Fated Encounter (1)
Who’s the strongest person on the continent? It’s one of those classic debates that pops up not just on the Continent United Gallery, but in everyday life too.
Some folks’ll say it’s the swordmasters of the Messiah Empire. Others swear by the grand archmages of the Iris Kingdom. Then you’ve got people naming the demon princess of Mephisto or the vanished Hero. Depends on where you’re from, your background, your hometown loyalties—whoever you think is the top dog changes based on that. But one thing’s for sure: they’re all powerhouses.
Who’s the strongest person on the continent?
1. Aeshy of the Messiah Empire
2. Cardir of the Iris Kingdom
3. Kairin of Mephisto
4. The Missing Hero
└Cheonma How peculiar. Why isn’t this lady on the ballot?
└Who are you?
└This lady is the rightful heir and master of the Cheonma Divine Cult, the Cheonma herself.
└So who the hell is that lol
The general public might not know it, but in the land of mystery known as “Jungwon,” there lives a monster. Jungwon’s more closed-off than most places, so info on it is scarce. But that doesn’t mean the Gallery’s blocked off.
└If that’s really the Cheonma, then yeah, fair point. She’s stupidly strong.
└How strong?
└She’d wreck anyone 1v1 lol
└Even the Jungwon experts all got crushed by the Cheonma.
└Then why no rumors? I think there was something similar on the Gallery before.
└Believe rumors and buy the stock, see what happens yeah
└Oh
└lololol
But Gallery rumors are about as reliable as a fart in the wind. Unofficial, you know? Plus, the idea of the Cheonma posting on the Gallery? Hilarious. Why would someone who made all of Jungwon’s experts kneel and unified the martial world waste time on the Gallery? And investing serious hours into it, no less. Posting crap nonstop.
└Cheonma, who do you think is the strongest on the continent?
└Cheonma Naturally, this lady.
└lololol She was gonna say herself no matter what you ask.
└Cheonma Then allow this lady to ask in reverse. What realm are they at? Have they reached the Fire Realm?
└SwordTasteStar I’m a Sword Master.
└Olfather 10th Circle mage.
└ChangguPrincess I’m a 9th Circle mage-yong!
└Cheonma And what might those be? This lady is unfamiliar with the Western tongue.
└lolololol
└Old fogey kekekeke
So users treat the Cheonma like a concept troll or some boomer. In reality, the Jungwon folks on the Gallery don’t know much about other countries’ languages or slang. The Gallery auto-translates everything. But nouns and idioms stay in their native tongues. It’s a side effect of their isolationist vibe—ironically, that’s why they make up a big chunk of users.
└If you’re really the Cheonma, do something about the emperor. They execute you for Gallery posting there.
└Cheonma To dare block this lady’s hobby? They know no fear of heaven.
After that post, rumors flew about the Jungwon emperor getting assassinated, and suddenly Gallery access loosened up. Now everyone’s at the stage of half-wondering, “Is she really the Cheonma?”
Cheonma, prove it. Face reveal and we’ll believe you yeah
└Cheonma To demand this lady reveal her noble visage? Insolent!
└What, ugly? Hag? lololol
└Cheonma When this lady ventured into the martial world, she earned the title of the world’s greatest beauty.
└BS no way
The more time passed, the more famous the Cheonma got. As a concept slave boomer. Some even said if the real Cheonma saw her, she’d explode in rage and personally execute her. And yeah, most of her posts were pure trash. Consensus was, unless you’ve got infinite time on your hands, you couldn’t churn out that much crap.
“How strange. Why does no one believe me?”
And the real Cheonma stared at the Gallery with a puzzled look. Milk-white skin like porcelain, plump lips. A stunning face and curves no black martial robes could hide. The one and only “Demon” under heaven—Yuso Wol. Today, too, the “Cheonma” was diligently Gallery-ing away.
“This lady has proven it all. Tsk tsk.”
Yuso Wol clicked her tongue. But there wasn’t a hint of annoyance on her face. If anything, she looked intrigued. And why not? The Gallery was her one and only hobby. Sure, you could ask what a figure like the Cheonma is doing on the Gallery, but hey, she’s human too. Even after toppling all of Jungwon’s experts and claiming the title of supreme under heaven, boredom doesn’t care. She was too overwhelmingly strong—no challengers even. So she holed up in the mountains for “closed-door training.”
Cheonma Fucking dogshit then updog lol what’s up dog lololol
└Updog lololol
└Gonna chase lololol
“Heh heh. These scumbags I could devour and it wouldn’t be enough. Daring to mock this lady.”
This was the appeal. Idiots spewing whatever behind anonymity. Back at the Divine Cult, most devotees couldn’t even meet her eyes. She was the supreme sovereign under heaven, after all. They were too busy worshiping. But not the Gallery. Hiding behind anonymity, they spewed the rudest crap imaginable. Sometimes it even veered into sexual harassment, but Yuso Wol let it slide with magnanimity. Strangers she’d never meet, after all.
