128 – A Precious Treasure to Someone! # 5
There is no perfect being in the world.
Everyone has their weaknesses.
Even the giant Argos, born as a guardian, was said to have one.
“The giant Argos is weak to the sound of singing…! If we can sing him to sleep, we can use that opportunity to escape with the light squirrel…!”
According to the Nymphs, Argos was originally a guardian but fell asleep upon hearing the song of Hermes, causing him to mess up his duties.
He was said to have been kicked out, having all his proud eyes sealed while sleeping on the job.
“Muhuh, the Nymph sisters plan to sing the song of the ditch water together…! We will start singing in sync with that signal from Illinois…!”
“This Coris is very happy to finally sing the song of the ditch water again…!”
The Nymphs cleared their throats and soon began to sing calmly.
“Ditch ditch, small ditch water. Rainwater, honey water, brook water, all gathered—.”
The Nymphs’ song had the power to lift the spirits of those who listened.
Ari seemed to be hearing the Nymphs’ song for the first time, quietly admiring it.
“What a wonderful song.”
Lee Joon-Hun also looked doubtful, as if he was thinking, “Can this really work…?”
Right then.
━━──.
Argos sat heavily on a large rock, mumbling something in an incomprehensible language, causing Illinois to shake his head and say, “They say it’s the language of giants…! It’s difficult to interpret…!”
Then Coris spoke.
“This song… it’s a nostalgic song from my homeland. There were many Nymphs singing like this back home. I wonder if I am hearing an echo of longing for my homeland─ she said…!”
Oh.
Did the gentle and kind Coris have such a talent?
While I was feeling admiration for that, Argos opened his heavy mouth and muttered like thunder.
━━─.
“Songs, in essence, are meant to contain the soul. I cannot sleep from such songs. My severe insomnia will not be cured. It’s about a 75 out of 100. Something is missing—she said…!”
“They say Argos’ rating criteria are too strict…! If the honorable Nymph Yuranoi had been with us, we would surely have scored 100…! How regrettable…!”
“How dare you evaluate Illinois’ song as soulless…! You must have had your eyes and ears sealed…! I want to smack you…!”
The Nymphs clenched their fists.
They seemed fired up to earn a good score.
The Nymphs continued to sing.
“Ditch water, brook water, even if it collects throughout the woods, and white butterflies, tiger butterflies, fly above the fields—.”
However—.
The giant Argos merely nodded as if in deep thought while seated on the rock.
At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind.
“What if Bang Bang sings? Bang Bang can sing well!”
“…Are you suggesting this transparent spider should sing?”
Yu Ara seemed surprised by my suggestion.
I thought it would be quicker to show than to explain, so I placed Bang Bang from my shoulder onto my palm and said.
“Bang Bang, sing!”
━Hioong…!
Bang Bang began to sing, swaying left and right.
━Hioong…! Hioong…!
It was a very beautiful song, and my heart felt warm as it melted. The cat Mi-ong, who had been quietly attached to my bag, also reacted to the song.
━Mioong…! Mioong…!
The beautiful duet of Bang Bang and Mi-ong.
With that, Argos’ head and chin slowly began to nod, and finally, he started to snore loudly.
The Nymphs were delighted to see someone clearly napping while sitting.
“Bang Bang and Mi-ong did it…!”
“Let’s hurry and take the light squirrel…!”
“Let’s do it…!”
The Nymphs showed their enthusiasm for the success of the operation.
I patted Bang Bang’s back, who had been singing and dancing, and asked.
“Bang Bang, can you maybe get to Argos’ waist?”
Bang Bang was an expert in stealthy hunting.
Not only could it conceal itself but it also knew the technique “tiptoe walking.”
━Bang Bang…!
Hop, hop—.
Jumping around in all directions, Bang Bang approached the giant’s waist.
In this tense situation, we all held our breath, anxiously but eagerly watching this moment—.
Bang Bang succeeded in opening the cage and rescuing the light squirrel!
━Kang. Kang.
Hop, hop—!
The light squirrel, as if it had been waiting, jumped from the rock crevice toward Lee Joon-Hun.
Lee Joon-Hun hugged the squirrel tightly, filled with joy.
“Got it! Yes! We saved it! Light Squirrel! You’re safe! You made it!”
━Kang. Kang…!
With the dramatic rescue success, my heart warmed like ice melting in spring.
I could finally feel at ease.
But I could never let my guard down.
Safely escaping and returning home was the most important thing.
Zzz.. Zzz—.
Fortunately, “Guardian Argos” still seemed to be in a deep sleep, and all we had to do was return to the helicopter safely.
Just then, a moment occurred.
Ssssss-.
The quietly crouching owl Kalilnoi seemed to be the first to sense something amiss as it ruffled its feathers all over.
━Huu, huu…!
Then it flew high and flapped its wings vigorously, creating a strong wind, resulting in a very chaotic situation that left me flustered.
“Kalilnoi, what’s wrong? You might wake the giant!”
“Poison…! Senior, it’s poison…! Gas…!”
Pop-.
Yu Ara quickly threw the gas mask, which she had been wearing on her waist, to us.
