< Ruler of Water (2) >

"But is this safe for the surrounding people?"

A 1-time-use myth rank skill item. It also had the grandiose name of Ruler of Water, so the effect during usage would be no joke. Yerim was the item's user, so she would probably be fine, but the remaining people were a problem. If they were accidentally caught up in it, you probably wouldn't even be able to find their bones. And I thought that I would only be able to endure for about ten minutes with Eunhye.

[It would differ according to how the user makes up their mind. You can get drunk on the strength in an instant, so it would be better not to give it to someone who has hostility against you, Honey.]

Was there anything I did wrong to Yerim? It seemed like there wasn't anything in particular. I would block Yoohyun with my body at least just in case, and Sung Hyunjae would probably stay alive well enough on his own.

"Up to what can I speak about, for the two groups and dungeons? I would be able to tell them about the dungeon level of difficulty increasing, right?"

Since the number of high rank dungeons had increased more than initially, just looking at the past 3 years.

[It would be better to not mention us or the filial duty addicts, as much as possible. If you cannot help but tell them, please express it in the most roundabout way possible. The more it becomes known, the weaker the resistance of Honey's world will become, so it will become easier to interfere. Should I say it is something like, even if you have a lot of wariness and do not let unfamiliar people into your house, if it is a celebrity that you see often on TV, then even though they are obviously a stranger, you might welcome them in?]

"Then why did the lizard owner silence people? It seems like it would be better for them the more they are known."

[It is simple. They are weaker than us. If we were not locked up, we would have cleaned them up already. If each of our possible intervention strengths becomes stronger, we would be able to catch and eliminate people at Diarma's level even while locked up. Instead, Honey's world would also break at that time. Self-preservation for the filial duty addicts, and protecting the world for us. We are each sparing ourselves.]

In other words, if the influence of both became bigger in our world, both of them would be ruined, so you could see it as them being careful of each other.

But the mermaid queen said that the possible intervention strength had already gotten bigger because of the regression, plus the things Diarma had committed. So that was probably why they were able to make a dungeon for me. And the zombie guy left a considerably big present before she left.

After replying that it was okay to concisely let my surroundings know about dungeons and the future matters, the mermaid queen and the voice disappeared.

[The price for giving the skill to you has to be paid, so it will be difficult to contact Water Droplet sunbae-nim for a long time. Is there anything else you are curious about?]

Newcomer said, bouncing. Things I was curious about.

"A while ago you acted like you knew Sung Hyunjae, that man over there, but that was something from before the regression, right?"

The drawn face on the volleyball nodded his head.

"Could you tell me more in detail about it?"

[I do not know about it well. The one who came in contact with Chain[1] was Crescent Moon, but they have fallen asleep.]

Was Sung Hyunjae Chain? Then why was I Honey? What connection was there between me and honey?

"Does Water Droplet or the other people not know either?"

[Yes. Back then, it was still hard to directly contact the people of Honey's world. I do not know why Crescent Moon did that, but it is certain that they helped Chain end the contract with the lizard owner. There should have been a deal besides that, but Chain was swept up in Honey's regression, and Crescent Moon is sleeping, so we cannot know.]

Exactly what was this person doing before the regression? Seeing how he cut off the relationship with the lizard bastard, he might have been trying to save the world in his own way… um, it really didn't suit him. There probably was some other reason. Just simply that he was tired of it, or something like that.

"That's not much help. Instead, you hand something over, too."

[Sorry?]

"Hand over anything that would be of help. Whether it's a skill or an item. Do you not have something that's fire attribute? Or healing-related is good, too. Anyways, hand it over."

I grabbed the volleyball and shook him. Whether you felt guilty or whatever, hand over things to give to the kids.

[W-wait, Honey. You have already received a skill.]

"You didn't give it. You hand something over too and go sleep or something."

There needed to be one person I could communicate with, so I should leave out Tree and shake down Deer and Wolf, too.

[If even I fall asleep, then it will get harder to manage the system!]

"…I forgot about that. Then help in some other way."

[We gave personalized items when the toad was caught. From now on, we will give suitable items or skills when they are with you. That much is possible.]

"Only when they are with me?"

[Since, only you are connected. Typically, they are given automatically. The system works on its own, and we only check to make sure there are no problems. But dungeons where you are, are relatively easy to interfere with, so we can pick out reward items for you.]

