Chapter 44: Against All Odds

Roy blinked slowly, a puzzled expression on his face.

‘Did I hear that right just now?’

“Beep?” (Did they just call my name?)

[Lord Ber, it seems you’ve already gained some fans.]

Ber looked indifferent, but Earth seemed more excited than he was.

Roy stood up with an awkward expression.

He hadn’t expected Ber to be summoned.

Lee Jian smiled brightly and gestured for Roy to come up to the stage.

As Roy walked down the steps, he patted Ber—who was letting out soft “beep, beep” noises—on the head.

“Beep!” (Looks like this form is popular too.)

Ber had been secretly discouraged ever since losing his original form and becoming a tiny bird.

Now, with his spirits lifted, he puffed up his chest proudly.

To Ber, this was his way of showing off.

But to the other contestants, he was simply adorable.

“Hello.”

“Welcome, contestant Hwang Roy.”

Lee Jian greeted Roy with her voice, but her eyes were fixated on Ber.

“This is my first time seeing a spirit in person.”

Her eyes sparkled so brightly that it looked like honey might drip from them.

Ber was clearly pleased to receive attention from such a beautiful woman.

Even back on the continent of As, Ber had a soft spot for Roy’s younger sister.

Before Roy could stop him, Ber flapped his wings and flew toward Lee Jian.

“Oh my, are you coming to me?”

“Beep.” (I’ll let you pet me, just this once.)

Ber shrugged his tiny shoulders.

Lee Jian looked to Roy with a questioning gaze.

“He says he wants you to pet him.”

“Really?”

Bright laughter echoed across the stage.

Ber gently pecked at her fingertips with his tiny beak, careful not to hurt her.

“What’s the spirit’s name?”

“His name is Ber.”

“I heard he’s a fire spirit. Is that true?”

“Yes. Ber, show a little flame rain—just a light one.”

“Beep.” (Leave it to me.)

Ber took a deep breath and then released flames toward the front of the stage.

The fire that emerged from his small beak scattered like fluttering petals in the air before gently falling to the stage floor.

“Won’t the stage catch fire?”

Lee Jian’s eyes widened.

The moment happened too fast for her to stop it.

She’d already been warned that Ber’s flame attacks were quite powerful.

“It’s okay. Ber can control it.”

“Beep—.” (This is nothing.)

Ber flapped his little wings proudly, as if to say, “Watch me.”

Lee Jian clapped her hands together in applause.

“Lastly, let’s hear a few words from trainee Hwang Roy, the first ever Spirit Summoner among Hunter Idol trainees, and then we’ll wrap up the interview.”

With a cue from the staff, Lee Jian delivered her closing line.

“I’ll continue to do my best. Thank you.”

Roy wasn’t very good with words.

Still, with the help of Earth’s training, he managed to speak in polite formal speech and bowed at nearly a 90-degree angle.

***

After Ber’s interview, the contestants were given a short break.

However, instead of relaxing, most of them stayed close to the recently eliminated contestants, offering words of comfort.

Roy watched the tearful scene with conflicted eyes and let out a silent sigh of relief.

Thankfully, none of the people he was close with had been eliminated yet.

“Don’t worry, Roy hyung. You’re definitely going to make it.”

“Yeah. You’re a Spirit Summoner now, and your dancing and singing have improved so much—you’ll definitely pass.”

“I just wish they’d hurry up and announce the results.”

Kim Chan, Lee Hajun, and Han Jihoo—who had already received their rankings—tried to comfort Roy.

Then, the three of them turned to pat Kim Jaemin on the shoulder.

“I’m really okay.”

Kim Jaemin already had a resigned expression.

Roy could see that he was clenching his fists tightly, trying to suppress the emotions that surged while watching the eliminated contestants cry.

“Jaemin hyung, let’s survive together.”

“Roy…”

Roy didn’t usually show his emotions.

But when he spoke, Kim Jaemin—who had been forcing himself to stay composed despite others’ comfort—finally let out a shaky voice.

“Guys, I…”

From one side, Lee Doha slowly raised his right hand.

His eyes, usually half-closed, were now wide open.

“Doha hyung…”

Kim Chan looked unsure how to react to Lee Doha’s unexpected gesture.

Most of them assumed that Doha would be ranked first or second.

With gold grades in both dance and vocals, S-rank Hunter status, and a unique combination of a cold exterior with a sleepy, sickly vibe, Lee Doha had gained massive popularity.

Even Hwang Guman had once said there was no need to worry about Doha.

In fact, Doha had the highest number of mentions across all social media platforms among all the contestants.

“I just felt like saying something.”

Doha lifted the corners of his mouth in a smile.

It was his way of easing the tension in the room, which had grown too serious.

***

“Shooting begins in 10 minutes. Please return to your seats.”

With that announcement from the production staff, the contestants began returning to their assigned seats.

“Everyone’s eyes are red now…”

Filming resumed, and Lee Jian looked around at the contestants with a sympathetic expression.

