The Fate-Seeing Genius Streamer - Chapter 84

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————

【83. [Infinite War] What Kind of Monster Is This, Really? (3)】
A handicap.
The decision to use only a single hand rather than both came with multiple reasons.
Some were meant to provoke emotion, others were a form of showmanship, but fundamentally, I was placing heavy weight on one core consideration.
Give-Up.
Within [Infinite War], there existed a surrender declaration that permitted a match to be abandoned if an opponent deemed themselves not just disadvantaged, but completely unable to win.
To prevent my opponent from fleeing before the fight even began—or abandoning it shortly after—I had issued provocations aplenty and imposed this handicap.
‘There’s nothing more deflating than declaring surrender mid-match, after all.’
It was only natural.
With abundant skill and real combat experience accumulated over years, there were countless factors that would prevent a genuine fight from even materializing.
From my perspective as Heuk-wol, I had no desire to let slip an event match I could genuinely enjoy for the first time in ages.
The same applied.
Though I had provoked my opponent, I deliberately left open the possibility for them to mount a counterattack with some thought.
I was dangling false hope—the notion that they might actually win, or that it was worth attempting.
‘Streaming… we’re broadcasting live, and after being provoked this thoroughly, there’s no way they won’t respond. What remains is—’
Why, specifically, had I imposed the handicap of using only one hand?
The reason was singular and fixed.
‘To draw out how they’ll attack using the Lacrantz Style as their foundation?’
Gaming Martial Arts—the most formidable fighting style that Joo Seo-jin had acquired with merely a sidelong glance—I was inducing them to employ it.
Keeping one hand in a trouser pocket, stuffed into a narrow one at that, made controlling one’s center of gravity difficult and imposed considerable physical constraints on mobility.
In such circumstances, the opponent’s most likely recourse would be a tackle to close distance, followed by an attempt at takedown.
And—
That was part of my trap.
‘Since the Lacrantz Style has been rooted in boxing and wrestling since ancient times, they can’t avoid taking it to the ground.’
If I created an opening for them to approach with the premise of dragging me down rather than striking from distance, they would never release that thread of hope.
‘Continuously dangling bait with one hand, offering them a chance to win while holding back appropriately from the start—that would be bes—’
But—
Ssshhh—
‘What?’
An anomaly had occurred.
Suddenly, Joo Seo-jin stepped forward with a single stride and shifted fighting styles entirely.
Not the ‘Lacrantz Style,’ but the ‘Chimwol School’—the least suitable martial art for the current situation.
For a moment, Heuk-wol’s expression furrowed faintly, but it was brief.
“Heh. …Didn’t see that coming. Quite bold of you. In many ways.”
Soon after, Heuk-wol’s face lit with a peculiar smile, interest dancing across his features.
“Tsk— I never imagined you’d counter it like this… You’ve got good instincts~”
Chuckle.
The Chimwol School.
The martial art that had achieved the most victories throughout [Infinite War]’s history up to this very moment, yet simultaneously a combat technique in its own right.
Thus, despite being called a martial art, it possessed sufficient depth to be counted among Gaming Martial Arts.
In theory, even if one knew and could execute such a technique, without mastery, it was impossible to fully unleash its true potential.
Heuk-wol offered his counsel with a faint, knowing smile playing at his lips.
“Hmm~ You know, I don’t think your proficiency—or your body’s familiarity with it—is quite there yet… Are you sure about this? You’re still a beginner, aren’t you?”
“I suppose.”
Whoosh.
Joo Seo-jin assumed the fundamental stance of the Chimwol School with casual ease, responding in an even tone.
“There’s no need to dwell on it. I think you’ll understand soon enough.”
“Oh… That’s some confidence you’ve got there. Come to think of it, I suppose that’s fair enough?”
Clink.
In that same instant, Heuk-wol grinned and lifted his blade lightly, his words tumbling out in a low murmur.
“As for skill, we’ll both get a thorough understanding of each other’s level soon enough. Right?”
***
When humans transition from walking to running at speed, they instinctively employ both arms.

