Chapter 45

To enter a faction, you had to pass a simple test.

“Each sect is different.”

Seo-jun checked the contents of those tests through the viewers’ explanations.

First, Mount Hua Sect’s test was cutting falling plum blossom petals.

There had been no such tests or training in his previous life, but Seo-jun, who had already been exposed to media from this current life, thought Mount Hua Sect’s test seemed cliché yet interesting.

“Namgung Family’s is just grinding.”

Swinging a sword in the same stance a thousand times.

It was like the game was making gamers do real training.

Seo-jun let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

-For real, it’s so ridiculous that I chose Mount Hua Sect

-Even when they make you train, they complain

-If your stance gets too wrong, you have to start over

-This is what walking the righteous path of orthodox sects is about!

-No shortcuts allowed

If your stance gets too wrong, it doesn’t count?

Then it might actually be training, so maybe it’s not bad.

Damn, now he’s convinced.

“And Beggar’s Sect is just something else.”

Begging from village NPCs to collect money.

Who else but Beggar’s Sect, a sect of gathered beggars, would make users do practical work.

“They even take away what you begged for? Wow. This is supposed to be an orthodox sect?”

Seo-jun shook his head in disbelief as he climbed the stairs.

-My thoughts exactly lmao

-Don’t disrespect our Beggar’s Sect

-A storyteller has come

“Tang Household throws hidden weapons?”

Tang Household was a family of poison and hidden weapons.

They were mainly portrayed as orthodox, but due to the cruelty of their methods, they were sometimes classified as unorthodox like in the game.

In his memories from his previous life, Tang Household definitely belonged to the orthodox faction.

‘Though they only joined for profit anyway.’

It was fitting in that they could turn unorthodox at any time.

“Throwing hidden weapons is fortunate. I thought they’d make me take poison.”

-Who would make users take poison lol

-They can’t poison someone who’s just entering

-You’re saying they’ll poison them later?

-People who enter Tang Household end up finding and taking it themselves lol

So it was like that.

But he couldn’t understand why the world of his previous life was appearing as martial arts novels in this world in the first place.

‘Maybe there was someone else like me.’

It wasn’t like only he would remember his previous life. ^[1]

Seo-jun looked up.

While chatting with viewers about various sects’ tests, the summit was starting to come into view.

Confirming he was about to arrive, Seo-jun turned his head to the side again to read the chat.

“Green Forest is holding rocks for a long time? That’s really…”

Green Forest, which used the characters for green (綠) and forest (林), was bandits.

As soon as Seo-jun read the chat about Green Forest’s test, he immediately thought it was fitting for Green Forest.

And finally, Assassination Guild’s test was finding Assassination Guild members disguised within the village.

Looking at everything, he seemed to have chosen well with the Demonic Cult.

His view, which had only shown stairs no matter how much he climbed, began to change.

Finally, the sect came into sight.

After reaching the summit, Seo-jun turned around to check the path he had climbed.

“It took a whole 5 minutes.”

5 minutes in a game was a lot.

And while the time might not sound that high, somehow the game had processed things so the summit’s altitude was quite high.

The village on the ground fit perfectly into view.

“Why is it so high? Wait, lightness skill works? Then why didn’t you tell me that earlier… Never mind. What can I expect from you guys.”

Seo-jun laughed helplessly.

How was it that not a single person told him during the entire climb.

Amazing teamwork!

-Ah lol figure it out yourself

-You wasted 5 minutes, didn’t you? Pretty annoying, right? Lmao

-Even when we don’t give advice, you complain lol

-A stream where viewers and streamer try to mess with each other!

Right, that’s fair.

It was his fault for not asking in advance.

Resigned, he turned around again.

The Demonic Cult’s main gate came into view.

“There’s no gatekeeper at the entrance. Can I just go in?”

Arrogant.

That was his first impression seeing the gate left wide open as if saying anyone could come and try.

But the viewers seemed to interpret it differently.

