Martial Arts Returnee’s Game Broadcast

2.
Ha Eun-eung’s plan was to establish a martial sect, take Joo Ah-young as her first disciple, awaken her inner energy and the Martial Arts Chronicle status window, and pass on her martial arts.

While the ambition deeply moved Joo Ah-young, Han Chae-rin dismissed it as impractical.
“You can’t just create a guild because you want to. Guild establishment requires five C-Class Awakeners and a deposit with the association.”
And that wasn’t the only requirement. Administrative tasks like managing Gate or dungeon runs, completing association missions, handling paperwork, and communicating with related departments would all require support staff.

Additionally, they’d need porters to collect mana stones and loot, and salespeople to secure official trading partners instead of relying on the association, which often undercuts prices.
“To run a functional guild, you’d need at least twenty non-Awakener employees. How are you going to pay all their salaries?”
“......!”
“Sure, you could set up a guild office in a remote area outside Seoul for cheaper rent, but with no amenities, it’d be hard to attract employees even if you had the money.”
The advice coming from the CEO of a renowned talent agency was grounded in hard facts.

“Of course, if you worked under me, all of this would be solved. I’d give you money and fame. Gathering people and spending some money would be a piece of cake.”
Faced with Han Chae-rin’s confident reasoning, Joo Ah-young began to feel small.
She had already thought Han Chae-rin was an incredible person, but now she truly understood the extent of her capabilities. Compared to her, Joo Ah-young wondered if she was just a burden holding her Unni back.

Unable to hide her insecurities, she spoke up:
“Unni, if you’re hesitating because of me, it’s okay. I don’t want to hold you back. I’d rather not be a hindrance.”
While Joo Ah-young’s confession was heartfelt, Ha Eun-eung simply tilted her head in confusion.

[Five people? We already have almost everyone we need.]
“What? Who?”
Her question was soon answered.
“Is that why you called us here?”
“I’m all for it! I’ll gladly help Ha Eun-eung with anything she needs.”

Woo Ji-woo and So Kyung-seok, two C-Class Awakeners from the association who had been indebted to Ha Eun-eung, were now standing before them.
“Unni… what about the other three?”
[The two of us also awakened as C-Class, so that makes two more spots filled.]
“Oh, right. I forgot about that. So who’s the last one?”
[I figured we could hold an open recruitment.]
“Do you think Awakeners will show up just because we post a recruitment notice? I’ve heard they’re incredibly proud and picky.”
While Joo Ah-young was doubtful, Ha Eun-eung seemed confident.

In Murim, even with nothing but her own charm, she had a talent for recruiting people. Contrary to the common belief that her inability to speak made her socially awkward, she was remarkably skilled at gathering and persuading others.
“If you hit a snag along the way, feel free to reach out. And remember, my offer remains open anytime.”
Leaving the door open for future contact, Han Chae-rin withdrew. She didn’t see the need to rush.
“When they actually try to create a guild, they’ll inevitably hit roadblocks.”

There was plenty of time to step in and lend a hand when Ha Eun-eung eventually sought help. To her, Ha Eun-eung was already as good as caught.
However, none of the three realized one crucial detail:
While Ha Eun-eung herself might lack public recognition, the Silent Sword Master was already well-known.

3.
Whenever the Silent Sword Master disappeared, her viewers took it as par for the course and patiently waited.
In her absence, they flocked to a game called Chase the Silent Sword Master by Eom Gil-dong, showering him with donations and eagerly awaiting new updates.

