Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 268

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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 268

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.
Two treadmills in the gym were running at 12 km/h and 5 km/h.
The person on the machine running at 12 km/h was Seo Jun, warming up.
The 5 km/h belonged to Tae-woo.
Tae-woo spoke casually while walking beside him.
“Listen here, Seo Jun.”
“……?”
“The world hasn’t got it out for you. You get that, right?”
Seo Jun stepped off the running belt to the sides of the platform and turned his head.
He shot Tae-woo, who was walking at ease, a look of disbelief.
“When did I ever think that?”
“Ha-ha-ha!”
9 PM.
They’d come to work out after confirming that the Trial had finally ended.
“Anyway, it’s not true, so please stop harboring that weird persecution complex. From what I see, you’re the one who’s got it out for the world!”
As always, Seo Jun ignored Tae-woo’s words.
Tae-woo was the type to always try to talk Seo Jun out of doing something, yet regret it most if he actually didn’t do it.
That’s just how he was.
Seo Jun grabbed the towel from the machine, wiped the light sweat, and stepped down.
“Easy now! You hear me!”
Tae-woo called out his warning like a fussy aunt.
The instruction to take it easy this time was about something else, actually.
Because after a quick warm-up, where Seo Jun headed was—
“Man. Look at this guy, just warms up and then makes a beeline for the Training Facility without caring about any other exercise. Going over to give some pointers. The things he does are so pretty I just want to kill him, you know?”
The Training Facility where the Gym Manager greeted him with a bright smile.

* * *

Seo Jun, his heart warmed by helping others with guidance, stepped outside into the cold night air.
Beside him, Tae-woo shivered, complaining of the cold.
That’s what happens when you don’t help people out.
They weren’t going straight home tonight.
There were people they needed to meet.
“Hello!”
A woman’s voice rang out. Familiar.
Next to her, a man was waving his hand broadly with a bright face.
Next to him was an older man.
And next to him, a businessman who always looked at them uncomfortably whenever they met.
Members of the Wealth Gap.
They’d arranged to meet in person to celebrate Seo Jun passing the Trial.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! Seo Jun! Since you don’t have to work out anymore, this neighborhood suddenly looks beautiful! Is this some kind of tourist spot or something?”
No.
Just an ordinary Seoul neighborhood.
Alpaca agreed with Ha Yun-ho’s comment.
“Right? If we just exclude that ugly building right in front of us, the neighborhood suddenly has such charm to it.”
The building housing the gym was ordinary as well.
Of course.
‘There’s no normalcy here.’
There was definitely something strange flowing through Trabol.
Otherwise, all the streamers wouldn’t lose their minds like this.
Seo Jun, for his part, understood those strange energies quite well.
Qi, Blood Qi, Demonic Qi, and so on.
Maybe if he dug deeper into Trabol, an opportunity might open up for him to reclaim the energies of his past life, Seo Jun thought.
“Long time no see!”
“Tae-woo? You don’t seem particularly happy to see us.”
“Seriously.”
“Yun-ho, Rumi. You guys are too much. Anyway, let’s go eat.”
The reason they’d agreed to meet Seo Jun was simple.
Before he was imprisoned for a while, they had to see him.
They’d been told that this was always how it went when the top performer in a Trial was dragged off into a History Book, so they gathered.
“Man. I never thought someone in my circle would end up in a History Book.”
Ha Yun-ho chuckled with amazement.
He prided himself on having the widest network among streamers, but History Book content wasn’t some neighborhood thing.
It was content for the world’s elite—only the very top among countless people could enter.
It wasn’t easy for streamers to participate.
“Honestly, I’d have expected you to just make it through, Seo Jun.”
“Right?”
Each offering a word, they entered the private room of a restaurant they’d reserved beforehand.
There was a broadcast in the afternoon, so they didn’t drink alcohol.
“Here’s to it! Hoping you eat for two or three people, Seo Jun! Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Clinking carbonated drinks, they had an entertaining conversation.
Mostly about what Seo Jun would do in the History Book.
“What if you all cooperate to clear it like that old underwater temple before, and then suddenly betray everyone and do a one-versus-forty-nine thing?”
“While committing to the concept, right? Ah, I just received a divine revelation. Please all die. Like that, ha-ha-ha.”
“Wasn’t there someone like that before?”
“There was someone who betrayed, but that person’s actions made narrative sense. But Seo Jun, as always, would do it shamelessly.”
Rumi paused and continued.
“The god wants your lives, you’d say, and then kill them. Viewers would be left wondering when there was ever such a revelation, and the History Book participants would be confused about whether the god of light really said that.”
“Very possible.”
“We’ll support you anyway, Seo Jun! Wind Sword would too, right?”
“Of course.”
“If you get cursed globally, joint broadcasts might be tough for a while.”
“Seo Jun’s already being called a demon king by everyone, and he looked satisfied when he saw it.”
“Ha-ha-ha. Could it be Seo Jun knows something? Like that Kael is the final mastermind or something?”
“Kael? That can’t be! He’s the best among the judges, gets called the substitute!”
“But depending on what you do, the setting can change too. That’s the appeal, and in that sense, great power! Seo Jun! Let’s go! Pope Kael! Emperor Kael!”
“Reveal the dark side of the Light Sect!”
“Fighting!”

