070 – Nymphs’ Summer Vacation #2
“The world has really gotten better, you know.”
I licked my lips while watching a video playing on Mitube.
These days, whenever I want to learn something or have a question, searching on Mitube brings up everything seamlessly.
“I’m a man with over five years of living alone. Cooking is a piece of cake.”
I learned various cheap, low-cost, and cost-effective recipes from Mitube.
If it weren’t for Mitube, my living-alone life would have been a bit tougher.
However, today was not about cheap and economical meals; I was thinking of indulging in a little ‘luxury.’
After all, I had some expensive ingredients for a change.
I have to say, I really liked cooking.
Around lunchtime, when the nymphs went out to pick mugwort from the nearby rice fields—
I was enjoying my own leisure time in the quiet house.
“The color is stunning. If I just filter this out well—”
Swish—
I strained my ‘masterpiece’ through a fine sieve.
Now, all I had to do was put it in the fridge, and it would be done!
“Hehe, I searched the ice dispenser thoroughly.”
I pulled ice from the water cooler and placed it into a PT bottle that I had previously cleaned. It was a 2% bottle that Inoi liked.
Swish swish—
As I added the ice and the shimmering liquid into the PT bottle, I felt good.
And then Seo Ye-rim, who was watching this, frowned and got angry.
“I can’t stand this! You crazy idiot! Why are you putting that expensive Elfti into milk!”
“Why am I putting it in milk? How did you not know what milk tea is? Did you just have a lot of money but never enjoyed cultural life?”
I longed for milk tea.
Milk mixed with tea.
It has that luxurious and delicious vibe, you know?
It feels noble.
Using the high-quality leaves I received from the elves, I boiled the milk and added honey to make milk tea, which I thought turned out quite well.
Even if it’s noble, this level of quality makes it homemade—no, at least a count level.
“Look at the level that doesn’t seem like it was made for the first time. B-Rank Awakened Haildo is truly legendary. At this level, I could sell it for ten thousand won a cup.”
Should I say I was amazed at my own potential?
I knew I was good at various things, but who knew I could make tea well?
I could open a café later.
However, Seo Ye-rim was getting even more heated under the already hot summer weather.
“Who on earth makes milk tea with something that expensive! It’s not just about it being expensive; there aren’t many of those in the world, so why would you use them all for milk tea!”
“What’s wrong with milk tea? It just tastes good. The effects are the same.”
Even though I made it, it was really delicious.
It was smooth and fragrant—.
“Should I add a bit more honey?”
Swish—
After adding ice and taking a sip, I felt all my fatigue wash away.
And the mana in my body stabilized from tiring training under the scorching sun in the morning, making me feel good.
“It tastes great. Come on now, don’t be mad, just have a sip. It’s seriously amazing.”
Swish—
I poured a cup of my special milk tea for Seo Ye-rim, who seemed confused as to why she was angry.
Seo Ye-rim grimaced at the tea being poured into a paper cup.
“Why are you pouring that expensive Elfti into a paper cup like those construction workers with instant coffee. I’m holding back because it feels like I might get the short end of the stick if I get mad.”
It seemed like Seo Ye-rim hated paper cups.
But I couldn’t help it.
“My pretty cups were all taken by the nymphs. They said they were going to sell homemade apple juice. I guess they got a taste for holding fundraisers.”
Inoi and the nymphs teamed up to make a bottle of juice using golden apples.
Honestly, it didn’t taste that great.
But Inoi and the nymphs seemed to believe that apple juice would bring in a ton of money for them.
“It does taste good.”
Seo Ye-rim had a taste of my special milk tea and licked her lips.
In the end, she would say it was delicious while being picky and fussy.
“Making tea to suit Kkanye-rim’s taste. My talent is indeed high and broad.”
Seo Ye-rim grimaced.
Ding dong—
The air conditioner suddenly started up.
It must have heated up in the room because Seo Ye-rim got angry.
“Why are you so mad? It’s already hot because it’s summer. You’re contributing to global warming and climate change. So what brings you here today?”
It didn’t seem like she came just to introduce Inoi to Illinois.
And she had been a little angry even before I started making milk tea.
What could be the reason for her anger?
There must be plenty of them.
Perhaps it was just too hot under the summer sun.
A while ago, I read a book under a parasol, Albert Camus’s “The Stranger,” where the protagonist killed someone because of the extremely hot weather and glaring sun.
To think someone could die due to the heat and sunlight—
What strange people there are.
But actually, I knew someone like that.
