Chapter 10: The Summons of Jijoncheonma

Sirbert von Ernhem.

The ‘Enlightened One’ who appeared like a comet.

The moment he became known to the world, he was immediately invited as a full professor at the Imperial Academy thanks to the incredible network he had built up.

He enjoys the Chancellor’s boundless trust, and rumors abound that he is already earmarked for the next Dean position.

He’s featured in reputable public magazines like ‘Sirbert – Top 50 Most Influential People in the Empire’, and so on.

Yet, Sirbert himself was sighing deeply.

“Hoo… It’s going according to plan, but…”

He used the information from his days when this was still a game to build connections, quickly gain fame, and then leverage that to make even more connections.

That way, he finally succeeded in reaching the very heart of the Academy.

Compared to other former rankers, his martial prowess might be a bit lacking, but his political power and influence are second to none.

So far, none of the Bingija have reached the level of the original top players, so no one dares treat him lightly.

“But still… I can’t shake this anxiety.”

He was still uneasy.

He knew better than anyone just how powerful the disaster that was about to begin would be.

“Where on earth is that guy, and what is he doing?”

After being possessed by this world, his top priority was to find out where the other rankers were and make contact.

Of course, he excluded those who would be of no help or might even be a harm, and focused on the top 10 rankers who’d receive the most benefits.

Even more urgently, he tracked down the positions of the steadfast top 5 rankers.

It took a long time, but he eventually succeeded in building a network.

All except for one: Jijoncheonma.

“He always was a loner, but still…”

That aside, the guy’s game sense and knowledge were second to none.

Sirbert considered himself a pretty good gamer, but he always had to yield a step to that guy.

“We’re still in the early stages, but it’d be nice to know what he’s planning and where.”

He must know better than anyone how disastrous the game’s difficulty is.

‘Is it confidence that he can do it alone, or arrogance?’

Not knowing anything made Sirbert’s chest feel heavy.

***

Knock, knock—

“Come in.”

The ornate door to his room opened, and Assistant Professor Hoppen entered.

He was holding a piece of paper.

“A letter has arrived for you, Professor.”

“A letter?”

Sirbert took the paper Hoppen handed him, frowning in mild curiosity.

Given his wide and glittering network, most letters would be screened and handled before they ever reached him.

And this one didn’t even have any fancy seal or crest.

“Where did this come from?”

“Well… I was told you’d recognize it if I said it’s from that place you’ve been working on recently…”

“…What?”

There was only one place Sirbert had been focusing on recently.

The organization that controlled the Empire’s underworld.

The place where all the continent’s information converged.

The king of the assassins and information guilds.

Jason Klarok.

No matter how passionate a player one was about NPCs—even if they were as dedicated as Gijong Cheonma—Jason was a mysterious figure, almost impossible to even catch a glimpse of.

If he could just establish a connection with Jason, his future plans would become so much easier that he was putting in almost excessive effort.

“Is this finally a response?!”

Seeing Sirbert’s brightened expression, Hoppen also beamed and offered congratulations.

“I don’t know what it’s about, but congratulations, Professor!”

“Yes, yes. You may go now.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Hoppen left, Sirbert, still wearing a bright expression, hurriedly tore open the letter.

“…!”

It only took a moment for that expression to twist into shock.

Two days from now. Come to Delphir Village.

The letter contained only a very short, yet incredibly intense sentence.

Gijong☆Heavenly Demon★ is looking for you.

Sirbert leapt to his feet.

***

For Sirbert, the next two days flew by in a blur.

There was so much to prepare.

He’d been excited at the mention of ‘Jijoncheonma’, but the more he thought about it, the more strange things seemed.

“That guy’s been silent for two years, and now he’s looking for me?”

It was suspicious and yet gratifying that, out of everyone, he was the one being sought.

It was proof that he was either trusted or useful.

‘Still, I need to be careful.’

Sirbert wasn’t the only one who knew Jijoncheonma’s name.

Given that he was the overwhelming number one, nearly every ranker in the tens of thousands would know that name.

