‘I didn’t think things would turn out like this.’
After witnessing Roy’s performance in the previous mission, the other participants began to subtly put pressure on him.
The small-horned mole rats were darting in every direction, leaving very little space to move.
Still, it wasn’t unlike the water gun game, which had also been played in a confined space.
The difference this time was that most participants were actively trying to catch the moles while simultaneously blocking Roy’s path.
One participant deliberately bumped into Roy’s shoulder but kept a neutral expression.
With wide, innocent eyes, he gave a polite bow to Roy as if it had all been an accident.
“It’s fine.”
[Hero…]
Roy barely managed to pull his lips into a harmless smile.
With cameras all around, even the slightest frown could be turned into a viral meme.
On the surface, Roy was clearly being bullied, but how the producers decided to edit the footage could paint a completely different picture.
There was even a risk that Roy—the actual victim—could end up looking like the aggressor.
Earth seemed to realize this too and called out to Roy, clearly unsure of what to do.
‘At this rate, my cheek’s going to twitch.’
If it were just one or two people, it would’ve been manageable.
But the level of interference targeting Roy was steadily increasing.
Each time, Roy instinctively lifted the corners of his mouth, maintaining a forced smile.
“Got it!”
“How many more are left?”
“Not many!”
The facial spasms and full-body aches didn’t matter.
The real issue was that Roy still hadn’t acquired the track he wanted.
“Serves you right.”
‘This bastard…’
To make matters worse, Lee Chulhun approached Roy from an angle where the cameras couldn’t see and elbowed him in the stomach.
With a smug smile, he whispered something that nearly wiped the smile from Roy’s face.
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.
Roy, who was used to giving back more than he received, found the situation increasingly stressful.
‘I really didn’t want to use this method…’
Roy slowly bent at the waist.
His arm extended downward.
Smack.
A participant who was friends with Lee Chulhun came close and bumped into Roy under the pretense of an accident.
“What the hell is he doing…?”
Until just now, Roy had simply taken the hits without reaction.
He knew that retaliating at the wrong moment could lead to major trouble.
But this was his limit.
‘You should’ve known when to stop.’
Lee Chulhun, who had been enjoying Roy’s misery, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.
“Ahhh—!”
“Why is he so fast?!”
Roy’s movements had completely changed.
Using the momentum from those bumping into him, Roy began to move like a flying squirrel—bouncing and darting around using rebound forces.
The problem was…
“Wait, wait… I think I’ve seen that before!”
Kim Chan, who had been pacing nervously outside the barrier, covered his mouth in surprise.
“Level 38 monster—Wrinklejaw Godzilla!”
“Gasp! I was just thinking the same thing!”
Lee Hajun nodded vigorously in agreement.
Roy, with his arms stretched long and flying through the chaos, looked just like the infamous Wrinklejaw Godzilla.
“H-Hey…?! Don’t come over here!”
Lee Chulhun panicked as he saw Roy charging toward him with a crazed look in his eyes.
Roy’s appearance was perfectly normal, but his actions defied all logic.
Most hunter idol hopefuls put a lot of effort into appearances.
Looking cool was usually the priority—but Roy had abandoned all of that.
“Aaaaagh!”
In his panic, Lee Chulhun failed to notice a small-horned mole rat at his feet.
He tripped and fell hard on his rear.
Roy glanced over briefly, watching as the mole rats trampled over the fallen Lee Chulhun.
Then he turned his focus back to the mission—hunting down the mole rats marked with “Hypnosis” and “Run.”
‘It’s like I can hear Charles laughing in my ear.’
The movements Roy was using now were the same ones his teammate Charles used whenever things got critical.
They were perfect for close combat like this.
The problem was, they looked ridiculous—so no one besides Charles had ever dared imitate them.
[Pfft…]
‘Don’t laugh.’
That chuckle wasn’t just in his head.
He could actually hear Earth laughing faintly beside him.
[Khh, pfft…]
Roy’s irritation must have gotten through to Earth, because it tried to hold back the laughter.
But once it started, it was hard to stop.
[Gkk, snrk, pfft…]
‘Just laugh.’
The noise was so ridiculous that Roy gave up and mentally tuned Earth out altogether.
The noise still echoed in Roy’s head, but the number of Small-Horned Moles was steadily decreasing.
‘Just a little more… just a little more…!’
“Squeak, squeak, squeeeak…!”
Roy thrust his right arm forward, pushing his body to move faster.
One mole, with the word “rum” written on its back, slipped just out of reach of his fingers.
‘One more step…!’
“Squeeaaak!”
