Chapter 38 : Placement Test
Chapter 38: Thoroughly
—”······.”
The enemy player wrapped in blue lightning charged toward Baek Woohyun without hesitation. It was a charge at considerable speed befitting a build user considering close combat.
Yet strangely, Baek Woohyun didn’t charge to meet them. He just calmly watched with sunken eyes the enemy rushing toward him.
—”Haaaaat!”
Huwook—!
The enemy player who’d reached before Baek Woohyun thrust their fist with a battle cry. It was a reasonably sophisticated blow as if saying they hadn’t mentioned education for nothing.
No matter how much help the combat assistance system provided, the foundational movement itself ultimately originated from the person themselves.
Therefore, it could be guessed the enemy player had also learned some kind of martial art in reality.
Otherwise it would have been impossible to thrust a fist containing the charging momentum as is.
—”······.”
Of course, Baek Woohyun wasn’t one to stand still and take it.
Inserting his hand before the fist, he subtly twisted the trajectory. So cleverly the enemy player couldn’t respond.
Because of that, the straight punch aiming for the head became a grand whiff. Considering the charging momentum, it was a truly futile result.
‘It’s over.’
‘Can’t even land one hit.’
And most watching the combat judged at this point that the first round would end.
Because the monster called Baek Woohyun they’d watched until now was never one to miss such a clearly exposed opening.
Like a predator who’d obtained an opportunity, the dagger he swung would instantly tear apart the enemy player— everyone thought so.
—”Urk?!”
Even the enemy players themselves did.
The light of dismay crossing their face after the attack missed was clearly visible to anyone.
However.
—”······.”
Baek Woohyun didn’t move this time either.
Despite the enemy player hurriedly withdrawing and restoring their collapsed posture, he merely watched leisurely.
As if asking ‘Did you even do anything?’
Perhaps that’s why the enemy player’s appearance fleeing in haste felt more ridiculous.
—”Fuck.”
The enemy player also seemed to realize their actions looked quite stupid. Judging by them spitting curses with a stiffly hardened expression.
Well, even without thinking from a third party’s perspective, it wouldn’t be strange since they’d know they were pathetic—it wasn’t that they’d just charged and gotten wrecked and fled, but that they’d retreated frightened while the opponent stood blankly, so they couldn’t not know.
Pajijik!
—”Phew, good!”
However, their will seemingly not yet broken even after that, the enemy player crouched low while wrapping themselves in blue lightning again.
It was an appearance where will to charge more carefully was felt. It also seemed to claim the previous attack was just carelessness.
—”Uryaaaat!”
—”······.”
Thus the resumed offense and defense was almost similar to the first attack.
Meaning when the enemy player actively attacked, Baek Woohyun continued by lightly deflecting and blocking it.
At a glance, the side holding initiative seemed to be the enemy player and Baek Woohyun only being pushed back, but both fighters and additionally watchers knew.
That the enemy players being able to continue their offensive was only because Baek Woohyun hadn’t properly responded.
“Normally it would have ended when blocking the first attack, or at least counterattacked, so why did Hackphysical stay still?”
“Hmm···.”
—for real I thought it’d end
—wasn’t it the angle to take the head?
—watched briefly because it was ridiculous
—ah lol gave them one chance because they suck so bad lol
“—Ah!”
Jeong Nayeon, who’d been pondering Cha Seongcheol’s question, let out an exclamation.
Because there was one memory that suddenly crossed her mind. A memory from around when she’d held various discussions with Baek Woohyun regarding Hack Tour content.
Among discussions held then, content existed that could explain the current situation.
‘Definitely··· it was about how to respond when picked on during a broadcast for hacking.’
The reason this didn’t come to mind right away was because it wasn’t seriously discussed but just talked about in passing.
In the first place, in a situation where even the Operations Manager had stepped up to attach a verification mark saying not a hacker, who would easily step up saying hacker or whatnot?
At most it’d be stupid troll bugs, and discussing that for days would be ridiculous too.
So at most it had been just a few words exchanged.
‘What did I say back then?’
Jeong Nayeon quickly turned her head.
Since it was a story told lightly in passing, only fragmentary content came to mind sporadically.
‘If possible don’t deal with them, ignore even if they talk, and what else. ···Right, I remember!’
“Did you think of something?”
“Among stories that came up when I discussed with Hackphysical before the broadcast, there was something exactly like the current situation.”
“Current situation being—”
“I roughly talked about what to do if there’s someone picking on him about hacks like that user.”
—they even discussed separately before broadcast··· hmm···
—hmm bullshit Hackphysical is friends so they planned content, was posted in announcement
—didn’t Hackphysical originally not want to appear on broadcast?
—hmm <- you get out
“Aha, certainly since Hackphysical was distant from broadcasts, it’s natural to discuss how to respond in unexpected situations. So what did you say?”
“If possible don’t deal with them, ignore whatever they say. And···.”
“And?”
Jeong Nayeon looked at Baek Woohyun in the screen.
With an indifferent expression, he was leisurely dealing with the enemy player charging like crazy. Enough to rather be called toying.
Watching his appearance deflecting everything whether fists or feet yet absolutely never counterattacking, probably anyone would have felt that way.
“···I also said to smash them as thoroughly as possible if able.”
Pyeok!
—”Kuhek!”
Had those words become a signal?
Baek Woohyun, who’d only been quietly deflecting attacks until now, stepped forward and thrust his fist.
The enemy player who’d been continuing attacks half-dazed couldn’t dodge the sudden counterattack and fell sprawling with a crash.
While additionally spewing strange sounds like their breath was completely blocked.
