Season 2: Chapter 237: Demon King Kim Yi-Seo (1)
The mountain of Pangyo, Tae Ji-Ho, had fallen.
Excitement filled the venue and posts in the JetPumped Garden noticeably increased.
[Tae Ji-Ho got beat lololol, really?]
[If it's Heo Won-Mu rolling a joint behind the booth, thumbs up lololol]
[??? He's the weakest among us (talking about himself)]
[To Mars with Almond!]
While many posts discussed the current challenge, all sorts of posts also emerged due to the intrusion of the Nut Group.
[We live in the era of Almond]
[Humanity will eventually be conquered by nuts!]
[JetPumped should change its name to JetAlmond. That's the negotiation condition.]
These posters were known as the Mad Dogs among the Nut Group. When Almond did well, they were the first to wreak havoc in the community of the respective game.
The reason was unclear. It could just be to show off their power or they believed it boosted Almond's power.
Needless to say, they were not always welcomed. It was overwhelming for those who normally used the game community to see posts about Almond, whom they barely knew, popping up everywhere.
[Mad dogs, come in lololol]
Plenty of posts challenged them.
[Just for today.
Run wild.]
Today was an exception. Everyone’s hatred for Kim Yi-Seo was enough to endure the inconvenience.
— lololol
— Nutty!
— Wow
— Nut-One with the Jet
— Who's next?
└ Don't know lol
└ Come to think of it, he hasn't appeared even once for real
└ Wow, the mountain of Pangyo, right? Was he defeated?
└ Fact: There are no mountains in Pangyo
It was heating up online, but that couldn't compare to the offline fervor.
"Wowwwwwww!"
The cheers when Tae Ji-Ho fell were so loud that the booth nearly shook. The commentators were not exempt from this frenzy.
"The mountain! The mountain has collapsed!!!"
"It's not the mountain anymore! It's now the Pangyo dissolution!"
— Dissolution lololol
— Lmao
— The power of nuts to dissolve all of Pangyo :P
The cheers from the speakers boomed, merging with the audience's screams.
The JetPumped booth and the entire G-Star event seemed to resonate with this energy.
Screech.
In this fervor, the capsule's door opened.
"Ah. Player Tae Ji-Ho is exiting. You worked hard!"
Tae Ji-Ho sprinted out as if fleeing.
— Why is he running lol
— ??? Wait and see!
— The Two or Three Kings sprinted away lol
The next player prepared to enter.
"Now, the last of the two or three kings?"
After seeing the chat, the commentators started calling them the two or three kings.
— Two or three Kings lololol
— lololol 2~3 Kings
— Lololol
"Yes, the last of the two or three kings! If Almond wins this, we really might see the Demon King Kim Yi-Seo."
"But who will it be? We haven't seen them at all yet."
— Predicting Jenny with the scythe~
–- For real, who is it? lol
— If it were me, I'd have already run away.
"Yes, this person has never come up so far. They might not have the highest combat power after all. Ah, the information we just received says they have the Dragon title in the leader rankings!"
— Dragon? Shiver
— Oh wow...
— Impressive
The leader rankings referred to one-on-one battles where players wagered points and this player received the Dragon title in these rankings.
"For those who don't know JetPumped well, let me explain. This person is among the top 0.2% in skills."
"Yes, that would be about the percentage of a master in the league.”
Everyone present expressed their admiration, but Almond’s chat reacted differently.
— It's just that? Lol
— Surprised by that? Really? Tsk tsk
— Bring the strongest of humanity if you want to beat the nuts, top 0.2 or whatever lol
— Haha, just that?
They seemed disappointed instead, which was understandable since Almond had not been competing long when he won against masters in LIL. Could he win again this time?
"Here comes the final gatekeeper!"
Finally, Kim Yi-Seo's last defender appeared.
"They say she handles sword-related jets quite well, right?"
She was a lively woman with her black hair tied up.
The commentator suddenly stood up and shouted, "Mount Taishan has left and Mount Huashan has arrived! Maehwa Sword Goddess! Choi! Seo! Yeon!!!"
— Maehwa Sword Goddess Lol
— Lol what a nickname
— The mental damage is real lol
— Lol
She cheerfully greeted everyone and stood in front of the capsule. The interviewer inevitably followed and offered her the microphone.
"Hello! Choi Seo-Yeon! Before you go in, please say a word!"
"Ah, yes!"
She briefly swept her hair behind her ear and brightly said, "The two before me were just meat shields."
— Lol
— They hate each other?? Lol
— Lol
— Lol
"Ah! They were just meat shields!? Got it! We’re looking forward to the next game!"
"Yes!"
Chop.
She quickly entered the capsule and closed the lid.
— Will they last this time? Lol
— Can't wait to see the Maehwa Sword
— Where's Jenny with the chain scythe?
***
"Ah. Choi Seo-Yeon... no, Choi Best Seo-Yeon has logged in."
— Choi Best Seo-Yeon lol
— Her username is cute lol
— Lol
"They say she handles sword-related jets very well. Which one will she use?"
"Usually, it's the Maehwa Sword. This time, it might be the kendo jet."
As the commentators predicted, Choi Seo-Yeon chose the kendo jet.
"The kendo jet’s reach is just as long as the taekwondo jet’s," they explained.
"Right. Among the basic jets, the kendo jet is the hardest to handle. However, it’s also one of the best when handled well. Everyone knows that."
"Yes, especially since Choi Seo-Yeon often uses the Maehwa Sword. When used well, plum blossoms bloom and flutter from the sword. It's not only beautiful visually, but also delivers lethal damage."
"Right~! Now, let's get to the transmission!"
[Transmission]
The word appeared on both players' screens.
