Chapter 98
CHAPTER 98
Chapter 98
"I'm telling you, the Demonic Cult ties down the Orthodox Faction while Sapa deliberately widens the territorial gap!"
Bangju was currently spectating the game in the background while explaining the overall strategic situation.
His excitement was obvious.
How long had it been since a battlefield produced such a clear strategic picture?
Normally, battlefield content was all about reading each other's intentions, betrayals, and rapidly changing situations that required constant judgment calls.
But this battlefield was different.
The Orthodox Faction had moved secretly, but the Demonic Cult and Sapa had each built the battlefield around a single grand strategy.
And that strategy had unfolded exactly as planned.
Now the two sides were clashing in pursuit of their respective goals.
There was no way it could be boring.
"Their plan was to widen the territorial gap so much that no matter how the fight between the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction ended, Sapa's lead would remain untouched! That was Sapa's grand strategy!"
The Demonic Cult simply pushed forward.
There were countless detailed preparations hidden within that advance, and Bangju had already explained those earlier.
Now he was talking about Sapa.
"So even if the Orthodox Faction succeeded tonight, the Demonic Cult would still have an opportunity left. Look at how Sapa kept leaving those eastern territories untouched."
Bangju pointed at a section of the map and drew a line with his finger.
The route from the Demonic Cult to Sapa's headquarters.
-Why there?
-Sapa! What exactly have you been doing?!
Why would they intentionally leave that area untouched?
The viewers were curious, and Bangju continued his detailed explanation.
"For example, let's say the Demonic Cult eliminated the Orthodox Faction and then turned its attention toward Sapa."
His voice quickened.
"If they needed to capture four territories, including the headquarters, to eliminate Sapa, and there were only three days left on the battlefield, then the Demonic Cult would have no way to do it. Right?"
-That's true.
-If that were the case, the Demonic Cult wouldn't have attacked in the first place.
"Exactly. They wouldn't have attacked in the first place."
If such a situation were likely, they would have chosen a completely different strategy from the start.
-And?
Sapa knew that too.
"That's why the fact that there are only three regions between the Demonic Cult and Sapa's headquarters isn't a coincidence! Sapa intentionally left them there!"
If the Demonic Cult had needed to capture five regions to reach Sapa's headquarters—
Then with only five days remaining, they never would have attacked the Orthodox Faction today.
If Sapa had expanded that route and made it six regions long while the Demonic Cult was busy attacking the Orthodox Faction, then even if the Demonic Cult defeated the Orthodox Faction, they still wouldn't have enough time to win.
"Then why leave only three?"
"Because Sapa believed the Orthodox Faction would definitely survive at least today and wanted the fight between the Demonic Cult and the Orthodox Faction to continue into tomorrow."
If there had been four regions instead, the Demonic Cult wouldn't fight tomorrow.
As each day passed, Sapa's territory would continue to grow, while the number of days available for the Demonic Cult and Orthodox Faction to settle things would decrease.
And after a certain point, even a complete victory by one side wouldn't be enough to overturn the standings.
"If the Orthodox Faction can hold out for this long, then Sapa's victory becomes guaranteed! So they built their strategy around the assumption that the Orthodox Faction would survive at least this long!"
The Demonic Cult and Sapa had essentially taken each other's objectives hostage.
Instead of pursuing certainty, they deliberately increased uncertainty and dragged each other onto the same game board.
"They cooperated to create this battlefield. But at the final moment, their judgments diverged, and now we're seeing the outcome."
Which side would prove correct?
-Sapa idiots.
-Do you really think the Orthodox Faction is going to collapse? You Demonic Cult morons.
-Honestly, I think they will.
-Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
-Let's bet on it, you Demonic Cult bastards! I just finished brewing some alcohol today.
"But honestly, if I were Sapa, I'd be getting nervous."
-Be objective!
-Isn't Bangju from the Orthodox Faction anyway? Why would he like Sapa or the Demonic Cult?
