Everyone is Young Except for Me - Chapter 222

Chapter 222
I had a great time with the Icarus executives, including Mido. Park Taehyeon liked to play around and had various board and card games in his inventory. We played, played, and played to pass the time during the journey to the Parta Principality. Of course, I didn’t know a lot about the games. It went without saying that I continued to be punished. Additionally, I was still being punished.

The penalty was Indian Bap. [1] 

A loud noise could be heard from a corner of the airship.

“Indian~! Bap!”

“Bap!”

“Bap bap!”

Hit!

Urgh. Who was the last one to hit me? They elbowed my back. I hurriedly got up and looked around. However, I couldn’t figure who hit me last.

Dammit.

“Puhaha. Dark Wolf is a bit sloppy. Can’t you play board and card games?”

Mido looked at me and laughed. I couldn’t hit my granddaughter so I couldn’t help blushing. Of course, the people in front of me didn’t know this. I told them, “I’m new to this...”

“Then why play Arkstar?”

“Well, I just have to beat things up...”

“Pfft. What is this? It is absolutely ridiculous.”

Mido burst out laughing once again. Kim Hyeonu, Park Taehyeon, and Eun Jeonghyeok also laughed. I didn’t think my words were that funny...

“You really don’t want to join us in the World Competition?”

The atmosphere once again subsided at Kim Hyeonu’s question. Earlier, he had asked me to assist in the national team trials for the World Competition. I hadn’t revealed my nationality, but he wanted me to join the guild like a foreign aid. There was a rule stating that every guild could use one foreigner.

In any case, Kim Hyeonu was speaking while completely ruling out the possibility that I was Korean. It was a good thing since I didn’t intend to reveal that I was Korean.

"I'm sorry. I said it earlier, but I have no intention of joining at all. I am burdened by the interest of people.”

“Hah, I understand. It can’t be helped.” Kim Hyeonu sighed like it couldn’t be helped. I understood his position, but I hated being bothered.

“Still, can’t you chat with the guild? There is no way to get in touch with you and... there are many guild members who want to get to know you.” As if to soothe his disappointment, Kim Hyeonu brought up the guild chat that I had refused to receive.

“You can contact me through Miss Mido. I gave her a designated return stone with a secret communication function so you can easily contact me.”

The eyes of the three men widened. They probably didn’t know about this.

“Return stone?”

“What? Mido, did you receive a designated return stone?”

“Wow. Amazing.”

Mido nodded slightly like such interest was unnerving. Then she took out the return stone I had given her.

“Wow—!”

The three men exclaimed.

Just then, a broadcast was heard.

-Ahh, let me give you an introduction. Our Kalamore P-2 airship is currently heading for the Parta Principality. We are passing over the mid-point of the Vulcan volcanic zone. Those who want to see it should go outside. It is windy so please follow the staff’s instructions and wear a safety belt. We aren’t responsible for any accidents caused if you don’t wear them. Thank you.

The moment the captain’s broadcast was over, people started moving outside. When else would they go to do something like this?

“We should go too!”

Mido also seemed interested as she glanced back at us. The men, including me, came outside. I naturally didn’t forget to wear the safety belt that that staff handed me.

“Wow, the wind is huge.”

The moment Park Taehyeon murmured to himself, a strong wind emerged and wrapped around the party. It was so strong that I couldn’t open my eyes. It was only when the employee NPC used magic engineering to unfold a protective shield that I could look outside.

I stared down carefully. At this moment, a thought crossed my mind.

...Wait, didn’t Muyeol say he was in a volcanic zone?

The staff in front of us started to explain, “This is the only volcanic area on the way to the Parta Principality. This place is called Vulcan.”

The staff’s explanation that this was the only ‘volcanic zone’ caused my heart to stop. The reason I came here was because Michael, who was with Muyeol, said he came using this path. Park Muyeol said he didn’t know how he got there because Hercules had taken me. If so, I had to get off here...

“I feel that we have to separate here.”

“Huh? What does that...?”

All of the group, including Mido, had question marks above their heads.

“It is because my friend is in the volcanic zone.”

At the same time, I climbed onto the railing. Everyone’s attention focused on me. The moment I exited the shield, the strong wind made by black mane looked rougher and some users recognized me. They yelled, “Dark Wolf!”

“Passenger, it is dangerous!”

I didn’t give them time to dissuade me and undid the safety belt that the staff had handed me.

“See you later.”

I disappeared into the wind with these words.

* * *

At a huge lava zone located south of Vulcan Volcano...

Only two people stood facing each other. It was full of stones that had melted and deformed due to the heat of the magma. They were Park Muyeol and Michael. The two of them had been hunting together in a party for the past week. They had good cooperation and were able to wipe out the monsters in a small volcano in an instant. They could raid the boss monster of that place, the lava drake.

