The Monkey King's Staff and the State of No-Self

Earth's human representative: "You still need more training before you can do this."

I didn't want to know, but after seeing Sun Wukong use the Yeoui, I think I understand why things turned out this way.

"You can do more with this?"

"You've been stating the obvious since earlier. And this is hwahwa."

It was the staff-spinning technique that always came to mind whenever I thought of staff arts. As Sun Wukong slowly spun the Yeoui, his hands gradually became invisible, and a wind that felt like it would tear flesh apart began to rage.

—Kwa-ga-ga-gak!!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"It's good for blocking arrows. Those so-called generals of the Heavenly Palace shoot arrows in a cowardly way. And this is byeok. It's a downward strike."

Jeo-geoek! When Sun Wukong brought the Yeoui down, the mountain range that had been pierced with holes now split vertically.

"This is sol. It's a downward thrust."

"Wait, wait!!"

"Why?"

"You just did a downward strike."

It wasn't that I stopped out of curiosity. I stopped because it felt like this whole area might split the planet in two. Sun Wukong, unaware of that, simply nodded.

"Downward strike and downward thrust are different movements. For sol, you have to focus on driving it into the ground."

Fortunately, as if he had read my mind, he demonstrated it again with the same slow motion as before.

"Because a staff has no spearhead, it can pursue naturalness even more. This motion of switching grips between the ends is called hwanpa."

Ding!

Apparently, if I keep learning it, it will turn into a skill. The message tells me it's like a half-finished dish.

"Let's stop here for today. It was just a simple taste."

"Thank goodness. If I'd eaten more, this place would've been split in half."

"Stop exaggerating. Here."

Sun Wukong handed over the Yeoui he had been holding.

"What? I thought you were going to take it with you."

"What do you take me for?"

"A monkey."

Sun Wukong shook his head and thrust the Yeoui forward as if telling me to take it quickly.

"I got some new information recently. It looks like the Dragon Palace and the Heavenly Palace poured thousands of years of effort into making another Yeoui-bong."

"They made another one of these?"

"Yeah. The one you took was already at the end of its durability, so it couldn't even be used and was just stuck here. That's why I'm planning to bring the newly made one."

He really was a crazy monkey. I'd heard Sun Wukong had caused chaos in more than one or two places, but this was properly insane.

"That one is the Yeoui-bong I've used for a long, long time, the one that grew together with me. The newly made one won't be as good as this one, but at this point, weapon performance doesn't matter much to me anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah. So, about that—will you help me later?"

Honestly, giving it to me was an understatement. It was basically the same as Sun Wukong having it stolen from him. Yet he was still teaching me martial arts. I couldn't help but feel favorable toward him.

"The Sun-hyung who just punched holes in a mountain range is asking me for help? Is there anything I can actually do?"

"Haha, you're the successor who inherited my Yeoui, so just grow properly. Besides, I have a lot of restrictions."

After finishing his words, Sun Wukong stared at me steadily, as if waiting for an answer.

"I don't know if I'll be much help, but if I can, I'll help."

"That answer is enough for now. Let's go."

The moment Sun Wukong grabbed my arm again, the scenery in front of my eyes blurred just like before.

"Uwek!"

"Fun!"

"I should learn courage from your friend."

"Ugh… Baek Seol is a brave rabbit, so I can't help it. I can't keep up."

Sun Wukong, who had let out a small laugh, picked up the game console he had tossed aside.

—Chik, chik.

"Haa—"

Exhaling cigarette smoke made me feel a little calmer.

"Baek Seol-ah, I'm going to swing the staff around, so it might be dangerous. Want to go play?"

"Eung!"

Baek Seol scurried down and approached Sun Wukong.

"Eung?"

"Play!"

"Want to do it together?"

"Jo-a!"

"Sit in front of me, friend."

Seeing Baek Seol approach first, he didn't seem like a bad monkey. Just a crazy one.

"Huu—ran!"

Whoong—!! When I swung the Yeoui filled with tremendous force, the air was torn apart.

"I told you not to use only arm strength. Use your waist and shoulders more."

"Neng, Master."

"Pu-heu-heu."

Even while playing games with Baek Seol on his lap, he gave instructions. It was like he had eyes on the top of his head.

"Na."

From outside to inside, clockwise pull strike. According to what Sun Wukong showed, all movements had to be organically connected.

"Chal."

I thrust the Yeoui I had pulled toward me.

—Kwa-gak!!

"For chal, you have to add shoulder and waist power and use extreme wrist strength."

"Yes, Teach."

"Pu-heu-heu."

The next movement was byeok. I steadied my breathing and struck downward.

"Heueup!"

—Kwa-a-ang!!

The ground was torn away.

"Byeok and sol are different movements."

"Byeok!"

—Kwa-ang!!

"Again."

—Kwa-ang!!

Sun Wukong gave me an incredulous look before focusing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the game again.

"I can't do it!"

"Huh? Who's this?"

"Owner!"

