Chapter 20: Chapter 19

[General Chat] What kind of alchemist is this, lol?

(Clip video)

(Clip video)

She’s just beating everyone up with her fists, lol.

[Comments]

Alchemy (Physical)

This is the first time I’ve seen an alchemist tutorial that’s this unhelpful, lol.

She’s terrifying…

The way she’s smiling while beating people up is strangely arousing…

ㄴ Someone who knows their stuff.

ㄴ She’d probably climb on top and squeeze you dry at night.

ㄴ innuendo

On the large monitor screen, I was walking.

More precisely, it was me playing as the alchemist.

As I moved, I was diligently working with my hands. Soon, a white bomb materialized in my hands, which I stored in my .

It was the alchemist’s main skill, .

is a skill that allows you to create a bomb of one of three attributes: ‘Sun Attribute Bomb,’ ‘Moon Attribute Bomb,’ or ‘Fire Attribute Bomb.’

The effect varies depending on the attribute of the bomb. Sun Attribute has a flash effect, Moon Attribute has a freezing effect, and Fire Attribute deals powerful damage with a knockback effect.

The same applies to the alchemist’s other skill, .

In other words, the alchemist is a character with three different effects for a single skill, allowing for a wide range of strategic options.

So, compared to other characters, it’s like having four extra skills, giving the alchemist an advantage in creating various situations.

Step

Step

A nimble man stood in front of me as I crafted bombs.

A scar in the shape of an X marked his cheek. He held a sword in his left hand and a blade made purely of light in his right. His armor was light, just leather, emphasizing speed above all.

He was a dual-wielding swordsman, one of the popular characters in Labyrinth.

“The dual swordsman’s strength lies in using dual blades for continuous attacks—a classic combo character.”

In reality, dual-wielding isn’t as flashy as it seems. It often results in clumsy swordplay since the two swords can easily interfere with each other.

But Labyrinth’s dual swordsman is different. The ‘Light Blade’ in his right hand is a weapon that only cuts through enemies.

When swung at allies, it passes through without harming them. The same goes for walls and obstacles—it just passes through.

It’s a broken weapon that only inflicts damage on what the dual swordsman perceives as an enemy. Because of this, the dual swordsman in Labyrinth displays an array of stylish sword techniques.

“If you get hit by the dual swordsman even once, you’re bound to take follow-up attacks. That’s why I couldn’t afford to get hit by him.”

Dash!

As soon as the dual swordsman recognized me, he charged.

He swung his sword wide as he closed in. I backstepped to avoid his attack.

At the same time, I threw a Fire Attribute Bomb.

BOOM!!

A massive explosion engulfed the dual swordsman in flames.

But the dual swordsman, undeterred, slashed through the flames and dashed forward at an unbelievable speed.

It was the dual swordsman’s skill, .

A dash skill, survival skill, and damage-dealing skill all in one, it slashes through everything in front of him.

It was a skill infamous for cutting through everything—from projectile attacks, the shockwave of explosions, and even hazardous ground effects.

So the dual swordsman ignored the knockback effect of the explosion and closed in on me.

He swung his sword at my neck.

“And that’s when the flash bomb—or rather, the ‘Sun Attribute Bomb’—exploded.”

Flash!

Just before the dual swordsman’s blade touched my neck, a bright light burst in front of him.

“Let’s rewind the scene a bit. Here’s where I threw the Fire Attribute Bomb earlier.”

The monitor replayed the moment the Fire Attribute Bomb exploded.

As the flames erupted in front of the dual swordsman, I prepared a flash bomb and threw it upwards.

As the dual swordsman charged through the flames, the flash bomb fell with a delayed timing.

Then, just at the right moment, the flash bomb exploded, blinding him.

“The dual swordsman’s vision was obstructed by the flames. So, the Fire Attribute Bomb wasn’t just meant to draw out his dash skill—it was mainly to obscure his sight. If I just wanted to draw out his dash skill, I would’ve used a potion instead.”

While the dual swordsman was blinded by the flash bomb, I rushed forward and landed a punch to his face.

Even though I sent him flying with that blow, the dual swordsman remained standing, swinging his left-hand sword in retaliation.

But perhaps due to his impaired vision, the strike was off-target. The me on the screen responded by chopping at his wrist.

That alone made the dual swordsman lose his cherished sword.

Still, he had one sword left, and he attempted a stabbing attack, but I had already read his movements.

I grabbed his arm and hoisted it over my shoulder.

Then, I bent my legs and threw him over my back.

An over-the-shoulder throw.

Smack!

The dual swordsman’s body hit the ground with a satisfying thud. While he groaned in pain, I kicked him in the head.