Then did I have to follow along every time there was an S-Rank dungeon attack? …I was too busy raising the kids to do that, so I should follow along to things like new S-Rank dungeon attacks. No, should I go around a high rank S-Rank dungeon once? If I took all of them and quickly attacked, then they might each be able to get a suitable S-Rank or higher item or skill.

After checking one more time, telling him not to forget about the personalized items and skills, I let go of the volleyball. Newcomer made crying noises as he bounced and ran away.

[After 10 minutes, it will turn back to the original dungeon!]

Yerim, who chased after the volleyball running away a few times, turned to look at me. Her eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"What was that? And where is here? There are no monsters, and it doesn't seem like a normal dungeon."

"I'm also curious."

"Yoohyun, you didn't explain?"

At my words, Yoohyun shrugged his shoulders.

"I explained that they weren't going to harm hyung, so to shut- stop paying any mind."

The explanation was too brief. I told the two people that this was a place to contact the system administrators and that the volleyball that ran away was a system administrator. Sung Hyunjae, who knew about the filial duty addicts, seemed like he had guessed, and Yerim was surprised and opened her mouth wide.

"Wow, to think that a volleyball was managing the system!"

"It's a secret to other people."

"The world really is round!"

…What nonsense was that? Anyways I had to let only the minimum amount of people know about the system administrators and this place. Sung Hyunjae already had a deep relationship, and I needed to explain to Yerim at least because of the received skill, but the remaining people... Noah and Riette also heard about the filial duty addicts, so should I let them know? For now, let's leave it alone and see.

"Yerim. This is an item with a skill that you can use just once."

I held out the gem from mermaid queen to Yerim. Saying that it was similar to the gems in her earrings, Yerim took it and her expression turned surprised again.

"This, this! The rank!"

"Don't use it now. Listen well."

"Uh, but if it's the Mermaid Queen of Sea Waves, then my earring! Is she possibly a system administrator? Is that why she has such an immense skill?"

"That's right. Calm down a little, and listen to my-."

"Mermaid queen! I am using the earrings well! But you are really impressive! I will be your fan from now on!"

Calm down, there wasn't even 10 minutes left. Then Yerim abruptly started to push the gem into the ornament gap of her spear where the blade met the staff.

"Hey, you'll break it like that!"

"My spear is tough. It'll be perfect if I put it in here. Done!"

The gem that was stuck in the gap, did suit the spear as if it was made for it, like Yerim said. Still, you should ask Myeongwoo, not shove it in randomly.

"…Now listen to what I'm saying."

"Yes!"

She replied well. I bent down and met Yerim's eyes, and explained.

"Yerim. The things called skills, you can learn them from other people and get familiar with them, too. Like cooking or playing an instrument."

"Isn't it different from that? For things like cooking or playing, you can make an attempt. Though you would probably burn it all, or make a weird noise. But you can't fly."

"You can't play an instrument either, if you don't have an instrument. You also can't cook unless you have fire or tools."

As long as you had the basic tool of mana, you could use skills. And the aptitude of the mana you had, had to be suitable for the relevant skill, to be able to be properly wielded. Since it was hard to make a pipe sound with a drum, or to cut meat with a pot.

"Your talent is suited to this skill. Of course, you can't learn a skill right away with just that. But, Yerim, don't you already have skills of a similar attribute? Ruler of Water. It's getting used to the mermaid queen's ability and feeling the flow of mana, and applying it to your skills."

"…Is that possible even though they are completely different skills?"

"It's possible. Don't get tied down by the skill's, the system's, explanation window. It's a power that you have. So what if it's completely different. You can hit a pot and make a sound, and you can hit meat with a drumstick to make it soft. Compared to that, the difference for you will merely be like playing music that was meant for piano, on the violin."

Yerim had an expression like she might've understood or might've not. I also didn't know if my explanation was good enough. I was depending on Diarma's memories and prattling on…

"Forget about the system for a moment. Just look at the abilities that you have."

"I don't really get it, but I'll try!"

Yerim replied energetically. It regretful that there was only one chance. Still, she probably wouldn't feel nothing.

When I raised my head, I saw Yoohyun and Sung Hyunjae with expressions like they were locked in thought. Yoohyun also had to break free from the mold of the skills if he was going to properly wield his elemental. I didn't know if he had named it.

