Chapter 81 - The Witch's True Identity (1)

To ordinary people, the number 100 is hard to grasp. After all, there are 18 zeros after the 1.

The excitement of the viewers didn't easily subside, and that was the reason.

Unprecedented and unparalleled.

No one could replicate such an event. What Lee Kyungbok had accomplished was not just a unique weapon but a unique event.

This realization wasn't limited to the viewers.

['Jinomgarasae' has donated 100,000 won.]

[??? : You have to pay to see something like this!]

['WalletWarrior' has donated 50,000 won.]

[Donations are open! What are the hardcore fans doing?]

In front of the smiling Lee Kyungbok, donation messages appeared. He hadn't changed any settings.

'Kids, you can smell money like a ghost.'

Choi Byunghoon realized it was time to collect. It was the perfect moment to capitalize on the viewers' enthusiasm without breaking their immersion in the game.

As expected, donations poured in like a dam breaking.

['GodPlKebe' has donated 50,000 won.]

[Please help me get a good job!]

['Pilgrim' has donated 30,000 won.]

[Ah, this is a miracle.]

['TakeItAll' has donated 300,000 won.]

[Going all in on other streamers too, lol.]

['EncourageMore' has donated 200,000 won.]

[Just put all your money in!]

Lee Kyungbok smiled faintly and thanked the donors one after another.

"Ah, thank you for the donations. I didn't do anything that great, though."

-?????

-Donations only ON!

-Using a breath attack in the middle of this?

-Paying to smell a breath attack? Invincible, lol.

-From God's perspective, it's not that great, lol.

-Are the standards too high?

Thanks to the donations, the viewers calmed down. Lee Kyungbok continued to express his gratitude.

['Eclipse' has donated 1,000,000 won.]

[The great weapon is the knight's dream! Sir Purple, can you share the secret?]

The familiar name of the donor surprised both Lee Kyungbok and the viewers.

-What? Is it real?

-Is Eclipse broadcasting now?

-No, he's not.

-This ㅋㅋ Just by the tone, it's real ㅋㅋ

-EldestJeygum appears!

-What the heck is EldestJeygum?

While the chat window was filled with confusion, a new message appeared.

[>Hey, it's real. It's Eclipse's ID.]

Choi Byunghoon confirmed the fact via private message. Lee Kyungbok smiled and spoke.

"Ah, Sir Eclipse! Thank you for the donation. Well, it was my first time, so I'm not entirely sure, but I did notice something."

-???????

-What did you see?

-It wasn't just luck?

-It wasn't staged?

-Ah ㅋㅋ Is GodPlKebe now a Rickshaw Show expert?

The viewers were skeptical. Lee Kyungbok smiled faintly in response.

"While playing, I noticed that FromSoftware pays a lot of attention to detail. The gravekeeper's motion, and recently, the dragon knight emblem."

He praised the developers before getting to the main point. Most of the new viewers were fans of the Elden series, so they were satisfied.

"So, I thought there might be a hint in the equipment crafting. That's why I didn't hammer it right away."

-Did you see something during crafting?

-I've done a lot of crafting but never noticed anything.

-Ah ㅋㅋ Are EldestJeygum's eyes and GodPlKebe's eyes the same?

-Crafting focuses on speed, so I just hammered away.

-Wow, if this is real, it's a great tip.

The viewers waited with anticipation for Lee Kyungbok's explanation. Finally, he spoke.

"Maybe you'll see it when you try it yourself, but the sword vibrates slightly. I noticed this repetition. So, I tried hitting it at that timing, and it was a huge success."

The chat window filled with question marks.

"Ah, I thought this was a hint left by the developers. The higher the grade, the shorter the vibration cycle. But it was easy after a few tries. You'll understand if you try it."

-I don't know! I don't know!

-Ah ㅋㅋ No way! Clenching my teeth and saying I don't know.

-Really, I've never felt anything like that while crafting.

-FromSoftware: I don't know, what's that? It's scary...

-??? : Did I... put in... some... system?

-Ah ㅋㅋ The developers didn't know either, lol.

Lee Kyungbok smiled and concluded his explanation, ignoring the reactions.

"Alright, now that I've told you, our hardcore fans can try it after the broadcast. Of course, I know you're focusing on the broadcast now, right?"

-Ah ㅋㅋ That's true.

-Really ㅋㅋ RGRG

-I'm just satisfied with the broadcast!

-This is GodPlKebe ㅋㅋ No one can imitate him.

