Chapter 50

Adventure, South Korea’s major gaming webzine site, hosted countless gaming communities.

Each community had different tendencies and cultures, with frequent incidents and accidents, but users generally agreed that there was no better place than Adventure for getting game information.

[Demonic Cult Elder Baek Wigang rated his own martial arts skills as Transcendent. What do you think?]

Among them, FtMCommunity was the community for “For the Murim,” but people who frequented FtMCommunity usually called the community by a different name.

Specifically.

No-Honor.

The reason for calling it this name was simple.

Contrary to the game name “For the Murim,” it combined the English word “no,” and the word for Murim that could also have different meaning and one of them is honor.

And combining murim + old fogey to mean so-called “murim old fogeys” who were obsessed with outdated orthodox martial arts.

Plus the character 老.

In other words, the character for “old” could be included with overlapping meanings.

However, the actual average age of site users was quite young. ^[1]

===

(Test video)

Living as a warrior of the Namgung Family for 40 years. It seems I haven’t lived in vain.

===

-Isn’t Transcendent a difficult level to achieve? That’s truly an achievement that serves as a model for our cult. How about joining the Demonic Cult at this opportunity?

└No, you devil…

-This game hasn’t been around for 40 years though? How did Namgung-hyung manage that?

-So why is Demonic Cult trash taking the test? So why is Demonic Cult trash taking the test? So why is Demonic Cult trash taking the test?

└You can take the test even without joining, you bastard

-Hawawa, how amazing!

└Whoa! Super sugoi!

└Why do guys using Japanese speech patterns keep appearing no matter how much I block them?

└There are no honorable heroes. This is the No-Honor you chose. Endure with evil and stubbornness.

And the role-playing was a bit intense.

It felt like they were venting here what they were too embarrassed to do in the game.

Of course, that didn’t mean there were no concept players in the game, nor that No-Honor only had these kinds of comments.

Rather, normal posts made up about 70% of the content.

Posts that seriously analyzed and shared information.

-Looking at the video, he mixed Namgung Family martial arts techniques well for the demonstration. Since Baek Wigang would catch on if he did exactly the same moves, he gave good variations to the techniques too. High-ranked player?

└Former dan holder?

└Has to be at least a ranker. Among Namgung Family rankers, who could do that? Look how he even wore a mask to hide his identity lol

└You’ll get hurt if you learn the identity of this old master. (OP)

└I’m jealous of the Transcendent title! I only got minor rank in the Demonic Cult.

Still, this was normal by internet site standards.

-Is it hard to get Transcendent for someone who hasn’t even decided on a faction yet?

└Yeah

└There are standard techniques for Demonic Cult tests, and if you practice those for about a month and demonstrate all the movements perfectly matching, you can get a Peak Master title.

└But you can’t get Transcendent. To get Transcendent, I don’t know what exactly, but they say you have to do it really perfectly. The OP brought martial arts from his own faction for a reason. Since it’s the martial art techniques he used most, he must have insights about them. By the way, there aren’t many people who got Transcendent—less than 50.

└Wow… what do I do if it’s that hard?

└It’s just a title that appears next to your nickname anyway. The only real benefit is good treatment when you join the Demonic Cult if you get a good score lol. Are you going to the Demonic Cult?

└No!

└Then it doesn’t matter

└LOL

The comment that answered the question about going to the Demonic Cult with firm certainty as if it wasn’t even worth considering.

And the obviously mocking replies.

Looking up, countless people dismissing the Demonic Cult appeared!

ThirdElder, a ranker of the Demonic Cult, really didn’t like the current atmosphere of No-Honor.

“Damn it.”

└What’s even funnier is that among Demonic Cult people, no one has achieved Transcendent LMAO

└Really?

└Yeah

└How is that possible in a Demonic Cult test LOL

└It’s the fault of Baek Wigang lol

“If you’re going to talk, at least explain it properly! Just saying it like that makes it seem like Demonic Cult users are worse than others.”

The characteristic of Demonic Cult martial arts was having no techniques.

Compared to Mount Hua Sect, which had nearly twenty techniques in one martial art characteristic, it was pitifully inadequate.

Actually, it wasn’t even at an inadequate level. There were none at all.

“That’s why you should tell them no Demonic Cult people have achieved Transcendent!”

All the people who received the Transcendent title, without exception, were users who had modified martial art techniques they had developed over thousands of hours of gameplay.

