Memorize Chapter 222

“It’s not a lie. Please, believe me.”

“Hangeol, hold on a second.”

His tone sounded like he was about to burst into tears, so I reassured him in a gentle voice. Seeing his teary eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder if he was really a guy, but my third eye wouldn’t lie. Anyway, it was time to get into some serious groundwork. I cleared my mind of trivial thoughts and slowly began to speak.

“For now, I believe you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. But that’s not the important part right now. According to you, Park Hwan-Hee tripped you, and you and Yuna barely survived. Fine. Let’s say Park Hwan-Hee is a two-faced player, different from how he appears. So what?”

“Huh?”

“What do you want to do about it?”

My question cut straight to the core. And I already knew the answer—I’d heard it before during a confrontation between Park Hwan-Hee and Baek Hangeol.

Baek Hangeol looked up at me with sad eyes. But realizing the intent behind my words, he responded in a low voice.

“I don’t know. I went through that, and I want revenge, but…”

“You can’t do that, can you?”

“…”

“I get how you feel. But it’s too late to make an issue out of it now. This is Hall Plain, and you know what kind of reputation Park Hwan-Hee has right now.”

One of them is well-regarded by the instructors and stands at the center of the new recruits. The other has the greatest potential but is seen as mediocre because he keeps to himself. Sure, personal grudges are fine. But in his current state, Baek Hangeol would be lucky not to get dragged down by Park Hwan-Hee, let alone get revenge. It might sound harsh, but that’s reality. The gap between them was already too wide to bridge now.

Having made him face reality, it was time to ask what he truly wanted.

“What do you really want right now? Did you just need someone to listen to your grievances?”

Baek Hangeol seemed to mull over my words. Then, with a heavy sigh, he poured out his thoughts.

“Haa. No, I don’t know.”

“Think back to the first question you asked.”

“My girlfriend… Yuna…”

At my words, Baek Hangeol stared into space with a pained expression. Then he began to speak, slowly revealing the feelings he’d kept buried deep inside.

It was as I’d suspected. At first, Cha Yuna hated Park Hwan-Hee with a vengeance, but at some point, she started to change. His repeated apologies and sincerity began to soften her, and eventually, she spent more time lingering around him than staying by Baek Hangeol’s side.

“It sure looks like you two broke up.”

“We had a big fight, but we didn’t break up. She just keeps asking me to get along with Park Hwan-Hee again and to support him.”

“Support him?”

“Yeah… There are a lot of new recruits around that guy. She wants me to join them.”

As he spoke, Baek Hangeol kept glancing at Kim Han-Byeol. It seemed like their first encounter had left a bad impression. Honestly, I could understand his feelings since Han-Byeol had come on a bit strong.

“So, you’re saying you’d rather die than rebuild a relationship with that guy.”

“Yeah. But Yuna noona’s words keep bothering me. We haven’t been talking lately, but the last thing she said was, ‘If you can’t trust him, does that mean you can’t trust me either?’ We’ve been together for years, went through the same ordeal. I can’t help but think she might have a point.”

“You can’t trust Park Hwan-Hee, but you can trust Cha Yuna.”

“Yeah.”

Baek Hangeol answered in a heavy voice. A quiet silence hung in the air. He fidgeted with his cup, then cautiously asked me.

“What do you think, hyung? I know Yuna noona cares about me. We’re not talking right now because I’m upset, but I also feel a bit guilty. I’m starting to think maybe I’m too suspicious, like she said…”

‘This is serious.’

As expected, Baek Hangeol’s dependence on Cha Yuna was beyond excessive. The first step was to weaken that reliance. After a moment of deliberation, I settled on an approach.

“Hangeol.”

“Yes?”

“Can I tell you something?”

“Yes! I’d love to hear it.”

“Do you know what the word ‘fate’ means?”

“Fate? I’ve heard the word a lot, but I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

Seeing his honest response, I gave a small smile and began speaking in a gentle, guiding tone.