Michael had gained one level while Park Muyeol was able to gain 10 levels.

“Do you really need to go?”

Right now, Park Muyeol was holding onto Michael with an expression of regret. The surrounding area was a small crater and a lava lake. The pungent smell of sulfur gas being emitted from there pierced their noses.

“I’m sorry. The guild members are urging me to prepare for the World Competition...” Michael was also very disappointed to be separated from Park Muyeol. Their first meeting started with a misunderstanding, but he could feel the rough warmth of a father from Park Muyeol. It was the exact opposite of his cold, somber father.

“Groan. Then it can’t be helped. Get going. Shoo shoo~”

Michael smiled at the sight of Park Muyeol waving his hand. He opened his mouth, “By the way, do you want to compete in the World Competition?”

“World Competition?”

“Yes, it opens at Christmas.”

“Let’s see...”

Park Muyeol thought about it while touching his beard. A few days ago, Mido had asked him to join her guild. She needed his strength to be selected as the national representative for the World Competition. He had refused without thinking, but he started to worry again once Michael brought it up.

“I hope you will appear.”

“Why?”

“I want to see you play.”

“Fierce guy.”

Park Muyeol pursed his lips. In his heart, he wanted to fight Michael. It was in a gorgeous arena where the audience cheered and spotlights poured down.

“In any case, I’m going now. We will meet again.”

"Yes. Be careful.”

Michael’s sand that Park Muyeol was now familiar with rose in the air. Michael climbed onto it and moved further away from Park Muyeol as he ascended vertically into the sky. It was at a very fast speed and Park Muyeol admired it.

“It is a convenient ability.”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says he doesn’t have this ability.]

“Useless guy.”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says he is still stronger.]

“That is still to be determined.”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says he deliberately didn’t become a zodiac.]

Immediately after eating the Star Fruit, Park Muyeol was qualified to be a Star's Beloved and received the attention of a few first-grade constellations. Park Muyeol naturally paid attention to the nickname ‘first man to dress as a woman’. He was a bit uncomfortable, but he still chose this constellation.

Park Muyeol chose Hercules and was able to talk to him about many things. One of them was related to the Twelve Zodiacs. Now Hercules claimed he deliberately didn’t become a zodiac.

“Tsk. Stupid guy. Why didn’t you rise up?”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says the position of a zodiac isn’t free.]

“Isn’t it from your father, Jupiter?”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says yes.]

“Hmm, so that is what you’re supposed to be. In fact, I don’t really care.”

Just then, Park Muyeol looked surprised like he had forgotten something.

“Damn. I really wanted to fight him before he left. I was too busy hunting.”

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ is laughing at your thoughts.]

“Don’t laugh. You will be beaten up with a wooden sword someday.”

Once again, a wooden sword was held in Park Muyeol’s hand. The sheath was sturdy, but it was much slower than a wooden sword. Therefore, he made a wooden sword out of a special tree that only appeared in the volcanic zone. The name was the ‘Ohiya Young Tree.’ Park Muyeol was very happy at the fact that flowers were blooming even in a volcanic zone. His white wooden sword was covered with flowers that resembled pale pink roses.

[The stick star, ‘Hercules,’ says he always welcomes the challenge.]

"I don't know if you will regret it.”

Park Muyeol took in the scent of the flowers that he called ‘Ohiya Flower’ with a loving gaze. The scent was so fragrant that Park Muyeol kept some of its seeds in his inventory. Later, he would return to Metheus and plant it in the flower store that Chuntaek had prepared for him.

At this moment, there was a roar from the sky. He looked up and felt something cutting through the wind and falling toward this place. It was so small that Park Muyeol frowned. “What? That is?!”

The unknown figure fell to this place very quickly. The startled Park Muyeol held the wooden sword like it was a wooden bat and started to pose like the fourth batter. It was to blow away the thing falling toward him in time—the so-called home run.

'I don't know what it is, but I’ll blow it away to the other end of the planet.’

By this time, the figure was less than 20 meters away.

“It’s meeeee—! You rotten guy!”

A familiar voice entered his ears. Park Muyeol smiled and put away his wooden sword the moment he heard the voice. This person soon landed safely, creating a huge cloud of dust. However, he calmly landed like a crane.

Park Muyeol walked over and opened his mouth, “You came, Chuntaek.”

 “Yes, I came.”

It was his old friend of 40 years.

[1] Penalty game where someone gets hit on their back like people are drumming on them. It originated from Nongshim's corn flake snack of the same name. At the back of the bag , it shows a native indian smashing a corn into pieces before cooking it. Due to this, people started calling this punishment Indian Bap