Chapter 29

Chapter 29: [Knight Soul] Is This Really That Hard? (5)

The streaming window.

In that instant, the viewers’ excited reactions boiled over- and then, the chat window began lagging as if it had frozen completely.

Then- at a certain point, the lag cleared, and the chat window overflowed like a waterfall, pouring down with heated reactions.

-I’m shaking. I’m seriously shaking. Holy shit;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

-There’s a quest to find Halkenburg’s Non-Aggression Alliance oath document in the Hidden Route..? Fucking legendary lololololololololol.

-Wow.. Halkenburg’s Non-Aggression Alliance oath document wasn’t a MacGuffin..??; I played KniSoul for so long and didn’t know..

-No way... that old geezer’s Non-Aggression Alliance oath document.. wasn’t dummy data, but an actual existing item??????

-?? So in the Hidden Route, can you break Halkenburg’s Non-Aggression Alliance?? We can see that crazy old geezer rampage seriously...????

-There’s a Halkenburg Non-Aggression Alliance oath document quest?? What kind of hell is KniSoul’s Hidden Route about to open....?

-Holy shit;;

Hidden Route.

The existence of a Hidden Quest observed in the world’s first discovered new branch point of [Knight Soul]. 

That, too, caused an explosive reaction, but only for a moment.

It was only natural. 

[Knight Soul] was offline Full Dive content, which meant─── strictly speaking, it was what one would call a Virtual Reality Game with an ‘expiration date.’

Even if it achieved worldwide popularity, that was only temporary. 

Once players had enjoyed all of [Knight Soul]’s in-game content, they had no choice but to quit.

Even if the game tried to overcome that through multiple playthroughs, story routes, and diverse interactions with characters, the result would not change.

Naturally.

However───

There were exceptions.

A very small number of Virtual Reality Games were different: ‘online’ Full Dive content that had been serviced for decades since release and had built a worldwide position.

PvP-focused online service games like [Eternal Saga], [Gun Ground], and [Limitless War], even if its status had declined somewhat recently, were a different story.

And……

Those world-popular online service Virtual Reality Games had one thing in common.

-Lolololololololololololololololololololololololololol.

-Is this real?? The Larkranz Style Virtual Energy Operation method really was leaked, right?? I didn’t hear wrong, did I?;

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

-Is this real lololol fuck lololololololololololololololol wow lololololololol.

-Lololololol where did the bastards who said Virtual Energy Operation hadn’t leaked go?? Lolololololololol.

-??.. Does this even make sense?? You play one game against a Pro-Gamer and just learn all of Gaming Martial Arts, fuck??;

-Talent that crosses the line. Holy shit;

-Legendary talent monster;;

‘Gaming Martial Arts.’

The essence of modern martial arts, surpassing the realm of ‘sports’- ‘sure-kill’─── in other words, a system and set of techniques containing the mindset of ‘kill without fail.’

Gaming Martial Arts, which had developed over roughly eighty years, went beyond evolving practical combat arts with a focus on lethality and became optimized for Full Dive content.

As a result. 

The Gaming Martial Arts of the current era did not stop at refining stand-up striking arts, grappling arts, and the like with a focus on practicality- it went on to develop new systems, and further, new techniques.

It was an element that did not exist in Virtual Reality Games like [Limitless War], but existed as something indispensable in Full Dive content like [Eternal Saga] or [Gun Ground].

That was none other than the operation method for Virtual Energy.

That was also why most of the viewers’ main reactions leaned not only toward [Knight Soul], but toward ‘Larkranz Style,’ which belonged to Gaming Martial Arts.

After all───

The fact that Ju Seo-jin had acquired the Virtual Energy Operation method of ‘Larkranz Style’ meant, in other words, that an unprecedented supernova had appeared.

***

Gaming Martial Arts began with combat sports and was premised on mastering the operation method for Virtual Energy.

The same was true of ‘Larkranz Style,’ which Crack, a former member of a World Championship-winning team in [Eternal Saga], had spent his entire life honing.

Only after boxing, a stand-up striking art, was refined as a pure fighting art by supplementing its weakness with wrestling, a grappling art, would one finally face the essence- and that was the Virtual Energy Operation method.

A systematic technique for operating Virtual Energy, which made it possible to perform movements that violated the physical laws of reality, was the decisive difference separating old fighting arts from Gaming Martial Arts.

Even ‘Larkranz Style,’ whose superiority was widely recognized among Gaming Martial Arts, placed heavy restrictions on the transmission of the complete essentials of its Virtual Energy Operation method.

Therefore───

PFFFT─!

…That was more than enough reason for Crack, who had been watching Ju Seo-jin’s stream while briefly resting after finishing physical training at team ‘VEN’’s lodging, to spit out the water he had been drinking.

Cough, cough-!

“……Co, cough, hack! N-no, no, no! W-wait. Wait, shit! Wh-what is this? What is this-!”

The physical training room.

Crack, who had been sitting on a bench and watching Ju Seo-jin’s stream on a tablet, frantically muttered to himself in a panic.