“If only this lady could spar with a Western expert…”
But it wasn’t all perfect. The sore spot? Whenever continent-top-tier debates came up, she was always left out. Other countries mingled freely, spreading their experts’ names far and wide. Not Jungwon. Stuck in their frog-in-a-well isolationism. She’d considered heading out personally, but oddly, her devotees begged her not to.
—You mustn’t, my lord. If heaven herself descends, countless issues will arise.
—Why?
—Leave too long, and the faithful will panic. Vile martial artists will strike the gap. And more than that…
—More than that?
—Arrogant barbarians should come to us. It doesn’t make sense for the sovereign to go to them!
—Hm. True enough.
Convinced by her trusted “Demon Brain,” the Cheonma relented. But the Demon Brain thought differently. Spar with foreign experts? It’d mess everything up. Jungwon wasn’t even fully pacified yet—if she dragged in barbarians? The hard-won Cheonma Divine Cult could crumble. Pragmatic thinking.
Shit, going insane because of the bitch I serve. SmartMine This thick-skulled martial arts junkie’s about to cause another incident. Barely talked her down, or I’d have bolted.
└Hang in there gay. What’s your job anyway?
└SmartMine Secretary? Butler? In Western terms? Something like that.
└Boss must suck huh
└SmartMine Ugh… fuck, wanna defect.
└Why not?
└SmartMine Lifetime employment lol started with her parents
└lolololol
└But secretary… you really go under the desk?
└Crazy bastard lololol
└SmartMine Do that and my head explodes.
Right after, some ominous post went up on the Gallery, but the Cheonma ignored it. Business as usual. She hunkered down in the cult, made a brief appearance for the emperor thing, then back to routine days. Not the awe-inspiring “Cheonma” Yuso Wol everyone feared, but the “human” Yuso Wol trading F-bombs with randos—it was genuinely fun. Then, by chance, enlightenment hit, and she dove into closed-door training. But she slammed into an unexpected wall.
“Cough!”
Splat!
Yuso Wol hacked up a chunk of pitch-black blood. A serious amount. She wiped the blood from her lips, her face clouded with regret.
“This lady, suffering qi deviation…”
Yep. Deep in training, she’d hit qi deviation. You might say what kind of deviation does the supreme under heaven get? But it’s a trial. Like a molting insect—success or death hangs in the balance. Anyone can fall into it. Even the Cheonma.
“My internal power… it’s growing too strong.”
The Cheonma is strong. Problem is, too strong. Yuso Wol eyed her hand. Cracks spiderwebbed across it like it’d shatter any second. Her shell couldn’t contain the inner energy anymore—it was collapsing from within. To break through, she had to contain the energy or neutralize it with spirit herbs. She’d tried the former endlessly, but her internal power just kept surging, never waning.
“Heaven is heaven, earth is earth…”
Still, she kept Gallery-ing to the end. Truth be told, she was half-given-up. With power ramping up, it was just a matter of when this wretched shell burst. Terminal, basically. So in a state of no-mind, she posted on the Gallery.
Is there no one for deep conversation with this lady? Serious matter.
Cheonma Indeed.
└Cheonma death beam!!
└Ting!
“Heh heh.”
Yuso Wol chuckled. Like she was pitying some pathetic fool. Her only lifeline now the Gallery? It went beyond self-mockery to self-loathing. And the worse the deviation got, the more detached she became. She’d reached enlightenment.
“Is this how it ends…?”
One last Gallery scroll before the end. She hated dying alone and bored. At least leave something behind to the very last. Human instinct. So before her final post, she clicked the top one. By a new fixed-nick. The guy who got chewed out by the dwarf for having a head like an anvil.
Anyone know what this herb is? YasaengGrill (photo of crescent-moon-shaped grass) Don’t know what herb it is, anyone?
“!!!”
Yuso Wol’s eyes bulged at the post. The photo. It showed a herb blooming with a crescent-moon flower.
“C-Could it be…!”
Even a martial-obsessed Cheonma knew her herbs. Raised in the Cheonma Divine Cult, she’d consumed every spirit medicine out there. Learned to control them too. She was an expert.
“No doubt, New Moon Spirit Herb.”
New Moon Spirit Herb. Perfect for taming raging inner energy. More vital than any immortality grass for Yuso Wol, dying because she couldn’t control her qi.
Without hesitation, she commented. Her mind raced faster than most—she snagged first.
└Cheonma Mine!! This lady claims it first, you greedy lot!!
└Nah it’s not~
└First dibs lol whoever she likes goes first
└Boomer step aside~
“Y-You damn mongrels…!”
But first place meant nothing. Hyenas had smelled blood in seconds. Yuso Wol raged, then despaired. Competition was fierce. She’d already requested trade. No response from YasaengGrill.
“Pathetic.”
Yuso Wol let out a bitter laugh. Sinking to ugly lows till the end. But she was pissed. She wanted to die fighting, not like this wretchedly. Her inner energy surged uncontrollably, lifespan ticking down. As Yuso Wol lamented her fate and closed her eyes—
YasaengGrill has requested a trade with you. Accept?
