Chapter 59: Dream Breaker

Chapter 59 – Swimming Emperor (3)

[Chapter 4 – Verse 2] It Was Different in the Past

Aliens, scientists, doctors, time travelers…

Countless theories swirl about the mysterious entity P.

Almost no one remembers the era before his aptitude tester appeared—the old days.

‘It was hell.’

That’s how history books describe it.

A world where corrupt politicians sold out citizens and abused power, and people still paid taxes to live there!

Hard to imagine.

“The Swimming Emperor we’re about to meet, Nam Hae-soo, is a living witness of those old days.”

“Truly admirable.”

Everyone who endured that hellish era deserves respect.

“That’s unexpected.”

A random remark from Section Chief Seo Hye-joo as we boarded the free shuttle to the island’s only hospital.

“What is?”

“I thought someone discriminated against for aptitude like you would prefer the old days.”

“Well… personally, I’m a bit dissatisfied, but even so, I don’t want to live in a country run by criminals and con artists.”

“Model answer.”

“Do you think differently, Section Chief?”

“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow.”

“Meaning there are pros and cons?”

“Not everyone loves or is satisfied with their aptitude. But this world isn’t kind enough to allow choices outside it.”

“Ah…”

“No denying it’s more efficient than the old era in every way.”

“That’s true.”

Old-era Olympic records? Even third-string athletes breeze past them now!

Same for every other field.

‘Even my dad…’

He ignored aptitude, jumped into business, and went completely broke.

Tap.

We got off the shuttle and entered the hospital.

But…

“The entrance already feels hostile.”

“Nam Hae-soo’s family. The kids don’t get along over inheritance issues.”

“Aha!”

“Right now, the International Swimming Federation manages his assets. But what if he passes without a will?”

“Uh… split equally among the children?”

“In simple terms, yes. But should dutiful and undutiful kids share equally?”

“Huh?”

Now that she mentioned it, yeah.

“And the federation’s involved. They interpret it as him leaving assets to them even after death. The government quietly hopes for that too.”

“Wow…”

Just hearing it made my head spin.

“The easiest fix is for Nam Hae-soo himself to sort his estate.”

“We’d need to wake him first?”

“Exactly.”

“…”

I have no duty or loyalty to step in.

“Want to try?”

“How much is the treatment fee?”

But if there’s money in it, I’m willing.

***

Thanks to P’s aptitude tester, geniuses like Einstein, Tesla, and Newton were mass-produced.

Plus full support from politicians who don’t embezzle taxes!

Human civilization and technology leaping forward was only natural.

Why bring this up now?

“Wow! His age…”

Medical advances sharply raised life expectancy. Living witnesses of history are now common.

Of course, only if you can afford it!

“No need to be impressed. Solve the chemical formulas you brought from the future, and you could live until Earth ends.”

“That’s a bit…”

In a wide, spotless hospital bed, an elderly man lay perfectly straight.

Nam Hae-soo, Emperor of Swimming.

His health declined after collapsing, but outwardly, he looked good for another 20 years.

“How is it?”

“Hmm… I think I can enter his dream.”

“How do you know?”

“Gut feeling.”

“What a convenient ability!”

Confirmed he’s not in simple unconsciousness—time for the occult, not medicine.

Song Sun-young, Choi Kang-min, Kim Eun-jung.

Three long journeys taught me some tricks—I’m confident now.

“First… let’s learn who Nam Hae-soo the person is, not just the Swimming Emperor.”

We need to understand the human Nam Hae-soo.

Nam Hae-soo was born in the “Republic of Korea” of the old era, before P’s aptitude tester existed.

A children’s swimming class, started to build up his frail, sickly body, changed his fate.

‘Frail stamina…’

People with athletic aptitudes are different from the seedling stage.

Effort.

Anyone who wants success does it, right?

In the same fair 24 hours, equal effort is decided by talent and investment.

In other words,

“Nam Hae-soo’s aptitude wasn’t swimmer?”

Conclusion drawn from the biography published by his children and grandchildren.

Section Chief Seo Hye-joo, researching beside me, nodded.

“Land athlete.”

“Ah…”

You could argue how a dolphin and a cheetah are the same, but it’s far more convincing than weightlifter, isn’t it?

Nam Hae-soo’s aptitude: land athlete.

A plausible possibility emerged.

“Maybe he’s active as a land athlete in the dream…?”

Perhaps he didn’t give up swimming and is sweeping medals in both events!

“Too optimistic. He might be in the martial-arts world of the wuxia novels he loved reading in old age.”

“Uh… that could be.”

Suddenly, the amount I needed to study (read) skyrocketed!

‘Should I just taste and leave?’

Confirm if it’s Earth or an alien planet, then suicide immediately.

“Better not plan to die in the dream.”

“Because of brain cells?”

“That too, but you recently had cardiac arrest from dying once.”

“Yes.”

In the world of the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family>, I died a dog’s death caught in a pride war between two families.

“Your swimming records noticeably dropped after that incident.”

“…”

“Not just then. You were killed by patient Choi Kang-min in a dream and had cardiac arrest—records plummeted then too.”

“I… had no idea.”

“I didn’t either. Not until the coach reviewing your past records asked my opinion.”

“Coach Jang Seo-yeon…”

It’s natural for a coach to monitor an athlete’s condition, but this was life-or-death information for me.

If I’d stayed ignorant?

