hotmtlnovel Chapter 16
Chapter 16
1.
The second playthrough of the Half-Demon Valley.
The experience in the Blood-Drenched Sewer prompted reflection for Hae Eung Eung.
‘To think I struggled against such weak enemies.’
It was hard to believe she had once been a top master in Hwagyeong.
Anyone who remembered her from the Murim would have been unable to hold back their laughter at her current state.
‘While improving my inner strength is important, skill enhancement is my priority.’
At this rate, her lack of ability might lead to failures in field sweeping or boss hunting.
She felt this was not a distant future.
The fourth time.
Or perhaps the third.
She could face such failures in the very next challenge.
Secluded training.
Even if it wasn’t to that extent, she resolved to enter a period of concentrated training for the time being.
Before a long period of practice, it’s instinctive for players to check their status and compare it after completing the training.
It wasn’t strange for her, who had decided to train, to access her status screen.
[Status Screen]
[Name] Hae Eung Eung(Female, 15 years old)
[Level] Third Class (Lv 27)
[Job] Ronin Swordsman
[Title] Executioner
[Physical Strength] 16 (+3P)
[Agility] 15 (-1P)
[Talent] 10
[Intelligence] 35
[Five Senses] 89
[Charm] 100
[Inner Power] 5
Remaining Points: 33
Weakened Agility*: The agility has weakened due to the Guumjeolmaek.
Wasteland of Inner Power*: Residing in an area with very low natural energy, making it extremely difficult to enhance inner power.
Executioner: The executioner who has fallen to become the gatekeeper of the Great Demon. She inherited his legacy.
“7”
What stood out was the status screen.
2.
Executioner: The executioner who has fallen to become the gatekeeper of the Great Demon. She inherited his legacy.
– Title Attachment Effect: Physical Strength +3P
– Title Retention Effect: Physical Strength +1P
The status screen from the Murim Chronicles, based on the gameplay in the Half-Demon Valley, granted her the new title of Executioner.
‘It’s rather unsettling.’
Titles.
Only one title can be equipped at a time, but there’s no limit to the number of titles that can be held.
If she were to acquire 100 titles, she could enjoy the cumulative effects of all 100 titles.
‘Of course, there are limits to the growth potential that can be gained from titles.’
The required points for ability stats increase exponentially in units of 10.
From 0 to 9 requires 1 point.
From 10 to 19 requires 2 points.@@@@
From 20 to 29 requires 4 points.
Based on these conditions for ability enhancement, the +5P effect from the title stops at increasing the physical strength by 2.
Moreover, the required amounts increase tenfold for each 10-unit increase.
When increasing from 9 to 10, it takes 10 points.
When increasing from 19 to 20, it takes 20 points.
When increasing from 29 to 30, it takes 40 points.
If one were to rely solely on the effects of titles, they would inevitably encounter an insurmountable wall.
To raise one ability stat to 100 through point investment alone, the required formula is:
19X (2^10 – 1)
The resulting value is a staggering 19,437.
Even collecting the enhancement effects of 100 points would barely scratch the surface.
Putting everything else aside, the points needed to raise a stat from 99 to 100 is 5,120P.
That alone is murderous.
This is why the value of effort is high in the status screen of the Murim Chronicles.
With a +6P enhancement effect on a stat of 9, if the required 10 points aren’t met, the ability remains at 9.
However, if the base stat is raised to 10 purely through effort?
With the +6P enhancement effect, the ability rises to 13.
Every time players surpass the walls of enlightenment, they enjoy exponential growth.
Conversely, there’s an interesting aspect to this structure regarding the wall of 10 units that cannot be crossed by pure effort.
If one accumulates reputation through Murim events or duels, earning titles and accumulating points,
it becomes possible to break through the walls of ability with the power of enhancement points.
This is why newcomers to Murim experience explosive growth only after stepping outside their sect to explore the world.
This mechanism for increasing ability stats in the status screen underpins that growth.
One must gain reputation and increase title enhancement effects to break through the walls.
On the other hand, once one becomes a considerable master, it’s more efficient to directly raise ability stats through personal training rather than relying on enhancement effects.
Thus, masters become devoted to secluded training.
Even NPCs who can’t see the status screen instinctively realize how their world is structured,
and how to overcome the walls before them to reach the next level.
Let alone Hae Eung Eung, who understands the mechanism for increasing ability stats as a player; she can comprehend it even more deeply.
