Chapter 76 - Snow Mountain Flying Dragon Punishment (1)

The next day.

The broadcast time that many people had been looking forward to was approaching. The chat window was already bustling with activity.

- It's 10 minutes before the broadcast, and the number of viewers is insane ㅎㄷㄷ

- Wow ㅋㅋㅋ Already 8,000 people waiting, for real?

- What kind of growth rate is this!

- What's the problem with a company that has branches and media coverage?

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ Meta-gamers are followed by the media anyway

- Why is 10 minutes so long!

After a brief chatter among the viewers, it was one minute before the broadcast started.

A golden flash burst across the black screen.

-????

-What is it? What's starting?

-Oh ㅋㅋㅋ Looks like the intro has changed

-Robin! Bring the popcorn!

-Sit down! Sit down, please!

Unlike the usual intro, a scene from Elden Soul featuring Lee Kyung-bok appeared. The person facing him was the awakened gravekeeper.

Lee Kyung-bok dodged the gravekeeper's sword and leaped forward. As the dust settled, the scene naturally transitioned.

Next, Eclipse appeared, and the two engaged in a fierce battle. Amidst the dazzling swordplay, Lee Kyung-bok gained the upper hand.

With a metallic sound, the sword soared high, and when it fell, the opponent was not Eclipse but Newton's Seat.

The sudden change in the battle, Lee Kyung-bok smiled and swung his sword at Newton's Seat.

However, what was cut was not Newton's Seat but the screen itself. With a tear, the logo of the Perfect Play channel and a rough handwritten message appeared behind the torn screen.

['Elden's First Sword']

The scene inside showed Lee Kyung-bok sheathing his sword and smiling, marking the end of the intro.

- Wow ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What kind of intro quality is this?

- Ah ㅋㅋ If it's like this, there's no choice but to wait before the broadcast!

- Editor, you're reflecting the trends, right?

-(Perfect Play)(Perfect Play)(Perfect Play)

-Really ㅋㅋㅋ The editor is perfect too ㅋㅋㅋ

-Just from the intro, I'm already getting goosebumps ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-As expected, God Play's broadcast is different in every way.

The chat window was filled with praise. The intro was a video that only waiting viewers would see, and even then, viewers often didn't pay much attention. Therefore, most channels would reuse the same intro.

However, Choi Byung-hun did not. He was an editor who understood the importance of details.

“Tcha!”

The screen transitioned, and Lee Kyung-bok greeted brightly.

- Peh! Peh!

-(Peh)(Peh)

-A junior in Elden Soul meets the First Sword of Elden!

-Ah ㅋㅋㅋ The First Sword of Korea, right?

-Here, you're still sticking to the martial arts concept ㅋㅋ

The chats poured in rapidly.

Along with them, sponsorship messages flooded in as if they had been waiting.

[‘Western Indian Recognition’ has sponsored 30,000 won.]

[The Elden First Sword's broadcast, recognized even by the English-speaking world! Delicious!]

[‘No600,000’ has sponsored 60,000 won.]

[Congratulations on 600,000 subscribers on the Perfect Play channel!]

[‘Full Broadcast is Fun’ has sponsored 200,000 won.]

[Gift for surpassing 200,000 subscribers ㅎㅎ]

The growth of the Perfect Play channel received a boost right after the highly anticipated battle. Viewers celebrated this fact by showering sponsorships.

“Ah, thank you for the congratulatory sponsorships! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Meta-gamers, Eclipse, and Newton's Seat, who came as a secret guest.”

-He's so humble at times like this ㅋㅋㅋ

-What's with Newton's Seat in the middle?

-Ah ㅋㅋ In fact, Newton's Seat is a big shot!

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ If you look at the sponsorship rankings, Newton's Seat is number one

-What is Kyudari doing! Are you going to lose the top spot like this ㅋㅋ

-Kyudari, the mysterious loser, just sitting there ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Lee Kyung-bok smiled as he read the chat window. After acknowledging the sponsorships, he clapped to draw attention.

“Now, let's proceed with the remaining story of Elden Soul.”

Just as he was about to start the game and block the sponsorships,

[‘I Love Korea’ has sponsored 10,000 won.]

[I'm new here. I didn't see the previous broadcast. Can you explain a bit, please?]

A sponsorship message appeared at the last moment.

-Not ㅋㅋㅋ If you're new, you should watch the Perfect Play channel

-Sponsoring to ping? This is clearly trolling ㅋㅋㅋ

-Just ignore it ㄱㄱ

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ The best response to a troll is to ignore them

-Should ban them ㅋㅋㅋ

-That's only 10,000 won ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

The chat window's reaction was negative. Lee Kyung-bok also thought he couldn't fulfill such a request.

However, if it wasn't immediately followed by another sponsorship.

[‘I Love Korea’ has sponsored 1,000$.]

Lee Kyung-bok blinked.

‘Dollars?’

The amount was marked in ‘$’ instead of ‘won’. He wondered if it was an error, but then he saw the message below.

