Chapter 62

62. The Prodigy Girl

ELF Zero.

It was an artificial intelligence Go program created by Inssa, the world's largest social networking service, and made freely available to the public. It was the strongest Go player in existence.

Siwoo followed his older brothers to the Go academy's advanced class for a visit and discovered ELF Zero installed on the academy's computer. When he got home, he tried downloading the artificial intelligence ELF Zero onto his mother's laptop.

"Hmm, so you're the legendary Go god I've only heard about? I was once called the Go god too. How about we play a game?"

Late at night.

Siwoo, with a laptop on the table of the Kayo bus, started ELF Zero with a curious expression.

The Go board appeared on the laptop screen.

"It's really amazing to see it on a computer. Come on, come on! I've never played Go at full strength because I've never had a worthy opponent! I'll see if you have the qualifications to be my match!"

Siwoo, who had never lost a full-strength Go match, confidently challenged the current Go god.

And a few hours later.

Siwoo was floating in the living room, sipping a strawberry-flavored juice.

"Ah... I've opened Pandora's box. I shouldn't have installed it on the laptop."

It was a crushing defeat.

Siwoo, who had been hiding his abilities at the Go academy and acting like a god of Go, realized he needed to study.

– In the old days, I was beautiful too~

As he left the building after finishing at the academy, a song by Youngmin played from a mobile phone store on the first floor.

Youngmin's recently released new song "In the Old Days, I Was Beautiful" not only topped the music charts but also created a huge buzz on MyTube, following his previous hit "Baby."

Especially, the reaction overseas was even more enthusiastic than in Korea.

Although Siwoo hadn't fully realized it yet, his popularity was also skyrocketing.

Holding his mother's hand and humming Youngmin's song, Siwoo returned home.

"Siwoo, do you want a snack? Do you want cereal?"

"Uh-huh~ Chocolate cereal~"

"Okay. What do you want to do after eating? Do you want to play online Go?"

"Uh-huh!"

A few days ago, Siwoo's pride as a Go god was shattered by the artificial intelligence ELF Zero, and he decided to humbly accept reality.

At the very least, he wasn't skilled enough to challenge that ELF kid yet.

Without using the forbidden magic to enhance his brain's abilities, there was no way he could win.

So, he decided to start from the beginning and sort out the human world first.

It wasn't that he wanted to take out his frustration on humans after losing to the ELF.

He just needed to confirm whether he was still the strongest in the human world.

So, Siwoo nagged his mother to get a phone verification and joined Handol Go, the largest internet Go site with a global integrated server.

Xianzhu, unsure if a five-year-old could do this, called Master Choi Tae to ask, and got the answer that it would be good to let Siwoo experience it once since he learned so quickly.

After eating chocolate cereal with milk, Siwoo went to the small room and sat in front of the laptop.

"Siwoo, do you know how to turn on the Go program? I'll do the dishes, so you can play."

"Uh-huh! I know~ Mom, I love you!"

"I love you too~"

As soon as his mother left the room, Siwoo's expression changed dramatically.

He transformed from a cute child into a cold and calculating competitor.

Siwoo, who had connected to the Handol Kids Go server for minors, checked his username and rank.

He chose a username based on a nickname Jiho often called him.

Shortening "SiwooSiwoo" to "ShuShu."

Unfortunately, "ShuShu" was already taken, so he registered as "YoonShuShu" with his last name.

Next to the username, it said 30 kyu, the lowest level in Go, and at the end, his nationality and the太极旗 (Taegukgi, the Korean flag) were displayed.

"Since I beat 2-dans yesterday, I should play against 3-dans today. I hope they'll accept my challenge."

As a complete beginner at 30 kyu, most of the time, his friendly match requests to experts were ignored.

Occasionally, a match would be accepted.

After sending out match requests to 3-dans, Siwoo switched to the Handol Go main page to browse the latest news while waiting for someone to accept his challenge.

"…Hmm?"

Then, a news article title caught Siwoo's eye.

"First-grader at 5-dan?"

Just because it was a kids' Go server didn't mean it should be underestimated.

It couldn't be said definitively that the general server was stronger than the kids' server, except for professionals.

Especially, the top ranks of the kids' Go server for those under 18 were filled with prodigies from Korea, China, and Japan who were on the verge of turning pro.

Siwoo clicked on the article.

A pretty girl with fair skin was sitting in front of a Go board, smiling with her mother.

* * *

Sua was reading an article about herself.

Although she felt embarrassed by the title "Prodigy Girl," she was gradually getting used to being called that by adults.

– A match request has been received.

Sua checked the match request she had received.

"…"

Sua's beautiful eyes blinked.

She hadn't seen it wrong.

"…30 kyu?"

At 30 kyu, did they even know the rules of Go?

Sua smiled, finding it amusing, and after a moment's thought, accepted the request.

Not 3 kyu, but 30 kyu.

It was undoubtedly a prank request after seeing her article.

– The match is starting.

The opponent had the black stones, and she had the white stones.

Sua looked at the opponent's username.

