Chapter 38

00038 To the Hall Plain!

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After reactivating the voice amplification magic, he raised his head again and looked at the new users. When he had turned off the voice amplification just a moment ago, no one except the person involved would have been able to hear Hyeon-woo's words. With a markedly different, calm face devoid of hostility, he quietly began to speak.

"I understand that you have heard some of the story from the angels. Of course, I know you must have many more questions. However, to answer all of your questions here would take more than a week, day and night."

Of course, that's understandable. I strongly agreed internally, as I wanted to enter the User Academy as quickly as possible. As if reading my thoughts, Hyeon-woo continued to say encouraging things.

"Also, since you have just passed the rite of passage, I imagine you must be quite tired. Now that I have obtained everyone's consent, I will briefly explain our future plans."

He cleared his throat and then began to speak.

"There is a building called the User Academy in the city of Barbara. Has anyone among the new users heard any explanation from the helper angels?"

He emphasized the word "helper." The users, upon hearing Hyeon-woo's words, exchanged glances, and one by one, they began to raise their hands. There was some murmuring, but the number of raised hands gradually increased.

At a glance, it seemed that more than half of the people had raised their hands. In fact, most of them, except for a few, had raised their hands. This indicated that the angels also highly regarded the User Academy. Judging that enough people had raised their hands, Hyeon-woo signaled for them to lower their hands and continued speaking.

"Alright. From your perspective, this might seem like a repeat, but it's important enough to warrant another explanation, and I believe there are some who haven't heard it yet. The User Academy is a training institution designed to help new users adapt and survive in the Hall Plain more easily. It is also one of the officially recognized missions that received the authority to grant reward points, acknowledging its efficiency, which was the first for user construction."

I didn't know who created it, but I had to admit that it was well-designed. It was rare for a user's arbitrary setting to be recognized, especially one that wasn't part of the angels' setup.

Hyeon-woo began by explaining the history and establishment purpose of the User Academy. He then detailed the benefits of receiving training and graduating from the academy. Summarizing the key points:

The training program at the User Academy lasts three months. Initially, a user's stats tend to rise quickly. The academy offers efficient training programs tailored to individual stats and professions, allowing for a much higher rate of stat improvement compared to self-training. Every trainee receives a weekly salary of 20 silver coins. Users who complete the three-month program can receive a stat reward equivalent to 4 points as a mission completion bonus.

I was honestly in it for the 4-point reward, but there were many aspects that would be quite appealing to other users. Despite the somewhat embellished presentation, it offered food, lodging, training, and money—a four-in-one deal.

After explaining for a while, Hyeon-woo mentioned that there was an upper limit to how much a user's stats could increase. While the effort to raise stat points was up to the individual, the maximum limit varied from user to user. He concluded by saying that the reward points were one of the few ways to increase stats that had reached their limit, so it was best to save them.

"Thus, the basic explanation is now complete. Originally, I planned to move directly to the dormitory inside the academy after the explanation, but since some of you still have questions, I will take a few."

As soon as he finished speaking, a female user among the ranged combat users quickly raised her hand, her movements indicating urgency, which made me very curious about her question. When Hyeon-woo nodded, she stood up and spoke in a cautious voice.

"Um... c-can we... return home...?"

It was a disappointing question, given the build-up. Just that? I clicked my tongue at the stupidity of the woman who asked and observed Hyeon-woo's reaction. As expected, he looked quite annoyed.

Her question was like spitting out everything he had just explained. Hyeon-woo sighed loudly and answered in a dry voice.

"Clearly, we stated at the beginning that we are not the ones who will send you back home. If you knew that, would I be standing here now? This is something you, as new users, will have to figure out and solve together as you continue to operate in the Hall Plain."

Feeling Hyeon-woo's disappointed gaze, the woman blushed and quietly sat down. A moment of silence followed, but soon a male user with magical talent raised his hand. He had a neat, short haircut and a sharp, intelligent look. When Hyeon-woo nodded, he also stood up.

"I know that this world is called the Hall Plain, and ordinary people are called users. And this city is called the Great City of Barbara. Is it true that only people like us, called users, live in this city?"

Hyeon-woo immediately shook his head and answered.

"No. As you might have heard from the angels, the Hall Plain is divided into four continents. Barbara is the only major city in the Northern Continent. In addition to this, there are four regular cities and eight small cities in the Northern Continent, where users like us are also distributed. While the safety of the Northern Continent is not yet fully secured, the areas around the cities are effectively under the jurisdiction of South Korean users."

"By South Korean users, do you mean users from other nationalities...?"

"Yes. The Hall Plain is not limited to South Korean users. The Eastern Continent is under the jurisdiction of Japanese users, the Western Continent is under American users, and the Southern Continent is under British users. While there is some exchange between the continents, in broad terms, they are divided as such."

This question was at least somewhat useful. The male user bowed his head and sat down, and Hyeon-woo looked at the new users with a neutral expression. Since he had said he would take a few questions, this was likely the last one.

The people seemed to realize this, as no one seemed eager to step forward. Then, Hyeon-woo pointed to someone, and when he turned his head, he saw a female user who had hesitantly raised her hand.

