Memorize Chapter 243

The chilly dawn air brushed against me. As I took a faint breath, the sweet scent of flesh mingled with the air, piercing deep into my lungs.

The dawn breeze relentlessly patted my bare back, but it couldn’t touch the front where skin met skin. Wrapped gently in an embrace, I reveled in a warmth akin to a soft spring breeze.

Part of me wanted to drift back to sleep, but I forced my sinking mind awake. I’d slept enough. I’d gone to bed relatively early last night, and compared to the half-sleep I’d endured daily at the Player Academy, this felt like paradise.

Raising my head, I saw Ha-Yeong’s face, peacefully snoring with a serene expression. The memory of her bragging about her two-game winning streak last night flashed through my mind. So did the moment two days ago when we’d been intimate, and she’d been embarrassed after I noticed the amplification gem tattooed below her navel. I gazed at her face a little longer before quietly getting up and starting to dress. There was always the chance Sol might wake up and barge in.

After donning my basic gear, I slid my sword and the Sun-Moon Divine Sword into my belt. Clank. The two swords clinked together. It wasn’t loud, but in the dead silence of dawn, it seemed to echo sharply.

Sure enough, the noise stirred Ha-Yeong. Her eyes, still wearing a motherly smile as she slept, fluttered open. She blinked groggily a few times before focusing, her pale blue eyes settling on me.

“Su-Hyeon…”

“Sleep more. It’s still a bit until morning.”

“Where… are you going?”

“To the library. I need some materials for today’s meeting.”

Her voice was low and husky, fresh from sleep. She twisted her body, stretching widely, then jolted in surprise, quickly covering her chest. Seeing her embarrassed expression, I chuckled softly, turned calmly, and continued.

“We’ll have a meeting on the fourth floor after breakfast. As I mentioned yesterday, I want to hear everyone’s thoughts, so tell them to prepare.”

“Mmm, got it. But do you really need my opinion too?”

“…Haha.”

“Hoho, just kidding. I’ll make sure everything’s ready.”

I gave a wry smile at Ha-Yeong’s playful remark. When we returned from the expedition, I planned to settle in immediately, which meant I’d need clan members to stay behind and handle things in the city. I couldn’t take everyone on this expedition.

I felt guilty for always putting them through hardship since the Player Academy, but right now, the only ones capable of handling administrative tasks were Go Yeon-Joo or Ha-Yeong. While combat players were great, running a clan would also require someone specialized in administrative work.

“Sorry. Please bear with it a bit longer. I’ll leave a few escorts behind.”

“No, I’m the one who’s sorry. You’re out there risking your life, while I’m comfortably staying in the city…”

Ha-Yeong shook her head calmly. We looked at each other and smiled simultaneously.

“I’ll be back before breakfast.”

I finished speaking and started toward the door. As I opened it, I heard Ha-Yeong’s voice from behind: “Safe travels.”

*

Each city’s library operates differently, but generally, they’re open nearly all day, much like the temples. Monica’s library, as I understood, closed late at night and opened early in the morning—around midnight and 4 a.m. in Earth time.

IstanTel Law had provided plenty of records, but they didn’t include what I really wanted to check. I wasn’t after general information about the Plateau of Delusion or the Gorge of Hallucination—I needed details about the ruins inside the gorge.

Reaching the library, I saw a man opening the door. Dressed in a mage robe, he was clearly a combat player working a side job, not a resident or livelihood player. His face was etched with exhaustion, and seeing me at this hour, he scowled deeply. Ignoring his reaction, I stepped inside and began searching for the materials.

'Ancient… Myth… Legend…'

After rummaging through the archives for a while, I finally found a few of the records I was looking for. Though I’d narrowed it down significantly with my prior knowledge, the stack of records in my hand was still quite substantial. I began reading them on the spot.

“…”

At first, I quickly skimmed many records. Some I only glanced at for a page or two before putting them back. But as the pile in my hand thinned and I neared the end, I finally found a record connected to my memories. I read it line by line.

The record itself was only eleven pages, so it didn’t take long to finish. After some time, I returned all but the last record to their places and headed toward the entrance.

At the counter, the player who’d opened the door earlier was dozing off, head buried in a book. I briefly considered waking him but decided to quietly write the record’s title and my player information in the borrowing log. Then, I picked up a large map stacked like a bouquet beside the counter and dropped a coin into the dish on top.

The clink of the coin echoed in the dish, but the man’s head didn’t budge. Whistling softly, I stepped outside.

*

Breakfast proceeded in a quiet atmosphere. Since I’d announced an important meeting afterward, a calm and solemn mood lingered.

After eating, the Mercenary Clan members, including myself, headed straight to the fourth floor. The meeting room was the largest and finest room I used.

“Let’s begin the Mercenary Clan meeting.”

After pinning the map I’d bought that morning to the office wall, I turned to see all nine clan members seated in their places. Most were gathered around the large table, but Go Yeon-Joo stood demurely by my side, hands clasped.

After scanning each face, I continued calmly.

“I covered most of the important details yesterday. However, some of you asked for time to think. Before diving into specifics, we need to decide whether to accept the request, so let’s hear from those players first.”

After returning from IstanTel Law yesterday, I explained the situation to the clan and sought their opinions. Until now, I’d mostly made decisions unilaterally. While that tendency remained, as we established a clan house and settled in, I intended to start considering their input. This was our first request, and it involved matters too significant to decide alone.

When I finished, Shin Sang-Yong glanced around cautiously before raising his hand. Two members had requested a hold on the decision: Go Yeon-Joo and Shin Sang-Yong.

