"Ah, and come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Ahn Tae-woo, umm... May I ask your names?"

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

"I'm Lee Yun-seong, and these siblings here are Lee Yu-rim and Lee Yu-hyun."

"Aha... So you two are siblings. That's interesting, this is the first time I've seen a case where siblings or family members were brought here together."

At least within this camp, it seemed that there were no other cases of siblings arriving together.

"We call this place either the camp or the shelter, feel free to think of it however you like. As you can see, we have blocked the entrance with stones and wood inside the starting point building, so it should be safe."

"...How do you secure food and water?"

"Some of the food was left in the building... but usually, Yu-ju goes out to gather it. She doesn't bring back a lot, but to us, it's like rain in a drought."

"I see... But more importantly, there aren't any bodies inside the building. Since this was a starting point, quite a few people must have died..."

"Many did die, if it weren’t for Yu-ju, far more would have perished. There were some bodies, but people moved them outside. There were quite a few, so it was a tough task."

'...They moved the bodies? Still, if they were able to clear them out, this place must have suffered far fewer casualties compared to the starting point where we woke up.'

"Haha... Isn't Yu-ju amazing? She's not only beautiful but also strong... When I first saw her wielding a spear, I was truly shocked. Thanks to her, we were able to band together and defend this place from the monsters."

This man, Ahn Tae-woo, seemed to be completely enamored with the regressor. Well, given what he said, it wasn’t surprising. She was incredibly beautiful, strong, and had even protected them while gathering food. It was only natural.

'...She didn't seem like such an altruistic person, though.'

It’s not that I thought she had a bad personality. Since she had saved us, I couldn’t say that about her. But she didn’t seem like someone who would go around saving everyone out of sheer goodwill.

'Is she doing this for some purpose? Or... could it be that passing this tutorial isn’t possible by relying on her own strength alone?'

I was curious if there were others in this camp who fought monsters. If they had managed to survive the initial attack by working together, some must have killed monsters and gained professions. As I walked through the camp, I checked the status windows of others, but they were all still without professions.

"Are there no other people in the camp besides Yu-ju who have obtained a profession?"

"...There are, but they are currently out on a scouting mission, they should be back later. Occasionally, they also bring back food."

I couldn't understand how this camp’s food system worked. A few combat-capable individuals gathered food and shared it with the rest?

At first glance, it seemed reasonable, but would people really risk their lives to gather food and then share it so easily?

"...I don't quite understand, do they willingly share the food?"

The moment I voiced my doubts, Ahn Tae-woo's expression shifted into something unpleasant.

"No, they do share it, but only in small amounts. So, everyone here is constantly struggling with hunger."

As expected, something was off. A structure where the majority depended on a few for survival could never be entirely normal.

"They... are generous in their own way, but sometimes they act a bit high-handed toward others. It’s unfortunate."

While I was talking with Ahn Tae-woo, a middle-aged man approached us.

"Tae-woo, who are these people?"

"Ah... They are newcomers, Yu-ju brought them in."

"Haha... Yu-ju really is talented, she reminds me of my daughter back on Earth. She’s so kind, don’t you think so, Tae-woo? Haha!"

The moment the middle-aged man spoke, Ahn Tae-woo’s expression completely stiffened.

'What the hell is this guy doing?'

"...Please use honorifics when referring to Yu-ju. She is not your daughter, Mr. Seong-yeol."

"Haha... Tae-woo, wh-why are you getting so serious all of a sudden? I guess I misspoke for a moment..."

"Could you please step aside for a moment? I need to guide these people. This is a direct request from Yu-ju herself."

"Th-then, I’ll leave you to it, Tae-woo."

The middle-aged man stepped aside.

"Anyway, you’ll be safe here. This will be your living quarters, it’s better than most places here, so even if it feels a bit shabby, I hope you understand."

“Thank you."

As a courtesy, I thanked him. There was no need to bow, but since he seemed to be the representative of the non-combat personnel, a simple greeting without lowering myself would suffice.

Ahn Tae-woo finished guiding us and left.

"Oppa... is it safe now that we're here?"

"Well... it should be safe... but I don't know what these people are thinking. In the end, whether it's us or them, we all have to pass this tutorial."

People have a misconception there is no one coming to save them here and they are simply delaying their need for strength by hiding now.

If they give up on fighting and growing here, will their situation improve once they're outside the tutorial?

'Damn... Nine times out of ten, they'll all be dead. Maybe... they'll face something worse than death.'

Most of the people here probably gave up on fighting monsters.

