The Explorer's Reason

The morning of the fourth day of the tutorial dawned. The waiting room was silent, save for the rhythmic sound of Yu-ah’s breathing. I had woken up early and was already loosening my stiff muscles. What greeted me upon waking was a new notification window floating in the air.

Checking my phone, the time was 7:46 AM. The decisive battle was at noon tomorrow. My gaze naturally shifted to my status window.

"Ha..." A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it. I knew I was higher than the average person, but how would I fare against Choi Kang-min? 'He’s likely stronger.' Even if I assumed he’d obtained various hidden pieces, I couldn't know everything about him. He was growing stronger using the experience of his past life. 'Can I keep up?' I shook my head. No use in useless thoughts. They only brought frustration.

'But why was Choi Kang-min looking for an Explorer yesterday?'

He was looking for something specific. There had to be a reason. 'He's looking for this freeloader...?' My gaze drifted to Lee Seol-ah. She was still clutching her sleeping bag, oblivious to the world. My shoulders slumped at the sight. 'Ha, I don't know.' Sitting in a corner racking my brain wouldn't give me the answer. 'Let's just wake the kids.' There wasn't much time left.

"Alright, everyone, wake up." I stood up and clapped my hands lightly. "Come on, get up quickly. Let's eat." At my voice, people began to stir. "Ugh..." Lee Seol-ah yawned wide and sat up. "Ugh, my body aches... I'm dying, seriously." She tapped her shoulders. It was only natural, having fought monsters all night. Meanwhile, Yu-ah rubbed her eyes and approached me. "Brother, good morning..."

I patted my sister's head lightly. Then, I opened the shop window and placed four lunch sets on the floor. The warmth and aroma wafted up. Yu-ah's eyes sparkled. "Wow! Delicious food again today!" "Eat up. You must be hungry after sleeping, right?" "Oh...!!! Thank you!!!!" "I wasn't talking to you. You..." I curled the corners of my mouth and continued. "No, fine, you eat a lot too. We're going to be very busy starting this morning."

"Y-yes? B-busy? Yesterday wasn't the end?" Lee Seol-ah, who was opening her lunch lid, asked with a start. "You're stating the obvious. We don't even know what's coming out tomorrow, so you thought we'd rest today?" "No... I mean, that's not it, but..." Her face turned pale at my answer. But only for a moment. Soon, she gripped her spoon with a determined expression. "T-then... I really need to eat as much as I can while there's a chance...!!!"

She began shoveling food into her mouth. She stuffed her cheeks until they were about to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠burst, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠chewing frantically. 'Ha... she really is a good eater, did Choi Kang-min need a food disposal unit...?' Just as I was clicking my tongue while watching her, Lee Seol-ah's spoon stopped in mid-air. "...?" She stared blankly into the distance with her mouth full. Her pupils were trembling slightly. "Why aren't you eating? Is it so delicious you can't swallow?" When I asked, she struggled to swallow the rice in her mouth. "S-Si-woo. Over there..." She gulped down dry saliva. "Towards Seongsu-dong... I see something."

"Seongsu-dong? Why Seongsu-dong all of a sudden? What's there?" Had her Explorer trait activated? Her gaze remained fixed on one wall. "No. It's not like that. I see something very bright." Lee Seol-ah's eyes narrowed. Deep wrinkles formed between her brows as if she were trying to look closely. "It's an incredibly vivid golden color. It looks like a box, or maybe a pillar... anyway, it's a very unique shape."

"No, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how can you see Seongsu-dong from here all of a sudden..." I couldn't finish my sentence. The post Choi Kang-min had left flashed through my mind. The reason he was looking for an Explorer. '.. Could it be?' It felt like the pieces of a puzzle were fitting together. Choi Kang-min suddenly looking for the Explorer trait. And Lee Seol-ah discovering something on the fourth day. 'I have to go. I absolutely have to go. Whatever it is, it's highly likely that what he was looking for is there.'

"Lee Seol-ah. Is 5 minutes enough to eat?" "Yes? 5 minutes? No, I haven't even finished chewing what's in my mouth..." "We're leaving as soon as you're done, so swallow it. We don't have time." "Ugh... next time I see something, I should pretend I didn't..." "You said you'd earn your keep, so hurry." Lee Seol-ah moved her hands quickly with a tearful face. She was already eating fast, so why the whining? Just then, Park Dong-bae spoke up cautiously. "Um... Si-woo, am I coming too?"

I pondered his question briefly. Generally, taking him along was a benefit. If Park Dong-bae got stronger, Yu-ah would be safer. But even with the tower, the challenge count had been reset. And besides... 'Choi Kang-min might be there.' What if we were discovered? What if we had to fight? I didn't know how strong he was. The less baggage, the better. "No. You stay here, sir." "A-ah, I understand. Is it because I'm lacking..." "That's not it. It's just that even with the tower, I'm anxious. Yu-ah might be in danger." I said firmly. "Please, protect Yu-ah. I'm counting on you." "A-ah...! Yes, yes! Of course! I will make sure nothing happens!" Park Dong-bae's tearful face brightened. I nodded slightly. It was certainly reassuring to have someone at home.

I then crouched down to meet my sister's eye level. "Yu-ah. Brother will be back soon, so listen to what the uncle says. You know you must never leave the waiting room, right?" "Yes! Don't worry. I won't leave, I'll stay put!" Yu-ah answered bravely. Behind her, the smiling mark that was giggling looked strangely reassuring. "Cough, hack! I... I'm done!" Lee Seol-ah stood up, thumping her chest. "Seriously... not even letting me eat properly, this is a violation of labor laws..." she said, gasping for air. "I'll buy you something even better when I get back, so just hold on." "Yes?"

