Memorize

"Hey, did you hear? Another dungeon has been discovered in Mule."

"The Forest Of Midnight... the dungeon of the ancient alchemist, Vivienne. I'm thinking of heading back to Mule myself and checking it out. Who knows? There might still be something valuable left behind to find."

"Come on, you've already discovered the Cave of Wailing. Don't get too greedy. But there's something strange about this one. Apparently, it seems like some other players already found it before."

"Yeah, the rumor has it they stumbled upon it by accident, but they failed and... well, all of them died. Or maybe 'died' isn't quite the right word. I mean... It's strange, really. There were three of them. Or maybe... just one? You're wondering what I mean by that, aren't you?"

*

My party and I quickly packed up our things and left the inn. Since it was early, I didn't see Go Yeon Joo anywhere. An-Hyun seemed a bit reluctant to leave the inn, glancing back at it repeatedly.

The north gate of Mule looked quite shabby compared to Babara. There were a couple of guards manning the gate, but just by looking at it, I could tell it gave off a rundown vibe. Even though it was a frontier town, it was hard to believe the ruler of Mule, the lord of the leading clan, was particularly skilled.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please always be careful, and may the blessings of the Angels be upon you, players."

"Thank you."

I returned the salute as I spoke to the guards, and we finally stepped through the north gate. Hyun, seeing the townspeople speak to us for the first time, asked with a curious expression.

"Hyung, what exactly are the townspeople? I've heard other players mention them."

"Townspeople? They're the people originally living in the Hall Plain. You, Hyun, can also be considered a townspeople of Earth."

"Ah... So, is there a difference between us? I heard players are nobles, and townspeople are commoners."

"Nobles and commoners, huh? The townspeople are weak. So weak that, without players, they wouldn't be able to survive the dangers scattered across the Hall Plain. Of course, things changed a little when they crossed into Atlantis and then Terra, but up until Babara, the townspeople relied heavily on the protection of the players."

"The townspeople in cities that have been discovered and developed are somewhat safe from danger. However, no one knows what will happen in cities that haven't been explored yet. In fact, there are already examples of cities in the Southern Continent that have turned into ruins. Naturally, there weren't any townspeople left in those cities. It's assumed that they were all slaughtered by invading forces."

"The townspeople see players as divine apostles who protect them from these groups. They believe that gods exist in the Hall Plain, and some townspeople even claim to have been chosen by angels. To them, players are like apostles of the gods, sent to save them, empowered by divine commands and angelic blessings."

"In reality, players are just abducted by angels and draw power from the systems set up for them, but the townspeople believe it's a divine blessing. Because of this, townspeople always look at players with respect and reverence."

"When Hyun mentioned nobles and commoners, he was referring to the relationship from the players' perspective. The terms 'noble' and 'commoner' can be seen as the strong and the weak. The Western Continent, known for its boundless freedom, is especially severe in this regard, where townspeople are almost treated as slaves. The Northern Continent isn't as extreme, but there's definitely a certain disdain towards townspeople and a clear view of players being above them. At first, it made me feel a little sad that humans, the same as us, were treated like this."

"Looking at the cities, dungeons, and research facilities that have been discovered so far, it's clear that the Hall Plain still holds traces of a prosperous past. What I know is that, for some reason, all that prosperity was lost, and its power dissipated. In the end, the townspeople have fallen to a position where they live in constant fear of monster attacks every day."

I briefly summarized these points to Hyun. It seemed like the others were also curious, as they all nodded in understanding. While it wasn't necessary to pity the townspeople, I concluded the discussion by saying that it didn't look good to treat them too harshly.

Still, there should have been at least a few players around, but strangely, there was not a single one in sight. I could once again feel the influence of the Golden Lion Clan's actions. The northern city was empty, so the southern, western, and central regions like Babara must be filled with players right now. For a moment, I had the urge to join them and be part of their group.

Though I briefly felt sentimental, that mood slowly faded as I walked along the path. As I headed northward from Mulle, the scenery around me began to change gradually. The road grew rougher, and the traces of human activity became sparse. However, it wasn't a bad feeling.

It was because I could appreciate the untouched beauty of nature. Having lived in a place where nature couldn't even be found with a sharp eye, seeing this vibrant, living nature was something rare, even on Earth. The breeze gently blowing made everyone's faces brighten with refreshment as they occasionally glanced around. Soon, as the foliage seemed to grow denser, I paused for a moment and pulled out the map I had been holding.

