Chapter 99
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: The Werewolf's Transformation
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The stage set up in Orce Square was bigger than expected. Although there was still an hour left until the show, people were already seated to get good spots.
“I thought it looked smaller in the N-tube videos.”
“They said there were more people than expected last year, so they set up a bigger one this time.”
“I see. This is amazing!”
Seojun nodded at Charlie's reply. In the center of the square stage, where lights were installed, there was also a straight, protruding thrust stage one could walk out on.
It was similar to a fashion show runway but wider and shorter.
‘I can walk out this way.’
Seojun, mentally mapping out his movements on the larger-than-expected stage, nodded in satisfaction.
“This way to backstage.”
Guided by Charlie, they went backstage, which was bustling with noise. The contest participants received number tags and handed the organizers a paper detailing their prepared music and the timing for stage effects.
Seojun also handed in his paper and received a number tag. After a short wait, a staff member who was checking the applications started a drawing.
Out of the 13 teams, Seojun was last.
“This way. The performance teams prepare further inside. They have a lot of props.”
Following Charlie, they saw two groups diligently preparing for their performance, coordinating their moves.
At a glance, they were a group of vampires and a group of werewolves. The vampires were dressed in stylish suits, and the werewolves had taken off their wolf masks, revealing their bare faces.
“Uncles! Dad!”
“Charlie!”
“The little tailless wolf has arrived.”
The vampires and werewolves, who had been practicing, welcomed Charlie. Their practice paused with Charlie's arrival. As everyone took a break to drink water, a strange man walked toward Charlie. Charlie ran and hugged the man.
“Dad!”
“...Dad?”
Seojun blinked. For a moment, the face and the title didn't match. Oops. Charlie is human, so his dad is human too.
The wolf mask had been so impressive that only the wolf face remained in his memory. His mom and dad, who glanced over, seemed to feel the same way; their expressions were bewildered.
The man, holding Charlie tightly, spoke.
“Thank you for looking after Charlie.”
“Not at all. We had a lot of fun too.”
“Charlie knows the festival so well.”
At the couple's praise, Charlie's dad smiled and patted Charlie's head. After greeting the others, Seojun's group went back outside.
“The participant's party can sit at the very front of the stage. This way.”
Charlie led the way.
“But are they all actors?”
“No. My dad runs a restaurant right in front. His other dishes are good too, but the beef bourguignon is the best. You should try it later.”
Seojun and the couple blinked. Charlie's dad was a chef.
“The vampire leader uncle makes wine, and the other uncles have their own day jobs too.”
“Why do they put on a show?”
“Orce's specialty is wine, but there are a lot of places in France where wine is a specialty.”
Charlie shrugged.
“They were wondering how to attract more people to Orce and came up with the Halloween festival. They've had a Halloween festival for a very long time, but there were fewer participants than expected. And since there are many Halloween festivals, they thought about what could make it special. So they decided to create and stick to a specific setting to make it truly immersive. Among the various events they started, the one that got the best reaction was the showdown between vampires and werewolves.”
Seojun nodded.
“My dad suggested taking it beyond just an eating contest and turning it into a performance. The first show was a bit clumsy, but everyone loved it. The number of tourists increased, too. They enjoy it, so they all work hard. If there's one thing I know, it's that no one can beat my uncles when it comes to acting like vampires or werewolves.”
Seojun shrugged at Charlie's words. Acting like a monster? There was someone here who could do it better than anyone.
“I'm pretty good at it too.”
“My dad's been doing it for ten years.”
“I've probably been doing it for that long too.”
*In this life.* Seojun swallowed the rest of his thought and giggled. Hearing Seojun's words, the couple also smiled.
“You can see well from here. My dad's performance is after the award ceremony, so we can all watch it together from here.”
Seo Eunhye put her bag down on a chair and decided to wait with Seojun backstage for the contest, while Lee Minjun decided to film Seojun's performance from the audience. Charlie decided to follow Seojun and watch the contest from backstage.
* * *
With the performance time drawing near, the area in front of the stage became crowded. People dressed as various monsters took their seats.
The Marine Company employees, who had finished packing up their booth, and Grace and her family, who had finished dinner, also found spots with a good view of the stage.
“Jun will be performing, right?”
“I completely forgot to ask for his phone number.”
