Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 224

1.

[The gate was destroyed in a single blow.]
[The maze of the fortress was partially destroyed.]
[The morale of the common monster volunteer army plummets drastically.]
[The morale of the volunteer army has bottomed out.]
[The enemies begin fleeing from the battlefield.]

The high-ranking official’s preparations had been thorough.
They had bought time to use the Silent Swordsman’s legendary strength.
The fortress maze had been created solely for a delay strategy.
Massive construction was completed in just a day.
It was a large-scale operation made possible by fully utilizing the strength of the monsters’ legends.
The maximum capabilities of the common monsters and the volunteer army were put to use.
It was undoubtedly the best possible strategy.
But that best strategy,
The abilities of the commander leading a million-strong army,
Were insufficient to withstand the Silent Swordsman's blow.

• "Where did the gate go?"
• "It got blasted through three walls and flew off."
• "That's just ridiculous, haha."
• "The gate is what the king wears, it shouldn't be there in the first place, you fool."
• "Is this still about grammar Nazis?"
• "Yes, it is, haha."
• "Ok, I si..."
• "Wow, you're so focused on grammar; you can't even understand Korean spelling? What’s up with that?"
• "Is knowing English really necessary? Can't we just know one language nowadays?"
• "That's wrong! It's doe not dwe."
• "You don’t even know the dialect?"
• "What dialect?"
• "Community dialect."
• "Cyber dialect, haha. Which community did you come from?"

Ha Eung Eung’s mood soured.
She had been proud of her blow, thinking it would bring her closer to mastering martial arts.
But now, a trivial cyber dialect had stolen her rightful attention.

Thud!
Ha Eung Eung quickly manipulated the commands.

[User "??????" has been blocked for 24 hours.]

Her fury at having her attention stolen.
Her justified anger sent the chat scrolling madly.
For the first time, it was the Silent Swordsman herself who took direct action, rather than the manager.

• "Haha!"
• "The Silent Swordsman is also disgusted by the grammar villain, haha!"
• "Yes, she’s definitely on the grammar Nazi side. If you get it wrong, your mom should be torn apart, haha!"
•  

The grammar Nazis rejoiced prematurely.
The Silent Swordsman didn’t stop after her first purge.
Anyone who stole her attention was her enemy!

[User "???????????" has been permanently banned.]
[User "?????????" has been permanently banned.]
[User "??????????" has been permanently banned.]

At the same time, the malicious viewers, hidden among the dense chat scroll, were also blocked.

• "Why is it so fast?"
• "The blocking is crazy!"
• "Can you even see what’s happening? Hahaha."
• "How are they catching them so quickly?"
• "Looks like a massacre of the bad viewers today."
• "Doomsdayyyy, hahaha."

The Silent Swordsman’s incredible speed in blocking the trolls could not be avoided, even by the worst offenders.
Her dynamic vision, capable of dodging arrows in battle, applied itself to the chat, ensuring no malicious viewers escaped her wrath.

2.

While the viewers were being purged, the common monsters who had been given a brief respite thanks to the Silent Swordsman’s momentary inaction, continued their desperate delay tactics.
They fought on, relying on the belief that if they held out long enough, the high-ranking official's foolproof strategy would come to fruition.

"They’ve broken into the marketplace!"
"The enemy is also pushing through the east side!"
"The enemy's skeleton cavalry is slaughtering our infantry. Reinforcements urgently needed!"

With nothing but faith in the high-ranking official, the volunteer army pushed forward, and the high-ranking official did their best to hold off the enemy.
But it wasn’t enough.
The volunteer army, now numbering in the hundreds of thousands, was quickly overtaken, and the battlefront reached the magistrate's office.

The high-ranking official made a decision.
He would face the Silent Swordsman directly.

"I am responsible for the lives of one million commoners and the lives of the hundreds of thousands in the volunteer army. As their commander, I request a duel with the Silent Swordsman."

As the malicious viewers were being purged, Ha Eung Eung, who had naturally climbed onto the giant’s shoulder, heard the high-ranking official’s declaration.
Curiosity flickered in her eyes.

‘A duel. It’s something that a select few martial artists or strategists would engage in to end conflicts with minimal sacrifice.’

Some would propose a duel to maintain face or to avoid unnecessary casualties.
The most memorable duel had been with the Mountain Master of Sanseong, when they faced a great threat from the Magic Cult.
‘Sanseong’s lord, in the face of the cult’s invasion, requested a duel.’

If the Heavenly Demon could pass through Sanseong without unnecessary sacrifices, they would spare the lord’s life.
Yet, the lord made an unreasonable demand, asking for the famous “world’s greatest beauty” to be handed over in exchange for permission to enter the city.
‘It was foolish.’

