Chapter 62
To meet Nam Hae-su wearing another man's skin, there was only one way. Unless I had superpowers, I had no choice but to create a situation that would draw him to me on his own. Or rather, knowledge of the future. The ultimate weapon that would let Nam Hae-su, lost in dreams of the past, succeed once more! Unless he had absolute power like Magic Boy Choi Kang-min, there was no reason not to use it.
"He's probably filthy rich by now."
I only had fragmented knowledge from documentaries, but Nam Hae-su, who had lived through this era firsthand, would know all the ways to make money in detail!
I dove straight into the investigation.
"Uh... damn."
And I failed.
I can't tell them apart at all!
I didn't even know what methods Nam Hae-su used to make money, and I couldn't assume he was obsessed with wealth. There were just too many rich people in the world!
How the hell am I supposed to know?
For someone like me who had never lived in this era, the limitations were clear. Abnormal weather, pandemics, cryptocurrencies... There were no developments deviating from the history I'd picked up from history books or documentaries.
"In that case..."
Search: Prophet
I flipped my approach entirely. What if Nam Hae-su hadn't monopolized knowledge of the future but shared it with the world?
A meteor will collide.
World War III will break out.
A new pandemic will spread.
A volcano will erupt.
"Hmm..."
There were a ridiculous number of self-proclaimed prophets online. Considering that, out of all the Aptitude Test results from P worldwide, only two people had the aptitude for "prophet," it was an absurdly high number. Even the old-era prophets' predictions were vague on dates and details, and none hit 100% accurately.
Sheesh...
Too many misses, right? Compared to modern prophets trusted for supercomputer-accurate weather forecasts and disaster warnings.
"Let's see... This one's a fraud... This old man's dead... Not this girl either..."
I know the future. Disasters, wars, events... But even without knowing the future, there's a way to spot frauds. A prophet said it on TV themselves.
Fixed futures.
They can only predict futures that are set in stone, ones you can't change even if you know them. Aptitude is the prime example. Like how Beethoven, even after losing his hearing, left behind countless masterpieces as a genius composer.
Aptitude never changes.
On the other hand, uncertain futures. Prophets can't foresee futures that could change due to their own words or interference. Take this example: Person A is fated to die in a car accident tomorrow. But if A hears the prophet's warning and stays home? That future where A dies in the accident never comes.
In other words, "All war predictions are from frauds."
Futures that could change because of a prophet's prediction aren't true futures. Wars, assassinations, deaths, apocalypses... Filter those out immediately.
But this is getting complicated!
People in the old era didn't trust prophets' words or warnings as much as modern folks do. That changes things—if no one acts on the prophecy, the prophet can foresee it since their words won't interfere.
Here's the same but different example: If A doesn't hear or ignores the prophet's warning and goes out? A dies in the car accident.
"An accurate prediction..."
I focused on prophets who nailed future events on Earth precisely. Nam Hae-su probably wouldn't account for the risk of his own words altering the future.
Why so sure? Because I'd seen his complacent attitude toward the future leave his kids fighting over inheritance.
And on the tenth day.
"Uwaaaah! I give up! Totally giving up...!"
I flopped onto the bed.
I'd investigated not just prophets from Nam Hae-su's homeland, Korea, but from other countries too. All for nothing. Too many people who got rich quick.
"I really have no clue!"
"Molrang?"
"...Huh?"
An alien lifeform was molrangling right next to me.
"Molrang?"
"A slime? Why is this thing on Earth...?"
It had that signature soft, molrangy texture—not squishy, but perfectly molrang. Its translucent body shimmered with rainbow hues, unlike the pink slimes I'd seen everywhere in the novel I Became the Youngest Daughter of the Count Family.
"Molrang molrang~"
"Why are you here?"
"Molrang!"
"Oh, I see."
I had no idea what this molrangy slime was saying.
This is the dream world, after all. Sword Demons were here too, right?
I gave up overthinking and fiddled with the molrangy slime while sorting my thoughts.
"Molrang~"
"...Molrang buddy."
"Molrang? Molrang."
"From now on, molrang once for yes on my thoughts, twice for no. Got it?"
"Molrang!"
Did it really understand? Whatever.
"Nam Hae-su doesn't seem to have used future knowledge aggressively."
"Molrang."
"But starting over as someone else, his life couldn't have been a total failure. If it was, he'd have woken from the dream ages ago."
"Molrang."
"Like Choi Kang-min."
"Molrang~"
Magic Boy Choi Kang-min, with light-speed powers and absolute strength, only returned to reality after his past crimes were exposed and he realized it was a dream.
"Kim Eun-jeong too."
"Molrang~"
Kim Eun-jeong, the beautiful noble lady loved by every handsome guy. She woke up after facing public execution and horrific community service.
"Song Seon-yeong's a bit different."
The girl who wanted to change her aptitude accepted reality after my persuasion and opened her eyes.
"Molrang molrang!"
"Hm? My thinking's wrong?"
"Molrang!"
"...Molrang buddy. You really understand me?"
"Molrang."
"Hmm..."
The response wasn't convincing, but I petted the molrangy slime and grumbled on.
"Where's the Swimming Emperor hiding and doing what?"
"Molrang~"
"Song Seon-yeong, Choi Kang-min, Kim Eun-jeong—they all got trapped in dreams because they hated reality."
"Molrang!"
"So what was Nam Hae-su lacking that he hanged himself on the past? In someone else's body, no less."
"Molrang?"
"No clue."
"Molrang molrang!"
My petting hand froze at the slime's vigorous double molrang of negation.
"...I already know?"
"Molrang!"
"......"
