Book 11 Chapter 19
A Roundtable Discussion with Biryuyeon and His Crew
Biryuyeon: Hello, this is Biryuyeon. I'm very happy to be visiting you readers regularly like this again.
Jang Hong & Hyoryong: We're happy too.
Biryuyeon: First, I must apologize to our readers.
It's about the typos in Volume 10. After Volume 10 was released, many readers asked questions. They asked, "Why does a cube have 13 vertices?"
Jang Hong: There were indeed many!
Hyoryong: Mmm-hmm!
Biryuyeon: I counted them myself, and unfortunately, there weren't 13. The answer was 8. *Sniffle*
Jang Hong & Hyoryong: Of course!
Biryuyeon: So why did such an absurd mistake happen? Was it because the author's math skills were terrible? Or was the author bad at geometry?
Hyoryong: Probably.
Biryuyeon: Then, let's invite author M for a moment. To respect individual privacy, the screen will be pixelated and the voice will be distorted, so please understand.
Author M: (Distorted voice) Uh… actually, I knew that a cube has 8 vertices. This isn't a 4-dimensional space, so there's no way a cube would have 13 vertices. Of course, even in 4-dimensional space, there's no guarantee that there would be 13 vertices… That line was the problem.
Jang Hong says: That's a cube. Then, how many vertices make up a cube, the most perfect shape?
Biryuyeon says: "Thirteen!" (This is where the problematic line was.)
There were supposed to be many words between these lines. But the author set up the scene and thought, 'I'll fill it in later,' and moved on, which was the mistake. After continuously postponing it, as the deadline approached, the author suffered from "deadline syndrome" and their mind went blank. Because this scene was already complete in their head, they just skipped over it without thinking. I believe there is no excuse for this. This is the scary part of deadline syndrome, that even such basic things are overlooked. I apologize to our readers.
Jang Hong: So what are you going to do about it?
Author M: People are so impatient! I'm about to tell you, so just wait. The scene that was originally intended was as follows:
"Blah blah blah… How many vertices are there?"
"Eight!"
"Then how many faces?"
"Six!"
"And how many edges?"
"Twelve!"
"What is the sum of these three numbers?"
"Twenty-six!"
Biryuyeon: Oh! My math skills are truly amazing!
Hyoryong: Isn't that just arithmetic?
Biryuyeon: Tsk tsk, you don't know! Geometry is involved, so it's math! Math!
Jang Hong: It's not over yet, keep watching. Then I say this:
"Then what happens if you divide that by two?"
"Thirteen!"
Author M: This is how the number 13 came about.
Hyoryong: Why did you divide by two there?
Jang Hong: That's because 13 is a prime number, indivisible except by 1 and itself. Ahem!
Biryuyeon: Is there a specific reason why it had to be that way?
Author M: You… you are touching upon a dark realm that should not be touched. Just accept it if that's how it is!
Jang Hong: Alright, if we press the author further, it will be difficult, so let's just move on.
Biryuyeon: Wait! We need to definitively resolve the issue with Yerim too!
Author M: Ah! Sorry, sorry! I just forgot for a moment. It can happen in life.
Biryuyeon: (Zzzzt!) Isn't this a planned conspiracy to reduce the number of mistakes?
Author M: (Gasp!) T-that's impossible. It's your oversensitive delusion!
Jang Hong: It's hard to believe.
Hyoryong: I can't trust it!
Author M: Ah, trust has hit rock bottom. That I am living in a world of such distrust, where people cannot trust each other…
Biryuyeon: The introduction is too long, let's get to the main point quickly.
Author M: There are some who ask if Na Yerim is the granddaughter or daughter of the Murim Alliance Leader Na Baekcheon. She was originally set as his 'daughter.' Please forget what you read before and remember her as the Murim Alliance Leader's daughter from now on. I apologize.
Jang Hong: So is the issue with Volume 10 finally over?
Biryuyeon: It seems so. It will probably happen again in the next volume. I guarantee it.
Author M: Curse me! Curse me!
Biryuyeon: Then let's make a bet!
