Chapter 98

“Use the Demonic Cult to bind the Orthodox faction and create an overwhelming territorial advantage!”

Navigator was currently spectating the game as background while providing commentary on the overall structure.

His excitement was through the roof.

When had the battlefield shown such a clear picture?

The original battlefield was content that showcased moment-to-moment situational judgment abilities, constantly changing due to endless mind games and betrayals.

But this battlefield was different.

The Orthodox faction had been complacent, but the Demonic Cult and Unorthodox faction had set up the board with a grand strategy.

And that board had been set up perfectly, with those two now clashing for their purposes.

It couldn’t help but be entertaining.

“By creating that territorial advantage, no matter how the fight between the Demonic Cult and Orthodox faction concludes, they’re making it impossible to overturn the result of the Unorthodox faction’s victory. That was the Unorthodox faction’s grand strategy!”

The Demonic Cult would simply push through with brute force.

But even within that, there were meticulous preparation processes, which had already been explained earlier.

That was why Navigator was now talking about the Unorthodox faction.

“So even if the Orthodox faction successfully defended today, they would have planned to leave regions available so the Demonic Cult would still have opportunities. Look how the Unorthodox faction left this area alone.”

Navigator pointed with his hand to draw a line on part of the map.

The route from the Demonic Cult to the Unorthodox faction’s stronghold.

-Why there?

-What’s going on

-Unorthodox faction! What have you done!

Why had they left that place alone?

Viewers were curious, and Navigator continued his detailed explanation.

“For example, if the Demonic Cult eliminated the Orthodox faction and then turned their attention to the Unorthodox faction.”

Navigator’s voice sped up again.

“If they needed to capture 4 regions including the stronghold to eliminate them, and only 3 days remained on the battlefield, the Demonic Cult would have no way to do it. Right?”

-Yes

-That’s right

-If that were the case, the Demonic Cult wouldn’t have attacked in the first place

“They wouldn’t have attacked in the first place? That’s right.”

If such a situation seemed likely, they would have changed their strategy’s direction long ago.

And the Unorthodox faction knew that too.

“That’s why having exactly 3 regions from the Demonic Cult to the stronghold isn’t a coincidence! The Unorthodox faction deliberately left them!”

If the Unorthodox faction’s stronghold required capturing 5 regions right now, the Demonic Cult wouldn’t have attacked the Orthodox faction today with 5 days remaining from tomorrow.

If the Unorthodox faction expanded that route to 6 regions while the Demonic Cult was attacking the Orthodox faction today, the Demonic Cult couldn’t win even after catching the Orthodox faction.

So why 3 regions?

“The Unorthodox faction believed the Orthodox faction could definitely hold out at least for today, and hoped their fight would continue into tomorrow too.”

If it were 4 regions, the Demonic Cult wouldn’t fight tomorrow.

As each day passed, the Unorthodox faction’s territory grew tremendously, while the days the Demonic Cult and Orthodox faction could reclaim decreased by one each.

And after just two days, a board would be created that even their combined forces couldn’t overturn.

“If the Orthodox faction defends for about two days, the Unorthodox faction’s victory is confirmed! So they set up their strategy under the premise that the Orthodox faction would hold out for at least two days!”

The Demonic Cult and Unorthodox faction, holding each other’s objectives hostage and deliberately leaving possibilities open, choosing uncertainty while dragging each other into the same game.

“They collaborated to set up this board. But in the final moment of judgment, they split apart to decide the outcome.”

Who would be right?

-Unorthodox faction idiots

-Yeah, think the Orthodox faction will get pushed back? Demonic Cult blockheads

-Honestly, they probably will get pushed back

-Oh Demonic Cult! Oh Demonic Cult! Oh Demonic Cult! Oh Demonic Cult!

-Let’s bet, you Demonic Cult bastards! You’re especially annoying today

“But you know what. If I were the Unorthodox faction, I’d be pretty terrified right now?”

-Give objective commentary!

-Anyway, Navigator is Orthodox faction, right? Why would he prefer the Unorthodox faction or Demonic Cult?

