Chapter 5: One Plus One Isn’t Always Two

[What kind of joke is this?]

[They’re just trying to help you!]

[Are you a contrarian or something?]

[LOL]

The chat was filled with disbelief and laughter.

If even the viewers felt this way, how much worse must it be for the one being outright ignored?

<What do you think you’re doing?>

The Water God’s glowing form trembled violently.

A deity, unable to contain his emotions, was shaking with anger.

It was only natural.

He had gone out of his way to offer advice out of concern, only to be met with this kind of reaction.

Even a god would be furious.

<Get up immediately!>

“No.”

Seyul, lying on the ground, shook his head.

Even dressed in tattered rags and sprawled on the ground, he looked beautiful.

But neither the Water God nor the viewers had the leisure to admire him.

[He looks like a kid throwing a tantrum because his mom won’t buy him a toy.]

Given Seyul’s small frame, that comparison felt all too real.

As a result, the Water God found himself experiencing something he had never thought possible

The frustration of dealing with a stubborn five-year-old child.

<I’m trying to help you! Why are you refusing?>

The Water God snapped.

Seyul replied calmly,

“If this is my grudge to bear, then it’s my problem to handle.”

The serious response, so out of place with his ridiculous posture, made the Water God flinch.

<What?>

“If the Orc Chieftain is coming for me, the reason is obvious. He’s seeking revenge for his fallen subordinates, right?”

<That is correct.>

“Then it’s only natural that I should face him.”

Still lying down, Seyul thought back to the past.

He had killed too many people in this world to count.

Every single one of them had family, friends people who had loved them.

Some of them had sought revenge.

And what had Seyul done?

He hadn’t taken the attacks lying down.

But he also hadn’t handled them himself.

‘Instead, I dumped the responsibility onto my comrades and subordinates.’

Because he hadn’t had the courage to face them himself.

The tears, the rage, the sheer grief in their eyes

He hadn’t been able to withstand their raw hatred and fury.

Even though he had the strength, his heart had not been strong enough.

So he had let others do the dirty work.

‘And now, I regret it.’

That didn’t mean he planned to offer his neck willingly.

But ignoring it wasn’t an option either.

No matter how messy it was, this was the result of his own choices.

It was something he had to face with his own hands.

“Go away. If this is my grudge, then it’s my responsibility to settle it.”

<Did you not hear me? I told you that you cannot handle him!>

“That’s not for you to decide. Whether I can handle it or not, I’ll determine that for myself.”

” And if I can’t? Should I run away? No. I will never run, and I refuse to.”

Leave.

Seyul spoke the words again, for what felt like the hundredth time.

<Even when I offer help, you act like this?! You insane, ungrateful bastard don’t live your life like this!>

The Water God, unable to contain his emotions, cursed and vanished.

But none of the viewers blamed him for it.

[You lunatic!]

[He’s literally just telling you to run!]

[Why are you treating our Water God like this? ]

[If I were him, I would’ve struck you down on the spot.]

[Seriously, even when offered help, you just act like this?]

[Exactly!]

A god had personally come to warn him.

The game was even trying to return to normal progression.

And yet, he told a god to leave. Who could possibly sympathize with that?

The chat exploded with frustration.

But not everyone was against him.

[Did you hear what he just said?]

[That was badass!]

Not all reactions toward Seyul were negative.

[“If it’s my grudge, I’ll settle it myself!”]

[This guy knows how to deliver a cool line.]

[With that face and that attitude, he really feels like a character straight out of a fantasy world.]

<Huuung has donated 10,000 coins.>

<CardioTraining has donated 3,000 coins.>

Some viewers who weren’t familiar with the game simply found the atmosphere captivating and sent donations.

The chat was ablaze with mixed reactions.

But Seyul, unaware of any of it, remained lying on the ground.

Just as he had said he would handle his grudge with his own hands.

A short while later.

Boom! Boom!

A thunderous sound echoed in a continuous chain, shaking the earth.

Seyul stirred at the noise and quietly got up.

When he looked toward the forest path, he saw a great commotion.

The trees were toppling one by one.

Someone was tearing through the forest, heading straight toward him.

A massive figure, over two meters tall.

A rough, boar-like face.

A giant axe in one hand.

The Orc Chieftain.

The first boss of the “Extremely Hard” difficulty level was approaching, cutting down trees with a single swing of his massive axe.

“Ridiculous.”

The Orc Chieftain, expecting his target to flee, was slightly surprised to find Seyul standing still, staring right at him.

He had assumed the human would run.

And yet, here he was, waiting for him.

Was he fearless?

Or just a fool?

“…So you’re the one who killed my subordinates.”

The Orc Chieftain, no longer questioning it, stated the fact.

Seyul nodded without hesitation.

“Yeah, it was me. I killed them. So, you’ve come for revenge?”

“That’s right. I don’t particularly care about those bastards, but orc warriors live by one rule blood must be repaid with blood.”

“Straightforward and brutal. I like it. So what are we waiting for? Let’s fight already.”

