…With every escape route cut off, we had no choice but to fight, completely surrounded.
Looking back now, the assault on the pit remains one of the most harrowing memories I have. We gained a lot, but we lost just as much.
The deeper we ventured into the pit, the stronger the monsters became. The creatures we’d faced before—those that merely looked like monsters—were nothing but snacks compared to what lurked deep inside. The real threats were the monsters disguised as humans.
After the entire operation, users speculated that the combat power of those monsters was somehow linked to the number of users they had consumed. I tend to agree.
First, a monster sacrifices one user to evolve. Then, with each subsequent user it devours, it absorbs their experiences, memories—even their user data.
Though it’s just a theory, it’s chilling to think about. So what about those monsters that had consumed ten, twenty users? What could they possibly be?
…Come to think of it, there was definitely one like that. A creature that was not just several times, but dozens of times stronger than the other human-like monsters—a literal monster among monsters. But that wasn’t all.
It had its original monstrous power, plus the strength gained from devouring humans.
And beyond that, it must have had something else. If not…
—Excerpt from “The Steel Mountain Assault: A Retrospective,” Ancient Library of Atlanta, New Continent.
Joo Hyun-ho stared into the darkness with disbelief. Yet the wind brushing past his nose grew stronger, and the rumbling beneath his feet became clearer by the second. No matter how he thought about it, there was only one conclusion.
“Fuck!”
It was an unbelievably rapid advance. But from the receiving end—especially with lives on the line—it was enough to make anyone curse. Anyone with half a brain could see why that assault team was charging straight ahead like their lives depended on it.
Feeling the prickling tension already, Joo Hyun-ho shivered all over and scanned his surroundings.
“Damn it, no. Don’t panic! Not yet…!”
Though he told himself not to lose his composure, his face betrayed his growing anxiety.
In this situation, Joo Hyun-ho had only one choice. Without hesitation, he sprinted off in one direction and vanished into the darkness.
How much time passed, no one could say.
Eventually, about ninety users appeared on the opposite side of where Joo Hyun-ho had stood. While he was assessing the situation and taking action, the assault team had reached a dead end.
Han So-young, who had been running nonstop, finally stopped when she saw the wall blocking the way. The others’ legs came to an automatic halt as well. Despite the long run, their breathing was only slightly heavier; they showed no signs of exhaustion.
Had they sensed something? Go Yeon-ju’s eyes caught a trace of movement as she scanned left and right at the dead end.
“There were people here just moments ago. Looks like they wandered around this way and that…”
Her gaze slid down to the dirt floor, then slowly drifted to the right.
“Looks like they ran off to the right.”
Go Yeon-ju’s voice was firm. This wasn’t just any user speaking—it was the Shadow Queen, whose word was law in the underground. At the same moment, Han So-young turned her head slightly, and the halted assault team began moving again.
A dead end doesn’t mean there’s no other path. The scenery around the team had changed significantly since they first entered.
This underground city was structured much like an anthill. There were chambers for larvae monsters, rooms for imprisoning users, and even a king’s chamber—similar to the queen’s chamber in an anthill. But the key difference between this pit and a normal anthill was that this was a city, not just a nest.
“…!”
While running endlessly, Ahn Hyun suddenly felt something strange. At some point, the soft dirt beneath his feet had given way to something hard and metallic. When he glanced down, he was momentarily stunned.
“This is… a railroad track?”
Indeed, there was a long iron track fixed to wooden sleepers running straight along the ground. It stretched in all directions like a mining railway.
“Hmm. It really is a railroad.”
Hearing Ahn Hyun’s voice, Shin Jae-ryong approached quietly and replied.
“The construction’s rough and it’s pretty rusty, but yeah, it’s definitely a railroad.”
“Is this even possible?”
Ahn Hyun asked again, still bewildered. Shin Jae-ryong nodded lightly.
“Maybe. I’ve seen similar things before. Remember when we passed through those tunnels?”
“You mean traps?”
“Exactly. There are traps, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be railroads too. Considering this pit is a monster habitat, I think the railroad was probably built for the convenience of the human-like monsters.”
“Human-like… monsters’ convenience?”
Ahn Hyun tilted his head, clearly confused.
“Yeah. It’s just a guess, but if I’m right, these railroads were made by people like us.”
“Why would people build something like this?”
“There are several possibilities. Maybe they were captured as slaves and forced to build it. Or they begged for survival using their knowledge. Or…”
“…”
Shin Jae-ryong paused briefly, then continued.
“Maybe the monsters absorbed human knowledge after devouring them and built it themselves.”
Ahn Hyun’s face stiffened. He shook his head and let out a heavy, unfathomable sigh.
“What the hell is this place…”
“Exactly as the Clan Lord said. This isn’t just a pit—it’s likely an underground city ruled by monsters.”
