Chapter 17: Chasing the Silent Swordsman

– Catching Up to the Silent Swordsman

1.

The viewers of Um Gildong asked.

– So, what are you going to copy?

– It was an all-time legend.

– Choosing is a hassle.

The incredible physicality of the Silent Swordsman started from the blood demon purge and continued every moment.

It was impossible to find a moment where his physicality did not shine.

“Still, if I’m going to do it, I should pick the hardest one.”

– Killing the executioner in the tutorial?

“That’s too much.”

– Choosing the second field to kill the boss without the blood demon?

“That’s too much too.”

The chat room for Um Gildong ignited.

– Oh, if that won’t work, what will? Haha.

– Just give up.

– I’m sorry for messing around; if you say you can’t do it now, we’ll let it slide.

Already ignited with competitive spirit, Um Gildong did not back down.

“The boss might be impossible, but the purge mission is doable.”

– Just barely?

– Um Gildong, barely a purge mission?

“Facing the demon spirits on a small boat.”

– Huh?

– Oh?

“With the condition of protecting the same amount of demon spirits on the small boat for the same duration as the Silent Swordsman.”

– This is a bit tempting.

– Sounds interesting.

– I’m on board.

“If I succeed, I get a waiver for penalty number one from the roulette; if I fail, I spin the penalty roulette. What do you think? Deal?”

– Deal.

– Let’s do it.

Thus, after a full day of dedicated effort, the result was born.

[Catching Up to the Silent Swordsman (100 seconds)]

[by Thief Um Gildong]

For 100 seconds, the goal was to protect the small boat with low durability from the demon spirits or to defeat all the demons, featuring a simulation of the catching up to the Silent Swordsman in a boat battle.

A total of 64 demons appeared.

The boat was a shabby small vessel.

The character had only minimal stat adjustments given.

It was a simulation where he challenged to perform the same achievements as the Silent Swordsman in the same conditions.

2.

Feeling proud of the high level of completion, Um Gildong embarked on the first trial run.

As the small boat collided with the demon spirits, it swayed from the shock and then smashed his head against the boat’s edge, killing him instantly.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gildong / Time Record: 3 seconds / Remaining Demons: 64 / Boat Condition: Intact]

[Sign: Died from hitting his head against the boat.]

– Phobos’ selection: The ugliest death in the world, ranked number one.

– V-tuber friends, even though I’m finishing up catching up to the Silent Swordsman here, I hope you can see the ending! Bye~

– Fastest coffin-bound trip, haha.

– Seriously, that was terrible, haha.

“A trial run, come on! Do you think you won’t fall?”

Um Gildong, embarrassed, reacted angrily for no reason, but he couldn’t help thinking that it was indeed tough.

The collisions between the demon spirits and the small boat were much more intense than he had imagined.

“Is this guy magnetized to the ground? How the hell is he holding on?”

The number of attempts quickly surpassed ten, but even after passing the first collision hurdle, his record never exceeded 20 seconds.

**Crash! Smash!**

Suddenly, spears surged from the water.

If he lost his footing or got pricked even once by the demon spirits’ attacks, he would be restricted in movement, falling beneath the boat or losing his life.

“Don’t come at me, you bastards!!”

With his legs tightly pressed against the boat’s railing and his center of gravity lowered, Um Gildong entered a slippery, evasive playstyle, swatting away only the incoming spears.

**Whoosh! Whoosh!**

– What a coward!

– Do you really want to win this badly?

“Uaaaaaa!!”

“Kyah!”

“Kyyaaa!”

Countless spears flew toward him from the demon spirits.

– Crazy, haha. So many spears are coming up!

– He’s using the stolen defensive technique from a ranker here, haha.

– What a waste of skill, lol.

He gave up on holding steady with his legs or killing the demons.

Only desperate resistance for survival remained.

Despite his best record of 40 seconds, the boat suddenly creaked and split in half from the bottom.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gildong, 25 attempts / Time Record: 40.7 seconds / Remaining Demons: 64 / Boat Condition: Destroyed]

[Sign: Died after falling into the water when the boat broke and being pierced by multiple spears.]

“Gahhh! How am I supposed to last for 100 seconds?!”

Even watching it on video seemed impressive, but he never imagined it would be this tough.

It was as difficult as trying to block the arrows of a thousand archers for a minute by stealing a ranker’s defensive skill.

– This is the technique you chose to steal. Endure it with sheer will.

– This feels like the agony of the mirror shield technique.

This is it, haha. I enjoy seeing this guy suffer the most.

Fueled by the determination to crush the viewers who rejoiced in his failures, Um Gildong continued to challenge himself.

