247 – Nymphs’ Day and Day of Pride # 7
When I looked into the well, I saw a faint dimensional crack had formed.
It was small enough that even Ari, who had a sharp instinct, couldn’t detect it.
“When did this appear? It doesn’t seem like it’s been there long.”
Swish-.
Seo Ye-rim threw a stone she picked up from the yard into the well.
As the stone fell, it disappeared as it slipped into the crack entrance.
Watching that, Cha Yura said.
“It seems like it’s a crack on the level of an inventory, as it’s sucking in objects.”
Some Awakened possess inventory abilities, much like game characters storing items.
Cha Yura and Seo Ye-rim were among them.
But it turned out that their individual “small cracks” were opening up to store items. This was a fact I was unaware of.
Cha Yura continued.
“The strong mana waves can sometimes bring about cracks or can open and close them. Perhaps due to the gathering of nymphs or the influx of S-rank Awakened, this crack has opened…”
There had indeed been an influx of S-rank Awakened to our house around Nymphs’ Day and Chuseok. So could this irregular anomaly crack have formed because of that influence?
This well had already been a place where an anomaly crack had opened, making it akin to a haunted house.
I had been patrolling the village every morning to secure the area, understanding that such incidents could happen nearby.
━Kkungkkungi…!
At that moment, Kkungkkungi barked towards the well.
He often barked aimlessly when bored, trying to make a show of his name, but this time it seemed he had a reason.
“Ah-! It’s clear he senses the presence of Pig Noi down there…! Our nymphs can understand animals’ hearts to some extent…!”
Inoi interpreted Kkungkkungi’s bark.
To me, it was evident that Kkungkkungi had sensed something noteworthy in that well.
Was there a high probability that the lost piggy bank belonged within that crack?
I didn’t know what caused it to be that way, but it gave us a significant reason to explore the anomaly.
Regardless, once a crack is discovered, various measures must be taken.
Fortunately, three S-rankers capable of judgment and executing plans were here.
“Shall we send in the honeybees first? Mil-mil, go.”
Tang So-hae, the youngest S-ranker, carefully released the pumpkin honeybee she held into the well.
The honeybee buzzed as it descended, entering the crack as if it were an excellent drone.
I recalled that Tang So-hae had grown her honeybee team by skillfully handling them and enhancing her abilities through memorization techniques to become an S-ranker.
The colony of pumpkin honeybees raised on the special Tang Huru diet from the Four Thousand Tang Clan was extraordinarily powerful, and each individual possessed mysterious abilities.
“Since Mil-mil has gone in, we should know the inside situation soon.”
The pumpkin honeybee – Mil-mil was noted for her scouting and exploration skills.
About five minutes passed since Mil-mil had gone into the well and into the crack.
“She hasn’t come out. Is something going on inside?”
Tang So-hae tilted her head.
Seo Ye-rim let out a long sigh.
“I honestly had my doubts when I heard a honeybee girl became an S-ranker. Are you really an S-ranker? You seem a bit clumsy. You know that in China, the standards are pretty lax, so it’s hard to trust…”
“Don’t underestimate honeybees!”
Tang So-hae bristled as the surrounding honeybees buzzed violently.
I felt it was time to chime in.
“Right, it’s not good to underestimate honeybees. Plus, this isn’t the time for us to squabble; we need to join forces to solve the problem. It seems like one of us should go down to see.”
Someone needs to go down—.
While I spoke, I had already prepared my resolve to descend into the crack.
After all, this was my home.
I had an obligation to resolve this matter.
“Senior, isn’t it too dangerous?”
Ari, with her kind nature, grasped my coat in concern.
Of course, the suddenly formed anomaly crack posed its risks and threats.
But leaving it alone was not an option.
If someone had to do it, it had to be me.
“Then you all wait. I’ll go in.”
Creak-.
I set up a pulley over the well and slowly descended with the rope.
# # #
Zoom-.
As I approached the crack, I felt a sensation as though it was trying to draw me in, similar to placing a hand or leg against a strongly running vacuum cleaner.
Once I regained my senses, the unpleasant feeling of my insides churning faded, and I felt a cool floor beneath me.
It was a stone floor.
“Is this a stone structure?”
I realized I was sitting in a structure made of stone.
Wondering if it was a crack in the form of an old temple or abandoned ruins, I looked around and felt that this place resembled an ancient castle.
“Is this a hallway?”
━Kkungkkungi…!
Kkungkkungi appeared behind me, barking.
That must be a greeting.
It seemed Kkungkkungi followed me into the crack.
━Kkungkkungi…!
Kkungkkungi scurried up my ankle and leaped ahead, running somewhere.
I followed Kkungkkungi through the corridor of this ancient castle, and after turning several corners, I found a lobby covered in a red carpet instead of the cold stone floor.