Swimming Emperor Nam Hae-su had a successful life by any measure. Money, fame, family... Sure, his kids from his model-wife were now fighting over inheritance, but up until he suddenly collapsed, it was a harmonious home without a single discord.
I already know?
Nam Hae-su was selfless enough to entrust his fortune to the International Swimming Federation to nurture the next generation. That alone torpedoes my guess that he used future knowledge to get rich.
"...Wait."
"Molrang?"
"No material greed?"
If Nam Hae-su had no greed, he wouldn't have swept Olympic medals like that. Just look at the luxury liner he lent the federation—he loved showing off.
So why?
"Why was he so obsessed with nurturing the next generation?"
Even top national team swimmers didn't need luxury liners and top-tier buffets—that was excessive extravagance beyond necessity. Would Nam Hae-su, a former athlete himself, not know that? No way.
"Molrang?"
"Hold on. I think it's coming to me."
"Molrang~"
The reason Nam Hae-su obsessed over nurturing successors. In modern swimming, with good suits, facilities, and coaches, victories are decided by aptitude...
"Aptitude?"
"Molrang!"
"Right. That's it. Nam Hae-su's aptitude wasn't swimmer."
But he swept Olympic swimming medals and earned the title Swimming Emperor. Why? His rivals either lacked swimming aptitude or sufficient support.
"Molrang?"
"...No. Now I get it."
Finding Nam Hae-su in someone else's skin is impossible.
I need him to come to me.
How? I got up from bed and hopped online immediately.
Search: Next Olympics
In this modern era where sports monsters in human skins pop up yearly, Olympics happen every two years, but the old era split summer and winter every four.
"Ah... crap."
"Molrang?"
"Not much time."
"Molrang!"
"If I don't want to waste four years here, I gotta hustle."
Time was short.
* * *
"Hyeaaaaang~!"
Bang!
A beautiful boy with an androgynous look that could confuse for either gender burst into the hospital room, slamming the door open.
"...Choi Kang-hun. Please be quiet in the hospital."
"Moon-soo hyeeeeeng~!"
"......"
Seo Hye-ju, the section chief handling Elmolrans Hospital business from afar, pulled her hands from the keyboard. She'd gotten notice this boy was coming, but...
What a pain!
His questions and attention were 86 times more intense than when visiting his half-brother, patient Choi Kang-min. Enough to disrupt her work.
But ignoring him wasn't an option, with his money-drenched background.
"Hello!"
"Welcome."
"Doc! How's Moon-soo hyung? You said he fell asleep again!"
"No issues with his body. But what brings you here..."
"Vacation! I wanted to come right when I heard hyung was treating some autistic patient named Kim Eun-jeong, but it was during term time then!"
"You know hospital secrets so casually."
"It's Moon-soo hyung's business!"
"I see."
Normally impossible, but since he was the son of a major shareholder in Elmolrans affiliated hospital, she let it slide.
But then, "Oh! My god! A lady as beautiful as you being a doctor at Elmolrans—truly astonishing."
The young man following Choi Kang-hun into the room rubbed her the wrong way. Golden hair like a detective's hook, jade-green eyes, a jawline carved with an artist's devotion... Topped off with a luxurious white tuxedo, his look oozed masculine charm.
"Prince Leon, I presume?"
"Oh! Fair doctor of a foreign land, you know me?"
"We were notified in advance."
Leon Prince. Young royal from the country owning this vacation paradise. If he were the legitimate heir, protocol mattered, but royals without "king" aptitude were just chaebol heirs—no need to care.
Annoying people doubled...
With piles of backlog, she wanted to tell Choi Kang-hun and Leon to buzz off. Did her wish reach them?
"Kang-hun. Once you're done, I'll show you the island. Royal-only resorts and restaurants..."
"Hold on. Just gotta give Moon-soo hyung his gift first."
Slap!
Choi Kang-hun stuck a paper on the forehead of Kang Moon-soo, lying motionless like a dead rat on the bed.
"Choi Kang-hun? What is that..."
Seo Hye-ju, shocked he'd touch Kang Moon-soo's body directly, asked.
In response, "A talisman from a famous shaman with 500 years of history! They say it's blessed with a powerful god's protection!"
"Ah, yes. God's protection..."
"It's real!"
She was convinced Choi Kang-hun got scammed.
"Sheesh! Can't understand commoners at all."
Leon flashed an incredulous smile for different reasons.
Then, "What? Why are you here?"
"Huh? Why's you, Song Seon-yeong sunbae who always bugs Moon-soo hyung, here..."
"Who bugs him!"
"You do."
"I don't!"
Song Seon-yeong stormed in, holding two iced coffees, fuming.
"Ahh... Ooh..."
But she stopped, blocked by Leon, who gawked at her in a daze.
"Mind moving?"
Song Seon-yeong furrowed her pretty brow, showing her irritation.
"Beautiful miss! Your name..."
"Song Seon-yeong."
"Oh! A name that pierces my soul. Miss Song Seon-yeong. I am..."
"Move."
Irritation crept into her voice as she handed an iced coffee to Seo Hye-ju.
"Ahem! My apologies."
Caught off-guard, Leon quickly stepped aside. He couldn't tear his eyes from Song Seon-yeong as she brushed past indifferently.
"Huh? What's this?"
"Sunbae! Don't peel it off!"
Choi Kang-hun defended the talisman on Kang Moon-soo's forehead.
"Your doing, huh! Get lost."
"No way!"
"Miss Song Seon-yeong. I understand your noble concern for the patient, but if you'd just give me a moment..."
"Peel it off now, nicely!"
"No!"
"......"
Seo Hye-ju sipped the iced coffee from Song Seon-yeong, thinking.
What a circus.
It wouldn't stay like this until Kang Moon-soo woke, right?
...She hoped not.