The Villain is Too Good at Broadcasting

Shia.

That was the nickname I used when I used to play <Gaia Online>.

It was the nickname I had when I was the strongest in that place, reigning from a position no one could dare challenge.

“My name is Lee Nak-joon. I was the developer in charge of the NPC AI for Gaia Online.”

Seeing my face turn to one of confusion, the official, Mr. Lee Nak-joon, scratched his head and continued.

“We created a new AI based on the combat data accumulated from Shia in Gaia Online. Ah, would you like me to explain about Shia?”

He seemed to gain confidence as he delved into his area of expertise.

Explain about Shia…?

It was meaningless to me.

– Guys, I’m young, so who is Shia?

– The unofficial number 1 in Gaia Online.

– That monster was insane. Man, I remember wetting myself watching a video of him sweeping through an army with a sword alone.

– Back in my day, I used to wet myself and run away at the sight of Shia~ Do the kids these days even know what Gaia Online is? That was a real game… Games nowadays are just flashy, nothing substantial.

– Look at the old folks getting excited about old stories.

– Your dentures are confiscated for 2 weeks!

– Your painkillers are confiscated for 2 weeks too!

<Gaia Online> was still a legendary game.

If its service had continued, it would still be reigning as the best game to this day.

Even as the first-generation, original virtual reality game, it had a higher level of completion than any game that had come out since.

I frowned as I alternated between looking at the chat and Mr. Lee Nak-joon’s face.

If I had known it would be this troublesome, I wouldn’t have come.

…Still, it seemed like it might be fun.

Back then, I was physically much better than I am now.

I was a student at the time, and my reflexes were truly beast-like.

It’s a bit embarrassing to say it myself, but I was really something.

From the items I worked hard to farm to the combat experience, I had plenty of it.

Maybe the reason I could establish myself like this now is because I gained a lot of experience back then.

Memories and weaknesses.

Facing <Shia> like this brought back a lot of emotions.

Is that why?

Without realizing it, I nodded and stepped into their capsule.

I was curious about how <Shia> would be implemented.

[Launching the game ‘Dark Spirit’!]

[Setting up the optimal game environment based on your current synchronization rate!]

[Verified synchronization rate: 97%.]

[Settings will be completed according to the synchronization rate!]

There was an automatic synchronization function, and the graphics were incredibly realistic.

It was a moment when my expectations, that there would be some lacking parts, were completely overturned.

– The quality is insane.

– It blows away most intros.

– I thought it would be boring, but the quality is completely different from what we imagined.

– Developed by former Gaia Online team…

– This is nuts.

The viewers’ reactions were the same as mine.

The intro to <Dark Spirit> was of an unexpectedly high quality.

Brilliant and realistic effects.

I could hear the sound of grass burning and feel the acrid smoke at the tip of my nose as everything around me was set ablaze.

It felt like all my senses were vividly alive.

It was like,

“It feels like Gaia Online.”

The sensation was similar to when I played Gaia Online.

This wasn’t something built overnight.

You could tell at a glance how meticulously and laboriously they made this game.

An intro where all senses were vividly alive.

There, I became a knight in black armor, cutting through the hellish flames, soon facing darkness so deep I couldn’t see an inch ahead.

And soon, a message window appeared before my eyes.

[The world where light has disappeared welcomes you.]

A world enveloped in darkness.

The only thing lighting up my vision was a small bonfire that had sprung up from the ground.

“You have arrived.”

An elderly voice echoed from the darkness.

And soon, an old man wearing a black eye patch appeared.

He sat in an old wooden chair, as if he had always been there.

In the faint light of the fire, a long scar was visible on his arm.

Before I could say anything, the old man pointed to the right with his finger and spoke.

“Your world has not yet begun. Walk over there and embrace the true darkness.”

He must be a tutorial NPC.

It was clear they had put a lot of effort into the beginning.

Rather than simply progressing through quests, it was guiding the user through an NPC.

These kinds of details help increase the player’s immersion.

This part was also very similar to <Gaia Online>.

Without a word, I walked in the direction the old man pointed.

How long had I walked?

– The atmosphere is creepy as hell.

– Is this a horror game?

– I still don’t know the genre.

– Where the hell is Shia?

– I heard that bastard Shia is making an appearance. Is it true?

‘Kan’ has donated 10,000 won!

[If you meet that bastard, make sure to kill him, Chan-sik. I’ll put a 1 million won bounty on it!]

– Lol, it’s the real Kan.

– He really got backstabbed hard. Man, back then, I thought he was going to kill someone.

– I approve of your righteous revenge!

I was slightly flustered by Dong-su hyung’s sudden donation.

How did he know I was here when he should be playing at another booth?

I really need to be careful.

As donations and chats continued, the darkness that had surrounded me suddenly transported me to a new place.

