chapter 42
Returning to the World without It Falling Apart -42-
042.
It was when Lee Dohyuk was deeply immersed in playing Ultimate Fighter.
—There’s a lot on my mind.
Someone singing quietly.
—Beyond the horizon of the incident.
Ending the song with the final verse, marking a triumphant ending.
It was Ji-an.
-Whoa, this song from dad’s car, what’s your taste?
-Wow, feels like going to a concert after so long.
-What’s with that voice…
“Phew! Have you caught up on all the songs you’ve been putting off singing?”
Ji-an’s reaction to the song.
She was handling the penalties from the roulette.
-I like it.
-Even if you don’t know about games, you sing well, hahahaha.
Ji-an was diligently broadcasting again today.
There were no more joint broadcasts with her brother, but her show was still sailing smoothly.
Ding-
[‘Lips2Chu’ has donated 30,000 won.]
-Enjoyed it, hahahahaha.
“Oh! Thank you so much! Lips2Chu!”
Donations were pouring in.
Ding-
[‘RouletteAddict’ has donated 9,900 won.]
-Another song coming up?
Dududududu- The desired song!
Despite the increase from the original 7,700 won to the current 9,900 won, the roulette kept spinning non-stop.
The success of this broadcast was all thanks to the increased number of viewers.
[Current viewers: 474]
Ji-an’s show originally had around 150 to 200 viewers.
However, after the joint broadcast with her brother, the average viewership reached 4-500.
Of course, it couldn’t be compared to her brother, who went from 0 to thousands of viewers, but the fact that the number of viewers for female gamers playing comprehensive games like her had increased so much was a significant achievement!
‘Hmm. This is quite an accomplishment!’
A whopping increase of 300 viewers!
It had almost tripled.
It could truly be seen as a skyrocketing rise.
‘Maybe I… am a broadcasting genius?’
Ji-an silently praised her own broadcasting talent.
It was at that moment.
– Breaking News) Hmmjwa = Dohyuk Sensei’s official appearance!
– Did you know about this?>??
– Hmm, is that so? Hmm, is that so?
The magpies had also appeared in her room.
“Yes? Hmmjwa?”
Isn’t that person Hmmjwa?
The strange character who thwarted her brother’s achievement of first place in yesterday’s hot clip.
As she was about to inquire further about what that meant for her brother.
– Is this Hmmjwa’s younger sibling’s room?
– Oh lol, the real thing looks better than the capture from the comment section
– Enough with the face, just turn on the screen
– What? Hurry up and turn it on
– Why isn’t the screen on?
– I came here because I’m Hmmjwa’s sibling, why are you playing music? Clean up and play the queue
– Would you like to see the beauty, strength, and easily manipulable beauty of the martial artist Ray Chen?
“..Yes? Ray Chen? Why the sudden mention of the screen?”
The creatures who suddenly arrived and demanded the screen be turned on.
In an instant, they took over Jian’s chat window.
They were not just ordinary magpies; they were diseased magpies.
Nevertheless, Jian was able to quickly grasp the situation.
“Is that… our brother?”
According to the viewers, he was Dohyuk, her brother.
‘So, did our brother defeat Anatol?’
She, too, was not unaware of who Anatol was.
In a fighting game where physique is highly emphasized, although Jian, who had never even tried Ultimate Fighter, let alone Iron Fist, was aware of Anatol’s fame as a pro gamer.
Then, a question arises here.
Even if he’s our brother…
“Does that make sense?”
Is that even possible?
Isn’t Ultimate Fighter a game that takes 20 hours just to learn the controls?
– Yes, it does
– Even if it does…?
– You didn’t know either?
“Of course, I didn’t know. Wait a minute. Our brother hasn’t even really played Ultimate Fighter… Could it be that he didn’t defeat Anatol, but an imposter?”
– hahahaha
– Jianchu: Seeing Anatol’s skills in person, I’m starting to think he might be an imposter…
– hahahaha, judging by what they’re saying, it seems like Hmmjwa’s younger sibling
– True lol
– If our older brother is that talented, Jianchu might not be a stranger to it
-Will you really do that?
