Chapter 72: The Hero’s Footwork (Part 2)

▶Yo, Shihyun and Euning are fighting each other

What is this?

-What are you talking about? They’re super close
-Seriously, they’re always lovey-dovey, a grooming duo
-Yuri…is…real…!!!
-(OP) No, for real
└What’s for real?
└(OP) They’re really fighting
└?
-Don’t slander Euning and Shihyun’s relationship, how dare you, insignificant insect, slander the goddesses
└(OP) No,
for real
└
off
└No way lol
-? It’s real though?
└?
└What are you talking about?
└?
└??
-??Why are they actually fighting?
└(OP) I’m telling you, you idiots, it’s real

▶What’s up with these guys?

Weren’t they supposed to be doing a swordsmanship lesson? Why is Shihyun beating up Euning????

-Swordsmanship: Punch
└Haha, you have to learn how to punch first
└Lol
-This is swordsmanship, Euning─!!!!!!
└Swordsmanship: Fist
└Not funny
└Haha, try to laugh lol

▶How to learn swordsmanship from the Unofficial No.1

Ah lol, turns out it’s how to get beaten up lol

-???: You’ll learn automatically if you get hit
└Lol
└She was hitting her so hard, crazy lol
-Shihyun is hitting Euning so seriously, are they actually on bad terms? lol
└Hey, don’t slander their relationship
└Euning…and…Shihyun…are…
buddies…！
-It’s hilarious how she’s exploding like a sandbag

▶???: You have to get hit to learn footwork

So clench your teeth, Euning…!!!!!!!

lol
└Feel each and every punch!!!!!
└Seriously, feel it
-It’s so funny watching this live lol
└If it wasn’t VR, there would be blood everywhere lol
└Seriously, this is hilarious

▶So if I get beaten up, I become a top-tier swordsman?

I got beaten up by bullies all the time, why am I not top-tier?

-Ah lol, you have to be beaten up by the No. 1 ranked beautiful girl
-Ask Shihyun to beat you up lol
-Only beautiful girls can teach

▶So how long is this beating going to last?

It’s been 30 minutes, what is this?

-Don’t know

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

My consciousness was gradually fading.

It was hard to focus, and tears welled up in my eyes.

I was seeing double, which meant the incoming fists appeared as four.

…Well, there are two fists.

Kim Ji-eun screamed in her dazed state,

“Stop! Stop hitting me!”

“Ji-eun, but you can’t learn footwork otherwise.”

“Lies! You can teach without hitting! You’re doing this on purpose! If you have something against me, just say it!”

Even though her vision was shaking and her body was taking continuous blows, Ji-eun could still speak clearly. Her mind was in turmoil, but she wasn’t physically dizzy.

It was a virtual space, after all.

Naturally.

“No, stop exaggerating. It doesn’t even hurt.”

“No, it really hurts! Getting hit like this hurts even in VR!”

Ji-eun was telling the truth.

Even with the pain sensors lowered in VR, getting punched for over 40 minutes would make anyone’s face throb. Of course, Ji-eun wasn’t asking Shihyun to stop because of the pain.

It was just embarrassing to keep getting beaten up.

[How dare you talk back to Master!!!!! Get wrecked!!!!!!!]
[Lol]
[How dare the lowly Euning defy the great Shihyun lol]
[Haha, we all know it doesn’t hurt lol]
[Don’t you want to learn footwork? lol]
[Haha, it’s because your skill is low]
[Seriously, she’s getting wrecked like a dog. What’s with the skill gap]

Naturally, Ji-eun could see the chat while being beaten up. She could clearly see the messages mocking her. Ji-eun felt wronged.

‘Even so, I’m Platinum…! The host…!’

Getting beaten up like this was damaging her pride as a streamer, a senior streamer at that! Ji-eun gritted her teeth and focused. Then, she pulled her head back at the right moment.

Whoosh!

Shihyun’s fist grazed her.

‘I…I dodged it!’

After a whole 40 minutes, Ji-eun finally managed to dodge an attack!

