Memorize

As the barrier vanished, the tightly shut inn doors swung open. The moment the door opened, a group of people rushed in all at once. Judging by their appearances, they were the existing players who had already entered.

The place where I was starting was a large city in the northern continent named Barbara. Since each continent has only one major city, it was natural to expect that each individual from the players based there exuded a sharp presence.

Common to them all was a symbol of a golden lion emblazoned on the right side of their chests, a symbol I was obviously familiar with. It was the Golden Lion Clan of the Northern Continent. I remembered them as a clan that had made its mark on the Hall Plain. They would eventually walk the path of self-destruction due to a weakening of their power from reckless expeditions and clashes with other clans that exploited the gap, but that was a little further down the line.

Contrary to his solid physique, a giant over 190 cm tall dressed in a plain priest's robe looked around the inn and spoke in a surprised tone.

"There are more people in the 2nd hall than I expected?"

It wasn't directed at us. The players who followed him in seemed to share the same sentiment. One of them calmly counted the number of survivors and then nodded before responding.

"Wow. There are 43 new players in the 2nd hall. It's really been a while since we've seen a baby boom."

"With this many, it's almost a record high, isn't it?"

"I'm not sure. Compared to last year for sure…. It seems like a lot for one hall. How's the situation in other inns?"

The survivors (new players) looked uneasy as they observed the existing players whispering among themselves. However, amidst that, there were some who sharply surveyed their surroundings or listened intently to their conversation. I decided to memorize their faces for now.

"They're probably counting right now. Hyun-Woo-hyung is coming out from the 1st hall. Everyone lined up."

As the name Hyun-Woo was mentioned, the players who had been chatting excitedly instantly organized themselves and lined up along the sides of the inn door. Hyun-Woo. Golden Lion Clan. The moment I associated these two words, a memory came to mind. If my guess was correct, it seemed likely that Park Hyun-Woo, who would later become a high-ranking officer of the clan, was about to appear.

Before long, I spotted someone striding confidently toward the center of the players who had lined up on either side of the door. He was a man with a neat appearance and a handsome, well-groomed face. He looked a bit younger than I remembered from my first encounter, but looking into his eyes, I felt certain that he was Park Hyun-Woo. I gathered my magical power a bit more forcefully than before and activated my Third Eye.

Player Information (PLAYER STATUS)

Name: Park Hyun-Woo (4 years)Class: Normal Sword ExpertNation: Barbara (Global City)Clan: Golden LionAlias/Nationality: One Who Leaves the Shadow of the Sword · South KoreaGender: MaleHeight/Weight: 179.2 cm · 68.7 kgAlignment: True Neutral

Abilities:

[Strength 90] [Resistance 81] [Agility 73] [Vitality 87] [Magic Power 89] [Luck 60]

As I expected, he was indeed Park Hyun-Woo. While his Resistance and Agility weren't remarkable stats, it seemed he still had room for growth as a Sword Expert. If he improved by just two levels, he could potentially become a Sword Master. Ah, that's right. He was the one referred to as the Sword Phantasm during the first Allied War.

I had heard of his reputation early on, but he wasn't a player I had directly clashed swords with. I particularly felt regret over his agility stat, but given that his magic was quite decent for a swordsman, there would be some compensation possible.

I decided to set aside my interest in him for now. I had heard that the Golden Lion Clan was completely obliterated in the later Allied War, and that he had been killed at that time as well. Moreover, since I was already an enemy of a large clan, it would be difficult to accept him as an ally.

While I was lost in my own thoughts, the survivors' attention was focused on Park Hyun-Woo. He walked slowly inside, carefully observing our faces. Soon, he wore a surprised expression before speaking in a calm voice.

"The 2nd hall has a considerable number of new players. It seems to be over forty."

"Forty-three. How many survived in the 1st hall?"

"Nineteen. Anyway, that's good. Classify them by class and gather them in the plaza. We should also bring in the new players from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th halls soon."

After answering the giant's question, Park Hyun-Woo casually left the inn.

The plaza was bustling with numerous players. Returning to the central plaza of Barbara City after a long time felt refreshing. While it was called a plaza, it wasn't particularly impressive. If I had to make a comparison, it resembled an open-air theater.

At the center was a stage that was round and slightly sunken, surrounded by tiers of stairs. The new players were divided by class, each occupying a spot on the stairs. My ass felt cold from the chill rising from the bricks, but I endured it and turned my gaze to the central stage.

There, players sporting the golden lion emblem on their right chests were moving in unison. Some looked at us with proud gazes, as if we were animals at a zoo.

If someone familiar with the circumstances of the Hall Plain were to look at the situation, they might say that Barbara was in a better state than others. The western continent, managed by American players, has an open policy toward all races, so there is a decent influx of people. For this reason, it is also called the Land of Freedom, but that also means the safety and order are not particularly good.

In the northern continent managed by South Korea, the Golden Lion Clan is known as the best existing clan. As such, I had heard that their internal regulations were very strict, albeit a bit arrogant.

I was currently separated from the other party members. This wasn't just my situation; most of the new players were likely also separated from their original groups. This was due to the existing players arbitrarily lining us up to categorize our class.

I suddenly became curious about what class Ahn-hyun and the others had chosen, but I decided to postpone that thought for later enjoyment. I refocused my attention back to the central stage, where I could see Park Hyun-Woo talking with a few others nearby. With nothing much to do except wait, I quietly raised my magic to enhance my hearing. I wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I'll report the numbers. 1st hall: 19 people, 2nd hall: 43 people, 3rd hall: 22 people, 4th hall: 29 people, 5th hall: 17 people. The total is 130 people."

