Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 160

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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 160

Mental’s team was classified as a strong contender.
The team name was Heavy Metal.
After streamer Mental recently got married and gained weight during the honeymoon period, viewers claimed the team name was definitely derived from that meme.
Properly tweaking “Heavy Metal” to put the captain back made “Heavy Metal” — it was impossible to say this wasn’t the work of some malicious spirit tangled in the broadcast, one that planted wickedness deep in everyone’s heart the moment they logged on.
Seo Jun genuinely believed there was something fundamentally wrong with this site.
‘Everyone’s here.’
It was as Seo Jun gazed at the game start interface, memorizing the opposing team’s name.
Was it because of what he’d said earlier?
A message came through the League to Seo Jun.

[Pado: I was sorry about back then. And because I know your skill, I’ll do my best. Even in a practice game. I’ll definitely bring out your full strength today.]

The message sender, unseen by viewers, was Pado — the opposing team’s Mid laner.
Seo Jun’s eyes narrowed.
What’s he talking about back then?
Long ago? Or Ground Zero? That deer incident?
‘True. That was a bit much. Wind Sword really should apologize.’
Uncertain what it meant, Seo Jun simply read it and ignored it. He figured if it mattered, they’d talk about it later.
Or during the game, maybe.
As for the word “strength”…
True, in the last game he wasn’t trying to lose, but people interpreted it not as him going easy but as him giving up because he had no choice.
Not just community users—some of the casters thought the same way. Just like now.
Maybe Pado sent this message now because of the commentary.

[He might not have known how to play out the game. Seo Jun is an A-rank Newbie, after all.]
[Max Level Newbie, you mean!]

That was Tae Yang’s assessment. Bang Ju’s pointless addition.

[There’s something called game management in the League. Ground Zero isn’t without its own rules for managing a game either. But in Ground Zero, fights happen across real terrain in real environments. The game rules are grounded in actual reality—firing and hitting with guns. So even if you’re doing it for the first time, you can get a sense of it… Actually, no, you can’t.]
[Right. When you think about it, if you had that kind of real-world experience…]

There was a moment of silence.

-That’s what I’m saying!
-Double O Seven!
-No wonder his first game was an Assassination match lol
-It’s finally being revealed!

‘That…’
Weren’t they just saying he was a pro player who’d gotten plastic surgery to launder his identity?
Now he’s a secret intelligence operative?
It always happened like this.
“No, I keep telling you—I was Geomsin, okay?”
The fact that Seo Jun was explaining himself like this right now.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ lol
-Even for a broadcast concept, this guy’s actually losing his mind ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Let’s keep telling him he’s just a normal college student so his mental state improves ㅋㅋㅋ
-Let’s help him get his head straight!

Get his head straight? What was that supposed to mean?

[Well… even if it’s not reality, FPS games are mostly similar anyway…]
[But that’s still Newbie tier, right? If I recall, the game Seo Jun played was…]
[Yes, I understand. Anyway! The League is more complex, and because the Ace didn’t know how to play out the game, team Binbugyeokcha might have lost because of inequality.]
[Then what’s your take on today’s match? The opposing Ace is Mid! It’s an Ace versus Ace Lane Fight, so the dynamic is completely different from last time!]
[It’s hard to watch in any case, though…]

Arin jumped in too.

[…Especially in this Lios, Ace versus Ace Lane Fights can only be seen in Mid. If even one of the two teams gets eliminated in the Group Stage, then maybe this game will be the last chance for an Ace matchup!]

The real meaning of that statement was.

-ㅋㅋㅋ If you lose here you might not get revenge ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Then you’re stuck with a permanent loss achievement forever
-No way to recover! This is a Pride Match! Let’s go!
-Show us the Mutual Pan Blocking Exchange

‘Well, it’s possible, that much.’
But still.
It was good that he’d decided to do this properly.

[Beginning Ban Pick!]