While walking through the camp, I checked the status windows of the other people, and most of them had not grown at all since their initial stats.

'What is the regressor thinking?'

Let’s think from her perspective.

She saved these people and even provided food. If my guess is correct, she is likely selecting those who still have the will to fight.

'Well... I could be wrong...'

It’s just speculation.

"For now... just rest. Honestly, we've been through a lot. It's okay to take a break. If anything happens or if someone needs us, they'll either send someone or Yu-ju will come herself."

"Got it... Oppa, you should rest too. You must be the most exhausted... Thank you. For not abandoning me and fighting for me, to be honest... I thought you would leave me behind... because there was no hope. I was really moved then, I mean it."

"Hyung... I'm grateful too. Thanks to you, my sister and I survived."

I tousled their hair with both hands. It was impressive how deeply these kids thought.

"Honestly, Yu-ju did most of the work. If it weren’t for her, we'd have been in serious trouble."

"Still... In the end, it was because you didn’t abandon my sister and fought for her that Yu-ju Noona arrived in time."

"How much longer are you going to keep flattering me? It’s embarrassing, seriously."

As we chatted and rested, about two hours seemed to pass before the regressor came to see us.

"How is it? Are you settling in well?"

I stood up and answered her.

"Thanks to you, we got to rest well."

"That's good to hear. Kids, you’re comfortable too, right?"

"Yes, unnie. It’s been so long since I’ve rested like this... Thank you so much."

"It’s all thanks to Yu-ju noona."

"I'm glad you're comfortable. Yun-seong, if there's anything that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know. Don’t hesitate at all."

"No, I have no discomfort whatsoever. If anything, it’s so comfortable that I’m having trouble adjusting."

"That’s a relief, but... if anyone gives you trouble or acts territorial, make sure to tell me, not someone else. Promise me."

'Is this really necessary? She seems overly sensitive about this.'

The people here weren’t in a position to act superior to us. They knew the difference in our combat abilities.

'But I suppose having her be overly concerned is better than not caring at all.'

Being under the regressor's protection somehow put my mind at ease.

Honestly, though I didn’t show it, I had been through a lot. A person from Earth being thrown into a place like this, nearly getting killed by monsters, killing other people, and almost being killed myself—it was normal to feel exhausted.

"Anyway, I originally planned to come earlier... but I had some matters to take care of... so I’m a bit late. I’m sorry."

"Not at all, managing this camp must keep you busy. I completely understand."

"Thanks for understanding. Anyway, I imagine you're curious about why I came. It’s about tomorrow’s schedule."

"...May I hear about it?"

Of course, as a regressor, Seo Yu-ju must have a plan for what to do next. Naturally, I wanted to be a part of that plan.

"Since it’s already late, we should get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, I plan to recruit volunteers and head out on an expedition. That includes you, Yun-seong, and the kids. Hmm... I wanted to ask, just in case, but you and the kids..."

"We absolutely intend to join the expedition. In fact, we’d rather ask you to let us go with you."

"That’s a relief, I was worried you might want to stay in the camp."

'If a regressor is offering me a ride on her bus, of course, I should get on. It’s a free opportunity to grow, why would I refuse?'

"I may not be the smartest, but I’m not that dumb. We need to pass the tutorial."

She nodded at my words.

"I plan to select volunteers tomorrow. But my concern is..."

"You’re worried there won’t be any volunteers, aren’t you?"

"Yes, that’s right. I hesitate to say this, but in the worst case, we might not get any at all."

"Recruiting volunteers is simple. Announce that food rations will be reduced, but those who volunteer will receive increased portions."

"I had that in mind too... but I expect some resistance. Possibly strong opposition."

"I hate to put it this way, but neither I, Yu-rim, Yu-hyun, nor you, Yu-ju, are their parents. If they want food, they need to earn it themselves. We are not responsible for them, you might think I’m being harsh, but to put it bluntly, those who refuse to do anything deserve nothing."

"...I can’t really argue with that."

"These people need to realize that this is just the tutorial and I don’t know exactly how we’re supposed to clear it, but there’s a high chance that having manpower will be crucial."

"You're right, Yun-seong. Thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind. Anyway, we need to head out tomorrow, so get plenty of rest. I’ll be going now, Yu-rim, Yu-hyun, rest well too."

"Yes, unnie. You too, sleep well."

"Yes, noona."

The regressor left.

"Anyway, we need to head out tomorrow, so get some good rest, don’t stay up."

"You too, hyung!"

"Good night, oppa."