Chapter 84
The screen transitions.
A slow sword unfolds.
Yet it feels fast.
Simple.
It was simply simple.
It looked like it could be blocked.
It wasn't blocked.
If you tried to dodge, you'd lose your balance.
The video forcibly immerses the viewer into the opponent's field of vision.
And sentences that foresee the upcoming situation appear just before the attack.
And then it happens exactly as foretold.
Rankers keep analyzing and sharing how it was done with that slow sword, but only the person involved would know exactly.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
After a few clashes, when they suddenly came to their senses, Seojun's sword had already quietly slit their throat.
Swoosh.
[Next.]
The person who had literally shown overwhelming skill looked down leisurely and spoke.
- The Slow Sword is really terrifying
- Gaslighting swordsmanship lol
- Since it's well edited as a compilation, it looks even more so lol
- Next!
- No emotion shows when he's pushing through lol Just expressionless, gives you chills lol
- If I had stood there, I definitely would've freaked out. How do I know? I freaked out a little even watching this lol
- Ack!
After showing him facing a few opponents, the video ended.
Because there wasn't enough time to include every fight in one video.
- Next! By this time
- The end
- sss
Seojun left a final chat message.
- Everyone, the demonic cult will win this battlefield.
After the premiere ended, the video was properly uploaded.
A report card of 30,000 views, recorded in less than a second after going up.
Han Jimin must have been watching without sleeping, because a message came.
[Han Jimin: The first premiere was a success!]
[Han Jimin: I hope it really catches the algorithm well!]
[Jin Seojun: Yes. Good work.]
[Han Jimin: Not at all. Geonyoung must be sleeping lol]
Since Lee Geonyoung always replied instantly if he was awake, they easily deduced that he was asleep.
[Jin Seojun: He pulled an all-nighter yesterday and barely rested, and he edited again today, so he must be very tired.]
[Han Jimin: Truly a wicked boss lol]
[Jin Seojun: Where else will you find someone who doesn't interfere as much as I do? haha]
Seojun doesn't even review the videos.
Because he had entrusted the channel, and he wasn't more knowledgeable anyway.
Editors could terrorize him if they harbored ill feelings, but what would they gain by doing that?
As expected.
If you want to instill a sense of ownership, you just make them the owner!
[Han Jimin: True. But how about doing some reviewing?]
[Han Jimin: If we ever leave and you have to find another editor, there will be a lot of things you'll need to check personally.]
It is true.
Even if he entrusted the channel because he didn't want to bother, Seojun knew it wasn't good to be completely ignorant about its management.
[Jin Seojun: I'll think about it when I take a leave of absence.]
[Han Jimin: Yes. You're busy, I see.]
Afterwards, Han Jimin sent another message in a private chat.
[Han Jimin: In my case, even if the boss tries to kick me out, I'll cling to his leg and hold on.]
[Han Jimin: Accidents can happen, too.]
[Han Jimin: But more than anything, I'm not sure what will happen with Geonyoung. He seemed to have a complicated mind, probably because the college entrance exam is coming up soon.]
Seojun and Han Jimin knew Lee Geonyoung's story.
The story of how he lived alone to retake the exam, but couldn't do anything and stayed in his room for a long time, until thanks to Seojun, he got to do something.
It was a story he’d be embarrassed to tell others, and Lee Geonyoung had no desire to reveal it either.
But it was the result of Lee Geonyoung, drinking alcohol for the first time on the first day, getting drunk without knowing his limit.
‘Did he say he felt relieved?’
Lee Geonyoung was definitely pulling his weight, but to them, he felt like a younger brother they had to take care of.
‘He'll manage on his own.’
And Seojun wasn't the type to take care of a younger brother.
Unless he asks for help, that's another story.
* * *
The next morning.
Seojun said to Taewoo.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Let's go eat at my parents' house this morning."
Seojun's parents' house was next door, and they often dropped by to eat together.
"Suddenly? And it's almost mealtime, if we go suddenly, I don't think they'll be prepared."
"No, Mom just said let's eat together since it's been a while."
"Really? Then we should go. But why all of a sudden?"
"Why would there be a reason? Maybe she bought some meat or something."
Seojun shrugged his shoulders and then opened the front door, heading to the next house.
Taewoo, watching Seojun leave, felt a slight sense of incongruity and tilted his head, but then followed Seojun out the front door.
* * *
Taewoo realized that his intuition was not just functional but outright excellent.
Though what good would realizing that do now?
It started because of a conversation between that damned friend of his and his father during the meal.
"Hey, why did you come over for breakfast out of the blue? Makes me uneasy."
Cough.
Food got stuck in Taewoo's throat.
She definitely said his aunt had called, so why was Hajun saying that?
Right.
Maybe his aunt called without telling her husband.
Of course, it was revealed right away when his aunt joined the conversation.
"Yes, I'm curious too. Why so suddenly?"
But she said you called!
"Well, you see..."
Taewoo turned his head sharply and stared intensely at Seojun with eyes demanding an explanation, but Seojun didn't even blink and continued.
"Mother, Father. I'm thinking of taking a leave of absence."
After saying that, as if nothing had happened, Seojun picked up his chopsticks again.
Cough.
With food stuck in his throat once more, Taewoo glared at Seojun even more fiercely.
This bastard, can you even swallow your food right now?
Taewoo screamed inwardly.
‘Why are you saying that now, deliberately bringing me with you to say it!’
No matter how frivolous he seemed, in Taewoo's eyes, Seojun was always a guy who thought about the future.
Then bringing him here now was clearly intentional.
Face it together? Or a suppressor for his aunt?
