Memorize

The group was left speechless as they gazed at the Ruined Laboratory, which revealed its grand and imposing presence before their eyes. In particular, Shin Sang-Yong and Jung Ha-Yeong were left gaping, their mouths opening and closing wordlessly. No matter how experienced they were, it seemed a bit too much to fully accept the situation as it was.

"Th-this is impossible. Even if it's just beginner's luck… This, this is…."

"Hah. This is… quite surprising."

Finally regaining her composure, Jung Ha-Yeong turned her gaze toward An-Sol, who stood blankly in place. I chuckled slightly and stepped closer to Sol, placing both hands on her shoulders.

"Our Sol is really a bundle of good luck."

Despite my hands touching her, Sol showed no sign of resistance. She simply tilted her head from side to side, looking at me with innocent, wide eyes.

"Am I a bundle of good luck?"

"Of course. No doubt about it. Our Sol is the best."

Only then, realizing that I was praising her, Sol's face blossomed into a bright smile. I lifted her up in my arms and playfully swung her up and down like an airplane.

"Waaah! Waaah!"

Excited, Sol raised both hands in the air and let out a small, delighted cheer. After a while, I gently set her back down on the ground and turned around once more.

On the third day since we left Mule, we had finally discovered the ruins of the Laboratory.

*

We had a simple breakfast before leaving the inn. Everything was fine, except for the way everyone looked at Go Yeon Joo with curious eyes as she came all the way to the entrance to see us off. The group's mood was stable, and with the addition of two skilled mages, our overall strength had significantly increased.

"But unnie, I'm a little worried."

"About what?"

Yun-Jung had grown quite attached to Jung Ha-Yeong. At some point, she had even dropped formal speech, and the two now called each other "unnie" and "dongsaeng." It was reassuring to see that Yun-Jung, who had been so wild and reckless before, now had someone to keep her in check.

Note: The literal translation of "dongsaeng" is "younger sibling." Both male and female Koreans use "dongsaeng" (pronounced "dong-SANG") for a younger sibling of any gender. They also use it to refer to young friends that they feel especially close to.

She glanced at me briefly before continuing.

"All this time, Su-Hyeon oppa and the rest of us have been hunting monsters together, learning how to coordinate as a team. But unnie and Shin Sang-Yong…"

As I listened, I could feel my face heat up. Hearing Jung Ha-Yeong chuckling behind me only made it worse. Honestly, I wanted to turn around and pinch her cheek, but I decided it was better to just ignore it.

After that, we passed through the North Gate and continued heading north. If we had gone northwest, we would have reached the Forest Of Midnight, but directly north was nothing more than vast plains. Beyond those plains lay an endless wasteland, and that was exactly where we planned to go this time.

I had my own thoughts about our destination, so I called out in a quiet tone.

"Vivienne."

At that moment, Vivienne was busy answering Shin Sang-Yong's flood of questions. She had been answering smugly, enjoying the attention, but when I called her name, her expression quickly turned into one of mild annoyance. Lately, she had started to show little signs of rebellion, as if she was finally enjoying life.

But as soon as I raised my hand slightly, she immediately put on a bright smile and clung to my side as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, Su-Hyeon? You called? Hehe."

"Haha. Sorry for interrupting your conversation."

"You should be more careful ne—hahaha, I mean, what do you need?"

Watching her break into a cold sweat, I gave her a cool smile before getting to the point.

Vivienne was 24 years old—technically the same age as me—but as a spider, she had memories spanning over a hundred years. While I had already done my own research, I still wanted to double-check something, just in case.

"Hey, by any chance… you know, back before you became a spider, was there a laboratory somewhere north of Mule?"

"A laboratory? Oh, yeah. There was one."

Vivienne answered cheerfully, and I could feel the group's pace slow slightly, as if they had all heard her. Sensing a hint of excitement in my own voice, I quickly followed up with another question.

"Do you know exactly where it is?"

"Of course not. I don't remember every little thing from back then. But if we keep heading this way, we should come across it eventually. Wait… you mean you're not going there with a plan?"

"..."

Vivienne's response instantly turned my rising anticipation into disappointment. I slumped my shoulders slightly. Still, at least I had confirmed that the place I had in mind wasn't completely off the mark. That was something.

The Ruined Laboratory was discovered during a time when I wasn't in Mule, so I had no real memories of it. The only reason I even knew about it was because I had seen a report mentioning that another caravan had successfully explored it. That had caught my interest for a brief moment, but nothing more.

Vivienne, looking somewhat indifferent now, returned to her usual position in the formation.

