Knight's Duel (2)
Lee Gyeongbok scanned the assailants.
'Normally, I'd just let this slide, but...'
From a strear's perspective, stream snipers are certainly an annoyance, but looked at differently, they can also be an opportunity for new broadcast content.
However, this situation was different.
'They've gone too far.'
This wasn't an online ga—it was a story-driven single-player ga, and a notice had been given in advance that this was a broadcast event, with the comntators explaining things at the very start.
Even though it had all been made clear, they still ca to stream snipe. That ant these people were the worst of the worst.
'Better nip this in the bud.'
Eradicate to the root.
Lee Gyeongbok had prepared this scene specifically to deal with the stream snipers so they wouldn't interfere with future playthroughs.
"Push them!"
"Our stats are higher anyway!"
"Kill him!"
The snipers, montarily flustered, charged in with vicious shouts.
"Oh! The brawl has started! Whether in numbers or stats, it's looking grim for him! How will he get through this, I wonder?!"
Geno did not forget his role. As he said, unlike in a duel, there were no stat adjustnts in a surprise attack, so the snipers' stats were clearly superior.
But that did not guarantee their victory.
"This is nothing—I don't even need to focus."
Lee Gyeongbok let out a small laugh.
Before a single question mark could fill the chat window, he activated his sorcery. As he moved his hand—
"Uwaah!"
"Gah!"
"W-what?!"
"What are you doing?!"
The snipers all shouted out at once. Their appearances were a ss, to say the least.
So tripped and rolled across the ground, so suddenly grabbed their throats and staggered backwards, and others abruptly swung their weapons at the teammates beside them.
"Oh, what is happening! Don't these stream snipers practice these days? They look like a bunch of complete amateurs!"
Geno shouted in excitent. Having suffered from stream snipers during his own broadcasts, he was genuinely enjoying the spectacle.
—Seriously lol what are they doing lol
—This is killing lololol
—I thought they were stream snipers, but they turned out to be clowns
—Is this that flash mob thing?
—Oh lol they ca to put on a celebration show for the duel
The viewers did not bother hiding their ridicule. But the snipers hadn't just brought lee weapons.
"You idiots! What are you doing?! Shoot!"
Sharp ice shards were launched, and crossbows were fired, projectiles whistling through the air toward Lee Gyeongbok.
But that alone was nowhere near enough to make him take even a step back. A crimson afterimage shot from his hand, intercepting every projectile in an instant.
"Oh! Sorcery—he's intercepted everything with the witch's sorcery! But how is he controlling all of that at the sa ti?! Viewers! Now's the ti for Kemalcon, kemalcon timing!"
Geno hastily explained. As if in response, the chat window reacted.
—(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)
—What? Why is the number of spells increasing?
—Stats boost increased it!
—Six controlled at once, for real?
—Not quad-core, he's hexacore lololol
—Wow haha and he controls all those in real ti?
—Is this how fast he adapts?!
The number of tendrils increased thanks to the stat boost from the duel, but what was even more amazing was that each seed to move independently, as if possessing its own will.
"What the...?"
"This can't be..."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled brightly at the dumbfounded snipers.
"Guys, I'm banning you permanently."
At that, Shin Hyerim darted forward.
"Purple's counterattack has begun!"
"Wow! What is this? The stream snipers are being wiped out in a flash! It's like a crimson storm—as the sorcery's na suggests, a 'typhoon' is raging!"
The sword wielded by Lee Gyeongbok and six crimson afterimages began ravaging the snipers.
Desperately, the stream snipers tried to switch to a defensive posture, but couldn't last long.
—Here it cos! The killer smile!
—A 'murder (intentions) smile'—what's that!
—Insane;; he's fighting a lee while controlling sorcery?
—Not hexacore, he's octacore, damn
—Oh lol, banning stream snipers is the rule!
—Hey, what are you doing stuffing us with appetizers before the main course!
