Memorize - Episode 8
8 Kim Su-hyun Begins the Trial of Passage
The preparation room. It had been a long time since I last saw this place. The room looked like a modest personal space, similar to a room on Earth, which might confuse someone unfamiliar with it.
I realized that angels often show consideration in unnecessary areas. When I first entered this room, I tried to open the door, thinking it was similar to those on Earth. Of course, it didn't open, and I was left in despair. I wondered if the angels had intentionally designed it that way.
"Time remaining until entry into the Trial of Passage: 3 minutes 27 seconds."
"3 minutes 27 seconds. I need to hurry."
I approached a large box in the center of the room and sat down in the corner. After opening the box, I found various items needed for the Trial of Passage. There were no nostalgic items from my past; my priority was to quickly dress. I didn't want to be transmitted into the Trial of Passage almost naked, which would earn me a bad reputation from the start.
I examined the clothes and chose simple, dark-colored attire, including underwear, socks, shoes, tops, and bottoms. I avoided light colors because I didn't want them to get stained.
Honestly, I could pass the Trial of Passage in my current state, even without clothes. However, I didn't plan to reveal my abilities from the start. In the past, I survived the Hollow Plane by always hiding my true strength, revealing only a third of it unless my life was at risk.
"What weapon should I choose?"
I deliberated a bit while selecting a weapon. Although I could defeat the Trial of Passage's boss monsters with my bare hands, it was convenient to have one. I had a plan for this Trial of Passage, so I chose a long sword and a detachable crossbow, along with a full set of crossbow bolts.
As I held the bolts and looked up, I saw the time converge to exactly 0 seconds.
"Preparation time has ended. User Kim Su-hyun will be summoned to the Trial of Passage."
"Okay. Am I the last one?"
"Yes. Anyway, we wish you good luck, User Kim Su-hyun. The transmission will proceed now."
At that moment, I felt the sensation of a summoning spell unfolding in the air, and my navel was pulled as if by an invisible force. The transmission began.
"Transmission complete. The Trial of Passage is a test to determine whether you have the qualifications to enter the Hollow Plane. You must survive for 7 days or reach the central warp gate within that time to pass. We wish all users good luck."
The transmission ended. I took a deep breath of the fresh air and observed my surroundings. The atmosphere around me felt subtly different. Seeing the grass, trees, and soil, I realized I was in a clearing in the middle of a forest. The air was fresh, and the wind was cool, but there was an unpleasant, sticky feeling all around.
"Let's see who else is here."
The Trial of Passage was crucial for me. The Hollow Plane was not a place where one could survive alone. Even if I were to use others, I needed allies to work with.
The Trial of Passage was where ordinary people first experienced the extraordinary. Survival was the condition here. The core of the Trial of Passage was for modern people, who knew nothing, to work together to achieve the conditions. (I was an exception as a second-timer.) Many allies formed during the Trial of Passage became close bonds in the Hollow Plane.
However, I didn't plan to accept just anyone as allies.
The place where I was summoned was a starting point for the Trial of Passage. It was a nightmare when I first entered without knowing anything. Even after entering the Hollow Plane, it left me with trauma.
I calmed my mind and began to observe the people around me. There were eight people in total, including me. Could these eight people work together to survive the Trial of Passage for 7 days? I could confidently say "no."
I had a conflict within me. This place was not the Hollow Plane yet; it was a space that, once passed, would never be revisited. With my current strength, saving everyone here would be easy, but I didn't want to and had no intention of doing so.
Showing off my abilities and saving people from the start was something I had to avoid. Reputation spreads quickly through rumors, and if a user were to use magic or show overwhelming strength in the Trial of Passage, it could lead to unwanted attention from powerful users in the Hollow Plane.
I wasn't a saint. I had done good deeds in the Hollow Plane, but I also did bad things when necessary—robbery, plunder, rape, and even murder. However, in the world of the Hollow Plane, such actions were common and not particularly criticized.
Anyway, the most important thing here was to choose carefully. If I were to find potential allies, I would have to take care of them for at least a year before they became useful.
My first plan after entering the Hollow Plane was to gather allies. The Trial of Passage was an ideal place for this. I set three criteria for selecting allies: ability and potential, personality, and affinity.
"Should I use my Third Eye now?"
I observed the people around me. The first person I noticed was a woman dressed in a banker's attire. Her overall impression was ordinary, but her round eyes were shaking, and her lips were trembling, showing she hadn't yet accepted reality. I understood her feelings but decided to activate my Third Eye to gather necessary information.
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Lee Bo-rim (0 years of experience)
Sex: Female (27 years old)
Height · Weight: 164.7 cm · 58.3 kg
Personality: Neutral · Chaos
[Strength 5] [Endurance 8] [Agility 11] [Vitality 7] [Magic 9] [Luck 11]
(No remaining ability points.)