The moment he finished speaking, Seyul raised his spear.

[This guy’s insane.]

[No, she’s insane.]

[But if you charge in like that, you’re gonna die, dude!]

[What the hell is he thinking?]

[If he gets hit by that axe and dies instantly, it’s gonna be so embarrassing.]

Most viewers were certain of Seyul’s defeat.

The difference in stats was just too big.

There was no way he could win.

The moment the Orc Chieftain swung his axe, Seyul would be finished.

But then

Surprisingly, the Orc Chieftain didn’t swing his weapon.

Instead, he remained silent, as if gauging the situation.

Then, after what seemed like careful thought, he finally spoke.

“Human. Before we fight, I have a question.”

“What?”

“Why did you refuse the god’s power?”

It was the same question everyone seemed to ask.

The Orc Chieftain was no exception.

“The surviving slaves told me. They said the god descended to grant you power, but you turned him down.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Why does everyone keep bringing that up? ”

“Hey, let me ask you if some shady god suddenly appeared and offered you power, would you just accept it without question?”

Annoyed by the repetitive topic, Seyul snapped at him.

“Of course!”

Without the slightest hesitation, the Orc Chieftain answered.

This time, it was Seyul’s turn to be shocked.

“Of course, I would accept it. Because in our world of monsters, strength is everything! And yet, I have never been able to obtain enough of it.”

The Orc Chieftain spoke with a cynical smirk.

“Powerful monsters not only wield mana freely but also possess unique abilities. But we orcs… we are different.”

Orcs were lower-class monsters.

Even the Orc Chieftain, for all his strength, was merely an early-game boss.

“Cursing my fate for being born weak, I even stole human mana techniques just to barely learn magic… But that was my limit.”

” I could only manage to use mana I could never go beyond that.”

The way he calmly recounted his past left the viewers stunned.

[Wait, he had this kind of backstory?]

[I’ve played this game so many times and never heard this before.]

[LMAO, usually all he says is ‘Die, human!’]

[Or ‘Gah! I’m dying!’]

[Wait… is this some kind of hidden event?]

For four years, no one had ever uncovered this story.

The revelation left those familiar with the game completely dumbfounded.

Everyone listened closely.

“But if I were to receive power from a god, it would be a different story. ”

“The mana I struggled my whole life to obtain would come naturally. ”

“The gods would grant me their blessing, and humans would praise me as their divine apostle.”

” I could rise above my station and surpass even the high demons. So why… why would you refuse that?”

“Because I don’t want to follow someone else’s will.”

“That’s not a real reason!”

“From what I heard from the surviving slaves, you’re also a master of the spear.”

” If you gained the god’s power on top of that, you could become stronger than anyone in time! So why?! Why throw that away?!”

Seyul remained silent as he listened to the Orc Chieftain’s relentless questioning.

If he combined his spear skills with divine power, he could indeed become the strongest.

The Orc Chieftain’s argument wasn’t wrong.

In fact, Seyul himself was proof of it.

When he first arrived in this world, his base stats alone were enough to overwhelm most opponents.

Then, as he learned martial arts and magic, he became even more unstoppable.

It was like giving wings to a tiger an unparalleled advantage.

And yet…

If he abandoned his will and gained power merely for the sake of having more…

Could he truly say he had gained anything at all?

“Because one plus one isn’t always two.”

That was his answer.

One plus one wasn’t necessarily two.

At that moment, the Orc Chieftain’s eyes widened.

He understood immediately.

“Heh… I see! You’re right. It’s not necessarily two.”

If gaining power meant losing his own will, then that power was meaningless.

The Orc Chieftain grasped what Seyul meant.

But understanding it didn’t mean he accepted it.

“What nonsense! That kind of thinking is only possible because you already have power! You’re just intoxicated by your ideals! I’ll show you—”

He raised his axe, eyes burning with anger.

“—that in the face of overwhelming strength, such beliefs are worthless!”

The Orc Chieftain had experienced firsthand what it was like to have his ambitions crushed by reality.

He couldn’t acknowledge Seyul’s words as anything but arrogance.

To him, Seyul was someone who had thrown away an opportunity he himself could never obtain.

He burned with twisted rage.

“Come at me, then!”

Seyul raised his spear in response.

At last, the battle began.

And meanwhile…

[If it’s not 2, then what is it?]

The chat was thrown into chaos.

[Since when did math change?]

[Is this some alternate universe Earth?]

[If 1 + 1 isn’t 2, then what is it?!]

[Wait… is it 3?]

[Does he not know basic arithmetic?]

[That was complete nonsense, so why did the Orc understand it?!]

[Is there some deep hidden meaning here?]

[Help.]

[Have both of them lost it??]

[Someone explain this right now!]

[Actually, in quantum physics, 1 + 1 can change depending on the observer’s perspective…]

A returnee from another world and a monster from a fantasy game.

There was no way normal people could understand their logic.

To them, it was serious.

To everyone else, it was complete nonsense.

The viewers drowned in endless confusion.