-Navigator is a Demonic Cult follower! He’s the right hand of the Heavenly Demon!

-He even did joint streams to promote the Heavenly Demon lol, definitely a subordinate

Navigator made a meaningful expression.

Could the Unorthodox faction really afford to be so bold?

“Ah, Seo-jun-nim’s final game just finished. The result is victory! Can the final boss Heavenly Demon truly not be stopped? And! Ah! The Unorthodox faction has made their decision!”

Red indicators appeared on the route to the Unorthodox faction’s stronghold that had been mentioned earlier.

The Unorthodox faction had begun attacking.

The reason was obvious.

-Lol the Unorthodox faction sensed something off and started running

-If this was going to happen, they should’ve just made it 4 regions instead of 3 lmao

“Now if the Orthodox faction succeeds in defending, the Demonic Cult won’t be able to attack the Orthodox faction tomorrow due to time constraints.”

The Unorthodox faction ultimately judged that the Demonic Cult would succeed in today’s attack and modified their strategy.

“For the Orthodox faction, a lifeline has been thrown down. They only need to hold out today!”

Would they see a one-on-one between the Unorthodox faction and Demonic Cult?

Or would they see the chaotic battlefield again?

All of this would be known tomorrow.

* * *

Seo-jun looked at the deactivated map and said.

It was 10 o’clock and the content had closed.

“It’s over. The Unorthodox faction ended up extending the route. Looks like we have about a day’s leeway.”

The Unorthodox faction’s choice wasn’t an unexpected move for Seo-jun and his viewers who believed the Demonic Cult would win.

-Yeah

-Ah lol we don’t even need that day lmao

-Why are they getting pushed back anyway, just die quickly instead of pointlessly extending routes lol

-Unorthodox faction. Scared?

The result hadn’t come out yet. They’d have to see to know.

The rankers were more numerous on their side. They seemed to have more victories too.

But regular players were more numerous in the Orthodox faction.

So Seo-jun knew there was nothing guaranteed either.

Still, if you usually believed you’d win, the probability of winning became higher.

Really.

Actually, the Orthodox faction was in an almost half-defeated atmosphere.

“Ah. And is it true that This Isn’t Murim-nim was playing Orthodox faction games earlier?”

-Yes, yeah

-LMAO I laughed so hard lmao

-That guy’s overflowing with romance lmao

-There are really a lot of trolls in the alliance

-Demonic Cult’s Tangso, Orthodox faction’s Heavenly Killing Star, Unorthodox faction’s old timer. My heart swells with emotion!

Seo-jun laughed along.

He probably did it knowing full well.

An act that was romantic if you put it nicely, and trolling if you put it badly.

He played the game according to his objective of wanting to eliminate the Orthodox faction.

But then.

Had only This Isn’t Murim done that?

Among the Unorthodox faction players, had really not a single one participated?

That would also have to be seen to be known.

Anyway.

The important thing wasn’t that. Even without the Unorthodox faction’s help, Seo-jun believed they would have won one-on-one.

Because that’s what he believed.

That was all.

Hmm!

Seo-jun tried using this speech pattern once since viewers used it often.

“See you tomorrow!”

Seo-jun ended his stream like that.

* * *

The next day.

“Did we do the right thing?”

Nameless nodded at his colleague’s question.

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?”

“Intuition.”

All of Nameless’s instincts were telling him.

The enemy, the Demonic Cult, had gained momentum.

From the duels onwards, winning game after game and occupying For the Murim, streamer Jin Seo-jun.

There had always been truly overwhelming irregulars.

Most of them had left for what was now called the heavenly realm, the world of pro players, and competed there.

But to his senses, this irregular who had emerged this time felt somehow a dimension higher than even them.

He couldn’t see the kinds of mistakes that any human would show at least once.

It felt like watching pro players in their peak moments of extreme concentration, but sustained as naturally as breathing.

And while watching chat and casually chattering.

Or while trash-talking opponents.

It seemed impossible, but since he actually did it, no one could argue.

‘That’s probably why he’s never lost even once.’

