# 195 – Nymph and the Ugly Chick #5
“Gah!”
Yu Ara woke up with a big gasp.
Coming to her senses, the mud-covered nymph Morales welcomed Yu Ara with open arms.
“My companion Core is awake…! I thought I would never wake up again…! If that were the case, I would have to return to rummaging through the trash…!”
With a hug,
the nymph Morales embraced Yu Ara.
Feeling the warm body of Morales, Yu Ara fully regained her consciousness.
She also remembered where she had been and what she had been doing just moments ago.
“Senpai? Are you okay…!?”
Just a moment ago, Yu Ara had been drifting in a dream. However, she was fully aware that it was a dream and could reclaim control of her body again.
That awakening was as chaotic as a long-submerged submarine bubbling up to the surface.
It was then that she parted ways with Haildo in the dream.
“Hyek…! The owner of the house isn’t waking up…! Nymphi-bigi, hit him hard…!”
Thud thud thud thud thud—.
Inoi was beating Haildo, the owner of the house.
But Haildo showed no response to Inoi’s soft little fists.
“Something is definitely wrong…! The owner of the house is clearly unable to wake up from the dream…! We need to help him…!”
Inoi had a very tense expression while looking at Haildo, who lay with his eyes closed on the blanket.
—Bark bark…!
—Sizzle…!
—Bang bang…!
Even though the Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi, the Bumble Ant Ahn Ahn, and the Ghost Spider Bang Bang had all regained their senses, Haildo still seemed to be wandering in a dream.
Tap tap—.
Especially, the most sensitive and gentle spider Bang Bang kept tapping Haildo’s face with its front legs.
But there was no response from the lying Haildo.
—Hioooong….
—Grrr…
Frustrated, Kkungkkungi fluffed up its fur.
Kkungkkungi bit Haildo’s finger with a snap.
Yet there was still no reaction, and Kkungkkungi spun around Haildo as if it were impatient.
Soon, Madame Jomo clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“He’s on the brink of death. Ari, you managed to escape, but this man couldn’t. What is the last thing you remember?”
At Madame Jomo’s question, Yu Ara recalled the last scene she remembered.
Yu Ara had stumbled through the darkness with Haildo until they discovered a tall ladder.
It was a ladder that seemed to reach endlessly into the dazzling light, clearly signaling ‘a way out of the dream’ for anyone to see.
—You go first…! I’ll hold the rear…!
Haildo had sent Yu Ara, the nymphs, and the animals up the ladder first.
He tried to climb the ladder himself, but all the disturbing thoughts and ominous energies also climbed up the ladder and grabbed at Haildo’s feet.
If he stayed still, the ladder would shake violently, and everyone might fall and be caught.
Yu Ara’s face soon turned pale.
“Senpai…! You jumped down to protect the ladder…!”
In Yu Ara’s last memory, Haildo had come back down the ladder to confront all the evil energies.
Yu Ara had tried to help, but at that moment, her consciousness started to fade, and she woke up from what felt like death-like sleep.
Madame Jomo said.
“Given the circumstances, there’s no choice but to find your way and wake up on your own. When I was young, I would have tried anything, but now….”
“To think you risked your life to protect me…! What have I done…! Senpai, you need to wake up…!”
Yu Ara didn’t hide the tears welling up in her eyes.
Bang bang—.
She hit Haildo’s chest with her fist.
Then she suddenly could remind herself of who she was.
It was because she recalled Haildo’s words: “Believe in your own potential.”
And long ago, Haildo had told Yu Ara, who always felt out of place and ostracized, “Effort never betrays you. Even if it’s hard right now, if you work hard, someday you’ll surely be rewarded.”
Looking back, it was advice and encouragement that anyone could easily give.
Yet, it was only Haildo who had said those encouraging words to Yu Ara.
The concept that effort would someday be rewarded was a story that supported Yu Ara’s heart, which had taken on secretive, difficult, and laborious tasks that no one acknowledged.
Yu Ara remembered the days of effort she had put in until now.
And she clapped her hands.
“I will do what I can right now!”
Swish—.
Yu Ara took out a stethoscope and placed it on Haildo’s chest.
His heartbeat was very weak, and his breathing was faint.
Yu Ara opened Haildo’s eyelids to check the movement of his pupils and his state of tension.
Click—.
When she shone a light, the relaxed pupils began to shake rapidly from side to side.
“This is…!”
Yu Ara was familiar with this phenomenon of pupil shaking.
It was a symptom that appeared when someone took the pill that induced a ‘stupor’ released years ago.
Some demons could ‘play dead’ to avoid fights, and this was the pill they swallowed in preparation for such situations.
Doctor Ari quickly diagnosed.
“Senpai must still be asleep due to the effects of the pill…! To drive this effect away, we need to provide strong external stimulation…! Senpai…! Can you hear my voice…!”
Yu Ara injected an activator, designed to help someone wake up from a stupor, into Haildo’s arm.
Swish—.
The white liquid in the syringe flowed smoothly into Haildo’s body, and Yu Ara called Haildo’s name loudly into his ear.
“Senpai, you need to wake up…!”
He twitched—.
At that moment, Haildo’s fingertips trembled.
It was a meaningful response and a positive sign.
However, it seemed that simply calling his name wasn’t enough to wake him up.
Yu Ara realized that strong stimulation was necessary.
# # #
I was wandering in what felt like a dark cave.
I alone could not escape the dream.
Endless thoughts were rushing toward me.
I swung my beam saber and mechanically cut through them.
“Death blow!”
—Don’t go!
—Live here with us forever! We’ll make you dream happy dreams!
It was a voice with a very sweet temptation.
They promised me a dream that would last forever, but in reality, I felt no temptation whatsoever.
Eating a hundred pieces of chicken in a dream was not as good as eating one piece in reality.
And I was very satisfied with my life recently.
It was time to reap the rewards of my efforts, so I couldn’t retire here!
Tight—
At that moment, the red thread tied to my finger pulled taut.
I felt as if someone in the darkness was leading me.
“Could it be Ari!”
I thought the Ari who escaped first was waking me from outside.
If it was Ari, she would know the effects of the stupor-inducing pill I swallowed and would wake me up.
To be honest, I didn’t want to take any pills, but given the urgent situation, I couldn’t wait for sleep to overcome me, so I resorted to extreme measures.
Following that feeling, I moved along the taut red thread.
Just then.
“What the hell is this…?”
The red thread that had been extending straight ahead began to branch out like twigs and was creating countless forks!
Each of those twigs was pulling at me tautly, and I felt as if my whole body was being torn apart!
Did the prisoners tied up in a cart feel the same way as I did now?
“Uraaaah!”
I had no choice but to scream helplessly.
Just then.
Swish—.
I lost my balance as if I were being swept away by the swirling water from a sink.
Literally, I began to be powerfully swept away, and when I came to my senses, Inoi was looking at me, raise her hand.
“The owner of the house has come to his senses…!”
Did I regain my senses?
Soon, Kkungkkungi, puffing its fur, bit my finger.
It hurt so much that it made my head clear.
“Ow! I really woke up! But why does my whole body hurt so much?”
I felt as if I had become minced meat.
Perhaps Kkungkkungi, Bang Bang, Inoi, or Yu Ara had been hitting me hard to wake me up.
Because after the administration of the activating agent, external stimulation was the most important thing to wake someone from a stupor.
However, the most painful part was my cheek.
Wondering what was wrong, I looked in the mirror and saw a clear lipstick mark on my cheek, turning blue as if it had been bruised.
Soon, Morales snickered.
“My companion Core, Ari, woke Haildo up with ‘Corebigi, Cheek Sucking’! No other core would be able to suck cheeks this skillfully…!”
“Senpai…! I’m so glad you woke up…! Uhuhuh…!”
With a rush—
At that moment, Ari jumped into my arms, shedding tears.
It was so sudden, but the warm and damp sensation of her tears hitting my chest felt particularly vivid.
I’ve really come back!