“Let's go find him after the show.”
Grace's expression was bright as she sat with her family. Her family was relieved by her cheerful mood.
After a short wait, an announcement was made in French, English, and several other languages.
[We will now begin the Monster Contest. We ask all audience members to please be seated.]
Grace straightened her back and looked at the stage.
[Participant number 1. Dance of the Fairy!]
Cheerful music began to play. A single beam of light fell onto the completely dark stage. There was something on the stage.
One by one, the lights turned on, and the stage brightened. In the center of the stage, something that had been curled up like an egg slowly rose.
It stood up and stretched out both arms. At the same time, wings on its back unfurled. A fairy with shimmering rainbow-colored wings began to dance.
“Wooooow!!”
“Is she a ballerina? That's amazing!”
Grace, who had been clapping along with the crowd, stopped.
“No. I have to cheer for Jun.”
Seeing their daughter clench her clapping hands into fists, Grace's parents burst out laughing.
The first participant left the stage, and the second one came up. This time, perhaps going for a comedic concept, a participant appeared riding a Pegasus model.
The Pegasus's front legs were part of the costume, while its back legs were the participant's own legs. Of course, the legs of the person riding the Pegasus were fake.
“Giddy-up!”
The participant ran all over the place to the upbeat music. Laughter erupted from all around. The participants watching on a television backstage also burst out laughing.
The participants, who had been intimidated by the high-level fairy dance, relaxed and decided to just have fun.
“We signed up to have fun anyway!”
“I worked so hard to make this, I have to at least get on stage!”
The participants regained their spirits and went up on stage one by one.
A performance of witches and wizards casting spells. A performance of a Jack-o'-lantern choosing a new pumpkin head from a closet. A performance of a vampire dancing with a beautiful woman before biting her neck.
The short performances passed, and finally, it was Seojun's turn. As the previous participant descended from the stage, Lee Minjun, knowing it was Seojun's turn, raised his camera and started filming the stage.
[Participant number 13. The Werewolf's Transformation!]
The music Seojun had prepared was the sound of a drum. It was a heavy sound, like the drums of the Naeuiwon.
*Thump!*
Smoke billowed from both sides of the stage. It was a machine rented from the organizers. Among the various effects, Seojun had chosen smoke.
*Thump! Thump!*
The audience's hearts beat in time with the drum. Seojun, standing at the side of the stage, firmly pulled on his wolf hat. Then he let out a very low, soft growl.
[(Good) Shadow Werewolf's Wolf Form is activated.]
Something long emerged from Seojun's shadow. It was a shadow wolf. Seojun bent his knees and lowered his waist, stepping onto the stage with soft, dog-like paws. The shadow wolf stood beside Seojun. Then, Seojun and the shadow wolf's forms overlapped.
Covered by the shadow wolf, Seojun's fake wolf ears and tail moved gently as if they were alive.
After moving for a moment, planting his right and left hands on the floor and stepping with his right and left feet, Seojun activated another ability once he grew comfortable with quadrupedal movement.
[(Good) Cloud Whale's Mist is activated.]
[(Good) Cloud Whale's Mist - Mid-Low Grade]
Mist rises from the blowhole of the sky-flying whale.
You can control the density and thickness of the mist.
Mist began to seep out from Seojun's body. He put strength into the two hands and two feet planted on the stage. Seojun and the shadow wolf entered the thick mist.
* * *
The stage was filled with smoke. It was the most intense effect provided by the organizers so far. You couldn't see an inch in front of you. When the stage filled with cloud-like smoke, the organizers checked the smoke machine.
“Hmm. The machine is fine.”
“Maybe it's the weather.”
While the organizers were puzzled, the audience was searching for the 13th participant on the stage. The smoke was so thick that nothing on the stage was visible.
“Can you see anything?”
“No, I can't see a thing.”
Just then, something flitted through the smoke. People who saw the black shadow tilted their heads.
*Thump! Thump!*
The drum sounded, and once again, a black shadow crossed the stage. More people witnessed the shadow this time. It looked like something with four legs.
“A dog? A wolf?”
“If it's a wolf... is it the werewolf?”
“But wasn't it walking on all fours?”
*Thump! Thump!*
The shadow passed by.
*Thump! Thump!*
The shadow brushed past.
“But...”
