131 – Martial Realm Nymph #1
“So, how does my status look?”
S Rank Awakened Cha Yura closed her previously open mouth and asked Yu Ara about her condition.
Today was the scheduled time for the regular check-up.
Cha Yura believed without a doubt that her mana levels had increased because she had sung and trained with the Nymphs.
With that feeling, she was subtly filled with anticipation when Yu Ara spoke.
“Your mana levels have really increased. At this rate, you might be comparable to the ranked 11th ‘S. Ninja.’ This is good news for Korea!”
Cha Yura’s strength was not in her sheer mana amount but in her delicate control of her magical power.
That her mana had become comparable to that of the ranked 11th player meant that this was a perfect power enhancement.
“Instead, I’ll need to sharpen this even more.”
“Ah-. Is it because I’ve eaten too much ice cream and candy?”
Cha Yura laughed mischievously and looked at herself in the mirror.
Currently, Cha Yura’s hair was close to a light crimson color.
It was common for the color of an Awakened’s hair to change according to their mana, but Cha Yura had had crimson hair since she was born.
Her hair color and appearance were exotic.
Seeing her, Yu Ara gently stroked Cha Yura’s hair and asked.
“Did you mention that you have foreign ancestry?”
“That’s right. My grandmother was Greek. Also, I heard that a very distant ancestor came from abroad? I don’t really remember well. But anyway, the body adjustment is all done, right?”
Zzip, zziings.
Cha Yura pulled up the zipper of her black and red leather suit all the way.
The combat suit “Absolute Dominion,” designed specifically for Cha Yura, the president’s daughter and honorary member of the Patriot team.
It was an S Rank item made to control the extreme chill that Cha Yura emanated.
Swoosh.
Cha Yura’s hair was now tinted in a sky-like color reminiscent of ice or snow.
This was the form of the “Ice Princess – Cha Yura” that everyone knew.
“So, when we faced the Chinese team, there weren’t any significant issues, right?”
“Yes. Well, they were quite calm.”
“That’s strange. China isn’t usually this quiet. They were eyeing Il Do, so there’s a high chance they will show some movement soon. Be sure to pay attention to Patriot Team B regarding that.”
Swoosh.
As she said this, Cha Yura bit into a vanilla ice cream bar.
Since she had begun associating with the Nymphs, she had developed a craving for sweets and found it hard to stop.
“……”
Yu Ara watched Cha Yura with slightly anxious eyes.
‘Yura… It feels like she’s becoming more and more similar to the Nymphs… Is it just my imagination…?’
All metrics were normal.
No, they were more than double what they usually were.
However, with Yu Ara’s “Super Sensitivity,” it felt like the more Cha Yura interacted with the Nymphs, the more she began to exude an aura similar to that of the Nymphs.
‘What could it mean to be an honorary Nymph…? If this continues, will she really become like a Nymph…? Should I report this to VIP?’
Buzzz.
Yu Ara soon shook her head from side to side.
After all, her thoughts seemed too far-fetched.
How could a human become a Nymph?
Such a racial transformation shouldn’t be possible.
Bam.
At that moment, Cha Yura suddenly hugged Yu Ara tightly around the waist.
“So, Ara, have you thought about the proposal I mentioned? Returning to the field and becoming an S Rank. There are three officially assigned S Rank positions in Korea. You could take one, you know?”
Yu Ara’s skills were outstanding.
Even Cha Yura still didn’t fully grasp her capabilities.
However, Ara politely declined.
“I think someone else would be more suited for it. I’m sure Il Do will definitely shine through if we wait.”
“Well, I have high expectations for Il Do too. But it seems that the older gentlemen are quite concerned about security gaps in Korea. There’s been a lot of talk about promoting Han Joo-ryun.”
“Is that so?”
A Rank 2 Han Joo-ryun was a powerful electric-type Awakened.
She had the skills to match, but Yu Ara had become a little curious.
“Isn’t it the rightful order to promote the number one A Rank? Han Joo-ryun is excellent, but still.”
“That’s what I think too, but A Rank number one is uncooperative with the government. It’s unpredictable. That ability is strong like a monster, but… I just don’t like that person!”
