Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 167

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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 167

Here.
There is a bull in the canyon.
Not only does it plow fields, but it fights exceptionally well too.
Brave and nimble.
This bull is currently one of the opponents you’d least want to face in the canyon.
A. A creature positioned at the apex of the food chain.
The bull can plow through both the opponent and the top lane as if tilling a field.
This threatening creature, which has attended tournaments several times over the years, has proven every single time that it cannot ignore even the low-impact role of top lane.
The top lane—that place where only those with something slightly wrong in the head venture.
There exists no creature in the wild that doesn’t know how terrifying the being that dominates there is, nor how dangerous it is to touch.
The expression on such a bull’s face is now solemn.
It seems he has something he wants to say.
So the production team asked directly.

[Alright! We’ve gathered the three MVPs of today! But first, Hwang So, we heard you have something to say to Seo Jun. Is that right?]

Trawl is a Caster who, in the wild of survival of the fittest, has solidified his territory and established his position.
It seems he’s obtained some information.
Hwang So’s eyes roll back and forth.
He swallows hard, as if his throat’s going dry.
What on earth does he want to say, and how did he prepare it to go through such a process of refinement?
The lowest stratum of Trawl—yet without them, the wild cannot function—the streamers whispered encouragement while worrying about Hwang So’s next move.
This is a wild that imposes a harsh rule on everyone: the uninteresting do not survive.

* * *

‘Ugh!’
I found myself nodding before I could think.
There was no way I could avoid nodding, given the situation.
The established persona and misconception—the image of a strong man—was a terrifying thing.

[Number. Troublesome.]

That was the line that made Hwang So blow up.
A small offline arcade game tournament opened by a major company streamer.
Hwang So won there, and when the company streamer tried to send him the prize, he asked for contact information after the broadcast ended.
And that’s when Hwang So gave his response.
‘That’s where it started…….’
A short answer.
At the time, there was a flood of attention from many people directed at the winning streamer for the first time.
And a woman asking for his number for the first time—other than family and counselors.
These two things combined, and he was extremely nervous, giving that response, but fortunately it went over well.
Was only his voice tense?
Every facial muscle went rigid, and his eyes froze along with his body.
But by great fortune, he didn’t flub a single note in that state.
And he happened to have the job of being a streamer.
Lastly, there was a seasoned veteran from a major company right next to him who handled the situation smoothly.
In other words, all the conditions were in place for viewers to accept it as a persona.
After that, Hwang So rose smoothly through the ranks.
He just had to occasionally speak in an odd tone intentionally.
Intentionally speaking is difficult?
If he did a collaboration stream with a female guest, it came out automatically, regardless of his will.
Also, in-game, as a top laner, his original gameplay style was exactly what viewers wanted anyway, so there was no real strain.
Except for those rare moments when this image came back as a shackle, binding him by force.

[Oh? What is it?]

Jun, occupying one of the four split-screen divisions with the production team and three MVPs, looked straight ahead with intrigue.
Seo Jun was simply aiming his eyes properly at the camera, but Hwang So was slightly intimidated.
Let me say it again: outside the time he’s playing games, he’s someone with a gentle personality.
When he sees prey being devoured, he sheds tears at the pain of the eaten; when he sees a predator fail to hunt, his emotions stir at the creature’s hunger.
So he couldn’t provoke easily.
Of course, since everyone knows it’s for broadcast because he’s a streamer, it wasn’t that his heart grew weak and he couldn’t speak because he feared the other person would be hurt.
It was just.

[I’m really curious!]

Seo Jun smiles brightly.
But Hwang So was intimidated again by the sight.
‘Before we fought, I was confident enough.’
He already had a loss on record at Ground Zero and had definitely witnessed his skill.
And he’d witnessed his character too.
That’s the biggest problem.
Hwang So didn’t know Seo Jun well; what he’d seen on broadcast might be different.
But based on what he’d seen on broadcast, if he provoked Seo Jun here, Seo Jun would probably enjoy it and go out of his way to find methods to torment him.
Everyone’s eyes focus.
The chat begs him to take it easy, but if he actually did take it easy, they’d definitely be disappointed in Hwang So.
‘Should I just say, “Why don’t you come top?” No, what am I thinking!’
That won’t do.
If he really came top, it’d be a disaster.
So what exactly should he say to maintain his image and not draw that person’s interest?
‘Should I maybe throw in some compliments?’
That way there’s a chance he won’t hold a grudge?
But how do I provoke while complimenting?
Do I really have to compliment?
What’s the definition of provocation anyway?
Hwang So’s mind grew tangled, and his characteristic tension arrived.
Social skills are really this important.
In the end.
“Come on. I’ll crush you. Handsome.”
Pushed by the pressure of all eyes, Hwang So delivered the worst provocation possible.

* * *

[Pfft…….]
[Heheheh…….]
[Hah!]

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-That’s a provocation?
-Hwang So hates handsome guys? Then I’ll admit it ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ah ㅋㅋ He was an ally ㅋㅋㅋ Squid ally
-Hating handsome guys is totally like a guy ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Was he jealous?ㅋㅋㅋ

Seo Jun pondered how to receive this.
He even dredged up memories from his past life to find a way to handle this situation, but couldn’t find an answer, so he was at a loss.
‘Is that really a provocation?’
Or is that normal conversation?
Not sure.
Hwang So’s face was bright red.
Seems he’s quite embarrassed.

[Hahahaha! Ah. That is a provocation!]

Bang-ju laughed and spoke.

