Gwanjongcheonma’s Game Broadcast - Chapter 178

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 178
Why a separate host wasn’t necessary in the support stream.
The blind devotion toward Hae-rang was certainly the biggest factor,
but there were other reasons as well.
[Good afternoon, viewers! At last, the WVC has begun—the Capsule Cup, if you will. I’m caster Seo Seung-heon.]
Being the world’s largest tournament, the major broadcasters sent crews to cover it live from the venue.
Thanks to the caster, viewers had no shortage of entertainment.
-Whoa! When did Seung-heon start covering Iron Fist?
-A treasure in a humble place ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-I love Seung-heon!
-Finally, no more of those guys who kill the vibe ㅋㅋㅋ
-Caster GOAT ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Cheon Yong-jun ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Eom Jae-young ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Sunshine Templar ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Seung-heon’s the best at Iron Fist commentary
-Real talk, that UFC experience isn’t going anywhere ㅋㅋㅋ
Choi Gang-sik, watching from the sidelines, flicked his finger sharply.
Then he let out a groan.
“Ow!”
His pitiful finger produced a whimper with just a single flick.
Either way, it was good news.
The quality of casting changed the viewer’s level of focus.
With Seo Seung-heon handling Iron Fist, there was virtually no risk of viewers dropping off due to poor broadcasting.
[So! Today’s event is Iron Fist Nine! Now, in Korea this game doesn’t even reach 10% market share, but overseas it’s almost always in the top three, wouldn’t you say? Which means the overseas competition is quite formidable indeed.]
-Here comes our Seung-heon’s BS show ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-That same tired pattern every time!
-Talking up the opponent before we even get swept ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Korea’s Iron Fist performance is weak because it’s not a popular game!
-Then why do we get demolished at the other games too? (genuinely confused)
-Yo! Seung-heon! You don’t have to do that anymore!
-Today’s different though? Real talk
-Those Singularities that always crushed us are gone now!
-The Singularity’s spiritual pressure… it’s vanished?
-Slow on the uptake, aren’t we, Seung-heon… still confirming the roster…
[I’ll admit it’s a bit awkward to present Korea’s track record, but it’s necessary for context. Let’s pull up the materials.]
As the announcement ended, Korea’s Iron Fist history laid bare before them all.
-Uuuughhhh!
-Completely. Utterly. Destroyed.
-Is this what shame really feels like?
-Those damn Singularity bastards
-The Singularities dropped the shit, but we’re stuck carrying the embarrassment ㅅㅂ
[Yes. As you see, Korea’s Iron Fist warriors have suffered first-round eliminations at every tournament. Both team and individual events alike. However!]
Seo Seung-heon’s voice, which had been fading, suddenly surged.
[At least this Iron Fist is different! Really! The roster has changed—it’s completely different! You must be relieved too, yes? A fresh wind is blowing into Las Vegas!]
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Here comes the hype
-Forced tension GOAT ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ahh, this is the stuff
-Thinking he’ll get Hae-rang to worship him with that hype ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-How are we supposed to feel a Las Vegas breeze from Korea?
-Through Bluetooth wind ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
[Doesn’t the name itself fill you with anticipation? The official designation is Korean National Team, but during preliminary selection, the team was named the Heavenly Demon Cult. The Heavenly Demon Cult! Don’t you feel the electricity?]
-Ah ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Don’t bring that up
-Why is the shame always ours?
-My exchange student friend asked what Thousand Holes meant ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ How do you even explain Heavenly Demon to Americans?
[Korea’s National Team will face their eternal nemesis in the Round of 16! Their eternal rival! Japan! Lose to everyone else if you must, but you’ve got to beat Japan, wouldn’t you agree?]
-Eternal rival;; that’s a stretch;;
-Do you think Japan considers us a rival too? ^오^
-Japan probably doesn’t even think about us ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-The Capsule Cup, the Asian Games, everything’s been fumbled away and then ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-We’ve been treated like leftovers forever ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-How could gochujang ever beat wasabi!
[Opening the Capsule Cup with Iron Fist Nine! Can the Korean National Team finally fulfill their long-cherished dream through these Iron Fist players? They’re so desperate to end this streak of international defeats! The match will begin shortly!]
* * *
“It’s much the same now as it always was.”
“Pardon?”
At Hae-rang’s sudden remark, Da-hong’s eyes widened in surprise.
“People fixate on the order of entry. The Singularities did it on the plane, and it was no different yesterday.”
“Ah. That.”