“Hey, everyone! Thanks for waiting! Chase the Silent Sword Master Version 2.0 is finally here!”
With a major new map update, Version 2.0 introduced three major content additions:
Yokai Training
[Ticket Hunt in Yokai City]
[Demon General Endless Charge Parry Challenge]
[Sensory Link Survival Battle]
 

The game now featured mission-based play, requiring players to hunt down ticket teams scattered across the map. There was also a continuous parry mode, where players had to block the Demon General’s relentless knockback charges.
For the first time, the game also included a multiplayer feature, allowing for both solo and 100+ player records in the new sensory-linked survival mode.
“Is this content for real? God-tier update.”
“Whoa, multiplayer mode!”
“LOL, I can’t resist Sensory Link Survival.”
“Bring it on! Competitive mode, here we go ^^.”
“This seems like it’s just about persistence, not skill.”
“Persistence? Who even are you? LOL.”
“Clearly someone who’s never experienced a sensory link.”
“Bet this person gets knocked out in 10 seconds flat.”
“Agreed.”
 

Following its contract with the association, Chase the Silent Sword Master 2.0 propelled Eom Gil-dong and the game to unprecedented success, far surpassing the popularity of Version 1.0.
“Wait, 12,000 average viewers? Is this for real? Did Chase the Silent Sword Master just become a mega-corporation-tier stream?”
In streaming culture, channels with fewer than 100 viewers were considered “shacks,” while those under 1,000 were “small businesses.” Channels with up to 10,000 viewers were “mid-sized companies,” and anything beyond that was deemed “corporations.”

Eom Gil-dong had broken out of his long-standing mid-tier status, now rising to corporate-level fame.
“If I ever meet this person in real life, I’m bowing down immediately.”
They had practically secured his livelihood. At this point, they were more divine than ancestors.

“Man, now that the player pool’s grown, I can’t rank anymore. Too many crazy streamers grinding Chase the Silent Sword Master all day!”
With nearly a hundred streamers naming themselves the “Swordmaster Squad” in tribute to her, the Version 2.0 update created a craze that eclipsed the original game’s success.
“And so, Eom Gil-dong becomes a has-been.”
“But he’s still a Season 1 Hall of Fame runner-up!”
“Sent a 10,000 won donation as honorary recognition.”
“Does this phrase even make sense here?”
“Idk. LOL.”
 

“These bastards always ‘donate’ through chat instead of actual money. So freaking toxic.”
“LOL.”
“But doesn’t it feel like a win since you’re happier now?”
“If you’re mad, just refund it. LOL.”
 
“Refund what? They didn’t give me anything! This is extortion! Organized bullying!”

As Eom Gil-dong playfully bantered with his viewers, he began catching up on the backlog of video donations he had blocked during gameplay.
“Wait. What’s this?”

"Captured a recruitment notice from the Silent Sword Master (Video Attached)."

At first, it seemed like a joke.
The Silent Sword Master, the hottest rising star in V-tubing, was constantly the subject of attention-seeking antics from trolls.
It wasn’t surprising that her name was being dragged into this.
But this time, the content seemed oddly genuine, so Eom Gil-dong played the video.
To his shock, it was a real recruitment notice.
“What the hell is this? Is it real?”

"Checked the link. It’s legit."
"Why is this actually real??"
"What’s the Silent Sword Master even doing with Awakeners?!"
"Collab stream? No way, a collab?!"
"Damn, the criteria’s so high. Only C-Class allowed."
"C-Class only? What about B-Class or A-Class?"
"Idk."
"It explicitly says only C-Class allowed."
 
For the first time outside her streams, this was an official activity from the Silent Sword Master.
The recruitment notice, officially posted under her ID, had been up for just 15 minutes but already had over 100 comments.
“No way I can resist this. Signing up on impulse.”

Eom Gil-dong:
"Hello, I’m Eom Gil-dong, an all-around streamer who’s C-Class at heart. I’ve been dying to meet the Silent Sword Master. I’ve even prepared a contract and funds to send over—please check your email! Your contract fee and royalties are just gathering dust."
"LMAO."
"She still hasn’t read your email?"
"You’re literally offering her money and a contract on a silver platter. Why won’t she take it?!"
"Maybe she doesn’t check comments either?"
"Then why even post in the community?!"
"Nobody knows why."
"She posted the recruitment but didn’t say she’d select anyone."
"She uploaded the post but didn’t say she’d read the comments."
"She’s not accepting the money, but she hasn’t said she won’t sue."
 
