033 – My Lime Golden Apple Tree #4
Coexistence with demons in the rift is impossible─.
This was the conclusion drawn by a rift scholar in the age of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.
In reality, demons are ferocious monsters that cannot be tamed.
It is not an exaggeration to say that I know more about the terror of demons than anyone else, having had to break through a rift without any decent equipment at the time─.
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Watching the demons known as “Assassin Scorpions” talk among themselves as they moved ahead made my values feel shaken and transformed.
What judgment would Yu Ara, a doctor and former ace, make about this sight?
“Ari, what do you think they’re talking about? What do you hear?”
“…Z-zzij…?”
“What could ‘zzij’ possibly mean?”
“…I really…have no…idea.”
As she said this, Ari’s face turned crimson.
It seemed like she had some embarrassing thoughts.
Perhaps the fear she felt when the demons appeared earlier came rushing back to her like a dark history.
“Can we really trust this?”
Lee Jin-A, following the scorpions, asked me.
The behavior of Ahn Ahn and the scorpions must indeed be suspicious.
But I trusted Ahn Ahn.
“Ahn Ahn is trustworthy.”
Ahn Ahn has been learning how to operate a washing machine these days.
If I can’t trust someone who is going to wash my clothes, who can I trust?
Swish-.
Finally, a dead end appeared.
The scorpions began to swarm and cling to the dead end, which appeared grotesque yet somehow grand, prompting a reaction from Yu Ara.
“Hey, look at that. Doesn’t it look like some kind of pattern?”
The scorpions clinging to the dead end indeed formed strange patterns on the wall, as Yu Ara suggested.
“…Runes?”
I paused for a moment, hoping for something interesting to come out of Yu Ara’s mouth.
Flash-.
The bodies of the assassin scorpions began to emit light.
Goooonnnn-.
At last, a door appeared in the dead end where the scorpions were clinging. It happened so quickly and was so strange that it left me astonished.
Sssss-.
As the scorpions entered through the newly formed door, I asked Lee Jin-A, who was glancing at her watch.
“How many minutes are left? If we don’t leave within 10 minutes in a fixed rift, our bodies will start rebounding when the rift resets, right?”
A time attack within 10 minutes.
If we don’t leave, our bodies would go through the process of returning to 10 minutes prior, which was incredibly painful, so everyone had to be mindful of the time, I had told them.
“Seven minutes left.”
Lee Jin-A reported the time.
At that moment, Yu Ara approached the door.
“I thought the research on this rift was already completed. I never expected such a device would be hidden here. Maybe it’s hidden because it’s difficult to study a rift that resets every 10 minutes─.”
“Let’s go.”
Exploration of an unknown rift.
It was something familiar to me and made me nostalgic.
Back in my first-year student days, every rift was essentially unknown and full of secrets.
It felt like embarking on a dungeon adventure.
Returning to those times made my blood boil a little.
“Let’s go. Jin-A, keep track of the time. We need to have at least three minutes of leeway to return to the entrance. Ara, you take the rear.”
Fortunately or unfortunately, there was only one room beyond the newly created door.
Inside the room, contrary to it being an archaeological site, grass was growing, and in the center was a fist-sized stone that shone brightly, appearing exceptionally warm and magnificent.
“What is this? Is it a luminous stone?”
I picked up the stone.
Then, the grass growing on the floor withered away instantly and scattered into powder.
It was an astonishing phenomenon. Just as I was astonished by the stone’s warmth, Yu Ara spoke.
“It seems that stone has the power to make plants grow! According to Elf literature, Baldur is the god of light, and alongside his wife, the goddess of plants Nanna, he grows crops.”
Swish-.
Yu Ara took the stone from me.
As a possessor of ‘super-sensory’ abilities, she had an extraordinary instinct for distinguishing the value of various items better than others.
In other words, she could be considered a human scout.
After examining the stone for a while, Yu Ara remarked.
“It looks like an ordinary stone. On the other hand, it resembles artifacts that were discovered previously. Those items that are showcased in museums.”
Artifacts.
The very name made me dizzy.
“Are we talking about something like Gungnir? Objects usable only by S Rank?”
In rifts, ‘incredibly valuable objects’ are often discovered.
Most are recovered by the government at a high price and displayed in museums or used as clean energy sources at places like power plants.
These objects were generally referred to as ‘artifacts’ or ‘relics.’
And S Rank awakeners have the right to temporarily borrow such artifacts from the government.
Well, it’s an additional privilege stacked on the obligation to close T Rank rifts.
