Chapter 34

Chapter 34: [Knight Soul] You’re Not Human......! (5)

Combat arts of the old era had not begun and developed in any grandiose way.

In a contest where life and death came and went, defeat, rather than victory, meant death beyond dishonor.

To the dead, not the living, honor and wealth were nothing but illusions, so losing meant losing everything.

To live was to win, and therefore, what was indispensable to win was one absolute difference─── ‘skill.’

Because a difference in technique could make up for physique, strength, and the sum of many other elements.

That was why a sure-kill technique was naturally a collection of secret techniques with all kinds of elements hidden within it, the essence of them.

An asymmetrical gap in information with the opponent, a move that could reverse the situation and bring overwhelming victory in a single exchange.

It was deception, and it was also trickery. At times, it was also a method of taking the lead in a mind game of unified offense and defense based on calculations arranged in meticulous detail.

Gaming Martial Arts, too, had elements close to secret arts or sure-kill techniques according to each martial art’s lineage.

In the combat art known at the present point as Gaming Martial Arts, Virtual Energy Operation was one of the core elements of a sure-kill technique.

‘Larkranz Style’ was also perfectly orthodox Gaming Martial Arts focused on Virtual Energy Operation.

Therefore───

SPURT───!

The sight of Ju Seo-jin massacring a group of raiders alone, shown through the stream, could never be taken lightly.

“Hmm. Gaming Martial Arts… no, there’s no need to put it indirectly. Larkranz Style’s Virtual Energy Operation. This is a secret technique, isn’t it?”

“……….”

Silence.

Inside the meeting room, Crack, seated across from a man with an impressive roughly trimmed beard, placed both hands neatly on his knees and broke into a cold sweat.

Because it was true.

Larkranz Style. 

The secret technique of Virtual Energy Operation that formed one of the foundations of its sure-kill techniques. 

That was exactly what this was.

‘Mobility technique.’

Overall, in martial arts, there existed a unique ‘distance gap’ that allowed one to form the optimal offense and defense.

That was also why expanding, narrowing, and defending that ‘distance gap’ were considered important.

The contents forming Larkranz Style’s sure-kill technique lay in instantaneous distance control that dominated the ‘distance gap.’

Giving the opponent sensory confusion while adjusting the distance gap, then delivering a one-hit kill through mobility that moved elastically like a spring.

That was one of the cores that led to Larkranz Style’s sure-kill technique.

And.

“He’s high-level.”

Yu Shin-hyuk, the professional instructor who had passed the current Larkranz Style down to Team ‘VEN,’ stroked his short-trimmed beard and moved his lips.

“It’s orthodox, but there isn’t a single mistake. When using Virtual Energy in the mobility technique of Larkranz Style, that’s the kind of thing considered most important. Minimizing the control rebound that occurs while controlling the flow of inertia created by an extremely shifted center of gravity is essential.”

“That…….”

“Really, no matter how many times I look, there’s nothing to nitpick. Nothing to nitpick. Wow. I don’t know how he controls his center of gravity that well. Even so, it should be hard to do that from the start…… Hm?”

“……….”

Crack flinched.

It felt as if he had unintentionally leaked(?) the secret technique of Virtual Energy Operation, which corresponded to one of the cores of Larkranz Style.

Of course, he had never actually taught Ju Seo-jin anything about Larkranz Style at all, but he could not help feeling strangely guilty.

Crack awkwardly let out a ‘Khmm-’ and, unlike himself, changed the subject.

“Uh, umm… That- I mean, I don’t know how this happened either. Ha, hahaha…”

He had only spoken the truth as it was, but it seemed he needed to explain himself in many ways.

‘Phew. I didn’t actually leak any techniques or anything. If I explain it properly, it should be fi-’

“Uh, that’s what it looks like. I know, so don’t worry. I wasn’t hinting at anything.”

“?”

However, contrary to what Crack had thought while tense to the limit, Yu Shin-hyuk reacted indifferently.

“A kid who only looks at training every day without even taking breaks—where would you have the time to teach someone else? I only came to check the technique leak matter. Just to check.”

“Ah.”

