Chapter 55: Chapter 55

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Upon arriving on the island, the first thing I did was, of course, look for the master's Go board.

After all, that was the whole purpose of the trip.

I set off with Baek Seol, Soo-ah, and the rest of the Jojob—carrying them like they were my personal porters.

Our destination was a cave located on the coast. It was in a slightly precarious spot, but as long as we were careful, there shouldn't be any problems.

Luckily, we found the cave without any major trouble, and there, I discovered a Go board covered in dust and a skeleton lying collapsed on top of it.

“Wow... it’s really here. Where do you even find stuff like this, Master? Do you have a portal or something?”

“There’s always a way.”

I didn't want to touch it, but I carefully moved the skeleton aside.

Then I gently brushed the Go board, which had dried blood caked on it.

A huge amount of dust stuck to my hand.

—“You insolent brat!!!”

Suddenly, a thundering shout nearly burst my eardrums.

“Kyaaa!!”

Soo-ah screamed and hastily drew her gun, while Baek Seol unsheathed her sword.

The rest of the Jojob girls dropped to the ground in terror, but amidst the chaos, Ina-eun calmly pulled out her Terminator.

Everyone’s reactions were just on point.

“Ah, it’s fine. No need to be scared.”

“Hick... M-Master... that... that’s not a hologram! It’s a g-ghost...!!”

A transparent figure floated above the Go board.

—“You're a strong one, aren't you?”

“Master Korea-young, a humble disciple from a distant generation has come to pay his respects.”

—“?!!”

...

...

—“I will retract my stone from the top right corner.”

I picked up the black stone and placed it where he indicated.

Then I extended the white stone in response.

—“I'll cut here.”

Tok.

I placed his black stone where he directed, and I countered with a white stone.

—“Hmm.”

...

This was no ordinary Go board. It belonged to Master Korea-young, the greatest Go genius in human history, who dominated the global Go scene until 2024.

The records he set, winning world championships for 20 consecutive years and holding all the titles from the Korean Go Institute, the Japanese Go Institute, and the Chinese Go Association, were not only unprecedented but remain unbroken to this day.

People consider him to be a one-of-a-kind genius who will never appear again.

So, why is he now haunting this Go board as a ghost?

It's a bit of a tragic story. It was around the time when Go AIs were emerging left and right, and people started saying that human Go was becoming obsolete and that Go was no longer an art.

Most Go players accepted this and adapted to the changes, but Korea-young refused to.

He believed that humans could still compete and even defeat AI.

But the reality was harsh, and after becoming increasingly disappointed with the AI-dominated Go world, he announced his retirement and went into seclusion.

No one could find him after that, and with the outbreak of the Third World War in 2027, the world became too chaotic to search for him.

‘Turns out he took his life on this forgotten island, with the Go board he cherished most by his side.’

As an aside, the term "Master" (명인, Meijin) is actually borrowed from the Japanese Go world. The game developers used this term instead of "Guksu" (국수), the term used in Korea, because they thought “Guksu's Go board” sounded too much like a noodle dish, which caused quite a stir at the time...

—“You…”

Korea-young glanced at the board and sighed deeply.

His voice had a troubled tone.

—“Your Go skills... they’re terrible, aren’t they?”

“Well, I am playing against the greatest genius in Go history. Isn’t that expected?”

—“No, even before that, your fundamentals are completely lacking. I gave you a nine-stone handicap, and you’re still being crushed like this?”

“...”

Well, of course.

The only experience I had with Go was playing mini Go on a 9x9 board.

I could read localized moves to some extent, but I had no idea how to read the overall board or where to place my stones strategically.

—“Sigh... So, it’s come to this. AI has devoured the Go world... The skills of Go players have regressed so much…”

“That’s an exaggeration. I’m just an ordinary person. Go players are still doing fine.”

—“Hmm. Is that so? What year are you from?”

“It’s the year 76, Master. 2076.”

His eyes widened in shock.

—“2076?? That much time has passed? It’s been 50 years since I died? Ha...”

“Yes, and the Go world is still thriving.”

—“Thriving? How can mere humans carry on the Go world when AI has taken over all aspects of it? Humans can’t compete in reading moves, analyzing positions, or anything at all.”

It seemed he was still deeply shaken.

For someone who had rejected AI so vehemently in life, hearing these words must have hit hard.

