The Heavenly Demon Is Going to Beat You Up (1)

"You started Hwaryong Muin?"

"Yes! Since I have to take the penalty."

How surprising. Given your usual behavior, I assumed you would keep postponing this out of fear for the punishment I would deliver. That was why I pretended to have forgotten all about it, planning to present the deferred penalty once you were fully prepared. Yet now one of my schemes to make you tremble in terror has been ruined. A pity, but on the other hand, it is also a fortunate turn of events. There is no longer any need to struggle with dragging this fellow here by force.

"I've begun with an unaffiliated character for the tutorial!"

"That's good. Shall I come meet you?"

"Yes! I'm putting all my faith in you, Hwaryeong!"

"I'm not particularly familiar with this game either."

I only know about Murim. As a single user, I have virtually no knowledge of how one should grow. It would be better to ask Seol-ah or Ha-rin about that part.

"Then figure it out starting now!"

However, Enry was stubbornly insistent. Was she saying that since I had dragged her into this, I should take responsibility? What a troublesome fellow.

"Finish what you were doing first. I'll head over there."

If she begins the same way I did, the starting point should be identical. I would go there ahead of her. It had been a while since I last visited Hwaeum, so I could enjoy some food there, introduce Baru's cuteness, and then escort her to the Beggars' Inn. Having roughly calculated the itinerary in my head, I reached out from habit to stroke Baru's head only to be smacked by the tail she swung.

"Just how long do you intend to stay sulky?"

"Hmph."

I asked Baru kindly, but she merely turned her head away with a sharp huff. To think she would act this way just because I left her alone amid the crowd of people for a short while.

"I said I would apologize. You know how awkward it was for me to push away those who like me, don't you?"

"Be silent. You already had a prior record, and this time you abandoned me once again and left. This is a repeat offense. Repeat offenses must be punished more severely!"

Baru shouted with her ears standing sharply erect as if truly furious, then leaned against my shoulder again and clamped her mouth shut. If she were genuinely angry, she could have left my side, yet the fact that she remained suggested she was actually holding back laughter. I dared not voice that thought aloud, however, or she would become truly enraged.

Seeing the chat reactions claiming that even sulky Baru was cute, I stepped outside the building and stared blankly at the Sinlim training ground, which had lost all its former tranquility.

"I want to join Sinlim. Are there any conditions?"

"I'd like to do a quest!"

"This is the place that teaches Shaolin martial arts, right?"

"Is there a test schedule or something?"

"Wait! Please wait ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a moment! Line up and speak one at a time, if you would!"

What was this commotion? The place had been quiet until the moment I arrived. How had it become so noisy?

"What is that supposed to mean?"

So that was the gist of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it. Originally, Sinlim had been an obscure sect hidden away from the world. Its foundations were solid, but so few knew of its existence that almost no one came looking. Yet after I revealed this location, those who had grown tired of the existing Shaolin order had all rushed here. That was what they were saying.

"A good thing indeed."

No matter that Sinlim had been established by a Shaolin faction, without people flowing in it would eventually collapse. Now there was no need to worry about that. Word had spread properly among the users. Once players eager to learn this place's martial arts gathered, the story would naturally circulate even among those already in Murim. As people gradually assembled, the entire village would naturally prosper. From my perspective it was also delightful, for these were people who sought to preserve Shaolin's true traditions. In short, this was a place that trained according to the old ways without discarding its principles. Its prosperity would greatly help in spreading those principles far and wide. Of course, if it became too famous the current Shaolin might push back, but that could be resolved with a simple threat in my name.

As I nodded in satisfaction at the current situation, another donation flew in. Well, from their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perspective, they probably had not dealt with this many people in years. With no proper system in place, they likely had no idea how to respond. Since this too had arisen because of me, I supposed I should help a little.

"Among the children watching this broadcast right now, are there any of you also watching Enry's stream?"

"Does it look like it'll take a while?"

From the sound of things, there seemed to be plenty of time. Having made that judgment, I lightly tapped Baru's forehead with my index finger. Her sharp voice immediately returned.