If someone could directly create real martial art techniques, they’d open a dojo instead of playing games.

“Wait, maybe. Gamers might earn much more than martial arts instructors…”

Having such idle thoughts, ThirdElder was about to write a comment to clarify about the Demonic Cult.

But then.

└Just Transcendent and you’re making such a big deal lol. The 14th Heavenly Demon of the Great Heavenly Demonic Cult received the Grand Master title lol Trash Namgung Family acting all excited lmao

A typical trolling comment appeared.

The nickname was Fanatic.

ThirdElder felt like smacking his forehead.

“Demonic Cult…”

Both the nickname and the behavior.

Anyone could see it was Demonic Cult.

Even though he sometimes used old-fashioned speech in group chat rooms and liked role-playing, he didn’t blatantly troll like that.

It was a bit embarrassing.

└What Grand Master LOL Did they appear in your dream?

└14th Heavenly Demon? Lol. Didn’t your Demonic Cult have like a hundred Heavenly Demons?

└Good imagination lol Grand Master bullshit

Very embarrassing.

People say the most effective response to trolling is ignoring it.

But ThirdElder, watching this comment, realized there was a more effective response than ignoring.

Specifically, mockery.

“Don’t further damage the Demonic Cult’s image… believer.”

His motivation to clarify completely disappeared.

He just wanted to escape from this place.

So he clicked back.

[Today’s battlefield winners.]

[Upvote if you’re proud to be a reliable orthodox faction warrior lol]

[Demonic Cult Elder Baek Wigang rated this person own martial arts skills as Transcendent. What do you think?]

[What true martial arts is and 180 reasons why For the Murim is orthodox martial arts]

“I’ve seen all of these.”

He habitually clicked refresh.

10 PM when the battlefield closed.

The most active time for No-Honor.

When you refresh, about one recommended post usually goes up.

And ThirdElder was speechless but burst into laughter at the newly posted article.

“Hahaha. Wait, is this guy crazy? Is this really an intelligent anti? Ah. What do we do about the Demonic Cult’s image.”

He said that, but honestly it was funny.

The OP was Fanatic, the troll who had gotten mocked earlier.

And the title was.

[“The Demonic Cult is insane”—The reason orthodox factions are trembling in fear and unorthodox factions are in chaos. “What exactly is the identity of the 14th Heavenly Demon?”]

“Damn it.”

Now they’d get the image of being nationalist fanboys, or rather Demonic Cult fanboys.

While sighing in frustration but secretly laughing, ThirdElder moved his mouse.

He couldn’t not click on a title like this.

But then.

ThirdElder’s eyes, who had entered laughing, widened.

==

(Grand Master receiving clip)

The true Heavenly Demon has arrived. From now on, the era of the Great Heavenly Demonic Cult will begin. The Heavenly Demon returns! All demons bow down!

==

-????

-LMAO

-Is this real? The title is hilarious though

└Looks edited

└There’s no way a suddenly higher grade title would appear out of nowhere

-Looking closely, it’s similar to the standard techniques but how did he not even get Transcendent

-The OP’s nickname is already Fanatic…

The post included a clip of a streamer actually receiving the Grand Master title.

People seemed to be in a state of uncertainty about this.

A grade appearing out of nowhere that they’d never seen before?

ThirdElder felt the same way.

“What is this? Is it real or what?”

Was there really a Grand Master title to begin with?

Then why haven’t other people been able to get it until now?

ThirdElder felt the need to get more information.

And the best way to get that information was to try it directly.

“Turning on the capsule right away.”

At least the situation itself seemed real.

Most comments were questioning its authenticity, but since the video was clearly posted on Travel.

ThirdElder immediately entered the capsule.

And turned on his broadcast.

[Starting stream.]

Not many viewers come in.

At most dozens, at least about one person.

Because it wasn’t a broadcast for making a living.

He was a student.

The kind of student who could only get permission to use the capsule if he did well on tests.

He thought he couldn’t properly broadcast and didn’t have that kind of talent.

-Why are you suddenly turning on the broadcast?

-For real

-Kid, just grow up. You need to get taller.

-Is it vacation?

-Hello~

He could see Namgung Family’s Jeomso and OnlyOneWon who were in the group chat room.

Besides them, rankers and people who frequented the community too.

Everyone had come in while taking a break after the battlefield ended when his broadcast turned on.

“I don’t know what vacation you’re talking about.”

