Memorize Chapter 5

In the world of Hall Plain, power and, more precisely, ‘player information’ are given the highest priority. Everything about a person—years of experience, tendencies, stats, and abilities—is aggregated to determine their value.

That’s likely why I’m feeling more sensitive. I didn’t expect to receive special privileges and couldn’t create a perfect setup in such a short time. But I have ten years of experience.

I wanted to live. To live, I needed power. My desire for survival led to an aspiration for strength. I pondered and researched endlessly about which abilities to enhance and how to become stronger. Reaching the level of Master with just 48 points in magical abilities wasn’t achieved by mere luck.

Although I didn’t expect them to be used this way, the granted privileges were perfect for applying the knowledge I had accumulated.

The randomly selected latent abilities were as I had anticipated. When I read the names of the abilities for the two empty slots, I felt a sigh of relief. What remained were one unique ability slot, one special ability slot, and two latent ability slots.

After carefully selecting the unique, special, and latent abilities, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

“Phew. It’s all selected.”

“……”

At that moment, I felt a subtle gaze. Since there were only two people in the summoning room, I didn’t need to see to know who was watching me.

The final farewell with Seraph was touching. However, the grudge built up over ten years wasn’t completely resolved. Moreover, now that I had some understanding of the internal situation, viewing the angel before me with affection seemed a distant prospect.

I deliberately avoided looking in the direction of Seraph. I tried to distract myself by turning my gaze away for a while, but there was a limit to how long I could keep it up. Eventually, unable to withstand Seraph’s uncomfortable stare, I decided to speak.

“What are you looking at?”

I asked with a deliberately gruff voice, though my gaze became even more subtle. Seraph exchanged glances with me for a moment and then spoke in a slightly flustered tone.

“The player Kim Su-Hyeon’s stats. And the unique, special, and latent abilities chosen from the privileges. I have combined the settings in these two areas with the settings for a swordsman expert. From this, I was able to come at one point.”

“By whose authority?”

“By the assistant's authority.”

Looking at Seraph’s immediate comeback, I felt somewhat incredulous. Was the angel joking, or was it serious? It might be a mix of both, but I nodded in bewilderment.

“Fine. What did you find out?”

“I found that the research on stats and abilities is very thorough. It feels as if the player has experienced the Hall Plain for a long time.”

“Haha. Nonsense.”

At that moment, a sharp pang of discomfort hit me. But I questioned with a calm demeanor, and Seraph slowly shook her head.

“It’s nothing.”

“I admit I have a somewhat unusual personality.”

“I’m not talking about behavior. The efficiency achieved by using Player Kim Su-Hyeon’s privileges far exceeded the angels’ expectations. Such a choice could never be made without directly experiencing the Hall Plain.”

“Hold on a second. Is there no way to backtrack?”

“No way. I repeat, you don’t need to worry about the privileges. Angels don’t speak with two tongues. Well, anyway, I think I have a general idea of what Player Kim Su-Hyeon is aiming for. That’s all.”

Seraph’s voice carried a genuine tone of admiration. However, her words were laden with meaning. I couldn’t feel entirely proud given the sharp discomfort I had been feeling inside.

Honestly, even though I had conducted research, what I was aiming for was based on the class of one of the players who once enjoyed the greatest fame.

Fame aside, I remembered more clearly because of the shared name. Jin Su-Hyeon, the swordsman expert. This secret class boasted formidable power in the Grand Mage’s Guide, to the point that it was considered a nightmare among mages.

Jin Su-Hyeon was a player who entered the Hall Plain later than I did. The difference was about a year. However, he closed that gap of one year in an instant with the word ‘effort.’ And with the word ‘talent,’ he surpassed me in no time. Considering the effort I also put in, the sense of loss I felt at that time still makes my chest ache.

Anyway, getting back to the main point, it's nearly impossible to implement Jin Su-Hyeon’s information as it is right now. For one, he wasn’t particularly close to me, and he wasn’t the type to share his information with others. Even if I retain the basic and essential elements, they only account for about 20% of the whole context. The remaining 80% will have to be filled in with my own independent interpretations, creating the framework and fleshing it out. As mentioned earlier, I was planning to rely on my ten years of experience and expertise.

"Anyway, just drop that perspective."

Seeing the clear discomfort on my face, Seraph quietly fell silent.

‘I’ll take the swordsmanship expert role.’

I did feel a bit sorry, so I took a moment to pray for Jin Su-Hyeon. I hoped that someone like him would succeed just fine even if he chose a class other than swordsmanship expert, so he shouldn’t worry too much. After finishing my pseudo-prayer, I shifted my focus to the next special privilege.

