episode_0079

Perhaps that is why Donggureung was a place of chaos.

As soon as he passed through the entrance, several sounds reached Sihyuk’s eardrums.

His ears were tormented by various noises: the sounds of tourists chatting in their respective seats, the sound of loudspeakers used by merchants advertising their wares, the sound of lively music playing to attract attention, such as in a cell phone store, the clanking of metal equipment as the Awakened walked to enter and exit the gate, the sound of craftsmen banging their hammers to perform simple maintenance, and the sounds of people chewing, drinking, and laughing.

Just like when I first entered the [Superhuman Expo], I suddenly felt a sense of fatigue and awkwardness welling up inside me even though I had just entered.

Shihyuk swallowed and endured the rattling sound right below his throat.

Unlike back then when I didn’t have any particular mindset, I was fully prepared now.

Looking around, there were quite a few people, but the area around the gate was so wide that it was easy to walk around.

In an unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar space, he walked calmly.

=====

Gazes, sidelong glances. Every time Shihyuk slowly walked forward, people’s attention was instantly drawn to him.

A gloomy man suddenly appears in the midst of a lively atmosphere like a festival.

Because he had a distinct presence that made those around him react without thinking, like a peacock discovered in a chicken coop.

An overwhelming individual momentum that wiped out the excitement of the group. There was a heavy, iron-like oppression.

“Um… .”

Even the dullest person would find it strange not to notice such changes in their surroundings if they continued to occur. Shihyuk stopped walking halfway and looked around.

Everyone nearby was slowly avoiding him, like avoiding puddles of water on the pavement after the rain has stopped.

Shihyuk suddenly remembered the sound of the universe.

– It’s strange when you think about it. I keep emphasizing this, but Si-hyuk is not bad in the first place. If he puts on some makeup, he’d probably be considered a hot guy. But sometimes, when I see him, I wonder, no matter how scary and gloomy he is, does he really feel this distant? Is it because he always has such a stiff expression on his face? What should I say, a sense of pressure, yes. There’s something overwhelming about Si-hyuk.

-Pressure, you say?

-Yeah. The overall gloomy appearance is a big part of it, but if you really think about it, the biggest problem is, that energy? Aura? It’s hard to explain… . Anyway, I feel like there’s a certain aura that makes it hard to approach him? That might be why Shi-hyuk has a hard time getting to know people. If only that problem could be solved, then everything would be okay, I guess.

-hmm….

As he got the clue, Yu Hee-ah came to his mind.

A woman who is completely different before and after revealing her true colors. A large beast disguised as a small animal, Sura who has erased the presence she secretly exudes.

“… … .”

There was a corner that made sense.

Shihyuk stood up and took a deep breath. Starting from the top of his head, he slowly relaxed his body in sequence, moving down to the soles of his feet.

I calmly and unconsciously relaxed my shoulders, imagining a deflated soccer ball and a fluttering paper doll.

Without realizing it, I relieved and relaxed the tension that had built up in my body.

Then, the oppressive feeling that had been flowing out of him began to subside. The huge presence dried like raisins hanging in the hot sun, and the smell of iron that emanated from it condensed inside Sihyuk.

After a while, when he raised his head,

“Excuse me. I’ll be gone for a moment.”

“Excuse me. Please move out of the way and don’t stand there in the middle of the street.”

Shihyuk had turned into an ordinary person who would just pass by and say, ‘There are so many dull people out there.’

Although my meeting with Yoo Hee-ah was brutal, there were still things I learned from it.

Hiding the mana that emanates, erasing the presence – just like she did, he too succeeded in mimicking.

“It’s harder than I thought to intentionally walk around with your body relaxed… .”

Shihyuk nodded. For some reason, he felt like he knew a little bit why Yuhee-ah always had a languid and hazy voice.

As a demonstration, he tried to blend in with the waves of people, and unlike before, he was able to join them without difficulty. The result of this small experiment even brought him a little pleasure.

Sihyuk, who had gained some confidence, began to stride through the crowd without hesitation.

The crow, who had succeeded in joining the flock for the first time, felt that everything was new and fresh. It was a different experience. Perhaps because he was constantly trying to relax his body and sell some corner of his mind, he felt less awkward than before.

While walking like that, sometimes when he felt too tired, he would stand a little way away and watch people.

To be precise, I looked at the forest made up of humans, one in ten of whom were Awakened.

At times like these, their help – or more precisely, the help of the equipment they were equipped with – was quite significant.

Although most of the [ordinary grade equipment] worn by the low-grade Awakened players were nothing special, the blacksmith was able to relieve the discomfort that had built up when looking at the equipment.

purple.

The man who walks with his neck stiff to act cool in front of people actually has little experience in battle. The helmet and chest guard that shine in the sunlight are not well-maintained, but brand new. In contrast, the leggings he is wearing are excellent.

