The Heavenly Demon's Insight
Yeongsu, who had come looking for Seo-woo and Hwaryeong because the latter had not returned to the conference room, tilted his head in confusion at the sight of the players clustered in front of the monitor. What was this? Why were they all gathered here? Practice time had not even started yet.
Still puzzled, Yeongsu let out a sigh when he spotted Seo-woo's face among the players. That guy had said he would bring Hwaryeong back, so what was he doing just standing there? Who on earth were they watching so intently? It had better not be something trivial, or he was going to get an earful.
One side of the screen showed Yoo-chan. The other side was... Hwaryeong? Why was she sparring with Yoo-chan?
"It was good that you tried to force your opponent's actions, but it was far too obvious. Try planting multiple moves at once."
So it was not a spar. Hwaryeong was simply giving Yoo-chan advice. Well, that made it harder to interrupt. So that was why Seo-woo had been watching. If that was the case, he should have at least come back to report. Honestly, the moment he was not controlling the Heavenly Demon character in Apis, his soul seemed to leave his body.
Yeongsu was about to head to the conference room to explain the situation when Hwaryeong's next words stopped him in his tracks.
"In that situation, I was given three choices. Watch. If I take one step back here..."
So it was possible to force choices on the opponent with that kind of movement. He had learned something. This would be useful when teaching the kids later.
"How on earth do you read all of that?"
"Once you are used to it, everything becomes visible naturally. Let me give you an example using what you just did..."
Listening to Hwaryeong advise Yoo-chan, Yeongsu could not help but be impressed. It was truly astonishing. If everything she said was true, then she had read at least the next five moves from Yoo-chan's actions alone. And she had done it with nothing more than a light jab? This was not some AI the developers had made to torment players.
What impressed him even more was that none of Hwaryeong's judgments lacked foundation. They were not mere intuition or gambles. Every thought came with a clear reason behind her deductions, and listening to her explanations made him feel as if he could predict the moves himself—though in reality, he would struggle just to follow the opponent's actions, let alone predict them.
In Apis, where every moment required split-second judgment, why was she playing chess? And not against some middling Silver or Bronze player, but against someone who had achieved real results as a pro. Advice born from martial prowess so overwhelming that it could perfectly predict an opponent's movements was valuable even to Yeongsu, a pro team coach. He pulled out his notebook and began jotting down her advice to Yoo-chan before suddenly coming to his senses.
...Ah! Everyone was still waiting in the conference room! So this was why Seo-woo had been stuck here. Even Yeongsu, who had already retired from playing, was losing focus. For Seo-woo, who was still actively competing, it must be even worse. He should just bring the manager and coaches here too. Hwaryeong's advice would definitely benefit the team.
Haah. If he had known it would turn out like this, he should have watched her broadcasts more diligently from the start. Instead of dismissing Seo-woo's nonsense and deciding there was no need to concern himself with the principles of nothingness. She had said she was doing MyTube. He wondered if her past broadcasts were still up.
*
"I trust you have understood this much."
"...Yes."
By the time she had pointed out every shortcoming one by one, more time had passed than expected. The boy had decent fundamentals, and watching him follow her instructions had been rather entertaining. This should be more than enough compensation for the trouble she had caused him earlier.
After logging out and leaving the boy swaying on unsteady legs, Hwaryeong found that roughly four times as many people as had been present when she entered the VR capsule were now gathered in front of the monitor. The moment she raised her head, their gazes converged on her.
"Hwaryeong, did you really have to destroy him that badly?" Han Seo-woo said with a laugh, and several other voices quickly followed.
"Hwaryeong! Wow, that was actually insane!"
"It was even more amazing in person. Could you possibly spar with me too?"
"Sorry, but could you give me some advice on my play...?"
"What exactly is the principle of nothingness...?"
So many questions. Watching them bombard her like baby birds demanding food, her hand naturally reached for the pipe in her robes. They were indoors, so smoking was not allowed, but the urge was irritating. If she answered every single one of them politely, this would never end. She decided to silence them for a moment.
Releasing a light killing intent meant only to create a small sense of pressure, the room finally fell quiet.
"You there. So-yoon?"
Among the pale faces, she found the one she could most rely on. He would be the best person to handle this situation.
"Could you sort things out here?"
"...Ah! Yes, of course. Just a moment."
He gently ushered the people crowding around her back one by one. After calming the chaotic scene, So-yoon approached her and bowed his head. He first apologized for the inconvenience caused to their guest, then continued.
"It seems the other players could not contain their interest after witnessing how exceptional your advice to Yoo-chan was."
"That is fine."
A martial artist could hardly remain calm when faced with the chance to receive advice on their shortcomings. If someone could stay indifferent to such an opportunity, they would be disqualified as a martial artist.
"Thank you for understanding."
"If necessary, I can give advice to everyone here as well."
Well, there were only about a dozen or so actual players in this building anyway. If she gathered them all in one place and had them come at her, it would not take long. When she said as much, the people standing behind So-yoon brightened visibly. They must have liked the explanations she had given the men earlier.
"Of course, that would be wonderful. But before that, there is something I would like to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"Have you ever considered becoming an Apis pro team player or coach?"
So-yoon then explained the various benefits she would receive if she joined a pro team—how much she could earn at the top, the fame she could gain, the conveniences the club would provide, and so on.
Before becoming the Heavenly Demon's daughter, she might have been tempted. Though the memory was half-faded, back then she had been nothing more than an ordinary man. But the current her had not the slightest interest in such things.
Think about it. She was the undisputed number one in the martial world. If she wished, she could obtain wealth, fame, or anything else. Why would someone in her position care about such trivial matters? She was satisfied with her current life. There was nothing she lacked, so there was no reason to be greedy.
If there had been someone among the Apis pros who possessed martial arts that could entertain her, she might have been interested. But seeing how Han Seo-woo was treated as the strongest, it was obvious that the pro gamers of Apis were all at a similar level. There was no reason for her to pay attention to them. The same went for coaching. The only thing she could gain from teaching the people here was spreading the principles of nothingness, and that was something she could do just as well through her broadcasts. In fact, her broadcasts might reach even more people.
Therefore, she had no interest in either option.
When she shook her head, So-yoon tried persuading her a few more times before eventually giving up and rubbing his neck.
"I apologize. Seeing your skills made me greedy."
"That is understandable."
She was not bothered. It was only natural for someone leading a group to want to recruit talent when they saw it. After answering, she stood up, fiddling with the pipe in her pocket, and asked So-yoon a question.
"By the way, where exactly is the smoking room in this building?"
After all, the reason she had come out of the conference room in the first place was to smoke her pipe, and she had not been able to do so until now.
*
"Hwaryeong may be strong, but isn't she underestimating us too much?"
Jeong-han, standing beside Han Seo-woo, said this while shouldering the axe in his hands.
"Saying she'll take on our entire team at once..."
From Jeong-han's perspective, it was understandable. Challenging all the pro gamers in the club at the same time was simply absurd. Since Apis was a game where performance varied wildly depending on a character's proficiency, it was not impossible for one person to face multiple opponents. However, that only applied when the majority were severely lacking in skill. Once a certain level was reached, fighting multiple opponents at once became nearly impossible. Even Han Seo-woo, considered the best in Korea, struggled with three-on-one situations. The fact that he occasionally won against more than that only proved his skill.
"She'll manage."
"...What?"
"She'll be more than capable."
Yet Han Seo-woo answered Jeong-han's question without the slightest hesitation. He was not joking. His eyes, fixed on Hwaryeong, were as serious as they were during tournaments.
"Do not let your guard down for even a second. No matter how you get destroyed, it would not be strange."