The fourth privilege.

‘4. For a single instance, you may receive a body modification procedure.’

Even though it’s called a modification procedure, there’s nothing particularly special about it. Of course, there have been cases where parts of the body were replaced with machinery or when beings from another dimension were summoned to replace parts of oneself. However, such cases were only applicable when someone had lost their limbs completely due to unavoidable circumstances. Since I had a healthy body with all my limbs intact, I wasn’t willing to sacrifice any part of it. I could become strong enough without needing to do that.

What I had in mind was getting a tattoo procedure. This process was an essential element for completing my plan. Without the tattoo procedure, the success rate of the plan would be less than 30%, making it highly risky. The item I would request during the fifth special privilege was that powerful and dangerous.

Having spent a considerable amount of time going through the third special mission, I decided to request the tattoo procedure right away.

“Hm. Let’s see. Instead of a grand modification procedure, I’d like to get a simple tattoo.”

“That’s possible. I will display the tattoo list chart for you. Please wait a moment.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I know the name. I’d like the tattoo called ‘Mark of the Ancient Priestess.’”

“Where would you like the tattoo to be inscribed?”

I raised my right hand with a calm face. As Seraph's gaze followed my right hand, I pointed to my left chest with my finger.

“The heart.”

“The heart, you say…?”

“Why?”

“…….”

Seraph’s face was calm. She did not say anything. However, she was undoubtedly calculating at a speed I could hardly imagine. I felt a bit sorry for her struggling to understand my intent, but I had no intention of revealing it yet.

Typically, tattoos are inscribed on the skin. However, inscribing a magical mark using ancient magic on the heart seemed quite dubious.

The heart and circuits are the organs responsible for the core of the magic power used by its players. Inscribing a tattoo that can directly or indirectly affect the magical response on the heart carries inherent risks of causing unforeseen problems.

However, the Mark of the Ancient Priestess is different.

If I had mentioned a typical tattoo, I would have had to argue with Seraph for a while. This is because typical tattoos, which involve magic amplification or quantity, have many issues.

But the Mark of the Ancient Priestess differs from typical tattoos. It has two main functions: First, it stabilizes itself if there is a surge in magic power. Second, it helps to guide the flow of magic efficiently.

Since this ancient priestess’s mark has such beneficial functions, Seraph must be contemplating intensely right now. I felt a slight tension as I gazed at her lips. This procedure was the ultimate key that could lead my plan, which had a high chance of failure, to success. Finally, Seraph’s delicate lips slowly parted.

“Yes.”

Bingo.

“I will accept player Kim Su-Hyeon’s request. It is expected to take approximately 5 minutes and 7 seconds. I will proceed with the procedure immediately.”

“Okay.”

At that moment, ancient symbols began to appear in the air before me, emitting a bright blue light and starting to spin around my body in an oval shape. Simultaneously, I felt a sort of auditory illusion as if I could hear the solemn voices of priestesses.

Five minutes later. The ancient symbols, which had been slowly revolving around, began to merge into my heart, one by one.

Although it was entering my heart, there was no particular pain. Instead, I felt a surge of vitality each time a symbol entered. Finally, when the last symbol entered, I was able to conclude the procedure.

I couldn’t immediately sense what had changed. However, it would soon become apparent once I started checking my magical power. I began to inspect it immediately.

‘Oh.’

Initially, I thought I would struggle with the dramatically increased magical power, but there was no burden at all. The magic flowed smoothly along the circuits. The procedure was successful. I felt an unexpectedly satisfying sense of contentment.

“It’s alright. Seraph? Let me know the remaining time.”

“It will take 48 minutes and 39 seconds to reach the passing ceremony.”

"It’s 48 minutes and 39 seconds.” I slightly licked my lips. From the lack of response, it seemed that Seraph thought there was enough time. However, in my opinion, it’s tight. The fifth privilege was a risky adventure. Since it was uncertain, it involved great danger. But considering its necessity, it was an unavoidable process. I steeled my wavering mind and recalled the fifth privilege.

'5. The player, Kim Su-Hyeon, can choose one piece of equipment of their choice, with no restrictions on type. However, EX-grade equipment cannot be selected.'

In a way, the range of options was quite broad. Swords, armor, elixirs, accessories, and so on. However, if I chose something too ordinary, it would defeat the purpose of receiving the ancient priestess's tattoo. The fifth option was something I really needed.

"Hwajung, the fire Hwajung would be better. I'll choose that for the fifth option."

