Genius’s Godlike Game Broadcast-Chapter 74 : Knight's Duel (4)

Knight's Duel (4)
As Lee Gyeongbok and NewtonLord each headed to their positions, the commentators busily kept talking.
"This is already a rematch between Purple and NewtonLord! How do you see it going this time?"
"Hmm, the format has definitely changed. There's almost no overlap between Gunner Ground and Elden Soul."
"Yes, and besides, in Purple's live interview we hosted before, newtonLord even received coaching from Purple at the time. But it hasn't even been a full week. I wonder if there's been any progress in the meantime?"
"Ah, I think that'd be tough. Sure, it was expensive coaching, but accepting it — that's a different issue altogether!"
Genome shook his head.
― Godple hit the nail on the head, lolol"
― Did they even have time to train?"
― Isn't NewtonLord a gold spoon? Then he probably had plenty of free time, lol"
― He said earlier he just got off work"
― How much could a gold spoon even work, really"
― Probably still worked more than a viewer, lol"
― Viewers have neither work nor money, huh?"
― Hey, that's enough! Excessive fact bombs violate the Geneva Convention!"
Shin Hyerim quickly scanned the chat window and spoke up in a hurry.
"Okay, we can't let this go without a vote, right? Purple versus NewtonLord, newtonLord versus Purple! Just who will win this duel?"
"Please vote now!"
[Who will be the winner of the duel?]
[1. Purple] [2. NewtonLord]
[Submissions close in 1:00.]
As with the Eclipse duel, a voting window popped up—but the results were completely different.
[1. Purple – 99.9%]
[2. NewtonLord – 0.01%]
An utterly overwhelming gap.
"My goodness... At this point, does the vote even have any meaning?"
"Everyone, this isn't a popularity contest! Please vote based solely on skill! Ah, of course, I voted for Purple myself."
Genome's words sparked a wave of "lol" in the chat window.
― How could you not go for the sure bet?"
― What's with the 0.01%, lololol"
― Who's buying Newton coins here?"
― Fact) Even Newton himself failed at stocks"
― HOXY, are you with Sagwadan?"
― Even if you win, you'd barely get your principal back, lol"
― Might snag a single point^^"
― If you're in the 0.01%, just put it all in no-risk deposits, lol"
― Seriously, it's literally one-in-a-ten-thousand"
― Isn't 0.01% a steal?"
― How steeped in gacha have you all become! ㅎㄷㄷ"
― It's not probability, it's vote rate, lololol"
While the viewers mocked the 0.01%, the two participants arrived in their respective circles.
"Ah, the duel has begun now!"
"Who'll make the first move this time?"
"I definitely think Purple is the favorite. Let's see how long this standoff lasts!"
"Huh? But look—Purple isn't even holding up his sword!"
Just as Shin Hyerim said, even though the duel had begun, Lee Gyeongbok didn't raise his sword. Instead, he stood relaxed with his blade lowered, exuding composure.
"I'll yield the first move."
The moment those words left his mouth.
Before the chat window could fill with question marks, he followed up with one line.
"You said it was helpful—I'd like to see just how much progress you've made."
He meant he wanted to see the results of his coaching. Genome raised his voice again at that.
"Ah! He's coming out strong right from the start!"
"Strong?"
"That comment was already establishing superiority! He's saying, 'I'm the teacher, and you're the student!'"
― That's wild, lol, trchoip!"
― That's literally a line from a romance drama, lol"
― The banter is insane, lolol"
― Is there even a drama with lines like that?"
― You've heard it, don't pretend otherwise, lol"
― What's with all the boomers in chat?"
― I'm young and all my peers know this line, too, lol"
The commentators and viewers laughed and joked, but the one at the center—NewtonLord—couldn't smile.
She gripped her sword tightly with one hand and quickly typed on a virtual keyboard with the other.
[〉I won't hold back.]
With a sent message, she kicked off the ground, her momentum fierce, as if she sought to seize the early advantage.
Yet, a smile never left Lee Gyeongbok's face. He lightly stepped away, evading the incoming strike.
NewtonLord's blade immediately chased after him. Lee Gyeongbok lifted his sword to meet the heightened ferocity.
