The World Didn’t Collapse When I Returned -55-
055.
“Akuma···” So, how did Akuma, who used a nickname spelled backwards as a sub-account, appear before Lee Dohyuk?
The full story was as follows.
Snap-
After the conversation with Beyond ended, Akuma left under the pretext of practicing.
He promptly entered his capsule and connected to Full Dive.
Not a pro player from another game, or maybe an amateur streamer?
Honestly, initially, it seemed like a common flirtation.
“But if Beyond hyung said it to this extent…”
It might not just be a flirtation.
It might actually be a talent.
There was a need to confirm with his own eyes.
“He said he broadcasted on Twork.”
Due to the team contract terms, Akuma was familiar with the platform where he had streamed a few times.
Entering the search bar, he typed in the three letters, Lee Dohyuk.
[Hmm, Iron Fist? Let’s try it out / Lee Dohyuk / 27,265 viewers]
[Hmm, Ultimate Fighter? Let’s try it out / Ji Anchu / 1,527 viewers]
Two broadcasts popped up.
“…?”
Due to the similar titles, Akuma hesitated for a moment.
“Why is the search algorithm like this?”
Why were two different streamers with similar titles searched together?
Although the female streamer playing Ultimate Fighter, who looked cute, caught his interest… he had other things to do for now, so he just bookmarked it for later.
“Seems to like fighting games.”
But why play a crappy game like Eolfah.
I should get closer under the pretext of introducing Iron Fist later, Akuma thought.
Anyway, he clicked on Lee Dohyuk’s broadcast.
Snap-
“The viewer count is quite high.”
As part of his duties as a pro gamer, when Akuma occasionally turned on his broadcast, his average viewership was around 1-2 thousand.
Even that halved the moment Beyond turned his on.
Mostly, they were fans of him personally, not of Beyond or the VSS team he belonged to.
“Not really lagging behind in skill, though.”
If there was anything lacking, it was the fewer years of pro experience and trophy count compared to Beyond, and the level of stardom.
However, excluding those, Akuma believed himself to be equal to or even superior to Beyond in terms of skill.
In other words, it meant that to achieve the popularity of Beyond or Anatol, he just needed those things.
As for the years of experience as a pro, they would accumulate over time, and he was equally confident about the number of trophies.
So, what remained was just one thing.
Stardom.
And to attain that stardom…
“Taking what others have is the best.”
Though lacking compared to Anatol and Beyond, the moment when Akuma’s fan base reached around 1,000 to 2,000 was similar to that.
The time when Akuma first gained fame was when he defeated Anatol in the domestic tournament semifinals.
That victory only brought his record against the opponent to 1 win and 5 losses, and although he now stands at 3 wins and 9 losses, that first victory undoubtedly brought him the most attention.
[Snap-!]
-Kya
-Wa
-Jiryotta
-Ss
Idohyuk’s live broadcast.
Playing Kuzo, he was shown skillfully dodging all of Miyamoto’s goblin attacks.
“One of his reactions is quite fast.”
Akuma muttered as he watched.
Though his rank was low, the level of opponents Idohyuk faced was quite high.
“Is he a sniper?”
With so many viewers, there would likely be hundreds of snipers among them.
Probably not at the level of a top-tier player, but… just below that.
At the entrance to the Golden Stage.
That level was sufficient to be recognized as a master.
And like a true master, Idohyuk skillfully dodged all the goblin attacks at the right timing.
However, Idohyuk effortlessly evaded all of them.
Snap-!
Thud, thud, thud!
Not stopping there, he counterattacked.
“Still… hmm. He’s good at striking, isn’t he? Doesn’t seem to have invested much time.”
In the moment, his sharpness was unmistakable.
Despite being a clear subordinate character, every time a slight flaw was revealed by his opponent, he pounced on it like a ghost.
Furthermore, his reaction speed in defending against attacks was exceptional.
Snap-! Swoosh!
How many more minutes did he watch the broadcast?
“······”
Akuma’s gaze grew even deeper.
He acknowledged it.
I see it now.
“Beyond-hyung wasn’t lying.”
He said we might meet in the rank game in a day or two.
He does have the physique to back up such claims.
But that’s about it.
“As expected, his skill level is still low.”
He doesn’t have a deep understanding of Iron Fist.
From Noble mtl dot com
He solely relies on his physique to compete.
He appears to be the typical “expert from a different fighting game.”
Perhaps after gaining more experience and a better understanding of the game and other characters…
“For now.”
He had the upper hand, only victory in sight.
With that thought in mind, Akuma logged into Iron Fist while maintaining his Twok broadcast.
[“Hmm…”]
– I have a master’s degree, and that “hmm” is like, “Hmm (not very good).”
– I have a Ph.D., and that’s wrong. “Hmm (that’s not how you use dual swords) at all.”
– hahahaha, nope, I’m right.
[“Oh.”]
[“The second one is correct.”]
– Oh, nailed it?
– Oh, definitely the Ph.D. is right.
– Where’s the master pretending to know about it, hahahaha?
