Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 235

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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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Episode 235

Seo Jun stood watching a group some distance from the entrance to the Blacksmith Map.
‘Were they waiting for me?’
There were three of them, and judging by their nicknames, it was safe to assume they were viewers.
Geomsin 999, Geomsin 998, Geomsin 997.
That’s why he’d called them a group.

-What are these guys? lol
-Where’d Geomsin 1000 go? lololol
-Looks like the admin’s waiting for them

If all three had been strangers to each other, they’d never have nicknames like that.
‘Something feels off.’
With the typical viewers Seo Jun usually encountered, the moment they met he’d unconsciously expect: which three clowns will it be this time?
‘Is it because of the masks?’
These three had their faces hidden behind masks, so that feeling didn’t come through.
Instead, they felt threatening.
An animal mask, a mustache mask, an opera mask.
The three of them were giggling as they approached.
‘No unified theme.’
Seo Jun waited for a moment and habitually scrolled through the chat.
There was a message in the Trabol chat window with Taste Test Corner that viewers could also see on broadcast.

[Taste Test Corner: You guys don’t know about this?]
[Taste Test Corner: On Solar Line, most users don’t buy masks or wear them?]
[Taste Test Corner: All the bad manner users wear masks and play like that lololol That’s Solar Line for you!]

So what Taste Test Corner was saying was that on Solar Line, a mask was a badge of a bad manner user.
Which meant on Lunar On, it was different.
If it had been the same on Lunar On, they wouldn’t have specifically said “on Solar Line.”
And right now, this place was Lunar On.
‘There’s probably a reason they went out of their way to say that in chat.’

-What’re you gonna do about it, you bastard
-Solar Line is really…..
-Because it’s the demon realm!
-The shocking truth Lunar On users learn lol Solar Line has a separate manners guild!!
-Whoa OMG

While Seo Jun was making his deductions, the three mask-wearers reached him and greeted him.
“Hello, Geomsin.”
“Yes, hello.”
Seo Jun returned the greeting naturally while calmly observing the three people’s movements.
The atmosphere felt strangely cold, and Dang So didn’t like it—he took a step back.
For reference, Tae-woo still hadn’t come out of the map.
“You can see our nicknames above our heads, right? We’re fans. Fans.”
The animal mask—more precisely, the rabbit mask—pointed at his head with a finger.
“I see.”
It was unlike how celebrities’ fans reveal themselves when meeting their idols.
Rather, it sounded like someone approaching with ulterior motives.
‘Ah, not fans then.’
When Seo Jun met the eyes behind the mask and smiled slightly, the subtle confrontation didn’t escalate.
The rabbit mask let out a small laugh and asked Seo Jun kindly.
“So could we ask you a favor? We’re your fans?”
“Sure, what is it? I’ll decide after I hear it.”

-What’re they gonna ask for or something
-There’s something wrong here
-The admin never accepts anything weird anyway so I’m not worried
-Facts
-If they try anything funny he’ll just beat them lol
-lololololol

“Could you let the three of us join your party?”
“No.”
“Haha. That was a quick decision, wasn’t it?”
“It was.”
“But there are only three of you right now, so you have plenty of space. You need five more members.”
“That’s true.”
Hmm.
‘Were they just another Dang So type?’
He thought of Dang So, who had thrown throwing stars when they first met.
Even if someone’s naturally kind, they tend to lose their mind when gaming.
“So you should just accept us then.”
“You don’t have the skill.”
“We do though?”
Of course, seeing them laugh and push stubbornly, their tone trying to scratch him softly—they were clearly different from the openly foolish Dang So.
So he should just go on offense first then.
“Take off your masks first.”
“Huh?”
“You want to join the party, right? Don’t you think we should know what you look like?”

-lol
-Sinister as hell, keeping that mask on!
-Special feature: Lunar On users having a meltdown about masks
-The demon realm…..