It seemed he was looking at the ranking screen after finishing the game. Because it was the game console I used to use, my name was registered from 1st to 10th place.

"Heh! I can't live with losing."

He tore open the snacks I had given him, held one out to Baek Seol, and poured the rest into his own mouth. He had said he ate a hundred years' worth earlier, but it seemed he had already digested it all. He still looked like he didn't have enough no matter how I looked at it.

When I poured out more snacks from my inventory space, a huge mountain of snacks began to form. Once I even took out the camping power bank I had bought before, there was nothing left worth giving to Sun Wukong.

"Master."

"What? I'm busy."

"You can charge the game console with this."

Sun Wukong, who had been burying his face in the game console, finally lifted his head.

"See the black cord here? Plug it into the hole on the side of the game console and it'll charge. If you don't have enough snacks, take more from here."

"Oh! Thanks. But this 1st place score is yours?"

"Eung."

"Hmm, is that so?"

After stroking his chin once, Sun Wukong buried his face in the game console again.

"Master."

"What now."

"What was that thing you used when you went up the mountain earlier?"

"It's a Taoist art."

It matched what I had been thinking.

"Geunduun, right?"

"Yeah. You saw it, didn't you?"

"One second the ridge was there, the next second it was on the ground—how could I see anything? I only checked what you ate this morning."

"Pu-heu-heu. But you can't ride that no matter how hard you try. It's a problem before effort."

Physical strength aside, when I observed myself closely, my mobility was too low. Especially when I entered the Chaekeundam to get Grandfather's medicine, I had to ride a carriage for several hours. I had bought a bike and a truck through Man-uk to supplement my mobility, but after seeing how Sun Wukong moved, it felt like a new world had opened up.

"If you want to learn Taoist arts, you might as well learn the chukjisul."

"The instant teleportation thing?"

"That's right. It's also called jeopjisul. It's the concept of folding space and running."

"Isn't that harder?"

Sun Wukong, who had been immersed in the game, shook his head.

"Geunduun is a concept before the art itself. Humans can't ride it."

"Explain it properly, you master bastard."

Taak! When Sun Wukong snapped his fingers, something whitish gathered in front of my eyes and began to clump together.

"Geunduun?"

"Ride it and you'll know."

I had only seen white things bursting out before, so this was the first time seeing the real thing. When I stepped onto the clumped cloud, I felt a swaying sensation and immediately felt the ground beneath my feet.

"Whoa, I almost threw out my back."

It felt like the sensation of stepping into a deep hole while walking while looking at my phone.

"Pu-ha-ha, see? I told you you can't ride it."

"Explain why I can't ride it."

"Humans have too many distracting thoughts, so they can never ride it."

"Distracting thoughts?"

Sun Wukong gave a small nod.

—Chik, chik.

"Huu—"

Tong! When I focused my mind, a single water droplet fell onto the spring inside me and created ripples. I peeled away the distracting thoughts one by one. I erased my thoughts, and erased them again. The ripples created by the water droplet erased the distracting thoughts and slid away. In the end, even I, who had been standing there, was erased.

〈No-Self〉

Po-ok. The Geunduun that had substance but couldn't be stepped on could now be stepped on. It gently wrapped around my feet and carried me on top of itself. When I slowly sat down, it supported my hips as well.

"Master, is this how you ride it?"

"Huh?"

Sun Wukong, who had slightly raised his head, froze in place. His dazed eyes gradually changed into the eyes of the monster I had seen for a brief moment earlier. His pupils split lengthwise and golden light began to fill them.

"You… what are you."

The golden light that had been slowly gathering began to blaze as if burning. When I received Sun Wukong's gaze with my entire body, the state of No-Self shattered in an instant.

Kung!

"Ack!"

The cloud that had been gently supporting me pierced through, and my hips slammed into the dirt ground.

"Ah shit, why are you glaring at me so scary!"

As if he belatedly realized his own state, the blazing eyes instantly calmed down.

"What the hell are you."

—Boo-woong!!

"Shit, bring it on."

"No, that's not it. Haa… Sorry."

Sun Wukong, who had looked extremely excited, released his momentum and apologized obediently.

"How were you able to enter the state of No-Self?"

"I learned it."

"…You learned it? No-Self is the crystallization of the study the Tathagata undertook to catch the monster that eats emotions."

"A monster?"

Sun Wukong, who had picked up Baek Seol and slowly stood up, nodded.

"The monster that eats emotions is a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering heavenly demon that can never be defeated if even a single thread of emotion remains."

"Hmm."

"No matter what it is, as long as the thing called emotion exists. Whether it's a child, an ignorant person, or a living, breathing being."

Sun Wukong's face, which was explaining in an uncharacteristic calm manner, momentarily overlapped with a gigantic yet benevolent figure. It was quite different from his current human appearance. Benevolent yet incomparably rough.

"Even a mere creature, even a gigantic lifeform, even an existence called a divine throne. Because emotion existed in all of them, no one could defeat the monster. Not even the Tathagata."

