Chapter 115: Soul Art Online (11) |
Was there any way to defeat the GM within the game? Of course not.
Inside the game, the GM was the embodiment of a god.
Even the top-ranked player, boasting transcendental powers, was nothing more than an insect before a single click from the GM.
Even if someone somehow borrowed the GM’s powers through a program, they were still just a commoner who would vanish the moment they got banned.
But then—did that mean there was no way to win against a GM?
Not quite.
If you couldn’t win inside the game, then just win outside of it.
And that was exactly what the Black Sheath was for.
The Heavenly Demon Keyboard.
This servant forcefully imposed Mara’s will in any information war, no matter the cost.
Naturally, it had no regard for information achieved through enlightenment.
On the contrary, it smashed through it even more violently.
So, the master of Cheonji had used a transcendent seal that even surpassed GM-level authority?
Then the Black Sheath would simply twist the physical servers running the game itself and enforce the will of the Heavenly Demon.
And this—
This was the result.
“My item disappeared!!! I worked so hard for it!!!”
“What the hell—screw this—server—lag—”
The game was imploding.
In other words, the world was collapsing.
Yoo Hajin quickly browsed the Lost Soul community and made a decision.
If the game really collapsed like this… then what would happen to Nayu’s Mother?
Would she return to reality?
Or vanish into nothingness, lost as data?
Yoo Hajin had no idea.
“I can’t use the Black Sheath anymore.”
He had no choice but to negotiate.
Even if they were war criminals on the verge of starting a nuclear war, negotiation was the only option left.
“And to keep the game running… we need the GMs.”
Yoo Hajin set his character’s facial expression to stern seriousness.
In reality, he was filled with anxious worry that Nayu’s mother would disappear along with the game.
But in-game? No such thing showed.
And so, the negotiation began.
“You want to negotiate?”
GM Hyunjae stared at the man before him.
A man radiating a cold, cruel atmosphere, completely devoid of emotion.
‘I can’t read him.’
Even in this situation, his expression showed no sign of unease.
It was as if he could wipe out everyone in the room without a second thought.
GM Hyunjae found himself unconsciously impressed.
Of course, he had no idea that Yoo Hajin was trembling and muttering to himself in real life:
“Stay calm stay calm stay calm stay calm…”
Then, with his character still in serious-mode, Yoo Hajin spoke.
“You saw what happened earlier, right?
You all want to get out of here, don’t you?
Well, I can make that happen.”
Possibly, that is.
One more person escaping might just cause the entire game to collapse—but there was no reason to mention that in a negotiation.
“So, you’re saying you want something in return for helping us escape?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
Yoo Hajin responded with a blank expression.
“But even if we escape this place, doesn’t mean we can return to reality, right?”
Could there really be a way to escape to the real world?
If there was, he’d smuggle out Nayu’s mother immediately—and take Nayu and himself with her.
“Foolish. The real world is full of abandoned bodies with their souls detached.”
Ah, so that’s what it was.
That’s why it was a soul-separation machine.
Real-world Yoo Hajin was shocked—but in-game Hajin showed no surprise.
“So, you knew as well.”
“Of course I did. I was simply asking if there’s another way.”
Was body-snatching the only option?
He couldn’t allow such a twisted method—not for Nayu, not for her mother.
That would mean her mother would have to stay in this world forever.
Yoo Hajin, understanding this, continued.
“If there truly is no other way, then there’s nothing left to say. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Wait, why?”
“Do you know how I was able to escape the Vault of Heaven?”
No reply.
Clearly, they didn’t know how he managed it either.
So, Yoo Hajin confidently began weaving his lie, the Heavenly Demon Bluff.
“I escaped using the power granted by the master of Cheonji.
He pitied his descendants and disciples, and said to save those who regained their humanity first.”
“He… really said that?”
Yoo Hajin changed his facial expression to one of heartfelt sincerity.
This was now Master of Acting, Heavenly Demon Yoo Hajin.
“A mother’s sacrifice for her daughter.
Nayu’s mother had shown enough humanity to meet the Lord’s standards. That’s why she was saved.”
Of course, it was all a bluff.
But the hereditary priests had no way of knowing that.
“But you… you haven’t changed at all.
I’m disappointed.”
With those words, Yoo Hajin turned to leave.
“Then, I’ll be—”
“Wait!!!”
GM Hyunjae’s voice rang out in desperation.
“Hold on! Didn’t you say you wanted to negotiate?!”
“And how can I negotiate when you’re not even acting like it?
You’re just waiting for a chance to overpower me—and if that fails, you’ll summon Nayu’s mother back to the Vault and use her to lure in Nayu, right?”
Yoo Hajin’s expression returned to stern seriousness.
“Tch… That’s—!”