"Which stage will it be...!?"
"Surely one of the new stages will come up!"
Slap!
With the sound of waves crashing, a hot sun beat down on a seaside landscape.
Swoooosh...!
As the waves hit and passed, the floor swayed. The stage was on a ship. It was a luxurious white yacht.
[Onboard Party]
"Oh! An onboard party?!"
"Wow. Was such a stage also prepared?"
"But doesn't this stage seem to sway every time the waves hit?"
"Yes, it does. It's really a unique map!"
***
Swoooosh...!
Almond could hear the muffled waves through the thick waterproof glass windows.
'What are these stages?'
The dashboard had a wheel-like key and a complicated-looking speedometer and compass.
'It's the inside of a ship.'
At first glance, he found himself inside a ship with an NPC driving it. The NPC was just part of the backdrop and didn't even notice Almond.
Almond went outside the cabin. Cool air and the scent of the sea greeted him.
[Onboard Party]
Only then did the stage name appear in a corner of his vision. It was called the Onboard Party. True to its name, a party was taking place on the deck.
"You've completely killed the mood, so you're responsible now."
"Yes, Sir Dionysus."
"Uwahahahaha!"
"Wow~ Ho!"
People clearly enjoying themselves danced and drank. Among them, a character with notably low polygon graphics stood out.
[Jetter spotted]
It was the enemy Jetter.
[Choi Best Seo-Yeon]
"Wahahahaha!"
"Orpheus’s music is incredible, isn’t it?"
"Blessed with beautiful talent!"
The passing individuals clinked their glasses with a peculiar toast. Finally, the two Jetters came within each other's range.
'A sword?'
Due to the crowd, he only realized it when he got closer. She held a bamboo sword even though her usual jet was the Maehwa sword. She had replaced it with the basic kendo jet.
Beep.
[The locals here do not recognize the Jetter. Eliminate the enemy Jetter without hesitation!]
The username Choi Best Seo-Yeon turned red, and she positioned herself with the bamboo sword.
Following the command, Almond plunged into the crowd and began the fight with a flying kick.
Boom!
"!?"
Choi Seo-Yeon lightly swung her sword side to side and deflected his foot.
“Ah! The fight has started!”
“A perfect parry from the start! Amazing!”
“It's clear now that this isn’t pest control kendo, right!?”
“Yes! Parrying requires perfect timing and she's nailed it!”
'Was parrying possible?'
Almond realized something he hadn’t known before. Parrying felt like deflecting an attack with another attack. It was much harder to perform than blocking, but was very effective.
[Stun]
After a successful parry, the opponent typically stiffened.
Seeing Almond frozen in his kicking pose, Choi Seo-Yeon exclaimed, "Head!"
Boom!
With a shout, she delivered an incredibly fast strike to his head.
Almond responded well too.
Tap-tap-tap—
He immediately backed away, creating distance and preventing further hits.
[HP: 90%]
However, losing 10% of his health from just one hit to the head was somewhat shocking.
“Ah! His health sharply decreased! Even without any special combos, the kendo jet deals serious damage!”
“Is Almond feeling the opponent out right now? Since he knows nothing about the kendo jet, will rushing in... work!?”
Contrary to the commentators' expectations that Almond would back off, he charged in again.
Choi Seo-Yeon smirked.
'He's quite lively.'
The kendo jet was a heavy jet and the strongest when standing in place while swinging the sword. If the opponent charged in like that, it was favorable for her.
Whooosh!
The opponent flew in and lifted his leg.
'How cute.'
She smirked.
To think he would rush in recklessly. Again, the angle for parrying was clearly visible. If she parried again this time, it wouldn’t just be a single strike. She could add a combo.
Swoosh.
Choi Seo-Yeon positioned the sword appropriately. However—
'Huh?'
The leg Almond had lifted suddenly came back down. No, it was a misconception that he had lifted it. He never lifted that leg to kick.
'A pivot…!'
He briefly lifted his leg to pivot for a more powerful back kick.
Thump.
The lifted leg stomped on the ground, securing his balance as his body spun.
Whirl.
Shortly afterward—
Sssshhhhick!
The air tearing could be heard.
Boom!
A back kick flew out.
“Ah, a back kick hits right in the solar plexus!”
She had exposed her solar plexus while setting up for a parry.
"Cough!" Choi Seo-Yeon gasped.
Taekwondo was a sport with specific strike points. Hitting those points precisely inflicted bonus damage.
Kendo had parrying, boxing had weaving, and judo had counterattacking. Taekwondo specialized in precision striking.
Crash!!!
A flash of light burst from Almond's foot and Choi Seo-Yeon flew back.
Crash!
The party tables were all knocked down.
"Kyaaah!"
"Eh, what!? What’s going on!?"
The party-going NPCs all panicked and fled. Something unseen had smashed the tables to pieces.
Choi Seo-Yeon shook it off and got back up, regaining her stance.
'Insane. What a fake.'
It was almost the exact pose of a flying kick, but it suddenly changed into a natural back kick. He was hardly a novice.
Moreover—
"Oh… so there’s this?" Almond muttered.
'Did you just realize?' she thought to herself after hearing Almond.
He was getting stronger in real-time.
— Ah, he’s realized it?
— Did he not know before?? Lol
— ??? When I was in the athlete village…
Chop.
Choi Seo-Yeon regained her sword stance.
'I have to kill him as quickly as possible.'
She had to kill him before he became any stronger.
— Kyah, now it's for real sob
— Almond needs to be killed before the walnut gets loaded lol
— Hey, Plum Sword Goddess. Can you really make plum blossoms bloom even on a nut tree? Lol
— Choi Best Seo-Yeon, thanks for being the trigger!