Yeon Wol-rin
Yeon Wol-rin
"The Sun Moon Divine Cult?"
"......Now that I think about it, So-hyeop is from another world."
Namgung Jin recalled that I was from another world, but since his doubts remained, he asked again.
"But may I ask how you knew that name?"
"You know that each world is called Channel 1, Channel 2, and so on, right?"
"I have heard as much from Hye-gak Daesa."
"Yes. And each channel has a Temporary Manager, and that Temporary Manager is a person named Yeon Wol-rin."
When I answered, Namgung Jin then asked about the Temporary Manager.
"What is a Temporary Manager?"
"I can't manage all the channels myself. So, they are the people who manage the corresponding channel on my behalf."
"So that would be Yeon Wol-rin. Is there a criteria for becoming a Temporary Manager?"
If there was a criteria, there was one.
"It's just my guess, but it seems like the person with the strongest influence becomes the manager."
"Influence...... Influence over what?"
"It's likely influence over this current world, right?"
Also, this was just my guess, but I suspected that the person named Yeon Wol-rin might possess the strongest martial power.
'Or perhaps they possess the strongest faction.'
Or there was every possibility that it included both.
Namgung Jin also seemed to have an inkling of something, as he nodded without saying much else.
"I see. Thank you for telling me."
"Don't mention it."
But was the explanation that Yeon Wol-rin is the Cult Leader of the Sun Moon Divine Cult the end of it?
"What is the Sun Moon Divine Cult?"
"It is a place called the so-called Demonic Cult. The leader of that place is called the Heavenly Demon, and it is a place where the cultists worship that Heavenly Demon."
"It sounds like a place that isn't quite ordinary."
"Saying it isn't ordinary is an understatement, but So-hyeop does not need to know more than that."
Namgung Jin finished his explanation without teaching me anything further.
As someone who was personally thinking of having a conversation with Yeon Wol-rin, I fell into thought for a moment.
'Still, wouldn't it be okay to try talking through the Gallery?'
While I was thinking, Sirien, who had been waiting all this time, stepped forward.
"It's all finished now, right?! Next is me!"
"Are you going to be okay? He's incredibly strong."
"Being strong is a good thing."
Sirien said that being strong was simply good, and immediately applied for a duel toward Namgung Jin.
"Fight me!"
"A promise is a promise, so I have no choice."
The opponent accepts the duel.
Namgung Jin also accepted Sirien's duel, as a promise was a promise.
I moved far away so as not to disturb the two of them and turned my head to check on Jin Cheong-un.
'More importantly, has Jin Cheong-un gotten better?'
The reason I ended up dueling Namgung Jin was also because of Jin Cheong-un.
Therefore, when I checked personally, Jin Cheong-un was wearing a thoughtful expression, unlike before.
'Did he realize something from the sparring match just now?'
Namgung Jin's intention was clear.
That martial arts are far superior to guns.
'Thinking about it now, no matter how well one shoots a gun, it feels like they might never become a Transcendent.'
Conversely, martial arts could reach a Transcendent state like Namgung Jin.
In short, the ceiling is high, and perhaps Jin Cheong-un had realized that.
'On the other hand, guns have a high floor but a low ceiling.'
It was a fact I could clearly see through the duel with Namgung Jin.
'Even if I mobilized all the technology of Channel 4.......'
It goes without saying, but there must be many other outstanding weapons in Channel 4 besides the Taehwa 9th Form.
However, thinking about how Namgung Jin snapped my weapons in two from a distance, I felt that it wouldn't be very meaningful.
"......."
Would it actually be better to learn swordsmanship and swing monster claws?
'Huh?'
In the meantime, Jin Cheong-un, who had been agonizing alone, started walking toward me with jeobeok-jeobeok steps for some reason.
"Jo So-hyeop."
As soon as Jin Cheong-un approached, he called me with a dead-serious face.
I didn't know what it was about, but since he approached first, I asked what was the matter.
"Yes. What is it?"
"Jo So-hyeop, what were your thoughts when you lost the sparring match against the Sword Emperor-nim?"
