TGFTE 38

Chapter 38…

Prize Ceremony.

Namgoong-hyung literally let out a beastly roar.

The man who had calmly played like an unshaken warrior became a wild animal,
and that moment spread around as clips like crazy pretzels.

1st place: 1 million won.
2nd place: 500,000 won.

For 3rd and 4th place, Tnamie promised to provide gaming gear.

Everyone seemed satisfied and went back to their places.

The next day.

Lee Ji-han and Namgoong-hyung met each other in the world of Gangho Sword Chronicles.

“Ha-ha, hello Ji-han-nim. I’ll be your master, Namgoong-hyung. Feel free to just call me Goong-hyung.”

[?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Wait, his surname’s Nam?]
[Where’s the wuxia atmosphere gone! Aaaagh!]
[What the heck is ‘Goong-hyung’? ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[That guy cracks me up tooㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]

“Please take care of me, Goong-hyung-nim.”
“Ha-ha, yes. Anyway, Gangho Sword Chronicles is simpler than you’d think.”

Namgoong-hyung shook Ji-han’s hand, then lightly patted his shoulder with a small grin.

Ji-han nodded with innocent eyes, listening intently to what Namgoong-hyung would say next.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ don’t fall for it! Don’t fall for it!]
[‘The water’s shallow, come on in~’]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ the moment you step in, you drown.]
[That’s how fighting games are, really.]

Indeed, fighting games were like that.

The entry barrier was extremely high, and a single round could end everything.

A genre where you could burn through dopamine in an instant, feeling joy, anger, sorrow, and delight in short bursts.

So even though many people tried, even more left.
That was the world of competitive fighting games.

Of course, once someone got hooked, they never stopped—
but nowadays it had become a kind of Galápagos genre, enjoyed only by the enthusiasts.

Still… with the VR era, both watching and playing became more exciting, drawing more newcomers.

Heh, I need to pickle Ji-han right here. Turn him into a fighting game maniac.

If he could pull Ji-han in, maybe new winds would blow into the fighting game scene.

Hiding that sly(?) thought, Namgoong-hyung kindly patted Ji-han’s shoulder again.

“First, let’s look at weapon styles. While watching the righteous-evil battle, was there a weapon you thought you’d like to try?”

That one question set the chat ablaze.

[The sword!! Of course it’s the sword!?]
[But that stylish weapon was cool too. Meteor hammer? Is that hard?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ nah, real men use fists! Fists!]
[Axes, man. Nothing beats the weight of a single heavy strike.]
[But the sabers in this game look ugly. Like cleavers.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ then go play chanbara, bro. Chinese saber > katana.]
[What about a spear? Not bad either.]
[Whatever it is, it’ll suit him anyway.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I’m curious now.]

Ji-han thought for a moment.

All the weapons he’d seen in the righteous-evil battle looked amazing.
He was confident in using his body anyway.

But above all, he wanted to do what the viewers wanted.
Step by step, Ji-han was growing as a streamer.

[But isn’t the sword the most iconic?]
[And Namgoong-hyung himself is best with the sword, right?]
[I actually think fist techniques look the best.]
[Maybe just take recommendations first?]
[Honestly, whatever Ji-han likes, we’ll like too.]

The chat had already turned into a fandom that respected his choices.

Ji-han smiled faintly as he read.

“Goong-hyung-nim, which weapon would you recommend for me?”

Namgoong-hyung thought deeply.

With Ji-han’s nimble body and the physical feats he’d seen in clips, there was one weapon that suited him best.

“…There is one, actually.”

Namgoong-hyung smirked.

Ji-han tilted his head.

Something in Goong-hyung’s eyes looked suspicious.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Is Namgoong-hyung insane again?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Wow, that’s wildㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[But honestly, he’s not wrong.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ yeah, that actually makes sense.]

It was time to learn the basics.

The chat window was filled with laughter at Namgoong-hyung’s antics.

The weapon he recommended was—

“Ji-han-nim! In this genre, especially in Gangho Sword Chronicles, you can steal your opponent’s weapon and use it!
So we need to know how to use everything!”

Everything.
Literally everything.

“The sword is all about slashing and thrusting—not just swinging wildly.
I’ll drill all the standard beginner techniques into you!
Since this is a newbie tournament, as long as you know the basics, you can handle any opponent.”

A broad smile spread across Namgoong-hyung’s face.

Was this how it felt to take on a disciple late in life?

Ji-han had talent. He quickly picked up whatever was taught.

No—more than just following, he sometimes veered off in his own direction—
and yet it wasn’t wrong at all.

“If I do it like this, doesn’t it flow smoother?”
“Exactly! That flows better! But remember, this is a game—you need to read it frame by frame, hitbox by hitbox!”

