LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 3
Chapter 3
“Why can’t I get to level 10?”
Taewoo sighed and began to explain.
“You can only challenge level 10 if you beat the level 9 AI. And level 10 isn’t just any normal AI.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s an AI modeled after the best player who has cleared level 9.”
“Wow.”
“For your information, the current level 10 AI is someone you know pretty well.”
“Shin Hayun?”
“Correct.”
“So, if someone beats the level 10 AI, does it get replaced with that person?”
“That’s right. By the way, the level 10 AI has been Shin Hayun for five years now. Anyway, just get started quickly.”
Sojun was amazed internally.
“Alright, fine.”
—
“Finally, it’s starting.”
Taewoo watched Sojun with great interest. It didn’t seem like Sojun was holding a sword for the first time as he swung it through the air.
‘Did he learn at some academy to play games better?’
Such people did exist. People who went to martial arts academies and built up their bodies just to perform better in games. However, in Taewoo’s seven-year broadcasting experience, he felt that spending such time playing any extra game would be more beneficial.
Why did outstanding athletes sometimes falter in this virtual world? There was only one reason.
‘Because physical abilities in the real world don’t translate to the avatars.’
Virtual reality avatars moved as the users controlled them, but they couldn’t exceed set performance limits. This meant that a 2-meter-tall rugby player could lose in an arm-wrestling match to a 160 cm average adult woman.
In the virtual reality world, what mattered were skills, experience, and mental strength. Sometimes, people even moved faster in the games than in real life.
‘It’s better than not learning at all.’
Taewoo thought this approach was inefficient.
Beep!
Somewhere, a whistle sounded and Cheolsu began to move.
‘Is he nervous? He should raise his sword. Haha.’
Despite Cheolsu approaching, Sojun remained still. Taewoo was eager to see Sojun’s relaxed expression turn to bewilderment. He remembered how he had suffered when he cluelessly challenged level 4 on his first attempt and was beaten by Cheolsu. A one-on-one combat without skill support wasn’t as easy as it seemed.
So, at the moment when Taewoo expected the always-composed Sojun to tumble, Sojun neatly dodged Cheolsu’s swinging sword and slashed back at him. Cheolsu’s HP dropped by 1.
In the practice ground duel, each participant had 10 HP, and hitting with a sword decreased HP by 1. The one whose HP reached 0 first lost.
Cheolsu retreated to keep some distance.
‘Was it luck? But why is Cheolsu backing off?’
Was the level 4 AI lenient? It should counterattack immediately.
While Taewoo pondered.
“You’re not coming? Fine, I’ll come to you.”
This time, Sojun approached Cheolsu. Taewoo felt he could predict the next scene playing out in his mind.
‘He’s excited from that lucky move. Charging in like that will just get him stabbed, losing health… What is this?’
Cheolsu’s counter was so textbook-perfect that it seemed exaggerated for a level 4 AI. Yet, Sojun deflected Cheolsu’s sword with his own, flawlessly redirecting its path. While smoothly sidestepping, he spun his body to inflict damage again.
The seamless flow of movements made Taewoo, watching as a third party, feel like Sojun moved faster than Cheolsu.
‘But this is virtual reality. Physical superiority isn’t possible.’
Seven years of experience told him so. The illusion of speed came from Sojun’s movements being so efficient and smooth, not from additional speed.
Sojun then attacked Cheolsu again, mocking him. Without moving a foot, Sojun blocked Cheolsu’s sword five times in a row or tripped Cheolsu and then stepped on his sword, preventing him from picking it up.
When Cheolsu’s HP was down to 1, Sojun started hitting him with hands and feet, which did not decrease HP.
Thunk. Thud.
Sojun’s movements seemed skilled as if he predicted every move. He relentlessly threw his body within the enemy’s zone without hesitation, as though he knew every attack that Cheolsu would make and identified the ways out.
“Hey, hey. Did you really play this seven years ago? Damn, hurry up and finish it. Move on to level 7 already.”
Why hadn’t this guy played any games despite this skill? An annoyingly lucky guy. With his face, he could even do a successful cam stream, but he had skills too?
But.
‘Even with skills, succeeding isn’t easy…’
As a friend, Taewoo felt concerned.
When Sojun slashed Cheolsu’s neck, an alert appeared.