Whatever it was, he was truly a gem of a friend.
Clack.
Seyeon, Seojun's mother, put down her chopsticks with a sound on the table.
The atmosphere grew strange.
Hajun and Taewoo, who were nearby, flinched at the same time.
The person in question remained calm.
Seyeon spoke.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'll finish this semester and then take a break from college."
"For what reason?"
"Mm. To play a game."
Oh dear.
How can you say it like that?
"A game? ...So that's it."
"Yes."
"Not traveling, not a part-time job, not job hunting, not studying, not building a hobby, but just playing a game?"
"Gaming is a hobby too."
"..."
Please, Seojun. My friend.
Why are you doing this?
"Ah, and I earn money too."
"What money."
"The streaming is going pretty well."
"That thing Taewoo does?"
"Yes. Didn't I tell you I was doing it before?"
"I thought you were just helping Taewoo out while gaming."
Auntie. No.
This bastard suddenly said he'd be better than Shin Hayeon and just started.
"Well, anyway, it's going better than expected, so I want to give it a serious try."
"Oh, is that what it was? I thought you just wanted to play around without thinking."
"Would I do that? Mother?"
Taewoo recalled Seojun's broadcast.
Looking at his attitude during the broadcast and how he treated the viewers.
His friend definitely just wanted to play around without thinking.
However, Taewoo couldn't raise any objections.
He was just thankful that Seyeon hadn't gotten angry.
If things escalated, wouldn't the sparks inevitably fly to him?
As the culprit who led her son down a bad path.
Even though it was definitely because of Seojun's own circumstances, and Taewoo had not a single gram of responsibility, the important thing was that his aunt didn't know that.
"Until when?"
"I don't know."
"You'll graduate, right?"
"Probably."
"Alright. Then, lastly..."
"Yes."
"It is safe even if you do it that much, right?"
"It's safe."
"That's a relief. It's silly to tell a grown son to do this and that. Handle it yourself."
Phew.
Taewoo and Hajun's eyes met.
It's a relief it ended well.
Unexpectedly, Seojun was stubborn and once he made a decision, he didn't bend easily.
And Seyeon wasn't the type to oppose things either, but this time, didn't that bastard Seojun speak in such a careless manner?
What parent, upon hearing their son was taking a leave of absence to play games, would laugh and say, go ahead and play to your heart's content?
If he had just said he'd rest and then played games, that would be different.
Afterwards, his uncle quickly finished eating and went into the room.
His aunt went to clean up the kitchen area.
When only the two of them were left around, Seojun spoke quietly.
"That's too bad."
"What is."
"I was planning to throw you and run if Mom got angry."
This bastard?
* * *
"Thanks for the meal."
"Okay."
"Why is Uncle answering?"
"Because my wife made the meal."
"So why..."
"Shut up. Don't come over anymore."
Seojun put on his slippers, leaving the silly conversation between the two behind.
"Oppa. Move aside a bit. Let me out."
His younger sister.
Jin Sohee approached.
"Going to school?"
"Yeah."
A special note: she's a high school senior.
With the college entrance exam coming up soon.
"Is it okay to go to school wearing gym clothes?"
"Yeah, they don't catch me."
She's invincible.
At least within Korean society, she was invincible as an exam candidate.
"Anyway, Oppa, is your broadcast doing well?"
"Yeah."
"Ha. Because of you, I couldn't play capsule games during my school years for fear it might be dangerous. That's my regret. I really must do it once the exam is over."
"I clearly told you that you'd be fine."
"I didn't do it. I said I'd collapse, didn't I?"
"That was a joke."
Seojun chuckled.
"That's true. In the end, it was Mom who stopped me. If Dad had been just a little more interested in virtual reality, he would have persuaded Mom. Ha. Dad likes computers too much. But, Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"You're good at the game, right? If I play, I'll be good too, right? Since it's genetics? Right?"
I think that might be hard unless you remember your past life, though.
"I'm from the orthodox faction."
"Hey now. Why speak of the orthodox faction."
Sohee giggled.
"Oh, I saw that on your broadcast. Anyway, I'm orthodox."
"For the Xia? The demonic cult is better. Both its performance and popularity are good."
Suddenly, a clicking of the tongue was heard from behind, from Taewoo.
"Oh, so the game's name is 'For the Xia.' But even without playing it, I'm orthodox."
"Why?"
"I messed up my school grades."
Hmm.
So orthodox didn't mean that orthodox.
Suddenly it became solemn.
Seeing her emotions intensify enough to use the word 'messed up,' when she normally never uses curse words, it seemed better not to say more.
"Hey now. Sohee. The exam is not far off, what use is it for a regular admission fighter to watch streaming?"
And Taewoo lacked that much tact.
Maybe because the only dilemma he had during exams was whether to draw his line on number 3 or number 4.
Seojun shook his head, and Sohee snapped.
"What are you saying? And I didn't watch the streaming. Why would I watch Oppa's broadcast in the first place?"
"Then?"
"It suddenly popped up on YouTube this morning. The latest video. I only saw it because it popped up. So could you not infiltrate my account?"
"Why does it pop up for you?"
"How would I know? Ah. Right. Oppa, that was on the trending videos, wasn't it?"
"Really?"
Seojun answered as if surprised.
"Oh, awesome."
Taewoo, knowing the meaning, immediately opened his phone to check.
"Hey, hey. Look at this."
And he showed Seojun.
The view count of that video, which hadn't even been up for a day.
[He Became the Supreme Under Heaven in the Game.]
[Game Trending Video #3]
It had surpassed 300,000.