It’s not that kind of malicious broadcast

Three days had passed since showcasing the Great Sword Knight. Reflecting on it, I could self-evaluate that it had been quite an impressive showcase.

The response to the build was stronger than expected. I mean, who wouldn’t be captivated by a build that destroys everything in its path with an oversized sword?

Maybe the lukewarm reaction last time was because it was introduced when the game had already somewhat stagnated.

Feedback posts were being uploaded all over the community. The evaluations were fairly consistent: “Too difficult but fun, so it doesn’t matter”… This would change quickly as players became more skilled.

With a sufficient number of people investing a significant amount of time, skilled players would naturally emerge. I was convinced that this would happen soon. After all, the response in North America had been overwhelming.

Now, all that was left was to wait. Even if I ignited the spark, I couldn’t control its spread. Everything required adequate time to grow.

That was the reason I had announced another three-day break. Since the wildfire had already started, there was no need to blow on it with my breath to make it burn brighter. There were many things to do.

Everyday tasks, like overdue house chores, had piled up… and I also needed to prepare for unveiling the next build. Momentum was crucial in these matters. If the second move was weaker than the first, it could be easily underestimated.

The last thing I could tolerate was people sighing with relief, thinking that the previous knight build was the last.

Still, I wasn’t too worried. For the time being… I had baited Bio with the detailed operation guide for the Great Sword Knight, along with a Mage build. At the very least, it should stir things up a bit in solo ranking.

Regardless of the build’s impact, the ripple effect would be greater.

So, what needed to be done now was… Oh.

Maybe I should check things out.

Also, clear out some of the tasks piling up on my to-do list.

* * * *

8 in the morning. Revan, Shihoon was busy in the kitchen, basking in the morning sunlight.

The breakfast was a bit more calorie-rich than usual: toast and eggs lightly cooked with a touch of butter in the frying pan, paired with pre-made basil pesto and chicken breast steak.

On days of pre-broadcast workouts, having a hearty meal was part of the routine. Bringing the prepared meal to naturally settle in front of the computer was an essential part of the daily schedule.

It was time to watch replays of Lee Yena’s broadcasts, a routine that had subtly seeped into his life at some point.

Although the live broadcast times mostly overlapped, the merit of watching replays without getting caught was quite significant. It was still unclear who he feared getting caught by the most.

《Alright then, here’s the important part… Can you throw a greatsword of this size? What do you think?》

The screen was filled with the bulging back muscles of a warrior. This was a fresh visual frequently seen on Lee Yena’s recent broadcasts. Even knowing it was a peculiar act with suspicious intentions, it was hard to look away.

-Boom!

《The answer is, yes, you can. Ah, it can’t pierce through walls… but it can pierce through people.》

Accompanied by the roar, a calm explanation played in the background as another victim fell like a ragdoll, unsurprisingly.

Her movements, as always, had a spectacular charm. Even Revan, who had the highest regard for KoK, couldn’t help but think of the expression “eye candy”.

Thinking so, Revan became engrossed in the screen, forgetting even the delicately prepared meal in front of him.

Lee Yena’s playstyle had always been quite a sight. It was no coincidence that her broadcast gained popularity as what they call a “hidden gem” not long after she started broadcasting.

Of course, this charm became even more prominent after she took on the peculiar Holy Knight wielding a greatsword. Though Lee Yena wouldn’t agree.

Even when her commentary occasionally disappeared, there was no room for boredom. Her dazzling gameplay filled in all the gaps.

Charge. The knight, who had just killed a Warrior by throwing a greatsword, slowly retrieved his weapon lodged in a tree and charged like a raging bull. Who else could look so threatening with just their bare body devoid of any armor? For a moment, Revan felt pity for the knight standing opposite.

It was better to immerse himself in this side. He pulled on his headset and switched to a first-person view.

The screen was chaotic, yet it revealed the true allure.

-Whoosh!

An enemy’s sword grazed past his eyes. As always, by a hair’s breadth. Revan wanted to question how she managed to calculate the distance every time, as if coordinates were drawn in her mind.

Combo. A series of quick thrusts, akin to light jabs, began pouring in. A wise decision. There’s no need for heavy blows against a knight without armor or a shield. No matter where the sharpened sword landed, the system would recognize it as a critical hit.

Even though she knew such vulnerabilities more than anyone else, she didn’t seem afraid at all. Lee Yena didn’t step back, repeating evasive maneuvers while the screen was bloodied due to several hits she took.

A continuous display of dodging the swirling attacks filled the screen—

The first-person view turned crimson. The enemy’s jab finally grazed her face. Her health dramatically decreased, appearing quite dramatic.

And then, the attack tempo changed.

-Whoosh!

The first thing to be heard was the sound. Her heavy greatsword followed belatedly, dragging along while smashing through everything. The opponent, realizing the counterattack too late, tried to move his shield—

Too late. With that movement, the shield would merely be split in half.

A message notifying of a kill recorded by an unidentified ID filled the screen.

The chat window, captured in the recording, was full of question marks. It was understandable—among those watching the broadcast in real-time, only a handful probably grasped what had happened.

Even Revan would have missed the cascade of skills had he not been intently focused. The techniques involved seamlessly mixing movements without attack judgments, canceling motions multiple times without delay, and finally succeeding in a counterattack by deliberately presenting a tempting head.

It was an unbelievable level of skill.

In reality, if anyone remarked that there were soju bottles lying around their home recently instead of VR equipment, no one would believe it. Not that he would tell anyone this. As he pondered, Revan unconsciously let out a small chuckle.

The flashy, bold, and exhilaratingly aggressive playstyle—on top of that, this person led the meta with their build. It was no wonder viewers were flocking in.

Just how famous were they planning to become? It was now not difficult to find English in her chatroom. In fact, there were complaints from viewers about the overwhelming influx of foreign viewers.

Although the stated reason was that they were disrupting the atmosphere, Revan understood too well what the real sentiment behind those complaints was.

‘Why choose a rogue when you can do things like that…’

Lost in these thoughts, which would have likely amused Lee Yena had she known, Revan took a bite of his cooling toast.

– Buzz

『Lee Yena: Revan#322?』

『Lee Yena: Are you busy?』

A message had arrived from none other than the owner of the voice in the video.

『Yes.』

『Why?』

『Lee Yena: Would you be less busy if there’s a good reason?』

『Lee Yena: I really have a good reason.』

《… There are people asking to see some psychological warfare. Reading an opponent’s mind and psyche is for those without a greatsword. You just swing this thing around.》

Was it the drowsy tone of her voice? Or perhaps the coincidental timing of her recorded voice playing just as the message popped up on the screen?

Revan felt it would be better not to know her reason. Nonetheless, his curiosity got the better of him.

『Well, at least I know it’s a weird reason.』

『What’s this?』

『Lee Yena: There are many things to prepare for the protest… I need your help』

『Lee Yena: Ah』

『Lee Yena: We’ll have a preliminary visit as well』

『Lee Yena: Shouldn’t you join the visit as the invited singer?』

『Lee Yena: I’ll also buy you the meal I promised last time』

Last time. When exactly was that? Revan managed to recall the incident where a one-sided promise was imposed on him, after rummaging through the recesses of his memory.

‘Indeed, after sending a chicken gift card, she made a bombshell announcement on the broadcast, claiming she had bought the chicken, and then followed up by arranging a meal…’

Messages appeared and vanished on his smartphone screen several times.

『Lee Yena: 🪓』

『Lee Yena: 🌲』

『Lee Yena: 🪓』

『Lee Yena: 🌳』

『Lee Yena: 🪓』

Lee Yena began spamming emojis she found from who-knows-where.

『What’s all this?』

『Lee Yena: Ah』

『Lee Yena: Hmm』

『Lee Yena: A bait…?』

『Lee Yena: Somehow, I had a feeling that you couldn’t ignore this if I sent it』

『Lee Yena: I have a good intuition』

Indeed, her prediction was spot on.

He couldn’t agree with her about her intuition, though.