Memorize Chapter 9

"Hah... I just can't stand this anymore!"

"Eek!"

Park Dong-Gul, who had been scanning the surroundings, suddenly raised his voice and stepped into the center of the open space, as if he had been waiting for the right moment. Shin Woo, startled by the sudden outburst, made a surprised sound. In that fleeting moment, Park Dong-Gul cast a satisfied smile at Shin Woo, not missing the chance to assert dominance. It was a clear move to intimidate, or in simpler terms, just showing off.

“Hey! Do you guys not know anything about this damn shitty situation? Huh?”

An Sol was trembling, buried in An Hyun’s arms. The two women, who An Hyun and I hadn’t been able to check, were showing different reactions.

One had a relatively calm expression, but the other seemed displeased with Park Dong-Gul’s sudden commotion. She narrowed her eyes and glared at him. I was momentarily curious about their user information but decided to observe the man’s actions first.

“Is everyone here mute? Stop keeping your mouths shut and say something, anything.”

Arrogant.

Was he trying to show off his temper or just flaunt himself? Park Dong-Gul, displaying a violent demeanor, forcefully kicked a fist-sized rock that was nearby. The rock flew up with considerable force and disappeared into the forest. His sudden action was met with an awkward silence among those seated. However, I could clearly hear that there was no sound of the rock hitting the ground.

Growl.

In that moment, a faint growling sound resonated through the quiet forest. Even if the sound of the rock hadn’t been heard, it seemed that everyone heard the growling. A fleeting look of anxiety crossed their faces. Though I couldn’t remember everything from ten years ago, I felt distant memories slowly surfacing.

What had happened at this place back then?

“Damn it! Who the hell is this? If you have a problem, come out right now. Speak up, okay? Is it you? Or you?”

Park Dong-Gul pointed at those who seemed relatively weaker with a sneer. Bo-rim and Shin-Woo, their faces pale, urgently shook their heads. At that moment, a woman who had been glaring at Park Dong-Gul rose indignantly. It seemed she had been holding herself for quite a while.

“Sir, can you please stop? What are you doing at your age?”

“What? What~? Stop? At my age? Are you talking to me like that?”

“Yes, I said it. So what? Aren’t you embarrassed? Why are you yelling and causing a fuss when everyone’s in the same situation?”

“Now you’re speaking informally? What kind of upbringing did you have that you’re speaking so disrespectfully to an adult? Did your parents teach you to act like this?”

“Bitch? Ha, let's see...let's see....... Yeah, so do your parents teach you to fuck around and bang kids, you piece of shit!”

I chuckled to myself as I watched the woman hit hard without backing down. At first, Park Dong-Gul just laughed as if he was dumbfounded. But soon, his face was turning red as if he was getting angry. He snorted loudly and then walked towards the woman with steps that seemed like he was going to eat her.

Soon, Park Dong-Gul, standing in front of the woman, opened his mouth with a grim expression on his face.

“Hey, bitch. What did you say about my parents? Say it again.”

If an average adult man was treated like this, he would be terrified. However, I don't know if it was because the woman was strong, or if she was just fearless, but she looked Park Dong-Gul straight in the eye and snorted.

“It’s funny. Do you think I'd be scared if you did that? Did your father and mother teach you that? “You fucking bastard!”

“This fucking bitch is really trying to … .”

Park Dong-Gul's fist slowly rose into the air, as if he truly felt deep anger. Despite this, the woman did not blink an eye. Just like that, Park Dong-Gul was about to get into shape to throw a punch.

"Hey, mister. Cut it out."

For the first time, An Hyun spoke up. Park Dong-Gul, who had been about to slap the woman's face, turned around with a look of disbelief at An Hyun. From the side, it was clear that An Sol was tugging at his sleeve. Nevertheless, An Hyun pushed on and spoke up again.

"He's not wrong. We're all in the same situation, so why are you acting like this? What did those people do wrong?"

"These… these bastards…"

Park Dong-Gul, his face reddening with shame, bit his lip hard. It seemed that the raised fist, feeling the gazes directed at him, began to lower. As the woman gave a slight, mocking smile, Park Dong-Gul let out a roar of frustration and turned away. He sat back down, grumbling incessantly, looking like he was about to explode with anger at things not going his way.

"Fuck, what are you staring at? Can't you turn your eyes away?"

Unable to contain his rage, Park Dong-Gul took his frustration out on the nearby Lee Shin-Woo, who had been sitting quietly. Lee Shin-Woo, with a look of bewilderment, moved away from his seat. Just then, the scene took a turn.

"Growl."

The growl we had just heard echoed clearly in our ears once more. At that moment, I was finally able to solidify a vague memory into something concrete.

