Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 64 : I Heard Elden Soul Is Hard? (4)

I Heard Elden Soul Is Hard? (4)
Renewed Resolution (心機一轉).
There was no better phrase to describe the Gravekeeper standing before Lee Gyeongbok.
The aura exuding from his massive body materialized as a rolling blue aura. That blue aura overlapped atop his old, blunted greatsword.
"The visuals are definitely impressive."
Lee Gyeongbok voiced his honest impression at the sight. The viewers in the chat window agreed.
― Abandoned greatsword = Gravekeeper who gave up knighthood
― No way, this isn't just a coincidence
― The body is old but the soul is alive—what a direction!
― Got chills, fr ㅎㄷㄷ
― FromSoft's metaphors are always on point ㅋㅋ
― That's why this is so hype ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Satisfied with some viewers' interpretations, the chat window buzzed contentedly. But that was the extent of the appreciation.
Whatever story the Gravekeeper had, he was still an opponent to be defeated right now.
Lee Gyeongbok's face hardened as he rushed in. As if waiting, the Gravekeeper charged to meet him.
'Fast......!'
The Gravekeeper's movements became so swift, it was hard to believe he was the same person as before.
The preparatory motion for each attack remained large, but the activation speed had doubled. Whereas before, the blade's swing merely whooshed, now the sound of air bursting could be heard.
"Now we're talking."
It wasn't a speed Lee Gyeongbok couldn't handle. With a faint smile, he raised his broken longsword.
"It's a fair fight now!"
To any onlooker, it was a meaningless resistance.
In reality, it wouldn't have been strange if he'd been cut in half in an instant.
But this was virtual reality, a game world.
With a heavy metallic sound, the greatsword was deflected.
― Insane!
― A parry!?
― How do you even time that while running!?
― I'd lose in less than three seconds
― Truly [per][fect]!
After the parry, Lee Gyeongbok immediately exploited the opening for a counterattack. An enemy after a parry is considered to have exposed a weak point, and a critical hit applies.
He attacked and quickly widened the gap between them. The sword's wind narrowly grazed his shoulder.
"Magnificent!"
The Gravekeeper adjusted his stance, genuinely impressed. Lee Gyeongbok caught his breath and smiled softly.
"The feeling of feedback is better than I expected."
Lee Gyeongbok and the Gravekeeper continued their duel. Between surging blue auras, the red-hot, broken longsword glinted.
The vivid mix of two colors dazzled.
― There's no way this is just about "good feedback"!
― Is this really Elden Soul? What happened to the game I played?
― This is fantasy in another sense ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― The speed is crazy and the aura has increased the range, but he's still dodging everything?
― FromSoft! How is this a tutorial boss!?
― Even if this is "hardcore gamer" content, this is something else ㅋㅋㅋ
― Hardcore gamer (first run)
The viewers screamed with delight. It was not a play style seen anywhere else.
Yet even so, Lee Gyeongbok couldn't let down his guard.
― Why is the Gravekeeper so tanky now;;
― He's awakened and all of his stats seem to have increased
― Look, even the body is covered in aura!
― Yeah, that's not a filter, it's a solid wall
The awakened Gravekeeper wouldn't go down as easily as before. Even under Lee Gyeongbok's relentless attacks, he didn't stop retaliating.
― But Godple would still go down in one hit.
― Seriously...... it would be over if he slipped up even once, right?
― Spoiler) There is no "slip up" for Godple.
― That's facts.
― Info) Amazingly, godple is still using a broken longsword.
― And yet he's still chasing after quest rewards!
On the other hand, Lee Gyeongbok hadn't changed. He still had stamina that would be depleted in one blow, and his weapon was an already broken longsword.
But contrary to the viewers' assumptions, Lee Gyeongbok's insistence on this weapon wasn't just about the quest.
'If I tried blocking with the hand axe, it would break right away.'
A parry isn't foolproof.
Every parry ate away at his weapon's durability. He instinctively knew he couldn't block those slashes with the hand axe.
'They say it's a hardcore gamer-only weapon, so I guess they've buffed its durability.'
Just as he thought.
Unlike other weapons, the developers had given the "broken longsword" rather high durability.
After countless skirmishes, Lee Gyeongbok widened the distance.
'The pattern itself hasn't changed much.'
It wasn't as if he'd gone into battle without thinking. He'd tried attacks from various angles, observing what had changed after the awakening.
He confirmed there was only one change.
― Oh? Oh no!
― Something big is coming!
― If you try to back off, the attack comes flying at you ㅎㄷㄷ
The Gravekeeper's blue aura condensed onto his blade in an instant. Like dousing a fire with oil, the greatsword glowed a menacing blue.
Finally, the Gravekeeper swung mightily and the aura shot off, tracing a blue arc through the air.
'The move with the longest delay.'
To avoid the sword energy that swept out in a big horizontal line, you had to either flatten yourself to the ground or immediately dash to the side as soon as you saw it.
