Chapter 48

 

Was it the Empire’s consideration? Or was it simply a coincidence?

 

Fortunately, nothing happened on the first day.

 

Thanks to that, the Heroes, including Seo Woojin, were able to easily adapt to the environment of the Helldane.

 

“It’s hot.”

 

Yu Hong-seol said with a frown.

 

“Rather than hot, it’s muggy.”

 

Lee Ji-ah agreed with that statement.

 

Even though the humidity was high, it was not refreshing like in the forest.

 

The air was heavy, sticky, and even oppressive.

 

“Summer in Korea is probably better than here.”

 

Seo Woojin sighed as he looked around.

 

It wasn’t the kind of weather where you would freeze to death if you made a mistake like in the north, but Helldane was at least one step above in terms of discomfort.

 

“It’s also concerning that it’s too quiet. How come we can’t hear a single bird sound in such a dense forest like this?”

 

The atmosphere suited the name Helldane.

 

“Well, that doesn’t change the fact that our tasks remain the same. Shall we start with preparing meals?”

 

The Heroes dispersed in different directions, forming their teams.

 

Gathering in one place for survival training wouldn’t be of any help.

 

Of course, the knights were ready to intervene at any time near the Heroes.

 

“The prepared rations…”

 

Yu Hong-seol checked the initially supplied rations.

 

“It’s too little.”

 

Even if they were frugal, it would only last for about two days.

 

“Do you think it means we have to find our own?”

 

Seo Woojin nodded at Yu Hong-seol’s words.

 

“When war breaks out, proper supply can’t always be guaranteed, so you should experience it once.”

 

Aren’t there units in South Korea’s military that conduct such training?

 

Like the UDT’s survival training…

 

‘I haven’t tried it myself.’

 

He had never experienced such conditions in the North.

 

Supply lines were well-established, and thanks to Van Slaine, they received a lot of attention.

 

“Then we should at least try hunting or gathering. Ah, before that.”

 

As Yu Hong-seol muttered to herself, as if she had forgotten, she clapped her hands, and looking in one direction, she said, “We haven’t properly introduced ourselves to each other.”

 

There were two men standing there with awkward smiles.

 

They were the Heroes that Lee Ji-ah had recently brought in.

 

“Ta-da! It’s the long-awaited self-introduction time!”

 

Lee Ji-ah, who had been unusually quiet, raised both hands and began pouring out words.

 

“This older brother here is Kang Byeong-gyu! Class B! Occupation: ‘Explorer’! And his level is 24!”

 

‘Are you introducing a UFC player?’ 

 

As if waiting for this moment, Lee Ji-ah continued the introduction with an excited expression.

 

“This is Jin Tae-seong! Class A! Occupation: ‘Elementalist’! And lastly, his level is a whopping 28!”

 

At the introduction of these two, Seo Woojin’s eyes flickered.

 

‘Is this intentional?’

 

Surprisingly, Lee Ji-ah had brought in essential jobs.

 

Even in the Helldane, the ‘Explorer’ occupation would undoubtedly be helpful since it was a forest.

 

They were likely to possess various skills necessary for survival, such as food supply and navigation.

 

Also, the ‘Elementalist’ could complement the team’s lacking magical firepower.

 

While Seo Woojin also had skills close to magic, they could only be used in truly dire situations.

 

It was too alien, after all.

 

‘There’s also Da-hye’s skill with broad versatility.’

 

It wasn’t bad.

 

Whether it was intentional or accidental, it was unclear if Lee Ji-ah brought them here on purpose.

 

‘Because it’s true that it’s helpful.’

 

Seo Woojin nodded, looked at Lee Ji-ah with a grateful gaze and gently patted her head.

 

“Hehe.”

 

Feeling good, Lee Ji-ah laughed softly.

 

It was an expression as if saying, ‘I did well, right?’

 

“I’m Seo Woojin. The class is…”

 

“I already know.”

