[ Ruler of Water (3) ]
The droplets began to rise again, slowly filling the places where their frozen, shattered kin had been, as if nothing had ever happened, drifting lazily about.
Seong Hyunjae raised one hand, sending a small spark flickering from his fingertips. A thin stream of light spread out from it.
Crackle—
Golden particles surrounded one droplet and jumped to the next. Rapidly, the light swept through, swallowing each droplet, one after another, in a chain reaction.
Pop! Pop!
All at once, they burst. The spectacle of light and water fragments scattering was dazzling, filling the space with glittering shards. The loud sound of droplets hitting the surface rang out, clearing the area around us—for a moment.
Seeing new droplets rising again, Seong Hyunjae’s lips quirked up.
“This won’t end with normal methods.”
Apparently not. Should we evaporate all the water? The Mermaid Queen did mention this would be somewhat tricky. This is more than a little tricky—it’d be easier if there were just monsters to take down in waves.
Should we use the skill now? It’d be fine if this floor were the only one, but if there’s more… I’d rather wait and see.
Before I could finish the thought, Yerim broke free of my arms and raised her ice spear high.
“Let’s just freeze all the water!”
“The water?”
“Yes. The droplets are rising up from the water on the ground, right? If we freeze it all, maybe they won’t be able to come out.”
She looked at me with an expression brimming with eagerness. And just moments ago, she’d nearly been in tears. My little Yerim sure is resilient.
“You sure about this? It looks like it stretches on forever.”
“I’ve got plenty of mana potions! Let’s do this until I get sick of orange and apple flavors, just like you!”
She’s dependable, that’s for sure. Just don’t push yourself too hard.
Yerim leapt forward, floating up as she began freezing the water below her. With a cracking sound, the mist-touched water solidified into a sheet of white ice. The ice under my feet grew colder, thickening as it spread.
Above the smoothly frozen surface, the droplets around us froze too, turning into round beads before they could even fall.
‘Looks like Yerim and Seong Hyunjae are working well… together, I guess.’
Thinking about all the ways their skills could be combined was a little unnerving. Still, Moon Hyunah would be a better match for Yerim. She’s already gotten fairly close to Yerim, too. I’ll have to find more ways to help her grow.
“Yuhyun, did you name your spirit yet?”
“No, not yet.”
Maybe it knew we were talking about it, as the fire lizard abruptly popped out and circled Yuhyun’s shoulder.
“This one’s been picky about it. Every single name’s been rejected.”
Is he just bad at naming things? Or has he been picking weird names?
“Anyway, hyung, you seem pretty close with the Sesung Guild Leader.”
“I keep telling you, we’re not close.”
Why are you on Yerim’s side?
“We’re strictly business associates who work together because we can mutually benefit. If I were useless to him, he’d drop me like a stone without hesitation. And the same goes for me.”
The problem is that I probably won’t become useless to him anytime soon. I need Seong Hyunjae’s cooperation, not only for his skills but also for preparation for the future.
“But you do admit he’s a useful ally. Weren’t you two pretty close?”
Yuhyun frowned slightly at my comment.
“Close… not exactly. Be careful around him. Don’t go with him into dungeons or anything. Just stay away. Once was more than enough.”
“There’s no need to worry so much now.”
I explained to him about the gear Myungwoo made for me and the protective charm Seonghan gave me. The S-to-A rank nullification effect should be more than enough to keep me safe in high-ranking dungeons, provided I use it wisely.
Yuhyun silently took my wrist in his hand and slipped the bracelet off.
“Uh…”
Wow, he took that off way too easily. Since I’m practically defenseless, I guess that’s expected.
-Squeak!
A little bluebird popped out of the bracelet’s jewel and chirped loudly, pecking at Yuhyun’s hand in a rage. When that didn’t make a mark, it let out an even angrier screech.
Then—
-Hissss.
The fire lizard suddenly darted out and clamped its mouth around the bluebird’s head.
-Squeaaaak!
