Chapter 7

 

That’s right.

What does any other story matter?

While other civil servants were desperate to avoid entering gates, anyone who volunteered for fieldwork was more than welcome.

This job didn’t add up financially—it had to be sustained purely by patriotism and altruism.

Holding back his cheer, Jeong Cheolmin replied,

“…Understood. The paperwork and identity verification are now complete. Although this wasn’t intended to be an interview session, it seems to have turned into one.”

“Talking naturally leads to various discussions, doesn’t it?”

“Haha, indeed. Now you only need to take the aptitude test, the written test, and the practical test…”

Jeong Cheolmin checked his phone and then spoke.

“You know the registration for this year’s test has already closed, right? But if you want, I can arrange your registration for you on short notice.”

“Is that possible?”

“It’s not illegal or a workaround. There’s an actual rule for cases like yours where you’ve solo-cleared an uncharted gate. As long as I report it to the higher-ups, it can be approved. But the test is tomorrow…”

At this, Jeong Cheolmin glanced at Suho, gauging his reaction. Though he recommended it out of enthusiasm, he realized preparing for both the written and practical tests in just one day might be tight.

‘The field and the entrance exam are quite different… Although what you learned for the entrance exam isn’t completely useless, it’s tough to take the test if you don’t know enough.’

Jeong Cheolmin awkwardly smiled and said,

“It might be a bit challenging, right? There’s also a test next month…”

“No, please register me.”

“What?”

“I’ll take the opportunity to gain experience. So, do I take the aptitude test tomorrow along with the other tests?”

“Oh, no. You can take the aptitude test today… Is that okay?”

“Yes, that’s fine. But please process these first. I don’t have anything for the registration fee.”

Suho pointed to the Hobgoblin’s head and magic stone, and Jeong Cheolmin quickly took them.

“Understood. Take the aptitude test while I handle these and transfer the money. As for the registration fee, our side might cover it…”

“No, that’s alright. I’d rather avoid any potential issues later. I’ll pay for it myself.”

Jeong Cheolmin, visibly moved, quickly replied,

“Understood! I’ll prepare everything right away, so please wait a moment!”

Jeong Cheolmin hurriedly got up from his seat. Seeing his brisk manner, Suho couldn’t help but smile.

 

***

 

Everything proceeded smoothly.

While Suho took the aptitude test, Jeong Cheolmin used his authority as team leader to process the sale of the magic stone and the Hobgoblin’s head, even securing a tax exemption.

He deposited about 3 million won from the sale.

After finishing the aptitude test, Suho spoke.

“Team Leader, may I ask one more favor?”

“What is it?”

“As far as I know, there’s a library in the basement of the Association building. It contains reference books and study materials for the exam tomorrow. If you permit, could I prepare for the written test there today?”

“Oh, I thought it was something else. Of course you can!”

“Thank you.”

The library in the basement of the Association building was created for the employees’ self-development. Allowing access to it was not a big issue.

Of course, he had to grant the request of Suho, who might become his subordinate in the future.

Moreover, the library, though intended for staff self-development, was rarely used.

There was no reason to refuse.

When they arrived at the library, Suho caught the familiar scent of the staff library he hadn’t smelled in a long time.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve been here too.’

A place rarely visited by anyone, where two or three librarians hired to manage the place idly passed the time.

Due to the nature of the library, the librarians didn’t pay attention to anyone entering.

Even if they noticed someone, they would just glance and look away.

In this sense, it was fortunate.

‘Well, this is how our library originally looked.’

Lowering his voice, Jeong Cheolmin said,

“You can exit without a staff card, so feel free to use the place.”

“Thank you.”

“I have some work to attend to, so I’ll be leaving. Good luck with your exam tomorrow.”

Jeong Cheolmin wished Suho well before departing.

After he left, Suho began to explore the library in earnest.

‘Where was it again…?’

The reason Suho came here was for a hidden skill concealed in the staff library.

It was a skill related to memory, something he would typically neither need nor be interested in, but now it was more crucial to him than anything.

‘Human memory has its limits.’

Though unconfirmed, Suho suspected he was the only one in the world who had returned to the past.

Meaning, there was no one he could seek help or rely on.

Thus, he had to depend entirely on his memory. While he remembered the major events, as a human, the minor details were hazy.

That’s why he came here.

