Chapter 15: bang! When it’s pot! I did it bang!

A vast, expansive plain.

The sky, draped in gray clouds, seemed to foretell what was about to unfold, resting in silence.

Beneath that sky stood two men.

The traveler, clad in full armor and wielding a massive warhammer, stepped forward.

The paladin, gripping a greatsword with both hands, closed his eyes and whispered a prayer.

Clang, clang.

A sound that might evoke dread in some marked the beginning of the battle.

And it was the paladin, who had just quietly finished his prayer, that charged first.

“Hah!”

In a middle guard stance, the paladin swung his sword downward with a deep shout.

The approaching traveler slightly shifted his body, dodging the attack.

Boom!

With a tremendous noise, the ground caved in, and a cloud of dust billowed up.

With his vision obscured, the paladin kept his senses sharp, bracing for the traveler’s counterattack.

Shhh!

A tearing sound cut through the air as the dust scattered.

Emerging from within, the warhammer seemed poised to shatter everything in its path.

“Hup!”

Letting out another deep breath, the paladin lowered his stance.

Then the traveler’s warhammer collided with the paladin’s armor.

Even though he had prepared himself, the pain flooding in made the paladin feel as if his shoulder was about to shatter, gritting his teeth.

But there was no time to be distracted by pain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The traveler’s warhammer relentlessly pounded on the paladin’s armor, whose stance had faltered.

The deafening cracks echoed madly as the paladin was naturally forced back, retreating step by step.

And the traveler’s attacks only intensified, as if determined not to let this chance slip by.

…However.

Paladins, by nature, excel at standing in the way of their enemies’ attacks.

No matter how destructive the warhammer was, as long as the paladin maintained a solid defensive posture, it wouldn’t land a fatal blow.

Thus, the paladin concentrated on deflecting the attacks, minimizing damage, and watching for an opening to strike back.

A full suit of armor and a warhammer.

There was no need to explain the sheer weight of those pieces of equipment.

The longer the battle dragged on, the more likely the traveler, who was moving so fiercely, would be at a disadvantage.

The paladin was well aware of this and kept his defenses firm.

To completely break through that defense, the traveler suddenly shoved the paladin backward and raised his warhammer high above his head.

The large, hurried motion spoke of his impatience.

And the opening.

“Haaaa…!”

As soon as the paladin realized it, he stepped forward.

By all rights, it was a moment too late.

He should have steadied his broken stance, rushed forward, and then counterattacked.

Even though the traveler’s movement was large, it was naturally simpler than what the paladin had to do.

But what made this possible was the miracle of Elune.

Thud!

As a golden aura enveloped the paladin’s armor and greatsword, his consciousness reached beyond the span of a single second.

A fleeting moment. Accelerated twice in quick succession.

The paladin’s body shot forward as if exploding like a cannon.

No matter how skilled he were, they were still just an ordinary traveler.

There was no way they could keep up with the movement of a paladin who had reached the peak of their abilities.

…That’s how it should have been.

The traveler’s hands, which should have been raised high to power the war hammer, were suddenly in a poised middle stance.

Boom!

The side of the greatsword was struck by the war hammer, and an unpleasant screeching sound of metal echoed.

Caught off guard by the strike from the side, the paladin’s greatsword was driven straight into the ground.

The wrist that had been supporting the sword was throbbing intensely.

The paladin had no strength left to recover their stance.

The attack had been read.

The paladin wasn’t afraid of this realization in itself.

What truly terrified them was the traveler’s audacity.

If they had truly anticipated that attack, they could have simply dodged it.

Dodging would have left the paladin’s back exposed, and if the traveler had struck at that moment, the paladin would have been defeated.

In other words, facing the attack head-on was a gamble, a 1% chance of failure, a literal roll of the dice.

But the traveler had chosen that gamble, and had shattered the paladin’s technique as if to prove their choice was right.

Shattered it so cleanly that not even a scratch could be found. Without the slightest flaw.

It was a reaction time that defied belief and flawless technique.

“A monster…”

The paladin muttered in a voice so low no one could hear.

It was their last words.

Bang!

Then, the clear, sharp sound of the war hammer smashing the paladin’s head rang out.

As the paladin thought they might have heard some ridiculous phrase like, “Repent quietly,” they slowly closed their eyes.

[René]

[Heretic Interrogation Begins]

[New Dimension | 2 viewers | 1:03:22]

Bang!

My old friend, the war hammer, gloriously smashed the paladin’s head, flaunting its presence.

Ahh, so satisfying. Now this is a weapon.

(You Win!)

“I won again.”

-What was that just now?