"Looks like you practiced a lot, huh?"
He asked with a bright smile, though it wasn't as if he expected an answer. It'd be impossible to type on a keyboard mid-battle.
Lee Gyeongbok's blade slid alongside hers. Movements imbued with experience picked up from Eclipse, his swordwork pulled NewtonLord's blade like a magnet.
She flinched and tried to pull her sword away. Lee Gyeongbok didn't miss that moment—her blade was knocked away in an instant, and NewtonLord staggered.
Lee Gyeongbok struck like thunder.
NewtonLord rolled desperately to the floor in surprise. Thanks to an invulnerability frame, his blade merely skimmed past the floor.
"You've improved a lot. Your gaze control's gotten better too."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled cheerfully as he retrieved his sword. NewtonLord bristled with alertness instead of replying.
"Wh-what was that just now? It was way too fast—I couldn't see it at all!"
"Ah! That was an incredible exchange in a split second! Maybe nobody could catch it, but it's clear who's on top!"
― As expected, elden Soul's best blade...!"
― NewtonLord's already rolling on the floor, lol"
― Did gravity only apply to you?"
― Godple is on another level, lol"
― Underdogs, do you get it now? Underdogs, do you get it now?"
Even though the exchange lasted only a moment, the outcome was clear. Both commentators and viewers expected Lee Gyeongbok's victory.
It felt like she was isolated, right in the heart of enemy territory. No one cheered for NewtonLord.
But she didn't shrink back. If anything, she set her sword upright, burning with fighting spirit.
"Wait a moment."
Just then, Lee Gyeongbok suddenly raised his hand. Everyone gazed at him questioningly.
"If this keeps up, there's no point in continuing."
His next words caused a stir in both chat and amongst the commentators.
"Huh, just now... Purple mentioned stopping the duel?"
"Ah, is it because the skill difference is so obvious that he thinks it's a waste of time?! Is his passive skill showing up again!?"
Was Lee Gyeongbok, as usual, just bluffing in jest? The viewers seemed to think so, as the chat window filled with laughter.
[〉What's this! Deciding the winner after just one round?]
NewtonLord sent a message swiftly. She clearly felt snubbed. Genome, seeing the situation, quickly amended his earlier comment.
"Oh? No! His face is actually serious. I think there's a different reason!"
There was no trace of playfulness on Lee Gyeongbok's face. He turned to NewtonLord and continued.
"The sword you're using isn't a strength weapon—it suits speed-based fighting. But wearing heavy armor right now is only a hindrance. Like this, it's as if you're deliberately taking on a handicap."
His words brought a temporary silence. Shin Hyerim urgently nudged Genome's side.
"Genome, genome?!"
"Oh! Incredible! That's saying NewtonLord isn't a heavy-blade user relying on strength, but rather a swift-sword user relying on speed! Did he really figure out her style just from that brief match-up?"
― You can figure that out just from one exchange?"
― Wait, is that possible? lol"
― But if it's Godple saying it?"
― (Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)"
― Then it makes sense, lol"
― What is this, a stable or something!"
― If it's Elden Soul's top sword, what can you do?"
Everyone's astonishment was obvious. Even NewtonLord herself was amazed.
'He figured all that out... in one go?'
She herself would know best what play style fit her. In reality, she matched better with speed rather than strength. But to keep her identity hidden, she had to wear thick, heavy armor.
It wasn't as if she had to exclude light armor entirely. Since Elden Soul aimed for dark fantasy, equipment design didn't discriminate by gender.
'Still, light armor does show my body line.'
The essentials were covered by overlain leather, so her figure wasn't accentuated much. Still, her smooth silhouette couldn't be completely hidden by light armor.
"Didn't we agree to do our best in this match?"
Lee Gyeongbok's question brought her to her senses. NewtonLord looked at him.
And then—
[〉You have a busy broadcast schedule—this kind of time isn't common, right?]
A private message popped up before her.
[〉Don't worry. I'll help, so your being a woman won't get revealed.]
Lee Gyeongbok gave her a gentle smile as she froze.
"Let's both not leave any regrets—as man to man. Let's settle it fair and square without anything left behind."
