Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 64

1.

Ihaechan’s Silent Swordsman interview video
hit one million views on the day it was uploaded.

-?
-?

• April Fools’ is in April, so why is this nonsense happening in November?

The comment section was filled with hooks and unanswered questions.
It made sense, though.
It was an interview with a black screen and only audio,
and the Silent Swordsman didn't even speak.

• Hey, crazy guy lol
• Isn’t this just self-questioning? lmao
• The interview was conducted in Ihaechan’s imagination, and
• the million views came from an imagined interview^^
• They tricked us, they tricked us, they tricked us
• But the Silent Swordsman's younger sibling has a really beautiful voice
• I agree with that
• I want to see the Silent Swordsman’s younger sibling in real life “Give it to me”
• Is it really the sibling? Not a paid actor?
• Lol
• How can we believe this with no video? Damn

When talking to the Silent Swordsman’s younger sibling,
at least a conversation could be formed,
but when speaking to the Silent Swordsman herself,
Ihaechan was asking questions and reacting alone—
it was literally a world-first imagination-based interview.
The viewers had to guess the Silent Swordsman’s answers through his reactions.
Thus, it turned into a world-first viewer-imagined interview.

• 5:22 Language level 3. I don't get the speaker's psychology, damn it
• 7:04 Korean Literature major here. I can’t infer the context, you idiot
• 11:05 Why is Ihaechan laughing alone? Why is Ihaechan laughing alone? Why is Ihaechan laughing alone?
• Let us laugh together, damn it
• Both the interviewer and the interviewee are evil, seriously lol
• Why does the interview keep raising more questions instead of answering them?
• Silent Swordsman's answer (not heard)
• Silent Swordsman interview feature: Only understandable for those with level 1 in the language section of the CSAT
• I can’t even read the first-person sensory link and now I can’t understand the interview, damn it
• Hahahaha
• Lol, viewers with physical and mental abilities can’t watch anymore
• Only the strong survive in the Silent Swordsman content
• Live broadcast for physical, recorded broadcast for mental hahahaha

Despite the overwhelming, angry comments,
there weren’t many really harsh ones.
Ihaechan’s regular viewers
were used to watching the Silent Swordsman’s broadcasts that he showed during his live streams,
and those thirsty for Silent Swordsman content
had already gotten used to Ihaechan’s evil side.

• This is what makes the Silent Swordsman herself
• Lol
• The taste of familiar evil
• The broadcast is totally free-spirited, and that’s what makes it fun
• It has a mint chocolate kind of novelty
• Brush your teeth, you dirty bastard, how long have you not brushed your teeth that it tastes novel
• Hahahahaha
• Mint chocolate does taste like toothpaste lol
• Damn, my toothpaste is strawberry flavored, what do you add to it?
• Ah, if it’s strawberry flavor, then sorry

It wasn’t just a fresh feeling.
Her skills were on par with top-tier physical prowess,
and the viewing pleasure was good, so
the slightly evil antics were accepted as part of her concept,
and a bizarre trend started to form.

“Why the hell is the view count exploding over this?”
“It’s because the editing is so good. You should bow down to me. Agree?”
“This one is definitely a yes.”

Even with the SOUND ONLY interview,
a few of the curiosities about the Silent Swordsman were satisfactorily answered.

(Ihaechan): Did you ever see your sister using a sword in real life, J?
(J): Of course. My sister is really strong. In this monster air raid, she killed over a hundred Lizardmen.
(Ihaechan): So the rumors about Silent Swordsman being an Awakened One are true?
(J): My sister?
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch...
(Ihaechan): Aha, no comment. Let’s move to the next question.

The Silent Swordsman Awakened theory,
which speculated that a regular person couldn’t have such physical strength in Real Mode,
was essentially confirmed by Jua-Young’s testimony and the non-verbal answers from the Silent Swordsman.

(Ihaechan): A lot of viewers are curious why your sister doesn’t speak.
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch...
(J): Our sister can’t speak normally!
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch...
(J): But does the voice get included in the record competition?
(Ihaechan): Huh? Oh, the voice doesn’t get included.
(J): Well, then it doesn’t matter. Our sister is so popular that everyone must have been curious about her voice, huh?
(Silent Swordsman): Stop
(J): Uh, sis. Why are you glaring at me like that? You don’t want me to interrupt? Sorry... I got too excited saying that you’re popular.

