Memorize

The seasons of Hall Plain have a climate similar to that of South Korea. Even in this world, natural phenomena like snow and rain create various effects. Although the cycles of spring and autumn are somewhat short, the climate wasn't so harsh as to make living difficult.

If you compared the current time to Earth's calendar, it'd probably be around June. It felt like early summer weather. The weather was nice. It was late afternoon, with the sun beginning to set, but the beautiful hues of the sunset and the serene sky brought comfort to players for whom survival had become routine. However,

"Those who've finished teleporting, hurry up and get out!"

"What the hell are the leading clans in the southern city doing?! They're the closest to the Iron Mountains!"

"We've sent a message to the Blue Wolf Clan, the leading clan in the regular city of Khan! But they seem to be panicking too!"

"Fuck! Panicking or not, when a rescue request comes in, they should dispatch a rescue team immediately! Are the small cities of Koran and Monica just sitting around sucking their thumbs?"

"Well… as you know, Koran is jointly managed by multiple clans… The clan currently representing Koran is the Su Clan, but they seem to be dragging their feet. IstanTel Law says they're discussing things with the Blue Wolf Clan…"

"What? Dragging their feet? Discussing? Are they fucking kidding me? People's lives are on the line right now, and they're doing what?"

As soon as we stepped out of the warp gate, a wave of commotion greeted us. Several players with golden lion emblems on the upper right side of their chests were moving frantically, and occasional rough shouts echoed. The weather was undoubtedly nice. But seeing their desperation amidst this peaceful weather created a strange sense of imbalance and contrast.

"Those damn bastards! This is how they're gonna play it, huh?!" 

I couldn't help but scoff as I saw a Golden Lion Clan member grinding their teeth beside me. They don't seem to reflect on what they've done. Sure, at their peak, they had enough power to control the Northern Continent. But they didn't control it as a single force. To be precise, they had allied clans that followed their lead, allowing them to influence other city clans that resented their dominance. In other words, until the expedition, the balance of power had been somewhat tilted in their favor.

But now, that balance has completely flipped. The players who joined this expedition were the elite of each participating clan. In the first expedition, the survival rate was barely 10%. They'd already exhausted much of their strength in the Vagrant Extermination Plan, and in the Iron Mountains expedition, they lost nearly all the forces they'd been holding back.

It was, plain and simple, their own doing. They were 100% confident in the expedition's success, so they formed the main force with their own and allied clans. Had the expedition succeeded, they could've tipped the scales even further in their favor, but they failed miserably. And with catastrophic losses to boot.

Looking at the player shouting endlessly, I wanted to say, 'Who told you to form the expedition like that?' but I just kept my mouth shut and walked out of the warp gate with my clan members.

As we exited the warp gate, the scenery was completely different from anything we'd seen before. Well, maybe not entirely, since we'd been through the Player Academy.

"Wow."

"Holy…"

Outside the warp gate, the massive scale of the great city of Babara and the throngs of players filling the streets came into view. An-Hyun and Yun-Jung both widened their eyes and let out gasps of amazement. To them, this must've been a completely different world compared to the small city of Mule they'd been in.

"…"

At that moment, I noticed one familiar voice was missing and turned my head, only to see an empty spot where someone should've been.

"Where's Sol?"

"Uh, where'd she go? She was definitely with us at the warp gate."

At my question, An-Hyun looked startled and glanced around. When he couldn't find her, he started to panic. Thankfully, the sharp-eyed Go Yeon-Joo pointed with her slender finger in one direction.

"She's over there."

"Where?! Oh, phew. Sol-ahhh!"

Confirming An-Sol's location, An-Hyun let out a huge sigh of relief. Then, waving his arms wildly, he shouted at the top of his lungs. I followed Go Yeon-Joo's pointing finger and saw Sol staring blankly at the warp gate. At An-Hyun's shout, she snapped her head around and started toddling toward us.

"Don't get distracted like that! You could get lost!"

