I Am a Druid
Director Ji apologized profusely for bringing me all this way.
"No, it's fine. I tried riding the helicopter and it was great. It turned out to be way more fun than I expected."
Director Ji, who had said "That's a relief-" right away, immediately sat me down in the center of the massive equipment.
The measurement equipment was all set, so I just needed to sit comfortably.
Given its enormous size and the variety of functions it contained, it was comfortable to just sit there. It could do X-rays, MRI-like functions, and there were all kinds of measurement sensors attached.
Even it said I could move a little bit, and to not get bored, they brought me a few comic books.
With the "woong-" sounds coming from around me, I focused on the comic books.
"Suhwan-ssi. The measurement is complete."
After sitting for about thirty minutes focusing on the comic books, Director Ji's voice came again.
Exiting the equipment through the entrance I came in, Director Ji was waiting for me with a very excited expression.
"Did the results come out?"
"Yes, they did!"
Based on his expression, I asked, and Director Ji nodded his head so vigorously that I couldn't tell if he was bowing or just nodding.
"First, take a look at this part."
And Director Ji called me over and pointed to the monitor that was no different from a scoreboard.
"If you look here, this number represents the wavelength created when a superpowered individual releases their superpower. Most superpowered individuals have superpowers limited to themselves, so this number should be around thirty if it's good."
"......Mine is over seven thousand?"
"That's exactly the evidence that Suhwan-ssi possesses a wide-area superpower. The measurement we did at the cafe was to figure out how much Suhwan-ssi’s superpower affects the range. So the result came out to be......"
Director Ji handed me a summary of the results.
1. The range affected by the superpower is estimated to be a circle with a diameter of about 1 km. Due to various factors, there may be about 5% error, and the effect weakens the farther away one is.
2. It is estimated that it has a direct and indirect effect on animals and plants within that range.
3. Even if you stay for a short time, you receive an extremely minimal effect from this superpower, but if you stay continuously, a clear effect appears.
4. The effect of the superpower is estimated to increase the physical abilities including growth and health of animals and raise their intelligence, and for plants, it accelerates growth and makes their fruits larger.
5. Animal Communicator is estimated to be an additional function of this superpower.
6. In the case of animals and plants that have been affected by this superpower for a long time, it is estimated that some of the effect remains permanently.
"This is really the result for my superpower......?"
I was shocked after reading the summary.
Animal Communicator was not my superpower, but an additional function of my superpower?
With my mouth wide open at the unbelievable story, Director Ji opened his mouth again.
"By any chance, have you had any minor illnesses since awakening your superpower? With your daughter and wife too."
"Um...... Now that I think about it, I don't think so?"
Thinking about it, I hadn't gone to the hospital because of illness for me, Noona, or So-eun.
Occasionally overeating or eating food with low freshness, or catching a cold or stomachache were the only times I went to the hospital. On days with big temperature differences, I didn't even catch a cold even though I ate cold and slept under a blanket.
"If you think about it, there could be other cases where Suhwan-ssi’s superpower, as a wide-area superpower, affected the surroundings."
At Director Ji's words, I pondered for a moment and recalled my life after getting the superpower.
The first thing that came to mind was that I had raised the cactus I was given to a level beyond a flowerbed with Noona's help, and that the grass in the cafe grew lush green without any special management.
Other than that, there were cases like watermelons that are in season in summer still bearing fruit in late autumn even though it wasn't a greenhouse, and Hanmu the Aldabra giant tortoise, which wasn't a sea turtle but a land turtle, staying underwater for over twenty minutes in the swimming pool.
As I thought more, more memories came out one by one, and I truly accepted that my superpower was not Animal Communicator.
And having accepted that my superpower was completely different from that in the memory, Director Ji hesitated a bit before opening his mouth.
"Um, Suhwan-ssi? I have one favor to ask...... Is it okay?"
"Huh? A favor......? I'll listen first and decide."
It was better not to accept first and then be in trouble.
"I judge that the superpower you possess is not Animal Communicator, and it seems like a power that hasn't been reported yet. So, but...... May I name this superpower?"
Director Ji looked at me with earnest eyes.
Yeah, as the director of a research institute, he probably wanted to leave his name.
Any superpower that first appears, the possessor would be recorded in history. In this situation, the possessor is me, but the name of the person who named the superpower would also have a very high chance of being recorded.
But I was worried inside.
'If I name it something like "Human Totem of Walking Prosperity and Health", what then. The name of the director is Ji Bu-jang too.'
