Chapter 30: Master-Level Newbie (Part 1)

The ninth placement match just ended.

“Phew.”

Fortunately, I was able to end this match with a victory as well.

Now all that’s left is the last match.

‘If I win this match….’

I could finish the placement matches with 10 wins and 0 losses.

10 wins, 10 victories, 0 losses!

A complete victory, an overwhelming result.

‘…With a perfect record, I should be fine.’

With this kind of record, I should be placed in a tier above Platinum.

No, I must be.

If I end up in Gold after this, it would be incredibly unfair.

‘Then I’ll protest.’

Actually, if I really think about it, the games weren’t particularly difficult during these 9 matches.

The opponents weren’t ridiculously strong, and my allies weren’t that bad either.

“Although people got better as I went on….”

In the first two or three matches, the enemies couldn’t even react properly to my sword.

They were practically scarecrows.

Then the opposing team started to react to my thrusts by twisting their bodies or occasionally dodging, and finally, an enemy even appeared who could deflect my sword.

It seems that as the number of wins increased, the level of the users gradually increased.

I saw on the internet that as the number of placement match wins increases, the rating rises, and you get to play games with higher-tier users.

“Then are the people I faced around Platinum?”

If that’s the case, then the level of high-tier users might be higher than I thought.

If Platinum players can deflect my sword, then there must be players of a similar level to me even in Master, which is two tiers above.

Above that, in Grandmaster or Ranked, there would be a lot of strong players that I couldn’t handle.

The thought made the corners of my mouth rise.

‘That would be fun.’

To be able to clash swords with a stronger opponent than me.

And not just a simple friendly sparring match, but a life-or-death battle where we fight with all our might.

This is something I haven’t experienced many times even in ‘that world’.

‘Actually, I couldn’t even enjoy it.’

Not many people want to die.

That’s true for me as well.

Therefore, life-or-death battles where you can taste the opponent’s true swordsmanship don’t happen often.

Because the end result would be one of them dying.

That’s why this game environment, where I don’t have to worry about losing my life, is good.

‘Because I can fight with all my might without worrying about my life.’

Me and my opponent, too.

The thought made my heart pound.

The competitive spirit rising from the depths of my heart made my blood boil.

What will the swordsmanship of the top-tier users be like?

What are their fighting styles?

I licked my lips slightly and smiled.

Indeed, this game is.

‘A really fun game.’

I entered the waiting room with that smile.

Then, crystal steles that sparkled purple or red greeted me.
I glanced over my teammates.

And suddenly, I felt puzzled.

‘Why do I keep seeing the same people?’

Is the matching system broken?

“Hyung, I don’t think that’s a rating bug….”

Lim Seonjae, a trainee of Ilsung Royals, said cautiously, looking at the woman choosing a two-handed sword.

“If it were a rating bug, there’s no way we’d meet them three matches in a row.”

At that, Park Giseong, a sub-dealer of Ilsung Royals who was duoing with Lim Seonjae, muttered with a grimace.

“Ah, this is driving me crazy. Where did such a monstrous human being pop out from?”

Lim Seonjae and Park Giseong had just met that black-haired woman in the game twice in a row.

Once as allies, once as enemies.

Therefore, the two were keenly aware of the woman’s skills.

‘Unbelievable skill. They’re definitely not someone who resides in Master. Whose alt account is this?’

‘Ah, f*ck. I was planning to reach Grandmaster before the season started. What am I supposed to do when that kind of monster is running around… I guess it’s fortunate that we met them as allies this time.’

Truly a truck.

It’s clearly the Master top-Grandmaster bottom section, so how can they overwhelm other users with their skill difference here?

Just how great are their skills?

Lim Seonjae, who had been looking at the black-haired woman with a sullen face for a while, carefully asked Park Giseong.

“Hyung, could that be… Sangcheol hyung’s alt account?”

Choi Sangcheol.

The name of the current individual ranking number 1 and the main dealer of TC NPA, the winning team of the previous season’s Arfell Cup.

The man who boasts the most outstanding skills among Korean longsword users and is jokingly called Joseon’s Best Swordsman.

It was to the point where such a person suddenly came to mind, that the black-haired woman was showing an overwhelming performance.

Park Giseong frowned at that.

