“Ah, come to think of it, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Ahn Taewoo. Hmm… May I ask for your names as well?”

The man leading the way introduced himself and then asked for the names of our group.

“I’m Lee Yoon-sung, and these two are siblings, Lee Yu-rim and Lee Yoo Hyun.”

“Ah... So you’re siblings. That’s fascinating. This is the first case I’ve seen of siblings or family members being brought here together.”

At least within this camp, it seemed rare for siblings or family members to end up in the same place.

“We call this place either ‘Camp’ or ‘Shelter.’ Feel free to call it whatever you prefer. As you can see, we’ve blocked the entrance to the building with stones and wood, so it should be safe.”

“… How do you manage food and water supplies?”

“The food left in the building... and usually, Miss Yuju goes out to scavenge. She doesn’t bring back a lot, but for us, it’s like rain in a drought.”

“I see... But there aren’t any corpses in the building. Considering this was the starting point, many people must have died here...”

“A lot of people did die. If it weren’t for Miss Yuju, many more would have perished. There were corpses, but people moved them outside. It wasn’t easy since there were so many.”

‘So, they removed the corpses. Still, if they could clear them out, it means fewer people died here compared to our starting point.’

“Haha... Isn’t Miss Yuju amazing? She’s beautiful and strong... When I first saw her wielding a spear, I was stunned. Thanks to her, we were able to band together and protect this place from the monsters.”

This man, Ahn Taewoo, seemed quite infatuated with the regression. Well, considering how beautiful and strong she was, as he described, and how she even provided food while protecting them, it wasn’t surprising.

‘... She didn’t seem like someone overly kind, though. This is unexpected.’

It wasn’t that she had a bad personality. As someone who had benefited from her help, I couldn’t say she was unpleasant. But she didn’t strike me as the type to selflessly go around saving everyone.

‘Does she have some kind of ulterior motive? Or… maybe it’s impossible for a returnee to get through this “tutorial” alone?’

I was curious if there was anyone else here fighting the monsters. If they had survived the initial monster attacks together, there should have been people who killed monsters and gained a profession. As we passed by, I checked the status windows of other people, but none of them had professions.

“Besides Miss Yuju, is there anyone else in the camp who’s gained a profession?”

“… Yes, there are. But they’re out exploring. They’ll probably come back later. Occasionally, they also bring back food.”

... I couldn’t understand how this camp managed its food. A few powerful people scavenged food and shared it with others?

It might not sound strange at first, but risking their lives to gather food just to share it with others?

“… I don’t get it. Do those people willingly share their food?”

As soon as I voiced my doubt, Ahn Taewoo’s expression shifted into one of discontent.

“No. They do share, but only a small amount. That’s why everyone is constantly hungry.”

As expected, something was off. A structure where the majority depended on a few wasn’t normal.

“They’re… kind people, but sometimes they act a bit overbearing toward others. It’s unfortunate.”

As we spoke, a middle-aged man approached.

“Taewoo, who are these people?”

“Ah… These are new arrivals. Miss Yuju brought them here.”

“Haha... Yuju is so capable. She reminds me of my daughter back on Earth. Kind and all. Don’t you think so, Taewoo? Haha!”

As soon as the middle-aged man spoke, Ahn Taewoo’s expression turned cold.

‘... What’s with this guy?’

“… Please use honorifics when addressing Miss Yuju. She isn’t your daughter, Mr. Seong-yeol.”

“Haha... Taewoo, why are you so serious all of a sudden? I just misspoke for a moment...”

“Could you please excuse us? I need to guide these people. Miss Yuju specifically asked me to.”

“Th-then I’ll leave you to it, Taewoo.”

The middle-aged man walked away.

“… Anyway, you’ll be safe here. This is where you’ll be staying. It’s much better than where the others stay, so even if it feels a bit shabby, I ask for your understanding.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Out of courtesy, I thanked him. There was no need to bow down to him, but since he seemed to represent the non-combatants, it was enough to show basic politeness.

After finishing his guidance, Ahn Taewoo left.

“Oppa... Are we safe here now?”

“Well... It’s safe, sure. But no matter what these people are thinking, in the end, we and they alike have to get through this tutorial.”

There’s something people misunderstand. Unlike Earth, where monsters suddenly appear and threaten lives, this place isn’t the end.

Would people who gave up fighting and growing here find themselves in a better position outside this tutorial?

‘Bullshit… Nine out of ten will die. Maybe worse... they might face something worse than death.’

Most People Here Have Likely Given Up Fighting the Monsters.

The status window doesn’t lie. Both Yu-rim, Yoo Hyun, and I had improved some of our stats, even apart from the ones gained through our professions, thanks to our efforts.

But looking at the status windows of most people here, it was clear they hadn’t grown at all and were stuck with their initial stats.

‘What could the regressor be thinking?’

I tried to put myself in her shoes.

She had saved these people and even provided food for them. If my guess was right, she might be selecting those with at least a small will to fight from among them.

‘Well... I could be wrong, though.’

It was just speculation, after all.

“For now... you should all take a break. You’ve been through a lot recently, so it’s okay to rest a bit. If anything comes up or if there’s something you need, someone will probably come to you—or Yuju herself might.”

“Got it... Oppa, you should rest too. You must have had the hardest time... Thank you. For not abandoning me and fighting for us back then. Honestly… I thought you’d leave me behind. There was no hope then... but you didn’t. It really touched me. I mean it.”

“Hyung... I’m grateful too. Because of you, my sister and I are alive.”

“Pfft...”

I tousled their hair with both hands. Their deep thoughts for their age made me proud.

“Enough. Really, it was all thanks to Yuju. If it weren’t for her, we would’ve been in big trouble.”

“Still... you didn’t abandon my sister and fought until Yuju noona arrived to buy us time.”

“Alright, stop it. How much more are you going to flatter me? It’s embarrassing, geez.”

As I talked with the kids and rested, about two hours seemed to pass when the returnee, Yuju, came to where we were staying.

“How are you? Is everything comfortable?”

I got up to answer her.

“Yes, we’ve been resting well, thanks to you.”

“That’s good to hear. Kids, you’re okay too, right?”

“Yes, unnie. It’s been so long since we could rest like this... Thank you so much.”

“It’s all thanks to Yuju noona.”

“I’m glad you’re all comfortable. Yoon-sung, if there’s anything that bothers you, don’t hesitate to tell me, okay? Don’t feel pressured at all.”

“Not at all. There’s nothing uncomfortable. In fact, it’s so comfortable I’m struggling to adapt to it.”

“That’s a relief, but... if anyone gives you a hard time or acts territorial, don’t tell anyone else—come to me directly. Promise me.”

‘... Is this much care necessary? It feels a bit like overreacting.’

In any case, the people here weren’t in a position to pull any sort of territorial nonsense with us. They were fully aware of the power gap between us and them.

‘Still, it’s far better to have someone overly attentive than indifferent.’

Being under the regressor’s wing gave me a sense of mental security.

Though I hadn’t shown it, everything had been incredibly taxing until now. A person used to life on Earth being dragged to a place like this, nearly killed by monsters, killing other people, and almost being killed—it was natural to feel exhausted and worn down.

“Anyway, I planned to come sooner, but I had some things to handle... Sorry for being late.”

“No, it’s understandable. Managing this camp must keep you busy.”

“Thank you for understanding. Now, I’m sure you’re curious why I came. It’s about tomorrow’s plans.”

“… Could you tell me what they are?”

Naturally, as a regressor, she’d have a plan for what to do next. And of course, I wanted to be part of it.

“Of course. Since it’s late today, get some rest first. Tomorrow, I’m planning to recruit volunteers and go out exploring. That includes you and the kids. Hmm... By the way, Yoon-sung, just in case... what are your thoughts on this?”

“Of course, we intend to join. In fact, I was going to ask you to let us accompany you.”

“That’s a relief. I was worried you might decide to stay in the camp.”

‘A regressor is offering to take us along on her bus—of course, we should get on. It’s a free growth opportunity; why would we pass that up?’

“I may not be the smartest, but I’m not stupid enough to miss this chance. We need to clear this tutorial, after all.”

Hearing my words, she nodded.

“Good. Anyway, I’ll be recruiting volunteers tomorrow. My only concern is...”

“… You’re worried there might be no volunteers.”

“Exactly. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but I think there’s a real chance that no one will step up.”

“The solution is simple. Announce that food rations will be reduced going forward, but that volunteers will receive increased rations.”

“I was thinking the same thing, but... there might be some backlash. Maybe even strong opposition.”

“… Not to sound heartless, but Yu-lim, Yoo Hyun, you, and I—we aren’t their parents. If they want food, they need to earn it themselves. We’re not here to babysit them. I don’t know how this will sound to you, but those who refuse to do anything don’t deserve anything.”

“… Honestly, I can’t argue with that.”

“The people here need to realize that this is just the tutorial. And... while I don’t know the exact strategy for clearing it, I think we’ll need everyone’s strength to some extent.”

“You’re right, Yoon-sung. Thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind. Anyway, rest up for tomorrow’s exploration. I’ll take my leave now. Yu-rim, Yoo Hyun, you two rest well too.”

“Yes, unnie. You sleep well too.”

“Yes, noona.”

The regressor left the room.

“Anyway, looks like we’ll be heading out tomorrow, so get a good night’s sleep. Don’t toss and turn.”

“You too, hyung!”

“Goodnight, Oppa.”