Exploration (1)

Whoosh—

I surrendered my body to the cold water pouring from the showerhead. It was a biting, frigid stream, but it was refreshing enough to cool the lingering heat that had been wrapped around my entire body. After washing up, I looked into the small mirror in the washroom and saw a man who looked distinctly different from the one I’d seen just a few days ago. I was still handsome, but unlike the past version of myself—a shut-in loser—I now saw the face of a man who had truly come into his own.

“Heh.”

I gave the mirror a confident smirk, then dried myself off with some spare clothes. After getting dressed, I headed to the supply room. I pressed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠‘Distribute’ button, and as the machine beeped and spat out an energy bar that tasted like dirt, I fell into deep thought.

‘...I can’t believe things went that far with Eve.’

The storm of time that had passed from last night until this morning. Eve, the android born from a quest, was truly lovely. At first, I’d half-suspected she might be a machine because of her cold demeanor, but her heartbeat was exactly the same as any ordinary human’s.

Every time I looked at her, I’d been confused about whether to view her through the lens of a game or reality, but now it was certain. This was reality, and she was a living, breathing human. In this ruined world, she was the only one I could trust and lean on—my woman.

After finishing my tasteless meal, I returned to the bedroom to find Eve blinking her eyes open. Seeing her lying in a bed left in shambles from our activities, I felt a pang of guilt, wondering if I’d gone a bit too far.

“Jaero-nim….”

“Yeah, Eve. Why don’t you rest a bit more?”

The casual speech came out naturally. After we’d crossed that line and confirmed our feelings for each other, we’d dropped the honorifics.

Eve’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but then she wore a happy smile, as if she possessed the whole world, and leaned her head against my chest.

“It feels real now that you’re speaking so comfortably to me.”

“Ahem.”

When ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the once-stiff Eve spoke so affectionately, I felt embarrassed for no reason and cleared my throat. I quietly kissed her forehead and took out the energy bar I’d tucked into my pocket earlier.

“Take your time getting ready and come out. I’ll go check on the factory status first.”

“Yes, I’ll be out shortly.”

“No, I told you to take your time. Or, since we probably need to wash the bedding, you could just rest today and check the factory tomorrow.”

“No. I will finish preparing quickly and follow you right away.”

“...Alright.”

She had returned to her decisive self. Still, she wasn’t as rigid and stiff as before; she seemed much more relaxed. I liked this version of her better.

***

A feeling of floating. Hearing... normal. Touch, normal. I can feel the culture fluid draining from the pod. As the liquid drained, I was able to stand naturally on both legs.

‘Motor functions, no issues.’

After standing on my legs, I gently opened my eyes, but I couldn’t see well. It seemed I needed a little more time for my vision to function properly.

A guide voice echoed in my head. As the pod opened, I felt a slightly cool breeze. Looking down slightly, I saw a footrest. And when I looked forward again, someone was standing there.

‘Is this my assistant? Or the administrator in charge?’

It wouldn’t be too late to judge after I’d fully grasped the situation. I took a step to leave the pod, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it wasn’t easy to control my strength yet. Maintaining my balance to avoid falling, I walked to the safest spot I could find.

Splish, splash.

With blurry vision and legs that were hard to control, I slowly stepped out of the pod and approached the person who had been watching me.

As I got closer, my vision began to function normally, and my surroundings started to come into sharp focus.

‘A man?’

I had no memories since I’d just been born, but according to the information pre-loaded before my creation, the number of men had plummeted due to a disaster, making them rare beings. Had he survived by luck?

He had well-defined muscles and broad shoulders; I estimated he was about 16cm taller than me. His face was....

“!!”

As soon as I saw the man’s face, my body stiffened as if struck by an electric shock. I, who had barely been maintaining my balance, lost my center and tumbled forward.

“Whoa! Whoa, whoa!”

I thought I heard the man’s surprised voice, but by the time I came to my senses, the man was holding me, having caught me as I fell forward from lack of strength.

