Chapter 3
“Why can’t I do Level 10?”
Tae-woo sighed and began to explain.
“You can only challenge Level 10 if you beat the Level 9 AI. And Level 10 isn’t an ordinary AI.”
“Then what is it?”
“It’s an AI that mimics the best player who has cleared Level 9.”
Oh.
“For your information, the current Level 10 AI is someone you know well.”
“Shin Ha-yeon?”
“That’s right.”
“Then, if someone beats the Level 10 AI, does it change to that person?”
“Yes, it would. By the way, the Level 10 AI has been Shin Ha-yeon for the past five years. Anyway, let’s start quickly.”
Seojun admired it internally.
“Alright, got it.”
‘Now it’s starting.’
Tae-woo looked at Seojun with keen interest.
It didn’t seem like it was his first time holding a sword, as he swung it once in the air.
‘Did he learn this at a martial arts academy to play the game better?’
There are such people.
People who seek martial arts academies in real life and build their bodies to play games better.
But from the perspective of someone who has been broadcasting for seven years, he thinks it’s better to play another game match during that time.
Why do outstanding athletes sometimes perform poorly in this place?
There is only one reason.
‘Because real physical abilities are not reflected in the avatar.’
A virtual reality avatar scans the player’s body and moves according to their will, but it cannot perform beyond its set capabilities.
It means that a 2-meter-tall rugby player could lose an arm wrestling match to a 160 cm tall average adult woman.
What works in virtual reality is skill, experience, and mental strength.
And in some games, people can move much faster than in reality.
‘It’s better than not learning at all, though.’
Tae-woo thought it was inefficient.
Beep!
A whistle sound echoed from somewhere, and Cheol-su began to move.
‘Is he nervous? He should raise his sword. Pfft.’
Even as Cheol-su gradually approached, Seojun stood still.
Kim Tae-woo wanted to see that relaxed friend’s expression turn into one of bewilderment.
When he first came out to the training ground, he had foolishly challenged Level 4 and got beaten up by Cheol-su.
One-on-one combat without skill support is harder than it looks.
It was at that moment, when Tae-woo expected his always composed friend to be thrown around.
Seojun smoothly dodged Cheol-su’s swinging sword by tilting his body and counterattacked.
Cheol-su’s HP decreased by 1.
The training ground duel had simple rules: each participant had 10 HP, and each sword hit reduced HP by 1. The first to reach 0 HP loses.
Cheol-su distanced himself.
‘Was that a fluke? But why is Cheol-su retreating?’
Was the Level 4 AI too lenient?
He should have counterattacked immediately.
While Tae-woo pondered this.
“You’re not coming? Then I’ll go to you.”
This time, Seojun advanced towards Cheol-su.
Tae-woo felt as if the next scene was playing out in his mind.
‘He’s excited because he got lucky. If he charges like that, he’ll just get stabbed and lose health… What?’
Clearly, Cheol-su’s response was textbook, almost too perfect for a Level 4 AI.
But Seojun met Cheol-su’s sword with his own, deflecting its trajectory. He then smoothly turned his body and inflicted damage again.
The entire sequence was so fluid that even from a third-person perspective, it seemed as if Seojun was faster than Cheol-su.
‘But this is virtual reality, physical superiority is impossible.’
Seven years of experience told him so.
What made Seojun appear fast was the lack of unnecessary movements in his actions, the speed of his sword swings was the same as Cheol-su’s.
Seojun then started to toy with Cheol-su.
Without moving his feet from his spot, he blocked Cheol-su’s sword five times in a row, or he would trip Cheol-su and step on his sword to prevent him from lifting it.
When Cheol-su’s HP was down to 1, Seojun began hitting him with his hands and feet, which didn’t deplete HP.
Thud.
Thud.
To Tae-woo, every move Seojun made seemed highly skilled.
As if he anticipated his opponent’s actions, he threw himself into the enemy’s range without hesitation.
Even attacks that seemed impossible to avoid, Seojun countered by finding unseen openings and exploiting them.
“Hey, hey. Have you really not played for seven years? This is boring. Just finish it quickly and go to Level 7.”