No wonder he had seemed rather calm since earlier, unlike before. 

It seemed he had already made his own judgment in advance that it was not a technique leak.

As Crack felt relieved, Yu Shin-hyuk picked up the coffee cup on the table, drained it in one go, and frowned.

As if he found it ridiculous.

“I guarantee it…… That isn’t something that can come out just because someone taught him briefly in the first place. It doesn’t make sense. It just doesn’t.”

Yu Shin-hyuk quietly looked down at the tablet PC and continued speaking.

“Possession… yes, you’d have to call it being possessed by a god. His breath control, the way he closes distance… the stance throughout his mobility technique, the control of inertia’s flow, and the way he kills rebound have no error by even an inch.”

The mobility technique based on Larkranz Style’s Virtual Energy Operation generally focused on controlling inertia’s flow and deceiving the distance gap.

Moving the body as though pressing down on the entire space by repeating not linear motion, but curved motion through ultra-high-speed mobility.

It was specialized in taking advantage of the gap when the opponent’s focus on the distance gap was disrupted, then reversing the situation all at once with a strike that could not be responded to.

Even when it seemed he was advancing, he would suddenly stop or bounce sideways, and he would even often run in zigzags in every direction and leave the opponent’s field of view.

If one did not have a countermeasure prepared or could not maintain concentration, one would be knocked flat by a single strike in that instant.

It was at a level where calling it a sure-kill technique was not a waste.

However, this was only a sure-win strategy premised on one’s control over the distance gap being perfect.

In reality, it was an extremely tricky realm of walking a tightrope.

“Because of the rapid movement, the center of gravity shifts extremely to one side, and when you control inertia’s flow, controlling the rebound that comes with it becomes indispensable.”

In Larkranz Style’s ultra-high-speed mobility technique, controlling inertia’s flow and controlling rebound required a precision that did not allow even the slightest mistake.

“At the level you or I are at, controlling inertia’s flow to that level would be possible, but if luck is bad, there’s bound to be at least some margin of error……”

Despite that, Ju Seo-jin had displayed perfect movement that was only possible in theory, allowing not even a single inch of error.

“That person doesn’t have anything like that. He moves in every direction like flowing water and perfectly overwhelms multiple opponents at the same time. There’s no wavering at all.”

It was movement that stood out with a possessed sense, to the point where it felt less easy or difficult and more inhuman.

Yu Shin-hyuk let out a small hollow laugh and shook his head.

“In any case, could you even teach something like that? You don’t have the time, and it’s impossible. He’s just one of those rough gems of talent that show up every now and then.”

“Uh, umm. That’s a relief, but while he is a rough gem of talent, saying it’s just something that appears every now and then is a little too unreasonable-”

“Why? There are more people like that than you’d think. People you know, too.”

“Pardon?”

“People who were called the name of an era. No. People who were said that perhaps they could have been that.”

“What do you-”

“Bernard Jackie, Jorge Cascano, Francis Cortez. And the person you and I respect most… you know, don’t you?”

“!”

The moment Crack flinched, Yu Shin-hyuk smiled briefly and answered calmly.

“Gerhardt Larkranz.”

“……….”

In other words—

Ju Seo-jin. 

His innate talent was at the level where it could stand shoulder to shoulder with the people who had newly written the history of Gaming Martial Arts.

It was a story one could not laugh at at all, but Yu Shin-hyuk lightly shrugged, took a sip of coffee, and smoothly moved the conversation along.

“That’s all it is. It’s only a guess, though. It isn’t completely impossible either.”

Yu Shin-hyuk spoke as if it were nothing, looking down at the tablet PC.

“It’s just a shame he’s too old to be active on the front lines, well… other than that, there’s nothing in particular to nitpick.”

Just as Crack had thought, Yu Shin-hyuk also knew that Ju Seo-jin was too old to be active on a pro team.

However, even so, it was clear that he possessed outstanding Innate Talent.

Considering the future, there was no knowing what might happen, so there was nothing bad about knowing him.

“You said you even talked to this person, right? Then stay on good terms with him. His personality doesn’t seem bad either, and you never know……”

However—

━Isn’t calling me a ghost just because I moved a little fast too much?