—
『You have won the duel.』
『HP 10 / 00:02:23』
『Current Ranking: 107』
—
Taewoo was puzzled by the pop-up screen.
‘Why did a ranking appear instead of just the record? Rankings are only calculated from level 9…’
He noticed Sojun still manipulating the air screen even after the duel ended. Then, light gathered in front of Sojun, forming a humanoid shape.
The scene felt familiar to Taewoo.
‘No way?’
The summoned figure was a robot.
The appearance of the newly created robot also looked human. Although it wasn’t intricately detailed, the general appearance was that of a woman, and the nickname floating above her head was,
『Shin Hayun』
His jaw dropped in astonishment. He felt goosebumps all over his body.
“Hey, was this Cheolsu you just defeated at level 9?”
It had been so one-sided that it hadn’t been noticeable.
Cheolsu’s movements were clearly beyond level 4, no, even beyond level 8, which he had barely won against!
Sojun laughed lightly as if it were nothing and said, “Nah, it’s no big deal.”
The fact that he had easily subdued someone even professionals couldn’t easily defeat…
‘If he wins at level 10, this will be completely…’
This would be perfect for a stream.
Taewoo was a streamer to his core.
Even while thinking, “No way he’s going to win, right?!”
Taewoo swallowed hard and hurriedly pressed the record button.
‘I was planning to use the collab as an excuse to go easy on him. But at this rate, I might have to beg him for a collab later.’
Before he knew it, his worries about Sojun had neatly vanished.
* * *
There was a sense of dissonance.
Whether walking, swinging an arm, or even breathing.
Even when crossing swords.
But it was not to a significant extent.
‘A good capsule does make a difference.’
The advancement in technology was astonishing.
And.
Sojun watched the robot that received his sword in front of him.
『Shin Hayun』
Even in the past, he had felt it; she was a genius.
If this robot he was facing now was entirely mimicking Shin Hayun’s control, it would be no exaggeration to say Shin Hayun was more talented than anyone he had seen in his previous life.
‘Well, except for one person.’
Anyway, in just over a decade since virtual reality had emerged, it was surprising to see someone this skilled.
“Maybe if she trains for another 80 years, she might be able to beat me.”
As Sojun indulged in his thoughts, Taewoo shouted from beside him.
“What nonsense! Hey, focus here, not there!”
Tsk.
Currently, Shin Hayun’s HP had been reduced by more than half.
In contrast, Sojun’s HP hadn’t been reduced at all.
Taewoo seemed quite excited.
Seeing that he had turned on the recording, it was impressive.
Professional, indeed.
Sojun parried a strike from Shin Hayun’s AI and glanced at Taewoo beside him.
“Tsk tsk. Haven’t you figured it out from watching so far?”
“Focus, I said!”
He looked genuinely foolish.
Anyway, this place was where everyone produced the same power and couldn’t surpass a certain speed, so mental strength and skill were of utmost importance.
There was no way Sojun, with memories of a past life, would lose.
Even without inner power, the level remained eternal.
Shin Hayun’s AI seemed to notice that regular swings wouldn’t work and started incorporating unpredictable movements.
‘Are these also Shin Hayun’s movements? Or is it a judgment by the AI itself? Whatever it is…’
Before Shin Hayun’s sword could reach its intended point, Sojun’s extending sword grazed the opponent’s blade, altering its course.
Screeech!
The sound of blades scraping against each other, unheard for some time, sounded pleasantly.
Shin Hayun’s sword, aimed at his neck, missed by an inch, and Sojun didn’t miss the chance to flick away the blade.
The sound of the sword hitting the ground was followed by the AI’s body opening up and becoming defenseless.
Swoosh!
He slashed diagonally across the torso of the incapacitated AI.
『HP 4』
The AI, after being struck, quickly retreated to pick up its sword.
However, Sojun closed the distance even faster.
As the gap between them shortened, the AI suffered another blow.
『HP 3』
In a fight where the opponents had the same speed, it was crucial to make the first move toward the next action.
To do this, one needed to predict the opponent’s movements.
In this situation, it was obvious what the AI would do.
Sojun precisely stabbed the arm of the AI that reached out to grab its sword.
Clang!
The tip of the blade didn’t pierce the arm but made the sound of metal clashing.
『HP 2』
Despite its arm being grazed by the sword, the AI managed to pick up the sword from the ground.
But Sojun immediately moved to the next action after retrieving his sword.
