054 – When Three Nymphs Gather, Nothing is Impossible! #2
When I was young, my dad told me something when he sent me to a Taekwondo gym.
“Idol, a person should be able to protect their own body at the very least.”
It was a valid point, but honestly, it didn’t hit home. How much do you really need to protect your body in a peaceful 21st century, right?
However, since the crack appeared, that number has increased.
You really should be able to at least protect yourself.
“Oinoi, there are many people who aim for you, right?”
I looked at the nymphs.
The nymphs were short, of similar height, and obviously harmless beings.
But the nymphs were special.
There were definitely some bad people who might target them, and they could get hurt unexpectedly due to sudden incidents.
Wouldn’t it be good to have some basic “training” ready for such occasions?
That’s what I thought.
“Muhuh, if you get hit by this Oinoi’s electric mosquito swatter, no mosquito can withstand it…! There’s no more nymph-friendly weapon than this…!”
Zzz—.
It was spring, and the warm weather brought mosquitoes flying around. Whenever Ahn Ahn and Kkungkkungi left home, mosquitoes would always swarm like this, but Oinoi swung the electric mosquito swatter to catch them.
“Nymph bounty, catch those mosquitoes like crazy!”
Pat—!
With a sound like frying, the electric mosquito swatter sparkled.
The mosquitoes trapped were mainly the three-striped mosquitoes that lived in the forest or mountains.
They were painful beyond just itchy bites.
“This Coris has never seen such a wonderful weapon…! I want an electric mosquito swatter like this…! Oinoi, I’m really jealous…”
Coris envied Oinoi.
Then Oinoi proudly puffed out his chest and shoulders, saying, “It’s true…!”
Since meeting Coris, I learned that Oinoi liked boasting to other nymphs about various things.
I wondered whether it was a characteristic of the nymphs or just Oinoi, but it seemed more like Oinoi’s trait.
Coris was quite calm, after all.
“Muhuh, this Illinois, who once trafficked weapons, thinks that the electric mosquito swatter is a truly amazing weapon…! Core Ye-rim…! A new business idea has come to mind…!”
Three nymphs.
Even if they each said one thing, it was still just three statements.
I thought that if this continued, I wouldn’t be able to speak up, so I said something.
“Oinoi, have you all received training and stuff? Fighting with people, I mean. How about I go to Nonsan this time and train you a bit?”
By the way, I also wanted to find out about the role of an invited instructor.
What I actually wanted was real-life experience, but sometimes teaching someone could help improve your own skills.
But nymphs and a recruit training center?
Could there be a more mismatched place?
Still, it was a necessary process.
Ever since the mechanical snail game console was brought into the yard, Oinoi had significantly decreased in activity.
If Oinoi refused, there was nothing I could do—I thought so, but surprisingly, Oinoi reacted enthusiastically.
“This nymph-friendly land is full of foreign species…! To counter these foreign species, our nymph sisters must build strength…! This Oinoi wants to receive training…!”
“This Illinois has the experience of fighting against Yankees with the Apache tribe using these honey fists…! Is it possible to enter the master class…?”
“This Coris feels happy doing anything with my nymph sisters…! When three nymphs gather, anything is possible…!”
That’s right.
With that feeling, the nymphs headed for Nonsan!
However, there was something Oinoi was worried about.
“The golden apple…! Someone has to look after it…!”
—Zzz…
Would Ahn Ahn take care of the apple tree?
I needed to bring Ahn Ahn to enrich my life.
If Ahn Ahn could manage the house for a few days, I would have no worries, but I was a bit regretful.
“This Illinois thinks that this golden apple tree is truly amazing…! To raise such a wonderful tree…! It will surely attract many nymphs as it grows larger…!”
“This Oinoi thinks so too…! The master raised the apple tree better than anyone else…! Everything I know comes from the master…!”
“Oh, did sister Oinoi learn under the master…?”
“The master was a cool and tall adult nymph…!”
What exactly is a cool and tall adult nymph?
Is there a concept of adulthood for nymphs?
From what I heard, Illinois was at least around 200 years old.
He fought alongside Indians against American Yankees, after all.
But his appearance was no different from Oinoi or Coris.
Coris and Oinoi didn’t particularly treat Illinois as an adult either.