This could easily be a trap to lure Sirbert out.

‘For those who earn points through infamy, this is the ultimate bait.’

If someone could lure out the now-famous Sirbert and kill him, their notoriety would skyrocket.

Conversely, if Sirbert killed such a villain, he’d earn a huge amount of fame points.

That was the nature of relationships with Bingija who grew stronger by accumulating infamy.

“Professor. Preparations are complete.”

Sirbert turned around, his thoughts concluded.

“Coordinates are set. We can move whenever you give the word.”

The person addressing him was someone rarely seen, possessing a skill that could never be used for personal matters.

Eos, a user of large-scale teleportation skills.

By leveraging his personal network, Sirbert had managed to bring in Eos, who was affiliated with the Imperial family, for this mission.

Below the two of them, dozens of knights in gleaming armor stood in orderly formation.

They, too, were not people easily gathered.

An elite knight order, all of whom were Aura users.

All of this had been put together in just two days.

By mobilizing every connection he had, Sirbert had assembled a force that could break through any trap, even if he was heading straight into a villain’s ambush.

‘…It’s a bit excessive, but it’s worth it.’

It was just two days.

There was no time for proper explanations, persuasion, or procedure—he’d had to force it through.

But this was a summons from none other than Jijoncheonma.

He wouldn’t be calling for something trivial, so there would be results.

And even if it was a trap, capturing such a villain would still be a worthy achievement, so the risk was justified.

“Let’s go.”

Still, he couldn’t help but feel some tension.

He’d mobilized an elite knight order, called in a national-level large-scale teleportation user, and his own strength was formidable.

Even so, the weight of Jijoncheonma’s name pressed in, making him tense.

“Then, I will begin.”

Eos stretched both hands toward the sky.

At the same time, a flood of radiant light poured down from above.

The brilliant light enveloped Sirbert, Eos, and the knights, and then space itself began to ripple.

Eos’s unique skill, large-scale spatial movement, had been activated.

The transfer only took a moment.

It could only be used twice per day, but each use could take them anywhere on the continent—an incredible ability.

The fact that Sirbert had called on Eos showed how much he was staking on this.

‘Why did he want to meet in such a remote rural village…’

As that thought ended, his vision gradually cleared.

That was how long it took to move from the Empire’s center to its outskirts.

“Everyone to your positions! Begin defense, vigilance, and reconnaissance at once!”

Even before Sirbert’s vision was fully restored, the knight order began to move.

Though they hadn’t awakened their own skills, they were warriors who had trained their bodies and swords to the extreme.

By the time Sirbert’s eyes were fully open, the knights had spread out, standing guard in all directions with a tense, fierce energy.

And then—

Chaaang—

“Who goes there!”

Some of the knights on guard had drawn their swords and were pointing them at someone’s neck.

A middle-aged woman with red hair, and a girl with similarly red hair.

Sirbert flinched for a moment, but soon regained his composure.

‘Jijoncheonma being a woman… No way.’

It was such an absurd thought that he shook his head to dismiss it, and slowly approached the two women.

“Who are you, and why are you here?”

The girl looked barely of age, and her beauty was striking, but that was all.

She showed no signs of great power or any special quality.

If anything, the middle-aged woman looked terrified and was trembling.

She looked every bit the rural housewife, which made Sirbert even more suspicious.

No ordinary person would be waiting at a place summoned by Jijoncheonma.

‘Were these two infamous assassins seeking infamy, or special minions of Jijoncheonma?’

“Speak. Where is Ji… ahem, where is that guy, and why are you here instead?”

The knight’s sword pressed closer to their necks, and the two women grew even paler.

There were no other signs of people or anomalies around.

Only these two women stood there.

“I… I’m Claire!”

And then, an unexpectedly bold voice rang out.

“The person you’re looking for… told me to wait here for someone to come for me.”

Though her voice trembled with fear and her face was pale, there was surprising strength behind her words.

