At first, there were light chuckles and quiet laughter. Kim Yoo-hyun was a strikingly handsome man with a cold, intellectual aura—someone who would never tolerate mistakes. So seeing him fumble like this was genuinely amusing. Yet, the man himself sat with his eyes slightly narrowed, staring off into the distance.
Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd.
As the laughter gradually died down, a sudden buzz of whispers spread from the back toward the front. Even Gong Chan-ho and Han So-young, seated near the front, turned their heads in curiosity.
The tightly packed crowd parted in the middle, revealing a man striding forward. When Kim Yoo-hyun spotted Kim Soo-hyun approaching, his face brightened noticeably.
“Soo-hyun!”
He called out with genuine warmth, drawing countless eyes upon them. Realizing his earlier slip, Kim Yoo-hyun quickly corrected himself.
“Ah, you’re a bit late.”
“Sorry. I had to stop by the summoning room.”
Kim Soo-hyun bowed his head briefly, then hurried up to the stage and took the seat beside Kim Yoo-hyun. The two brothers exchanged a brief glance—no words were needed. Just being here was enough. Moments later, as Kim Yoo-hyun nodded slightly, the official presentation resumed.
“Let’s continue with the questions. The person who just asked?”
Kim Yoo-hyun glanced down at the notes in his hand.
“Yes, yes.”
The man who had spoken nodded, though his voice carried a hint of reluctance. More precisely, while responding to Kim Yoo-hyun, his gaze kept drifting toward Kim Soo-hyun, who was casually surveying the surroundings. There were easily over ten thousand people gathered here, yet instead of feeling overwhelmed, Kim Soo-hyun seemed to radiate an almost overpowering presence.
“The reason I’m revealing this record is…”
Kim Yoo-hyun continued.
“In truth, the ownership of this record doesn’t belong to me, but to Mercenary Lord.”
“In other words, I’m merely a proxy. The one who discovered this and proposed making it public is Mercenary Lord himself.”
At that moment, all eyes shifted sharply to the left. Kim Soo-hyun, who had been quietly listening, glanced sideways, but his older brother just smiled nonchalantly. After a brief sigh, he spoke.
“I just arrived and don’t fully understand the situation. Are you asking why we’re revealing the secret library’s records?”
It was a simple question, but the man instantly regretted asking it. The reality was influenced by the command “Lord, give the order,” but he managed a hesitant nod.
“Well, I mean no offense. If what Lord Hamill says is true, then the value of these records must be immense.”
“That’s right.”
“Still, since an individual discovered them, the achievements should belong to the finder. To be frank, it stings a bit, but that’s an unspoken rule no one can deny. So I’m curious—why give up that right and share these records openly? Honestly, I can’t help but feel uneasy.”
“Oh, that’s simple. It wasn’t possible otherwise.”
Despite the lengthy explanation, the answer was straightforward. The man’s face showed confusion.
“Excuse me?”
“To be more specific, there was a force that didn’t want me to take everything for myself.”
“A force…?”
“Angels.”
The moment the word “angels” was spoken, puzzled expressions flickered across the crowd. It was a natural reaction—after all, angels had always maintained a strictly supportive role, never intervening directly. As the murmurs grew louder, someone quietly raised their hand. It was Han So-young.
“Are you saying the angels forcibly imposed restrictions?”
“No. There was no coercion whatsoever.”
“Really?”
“Well… the angels made a proposal, and I accepted it. That’s all I can say.”
Given who he was dealing with, Kim Soo-hyun chose his words carefully to avoid triggering his ‘extrasensory perception.’ Then, starting with Han So-young, questions erupted from all directions like a flood.
“A proposal? Can you tell us what it was?”
“No, I can’t disclose the details.”
“Wait. If the angels said that, does that mean these records truly have value as achievements?”
“Most likely, yes.”
Kim Soo-hyun still didn’t fully understand why this gathering was arranged. He only knew it was part of fulfilling a promise with Gabriel.
What he didn’t realize was the weight his words carried in front of such a massive crowd—and how ordinary users would interpret them.
“Wait. So you’re saying Mercenary Lord was the first to discover these records?”
“That’s correct.”
“…I don’t understand. Are you really going to open these achievements to everyone for free, without any conditions?”
“That’s a question I’ll answer.”
At that moment, Kim Yoo-hyun, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. He had been waiting for the right moment, and now it had come.
“I won’t bore you with clichés about doing this for you all, or how joy multiplies when shared. That’s neither my nor Mercenary Lord’s true intention.”
“We are users.”
Before anything else, we are users. This was the first lesson taught at the User Academy, though it was not meant to be taken at face value.
“I’ve said it many times—I will openly share these records for free, without any conditions. I’m not changing that.”
“But make no mistake, this isn’t an act of pure goodwill. I’m also acting out of self-interest.”
“Of course, I was tempted at first. Who wouldn’t be? With records like these…”
“But after Mercenary Lord’s persuasion, I decided to take a step back for a greater success.”
Kim Yoo-hyun paused to catch his breath. He wasn’t finished.
