Chapter 66: The Divine Move (11)
The finals between Han Sewoon Kuksu and Jaypha AI, hailed as the match of the century, had just begun.
Right here, in this old and worn-out café.
A match of the century should have been held in a proper venue with broadcasting stations gathered, but the scene looked shabbier than the gaming competitions that used to take place in neighborhood PC rooms during childhood.
At this historic mont when Korea’s representative Baduk player once again challenged a computer as a human being.
All humanity could offer was a Wi-Fi password, a cup of coffee priced at 3,500 won, and a bottle of cold water given with so thought in case he got thirsty.
Of course, there was a reason things had turned out this way.
As I recently learned, the Onga Baduk platform had long since deteriorated.
With Baduk AIs released as open source, it had beco impossible to determine whether the opponent was human or AI.
To make matters worse, AI developnt companies began to openly use victories against top online players as promotional material, further distorting the scene.
Though it was said things improved slightly at higher ranks where high-performance AIs couldn’t yet run on ho computers, even then, matches were plagued by mutual suspicion.
Once distrust took root, no amount of innocence could erase it.
And that distrust had reached its pinnacle in this very finals.
Interest in Baduk plumted at an unimaginable rate after humans conceded the top spot to computers, and most of the chat during the match predicted a second definite defeat for Han Sewoon Kuksu.
Since Sanyi had tactfully gone upstairs, I watched the match quietly on my phone with Elder Gumiho, each of us with an earbud in.
(Jaypha, holding white, has opened with the knight’s move. As expected, Jaypha’s opening strategy is sharp. Taking the star point is a hallmark of AI play.)
(Indeed. It’s likely because they determine it efficient to destroy the opponent’s territory while simultaneously expanding their own. AIs often outread pro players, making such offensives highly effective.)
-Tak.
(Han Sewoon 9-dan responds calmly.)
(But once Jaypha turns defensive, it rarely relinquishes the initiative, does it?)
-Tak.
(Indeed! Now it’s attacking another star point simultaneously. It’s forcing a brawl to induce a mistake. This is beginning to resemble the match where Han Sewoon 9-dan was defeated last ti.)
-Tak. Tak.
As more stones were placed, the comntators’ voices grew more spirited.
Stones tangled here and there, and in the blink of an eye, each had carved out its own territory. And the white side clearly had the larger area.
(Was it too much again this ti? Black hardly seems to find any entry point. Park Gidong 9-dan, how do you assess this ga now that we’re in the midga?)
(The ga isn’t over yet. Han Sewoon 9-dan excels in brawls and offense. He will surely find a breakthrough!)
-GreatStone: Nope, it’s over. We lost.
-GyeonhwonJigan: What are you talking about! Lost again!? It’s a total wipeout!?
-winbd1224: Baduk can’t beat AI anymore. For real. ㄷㄷ
-MinwookZwa: That ended in such an anticlimaxㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Zgzzgggg: If Jaypha wins the prize, are they gonna upgrade its shell or sothing? Straight up AI exploitation? ㅋㅋㅋ
-BachelorAssoc: Just defended till the end, tsk tsk
……
‘Did he lose?’
Even Elder Gumiho, who had little interest in Baduk, seed imrsed and mouthed the question to .
I gave a slight shake of my head.
He hadn’t lost. He had only been waiting for the mont to strike back.
-Tak.
(Oh! Just as we said that, Han Sewoon 9-dan’s stone pierces deep into enemy lines. This shape is very similar to the one Han Sewoon 9-dan suffered yesterday.)
(Yes! This move clearly aims to carve out a chance by eating away at enemy territory from within!)
(But it’s such a reckless attack. Isn’t creating two bases inside enemy land virtually impossible?)
(What are you saying! He’ll definitely succeed with this attack! Han Kuksu! Han Kuksu! Can you hear ? You can’t lose! You have to win this ti!)
(Park Gidong 9-dan! Please, calm down a bit! Let’s stay objective in our comntary…)
(Do you even know how much Han Kuksu has suffered after losing to Jaypha!? Han Kuksu!)
-GyeonhwonJigan: LMAO the 9-dan gatekeeper just lost itㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-tiniy: Crazyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-RecordCollector: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
……
While the comntator tried to restrain Park Gidong 9-dan, who looked close to tears, the chat window was virtually buried in strings of ㅋㅋ.
It was a testant to how pivotal this next move was.
-Tak.
And at last, the move that drove a wedge straight into the enemy’s heart was placed.
Truly, a divine move.
(Han Sewoon 9-dan! A flawless connection! And finally, he succeeds in toppling the massive fortress that is Jaypha!)
(Han Kuksu! Sewoon! Well done, Sewoon! You hear , right? You did great! Huaaang!)
(Um, Park Gidong 9-dan! Please don’t approach the stage! Park Gidong 9-dan!)
As the comntary and chat window grew more chaotic, Han Sewoon Kuksu, seated quietly in the café, showed no sign of disturbance.
He simply unplugged his earphones and began closing his laptop—no trace of celebration on his face.