[Sorry, I used up all my Korean money. I'm American. I can only speak a little Korean. I asked a Korean friend for help, but 6 hours of translation was impossible.]

Reading the attached sponsorship message, Lee Kyung-bok immediately understood the situation. He nodded lightly.

“Ah, I'll give a brief explanation and then move on.”

-Ah… Ah……

-Can't continue speaking……

-Block all the trolls who were cursing earlier!

-Haha ㅋㅋㅋ They wanted to watch the full video ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-6 hours of translation is over the line ㅋㅋ

-Oh, it's not 10,000 won but dollars? How much is that?

-Roughly 140,000 won ㅎㄷㄷ

-This is king-level

The atmosphere among the viewers changed, and no one opposed.

“Now, I won't repeat myself. Focus.”

Lee Kyung-bok playfully said and briefly explained the previous story.

“While dealing with the gravekeeper, I learned about the knight and awakened him to gain a complete soul. I traded the soul with the hazy witch to unlock her magic. Additionally, I defeated the spirit golem and traveled with the witch. In the capital, I formed an alliance with the knights and plan to head to the church.”

-It sounds so easy when explained like that?

-The process wasn't simple, though ㅋㅋㅋ

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ The superhuman performance is the main part

-But you can see that just by watching the video ㅋㅋ

-Even the summary is perfect

The explanation, which hit the key points, satisfied both the viewers and the sponsor.

[‘I Love Korea’ has sponsored 500$.]

[Thank you. I understand. I will study Korean hard! I want to make jokes later. I love you!]

-Oh ㅋㅋㅋ God Play is really becoming a global streamer

-If you're human, subscribe to the Perfect Play channel!

-Haha ㅋㅋㅋ Koreans are now human

-Ah ㅋㅋ Maybe even galactic in the future

-Why learn Korean to make jokes ㅋㅋ

-Aspiring foreign Meta-gamer? So cute ㅋㅋ

Lee Kyung-bok smiled at the reaction and replied.

“If you watch the broadcast, nationality doesn't matter. Ah, but I don't speak English well. If there are other foreign viewers, you should study Korean hard.”

-Oh ㅋㅋㅋ Are you not going to study yourself?

-Ah, but that's right ㅋㅋㅋ

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ The one who's disappointed should study

-Being born Korean, I'm actually happy

-In this broadcast, it's not Hell Joseon but God Joseon

-King Sejong would probably subscribe too

-Half the world's population is missing out!

-Perfect viewers ㅋㅋㅋ Going crazy ㅋㅋ

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled at the intense reactions in the chat window. However, he couldn't delay any longer.

“Now, let's really start the game!”

The background immediately changed.

The Elden Soul logo passed, and the location changed to the knight barracks where the previous broadcast ended.

“Let's head to the church.”

Following the request of the knight commander, Blondo, he needed to obtain the holy relic of the Knightly Church.

* * *

Lee Kyung-bok passed through the ruined village again. On the opposite side of the path to the knights was a tall cathedral.

Strangely, a large, semi-transparent dome-like barrier was spread out, centered on the cathedral.

“This is clearly a protective barrier.”

Lee Kyung-bok's comment immediately drew a response in the chat window.

-Yeah, that's right

-The Orthodox Church is weaker than the knights and seems to be hiding

-Ah, I don't know how far the spoilers go, so I can't say much ㅋㅋ

-Just watch and see!

-If you get banned and miss the broadcast, you'll regret it ㅋㅋ

While the number of viewers was large, there were few mentions related to the story. With the direction clear, Lee Kyung-bok moved forward without hesitation.

“That's the holy ground of the Knightly Church.”

As they got closer, the witch perched on his shoulder whispered. Lee Kyung-bok nodded, but then frowned.

‘Are they the dead?’

A sense of threat and discomfort, indicating the presence of an enemy nearby.

As if confirming his suspicion, he lost control of his body after a few steps.

“However… something seems strange.”

“Strange?”

“The holy maiden of the Orthodox Church is skilled in powers, but the size of this holy ground exceeds her abilities.”

The witch tilted her head, puzzled.

-So cute, the mini Nuna!

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ I'd buy it as a DLC right away ㅋㅋ

-Ah ㅋㅋ FromSoftware can't sell it. They should release it and sell it as merchandise!

-Envious of the Elden Soul experience with Nuna's commentary

-Wow ㅋㅋㅋ Telling us this here

The viewers enjoyed the scene, but their appreciation was short-lived.

“Let's see when we get there.”

As the protagonist spoke,

“Grrr…!”

“This accursed… Gah!”

“No, no!”

Immediately, screams and metallic sounds were heard. The protagonist hurriedly moved towards the source of the sound.

It was the boundary of the barrier.

“Death is the only fate for traitors…!”

“Open the way!”

Bloodied knights were slaughtering priests and trying to break the barrier with their weapons.

-What? The knights?

