City of Backstreet Nymphs

17 – 017 – Nymph Oinoi # 17

017 – Nymph Oinoi # 17

An old, dry well.

I was surprised in many ways when I looked under it with the flash of my smartphone.

Because my face was reflected.

“Water?”

No.

At first glance, it looks like my face is reflecting because of the cold water, but if you look closely, you can see that it is not.

What shimmered under the well was a strange haze.

To put it more accurately, it is the entrance of the ‘crack’.

“… Is it an anomalous rift?”

I thought I would be able to find out the details only when I went inside. Seeing how weak the amount of magic power was, it looked like an F-class or lower crack, though.

“It must have been a house with cracks opening.”

Many of the strange things that were said to have happened in this haunted house could be explained if they were caused by this rift.

The mana emitted from the rift is bad for ordinary people, so it can cause your health to deteriorate rapidly or you may have nightmares.

“I’m glad I’m not a ghost.”

With that thought in mind, I brought equipment that looked like a guitar bag from my room. Inside was a high-frequency blade that I had been using for a long time while rolling with D-class.

Serung-.

A sword that shines in the moonlight is cool.

This sword cost about 5 million won.

I’ve made more money with this sword, though.

“Please take good care of me.”

It was the time when I was about to enter the crack with that feeling.

Ohinoi said.

“This oi noi also wants to go inside the well… ! I don’t know if it’s because of my mood, but I can feel a nymph-friendly aura in this oi-noi-well… !”

“Really?”

What should I do?

As a personal greed, I wished that Oinoi would guard the area near this well. However, Oinoi was determined to enter the well.

“This Oinoi is something I really want to go into… ! I will be quiet without disturbing you, so please take me with you… ! Oh noi, I don’t like being left alone….”

Choo-wook – The situation was a oi noi.

He said he didn’t like being left alone, so my heart weakened.

This is the only nymph in the world.

He was a friend who was being chased by the police as he rummaged through garbage dumps by himself.

Would it be better to go together than to leave it alone?

Last time I looked at it, it seems that even if you enter an anomalous rift, your body doesn’t take any damage from the rebound.

“Oinoi, I’m telling you in advance, so don’t cause trouble. You have to be quiet.”

Well, I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Looking at it, this place is a crack with weak power that cannot be detected even by the ‘crack detector’.

So it must have been that the rift opened every night without being noticed by the other Awoken until now.

!

– Zuzu… !

The squirrel and emperor ant rode on my shoulder.

I entered the well, thinking that it would be a bit difficult to take care of these guys.

# # #

Ugh-.

My stomach felt like I was on an extreme ride. Feeling like my chest is about to burst and my stomach is bulging-floating.

I went through the crack several times, but I never got used to this feeling. However, as a veteran, the first thing to do is to understand the situation around you.

“Where is this?”

Looking around, I saw the brightly rising moon. And beneath it, the wind-swaying bushes and something green pricked my eye.

“Ah… ! The owner of the house will see that… ! That there is a pond… ! This oi-noi, it means that I found a pond… !”

As Oinoi said, there was a pond in the middle of the forest. Its width could be called the size of a hot tub in a large communal bath.

If it was small, it was small, if it was big, it was a big pond.

The reflection of the moonlight on the water of the blue pond was very strange.

“It is a very nymph-friendly pond… ! This oi noi wants to jump right in and show off 「Nymph Biggie, splashing around in the water」… !”

Nymph Biggie, what else is splashing around?

Every time Oinoi opens his mouth, it feels like my common sense is being shaved off like a sandcastle hit by waves.

Anyway.

With that feeling, I advanced toward the pond. Just when I thought I couldn’t feel anything special, something rose above the pond.

Two things like periscopes.

“What—.”

It was while I was examining what that was.

Wow-.

The pond seemed to rise suddenly with a great current.

To be precise, something in the pond was happening.

– Greg, Greb.

It was an animal that made strange noises.

The size was very large, about 5 meters on each side, and it was a creature with claws on both sides.

“Crab!?”

I was very surprised.

In many ways, I have witnessed various ecology in cracks, but it was my first time to see a “Big crab”.

Its appearance was even more mysterious as it was darkly sparkling like a galaxy.

