I Activated Cheat Mode in a Bizarre Game

“Light…!”
“Haa, haa…”

“H-Hey, there are people up here…?”
The moment we climbed the stairs, we were met by a group of people.
They wore the same suits as those who called themselves the "Exploration Team." Upon seeing them, the man in work clothes—who had led us during the initial interview—stood frozen, his face hardened.

One man stepped forward from the suited group—he looked like their leader. Upon confirming that we had survived, he bowed his head deeply.
“…We sincerely apologize.”
He addressed us, who were still dazed and disoriented.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, monsters appeared, and the escape route was blocked. Our response team on site failed to act properly as well. All of this was entirely our fault.”
From his words and the current situation, it was clear that this man was the one in charge of the whole operation.
It was a straightforward, sincere apology without excuses.

But it wasn’t enough to calm the fury of the survivors who had just endured a horrifying ordeal.
Perhaps realizing that, the man offered an additional condition.
“As an acknowledgment of that responsibility, all survivors will be considered to have passed. Furthermore, you will be offered significantly upgraded terms beyond the original contract—”

“Don’t make me laugh!”
Before the suited man could finish, the rough-looking man shouted in rage.
“You said we wouldn’t encounter monsters! That it was safe! It was all bullshit! Your so-called Exploration Team was completely useless! Do you even know how many of us died?!”

“I’m not working under bastards like you! I’m out!”
“Yeah! Let’s go!”
With his outburst, all the survivors exploded with fury in unison.

The man in the suit remained silent, his head bowed, and the others in suits stood there quietly, enduring the rain of curses.
Even with an apology and better terms, it was clear the people had already made up their minds.
Throwing looks of contempt and disgust at the suited group, the survivors began leaving the hotel one by one.
In no time, only the suited team, the man in work clothes, and Rahee and I—standing awkwardly—were left in the lobby.

We had fully intended to quit as well, but things happened so fast that we hadn't moved yet.
At that moment, the leader of the suited group approached us. His expression was notably different now.
“…I’d like to make a separate proposal to the two of you.”

“...Huh?”
“Unlike the others, the two of you remained calm and cooperative under extreme conditions, demonstrating a strong potential for survival.”
I didn’t know how he knew, but he clearly had at least some intel.

Though, surely he hadn’t seen me smashing monsters.
“That’s why we’d like to invite you to join our ‘Exploration Team.’ Not in a simple support role, but as field specialists deployed to monster zones.”
“…Exploration Team?”

Rahee asked back in surprise.
It caught me off guard.
Just a moment ago, I was thinking about quitting—and now they were inviting me to join the Exploration Team?

Of course, I had every intention of declining.
I’d applied for the transport job specifically because it supposedly had low monster encounters.
There was no way I wanted to join a team that had even more exposure to monsters.

“Of course, you would be compensated accordingly.”
He pulled out a tablet again.
It looked similar to the one from earlier, but I had a feeling the offer now would be far more extravagant.

Even so, no matter how good the offer was, it wasn’t enough to change my mind.
“I’m sorry, but no matter the offer—”
Just as I was about to cut him off and refuse—

“Do you know the survival rate of the Exploration Team?”
“Survival rate?”
The suited leader stepped in front of us and continued.

His expression remained calm, but his voice carried persuasive weight.
“The ‘Transport’ job you applied for—while we try to guarantee safety, unexpected variables like what just occurred can happen at any time. The chance of encountering monsters may be lower, but when it happens, survival is not guaranteed.”
He paused briefly.

“On the other hand, the ‘Exploration Team’ faces more monster encounters, yes. But we are fully prepared for it. Statistically speaking, with proper training and equipment, Exploration Team members actually have a higher survival rate than those in transport roles.”
“…How are we supposed to believe that?”
I couldn’t help but say it.

From what I’d seen, the so-called Exploration Team didn’t look very well-trained.
As I voiced my doubts, the leader nodded—as if he’d been waiting for it—and pointed to another man standing beside him.
He looked more worn out than the others and was holding a small, complex-looking device in his hand.

“This is Assistant Manager Kim Hyunsoo. He was the first of our team to escape from the recent incident. Mr. Kim, would you explain?”
The man named Kim Hyunsoo swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.
“When the situation began, I noticed ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ something was wrong and tried to call for backup, but it was like something was interfering—the line wouldn't connect. Fortunately, I had this with me and managed to escape.”

He held up the device.
“This is an Emergency Escape Device. It's for one person only, so I wasn’t able to help the others, but I used it to barely get out on my own.”
“We received his distress signal and came immediately, but as you know, the stairs vanished, and we couldn’t reach you in time.”

“…I’m sorry. If I’d known the entrance would disappear, I wouldn’t have used it.”
According to them, this was extremely rare.
Not only had monsters shown up unexpectedly, but the Exploration Team had grown complacent, neglecting equipment just because the location was familiar.

And then, the stairs had vanished.
Everything had gone wrong at once.
Still, my eyes were fixed on the small device in Kim Hyunsoo’s hand.

That’s an item…!
The moment he said “Emergency Escape Device,” a forgotten cheat resurfaced in my mind.
The cheat mode I’d activated before starting the game.

One of them had clearly allowed unlimited use of items.
If I could use survival items like that—or anything like it—without limit...
Then the risk posed by monsters would plummet drastically for me.

I need items.
Getting something like that without joining the Exploration Team would be next to impossible.
The suited leader must’ve noticed the change in my expression, because he gently added:

“As you can see, we provide specialized items for crisis scenarios, along with professional training. That’s why I say that long-term survival is actually more likely than in the transport team.”
He looked at both Rahee and me.
Sensing our hesitation, he brought up a contract on the tablet.

[Exploration Team Special Recruitment Terms]
Work Environment: 4 days/week, 36 hours total
Monthly Salary: Base 10 million KRW + 1 million KRW daily bonus for field deployment, with additional performance bonuses
Equipment Support: Protective suits and item supply
Housing: Apartment near Incheon provided
There were other benefits as well, all of which far exceeded what the transport role offered.

I quickly weighed safety versus the offer in my head.
At that moment, Rahee spoke in a trembling voice. She’d clearly been hesitating for a while, but now her tone was resolute.
“…I—I’ll do it.”

Both I and the suited man turned to her.
“I… I need money… With terms like this…”
She trailed off and bowed her head.

That one statement—that she needed money—along with her bowed head, told me everything.
She had her own desperate reasons.
With Rahee accepting, all eyes now turned to me.

The suited leader quietly waited for my answer.
Rahee looked at me too, concern in her eyes.
“…Please give me some time to think.”

In the end, I deferred my decision.
This wasn’t something I could decide on the spot.
The suited leader stared at me for a moment, then nodded quietly.

“Understood. Here’s my card. Please contact me by tomorrow morning.”
He handed me a business card.
I took it with trembling hands.

Rahee also received a card from him.
Just in case, I exchanged contact info with Rahee too.
We shared a brief eye signal and walked away—just like the other survivors who had left earlier.

I could still feel the suited team’s eyes on my back, but I didn’t look back.
***
After getting home, I barely managed to wash up before sitting down in front of my computer.

“Mmm…”
My mind was a mess.
The Exploration Team offer—it was dangerous, but the terms were crazy good.

It wasn’t just the money. The items and the knowledge they had about monsters would be a huge help to me.
Even if I didn’t join, if I stayed in this world, I’d eventually run into monsters again.
If that’s going to happen, maybe it’s better to face them while equipped with proper items and information.

After thinking it over, I logged into the Monster Gallery forum.
Being careful not to reveal any personal info, I began writing a post.