MEMORIZE

As soon as I left the Warp Gate, I saw a familiar sight of the city.

"You've arrived at Barbara."

At the words of Ko Yeon-ju, who immediately followed me, I nodded once. And I looked up at the sky.

It was afternoon. It was late afternoon, too.

After lunch, I started off after a short morning, and at some point, the sun went over to the west and the dark dusk was gradually getting ready to descend.

"Suhyun, should we just go back now? The meeting has been delayed anyway, so you can come back tomorrow morning."

"Well."

I was lost in thought for a moment at the point of reason.

Three days have passed since the battle was over.

The West Gate Unit, which was hit hardest in the battle, was left out of the battlefield and received a three-day break in the name of maintenance. And on the fourth day, we decided to have a meeting in Barbara.

Today was the fourth day.

But the meeting, which was supposed to be held this morning, was pushed back to the afternoon due to the battlefield arrangements. So I started again on time, and just as I was getting to Warp Gate, I could hear that the meeting had been pushed back to tomorrow morning again.

Although there was a good excuse to clean up the battlefield, in the end, it meant that he was not ready yet.

Anyway, I could rest at least today, but I chose to come to Barbara without turning back.

Due to the small number of Clan members, maintenance did not take long, and rest was sufficient.

But most of all, I was curious. I repeat that the war is not all over. I was curious about the post-war process, I was curious about what happened to the golden lion, I was curious if there were any prestigious users who died in the war, and I was curious about the extent of the damage in the battle.

The reason was that I had nothing to do.

Anyway, most of the facts will be found at tomorrow's meeting, but it's not a bad thing to know one step ahead.

"Suhyun? What would you do?”

I stood at the Warp Gate and looked around and could finally make up my mind. I thought it would be better to take a look at what has already come out, rather than killing time without meaning.

"You can go back to playing Ko."

“…….”

"I'm going to stay in Barbara today. And let's go back after tomorrow's meeting."

"…Phew. I can't stop you."

What does that sigh really mean?

The answer was immediately known.

Soon as I left the Warp Gate, I could feel the signs of frequent follow-up.

I don't care if you really go back..'

In fact, I refused to accompany all the other Clan members, so I didn't mind being alone in Barbara. It's because I'm the only one who needs to participate in the meeting, not to get involved in the battlefield.

But the idea of a high performer doesn't seem to be.

"Suhyun, let's go together."

Soon I felt a little awkward, feeling my arms crossed carefully.

We walked along the street in a friendly way that didn't match the atmosphere of the street, and as I walked, I looked at the surrounding streets.

I heard from time to time that users who originally lived in western cities were also brought to Barbara. Perhaps that's why, even though it was night time, the streets of the city were noisy and crowded.

While walking down the street like that, Ko suddenly talked to me.

"Suhyun, why don't you go to the control room for now? There would have been some statistics."

"That's a good way, too. I'll look around the city...I'm thinking of going there before the night comes."

After nodding once or twice, Ko slowly loosened her arms.

"Okay, then go ahead and see you later at the central square."

"Huh? What about Ko?"”

"You said you were staying in Barbara today. I can't sleep outside, so I'll find a room for the day."

With a languid voice, I scratched my head. In fact, I just said it without meaning, but Ko seemed to have taken it quite seriously.

But since I've arrived in the city, I thought it wouldn't be bad. Rather than thinking of a crowded warp gate tomorrow morning, it would really be okay to stay here for a day and join right away.

"Yes, I'll be looking around. I'll meet you later in the central square."

"Yes, but. What if I don't have a room?"

"Don't feel too pressured. I was just saying. If you don't have a room, you can go back to Monica."

"Ho-ho. I'm just kidding. What do you think I am? My business card is like an inn room. It's funny. Anyway, I'll be right back."

Ko replied slyly and quickly left the seat. As I saw her slowly moving away, I was still lost in thought.

Once you've looked around, you'd better follow Ko's words to the control room.

'Then we'll have to go through the square.'

Perhaps the golden lion's clan house was a control room, so I turned to the square.

It was not until I was left alone that I could see the whole view of the city.