I was confident that if I used my "Third Eye," I could find it. But the real issue was justification.

If I, a player who had only just reached year zero, kept discovering dungeons left and right with pinpoint accuracy—something even seasoned explorers struggled with—people would inevitably start getting suspicious. And that was a problem I needed to figure out.

Even if they eventually settled into the clan, for now, they weren't fully committed to our group. People like the kids or Shin Sang-Yong could take things in stride and go with the flow, but not everything would go so smoothly. From my perspective, at the very least, Jung Ha-Yeong was bound to have doubts.

For her, joining a clan with suspicious elements would naturally be unsettling. And from my side, I had no interest in recruiting someone who harbored skepticism. I had already warned the others to keep quiet about certain books and other sensitive matters, claiming I'd explain things later, but the real issue was what came next.

Noticing my troubled expression, Sol's voice came softly from beside me, as if trying to reassure me.

"Ora-beoni, it's okay."

I wanted to snap back, 'What exactly is okay?' but knowing she'd just end up looking teary-eyed again, I simply gave her a faint smile before turning my head away.

After walking for an entire day, we finally left the plains behind on the second day. The farther we got from Mule, the less of the soft green fields we saw, replaced instead by dry, yellow-brown earth.

Once we entered the wasteland, the group's cheerful chatter faded into silence. Jung Ha-Yeong and Shin Sang-Yong were no exception, and even the kids, perhaps remembering past experiences with me, were now scanning the surroundings with wary eyes.

As if responding to our expectations(?) for trouble, a battle with monsters soon broke out.

It happened while we were resting, unable to march endlessly without pause. I had been sitting down, drinking water, and chewing on some jerky when my senses picked up a group of monsters approaching. The unusual part was that they were moving underground, closing the distance beneath our feet.

"Monsters are coming soon. Everyone, prepare for battle."

The others gave me puzzled looks.

And then, right at that moment, the ground around us began to bulge and rise. They had arrived faster than expected, and I frowned as I got to my feet.

"W-what? An earthquake?"

As if. There was panic in their voices, but they weren't just standing around either. An-Hyun had already drawn his spear, and Yun-Jung was moving into formation. Sol, already raising her staff, caught my eye, and I spoke in a calm, steady voice.

"An earthquake? No, they're land moles."

"Land moles?"

"Giant burrowing rodents."

I answered briefly while drawing my sword. These creatures, despite their nature, had a hunter's instinct. They had already begun to encircle us, evident from the growing number of raised mounds surrounding our group. We were completely surrounded. I counted over ten holes at a glance, but as I expanded my detection, I could sense even more of them emerging from below.

Soon, the ground split open, and a rough, hardened hand broke through the surface. As it pressed against the earth and pulled itself up, the land mole finally revealed itself—just as I had expected.

Its rounded, light brown body and humanoid limbs were eerily unnatural. Seeing them emerge, I was about to call for a defensive formation when—

"Stream of Aqua!"

Jung Ha-Yeong's incantation was spoken so quickly that I barely caught it. In just three short words, she completed her spell and thrust her staff forward. Immediately, globes of water shot out, levitating for a moment before breaking apart and raining down upon the ten newly formed pits.

Her casting speed, reaction to the monsters, and spell application—all were flawless.

Land moles lived underground, but since they had mutated into monsters, they primarily fed on human flesh. Anyone expecting them to be soft, chubby creatures like regular moles was in for a rude awakening. These creatures were built like living boulders, standing roughly human-sized with razor-sharp claws. They were tough foes.

Their bodies were so hard that ordinary weapons—spears or swords—would barely penetrate them. The best way to deal with them was either to imbue weapons with a significant amount of magic or to overpower them with sheer brute strength. But that was only if one fought them head-on.

Fortunately, there was an easier way to subdue them—by dousing them with water.

The moment Jung Ha-Yeong identified the monsters, she executed the most effective countermeasure.

The land moles, which had burst from the ground with terrifying force, were instantly drenched, looking like soaked rats. Their once-bold movements slowed, their earthy brown skin darkening into a reddish hue. Clearly, they were hesitating now, their confidence wavering.

Seizing the opportunity, Shin Sang-Yong stepped forward.

"An-Sol, I will begin preparing my magic now. Just in case, please prepare a protective spell. And when I fire my spell, cast the protective magic on the Land Moles at the right timing."

"Huh? Wh-what?"

Hearing the request to cast a protective spell on the Land Moles, An-Sol stammered. However, seeing Jung Ha-Yeong quickly cut off her current spell and begin chanting a new one, she hastily started reciting an incantation as well.