Srrrng.

In the darkness, a strange metallic sound echoed, and a sword appeared in my hand.

Soon, torches began to light up all around me.

The lights barely overcame the darkness.

A man emitting smoke as red as blood emerged from the light.

He seemed to be the source of the earlier metallic sound.

In his hand was a bright red longsword, different from mine.

I recognized that red sword.

It was the weapon I used to wield in <Gaia Online>.

“Whew.”

The moment a heavy breath escaped my lips, a message window tinged with red appeared before my eyes.

[The red-tinged wraith ‘???’ has appeared.]

[Tutorial ‘Death’ has begun!]

A grim tutorial had started.

4.

The wraith had appeared menacingly.

Although its name was marked with question marks, anyone could easily guess its identity.

It would have been more fun if I hadn’t known and fought it.

I gripped my sword tightly and slowly moved my body.

I was checking the delay rate, but the optimization was so good that it was indistinguishable from reality.

“So damn scary.”

The wraith <Shia> stared at me without a word.

Its face was hidden by a helmet, but the red glowing eyes within were chilling.

That helmet was also something I used in <Gaia Online>.

I remember it was made from the bones of a red dragon.

Seeing it like this, I was really drenched in old memories.

In some ways, I think I was freer back then than I am now.

However, I didn’t particularly want to go back to that time.

Back then, I was desperately trying to save Jin-hyuk.

– Starting with the final boss

– Looks crazy strong, lol

– The atmosphere is insane.

– Feels like they transferred that bastard from Gaia Online.

– Was it really that overwhelming?

The viewers were all exclaiming as they watched the newly implemented <Shia>.

Even from my perspective, it was incredibly similar to my old self, so it must be even more impressive to others.

The issue was to what extent they had implemented <Shia>…

I didn’t know how they did it.

I felt I needed to confront it directly to understand.

[The wraith ‘???’ points its sword at you.]

Wooooong-.

The sword in the wraith’s hand started vibrating, and soon blood-red smoke began to spread from its body.

The wraith then charged at me.

Its opening move was very familiar.

Lowering its waist slightly and slicing the enemy’s waist—<Storm Slash>.

It was a technique I frequently used in <Gaia Online>, and it was perfectly implemented.

Even the habit of slightly lifting the left heel when executing it was the same.

Instinctively, I extended my sword towards my waist, and soon a numbing pain transmitted through my sword.

Even though the pain was greatly reduced by the game’s defensive mechanisms, it was still significant…

The difference in our physical levels was too great.

However, the viewers were astonished just because I had blocked the attack.

– ???

– How did you block that?

– Did you even see anything? It just cut in an instant.

– Is this really a tutorial? What kind of boss is designed to be beaten here?

– Today’s stream is going to be legendary.

– Already a highlight.

The viewers were making a fuss, but it was just the beginning.

I used <Storm Slash> as an opening move in battles.

In other words, that attack was,

Shaaang!

“Hiss.”

Just the beginning of a hellish combo.

The wraith, still bent over, swung its sword upward. That attack was blocked as well, but the assault continued smoothly.

The next attack was a kick.

The skill combo I used to frequently deploy against players in the past was meticulously implemented.

Adding to that the overwhelming physical abilities, it was truly hellish.

“How the hell is anyone supposed to beat this?”

The tutorial was called ‘Death,’ right?

…Wait a minute.

Could it be, the purpose of this tutorial is?

‘GamerLeeNak-joon’ has donated 1,000 won!

[Uh… This is Lee Nak-joon. That quest isn’t meant to be completed like that. It’s just an event mob… You just need to die to it. The actual tutorial starts after your first death…]

Apparently frustrated with my game progress, an official from outside made a donation.

Yeah, I thought the difficulty was weird.

I bit my lip and defended against the wraith’s attack.

If I die to that thing as Mr. Lee Nak-joon said, the real tutorial will begin.

Wraith <Shia> was something the <Gaia Online> developers had created as an Easter egg.

An Easter egg meant to give players their first death and open the real game.

One way was to give up and embrace death as he said.

It was practically impossible to kill that wraith anyway.

But why…

I didn’t want to die.

No, to be precise, I didn’t want to die to that wraith <Shia>.

The wraith paused, tilting its head as I quietly glared at it.

Still looking at the wraith spewing red smoke, I smirked.

How much had they implemented?

Really, had they implemented everything?

If so.

“Can I beat you?”

Me in my prime.

…Talking about my prime makes me feel like an old man, but I was truly overwhelming at that time.

I had assassinated kings of kingdoms in the game and accomplished countless impossible feats.

Those memories started to resurface, soon overlapping with the image of the wraith.

I readjusted my grip on my sword and nodded.

Then, I wiggled my finger at the wraith.

“Let’s try this.”

The battle resumed.

End of Volume 3

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