Doesn’t some RPG game’s final content involve just running around the village?

Hardcore players mostly behave similarly.

Nothing to do in the game, but not leaving the game either.

So they chose broadcasting for fun.

ThirdElder as a streamer, others as viewers.

-You don’t know? You were the happiest when vacation started

-This is why you shouldn’t reveal your identity lol

-ThirdElder’s avatar is a stern old man but in reality he has chubby cheeks…

-His age isn’t even adult so he got blood color censored lol

“Listen! This elder dislikes seeing the red color symbolizing the Heavenly Demonic Cult flowing from the bodies of lowly creatures, so I changed the age mode. Don’t spread baseless rumors that this elder is a middle schooler.”

-Lol

-Good at acting cute

-Ranker hyungnims from orthodox factions, where are you attacking tomorrow in the battlefield?

-Don’t try to extract information

-It’s beneficial for both sides to avoid each other anyway

-You’re going to defend anyway lol

This was more like an extension of the community than typical streaming.

ThirdElder climbed the Demonic Cult stairs while opening windows to keep watching the video of someone receiving the Grand Master title.

Some hyungnims were starting to take interest in him.

-What are you watching?

-And why are you climbing the Demonic Cult mountain?

-Huh? Why are there people gathered there?

The place ThirdElder arrived at was the sparring platform where Baek Wigang was located.

The location that was usually hard to see even an ant was filled with several people.

And they were all staring into space, just like ThirdElder.

-You’re not answering, so you must be sulking

-Hey, are you sulking?

-He’s sulking lol

-So cute

-That looks like a Demonic Cult test video, right?

“Hmm.”

After watching the entire video, ThirdElder let out a contemplative sound.

Then he turned his eyes to the chat window.

“Ah. I wasn’t sulking, this is about a Grand Master title higher than Transcendent appearing in the Demonic Cult test, hyungnims.”

With the standard techniques, no less.

That was more surprising.

To receive a title higher than Transcendent with techniques that had been limited to Peak Master until now, through slight variations.

-?? What’s Grand Master

-Yeah, stop bullshitting lol

-You guys go check No-Honor right now. I just came from there and it looks real

-But isn’t that Seo-jun? The one I mentioned before

Ah.

That streamer from that time.

“Anyway, I think I roughly figured out what modifications he made to the standard techniques, so I should try challenging it. There’s no limit on attempts either.”

He went up onto the sparring platform.

Other people around seemed to still be checking the video.

“Hah.”

This is where rankers and regular users’ talent differences show.

He confidently drew his sword on the sparring platform and demonstrated techniques.

Narrowing his foot stance, twisting the sword angle to add sharpness.

As the sword moved, he felt a sense of unity as if all lines were connecting into one.

He was confident.

That he’d get at least Peak.

Because he’d already received that result once.

And the result was!

“Bah, tsk tsk. You have no fundamentals and no talent for creating techniques. Third-rate! Get lost!”

ThirdElder’s eyes, with the Peak title next to his nickname above his head, began shaking violently as he heard the scolding.

“Pfft.”

The people around who had been watching him covered their mouths, but laughter leaked out.

“Ah shit.”

Blood rushed to his cheeks and he wanted to immediately turn off the broadcast and run away.

-LOL What did you do

-No matter how bad you are, third-rate shouldn’t come out LMAO

-Please return your Peak Master title

-Should I try challenging for Grand Master too?

-Let’s all go challenge the test right now.

-Going to take the test X Teasing our cute middle schooler O

And then.

Famous rankers with Transcendent titles began moving to verify the truth.

Translator Note

Little explanation about the first part of this chapter. Might take a while to explain, but here goes.

In Korean, the word “Murim” can have a few different meanings. One of them relates to honor or chivalry, which comes from the Chinese character 俠 (hyeop) used in the term. And the Korean version of “No-Honor” is 노협 (NoHyeop)

The phrase “murim old fogeys” comes from the slang 무틀딱 (mu-teul-ttak), a combination of:

무협 (mu-hyeop) = martial arts fiction (aka “Murim” stories)

틀딱 (teul-ttak) = a derogatory slang term for old people stuck in the past

Now here’s the clever part: the character 老, which means “old”, is read as “no (노)” in Korean. That gives the nickname for the community — “No-Honor” — a double meaning:

“No honor” (no hyeop)

“Old people (老) obsessed with outdated Murim ideals”