Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

Chapter 91

Who is the strongest enemy that appeared in the Silent Sword Master's broadcast?
If viewers were asked this question, they would undoubtedly give the same answer.
The field boss-level demon, Demon General Biktro, who displayed an overwhelming presence, is widely regarded as the strongest enemy due to his legendary status as the "strongest demon in the world."

But is Demon General Biktro also the strongest enemy in the Half-Demon Valley?
At this point, opinions among viewers began to differ.

"The final boss of the demon route isn't a joke."
"The final boss of the half-demon route is no slouch either."
"Isn't the final boss of the human route the real deal?"
How much demon blood has been infected into them?
How much of their blood have they accepted?
These are the questions that determine the three route branches.
Each route features a unique final boss, and their strength is certainly comparable to that of Demon General Biktro, the strongest demon in the world.

"But if we're talking about that, doesn't Crocodile Hunter fall short?"
"That's true. He's one of the mid-bosses that appears just before the final boss battle in the five consecutive mid-boss rounds."
Crocodile Hunter—a boss-level demon.
He is stronger than early field bosses but pales in comparison to final bosses.
This was the consensus among viewers.

"In the later stages, the demon-mode Executioner would be a better comparison."
"Yeah, I agree."
"While strong, the Executioner feels a bit different from him."
Strong, but somewhat lacking.
If you had to compare, he'd be more like a 1.5-tier player, neither 1st nor 2nd tier.
However, if certain special conditions were added, like excluding demon energy and magic, and considering only martial arts and spear techniques, his danger level could definitely be ranked higher.

"In that case, it's obviously Crocodile Hunter."
"He really messed up by naming him that. Should’ve called him Shin Chang or Spear King."
"Is it just me, or does Crocodile Hunter seem too skilled with a spear?"
"For real, when I went to the Amazon, the indigenous warriors were all killed by spears. Why are they using them?"
"Even fake Great Sage uses a spear, but he's still pretty strong."
"That fake Sun Wukong guy is all about his clones, so not impressed."
Crocodile Hunter—his danger level is considered the number one by far.
Although he may not reach the absolute strength of the Strongest Human or Strongest Demon,
he still belongs to the Spear King ranks and is a spear master worthy of challenging the strongest.

"While not as good as a sword, his spear techniques are still respectable."

To martial artists, swords and sabers are central, but spears are also familiar weapons.
As one gains experience fighting opponents who wield spears, naturally, their understanding of spear techniques grows.
For example, the basic spear technique called Ran Nacchal (???).

Ran - Push outward to strike.
Na - Block inward while pressing.
Chal - Pierce the target instantly.

Most spear techniques revolve around two defenses and one attack, forming a framework of this three-move pattern.

"This demon’s spear techniques are different."

Crocodile Hunter’s spear technique was unique.
His spear techniques were advanced, known as Seom Ban Hyeon (???).

Seom - A dazzling strike like light beams.
Ban - Retract the extended spear swiftly.
Hyeon - Add a dizzying swing to confuse the opponent.

The repeated stabs would occasionally be withdrawn during the attack or swiftly executed,
confusing the timing and rhythm, distorting the attack paths, and misleading the opponent.
He doesn’t stop attacking—each offensive is layered with feints and deceptive movements, replacing defense.
The ratio of attack to defense in his technique is an overwhelming 9:1, with nine attacks to every one defense.

"Ahhhhhhh!"
"How do you block this? How do you block this? How do you block this?"
"How the hell is anyone blocking this?!"
"Isn't the spear multiplying or something?"
"Is it really possible to block this with just my eyes?"
"I think my eyes are broken for sure."
"Isn't it just me, or does anyone else see three spears?"
"Yeah, you're the only one who sees three, I see four."
"No, there's five!"
"Idiots, the more spears, the worse it is, hahaha!"
"LOL, the more you see, the worse a player you are."
"Damn, I saw 13 spears."
"Newbies can do that."
"Is a 10-year vet still a newbie?"
"You’re just a mid-tier newbie."
The barrage of spear strikes was so fierce that even skilled veterans couldn’t block it,
and streamers famous for their physical prowess were also visibly struggling to handle it.

"If even a single strike of his spear catches your sword or you lose control of your blade, that’s the end."

Even just blocking the spears would build up such force that
it would cause physical strain, and eventually, both body and sword would slow down.
Trying to block with slow movements or a sword lacking speed would make it impossible to counter the spear.
To perfectly respond to every attack and counter without getting entangled,
one would need to perform Just Actions over 90% of the time.

[Speedmaster donates 100,000 KRW!]
Pretty easy, huh?

[Breaking News Specialist donates 10,000 KRW!]
(Clip of Speedmaster being faked out and rushing into a counterattack, dying in the process.)

"This is why Crocodile Hunter is terrifying. Even if you can read the timing or trajectory, if it's not a Just Action, the shock will accumulate, forcing you into a stiff state."
"But can you even do Just Actions on your own?"
"The later the combos go, the harder it is to trigger Just Actions, and by the end, it’s almost forced to be a Perfect Action."
"But Silent Sword Master is pulling it off."
"Our master is a monster beyond human standards."
"That’s even more legendary when Sensen charges in faster, then dies even faster."
"He couldn’t turn around because it was too fast, haha!"
While viewers and streamers were all recalling the trauma from Crocodile Hunter and complaining about it,
the Silent Sword Master fought fiercely against the infamous Crocodile Hunter.