-Hint vs. watching GodPlKebe's broadcast comfortably.

-Is the balance too extreme?

-Is this the skill of a unique-grade streamer?

-When did streamer grades appear? ㅋㅋ

While the viewers were satisfied, Eclipse's response came back.

['Eclipse' has donated 1,000,000 won.]

[Thank you for the detailed explanation! Now I realize that relying on equipment goes against chivalry! I will focus on training!]

-Oh ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Eclipse is also shaking his head, lol.

-EldestJeygum is shocked!

-Even a 12-year veteran is stunned by the crafting difficulty ㅋㅋ

-2 million won for wisdom = Just do your best.

-You ㅋㅋ You were really bad ㅋㅋ

-Ah ㅋㅋ So funny, really ㅋㅋ

Lee Kyungbok smiled and changed the settings again. The atmosphere, overheated by the donations and Eclipse's appearance, calmed down.

"Thank you for the donation again. Let's continue now."

Lee Kyungbok resumed the game, which had paused due to the donations. The blacksmith approached with an excited voice.

"I've never seen such a fine sword in my life. I'd like to see what this sword can do. Would you like to test it?"

-Ah ㅋㅋ I can't hold it in.

-When you get a new car, you have to test drive it, right? ㅋㅋ

-The blacksmith is being so nice, look ㅋㅋ

-Really ㅋㅋ He was shaking his head before crafting.

There was no reason to refuse. Lee Kyungbok lightly drew the sword. The black blade seemed to absorb even the forge's light.

-Oh... Look at that color.

-It feels like obsidian.

-The details are definitely alive, lol.

-The dragon scale weapons I made had a lot of scratches on the surface.

-Show it to us!

Lee Kyungbok chuckled at the viewers' urging and lightly swung the sword.

"Wow."

He let out a short exclamation.

Usually, when you strike, you feel resistance through the blade, but there was none here.

Soon, with a thud, the training dummy fell to the ground, the cut surface as smooth as if it had always been that way.

"Wow...! A dummy made of hardwood, and it was cut so easily!"

-Wow ㅋㅋ It's so clean.

-Indeed, a unique-grade weapon.

-The dummy is just a child's play.

-If it can't cut this, it's meaningless.

The blacksmith was amazed, and the viewers were satisfied. But most of them thought it was expected.

The blacksmith then brought a new dummy, this time one wearing steel armor.

"Would you like to try cutting this one too?"

Lee Kyungbok swung the sword again. With a tearing sound, the armor split like paper, and the blade stopped.

-Ah ㅋㅋ This is a unique-grade weapon!

-Is that steel? Or aluminum?

-There was no aluminum in that era, lol.

-That's why it's so powerful, making it hard to craft, lol.

The viewers were amazed by its power. But it didn't end there.

"Hmm, I have a good feel for it now."

Lee Kyungbok's casual comment made the chat window fill with question marks.

Instead of explaining, he swung the sword vertically. Surprisingly, the sword cut through without any resistance.

"Wow, no scratches at all. It's really durable."

Lee Kyungbok examined the blade and expressed his satisfaction. The armored dummy was then split in half.

-??????

-Why did it go through?

-What is this? A Rickshaw Show?

-Is it a master sword instead of a regular one?

-Combining EldestJeygum and a unique-grade weapon is unbeatable.

-What is this ㅋㅋ Is it EldenSouls or EldenMusou?

-Musou ㅅㅂㅋㅋ

-The Eldest fans are already crying.

-Eldest: This game teaches you as you die!

-??? : Why are you dying? Don't you want to live?

-No! Even if you want to live, you die!

-Say you want to live!

Amid the viewers' excitement, Lee Kyungbok sheathed the sword.

"Let's go to the cathedral."

* * *

The cathedral looked the same as usual. As Lee Kyungbok entered, a cutscene began.

"Broken One, be careful. We don't know what will happen when the impostor's true identity is revealed."

The protagonist gently placed the witch on the stairs. She still couldn't enter the cathedral due to the brand.

"I'll be back."

The protagonist walked calmly. Passing through the corridor the high priest had shown him, he reached the church door.

-What excuse will the fake Sophia give?

-Is she still Sophia, even though she's fake? ㅋㅋ

-I don't know!

-Really ㅋㅋ I don't know how it will unfold ㅋㅋ

-Ah ㅋㅋ She's Sophia until it's confirmed! Anyway, she's Sophia!

