Memorize - Episode 40
040 Make an Offer
The day after entering the training center, the instructors fired the starting signal for harsh training. And within the first week of firing that signal, the Northern Continent User Academy proved its extreme notoriety. Out of 130 people, more than 10% - a whopping 17 people - gave up training and withdrew. One peculiar thing was that 15 of them were close-range and ranged combat users.
To reiterate, the Northern Continent is under the jurisdiction of users from South Korea. If there's one thing that differentiates it from countries managing other continents, it's that it's a country with a mandatory military service system. As such, among adult males, one could easily find not only reservists but also users with military backgrounds.
Perhaps because of this, the Northern Continent User Academy, boasting the earliest establishment across all continents, strongly reflected the nostalgia of military life. Not only in training, but even during daily routines, it often showed signs of suppressing freedom by controlling basic living conditions including food, clothing, and shelter.
If it were simply "the training is hard," one could somehow endure with grit. But what really made the new users sick was the content of the training. The actual military's guerrilla training would seem like child's play compared to the high-intensity training conducted here. Most of the users who had proven their qualifications showed signs of giving up, unable to digest the training, with many vomiting on the first day.
Among these, the training that could be called the cream of the crop was undoubtedly the special training done only on weekends. The Hollow Plane's date calculation follows the same method as Earth. The weekend training that comes every 7 days on Saturday and Sunday was the true reason new users left the academy. And this was also the reason why the majority of combat-type users left.
This training was for users to engage in 1:1 combat with each other.
Of course, this training excludes magicians and priests. The basic principle for magicians is to draw out magic power, manifest it in reality, and then strike. But in the early stages, it's difficult to draw out and control magic, and there's a considerable amount of knowledge to learn. Even if you pour in all 13 weeks, it would be far-fetched to say you've mastered all the basics. Priests are excluded from training for similar reasons, but also because they have few attack spells and mainly focus on recovery and combat support magic.
If you think this combat between users is just a polite sparring match, you're greatly mistaken. The rule is to give them weapons with sharp blades and actually fight the opponent to inflict a certain level of injury. Of course, vital areas like the head and heart are protected with solid guards, but other parts are exposed without filter as they engage in combat.
Of course, every time they fight, they take all precautions. Renowned users enter as instructors to always be prepared for unexpected blows, and skilled priests are always on standby.
Even so, the actual mock combat training was generally hard to accept. No, beyond being hard to accept, most users cursed it as crazy training. But I highly valued this training. This training complemented the only part I had worried about for Ahn Hyun's group during the Trial of Passage.
In the Hollow Plane, no one knows when, where, or what will happen. Once you go a certain distance outside the city, from that moment on, nowhere can be considered safe. You could fall into traps, or be attacked by monsters or vagrants. If it's like this in areas under user influence, it goes without saying how it would be in unexplored regions.
Such situations demand instant judgment and quick reflexes from users. How quickly one responds can be seen as the difference between life and death. That's when frustrating situations arise, like hesitating "I can't stab a person" while holding a sword, or "How can I stab someone?" This is why it's a kind of important training process to make stabbing people and simultaneously being stabbed, getting injured, become second nature.
If there's one worry, it's that I absolutely must not get injured in mock combat training. In other words, this meant I had to win every single fight. It was unlikely that novice users would be able to penetrate my endurance.
I won easily against weak opponents, but I felt it was a bit burdensome to win the same way against somewhat stronger opponents. For example, I once fought against Woo Jeong-min, where I focused entirely on defense to have an equal match, and then won by striking with a counter at a crucial moment.
Given these circumstances, gaining some fame was unavoidable. Even so, being just a new user, it wasn't anything great. The evaluation among surrounding instructors and users was along the lines of, "The level of new users this time is high, and among them, Kim Su-hyun is particularly outstanding, useful." This was within the acceptable range, so I accepted it readily.
There's a saying, "An awl in a bag will poke out" (能力不能隱藏). It means that people with outstanding abilities and talents will naturally stand out. At first, due to obsessive thoughts stemming from past habits and customs, there was a time when I thought I had to hide myself no matter what.