‘...Did I faint for a moment?’

I quickly assessed the situation and looked ahead. Right in front of my nose, I saw the face of the man looking at me with a worried expression. Black eyes, jet-black hair, a sharp nose, and a masculine jawline and neck.

‘Is... is this what they call handsome?’

He was the first man I’d ever seen in my life, but I could confidently say he was more handsome than any other man. And as proof of that....

Thump-thump, thump-thump.

My heart rate was climbing rapidly, and I could feel my blood flow accelerating, causing a subtle heat reaction in my body. My breathing became irregular, and I couldn’t think straight.

“U-um... excuse me....”

While I was staring blankly at the man’s face, a deep, smooth voice flowed into my ears. I realized I had momentarily forgotten my purpose and was unable to steady myself.

‘The reason I was created is precisely...’

I realized the primary goal deeply etched into my mind: to serve the man in front of me. Remembering my duty, I didn’t hesitate any longer and carried out my mission. I slowly stood up and spoke to the man in a rigid, attention-like posture.

“Greetings. I am HRA.B1-001. How should I address you? Commander? Master?”

I felt that I could even give my life for this man in front of me.

***

I left Eve behind and headed out of the research bunker toward the factory.

The factory was running without rest. The thud, thud sound the foundry made every time it stamped out a steel plate felt like it was syncing with my own heartbeat. I’d also made plenty of steel rods. However, the products I was making right now couldn’t be used immediately.

I turned on the research system. The ‘Equipment Fabricator’ that could make a ‘Nail Gun’ was still grayed out because it hadn’t been unlocked yet. But it would be unlocked soon.

I gathered parts from the Processing Plant I’d unlocked earlier. With these, I unlocked the Assembly Plant in the research system.

As soon as it was unlocked, I built the Assembly Plant right next to the Processing Plant. Particles gathered, and in just a few seconds, a massive Assembly Plant was constructed. If the Processing Plant was a facility with a simply complex structure, the Assembly Plant was not only complex but also much wider.

The Assembly Plant could take the materials made in the Processing Plant and Foundry and process them into other parts and materials. Now, I was just one step away from making the Nail Gun.

“Things I can make: Simple Cases, Small Motors, Small Batteries....”

After briefly checking the Assembly Plant’s products, I looked at the unlock conditions for the Equipment Fabricator that could make the Nail Gun.

“I just need to make 50 Simple Cases. Well, I’ll need batteries and motors eventually, so I’ll have to make everything anyway.”

While I was rebuilding the Assembly Plant’s production line, Eve arrived.

“Jaero-nim, I’m here. You’ve built another new facility.”

“Yeah, now we can make batteries and motors, too.”

I patted the massive Assembly Plant and continued. “This is called an ‘Assembly Plant.’ Eve, it’s a place where we can take the screws and nails we made in the Processing Plant yesterday and assemble them into slightly more complex items.”

At my explanation, Eve scanned the massive facility with eyes full of awe. Perhaps because she’d just washed up, her skin gave off a faint scent of detergent mixed with her own unique fragrance. Eve opened her mouth as she watched steel and copper plates being sucked into the fabricator’s input.

“At this speed, it will be very soon. Once the ‘Nail Gun’ you desire is completed, it will be a great help for self-defense when exploring this vicinity.”

“Right. First, I need to churn out 50 ‘Simple Cases.’ I need those to build the ‘Equipment Fabricator’ that makes the weapon.”

I operated the Assembly Plant’s console to designate the production items. With a whirring sound, the complex mechanical devices began to move spectacularly. The sound of steel plates being bent, cut, and attached here and there echoed outside.

‘It would be fun if I could see the production process in more detail inside, that’s a shame.’

While the process was underway, I sat on a flat rock next to the production line for a moment and called Eve to my side.

“Eve, about what you said inside the research bunker earlier. That there are fewer men in the world. Is that information accurate?”