When the female user stood up and her face became visible, I inwardly gasped. The last person to stand up was Kim Hanbyeol. She was looking at Hyeon-woo with her usual calm and cold expression. Knowing her sharp intellect, I was intensely curious about what she would ask. The boredom I had felt until now vanished instantly.

Her delicate lips parted slightly, and a beautiful voice flowed out.

"I've heard that everyone here is expected to undergo training at the User Academy. What is the actual purpose of our training there?"

The moment she finished speaking, there was a brief stir in the room. Most people frowned, thinking it was a pointless question. Those who didn't understand her intent were the ones who thought it was useless. A few people, who grasped the underlying meaning of her words, looked enlightened and excited.

I, too, was impressed by Hanbyeol's pointed question. Hyeon-woo, who seemed to be a quick thinker, had a different expression on his face compared to when he answered the first female user. He kept moistening his lips, looking quite flustered.

Her question was highly calculated. The reason and purpose are different, and the purpose and actual purpose can be viewed differently depending on the perspective. Her question was not simply "Why do we need to train?" but rather, it simultaneously asked about the actual purpose of training them there and the broader purpose of the User Academy.

Hyeon-woo hesitated, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly, a stark contrast to his previous smooth responses. The new users, sensing his unusual behavior, fell silent. Finally, he spoke in a somewhat uncomfortable tone.

"...The usefulness of the User Academy has already been sufficiently explained. Is the user who asked this question dissatisfied with the training?"

"I'm not expressing dissatisfaction. I also agree with entering the academy. What I want to hear is not the justification for the academy. Is the academy really just a training space for new users to adapt and get help?"

I saw Hyeon-woo close his mouth. Her words from the Hall Plain cottage came to mind.

"Stop doing that. It might work on Ahn-hyun or Yoo-jung, but not on me. Don't try to cleverly change the subject."

He had tried to subtly change the subject, but Hanbyeol's direct question had left him speechless.

After a while, he finally forced a smile, the first genuine emotional expression I had seen from him since entering the Hall Plain. Could her question have touched something deep within him?

"Eventually... you will naturally come to understand these things, whether you like it or not."

Hyeon-woo moistened his dry lips and continued in a low voice.

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

Hello, I'm Ro Yujin. Did everyone have a happy Saturday?

First, thank you to everyone who clicked the pre-read, recommended, commented, and sent coupons. I am truly, deeply, and immensely grateful. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to upload Chapter 38 by 12:00 PM due to the slow progress of the revision, but thanks to your comments, I was able to find the strength. When I get stuck while writing, I read the comments, and it's like my mind clears up instantly. Hahaha. (It's really true.)

『Lilifl』

1. Personinlife: Congratulations on the first place! Of course, conflicts between Suhyun and the clan are a basic option. There are a few clans already waiting to challenge him. Hehehe.

2. Einz: No, there is no nominal limit. However, in the first Hall Plain, the highest stat points were 101 for strength and 101 for magic. In reality, even 85 is a significant stat in the Hall Plain. Hahaha.

3. POWERED: Me too! I want to write about Suhyun establishing his position, but I try to avoid rushed developments. I want to write the story calmly, one step at a time. Of course, fast when it needs to be fast, and slow when it needs to be slow. Please wait a little longer. :)

4. Seolbiyeon: Really. I didn't expect so many people to show interest. These days, I can't tell if this is a dream or reality.

5. Goodbody: Haha. I'm still thinking about it. Honestly, I lean towards a harem, but I'm unsure how many characters to include...

6. Demodex: Thank you! The typo has been corrected!

7. Funny: I added a supplementary explanation to that part in the main text. :) The protagonist can see the professions of all users, including himself, but others cannot see his profession. Therefore, it is also possible to "lie" when classifying professions.

8. Neisha: Oops. I've been subtly hinting at the protagonist's purpose throughout the chapters. Hehehe. It's impossible to hide forever, and Suhyun is well aware of this. Until then...

9. Blami: To be honest, it's half setting, half choice. I selected the most suitable countries for the Hall Plain setting based on the four continents. ㅇㅅㅇ Of course, I have plans for such scenes. :) (Sorry about the practice... Hehe.)

10. GradeDown: An enormous number of people have participated. The number increases exponentially the further back in time you go. This will lead to a "mystery" that will be resolved when you meet Suhyun. :)

11. CriaSen: +ㅁ+ Seraph... Well... She's not exactly a... um... ㅜ.ㅠ (Avoidance!)

12. Amsan: No, it doesn't bother me at all. I feel full just reading the comments. Hahaha.

13. ReaderC: Hahaha. Now that I think about it, you're right. The afterword alone is like a book... Hahaha.

14. JoWoon: Yes...? Yes? Yes; Yes...;; This... is... problematic. (ㅜ.ㅠ Hahaha.)

15. KiaMozak: I apologize for the slow pacing. However, this part is essential, so I'm taking it slowly. It's not always slow; it will be fast when it needs to be and slow when necessary. I will strive to maintain a minimum of 8K in the story's volume. I appreciate your understanding, KiaMozak. (__)

To those who are not in Lilifl! I check all the comments, so please don't be disappointed. If you really want to be in Lilifl, please give me a signal. I will do my best to catch it.

I will conclude here for today.

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

Pre-reads, recommendations, comments, critiques, and questions are always welcome.

Have a happy Sunday!