Chapter 31 : Running with Si Hoo #2 - No Kidding, I’m an Extra

"Those memories, looooove! Ohhhh my loveeee! Take meeeee!!!" Digging deep!!! "Ah haa! Make it eeeeever lasting!!!" Never do I sing half-heartedly when it comes to singing. "Pleeeeease go away, gooooo! Just leeeeave!!!" I pour all my emotions into it, bursting out my voice, singing with genuine sincerity! "No matter how haaaard, it torments meeeee!!!" Aiming for a perfect score! Kids these days just sing and don’t even check their scores, but I’m not like that! No matter what, I always check my score! And after completely smashing a song, the score appears. [100 points!!!] "Huh, a completely expected result." "Geun Chul, you're singing too seriously! Haha!" “I never sing without putting my soul into each song... Didn't I tell you? I once dreamed of being a singer when I was a kid.” "Last time you said you wanted to be a painter!" "I was just a kid with lots of dreams, that’s all." Not the Children of Bodom, but rather the Children of Dreams. "Anyway, it's your turn, Si Hoo." I handed the mic over to Si Hoo. "Ugh, um." Si Hoo awkwardly grasped the microphone, looking at it with eyes full of expectation. He said this was his first time singing in a karaoke! Let’s see. Shall we have a listen? "Sing!" "Okay!" And as he started, the song was... "I love you!" "I love you, girl!" "You're the only one in this world!" It was a well-known song. Si Hoo belted out Bigfarm's "Scarlet Sunset," unleashing his voice. This guy... His voice is higher than expected. The more I listen, the more it sounds like a girl’s. No wonder he has a complex about it. "Whew! Geun Chul! Next song!" "Hey! Wait! Don’t hit cancel! We need to check your score first!" "But it’s embarrassing... Let's see?" "Look quickly!" The score appears! [85 points!!!] "No way! Si Hoo, you’re totally a novice at this!" As if facing the thorn of Burzum! "No way! Something must be wrong with the machine!" "The only thing wrong here is your singing skills, Si Hoo!" "How can I not sing as well as Screaming Man Geun Chul...?" "Well, that’s just how the world works. If you have one thing, you often lack another. Si Hoo, you might be strong, but when it comes to singing, you can’t beat me." "It's so unfair!" "Keep practicing hard from now on. I’ll always help you out." "Geun Chul...!" As Si Hoo looked at me with a face moved by emotion, I chose the next song. And then the fervent singing started again. "Even if I fall collapsed, I’ll stand again! I'll find you once mooore!!!" It’s exciting to be at a karaoke after so long. * * * "Geun Chul, you’re nuts...!" "Si Hoo, you’ve got to sing with more boldness. Boldness. When I was studying to become a singer, I realized that singing is all about confidence. Confidence." "Phew." After finishing our songs, we stepped outside. It’s still morning. Who knows when an F-rank gate might appear, but I think we have some time to spare. "Geun Chul, drink this." Si Hoo, who had gone to the side, handed me a drink. "How much?" "I’ll buy it. You don't have any money, right?" "I may have no money, but I have pride." "It’s a thank you for coming to karaoke with me." "Okay." I grabbed the drink and took a sip. Such perfect timing with a choco banana drink. Choco... choco. It reminds me of the army. Before returning, sipping a choco bar at Dong Seoul Station before catching the bus was the norm. "Ah, this tastes amazing, probably because my throat is hoarse. So, Si Hoo, want to walk around and see what’s out there?" "Geun Chul, should we head down to the underground mall for a look?" Sure, that sounds good. "Okay." "Hehe." He looks completely thrilled. "What, is there something special in the underground mall? Why are you so excited?" "It's, well... it’s my first time coming here with a friend. So I'm a bit excited." "Is everything your first time?" Is there anything that’s not his first time? No? Is it really all his first? "Have you never been to the underground mall?" "Well, you see... My family was strict." Si Hoo mumbles, scratching his cheek. "So until I came to the academy, I was more or less confined at home. That kind of feeling." "Strict, huh?" "Yeah, strict. Hahaha. I know I shouldn't say this to anyone, but being with you, Geun Chul, makes me relax. Don't tell anyone, okay?" "Buddy, I won't tell anyone, so don’t worry." "...Ah." Looking at me, Si Hoo said. "Thanks, Geun Chul." He thanked me. "No need for thanks. But your household must be pretty strict, huh? Is it some special family?" "Yeah, sort of." Si Hoo seemed to be from some reputable family, like Ryeo Chun Hui or Leona. Families like that can be quite strict. "Anyway, Geun Chul, let's look around." "Okay." The underground mall was cool. Rows of clothing stores, bag shops, shoe stores lined the sides. And if you go to the other line, there’s even a snack shop. The whole time we walked, Si Hoo glanced busily around, enjoying himself. He seemed a bit like Ryeo Chun Hui, the gentlemanly type. But probably unlike Ryeo Chun Hui, he was raised to be kind. "Oh! Geun Chul! Look!" "What, a hot dog?" "It’s a potato hot dog! We’ve got to try it!" "Okay." The potato hot dog in the underground mall is essential knowledge, like jumping into a dungeon. "It's so delicious...!" "Seriously, it’s amazing." We bought potato hot dogs and munched on them as