Memorize

Cha Seung-Hyun's eyes were wide with fury, his mouth open in a scream. Seeing his expression, a strange thrill coursed through me. In the first life, the Martial God Cha Seung-Hyun was a player so far above me that I couldn't even dream of facing him. Sure, calling him a Martial God now would be premature—he was lacking in many ways—but the fact that I was about to kill such a formidable opponent one-on-one stirred an unfamiliar excitement.

He was pretty strong. We'd had a decent fight, after all. But that was it. He hadn't reached his full potential, and he was no match for me now. Every stat except vitality was inferior to mine. Compared to my high-quality weapons and armor, his equipment was shoddy. Special abilities and latent potential? No contest. Even if all conditions were equal, I had hidden trump cards—useful abilities and the secret weapons influenced by the Tanay perk. If I'd pulled out Hwajung with full intent, I would've won even more easily.

"Aaaaaah!"

A desperate, anguished cry erupted, as if something long suppressed had burst free in an instant. No need to look—it was Yoo Hyun-Ah's wail. But I didn't stop the Sun-Moon Divine Sword. As Cha Seung-Hyun's body tilted from his severed right arm, I swung with all my might at his exposed neck.

"Argh!"

With a final scream, I felt the chilling sensation of slicing through flesh along the blade's edge. A player's head soared into the air, cleanly severed, floating briefly before arcing down to the ground.

Thud, thud, thud, thud. Thump.

The headless body collapsed powerlessly onto the inn's floor. Coincidentally, Cha Seung-Hyun's head rolled a bit before stopping near Yoo Hyun-Ah. Warm blood spurted intermittently from the severed neck like a small fountain.

Yoo Hyun-Ah was a sight to behold. Propped up on her hands, her upper body trembling, her expression was indescribable—disbelief, perhaps? Her constant "Ah… Ah…" moans suggested she might scream at the slightest touch.

For now, I planned to let Yoo Hyun-Ah live. To her, Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee were irreplaceable siblings, but to other players, they were just clan members. Touching her would complicate things. Since she hadn't drawn a weapon or attacked, stopping here was the line to maintain. Looking at her, on the verge of fainting, I sank into thought.

What would her future hold? As I'd noted before, Yoo Hyun-Ah became the Holy Queen because she had exceptional players under her command. At the Beech Tree Clan's peak, four of the Ten Strong were her subordinates.

But now, having cut off her key allies, Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee, I was curious about what would happen next. One of two outcomes: she'd either crumble under their loss or rise above it.

Either way, I didn't care. Ideally, she'd fall apart, but I already had plans to disrupt the latter outcome. I intended to preemptively recruit or secretly eliminate most of the players she'd meet and recruit in the future. That plan remained unchanged.

"Phew."

I let out a light sigh and turned away. There was nothing more to see here, and I had no desire to deal with Yoo Hyun-Ah, who seemed to have lost her grip on reality. Glancing at my clan members, I saw unexpected reactions.

Go Yeon-Joo was silently clapping, and Vivienne had a calm expression. Jung Ha-Yeong gazed at me with steady eyes, while Shin Sang-Yong looked at Yoo Hyun-Ah with pity but bowed his head slightly when our eyes met.

The kids' reactions softened my sharpened heart a bit. An-Hyun was trembling slightly but had a glint in his eyes, proof he was facing the situation head-on without flinching. Yun-Jung was gripping her demonic sword, Sculepf, with an enigmatic expression. Her delicate fingers fidgeted, likely influenced by the sword and the bloodshed. Come to think of it, I'd forgotten to address the issue with Yun-Jung and her sword. Her current reaction was both pleasing and concerning.

For now, leaving this place was the priority. We couldn't stay in Mule any longer. If there was to be an investigation, it'd be better to face it after moving to another city. Seeing An-Sol swallowing hard with a tense face, I slowly closed the distance to my clan members.

"Good work."

"Are you hurt?"

Go Yeon-Joo and Jung Ha-Yeong greeted me in turn. I nodded slightly.

"Though there was an unfortunate incident, our plans remain unchanged. Let's leave Mule immediately."

"Um… Oppa…"

"Yes, what is it?"

"That person…"

An-Sol bit her nails nervously, trailing off. I glanced at Yoo Hyun-Ah, still in a daze, and shook my head. There was a risk of escalating the situation, and we lacked the justification. Besides, after maneuvering things to our advantage, killing her now would undermine the legitimacy of eliminating Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee. While I could find an excuse if I wanted, it would likely complicate our future moves, and I wasn't in the mood for more trouble.

"Let's go."

Urging my clan members again, I immediately left the Modest Lady inn. The clan followed quietly, though the kids scrambled out with slightly flustered steps. An-Hyun quickened his pace, catching up to walk beside me and speaking up.