But even so, the chat window wouldn’t lie.
Ping-
Jian tried to turn on Twitch and type in Lee Dohyuk in the search bar.
“Huh?”
However, there was no need for that.
Without having to search, her brother’s broadcast was visible on the main screen.
[Ultimate Fighter? Hm… Is that him? / Lee Dohyuk]
The title, and the simple streamer name next to it.
Those things didn’t catch her eye.
They couldn’t.
Instead, there was something that caught Jian’s attention.
[Viewers 10,293]
“T… Ten thousand?”
The number of viewers next to her brother’s broadcast.
Even though it was a lot, it was too many.
She was starting to feel embarrassed about her earlier self-praise.
-Wow
-Oh my
-Already 10,000?
-For real, it’s insane
-Daebak Hwang Hyeok
As if possessed, Jian clicked on Lee Dohyuk’s broadcast.
And what she saw was-
“Eek! Who is that hitting our brother!”
Someone relentlessly throwing punches and kicks at Lee Dohyuk.
It even looked like the same person was indiscriminately beating up her brother, down to the clothes he was wearing.
As Jian, she couldn’t make heads or tails of what was going on.
And not knowing what was going on was the same for the Eolkwi who had recently invaded Jian’s room, familiar with Ultimate Fighter.
-?
-???
-?
-What kind of combo is that?
-Damn, is that developed by Beyond?
Pak! Papak!
A chillingly intricate sequence of Beyond’s combos.
A combo move that was polished to perfection, probably shaving off and refining his own Most Chain Hoken to complete it.
As they say, knowledge is power.
While not exactly infinite, the Eolkwi, ranging from at least Platinum to high-ranking Grand Class, were unable to discern the level of Beyond’s combo moves being displayed right now.
– But leaving that aside…
However, what was crucial at the moment was not Beyond’s Feinting Technique.
The part they simply couldn’t understand was—
Thud! Clang!
So, how was Lee Dohyuk managing to block all of that?
– Wow…
– What the heck is this, seriously? hahahahaha
– How is he blocking everything for real…
– Guys, how amazing is that? (No idea, seriously)
– I don’t know, us too…
– What is that… frightening…
“Oh? So, is Oppa winning then?”
**
Beyond’s extraordinary weapon.
It was a Feinting Technique utilizing the motion correction present in Ultimate Fighter in reverse.
In the game’s system, there is a method of reducing the forced delay between skills by alternately using skill correction and no correction at the appropriate timing, and adjusting skill activation and cancelation accordingly.
Being able to use consecutive attacks through this method is a measure of skill among top-tier gamers.
However, Beyond went beyond that and developed a Feinting Technique that completely eliminated the delay between skills.
It was possible due to his extreme control over Hoken and being the owner of a crazy physique.
‘This is something that can’t be stopped just by watching.’
The continuous on-and-off of activation and cancelation, correction and no correction, disrupts the opponent’s senses.
Therefore, not only Beyond himself but even Anatoly, in his prime, would not be able to block this Feinting Technique.
Unless they had learned the pattern within the non-pattern through analysis after its public release.
If facing this for the first time, they would never be able to block it.
Such a deceptive Feinting Technique.
Truly, unless one possessed inhuman reaction speed enough to ‘see’ and block like in the PC game days.
Hence, one can only imagine how regretful it was when Ultimate Fighter’s pro scene disappeared.
If Beyond had showcased this Feinting Technique against Anatoly or the lower-tier pros in an official competition, various communities would have been flooded with praise for him.
Crack!
But he still thought it wasn’t bad even now.
Although the stage was small, the opponent was not lacking at all.
His talent that made him the Beyond of today, and his sense that even he himself was better than Anatoly in this aspect.
That sense was telling him.
Just how dangerous the opponent in front of him was right now.
Almost on par with Anatoly in his prime!
‘…Or so I thought.’
Sizzle-
Beyond’s foot spewed flames.
From the Windmill Kick to the Crimson Flame Kick.
But that wasn’t the end.
Striking the clavicle that pierces the void, followed by a whirlwind.
