Martial Arts Returnee's Game Broadcast-Chapter 287: Variables

 A large-scale viewer participation event.

When dozens of viewers join the content simultaneously, there is always bound to be some noise.

Even during the Silent Swordsman hunt, such noise was present.

"Isn't the Silent Swordsman supposed to only play in real mode?"

"Want to destroy her outfit."

"Are we going to mess with her and then bail?"

"She's armored, what do you think you're going to touch?"

"Shit. Someone, break her armor!"

These were not healthy grudges, but rather a group driven by impure desires.

"You guys are from the roaming merchant guild, right? How about joining forces with us? If you break her armor, we’ll destroy her outfit with Slime Dogs."

"What?! These bastards are talking about destroying the Silent Swordsman’s clothes!"

Contrary to their expectations, the live viewers participating in the Silent Swordsman hunt were not there to humiliate her.

The Human-Faced Landlord Guild, the Roaming Merchant Guild, the Two-Tailed Rat Guild, and the Bug-Eating Guild all had one thing in common—they simply wanted to see the chemistry between their beloved mascot NPC and the Silent Swordsman grow.

Though some fan clubs had already lost any chance of chemistry, their relationship was still one of love and hate, and using crude desires to disrupt it was not an option.

"Kill them all!"

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"If you’re so eager to see clothes come off, I’ll start with yours!"

"No! You crazy bastards! I'm playing a male character!"

"Even better."

"?!"

Disruptions and chaos on the battlefield.

While the intent was good, Lee Hye-chan felt a sense of difficulty.

With the aggro pulling attention away, the firepower was dispersed, and the encirclement wasn’t as thick as expected.

"Your Highness, we have reports that Eom Gil-dong’s right-hand man has been defeated."

"It will be hard to solidify this encirclement. Begin the attack."

The encirclement created by the Roaming Merchant Guild, the Two-Tailed Rat Guild, and the Bug-Eating Guild was still quite threatening.

More than two hundred players, each firing a missile, would result in two hundred missiles.

Missiles pursued the Silent Swordsman, who hid behind a cloud cover, exploding behind her.

Boom!

The explosion was so powerful that the rain and clouds temporarily parted.

The Silent Swordsman miraculously avoided the explosion range, but her vehicle sustained significant damage, sparks flying across its surface.

Even with superior physical and mobility skills, it was proven that firepower could not be avoided.

"Hah... Don’t call me cowardly. You know, when it comes to villains, making excuses is just pathetic."

Victory declaration lolPathetic, Hye-chan.Too scared for a 1v1 so you call for 1200v1, you crazy bastard.You called in so many, damn lol.From now on, Lee Hye-chan is going to be called 1200-Hye-chan.If all NPCs are combined, there might be more than two thousand.2000-Hye-chan ㄷㄷㄷ

Lee Hye-chan, who pretended to be drunk on pride, was inwardly startled when he saw the encirclement nearly being broken through from a distance.

It was truly thanks to gathering viewers in such a manner, but seeing dozens of mechs running away was something he had never witnessed, even while playing gladiator games.

'Still, this is the limit on my own. Farewell, Silent Swordsman.'

With that, his grudge was repaid.

At the moment when everyone was sure of the Silent Swordsman’s end,

[SIGNAL LOST]

[SIGNAL LOST]

[SIGNAL LOST]

Suddenly, the signals from the Armored units in one part of the encirclement were cut off simultaneously.

"What happened in that airspace? Find out who the field commander is, quickly!"

"<People who like to be apologized to>!"

"What? Wait, that nickname..."

It was impossible to mistake it.

The main character of the Space War episode from the Silent Swordsman’s VTube compilation.

With three million views, the ace pilot from the Two-Tailed Rat Guild, a name-viewer.

Known as the Apple Girl.

Or the Mesugaki Girl.

"It's a trap! There's no way her unit was simply wiped out. Don't send troops!"

"It's too late! Other commanders nearby noticed the signal loss and tried to fill the gap by approaching the area on their own..."

Lee Hye-chan felt a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Logically, in a power disparity this big, betrayal would guarantee death. But still, you’re going to help the Silent Swordsman?"

It was absurd.

For other broadcasts or other viewers, it would have been a pointless fantasy, but there were a few eccentric people who could actually do it.

Those with immense courage and the ability to act.

The Mesugaki Girl was one such person.

"Urgent report from the frontlines! Betrayal confirmed from the Mesugaki Unit!"

"The reinforcements sent to restore the encirclement are being wiped out one by one!"

Lee Hye-chan gritted his teeth.

His ominous premonition had finally become reality.

 A siege that was not enough even with hundreds of enemies, constantly reinforced with new enemies joining the encirclement.