– The master… replying…?
“······”
I don’t know why the viewers over there are so excited and chattering about that one word “hmm.”
For now, it was time to claim the star status of Lee Dohyuk, where people cheer for anything he says.
As Beyond once guaranteed, if he were to become a formidable top player…
“But didn’t he lose to Akuma before?” It was to make them hear.
And it wasn’t just about winning.
[16 wins 0 losses]
Lee Dohyuk’s current win-loss record.
“The account he used last time wasn’t that different from this one… he even did well with that account against Kujo.”
Beyond that, trying to bring up, “But didn’t he lose to Akuma in a mirror match?”
[Searching for a game]
.
.
.
After a few rounds of sniping that began like that.
[Hmm, is that the end/KR]
#1774
‘···Caught!’
Facing off against him was Akuma.
**
Clang-
[GET READY FOR THE NEXT BATTLE]
Fight!
“Fortunately.”
Ido-hyuk, seeing his opponent, wore a satisfied expression.
[A-MU-KA]
[21 Wins 0 Losses]
His opponent boasting an undefeated streak.
Although Ido-hyuk had climbed up the ranks with an impressive record of 18 wins out of 18 matches so far, they were all locals who possessed skills befitting their current ranks.
Most of them were actually sub-characters who had come to target Ido-hyuk.
Perhaps because Ido-hyuk had never taken a stance against targeting in broadcasts, post-matches, the sub-character players who came to the show would say things like, ‘Just met you, you’re really good ㅠㅠ,’ ‘Wow.. where’s your main character? Got hit non-stop without a breather,’ and such.
Although Ido-hyuk wasn’t entirely sure about the Iron Fist’s ranking system, judging from the viewers’ reactions, it seemed like the main characters were in quite a high tier.
‘What was it, Platinum and Gold? Anyway, those people didn’t have a single win.’
At best, they had ambiguous win rates like 15 wins 5 losses, 23 wins 8 losses.
According to the viewers, in Iron Fist, there exists a so-called ‘sub-character village’ to prevent sandbagging.
It matches newcomers with newcomers based on their records and gameplay, and sub-characters with sub-characters.
Of course, Ido-hyuk had also entered this sub-character village.
As a result, he had mostly encountered sub-character players so far.
And the opponent he faced this time was a user who hadn’t lost a single match, just like Ido-hyuk.
– His win rate is also 100%;
– Amazing ㄷㄷ
– If that’s the case, he’s a god, right?
– What the?
– Could be a prodigy
– Yes, there’s a high possibility
Ido-hyuk read the viewers’ chat.
A god-like rank in Iron Fist.
If the opponent was of a rank close to that, he must be a master for sure.
With this level, he might be able to put up a decent fight.
Swoosh-
With that thought, Ido-hyuk picked Kuzo.
“···Oh?”
Following that, Ido-hyuk’s eyes widened.
Swoosh-
As he picked Kuzo, the opponent also chose Kuzo, as if waiting for him.
Was it just a coincidence?
– Ka
– Choose this Kuzo?
– Kekekekeke Sniper or not?
– Voluntary surrender or what
– What the heck is this
Could it be true that I’m a sniper as the chat suggests?
Idohyuk gently stroked his chin.
“Hmm…”
The hm he let out.
Sizzle-
Upon hearing that, the opponent who smiled broadly appeared.
“It seems I am indeed a sniper.”
Well, who would have thought that there would be such a skilled person among his fans already.
He even felt a bit grateful that they had found him.
“I saw in the chat that there are people who dislike sniping.”
From Idohyuk’s perspective, he hadn’t really thought much about it yet.
After all, there hadn’t been any disruptions to his broadcast so far.
There might even be kind(?) snipers who consider the broadcast when sniping.
[READY]
“I was feeling a bit uncertain about it, to be honest.”
He had only mastered a few of Kuzo’s skills.
A dash and a few attack moves.
So, he was considering setting aside some time to practice.
“What was that called again?”
Beyond who rolled over? No, Gyo-bojae?
Whatever it was…
[FIGHT]
“I’ll… take it?”
**
Hook! Hook!
As if to approach immediately, he twitched his body, then backdash, then advanced again.
Akuma repeatedly narrowed the distance, waiting for the opponent’s careless move.
But Idohyuk showed no particular reaction, whether due to patience or some other reason.
Thwat!
“You still won’t come in like this?”
Akuma seemed to aim for the opponent’s lower body immediately and lowered his posture to approach.
He intentionally exposed weaknesses.
But still, the opponent remained motionless.
Is Akuma aware that he is trying to bait his attacks?
Or does he really have no reason to react because he doesn’t intend to attack at all?
“···!”
Crack!
Akuma swiftly closed the distance, pretending to fall back to confirm it.
Kujo’s characteristic high-speed dash shines.
Boom!
A leg extended forcefully at the end of the dash.
Swoosh-
Idohyuk lightly leaned his waist to evade it.
But Akuma’s strategy didn’t end there.