Barbara, who once enjoyed tremendous prosperity as a large city on the North continent, was now so devastated that it could not be found.

But assuming he was occupied as bloodless, he was in better shape than I thought. Of course, it was "more than I thought," but it had its own city style except for the completely collapsed western wall.

'Hagiya, they'd need space to stay.’

In time, I entered the square, fixed my eyes forward again.

In the vast vacant lot, about thirty users sat here and there with a quiet atmosphere.

“…….”

“…….”

Despite the fact that there were more than 20 people, they were not saying anything. Should I say that everyone looks weak?

In fact, it wasn't just the square. Everywhere we've been through so far had a similar atmosphere. Of course, even though there were occasional priests running around, the vast majority were as demotivated as the immediate users.

'From this point of view...I can't tell who lost.'

I had a quick bite, but I soon lost my head thinking about the first inning. At that time, it was a battle that was almost like a defeat and the situation was worse than now. At that time, I was in my 0th year, so I couldn't know well, but I remember the atmosphere was much worse than now.

Anyway, it's much better than then. As always, time will be the medicine. And it was none of my business anymore..

So, I made fun of my busy steps at the thought of walking past the square as it was.

Trudging. Trudging.

The sound of footsteps ringing in the quiet square seems to be annoying.

Some of the users sitting around the broken fountain looked up at me. I also glanced at them and was about to pass.

"Uh."

"Uh."

The moment I made eye contact with a man, I stopped walking without realizing it.

That, too, was the man. Lee Chae brushed against the blank eyes for an instant. The lifeless face felt awkward, but at the same time, I looked closely at the face of the man with a familiar face.

His face was slim, but his appearance was definitely male. The long hair reached the waist and the body was slender.

A thought that crossed my mind at that moment.

"Woo…."

"Kim Soohyun?"

I almost spit out my name for a moment, but I could barely stand it.

Oh, it doesn't matter?'

But soon I thought it wouldn't matter. Anyway, we graduated from the same user academy.

Yes, the man in front of me met me once in a rite of passage and was Woo Jung-min, who was a Clan Lord of the "Red Fangs" Clan in the first round. I never thought I'd meet you here....

"User Woo Jung-min."

When he called his name, the man definitely responded. I turned my steps to pass the square and approached Woo Jung-min.

When he saw me approaching, he came to his senses a little bit, and Woo Jung-min slowly woke up.

In time, we ceremonially shook hands.

"Long time no see. User Kim Soo-hyun."

"Long time no see."

Woo Jung-min's voice, which I haven't heard in a while, was very relaxing. He blinked at my face. Then he looked at my whole body and tilted his head.

"You look good.”

"I was in the preface unit. I'm on my way in from Monica after maintenance."

"Seomun Unit?"

Woo Jung-min tilted his head once and nodded, "Ah."

"That's right. That's right. The Commercial Clan...I heard rumors. It must have been hard for the West Gate.”

"I'm feeling better now. But you....”

"Me…?"

For a moment, Woo Woo-min's eyes were down and a line of water was on his face.

When I saw it, I could feel something bad happened to Woo Jung-min. It's because I sensed a slight tremor in my face and hands that I was still holding.

"Are you in this war, too?”

Woo Jung-min nodded without answering.

"The 0th year wouldn't have been forced to participate. You must have volunteered."

Then, Woo Jung-min sighed deeply and finally opened his mouth, which had been shut down.

"I don't know. Should I say I participated…Well, I did. I was living in Halo."

At that moment I could understand the situation a little bit. Woo Jung-min did not participate in the East, but was attacked in the West.

The hand that I grabbed fell off. Perhaps blocking the view, Woo Jung-min removed his bangs and continued with a trembling voice.

"I'm blind. Damn it. I should have run."

"Run away? Oh, no way..”

"Hehe."

I shut my mouth for a moment. Then Woo Jung-min said with a blank smile.

"Yes, I came into Barbara two days ago. Ever since Halo's fall, he's been held prisoner. To them."

Woo Jung-min's words echoed the quiet square. Some people crouching from time to time seemed to be in a similar position.

"…You must have had a hard time."

"Tired? Not to the point of struggle. It was hell itself. It was painful enough to want to die. They're demons, demons."

