Chapter 3 - Chapter 3

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Translator: 8uhl

Chapter: 3

Chapter Title: Why Can't I Challenge Stage 10?

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"Why can't I do stage 10?"

Kim Tae-woo let out a sigh before starting his explanation.

"You can only challenge stage 10 after beating the stage 9 AI. And stage 10 isn't a regular AI."

"Then what is it?"

"It's an AI that mimics the best player out of everyone who's cleared stage 9."

Oh.

"By the way, the current stage 10 AI is someone you know well."

"Shin Ha-yeon?"

"Right."

"So, if someone beats the stage 10 AI, does it switch to mimic that person?"

"Probably. Fun fact: it's been Shin Ha-yeon at stage 10 for the last five years. Anyway, get started already."

Seo-jun was impressed inwardly.

"Alright, got it."

'He's finally starting.'

Kim Tae-woo watched Seo-jun with excited eyes.

Swinging the sword through the air a few times didn't look like he was holding it for the first time.

'Did he learn at an academy to play games?'

There were people like that, apparently.

Folks who went to real-life martial arts academies to get good at games and build up their bodies.

But from the perspective of a seven-year veteran streamer, it was better to just play one more round of any game in that time.

Why did even top athletes struggle here sometimes?

There was only one reason.

'Because real-world physical abilities don't carry over to the avatar.'

VR avatars scanned your body and moved according to your will, but they couldn't exceed the set performance limits.

It meant a 2-meter rugby player could lose an arm-wrestling match to a 160cm average woman.

What mattered in VR was skill, experience, and mental fortitude.

And in some games, characters moved way faster than humans could in reality.

'It's still better than not learning anything.'

Tae-woo thought it was inefficient, though.

A whistle sounded from somewhere, and Kim Cheol-soo started moving.

'Nervous? Raise your sword. Pfft.'

Even as Cheol-soo approached step by step, Seo-jun just stood there.

Kim Tae-woo couldn't wait to see that relaxed expression twist into shock.

He himself had once foolishly challenged stage 4 when the Training Ground first came out and gotten thoroughly thrashed by Cheol-soo.

Pure one-on-one without skill assists wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Right when he was anticipating his always-chill friend rolling on the ground—

Seo-jun cleanly dodged Cheol-soo's swing by tilting his body and struck back.

Cheol-soo's HP dropped by 1.

In Training Ground duels, both sides started with 10 HP, and the first to hit 0 from sword strikes lost. Simple rules.

Cheol-soo backed away.

'Showboating? But why's Cheol-soo retreating?'

Was stage 4 AI that lenient?

You were supposed to counterattack right away.

As Tae-woo wondered—

"Not coming? Guess I'll go to you then."

This time, Seo-jun closed in on Cheol-soo.

Tae-woo could already picture what happened next in his head.

'Got cocky from that lucky hit. Charging in like that, he'll just get stabbed and lose HP... What?'

Cheol-soo's response was textbook perfect—too perfect for stage 4.

But Seo-jun clashed his sword against Cheol-soo's, deflecting its path. He smoothly flowed to the side, spun his body, and landed another hit.

The whole sequence was so fluid that Tae-woo, watching from the third-person view, felt like Seo-jun was faster than Cheol-soo.

'But this is VR. Physical advantages are impossible.'

His seven years of experience told him so.

It just looked fast because there was no wasted motion. The actual swing speed was the same for both.

Seo-jun charged again, toying with Cheol-soo.

Without ever stepping forward, he parried Cheol-soo's sword five times in a row from the same spot, or tripped him and pinned his sword with a foot so he couldn't lift it.

When Cheol-soo's HP was down to 1, Seo-jun started striking with hands and feet, which didn't deduct HP.

Thwack.

Thwack.

To Tae-woo's eyes, every one of Seo-jun's moves screamed mastery.

As if he'd predicted the opponent's actions, he threw himself into striking range without hesitation.

Even attacks that seemed unavoidable, Seo-jun dismantled them by finding openings the enemy missed, like he'd known all along.

"Hey, hey. You really haven't played in seven years? Damn, you're killing my buzz. Finish it quick and do stage 7 already."

Why hadn't a guy with skills like this touched games until now?

What a lucky bastard.

He had a face that'd do well even on cam streams, and now top-tier skills too?

But.

'Even so, skills alone won't cut it for success...'

As a friend, worry crept in.

Seo-jun slashed Cheol-soo's throat, and a notification popped up.

Tae-woo blinked at the sudden window.

'Why show rank but not record? Rankings only go up to stage 9...'

Then he noticed Seo-jun still manipulating the floating window even after the duel ended.

A cluster of light gathered in front of Seo-jun, taking on a humanoid shape.

He felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the summoning ritual-like scene.

'No way?'

What appeared was a robot.

The new robot looked human-like too. Not intricately sculpted, but roughly female in form, with the nickname floating above its head:

His jaw dropped. Goosebumps prickled his skin.

"Dude, was that Cheol-soo you just beat actually stage 9?"

He hadn't noticed because it was so one-sided.

Cheol-soo's movements had clearly surpassed stage 4—no, even the stage 8 he'd barely beaten!

Seo-jun chuckled casually, like it was nothing.

"Eh, no big deal."

Beating something even pros struggled with, just like that.

'If he beats stage 10 too, this is straight-up...'

Streaming gold.

Tae-woo was a streamer to his bones.

He gulped, thinking 'No way he'll win,' but still fumbled to hit record.

'I was gonna tease him with a collab excuse. Now I might have to beg for one later.'

His worries about Seo-jun vanished clean away.

There was a sense of disconnect.

When walking, swinging his arms, even breathing.

Clashing swords too.

But it wasn't too pronounced.

'High-end capsules do make a difference.'

