Chapter 275 ·A Drop of Pure Water (3)

A 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󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄂Drop of Pure Water (3)

A thunderous shout echoed across the snowy field, where a fierce blizzard raged.

"Oaa!"

That powerful soundwave bounced off the snowy mountain and reverberated.

[PERFECT!]

Despite the satisfying match result, Lee Gyeongbok clicked his tongue briefly and continued speaking.

"It still wasn't perfectly clean in the end."

[Connection Error]

Yet another message popped up right after. The majority of viewers expressed their distaste.

However, this time, the unpleasant wait was extremely short.

[Promoted to 16th Tier!]

[Congratulations!]

The tier badge attached to Lee Gyeongbok's account changed color with a dazzling effect.

– Finally cleared that tiresome yellow tier!

– Ah, lol, orange tier, nice to see you

– Bro finally broke through all the entry barriers lol

– fr lol, from here the number of ragequitters drops off a cliff

For fighting game users, if the green tier at the start is considered newbie village, the yellow tier was thought of as the ultimate entry barrier.

The reason was simple: play time.

– Orange tier is almost always 50+ hours of playtime, right?

– Yeah, from now on you're walking the path of the fighting gamer lol

– It's the 'legendary 50 hours', for real lol

Watching the chat, Lee Gyeongbok blinked.

"It takes fifty hours? Ah, is that because of ragequits? I must be pretty lucky, huh?"

He checked his channel time in surprise. Barely over three hours had passed.

– You are lucky, hyung, but definitely not in your matchups lol

– Dude's frame of reference is way different, huh?

– Normal guys have to practice with tutorial and arcade mode before they're ready!

– Seriously, most real newbies take at least a day to get to green tier

– Right? And with all the ragequitters, it takes way over 50 hours

– Most can't take it and give up, which is why the average is 50 hours lol

– Genius time flows differently, I swear!

Viewers burst into laughter at this. Lee Gyeongbok understood the situation and smiled.

"So I suppose from here the real matches begin. Now we'll be matched with people you'd actually call fighting gamers."

– Our hyung is happy the difficulty's climbing lol

– ???: Now the real fun starts, right, matjji?

– ???: Three hours of warm-up, this game's way too nice

– The Smurf is getting bored of steamrolling!

– As expected from an expert Smurf, huh?

– The losers are weeping!

Lee Gyeongbok thought about replying to the playful teasing, but decided not to. Explaining only led to more ribbing.

"Oh? This time it's a Korean."

Just then, a match went through.

Lee Gyeongbok happily noticed the flag on his opponent's account.

– Orange tier performance for real lol

– Isn't this kind of sad though? lol

– fr lol, you can't meet Koreans in Newbie Village

– For real lol, even this opponent is already 18th tier lol

Viewers were pleased too. It drove home that he'd crossed the newbie barrier.

Just when Lee Gyeongbok was about to choose his character—

"Pu, Purple! It's an honor to meet you!"

A voice came from the other side through voice chat. Lee Gyeongbok's eyes went wide, and the chat's mood shifted instantly.

– Wait, you're acting like you know him?

– What's this? What's he implying?!

– He gets a match as soon as he hits orange tier? HOXY?

– Lol, surely this isn't a snipe

– But if you're just a fighting gamer, why act like you know him?

– This is way too suspicious, huh?

Viewers became sensitive over the situation.

Not only Metal Punch, but fighting games in general were among the easiest genres for stream sniping. With a small player pool, there was less competition for matches.

At least most Metal Punch streamers didn't really care about being sniped. It was hard to avoid and, being one-on-one, as long as you overpowered them with skill, that was that.

But, when it came to stream sniping newbies like Lee Gyeongbok, it was unforgivable.

'He seems like a good person?'

The man in question, Lee Gyeongbok, quickly spoke up amidst the sharp chatter. Judging by the vibe he got from the other player, this wasn't a bad person.

"No need for honorifics. Nice to meet you."

He replied kindly. The opponent's voice trembled even more.

"I— I'm not, not trying to snipe you. It's just, I really wanted to fight you, Purple. I figured I'd never get the chance otherwise..."

"You waited for me?"

"Yes! If it's not now, I'll never get another shot! Honestly, at your skill, Purple, you'll zoom through orange tier in no time!"