NewtonLord stared at Lee Gyeongbok for a moment, then sheathed her sword. With a few movements of her fingers, her appearance changed.
A set of thin brown leather equipment, her face under the helmet was concealed by a black mask.
Her body lines hugged tightly, showing definite curves—for anyone, it was obvious she was far from being a "man."
"Uh...?"
"Uh, wait... what is this...?"
The previously boisterous commentators' box fell completely silent. Not only the seasoned commentator Shin Hyerim, but even hosting-pro Genome were momentarily speechless.
The chat window was much the same.
-?????????
― Was there female armor in Elden Soul?
― Can a male character wear a female costume?
― No way;; there are no gender limits, what are you talking about
― Even with multiple accounts, you can't change gender, can you?
― Then what's that?
― No way?
― NewtonLord is actually a woman...?
-ㅗㅜㅑㅗㅜㅑㅗㅜㅑ
― NewtonLord is a noonim? Really?
― If I'd known, I would've backed the underdog!
― NewNoonim!
― Seriously, a new noonim, lolol
― Insane, lololol
The reactions rose like a gradient.
Lee Gyeongbok's eyes widened. Wasn't the intention to hide her real gender?
[〉I think you misunderstood something; it's not like I was deliberately hiding I was a woman.]
A message reached him.
"But you never said you were, either."
Lee Gyeongbok tilted his head and replied. NewtonLord spun her sword lightly.
[〉There are plenty of pathetic people who let their guard down just because I'm a woman.]
[〉Everyone I fought before you was a push-over, so it was enough to face them even with these constraints.]
As she finished typing with one hand, she immediately dropped into a lower stance.
[〉But, that's not the case this time.]
"Thanks for the compliment."
[〉You said we should do our best, right? You're not going to go easy just because I'm a woman, are you?]
"Of course not."
Lee Gyeongbok smiled widely as he gripped his sword. If she wasn't wary of revealing her gender, her movements wouldn't be restricted.
"Then let's go at it for real!"
Rather than reply, newtonLord drew her sword and charged. With a metallic clang, their battle began.
"Wow, completely different!"
"The movements aren't anything like before! Light armor definitely has fewer restrictions than heavy! She can attack from more angles now!"
― Wow;;; it really is different"
― Godple was right, ㅎㄷㄷ"
― NewtonLord's reaction speed is truly legendary"
― Eclipse felt closer to a heavy blade, right?"
― Yeah, agreed. Eclipse didn't move so much, focused on exchanges."
― Tang, look at NewtonLord's footwork, lolol"
Genome delivered a heated commentary, and the viewers responded. No one cared about NewtonLord's gender.
It was trivial compared to the storm of offense and defense unfolding before their eyes.
"Ah, newtonLord! The new style is great, but she's still having trouble taking the advantage!"
"Purple is just too outstanding!"
"That's right! Even keeping up with NewtonLord's swift-sword is amazing—but still, Purple's swordsmanship has elements learned from Eclipse!"
"Absorbed, you say?"
"I mentioned 'adaptation' before, didn't I?! Purple's sword dominates the opponent's! Plus, just like the previous duel, Purple is adapting to NewtonLord's speed right in front of us!"
Just as Genome explained, Lee Gyeongbok countered NewtonLord's quick strikes with mastery befitting heavy blade techniques.
He'd break her balance with a burst of strength and redirect her blade at will.
Since she didn't have deep experience with Eclipse, it was inevitable she'd lose her grip fast.
With a clear metallic sound, her sword rolled across the floor. Lee Gyeongbok's blade pointed at her neck.
"The result is..."
"Ah! The match is..."
The commentators spoke in unison—but before they finished:
NewtonLord hadn't given up yet.
She knocked away his blade with the back of her hand and went for Lee Gyeongbok, aiming for that one deciding strike while he was off-guard, assuming victory was assured.
But there was no opening in Lee Gyeongbok.
"It was a good match."
He brushed aside her strike with his left hand and twisted his waist, sending a diagonal slash flying.
NewtonLord gritted her teeth and rolled to the floor.
That was Lee Gyeongbok's plan all along.
'It worked just as I learned.'
The feint motion he'd picked up from Eclipse's blow. The dropped sword stopped abruptly and chased after the rising NewtonLord.
