+++

    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.

    “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.”

    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.”