-Demonic Cult lol they don’t get visitors so they just leave it open lol

-Ah just come lol just please come lol please come…

-What’s the point of having a big gate when there’s no people

“Hey everyone, aren’t you being too harsh on the Demonic Cult?”

It was full of sharp-tongued comments.

To think people treated the Demonic Cult this way.

This was a sight he could never have imagined in his previous life.

Only he could have treated them this way back then.

The Heavenly Demon back then should see this state.

-These bastards…

He heard a hallucination, but Seo-jun ignored it.

He was broadcasting right now, so how dare they try to chat.

Seo-jun snickered and entered through the gate.

The interior was incredibly vast. An entire village unfolded before him.

‘The Demonic Cult was closer to a massive force than a sect to begin with, so it wouldn’t be strange for it to form a village.’

NPCs and users with nicknames above their heads were walking the streets.

“Heavenly Demon-nim! No, Seo-jun-nim!”

Someone up ahead was waving happily.

The ID floating above their head.

Heavenly First Swordsman.

-It’s our master lol

-Swordsman… you’re going Demonic Cult too…

-Guide acquired, jackpot

“Hello there, Swordsman-nim.”

Seo-jun approached and exchanged greetings.

“Hello, Heavenly Demon—I mean, Seo-jun-nim.”

“Call me whatever’s comfortable. By the way, you’re choosing Demonic Cult too, Swordsman-nim?”

It was a reasonable deduction since the other person had also escaped the beginner zone yesterday.

“Yes. Actually, I already joined.”

“Why?”

When it’s supposed to be bad.

“Of course because Heavenly Demon-nim is coming! It would be really troublesome… no, difficult if I met Heavenly Demon-nim as an enemy.”

Swordsman said while trailing off his words.

-The streamer is troublesome, that’s right lol

-Intelligence maxed out

-That guy’s smart, isn’t he?

-What the viewers realized after watching broadcasts for over a week, he figured out after just meeting for one day

“I’ve been waiting here since I joined because I figured you’d choose Demonic Cult. I was watching the broadcast too.”

“…I see.”

“You’re going to take the test now, right?”

“Yes.”

“Come this way. I’ll guide you.”

Seo-jun followed behind Swordsman as he led the way.

The test location was close and they arrived quickly.

Seo-jun could see a user swinging a sword on the martial arts stage and an NPC watching him from the front.

The Demonic Cult’s test—the entrance exam—was demonstrating martial arts techniques in front of Elder Baek Wigang, an NPC of the Demonic Cult.

Here, martial arts didn’t refer to game systems but actually swinging a sword, with the NPC making their own judgment to assign grades.

“I tried it once too, and he called me third-rate. Third-rate still gets accepted, but I want to retake it. This time I’ll follow the strategy guide I prepared.”

-Heavenly First Swordsman (Third-rate) lol

-Why aren’t you role-playing anymore?

-You only role-play when you have the skills for it.

“Strategy guide?”

“Other people uploaded techniques that can get you up to Transcendent grade if you copy them.”

“Ah.”

Watching that might let him understand the AI’s judgment criteria.

“The same technique can get different grades depending on who performs it, so it’s complicated.”

As Seo-jun nodded and listened to Swordsman’s explanation, a loud voice came from the martial arts stage.

“You are first-rate! Now get lost.”

He seemed like a nasty old man.

“Heavenly Demon-nim, can I go first?”

“Go ahead.”

Seo-jun crossed his arms and watched Swordsman climb onto the martial arts stage.

Swordsman took a combat stance, and Baek Wigang stroked his beard and spoke.

“Why have you come again? I clearly told you your level. Do you want to retake the test?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s see what you’ve got.”

Swordsman seemed to struggle recreating the technique he’d seen in the strategy guide.

After somehow finishing his awkward demonstration of the technique, Baek Wigang put his hands behind his back and said:

“Oho. Your fundamentals aren’t even worth first-rate, but you seem to have talent for creating techniques.”

