Memorize Chapter 256

Experiencing mysterious events always stirs human curiosity. Back when I was active in Hall Plain, I often found myself wondering about the unknown. What lies beyond this region? What relics slumber in uncharted territories? And so on.

Seeing a unicorn wasn’t exactly the same, but it was similar—a rare occurrence, not something you encounter often.

With lingering regret, we sent the baby unicorn on its way and resumed our march, following the traces.

Go Yeon-Joo and Kim Han-Byeol quickly regained focus, but An-Sol and Yun-Jung, still reluctant to let the unicorn go, occasionally glanced back with soft sighs.

I understood their feelings. Encountering a divine beast that playfully sought affection, rather than a monster we had to fight, was a novel experience. Thinking of the pegasus egg resting in my room, I scanned our surroundings thoroughly.

The gorge resembled a reclining V-shape, and we were heading toward its widening end. The ruins in the Gorge of Hallucination were less than an hour from where we met the unicorn. About 40 minutes into our resumed march, I could feel we were nearing our destination. Why?

'The fog is getting thicker.'

Despite the morning sunlight, the mist floating over the river seemed heavy, laden with moisture. The deeper we went, the deeper and quieter the gorge became. Aside from our footsteps, only the cool sound of flowing water broke the silence.

Crack.

Stepping on a dry branch, it snapped in half. Reflexively, I raised my hand. The sound of footsteps behind me stopped instantly.

“Su-Hyeon, what’s wrong?” Go Yeon-Joo asked.

“The path’s gone.”

“What?”

“The traces have vanished.”

The visible path remained, but the Riverside clan expedition’s traces, which had been clear until now, abruptly ended, as if by magic. Answering calmly, Go Yeon-Joo stepped forward to survey the area, then spoke with a puzzled expression.

“You’re right.”

“Let’s head to where the traces stopped.”

I wasn’t particularly alarmed. I had a few guesses. After about twenty more steps, nothing unusual stood out.

The path continued, but the traces were gone. Eight steps from the cutoff, I spoke to Go Yeon-Joo again.

“It’s probably…”

“Likely here, right?”

Her experience showed—she seemed to share my thoughts. With a knowing look, she pointed into the air, continuing.

“A magical barrier, or maybe a ward? The issue is getting inside. How do you plan to do it?”

“Would I come without a plan? Step back.”

There’s a formal process for dispelling barriers, but it’s time-consuming and tricky. It might seem crude, but breaking through with raw power is the fastest and most effective method.

Drawing the Sun-Moon Divine Sword, I glanced at Baek Hangeol. If he grew stronger, he might one day reflect even barriers like this. But that was for the future. Right now, he could barely maintain an amplified range, let alone recognize a barrier. Confronting the field effect head-on at his current level would likely overwhelm him.

Raising my sword, I activated my Third Eye. As expected, I sensed a massive ward, possibly enveloping the entire gorge—or even the Mountain of Delirium. Marveling at its grandeur, I turned to the clan members standing idly behind me.

“The expedition and rescue team’s traces both end here. I suspect this is likely the entrance to the ruins. I know it’s been tough getting here, but it’d be a shame to turn back with the entrance right in front of us.”

My words implied continuing the expedition. We’d marched without sleep, but we hadn’t fought monsters, meaning no real danger. We’d rested recently, boosting morale, and now stood at the ruins’ doorstep.

Asking their opinions, I was relieved to see everyone nod in agreement.

“We’ll proceed. I have two requests. There’s a magical barrier ahead, and we don’t know what’ll happen once we cross it. Whatever occurs, stay calm and maintain your composure.”

“Don’t worry,” Go Yeon-Joo replied.

With that, I stepped out of Reflection’s range. Urgent voices called after me, but I raised a hand to signal I was fine.

[Potential Ability: Mind’s Eye (Rank: A +) activated.]

[Potential Ability: Blessing of the War (Rank: EX) activated.]

My vision blurred briefly before clearing. The subtle pressure returned, faint but unpleasant.

Aiming my sword, I crouched into a thrusting stance. The barrier’s weak point wasn’t visible—its structure was uniform, meaning any spot would do.

As a reddish aura rose from the Sun-Moon Divine Sword, I charged forward without hesitation.

Thud!

It started well. I’d expected resistance, but I pierced the barrier instantly. My ability’s power was stronger than anticipated. Still, as a large-scale ward, it pushed back with a fierce magical current.

Crackle! Crackle! Crackle!

The barrier tried to repel me; I pushed to tear it apart. As our magic clashed, blue sparks erupted where the sword met the ward, scattering chaotically. The ward’s resistance was formidable, but I trusted my stats and ability. As the barrier’s magic intensified, I raised my own, leaning forward with all my strength.

Fzzt, fzzt! Fzzt, fzzt! Rip, tear!

'Got it.'

The sensation of tearing paper coursed through the sword. After a tense struggle, the balance tipped in my favor. My hands, pressed near my chest, inched forward. Twisting the blade, the feeling of shredding intensified.

Hum!

As the hole in the barrier grew, a resonant surge of magic echoed around us. The ward’s energy converged on one point, and the oppressive pressure on my body intensified. Forcing the barrier open likely caused a temporary surge in the surrounding field effect.