Da-hong gave a wry smile.
Yesterday, the opening ceremony of the WVC had been held.
Following the jaw-dropping spectacle of the opening ceremony,
each nation’s representatives entered in their designated order.
And the criterion for entry order was nothing but “performance record.”
“Those guys really are ridiculous. They’ve never won once, so they get to strut out front, but if that’s so embarrassing, they should at least practice harder.”
Da-hong let out a snort, thinking of yesterday’s events.
Because of the standard set by the Capsule Cup,
gaming fans all over the world think the same thing:
‘The team that enters first is the most pathetic.’
That’s why the Singularities had been so vocal about their displeasure with the entry order.
“They should’ve randomized the entry order. The association is incompetent. I heard people saying that yesterday, and honestly, I wanted to punch them in the face.”
“The real shame is losing and yet having the audacity not to feel it.”
“I agree. But you said it’s much the same now as it always was—did you ever compete in tournaments before?”
“I’ve done something similar.”
Hae-rang smiled then, a smile with considerable depth.
A smile that said there was nothing more to be drawn out,
no matter how much further one pressed.
“Well. Let’s drop it. It’s not like there’s just one or two such things anyway.”
Truth be told, Da-hong had no leisure to fret over such matters.
Even now, despite her nickname as “Blade Queen,” she was pacing restlessly.
“That’s unlike you. Are you nervous?”
“Of course I am. It’s an international tournament. An international tournament we’ve never once won at that. How about you, Hyeon-bin?”
“I’m not feeling well…….”
Ma Hyeon-bin’s face had grown haggard, nothing like his usual vibrant self.
“Where did Joint go?”
“He said he’d be right back from the restroom. That’s the ninth time.”
Da-hong shrugged while looking at Hae-rang.
“As you can see. This is the situation.”
“Everyone’s under tremendous pressure, it seems.”
This time it was Da-hong who asked the question.
“And you, Hae-rang? Are you really not nervous, or are you just pretending? I genuinely can’t tell.”
A person in slippers, shuffling off to the convenience store in front of his house.
That was exactly what Hae-rang’s expression looked like.
Could even the strongest-hearted person
really be so composed on a Capsule Cup stage?
“There’s no reason to be nervous. The outcome’s already determined.”
“The outcome’s already determined…… You mean you’re confident we’ll win?”
“Not quite. I mean that no matter what we do or try at this point, on the day of the tournament, nothing will change. We simply display what we’ve trained for and built up over time.”
“So the victory or defeat in this game isn’t decided today, but…… by the past days of training we’ve put in?”
“Precisely. You catch on quickly.”
Despite Hae-rang’s praise, Da-hong let out a long breath.
“Intellectually I understand it, but it’s far from easy. Since one loss means instant elimination, it’s not simple to keep your mental composure in the first match.”
“Which is why I say this.”
The three pale-faced players stood before him.
To them, Hae-rang revealed his plan.
“I’ll take the lead in the opening match.”
* * *
[Ladies and gentlemen, the curtain finally rises on the WVC stage! Iron Fist Nine in international competition! The player stepping forward as Korea’s vanguard is……!]
Seo Seung-heon’s voice rose higher as he continued the broadcast.
[Cheon Hae-rang! So we have Cheon Hae-rang! The player using the nickname Gwanjong Cheonma takes the field as the vanguard for the South Korean National Team!]
-He’s here, he’s hereeeeeeeee
-Wait, he’s leading off?
-Holy shit, I’m trembling;;
-Gwanjong Cheonma’s first international match ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-Take down those sushi bastards WWWWWWW
-Why did Gwanjong come out first? ㄷㄷ
-Looks like the team’s all frozen up from seeing his face
-Is it okay for the captain to go first like this;;?
[Looking at Cheon Hae-rang’s recent record, it’s quite brilliant! Ahead of this international tournament, he toured the European Server and achieved the extraordinary feat of reaching Gold Rank. Now facing him is Japan’s representative: Yasuo!]
-How is someone’s name actually Yasuo lol
-Is he some kind of concept player too? He’s got a ponytail and everything
-Defeat is like the wind… always at my side…
-Ah, that bastard’s actually good;;he came in a team match last year and beat France twice in a row
-Let’s go Gwanjong Cheonmaaaaaaaaaaa
[Each nation tends to have its own unique style, and Japan pursues an exceptionally refined approach. Watching their games, you can practically taste the salt.]
