Chapter 35

00035 To the Hollow Plain!

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The Hollow Plain can be roughly divided into four continents. The currently explored areas include the Eastern Continent, Western Continent, Southern Continent, and Northern Continent, each under the jurisdiction of users and residents (the original inhabitants of the Hollow Plain). However, the reality of the Hollow Plain is that unexplored regions far outnumber the explored ones. If one were to travel even a day into the unexplored areas surrounding them, no one but the traveler would know what dangers lurk there.

Ultimately, to alleviate the unease of the unexplored regions, the only option was to form an expedition and occupy those areas. Even if each continent or city had established passages, the unexplored regions surrounding them would always be a source of anxiety.

Anhyun and his group were assigned to the Northern Continent as their starting point in the Hollow Plain. Users who proved their worth in the rite of passage were first summoned to the "Starting Inn" in the major cities of each continent. There were five Starting Inns, indicating that the rite of passage took place in five different spaces simultaneously.

Thanks to the angels' consideration, Anhyun and his group, who arrived first, were in the state of having woken up and descended to the first floor of the inn, as they had heard. They sat around the visible table and waited for the other users.

The inn had nothing particularly special. It seemed to be built solely for sleeping and waiting for someone. There was a door and windows leading outside, but when Anhyun looked out, he gave up on going out. The world outside the window was entirely covered in blue. A faint green barrier surrounded the inn, making it impossible to see even a few steps ahead. In a way, it felt as if the inside and outside of the inn were completely separate.

The inn was silent, with no one else having arrived yet. Anhyun walked around the window for a moment before carefully sitting down. He saw familiar faces: Ansol, Yoojeong, and Kim Hanbyeol. He hadn't exchanged a single word with them since they met. No, he couldn't.

Glancing at his sister, she was visibly trembling and her teeth were chattering, which looked serious at a glance. Anhyun could tell she was suffering from guilt. Anhyun himself felt a mysterious unease that filled his body, making him shiver. The source of this unease was the fact that Kim Suhyun was no longer with them. That is, the person who used to be their protector was gone, and the space they could rely on had disappeared.

Suddenly, Suhyun's face flashed in his mind. His calm demeanor, composed attitude, and quiet voice gave a sense of confidence. Despite meeting for less than a week, he had deeply embedded himself in the hearts of the group.

'Run quickly! You fools! Run to the warp gate!'

Suhyun, who had fallen after being hit by the monster's tail, had waved and smiled at them. Anhyun now realized how insignificant he had been. He had been able to step forward because Suhyun had been there to support him. And he had unknowingly relied on Suhyun so much.

Every time he thought about how Suhyun had sacrificed himself to save his sister, Anhyun couldn't bring himself to look at Yoojeong and Kim Hanbyeol. But Anhyun mustered the courage to lift his gloomy face. He wanted to see the other members of the group.

Yoojeong had buried herself in the table. As soon as she came down, she bowed her head and hadn't moved since. Her shoulders occasionally trembled, indicating she wasn't sleeping. She probably didn't want to show her weakness to others.

Ansol, as expected, wasn't crying loudly, but she had tears hanging from her delicate eyebrows and was staring at the floor. She still had tears to shed. The angels had to gently console her while setting the basic configurations. Only Kim Hanbyeol maintained her cold expression. Anhyun couldn't tell what she was thinking, but he felt a cold atmosphere around her.

The inn was filled with a quiet silence, with only occasional sobs breaking the stillness. However, as time passed, the inn became slightly more chaotic.

Specifically, noises from several people on the second floor were heard. The door to the second-floor room, where they had first come down, opened, and unfamiliar voices were heard. Anhyun instinctively knew they were other survivors from the rite of passage. At that moment, a thought flashed through Anhyun's mind.

'Suhyun might be here. He might have escaped successfully. If so…'

Anhyun abruptly stood up. The sudden noise drew everyone's attention. Yoojeong, with her swollen eyes, slowly lifted her head to look at him. Anhyun spoke with an excited tone.

"Brother, Suhyun might be here."

"…What are you talking about?"

When Yoojeong responded with a hoarse voice, Anhyun immediately pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor. The door from which survivors emerged was there.

"We weren't the only ones to survive. Other survivors must have been teleported here too. Maybe Suhyun is among them…."

At the sound of Anhyun's words, Yoojeong abruptly stood up and ran to the second-floor stairs. Ansol, thinking it was possible, lifted her head and followed Yoojeong. Only Hanbyeol looked uninterested, as if she didn't expect it.

Humans are truly sad creatures. They started rationalizing again. Everyone had clearly seen Kim Suhyun collapse in front of that monstrous creature and had shed tears at his final farewell. But now, the hope that "what if" dominated their minds.

