Meeting a Heavenly Demon Fan (1)
The current Hwaryong Muin ranker and Apis Heavenly Demon character Grand Master user known as Nyangnyang Gwonbeop explains the Heavenly Demon's solo raid against an Outer God.
See this? The Heavenly Demon isn't even looking at the tentacles sprouting from the Outer God's back. Yet the moment they fly in, she dodges them like a ghost. This isn't some hack. It's pure technique.
This one's even more insane. As everyone knows, Void Walking is the hallmark of a true martial arts character artisan. The difficulty is vomit-inducing. The number of consecutive Void Walking steps you can chain is the standard for judging a martial arts character's mastery. Most Grand Master users can't even pull off five in a row. But the Heavenly Demon is flying around using it like it's nothing. She doesn't even worry about falling. She moves like she has wings. I can't even begin to guess how incredible her internal energy control must be. It's definitely beyond anything I could speculate about.
Everyone's losing their minds over the Heavenly Demon Punch, but I was paying closer attention to this part. Not that the Heavenly Demon Punch isn't amazing. Both techniques are so far beyond comprehension that copying them feels impossible. It's just that I'm a footwork nerd, so I get more excited about the movement technique than the punch itself.
Just watch this. I have no words left to explain it. How can a human fist produce power comparable to an Outer God's breath attack? After writing all this, I realize I haven't explained anything. I've just been gushing in admiration the whole time. Guess I'm no different from regular users after all? It'd be great if the Heavenly Demon would turn on a stream and explain it herself. I'd subscribe and donate on the spot. I'd even become a follower of the Demonic Cult.
The day after defeating the Outer God, I stepped out into the city streets.
I had been cooped up at home for the past several days, completely focused on Apis. But now that the Outer God was taken care of and the date for my spar with Dekai had been set, there was no longer any reason to stay locked inside. Since I had gone through the trouble of coming to the modern world, shouldn't I enjoy its various cultures and experiences?
Browsing the world through the internet at home was entertaining, but the real world was meant to be experienced with your own two feet.
My immediate goal was gourmet food. This was a world filled with cuisine that couldn't even begin to be compared with anything from Murim. Failing to properly enjoy it would mean losing half of what life had to offer.
And the place I currently found myself in was the capital where all of Korea's talented individuals gathered. Naturally, it would be overflowing with master artisans as well. There was sure to be great joy in seeking out various delicious foods.
I took out my smartphone and checked the location of the shop I had chosen as today's target. The moment I mentioned after yesterday's stream that I would go looking for good restaurants, Enri had passionately recommended this place. She insisted I absolutely had to visit at least once. That I would never regret it. I still couldn't understand why someone from a country called England would so fervently recommend bone hangover soup, but...
I briefly imagined Enri eating bone hangover soup. A delicate-looking foreign woman with platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, smiling as she held bones with both hands and gnawed on them. The sense of dissonance was intense. No matter how I thought about it, wouldn't sweet snacks suit Enri far better than bright red broth?
Lost in these thoughts, I soon found my destination right before my eyes.
The bone hangover soup restaurant Enri had introduced was tucked away in a secluded alley. It was so deep inside that you wouldn't even know the shop existed unless you were specifically looking for it. I wondered how Enri had ever found such a place.
It seemed her claim about it being a famous restaurant wasn't empty talk. Even though it was still early, the place was packed with customers. Fortunately, there was no line.
"Oh, a young customer has arrived."
The moment I entered the shop, a middle-aged woman greeted me. She seemed to have mistaken me for a young woman. Considering my actual age, I had probably lived at least twice as long as she had. Still, I didn't complain. I wasn't the type to fuss over things like respecting elders. Besides, even if I told her my real age, she clearly wouldn't believe me.
"We're a bit full right now. Would you mind sharing a table?"
"That is fine."
"That's a relief. Harin! Is it okay if this person shares your table?!"
"Yeees."
A girl sitting in the corner answered without even looking this way. The dissonance with her was just as strong as with Enri. A girl who looked like a high school or perhaps university student, wearing earphones and staring at her smartphone while shoveling down hangover soup. What an interesting sight.
