How to Survive as an Extra

Chapter 113

On the outskirts of Seoul, the main house that served as Camellia’s base.

Just before dawn broke, Lee Eunho—his head covered with the Phantom Thief’s cloak—barely managed to vault over the wall and slip into the compound.

Before any other mafia members could notice, he hurried toward the underground warehouse. Only after locking the door completely did he pull back his hood.

“Whew. That was close.”

Every dawn, he roamed all across Seoul dressed as the Phantom Thief.

Of course, all while avoiding the eyes of Gen, who had taken the form of Ooyama Jiro.

The reason Lee Eunho wandered through Seoul was to find the people he had seen in the memories stolen from Gen’s Ghoul.

It was a rather crude method, but he intended to use the Ring of Illusions on anyone he found who matched those memories.

However, despite scouring the city for days, he had not found a single suitable candidate.

Considering that the Gangneung incident from thirteen years ago had been thoroughly covered up, there was no guarantee that anyone involved back then was even still alive.

‘If only I could steal Baek Dojin’s memories…’

But meeting the Director-General alone in Seoul, without any connection, was practically impossible.

He was so cautious that he had not even shown his face once during Seoul’s Spring Scholastic War, a citywide festival.

More than anything, Eunho lacked the confidence to subdue that man with his current strength.

‘I need to grow stronger. Power so overwhelming that I will not lose to anyone.’

Eunho absentmindedly fiddled with the Ring of Illusions.

This ring, known as one of the Witch’s tools, possessed abilities as extraordinary as its infamy suggested. Yet, for some reason, he could not remove it from his finger.

It felt as though shackles had been fastened to him.

‘If I cut off my finger, would it come off?’

But what if he could not restore the severed finger with a healing potion due to some unknown penalty?

When he first put on the ring, he had not felt any major changes. Now, however, a sinister power was influencing his mana.

‘My magic has grown stronger, but my body feels exhausted much more quickly.’

He could not yet make a definitive judgment, but one thing was certain: moving around at night felt far more comfortable than during the day.

As if he were being eroded by dark attributes.

As Eunho continued to stroke the ring, a familiar voice drifted in from outside the warehouse.

“You seem to be roaming around quite a bit lately.”

Ooyama’s voice—no, Gen’s.

His tone clearly disapproved of Eunho leaving the main house.

“I believe I told you not to act rashly, for the sake of both my plans and yours.”

“I just wandered around a little. Being cooped up underground gets suffocating. It is not like I did anything that would draw attention.”

“You did nothing noticeable? Surely you are not ignorant of what that rag you are wearing signifies.”

“……”

“If, by some chance, your foolish actions cause the plan to go awry… I cannot say what choice I might make then.”

With those words, Gen’s presence faded away.

Eunho lashed out and kicked the wall with all his strength.

It was anger.

Reproach directed at himself—for abandoning his friends and leaving everything behind in pursuit of revenge, only to make no progress at all.

‘Damn it. Who would just sit around and wait like this?’

He was not foolish enough to trust the promises of a Demonic Being.

For now, they were together purely out of necessity.

The moment the right opportunity arose, he intended to defeat Gen and seize his objective.

That objective being revenge for the Gangneung incident thirteen years ago.

To uncover the truth that had been thoroughly buried.

Eunho bit down hard on his lower lip.

‘Those who might have been involved in the incident thirteen years ago… the group that operated as mercenaries back then…’

And those who had profited from the fall of Gangneung.

The clues were extremely limited, but there was one thing he could be certain of.

“They are still in Seoul.”

After all, awakened beings had no reason to leave Seoul.

***

I traveled alone to the barrier where the tunnel construction was underway.

Unlike other Special Affairs Division investigators, who conducted investigations without any special disguise, my face was already exposed. As a result, I moved with a cloak pulled over my head. By the time the sun had fully set, I finally arrived at the tunnel entrance, where rows of temporary tents had been set up.

“It looks like some kind of archaeological expedition camp.”

If I had borrowed a vehicle from Hyeonseong, I could have arrived much faster. But since the next rescue team would not be entering the tunnel until dawn, there was no need to rush.

Arriving too early would only mean being pestered by hot-tempered Hunters. Taking my time and gathering information around the area was the better choice.

As expected, when I stepped into the tent grounds, a raucous drinking party was already underway among the Hunters.

Because they could not contract a professional Hunter guild for secrecy reasons, they had ended up hiring freelance mercenaries.

“Well, they may lack discipline, but they are the kind of men who risk their lives in real combat.”

Instead of heading straight toward the Hunters, I surveyed the surroundings.

Sure enough, Cha Yeri had stepped outside the temporary tents and was waiting for someone.

It seemed the message I had sent the project manager earlier about my arrival had been forwarded directly to her.

Cha Yeri quickly spotted me and began striding toward me, stomping the ground as if venting her frustration on it.

Unlike the cadet uniform she usually wore, she was dressed in form-fitting clothing that outlined her figure.

High-quality leather perfectly protected her vital areas, while the base material ensured ample ventilation without exposing skin. Her voluminous hair, which usually fell to her waist, had been carefully braided and firmly secured with a hair ornament.

