Rewinding time just a bit, to when Kim Suhyun was just starting to get surrounded.
The Mercenary Clan, who had been relentlessly pushing north without rest, spotted a group of allied forces struggling desperately, just as Kim Suhyun had said—trapped in a tight encirclement on the western continent. Without hesitation, they moved to form a protective arc.
But it was a hopeless situation.
They were exhausted after holding out for eight hours straight, and the enemy’s numbers were overwhelming—tens of times greater, and growing by the minute.
No matter how skilled each individual was, sheer numbers always win. Without Goyeonju’s shadow legion and Mar’s spirits, maintaining their formation would have been impossible.
Despite the endless odds, they fought tooth and nail. Then, suddenly, the enemy’s rear lines—who had been pressing hard—began to falter. From a portal that had been spewing enemies nonstop, Han Soyoung appeared, soaring into the sky with dozens of battle maidens and over five hundred allied users.
Seizing that brief opening, Goyeonju focused all her strength in one direction, barely carving out a narrow path to escape the encirclement.
Sabnak, furious, tried to give chase, but Han Soyoung blocked the way with fierce determination, preventing any pursuit.
At that moment, the Mercenary Clan still firmly believed Kim Suhyun’s promise: that after rescuing their comrades and his brother, he would come straight back to them.
But within hours, that trust was shattered.
Because among the reunited allies, they saw Kim Yuhyun being carried on Goyeonju’s back.
“Liar!”
Lee Yujeong burst into tears, crying as she ran. No matter how much she tried not to think deeply, she couldn’t deny she understood why Kim Suhyun had lied.
Ahn Hyun felt the same. The only difference was that he was slumped over Gong Chanho’s shoulder, swaying weakly from side to side.
He wasn’t injured. The moment he realized the lie and tried to return to Kim Suhyun, Gong Chanho had unexpectedly struck him on the head, knocking him out. Kim Suhyun had arranged this in advance, worried that the others might recklessly rush back.
“You bastard!”
Reluctantly, with tears in her eyes, Lee Yujeong kept running, silently praying with all her heart.
Please, let Kim Suhyun come back safely.
After a frantic escape, they finally managed to shake off the relentless enemy pursuit as dusk fell.
When it seemed the enemy had given up, Goyeonju stopped and looked back.
Only about two hundred allied users remained in sight. Many had fallen behind, worn out from forcing their way through the encirclement and running blindly forward. It was heartbreaking, but unavoidable. If they had tried to protect everyone, they wouldn’t have made it this far.
“Ugh… ugh…”
Mar limped along on his left leg, barely keeping up. It seemed he had been hurt when Haeryuma suddenly disappeared.
He reached Goyeonju’s side, collapsed, and began to sob uncontrollably. The tears he had held back finally poured out, sounding pitifully like a child’s cries. Those nearby wore heavy expressions.
Goyeonju opened her mouth to say something but fell silent when she saw Shin Jaeryong quietly approach, chanting a healing spell.
Truthfully, Goyeonju felt just as uncertain about the future. Of course, she desperately wanted to go back immediately, but she knew better than anyone how foolish that would be. And even setting aside the fact that Kim Suhyun had lied, she had a good idea why he had said what he did.
With that thought, Goyeonju slapped her own cheeks hard with both hands. They couldn’t afford to linger in this state, not knowing when the pursuers might catch up.
Their top priority was to get out of the search area as soon as possible and tend to their exhausted comrades.
Kim Yuhyun opened his eyes late into the night, a full day after losing consciousness.
He had been out longer than expected. Not only had Kim Suhyun struck him repeatedly with intent, but his body was utterly drained. Using magic continuously for so long had naturally left him mentally and physically exhausted.
“Ugh…”
Saliva dribbled from his mouth as he blinked, his head foggy and spinning. Still, his hands kept searching the bed sheets, as if trying to find something.
Then—
‘Right. This is the Zero Code. I have to protect it, no matter what.’
The familiar voice flashed through his mind.
“!”
His tightly shut eyes snapped open.
Nearby, Goyeonju, who had been wandering outside, was startled by a sudden commotion from a nearby tent. She cautiously stepped inside and found Kim Yuhyun had rolled off the makeshift bed, his face twisted in pain.
“Brother-in-law!”
“Suuuh…! Hyeooh…!”
A cracked voice escaped his dry throat, but Goyeonju quickly realized he was calling for Suhyun.
“Calm down!”
She shouted, pleading, but Kim Yuhyun didn’t settle. Instead, he scrambled on all fours, trying to escape the tent in a panic.
Goyeonju grabbed him firmly and helped him sit up.
“It’s too late to go now. You need to rest first. You have to…”
She couldn’t finish her sentence. The moment she said it was too late, Kim Yuhyun turned his head sharply and glared at her.
