Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 179

5.

Virtual reality broadcast.
It is usually activated through capsules, but for simple announcements or communication, broadcasts can also be done via the internet or a screen phone.
Kim Je-cheol took advantage of this to start a broadcast for the unconscious account owner.

• Wihwa
• Wisper High (means Whisper's fan lol)
• Who are you explaining this to?
• My girlfriend
• You have a girlfriend?
• Cut that guy open!!!
• Why isn’t it in capsule mode?
• Looks like it’s via screen phone since the waiting space is visible
• What’s that?
• Is the CEO here?
• What happened to the Silent Swordsman?
• Did you capture our master, human?
• Did you succeed in the assassination, villain?
• Did you get a girlfriend, bro?
• That one’s impossible, even for 30 billion

The excitement in the chat was palpable.
Kim Je-cheol felt a sense of guilt.
Instead of meeting their expectations, he was about to pour cold water on them.

“Ah, can you hear me?”

• ???
• Who are you?
• Where’s our CEO?

“Whisper is currently resting in the hospital. He will be undergoing intensive recovery for the next 72 hours, so I’m announcing this on behalf of the guild.”

• Huh?
• That monster-like Whisper is down?
• Must’ve overdone it with the broadcasts
• Well, that person really was dedicated
• Tell him to rest well haha
• Whisper, fighting!

Why is this so heartwarming? Kim Je-cheol glared at the chat suspiciously.
Is this what they’re doing to cover up the assassination content since Whisper isn’t here?

“You don’t need to hide it, everyone. We all know Whisper has been doing assassination-themed content.”

• LMAO
• Ah, busted
• Who were you, official member?
• You scared me, you bastard lol
• Should’ve said that from the start!
• All of you played it cool pretending nothing happened together

“Anyway, Whisper requested a duel to help Haeung-eung return to broadcasting, but he is currently receiving treatment in the ICU and won’t be able to stream for the time being.”

• No wayyyy
• We paid for an assassination, and he’s barely alive?
• Is this really worth 3.3 billion?

“Now that I’ve posted the break announcement, I’ll be ending the broadcast…”

• Wait, you’re just leaving???
• Why did the CEO fight alone?!
• Where’s the Silent Swordsman’s update???
• Weren’t they supposed to fight live???
• No content shown, so we have nothing to watch, right?
• So selfish, enjoying it alone. That’s what makes him more villain-like...
• Now I understand the true cruelty of the villain organization
• Association, you were right...

The chat room was on fire.
But it wasn’t his broadcast.
Kim Je-cheol calmly ended the broadcast.

• I’m losing my mind, I’m losing my mind, I’m losing my mind
• My head’s spinning, my head’s spinning, my head’s spinning
• Wow, Whisper is such a strong awakener, but he got wrecked to the point where he needs 72 hours of ICU treatment, that’s insane
• You can’t force someone like him to stream… which makes him even more of a menace…
• Do Haenampa streamers use the waiting space as a standard setting?
• Just a universe space, it’s so frustrating
• Should I just build a dimension-jumping station while I’m here?
• With enough donations, I’ll become a point millionaire. I’ll gather the materials
• Wow, that’s the guy who flexed 3 billion for a mission fee lol, how much did he want to see the broadcast?

The public sentiment in the chat was pretty much near the point of giving up.
Even Whisper, an A-grade awakener, had been defeated.
Now there was no hope left.

“Damn it! I spent so much on assassination content, but now I failed. Is there no chance to take revenge on that damn woman?”

Since Whisper was out, no one would dare challenge unless they were an even stronger awakener.
Of course, someone that strong would be a major figure that wouldn't budge even if hundreds of billions were offered.
It was a commission fee that even Myung-ho Entertainment’s CEO, Joo Young-jun, could never handle.

“CEO, I think you need to take this call.”
“Do I look like I’m in the mood for calls right now?!”
“I-I'm sorry. You wouldn’t have anything to do with someone asking about ways to deal with the Silent Swordsman, would you?”
“Ah, wait a second. Give me the phone!”
“Huh?”
“Don’t talk, just give it to me!”

The secretary, holding back a swear, reluctantly passed the phone.

• Joo Young-jun, CEO of the abandoned Myung-ho Entertainment. Seems like he’s in a bit of a mess. I heard he’s preparing for a merger with Asan Entertainment?
  “...I don’t care who you are. If you’re calling just to make me angry, hang up, but if you have a way to deal with the Silent Swordsman, say it now!”
• Of course, I called to mess with you.
  “What?”
• It’s a prank call, idiot. Ha ha ha!