“I’m a year 0 player, just like you. Six months ago, I went through the Rite of Passage, and now I’m leading a clan as a Lord. Half of my clan members are people I went through the Rite with.”

“Oh, right! I heard you graduated top of the academy and got an offer from Golden Lion but turned it down for your members!”

“Where did you hear that?”

His starry-eyed enthusiasm was almost overwhelming, and I felt a bead of sweat form. Clearing my throat a couple of times, I continued calmly.

“I won’t bore you with the details. But what I want to say is this: those people gave me their trust, and I wanted to repay that trust. Throughout that process, nothing ever happened to break our bond. As a result, we formed a good connection—a fate, like we have now.”

“Ah…”

At that moment, I heard a small scoff from the side. Turning, I saw Kim Han-Byeol staring at me with a stiff expression. When I tilted my head slightly, she bit her lip and looked away. I was curious why she reacted like that, but since the conversation with Hangeol was more important, I turned back to him. He was nodding thoughtfully, as if chewing over my words.

“Do you think you could form a good connection with Park Hwan-Hee?”

“B-but Yuna noona…”

“Don’t assume your girlfriend is always right. You can judge for yourself, and you’re doing it right now. Why do you keep tying your thoughts to her? Even if you follow her words, do you really think you could form a good connection with Park Hwan-Hee? I don’t know what his intentions are, but can you guarantee he won’t use you—or both of you—again? From where I’m standing, no. Once someone betrays you, betraying again is even easier.”

“But noona…”

‘This “noona” nonsense is driving me crazy. Is she his mom or what?’

Seeing him still clinging to Cha Yuna, I decided to be more direct.

“And since we’re on the topic, let me be clear: it looks like your girlfriend has already left you.”

“No, we haven’t broken up.”

“Whatever excuse you make, her body’s already gone. That’s an undeniable fact. No matter how long you’ve been together or what you went through… Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t trust someone who’s already left. Think about it coldly. You’ve experienced and felt things first hand. Do you think her actions are right?”

Baek Hangeol pursed his lips, then shook his head weakly. I raised my voice with more conviction.

“What you should be worrying about isn’t whether to follow Cha Yuna’s words or not. Honestly, I don’t even get why she’s fallen for Park Hwan-Hee. But if that’s the case, instead of letting your resolve waver, shouldn’t you be the one to wake her up?”

“But she said if I don’t listen to her, I shouldn’t even talk to her again.”

“Then it’s simple. Break up. Anyone looking at this situation would find Park Hwan-Hee suspicious. Instead of following her words and letting yourself get used again, it’s better to let go of your lingering feelings or find a way to pull her out of this.”

“So, you’re saying I should stick to my convictions and not waver.”

“Exactly. If she truly cares about you, she wouldn’t dismiss what you genuinely feel. Well, we’ll see how it plays out.”

I ended my words with a firm, pointed tone. Baek Hangeol didn’t respond further. But as time passed, I could see a growing resolve in his expression. It seemed my words had helped him steel his heart again. Seeing that, I felt a bit relieved, thinking he wouldn’t be easily swayed. The eight—no, six—weeks I’d spent acting like his older brother were paying off now.

Soon, Baek Hangeol stood up with a determined look and spoke.

“Hyung, thank you.”

“Haha, for what?”

“No, really. Thinking about it now, it was kind of out of the blue, but you listened to me, believed me, and gave me sincere advice. If it wasn’t for you, I…”

“It’s nothing big. I’m just glad I could help. You’re making a fuss.”

At my words, he chuckled and glanced toward the door before speaking again.

“I’m going to go talk to noona right now. If I wait, I feel like this resolve might fizzle out, so I think it’s better to go and talk to her immediately.”

“It’s a bit different, but they say even a tree won’t fall after ten strikes. Even if she doesn’t change her mind, keep showing her your sincerity. If she truly cares about you, she’ll understand.”