Back then, we would have been scattered in confusion due to a sudden attack while merely wasting time. The cause was Park Dong-Gul's earlier stone-throwing incident and the loud confrontation with the woman.

This was all I remembered about these people. I didn't know what happened afterward, but considering I hadn't seen them again in the Hall Plane...

‘Does that mean everyone died in the rites of passage? Though, An Sol might be an exception.’

If things continued like this, we might end up repeating the first cycle exactly. No, it would definitely happen.

I decided to offer a bit of assistance. However, I didn't plan to intervene directly. For now, I intended to help them just enough to get them moving and coordinate their efforts. With that in mind, I picked up the crossbow.

"Clink!"

"Excuse me. What are you doing right now?"

Everyone seemed highly alert, with even the smallest noise drawing their attention.

The person who spoke to me was the woman who had earlier displayed such impressive wit. At least she had the courtesy not to use informal language right from the start. Although Park Dong-Gul seemed to have a particularly strong grudge against her.

"I'm feeling uneasy."

"I'm more uneasy about that crossbow."

"Well... Where do you think we are right now?"

"Excuse me?"

The woman widened her eyes in surprise. Her gaze was sharp and intense, but overall, she had a rather attractive face.

"I've encountered many inexplicable situations since coming here. Isn't that the case for everyone here?"

"Well... I suppose so..."

People nodded their heads in agreement. The Summoning Room, the angel, the transfer—these experiences were likely familiar to them. Therefore, what was essential for them now was to quickly accept the reality, even if it was challenging, and adopt an active approach to survive the rites of passage.

I started loading the crossbow with arrows. Though it was a bit smaller than usual for a crossbow, its detachable design made it quite convenient. Seeing my actions and hearing the earlier growl, the others began to ready their weapons.

Soon, everyone except those who had arrived empty-handed had armed themselves. Preparations were nearly complete. I took a moment to calmly survey our surroundings.

We were in a clearing in the middle of the forest. The area was surrounded by dense trees and underbrush. I began moving in the opposite direction from where Park Dong-Gul had kicked the stone.

Even though we had only moved a few steps from the clearing, it already felt distinctly darker. The trees and bushes ahead seemed to cast an eerie, gloomy light.

Hearing the growl, a certain level of anxiety was inevitable. I could sense that the number of people following me was slowly increasing. Just when I thought they were becoming proactive, my plan hit a problem right from the start.

“Hey, An Sol. Get up. We need to follow him quickly.”

“Nooo... I don’t want to go inside... I’m scared…”

“So you’re just going to stay here? You’ve been saying since earlier that you’re uneasy and that it feels wrong to stay here. So why the sudden change?”

“Uuuh…”

The moment I heard the siblings’ conversation, I felt a pressure in my eyes. With a luck stat of 100 points, it’s possible that she could sense something. But that’s purely speculative. It seemed that An Sol was still struggling with the primal fear and had no intention of moving from where she was.

“Growl! Growl!”

While the siblings were arguing, additional growls echoed in the distance. The volume was increasing, clearly indicating that the source was getting closer. At first, everyone waited calmly for them to resolve their issues, but soon, one by one, people started to show signs of impatience.

"Excuse me, but should we leave without them? Honestly, I’ve been trembling ever since earlier…"

"Y-yeah, let’s do that! Just leave them behind. What is this sudden noise…"

Lee Shin-Woo's voice, tinged with determination, seemed to rally the others. Park Dong-Gul quickly agreed, adding his support.

Whether it was because they heard the call to leave or just felt the urgency, An Hyun’s expression grew more frantic as he tried to pull An Sol along.

"Come on, get up. I’m right here next to you. Please, just listen to me."

"But… I can’t move my legs… Uuuh…"

An Sol finally broke down in tears. Meanwhile, Lee Shin-Woo and Park Dong-Gul had been casting anxious glances, clearly eager to escape the unsettling situation as quickly as possible. Of course, I had no intention of abandoning the two siblings. It was far more advantageous for me to stay with them rather than leave them behind, even if I had to endure a bit of delay.

"Just go already! Why are you standing still?"

"Hey, hurry up…."

As the murmurs grew louder, An Hyun's face hardened. He finally yanked his sister's hand away from his sleeve, which she had been clinging to tightly. An Sol looked up in shock, her lips trembling.

"O-oppa?"

"Yeah. You stay here by yourself. I'm going somewhere else."

He’s just bluffing. But An Hyun’s act was convincing enough. After speaking, he coldly turned away, gripping his sword and shield tightly. As he strode purposefully towards us, An Sol appeared deeply shocked, her lips quivering. Then, hearing An Hyun’s voice say, "Sorry for making you wait. Let’s go," she started to openly shed tears. Regardless, An Hyun continued to deliberately urge us on, pretending to lead us through the forest. 