“Hey, hey, it doesn’t feel like the time for idle chatter! We don’t have time!”
Before I knew it, we had three minutes left.
We needed to head back outside.
“That’s too bad. I wanted to explore more. Is there a chance we could come back if we wait our turn?”
I felt like a child who had just gotten off an enjoyable ride and was getting back in line.
I wondered if we could re-enter the rift in such a manner─when Jin-A frowned.
“Do you think this is some amusement park? You can only enter a fixed rift once a week.”
Thinking of re-entry like an amusement park, Jin-A’s sentiment surprisingly aligned with mine.
I suppose it’s because we both came from modest backgrounds and grew up in the same neighborhood.
Growing up in similar places leads to similar thoughts─I felt a sense of admiration, yet I was deeply disappointed.
While I was told I could re-enter a week later, I had to endure an entire week with this adventurous spirit bubbling up?
But there was no other way.
That’s just how the law was set.
At that moment.
Yu Ara cautiously poked my side.
“Even though I may look this way, I’m a public servant. If I word it well to the person in charge of the rift, it might be possible for one more additional entry.”
“Oh, really?”
Indeed, being a public servant has its perks!
Before the Fifth Industrial Revolution, people studied hard to become public servants for a reason, you know?
# # #
We took the very warm artifact stone and safely exited the rift. Just this process alone was already enjoyable.
When it comes to artifacts, the person who gets hold of them generally holds priority over their acquisition.
“This warm stone. With this, I won’t have to worry about gas bills this winter.”
Lately, gas prices had been rising, causing me concern.
Inoi, being a hibernating nymph in winter, hated the cold.
Kkungkkungi also reportedly sleeps during winter due to the cold.
Even Ahn Ahn, the squirrel, said it becomes sluggish and sleeps during winter!
“Now that I think about it, everyone in my house hibernates during winter.”
But if I kept this stone at home, I wouldn’t need to worry about that.
“Hehe.”
Of course, there was still the process of having to divide this stone into three equal parts, since we were a party of three.
Fights over distribution were a common occurrence.
“Will we really get to re-enter? I doubt it.”
At that moment, I glanced at Yu Ara, who was talking to the administrator, and narrowed my eyes in suspicion of the power of public servants.
About thirty minutes had passed when Yu Ara waved at me.
“They said it’s possible for you to enter again!”
“Oh.”
Public servants truly hold advantages.
Thus, we once again entered the fixed rift.
However, unlike before, this time the door was wide open instead of being hidden, revealing just an ordinary stone wall room.
Despite it being ten minutes since we began, and the inevitable reset occurring, it seemed that this artifact stone was not included in the ‘reset’ rule.
“That’s a pity. It would have been nice to have one in each room.”
Just as I was setting aside my disappointment, Jin-A asked.
“So, how are we going to distribute it? In the first place, without your Ahn…squirrel, we wouldn’t even have obtained this item, so I’m going to back off. I’m not that interested anyway.”
Was she giving up on bidding for this artifact-level stone?
If so, the rights to this object would lie with me and Yu Ara.
Soon, Yu Ara looked at me and said.
“Did you say Jin-A? You’re right. If we came here alone, we probably wouldn’t have obtained it, so I’ll let you have it, senior.”
As expected, everyone was thinking rationally, and it made me feel very good.
However, Yu Ara held up one finger and added.
“However, since it’s an interesting material, can I occasionally drop by to check on or touch it? Please send me any pebble fragments that fall sealed.”
“Of that much, there are no objections.”
I readily agreed.
Anyway.
Thus concluded our fixed rift exploration.
In the end, I didn’t get to swing my beam saber─which was disappointing.
Kkungkkungi…!
Zziz…
Well, since we had these guys with us, maybe it was good that we finished the adventure without fighting?
Especially Kkungkkungi seemed very pleased.
Kkungkkungi…!
“Do you like this stone?”
Kkungkkungi…!
As expected, I had no idea what it was saying.
No matter how advanced science and AI become, it seems impossible to understand and translate animal speech.
“Jin-A, I’m grateful that you’re giving me a ride. What should I do with all this gratitude?”
On the way back.
While we were two on the way there, Yu Ara’s presence made three people on the way back.
With three of us, it felt somewhat like returning from a picnic, and we happily shared stories about stickers and goodies we had bought from a stationery store long ago.
“Oh! Senior, do you collect things like stickers? I used to collect loads of those rubber things! I saved up my pocket money from my mom but ended up only getting a lot of Carp Kings and cried!”
