Side Story 4. One heart field day (8)

The leading hunter couldn't bring himself to jump into the field while the old lady was watching and was taking a detour through the side path.

Ayoung was about to turn and follow him, but seeing the sign clearly pointing towards the field, she approached the old lady.

"Grandmother, can I go through here?"

"Yeees, I have to plow it all up soon to plant peppers and lettuce anyway."

"Oh! Thank you!"

Ayoung bowed deeply and sprinted into the field. It wasn't as muddy as it looked, and it was much faster than going around.

"Wow, she was a hidden NPC...!"

Feeling proud of herself, Ayoung ran through the field and soon discovered the next runner.

"Soram oppa!"

"Ayoung-ah, you did well."

Soram, who had been waiting, stretched out his hand. He received the baton Ayoung passed and ran off along the continued course. His brown hair shook, revealing his forehead refreshingly. The camera installed at the exchange point captured his face.

Soram ran through the rest of the field following the signposts as quickly as his overflowing enthusiasm.

Not long after, a new obstacle appeared.

Mission 4. Capture the Flag

"Of course this comes up during my turn."

Whirr– Whirr–

The flags the hunters had to capture were stuck on drones flying in the sky. The drones were hovering at a height just barely reachable with one jump. To make matters worse, it was a barren field with no terrain to help with jumping upwards.

–Oh my goodness. This is obviously a trap set by the Flight Team. And a flying object when Chief Jin is up? That's cowardly, so cowardly!

Director Shin's voice flowed from an old speaker installed on a utility pole, sounding like a village chief's broadcast.

As he said, this was a trap with virtually no difficulty for Soram. He wasn't entirely unwilling to go for it easily, but...

'I'm not that tactless.'

He couldn't ruin the efforts of Director Park Jae-seon, who had been deliberately creating close competitions, and Director Shin, who had prepared the field day. Of course, this was also because he was confident he could win without using the merits of being a flight hunter.

Soram jumped up with all his might towards where the drones were gathered.

Whirrr–

"Soram Punch!"

The drone was almost caught by his outstretched fingertips but annoyingly moved away. Soram twisted his body in mid-air and extended his leg.

"Soram Kick!"

His foot grazed the edge of one drone's wing. The wing was slightly damaged, but the drone was still intact. As Soram was falling after failing his attack, he suddenly opened his eyes wide and crossed his arms in an X.

"The previous attacks were all fakes! Soram Beam!"

Whirr– Whirrr–!

Of course, no beam came out of Soram, who had a completely different special ability, but the drones, fooled by the real fake, broke their original movement pattern and hastily retreated from Soram's front.

"Aha, it was manual control. As expected."

This, what the Flight Team had requested was just a simple game of tag with flying objects, but someone had dug a very nasty trap on top of it.

They pretended to have a pattern, but in reality, they were just barely dodging at critical moments.

If one only waited for the timing to jump when the drones came down, they would never be able to catch the flag, but the more this happened, the more the hunters would fixate on the same action, thinking they should jump higher or time it better.

The solution was simple. If one could create a crack in the rules to cause confusion among the drones, as it was unlikely that one person could control all the numerous drones.

It would have been easier with a weapon. And a simple weapon could be made easily enough.

"I may not be as good as Ga-eul, but I've watched her for 10 years."

Soram, jumping up again, unfastened the belt at his waist.

Swish–!

It extended like a whip, substituting for the unreachable length. The drones that were trying to realign scattered. As he swung the belt savagely as if chasing away a flock of birds that had ruined a year's harvest, some drones indeed collided with each other.

Whirr– Tatatack! Whirr–

There was no way he would miss this opportunity. The tip of the whip struck the propeller of a drone that had hesitated due to the collision. Up to this point, it could still be considered partial damage, but.

–Jin Soram, wait! That belongs to the broadcasting station! Don't smash it...!

"You figure it out!"

A real 'Soram Punch' flew towards the slowed-down drone.

The last footage from one drone camera captured a manic smile aimed at victory.

Crack!

The drone, which had been buzzing for a moment, stopped moving. Soram fell to the ground with the drone, leisurely pulled out the flag, and ran.

The speeds that had been similar until now clearly diverged at this moment, with Soram taking the lead. Soram widened the gap even further with his light movements.

