285 – The Legend of the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water
It was a shocking story.
Eight years ago, there was a vote to remove me, Haildo, from this world.
“…What the hell was that about?”
I had no idea that such discussions had taken place.
So it was only natural for me to feel confused and want to hear the reason why.
“Haildo, do you know that the cracks are attracted to stronger powers? Have you heard that the frequency of T-rank cracks opening increases with the rise of S-rank Awakened?”
“I’ve heard about that…”
“What would happen if an R-rank Awakened appeared in this world, surpassing S-rank? We already knew the outcome from the world of Nymphs and Elves.”
“…”
“Haildo, you became strong too quickly. It was beyond what the world could handle back then. But the solution was very simple.”
“Was that to remove me?”
Big Sister Yang Chi-hee fell silent instead of answering.
Sometimes silence can provide more answers than ten words. I slowly closed my eyes and imagined the distant past.
The “Patriots” gathered underground voted for the world’s survival.
It was disappointing that I, the party involved, was unaware of that fact.
“Could you not have told me the truth? If so, we could have cooperated in many ways.”
“That couldn’t happen. We didn’t know who you were. If someone named ‘Haildo’ harbored bad intentions, we couldn’t predict what they might do with that power. If we told you to die willingly, you might rebel out of defiance. So we had no choice but to keep secrets from you.”
…That was true.
If someone came to me and said, “You must die for the world to find peace,” how many people could simply respond, “Understood”?
It wouldn’t be strange if someone acted out in rebellion.
I might not have done that myself, but…
“…So if I reach R-rank Awakened instead of S-rank like this, the world will crumble significantly? Would even more formidable cracks open?”
“Probably. But things are different now than they were eight years ago. The world has received a reprieve and developed tremendously. There must be trustworthy people around you now, right?”
I recalled the people around me.
My animal friends, the Nymphs, and the residents of Primal Village who helped me find a home, along with Seo Ye-rim, Yu Ara, and Lee Jin-A, among many acquaintances.
They were all capable individuals.
I had reliable friends.
“Haildo, we’ve heard a lot about you. If Sookja were here, she would say how lucky we were not to eliminate you back then. Now you understand. The curse of growth suppression that was within you was our doing.”
Is that so!
A piece of the puzzle that had been neglected in my heart suddenly rolled in and fit perfectly.
Now the picture was complete!
“So instead of removing me, you cursed my rapid growth?”
“Yeah, it was a gamble, and it succeeded. We detached a portion of the power residing within you and gave the larger piece to Lee Joon-Hun, son of the Osa Group, while distributing the rest in smaller parts to people.”
“If you distributed it to people… could that serum injected into them be it?”
“I’m glad you’re quick to understand.”
As I pieced the puzzle together in my mind, I remembered the moment I met Inoi and received my curse.
Curse.
When someone said I was cursed, I was honestly surprised.
I had thought someone had cursed me with malice, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. Instead, it was a favor from people.
Yang Chi-hee said.
“Haildo, you could be angry or question us about proceeding without your consent, but you didn’t. It’s either insensitivity or calmness. Nevertheless, I feel sorry.”
Suddenly, I felt curious.
If I had known that sacrificing myself could make people around the world safe, what choice would I have made?
I would have been in agony.
Each day would have felt like hell.
It might have been better not to have known at all.
“Is there any way to reseal my power? If I reseal it before I get stronger, wouldn’t it eliminate the worry?”
“No. There’s only one person who can do that, and I don’t know where they are or what they’re doing. Plus, your seal might not even hold meaning anymore.”
“Why’s that?”
“Gumihee stole the flame that Seo Ye-rim had, right? The ‘Flame of Destruction’ is one of the powers that could enable one to become R-rank. In fact, our gathering of ‘Patriots’ was due to the ‘Flame of Destruction.’”
“Really?”
“Yeah. From the start, you, Haildo, were an entity we couldn’t even imagine. Everyone panicked and created chaos as we didn’t know where you had suddenly popped up from.”
“Hmm…”
“Anyway, flames aren’t something just anyone can handle. Gumihee will certainly lose control. At this point, that’s more dangerous than you are. It’s no different from a burning time bomb.”
That made sense.
Suddenly, one fact piqued my curiosity.
“By the way, I heard that the flame isn’t Seo Ye-rim’s. Did you plant the flame in Seo Ye-rim? Who was the original owner? Is it perhaps…?”
I wondered if the Flame of Destruction might have originated from me.
However, Yang Chi-hee shook her head.
