160 – Training Method of the Nymphs #1
‒ Hoo, hoo…!
Kalilnoi flapped her wings as she soared effortlessly in the sky.
I had worried that she might struggle to fly after injuring her wings severely in the past, but now she flew with such grace that all those worries seemed unfounded.
“Is it because she eats garlic?”
I recalled a story about a weak chicken getting strength from eating gochujang. Just like that, it was only natural for Kalilnoi, who consumed a lot of garlic every day, to be bursting with energy.
I thought about doubling the amount of garlic I would feed Kalilnoi in the future—when she landed beside me and immediately began to pummel the scarecrow set up in the yard with a rapid flurry of wing beats.
‒ Hoo, hoo…!
This technique was aptly named “Nymph Beat – Flapping Wings Wildly.”
Its effectiveness was outstanding.
The scarecrow, boasting the strength of an A-rank demon, couldn’t withstand Kalilnoi’s assault and crumbled to pieces.
‒ Piiirururu…!
Feeling pleased with her defeat of the opponent, Kalilnoi spread her wings wide, flapping them side to side, and let out a jubilant cry.
She then nudged her head toward me as if asking for praise. I patted her feathers affectionately and said.
“Well done! Kalilnoi! At this level, I wouldn’t have needed to intervene if you had stepped in to fight against the Demon King.”
Kalilnoi already exhibited strength comparable to an A-ranker on her own.
What if she underwent Hyper Evolution?
“Hyper Evolution.”
That was a technique that transformed animals entirely with my magic.
It required the trust of my animal friends strong enough to accept all my magic and at the same time, needed sufficient magical power for me to overwhelm those animals.
In that sense, Kalilnoi was an incredibly powerful Tiger Owl, the most resonant of all.
It would be accurate to say that my abilities were lacking in comparison.
Flap-!
Kalilnoi took off into the sky.
As I watched her, Inoi remarked.
“Perhaps the time is nearing for Sister Kalilnoi to return as a nymph…! I really hope she comes back as a nymph soon…! She wants to boast about these storm clouds…!”
‒ Iningyi-Yinging.
Inoi clutched what resembled a doll made from blue cotton.
Of course, it wasn’t a doll; it was a living creature.
‒ Iningyi-Yinging.
This cotton candy-like creature let out a strange sound unlike anything I had ever heard from any animal.
However, according to Inoi, it was an exceptionally powerful creature, so it should never be underestimated.
Floating lightly-.
‒ Kyu-ing.
The storm cloud “Iningyi” now began rising into the sky.
With no wings, it flew; with no mouth or neck, it produced sounds.
Truly an incredible creature.
Swoosh-.
Inoi was now lifting a small rock or digging into the wall with a trowel.
She looked very diligent.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m searching for coins…! This ‘Whispering Coin’ is supposed to be a very rare item…! I want to gather a lot of them and show it to everyone…!”
The coins Inoi had been picking up here and there.
I learned that it was an extraordinary item, and that made Inoi even more focused on searching for coins.
Of course, I still couldn’t fully grasp the concept.
They actually use coins from the cracks?
Just like the anomalous crack that appeared in the Paradise region, certain locations around the world have vending machines, right? And they can use coins at those vending machines?
It had already become public knowledge that Demon King Jun had obtained various items using coins and reached A-rank Awakened.
As a side note, I heard that the anomalous crack opened in “Paradise” and the “Ring Vending Machine” were managed by the Korean government.
That was reassuring news.
“Old Man Korera Bang: Is it only the nymphs that can find coins? Is there no way to find coins without nymphs?”
┗ Squirrel Beasts and Honey Ants sometimes ask about it too.
┗ Damn, that was the coin my squirrel brought! I already spent it all on gum!
┗ Haha, my honey ant cleaned the house and turned in all the coins they found.
This mysterious coin wasn’t something only nymphs could acquire.
Occasionally, my Kkungkkungi and Ahn Ahn would also bring back coins, which Inoi said were also “Whispering Coins.”
Anyway.
With such feelings, the world once again experienced the frenzy of squirrel beasts and honey ants.
Primal Village was bustling once more with people arriving so much that there was no room to park.
“If you want to catch squirrels, you need to be one with nature.”
“What’s today’s pocket snack? The honey butter almonds loved by squirrels.”
The Chairman of the Releasing Preservation Society, who returned to nature, and the village leader of Primal Village were quite busy handling the influx of people.
My house was also routinely knocked on, or people were climbing over the walls, and I had to spend all day yelling and blocking the crowd.
“Is this what life is like for a superstar with no privacy?”
It was nice to become famous, but losing one’s privacy completely was something to think about in many ways.
Yet for the past few days, I enjoyed a good amount of rest.
‒ Kkungkkung…!
‒ Kkungkkung…!
Kkungkkungi seemed to be running around the house with his girlfriend, the Winged Squirrel Phey, while Ahn Ahn was putting together a puzzle with his girlfriend, Elizabeth, that had 1028 pieces.
‒ Zzzii…
‒ Ororong…!
What about Bang Bang?
Bang Bang seemed to be tuning a “Web Guitar” made of Mana Hydro Light, dinging it to get the right melody.