[Oh, the dodge]
[Did she finally learn footwork? lol]
[Haha, she should have learned it by now after getting hit that much lol]

Of course, it was only temporary.

The second fist that immediately followed struck Ji-eun’s chin.

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

Perhaps because this one landed properly, Ji-eun fell backward. Judging by the impact, it seemed like Shihyun put extra force into it.

Ji-eun sprawled on the floor.

Shihyun reached out to her and asked,

“Are you okay?”

Okay?

“Ugh!”

Ji-eun trembled with a sense of betrayal.

“This is cheating! How can a master beat up their disciple!”

“That’s how it is in martial arts novels.”

Is beating up the end of it?

Making them do strange and bizarre things as training?

Ji-eun yelled at Shihyun’s response,

“Lies! And is this a martial arts world?”

Shihyun shrugged as Ji-eun fumed.

“Isn’t it the same as a martial arts world?”

“What?”

“Well, isn’t it?”

Shihyun tapped the longsword at her waist.

“This is ‘virtual reality,’ ‘Arfellium Saga’ to be precise.”

Then, she quickly drew her sword. Shihyun swung the sword around, then pointed the tip at Ji-eun.

“It’s a world where people carrying swords live. And a world where the ability to wield a sword well becomes the law. That’s why you’re learning swordsmanship from me, Ji-eun.”

“…”

Shihyun grinned.

“So, it’s no different from a martial arts world. Isn’t it?”

Ji-eun facepalmed at Shihyun’s logic.

“What kind of crazy logic is that!”

Ji-eun was dumbfounded.

‘Martial arts? What is she talking about!’

This is a fantasy setting, not martial arts!

But no one was on Ji-eun’s side.

[Haha, if Master says it’s martial arts, then it’s martial arts!]
[Seriously lol, don’t talk back to Master!!!!!!!!!!!]
[How dare you be disrespectful to Master, Euning!!!!!!!]
[To slack off with such a beautiful girl as your master!]

Even Ji-eun’s viewers weren’t on her side.

The chat was scrolling rapidly.

All the messages were mocking Ji-eun.

“Ugh! What do you guys know!”

Ji-eun yelled, but the chat didn’t show any mercy. They only intensified their teasing.

[Shouldn’t you be learning footwork!]
[Get wrecked!!!!!!!!!!!!]
[Ha! Ha! Ha! !]
[Bow 108 times to Master, you
!!!!!!!!!]
[Haha, learn footwork already lol]
[You’ll be forgiven once you reach Diamond lol]

And Shihyun was no different.

She coughed and said,

“How dare you talk to your master like that.”

“Shihyun, you! You’re enjoying this, aren’t you? Right?”

“Now, now, get up, Disciple. The lesson isn’t over yet.”

“Ugh!”

Ji-eun gritted her teeth and stood up.

It was only natural.

‘I will, I will reach Diamond!’

Reaching Diamond tier was a ‘dream’ Ji-eun desperately wanted to achieve.

If it meant reaching that ‘dream,’ she could endure any hardship or pain. Even if the trial to reach it was a beating disguised as a lesson!

Because Ji-eun believed in Shihyun.

‘If Shihyun helps me…I can reach Diamond tier.’

These were the words of the person who drastically changed her streaming career. If she couldn’t trust Shihyun, who could she trust? And these were the words of the (unofficial) number one ranked player!

Ji-eun firmly believed that with Shihyun’s guidance, she could reach Diamond tier.

Of course, if she couldn’t reach Diamond after all this, she wouldn’t let Shihyun off the hook…

“Again! Do it again!”

Ji-eun jumped up and raised her fists again.

Shihyun smiled with satisfaction at her passionate attitude.

“That’s what I call my disciple.”

“…I’ll definitely get my revenge later.”

“Get your revenge after you reach Diamond.”

As Shihyun raised her fists again, Ji-eun yelled,

“I’ll definitely reach Diamond and get my revenge!”

“With that spirit!”

Thwack!

And so, the training (beating) resumed.