"S-Sorry…"

"Seriously, get it together. You'll get scolded by Su-Hyeon if you keep this up."

"Y-Yes. I won't do it again. I'm sorry…"

From the side, I heard Yun-Jung's teasing voice chirp, 'Isn't it 'this girl' instead of 'this guy'?' I looked at An-Sol with a gentle gaze. When our eyes met, she quickly bowed her head. I tilted my head slightly, observing her demeanor. Normally, she'd immediately pout or purse her lips, but the expression on her face now wasn't her usual reaction. It was a face weighed down by worry, as if something was troubling her.

But I brushed it off, thinking it was probably nothing serious. It was likely due to the recent clash with the Beech Tree Clan. It wasn't Vagrants or monsters, but fellow players who had their throats slit, and given her personality, expecting her to laugh it off like Go Yeon-Joo would was a pipe dream. So, I decided to start walking toward our destination.

Just then, someone lightly tugged at my sleeve before hopping forward with a bounce. With a voice full of curiosity, she spoke to me.

"Oppa, oppa. I have a question."

"What's that? Where we're going?"

"No, not that. You'll figure that out. I'm talking about the warp gate."

"The warp gate?"

When I echoed her question, Yun-Jung nodded enthusiastically.

"When we were at the Player Academy, they taught us that each city has a warp gate connected to others, and you have to pay a fee based on the distance. But why do we have to pay? When we went through the Rite of Passage or entered Hall Plain, it was free."

Yun-Jung blinked her curious eyes up at me. I gently patted her head, sinking into thought. (She grinned widely, happily letting me ruffle her hair.)

If you break it down, the warp gates connecting cities and the portals in places like the Inn of Beginnings or temples are distinct. The Rite of Passage is managed by angels, but the warp gates in cities aren't part of that setup.

To put it simply, the warp gates in cities are considered relics of ancient Hall Plain. Activating and maintaining them is entirely up to the players—specifically, the leading clans managing each city. Ancient magic is known for its efficiency, so maintaining them doesn't cost much. All it requires is a steady supply of mana.

Of course, city warp gates aren't perfect. They have clear limitations, namely their lack of enforcement. For example, the warp gate in the great city of Babara consists of 12 magic circles. The key point is that these circles operate bidirectionally, not unidirectionally.

I knew she wouldn't grasp all the technical details, so I summarized the important parts. Yun-Jung pouted, her lips puckering.

"Ohh, I get it. So these bastards are just profiting off it for no reason?"

"It's pricey for players without much money. Maintenance does cost something, but not as much as you'd think. The revenue from usage far exceeds the upkeep. Warp gates are basically cash cows for every city. It's a good thing they've frozen the prices based on distance; otherwise, they'd have jacked them up. At least, that's what I heard back then."

Warp gates are convenient. They let you move between distant cities instantly, eliminating the risk of being ambushed during travel.

In any case, players managing the warp gates means they can arbitrarily block access. It's simple: the gates require mutual interaction between cities. If one side cuts off the mana supply to the magic circle connecting to another city, the gate becomes unusable unless force is applied—and at the current player level, that's not possible. So, if a gate is cut off, you're stuck traveling by land.

That day isn't far off. Soon, when the Vagrants descend and civil war breaks out, the gates in each city will be shut down. If enemies could warp en masse into a city, it'd cause massive damage.

These are things that'll happen later—there's still over a month left. For now, we need to hurry and move to the city where we'll establish ourselves.

As I explained this and walked, my clan members and I arrived at a large, upscale inn. It looked high-class at a glance. As I started climbing the stairs, I noticed some scruffy-looking players passing by, eyeing us with envy. No offense to Go Yeon-Joo, but compared to the scale of this place, the Modest Lady inn was on a whole different level.

"Breeze. I heard this place is super expensive, but it sure looks nice," Ha-Yeong said in a clear voice.

"Ho ho ho," Go Yeon-Joo chuckled softly.