In short, she was incredibly attractive.

Of course, she had not dressed this way to show off her charms, but for combat.

“What is with that creepy look? You are making me feel disgusting.”

With her arms crossed, Cha Yeri glared at me and continued.

“Whatever. Why are you even here?”

“That is quite the attitude toward a guest who came all this way at someone’s request.”

“I knew we were asking a Special Affairs investigator for help. I just did not expect a probationary one. With barely any experience.”

She deliberately emphasized the word “probationary.”

I replied casually.

“If I had refused, another investigator would have come instead. But the project manager said this could become a major turning point in human history. Hearing that stirred a sense of duty in me. How could I possibly turn it down?”

“Oh, please. I have seen exactly how you lived at Hero Prep for an entire semester. Since when did you become so proactive? Why not just be honest? The advance payment must have been generous.”

“No amount of arguing will change that. I already signed the contract. Besides, it seems my Demonic Eye is considered more reliable than your detection abilities.”

“Fine. So you are saying you do not mind being pushed into a death trap under my command.”

“Do you really need to threaten me like that? Since it has come to this, let us just solve the case without making things worse.”

“……Do you think we are here for some kind of tactical exercise?”

In an instant, Cha Yeri’s voice dropped to an icy tone.

She glared sharply at me as she continued.

“Dozens of people have already gone into that tunnel and disappeared. On site, they are considered dead. Every one of them had more experience than you. No matter how good an academy you attend or how talented you are, they have walked through countless life-or-death situations just the same.”

“……”

“I am sorry, but this line of work is one where you cannot even be certain of the next minute. There could be an assassin among those Hunters targeting you, and inside the tunnel, an unimaginable danger could be waiting. So I am asking you—if you came here lightly, please just go back. You will only become a burden.”

A burden…

Did she really think I, someone with a Demonic Eye, would become a burden?

No. She was worried about me, pointing out my lack of experience.

With no clues whatsoever, entering the tunnel now would likely lead to the same outcome as the previous rescue teams.

More than anything, even Cha Yeri herself seemed to lack complete confidence in this mission.

The fact that she had not stopped the Hunters from holding a drinking party was proof of that.

The reason she was personally commanding the site, despite knowing the risks, was because she understood all too well what this forward base construction meant to Hyeonseong.

If this forward base were successfully completed, the Suwon administration would inevitably push for another such project, and Hyeonseong would naturally be named as the partner once again.

Construction in Gangwon-do required materials far more expensive than elsewhere due to its unique conditions.

Internal facilities needed to be sufficiently equipped to attract large numbers of Hunters.

Distribution networks had to be secured for information flow and food supplies inside and outside the barrier, where communication was not permitted.

And there were the ongoing maintenance costs required to prevent the base from being destroyed or corroded by constant monster attacks.

When labor costs were added on top of all that, the effort Hyeonseong poured into a single forward base was hardly different from rebuilding an entire small city.

If they continued as the administration’s partner, the profits Hyeonseong stood to gain would be so immense that even the benefits earned from rebuilding Seoul seventy-three years ago would seem laughable.

Of course, regardless of scale, Cha Yeri would have thrown herself into any task related to Hyeonseong with pride.

It was just that the trial placed before her this time was no small one, making her especially sensitive.

She spoke of experience, but in truth, she too was an academy student with little real-world experience, just like me.

That was why, watching her put on an air of maturity, I nearly twitched the corner of my mouth upward.

How should I put it?

It felt like a younger sibling who had just entered elementary school scolding me—a college student—about ruining my eyesight by using a smartphone too much.

I struggled to force the corners of my mouth downward.

After steadying my breathing, I spoke.

“If I end up in danger, you will help me anyway, right?”

“What?”

“At the exhibition in District 8, and at Mount Wol-dal during the exploration. If it were not for you, I would not even be standing here now.”

I expected Cha Yeri to immediately push back against my words.

Instead, she stared at me in silence, lips pressed tightly together. After a moment, she finally spoke.

“So that is how you are going to play this? Fine, just wait and see. The moment I decide you are completely useless, I will abandon you.”

“You will not abandon me. And even if you do, I will cling on and follow you anyway.”

“What? Are you joking right now—!”

Just as Cha Yeri raised her voice and looked ready to charge at me, a commotion erupted near the tents.

“S-Survivor! A survivor came out of the tunnel!”

“……!”

In a situation where everyone had been presumed dead, news that a survivor had emerged from the tunnel sent shockwaves through the camp.

Hunters who had been lost in their drunken revelry began rushing toward the tunnel entrance.

Watching their backs, I spoke.

“Do you not think it would be better to end this pointless argument here?”

“I am not done talking to you. We will settle this later.”

“Fine, anytime. More importantly, let us go. Everyone is probably waiting for your orders.”

“I was going anyway, so stop rushing me.”

Cha Yeri shot me a glare and quickened her pace.

Watching her from behind, I muttered belatedly.

“The only survivor returning from a site where dozens were wiped out… That is a blatant cliché if I have ever seen one.”