There was a novel I read out of boredom during my living-alone days, and the author had a tendency to go a bit crazy when the weather got hot, leading to strange developments.
It’s true that heat can drive people mad.
“So, Seo Ye-rim. The reason you’re mad is also due to the heat, isn’t it? They say it’s 37 degrees today?”
Summer had just begun—
Cicadas were buzzing and honey ants were chirping in the summer heat.
It was natural for summers to be hot, but 37 degrees was just too hot.
—Hioong…!
The ghost spider Kkungkkungi, who loved cool places, was so heat-stricken that it couldn’t go outside into the scorching daylight and was curled up under the cool desk taking a nap.
But when I think about it, Kkungkkungi liked sleeping on the cushion under the desk even when it wasn’t hot.
I guess it just liked taking naps.
Anyway.
Seo Ye-rim said while sipping the tea from a paper cup.
“I have so much work. Cha Yura came to Korea, but lately, T-Rank rifts seem to be opening more frequently? That guy Lee Joon-Hun’s absence has made me so busy it’s driving me insane!”
Indeed—
So Seo Ye-rim was mad because she had too much work.
One could think that having a lot of work means earning more money—
But in Seo Ye-rim’s case, she was originally from a rich family and didn’t need to earn money.
Having a lot of work would just be annoying.
“I’ve definitely heard that the frequency of T-Rank rifts opening has increased. It used to average once a month, but now it’s opening once a week, right?”
T-Rank was the highest level rift that required S-Rank Awakened to be deployed.
Inside, monsters similar to the Troll King Kurish that I fought were supposedly abundant.
It was only natural to feel irritable about tackling such places once a week. Moreover, Lee Joon-Hun’s absence left a vacancy among the three S-Rank Awakened.
Handling the work of three people with just two means each of their responsibilities had increased by 50 percent.
Not an easy task.
“I heard that they decided to send an S-Rank Awakened to Korea from America. Wouldn’t that make things easier for you?”
I asked, recalling a rumor I stumbled upon while searching for my name Haildo on the Awakened SNS.
Financial rumor.
While many would be lies, there were also cases where it turned out to be true.
I wondered if Seo Ye-rim might know the authenticity of that.
“That guy is unwelcome! It might be better to have just the two of us!”
It seemed that the rumor about America sending one S-Rank Awakened among as many as ten was indeed true.
It looked like Seo Ye-rim already knew who was coming.
Though I felt a bit curious.
“Seo Ye-rim, why do you dislike so many people? Every time I ask, you say you dislike them. Yura also says she dislikes them. You’re not close with Lee Jin-A either, and you and Ari growl at each other.”
“What are you on about? I do have some people I like, you know?”
Seo Ye-rim said she had someone she liked?
I hadn’t heard of that before.
Looking through the SNS rumors always had news about ‘Seo Ye-rim’s discord.’
Is she just a fiery woman who only has discord rumors—thinking to myself, I asked.
“Who? Who do you like?”
“What? Who’s that? Hmm, um—.”
Seo Ye-rim was flustered.
Then, as if hurriedly making excuses, she said.
“My friend Young-eun. And I like nymphs like Inoi, Illinois, and Coris? Who else do I like—.”
It seemed like there was no one among the S-Rank Awakened colleagues.
Well, I guess it might be tough to get close when Awakened are both comrades and rivals.
Just then, the door burst open.
“Hiiieeek…! It’s so hot! It’s so hot that people aren’t moving around…! Today’s fundraising and mugwort-picking event is over…!”
“It’s berry too hot…! If that Illinois were a nymph of ditch water, he might just revolutionize into a nymph of boiling water…!”
“This Coris is the nymph of cold water, so while I’m strong against the cold, I’m weak against the heat…!”
Inoi and the nymph friends, who had been playing outside, rushed into the room.
Even nature’s fairies, the nymphs, seemed to be struggling to endure the heat.
I prepared the milk tea I made for them.
“It’s cold, with ice in it. Try it. I made it really well.”
Upon receiving the milk tea, Inoi lit up with joy.
“The master of the house has committed a vile act with the gift received from the long-eared fairies…! This must surely be a splendid act of retaliation on behalf of the nymphs against the long-eared fairies…!”
“Indeed, pouring all this gorgeous tea leaves into cow milk was quite a provocative move…!”
“This Coris doesn’t know exactly what it is, but it sure is tasty…!”
What’s with them?
It tastes good and has the same effects.
The effects were confirmed, and that’s why I became a B-Rank Awakened.
That’s right.
B-Rank.
I had now become an elite within the top 500 of the Korea Awakened Association!
