Chapter 17: Going Out②

Arcade.

Until I heard the name, I wondered if such a thing existed. Because I didn’t go often.

“Oh.”

“Have you been here before?”

Sephie asked, and I rolled my eyes upwards, digging through my memories.

Sephie knows that I came from another world. That’s why she was calm.

‘I haven’t been here much.’

I couldn’t recall the exact number of times. Maybe I’ve never been here before. I nodded slightly and looked around the arcade.

Because it was an arcade built in Seoul, it was very flashy and big. The machines visible on the outside were also quite large. When I moved my gaze inside, it was crowded with people.

‘······Hmm.’

Loud noises constantly hit my ears. It was the noise made by people. Each of their sounds was imbued with vigor and vitality.

It tickled my chest.

I had rarely been intoxicated by this kind of atmosphere. I started to feel a little shy. I lowered my head slightly and put my hands in my pockets.

Sephie was also looking around the arcade, just like me. I shrugged my shoulders with my hands in my pockets, and stretched my stiff body by twisting my neck.

This makes my body feel refreshed.

‘Ah, come to think of it······.’

Is my power still intact?

It was a sudden question. It was because of the habit ingrained in my body from the battlefield, to check my condition and prepare perfectly.

I closed my eyes for a moment and observed my whole body.

The power accumulated in my body as I was summoned as a hero and slaved away like a dog was like a great ocean.

But now?

‘It’s settled, down.’

It was very calm. It was no different in revitalizing the whole body, but it was like a calm sea, too wide to be called a lake.

It still exists.

That was the conclusion. However, as the Goddess told me, if I use this power recklessly, it will literally cause a disaster.

‘I won’t have any use for it anyway.’

With a chuckle, I opened my eyes and walked forward. Sephie’s footsteps following behind me stood out among the many sounds.

Bang―!

My head turns to the side.

It was an intense sound that hit my ears, a thrilling sound of impact that made me feel refreshed. I somehow knew what it was.

“Oh, sh*t.”

“Geez, is that all you got? Get out of the way.”

Three men were standing in front of a familiar machine.

Above the machine.

A ball the size of a human head hung below it, swinging back and forth. It was a punching machine, which had become a must-have in arcades.

The man who hit first didn’t seem to have achieved a very good result.

The man who was holding his right arm, grimacing as if exaggerating, stepped back, and another man who took his hands out of his pants pockets stepped forward.

He inserts a bill, and when the machine lights up, he gets into position. I wondered if Sephie had brought money, and if not, I might have to turn around.

“Sephie, do you have money?”

After I said it, I thought about it, and I felt a little embarrassed.

When I was in another world, I introduced myself as a hero, and if those who knew me then saw me now, they might think I’m pathetic.

Even if someone pointed a finger at me saying I was completely useless, I had no room to refute it.

My face started to get a little hot when Sephie’s calm voice intervened among the various noises.

“Yes. Plenty.”

I turned my head and looked at Sephie. Sephie opened a black wallet and showed me the inside.

Coins that reflected the sunlight, and blue and green bills were neatly arranged. And with that, my mind also became comfortable.

“······You’re thorough, aren’t you?”

Had she been prepared in advance even before I mentioned the arcade? I covered my surprise with calmness and gave a small compliment.

I meant it.

Even if there was a message from the Goddess, it was amazing that she could adapt so quickly.

Come to think of it, the Sephie I know hasn’t caused any accidents even while going out for the past week. This was also amazing.

‘Hmm.’

Thinking about it again, Sephie was very competent. I hadn’t been conscious of it, but she was taking care of most of the housework.

Sephie lowered her head to hide her embarrassment at my gaze, which seemed to say she was amazing.

Sephie avoided my gaze. My heart felt quite lonely looking at her. It was clear that she didn’t mean to, but still.

In the first place, Sephie, although she’s not showing it. It must have been a hardship for her to adapt to this world.

It hasn’t been that long, but it’s common sense that I should be taking care of her.

But me?

I thought I’d just rest a little, but I wondered if I was overworking her.

‘Damn it, it’s coming out like a habit.’

I felt pathetic about myself, and my mood sank a little. After a long time, ‘that’ which I had been unconsciously suppressing, was about to crawl out.

My expression automatically crumpled. As I was trying to forcibly relax my mood, a loud bang―! sound hit my mind. Then I heard playful voices.

“Oh, the sound is awesome. You’re pretty good?”

“Call me big bro.”

“My *ss.”

I turned my head towards the voices. The three men were grinning at each other.

I could feel the unique atmosphere of people who are close to each other. Seeing them, my mood strangely became comfortable.

‘······Yes. It’s peaceful here.’

There is nothing here that will physically and mentally torment me. I exhale the negative emotions mixed in a sigh.

The three men, like me, looked at the number on the machine, which was constantly increasing in red letters.

“Ah, so close.”

Disappointment burst from the mouth of the man who threw the punch.

The number reached was 8711. The highest score recorded on the machine was 9987, so it’s comparable, but still not low.

Rather, 9987 was a very high number. Can the highest record of a normal punching machine be that high?

I couldn’t recall it even when I searched my memory, but I definitely felt that the person who hit that was not an ordinary person.

While looking at it, I opened my mouth.

“Can you give me some money?”

“Show us your skills.”

“What, it’s just throwing a punch.”

To lighten the mood.

I decided to try it too.

From ancient times.

And from when I was in another world.

There was no simpler and more exhilarating way to resolve anger than to break something.

I take my hands out of my pockets and shrug my shoulders once. I have no intention of using the energy that floats in my body. I’m going to try it lightly.

‘I hope it doesn’t break, right?’

