Memorize Chapter 255

“It’s hard to see clearly with the rocks in the way, but something’s definitely pinned underneath. Su-Hyeon, you’re really something else.”

“…Well, what’s good is good, right?”

“Exactly. It’s like a frog getting crushed by a carelessly thrown rock. Heehee.”

“It doesn’t seem dead yet… Let’s go down and check it out.”

Go Yeon-Joo’s playful tone made me feel a bit sheepish. I’d just sent out a wave without much thought, and it ended up splitting a rock that crushed a resting monster. Talk about a bolt from the sky—or rather, a rock from the sky.

Turning to the kids, who were staring at us blankly, I fixed my gaze on Kim Han-Byeol and Baek Hangeol.

“Kim Han-Byeol, Baek Hangeol, time to get ready.”

“Got it.”

“Y-Yes!”

“Don’t be nervous. Han-Byeol will handle the rest, so just focus on maintaining the manifestation.”

Unlike Kim Han-Byeol’s calm response, Baek Hangeol’s throat bobbed with visible tension. He had decent player stats and talent, plus a strong drive to succeed. The fact that he’d followed along without complaint on his first expedition spoke volumes.

But if there was one flaw…

'For some reason, he can't perform in a real situation like he does in practice.'

“Hangeol, let’s start now. Everyone else, gather around us.”

“Hoo, hoo.”

Kim Han-Byeol selected a few gems from the handful she held and requested Baek Hangeol to activate reflection. As the clan gathered and formed up, Baek Hangeol took a couple of deep breaths and raised his right hand.

Flash!

A brilliant light burst from his hand. Seeing a faint, misty veil envelop it, Kim Han-Byeol began chanting.

“───. ───. ───.”

Her unique ability, Jewel Amplification, might seem unimpressive at first glance, but its value soared because it could amplify not just her own magic but others’ as well. She could even blend other abilities if her skill allowed, making her something of a hidden gem—though, for now, “gem-eating hippo” might be more fitting.

“Target: Reflection. Gem: Azurite White.”

As her chant continued, beams of light streamed through the gaps in her clenched fingers. When she gently opened her hand, the gem floated up, arcing toward Baek Hangeol’s hand.

As the Azurite White settled softly in his palm, Kim Han-Byeol opened her lips for the final incantation.

“Jewel Amplification.”

Hum.

The amplification began, flowing like a tranquil stream. Curious, I traced the magic’s flow. The gem, now within Reflection’s domain, unleashed its inner magic explosively.

Hum! Hummm!

The unleashed magic blended seamlessly with Baek Hangeol’s wavelength. Then, with another burst of light, the Reflection, previously confined to his hand, began to expand.

“Whoa, this is kinda cool.”

“Hmph~.”

“Super nifty~.”

“…”

'Super nifty? Not “super cool”?'

An-Hyun, Yun-Jung, and An-Sol each voiced their reactions. Usually indifferent to Kim Han-Byeol’s work, they found this display novel. An-Sol’s odd phrase drew a faint, wry smile from Kim Han-Byeol.

Reflection slowly expanded its range, starting with An-Sol, then Yun-Jung, Go Yeon-Joo, and finally reaching me at the front. A round barrier enveloped us, and the clan members let out curious gasps.

“Whoa, what’s this? Wow!”

“Cough! Cough!”

I was no exception. The faint pressure of the field effect that had weighed on me vanished instantly. An-Sol, most affected by the field, coughed a few times before gaping with wide eyes.

“Wow, I was so exhausted earlier, but now I feel full of energy!”

“Right? My head and body feel so light.”

Freed from the oppressive weight, their moods lifted, and their chatter grew lively. Hearing An-Hyun and Yun-Jung’s praise, Baek Hangeol exhaled with relief.

Kim Han-Byeol, closely watching the gem hovering near his hand, nodded and reported to me.

“Oppa, it’s done.”

“Good work. How’s it holding up?”

“It’s draining faster than in practice. I’ll need to monitor to gauge the duration.”

“Got it. Now we need to descend the gorge…”

The Riverside Clan seemed to have gone straight down the wall. For Go Yeon-Joo or me, that wouldn’t be an issue, but our group’s situation was different. The triple-layered field effect upon entering the Gorge of Hallucination was not something to underestimate.