This meant that the hero I dreamed of had stepped one step closer to me!
# # #
B-Rank Awakened beings equal the firepower of one armed battalion—.
That’s what someone had said, though I wasn’t sure if it was true.
But I agreed that a B-Rank Awakened being is a remarkable existence.
In fact, the country gives significant respect starting from B-Rank Awakened.
“Haildo-ssi. You’ve come to take the B-Rank assessment, right?”
At the specialized institution for Awakened, I had visited when I rose to C-Rank.
This time, there were many familiar faces as I brought Kkungkkungi along.
“That’s the Kkungkkungi!”
“I heard he dealt a blow to the tire scarecrow, right?”
When I had previously described ‘Squirrel Beast’ as my weapon of choice, people looked at me as if I were a crazy person.
But people adapt quickly in such a rapidly changing world, it seems.
“Alright! Kkungkkungi! Let’s show our skills. Whirlwind Kkungkkungi!”
—Krrrreeeung…!
Kkungkkungi bit its own tail.
With that spin, it twisted its tail like a martial arts move.
Swish-!
Kkungkkungi’s powerful attack, the Whirlwind Kkungkkungi, smoothly sliced through the B-Rank assessment scarecrow, causing those who witnessed it to marvel.
“That’s truly amazing!”
“I’ve only heard about it, but seeing it in person is different.”
“They say Kkungkkungi hasn’t even evolved yet, right?”
Everyone was surprised.
They must have recognized Kkungkkungi’s greatness.
I wasn’t going to fall behind here; I decided to showcase the ghost spider Kkungkkungi too.
“Kkungkkungi, let’s use giantization.”
—Kkkkwang…!
As I gained B-Rank mana, Kkungkkungi learned the technique to freely grow and shrink in size.
It could grow to the size of a small car, and the pressure from that size was quite intense.
—Hioong…!
Kkungkkungi was dancing while shaking its front legs and butt.
It looked like Kkungkkungi was happy to be in front of people, even humming a song.
People were amazed by that sight.
“I’ve never seen a spider look so cute. You’d think it would be scary at that size.”
“What a fascinating spider!”
“I’ve heard it can even read stock charts. It seems to have its own spider sense or something like that.”
“Just like the octopus that used to predict soccer matches? Wow, that’s pretty interesting.”
A fascinating spider.
I thought so too.
Though Kkungkkungi’s stock return was still only +2 percent.
For reference, the money Kkungkkungi used for stock investments was funded by Inoi.
Kkungkkungi was supposedly the financial manager of the “Nymph Relief Foundation.”
Even though Kkungkkungi was intelligent, I wondered if it was okay to leave money management to a spider.
As for me, my position was simply ‘the master of the house.’
Anyway.
My assessment was completed quickly.
I was officially recognized as B-Rank.
“Haildo-ssi. Given your ample experience, you probably know, but once you reach B-Rank, it’s likely you’ll be summoned for T-Rank missions as an assistant to S-Rank Awakened or even for solo missions.”
The middle-aged head of the institution personally explained the points of caution, rights, and obligations to me.
But these were things I already knew.
It meant that as my power increased, my responsibilities would too.
“In modern times, it’s common for B-Rank’s first mission to be as an assistant to S-Rank Awakened. In your case, it shouldn’t be difficult since you’re close with Ye-rim or Yura—.”
Chatter chatter—
The head spoke seriously.
I glanced at a photo in a frame of the middle-aged man with his daughters, feeling a bit nervous as I asked.
“So, when will my ‘title’ be decided?”
“Oh—.”
The head wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand.
And then he smiled widely.
“Titles are usually decided after completing the first mission, following extensive deliberation by the persons in charge along with professional consultants.”
I see!
That was exactly what I knew.
For reference, a ‘title’ is an honorable nickname given to Awakened of B-Rank or higher.
Like ‘Steel Sentinel’ Kang Cheol-Min, ‘Witch of Fire’ Seo Ye-rim, ‘Ice Princess’ Cha Yura, and so on.
In the past, titles like ‘Emperor’ or ‘Storm’ were reserved for professional gamers, but the world has changed a lot.
It’s like a second name.
I already had the code name ‘Second’ but it was received too long ago and didn’t sound heroic at all.
“I want to get a B-Rank mission as soon as possible.”
I want the title quickly!
With my abilities, I was sure I could receive a cool title.
Just then.
“We do have an immediate opportunity for deployment, Haildo-ssi. Are you aware that an S-Rank Awakened is being sent to Korea from America?”
