How To Use Regressors

9 – Part 9 – Camp (1)

“Oh, and by the way, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Ahn Tae-woo. Um… may I ask what your names are?”

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

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

“Ah, I see… you two are siblings. That’s interesting. I’ve never seen siblings or brothers and sisters brought here before.”

At least within this camp, it seemed that cases where siblings or brothers and sisters had come here together were rare.

“We call this place a camp or shelter. You can think of it as you like. As you’ve seen, it’s a structure with the entrance blocked by stones and wood for safety, starting from the building inside.”

“… How do you obtain food and water?”

“We have the food left in the building, and… usually, Ms. Yoo goes out to gather supplies. She doesn’t bring back a lot, but for us, it’s like a lifeline in a drought.”

“I see… more importantly, there are no corpses inside the building. Since it’s the starting point, many people must have died…”

“Actually, many people died. If it weren’t for Yooju, there would have been many more deaths. There were some corpses, but people cleared them out. It was quite difficult because there were quite a few corpses.”

“They cleared the corpses. Still, if they were able to clear them, it means we died much less than when we woke up.”

“Haha… Isn’t Yooju incredible? Not only beautiful but also strong…. I was surprised when I first saw her swinging the sword. Thanks to Yooju, we were able to protect this place from the monsters by joining forces with the people.”

This man named Ahn Taewoo seemed to be somewhat infatuated with the Returner. Well, as he said, she was incredibly beautiful and strong… Even providing some protection and bringing food for them. It was an expected result.

“…Her personality doesn’t seem to be that good. Surprising.”

It’s not that she has a bad personality. From the perspective of someone who has received her help, it cannot be said that her personality is bad, but it doesn’t seem like she is so kind as to risk her life to save everyone.

“Does she have some kind of purpose? Or… is it possible that it is impossible to pass through this tutorial with the Returner’s power alone?”

I was curious if there were others fighting the monsters here. If they had managed to withstand the initial monster attacks by joining forces, there would surely be people who killed the monsters and obtained jobs. As I passed by, I looked at the status windows of other people, but they were all people without jobs.

“Are there any other people besides Yooju who have obtained jobs in the camp?”

“…No. There are. They just went exploring separately. They will probably come back later. Occasionally, they also bring back food.”

… I couldn’t understand how the people in the camp managed to get food. Some people with power go out to get food and share it with others?

It might not sound strange to hear, but risking their lives to get food and then sharing it with these people?

“… I don’t understand. Do those people willingly share the food?”

As soon as he heard my question, the expression on the face of the man named Ahn Taewoo changed as if he didn’t like something.

“No. They do share, but only in small amounts. That’s why everyone is always suffering from hunger.”

As expected, there was no doubt that something was wrong. Because this structure, where the majority relied on a minority, was not normal.

“They… are truly grateful people. But sometimes they do things that seem like bullying to others. It’s unfortunate.”

While talking with Antaeu, a middle-aged man approached.

“Taewoo, who are these people?”

“Oh… they are new. They were brought by Yujoo.”

“Hehe… Yujoo is really talented. She seems like my daughter on Earth, doesn’t she? She’s kind-hearted. Don’t you think so, Taewoo? Haha!”

As soon as he heard the middle-aged man’s words, Taewoo’s expression disappeared.

“… Why is this guy like this?”

“…Please use honorifics when calling Yujoo’s name. Yujoo is not Mr. Sungyeol’s daughter, is she?”

“Haha… Taewoo, why are you suddenly angry… I must have misspoke… for a moment.”

“Could you please step aside for a moment? I have to guide these people because Yujoo personally asked me to.”

“Uh, alright Taewoo, see you later.”

The middle-aged man moved away.

“… Anyway, you will be safe here. Well, here is where you will be staying. It may seem a bit humble compared to where others stay, but I hope you understand.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

He gave him a polite nod of gratitude. There was no need to bend over backward, but this person seemed to be a representative among the non-combatants, so a simple greeting without any excessive deference would suffice.

After An Tae-woo finished the introduction, he left the spot.

“Oppa… Are we safe now that we’re here?”

“Well… We’ll be safe, I guess… But I don’t know what these people are thinking, and ultimately, both us and these folks need to get through this tutorial.”

There’s a misconception that some people have. Unlike Earth, where monsters suddenly appear, and lives are threatened, they might not realize that this place is not the end.

Will the people who have given up fighting and growing here be in better circumstances outside of this tutorial?

“Damn… Most likely, we’re screwed. Maybe… We might experience something worse than death.”

Most of the people here have probably given up on fighting monsters.

The status window doesn’t lie. Not for me, not for Yoo-rim, and not even for Yoo-hyun. This is because we’ve put in the effort, and our stats have improved even aside from the abilities gained through our professions.

I’ve examined the status windows of the people here, but the majority of them have not grown in any way, keeping their initial stats intact.