Author M: (Th-this guy) You're a scary one, let's just move on! Move on!
Biryuyeon: Fine, I'll move on for now! Be grateful you hired someone as innocent, diligent, and kind-hearted as me as the protagonist!
Author M: Oops! Look, a bird is flying away.
Biryuyeon: Ah, speaking of which, author M, something interesting happened this time, right?
Author M: Interesting? What's interesting? Ah, of course, it was exciting, refreshing, and exhilarating for me, but it was also horrifying on the other hand. The desperation of the deadline… it was truly terrifying.
Biryuyeon: What happened?
Author M: We have a legendary eccentric in our office, or rather, due to his intimidating appearance, he's commonly called Kkaktugi, Hyung Il-myo. He kept postponing his deadline, and this time he got caught badly.
Biryuyeon: Oh, did something like that happen?
Author M: Hyung Il-myo, known throughout the land as the pinnacle of eccentricity, the king of eccentricity, C'est la vie, Wheel of Fortune, and Kkaktugi, has his legend well-documented in Hyung Hyeon's skyscraper story. So I won't go into verbose explanations, as it would just be rehashing.
Biryuyeon: Ah, the skyscraper story that's rumored to come with a beggar's tale as a bonus, right?
Author M: That's right. Ah, of course, everything written about me there is a lie. It's slander. Don't believe that kind of thing.
Biryuyeon: Enough of the rambling, just get to the point. So what did you see?
Author M: Ah, I thought only things like that happened in comics. You know, where the author's editor camps out at the office and stays for 3 or 4 days until the manuscript is received.
Biryuyeon: Ah, making the author drink the legendary energy drink Bacchus and write for 24 hours, or complete the manuscript? That often appears in comics. And as a side effect, all the cartoonists become wrecks and move like zombies. But what were you writing that caused such labor pains?
Author M: Well, they say it's a martial arts novel, and it seems to be incredibly fun! I can't reveal the title here (well, they said they'd prove themselves through their writing, so they'll handle it), but they were writing it so "effortlessly" (무상하게) that it truly lived up to its name.
Biryuyeon: Effortlessly?
Author M: Yes, whether it was "supreme" (무상), "impermanent" (무상), or "effortless" (무상), I don't know which it was, but the important thing isn't that. The problem was that the story was incredibly fun but incredibly difficult to write!
Biryuyeon & Hyoryong & Jang Hong: Hoho~.
Jang Hong: That's probably number 2!
Author M: The biggest problem was that while it was fine for that guy to use the Musang sword effortlessly, he was also "effortlessly" (무상하게) missing his manuscript deadline. I don't quite remember when the manuscript deadline was, as it feels like ancient history, but it's certain that time has passed imperceptibly (무상하게) since then.
Biryuyeon: It truly lives up to its name. Should I say it lives up to its reputation?
Author M: Well, I applauded the publisher's patience, but even so, there are limits in the real world. Finally, when their patience ran out, the publisher decided to use their final card. And that's when he visited the skyscraper!
Biryuyeon: Who is he?
Author M: The legendary man editor, Jang, or commonly known as Jang the Viper.
Biryuyeon: Huh? That name sounds familiar.
Author M: It probably is. Anyone who knows, knows. He was also once the legendary ○○○○!
Biryuyeon & Jang Hong & Hyoryong: You mean the rumored ○○○○!
Author M: You could say that. Don't try to dig any deeper. I still have to live, don't I? There are forbidden and dark realms in this world. If you carelessly touch them, you won't have a good time.
Biryuyeon & Jang Hong & Hyoryong: Hmm…
Author M: After that, the legend began. Jang the Viper started monitoring Hyung Il-myo with eyes that surpassed the high-precision, ultra-high-definition surveillance cameras of satellites orbiting the Earth.
Biryuyeon: So what happened?
Author M: What do you mean what happened? Hyung Il-myo, who had committed a crime, couldn't say a word and walked to his workspace like a Jew being led to the Auschwitz gas chambers. Actually, this emphasizes Hyung Il-myo's sense of victimhood; in reality, he was like the Penguin trapped by Batman.