* * *

He activated Focus Mode and cut off the voice being streamed to viewers.
“The goal is victory! Binbugyeokcha, fighting!”
With Rumi’s bright and cheerful voice, the Ban Pick began.
With the coach already decided, all they could do in their remaining practice game was their absolute best.
No hidden strategies, nothing else.
Of course, Seo Jun had strategies for going to different lanes, but today’s opponent was Mid.
And depending on how this Ban Pick went, even if Kael or Eric survived, Seo Jun was determined to win today with a new hero.
Jen was, at least as Seo Jun saw it, a hero with high carry potential—it looked possible to win the first time unconditionally.
‘Though I’d need to play decently, too.’
Seo Jun always thought that whatever depended on him was the easiest thing in the world.
This had nothing to do with his actual skill.
It was simply because any task had too many external variables, and the only thing he could control was himself.
It was similar to why some people said studying was easiest for them.
Anyway, why was he using that hero now?
‘If I just control my teammates well enough, we can win the championship without even trying.’
Then it’s championship.
Seo Jun looked around at his sides contentedly.
His teammates trembled without realizing it.

[Banned Hero – Brightness’s Regent Kael]

“Oh? The other team’s banning Kael right from the start.”
“Is this a triple ban on Seo Jun?”
“Whoa!”
There are three ban cards.
Using all three to counter a single player is uncommon, but if the opposing Ace only has three heroes they’re good with instead of four, this method is extremely effective.
But.
“I haven’t revealed three heroes.”
Two are enough for Seo Jun!
So a triple ban makes no sense!
“Aha!”
“That’s right.”
“But Seo Jun, shouldn’t we try to counter Pado a bit too?”
Alpaca, who’d been staring intently at the interface ahead, asked.
“No. Focus more on the other lanes.”
Alpaca followed Seo Jun’s lead.
Then came the opposing team’s second ban.

[Banned Hero – Escapist Eric]

“They’re really going all out with the counter-picking.”
Wind Sword’s voice carried a note of surprise.
“That Pado’s chat must be going crazy. Saying he’s scared, haha.”
Ha Yun-ho thought about the public opinion.
“In a Pride Match and already playing scared! You’ve already lost going in!”
Rumi clenched her fists.
Finally, Seo Jun wasn’t flustered.
Of course, he didn’t expect them to do this, but it didn’t matter.
Ha Yun-ho ran his tongue over his lips.
“Are they trying to scout our hand more?”
More precisely, Seo Jun’s hand.
But right now, Seo Jun’s hand was essentially Binbugyeokcha’s hand.
“Seems like it. They probably thought we’d make it to the Main Stage, so they want to check out one more of our options. They’re treating us as a strong team worth properly scouting.”
Seo Jun subtly encouraged his teammates.
“Seems like it!”
Only Ha Yun-ho, his lips still moving, looked pleased.
Anyway, the Ban Pick proceeded smoothly.
Binbugyeokcha’s bans were concentrated on Jungle and Top.
And now came hero selection time.
The order of hero selection goes: if each team’s players are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Only the first pick goes to the First Pick team’s player 1, then it switches to the other team, and from then on each team alternates, with two players picking each round.
The order of each team member doesn’t matter. You can have a later teammate pick a hero and then swap it before the game starts.
So.
“Huh? The other Pado isn’t picking Mid?”
“He’s waiting to see what Seo Jun picks before deciding.”
“Wow… He’s really clenching his teeth on this.”
Late Pick.
Picking after your opponent naturally lets you select a hero that’s easier to counter and deal with.
It was Seo Jun’s turn.
“I didn’t expect them to go this far, but it doesn’t matter.”
Whatever the opponent picks won’t change what he’s doing today anyway.
“What difference does matchup superiority make?”
“Wow, confidence!”
“The viewers need to hear this.”
“Wait, Seo Jun. Aren’t you saying those kinds of lines are for broadcast concept? The audio isn’t streaming right now?”
Sharp one.
Wait.
“We’re still broadcasting now, so that’s why. I’m telling you, my real personality isn’t like this.”
Seo Jun chuckled and reached forward to select the hero he’d already decided on.