Lee Gyeongbok chose the latter.
'If you dodge and then try to aim for a weak point, it's too late.'
Even if you survived and tried to counterattack, the Gravekeeper would already have regained his stance and surrounded himself with aura again.
― Ah ㅋㅋㅋ you get no break
― FromSoft, ever nasty!
― Definitely a mechanic to prevent cheese tactics ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― Yep, it's a harsh melee inducement
― Let your guard down and it's a mental deathmatch!
― Forces you into brutal close combat ㅋㅋㅋ
― This is what Elden Soul is supposed to be!
― First-timers will be crushed here ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
If you move too far away, sword energy flies at you.
Most viewers thought this pattern was meant to force close combat.
But Lee Gyeongbok thought differently.
"It's about to end now."
At his line, a wave of question marks spread through the chat window. Lee Gyeongbok gave no further explanation.
The Gravekeeper swung sword energy at him again, since Lee Gyeongbok hadn't closed the gap.
'I can do this.'
He charged at the incoming sword energy.
His focus sharpened, his senses heightened, and his mind grew clearer. Spiritual energy followed his will, and his sharpened senses combined to gather information.
As waves of information crashed in, time seemed to slow.
The shimmering sword energy, the quivering airflow above it, even the angle as the Gravekeeper rotated his body—all came into focus.
All the pieces of information were arranged like puzzle pieces in Lee Gyeongbok's mind.
'Now.'
He could clearly see the trajectory of the sword energy and the Gravekeeper recovering his stance.
Lee Gyeongbok flipped the broken longsword into a reverse grip and swung upward through the exact center of the sword energy. The glowing red blade collided with the blue energy.
To an onlooker, it looked like a suicidal move.
But Lee Gyeongbok was sure.
'Split!'
It was the result of countless experiments from all his parries. He'd confirmed that the aura was offset when their weapons clashed directly.
It might be impossible elsewhere, but for a sorcerer, it could work.
The sword energy was split in two, landing on either side and kicking up a heavy cloud of dust.
― Ah......
― He went for it
― Too reckless ㅠ
― How do you even split sword energy;;;
― Is this where he finally meets Yudahee
― This is the essence of the Elden series
The viewers, unaware of the whole story, expected his defeat. With stamina that would be depleted in one hit, there was no other possible outcome.
But Lee Gyeongbok always went beyond expectations.
― What are you talking about ㅋㅋㅋ Can't you see the dust cloud?
― You just gotta believe, new viewers.
― This is why he's Godple!
― Wow, he really split it ㅋㅋ
― You think Godple is called that for nothing?
The core fans' faith was unwavering. Sure enough, a silhouette burst from the dust cloud, dashing straight at the Gravekeeper.
"Amazing......!"
The Gravekeeper marveled as he regained his stance, echoing the viewers' reactions.
A blue aura started swirling around his body again from the greatsword, but still couldn't move faster than Lee Gyeongbok.
A crimson trail shot for the Gravekeeper's solar plexus like a missile.
Maybe it was the accumulated damage, or the final critical blow—but the Gravekeeper fell to his knees, propping himself up with the greatsword.
The surging blue aura dissipated almost instantly.
― WA!
― WTF WTF!
― He really cut it!?
-(emote)(emote)(emote)
― No way ㅋㅋ How does he split sword energy with a broken blade?
― Today proves sorcerers aren't trash—they're gods now.
― That's too much.
― Yeah, it's actually nuts ㅋㅋㅋ
― Only Godple could do that, so it's not broken lol
― Everyone agrees it shouldn't be possible
As the chat window overflowed with awe and satisfaction, Lee Gyeongbok commented lightly.
"If you don't aim for the center, the sword energy bounces off, so follow along carefully."
The chat window erupted with laughter at his words.
― No way ㅋㅋㅋ Who could ever copy this!
― Comes up with a new challenge every time!
― He's having too much fun with this
― Broken longsword splits sword energy? Lmao
― BrokenSwordChallenge ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― Forcing a rhyme makes it even funnier ㅅㅂㅋㅋㅋㅋ
Lee Gyeongbok and the viewers were only distracted for a moment by the chat.
A cutscene began immediately.
The Gravekeeper slowly released the greatsword he'd been gripping.
The old greatsword fell limply to the floor.
The protagonist said nothing in response. He simply stared silently at the Gravekeeper.
"You......"
The Gravekeeper clenched the dissipating blue aura in his fist, then slowly extended his hand.
"You might be different."
When he opened his fist, a halo of light drifted in mid-air. At the same time, the Gravekeeper's body began to slowly fade away.
Just like the knight who disappeared, leaving behind an Unknown Soul.
"What......?"
The protagonist asked in surprise, but the Gravekeeper only pressed his lantern into the protagonist's hand and faded away.
All that remained was the old greatsword and a tattered robe.
― Gravekeeper noㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
― A truly honorable death ㅠㅠ
― The great Gravekeeper who guarded the newbies' wallets!
