Process of Growth
As we continued walking, the paths became increasingly tangled and complex. It felt like unraveling a knotted ball of yarn as I carefully navigated each route. Before I knew it, our caravan had moved past Point <5> and was approaching Point <6>.
“Geez, Ansol. Can you stop fiddling with that? Do you really like it that much?”
“Hehe, I can’t help it. Do you like earrings too, unni?”
”…Yeah, I guess I do. I feel a bit lighter, too.”
I could hear Lee Yoo-jung and Ansol chatting animatedly behind me. Those who hadn’t received any items were following quietly, but the two of them couldn’t hide their excitement. Only Ha-yeon seemed to sense the mood and kept silent. I didn’t feel the need to stop them, though. Acquiring two pieces of equipment from the ancient Hall Plain era was indeed a morale booster.
From my research, I knew that the ancient Hall Plain was a continent where magic was highly advanced. In terms of pure magic, it was on a level far beyond what we have now. Although modern Earth knowledge has led to the development of impressive magic circuits and settings, these are merely enhancements. The foundational magic of the past was undoubtedly superior.
The items we just acquired were a testament to that. While we can still create magical equipment today, producing items of this caliber is a distant goal. We can only achieve similar effects, but the performance gap is significant. That’s why explorers are so eager to delve into ruins—it’s where the chances of finding ancient Hall Plain equipment are highest.
Ansol was the luckiest among us, having received a priest-exclusive item. It was a bit disappointing that it was limited to priests, but that was beyond my control. The description I read with my third eye mentioned, “This item was designed in the temples during the ancient Hall Plain era to protect priests vulnerable to close combat or ambushes.” Whether it was made specifically for priests or had a safety mechanism to prevent theft, I couldn’t say. But it was certainly useful.
We had fully entered the interior of Point <6>. Since leaving Point <5>, we hadn’t encountered any undead, but we couldn’t let our guard down. From here on, we would face undead far stronger and more dangerous than those we had encountered before. If luck wasn’t on our side, we might even run into a lich like the one we met at the entrance of the Blue Mountains.
After some time had passed since leaving <5>, I suddenly felt something strange at the edge of my detection range. It was as if my senses were being swallowed by something. I stopped walking and signaled the group to halt.
“Is there something on your radar?” Go Yeon-joo asked.
I shook my head. About 200 meters ahead, there was an area my detection couldn’t reach. This meant there was a barrier or something similar blocking magical waves. The only way to find out was to get closer and use my third eye. Slowing our pace, I cautiously moved forward. The others seemed to sense the tension and began preparing themselves.
After about eight minutes of cautious walking, a large, circular clearing came into view. Though the entrance limited our view, it was clear that the space was vast, like a plaza.
In the center of the plaza, a thick, dark miasma hung heavily.
“This aura is enough to make your skin crawl.”
“We might end up like we did in the last clearing if we’re not careful…”
The group frowned at the sight. The aura was so dense that even enhancing our vision with magic didn’t allow us to see through it. I took a deep breath and activated my third eye. As I peered inside, a low groan escaped me. Within the dark smoke, a horde of monstrous creatures was gathered.
I took a moment to steady myself before speaking quietly.
“It seems there’s a trap in the plaza. Although it’s not detectable, the concentrated aura suggests it’s not going to be easy. We have two choices here.”
“Go in or find another way around,” Go Yeon-joo quickly interjected, catching on to my line of thought. I nodded and turned to the group.
“As Go Yeon-joo said, we can either break through the trap head-on or backtrack and find another route, even if it takes more time. If anyone has a suggestion, now’s the time to speak up.”
The caravan remained silent. Some exchanged glances, while others seemed deep in thought.
In my first run, we chose to go around. But the reason I insisted on this path was that, according to my calculations, it would significantly shorten the route to our final destination. Going around might take several more minutes, but if we could pass through the distant passage visible from here, we could drastically reduce the time needed to exit Point <6>.
”…”
No one spoke up, but their determined gazes told me they were ready to move forward or trusted my decision. Ultimately, the final choice fell back to me.
I answered by calmly drawing my sword.
“Phew, phew. Is it finally over?”
“What kind of monsters were those…?”
”…They were nothing like ordinary skeletons.”
After the grueling battle in the clearing, the group collapsed to the ground, exhausted. Ansol was busy running around, tending to the wounded, while I took a moment to catch my breath. The difficulty had noticeably increased since Point <5>.
