Chapter 17: The Great Mole Hunt

“Ah, hello…”

The first to greet the unfamiliar newcomer was Kim Chan.

Following his lead, Lee Doha and Lee Hajun also offered polite greetings.

Roy was the only one who simply stared at the newcomer in silence.

“Is your nose okay? I’ve been meaning to ask, but I never had the time…”

Han Jihoo asked with an awkward smile as he walked over and sat down next to Roy.

Realizing that Jihoo had come over specifically to speak to Roy, the others began to observe him closely.

Roy didn’t say anything, his expression unreadable.

“I mean, you got hurt because of us, right…?”

“As you can see, it’s perfectly fine.”

[Hero, how about pretending it still hurts? Even turning just one person to your side would help!]

‘I don’t want to.’

[Why not~~?]

‘It’s annoying. If someone’s worth getting close to, it’ll happen without me trying.’

Roy wasn’t the type to wear masks.

Even after leading his side to victory in a war and stepping into high society, he couldn’t get the hang of wearing the social masks that everyone else wore.

As a result, he had made quite a few enemies.

But that didn’t mean he wanted to fake his way into friendships.

Of course, Roy understood very well that the longer he stayed on the show, the more he’d have to put aside his real personality.

“I’m glad to hear that. Here, have some more.”

Roy stared blankly at the stir-fried Vienna sausage that had been placed on his tray.

Out of all the side dishes, the sausages had been his favorite, and only one piece was left.

He’d been saving it, eating everything else first.

It felt like Han Jihoo had somehow peeked into his thoughts when he offered the sausage.

The guy had good instincts.

“And thank you for saving me back then. Honestly, I was really scared.”

‘You sure didn’t look scared… Still, he’s got decent character.’

Roy didn’t think for a second that giving him sausage had won him over.

“And thanks again for choosing me during the first mission. I was actually a bit nervous since I didn’t have any close friends among the contestants.”

Jihoo smiled warmly as he looked at Roy.

His delicate eyes curved into gentle crescents.

It was the kind of warm, kind smile that instantly drew people in.

“Wow…”

Because Jihoo had such a mature aura, the youngest among them, Lee Hajun, couldn’t tear his eyes away.

His gaze carried a subtle sense of envy, directed at someone who possessed a quality he lacked.

“I picked you because I wanted to team up with you.”

[Whoa, Hero! Earth is moved! That was such a perfectly timed and well-worded response!]

Roy didn’t object to Earth’s comment this time.

If it hadn’t been for Earth’s help, Roy would have gone through a lot more trial and error adjusting to this world.

‘Thanks.’

[HUH—! Did you just say thank you to me?!]

Even though Earth kept shouting for Roy to repeat it because he hadn’t heard it clearly, Roy buried his face in his tray.

But the faint flush at the tips of his ears was something he couldn’t hide.

“Team members, please gather!”

Following the staff member’s instructions, Roy gathered with the team he had chosen.

Once the noise settled down a bit, Kim Hanbom stepped up onto the stage that had been set up.

“Did everyone enjoy their meal?”

“Yes!”

“Great energy! Then let’s move on to the part you’ve all been waiting for—the song selection game!”

“Yaaay!”

The excited cheers of energetic young men echoed powerfully throughout the auditorium.

“Please look behind you.”

“No way.”

“What is that?”

While everyone had been watching Kim Hanbom, the staff had set something up behind the auditorium.

A protective barrier now surrounded an area large enough to fit fifty people at once.

Inside the barrier, a small iron cage sat conspicuously in the center.

***

Screeech—!

Clank!

The moment they realized a monster was inside the cage, the contestants’ faces drained of color.

Those who had faced the Giant-Eyed Spider visibly trembled as memories of that encounter resurfaced.

“The monster inside is a Lesser Horned Mole. It’s Level 3.”

“Level 3…?”

Some had leveled up while fighting the Giant-Eyed Spider, but they were only a minority among the contestants.

Roy was still at level 0.

That was because he passed out before he even had a chance to level up—after slamming his face into Han Jihoo’s knee.

“There’s no attack power, so please don’t worry too much,” Kim Hanbom said in a calming voice to soothe the nervous participants.

Inwardly, he made a note of the ones who seemed especially timid.

“But their speed is unchanged.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the closed door of their enclosure creaked open.

***

“Screeeeech!”

“Eek!”

Seventeen Smallhorn Moles burst into the shielded area, pouring in like a wave.