"Huh."
I chuckled and immediately closed her user information window. Initial ability scores are influenced by physical factors, but they also reflect the user's potential. Just because she was a woman didn't mean her physical abilities had to be lower than a man's.
However, Lee Bo-rim's potential was extremely low. I wouldn't bother saving her, as she wouldn't be useful even if she entered the Hollow Plane.
I turned my attention to the next pair, a brother and sister. The male, Ahn Hyun, looked somewhat refined but had a tense expression. He seemed younger than me and had a carefree attitude. Next to him was a shield and a long sword, which was a decent choice.
The female, Ahn Sol, was sitting very close to her brother, but her face was bowed, so I couldn't see it clearly. She seemed much more docile than her brother.
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Ahn Hyun (0 years of experience)
Sex: Male (22 years old)
Height · Weight: 178.8 cm · 73.2 kg
Personality: True · Neutral
[Strength 48] [Endurance 47] [Agility 52] [Vitality 51] [Magic 35] [Luck 56]
(No remaining ability points.)
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Ahn Sol (0 years of experience)
Sex: Female (19 years old)
Height · Weight: 160.1 cm · 45.2 kg
Personality: Lawful · Good
[Strength 8] [Endurance 17] [Agility 15] [Vitality 21] [Magic 75] [Luck 100]
"What the...? She has magic of 75 and luck of 100?"
Her ability scores were beyond common sense. I almost gasped but managed to keep my lips sealed.
Ahn Hyun was a talent. Assuming he didn't encounter any special cases, he could easily pass the Trial of Passage and survive in the Hollow Plane. His starting ability scores were even higher than mine.
What truly surprised me was Ahn Sol's ability scores. They were extraordinary. Her magic score of 75 and luck score of 100 were unprecedented in the Hollow Plane.
I recalled memories and suddenly remembered a Secret Class from my first run in the Hollow Plane—a priest class known as the "Brilliance Priest." A user named "Sol" had obtained that class and was later recruited by the Odin Clan.
Ahn Sol and Sol shared the same name, and given her ability scores, it was possible that she was related. Since they were siblings, it was likely that I would have to save both of them. They had much better abilities than Lee Bo-rim.
The impact of Ahn Hyun and Ahn Sol was so strong that I decided to look around in the opposite direction. The next person my Third Eye focused on was two men.
The man on the left had a sturdy build but was short. His slightly crooked nose and rough skin gave him a somewhat unsavory appearance. He was trying to assess the situation by darting his gaze around.
The man on the right was a student in a school uniform. He had a small tear mark under his eye and pale skin, making him look very young. He seemed timid and was shivering, holding his knees tightly with his arms.
"I don't remember him... Should I check his user information?"
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Park Dong-geol (0 years of experience)
Sex: Male (39 years old)
Height · Weight: 173.4 cm · 73.2 kg
Personality: Devil · Chaos
[Strength 31] [Endurance 26] [Agility 39] [Vitality 29] [Magic 29] [Luck 7]
(No remaining ability points.)
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Lee Shin-woo (0 years of experience)
Sex: Male (18 years old)
Height · Weight: 170.7 cm · 58.4 kg
Personality: Lawful · Good
[Strength 25] [Endurance 23] [Agility 21] [Vitality 27] [Magic 35] [Luck 57]
(No remaining ability points.)
Ahn Hyun and Ahn Sol's abilities were impressive, but Park Dong-geol and Lee Shin-woo's weren't bad either (though not particularly good either).
Park Dong-geol's basic abilities could help him survive the Trial of Passage. However, his personality was concerning. The combination of "Devil" and "Chaos" was rare and suggested he might have been a criminal in the modern world, increasing the likelihood of him becoming a "vagrant" in the Hollow Plane.
On the other hand, Lee Shin-woo's abilities were slightly insufficient for passing the Trial of Passage, but his magic was decent. His luck score was also promising, considering he was just starting. The combination of "Lawful" and "Good" was rare, indicating he might have a naturally kind nature.
Everyone except Park Dong-geol and me was focused on themselves or the person next to them. Park Dong-geol's eyes gleamed with unpleasant desire, his gaze fixed on the women. I had seen such eyes many times before and had once had them myself. I could roughly guess the nature of his desires and, based on speculation, what kind of crimes he might have committed.
Seeing him leer at Ahn Sol made me certain of my suspicions. I didn't have anything against him, but he looked pitiful.
I clicked my tongue and turned my attention to the remaining two women.
"Ah, damn it."
Just then, Park Dong-geol's coarse voice boomed through the clearing.