-How did that even happen for real?

‘Arailie’ and ‘DontMessWithMe’ were gone, but luckily, two viewers remained on my stream.

And they seemed pretty interested, as my follower count had increased to two.

Have I secured at least a small core audience?

Earlier, there was a chat questioning “Arailie’ whether I was hacking, but after my flawless counterargument, no one brought it up again.

I might have snagged myself some good viewers.

─How did you counter just now?

“How did I counter? Hmm. I just… did it well…?”

-That’s not an explanation, how is anyone supposed to understand that?

“Oh, um… It’s not that hard… You just go bang! And then bam! Then bang!…”

– What are you even saying?

─ I can’t understand a single thing.

“Hmm, is it really that bad…?”

Should I call this the downside of having poor communication skills?

“In my head, I can picture everything clearly, but I can’t explain it at all.

But what just happened wasn’t my fault, it was the paladin’s fault…

In *NewD*’s PVP, if you don’t use skills properly, your attacks become way too predictable.

The system can adjust your movement to do things that would normally be impossible, but that also means your movements are predetermined, making it easier to counter them.

Of course, I did guide the paladin’s moves, but using *Furious Charge* right there was way too straightforward.

Anyone with decent PVP experience would have easily done what I did.

“Anyway, that’s a 6-win streak.”  “

It’s already been an hour since the stream started.

Unfortunately, besides ‘Lynel’ and ‘Moriarty,’ it didn’t seem like any more viewers were going to join.

“Lynel, Moriarty, did you have fun…?”

─ You’re good, so it’s fun to watch, but could you explain things a bit more specifically?

ᅳ *Boom! Pow! Clang!* << That’s too much lol

─ Also, the sound feels a bit empty.

Hmm. That’s good feedback.

Thanks to streaming, I’ve realized it’s easier to talk without feeling like someone’s staring at me. I should prioritize fixing that issue.

Maybe I should read some books on public speaking?

Reading some literature novels might also help me describe the scenes that play out in my mind better.

“Thanks for the advice…. I think it’s about time to end today’s stream. Do you guys have any other questions for me…?”

Tuni said it’s important to engage with viewers.

They mentioned the lack of sound, which probably means I wasn’t talking much. It’s a good idea to start chatting more now.

– Why are you streaming?

“I need the money.”

─ Why are you using a voice changer?

“I thought it might attract a bit more attention. Honestly, I originally wanted to be a skill-based streamer without saying anything, but I was advised against it….”

Actually, I’m a real woman, though.

– Who in their right mind tries to stream without talking?

Well, here I am.

– Why is your voice so quiet for someone who streams?

“Uh… like I said before, I spend almost every day stuck at home, so I’m not really used to talking much. Please try to understand.”

– Why do you hate jobs like priests or paladins so much?

“I think there’s a misunderstanding. I don’t hate regular priests or paladins. What I dislike are heretics. Since I’m an inquisitor.”

─ This character concept is wild.

“It’s not a concept… Lynel. If a random woman walked up to you on the street and said, ‘I sense good energy from you,’ what would you do?”

“Do you feel that way?”

“Feels like shit.”

“Uh, well… You’re speaking a bit harshly, but if you think that’s how you feel, then… I guess that’s about right.”

─ “I’m going crazy, seriously lol”

“Uh, by the way, what do you two do for a living?”

─ “Jobless hermit lol”

“At-home security guard.”

“Wait, uh… New, New Dimension… I’m sorry…”

─ “Main character: Spearman, side character: Fighter.”

─ “Only raised a Mage.”

Phew, at least among the two followers I gained today, there’s no heretic.

“Anyway, I’ll wrap up the stream for today here. See you next time.”

─ “Take care.”

─ “PVP next time?”

─ “Do you have plans for other games?”

“Um… For now, I think it’ll mostly be PVP. But if there’s something you’d like to see, let me know. And as for other games… I’m not sure, I’ll focus on New Dimension for now.”

“LOL, good work. Bye-bye.”

“Yeah, goodbye.”

[**Rene**]

[Interrogation of the Heretic Begins]

[New Dimension | 0 viewers | 1:06:22]

After confirming that there were no viewers, I ended the stream.

…Was it successful?

It seems like I’ve secured at least two regular viewers.

Well, if I keep going like this, 2 will become 4, 4 will become 8, and so on.

I can endure for now, so let’s not get too impatient.

Resolving this, I turned off New Dimension and threw myself onto the bed.

“Damn it, you b****.”

Of course, I didn’t forget my nightly ritual of cursing Iah before sleeping.

F***ing b****.

God, if only you could price it.