On the left was a forest, and on the right was a plain. The direction to the Forest Of Midnight led into the forest, not the plains. I checked again, but nothing seemed to differ from my memory. I folded the map neatly and placed it back in my pocket. Though I could see faint, branching paths ahead, I didn't hesitate and turned my body toward the northwest path.

As I walked, my feet brushed against the vast, green forest floor. The fields beyond Mule's northern gate still exuded fresh, vibrant light. However, as I got closer to the Forest Of Midnight, the bright colors seemed to gradually fade.

Following the path, trees with a deep, bluish tint began to appear one after another. The tall, sticky trees, rising up toward the sky, exuded a massive presence that spread around them. We had entered the outskirts of the Forest Of Midnight. Watching the kids trailing behind me, I spoke softly.

"We're entering the Forest Of Midnight now. Everyone, stay alert and prepare yourselves."

The deeper we went, the heavier the gloomy atmosphere seemed to get. Honestly, calling this place a forest felt a bit embarrassing. There was a clear distinction between the highlands and lowlands, and the area was so vast that it didn't feel like a typical forest. It was almost insulting to compare it to the forests we had passed through during the rite of passage.

Though it was still early in the morning, with weak sunlight filtering through, I knew that would soon vanish the further we went in. I had a feeling that when night came, this place would truly be pitch black. That thought made me realize we needed to secure a safe zone today. For now, we could still distinguish our surroundings, so I decided to slowly start scouting around. As I glanced at the kids, I saw that they were all tightly gripping their weapons, and their tension was slowly increasing. That's when it happened.

"Wait a second."

As I turned my head to look at the kids, I noticed a strange trace. It was truly an accidental discovery. If I hadn't turned my head, I might have missed it, but my heightened senses didn't let me miss the slightest clue in that fleeting moment.

The kids, who had been on high alert, looked at me in surprise. I moved toward the spot where I had found the trace and crouched down to get a better look. As my expression turned expressionless, the kids, who had been exchanging cautious glances, quietly gathered around me.

This... is the trace of someone who passed by. And not just one or two. I clearly remembered that when we left the northern gate, there had not been a single person in sight. They could have come from another direction, of course. While it was strange that there weren't any players around, it still didn't feel right. There was something suspicious about it. The traces didn't seem old, like they had been made recently.

"Oppa, why are you suddenly looking at the ground?" 

"..."

I briefly scanned the ground and then activated my third eye to gather more detailed information. As I stared at the ground without moving, I heard Yun-Jung's cautious voice, but I wasn't in the mood to respond right now.

"Oppa? Oppa!"

"Noona, Oppa's tracing something right now, so please wait a moment..."

"Tracing...? Isn't that something only archers or assassins do?"

"Well, yes, but I've heard that if you have enough experience or training, anyone can learn it to a certain extent. But even so, we probably won't be able to track it as precisely as someone with a specialized profession."

"That's impossible. So are you saying Oppa learned it?"

As I filtered and analyzed the countless pieces of information pouring into my mind, I could hear Yun-Jung and Sol muttering in the background. Archers may have the ability to track and guide others, but they also possess a skill to read traces left on the ground. However, my Third Eye ability had a far wider application, and gathering information from the traces was not difficult at all. And, though I felt a bit sorry for Sol, it was clear that my unique ability was far superior to others in this situation.

After analyzing all the information, I stood up again. What I had done so far, as Sol had said, was just basic tracking. Looking at the kids, who were staring at me blankly, I spoke in a low, serious voice.

"It looks like a caravan of about five... or maybe six people passed through here around two or three days ago. They didn't come from the northern gate. They were probably explorers who came from somewhere else... but whether they got lost and ended up here or came here intentionally, I'm not sure. Still, they didn't leave any signs of wandering, so they weren't completely inexperienced. Anyway, all their tracks are headed in the same direction."

I obviously didn't know what happened to them after that. To find out about what occurred at that time, I would have to use the ability to look into the past, just like in the trial rites, but there was no need for that right now. There was no urgency like back then. Analyzing the remaining traces and making inferences was more than enough.

Hearing my words, Hyun and Yun-Jung clicked their tongues in surprise. Even Sol, who hadn't expected me to speak so confidently, widened her eyes. I responded to their gazes with a casual shrug. Yun-Jung tilted her head curiously and asked me with a questioning look.

