Memorize Chapter 214

“Second wave incoming! Dodge!”

Someone’s shout rang out. But I didn’t have the luxury to evade. Barely lifting my head, I saw an onslaught of attack spells filling the air—yellow flashes, blazing flames, and the sharp whistle of wind. The spells, brimming with clear killing intent, tore toward me, leaving me in a daze.

I tried to push myself up from the ground, but my hands slipped in the stream of blood, causing me to collapse repeatedly. Despite the chaos, I struggled to stand, my body screaming in pain.

Even amid the agony, something felt off.

‘We clearly struck first.’

Suddenly, Yoo Hyun-Ah flashed through my mind unbidden. Her wavy, light brown hair. The gentle, benevolent smile on her face. The white Valkyrie coat that flaunted her voluptuous figure, exposing her pale shoulders. The Holy Queen, Yoo Hyun-Ah, emerged among the enemy players.

When she urged us to surrender, we scoffed and launched a preemptive strike. She let out a soft sigh, then slowly raised her hand.

In that moment, a massive, hazy barrier enveloped their forces. Not only did it block our army’s spells, but it deflected them all back toward us with uncanny precision. The fact that she could deploy such a large-scale defensive spell in such a short time was something I’d never seen or heard of before.

“Kim Su-Hyeon! Get up! Get up!”

Another shout jolted me. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to stand.

Boom! Boom-boom! Boom-boom-boom!

A powerful shock rocked my body, and I felt myself floating in the air. It was like sliding backward down a slide, until I crashed hard onto the ground.

With no time to spit out the metallic blood filling my mouth, I closed my eyes.

*

An-Sol’s tone was relatively calm, but there was an underlying urgency she couldn’t quite hide. I steadied myself. I trusted Sol, and she trusted me. Rather than probing further and wasting time, I felt the need to act quickly, as she suggested.

But first, there was something I needed to clarify.

“Alright, I understand. One question before we go. Can’t we choose both paths? Like, go to one first, then the other?”

“That’s why I said I’m sorry. It’s too late to choose both now. You need to pick one quickly. Otherwise, we’ll miss both. That’s the feeling I get.”

I nodded and fixed my gaze on the directions she pointed to: forward and left. Without hesitation, I made my choice.

“Let’s go left.”

“Okay. Just keep going straight.”

An-Sol let out a deep sigh, as if she’d fulfilled her role, and came to my side. I grabbed her hand and quickened my pace. Just to be safe, I began gradually raising my mana detection.

The path was unfamiliar, almost like a second Easter Egg. But now wasn’t the time to indulge in such thoughts.

Just as I was hurrying An-Sol out of a narrow path, I spotted haphazardly stacked heavy boxes and a slightly worn container peeking out ahead. At the edge of my detection, I caught an unidentifiable presence. I stopped reflexively and focused on it.

Expanding my detection toward the source, I soon picked up detailed information.

Two. There are two.

Two players were nearby. If I proceeded, I’d expose myself to them, but detouring would waste time. Scanning the surroundings, I spotted a narrow gap to the right, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through. I quickly slipped into it.

“…”

“...!”

As I moved forward, muffling my footsteps as much as possible, I started to hear what sounded like a conversation. I proceeded even more cautiously and reached a spot just out of their line of sight.

Peeking out slightly to secure a minimal view, I immediately channeled mana to enhance my vision and hearing simultaneously. And then…

“Why do you keep doing this to me? I told you I’m not interested.”

“You might not be, but I am.”

“Hah! Do you think I forgot what you did to me during the Rite of Passage?”

“You…”

Park Hwan-Hee? What’s he doing here?

In the open space ahead, there were two players. One of them was someone I knew well—Park Hwan-Hee. Standing in front of him was a smaller player, looking intimidated. The player was short and slight, almost mistakable for a woman at first glance.

I quietly listened to their conversation.

“Baek Hangeol. No, Hangeol. I’m really sorry about what happened back then. But please, calm down and hear me out for a moment.”

“Cut the crap! If you keep this up…”

“If I keep this up?”

“I’ll expose you to everyone. I’ll tell them all about what you did to me and noona during that time.”

“Tch. What?”

As the player called Baek Hangeol shouted in desperation, Park Hwan-Hee let out a subtle chuckle. Then, he took a bold step toward him. Baek Hangeol tried to back away quickly, but Park Hwan-Hee grabbed his shoulder with a swift, snatching motion.

“Go ahead, try it.”

“What?”

“Do it. You think I’d even blink if you did? Don’t you remember there were others besides you, your noona, and me back then?”

“Tch, that’s…”

Baek Hangeol stammered. Park Hwan-Hee glared at him sharply, then softened his expression, letting out a deep sigh. Releasing Baek Hangeol’s shoulder, he continued.

“You frustrating guy. Fine, I’m sorry. Really sorry. But back then, I had no choice. If I hadn’t done that to you two… what do you think would’ve happened to the others?”

“So you’re just asking me to understand and move on? You don’t even consider how we nearly died, how we trembled with betrayal?”

“Yeah, you’d be angry. I would be too. I get it. But put your personal feelings aside for now. Look at reality. We’re in a completely different world from Earth, from the modern world.”

“Enough. I’ve heard that spiel a million times. Why are you trying to drag me and my sister into your crazy plan?”