I led my clan members into the Breeze inn. For some reason, Go Yeon-Joo's laugh didn't sound all that pleasant.

Just then, I heard an "Ugh, damn it" from the side. Turning toward the sound, I saw Vivienne frowning deeply. Even as she grumbled, her lips kept moving, likely mulling over some alchemy research. True to an alchemist's focus.

Her swearing was probably because she was used to the quiet, peaceful Mule, and coming to the bustling Babara, overflowing with players, was disrupting her concentration. Biting her lip and muttering, she finally shouted.

"Goddammit! Why are there so many people here?! It's so annoying. The Modest Lady inn was great because it was practically empty!"

"Ho. Ho. Ho."

Go Yeon-Joo let out another chuckle. That oblivious Vivienne.

I was worried there might not be any seats, but thankfully, there were a few empty tables scattered around the first floor. The place wasn't completely deserted, nor was it packed to the brim—just moderately busy. Despite the high prices, the reason we came here was simple: inns, especially upscale ones like this, are the best places to gather information.

Players who can afford to come here usually have some wealth, which means they're likely somewhat established. Rather than hanging out in cheap dives listening to baseless rumors from riffraff, it's far more useful to overhear the conversations of players with the skill and money to frequent a place like this.

"Welcome! How many in your party?"

"Eight."

"Hmm~."

As we stepped through the door, a player with a cute appearance and neatly tied hair greeted us. She was probably a waitress working here. Her eyes sparkled with a friendly smile, but through the slight gap in her expression, I caught her quickly sizing us up. She was assessing us.

After finishing her appraisal, she flashed a bright smile and spoke in an even warmer tone than before.

"Welcome! I'll guide you to your seats right away!"

The waitress led us to a table with a great view. Following her, we sat on cushioned chairs covered in soft fur, and several staff members rushed over to set the table. Once everything was ready, the waitress who guided us said, "Take your time looking over the menu, and call me when you've decided," giving us a playful wink. Watching her politely bow and walk away, I saw the kids awkwardly scratching their heads, and I couldn't help but let out a small laugh. I don't usually care for this kind of treatment, but being pampered didn't feel half bad.

"Shall we order something to eat?"

"Hyung! That waitress just now—was she a player?"

As I picked up the menu they'd left, An-Hyun quickly jumped in.

"Of course she's a player. Did she look like a resident to you?"

"Then why's she working here?"

"Huh? To make money, obviously. Ever heard of a part-time job?"

"What? Why would a player work a part-time job here? This is Hall Plain!"

"Well, even players need to eat to survive. And to eat, you need money."

I snorted and sighed. From their reactions, it wasn't just An-Hyun—Yun-Jung and An-Sol had question marks practically floating above their heads. Yeah, you guys wouldn't get it. Have you ever gone hungry since the Rite of Passage, or scrimped and saved to afford a single piece of equipment?

Let me say it again: for players who aren't particularly skilled, this is their daily reality. They're like mayflies, worrying about their next meal. Some skip food or sleep just to save up for equipment, living fiercely. The kids might think they've had their share of hardships, but still.

Now that I thought about it, they'd been asking a lot more questions since we arrived in Babara. It was proof of how much I'd sheltered them, treating them like precious jewels. As I gave a wry smile, Go Yeon-Joo clicked her tongue and sighed.

"They sure grew up sheltered~."

"Wow, so they do stuff like this here too. I guess a big, fancy inn like this can afford to hire players as staff."

"…"

An-Hyun didn't pay any attention to her comment. He seemed solely focused on satisfying his own curiosity. And Go Yeon-Joo stopped laughing. She just wore a deep smile, but I could've sworn I saw a vein twitching on her forehead.

I handed the menu to Ha-Yeong, asking her to pick something, then slowly scanned the surroundings. Sure enough, there were a few players who might as well have had 'I'm a skilled player' written on their foreheads. The common thread? Every single one of them had a deadly serious expression.

I took a sip of water and quietly activated my Third Eye.

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