As I opened my eyes, the bright sunlight momentarily blinded me. I instinctively wanted to close them again but settled for lowering my gaze instead. A strange warmth enveloped my body.
Hannah was smiling softly, her arms wrapped around my neck as she slept peacefully. Whatever dream she was having, it seemed to be a pleasant one, judging by the gentle smile on her lips.
Last night, until the early hours of the morning, we shared our first intimate moment. Hannah was understandably nervous, being her first time, but everything went smoothly, and I felt a sense of relief.
The only regret was not being able to bring Hannah to the peak of pleasure immediately. Still, considering the soft moans she let out towards the end, I’d say it was a successful first encounter.
Carefully, I rose from the bed, trying not to wake her. Her bare skin was exposed, and despite my efforts to be gentle, the marks were more evident than I had anticipated.
Lip marks adorned her breasts, and a faint trace of blood mixed with white lingered on her lower abdomen, leading to her most intimate area.
I absentmindedly reached for a cigarette but stopped when I glanced at Hannah. Instead, I gently stroked her hair with the hand that had been reaching for the cigarette.
“Mmm… colors… colors…” she murmured, shifting slightly before settling back into a steady rhythm of breathing, her hands clasped under her face as if in prayer.
I watched her for a while before quietly slipping out of bed. After gathering a few clothes, I silently left the room.
The hallway was a patchwork of light and shadow. The chill of the morning air mixed with the bright sunlight, signaling the start of a new day.
Stretching, I retrieved the cigarette I had put away earlier and decided to head down to the dining hall. The quiet and calm atmosphere was comforting.
However, as I finished my cigarette and pushed open the dining hall door, I was taken aback.
“What the…?”
I had expected a mess, but not the sight of Hanbyul and Yujeong glaring at each other across a table.
I knew their relationship well enough to be concerned. Without thinking, I shouted urgently.
“Are you two…?!”
Both Hanbyul and Yujeong turned to look at me, their faces flushed, clearly intoxicated.
Then, Hanbyul reached out with a dreamy voice, “Oppa…”
I blinked, confused. “…What?”
“I don’t know… you idiot…”
“?”
With a thud, Hanbyul’s head hit the table.
As I stood there, bewildered, Yujeong suddenly jumped up, cheering.
“I won! I won! I’m the best drinker in the Mercenaries! Bow down to me, everyone! Clap, clap, clap!”
The tension evaporated instantly. Looking around, I noticed several clan members passed out around the table. It seemed they had been drinking all night.
Yujeong, still celebrating, staggered over to me, a bottle clutched in one hand.
“Oppa~. I feel feverish… it’s so hot. When did you disappear last night without a word?”
She was still in her bunny, or rather, cat girl outfit, pulling at her clothes and blowing air down her top. It was quite the sight, especially in front of a guy.
“Oppa, I won the drinking contest! Aren’t I great? Heehee!”
“…Congratulations.”
“Oh, and the winner gets a free pass to do whatever they want with you for a day. Anything at all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
I replied firmly. Yujeong muttered something about pumpkins and shook the bottle playfully.
“Looks like you’re still here.”
“I’m not drinking this early. You should get some rest too.”
“Aww~. We didn’t even have a drink together during the festival. Just one, please?”
Her persistent pleading eventually wore me down, and I agreed with a sigh, making sure to set the condition of just one drink.
“Heehee. Wait, I’ll pour it nicely.”
As Yujeong wobbled away, I surveyed the dining hall. Some clan members were sprawled out, but others like Hayeon, Woo Jungmin, Won Hyesoo, and the old man were nowhere to be seen. They must have left at some point.
As I watched Ansol and Hangyeol, still collapsed in a heap, I noticed Yujeong’s retreating figure. She was looking around, then shrugged and tucked something into her top.
I briefly imagined her bringing the glass tucked in her cleavage, given her outfit. But when she turned around, I was relieved to see her holding a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other.
Yujeong extended the glass towards me.
“Ta-da~! Oppa, let’s toast! If you don’t down it in one go, I’ll use that free pass!”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen. Cheers.”
I chuckled lightly. We raised our glass and bottle, the clink of glass echoing sharply.
“Oh, oppa. I have something to tell you. I’ve been thinking about it all festival…”
‘Huh?’
Hearing those words instinctively made me tense. I quickly downed the drink in one gulp. As I swallowed, a notification appeared.
『You have consumed “Eve’s Lineage”! “Eve’s Lineage” enhances the user’s stats based on three conditions. The effect doesn’t activate immediately but can be triggered at the user’s discretion.』
My eyes widened in shock. I looked around, but Yujeong was nowhere to be seen.
“What I wanted to say is, I think it’s better if you drink it, oppa! Heeheehee~!”
Her cheerful voice came from behind. I turned quickly to see Yujeong shaking the bottle with glee, clearly enjoying herself.
As I stood there, speechless, Yujeong suddenly stopped laughing.
She clenched her fist and brought it to her face, then crouched down, meowing softly.
“Meow~.”
‘…….’
“Kyahaha! I did it! I tricked oppa! Kyahahaha!”
