Chapter 9: The Silent Swordsman’s Revelation

– I Only Played the Game

1.

The Silent Swordsman had made the Executioner kneel.

The tutorial boss, whom everyone thought was part of an unwinnable event, had finally been defeated for the first time in the 10 years since the game’s release.

Even as the viewers were overcome with chills, the story continued.

[Story Mode]

The Executioner, bleeding out uncontrollably, was dying.

Yet, on his face, an indescribable joy was evident.

[You have finally appeared. A new Executioner to take on the task I failed. The reaper who will bring an end to this canyon.]

[It has been a long wait. Truly, a very long wait.]

Tentacles began to squirm and crawl between his legs.

The Executioner smashed them with his fist and shouted:

[Look! The wretched state of one who has become a half-demon.]

[The miserable fate of someone who lost to a demon, yet lacked the courage to die, so they continued to live on.]

[Your appearance, just before I lost all hope, has finally given me the courage.]

[The courage to cast off all earthly burdens and choose death.]

Thud.

The Executioner slammed his forehead onto the ground.

Stretching his neck out, he cried:

[I trust you to take on this cursed land and annihilate it.]

[This pitiful life that has become nothing more than the gatekeeper of the Half-Demon Valley, having submitted to the great demon.]

[Please, with your sword, end this cursed body once and for all!]

His voice, booming with authority, seemed far too strong for a dying man, and suddenly, a selection window appeared.

【Interaction Options】

[The Executioner, seeking death. How will you respond to his wish?]

1. Where is the great demon? (Unlock the Great Demon Route)

2. Who are you? (Reveal True Name)

3. I cannot. Become my ally. (Recruit Offer)

4. (Silently decapitate the Executioner.)

Though the Executioner had been turned into a half-demon by receiving demon blood, he had not lost his mind and had even gained the power of his lineage.

If he could be recruited as an ally, it would be a great advantage, something Haeng-eung herself knew better than anyone, having fought him.

The Executioner was skilled enough to earn the recognition of Haeng-eung, a martial artist of great renown.

– Wait, what’s the Great Demon Route?

– True Name Reveal all the way!!

– If you reveal the true name, you can use the Executioner’s name in future playthroughs!

– Nah, making the Executioner an ally would be way cooler.

– Imagine having the undefeated boss of the tutorial on your side—how epic would that be?

– Honestly, when the tentacles showed up, I was scared they were going to use the tentacle pattern from the final boss revenge match. Was I the only one who got nervous?

– Same here, I was freaked out!

The viewers all debated amongst themselves about which option would be the most beneficial.

Among their advice were some helpful suggestions, but there was one key piece of information missing.

The viewers were cheering excitedly as they watched the Silent Swordsman.

Yet, the swordsman herself was completely unaware of the viewers’ existence.

[(Silently decapitate the Executioner.)]

The one who claimed to be a martial artist could not tarnish the pride of a swordsman.

Even if he was an NPC, the Executioner showed a dignity that deserved respect.

The benefits of having a top-tier martial artist as an ally.

A golden opportunity to unearth the secrets of the shadowy figure.

The emergence of the concept of True Name, which felt like something powerful.

All of those possibilities were cut down along with the Executioner.

The head rolling on the ground smiled in satisfaction, closing its eyes.

[Field Boss Executioner Defeated]

[Clear Rank: SSS]

[Subjugation Rank: SSS]

[Overall Rank: 6★/3★(+300%)]

[MORE THAN PERFECT]

[The basic difficulty of the next field increases by one level.]

A new development that the Half-Demon Valley players had never seen before.

The battle to announce its prologue had come to an end.

Having completed an unprecedented tutorial, the rising star of the physical streaming world, the Silent Swordsman.

The chat exploded with excitement.

•  Is the Silent Swordsman a god? Is the Silent Swordsman a god? Is the Silent Swordsman a god? Is the Silent Swordsman a god?
•  Mom, I want to become the Silent Swordsman when I grow up! Mom, I want to become the Silent Swordsman when I grow up! Mom, I want to become the Silent Swordsman when I grow up!
•  New story unlocked!
•  Wait, if the Executioner dies here, what happens in the later field?
• This is seriously legendary! At this rate, the king’s title is definitely possible today!

