Memorize Chapter 265

Fairies can be defined as supernatural beings that interact with entities known as "spirits," distinct from the "players." They regard the World Tree "Yggdrasil" as their parent and live in harmony with nature and spirits, forming a refined and structured society. Reports indicate that they have not been sighted in the eastern, western, or northern continents, and are only known to appear in the "Fairy Forest" located in the southern continent.

In appearance, fairies closely resemble humans but possess distinct differences. It is widely known that, regardless of gender, they are all exceptionally beautiful beings.

Delving deeper, their ears are not rounded like humans' but are pointed, resembling leaves. They have wings on their backs, similar to dragonfly wings, which serve as a marker of their hierarchical status within fairy society. Additionally, their physical vitality is extraordinary, harboring a life force far surpassing that of humans.

So, what are the unique traits of fairies? Players from the southern continent (Britain) often describe them as "a noble race that sings of radiant light." They are elegant, pure, and peace-loving, with a deep affinity for music. However, they are highly rational and make logical judgments, showing no mercy to those they designate as "enemies."

Fairies move with remarkable grace and agility, especially in forests, which are akin to their sanctuaries, granting them positive enhancements to their actions. (Some claim that fairies possess abilities akin to the "Blessing of the Forest," though this has not been officially confirmed. Based on my limited observations of fairies, this theory seems quite plausible.)

Numerous records document their appearances in the Fairy Forest. While it’s impossible to review all of them, one common thread stands out: never lie in the presence of fairies if you lack control over your emotions.

A fairy’s eyes are strikingly clear and pure. They are said to possess an ability akin to the B-Rank Zero Clairvoyance, but more notably, their calm gaze can read human emotions and discern inner thoughts with uncanny precision.

As briefly mentioned, fairies maintain a social structure similar to humans. Their hierarchy is determined by the wings on their backs. Newborn fairy babies are born with a small pair of wings, which fully develop over approximately 30 years.

Additionally, fairy society has no "king." Traditionally, only females are eligible to become leaders, so only a "queen" exists.

The Fairy Queen is a position reserved for an exceptionally chosen fairy, whose grace and nobility are said to rival ancient goddesses who manifested in times past. However, the position of Fairy Queen is currently vacant. About 300 years ago, a fairy named Margarita Dalant Beatrice was elected queen, but her whereabouts are currently unknown.

It is speculated that she may still be alive somewhere in the northern continent, as Yggdrasil has not permitted the election of a new queen. (For details, refer to the records of the ancient magical city of Magia in the Hall Plain from 300 years ago.)

Occasionally, some fairies have proposed electing a temporary queen, but most have rejected the idea. This indicates that Margarita’s influence as Fairy Queen persists even after 300 years, a testament to her unparalleled sanctity and nobility.

Her noble character and elegant beauty, revealed during the salvation of the Hall Plain continent, were widely discussed at the time, and records of her continue to be discovered.

Refer to the expedition records titled "Fairy Forest" in the central library of the southern continent’s major city, Mariposa, Row E, 15th shelf.

*

The task of rescuing the players on the first floor is complete. A total of seven players were saved. Some were on the verge of death, but I did what I could. Their survival now depends on how tenaciously they cling to life.

All the rescued players, without exception, were unconscious, likely due to the severe hardships they endured. After laying them out neatly in a wider passage, I quietly stared down the inner corridor. According to Go Yeon-Joo, who had returned, there was a passage on the opposite wall leading to the right, and a brief check revealed stairs descending downward. If that’s the case…

Sniffle…

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of incessant crying. The source was An-Sol. The sight of a man with all his limbs severed must have been a tremendous shock, as she was sobbing uncontrollably, tears and snot streaming down her face. Even so, she was stubbornly chanting healing spells. Watching her, I spoke in a low voice.

“Kim Han-Byeol, Baek Hangeol, An-Sol. You three stay here. Don’t stop the healing spells, and if any player wakes up during treatment, ensure they remain absolutely stable. An-Hyun, you stay here to protect them. Stay vigilant in case something unexpected happens.”

“Yes, hyung. Don’t worry. Oh, here’s your sword back.”

An-Hyun responded promptly, handing me the Sun-Moon Divine Sword. Sheathing it, I turned to Go Yeon-Joo and Lee Yun-Jung and continued.

“Go Yeon-Joo, guide me to the passage you found earlier. The number of rescued players is lower than expected, so we need to check that area too. Yun-Jung, what do you want to do? Come with us or stay here?”

“I’ll come. Yeah, I’ll come…”

There was no trace of Yun-Jung’s usual liveliness in her expression or voice. It’s understandable—she was accustomed to hunting monsters, not being on the receiving end or witnessing others in that position. Expecting her to have the same composure as me or Go Yeon-Joo in this situation was unrealistic.

Thus, I left four people behind and proceeded with three others to the underground passage Go Yeon-Joo had discovered. On the way, we passed by another section of the prison I hadn’t seen before. Only traces remained, but the numerous marks scattered around made it easy to imagine what the imprisoned players had endured.