After saying that, Shin Jae-ryong patted Ahn Hyun’s back lightly. Ahn Hyun understood the gesture. Though countless questions bubbled up inside him, he pushed them aside. For now, the assault was the priority. The answers could wait.
The users who discovered the railroad all wore puzzled expressions, but no one spoke. They all kept their eyes fixed ahead.
“Everyone has their shining moment at least once in their life.”
Ahn Hyun recalled the conversation he’d had with Shin Jae-ryong before setting out. Clutching his trusted black spear tightly, he narrowed his eyes and stared intently forward.
After the assault team veered right, time passed steadily. The tunnel was long, with many branching paths, but the users followed the trail Joo Hyun-ho had left, pressing straight ahead.
After running for quite a while, the endless tunnel finally ended, revealing a new entrance before them.
The space inside looked vast at a glance. The ceiling soared at least ten meters high, and the diameter was wider than any chamber they’d seen so far. The floor and walls weren’t dirt but neatly carved stone.
The railroad also ended just before the entrance, suggesting this was a central plaza connecting the main chambers.
The users’ pace slowed. Though they’d passed through many tunnels, none had been this large. But that wasn’t the only reason. Those with keen senses noticed a powerful, ominous aura emanating from within.
An aura that only the strong could emit. After their great victory over two hundred monsters earlier, this was the first time such a presence had appeared—a new monster, unlike any they’d faced before.
As the assault team approached, a man slowly rose from what looked like an altar in the plaza. Covered in dark tattoos, his eyes gleaming like a beast’s, the strange figure was none other than Joo Hyun-ho.
Moments later, users led by Han So-young surged into the plaza.
“Welcome.”
A calm, confident voice echoed. Han So-young paid no mind, though—her eyes flicked over the man while quickly scanning the space.
Noteworthy was the massive iron gate encircling the plaza—six of them, all firmly shut. Otherwise, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
“This is our first meeting, but… well done making it this far, users.”
There was only this one man—no, this monster in human form. His voice was relaxed, and he descended from the altar with a courteous greeting. But he couldn’t avoid Han So-young’s gaze. Despite his smile, his eyes flickered nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and her heightened senses picked up his true feelings.
Anxiety. Unease.
He was stalling for time.
Just as Han So-young gathered her thoughts and prepared to give the attack order—
Ping!
An arrow shot straight at the monster’s neck.
Thwack!
“Damn.”
No. The arrow did not pierce through Joo Hyun-ho’s neck. It had definitely struck his neck dead center, yet it failed to penetrate the skin and simply bounced off. Seeing Sun Yoo-woon’s deeply furrowed brow, Joo Hyun-ho smiled faintly and calmly bent down to pick up the arrow.
“Oh dear. What’s the rush, everyone? Now, now, let’s all calm down first and try to have a peaceful conversation. Honestly, it’s a shame to be so harsh with one of our own.”
“One of our own?”
Han So-young asked, puzzled.
“Who are you? The owner of this pit?”
“Owner? Hmm, I’m the Low Road of Istantel. Hehehe!”
Han So-young’s army stirred uneasily. Joo Hyun-ho’s lips twisted into a crooked smile. He shook the arrow he’d picked up and spoke.
A faint breeze suddenly stirred from somewhere.
“First, let’s put away that fierce hostility. No matter how many attacks you throw at me, you won’t even leave a scratch… Kraaah!”
That was when it happened.
Puh-hak!
Annoyingly, in the middle of his words, a long cut appeared on Joo Hyun-ho’s right arm. Blood gushed out from the wound—not the usual red, but a dark, inky black.
Was it because the cut was deeper than expected? Or because it was an unexpected strike? For a moment, a terrible scream escaped him as his body arched back sharply, but he barely managed to steady himself. Soon after, regaining his composure, Joo Hyun-ho glared fiercely at the users.
Beside Han So-young, one young man caught his eye. The youth was spinning a strange sword hilt—though the blade itself was nowhere to be seen. Like Joo Hyun-ho, the young man grinned, revealing stark white teeth.
Their eyes met.
“I can bring it out, you know.”
“W-what?!”
The youth smirked. Just as Joo Hyun-ho was about to snap back in anger, he suddenly found himself clamming up. More precisely, from the moment their eyes locked.
His mouth smiled, but his eyes did not. A sharp, piercing gaze swept over Joo Hyun-ho’s entire body.
A predator.
The moment he met that deadly gaze, Joo Hyun-ho felt a cold chill settle deep in his chest.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
‘Question.’
On June 6th, the 576th episode of Memorize wrapped filming.
Joo Hyun-ho, finally told he would properly appear, took the script with a bright, cheerful mood. Smiling widely, he began reading the script for June 7th—the 577th episode.
And that very night.
Joo Hyun-ho sat at a street stall, drinking with a gloomy expression, muttering to himself.
Explain in about 20 characters why Joo Hyun-ho felt so down that night. (Open-ended answer.)
Hint: