When I opened my eyes in the morning and had breakfast with the kids, it wasn’t long before Ahn Taewoo came to find us.

“Did everyone sleep well?”

“Yes. The camp is definitely comfortable. Compared to camping in places where monsters might roam, this feels like heaven.”

“Haha… I’m glad you think so. Anyway, Miss Yuju has something she’d like to say to everyone. Please get ready and gather at the center in 20 minutes.”

“Understood.”

After finishing the conversation, Ahn Taewoo hurriedly left, presumably to inform the others. It was likely that the regressor had called everyone together because of the exploration she mentioned yesterday.

Getting ready wasn’t much—just slinging on a bag with equipment and food—so we slowly made our way to the center with the kids. On the way, we overheard conversations as others moved around.

“…What’s this meeting about? Do you know?”

“No idea. Maybe they found some more food to share?”

Listening to the exchange between a man and a woman made me chuckle bitterly.

‘Idiots.’

Hearing a summons, and their only thought is about the possibility of food. The more I listened, the more ridiculous it seemed. Do they think kindness is a given because it’s been extended to them so often? I stopped paying attention to their meaningless chatter.

‘Will anyone useful even volunteer from this lot?’

Most of them, regardless of their status windows or abilities, had a flawed mindset. I hadn’t examined everyone yet, but the little I’d seen so far was enough to dampen any expectations I might have had.

When nearly everyone had gathered in the center, the regressor finally appeared, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I’m sure many of you are curious why I called you here early in the morning. Before I explain, I’d like a few of you to step forward.”

She gestured toward our group. The kids and I moved slowly toward her. The others seemed curious as to why she’d singled us out.

“Yoon-sung and these students here will be joining me for an exploration. However, this time, we’re looking for volunteers to join us.”

Her words caused a stir among the crowd.

“I hope you’re not too afraid of venturing outside. Of course, I understand the fear of facing monsters, but it’s not without its rewards. This is something that will benefit all of you as well.”

A man raised his hand and asked a question.

“Uh… What kind of benefits? Are you talking about food?”

‘These people really only think about food, don’t they?’

Shaking her head, Yuju replied.

“No, not just food. While that’s one outcome, there’s another gain. If you check your status window, you’ll see your job field is blank. Killing monsters allows you to earn a job. Just like me, you all can grow stronger. Yoon-sung and these students have killed monsters and gained their jobs.”

Some of them might have known this already. Although the camp had a few people with jobs, most of the crowd didn’t seem to know, judging by their surprised reactions to her explanation.

“That’s why this is an excellent opportunity for you. Oh, and since taking too many people on an exploration can be problematic, we’ll accept two to four volunteers this time. If you’re interested, please raise your hand.”

For about 30 seconds, no one raised their hand. After some time, a woman hesitantly raised hers. I hadn’t seen her around before.

“Um… My name is Song Haeun. I’m scared, but… can I also become stronger?”

I opened her status window out of curiosity.

—--

[Name]: Song Haeun

[Age]: 22

[Job]: Not yet assigned

[Title]: None

[Unique Traits]:

Blessing of Spirits (Grade being assessed): Spirits feel a great affinity toward you and are always watching over you.

Perfect Mana Core (Grade being assessed): Your mana core is remarkably pure, providing bonuses to all mana-related actions.

[Stats]:

Strength: 06

Agility: 09

Stamina: 08

Luck: 10

Mana: 08

Resistance: 06

—-

‘Holy crap.’

Two unique traits. Even considering that Yoo Hyun mana stat started at 3, her 8 in mana was staggering.

This woman was a monster. Even without knowing the exact grades of her traits, their names alone spoke volumes.

‘I need to get close to her no matter what.’

I had no sentimental ties to the returner, and while I felt a little guilty, I had to prioritize building connections with those showing promise. What puzzled me, though, was that the returner showed no reaction upon seeing Song Haeun.

‘…Did she die early in the first iteration?’

It seemed likely. From her status, I assumed she must have been significant after the tutorial phase, but if that were the case, the regressor would have recognized her.

“Of course, Ms. Song Haeun. Thank you for your courage.”

Despite her volunteering, no one else stepped forward. The regressor’s expression betrayed her disappointment, likely because she hadn’t expected such a poor response.

Eventually, she spoke again, revisiting the topic she mentioned yesterday.

“And there’s one more thing I need to tell you. Due to the challenges of securing food, we will be reducing everyone’s rations. Priority will be given to those participating in explorations.”

At first, the crowd was stunned into silence, but soon several people began to protest.

“What?! You’re cutting our rations?!”

“That’s ridiculous! How can you…!”

The regressor’s face darkened. She clearly hadn’t anticipated such an audacious reaction.

‘People are quick to take kindness for granted. These folks, though, seem particularly shameless.’

“...It’s because there aren’t enough people going on explorations. There are too many mouths to feed, and only a handful of us are securing food.”

“But still, do you realize how many people here are old enough to be your parents? How can you do this?! Are you going to treat your own parents like this too?!”

When Ahn Taewoo led us earlier, I’d briefly noticed the man who just spoke.

‘…He’s really bringing up personal insults in this situation?’

I could now see why they say individuals are rational, but groups are prone to madness. The crowd, fixated on the possibility of losing or having their food rations reduced, seemed oblivious to whom they were raising their voices against.

Unsurprisingly, the atmosphere suddenly turned cold. It wasn’t just cold—it was menacing.

‘Damn it… this lunatic just had to run his mouth…!’

The man, unable to withstand the palpable killing intent directed at him, crumpled to the ground, his legs giving out. The regressor, Yuju, walked toward him slowly. Everyone else instinctively backed away, making way for her, clearly frightened by her presence.

“Repeat what you just said. What was that again?”

“Ah… I… that is…”

“Do you think I’m an easy target because I’ve been protecting you and bringing you food?”

The man, realizing whom he had just insulted, turned pale as a ghost.

“…Hey, what’s your name again? I don’t even remember. Can’t answer? Still not thinking straight? Let me remind you—this isn’t Earth. Your age means nothing here. If anyone should be groveling, it’s you. Don’t get it? Or should I make it clearer?”

“I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! Please…!”

The man dropped to his knees, begging desperately. Everyone else, aside from our group, was visibly terrified by this side of the regressor. Even in this intense moment, she seemed to deliberately avoid letting her aura affect us, focusing it solely on him.

As Yuju maintained her killing intent, the man began to lose control, his fear culminating in an embarrassing display as he wet himself.

“Hick… Hiiik… H-heuk…”

“Mister, watch your mouth from now on. There won’t be a next time. Got it?”

The man nodded fervently, his face a mask of desperation.

Yuju returned to her original spot, her expression icy, and continued addressing the group.

“I am not your parent. Please remember this fact. Now, let’s get back to the matter at hand—we’re still looking for volunteers. Volunteers will receive priority food rations. Let me stress this: this is not mandatory. Only raise your hand if you’re genuinely willing to participate.”

After a brief silence, Ahn Taewoo raised his hand.

“Uh… Ahn Taewoo, are you sure? I mean, I’d appreciate it, but…”

“Yes. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to accompany you on the exploration.”

‘What’s with his expression?’

Ahn Taewoo face looked unusually excited.

“Alright, thank you for stepping up, Ahn Taewoo.”

“No, thank you, Miss Yuju. I’ll do my best.”

“Now that we have all the volunteers, everyone else can leave. Thank you for your time. Those who are joining the exploration team, please stay behind.”

Judging that there would be no more volunteers, Yuju dismissed the rest. The crowd, likely spooked by her earlier display, scattered quickly.

“Exploration team, please gather here. So, we have six members. May I ask what weapons Song Haeun and Ahn Taewoo are using?”

“I chose a spear, just like Miss Yuju.”

“Uh… I-I picked a dagger… I was so overwhelmed at the time…”

“Alright, so the composition is two spears, three daggers, and one blunt weapon with a shield. Yoon-sung is a black mage, but…”

“…I may be a black mage, but I can’t use magic often. At most, I can manage two or three spells a day.”

In truth, I could only use magic three times a day—and only a single spell at that. It was best to save it for emergencies and rely on my blunt weapon and shield for dealing with monsters in most situations.

“That’s more than enough, Yoon-sung. Great. Now, everyone, gather what you need. We’ll set off in about 30 minutes. The goals of this exploration are to help those without jobs gain one, secure food, and find clues to clear the tutorial. Let’s all prepare.”