"Uuuh... Oppa, don’t go…"

“An Sol, get up right now. Please, understand the situation, okay?”

“I’m sorry… don’t leave me… don’t go… Uuuh… uuuh…”

“Are you not getting up immediately?”

In the end, An Hyun glared and raised his voice. It seemed to have some effect, as An Sol, still crying, slowly began to rise. Just then, the growls grew louder.

"Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!"

“Oh no, have I delayed too long?”

I felt a pang of frustration. It wasn’t just the fear of the situation, but the fear of potentially losing An Sol here, which caused my frustration. The source of the growling was now unmistakably close. The problem was, as An Sol was finally getting up, she froze in place.

“O… Oppa…”

The distance between them was gradually increasing. Despite seeing An Sol reach out helplessly, An Hyun’s actions remained resolute. In fact, he seemed to be maintaining a calm demeanor. The woman with the sharp tongue seemed frustrated and tried to intervene, but An Hyun raised a hand to stop her.

“Just leave her.”

“Oppa! Don’t leave me behind!”

“Then come over here on your own. It’s not too late yet. If you can’t even do that, you won’t survive.”

“Uuuh…”

At that moment, An Hyun’s determination was strikingly evident. He looked at An Sol with unwavering certainty. Whether it was An Hyun’s genuine intention or not, An Sol’s face tightened as she tried to hold back her tears. It seemed like she might have been able to make it if given a little more time, but unfortunately, it was already too late.

"Grrr! Grrr!"

‘That growl... it’s a Deadman.’

Deadmen. Despite the grand name, they are actually quite insignificant. In reality, users of the Hall Plane don't even consider Deadmen to be real monsters, as they are extremely weak creatures. While they possess some level of intelligence and infection ability, the infection can be easily treated if addressed within a certain timeframe (although treatment isn’t an option here).

Another notable feature of Deadmen is...

"Kraaaah!"

While Deadmen typically move at a slow, shuffling pace, they switch to a sprint when they detect prey.

The Deadman, letting out a hideous scream, suddenly lunged out of the forest with its mouth agape, charging directly at An Sol. Clearly caught off guard by this sudden attack, An Hyun screamed and ran towards the creature.

“Sol!”

And the screams weren't just from An Hyun.

“Ugh, ugh!”

“Eek!”

It felt like a scene from a zombie movie. As the monster, with its flesh hanging in tatters, charged at them, the group was thrown into instant chaos. A rock lodged in its exposed chest, which was clearly the same rock Park Dong-Gul had kicked earlier. This meant the Deadman must have been wandering around us after being hit.

"Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr! Grrr!"

Responding to the cries of the people, the growls of the Deadmen from beyond the forest grew louder.

“Aaaaah!”

“Sol! Pull yourself together! Sol!”

An Sol, barely managing to get to her feet, seemed to lose all composure upon seeing the Deadman. Though An Hyun rushed forward quickly, the Deadman was closer. Sensing this, An Hyun swung his sword back with all his might and then struck at the Deadman.

"Swish! Thud!"

‘Oh? Did it hit?’

The sword flew with great force, slicing off the Deadman’s left arm with precision. However, that was all. The Deadman staggered briefly but quickly regained its footing and continued its charge towards An Sol.

“Noooo!”

The Deadman’s mouth gaped wide.

An Sol, her eyes wide open in terror, could only watch in horror.

And then An Hyun's desperate cry.

At that moment, I knew for sure that my actions had changed An Sol's fate. Without hesitation, I fired the crossbow I had been preparing.

"Twang!"

The arrow flew with a sharp, piercing sound and struck cleanly through the Deadman’s head. The Deadman's weakness was its head. If a rock could penetrate its chest, there was no way it could block an arrow. The Deadman fell, its mouth still agape.

"Thud!"

“Y-... crazy…”

“Gasp… gasp…”

The reactions of those who had seen the monster were nearly identical. They all instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, as if finally realizing that this situation was no joke. While they might have understood the severity of the situation before, it was now clear that things were gravely serious.

Meanwhile, An Hyun’s actions were swift. He quickly went to An Sol, who was still gasping and supported her back to where we were. Clearly shaken by the recent events, he was panting heavily.

All eyes turned to me. I stepped to the forefront. Though I had dealt with one Deadman, many more would likely be arriving soon. The growls increasing in number indicated that more Deadmen were converging on our location. If they formed a perimeter around us, it would be a serious problem.

Without saying a word, I began to move forward.