Master Swordsman’s Stream - Chapter 295

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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 295

“You’re saying you’ll forfeit your chance to enter the shop first if you lose?”
Someone asked.
“Yes, I will.”
“Why? What’s this about?”
Bernard, standing toward the back, muttered in confusion at Seo Jun’s unexpected declaration.
He would be curious.
It was only one day. If he could hold out for just one day, he’d get the reward, and since the Historical Records were likely a collaborative effort, most people wouldn’t impose intense restrictions. Even if he’d misspoken, there was no need to make such a public declaration.
He could have let it slide.
So naturally, they’d be curious.
Seo Jun himself understood perfectly well that his current behavior was irrational.
Which meant that if he wanted his plan to proceed smoothly, he needed to create a justification.
“But if I happen to win instead,”
Making excuses like that was Seo Jun’s specialty.
“then hand over your Points.”
The Points he’d gain in exchange would be the most logical explanation for his actions.
“Ah!”
A chorus of exclamation rippled through the crowd.
Seo Jun could enter the shop first.
And the fact that being first to enter the shop was a reward likely meant that the shop’s items had purchase limits.
Limited quantities meant each item was probably expensive and highly effective.
They wouldn’t place quantity limits on ordinary five-Point recovery potions or offer first entry as a reward.
To grab the best items in the largest quantities, what mattered was Points.
Seo Jun had Points in abundance, of course, but since not everyone knew that,
“Points… that makes sense.”
“How much are we talking? It’s bound to be a lot.”
“Hold on. Are we fighting this out as a Duel?”
A Duel.
One of the systems available in Train.
You could think of it as similar to various mini-games found in the Holy Nation of Asherius.
Each city had these special function systems, and in Train, the city of Magic and Engineering, it was the Duel.
When a challenger puts in 5 Points, a Duel Quest Message is sent to all participants in the city.
You could consider it a player quest.
The message contains the nature of the confrontation, the reward for victory, and the price of defeat.
Duels could have various conditions, but the common rule was that you couldn’t kill your opponent.
If someone was pushed to the brink of death, the system would automatically end the fight.
Using this Duel system, previous Historical Records had featured several interesting incidents.
Luring someone in with an appetizing reward Duel, then surrendering at the last moment, putting on a Mask and killing them in the city.
There was also a time when, like some shadowy card-slinging community somewhere that dueled at the drop of a hat, a Historical Record period where disputes were resolved through Duels.
This Historical Record had been quiet, probably because there was little cause for conflict in Train at the moment.
But now Seo Jun had brought out that Duel system.
“So how much is the penalty? If it’s just 20 or 30 Points, we might as well let you go first.”
Bernard approached Seo Jun and asked.
Seeing that the other participants were curious, he — someone with at least a passing acquaintance — stepped forward.
Seo Jun turned his head slowly, answering as if speaking to everyone.
“I don’t ask for much. Just the 5 Points I’m putting in, plus an additional 3 Points on top.”
“Oh? So if I lose, I pay 8 Points total?”
“Exactly. As a risk for eliminating a competitor, it’s light. It’s not like anyone dies.”
There was no other risk. Only 8 Points.
Even if Seo Jun swept through the shop after winning, adding those Points he’d earned in defeat was just 3 Points — a trivial amount. Surely that was worth the attempt.
Of course, since Seo Jun’s original goal was to accumulate large amounts of data, this was a choice to draw in more participants.
“But I heard you have a Mask?”
Bernard said with a sly grin.
“You think I’d do this to kill people, Bernard? I’m overwhelmingly first.”
“Fair point. So how about I give it a shot?”
Bernard had come to Train once before to complete material quests, so he’d already earned his chance to enter the shop.
Most of the people here had at least dipped their toes in quests, even if they hadn’t thrown everything at them.
Seo Jun answered readily.
“Come on, Bernard. Let me see what you’ve got.”
“Fine, set up the Duel window already.”
Seo Jun headed toward a building with an entrance to the Underground Facility at the edge of the Central Plaza to access the system, and the participants followed.
Some were probably coming to watch.
This Underground Facility, normally used as a shelter, was the reason people always gathered in the Central Plaza.
It had been frequently used since previous Historical Records, so it simply became the natural gathering spot.
In the neat underground space, several display panels similar to modern screens lined the walls, and Seo Jun went over and began tinkering with one.
According to the game’s lore, it was the laboratory of a scientist possessing Magicraft Engineering rivaling that of Crescent.
A solid space available only to Champions in non-emergency situations.
Immediately after, a Quest Message appeared for all participants.
A quest with every detail set from the title by Seo Jun.

[One Hit and You Lose]
==
Victory Condition: Success on any single hit wins
Defeat Condition: Health drops to 80% or lower

Penalty
Victory: Expulsion from Kael’s Train for 1 day
Defeat: 8 Points deducted
==

“Huh? If one hit means you lose, isn’t that pure chance — a all-or-nothing gamble?”
“No. Look at the defeat condition. We only lose if 20% of our health is depleted.”
“What? Then? Wait a moment.”
Amid the murmuring crowd, Seo Jun spoke.
“Who wishes to challenge first?”
A challenger.
In a single moment, Seo Jun had made all the professionals gathered there seem like beings beneath him.

* * *

“The Boss always has reasons for setting things up the way he does.”
Bang Ju chuckled.