‘I would’ve treated my life lightly!’

I’d eventually notice, but by then my skills would’ve dropped too far to be a national rep.

Anyway,

“Cardiac arrest definitely lowers physical ability regardless of your health.”

“Hmm. Suddenly don’t want to enter the dream.”

“Your choice.”

“Surprising. Thought you’d persuade me.”

“Why would I?”

“You’re a doctor.”

“Can you call a doctor someone who ruins a healthy person’s life to treat a patient? It’s not even family blood transfusion.”

“Sorry.”

My thinking was too shallow.

“Fine. I did try persuading you when I didn’t know the risks and side effects.”

“Well…”

I’d accepted lightly back then too.

‘I really had no fear!’

I’d bluffed “it’s a dream” in front of magic boy Choi Kang-min.

That bold attitude did help break Choi Kang-min’s spirit, but looking back, it was insanely reckless.

“What’ll you do?”

“Hmm…”

“You don’t have to enter. I’m not his primary physician—no loss for me.”

Meaning no penalty or burden for refusing.

“…I’ll do it.”

“Sure you decided carefully? Your life’s on the line.”

“As long as Nam Hae-soo isn’t a dolphin or magic boy.”

Dolphin = hard to find; magic boy = hard to persuade.

“Still too optimistic…”

“It’s fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I’m curious what dream captivates the Swimming Emperor who has money and fame.”

Definitely not just for the treatment fee.

***

“…Success.”

After perfect preparation at the hospital, I infiltrated Nam Hae-soo’s dream.

No letting guard down!

I nearly died the moment I entered <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family>—head pierced by a bandit’s arrow.

I immediately scanned surroundings.

‘Not medieval…’

But not modern like Song Sun-young’s dream, nor near-future like Choi Kang-min’s.

Smog-choked sky.

Citizens in masks.

Fossil-fuel cars.

Littered streets.

A horrifying landscape and antiques unseen in the present or future, where Earth’s environment is meticulously managed!

‘Wow! Internal combustion engines!’

The roads were packed with “cars with exhaust pipes”—things only found in museums.

In other words, Nam Hae-soo’s dream was set in the old era, long before I was born.

I checked my pockets.

“Hmm? This is… a mask?”

The smartphone I’d prepared to reuse the trick on magic boy Choi Kang-min didn’t appear in the dream. Instead, two white masks were in my pocket.

Trick failed.

I had to go straight.

‘First…’

Citizens giving me suspicious glances, like I was a criminal.

War? Pandemic? Smog? Trend?

Whatever the reason, I put on one of the masks from my pocket.

Then,

“Excuse me.”

I approached a nervous high school boy waiting in front of a department store, as if for his girlfriend.

I wanted to comment on his outdated clothes and hairstyle, but every passing male his age dressed the same, so I gave up.

“Who are you? Wait—don’t tell me you’re a guy friend…?”

“Where is this?”

I cut off the weird misunderstanding with a quick question.

“Seoul, Dongdaemun.”

“Got it. Ah! One more thing. What year is it? AD… right?”

“Hold on. Asking where we are is one thing, but are you seriously asking me because you don’t know?”

“Yes. I seriously don’t know.”

“Hidden camera or…”

“No.”

With the dream’s location and era confirmed, I began the real search.

‘Young Nam Hae-soo must be nearby…!’

It had always been like this.

Song Sun-young, who kept suiciding, was at the same school; magic boy Choi Kang-min flew into the Elmolance Hospital I started; I ran into Kim Eun-jung’s chicken-and-beer count family carriage…

If it wasn’t three coincidences, Nam Hae-soo should be near my starting point.

Scramble!

With stamina to spare, I hustled around the department store.

‘Of all places!’

Starting in the middle of a crowded city!

Should I be grateful I didn’t spawn in the middle of the Pacific? If Nam Hae-soo had turned into a fish, I’d have drowned the moment I entered.

Probably human.

Satisfied that Nam Hae-soo wasn’t a dolphin, I decided to ask passersby.

“Excuse me!”

“You again?”

The high school boy, still distraught because his girlfriend hadn’t shown up.

I asked him again.

“Do you know athlete Nam Hae-soo?”

“Nam Hae-soo? Never heard of him. What sport?”

“Swimming.”

Despite frowning at my persistence, he even searched on his old-era smartphone.

“N-A-M… H-A-E… S-O-O… Nothing.”

“Huh?”

“I just searched. No swimmer. There’s a businessman and a patent attorney with the same name.”

“Can I see?”

“Go ahead.”

I stared at the boy’s old-era smartphone screen.

‘He’s really not there?’

The businessman and patent attorney named Nam Hae-soo had different faces and birth years from the “Emperor of Swimming.”

A Nam Hae-soo dream without Nam Hae-soo?

As I fell into confusion—

Beep!

「My Love: Oppa, sorry.」

「My Love: Mom’s sick, can’t come.」

「My Love: Can’t meet for a while.」

Texts arrived.

“…Don’t say anything.”

“Cheer up.”

I gently comforted the teary-eyed boy and left.

Now what?

The dilemma was short.

“Excuse me, is this the police station?”

“Yes. How can I help?”

“Where do I go to apply for a resident registration card?”

“Ah! Lost your ID? When and where…”

“No.”

“…Are you an illegal resident?”

“Uh… ugh! My head…! I don’t remember anything.”

“…”

I used the convenient amnesia excuse.

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