The Scammer (3)
The Demon Brain, Wi Seolak, had survived countless crises throughout his life.
The greatest among them had always been persecution at the hands of the high and mighty. To those exalted figures, a man blessed with Wi Seolak's extraordinary intellect was nothing short of a threat. A mere commoner proving far superior to the scions of proud, noble bloodlines? It was something they could never stomach. Thus, at every conceivable opportunity, they kicked away the ladder beneath him.
Yet Wi Seolak had clawed his way to the top through sheer venom and grit. He had never needed their ladders in the first place.
By that point, one might have expected them to acknowledge his worth, but Wi Seolak was tragically bereft of good fortune when it came to patrons. What awaited him instead was monstrous, suffocating oppression—and through that crucible, he harbored a lethal malice. Bearing that venom in his chest, he had entered the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, utilizing his brilliant mind to rise all the way to the seat of the Demon Brain.
"What ails thee? Dost thou perchance frequent the Gallery as well?"
"Well, that is..."
And today, Wi Seolak found himself staring down the greatest crisis of his entire life.
It was a command directly from the one who stood above all others, the sovereign who was the very sky itself: the Heavenly Demon. Wi Seolak spun the gears of his mind at frantic speed. After calculating every possible permutation, his intellect arrived at a singular conclusion.
I'm completely screwed.
He was utterly, irrevocably ruined. To think he would face the supreme crisis of his existence over something so absurdly trivial.
Being an active user of the Gallery himself, Wi Seolak grasped the current situation with total clarity: the news that an inner core sold on the auction house had allegedly turned out to be a fake. It was the scandal currently embroiling Grylls, the figure who had stirred up an absolute tempest across the forum in recent days.
Wild Grylls. She definitely summoned me to help him.
Yu Sowol had called upon him solely to lend the man aid. That much was well within his expectations. What had blindsided him completely was her command for him to log into the Gallery right in front of her.
Wi Seolak raced through his thoughts and forced his mouth open. If even a single second of silence stretched between them, Yu Sowol's suspicion would be instantly piqued.
"My Sovereign Sky. By the Gallery... do you refer to the Continental Unified Gallery?"
"Indeed."
"Since it is your sacred command, this servant shall obey. However, with my foolish mind, it is difficult to fathom the broader picture. Might you bestow upon me the reason for this order?"
Even as he stalled for precious seconds, Wi Seolak's mind churned relentlessly.
If he obeyed her command, logged into the Gallery, and posted an identity verification thread... every single slanderous post he had ever penned mocking Yu Sowol would be laid bare for all to see. To make matters infinitely worse, he had not been operating under a semi-gonic, but had registered an official fixed nick.
I only made a fixed nick out of sheer practical necessity... To think it would come back to bite me like this...
The reason Wi Seolak had maintained an official gonic account was simple: trade and the auction house. The headquarters of the Demonic Cult lay in a remote, desolate corner of the realm, making supply logistics a matter of life and death. In days past, conditions had bordered on outright neglect, and countless cultists had starved. It was only after Wi Seolak overhauled the internal administration and Yu Sowol made her grand descent into the martial world that their circumstances had improved.
I must resolve this matter without getting caught at all costs.
Back then, he had treated his forum activity as nothing more than a necessary logistical duty, giving it little thought. But who could have foreseen that Yu Sowol would casually order him to reveal his handle on the spot? Failing to anticipate that her thought process operated on an entirely different plane from ordinary people was Wi Seolak's gravest blunder.
Would the Sovereign Sky truly respect someone's personal privacy?
The Heavenly Demon, Yu Sowol, was domineering, despotic, and haughty by nature. She was a sovereign who cared nothing for the opinions of others, marching solely to the beat of her own drum. Backed by martial prowess that could level mountains, she commanded absolute terror and reverent awe from every demonic practitioner across the Central Plains.
She has to let this go. If she doesn't, I'm a dead man.
Conversely, the Cheonma on the Gallery was subtly different. While her haughty demeanor and self-centered personality remained intact, there was a clear streak of genuine humanity to her online persona. One needed look no further than the infinite stream of favors and generosity she showered upon Grylls to see it. Wi Seolak prayed desperately that she would extend a fraction of that same indulgence to him.
Otherwise, he was doomed to suffer death—both socially and physically.
"The reason, thou sayest...? Must this lady explain even that much unto thee?"
"..."
"Or is there perchance some truth upon the Gallery that thou darest not let come to light?"
"This servant does not frequent the Gallery, My Sovereign Sky."
"Thou utterest falsehoods without even moistening thy lips."
"..."
Shit, Wi Seolak cursed inwardly.
He had spoken with every ounce of composure he could muster, keeping his voice perfectly steady, but she had seen right through him. Even so, he had no choice but to lie. Only by pleading ignorance could he hope to earn Yu Sowol's leniency.