That was when it happened.

━It definitely wasn’t enough for me to be told I’m not human……

Suddenly, from the tablet PC placed on the table, Ju Seo-jin, who had finished the battle, let those words slip out.

━Hmm. Wasn’t it just, exactly, basic movement… something like that?

“……….”

“Ah.”

For a moment, temporary silence flowed between the two, and Yu Shin-hyuk’s coffee cup began to crumple with a CRINKLE-.

At a single glance, the way the corners of his eyes were twitching gave off the atmosphere of someone barely holding back the words, ‘No, this bastard?’

SQUEEZE-.

“……Phew. I should cancel what I said about his personality not seeming bad.”

Because what had happened was none other than this—

“……I misjudged him. This guy is a properly natural-born toxic streamer.”

…In addition to the evaluation that he was a historical-level genius, he had gained the title(?) of toxic streamer.

***

《 [Knight Soul] : Clearing All Boss Battles in ‘Nightmare’ Mode With No Deaths! (※with Ju Seo-jin) 》

━Myangbangwool(wntjdbsdlqslek1231)

*Viewer Count : 15,738 (※SUPER HOT!!!)

For a moment. The viewer count had inflated to an absurd degree in a short time, enough to make one wonder if they had seen wrong.

‘…15,738? Just a moment ago, wasn’t it a thousand—no, around two or three thousand fewer than this?’

Even Ju Seo-jin, who had an air of not being very interested, felt bewildered.

Was that all?

-: [Real-Time Trending Stream : 〈No. 1〉]

Below the title of the streaming window, unlike before, those words were written in an effect that shone clearly white.

Among the current streams on Space Stream, it was trending. 

In other words, it had taken first place in the category of explosive viewer-count increase.

For a moment, the thought ‘Why?’ came to him, but the question was not resolved and instead became heavier.

Because───

Ding-.

*Viewer Count : 15,921 (※SUPER HOT!!!)

*Viewer Count : 16,238 (※SUPER HOT!!!)

*Viewer Count : 17,138 (※SUPER HOT!!!)

………

……

…

The viewer count suddenly increased even more explosively, and strange words began to mix into the chat window.

-Breaking News) ‘That bastard’ has appeared in the current viewer list. I’m sh-sh-sh-shaking...

-?

-What is this? Why are there so many people? Did this go viral somewhere?? What is going on?

-No, fuck.. I was wondering why so many people came in, but the final boss appeared lololololololol

-The chat was freaking the hell out, so I wondered what was going on, but it’s real. Shiver; Black Moon bastard is in the viewer list?

-Insanely fun content ON lololololololololol

‘?’

Not only the newly flowing-in viewers, but even the people who had already been there abruptly started making a fuss before long.

Ju Seo-jin had no time to wonder why they were talking like that or ask Ju Seo-yoon.

Naturally.

Ding───!

[‘VEN’ set ‘1,000,000 won’ as Mission Funds.]

━(A fox emote peeking its head out and tilting its head)

<Mission: Defeat [Knight Soul]’s field boss ‘Death-Spirit Tower Lord’ faster than the speedrun world record>

*Time Limit: None

An immediate reaction. 

A celebratory sound announcing that a large amount of Mission Funds had been placed rang out, and he learned the full story of the incident.

‘Black Moon…?’

Trending.

Because of it, one of the giant streamers had come to the stream and silently raised the Mission Funds.

‘Ah.’

And before long, Ju Seo-jin realized where he had heard that name.

-Kyaa

-The person who holds the world record appeared lololololololol

-A stream even watched by a Worlds-winning pro-gamer...? My chest swells with pride...

-What the hell, it’s the real Black Moon? Fuck lolololololololololololol

Black Moon.

The very person called the current best record-holder among the speedrun record-holders of [Knight Soul].

And───

[Pro-Gamer donated ‘100,000 won’.]

*{ An emote of a fox slightly poking its head out, clenching both paws, and saying ‘I’m cheering for you!’ }

At the same time, he was a former pro-gamer affiliated with pro team ‘VEN.’ 

He had entered the stream and was silently drawing people in.