102 – Core vs. Core & Nymph vs. Nymph #5
“Whack-.”
Illinois raised its clenched fist high.
“This guy and that guy are all nothing but failed fakers…! I, Illinois, will teach what true skill is…! From now on, no mercy…!”
Illinois declared ruthless.
It seemed Illinois was planning to show its real power and overwhelm the Korean team.
I felt a bit tense.
Despite everything, Illinois was still a nymph shrouded in many questions.
I couldn’t tell in what way Illinois might be truly amazing and fearsome.
“The side that loses the match has to choose the event for the next match─. That Illinois requests a ‘Nymph Duel’…!”
Nymph Duel.
I was greatly shocked by those words.
“…A Nymph Duel?”
I never expected that would come up here.
Soon, Seo Ye-rim asked me with a slightly tense face.
“What’s a Nymph Duel?”
“Honestly, I don’t know much either.”
Kugik-.
Seo Ye-rim frowned.
I added more words to that.
“But since Illinois mentioned it in this situation, it means it’s a category Illinois is confident about. It might be a competition using the specialties of the nymphs?”
Even I thought it was a plausible guess.
Soon Coris spoke up.
“A Nymph Duel is a way for nymphs to resolve conflicts peacefully and nymph-friendly…! It’s a way nymphs quarrel…!”
I see.
It was the way nymphs settled disputes.
Soon Illinois spoke.
“That Illinois has been called a master of the ‘Nymph Duel’ by other nymphs…! With a record of 105 wins in 95 matches…! Winning percentage over 100 percent…!”
Indeed, it was an incredible winning percentage.
Winning 105 times out of 95.
Soon Coris exclaimed in admiration.
“Truly, Illinois…!”
Right.
Soon Illinois stood on the table and shouted loudly.
“That Illinois requests ‘Mushroom Gluttony’! Illinois is a master at eating mushrooms…! No one can compete with Illinois…! Bring in the mana truffles…!”
Mana truffles.
I was startled by that name.
They were mushrooms priced at ten million won per 500 grams.
Truffles cultivated using special methods in fixed cracks, which not only had great taste and aroma but also had the effect of stabilizing the eater’s mana, right?
Suk-.
Soon a box of mana truffles appeared in front of Illinois.
There were so many that I felt dizzy.
How much is all that?
“The one who eats the most of the mana truffles wins the match…! The rules are very simple! Simple is best…! Who will match up against Illinois, the mushroom genocider…? Come here and compete…!”
I thought it was a very peculiar match.
Only Yu Ara trembled.
“This, this isn’t good.”
“Why?”
“Mana truffles taste great and smell great, but if one eats more than 500 grams, a severe mana rebound phenomenon occurs. Even for the Awakened, it’s the same.”
The recommended monthly intake is 500 grams maximum.
Does this mean Illinois can casually devour them without a care?
It was indeed a match by nymphs, for nymphs.
Hoh hoh hoh—laughed Reiko.
“How is it! Ye-rim! Your cherished Illinois has turned into an enemy!”
“Muhuh, even if you cry now, it will be forgotten…!”
Unlike the decidedly confident Japanese team, the Korean team was in a gloomy situation.
At that moment.
“I, this Inoi, will compete…!”
Suk-.
Inoi stepped forward.
Seeing that, Seo Ye-rim said.
“Yeah! We have a nymph too! Inoi! Your fate is at stake!”
“I, this Inoi, like mushrooms…! Actually, all nymphs like mushrooms…! There have been rumors about mushrooms that make you grow taller…!”
It was said that nymphs had widely spread rumors about “mushrooms that make you taller” or “flowers that spew flames”.
Nymphs often ate flowers and mushrooms to gain strange powers and grow taller, which led all nymphs to naturally like mushrooms.
Soon, Lee Jin-A, who was listening, spoke up.
“It sounds like Super Mario.”
Indeed.
Now that I thought about it, it was.
Anyway.
Illinois and Inoi stood facing each other.
And they sat at the table.
“That Illinois will not show mercy even to Inoi…! The match is ruthless, per the rules of the nymphs…!”
“I, this Inoi, understand…!”
In that tense moment.
With a beep, the signal went off and the nymphs’ hands moved simultaneously.
And in an instant, a handful of mana truffles worth over ten million won began to vanish into the nymphs’ mouths!
Pavbat, pabababat—.
The two nymphs almost vacuumed the mushrooms!
It was an evenly matched battle!
Seeing that, civilian Lee Jin-A said with a very tense and flustered look.
“…Ten million won is disappearing every second. Every second! Ten million is vanishing into the nymphs’ bellies! W-what the─.”
Ten million won vanished every second—.
In ten seconds, one billion.
In one minute, six billion.
In one hour, 360 billion—.
I also felt dizzy from it all.
Is this real?
Soon Coris spoke.
“Actually, it’s okay if they just eat regular mushrooms instead of mana truffles…! But Illinois likes mana truffles…!”
I see.
This match seemed to simply reveal Illinois’s personal desire to eat mana truffles until full.
Or was it revenge against the Megacorp Telos for reducing their allowance?
I didn’t know.
I decided to stop thinking about it in various ways.
How much time had passed?
How many mana truffles had gone into the nymphs’ stomachs?
How much money—!?
The money I’d never even seen in my life was wildly disappearing into the nymphs’ mouths—!!!
After about ten minutes passed—.
Illinois shook.
“…….”
“…….”
And Inoi also stopped its hands.
Of course, it was natural to be full after eating so many precious mushrooms.
So what happened to the match’s outcome?
