Chapter 8: Exploration team (1)

“It’s light…!”

“Ha, ha…”

“Uh, there are people…?”

As soon as we climbed the stairs, a group of people was waiting for us.

They were dressed in the same suits as the so-called “exploration team.”

Upon seeing them, the man in work clothes who had led the initial interview stood with a stern expression.

One man from the suit-wearing group, who seemed to be the leader, stepped forward and bowed deeply after confirming that we had survived.

“…I sincerely apologize.”

The man apologized to us, who were still in a daze.

“Due to an unforeseen situation, a creature appeared, and a serious problem occurred with the escape route being blocked.

The actions of our team members on site were also very inadequate. All of this is our fault.”

Based on his words and the current situation, we could tell that he was the person responsible for this incident.

It was an apology that was honest and straightforward without any excuses.

However, it wasn’t enough to calm the anger of the survivors, who had just gone through a terrible experience.

As if he knew this, the man added more conditions.

“In recognition of that responsibility, everyone who survived today will be processed as having passed.
Furthermore, with conditions far superior to the initial contract we promised…”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Before the man in the suit could finish speaking, a man with a fierce look shouted angrily.

“You said we wouldn’t encounter any creatures? That it would be safe? It was all a lie! You so-called ‘exploration team’ were completely useless! Do you even know how many of us died?!”

“I don’t want to work under people like you anymore! Let’s quit everything!”

“Yeah! Let’s go!”

Starting with his shout, all the survivors joined in, expressing their anger.

The man bowed his head and said nothing, while the suit-wearing group silently endured the barrage of criticism.

Even though an apology and better conditions were offered, it seemed like the people had already made up their minds.

They shot the suit-wearing group with a look of disdain and hatred, then began to leave the hotel one by one.

In an instant, the lobby was left with just the suit-wearing group, the man in work clothes, and me and Rahee, who were standing there, unsure of what to do.

We also planned to leave, but everything had happened so quickly that we were unable to move.

At that moment, the leader of the suit-wearing group came towards Rahee and me.

His expression was completely different from earlier.

“…I would like to make a special proposal to the two of you.”

“Huh?”

“Unlike the others, you two remained calm under extreme circumstances and showed cooperation, proving your survival potential.”

I don’t know how he knew, but he must have had some information, at least.

Of course, he couldn’t have seen me destroy the creature.

“So, we would like you to join our ‘exploration team.’ Not in a simple task role, but as specialized personnel who are directly involved in encountering creatures.”

…The exploration team?

Rahee asked in surprise.

I was stunned.

Just a moment ago, I had only been thinking of quitting, and now I was being offered to join the exploration team.

Of course, I intended to decline.

I had only joined to transport items, thinking that the chances of encountering creatures would be lower.

I had no intention of joining the exploration team, where the likelihood of encountering creatures was much higher.

“Of course, I will guarantee the best treatment for you.”

He took out a tablet PC again.

It looked similar to the one I had seen earlier, but I had a feeling that even more generous conditions would be offered.

But no matter how good the conditions, it wasn’t enough to change my mind.

“I’m sorry, but no matter what the treatment is…”

I was about to express my intention to decline when he interrupted me.

“Do you know the survival rate of the exploration team?”

“Survival rate?”

The leader in the suit blocked our way and continued speaking.

His expression was still calm, and his voice carried a persuasive tone.

“The ‘transportation’ task you applied for, of course, we in the exploration team try our best to ensure safety, but as you saw earlier, unexpected variables can occur at any time. Even if the frequency of encounters with creatures is low, it’s difficult to guarantee survival in such a situation.”

He took a brief pause.

“However, our ‘exploration team’ is different. Encounters with creatures may be more frequent, but we prepare thoroughly for them. Statistically, exploration team members who are properly trained and equipped have a higher survival rate than those in the transportation team.”

“…How are we supposed to believe that?”

The man said this, but the exploration team I had seen didn’t seem properly trained.

I asked in a voice full of skepticism, and the leader of the suit-wearing group gestured toward another man in a suit standing beside him.