* * *

“Ah. Seo Jun.”
As they were dispersing and leaving, Alpaca caught Seo Jun for a moment.
“Yes?”
“Do you know how to play Craft Game? You’ve been playing PC games lately, right?”
“Yes.”
“Got it! That’s great! See you later!”
What was that about?
Craft Game was a famous PC game where the goal was survival in a cubic world, where players could make anything they wanted by deploying mods if needed.
After seeing them off, Seo Jun went home.
And Tae-woo unilaterally started an operations briefing.
“The great voyage story from two years ago. Treasure hunting from three years back, and so on. Do you know what the conclusion is from so many History Books, Seo Jun?”
“What?”
“Those who became the victors of history never overlapped even once.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“No. There are quite a lot of craftsmen who’ve appeared more than twice over nine years, right? But if you look, people who did well before get killed at light speed?”
This is the tenth History Book.
Seven years ago, two History Books had already been held, they say.
At that time it was still just a story for those in the know.
Seo Jun didn’t know about this at all back then either.
When he returned seven years later, last year was the ninth History Book.
And this year is the tenth.
“It makes sense.”
For pros to gather.
“You’re not listening to me at all right now. Anyway!”
Tae-woo gave an earnest speech from outside Seo Jun’s door.
“Because everyone is at the top! And since there’s no way to predict what’ll happen unless you enter! Even monkeys fall from trees, so you have to be careful. Really careful.”
There didn’t seem to be much to be careful about, though.
For one, Kael had the solid faction of the Light Sect.
And the Light Sect belonged to the state religion of the larger of two nations to the South.
In other words, it held power.
“But because Kael’s in such a high position, assassination could come at you too. Once you’re in there, you have to be careful every single moment. Like you’re living another life for real.”
Look at him.
Just moments ago he was telling him not to cause trouble, and now he’s worrying.
Tae-woo was probably worried that if he died suddenly, he wouldn’t get to see what he wanted to see.
“Predictable as always.”
Seo Jun closed the door.

* * *

That afternoon.
Everyone who’d met during the day turned on their broadcasts when it was time, but only Seo Jun didn’t.
“I’m heading out.”
“See you.”
Seo Jun spoke to Tae-woo from outside his room, who was broadcasting on his computer.
He turned on Tae-woo’s broadcast on his smartphone, checked the chat briefly, and turned it off.