—How could anyone beat Eclipse?
Surprised by the chat window's reaction, Shin Hyerim quickly turned her gaze.
"Oh! What's going on with Eclipse?!"
Lee Gyeongbok's fight had been so dazzling that all attention was drawn to him, and they had missed what was happening on the other side.
Fortunately, the comntators didn't have to worry about which side to focus on, since Lee Gyeongbok had already removed the snipers from the field.
He finished up his sword and sorcery and turned his eyes.
"Oh..."
Checking the Eclipse side, Lee Gyeongbok let slip a small exclamation.
"Gwaaaah...!"
"You maniac!"
Most of the snipers had targeted Lee Gyeongbok, but a significant number had gone after Eclipse as well.
However, all around him, six bodies were already on the ground, and Eclipse was fighting four people at once.
"Oh! Amazing! Eclipse! He's overwhelming multiple enemies with just his sword skills!"
Just as Geno explained, Eclipse was not using any spells. He perfectly parried the snipers' attacks.
And, astonishingly—
"Did you all see that just now? Just now?!"
"Huh? Why?"
"There was no system parry registration, but he still deflected their attacks! He created an opening with pure swordplay!"
Eclipse cut down his opponents not by relying on the system, but with his own skills. Accumulated experience, honed instincts, and all the swordsmanship he had built up had not betrayed him.
—Wow... incredible, absolutely incredible
—This is what a knight is!
—Haha look at how the snipers' weapons are being dragged around
—Godple is flashy and cheerful, but Eclipse's got that weighty style
—No one can survive getting ganged up on like that lol
The viewers, too, could not hide their amazent. On Eclipse's side as well, the defeat of the stream snipers was imminent.
"Just as I say that, another loser—no, another assailant—has fallen!"
—Loser hahahaha
—Why are you showing your true feelings!
—Bro!? This is a broadcast!
—He's just giving accurate comntary, what's the problem?
—Loser, screenshot-worthy, wow
Geno's sneers and the already-determined outco left the remaining snipers with only one choice.
"Screw this..."
"This is total bullshit."
"This ga sucks."
They spat curses as they disappeared. Since you're not allowed to quit during a raid, how was this possible?
"Oh! Forced quit! They're running away with their pants down! Is this the Epic-Run-Away ending?!"
—Forced quit lolol nuts
—LOL epic fail runaway
—Peak of the loser hierarchy!
—Haha this brings everything full circle
—You're already exposed~
—Leaving high praise on their way out lol
As the enemies vanished, Eclipse returned his sword to its sheath with disciplined precision. His posture did not falter even to the end.
"Pathetic—less than the dead."
His short remark filled the chat window with laughter. With the situation wrapped up, Shin Hyerim let out a sigh of relief.
Had either of the two looked bad, it could have beco a broadcast disaster.
But, as it turned out, that was nothing but needless worry.
Now it was her turn to step up.
"Alright! There was a brief disturbance ahead of the duel."
As she raised her voice, all attention converged. Shin Hyerim cleared her throat and spoke with clear enunciation.
"To the unwanted guests who caused this ruckus, you probably thought there'd be no problem since we had the raid function enabled on our end."
"Judging by what you're saying, that must have been a miscalculation, right?"
"That's correct. Even though Purple, Eclipse, and all of us at taGar clearly disclosed that this was a broadcast event in advance, you crashed the event mid-way, obviously trying to disrupt it. Our legal team will be considering a response."
Geno smiled brightly.
That ant taGar had no intention of overlooking the chaos.
"Oh, this could constitute interference with business. Just like how walking into an open door without permission is still trespassing."
—That analogy is perfect lol
—Malicious types deserve lessons in finance; that's the rule
—Appetizer, plus a soda service, amazing lol
—???: Officer, you see... there's a raid function... it's not my fault... huh? A red line on my record?
—???: Uh, mom? Why'd you suddenly call? Do you have any money? I, uh, got, got sued... No, don't cry...