Sung Hyunjae was… it was a waste to just leave him alone, but shit. Did I have to take care of that person as well? Wouldn't he get stronger well enough on his own? Let's think about it after Yoohyun gets about twice as strong.

"It will return to the original dungeon soon. Please prepare."

I used the bracelet that I had briefly suspended, again. To about S-Rank level. As soon as my words fell, Yoohyun and Yerim each grabbed one of my arms.

"Be careful, hyung."

"When the water pours out, you could be washed away."

"Where should I grab? Neck?"

Just stay still.

When maybe about three minutes passed, the forest covered in snow disappeared as if melting away. What appeared in place of that was an endless bright white space.

Clear water was bubbling up to ankle height and water droplets of various sizes were floating in the air. It was a foreign scene, different from a normal dungeon.

"Then, ahjussi, let's tie them up!"

"…Huh?"

"I mean your wrists. Does anybody have string?"

I did say I would tie them, but to really tie them up? At Yerim's words, Sung Hyunjae immediately took out the Seeker's Chains. Are you crazy?

"I'll guarantee their durability."

Continuing, what Yoohyun took out was some leather string.

"It's reigns for Peace, but the size is adjustable."

"Which one is good, ahjussi?"

"I don't want either. Anyways, even if I dash out, I'll get caught within one step, so is it necessary to be tied up?"

At my words, Yerim was regretful as she flew up. I mean, why was she regretful?

"What do you think these water drops are?"

"Don't just carelessly touch them."

As soon as I said that, Yerim's hand touched an apple-sized water drop. The water drop burst with a pop and at the same time, her eyes became big and round.

"Oh, this!"

"Are you okay?!"

"It's… the memory of when I won the ice cream bet?"

What? Memory? Sung Hyunjae also touched a nearby soccer-ball-sized water drop, and lightly raised his eyebrows.

"Was it when I was about fourteen years old? It's a memory of when I was young."

When he was young, he said; somehow I couldn't really imagine it. Besides that, was it that you could see past memories if you touched the floating water drops?

"Ah, this was when I first met ahjussi! This is the spring field trip!"

"Stop touching them, Yerim! If you keep on doing that, what if a bad… memory or something pops up!"

Memories of before the regression probably wouldn't appear. I was avoiding the water drops floating over, but I saw Yoohyun also touching them. I mean, why were all of them like this? Still, seeing how he was smiling, it seemed like it wasn't a bad memory.

'It seems like that zombie definitely has abilities on the mind-related side.'

Was it that and water? Seeing how the mermaid queen gave the Ruler of Water skill, this water was probably not an illusion, but real.

"Ahjussi, try touching them, too!"

"No thanks."

But it was hard to avoid all of the water drops floating around on their own. Seeing how I didn't have eyes on my back, a water drop that touched my elbow burst with a splash.

Continuing, the sight that rose up in front of my eyes was a bus stop. My younger brother, who had on a firmly closed coat and had slightly red cheeks, was looking at me and smiling.

'Why are you outside when it's cold?'

'It's your birthday today, hyung.'

It was a short memory. But I could clearly see why Yerim kept on touching the water drops.

"It's Christmas time! The tree is pretty!"

…Should I touch just one more? The zombie guy really enchanted people well. Even so, it seemed like there wasn't much of a problem, so only just one more.

I stretched out my hand and burst a nearby water drop.

I saw a living room that wasn't that big. I stood in the middle of it, and checked the date. December 25th, Christmas. It was my younger brother's birthday. But inside the house was coldly quiet, and there wasn't anybody there except for me.

The moment I closed my eyes, taken aback, Yerim yelled.

"That's a lie!"

"Yerim!"

Swahh- a chill spread out. The water droplets floating around froze in an instant and fell down. I saw Yerim listlessly standing over the water that she had frozen. Thankfully, she hadn't frozen the water up to where I was, so I quickly ran to Yerim and pulled her into a hug.

"It's okay, it's just a old memory. It's something that has passed. Don't think of it."

Yerim's face looked like she would cry, but tears didn't fall. Instead, she bit her lower lip and burrowed her head against my chest.

Damn zombie bastard – she was evil. Making you careless and then stabbing you in the back.

"Let's sweep it all away with the skill you received. Refreshingly, with nothing remaining."

"...Yes."

I patted Yerim as I quietly ground my teeth. Continuing on from the lizard bastard, this time too they were making me furious.