A Swordsman’s Stream

Chapter 6

“I am Joseon’s Assassin” had been a die-hard fan of the “Assassin’s Dawn” series since the PC era.

He had invested thousands of hours into previous titles, even those criticized for not capturing the fun of virtual reality, showing his genuine dedication to the series.

Moreover, virtual reality resonated well with him. Simply put, he had a certain talent for it.

Although he couldn’t soar like the pros, when it came to “Assassin’s Dawn”, there weren’t many who could outperform him.

He was a renowned figure in the “Assassin’s Dawn” community, known for uploading numerous advanced gameplay videos, and also a beta tester for this installment, “Shadows in the City”.

『”We intend to focus on stealth and assassination. Want to mow down enemies? Try if you can.”』

The developers had announced these guiding principles before releasing the game.

He had rejoiced upon hearing this.

He was genuinely passionate about rampaging gameplay to the extent that he liked the phrase, “If there are no witnesses, it’s an assassination!”

Yet, would they increase the difficulty?

To a skilled player like him, it became a new challenge. He appreciated that it wouldn’t be easy for just anyone.

However, that anticipation was shattered during the beta test.

The reason was the difficulty.

It had increased too much.

The combat skills related to melee fights continued from the previous titles, but the enemies’ HP and numbers had skyrocketed.

To tackle this, one had to use the new parrying damage boost system introduced in this installment, but even the parrying difficulty had soared.

Even for him, with his seasoned and semi-professional skills, he would fail occasionally. And in-game, even one failure could be costly.

On top of that, despite claiming to focus on assassination, the insane difficulty of the boss fights, as if they were heavily invested in, left him frustrated.

During the beta test period, he had to enjoy primarily assassination gameplay instead of rampaging.

Still, he was somewhat satisfied.

After all, the game, praised for offering insane freedom in assassination methods akin to the “Breath of the City,” was deemed a masterpiece that opened a new horizon for assassination games.

But when the beta testing ended and the official release went live, the “I am Joseon’s Assassin” felt something was missing.

True assassination to him meant rampaging play.

So he began watching streams. He had played enough, and he would continue playing in the future anyway.

But.

『”Guys, you can assassinate by collapsing buildings. Insane.”』

Here.

『”The target really sits on a bench every morning reading a newspaper. The assassination will succeed once that box explodes. This insane masterpiece.”』

There.

『”It’s been 3 hours hiding in the shadows. Still getting stepped on by people on the streets. When will he come?”』

– Hahahaha, why are you doing this, gather intel. Please, brother.
– Because that’s an assassination.
– Why on earth am I watching this for 3 hours????

No matter where he looked.

There was no rampaging play to be seen.

Thus, he couldn’t enjoy it.

During a time where every “Assassin’s Dawn” fan was laughing, chatting, and causing commotion together!

Just as he was losing interest and about to log off, a recommended stream popped up.

He thought it typical small-time as usual, but the title caught his eye.

『”First time streaming, first time virtual reality game with Breath. Any tips?”』

A newbie starting virtual reality with “Assassin’s Dawn”? Legal backseat gaming?

He couldn’t resist.

He clicked and entered the screen, and what immediately greeted him was the perfect parry against the guard in the tutorial.

‘Was it a coincidence?’

Despite knowing better than anyone that parrying couldn’t be by chance, he thought so.

However, the streamer proceeded to handle the guard and parried 4 out of 5 soldiers.

“Yes, this is assassination!”

The “I am Joseon’s Assassin” cheered and educated the mocking viewers.

Of course, he was soon blocked.

A while later, a remark came from the stream.

『”Guys, I’ll show you 13 consecutive parries.”』

“13 consecutive parries? Just surviving there is amazing in itself…”

The “I am Joseon’s Assassin” swallowed with anticipation and stared at the screen.

With this new installment, one-versus-many battles had become especially difficult.

The reason was synergy.

Whether the developers meticulously intended to force assassination play was unclear, but in this installment, if enemies grouped up, they moved efficiently.

Once they formed their positions, it was nearly impossible to find a gap in their movements.