As I pondered our next move, someone tapped my shoulder. Turning, I saw Go Yeon-Joo pointing repeatedly into the air to the right.

“Su-Hyeon, you’re not planning to go straight down, are you?”

“That’d be tough. One wrong step, and we’d likely slip out of Reflection’s range. But what’s with the pointing?”

“It looks like the first rescue team went that way. The traces split again.”

“Hm. True, but…”

I’d been following the Riverside Clan’s traces, assuming they’d likely found the ruins in the gorge. Sticking to their path meant we wouldn’t need to rely on my memory to find the ruins.

After a moment’s hesitation, I decided to follow Go Yeon-Joo’s suggestion but made a mental note of the gorge’s terrain in case the trail stretched too far.

“Let’s go that way then. We might find a way down as we go.”

“Wise choice.”

Turning toward her indicated direction, the clan reformed their formation. Since we’d be marching within Reflection’s barrier, I needed to adjust our pace for Kim Han-Byeol and Baek Hangeol.

“Let’s move out.”

We began marching again, keeping the gaping gorge to our right. The sunlight grew stronger, and the fog in the gorge thinned. Knowing we were close to entering the ruins, I slowly roused the tension within me.

As I walked, mentally preparing, a sudden thought struck me about the creature hit by my rock wave.

'Was there a monster in the gorge that could move freely without being affected?'

---

“This seems to be the spot.”

“Yeah, probably a bit further ahead. By the way, this place is dizzyingly high. I can’t believe they came down here.”

Looking up, as Go Yeon-Joo said, the gorge’s walls towered imposingly. Fortunately, after following the traces, we’d found a relatively gentle slope to descend. “Gentle” was relative—it wasn’t a sheer drop, but for safety, we decided the ranged players, including Kim Han-Byeol, would stick close to Go Yeon-Joo and me. One misstep could send us tumbling.

“Tch…”

“…Tsk.”

After reaching the gorge’s base, An-Sol and Baek Hangeol were exchanging sharp glances. They’d been assigned to stick by me (Kim Han-Byeol stayed with Go Yeon-Joo), and during the descent, they’d bickered over who got to hold onto me more. It wasn’t an outright argument, but since they were gripping parts of my body, I could sense a silent battle in their hands on my waist.

“By the way, kid, you’re getting better at maintaining it. You used to be so focused you couldn’t even talk, but now you’ve got some leeway.”

“Uh, really?”

“Yeah, Oppa told me you’ve been practicing during the expedition. You’re working hard~.”

“Heh, hehe. Thanks.”

Glancing back, I saw Baek Hangeol smiling shyly at An-Hyun and Yun-Jung’s praise. The two laughed, finding his reaction cute. Just as the mood turned warm, a chilling breeze swept through. Naturally, An-Sol was the source, her face contorted.

While listening to their banter, I scanned ahead. Moving forward a bit more, I spotted a few rocks lying about 20 meters away, out of place with the surroundings—definitely the ones I’d dislodged.

“Found it.”

I muttered, starting to quicken my pace but then reverting to normal speed. My words silenced the chattering clan members instantly. Having overheard my talk with Go Yeon-Joo above, they likely deduced something was under the rocks.

Swish, swish.

To our left, a wide stream flowed gently. On the land by the stream, two white forelegs poked out from under a rock, with a white tail feebly swaying behind. I stopped in front of the rock, staring at it in a daze.

'White legs, white tail… No way.'

“Hyung, what is that?”

“Wow, the tail’s moving… It’s still alive…”

Swallowing hard, I stepped closer. The barrier moved with me, bringing the rock into Reflection’s range. I hurriedly grabbed the rock, feeling faint vibrations through my hand. Lifting and tossing it aside, I revealed the creature’s identity.

Splash!

“Kyu…”

“Oh my!”

“Gasp.”

“Huh?”

As the rock splashed into the stream, the creature pinned beneath was exposed. It wasn’t a monster.

About the size of a small foal, it was covered in white fur with a softly glowing horn on its head. It was a baby unicorn, not yet fully grown.

“Oh my gosh! No way, is that a unicorn?”