The Mountain Lord tried to bargain with the Heavenly Demon, even though they were leading the Magic Cult’s invasion.
The Heavenly Demon’s closest friend, an elite member of the Magic Cult, was not someone to be trifled with.
‘The Mountain Lord, who couldn’t understand the situation, lost all of their wealth, and their family was destroyed.’

What about the high-ranking official?
Would he be foolish enough to make such a demand like the Mountain Lord?
Or would he show a different side?
A little bit of boredom.
A little bit of expectation.
With a heart that swayed like a reed in the spring breeze, she lightly jumped off the giant’s shoulder and proceeded toward the magistrate’s office.

"Silent Swordsman, I’ve heard stories of you being the strongest swordsman, but I didn’t expect the person behind those rumors to be a beautiful woman of such exquisite beauty."

Flattery.
Most women would appreciate compliments on their appearance, but sometimes, compliments need to be given at the right time and place.
A simple compliment won’t win someone over every time.

Having gained a hollow victory, one feels frustrated.
When the perfect outcome isn’t achieved, one’s nerves become sharpened like a thorn in the throat.
Sometimes, certain words or phrases provoke a strong repulsion because of past experiences.

‘This is disappointing.’

She wasn’t unaware of her own beauty.
How could she not know?
She had crafted this body with her own hands.
After enduring countless crimes, such as abduction, imprisonment, brainwashing, and attempted rape, she knew exactly what it meant to be beautiful.

‘To think this hero-class monster would be so shallow, just like any other beast...’

Before her disappointment could lead to an outburst, the high-ranking official spoke again.

"Looking at you, I’m reminded of a human woman."

"?!"
"The human queen. She was as wise as she was beautiful, a brilliant human."
"..."
"Before the demon king’s great power could destroy the humans in Ban-Yo-Gok, she dreamed of peace between the two races and chose to serve the demon king."

The human queen. The mother of the bastard prince.
She hadn’t expected to hear the mention of that child’s mother here, so her hand, resting on the sword hilt, froze.

"Though the queen dedicated her purity to the demon king, she lived a happy life with her son."

"..."
"Her noble sacrifice ended the long war between humans and demons, and a brief period of peace followed. It was truly a golden age."

The high-ranking official’s proposition.
Ha Eung Eung had started to piece it together.

"You too could become a hero who saves the lineage, like the human queen. You could become a queen who is praised not only by humans but also by demons for your kindness."

A marriage alliance with the great demon king.

"The great demon king brought peace to many demons. He is the closest candidate for the next demon king."
"..."
"If you make an alliance with him, your strength will make him the demon king, and his power will make you the queen of humans."

A hidden route within the hidden route that no one had ever experienced in Ban-Yo-Gok.

[Main Story Detected.]
[Route branching activated.]
[Human Queen Route - Form an alliance with the great demon king and work once again for the peace between humans and demons.]
[Entering this route will allow you to join forces with the great demon king and wage war against the White Spirit Army.]
[Based on your contributions as a queen and your affinity with the great demon king, you may enact legislation to improve the treatment of humans and promote harmony between the two races.]

But she knew.
The story of the human queen, the mother of the bastard prince, wasn’t one of wisdom or kindness.

• "One day, a king from a small human country offered his daughter as a tribute, begging for mercy."
• "That night, your mother came to see me. Because of my sacrifice, because of my approval, the human woman was able to step into the palace. She told me..."
• "The demon king’s heart is already hers, so manipulating him is not difficult. If you don’t want to end up in a worse position, leave now."

The human queen had not chosen to become queen on her own.
She had been sold to the demon king by the king of a small country.
She had been a sacrificial offering to protect the country’s security.

• "She never loved the demon king. She only wanted revenge for the humans who died in war, to take revenge on the demons."

She never sought peace.
She had threatened and oppressed the demon queen, the demon king’s first wife.
In her heart, revenge sprouted instead of peace.

And so, she died.
The human queen was killed by the demon queen.

• "She’s just like her mother, driving a nail into someone else’s heart. It’s just like her."

As the human queen oppressed the demon queen,
The demon queen cursed the bastard prince.
Until her breath was cut off by the bastard prince.

‘The human queen sold to the demon king never knew what happiness was.’

The king who had abandoned her.
The demons who had caused the deaths of the humans.
She must have hated every living thing in this world.
Just like her, who once saw the imperial family, the martial arts alliance, and all the great factions as enemies.

Swish.

Before she even realized it, her sword was drawn in a flash.
Ha Eung Eung’s sword was sheathed again just after the slash.

[Would you like to enter the Human Queen Route?]
[? Refused to enter the Human Queen Route.]

Refused.

The fabric, presented by the high-ranking official, was torn apart with the meaning of her refusal.

‘The words you offer are nothing more than shallow flattery. The miserable life of a woman cannot be deceived by such shallow tricks.’