‒ Hioong…!
Next to Bang Bang, there was a tiny musical instrument—a maraca held by the Steel Spider Miyeong, who was shaking it enthusiastically, but soon she started losing her light.
Then she whooshed into the charger bag.
‒ Hioong….
Bang Bang let out a slight sound of disappointment as he watched Miyeong disappear inside.
Because Miyeong, the spider friend of Bang Bang, wasn’t a living creature but a mechanical device, Bang Bang often seemed to feel down during charging time.
“Should I make a living spider friend for Bang Bang too?”
Bang Bang was a rainbow-colored RGB spider known for its exceptional coloration. It could freely manipulate its colors.
That fascinating coloration of Bang Bang attracted various wolf spiders to Primal Village, allowing them to settle down comfortably.
They occasionally appeared before Bang Bang, dancing while waving their front legs up and down.
Of course, Bang Bang didn’t seem too interested in the flock of wolf spiders that gathered.
Just like Kkungkkungi only showed interest in Phey and Ahn Ahn only in Elizabeth, the rare ghost spider Bang Bang also seemed to like Miyeong.
“Alpha individuals are often expected to have several females, but it seems not so in this case. Better than humans.”
Ding ding ding.
At that moment, the clock in the living room announced it was 3 PM.
“Is it already time? I’m going to be late.”
# # #
“Kyaah! Legion! Look here!”
“So handsome!”
It wasn’t difficult to find that man.
The cheers of female fans echoed throughout various places in the city.
The man beloved by the women was sitting by the window, sipping coffee, with his summer shirt unbuttoned, revealing his chest, and wearing sunglasses.
Beside him were three foreign women, all remarkably beautiful and slender, like fashion models.
There may actually be some fashion models among them.
“Ildo, this way.”
Swoosh-.
Upon seeing me enter the café, the man raised his hand.
Achilles, ranked 5th in S-rank.
A handsome man, sculpted like a statue, full of youthful energy like a roaring lion.
When I first heard the rumor that “Achilles is dating three women at once,” I wondered what kind of person he was, but seeing him in person made it completely convincing; he was truly a breathtaking figure.
Life is so unfair!
“Ildo, it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve been closely following you since the Martial Arts competition to this latest incident at Paradise. I know you’re a busy person, so thank you for making time for me.”
Achilles, worthy of the name “hero,” appeared to be a very polite and kind person. It was humbling when such a renowned S-rank figure, glowing with fame, apologized for taking up my time.
Soon, Achilles asked.
“Did you bring the Squirrel?”
“No. The squirrel is on a date, and I brought the honey ant Ahn Ahn.”
I took Ahn Ahn out of my pocket.
Achilles was impressed by Ahn Ahn’s “autumn form,” which looked magnificent adorned in golden armor.
“As rumored, you have a wonderful honey ant. Personally, I was very interested in your combat style with animals, Ildo. Also, I was curious about you as a person.”
His smile was refreshing as ever.
It seemed that he was indeed combative, as rumors suggested.
I decided to give him a lighthearted reply.
“So you find men interesting? Someone might misconstrue that. Given that you’re a celebrity, shouldn’t you be mindful of your words? You might attract a lot of misunderstandings. I’m also getting a bit famous lately, so I have to be careful about what I say.”
Achilles Legion just smiled without responding.
At the same time, I began to feel anxious.
…Why isn’t he clarifying…!?
I started to feel five times more nervous than when I entered the Demon King Jun’s crack.
What if he suddenly confesses to me?
I’m not into that!
“Anyway, let’s get up. The reason I called you, Ildo, is because I have something to discuss. You know about the noisy coins lately, right? After all, there are real nymphs by your side.”
Swoosh-.
As he stood up and took something from his pocket, Achilles revealed an old coin engraved with an owl; it appeared to be an antiquity.
“This is a Drakma-type ‘Whispering Coin.’ It has been discovered in Greece since ancient times. With it, we can accomplish amazing things in Greece.”
“Amazing things, you say?”
I was quite intrigued by the ‘Whispering Coin.’
When I looked it up on the internet, I found many stories from Greece, so I gladly accepted Achilles’ invitation to meet.
“While it’s fine to explain verbally, I want to show you something directly. Ildo, would you be willing to come to Greece? You can bring the nymphs and animals along if you’d like.”
Greece.
The land of nymphs and gods.
Achilles invited me towards that place.
“If you are aiming for the ‘pinnacle’, you should definitely see Greece. I think it would be good for you to learn about that man. The one who gave me my only defeat.”
“……!”
Achilles, revered as a ‘hero,’ was also often recognized as the strongest among S-ranks.
Though he maintained a ranking of 5th, there was a public belief that if it came to actual combat, Achilles would win.
However, the fastest awakened, Achilles, never spoke of his own strength.
Some said it was due to his characteristic humility, but there had been rumors circulating within the awakened community.
That Achilles had suffered a thorough defeat by someone.
And he was now confirming that it was indeed true!
“There are many geniuses in the world, but there is only one pinnacle. Don’t you want to meet that pinnacle? Just meeting him might change a lot.”
The pinnacle.
Could it be that such a man exists in Greece?