“Yes, hyung!”

Baek Hangeol gave a polite bow, then opened the door and left the lodging. Just as the door was about to close completely, a cold voice echoed through the room.

“Oppa.”

“Huh? Yeah?”

I was about to lie down on the bed, exhausted from the long conversation, when the rare sound of “oppa” caught me off guard. Turning, I saw Kim Han-Byeol still sitting in her chair, staring at me. Her face was dark, a mix of complex emotions swirling in her expression. She hesitated briefly after calling me but then spoke quietly.

“Do you really believe that kid?”

As her words ended, the door clicked shut. I glanced at it and answered in a louder-than-usual voice.

“Hangeol? Yeah, of course I believe him!”

“Why? To me, there are more than a few things off about his story. And I don’t think you’d miss that, oppa.”

“Well, I think it depends on the person. At the very least, the Hangeol I’ve come to know isn’t the type to lie.”

‘Oops, forgot to wet my lips.’

I quickly licked my lips. Then, recalling something I’d been curious about, I turned to her and spoke.

“But why are you suddenly asking that? You’ve been acting a bit weird today.”

“I was just a little taken aback. To me, it’s stranger that you’re being so nice to some random new player. From what I’ve seen, his grades are average, and he doesn’t seem particularly special. There’s no reason to recruit him.”

“Grades? Han-Byeol, I’m not looking at Hangeol with that kind of mindset.”

“Then what?”

“Just… seeing him struggle made me feel a bit sorry for him, and I wanted to help. For some reason, looking at Hangeol reminds me of the kids. There’s a lot of reasons, I guess.”

That’s when it happened. The moment I finished speaking, Han-Byeol’s expression turned ice-cold. Her face showed an inexplicable mix of disappointment, betrayal, and hurt. She looked up at me with trembling eyes and continued in a dry voice.

“You wanted to help? You didn’t even go through the Rite of Passage with him; you just met him at the player academy.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But for some reason, my heart went out to him. He’s so pure and innocent. In a way, he reminds me of Sol. I just don’t want him to struggle. If he needs it, I’d be there for him anytime.”

“Ha…”

“What’s with the sigh?”

“Then what about me… what about… why…”

Kim Han-Byeol muttered something incomprehensible before cutting herself off with, “It’s nothing.” She bit her lower lip and fell silent. Shrugging at her reaction, I calmly extended my senses to check outside the door.

My senses picked up a player with their ear pressed against the door. The moment my conversation with Han-Byeol paused, I felt Baek Hangeol cautiously pull away from the door and walk down the hallway. As he gradually moved out of my sensory range, I allowed myself a quiet, triumphant smile.

*

The dark, dusky mountain was steeped in an eerie atmosphere. The dense trees and bushes rustled, and a sticky, humid breeze seeped through the gaps. Despite it being dawn, the air was warm. The breeze, carrying a faint, fishy stench, sharply cut forward.

Rustle, rustle.

The mountain, cloaked in the dim twilight, was steeped in an eerie atmosphere. The dense trees and underbrush swayed, and a sticky, humid wind seeped through the gaps. Despite it being dawn, the air was oppressively warm. Carrying a faint, acrid stench, the wind soon sliced sharply forward.

Rustle, rustle.

At that moment, something unseen began to take form. Emerging from the underbrush, a figure appeared, its appearance strikingly grotesque.

It had the shape of a human, but upon closer inspection, one arm was missing. In its other hand, it held a large, menacing scythe at an angle, its curved blade dripping intermittently with a viscous liquid. The smell was similar to the one carried by the wind.

The figure deftly caught the liquid dripping to the ground with a swing of its foot. As it fully emerged from the brush, several other figures followed, revealing themselves one by one.

“Phew.”

The first figure let out a short sigh and turned around. Perhaps due to the missing arm, it struggled to maintain balance, tilting heavily to one side.

Barely steadying itself, a low voice rasped from the figure.