Choosing to break through, we took a moment to regroup before entering the clearing. As soon as we stepped in, the aura reacted violently, swirling and being drawn toward the center. It was as if it was being absorbed somewhere.
As expected, the dark miasma concealed a horde of undead. A legion of skeletons—knights, soldiers, and warriors—filled the clearing. Individually, they weren’t much, but having absorbed the miasma, each one exuded a formidable presence.
We maintained a tight formation against the onslaught. Our line nearly broke several times, but Vivian’s timely support kept us from being overwhelmed. I managed the wave of enemies at the front, but with so many, some inevitably slipped through.
There were close calls. Ahn Hyun and Lee Yoo-jung held their ground but eventually got injured by a skeleton knight’s sword, putting the mages and priests in danger. If we had faltered, it could have been disastrous.
But then, Go Yeon-joo, our keeper, stepped up, protecting the ranged users. With a <10th Rank> user in action, the situation began to stabilize, and the others, healed by the priests, got back on their feet. Despite the risks, everyone fought their hardest. I could have made it easier, but I wanted them to learn and grow, even if it meant getting a few bruises.
So, I pulled Lee Yoo-jung up from the ground and started my lecture. I’d been waiting to address her since our fight with the Blood Golem.
“You’re creating gaps by pushing forward. In a formation, advancing recklessly only opens you up to more attacks. Do you understand?”
“Well, oppa, the skeleton knight was too much, and I saw an opening…”
“Sure, but what about the skeleton soldiers around you? You could have been skewered. If Shin Sang-yong hadn’t used Gust of Wind to clear the area, we would have been in serious trouble. What’s the point of wearing earrings that enhance your vision if your body can’t keep up? Focusing on one spot will get you ambushed from the sides or behind.”
“Okay, oppa, I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”
Yoo-jung looked down, chastened. I let it go at that and turned to Ahn Hyun, who was rubbing his stomach after being healed. He flinched when our eyes met, having overheard my scolding. I clicked my tongue but decided to let him off. He had done his part, even if he struggled. It was just a matter of skill.
After wrapping up my little lecture tour, Go Yeon-ju, who had been quietly leaning against a corner, approached me with a smirk.
“Well, did you finish scolding them?”
“More like offering some advice, if you ask me.”
Yeon-ju snorted at my words and continued in a low voice.
“Those skeleton monsters were more formidable than they seemed. I suspect it has something to do with absorbing those energies.”
“I agree. They don’t seem to have any special effects like regeneration or curses, but it’s as if their undead class itself has leveled up.”
“Hmm. A class upgrade, you say? That could be it. Right now, they’re just skeletons, so we can handle them even if their class is higher. But if death knights, liches, or even those blood golems we faced earlier absorb that energy…”
“It won’t be easy, that’s for sure. Anyway, this time we had no choice but to intervene, but if we spot any wandering ones, we’ll have to think it over. For the tougher ones, we might have to ambush them or at least start with a preemptive strike.”
“So, you’re saying you’ll fight no matter what. Just so you know, avoiding a fight is also an option.”
Yeon-ju chuckled and patted my shoulder. I shrugged and turned around.
The magic users, having expended a tremendous amount of mana in the recent battle, were meditating with pale faces. Vivian wasn’t as drained, but she was still maintaining the barrier with a slight furrow in her brow, eyes closed. After giving the group some time to recover, I clapped my hands lightly.
The sound seemed to rouse the meditating magic users, who slowly opened their eyes. Having gathered most of what we needed from the Cave of Screams, it was time to wrap things up quickly.
We left the clearing where we had fought the toughest battle since entering the Cave of Screams and headed down another passage. As we walked, more branching paths appeared, confirming my suspicions. If we had taken a detour, we would have ended up here through one of these many forks.
Just as we left Point 6 and entered Point 7, we encountered another group of undead. This time, it was a pack of ten skeletal knights, all with that dull energy in their eyes, just as Yeon-ju had feared.
Fortunately, I spotted them from about 150 meters away, allowing us to prepare thoroughly before the fight. Vivian, Jeong Ha-yeon, and Shin Sang-yong unleashed a barrage of powerful magic, and the knights, struck by the spells, charged at us on ghostly steeds.