"If things continue like this, you'll act the same way in the same situation again, oppa. And there's a possibility that the current situation will repeat itself."
"User Kim Su-hyun. You can't do anything alone."
Acting the same way. Not being able to do anything alone. The words of Han-byeol and Seraph shook my heart. This time, I didn't want to lose Yoo-hyun hyung and her, Han So-young. And I wanted to step out into the light proudly and be of help to them. This time, I wanted to see a happy ending together, not a sad one.
In the Hollow Plane, strength can be measured by how many comrades you have who can trust and rely on each other. History, and my experience, prove this. Even the invincible user who achieved 101 strength points and dominated an era eventually crumbled under the power of allied forces. Then, to gather such comrades, one needs to have some level of ability and reputation.
I realized that my thoughts had changed somewhat from the beginning. And now that I had entered the Hollow Plane, I was willing to do it if necessary. From the moment I made up my mind, my actions began to change.
No matter how difficult the training, I participated passionately without a single complaint. I complied readily and maintained a polite attitude even to somewhat excessive control from instructors. As these behaviors connected to excellent training results, I could soon see instructors looking at me with favorable eyes. (As an aside, the user who was initially assigned as my dormitory instructor has now become my tobacco shuttle.)
As word about user Kim Su-hyun began to spread, relationships with surrounding users naturally improved. The number of users who wanted to be friends with me or establish good relationships also gradually increased. I wasn't sticking out all at once, but rather slowly climbing one step at a time, revealing room for growth. In other words, I was advertising myself as a promising guy, so to speak.
Humans are animals that adapt to their environment. Although the period may vary individually, the fact that they have adapted holds significant meaning. The survival rate between users who have adapted and those who haven't is that much different.
In the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks, there were still some people withdrawing. But as we progressed through the 5th, 6th, and 7th weeks, the numbers gradually decreased, and by the 8th week, not a single person withdrew. The remaining people were said to be the cream of the crop users, sifted through a sieve.
Of course, it's not that those who remain now will definitely survive, nor that those who left will definitely die. The variables in the world of the Hollow Plane were too diverse to judge life and death simply by the User Academy. It was just a matter of probability and possibility.
It's so significant that when looking at clan entry conditions for advancing into the Hollow Plane after graduation, you can see one common requirement: graduation from the User Academy. I've even heard that some clans give extra points if you say you graduated from the Northern Continent's User Academy when crossing over to other continents.
Perhaps those who left will regret not receiving the 4 ability points reward, beating the ground in regret after two years if they survive.
Ahn Hyun's group overcame my initial worries spectacularly. They were completing the training process without a single dropout, including Sol. The experience of forced marches after leaving the city, which was a trap point, seemed to have helped to some extent.
Contrary to my expectation that Ahn Hyun would become a swordsman since he handled a sword, he chose the spear as his main weapon. When I asked about his job, he said he chose Lancer, as I had suspected. Although he would suit any weapon given his excellent basic physical ability scores except for magic power, I felt a bit of regret.
When Sol was in danger in the initial clearing, he threw his sword and cut off one of the Deadman's arms. Since then, I had highly evaluated Hyun's sense with the sword. If he had chosen the path of a swordsman like me, he could have been of considerable help in achieving Sword Master status, but since he said he was more interested in the spear, there was nothing to be done.
Still, curiosity is curiosity, so when I asked why he chose to be a Lancer, his answer was quite a sight.
"At that time, I thought you were dead, hyung, and I couldn't come to my senses. Honestly, those guys were annoying, right? When I asked them to tell me about your life or death, they kept avoiding the answer and talking about weird things like user settings... When they told me to be a swordsman, I told them to get lost. In a fit of anger, I said I'd take up the spear."
Ahn Sol, who was listening beside us, added that at first, her brother had insisted on becoming a magician. She laughed brightly, saying that was the first time she saw an angel flustered. Hearing their nonchalant words, I inwardly sighed.
Ahn Sol didn't deviate from my expectations. As expected, she chose to be a priest. According to Ahn Hyun, it took a long time to set up the initial job, but Ahn Sol took less than half of half that time. Given her aversion to wielding weapons and her distaste for hurting others, the priest job was perfectly suited to Ahn Sol's aptitude.
Yoo-jung chose the dagger, the type of weapon she used in the Trial of Passage, as her main weapon. The interesting point is that she chose dual daggers using both hands, not a single-handed dagger. When I asked about her job, she proudly said she chose Mercenary.
Certainly, as Yoo-jung's abilities, including magic power, are well-rounded, she could exceed the average in any close-range category. If it were me, I might have recommended Assassin, but I thought Mercenary, which can handle various weapons, would be good too.
As new users' information became open and manageable, there were often cases of asking about each other's ability scores in the academy. I gathered our group and earnestly asked them never to tell other users, including instructors, about their detailed information such as ability scores and abilities.
I especially emphasized this two or three times to Sol. She didn't understand why I was doing this, but just smiled broadly saying it was good. I definitely felt that the group's attitude towards me had subtly changed after encountering the boss monster.
However, one person seemed to be changing in a direction increasingly at odds with us. As I gained some recognition in the academy, Ahn Hyun, Ahn Sol, and Yoo-jung unconsciously showed signs of pride. Seeing them act like this even though they hadn't done anything themselves was proof that those three already didn't think of me as an outsider. Only Han-byeol was an exception.
Han-byeol was gradually distancing herself from me and the rest of the group. When we first gathered after receiving training and I asked her what job she had chosen, she immediately replied coldly.
"Didn't you just tell other users not to reveal their information, oppa?"
I said not to reveal detailed information, not that they couldn't say their job. That's something that has to be revealed anyway. Outwardly, I smiled coolly, but hearing those words, I couldn't help feeling a bit hurt inside. Perhaps sensing my mood a little, she later quietly said she had received a magic-related class, but I just nodded in response. Of course, I could see with my Third Eye, but I deliberately didn't activate it. Since she was in the magic talent category, I had some idea anyway.
Han-byeol often missed our gatherings. Although it's said that magicians have a lot to study, memorize, and practice, the same was true for other categories. Even though we only met once a week as a group, and only for an hour or two at a time, I often heard through Sol that even that was difficult for her to attend.
"Oppa. Just don't mind that kind of person. She doesn't even share a dormitory with me and Sol, and hardly talks to us? Just let her do whatever she wants. And honestly, Kim Han-byeol... I didn't like her from the start."
"That's a bit harsh. Still..."
"What do you mean 'still'? From the rumors I've heard, you know that one person? The male user who was explaining things in front of us when we first came out of the inn. They say someone saw her talking with him. That traitor."
Watching Yoo-jung curse Han-byeol as a traitor, I smiled bitterly. It seemed that the premonition I had initially felt was becoming reality. Honestly, receiving an offer from the Golden Lion Clan wasn't something to be cursed at. Even I, by the 8th week, had secretly received offers from more than five clans. Of course, the Golden Lion Clan was among them.
Still, her behavior of distancing herself from us was certainly bothersome. Even when she occasionally participated, she rarely opened her mouth. Just once, she spoke to me first, asking what I planned to do after graduation. I dismissed the question, saying I was still thinking about it.
After that day, I was able to separate Han So-young and Kim Han-byeol in my mind. And I decided not to worry about Han-byeol's issues anymore. Although I wished she would join us, it was fine if she didn't. I won't hold back those who want to leave, and I'll thoroughly verify and accept those who come. I aim for a small but elite group. I wanted to avoid having just a large number of people.
There's a word called "인연" (inyeon, fate or connection). It refers to the relationships formed between people. I believe that connections are not coincidences but areas that can be pioneered by oneself. That's why I believe in the word "inyeon". In fact, I was a living witness to the powerful force exerted by bonds formed through connections.
I decided to treat Kim Han-byeol as a connection. If our paths are meant to cross, we'll meet again, but if not, I'll just let her go. I think it's foolish to cling to uncertain connections when I have the ability to create more connections.
Once I stripped away Han So-young's shadow, things I couldn't see before started to appear rationally. Looking at it coldly, it was more beneficial to secure users who had been proven in the first run than to go with Kim Han-byeol based only on potential. Moreover, while not many, there were surely new users with similar potential somewhere.