As the viewers waited, the church door opened. Sophia slowly turned to look at him.

"Welcome back."

"As you see."

The protagonist drew the dragon scale sword. She slowly nodded.

"I knew you would. Thank you sincerely. Now I can rest easy."

Sophia formally expressed her gratitude and took out a fake holy relic. The protagonist silently accepted it.

-What? Why is he accepting it?

-I have no idea what will happen, lol.

-What's going on? What's going on?

Amid the viewers' confusion, the protagonist moved. He took out another fake holy relic from his pocket.

The dusty and blood-stained relic he found in the snowfield.

"Why are there two holy relics?"

At the protagonist's question, Sophia's pupils dilated. She looked very confused and asked back.

"Two holy relics? What...?"

"Are you pretending not to know?"

The protagonist threw the fake holy relic given by the saintess to the ground. It shattered with a loud sound.

"If this is real, why is the barrier still intact?"

He pointed to the window. Despite the relic being destroyed, the barrier protecting the sanctuary remained.

This was another proof that the broken relic was fake.

-Oh ㅋㅋ Look at the man!

-He knew it was fake and smashed it right away, lol.

-He proved it right in front of everyone.

-This is real fact violence, lol.

-Ah ㅋㅋ Fact + violence!

-Fact (it hurts)

Sophia's jaw trembled. Her eyes darted between the broken relic and the barrier.

Soon, she exhibited a bizarre appearance. Her body twisted as if in a seizure, and her eyes moved irregularly.

"What...?"

The protagonist stepped back, on guard, and she collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

-What just happened?

-For a moment, I thought it was a horror game.

-It's fake, ㅎㄷㄷ

-Is this still the church's Sophia?

-Is this the end?

-Why did she just collapse without any resistance?

The protagonist seemed to share the viewers' sentiments.

"Did she take her own life?"

He examined Sophia's body, looking puzzled.

Right then.

The church door opened with a thud.

-Oh!

-Ah, it scared me!

-Ah ㅅㅂ I spilled my ramen broth.

-Is it an enemy!?

As the viewers shouted, the protagonist turned around in surprise.

"Big trouble! Big trouble!"

Rolling in was a small witch golem.

-Oh ㅋㅋㅋ It's a mini Sophia.

-Ah ㅋㅋㅋ She's cute.

-Rolling in is so scary, lol.

-How did it get in?

-Did the fake saintess's death lift some barrier?

The protagonist quickly and gently embraced her. The witch shook her head rapidly and spoke.

"There are dead people walking outside!"

"Dead people?"

The protagonist asked, but immediately ran outside. The viewers were also confused as they heard sounds from beyond the corridor's exit.

"Kyaah!"

"Run, run away!"

"What the...!"

Screams and agitated voices.

Soon, the scene outside the exit was completely different. Pale-skinned monsters were attacking people.

-What are these things? ㅅㅂ

-Oh? Their skin is a bit like Sophia's, isn't it?

-Oh, you're right!

-Anyway, I knew something was up.

-Are they new enemies?

But something strange caught the eye.

"Hey!"

"Snap out of it! It's me! Nara!"

"How? I saw you die with my own eyes...!"

Some residents were not running from the monsters but approaching them.

Lee Kyungbok immediately understood the situation.

"Oh... They must have been family or friends."

-That's right.

-The witch Sophia was right.

-The dead residents' family and friends have come back to life.

-But they're not zombies, what are they?

-They don't seem to be the dead, ㅅㅂ

-It must be a reanimated corpse created by the dark sorcerer!

-Not ㅋㅋ The cathedral and reanimated corpse combo, what is this? ㅋㅋ

The monsters killed the approaching residents without hesitation. In the midst of this, priests shouted and fought the monsters to save the residents.

"Run! They are not the people you knew!"

"Eldest Knights, protect us!"

They attacked the monsters with their weapons, but...

"Kyaah...!"

"What...!"

Most weapons didn't even pierce the monsters' bodies. They showed no expression as they took the lives of the priests and residents.

The scene spread fear even faster.

"Ugh, ugh!"

"Run quickly!"

"Get out! Get out now!"

"The barrier! The barrier won't open!"

"It's over, it's all over..."

The residents reached the edge of the sanctuary but couldn't go further. The barrier remained intact even after the fake saintess's death.

The barrier that was supposed to protect the residents now acted as a prison.

But right then.

"Fall back!"

A cry pierced through the cries and screams. The eyes of the residents at the edge widened.

"The knights! The