The all-knowing Player (Solo Leveling)

The Underground of Reminiscences (1)

A/N: This Eira! I used a different art style bc the other one didn't have a blue skin option. 

The 3 next chapters will be a bit different from what you've known, with different fonds so here's a little guide to make sure you understand what's happening:

— The text in italics describes the past: that means, Hee-Jin's memories.

— The text in normal font describes the present: that means, current Hee-Jin's thoughts and Jin-Woo's appearances.

— T̼̼̖̾͟͞h̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧ t͖͖̠̬͛ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧx͕͕͚͍̿̆͂͞t͖͖̠̬͛ i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥ g̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ̀͘i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟t͖͖̠̬͛c̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂h̨͚͚͖ͯ̒̄͗͞i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥg̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟ f̰̰̯͕͊̃̊͞͞͞o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥt͖͖̠̬͛ describes the interference of the presence in the past: things that didn't happen in the past but happen in the Reminiscence, mostly because of Jin-Woo's presence. 

I join Jin-Woo at Gwanghwamun Square early in the morning. He greets me with a smile. Sunbeams fight their way through the clouds, painting them with pink and orange shades. The windows of the buildings around the square reflect the light and project fragments of light on the cobbled ground. The square is almost empty, only crossed by some busy people heading towards their workplace or the next best subway station. A few tourists are already heading towards Gwanghwamun Gate while others halt in front of the statue of King Sejong, whose stone glints under the rising sun.

Why did the Architect choose such a place for the entrance to the Underground of Reminiscences? Is it because of its strong historical meaning? Shaking these thoughts out of my head, I summon the key and place it in front of me as if I was inserting it in a lock.

The item reacts instantly. White swirls appear from the object in my hands until forming an enormous gate right in front of us. I gasp, amazed. It's the first time I've seen such a gate. Usually, their hues are blue. The Demon Castle's gate was red, but this is new. Silver mana streaks fuse through the white portal, creating hypnotizing patterns. Whatever awaits us behind that portal, it will surely be something even I haven't seen before.

"Let's go," Jin-Woo announces.

He offers me his hand. I gladly take it. Together, we step into the dungeon, as we did so many times before. But what lies behind this gate is just as unusual as its color. I look around with wide eyes.

Nothing.

There is absolutely nothing in this place. We are standing in the middle of a blank space, where ground and sky seem to have merged into one, as if there had never been a difference in the first place. As if everything had turned into one single place of nothingness, with only Jin-Woo and I standing in the middle.

A faint buzzing in front of us catches my attention. I squint my eyes towards the source of the noise. It looks like a window—no, like a screen, where a short video seems to be playing on repeat. Another moving image appears next to the first one, then a third and a fourth. In these videos, I recognize familiar faces among unknown ones that give me the impression of a déjà vu. But in all of these images appears one face I recognize instantly. It's mine. As a baby, as a child, as a teenager, as a young adult. Everything I have lived seems to have been gathered into those little videos. More images appear around the previous ones, multiplying until creating a patchwork of little videos of moments I forgot. Soo Hee-Jin's life.

It all comes together to create a door, crackling and buzzing as if it pained to bring all these memories back to life in tiny moving images. Some of them glitch rapidly, deteriorating as soon as I glance at them, replaced by another scene. I frown, noticing that most of the glitching memories belong to my memories as a baby and little child. Why? What exactly is this door? Where does it lead to? There is only one way to find out.