“If I just sit here without fighting, the boat can’t hold out. I need to reduce the number of demon spirits somehow.”

Risking danger, he launched his attacks, but he died faster in the first few attempts than while hiding.

He suffered sudden deaths dozens of times from spears that snuck up through his blind spots or pierced through the bottom of the boat.

The number of attempts quickly reached 100.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gildong, 100 attempts / Time Record: 49.2 seconds / Remaining Demons: 51 / Boat Condition: Severely Damaged]

[Sign: Slipped on the river and couldn’t avoid a spear, resulting in death.]

[RANK 02. Thief Um Gildong, 97 attempts / Time Record: 49 seconds / Remaining Demons: 54 / Boat Condition: Severely Damaged]

[Sign: Caught by a demon spirit and dragged into the river, resulting in death.]

[RANK 03. Thief Um Gildong, 81 attempts / Time Record: 48.8 seconds / Remaining Demons: 53 / Boat Condition: Severely Damaged]

[Sign: A broken shard of the boat pierced his big toe, and while focusing on that, he couldn’t avoid a spear, resulting in death.]

“Aaaaah!! 50 seconds, 50 seconds, 50 seconds, 50 seconds!!”

<Gildong Anamunakeryeom has donated 1,000 won!>

[RANK 01. The Ugliest Death in Phobos Selection: 1st Place]

“Hey, friends on VTube! Although I’ll be finishing my silent swordsman challenge here, I hope you all get to see the ending. That’s all~”

– Quickest Coffin Trip

– So lame

“Ah, it’s just a test drive! Do you really think you won’t fall?”

Though Um Gil-dong was embarrassed and angry for no reason, he couldn’t shake off the thought that it was all going well.

The collision between the ghostly creature and the ferry was much more violent than expected.

“Is this guy magnetized to the ground or something? How is he enduring this?”

The number of attempts quickly surpassed ten, but even after overcoming the first collision, the record didn’t exceed 20 seconds.

Smash! Thud!

Suddenly, spears shot up from under the water.

If he lost his footing or got even slightly pricked by the ghostly creatures’ attacks, he’d be restricted in movement, either falling under the boat or losing his life.

“Don’t come near me, you bastards!!”

Clinging tightly to the ferry’s railing and lowering his center of gravity, Um Gil-dong entered a slippery defensive play, deflecting incoming spears.

Woo!

– What a coward.

– Do you want to win this badly?

“Ughhhh!!”

“Yahhh!”

“Kyaaaa!”

Countless spears flew toward him.

– This is insane ᄏᄏᄏ so many spears!

– Using the shield technique I stole from a ranker here,

– Such a waste of skills

He gave up on holding his ground and killing the ghostly creatures.

His only desperate resistance was to endure for as long as possible.

Despite the record of 40 seconds, the ferry suddenly split in half with a loud crack from the bottom.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gil-dong: 25 Attempts / Time Record: 40.7 seconds / Remaining Ghosts: 64 / Ferry Destroyed]

[Cause of Death: The boat broke, and he was pierced by multiple spears in the water.]

“Ggggghhh!!! How the hell am I supposed to last 100 seconds?!”

Even watching the video seemed amazing, but he never imagined it would be this difficult.

It felt just as hard as when he attempted to block arrows from a thousand archers for a minute by stealing the ranker’s shield technique.

– You chose the skill stealing. Endure with sheer will.

– A foreboding sense of suffering like the shield technique.

This is it ᄏᄏ I enjoy watching this guy suffer the most.

Fueled by the determination to crush the viewers who rejoiced in his failures, Um Gil-dong continued his attempts.

“Since I’m just waiting here without fighting, the boat can’t hold. I need to reduce the number of ghostly creatures somehow.”

He risked everything to attack, but he died faster than when he was just waiting in the first few tries.

He fell victim to the spears that came up suddenly from the bottom of the ferry or from the blind spots of his vision dozens of times. The number of attempts quickly reached 100.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gil-dong: 100 Attempts / Time Record: 49.2 seconds / Remaining Ghosts: 51 / Ferry Damaged]

[Cause of Death: Slipping in the river and unable to evade a spear.]

[RANK 02. Thief Um Gil-dong: 97 Attempts / Time Record: 49 seconds / Remaining Ghosts: 54 / Ferry Damaged]

[Cause of Death: Dragged into the river by a ghostly creature after being grabbed by the arm.]

[RANK 03. Thief Um Gil-dong: 81 Attempts / Time Record: 48.8 seconds / Remaining Ghosts: 53 / Ferry Damaged]

[Cause of Death: A broken piece of the ferry pierced his toe, leading to his demise after failing to evade a spear.]