“Most AIs were scrapped.”

—“What?”

“In 2027, China started the Third World War.”

—“What?! Damn those rotten Chinese bastards.”

“During the war, the damage caused by AI was so severe that it’s now heavily regulated, like the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. AI has been largely phased out, except in a few essential industries. And in Go, it’s been completely banned.”

—“...So, in the end, humans didn’t defeat AI after all.”

“Well, smashing computers with hammers is kind of a victory, right? It’s like the saying, ‘All roads lead to Seoul.’”

—“But if you take that road, humans will die just as easily. What’s the point?”

“True.”

He let out a deep sigh.

Having been trapped here for 50 years, now that he’d met me, it seemed like he had a lot on his mind.

—“I want to play Go... Not this strange Go, but real Go!”

All right, then.

“Well, how about you come with me? My grandfather is a huge Go fan.”

—“Is he a pro?”

“No, just an amateur.”

—“Hmm... Well, I suppose I have no choice.”@@novelbin@@

He seemed a bit disappointed.

Even though I was offering to free him after 50 years, he didn’t hide his displeasure.

His attitude was a bit off, but since this was meant to be a gift for my grandfather, I let it slide.

—“Wait a moment. Did you say China started a world war? In 2027?”

“Yes.”

—“And now it’s 2076?”

“Yes, it is.”

—“...What happened? Our country? You’re not Chinese, are you? Damn those—”

“China lost Inner Mongolia to Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang gained independence, and everything north of the Yellow River is now part of Korea. The southern region of China was split into 20 different states.”

—“What?!”

This old man seemed even more shocked by this than by hearing it was the year 2076.

—“Is that... really true?”

“Why would I lie to you, Master? As soon as you step outside, you’ll find out for yourself.”

—“Huh... This is... unbelievable... What about Japan? If China collapsed, what happened to Japan? They, along with Korea and China, were practically the whole world of Go.”

“Japan suffered a catastrophic collapse during the Third World War due to the Nankai Trough Earthquake.”

—“Eh?”

“A 10.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Nankai Trough, followed by the eruption of Mount Fuji five days later, and then an 8.9 earthquake struck Tokyo two weeks after that. The country’s infrastructure was paralyzed for quite some time. They’re still recovering from the damage.”

—“...”

“...”

—“...”

“...”

—“What kind of world do you live in? Is Korea still intact?”

“Yes.”

Though technically, it’s a corporate dictatorship wearing the mask of democracy, it’s still one of the most stable nations around.

—“Ahem... Well, in any case, I understand. If you help me escape from here, I’ll do whatever I can for you. Are you interested in becoming the strongest Go player?”

“I’m not, but my grandfather might be. I intend to gift this Go board to him.”

—“I see. You’re a filial grandson. Very well. I’ll leave it in your hands, then.”

Master Korea-young, who had been conversing with me as a transparent figure, slid back into the Go board.

The once lively cave returned to its quiet state.

“...I can’t believe there really was a ghost. Master, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go anywhere dark again.”

“To think we were so biased, assuming humans were the only things that existed in the world...”

Soo-ah and Baek Seol both made comments, while the other girls continued whispering nervously.

I packed up the Go board and gestured towards the fragmented remains.

“Bring the remains too. We’ll present them to Grandfather as well.”

“Yes, Master. But... do you think he’ll really appreciate this Go board? It’s so old and worn.”

“When you can have anything you want, the size of the gift doesn’t matter. It’s the sincerity that counts.”

Besides, our dear Go Yeong-man is a fanatic when it comes to Go.

There’s no way he wouldn’t recognize the name Korea-young, who left such a monumental mark on Go history.

Presenting the Go board, the remains of Korea-young’s final moments, and a board that allows for conversations and even Go matches—it should be more than meaningful enough as a gift for Chuseok.

“Master, how about buying the island along with it? It could add more meaning to the gift.”

“Hm? The island?”

“Yes.”

Baek Seol gazed wistfully at the spot where the Go board and remains had been.

“This is the place where the deceased spent their final moments... The place where they ended their life, and where they remained for 50 years. It could carry significance.”

“Hm.”

That sounded reasonable.

“Soo-ah, contact the island’s owner and tell them I’m buying it. Payment will come later, with interest included.”

“Understood.”