123 – Nymph. World. War. #2
Three days in.
I fell into one dilemma every time I lay down to sleep, ate a meal, or went to the bathroom.
“Should I call Tsukki again now?”
It was about reaching out to Tsukki.
When various bills flooded in and money was drained from my account, I couldn’t help but hold my phone incessantly.
Had I truly made the biggest fool’s mistake of my life?
“Wouldn’t it be possible to call now and suggest we draw?”
Of course, I didn’t actually make the call.
However, for the past few days, I had been worrying so much that I felt like I was losing a few strands of hair, while Illinois was sweeping the floor.
“Illinois, what’s up? Did you do all the cleaning?”
It had been about a week since Illinois started living with us as a guest.
Illinois liked to loaf around, eat, sleep, and do things like that.
The only productive activity Illinois engaged in was producing carbon dioxide with their mouth or randomly throwing trash like paper straws onto the floor.
“How is that productive?” I asked, and Illinois replied like this.
“Do you know how many jobs are created when I throw trash on the floor…?”
“If you throw away trash, jobs are created?”
“Of course…! I’m a follower of Adam Smith…! Let me teach you about the economy…! Open your ears and listen!”
“Right.”
“If I throw trash on the floor, the number of sanitation workers picking it up will increase…! And a ministry to manage those workers will surely be created!”
It was a very reasonable argument.
Of course, Ahn Ahn picked up all the trash.
Anyway—
With Illinois sweeping the floor, I had no choice but to be surprised in every way.
“Illinois. Why are you sweeping?”
“Meh meh, the housemaster’s hair can be used in many ways…! With such a nymph-friendly hair, anything is possible!”
I see.
It seemed like they were thinking of using my hair to make some charms created by the nymphs.
Anyway.
Illinois said,
“The Japanese Tsukki has already returned to Japan…! Regretting it is as foolish as waiting for a bus that won’t come back, just like looking for the tails of the nymphs!”
Nymphs don’t have tails.
Searching for the tails of such nymphs is said to be a fool’s task.
In other words, it meant that regretting and missing Tsukki was foolish.
“That’s true.”
In fact, I knew it well.
It was just that, on a human level, I couldn’t help but feel regret.
Since this had happened, I must work as hard as I can to reach S Rank!
So—
What should I do now to achieve S Rank?
It was obvious.
I switched on the internet and entered my name, “Haildo.”
The most urgent thing I had to do to reach S Rank was, of course, searching my name on the internet.
“No search results found.”
None.
There were no stories about me today.
It seemed that “My Beloved Kkungkkungi” hadn’t posted in a few days either.
“This is all because I haven’t been active. I need to be very active to build my reputation, and using that reputation, get more mentions and be more active. That way, I can become S rank.”
Tap, tap, tap. Click.
I typed with absolute confidence into the internet.
“Title: I am making a candid statement. If Haildo continues like this…
Content: Rider.”
“Here he comes again, lol. At least change your IP.”
“Did you see the model squirrel released by Telos? What do you think as Squirrel Beast Haildo?”
“Whether it’s a mechanical squirrel or a regular squirrel, as long as it catches rats well, it’s fine.”
“Why would a squirrel catch a rat?”
Comments flooded in.
Promoting myself felt great and gave me an exhilarating sense, like doing something bad.
Promoting myself anonymously, where no one recognized me.
“Indeed, the path of the S Rank Awakened is long and arduous.”
I started—
I picked up the phone.
Because I received a message from Seo Ye-rim.
“Meh meh, it seems the life of a commoner was fun…! That Illinois is now leaving home, but don’t forget about it… hasta la vista!”
Vroom vroom—
Illinois waved goodbye while getting into Seo Ye-rim’s electric car.
Oinoy also waved at Illinois.
“Illinois, I’m saying goodbye…! It was very fun…!”
Oinoy seemed quite sad that the nymph sister Illinois, who had been together for the past few days, was leaving.
While watching Oinoy wave, Seo Ye-rim said,
“It seems you got quite attached. By the way, Haildo, who is that strange uncle?”
In Seo Ye-rim’s line of sight was the head of the Wildlife Research Institute, Bang Saeng-hyun.
Now, he was called Doctor Bang and was sharing information about animals with visitors to the village.
“There were some circumstances. By the way, I thought he would come to pick up Illinois right after arriving in Korea, but he’s a bit late? I guess he’s busy with S Rank meetings?”
“Well, I guess you could say that. Haildo, do you know what this is?”
She showed me something.
It was a photo taken from her phone, which looked like some kind of mural.
It had a prehistoric feel, like it was drawn in ancient times.
“It’s a mammoth.”
At that moment, Doctor Bang approached and spoke.
Seo Ye-rim looked a bit startled, but I became interested in the conversation.
“Mammoth? A primitive ancient elephant?”
“Yes, that mammoth drawing. I have quite a deep understanding of paleontology. My original dream was to be a paleontologist. But where is this mural from? There’s a dinosaur next to the mammoth—this seems to be a raptor.”
A mammoth, isn’t it a type of elephant that lived a long time ago?
It was indeed fascinating that there was a mural depicting both a dinosaur and a mammoth together.
# # #
“This is the photo brought in by Mark 2, which we received cooperation from the Telos Group. All are photos from inside the structure during the storm.”
Prince – Lee Joon-Hun.
Utilizing his experience from the chaebol days, he smoothly concluded the presentation.
As the lights turned on in the dark room, VIPs of ministerial level began to express their admiration one by one.
“It’s a mechanical squirrel, right? It’s cute. Really cute.”
“Under those conditions, I think one could really raise one.”
—Kkung. Kkung.
The sleek, futuristic design of the sky-blue mechanical squirrel bounced around on the table.
