Memorize - Episode 3
3 Seraph, Confused
I turned back the clock by ten years. Seraph, who had been with me for ten years, disappeared.
"Then, what happens now...?"
The altar is empty now, but soon a new angel will be summoned. It could be a different angel or Seraph again. If it's the former, it doesn't matter, but if it's the latter, I wonder what will happen. I can speculate that she might forget all memories of being with me.
After waiting for about three minutes, I felt a response. The space above the altar began to ripple like waves. In my first run, I would have lost consciousness by now. Since I had never seen an angel being summoned, I observed the process with great interest.
Like ripples on water, a white light burst forth from the center of the disturbance, forming a figure. I watched as a new angel was created.
Finally, a figure appeared on the altar. Although her eyes were closed, her presence felt incredibly familiar. The sacred wings, the unapproachable dignity, and the radiant glow were all identical to Seraph's.
As she sensed my gaze, Seraph's eyes slowly opened. For a brief moment, a spark flashed in her emerald eyes as they met mine.
Beautiful and noble.
Seraph possessed a serene and holy charm, like angels in novels or comics, which was almost impossible to describe in words.
Her silver hair shone like moonlight, with a silky sheen. Her skin was as white as snow, flawless and smooth. Her light eyelids framed jade-green eyes that sparkled. Even her daring outfit couldn't stir any desire in me, as she was a being from a different dimension.
I was surprised to find myself awake, and Seraph's gaze swept over me calmly. I realized with certainty:
"Seraph, you're the same as you were ten years ago."
Seraph's lips parted.
"Nice to meet you."
"Yes."
"Welcome to the Summoning Room. You are from Earth, specifically South Korea, and you are 23 years old. Your name is Kim Su-hyun. Your identity has been confirmed. From now on, we will refer to you as User Kim Su-hyun. I am Seraph, your guide."
"Yes."
"User Kim Su-hyun, you will be informed of basic knowledge here and then moved to the Trial of Passage. There, you must prove your qualifications to become a true user."
"Yes."
Seraph stopped speaking, looking puzzled. I felt a slight sense of novelty, but I decided to proceed.
"I have a question..."
"If it's about where you are or why you're here, I advise against asking. You have only two hours before entering the Trial of Passage. Although your situation is confusing, if you want to survive and return home..."
Seraph resumed speaking rapidly, a habit I had grown accustomed to over the years. It was intimidating at first, but now it seemed almost nostalgic.
I chuckled, remembering how I used to be scared by her expressionless face and calm tone.
"I see. Okay."
Seraph's brow furrowed slightly, even though she agreed.
"I recommend using the given time to adapt to your situation as much as possible..."
"I understand, I understand."
Seraph's eyes narrowed slightly, and she murmured, her fingers fluttering in the air.
"Not a mental patient... but very calm. This is unusual."
"Who says I'm a mental patient? Anyway, isn't it more convenient if you just follow my lead, Seraph?"
"That's true, but..."
"You're complaining again."
Seraph's face turned red as she realized I was teasing her. I felt like applauding and laughing loudly. She looked at me with a pouting face, then composed herself.
"Engaging in wordplay with helpers is discouraged. We follow the principle of not harming users."
"You're beings of a distant rank. You should forgive me with your broad heart."
"I've confirmed the Tanay. It's a kind of oath that has already been settled and cannot be denied by us. The privileges granted to User Kim Su-hyun have been thoroughly reviewed and deemed flawless."
"Hmm, you're quick to accept. Not very interesting."
"For us, Tanay means just that. We can review but not influence it. Therefore, the privileges granted to User Kim Su-hyun cannot be taken back. You can rest assured."
"But starting from zero with such power would make me an exception, wouldn't it? Like disrupting the balance?"
"It won't affect the balance."
Seraph replied firmly, then continued with a slightly stern face.
"I've read the contents of the privileges. They are indeed exceptional, but complacency is forbidden. Even with all these privileges, there are beings with abilities beyond them."
Seraph was still repeating the same warnings. I decided to acknowledge them, as her words were different from the "there are many" evaluation I received before.
"True, there's no need to focus only on users. Other beings could exist in the Hollow Plane."
"Yes."
As Seraph mentioned the Hollow Plane, her eyes flickered momentarily.
"It will take some time to set up all of User Kim Su-hyun's privileges. You have 1 hour, 47 minutes, and 26 seconds left before the Trial of Passage. It seems tight, but I assume you already know the internal workings of the Hollow Plane..."
"Okay, skip that. That was what I wanted from the start."
Seraph began preparing while I thought about the Trial of Passage.
The Trial of Passage is a place where users prove their qualifications. It's a simple test: survive for seven days or reach the warp gate within that time. Survival is the necessary condition for qualification. Those who succeed are summoned back to this room, assigned a class based on their potential, and then enter the real space of the Hollow Plane. It's a cruel and eerie test, as failing means death.
"User Kim Su-hyun, preparations are complete."
As I pondered, I received Seraph's signal.
"The details of the privileges..."
"I know. They're all in my head, so let's start right away."
"Yes. There's no need to transmit the information separately. Which privilege would you like to receive first?"
"Hmm..."
I thought of the first ability.
"1. The privilege regarding User Kim Su-hyun's original ability scores. First, you can load your user information from the first run. Second, four out of six basic ability scores will be randomly selected and increased. The extent of the increase is also random."
I couldn't set the privileges as I pleased. Seraph must have had a reason for specifying the order. Therefore, it made sense to start with the first one, as all settings begin with ability scores. If I inherited my previous stats, I would naturally lean towards being a swordsman, but I needed to check the increase first.
Without hesitation, I spoke.
"Load, and then the ability score increase privilege."
"Yes. Loading User Kim Su-hyun's information... 27%, 56%, 87%, 100%. Complete. The load was successful."
As Seraph finished speaking, I felt vitality surge through my body. The slow flow of time around me became more pronounced. Even with a young body fresh from military service, it couldn't compare to the physique of a sword master.
Bang!
I stretched my right arm, feeling a rough sonic boom. I checked my user information with satisfaction.
"..."
My stats had been inherited, but everything else was reset. I missed my true name and achievements, but there was nothing I could do. I nodded.
"User information load confirmed. Now, should I use the ability score increase privilege?"
"Yes. As I mentioned earlier, four out of six abilities will be randomly increased. The abilities and the extent of the increase are all random, but they follow your potential and growth rate."
"I know that much."
In simple terms, the higher the ability score, the less it increases, and vice versa. This rule applied equally to everyone, with minor personal variations. Without relying on luck, elixirs, or achievement rewards, ability score increases through training have limits.
I wished fervently for my strength, vitality, and magic to increase.
I considered magic the most important, followed by vitality, then strength. I viewed endurance and agility as equally important and luck as the least. Of course, if one score was high and others were low, it would be problematic, but assuming the other scores were decent, magic was the most efficient.
"Then, I'll grant them now."
"Please, just not luck. Strength, vitality, magic... even just vitality and magic would be fine..."
I didn't know if my wishes were heard, but the privileges seemed to have been granted. As Seraph waved her hand, four messages appeared in the air before me.