!!!!!!!!!!!

-The dopamine is really exploding, kyahahahahahahahahaha. Fuck, this is what a skill stream isㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣㅣ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pure admiration began bursting out without pause.