TGFTE 45

Chapter 45…

Lee Ji-han was acting out boredom.

It was the first time in his life he had ever tried acting.

This was because—

“A streamer is literally a clown who performs for their viewers.”
“Ji-han, it’s best if you play the character they want to see.”

Advice from his two friends, Kim Bboong-tta and Kim Su-ho.

He was, in their words, the Heavenly Demon.

A being who placed all things beneath his feet.
One who preached, the strong survive, the weak perish, and tolerated no weakness.

The only path he walked was that of a conqueror.
And all who beheld that path would fall to their knees before him.

Heavenly Demon Manifested.
The Heavenly Demon appears in this place.

Ten Thousand Devils Bow.
Countless villains kneel.

The Divine Sect Never Falls.
The Divine Sect shall never be defeated.

The Demonic Path Rules the World.
The Demonic Path shall rule the world.

These were the teachings his fans had given him—
the things one must embody to perfectly play the Heavenly Demon.

Though Ji-han had never read a martial arts novel before,
and at first had trouble understanding them,
soon enough, it came naturally.

He was born strong.
Unlike those who struggled to grow, he was already beyond them.
That over-focused, method-acting nature seeped into his very soul.

“Yeong-woongun, you’re cooler than I thought.”

A low, weary voice.
Cold and ruthless, filled with chilling yin energy, ringing by his opponent’s ear.

And then—

Whirr!

His body dipped low.
A leg swung in a crescent arc.
Infusing it with inner strength, he swept his opponent’s ankle.

“Gahk!?”

The opponent’s body shot up high into the air.
The instant he spun helplessly overhead—Ji-han did not miss it.

Lee Ji-han was one who lived each instant as if it were eternity.
Time stretched like rubber, focus reaching its peak.

His opponent’s face twisted slowly,
frozen in shock and confusion.

At the same moment, Ji-han unleashed what was known as the “National Combo.”

Bang!

Techniques he had learned from Namgoong Hyung.

Bam-bam-bam-bam!

He rammed them in mercilessly.

“K-kuaaaagh!?”

The scream stretched long and slow,
like a lagging playback.

But Ji-han’s hands did not stop.

Temple, brow, eyes, philtrum, jaw, back of the head, throat, collarbone, armpit, inner elbow, back of the hand, solar plexus, ribs, waist, abdomen, liver—

Every weak point of the human body.
His inner-force-laced strikes pummeled them all.

Papapapapap!

A dazzling chain of midair strikes.
So overwhelming, so brilliant, it made spectators forget to breathe.

Were it not for a “stamina gauge,” his opponent would have died dozens of times already.
They were blows close to murderous intent,
attacks steeped in darkness, obsession, and merciless cruelty.

This was what Ji-han thought a Heavenly Demon should be.

Even lions, they say, go all out when hunting rabbits.

Thus, he always had to act bored.
One who longed for someone strong enough to finally defeat him.

He poured absolute solitude into his soul,
and without hesitation, without mercy, drove his strikes home.

Domination. Pure domination.

Bang! Thud!

The opponent’s back smashed into a pillar, rebounded off it.
Normally he’d roll to break the fall,
but he couldn’t move at all.

Sheer terror painted his face.
As if he were facing something inhuman.

“So, you’ve broken.”

Ji-han muttered, almost idly.
And drew his fist tight.

Whoooosh!

The fist seemed to swell tenfold.
That overwhelming aura, that pressure—
an illusion seared into Solei’s eyes.

“Hiiik!?”

Survive! His body screamed.
He curled up, and Ji-han’s fist grazed past,
leaving only a storm of force against his hair.

Slash!

Yeong-woongun split apart into pixels, scattering into air.

I… I’m not the protagonist, am I?

Regret crashed in.
Solei scolded himself for losing the humility he once had,
forgetting the bitter struggles of his “no-viewer” days.

Ji-han’s fierce punches and kicks rained in.
Solei fumbled for his sword,
desperate to counter at least once.

It was gamer instinct.
Even if you lose, you must land a hit.
A perfect shutout was unbearable.

In that mix of humiliation and pride,
Solei grit his teeth—

Crack!

—and lunged with his sword.

Whoosh!

A sharp slash cut the air,
aimed squarely at Ji-han’s vitals.
A killing strike, the surest of sure-kills.

“Wha—!?”

But Solei could only gasp in disbelief.

Ji-han was gone.

The strike had hit—but he was suddenly at Solei’s side.

“Wh-when did he—!?”

Inner force and superhuman reflexes combined.
In that instant, Ji-han was untouchable.

Wuxia novels had a name for it:
Shapeshift Phantom Technique.

Wham!

Ji-han’s fist buried itself in his stomach.

“Ughk!”