A hand from heaven. Yuso Wol’s eyes widened. Why? Out of everyone, why her? Thoughts raced, but action was swift. She accepted.
A square window popped up front and center. Empty chat.
hi hi Cheonma, right?
A curt greeting filling the blank. Frivolous yet politely deferential. Yuso Wol coughed involuntarily and replied.
Cheonma Indeed. This lady is the sole heaven of the Cheonma Divine Cult, the Cheonma. You wish to trade with this lady?
Yeah. You commented first.
First come, first served.
Cheonma Gratitude. A rare soul who knows manners.
Phew, YasaengGrill wasn’t a total lost cause. The Cheonma sighed inwardly in relief. The Gallery was a cesspool. Anonymity let people bare their worst desires. Manners in that dump? Like a rose in the trash.
Cheonma Do you desire anything? This lady shall procure whatever she can.
Right now, training limits me. But return to the Divine Cult, and anything’s yours. Cheonma remembers favors.
Even secret manuals, gladly taught.
Fire-starting tool and compass for now. Weapon to protect yourself, simple rations. That should do.
The Cheonma blinked. That’s it? A New Moon Spirit Herb—worth a fortune, must-have for any price.
Cheonma Truly just that? As you know, it’s exceedingly rare.
Worth more than my life? I just need what I need.
Cheonma Hm… Understood. Circumstances make some hard to get now, but time will allow it.
I’ve got circumstances too, it’s urgent. Possible?
Possible.
The Cheonma turned to the cave corner. Manuals of sorted enlightenment, piles of Wall Valley Pills. Her beloved sword too. Two conditions met. No fire tool, but she had ways.
Cheonma What’s your realm? Touched the Fire Realm?
Just a regular guy tho…
“Oh dear.”
No samadhi divine fire then. Yuso Wol hurried on.
Cheonma Apologies, this lady can only fulfill two. Weapon and rations.
Hm…
Cheonma But return to the cult, and the rest too.
Yuso Wol grew urgent. Power swelled; cold sweat poured. Trade window: 3 minutes max. Miss it, no trades for a day.
ㅇㅋ Got it.
Cheonma Truly? I said I’d give, so trust that. Don’t, and I won’t later.
“Ahh…”
How polite this young man(?) was. Yuso Wol was moved. A fated benefactor in her darkest hour. Even her martial debut or unifying Jungwon paled. The world brightened. Dingy cave or not, chatting with YasaengGrill shone like the sun.
“Ah. Not the time.”
Yuso Wol hastily grabbed sword and pills. Useless post-breakthrough. Gallery veteran, she knew the drill: hold item, send.
YasaengGrill registered trade items.
Cheonma registered trade items.
Trade?
Accepted instantly. Other side too—message changed.
Trade complete.
I’m here, you?
Yuso Wol missed it. Too busy shoving the New Moon Spirit Herb in her mouth. Sorry YasaengGrill, but life hung by a thread. She circulated energy immediately. As expected, absorbing the herb’s power, her volcanic inner energy stabilized. Even she was shocked. At this rate, she’d shatter the shell and ascend.
Relief, but focus held. No wasting this chance.
“Just a bit… a bit more…”
Hummm—
Yuso Wol’s body floated mid-circulation. Ebony hair wafted like in water; faint light leaked from her. Crackle! Like a chick hatching, her shell split. She’d transcended flesh before, now again. Cracked skin sloughed off, new skin budded, bones and body reshaped ideally. Free of all demonic taint—“beyond demon.” Jungwon called it the Manifest Realm.
Swish—
Closed eyes slowly opened. No deathbed gaze. Serene as a still lake, gentle as a breeze—inky black pupils. The Cheonma, Yuso Wol, hatched anew and beheld the world.
“Hoo…”
A sigh laced with tangled emotions. She eyed her hand. Jade fingers, flawless white. Satisfaction. A smile bloomed.
“How to repay this grace…”
“Ah. Forgot thanks.”
Yuso Wol rushed to the Gallery. Time up, chat severed. Only post left. Ascended or not, human Yuso Wol endured. Nay, strengthened—by meeting a benefactor in crisis.
She had to repay. How? Lifelong grudge-taker, first-time favor-receiver. Heart pounded, smile crept unbidden. Unnoticed even by her.
YasaengGrill, behold. Cheonma You’ve bestowed a lifelong debt of grace. This lady shall procure anything you desire—speak. Manuals personally, if wished. Oh, and rest assured, your requested items will be delivered. The mighty Cheonma used “you, sir”—near-reverent.
Comments trickled, but not her benefactor’s. Yuso Wol waited endlessly. Until he replied.
Minutes passed. No YasaengGrill.
“…Why no answer?”
Yuso Wol grumbled, miffed. Mere minutes felt eternal.
“Did I delay thanks?”
Her worry deepened.
*****
Meanwhile, YasaengGrill.
“Grrraa!! Grrr!! Grroowl! Grrraa!!”
“Whoa! Shit!”
Being chased by a beast. Contrary to the Cheonma’s thoughts, no chance to check the Gallery.