Chapter 14: Way of the Ronin Swordsman

When the Mysterious Yune Master was active, numerous Leory spectating YouTubers began to observe the matches between Ronin Swordsman and the Mysterious Yune Master.

The battle between these two players, both at the peak of their skills, was the perfect material for viewing, and the view count was exceptional.

A video that merely analyzed their plays in a single match reached an impressive 3 million views.

However, the “battle between the two brothers” concluded when the Mysterious Yune Master disappeared.

[Total of 20 Matches]

Ronin Swordsman: 0 wins, 20 losses

Ilillilill: 20 wins, 0 losses

In short, Ronin Swordsman was overwhelmingly defeated.

Yet, no one criticized or blamed him.

After all, at that time, no one had managed to claim victory against the Mysterious Yune Master.

The only person who even came close to achieving a “win” against the Mysterious Yune Master, if only for a moment, was Ronin Swordsman.

And so, the “battle between the two brothers” ended with the elder, Yune, utterly defeating his younger opponent.

Or so everyone thought it had ended.

Title: Mysterious Yune Master Reappears

Content: First game in three months, and guess who he’s against? Mid Yasuo player ‘Ronin Swordsman’ lol legendary.

Title: Ronin Swordsman and Barcode Guy Matched Up ᄆᄎ This is being broadcast live

Content: Barcode Guy just got a double kill.

Title: Who the heck is this Mysterious Yune Master?

Content: Here we go again with these weebs obsessing over stuff only they care about.

[Comments]

dsd123: Shut up, newbie.

FavorUser: You seriously don’t know the Mysterious Yune Master?

RengarMain: Not knowing Barcode Guy as a Leory player is practically treason.

Posts about the Mysterious Yune Master started appearing in one Leory-related community.

Then, other communities began posting about the Mysterious Yune Master as well.

The result of the rematch between Ronin Swordsman and the Mysterious Yune Master was shocking.

The game’s result was once again a win for the Mysterious Yune Master, but this time, it was different.

Ronin Swordsman had at least managed to keep up in their past matches.

This time, however, the Mysterious Yune Master completely crushed Ronin Swordsman.

Watching this rematch, the viewers were left in utter disbelief.

Title: Has Ronin Swordsman Lost His Edge?

Content: Based on his mechanical skills here and there, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Title: But Why Is Barcode Guy Rushing Guinsoo’s as a First Core? lol

Content: Isn’t that a useless item that doesn’t proc crit?

Title: The Reason Barcode Guy Couldn’t Lose

Content: Ronin Swordsman played terribly (currently bronze rank).

[Comments]

321swq: Very trustworthy tier.

OldManAA: Bronze level for sure lol.

Players debated why Ronin Swordsman suffered such an overwhelming defeat against the Mysterious Yune Master.

Then, in the midst of this, one post quickly gained traction and rose to the top of the community’s front page.

Title: Ronin Swordsman Just Started Streaming????

Content: [Image of Ronin Swordsman’s Twitch stream starting] Check this out—this guy’s actually streaming.

[Comments]

OldManAA: How did this happen?

JungleGuru: I’m heading there right now lol.

qwqer12: Can’t believe I’m actually seeing Ronin Swordsman stream with my own eyes.

ZXCVBNM: This is crazy, but why Twitch, of all places?

The top post in the community was the one announcing that Ronin Swordsman had started streaming.

Seeing the post, people went on Twitch, searched for ‘RoninSwordsman00,’ and joined his stream.

[Chat Messages]

[Is this that “romantic” stream?]

[Came from the community.]

[Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!]

[Why did he suddenly start streaming?]

[Ah… just 0/6/2 as usual.]

[There’s already a troll in here.]

[But why can’t we hear anything? Doesn’t he have a mic?]

Ronin Swordsman’s stream quickly garnered thousands of viewers.

However, Ronin Swordsman, who had started the stream, didn’t say a word.

[RoninSwordsman00: I don’t have a microphone.]

[He doesn’t have a microphone?]

[Then why even bother streaming, ugh.]

[Let him stream without a mic if he wants, geez.]

