Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 31

4. Silent Swordmaster Speedrun Ver 1.2
Great Forest Speedrun.

“Who even thought of making this? It’s infuriating.”

Even the usually cheerful Lee Da-hye couldn’t hold back her complaint.
And to be honest, it was understandable.
The course was designed to emulate the Silent Swordmaster effortlessly sprinting through the Great Forest.
The challenge? Trying to replicate their record in a speedrun.

Inmyeon Jiju, the course guide, naturally followed the Silent Swordmaster’s pacing, often moving far ahead. It wasn’t uncommon for only their voice to be heard, and eventually, even that would fade into the distance.

“Where am I?! Somebody save me!”

• LOL ???
• Sis, we’re scared too! ?
• Seriously, I can’t see a thing in this darkness.
• That’s your future: pitch black and completely unclear.
• Is that the infamous Self-Destructing Ghost Trooper? Blowing up 3,000 players at once?!
• Nope, not dark here. It’s as bright and cozy as home.
• If a pitch-black screen feels like home, that’s not your home. Get out immediately.

The fear of being abandoned in darkness.
Every step required an almost unreasonable amount of courage.

“Is this some kind of horror experience?!”

• ??
• Who knows?
• Everyone’s going through the same thing, lol.
• This mode is pure legend.
• Um Gil-dong just dropped a nuke on the streaming world. ?
• Forget finishing times; I can’t even figure out where to go!

This wasn’t a swordsmanship duel but a speedrun competition.
Naturally, Lee Da-hye was utterly defeated, as were her Hall of Fame Season 1 rival, Lee Hae-chan, and even Um Gil-dong, the creator himself—each becoming hopelessly lost in the Great Forest.

“My legs won’t move.”

• Another swamp. ?
• This run’s doomed too. ?
• It was over the moment you were abandoned by the accursed Jiju.

?Personal Rankings?
[RANK 01. LostDa-hye2]
[Time Record: 490 seconds / Progress: 13% / Swamp Infestation: 49%]
[Cause of Death: Forfeited after falling into a swamp]

The finish line was the Yokai Sage’s Cabin.
However, for most streamers, reaching it seemed like a distant dream.

5.

While the Great Forest Speedrun was setting trends on VTuber streams,
Hae Eung-eung remained in her room, staring blankly into space.
With a body that required neither food nor sleep,
she spent a week
doing nothing but drifting in her own emptiness.

Joo Ah-young: "Sister, remember how you promised to help me last time?"

A promise.
Ironically, it was the mention of a promise that snapped her out of it.

"I ended up in this state because of a promise, and now there’s another one?"

She would have preferred it if it were an order.
At least then, she could act without thought or hesitation,
moving as a Blood River Ghoul does,
a puppet controlled by engravings.

Perhaps that mindless existence, bound by commands,
had been better than this,
she wondered in a rare moment of genuine doubt.

Joo Ah-young: "Sister~ Please reply quickly! I need your help!"

A reckless thought crept in.
As time flowed around her without consequence,
she realized there were still connections anchoring her to life.
Unlike the despairing days of the Blood Sect, when she had lost everything,
she now had bonds she couldn’t ignore.

A promise.
An agreement.
Once again, she swallowed the poison that brought her nothing but pain,
stepping out into the city streets during daylight.

"It’s quiet. What day is it… Thursday? Friday? It doesn’t matter."

Unable to even distinguish between days,
she found herself gazing up at the treetops,
where cool air filtered through the branches.

For a fleeting moment, she imagined Inmyeon Jiju leaping between the trees,
spinning threads and speaking to her from above.

"You were right. I truly am a fool."

A genuine smile was so hard to muster,
but a bitter one seemed to come naturally.

As the sound of rustling leaves filled the air,
a cascade of autumn foliage fluttered gently to the ground.

“Wow. Are they shooting a photoshoot?”
“Amazing.”
“They look familiar…”

Passersby stopped in their tracks, entranced by the unforgettable scene.
Unaware of the attention she drew, Hae Eung-eung noticed Joo Ah-young waving enthusiastically from afar,
and only then did she let herself relax.

“Sister, it’s been so long!”
[It’s only been a week.]
“A week is ages!”

For the extroverted and outdoorsy Joo Ah-young,
a week felt like an eternity,
and her effusive greeting was as warm as if they were long-lost family reunited after years apart.

“Do you still play the pipa?”
[Not at all.]
“Aww, that’s such a shame. You worked so hard practicing.”
[What is it you wanted from me?]
“Hehe, remember how you promised me? You’d do anything I asked?”

Whatever the favor was, it must have been something significant.

“Please be a guest instructor at the Awakener Academy!”

Maybe not significant, but certainly overwhelming.

“I’ve been asking you for ages. Can’t you please teach just once?”
[Why me?]
“Well, out of all the Awakeners I know, you’re the strongest. Even stronger than our academy instructors!”
[Don’t you need an Awakener License to teach?]
“Guest instructors don’t! Even non-Awakeners who are martial arts masters or theory specialists can be invited.”

Joo Ah-young’s determination was unshakable, and excuses were futile.

“Or… is my request too much for you?”

Her hesitation and pleading gaze
reminded Hae Eung-eung of someone desperate to hold on to a connection.

[Alright. Just for one day.]
“Yes! No take-backs!”

Led by her younger friend’s calloused hand,
the feeling wasn’t exactly pleasant, but oddly comforting.
The rough texture of training-hardened palms and bandaged fingers held no charm,
but for the two of them, it didn’t matter.

