As Expected...

Even as Yor fought the owlbear, the broadcast was still running.

Despite being injured and dying in real time, that was no reason to stop the stream.

Thanks to this, Kim Mari and her viewers got to watch Yor’s battle from start to finish.

At first, when Yor faced off against the owlbear, the viewers were understandably worried. While they had a rough idea that Yor was strong, this was a level 107 monster.

A monster that even dozens of high-level players might struggle to take down.

Given how rare and interesting this NPC had become, it was only natural that they were concerned.

[What is he doing, seriously?]

[No, he should be running!]

[Don’t die! He can’t die!]

At the start, the chat was filled with worried comments. Unlike players who could revive, if an NPC died, that was the end of the story.

[But… isn’t he a little too calm?]

As the fight went on, however, their concerns began to fade.

The first moment of awe came when Yor dodged the owlbear’s claws. The creature’s attacks were so fast they were hard to see, yet Yor avoided them with ease.

[Whoa.]

[Did he really just dodge that?]

[He’s moving so smoothly, holy crap.]

This was something even the fastest member of Kim Mari’s party, the archer, hadn’t been able to do.

The second moment of awe came when Yor’s spear cut through the owlbear’s flesh. Despite the spear looking almost like a toy compared to the creature’s massive body, it sliced through the monster’s tough skin.

[Wait, what?]

[Look at that counterattack, it’s so natural.]

[Those feathers actually got sliced?]

[Who the hell is this guy?]

Even the party’s strongest member, the mage, hadn’t been able to break through the owlbear’s defenses.

The third moment was when Yor prepared to thrust his spear. But calling it awe might be an understatement—it was more like shock.

The first two feats, while impressive, were within the realm of what the viewers could understand.

An NPC they had suspected was strong dodged and counterattacked a powerful monster. It was something they had vaguely expected and hoped for.

But the final spear thrust? That was beyond anything they had imagined.

Hummm...

As Yor readied his spear, an intense aura began to flow around him. Mana surged in the air, swirling around him and invigorating his body.

His muscles bulged, radiating a refined killing intent, and the blade of his spear glowed blue.

At this point, Kim Mari’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Then came the thrust.

BOOM!

The spear shot forward, ripping through the owlbear’s body.

It didn’t just pierce the creature—the force of the strike tore the owlbear apart, with a gaping hole left where the spear had passed through.

The spear itself was smaller than a fist, but the wound left behind was massive, easily the size of a soccer ball.

No player could dream of wielding such power.

Naturally, the viewers were in an uproar.

[???]

[?????]

[What the hell did I just witness?]

[No way. How is that even possible???]

Shock, confusion, and awe filled the chat, the messages pouring in at a furious pace. The chat was flooded with question marks as viewers struggled to comprehend what they had just seen. Normally, Kim Mari would have activated chat restrictions to calm the chaos, but even she was too stunned to react.

What had she just witnessed?

Defeating an owlbear—that she could understand.

After all, she wasn’t naive enough to underestimate an NPC living in a high-level zone. There had to be a reason for his survival.

But to take down an owlbear in a single hit?

Defeating and one-shotting a monster were two very different things. For that, you needed an overwhelming gap in power.

He hadn’t just pierced its tough hide—he had shredded it.

And then there was the other thing that had caught her attention: the blue energy around Yor’s spear. Most of the viewers had missed it, but with her battle experience, Kim Mari recognized what it was.

‘That’s... aura, isn’t it?’

Aura.

A technique reserved for the strongest of the strong, the defining trait that separated the common soldier from the elite.

It was said that even seasoned knights had to fight in wars for years to learn how to manifest aura.

It was a high-level skill, and among the player base, no one had managed to use it yet.

And now, an NPC had just casually demonstrated it.

Kim Mari’s mind was a whirlwind of confusion.

‘Just who is this guy?’

Was he some kind of retired war hero? But he didn’t even look older than she was. Was aura something you learned just by living in this forest?

She didn’t know. Thoughts swirled through her head, one after the other, disappearing just as quickly.

While she stood there, dumbfounded, Yor casually approached her, as if that overwhelming display of power had never happened.

For some reason, his thin short-sleeved shirt and shorts didn’t even register in her mind anymore after witnessing his strength.