What thoughts?
"Just that he's really strong? Other than that, not much else."
"......Since Jo So-hyeop is not a martial artist, you just move on without much thought."
It could be as Jin Cheong-un said, but even if I had learned martial arts, it likely wouldn't have been much different.
"Rather than moving on without much thought, it's just that he's that strong of a person."
"That may be so. For I, too, have held the goal of surpassing the Sword Emperor-nim."
"As you saw, my weapons didn't work either. Doesn't that mean martial arts are just that strong?"
Jin Cheong-un nodded as if he accepted my words to some extent, but his expression didn't look entirely refreshed.
Because while one could easily overcome a weapon like a gun if they reached the same realm as Namgung Jin, that was no easy task.
'He probably won't reach the Transcendent realm easily.'
He might not even reach it despite a lifetime of effort.
That's probably why Jin Cheong-un was wearing such an unsatisfied expression right now.
'Anyway, it seems the gun is the problem.'
Thinking that the reason Jin Cheong-un fell into Simma was because of the gun, I said nonchalantly.
"Alternatively, couldn't Jin So-hyeop just use a gun as well?"
"......A gun? Me, use a gun?"
"Yes. Besides, wouldn't a person who has learned martial arts shoot better than an ordinary person like me?"
Then, Jin Cheong-un blinked his eyes, showing an expression that asked what that meant.
"First of all, your eyesight has to be good, you have to predict the opponent's movements, and you have to quickly widen the distance if they approach."
"But the gun that Jin So-hyeop has is difficult to carry around......"
My Taehwa 9th Form was almost the size of my height.
If one carried that around without an inventory, it would certainly be inconvenient.
"On the contrary, there are also small guns."
So, I pulled the Plasma Pistol out of my inventory.
Then, I handed it to Jin Cheong-un and told him to try using it.
"Try firing it once. You just have to pull the trigger here."
Following my words, Jin Cheong-un fired the Plasma Pistol into the air.
As soon as he fired, a plasma light shot forward, and seeing that, Jin Cheong-un's expression gradually changed.
"Certainly. With this weapon, I could use it even while holding a sword."
"Try sparring with someone else too."
"A sparring match?"
"Because you'll be able to know for sure once you go through actual combat."
At my answer, Jin Cheong-un nodded and looked at the other people.
Fortunately, the others also seemed to want to help Jin Cheong-un, as I could see them stepping forward voluntarily.
'I guess he does have good people around him.'
Afterward, watching the sparring between Jin Cheong-un and another person, it was Jin Cheong-un's overwhelming victory.
First, if he fired the gun, the opponent had to block or dodge that gun, and their movements were disrupted in that way.
'And Jin Cheong-un doesn't miss that and seems to finish it with his sword.'
Furthermore, since he just had to aim roughly and pull the trigger, the movement was extremely minimal.
Not only that, but as the sparring matches repeated, I felt like Jin Cheong-un's attacks were gradually becoming more natural.
"......."
Also, I didn't know if it was my imagination, but Jin Cheong-un's complexion seemed to be getting brighter.
"Hahahat!"
No, it definitely got brighter.
As soon as the fourth sparring match began, Jin Cheong-un approached rapidly while firing the Plasma Pistol.
'It doesn't exactly look like a pleasant sight, though.'
Anyway, the opponent concentrated on defending against the Plasma Pistol attacks.
Jin Cheong-un, who had approached, swung his sword rapidly toward that opening and decided the match.
"This was it! The combination of martial arts and weapons! If there is a strong weapon, I just had to use it as well."
Is that right?
I didn't know if it was right or not, but for now, it seemed he had escaped Simma.
'......Did he not escape, but rather, did it progress further?'
I wouldn't know exactly, but for now, what was certain was that Jin Cheong-un seemed to have become stronger than before.
Of course, since he had become stronger only relative to similar opponents, I suspected he would still be no match for Hye-gak Daesa or Namgung Jin.
'But he wouldn't have been a match for those two even if he fought normally.'
I thought that if he could catch the minions of the Old Gods a bit better by fighting like that, then that would be enough.