However, Baek Woohyun’s counterattack was only up to there.
He just calmly watched the enemy player scrambling to get up, not continuing the attack.
It would have been a puzzling scene earlier, but now having heard Jeong Nayeon’s story, viewers’ reactions were the exact opposite of before.
Because knowing why he hadn’t finished in one blow, they could laugh even more refreshingly.
—said they’d educate but they’re the one getting it lol
—if it were me I’d surrender from embarrassment lol
—aren’t they too stupid to know they’re being toyed with?
—king possibility ㄹㅇ
“That was good advice. No point treating them decently since they’ll spread malicious rumors anyway, so better to smash from the start and go.”
“Actually I didn’t know it’d turn out like this. I said it without much thought, but from the first day like this.”
—”Ah geez, fuck. Embarrassing really—”
While Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol leisurely conversed, the enemy player ground their teeth and rose.
Baek Woohyun looked at the enemy player with indifferently sunken eyes then advanced toward them. Resolute steps as if having no intention to go easy anymore.
The enemy player who’d flinched startled at the different response soon wrapped themselves in blue lightning again.
Anyway, the only option given to them was fighting back.
After provoking plenty saying hacker and education, they couldn’t tuck tail just because things got unfavorable.
—”Uwaaaah—!”
—”······.”
The enemy player charging while shouting.
Against them emanating an all-or-nothing momentum, this time Baek Woohyun also didn’t retreat.
Though he didn’t charge like the enemy player, he advanced forward.
As both approached each other, naturally the distance existing between them narrowed in an instant.
Huwook—!
The side that took first strike was also the enemy player.
The leg wrapped in lightning whipped like a lash aiming for Baek Woohyun’s knee. It was a low sweeping kick oozing with learned style.
It was a considerably sharp blow, but Baek Woohyun’s response to this was truly simple.
Advancing a bit more forward.
He nullified the attack itself by approaching to a distance where the low sweeping kick wasn’t effective.
Meaning he made the impact meaningless by scattering the striking point.
—”···Ik!”
—”······.”
Baek Woohyun and the enemy player stuck close enough that even ordinary punches were impossible.
At a glance both seemed in similar situations, but everyone knew that wasn’t the case.
One side had attempted first strike, got blocked, and couldn’t gather posture, while the other had burrowed in while closing distance as intended.
The next moment, just seeing the fist digging into the enemy player’s side made that clear.
Kuwoong—!
—”Keu—urk?!”
At the heavy impact, the enemy player’s eyes widened.
Even if pain was minimal thanks to the virtual reality-unique system automatically adjusting pain above a certain level, the transmitted impact couldn’t be ignored.
Before a blow that felt like even ribs were ruined, the enemy player unconsciously hesitated back.
Baek Woohyun naturally stepped forward and followed.
If still at a time to watch the situation, perhaps not, but having already decided to finish, there was no reason to hesitate.
He thrust his fist while keeping the advancing force. It was a fist containing superhuman power, not restraining at all.
Kwang!
The enemy player’s head jerking back with an impact sound like a bomb exploding!
However, Baek Woohyun’s attack didn’t end there.
Opening his thrust fist to grab the collar, he pulled it while again striking the enemy player.
Accordingly, the head that had been pulled forward jerked back again. The enemy player’s waist bending like a bow was a bonus.
—”······.”
Kwang! Pyeok! Peok! Kwajik!
Thus the barrage that followed was virtually no different from repeating the preceding act.
Grabbing the enemy player’s collar to forcibly stand them up, making them with one punch to just before sprawling, then snatching the collar again to pull, and striking again.
Merciless barrage driven in without even allowing falling!
Of course, the enemy player didn’t just take it either.
Naturally they attempted to resist somehow.
The problem was just that it ended as futile struggling without any gain.
Since Baek Woohyun very simply deflected the enemy player’s not-really-counterattack, then drove an even stronger blow into their head as if to show off···.
“Wow—”
—really getting beat like a dog lol
—monster created by Jeong Nayeon ㄷㄷ
—beating at this level is art ㄹㅇ;;
—so you can make them unable to even fall
“Hackphysical is really firmly following Nayeon-nim’s advice. Look at that, getting hit, unable to even fall. They’re forcibly lifting to beat, you know? What do you think, Nayeon-nim!”
“Geuu— I did say to smash thoroughly, but I didn’t know they’d go this far?”
“Thanks to Nayeon-nim we got to see such entertaining combat. Nothing but gratitude.”
“Excuse me? Seongcheol-nim? You’re listening to me, right?”
—lol
—ah anyway it’s because Jeong Nayeon advised!
—scary woman···
—what advice will come next ㄷㄷ just fear
The conclusion of the first round came before long.
No matter how awakeners had characteristic tenacious vitality, they couldn’t stay fine being continuously beaten with superhuman strength.
Even that only dragged on until now because Baek Woohyun had appropriately controlled strength to not finish in one blow.
—”Keuueu···.”
—”······.”
The enemy player only let out groaning sounds with a ruined face. Unable to even fall while their neck was caught in a steel-like grip.
Baek Woohyun looked at such a person while tilting his head. An attitude as if utterly unable to understand why something so insignificant had acted up.
Actually, while the expression was somewhat exaggerated, he was indeed thinking similarly.
Crack.
As Baek Woohyun broke the enemy player’s neck with an indifferent face, the familiar system message appeared.
A system message announcing his victory.
[First round ended]
[Winner: Baek Woohyun]
[Loser: (Anonymous)]
[Current record – Baek Woohyun 1:0 (Anonymous)]
[Proceeding to next round immediately]