"So, does that mean there are other people in this forest besides us?"

"Well, maybe... maybe not."

Yun-Jung's sharpness took me by surprise. I had deliberately left my answer vague, not wanting to discuss it, but I could see her eyes narrowing. I sighed and eventually added to my response.

"Just like I said. There are tracks going into the forest, but no signs of them coming back. They might have gone in a different direction, or maybe they're still wandering around the forest. If not... they might be dead."

At my words, the kids' faces grew anxious as they exchanged uneasy looks. I glanced at them with a neutral expression before turning back around. Back in the city, I let them run wild and made allowances, but now that we were in the wild, I had no intention of being so lenient.

As my expression hardened and I said nothing further, I could feel the sound of their footsteps growing quieter. They were subconsciously trying to soften their steps, probably due to the tension that had taken hold of them. The deeper we went into the forest, the thicker the trees grew, towering so high they seemed to block out the sky. The faint sunlight that had been shining at the entrance of the forest had completely disappeared.

We kept walking. By the time we thought we had exited the entrance, the surrounding darkness had fully settled in. It wasn't so dark that we couldn't see, but the gloom had deepened enough that even though it was still morning, it was hard to imagine what it would be like when nightfall came. The name "Forest Of Midnight" was certainly well-suited for it.

Surprisingly, without me instructing them, the kids had already activated their detection abilities. Thanks to my Third Eye being active and the detection skills I had taught them, we were able to maintain our pace without slowing down. From that point, no more words were exchanged. With each step I took, the sound of rustling leaves and the varied breaths of the kids were the only things that broke the eerie silence. 

Then, it happened.

"Crunch. Rustle!"

A strange noise caught my attention. At the same time, the previously calm silence was shattered by the sound of something pushing through the underbrush. Judging by how quickly it was approaching, it seemed like it had detected us and was coming to ambush us.

As I stopped walking, the kids held their breath in response, clearly tensing up. Their faces showed growing unease as they scanned their surroundings, but they still hadn't noticed the approaching creature. Since they were all using detection abilities, they would sense it once it came close, but I decided to warn them ahead of time.

"An ambush. Monsters are coming from both directions. Everyone, prepare for combat. Sol, move to the center. Hyun and Yun-Jung, back-to-back, form a defensive formation."

"Y-Yes?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. Get it together and form the defense around Sol."

The moment I shouted, the kids' faces turned to confusion. Yun-Jung hesitated and questioned me, but when I snapped at her in a cold tone, she shuddered and quickly gripped her daggers. Hyun also took a defensive stance with his spear, while Sol started chanting spells, quickly getting into position. In the blink of an eye, they formed a defensive ring. I moved next to Sol, preparing to play the role of a Priest Keeper. I unsheath my sword, the sharp 'shing' of the blade cutting through the air as the tension thickened.

'Special ability activated. Sword Heart.'

'Potential ability activated. Close Combat Mastery.'

'Potential ability activated. Mind's Eye.'

With the abilities coursing through me, I stood ready, focusing on the sounds of the surrounding forest. We all tightened our focus as the rustling of grass and the sound of a sharp 'screeching' echoed through the air. The moment our detection picked up the monsters, we saw them: a swift tail, glinting with deadly light, slashing toward Hyun and Yun-Jung, the two who were guarding opposite sides.

"Don't dodge! Parry!" I shouted, seeing the instinctive movement of the kids to evade.

By the time I spoke, both Hyun and Yun-Jung had already reacted. It seemed they'd sensed the attack through their detection skills, quickly adjusting their stances. Hyun, moving to the side with a quick sidestep, had a moment of hesitation when he saw the tail dart toward him. However, as it came closer, his face shifted to one of realization, and he swiftly swung his spear, blocking the tail with a loud 'thud' as it scraped against the midsection of his weapon.

Yun-Jung, on the other hand, displayed a fluid, nimble movement, ducking just in time to avoid the attack. But even though she successfully dodged the initial strike, the fight was far from over. The tail, missing her, turned sharply midair and shot toward Sol, who was still chanting her spells, unaware of the impending danger.

Sol froze for a split second as the tail approached her. Her face turned pale as she realized the imminent threat. She wasn't fast enough to react, and the tail was closing in, ready to strike her.

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