It was a very splendid place.
Chandeliers sparkled from the ceiling, and beautifully made silver armors and devil-like statues were placed on the stairs.
“It’s a medieval-style castle. Isn’t this a type of crack we’ve never seen in Korea before? I heard that this kind of crack is usually found in Europe, like in England.”
Well—
There are no absolute guarantees when it comes to cracks.
There are still many secrets that humankind has yet to uncover.
“I hope nothing moves suddenly…”
I carefully tapped or touched the devil-like statues.
Knock, knock-.
Usually, statues in places like this tend to move.
I had seen it often in videos from the S-ranker Kira Mitube.
“If you’re going to move, do it now.”
But the statues seemed to be just statues, standing still without a motion.
Was I being overly cautious?
━Kkungkkungi…!
Suddenly, Kkungkkungi, who had been sitting on my shoulder, leaped somewhere. I followed Kkungkkungi down the corridor, and it stopped in front of what seemed to be a bookshelf, hopping around.
“What’s wrong?”
━Kkungkkungi…!
Hop, hop-.
It was jumping around pretty frantically.
The song “Fidget – Squirrel” sings about a squirrel that jumps around, and Kkungkkungi’s movements reminded me exactly of that.
Really bouncing around wildly.
“Are you hungry?”
━Growl…!
It didn’t seem like it was because it was hungry.
I had once been a pet squirrel myself, so I understood.
What Kkungkkungi seemed to express was….
“There’s a space behind this bookshelf, right?”
━Kkungkkungi…!
I pulled at the bookshelf with all my might.
Clunk, creak, clank, clunk-.
With some effort, the bookshelf was drawn back like a door, revealing a hidden space behind it.
It was a “secret passage.”
“I’ve seen this a lot on Kira Mitube. It’s said that there are secret passages in this style of ancient castle cracks. And I also heard that there are quite a few traps in such secret passages…”
Kkungkkungi darted ahead down the secret passage.
I followed behind Kkungkkungi, but as the passage narrowed, I had to almost crawl.
But the effort was worth it.
“Wow.”
I was greeted by a scene filled with glimmering gold coins.
Literally, tons of gold coins, jewels, and various valuable-looking artifacts or jars piled high.
“Oh, is this real…!? This is a ‘treasure trove!’”
I recalled that in very rare circumstances, cracks in this ancient castle style could lead to treasure rooms or vaults filled with riches!
And I found one!
“I’ve discovered a treasure trove!”
━Kkungkkungi…!
True, it was Kkungkkungi who found it first.
Anyway!
“How much is all this worth?”
I didn’t know the exact price, but it seemed I wouldn’t need to worry about money for a while. To aim for becoming an S-ranker, I would need top-tier gear, so I had to gather a lot of money moving forward.
S-rankers typically own at least one national-level artifact, right?
That’s why there are many wealthy S-rankers.
You can’t be S-ranker if you aren’t rich.
“Finally, will I be able to buy the ‘Superconducting Blade’ that only S-rankers use?”
━Koiiiiiin-.
“Hmm?”
At that moment, I heard a strange sound in my ear.
It sounded like an animal’s cry.
Turning my head, I noticed something poking out from the pile of gold coins.
It looked like an animal’s bottom wriggling and struggling.
The color was red, plump, and the phrase “Inoi” was scribbled in a crooked yellow font.
It looked oddly familiar.
With a feeling of curiosity, I slowly reached out to the pile of coins and grabbed its behind.
Then, a small red pig struggled in my grasp.
━Koiin-!
“What is this…?”
It looked like Inoi’s piggy bank.
It felt like a piggy bank too.
But it moved like a living animal, wriggling energetically.
“I don’t know what you are, but I need to take you with me. Normally, cracks of this ancient castle type have exit passages that are continuously open without needing to deal with the core or the monster at the center of the crack…”
━Kkungkkungi…!
As I recalled the knowledge I had from watching Kira Mitube, Kkungkkungi darted off somewhere again.
I tucked the piggy bank-like creature under my arm, resembling a rugby ball, and followed Kkungkkungi.
━Boom, vroom-.
Then, I spotted Tang So-hae’s honeybee, Mil-mil.
It seemed Kkungkkungi had tracked down Mil-mil.
Mil-mil was buzzing in front of a small door, flying in loops.
“Is that perhaps the exit?”
Creak-.
I pulled open the old wooden door, and indeed a room shaped like a church appeared, filled with the rippling of dimensions like a portal.
Long benches were placed horizontally, and a large cross was mounted on the central platform, with devil-like gargoyles sitting on either side as if guarding it.
They resembled the statues that had remained still before.
━Koiiiiiin-.
The pig hanging on my shoulder squealed.
At that, the devil statues’ eyes glowed red.
“Somehow, I felt that this would be way too easy.”
