Memorize

Hall Plain can be simply divided into four continents: the Eastern Continent, Western Continent, Southern Continent, and Northern Continent. Currently, the regions that have been developed and explored are under the control of both players and residents (the original inhabitants of Hall Plain). 

However, the reality is that the unexplored regions of Hall Plain far outweigh the developed ones. If one were to travel through the surrounding unexplored areas for even a single day, no one—except the traveler themselves—would know what dangers lie in wait. 

To alleviate the anxiety caused by these uncharted regions, the only option is to form expeditions and claim those territories. Even if roads have been built connecting the continents and cities, with unexplored lands blocking their way forward and backward, there's always a looming sense of danger.

An-Hyun and his party were assigned to start on the Northern Continent. Players who pass the Rite of Passage are first summoned at a place called the "Inn of Beginnings" located in the major cities of each continent. There are five of these inns in total, meaning there were five separate spaces where the Rites of Passage were conducted simultaneously.

Thanks to the angels' intervention, An-Hyun's group was the first to arrive. Following what they had been told, they woke up in the inn and went down to the first floor, waiting for other players to join them. 

The inn was unremarkable—seemingly built for the sole purpose of providing a place to sleep and wait. There were doors and windows leading outside, but when An-Hyun looked beyond the window, he gave up the idea of leaving. The world beyond was completely shrouded in a blue hue, with a glowing barrier encircling the inn so densely that he couldn't see even an inch ahead. It felt as though the inside and outside of the inn were completely separated.

The inside of the inn was still quiet, with no other arrivals. An-Hyun paced around near the window before carefully sitting down in a chair. Familiar faces greeted his eyes: An-Sol, Lee Yun-Jung, and Kim Han-Byeol... but not a single word had been exchanged between them. In fact, they couldn't bring themselves to speak.

Glancing at his younger sister, he could see she was trembling uncontrollably, her teeth chattering—it was clear she was in a serious state. An-Hyun could tell that she was suffering from deep guilt. He, too, felt a strange unease welling up inside him. The source of this uneasiness was the fact that Kim Su-Hyeon was no longer with them. In other words, he could no longer be their shield, their protector, and they had lost the place they could lean on for support.

Suddenly, Su-Hyeon's face flashed in his mind. His calm demeanor, composed actions, and steady voice had a way of instilling confidence in those around him. Even though they had only known him for less than a week, in that short time, Su-Hyeon had left a deep impression on them all.

"Run! You idiots! Get to the warp gate, now!" 

In the end, Su-Hyeon had been struck down by the monster's tail, smiling and waving to them even as he collapsed. Only now did An-Hyun fully realize how insignificant he had been. He had been able to act confidently only because Su-Hyeon had always been there, supporting them from the back. And, whether he realized it or not, he had relied far too much on him.

Every time An-Hyun recalled the fact that his hyung had sacrificed himself to save his younger sister, he found it unbearable to face Lee Yun-Jung and Kim Han-Byeol. However, he mustered up the courage to lift his gloomy face. He wanted to see how the rest of his party was doing.

Yun-Jung had completely buried herself in the table. From the moment she sat down, she had hunched over and hadn't moved since. Occasionally, her shoulders trembled slightly, a sign she wasn't sleeping but was trying to hide her vulnerability from the others.

There was no need to mention An-Sol—she wasn't crying loudly like before, but her delicate eyebrows were still soaked with tears as she stared down at the floor. It seemed there were still tears left to shed. Even the angels had had to comfort her gently while setting her up with the basic rules. Only Kim Han-Byeol maintained her cold, indifferent expression. An-Hyun couldn't tell what she was thinking, but there was an unmistakable chill in the atmosphere surrounding her.

The inn was filled with silence as no one dared to speak. Only the occasional sound of soft sobs, whose source was unclear, broke the stillness. However, as time passed, the inn slowly started to stir with more noise.

Specifically, sounds began to come from the second floor. They heard doors opening from the upstairs rooms, and unfamiliar voices filled the air. An-Hyun instinctively knew that these were the other survivors from the Rite of Passage. In that moment, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning.

"Su-Hyeon-hyung might be there. He could have escaped! If that's the case..."

An-Hyun abruptly stood up from his seat. The sudden movement caused everyone's attention to shift toward him. Even Yun-Jung, with her swollen eyes, looked up at him weakly. An-Hyun, his voice filled with excitement, spoke up.

"Hyung. Su-Hyeon-hyung might have come!"

"...What are you talking about?" 

Yun-Jung asked, her voice hoarse. An-Hyun immediately pointed toward the stairs leading up to the second floor, where the door for the other survivors was.

"We're not the only ones who survived. Other survivors would have been transported here as well, right? Su-Hyeon-hyung could be among them..." 

The moment Yun-Jung heard An-Hyun's words, she jumped to her feet and dashed toward the stairs leading to the second floor. An-Sol, feeling the faint possibility in his words, also lifted her head and stood up to follow Yun-Jung. Only Han-Byeol remained seated, her expression filled with reluctance, as if she didn't even want to entertain the hope.