"YoonShuShu? Is it a bread name?"

Thinking it sounded like a cream bread name, Sua waited for the opponent to make the first move.

Clack!

YoonShuShu placed a stone in the center of the board.

A typical first move for a 30 kyu.

Sua, after pushing her long hair behind her shoulder, put a cookie in her mouth and, with a cute chewing motion, placed a stone as if teaching the opponent.

Clack!

The game progressed quickly.

After about 20 moves, Sua tilted her head.

"Not bad?"

She still thought the opponent was a beginner, but at least not a complete novice.

And 50 moves.

100 moves.

Eight-year-old Sua's expression became serious.

YoonShuShu.

He was a bad person.

Pretending to be 30 kyu and challenging her, but in fact, he was as good as or better than her.

Clack! Clack! Clack!

Sua was now playing with her pride on the line.

She had become a 5-dan online and celebrated with cake with her parents last night, so she couldn't lose to someone at 30 kyu.

Clack! Clack!

The stones on the screen continued to pile up.

* * *

Siwoo was also serious.

Through Sua, Siwoo could accurately gauge his current Go skills.

"…How can a 5-dan be this good? Ah, I was a frog in a well."

He thought he knew modern Go well from watching TV Go, but playing it was a different matter.

His half-forgotten past Go skills and his rudimentary modern Go skills clashed in his mind.

"Ugh… I'm evenly matched with an eight-year-old girl. Of course, I'll win, but am I only a 6-7 dan? Is that all I am?"

Being a 6-7 dan at five years old was an inhuman level.

However, it was a shocking performance for Siwoo, the former Go god of the martial arts world.

"Ah… Whether it's acting or Go… I thought I was already the absolute best in every field without effort."

Clack!

"…Huh?"

Siwoo checked the screen again.

The prodigy girl, who had been following him closely, suddenly made an unexpected move.

"Is this a decisive move?"

* * *

Sua was shedding tears.

Losing at Go was the worst thing in the world for her.

She often cried when she lost, but today was especially sad.

The "30 kyu" next to the username "YoonShuShu" stabbed at her heart.

She would definitely confront him after this game.

Why was he pretending to be 30 kyu when he wasn't?

Feeling certain of her inevitable loss, 5-dan Sua, despite being only eight years old, made a bold move against 30 kyu YoonShuShu.

Jumping into the vast territory YoonShuShu had built, Sua tried to survive by quickly calculating numerous possibilities in her head.

Clack! Clack!

But YoonShuShu was always one step ahead.

If YoonShuShu made just one mistake, she was confident she could save her stones and destroy his territory.

Sua thought YoonShuShu was probably a research student aiming to become a professional, whether a boy or a girl.

"Even though you're older… sob… pretending to be 30 kyu… sob…."

At around 220 moves, Siwoo and Sua's match was nearing its end.

Her army, which had entered YoonShuShu's territory, was on the brink of annihilation.

Sua, knowing it was impossible, placed a stone in desperation.

Clack!

Right then.

YoonShuShu suddenly withdrew from the battle and placed a stone in a completely unrelated, quiet area.

A mistake! YoonShuShu's mistake!

Sua stopped crying and moved her mouse to save her group.

Clack!

She was saved! Now her group would live, and YoonShuShu's territory would be destroyed!

"I won!"

As Sua jumped up from her seat, clenching her fist, YoonShuShu's black stone calmly appeared on the board.

Clack!

"…Huh?"

A terrifying move Sua hadn't considered.

The brief joy was followed by the quick death of her group.

Sua, sitting in a daze, came to her senses when she saw YoonShuShu's farewell message in the chat window.

It was a standard farewell message provided by Handol Go.

Sua, fearing YoonShuShu would leave, quickly typed on the keyboard with her slender fingers.

After a moment of silence, YoonShuShu replied.

It wasn't intentional deception.

Hearing YoonShuShu's response, Sua felt a bit relieved.

Sua played a few more games with YoonShuShu.

But instead of catching up, the gap widened with each game.

At first, YoonShuShu seemed within reach, but now he was playing as if guiding her.

Seeing Sua crying and playing, her mother, Choi Min-a 9-dan, stopped in front of the room.

Sua, who resembled her mother, the former top female player, in her doll-like appearance, was even more adorable when crying.

Choi Min-a 9-dan, used to this scene, watched for a moment before approaching and speaking.

"Sua, are you crying because you lost?"

Sua nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"Then take a break."

"But… it's fun. Playing Go with this person is really fun. They use really old moves and ELF Zero moves, and play strangely, but they're incredibly strong."

Choi Min-a 9-dan carefully watched the intense match between her daughter and the mysterious YoonShuShu.

After a while, she said,

"Really strange. With this level of skill, they should be a well-trained child preparing to turn pro, but… how can they play like this? Wait a moment."

Choi Min-a 9-dan typed on the keyboard.

Siwoo, who was focused on the intense match with Sua, absentmindedly read the long message in the chat window and reflexively typed a response.

Tap tap tap.

Oh.