-Bangju is secretly Demonic Cult.
-He even did a broadcast praising Cheonma before lol. He's definitely one of them.
Bangju smiled meaningfully.
Could Sapa really afford to be this confident?
"Oh, and Seo Jun's final game just ended. The result is victory! Can anyone stop Cheonma, the final boss of the Orthodox Faction? And—oh! Sapa has made its decision!"
A red marker appeared on the route leading toward Sapa's headquarters—the route he had been discussing earlier.
Sapa had launched an attack.
The reason was obvious.
-LOL Sapa finally got nervous.
-If they were going to do this, they should've left four regions instead of three.
"Now, if the Orthodox Faction succeeds in defending, the Demonic Cult won't be able to attack them tomorrow because of time constraints."
In the end, Sapa had decided that the Demonic Cult was likely to succeed today and adjusted its strategy.
"So from the Orthodox Faction's perspective, Sapa has abandoned them. If they can just survive today, that's all that matters!"
Would they witness a grand alliance between Sapa and the Demonic Cult?
Or would the battlefield descend back into chaos?
They would learn the answer tomorrow.
Looking at the disabled map, Seo Jun spoke.
It had become ten o'clock, and the content had concluded.
"It's over. Sapa ended up expanding the route even further. Looks like there's still about a day left."
To Seo Jun and his viewers, who naturally believed the Demonic Cult would win, Sapa's choice wasn't particularly surprising.
-True.
-Yeah lol. Even with one day left, it's obvious.
-If they're going to lose anyway, why not just die faster instead of wasting time expanding routes lol.
-Sapa. Scared?
The results weren't out yet.
No one would know until everything was revealed.
The rankers favored the Demonic Cult.
They seemed to have more victories as well.
But the Orthodox Faction still had more ordinary players.
And Seo Jun knew that nothing was certain.
Still, if you believed you would win, your chances felt higher.
And honestly—
The atmosphere within the Orthodox Faction was already halfway to defeat.
"Oh, and is it true that MurimManiacForTenThousandYears deliberately played on the Orthodox Faction side earlier?"
-Yeah.
-The Southern Barbarians are insane.
-The amount of trolls in For the Law is ridiculous.
-The Demonic Cult's Balso, the Orthodox Faction's Heavenly Killing Star, and Sapa's Mudultta. My heart is pounding.
Seo Jun laughed along.
He probably knew exactly what he was doing.
Viewed positively, it was loyalty.
Viewed negatively, it was trolling.
He had played the game purely because he wanted the Orthodox Faction eliminated.
But—
Was MurimManiacForTenThousandYears the only one?
Were there really no Sapa players participating in similar actions?
That, too, would only be known once everything was revealed.
Regardless—
That wasn't what mattered.
Even without Sapa's help, Seo Jun believed they would have won the one-on-one confrontation.
Because he believed they would.
That was all.
"Yup!"
The viewers kept using that phrase, so Seo Jun tried saying it once himself.
"See you tomorrow!"
With that, Seo Jun ended the broadcast.
The next day.
"Do you think we really made the right choice?"
At his companion's question, Mumyung nodded.
"How do you know?"
"Instinct."
Every instinct he possessed was telling him the same thing.
The enemy—the Demonic Cult—had gained momentum.
From the martial arts tournament onward, streamer Jin Seo Jun had won, and won again, and won again, dominating For the Law.
There had always been overwhelmingly talented irregulars.
Most of them eventually moved on to the professional scene known as the Heavenly League and competed there.
But the irregular that appeared this time felt different.
A whole level above even them.
The kind of mistakes any human would normally make?
They simply didn't appear.
It was like watching a professional player remain permanently trapped in the greatest moment of peak concentration.
And he did it while casually chatting with viewers.
Or while talking to his teammates.
It seemed impossible.
Yet he actually did it, leaving nobody with grounds to argue.
'That's probably why he never loses.'
The problem was that people always overlooked how absurd a path someone like that had walked.