As they strolled hand in hand on a quiet weekday morning,
a faint smile played across their lips.

6. Awakener Academy Administration Office

The receptionist looked up, astonishment plain on their face.

“You’re here to apply as a guest instructor?”
[I believe I might be able to teach something about martial arts.]
“You’re a woman, can’t speak, don’t have an Awakener License, and have no competitive achievements to your name, yet you’ve come here with a single sword to apply as a guest instructor?”

Joo Ah-young couldn’t hide her unease as she asked nervously,
“Uh, is that a problem?”

She hadn’t intended to embarrass her sister by making this request. Now, feeling guilty for putting her in this position, Joo Ah-young fidgeted, unsure of what to do.

To her surprise, it was Hae Eung-eung, the supposed target of scorn, who gently stroked the back of her hand to reassure her that everything was fine.

The receptionist burst out laughing.
“Of course not! Guest instructors are usually last-minute replacements. We get plenty of applicants, but most quit soon after starting.”
[That’s fortunate.]
“Haha. Well, I just hope you won’t end up resenting us. Weak instructors tend to get ignored by the trainees. If you’re thinking of quitting, now might be a good time.”

The implication was clear: You’re not good enough for our students.

Without uttering a single word, Hae Eung-eung accepted the guest instructor badge.

“Sister, if this is too difficult because of me, you can quit. I didn’t think they’d be so rude... They’re really discriminatory!”
[I’m fine. Their pride in their students simply reflects their confidence. From a teacher’s perspective, it’s intriguing.]

If the academy held such pride in its students, they must truly be remarkable.

Unlike her fleeting encounter with Inmyeon Jiju,
this teacher-student relationship might last longer.
Even though she knew it shouldn’t matter,
Hae Eung-eung couldn’t help but feel a spark of anticipation.

“Was I worried for nothing? I mean, it’s my sister we’re talking about, after all.”

Joo Ah-young smiled softly.

In the academy, with its elegant interiors and opulent uniforms,
even the occasional artifacts on display added an air of intimidation.
To the faint-hearted, just walking these halls could be overwhelming.

Yet Hae Eung-eung walked confidently, her distinctively dramatic, period-drama-inspired attire turning heads as she strode forward.

“Oh wow, what an outfit! I’m Steven Kim, a full-time instructor here for three years. I teach heavy weaponry to the students.”
[I’m Hae Eung-eung, serving as a one-day guest instructor. I thought I’d teach a little swordsmanship.]

Awakener Academy Faculty Room

The faculty room, with its 20 full-time instructors, was spacious and well-equipped, featuring personal desks, work computers, capsules, textbooks, and training materials scattered about.

“Modern education really is something else.”

Unlike the traditional martial arts training of the Murim world,
where one trained with swords or bare hands against straw dummies,
the 21st-century training here was optimized with science and modern conveniences.
Theoretical lessons were fine-tuned, and dangerous physical training was replaced with virtual simulations.
It was a curriculum worth its high tuition fees.

“If teaching the kids feels too tough, reach out in the evening. You can drop by my place, and we’ll draft a lesson plan together.”

“Is this foreigner trying to hit on me?”

The thought flared up with surprising intensity.
Her dislike of relationships with men, coupled with her awareness of herself as a woman,
made her grateful she couldn’t speak, sparing her the risk of an inappropriate response.

Hae Eung-eung simply let the remark slide, brushing it off as unimportant.
Nearby, a magic instructor chuckled.

“Steven got rejected? Haha, what a disgrace. I told you to tone it down. A beauty like her probably has quite the pride.”
“You shouldn’t be talking, considering how close you came to being caught dating a student last month.”
“Hey now, are we airing out dirty laundry? You also went after a former guest instructor, didn’t you? Don’t think I don’t know. Let’s keep this friendly, huh? Stirring the pot will only shorten your stay here.”

The magic instructor left for his lecture, leaving Steven clicking his tongue at the man’s retreating back.

“Just because we’re both full-time instructors doesn’t mean we’re on the same level.”

Unlike the barely competent magic instructor who retained his position due to the lack of better candidates,
Steven was a martial arts expert and second only to the head of the martial arts department.

“If I took things seriously, I wouldn’t have to share lecture slots with guest instructors.”

And yet, he consistently allocated one slot to guest instructors. Why?

Because many of the female guest instructors who came through were attractive but lacked the strength to compete with full-time instructors.
They were easier to charm.

“Beauty belongs to those who are smart enough to take it.”

He had already laid the groundwork.
Some of his student assistants had been subtly manipulating the evaluations,
lowering the scores of male instructors and subtly pressuring female ones,
making them reliant on him.

All he had to do was wait for a beautiful guest instructor to fall into his lap.

“I don’t care how much effort that guest puts into their lecture. Just don’t screw it up too badly.”

If the regular trainees gave overly harsh evaluations, the guest might be fired before he could enjoy the situation.

“Just keep it decent, that’s all.”

Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment,
his assistants were completely captivated by the overwhelming skills of a certain guest instructor,
forgetting their job of lowering her evaluation scores entirely.

“Ah! I can’t even remember what Steven’s martial arts class was like.”
“Is this really a martial arts class? Then what have we been learning all this time?”
“Oh no, if I learn these techniques, I’ll never be able to go back to my old self…!”

Unaware of the uproar among his assistants, who were utterly mesmerized by the unmatched skills of the stunning guest instructor,
Steven Kim prepared for his next lecture, still oblivious to the fact that his carefully laid plans were unraveling before him.