Sirbert looked into Claire’s eyes and saw a burning desire stronger than fear.

Interested, Sirbert questioned the girl who had introduced herself as Claire.

“You’re saying the person I’m looking for told you to wait here?”

“Yes…! He said if I waited, someone would come to take me away… I-I didn’t expect it would be like this, though…”

“Child. I really hate lies.”

An intangible force rippled out from Sirbert.

His very first basic skill, ‘Threat’.

And the advanced form he’d developed: ‘Killing Intent’.

An ordinary girl would never withstand the crushing pressure of his Killing Intent.

“I’ll ask one more time.”

Killing Intent slithered around Claire.

“Do you know who it is I’m looking for?”

Standing before Sirbert, Claire seemed frozen, unable to move.

‘Was this how a mouse felt before a predator?’

A moment ago, Sirbert’s eyes were normal, but now they flashed like a snake’s.

Even though the Killing Intent only circled her, not bearing down directly, it was hard to breathe and cold sweat began to bead.

Still… what’s not true isn’t true, and what’s unfair is unfair.

She was only following Hio’s instructions.

Hio had told her, if someone appeared, to use a different name instead of ‘Hio’, so Claire barely managed to open her mouth.

“J-jijon… chcheonma?”

At Claire’s words, the writhing Killing Intent vanished as if washed away.

But Sirbert’s suspicion didn’t disappear.

After all, the letter had Jijoncheonma’s name on it—couldn’t this suspicious girl know that name?

Then Claire slowly raised her hand to Sirbert.

“This… I was told to show you this when you arrived…”

She was holding a folded piece of paper, and one of the knights still holding a sword to her neck took it and handed it to Sirbert.

As Sirbert carefully unfolded the letter, his face scrunched up.

[Gijong Cheonma. I’m Jijoncheonma. I hear you became a professor at the Academy? I knew you would.]

The sloppily written letter contained a secret only the two of them could know—something no one else should ever learn.

–

Again, I never thought it was weird that you were into NPCs. Back then, sure, they were just graphics… but…

To think… he’d write about his black history not in Korean, but in the Continental Common Tongue, right out in the open!

Even if the language of the continent felt like his native tongue after being possessed, Jijoncheonma wouldn’t write this without a reason—it was a warning.

Proof that he was the real deal, and a warning at the same time.

He was saying, “I can reveal your black history whenever I want.”

Sirbert’s neatly combed hair became disheveled, and his hands trembled.

Now he was sure.

The girl called Claire really had met Jijoncheonma.

It had to be—because this was something Sirbert himself had drunkenly confessed to Jijoncheonma during the Ventair Online days.

Of course, NPCs in Ventair were just graphics on the other side of the monitor, but their actions and reactions felt less like programmed responses and more like real people, so Sirbert had fallen for the NPCs, eventually developing real feelings for one named ‘Rebecca’.

That—

Feeling both self-loathing and pathetic, he’d gotten drunk and logged into Ventair.

It was late in the game, so he often ran into the solo-playing Jijoncheonma, and maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was because they were both Korean, or maybe it was Jijoncheonma’s taciturn and cautious nature.

‘Or maybe he just wanted comfort from the overwhelming number one.’

So he’d poured out his worries, and as he’d hoped, Jijoncheonma gave him some advice.

He’d been so drunk, he barely remembered what was said.

“Did you ever meet Rebecca? I bet you just mooned over her and never confessed… Anyway, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Don’t even let Claire open the letter.”

“Hmm… probably?”

She probably didn’t see it.

He straightened his messy hair, carefully folded the letter, and put it away.

That’s not all.

Take Claire and raise her.

She’s got outstanding talent.

Sirbert looked at Claire with mixed feelings.

Claire just rolled her eyes, not understanding the meaning behind that gaze.

‘Is that girl really worth all this trouble?’

‘For someone who hadn’t shown himself in two years to stir up such a commotion?’

Well, that’s that.

“Child, don’t lie—did you read this letter?”

That was the most important thing.