Watching Yujeong dash out of the dining hall, I let out a deep sigh.
‘She doesn’t even know my stats…’
I understood, though. Given her experience, Yujeong probably didn’t think all my stats were over 90.
But all my stats exceed 90. And the effect of “Eve’s Lineage” comes with very specific conditions.
The first condition doesn’t apply to me, the second only partially, and the third offers several paths but with significant risks.
To put it bluntly, if I activate it now, the only benefit would be a 1-point increase in luck.
Of course, there’s a slim chance.
(Remaining stat points are free stat points, with a total of 6 points left.)
[Strength 96(+2)] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 92(+2)] [Magic 96] [Luck 90(+2)]
‘This is the final option. One of the user’s six stats will be randomly selected and reduced by 2 points. The reduced points are doubled and returned as 4 points, which can be freely allocated. However, if the stat exceeds the tens digit of the original stat before reduction, no effect will be seen (the baseline is the stat before reduction. The tens digit follows the reduced stat, but the units digit is calculated as 0).’
My stats and the third option of Eve’s Lineage. I need to carefully consider this last option.
This means the units digit of the reduced stat is calculated as 0, and the tens digit remains. Applying this condition to me, the baseline is ‘stats exceeding 90 cannot be increased.’ In other words, stats above 91 cannot be raised.
In short, it’s a 50/50 chance. If strength, agility, or magic decreases, the stat reduction is meaningless. Luck isn’t a crucial stat for me, so the returned 4 points would be wasted.
However, if endurance, stamina, or luck decreases, it’s a different story. They would drop to 90, 90, and 88, respectively, allowing me to use the returned 4 points.
The best-case scenario is if stamina decreases. With the 6 points I’ve saved, adding the returned 4 points gives me 10 points. This would allow me to raise my stamina stat to at least 100.
And if I combine it with points from future achievements? I might even push my stamina stat beyond 101.
However, that was the best-case scenario. A fifty percent chance of success also meant a fifty percent chance of failure. Considering the demons and the steel mountains we had to face, we couldn’t afford to waste even a single point.
I snapped out of my thoughts, let out a deep sigh, and hurriedly left the restaurant. Judging by the state of things, Yu-jeong seemed incredibly drunk, and I was worried she might hurt herself running around.
Her trail led from the hallway to just outside the entrance. Determined to give her a piece of my mind once I caught her, I pushed the door open.
A cold breeze swept over me, cooling my heated skin. As I glanced towards the main gate, searching for her, I froze.
There stood Go Yeon-ju.
“Go, Go Yeon-ju? When did you get here…?”
“Just a moment ago. And Su-hyeon? Hold on a second.”
Yeon-ju raised a hand and glanced to her side. Draped over her shoulder was none other than Yu-jeong.
Then, with a swift motion, Yeon-ju drew back her fist and punched Yu-jeong in the stomach with all her might.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
With a strangled cry, Yu-jeong’s struggling body went limp. Yeon-ju clicked her tongue, tossed Yu-jeong aside, and sauntered over to me.
“Su-hyeon. She teased me yesterday.”
“Teased you?”
“She called me out of the blue, showing me the festival. That was fine, but then she started sticking her tongue out at me… Ugh.”
”…She had it coming.”
“Right? I was already on edge, and she just pushed me over. And look at her now. She must’ve caused quite a scene.”
I nodded awkwardly, and Yeon-ju beamed. Though I thought knocking her out was a bit much, I kept that to myself.
“Anyway, Su-hyeon. I really missed you!”
Yeon-ju spread her arms wide and hugged me. I returned the embrace, gently patting her head.
“Yes. You’ve been through a lot.”
“Don’t even mention it. I’m never going back to that user academy, just so you know. Hmph.”
“Haha. We’ll have another festival soon, so make sure to attend next time. Oh, have you had breakfast?”
“No, I came straight here without eating.”
“There should be some food left in the dining hall. You must be hungry. I haven’t eaten either, so let’s have a meal together.”
I placed a hand on Yeon-ju’s shoulder, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned in closer, sniffing the air around me.
“Yeon-ju?”
I called her name, but she didn’t respond. I tilted my head in confusion but let her do as she pleased.
After a while, she lifted her head, her face breaking into a wide smile. Her eyes curved like crescent moons, and her lips curled up, giving me an inexplicable sense of unease.
Yeon-ju’s lips parted.
“Su-hyeon? What’s going on here?”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
“I smell a familiar woman’s scent on my man.”
”…Isn’t it usually the other way around, where a strange woman smells like my man?”
“True, but Sol and Hanna aren’t strangers, are they?”
I felt as if I’d seen a ghost. Noticing my stiff expression, Yeon-ju’s smile grew even wider, and she began to grind her teeth. Her face was smiling, but the sound of her teeth was terrifying.
“Right. Would a sparrow pass by a mill without stopping? Those little… I was already worried, and they took advantage of my absence?”
“Yeon-ju, it’s not like that…”
“Oh? It’s not like what?”
Yeon-ju leaned in, raising her voice. I instinctively averted my gaze and looked up at the sky.
“The weather’s really nice today.”