Click. Nailed it.
Yoo Hajin pressed on quickly.
“Swear you won’t try anything like that again. That’s the basic condition for this negotiation.”
“Haa… Very well. As one who governs the laws that anchor time, I swear it—”
With the vow secured, Yoo Hajin smiled.
“Alright then, let’s begin negotiations.”
And with that, the negotiation—otherwise known as extortion—began.
“Wait, why are you asking for the location of the secret vault—?”
“Aha!!! Can’t let go of your material desires, I see?! I’ll be reporting all of this directly to the master!”
“G-Grrgh…”
Yep, it was that kind of vibe.
“Come on, recite the way your family trains its disciples.”
“But that’s our clan’s secret technique…”
“Aha!!! Still obsessed with your bloodline, I see! Harboring the intent to drive all commoners to extinction! Add a hundred more years in the Vault of Heaven!”
“W-What does that even have to do with anything—?”
“Make that two hundred more.”
You get the picture.
Having neatly collected all the information from the Hereditary Martial Clans, Yoo Hajin felt fantastic.
But his character’s face stayed stoic and serious, unwavering.
“This instructor can be either an angel or a demon, depending on how you act. So show me some sincerity—more sincerity!!”
“You… When will you return with confirmation from the master?”
“That depends entirely on you!”
Of course, no one who ever spoke that way actually became an angel.
And Yoo Hajin was no exception.
So, with arms full of the Hereditary Martial Clans’ precious heirlooms Yoo Hajin used a scroll to escape the Vault of Heaven.
Once outside, he made his way to a beach in the beginner’s zone.
The scenery was beautiful, and only weak monsters spawned there—it was a safe place.
Far off on that peaceful beach, Nayu was proudly talking to her mom, Narin.
She spoke about how hard she’d worked and how strong she’d become.
About how she’d fought evil spirits like a true hero and saved so many people.
About the companions she’d met and grown close to.
Nayu didn’t talk about the pain or the sadness.
She just told her mom how much she’d missed her.
“I really missed you, Mom…”
“Me too. I missed you so, so much, my sweet girl…”
Narin gave a faint, gentle smile.
“Please keep looking after Nayu for me. You’re someone very precious to my daughter.”
And with that, Nayu’s mother, Narin, fell asleep in her daughter’s arms.
Nayu said nothing—she only bowed her head, doing her best to hold back the tears.
“I-I’m not crying. Really…”
“The Lord of Heaven and Earth is one thorough god… Just in case someone ever escaped the Vault…”
Narin had fallen into a deep sleep.
Not in a metaphorical way. She was literally afflicted with a status effect called Heavenly Sleep.
Who would’ve expected a double-layered curse?
Not Yoo Hajin.
Most likely, it was a curse designed to activate if only Nayu’s mother was saved without the rest of the clan escaping.
“No... The Lord probably sees this as part of her enlightenment training too. He wants her to cling even harder to enlightenment so she can break the curse on her mom.”
Yoo Hajin looked down at Nayu with a soft, pained gaze.
“Hngh… I-I’m not a kid. I’m not crying, seriously…”
You’re wrong, kid.
Adults cry too.
He cried when he saved Jamsuni, and he cried when he realized the pain Nayu carried.
And while Yoo Hajin was embarrassed about it, he also knew there was no helping it.
You can’t turn human emotions on and off like a light switch.
So, he ran straight to Nayu’s room.
He pulled off her sunglasses and hugged the tear-filled girl tightly.
That was the only thing he could do for her right now.
“Adults cry like hell too. It’s okay.”
And in Yoo Hajin’s arms, Nayu cried her heart out.
Meanwhile, back in the sanctuary of the Great Demon Gate, a storm was brewing.
“Who… WHO dares interfere with the enlightenment of my successor?! Even the evil gods aided us this time—how dare anyone—!”
“…I just wanna go home.”
The rage of the master of Cheonji shook the skies and the earth.
Even the Demon God, said to be the master of the future, trembled and rattled the sanctuary of the Great Demon Gate in fury.
In this moment—when even the gods were trembling and everyone stood frozen in seriousness—a single person was different.
A white-haired member of the Baekdu clan muttered under her breath with a distant look in her eyes, careful not to let anyone else hear.
“I miss him… Next time, I want to—”
Even the Heavenly Immortals were gripped by fear.
But the tiger, clutching its own tail, reached into its pouch and pulled out a scrap of cloth—
A piece of fabric from the pants once worn by the man who had long ago visited the tiger’s cave.
“Next time… I really want to.”
The cloth still faintly held the scent of its former owner.
Baek Yoorin of the Baekdu clan brought it quietly to her face.
And the Great Demon Gate began to rage even more violently.
– – The End of The Chapter – –
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