"User Kim Su-Hyeon's request is approved…?"

The ending of the sentence rose oddly. Seraph shifted the ending to a questioning tone and slightly furrowed her brow.

‘Could it be that she figured out my intention?’

It's quite possible that she noticed my intent. Nevertheless, the approval request was processed normally, and in Seraph's right hand, a small orb with a red glow was appearing.

“…….”

“…….”

No words were exchanged between us. But I could tell from Seraph's eyes that she had no intention of handing over the orb. As I suspected, Seraph's stern expression and reproachful gaze confirmed it. In response, I also hardened my expression and met her gaze head-on.

"User Kim Su-Hyeon."

"Tanay."

"Of course. But this is a different matter. Even if it's Tanay, if it could harm the user, advice can be given."

"You're just interfering under the guise of advice. Stop wasting time and give it to me. I need Hwajung. Do you think I'm crazy for choosing the ancient priestess's mark over other good ones?"

This is why I dislike Seraph. We often end up fighting before she gives in, with emotions running high as we resolve things. As I recalled such times, harsh words instinctively rose to my throat. But then the image of her eyes, filled with affection before we parted, flashed in my mind. I instinctively closed my mouth and listened. I was at least willing to hear her out.

"I pay my respects to your creativity. It is truly astonishing that a human came up with such an idea. But that is all it is."

"......"

"User Kim Su-Hyeon. I wonder how much you know about Hwajung."

"Only that it can burn everything?"

"That's about right. Another name for Hwajung is the Eternal Burning Flame. The most destructive fire known to the world is said to be the Infernal Flame of Hell. However, this pure flame, the Hwajung, possesses a power dangerous enough to be on par with it. It is, quite literally, a fire for destruction."

"I know. That’s exactly why I’m asking for it."

"Durability: 92. Magic power: 90. Estimated success rate: 21%. Including the ancient priestess's mark, the estimated success rate increases to 42%. In other words, there is a 58% chance of failure."

Seraph was desperately trying to persuade me. But no matter how hard she tried, the benefit was ultimately at the Tanay level. As she said, she might be able to give advice, but she couldn’t stop my decision. So, I spread my right hand and boldly demanded Hwajung.

“Just make it succeed.”

It was an easy statement to make, but it was a hard choice. Seraph must have been fuming by now. Despite all the discussion, it seemed to have no effect. She was now practically begging.

“Not to mention the failure, even if you succeed, there will be problems. If you fail, you’ll lose everything and become a cripple. Even if you succeed, there will undoubtedly be unforeseen disadvantages.”

“I thought I read that all equipment except EX-grade ones will be provided. Was the Hwajung EX-grade?”

“Originally, the fire Hwajung was EX-grade. It exists in the Hall Plain but is not meant to appear. Although it has been reduced to S-grade through balancing efforts, the inherent danger…”

If things continued like this, it would never end. Feeling incredibly fatigued, I raised my hand to stop her words. I wanted to listen to the end if possible, but time was too tight. Or, I suddenly thought that Seraph might be dragging this out to prolong the process.

"I don’t want to drag this anymore."

"Even with durability and magic stats over 90, it’s tough, and your stamina is only 78. I understand your confidence, but please face reality."

I knew what Seraph was worried about. For an average person, her sincere persuasion would have swayed them slightly. But I couldn't be swayed. I would rather concede other things than this; it was something I had been determined about. If I gave up on Hwajung now…

"The recovery time isn’t trivial. If you drag this out, you’ll enter the rite of passage in a semi-corpse state."

"User Kim Su-Hyeon."

"I won’t say more. I am definitely requesting the fire Hwajung."

In the end, I gave a cold retort. Whether she sensed the unusual tension or could no longer refuse the Tanay level, Seraph slowly began to fidget with her fingers. Her face was still full of discontent, but eventually, she extended the Hwajung toward me. However, it wasn’t handed over gently.

“Even if you succeed, surely a day will come when you’ll regret it.”

“I know…”

With a gentle thud.

The Hwajung. A pure embodiment of fire. Eternal flames of the Elixir.

There’s no need for preparation. It’s been a long time since I made up my mind, and if I calculate the aftereffects, there’s not much time left.

The Hwajung traced a thin scarlet trajectory before it slipped right into my mouth.

Gulp.

I finally obtained the Hwajung. At last, it was within my grasp. As I managed the surging relief and joy, I quickly observed the inside.

Gulp.

As I moved my Adam's apple once, I felt the round bead sliding down my esophagus.

From now on, the true challenge begins.