Why hasn’t this guy played the game with skills like this?
Annoying bastard.
With his looks, he could be successful even with a webcam broadcast, and he’s got the skills too?
But.
‘No matter how skilled, success isn’t easy…’
As a friend, concern came first.
When Seojun slashed Cheol-su’s neck, a notification appeared.
[You have won the duel.]
[HP 10/00:02:23]
[Current Rank 107]
Tae-woo had a moment of confusion at the sudden pop-up.
‘Why is my rank showing up instead of just my time? Rankings are only calculated for Level 9…’
He noticed that Seojun was still interacting with the window in the air even though the duel had ended.
Then, a cluster of light started to gather in front of Seojun, taking the shape of a person.
He felt a sense of déjà vu about this summoning ritual-like scene.
‘No way?’
What was summoned was a robot.
The new robot also looked human. Though not intricately detailed, it had the general appearance of a woman, and the nickname floating above its head was.
[Shin Ha-yeon]
His jaw dropped. He felt chills all over his body.
“Hey, was the Cheol-su you just beat a Level 9?”
It had been so one-sided that he hadn’t realized.
Cheol-su’s movements clearly surpassed Level 4, no, even the Level 8 that he had barely beaten!
Seojun chuckled as if it was nothing.
“What’s the big deal?”
To think he had easily defeated an opponent even pros struggle with.
‘If he beats Level 10, this is… broadcast-worthy.’
Tae-woo was a streamer to his core.
Even while thinking, ‘There’s no way he’ll win, right?’ he swallowed and pressed the record button.
‘I was planning to use the excuse of a co-op stream to give him a boost. But now, will I have to beg him for a co-op stream later?’
Any worries he had about Seojun had vanished completely.
There was a sense of unease.
While walking, swinging his arms, even breathing.
When clashing swords.
But it wasn’t overwhelming.
‘This capsule really is different.’
The advancement of technology is amazing.
And.
Seojun looked at the robot that was parrying his sword head-on.
[Shin Ha-yeon]
As he felt before, she was truly a genius.
If this robot fully mimicked Shin Ha-yeon’s control, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she had more talent than anyone he had seen in his past life.
‘Except for one person.’
Anyway, it’s surprising that such a skilled person could emerge in the ten or so years since virtual reality came out.
Seojun, who has memories of his past life, is bound to win.
Even without inner strength, one’s level of mastery remains eternal.
The AI mimicking Shin Ha-yeon realized it couldn’t use its usual techniques and began incorporating unpredictable movements.
‘Is this Shin Ha-yeon’s movement? Or is it the AI’s own judgment? Whatever it is…’
Before Shin Ha-yeon’s sword could reach its target, Seojun’s extended sword grazed its blade, altering its trajectory.
*Kyaaaagh!*
The sound of blades scraping against each other, a sound he hadn’t heard in a long time, rang out cheerfully.
The sword aimed at his neck narrowly missed, and Seojun didn’t miss the opportunity to flick his sword away.
With the sound of the sword hitting the ground, the AI’s body opened up, leaving it defenseless.
*Shraaak!*
He slashed the AI’s torso diagonally.
[HP 4]
The AI, cut by the sword, quickly retreated to retrieve its sword.
However, Seojun closed the distance half a beat faster, landing another blow on the AI.
[HP 3]
In a fight, if both sides have the same speed, it’s important to initiate the next move first.
To do so, one must predict the opponent’s movements.
In this situation, what the AI would do was obvious.
Seojun precisely stabbed the AI’s arm as it reached for the sword.
*Kang!*
The tip of his sword didn’t pierce the arm but made a metallic sound.
[HP 2]
Despite its arm being slashed by the sword, the AI persisted and managed to grab the fallen sword.
But Seojun immediately proceeded to his next move.
A perfectly executed basic downward slash.
*Kwaaang!*
Although the AI raised its sword to block, the tip of Seojun’s sword touched the AI’s head.
[HP 1]
From his previous fights, he knew that while the strength output was equal here, it didn’t always exert the same force.
What mattered was the effective transmission of force.
The AI, crouching and trying to block the sword, had its wrist bent.