Then, tidying up his seat, Han Sewoon Kuksu approached the counter and handed over a 10,000-won bill for the coffee he drank.
“Keep the change. I’ve stayed too long. Sothing important happened, but this seat was just too comfortable. Well then.”
"Just a mont."
"Yes?"
I gave a polite bow and called out to Han Sewoon Kuksu, who had grabbed the doorknob to leave.
"Congratulations… on your victory. Yesterday was enjoyable."
"Then… could it be?"
Instead of answering, I pointed to the business registration certificate hanging on the wall.
"Dangsari… Café……."
"Yes, please visit again next ti. We have many custors here who love Baduk."
This place was a café.
It didn’t particularly welco new custors, but neither did it turn away those who ca.
Especially not those who arrived from the depths of despair, seeking solace with desperate hearts.
A week had passed since the day Han Sewoon Kuksu defeated Jaypha.
"Delivery!"
"Yes, I’m coming out now."
"The nas are Giseong, Giseon, Gieun, and Kim Jinseong? Huh? They're all different people?"
"Yes, they’re all correct."
"Ah."
The chauffeur tilted his head at the list of recipients, then, upon seeing the three Immortals sheepishly raise their hands, he nodded in understanding.
"Yes, confirmation complete. Have a good day!"
After the chauffeur left, we gathered together and opened the delivered packages on the table.
It was the package we had waited for so eagerly.
Four large 21-inch tablets.
Of course, I had bought one with my own money, but the rest were prizes earned by the Immortals after clinching a clean victory while I had collapsed asleep.
There was no ti to configure them one by one.
The expectant gazes behind weighed heavily, so I had to hand them over as quickly as possible.
I powered on all four simultaneously and installed the Onga Baduk app.
And as soon as they received their tablets, the Immortals dove into matches with nimble hands.
"This is quite convenient."
"The glass board is much larger than before, so there’s no risk of misplacing stones."
Each tablet cost 1.2 million won, so it was only natural that the performance was excellent.
It felt like a bit of a waste to use such expensive devices solely for playing Baduk, but with this, I would be pestered far less by the Immortals.
Just that alone made it worth the cost of one unit from my pocket.
"After all that fuss, you finally managed to win those. Are you satisfied now?"
"Yes, it’s been a long week."
"The fact that you opened the gate to the afterlife has surely been noticed even in the Heavenly Realm. But since only Immortals have co down without any major movent so far, it seems they intend to hush it up."
"I didn’t think it would turn into such a big deal."
"Precisely because it’s sothing no one else can do. Opening the gate to the afterlife in this world—perhaps even Yeomra would struggle. Tsk tsk, your Divine Eye seems to grow more powerful by the day."
"I hadn’t really thought of using it. Even now, that hasn’t changed."
Of course, I wasn’t the sa person I used to be.
If the ti ca when I had to open the Divine Eye, I wouldn’t hesitate anymore.
Because I had already accumulated more than enough regrets from hesitation in the past.
"Would you like another cup of coffee?"
"Sounds good."
"I want milk!"
" too!"
"Alright, just a mont."
And so another uneventful day began.
-Ding.
"Welco."
"Hello. I ca… hoping to play a ga of Baduk."
Han Sewoon Kuksu, awkwardly smiling at stating his purpose outright, showed the foldable Baduk board in his hands.
No matter how many tablets we had, perhaps he was destined never to give up Baduk completely.
anwhile, at the office of Soul Escort Team 5.
"Deputy General Manager."
"What?"
"I don’t have anything more to write. What should I do?"
"I’m sorry. I’ll make sure this never happens again. It was due to my lack of ability, and to prevent recurrence—"
"I’m done writing, but there’s still a huge blank space. Ugh."
Employee Shin Ji-hye pouted at the written explanation form before her.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t think of another sentence to add.
In fact, having to write this report in the first place felt unjust.
How was it her fault that the soul had already found peace by the ti she arrived?
If there was any fault, it was her own rash decision to volunteer for this position out of a sense of duty.
But no matter how unfair it felt, the written explanation still had to be filled out.
Employee Shin Ji-hye picked up her pen again.
"I’m done!"
"Already?"
"You’ll get used to it after writing enough of them, Shin."
"I don’t want to get used to writing written explanations! And I have no idea how to write a prevention plan! The soul just ascended—what are we supposed to do about that?"
"You have to find them."
"But the soul probably went straight for reincarnation!"
"Not the soul—the one who made them ascend. If we leave it be, the registry’s going to beco a complete ss. And you’ll be writing your beloved written explanations every day."
"W-We’ve got to find them quickly, then!"
"Exactly. So hurry up and write."
What Deputy General Manager Oh Chang-sik said was the worst-case scenario for the two of them.
One written explanation for each ascended soul.
If the culprit was in good condition and managed to ascend two or three souls a day, they wouldn’t just be buried in written explanations—they’d be drowning in endless paperwork related to this matter.
-Scribble. Scribble scribble.
Cornered on all sides, Employee Shin Ji-hye began filling the report with nonstop writing.
All to find the root cause of this ss as soon as possible.
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