"────."

Shin Sang-Yong immediately began casting. The Landmoles, who had been hesitating for a moment, shrieked and charged forward upon realizing that the mage was chanting again. It seemed they knew their own weakness—once they got wet, their best option was to attack swiftly.

However, our caravan had another mage. One so terrifying that even if hundreds of Landmoles attacked at once, they wouldn't be able to leave so much as a scratch—a Chimera Alchemist.

"Come forth! Aranya! The Death of the Web that governs the 32nd Legion!"

As if she had been prepared all along, a metaphysical magic circle with intricate symbols appeared beneath Vivienne. The moment the magic circle emitted its glow, a spider emerged—one we had seen before. It was not an ordinary spider but a chimera-enhanced beast, strengthened by Vivienne herself—Aranya.

"Aranya!"

At Vivienne's call, Aranya seemed to read her intent instantly, opening its lower jaw wide.

"Siiiiiiiiiiiii!"

From Aranya's mouth, silver threads shot out like living snakes writhing in the air. These threads masterfully avoided our party members and swiftly ensnared all the charging Landmoles.

"Kurik? Kurik?"

The Landmoles tried to dodge or cut through the threads with their sharp claws, but it was useless. The sticky, elastic threads continued to tighten around their bodies, leaving them only able to let out pitiful cries.

Just as Shin Sang-Yong finished casting his spell, he aimed his left hand forward and spoke.

"An-Sol, here I go. I'll try to be as careful as possible, but just in case, use it at the right moment."

"Huh? Oh, okay!"

"Chain Lightning!"

The moment Shin Sang-Yong's incantation ended, jagged bolts of lightning burst forth in a chain reaction. The lightning stretched forward, and as soon as it struck the leading Landmole, a spectacular scene unfolded.

"Kurarararara!"

"Kuririririri!"

"Kueeeeee!"

A combination spell of water and lightning. However, Shin Sang-Yong's spell wasn't finished yet. Even while maintaining his stance with his left hand, he extended his right hand forward. Was he… double-casting?

"Hold!"

But the target of Shin Sang-Yong's Hold wasn't the Landmoles—it was the very energy he had unleashed. The moment the lightning made contact with every Landmole in sight, he deliberately stopped it from spreading further.

And that was precisely the moment Sol needed to act.

"An-Sol, now!"

"I… really…?"

"Hurry!"

Though An-Sol was still hesitating, Shin Sang-Yong's urgent tone made her bite her lip and recite the incantation.

"Protect!"

Though she couldn't cover all the Landmoles, shimmering protective barriers appeared around some of them. And at that very moment, Jung Ha-Yeong, who had been waiting for the perfect opportunity, let her clear, ringing voice echo through the battlefield.

"Reverse!"

"Ha..."

Only after hearing Jung Ha-Yeong's voice did Shin Sang-Yong sever his magical connection.

Was this their plan all along?

I watched the two of them with admiration.

And then—

The Landmoles trapped within the Reverse-infused Protect spell were turning into nothing more than ragged scraps.

Bound in sticky spider silk, the bolts of lightning that had originally been unleashed outward were now being reflected inward, striking their own bodies relentlessly. With every pulse of lightning, the Protect barriers weakened little by little, but this was an incredibly effective combination technique.

Even An-Sol seemed stunned, blinking in disbelief at how her protective spell was being used.

Protect was meant to block external damage while allowing attacks to pass outward. But by applying Reverse, that principle was flipped—causing all attacks inside to be forcibly reflected inward. Reverse was an advanced magic application, yet Jung Ha-Yeong had cast it with such ease.

The Landmoles were utterly devastated.

The ones inside the barrier had been reduced to nothing more than battered corpses, while those outside were in little better condition. More than half were sprawled on the ground, twitching in agony. The rest barely stood, struggling to keep their balance, clearly on the verge of death.

Now, it was time for the melee fighters to take action.

"An-Hyun. Yun-Jung."

At my low call, the two, who had been watching in stunned silence, snapped back to attention.

"They're practically defenseless now. Go finish them off however you like. I'll stay back and keep watch."

The two exchanged glances before dashing forward like wild animals, their fighting instincts fully ignited.

I let out a small chuckle and, with my sword still in hand, shifted my gaze toward Jung Ha-Yeong.

She met my eyes and flashed a bright smile.

Her expression seemed to say, 'See? This is my level. I did well, right?'

I smiled back at her in response.

And then—

I raised my sword and charged straight at her.

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