The Heavenly Demon Will Smash It (2)
"Why the hell is that guy here?!"
Enry knew far too well about the NPC called Geomseon. She was acquainted with Ara and was also a loyal viewer of the streamer Hwaryeong. Back when Ara first started broadcasting Hwaryong Muin, Enry had thrown a tantrum, begging her not to go. There was no way she could forget the old man's face as he looked so smug after dropping the sun from the sky.
"Is that how it works?"
Come to think of it, the first time Ara met Geomseon had been during the tutorial too. As Enry nodded in understanding at the viewer's comment, Geomseon rested his chin on his hand and glared at her with sharp eyes visible beneath his straw hat.
"Will you not answer this old man's question?"
"Huh? No! I mean, I heard it from Hwaryeong's broadcast... I mean, from her stories!"
"Min-ga? That fellow again."
The moment Hwaryeong's name came up, Geomseon let out an annoyed sigh. Any trace of interest he'd shown earlier had completely vanished, as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
"Just how much is that bastard rampaging around that even this old man's name and face have become famous because of him?"
"Ahaha. Hwaryeong does tend to burn through the logs pretty well."
Ara was the one who had breathed life back into a game everyone thought was rotten to the core with nothing left to give. Her exploits spread not only among her viewers but to every single user playing Hwaryong Muin. Geomseon had been part of that fame and had no choice but to become well-known along with her. Thanks to that, he'd suffered quite a bit.
Grumbling about his troubles, Geomseon stood up and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"This old man asks just in case, but do you know where Min-ga is?"
"Huh? Why do you want to know?"
"Why else? I wish to meet her. So answer already. Do you know, or do you not?"
Enry felt anxious watching the hand toying with the sword hilt. She had been thrown around by Ara multiple times before. Naturally, she'd experienced countless unreasonable deaths in the process. Maybe that was why she felt a chill run down her spine in situations like this. It was the same now. Enry guessed—no, she was certain—that the moment she gave a vague answer, her head would fly off in Geomseon's grasp. Her intuition was screaming it at her.
"I... do?"
"What an ambiguous answer."
"No! I know! Of course I know! After all, I'm friends with Hwaryeong!"
"Hoo."
When Enry frantically waved her hands and spoke, Geomseon studied her face.
"So you are not lying."
He removed the hand that had been on the sword hilt and rested it on his waist instead.
Did... I survive?
"It worked out well. Can you still contact Min-ga right now? From what this old man knows, outsiders can communicate from a distance."
"Yes! I can! What should I send?!"
"Something like 'Save me' should be appropriate. Then she will come on her own."
"Huh?"
The moment Enry asked again, something brushed past her side. A few strands of her long hair were sliced away, and at the same time the sound of bamboo stalks behind her being cut in half rang out. Geomseon had drawn his sword at a speed her eyes couldn't even follow. Realizing she would have been staring at a black screen without understanding what happened, Enry felt cold sweat trickle down her back.
"I understand the answer you will give. That is enough. Now repeat after me."
"Understood!"
What the hell is this the moment I start Hwaryong Muin?! This isn't even part of the tutorial!
While organizing the line of people waiting in front of Sinlim, several messages suddenly flew in from Enry. Most of them were desperate pleas for rescue.
"What in the world is that fellow doing from the very start?"
Good grief, Enry. No matter how pathetic you are, suffering this much right at the beginning? You should be able to overcome at least that much on your own. Only then will this old man feel rewarded for teaching you so many things.
Various emotions including exasperation rose up as I read the messages, so I set them aside.
Well. This place is a game. Even if she dies, she will revive, so experiencing despair in the face of crisis is not necessarily a bad thing.
"Just what happened to make you act like this?"
So the moment she started the game she ran into Geomseon. Afraid of being killed by that old man, she threw my name around and ended up taken hostage. I roughly understood the situation, nodded, and moved my feet again to continue organizing the line.
"It's not that urgent, is it? It will just take a little longer to finish the tutorial."
She had just started the game and had nothing to lose anyway. If she really felt too frustrated, she could just end it with death. I saw no reason to rush over and smash apart the bamboo forest to deal with Geomseon.
"Hmm. That would be a bit troublesome."
Baru was already sulking, so if another person started grumbling next to me it would be really annoying.