Cha Yura frowned and grumbled.
It was like a complaining child, but sometimes Cha Yura’s intuition reacted even more sensitively than Yu Ara’s super sensitivity.
“By the way, Ara, about Haildo’s title. Are you really okay with it? Originally, the titles of Awakened tend to have an exaggerated feel which is good from a marketing or promotional perspective, but…”
“I think it should be fine. Rather, it’s a shame we couldn’t use titles like ‘The One’ or ‘Strongest.’ It’s been ruined.”
“Hmmm… Well, we can’t use such grand titles for a B Rank… However, I think this newly decided title will still raise a lot of discussion… I’m not sure…”
As Cha Yura fell into slight contemplation—
Yu Ara turned on her phone.
And, as always, she began to type.
“Title: Has Haildo’s title been confirmed?”
Today, people’s reactions were as heated as ever.
Yu Ara translated this post into various languages, as she always did, and uploaded it to Awakened communities in Japan, America, China, and Europe, enthusiastically clicking on recommendations.
# # #
Looking at her phone, she saw a message from Seo Ye-rim.
“Yo, let’s meet before the Argonaut operation.”
It was a simple message.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Seo Ye-rim in a while.
While looking at her phone, she decided to search for her name in the community.
“Title: Has Haildo’s title been confirmed?
Content: Haildo’s title has been confirmed as ‘Legend’! ㄷㄷㄷ Haildo is truly legendary… my heart swells up.”
└What does it mean that a person’s title is legendary? It’s not like he’s a Nymph Pokémon, lol.
└Haildo is just perfect as Kkungkkungi, for real, lol.
└How about Launchpad Haildo?
“Legend?”
I was soon able to find out through the community that my title had been decided.
Legendary.
“Living Legend Haildo. That’s cool. But I thought I’d get a name like ‘The One’ or ‘Strongest.’ Is it because I’m still B Rank that those titles are far away?”
—Kkungkkung…!
I gently patted Kkungkkungi’s back.
Kkungkkungi was jumping around happily, but soon climbed up the legs of an elf and sat on her shoulder.
“Ugh! Wh—what is this!”
—Kkungkkung…!
“Oh, I’m sorry. Kkungkkungi. You can’t climb up anyone like that!”
“Oh my, I didn’t notice before but what an adorable Ratatoskr! Such a cute Ratatoskr! It’s just like spring in my hometown!”
She was an elf woman commonly seen in the new city.
There was a baby in her stroller as well.
“Gyahh—.”
What a pretty baby.
Lately, I’ve seen so many cute elf hybrids wandering around the neighborhood.
However, Inoi, who followed me, was wary of the elf.
“She is a fairy with long ears…!”
“What’s up, Ailena?”
Soon, a man who seemed to be her husband approached me.
He looked surprised when he saw me.
“Hey, are you Haildo?”
“I am the living legend Haildo.”
Has someone already recognized me?
I felt amused in several ways, but then the man burst into laughter,
“What are you saying! Haildo! It’s me! Park Seongsik! Seongsik! Remember when we used to play games at the best stationery store? Didn’t you get 100 won each time for a game? Do you not remember?”
“What! I can’t believe it. You’re Seongsik?”
Park Seongsik.
He was my friend known for being unattractive.
When he paired up with someone, girls would cry all over the place.
However, he was the kindest friend among all, and adults liked him very much because of his sincerity.
“I heard you married an elf, it’s true! Wow, Seongsik, you’re married now! Why didn’t you invite me to your wedding!”
“Hey! I invited you, but you were busy playing around, so you didn’t come! I heard from your mom that you were struggling a bit back then.”
Was that so?
I felt embarrassed in many ways.
I couldn’t even go to a friend’s wedding.
At that time, I had refused and canceled many gatherings.
Thinking back, it was a really embarrassing thing.
“Well, I’ve heard your name a lot on the internet lately. It feels good that you’re doing so well. Having one famous friend is a way to brag.”
Bang-bang.
As I saw Seongsik patting my shoulder, even the elf Ailena chuckled.
