Chapter 37: To the Hall Plain!
Chapter 37: To the Hall Plain!
The moment the barrier vanished, the tightly shut inn door swung open. A group of people immediately swarmed inside. Judging by their attire, they were existing Users.
My starting point was Barbara, the sole metropolis on the Northern Continent. Each continent had only one metropolis, and the Users based in such a city were no ordinary people. Every one of them radiated a sharp aura that made it clear they could hold their own.
They all wore an emblem of a golden lion on their right breast, a symbol I recognized immediately. The Golden Lion Clan of the Northern Continent. I remembered them as a clan that had once made a significant mark on the Hall Plain. They would eventually walk the path of self-destruction, their forces weakened by a reckless expedition and targeted by rival clans, but that was still some time away.
A giant of a man, easily over 190 cm tall, wore plain priestly robes that seemed at odds with his sturdy frame. He swept his gaze across the inn and spoke in surprise.
“There are more people in Hall 2 than expected.”
He wasn’t talking to us. The other Users who followed him in seemed to feel the same way. One of them calmly counted the survivors before nodding and replying.
“Wow. Hall 2 has forty-three new Users. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a baby boom like this.”
“Isn’t this pretty much a record for recent times?”
“Well… compared to last year, it certainly seems like a lot for a single hall. What’s the situation at the other inns?”
The survivors—the new Users—watched the established ones murmuring amongst themselves, their faces etched with anxiety. Even so, a few were sharply observing their surroundings or listening intently to the conversation. I made a mental note to remember their faces.
“They’re probably tallying them up now. Hyunwoo-hyung is coming out of Hall 1. Everyone, line up.”
The moment the name ‘Park Hyunwoo’ was spoken, the chattering Users snapped into formation, lining up in neat rows on either side of the door. Park Hyunwoo. Golden Lion Clan. Connecting the two, a memory surfaced. If I was right, this meant Park Hyunwoo, a man who would later become a Senior Executive of the clan, was about to appear.
A man began to walk steadily through the center of the path cleared by the Users now standing at attention. He was handsome, with a clean-cut look and a neat hairstyle. He seemed a bit younger than I vaguely remembered from the first run, but something in his eyes convinced me that he was Park Hyunwoo. I gathered my magic, a little more potent than before, and activated Third Eye.
〈Player Status〉
1. Name: Park Hyunwoo (Year 4 User)
2. Class: Swordsman (Normal, Swordsman, Expert)
3. Nation: Barbara (Global City)
4. Clan: Golden Lion
5. True Name · Nationality: One Who Leaves Sword Afterimages · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Male
7. Height · Weight: 179.2 cm · 68.7 kg
8. Alignment: True · Neutral
『Abilities』
Just as I had expected, it was Park Hyunwoo. His Durability and Agility were nothing to write home about(?), but since he was still only a Sword Expert, he seemed to have room to grow. He would probably become a Sword Master after advancing another two ranks. Ah, right. He did become one. He was the man known as the Phantom Sword Master during the First Alliance War.
I’d heard of his fame early on, but we had never crossed swords. His Agility was particularly disappointing. However, for a swordsman, his Magic Power was decent, which would likely compensate for it to some extent.
I decided to drop my interest in him for now. I’d heard that the Golden Lion Clan was annihilated during the Alliance War, and that he was killed then. More importantly, since he was already part of a major clan, it would be difficult to recruit him as a comrade.
While I was getting ahead of myself, the survivors' attention was fixed on Park Hyunwoo. He walked slowly into the inn, carefully studying our faces. Soon, he too wore a surprised expression before speaking in a calm voice.
“Hall 2 has quite a lot of new Users. Looks like there are over forty.”
“Forty-three, sir. How many survived in Hall 1?”
“Nineteen. In any case, this is good. Sort them by class and have them gather in the plaza. We’ll bring the new Users from Halls 3, 4, and 5 over soon.”
After answering the giant’s question, Park Hyunwoo turned and left the inn with an indifferent expression.
*
The plaza was bustling with countless Users. It felt strange to be back in the central plaza of Barbara after so long. It wasn't anything spectacular. If I had to make a comparison, it was similar to an open-air amphitheater.
Stairs rose in tiers around a sunken, circular stage in the center. The new Users were separated by class, each person sitting on a step. The cold from the bricks seeped into my rear, but I endured it and turned my gaze to the central stage.
There, Users wearing the golden lion emblem on their right breast moved in unison. Some, as I’d expected, were watching us with smug superiority, as if we were animals in a zoo.
Anyone familiar with the Hall Plain would have said Barbara was comparatively well-off. The Western Continent, governed by American Users, maintained an open policy toward people of all races and consequently drew a sizable population. It was sometimes called the Continent of Freedom, but its public security was far from good.
The Golden Lion Clan was known as the strongest clan on the Northern Continent, which was managed by South Korea. As such, I’d heard their internal regulations were extremely strict. Though they were also a bit arrogant.
I was currently separated from the rest of my group. I wasn't the only one; most of the new Users were likely separated from their original parties. It was because the existing Users had lined us up as they saw fit under the pretext of sorting us by class.
I briefly wondered what classes Ahn Hyun and the others had chosen, but I decided to save it for later, a pleasure to look forward to. After clearing my mind of such trivial thoughts, I turned my attention back to the central stage and saw Park Hyunwoo talking with a few others. With nothing to do but wait, I quietly activated my magic to enhance my hearing. I wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Reporting the numbers. Hall 1, 19. Hall 2, 43. Hall 3, 22. Hall 4, 29. Hall 5, 17. The total is 130.”