Smack! Smack! After kicking him in the head a few more times, I stomped on him while pulling out bombs and potions from my inventory.

After a few more kicks, I tossed the potions around him, and finally, I pulled out all the bombs I had for the finishing blow.

BOOM!!!

The simultaneous explosion of multiple bombs created the most intense blast yet.

“The alchemist is a character that fights not with skills but with the items created through those skills. So, you shouldn’t just use the items recklessly. Once you run out of crafted items, the alchemist’s combat ability plummets, so it’s important to be mindful of making the most of each item. Got it, Anna?”

“I don’t think I can do that.”

- Yup

- How are we supposed to do that, lol?

- How do you even throw with a delayed timing??

- How do you defeat a dual swordsman with your bare hands, lol?

- Sounds easy, right?

- This is way too hard…

- This isn’t the alchemist I know…

- I thought alchemists were just supposed to throw bombs from a distance?

“Hmm.”

Anna’s reaction aside, the viewers’ response was quite different from what I had expected.

To me, the alchemist seemed like a character that needed to engage in close combat to some extent.

In this duel, I didn’t have the chance to show it, but the alchemist’s ultimate skill has an extremely short range.

So, to play the alchemist properly, you have to learn some close combat.

“If you’re using a flash bomb, you should close your eyes before it goes off. It’s risky to close both eyes, so you fight with one eye closed and then open it once the flash bomb explodes. That way, the enemy is the only one incapacitated, and you can continue fighting, giving you the upper hand, don’t you think?”

- I’m telling you, that’s not how flash bombs are used, lol.

- Neutralizing the enemy (X) Just wanting to punch them (O)

- My team’s alchemists always throw flash bombs where the allies are.

- Shouldn’t we first ask if people can even throw with delayed timing?

- Fighting with one eye closed is already hard as hell…

“Yes, it’s certainly not easy. But I believe Anna can do it.”

“Huh? Me?”

Anna looked at me like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but that didn’t matter.

After all, I was teaching Anna, not the viewers. It didn’t matter if the viewers understood or not.

“I’m not saying you should engage in close combat from the start. First, you need to learn how to place bombs in the right spots and throw them accurately.”

That was why I recommended the alchemist to Anna.

It had less emphasis on close combat compared to other characters, and even if close combat did become necessary, she could initiate the situation with a flash bomb.

“Oh, and I noticed there were some people doubting my skills earlier. If there are still any doubters, I’m willing to take you on. How about it?”

“Sensei, please stop… At this rate, we’ll end up spending the whole day watching you duel.”

Anna clung to my arm as she said this.

[General Chat] Damn, I missed the viewer participation chance.

Why did it have to end there!!!!

I wanted to duel with Rion’s cousin too!!!!!

[Comments]@@novelbin@@

Are you a masochist?

Do you enjoy getting beaten up?

ㄴ (Author) Yup.

ㄴ I respect that.

[General Chat] This is what sex is.

(First-person perspective of the dual swordsman)

It was terrifying when she kicked my head…

[Comments]

That was you? Lol.

Why are you the only one getting to have sex with Rion’s cousin?

I’m so jealous…

Can’t you see her username in the replay?

ㄴ (Author) No, the replay follows the custom settings, so it’s hidden.

ㄴ Damn it.

It’s so scary in first-person view…

You can see a bit of her panties when she stomps on him.

ㄴ (Author) Really?

ㄴ Did you really notice that, lol?

ㄴ Creeper.

It’s hilarious how the screen shakes when she kicks his head, lol.

How does it feel to get your head kicked in?

ㄴ (Author) I thought I was going to be traumatized.

ㄴ Hahaha.

What kind of alchemist fights like a thug, lol?

She really fights like a gangster, lol.

[General Chat] But Anna’s keeping up well.

You can see she’s gradually improving.

[Comments]

She’s been grinding for three hours. If she didn’t improve, she wouldn’t be human.

ㄴ (Author) Wait, seriously, it’s been three hours?

Yeah, lol. Anna’s not very motivated, but her mental fortitude is strong.

But why is Anna getting trained?

ㄴ (Author) She said she wants to get better at Labyrinth.

ㄴ Why?

ㄴ (Author) No idea.

“...”

Rion tossed her smartphone onto the bed after reading the thread on the forum.

When she exhaled all the air from her lungs, it felt like her emotions distanced themselves from her, even if just for a moment.

After pushing aside all the trivial feelings and leaving only logic, a single thought naturally slipped out.

“I really should retire.”

But there was something she needed to do first.

A conviction as a VTuber.

A destiny as a VTuber.

“Laura-nee should become a VTuber.”