The moment Baek Hangeol called it a “crazy plan,” Park Hwan-Hee’s softened expression froze again. His voice turned sharp as he began to press Baek Hangeol aggressively.

“Crazy? Why would you think that?”

“W-Well, we’re safe here, aren’t we? Why make things complicated when we can just follow along…”

“You idiot. Three months. In just three months, this safety ends. No more beds, no more free meals. We’ll have to fend for ourselves. What do you think happens to players who don’t get clan offers?”

“Hmph. That doesn’t apply to you, does it? Why do you care?”

“Why wouldn’t it apply to me? You think I’d abandon comrades we’ve been through thick and thin with since the Rite of Passage?”

“You talking about comrades is rich. And didn’t you make deals with those people anyway? You think you’re in any position to say that? A-And…”

Park Hwan-Hee’s face twisted menacingly at Baek Hangeol’s words. Realizing Park Hwan-Hee’s sincerity, Baek Hangeol’s voice trailed off. Breathing heavily, Park Hwan-Hee stared at him intently before letting out a sigh and speaking.

“I’ll say it again—I’m sorry. Truly sorry. But the plan I told you about is the best approach I can think of. We have no foundation here. The deal I made was to ensure the best outcome for everyone to survive. Why can’t you understand that?”

“I-I don’t know about that. Fine, let’s say your intentions are good, even if I don’t know what you’re scheming. Why not just do it with the people who want to? Why drag me and Yuna-noona into this? Please, I’m begging you. I’ll keep my mouth shut, so just leave us alone. Please…”

Baek Hangeol poured out his words with all his might, then collapsed as if drained. Park Hwan-Hee reached out toward him, but Baek Hangeol didn’t take his hand. Staring at the slumped figure, Park Hwan-Hee bit his lip and stepped back.

In that fleeting moment, I caught a cold glint passing through Park Hwan-Hee’s eyes.

Silence hung for a moment before his mouth slowly opened.

“I need your power. Your ability could have a tremendous impact in this world called Hall Plain.”

“What? How do you… No, what are you talking about? Power?”

“Don’t play dumb. Yuna already told me everything. With your power, you passed through a place we couldn’t break through in just five days.”

“What? Noona?! No way. That’s impossible. There’s no way… Did you guys do something to her?!”

What?

It wasn’t just Baek Hangeol who was shocked by Park Hwan-Hee’s words—I felt my mind go blank. As their confrontation continued, I quickly regained my composure and activated my Third Eye.

---

(Player Status)

1. Name: Baek Hangeol (Year 0)  

2. Class: (Divine Shield)  Secret Aegis  

3. Nation: -  

4. Clan: -  

5. True Name · Nationality: Talent of the Heavens · South Korea  

6. Sex: Male (18)  

7. Height · Weight: 173.7 cm · 58.8 kg  

8. Alignment: Lawful · Good  

[Strength 38] [Resistance 54] [Agility 36] [Vitality 48] [Magic 62] [Luck 74]

< Achievements (0) >

< Unique Ability (1/1) >  

1. Reflection (Rank: D Zero)

< Special Ability (1/1) >  

1. Aegis System (Rank: C +)

< Potential Abilities (3/3) >  

1. -  

2. -  

3. -

---

A Secret Class? Why is the Aegis showing up now?

A Secret Class. A class that appeared only twice in my first life. I nearly shouted in shock but managed to swallow my scream.

A mix of joy at finally finding something and astonishment at the overpowered player information hit me all at once, but I had already steeled my mind. There was a reason An-Sol brought me here. Setting aside my swirling emotions, I focused on resolving the situation at hand. Calming my racing heart, I continued listening to their conversation.

“Let me make this clear—we didn’t lay a finger on your girlfriend. In fact, she came to me herself.”

“Don’t lie! There’s no way Noona would do that. Why would she go to someone like you…?”

“Hangeol, it’s hyung to you. Don’t talk like that. And you can ask her yourself. Why would I lie about something that’d be exposed so easily?”

“Hyung, my ass. You ditched us…”

Unable to counter, Baek Hangeol let out a groan. Park Hwan-Hee looked at him quietly, then slowly crouched to meet his eye level.

“Hangeol.”

“…”

“I don’t know why you’re so desperate to hide yourself. But how frustrated must your girlfriend have been to come to me? You both went through the same thing, share the same thoughts, and probably hate me just as much. Think about why she told me about your ability.”

“No way. There’s no way Noona would tell you that…”

“She did it for you. Think about it. You’ve seen and heard things yourself. Do you think these people can be trusted? They’re openly fighting among themselves. They act like they care about us now, but after graduation, they’ll only care about a selected few.”

“B-But…”

“Yes, as I told you, I made a deal. But I believe it was absolutely necessary. We’re still powerless. Instead of being torn apart by their whims, I think my way is much better. And your power will be incredibly helpful for us to establish ourselves.”

‘Not us, but you,’ I muttered bitterly to myself, calming my emotions. Though I could only see his back, Baek Hangeol’s earlier defiance was gone. His trembling hands showed he was wavering under Park Hwan-Hee’s words.

Catching Baek Hangeol’s state, Park Hwan-Hee adopted an even more sincere expression. I could tell it was a perfectly crafted facade, but to someone unaware, it would look like genuine earnestness.

Soon, he gently extended his hand toward the slumped player.