"Looking at the state of things, there is no need to move in a hurry."
Look at the person who was supposedly taken hostage acting like this. It would be fine even if I finished my work here before going. Besides, since she had thrown my name around, Geomseon probably would not treat her too harshly.
"Then I would have gone to slit that old man's throat."
In that case the basic premise would be completely different. Enry was a child who could die without issue, but Baru and Neungneung were not. If he dared to touch my sanctuary, I would have immediately rushed over and carved defeat into that old man's body out of pure indignation. Perhaps my emotions would have run so high that I would have finished it quite violently. Well, I had smashed him once before anyway. With my realm now elevated, dealing with him should not be particularly difficult... Hmm.
"My mind has changed. The children here at Sinlim should be able to handle things on their own by now, so let us go to Enry."
Thinking about it, this worked out perfectly. After my realm rose I needed an appropriate opponent to test myself against, and that old man Geomseon should be just right. The reason he was calling me was surely to get revenge for his previous defeat, so once I arrived he would accept the fight.
"Children. Tell me Geomseon's location."
I already had the exact location. Once I arrived nearby I would be able to sense his energy.
"Yes. Thank you, Seol-ah."
When I moved to the location Seol had told me about, a place densely packed with bamboo appeared. Oh. So there was a place like this in Murim? It had quite a nice atmosphere. If I had come when the full moon was shining down it would have been even more elegant.
Thinking that, I spread my energy through the bamboo forest.
"There are quite a few little children here."
Was there something precious in this place? There were more than a few people who appeared to be users. Yet even among all those energies, Geomseon was proudly displaying his presence. He was not hiding his energy at all. Was he telling me to come find him? How arrogant. If he was the loser who had already been defeated once, the proper thing would be to come before me and request a fight. Did he expect special treatment just because he was an old immortal who had lived several times longer than me? This is exactly why I dislike those useless old immortals who have only lived long lives. Is this what they call a "boomer" these days? Whatever. This time I will specially yield and go to him.
I stepped on the empty air and walked atop the thickly grown bamboo. As I did, I saw Baru pretending to be indifferent while looking down below.
"What are you looking at?"
"...Nothing in particular."
"Are you looking at the Taoist magic spread below?"
An unknown Taoist magic was deployed throughout the entire bamboo forest. Since I had undergone my own training, I could sense its existence, but I did not know exactly what it was. With my current knowledge it was simply too complex an area. It would probably be completely different from Baru's perspective. That Taoist magic connecting so many principles would be a learning opportunity for her.
"The one who deployed this was surely Geomseon. I will make him tell me how he unfolded this Taoist magic."
"Really?!"
She must have been quite interested, because Baru forgot she was supposed to be sulking and lifted her head. Then she cleared her throat and shook her head again, but the mask had already come off.
"Yes. Will that be enough for you to forgive me?"
"Ahem. Well. Since it seems you have reflected sufficiently, I shall let it pass this time. However, if you do this again next time, I absolutely will not let it go lightly. Understood?!"
"Yes, yes."
Baru acted angry, saying my attitude was impure, but her tail was wagging lightly. She really is an easy fox, Baru. At this rate I was worried she would follow anyone who said they would teach her Taoist magic.
As we continued running, we soon arrived at the place where Geomseon's energy could be felt. However, when I looked down from above, nothing was there. Just a lush bamboo forest. This was probably another kind of Taoist magic as well.
"Now then, Min-ga. Let this old man solve this once..."
"There is no need for such trouble. Just erase it and be done."
I drew a picture on a sheet of paper and painted the area white. The scenery that should have been revealed appeared before me. An empty clearing, a giant table, and in the middle an old man and a woman playing Go.
"No, Geomseon, the way you play Go is so... incredibly dirty! Is it right for a master to teabag a beginner like this?!"
"Hehe. Then you should have learned in advance. I do not understand why you blame your own incompetence on this old man."
"Ughhhhhh! One more game! One more! Hurry!"
"I would like nothing more, but a guest has arrived, so that will not be possible."
Geomseon slowly raised his head, and our eyes met. Following him, Enry looked up and waved her hand with a bright smile that made it impossible to believe she was a hostage. Hmm. It really seems there was no need to come rescue her after all.