Memorize

Shin Sang-Yong could definitely be seen as a very introverted individual. It was a bit frustrating to see him going in circles without getting to the main point, even though more than five minutes had already passed. There were quite a few people watching, so we had no choice but to listen, but even the others were starting to show faint signs of boredom.

"Sang-Yong,"

Sensing this atmosphere, Jung Ha-Yeong gave him a subtle cue in a quiet voice, and Shin Sang-Yong responded with an awkward smile. After taking a brief deep breath, he finally spoke again, his eyes gleaming this time.

"Have you ever heard of the term 'Magic Squares'?"

A Magic Squares. Of course, I had heard of it before. However, judging by the context, what Shin Sang-Yong was about to talk about wasn't just any simple Magic Squares—it seemed to have some connection to his true name. This piqued my curiosity, so I focused more intently. At the same time, I activated my third eye, eager to uncover what kind of abilities could have led to a true name like that.

< Player Status >

Name: Shin Sang-Yong (2nd Year)

Class: Normal Mage Expert

Nation: Babara

Clan: -

True Name · Nationality: Seeker of the Truth of the Magic Squares · Republic of Korea

Sex: Male (28)

Height · Weight: 183.7 cm · 69.2 kg

Alignment: Lawful · True

< Attributes >

[Strength 40] [Resistance 42] [Agility 45] [Vitality 40] [Magic 85] [Luck 60]

< Achievements (0) >

< Unique Ability (1/1) >

Harmonious Magic Squares (Rank: A Zero)

< Potential Abilities (3/4) >

Alchemy Magic (Rank: C +)Traditional Magic (Rank: B Zero)Ancient Language Deciphering (Rank: D Zero)(Not yet unlocked)

"I'm not sure how much everyone has managed to unlock their abilities so far, but I have one major difference compared to ordinary players. And that is… I don't have a special ability. Or rather, I did have one, but it evolved into a unique ability—a rather rare case."

"That's…"

I stared at him with intrigued eyes. He met my gaze calmly and continued speaking in an unusually firm and deliberate voice.

"Let me apologize for revealing this so abruptly. But the truth is, I'm pretty terrible when it comes to interpersonal relationships and social skills. I'm neither good at deceiving others nor seeing through deception. Since I plan to make some difficult requests to Su-Hyeon in the future, I felt it was only fair to disclose my player information."

"…It still feels a bit overwhelming."

"There's no need to feel burdened. I shared it entirely of my own accord."

I sighed and nodded. Truthfully, my interest wasn't sparked simply because he lacked a special ability or because he had a unique one. Although rare, I'd seen a few players like him even during my first round. What really intrigued me was the nature of his unique ability: Harmonious Magic Squares. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of power it held.

Noticing my signal, Shin Sang-Yong raised both hands in front of him. Naturally, everyone's eyes turned toward his hands—everyone except one person.

Jung Ha-Yeong had been staring at my face ever since Shin Sang-Yong began speaking. She seemed to be silently forming her own judgments. Her gaze carried an intensity that suggested she was carefully weighing something in her mind. Ignoring her for the moment, I focused all my attention on the hands Shin Sang-Yong had raised, sharpening my senses.

"Now, I'll show you the unique ability I possess."

Whirrr! Crack!

As Shin Sang-Yong finished speaking, I could sense a faint magical energy rising from him. In an instant, flames formed in his right hand, while ice materialized in his left. These were two opposing elements, their energies in direct contrast. Could this really be the Harmonious Magic Squares he spoke of?

Before I could fully process my thoughts, Shin Sang-Yong clapped his hands together. As I activated my third eye, I was taken aback by the sheer number of magical computations happening between his palms. I quickly composed my expression, but I couldn't help but notice the deepening of Jung Ha-Yeong's gaze out of the corner of my eye.

Shin Sang-Yong carefully cradled the combined energy of fire and ice—an impossible fusion of two opposite forces—in his hands. He gazed down at it with a fond look in his eyes before speaking in a quiet voice.

"Isn't it beautiful...? This is the unique ability I possess. It's called the Harmonious Magic Squares, or so it's named. Haha."

Soon after, the fire and ice faded from his hands. A few gasps of admiration were heard around the room, and it was clear the visual effect was stunning. While I wasn't sure of the exact potency, the destructive potential from the elemental synergy was surely immense.

I felt a strong sense of envy toward his unique ability, Harmonious Magic Squares. If I could somehow combine the powers of Hwajung and its extreme counterpart in harmony with the Magic Squares… I briefly entertained the idea before shaking my head. The ancient priestess's engraving currently placed on my body was ranked and efficient enough that, in comparison, it would outshine Harmonious Magic Squares. But even so, trying to hold onto Hwajung for just a moment would likely result in the spell breaking instantly if the Hwajung's energy were merged into the Magic Squares.

Shin Sang-Yong scratched his head sheepishly, a little embarrassed by the reactions of the others. He then spoke in his usual calm voice.

"I guess calling myself an inventor might be a bit too grand. I originally worked at a research lab in South Korea. I've always enjoyed calculations and have a deep interest in creating things. One of my favorite fields of study has always been the Magic Squares."

A Magic Squares. A mathematical arrangement where natural numbers are arranged in a specific order, ensuring that the sum of numbers in each row, column, and diagonal are equal.

"The principle of the Magic Squares today is all about harmony and balance. You may not realize it, but the principles of Magic Squares are applied in many aspects of real life."

The expressions of the others were growing increasingly indifferent. Particularly, An-Hyun and Yun-Jung were blatantly sighing in boredom. I sent them an apologetic glance, but Shin Sang-Yong just smiled and waved it off, clearly in a good mood.