Click.
Bleep bleep bleep.

Joo Young-jun’s face turned red as he stared dumbfounded at the receiver.

“AAAAHHHHHH!!!”

He shoved everything on the desk off, throwing and smashing things in a rage.
The secretary, stationed outside the office, finally realized that the man had completely lost it.

‘I should start job hunting soon…’

The secretary decided.
She had heard lately that Haenampa was pretty great, so she thought she’d take her last paycheck, hand in her resignation, and go check it out.

Kim Je-cheol had recently begun paying attention to the community’s reactions.

• Should the villain just happily live on while everyone else suffers?
• Hell isn’t far. The hell is here, where we can’t even make the Silent Swordsman start streaming...
• Terraforming is done, but now weird stuff is growing on the planet. What’s that?
• Ah, that’s just bullshit.
• Aaaahhh!!

These people are playing so cutely.
And it’s pathetic.

‘The guild leader’s broadcasts were fun, though.’

Unlike the people like himself who trained in martial arts at the guild or greeted each other while passing by, the regular viewers were stuck with replays and clips.
Seeing them anxiously waiting and despairing…
From the perspective of a viewer, he could completely understand.
Even when he was in training, though he had learned martial arts, teaching others now resonated with him even more.

‘If it weren’t for the broadcast, I probably wouldn’t even see her face, despite being in the same guild!’

Lately, it was hard to find anyone who knew what Haeung-eung was doing or where she was.
There was no one who had seen her in the guild cafeteria, and even her closest associates like Woo Ji-woo, So Kyung-seok, and Baek So-cheon were hard to spot.

The Silent Swordsman had to start streaming.
Kim Je-cheol was gradually influenced by the thoughts of the regular viewers.

“So, you came to me?”
“You’re the Silent Swordsman’s manager.”
“That’s only when he’s about to stream.”
“No. In times like this, you’re the only one I can trust. Who else would I trust if not the manager?”

Lee So-hye stared at Kim Je-cheol, who had come to her, with a somewhat cold expression.
The man who used to cling to her because he liked her now seemed desperate, but she no longer found him attractive.

“You should’ve done this earlier…”
“Hmm?”
“It’s nothing.”

Even though she no longer liked him, she hadn’t completely forgotten the passion she once had for him.
Lee So-hye made a decision.
She would help him one last time to get rid of these lingering feelings.

‘It’s not like I’m worried about him hanging around with villains or his gloomy face at the cafeteria. That’s not why I care.’

She thought she was over him, but the faint remnants of her feelings still lingered, nudging her to act.

“I just need to make a call, right?”
“I’d like you to also ask him to start the broadcast.”
“If I call, what will you do for me?”

Kim Je-cheol paused for a moment.

“That’s…”
“Ah, it’s connected.”

Lee So-hye shushed Kim Je-cheol, placing her hand over his mouth.

“Hey, can we do a video call now? Oh, I’m just wondering when you’re going to start streaming. What? You’ll do it in three months?”

Is she really planning to take a six-month break?
Lee So-hye admired how nonchalantly Haeung-eung was going about her life, but at the same time, she understood why people were losing their minds.
Having spent time with Kim Je-cheol alone during whip training, she didn’t care much about broadcasting.
But after seeing Kim Je-cheol whimpering like a starving dog these past few days, she decided to try again to convince her.

“Then let’s skip the half-demon music and do the whip simulator. It doesn’t require too much effort, and I had fun doing it last time. This time, I’ll be the one challenging it. I’ve gotten much stronger, you know?”

After hearing Haeung-eung’s response on the video call, Lee So-hye smiled brightly and greeted her.

“Got it. I’ll see you in a bit!”
“What did she say?”
“She’s starting the broadcast.”
“Woohoo! I’m glad I came to you, Lee So-hye.”
“Tch. Whatever. Just tell me what you’ll do for me.”

Kim Je-cheol paused.
Normally, he would never have entertained such thoughts. He would have run away in disgust.
But now, he found himself thinking, This woman isn’t so bad, is she?

‘Lee So-hye... she really has changed a lot.’

The girl who once clung to him everywhere like a stalker had now completely transformed.
Sometimes, when he thought of her, his chest tightened.
Kim Je-cheol, not realizing the feelings he was developing, continued to watch her as she walked away, oblivious to his gaze.