“Ahhhhhh!!! 50 seconds, 50 seconds, 50 seconds, 50 seconds!!!”

<Gil-dong Anamunacaryum has donated 1,000 won!>

—

49.2 seconds.

– Slipping and dying is hilarious

– Hey, this doesn’t seem promising. Let’s just spin the punishment roulette and call it a day. If we give up today, it’ll end with one roulette spin.**

– No way! After three days of trying and failing, I should have three penalty spins!

– But isn’t it better than at first?

Compared to the first attempt, where he died in three seconds, this was much better.

But failing to avoid a slip even after 100 tries isn’t a good sign.

It proves just how disadvantageous fighting on a small, old ferry is.

“Ah, I’m so frustrated. I need to cool my head for a bit.”

Um Gil-dong took a break, putting on a song.

After stepping out of the virtual reality capsule and sipping a drink, he tried to loosen his stiff body, but his dark expression didn’t improve.

“Ugh, why did I even start this? I won’t clear it even if I try for a month.”

It was clear that without learning a few tricks, he wouldn’t have any chance of clearing it no matter how many attempts he made.

“This is ridiculously difficult. How did the silent swordsman manage this?”

Two hours into his attempt, he still hadn’t seen a chance of success.

Balancing, footwork, aiming to pierce the ghostly creature’s head in the water with a single strike, and the defensive techniques to bounce back attacks—all of it was dauntingly difficult.

Honestly, this felt even harder than mastering the shield technique.

“Is this guy a gymnastics athlete or what?”

After a long hiatus, COVID-19 reportedly re-emerged in 2050 with new variants.

Maybe he stopped being an athlete and decided to take on this game instead.

Such questions felt convincing given the difficulty of the challenge.

“Whatever, I’ll just go all out today.”

Day 1 of Silent Swordsman Challenge.

Attempt Count: 502.

Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes.

[RANK 01. Thief Um Gil-dong: 480 Attempts / Time Record: 54.2 seconds / Remaining Ghosts: 48 / Ferry Destroyed]

[Cause of Death: The boat broke and he was lynched underwater.]

Awaiting him after surpassing the 50-second mark was the wrecked ferry and the relentless lynching from the ghostly creatures.

Despite 12 hours of effort, there was no possibility of clearing it.

Um Gil-dong and his viewers gradually realized just how impressive the silent swordsman was.

—

Um Gil-dong ultimately failed his challenge.

However, the silent swordsman simulation he created spread widely among streamers.

“Hey, you guys should give it a try too. Go ahead and laugh at me. It looked fun, right? But when you actually try it, it won’t go as you want!”

He couldn’t suffer alone.

The streamer’s righteousness meant sharing all the bad with others!

The simulation that was shared with his fellow streamers, who had laughed at his clips, became a viral sensation, like a chain letter of misfortune.

“Ida Haye, come and try this!”

“What is this?”

“It’s the Silent Swordsman Challenge.”

Ida Haye, a striking beauty and the runner-up in the streamer swordsmanship competition, felt a strong interest in the simulation introduced by her fellow streamer, Mulsu.

“Isn’t this the one that’s been trending on VTube lately?”

“Exactly. I tried it once and it was a nightmare.”

“You need to say it right. It’s not a nightmare, but you’ve already died a lot, haven’t you?”

49.2 seconds

– It’s hilarious that people die from slipping. *ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ*

– Hey, there’s no hope for this one. Let’s just spin the penalty roulette and call it a day. If we give up today, we’ll end with one spin.

– No way! I’ve endured for three days and still haven’t cleared it; I should at least get three spins and three penalties.

– But it’s better than at the beginning, right?

Compared to the first attempt where I met with an accident in just three seconds, this is much better.

However, even making it to 100 attempts without preventing a single slip and still dying is not a good sign.

It only proves how disadvantageous fighting on a small, worn-out ferry is.

“Ah, I’m getting so frustrated. I need to cool my head for a bit.”

Um Gildong takes a short break, playing a song as he steps out of the virtual reality capsule. He tries to relax his stiff body with a drink at the mall, but his dark expression doesn’t improve.

“Damn it, why did I even try this? I can’t clear it even if I try for a month.”

It was clear that without mastering at least a few tricks, the chances of clearing it after multiple attempts were slim.

“It’s incredibly difficult. How did the Silent Swordsman do this?”

Two hours into the challenge.

The chances of success are still zero.

Balancing, footwork, aiming to pierce the head of the water spirit with a single strike, and deflecting attacks with defensive skills.

Nothing is easy.

Honestly, in terms of difficulty, this feels harder than learning the reflexive defense skill.

“Is he some kind of gymnastics athlete?”

Rumor has it that COVID-19, which had been quiet for a while, is making a comeback with a new variant in 2050.