“And the class distribution?”
“Close-Combat classes, 75. Ranged-Combat classes, 26. Magic-Talent classes, 18. Priest classes, 11. Secret, Rare, and other classes, zero.”
“…I see. Understood. Let’s get started. Yubin, set up the Sound Amplification Magic. And bring that bastard to me.”
That bastard? Who was he talking about? Come to think of it, I thought I had heard some kind of commotion inside as we left Hall 2. But I had been sorted and led straight outside to join the waiting Users, so I had never found out what happened.
My question was answered soon enough. Park Hyunwoo stepped onto the central stage, dragging a battered and bruised man with him. The moment he set foot on the stage, the low murmurs died down. The plaza fell so silent you couldn’t even hear a breath. Park Hyunwoo dragged the man up with one arm and unceremoniously threw him onto the stage floor.
The man was none other than Park Donggeol. He was foaming at the mouth and his right arm was bent at a grotesque angle—a truly pathetic sight. He hadn’t lost consciousness, as his body twitched occasionally, and his face was contorted in agony.
The other established Users didn’t seem to care one bit whether Park Donggeol was groaning or not. Park Hyunwoo faced all the new Users and began to speak.
“First, it is a pleasure to meet all the new Users who have passed the Rite of Passage. I will skip the trivialities, as you’ve likely heard most of it from the angels. However.”
He paused for a moment before continuing. Everyone was hanging on his every word.
“We need to get a few things straight. We who stand here today were also once citizens of the Republic of Korea. We are people who have gone through the same trial you just did, the Rite of Passage. There is only one difference between us and you. Whether we came to this place called the Hall Plain first, or later. The point is…”
Thanks to the Sound Amplification Magic, his voice filled the space with a commanding resonance, reaching the ears of all 130 people clearly. He slowly walked forward, stopping in front of the collapsed Park Donggeol.
“We are not the people who will send you back home.”
That statement certainly sent ripples through the crowd. A stir of agitation spread among the new Users who had been listening quietly. However, neither I nor Park Hyunwoo seemed to have any intention of blaming them.
I had been the same. No matter what you hear from an angel, hearing it stated so publicly in a gathering like this was bound to be disappointing. Park Hyunwoo watched them silently for a moment before speaking again, his voice lower than before.
“We know all too well that you were forcibly dragged to this god-forsaken Hall Plain, and that it’s unfair. We were in the same boat, and we still are. You must be wondering why we are here. Our purpose is singular. To help you adapt to this place called the Hall Plain. To help you survive. We are here to guide and assist you in the beginning.”
He paused and looked down at Park Donggeol. Even in agony, the man’s pride seemed alive; he trembled with humiliation. Yet the instant his eyes met Park Hyunwoo’s, he dropped his gaze. Served him right.
“To elaborate, you can think of it as high-level players helping out beginners in an online game. But this man cursed at and verbally abused a User who came to guide him. Of course, we guarantee and respect individual freedom and rights. There may be those among you who don’t trust us or don’t want our help. For those people, we will give you an opportunity right now. Anyone who does not wish for our guidance, please stand up and leave this place. We will absolutely not restrict you in any way.”
His words ended, but no one dared to speak. Naturally, no one stood up either. Only a dead silence enveloped the vast plaza. After some time had passed and he confirmed that no one was getting up, Park Hyunwoo nodded once or twice and said.
“There are none. Then we will assume that everyone remaining wishes to receive our guidance. In the future, if any User harms others through deviant behavior, they may be dealt with accordingly. Of course, the guidance process will involve a certain degree of control. However, if you feel that the control is excessive, you are permitted to drop out midway, so please keep that in mind. Now, just a moment… Yubin, cancel the Sound Amplification Magic.”
As the mage called Yubin dispelled the magic, their voices became inaudible again. Park Hyunwoo called over a priest and seemed to say something while pointing at Park Donggeol. I quickly reactivated my magic to enhance my hearing.
The priest he called was the giant I had seen at the inn. A priest with that build. What a mismatch. The massive priest knelt on one knee and leaned over the fallen Park Donggeol. He raised a hand, already glowing with a sacred light, and moved it close to the man’s right arm.
“Heal.”
Fwaaat!
The moment the giant uttered the single word, the hand bathed in light bloomed brilliantly. The light that blossomed into the air was then absorbed into Park Donggeol’s right arm as if seeping into it. His grotesquely twisted arm slowly began to return to its proper place. At the sight, a few of the new Users let out gasps of awe.
Park Donggeol’s eyes blinked rapidly. It seemed even he, the one receiving the healing, was greatly surprised. He groaned and sat up, tentatively moving his right arm. It looked completely healed. Park Hyunwoo stared at him with indifferent eyes and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Get up.”
The moment he finished speaking, Park Donggeol scrambled to his feet so quickly it made a sound. He was the classic type: weak to the strong, and strong to the weak. Park Hyunwoo also seemed displeased with him, his face scrunching up slightly as he continued in a growl.
“Even if you’re a new User, antagonizing a member of the Golden Lion Clan, the representative clan of Barbara, in this city is insane. I’ll let it slide this one time, but if it happens again, then…”
I could tell his words were laced with deliberate killing intent. Park Donggeol must have caught the faint scent of death as well, because he nodded his head frantically.
At Park Hyunwoo’s signal, the priest took Park Donggeol over to the close-combat group. Once Park Hyunwoo confirmed that he was obeying without resistance, he turned back toward us.