-Where are you going!?
-Turn on your broadcast, Bang Jang
-The manager here already turned his on
-There can only be one Bang Jang in Trabol

He headed straight for the meeting place.
It had been scheduled three days ago.
“Hello.”
“Hello, Geomsin.”
Seo Jun was grateful that the meeting place wasn’t a public location but a closed private room.
It was a bit embarrassing.
“I’m the first, then?”
“Yes. There are only four Korean participants.”
Four was quite a lot, actually.
“Only four? Or is it because you scheduled this appointment with me before the Trial even ended?”
“Let’s say it’s both.”
Lee Hyun-ju, team leader for the League History Book.
She spoke with a smile.
“So how do you feel? Over thirty pro players are participating in total. It’s unprecedented. We usually had between ten and twenty at most, but now we’ve passed fifty percent.”
“I really don’t understand why you’re asking me how I feel about this.”
“And out of those thirty-plus players, twenty-four passed based on your criteria.”
Seo Jun thought.
‘She also ignores what people say well.’
And somehow, he felt a very slight trace of resentment.
“Congratulations!”
A touch of madness too.
“And so! We’ve prepared something special!”
“……?”
This meeting was supposed to be an explanation of the general proceedings, excluding the content of what was to come.
Not a place to announce some special preparation.
To a participant, at that.
Seo Jun looked ahead uneasily, and the team leader’s eyes widened.
“We’ve decided to hold an Eve Party! In Korea! Ha-ha-ha! Normally we just proceed in each country separately, but this time we’re making an exception—inviting all participants to Korea so you can build connections in reality if you wish!”
Right.
So.
Seo Jun asked.
“Is that something originally planned for the anniversary?”
“No!”
“Then?”
“The idea came up not long after the Trial started.”
“Why? Because it’s the tenth anniversary?”
“No. To repay your efforts.”
“…….”
What efforts, exactly?
‘Something feels off about this.’
“Will you participate in the Eve Party?”

* * *

The decision to gather participants in Korea for the tenth anniversary wasn’t just this team leader’s opinion.
It was the collective opinion of all the team leaders.
Since an unprecedented number of pros were participating and things had gotten big, they decided to make it even bigger for the tenth anniversary and give that user called Geomsin a hit.
It was something that had come up before they even went to persuade the pros.
If they met in reality, wouldn’t they be more cautious and uncomfortable?
Wouldn’t provocations face certain restrictions?
What if they met Geomsin in reality?
Solely to give that slight discomfort and awkwardness, they decided to bear the burden of extra work.
Since the other side had inadvertently caused the development team suffering, they’d repay the favor.
The location: Korea.
It was appropriate—the hub of virtual reality, and economically a developed nation.
And as a result.
A few days after the Trial ended, word spread.

[Star pro gamers are coming to Korea?]
[They announced it as a tenth anniversary event. These guys never do this kind of thing ㅋㅋ]
[They’re also recruiting streamers to participate in the party ㅋㅋㅋ Hope I get picked]

-Are you a streamer?
└Could be
└They’re taking foreign streamers too, so the competition’s probably insane. The company’s covering all costs though
-Pros already know how to network ㅋㅋㅋ but streamers too? This is just a party now, right? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└The members are seriously ridiculously amazing at parties, yeah

[All History Book participants boarding flights to Korea without exception! Why?]
[That guy wants to actually meet them in reality ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

-What ㅋㅋ they just said there’s an event so they’re participating ㅋㅋ over-analysis much
└Pros are probably curious too. Why is that guy so good?
└Could be coming for business!
└Become my teammate! ㅋㅋㅋ
└Even if we clear our whole schedule, if we just get Bang Jang on our team we sweep every tournament ㅋㅋㅋ
└Tournament my ass, that guy does whatever he wants ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ah ㅋㅋ gotta protect yourself in real life too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
└Geomsin ended up participating too ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ be careful on night streets, Bang Jang
└Should send him a hard hat

And two weeks later, over thirty pros and participants began stepping foot on Korean soil one by one.
It was six days until the History Book began.

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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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