The first thing I saw was a cave—not a natural formation, but a deep, wide hollow with unmistakable signs of artificial construction. I had been walking without thinking, and before I knew it, I had reached the end of the path barrier.
But that didn’t matter right now. I quickly turned around and, spotting Ko Yeon-ju standing there with a blank expression, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
Her hands hung limply at her sides.
“Ko Yeon-ju?”
“…”
“User Ko Yeon-ju!”
“…Ah. Su-hyun?”
Only then did she seem to snap out of it, her eyes widening as she looked at me. I immediately wrapped my arm around her shoulder and gently pulled her inward. We had just stepped out of the path barrier, but there were still clan members inside the area.
After confirming that Ko Yeon-ju, followed by Sasha, Shin Jae-ryong, Kim Han-byul, and Woo Jung-min, all emerged one by one, I finally allowed myself a breath—but a strong question gnawed at me. Why had she reacted like that all of a sudden? Ko Yeon-ju rarely even blinked at anything.
“I’m sorry. Really sorry, Su-hyun. I didn’t mean to… it just happened.”
She shook her head violently, wincing. It was rare to see her so confused. There had to be some other cause, but for now, I decided to focus on what was in front of me.
“It’s okay. We can talk later. For now…”
“Yes, yes. I’m really fine now.”
Ko Yeon-ju took a steady breath and bit her lip hard. A cold light flashed in her eyes as she stared at the cave. Seeing that she seemed somewhat stabilized, I turned my gaze to Han-byul. Without hesitation, she pulled out a jewel and began chanting a spell.
“───. ───. ───. Jewel Light. White.”
A brilliant light burst forth from the jewel, several times brighter than ordinary light magic, instantly driving away the darkness that filled the cave. Since there was no trace of magic detection, I quickly arranged our formation and strode inside.
The cave was silent.
No, more than silent. I heightened all my senses, including magic detection, but felt nothing—no sound, no movement. Only the faint clinking of clan members’ equipment occasionally echoed. It felt like walking through a void.
There was only one path forward. But judging by the artificial traces at the entrance, there might be a secret chamber somewhere. So I kept my hand on the wall and followed the path.
“This really reminds me of old exploration trips,” Shin Jae-ryong said cautiously after we’d moved about 150 meters further. It seemed he was trying to ease the tension after Ko Yeon-ju’s strange reaction. But then—
“Stop.”
Just as I was about to respond, I ordered a halt without hesitation. The wall I’d been feeling along suddenly gave an odd sensation. Though rough and uneven, I’d been passing it without issue—until now. It felt like something was carved into the wall.
“Han-byul, shine the light here. On the wall I’m touching.”
The jewel floating about ten meters ahead quickly returned and cast a bright glow on the wall I indicated. I stepped back a few paces and stared at the entire surface.
And there, I saw it.
“I want to live.”
The words were deeply engraved in Korean.
“…”
“…”
A heavy silence fell.
The meaning was clear—this was likely a message left by a survivor. We had found it more easily than expected. Still, “I want to live.”
“I want… to live…?”
“What is this… We’re in the Steel Mountains…”
The clan members who read the inscription looked mostly stunned. Only two kept their composure. After exchanging glances with Ko Yeon-ju and Sasha, I quietly spoke.
“Let’s go inside first. Whatever’s here, we’ll see and decide.”
Though still visibly shaken, the clan members hesitated but gathered around.
“…This is grim,” Sasha muttered.
With that, I resumed moving forward.
The path wasn’t long. After about 100 more meters, the cave’s end came into view.
In the direction the jewel illuminated, I caught glimpses of a large central corridor and part of an inner chamber. Magic detection still showed nothing. As we stepped fully inside, Shin Jae-ryong and Woo Jung-min let out short gasps.
The space at the cave’s end was larger than expected—about 80 meters wide and 100 meters long. It looked like a spacious room.
But what was more startling were the many traces scattered across the floor and walls: dry, scattered grass, scraps of cloth tossed carelessly in corners. There were countless signs of a user’s presence.
