Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 87 Free Explorers

"Sorry, this Hole is full."

"This Hole is already packed. Why don't you try the next Bus?"

"Are you a Porter or a Cleaner? W…what? You're an Explorer? I think the next bus still needs more people."

"..."

3 hours now. Rhys has been waiting for 3 hours for a bus to take or at the very least accept him, but they all completely shun him away even though they clearly still have a lot of slots to put him in.

Rhys had heard that it was already hard for Level 1 Explorers to secure a spot for Exploration, add the fact that he was a Lowborn... well, he wasn't exactly in a very ideal position right now.

He could disguise himself, but that would defeat the entire purpose of why he chose to go through the path of being an Explorer in the first place — and besides… his Lowborn status was etched on the back of his license anyway…

…listed on the Deficiency section, above 'Missing Right Arm' and 'Prosthetic Right Leg'.

Did they really list being a Lowborn under a section that basically might as well say 'Disabilities'? Rhys thought he had already learned how Lowborns are truly treated in this world when he saw the settlements down in the Underworld, but now that he was slowly exploring the Surface, he couldn't help but just… shake his head and sigh.

Maybe… he shouldn't have listened to Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha and just joined the Laughing Bronze? Newbie Explorers, especially those who just go straight to Level 1, don't really get that many jobs simply for the fact that, well, they are either weak or don't know anything.

Holes bring calamity to the world, but at the same time, they also bring riches — and throughout time, it has perhaps, undoubtedly become the most lucrative business in the world. Yes, Rhys has come to learn that the Holes are being treated as a commodity, much like real estate.

Newly formed Holes outside the Safe Zones, by default, are owned by the Government once the monsters that manage to reach the surface are cleared. The Government will then decide, through careful consideration and evaluation, whether the Hole will be closed, or sold to private sectors, companies, and guilds through outright purchase or bidding.

The individuals, party, or guild that first arrive and manage to clear the monsters from the newly opened Hole, if not part or under the Government, will have a share of the sale depending on their contribution, or if they decide to purchase the Hole, they will be given a discount depending on their share.

It's basically the biggest industry in the entire world, right next to Entertainment and Show Business — but in this day and age, the two are already melding together due to the birth of Underworld Streamers and Celebrity Explorers.

Of course, none of these things directly involve Rhys yet… as he could not even find a Bus that would take him to a Hole.

Rhys is what is considered as a Free Explorer — not under the government, and not under any guilds. They need to actively search and approach agencies and companies; in this case, Rhys was currently in a Bus Station.

Not exactly a bus station to take you from and to, but it was a station where each of the buses was owned by different companies and agencies, and they all filled them up with Explorers to explore the Holes they owned.

Most Holes that are owned by companies operate strictly on a commission-slash-contribution basis. The companies own a percent of whatever they get or find in the Hole; the Free Explorers don't actually own anything, and the company would handle all the sales.

One might think the Free Explorers are being taken advantage of, but no. Free Explorers on average, according to the research made by the Statistics Office, individually earn more than those that are in a guild.

But of course, as most things in life, strength and reputation matter — and Level 1 Explorers are not really that popular with companies. This is why most Newbie Explorers want to be adopted by guilds, they will not have trouble finding Holes to enter.

Maybe he really should have accepted Kenneth's offer? No, if he wanted to gain attention the right way, going solo would be the best way to start it.

But how exactly was he going to start it when all the buses he approached outright shun him away? The bus station probably had over a hundred buses coming and going, and yet not even one wanted him.

[Hey, Baby. How's it going?]

And after another 30 minutes, the only accepting that was happening was him answering Lina's call with a long and very deep sigh.

[Oh… that bad, huh?] Lina let out a small giggle as she heard Rhys's heavy breaths,

[Why not just bleach your hair and gain some rights while you're at it?]

"...That's illegal."

[It… was obviously a joke, Baby.]

"...Baby?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as Lina kept repeating the word, "Is that supposed to be me?"

[It's a pet name, Rhys. Seriously?] Lina suddenly burst out in a fit of laughter, [What do you want me to call you, then?]

"...Sir?"

[S…Sir? What is this, the 1800s? You—Wait,] Lina suddenly took in a small but stuttered breath, [That's… that's honestly slightly making me a bit horny.]

"..."

[If I'm not so busy now, I would have just gone with you… Sir.]

"We could just go next time, Ma'am."

[Oh. My. God,] Lina almost screeched on the other line, [Stop, stop it! Stop! I need to go. I love you, okay?

I'll see you home in a few days? Alright, bye bye!]

And before Rhys could even say anything back, Lina just hung up the phone after giving Rhys imaginary kisses. Rhys could really only look at the phone, before letting out another sigh as he lamented his current situation.

But as soon as he hid away his phone in his trusty utility belt, he saw a bus that barely even had any Explorers on it, with the Bus Manager even holding a large sign that said 'Danger Zone 3'.

Danger Zones are categorized into 5 Levels. The higher the number, the farther the Hole was to a Safe Zone. Meaning, there was a chance the Bus might actually encounter Rogue Monsters, monsters that might have been missed by Explorers and are roaming free in the Danger Zone, even before they get to the Hole.

The downside to this is that the Hole might not even yield rewards according to its risk. And so, it was no wonder why this Bus barely even had any Explorers on it — only those desperate enough would actually load it…

…and Rhys probably belongs to that category.

Rhys once again brought out his phone to search for the company that owns the bus, 'James Fullman', and they seem to be a fairly new company with only 2 Holes listed to their name… and both were Level 1 Holes.

It would seem they were as desperate as the Explorers loading their bus. The question is…

…are they desperate enough to hire Rhys?

"Hello, Sir. Are you hir—"

And without even waiting for Rhys to finish his words, the man holding the sign kneeled on the ground and almost hugged Rhys's leg.

"Yes! Please, please just help us! We only need one more, please!"

Well, that answers that question.