“…….”

"It was nothing more than livestock. Never in my life did I expect to be treated like that. As time went by, the colleagues I had been with couldn't stand one by one and fell apart. Do you know what happened? Eventually, Hye-soo went crazy, and Seunghyun committed suicide."

Woo Jung-min was now muttering as if he were talking to himself. The way he spoke with empty eyes seemed as if he would break at any moment.

Suddenly, I had a question about the one I was with. A user who will be one of the top 10 players. The name is….

"What happened to other colleagues besides the two? I remember there was one more....”

"Every day was really hell. It will never end...Who?

"…Mr. Sun Yoo-woon?"

"Oh. Ewun....”

Woo Jung-min still repeated his name as if he were talking to himself. But if you keep your mouth shut without answering immediately, you must have something on your mind.

It's been a while since then.

By the time I had wondered if he had died, my tightly sealed lips had slowly come off. Then, Woo Jung-min raised his head for an instant and stared at me.

"Kim Soo-hyun."

“?”

"Do you have a minute?”

I looked for a moment, and then I nodded.

*

The place Woo Jung-min guided was a spacious building in white. The priests were walking around in front of the door, groaning from place to place, and it seemed like a relief station.

When I went inside, I could see that the prediction was right. The interior was quite spacious, and the places that seemed to be in a hurry seemed to be a lot of numbers. On the floor, simple beds and fabrics were arranged everywhere, and various users were lying on top of them, showing various reactions.

One peculiarity is that there are not many people with noticeable injuries. Even though it was a chaotic atmosphere.

I lowered my gaze down. Right in front of her was a woman with a white cloth on her body and a man who looked after her. The pattern on his chest showed that he was a war user.

The wizard, who was chanting a spell with the woman in front of him, soon spoke to the priest who was waiting next to him.

"I don't think so. I think he's pregnant, too.

"Send it over there."

"I see."

Then, looking at the man walking to one side encouraging the limp woman, I could guess what this place was like.

"This way."

Soon after, I walked as Woo Jung-min dragged me.

I wonder if there were about 30 people walking carefully so that they wouldn't step on it. Soon where he stopped, a man with a familiar face was asleep, breathing out evenly. It was good luck.

"Are you feeling well?”

"You-woon is okay. He's such a strong-minded man...How did you survive that kind of thing?"

"What do you mean, that?"

At the question, Woo Jung-min showed signs of hesitation. But soon he smiled self-containedly and spoke in a gloomy voice.

"Even though the vagabonds are...There are quite a few West continents who enjoy the navy."

"That kind of…."

"Anyway, I'm glad I'm alive. Crack!"

“…….”

"Let's go. I just fell asleep.”

Woo Jung-min, who grinded his teeth to the point of being heard, soon led my hand again.

The next place to arrive, again, was a woman with a thousand bodies. As expected, the face that is not unfamiliar is probably Won Hye-soo.

"Hehe. Hehe."

The woman was awake. And I stared at her closely.

His eyes were boundless and his mouth was wide open, drooling. Besides, the occasional outburst of laughter was telling us that the condition was not normal.

Was it a rite of passage?

Be quiet! Hyeyeon is! You're lying! Don't lie! You can't be dead! You're lying, aren't you? Yes?

Yeah, I'm crazy. I'd rather be crazy. So let go of this. No, stop!

"Hehe. Hehe."

You said you wanted to go crazy.That's crazy.'

As she was kicking her tongue inside, Woo Jung-min calmly leaned down and wiped Won Hye-soo's mouth. Straight up again, he opened his mouth grimly.

"I heard you're pregnant.”

“…….”

"I can't ask myself, so they want me to decide whether to abort or leave it. What am I supposed to say here?

"You must be in trouble."

I looked at the condition of both with a third eye while answering clearly.

Good luck is definitely strong in spirit. But Won Hye-soo, this person....’

In the case of Seon Yoo-woon, there was a possibility of recovery, but Won Hye-soo was literally crazy. Just by looking at the propensity, the answer comes out. Her condition was serious enough to kill herself right now.

"Can it get better?"

“…….”

"You're gonna get better, right?"