Even if she had, she probably wouldn’t understand terms like NPC or ‘graphics’, but he had to be sure.

“He told me not to read it… so I didn’t.”

“…Good.”

Sirbert signaled to the knight.

“Sheathe your sword. I’ll vouch for her.”

“Yes, sir.”

***

As the sword finally left her throat, Claire took a deep breath, as if she could finally breathe again.

The middle-aged woman beside her looked like she was about to faint.

“It’s Claire, right? Then who’s this?”

“This is my mother, Selly.”

“…I’ve done something terrible, haven’t I.”

At any rate, Jijoncheonma had personally named him for this favor.

He’d never heard the name Claire, but if Jijoncheonma wanted something, there must be a reason.

Sirbert straightened his clothes, took out a business card, and handed it to Selly.

A sturdy teal border, and engraved in gold:

[Imenia Public Academy Full Professor: Sirbert von Ernhem]

With trembling hands, Selly barely managed to take the card and collapsed on the spot.

For an ordinary housewife, even a short time like this was almost unbearable.

Knights and nobles, brimming with a fearsome presence, appearing amidst a flood of light from the sky—things she’d never seen in her life.

And the experience of having a sword pressed to her throat, and being exposed, if only indirectly, to Sirbert’s Killing Intent.

“My… Lord Berne, could you help the lady up?”

With a knight’s support, Selly managed to stand, and Sirbert’s gaze turned back to Claire.

Unlike her mother, Claire’s eyes were filled less with fear and more with curiosity.

“Am I going to the Academy now?”

She even asked with an expectant tone.

Did she not understand that, had he suspected her even a little, she could have been killed on the spot?

Tell me everything you know about him. Where is he now, how did you meet, and what is he doing?

Before that, who sent you here?

At Sirbert’s question, Claire clamped her mouth shut.

Rather than cluelessness, it seemed to Sirbert that she had real resolve.

“I… can’t say.”

“Even though you don’t know what might happen if you don’t?”

Sirbert’s Killing Intent flickered again.

But Claire shook her head desperately.

“I absolutely… absolutely can’t. I promised.”

At that, Sirbert withdrew his Killing Intent and let out a chuckle.

She’s got guts. She’ll need to keep that up.

I’ve lost quite a bit today, really.

If he just took Claire and left with nothing else, he’d be taking a big loss.

He’d borrowed the knight order and Eos, a top-level Imperial asset, without proper procedures in just two days.

“Depending on what you do, today’s outcome could change.”

Still, he held out hope, because of the huge presence of Jijoncheonma behind this girl.

Just how talented was she, for him to reveal his name for her sake?

“…Yes!”

Claire nodded with a determined look, seeming to understand his words.

From this moment on, erase everything about him from your memory.

Don’t try to recall or speak of him again.

Among Bingija, Jijoncheonma’s name was absolute.

Even though the Bingija weren’t yet on par with the continent’s strongest, that wouldn’t last much longer.

Bingija grew stronger at a pace far beyond the locals, and had already infiltrated every corner, regardless of good or evil.

If it became known that Claire was connected to Jijoncheonma, she’d become a target for those looking to exploit that fact.

“That’s the only way you’ll survive.”

Even if she hid under Sirbert’s protection, there were limits.

The top rankers were all similarly strong or belonged to huge organizations.

“…Yes.”

Thinking she understood, Sirbert crouched down to meet Claire’s eyes.

“There’s only one thing I really want to ask you.”

This one, he asked with pure curiosity, not calculation.

“How was he?”

Just how far had he climbed?

It might have seemed vague, but Claire understood the deeper meaning and answered without hesitation.

“He was strong.”

If she closed her eyes, she could still see it clearly.

The gathering storm clouds.

The low rumble of thunder.

The image of Hio surrounded by thunder and lightning, filling the sky, like a god of thunder.

“…Like a god up in the sky.”

At that, Sirbert let out a wry laugh.

No matter how much, calling him a god…

He chalked it up to the emotional exaggeration of a sensitive girl.