-Oh?

-He’s praising this?

-That technique is proven though

-It was originally created by countless users

-Is it Transcendent?

-So what about weak points?

“Second-rate!”

-LMAO

-Lmao went up one level

-Congratulations!

-Is Demonic Cult always like this? LOL

-That bastard Baek Wigang gives me PTSD…

-Me too… I was third-rate

“Eugh.”

Seo-jun met eyes with Swordsman as he came down and forcibly swallowed the laughter that was about to burst out.

His expression was so sad.

“It’s okay, Swordsman-nim. It’s fine. They said the grade doesn’t really matter anyway.”

If you got a high grade, you received bonuses at the start, but these were all things that even low-grade users could fill in while playing the game.

The only problem was the [Second-rate Demonic Cult Member] title next to the nickname above his head.

It wasn’t exactly public execution.

“…”

“And if you really don’t like it, you can just do it again.”

“Right. Yeah, you’re right. Haha. Seo-jun-nim should get Transcendent with that technique, right? Since your fundamentals should be good?”

“Probably? Shall I give it a try?”

“Yes. Please demonstrate it.”

“Alright.”

Seo-jun headed toward the martial arts stage.

“Wait. Don’t I need to teach you what techniques there are?”

“No, I already memorized them all.”

Step, step.

As he climbed onto the martial arts stage, Baek Wigang was waiting.

“You’re new. Have you come to join the Demonic Cult?”

“That’s right.”

“You want to take the test?”

“Correct.”

“Good. But why are you speaking informally to me, an elder of this cult?”

“Because I am Heavenly Demon.”

“What!”

-He immediately declares he’s Heavenly Demon lol crazy

-Ah, his nickname is Heavenly Demon, right lol

-Totally insane lol

“I am the real Heavenly Demon.”

Seo-jun began role-playing without batting an eye.

Imitating Heavenly Demon was indeed…

Fun.

“Damn, some weirdo has come to our cult. Hurry up and demonstrate your martial arts.”

“Fine. I graciously grant you the opportunity to broaden your knowledge through my martial arts.”

“Hah…”

Seeing Baek Wigang no longer responding, Seo-jun felt it was time to begin.

Seo-jun first drew the basic sword at his waist.

Then he slowly began moving, visualizing the technique Swordsman had shown him in his mind.

What were techniques?

What you could do with a sword was simple.

Thrust and swing.

And techniques added the adverb “how” to these simple actions.

Vertically.

Horizontally.

Quickly.

Heavily.

‘The more advanced techniques become, the more complex they get.’

Deceive the enemy’s eyes and suppress the enemy’s attack while cutting.

Thrust at points the enemy has no choice but to dodge.

Block in a stance that can seize the offensive.

However, even these techniques weren’t omnipotent.

‘The deeper one’s understanding of the sword, the more methods to break those techniques become visible.’

Perfect techniques didn’t exist. Only better techniques existed.

The technique Seo-jun had seen from Swordsman was the same.

So.

Seo-jun began to move.

‘I need to make changes.’

Just slightly.

Just a little—narrowing the angle of swinging that sword, taking one more step forward, lowering his stance.

Minor details.

But these changes, infused with insights from his previous life, transformed the sword more completely.

A sword without an enemy wasn’t complete.

Yet the sword Seo-jun unfolded in empty air was perfect.

‘Even that Heavenly Demon had a lower understanding of the sword than me.’

Could the AI understand this?

Had it reached an even higher level?

He was purely curious.

Soon Seo-jun’s sword completed all 10 techniques that Swordsman had demonstrated.

Seo-jun sheathed his sword and looked at Baek Wigang.

“Huh…”

Baek Wigang was staring at Seo-jun in a daze.

He seemed quite shocked, as he couldn’t bring himself to speak for a while.

Seo-jun asked Baek Wigang,

“So, how were my techniques?”

Finally, a system notification rang out.

“You are…”