Home Sweet Home (2)
"Phew... Done."
It was a bit rushed, but I managed to build a fairly decent shop. The counter was crafted from light, cypress-like wood, and I installed wooden shelves behind it to serve as both a display and storage. Overhead, I stretched a canvas canopy to act as a ceiling, and erected a sign with the words Astroal Merchandise carved into it.
Why English? Because the penguin had insisted: "P-l-e-a-s-e u-s-e t-h-e m-o-s-t c-o-m-m-o-n l-a-n-g-u-a-g-e."
"...What on earth am I doing?"
A sudden wave of existential dread hit me. Feeling slightly dizzy, I let out a long sigh.
It's not like anyone is coming here anyway, let alone buying anything.
Still, it wasn't a difficult task. Since this is my subspace, I can manipulate the environment at will.
Bending wood to fashion shelves and carving stone to erect pillars felt as natural as a stream of consciousness.
However, it consumed a massive amount of mana, and I had to handle the finer details myself—like sanding the wood to bring out that cozy, rustic cypress vibe.
"Hey. Is this enough?"
Astroal scanned the shop with satisfied eyes. *Beep-boop♪.* A cheerful sound escaped it.
"What more is there, you punk? My leg is killing me... Ah, my leg."
I sank into the wooden chair I had just made.
"Ah..."
My left leg was acting up again. It was a nagging pain I experienced almost daily, yet I could never get used to it. It felt as though two grown men were striking my left hip and knee with hammers with all their might.
I clutched my left leg, gritting my teeth as cold sweat broke out.
"...It's a bit chilly."
As the pain finally subsided, I gathered wood scraps and lit a campfire. Astroal watched me quietly before asking:
"Permission? I don't even know how to grant that."
Even if I wanted to, I didn't know how...
"Hmm. Hold on."
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
Could I apply my Mana Coefficient to Astroal?
No matter how human-like the penguin talked, strictly speaking, its category would be an 'item'.
I stood up from the chair and placed my hand on Astroal's shoulder.
"Stay still."
I injected mana into the cold alloy.
Whoosh... Blue light resonated from my hand and the robot's body. I felt the mana penetrating, carving its way through the circuits. There was a distinct resistance unique to metal, somewhat dull and stiff, like pushing a straw into solid ice.
"Hey. Bear with it."
"I said, bear with it."
Astroal vibrated violently like a massage chair. Was this thing going to explode?
Mana Coefficient has been activated.
"Phew."
Fortunately, the circuits cleared.
However, it wasn't complete. In human terms, only the central nervous system—the brain and spinal cord—had opened. The peripheral pathways hadn't been fully cleared yet.
I could keep working on it over time.
"How is it? Did you get permission?"
The panel that served as Astroal's face flickered. *Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.* After flashing a few times and displaying some strange expressions, it returned to its penguin-eye display and answered.
I had linked myself to this fellow through Mana Coefficient. That naturally counted as granting permission.
"But we might not get any customers at all. Don't be disappointed."
"...A robot with dreams. Keep up the good work. Next time I come, I'll bring some fun things."
I planned to download various dramas and movies from streaming platforms for it.
Did I really need to go to such lengths for a robot? I felt a bit skeptical, but I considered this a form of affection.
"I'm off."
Like it or not, it was my first pet.
"Everyone, please standby at your positions! We are starting the shoot soon!"
On the stage of Labyrinth Exploration NaN, where seventy explorers were lined up, PD Kim A-rang shouted.
"And don't even bring up Kim Du-gyeom in small talk! He's a non-person now—Ji-woo! That's not your spot!"
"Oh, right, right. Where am I supposed to be?"
Seo Ji-woo, who was chatting with Yun Hwa-rim, was dragged away by Kim A-rang.
But that "spot" happened to be right in front of me.
The back of Seo Ji-woo's head was right in front of my face.
"...Ahem."
Seo Ji-woo, seemingly conscious of me, cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Starting now!"
*Clack.* The youngest writer snapped the slate, and the camera lights turned on.
Today's set was exceptionally massive. The layout itself was reminiscent of the pyramid from Episode 1, but it was much larger and flashier.
"Wow... Today is finally here."
The day of the first tally.
In other words, the day the mid-term rankings and eliminations would be decided.
"To my left, Im Hae-jun spoke with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. To my right, Kang Hyun responded."
"Yeah."
"...Hyung, you're guaranteed a top spot anyway. We aren't. Right, Ssaboo?"
I nodded silently.
The chatter quickly died down.
Ruuuuumble—
A grand, dramatic resonance filled the air. Under the spotlight, Yu Ji-in made her entrance.
Today, she was wearing a formal suit. It almost looked like funeral attire.
It fit the occasion, considering today was the day they would send twenty people home.
"Hello, everyone."