“Do nymphs become adults as they age?”
“Muhuh, just getting older doesn’t mean you become an adult…!”
That’s quite a philosophical discussion.
Indeed, just growing older doesn’t make one an adult.
I’m already 27, but I don’t really feel like an adult. My heart still feels stuck in my early twenties.
What does it mean to become an adult?
Soon, Seo Ye-rim, who had been tapping away on her phone, asked.
“So how do you nymphs become adults?”
“Well… this Oinoi actually doesn’t know that well…!”
“Muhuh, this Illinois has heard from the Indians that to become an adult, one must climb a high mountain and touch the clouds with their hands…!”
“This Coris has heard from the sisters living by the old stream that eating the legendary fire flower will make you grow taller and become an adult able to breathe fire…!”
There were various ways to become an adult.
Touching clouds or eating legendary flowers.
None of them seemed easy.
Becoming an adult doesn’t seem like an easy task.
# # #
“I never thought I’d come to Nonsan again in my life.”
Instead of enlisting in the military, I exterminated the cracks through alternative service. However, I completed the one-month training session like regular soldiers.
I got my hair cut and was locked up, unable to get out.
Since then, I haven’t liked Nonsan much, thinking I would never go back, but I never expected such an opportunity to come.
Swish—.
I entered the training regiment and said to the guard post.
“Three people. Basic training for three days.”
Since the crack incident, the government has implemented a basic training system that anyone can participate in anytime.
With the declining birth rate making it impossible to maintain the number of soldiers, the government created policies to prevent national defense from falling apart.
The basic training system was designed to solidify the knowledge for civilians of all ages, which turned out to be more effective than expected.
Women and the elderly learned how to fire guns, perform CPR, etc.
I heard they also give out volunteer work points like crazy?
Even content creators came and experienced it, producing videos and gaining fame.
Fortunately, nymphs were also allowed to participate.
A soldier who looked about five years younger than me guided me.
“Then, you can stay in this room.”
It was a recently remodeled building that was supposed to be demolished due to a decrease in the youth population.
A four-person room.
A new barracks.
Oinoi and the nymphs went inside.
Soon, Illinois frowned.
“Are we supposed to spend three days in such a small place…? This is extremely nymph-hating…! Call a lawyer quickly! This place is just like a detention center…!”
It did resemble a detention center.
For three days, you couldn’t touch your phone, and aside from meal and sleep times, you had to either stand guard or receive training.
Coris and Oinoi soon settled by the window.
“Muhuh, this bed is Oinoi’s from now on…!”
“I, Coris, like the bed by this window…!”
“Hieeek…! That Illinois has lost the window side spot…!”
Three days.
I thought nothing much would happen, but I wondered if it was really okay.
The right instructor had to be assigned.
Swish—.
Just then, someone entered the room.
It was a woman wearing a military uniform with her hair tied back.
“Welcome. I am your training instructor, Jo Gyo-hee.”
She held the rank of sergeant.
She looked to be in her mid-twenties, but a sergeant already?
She was probably from the “Awakened” category.
I heard that Awakened individuals’ promotions are rapid in the military due to their skilled capabilities.
Of course, even if they promote quickly and offer benefits, not many Awakened individuals choose to remain in the military. I’ve heard that F and E grades often seek stable jobs instead.
I guess she was feeling that way too—
“Oinoi is the Oinoi from the ditch water…!”
“I’m the ice water nymph Coris…!”
“I am Illinois…!”
“Uuhh….”
An odd introduction scene.
Instructor Jo Gyo-hee looked a bit flustered.
In my opinion, these nymph friends might be the most unique trainees she has had during her time as an instructor.
“Um, who exactly are these kids…?”
Jo Gyo-hee glanced nervously at me.
I lightly explained.
“These friends are drifters. They’re a species called nymphs. Though not well known, you can think of them as similar to elves.”
“Ah—.”
“Don’t treat them like foreign species with long ears like elves…! And your instructor’s outfit looks very nymph-hating…!”
“Since as you can see, it’d be wise to avoid causing any discomfort to the elves. Also, Oinoi has a personal trauma, so they dislike police or soldiers.”
“Ah….”
“Anyway, for these three days, I’ll be training alongside them as their guardian, so you don’t have to worry too much.”