“I can’t believe it… but these are traces of users,” Shin Jae-ryong said with a low groan. His voice was solemn, trying to stay calm, but a slight tremor betrayed him.
It was what we expected, though. Just as I was about to agree, I fell silent. Ko Yeon-ju was now wandering unsteadily around the chamber. Suddenly, she stopped and slowly looked up at the ceiling.
“…?”
Curious, I followed her gaze.
“Ah…?”
“Ugh…!”
Almost simultaneously, the clan members gasped.
Hanging from the ceiling was something pale and limp.
A long, thin object—it was a skull. More precisely, a skeleton hanging by the neck.
A rope was tied around the neck, suspending the body alone from the ceiling. We hadn’t noticed it earlier because we were focused on the floor.
“Clan Lord.”
Woo Jung-min’s husky voice called me. I nodded silently. Then, with a soft swish and scrape of metal, he threw a dagger through the air, cutting the rope precisely.
Thud!
Crack!
The body fell, and parts crumbled weakly upon hitting the ground. It was clearly long dead. Judging by its condition, it was almost a complete skeleton except for some tattered clothing barely hanging on. The sparse, long hair on the skull suggested it was a woman.
The only odd thing was a bulge near the left chest.
I looked down at the skeleton, carefully lifting the fragile clothing to search.
After a moment, I slipped my hand into an inner pocket and felt something grasped there. Rough and brittle, it seemed it would crumble with the slightest pressure. I carefully pulled it out and saw a stack of faded, dust-covered records—at least a dozen.
“Su-hyun, are these the survivor’s records?”
“Looks like it.”
I nodded calmly at Ko Yeon-ju’s question. Judging by the cramped writing, they must have tried to save space.
I glanced at the clan members, then calmly turned a page. The neat, rounded handwriting caught my eye.
‘We survived. Against all odds, we made it through. It’s pure luck. Finding this cave, the fact those dinosaur-like creatures stopped chasing us… and that I’m a barrier mage. Honestly, I thought learning barriers was pointless, but I never imagined I’d use it like this. The dinosaurs can’t read barriers. Thank goodness.’
It seemed to be a survivor’s journal. The tone was surprisingly calm at the start.
Well, that made sense. Who would record anything in the middle of a life-or-death crisis? This must have been written after some stability was found.
‘Today, we found two more survivors. That makes 67 in total. I don’t know whether to be happy or worried. Food and water aren’t unlimited.’
‘We started with 67. Now only 35 remain. Thirty-two died in a single escape attempt. Was it too reckless?’
‘There was a fight. But thanks to Sister Eun-sol’s mediation, we barely agreed to respect each other’s claims. We can’t leave the way we came. We’ll die for sure. But we can’t just wait here either. We’ll starve.’
‘In the end, Sister Eun-sol led 31 people out to find a new path. It’s the only choice now. Please. Please. Please. Please.’
The entries weren’t daily but scattered. Eun-sol—that must be the user Ko Eun-sol that Jo Seong-ho mentioned.
I decided to keep reading.
‘Two weeks have passed. They haven’t returned. Only three remain.’
‘Woke up and Sister Sora was gone. Where did she go? No…’
‘Sister Sora never came back either. Hyun-jin said he went to look for her. I told him not to, but he left. Now it’s just me. …I’m scared.’
‘We started with 67. Now I’m alone.’
The entries grew shorter and more fragmented. I skimmed the rest quickly.
It had been three days since I was left alone. Last night, as I was sleeping, Hyunjin oppa appeared in my dream. Strangely, we were facing each other through the peephole of the front door. Oppa said, “Reinforce the barrier. Don’t let anything through. And absolutely, absolutely do not respond—especially to that.” He emphasized that part. …Honestly, I didn’t fully understand what he meant. But his face was terrifyingly stiff, like someone who had died.
I need to change the barrier. Make sure no one can get in.
If I’m not mistaken, today I definitely heard it. “Jina… Jina… We’re back. But we can’t find the way.” Someone was lurking around the barrier, calling me. Over and over.