Coordinating the upper body and lower limbs to withstand the shift in center of gravity is an inevitable motion for stable mobility.
In combat, both arms are always central to facilitating movement; thus, operating with one arm essentially unusable naturally resulted in severely restricted mobility.
Even accounting for the skill gap, the constraint of being unable to use one arm was excessive.
And so───
Shackled by the most fundamental laws of physics governing the human body, Heuk-wol’s options were plainly limited.
The optimal response was not reckless aggression, but rather defense—counterattacking. That was the strategy.
With the advantage of controlling distance with practiced ease, leveraging that superior range and focusing on counters would be appropriate.
Simply maintaining flawless execution without ever allowing close-quarters combat would provide not just sufficient odds of victory, but overwhelming ones.
‘—But that’s boring. What’s the point if I’m going to fight so tediously?’
However, such reasoning only applied when both fighters were evenly matched, or at least posed mutual risk.
Whoosh—crack!!
Heuk-wol threw himself forward without a moment’s hesitation.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap—!!
With one hand still thrust into his trouser pocket, he launched forward in an unstable posture as if about to topple headlong at any moment.
His torso tilted, his legs extended at an angle, minimizing even air resistance—a bestial, grotesque sprint more akin to a beast than a man.
Swish.
Closing the distance in an instant, Heuk-wol drew the straight sword gripped in his right hand downward in a wide diagonal arc.
──────.
The blade cleaved through the air with a piercing shriek.
Force is proportional to weight and velocity; a strike driven by overwhelming speed and body weight carries lethal intent.
That is, assuming it actually connects.
Whine———.
-M I S S !
-No way he’d take that lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
-Like Seo-jin would actually block that lol lol
-Charging straight in then a diagonal slash is so lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
-?? Not even elementary swordplay, what the hell lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol lol
Raw strength alone does not guarantee superiority.
Larger motions inevitably succumb more readily to inertia, making it difficult to chain into follow-up techniques.
Due to the force of inertia maintaining the previous state of motion, once momentum is extended outward, it becomes difficult to retract.
An attack that disregards chaining is literally a life-or-death gamble, yet its price never arrived.
Kaga, ahhh───!!
-!!?
-Huh?
-??????????????
-yes?;
-This crazy bastard..?
The moment the tip of the straight sword in Heuk-wol’s right hand struck the ground below the horizon, his body launched into the air as if performing a miraculous feat.
Kee-gee-ik───…
The moment the blade’s tip was raised, ascending into the air as inertia completed its role.
As Heuk-wol’s body rotated mid-air, a bizarre phenomenon occurred.
Char-reuk-.
The blade’s edge contracted as if being drawn toward the hilt, becoming ‘shorter’─── then, in the rotation’s instant, the straight sword’s blade ‘lengthened’ once more and was swung.
Shwee-ik-.
A horizontal slash.
Literally without warning, an attack delivered in an utterly unforeseen manner.
It was unpredictable, separate from having known the playable character’s skill set in advance.
-Damn..
-Round one’s over, hah..
-Pro gamer level is seriously insane dude;;;
-??.. No way he attacks like that? What kind of crazy bastard is this????????????
There’s a reason why those guys who watch pro matches all the time run their mouths.
The match didn’t just flip—it was completely finished.
With a single strike that could end it all, striking the opponent’s vital point and even triggering a consecutive hit judgment, Heuk-wol laughed.
‘Just as planned.’
I won.
That was the thought, and in reality, there was no error in that judgment.
The timing was flawless, and it was an unavoidable attack from an unconventional angle using an irregular trajectory.
The Sinking Moon School excels at improvisation, but that too is merely technique within predictable parameters.
Responding to a surprise horizontal slash launched mid-air, right from behind the head the instant it ascended, was nearly impossible by reaction speed alone.
Being attacked in an unpredictable manner essentially results in death without even comprehension, let alone response.
‘Okay. Now with this, round one is wrapped up───… huh?’
But then─.
Sss-oot.
‘What?’
That was the moment.
Without turning to look back, Joo Seo-jin’s body began to lower slowly, rotating into motion.
Before the blade could even graze his skin, he crouched down and spun, his waist twisting as his lower body surged upward.
What it was became clear almost immediately.
It was none other than—
‘…A reverse kick, perhaps?’
An unexpected counterattack executed in a way he hadn’t anticipated—possible precisely because it belonged to the Sinking Moon School, not the Lacrantz Style.
‘…Wait. Could it be that he predicted all of this—’
A counter. The moment that blow landed—a strike executable only if every variable had been anticipated beforehand—his thoughts shattered.
Thwack—!
“…!!”
The impact, shallow yet forceful, severed his thoughts entirely—and his body bounced weakly across the fractured water’s surface.
Splash—skitter-skitter-skitter, skitter—.
In the instant Heuk-wol was driven backward, executing a recovery roll as if they’d performed a synchronized aerial maneuver, concentric ripples etched themselves like rings across the water’s face.
Whoosh—.
“Haa—ah….”
Watching Heuk-wol bounce away into the distance, Joo Seo-jin exhaled roughly, his lips curling slightly.
“It’s difficult, sure, but still manageable in its own way.”
At the same moment, Joo Seo-jin tilted his head upward at an angle.
The next instant.
“A handicap? Seems unnecessary, doesn’t it?”
-Is this real..?
-KYAAAAAAAAAAA
-THIS CRAZY BASTARD DOING A REVERSE KICK AS A PREDICTION SHOT!!!!! INSANE!!!!!
-DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
-Wait, he predicted that and threw a reverse kick…???? Is he even human..?
-JOO SEO-JIN !!! JOO SEO-JIN !!!!!! JOO SEO-JIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cheers erupted as the chat exploded into a frenzy of reactions.

—————

This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

—————