[Geomsin – Shadow Sorcerer Jen]

* * *

-Wow, did Pado come prepared? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-In a Mid Pride Match you gotta go this far
-Isn’t it already lost at that point?
-Nah. As long as he wins, he’s good. And at minimum if he ties, we viewers should give Pado credit. He’s our opponent’s teammate.
-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ Even with this level of preparation against the broadcast master, it’s not enough!
-They’ve all lost their minds ㅋㅋ You guys lost to the master last round ㅋㅋ
-Newcomers, leave.

Seo Jun can’t see it. But that doesn’t mean the chat is frozen or moving slowly.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ If Pado with Late Pick and counter-pick looks bad, upvote ㅋㅋ
-Looks bad? This is completely a hit
-Absolutely not a hit

The hero Seo Jun picked was an assassin-type character using shadow magic arts.
The background lore frames him as an assassin, and his in-game category is also classified as an assassin—a true assassin through and through.
In the League, heroes with burst damage and excellent mobility are called Assassins.
They don’t deal sustained damage and take moderate hits while fighting steadily. Instead, they watch for openings and exploit the weak points of the enemy team.
Shadow Sorcerer Jen.
A hero who can summon a puppet body made of shadow and control it to fight in his stead.
While the shadow is summoned, damage the caster deals scales—after the shadow is re-summoned, it can deal additional damage equal to that amount, and the caster can also swap positions with the shadow once.

-Didn’t know he’d pick Jen after Eric and Kael got banned
-Matches what he said earlier? That he does the work of two people?
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Was that foreshadowing? But the broadcast master always does the work of two or more anyway
-And Pado’s finished now
-Pado’s counter-picking Jen
-So what? Just watch the broadcast, newcomers
-Wait, didn’t you guys say the master lost recently?
-We’re the ones who talk trash here

One way or another, the game started.

-Heard there’s a fight happening here
-Should raid the relay caster’s chat and stir up trouble too, that’s how it works
-Why isn’t the manager removing the newcomers?
-Right
-Why’s the guy who lost to Dokkaebi showing his face? Why’s the guy who lost to Dokkaebi showing his face? Why’s the guy who lost to Dokkaebi showing his face?
-But Dokkaebi can get banned anyway
-ㅋㅋ

Trolls flocked to Seo Jun’s channel, delighted at the chance to enjoy a good fight.
Whatever Pado did at the start, the current fight was a Pride Match between A-rankers.
No one could resist—this was exactly the kind of drama the voyeurs craved.
If Seo Jun loses here, he’ll be stripped of his karma and become an outright clown.
Forget being the tournament villain.
But then.
“Ah. Come out quickly.”
Seo Jun spoke rapidly as he adjusted his settings.
“Huh? Me?”
Pado, standing before Seo Jun waiting for minions to spawn, pointed at himself with a confused tilt of his head.

-???
-Is he reading chat?
-Focus Mode is on right now
-What kind of insane behavior is this???

It was bizarre.
Everyone drew question marks over their heads, unsure who exactly Seo Jun was talking to.
And then.
A different voice came through Seo Jun’s broadcast.

[Did you call for me, Successor of the Later Generation?]

“Yes. So explain this to me.”
“Huh?”
“Not you. Jen.”
“What?”
Pado was greatly flustered. What on earth?
“What are you doing?”
Seo Jun had activated Dialogue Mode.
It was a function that, realistically, was barely used except at the very beginning of the game, and not even then. It served little purpose and got in the way.
But Dialogue Mode had one other use.
Of course, it was also only used at the very beginning.
But in-game, no one used it.
Especially in tournaments—it had never appeared even once. Never, not once.
“Tutorial.”
And somehow, Seo Jun had pulled off this impossible thing.
“…?”
Seo Jun’s face was the same as usual, unbothered by shame.
There was no shame in seeking knowledge, after all.

-???
-Sir, no matter how much you scrim, everyone’s watching. Please, come prepared! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Is he insane?
-Is he insane? <– Something he says every time ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Because he does insane stuff every time ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-For real? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-What newbies wanted = Before minions even arrive, physical geniuses showing incredible combat that makes hearts soar
-Reality = Insane broadcast master's haha hoho tutorial ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Even the Demonic Cult won't do evil today! This is embarrassing!

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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
—————