 

Seo Woojin was about to introduce himself, but Kang Byeong-gyu smiled and interrupted.

 

“You’re quite famous, you know.”

 

Are you being sarcastic? I thought so, but it didn’t feel that way.

 

‘Well, It was quite noticeable.’

 

From the party to the troll incident, rumors about D-class Hero Seo Woojin were engraved in every Hero’s mind.

 

It wasn’t a pleasant situation, but what could he do?

 

‘I brought it upon myself.’

 

Seo Woojin smiled bitterly.

 

However, Kang Byeong-gyu, who saw that, seemed to have misunderstood.

 

“Oh, no. I didn’t deliberately ignore you… I’m sorry.”

 

Thinking that Seo Woojin’s expression had turned sour because of his words, Kang Byeong-gyu immediately bowed and apologized.

 

Just by looking at that, it was easy to see that there was no ill intention.

 

Seo Woojin raised his head, smiling.

 

“It’s okay.”

 

It wasn’t just empty words; he really was okay with it.

 

In fact, meeting a nice person made him feel good.

 

Having experienced only those who constantly picked fights, this encounter felt refreshing.

 

“Thank goodness, haha!”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu was the same age as Seo Woojin.

 

Honestly, he thought he was a younger brother, but it turned out they were the same age.

 

Still, thanks to being of the same age, Seo Woojin was able to quickly become friends with Kang Byeong-gyu.

 

However, Jin Tae-seong was the opposite.

 

‘He’s not a bad person…’

 

Even though he was taciturn, he was too silent.

 

Except for the first greeting, he didn’t say a word.

 

Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem unfriendly…

 

“Tae-seong is a bit shy around strangers.”

 

When Seo Woojin looked puzzled, Lee Ji-ah quietly explained.

 

‘Ah, I see.’

 

So, it wasn’t that he was taciturn; he just didn’t talk much because he was shy.

 

It wasn’t hard to understand.

 

The world was full of different kinds of people.

 

If he could contribute to the team without speaking, it didn’t matter.

 

“So, how should we prepare for the meal?”

 

Seo Woojin asked Kang Byeong-gyu.

 

He seemed to know much more about this aspect than Seo Woojin.

 

And that expectation proved correct.

 

“We should first find water.”

 

If you had to pick one thing essential for survival, it would undoubtedly be water.

 

“Not only for drinking but also for hygiene.”

 

There is no way for Heroes who have transcended human bodies to get sick, but this is a demonic world.

 

Anything could happen.

 

“I feel uncomfortable if I can’t bathe.”

 

“Exactly. In this sticky weather, not being able to bath is a big problem.”

 

Lee Ji-ah nodded heavily at Kang Byeong-gyu’s words.

 

Enduring a week without showering in weather more humid than Korea’s monsoon season was quite a challenge.

 

“Well then, let’s find water first.”

 

When Seo Woojin nodded, Kang Byeong-gyu grinned.

 

“To be honest, I’ve already found some.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“My skills are specialized in that direction.”

 

Search, detection, appraisal, etc..

 

Kang Byeong-gyu had many skills befitting an ‘Explorer’ profession.

 

“Radar.”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu activated his skill.

 

As a result, a faint green light extended from him in concentric circles, outlining the surroundings.

 

“This way, I can find out what’s around me like this. And over here.”

 

He raised his hand, pointing to one side.

 

“There’s a small stream flowing.”

 

Seo Woojin exclaimed in admiration.

 

He might not know about battles, but Kang Byeong-gyu was undoubtedly a helpful companion when traveling together.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Seo Woojin followed Kang Byeong-gyu with the rest of the group.

 

Then, a stream actually appeared.

 

Though not very large, it was sufficient for Seo Woojin’s team to use, considering their needs.

 

“Let’s set up the base camp here.”

 

Establishing the base camp by the water had various advantages.

 

Of course, there was no one who would object to that statement.

 

“Now it’s my turn.”