Their pitch-black eyes rolled about as the moles began darting off in all directions.

With their plump bodies and stubby horns the length of two finger joints sticking from their foreheads, the Smallhorn Moles looked rather slow at first glance.

But the participants were quickly realizing just how fast the creatures really were.

“There’s something written on their backs?”

“It’s song titles!”

The contestants squinted, trying to get a clearer view of the moles’ backs.

“That’s right. On the backs of the Smallhorn Moles are the titles of songs you’ll be allowed to perform for your first mission,” Kim Hanbom explained.

“No way…”

Dozens of wide, anxious eyes turned to Kim Hanbom’s lips.

He swept his gaze across the participants’ faces before delivering a bombshell.

“Each team, please choose one member to enter and catch a Smallhorn Mole.”

“You’ve got to be kidding…”

***

While a few participants looked intrigued, most of them wore grim expressions.

While the Big-Eyed Spider was a level 1 monster, the Smallhorn Mole was level 3.

Getting injured during the mission would be a major setback for the contestants.

Even if the production crew offered treatment, healing potions were expensive by default.

There was a good chance they wouldn’t use a potion for minor injuries.

And that could lead to the unfortunate scenario of having to prepare for the stage while dealing with lingering pain.

Of course, not every team tried to push the task onto someone else.

“I’ll go.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Sh-should I go?”

Unlike the other teams that were debating fiercely over who to send, Roy’s team members were all eager to go themselves.

Han Jihoo spoke first, followed by Lee Doha in his slow, steady tone.

Even the usually timid Kim Chan quietly raised his right hand.

“It could be dangerous, so I’ll go.”

Among all the contestants gathered here, Roy had the most combat experience.

Even though this mission didn’t technically involve fighting, his superior agility—on full display during the water gun game—clearly set him apart.

“What song do you guys want?”

Roy even went as far as asking which song his teammates preferred.

“The moles are too fast! I can’t read the titles properly.”

“I managed to catch three of them. One said ‘Run,’ the others were ‘Hypnosis’ and ‘Full Moon.’”

“Those are all debut songs from famous idol groups,” Kim Chan said, after Hajun admitted he couldn’t see any of the song titles.

Hajun’s eyes widened.

“If three out of six are debut songs, the rest are probably debut songs too.”

Kim Jaemin, who hadn’t said a word since the team gathered, finally spoke up.

“I saw one more! ‘Hot Night’—that’s the debut track from Hot7!”

“I’ll eavesdrop on the other teams for a bit. Hold on,” said Han Jihoo.

***

After Kim Chan figured out one more title, Jihoo listened in on nearby teams and managed to gather the remaining two.

“‘Popping’ and ‘Darling.’”

“‘Darling’ is Koalli’s debut song, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Koalli’s an all-girl group…”

The teammates exchanged glances in silent agreement.

‘We absolutely must not end up with “Darling.”’

Songs by girl groups were usually pitched higher than those by boy groups.

Plus, Koalli was known for its powerful vocal line.

Kim Chan tugged on Roy’s arm and gave a subtle shake of his head.

He didn’t want to say it out loud, worried about how it might come across on the broadcast.

“Hyung, ‘Darling’ is…”

“‘Hot Night’ is tough too. The rap parts are brutal.”

Even Lee Doha chimed in, warning Roy about the difficult songs.

“For our team…”

“‘Hypnosis’ or ‘Run’ seems like the best fit,” Jihoo said after looking over the members.

The others nodded in agreement.

The rest of the songs were either too difficult or didn’t suit the team’s image.

“Has every team chosen who will participate? Please come over this way,” Kim Hanbom called out to the contestants.

Roy stood up and headed toward the gathering group.

“Roy hyung! Fighting!” came the energetic cheer from behind.

“Is everyone ready? Once the doors open, you’ll enter immediately.

Be careful not to bump into each other.

After catching one Smallhorn Mole, return to this spot,” Kim Hanbom gave a brief explanation of the rules.

‘Everyone’s watching me like a hawk.’

[That’s right, Hero. Everyone keeps sneaking glances at you. Especially that bird-eyed guy!]

‘Familiar face.’

It was the same guy who had picked on Kim Chan.

Roy instantly recognized Lee Chulhun as their eyes met.

They’d had a direct confrontation during the auditions.

‘That guy’s going down, no matter what.’

Roy’s competitive spirit ignited silently.

“Everyone, go in!”

With their teammates cheering loudly behind them, all seventeen contestants rushed inside.