It had qualities that satisfied the hearts of public servants who had become sensitive with age.
“The technology of the Telos Group is indeed impressive. It seems they’ve evolved to a certain degree recently.”
“In particular, it feels like they’ve found a way in AI and robotics.”
While everyone was full of praise, former S Rank Awakened Lee Joon-Hun was a bit flustered.
“Um, ministers. What you should focus on now is not the mechanical squirrel, but the photograph. Of course, it’s impressive that the mechanical squirrel took these photos through the treacherous magical storm—however…”
He pointed to the projected photo with a laser pointer.
The picture quality was poor, but—it was a photo of the interior of the massive T rank structure known as the Spacetime Typhoon.
“This gigantic tower-like structure is estimated to have a width of about 100 km radius, and within it, it seems various ecosystems are hidden.”
Various ecosystems.
At that mention, Lee Joon-Hun seemed to catch a whiff of money.
A decade ago, rifts were a disaster, but now, a rift was ‘money’.
Countries that generated many rifts were advancing more, and countries that opened larger rifts were achieving even greater development.
The largest T Rank rift, the Spacetime Typhoon—
While the entire world promised to tackle this place together, behind the scenes, countries were busy with covert operations for their own gain, and Korea was no different.
Using satellite photos obtained from Japan, they succeeded in sending unmanned drones into the storm of time and space, uncovering the possibility that there might be an ‘ecosystem’ within.
“Before the S Rank alliance ‘Argonauts’ departs for the typhoon, there may be time for our Patriot team to explore first. Here, if you could sign the operation plan…”
In that impression, Lee Joon-Hun smoothly concluded his presentation for the day.
Swoosh—
After washing his face with cold water in the bathroom, Lee Joon-Hun finally caught his breath.
When he looked at his phone, there were over 300 unread messages.
“Hey. Aren’t you coming quickly?”
Most were commands from his superiors.
Lee Joon-Hun felt tired.
“My name isn’t ‘Hey,’ it’s Lee Joon-Hun. This brat Kang Cheol-Min always does this. Why am I, who has everything as a third-generation chaebol, in this situation—”
—Kkung. Kkung.
“…”
A spinny mechanical squirrel was circling around next to Lee Joon-Hun’s leg.
His face scrunched up in annoyance.
“Hey. Just so you know, I don’t like squirrels.”
Lee Joon-Hun disliked squirrels.
He suffered severely from a squirrel allergy.
And it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that every hardship he faced stemmed from squirrels; at least that’s how Lee Joon-Hun saw it.
—Kkung. Kkung.
“If Kang Cheol-Min hadn’t dumped you on me, I wouldn’t be keeping you. You get that? So don’t come to like me either. I absolutely hate anything that looks like a rat. Got it?”
—Kkung. Kkung.
Spinning around—
The mechanical squirrel turned in circles around Lee Joon-Hun.
It seemed quite happy, looking like it was fond of Lee Joon-Hun.
“…”
Lee Joon-Hun recalled the time when he begged his father to get him a hamster.
Everyone thought Lee Joon-Hun, who grew up as a third-generation chaebol, had everything he could want.
But that hamster was the first gift his father had ever bought for him after he had ranked first in school.
“…It was immediately taken away the moment my next test score dropped to second.”
—Kkung. Kkung.
“…”
Lee Joon-Hun looked around.
There was no one in the bathroom.
“If someone called you ‘Hey’ every day, you wouldn’t feel good either.”
—Kkung. Kkung.
The mechanical squirrel had no fur.
Lee Joon-Hun decided to give the mechanical squirrel a name.
“How about ‘Bitnari’? Because it shines.”
—Kkung. Kkung!
The mechanical squirrel squeaked happily and scurried into Lee Joon-Hun’s pocket.
As if looking for some warm comfort.
Rustle, rustle—
Was it because of the rustling mechanical squirrel in his pocket?
Lee Joon-Hun felt particularly itchy in his heart.
This was a feeling he had forgotten a long time ago.
# # #
Since Illinois left, I had a pastoral routine of searching my name in the search bar every day.
I also worked out occasionally and made sure to brush the animals’ fur and pet them daily.
I occasionally tackled B Rank rifts.
“Take that, Gate of Haildo.”
—Kkung Kkung…!
—Buzz…
“Oh, look, the squirrel and honey ant are popping out of my pocket!”
It was difficult to confirm whether the rumor that I was being targeted by A Rank Awakened ones was true—gathering a party wasn’t easy. But I teamed up with acquaintances Seol Myeong Hun, Jo Jang Hee, and Lee Jin-A.
“V! Draw their attention!”
—Kkung Kkung…!
B Rank Jo Jang Hee was a frontline position carrying a large shield.
She raised a long, parrot-like mechanical squirrel named V, which was extremely cute.
When V drew the monsters’ attention, Seol Myeong Hun would finish them off with a long-range sniper rifle.
It was a well-crafted tactic, and our teamwork was excellent.
“Seems like you two work well together?”
I asked.
Then, Jo Jang Hee, who was peeling an apple for V by the campfire, laughed uniquely while saying, “Hehe.”
“Did it seem that way? Well, we weren’t trying to show off or anything. Actually, we decided to get married next spring. You’ll come, right? And Lee Jin-A too?”
Jo Jang Hee and Seol Myeong Hun are getting married?
Although it was said that there were many couples who met in the rifts and married, it was still surprising.
That’s great—while I was thinking that, my phone buzzed.
“Haildo, help me. It’s urgent. Bitnari is in danger. Don’t tell anyone, just come to the place I’m about to tell you. It’s urgent. There’s no time. You are the only person I can ask for this.”
It was a strange text.
There was no sender or any information.
Was it some kind of trap…?
Who on earth is “Bitnari”?
