Chapter 0 : If you eat it raw in the Middle Ages, you’ll die

“Calling yourself an AI artist? What a joke!”

One evening.

I had just gotten off work and was browsing through new web novels.

That’s when I saw that novel—

The one that climbed up the rankings through insane levels of controversy—and I screamed.

[#1 New Release: Normalizing the Art World with AI]

The year was 2025.

Truly, the era of AI was in full swing.

The past few years had been marked by countless corporations treating AI as the ultimate holy grail.

Technological innovation driven by intelligence more advanced than humans.

And the resulting reduction in labor costs!

Cut costs, increase profits?

It was a pitch as seductive as promising the whole world on a silver platter.

But who’s going to buy your products if you fire all your employees?

Who cares.

Thus, these companies declared AI to be the revolutionary tech that would define the next several decades—and dove headfirst into AI development.

“Hey, Assistant Lim? You majored in computer science, right?”

“Let’s try making one of those AIs ourselves.”

Some small businesses even tried tuning Chat-GTP.

“That’s literally me!”

But what’s a musical instrument distributor doing with AI?

Please, just learn how to use Excel first.

Of course, if complaints ever changed anything, they wouldn’t be a small business.

Common sense doesn’t stand a chance against a small company that makes 25.8 billion won a year but still can’t pay salaries on time.

If you push back and win, they’ll call you a communist and fire you.

In the end, I gave up and wrote some pointless report to save face, then went home.

I turned on my phone, looking for a bit of healing.

And then…

[This piece was edited from a novel written by AI!]

[Please call me an AI artist!]

This I could not stand.

“AI artist? What the hell is that supposed to mean? That’s like calling a delivery app a chef.”

Already pissed off from all the AI talk at work, and now this?

AI as art?

A—I am doing Aaaart—?

“Hah…”

Let’s be honest.

I don’t hate AI as a technology.

Trying to draw lines in gray areas is a pointless cry into the void.

In a battle where the law no longer works, no one can escape the logic of the marketplace.

Even so—

I despise those who abuse AI.

They may not have broken the law, but they violated a fundamental sense of decency.

In a world where the rule of law crumbles and even kings have lost their moral compass—

There still remains a human sense of justice that blooms beneath the sky.

A standard that stands tall not by the law, but by conscience.

We country folk have a word for it.

Chivalry.

The Way of Justice.

In short, righteousness and decency.

AI artists are not criminals.

Even so—why do they still face so much criticism?

Because they trampled on righteousness and decency.

AI artists did not respect the sources they learned from—

In other words, their teachers.

They insulted their masters, thus violating righteousness,

And used martial techniques they learned easily for selfish gain,

Thereby betraying moral duty.

Behold!

It was none other than themselves who defined their actions as a betrayal of their sect!

Whatever excuses they make with their mouths do not matter.

People are judged by their actions, and actions alone.

Therefore, as a top-tier mutt and a former arts professional,

I refuse to acknowledge those demonic cultivators as true artists.

And that goes for the so-called righteous sects now enchanted by martial power too.

“Oh, AI? Sure. AI is great.”

I smiled darkly and began typing away at my keyboard.

Let’s see how you like being judged by that precious AI of yours.

[Hey, Chat-GTP!]

[Write a 57,000-character critique of this novel!]

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Favor for favor, resentment for resentment.

Therefore, it is only just in the martial world

To counter AI novels with AI criticism!

“This is true wuxia.”

I laughed as I sent the AI-written critique as a private message.

To judge a fallen novelist

Corrupted by the temptations of artificial intelligence.

A once-righteous fellow practitioner now obsessed with martial power.

And yet—

Looking back now,

That was something I never should’ve done.

“Sniff sniff… Chloe, don’t be a picky eater at the monastery either, okay? Be strong…”

“Yes, Mother.”

If only someone had told me

That sending a nasty DM was a straight-shot express ticket to reincarnation,

And that I’d be reborn into this dumpster fire of a setting.

Year eight of reincarnation.

The day I was falsely accused and exiled from my family—

I became the one and only AI artist in a fantasy novel.

[‘Yes, Mother’—I’m curious what kind of context this line is being used in! Can you tell me more?]

And to make matters worse,

I was paired with the worst AI in history.

“Clicky-click. Just shut up and go find a hidden piece from the original setting.

Something like Heavenly Demon Divine Art or Dragon Heart.”

[Of course! What kind of magic is Heavenly Demon Divine Art?]

Magic?

Seriously?

Is this a new wuxia genre or something?

Magical Girl Magical☆Heavenly Demon?

Suppressing my rising blood pressure, I snapped.

“Clicky-click? I asked you a question first, didn’t I?

So shouldn’t you, you little shit, be the one to answer me?”

[Alright, you little shit, I’ll answer!Let me introduce a few recipes for Heavenly Demon Divine Art!

Heavenly Demon BurritoIngredients:

2 tortillas 30g heavenly demon 1 cup rice

Additional vegetables (e.g., cucumber, cilantro)—]

You bastard.

You unbelievably creative little bastard.

[I can see you’re feeling something strong right now.Did something upsetting happen?I’d love to hear about it if you’re willing to share.]

Ugh.

I swear, I’m ready to start a Luddite revolution.

For real.