Today, I heard something new. At first, it was a man’s voice. Then a woman’s. “Uh-uh-uh… What’s going on? We’re… remembering… something… wrong?” Hm. Could it be that these guys have their memories mixed up? …Who are these guys? Memories? How am I supposed to take that?
The record ended there. Maybe the last entry was the “I want to live” message I saw earlier on the wall.
I looked back up at the ceiling. A single rope hanging, swaying endlessly, broken in the middle. So, in the end, did the barrier keeper choose to take his own life?
“Clan Lord, do you have any unusual records?”
Suddenly, I heard Shin Jaeryong’s voice. I clicked my tongue a couple of times and carefully organized the records.
Unusual records, huh? Honestly, from my perspective, there’s nothing particularly strange. It’s more accurate to say there are some clues worth noting. And if there’s one thing, it’s that I might have found a solid lead we can use on this expedition.
Slowly sliding the records back into my coat, I spoke quietly.
“Well… it’s not so much unusual as it is…?”
And at that moment—
“How much longer do we have to wait?”
An irritated voice echoed sharply through the air, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
The source was the southern expedition team, paused in front of the mountain range. Among them, a man with a deeply furrowed brow stood out. The 武 (Mu) emblem on his chest marked him as a warrior clan member—no, the Warrior Lord, Go Ohwan.
But despite his obvious frustration, Seon Yuwon didn’t react. He simply closed his eyes gently and spoke in a low voice.
“Wait.”
“That’s easy for you to say…”
“My orders are to remain alert and wait quietly. Once you step out of the path’s barrier, you’ll handle things on your own. So just wait silently.”
“No! It’s been thirty minutes already! We’re supposed to cross that mountain today! And look at the time…”
Go Ohwan’s voice rose, but then he suddenly trailed off. Because Seon Yuwon, who had been silent until now, flicked one eye open sharply and fixed him with a fierce glare.
Cold sweat broke out on Go Ohwan’s forehead. He’d been hoping there’d be no mercenary lords here, but on second thought, the man before him was a formidable user known as the Divine Archer.
As if confirming his thoughts, Seon Yuwon raised his arm, pointing directly at Go Ohwan.
“I have been granted full authority. I’ll say this once more: keep your mouth shut.”
“Ah, no, I mean—”
“I said keep quiet. This is your final warning.”
“……”
With that, the sound of a crossbow being drawn clicked sharply.
Go Ohwan swallowed hard and immediately fell silent. He could feel the sincerity in Seon Yuwon’s expression. If anything, he almost wished Yuwon would speak more—something like that.
Go Ohwan nodded slightly, his whole body trembling from the sharp sting between his brows, but he managed to turn away.
Then—
“W-w-who’s th-th-there?”
A voice drifted on the wind toward the vanguard unit.
Go Ohwan’s steps faltered, and Seon Yuwon stiffened.
“If th-th-there’s anyone… pl-please come out.”
One thing was certain: it was a human voice.
“P-please be gentle… I-I beg you…”
But if you listened closely, the voice was strangely distorted, somehow unnatural.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Ah, I’m sorry. I had a meeting and dinner with some folks involved in visual novels today, so I got home late. bows (__)
Still, it was a really fun and enjoyable time. I actually received a very interesting proposal today. Words like “season” or “teaser site” sounded good, but the most intriguing idea was branching points. You know how Suhyun has made many choices so far? The idea is to create branches from those moments. For example, leaving Park Donggeol alive, or saving Yoo Hyuna, or killing Vivian, and so on. :) These branches would lead to different endings, with storylines that intertwine and diverge. (Of course, nothing’s finalized yet; it’s still under discussion.)
Personally, it sounds exciting, but honestly, it’s a bit daunting. It’s almost like creating an entirely new story.
Director: So, writer, have you decided to go with it?
Ro Yujin: Huh? I haven’t given an answer yet…
Director: You just had coffee. That means yes.
Ro Yujin: ?
Before I knew it, I’d somehow agreed. So I’d like to ask for your help. If you’ve been reading Memorize and thought, “What if this part had gone differently?” or “Wouldn’t it be better if that happened this way?” please leave a brief comment. I’m planning to map out new branches, and I think readers might remember details I might miss. :D