A fundamental downward slash.
Wham!
The AI lifted its sword to block, but the tip of Sojun’s blade touched the AI’s head.
『HP 1』
From his several fights, he had realized that here, the maximum force might be the same, but it didn’t mean the same force was exerted every time.
What mattered was the complete transfer of force.
The AI, sitting down while blocking the strike, had its wrist twisted.
‘This part is quite realistic.’
Nevertheless, it advanced, stabbing Sojun as it kicked off the ground.
An art possible only for an undying robot.
But suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
Isn’t being undying the same?
Sojun didn’t bother to avoid the sword and stabbed the AI’s body simultaneously.
In his previous life, such a move would have meant mutual destruction, but here, things were different.
At most, he would lose just 1 HP.
『You have won the duel.』
No blood flowed. The pain was just a slight sting.
It was fun.
Sojun calmly pulled out the sword stuck in his chest and spoke.
“How about it? I beat Shin Hayun. Can I stream my skills now?”
『Level 10 AI is trying to imitate the user.』
Taewoo replied with a wide smile.
“Haven’t I told you? You need to stream.”
Sojun laughed back, seeing his dumb friend’s expression.
When the hell did you say that?
『To imitate the user’s movements, additional duels need to be conducted. Do you want to register?』
“Hmm, it’s troublesome. Should I skip it?”
“Shut up and just do it, you crazy idiot.”
* * *
Sojun and Taewoo emerged from the capsule and sat in the living room, scooping ice cream as they conversed.
“Hey, why did you do that?”
“Do what.”
“You posted becoming a new Level 10 without making it public. When this is revealed, thousands will definitely rush in.”
There was a reason for that.
“I haven’t streamed even once. Even if people rush in now, it would all just be empty numbers. It’s a castle in the sand.”
“Castle in the sand?”
No matter how detached from studying one might be…
Sigh.
Stifling the inner elder who wanted to lecture, Sojun explained the meaning in simple terms.
“It roughly means a house built on sand; if the foundation isn’t solid, it will easily collapse.”
“Then when will you go public?”
“When I’ve settled and when the time is right. It’s more effective than getting attention now and then losing it all.”
“Got it.”
Taewoo understood quickly, maybe because he was a streamer too.
“Have you ever streamed before? Or are you secretly from a big company? That would be creepy.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
Taewoo, shivering as if creeped out, began to explain.
“You know what hosting is?”
“When a streamer sends viewers to another streamer’s channel when they end their stream?”
“Exactly. It’s when another streamer’s video is played on my screen, and viewer numbers are combined. If a popular streamer hosts a less popular one, it increases their visibility and gives them a chance to grow, but it doesn’t have much effect. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Except for a few, most can’t capitalize on that opportunity. Even if their viewers increase, a month later, only the same folks will be watching them. Just like you said, it’s a castle in the sand. By the way, Sojun, you’re perfect for streaming. So, when are we doing a collab stream?”
What kind of nonsense is that?
“If you post a video, it will definitely trend! And if we collab!”
Thunk.
Sojun kicked his babbling friend’s Shin and said.
“Be quiet and take care of the house chores you’ve delayed.”
“Argh! Oh right, the chores! Hey, can’t you let it slide just once?”
“No.”
Taewoo clutched his Shin and flopped onto the sofa.
* * *
The next day, Sojun entered the lobby and started preparing for the stream.
His goal was to gain some recognition as a streamer in a short time.
So, what game should he start with?
Taewoo had explained the previous day.
“Highly popular online games have lots of streamers, so it’s not easy.”
One had to ascend to high rankings to gain attention.
“Package games are less of a hassle, but they lack an audience.”
Each had its pros and cons.
However, Taewoo then smiled broadly and said.
“But there’s always a best option where the cons are minimized, and the pros are maximized.”
Indeed.
The game Taewoo recommended was so famous that Sojun had heard of it.
Moreover, it was perfect for Sojun’s situation.
With a mysterious smile of expectation, Sojun prepared for the stream in Travel.
After writing the stream title, he needed to set the category for the game.
The total number of viewers for that game in the category was—
“Ranked third.”
Confirming the game’s popularity once again, Sojun began to download the game.
It had opened only a week ago, and with the series itself being highly recognized, it had garnered massive interest.
〈Assassin’s Dawn: Shadows in the City〉
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