“Well, it’s an avatar so I could take it off……”
“Then please do.”
“Hmm……”
Look at him hesitating.
The rabbit mask glared at him.
“Geomsin. Anyway, even if you open up the mask, it’s not your real face, right? Do you really need to take it off just to join the party?”
Games don’t generally have many systems for modifying avatars on the fly.
Virtual reality avatars are set up and entered with from the start.
A gamer could either use their real body as-is or do some minor cosmetic adjustments based on it.
It’s possible to look like a completely different person with those minor adjustments, they say.
So the face behind that mask might not match their reality.
Then why wear a mask in the first place?
“You’re going to be playing in Rakle with that face anyway. I mean, surely you’re not curious about my real face?”
“Haha……”
For one thing, modifying a face is incredibly tedious.
There’s even a whole job category for avatar customization, for crying out loud.
For a toxic user, it’s better to just wear one mask and play than to constantly change their face.
Just like now.

-…There’s definitely something fishy about this
-Why can’t they take the mask off?
-Does Rakle have bound curse items too?
-How would there be? lol This mask is cosmetic equipment anyway

“So you’re not taking it off?”
“It’s kind of my identity……”
Oh.
“That sounded a bit like Dang So just now.”
“What?”
“Why are you suddenly summoning me!”
He meant they weren’t a bad person, just someone who seemed to be short on brains.
“Anyway. I won’t be accepting you. Please join the Guild first. It’ll be first-come, first-served, so your queue number will be further back.”
“……”
“Among the other two, is there anyone here who would take off their mask right now? If so, I’ll prioritize inviting them to our Guild.”
Even after saying all that, both of them shook their heads.
They weren’t taking off their masks.
Since the subtle atmosphere continued, Seo Jun smiled slightly and spoke.
“Heh. I mean, come on. It’s not that you can’t take your masks off because you’re up to something shady. It’s because you’re ugly. Just… I feel sorry for you. You shouldn’t say things like that.”

-???
-???????
-Who said that
-This bastard’s distorting chat again lololololol

“Ah. My apologies. You viewers are quite mischievous.”
The rabbit mask stared at Seo Jun with displeasure before offering a bloodless smile.
“Is that so? Understood. But if you see that we do have skill, will you accept us into the party?”
Seo Jun answered without the slightest hesitation.
“Yes.”

-Why does he keep doing that?
-What?
-Just ignore them, admin

The chat reaction was poor.
They were essentially asking for a mute.
Of course, Seo Jun had been planning to add something anyway.
“If you’re better than me, I’ll take you in. Actually, I’ll recruit you respectfully.”

-lololololol
-lol If someone’s better than the admin, you’ve obviously gotta recruit them
-That’s basically saying no lololol

“Alright then.”
“Yes. Get going. Are you going to follow? Since you’re fans?”
“Maybe not today… Actually no. Let’s have fun.”
The rabbit mask kept smiling unpleasantly until the end.
“Alright, take care.”
Geomsin 997, 998, and 999 left like that.
Each mounting their own mounts.
Seeing that sight, Seo Jun narrowed his eyes, and Taste Test Corner said something.
“They’re all using Mileage Mounts.”
“They are.”
“Yeah. You have to spend a lot on those. I just searched Rakle Search, and none of those three have secondary accounts on Lunar On, and their equipment level is 300. Just like a newbie who just got one skip voucher.”

-Oh no
-What if that’s the case?
-OMG

“I see.”
“What is it?”
“I think they spent 3 Million Won and hit level 300, just like Tae-woo.”
“Oh wow.”
The moment he finished saying that, Tae-woo emerged from the Blacksmith Map.
If he’d come out just a bit earlier, the timing would have been perfect.
Like it was choreographed.
And Tae-woo shouted.
“I was watching the stream, you bastard!”
I see.
“Welcome. Then let’s go. Now, let me lead the way.”
Seo Jun ignored Tae-woo. He wouldn’t catch up anyway.
“Yes. Everyone mount up first and follow me.”
Dang So summoned his mount first. Tae-woo, having apparently bought one in advance, climbed onto a strange turtle.
Seo Jun mounted the Golden King’s Raven, which he’d received from a viewer, then sent a message to Taste Test Corner.
Setting it so viewers couldn’t see.

[Seo Jun: You said you were going to check on luck earlier, right?]
[Taste Test Corner: yep]
[Seo Jun: What if instead we head somewhere related to PVP?]
[Taste Test Corner: ?????]
[Seo Jun: I want to see if those guys show up. Could be fun, right?]

