Memorize - Episode 37
37 To the Hollow Plane!
Today's afterword replies are limited to 20. Please forgive me for exceeding 15. There were many comments I wanted to respond to... ㅜ.ㅠ
As the barrier disappeared, the tightly closed inn door opened. And as soon as the door opened, a group of people rushed in. Judging by their appearance, they were existing users who had already entered.
The place where I'm starting now is a major city in the Northern Continent called Barbara. As users based in one of the only major cities on each continent, each of them exuded a sharp aura that showed they were capable individuals.
They all wore a common emblem of a golden lion near their right chest, which was a symbol I was familiar with. The Golden Lion Clan of the Northern Continent. I remembered them as a clan that had made their mark on the Hollow Plane. They would eventually self-destruct due to weakening from reckless expeditions and conflicts with other clans taking advantage of this weakness, but that was still some time in the future.
A giant man over 190cm tall, wearing a plain priest's robe that seemed ill-suited to his solid build, looked around the inn and spoke in a surprised voice:
"There are unexpectedly many people in Inn 2?"
He wasn't talking to us. The users who came in behind him seemed to share the same sentiment. One of them calmly counted the number of survivors and then nodded before answering:
"Wow. Inn 2 has 43 new users. This is truly a baby boom we haven't seen in a long time."
"Isn't this close to the highest record in recent times?"
"Well, compared to last year... It does seem like a lot for one inn. How are the situations in other inns?"
The survivors (new users) looked uneasy as they watched the existing users whispering among themselves. However, even in this situation, there were people who were keenly observing the surroundings or listening attentively to their words. I decided to remember their faces for now.
"They're probably tallying now. Hyun-woo hyung is coming out from Inn 1. Everyone line up."
As soon as the name Hyun-woo was mentioned, the users who had been chattering freely suddenly lined up neatly on the sides of the inn door. Hyun-woo. Golden Lion Clan. Connecting these two words, I could recall a memory. If my thoughts were correct, it could be Park Hyun-woo, who would later become a high-ranking official in the clan.
Soon, a person could be seen walking steadily through the center of the users standing at attention on both sides of the door. He was a man with a clean-cut appearance and a handsome face with neatly trimmed hair. He seemed a bit younger than I vaguely remembered from my first run, but looking into his eyes, I felt certain that he was Park Hyun-woo. I raised my magic power a bit more strongly than before and immediately activated my Third Eye.
『 User Information (PLAYER STATUS) 』
Name (NAME) : Park Hyun-woo (4th year)
Class (CLASS) : Normal Sword Expert
Affiliated Nation (NATION) : Barbara (Global City)
Affiliated Group (CLAN) : Golden Lion
True Name · Nationality : One who leaves afterimages of the sword · Republic of Korea
Gender (SEX) : Male
Height · Weight : 179.2cm · 68.7kg
Disposition : Neutral · Moderation (True · Neutral)
『Abilities』
[Strength 90] [Endurance 81] [Agility 73] [Vitality 87] [Magic 89] [Luck 60]
As I expected, he was Park Hyun-woo. Although his endurance and agility scores were unremarkable(?), the fact that he was still a Sword Expert suggested he had room for growth. He might be able to become a Sword Master if he raised just two more levels. Ah, that's right. He was the one called the Phantom Sword Master in the First Allied War.
I had heard of his fame in the early stages, but he wasn't a user I had directly crossed swords with. His agility, in particular, was quite disappointing. However, his magic power was decent for a swordsman, so he should be able to compensate to some extent.
I decided to set aside my interest in him for now. I had heard that he was killed when the Golden Lion Clan was utterly destroyed in the Allied War later. Above all, since he was already a member of a large clan, it would be difficult to accept him as a companion.
While I was lost in my own thoughts, the survivors' attention was focused on Park Hyun-woo. He slowly walked in, carefully examining our faces. Eventually, he too made a surprised expression and then opened his mouth in a calm voice:
"Inn 2 has quite a lot of new users. It seems to be over forty."