—I can see the losers' futures lol
—As long as it's not !
The viewers could not hide their satisfaction. Shin Hyerim and Geno exchanged glances.
"Great! Now, let's get back to the main event."
"Purple, Eclipse, can you continue the duel? Or would you like a short break?"
With the questions now turned to Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse, the focus shifted again to the two protagonists.
"No problem! I'd like to start right away, if Purple Sir is ready!"
Eclipse's spirit was evident. Lee Gyeongbok shrugged with a light smile.
"This is awkward."
The comntators' eyes widened at his words, and even Eclipse flinched and turned his gaze.
"The stream snipers' level was so low, I feel like my warm-up was cut short."
—Haha, constantly bullying the losers to the end
—Ruthless! Ruthless!
—Didn't he handle like 15 on his own?
—Oh, so that wasn't even a warm-up for him
—He's right though lol
—For real, he wiped them out instantly!
Lee Gyeongbok's playful comnt filled the chat window with laughter. Shin Hyerim also smiled brightly as she continued her comntary.
"That's a relief! Alright, to make things even more fun for the viewers, we'll start point betting now!"
[Who will be the winner of the duel?]
[1. Purple] [2. Eclipse]
[You have 1:00 to submit your choice.]
A voting panel appeared at the bottom of the chat window. One minute was given for voting.
—Oh, betting!
—This one's definitely Purple lol
—All in for Godple and all our shared mories!
—This is a no-brainer lol
—Let the points duplicate!
—Eclipse was pretty aweso though?
—This is a tough call actually...
—Watching that swordplay is making waver lol
—Maybe I'll go for the upset?
As the chat window overflowed, the voting began in an instant.
"Oh, this was supposed to happen after the duel started, but it's happening early?"
"Yeah, yeah! Since they both showed such skill in the brawl! Let's see if the viewers' predictions are right...!"
Both Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse glanced at the results, curiosity on their faces.
The clock counted down, and then the results appeared.
[1. Purple – 62%]
[2. Eclipse – 38%]
More than half of the viewers predicted Lee Gyeongbok's victory. His flashy battle in the brawl had made a strong impression.
—Wow, the underdog got over 30 percent?
—Thanks for all the precious mories ^^
—77,000 points, so sweet
—Anyone betting underdog must be big Eclipse fans lol
—If you watch Godple fight, the answer's obvious
—This is actually much closer now—used to be almost 50:50 in Elsota
—All the regulars are hyped lol
—Eclipse's swordsmanship is aweso
—I just want the romance to win lol
—The calm before the storm... The result will tell all
Before the chat could get too heated, geno stepped forward quickly.
"Alright! No need to wait any longer! Both sides, please move to your designated positions!"
"Purple versus Eclipse! Eclipse versus Purple! Who will be the victor?!"
Lee Gyeongbok and Eclipse nodded at each other and stepped back into the golden circle.
As soon as both had a foot in the circle—
"All right, the duel has begun!"
"Who will strike first?!"
Eclipse moved first.
Sparks leapt from his hand and a spear of brilliant yellow lightning ford in his grasp. Eclipse charged and hurled the spear.
"Oh! It's Hand of Judgnt! Hand of Judgnt!"
"Hand of what?!"
Geno imdiately recognized the spell—a spell used by characters with cleric backgrounds, 'Hand of Judgnt.'
But rather than its na, it was its function that mattered.
"It's not that strong, but the fastest spell! Did he only use swordplay in the earlier brawl to hide this trick!? Normally, it'd be a certain hit, but will it work on Purple?!"
True to the description, the lightning spear closed the distance fast. But Eclipse expected that Purple would dodge any such spell.
'I'll aim for what he does after dodging!'
The lightning spear was just a bait to prompt a reaction. Eclipse focused, watching for Lee Gyeongbok's move.
'... He's not dodging?'