Instinctively, Ji-han wasn’t following game-defined combos but flowing movements, like water.

In other words, he was stringing moves together with pure physical ability, without relying on the AI’s assist system.

“There’s also a way to skip frames. Like this.”

Papap! Pang!

Namgoong-hyung stabbed, then immediately chained into the next move.

A clean thrust into a slash—
movements that should have felt heavy.

“Or like this—”

Pang! Papap!

This time, slash first, then thrust.

Catching the frames directly, skipping the in-betweens.

Ji-han let out a small gasp of admiration.

“It looks awkward, doesn’t it? Because Gangho Sword Chronicles isn’t reality.”
“It does feel awkward, but…”
“Once you get used to these details, you’ll become a master quickly.”

Namgoong-hyung’s voice carried conviction.
Ji-han nodded at his words.

[Oh, so you scramble the move order at the system level?]
[The animation just skips, huh?]
[This is the kind of thing you can’t even pay to learn.]

Still, it seemed like it would take quite some time to get used to.
Ji-han tried following along, but natural flowing movements felt more comfortable.

[Looks like Ji-han finds it awkward.]
[But he’ll have to get used to it—most players rely on it.]
[AI and system assist definitely make things easier.]
[But it does look kinda creepy tbh.]
[Yeah, uncanny valley vibes.]

Namgoong-hyung quietly watched Ji-han linking techniques purely with his body.

It felt like witnessing the beauty of unassisted human movement.
The flow of his strikes looked like a sword dance.

“…Hmm, Ji-han-nim.”

Namgoong-hyung spoke, as if making a decision.

“Yes?”
“Forget the system assists for now. Just keep fighting naturally, smoothly, in your own way.”

Since the goal was just the beginner’s tournament,
it was better to preserve Ji-han’s individuality and appeal.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ That’s it!!]
[W Namgoong-hyung!]
[Yeah, it’s not about winning—it’s about looking awesome.]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Human strength beating AI assists? That’s way cooler.]

The chat exploded with cheers.

Namgoong-hyung had nailed what the viewers wanted.
He praised himself inwardly and continued training Ji-han.

“Good. Next, let’s move on to using inner energy.”

For two days straight, Ji-han trained intensively under Namgoong-hyung.

At last—

“You’re ready to descend the mountain.”

Ji-han was finally allowed into the real game.

Of course, none of the Gangho Sword Chronicles players knew yet.

That at this very moment—
a monster of physical ability had been unleashed.

[He’s here? He’s here?!]
[Finally descending the mountain—Ji-han’s first step into the martial world!]
[Oh Heavenly Demon! You’ve arrived!]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ can’t wait, today’s the real game huh?]
[You remember the controls?]

When Ji-han started his stream, the viewers greeted him warmly.

He glanced at the chat with a smile.

“Yes, I remember everything. Today I’ll just play a few normal matches. They say you need to keep your senses sharp.”

[No friendlies?]
[Seems like lots of people around you play Gangho Sword Chronicles too.]
[Warm up in normal, then maybe challenge Golden Whale for a match?]
[Isn’t he busy with his corporate job?]
[Or go dojo-hunting against other streamers?]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ no, don’t expose your strats yet. Save it for the tournament.]
[Anyway, today is Ji-han’s official debutㅋㅋㅋ]

Ji-han smoothly logged into Gangho Sword Chronicles.

His handsome face appeared beneath a black martial robe.

Part monk’s robe, part scholar’s gown.
Not quite a Daoist—but sort of.

The intricate design, with clear Eastern aesthetics, was—

[Wow, he looks insane;]
[Like a noble young masterㅋㅋㅋ legit so handsome]
[Holy crap, I didn’t realize till now—his face is ridiculous;;;]
[ㅋㅋㅋㅋ still not gay for Ji-han;;]
[Fair, but damn, my heart’s racing;;;]

“All right. Let’s finally try matchmaking.”

Ji-han pressed the button, and soon found a match.

The screen faded to black,
transitioning into an ink-painting-style loading screen.

When he opened his eyes, he stood on a stone-paved square arena.

[It’s the training ground map.]
[Small map. Ring-outs possible.]
[Since it’s a duel arena, falling off = auto loss. Expect push strategies.]

Veteran viewers gave him advice, but Ji-han was already immersed in the game and didn’t check the chat.

His opponent stood before him.

A burly giant, dressed in martial robes, holding a flail-like weapon.

They bowed with clasped fists in greeting.

“Let’s have a good match.”
“Ah, yes. Same here.”

His opponent’s rank: First-rate.

Three tiers above Ji-han, who was still unranked.