The viewers were already imagining where the next destination should be.

• Next, we should go to the shrine.
• If he’s this strong without skills, how much stronger will he become after learning them?
• Let’s hurry to the next field!
• Teacher, how long are you going to keep staring at the Executioner’s head?
• At this rate, they’ll end up holding a funeral for him.
• LOL!
• Our guild leader is totally immersed in his first game, I understand.
• Oh, right.
• First game (New Route Exploration)
• The best part is that this is a real mode!
• The Silent Swordsman must be a swordsman in real life as well!
• LOL! This skill isn’t just some assistant action; it’s real physical prowess!
• So when’s the next field?
• Are you still looking at the corpse?
• A true swordsman who doesn’t forget his grief for a formidable opponent.
• Grief, my foot! This guy doesn’t seem to be moving at all, so I think it’s over.

What more would he show?

Five minutes of silence.

An unending surge of messages in the chat.

With 2,500 viewers heated up to the max.

Amidst the passionate cheers that transcended the chat room, the Silent Swordsman finally moved.

[Game Over.]

[The Silent Swordsman has ended the broadcast.]

The viewers were thrown into the vastness of space from the corpse hill of Half-Demon Valley.

Realizing that this was the basic setting of ES (Ending Space) meant to create lingering effects after the broadcast ended, the 2,500 viewers were thrown into chaos.

•  Open the door!!!
•  I’ll hold my breath until the guild leader opens the door!
•  The corpse is already cold.
•  What a terrible timing for the end!
•  Isn’t this just pure malice?
•  After five minutes of silence, this is how it ends! LOL!
•  The nickname is on point!
•  He didn’t say a single word.
•  Teacher… the space is too cold…
•  Open the door, guild leader!
•  Why is the corpse only getting colder? Shouldn’t it warm up?
•  Of course, it would get cold floating in space, right?
•  Help me… I can’t breathe…
•  Kyah!

– It’s really infuriating that the waiting screen of the guild leader is just a basic one, throwing viewers into space.

They tried yelling.

They tried coaxing.

They begged and pleaded.

The viewers, showing all kinds of reactions, were burning with anxiety.

But that day, the broadcast would not turn back on.

—

2.

The First Strategy.

Gamers who consider themselves true enthusiasts naturally harbor longing and romantic dreams about this.

The tutorial clear rating shown by the Silent Swordsman,

[MORE THAN PERFECT], perfectly matched that romantic vision.

The community’s response was bound to be explosive.

[Concept Post]

[Medieval Swordsmanship Gallery – Analysis of the Silent Swordsman’s More Than Perfect Clear]

[Author: Expert Analysis from the Corner]

[Views: 102,711]

[Likes: 2,150]

“The Silent Swordsman seems to dislike seeing system messages, as he turned off all notifications, so nothing about the More Than Perfect conditions was revealed.

However, I tried to analyze it through the video.

1. Analysis of the Mob Subjugation

While other streamers intentionally get hit at least once for a smoother play experience, the Silent Swordsman had a no-hit run.

He didn’t even avoid the blood demons to prevent getting hit; instead, he actively sought them out, finding and defeating every single one.

Rather than luring them one by one and proceeding carefully, he swung his sword just once or twice against the rushing mobs, and they all fell like dominoes.

For those who haven’t seen it yet, please check out the attached GIF below.

It’s truly amazing.

(1-second cut GIF of simultaneous attacks)

(GIF of killing six blood demons in a row)

2. Analysis of the Boss Fight.

Given that the boss’s patterns have advanced even faster than those of physical streamers, it’s presumed that there were no-hit all-kill time attack conditions involved.

The issue lies in the pattern of the tutorial field boss, the Executioner, who has astonishingly quick patterns.

Starting with a charge attack is shocking enough, but the Silent Swordsman, instead of running away for five minutes, counter

attacked right away.

In this part, the Silent Swordsman had no fear of death.

