035 – Who Will the Golden Apple Go To #2
Ding dong-.
A message chimed on Yu Ara’s phone while she was checking the equipment in the workshop.
It was a Tel-Talk from Haildo.
“Did the senior contact me?”
Yu Ara felt her mood instantly lift.
And when she opened her phone, she was surprised to find a bizarre group chat had formed.
Senior Haildo was talking about something called the ‘Golden Apple.’
“It has the effect of increasing the amount of magic power held in the body?”
This was an exceedingly beneficial effect.
If something like this were announced to the world, it would undoubtedly sell for a high price.
It was also a good opportunity for research material in the 5th industry.
Additionally, Yu Ara thought about the medical advantages as a doctor.
“Since the Rift, humanity hasn’t only seen advancement. Many endemic diseases have come in as well. Perhaps this could help in healing them.”
No.
These thoughts were soon drowned out by a single emotion.
“I want it.”
The apple cultivated by Haildo.
She wanted to add it to her collection.
Not to mention she was in a position where she had to compete with other women.
“I thought I wasn’t a competitive person.”
Yu Ara hadn’t updated her information in the B Rank because it was sufficient to do so. While Seo Ye-rim, whom people had arbitrarily labeled as a rival, pushed forward with great success-.
After Yu Ara stopped updating her information in the B Rank, she retired from the field and was forgotten.
However, Yu Ara learned something new about herself that she hadn’t realized before.
“I see, I actually do have a competitive streak.”
She was quite surprised to discover this side of herself. It reminded her of the young, timid girl who had been learning about her possibilities long ago, and a nostalgic feeling rose within her.
At that time-.
Someone, shining brightly toward their goals, was so cool. He was already a hero in Yu Ara’s heart and would remain so.
“Senior, you just have to stay as you are. Even if it’s hard and stagnant, you’ll be able to move forward again. I can take care of the dirty, hard, and unrecognized tasks.”
Swoosh-.
Saying this, Yu Ara opened her phone and anonymously posted on the Awakened SNS called Blinder.
“Today I’ll share the story of seeing C Rank Awakened Haildo at the fixed Rift lol
I’m raising a Squirrel Beast, and he was completely adorable lol. I heard his name is Kkungkkungi.
Also, there’s a golden ant? Emperor ant? There was an incredibly shiny ant, so cool.
It seems like my old self is slowly returning?
I think Haildo will fill the S Rank spot that Lee Joon-Hun left this time.”
Since it was something she had done many times, her skill was familiar.
Having posted a lot about ‘Squirrel Beasts’ recently, typing on her phone was a piece of cake.
“If I elevate the Squirrel Beast, the story about Senior Haildo, who is raising the top Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi, will surely spread wide and far.”
Yu Ara already felt good.
Back in the day, when she was still a high school girl, it felt like when she posted something with the word ‘Haildo’ in the title, it would gather recommendations and comments like crazy.
Soon, comments appeared.
└Anonymous: Who is C Rank Haildo? Are you promoting yourself? Isn’t this a reason to block self-promotions? lol
“Self-promotion, huh?”
Yu Ara’s expression, which had brightened at the comment, furrowed deeply.
How could they not know Haildo, one of the most famous Awakened and a first-generation student?
Could there be another ignorant person like this?
Yu Ara logged in with other accounts and hit the recommendation button while posting comments like crazy.
└Why are you living as an Awakened if you don’t even know Haildo?
└You don’t know the man who made Russia tremble and China fear, Haildo?
└I’m pre-ordering for a pilgrimage to the S Rank Awakened list.
└The Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi, such a cute name, Kkungkkungi-pyuㅠㅠ
After posting about four comments, her mood finally improved a bit.
Normally, she would have posted even more comments and recommendations with many accounts to get onto the recommended posts, but today she didn’t have time.
She couldn’t miss the apple while getting absorbed in her hobby.
Swoosh-.
After pulling out the car keys, Yu Ara got into the car.
“It would be better to leave the car in front of the village, right? Senior, you don’t have a car yet, so it seems better for the people walking.”
# # #
“Ugh─. Who’s cursing me?”
Lee Jin-A’s sister, Lee Sun-A.
She held her chest and flinched.
It was from the pain.
Sun-A often felt pain.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Lee Jin-A, who was doing the dishes, asked her sister.
Soon, Sun-A exhaled and said.
“No, it really hurts. I need to quit smoking.”
And she laughed.
Lee Jin-A knew her sister’s chest pains were not due to smoking.
Sun-A’s chest pain had lasted for about ten years.
It started long ago when she suffered from the ‘magic disease’ after being swept into the Rift.
Ding dong-.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
When she opened the door, a man in a suit was standing there, looking awkward.
“Ah, hello. This is Sun-A’s house, right?”
Who could this person be-.
‘He’s probably my sister’s boyfriend.’
Lee Jin-A’s sister, Sun-A, had switched boyfriends frequently since middle school until her late twenties.