The chat quickly descended into chaos, divided between supporters and critics.

Ronin Swordsman, who had started the stream, ignored the chat and entered the queue.

The Mysterious Yune Master, after confirming that Ronin Swordsman had started streaming, unfriended him.

He left a message in chat saying, “I’ll snipe you if you queue up,” along with his Twitch ID.

There was a question as to why he would bother unfriending if he intended to snipe anyway.

But, as always, he was the “challenger,” so he had no choice but to follow the Mysterious Yune Master’s words.

Not long after, the game matched up.

The trolls, who had been causing chaos in the chat, stopped when the streamer didn’t react at all.

[Watching Ronin Swordsman’s Yasuo live.]

[Yep, got wrecked by Barcode Guy~]

[Barcode Guy is on another level, my friend.]

[Don’t you know the term “Heaven beyond Heaven”?]

[The true “essence” is Ronin Swordsman, that’s what I’m saying.]

[Do you guys even know what “romance” is?]

After all the bans were done, only the opponent’s final pick remained.

As usual, Ronin Swordsman had picked Yasuo first, and the enemy mid was still undecided.

Was it possible that the snipe had failed?

That thought briefly crossed his mind.

But since there weren’t many high-rank players queuing in this morning slot anyway.

Moreover, it was the preseason, so there were even fewer people online, with no need to climb the ladder.

It was the ideal situation for a “snipe.”

As expected, the opponent’s fifth pick was Yune.

[Yune? Yune? Yune? ]

[Dizzying…]

[PTSD on]

[But is that Barcode Guy?]

[Most likely, right?]

[The nightmare of 0/6/2 is coming back…]

[Faced him in the last match too, so probably, yeah?]

[Why doesn’t the Mysterious Yune Master stream though?]

[Ronin Swordsman’s streaming, isn’t he?]

[It’s kind of disrespectful that he’s the only one not streaming.]

When the opponent picked Yune, the chat heated up.

Normally, Yasuo would have the advantage, making it logical to mock Yune instead.

But due to that particular Yune Master, Ronin Swordsman became the target of ridicule instead.

The game began.

The game screen appeared on the broadcast.

[What’s the streamer doing!!!]

[This is why new streamers are…]

[Adjust the broadcast screen, come on!!]

…To be specific, only part of the game screen was visible.

Once Ronin Swordsman realized, he hurriedly adjusted the broadcast screen.

[Whew~]

[Wait, is that Barcode Guy?]

[Nah, it’s probably an impersonator.]

The nickname of the opposing mid, who had picked Yune, was the familiar “Barcode.”

Usually, well-known players use a barcode nickname to avoid being recognized.

In the case of the Mysterious Yune Master, he became famous with a “barcode” nickname, leading to the nickname “Barcode Guy.”

Of course, many impostors began using barcode nicknames to imitate the Mysterious Yune Master.

But no one could imitate a record of 50 games, 50 wins, and 0 losses.

[It’s the real deal?]

[Checked the stats, why is this happening?]

[Revenge match, oh shoot.]

[This time, he has to win.]

[If he wins this match, I’ll give 1 million won.]

[I screenshotted that comment.]

[Note: Donations are turned off.]

[Ah, figured as much lol.]

[Seeing Barcode Guy makes my hands shake—is this PTSD?]

[Getting PTSD and still being a fan, huh lol.]

Once it was confirmed that the enemy Yune was indeed the real Mysterious Yune Master, the chat’s atmosphere intensified.

Ronin Swordsman had never won against the Mysterious Yune Master before.

However, the viewers cheered on the host, Ronin Swordsman.

But contrary to the viewers’ wishes, the mysterious Yone master was a formidable opponent.

Yasuo’s thrusts missed, while Yone’s strikes hit their mark. The slight disadvantage grew over time, dulling the blade of the Wanderer.

Under the tower, he farmed minions, cautious of Yone’s aggressive advances, which hinted at an unseen jungler nearby. He thought to himself, “I won’t fall for this twice.” But as soon as he did, Sejuani, who had been lying in wait in the raptors’ nest, ambushed him, leading to a kill.