Humans truly are sorrowful creatures—grasping at self-justification even in the bleakest of moments. They had all witnessed Kim Su-Hyeon fall in front of that monstrous creature. They remembered shedding tears as they saw him wave them off in farewell. And yet, now their minds were dominated by a small but persistent hope, the thought of 'what if'.

"If it's Su-Hyeon-hyung, he must have escaped somehow, right? Yeah, he would've."

"O-Of course. If it's Su-Hyeon-oppa, he'll survive and show up out of nowhere, just like he did back in the city. He'll throw open the door and come down, you'll see. Yeah, definitely."

An-Hyun and Yun-Jung exchanged shaky, hopeful words as they nodded to each other. Just as they reached the bottom of the stairs and were about to climb up, they heard the soft click of a door opening above them. As if under a spell, they froze, and all their gazes turned upward. Their hearts raced with anticipation, and the tension in the air was palpable.

But the figures that stepped through the door... was not Kim Su-Hyeon. Unfortunately, it was a group of familiar faces, people they had encountered before. There were four of them in total, and as the lead figure spotted An-Hyun's group at the bottom of the stairs, his eyes lit up with recognition.

"Oh, so you guys got here first, huh? Well, good to see you're alive."

"Huh? Who are they... oh, those kids from before? Didn't they die or say something about heading for the warp gate?" 

"...Cheon Seung-Hyun, stop talking." 

Wu Jung-Min, Cheon Seung-Hyun, and Seon Wu-Yun descended the stairs while talking amongst themselves. Following them silently was a woman, Won Hye-Soo, who had lost her sibling. The sadness etched on her face made it clear what had transpired after they parted ways.

But An-Hyun and the others didn't have the mental capacity to focus on that right now. All that mattered to them was confirming Su-Hyeon's fate with their own eyes. So, when they saw Wu Jung-Min's group instead, disappointment washed over their faces.

Sensing the strange atmosphere, Seon Wu-Yun quietly led Won Hye-Soo to a chair around the table. Only Cheon Seung-Hyun continued to grumble with a dissatisfied look on his face.

"Tch. No need to look so openly miserable. We're all in the same boat, you know? You're making things really awkward here. Fine. Hey, about the dagger I threw back then—sorry about that."

"...Uh."

"I mean it. I'm really sorry. I've thought about it a lot since then."

"...It doesn't matter."

"R-Really? Oh, good. I'm glad, haha... ha."

Despite Yun-Jung's brief response, Cheon Seung-Hyun's expression became even more awkward. He tilted his head, as if wondering why he wasn't getting the reaction he expected. Wu Jung-Min, sensing the tense atmosphere, glanced around calmly before speaking up.

"Now that I think about it, someone's missing. Where's the young man with the crossbow?"

The group didn't respond to Wu Jung-Min's question. Being sharp and quick-witted, Wu Jung-Min started to piece things together. The fact that Su-Hyeon wasn't there likely meant he hadn't survived the ritual.

"Don't tell me... he didn't make it? I told you not to head for the warp gate, but I guess he didn't listen. So, how did the rest of you..."

"He's not dead!"

"He's not dead!"

Before Wu Jung-Min could even finish his sentence, Yun-Jung and An-Sol both shouted at him, their voices trembling. Cheon Seung-Hyun, for some reason, nodded as if he agreed. Wu Jung-Min, feeling a bit awkward, turned his gaze toward An-Hyun.

"Did you run into that creature? The one that looked like an alien?"

An-Hyun gave a slight nod in response but quickly turned his head away, unwilling to say more. Wu Jung-Min, understanding the sentiment, offered a bitter smile before quietly sitting down beside Seon Wu-Yun and Won Hye-Soo. Cheon Seung-Hyun followed suit, dropping himself into a nearby chair and stretching with all his might.

"Ahh, it feels good to finally sit on something soft after being on that cold stone floor. So, did those guys run into that creature too?"

"Seung-Hyun, keep your voice down. It's a situation similar to when we lost Jin-Tae."

"Then they're 100% dead, huh? Too bad. I wanted to give that thing a good smack if we ran into it again. Anyway, what about Hye-Soo..."

Cheon Seung-Hyun trailed off as Seon Wu-Yun shot him a sharp look. However, it seemed Won Hye-Soo had already heard him. She lifted her head slightly and, in a weary voice, spoke up.

"It doesn't matter to me if he lives or dies. Honestly, it's a bit disappointing. I kind of hoped he'd experience the pain I went through. Turns out he became a part of it, huh?"

Just as she said that, Yun-Jung was about to explode. Jung-Min glared at her with cold eyes and spoke in a heavy voice.

"Don't talk about people so carelessly with that kind of tone."

"I said it doesn't matter to me. Who asked?"