In other words, since something felt off, let’s use ourselves as bait and see what happens.
Taste Test Corner stopped typing for a moment, then resumed.

[Taste Test Corner: …You’re seriously out of your mind lol]
[Taste Test Corner: okay]

Seo Jun grinned, and Taste Test Corner stammered out as Dang So urged them to hurry and they departed.
“L-Let’s go!”

* * *

The Golden King’s Raven was faster than running but slower than cycling speed.
And even at that fast pace, it took quite a long time before they finally arrived at their destination.
“Why is there no fast travel? You need to explain yourself.”
“M-Me?”
“Yes, Taste Test Corner. You’re a veteran player after all.”
They’d spent about 10 minutes traveling from the western edge of the Pheron Continent to the eastern end.
How many maps they’d gone through.
“RPG is about the journey? But when traveling between continents, there’s fast travel……”
“Hmm. I think they do that to sell mounts! Isn’t that right, Heavenly Demon?”
“That could be it. Dang So, you’re unexpectedly smart. How’d you not figure this out, Taste Test Corner?”
“……”

-lololololololol
-Taste Test Corner’s fingers are itching again lollollol
-Endless stream of curse words pouring into the 1-on-1 chatrolololololol

“So explain. Where is this?”
“It’s the Second City of Pheron.”
“Oh.”
“Pheron has two concepts, you know. Looking at it here, doesn’t it remind you of something?”
Seo Jun slowly examined the buildings of the town, then suddenly turned his head to look at Dang So.
“For the Sect?”

-Oh right
-lololololol Long time no see
-Dang So came back to his hometown
-It’s just an Eastern style, you idiots lololololololol
-Info) Pheron is located at the easternmost part of the map. So the eastern region of Pheron exchanges and is heavily influenced by inhabitants from the even further eastern continent that hasn’t been discovered yet.
-Thanks Speedwagon!

“Indeed! Have we returned to our spiritual homeland? Fufufu, come.”
Dang So approached Seo Jun.
“Now’s the time for you to truly return as the Heavenly Demon!”
He brushed him off lightly.
“So what are we doing?”
“Follow me.”

-Is this it?
-They said they were checking on luck, not luck?
-PVP on

They headed to the outskirts of the city.
They stood at the entrance of a massive building surrounded by walls, waited about a second, changed maps, and the scenery shifted in an instant.
As soon as they entered the building, Tae-woo asked.
“Where are we?”
The group slowly moved along the walls while looking toward the center.
In the middle, on a massive Martial Arts Field raised about 30 centimeters above the ground, four people were in the midst of combat.
“That’s the Trial Grounds next to the NPC Master. When you pass the trial, you get a Skill Enhancement Voucher as a reward? To put it simply.”
“I see.”
“Up to 30 people can fight on that Martial Arts Field in an unrestricted solo Player vs Player match.”
“Why?”
“See the timer above each user’s head?”
“Yes.”
6 minutes 33 seconds. 4 minutes 17 seconds. 1 minute 53 seconds.
The timers above the users’ nicknames were counting down in real time.
“If you look at that, you can tell how long each person has survived up there. They’re all 10-minute timers. If you die, it resets.”
“Ah.”
“The quest succeeds the moment that timer runs out.”
Just then, all the users rushed toward the one with 1 minute 48 seconds remaining.
“Thought you’d make it!”
Shouting like that.
“So basically, if you don’t die for 10 minutes, you succeed and get a Skill Enhancement Voucher as a reward.”
Tae-woo muttered in response to Dang So’s summary.
“So it’s people trying to get Skill Enhancement Vouchers gathering together with troublemakers like Seo Jun?”

-Oh!
-When bored, I’d go there and become a wall of wailing for newbies lololololol
-lol If you see a low number, just kill them, no questions asked
-There’s always at least one person there bothering newbies no matter what time it is lololol Real gems, these people lololol

“A prime PVP hotspot.”
At Taste Test Corner’s words, Seo Jun’s lips turned upward contentedly.
“Indeed it is.”
Even as they were explaining, Geomsin users were entering the map one by one behind Taste Test Corner.
“They’re here?”
“Yes.”
And sure enough, the mask trio with nicknames Geomsin 997, 998, and 999 appeared.

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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
—————