Kim Soo-hyun Begins the Rite of Passage
The Preparation Room. It had been ages since I’d last seen this place. To the uninitiated, it might look like a cozy personal room, not unlike those on Earth.
I couldn’t help but think that angels have a peculiar way of showing consideration. I remember the first time I was here, the familiar environment made me instinctively reach for the door, thinking I could just walk out. Of course, the door wouldn’t budge, and the despair that followed was something I wouldn’t forget. Perhaps the angels intended it that way.
“Time until the Rite of Passage begins: 3 minutes and 27 seconds.”
“Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds, huh? Better hurry.”
I approached the large box sitting in the center of the room. Sitting down in a corner, I opened it to find various items needed for the rite. Nostalgia? Hardly. My main concern was getting dressed quickly. Even if I could pass as a Seraph, being sent into the rite nearly naked would earn me a reputation as a pervert from the get-go.
Among the items, the skin-tight suit was clearly the most functional, but I couldn’t bring myself to wear it. After some deliberation, I opted for something simple. The clothes I chose were ordinary—underwear, socks, shoes, a top, and pants. I picked dark colors to avoid visible stains.
Honestly, I could tackle the rite as I am and finish it in less than a day. If I wanted, I could obliterate everything in my path. But I had no intention of showing off from the start. One of the reasons I survived ten years in Hall Plain was by keeping 70% of my abilities hidden. I only revealed my true strength when my life was truly on the line.
“What weapon should I choose…?”
Choosing a weapon required some thought. I could defeat the rite’s boss monster with my bare hands, but it was practical to have something on hand. I had a plan for this rite, so I picked a long sword and a detachable crossbow, along with plenty of bolts, and closed the box.
As I clutched the arrows and looked up, I saw the remaining time tick down to zero.
“The preparation time is over. User Kim Soo-hyun will now be summoned to the Rite of Passage.”
“Alright. Am I the last one?”
“Yes, you are. We wish you the best of luck, User Kim Soo-hyun. The transfer will now commence.”
And then it happened.
A hum filled the air as the summoning spell activated, and I felt a tug at my navel. The transfer had begun.
“The transfer is complete. The Rite of Passage is a test to determine your eligibility to enter Hall Plain. Survive for seven days or reach the central warp gate within that time to pass. We wish you all the best.”
The transfer was over. I took a deep breath of the fresh air and surveyed my surroundings. The atmosphere felt subtly different. Judging by the grass, trees, and soil, I seemed to be in a clearing in the middle of a forest. The air was fresh, and the breeze was cool, but there was an unsettling stickiness in the air.
“Let’s see who else is starting with me.”
The Rite of Passage is something I take very seriously. Hall Plain is not a place where you can survive alone. Even if you plan to use others, you need companions.
The rite is the first taste of the extraordinary for those accustomed to ordinary life. It comes with the condition of ‘survival.’ The essence of the rite is for these modern people to band together and meet the conditions. (I’m a special case, being on my second round.) Those who survive the rite together often form strong bonds in Hall Plain. I intended to find companions to continue those bonds.
“Of course, I can’t just accept anyone as a companion.”
The place I was summoned to was the starting point of the rite. Ten years later, I can talk about it without feeling anything, but entering the rite for the first time, knowing nothing, was a nightmare. It was so traumatic that it haunted me even after entering Hall Plain.
I calmed myself and began to observe my surroundings. I wasn’t alone. Around the clearing, people sat scattered, their faces filled with anxiety. Some were whispering about me.
“Did you see that person just get transferred, oppa?”
“Sola, be quiet.”
“What do we do… We’re not the only ones here…”
“Just stay still. That person seems to be in the same situation as us.”
From their conversation, they seemed to be siblings. I walked over to where people were gathered. The atmosphere in the clearing was subdued. After all, being thrown into the rite and told to survive would cause chaos, but everyone here had been briefed by the angels to some extent. I had been, too.
“This is the starting point. If I’ve returned to the past, I must have met these users in my first round… What happened after that…?”
Counting the people in the clearing, there were eight in total. Could these eight work together to survive the next seven days? I could confidently say, “No.”
I was conflicted. This wasn’t Hall Plain yet, just a place I’d never return to once I passed through. With my current power, I could save everyone here, but I didn’t want to, nor did I plan to.
Showing off my abilities and saving everyone was something I had to avoid. Reputation spreads fastest through word of mouth. Hall Plain users, who are keen on maintaining their status, would not take kindly to someone using magic or defeating monsters with overwhelming strength before even passing the rite. Such rumors could lead to all sorts of trouble, or worse, an untimely death at the hands of ‘vagrants.’
And I wasn’t a saint. While I had done good deeds in Hall Plain, I had also committed bad ones without hesitation when necessary—robbery, looting, even murder. In a world like Hall Plain, such actions were considered normal, and no one would blame me.
The key here was to be selective. If I found someone worth making a companion, I’d have to play the role of a guardian for at least a year until they could stand on their own.
My first plan upon entering Hall Plain was to gather companions. The Rite of Passage was perfect for this. I had three criteria for selecting companions: ability and potential, disposition, and connection. In short, if someone met my standards, I’d save them; if not, I wouldn’t care what happened to them.
“Time to use the Third Eye.”
Aside from the siblings, everyone else was keeping their distance. I found a spot to sit and began observing the others. If I was lucky, I might recognize a familiar face.
The first person to catch my eye was a woman dressed like a bank employee. Her overall appearance was plain, but her round eyes were trembling, and her lips quivered as if she couldn’t accept reality. I could empathize, but I decided to activate the Third Eye. I focused on the essentials…
<User Information (Player Status)>
Name: Lee Bo-rim (0 years)
Gender: Female (27)
Height · Weight: 164.7cm · 58.3kg
Disposition: Neutral · Chaos
[Strength 5] [Endurance 8] [Agility 11] [Stamina 7] [Magic 9] [Luck 11]
(Remaining ability points: 0)
“Wow.”