No one answered. Only tension and silence filled the room.
As if understanding, Yu Ji-in smiled bitterly and continued.
"Today is finally... the first tally."
It was the day that combined all weekly votes and profile votes up to Episode 7. Anyone below fiftieth place would be eliminated. Naturally, their footage in the World Labyrinth would be completely edited out.
"You must all be nervous. Now, before we begin, please look at the screen!"
Yu Ji-in pointed to the giant screen. The monitor flashed wildly, forming numbers.
"This is the total cumulative weekly votes for Labyrinth Exploration NaN!"
"Whoa."
"What?"
"No way. That's almost a hundred million?"
"Wow, this is insane..."
The explorers gasped, and I was surprised myself. It was nearly twenty million more than before my regression.
Is this the Seol Ha-woon effect?
I wanted to shrug, but I held back.
Anyway, weekly voting allowed one viewer to vote for seven people every week. Since it was the seventh week, even accounting for those who only voted for one person, it meant roughly four to six million people had been voting every single week.
"Now, we will reveal the rankings..."
A lawless zone in Central Asia. In the dark underbrush of a place claimed by no nation, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed.
Pitter-patter-pitter-patter—!
Four explorers were sprinting. A swordsman with a blade, a warrior with a shield, an archer with a bow, and a barefoot spellcaster. A textbook four-man party was being hunted. They had been caught looting a giant Orc settlement.
It was a desperate run for survival.
Grrrrrrr—
The roars of the Orcs swept through the forest like a tidal wave. If caught, their flesh would be torn and their bones crushed.
Their hearts felt ready to burst, but they could not stop. The moment they were caught, they would be eaten.
"Huff, puff!"
As they gasped for air, their lungs burning, a sudden shift occurred.
Whoosh...
A breeze blew from somewhere. An unnatural chill brushed their minds, but they kept running.
"...Ah."
The swordsman leading the pack gradually slowed down.
Sniff, sniff. He sniffed the air and came to a halt.
"Huff, puff. Doesn't something feel different? The air, everything."
The rest of the party stopped one by one. They looked around warily.
The Orc horde that was chasing them was nowhere to be seen. The scenery was entirely different. It was not the typical grassy landscape of Central Asia. The vegetation was darker, more vibrant.
"I think so too..."
"...Wait, what is that?"
The archer pointed far ahead. Everyone looked. Nestled in the brush was a wide, flat sign.
"What on earth is that? Astroal Merchandise?"
The archer squinted to get a better look.
"...Is that a robot standing there? Is it an unmanned stall?"
"An unmanned stall... out of nowhere?"
The explorers walked forward, their steps unsteady from a full day of running.
Astroal Merchandise. At the counter next to the sign stood a robot resembling a penguin.
"Is that really a robot? Not a statue?"
It was barely over 170 cm tall—quite large for a penguin.
"Whoa, startled me!"
"Argh!"
The sudden communication made the explorers jump. The robot continued indifferently.
"A shop? Currency?"
The most common currency would be US dollars, but there was no way they had cash on them.
The archer asked the robot.
"...What do you sell?"
A single bag of potato chips sat lonely on a wooden bowl on the counter. They thought it was left out for anyone to eat.
"What's a rest pass?"
The explorers scanned the surroundings. There was only a campfire with dying embers and a single chair.
"That? We rest on that chair?"
"...This entire space?"
"What if we don't buy one?"
"...Pfft."
One of the explorers scoffed. It was a massive warrior wielding a greatsword.
"You're going to expel us?"
He toyed with his sword and asked.
"Prove it, robot."
Whoosh.
A wind blew. Immediately after, the giant man vanished. Like dust swept away by the wind, in an instant.
The remaining three explorers looked around frantically.
"What the—is he really gone?"
"His original location... there?"
The three explorers exchanged glances.
But there was no other choice. Returning in this state would mean a gruesome end.
"Okay. We'll buy. Can you bring back the guy who just left? It looks like you saved us."
"What? Didn't you summon us here?"
The best customer is not a wealthy one.
It is a customer who has no choice but to buy.
"Uh... anyway, you're saying he can't come back?"
The three explorers exchanged glances once more.
But again, they had no choice.
"Nothing we can do. It's not like he was the one carrying the loot."
The swordsman shrugged, adjusting the expansion pack on his shoulder.
The world of explorers is cold. They maintain loyalty when working as a team, but they won't risk their lives to save a colleague.
They weren't really friends anyway—more like business partners.
"For the three of us... how many hours should we get?"
"I think resting for about six hours will replenish our mana."
"There's barely any difference between six and seven hours, just make it seven. Hey, robot. How much? We don't have cash. We'll barter."
Beep-beep-beep. The penguin's eyes moved as if calculating.
Three C Rank spoils.
At market price, that was fifteen thousand dollars.