His blade pierced through her form. NewtonLord flinched and looked up. Her masked eyes met Lee Gyeongbok's gaze.
"Let's have an even more fun match next time."
With a smile, Lee Gyeongbok spoke—and her body scattered into photons.
"Ah! It's over! It's over!"
"Ooooh! That's a perfect catch! Such a clean, decisive finish! Everyone expected him to win, but not this brilliantly!"
― Loooool what a trip"
― Hyung! NewtonLord's crying!"
― Underdogs, you went bust! Underdogs, you went bust!"
― NewtonLord sets a new record—2 losses! 2 losses!"
― (PerStamp)(PerStamp)(PerStamp)"
-???: I've cut another worthless thing...
― Don't sully classic wuxia with weeb nonsense"
― Why is this even considered wuxia, lololol"
The commentators and viewers were elated. But there were some worried reactions mixed in.
― Noonim, don't cry! Don't cry, noonim!"
― Haha, can I join Sagwadan now?"
― Don't bully the skilled gold spoon noonim"
― Look at viewers switching sides, lolol"
― Now I see why NewtonLord didn't want to reveal she was a woman"
― Yeah, lol, already drooling vultures attaching just because she's a woman"
― But the new Noonim hates Sagwadan anyway, lolol"
― Whether male or female, a malicious stream sniper is still bad, right?"
― Seriously, these vultures, lol"
Thankfully, there weren't many like that, and the viewers immediately policed such chat. Before long, their attention shifted elsewhere.
['NewtonLord' has donated 2,000,000 won.]
[I accept defeat. But it's just for now. Next time, I'll win for sure. I'm the one who'll bring you down.]
The donation message linked to the duel brought all the focus back.
"Ah...?"
"Oh, am I seeing this right? NewtonLord's rating has doubled! Purple's rating is now 2 million won!"
― Insane, lolol"
― I was shocked at a hundred thousand, but two hundred, lolol"
― But after watching today, I get it, lolol"
― Yeah, lol, that was epic"
― Before, it was 'why a hundred thousand?' but now it's 'two hundred? Nods'"
― Another legend, ㅎㄷㄷ"
― Rich NewtonNoonim? So likable, lolol"
― If you're not Godple-level, just don't even dream"
The recognition was universal. But the donations weren't over yet.
['NewtonLord' has donated 1,000,000 won.]
[This is today's coaching fee. You saw through it—swift sword over heavy. It helped a lot.]
The fee for coaching came in after the reward. Once again, the stadium was buzzing.
"Ah! She's even paying for the coaching!"
"That's right! Every time they meet, Purple teaches NewtonLord something new!"
― Dropped three million on a single duel?"
― Rich spoon confirmed..."
― Is coaching still 1 million, or what?"
― If you raised the reward, shouldn't you up the coaching fee too!"
― Even Purple viewers woke up to capitalism, lolol"
― You don't know The Rich Get Richer?"
― Don't you know Godple's fee is market price?"
― Market price, lmao"
Lee Gyeongbok laughed as he watched the chat react.
'I bet some of that is hush money, too.'
He'd tried probing whether she was a girl group member, but all responses were only about gender.
'Guess she never even thought she could get outed.'
He didn't care if it was known she was a woman. But she'd never imagine anyone would actually call her an idol.
'Funny.'
But Lee Gyeongbok had no intention of doing anything with this information.
A current girl group member, a notorious stream sniper in virtual reality, and her target was himself.
All Lee Gyeongbok could do was find the situation fascinating.
"Now! This match ends with an unbroken winning streak for Purple. We have to hear from our champion—tell us, what are your feelings on this victory over both Eclipse and NewtonLord?"
Perhaps using a mic substitute, Shin Hyerim held out a dagger reversed, offering the blunt pommel.
Lee Gyeongbok smiled faintly and began to speak.
"It's been a while since I've had such a heart-racing duel. Watching Eclipse reminded me again of the value of hard work. I'll strive to become a streamer who keeps working hard, too."
― He's humble today, huh, lol"
― Humble? Nah, even that's got bluff hidden inside"
― 'It's been a while since my heart raced' = I never had a reason to be excited until now."