I chuckled and closed her status window. Initial stats are influenced by one’s physical condition, but more importantly, they reflect the user’s potential. In other words, being female doesn’t automatically mean lower physical stats than males.
But Lee Bo-rim’s potential was abysmally low. Even if she survived and entered Hall Plain, she would be useless by my standards.
As a side note, after entering Hall Plain, training significantly boosts one’s stats in the beginning. My body has reached its limit, so I can’t improve through training, but new users don’t have such restrictions. Even considering that, those destined to reach a certain level show promise. But this woman…
I clicked my tongue and turned my attention to someone else. Next up were the siblings sitting close together. The brother looked young, with a furrowed brow that gave him a sharp appearance. He seemed younger than me, with a cocky demeanor typical of someone who thinks they’re hot stuff. On the ground near them were a long sword and a shield—a decent choice.
The sister clung to her brother, a sight that would make singles envious… Oh right, they were siblings. Anyway, she had her head down, so I couldn’t see her face clearly, but she seemed much more subdued than her brother.
<User Information (Player Status)>
Name: Hyun Ahn (0 years)
Gender: Male (22)
Height/Weight: 178.8 cm / 73.2 kg
Alignment: True Neutral
[Strength 48] [Endurance 47] [Agility 52] [Stamina 51] [Magic 35] [Luck 56]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
Player Status
Name: Sol Ahn (0 years)
Gender: Female (19)
Height/Weight: 160.1 cm / 45.2 kg
Alignment: Lawful Good
[Strength 8] [Endurance 17] [Agility 15] [Stamina 21] [Magic 75] [Luck 100]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
“What the hell? Starting with 75 in magic and 100 in luck?”
These stats defied all logic. I almost let out a gasp but managed to keep my composure by clamping my lips shut.
To be fair, Hyun Ahn was talented. Assuming he didn’t encounter any unusual situations, he could easily pass the initiation rites. He had enough potential to survive in the Hall Plain. It was a bit frustrating, but his starting stats were higher than mine.
Hyun Ahn’s stats were decent, something I could accept. But what truly shocked me were Sol Ahn’s stats. They were downright bizarre. Her strength, endurance, agility, and stamina were negligible. But starting with 75 in magic and 100 in luck was unheard of in the Hall Plain. I racked my brain to remember.
“I don’t recall Hyun Ahn… but Sol Ahn… wait, Sol?”
The name “Sol” triggered a memory of a secret class I had seen when choosing a job perk. In the first round of the Hall Plain, a secret class called the Priest of Radiance had appeared. It was known as the pinnacle of priest classes. A user named “Sol” had acquired that class and was later recruited by the Odin Clan, a group of top users.
Sol Ahn and Sol. The names were identical, and judging by Sol Ahn’s stats, the possibility seemed real. If they were siblings, it was likely both needed to be kept alive. Regardless, their abilities far surpassed those of someone like Borim Lee, the banker, making them worthy allies.
The impact of the first two was so strong that I decided to examine the others counterclockwise. The next two caught by my third eye were both men.
The man on the left was older, with a decent build but short stature. His slightly crooked nose and rough skin gave him a rather sly appearance. He seemed to be trying to assess the situation, his eyes darting around.
The man on the right was a student in a school uniform. He had a youthful face, marked by a small tear mole under his eye and pale skin. He looked timid, hugging his knees tightly, trembling all over.
“I don’t remember them… let’s check their player status.”
Player Status
Name: Dong-geol Park (0 years)
Gender: Male (39)
Height/Weight: 173.4 cm / 73.2 kg
Alignment: Devil Chaos
[Strength 31] [Endurance 26] [Agility 39] [Stamina 29] [Magic 29] [Luck 7]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
Player Status
Name: Shin-woo Lee (0 years)
Gender: Male (18)
Height/Weight: 170.7 cm / 58.4 kg
Alignment: Lawful Good
[Strength 25] [Endurance 23] [Agility 21] [Stamina 27] [Magic 35] [Luck 57]
(Remaining stat points: 0)
Though Hyun Ahn and Sol Ahn were astonishing, Dong-geol Park and Shin-woo Lee’s stats weren’t bad either. (Not that they were particularly good.)
Dong-geol Park’s basic stats were enough to survive the initiation rites. However, his alignment was concerning. The combination of Devil and Chaos was rare, suggesting he might have been a criminal in the modern world and could become a “vagrant” in the Hall Plain.
In contrast, Shin-woo Lee’s stats were slightly lacking for the initiation rites, but his magic was decent. His luck showed high potential, considering he was just starting. The combination of Lawful and Good was also rare, indicating he was likely inherently good-natured.
Everyone, except for me and Dong-geol Park, was too preoccupied with themselves or the person next to them. Dong-geol Park’s eyes gleamed with unpleasant desire, his greedy gaze mostly fixed on the women. I’d seen that kind of look thousands of times, and I once had eyes like that myself. I could guess the nature of his desires. If he was a criminal, I had a hunch about his crimes.
Watching him lick his lips while eyeing Sol Ahn next to Hyun Ahn confirmed my suspicions. I couldn’t help but find it pathetic, even if I had no right to judge.
Just as I clicked my tongue and activated my third eye to examine the remaining two women, Dong-geol Park’s gruff voice boomed across the clearing.
“Ah, damn it.”
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Adjusted stats for Dong-geol Park and Shin-woo Lee.
Corrected typos and improved context.