I heard while riding the helicopter that Director Ji's name is Ji Bu-jang because he personally changed his name to commemorate becoming director. A name made by someone like that would be quite worrying.
Instead of deciding immediately, I asked what kind of thoughts he had.
"What name would you give it?"
"Walking Prosperity and Health......"
"No."
I shouted firmly. I didn't think the worst name I thought would come out of Director Ji's mouth.
Director Ji looked dejected at my firm words. But I had no intention of forgiving him.
'Walking Prosperity and Health Human Totem Superpowered Individual, Shin Suhwan! I can't introduce myself like that. I can't do that even if I die.'
I had no intention of accepting such a name at all.
But I couldn't not acknowledge the merit of him coming first and revealing the details of my superpower.
"The superpower name shall be Druid. Since animals and plants are the nature itself, Druid comes to mind."
"Ah...... It suits...... perfectly......"
Director Ji showed a very dejected look and slowly nodded his head.
I shook my head at his appearance and opened my mouth.
"Instead, the name should be made by Director Ji."
"Huh? Really?"
Before my words finished, Director Ji raised his head as if he had never looked dejected.
Indeed, the important thing wasn't the name of the superpower, but leaving one's name in history.
Having understood what Director Ji truly wanted, I nodded my head. Since I was the first possessor to be registered, I could afford to compromise a bit.
It wouldn't benefit me to monopolize it alone. Besides, there was no honor or anything, and it was literally leaving a record that others wouldn't search for well. Anyway, the person who possesses the superpower gets the attention, not the one who named it.
Many people know words like smartphone or computer, but almost no one knows who created those words.
But that alone made Director Ji's expression brighten.
"Thank you so much!"
As if it was a significant matter for the researcher, Director Ji showed a look as if he had never looked dejected.
I secretly pushed away Director Ji who was trying to hug me after bowing his waist.
"Then, is there nothing else to check separately?"
"Ah, yes! I'll escort you back to your home!"
Unlike when I left the cafe, where the researcher came to escort me, when returning to the cafe, Director Ji personally guided me.
Whether it was because the task was over or because he named the superpower as his own, I didn't know.
"Suhwan-ah!"
After receiving Director Ji's farewell, I returned to the cafe by helicopter, and Noona greeted me happily.
"Look at this!"
Noona, who had exchanged a brief hug and a light kiss with me, pushed her phone at me.
And on the phone screen, there were several articles.
[Exclusive: Domestic Big Mytuber Again Snags Domestic First Record!]
[Domestic First Animal Communicator, Revealed to Be an Entirely Different Superpower... Shocking!]
[What is a Wide-Area Superpower?]
[Healthier Just by Being Nearby?]
[Why the Mytuber's Eccentric Pets? There Was a Reason!]
[Discovery of a New Superpower! Named Druid.]
While riding the helicopter, it seemed Director Ji had held a press conference.
After pressing on one article, I saw a video of Director Ji I had met a moment ago seeming to be talking with reporters via online video chat.
"A wide-area superpower is not something that only affects the superpowered individual themselves, but around them......"
I immediately turned it off because it showed Director Ji, as a researcher, rambling on with boring explanations.
But I could fully understand why the article came out.
This guy was nosy more than I thought. He had taken the lead to secure some share in the interest that would be focused on me.
But I couldn't complain to Director Ji.
Because reporters had flocked from all over because it was the first time in the country and the first discovery in the world.
"So, it's not the Animal Communicator ability, but a newly discovered ability?"
"Does the Druid ability really make you healthy just by being around?"
"Please give me one comment on the newly learned part about the ability!"
"Is the superpower possessed by Shin Suhwan-ssi not the Animal Communicator, but the Druid that's in the news now?"
With the flash flood from the suddenly gathered reporters, I let out a small sigh and slowly opened my mouth.
"It was originally told to be Animal Communicator, but now...... Yes, I am a Druid."
At the same time as my words, flashes burst again and blinded my eyes, and it immediately decorated the news that evening.
[I Am a Druid!]
"......Why did I say that line."
In the real-time black history that froze, I sighed deeply.
"Kk, hwaap......!"
"Mom, Apo?"
At Noona's appearance, who was holding her stomach and laughing while rolling around, my sigh deepened.
I turned off the TV nervously and hugged So-eun, who was tilting her head.
"So-eun, you shouldn't leave such black history. Got it?"
"Weng!"
Even though I didn't know what it was, So-eun nodded her head because I said I shouldn't do it. Yeah, our daughter is the best.