"Then why would you want that young man to feel the pain you've experienced? We lost Jin-Tae, and you lost your sister. If you understand the feelings of losing someone precious, do you really think it's right to speak like that, instead of offering comfort?"

"That's…"

Won Hye-Soo hesitated, and Jung-Min snorted derisively before continuing.

"If you have nothing to say, then keep your mouth shut. I'll say it again: the deaths of that young man and Hye-Yeon have nothing to do with each other."

"Jung-Min. Hye-Soo. Everyone, stop it."

Jung-Min and Hye-Soo glared at each other. Hye-Soo seemed so enraged that she was biting her lip. As the atmosphere quickly turned cold, Seon Wu-Yun hurriedly stepped in to mediate, but neither of their gazes wavered.

However, aside from Yun-Jung, An-Hyun's group had no interest in what was being said. They had been focused solely on the staircase above. After some time, they started to hear sounds of movement coming from the second floor, indicating that survivors were beginning to be transported.

The next person to reveal themselves was someone familiar to An-Hyun's group.

It was Park Dong-Gul.

*

The feeling of mana permeating every corner of my body was indescribably refreshing. Thanks to Hwajung, even the smallest meridian points in my fingers and toes were unblocked, intensifying the pleasure I felt. As I calmly observed my inner self, I could confirm that both the quantity and quality of mana had improved significantly compared to before. But that wasn't all.

All the waste and blood vessels inside me had opened up, and my body had transformed into one that could generate mana effectively. This meant that even if I wielded a sword with the same ability, I would have a considerable advantage.

However, fully utilizing Hwajung was still a distant goal. Having only 70 points of Vitality was a significant obstacle for me. Seraph had mentioned that the minimum requirement to fully harness Hwajung's power was 90 points of Vitality, and to use it completely, I would need at least 101 points. (When I heard this, I was honestly quite shocked. The difference between 99 points and 100 points is like night and day, and similarly, the gap between 100 points and 101 points is tremendous.)

At my current 70 points, if I were to unleash all my power, there was a high chance my body wouldn't be able to withstand it. After calculating all the points I could potentially earn in the early stages, I found that I could obtain a total of 14 points.

2 points from the boss monster, 2 points from the Vitality-boosting elixir, 6 points from the Angel's Tear, and 4 points from the mission rewards for graduating from the beginner Player academy. While I knew I had to invest all the points I had gained and would gain into Vitality, a part of me was greedy.

In the Hall Plain, it was said that an average stat of 60 would allow a Player to at least hold their own in any continent. Thus, as one's points increased to 70, 80, or 90, their value as a Player rose accordingly. Particularly, if a single stat exceeded 90 points, every additional point became increasingly precious.

That's why my desire grew even stronger. First, let's take a look at my stats:

[Strength 94] [Resistance 92] [Agility 98] [Vitality 70] [Magic Power 96] [Luck 88]

However, I need to exclude 2 points from my Vitality. That leaves me with 12 points.

If I invest 4 points in strength, 3 points in agility, and 5 points in Magic Power, I would raise those two abilities to 101 points, and my strength would be at 98 points. If Seraph were to find out what I was currently thinking, it would probably make her foam at the mouth.

Vitality serves as the foundation for all abilities. If the pillar isn't sturdy, no matter how high other stats are, there will be many issues in maximizing efficiency. I know that I shouldn't think irrationally, but on the other hand, thoughts like "still..." kept popping into my mind.

For now, I decided to clear my thoughts. I planned to enter the Hall Plain first and then join the Player Academy to train my Vitality like crazy for three months. There's a high chance I wouldn't gain even a single point, but I still wanted to grasp at any straw. If I consistently build up my Vitality now, I could save those future ability points.

After neatly gathering the mana spread throughout my body, I quietly opened my eyes. I didn't know exactly how much time had passed, but it must have been over a day. As I turned my head to look around, I saw that the portal to the Hall Plain was already open. I felt a sense of dullness as I turned my gaze towards Seraph, who was quietly watching me.

"...Has the transmission already started?"

"Yes. Most of the players have already been transmitted, and only Player Kim Soo-hyun remains."

"Then you could have said something."

"It seemed more like you were lost in deep thought than meditating, so I didn't want to disturb you. There's no need to worry. There's still time left."

They must be worried. I had wanted to enter early, share various thoughts, and clear up any misunderstandings, but this was quite bothersome. Nevertheless, I shook off my feelings and stood up. I then walked toward the portal leading to the Hall Plain.

I didn't say a proper goodbye to Seraph. After all, we would have many opportunities to meet in the future, so there was no need for it. However, it seemed that Seraph felt differently, as her voice caught me just as I was about to step through the portal.

"Player Kim Soo-hyun."

"What is it?"

I replied without turning around, already having one foot in the entrance of the portal.

"I hope you take care of yourself. If there's anything you need, I will deliver a revelation through the temple."

I simply nodded absentmindedly and then threw myself into the shimmering blue portal.

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