Yet, Lee Gyeongbok didn't budge from his spot. Was he really planning to just take the hit?
No, that wasn't it.
He simply raised his hand lightly.
With a crackling sound, the lightning spear dissipated in midair.
"Oh! Sorcery! He neutralized it with a spell!"
"Sorcery?!"
"Yes! Just like he intercepted the projectiles in the brawl, he sliced through the Hand of Judgnt! That is seriously—no, incredibly impressive!"
"Isn't it the sa as what he showed during the brawl?"
"It's different! The Hand of Judgnt might look big, but that's just the flashy effects! The real hitbox is a point, as small as the tip of the spear—so he neutralized exactly that!"
Geno couldn't contain his excitent. The viewers also voiced their amazent.
—Dude, the Hand of Judgnt hitbox is like the size of a dot
—and he deliberately aid for that?
—(PerStamp emote)
—He just did it perfectly!
While everyone was admiring, Eclipse quickly rolled away as soon as the lightning spear was gone. The spot where he'd just stood exploded with a crack.
"Oh, good instincts. That's the difference a hardcore gar brings."
Lee Gyeongbok widened his eyes with a smile. Eclipse's delight was unmistakable.
"Truly, you are a worthy challenger!"
His fighting spirit burned even brighter.
Lee Gyeongbok liked that about him.
He imdiately charged, unleashing his whip as he moved his hand and following up with a sword strike, intending to bind Eclipse and land a finishing blow.
But Eclipse quickly dove aside to evade.
"Ah! Was it because he was wary of the sorcery?! He rolled first!"
"Definitely nacing!"
—I'd roll too, honestly lol
—For real lol, you never know where it'll co from
—Invincibility fras are hope itself
Lee Gyeongbok's assessnt differed a bit from the comntators and viewers.
'He rolled backward, not to the sides—that can't be by accident.'
He had already anticipated Eclipse's movent, cracking the whip in that direction—but Eclipse had flung himself toward a safe spot.
"So you can see it, can you?"
Lee Gyeongbok asked directly. Eclipse straightened his posture and responded.
"Of course. I anticipated this duel and practiced intensively."
"Practice?"
"My retainers would not know— I manipulated magic to make a transparent soul whip, just for this."
Eclipse had studied every spell Lee Gyeongbok had learned and considered how to counter them. For that, he created an invisible version of a similar spell, 'Soul Whip,' and trained against it.
"Oh! Sir Eclipse! Did you go as far as creating an invisible whip to practice against this?! That's so serious dedication!"
"Incredible!"
—Wow lol he actually trained for this?
—Wait, was that why he took yesterday off?
—Truly a striver, whoa
—That level of obsession is wild
—This man is dead serious about the duel haha
Both comntators and viewers were stunned. Lee Gyeongbok responded with a chuckle.
"Then there's no need for to hide anything either."
With that, the whips around him flared crimson. If Eclipse could read the direction, it was better to increase their power.
Lee Gyeongbok charged at Eclipse again.
"Ugh...!"
Eclipse hurled another lightning spear, but it was neutralized by a red afterimage. Then, five flaming whips shot at him again.
"Oh! The pressure is intense! Each whip is moving independently! It's like a five-on-one situation! And all five are Purple!"
Geno rapid-fired his comntary. The point was, there was not even a sliver of an opening.
'An opportunity will co...!'
Eclipse rolled away to look for another opening, regaining his stance.
And then—
One of the fiery whips, which should've been dodged, was approaching right in front of his eyes.
—Wait what?
—Aren't there six whips?
—He cut one, dodged five just now, right?
—Whoa lol is it...?
As the chat window filled with question marks, geno answered.
"Whoa! There is one more tendril! Purple had another hidden move!"
"Did he perhaps show all his sorcery during the brawl to make them underestimate him?!"
The stat boost allowed him to control not six, but seven tendrils. Lee Gyeongbok had no intention of revealing all his cards before the duel.