It was also revealed that the Silent Swordsman wasn’t purposely silent because she was evil.

(Ihaechan): But your younger sibling is also extremely beautiful and talented. Would it be okay to ask what you do?
(J): I was an Awakened trainee. I worked part-time at a convenience store to pay for the Awakened training academy. But not anymore. I awakened this morning.
(Ihaechan): Ah, I awakened there too. I was so surprised when the air raid alarm went off.
(J): Wow, you fought that well even though you weren’t an Awakened One?
(Ihaechan): If it wasn’t for your sister, I would’ve been in trouble too, you know. This isn’t good. I should team up for a broadcast to repay the favor.
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch.
(Ihaechan): What’s wrong with teaming up on my broadcast?! Others are begging for me to do collaborations!

It was also revealed that all three people in the interview were Awakened Ones,
and it was confirmed that Ihaechan’s collaboration suggestion was rejected.
But despite these surprisingly earnest interviews,
the following happened:

(Ihaechan): What’s your favorite color?
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch.
(Ihaechan): Ah, is it related to your clothes color?
(Silent Swordsman): Scratch scratch.
(Ihaechan): Since your younger sibling chose the outfit for you, it’s unrelated. But your fashion sense is really good. It’s rare to see someone dressed so well.
(J): Cough I do have a good sense, right?

Buried in a conversation only they understood,
the viewers became more impatient.

• So what’s your favorite color?!
• It’s probably not a color that’s not in the clothes, right?
• What color doesn’t go into clothes, you idiot?
• Space colors?
• Suddenly Cosmic Horror?
• This space boy lost his mind and fell into madness lol
• So what kind of clothes were they wearing?!
• Why is it only you who gets to see the good stuff?
• This interview is such an evil one.

Despite the viewers’ frantic cries,
the interview video ended, leaving even more questions unanswered.
The evil, almost cruel interview
became the subject of widespread discussion.
Within a week of being uploaded,
it reached third place on VTube’s weekly trending videos.

Though the interview ended on a cheerful note,
urgent contact came from Ujiu.

“There’s a problem. It seems that Myungho Guild has started looking into me, and it looks like they want to hold your guild member accountable for the actions you’ve taken.”
“...?”
“We need to discuss countermeasures quickly. Where should we meet… Ah, sorry. I forgot to ask because I’m in a rush.”
“...?”
“I’ll contact you again via text.”

Myungho Guild had started investigating.
Ujiu quickly formed a countermeasure plan for Ha Eun-eung and Jua-Young.

“First of all, if they trace me, it won’t be long before the fact that you two are unregistered Awakened Ones is revealed.”
“So what should my sister and I do?”
“You two need to take the registration test immediately. One of my colleagues can help you, and you can take it right now if you’re ready.”

Ha Eun-eung had purposely avoided becoming an Awakened One until now.
Having witnessed the kind of people Awakened Ones were
and experienced firsthand how dangerous their status windows could be through Myungho Guild,
she still had a strong reluctance to become one.
However, this time, she couldn’t avoid making a different decision.

‘I gave up some of my experience points to help Jua-Young become an Awakened One. In a way, I led her into this dirty industry with my own hands.’

If it’s something I can’t take responsibility for,
I should never start it.
On the other hand, once I start something,
I need to take responsibility for it,
and Ha Eun-eung’s strong sense of duty changed her mind.

‘If there’s any external pressure on Jua-Young after becoming an Awakened One, I need to stay by her side and protect her for a while.’

The game can wait.
Right now, Jua-Young’s schedule was more important.
Once Ha Eun-eung agreed,
Jua-Young made a quick call to the convenience store owner,
and with a brighter face, she said,

“The monsters in front of the convenience store are all dead, so there are no customers now. Since I’ve awakened, I don’t need to go to the academy anymore, and I won’t need to work part-time at the convenience store to earn academy fees.”

Since the scheduling issue was resolved,
the two women got into the large van Ujiu had called.