“N-no- is this real? D-does this make sense? He learned Larkranz Style… not even the fighting art, but the Virtual Energy Operation method……?”

Shock.

Other than that, he could not think of another word to express his emotions. 

It was literally something that defied common sense.

Even copying a pure fighting art after seeing it once from the side would have been absurd enough, but beyond that, he had learned the Virtual Energy Operation method too, as if reverse-engineering it?

Nonsense. 

It was impossible. 

There was no way one could acquire all of Gaming Martial Arts in a single instant like that.

Crack rubbed his eyes once with his hand and showed a gaze of sheer incomprehension.

‘That’s impossible. Common sense says it really doesn’t make sense. Realistically, no… even if I look across every recorded precedent, was there ever anyone who could do something like this? I can’t say there wasn’t… but there should be very few… right……?’

Even Crack, who had received the entire system and technical essence of Larkranz Style from the foremost disciple of the current generation, had spent an enormous amount of time learning all of it.

‘I only learned the Virtual Energy Operation method about four years after I entered Larkranz Style. And even then, not all of it, just… part of it. But that man…….’

Yes. 

There was no way something like that could be possible. 

And yet. 

It should have been impossible…… but an existence who casually denied that common sense stood beyond the screen.

It was Ju Seo-jin.

‘His stance… the flow of Virtual Energy Operation, his method of movement, even his linked movements, all of it was perfectly set. It’s hard… to call that low-level….’

He was certain.

It was not bravado or a fluke. Without even needing to ask whether it was true or false- Ju Seo-jin had already elevated an entire system, that technique, to the complete realm of mastery.

Had he not already displayed Innate Talent enough to surpass Crack in pure fighting arts in [Limitless War], which was considered the best place in the current E-sports industry for polishing fundamentals?

In other words───

‘Then… he really did grasp and acquire the Larkranz Style Virtual Energy Operation method…… through “inference,” on the spot, after seeing it just once back then……?’

It was real.

Larkranz Style. 

He had reverse-engineered and acquired the Virtual Energy Operation method of that Gaming Martial Art, which had undergone an ‘optimization’ process focused on [Eternal Saga]. 

Perfectly, at that.

Crack had thought that learning the boxing · wrestling strikes and grappling techniques of Larkranz Style as a pure fighting art by seeing them from the side was something that ‘could happen’… but not anymore.

Going beyond perfectly learning a pure fighting art from a single sidelong look, and then inferring and reverse-engineering the fact that the core technique, the Virtual Energy Operation method, was ‘missing’—that was a matter on an entirely different level.

‘Just from combat experience in [Limitless War], where nothing like Virtual Energy exists… he inferred the existence of Virtual Energy and filled it in…? Is he human?’

It was a level no different from that of a founding grandmaster.

His caliber was different.

It was, quite literally, a truly violent talent, one that could be called a monster beyond even a genius.

An overwhelming presence that might shake the entire E-sports industry…… enough to make Crack feel embarrassed for having prided himself on being in a realm far removed from ordinary people as a Pro-Gamer.

He was material that could pursue perfection, perhaps reaching the level of the old Pro-Gamer who had created Larkranz Style, or even beyond it.

‘Shit… It really is unfair, now that I think about it.’

Crack smiled bitterly as he felt strange emotions one after another.

Bitterness. 

Then, a sense of futility accompanied by a little self-loathing…… and finally, at the end, regret.

It felt like such a waste that such Innate Talent would be used to become a ‘Streamer,’ not a ‘player’ standing on the same line as him.

Far too much of a waste.

Of course, being a Streamer was not bad either. 

In the current era, among skill-based Streamers, there were quite a few who were comparable to Pro-Gamers, or even above them.

Was that all?

Even after retiring as Pro-Gamers, there were those who maintained performance close to their prime, despite their physical age increasing, through steady self-management of their entire nervous system.

It was also common for such people to gather and participate in Streamer tournaments, removing their status as players and proving their pure skill through no-rules brawls.

Rather, in some cases, it was even more popular for retired Pro-Gamers to participate in global Streamer leagues for a while and clash regardless of generation or background.

Even so, there was still a problem.

‘If that insane talent had been discovered a few years earlier…… truly, so much could have changed… What a shame.’

The aging curve.

As physical age accumulated and athletic ability declined, a gap would arise without one even realizing it, and control ability would decrease.

And naturally, even if one always trained thoroughly, the nervous system could not maintain its prime and had no choice but to gradually slope downward.

If one knew how greatly the ‘small’ differences in ability at the prime level affected match results among Pro-Gamers, anyone would find it regrettable.

‘If he had tried becoming a Pro-Gamer in his mid-to-late teens- no, even in his early twenties at least……’

Even before Virtual Reality Games appeared, there had been cases where people born with natural athletic sense and aptitude for combat sports achieved results comparable to true professional boxers or mixed martial artists.

Only their environmental conditions had not supported them. 

In some cases, even those who polished their talents belatedly stood out. 

Extremely rare, but not nonexistent.