Realizing it wouldn’t be easy, I licked my lips and gripped the sword tighter. Then—

'Oppa…'

“Hm?”

A woman’s voice, achingly familiar, rang in my ears without warning. Startled, I looked up, and an unbelievable scene unfolded.

“What…?”

My voice dripped with disbelief. Above me, in the air, two figures clung together—both faces I knew well.

“Aah…! Please, stop… Aah…!”

“Park Da-Yeon…? Belphegor…?”

In the air, Park Da-Yeon and a demon, Belphegor, sat together. Belphegor lounged in a chair, one hand propping his chin, grinning wickedly. Between his legs, a woman knelt, her body pressed against his sensitive area. Each time he thrust his hips, her limp limbs shook, and she let out deep moans.

As I stared, the scene shifted again.

'Su-Hyeon… Run… Escape… Survive somehow…'

My brother appeared. He lay on the dirt, blood dripping from his mouth, a gaping hole in his abdomen, reaching out toward me.

The scene shifted again.

'Su-Hyeon……, I’m begging you!.....'

This time, it was Han So-Young. Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head, pleading with me in a desperate tone.

“You bastard…”

The forced resurfacing of memories I wanted to forget sparked a fire in my eyes. But then, a fierce heat flared at my waist. Looking down, I saw the Glory of the Sun glowing red-hot.

'Calm down. It’s an illusion.'

I quickly steadied my mind. The unexpected visions had rattled me, but I forced myself to regain composure. Shaking my head to refocus, I saw I hadn’t been pushed back much. Speed was key now. Drawing every ounce of strength from within, I poured it into the Sun-Moon Divine Sword.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Rip, tear!

As I infused my magic with the power of Hwajung, the barrier’s fierce resistance crumbled instantly, like ice cream melting in intense heat. The hole in the barrier, which had been slowly widening, began to dissolve rapidly.

[Potential Ability: Last Man Standing(Rank: A +) activated.]

“Haa, haa.”

“Oppa…!”

Kim Han-Byeol’s anxious cry came from behind. The clan members rushed forward, bringing me back into Reflection’s range. I’d succeeded in creating an entrance. It wasn’t dangerous, but being briefly caught in an illusion was unexpected.

Catching my breath, I steadied myself. Go Yeon-Joo approached, her face full of concern.

“Su-Hyeon, that power… Are you okay? You look pale.”

“I’m fine. It’s taxing, but manageable.”

I replied briefly, stepping back to gaze ahead. A large, melted hole, resembling a cave entrance, gaped before us. Small sparks flickered around it, suggesting attempts at restoration, but Hwajung’s lingering effect was widening the gap.

I let out a long sigh and sheathed the Sun-Moon Divine Sword.

---

“Wow, Hyung found another one.”

“Look at that hole!”

“Hehe, our Oppa made it. Ahem!”

“…Yeah, impressive.”

I listened to the group while puffing on a cigarette. The three illusions I’d just seen—each touching my deepest wounds—naturally stoked anger. But it wasn’t a hot rage. Instead, it cooled my mind, awakening a chilling intent to kill. It wasn’t quite turning misfortune into opportunity, but it felt like the edge I’d dulled over time had been sharpened anew.

Flicking away the spent cigarette, I stood, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Let’s head inside.”

“Su-Hyeon, shouldn’t you rest a bit more?” Go Yeon-Joo asked, her eyes and the others’ filled with worry.

I shook my head, tapping the still-hot scabbard to urge departure. Reluctantly, she stepped back.

Before entering, the scenery visible through the hole looked similar to the outside. Aside from some distortion from the breach, there was little difference in the landscape. But that was only surface-level.

The moment I stepped through, an intense sense of dissonance washed over me. Crossing fully, I understood the difference: it was the presence or absence of vitality. This wasn’t an external sensation but something felt internally, my body reacting instinctively to the abrupt environmental shift.

As I led the way and Go Yeon-Joo, the last to cross, passed through, I paused and turned to face the clan. Their faces were blank, either from the overwhelming dissonance or lingering shock at finding the ruins’ entrance. None had caught on yet.

“Everyone, how do you feel? Okay?”

“It’s… weird…” An-Sol replied, a question mark practically floating above her head—a rare optical illusion. Struggling to find the right words, she pursed her lips and tilted her head. Her response quietly impressed me.

'Her intuition’s still sharp. But where do those question marks come from?'

For a fleeting moment, I was tempted to reach for the illusory mark. Smirking, I pointed to the right, where the river flowed, to help the bewildered group.

They followed my gesture, and when their eyes landed on the river, their dazed gazes widened dramatically.

“What’s that?”

“The river… isn’t it flowing?”

“It’s stopped? Frozen?”

“You’re not shocked enough yet…”

I muttered, now pointing upward. The group, staring at the motionless river, tilted their heads back to the sky. Their eyes refused to widen further, mouths agape instead.

Following suit, I looked up. My gaze climbed the towering walls to the sun blazing brightly above. An-Hyun’s exclamation reached my ears.

“A city…!”

Above the gorge’s walls, countless structures pierced the sky. This was the true relic of the Gorge of Hallucination.

To be precise, its official name was the magical city of Magia—later known to players as the City of Betrayers.