After several hours of exploration, Lan's group decided to rest.
During our earlier exploration, we encountered a few different entities: dog-like monsters, tall humanoid monsters, and a new type we began calling the Burster.
This entity resembled a giant humanoid with an extremely obese body. Its movements were sluggish—likely due to its own weight—but it could spit a corrosive acid-like liquid from a distance. The reason we named it "Burster" was because when Hyunsuk tried shooting it, the creature's body exploded violently, spraying green acid in every direction.
Fortunately, we kept a safe distance. If we hadn't, our bodies would've likely melted under the acid.
On the brighter side, the supplies we found on this floor were quite abundant. If the second floor was a paradise for daily necessities, then this floor was rich in military-grade weaponry. So far, we had found at least five military knives, one box of pistol ammunition, one tonfa, a pair of military boots, a combat armor vest, two military jackets, six rations, a pair of gloves, and finally, a Colt 1911.
This was the second firearm we'd found so far. Anyone could understand how critical a firearm was in a world like this—it drastically reduced the chances of dying when encountering an entity. One of the clearest examples was our encounter with the Burster. Fighting it up close was suicide. The moment your weapon pierced its body, your fate would be sealed.
Even concrete could melt under that monster's acid—imagine what would happen to human flesh.
Thankfully, we had a good amount of ammo for the handgun. Hyunsuk's shotgun, however, only had four shells left. We hadn't found any more shotgun ammunition during our exploration.
For now, I was the one holding onto the pistol. I had tried giving it to Hyunsuk earlier since he was always at the front lines, but he said it would be too greedy of him to carry all the weapons, so I just kept it with me.
After finding a random spot that seemed safe, we took a short break. Since we'd found some rations earlier, no one bothered to save them—everyone opened one and began eating.
"Yeah! I got a good one this time," Hyunsuk said, looking at his lamb curry, beans and raisins, bread, and an energy drink on the side.
Curious, I opened my ration… and fell silent.
Hyunsuk glanced at mine and went quiet too, then offered awkwardly, "Do you wanna trade, hyung?"
Please stop, saying that just made me look even more pathetic. Even Olivia got pasta with meat and some biscuits. And what did I get? Rice with vegetables and a side of lemon?
I didn't want to badmouth the food, but when everyone else got something nice, it was natural to want something good for yourself too, right? I couldn't help but wonder, was my luck really that bad?
We finished our food in silence. Maybe both of us felt too awkward to say anything in that moment. Only after we ate did we resume conversation, sharing thoughts about the floor, the supplies, and the entities we encountered. Communication was crucial in a team; it's what builds a solid foundation for cooperation.
Later, I took out a balm and approached Olivia to apply it to her bruises. But when I unwrapped the bandage, I was surprised, the bruise on her leg had healed remarkably fast, though it wasn't fully gone yet.
"How does it feel? Does it still hurt?" I asked as I gently pressed the area.
Olivia shook her head. "It doesn't hurt. Just a bit tingly."
"Do you think you can stand now, noona?"
"I'll give it a try."
Holding onto a nearby concrete pillar, Olivia stood up. She seemed fine, even walked a little with no signs of pain. It was only when she tried to run that her leg began to throb.
"I can walk normally, at least. But running is still pretty hard."
"Whoa, that's really fast. Is that balm hyung used some kind of miracle medicine?"
I didn't answer, because I didn't know either. The balm looked pretty ordinary, but based on Olivia's reaction, maybe it was some kind of miracle salve. Thinking back, I never expected to receive something so incredible from that earlier trade.
I had also obtained a box of pills earlier, but since there was no description, I had no idea what they did. If they were medicine, we were lucky. But if they were poison… we'd die. So until I found a way to safely test them, I wouldn't let anyone take them.
After a proper rest, we decided to resume our journey. Olivia offered to walk on her own now that her leg was better. Well, it would've been awkward if we continued playing the "prince and princess" routine when she could clearly walk again.
Since I now had more freedom of movement, I handed the M1911 to Olivia for self-defense. At first, she refused, but I insisted—and in the end, she shyly accepted it.
Just to be clear, it wasn't that I disliked guns. It was a personal choice, I preferred cold weapons like my katana and fire axe. Partly because it trained my body, and partly because… my instincts told me that mastering physical combat and technique would be far more useful in the future.
Besides, someone had to protect the team in case an enemy got past the bullets and into close range. That's why I gave the pistol to Olivia.