So, could he have retired from being an athlete and taken on this challenge instead?

Such questions seem reasonable given how tough this challenge is.

“Whatever, let’s just go all out today.”

Day 1 of chasing the Silent Swordsman.

Attempts: 502

Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes.

[RANK 01. Phantom Um Gildong / Time record 54.2 seconds / Remaining water spirits 48 / Ferry destroyed]

[Cause of death: Killed after the boat was destroyed and being lynched in the water.]

Waiting for him after surpassing the cursed 50 seconds is a broken ferry and merciless lynching from the water spirits.

Despite 12 hours of effort, there is no possibility of clearing it.

Um Gildong and his viewers are increasingly realizing how incredible the Silent Swordsman truly was.

—

Um Gildong ultimately failed the challenge.

However, the simulation he created to catch up to the Silent Swordsman spread widely among streamers.

“Hey, you guys should give it a try too. Just to see how hard it is! It looked fun watching, right? But you’ll see it’s not easy when you try it yourself!”

He couldn’t be the only one suffering through this.

It’s the streamer’s spirit to share the bad times!

The simulation was delivered to his fellow streamers, who had been laughing at Um Gildong’s clips.

It spread like a chain letter of good fortune.

“Ida Hye, come try this out!”

“What is this?”

“It’s the Silent Swordsman catch-up simulation.”

Ida Hye, a skilled swordswoman known for her outstanding looks and as the runner-up in the streamer swordsmanship tournament, was strongly intrigued by the simulation passed on by her fellow streamer, Moolso.

“Oh, that’s the one that’s trending on V-tube, right?”

“That’s right. I tried it once, and it was brutal.”

“Be honest. It’s not that it was brutal; it’s more like you’ve already died a lot, right?”

—

“Stop it! Don’t do that!! I don’t want to relive those memories!!!!”

“Anyway, I received it well. I was curious, so this worked out perfectly. I’ll give it a try.”

With a haughty expression and a chic demeanor, Ida Hye is a popular female swordsman known for her excellent swordsmanship.

It’s rare for a streamer to hand her a game that could easily embarrass them, but thanks to Moolso, who is known for his reckless approach, the Silent Swordsman catch-up simulation finally reached Ida Hye’s hands.

“Did you hear that, guys? Today, I’m going to try the Silent Swordsman catch-up simulation!”

– Wow, Silent Swordsman catch-up!

– Do you think you can do it?

– Go for it, unnie!

– There have been challengers, but no one has cleared it; it’s a legendary simulation.

– *ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ*

– Is it really that tough?

– If you clear it, you’d be amazing!

The chatroom, filled with a particularly high percentage of female viewers, was clean and encouraging.

Fueled by their youthful support, a subtle smile crept onto Ida Hye’s face.

“Alright, let’s go then?”

Ida Hye’s first challenge.

[RANK 01. 2DaHye / Time record 16 seconds / Remaining water spirits 48 / Ferry intact]

[Cause of death: Killed due to failing to parry.]

Despite her confident challenge, the results were clearly disappointing.

“This isn’t easy. I thought it would be tough when I watched it live, but the transition between offense and defense is really difficult.”

– Wow, 16 seconds on your first try?

– Ooh!

– I see potential!

Unlike Um Gildong, who pushed through with sheer determination, Ida Hye, with her already well-developed physical skills, quickly became accustomed to combat on the ferry.

[RANK 01. 2DaHye / Time record 67 seconds / Remaining water spirits 32 / Ferry destroyed]

After surpassing the cursed 50 seconds and killing half of the water spirits, a clear possibility emerged.

The viewers were ecstatic, but the person in question shook her head.

“This is it for me. Once I get used to the skills, tricks, and the sensation of ferry combat, there might be some improvement, but I don’t expect a dramatic change.”

Unlike Um Gildong, who extended his three-day challenge to a week and still failed, Ida Hye coolly decided to give up at an appropriate point.

– Unnie, check your overall ranking!

– If you click World, you can see other people’s records too!

– You must be ranked really high!

“I can’t resist checking the overall ranking.”

Even without her viewers’ urging, Ida Hye was genuinely curious about her skills.

Could she possibly be in first place?

But her face turned stiff as she saw the rankings.

【Overall Ranking】

[RANK 01. National Pride Swordsman Lee Hae-chan] (Record details)

[RANK 02. 2DaHye] (Record details)

National Pride Swordsman Lee Hae-chan.

The first streamer to watch the Silent Swordsman’s broadcast and the winner of the streamer swordsmanship tournament in the second half of 2049.

Always maintaining her position as the unshakeable number one.

That name stood as a barrier in her way.