Yeon-ju laughed loudly, then glared up at the sky.
“Oh-ho-ho! The weather’s nice? I’m freezing here! Look, the sky’s all gloomy, and you’re trying to change the subject…”
It was then that we both fell silent, our gazes fixed on the sky.
A cold drop touched my face and quickly melted away.
“Snow?”
White snowflakes were falling from the sky.
“Yes, it’s snowing.”
Yeon-ju’s voice was much calmer now.
I watched the snow for a moment, and a thought struck me.
I walked over to where Yu-jeong lay and picked up a bottle beside her. Giving it a shake, I heard the liquid slosh inside, indicating there was still some left.
I started moving again, heading towards a specific spot.
“Su-hyeon? Where are you going?”
“Yeon-ju, I’m sorry to ask as soon as you arrived, but could you bring some food from the dining hall?”
“Hmm~. Watching the snow while eating does sound nice. But I’m not really in the mood to eat right now.”
I reached my destination and stopped quietly. Before me was a grave. I turned to face Yeon-ju, who was watching me with her arms crossed. Her gaze wasn’t truly angry, more like a playful pout. It was Yeon-ju’s way of sulking.
“It’s not that. There’s someone else I forgot to remember.”
”…What?”
Yeon-ju’s eyes widened in surprise. I tilted the bottle, letting the liquid spill over the grass on the grave, and spoke calmly.
“Shin Sang-yong.”
The liquid trickled down, soaking the grass. Yeon-ju stared at the grave, blinking rapidly.
“That’s… that’s not fair! Now I don’t know what to say!”
“I wasn’t planning to hide it. We’ll talk more when Ha-yeon wakes up.”
“Sigh… Fine. Alright. Let’s eat first and think about it later?”
Yeon-ju grumbled energetically, hoisting the fallen Yu-jeong over her shoulder. She stomped loudly as she disappeared inside, but I didn’t miss the faint smile on her lips.
I poured the remaining liquor over the grave, then looked up at the sky again.
The snow was falling more heavily now, covering everything in sight. I took a swig from the bottle and slowly sat down, leaning against the grave. The dampness on my back could have been from the snow or the spilled liquor.
I watched the sky for a long time, then took another drink. I raised my hand to the air, catching a snowflake that melted instantly.
A light laugh escaped my lips.
“Haha, hahaha!”
Even as I laughed, I turned my gaze to the Mercenary House. The snow falling all around it made for a rather picturesque scene.
As I watched, it felt like all my worries were melting away with the snow.
I murmured quietly to myself.
“Thanks to you, I survived for now. Thank you.”
A gentle breeze swept past me, as if Shin Sang-yong himself was smiling and telling me it was okay.
I spoke again.
“User Shin Sang-yong. If I manage to finish the second round… before I return, I’ll bring you back. If the Zero Code doesn’t work, I’ll find another way. I’m sure you’ll enjoy being with Vivian. Oh, and Sasha Felix, our new clan member, has joined, so maybe you could get to know him too.”
The wind blew again, and I felt my hair flutter in the breeze. I closed my eyes gently.
It was just… a nice feeling.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
The side story has concluded.
To celebrate, I’ll be performing the Nono-chu dance I learned from someone. (…….)
…Yes. Sorry for the late update today. I finished writing at 11:43 PM on January 2nd (Thursday). I initially planned to post it all at once, but I decided to split it for those who aren’t fond of bed scenes. Haha.
And… the comments from the previous chapters were quite chaotic.
Rest assured, the comments don’t affect the serialization, so there’s no need to worry. After over 400 chapters, it would be unreasonable to complain about fair criticism. Stopping the serialization is out of the question. I didn’t see any comments that could be considered trolling because I found myself agreeing with some of the feedback.
Honestly, I had a lot of thoughts after finishing Nam Da-eun’s story. I thought it would be neat to wrap things up right after her heart-fluttering part.
But I chose to include Im Han-na. There were two reasons.
One, I had promised the readers. Two, I wanted to write it. I wanted to explore the conflicts that could arise from such a situation. No other reason.
However, the Im Han-na part, from the conflict to the bed scene, was quite polarizing.
Ultimately, it’s mostly my fault. Despite my efforts in planning and writing, the content didn’t resonate with the readers. Comparing the comments on Nam Da-eun’s part, I realized that.
I sincerely apologize to my readers for this matter. I promise to put in more effort and pay closer attention in the future to ensure you find my work more satisfactory. I would greatly appreciate it if you could remain calm.
However, there’s one thing I’d like to clarify. While there’s no strict rule that adult novels must include explicit scenes, “Memorize” was conceived with such scenes in mind. That said, I have no intention of overloading the story with them. They are meant to serve as a subtle enhancement, not the main focus of the narrative.
I ask for the understanding of some readers on this point, and with that, I’ll conclude this lengthy note.
In the whirlwind of writing, I didn’t even realize the new year had arrived.
Though it’s a bit late, I wish all my readers a very happy new year and hope for happiness in your homes.
Thank you. (__)
P.S. I’ve received quite a few messages. I’ll respond to all of them by January 5th (Sunday). Thank you for your patience. :D