When I thought that, a chuckle, a hollow laugh, escaped between my lips. I relax the tense muscles and make the stiff joints flexible as I move forward.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Yes? Ah, yes······.”

I spoke to the men in front of the machine. The man who hadn’t used the punching machine, the one at the very back, turned to me and opened his eyes wide as if possessed by something.

The other two were the same.

They naturally made way for me, and I unfolded a bill and looked at the machine.

For a moment, it was so unfamiliar to use it directly that I forgot where to put it. I quickly came to my senses and put it in the slot. Whoosh― The bill is sucked inward.

A voice that seems to be making a fuss comes out of the machine. Red light flashes in a circle, and the ball that was on the ceiling drops.

I stood lightly.

I could vaguely feel gazes from around me. I couldn’t tell why they were looking.

I shake my head.

The white hair that obscures my vision gradually disappears. I wasn’t short, so the eye level was just right.

‘Hmm, what should I do?’

Should I just hit it with all my strength?

Still, wouldn’t that be okay? This machine was made for the purpose of relieving mood by hitting it with all one’s might.

I decided to follow the intention of the person who first developed it. Of course, it was my personal interpretation. With a faint smile on my lips, I get into position.

I’m going to hit with my right hand.

I turn my waist so that the left side of my upper body faces forward.

I pull my right shoulder back slightly, opening the passage for the force generated by the rotation of my upper body to go to my right arm.

The force arises explosively, but it must follow the flow. I use the tension of the muscles to restrict the movement of the upper body.

Time is gradually decreasing.

But if you’re going to do it, you have to do it properly, so there’s no lingering feeling.

I put my left foot forward to use as an axis. All preparations are complete. I’ll just hit it once with all my strength.

Who would be good to think of?

‘······Berops.’

The demon king who made a dizzying plan to turn me into a woman.

Thinking of the fcking bstard who finally carried out that unbelievable thing.

‘When I killed that son of a b*tch, I also smashed his head with my fist.’

Strength enters my fist.

Therefore, the muscles in my forearm and then above my elbow expand. I’m preparing in advance.

‘Here I go.’

There was no time to start.

Preparation and start are separate, but for me, they were the same.

It was swift.

At the same time as I step forward with my right foot, my upper body turns. The force that started from the foot flows upwards and finally joins the advancing fist.

I aim for the center of the stationary ball. If I think it’s an instant, it means everything is over.

Bang―!

An intense roar, unprecedented.

The thrilling exhilaration that touches the tip of my fist and then travels up to my head.

My movement stopped.

I could vaguely see the astonished expressions of the onlookers through the fluttering white hair. I thought about the reason, and then raised my head and gaze at the same time.

There was the ball.

The ball did not hit the ceiling of the machine, which measures the value.

The sensation felt at the tip of my fist clearly tells me that I hit the ball.

Then why isn’t the ball moving?

The reason was me.

To be precise, it was because my fist had pierced through the inside of the machine’s ball. Not only that, but it went through to the other side and was caught on my forearm.

“Hmm······.”

I blinked, then grabbed the ball with my left hand. The onlookers wriggle at my movement.

I thought for a moment.

‘Is this my full power?’

Doubt arose, but I realized that my body was unconsciously limiting its power because the environment was still unfamiliar.

It wasn’t a big problem. Rather, if the power had been released in its full state, a disaster would have occurred.

I pushed the ball and pulled out my right hand. A hole was created in the center of the ball. On the other side, I saw the red number recorded on the machine.

“It’s not broken······.”

I said as calmly as possible.

However, apart from pretending to be calm, my insides were extremely complicated.

‘······What do I do?’

Surely, if the owner of this arcade sees this scene, they will try to catch the culprit, and then they will ask for compensation, right?

‘Hmm, there was no need to worry.’

I end the worry briefly. My thought was that there was no need to worry about unnecessary things.

If they demand money, I just have to give it. In the first place, it’s meant to be hit, and I just hit it hard according to that, so where is my fault?

Whether it was true that she meant it for me, the Goddess meticulously prepared even the parts I hadn’t thought of.

Not only did I have an identity to live in this world, but I didn’t even have to worry about food, clothing, and shelter. And how much money did she give me?

‘With that much······ I can live forever, not just for a lifetime.’

Hmph.

Money is the best, after all. With that thought, I calmly turned around, and then dry applause― followed.

“Sephie.”

“As expected of Yujin-nim.”

“Applause is embarrassing······.”

I scratched my cheek with an awkward smile, and Sephie asked with a faint smile.

“What will you do?”

I was silent for a moment at Sephie’s words. During the short silence, I remembered that I had promised not to cause a commotion, but.

‘This much will be fine.’

Surely it will be. There was no reason to deliberately ignore what the Goddess had prepared for me to enjoy.

Isn’t it okay as long as I don’t cause a big accident?

While thinking that, I muttered.

“I came all the way out, it’s a bit disappointing to go back already.”

It meant that I would look around more. Sephie naturally understood, and I naturally took a step inside the arcade.

Without regard to the gazes looking from around.

As I approached the closed door, it opened automatically. When I took a step inside the arcade.

Waaa―!

A loud cheer was heard.

My footsteps stopped. It was because I wondered what was going on.

“Hmm?”

Sephie also stopped behind me, feeling a little doubt. The arcade I know is definitely a place where people get excited a lot, but I don’t think it was this much.

It was when I was thinking that.

“Now, beat the streamer! I’ll take the next challenger! Ah! 10,000 won donation, huh? What was that noise just now outside? I don’t know either?”

In that form.

Through the noise of countless people, a cheerful male voice was heard.