Chapter 45
To join a faction, one had to pass a simple test.
“It’s different for each sect.”
Seojun checked the details of the tests through the viewers’ explanations.
First of all, the Huashan Sect’s test was to cut falling plum blossoms.
In his past life, there were no such tests or training, but Seojun, who had already been exposed to modern media, thought the Huashan Sect’s test was cliché yet seemed fun.
“Is the Namgung clan just tedious labor or what?”
Swinging a sword a thousand times in the same stance.
It’s like a game forcing real training onto gamers.
Seojun let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
- For real, it was so overkill I picked Huashan myself.
- They even complain when you give them training, these guys.
- If you mess up your stance a lot, you have to do it over.
- Now that’s the righteous path of an orthodox sect!
- Tricks won’t work here.
If you make too many mistakes in stance, the count doesn’t register?
Then it might actually become real training, so maybe it’s fine.
Damn, I’ve been convinced.
“And the Beggar’s Sect is really something.”
Begging from village NPCs to collect money?
As expected of the Beggar’s Sect, a sect of beggars, they make users do actual field work.
“They even take away the money you beg? Wow. And this is an orthodox sect?”
Seojun shook his head in disbelief as he climbed the stairs.
- Fr lolololololololol
- Don’t look down on our Beggar’s Sect.
- Has the storyteller arrived?
“The Tang Clan has you throw throwing daggers?”
The Tang Clan is a family of poison and hidden weapons.
Usually portrayed as orthodox, but due to the brutality of their methods, sometimes they’re classified as unorthodox like in the game.
In his past life’s memories, the Tang Clan had definitely been on the orthodox side.
‘Though they only joined for the profit.’
In that they could switch to the unorthodox at any time, it suits them.
“I’m glad it’s throwing daggers. I thought they’d make you take poison.”
- Who would feed poison to a user lololol
- They’re joining, so they can’t feed them poison from the start.
- So they feed it later?
- Those who join the Tang Clan find and take it themselves lol
I see.
But I wonder why the world of my past life appears as a martial arts novel in this world.
‘Maybe there was another person like me.’
It’s not like only he would remember his past life, right?
Seojun looked up.
While chatting with the viewers about the various sects’ tests, the summit began to come into view.
Confirming that he would arrive soon, Seojun turned his head back to read the chat.
“The Green Forest has you holding up a boulder for a long time? That’s just so...”
The Green Forest, written with the characters for ‘green’ (綠) and ‘forest’ (林), is a bandit group.
As soon as Seojun read the chat about the Green Forest’s test, he thought it was very fitting.
And lastly, the test for the Assassin’s Guild is to find a disguised member of the guild inside the village.
After looking through them all, he thought he had made a good choice by picking the Demon Sect.
The view, which had been nothing but stairs no matter how high he climbed, began to change.
Finally, the sect came into sight.
After reaching the top, Seojun turned around to check the path he had climbed.
“It took a whole five minutes.”
In a game, five minutes is a lot.
And while you might think it’s not that high given the time, the altitude of the summit was high, whether from some in-game processing or not.
The village below came into perfect view at a glance.
“Why is it so high? Wait, so you can use lightness kung fu? Then why are you only telling me now... Never mind. What do I expect from you guys?”
Seojun laughed hollowly.
How come not a single person mentioned this while climbing?
Their teamwork is amazing!
- Ah lol, you do it yourself.
- Wasted 5 minutes, right? Pissed as hell, right? lololol
- Even when we don’t give advice, he complains lololol
- A broadcast where viewers and streamer try to screw each other over!
Yeah, that figures. It was his fault for not asking in advance.
He gave up and turned around again.
The great gate of the Demon Sect came into view.
“There’s no gatekeeper at the entrance. Can I just go in?”
How arrogant. That was his first impression seeing the wide-open gate, as if inviting anyone in.
But the viewers seemed to interpret it differently.
- Demon Sect bastards lololol, look, they just leave it open because no one ever comes lololol
- Ah, they’re just saying come on in lol, just please come... begging you...
- What’s the point of a huge gate when there’s no one around?
“Hey, aren’t you all being too harsh on the Demon Sect?”
Filled with all sorts of piercing remarks.
To think the Demon Sect was treated like this by people.
A sight unimaginable in his past life.
Only he could treat them like this.
The Heavenly Demon should see this.
- This bastard...
He heard an auditory hallucination, but Seojun ignored it.
He was on a broadcast right now, how dare they try to chat.
Seojun snickered as he entered through the gate.
The interior was incredibly spacious. A village in itself unfolded.
‘The Demon Sect was more like a massive faction than a mere sect, so it’s not strange that it forms a village.’
NPCs and users with nicknames above their heads were walking the streets.
“Lord Heavenly Demon! No, Seojun-nim!”
Someone was waving a hand cheerfully up ahead.
The ID floating above the head:
Number One Swordsman Under Heaven.
- It’s me, the great one lolololol
- Swordsman... are you joining the Demon Sect too...
- Got a guide, super lucky
“Hello, Swordsman.”
Seojun approached and exchanged greetings.
“Heavenly Demon, no, hello to you too, Seojun-nim.”
“Call me whatever you’re comfortable with. By the way, did you also choose the Demon Sect, Swordsman?”
Since the other had also left the novice zone yesterday, it was a reasonable deduction.
“Yes. Actually, I already joined.”
“Why?” I heard it’s not good.
“Of course, it’s because you’re going, Heavenly Demon! If we meet as enemies, it’ll be really... awful, I mean, it seems like it’d be hard.”
The swordsman trailed off.
- The broadcast host being awful is true lolol
- Intelligence SSS-tier
- This guy is smart?
- The viewers realized it after watching the broadcast for over a week, but this guy knows it after meeting him just one day? shudder
“I figured you’d choose the Demon Sect, so I came in early and waited. While watching the broadcast too.”
