Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 183

1.

Lee So-hye pushed her speed to the limit.
If it had been anywhere else, it might not have mattered, but in the whip simulator...
In the whip simulator, at least...

‘This is like my backyard!’

Even though it was a game she started because of Kim Je-cheol’s request,
even though it was a bet started due to Haeung-eung’s mischief,
once it had started,
defeat was out of the question.
She ran with the determination to win at all costs.

‘Even if skipping the cutscene is cowardly, I don’t care.’
‘Even if they call me a seasoned player, I won’t mind.’

If she could just win in this game,
this bet,
this showdown!

[Skipping the cutscene for Boss Mission 40.]

“Dieeeee!!!”

As the miniature that had fallen into the lightning puddle stood still, intoxicated by its power, it shattered the rocks around it.
Before the confused knight miniature could rise, its ankle was grabbed and it was tossed into the air with all the strength possible.

Whooshhhh
Sparkle

Beyond the field of view,
the knight miniature, enraged but barely visible, tried to unleash lightning in a delayed reaction.

[Target not detected on stage.]
[Status: Success]

[Special Mission - Cleared!]
[Mission Task - 40 Complete]

The mission was cleared.

• What? Lmao
• Like master, like apprentice.
• Both are using shortcuts, lol.
• Who won?
• It was so close!

Now only the record remained.
The Point Toto contest for clearing Mission 40 first.
The much-awaited results were revealed.

[Record Competition]
[? Silent Swordsman: 39th Mission Clear, 3 minutes 31 seconds]
[? Lee So-hye: 36th Mission Clear, 3 minutes 33 seconds]

Silent Swordsman held a 3-mission advantage.

[Record Competition]
[? Silent Swordsman: 40th Mission (in progress), 4 minutes 01 seconds]
[? Lee So-hye: 40th Mission (in progress), 4 minutes 05 seconds]

That overwhelming lead was now rendered meaningless.
30 seconds of cutscene before the 40th mission boss appeared.

[40th Special Mission Strategy Time]
Silent Swordsman - 10 seconds
Lee So-hye - 8 seconds

That 30 seconds determined the victory.

[Record Competition]
[? Silent Swordsman: 40th Mission Clear, 4 minutes 11 seconds]
[? Lee So-hye: 40th Mission Clear, 4 minutes 13 seconds]

The gap couldn’t be closed.

“Ah…”

Two seconds.
By a narrow margin, Point Toto ended with Silent Swordsman’s victory.

2.

• Underdog win!!!!!!
• Kittaahhh!!!
• Got an intermediate escape pod, right? The Man-Faced Spider gang is going to be left in the dust, right? They’ll never catch up!
• When did the Man-Faced Spider gang become irrelevant? Lol.
• Cut the Man-Faced Spider gang!
• Raise a toast to the underdogs!
• Giant Max Silent Swordsman statue funds have been collected. Thank you, favorite bettors.
• Why is the statue still standing so well!?
• Mining fleet, listen up. The president of the Man-Faced Spider fan club, [I’ll Take Everything from You], earned 60 million points from this underdog win.
• ???
• What? 60 million?
• Did this crazy lunatic bet on the underdog again?
• Noooo!!!
• Lmao, mining fleet is getting wrecked.
• Is the statue villain, Man-Faced Spider gang president, and underdog gang all really in this state?

The chat exploded into cheers and screams.

[Rebellion cannot be forgiven. Managers should humbly accept defeat.]

Feeling victorious after the contest, Haeung-eung appeared very smug, while Lee So-hye, looking a little worn, spoke up.

“Why are you so good? Finding new strategies and beating the shortest ones. Ugh, I feel a little defeated now.”

[Don’t be too disappointed. You’re up against me.]

Haeung-eung understood there was no malice.
But knowing that just made her angrier.

“Now the mining fleet is totally doomed. The point gap will widen and they’ll be completely wiped out.”
[The mining fleet?]
“Nothing to worry about. But even though I lost in the Toto, you know the bet is still ongoing, right?”
[How far do you plan to go before you stop?]
“Whoever clears more by the time we end the broadcast wins. If we reach the same mission, the faster one wins. How does that sound?”
[Sounds good.]

Despite the 2-second difference, Lee So-hye still had hope.
She had figured out Haeung-eung’s fatal weakness.

“Alright then, let’s start Toto’s second round: Who clears 50th level first.”

The second round of the Toto began.
At that moment, Haeung-eung realized.

‘Oh no.’

The cutscenes started immediately as they entered the 41st mission.
This game...
There were just too many cutscenes.

3.
The 40th missions were a journey to acquire the ranged attack abilities of the Dancer Miniature, and the player’s pursuit to stop them.

[Mission Task - 41]
[Type - Pursuit & Target Elimination]
[Target - Dancer’s Palanquin]

Chasing the palanquin, moving between zones and breaking it down.
It was a task she quite enjoyed.
Like a cat chasing a rat, satisfying her hunting instincts.
The sight of a giant player jumping around, whipping anything in its path was pure chaos.
The helpless tiny archers, trying to buy time to escape, were being swept up by the whips and tossed aside.