"Remarkable swordsmanship. You deflect every attack without wavering, even with a left-handed sword, not a proper sword."

Crocodile Hunter pretended not to notice Silent Sword Master’s true skill, commenting that her sword “deflected” his spear.
However, her sword met his spear not by deflection, but by perfectly countering it.

"My sword doesn't just deflect your spear. It counterattacks it."

"Truly, it feels like being trapped in an endless sea."

No matter the distance, no matter the timing,
Silent Sword Master’s sword always suddenly closed the gap.
When aiming for a 10-unit distance and the spear is drawn back,
she steps back, avoiding the spear’s range, then delivers a strike that nullifies the momentum of his attack.
When aiming for a 3-unit distance and gripping the spear tightly,
she moves even closer and, like the rising tide, approaches with her sword to counter before his combo gains power.

"Perfect defense, without even a single mistake. You've surpassed the precision of humans."

Rather than aiming at lines or surfaces,
she focused all her energy into reading and countering the exact point of the spear's thrust.
If she had been hasty or tried to block the line or surface, her sword would have torn through his spear’s trajectory,
but Ha Eun-eung's sword met the spear at the point with perfect control.
No wasted power, no wasted motion.
With nearly flawless self-discipline, she countered with all her might at that one precise spot.

Clang!

In the blink of an eye, they clashed over a dozen times,
and she cut through several of his follow-up strikes with a single blade,
making his attacks, his spacing, and his balance meaningless with every step she took.
Her small movements were like waves crashing against a boat,
either swelling with power or retreating too fast to touch.

"Isn't this the Power Restriction Zone?"
"Why does it look faster than before?"
"Can awakened players still use magic here?"
"Someone tried before, but it didn’t work."
"So, this speed came without magic?"
"This swordsmanship matches the best spear techniques of the Half-Demon Valley."
A battle with no clear winner, a stalemate.
The fight, which seemed like it would never end, eventually found its conclusion.

[Story mode]

The battle reached a stalemate.
The first to withdraw and lower their weapon was Crocodile Hunter.

[This will do. It seems our fate is not to settle here.]
[Even if we fought more, the guards I expelled will return.]
[I can't share such a rare treat with insignificant things.]

Spinning his spear overhead,
Crocodile Hunter withdrew with a glint of pride in his eyes.

[I'm looking forward to the future where I consume you and grow stronger...]
[True strength and true growth can only come after a true clash of power.]
[I don’t know how, but I can sense you still have strength left. If we meet beyond the Power Restriction Zone, I’m sure you’ll be stronger than now.]

Even though he could have allied with the demons to kill her,
he chose not to take advantage of that opportunity.
His pride as a hunter, wanting to consume the strongest and become the true supreme being,
didn’t allow it.
One could mock his pride, but Ha Eun-eung didn’t.

"That’s what I hoped for as well."

She, too, was curious about the true strength of the demon.
The combination of his spear techniques and demon energy was indeed intriguing.

Crocodile Hunter’s steps led outside,
but as he left, he paused for a moment.

[I’ll give you one last piece of advice.]

His deep voice reached into her mind.

[Monsters are not just built on tradition and history. Every monster must face tragedy before it can truly be formed.]
[The Boogeyman you brought is a being that hides within the monsters.]
[You cannot avoid tragedy if you side with those who have embraced it.]
[Human swordsman, until the day of our final battle, avoid being consumed by tragedy.]

With this ominous advice,
Crocodile Hunter turned his back and walked into the sunset.

[You filthy crocodile! Where are you going?]
[It's the opposite side of where the supervisor is.]

His long shadow stretched like a giant,
flickering like an old streetlight,
before vanishing, and the two demon guards who had been chasing rolled down the trash mountain.

[Player mode]

Watching this, Ha Eun-eung realized:

"Did he want to claim that he was sparing me?"

As Crocodile Hunter departed,
the power she had regained surged.
Among the dead demons and the frightened half-demon slaves,
she drew her sword quietly,
cutting down the half-demon slaves who had betrayed her.

"You're not the only one who was saving energy."

Her sword glowed faintly with a purple hue.
Even within the Power Restriction Zone,
Ha Eun-eung could still manipulate her energy.
The power to turn energy into nullity,
it was a force that could resist the restrictions even within the zone,
as long as one had the will to do so.

Yet she refrained from using that power.

"Because we're both walking the path of the martial artist without weapons."

Just as Crocodile Hunter had enjoyed the sparring,
she too enjoyed facing his spear techniques.
"I look forward to the day of our final battle."

Her sword, stained with the blood of half-demons,
paused only before the half-demon who had once protected her.

"Spears that consume the blood of the strong and swords that accumulate the blood of traitors.
Which one is stronger, we’ll settle it next time."

But before that, there were two relationships that needed to be tied up.
The fearful half-demons crawling on the ground and
the ever-silent companion in the closet.
How much could she trust them?
How far would she walk with them?
Eventually, she would have to make a decision.
But today,
she didn’t want to call herself a coward.
The choice to delay,
the memories of betrayal that caused sweat to gather on her palm.
They could wait until another day.

-Click-

She placed her sword back in its scabbard,
her silent companion always by her side.