"There are 43. How many survived in Inn 1?"
"Nineteen. Anyway, that's good. Classify them by profession and gather them in the square. We'll bring the new users from Inns 3, 4, and 5 soon as well."
After answering the giant's question, Park Hyun-woo left the inn with an indifferent face.
The square was bustling with numerous users. Coming to the central square of Barbara city after a long time gave me a fresh feeling. The square itself wasn't anything particularly special. If I had to draw a comparison, it could be likened to an open-air theater.
It was structured with stairs rising in tiers, centered around a circular sunken stage in the middle. The new users were divided by profession, with one person sitting on each step. Despite the cold chill rising from the bricks making our buttocks cold, we endured and turned our attention to the central stage.
There, users with the Golden Lion emblem on the right side of their chests were moving in unison. Some, as mentioned earlier, were looking at us with smug eyes, as if viewing animals in a zoo.
If someone who knew the situation in the Hollow Plane were to see this, they might say that Barbara was in a better state. The Western Continent, managed by American users, has an open policy towards all races, so there's a considerable influx of population. That's why it's called the Continent of Freedom, but consequently, it couldn't be said that public safety was particularly good.
The Golden Lion Clan, currently considered the best clan in the Northern Continent managed by South Korea. As such, I had heard that their internal discipline was extremely strict. Although they were a bit arrogant.
I was currently separated from my other companions. This wasn't just the case for me. Most of the new users were probably separated from their original groups. This was because the existing users had arbitrarily lined us up, claiming to classify us by profession.
I was suddenly curious about what professions Ahn Hyun and the others had chosen, but I decided to postpone that pleasure for later confirmation. Clearing away these trivial thoughts, I turned my attention back to the central stage where I could see Park Hyun-woo and a few others around him talking. Since there was nothing else to do but wait, I quietly raised my magic power to enhance my hearing. I wanted to eavesdrop on what they were talking about.
"I'll report the numbers. Inn 1: 19 people, Inn 2: 43 people, Inn 3: 22 people, Inn 4: 29 people, Inn 5: 17 people. The total is 130 people."
"What about the classification by profession?"
"Close combat category: 75 people, ranged combat category: 26 people, magic talent category: 18 people, priests: 11 people. Secret, rare, and other professions: 0 people."
"...I see. Alright. Then let's start now. Yubin. Set up the sound amplification magic. And bring that guy in front of me too."
That guy? Who is he talking about? Come to think of it, there seemed to be some commotion inside when we were leaving Inn 2... I didn't have time to check in detail as we were immediately mixed with the users who had already gone outside and were waiting after being classified.
My question was soon answered. Park Hyun-woo led a battered man onto the central stage. The moment he set foot in the center, even the slight murmuring voices completely disappeared. The venue became so quiet that not even breathing could be heard. Park Hyun-woo dragged the man up with one arm and then threw him down in front of the stage.
That man was none other than Park Dong-geol. With foam at his mouth and his right arm bent grotesquely, he looked quite pathetic. Although he wasn't unconscious, he occasionally twitched, and judging by his face, he seemed to be in considerable pain.
The existing users, including him, didn't seem to pay any attention to Park Dong-geol's groaning. Park Hyun-woo looked at all the new users and began his opening words:
"First, I'm glad to meet the new users who have passed the Trial of Passage. I'll skip the trivial talk for now. You've probably heard most of it from the angels already. However..."
He paused for a moment, then continued after a brief pause. Everyone was focused on his words.
"We should address what needs to be addressed. We too, standing here now, were citizens of the Republic of Korea. We are also people who have gone through the test called the Trial of Passage that you just passed. The difference between us and you is only one thing. Whether we entered this space called the Hollow Plane earlier or later. In other words, the point is..."
