Memorize - Episode 1
1 Zero Code, turning back the clock by 10 years.
< User Information (Player Status) >
Name: Kim Su-hyun (10 years of experience)
Class: Normal, Sword User, Master
Nation: Terra
Clan: -
True Name · Nationality: One who observes the world and desires solitude, Jeong-sang · South Korea
Sex: Male (33 years old)
Height · Weight: 181.5 cm · 75.5 kg
Personality: Lawful · Chaos
[Strength 86] [Endurance 92] [Agility 96] [Vitality 78] [Magic 48] [Luck 36]
(There are no remaining ability points.)
< Achievements (21) >
< Special Abilities (1/1) >
< Latent Abilities (4/4) >
I don't have any thoughts. I simply roll the small orb in my left hand with a numb feeling.
"User Kim Su-hyun."
Ten years. During that long time, I achieved what I had longed for and dreamed of. However, the sense of loss and the piercingly painful heart that fills me now still torment me.
"User Kim Su-hyun, may I ask you again?"
A soft but beautiful voice resonates in my ears, drawing me to slowly lift my head. As I lift my head, the ash-gray brick floor comes into view. Then, as I take in the space of about thirty feet, my gaze stops.
The "Summoning Room," which signals the beginning and end of everything, and in the center of the room, on a rectangular altar, a pair of wings emitting white light flutter faintly. I feel empty and fix my gaze on the "angel" sitting on the altar.
"Will you confirm your request, User Kim Su-hyun? Do you truly wish to turn back the time of the Hollow Plane?"
"Yes."
I nod slowly, looking at the angel in front of me. Her beauty, which could be called the pinnacle of aesthetics, her flawless skin, and her daring outfit that hints at her figure—none of these stir any desire in me. My heart, which has been dead since "that day," cannot be moved by anything.
"We cannot understand you. None of the angels, including myself, can comprehend your decision."
"No, you're wrong. I don't need your understanding. Seraph."
My voice sounds cold to my ears. Seraph's voice trembles slightly, which is unusual. I've rarely seen her disturbed like this, so perhaps my words have had a significant impact.
After a brief moment of disturbance, Seraph regained her composure and began to speak calmly.
"User Kim Su-hyun, you have achieved all the missions on the Hollow Plane and are the first user to reach the top."
"But,"
"It's not 'but.' You have obtained the Zero Code. You have the 'qualification' to achieve anything you desire within its limits."
"Seraph, the conversation is over."
"Returning to Earth? Very well. You can return with your current abilities. Staying on the Hollow Plane? That's fine too. With the Zero Code, you could become a ruler of all continents, or even more."
I sigh, feeling exhausted, and place my right hand on the hilt of my sword at my waist. The familiar grip feels comforting.
"Enough of your empty words. I've had enough for ten years. Seraph, I won't reconsider using the Zero Code. No matter what you say, I won't change my mind."
I grip the hilt tightly and channel my magic along the blade. Seraph closes her mouth, seemingly sensing the energy emanating from me. However, she soon looks at me with a mixture of sadness and concern.
"The ownership of the Zero Code belongs solely to User Kim Su-hyun. We have no authority to interfere with it. That's why it's so regrettable. Using such immense power simply to turn back time is unreasonable."
"..."
"Let me confirm one last time. User Kim Su-hyun, do you truly wish to repeat those painful ten years?"
Seraph's tone has become almost pleading. Suddenly, I burst into laughter without reason. It's a laugh without any cause.
I laugh silently for a while.
This place is not Earth. It's the Hollow Plane, a world where an extraordinary life unfolds, vastly different from the daily routines of modern people.
I close my eyes tightly and start reflecting on the events I've experienced, tracing back in time.
When I first entered the Hollow Plane ten years ago, I was 23, full of hope for the future. My last memory on Earth was returning home after completing my two-year military service. I fell asleep on the train and woke up in this "Summoning Room," where I saw an angel with white wings that existed only in my imagination.
It was a shocking reality, unlike any dream or fantasy. I begged the angel to send me back, but instead, I was taken to the "Trial of Passage," a place where users prove their qualifications. I was forced to undergo a test, chased by monsters I had never seen before.
The trial lasted seven days, a battlefield where survival was the only goal. After barely surviving for a week, I finally gained the qualification to enter the Hollow Plane as a user.
However, the trial was just the beginning. The Hollow Plane was a true hell with no end in sight, where death could come at any moment.
I adapted desperately to this irrational world, hoping to return home. I placed all my hope in the angel's words that I could return once I reached the end. I spent ten years here, simply wanting to survive and return home, bound by unbreakable ties with others.