Nodding slightly, Shin Sang-Yong cleared his throat a couple of times and spoke.

“Ahem. I’ll speak then. First, I am not against the request itself. I read through the records the Clan Lord provided yesterday, and I concluded that the Mind-Clearing Elixirs from IstanTel Law are sufficient to handle the Plateau of Delusion. The rewards are good, and the chances of success are high, but… I think entering the Gorge of Hallucination, as the Clan Lord additionally suggested, might be too much.”

“Hm. Could you explain why?”

“Yes, yes. According to the records, the survival rate in the Gorge of Hallucination doesn’t even reach 30%. The Mind-Clearing Elixirs work for the Plateau, but their effectiveness drops by half in the Gorge. And we don’t have an abundance of them either… So, rather than risking the Gorge, I think it’s better to safely search the Plateau and settle for slightly less reward.”

Shin Sang-Yong’s words prompted nods from several clan members. Seeing their reactions, he concluded with, “That’s all,” and let out a heavy breath.

Turning to Go Yeon-Joo, I saw she shared a similar expression, agreeing with Shin Sang-Yong.

“My opinion aligns with Shin Sang-Yong’s. I understand the Clan Lord’s perspective, of course. But while the Plateau might be manageable, the Gorge of Hallucination is undeniably dangerous. It’s not just about you and me—it’s about the other clan members. If it were just the two of us going in, I’d be all for it.”

Go Yeon-Joo’s point was that while she and I might be fine, she wasn’t confident in protecting the other members there. Considering the field effects of the Gorge of Hallucination, her stance was understandable.

With that, both members who’d requested a hold had spoken. After a brief pause, I spoke in a calm tone.

“So, you’re saying it’s difficult to enter the Gorge due to insufficient countermeasures.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Well then, what if there were a way to avoid falling under the illusions in the Gorge?”

“What…?”

“There is a way. We currently have a player in our clan capable of countering those powerful field effects.”

It was Go Yeon-Joo, not Shin Sang-Yong, who responded. As I emphasized my point, a small stir rippled through the clan members. Waiting for it to settle, I turned my gaze to Baek Hangeol and began explaining in detail with a calm tone.

“According to Player Baek Hangeol, the unique ability of the Divine Shield is Reflection. It’s an almost cheat-like ability that reflects any physical, magical, or mental damage directed at him.”

“Oh…! That makes sense. I hadn’t thought of that. But isn’t Baek Hangeol still a Year 0 player? He can’t create a shield large enough to cover all of us, and even if he could, sustaining it for long would be difficult, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course. But Baek Hangeol doesn’t need to overexert himself. Even a palm-sized shield, like the one he showed last time, is enough. Because we have another player here who can solve that problem. Player Kim Han-Byeol?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t give them a chance to interrupt and immediately called on Han-Byeol. She stood up cautiously and began speaking about her Jewel Mage ability, specifically <Jewel Amplification>.

“S-So, you’re saying that as long as you have gems, you can amplify the effects of any magic?”

“Yes. It depends on the gem, but if we have one that matches Baek Hangeol’s wavelength, I can amplify all its positive effects.”

“No way! So you’re not processing mana from the gems—you’re drawing out their raw, pure magical power and using it as is?”

“Exactly.”

Hearing Han-Byeol’s confirmation, Shin Sang-Yong’s face went blank as he rolled his eyes. Glancing around, I saw Go Yeon-Joo and the other clan members looking at Han-Byeol and Hangeol with renewed interest. I smiled inwardly, satisfied. This was exactly why I’d been so determined to recruit Baek Hangeol, even at the cost of passing on other new players.

“Clan Lord? I take it back. This is definitely doable. I’m in.”

“I-I’m withdrawing my hold too. I’m not fully convinced yet, but if what the Clan Lord says is true, all I can say is that it’s incredible.”

Go Yeon-Joo slyly jumped in first, and Shin Sang-Yong hurriedly followed suit, stumbling over his words.

'It’s true. Do they know how much trouble we went through because of him? Oh, not Hangeol’s fault, though.'

Feeling the sudden attention, Baek Hangeol lowered his head, fidgeting nervously. An-Hyun looked at him proudly before speaking in an excited tone.

“This is huge! So we didn’t even need to worry about the Plateau of Delusion in the first place?”

“Idiot, it’s not that simple. Do you know how many gems that would take? The Plateau can be handled with the Mind-Clearing Elixirs to some extent. You want to burn expensive gems there too? What a waste.”

“Oh, you’re right. But why’s your tone so harsh?”

“Sorry. Anyway, it looks like we’ve got a real lucky charm here.”

An-Hyun’s blunt remark made Sol, the original “lucky charm,” pout noticeably. Regardless, I’d succeeded in gaining everyone’s agreement. With a pleased heart, I drew the Sun-Moon Divine Sword from my belt. Pointing the tip of its sheath at a spot on the map, I spoke. The tip was aimed precisely at the Plateau of Delusion.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m so eager to enter the Gorge of Hallucination when searching the Plateau alone would suffice.”

The moment I pointed at the map, the room fell silent. It was a satisfying atmosphere. I slid the Sun-Moon Divine Sword diagonally across the map toward Monica.

“It takes about 10 to 11 days to reach the Plateau of Delusion from Monica. Once you’re in the Plateau, the Gorge of Hallucination is just one or two days away. That means we could reach the Gorge in 14 days with time to spare.”

“…”

“I mentioned that the Riverside Clan sent a communication two weeks after setting out. Just one phrase: ‘Save us.’”

Facing the map with my back to the clan, I turned my head slightly and continued.

“What struck me as odd was exactly that.”