“Correct. Sol, come here quick!”

As the rock was removed, the unicorn lifted its head weakly. A surprising amount of blood pooled on the ground. It hadn't died, but its body and legs were severely crushed. Its teary eyes met mine before it tried to drag itself away with its front legs.

“P-Poor thing…”

“Grab three or four healing potions from the bag and start casting healing spells. It’ll take more than one or two—keep going until I say stop.”

“Kyu…”

“It’s okay, don’t run. Good, good. We won’t hurt you. We’ll heal you right now.”

'That was close.'

I took the potion from An-Sol, feeling as if I’d aged ten years. As I lifted the crawling baby unicorn, it weakly struggled to break free. Likely frightened by unfamiliar humans while in pain, it let out plaintive cries, shedding pearl-like tears.

I laid it on flat ground and quickly uncorked the healing potion.

---

I worried it might be too late, but thanks to swift action, we managed to fully heal the unicorn. Four high-grade potions were used, but I didn’t regret a single one.

“Kyu, kyu!”

“Hoho, look at it acting cute!”

“Ack, that tickles! Stop it…”

“Haha! Look at it rubbing against An-Sol’s face. So adorable!”

After healing the unicorn, I decided to take a break here. The ruins were less than an hour away, and we needed to replenish our stamina before entering. Resting here made sense.

The now-lively unicorn became the center of attention for the female players. Realizing we’d healed it, it approached them more boldly than before, losing its initial fear.

This was limited to the women, though. Unicorns naturally favored females over males, with a preference order: virgin women, non-virgin women, then men. Beyond men, bonding was nearly impossible.

An-Hyun, rejected when he tried to touch it, sulked with his lips puffed out.

“Hyung, I’ve got a question.”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Are you taking it with us? You said it’s a unicorn. I don’t know much, but it looks super rare.”

“It’s rare, alright. Its horn and blood have many uses. But we can’t take it.”

“Why not?”

“Unicorns are practically divine beasts. If it chooses to follow us, fine, but you can’t force a divine beast. Even if you did, there’d be consequences—retribution of some kind. Remember the Blue Mountains? Think of it as worse than a banshee.”

Though it was an accident, killing a unicorn in Hall Plain carried a curse far worse than a banshee’s, which guaranteed death within a month. A stronger curse would’ve been a real headache.

“Tch, what a shame.”

“If it chooses us or we find a naturally deceased one, maybe. For now, letting it go is best. Divine beasts repay debts, so releasing it might bring a reward someday. Let go of any regrets.”

'Not that we really put it in debt.'

An-Hyun nodded, still casting wistful glances. An-Sol, Yun-Jung, and Go Yeon-Joo surrounded the unicorn, while Kim Han-Byeol and Baek Hangeol watched from a distance, maintaining the barrier. Oddly, the unicorn didn’t reject Baek Hangeol’s occasional touch, suggesting it indeed preferred women…

Wait.

Confusion about Baek Hangeol’s true gender crept in.

“Yuni, where are you going~?”

“Kyu, kyu~.”

At An-Sol’s call, the unicorn turned to answer, then toddled toward me. An-Hyun watched enviously, growing excited as it approached.

“Whoa! It’s coming, it’s coming! Hyung, it’s heading for us!”

“That’s weird…”

“What’s weird? Heh, I can finally touch it.”

“No, I mean…”

The unicorn stopped at my feet, gazing up with sparkling eyes. I met its stare but didn’t reach out, knowing unicorns disliked men’s touch.

As I debated just staring, the baby unicorn smiled brightly and let out a happy cry.

“Kyu~.”

It nuzzled my leg, gently rubbing against me.

Rub, rub.

“Oh my gosh! Look at it nuzzling Oppa’s leg! So cute~!”

“Huh? That’s surprising. I thought unicorns rarely follow men…” Go Yeon-Joo trailed off, turning to Baek Hangeol. Her tilted head mirrored my own confusion.

'Is it because I led the healing?'

I was flustered—it was unexpected for it to show me affection. As I watched it rub against me, An-Hyun, overcome with envy, let out a sinister chuckle and reached out.

“Heh heh, c’mere, you! Let me hold you.”

“Kyu?!”

“Ooh, so soft—ow!”