 

As the location was decided, Kim Da-hye, who had been standing next to Lee Ji-ah with a vacant expression, stepped forward.

 

“Huh?”

 

Seo Woojin looked at her as if asking what she meant by the sudden statement.

 

However, instead of answering, Kim Da-hye pulled out a sketchbook and began to sketch something quickly.

 

Perhaps due to the influence of her skill, the drawing was completed in just a few seconds.

 

“It’s difficult to go into detail, but… ‘Summon.'”

 

Kim Da-hye summoned the drawing.

 

And…

 

“Wow!”

 

“This works.”

 

Seo Woojin looked with surprised eyes at what appeared in front of him.

 

“A log cabin?”

 

He had thought about gathering some branches to make a fire and camping around there.

 

The same went for Kang Byeong-gyu and the rest of the group.

 

Who would come to the Demonic Realm and decide to live in a log cabin like this?

 

“It’s done.”

 

Kim Da-hye still introduced the house she had made with a vacant expression.

 

“It’s regrettable that it’s only 24 square meters, but there’s no other option. Instead, like this…”

 

When Kim Da-hye touched something, surprisingly, a light came on.

 

“Electricity is available.”

 

It wasn’t clear what kind of mechanism it was.

 

Well, in a world with demons, Heroes, and magic, what couldn’t be possible?

 

Seo Woojin opened the door and entered the house.

 

Just as Kim Da-hye had mentioned that there were no options, the inside of the house was a single-room without any furniture.

 

“Da-hye, Da-hye. Bed! Can’t you make a bed? It would be perfect if there’s only that!”

 

Lee Ji-ah blinked at Kim Da-hye.

 

“It’s possible, but…”

 

Kim Da-hye hesitated.

 

“Let’s not waste unnecessary magical power. We don’t know what might happen, so we should prepare as much as possible.”

 

As Lee Ji-ah said, having a bed would be comfortable, but they couldn’t afford to use magic recklessly.

 

Even though nothing unusual had happened so far, this place was the Demonic Realm.

 

Thinking about battles that might occur, they had to conserve their magical power.

 

“With a house like this, we’re set.”

 

“Exactly. Just thinking about being outside for a week was painful….”

 

Upon Seo Woojin’s words, Yu Hong-seol chimed in.

 

“Even without a bed, we have something like this. A ‘survival bag.'”

 

At that moment, Kang Byeong-gyu stepped forward and used a skill.

 

Then, a small hole appeared in the air.

 

“It’s like a kind of inventory. Inside, there are items necessary for exploration. For example… this!”

 

Kang Byeong-gyu, reaching into the hole, pulled something out.

 

“A sleeping bag?”

 

“Oh! Nice! It feels like we’re on a camping trip!”

 

Seo Woojin chuckled wryly.

 

As Ji-ah mentioned, it felt more like a camping trip than training.

 

‘Our team is lucky.’

 

Since being summoned to this world, Seo Woojin had never thought of himself as lucky even once.

 

But this time, it definitely felt good.

 

The personalities and abilities of the team members.

 

Everything was to his liking.

 

‘I hope we can get through the week without any trouble.’

 

Then it would have been perfect, but…

 

Unfortunately, this place is the Demonic Realm, Helldane.

 

It’s a place far dangerous for camping.

 

Wooo-!

 

“It’s a monster.”

 

From outside the house, along with a dense atmosphere, the cries of monsters could be heard.

 

The exact number couldn’t be determined, but it was certain that there were at least more than ten.

 

Hiss-

 

The sound of them approaching the house was getting closer.

 

“For now, let’s go out and get ready for battle.”

 

Lee Ji-ah and Kang Byeong-gyu proved that they had abilities that would help them survive.

 

Now all that remained was…

 

‘Us.’

 

Himself, Lee Ji-ah, Yoo Hong-seol, and Jin Tae-sung.

 

To survive, combat abilities were also crucial.

 

And now, Seo Woojin intended to prove his own worth.