“…Hey, have you ever seen Sangcheol hyung use a female avatar? That hyung doesn’t even customize his main account and uses his own face as it is. Not even in tournaments.”

“Then who is that?”

“I don’t know….”

Maybe a user from overseas, especially China.

That’s what Park Giseong was guessing.

A female avatar with amazing beauty with long black hair, and the fact that they mainly use a two-handed sword and don’t really say anything in the waiting room, etc.

No matter how you look at it, there are only factors that make it unlikely that they are a Korean user.

‘Ah, what the hell is it?’

But was there a user in China who showed such performance with a two-handed sword?

No matter how much Park Giseong racked his brain, no such user came to mind.

It only made his head hurt.

“Ah, I don’t know. Anyway, since it’s incomprehensible, let’s just be satisfied with winning this match. If the score goes up, well, that’s good.”

“U, uh. Yeah. Still, if that person is there, we’ll win.”

Lim Seonjae and Park Giseong looked at the black-haired woman, that is, Sung Shihyun, with subtle faces and comforted themselves.

“Ah, and hyung. I’ll only play up to this match today. I haven’t had dinner yet….”

“Huh? Ah, uh. Yeah. I’m also planning to stop here today. I’m a little tired, today.”

And then they decided to stop playing the game for today.

Of course, they had their reasons.

Because they had to eat, because they were tired, etc.

But neither of them spoke their inner thoughts.

Even so, as professional players, it would be a little too embarrassing to say that they were running away scared of a user they didn’t even know.

“Then, Ning-bye!”

[Ning-bye~~~~~]
[Ning-bye Ning-bye~~]
[Bye bye bye bye]

Leaving the viewers’ greetings behind, Kim Ji-eun ended the stream.

Only then did the tension that had been tightly gripping her body release.

“Haa. I’m so tired.”

Is it because I played games all day today?

Or is it because I concentrated too much on making the promotion series?

I don’t know, but I was a little more tired than usual.

Kim Ji-eun turned off the VR device as it was.

A subtle sensation passed by, and soon the lid of the device opened.

Kim Ji-eun got up from her seat, dragged her body soaked in sweat, and slumped down on the chair.

“Hoo-ah. So tired, so tired.”

Kim Ji-eun, who was muttering that, was giggling.

Because there was a reward for her hard work today.

‘Making the Diamond promotion series in just one day!’

It was truly an amazing feat!

Normally, I would have to roll around like a dog for days and suffer terribly to even get close to the promotion series.

But, whether her fortune was quite good today, she ran a winning streak all the way to the promotion series in one go!

‘How long has it been since I had such a winning streak!’

The sword felt perfect in her hand today, and she met only good people as allies.

Only the maps that Kim Ji-eun was confident in were selected.

It’s enough to designate today as a lucky day!

“Hehehehe.”

Is it because I recently donated to the Red Cross?

Indeed, people are rewarded for doing good deeds?

‘No. Actually, the best reward is Shihyun.’

Kim Ji-eun shook her head.

That’s right.

If you ask Kim Ji-eun what the best luck that has come to her recently is, she will undoubtedly choose Shihyun as the number one.

Thanks to her, how much the number of viewers has increased, and how much the Mewtube subscribers have increased!

That’s not all.

I don’t know how much fun it has been to stream recently thanks to Shihyun.

I think it’s the first time I’ve laughed this much since I entered the personal broadcasting industry, except when I reached 100,000 Mewtube subscribers.

“Ah, come to think of it, I forgot to send the edited Mewtube video link.”

I didn’t forget the Mewtube settlement deposit, but how did I forget this?

‘Am I a complete idiot?’

Kim Ji-eun scolded herself like that and took out her smartphone.

And then she turned on the messenger app and tried to send a message to Shihyun.

At that moment, the phone rang.

[♡Shihyun♡]

“Huh?”

Speak of the devil, did she call expecting me to send a message?

Kim Ji-eun burst into a chuckle and answered the phone.

“Shihyun-ah, hello! Why suddenly? Huh? I ate dinner. Yes. Yes.”

And soon.

“…Huh?”

Kim Ji-eun’s face hardened in shock.

“The placement result is… Master?”

The smartphone slipped from Kim Ji-eun’s hand and fell to the floor.

It was a very lucky day.