-What is this;;; Are they gangsters?

-Ah, this is the same as the original route

-This is why I was surprised by the knight alliance ㅋㅋ

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ Why is there a knight alliance route?

The viewers were puzzled. The protagonist was no different.

“Why are the knights…?”

This was supposed to be the end of the cutscene. But this time, it was different.

“Broken one, their souls are already corrupted.”

“Corrupted?”

“The deaths of their comrades, anxiety about the future, suppressed desires… The reasons are varied. They clung to their mission to hold on to their sanity, but it only made things worse.”

The witch's voice deepened, and a hidden sorrow seeped through.

“Their obsession with their mission… has led to their corruption.”

The viewers were surprised by the witch's explanation.

-What? What is this?

-So the knights are different?

-Are these knights the dead?

-Not ㅋㅋ;; This is a plot twist

Meanwhile, Lee Kyung-bok understood the source of the discomfort he felt from these knights.

Meanwhile, the cutscene continued.

“All for… the protection of the kingdom…!”

“We must… become stronger…!”

The knights tore through the bodies of the priests, absorbing souls. The glowing eyes behind their helmets rolled. Soon, those eyes turned to the protagonist.

The moment their gazes met,

“Traitor!”

With a roar, the faces of the fallen knights turned towards him.

Control returned, and the battle began immediately.

-How dare these fallen knights glare at anyone ㅋㅋ

-Ah ㅋㅋ In front of the First Sword of Elden?

-ㄹㅇㅋㅋ One swing of the sword, and they're gone

-Taste a bit of the perfect sword technique!

The viewers had no doubt about Lee Kyung-bok's victory. He had shown superior skills even against Eclipse, so there was no reason to struggle against these enemies.

Indeed, that was the case.

-But isn't God Play's equipment a broken longsword?

-What?

-Oh, you're right ㅋㅋ

-But a sword is still a sword, right?

-Not ㅋㅋ;; A dagger and a sword are different

-The First Sword of Elden without a sword?

-Ah! This isn't a duel!

The viewers quickly realized the problem. In the duel, equipment was provided, but not in the story progression.

The weapon Lee Kyung-bok pulled out was the basic broken longsword.

While the chat window was filled with anxiety, the protagonist remained calm.

“Hmm, this one will do.”

Lee Kyung-bok quickly scanned the charging knights and pointed at one.

As question marks filled the chat window, he also kicked off the ground and charged.

With a metallic clang, sparks flew. The fallen knight who faced Lee Kyung-bok swung his sword fiercely.

“What is this…?”

Lee Kyung-bok deflected the attack with a nonchalant tone.

Compared to Eclipse, the knight's swordplay was so poor it made him yawn. He easily parried the attack without needing to focus.

“Gah!”

The knight's sword flew out of his hand with a groan. Lee Kyung-bok easily thrust his sword into the gap in the helmet.

-Amazing! Truly the First Sword of Elden!

-Ah ㅋㅋ A broken longsword is still a sword!

-Wow ㅋㅋ With a dagger?

-Where else can you find this level of skill?

-What's there to worry about with God Play?

-God Play brings a sense of relaxation to the tense world of Elden

-What are you talking about? ㅋㅋ

The chat window was filled with admiration.

However, the next scene turned the admiration into question marks.

The fallen knight's sword, which had flown into the air, did not fall. Instead, it blocked the path of another fallen knight charging from the side.

-??????

-What is this?

-Oh?

-Is this a bug? Why is the sword moving on its own?

-Haha ㅋㅋㅋ설

Not only did it block the path, but the sword also parried the fallen knight's attack as if it were alive.

Lee Kyung-bok kicked the fallen knight and frowned.

“Hmm, there are limits to adding power with magic.”

The viewers understood the situation from his words.

-Wow ㅋㅋㅋ Using a dragon's breath to control the sword?

-Not just catching it, but using sword techniques?

-(Game Talk)(Game Talk)(Game Talk)

-Is this the dark sword technique?

-Elden Soul is… a true martial arts game…!

-Haha ㅋㅋ It's not a joke, it's real martial arts ㅋ

-So cute ㅋㅋ

-Perfect… He is the Thousand-Man Slayer!

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled at the viewers' reactions and retrieved his sword. He lightly adjusted his grip and glared at the fallen knights.

“Dark sword technique? Anyway, I'll try this after increasing my stats.”

With that, the sword glowed red.

Lee Kyung-bok charged into the fallen knights without hesitation. A red trail drew elegant lines, piercing through the fallen knights.

The fallen knights did not stand still. However, their resistance was weak against his sword technique. In a single strike, they either lost their swords or were already marked by the red line.

It took less than two minutes for all the fallen knights to fall. Lee Kyung-bok sheathed his sword and exhaled after taking down the last fallen knight.

-Wow, really impressive

-He's insane ㅋㅋ

-He handled 12 knights in less than 3 minutes

-Ah ㅋㅋ If this is the case, you can't use it as a ramen