“My name is So Kyung-seok. I’ve been working with Ujiu, aka ‘Spider-Man,’ for several years.”
“I’m Jua-Young. This is my sister.”
[Nice to meet you]
“No, sister, you have to introduce yourself.”
[It’s fine.]
“Why are you embarrassed to introduce yourself? It’s a pretty name.”

Kyung-seok turned his head from the steering wheel.
He had seen on the broadcast that the sister was evil,
but now, there was an evil younger sister bullying her evil older sister.
He had to stop himself from laughing the whole way to the exam hall.

“Depending on the test results, the initial rank will be set, so you should do your best for the best results.”

Since So Kyung-seok started giving tips,
Jua-Young listened carefully and focused,
but Ha Eun-eung simply stared out of the car window, uninterested.
She didn’t seem to care much.

‘She’s bold. If what Ujiu said is half true, she’s no ordinary woman.’

Just like Ujiu,
Kyung-seok, who thought of Ha Eun-eung as a member of a villain organization,
figured she’d do fine without any help from him.

“Good luck. I’ll wait until the exam is over, and you can come to the parking lot afterward.”
“Thanks, mister.”
“Oh no, mister? I’m still young! Anyway, let’s try to aim for D rank. That’s when you start getting the Awakened benefits.”

He said that, but didn’t have high hopes.
The Awakened ranking system
measures personal strength regardless of level
and assigns it based on the Awakening Association’s skill evaluation chart.
Unlike the F and E ranks, where the system benefits you from the start,
starting from D rank, the standards are much higher.
It’s not easy to get a rank above D,
except for professional athletes or a handful of geniuses.

‘Usually, D rank would be a win, but the situation’s tough this time.’

Kyung-seok received a bad notification that Ujiu’s personal information had been searched,
and Myungho Guild’s investigation had started in full force.

‘I can still cover for him with the experience I gained in the monitoring mission… but these guys are tough.’

At this rate, Ujiu’s information will get exposed,
and Ha Eun-eung and Jua-Young’s information will be next.
To avoid getting added to their additional monitoring,
the Awakened rank should be as low as possible.

‘The villain organization wouldn’t want to attract unnecessary attention from the Association. I’ll adjust things, so there’s no need to worry. It’s fine.’

Kyung-seok tried to comfort himself,
but realizing his hands were shaking with tension,
he sighed bitterly and reached for a cigarette.
Concerned about the smell of smoke in the van,
he went to the designated smoking area in the parking lot.

“Potential? It’s ruined. A hopeful from the Asan Guild tried variety shows, but his Awakened rank came up as E. They were complaining that our inspection was wrong, such a hassle.”

Kyung-seok took his earphones out,
trying to eavesdrop while pretending to listen to music,
as he overheard the exam official talking to someone.

‘In this business, you need to listen to others if you want to last.’

As he smoked and listened intently,
he overheard the conversation.

“They said they tried a game broadcast, and they want to become the second Silent Swordsman? They’ll do well in public entertainment, but they’ll get backlash once it’s aired. The PDs’ mood will be bad, right? Thanks to that, the Asan Guild just got stamped into the variety world.”

The mention of the second Silent Swordsman made Kyung-seok’s interest peak for a moment.

“Sorry, Chief. Got an urgent call. Yeah, let’s meet later at the usual place.”

The person ended the call and took out another cigarette,
but the next conversation caught Kyung-seok’s attention.

“So, two newbies came in for the registration test? What, one of them has a C rank? Really?”

Damn.
A sense of dread washed over Kyung-seok as he put his hand to his forehead,
realizing he had just run into a serious problem.
The official’s voice grew louder.

“Wait, what? Another person’s rank just changed? What the hell is this? Why did the scanner results change? Check again!”

Both were initially ranked D.
But as one of their Awakening abilities turned out to be quite powerful,
the other person’s scanner rank suddenly jumped to C.
Now both Ujiu and Kyung-seok were C ranks.

“The guild’s top prospects are supposed to start from D, and now they’re C ranks right from the start? Get them! Find an excuse for additional screening and keep them in the waiting room! If we pass them to the top, we’ll get an incentive! We need to delay it and recruit them for the Association, understood?”

Kyung-seok put his cigarette back and headed back to the exam room,
sighing deeply as he felt the tension rising.