Chapter 44
Chapter 44: What Is Your Identity?
The Monster World Gallery was just as it always was.
The only difference was that most of the posts were about Mu-yeong instead of the game.
It had all started when Mu-yeong had sent Yu Ye-rin flying in a single hit.
Back then, the post count had spiked, but it quickly died down.
Given the performances Mu-yeong had put on up until that point, people had accepted it to a degree.
The same was true when they came face to face with the boss.
[Beginner Village has a Level 25 Special Boss lol]
—The developer has lost their mind lol
—I told you this was no ordinary hidden quest lol
—It's literally one that only unlocks after you complete the village chief's requests twenty times lol
—I kind of figured the mountain was a bit too big, but so that's the secret it was hiding lol
—But to be fair, all the special bosses that've come out so far have been like that
[I'll bet my left nut that even Mu-yeong can't clear this lol]
—The HP bar is about 1.5 times greater than a normal boss, and there's a 13-level gap on top of that? Absolutely impossible.
—Fr lol
—The patterns are going to be insane and the defense is going to be sky-high, how would you even break through
—It's on a whole different level from his 1v1 with Yu Ye-rin lol
—If he actually clears this too, I'll worship Mu-yeong as a god for life lol
Every soul in the gallery was watching Mu-yeong's stream with bated breath.
Could the two of them really take it down?
Could they even land a meaningful hit?
The post count exploded for the first time when Yu Ye-rin landed the opening strike.
[Right, 90% damage reduction—that's actually expected lol]
—If they were the same level it might've done something, but at their current level there's no way lol
—That's just how it is lol
—Saw that just now and I'm convinced—this party absolutely cannot clear it
—Yu Ye-rin used what seemed like a pretty serious technique and it didn't even register? Game over.
—But I didn't think it'd be completely unscathed lol
—Honestly I figured it'd at least leave a scratch lol
Everyone expected the quest to fail.
That was the logical outcome—the obvious one.
"But what in the world is THAT!?"
Yu-baek, who had been reading the gallery intently, let his jaw drop wide open.
A single drop of drool landed on his desk, but he made no move to wipe it up.
No—it seemed he wasn't even aware it had happened.
Yu-baek clicked on the posts coming up in real time.
Click.
[Mu-yeong's caused a scene again lol]
—He just swung his sword a few times and killed a special boss that was 13 levels above him lol
—Come on man, who's gonna believe that?
—Fr, at least make your lie sound plausible
—I'll give it a 3 out of 10.
—Do you think a Special Boss is some kind of joke? It's a Divine Beast that's lived for 200 years
—The cap is off the charts lol
[Did anyone just watch Mu-yeong's stream?]
—I thought it was a lie, but this guy actually killed the boss??
—Wait, what? Why is it real?
—What the hell happened while I was in the bathroom?
—He just split the boss's head clean in half lol
—No way lol
—What in the world is going on here lol
[I could accept Yu Ye-rin, but this boss makes absolutely no sense.]
—I'm not one to normally say stuff like this, but I genuinely think Mu-yeong might be exploiting a bug lol
—If it's a bug, it's a problem—and if it's not, it's still a problem lol
—Don't worry, there's nobody here right now who gets it either lol
—Honestly, it's just inexplicable lol
—Once you give up trying to understand, it's actually peaceful. Just enjoy it lol
The mood began drifting toward a "well, it already happened, so whatever" sort of vibe.
And then, one particular post caught Yu-baek's eye.
[I think I've figured out Mu-yeong's true identity]
"How would they know something even I don't?"
At first he assumed it was just bait, but the recommendation count began climbing rapidly.
On a whim, he clicked in—and found something written that was quite compelling.
.
.
.
.
You guys ever heard of Energy Transference?
It's when a master passes everything they have—their internal energy or their martial arts—on to a disciple.
When you think about it, doesn't it fit Mu-yeong perfectly?
.
.
.
.
"Hmm……"
Yu-baek read through it all and let out a sound of intrigued admiration.