“Yes. According to the data injected when I was created, that is correct. However, because there is a large time gap between when the data was generated and now, I do not know exactly how many are left, or if they have disappeared entirely.”

Eve sat down carefully next to me and continued. “I don’t know what the situation is like outside, but honestly, I don’t care what happens to other men.”

She gently took my hand.

“But I will protect you, Jaero-nim, even if it costs me my life.”

I could feel a hot, vivid warmth from the palm of her hand. Looking into her sparkling blue eyes, I couldn’t help but stare blankly, as if bewitched.

“...Eve, still, please take care of yourself. I’d be really sad if you got hurt.”

“Yes, I understand.”

We exchanged intense gazes. I wanted to kiss her in that moment, but I barely managed to hold back. If I did that here, it was obvious I wouldn’t get anything done for the rest of the day. I hurriedly brought up another topic.

“And, about that... once the Nail Gun is finished, I want to go a bit further beyond this forest. I need to confirm what the world has really become, if people are living in it... or if we’re really the only two left.”

At my words, Eve looked at the distant mountains as if lost in thought for a moment, then gripped my hand tightly and answered.

“Wherever you go, Jaero, I will go with you.”

Her gaze was unwavering and firm. Until yesterday, she’d treated me with a stiff attitude, but now she knew how to give an affectionate smile, and she’d become very cute. Above all, thanks to her inexplicable loyalty, the fear of the unknown was no longer a concern.

Time flew by. 50 silver-colored ‘Simple Cases’ piled up neatly at the Assembly Plant’s output. I shoved the cases and the other necessary materials into my inventory and finally pressed the button on the research system.

With a trembling heart, I built a machine the size of a small phone booth right next to the Assembly Plant. If the other facilities were factory-type models for mass production, this was a precision machine that custom-made ‘equipment’ just for me.

“Alright, here we go.”

I opened the Equipment Fabricator’s interface. The [Nail Gun] blueprint I’d been waiting for so long was floating clearly there. As I poured in all the necessary materials, sparks flew inside the small fabricator, and I heard the sound of precise assembly.

Click! Hiss—!

A moment later, a heavy, yellow-tinted piece of equipment slid out of the output. It had a grip that filled one hand, a cold metallic feel, and an engineering-style sophistication to its exterior.

“Finally...!”

I picked up the Nail Gun, bewitched. It was heavy, and the grip wasn’t bad. I recalled the pistol-holding techniques I’d seen in games and struck a cool pose. There was no iron sight to aim like a handgun, but aiming didn’t seem that difficult.

And I’d already made the iron nails needed for the Nail Gun. I put them in my inventory and dragged them into the Nail Gun.

Click!

I aimed at a thick tree ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠about 10 meters away to test it.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Short, sharp pneumatic sounds broke the silence of the forest. The range was shorter than I’d thought, but the power wasn’t bad.

I walked up to the tree I’d shot and examined it; the iron nails had dug deep into the tree surface and were stuck firmly in the exact spots I’d aimed for.

“The performance is better than I thought! Throwing stones wasn’t bad, but this is much more comfortable, faster, and allows for accurate aiming, so it seems useful.”

“It has excellent power. Now you can safely protect yourself from most threats, Jaero-nim,” Eve smiled, looking satisfied.

I made more Nail Guns and extra iron nails, put them in my inventory, and said to Eve.

“Now that we’ve made the Nail Gun, I’d love to start exploring right away, but it’s a bit late today, so let’s get organized and head out properly starting tomorrow.”

“Yes, I agree with your opinion, Jaero-nim. And I haven’t properly washed the bedding we talked about earlier, either.”

“Ah, right. Washing the blankets is a matter of great importance.”

Scratching my head, I returned to the research bunker with Eve to do the laundry. There was no washing machine, so we had to hand-wash them, but doing laundry with a beauty wasn’t boring at all.

And looking forward to the forest exploration tomorrow, the day passed by really quickly.