Meeting a Heavenly Demon Fan (4)
I could tell she knew nothing about martial arts. Hmm. That was fine. From now on, she could learn it step by step.
The moment Hwarin heard Hwaryong say she could become even stronger and that she would help her get there, the girl cheered with pure joy. She clenched both fists, brimming with determination. But that enthusiasm would soon transform into a desperate craving for life itself.
Hwarin’s progress was remarkably fast. Part of it was thanks to Hwaryong being an excellent teacher, but the truth was that Hwarin had already spent years honing the Wind Flow Fist. The principles of wind and flow were already deeply ingrained in her body. She simply hadn’t known how to use them properly until now.
Up until this point, Hwarin had been thrilled by her own growth. Everything Hwaryong taught was crystal clear. Instead of being handed a caught salmon, she was told to catch one herself. Rather than copying the martial arts the system displayed, she was instructed to embody the principles with her own body and unleash the techniques. To be able to perform the Wind Flow Fist in any situation.
It felt awkward and clumsy at first since she was trying it for the first time, but the difference from before was undeniable. And it was obvious that continuing this way would let her reach even greater heights.
Like a primitive human who had just discovered fire, Hwarin excitedly tried everything she could. She made up her mind to follow Hwaryong no matter what she suggested. Her guidance always seemed right. It was a kind of blind faith.
“Have you roughly grasped the feeling now?”
“Yes! It’s still slow, but I think I get it!”
“Don’t worry about that. You’ll get used to it naturally soon enough.”
Anything you do for the first time is bound to be clumsy. Hwarin caught the word “soon” and decided to take Hwaryong’s words as encouragement for now.
“There are many opinions about when humans learn the second fastest, but every martial artist agrees on the fastest time. Do you know when that is?”
“N-no…?”
“Right before death. Or while dying.”
Hwarin took an involuntary step back at the tone of Hwaryong’s voice. But before she could flee, Hwaryong’s hand landed on her shoulder, ending any chance of escape.
“Conveniently, in Apis you can die as many times as you want. Perhaps because of that, the fear of death doesn’t seem as strong as in reality. Doesn’t that dilute the value of death?”
Hwarin stared at Hwaryong’s face with trembling eyes. Her expression was no different from usual. The gentle smile made it seem like they were having an ordinary conversation.
“I realized it while watching the gentleman bear. If the atmosphere and situation are right, even in virtual reality you can instill fear just like in the real world.”
Yet the words coming from that smiling mouth were utterly terrifying.
“Since you’re a martial artist too, wouldn’t it be better to become stronger quickly?”
No. No way. I don’t want to get stronger that badly.
Hwarin screamed internally, but it was already too late. Hwaryong had no intention of letting the martial artist standing before her go.
“Run. Using only the pure principles of wind and flow.”
This body was clearly inside a VR game, so why did it feel like cold sweat was pouring down her entire body?
“But if you try to match the principles to your movements like before, I’ll punish you. Keep that in mind.”
For some reason, Hwarin felt like Hwaryong’s body had grown larger. The air around them felt heavy. Even lifting her feet was difficult. At some point her teeth had begun chattering uncontrollably.
Fear. It was fear.
The terror she had felt the first time she encountered an Outer God was eerily similar to this.
“Now. Run. Hurry.”
Watching Hwarin sprint away without looking back, Hwaryong took a leisurely step forward.
This is going to be a very enjoyable teaching session.
Just like it was in the Heavenly Demon Cult.
"Usually, the martial artists who came to me seeking instruction were those obsessed with martial arts."
"Madmen who would offer their lives to reach a higher realm."
"Even after hearing of my infamous reputation, those who still sought me out were all like that."
Perhaps that was why no one had ever complained about my teaching methods. That was the problem.
I had assumed that any martial artist worth their salt would endure something of this level with a smile. I had thought Hwarin would be the same as the others. In other words, this disaster happened because she was the first person in the modern world I had met who could truly be called a martial artist.
“Hwaaaang!”
“I’m sorry. I went too far. Please, I beg you, stop crying.”
Training in the Heavenly Demon Cult is conducted in the midst of terror. The will to escape fear is judged to be stronger and more universal than the will to rise to greater heights. Especially when teaching promising martial artists, we bring them right to the brink of death. Even I, during my time in the cult, lived with the words “just kill me” constantly on my lips.
I don’t particularly like my cult’s learning methods, but I do acknowledge the efficiency of fear. That was why I had planned to help Hwarin learn martial arts quickly.
The moment I began my pursuit, Hwarin moved her feet desperately, as if fleeing from a murderous ghost. I could have caught her at any time, but I deliberately maintained a distance that felt just barely out of reach. After all, my goal was to help with her training.
Up until then, I thought things were going well. Anyone who saw her frantically using the principles of wind and flow to run faster and farther would have thought the same. Because of old habits, she occasionally slipped back into her previous methods, but each time I pressured her with killing intent, she stopped even glancing at those old ways.
I realized something had gone wrong when Hwarin, while running, tripped and fell. Even though I approached slowly to give her time to get up, she couldn’t stand. She could only crawl, trying to get even a little farther away from me. Then she misplaced her hand, slammed her face into the ground, and stopped moving entirely. Only her trembling back revealed that she was sobbing.
