Awakened individuals typically use cold weapons.
Swords. Spears. Shields. Bludgeons. Occasionally bows or crossbows. Weapons that don’t rely on gunpowder.

It’s not because gunpowder lacks romance while cold weapons overflow with it.
It’s because firearms are inefficient given the nature of awakened abilities.

Awakening is a battle of concepts.

Firearms have a weak concept of defense.
Without robust defensive techniques, they’re ill-suited for the varied situations of real combat.

Moreover, firearms inherently require consuming ammunition and reloading, concepts too deeply ingrained.
This makes them disadvantageous in prolonged battles.

If you want the range and firepower of a gun, you’re better off learning magic.
Magic allows far more flexible use of abilities.

Back to cold weapons.
Not all cold weapons are created equal.
So, which one should you use?

My master once said,

“Why don’t you use a spear instead?”

Spears are ridiculously overpowered in one-on-one combat.
Most sword techniques can’t match them.
Sure, spears lack the flair of swords and might make you feel like a grunt instead of a hero, but in practical combat, few weapons can rival a spear.

But I didn’t choose a spear.
The reason is simple.
It’s not just that my swordsmanship isn’t “ordinary.”

If only I could say that.
That’s a story for after I’d achieved greatness. The initial reason was far less profound.

My master used a sword.
And I wanted to be closer to her.
Because I was an affection-starved orphan.
I thought using the same weapon would create some kind of bond.

That’s when it began.
My path of hardship.

Swords demand a lot of skill.
To beat weapons with an inherent advantage, especially spears, you need even more skill—and even then, you might still lose.

Taking on a spear with a greatsword isn’t exactly a brilliant plan either.
Objectively, it’s just “better than nothing.”

You can match the reach, more or less.
A zweihänder is a long, heavy longsword, after all.

But spears excel at exploiting openings.
Switching between offense and defense is also much faster with a spear.

So, my strategy is to aim for one decisive blow.
Use the greatsword’s mass to knock away the spear shaft and follow up with a quick combo.

It sounds tough, but I’m different.
I’ve got experience and technique to spare.
And in terms of reaction speed and instincts, this reincarnated body has the edge.

Clang!

– What was that?
– A parry?
– Nah, just a fast downward strike.

The outcome was inevitable.
Gu Yohan, peak rank 17, was it?
That level of skill can’t beat me.

Thud.

Something hit the ground.

“Uh…?”

Not Gu Yohan’s head, despite his dazed expression.
It was the blade of his spear.

The shaft, aimed at my chest, was cleanly severed.
My downward strike, targeting the shaft from the start, landed a clean hit.
Another predictable result.

[Opponent’s weapon destroyed.]

His mistake was aiming slightly too low.
And underestimating the speed of my sword.

A satisfied smile crept onto my face.

“Ended faster than I thought.”

I raised the zweihänder high.
Perfect stance to decapitate a neutralized opponent.
One horizontal slash, and I’d secure a kill, rendering Gu Yohan’s attempt to beat me futile.

That’s when it happened.

“Wait! Hold on a sec!”

Gu Yohan threw up his hands in a stop gesture.
Wow…
This guy is unbearably cringey.

“What?”
“I’m not trying to make excuses, but what’s your main account’s tier? You’re way too good for someone new to the game.”

Now that I think about it, he kind of reminds me of my old self.
Not in looks, but in vibe.

That clueless personality, the shameless audacity.
I didn’t notice at first, but now I get it.
He’s like me when I first picked up a sword.

“…”

Those memories are all dark history.
Recalling them, my gaze naturally turned cold.

– Big sis’s eyes are freezing, ugh!
– Contempt, lolololol.
– That’s 100% pure contempt right there.

It wasn’t just the chat reacting.
The defeated Gu Yohan visibly shrank.

“Uh, I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For… being too pathetic, I guess… Just finish me off, I’ll take it.”
“Sigh…”

What do I even do with this guy?
He’s pathetic, sure, but he’s a decently established streamer.
Parting ways like this feels like a missed opportunity.

“You wanted to know my main account’s tier, right?”
“Huh? Yeah!”
“I’ll tell you when we meet in Challenger.”