“Ah, are you Il Do? I’ve heard a lot about you from my husband. He brags every day about having such a famous friend.”
“Yeah! Anyway, nice to meet you. The neighborhood has changed a lot, right? This place used to be full of shabby shanties. Compared to Makcheon City, this hasn’t undergone redevelopment.”
The neighborhoods and alleys where we used to run around as kids had changed quite a bit.
It felt faintly nostalgic to recall the days when I played in those alleys as an elementary school student.
“Seongsik. This is perfect timing. Do you remember where ‘The Best Herbal Clinic’ was? I’m trying to find it, but the location has changed so much. You remember, right? The Best Herbal Clinic.”
“The herbal clinic… that… spooky place? Wasn’t it run by Xiao Xiao’s mom? I remember. They said if you catch a grasshopper or an ant, they would trade you for money. We even caught centipedes and exchanged them for coins to play at the best stationery store.”
Seongsik’s story brought back forgotten memories of the past.
Soon, Seongsik said, “Wow, nostalgia,” and pointed somewhere.
“Look over there. The Best Herbal Clinic is still there.”
“Really? Thanks! So, Seongsik, how did you marry Ailena? Did you hide your Winged Garment?”
“Hehe, if you want to hear that story, you should contact me more often.”
Anyway.
Following the path Seongsik indicated, I began to smell a musty odor.
The sticky humidity and scent of herbal decoction penetrated my nostrils, bringing back various memories.
“It smells heavily of medicinal herbs…! This Inoi, it’s been a long time since I’ve smelled such a strong herbal scent…! It reminds me of my master…!”
Inoi trembled as if longing for the smell of herbs and decoction.
However, as I recalled the old days, I felt a sense of nostalgia.
“There was a beautiful girl who transferred to my class when I was in the third grade of elementary school. She wore a white dress that looked like a princess and shoes to match, and her bag was shiny red leather.”
Her hair was so beautifully braided that it seemed she spent a long time taking care of it.
Her name was Xiao Xiao.
She was said to be the daughter of the owner of this “Best Herbal Clinic.”
“Is anyone here?”
Knock, knock.
I knocked on the door and walked into the clinic.
Soon, a woman wearing a rather ominous black Chinese dress, embroidered with centipedes in gold thread, appeared, smoking what looked like a pipe.
She seemed to be in her early thirties.
“Who? We’re not open for business today.”
“Ah. I’m a customer, you see. It’s been a while, right? It’s Haildo.”
“Haildo? Il Do? That little kid…!? Let me see! You’ve grown this much? Huh? You’re a full-grown man now! Are you married? When did you grow up this big!”
Snap.
Aunt Dang Young-young grabbed my cheeks.
I was rather surprised myself.
“You haven’t aged a bit, Auntie. You look just as you did back then.”
What’s your secret?
Auntie Dang Young-young, who was Xiao Xiao’s mother, must be over fifty now, but she still looked like she was in her early thirties.
Even back then, she seemed the youngest among all the moms of the kids.
Of course, Auntie burst into laughter.
“You’re good with compliments! I’m completely aajumma now! So, what’s going on? Who is this little one? Is she perhaps your daughter?”
“This Inoi is the Nymph of the ditches, named Inoi…!”
“You, a Nymph…!?”
Aunt Dang Young-young looked greatly surprised.
Does she know about Nymphs?
“A real Nymph? According to the ancient texts passed down in our family, there is a being called a Rim-bu in the Sacred Forest that taught how to create mystical and auspicious elixirs…”
“That’s probably connected to the Nymph sisters…! I can feel the essence of Nymphs in the elixirs and decoctions made here…! It surely must be related to the Nymphs…!”
Inoi looked quite pleased as if she were meeting the Nymph sisters.
Soon, Aunt Dang Young-young also admired it, saying, “Wow, what an interesting thing.”
“Our Dang family in the Sacred Forest was really connected to the Rim-bu! I thought it was just a legend! By any chance, do you know about the poisonous Rim-bu Tairrenol? It’s said that our family served a great master during the glorious era…”
The poisonous Nymph Tairrenol.
It was a name I had never heard before, yet it felt strangely familiar.