Seo Ye-rim, who was waiting for the referee’s decision, spoke.
“Again, it’s a tie. Both ate four boxes and left 500 grams!”
Nymph Illinois.
And Nymph Inoi.
The outcome of their match was surprisingly a draw!
Suk-.
Soon, Inoi was the first to reach out a hand to Illinois.
“It was a very good match…! I, this Inoi, has never lost anyone after learning how to eat mushrooms from my master, but I drew…!”
“Muhuh, that is the sound Illinois would make…! Inoi truly is worthy of being called Illinois’s rival…! It’s been a long time since I showcased my true skill…! It was a very good match…!”
Suk suk suk suk—.
The nymphs shook hands and made peace.
A match played on a scale close to five billion.
And it ended in a draw.
# # #
“So that Inoi nymph ate mushrooms like crazy! Like crazy!”
“Wow. An average handful amounted to ten million won? Incredible.”
“It was an extremely thrilling match!”
People talked about the match held that afternoon.
Surely, it would become a legend in many ways.
“I, this Inoi, did my best…!”
Suk-.
Inoi puffed out its chest.
Must be from eating mana truffles, it looked full of energy.
“The prospective Core Jin-A should check if I, this Inoi, might have grown taller…! Since I ate a lot of mushrooms, I might have grown taller…!”
“Oh. You grew 1cm.”
“Awesome…! I, this Inoi, have now become an adult…!”
“Actually, that’s a lie. You’re just the same as before eating mushrooms.”
“Yeeek…!”
Before we knew it, it was evening.
Today’s matches were over.
Now only the final decisive match was left tomorrow.
The Korean team’s record was 1 win, 1 draw.
The Japanese team’s record was 1 draw, 1 loss.
Thousands of billions hinged on the match tomorrow.
And the problem was that the decision-making power for that match lay with me!
Seo Ye-rim’s mother, Isara.
She approached me while I was spinning around in the banquet hall and handed me a glass of wine.
“Sir Il-do. I heard you received the ‘draft rights’ from Reiko? It looks like the Korean team can win. A lot depends on you, Sir Il-do. Thousands of billions; no, perhaps—trillions—.”
“…….”
I felt like a hole was going to open in my stomach.
So when I felt uneasy, Seo Ye-rim’s mother patted my back.
“Just kidding. Of course, it’s true that a tremendous amount is involved—. But, the essence of this gathering is ultimately not about bets and contests, Sir Il-do. Do you feel that?”
I looked around.
Indeed—.
Contrary to the seriousness one would expect when fighting for the company’s fate, the atmosphere was quite friendly—.
“Kaw-kaw…!”
“Aren’t those Chinchilla puppies adorable! Come here!”
The mood was cheerful.
I began to understand why this gathering was called a “management unity meeting.”
Isara said to me.
“Ultimately, it’s a place to promote camaraderie and see each other after a long time. I thought it would be nice to inspire motivation, so I decided to set the equity ratio.”
It felt like betting money during Yutnori with cousins on Lunar New Year.
Seems the scale had grown larger.
“Still, since I have a role to fulfill, I must do my best.”
Suk-.
I clenched my fist tightly.
Because the fact that billions hinged on my game tomorrow ultimately didn’t change!
If by any chance I lost….
Wasn’t there talk that this bet related somehow to the Japanese theater company and a political marriage?
The weight on my shoulders felt even heavier now.
Brrr—.
I was trembling in many ways.
At that moment, Isara smirked.
“Indeed. Ye-rim is worth watching. She has good insight. Sir Il-do, you’ll be able to rise higher. Ye-rim thinks you can definitely reach S-rank.”
I found it hard to believe that Seo Ye-rim would say such a thing. Given how she always seemed annoyed and angry with me, I thought she despised me.
Suk-.
Isara, having downed her wine, placed the empty glass on the table.
“We honestly opposed Ye-rim working as an Awakened—. It’s still a hard and dangerous job. But—. If you, Sir Il-do, become S-rank, we can rest assured.”
I felt a little shy.
Climbing from D-rank to B-rank was harder than moving from B-rank to A-rank.
Moreover, the difference between A-rank and S-rank was immense, requiring even more severe challenges than moving from F-rank to A-rank, not to mention needing luck.
In that situation, me being S-rank—.
Of course, I believed I could rise higher!
Just then.
The banquet hall became restless.
I thought maybe Kkungkkungi spit fire from its mouth.
Kkungkkungi sometimes blew fire when bored.
I had named that technique “Ramu Fire,” but it wasn’t an easy technique to see and was rare, depending on Kkungkkungi’s mood.
But—.
Turning my head, I saw people in black suits with strange masks entering the banquet hall.
The masks had horns, resembling those of Japanese yokai.
“Is that the theater company?”
“Why are the theater company folks here?”
Suk-.
The Japanese Yakuza and Awakened Union.
They bowed their heads as they entered the banquet hall.
And among them walked someone.
“I am the successor of the theater company’s president, Yagami Irochi—. I am Yagami Tsukki. I heard my betrothed is here, so I came looking.”
The president of the theater company, Yagami.
Is she Yagami Tsukki, the only child?
She likely came to see Reiko and Seo Ye-rim.
She was very tall, matching my height, wore a black suit, and the fit of her trousers was slim and long.
But under her black jacket, her chest was quite ample, and her face with silver hair tied back was strikingly beautiful—.
Wait a second.
A girl?
They said that depending on the results of this management meeting, the president Yagami’s only child would be engaged to Seo Ye-rim or Reiko?
But the only child is a girl!