"Suhyun would have definitely escaped. Right? He would have."

"Y-Yeah. Suhyun would have survived somewhere and come down through the door, just like in that city. Yeah, that's right."

Anhyun and Yoojeong nodded at each other with trembling voices. Just as they were about to climb the stairs, the door creaked open. Instantly, their movements froze, and all eyes turned upward. Their bodies were filled with a tense anticipation.

The people who emerged, however, were not Kim Suhyun. They were people Anhyun's group had met before. Four people came down, and the one in the lead looked surprised to see Anhyun's group.

"Oh, you guys are already here. It's good to see you alive."

"Huh? Woo Jeongmin. Who are you…? Ah~ those kids? I thought they were all dead. Didn't they go through the warp gate?"

"…Cheon Seunghyun. Stop talking."

Woo Jeongmin, Cheon Seunghyun, and Seon Yuun descended to the first-floor lobby. A woman named Won Hyesu, who had lost her brother, followed them silently, her face filled with sorrow, giving a rough idea of what had happened afterward.

However, Anhyun's group had no energy to care about that. Seeing Suhyun with their own eyes was the most important thing. Therefore, the moment they saw Woo Jeongmin's group, disappointment quickly settled on their faces. Sensing the strange atmosphere, Seon Yuun led Won Hyesu to a chair around the table. Only Cheon Seunghyun grumbled and sat down in a nearby chair, stretching his legs.

"Ugh. After being on that cold stone floor, sitting in a chair feels like a relief. So, those guys also met that monster?"

"Seunghyun. Don't speak so loudly. Our situation is similar to when we lost Jin Tae."

"Then he's 100% dead. It's a shame. I thought it was a new setting and wanted to give him a good beating when we met again. Anyway, what about Hyesu…."

Just as Cheon Seunghyun was about to continue, he saw Seon Yuun's sharp gaze and closed his mouth. However, Won Hyesu seemed to have heard her name. She lifted her head and spoke in a tired voice.

"Whether he's dead or not, it doesn't matter to me. Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed. I wanted him to experience the pain I went through, but he ended up being the one to suffer."

Just as Yoojeong was about to explode, Jeongmin stared at her coldly and spoke in a heavy voice.

"Don't speak about people so casually with that tone."

"It doesn't matter to me. Who said anything?"

"Then why did you want that young man to experience the pain you went through? We lost Jin Tae, and you lost your brother. If you understand the pain of losing someone dear, you should at least offer some comfort, not speak so rudely."

"That's…."

Won Hyesu hesitated, and Jeongmin continued, snorting.

"If you have nothing to say, keep quiet. I'll repeat, the young man's death and Hyeon's death are unrelated."

"Jeongmin, Hyesu, that's enough."

Jeongmin and Hyesu glared at each other. Hyesu, in particular, seemed extremely angry, biting her lip. The atmosphere turned cold, and Seon Yuun quickly intervened, but their gazes didn't waver.

However, Anhyun's group, except for Yoojeong, didn't care about their argument. They had been eagerly watching the stairs. As time passed and more survivors started to be teleported, the second floor became increasingly noisy.

Voices of joy, sorrow, and chatter mixed together. Other survivors began to gather in groups and come down the stairs one by one. Two figures appeared as the second-floor door opened.

The next person to emerge was someone Anhyun's group knew.

It was Park Donggeol.

*

The feeling of mana spreading throughout my body is indescribably refreshing. Thanks to the Fire Meditation, the pleasure is even more intense, as it has reached the tips of my fingers and toes, even the smallest acupoints. Observing my inner self, I can confirm that the quantity and quality of my mana have significantly improved. It's not just that.

All the toxins in my body have been purged, and my blood vessels have been cleared, transforming my body into one that is more suitable for generating mana. This means that even if I wield a single sword like a user of elemental abilities, I have a greater chance of gaining the upper hand.

However, fully utilizing Fire Meditation is still a distant goal. My stamina of 70 points is a significant obstacle. Seraph said that the minimum requirement to fully use the power of Fire Meditation is 90 points of stamina, and to use it completely, it needs to be 101 points or more. (When I heard this, I was genuinely surprised. The difference between 99 points and 100 points is significant, and the same applies to 100 points and 101 points.)

With only 70 points of stamina, there is a high possibility that my body won't be able to handle it if I exert myself fully. After calculating all the points I can earn early on, the result was 14 points.

2 points from boss monsters, 2 points from stamina-boosting elixirs, 6 points from the tears of angels, and 4 points from the mission reward upon graduating from the User Academy. I know I need to pour all the points I have and will earn into stamina, but a part of me is tempted.