Was it inherited from someone? That ankle guard, which has been through one or two people, is more experienced than its owner. Its performance looks good, and if it is maintained well, it will be passed down to the next generation.

In this way, the history recorded on the equipment gave Shihyuk no small amount of enjoyment from observing it.

I felt like the fatigue from my eyes was gone.

It felt more vivid when the Awakened people wore it themselves rather than just storing it and displaying it.

If you look a little more closely, you can occasionally see Awakened people wearing [rare grade equipment].

Like chewing on a chocolate chip while eating a cookie, or like a child who luckily finds a cool beetle while collecting insects, these rare sights brought small joys to Sihyuk as he observed them.

After walking for some time, Shihyuk finally reached the boundary line between the tourist area and the gate, and the wall with the warning sign for approaching.

There was even a banner hanging between the trees on the other side.

[Warning: Absolutely no entry for the general public / Extra-dimensional particle contamination area. Prohibited provisions 1. 2. 3. 4. … If you do not follow the above, the management office will not be responsible for your safety.]

[Guri City cheers for the awakened people who work hard for the city and the country! We pray that you will return home safely without getting hurt today! -Guri Mayor Park XX-]

Awakened people were lining up to enter under large letters written clearly enough for anyone to read.

Like moths to a light bulb, tourists flocked to see them.

“Changshik! Come back and earn a lot!”

“Could you wave your hand so we can take a commemorative photo?”

“Wow, that’s awesome! Everyone, cheer up! Fighting!”

When I looked at the entrance, I saw that the Awakened were placing their hands on the spheres placed in front of the doors, and the doors were opening and closing every time the spheres glowed. Every time the doors opened, I could see the blue lights of the gates flickering from afar.

Indeed, is this a mana recognition system?

Even though it was an unmanned operation, this would be more certain than the rather strict entry authentication. Even if the entry pass could be forged, it would be impossible for an ordinary person to use mana.

From here on out, it was entirely the domain of the Awakened.

It was the moment when he, standing at the end of the line, was trying to suppress his rising anticipation and gather his spirit.

“Appa?”

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, a young, awkward voice could be heard. At first, Si-hyuk wondered if he had heard it wrong, or if there was a child among the tourists who had lost his parents.

“Dadaaa!”

But when he heard that voice right below him, when he felt the strength of a hand like a fern pulling at the hem of his trousers.

Only then did Shihyuk look down at his knees and realize something was wrong.

A girl with pigtails like Pippi was tugging at the hem of his trousers, her big eyes brimming with tears.

What the heck is this?

When faced with a completely unexpected situation, people usually become somewhat dazed. That was the case with Sihyuk.

He was unable to respond flexibly because his thoughts could not keep up with reality, his head was filled with question marks, and he was speechless.

The little boy who met his eyes took a deep breath and soon began to cry sadly, covered in tears and snot.

“Heeelp! Not dad!! I’m scared! Where is dad!!”

“What is this.”

By the time Shihyuk managed to get those words out of his mouth, it was already too late.

It was because the sudden commotion had drawn the attention of the people around them. The cheering died down and instead, murmurs spread from here and there.

Even the Awakened one at the very front of the line stopped placing his hand on the sphere and turned to look at him, wondering what the fuss was about.

“What’s going on?”

“Who would go to the gate with their daughter?”

“What? What if you bring a kid like that to the gate?”

“That’s what I’m saying. I’m going to see all sorts of things.”

“Hey, let’s be quiet!”

Shihyuk felt like he was sweating profusely, something he had never done before, even in the blacksmith shop. He felt resentful at the pouring reproachful stares and people’s nagging.

“Calm down a bit-”

“Hueeeng! Ugh! Huuung! Ugh! Kihiing! Phew!”

His words did not seem to have much effect on the child, who was crying bitterly, gasping for breath, like a patriot who had lost his country.

Sihyuk had never taken care of a child or comforted a child before. It was difficult for him to stop the little boy from crying.

“Hoooo… .”

With a deep sigh, Shihyuk lifted the crying child up, placed it on his shoulder, and walked away from the line.

Regardless of the eyes and gossip of those around him, the blacksmith, who was strong on the outside but gentle on the inside, was not so heartless as to leave a crying little child alone.

Could it be because my field of vision suddenly became clearer?

The surprised child did not stop crying, but half of his sorrow died down and he sobbed. Tears like chicken droppings fell and soaked his forehead.

“Stop crying.”

“… Huiing.”

The child started crying again, perhaps because he was afraid of that low, gloomy voice. Shihyuk, who was flustered, quickly stopped him.

“No, I’m sorry. But calm down. Let’s go find your father.”

“… Hmm, huh.”

A sniffle gave a brief nod to his suggestion.

What is going on? Shihyuk sighed and looked back at the entrance that was far away.

It was a pity because the position was right in front of him, but… He quickly shook off his regretful gaze.

It’s okay. There’s still plenty of time, so come back later.

The craftsman, carrying someone’s child on his shoulders, turned around. Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.