"Jo So-hyeop."
And Jin Cheong-un, who had finished a total of six sparring matches, approached me with a lightened expression.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, I feel like I have realized the path I must take."
"Ah...... Is that so?"
In one corner of my mind, I thought that path might be the wrong one, but I didn't bother to say it.
It was because I thought that since there were a Semi-Transcendent and a Transcendent regarding martial arts, they would take care of it.
'Anyway.'
I slightly reached out my hand toward Jin Cheong-un.
"Then please give the gun back now."
"......Pardon?"
"The gun. I'll get you a different one."
The Plasma Pistol currently in Jin Cheong-un's hand was a gift I received from Dr. Know-it-all of Channel 4.
Since I couldn't give that to Jin Cheong-un, I tried to take it back, but Jin Cheong-un spoke as if asking what I was talking about.
"No, I have only just discovered my path, so what do you mean by asking for the gun back?"
"I said I'd get you a different gun. That gun is a gift I received from an acquaintance, so it's difficult for me to give it away."
"This gun seems to suit me well, so can you not give it to me?"
"Yes. I can't."
Then, Jin Cheong-un returned the gun to me with the same expression he had when he first entered the arena.
"If you're that upset, I'll try to find a gun just like this one."
"Is that true?"
"I don't think it will be difficult. Or I could even try to get a better gun."
Since the performance of military products in Channel 4 is superior, I would be able to get a better gun if I looked into that side.
"A better gun......"
For some reason, I felt like I knew what Jin Cheong-un was agonizing over.
"Or I'll send you several guns, so use the one you like."
"Ah. Would you do that for me?"
"Yes."
Only after I said I would send several guns did Jin Cheong-un nod his head.
Anyway, although the situation had become a bit strange, I thought it was fine since the Simma seemed to be resolved, and I looked at Sirien.
'Sirien is...... still fighting.'
I saw that the duel between Sirien and Namgung Jin ended quickly, but Sirien was continuously challenging him.
And Namgung Jin also seemed to find Sirien's competitive spirit interesting, as he continued to accept the duels.
"......."
It seemed like the duel between those two would take some time.
Furthermore, since there was also the arena usage time, I thought about what to do in the meantime and soon remembered Yeon Wol-rin.
'I was debating whether or not to talk to Yeon Wol-rin.'
If they were the person with the greatest influence here in Channel 1, we could be of help to each other, so I decided to try having a conversation.
'I guess I just need to request a 1:1 chat.'
I immediately requested a 1:1 chat with Yeon Wol-rin through the Channel 1 Manager section.
The opponent has accepted the 1:1 chat.
Fortunately, Yeon Wol-rin also accepted the conversation without refusing.
<Anon☆(1ch): To think you would be the first to address Us. What is your scheme?>
Scheme?
'Did she think I was an Old God?'
I decided to clear up the misunderstanding first.
<Survivor★(2ch): I am the Integrated Channel Manager of the Gallery. Could we perhaps talk?>
<Anon☆(1ch): Integrated Channel Manager?>
<Survivor★(2ch): First, let me explain this Doom Salvation Gallery to you.>
I told her that the Doom Salvation Gallery appears when more than 90% of the world's population dies, and that there are many such worlds.
<Anon☆(1ch): I see. However, this thing called a Gallery is equally suspicious.>
<Survivor★(2ch): It's certainly suspicious since it suddenly appeared because the population decreased.>
<Anon☆(1ch): And yet you use this thing called a Gallery?>
<Survivor★(2ch): Because the world will perish if we just stay still like this. We have to utilize whatever we can.>
Yeon Wol-rin seemed to understand what I said.
<Anon☆(1ch): Utilizing whatever you can, you say. Then the reason you addressed Us must be to check if there is anything you can receive help with.>
<Survivor★(2ch): More accurately, it's to find if there are parts where we can help each other.>
Until now, other people had also been desperate for help, so the conversation had proceeded from this point, but this time was different.
<Anon☆(1ch): We refuse. For We have no need for the help of others.>