“I can’t answer that. I swore to keep it a secret. The one who can inform you about that would be Lee Cheol-geun. The chairman of the Osa Group.”
# # #
Kalilnoi’s apartment was spacious.
Nymphs enjoyed gathering at Kalilnoi’s apartment, traveling in Illinois cars, and today there were many different Nymphs.
“I’m curious why this Morales was called! This Morales is like a lonely wolf Nymph…! I don’t like crowded places…!”
“This Tairrenol also flew all the way from China…! I’m curious as to what’s going on with the Nymph conference…!”
Along with the usual Oi-Noi, Coris, and Illinois, Tairrenol and Morales also gathered.
Soon, the large Nymph Dullis arrived as well.
“Great Nymph Oi-Noi, what’s going on?”
All the Nymphs waited for Great Nymph Oi-Noi to speak.
Oi-Noi held the weight of the moment until everyone held their breath.
Holding weight was a privilege reserved for the Great Nymph.
How long had it been?
As the Nymphs blinked, Oi-Noi spoke.
“It seems that soon, a dangerous event will occur in the world…! I feel that our Nymph sisters will need to unite to overcome the world’s crisis…!”
Oi-Noi had gathered the Nymphs to unify their powers.
Soon, Coris chimed in.
“I, Coris, think this world is wonderful…! Whenever I open the refrigerator, it’s always full of ice, and there’s refreshing air conditioning in the summer…!”
“Of course…! This Illinois also likes a world full of money…! And there are many lovely Kore that are easy to teach…! We must protect the Kore…!”
Nymphs always loved pretty women.
Talk of Kore always delighted the Nymphs.
For them, Kore were treasures to be cherished and protected, much like endangered species or natural treasures described in Korea.
As the conversation turned to Kore, Tairrenol chimed in.
“Muhuh, I, Tairrenol, have figured out how to artificially cultivate Kore…! If you keep Kore close to an excellent male, in a few years, more little Kore will be born…!”
“Ahh…! That’s amazing! I, Coris, don’t know what that means, but if there are more Kore, it would be a good thing for us Nymphs…!”
Tairrenol, who had discovered the secret of increasing Kore, puffed out her chest and shoulders with delight.
That made Great Nymph Oi-Noi a little anxious, and she thought it was better to reveal the great secret she had discovered.
“I, Oi-Noi, have figured out how to cultivate the ‘Mysterious Coin’…! If you place two ‘Mysterious Coins’ in a narrow, dark place, you can find more coins the next day…!”
“What the Olympus…! That’s very surprising! This Illinois also thinks that what I always told Smith about the ‘invisible hand’ might really exist in the real world…!”
Chatter.
The Nymphs babbled about what they wanted to say.
The only adult Nymph, Dullis, saw the younger Nymphs chatter and recalled her childhood, deciding to redirect the focus of this meeting.
“So, weren’t we in the middle of discussing that a great danger is coming?”
“Ahh…! That’s right…! We must protect this world…!”
The Nymphs loved this world.
So much so that they couldn’t even recall the forests or streams from their original hometown.
What could the Nymphs do to protect this world?
Could the small Nymphs, who loved to tend gardens, do anything in the face of this crisis?
The answer was YES.
At least, Oi-Noi thought so.
“I, Oi-Noi, believe we must activate the Nymph Buster Call…!”
“Hyek…! The Nymph Buster Call? I, Coris, don’t know what that is, but it sounds very impressive…!”
“Even I, Morales, am curious about what that really is…!”
The Nymphs were filled with anticipation.
So was the adult Nymph Dullis.
Soon, with a bit of a smug grin, Oi-Noi said.
“I, Oi-Noi, have heard of the ‘Legend of the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water’…! The Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water…! She is a very special Nymph…! I’ve heard she can use a very special ‘Nymph Secret’…! Truly the legendary Nymph ability…!”
The Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water.
For even fairies like Nymphs, she was a nymph passed down through legends.
According to rumors, it was said that only the chosen Great Nymphs among the Nymphs of the Ditch Water could evolve.
“I, Oi-Noi, will try to evolve into the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water with the help of my Nymph sisters…! That is what the Nymph Buster Call is about…!”
All the Nymphs nodded in agreement, “Indeed…!”
If she were the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water, it would be no surprise whatsoever, no matter what she did.
However, Coris had one question.
“How exactly can we evolve into the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water? I, Coris, don’t know how…!”
“That… frankly, I do not know either…! But my mentor might know how to evolve into the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water…!”
Oi-Noi firmly decided to seek out her mentor.
To become the Nymph of the Legendary Ditch Water and to use the legendary Nymph Secret!