Yet the streamer allowed them time to position. This was presumable as the naivety of a novice.

But why did it feel like he would win?

He switched the viewpoint from first-person to third-person and fixed it.

To watch the play of someone seemingly about to show something.

『”Kill the intruder!”』
『”There’s only one enemy! Do not fear!”』

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of metal armors moving, and the soldiers surrounding the streamer sequentially rushed him.

Only then did the streamer start to move.

And the cane drawing a half-circle.

Clang!

Clang!

The “I am Joseon’s Assassin” widened his eyes.

‘How on earth did he parry at such angles? Checking his ID creation date, he isn’t even a beta tester.’

“This can’t be happening.”

He had simply swung his cane widely, yet he had simultaneously deflected the sword attacking from behind and the sword flying in from the side.

It seemed that in that brief moment, he had understood that with a parry judgement, he could move smoothly without the impact of the reactive force!

The host easily downed the two and then leaned his upper body backward, ducking and narrowly avoiding the sword like walking a tightrope.

And then again.

Clang! Clang!

He swung widely and downed two people at once.

‘How on earth can he see attacks coming from behind? Is this a hack?’

The 13-on-1 quickly turned into a 9-on-1, then 8-on-1, and then 6-on-1.
-Wow, does he really have eyes on the back of his head?

-Maybe the host is a pro?

-Even a pro couldn’t do that!
-When you delete an account, it takes four years to create a new one. Who would endure that? Once you try virtual reality, you can’t quit, lol. He must be a newbie.

Even a 30,000-piece puzzle gets completed one piece at a time starting from the edges.

The host gradually avoided what he could and deflected what he could, reducing the number of enemies.

‘Easy to say…’

Anyone who could survive in that kind of situation for more than a minute could easily consider making it their main job, thought the assassin from Joseon.

But the host went a step further by finishing the job with a hit to the head of the groggy opponents.

The host would avoid enemy links and suddenly appear beside a fallen enemy.

Smoothly, as if unintentional. But it was obviously a deliberate play.
-How far ahead are you seeing! The greatest assassin ever!!!!!

He excitedly typed in the chat.

* * *

Sojun checked the chat window after killing the last fallen soldier.
-The hope of mosou! The hope of mosou! The hope of mosou! The hope of mosou! The hope of mosou!
-Wow

-Wow

-Do I deserve to see something like this with my humble cornea?

-Is the host using a hack?

“So surprised over something like this?”

-????

-Then what should we be surprised by, for real?

-Do you ever get surprised?

“You just avoid what you should avoid and deflect what you should deflect.”

-No way, we know that, LOL

-This is assassination! This is assassination! This is assassination! This is assassination!
-This host is teasing us pretty hard.

“You say I’m teasing? So are you not going to watch?”

-No, LOL

-LOL

-I already followed you

Oh.

Sojun was startled when he checked the follower list. All six current viewers had followed him.

It was only six, but in terms of percentage, it was 100%.

The small number made it possible, but it was not a bad start.

“Now, shall we go catch Etor?”

-Something… Something feels like it’s going to get caught.
-For real, LOL

Sojun headed to where Etor was.

The large mansion was full of chandeliers and various fancy furniture.

Going up to the second floor, Sojun opened the bedroom door in the center, and saw something silver.

His pupils expanded for a moment, and he instantly lunged to the side.

Crash!

Etor, who was fully prepared, had been waiting for Sojun to open the door and swung a flail down.

The iron ball at the end of the flail shattered half the door and the floor.
-He dodged that, LOL

-I noticed it when he banned before, but his reaction speed is insane.
-Others usually die at least once here.

However, Sojun instantly rushed in and sliced Etor’s neck with his cane.

Etor’s HP barely decreased.

“Hey guys, can you parry a flail?”

-Nope, trying to take down the boss in one hit.
-Where’s your conscience?

-If it were possible, someone would have cleared the tutorial somehow.
-The developers have common sense. How can you deflect a flail with a cane, lol.

“Haha! Dodging like a rat, are you? Let me show you the taste of my flail!”