‘What I need right now is time.’
– You’re dead for real!
– From today, I’ll kick every cat I see!
– I can’t resist Kyaru’s winning live stream.
– What’s a winning live stream?
– Look it up, you noob!
– What’s a noob?
– Damn it!
[Here’s 1 Billion and the Silent Swordsman] [7]
“The Silent Swordsman has slaughtered all the viewers to get 1 billion.”
– Ugh!
– I don’t care about the money; just come back alive, please!!
– Silent Swordsman (Headless)
– No, you idiot, that’s not what I meant!
– Dullahan, damn it!
– At least there’s a substitute; otherwise, I’d be dead from cancer.
Viewers in the midst of a Silent Swordsman frenzy.
The reason they hadn’t completely lost their minds, despite being half-crazed, was that there was a reason for it.
This is what they called the Silent Swordsman Catch-Up challenge.
The attempts of streamers to challenge the Silent Swordsman’s gameplay have become a trend on V-Tube.
It all started after the second and final broadcast of the Blood-Fountain Tactical Elimination,
when the 3,800 viewers left abandoned in space began exchanging conversations.
[Honestly, I feel lucky to be born in this era. In the 21st century, how many chances would I have to perceive such an amazing beauty in the third person?]
– Wls
– If you’re going to do it, either do it in the first person or second person; what’s with the third person?
– You’re just an NPC; how can you die in three seconds and use the second person, damn it?
– Ah, I didn’t know that.
– What about the boss?
– It’s an entity that can’t specify a perspective; you clueless moron.
– First-person is terrifying, too! Spear and sword flying from everywhere; I’m worried I’ll have a heart attack trying to dodge the tiny gaps.
– I even changed my underwear because of that!
– Are you a girl? In the West, only girls or gay guys wear underwear.
– Oh, sweet! Then I want to be a girl.
– You want to be a girl?
– So does that mean guys don’t wear anything?
– They wear drawers, apparently.
– Is that true?
This conversation didn’t actually start like this.
[But isn’t the Silent Swordsman’s skill impressive? His courage is insane!]
With a dodge distance of 0.2cm, you’d think he was intentionally trying to scare you when he brushed past!
– When chased by the boss, the walls, ceiling, and stairs all break apart with a bang;
you could hear her crazy scream as she hung from the ceiling instead of going outside.
– Isn’t it just racing games and horror games that have broadcasts where people can’t handle the first-person view?
While his skill was discussed positively,
this wasn’t the only reason.
[Seriously, is it possible for other streamers to challenge the Silent Swordsman’s route?]
– Below the top tier, it’s impossible.
– In a first playthrough without skills or blessings, there are hardly any players capable of clearing it with their real bodies.
– Not even the gym rats, fish, or pigs can do it.
– Hey, Professor, since you have a real body, you could try with that gym monster.
– Is that the level of the Silent Swordsman?
– You’ll understand if you watch the live broadcast again.
It was from this topic that the question arose:
Could anyone imitate the Silent Swordsman’s play?
This intrigued not only the viewers but also the streamers.
Could I possibly do that?
Most laughed it off as a joke, but some streamers fell into serious contemplation.
One streamer,
didn’t just ponder but felt a serious competitive urge.
“Honestly, I can’t do that.”
How many streamers in the world are actually fit?
For a brainiac streamer, that was just unrealistic.
But what if it’s only a part of the Silent Swordsman’s gameplay?
“If I try hard, maybe I can partially imitate it?”
There are plenty of remarkable physiques in the world, but there’s no physique you can’t mimic if you put your mind to it!
Thief Um Gil-dong is famous for stealing techniques from physical streamers and ranked gamers, branding himself with that slogan.
“Isn’t it absurd that I, who have stolen ranked techniques, can’t steal from a mere newbie physical streamer? No way.”
– That comment is ON!
– You’ve set a death flag, haven’t you?
– Karma’s gonna hit you!
If only that confidence had remained just confidence,
but with the viewers mocking him, Um Gil-dong was incensed, and his desire to gain recognition and prove himself turned his eyes wild.
“Whatever, I can just run a simulator and set a record.”
Um Gil-dong, who would spark the Silent Swordsman catch-up craze,
was overflowing with confidence at this moment.
Watching the clip of that moment,
he’d be pounding the ground and reflecting on it
as a different person a few days later.