“Ah… ! That’s the Galactic Crab, a subspecies of ‘Karkinos’ that is said to have pinched the heel of Hercules… ! It is a nymph-friendly tribe, but it is delicious when grilled… !”

Galaxy Crab.

It was a fitting name.

When I heard that they were a nymph-friendly tribe, I wondered if they were animals that followed people well, like emperor ants and squirrels.

But the big crab clicked its claws and made a threatening sound.

Creepy-.

I pushed Oinoi as hard as I could at the moose that instantly became saddened.

“Oinoi, get away!”

“hehehe… !”

I pushed it with my hand and boo-woong-flying oinoi.

Soon, something with a strong sense of weight crashed into my body.

Kaga gak gak-!

My weapon high-frequency blade screamed.

My body also had to endure heavy pressure, as if I had been hit by a 1-ton truck.

-Greb, Greg!

The crab opened its hideous mouth left and right and let out an incomprehensible sound. I haven’t learned the language of animals, but wouldn’t it mean something like ‘Intruder, go away!’?

I have no choice but to fight.

“Huh!”

Kaaang-!

I put a lot of strength into my legs and arms. His muscles screamed at the strength he had exerted for the first time in a long time and released explosive power.

Wow-!

The galaxy crab that eventually bounces off.

-Greureu, Grep-.

His glittering, galactic carapace was undamaged. The high-frequency blade that splits even the most D-class monsters like firewood doesn’t work.

That word means only one thing.

“This bastard is at least C-level or higher! Was it because you were so quiet that you couldn’t be detected!?”

Class C monsters were strong.

Even when they were first discovered, the word ‘disaster’ was attached to them.

Of course, now that the number of C-class hunters is high and the strategies and ecology of C-class monsters are known, there is no danger like before….

I was a person who had just risen to Class C, and this galaxy crab was the first species I knew. Just when you thought it wouldn’t be easy, the crab attacked again.

Wow!

Simple hand-to-hand combat using size.

However, since it was so large, even a simple torso head-butt was powerful.

“Ugh!”

I screamed and flew away.

The problem is that the crab that sent me flying looked at Oinoi.

“hehehe… ! A crazy crab is trying to target Oinoi… ! It is clear that this crab has a great grudge against the nymph now… ! hehehe… !”

What will happen if the crab goes to Oinoi?

It was clear that something terrible was about to happen!

As expected, I shouldn’t have brought Oinoi.

My mistake.

It is the Awoken’s duty to protect civilians.

Even if it is possible to get along with each other, shouldn’t Oinoi be sent up to the ground?

With that thought in mind, I straightened my grip on the sword.

I am the one whose magical power in my body has reached C-class.

As I spread that ample amount of magic power from my heart to the tips of my toes and head, I felt my body temperature rise.

I threw it all into the weapon in my hand.

Simple is strong.

It was the time when I was pouring all my mana into my weapon for 「Mana Blade」, A symbolic skill of C-class swordsmen.

Goo Oh Oh, Zheng, Paia!

My high-frequency blade vibrated so hard that it cracked and broke!

“Is this a true story!?”

Blocking the Galaxy Crab’s attack twice broke the weapon. It seems that the crab’s carapace was stronger and stronger than expected.

-.

While I was looking for another way, the crab opened its hideous mouth and ejected foam from its mouth. Its color was purple, and it looked dangerous even at first glance.

In fact, the decay of the wood that came into contact with the foam was evidently poisonous or acidic!

“hehehe… ! It’s a nymph-hating bubble… ! The owner of the house, this oi-noi, should not care and run away alone… ! This oinoi attracts attention… !”

A screaming oinoi surrounded by bubbles.

I closed my eyes tightly.

It was the time when I was about to kick the ground with my legs, thinking that it would be right for me to go through the bubbles with my body and save Oinoi.

!

Pang, Papapang-!

Something with brown hair exploded bubbles and rushed toward Oinoi. It was none other than a squirrel squirrel!

With a quick move, the kongkong burst all the bubbles bubbling around the oinoi, then pounced on the crab as big as a truck.

– Kleureung… !

It was a thunderous cry.

And an even more surprising thing happened next.

Kwaaang-!

The giant crab’s body staggered while hearing a sound like a truck colliding with another truck.