The flail’s spiked head, connected to the handle by a rope or chain, was colloquially known as a flail in Korea.

Etor swung his flail recklessly.

Crash!

Bam!

Sojun stepped back, and the flail smashed the innocent railing and walls.
-Goat, if you don’t kill Etor within 5 minutes, reinforcements from the Organization will arrive, and you will instantly fail.

Sojun read the chat and contemplated the damage from earlier. He soon concluded that it was impossible to capture him within 5 minutes.

But he didn’t give up.

After all, there had to be a way unless the game was designed to be unbeatable.

As he considered drawing the sword hidden in his cane and aiming for the enemy’s eyes, more chats appeared.
-Hitting the same spot increases damage. The community thinks you can do it, goat!

What does that “goat” even mean?

“Well, anyway, thanks for the info, I am Joseon’s Assassin.”

Damage increase rate?

Let’s check it out.

The opponent’s weapon actually provided a clue for closing the distance.

If the opponent used their HP advantage in battle, closing the distance could be akin to walking into the lion’s den, but this game didn’t include such unrealistic battle actions.

It meant the soldiers’ movements were as if a single hit could kill them, rather than trading blows because of having high HP.

Just as expected.

Etor seemed flustered.

Sure, even if he took a hit to the eye from the cane, he wouldn’t die, but he couldn’t apply that knowledge effectively.

A human would have utilized it.

Sojun slashed Etor’s neck as he tried to retrieve his flail stuck in the ground.

Then he grabbed the handle of the flail along with Etor and slashed at his neck again.

The tug-of-war began.

The dangerous part of the flail was the spiked head.

However, if both held the handle, the head part wouldn’t be able to deliver effective force, rendering it useless.
-He grabbed it?

-Damn, that was quick.

But he needed to at least match Etor’s strength.

Sojun felt the game had set his strength lower than Etor’s.

So he immediately slashed Etor’s neck again.

He felt the strength drain from Etor every time he recoiled.

“Get your filthy hands off my weapon, assassin’s dog!”

Etor attempted to kick Sojun off, but Sojun blocked it with his cane before the kick landed.

Etor then punched with his hand that wasn’t holding the flail; Sojun smoothly dodged by tilting his head.

Swish.

Once again, the cane slashed Etor’s neck.

The HP bar was markedly reduced.

“Just a bit more.”

-Wow, lol
-Sorry, etor, lol
-Can anyone really do that?

* * *

Meanwhile, the I am Joseon’s Assassin, who had been watching the epic livestream in third person, kept murmuring praises.

“Dispersing Etor’s strength, avoiding all attempts to shake him off, not getting hit even once while slashing his neck dozens of times. This is insane! Truly Goat!”

The more astonishing fact was he hadn’t even drawn the sword inside the cane.

Other streamers had failed even after using the cane, the hidden blade in the gauntlet, and the wire. Yet, the host handled Etor with just the one cane.

Even though the cane had a blade, its damage was only one-half of the hidden blade and one-third compared to the embedded sword.

『It’s over.』

Although Etor still had one-fifth of his HP left, the confident voice echoed through the speakers.

Since the damage increased exponentially, the host might have calculated that the next strike could be fatal.

Such a skill level made calculating damage seem trivial…

『Guess not, one more hit.』

Or maybe not. A hint of clumsiness was detected in his voice.

『Ahem.』

Finally, the HP dropped completely, and a cutscene played.

『Hypocritical Assassin’s dog! I won’t go down alone!』
『Tutorial Quest – Assassination Mission』
『Success』

-Is this the Perfect Clear?

-Lol witnessing the Perfect Clear on a random small stream!
-We’re witnessing history.

I am Joseon’s Assassin, just as surprised as the chat, briefly joined in before opening an internet browser.

The destination was Assassin’s Dawn community.

He began to write a post with the recorded video of the stream.

The title was set as follows.

『A Newbie’s First Stream who Parried 13-on-1 in the Tutorial, handled Mobs, and Achieved the World’s first Perfect Clear of Etor (Not Fake, seriously)』