1.

The game had come to a standstill after clearing the first field.

The second hand of the clock in the gray world had stopped.

Time in this closed world began to move again with the appearance of the Silent Swordmaster.

[You have cleared the tutorial field, the Hill of Corpses.]

[From now on, you can choose a field to challenge or change your target location midway.]

[However, after a certain amount of time, unique events will automatically occur in each field.]

[As a result, friendly NPCs may die or hostile NPCs may become stronger.]

[Remember, the moment your caution holds you back, someone will pay the price.]

Ha Eung-eung thought to herself.

It’s a well-thought-out game.

‘Famous games are indeed different.’

The game’s structure is based on multiple runs.

Players with weaker skills will suffer losses during their progression and challenge this brutal world once more in search of a better outcome.

In contrast, skilled players will sharpen their swords to achieve the best results possible.

With the timeline event system capturing both the story and gameplay, it brought a unique enjoyment to the “Demon’s Lament.”

Thanks to that, the choices appearing right after leaving the Hill of Corpses became quite perplexing.

【Choose a Path】

[1. Follow the scent of the collapsed fortress and rusty iron.]

[2. Head down the blood-red river.]

[3. Find the shrine entrance marked by a vermilion torii gate.]

The crumbled fortress, the river of blood, and the path to the shrine.

Being given multiple choices evokes some ominous imaginings.

Could one of these be the correct answer?

What if I choose incorrectly and face severe consequences?

‘There are hints available.’

The intellect that boasted excellent stats due to numerous elixirs.

Even though the high intellect of the martial arts days remained at ‘[Intellect] 35’ due to physical reset,

the remnants of the intellect that glimpsed the workings of the heavens provided clues to the answers.

【Story Characters】

1. An unknown wanderer

2. [Unavailable] (Unlock Condition: Defeat the first boss.)

3. [Unavailable] (Unlock Condition: Reach the Seer’s temple.)

4. [Unavailable] (Unlock Condition: Encounter the sage of the swamp.)

New Characters: Unlocking all the above characters will reveal the unlocking conditions for new story characters.

A list seen during character creation that outlines what objectives to pursue if one were to progress through the game conventionally.

Among these, the most suitable location for the three paths is the shrine entrance.

Finding the Seer’s temple and searching for something arranged for players there, then heading downstream to meet the sage of the swamp.

That’s probably the answer.

Ha Eung-eung believed it was eight out of ten likely correct.

‘That arrangement is for beginner players. It has nothing to do with me, though.’

 

She already possesses martial arts skills.

Whatever arrangement is made for her,

there’s doubt about whether it’s truly needed.

A set timeline.

In a game where time is more precious than gold,

it might be better to encounter the sage of the swamp directly

rather than chasing after an arrangement that may or may not help.

‘Then let’s go.’

[Follow the blood-red river.]

[Entering field ‘Blood Tunnel Channel.’]

It was a decision she made with calculations and confidence.

Countless hooks were raised,

with viewers bursting into laughter in real-time.

Ha Eung-eung had no way of knowing their thoughts.

2.

[New V-Tube BJ]

[The Silent Swordmaster has started broadcasting.]

[Game – Demon’s Lament (Simiral)]

[Playtime – 00:19:12]

[Broadcast Time – 00:00:01]

The Silent Swordmaster has returned.

It had been ten long days since the last broadcast,

but already her channel was swarmed with viewers like a pack of angry hyenas.

[Followers: 10,522]

[Viewers: 1,090]

As soon as it started, the viewer count shot past 1,000.

Many of them were either watching gameplay videos from other streamers or had played the game themselves.

They knew how challenging this game was, which only elevated their respect for the Silent Swordmaster.

-?

-?

-Why aren’t you going to the shrine?

Hooks kept coming in.

This wasn’t following the standard.

-No, you have to learn the skills!

-No, how far are you planning to go with starting items?!

The Silent Swordmaster does not follow the standard.

Viewers thought they knew this from the last broadcast.

-You’re not going to meet the successor?

-If you don’t learn the basics, you won’t have any skills.

-What about healing items?

No, she won’t receive any.

-What about blessings?

-None.

-What about torches and shurikens?

She says she doesn’t need any of those.

-What the heck is this?

-Can you even progress in the game?

No matter what, there’s a limit to this.

For item supply, functionality opening, and comfortable gameplay,

the shrine entrance is a must in the first run.

 

Is it really possible to progress in the game while completely ignoring all of this?

Most viewers were overcome with disbelief.

-Thank you to the viewers who joined me with Silent Swordmaster MK1.

I’ll see you soon with Silent Swordmaster MK2.

-She’s going there without any antidotes, haha.

-The Silent Swordmaster is charging into a field that others reach around the fourth round.

-She probably didn’t look up any strategies.

-Moreover, that’s fine.

-It’s kind of refreshing to see a beginner with that kind of vibe.

-How long will she last?

-1 minute.

-But the Silent Swordmaster is here, so she’ll last at least 5 minutes.

-Ox.

It’s acknowledged that the Silent Swordmaster’s physical abilities are impressive.

It’s acknowledged, but

even so, Blood Tunnel Channel is crossing the line.

Without item openings,

skill openings,

or blessings,

the difficulty is far too high to clear with basic equipment.

If only she had the strategy item, antidote wine, but that’s not even there.

If she breathes wrong just once, she’ll lose health and likely die from dot damage.