“Because…”
He slowly scanned the crowd, hesitated for a few seconds, then finally spoke.
“We’ve found a passage to the New Continent.”
At that moment—
“……!”
“……!”
The mention of the New Continent threw the square into chaos. A sudden uproar swept through the crowd, voices overlapping so much it was impossible to make out any single word. Seeing the crowd erupt, Kim Yoo-hyun raised his right hand.
“Quiet, please! I don’t know much myself yet, and this is still just speculation. Even if I shared the information, do you really think you can conquer it?”
His loud voice gradually calmed the crowd. After all, he was right. Just look at the Steel Mountain Range—it took fifteen thousand elite soldiers to barely overcome it. No alliance of large clans could claim it easily.
Though the noise died down, the atmosphere remained charged—like a balloon swollen with air, ready to burst at the slightest prick. This was exactly the mood Kim Yoo-hyun wanted.
“Back to the point: we intend to invest in you.”
“As investors, we will share these records with you for free. You will explore based on these records and achieve results. Then, when the New Continent’s secrets are fully uncovered, you will demonstrate your strength in the official expeditions. That is what Mercenary Lord and I truly want.”
Looking around at the now silent crowd, Kim Yoo-hyun continued.
“Of course, some of you may still have doubts.”
“I won’t say, ‘If you don’t believe it, don’t participate.’ That would be childish.”
“But you must know that the Mercenary Clan recently conquered the Ruins of the Abyssal Void.”
“And if those records came from this very archive… would you believe it?”
From somewhere, a voice whispered, “Is that true?” Kim Yoo-hyun glanced sideways as if inviting the question, and Kim Soo-hyun nodded with his eyes closed.
That wasn’t all. Soon after, Kim Yoo-hyun began calling out names. Starting with Lee Hyo-eul, then Gong Chan-ho, Kim Deok-pil, Seon-yul, Seong Hyun-min, and about ten other well-known users stood up. They testified that they had achieved results based on the secret library’s records. This was all carefully arranged by Kim Yoo-hyun for this very moment.
All ten or so records had led to successful achievements. There was no longer any room for doubt.
Perhaps sensing the moment was ripe, as another wave of commotion threatened to rise, Kim Yoo-hyun raised his hand. Two members of the Hamill Clan brought forward an old bookshelf about four meters tall and placed it at the front of the stage. Though not packed to the brim, the shelf was divided into twenty compartments, each filled with countless records.
Rising from his seat, Kim Yoo-hyun walked to the stage and grabbed the bookshelf.
“I don’t know which record leads to which achievement.”
He shook the shelf lightly, and a handful of records tumbled to the floor with a soft clatter. Sharp eyes immediately turned downward.
“But there are treasures, equipment, potions, classes… with so many records, surely some must contain valuable rewards. After all, Mercenary Lord recently obtained a magic potion on an expedition.”
At that moment, the users’ eyes lit up.
No conditions. No payment required.
Multiple clans vouched for this.
You just have to go and take what you want.
Achieve results, grow stronger, and shine in the New Continent expeditions.
Could there be better terms?
“Users, caravans, clans, alliances—all are welcome. I promise no one will be discriminated against.”
The moment that thought flickered through their minds, one by one, people began rising from their seats. No one had told them to; they simply felt drawn to do so, stretching their necks to gaze toward the study. The crowd was already far from rational.
“If you have the passion to become stronger—”
Kim Yuhyun, who spoke those words, gave a faint smile. Then, raising his magical power, he called out in a strong, clear voice:
“All the records and achievements here will become yours.”
The moment his voice, brimming with magic, echoed through the hall—
Wooooaaaahhh!
A thunderous roar erupted, shaking the entire venue. The users raised their fists high, shouting until the square seemed to tremble beneath their voices. The sound was so loud it felt as if the clear sky itself might waver.
“Suhyun.”
Amid the chaos, Kim Yuhyun quietly called out a name. Kim Suhyun glanced forward briefly, then slowly stood up.
Instead of quieting down, the cheers surged even higher, as if lifting the very sky. Applause began to mix with the shouts, coming from all directions like villagers welcoming a hero. Even Han Soyoung and Gong Chanho, caught up in the atmosphere, clapped awkwardly along.
Drenched in a downpour of praise, Kim Suhyun raised a calm hand and waved.
And so it was.
Fourteen years after becoming a user, on an ordinary day—
At last, the first step toward the final choice was taken.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
(Reading comments.)
Lashelty: Author, a question. Since Suhyun is currently on their second playthrough, if they die and Yuhyun uses Zero Code to rewind the past and start over, will Suhyun’s memories revert to the state from the first playthrough?
Royu ‘Jin’: Hmm, well…
Lashelty: Why do you always cut me off…ㅠ But what does the note mean? ?ㅅ? After all, humans embody both the ideals of femininity and masculinity. Royumi is Royujin, and Royujin is Royumi—it’s all the same. Royujin + Royumi = Royujinmi.
Royu ‘Jin’: …Excuse me?