His eyes burned brighter than ever, as if warning her not to say another word.
Goyeonju was just as upset, but she understood him. Like during the Atlanta expedition, this man would stop at nothing when it came to his younger sibling.
“Please… stay calm. We haven’t completely shaken off the pursuers yet. Even if you go now, there’s nothing you can do. Do you think Suhyun would want that?”
“……”
“We’re still trying to contact him. Luckily, some allies have responded. Let’s head to the rendezvous point first. We can figure out what to do next once we’re all together. Okay?”
“……”
Maybe some reason remained.
His frantic movements to push her away suddenly stopped. The fierce light in his eyes dimmed and faded.
After a long silence, Kim Yuhyun slumped down. His trembling hands reached into his coat and pulled out a small, glowing blue orb, staring at it quietly.
He kept gazing at it endlessly, then his tightly pressed lips slowly, very slowly, began to part.
Goyeonju considered moving him back to the bed but chose to leave quietly instead.
Moments later, a dull thud echoed as something was thrown. The tent filled with soft, stifled sobs. He was trying to hold back, but eventually, the low, broken cries continued.
There’s a saying that a woman’s tears are a weapon. But a man’s sorrowful sobs can be just as heart-wrenching.
Listening quietly, even Goyeonju, who had steeled herself, felt her eyes well up.
“You bastard. Just try coming back.”
Muttering sincerely, she let out a long sigh and lowered her head.
She tried to gather her thoughts, but the overwhelming uncertainty remained. The only small relief was confirming that the source was in contact and heading this way.
Then—
“Hm?”
A faint glimmer caught her eye. The jewel on her necklace faintly pulsed with light.
“This is…?”
It was the necklace Kim Suhyun had bought her long ago, back when they’d walked the streets at night.
Suddenly, a sharp shock hit her like a blow to the head. She’d completely forgotten about the necklace’s power until now.
“Ah…!”
With a gasp, she grabbed the necklace and studied the gently flickering gem. The black diamond no longer shone with its former brilliance.
But—
“It’s alive…”
Though dimmer than before, the light was definitely still there. Deep within the jewel, faint glimmers appeared and vanished repeatedly.
Goyeonju whispered, a mix of disbelief and faint hope in her voice.
“It’s still alive…!”
When I suddenly came to, I felt an indescribable, strange sensation.
It was like feeling nothing at all. Even my body felt… absent.
No, that’s not right.
I do feel something.
But my entire body is unbearably heavy, and I can’t move as I wish. It’s like someone is forcing me to stand, restraining me.
What happened?
Am I alive? Or am I dead?
“……”
I don’t know.
The last thing I remember is activating my flame ability and falling to the ground. So it’s likely I’m dead.
…No, something’s off.
If I were truly dead, I wouldn’t even be able to think like this.
The flame ability doesn’t just kill the body—it consumes the soul and life force entirely. Unless it’s the Zero Code, resurrection is impossible. It means returning to nothingness.
Thinking that, a sudden wave of dread washed over me. I didn’t want to open my eyes. My gut told me something had gone wrong while I was unconscious.
What about my brother?
Did he get out safely? And Han Soyoung? The clan members…?
“Huuuu…”
A sigh slipped out involuntarily from my heavy chest.
“…Huh?”
I was startled before I even realized it.
I definitely heard a breath just now.
I inhaled sharply again, and this time, the air felt oppressively damp.
No way…
With that thought, I slowly opened my eyes.
The first thing I noticed was how blurry my vision was and how dark it was around me. Several small, blue lights flickered faintly in the air, barely visible—like they might vanish at any moment. The atmosphere reminded me of a summoning chamber.
Then, suddenly—
“…Ugh!”
As I tried to move slightly, a cold, twisting sensation gripped both my arms.
At the same time—
“…?”
A faint, metallic whimper, like soft sobbing, rippled quietly around me, like gentle waves lapping at a riverbank.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Thank you all for waiting.
Taking a day off really helped clear my restless feelings.
Yesterday, my mind was full of distracting thoughts… ^^;
By the way, I’ve noticed some readers are still worried about NTR (netorare) happening in Memorize.
I completely understand why, given the circumstances, some might think it’s possible.
And I admit that, when used well, NTR can be an effective plot device in a story.
But as I’ve promised several times before, there will be no NTR in Memorize.
To be clear, that means no NTR involving the women around the protagonist. (Why does my typing keep turning into gibberish? I’ve fixed it five times already—so frustrating.)
Anyway, that definitely includes Han So-young.
Many readers have waited patiently, some even saying they’re about to burn up with anticipation, and to suddenly turn Han So-young’s story into an NTR plot would be a betrayal to those fans.
So once again, I want to make it clear: there will be no NTR involving Han So-young.
I intend to steer the story away from that direction.
If anyone was hoping for it, I sincerely apologize. (__)