Only then did I realize my mistake.
This child was not a martial artist of the Murim world. To Hwarin, martial arts were nothing more than a hobby. They weren’t something worth risking her life over. It was a fundamental difference in perception. Having lived among those who valued martial arts above life itself, I had never even considered the idea that someone could treat learning them as a mere hobby.
After that, I desperately tried to comfort Hwarin. I was an expert at making people tremble in fear, but I was utterly clumsy at soothing a child’s tears. Fortunately, my awkwardness made Hwarin smile, but that didn’t erase my mistake.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s… okay.”
Hwarin was still sniffling, as if she hadn’t fully regained control of her emotions. The way she occasionally flinched when she looked at my face suggested the fear hadn’t completely disappeared. The terror from earlier was clearly not something an ordinary modern girl could easily endure.
Sigh. I should have just progressed slowly and steadily like when I taught Enri. Because I saw Hwarin as a martial artist rather than a child, my old habits had slipped out without me realizing it.
“Just now… it felt exactly like standing in front of an Outer God. What did you do?”
The fact that she could ask a question despite stuttering meant the fear hadn’t sunk in too deeply. That was a relief, at least.
“Have you heard of killing intent?”
“Can you actually use something like that?”
“Didn’t you just experience it with your own body?”
Once you reach the realm where you can infuse your will with inner energy, even simple murderous intent becomes a usable tool. Suppressing weaker opponents is only natural, and killing intent is extremely useful even against skilled adversaries. Especially at my level in reality outside of Apis, it’s possible to kill someone with nothing but killing intent.
“Are you feeling a little calmer now?”
“Yes. Y-yes.”
“I’m sorry. I frightened you because of my clumsiness.”
“It’s really okay, Hwaryong-nim. I was the one who asked for this.”
Even so, the fact that I was the one who carried it out doesn’t change. I couldn’t just send this child away like this. She might say she was fine, but it was obvious the fear still lingered. If she couldn’t completely shake off that sensation, she would have trouble sleeping at night. If this were reality, I would have given her alcohol to help her unwind, but this was a world inside a game.
Wait. Then couldn’t we just play a game?
If I could plant memories so enjoyable that they made her forget her fear, that would solve everything. I wasn’t sure what game in this world would be that much fun, but it was fine. For this particular matter, I had a very reliable ally.
Help me out! Enri!
After getting Hwarin’s permission, I called Enri. She didn’t pick up for a long time. As the ringing continued, I felt my heart burning with anxiety, but fortunately Enri answered just before the call would have ended.
“Ara?”
“Sorry for calling so late.”
“What’s going on?”
“I made someone cry.”
“…Pardon?”
I left out all the talk about killing intent and simply listed the facts. I had crossed a line while trying to teach someone and made them cry. So I wanted to cheer them up and was asking for a game recommendation that would lift their mood.
“Who is the other person?”
“A young girl. She uses the name NyanNyanFistLaw.”
“Ah. That person?”
Enri seemed to know Hwarin. From what she said, Hwarin had once appeared as a guest on Enri’s stream. She was the type who popped up whenever martial arts topics came up, so Enri knew her well and expressed pleasant surprise.
“How did you two meet?”
“We met at the store you recommended. She’s the daughter of the store employee.”
“What? Really?! The world really is small.”
After laughing for a while, Enri said she knew a lot about the person called NyanNyanFistLaw. The game that person would like was already decided, so she asked me to wait just a moment.
Enri. I’m so grateful that you were the first person I formed a connection with in this world. You’re so incredibly reliable that I can’t thank you enough.
“The game called ‘Revenge’ should be good. It’s a game where you become a martial artist and defeat the target of your revenge. Considering NyanNyanFistLaw’s personality, I’m sure she’ll love it.”
“Thank you, Enri.”
“If you’re that thankful, go shopping with me again sometime. There are clothes I want to dress you in.”
“…Understood.”
In my heart I wanted to firmly refuse, but since the favors I owed her were far from few, I couldn’t. What could I do? Looked like I would have to become a dress-up doll for a day.
“Really? For real? You promised, right?”
“Yes.”
The memories from before flashed through my mind and my eyes squeezed shut. A sigh escaped me, but this too was my own karma.
After ending the call, I approached Hwarin. It seemed her emotions had mostly settled, as she had stopped sniffling.
“Hwarin. Let’s end today’s training here.”
“…Yes. Then I’ll see you next time.”
“No. Wouldn’t it be a shame to part ways right now? That’s why I’d like to play the game ‘Revenge’ with you.”
“Revenge?! With you, Hwaryong-nim?!”
Hwarin looked at me with eyes still heavily bloodshot. The gloomy tone from earlier had vanished, replaced entirely by excitement.
“If you don’t want to, you can refuse.”
“No! I want to!”
“You don’t have to push yourself.”
“I’m really fine! I’m perfectly okay! Look!”
She hurriedly stood up and began jumping around energetically to show how fine she was.
So she really wanted to play that game called Revenge together. Just as I had been told she would like it. Enri’s words were never wrong.