The trajectory of the soaring leg reversed.
A kick rising high and then striking down in reverse.
Whoosh!
Idohyuk stepped back, evading the attack.
“Hmph!”
Seeing this, Akuma smirked.
No food at a famous feast.
Had he not faced a worthy opponent who hadn’t properly countered his attacks?
“Well, that’s to be expected.”
Perhaps he had encountered some decent supporting characters, but they were no match for Akuma.
Meeting opponents of such caliber was a rare occurrence for him.
Unable to find openings, he could only focus on dodging the attacks.
Thud!
Akuma forcefully planted his foot on the ground.
His body straightened, unleashing an explosive Dragon Kick.
Or rather… he was aiming low, not high.
Akuma swiftly bent his body for a moment.
Then came the leg sweep.
“Little rat!”
But it missed its mark.
He had rattled the Ultimate Fighter.
At least in terms of reaction speed and instant evasions, even Akuma had to acknowledge it.
Of course, if you miss, just keep hitting until you land a blow!
Thwack! Thud!
Akuma continued to swiftly move his body, targeting Idohyuk.
“Then… let’s keep pushing here!”
Idohyuk was streaming.
The current footage was bound to stay.
If you’re going to preserve it, might as well make it a spectacular preservation.
Akuma’s body spun around, targeting Idohyuk.
Moving forward in a dash, tracing a straight line.
Thud! Thwack!
The relentless assault continued, attack after attack.
Akuma relentlessly drove his opponent to the wall without any room to breathe.
Thud.
And then the moment when Idohyuk realized there was a wall behind him.
Thwack!
Idohyuk’s leg extended for the first time.
Akuma, whom he had not anticipated, managed to react just in time.
“…Oh.”
Idohyuk let out a small gasp.
Even his gaze was different from when the battle had just begun.
“Better than I thought?”
He wasn’t just any ordinary player.
From the continuous barrage of attacks to the flow leading them, it seemed like he might be one of the best among his own viewers.
And that wasn’t all.
-Kya!
-Who on earth is this second Beyond?
-M? L
A dazzling display of skills.
But it wasn’t just about the flashiness.
It combined practicality, and almost dissected every technique up to the level of deconstructing all of Kuzo’s skills.
It could be seen as a lavish giving without holding back.
“Sensei Dohyuk, you’re too much. Give him at least one hit for trying so hard.”
“Why ‘give him a hit’ instead of ‘hit him’?”
“Oh, hahahaha, to us, that’s the reward.”
At that moment, the chat window caught his eye.
Come to think of it, he had forgotten to turn off the chat window.
Partly because he hadn’t needed to until now, facing opponents who didn’t require it.
Kwaaang!
Was it a warning not to be distracted?
A swift spinning top kick traced a sharp trajectory.
Idohyuk’s gaze returned to his opponent.
Of course, he had read all the viewers’ chat a while ago.
“Shall we see, then?”
He felt like he had seen enough so far.
Perhaps it would be good to show gratitude to the opponent by giving some tuition fees as a token of appreciation.
Suddenly, that idea crossed Idohyuk’s mind.
But it wasn’t like he could actually afford to give real money.
“Did I say ‘reward’?”
Just then, a good idea popped into his mind.
Whoosh!
The moment Ido-hyuk leaped forward.
Akuma instinctively dodged his body.
But Ido-hyuk’s movement was even faster.
Swish!
Outstretched leg.
Akuma’s arms and legs moved swiftly.
Thud!
A narrowly blocked strike.
-Huh?
-?
-No way.
The fluctuating chat box.
Not everything was as it seemed.
At best, only one attack was expected to land; recognizing some was all that could be done.
Furthermore, the character Ido-hyuk was currently handling was Kujo.
Kwahng!
Kujo, by design, wasn’t a character who used flames.
Even if he was, it wouldn’t have been implemented in the game system.
Crash!
Once again, Ido-hyuk’s leg swiftly extended.
This time, a successful strike.
As Akuma’s face contorted.
-Wow.
-Gasp.
-Ow.
-?
-Yikes.
The chat speed increased dramatically.
If it goes on like this, they might not be able to recognize each other at all.
“Cough!”
Akuma, screaming in agony.
A flurry of strikes rained down on him.
Ido-hyuk’s signature move.
No… a tragic combo separate from the original creator.
Whoom- grasp!
Kwaaang!
From Senpung-gak to Hongyeom-gak, followed by a shattered collarbone.
The moment when those moves, originally exclusive to Ultimate Fist, transcended the game under the control of someone who transcended dimensions.
-Fan service overload ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Kya
-Sensei, can you do that???
-High-grade reward, wow
-Wow
-Amuka, that bastard, is so lucky to see that in front of his eyes
Of course…
Such a sight of Akuma was simply enviable for Idohyuk’s viewers.
-Amazing
-If I had done something ‘beyond’ like that… It would be right to receive such a reward
-Ah… Beyond’s legacy here…
From Noble mtl dot com
-hahahaha, keep telling him not to kill me ㅋㅋ