Some of them still couldn’t stop crying.

Watching them try their best to hold back their tears made Jian feel emotional as well.

“We’ll now continue with the ranking announcements.”

But she couldn’t let emotions delay the shoot.

Jian quickly composed herself and delivered her next line.

“The next contestant I interviewed earlier—Trainee Hwang Roy.”

“Yes.”

Roy swallowed hard.

The chair he was sitting in lit up, and all the other contestants’ eyes focused on him.

“Do you think you can keep the seat you’re in now?”

Roy’s eyes widened at Jian’s question.

His current seat was ranked 17th—much higher than he had expected.

“To be honest… no, I don’t.”

He wasn’t just being modest—he truly meant it.

His Hunter rating was still a question mark, and his singing and dancing skills were still far behind the higher-ranked contestants.

He had been cutting down on sleep just to complete the daily missions assigned by Earth, but it hadn’t been easy.

In Roy’s view, his looks weren’t particularly standout either, which only added to his doubts.

“That’s a surprisingly humble answer. Then let’s check Hwang Roy’s total score right away.”

Seeing his own face blown up on the giant screen was a strange experience.

Roy clenched his trembling hand into a fist as the numbers started climbing rapidly.

BEEP…(My contractor’s shaking, so I’m shaking too…)

[Don’t worry, Hero! Earth’s support is bound to shine through!]

He couldn’t even register the voices of Ber and Earth.

His eyes were locked on the screen.

“Hwang Roy’s final score is…”

At last, the rising numbers came to a halt. Roy’s pupils visibly shook.

“412,098 points. That puts you at rank 19. You dropped two places, but you’re still in the upper ranks. Congratulations!”

Jian’s stiff expression relaxed into a smile as she congratulated him. Announcing someone’s survival always felt rewarding to her, too.

“…Thank you.”

BEEP! (Told you it would turn out fine!)

[Earth knew you’d survive, Hero! Really, we did!]

Earth quickly switched tones, acting as if it had never doubted him in the first place.

It was a change from how it used to quietly brace for the possibility of his elimination.

Roy let out a shaky breath and moved to the 19th seat.

The contestant who had been sitting there extended his right hand, congratulating him.

It wasn’t until they shook hands that Roy realized just how much his hand was trembling.

The tension had taken more out of him than he thought.

It felt like he had just lost a year off his lifespan.

The next name called was Lee Chulhun.

His appearance was so tidy now, it was hard to believe he was the same guy whose hair had been completely scorched by Ber’s flames.

“Thank you so much for choosing me! I’ll keep giving it my all!”

Chulhun shouted his thanks loud enough to shake the entire set. And no wonder—his rank was a whopping 8th place.

[There’s no way this isn’t rigged.]

BEEP ‘(Time to make him bald again.)’

Both Earth and Ber voiced their disdain for Chulhun in unison.

Roy had half expected this outcome.

The way Chulhun had been acting so arrogantly on camera—it was obvious some backdoor deal had been made with the production team.

And to be fair, Chulhun wasn’t lacking in skill. His Hunter rank was A, after all.

‘Only Jaemin hyung is left now.’

Roy quickly pushed thoughts of Chulhun aside.

He didn’t have the luxury to dwell on it.

The remaining seats were dwindling, and Kim Jaemin’s rank still hadn’t been revealed.

Roy stared at Jaemin’s back with growing anxiety.

Even without seeing his face, he could sense how tense and nervous Jaemin was just by his posture.

[Jaemin might… not make it.]

Earth spoke up cautiously.

Even after Roy’s own results, Earth wasn’t confident about Jaemin’s chances.

Compared to Roy, Jaemin had drawn even less attention.

More names were called, but Jaemin remained silent.

Eventually, he was pushed out of his seat and ended up standing with the other eliminated contestants.

“We now have only two rankings left to reveal.”

Fifteen contestants hadn’t been called yet.

“These two spots are for those who will survive against all odds—1st place and 70th place.”

The screen displayed the faces of all fifteen remaining contestants.

Each of them wore a mix of resignation and faint hope.

Roy looked at Jaemin’s face and clasped his hands together.

He didn’t believe in any god, but at that moment, he wished he did.

He wanted Jaemin to survive more than anything.

Lee Doha’s face appeared as well, but the moment Roy saw that he was among the final fifteen, he knew Doha would end up in 1st place.

“Who will take the seat of honor?”

Below the fifteen faces, numbers began to rise.

As the points climbed, the contestants’ expressions changed—some filled with joy, others with despair.

***

As the lower scores passed, the speed of the rising numbers slowed… and then stopped.

‘Please… please…’

When only five contestants remained, Roy half-stood up from his seat.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Contestants who had already secured their spots were now more nervous than when their own names had been called, staring intently at the screen.

“Only three remain.”

Finally, when only three were left, Roy couldn’t stay seated any longer and stood up completely.