"What is it?"

"Cover your ears. I'm going to shout."

"...You're going to use the Lion's Roar?"

"Correct."

The moment I nodded, Baru assumed human form, pulled out her staff, and cast her Taoist magic. She was blocking sound from the surroundings and herself. On top of that she added impact reduction and various other measures... Goodness. It seemed she had been badly burned last time. After she finished her thorough preparations, the sight of tiny Baru crouching with both hands clamped over her ears made a chuckle escape me. At that level, she would not suffer dizziness from the Lion's Roar.

"Children. I trust you will understand even without me saying it."

I approached the entrance and tapped the shoulder of the Sinlim youngster waving his hands about.

"Who ar... Hwasan Sect Leader?"

"Step aside. I'll handle the response."

Looking outside the gate, I saw that quite a large crowd had gathered. At least a hundred people. The moment I appeared, many began waving or shouting "Hwaryeong-nim!" It seemed quite a few had come specifically to see my face. After confirming that, I took a deep breath.

Enry had originally harbored not the slightest intention of playing Hwaryong Muin ahead of time. She possessed no hobby of willingly walking into hell, after all. This was the Enry who had suffered a crushing defeat in her last bet with Ara. That day, Ara had declared she would engrave an unforgettable memory upon Enry inside Hwaryong Muin. Enry could not know the exact details, but judging from Ara's wicked smile, it was certain to become a horrifying memory for her. It would make for entertaining broadcast material and pull in good MyTube views, but who cared about that! Her own happiness was far more precious!

Thus Enry had planned to delay Hwaryong Muin for as long as possible. What changed her mind was the story from NyangNyangKwonbeop, who now worked as Ara's editor, and from Ha-rin. Enry had been the one to contact Ha-rin first, hoping to learn whether she knew what Ara intended to make her do. However, Ha-rin could not answer her question. She truly knew nothing about it. When Enry, feeling disappointed yet about to thank her anyway, heard Ha-rin's next words, they were these:

Even with the same horror game, the emotion you felt when holding nothing in your hands was completely different from when you held something. Having experienced several horror games as penalties, Enry knew very well how reassuring the cold touch of a shotgun in her palm could be.

Ha-rin was right. Hwaryong Muin was a martial-arts VR RPG. It was a game where, if she wished, she could create a shotgun with her own hands. She did not know what Ara planned to make her do, but facing disaster after making some preparations was far better than meeting it completely unprepared!

Influenced by Ha-rin's advice, Enry had declared on her stream the very next day that she would begin Hwaryong Muin. And now she steadied her ragged breathing after defeating the three wooden puppets she had encountered in the tutorial.

"These... insignificant... things are annoying me!"

"Hwaryeong raised everyone's standards way too high..."

The three wooden puppets Enry had faced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠were certainly strong. Had it been the Enry before meeting Ara, she would have been shattered without being able to endure their coordinated assault. She had struggled against such opponents and ultimately achieved victory, yet why were the evaluations so harsh? Drained by the lukewarm atmosphere in the chat, Enry let out a sigh, only for a donation alert to sound beside her.

"Please don't be convinced just by the word 'Enry'!"

At this rate her name would become synonymous with sloppy and pathetic! Even though Enry shouted that, the viewers, stubborn as green frogs, had no intention of listening. Her chat window and donation alerts became filled with people forcibly praising her.

Sigh. Well. It was still better than insults. Enry, who had reluctantly accepted the situation, turned her gaze away from the chat and moved forward as the arrow directed. After walking for some time, the bamboo forest ended and a wide clearing came into view. In the center of that clearing, seated alone at a table, an old man was playing janggi by himself. The old man's face was extremely familiar to Enry. That was only natural, since he had played the role of a splendid supporting actor several times on Ara's broadcasts.

"Geomseon-nim?"

"Ho. You know this old man's name?"

The Sword Immortal. The man who had felled the sun with his own sword. The monstrous swordsman who had shown a magnificent match against Hwaryeong. The old man smiled and raised his head to look at Enry's face.