Soon, we reached the entrance to the second basement level that Go Yeon-Joo had found and slowly descended the stairs. No one spoke as we went down. The increasingly pungent smell of blood likely gave us a rough idea of what awaited on the second floor.

It didn’t take long to descend, unlike when we first entered the first basement from the castle. In less than five minutes, we found another door, glinting silver. The moment we stood before it, an overwhelming stench assaulted us, intensely stimulating our senses. The odor, far worse than on the first floor, carried an immense sense of "malice."

The door was locked. I faintly sensed some magical reinforcement, but a quick check with my Third Eye confirmed it wasn’t a dangerous trap. With my strength stat of 96, I could handle it with raw power. Just as I was about to force the door open, I paused, easing the pressure, and turned back to warn Yun-Jung to brace herself. That’s when it happened.

“…Yun-Jung.”

“Uh, y-yeah? What’s wrong, oppa?”

Yun-Jung looked up, startled, like a child caught doing something sneaky. She quickly hid her right hand, but I had already noticed. Her hand was trembling as she tightly gripped the Sculepf. I rushed over and forcibly took the sword from her. Though she weakly resisted, I overpowered her, and the sword was soon in my hand.

Yun-Jung looked up at me with trembling eyes, her pupils tinged a deep red.

“Oppa…”

“Throw up if you need to. I won’t say anything. I understand how you feel, and I’m not going to be harsh about it.”

“That’s not it…”

“Didn’t I tell you clearly? Don’t rely on it, don’t let it control you. But you’re leaning on the Sculepf right now. You were about to just now, weren’t you?”

Even though I thought she was holding up fairly well against the horrific scene, it seems Yun-Jung had been relying on the demonic sword all along. If she can’t control herself, it’s no different from pouring poison into the vessel of her disposition. With a face that showed she had no words to offer, she hung her head low. Sighing at her demeanor, I said, “When we get back, you and I need to have a talk.” Tucking the Sculepf into my coat, I stepped back to the door.

Placing my hand on the center of the door, I felt a heavy sensation travel through my palm. Leaning in slowly, I pushed open the massive iron door.

---

The second basement level was not structured like the first. Instead of being divided into multiple cells with iron bars, it was a single, vast chamber, large enough to be considered a great prison, roughly 60 pyeong (about 200 square meters) in size. The room was filled with torture devices, interspersed with incongruous furniture like beds and bathtubs, creating a jarring sense of imbalance. While this setup alone was strange enough to raise questions, the shocking scene within was so overwhelming that such details became secondary.

The room was saturated with the stench of blood. The source was the bodies hanging or strewn about everywhere. As I calmly observed them, the words of Kwon So-Ra and Marvolo came to mind.

‘For the second one, in the case of men, it’s limb amputation! And for women, rape comes as an option!’

‘If you flap that pretty mouth of yours carelessly one more time, I’ll personally spread your thighs and tear you in half from the crotch.’

Their words were no lie. Perhaps they spoke so casually because they had already done such things.

As Kwon So-Ra had said, one corner of the floor had neatly arranged human body parts. Among them, the neck part was separated, and upon closer look, it was a man's face. His face, unfitting for the surrounding situation, had its eyes closed with a peaceful expression. And next to it, a triangular horse, which appeared to be a torture device, was set up, with a woman's corpse draped over it. It was in the state Marvolo had described, straddling the horse.

That wasn’t all. The scene resembled a butcher’s shop. Human corpses were everywhere—hung by their parts, piled in large containers. The floor was so drenched in blood from the hanging bodies that it pooled and flowed. As I stood silently observing, I felt someone lightly tug at my arm.

“Su-Hyeon. Over there… take a look.”

“What is it?”

Go Yeon-Joo’s face was also at a loss for words in the face of the horrific carnage. When I turned my gaze to where she pointed, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp, “Ugh.” No matter how gruesome, my ten years of experience had hardened me to most things, so I wasn’t overly disturbed. But the scene that followed certainly exceeded my expectations. An adult unicorn was lying there. And it was in a truly miserable state, with its horn pulled out, its four legs cut off, and its belly split in half.

“Uweeeeeng!”

Unable to hold it in any longer, Yun-Jung bent over and began vomiting violently. Her retching sounded almost like a wail of anguish in the face of this tragic scene. Clear saliva mixed with teardrops fell from her mouth.

“Uweeng, uweeek! Eeeeng!”

“…”

As I watched Yun-Jung retch uncontrollably and move to pat her back, I heard a sound.

Rustle, rustle-rustle.

It was the sound of someone pushing aside dry bedding and rising. The noise came from a bed. I immediately turned my gaze to a bed in one corner of the room.

“Hm…? Master, have you come…?”

The moment I heard a beautiful, calm voice, I saw silky silver hair flowing down smoothly.