Slash.

[Enemy eliminated.]

Gu Yohan collapsed, his body dissolving into blue particles, returning to the waiting area’s plains.
I looted some items, shouldered my greatsword, and moved to the next location.

Whoosh!

From a distant watchtower,
an archer who’d already set up was firing arrows.

– So bad, so bad, so bad!
– How can someone be this pathetic?
– No skill, no pride, just a loser flipping over like a dog, lol.
– Pathetic, tsk tsk.

Gu Yohan’s chat was flooded with insults.
In the middle of it, sitting on the waiting room’s grass, he tapped his head lightly.

“Yeah, go ahead and roast me. I’m washed-up. I’m a loser! Trash! Has-been!”

– At least he knows.
– Loser.
– So bad.
– How do you lose in three seconds flat?

This was his stream’s usual vibe.
A guilty pleasure stream where viewers revel in tearing down a washed-up streamer post-spear nerf.

“I’m telling you, Joo Wooyeon’s gonna hit Challenger in two weeks, I guarantee it. Her sword swings and footwork are on another level. She’s no beginner. You guys know I didn’t lose because I’m that bad.”

– She’s legit good.
– But you’re still trash.
– Washed-up loser’s excuses, how pathetic, Gu Yohan.

He couldn’t just take the abuse forever.
Gu Yohan tried to shift the topic.

“She said she’s aiming for Challenger, so I’ll prove myself with my main account.”

A declaration to return to his rank 17 main account and play seriously.
With viewers growing bored of his alt account grind,
this move was enough to dramatically shift the chat’s vibe.

– Oh!
– Now that’s good.
– Hell yeah, this is it!
– What can you do with an alt? Prove it with the main.
– If you prove it on your main, I’ll respect you.
– But you got wrecked on your alt, so is going to your main even a good idea?

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

– (Message deleted.)

Riding the new energy, he also managed to purge some toxic haters.
And thanks to a stroke of luck, he put on a solid performance on his main account.

– Damn!
– Big Yohan!
– This guy’s the god of spears, lol.
– Gotta win with a spear, for real.
– What even was Joo Wooyeon? A Challenger’s alt?
– Beating the haters and proving it on the main, I’m proud of you.

“Don’t mess around. I’m rank 14 now.”

A first-place finish in the match bumped his rank up three spots.
From 17 to 14.
Top 10 was starting to look within reach.

“One more round. I’m feeling it today.”

– Was Joo Wooyeon a luck charm or what?
– For real?
– Luck charm, lol, Yohan’s just playing well.

Just then, a video donation came in.

[Monster Rookie Streamer Joo Wooyeon Taunt Compilation]

A short fan-made clip of Joo Wooyeon’s stream moments.
Clearly not official.

In the video, Joo Wooyeon muttered at the camera.
Her red eyes gleamed coldly.
Her soft, calm voice, which seemed like it’d be full of charm, was instead used to berate opponents, amplifying the impact.

“Wow.”
“Lame.”
“Really bad.”

– Oh…
– Big sis…
– Man, this is giving me weird vibes.
– Industry award, holy crap.
– Imagine beating her, making her admit defeat, and forcing out a whimper. So hot, lol.

“Out.”

– (Message deleted.)
– Crazy dude.
– Don’t cross the line.
– That’s too much…

Gu Yohan felt a tingle in his chest.
The same feeling he got when his Piercing Branch was destroyed, and he was knocked out of the game.

Why is this happening?

The aftershock lingered longer than expected.
Feeling off and emotionally mushy, Gu Yohan made small mistakes in the next game.

“Huh?”
“Oh, I messed up.”
“Argh!”
“Aaagh!”

In the upper echelons of Challenger,
even small mistakes are fatal.

Whoosh!

A fireball from somewhere turned his vision to ash.

[You have died.]

– Ugh, there it is.
– So bad.
– Gets a bit of praise and immediately tanks his form.

The dream of cracking the top 10 didn’t last long.
Losing focus quickly, Gu Yohan plummeted back to rank 17, almost like it was a lie.