NOVEL WEB Chapter 707
[b]Live) Shaolin Temple – Demonstration of the Seventy-Two Martial Arts[/b]
[35,692,905 viewers watching]
A masterwork cultivated by monks who dedicated their entire lives to training over 40 generations.
The moment has arrived to unveil the Seventy-Two Martial Arts of the Millennium Shaolin to the world.
Like a long-lost Beethoven manuscript being discovered, or a hidden Van Gogh painting surfacing.
Experts were excited in their own way, and the public had their own excitement to carry.
Dun dun dun dun—
The sound of the temple drum created a languid atmosphere.
“Time is dragging on. Huah—”
– Hahahaha
– Just tell it like it is! Neme Cola!
– Honestly, all of this is just recycled material, not that impressive.
– Deviant Name
Well, to put it positively, it’s a secret that’s been kept for a millennium.
– Shaolin would be doomed if they showed it, just as they’d be doomed if they didn’t.
– Honestly, it doesn’t seem that great, right?
– They’re publicly unveiling their secret techniques to the world, hahahaha.
– Let’s go to the abyss show~
To speak negatively, it’s nothing more than a cultural heritage and nothing less.
[NoName]
[Just Chatting – Following the 8×9 Martial Arts]
[Broadcasting Time – 0:46:20]
[Number of Viewers – 295,204]
Since it’s a big event, I quickly turned on the broadcast and gathered viewers.
“Uuuh. Wake me up when it starts…”
I rested my head on the desk and dozed off for a bit.
[‘Gamma050’ donated 10,000 won!]
– It started!
“Uuuh, please don’t lie… I’m tired…”
How much time has passed, I wondered.
Ding ding ding ding—
“Eek!”
I jolted awake at the ear-splitting gong sound.
– Aha haha
– Eek!
– There really is a lot going on, LOL.
– Jump scare!
Rubbing my eyes, I realized the morning prayers were still going on.
Forget about getting more sleep.
“What were we talking about earlier?”
After Monk Yeondam’s revelations, fragmented Shaolin techniques began to be pieced together worldwide.
Some brought historians, while others used AI.
But even if it’s the same technique, the way it’s executed can differ vastly.
I mentioned that the techniques I showcased at the Heavenly Demon Tournament didn’t perfectly match.
[‘WinnerNori’ donated 20,000 won!]
– What’s the criterion for naming techniques?
“Oh, a viewer just asked a good question! What’s the criterion for naming a technique? Honestly, there’s no set standard. We just give names to certain actions for convenience.”
I jumped off the chair.
Dragging the soundproof carpet to the center, I stood on it.
“If you’ve played chess, you know there are various names for openings. For instance, Sicilian Classical, Sicilian Najdorf, and Sicilian Dragon, etc. This is how we name our aura techniques.”
I tossed a pillow into the air.
Before it hit the ground, I kicked it with a low kick.
Thud—
The white pillow spun in place and fell to the ground.
– Name Kick!
– That seems a bit too low; isn’t it a calf kick?
– Floor kick, haha!
– Edelweiss kick, LOL!
– I’m burning the pillow, help! T_T
“Now, pay attention. Let’s see how it changes when using aura.”
It looked like the exact same low kick.
However, I infused aura into my ankle this time.
Bang—!
The stuffing inside the pillow swirled and burst out.
“Did you all see the vortex just now? It came out beautifully! With localized whirlpools being created, the destructive power increases. That was a technique famously known as Joan of Arc Kick.”
– Wah wah wah!
– The pillow is rebelling!
– Aura technique is wah wah wah, taking notes…
– 20k donation, such a deal, haha!
– Donations are all about timing.
I gathered the stuffing off the floor and hugged it close.
– Such a mess!
– Our Na-me bursts pillows when bored!
– What a disaster at home, LOL!
Suddenly, an amusing thought struck me.
I clumped up the stuffing to form a beard shape and stuck it on my chin.
“Hmmm. Tsk tsk tsk! You seem to completely misunderstand the harmony of yin and yang. Dig deeper. It’s about survival!”
I did an impression of Koizumi Yoshihiro.
– ??????
– Hahahaha
– What the heck, LOL!
– Tsk tsk.
– Tsk tsk tsk.
– Negativity Man is hilarious! Haha!
Getting into the atmosphere, I didn’t want to end here.
I added a white beard on my upper lip and draped an outfit that made me look like a sage.
[‘AltOn’ donated 10,000 won!]
– What exactly is the harmony of yin and yang? Na-mezumi?
“Uuh?”
If you ask me out of nowhere, I wouldn’t know how to respond.
“Uh, meat from cows and meat from lamb…?”
– ?
– ???
– ?
– ??????
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WDZPSUtBTW0zbU51Q1RWWTNUUnNtMEV5S1JnM3pia3F2QnpMOFU3aW54dw
– ???
– Haha!
– Cow meat really, LOL!
– Cows and lambs are absolutely right!
– LOL!
“I’m sorry. I skipped both breakfast and lunch, so I’m a bit hungry and just talking nonsense.”
I suddenly sobered up and quietly set the stuffing down.
Bam bam bam!
The demonstration of the Seventy-Two Martial Arts began.
Shaolin provided explanations in 12 languages.
Naturally, no elder could fluently handle all 72 techniques, so each split their part for coverage.
If Monk 1 performed moves 1 to 9, Monk 2 would cover from 9 to 18 to show continuity.