“Don’t eat Grace!” (TL Note: Since all the animals have English names, I decided to go with Grace instead of Eunhye)
Fortunately, Yuhyun must’ve stopped it, or maybe the lizard realized the bird wasn’t food, as it spat the bluebird out with a disgusted look. Grace, shaking, landed back on my hand and gave the spirit a furious peck.
“You’ll get bitten again if you keep that up. Come here. Good bird.”
-Squeak! Squeeak!
“Yes, yes. The lizard was mean. Such a mean lizard.”
Grace, thoroughly indignant, returned to my hand, letting out a squawk.
-Mean lizard! Mean lizard!
“…Can it talk?”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard her say anything.”
Apparently, “mean lizard” was all she could say, as it kept repeating the phrase. Once Yuhyun gave the bracelet back, Grace flew into her jewel. So she really does gain skills as she grows; she can even talk now.
“Don’t put too much faith in items, especially against people.”
“I know that much. But the Sesung Guild Leader will only act if it benefits him, and he’ll leave me alone until something more valuable comes along.”
Though what could be more valuable? If I were an item, I’d be at least L-rank. With poison and curse resistance, offensive skill boosts, growth buffs, new skill acquisition, stat and skill boosts, a damage-nullifying shield, monster nurturing, and even potential venom and curse dragon hybrids… not to mention the Promising Talent and Terrifying Chick Class Teacher skills. If I were a real item, I’d be handled with care—too valuable to risk.
…It’s almost a shame I’m not actually an item. It’d make things simpler and allow constant resistances and buffs without sharing skills. Thinking about it like that, I really do wish I were an item.
“If I were a dungeon item, I’d give myself to you.”
“…What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Just a shame, that’s all.”
Meanwhile, the ice now stretched out as far as the eye could see, freezing all but a few stray droplets in the distance. No new droplets were forming, likely because of the ice.
“Mister! It’s blocked over here!”
Yerim shouted, waving her arms. It seemed like a transparent barrier was blocking the path, even though we could still see the space extending beyond it. Yuhyun caught me as I nearly slipped trying to head toward her.
“Maybe we should’ve brought Peace.”
True. I didn’t think of it since he’s always in spirit form at home, so it hadn’t crossed my mind to bring him into the dungeon.
“It’s pretty solid. Do you think this is the end of the dungeon?”
It looked like a typical dungeon barrier, but as we got closer, something felt off.
Beyond the transparent barrier, the frozen water extended endlessly. Yerim’s skill has a large range, but this was way beyond her limit. Plus, the barrier was unbreakable.
“This isn’t a dungeon wall.”
Seong Hyunjae seemed to have reached the same conclusion. This is—
“It’s a mirror.”
A mirror that doesn’t reflect us. Though, if you think of the whole dungeon as a mirror, it has been showing us things—the memories in the droplets. The zombie even used it to reflect each of our memories.
Now I’m beginning to understand what kind of new Filial Duty Addict we’re dealing with.
“A mirror? But it’s just transparent.”
“Look closely. Everything’s exactly the same, except for us. See, the broken ice surface over there is mirrored exactly.”
“Oh, you’re right! But what now?”
Good question. Still no reaction. I glanced around and spotted a few droplets scattered in the distance.
“Yerim, go break those last ones.”
“Yes!”
With a crisp reply, Yerim sent an ice shard shooting through the air, shattering the remaining droplets. Immediately, the surface of the mirror began to ripple. Yuhyun pulled me back as Yerim took position in front, and Seong Hyunjae also retreated a few steps.
“Looks like freezing everything was the right call!”
Once the memory-reflecting droplets were all destroyed and new ones stopped forming, the mirror reacted. This must mean—
“Get ready; something from one of our memories might show up.”
I wasn’t worried about Seong Hyunjae, but I warned Yuhyun and Yerim. I was probably in the most danger, honestly. Should I close my eyes just in case?
The ripples in the mirror grew larger and wilder. We backed up a little more. For a moment, our own reflections appeared on the trembling surface.
Then a blue light began to spread.
“Wait, those earrings!”
