Memorize - Episode 33
33 Boss Monster
Kim Han-byeol never took her eyes off me until the end. Her eyes were telling me to get up quickly and run away, but I had no intention of doing so.
It seems the group had seriously misunderstood, no matter how you look at it.
Eventually, I could see the transfer of everyone except me being completed as the blue light flashed in the warp gate for the last time.
Are they gone?
They must be gone, right?
They're gone.
Before I knew it, a black shadow heavily covered my surroundings. The boss monster didn't seem to care about losing its prey and was continuously growling while looking at me. I placed both hands on the ground and slowly got up. It had been a while since I'd rolled around, and my whole body felt stiff. As I twisted my body for a moment to loosen my waist, I heard the cracking sound of joints twisting.
I stared blankly at the crossbow I had been using well until now, then dropped it to the ground. I no longer needed it. With a thud, the crossbow rolled on the dirt floor. Without hesitation, I stepped on the dropped crossbow.
Crack!
Seeing the crossbow break in half, I extended my hand towards the place where my companions had dropped their luggage, with an indifferent face. Activating my magic power and manifesting the technique of grasping objects in the air, the longsword Ahn Hyun had dropped spun around and nestled comfortably in my hand.
And finally, I came to hold the longsword in my hand.
One of the things I couldn't shake off throughout the Trial of Passage was the unfamiliar feeling of not having a sword in my possession. In the Hollow Plane, I considered my sword as important as my life. Even when sleeping, eating, or even bathing, I always kept my sword by my side. Perhaps that's why when I handed the sword to Ahn Hyun, I felt like I was being deprived of a comrade.
Now it's all over. I can return to the Hollow Plane again. How much I had longed for this moment. How desperately I had wished in my heart to return again. What I once thought was a dream became reality when I obtained the Zero Code, and now that reality was just one step away. I felt my heart swelling.
It seemed like Hwajeong, asleep in my heart, was responding to my intense emotions. My heart was beating roughly, and I felt like the blood flowing through every corner of my body was burning hot. My halted breath, my dead heart, began to burn fiercely again. The moment just before the curtain rises on the prologue of a long war starting anew.
Kraaaaaaaaang!
I hear the boss monster roaring. Before slashing it, I quietly gazed at the sword in my hand. Although I had gained skills surpassing my past self, there was no guarantee that I was the strongest. But there was no fear. Even if I fall into the abyss once again, even if I receive another great wound, I had firmly resolved never to give up. Without a trace of worry, I raised my sword and aimed at the boss monster.
The moment I sincerely held up the sword, all the air surrounding me changed completely.
『The special ability Sword-Body Unity (Rank EX) is activated. The moment you wield the sword, you receive additional positive corrections for all actions using the sword. Due to years of seasoned experience, numerous achievements, and job corrections, you receive a 2-rank increase correction.』
『The latent ability Close Combat (Rank A+) is activated. For those who handle close-range weapons, this is an ability that has already surpassed the limit. In close combat, you will never be overwhelmed. Due to years of seasoned experience and job corrections, you receive a 1-rank increase correction.』
I used to be a Sword Master, and now I am a Sword Specialist. I have abilities related to swords and a job related to swords. As such, the difference in power when holding a sword and not holding one was as vast as the distance between heaven and earth. If before it was just a vague cloud, now a storm-like killing intent filled with the will "I will kill you" was surrounding the monster.
To my eyes now, the monster looked so trivial, almost less than an insect. As I took a step forward, the boss monster took a step back. It couldn't be helped. No matter how cunning it was, as a monster, its wild instincts were still alive. Once it recognized the overwhelming difference in class between us, it had already lost its will to fight.
The foundation of my swordsmanship is rooted in Taichi. Rather than overpowering with overwhelming force, I had many techniques that utilized both my strength and the opponent's strength. For me, who lacked strength compared to top-tier users, it was the only way to cope. To explain in more detail, I use the principles of Jeongi-chiyu (dedicating to qi to reach softness) and Iyugeukgang (overcoming hardness with softness), with the essence being to subdue movement with stillness.
I slowly lowered my sword. As I couldn't expect the monster to attack first, I was planning to attack first. This posture was a kind of preparation stance just before unleashing my unique sword-drawing technique. Of course, I knew it might look defenseless.
However, because of this, the opponent couldn't predict in which direction my first sword move would attack. In this state, if I swung the sword at lightning speed, the opponent would often be hit before reading the sword path or give up the initiative of attack.
Looking at the boss monster trembling in front of me, I immediately drew my sword.
And then.
My sword energy tore through the air and advanced relentlessly towards the monster.
"One Sword Kill. It was a splendid sword-drawing technique. User Kim Su-hyun. Congratulations on surviving the Trial of Passage. This certifies that the user has earned the qualification to enter the Hollow Plane as of the 6th day, 16:42:27."
I split the boss monster in half with one stroke. After that, when I returned to the Summoning Room, these were the first words Seraph uttered while looking at me. She was still calmly looking at me, her shining wings flickering on the small altar. Although it hadn't been a week since I last saw her, it felt like it had been a long time. I nodded roughly and then sat down with a thud.
