****
“Why is level 10 locked, I mean?”
Tae-woo let out a sigh and began his explanation.
“That is because you can only challenge level 10 if you beat the level 9 AI. And level 10 is not a normal AI.”
“Then what is it?”
“It is an AI that mimics the person who did the best among those who cleared level 9.”
Oh.
“For your information, the current level 10 AI is someone you know well.”
“Shin Ha-yeon?”
“That is right.”
“Then, if someone beats the level 10 AI, does the AI change to that person?”
“Probably. For your information, level 10 has been Shin Ha-yeon since five years ago. Anyway, start quickly.”
Seo-jun admired inwardly.
“First, okay.”
<><><>
‘It is finally starting.’
Tae-woo looked at Seo-jun with eyes full of excitement.
The way he swung the sword into the empty air did not seem like he was holding it for the first time.
‘Did he learn it at an academy to play games?’
It was said that there were such people.
People who went to real-world martial arts academies and built up their bodies to play games well.
But from the perspective of a seven-year veteran streamer, he thought it was better to play one more game during that time.
Why did even outstanding athletes sometimes make a mess here?
There was only one reason.
‘Because real-world physical ability is not reflected in the avatar.’
Although a virtual reality avatar scanned one's body and moved as one pleased, they all could not exert performance beyond what was set.
This meant that even if a 2-meter-tall rugby player arm-wrestled with an ordinary 160-centimeter adult female, he could lose.
What worked in virtual reality were skill, experience, and mental strength.
And in some games, there were many cases where people moved much faster than in reality.
‘Though it is better than not learning at all.’
Tae-woo thought it was inefficient.
Peep!
A whistle blew from somewhere, and Chul-soo began to move.
‘Is he nervous? He should raise his sword. Pfft.’
Even as Chul-soo gradually approached, Seo-jun stood still.
Kim Tae-woo wanted to quickly see his easygoing friend's expression dyed with embarrassment.
When the Training Ground first came out, he had also fearlessly challenged level 4 and got beaten up severely by Chul-soo.
Because a one-on-one without the assistance of skills was not as easy as one thought.
It was just when he was expecting his always easygoing friend to roll on the ground.
After cleanly tilting his body to avoid the sword swung by Chul-soo, Seo-jun cut Chul-soo.
Chul-soo's HP decreased by 1.
The Training Ground sparring was a simple rule where each had 10 HP, and whenever damage was dealt with a sword, it decreased by 1, with the side whose HP reached 0 first losing.
Chul-soo widened the distance backward.
‘Was it a fluke? But why is that Chul-soo going backward.’
Was the level 4 AI a bit loose?
He had to counterattack immediately.
When Tae-woo harbored doubt.
“He is not coming. I will go then.”
This time, Seo-jun approached Chul-soo.
Tae-woo felt the scene that would unfold next play out in his head.
‘He is excited because he got a fluke. If he rushes in like that, he will get stabbed just like that, lose health, and... What?’
Certainly, Chul-soo's response was orthodox to the point of being excessive for a level 4.
However, Seo-jun deflected the trajectory by clashing Chul-soo's sword with his own. As he naturally let it slide to the side, he rotated his body and dealt damage once more.
The series of processes was as natural as flowing water, so even Tae-woo, who was watching from a third-person perspective, felt as if Seo-jun's speed was faster than Chul-soo's.
‘But this is virtual reality, a physical advantage is impossible.’
His seven years of experience were telling him.
That it appeared fast because there was no waste in the series of movements. That the speed of the swinging motion itself was identical for Chul-soo and Seo-jun.
Seo-jun rushed at Chul-soo once more and began to toy with him.
Blocking Chul-soo's sword five times in a row from his spot without lifting his feet even once, or tripping Chul-soo's leg to knock him down and then stepping on Chul-soo's sword so he could not lift it.
When Chul-soo had only 1 HP left, he began to strike him with his hands and feet, which did not deplete HP.
Thud.
Thud.
From his view, every single one of Seo-jun's movements seemed skilled.
As if predicting the opponent would move like that, he threw his body into the enemy's range without hesitation.
Even attacks that seemed unavoidable, Seo-jun neutralized them by finding a path of survival that Chul-soo could not find, as if he had already known about them beforehand.
“Hey, hey. Did you really play in the past seven years ago? Dammit, this is taking the wind out of my sails. Finish quickly and do level 7.”
Why did that guy not play games until now with that kind of skill?
Obnoxious bastard.
A guy who would probably do well even if he did a cam broadcast relying on his face, also possessed skill?
But.
‘Even so, succeeding with skill alone is a bit tight...’
As a friend, worry came first.
When Seo-jun slit Chul-soo's neck, a notification popped up.
[You won the sparring match.]
[HP 10 / 00:02:23]
[Current Rank 107th]
Tae-woo harbored doubt at the window that popped up in an instant.
‘Why is the ranking popping up instead of the record? They only compile rankings for level 9...’
Tae-woo noticed the fact that Seo-jun was manipulating the window in the empty air even though the sparring was finished.
And as a cluster of light gathered in front of Seo-jun, it began to take on a human form.
He felt a sense of déjà vu at this scene that resembled a summoning ritual.
‘No way?’
What was summoned was a robot.
The appearance of the newly created robot was also human-like. Although not finely sculpted, the rough shape was a female, and the nickname that floated above its head was.
[Shin Ha-yeon]
His mouth hung wide open. It felt as if goosebumps broke out all over his body.
“Hey, was the Chul-soo you just beat level 9?”
He was beaten up so unilaterally that Tae-woo had not noticed.
That Chul-soo's movements had clearly surpassed level 4—no, even level 8, which he had won with difficulty!
Seo-jun chuckled as if it were truly nothing and spoke.
“Well, it is no big deal.”
To think he lightly suppressed a guy whom even pros could not easily beat.
‘If he even wins level 10, this is totally...’
Broadcast material.
Tae-woo was a streamer to his bones.
While thinking 'No way he will win, right?' Tae-woo swallowed his saliva and busily pressed the record button.
‘I was planning to roll him around a bit using a joint broadcast as an excuse. Is it not that I will have to beg him to do a joint broadcast later?’
Before he knew it, his worry about Seo-jun disappeared cleanly.
<><><>
A sense of foreignness was felt.
When walking, when swinging his arms, when breathing.
Even when clashing swords.
However, it was to the extent of not being felt greatly.
‘It really is different because it is a good capsule.’
The development of technology was amazing.
And.
Seo-jun looked at the robot receiving his sword from the front.
[Shin Ha-yeon]
He felt it in the past too, but she was indeed a genius.
If this robot he was facing now was entirely mimicking Shin Ha-yeon's control, it was not an exaggeration to say that Shin Ha-yeon had more talent than anyone he had seen in his past life.
‘Ah, excluding one person.’
In any case, it was amazing that an expert of this caliber could emerge in the ten-odd years since virtual reality came out.
“Perhaps if you devote yourself for about eighty more years, you might be able to beat me.”
While Seo-jun was enjoying himself after a long time, Tae-woo shouted from the side.
“What nonsense is that. Hey, hey, do not look here and focus!”
Tsk.
Currently, Shin Ha-yeon's HP was depleted by more than half.
Compared to that, Seo-jun's HP was in a state where not even one was depleted.
Tae-woo seemed extremely excited.
It was amazing seeing that he had even turned on the recording.
As expected of a pro.
Seo-jun parried the sword, looking at Tae-woo next to him instead of Shin Ha-yeon's rushing AI.
“Tsk, tsk. Do you still not know after watching until now?”
“I told you to focus!”
He looked truly foolish.
Anyway, since everyone exerted the same strength and could not exceed the same speed here, it was a space where only mental strength and skill were prioritized.
There was no way Seo-jun, who had the memories of his past life, would lose.
Even if there was no internal energy, the realm was eternal.
Shin Ha-yeon's AI realized that it should not swing as usual and began to mix in irregular movements.
‘Is this also Shin Ha-yeon's movement? Or the AI's own judgment? Whatever it is...’
Before Shin Ha-yeon's sword could even reach its targeted point, the sword Seo-jun thrust scraped the opponent's blade and shifted its path.
Clang-clang-clang!
The sound of blades scraping against each other, which he had not heard in a long time, approached cheerfully.
The sword lunged aiming for his neck missed by an inch, and Seo-jun did not miss that moment and deflected the sword away.
Along with the sound of the sword falling to the floor, the AI's body was wide open and became defenseless.
Slash!
He slashed the neutralized AI's torso diagonally.
[HP 4]
After being cut by the sword, the AI quickly retreated to pick up its sword.
However, half a beat faster than that, Seo-jun was narrowing the distance. The gap between the two narrowed, and the AI allowed a blow once more.
[HP 3]
If the speed is the same as the opponent in a fight, it is important to move the next action first.
To do that, one had to be able to anticipate the enemy's movement.
What the AI would do in the current situation was obvious.
Seo-jun accurately stabbed the AI's arm, which was reaching out to grab the sword, with his sword.
Clang!
The tip of the sword could not pierce the arm, and the sound of metal clashing against metal rang out.
[HP 2]
Despite its arm being scraped by the sword, the AI moved until the end and succeeded in grabbing the sword that had fallen to the floor.
But Seo-jun went into the next movement right after recovering his sword.
A vertical slash that was extremely faithful to the basics.
Boom!