• Stop killing the tiny archers!!
• You monster! You monster!
• What is this? Everyone else avoids traps, but she just walks in a straight line, smashing everything.
• As the field durability goes up, the massacre player goes wild!
• The time when the shelf and fish tank were around was the only time she slowed down out of fear of breaking them.
• How is the rampaging massacre player going to handle this now?
• I knew it, I bet 500,000 points on Silent Swordsman, lol.
• Is the point gap widening?
• One person has 50 points, while another has 500,000.

The overturned favorites and underdogs.
In the 50th-level Toto, Silent Swordsman collected more points.

• Are you not going to watch Silent Swordsman’s perfect king being unlocked?
• Those who bet on Silent Swordsman are regretting it.
• Betting on Lee So-hye doesn’t mean Silent Swordsman will lose, lol.
• I bet on Silent Swordsman, but I hope Lee So-hye wins...
• Me too.
• I’m torn, it’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The favorites who had tasted Silent Swordsman’s skill were now pooling their remaining points and betting on him.
But they didn’t realize yet.

[Mission 42 Cutscene - Dancer’s Escape 1]
[Mission 43 Cutscene - Dancer’s Escape 2]
[Mission 44 Cutscene - Audience Miniatures’ Interference 1]
[Mission 45 Cutscene - Audience Miniatures’ Interference 2]

• More cutscenes?
• I’m going crazy???
• Please, no more!
• The tiny archers are cute but now it’s making me even angrier.
• I’m even watching these cutscenes because they’re fun, damn it, lol.
• Every time the Dancer goes somewhere, the audience miniatures keep appearing, making the difficulty insane.
• Seriously, even brushing past them causes mission failure; these audience miniatures blocking the way are ridiculous.
• Stop hypnotizing me, audience miniatures!
• I guess we can’t say much after being hypnotized by Silent Swordsman ourselves.
• The mirror treatment is working great.

Cutscenes, cutscenes, cutscenes.
And more cutscenes.
The endless series of cutscenes through the 40th missions.

[Special Mission]
[Mission Task - 50]
[Type - Target Elimination]
[Target - ?: Dancer Miniature]

When they arrived at the highly anticipated 50th mission,
Lee So-hye had already cleared it.

• We’re just starting the cutscene now!!
• Damn it!!!
• The Confucian scholar underdog victory is a huge success^^
• Today is the day of the underdog, where only underdogs win!
• Giant Max Silent Swordsman statue has funds for advanced control AI, large hangar upgrades, auto-repair systems, 2000 unmanned interceptors, and 2000 auto-mining small ships. Thanks to the favorite bettors.
• Why does that statue look like it’s getting stronger?
• What do you want to make that statue into, really?
• If I see the Silent Swordsman statue floating through space, I’m outta there.
• The cosmic horror isn’t far away…
• Cosmic horror, seriously.

‘Already lost?’

With the continuous cutscenes, Haeung-eung thought to herself that something didn’t feel right.
But she thought it might be for the best.

‘Since it’s already like this, I might as well enjoy this cutscene.’

If she was already defeated, there was no need to skip.
She could enjoy it peacefully.
Even if the favorites lost all their points, Silent Swordsman was at peace.

4.
Guided by the tiny archers, the Dancer Miniature acquired the angel’s winged garment deep in the forest.

[?]

The Dancer Miniature, after changing into the outfit, twirled excitedly. Tiny deer, monkeys, and leopards, all of the baby animals, gathered around.
As the Dancer Miniature’s [Enchant] ability grew stronger, even the non-human animals were becoming enchanted.

[?????]

Above the heads of the baby animals, numerous perfect scores appeared.

[????]

The fluttering wings.
The mesmerizing gestures between the fabric.
Her fingertips pointed at the giant player.

[(°?°?)]

As the Dancer Miniature pretended to cry and pointed at the player, the angry baby animals surrounded them.
The cutscene ended as the boss battle began.

• Wow, who’s going to clear level 60 first? Toto third round starting!
• Another Toto?
• Is today Toto day?
• Silent Swordsman is now fighting the level 50 boss, of course the manager will be picked, lol.
• Agreed.
• The cutscene debuff is so intense, they won’t win this.
• Where’s the villain Silent Swordsman statue gone?
• Following?
• That person has a 100% batting average.
• Wow, that’s impressive.
• I’m following too.
• What’s their nickname?
• [Giant Max Can’t Resist]
• They don’t seem to have any patience, lol.
• Lmao.

Viewers, who had been paying more attention to the 100% batting gambler than Silent Swordsman or Lee So-hye, were distracted by their eyes on the points.
It was only when they looked back that they noticed.

• Huh? Why aren’t the baby animals attacking?
• Why aren’t they attacking?

They realized that in Lee So-hye’s broadcast, the baby animals had been attacking like zombies, but here, something was different.
The baby animals around Silent Swordsman weren’t attacking, nor were they fleeing, appearing to be in some form of cognitive dissonance, hesitating and fidgeting.

[?]

Some of the animals even became allies of Silent Swordsman, rubbing their heads against his giant legs before baring their teeth at the other animals.

• ?
• ?
• Why are they acting like this?

This boss fight was... something was off.