"After coming to the Hall Plain, I chose to become a mage. I wanted to become a priest more than anything, but my guardian angel strongly recommended I pursue magic instead. Honestly, being a mage suited me well. But… I'm a bit different from other mages."

That was certainly true. He didn't have a special ability, and yet, with such a great unique ability, I couldn't help but sigh when looking at his potential abilities. Traditional magic was something all mages had to learn, so that wasn't a surprise. But what really puzzled me was the alchemy magic and ancient language deciphering—why on earth did he develop those skills, especially since they were essentially useless in combat?

His stats were decent enough that he must have survived by relying on them, but I couldn't help but feel he wasn't making the most of his role. If his traditional magic rank was higher, it might have been more useful, but both alchemy and traditional magic were rank B or lower. I kept a neutral expression on my face, pretending I knew nothing and waiting for him to continue.

"As a mage in the Hall Plain, learning traditional magic is the norm. But still... Maybe it's just my nature, but I had a great interest in alchemy. People I knew strongly advised against me pursuing alchemy magic, but my own desires drove me to study it anyway. Ha, it's kind of pathetic, right? In a world where life and death are on the line, I couldn't see reality and chased after ideals instead."

Yes. I would have liked to say, How pathetic. But instead, I simply shook my head calmly.

"But I don't regret it. Without alchemy these past two years, I might have lost myself entirely... Anyway, I've gone on too long. Now, I'll finally tell you the real reason I've come to see you, Su-Hyeon."

Shin Sang-Yong exhaled deeply.

"The information I got about the ancient alchemist dungeon was truly a coincidence. I shared it with the Yeong sisters, Jung Ha-Yeong and Jung Ji-Yeong, and we secretly formed a caravan. Currently, due to the influence of the Golden Lion Clan, exploration is not encouraged. So, in a way, you could say I'm partly responsible for what happened to Jung Ji-Yeong. If I hadn't told them in the first place... I still regret it."

I see. It seems they didn't just walk into the Forest Of Midnight blindly; they at least had some information in hand. I nodded thoughtfully, and as I did, Jung Ha-Yeong, who had been silently listening, spoke up in a quiet voice to add to his words.

"There is certainly a moral responsibility," Jung Ha-Yeong said with a bitter tone. "But if we're talking about responsibility, I'm just as responsible. And Ji-Yeong herself is responsible too. It wasn't as if she was forced to go; she decided on her own because she thought it was possible. So…"

Hearing Jung Ha-Yeong's words, Shin Sang-Yong's face fell with a guilty expression. Sensing that she didn't want to continue discussing Jung Ji-Yeong, he immediately turned his head.

"Although the dungeon exploration failed, my curiosity about ancient alchemy hasn't faded. I know it makes me sound foolish, but if it weren't for you and your party, or if I had survived, I probably would have gone back into that dungeon again. But now, that's no longer necessary. Because…"

Shin Sang-Yong paused for a moment and then glanced at Vivienne, who was sitting beside me, looking slightly bewildered. He then crossed his legs and changed his posture, kneeling down on the floor. Without giving me a chance to stop him, he placed both hands on the ground and bowed to me respectfully.

"I know asking for the dungeon's rewards or items would be shameless. And I have no such intention. But when I heard that there's a resident alchemist still alive, I couldn't just sit by. Please, I beg you, let me be taught under her."

"Shin Sang-Yong, please get up."

"No. I realize this request may seem quite audacious. But alchemy is not mainstream in the Hall Plain. It's considered a niche and even a disgrace, so there's no one to give me advice or help me find a way. I have to rely on trial and error, learning on my own… and even now, I'm not sure if I'm on the right path. It feels like I've been hitting a wall for the past six months. If I continue like this, I might…"

Shin Sang-Yong kept his head bowed, continuing to speak. I could detect a faint hint of moisture in his voice. At that moment, a memory came to mind, and I closed my eyes as I spoke.

I understood Shin Sang-Yong's feelings better than anyone else in that room. I, too, had never received any teachings. I had reached the level of Sword Master solely through self-study, and even now, I sometimes felt the sting of that process, recalling how difficult it had been.

There's something crushing about facing a massive wall in front of you, a wall so unyielding that you can't even fathom breaking through it. The despair felt when you can't seem to make any progress, no matter how hard you try, is overwhelming.

While the growth curve usually slows after the second year, with most of one's abilities developed by that point, I still felt that sense of stagnation. The effort required to raise even a single point was immense, and I was aware that for all my efforts, the growth was no longer the rapid kind it had been in the beginning. It was a constant struggle.

I opened my mouth slowly, as if caught in a trance.

"I once read something in an old book," I began. "The content of that book left such a strong impression on me that I still carry it with me today."

Shin Sang-Yong seemed to be determined not to rise from his kneeling position until I had spoken. But I could tell he was focusing intently on what I was saying. It was rare for a second-year player to show such humility to a zero-year player, and seeing him put in so much effort in various ways made me feel something like pride. I continued with a gentler tone.

"When you face a wall, you often find yourself wondering how to overcome it. And you're right—overcoming that wall must be done with your own strength. But once you do, no matter how hard it was, that wall becomes…"

I paused for a moment, letting the weight of my words settle. After a brief silence, I continued.

"…a solid support beneath your feet."

"Oh…"

I saw Shin Sang-Yong lift his head, as if something about my words had resonated with him. I decided to continue speaking, considering his request. Although I hadn't heard all the details yet, it seemed like it could be a valuable opportunity.

"I…"

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