For a moment, Lee Seol-ah's grumbling stopped. Her eyes sparkled in an instant. As if she hadn't been choking a moment ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ago, she puffed out her chest with determination. "Hey, Si-woo. What are you doing? You said there's no time!" "... What?" "Aren't you going to move quickly? I said I'd earn my keep! Seongsu-dong, right? Just trust me and follow!" She hoisted her iron pipe and strode toward the entrance before I could. "Good grief..." I scratched the back of my head with a dry laugh. How could someone be so simple? "Lead the way. We're taking the shortest route." I, too, stepped out past the magic circle.

On the way to Seongsu-dong, the streets were full of the traces of tragedy. I should have been used to it by now, but the sights were always unfamiliar. We moved quickly, taking the alleys. "Where exactly is it?" To my question, Lee Seol-ah, who was in the lead, looked troubled. "I don't know the exact location either. Just that it's near the building ahead... the light is getting incredibly bright as we get closer." I nodded. It seemed she could only know the approximate location. We began to move again, keeping our footsteps silent. Near the old commercial complex in Seongsu-dong.

".. Wait a minute." She stopped to check the location. I also looked around lightly. But then. "Wait." I gripped Lee Seol-ah's shoulder tightly and stopped her. "Hup...!" Lee Seol-ah gasped in surprise. I brought my index finger to my lips, gesturing for her to be quiet. In the central vacant lot of the commercial complex, someone was there. '... Met him quickly.' It wasn't a monster. A familiar figure. 'Choi Kang-min.'

He looked distinctly different from when he was at the supermarket. He was qualitatively different from ordinary survivors. Smooth black leather armor. A long sword with a blue glow hung at his waist. His equipment was comparable to or better than mine right now. '... As expected, now is not the time to fight.' He was tearing through the vacant lot alone like a madman. He kicked over overturned trash cans. He peered into the broken windows of the first floor of the complex. He was searching the surroundings very irritably. I hid behind a wall and watched him. Soon, blurry red text floated in the air.

My eyes read the text. And I tilted my head. '.. Lee Seol-ah? Why is her name coming up here?' I didn't understand. It wasn't like there was only one person with the Explorer trait. Wasn't her grade F-class, too? 'Is it a coincidence?' It could be. Since the place I found her wasn't that far from the supermarket. 'Then, who is that person?' That person. Who could he be talking about? He didn't know I was alive. Naturally, it couldn't be me... 'There's someone Choi Kang-min is concerned about?' I shook my head violently. Now wasn't the time for such thoughts. What was certain was that he didn't know the exact location either. I turned my head toward Lee Seol-ah. To her, who was holding her breath, I asked silently with my lips. 'Which way.'

My gaze and finger pointed around the vacant lot. Lee Seol-ah blinked and stretched out her finger. The place she pointed to wasn't the central vacant lot. 'Right.' Choi Kang-min was completely off the mark. I nodded and replied. 'Let's go.' Minimizing our footsteps, we began to detour around the wall. "Ah, damn it, where the hell is it!" Choi Kang-min's irritated voice was heard loudly from behind once more. About 5 minutes later, the place where Lee Seol-ah stopped was a collapsed underground parking lot. "It's below here. I'm sure of it." Lee Seol-ah whispered in a tense voice. I gripped my short sword and peered into the darkness. "The golden light is... in here?" "Yes, it's still blindingly bright." She answered, frowning.

There was no time to hesitate. I moved my feet. Swoosh... The sound of wind could be heard. The path down to the underground parking lot was chilly. Darkness where sunlight couldn't reach. The damp smell of mold pierced my nose. Lee Seol-ah pushed through the darkness without hesitation. "We're almost there." Perhaps because of the tension, she was talking less. The place where her footsteps stopped was the very back of the parking lot. In front of a dead-end wall. A notification window popped up immediately.

But it was different from usual. That was it. No matter how much I looked around, it didn't show anything more. ".. Are you sure this is it?" When I asked, stroking the wall, Lee Seol-ah tilted her head. "Yes? What do you mean? Can't you see this right now?" "What?" "Come this way." As soon as she finished speaking, Lee Seol-ah walked toward the solid concrete wall. And there.

Swoosh. A ripple occurred, and her body was sucked into the wall. "...!" I gasped. I quickly reached out and groped the wall where Lee Seol-ah had disappeared. It wasn't the feel of concrete. It was sticky, like a mucous membrane. 'Ha, this isn't a freeloader.' I let out a dry laugh and threw my body inside. My vision flipped. The fishy smell of blood and damp heat rushed in. At the same time, a cheerful mechanical sound hit my ears.

'Cave of the Burnt Maw. Double experience.' My lips curled upward on their own. To think there was a separate reward for the first discovery. Messages followed one after another.

"..." It was a good thing since I hadn't expected it. Getting +1 Intelligence was something. But the title and description were strangely bothersome. 'Luckily followed an Explorer?' Who writes this crap? I clicked my tongue lightly and looked around. A huge cave with a reddish glow. Lee Seol-ah was looking around with a curious expression. I quickly approached her side. "Hey." "Oh, you're here? This place is really strange. It's like a completely different place from outside." "No, how did you get in just now?" To my question, Lee Seol-ah blinked her round eyes. "Yes? How did I get in? I just walked through the entrance." "... You saw the entrance?" "Of course! A huge, flashy golden door was wide open, didn't you see it?" She had an innocent expression, as if she really didn't know anything. I let out a dry laugh. Right, that's why she's an Explorer. I perfectly understood why Choi Kang-min had been so desperate to find Lee Seol-ah.