When he thought about it, it wasn't entirely impossible.
In fact, it was even more plausible than the theory about a senior master who had undergone Reversal of Age.
"If that's the case, there must be a past master who operated using the same martial arts. If I dig through the records, perhaps a hint will surface."
Yu-baek scribbled down a note and stood up from his seat right away.
His destination: the records archive located within the Martial Alliance.
He made his way toward the place where several hundred years of martial world history were preserved without exception.
Completely unaware that he was barking up the wrong tree.
.
.
.
.
"Did I not say? You never know until you try."
Mu-yeong said it while brushing off his sleeves—as though it were nothing—and the viewers were at a loss for words.
They still didn't fully understand what had just happened, but they were slowly beginning to accept it.
['NoEmotions' has donated 1,000 Won.]
—Pro tip: when watching Mu-yeong's stream, you need to switch off your brain.
—Fr, you just can't try to understand anything lol
—Don't think. Just accept it lol
—Excuse me? A few sword swings and the boss died?
—I mean, it's not impossible. Drink up lol
—Fr, he just killed some snake
—Is killing a snake really that big a deal lol
['LandlordLife' has donated 500,000 Won.]
—It's a friendship fee. Please don't hit me.
—Cheapskate, trying to buy your own survival
—Hey, gotta do what you gotta do to survive lol
—Honestly, for the price of your life it's not bad lol
—I'm going to go break open my savings account right now lol
The atmosphere seemed to have recovered somewhat from the shock.
They were viewers who gave unconditional support—because it was Mu-yeong, and not anyone else.
Mu-yeong chuckled softly and stepped down from the boss's corpse.
I took it down too quickly, didn't I? I suppose there was no time to even film the hunting scene.
Should he have dragged the fight on longer, pretending to struggle a little?
Ending things too quickly felt like it might bother people.
Trudge.
He was mid-way through a somewhat serious contemplation when he heard footsteps approaching from behind.
It was Yu Ye-rin.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Wow……. But honestly, no matter how many times I see it, you never stop surprising me. I couldn't even leave a scratch, and you just—killed it."
"It wasn't just. I expended quite a lot of internal energy, you know."
"Tch, liar."
Yu Ye-rin pouted.
"I'm serious. As you know, using a technique at full power takes twice the effort, doesn't it? I did that several times, so I'm exhausted too."
"I don't think that's true……. You look way too fine for that……."
She looked Mu-yeong over from head to toe.
Her face was full of curiosity.
And mixed in alongside it—reverence.
"Well, I'm just glad you weren't hurt."
Yu Ye-rin patted the dust off Mu-yeong's clothes.
She looked as though she had more to say, but she never let it leave her lips.
He could roughly guess what it was, but Mu-yeong chose not to bring it up either.
And so, once the dust-patting was done, Yu Ye-rin approached the boss's corpse.
"……."
The snake's head, split in two, and the ground sunken deep beneath it.
She stared at it in silence for a moment, then turned away with a sharp pivot.
And then, as though nothing had ever happened, she smiled brightly and pointed toward the foot of the mountain.
"Shall we head down now?"
"Let's."
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The moment the village chief spotted Mu-yeong's face, he came rushing over.
"You! You're back safe and sound! Did you happen to come across anything up there?"
"There was a snake coiled up with a body ten meters long. I figured it would become a serious danger if left alone, so I dealt with it cleanly."
"Thank you! Thank you so much! Thanks to you, our village is even safer now!"
The village chief broke into a beaming smile.
He grabbed Mu-yeong's hand and shook it vigorously for a moment, then held something out.
"Please accept this. It's a talisman that has been passed down through our family for generations. I'm not sure of its exact use, but we've kept it safely as a symbol of good fortune."
"Are you certain you're alright with giving away something passed down through your family?"
"I've gained a great fortune in the form of you—what does a thing like that matter? Besides, in all my years, I've never once met someone as swift and powerful as you when it comes to getting things done! My instincts are telling me. This item must be passed on to you!"