Ha Eung Eung felt a sense of déjà vu.

The heavy downpour, the feeling of limbs growing heavy, the cold sensation of the sword—all of these were familiar.

These were not mere memories, but sensations she had truly experienced.

The feeling engraved during her days as a martial arts hero, trapped in the net of the Martial Arts Alliance.

'I never imagined I'd break through this kind of encirclement twice.'

Is this fate’s trick? Or perhaps the result of her deep karma?

Now, the metal body she could finally control as her own.

Yet, time was not on her side.

[Caught in a collective bombardment.]

[The barrier’s remaining power has decreased by 4.24% (9.22%).]

[The barrier is about to be destroyed.]

[Urgently retreat from the frontlines and replenish energy at a base.]

[The damage to the vehicle is excessive (37.75%).]

[Retreat from the battlefield quickly before the power unit sustains critical damage.]

The unavoidable fire net, dwindling energy, and increasing damage.

‘Is this it for the vehicle?’

No matter how much she cherished it, even the finest sword eventually dulls with use.

Even the vehicle, born as a weapon, could not escape damage.

The inevitable end awaited.

‘What a shame. I wanted to keep this toy until the very end.’

As she prepared for a final charge, ready to abandon the vehicle, something unusual occurred on the frontlines.

Boom!

"AAAH!"

"A surprise attack!"

"An ambush from behind?!"

Suddenly, dozens of mech signals, once part of the encirclement, disappeared in real-time from the radar map.

Simultaneously, a new signal flooded into her cockpit.

[The Armored Division shares communication channels and identification signals.]

[Command-level mechs are attempting internal communication.]

[Do you accept the communication?]

The unit that had voluntarily killed enemies.

It was an act of betrayal in enemy territory.

It wouldn’t be a bad thing, as long as it benefited her.

[Accept communication.]

The figure that appeared on the screen was a young woman with a strange, adult-like charm.

Her eyes narrowed into a smile, and she raised one hand to cover her mouth, giggling.

"Are you really struggling against such small fry~? Pathetic ♡ Poor control ♡ Playing with those mascot puppets in the zoo, huh? Heh."

Her tone was infuriating.

[Do you wish to duel?]

"Hah~? I came all this way to help and you’re thinking about fighting? Be grateful, idiot ♡"

The Apple Girl, using her signature irritating Mesugaki speech.

She probably knew her tone well, especially after the mega-hit Space War VTube compilation with three million views.

However, the Silent Swordsman was even more of a villain than she was.

Shwoop

Without thinking, her hand raised.

Was she trying to shake hands?

As she stared at the hand rising instinctively, Apple Girl’s eyes widened.

‘No way... Is she going to hit me?’

Thwack!

"Ow! Why... why are you hitting me?!"

Ha Eung Eung chuckled at her.

Apple Girl, surprised by the shock transmitted from the vehicle, realized something more important.

She had allowed an attack despite seeing it coming.

Even though she had been careless, such an excuse would not work in this battlefield.

Had it been a sword, she could have been killed in one blow without reacting.

‘So this was it? The reason why the Silent Swordsman wreaked havoc while breaking through the encirclement.’

Lightweighting the vehicle and the pilot's physical abilities.

But that wasn’t the only secret.

It was the sensory fusion that any mech pilot would recognize as common sense in any game.

Most pilots avoid pushing the vehicle to its limits because they fear pain, thus never reaching 100% of the vehicle’s potential.

Even a skilled pilot on a basic mech can only reach 80%, and an ace pilot might manage 90%.

But the Apple Girl, stronger than any typical ace pilot, could barely reach 100%.

Yet, the Silent Swordsman surpassed that by forcing out movements that the mech couldn’t naturally perform.

‘She made the vehicle perform moves it couldn’t, ignoring the pain, pushing it to 110% and failing to react in time.’

The Ace of Aces.

This was the background behind the Apple Girl allowing a single strike.

If she had displayed such movements earlier, it would have been understandable that she wreaked havoc in the encirclement.

‘She's really the best... I’m so glad I came to help the Silent Swordsman ♡’

After being hit, Apple Girl was momentarily flustered.

However, with a gaze full of admiration, Ha Eung Eung thought to herself.

‘She’s not insane, right?’

At least, that was not what she was planning.

 Using a unique mech with 100% electric resistance, Cloud Dragon Azisahab was cornered.

The Silent Swordsman, tightening the encirclement with a group of mechs, had the chance to defeat both her enemies when the encirclement broke.

"Trying to defeat both is too greedy."

The situation had already tilted.

With mediocre moves, one would lose both sides.

Lee Hye-chan made a decision.

Let go of one, but make sure to kill the other.