‘This part is realistic.’
Nevertheless, it pushed off the ground, charging at Seojun to thrust.
This technique was possible only because it was an undying robot.
But then, a thought crossed his mind.
Isn’t it the same for him?
Seojun didn’t bother to avoid the sword and simultaneously stabbed the AI.
In his past life, this would have been a mutual death blow, but here, it was different.
It only reduced his HP by 1.
[You have won the duel.]
There was no blood. The pain was just a slight sting.
It was fun.
Seojun calmly pulled the sword from his chest and said.
“What do you think? I beat Shin Ha-yeon. Is my skill good enough for broadcasting?”
[The Level 10 AI is trying to mimic the user.]
Tae-woo replied with a big smile.
“I didn’t tell you? You need to start streaming.”
Seojun looked at his foolish friend and laughed together.
When did you ever say that?
[To mimic the user’s movements, additional duels are required. Do you want to register?]
“Hmm, it’s a hassle. Should I just not do it?”
“Shut up and do it, you idiot.”
***
Seojun and Taewoo got out of the capsules and sat in the living room, eating ice cream and chatting.
“Hey, why did you do that?”
“Do what?”
“You uploaded the fact that you’re the new Level 10 in private. When this gets out, thousands of people will flock to you.”
There’s a reason for that.
“I haven’t done a single stream yet. If people flock to me now, they’ll just be empty numbers, a castle in the sand.”
“A castle in the sand?”
Even though he had nothing to do with studying…
Hmm.
Suppressing the urge to lecture like an old man inside him, Seojun explained the meaning simply.
“It means a house built on sand. If the foundation isn’t solid, it’ll easily collapse.”
“So, when are you going to go public with it?”
“When I’ve settled down and the tide comes in. It’s better to wait for the right moment than to have people come and go quickly.”
“Got it.”
Taewoo, being a streamer himself, quickly understood.
“Have you really never done streaming before? What if you’re secretly from a big company or something? That’d be creepy.”
“What are you talking about, idiot?”
Rubbing his arms as if he had goosebumps, Taewoo began to explain.
“Do you know about hosting?”
“When a streamer sends viewers to another streamer’s channel when they end their broadcast?”
“Exactly. It’s when a streamer plays another streamer’s video on their screen. The viewer count combines, and while it’s a chance to gain recognition when a big streamer hosts a smaller one, it often doesn’t have much effect. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Most people don’t take advantage of the opportunity. Even if their viewer count increases, a month later, they’re back to just their regular viewers. Just like you said, a castle in the sand. You really have the mindset for streaming. So, Seojun.”
“What?”
“When should we do a collab?”
What nonsense is this?
“If you post the video, it’ll definitely trend! And if we do a collab on top of that!”
*Whack.*
Seojun kicked his friend’s shin and said.
“Shut up and do your overdue house chores.”
“Aaah! Oh right, the chores! Hey, can’t you help me just this once? Please?”
“No.”
You said there’d be no escape.
Taewoo clutched his shin and collapsed on the sofa.
The next day, Seojun entered the lobby and started preparing for his broadcast.
His goal was to gain some recognition as a streamer in a short period.
So, what game should he start with?
Taewoo explained it like this the day before:
‘Popular online games have a lot of streamers, so it’s not easy to stand out.’
Sure! Here’s the translation with explanations:
—
To gain attention, he had to climb to a high tier.
‘Package games are easy to pick up, but there aren’t many people playing them.’
Each has its own pros and cons.
Then Taewoo smiled and said,
‘But there’s always the best option where the drawbacks are minimal and the advantages are maximized.’
Certainly.
The game that Taewoo recommended was famous enough that Seojun had heard of
it.
Moreover, it was very suitable for Seojun’s situation.
Seojun, feeling a strange excitement, entered the travel section and prepared for his broadcast.
After writing the broadcast title, he had to set the category for the game he would be playing.
Through the category, the total number of viewers for that game was…
“3rd place.”
After confirming the game’s popularity once more, Seojun began to download it.
This package game, which had just opened a week ago and had high recognition from the series itself, was currently attracting the most attention.