-But the patterns are too cruel.

-The humanity of the Silent Swordmaster.

Still, it seems even this exceptional newcomer is just human.

-?

-?

-Why the instant death?

-??

-Why is there no dot item?

Such expectations were foolishly betrayed.

It was then that the viewers realized

whose broadcast they were watching.

The Silent Swordmaster.

She is a skilled player who doesn’t have to follow the standards set by others,

forging her own path.

3.

[Story mode]

A broad riverside.

The soil stained blood-red.

The channel along the blood-red riverbank.

There are bizarre creatures wandering in and out.

Armed with spears made from bones.

Covered in scales, blood, and gills.

The name of that repulsive thing came to mind.

[Demon of Water]

Unlike in the tutorial field,

a haunting narration flowed out as if to instill fear.

[From the channel, the unclean ones reveal themselves.]

[The stench that cannot be masked even by the fishy smell wafts through.]

[The faint screams add to the fear; this is the cursed place, Blood Tunnel Channel.]

Wheeeooow!

 

[And now.]

[As the wind changes direction, your scent flows into the Demons of Water.]

[Facing the shabby Demons of Water with spears, you can decide.]

[Will you muster the courage to press forward, chasing the faint screams,]

[or will you retreat, considering it a warning carried on the wind?]

With that provocatively audible warning, control of the body returned.

[Player mode]

A human armed with a weapon is over three times stronger than an unarmed human.

From an exceptionally long range, you take no damage

while unilaterally inflicting harm on your opponent.

Even the opponent is a half-demon.

Unlike the unarmed blood demons, the demons armed with spears.

Players visiting the Blood Tunnel Channel for the first time are astonished by the spear’s reach and struggle.

‘It’s not a great level.’

The common trials

have nothing to do with Heeungung.

The moment the spear clashed with the sword, I sensed the difference.

Despite the impressive name of the demons,

there’s absolutely no technique in their spear skills,

and their water-soaked bodies fail to exert proper strength.

An opponent lacking both skill and power

is nothing more than a toy.

Clang!

The demon missed its spear thrust.

The head of the now unarmed demon was swiftly severed.

The headless corpse

suddenly swelled up like a balloon.

It’s best to avoid anything suspicious for now.

Following the martial arts saying, I stepped back.

The corpse exploded with a pop, scattering putrid gas and rotten flesh everywhere.

Swish!

Thud!

For someone with a weak mind,

it wouldn’t be surprising to scream and faint at such a scene.

Heeungung merely frowned.

It’s hard to think of anything good,

but unpleasant memories always resurface quickly.

She had similar experiences in the martial world.

The notorious masters of the dark faction.

Known as the Dark Three Kings in the martial realm.

One of the Three Kings, Poison King Dokgoseong, built the Poison King Gate, named after his alias.

The poisoned beings from the Poison King Gate emitted toxins so potent that even the surrounding soil decayed after death.

‘They were disgusting trash.’

The mindset that regarded the Guumjeolmaek patients as mere elixirs to replenish the dark energy.

The cold-hearted leadership that used her disciples as disposable tools.

The hostile relationship born from Dokgoseong’s unilateral greed only ended after many poisoned beings and a city turned to ashes.

‘Though the level is different, the countermeasures are the same.’

To eliminate the cursed beings that taint every inch of land,

I had to destroy the Poison King that spawned them.

Similar to the demons of water,

the head demon had turned half-demons by feeding on blood.

I must find and kill that chief monster.

With the sword tip inclined,

the blade vibrated with a hum, as if responding to its master’s anger.

-If she breathes wrong just once, she’ll bleed to death from dot damage.

-The patterns are too cruel.

-The humanity of the Silent Swordmaster.

The Silent Swordmaster’s exploits come to an end here.

For the viewers who measured her by common sense,

this unpredictable event was something they couldn’t even dare to guess.

-?

-?

-Why is there no dot item?

With no antidote to prevent the poison,

they expected her to soon die, bleeding from her mouth.

Yet the Silent Swordmaster survived.

<National Pride Swordsman Lee Hae-chan donated 10,000 won!>

Holding her breath until she was out of the range of the biogas, she cut down the demons in one sweep.

-Hae-chan, are you peeking again?

-No, are you crazy? Fighting while holding your breath?

-How do you fight while holding your breath?

-She probably takes a huge breath and fights.

-I almost suffocated while holding my breath at home for 20 seconds.

-Stop smoking already.

-So the Silent Swordmaster doesn’t smoke, huh?

-Oh.

-Oh, haha.

-If she can slice through everything with one blow, holding her breath must not be hard.

-Ah, haha. If we don’t take a minute for each demon like us, she can manage.

Essential strategy items.

Skill openings needed for exterminating demons.

Collecting strategy information.

Not following a single established method,

the confrontation is solely established through the Silent Swordmaster’s skill.

<Dahye, 10,000 won donated!>

Since so many demons died in one space, she also removed the gas with sword pressure in between.

<Left-Handed, 10,000 won donated!>

Oh no, you shouldn’t go in there… Did you kill them all? Oh no, you shouldn’t have done that… Did you kill them all?

<Stock Filling, 10,000 won donated!>

Breaking news) The legendary exploits of the Silent Swordmaster are being updated in real time.

The miracle of the tutorial.

More than perfection.

Once again unfolded in the Blood Tunnel Channel.