“Kyu! Kyu kyu!”

As An-Hyun tried to scoop it up roughly, the baby unicorn whipped its tail, smacking his cheek with a loud slap. He yelped, dropping it, and clutched his reddened face. The unicorn scurried behind my legs to hide.

“You little—!”

“Kyu kyu!”

“Haha! That’s hilarious! It smacked him and hid between Oppa’s legs!”

“Weird… Why does it follow Baek Hangeol and Su-Hyeon but not him?” Go Yeon-Joo mused.

An-Hyun, fuming, tried to grab it, but the unicorn darted around the rock, evading him with surprising agility. After a brief chase, I sighed, stepped off the rock, and scooped up the unicorn as it ran toward me. Startled at first, it soon nestled happily into my arms, unlike with An-Hyun.

“Huff, huff! Why’s it fine with you and not me?!”

“Kyu kyu!”

At An-Hyun’s outburst, the unicorn lifted its head defiantly, then nuzzled my chest again. The female clan members, eager to hold it again, crept closer, eyes locked on my arms. But the unicorn ignored them, contentedly kicking its legs and cooing in my embrace.

Kim Han-Byeol, seeing us gathered, slightly reduced the barrier’s range, which had been widened for the break. She looked at the unicorn with a puzzled expression.

“That’s odd. How could a unicorn be here?”

“Their blood has strong magic resistance, almost immune to harmful spells,” I answered simply, lifting the unicorn.

“But why were you here?”

“Kyu kyu?”

“Did you come alone? Where are your parents?”

“Kyu. Kyu kyu, kyu kyu kyu. Kyu, kyu kyu, kyu kyu kyu kyu.”

I couldn’t understand it, though it seemed to grasp my words. Sighing, I gently stroked it.

We couldn’t stay here forever. We’d rested enough, and the gems weren’t infinite. As I’d said, unicorns couldn’t be forced. It was a fascinating divine beast, but an unattainable prize. Since it was young and hadn’t realized I’d injured it, letting it go and parting ways was the right call.

“Everyone, listen up. We move out in ten minutes.”

“Oppa, can’t we take it?”

“No. We’re letting it go. Forcing it would cause trouble.”

“Oppa~,” An-Sol and Yun-Jung whined.

Ignoring them, I gently patted its back.

“Listen, little one. If you want to follow us, you can. But if you were just out exploring or have family nearby, go back to them. They’re probably worried sick.”

“Kyu?”

The baby unicorn tilted its head, then nodded. Confirming its response, I set it down gently. It turned and slowly walked back the way we’d come.

“Oppa, you’re really letting it go? Not taking it?”

“Ahem. Yun-Jung, calm down. Let me explain. Unicorns are divine beasts. We have to let it go,” An-Hyun said, trying to sound knowledgeable.

'…That’s a bit vague.'

Eager to show off what he’d heard from me, An-Hyun started explaining to the disappointed clan members, but few listened. Their eyes were fixed on the unicorn, its tail swaying as it walked away.

“Yuni, goodbye! Let’s meet again!” An-Sol called, waving with a voice full of longing.

'Yuni? Quite the naming sense.'

The baby unicorn glanced back, lifted its right front leg, and let out a “Kyu.” The women swooned again.

As it vanished into the gorge, the clan members voiced their regrets one by one.

“Ugh, Hall Plain is so unpredictable. I’ve only seen a tamed unicorn once before. I never thought we’d find one here. Such a pity,” Go Yeon-Joo said.

“…”

“Su-Hyeon? Su-Hyeon! Why are you spacing out?”

“Huh? Oh, nothing.”

Go Yeon-Joo’s playful nudge snapped me out of it. I’d been staring in the direction the unicorn went. Its gesture—raising its right front leg—meant something. I’d read about tamed unicorns in my first life, though I hadn’t paid much attention, thinking they’d never concern me. The gesture had a specific meaning.

'Was it “see you again”? No… There was another meaning…'

I furrowed my brow, trying to recall, but the memory remained hazy. Giving up, I sighed deeply.

'Guess I’ll find out eventually.'

The unexpected encounter with the unicorn had created a pleasant break. With stamina somewhat restored, it was time to return to our mission.