"……"

"Even if you set aside the ability to devour emotions, there is no one who can defeat him with pure martial prowess. In the past, the powerful beings called heavenly people opposed him and were annihilated."

"Heavenly people? I've heard of that somewhere."

Sun Wukong sent a gaze mixed with calmness, the opposite of the frightening eyes from earlier.

"No-Self is a study that only those called the Tathagata's closest aides learned. Even among them, there were none who learned it properly."

"Didn't you learn it, Master? That's why you can ride the Geunduun, right?"

Sun Wukong shook his head.

"I told you, I also obtained the position of Buddha. Even so, I couldn't learn it properly."

"I don't know if the Tathagata you're talking about is the same foul-tempered Tathagata I know."

I knew well the Tathagata who would try to pull out his kidneys at the slightest thing, as if he had the blood of a battle race mixed in.

"He's famously foul-tempered to begin with."

"Then it must be the same one? The god he sent told me."

Even when I looked through books, I could see the phrase that the Tathagata had a fiery personality several times. It was probably the same person Sun Wukong was talking about.

"Haa… Was I set up?"

"What are you talking about."

Sun Wukong's voice, which had been pressing down heavily, loosened with a sigh.

"Have you ever heard the name Mara Papiyas?"

"Our dad?"

"……?"

"Han Ga-eul!!"

"What, it's our cute Haet-nim."

"Where on earth have you been!"

Haet-nim was breathing heavily in a hurry.

I thought he was a robot, but this was the first time I'd seen him so emotionally worked up. His usually blunt face was filled with bewilderment.

"What's wrong. Catch your breath and speak slowly. I'm not running away."

"Please help me. A gate to another dimension has opened."

"Suddenly?"

Haet-nim pointed behind him with his finger. There, a human with a round hole in his head was spewing blood. When I concentrated my vision and looked closely, it was someone I had seen in the tutorial waiting room. It seemed like some monstrous guy was indiscriminately killing them.

Contrary to what that damned master had said, it seemed like too much time had passed.

"All sorts of trash are coming out. Can't I just deal with them myself?"

"As it's a type of tutorial, I cannot intervene."

"Hmm. Fine then. But empty-handed?"

"……"

Haet-nim, who had slightly parted his lips to speak, closed his pretty lips without saying anything.

"I have nothing. I don't have anything better than the Seonghwi's Shield I gave you before."

"Why don't you have anything."

When I lightly touched Haet-nim's lips with my finger, he tilted his head in confusion.

"…Will that really be enough?"

"What do you mean 'really'? It's more precious than a thousand gold."

"Understood. What about the kiss you mentioned?"

"One sticky kiss from our cute Haet-nim would be more than enough."

Haet-nim, who had been sending me a gaze full of doubt, slowly opened his lips.

"Understood."

"Good. Who touched our Haet-nim? How should I deal with them? Smash their heads in?"

Haet-nim nodded quickly. He really seemed to be in a hurry.

"Stay with Baek Seol. I'll receive the reward after I take care of the urgent matter."

Baek Seol also seemed to understand the urgency and didn't whine about being left behind, quickly going over to Ariel.

Storm Ria 〈Iljin Gwangpung (一陣狂風)〉

Jecheon Daeseong Style Spell 〈Geunduun Sul (觔斗雲 術)〉

Paa-ang—!!

The moment I stomped on the ground with my foot.

My body had already arrived in front of the guy rampaging on the stage. My body, which I thought was strong, felt like it would be torn apart just from the headwind.

Jecheon Daeseong Style Yeoui Staff Art 〈Byeok (劈)〉

—Kwa-a-a-a-ang!!!!

Beyond the hard stone floor that had been decorated like a stage breaking apart, it exploded as if hit by a cannon. The guys standing on it were crushed along with it and disappeared into a handful of blood.

Tududuk.

Blood and flesh belatedly fell from the sky.

Ding!

The monster next to the guy who had been causing a ruckus belatedly noticed me and turned his head.

Cheondo Style Support Magic

"Ha, Hangbo…."

"Silence."

Kwadeuk!

"Kkeok! Keo-eok!"

"You insect bastard, after killing people to your heart's content, where do you get off trying to surrender."

The spectators who had been watching from the stands and the tutorial players gathered around all fell silent as if they had coordinated it. Through that silence, the boiling voice of the strangely shaped creature could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heard.

"Who… are you."

"The beautiful Earth's human representative, Han Ga-eul."

"…………"

"From now on, any alien friends who so much as open their mouths will have their heads smashed with an iron bat."

"Hang…."

Kwa-gwa-gak!!

The spinning Yeoui pierced through the alien's mouth and burst out the back of his head. Thick blood followed the Yeoui and soaked my hand.

《Choco Seoksoongi apologizes deeply to the god of another dimension, saying he is sorry for sending out such a harmful disturbance species in the tutorial team battle》

《The Demon of Samtan clutches his forehead at the fact that such a thing is humanity's representative》

"Next."