Most were low-life ruffians, and some even threw flirty remarks at her, even while dating her sister.
Of course, ever since Jin-A became an Awakened, those who recklessly threw around flirty comments had disappeared-.
‘Yet, all of my sister’s boyfriends have been insincere men.’
However, this time the man she brought was sharply dressed in a suit. Since he was brought by her sister, he certainly couldn’t be an upright person, so Jin-A frowned.
“Hey. Did you switch boyfriends again?”
Jin-A asked her sister.
Then Sun-A replied.
“He’s not my boyfriend; he’s my prospective brother-in-law. Mr. Kim Sang-Sik, this is my younger sister that I told you about.”
“Nice to meet you. My name is Kim Sang-Sik. I work at OSA Electronics. I even worked at a moving company every vacation when I was a student. Just a moment, my business card─.”
“Oh ho ho, you don’t have to give my sister a business card! You’re not here for work! By the way, go into my room! Jin-A, he has a prickly personality─.”
Click-.
Saying this, her sister and her somewhat clumsy boyfriend tried to enter the room.
At that moment, Jin-A asked the man who revealed his name as Kim Sang-Sik.
“Did you say Sang-Sik? You seem well-educated, and you work at a good company, but why do you want to marry our sister? Do you really like her?”
Then Jin-A opened her narrow eyes and drew forth her magic power. Jin-A’s magic was one that easily reacted to the emotions of others.
‘I can catch ordinary lies easily.’
Exploring emotions.
That could be called one of the characteristics of Jin-A as an Awakened.
Soon, Kim Sang-Sik replied awkwardly.
“Yes, um, I… like her. I want to marry her!”
“Sang-Sik, what are you saying so embarrassingly! Let’s go into the room quickly!”
Then her sister quickly grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him into the room.
Click, boom-.
Watching the door that closed a bit forcefully, Jin-A frowned.
‘It doesn’t seem like a lie. If my sister brings back a proper man, Dad could retire in peace. Damn, that girl doesn’t even know how much trouble she’s causing others.’
The conservative father originally wanted to hand over the moving company to his son-in-law.
But her sister hated the moving company job, leading to Jin-A taking it over.
Jin-A liked driving, so she worked hard at it.
And to cure her sister’s illness, she diligently ran through the Rift to earn money.
Ding dong-.
At that moment, she received a message from Haildo.
“Golden Apple?”
It had the effect of enhancing one’s inherent magic power.
Jin-A recalled her sister Sun-A, who had gone into the room with her boyfriend.
Golden Apple.
She couldn’t tell how effective it would be for ordinary people, but it should certainly work for the “magic disease,” which caused pain due to the inability to accept magic within the body.
“It’s probably expensive.”
Food or items that enhance magic power were all expensive.
And there were many scams as well.
How much money had she wasted on them?
“But this one must be real.”
Opportunity.
Jin-A thought she couldn’t miss it.
# # #
Vroom-.
The car pulled up in front of the yard.
It was already the second one.
“Truck. Jin-A, you came too.”
The cool and cynical Jin-A surprised me by coming to my house targeting the Golden Apple.
I had sent the message, but Jin-A didn’t seem particularly interested in Awakened affairs.
Could she not resist the glittering golden temptation?
“Come on in.”
I invited Jin-A into the house.
Then Seo Ye-rim and Yu Ara, who had come a little earlier, greeted Jin-A.
“Was it Jin-A? I’m Seo Ye-rim.”
“Jin-A, we met just a while ago, right? Nice to see you again.”
Sparking-.
There was a feeling of sparks flying from everyone’s eyes.
Everyone’s enthusiasm for claiming the Golden Apple was enormous.
The Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi, who had been circling around me, dashed out into the yard with a growl…! He probably didn’t want to be here.
After all, this place was going to be a fierce battlefield.
By the way, Inoi had already locked the door tight.
Swoosh-.
At that moment, Ahn Young-Eun approached me.
Ahn Young-Eun looked like a ‘secretary’ at first glance.
“Yil, since everyone is gathered now, could you show us the product?”
The product-.
At that word, I took out a Styrofoam box.
It was a box that the village adults often used to pack fruits, and inside it was the Golden Apple.
Swoosh-.
When I opened the lid of the Styrofoam box, Ahn Young-Eun exclaimed, “Wow━─.”
For a moment, her eyes glimmered with a brilliant golden hue.
Then Ahn Young-Eun asked.
“Isn’t it for sale with money?”
“No. I don’t really know the market price or anything. I was just thinking of giving it away for free as a gesture of gratitude, but since the only people who came to mind are these three, I thought it would be better to ask fairly. So if everyone has a reason they need it, please say so─.”
While I was speaking, Seo Ye-rim raised her hand first.
“Give it to me! If you give it to me, I can become a model for Telos Corporation. You know, if you become a Telos model, your follower count on Instagram skyrockets! You said you wanted to be famous, right? If your follower count increases, more ads will come in and you’ll make a lot of money!”