After leaving the field, Soram ran up a hill road, merged with the main road, and soon reached a bridge crossing the river. The signpost directed him to climb up to the railway-like bridge on top of Banghwa Bridge, but he, who had long since parted ways with acrophobia, crossed without issue.

"This must be Gangbuk now. Where on earth are they sending us?"

He could soon get an answer to his self-mutter. Thanks to the signpost that brought him to 'Uijeongbu Rest Area'.

A sign was set up on an outdoor table at the rest area.

Mission 5. Quickly Empty One Plate

Aha. So he just had to eat quickly and go.

Whoever came up with it, it was an obstacle that everyone could enjoy with laughter, regardless of hunter grade, like the karaoke score.

'Everyone's so kind, really.'

Soram sat down, inwardly praising that team. The prepared food came out almost immediately.

The moment he smelled the rich and greasy aroma that invaded his nostrils, Soram's eyes vibrated.

The silver lid covering the plate was lifted. Before him appeared a round bread baked golden brown with its insides hollowed out, and snow-white pasta filled inside.

"...!"

–Ah, for this mission, one team submitted 'eating quickly', and another team submitted 'emptying bread bowl', so we combined them since the genres were similar. Well, even a light-eating hunter should be able to handle 2-3 servings of pasta easily, so it's like a healing mission. Oh, there's an additional note marked with an asterisk... For the hungry hunters who've been running, add cheese. Plenty.

"Chief Jin, excuse me."

"Yes? ...Uwaaah!"

Cheese grated on a grater poured down like snow onto the pasta. The cheese melted softly on top of the freshly made warm pasta. The already rich bread bowl pasta became even richer in texture. Soram's expression became that of an ancestral house grandfather witnessing the fall of the royal shrine and the nation's decline.

"Enjoy your meal. Bon appétit."

"..."

How could this be...

With an expression like lifting a detestable object, Soram wound the white noodles around his fork.

5 minutes later.

"Kimchi, gochujang, spicy fish soup, stew, please..."

"Soram oppa, just eat it! You won't die!"

"No, Soram is going to die... Huhuhu... Bury me in a sunny spot and put kimchi stew on the memorial table..."

"Hah..., excuse me, can't you give Soram oppa some kimchi, or at least pickles?"

"The rule was 'only' bread bowl, so..."

Ayoung, who had come to cheer for Soram after being unable to bear watching him try to return to the home stadium, beat her chest.

At that time, at the place watching the scene on screen:

"Wow, Kim Ga-eul... They said she only aimed for one guy, and she finally succeeded..."

"They said Chief Jin Soram would definitely come out fourth, it's truly a victory of persistence..."

Ga-eul, who had been watching the screen, raised her chin proudly.

"Jin Soram, I may not be as petty as you, but I've watched you for 10 years too."

"Hey, he'll hear you. Speak quietly."

Team 1 glanced towards Team 7, checking their reactions, but Tae-un had already heard. However, even he had no choice but to pretend he hadn't heard.

On the electronic display board, Soram spoke with both the corners of his eyes and mouth drooping pitifully.

"Save Soram..."

Soram, swallowing the unchewed noodles with tears, passed through the obstacle last.

"Sob, sob, sob."

Soram came running the rest of the course staggering, with a pitiful face that had been played by the pasta. Nevertheless, he did his best. With his cheeks stuffed full of cream-soaked bread bowl, he flew at full speed through the last course, somehow managing to reduce the gap.

Of course, that appearance was... far from being chief-like, impressive, or greatly respectable. There weren't many people here who would sympathize with that misfortune.

–Ah, finally Chief Han Tae-un receiving the baton. Team 7 has been pushed to last place even after their chief came out. Next runner, how do you feel?

The question was directed at Tae-un, who was standing waiting for Soram. Ayoung, who had come nearby while urging Soram, shouted.

"Tae-un oppa, say that line! Quickly!"

"...Do I really have to?"

"Of course! Hurry! Hurry!"

"...That guy was the weakest of our Flight Four Heavenly Kings."

"That's right! He was the weakest! Our team still has the hidden strongest, Han Tae-un!"

"..."

"Next line!"

"Ground team members, it's over for you now..."