A Swordsman's Stream

Chapter 112

The robot’s hearts, which were essentially its lives, amounted to only three.

And currently, all three hearts had turned gray.

This meant that as soon as the robot was thrown into that incinerator, the tutorial would end.

It had to be a tutorial, right?

After all, a tutorial was supposed to be a guide to learning something.

It should be detailed, friendly, and not overly difficult.

It should provide direction for the future and make things enjoyable.

However, if someone playing the game decided that it sounded fun and set it to a nightmare-inducing difficulty level, you’d have no choice but to accept it.

Especially if viewers had set missions, even more so.

It was an unavoidable fate as a streamer.

He noticed that adjustments to the difficulty were possible at intervals, which seemed to be a good idea.

But only for other users.

He had no intention of changing from the nightmare difficulty.

“Let’s push it over there first.”

“Sure.”

Sojun, while moving toward the incinerator, kept his eyes on the robot.

The robot was so damaged that even a toy repair center would wave it off, saying it couldn’t be fixed, and it stared down at ‘what it used to be.’

It seemed as if it might actually cry.

-Haha, we’re sorry
-Hurry up and go dark to protect my money!
-Phase 2 better be really damn hard!

The mission reward had risen to two million won.

Perhaps because it was a hundred thousand won per viewer.

“Are you going to observe the pattern first this time too?”

“Yeah, let’s play it safe.”

“This is the way.”

“Shall we try to make hooking easy, like earlier?”

When Sojun hooked and tugged after going over the enemy, the enemy’s body had no choice but to spin.

This left Taewoo with the simple task of throwing safely without interference.

Of course, earlier, the robot’s arms were a single piece and could only move back and forth, allowing for an unobstructed hook in the first phase. Phase 2 might be a bit different.

But it should work again once they start.

-How much are you going to spoon-feed us!
-Excessive protection hinders a child’s independence…
-Need to make them independent so they can recover from great setbacks and despair later…
-Is everyone going crazy because they think they’re going to succeed in the mission? Haha

Ignoring the chat, Sojun surveyed the robot.

It seemed to have regained its composure and shifted back to rage mode, glaring fiercely.

It seemed ready to roll quickly toward them.

Sojun stepped forward, prepared to meet it head-on.

The biggest difference in Phase 2 was that, unlike before, it could no longer scrape trash, but its arms and hands now allowed for far more freedom of attack.

Whirrrr.

The robot quickly charged toward Sojun, wheels spinning, and immediately swung its arm.

Sojun managed to dodge with a light jump.

Ducking was not an option, as the enemy’s blade loomed too low.

It wasn’t the type of attack you could dodge sideways, nor could it be avoided by retreating due to its long range.

The robot swung a diagonal slash with its opposite arm. Suspended in mid-air was Sojun’s figure, right in its path.

Indeed, nightmare difficulty.

Having jumped on impulse, if he hadn’t double-jumped, he would’ve been left helplessly caught in mid-air.

Sojun stepped backward in empty air.

“Wow!”

That’s why it’s important to use the minimal movements to save your efforts.

As soon as he landed, the robot launched its next attack.

The timing was deliberately narrow enough that, had he not learned the pattern, he might have been hit simply by going “huh”.

And it was his first time facing an opponent this colossal.

Of course.

No problem.

-Oh, hahaha
-Movement is insane
-He’s actually your classmate? What were you doing without learning from him?

As Sojun artfully dodged attacks from the massive enemy using double jumps, Taewoo’s viewers who hadn’t seen Sojun before were amazed.

Every time he improvised a way to dodge, it was truly the pinnacle of physical capability.

And Sojun’s chat was as usual.

Apart from missing a sword, there wasn’t much difference in Sojun’s movements from before.

The only difference was.

-Oh, craving a sword
-Someone please give him one
-If he had a sword, he’d have parried it 150 times by now and ended it haha
-I love seeing the streamer unable to counter-attack!

The system didn’t allow him to do what wasn’t possible.

Time to wrap this up.

After the enemy’s arm slammed down vertically, Sojun dodged with a slight move and signaled to Taewoo before leaping.

Naturally, the opposite blade swung in to block Sojun.

Given that the attack was coming straight at him, leaping over the enemy with a double jump seemed challenging, but Sojun kicked again.

By putting strength into his legs differently than before, his body rotated slowly, allowing him to deftly evade the blade when it slid by.

Then, using the force in his abdomen, he rolled forward and launched the hook.

About time to end it.

Despite it being Phase 2, the number of lives hadn’t increased, right?

Click.

The hook landed perfectly, and Sojun tugged with all his might to turn the robot’s body.

Adding a note as he did.

“If it were me, I would’ve cut the rope with a knife.”

-Clean finish
-Moving like that in the air is tough
-Haha cutting the rope with a knife would be cheating
-Let’s fight by the rules, by the rules

One second.

Two seconds.

The robot’s body turned as Taewoo received the signal and charged in perfect timing.

“Take this!”

Click.

Nightmare difficulty’s nothing special.

Sojun gently soothed the robot as if comforting it.

“Now it’s time to go, okay?”

As they slowly headed towards the incinerator.

-That’s scary
-Come on, robot! Stand up! Do something, cut the rope or whatever!
-A Phase 3 is needed, Phase 3

However, to the disappointment of thankful viewers who had placed bets on the mission, they were greeted with something other than a Phase 3.

* * *

As Sojun and Taewoo dragged the robot to the incinerator, its body moved automatically.