Thanks to the effect of the sound amplification magic, his voice resonated grandly throughout the surrounding space. It was loud enough to be clearly heard by all 130 people present. He gradually moved forward, stepping in front of everyone while standing in front of the fallen Park Dong-geol.
"We are not people who will send you back home."
This statement certainly had some impact. A wave of unrest flowed through the new users who had been quietly focusing on his words. However, neither I nor Park Hyun-woo seemed to blame these users.
I had been the same. No matter what they had heard from the angels, it was natural to feel disappointed when hearing it publicly in a gathering like this. Park Hyun-woo silently scanned those users, then opened his mouth again in a lower voice than before:
"We understand all too well that you were forcibly brought to this wretched Hollow Plane, and that it's unfair. We were in the same situation, and still are. So you might be wondering why we're here now. Our purpose is just one. To help you adapt to this space called the Hollow Plane. To help you survive. We're here to guide and help you in the early stages."
He paused briefly, then looked down at Park Dong-geol. Despite his pain, Park Dong-geol seemed to be trembling with humiliation, his pride still intact even in this state. However, the moment he made eye contact with Park Hyun-woo, he immediately lowered his gaze. I felt a sense of satisfaction inwardly.
"To elaborate a bit more, you can think of it as high-level users helping novice users in an online game. However, this man insulted and verbally abused a user who came to guide him. Of course, we guarantee and respect individual freedom and rights. There might be people who don't trust us or don't want our help. I'll give those people an opportunity right now. If anyone doesn't want our guidance, please stand up and leave this place now. We absolutely won't impose any restrictions."
His words ended, but no one dared to open their mouth. Of course, no one stood up either. Only a deathly silence enveloped the square. After some time passed and it was confirmed that no one was standing up, Park Hyun-woo nodded once or twice and said:
"No one, it seems. Then we'll assume that everyone remaining wants to receive guidance. If there are users who later engage in deviant behavior that harms other users, appropriate measures may be taken. Of course, there will be some level of control in the guidance process. But if you feel the control is excessive, you're allowed to give up midway, so please keep that in mind. Now, just a moment... Yubin. Cancel the sound amplification magic."
As the magician called Yubin dispelled the sound amplification magic, their voices could no longer be heard. Park Hyun-woo called a priest and seemed to be saying something while pointing at Park Dong-geol. I quickly activated my hearing with magic again.
The priest he called was the giant man I had seen in the inn. A priest with that build. How unbalanced. The large priest knelt on one knee and bent over in front of the fallen Park Dong-geol. Then, with his hand now tinged with a sacred light, he moved it close to Park Dong-geol's right arm.
"Heal."
Flash!
The moment the giant briefly chanted the word "heal," the hand tinged with light bloomed brilliantly. The light that bloomed into the air was then absorbed into Park Dong-geol's right arm as if seeping in. And his grotesquely bent right arm was gradually finding its proper place. At this sight, some of the new users let out exclamations of amazement.
Park Dong-geol's eyes blinked rapidly, suggesting that he too was very surprised at receiving the healing directly. As he got up with a groan and slightly moved his right arm, it seemed to be perfectly healed. Park Hyun-woo gazed at Park Dong-geol with indifferent eyes, then opened his mouth in a quiet voice:
"Stand up."
The moment his words ended, Park Dong-geol stood up so quickly that it made a fluttering sound. It was a typical display of being weak to the strong and strong to the weak. Park Hyun-woo also seemed displeased with him, slightly frowning his face before continuing in a growling tone:
"Even if you're a new user, opposing a member of the Golden Lion Clan, the representative clan, in Barbara city is madness. I'll let it slide this once, but if you do it again next time, then..."
I could tell that his words were mixed with some intentional killing intent. Park Dong-geol also seemed to have sensed the faint smell of murder, as he was nodding his head frantically.
Eventually, following Park Hyun-woo's eye signal, the priest took Park Dong-geol and placed him in the close combat category. After confirming that he was obediently following the control, Park Hyun-woo turned back towards us.