And……

The names of those people were often engraved into history as legendary masters of combat arts.

Francis Cortez, a miner from a South American coal mine, who taught himself boxing before switching course to mixed martial arts and smashing the world stage at a late age with overwhelming physical ability.

Bernard Jackie, who served roughly four years for theft, happened to encounter boxing, and after his release, made his name known as one of the legendary boxers.

Jorge Cascano, a former street fighter who was discovered by a Streamer who had been a street fighter himself, entered the world stage without formal training, and achieved tremendous popularity.

Plum blossoms in snow.

A boxing ring in prison, a narrow alley piled with heaps of trash, an old nameless gym- even in such places, they inevitably bloomed.

An existence that shone even in an environment so poor it was beyond measure, under conditions where even dreaming was not allowed. 

That was talent.

There had been such people in the distant past, and that was not particularly different in the current era either.

After inviting masters of combat arts into Virtual Reality Games and perfectly defeating them with Gaming Martial Arts, countless talents revealed themselves.

Over long years, many Gaming Martial Arts had been created and passed down, building solid systems, but invasive species always appeared in any ecosystem. 

Such people would write the history of combat arts once more.

Chloe de Marseille, who presented the initial concept of Virtual Energy manipulation through neural transmission; Yagi Akato, who created Flow Severing (Zetsuren), which interfered with Virtual Energy manipulation; and───

Gerhardt Larkranz, the great player who founded Larkranz Style, was one of that kind as well.

However, most such people ended up walking similar paths and always met the same conclusion.

Falling away from their prime due to aging, and at the same time, keenly feeling the judgment errors that came from being unable to accumulate high-level real combat experience for a long time…… and retiring. 

No one escaped that fixed trajectory.

Even talent bestowed by the heavens would ultimately remain only a possibility without the proper opportunity. 

It would be blocked by those who had started earlier, and collapse.

Sadly, that was the case most of the time.

‘If he had started a little earlier, he might have set foot in the same industry…… That’s bitter.’

Crack was also a Pro-Gamer, and as a player, he was someone with a competitive spirit. 

Since he wanted to challenge others even if he could not win, he felt regret as if it were his own matter.

If there was someone standing at the pinnacle of the era, he wanted to stand beside that player. 

If he was in a position where he could rightfully challenge them, he wanted to enter the match even if he could not win. 

He had that desire.

But according to what Crack had heard through personal conversation, Ju Seo-jin was twenty-eight years old… too late to challenge the realm of Pro-Gamers.

He might be able to reveal his Innate Talent and gain a high position, but that would be the limit.

“Tsk. Still, with that much, doesn’t he have a chance even now? It’d be a waste to just leave him alone like that, seriously.”

However.

Even so, it was still true that he was an attractive figure. 

With that level of genius, even if he challenged the Pro-Gamer path belatedly, he might be able to produce some results.

If so, it would be fine to coax him once more here and say that if he had any interest in becoming a Pro-Gamer, even briefly, he should at least try taking an entrance test.

‘For now, just in case, leaving an email should be fine. You never know, right? He might end up taking an interest in this… maybe……?’

But then.

Stop-

Crack’s movements froze for an instant, and his complexion slowly began turning pale.

He had picked up his smartphone to leave Ju Seo-jin a message, even just a simple chat through the game app…… but something he had not expected entered his eyes.

No, to be precise- perhaps it should be said that he had thought of it, but had forgotten. 

In many ways, he had a very bad feeling.

[Master Instructor]

-Voicemail (14)

-Missed Calls (27)

-Unread Messages (99+)

…In that instant, Crack felt a chill and hurriedly opened the messenger app to check the unread messages. Then, his already pale face stiffened completely.

-[Master Instructor]: Seung-jun, it’s me. You have a rough idea what happened since we talked last time, right? Once training ends, no, if you see this even during training, contact me.

“……….”

It was simple.

Larkranz Style had signed an exclusive transmission contract with team ‘VEN,’ and they had repeatedly emphasized that any external leak of the technique was strictly forbidden.

In other words─── …that was why, in the current situation, if Ju Seo-jin had acquired the essence of Larkranz Style, it was only natural that eyes would turn toward Crack, who had had the most recent point of contact with him.

Accordingly, it was not strange that the conversation would become one demanding an explanation from Crack.

-[Master Instructor]: Do not try to be clever. Once training ends, let’s meet for a bit. I already told the director and the coach. It has been a while, so let’s deepen our friendship ^^!

“Ah……….”

‘I want to run away. Seriously.’

It was super effective! Crack felt his vision go dark at the same time as his mind grew distant…….

***

At the same time.

As the viewer comments in the streaming window went berserk, Ju Seo-jin saw Halkenburg’s face become serious and closed his mouth.

For some reason, he felt like he should not speak carelessly here. 

He only thought the thought that had suddenly occurred to him inwardly and did not let it out of his mouth.

‘Is this really that hard?’

…Fortunately, the insane remark (?) that would have drawn all kinds of aggro if he had actually said it out loud ended up misfiring like that.