we headed back above ground. Maybe it’s because of all the singing, but I’m starting to get hungry. Having a meal in the underground mall doesn't feel right. As we wandered the streets searching for the next place to eat, something unexpected happened. —Sizzle. Suddenly, there was a spark on the road. "Hm?" "Hey, look at that." —Sizz-sizz-sizzle!! "What the heck?! No way, that thing!!!!" All at once, a dazzling violet spark began to flash on the road, and then a dimensional rift about three meters wide opened up with a crack!! "A gate! It's a gate, dammit!!!! It's a gate!!!" Is that the F-rank gate mentioned in the main quest: The Omen? Damn it! Just when I'm eating a hot dog, this happens! Now we have to take down the monsters that come out of there! But dammit, seeing it for real is overwhelming! So this is what a gate looks like! Hell...! What kind of battles have heroes fought until now! "People around! Run for your lives! Don’t just stand there like idiots, run! Don't you see a gate has appeared!!!" I shouted as loudly as possible to alert everyone and draw attention! Then! "Aaaaaahh!" "Ahhh!" "Get in! Get iiinnn!" The passersby screamed and rushed into the surrounding buildings. —Crash! —Crash! —Crash! At the same time, the shutters of all nearby buildings slammed down violently! Even the windows! "Wow! It's crazy here!" The civilians are seriously prepared for monster attacks, even having iron shutters for the windows! "Anyway, Si Hoo! That's a gate!" "I'm watching it too!" "What should we do?" "For now... we should observe a bit! But Geun Chul, something's not right!" What is it? "What's strange?" "Look closely!" Si Hoo shouted urgently. "Before a gate appears, there are usually signs! It never appears so suddenly! This gate just popped out of nowhere without any warning! It's clearly unusual!" Si Hoo had already drawn his sword. "From what I know, a gate never appears in just a few seconds...! It could be dangerous!" Seeing Si Hoo staring seriously at the gate made me start to feel scared too. It’s supposed to be F-rank, dammit, you quest! Is that secretly an SSS-rank gate? And then. —Rooooar! "Ssss..." "Sssss..." "Ssssk!" Some crazy freaks started crawling out from inside the gate! "This is insane, damn it! Look at those crazy bastards!" These monsters had the lower bodies that looked like thick, plump caterpillars! While their upper bodies were eerily human-like, their faces resembled mantises, and their arms were like the thick legs of a tarantula! About 1.8 meters in size! These creatures began pouring out of the gate, crawling in every direction! "That's an F-rank monster, called 'Sologe'!" "Si Hoo! Will you fight them? I'll help you too!" "No, no, Geun Chul! More monsters might come out! You should run!" "Run? I have to fight with you!" I can't just leave you alone! "What are you saying! Geun Chul, you need to leave now! I'll take care of the monsters for a bit!" "Hey! Wait!" "Anyway, hunters and defense forces will be here soon! Geun Chul, just get out of here! If you get hurt, I'll be mad!" In that moment. —Whoosh! Si Hoo lightly leaped onto the sign of a nearby mall building, jumping again to reach the rooftop. "Ahh! Damn it! Why does this have to happen on the day I’m hanging out with Geun Chul! Get out of here quickly, Geun Chul!" How does he do that? "Ha! As if I'm going to run away!" "Ssss..." I noticed the Sologes were crawling and spreading in every direction. They occupied the road, smashing through abandoned cars as they progressed. One even climbed up a traffic light. It’s impossible to fight them all at once. I need to take down the ones that are separated. Honestly, it looks super dangerous, but I have to complete the quest to raise my stats. There’s no choice but to carefully take them down! "Ssss..." "Is it you?" Just then, one of them strayed away and began crawling up the wall of a mall building. —Whoosh! I dashed toward it. "High jump!" Except I can't! "I'll take the stairs!" I immediately ran up the building's stairs heading for the roof. It was rough but not as tiring as I thought. Is this the effect of magic? —Crash! Holding my sword, I opened the rooftop door. "Ssss..." The Sologe scuttled with spider-like legs over the rooftop, trying to escape. "Wow." A creature with such a heavy caterpillar-like lower body moves so nimbly? At least I can handle one of them! Time to chase it down! "Stop right there, you crazy bastard!" —Whoosh, whoosh! I too sprinted across the rooftop, pursuing it. The buildings were all similarly heighted, so I could jump across them. Wow, I haven't rooftop-jumped like this since I was a kid. "Ha!" Looking at the green-painted rooftop floor brings a flood of memories. But right now, there’s a monster sprinting madly over there. "Ssss..." But as it fled, it caused a colossal mishap! —Thud! "That, that bastard!!!" It crashed into a set of jars placed on the green rooftop, spilling the precious soy sauce inside! "How dare you break the cherished jars of our elders!!!" This is unforgivable!!! "Unforgivable!!!" —Tight grip! At that moment when I tightly gripped my sword in a rage! —Sizzle. "Huh? Huh?" Suddenly. —Whoosh! The blade began emitting a blue aura! "Huh! Huuuuhhhhh!!!!" This, this is!!! "The level of the Sword Energy Masteryyyyy!!!!!" The true power unleashed by my rage!