"Hyung, this happened in the city… Will it be okay?"

"It'll be fine. Even if they're a representative clan, there are lines they can't cross. Given the situation, it's justifiable from multiple angles. Since it's in our favor, there won't be any wanted notices."

The response came not from me but from Jung Ha-Yeong. Despite her answer, An-Hyun's expression remained uneasy, as if something still bothered him. Noticing this, Go Yeon-Joo spoke up.

"Kid."

"Y-Yes?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"Uh, well…"

An-Hyun faltered, closing his mouth. He seemed thrown off by Go Yeon-Joo's sudden question. She giggled briefly, gently patting his head, then leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Seeing his face stiffen, I quickly sharpened my hearing.

"I'm always nice to you guys because you're Su-Hyeon's comrades and the kids he cares about."

"…"

"And now we're clanmates. But before that, I'm the Shadow Queen. I don't expect you to understand this now. You'll get it as you gain more experience. So for now, don't worry and keep your head straight, little one."

"U-Understood."

With that, Go Yeon-Joo walked over to my side, and An-Hyun's tense expression relaxed. He let out a sigh of relief. It was clear he wasn't worried about me killing Cha Seung-Hyun and Ban Da-Hee but about the potential consequences—like being wanted or becoming a vagrant.

I recalled the first time I met the kids during the Rite of Passage. They'd been terrified just from firing an arrow at Wu Jung-Min's group. Compared to then, they'd grown a lot. Though, looking at Yun-Jung, it was hard to say it was entirely in a positive direction.

"Su-Hyeon. Did you hate them that much?"

"Hm?"

A subtle whisper came from my side. Turning, I saw Go Yeon-Joo, who had sidled up to me, gazing at me with a faint smile. She glanced back briefly before continuing in a soft voice.

"You just seem so… carefree."

Carefree, huh. To her, the kids and I were just year 0 players. I thought I'd managed my expression well, but she'd seen through me.

As a brief aside, back when I was still in the modern world, I sometimes read novels or comics that left me puzzled. Among various things, I couldn't understand the protagonists' heroics. I didn't like it. They could've killed their enemies or navigated situations easily, but they invited danger unnecessarily. I'd always click my tongue, questioning their actions.

That said, I don't want to be a reckless thug acting on whims. Even if someone was an enemy in the first life, if there's a chance to recruit them, I'd hold off. Wu Jung-Min's group and player Go Yeon-Joo are good examples. Still, shouldn't you do what you can when the situation allows?

Why did I start the second life after finishing the first? To be a hero? To gain fame and flaunt my power? No. It wasn't for some childish game. The real reason I turned back time was to accomplish what I couldn't in the first life. And this time, I was determined to achieve it.

For that goal, I was prepared to be more ruthless than anyone. Go Yeon-Joo was right. I felt carefree. As Cha Seung-Hyun said, I didn't feel a shred of guilt for abandoning human decency. All I felt was relief at having easily eliminated two potential threats.

In response to her question, I gave a faint smile and shrugged, saying nothing more as I quickened my pace toward the warp gate. Though I'd only been in Mule for about three months, so much had happened that it felt like half a year. Maybe that's why leaving Mule filled me with a strange excitement coursing through my body.

*

They were gone. The Modest Lady inn was now enveloped in a quiet stillness. The tragedy that had unfolded within contrasted starkly with the serene atmosphere. Two pools of blood had formed, each with a lifeless body lying atop it.

"Haa…"

Yoo Hyun-Ah raised her head, letting out an incomprehensible sound. Her cheeks bore the stark traces of dried tears, and her lips were cracked and parched. With bloodshot eyes, she slowly turned her head. Her gaze fell upon one body, sprawled and cold, and another, its head cleanly severed, lying alone on the floor.

"Haa… Haaa… Haaaa…"

Each time Yoo Hyun-Ah opened her mouth, a hoarse sound rasped from her throat. Unable to face the scene any longer—or perhaps unwilling to accept it as reality—she bowed her head deeply once more.

… ... ...… ... ...…

How much time had passed? Suddenly, a faint sound began to emerge from her as she stared at the floor.

"Heh, hee. Heehee. Heeheehee. Haaah. Heu, heu."

It was hard to tell whether it was crying or laughing. After making those deranged sounds for a while, she let out a "Grrk" and collapsed with a thud. White foam bubbled from her mouth.

Yet, even in that state, her lips twitched, and a ceaseless, wheezing sound escaped like air leaking from a punctured balloon. Her eyes were half-rolled back, the visible pupils unfocused. 

White foam dribbled slowly from her mouth. Her expression was that of someone desperate to forget everything, like a girl clinging to the belief that waking up would reveal it was all a dream.

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