He looked a little more tired than the others, and he was holding a small, complicated-looking device in his hand.

“This is Deputy Kim Hyun-Soo. He was the first exploration team member to escape during the earlier situation. Deputy Kim, please explain it yourself.”

The man named Kim Hyun-Soo swallowed hard and began to speak.

“When the situation first occurred, I felt something was wrong and tried to request support, but it seemed like I was blocked from contacting anyone. Fortunately, I was able to escape using this.”

He showed the device in his hand.

“This is an emergency escape device. It’s for one person, so I couldn’t help the others, but I was able to escape by using this.”

“We received a support request from Deputy Kim Hyun-Soo, but as you know, the stairs disappeared, so we couldn’t provide help quickly.”

“…I’m sorry. If I had known the entrance was gone, I wouldn’t have escaped.”

According to them, such situations were extremely rare.

Not only had the creature appeared suddenly, but because the exploration team members had neglected to bring proper equipment and items due to the familiarity of the place, the stairs disappeared as well.

It was a series of unfortunate events.

Amidst all this, my gaze was fixed on the small device in Kim Hyun-Soo’s hand.

‘That’s an item…!’

The moment Kim Hyun-Soo said “emergency escape device,” a cheat I had forgotten about clearly came to my mind.

Cheat mode applied before starting the game.

Among them, there was definitely a cheat that allowed unlimited use of items.

What if I could use such escape items or other survival items without limit?

The danger of encountering an anomaly would drastically decrease for me.

‘I need the items.’

It would definitely be difficult to obtain such items without joining the exploration team.

The suited leader seemed to have read the change in my expression and spoke gently.

“As you saw, we provide special items prepared for crisis situations and offer specialized training. So, in the long term, our survival rate is higher than that of the transport team.”

His gaze shifted to Rahee and me.

Noticing we were still uncertain, he showed us the contract with the terms clearly stated on a tablet PC.

[Special Recruitment Contract for the Exploration Team]

Work Environment: 4 days a week, 36 hours of work.

Monthly Salary: Base salary of 10 million won + 1 million won or more daily pay when deployed, performance bonuses available.

Equipment Support: Protective suits and items provided.

Housing Support: Apartment near Incheon provided.

Various other details were listed, and the conditions were incomparable to those of the transport team I had applied for.

I quickly weighed safety and the incredible contract terms in my mind.

Just then, Rahee, who had been standing next to me, spoke up with a trembling voice.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then finally, as if making a decision, she said,

“…I… I’ll do it.”

Both the suited leader and I turned our gaze toward her simultaneously.

“I… I need money, and with these conditions…”

She lowered her head, unable to continue.

The way she bowed her head along with the mention of needing money made it feel like there was something desperate hidden beneath her words.

Once Rahee accepted, the attention naturally shifted to me.

The suited leader quietly waited for my response.

Rahee also looked at me with a worried expression.

“…Please give me some time to think.”

In the end, I decided to hold off on giving an answer.

It wasn’t something I could decide on the spot.

The suited leader stared at me for a moment, then nodded obediently.

“Understood. Here’s my contact information. You need to give me an answer by tomorrow morning.”

He handed me a business card.

I took it with trembling hands.

Rahee also received the same business card from him.

I made sure to take down Rahee’s number as well, just in case.

We exchanged brief eye contact and left, like the other survivors who had left the hotel earlier.

I could feel the suited group’s gaze on our backs, but I didn’t look back.

***

Once I got home, I barely managed to take a shower and immediately sat down in front of my computer.

“Hmm…”

My head was a mess.

The exploration team’s offer.

It was dangerous, but the conditions were extraordinary.

It wasn’t just the money, but the items and the knowledge they had about the anomalies could also be very helpful for me.

Even without joining the exploration team, I would definitely encounter anomalies while living in this world.

If that was going to happen, it seemed better to face them while having gained items and knowledge from the exploration team.

After some contemplation, I eventually accessed the anomaly gallery.

I wrote carefully, making sure not to reveal my identity.