"What about the class classifications?"

"75 in melee combat, 26 in ranged combat, 18 in magical talent, and 11 priests. There is no secret, rare, or other class."

"...I see. Understood. Then let's start getting things underway. Yu-Bin, set up the sound amplification magic. And bring that guy to me."

"That guy?" Who were they talking about? Come to think of it, there had been some commotion when we came out of the 2nd hall, but I didn't have time to notice the details as we mixed in with the players waiting outside.

My question was soon answered. Park Hyun-Woo led a battered man onto the central stage. The moment he stepped onto the stage, the whispers in the room gradually faded away. The venue quickly fell silent to the point where even breathing was hardly audible. Park Hyun-Woo dragged the man up with one arm and then tossed him in front of the stage.

The man was none other than Park Dong-Gul. He was foaming at the mouth, and his right arm was grotesquely bent, making for a rather pitiful sight. It seemed like he had lost his senses, as he occasionally twitches, but looking at his face, he appeared to be in considerable pain.

The other existing players, including him, seemed completely unconcerned by Park Dong-Gul's groans. Park Hyun-Woo turned to face all the new players and opened his mouth to speak.

"First of all, I'm glad to meet the new players who have passed the initiation ceremony. For now, I'll skip the trivial talk. You've probably heard most of it from the angels already. However."

He paused for a moment, allowing a brief silence before continuing. Everyone was focused on his words.

"We need to address the elephant in the room. We, who are present here, are all citizens of South Korea. You have all gone through the rite of passage that you just completed. The only difference between us and you is that we entered this Hall Plain earlier than you did. In other words..."

Thanks to the sound amplification magic, his voice resonated throughout the space. It was loud enough for all 130 people to hear clearly. He slowly moved forward, stepping directly in front of Park Dong-Gul, who was still lying on the ground.

"We are not the ones who will send you back home."

This statement definitely had a significant impact. Among the new players, a wave of agitation spread as they quietly listened to his words. However, it seemed that neither I nor Park Hyun-Woo were inclined to blame them.

I felt the same way. No matter how much I had heard from the angels, it was natural to feel disappointed when such information was revealed publicly in a gathering like this. Park Hyun-Woo, quietly scanning the crowd, spoke again in a softer voice than before.

"I understand that many of you were forcibly brought to this miserable Hall Plain and feel wronged. We were in a similar situation ourselves, and we still are. So you might be wondering why we are here now. Our sole purpose is to help you adapt to this Hall Plain. To help you survive. We are here to guide and assist you in the early stages."

After a brief pause, he looked down at Park Dong-Gul. Despite his pain, it seemed that his pride was still intact, as he trembled with humiliation. However, the moment he locked eyes with Park Hyun-Woo, he immediately looked down. I felt a sense of schadenfreude inside.

"To elaborate further, think of it like high-level players in an online game helping beginners. However, this man has verbally abused and insulted the player who came to guide him. Of course, we respect and guarantee personal freedoms and rights. There may be those who don't trust us or want help. For those individuals, I will provide an opportunity right now. If you do not wish to receive our guidance, please stand up and leave this place. I assure you, there are absolutely no restrictions."

When he finished speaking, no one dared to speak up. Naturally, no one stood up either. Only a dead silence enveloped the plaza. After a while, confirming that no one was getting up, Park Hyun-Woo nodded his head once or twice and continued speaking.

"No one is standing up. Then, let's assume that everyone who remains here has decided to receive our guidance. In the future, if any player engages in behavior that harms others, appropriate measures may be taken. Of course, there will be a degree of control in the guidance process. However, if you feel that the control is excessive, you are allowed to withdraw at any time, so please keep that in mind. Now, just a moment… Yubin. Cancel the sound amplification magic."

As the mage named Yubin canceled the sound amplification magic, the voices faded away. Park Hyun-Woo called over a priest and seemed to instruct him regarding Park Dong-Gul. I quickly activated my magical hearing again.

The priest who responded to his call was the giant I had seen at the inn. A priest with such a massive build. It looked rather unbalanced. The giant priest knelt on one knee and leaned forward toward the fallen Park Dong-Gul. Then, raising his hand glowing with a holy light, he moved it close to Park Dong-Gul's right arm.

"Heal."

Paat!

The moment the giant whispered the word "heal," a radiant light blossomed from his glowing hand. The light rose into the air and gradually seeped into Park Dong-Gul's right arm. The grotesquely twisted arm began to slowly return to its original position. Some of the new players gasped in astonishment at the sight.

Park Dong-Gul's eyes blinked in surprise; it seemed he was just as astonished to have received the healing. As he struggled to get up and cautiously moved his right arm, it looked perfectly healed. Park Hyun-Woo stared at him with an indifferent expression before speaking in a quiet voice.

"Get up."

As soon as he finished speaking, Park Dong-Gul sprang up with a sound that echoed in the air. He displayed a typical attitude of a strong person being weak towards the strong and strong towards the weak. Park Hyun-Woo, seeming displeased with his demeanor, frowned slightly and continued in a growling tone.

"Even if you're a new player, it's insane to provoke someone from the Golden Lion Clan, the representative clan of the city of Barbara. I'll let it slide this time, but if it happens again…."

From his words, I could sense a certain degree of intentional malice. It seemed that Park Dong-Gul had picked up on the faint scent of killing intent and was nodding his head in a panic.

Finally, the priest, receiving a nod from Park Hyun-Woo, led Park Dong-Gul to participate in the close combat category. After confirming that he was complying with the control, Park Hyun-Woo turned back to face us.

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