“How many survived?”

“Seven, including you, boss.”

“And how many died?”

“We lost eight passing through the uncharted zone. Two more in the last fight.”

The questioning voice was rough, the answering one thin. Silence settled for a moment. The man with the coarse voice scanned his comrades with a weary expression.

“The eight up front were bait anyway, so no loss there. But Hyun-Jun and Jin-Kyung? That’s a damn shame.”

“Fuck, boss, look at us too! We’re all fucked up! One person did this? It’s fucking embarrassing.”

“Was that old hag really injured? Was their intel solid?”

“Fucking insane. Who’d expect someone to come at us like that, ready to die? Shit, just thinking about it gives me chills.”

Starting with the first curse, complaints erupted from all directions. The voices spilled out simultaneously, a chaotic mix of men and women, making it hard to tell who was who. After listening to the grumbling for a while, the man at the front let out another long sigh.

“We underestimated her, got careless, and failed to finish her off quickly—that’s on us. But the intel was solid. She’s one of the North Continent’s legends, after all. Some losses were inevitable.”

“A legend, huh. Heh heh! That old hag’s final expression was killer. Bet she never saw the traitor coming. Kek kek kek kek!”

“But boss, why the sudden rush? Weren’t we supposed to watch a bit longer?”

The woman who answered the first question spoke again, and the man called “boss” replied in a tired voice.

“Park Hyun-Woo seems to have caught our scent.”

“Those guys? They were chasing false leads. Couldn’t we have waited for a better shot?”

“No. New info came in. They say the Shadow Queen is showing signs of moving. There’s been a sighting of a meeting between the Mercenary Lord and Park Hyun-Woo.”

The moment he said that, a commotion broke out among the group.

“Holy fuck, Go Yeon-Joo’s coming? We almost got screwed!”

“Why? If she comes alone, that’s perfect. I’ve always wanted to shove my junk in that bitch’s mouth. Heh!”

“Crazy bastard. You think the Shadow Queen would come alone?”

“I was already feeling uneasy, but damn, good thing we took care of it early.”

“You made sure to cover our tracks, right?”

A voice spoke up for the first time from one of the silent figures in the back. At that, everyone who had been chattering shut their mouths as if on cue. As they exchanged glances, the man at the front clicked his tongue and stepped forward.

“We’re going back.”

“Why!”

“Because it’s the Shadow Queen. We need to toss the remaining bodies far away. It’s not just about covering tracks—we need to wipe the whole place clean. I should’ve mentioned earlier, but I was too injured to think straight. My bad.”

“Fucking hell, because of that damn bitch. Just let me meet her—I’ll make her beg for mercy while I unload inside her.”

“Easy, easy. Didn’t you hear? She’s already hooked up with some clan lord or something.”

“Shut up, you crazy fuck! You got your ass handed to you two years ago, and now you’re talking about fucking her? You think she’d let you touch her?”

“You fucker! That’s not true! And what, I can’t even talk now?”

As two voices snapped at each other, the targeted man wailed in frustration. A wave of raucous laughter swept through the group. The man called “boss,” who had been chuckling faintly, quickly regained his composure and spoke in a stern voice.

“Alright, enough about Hyun-Gu’s love for the Shadow Queen. Line up.”

““““““Yes.””””””

When the man spoke seriously, the relaxed atmosphere tightened instantly. They all radiated a sharp aura and quickly formed ranks. The man strode through them, then looked up at the pitch-black night sky and spoke.

“Once we’ve cleaned up the traces, we’ll leave this place immediately.”

“Back to base?”

“No. We’ll wait somewhere else for now. We’ll have to hope those guys handle the rest, but… just in case something goes wrong.”

Finishing his words, the man slipped quietly back into the bushes he’d emerged from. The remaining members followed, muffling their footsteps, and soon vanished completely.

All that remained in their wake was the faint stench of blood, which began to fade with the passing breeze.