The AI raised its sword to block, but the tip of Seo-jun's sword reached the AI's head.
[HP 1]
Based on his experience fighting a few times, here, the maximum limit of strength was the same, but it did not mean one exerted the exact same strength every time.
The important thing was the complete transmission of strength.
The wrist of the AI, which parried the sword while sitting down, bent.
‘These kinds of parts are realistic.’
Despite that, it kicked off the ground and rushed to stab Seo-jun.
An art possible only because it was an undying robot.
But suddenly, such a thought came to mind.
Was it not the same that he did not die either?
Seo-jun did not bother to avoid the sword and stabbed the AI's body at the same time.
If it had been his past life, it would have been a move like mutual destruction, but here was different.
Since at most his HP would only decrease by 1.
[You won the sparring match.]
Blood did not flow. The pain was also merely a sting.
It was fun.
Seo-jun calmly pulled out the sword stuck in his chest and spoke.
“How is it. I beat Shin Ha-yeon. Is a skill broadcast possible at this level?”
[The level 10 AI attempts to mimic the user.]
Tae-woo replied with a broad grin.
“Did I not tell you? You have to do broadcasts.”
Seo-jun smiled back, looking at his foolish friend's expression.
When on earth did you.
[To mimic the user's movements, additional sparring must be conducted. Would you like to register?]
“Hmm, it is annoying. Should I just not do it?”
“Shut up and do it quickly, you crazy bastard.”
<><><>
After coming out of the capsule, Seo-jun and Tae-woo sat in the living room, scooped up ice cream, and conversed.
“Hey, why did you do that?”
“What.”
“You uploaded your becoming the new level 10 as private. If this is revealed, surely thousands of people will flock, you know?”
There was a reason, of course.
“I have not even broadcasted once yet, so even if people flock, they are all empty numbers. It is a house built on sand.”
“A house built on sand?”
Although he had built a wall against studying...
Groan.
Swallowing the urge of the old man inside him to lecture, Seo-jun easily explained the meaning.
“It roughly means a house built on sand, meaning it easily collapses if the foundation is not solid.”
“Then, when are you going to make it public?”
“Once I settle down, and when the tide comes in. Rather than having them come in now and then drain out completely, that will be more effective.”
“Aha.”
Perhaps because Tae-woo was also a broadcaster, he understood in an instant.
“Have you also done some kind of broadcasting? Finding out you were a giant streamer. Oh, that gives me goosebumps.”
“What kind of foolish talk is that again?”
Tae-woo began his explanation while stroking his arms as if he had goosebumps.
“Do you know what hosting is?”
“When a streamer ends their broadcast, sending the viewers to another streamer's room?”
“Precisely, it is playing another streamer's video on my screen. The number of viewers is summed up. But even if a streamer with a high viewership hosts a streamer with a low viewership, which raises awareness and is an opportunity to rise, there is not much effect. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Except for a minority, they cannot make good use of that opportunity. Even if the viewership increases like that, there are cases where a month later, only the people who used to watch it watch it again. It is exactly the house built on sand you mentioned. As expected, you are made for broadcasting. In that sense, Seo-jun-ah.”
“What.”
“When shall we do our joint broadcast?”
What kind of nonsense is this again.
“If we upload the video, it will definitely go up to the trending videos! On top of that, if we even do a joint broadcast!”
Thud.
Seo-jun kicked the shin of his friend who was talking nonsense and spoke.
“Be quiet and do the overdue housework.”
“Argh! Oh, that is right, housework! Hey, can you not let me off just once. Yes?”
“No.”
You said there was no backing out.
Tae-woo clutched his shin and lay down on the sofa.
<><><>
The next day. After entering the lobby, Seo-jun began to prepare for his broadcast.
His goal was to build up a certain level of awareness as a streamer within a short period of time.
If so, what game should he start with?
Tae-woo had explained like this the previous day.
‘Online games that are mostly popular also have that many streamers, so it is not easy.’
Also, to receive attention, one had to rise to a high tier.
‘Package games have no burden, but there are also no people.’
Each had its strengths and weaknesses.
And Tae-woo had spoken with a grin.
‘But there is always a way for the best move where the disadvantages are few and the advantages are maximized.’
Certainly.
Tae-woo recommended a game that was famous enough that even Seo-jun had heard of it.
It was also highly suitable for Seo-jun's situation.
Seo-jun prepared for his broadcast by entering Travel with a strange smile of anticipation.
After writing the broadcast title, he had to set the category of what game he was playing.
The total viewership of that game seen through the category was.
“It is 3rd.”
After confirming the popularity of this game once more, Seo-jun began to download the game.
The package game that had opened a week ago and on which the maximum interest was currently focused because the awareness of the series itself was so high.
-Viewers 831,000-