-Challenger lololol
-Getting hit once and losing is kind of overkill lol
-Real “I never lose” mentality lololol

“Exactly! If I get hit even once, my identity is exposed and I lose anyway! Haha! Better to provoke and make them lose their composure — that’s profit!”
Of course, it was still an impossible situation.
Why fight at all, then?
“Either way, the Boss won’t lose.”

-Bang Ju, are you insane? One hit means loss!
-Yeah, he won’t get hit
-Real talk, he probably won’t get hit
-Do the pros really…?

“Ah. The pros seem quite angry. And so do the amateur artisans among the participants! The atmosphere is strange.”

-How could they not be?
-Open disrespect, it’s infuriating
-If only he hadn’t said “challenger” lolololol no wait, even without words the conditions are outright arrogant

“Everyone’s silent, but their expressions scream profound displeasure. Bernard, the one he talked with? Isn’t fighting. The first challenger is Doma from Spain! Says he’ll give him a proper lesson!”
Bang Ju didn’t think Seo Jun would lose.
“But really, why is he even fighting? His Points overflow. Surely it’s amusement? The Black Shadow’s amusement life?”

-Honestly there’s no reason unless it’s pure entertainment lol
-Participants don’t know he has tons of Points, so they accept the reason, but we do
-Getting hit once and exposed as a thrill to enjoy? Sick freak boss lolololol
-To see the level of the pros! Since he’s the Black Shadow!
-How is this even a Black Shadow lolololol

“So it really comes down to amusement. Boss. I truly cannot fathom this. Is the Black Shadow trying to deceive by pretending to be someone else?”

-When he did the assassination yesterday too lolololol he basically just said “please recognize me”
-There’s never been a Black Shadow like this.
-Different method. This is the orthodox way a Black Shadow operates
-But that method is just incomprehensible lololol
-What if he actually loses…

“If he loses? Look at how casually he’s dodging Doma’s attacks. Make no mistake — Seo Jun’s true skill is real. He won 2-on-1 before.”

-That’s true. Doma’s getting stomped right now
-No matter what, a human can’t beat a monster
-And if he loses here lololol then just slaughter everyone right then and there, what’s the problem?????? really don’t know

“Right! If he loses and his identity’s exposed? He just kills everyone at that point!”
If it actually came to that, what were Seo Jun’s chances of winning?
Even Bang Ju thought they were low. An elimination squad forming now would be absolutely disastrous.
He needed more stat growth and a more favorable position.
Anyway.
“Ah, he wins! The 20% health threshold — it’s definitely the Boss’s way of farming as many Duels as possible to extract maximum Points. Third Point Farming season, folks.”
It happened twenty seconds after Seo Jun switched from pure defense to offense against Doma.
Doma was utterly helpless.

-Point Farming lololol
-The pros are all shocked
-Why does it look so one-sided?

“Oh, truly ominous words are surfacing!”

[Can I challenge again after fighting the others?]
[After you fight the others.]
[Understood.]

“Doma! Recognizing his skill and accepting the challenger’s position!”

-Kyaa!
-The best ones recognize each other
-After fighting him directly, everyone admits it

[How about you fight me next?]
[Good.]

“The atmosphere has transformed! From displeasure to intrigue and fascination!”
You could tell just by watching.
The mood had shifted.
Now it was a proving ground.
Proving whose skill?
“Next up, Toma from France!”
His Confirmed Skill doesn’t land hits on his Invulnerability, and his Basic Skills are shut down by overwhelming technique.
The skill gap seems more severe than expected.
“In terms of pure physicality alone, he’s truly unmatched. No one could claim otherwise!”
Bang Ju would know, but still.
Still, those who’d previously dismissed Seo Jun could no longer look away as results began mounting in his favor.
“Next, Bernard! That’s 6 Points farmed!”

-But the Point farming is tough
-The Boss is walking a tightrope lololol the situation is comedy
-From the pros’ perspective) admiration mixed with arrogance as they grudgingly acknowledge his strength
-From the Boss’s perspective) Wow, I’m getting away with this? Am I a genius?

Even with a light Duel depleting only 20%, the basic physicality becomes more pronounced as a result.
And Seo Jun had the condition of not getting hit once.
It was better that the pros didn’t get completely destroyed.
After five more fights ended, an atmosphere of complete acknowledgment formed, and the Duel concluded.
“Wow, 15 Points farmed!”
Or so he thought it was over.
Bang Ju, the viewers, the pros.

[Well then, shall we do two-on-one now?]

But Seo Jun still needed to accumulate more data.
So, risking the embarrassment of letting pros lose to an amateur, he fabricated another reason for this fight.

[Two-on-one, and I’ll put all the Points I’ve farmed from each win on the line. Five wins, so we start at 40 Points. In exchange, I’ll raise the stakes only slightly. If I win, I take it all anyway.]

-The Boss is used to playing the villain so……
-Actually he really is just a villain
-What kind of Black Shadow does this lololol
-Isn’t this high-level cunning? Make them pay small at first, then gradually increase the ante?
-Casino meta

[Hey, Kael. Wait. Instead of this, wanna really go at it? 100 Points on the line?]
[Oh? Let’s do it right now.]

-It really was casino meta lololol
-Here comes the sucker lololol
-Destroying everyone through bankruptcy to clear the Historical Records…… the Boss really is a genius…

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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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