"The kids?"
It was an abrupt question, but the Trial of Passage is different from the Hollow Plane. It's a space where there are no restrictions on observing users. Since she must have seen my play, I thought she would have also seen the users who acted with me.
"Providing information about other users is not permitted."
"I'm not asking about their three sizes. Can't you at least tell me if they entered well? You're being really sensitive about this."
Hearing my words, Seraph sighed deeply and then answered in a calm voice.
"Users Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, Lee Yoo-jung, and Kim Han-byeol were normally transferred to the Summoning Room. They are currently on standby with their assigned angels."
"I see. So they receive half a day of education and then enter the Hollow Plane?"
"The education doesn't take that long. However, we need to unlock jobs and abilities suitable for the users' characteristics. User Kim Su-hyun finished this familiarly under his own initiative, but please don't equate yourself with other users."
At these words, I closed my mouth. In the past, when I endured for 7 days, after returning to the Summoning Room, I was able to learn basic knowledge about the Hollow Plane, do basic settings, and then enter. The time it took then felt like half a day.
"We process the transfer of all users to the Hollow Plane collectively. Therefore, there is a need to wait for users who have earned qualification after the 7th day of the Trial of Passage ends."
"Then can I at least now..."
"Absolutely not."
This wasn't welcome news to me, who wanted to enter as soon as possible. I had even dealt with the boss monster quickly for this. I asked just in case, but seeing Seraph cut me off before I could finish speaking, I grumbled with a disgruntled face.
"So you're saying I have to stay here for almost a day and a half. Am I supposed to just wait during that time? Should I play pat-a-cake with you?"
Despite my irritated voice, Seraph answered clearly.
"If you wish, I will do so. For users who pass early, we usually provide more detailed information about the Hollow Plane."
"Not needed."
"Then would you like to play pat-a-cake?"
"Sigh... No. Let's just talk."
Seeing Seraph ask seriously, I shook my head. She was an angel who absolutely couldn't understand jokes. Since it had come to this, I decided to ask a few questions I had been curious about while doing the Trial of Passage. Of course, with a tone full of sarcasm. At my suggestion to just talk, Seraph tilted her head and then nodded slightly.
"I felt this while playing through the Trial of Passage, but did you guys think about balance?"
"Yes."
Seraph answered briefly.
"...Let's say dropping us in the middle of the forest and the Wraiths were okay. But what's with the boss monster in the summoning spell? It's like Nolbu's greed. Is this really a Trial of Passage? At this rate, prospective users can't pass."
"Is there a problem?"
"If I hadn't been there at the end, our group would have been practically annihilated. I can't understand the reason for releasing such a monstrous creature."
At my words, Seraph opened her mouth without a moment's hesitation.
"The Trial of Passage is automatically balanced according to the level of users participating in each run. Of course, this run was special, excluding user Kim Su-hyun. Anyway, this year had many promising users, ranking in the top five even compared to past years."
"Even so, I can't understand the boss monster. Users can't even use magic, how can they defeat a boss monster?"
"Defeating it is impossible. There's a separate strategy. The boss monster is randomly summoned between 200 to 300 meters remaining distance from the warp gate. It's impossible to face alone, but with at least five people, at least one can reach the warp gate."
I could immediately understand what Seraph was saying.
"...So you're saying to use up to four people as bait to escape."
"Correct."
I was at a loss for words. However, on the other hand, I could roughly understand why they placed the boss monster near the warp gate. Users who pass must taste the sorrow of losing companions they've been with. Since such things are commonplace in the Hollow Plane, it seemed they intended to give a similar shock from the start.
I thought it was in bad taste, but I had nothing to say. In a way, the reason I came back was also because I couldn't overcome a similar sense of loss. I was about to change the subject after inwardly sighing when Seraph spoke first.
"I admit there was a certain level of difficulty. By the way, the first four who arrived simultaneously have been given a small gold point reward."
"...Oh? Then there shouldn't be anyone who passed before us. What about me?"
"User Kim Su-hyun passed in 5th place. The four mentioned earlier are tied for 1st place. As a reward, they will each be given 2500 gold points."
Oh ho. That's good news. 2500 points at the beginning can be quite helpful. Gold points that can be used in the user-exclusive shop have great utility in the early stages. I opened my mouth with sparkling eyes.
"Oh. Gold points. Give me some too."
"Unfortunately, they are only given to 1st place. Originally, we give 10,000 points to one person, but this time, coincidentally, there were four people, so we had to divide it into four. User Kim Su-hyun is not eligible."
I see. Feeling disappointed, I licked my lips and nodded. With 2500 points, if exchanged for Hollow Plane gold, there would be no worry about money being tight in the beginning. Or I could buy beginner weapons. Seeming to read my expression, Seraph spoke to me with a face that didn't understand.
"User Kim Su-hyun. You seem quite disappointed. It's only 2500 points."
"Gold points don't grow on trees, you know."
"That's true. However, the current gold points held by user Kim Su-hyun are exactly 3,784,720 points. It doesn't seem necessary to be so attached to 2500 points."
...Huh?