Suho headed straight to the ‘Unknown Books Corner’.

Unknown books were those found inside gates from other worlds, books no one had ever deciphered, and thus classified as ’junk items’.

Looking at the randomly shelved unknown books, Suho reminisced.

‘These were quite the headache.’

Unknown books were indeed troublesome.

They didn’t burn, nor could they be disposed of easily.

Yet, being found in gates, they required minimal management, leading them to be stored in the association’s staff library.

‘Half of these will eventually end up in storage.’

Browsing the unknown books section, Suho quickly found what he was looking for.

It was the largest book among the unknown books on the shelf.

‘Because of its size, it’s just left at the front.’

Suho picked it up and moved to a corner of the library.

Even larger than most encyclopedias, this book’s name remained unknown.

Checking its information only revealed it as “a book from another world.”

But it held an incredible secret.

After ensuring no one was around, Suho opened the book and placed his head close to it.

Minutes later, he heard a system notification pinging in his ear.

 

 

Hearing the notification, Suho quietly smiled.

This was what Suho had come to find in the staff library.

It was the hidden skill known as the ‘Library of Memories’.

Suho lifted his head from the book upon hearing the system notification. He read the alert in front of him and smiled.

‘It’s real.’

The Library of Memories was a skill similar to what is commonly referred to as photographic memory.

On the positive side, it meant remembering everything seen and heard instantly. On the negative side, it was akin to what some call the ‘curse of memory’.

Human minds have the ability to forget, which helps them endure pain and keep going.

But for Suho, the Library of Memories was not a curse but a crucial tool.

What he needed now was accurate and reliable information, not the ability to forget.

‘With this, I can restore all my memories.’

As Suho nodded, the system notification moved on to the next step.

 

 

Right after the notification,

Shwaaa!

It felt as if a strong wind had swept through his mind, and an image of a vast library began to form in his head.

The library Suho saw was empty.

But as the wind swept through the library, hundreds of sheets of paper appeared out of nowhere. These blank sheets soon filled with Suho’s memories, turning into densely written documents, which then bound themselves into books.

It was an amazing sight.

Finally, when the library was filled with books,

 

 

Suho had completely acquired the Library of Memories.

Seeing the notification, Suho checked the information about the Library of Memories.

 

 

A simple description.

But the description didn’t matter. What was important was the effect of the skill itself.

Suho suddenly remembered the person who had told him about the Library of Memories.

She was the legendary head manager of Hexagon Guild, currently known as the top guild in the industry. He learned about the Library of Memories during a meal with her.

 

– Suho-sshi, did you know? I used to work for the Korean Hunter Association.

– Really? You, Manager?

– Yes, back when I was preparing for a job change and studying alone in the library…

 

She had recounted how she acquired the skill as if it were a joke, but it had left a strong impression on Suho, so he remembered it well.

 

– I couldn’t sleep comfortably with my head on the table, so I grabbed a random book to use as a pillow. It turned out to be the condition to discover the skill.

 

When Suho first heard that, he couldn’t believe it.

Who would have thought that an A-rank skill could be obtained in such a way?

‘They say that people who are destined to succeed will do so in any way possible. She must be one of those cases.’

With the Library of Memories in her possession, her exceptional memorization skills that developed overnight helped her successfully transition to Hexagon, the top-ranked guild in the industry.

This was possible because she acquired numerous certifications based on her overwhelming memorization abilities.

And that wasn’t all.

Even after her transition, her superior memory and the information recommendation system provided by the Library of Memories allowed her to meticulously manage all the guild members.

This led to repeated promotions, ultimately making her one of the most legendary head managers in the industry.

Suho thought he should treat her to a meal if he ever met her again, and he returned the book to its original place.

Depending on the skill item, once you learned the built-in skill, it was difficult to acquire additional skills, but the book itself remained.

‘I’ve acquired the skill; let’s give it a light test.’

As a test, Suho recalled the moment before his death.

As he remembered, the scene unfolded in his mind from an observer’s perspective, and seeing the comrades who had become traitors, his anger surged again.

‘Yes. Now you have become one of my goals. I will never forget this feeling.’

Indeed, it was the Library of Memories.

Just recalling a memory vividly recreated the anger from that time, reinforcing his resolve once more.

But then,

……

 

 

In the fading memories, an unexpected notification appeared.