-ㅇㅇㅇ Seo Seung-heon prepared well
-Japan’s good at grinding away with fundamentals
-Somehow it really fits;;
-You could call it the epitome of low risk, low reward
-When you watch, you can seriously taste salt pouring from your mouth lol
Iron Fist play splits into two main categories.
A rough, flashy style centered on skills.
A refined, disciplined style centered on fundamentals.
Among participating nations, Japan pursues the most disciplined play.
So what’s Hae-rang’s style?
“よろしくおねがいします(Nice to meet you)。”
With a smile that held a hint of mockery,
Yasuo bows.
Hae-rang returns the greeting and expresses himself.
“I can’t speak English very well.”
“……Huh?”
<ROUND ONE! FIGHT!>
[And we’re off! Cheon Hae-rang selects Full Phoenix, as always! And Yasuo counters with Nasuka!]
-Nasuka damn it
-The demon of salt hands ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-Light Punch and Light Kick have the fastest speed, right?
-ㅇㅇ for a female character, her range is pretty decent too
Nasuka closes the distance without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Full Phoenix stands her ground, staring Nasuka down with unwavering focus.
‘What? Why isn’t she moving?’
Yasuo, briefly confused, soon broke into a triumphant smile.
‘She must be frozen. Well, it’s the Korean team—what did I expect?’
The distance between them closed until basic attacks could connect.
Nasuka threw out a Light Punch without hesitation.
Whoosh!
Full Phoenix dodged Nasuka’s fist by the thinnest margin.
‘Didn’t it make contact?’
There was a faint sensation in his hand.
Like brushing against down feathers.
‘Doesn’t matter. Full Phoenix is easy prey for me.’
Nasuka unleashed a barrage of basic attacks as if possessed.
Low damage, but with no recovery delay even on misses.
Hae-rang began to respond with measured basic attacks of his own.
“Haha! What are you doing?”
Nasuka laughed while sidestepping Full Phoenix’s jab.
Daring to engage Japan’s national team in a fundamentals battle?
Besides, if that was the plan, there’d be no reason to pick Full Phoenix at all.
To put it bluntly, Full Phoenix’s fundamentals were twice as slow as Nasuka’s.
Smack!
Thwack!
Watch.
In a fundamental exchange, the advantage goes to one side alone…….
Thud! Thwack!
“Wh……?”
Even.
Full Phoenix and Nasuka had exactly half their health remaining.
‘What is this?’
Whoosh! Whoosh!
As time elapsed, Full Phoenix’s attack frequency grew, not Nasuka’s.
The extended fist barely grazed the fabric of the martial arts uniform,
and the thrown light kick stopped just before Full Phoenix’s knee.
Meanwhile, Full Phoenix’s basic attacks
—crack! Thwack!—
“Argh!”
Yasuo instinctively cradled his nose.
The sort of thing only amateurs unfamiliar with the shock would do.
Hae-rang’s strikes were hitting with force far beyond standard.
“Damn it!”
Yasuo cursed and pushed his power to its limit.
Full Phoenix and Nasuka soon clashed in ruthless close-quarters combat.
Whip! Whip!
Lightning-fast basic attacks streaking out.
Beyond just blocking—he was simply sitting down to dodge.
His movements were so quick that standing and sitting seemed to exist in the same instant.
-He went crazy;;
-Insanely high-level offense and defense ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
-This isn’t a special effect right now?ㄷㄷ
-Even Salty Hand has to admit this is something;;
-Fair enough for Yasuo, but why is the attention seeker playing that well?
-It’s not even his usual style ㄷㄷ
-Looks like Shaolin martial arts;;
What mattered most in such a razor-sharp duel
was composure.
Because maintaining extreme concentration continuously was agonizingly difficult.
When their mutually ravaged health bars dropped below ten percent,
Yasuo broke under the stress and did something he shouldn’t have.
Whooom!
Thinking one successful hit meant immediate knockout,
he unleashed a technique larger than he’d intended.
The moment Nasuka’s soccer kick cut through the air,
blue flames flickered in Hae-rang’s eyes.
Crack! Thwack!
Full Phoenix’s basic attacks landed in rapid succession.
Nasuka’s health bar drained without end.
Each nation has its own style,
and Japan adheres to the Salty Hand approach.
South Korea’s representative Cheon Hae-rang’s style was
‘I do everything better.’

Full Phoenix’s first victory, achieved through fundamentals alone—the one known as ‘Bungta Bird.’
It was more than a single win;
it was the complete destruction of Japan’s national team’s very identity.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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