From this point on, Hyung Il-myo, known for his restless nature, sat as if he had glue on his backside, placed a box of Bacchus on his desk, and began to burn with the spirit of the deadline. He occasionally tried to leave his chair and indulge in the world of entertainment, but Jang the Viper's airtight surveillance and impregnable defense thwarted him every time. Escape into the electronic net, like Project 2501, was not allowed. Miracle Jang the Viper—that's what we call him in our office these days—pulled out the LAN cable without a shred of hesitation.
Hyoryong: That's a bit sad. So, didn't the office staff help the man called Kkaktugi?
Author M: Of course, they helped! How earnestly they helped! They helped Jang the Viper. When Jang the Viper left his post even for a moment, we filled in those times. Isn't that tear-jerking friendship?
Biryuyeon: For some, it must be a friendship that brings tears of blood.
Author M: Karma, you reap what you sow, heaven does not tolerate injustice, you get what you give, trust in a trusted tool can lead to a burned foot… thinking of these proverbs and idioms, we felt a cheerful, refreshing, and exhilarating emotion. Days as enjoyable as those three days have been rare recently. What do you think? Isn't it beautiful camaraderie?
Jang Hong: The usage of the word 'beautiful' seems to have changed a lot lately.
Hyoryong: So what happened? Did he finish writing?
Author M: Whoa! People are so impatient. Ask questions step by step. The process isn't even finished yet, so why ask about the result first? According to rumors, the amount written in those three days was much more than Hyung Il-myo had written in the last 3,000 years.
Hyoryong: Th-that might be a bit exaggerated, don't you think?
Author M: Well, rumors are always exaggerated. However, Hyung Il-myo, who was thought to remain an eternal contracted writer rather than a published author, finally became a published author through the efforts of one man. Hyung Il-myo finishing his manuscript and getting it published… I thought that day would never come. A miracle occurred.
So those three days are called the Miracle Three Days, the Hellish Three Days, the Three Days of Blood and Deadlines, the Three Days of Human Victory, and so on. Ah, of course, the human victory here refers to Miracle Jang the Viper.
Hyoryong & Jang Hong: T-that's amazing.
Author M: I bet he'll have a seizure every time he sees Jang the Viper from now on. An editor's raid… I've only heard about it through rumors, but this is the first time I've seen it with my own eyes. An earnest and diligent author like me has never experienced anything like that.
Biryuyeon: That sounds a bit suspicious.
Author M: Th-that's why people say you lack faith. I am your creator! Just believe me when I speak! For all I know, I submit my work on time, every time!
Biryuyeon: The era when characters in a story moved according to the author's will is long gone. That's a relic of the old days. From now on, characters of the new generation must have strong wills and be able to move on their own, beyond the author's control!
Author M: P-please, don't just fall further into the path of corruption and indulgence! Please!
Biryuyeon: I'll think about it.
Author M: If we drag this out any longer, something might happen, so let's end it here.
Biryuyeon: Shall we? Then let's stop.
Author M: We must end with what we always do.
Biryuyeon: Of course! This illustration is by Sagwaman-nyeo, who is actively drawing on our next cafe, the Biryu-do, Geomryuhon's long martial arts fantasy novel ☆Biryu-do★ (cafe.daum.net\/TGSNOSF) and ▶▷Biryu-do◁◀ (cafe.daum.net\/biroido). <Sagwaman-nyeo, thank you always for the wonderful illustrations!> Although there are many other illustrations, it's a shame we can't include them all. Thank you! As usual, we will be sending her a signed copy of Biryu-do Volume 11. If you ask if there's anything else, or why it's always that, I apologize, but this is all we have. Please understand.
We also extend our sincere gratitude to the many readers who have posted various illustrations with their unique personalities on the cafe.
Author M: Thank you very much. *Bows*
Biryuyeon & Hyoryong & Jang Hong & Author M: Everyone! Thank you for reading "Biryu-do" Volume 11. We are especially grateful to those who purchased it. Please forgive any shortcomings with your broad minds. We will strive to present a better version in the next volume. Thank you very much!