He knew that once Lee Gyeongbok ranked up as quickly as before, he'd never get another opportunity.

Realizing this, he blurted out the rest.

"That's why I matched up despite the risk! But I swear, I'm not trying to disrupt your channel! If you're uncomfortable, I'll cancel the match right now!"

Even the previously prickly chat softened at his honest words.

– Kind of sniping, but also not sniping lol

– When you think about it, he's not wrong lol

– fr lol, godple probably won't ever come back down after ranking up

– If he were a real sniper, he wouldn't have even said anything, just fought

– Yeah, and if he lost, he'd just make excuses and keep pestering

The chat reaction was decent and there was no sense of malice. Lee Gyeongbok obligingly selected his character.

"I haven't fought Koreans yet—only Japanese players—so I don't know the Korean trends. Please teach me a thing or two."

"Ah, yes! Thank you so much!"

In response to his acceptance, the opponent's voice overflowed with excitement. He chose a masked male character, "Jaguar."

* * *

The fighting gamer who picked Jaguar took a deep breath.

'I'm fighting Purple...!'

His heart surged with happiness, but another feeling nestled beside it.

'But he's so much better than I expected.'

He knew Lee Gyeongbok's skill well, as he'd timed the match while watching the channel.

Hasn't he shown results today that are hard to believe for a first day?

'But I have a chance.'

He hadn't challenged out of pure fandom. As a fighting gamer himself, his competitive spirit flared.

'Purple confidence will backfire this time.'

Lee Gyeongbok had started ranked matches immediately after the tutorial. But his tutorial was just the "basics."

'Newbies struggle even with strikes, no wonder they don't know.'

Severus, Kang Neoul, and Philip Firebird. By coincidence, all the characters Lee Gyeongbok had picked were striking-based.

And that went for his ranked opponents as well.

'Normally you start with arcade mode after the tutorial...'

A typical player would've practiced against AI in arcade mode after finishing the tutorial, and then learned about the next aspect—"throws."

'Attack levels aren't the only types of damage in this game.'

Throws differ from the three kinds of damage covered in the tutorial. While risky up close, their advantage is that they cannot be guarded.

'If it's Jaguar's throw combo... I have a chance, even against Purple!'

His character, jaguar, was a wrestler—focused on throws rather than strikes. Inputting his commands was tough and the timing hard, but if successful, victory was almost assured.

'Purple's a genius, so I'll probably only get one real shot.'

He wasn't careless, though.

Given Lee Gyeongbok's innate talent, it was likely he'd figure things out in a single try.

While he composed his thoughts, the character selection ended.

Stage: Colosseum.

Luckily, they spawned far from any walls.

At "Fight!" both sides backed away from each other.

'Is Purple being cautious because it's Jaguar's first appearance?'

He watched Kang Neoul's legs, carefully regulating his breathing.

'Come on...'

He needed to wait patiently for his chance.

In his victory scenario, he never took the initiative.

'Definitely right arm, right leg.'

As a throw-specialist, jaguar lacked decent strikes. Instead, he had a "counter" move.

He could reverse heavy punches or kicks with his own commands—a chance to turn things around.

But that too depended on his own reaction time.

'Bait out tempo, straight to the throw combo!'

Eventually, it was Lee Gyeongbok who moved first, probing with short jabs and kicks, as if testing the waters.

'Not yet, not yet.'

He blocked a few, but the fast attacks chipped in some damage he simply had to accept.

That was fine. He even considered this a chance—a possible trap.

'Here it comes!'

As he purposely seemed wobbly, Lee Gyeongbok went for a low attack—maybe as a setup for an aerial combo, but for Jaguar, it was a perfect counter window.

"Got you!"

The instant he input the command, jaguar twisted and locked Kang Neoul's leg. If he could follow up with a throw during the stun, it was his.

At least, that's what he thought until Kang Neoul's left foot smashed into his jaw.

'What?'

He didn't feel pain—this was a game—but the shock was authentic. Still, as a fighting gamer, his body reacted even if his mind was flustered.

He hurriedly fell back to regain his composure.

'He broke out of the counter? How?'

Counter throws can't be guarded, but even they aren't invincible.

If you input the right command for the specific throw, you can break out.

'A hint from chat? No, that timing was way too fast.'