Tech progress was impressive.

And.

Seo-jun eyed the robot receiving his sword head-on.

He'd felt it before, but she really was a genius.

If this robot perfectly mimicked Shin Ha-yeon's control, calling her more talented than anyone from his past life wasn't an exaggeration.

'Well, except one person.'

Anyway, it was astonishing that someone this skilled had emerged in the decade-plus since VR arrived.

"Keep honing your craft for another 80 years, and you might even beat me."

As Seo-jun got into the mood for the first time in ages, Tae-woo yelled from the side.

"What nonsense is that? Hey, quit looking over here and focus!"

Tch.

Shin Ha-yeon's HP was already more than half gone.

Seo-jun's was untouched.

Tae-woo looked hyped up.

Recording too—impressive.

True pro.

Seo-jun parried the charging AI's sword while glancing at Tae-woo beside him.

"Tsk tsk. Still don't get it after watching?"

"Focus, I said!"

He looked like a total fool.

Anyway, this place where everyone had equal strength and speed made mental fortitude and technique paramount.

Seo-jun, with his past-life memories, couldn't lose.

No inner energy, but realm was eternal.

The AI, sensing it shouldn't swing normally, started mixing in irregular moves.

'Is this Shin Ha-yeon's style? Or the AI's judgment? Either way...'

Before the AI's sword reached its target, Seo-jun's blade scraped its edge, altering its course.

Kreeeech!

The familiar scrape of metal on metal rang out crisply after so long.

His thrust toward the throat veered off by an inch, and Seo-jun didn't miss the moment, flicking the sword away.

Clang—the sword hit the floor, leaving the AI wide open.

Slash!

He diagonally slashed the defenseless torso.

The AI scooped up its sword and retreated swiftly after the slash.

But Seo-jun was half a beat faster, closing the gap. It took another hit.

In a fight with equal speed, what mattered was moving to the next action first.

To do that, you had to anticipate the enemy's moves.

What the AI would do next was obvious.

Seo-jun precisely stabbed the arm reaching for the sword.

Clang!

The tip didn't pierce but clashed metal-on-metal.

The AI grabbed the fallen sword despite its arm being grazed.

But Seo-jun flowed right into the next move after recovering.

A basic downward chop, perfectly executed.

Boom!

The AI blocked upward, but Seo-jun's tip touched its head.

From what he'd tested, max power was equal here, but output wasn't always consistent.

Key was fully transmitting that power.

The AI's wrist buckled while blocking on its knees.

'This part's realistic.'

Still, it kicked off the ground and lunged to stab Seo-jun.

A feat possible only for an undying robot.

Then a thought struck him.

Undying works both ways, right?

Seo-jun didn't dodge the sword—instead, he stabbed the AI's body simultaneously.

In his past life, it'd be mutual destruction.

But here, just -1 HP.

No blood flowed. Just a sharp sting.

Fun.

Seo-jun calmly pulled the sword from his chest and said,

"So, beat Shin Ha-yeon. Good enough for a skills stream?"

Tae-woo grinned ear to ear.

"Didn't I tell you? You gotta stream."

Seo-jun smiled back at his goofy friend.

As if you'd ever said that.

"Hmm, sounds annoying. Skip it?"

"Shut up and do it, you maniac."

Seo-jun and Tae-woo climbed out of the capsules and plopped on the living room couch, shoveling ice cream while chatting.

"Dude, why'd you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You uploaded your new stage 10 record as private. Once word gets out, thousands are gonna swarm."

There was a reason.

"I haven't streamed once yet. Even if they flock in, it'll be all fake views. A castle in the sand."

"Castle in the sand?"

Even if he avoided studying...

Ugh.

Seo-jun swallowed the old man's lecture bubbling up inside and explained simply.

"Means a house built on sand—without a solid base, it crumbles easy."

"So when do you go public?"

"Once I'm established, when the tide comes in. Better than a quick surge and crash."

"Ah, got it."

Tae-woo, being a streamer himself, caught on quick.

"You've never streamed, but you're a natural. What if you're secretly from a big corp? Goosebumps."

"More dumb talk?"

Tae-woo rubbed his arms like he had chills and explained.

"Know what hosting is?"

"When a streamer sends viewers to another's room at end of stream?"

"Precisely, playing another streamer's vid on your screen. Viewers combine. But big streamers hosting small ones boosts fame and chances, yet it flops sometimes. Know why?"

"Why?"

"Most can't capitalize. Viewers spike, but a month later, back to the regulars. Classic castle in the sand. See? You're built for this, Seo-jun."

"What."

"When's our collab?"

What nonsense is this.

"Your vid's gonna skyrocket in recommendations! Plus a collab!"

Thud.

Seo-jun kicked his babbling friend's shin.

"Shut up and do the chores."

"Aaaagh! Oh right, chores! C'mon, cut me slack just once?"

"No."

You said you wouldn't beg.

Tae-woo clutched his shin and sprawled on the sofa.

The next day, Seo-jun entered the lobby and prepped his stream.

His goal: Build decent streamer fame short-term.

So, which game to start with?

Tae-woo had explained yesterday:

'Popular online games have tons of streamers too—tough to stand out.'

To get noticed, climb high tiers.

'Packaged games have no pressure, but low player counts.'

Each had pros and cons.

Then Tae-woo grinned.

'But there's always a best way: Minimize cons, max pros.'

True enough.

The game Tae-woo recommended was famous enough that even Seo-jun knew it.

And perfect for his situation.

Seo-jun smirked with anticipation as he logged into Travel and set up his stream.

After typing the title, he selected the category.

The total viewers for that game:

"Third place."

Seo-jun confirmed its popularity again and started downloading.

A packaged game that opened a week ago, with massive series hype drawing peak attention.

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