But there weren’t as many as before. We managed to take down four before they reached us, so dealing with the remaining six wasn’t too difficult. The four that came at me and the ones that charged at Ahn Hyun and Yoo-jung were soon lying on the cold ground.
After that battle, we finally found a room similar to the one we discovered at Point 5. It wasn’t exactly a secret room, but it was tucked away enough that we might have missed it if I hadn’t remembered it.
To cut to the chase, we did find something there. It wasn’t much—800 gold coins, some jewels, and a bracelet. The jewels were worth over 2000 gold, so we made nearly 3000 gold from that one room.
The group’s reaction to the gold was lukewarm. After seeing so much gold from the Chaos Mimic earlier, they seemed unimpressed. Some users tremble at the lack of even 10 gold, so their indifference felt a bit pathetic. I gathered everything up and stuffed it into my backpack.
The bracelet, however, did catch their interest. Using an appraisal scroll, we identified it as a Bracelet of Recovery, which allows the wearer to use a recovery spell once a day. Since it can only be used by the wearer, it seemed best suited for a frontline fighter who takes a lot of damage.
I debated between giving it to Ahn Hyun or Yoo-jung. But considering Yoo-jung’s shorter reach and higher risk of injury, I decided she should have it. Ahn Hyun needed it too, but focusing on survival, it seemed more beneficial for Yoo-jung.
After distributing the gear, I roughly calculated the remaining distance. The end of the Cave of Screams was in sight. Once we passed through Points 8 and 9, we’d soon reach Point 10, where “that thing” awaited.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yu-jin.
I apologize for not posting a new chapter today. I had some business to attend to, which kept me busy. I visited Joara’s office today to sign an E-Book contract. They offered to come to me, but I wanted to see the company, so I went there myself. :) There won’t be any removal of the serialized version. Even with the E-Book, the serialization will continue simultaneously. I had a five-hour meeting, which was incredibly insightful. I received a lot of advice about Memorize. Haha. (I was a bit nervous when they asked about various things. They knew more than I expected, especially when they pointed out all the foreshadowing. It was quite surprising.)
Anyway, I learned a lot from them, including about the pacing of the story. So, I’m planning to wrap up the Cave of Screams quickly. Originally, the 161st chapter was supposed to feature a big fight with some shadowy creatures in the clearing, but I’ve decided to skip that. Moving forward, I’ll try to speed up the necessary parts rather than dragging things out.
PS. Thank you to everyone who left fun comments today! Haha.
『 Reader Replies 』
싸울아비헌터T: Long time no see! Congratulations on being first! Welcome back, 싸울아비. I hope you enjoy this chapter too. :)
GradeRown: Haha. Three zeros, you say?! I have no idea what you mean! Not a clue!
MoRaHazaRd: When showering, one is naked! Maybe they’d leave it in a corner, covered with a cloth or something. :)
juan: Thank you. Someone even said they wanted to raise a mimic. Haha. I’ll try to do more consecutive updates when I have time. I’m swamped with assignments these days. Even after this update, I have more work to do. ㅜ.ㅠ
破天魔痕: No way, Vivian wouldn’t do that. Oh, on second thought, maybe she would. Hehe.
아트락시아: I see. I’ll try to speed up the story a bit more. As for the earlier part, readers might interpret it differently. But for the latter part, I’ll organize the settings and post them when I have time (probably after exams). I’ll clarify the differences between mages and priests, as well as the concepts of engraving, binding, and exclusivity. :)
사람인생: Haha. That’s why Yoo-jung has been hoarding equipment lately. You’re on a school trip! I hope you have a great time. :D
현오: I was surprised by your comment. It felt like reading a piece of literary fiction. ㅎㄷㄷㄷ. Shin Sang-yong doesn’t smoke. :) But is the story you wrote in the comment based on a real experience?
罰酒: At first, I was lost in thought, but when I saw the part about “brother” and “I won’t lose!” I was startled. Could it be… No, it can’t be. Ahem.
백인티모시: Of course, I remember you! You’ve always given valuable advice. :) Many readers are returning today! Welcome back, everyone.
Your recommendations and comments are the driving force behind consecutive updates. (This is the truth.)
I always read all the comments repeatedly.
Please don’t feel too disappointed if you’re not mentioned in the replies.
If you’re really curious about something, feel free to send me a message, and I’ll respond!
That’s all for today. I hope you enjoy reading with a relaxed mind.
Favorites, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.