(3-second cut GIF)

3. Unique Skills.

As an expert, it’s evident that he’s already honed his unique skills, obtaining the Ability to Weave Threads and Mastery of Core Circulation.

These skills not only displayed the true beauty of martial arts but also maintained his health perfectly.

The moment he entered the field, he displayed his presence as the martial artist that he is.

The silent execution of combos without a single detail missing.

But this was also due to the depth of mastery and consistent practice.

This is a level of excellence no ordinary person can achieve.

(1-minute cut of seamless combo execution)

To wrap it up, it’s truly amazing.

4. Character Build.

There’s something to be said about the character build.

At first glance, it seems like a basic class—much like a starter class character.

Yet, at a critical moment, the skills turned him into the great swordsman he is.

As players are busy trying to get the basic skills, here he is, taking full advantage of the class to gain the upper hand.

These basic skills are essential in practical scenarios.

However, there are people who only mention the Executioner as the best beginner.

For now, all those with an eye for combat will come to see the reality of the Silent Swordsman, who can run through the beginner stage without any struggle.

It’s the first time that a player has showcased such a high level of control in the tutorial stage, and there’s no doubt the final kill counts will change the meta of beginner training.

Please look forward to the next part.

Comment below if you want to discuss.

—

3.

In the midst of the streaming world, passionate gamers had begun a furious debate.

[Concept Thread]

[Will the Silent Swordsman truly become the king?]

There were two camps that had emerged.

The first camp viewed the Silent Swordsman as a god.

• If the Silent Swordsman keeps up this pace, it’s totally possible!
• I’ve never seen someone so strong at the start!

The second camp was a bit more skeptical.

• Calm down, it was just the tutorial.
• This guy is really good, but it was just one success.
• I’m skeptical about the future.

Even if one took the Silent Swordsman’s performance into account, there were mixed opinions.

No matter how astonishing one performance might have been, many agreed that the game began only after the tutorial.

• No matter how well he performs in the tutorial, this can’t be compared to true survival in the field.

And thus, the two camps continued their back-and-forth discussion.

The first camp suggested:

• You’re saying he’ll flop just because it’s the tutorial?
• You should look forward to him showing off his skills in the real game!

The second camp, however, insisted:

• He might do well, but is he really good enough to keep it going?

In the meantime, the viewership for the Silent Swordsman was still going strong.

Thanks to the Twitch algorithm, the recommendations kept pouring in, resulting in 3,000 viewers.

Despite the intense discussions, there were numerous comments left in the aftermath of the tutorial.

[Where’s the Silent Swordsman?]

[Why did the guild leader suddenly close the stream?]

[Silent Swordsman, please tell me when you’re going to come back!]

—

4.

After five hours of silence, the viewers waited impatiently for the stream to return.

Many had already left, but some still remained, holding onto hope.

• I’m not leaving until the guild leader comes back!
• Is he sleeping? LOL!
• Where did the guild leader go? Why isn’t he back?
• This is getting ridiculous.

Hours passed, and at last, the chat room finally started to flood with activity.

•  Oh! He’s back!
•  Yes, yes, yes!
•  I thought he had given up on us!
•  Silent Swordsman!
•  Guild leader!
•  Let’s go!

In a daze, the viewers refreshed the page, and their screens filled with the familiar face of the Silent Swordsman.

Looking lost and bewildered, he soon realized that he was back in the game.

• Is he really going to start a new field after all that?
• Welcome back!
• What’s next?
• What’s happening?

As he stared blankly at the screen, the viewers had begun to speculate about his next moves.

—

5.

That was the moment.

He was destined to face another formidable foe, the Hidden King, who lived within the Tower of Trials.

Those who were foolish enough to underestimate this king met their demise.

The Silent Swordsman had not yet reached that level.

Feeling the weight of every footstep, he approached the tower cautiously.

His heart raced as he pushed open the door, prepared for whatever lay ahead.

[You have entered the Tower of Trials.]

[The moment you step inside, your challenges will begin.]

As he gazed into the dark void that lay beyond the threshold, the Silent Swordsman could feel the anticipation building inside him.

• A new field has opened!
• I can’t believe he’s going to take on the Tower of Trials!