― 'I'll work hard from now on' = I never worked hard before."
― Look at the viewers reading between the lines"
― Is this the whole genius-who-works-hard thing?"
― If geniuses put in effort, what chance do regular people have!"
Even as he was humble, the viewers joked and bantered. Genome, glancing over the chat, inserted himself gently.
"So, everyone, make sure you snag a spot when a genius like this appears. I've been the man who talks at the genetic level, genome!"
― He just changes his intro on the spot?"
― Genome, the opportunist of our times..."
― Genome, you bum!"
― Trchoip! Trchoip! Trchoip! Trchoip!"
― The Purple-Genome duo is the best, lol"
― Yeah, there's nothing more fun than Purple and Genome together, lol"
Thanks to that, the mood relaxed even further.
Seizing the moment, Shin Hyerim wrapped up.
"Yes, this has been MetaGamer's live broadcast for today. Thank you for watching even this late! We'll be back with more exciting events next time!"
"It was a lot of fun!"
"Trba, everyone!"
After her, Eclipse and Genome gave their goodbyes.
― What?"
― They're ending stream like that?"
― Aren't they going to play more games!?"
― Everyone's going but Godple is staying!"
― I'll miss this, ㅠㅠ"
― (Perba-con)"
― Watching this duel was so incredible, I get it"
― Yeah, it must have been mentally draining"
― If it's Godple, he can probably go more?"
― 5252, they really declared end of stream already?"
The viewers grumbled their disappointment, but most accepted the end of stream.
So Lee Gyeongbok could greet them brightly.
"I'll see you next broadcast! Trba!"
* * *
The broadcast was over, but the MetaGamer Influencer team's work wasn't finished.
"Ugh... It's taking longer than usual."
With Shin Hyerim, the production team waited in a virtual meeting room. As soon as the article was written, it was ed to the master sergeant, who then went to to the editorial team.
The influencer team was waiting to hear the results.
"Ah, I think this one might be a problem..."
The staffer in charge of editing video shook his head.
"What? Because of those stream snipers?"
"Yes. Even though we've mosaic'd all the faces and IDs because of defamation by revealing the truth... it still doesn't look pretty."
The other staff's faces darkened, but Shin Hyerim's eyes only grew brighter.
"No, you've got it wrong. As someone who was there for the broadcast, this is a mega hit! Not to mention NewtonLord turning out to be a woman! This'll get an even better reaction than the last interview."
"That'd be great, but..."
"Let's pray then."
"Pray?"
"Yes, the god we need to believe in right now..."
Before Shin Hyerim could say more, the master sergeant suddenly appeared in the meeting room.
He'd finished ing and logged in.
"Master sergeant! H-how did it go? What did the editorial team say?!"
Shin Hyerim shot to her feet. But the master sergeant's expression wasn't great.
"Ah..."
"I guess two hits in a row was too much."
The other staff gave up at the look on his face. The master sergeant let out a heavy sigh and pressed his palm to his forehead.
"It even went all the way to the CEO. That's why it took so long."
"... What?"
"The CEO?"
"You mean the CEO read our article personally?"
Their eyes grew round. Beneath the palm on his forehead, the master sergeant's lips stretched wide.
Then, with a slap, he hit the table and clenched both fists.
"It worked! Not only main page, but we're getting a bonus paid day off as a reward!"
"What!?"
"Paid day off!?"
"But then why that face earlier...?"
The master sergeant laughed sheepishly and shook his head.
"Well, just because we got a day off doesn't mean the whole team can take vacation. Now I've got to figure out how to work out the schedule. That's what's giving me a headache."
"Oh, master sergeant...!"
"You scared us!"
"My article's on the main page again...!"
Unlike the others, Shin Hyerim didn't even register the mention of vacation. The master sergeant looked at her, amused.
"er Shin."
"Yes, yes!"
"This is an order from the CEO now."
"... Yes?"
"The V-STAR proposal's up, right?"
V-STAR, the nation's biggest game show.
MetaGamer had been planning to cover it with streamers for a while.
"If there aren't any issues with Purple, we'll be looking to cast him for the next V-STAR coverage. Keep a close eye on any issues."
It meant Purple was now the tentative pick.
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