The instructor seemed relieved at that.
If she acted wrongly with regular civilian trainees, it would cause problems in this world where internet and TV would blow up if drifters were treated carelessly.
It would be better for me to keep a close watch on them.
“I’m Hiildo, C grade.”
“Hiildo, are you that Squirrel Beast Kkungkkungi?”
“Oh, do you know me?”
“My younger brother brought a squirrel from Primal Village this time!”
I see.
Kkungkkungi seems to be more famous than I am.
Soon, Kkungkkungi peeked out from my jacket pocket.
—Kkung—!
It seemed he thought I was talking about him.
“Ah! Look at those stripes! You must be Kkungkkungi! I only saw pictures of you online!”
The instructor, who I thought would be a strict military woman, seemed to like cute things a lot and was quite delighted to see Kkungkkungi.
With that, our training began.
Changing clothes.
The sight of nymphs in strange military uniforms standing in front of the living quarters was very unusual.
“From now on, we will unify the use of address to ‘Dawa’ and ‘Kka’ from now on. Got it?”
“Got it…!”
“…Understood?”
“Got it…!”
Yare yare.
I spoke to the instructor.
“Um, instructor, let’s just skip this.”
“…Understood. Then, the first training will be about how to safely escape in case of a sudden crack occurrence and being adrift inside.”
The training would be conducted in a state-of-the-art training facility.
They explained that it would be in a high-tech indoor set replicating the interior of a crack, with various education taking place there.
In fact, completing this sort of education was unexpectedly efficient and practical, as individuals trained in it could survive or avoid being injured in irregular cracks.
“During an anomaly, do not panic and look for safe places first. The crack extermination team will deploy in 10 minutes, and this 10 minutes is a golden time directly correlating to the drifter’s life—.”
Pat—.
Just then, someone wielding a club jumped out from behind the instructor.
Could it be a demon from the crack?
Their true identity was a soldier disguised as a monster.
Even as the 5th industrial evolution advanced, the military still grinded people to get the job done.
“Gyaooo. I am a troll.”
“Now, the training content will be about cases where monsters suddenly emerge from cracks. These days, smartphones commonly come with an app that can temporarily neutralize monsters using ultra-high frequency—.”
“All the nymphs must beat the nymph-hating monster mercilessly…!”
“This honey fist Illinois encounters a foe after a long time…!”
“This Coris dislikes trolls…!”
The nymphs suddenly charged at the strangely appearing villain.
And they started to beat him up with their fists; it was a very one-sided assault.
“Hey! You guys! You can’t do that!”
I hurriedly stopped the nymphs.
I saved the soldier, and fortunately, it looked like he hadn’t been injured.
“It didn’t really hurt much, kind of felt like getting hit with a foam bat, but after being beaten, I think I’ll need to live kindly.”
“Muhuh, the nymph’s fists have the effect of purifying the heart like clean ditch water…! From now on, you shouldn’t imitate nasty monsters and live kindly…!”
Seems like that was the case.
The afternoon of the first day passed like that.
“I’m sure the dinner menu listed delicious fried eggs…! But this is a boiled egg! This Illinois is very angry at this illegal deceptive act…! Please call a lawyer here…!”
“This Oinoi thinks boiled eggs are good too…! Drinking boiled eggs with soda tastes very sweet…!”
Dinner time ended noisily and it was time to sleep.
“I’m sure the dinner menu said fried eggs… Snore….”
The nymphs seemed tired from all the talking and moving around all day, and as soon as 10 PM hit, they fell asleep.
By the way, it seems there are no night watch duties on the first day.
Ding dong—.
At that moment, I received a message.
“Ari: Senior, I heard you’re in Nonsan? I’m also in Nonsan, and if you have time, would you like to meet?”
Fortunately, Ari was near the training site where I was.
Tap—.
As I got out of the car, Ari asked me.
“Senior, how does it feel to be back in Nonsan after a long time?”
“Nothing has changed here.”
“There are some changes, though. Would you like to meet the trainees tomorrow? They’re friends who just became F grade Awakened. I came here because of their checkup. The youngest is said to be 15 years old.”
F grade recruits, huh?
F grade recruits sound like problem children.
Well, since they’re at the awakened stage, that’s generally the vibe you get.