The problem was that people went wild over such truly unbelievable paths.

From right after the duels, every single page without exception contained the words Seo-jun, Heavenly Demon, or sect leader.

Even when he ended streams early, even when people got fired up over other topics.

It would eventually fade, but Nameless worried that the attention was acting too powerfully right now.

Yesterday’s shorts video uploaded to the streamer’s channel.

[Heavenly Demon who looked into 14,000,605 futures and found the one way for the Demonic Cult to win!]

It was a video combining the clip of what Seo-jun said at the start yesterday with a summary of the battlefield situation.

-What is the alliance even doing???

-Ah, I used to be Demonic Cult

└Victory is possible now! Come quickly

-Should I change my faction too? Is there really a chance for victory?

└Yeah, the chance is solid. Come from tomorrow. Watch streamer Seo-jun

-The Demonic Cult found the one path to victory!

First-timers or people who hadn’t played much were increasing, and that was all gain, no loss.

And those benefits would start showing from now.

“Wow. Even bringing in editors to suck in players’ souls.”

Yesterday Navigator had done thief-stream on top of that.

No matter how you looked at it, that person.

He was really damn good at games.

* * *

Day 17.

People’s interest had reached its peak.

The battlefield’s structure had been revealed.

When the Unorthodox faction and Demonic Cult had started using each other was also clear.

The Demonic Cult and Orthodox faction had clashed.

The Unorthodox faction had shown reversing their strategy in just one day.

It couldn’t help but be entertaining.

Finally.

Streamer Heavenly Demon—no, Seo-jun—who was at the center of all this, was a streamer the Demonic Cult couldn’t help but love.

[All of this being possible because of just one person is spine-chilling]

==

First, the Demonic Cult being able to engage in force battles is thanks to the Heavenly Demon.

But also, the strategic thinking of teaming up with the Unorthodox faction in the middle came from the Heavenly Demon too. (Ask ThirdElder for details) All the strategies just came from the Heavenly Demon and were possible because the Heavenly Demon existed.

Peak Demonic Cult.

==

-Skilled individual players exist in every faction. But a true leader who can make a faction win? Only the Heavenly Demon

└You’re saying there are Heavenly Demon-level players in other factions? Seriously?

└I’m Orthodox faction lol, there aren’t any

└I’m ~~faction but definitely not

└So you lost 4 times in a row because you couldn’t beat the Heavenly Demon? LOL

└So do you guys have Heavenly Demon-level players in your factions?

└For real lol

-You guys haven’t won yet. Why are you acting so cocky already?

What about the other factions?

[I acknowledge the Heavenly Demon’s skill. But acting like you’ve already won is pissing me off]

[For real, 10 minutes later the Demonic Cult bastards’ bubble will probably burst?]

[Honestly, the Orthodox faction has more people]

[Don’t underestimate the great clans’ foundations]

[Come at us for two or three days!]

[Show them the Unorthodox faction made the wrong choice]

The Demonic Cult was being cursed at, but at least almost no one cursed the Heavenly Demon.

Very few.

Even though Seo-jun went around being slightly annoyingly provocative, this reaction was unexpected.

[1 minute until it opens!]

It was 7 o’clock.

The battlefield map.

In countless regions, three-colored soldiers emerged from the ground and began fighting.

Yet everyone’s attention was focused on just one place.

Above Hebei, red and blue soldier miniatures began fighting.

Crossing swords and dealing damage to each other.

The moment that would determine the future direction.

[Demonic Cult bastards lol let’s just make peace now and jointly check the Unorthodox faction]

[Orthodox faction, getting cold feet? Why are your words so long!]

Finally.

Clang!

The side that fell was!

[?]

[For real?]

[Get out!!!!]

[LMAOOOO]

[……Is this real?]

[This actually worked…]

The blue soldier’s neck was cut.

And Hebei was dyed red.

Simultaneously, the remaining blue regions scattered across the map lost their light and turned gray.

With 5 days remaining, the Orthodox faction that had their stronghold captured was finally eliminated from the battlefield.