"User Kim Su-hyun, what are you thinking? Perhaps your thoughts…."
As I recall the word "ties," a surge of emotion rises. I shake my head vigorously. Now is not the time to get lost in memories.
"Ah, I was just reminiscing. And about repeating those painful ten years... You still have some conscience, I suppose."
"...."
"Yes. Thanks to you, I experienced unnecessary pain for ten years."
"User Kim Su-hyun."
Seraph observes me closely, as if trying to read my mind. Just as she's about to speak, her beautiful lips part, and her calm voice flows.
"Perhaps you're thinking of User Kim Yu-hyun and User Han So-young... I understand what you desire. User Kim Su-hyun, you have a considerable amount of GP, enough to fulfill your wishes multiple times. You don't need to use the Zero Code to go back in time."
"I knew you'd say that."
Before Seraph finishes speaking, I draw my sword and swing it with all my might.
Ping!
The sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air shakes the altar where Seraph sits. However, her white protective barrier dissipates the attack without a trace.
"User Kim Su-hyun... I understand your feelings, but this is a meaningless action. I think you know that yourself."
I do know. Users cannot harm angels. Yet, I swung my sword to express my unwavering determination.
"Astaroth said the same thing before he died. You angels are all the same."
"Do you believe the words of a demon? You, of all people?"
"It's the truth. Whether it's this or that, the conclusion is the same."
"Wait, let's talk for a moment... I think we've explained your options thoroughly."
"You say I don't qualify, that I need to go back in time to gain qualification... What's so unsatisfactory about that?"
"Su-hyun!"
Ping! Ping!
"Don't shout, I can hear you. And address me with my title, as you always have."
Another wave of energy is released, only to dissipate. Seraph looks at me with a sorrowful gaze, seemingly unable to believe my actions. I adjust my grip on the sword, which now emits a faint blue flame as I channel more magic into it. Seraph bites her lip, looking at the sword's tip.
"I must warn you one last time. Put away your sword immediately. Even if you can use settings, you are fundamentally human. It's a mistake to think you can kill beings of a distant dimensional rank."
"Really? Then let's test it. I can ask the Zero Code for the authority to kill all of you."
"Indeed, you have the authority to use it. However, activating the Zero Code must go through us. I hope you abandon this futile dream."
"I'm confident. Perhaps there's a way."
"User Kim Su-hyun... This is a meaningless argument. Still..."
Seraph seems to want to say more, but she closes her mouth, sensing my determination and anger.
"...."
"...."
A heavy silence fills the space between Seraph and me. I calm down, slowly lowering my sword. With a melancholic feeling, I look at the Zero Code in my left hand—a small, beautiful orb emitting a deep blue light. What is this thing, really?
"Seraph, I don't want to fight or talk anymore. If you understand my feelings and truly care for me, please... I ask you."
As I speak, Seraph's eyes, filled with sorrow, widen. I extend my hand holding the Zero Code towards her. I've made up my mind.
"Once more, I ask you. I want to go back to ten years ago, to the time when I first entered this place."
Perhaps sensing my resolve, the Zero Code begins to emit a brighter light. I open my hand, and the orb floats up, tracing a parabolic path towards the altar where Seraph sits. She receives it with a bewildered expression.
Our gazes meet in mid-air, entwined in complexity.
After a while, Seraph's lips slowly part.
"If you truly desire this..."
"...."
"We will respect your decision."
"Seraph."
Seraph looks at me with a weary face and continues.
"Don't misunderstand. User Kim Su-hyun, you currently possess a significant amount of GP. It would be irrational to waste it. However, I will adjust the details as a helper's right. Of course, nothing will harm you. We will meet again once the process is complete."
What does she mean by "the process is complete"? I'm about to ask what she's planning when a majestic voice fills the Summoning Room.
"User Kim Su-hyun's request has been received. 27%, 58%, 77%, 100%. Loading... Approved. The execution of Code Name, Zero, is announced. Prepare everyone."
Clunk, clunk.
At that moment, a sound like rusty machinery moving comes from somewhere. The Zero Code, now in Seraph's hands, disperses into the air, emitting a clear light.
Boom!
A brilliant light fills the room, accompanied by the sound of rusty machinery. Unfamiliar sensations sweep through my body quickly. It's not strange. The feeling of space warping and rushing past something is similar to what I experienced during the battle to reclaim Atlantis when the Hell's Gate appeared.
As time passes, the increasing light hides Seraph from view. Eventually, I close my eyes, resigned to whatever will happen.