[Seventy-Two Martial Arts One: Iron Mountain Palm]
“Wow. Monk Yeondam is kicking things off. Pay attention to how one technique connects to another; it will be more interesting.”
I scooted my chair forward.
As Yeondam struck the ground with his palm, aura spread in concentric circles.
The monks playing the opponent role flew back.
Yet, there was only one path where the wave of aura could not pass.
Into that space ran the monks dressed in black robes.
[Seventy-Two Martial Arts Two: Arahan Spirit Fist]
Monk Yeondam’s entire body was enveloped in aura.
“Whoa…!”
A dazzling golden aura shot up like a thick pillar.
‘This is definitely different.’
– The visual effect is insane, LOL!
– Why are their martial techniques so flashy?
– Is this Shaolin martial arts…? Whoa!
– Do you think Buddha Punch looks weak?
– Wow, LOL!
– This isn’t paradise, what is!
“That’s right. Buddhism was never meant to be simple and plain.”
Constructing the Maitreya Buddha statue in pure gold, and building grand temples was how Buddhism functioned.
The peak of luxury and indulgence.
How else would they abolish the extravagant Eight-View Gatherings when enforcing the suppression of Buddhism in Joseon?
Shaolin most likely thrived on the grandeur of the Seventy-Two Martial Arts.
‘But they couldn’t openly showcase it due to the societal atmosphere that values moderation.’
Thus, their desire and craving for extravagance were gradually pushed to the corners.
Like the great artists who painted nudes in dim personal ateliers.
[Seventy-Two Martial Arts Nine: Tathāgata Divine Palm]
The desires suppressed for a thousand years birthed exceedingly flashy martial techniques.
That is the essence of Shaolin martial arts.
Although, we need to delve deeper into its practicality later on.
“It doesn’t seem like Shaolin will collapse anytime soon.”
* * *
The reactions from experts and the public after revealing the Seventy-Two Martial Arts were entirely contrasting.
The general consensus was that the death techniques that Shaolin had tightly concealed were rather unimpressive.
While the connection between techniques ensured destructive power, the downside was poor efficiency.
However, that only applied to the fighters at the Magic Duel or Military Sorcerers.
Since they would not be fighting on the battlefield, why would efficiency matter so much?
If it’s really bad, they could just implement it in a virtual reality play where mana is infinite.
So currently…
Tsch tsch tsch—
I was sipping orange juice through a long straw instead of Red Bull while engrossed in coding.
“Bald guy? Muscular? No, that’s not how I envision a monk.”
Each technique was so appealing; perfect for creating game characters.
– Tanker? Dealer?
– Still, monks are more tankers, right?
– Why would a healer be a tanker?
– I think if you scale down the Tathāgata Divine Palm a bit, it would be a great skill.
– Let’s be honest and include the Iron Mountain Palm!
– Let’s go hunt some mob monsters, GOAT! Haha!
This is what you call remote work.
While broadcasting, I began conceptualizing a new playable character for World of Arseria.
After dealing with Janjeol’s work lately, it felt refreshing to dive back into game development.
“How about trying this for a 5-hit combo? Start with the fist, then elbow, knee, foot, and finally a special attack.”
– Oh, that feels good!
– Wow!
– There’s just too little emphasis on punches, right? A 3/1/1 structure would suffice!
– No, no. This is awesome!
– Don’t spoil the game while streaming, LOL!
– Boss! This guy is streaming while working!
– ???: I’m the boss, right?
– Which game company showcases real-time development like this, LOL?
As I demonstrated, the viewers continuously shared their opinions.
Where else can gamers get close to the opinions of developers like this?
‘Sure, they’re a bit pushy with their suggestions… but I can filter that out myself.’
After roughly crafting the basic attack motion for about 30 minutes, I passed it on to the development department.
It felt around 7.5% off, but at least it was at an acceptable level.
“But is there a rule that only monks use Buddhist martial arts? Hmm…”
– Monks will use it, so who else would use it, LOL?
– Here comes the Neme voice!
– They’re gathering viewers again, LOL!
– Are you planning to create an alien or something?
Recently, Wearsoft’s competitor couldn’t get over a 30-year-old event and ended up with the worst failure in gaming history.
I’ve heard they blew up a development budget of 450 billion won.
‘It’s not the time to pop champagne. Our Wearsoft could also end up like that anytime.’
I believe the virtue of a CEO is to never rest on their laurels and to always live with a sense of unrest.
I need to act to resolve the anxiety about the future, so the company can develop alongside it.
While pondering the draft…
‘Come to think of it, Lu Chekanya was popular in this DLC.’
A small character with cute shoulder-length hair in white and pink colors.
She appeared as an intermediate boss—the Inquisition Officer, so World of Arseria gamers were slightly disappointed.
The most unique charm arises when powerful force comes from a small stature.
Lu Chekanya, along with her male version and two others, were infused with techniques.
Then, cute little boys and girls with a mysterious and sensual aura were born.
I tried executing them showing the destructive Shaolin martial arts.
“How’s this? Does it feel like something?”
– Isn’t this Lu Chekanya?
– Noooo, hahaha!
– Na-me, what are you trying to do with the shotacon?
– Aren’t you worried about getting sued by Shaolin?
– She just looks like a succubus, haha!
– ???: Let me die, damn it~
– I don’t know if it feels like something, but definitely got the vibe.
– Isn’t this a slight insult to Shaolin…?
– I’m getting dizzy, LOL!
The viewers went wild.
Indeed, game characters need to look cute first and foremost!