Finally, one of the moles was cornered and flailed in Roy’s grasp as he caught it.
It shook its limbs wildly, as if protesting the injustice.
Roy quickly hugged it to his chest.
“Hwang Roy has finally succeeded in catching a Small-Horned Mole!”
Kim Hanbom wiped the tears from his eyes and clapped for Roy.
He hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time.
Between his guild work, filming, and barely three hours of sleep each day, Roy had truly given him something to smile about—and for that, he felt grateful.
“You really worked hard, hyung…”
“Seriously! I was worried because the other contestants kept bumping into you!”
***
As Roy trudged out, exhausted, his teammates swarmed around him like bees.
Kim Chan, on the verge of tears, gave him a big thumbs-up.
Lee Hajun also raised both his thumbs high in the air, speaking with excitement.
Some contestants still hadn’t caught a mole, so those who had gathered in small groups with their teammates.
“My whole body aches…”
It might have looked silly, but Charles’ special move actually required full control of one’s muscles.
Right now, Roy was practically powerless—his abilities completely sealed.
Ever since arriving in this world, he hadn’t been able to use his spirit powers even once.
‘I really need to level up. I want to see the others again…’
They were like family to him—the spirits he’d grown up with.
The images of the Spirit Kings flashing through his mind gave Roy renewed determination.
“Here, try this. I brought it for myself too—it helps with muscle pain.”
Han Jihoo offered him a soothing ointment with a bright smile.
“Thanks.”
Roy opened the container.
The sharp smell tickled his nose.
He slipped his hand under his shirt and carefully rubbed the ointment in by feel.
Applying it to his front was easy enough—but his back was the problem.
No matter how far he stretched, his hands couldn’t reach the middle of his back and shoulders.
“Let me do it.”
Lee Doha, who had been quietly sitting nearby, took the container from Roy’s hands.
He lifted Roy’s shirt just enough and gently applied the ointment to his back with precise strokes.
“Hyung… your back is super red…”
And it wasn’t just his back.
It looked like other areas would turn bluish with time too.
Especially the spot where Lee Chulhun had elbowed him—it was already the worst.
“You should visit the medical booth during break. We’re starting practice today, and if you stay like this, it’ll be too much.”
“I’m fine.”
It wasn’t like he’d been stabbed or shot with an arrow.
The pain throbbed every time he moved, but Roy was used to injuries.
“Roy hyung is seriously too kind.”
“Yeah, totally. Our Roy hyung is the best.”
Roy had only said he was fine because he truly felt okay, but Hajun and Chan were touched.
Roy felt a little awkward—he wasn’t used to being worried about like this.
“Shall we talk about the song now? We picked ‘Run.'”
“Come to think of it, I never got to thank you. Thanks, Roy.”
At Kim Jaemin’s words, Roy rubbed his tingling arms and gave a small smile.
“Just call me Roy. I’ll call you Jaemin hyung.”
On the continent of As, it was common to use first names regardless of age.
Nobles used formal titles, but Roy’s companions were mostly commoners.
“Alright, then let’s do that.”
“Let’s all drop the formalities! I’m the youngest, so I’ll still use honorifics, but can I call you Jaemin hyung too?”
“Of course.”
Jaemin smiled warmly, and Hajun’s cheeks turned red.
He’d grown up an only child and never had an older brother before.
Even though they’d met through a survival program, it really felt like he’d gained big brothers.
“The game probably won’t end for a while. Why don’t we talk about what roles we’re good at?”
Among the group, Kim Jaemin was the oldest at twenty-three.
Naturally, he took the lead in starting the discussion.
Not just Roy’s team—other teams that had already chosen their songs were also chatting quietly among themselves.
The production crew didn’t interfere.
They simply brought cameras to capture what the contestants were talking about.
“To be honest, I want to take the main vocal part.”
While Roy stretched and let the ointment seep into his skin, the others were subtly watching each other.
Once Jaemin spoke honestly, the others began to share their thoughts as well.
“Ah… this is awkward. I also want the main vocal part.”
Han Jihoo added with a twinkle in his eyes.
Kim Chan, who had only been blinking nervously, finally raised his right hand with hesitation.
“I-I also… want to be the main vocal.”
Kim Chan had received a bronze rating for vocals, but Roy and Doha knew that his skills were just as good as those who had earned gold.
If he hadn’t been so scared of the monsters underfoot, he probably would’ve gotten gold too.
“Looks like the competition will be tough.”
Jihoo shrugged as he glanced between Jaemin and Chan, both of whom had expressed their desire for the main vocal role.
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