Had she been a mindless tyrant, his head would have parted from his shoulders long ago. Fortunately, she was no unhinged butcher. At the very least, she was someone capable of respecting her subordinates. Had that not been the case, she would have commanded their forces to breach the Forest of the Four Seasons by force long ago.
Hoping for understanding the moment he uttered a falsehood was a reckless gamble, but he had to seize whatever microscopic chance existed. The second he logged into the Gallery, his physical demise would be signed, sealed, and delivered. It was a wager with his life on the line.
"Very well. This lady shall feign belief in thy lie. Yet thou hadst best speak only truth hereafter."
"I shall engrave your words upon my heart."
"Good. Didst thou not inquire of the reason earlier? This lady shall impart the full tale unto thee."
Thank heavens. Truly, thank the heavens. Wi Seolak exhaled a silent breath of profound relief.
His desperate gamble had paid off, but he had by no means cleared the storm.
"This lady's benefactor currently suffers under wrongful slander. Lend me thy wisdom so that we may unravel this plight."
"All of this servant's intellect belongs to the Sovereign Sky. Please, grant your command."
"The situation is thus..."
Yu Sowol's explanation was concise, packing every essential detail into a brief summary. Wi Seolak, who had already pieced together the entirety of the incident from his own browsing, merely feigned attentive listening. His mind had already formulated dozens of hypotheses, and laying them out one by one presented no difficulty whatsoever.
"Dost thou comprehend?"
"I understand completely. To think there exists a wretch who not only doubts the Sovereign Sky's discerning eye, but dares to fabricate brazen lies... Such insolence deserves nothing less than heavenly retribution."
"..."
Yu Sowol narrowed her eyes, fixing Wi Seolak with a piercing stare. Her gaze clearly asked whether a man who had just lied to her face possessed any right to utter such righteous indignation.
Wi Seolak kept his head bowed low, unable to see her expression, yet the oppressive chill in the air told him everything. His conscience pricked so violently it felt as though daggers were stabbing through his chest, but he forced himself to ignore the sensation. If a single lie could preserve his life, it was a bargain of immense value.
"May this humble servant offer his opinion?"
"Speak."
"First, we cannot rule out the possibility that the inner core won at auction was indeed an ordinary, powerless pellet. While the core granted to this servant was undoubtedly genuine, we possess no definitive proof that the other specimen was identical."
"Hmm."
Yu Sowol nodded slowly. In truth, that very concern had been gnawing at the back of her mind. The reason she had let Wi Seolak's clumsy lie slide was because the dilemma could not be resolved through brute force alone. She had merely intended to confirm whether he knew of the Gallery before enlisting his tactical cunning. Her habit of imperious speech had caused her to command him to reveal his handle right away, a slip she herself had not even noticed.
He must harbor something he is ashamed of, she mused.
Regardless, Yu Sowol understood. The Gallery was a marvelous realm exquisitely suited for venting one's basest desires and accumulated stress. He had undoubtedly engaged in conduct far too embarrassing to ever display in the light of day. Given that almost every denizen of the Gallery behaved in such a fashion, she found it entirely forgivable.
"Then is there no remedy?"
"Since the opposition has seized upon this uncertainty, we must exploit that very same vector. It is a matter of credibility."
"If it be a matter of credibility, this lady believes her benefactor holds far greater standing."
"It cannot be treated so lightly, My Sovereign. The beings who roam the Gallery are like a pack of jackals. The instant they spot prey, they sink their teeth into it without the slightest regard for reason or consequence."
"Jackals, thou sayest..."
Yu Sowol nodded in agreement with his analogy. Whenever an entertaining scandal erupted, the forum users swarmed like rabid beasts. They cared nothing for truth or falsehood; they simply tore their targets to shreds because it amused them. Conversely, if one could firmly establish absolute credibility, that very pack of jackals could be turned into a formidable ally.
"The slanderer's objective is likely singular: to force an amicable settlement with the Sovereign Sky's benefactor."
"An amicable settlement?"
"If Grylls were to receive a permanent suspension from the system, his very survival might be jeopardized. The slanderer is counting on that fear."
"Playing petty games with a man's life, are they?"
Yu Sowol's expression darkened with undisguised displeasure. If it were within her power, she would have tracked the scoundrel's physical location and eradicated them on the spot. Yet location tracking was a supreme authority granted solely to the Main Moderator—the Juddak. She held no illusions that the Juddak would ever grant such a privilege, least of all for an incident like this.
"Dost thou possess a solution?"
"There is a simple, effortless method."
"What might that be?"
"The Sovereign Sky must personally descend upon the Gallery."
Calling it a grand descent sounded somewhat comical, but the crux of the strategy was straightforward: she needed to verify her identity on the Gallery and prove that she was the genuine Heavenly Demon. She, the fixed-nick user who had posted endless rants and currently served as a blue-tag deputy moderator, simply had to prove her real-world identity to the masses.