So was it just luck?

He didn't know. The problem was, the existence of his counter was already exposed.

'I'll have to switch to plan B...!'

He pulled himself together and changed tactics. Jaguar dashed in for a running throw towards Kang Neoul.

"This time, I've got you for sure...!"

He cheered as he successfully landed the grab, but hesitated.

'That was too easy...'

Given Lee Gyeongbok's skill, it didn't make sense that there was no resistance. But there was no time to think more.

He had to follow up with a throw combo.

Jaguar spun behind Kang Neoul and grabbed his waist. Next should be a "back drop" slam.

'Again!?'

But Kang Neoul struck Jaguar in the head with an elbow and broke free. As a result, it was Jaguar who was left in a dazed state.

'I'm done for!'

No way Lee Gyeongbok would let this chance slip. The following kick sent him flying.

"Oh, so this is how it applies."

Hearing Lee Gyeongbok's voice below, he understood.

'He was experimenting on me!'

Whatever it was, he was just a practice partner.

* * *

Lee Gyeongbok's response shocked not only his opponent, but also the seasoned fighting gamers in the chat.

– Wait;;; how did he break out?

– That throw was textbook clean, though?

– He didn't even do the throw tutorial, how does he know this?!

– No way this is his first time lol

– Did the chat give him hints? Nope

Even among EldenSoul players, the "if you don't know, you get hit" mindset was standard.

So even without chat's help, Lee Gyeongbok had perfectly handled the throw.

"Didn't I mention it earlier?"

While continuing the aerial combo, Lee Gyeongbok checked the chat. Once he input the commands, the character moved automatically.

"I've played Metal Punch in arcades before, remember? Of course I know throws and breaks."

This was his first time with the Capsule-based fighting game, but Metal Punch itself was not unfamiliar.

What he hadn't known was how to input joystick commands on the VR setup, not the game's mechanics.

"Metal Punch is well designed—you have to actually mimic the escape move to break out. It just works out naturally in VR."

He realized why he sensed good vibes from his opponent: he wasn't just a decent person, but also an excellent practice partner.

The chat exploded at his words.

– Figured it out naturally, huh?

– Lol, it's not even wrong, but lol

– Hyuung? How does someone just know this the first time?!

– Seriously, most fighting gamers only learn by getting beaten up

– Godple figured it out in three hours of play lol

– More like this game—adapted in one match

– (Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)(Kemalcon)

While viewers gawked, Lee Gyeongbok quickly finished off his rattled opponent.

"Good match. Let's play again if we can next time!"

Viewers burst out laughing at his words.

– Good match (punching bag mode)

– Is this the 'Breath of Guile' for the finishing blow?

– What's the point of soothing the guy after using him for practice, lol

– As expected from the Black Company CEO, lol

– CEO type: never gives a raise, always says he's "helping you grow"

– Suck it up and take the lip service lol

Lee Gyeongbok just laughed off the teasing and went on.

"This is getting a lot more fun after getting out of the newbie section. Metal Punch is great because you immediately feel your opponents get stronger as you rank up, which means every step up promises even better matches."

– As expected from the expert Smurf lol

– But he's right, though lol

– Skill difference is obvious tier by tier

– In fighting games, skill is everything, brother

– When he hits red tier, godple's going to love it

– That's where all the Korean fighting gamers hang out lol

– Nah, godple will just skip to gold and face names already

Viewers agreed with his excitement.

* * *

Lee Gyeongbok's Metal Punch run wasn't just celebrated in Korea.

– Hey, Purple just started Metal Punch!

– All the Japanese newbies wwww became Purple's stepping stones wwww

– Eh? Orange tier on day one? That's insane!

Since most of his earlier matches had been against Japanese players, the news spread fast.

One streamer in particular was thrilled.

"A chance to meet Purple!? This time, I'll do it for sure! Everyone, lend me your strength!"

His viewers laughed at his exuberant, manga-like declaration as he launched Metal Punch.

– Here he goes again with the hot-blooded lines!

– Hey Yattaman, hurry up! At this rate, you're just going to fall farther behind Purple wwww

– But Yattaman actually has some Metal Punch experience. He might manage this time?

– But I have a feeling the gap's just going to widen again wwww

This was 'Yattaman'.

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