“...I see.”
“You’re going to take the test now, right?”
“Yes.”
“Come this way. I’ll guide you.”
Seojun followed the swordsman who was leading the way.
The test site was close, and they arrived soon.
Seojun spotted a user swinging a sword on the dueling platform and an NPC observing them from the front.
The Demon Sect’s test, that is, the entrance exam, is said to be demonstrating martial arts in front of the sect’s NPC, the First Elder Baek Wi-gang.
Here, martial arts isn’t just a game system; you actually swing the sword, and the NPC divides the grade based on its own judgment.
“I tried it once, and they called me third-rate. Even if you’re third-rate, they still accept you, but I’m going to retake it. This time I’ll follow the strategy I prepared.”
- Number One Swordsman Under Heaven (3rd-rate) lolololololololololol
- Why isn't that dude doing his concept play anymore
- Concept play is something you do when you have the skills.
“Strategy?”
“People have posted sword forms that, if you follow them, can get you up to the peak rank.”
“Aha.”
Looking at that, he might be able to figure out the AI’s judgment criteria.
“They say even if you perform the same form, the grade changes depending on the person performing it, anyway it’s complicated.”
While Seojun nodded and listened to the swordsman, a loud voice rang out from the dueling platform.
“You are first-rate! Now get lost.”
It felt like a nasty old man.
“Heavenly Demon, may I go first?”
“Sure.”
Seojun folded his arms and watched the swordsman climb onto the platform.
The swordsman cupped his fist in salute, and Baek Wi-gang stroked his beard and spoke.
“Why have you come again? I clearly told you your level. Do you want to retake the test?”
“Yes.”
“Then go ahead, give it a try.”
The swordsman seemed to struggle to reproduce the form he saw in the strategy.
After somehow finishing the demonstration with an awkward stance, Baek Wi-gang put his hands behind his back and said.
“Oh-ho. Your fundamentals would be a shame even for first-rate, but it seems you have a talent for crafting forms.”
- Oh?
- He’s complimenting that?
- That form is verified, though.
- In the first place, it’s a form created by many users.
- Peak?
- So what’s the result?
“Second-rate!”
- lolololololololol
- lolol he went up a level lol
- Congrats!
- Is the Demon Sect always like this? lolololol
- That Baek Wi-gang gives me PTSD...
- Me too... I was third-rate
“Kh-hm.”
Seojun suppressed a laugh that burst out when he made eye contact with the descending swordsman.
His expression was too sad.
“It’s okay, Swordsman. It’s okay. Anyway, they said a low grade doesn’t affect anything.”
If your grade is high, you start off with bonuses, but those are all things low-grade users can fill in as they play.
The only problem is the [Second-rate Demon] title next to your nickname?
It’s not like a public execution.
“...”
“And if you really don’t like it, you can just do it again.”
“True. Yes. True. Haha. If you do this form, Seojun-nim, you’ll get peak, right? Since your fundamentals are good?”
“Probably? Shall I give it a try?”
“Yes, please demonstrate.”
“Alright.”
Seojun headed for the dueling platform.
“Wait a moment. Do you not need me to tell you what the form is?”
“No, I already memorized it.”
Step by step.
When he got up on the platform, Baek Wi-gang was waiting.
“You’re a new face. Have you come to join the Demon Sect?”
“I have.”
“So you wish to take the test?”
“That’s right.”
“Good. But why are you speaking informally to me, an elder of this sect?”
“Because I am the Heavenly Demon.”
“Gak!”
- He just straight-up says he’s the Heavenly Demon, this crazy bastard lolololololol
- Ah, his nickname is Heavenly Demon, isn’t it lol
- What a nutcase lolololololololol
“I am the real Heavenly Demon.”
Without batting an eye, Seojun started his concept play.
Mimicking the Heavenly Demon is, after all...
fun.
“Damn, it seems a strange fellow has come to our sect. Hurry up and show your martial arts.”
“Fine. I shall grant you the opportunity to broaden your horizons through my martial arts.”
“Ha...”
Seeing that Baek Wi-gang wasn’t responding further, Seojun felt it was time to begin.
Seojun first drew the basic sword at his waist.
Then, picturing the form the swordsman had shown in his mind, he began to move slowly.
What is a sword form?
What you can do with a sword is simple.
Thrust and swing.
And a form adds the ‘how’ to these simple motions.
Vertically.
Horizontally.
Quickly.
Heavily.
‘The deeper you go, the more complex the form becomes.’
It deceives the enemy’s eyes, suppresses their attack while cutting.
It thrusts at a point the enemy cannot avoid.
It blocks in a stance that can lead to an offensive.
However, these forms are not all-powerful.
‘As your understanding of the sword deepens, you’ll see how to counter that form.’
A perfect form does not exist. There are only better forms.
The form Seojun saw from the swordsman was the same.
So, Seojun began to move.
‘I must make changes.’
Just slightly.
Even if only a little, he narrowed the angle of the sword swing, took an extra step, and lowered his stance.
Minor details.
But these changes, imbued with the insights of his past life, completely transformed the sword into something more complete.
A sword without an enemy is not perfect.
Yet, the sword Seojun unfolded into the air was perfect.
‘Even the Heavenly Demon had a lower understanding of the sword than I.’
Can the AI understand this?
Has it reached a higher level?
Purely, he was curious.
Soon, Seojun’s sword had performed all ten forms the swordsman had shown.
Seojun sheathed his sword and looked at Baek Wi-gang.
“Huh......”
Baek Wi-gang was staring at Seojun in a daze.
He seemed so surprised that he couldn’t speak for a long moment.
Seojun asked him,
“So, how was my form?”
Soon, a system notification rang.
“You are......”