Since the martial arts tournament, not a single damage calculation, strategy discussion, or analysis post had gone by without mentioning Seo Jun, Cheonma, or Balso.
Even after broadcasts ended.
Even when people tried to shift attention elsewhere.
Eventually the interest would fade.
But Mumyung couldn't help wondering whether that interest had already grown too large.
Yesterday, a Shorts video had been uploaded to a streamer's channel.
[After seeing 14,000,605 futures, Cheonma finds the one path where the Demonic Cult wins!]
The clip was edited together with the statement Seo Jun made at the start of the battlefield and a summary of the battlefield situation.
-What is For the Law even doing right now???
-I used to be Demonic Cult a long time ago.
-We're about to win! Come back quickly!
-Should I try playing too? Is the faction really that strong?
-The opportunity is definitely there. Join tomorrow. Just watch streamer Seo Jun.
-Cheonma found the one path where the Demonic Cult could win!
Most of them were either new players or people who barely played.
More players was always a benefit.
There was no downside.
And the benefits would start showing now.
"Wow. They've even mobilized editors to attract players."
Yesterday Bangju had practically been promoting the game too.
The more he thought about it—
That guy really played dirty.
Day 17
Public interest reached its peak.
The battlefield's structure had been revealed.
Everyone learned when Sapa and the Demonic Cult had started using each other.
The Demonic Cult and Orthodox Faction had clashed.
And Sapa had openly shown itself reversing its own strategy at the last moment.
There was no way that wasn't entertaining.
Most importantly—
At the center of all of it stood streamer Cheonma, otherwise known as Seo Jun.
From the Demonic Cult's perspective, he was a streamer they couldn't help but love.
[The fact that all of this became possible because of a single person is insane lol.]
First of all, the Demonic Cult only became strong enough to fight because of Cheonma.
Then the strategy of coordinating with Sapa also came from Cheonma. (Ask the guild leader if you want details.)
Every strategy came from Cheonma, and every strategy worked because Cheonma existed.
He is the Demonic Cult.
-A player with good mechanics can exist in any faction. But a leader capable of leading a faction to victory? Only Lord Cheonma.
-Wait, another faction has someone with Cheonma-level mechanics? Seriously?
-I'm Orthodox Faction. lol. No they don't.
-I'm from ~~ faction and I agree with Cheonma.
-And that's why you lost four times in a row?
-Does your faction even have someone with Cheonma-tier mechanics?
-You haven't won yet. Why are you acting so cocky?
The other factions responded.
[Cheonma is ridiculously skilled. But the way they're acting like they've already won is annoying.]
[Give it ten minutes and we'll find out the Demonic Cult was just overhyped.]
[Honestly, the Orthodox Faction has more players.]
[Don't underestimate the strength of a prestigious faction.]
[We'll crush both of them!]
[We'll prove Sapa made the wrong choice.]
People insulted factions all the time.
But very few insulted Cheonma himself.
Only a tiny minority.
Considering how much Seo Jun liked provoking people, that reaction was actually surprising.
[One minute left until the reveal!]
It became 7 PM.
The battlefield map appeared.
Across countless regions, red, blue, and green miniature soldiers emerged from the ground and fought.
Yet everyone's attention was fixed on a single place.
In Hebei, a red soldier and a blue soldier began fighting.
Their swords clashed.
Each inflicted a wound upon the other.
The moment that would determine the future.
[You Demonic Cult idiots lol. Let's just make peace now and focus on Sapa together.]
[Orthodox Faction getting scared? Why are you already making excuses?]
And finally—
The side that collapsed was—
17:01
[Seriously?]
[Holy shit!!!!]
[......]
[It's actually happening...]
[LOL]
[...No way.]
The blue soldier's head was severed.
And Hebei turned red.
At the same time, the few remaining blue territories scattered across the map lost their color and turned gray.
With five days still remaining,
the Orthodox Faction, having lost its headquarters, was finally eliminated from the battlefield.