The continuous strikes, flowing like water, aimed at every part of Lee Dohyuk’s body.
Kwaang!
Following up with a spear kick, launching himself into the air, kicking off the wall with a triangle jump, seamlessly transitioning into the Black Flame Fury.
Beyond’s body twisted like a contortionist as he targeted his opponent.
A high-level combination that no one could properly counter.
Therefore,
Pat! Pabak!
“······”
It didn’t take long for Beyond to sense something was amiss.
‘Why···’
Isn’t it connecting?
Pak! Pabat!
Beyond’s fist kept getting frustratingly blocked.
It doesn’t make sense.
Clearly.
The strikes now.
Pak!
Being blocked upon sight,
Teok!
Seems impossible.
Beyond forcefully swallowed the rising doubts.
His clenched fist swung again, only to be futile once more.
But the combination doesn’t end here.
Beyond aggressively advanced again, extending his left hand straight out.
A trajectory swiftly extending in a straight line.
Boong-
Yet again, futilely slicing through the void this time.
“······!”
Only then, he realizes.
In a way, his realization was a bit delayed.
Perhaps due to his self-assured victory.
Considering his opponent has never···
‘Used evasion techniques.’
If that’s the case, what does that imply?
His opponent doesn’t rely on adjustments at all.
Furthermore, the reason all his strikes are being blocked lies there.
Thuk.
Beyond lowered his fist.
Seemingly about to strike at any moment, he went through the motion, almost activating the skill before canceling.
······
However, as if expecting that, the opponent made no move.
Unless reading minds, it wouldn’t be expected.
A slightly different, perhaps more impressive way.
“hahahaha.”
The owner of that inhumanly fast reaction speed I had wondered about earlier.
It was here.
At the same time, another curiosity was resolved.
‘These damn bastards···’
It was a curse directed at Anatole and the dark girl.
I wondered why I had erased all the rewinds.
Now, I seemed to know the reason.
Roar-
It was that moment.
Just as Beyond readjusted his stance and swiftly extended his right leg.
This time, it was Ido-hyuk’s foot that spewed flames.
And then.
Whoosh-!
Bang! Thud!
From the Senpung stance to the Hongyeom stance, followed by a collarbone shatter.
‘Huh?’
First thing that came to mind was familiarity.
Followed by astonishment.
‘What the···’
Beyond’s arms and legs moved briskly.
His senses quickly sounded the alarm.
Setting aside the initial doubt, he made a resolution.
Bang!
‘Blocking.’
Just like the opponent did.
It wasn’t impossible.
He was someone who had never lost in close combat before.
Moreover, he knew this intercepting technique.
Thud! Thump!
‘Blocking!’
It could be done.
It had to be done.
Crash!
···But it wasn’t.
Beyond’s face contorted.
Ido-hyuk’s foot struck his side fiercely.
Hurricane stance.
And······
Thwack! Crack!
A continuous series of blows.
Once allowed in, there was no room to retreat.
Some could be shed off, some could be blocked, but that was all.
Kwahng!
The body that had been slammed into the ground bounces back from the recoil.
What is seen next is the opponent kicking off the wall in a lifted position, performing a triangle jump.
Followed by a flurry of Black Flame Fury.
“You···”
A heartless bastard.
Pay the copyright fee before using it.
Simultaneously, there was one thought that came to mind.
‘This combo.’
I made it, but damn, I made it well.
Even while taking hits, it is realized anew.
There is no room to break free, no moment of delay to escape.
[PERFECT]
[DEFEAT]
In the end, ‘that defeat’ floated before Beyond’s eyes.
-Oh
-?
-Wow···
-Nailed it..
-Wow
-Wow
-Omg
Ido-hyuk’s chat window, filled with exclaims, alongside Beyond’s chat window.
“······”
[Requested a rematch]
Beyond immediately requested a rematch match.
Of course, another thing was not forgotten.
Uncheck the auto-generate replay.
[Rematch request accepted]
Ido-hyuk accepting the rematch.
And then, his words came out.
“I’ve learned a lesson.”
“······”
Yi Dohyuk was sincere.
Of course, Beyond also knew that the other side was the same.