"I don't know…."

I answered the truth. It would be better to face reality than to give unnecessary hope.

It was not a wound to the body, but a wound to the mind. Furthermore, as the wound was so huge that it lost Izzie that the treatment was a long way off.

Suddenly, I felt sorry for Woo Jung-min. Frankly, I don't know much about how they grew up in the early stages. However, seeing his later fame as the "Red Fangs" Clan, I just assumed that it was another rite of passage.

"Hehe. Hehe. Hehe..”

There was a moment of silence. Woo Jung-min, who looked down at Won Hye-soo for a while, turned his head slowly and looked at me.

"Come to think of it, what brings you here? I heard that you made a clan.”

"I have a meeting tomorrow."

"Meeting?"

"Yes."

"You're going to be there?”

I nodded my head still.

I guess you just heard the rumor that you made it.’

After a while, I heard a thin smile next to me.

"Ugh. I graduated from the same user academy. I feel miserable.”

"…I was just lucky. Anyway, what are you going to do in the future?"

"I don't know…" Now…What should I do?"

I finally took my eyes off Won Hye-soo and looked at Woo Jung-min. His gaze at her faintly dried up the sharpness of the first round.

I was lost in thought for a moment, and then I spat out my words reflexively.

"There's my Clan House in Monica."

As soon as I brought it up, Woo Woo-min's laughter stopped. In that state, I looked down at the floor for a while, and then slowly raised my head to face me.

"Are you sympathetic?"

"That's up to you. User Woo Jung-min."

“?”

"Whether to be sympathized, made up again, or ignored. The choice is entirely yours."

To see if there is anything to say, Woo Jung-min became speechless.

However, I closed my eyes slowly, wondering if I understood the meaning of the words.

"It's up to me....”

It was a kind of adventure, as I had never thought of it. If you succeed, you'll have to gamble. If it's UJUNG-min and Seon Yoo-woon, they'll definitely be useful.

"It's up to me….”

Later, Woo Jung-min repeated to himself for a while and opened his eyes for an instant. Then he continued with a low voice.

"I mean, if you go....”

"Yes."

"…Can I take Hye-soo?"

"Welcome."

I answered right away. And I laughed inwardly at the thought that there was some possibility.

'Well, I guess I'll have to leave.'

It would be a burden to stay too long, so I decided to leave. This is because even if I stay here, the proud UJUNG-min will feel uncomfortable, and I had to give him time to think for himself. And Ko Yeon-joo might be waiting for me in the square by now.

So, I hit him on the shoulder and winked.

"Then I'll be on my way."

"Oh, you're going?"

"Yes, I have to get going now. Anyway, cheer up."

Saying, "Are you going?" Woo Jung-min was nodding his head.

As a result, I turned right away and stared at the entrance of the building. I was about to walk like that.

Tingling!

"Huh?"

It was a pretty intense look.

Pretty close, I could feel someone staring at me.

“…….”

When he turned his head, he saw a woman sitting on a cloth, crossing three in the direction of the entrance.

And at that moment, I felt a strain in my eyes.

Big eyes. Innocent and good-looking. Light, light, light, light hair...No, it's no longer sky blue. Whatever happened in the meantime, the hair that crosses the shoulder is cut short around the neck.

To be here....’

The woman's eyes were as dead as a rot. But as soon as I turned my head and made eye contact, I could see my empty eyes slowly regaining their light.

I checked the user information that came up in the air, and opened my mouth one more time.

In a higher voice than before, so that the woman can hear it.

"User Woo Jung-min. I have one thing to tell you."

"I haven't gone yet...What?"

"By now, one of my clan members has probably caught a dragonfly in Barbara. I'm thinking of staying there tonight, so if anything happens, please find me at the nearby inn. I'll do my best to help you."

"…Thank you."

After checking the eyes that began to wobble subtly, I continued quietly.

"Even in the middle of the night."

============================ Review of the work ============================

I'm sorry. I finished my first draft this morning, but I fell asleep without getting out. First, I bring the Ultra Book and rush out and upload it during the break time. It's a 2 o'clock lecture, so I think I'll have to go in right away.

Have a nice day, everyone!

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