In the Hollow Plain, an average ability score of 60 is enough to make a decent contribution on any continent. As the scores increase to 70, 80, and 90, the user's value also increases. Especially, as a single ability score surpasses 90 points, each additional point becomes increasingly valuable.

This is why I am tempted. First, let's look at my current abilities:

[Strength 94] [Endurance 92] [Agility 98] [Stamina 70] [Mana 96] [Luck 88]

I need to exclude 2 points of stamina. So, I have 12 points left.

If I invest 4 points in strength, 3 points in agility, and 5 points in mana, I can raise two abilities to 101 points and have 98 points in strength. If Seraph knew what I was thinking, she would probably foam at the mouth.

Stamina is the pillar of all abilities. If the pillar is not strong, even if other abilities are high, it will be difficult to maximize their efficiency. Logically, I know it's not a good idea, but a part of me keeps thinking, "But…."

I decided to put these thoughts aside for now. First, I plan to enter the Hollow Plain, join the User Academy, and focus on stamina training for three months. Even if it's unlikely to increase by even a single point, I want to grasp at straws. If I steadily increase my stamina now, I can save the ability points I earn later.

After gathering the mana spread throughout my body, I opened my eyes, which had been closed for some time. It must have been more than a day. Turning my head, I saw that the portal to the Hollow Plain was already open. Feeling a bit dazed, I spoke to Seraph, who was quietly watching me.

"…Has the teleportation already started?"

"Yes. Most have already been teleported, and only User Kim Suhyun remains."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"It wasn't meditation, but deep thought, so I couldn't wake you up easily. Don't worry, there's still time."

The kids must be worried. I wanted to go in early and talk things out and clear up any misunderstandings, but I got up and headed for the portal to the Hollow Plain.

I didn't say a separate farewell to Seraph, as I would see her often in the future. However, Seraph's words caught me by the back of the neck as I was about to enter.

"User Kim Suhyun."

"What is it?"

I answered without turning around, one foot already in the portal.

"Please take care of yourself. If I need to contact you, I will send a message through the temple."

I simply nodded and threw myself into the portal, which shimmered with a blue light.

============================ Author's Note ============================

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin. Oh, many of you are asking for daily updates. I feel sorry for posting only one chapter a day…. So, I tried to pack a bit more content today. I sincerely apologize for not meeting your expectations. (__)

And… I said the User Academy part would take three months, but I won't drag it out. I'll try to avoid making the story drag on. (I plan to wrap up the Academy part in one or two chapters at most.)

『Lilifl』

1) [priest] Priest: Congratulations on the top comment! Thank you for the praise. I had been feeling a bit down due to the sharp comments from readers, but your comment really lifted my spirits. ㅜ.ㅠ

2) kjsl: Ahaha; December and January are very busy. It seems to be the beginning of the year. I'm sorry.

3) GradeDown: Once a certain level of ability is reached, it becomes difficult to increase it through training. Each user has a limit, and this limit determines their strength. :)

4) Einz: I'm considering it. Should it be a harem or a sunflower? What do you think, Einz?

5) Human Life: Suhyun is also considering it. The 101-point ability is more significant than you think. Look forward to it!

6) Seol Biyeon: Wow. If you've been reading since before Remake, that means you started in March. Many of the readers from back then are still around! ㅋㅋ

7) 龍牙犬齒: I was actually looking forward to this question. While I can't reveal the details as they are related to the Zero Code, I can tell you one thing. Wishes are not omnipotent. There are strict limitations, and the areas in which they can be used are very specific. The reason Suhyun and the Clan Lord weren't revived is related to these limitations. (The reasons will be revealed gradually.)

8) Minju's Husband: I'm sorry. I've fixed it.

9) CriaSen: That's right. That's why Seraph was shocked. The Sword of No Name is a sword that suits Suhyun very well. Kilkil.

10) Sword Gentleman: Suhyun is conflicted…. Where will he pour his efforts? Hehehe.

11) 悲流: Most famous people know. However, Anhyun's group died in the first rite of passage from the boss monster. Woo Jeongmin and Seon Yuun, who later led the Red Fang Clan, recognized them. :)

12) Thunder Angel: Haha; I'll try my best. But I'm really busy these days… ㅜ.ㅠ

13) Fantasy Bloodstorm: I'll try to make it as fresh as possible. Look forward to it!

14) ㄴ천령ㄱ: Ding! It's not Excalibur! Excalibur has a different owner!

15) Dicho: I aimed for a bit of humor, and Dicho was the only one who laughed. Thank you. ㅜ.ㅠ

To those who aren't on Lilifl! I check all comments, so please don't be upset. If you really want to be on Lilifl, please let me know. I'll make sure to catch it.

That's all for today.

I hope you always read the story with a comfortable heart.

I welcome pre-reads, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions.