199 – The Nymphs Have Begun Their Training Too! #3
“The Nymphs have always had to prepare for winter since ancient times…! Naturalistic Nymphs would seek out sturdy caves or dig burrows under trees to hibernate and endure the cold…”
Inoi mentioned having hibernated quite a few times.
It was said they would share warmth with Squirrel Beasts and various other animals in caves, holding on until spring.
However, Inoi couldn’t hibernate last winter.
“Upon waking, Inoi found itself in this strange world filled with towering buildings and faucets spilling forth streams of water!”
In my mind, I still vividly recalled how Inoi rummaged through trash bins, unable to bear the hunger in that cold winter.
Of course, Inoi has now adapted well to the 21st century, and life is completely different than back then.
But for those who have experienced hardship, it’s not strange for their minds to harbor an obsessive fear of falling back into such circumstances.
“This Inoi is uncertain whether this ‘boiler’ will continue to work properly…! The owner of the house requests that we check it…”
Due to Inoi’s fussing, I needed to check if the boiler was working properly early on.
This well-house was remodeled from an old residence, so it wasn’t unusual for there to be various minor malfunctions. However, thanks to Ahn Ahn, the honey ant, who maintained it well, the boiler was running smoothly.
“The winter in this rabbit-shaped landmass called the Korean Peninsula is, in Inoi’s opinion, extraordinarily cold…! To get through it, Inoi has bought plenty of food…”
Inoi stopped by a newly opened convenience store in Primal Village and bought all sorts of snacks using whispering coins.
The sight of Inoi cramming puffed snacks into its room reminded me of squirrels dragging leaves or cloths into their burrows.
“If there are enough nitrogenous snacks filling the room, they will undoubtedly help maintain an appropriate temperature…! Inoi has also purchased plenty of chocolates to boost calorie intake…”
Bang, bang.
Inoi’s room began to fill with all sorts of snacks, chocolates, and soft fur cloaks and blankets spread across the floor, making a snug and cozy area.
Inoi then bragged about this process and the scene to another nymph, Coris.
“No nymph could possibly prepare for winter as thoroughly as this Inoi…! In case Coris wishes to visit, Inoi has stockpiled enough food and warm clothing to share a corner of the room with a sister…”
Nymphs are said to be extremely proud of helping other nymphs. This shows they are grand nymphs who can still have plenty to spare after helping others.
Soon, Coris, placing her hands on her cheeks, exclaimed loudly.
“Ah…! Inoi, you truly are amazing…! With this much food and clothing, we might even be able to host a nymph grand festival until winter ends!”
“Then let’s all dance the joyful nymph dance!”
Da-dum, da-dum.
Inoi and Coris spun around while performing their joyful nymph dance.
Jin-A, watching this scene, spoke.
“So, what kind of training are you talking about? I don’t have time to relax like this if I want to reach A-rank.”
She was right.
To help Jin-A reach A-rank, I was contemplating various curricula, with the most straightforward being actual combat experience.
The reason potential-laden Jin-A hadn’t improved in rank was because her gap in Awakened activities while working at a moving company had been considerable. Therefore, it was necessary to undergo rigorous real-world experience to make up for this.
“Kkungkkungi, Ahn Ahn, Bang Bang, come here.”
I gathered the animals, except for Mi-ong who was recharging, and stroked their heads with my fingers.
“You all will have to put in some effort.”
As Awakeneds traverse the Breach, it’s inevitable that they will absorb the scattered mana there into their bodies.
As this experience accumulates, the amount of mana retained in their bodies increases significantly, a process we now conveniently refer to as Awakened rank-up.
But the “Breach” isn’t a place we can casually visit whenever we want. Unless we have a lighthouse like Achilles, it’s not feasible.
“So, what I’ve thought about is creating an artificial, synthetic environment. Kkungkkungi and Bang Bang, and even Ahn Ahi, have capabilities that could rival leaders in the Breach.”
Strictly speaking, animals like the squirrel beast and honey ants belong to Demon creatures. They are called demons not because they are fearsome or ominous animals, but because they possess mana within their bodies.
Engaging in combat with these mana-utilizing demons.
It would surely provide Jin-A with enlightenment about the higher echelons.
“So, you all must take it seriously!”
I thoroughly instructed the partner animals.
Krrrrrr—, Kkungkkungi fluffed up its fur and lunged toward Jin-A.
“Ack, hey, hold on!”
Pang—!
Kkungkkungi’s body slam connected with Jin-A’s body.
Jin-A blocked the attack with her elastic arms by raising them, but because she was caught off guard, her body wavered heavily.
“Hey! I said to hold on!”
Zzzzjii—!
At that moment, Ahn Ahn grabbed Jin-A’s ankle.
Jin-A promptly lost her balance, falling with a loud noise, while Bang Bang climbed on top of her, lifting and lowering its forelimbs from side to side.
Hiooong—!
It was like a victory declaration.
I extended my hand toward Jin-A, who sat on the floor, and said,
“What are you going to do if you keep losing like this? Veteran A-rankers might use techniques even more diverse and powerful than Kkungkkungi’s or Ahn Ahn’s. You need to be fully prepared.”
# # #
“A-rankers form teams, right?”
Han Joo-Ryeon slightly frowned upon hearing the story from Secretary Oh Eun-Hui.
Pfft—. A small spark flew, and Oh Eun-Hui, who rose with static electricity in her hair, calmed it down with her palms.
Since static electricity occurred according to Han Joo-Ryeon’s mood, they were all used to it.
‘Still, it seems control has improved recently.’
Han Joo-Ryeon was an awakened one of the lightning element.
An extremely powerful ability — so powerful that it earned her the nickname ‘Thunderstorm’.
The drawback was the difficulty in controlling such a strong power.
There was one more weakness, though, known only to those involved.
“Muhheh, what is this potion created by Illinois…? If you like it, consider investing in the Illinois Coins Illinois will be issuing, please!”
The potion created by the nymph Illinois was helping Han Joo-Ryeon control her abilities smoothly.
The power might have decreased slightly, but because there was finer adjustment possible, the loss in potency was compensated for sufficiently.
Secretary Oh Eun-Hui thought this was the opportunity for Han Joo-Ryeon not only to achieve the top spot among A-rankers but also to rise to S-rank.
This would mean more executive secretaries for Han Joo-Ryeon, and she, Oh Eun-Hui, might even get promoted to Director of Secretarial Affairs.
“Then, I can leave all the trouble to my juniors and subordinates and get to rest, right…!”
Oh Eun-Hui was competent as a secretary but rather materialistic as a person. She loved money more than the act of working and preferred loafing.
“Han Joo-Ryeon, you must become S-rank so I can relax!”
For that reason, Oh Eun-Hui diligently investigated things to elevate Han Joo-Ryeon to S-rank.
“This is the current roster of thirty A-rankers… twenty-eight excluding Gang Do-Hui and Ma-Wang-Joon. Here, we can see who met whom and formed teams, and which factions have formed alliances.”
Shwoosh—.
Oh Eun-Hui stuck pictures on the situation board in the office, connected lines, and supplemented with handwritten notes.
Within moments, a complex web of powers and relationships resembling a spider web was formed.
Among these, there were those who didn’t collaborate with anyone and stood alone like lonely islands.
Haildo ranked 28th in the A-rankers.
Han Joo-Ryeon asked Oh Eun-Hui,
“Have you heard any news that Haildo has made contact with other A-rankers?”
“Umm…? Instead, I’ve heard that he’s training with our classmate Jin-A.”
Shwoosh—.
Oh Eun-Hui handed Han Joo-Ryeon documents full of information on Jin-A. Han Joo-Ryeon focused on the amount of magic power Jin-A possessed while examining them.
Secretary Oh Eun-Hui, noticing her gaze, explained skillfully.
“Her magic power was almost at A-rank last month’s measurement. Jin-A, like Haildo, grows quickly. And…”
As Oh Eun-Hui explained various things, Han Joo-Ryeon remembered the story of her proposal for collaboration being rejected by Haildo.
It was surely a good opportunity for Haildo too, but it was unclear why he rejected it.
But now, everything had become clear.
‘Choosing to team up with Jin-A over me, Haildo, it seems like you don’t realize what such a decision will lead to…’
Ding dong—.
Soon, the bell attached to Han Joo-Ryeon’s office rang.
Oh Eun-Hui, who snapped out of her daze, looked outside the office door to find a parcel had been delivered.
“What is this?”
Upon opening the package, she found an invitation inside.
“From the time you read this letter, we hereby inform you that you qualify to participate in the ‘A-rank Survival’. Please be advised that non-participation may result in future disadvantages during ranking adjustments.”
I opened the package that had arrived and read the letter and words inside.
It was an invitation informing me that I had been invited to participate in the “A-rank Survival.”
The invitation not only contained a letter but also a document with a specific address, which probably indicated the location where this A-rank Survival would take place.
“A-rank battles are in a survival format, hmm.”
Participation and non-participation were left to personal decision, but it seemed that individuals would bear the consequences of any disadvantages resulting from non-participation.
In my case, I had no intention of not participating.
What I focused on more was the “location” where the game would take place.
“Huh, the site of a nuclear accident happened here.”
It was the coastal city where the Shin-Kori Nuclear Power Plant Unit 10 was located, where Kang Cheol-Min sacrificed one arm to control the super-high temperature device, averting a major disaster.
I heard that it had become a Level 0 controlled area, off-limits without permission, now essentially a ghost town.
There it was called the “Ghost Town.”
To fight there as part of the A-rankers’ battle.
Indeed, is there a better place than an abandoned city for A-rankers to unleash their full power?
The nuclear plant has been completely dismantled, so there are no dangerous elements.
Therefore, it was a moment that clearly revealed how much the government expected from the training and rank adjustments of the A-rankers in this event.
In the meantime, the time quickly passed – four days, three days, two days, one day, and finally the D-day arrived.
I asked Jin-A, who arrived by truck,
“Jin-A, are you ready? Have you officially been upgraded to A-rank?”
“Hurry up and get in.”
Saying that, Jin-A showed me her awakeneds identity card marked as A-rank and flashed a confident smile.
“Then let’s go. To Ghost Town.”