"Thou darest make such a recommendation after rejecting this lady's own command? Such hypocrisy knows no bounds."
"I beg your forgiveness, My Sovereign Sky."
"Speak thy true mind without a shred of deceit. Hast thou no desire to verify thine own identity?"
"I would rather hang myself from the rafters."
"Hmm."
To think he abhors the notion to such an extent. Yu Sowol nodded gently. She had no wish to lose an irreplaceable talent like Wi Seolak over such a farcical reason.
"Furthermore, even if this servant were to verify his identity, it would carry little weight. People would simply claim we colluded in advance."
"True enough."
"Would the Sovereign Sky perhaps consider..."
"I refuse."
The refusal fell from Yu Sowol's lips without an instant's hesitation—a categorical, absolute rejection. Wi Seolak felt a surge of curiosity at her unyielding stance, but dared not press the matter.
Is she embarrassed?
The possibility was substantial. After all, he was well aware of Cheonma's notorious antics on the forum. It was likely why she had treated his own lie with such unexpected mercy; empathy, after all, was the seed of understanding.
If I reveal my true identity, there is no longer any purpose in using the Gallery.
Yet Wi Seolak's assumption could not have been further from the mark. Did Yu Sowol conceal her identity out of shame? Not in the slightest.
To discard every shred of etiquette and dignity, interacting with others purely on instinct and raw whim... How could I ever surrender such freedom?
On the contrary, Yu Sowol felt completely unburdened and proud. Her speech and actions remained consistent whether in the waking world or on the digital forum. The joy of shedding the suffocating mantle of the Heavenly Demon to live simply as an ordinary human being—it was a life she cherished deeply. That was why she refused to peel away the veil of anonymity. If she had to carry the burden of the Heavenly Demon even inside the Gallery, the experience would turn dreadfully mundane and dull.
There would surely be fools who approached me solely out of reverence for my renown.
Goodwill directed not toward her as a person, but toward the monstrous sovereign known as the Heavenly Demon—it would be no different from her reality. If the forum devolved into that, she would sever her connection without looking back. Thus, anonymity was something Yu Sowol could never relinquish. While others utilized anonymity as a coward's shield, to her, it was the only vehicle that allowed her true self to emerge unhindered.
Though my benefactor does not seem to care who I am in the slightest.
That was precisely why Grylls had captured her favor. Consideration, respect, and courtesy offered purely out of unadulterated kindness. It was a warmth Yu Sowol had never experienced in all her days, and she wished to repay it in kind.
"Were there truly no other path, this lady could stake her name upon the matter. Yet I question whether this trivial squabble warrants such a price."
"Your words are entirely just, My Sovereign."
As expected, even the Heavenly Demon is human after all. She does know shame. While Wi Seolak indulged in his silent misunderstanding, Yu Sowol parted her exquisite lips once more.
"Is there truly no alternate recourse?"
"There is. We must simply redirect the gaze of that pack of jackals toward the liar. Furthermore, since your benefactor has already accumulated substantial trust, the task should prove straightforward."
"Elaborate upon thy—Wait. Hold thy tongue for a moment."
Yu Sowol paused mid-sentence, her gaze drifting toward the empty air before her.
Catching the subtle shift in her posture, Wi Seolak immediately accessed the Gallery interface. Something had undoubtedly transpired within the forum for her to react in such a manner.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary?
The boards looked just as chaotic as before, still utterly inundated with threads disparaging Grylls. Here and there, a few brave souls spoke up in his defense, but they were vastly outnumbered. The deluge of slander was so relentless that even the Juddak had stepped in to pin official warnings across the board.
"Demon Brain."
"Yes, Sovereign Sky."
"My benefactor states that he has procured yet another inner core."
"...Pardon?"
At those words, Wi Seolak's head snapped upward, his wide eyes betraying his utter shock. Yet he was not the Demon Brain for nothing; reclaiming his composure in a heartbeat, his mind whirred into high gear once more.
Arriving at an immediate conclusion, he leaned forward and pitched his proposal to Yu Sowol.
"My Sovereign Sky. A splendid strategy has just occurred to me."
"Speak."
"Perchance... is there a subject on the Gallery who possesses not only peerless skill and ironclad credibility, but also an unimpeachable character?"
"Hmph..."
At the question, Yu Sowol's finger paused against her cheek, and her brows knitted into a deep, displeased grimace. It was an expression of visceral distaste at the mere thought, yet given her transcendent beauty, even that scowl looked breathtaking.
"There is one. Why dost thou ask?"
"Because we require that person's aid. However, this servant cannot be certain whether that individual will agree to assist us."
"They shall assist. This lady guarantees it."
"Understood. In that case..."
Wi Seolak prostrated himself even lower, his voice carrying absolute conviction.
"Please persuade your benefactor to bestow the newly acquired inner core upon that helper."