Understanding the situation, we hurriedly put on the gas masks just as someone lightly landed atop the rock.
It was a woman wearing a black Chinese dress, exposing her thighs and legs.
The fact that she wore such simple attire without any significant weaponry in this terrifying T-rank rift said one thing—.
She must be a formidable expert.
“There are some quite perceptive individuals here? But it’s already too late. You have already been poisoned by this Shao Shao’s specially manufactured colorless and odorless toxin. You must be feeling numb from the paralysis poison, right?”
“Senior, be careful! It’s the Black Ops team from China!”
# # #
Shao Shao.
I was also aware of that name.
The only S-rank Awakened in China, right?
Her skills fluctuate between ranks 13 to 17 in S-rank, but it was clear she would be a challenging opponent for us.
After all, an S-ranker would be a more troublesome adversary than giant Argos!
Numbness—.
My body actually began tingling like my limbs were bloodless.
S-rank ranked Shao Shao was said to be an Awakened one who uses a special “breath.”
“It would have been better to be quietly subdued. Haildo, I will take you back to our homeland. A promising male Awakened can give birth to ten Awakened.”
“Are you saying you’ll take Haildo to have children? So the rumors about China luring foreign Awakened to make them bear children are true.”
Lee Jin-A frowned.
It was surprising to her that the government was controlling Awakened to marry arbitrarily, especially since it had been revealed that children of Awakened generally possess Awakened traits.
The Chinese government allegedly finds suitable matches from the DNA level and pairs them together…
“Poison fog.”
Huuuuu—.
Shao Shao exhaled a visibly ominous purple gas from her mouth.
It felt like something that shouldn’t be inhaled through the nose.
“Yikes…! It’s a terrifying poison cloud…!”
“Muhuh, it seems that poison doesn’t affect that Illinois, the Potion Nymph…!”
“This Coris is feeling quite stifled in this gas mask…!”
While the Nymphs were in an uproar, Kalilnoi flapped its wings again.
Fwoodududududu—!
The strong wind created by its flapping dispersed Shao Shao’s poison fog far away.
“Tch. The compatibility isn’t good. There’s no helping it.”
Sss—.
Shao Shao picked up something like chopsticks from her waist and spread it around.
Papababababat—.
Soon, countless needles shot out from it towards us, and Lee Joon-Hun stretched out his hand and shouted loudly.
“Kinetic Shield!”
Wuuung—.
The wave of telekinesis formed in an instant, blocking countless needles and making them float in mid-air.
“With a telekinetic user present, projectile attacks become meaningless. And Kalilnoi will fend off Shao Shao’s poison fog!”
━Huu, huu…!
There is something called compatibility.
No matter how much an S-ranker like Shao Shao is, she cannot defeat all of us in unfavorable compatibility.
Then Yu Ara spoke softly enough for me to hear.
“Senior, it seems she’s trying to buy time. Surely she’s plotting to bring the black mages from the black market over here. I can feel a lot of presences approaching.”
Ari was almost like a human radar.
As Ari said, time was not on our side—.
At that moment, something flashed through my mind like lightning.
“Lee Jin-A. Can you touch the emotions of that Argos guy?”
“Digging into human emotions is relatively easy. It would be easier if he’s defenseless, like when sleeping. But why…?”
“Wake Argos!”
“What?”
“There’s no time to explain! Quickly!”
“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do!”
Lee Jin-A seemed puzzled but placed her hand against her temple as I instructed.
At that moment, Argos jolted—!
━━─!!!
The giant Argos rose and let out a ferocious roar.
“I had a nightmare, and now I feel bad—she says…!”
Swoosh—.
Argos grabbed a club from his waist.
The direction of his club was aimed right at the rock where Shao Shao stood.
━─────!!!
“I cannot allow intruders— she says…!”
Huuuw, Kwaaaang—!
Argos’ club smashed the rock like it was cake.
Kuwung—.
The ground shook from the tremendous force, and Shao Shao clicked her tongue and dodged.
“Damn it! What’s with this giant! Why is he attacking me all of a sudden!”
It seemed she was surprised by Argos attacking her.
It looked like she didn’t have as much information as we did.
“Argos reacts to massive mana! Shao Shao has the most mana of anyone here! We need to escape from here while all eyes are on Shao Shao!”
Pop-.
I chose to flee without looking back.
At that moment, Shao Shao called out to me.
“Haildo! Don’t you remember? Have you really forgotten? Haildo! I have never forgotten you for even a moment! Have you… forgotten me?”
“Me, forget you…? What on earth….”
“Senior! Don’t be fooled! The female agents from the black market use deception tactics and beauty strategies!”
“Haildo! Have you really forgotten me? Didn’t we hold hands together? Have you forgotten the warmth of that spring day…? Really…?”
Shao Shao kept calling out anxiously.
How could she call someone so desperately?
I felt tears streaming down my eyes as if I were awakening to a forgotten past.
Drip—.
“Oh no, why am I crying…? I’m someone who doesn’t know tears…?”
Swoosh—.
Shao Shao took something out from her embrace.
As if she were taking out something precious.
“Haildo…! Look at this…! It’s my… precious treasure that I’ve held onto since that day…!”
It was a round candy stick.