“Oh really? I liked Carp King. It evolves into Gyarados, right?”
“Actually, my favorite was Ibu. I mean, with just stones, it can evolve into various forms as I want! It looks cute like a fox!”
As we chatted for a while, we soon arrived at the place where I lived.
Jin-A was the first to drop me off in the yard and called to me through the half-open window.
“Next time, I’ll take you to the stationery store, so just let me know on a day when you have time.”
“Sure.”
Vroom-.
The old sound of the truck starting up created a ruckus among the neighborhood squirrels.
Kkungkkungi…!
Kkungkkungi…!
“That guy probably makes a lot of money with a two-job setup, yet why doesn’t he change his car? Anyway, Inoi! I’m back! Did you behave well?”
I entered the house.
Then, Inoi, who had been using the computer, leaped up and spread both arms wide.
“Ahh, the master of the house…! Come in…! More importantly, this Inoi feels a mysterious energy from the master of the house…! It’s truly an excellent item…!”
“Really? Is it this?”
I showed the artifact-level stone to Inoi.
Inoi opened its round eyes even larger and pressed its cheeks with its palms, looking utterly shocked.
“Ahh…! I’ve never seen such a wonderful item before…! It’s full of the energy of light and sun…! This must surely be a sacred item of the long-eared fairies…!”
If it’s a sacred item, does that mean it’s related to a god?
“I don’t know much about the gods the long-eared fairies believe in… but I acknowledge that this item is exceedingly wonderful…! With this, we can surely grow a Marmello tree wonderfully…!”
Dodo-.
Inoi grabbed the stone and dashed to the seedling of the golden apple tree, tossing it down in front of it.
Thud-.
What’s the deal with throwing such a precious item?
Swoosh-.
But then, something amazing happened.
As the stone was placed in the garden bed, the grass began to grow even more lush.
It was growing so speedily, it was visibly reminiscent of hasty bamboo.
“Oh.”
“It truly thrives…! An extremely nymph-friendly stone…. And with this, it’s certain that the premier squirrel Kkungkkungi can also evolve…!”
“What? Kkungkkungi can evolve too?”
I was deeply shocked.
Evolution.
I thought it was something only the heroes from the cartoons I saw as a child could do.
Soon, Inoi continued.
“Muhuhu, as far as I know, squirrels with enough experience occasionally eat mysterious stones and evolve…! I once saw a lightning squirrel before…!”
What on earth is a lightning squirrel?
Is it something like a squirrel thunder?
Anyway, the fact that Kkungkkungi could evolve was astonishing.
“So that’s why Kkungkkungi liked this stone earlier.”
Such surprising news!
I was already itching to share the story to all the squirrel tamers in Korea saying, “Squirrels actually evolve!”
It would definitely be featured in the best recommendations!
“Ahh, it has already borne fruit…!”
At that moment.
Inoi jumped up and pointed to the golden apple tree.
According to its words, apples were now growing on the tree, which had reached the height of Inoi, about two fist-sized apples hung from the branches.
“Master of the house, quick, it’s time to eat…! If the golden apple fruit isn’t consumed within three days after blooming, it’ll rot and emit a horrendously nymph-hating odor…!”
You mean I should eat it right now?
I picked one of the fruits.
It truly sparkled, glowing like gold.
“Inoi, aren’t you eating?”
I asked.
It was Inoi and Ahn Ahn who nurtured this tree, along with Kkungkkungi, who chased away the bugs.
But are they okay with me eating it?
Soon, Inoi responded.
“Now that I think about it, this Inoi actually dislikes golden apples…! Ahn Ahn and Kkungkkungi prefer cultivating the tree but dislike eating the fruit…!”
What a peculiar personality.
In that case, I had no choice but to─to bite into the golden apple.
Crunch-.
Then, the sour and bitter taste made my head tingle, tears burst out, and my stomach felt like it was twisting while my head throbbed and my butt went numb.
“What, what on earth is this taste…!”
“You must eat the seeds to fully benefit…!”
Inoi was laughing mischievously.
Looking at the dedication of those who nurtured the tree, I forcefully finished one.
Then, indeed, I felt my stamina boosting, and my magical power seemed to increase.
“The effect is good. However, I really can’t eat that second one. This is the first time I’ve had something so unpleasant since that nasty stone freshwater fish stew I had at Jiri Mountain. I mean it. Wow, geez. Wow.”
“In any case, the golden apple’s effects are only potent the first time; there aren’t much benefits for the second consumption…!”
I see.
Then what to do with the remaining fruit?