The village chief all but forced the talisman into his hands.
Mu-yeong's hands glowed white.
At the same moment, a large notification appeared announcing that the quest had been completed.
—Nice
—Absurd lol
—The talisman the village chief gives you. Unstoppable lol
—If it's been passed down through generations, the effect is probably going to be insane
—Fr, I'm curious what it does
"Thank you truly for carrying out this old man's requests all this time. I pray that only good things come your way."
"Thank you."
He exchanged his final farewell with the village chief.
He stepped away a few paces and began thinking about what to do next.
Beginner Village is behind me now…… But going to the next region would be cutting it close on time.
To make matters worse, the wooden sword he had been using broke.
The durability had worn all the way down under attacks that pushed past its limits.
To think that using a technique at full power a handful of times could do this.
He now had a visceral understanding of why it was important to get good equipment.
For today, I'll have to wrap up the stream here.
This was the right place to cut it off, content-wise as well.
Mu-yeong glanced over at Yu Ye-rin to get her thoughts.
"Hmm……."
She was making a serious expression, as if deeply lost in thought.
She was so focused that she didn't even notice Mu-yeong's gaze.
He sent her a Transmitted Voice.
—Yu Ye-rin?
—Eek! Y—yes? Did you call for me?
—I was thinking we should end things around here for today.
—Ah……. That's actually what I was thinking too. It feels like perfect timing.
Yu Ye-rin said it as if she had been waiting for the words.
Is there something else she needs to take care of?
There was a faint sense that she had been a little out of it ever since the boss hunt earlier.
—Good. Then let's each end our streams now, and figure out the next schedule later.
—Yes, let's do that!
Shortly after, Mu-yeong ended his stream and stretched.
His body should have been stiff, but strangely, it was nothing of the sort.
If anything, he felt refreshed, as though all his stress had been swept clean.
"I keep saying—you only feel like you're really moving your body when you channel internal energy."
Mu-yeong repeatedly opened and closed his fist.
The Heavenly Demon Three Swords, used at full power for the first time in a very long while.
The feel of it still hadn't left him.
But it was far from enough to truly satisfy him.
He wanted to keep swinging his sword until he couldn't anymore.
Tonight might be an all-nighter.
His plan for the next login was personal training.
The true face of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art that he had not yet been able to show on stream.
The thought of what results it would yield made his heart pound wildly.
His blood running hot, Mu-yeong immediately checked whether Yu Ye-rin had ended her stream.
If she was still live, sneaking back in wouldn't serve any purpose.
Thankfully, she had been offline for a while.
Relieved, Mu-yeong reconnected to Monster World right away.
Chip Chip
The chirping of grass insects.
When his vision shifted, he found himself inside a village bathed in bright moonlight.
He looked up toward the mountaintop where the battle had taken place.
"That spot would be best. At this hour, nobody should come."
But first—he had to get a wooden sword.
It was a stopgap, but right now it was all he had.
Remembering that Yu Ye-rin had fetched a wooden sword from somewhere in the village, Mu-yeong made his way in that direction.
He grabbed a good number of them, then immediately began running toward the mountain summit.
About ten minutes passed.
Just as he reached his destination, a strange sound began reaching his ears.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Who is that? There shouldn't be anyone here at this hour.
He immediately suppressed his presence and moved toward the source of the sound.
He crouched low, carefully parting the undergrowth.
Peering through the gap, he was able to see the culprit.
"Ha! Hut! Haaaap!"
A woman swinging her sword with dazzling, dance-like movements.
Her crimson martial robe and jet-black hair billowed with every motion,
and each time they did, her silver hairpin glinted in the moonlight.
After completing a sequence of movements, she wiped the sweat from her brow.
"It's not working……. Not like this……."
The woman drew in a ragged breath and began repeating the sequence from the very beginning.
Mu-yeong watched her, forgetting even to look away.
Under normal circumstances it would have been forbidden—but he couldn't help it.
For the one before him was none other than the streamer he had just been gaming with.
Yu Ye-rin.