Sojun and Taewoo separated to the sides, pulling the rope to shove it in at once.

Whether it was their coordination failing or intentional, the robot’s body spun as it entered the incinerator.

Inside the incinerator was a steep descent that appeared suddenly, reminiscent of a sheer cliff. Once the robot fell, there seemed no way for it to climb back up.

Fortuitously, the robot managed to hook a blade to the doorway (not with its hands but without catching it) instead of plummeting straight into the furnace.

Its survival instinct was impressive, for a toy.

“Looks like it survived thanks to us.”

Observing this, Sojun made a brief comment.

And Taewoo understood right away.

“Indeed. If we hadn’t intervened, and its arm remained a single piece, it wouldn’t have been able to grab onto that doorway and would’ve dropped into the fire.”

-Ahaha
-Psycho duo haha
-Why did he fall?! Haha
-So shameless

The robot seemed capable of climbing up on its own if not for the interference of Sojun and Taewoo.

Its freedom returned.

Just as they pondered whether they needed to push the robot further, Taewoo’s character commented.

『Should we, like, push?』

(＼ ／)

Where once the robot’s face was filled with rage, it now seemed vulnerable and pitiful.

(ㅠ△ㅠ)

The toy shook its head and shed drops of what could either be tears or oil as Sojun’s character remarked.

『Oh. Kind of cute, isn’t it?』
『Are you crazy?』

It was, indeed, cute.

『The moment it saw us, it charged recklessly.』
『Well, this world is about that, isn’t it? A world where you must live according to what’s determined, what’s crafted. Grabbing us was part of its mission, so it charged.』
『Huh. Shall we spare it?』
『You’re out of your mind.』
『As long as it promises it won’t attack.』
『Yeah. Do as you please.』
『Hey, give you a pass?』

The robot nodded.

Without uttering a word, Sojun listened, and Taewoo wandered here and there.

“Sojun. Maybe we should step back a bit?”

Thinking that maybe it was because they were standing right in front of it, Taewoo hypothesized that the robot might not be using all its strength to pull itself out.

Sojun remarked.

“Then if we stay here, does it just fall?”

“Probably can’t proceed.”

“Oh.”

-Lol haha
-Haha
-Refreshing
-Yes, this is how a streamer should be treated.

“Well, I do have to say something. The protagonists of this game seem to have rather demonic personalities, don’t they? So doesn’t it make sense that my character might have intended to give hope, only to snatch it away? I was just… playing into the character’s intentions…”

『’Hyung-nim’ donated 30,000 won!』
『No excuses』

“Yes.”

Sojun shut his mouth and retreated.

-Paying him also isn’t bad, haha
-The only way we can defeat this streamer
-How do broke viewers beat him? T_T

The robot, with much effort, clambered up.

It approached them with a smile, trying to express thanks by waving its arms.

(^ ^)

The boss battle had ended.

Were they seriously ending it with reconciliation like this?

Well, considering the narration earlier, it wasn’t entirely unbelievable.

It had said something about following orders, hadn’t it?

What kind of world was this?

“Then, let’s head to the marked wall.”

The lower section of the wall beside the room where the compacted robots had entered was marked green, and Sojun and Taewoo headed there along the rounded wall.

The compacted robot followed them from behind.

It didn’t attack.

Was it really okay to change its attitude so drastically just because it was spared?

It’s a classic trope for two opponents to stop fighting after one spares the other from mortal danger and become friends.

When they reached the marked spot, the compacted robot swiftly passed them and went in front.

Art commented.

『Not through the front? Your friends are asleep?』

The robot nodded.

『What’s going on? Did you gain some ability?』
『No. Just figured it out. So if there are friends, where do we head out?』
『Hmm. The protagonist navigated through the ropes directly to the outlet, but for us, it wasn’t reachable. Probably due to splitting into two units?』
『Combine into one and try again.』
『But first, I have something to test. I know a hidden passage. It was meant as an Easter egg.』
『Did you come up with it? So does it really exist?』
『Yeah. This compacted vehicle was something we only envisioned and hadn’t actually created, yet here it is. So maybe the hidden passage exists too.』
『Well. We scarcely created anything, but maybe you alone. Anyways, go ahead and search.』

Sojun placed his hand on the wall with the green mark.

Then the wall moved, with precision like machinery, revealing a small opening.

The compacted robot clapped its hands when it saw this.

Bang! Bang!

Sparks flew.

“Here we go!”

After waving goodbye to the robot, Taewoo entered the small opening, and Sojun followed suit.

The secret passage was narrow and so low that it was impossible to even raise a heel.

After walking a little further, they could see the end of the passage, and Taewoo, who had been ahead, suddenly stopped.

Sojun moved beside him and asked, immediately understanding the reason.

“Why?”

“Oh boy. Nearly fell off.”

A cliff greeted them.

“Guess we’re supposed to take this?”

“Yeah.”

Taewoo indicated a stick hanging from a rope in front of them.

On each side were hooks that roped could be attached to, and these parts glowed green.

Sojun and Taewoo launched hooks to secure them there and pressed a button-like fixture on the wall.

Whirrrrr.

With the sound of pulleys spinning, they swiftly ascended to their destination.

Taewoo yelled.

“Whoa!”

Squeak?

A rat?

-???

-Why did he yell?
-It’s just a common rat, haha
-What?

And Sojun, who had been watching, grinned mischievously.

Seemed like his speech had decreased since a little while ago.