I sat down across from the girl and ordered bone hangover soup, waiting for the food with an excited heart. The aroma wafting through the air was already incredibly appealing. I could feel my mouth watering.
As I looked around, my eyes suddenly landed on the girl's smartphone in front of me. What she was watching was an Apis video. On the screen, the Heavenly Demon was fighting an Outer God. Wasn't that what I had done last night?
It seemed the video had spread successfully, just as I had hoped. Now it would reach far more people than any video of my defeat. All that hard work had been worth it.
I was smiling contentedly when my eyes met the girl's. Her expression changed quite dramatically. At first she looked at me with a blank face. Then she lowered her head, raised it again, put down her spoon, and stared intently at my face. After tapping her smartphone to check the video once more, she quickly looked up again.
The girl who had removed her earphones kept opening and closing her mouth before finally managing to speak.
"Um... Do you play Apis by any chance?"
It was an abrupt question, but her expression was so amusing that I decided to play along.
"Yes. I do."
"Whoa! Your voice is exactly the same!"
The girl's voice was rather low for a female. It was cute yet rough, like a puppy growling. In contrast, the way she spoke was bright and lively like any other young girl, which was quite charming.
"You're a Heavenly Demon user, right?"
"That's correct."
"And your username is Hwaryeong-nim?"
"Precisely. Just without the 'nim' part."
"For real?!"
The moment I answered, the girl shot up from her seat. Her eyes were trembling.
"Harin! What's wrong?"
The middle-aged woman who had been carrying food looked over, apparently concerned by her behavior.
"No, it's nothing! Mom! It's nothing!"
So she was the daughter of this restaurant's employee. That explained it. I had thought there was someone who didn't quite fit in.
The girl, her face flushed red, sat back down and glanced around nervously before pulling a piece of paper from the bag beside her.
"Please give me an autograph!"
"Pardon?"
An autograph? Like what celebrities do? It was the first time I'd received such a request, so I was taken aback. But her eyes were so clear and earnest that I couldn't refuse.
What should I do? Should I just write my name? But that seemed too plain for an autograph. Besides, my Korean handwriting wasn't particularly beautiful. It wasn't something I'd want to show others.
Hmm. In that case, I suppose I have no choice but to use the language of Murim. I don't know if this child will like the characters, but let's try it first and see. If she doesn't like it, I can think of another way.
I wrote a phrase in a single fluid stroke and handed it to the girl. The corners of her mouth immediately lifted into a bright smile.
"You're really serious about your Heavenly Demon playstyle! Using hanja! What does this mean?"
"It says 'Heavenly Demon Baek Hwaryeong.'"
"It's so cool."
"I'm glad."
"Hwaryeong-nim! Please also write 'To Lee Ha-rin' in hanja below it!"
Very well. Since it looks like the food will take some time anyway, I'll do everything you wish.
Ha-rin took the paper I had signed, grinning from ear to ear. What was it about this that made her so happy? I wasn't anyone particularly special in this place.
"I never imagined I'd meet Hwaryeong-nim in a place like this!"
You should thank Enri. If not for her, I never would have come here.
Still, it was just as Enri had worried. To think she recognized me the moment our eyes met. Was it because Ha-rin's eyes were sharp, or was my appearance that memorable?
I hoped such things wouldn't happen often. It would become quite troublesome otherwise.
When I lived as the Heavenly Demon, everyone feared me and wouldn't approach. But now I was just an ordinary person who was good at games. There was no reason to fear me, so people wouldn't hesitate to come near.
Hmm. If it gets too bothersome later, I suppose I'll have to change my face when I go outside.
"You know, I've been rewatching the video of you defeating the Outer God countless times since yesterday!"
Her words carried clear passion as she said she'd watched the video dozens of times in admiration. I understood that others might find it impressive, but was it really worth watching dozens of times? I thought one or two views would be enough before getting tired of it. She must be exaggerating out of excitement from actually meeting me. Surely she hadn't really watched it dozens of times.
Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Ha-rin continued talking about yesterday's stream with an excited voice. Her voice was so pleasant. Her fierce gaze was cool. It was adorable how she got excited while making martial arts jokes. And on and on.
Her mouth didn't stop moving. The friendly, admiring gaze Ha-rin kept fixed on me was starting to feel a bit prickly.