ㅡGreb, grep!?

“… What is this!”

I was very surprised.

Are you saying that the squirrel Kyeongkongi was strong enough to deal with a C-class monster?

Soon, even Oinoi was greatly surprised.

“I knew Kungkongi was the best dog squirrel, but I had never seen such a strong dog squirrel, even this Oinoi… ! It’s really, really, really awesome… !”

It was very surprising.

It was then.

Something stuck to my leg.

When I turned my head, the emperor ant Angang was clinging to my leg, expressing its intention.

ㅁ Zizz, Zizz,

What do you want to say?

Soon Angang, the emperor ant, crawled over the wreckage of the broken weapon or bit it with its claw mouth and brought it to me.

I felt like I knew what you were talking about.

“Are you asking me to store mana?”

Awakener’s weapon.

It was usually made of a material that could make the most of the energy called ‘mana’. That was the reason why the superconducting blade had an enormous value and became a weapon for S-class users.

“No way….”

As I thought about it with that kind of feeling, I came up with the saying that ‘Kongkongi’s fur’ has a special magical power.

Perhaps the reason Kungkong became so strong was because my mana, which exploded when the weapon broke, was wrapped around his fur.

Then, how about the emperor ant, which is on the same level as the top dog squirrel Kyeongkkongi? Its glittering golden armor and horns began to look even more impressive.

“This may seem absurd, but….”

I experienced more than anyone else how ‘nonsense’ became ‘common sense’ after I achieved D-class for the first time since the rift.

“To infuse mana into living things. Today, common sense will change once again. Whoops!”

Shut-.

I put my hand on Angangi and channeled her mana.

Ugh-.

Then, I felt the body of the golden emperor ant shining even more brilliantly. The place to aim for is the joint where the carapace is at least soft.

“Ant—.”

I tossed the emperor ant that I had imbued with magic at the giant crab monster.

“Destruction Shot!”

Fish woo woo woo woo woo !!!

An ant dart that flies faster than expected.

It finally landed on the giant crab, piercing its body and slamming it into the tree behind it.

Kwajik, Kwajik, Kwajik, Pat-!

It was a very impressive penetrating performance. The crab’s left leg was all gone!

– Grep….

The crab was fatally wounded with its left leg torn off. Seeing the earth shake, the weight of the guy was no joke.

It’s not like the weapon broke for nothing.

That became his strength and weakness, and now he was dying because he could not bear his own weight.

“… I really defeated a C-class monster by myself!”

!

– Zuzu….

“No, to be precise, I am not alone. Anyway.”

It was very surprising.

I thought it was over because the weapon was smashed.

– Grep….

The giant crab suffered greatly and finally lost its strength and died. Since the crab that appeared to be the rift core died, the rift would soon close——I thought, but it didn’t.

It is said that there is a separate crack core.

Then Oinoi said.

“Ah… ! Will see this… ! Now it turns out that something mysterious is tied to the right leg of the Eunha Crab… !”

It was as Oinoi said.

Something was tied to the crab’s leg.

Something like a handkerchief.

“The letters on the handkerchief tied to the leg of this galaxy crab are Grepnoi…. The crab’s name was Grepnoy… !”

Grepnoy.

It was a strange name.

At the same time, something came to mind.

“—Wasn’t Noi the name given to nymphs born in autumn and summer?”

“That’s it… ! However, we nymphs often gift names like Noi to our pets and honorary nymphs…. This grepnoy… It is clear that the nymph’s pet is… !”

It was a strange story.

“Let’s go out for now.”

I came out of the crack with a handkerchief.

The crack did not close.

It must mean that the handkerchief is not a rift core, or that this rift is unique.

Having exhausted all my magical energy, I lay on the floor of the haunted house that night and dreamed.

It was a dream in which I became a small existence and someone looked down on me. It was a dream of stroking her hard hair with a soft hand.

-My friend Grebnoy, you must take good care of my treasure. I mean, I’ll be back soon. Please protect me.

-Grep, grep.

After that, the little watchman guarded the pond for a long time.

A very, very long time.

A very, very long time.

Longing becomes sadness and resentment, and that sadness and resentment turn into longing again.

I opened my eyes.

“The crack core was buried in the floor. The crab was guarding it.”