It was a complete defeat in psychological warfare, and the cause was his own one-dimensional thinking. This wasn’t just any Yone player; this was *the* mysterious Yone master.

What could he have done differently in that moment? The Wanderer thought and thought again.

“Abandon simple thinking. Don’t assume the enemy thinks like you.” Even if he lost the lane, there was a way to win the *game*.

Returning to the lane, with each clash against the mysterious Yone master, the Wanderer began to understand his playstyle, learning bit by bit.

But, contrary to a heartwarming story of a protagonist rising and overcoming, no such awakening happened here. Reality and manga are different; reality is cruel and unforgiving.

Both externally and internally, their differences were stark.

“Ah…”

“Let’s just let this one go.”

“Barcode guy is insanely good…”

“Watching in real-time feels totally different.”

“Seeing it live is nerve-wracking.”

The viewers, who had only ever watched the two fighters in spectator mode, could now feel—if only indirectly—the Wanderer’s struggle against the monster called the mysterious Yone master.

Realizing the loneliness of his journey against this beast, viewers began to offer him words of comfort.

“What the hell kind of champ is that?”

“The damage is just absurd…”

“Guinsoo’s Rageblade is honestly a problem.”

“Even without it, the laning capability is just insane.”

“Barcode’s roaming timing is just legendary.”

“It feels like his mechanics are equal, but he’s losing in mental gameplay.”

Just like the last match, the Wanderer’s Yasuo suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the mysterious Yone master.

The only improvement was that this game ended with a surrender at 15 minutes, with fewer deaths.

“Hang in there…”

“To be honest, that guy’s the monster.”

“It’s definitely not Yasuo’s fault; he just faced a monster.”

Though the game ended in a devastating result, he felt a small sense of growth. It was as if something he had been lacking was finally fulfilled.

Wanting to hold onto that feeling a bit longer, the Wanderer queued up for another match without hesitation.

With nothing to do during the matchmaking wait, the Wanderer scrolled through the chat comments that had poured in since the game began.

Most were messages of empathy, comfort, and encouragement, supporting his efforts.

Feeling a warm sting in his heart, he resumed typing.

[Wanderer00: I’m okay.]

[Wanderer00: And… thank you all for your support.]

His original reason for streaming was solely because of the other guy’s request. He hadn’t planned on interacting with the viewers, even if they showed up.

But to the people who had consoled him, a word of thanks felt only polite. And so, the Wanderer typed out his honest feelings in the chat.

[“What are you saying, all sentimental? (tears streaming)”]

[“Did you think we were actually cheering you on? lol (sobbing loudly)”]

[“Geez, don’t take this too seriously (wiping nose on sleeve)”]

The Wandering Swordsman read through the viewers’ messages, and a faint smile crept onto his lips.

After about five more minutes, he found another match. Accepting the game, he checked that the mysterious Yone master wasn’t on his team. If they had been, he was prepared to dodge immediately, but luckily that wasn’t the case.

The pick-ban phase began again.

This time, the enemy’s first pick chose “Yone.”

[“Oh my god, no way.”]

[“Barcode dude, please don’t do this…”]

[“Revenge match, ON.”]

[“This isn’t revenge, come on!”]

[“How is this revenge? It’s just one-sided bullying.”]

[“If this goes on, I’m reporting Barcode dude for assault.”]

[“Come on… just stop, please.”]

[“At this point, this has to count as cyberbullying.”]

The reappearance of Yone caused the chat room to spiral into chaos, but the Wandering Swordsman picked “Yasuo” without hesitation.

[“Ah… Wandering Swordsman, what kind of battles have you fought to get here?”]

[“Even if he falls, he won’t yield… That’s the true spirit.”]

[“He rises again and again!”]

Seeing the concern in his viewers’ messages, the Wandering Swordsman gave a small smile. So many people were watching and cheering him on. “I can’t afford to lose in an embarrassing way now.”

It was ambitious, he knew, but just once, against this mysterious Yone master, he wanted to claim victory. No, he would claim victory. Even if it took a long time, he wouldn’t give up.

“I won’t give up.”

He would never surrender.

The game began.