173 – The Secret of the Nymphs and Hios Island #2
“Did you say a ruin was discovered off the coast of Hios Island?”
I heard a rather concerning story while calmly undergoing my discharge procedures.
It was said that after last night’s Spacetime Typhoon incident, the Awakened from Greece had discovered something new.
“As we tracked the formation process and path of the typhoon, we found that everything started right here off the coast of Hios Island. I looked up the coordinates and—”
Tick tick-.
Achilles tapped on his tablet and then showed me a certain screen.
Photos taken from deep within the heart of the sea off Hios Island.
“These are photos taken by divers chasing the Chimera Ants that fled into the sea. Until recently, there wasn’t any sign of these ruins. However, it appears they have been revealed due to changes in the terrain caused by the typhoon.”
They said the waters near Greece had a low probability of discovering anything new.
This was because renowned divers, treasure hunters, and archaeologists had scoured the seabed in search of the mythical city of Atlantis since ancient times.
But it seemed that the typhoon that occurred yesterday had also brought changes to the underwater landscape.
Strange ruins had suddenly appeared.
In other words, it was a “transference phenomenon.”
Just like the intense cracks created by the Spacetime Typhoon that sometimes translocated structures into the world.
Perhaps this ruin was similar.
“The Atlantis expedition team is being reassembled. It could be a discovery that might change the course of human history. Il-do, would you like to participate in the expedition?”
“Me?”
“Yes. You contributed greatly to defeating ‘The Minions of the Typhoon – Typhon.’ Even though you’re a foreigner, I believe you are more than qualified to join the expedition due to your achievements.”
I pondered briefly at Achilles’ question.
Exploring the newly discovered ruins would undoubtedly feel like becoming an adventurer or explorer.
It would be exciting.
“…You need to take it easy, Senpai! You entered an overloaded crack without any protective devices or procedures, so it’s best to monitor your condition for a while…!”
However, Ari, who acted as my attending physician, opposed the exploration of the underwater ruins. Her reasoning was incredibly accurate.
Wasn’t the overloaded crack filled with unstable magical energy?
Even if I deployed my magical power, controlling the space was quite difficult.
In such a place, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I and the animals exposed our bodies to some ‘threat.’
The hospital concluded there were no issues, but the crack remained an unknown realm, and there might have been variables in my body that hadn’t been detected.
“Resting does seem to be better.”
—Kkungkkung…!
—Hioong…!
I looked at Kkungkkungi, who was quietly sitting on my shoulder, and the barking dog wandering around the Pantheon Guild’s temple.
Both animals looked to be in great condition, but given the intense battle against the possessed beings, perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to rest a bit longer.
At that moment, Achilles asked.
“Il-do, who is this beautiful lady over here?”
“This is Ari, my junior. She’s a doctor.”
Swoosh-.
Achilles Legion extended his hand toward Ari.
Ari took his hand, and they exchanged a brief handshake.
“I’m Yu Ara, a surgeon.”
“It’s hard to gauge your abilities. Are you an Awakened?”
Achilles seemed to sense from the handshake that Ari had previously been active as an Awakened.
Indeed, the prowess of an S Rank 5 would be something different.
Swoosh-.
Releasing Ari’s hand, Achilles tapped on his tablet again.
“It’s a shame that you can’t participate in the expedition, Il-do. It would be better to have as many capable Awakened as possible since we’ll be traversing areas brimming with magical energy. It will certainly require a minimum of a year.”
What?
At least a year?
I recalled the archaeology documentaries I had seen.
When excavating ruins like the pyramids or Inca temples, schedules were planned in terms of years.
If I participated in the expedition, it would mean I’d need to spend several years off the coast of Greece.
That would be quite inconvenient.
I needed to return to Korea.
I had promised to help Lee Jin-A move into her new place next week.
It was certainly wise to refuse.
“Muhuh, the plundering of the ruins… There’s a distinct smell of money…! I, Illinois, can particularly lend a hand…!”
“This Coris is confident in swimming and diving…! Because Nymphs are originally fairies that live in rivers and springs, swimming well is natural…!”
“This Oinoy also wants to explore the ruins…!”
At that moment, the Nymphs raised their hands.
It seemed the Nymphs were very interested in the underwater ruins discovered in Greece, and they had decided to help with the exploration for just two days, a short trip.
“Then Il-do, let’s go to my house together. I have something I want to show you. I promised to tell you about the ‘Whispering Coin.'”
I followed Achilles to his home.
When we arrived, Achilles’ house was located by a beach with an old lighthouse.
It was a stylish house with a structure reminiscent of the Sydney Opera House, and in the basement garage, there were so many cars that it was hard to count.
Indeed, that’s what made an S Rank earn well.
# # #
“Nymphs?”
“Those are the ones we only see in myths…”
“They’re a bit different from what I imagined.”
On the boat above the sea.
The Nymphs were surrounded by a professor with a bearded face, a captain, and crew members.
They were all eminent archaeologists.
They were astonished to meet the Nymphs, whom they thought only existed in myths, and Nymph Illinois let out a mischievous laugh at the situation.
“Why are you looking at the Nymph with such eyes…? If you want to look at a Nymph for more than 10 seconds, you must pay with money…!”
People gawked and rifled through their pockets.
However, few had coins or bills, and Illinois added a comment upon witnessing the situation.
“If you don’t have coins or bills, account transfers or credit card payments are also possible…!”
The archaeologists were greatly impressed by the idea of Nymphs conducting account transfers or card payments.
Truly, the world is filled with endless curiosity to explore.
“Illinois… Could it be that you are the Illinois mentioned in the records of von Neumann?”
At that moment, Greek mathematician Mathlike asked.
“The Illinois mentioned in von Neumann’s diary…! I assumed it referred to some genius’s inspiration…!”
Illinois crossed her arms and nodded.
“Von Neumann…! Is that the boy I once playfully hit? He was so smart that I appointed him as an honorary Nymph…!”
“I see, von ‘Noi’ man. ‘Ilinoi’…! There was a connection! This is a historical discovery!”
The archaeologists and many scholars murmured excitedly.
Clunk.
Just then, the ship stopped.
“This is the point! Divers, prepare to dive!”
It was also when Oinoy and Coris, who had been dozing, woke up.
Without grabbing diving suits or oxygen tanks, Coris and Oinoy leaped into the sea.
The swimming and diving skills of the Nymphs far surpassed those of veteran divers who had spent over 20 years diving and collecting from the sea.
Seeing the underwater camera attached to the Nymphs, researcher Mr. Phylos shed tears in admiration.
“The Nymphs swim through the Greek seas as if they were in legends and myths. It’s so moving…!”
Of course, whether the old professors cried or not, the Nymphs skillfully swam and quickly reached the underwater ruins.
And they were startled.
“Coris! Look at that…! This Oinoy feels somewhat different from the ruins I imagined…!”
“That’s right! That is not a site from Greece…!”
As Coris had said, the underwater ruins were entirely different from the structures typically seen in Greece, like the Parthenon.
It took the shape of square stones stacked neatly into a pyramid form.
“This is a pyramid…! Why is there a pyramid in the waters off Greece? Let’s continue with the exploration…!”
As the Nymphs entered the underwater pyramid—.
Historian Rubber History trembled his white beard.
At 70 years old, his face turned red as if he were about to suffocate, and his tightly clenched hands couldn’t hide his excitement as they shook.
“Could it be… what my master said was true? Long ago, when the Destroyer Typhon appeared, the Greek gods were said to have fled to Egypt in fear…! I had thought it was merely an allegory of the close connections between Greece and ancient Egypt…!”
The Nymphs now entered the interior of the pyramid.
And right there, they discovered peculiar stone tablets lined up.
Each tablet varied in size, averaging the size of a household refrigerator.
“Look at this…! There is a drawing that resembles a ‘Chimera Ant’ on the tablet…!”
“This one seems to look like a primitive Squirrel…!”
The stone tablets were engraved with various designs, some resembling ants and others resembling squirrels.
Upon seeing this, historian Rubber History gasped in astonishment once again.
“A sealing tablet…! These are the tablets from ancient Egypt said to have sealed ancient spirits, demons, and corrupted gods…! The ‘Seal of the Destroyer – Typhon’ was sealed using Egyptian methods…!”
Soon, the Nymphs uncovered a very large stone tablet.
It was cracked and broken.
“This must be the tablet that held Typhon…! But judging by the smell of the explosives scattered here, it seems someone intentionally destroyed it…!”
Illinois could even smell the gunpowder in the salty seawater.
Someone had deliberately blown up the tablet that sealed Typhon, and as a result, nearby tablets of the “Chimera Ant,” “Squirrel Beast,” and “Emperor Lobster” were undoubtedly affected.
“…Who would do such a terrible thing?”
The scholars aboard the ship tried to answer this question by forming various hypotheses and formulas, but no one could come up with a satisfactory answer.
Pop-.
At that moment, Oinoy discovered something among the tablets.
“Ah! Everyone, look at this…!”
On the tablet was a girl with pointed ears resembling a Nymph, but with one difference—she had a tail.
Upon seeing this, Illinois tilted her head.
“Nymphs do not have tails…! So what is this tablet? A Nymph with a tail…! That’s impossible…! It’s truly disgusting…!”
“This Coris finds it interesting…!”
“Let’s take it with us…!”
The Nymphs picked up the tantalizing tablet and together, they worked to carry it back onto the boat.