The audience swallowed hard.
“...isn't it getting bigger?”
The four-legged beast was gradually increasing in size. It moved at an incredible speed, hiding its body as if it were hunting. It was approaching the audience from the very back of the stage in a zigzag pattern.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
In contrast to the fast-paced drumming, the shadow began to move slowly. The hazy silhouette created by the lights and smoke looked just like a real wolf.
The wolf slowly sauntered from the right side of the stage to the left. At the quarter-mark of the stage, the wolf slowly raised its upper body.
[(Good) Young Lion King's Majesty is activated.]
Step by step, within the smoke, the wolf gradually became human. When a bright light shone from behind Seojun, it looked like a real halo.
With the ability and the halo, the heavy atmosphere emanating from Seojun left people speechless, their eyes fixed on the stage.
“Wow...”
Each step was filled with power. The smoke from the machine was carried away by the wind and gradually dissipated.
The fully upright wolf stopped its sideways steps, turned its body, and slowly walked to the front of the stage.
The smoke cleared, revealing the wolf's face. It was a round, cute face, but it exuded strength. Its ears twitched. Its tail swayed gently.
Charlie and his dad, watching on the television, were amazed. It felt as if the audience's gasps of admiration could be heard all the way backstage.
“...I never thought he'd express the transformation like this. The little wolf is amazing. He used the lights and smoke well. Like a shadow play.”
“That's so cool!”
But it wasn't something just anyone could do. Even though he was just walking on stage, it looked like the movements of a wolf. Charlie's dad, who had studied wolves to better act as a werewolf, could see it.
That sauntering gait. The audience didn't know the specifics, but they felt it.
The movements of the shadow wolf in the mist from moments ago could still be felt in the bipedal werewolf.
It was a strange thing. Even though quadrupedal and bipedal movements are inherently different, the atmosphere was similar. It was so natural that the being on stage felt like a human who had been a wolf just moments before.
*Thump-thump! Thump-thump!*
A fast drumbeat sounded. Seojun, who had walked to the very end of the thrust stage, turned around. His bluish-gray tail swayed gently.
*Thump-thump! Thump-thump!*
Smoke rose on the stage. Seojun, walking slowly toward the main stage with his back to the audience, gradually picked up speed.
A light on the ceiling shone brightly, like a full moon. The mist flowing from Seojun rose and created a shadow.
Running on two feet through the smoke, Seojun bent his knees and lowered his waist. He planted both hands on the floor and became a wolf again.
The shadow wolf that had sprung from Seojun's shadow covered his body. The wolf tail swayed gently.
The audience watched as the wolf became a dot in the smoke.
*Thuuump!*
A very loud drumbeat sounded, and all the lights went out. Soon, the lights came back on. The mist and the wolf were both gone. The audience, who had been staring blankly at the empty stage, jumped to their feet and began to applaud.
Waaaaah!
Waaaaaaah!
Grace, clapping enthusiastically, realized something.
“Ah! It's Jun!”
“What?”
“Dad! It's Jun. The werewolf who found me!”
At Grace's words, her family recalled the child they had seen at the lost child center. He was the child wearing a wolf-head plushie-like mask on his head.
“Huh? Now that you mention it, the clothes are the same.”
“I'm telling you, it's really Jun!”
“Wow. I didn't expect much when I heard a little kid was entering the contest...”
They had thought it was a well-made costume back then, but seeing it like this, it was truly amazing.
“Has Jun done acting? Or something like modern dance?”
“Um. I don't know.”
“But that was really cool. It was just running and walking, but it was incredible.”
“He'll get first place with this, right?”
“Of course!”
Grace and her family all clapped enthusiastically. He was the undeniable first-place winner of the contest.
When Seojun returned backstage, Seo Eunhye handed him the water she had prepared. As he gulped it down, Charlie's eyes sparkled.
“You're amazing!”
“I'm pretty good.”
Seojun grinned at Charlie's praise. Charlie's dad, the vampires, the werewolves, and the other contest participants were all applauding Seojun as he returned backstage.
“The little wolf is incredible!”
“We'll have to work hard so we don't lose to him!”
An organizer appeared, calming the cheering crowd. They announced the award ceremony to the gathered contest participants and told Charlie's dad and the uncles to prepare for the start of their performance.