“Stop joking about lawsuits! You’re scaring me!”

"LOL."
"Who told you to blindly sign contracts and accept advance payments?"
"At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the association and the Silent Sword Master teamed up to assassinate Eom Gil-dong."
 
With an average viewership of 12,000, the recruitment notice featured on Eom Gil-dong’s stream quickly gained immense traction, attracting an endless stream of comments.
Most were fans of the Silent Sword Master leaving spam or trolls signing up thoughtlessly, but sheer numbers eventually brought in real C-Class Awakeners.
"Actual C-Class applicants (89 so far)."
"The Changwon Guild already has three C-Class Awakeners applying."
"Changwon Guild’s screwed, LOL. They spent so much to scout these people, only for them to slack off watching streams."
"Screw scouting. You can’t resist the Silent Sword Master."
"C-Class rookie ‘Snake Eyes’ Lee So-hye even applied! Crazy."
 

The question on everyone’s mind: Who would make the cut?
How many positions were there?
What would the selected candidates be doing?
The recruitment notice, left open for five days, only drew more applicants, and the comments section kept growing.
Naturally, there was still no response from the Silent Sword Master to Eom Gil-dong’s heartfelt comment.

4.
The idea to post a recruitment notice had come from Joo Ah-young.
“Unni, you’re super popular in the game, right? Why not try putting out a recruitment notice?”
“?”
“Oh, you don’t know how? That’s right—you said you were training in the mountains until this year.”

Recalling Ha Eun-eung’s excuse that her lack of modern knowledge was due to secluded mountain training, Joo Ah-young, satisfied with her own reasoning, confidently reached out her hand.
“Let me borrow your screen phone for a bit. I’ll write up the recruitment notice for you.”
Of course, her offer wasn’t entirely selfless.
It was also a chance to check out her Unni’s V-tubing broadcasts and content, satisfying her curiosity.

“I’ve been too busy training to become an Awakener to watch any streams until now.”
She wanted to learn more about her Unni, even if just a little.
But this courageous act led to an unexpected revelation.

“Unni, why are there no videos?”
“?”
“You don’t upload any? What about an editor?”
“?”
“No editor either? So you only stream?”
“?”
“Not even that? Oh, you do, just occasionally.”
Joo Ah-young, who had unintentionally discovered the rare “hook collector” side of the Silent Sword Master, masked her slight disappointment and proceeded to post the recruitment notice.
In some ways, it wasn’t entirely bad.
Since there were no videos uploaded, it meant there wasn’t a side of her Unni she didn’t know.
It eliminated any reason to feel left out.

“So, how many people are you planning to recruit, Unni?”
[One person is enough.]
“But, Unni, tons of people are pouring in…?”
The comments, pouring in almost scarily fast, even included suspicious posts asking for account details under the guise of contract negotiations.
“Is this really okay, Unni…?”
[Don’t worry. When too many people gather, there’s a way to handle it.]

It wasn’t as if such situations didn’t occur in Murim.
When she had worked to rebuild the Hae-nam Sect to repay her debts and clear her grudges, a massive crowd had flocked under her leadership.
She already had experience as the founder and sect leader of the newly established Hae-nam Sect.
[Eom Gil-dong has been blocked.]
[Eom Gil-dong has been reported.]
Reason for report: Unsolicited commercial content or spam.

Suspicious comments asking for account details were promptly blocked.
[Let’s hold a tournament in a month.]
“What? A tournament?”
[Isn’t it common sense to decide through a martial arts tournament when too many people gather?]
Following her common sense (which wasn’t actually common sense), Ha Eun-eung planned to hold a month-long open recruitment and then decide the winner through a tournament.

“This doesn’t seem right...”
[Trust me. It’s the best way.]
“Well, if Unni says so, then it must be!”
Little did they know, once the truth was revealed, not only would the applicants but even the viewers be in for an exasperating event.