[Why?]
[First. The target is clear. That’s Seo Jun. Second, the goal is also clear. He says he’ll crush you. Third, the reason is also specified.]
[Why won’t you tell me the reason, Bang-ju!]

-Because he’s handsome ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-This isn’t third-rate villain provocation, this is a dignified declaration of war between nations ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-It is a provocation!
-You guys stop teasing Hwang So ㅋㅋㅋ He can’t even hold his head up

Hwang So’s image as a true man was slightly peeled back.
Instead of like an actual bull—a bulldozer charging with massive weight—he now seemed like just a familiar, big, dumb neighborhood hyung.
Either way, this wasn’t something Seo Jun particularly needed to worry about.
What mattered was.
“Haha. I’m unsure myself, but anyway that was a provocation, right?”
The fact that Seo Jun’s typically cold judgment was thrown into confusion by this degree showed Hwang So’s talent as well.

[Ah! Yes, that’s right. Seo Jun, what do you think of Hwang So’s provocation?]

“First of all, I’m grateful for the fact that you viewed me favorably…….”
Well, did he view me favorably?
Seo Jun was still confused, but he finished speaking anyway.
“……Thank you.”
Looking at the screen, Hwang So was glancing nervously at Seo Jun.
Really, what’s going on?

[Hahaha! He did view you favorably.]

-It’s something that he’s not a parasite ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Actually in our industry, being like a parasitic older brother is extreme praise anyway ㅋㅋㅋ
-Whatever it is, it’s extreme praise

“And, in any case, since you told me to come at you, ideally I’d like to fight from the Lane Phase, but…….”

[But?]

“I trust our Wind Sword. And I trust the Coach too. So I’ll leave the Lane Phase to my teammates. I look forward to the time when I can face you after that.”
Seo Jun answered by the book.
Then Hwang So let out a small sigh of relief.
It shows on screen. Hard to catch, but you can tell if you look closely.
‘Did he not want a provocation?’
What do I do then.
Seo Jun was currently considering going to top as well.
Naturally, what he’d just said was bluffing.
‘I can’t let this slide.’
Seo Jun lacked patience.
Even provoked by a 98-percent worthless taunt, sitting still was impossible for Seo Jun.
Want to try bullfighting?

[Ah! Definitely Lee Dong-su’s appearance was something no one anticipated. Everyone’s curious how you know each other and how you contacted him, but you’re really not going to say?]

“I can’t help it. We agreed to keep it secret.”
This was Lee Dong-su’s way of proactively requesting it, knowing for certain that if it were Seo Jun, he’d definitely disregard his own face and tell the truth plainly on broadcast.
He asked him not to talk about it because it was embarrassing for him.
Lee Dong-su, already thoroughly broken in front of Seo Jun, no longer felt shame before him, so he could speak with confidence.

[That’s a shame. I understand. I won’t ask anymore. Then shall we talk about the game?]
[Oh! I have a question!]

“Yes, Caster. What is it?”

[Multitasking secrets! That’s what I’m curious about!]

Seo Jun explained in detail.
The methods he thought of.
Bang-ju clapped.

[Ah! I think I’ve heard a similar story. It’s about chess masters. There’s an experiment where they place pieces on a chessboard, show it for five seconds, and have them memorize it. The arrangement method has two cases—one completely random and one taken from a scene in one of the countless games throughout chess history.]
[Oh? And then?]
[Amazingly, the chess masters memorized the arrangement from an actual game at a glance. But they couldn’t memorize the random arrangement at all!]
[That’s fascinating!]
[That shows how powerful familiarity can be. This could be great news for Jhin users, don’t you think?]
[Seo Jun! Is it really okay to share all this valuable information? You were the only one who had reached that level and knew the answer. Even during the Kaehel era, you seem to be too kind.]

“Ah. That’s not quite it.”

[Yes? Then what?]

“As you said, I explained it during Kaehel too, but in the end, no one can do it anyway. I simply have no reason to hide it.”

-That’s right ㅋㅋㅋ
-The bangjang is kind? Every chance he gets, he calculates how to deceive
-This one actually seems possible though?
-Going to play Jhin right now.

It’s a joke, and even if someone came along who could do it, it wouldn’t really bother him anyway.

[Understood! Do you have a goal for the next match?]

“10 Deaths.”

[Ah. Yes?]

“Just 10 Deaths. That much should satisfy me. I won’t say who it is.”

[Hahaha.]
[I really don’t know who you mean!]
[Right. What on earth 10 Deaths are you talking about. I’m so curious, but I won’t ask any further and will move on!]

Seo Jun’s next opponent was Jipaljikkon.

* * *

The next day with no schedule, Ha Yun-ho left his house.
6 a.m.
Early morning.
“Wow, how long has it been since I woke up?”
Streamers are destined to sleep in inevitably. Sometimes broadcast happens late at night, flipping day and night.
Breathing the fresh morning air, Ha Yun-ho set out for the Gymnasium.
“It’s a preliminary survey, this is.”
Fulfilling his duty as team leader.
Absolutely not because he wanted to meet Lee Dong-su early.
“Since Seo Jun generously gave me permission to come early.”
Once again, he woke up early out of necessity to grasp the situation in advance as team leader.
The training location, methods, and the Coach!
Ha Yun-ho placed the autograph papers and pen he’d prepared since the night before on the passenger seat, then got in the car.
“He said he’d let me train with Lee Dong-su alone first, hehehehe.”
Is it the weight of his duty as team leader pressing down on him?
He keeps laughing.
This laughter is absolutely not because he’s happy.
“The responsibility is heavy!”
But.
It didn’t take long for Ha Yun-ho’s face to lose its bright smile.

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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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