The sword clattered from his hands.

Ji-han snatched it midair,
twirling it once in his palm.

Hadn’t Namgoong Hyung warned him?
Someone like Ji-han mustn’t stick to one weapon.
If you can wield all of your enemy’s arms,
you dominate the game.

And so he had.
In just two days, Ji-han had trained with countless weapons,
mastering their fundamentals.
Something only a transcendent genius could achieve.

Whirr! Slash! Slash-slash-shhk!

Sword forms flowed like water,
cutting Solei to ribbons.
Not martial arts, not mere forms—
but a dance.

Swish!

A sword dance dazzling enough to steal every gaze.

“Kuaaaagh!”

Solei screamed.
The VR capsule blocked physical pain,
but not the psychological terror.

“S-stop! I-I surrender!”

The overwhelming aura,
the atmosphere itself,
made him feel as though his body was truly being torn apart.

Thud.

When his health gauge finally hit zero,
the storm of strikes ceased.

“A good match.”

A languid, weary voice drifted out.
Geum Dae-hyup’s camera panned skyward.

Deep footprints, sword gouges across the arena floor.
Like a typhoon, or like the petals of a flower.

So this was the Heavenly Demon…

An arrogant name, but justified.
Geum Dae-hyup was speechless.
He simply captured it on camera,
to show the viewers this “Heavenly Demon.”

He reacts faster than the pros. Am I the one who’d lose here? But wasn’t this supposed to be a beginner’s tournament?

Even while filming, suspicion gnawed at him.
But Ji-han was indeed a beginner.

If anything, it was his solid fandom,
his endlessly clippable character,
that made this possible.

Even now, donations poured in,
testifying to his innocence.
He was a newbie.
He had started this game just a week ago.

Gaming experience before that?
None.

He was a rookie streamer, debuting only a month earlier.

But the being before them was no ordinary rookie.
A monstrous rookie.

Geum Dae-hyup gulped dryly,
realizing he faced a monster.

Silence fell.

Of course…

…Is this how it’s supposed to go?

Someone wasn’t enjoying that silence.
None other than Ji-han himself.

Why is it so quiet? Awkward… Did I mess something up?

All he had done was act bored and overwhelming,
just as a Heavenly Demon should.

But the chat was dead.
Even Su-ho, who always covered for him when he slipped up, said nothing.

Namgoong Hyung? Silent.

Donations, cheers, reactions—all vanished.
The silence felt like a trauma searing into his memory.

And then—

Dun-dararadan-dan-dan!

A savior appeared.
A glorious savior.

[‘First Disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect’ has donated ₩1,000,000!]
—Heavenly Demon Manifested! Ten Thousand Devils Bow! The Divine Sect Never Falls! The Demonic Path Rules the World! Long live! Long live! Long, long live!!!

“Ah, First Disciple of the Heavenly Demon Sect!”

The moment he saw the savior,
Ji-han forgot it was even a tournament.
He blurted out his most shocking line yet—

“Haha, I was about to die of embarrassment. Thank you so much for the million won! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I was so nervous. This is how you do Heavenly Demon, right?”

The atmosphere instantly lightened.
A player thanking a donation mid-match?

The proof that it wasn’t mockery or teabagging
was in the pure relief on his face.
Not laughter at his opponent,
but heartfelt gratitude to the one who broke the silence.

Yes—
there was no “Heavenly Demon” here.
Only a rookie streamer acting as one for his viewers.

[ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Damn, I forgot to breathe]
[Ji-han, what the hell was that]
[Heavenly Demon! Heavenly Demon! Heavenly Demon!]
[Mom, when I grow up I want to be a Heavenly Demon!]
[No, Mom, I want to grow up to be Lee Ji-han!]
[Take me, Heavenly Demon! Please, please take me!]
[Kyaaa! This is dopamine incarnate lololol!]
[Damn it, I believed in you, Ji-han!]
[I like you, Ji-han! Damn it, I really like you!]

The chat exploded again.

Dun-dararadan-dan-dan! Dun-dararadan-dan-dan!

Donations poured in from spectators too,
the frozen atmosphere thawing in an instant.

Ji-han sighed in relief,
and reached out to the collapsed Solei.

“Are you okay? I heard you screaming earlier. I thought I messed something up, or maybe the settings were wrong.”

A saintly smile.
That cold face now softened with compassion.

Solei trembled as he took his hand.

“N-no, really… it was amazing. I learned a lot.”
“No, I’m sorry. I think I was too rough.”

A heartwarming mood spread.
Fans on both sides melted away their hostility,
almost uniting in harmony.

A perfect ending.
If it ended here, it would have been flawless.

…But.

“It’s best of three, right? Please take care of me in the next match as well.”
“…What?”