Yerim’s eyes went wide. A familiar earring swung gently, and from the mirror emerged a massive mermaid covered in blue scales.
Holding a long spear and unfurling her scaled wings, it was none other than the Mermaid Queen of Changlang.
‘…Damn it.’
So this mirror is meant to bring forth the most powerful opponent from our memories. Yerim must be seeing the same thing, so it’s confirmed. We’re in serious trouble. These damned droplets are practically a scam.
The Mermaid Queen’s eyes slowly opened, those deep blue orbs staring at us with cold indifference. Although it wasn’t a perfect copy, the intimidation was still intense. She was a monster far beyond what we could face with our current strength. At best, we could hold her off using the bracelet’s power to cover our escape.
“Yerim, use the skill!”
Yerim, momentarily frozen, snapped to attention, gripping her spear tightly. The jewel embedded in her spear began to glow.
Pitter-patter, patter—
Rain began to fall.
Through the thickening raindrops, I could see Yerim’s back. Though she was small and frail-looking, an overwhelming, almost frightening presence emanated from her. If she turned around, the intensity would be enough to make my knees tremble. Even Yuhyun and Seong Hyunjae couldn’t take their eyes off her.
By now, the ice had melted away, and water lapped at our ankles.
“This… isn’t just for show.”
Yerim’s voice was light, yet weighted with power. The fake Mermaid Queen looked at her, the tip of her long spear moving slightly. With that single, slow motion, the entire dungeon shook. But that was it.
The force that could’ve split the ground vanished in an instant. I couldn’t tell what was going on. Yerim also tilted her head slightly, surrounded by shimmering droplets.
“…Mister, I don’t really get it. The skill’s moving on its own.”
Her voice snapped me back to my senses. I looked between the fake Mermaid Queen and Yerim. Rain fell around both, but the thickness and speed varied.
The two were essentially using the same power. If that’s the case…
‘I might not be able to withstand it, but…’
Better to take a risk than waste the opportunity. I used the Terrifying Chick Class Teacher skill on Yerim. And what I sensed was water.
Just water. It wasn’t simply water—it was an all-encompassing sensation, as though every cell, every hair, and every drop of blood in my body was submerged in it.
“Hyung!”
Yuhyun’s voice reached me a second too late. His arm supported me as my body gave out. Wow, this is intense. Is Yerim okay?
“I’m f-fine.”
“Fine, my ass! What did you do?”
Just used a skill, obviously.
“Mister! Don’t use that skill!”
Yerim shouted as well. But this is manageable. It’d be such a waste not to use this chance.
“…I told you, I’m fine. Hey, you, good friend.”
I managed to look up at Seong Hyunjae, who wore a less-than-pleased expression.
“The skill… the Battle Foresight. With the help of that skill, Yerim will have an easier time learning a similiar skill to the one she is currently using. Ideally, I’d use the Teacher skill on the fake Mermaid Queen, but that might actually kill me.”
Seong Hyunjae raised an eyebrow at my request.
“If I refuse, you’ll likely pass out on the spot.”
“Don’t be like that. We’re one-week friends, remember?”
“I’ve never had friends in my life.”
What a bleak existence. Despite his reluctance, Seong Hyunjae activated Battle Foresight. And then the water moved.
The Mermaid Queen and Park Yerim, the two Rulers of Water, wielded their powers simultaneously. What had been incomprehensible moments before was now crystal clear.
Every drop of rain, every molecule of moisture in the air was under Yerim’s control. Water carries a vast array of elements. This entire space awaited the subtle command of her small fingertips.
The fake Mermaid Queen struggled to expand her reach, but it was futile. She was like a small-town noble standing before a queen with an army of millions. The gap between them was staggering.
The moment Yerim sensed how to move, it was over.
CRASH!!
The mirror shattered. All the mirrors in the dungeon broke, shards scattering around us. Water rippled over the dungeon floor, and rain still poured down.
Yerim turned around, commanding the reverence of all the water around her. And judging by her expression, she was angry.
–TL Notes–
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