When he finally reached her, he squatted down like some kind of delinquent and looked her in the eyes.

“Because of you, my neighbor died.”

“...Huh?”

Naturally, Kim Mari had no idea what he was talking about and could only tilt her head in confusion.

Of course, Yor wasn’t about to explain that the owlbear had been his neighbor. She’d probably think he was crazy if he did.

After a brief silence, Kim Mari finally spoke.

“I don’t really understand what happened, but... I’m sorry. And thank you. I almost died to the owlbear.”

“...Yeah, sure.”

Yor nodded indifferently. After all, he had already shed his tear for the owlbear, so there was no need for her to apologize.

Looking at her, he noted how badly injured she was.

“You’re hurt pretty badly.”

“...Yes.”

Her body was a complete mess. She was still alive, but she was bleeding out rapidly.

Though her synchronization rate was low, so she wasn’t in too much pain, her mind was starting to go hazy. It wouldn’t be long before she died and logged out.

“Do you have any potions?”

“No. We had a priest, so I didn’t bring any.”

Her tone had grown noticeably more polite, despite the fact that she looked older than Yor. It was hard to be casual with someone this powerful.

Inwardly, she cursed herself. Damn it, if only I’d brought a potion, I could’ve stayed alive a little longer.

“Hmmm...”

Just then, Yor handed her something.

“Eat this.”

It was a bright red fruit.

It didn’t look like an apple, nor any other fruit she recognized. Clearly, it was some kind of in-game specialty.

She felt a flicker of hope and asked him:

“Is this... a healing item?”

“Nope. It’s just tasty. Thought you’d like it before you die.”

Yor casually mentioned that at least if she was going to die, she might as well enjoy something good.

Kim Mari was at a loss for words. What was he even talking about?

The chat seemed just as baffled.

[Excuse me, is he insane?]

[Hey, show some respect to Yor!]

[Ah, I get it! When someone’s dying, you give them something tasty, right?]

Various reactions popped up in the chat.

Still, since he had given it to her, Kim Mari accepted it, unsure of what else to do.

“Ah... Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Yor smiled slightly, already thinking about how he would loot her items after she died.

What was a piece of fruit compared to the gear she’d drop?

Kim Mari took a bite of the fruit.

Crunch.

With her low synchronization rate, she didn’t taste much of anything. And with that one bland bite, her life ended.

Her vision blurred, and the last thing she saw before logging out was her viewer count.

15,000 viewers.

The stream had been a massive success.

After the Battle...

Kim Mari’s stream ended with great fanfare.

Though her entire party had been wiped out and she had lost most of her gear, she had at least shown the player base just how impossible the Forbidden Forest still was.

With field monsters over level 100 wandering around, and most players barely reaching level 60, the gap in strength was overwhelming.

Not only that, but she had shown them what Yor was capable of.

News of the stream spread like wildfire through the community.

[This makes no sense.]

“How high is his level to one-shot an owlbear? I can’t even imagine it.”

[Go back and rewatch the fight—look at how relaxed his expression is, LOL.]

[To all the people who doubted him, time to bow your heads.]

[I’m sorry for ever doubting him...]

[I’ll never act out again...]

[And today we learned we’re still weak as hell.]

“What can we even beat? We get destroyed by knights, decapitated by monsters, and we have to risk our lives just to beat low-level mercenaries. What’s next? Losing to a stray dog?”

[We’re the weakest species in the game, LOL.]

[Even the top-ranked players can barely compete with A-rank mercenaries. What do we expect?]

[Whatever, once we level up, we’ll crush everything!]

[By the way, what was Yor muttering during the fight?]

“I’ve been rewatching the video of the fight, but Kim Mari was too far away to hear him. Does anyone know how to read lips?”

[Wait, really? He was talking?]

[How many times did you watch that to notice?]

[So what did he say?]

["Mr. Owlbear, I’m really sorry things ended up this way..."]

[WTF????]

[Wait, is he actually talking to monsters? This guy’s insane.]

[I love him... he’s a bit crazy, but he’s hot.]

The community was in an uproar. Though it was just a small niche forum, the chaos within was like a full-blown storm. Yor’s performance had left an impact far beyond what anyone had expected.

Of course...

“Wow... unbelievable...”

Among those watching the posts was Yoo Chaerin.