Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Library of Memories
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Fine.
What did other backstories matter?
While other civil servants were doing everything they could to avoid entering Gates, anyone who volunteered for field duty was more than welcome.
This job didn't make financial sense—it had to be endured purely on patriotism and altruism.
Jeong Cheol-min swallowed his urge to cheer and replied.
“……Understood. That wraps up the paperwork and ID check. Though this spot wasn't meant for this, it kinda feels like an interview now.”
“Conversations can wander to all sorts of topics, right?”
“Haha, true enough. Now you just need the aptitude test, written exam, and practical……”
Jeong Cheol-min checked his phone and continued.
“You know the applications for this year's exam are already closed, right? But if you really want, Su-ho, I could make an exception and register you additionally.”
“Is that okay?”
“It's not illegal or underhanded. There's an actual rule for cases like yours—solo-clearing a Sudden Gate means upper management would approve it no problem. The issue is the date……it's tomorrow.”
With that, Jeong Cheol-min glanced at Su-ho.
He'd suggested it out of eagerness, but cramming both written and practical exams in one day was tight.
‘Field work and exams are worlds apart……Sure, exam prep helps a bit, but going in blind would be rough.’
Jeong Cheol-min smiled awkwardly.
“It'll be tough, huh? The next one's next month, though……”
“No, please register me.”
“Huh?”
“Chance like this—might as well experience it. So aptitude test tomorrow too, all at once?”
“Oh, no. You can do aptitude today before you go……if that's okay?”
“Yes, fine by me. Actually, could you process these right away? I don't have the exam fee.”
Su-ho pointed to the hobgoblin's head and mana stone. Jeong Cheol-min grabbed them quickly.
“Got it. While you do the aptitude test, I'll handle disposal and transfer the funds. And the fee—we might cover it……”
“No, it's fine. Don't want any hassle later. I'll pay it.”
Jeong Cheol-min looked moved again and nodded briskly.
“Understood! I'll prep it fast—hang on a sec!”
He jumped up in a hurry.
Su-ho couldn't help chuckling at Jeong Cheol-min's eager energy.
***
Everything proceeded smoothly.
While Su-ho took the aptitude test, Jeong Cheol-min used his team leader authority for a tax exemption and deposited the proceeds from the mana stone and head.
The amount: about 3 million won.
After finishing aptitude, Su-ho said.
“Team Leader, one more favor?”
“What is it?”
“I know there's an employee library in the association building basement. It has exam prep books and references for tomorrow's test……If you approve, could I study there a bit before I go?”
“Oh, that's nothing. Of course! Absolutely!”
“Thank you.”
The association building's basement library.
Made for employee self-development—what was the big deal?
Especially for Su-ho, a potential future subordinate.
Plus, it was installed for self-development but went unused.
No reason to refuse.
Arriving at the library, Su-ho caught the familiar scent unique to employee libraries.
‘Been a while here too.’
Hardly anyone used it—just two or three librarians killing time.
Library nature meant they ignored entrants.
A glance at most.
That suited him fine.
‘Yeah, that's our library for you.’
Jeong Cheol-min lowered his voice.
“You can leave without an employee card—just use it freely.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“I've got work, so I'll head out. Good luck on tomorrow's exam.”
Jeong Cheol-min encouraged Su-ho and left.
Once gone, Su-ho finally surveyed the library properly.
‘Where was it……?’
Su-ho came for a hidden skill tucked in the employee library.
A memory-related skill—normally irrelevant, but vital now.
‘Human memory has limits.’
He'd never checked, but he was likely the world's only regressor.
No one to help or lean on.
Thus, total reliance on his own memory—major events stuck, but trivia faded, human as he was.
Hence, here.
Su-ho headed straight for the ‘Unknown Books’ corner.
Unknown books: otherworldly tomes from Gates, undeciphered, labeled ‘junk items.’
Su-ho eyed the haphazardly shelved unknown books, reminiscing.
‘These were a headache.’
Unknown books were headaches.
Fireproof, hard to discard.
Gate origins meant minimal care required.
So they ended up in the employee library.
‘Half head to storage eventually.’
Scanning the corner, Su-ho soon found his target.
It was the largest book there.
‘So big, they left it upfront.’
Su-ho grabbed it and went to a corner.
Bigger than an encyclopedia, name unknown.
Info just said ‘Otherworldly Book.’
But it hid a tremendous secret.
Confirming no one around, Su-ho opened it and pressed his head to it.
Minutes later, a system voice rang in his ears.
[Welcome to the Library of Memories.]
[The Library of Memories takes interest in your story.]
[Will you donate your story to the Library of Memories?]
Hearing it, Su-ho's lips curved slightly.
What he'd sought: the hidden skill ‘Library of Memories.’
Su-ho lifted his head from the book.
He read the alert before him with a smile.
‘It was real.’
Library of Memories mimicked eidetic memory.
Optimistically: recall everything seen/heard.
Pessimistically: the ‘curse of memory.’
Human minds forget pain to endure—hence the saying.
But for Su-ho, no curse—essential tool.
He needed solid ‘information,’ not oblivion.
‘With this, I can restore all my memories.’
Su-ho nodded, and the system advanced.
[Receiving your story donation.]
[The Library of Memories rejoices at your donation and offers grateful recompense.]
[You have acquired Library of Memories (A).]
[The Library of Memories begins perusing and documenting your memories.]
Right after the alerts,
Shuuua!
A gale roared in his mind, painting a vast library image.
Su-ho's library was empty.
But the whirlwind swept it, spawning hundreds of papers from nowhere.
White sheets filled with memories, binding into books.
A wondrous sight.
When books filled the shelves,
[The Library of Memories has opened.]
Su-ho fully mastered it.
He checked the info.
[Library of Memories]
- Rank: A
# Stores all seen/heard memories for anytime access.
# Recommends info user needs.
Simple description.
But who cared—effects mattered.
Su-ho recalled who told him.
Hexagon Guild's legendary chief of staff, industry #1.
Learned over a meal by chance.
- Su-ho, know this? I was once a National Hunter Association employee.
- Huh? You?
- Yeah, pre-transfer, studying alone in the library……
She'd joked about acquiring it—memorable enough.
- Fell asleep awkwardly, grabbed a book as pillow—turns out it met the skill condition.
Absurd at first.
Who'd guess an A-rank skill that way?
‘Lucky people succeed somehow—she's the case.’
With it, overnight memorization aced quals, landing her at top guild Hexagon.
Overwhelming recall fueled certs galore.
Post-transfer, memory + recommendations let her manage guild meticulously, promotions piling up to legendary status.
Su-ho thought to buy her a meal someday, returning the book.
Skill items vary—built-in skills hard to relearn post-acquisition, but shell remained.
‘Skill got—light test?’
For test, Su-ho recalled pre-death.
Observer view replayed it vividly—rage surged at former comrades turned betrayers.
‘Right. You're my targets now. Never forget this feeling.’
True to Library of Memories.
Just recalling reproduced fury, steeling resolve anew.
Then,
……
[System grants opportunity to grow stronger to you, first to reach Transcendent realm.]
[Rebooting An Su-ho Player's system.]
In fading, blinking memory, an utterly unexpected alert appeared.