“What do the regressors think?”

Let’s try to see things from the regressors’ perspective.

We saved them and even provided food. Perhaps… if my guess is correct, she won’t selectively choose those with at least a sliver of the will to fight from among them.

“Well… My thoughts could be wrong…”

It’s just a conjecture after all.

“First… You all should take a break too. It’s been quite challenging, to be honest. You’re allowed to rest at this point. If you need anything or have a request, we’ll probably send someone or Miss Yooju will come.”

“Alright… You should rest too, Oppa. You’ve probably had it the hardest… Thank you for not abandoning me back then. Honestly… I thought you’d abandon me… I had lost hope… I was really touched back then. I mean it.”

“Hyung… I’m thankful too. Thanks to you, my sister and I are still alive.”

“Pfft…”

He ruffled the kids’ heads with both hands. It was impressive how thoughtful the kids were.

“Enough. To be honest, it was all Yooju. If it weren’t for Yooju, things would have gone south.”

“But still… In the end, you fought for our sister, and that bought us time until Yooju noona arrived.”

“Okay. How much flattery are you planning to shower on my face? It’s getting uncomfortable, you rascals.”

As we rested and chatted with the kids, it felt like about two hours had passed when the returning woman found her way to where we were.

“How are you feeling? Are you doing okay?”

I stood up and replied to her, “Yes. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to rest.”

“That’s good to hear. Kids, are you all comfortable?”

“Yes, Unni. It’s been a while since we had a chance to rest like this… Thank you so much.”

“It’s all thanks to Yooju noona.”

“I’m glad you feel comfortable. If there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, please let me know. Don’t hesitate to tell me, never feel burdened.”

“No, there’s nothing uncomfortable. In fact, it’s so comfortable that I can’t adapt.”

“If that’s the case, that’s a relief… But if anyone tries to take advantage of others or something, please let me know, not anyone else. Please.”

“… Is there really a need to go this far…? It seems like an overreaction.”

Anyway, those here were not in a position to take advantage of us. They must have known the power difference between us and them from the start.

“Still, it’s much better to pay more attention than less.”

The thought of being in the arms of a caretaker made me start to feel mentally stable.

In reality, I didn’t show it, but it had been extremely difficult so far. Being dragged to this place from Earth, almost killed by monsters, and even killing and being killed by the same people… It was normal to feel tired and exhausted.

“Anyway, I originally planned to come earlier… But I had some matters to attend to… So I’m a bit late. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s alright. I understand that you’re busy managing this camp. I completely understand.”

“Thank you for understanding. Anyway, I’m sure you’re curious why I came, there’s something I want to discuss about tomorrow’s schedule.”

“… Can I hear about the schedule?”

Of course, Seo Yujoo being a regressor, she must have plans for the future. It was only natural that I wanted to participate in those plans.

“Yes, of course. Since it’s late today, please rest and tomorrow we’ll select candidates and go for exploration. Of course, Yoon Sung and the kids will come with us as well. Um… Just to make sure, Yoon Sung and the kids are…”

“Of course, we plan to join the exploration. In fact, we’d like to ask if we can go together.”

“I’m glad. I was worried you might want to stay at the camp.”

“Well, if the Regressionist is offering us a ride, of course we should take it. It’s a rare opportunity for growth, and it’s free!”

“I may not be smart, but… I’m not that dumb either. I have to pass the tutorial.”

When she heard this, she nodded.

“Good. Anyway, we plan to select applicants tomorrow. But what worries me is…”

“…you’re worried that we won’t have any applicants.”

“Yes, exactly. Um… it’s hard to say, but in the worst case scenario, there might not be any applicants.”

“Recruiting applicants is simple. Just announce that we’ll reduce the food rations, but increase the rations for the applicants.”

“I’ve also considered that, but… there might be some resistance. It could be quite strong.”

“…It’s hard to say, but… Neither I, nor Yurim, nor Yuhyeon, nor Yujoo are their parents. If they want food, they have to take care of themselves. We are not their parents. I don’t know what you’ll think of me saying this, but… those who say they won’t do anything on their own don’t deserve anything.”

“…Honestly, I can’t deny that.”

“The people here need to realize that this place is just a tutorial. And… I don’t know exactly how we should approach this tutorial, but it’s likely that we’ll need the strength of the people…”

“Yoonseong is right. Thanks to you, I’ve made up my mind. Anyway, I have to go out for exploration tomorrow, so get some rest. I’m leaving now. You should rest too, Yurim and Yuhyeon.”

“Yes, unni. Have a good rest.”

“Yes, sister.”

The returning person left the room.

“Well, anyway, since it seems like we have to go out tomorrow, everyone should get a good night’s sleep. Don’t let yourselves be restless for no reason.”

“Hyungdu!”

“Yes. Good night, oppa.”