"If it's the Purple I know, that's right! The best trick is to hide the truth within plain sight! Perfect catch—will he land it?!"
Since dodging gives you a brief window of invulnerability, but then leaves you montarily sluggish, the 'catch' refers to an attack precisely aid at that opening.
The crimson whip struck just as Eclipse's invincibility ended.
"Ah!"
"What's that?!"
A flash of light exploded from Eclipse's body. The dazzling brightness made Lee Gyeongbok squint his glabella.
"Radiance—it's a Blessing of Radiance! It emits a shockwave around the caster! The ultimate survival spell—this is his second hidden spell!"
Eclipse wasn't soone to go down easily. Just as Lee Gyeongbok had two types of sorcery, Eclipse had prepared two spells as well.
"Did Purple's spell get neutralized?"
"That's right! Astounding! The shockwave only lasts a split second, so timing is everything!"
—Is this a real duel? What on earth have I been watching until now?
—See, this is a totally different level!
—Their skill really shows
—Both sides prepped all their counters, huh
—Is this really the level of a hardcore gar duel? My heart is pounding...
—Six hours of play ti (hardcore level)
Both the comntators' booth and chat window buzzed with awe. Lee Gyeongbok fixed Eclipse with a stern look.
Was he nervous?
No, not at all.
'This duel could drag on and get boring if it turns into just countering spells...'
Lee Gyeongbok thought about the broadcast.
If both he and Eclipse had counters for each other's spells, the exchange could beco aningless and drag out.
'Let's see how this goes.'
Quickly, Lee Gyeongbok widened the distance and raised a hand.
"Oh! Purple is raising his hand! What's happening?!"
"Is there a problem?"
Eclipse paused as he was getting ready for another round. All eyes turned to Lee Gyeongbok.
"First, let apologize."
At the word 'apology,' everyone looked puzzled. What apology, all of a sudden?
"I considered this duel to be a light-hearted event. But seeing the effort Eclipse has shown, I realize my attitude was too lax."
As he spoke, Lee Gyeongbok dispelled his sorcery.
"A honorable duel is one where both sides show their very best. If you would permit , could I have the chance to witness your renowned swordsmanship up close?"
A mont of silence followed that question.
"Oh, right now..."
"I think he's proposing that they do the duel with only swordsmanship, not spells."
The comntators filled in the silence.
—Holy?
—Wait;;; swordfight only against Eclipse?
—Even for Godple, isn't that risky;;;
—Seeing the way he handled the snipers earlier—he's nuts, wow
—Are the favorite voters awake?
—He's giving the underdog a chance?
The chat window was full of worried reactions.
At that very mont—
*Clang! Clang! Clang!* rang out, the tallic sound of Eclipse clapping with his gauntleted hands.
"That is splendid! An admirable proposal!"
He let out a hearty laugh.
"I have fought many duels over the years, and until now, everyone I faced thought only of victory by any ans. But today, I have t soone who truly knows honor."
"Oh, the atmosphere is turning a bit unusual now."
Geno lowered his voice thoughtfully, observing the mood.
"Magic, sorcery, and other powers are sources of strength in this world, but true chivalry ans self-discipline. I have long lanted a world that relies more on strength than self-restraint."
Eclipse once again raised his sword and gave a salute.
"But now! I am grateful to have a chance to show true knightly spirit! I wholeheartedly accept your proposal, sir Purple!"
"I look forward to your teaching."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled and mirrored Eclipse. A swordsmanship-only duel with Eclipse would be anything but boring.
And one thing more—
'I need to test it out.'
Lee Gyeongbok rembered sothing he wanted to try.
Just as he had unconsciously learned to use a greatsword in fighting the Gravekeeper—a knight—there was one explanation that ca to mind.
It was the information-gathering capability of his sixth sense.
'I bet I can learn again this ti.'
It might just be a chance to directly acquire the experience that Eclipse had built up over twelve years.
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