― I regret all the swearing I did when it was hard
― But honestly, he was rage-inducing
― Yep, totally deserved
― Don't ruin the mood ㅋㅋㅋ
Ignoring the chat, the protagonist reached out to the halo of light.
As before, the light flowed into him and a message popped up.
[Obtained: "Gravekeeper's Intact Soul."]
― Huh?
― It actually says "intact" ㅎㄷㄷ
― Wow, this really is ruthless
― Even the hidden route has a branching path
― Yeah, if you'd just killed him without his awakening, "intact" would have been missing.
― True! There's a difference between killing Gravekeeper awakened and not
― Hidden, inside another hidden, inside yet another hidden!
― No more brain drain!
― Seriously, no one but Godple would even get to see this story.
The viewers admired him once more.
Meanwhile, the protagonist steeled himself and headed into the forest.
The view slowly blurred as the lush forest filled the screen, and then faded to black.
"Ah, I guess that's it for the graveyard."
― No, you need to come back for the stone tablet
― But really, so ruthless ㅋㅋ You can't even grind in the graveyard, just forces you onward
― Trueㅋㅋ Meant for multiple playthroughs and made harder every way they can
― What? This is just the first run though?
― Perfect's first run = an average person's multiple playthroughs
― Seeing his skill, that's true lol He's already way above
― It's not just old, but a hardcore gamer thrown into Elden Soul
― You're both right, everyone's right
― This is like old school politician meta ㅋㅋ
While the viewers joked around, the scene shifted.
"Oh, the atmosphere changed immediately again."
Before they knew it, the woods had grown dark.
It was because of the towering trees blocking out the sky. Thanks to that, it was impossible to tell if it was day or night.
But it wasn't just because of the darkness that the Gravekeeper had handed over the lantern.
― The misty forest vibe is awesome.
― It's not "dark fantasy" just because it's dark!
― Yeah ㅋㅋㅋ An open area makes you nervous by blocking visibility
― Seriously, being indoors with walls is actually easier ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― Now the real game begins ㅋㅋ
A thick, unnatural mist covered the forest. The light from the lantern pushed back the darkness, but the fog would not fade.
With a stiff expression, the protagonist tightened his grip on the lantern and spoke.
"I must be careful not to lose my way."
With that monologue, control returned.
― As expected, sorcerer class never afraid
― Just the explorer class ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― Getting lost is the least of your problems!
― But Godple would charge in without fear too ㅋㅋ
― He's not moving?
― Ah......
― Here it comes.
― Bathroom break?
Lee Gyeongbok smiled at the chat window. The longtime fans already knew what he wanted.
"This is so fun. Now I understand why so many viewers recommended Elden Soul."
His line stirred up the chat window.
― Ah ㅋㅋㅋ so satisfying
― Don't do this! Don't do this!
― No way, surely not?
-????
― Wait, wait! Let me recharge my donation first!
― Newcomers are in denial ㅋㅋㅋ
Soon enough, the rest of the viewers caught on. Lee Gyeongbok grinned wider and clapped his hands.
"Okay, that's it for today's broadcast. The controls feel great, and I'm really looking forward to more."
― No way;; If you're looking forward, do more!
― I'll pay! Money! I'm telling you I'll pay!
― Open up the donation! Come on!
― You're ending right here!?
― Perfect cut!
― I miss himㅠㅠ
― Ah, even the end-of-stream is just perfect!
At their uproar, Lee Gyeongbok suddenly made a face as if he remembered something.
"Oh, right. Since you mentioned money, I forgot to settle up the quest."
['Hardcore Gamer's Guide' has donated "100,000" won.]
With his words, the quest reward was processed instantly. The viewers grew even more anxious.
"See you in the next broadcast! Bye, viewers!"
But Lee Gyeongbok, without hesitation, ended the broadcast with a farewell.
The screen simply went black.
― Perfect cut!
― But I... just recharged for more...
― Ugh! I was going to extend the stream with a quest, but he was too fast
― He really left? For real?
― He's awakened to capitalism, but doesn't get consumed by it—Godple, for real
― Seriously ㅋㅋㅋ So ruthless!
― Look at how he trains the viewers ㅋㅋㅋ
― Are newcomers okay?
― You chose Godple, so tough it out
― But it's just too fun to skip ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― You'll get used to it soon ㅋㅋㅋ
The veteran fans consoled the overwhelmed newcomers as they left the stream. Yet some viewers still lingered in disbelief.
― It wasn't the gameplay that was harsh—it was the training ㅋㅋㅋ
― He's really driving people crazy ㅋㅋㅋ
― He's a broadcast geniusㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― How can you NOT watch the next stream after this ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
― Yeah, even the edited version wouldn't do justice
― Seriously, every moment's legendary—how can you edit any of this outㅋㅋㅋ
― Well then, see you next time!
― Wow, the Elden Soul community's going to go wild now.
The viewers scattered, eager for the next stream.
It was a debut broadcast of Elden Soul that left a big impression.