CHAPTER ELEVEN !
───forgotten.

THE STERILE, WHITE WALLS OF THE HOSPITAL ROOM, Hyeon as he groggily opened his eyes. Beeping machines and the faint hum of medical equipment filled the air. His vision was still a bit hazy as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

Memories of a dream lingered, flashes of bright lights, statues, and a mysterious boy holding his hand.

Coughing and struggling for breath, Hyeon sat up in the plush bed, taking in the luxurious interior of the room.

The soft glow of the expensive-looking bedside lamp cast a warm hue across the room. A large, ornate vase adorned with fresh flowers stood on a polished wooden table, contrasting with the clinical atmosphere of the hospital.

As Hyeon shifted his gaze towards the window, he saw a breathtaking view of a bustling cityscape. Skyscrapers pierced the sky, and a river meandered through the urban sprawl.

Though he couldn't remember much, the cityscape seemed familiar, a place of both modernity and tradition.

His head throbbed with pain, and confusion clouded his thoughts. He could only recall his name, and a nagging feeling that he had a family waiting for him. When a doctor entered the room, concern etched across his face, Hyeon grasped the opportunity to seek answers.

"Good to see you awake, Hunter Kim Hyeon. How are you feeling?" Doctor asked.

"I... I'm not sure. What happened? Where am I?" Hyeon said while rubbing his temple.

"You're in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. You had quite a scare, but you're safe now." Hyeon furrowed his brow, the name Tokyo ringing a faint bell in his mind.

"Tokyo? Why am I here? What happened to me?"

"You were brought in after collapsing. It seems like you're suffering from some memory loss. We're still running tests to understand what might have caused it."

"How many d-days I was sleeping?"

"For 3 days." Hyeon's eyes widened.

"Can you... Can you bring my parents here? Maybe they can help me remember." Hyeon said and looked around anxiously.

The doctor nodded empathetically, assuring Hyeon that his parents would be contacted.

As the doctor left the room, Hyeon stared out the window, his mind racing to make sense of the fragmented images from his dream and the unfamiliar reality that surrounded him in the heart of the bustling city.

Alone in the room, Hyeon traced the edges of his memory. Flashes of a double dungeon in Korea, intense battles, and the stabbing pain of losing comrades surged in his mind.

Struggling to piece together the fragments, he winced as he attempted to recall the boy from his dream—holding his hand and even sharing a kiss with him. Was it a dream or a forgotten reality?

Hyeon rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of the swirling memories in his head. Suddenly, weird messages appeared out of nowhere.

[Congratulations on becoming a Player.]

[You have unread messages.]

[You have unread messages.]

Hyeon looked confused, staring at the notifications. He muttered some words under his breath, and the messages changed, responding to his words like magic. It felt strange, like he was in a different world.

"Can I just think it, or do I have to say it out loud?" he wondered aloud.

He tried different commands,

"Check!"

"Uhmm maybe nah."

"Message!"

"Haaa."

"Read the message!"

Hyeon blushed, he sighed and then he continued to try to open these weird things in front of him.

"Look!"

"Come on!"

"Show me!" he said, he sighed but when he was going to try another word again. the door swung open, and Hyeon's mom walked in, giving him a skeptical look.

"Did you become an idiot too?" she remarked.

Hyeon blinked, taken aback by his mother's sudden remark. "Uh, no, Mom. I was just... talking to myself," he mumbled, still trying to comprehend the strange messages that had popped up in front of him.

His mother sighed, shaking her head. "Talking to yourself already? And in English, too. What's going on with you?" she teased.

"I have no idea, Mom. I just woke up and now there are these weird messages appearing in front of me," Hyeon explained, gesturing towards the mysterious notifications.

His mother arched an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Messages? In English? Is this some kind of prank or a language lesson gone wrong?"

"No, really! Look!" Hyeon pointed to the floating messages in front of him.

"Where? I don't see anything?" When Hyeon heard that, he stopped. Maybe he is the only one who can see this?

"I'm going to get the doc–"

"No Mom! I'm ju-just joking.. Hehe." Hyeon said while rubbing the back of his neck. His mother just sighed and hugged his son. She was really worried about his son.

When his father(Hyeon's Grandfather) called him that Hyeon was in the Hospital, she and his husband immediately. His father instructed her to get Hyeon out of the hospital and fly to Japan where his father is living.

At first she didn't know what to do but some hunters explained everything. His husband decided to take Hyeon even though he is not yet awake and fly to Japan.

Her and His husband decided to live in Japan for the safety of their son. Unexpectedly his father knows everything that happens since he has connections, even though he is not a hunter he still has the power of money. His father is a CEO of a big corporation in Japan and has a connection to different guilds in each country. Even the White Tiger Guild, he knows some people who work for them.

His father said to her that Hyeon might have had a Second Awakening. Of course she was shocked and kinda happy that his son who used to be an E ranker can become an A rank or even S rank hunter.

So maybe this message that Hyeon is referring to is a side effect of having a Second Awakening.

'Or is it that my son has really become an idiot?'

Hyeon's mother sat beside his hospital bed, gently stroking his hair as he began to stir. Concern etched across her face, she leaned in, "Hyeon, sweetheart, do you remember anything? Especially someone named..."

The name that his mother said became static and Hyeon winced, his hand instinctively going to his head as if trying to ward off a sudden pain. His mother, worried, immediately ceased her question, "Easy, easy, Hyeon. It's okay. Take a deep breath."

Hyeon's breathing slowly steadied, and his mother continued to soothe him, "You don't have to force yourself. The doctor said it might take some time for your memory to come back."

She noticed the discomfort in her son's eyes and suggested, "How about you try to get some more rest? It might help."

Nodding slightly, Hyeon closed his eyes, and his mother tucked him in, casting a concerned glance as she left the room. Once in the hallway, she dialed her father's number.

"Hello, Dad? It's me. I wanted to talk to you about something concerning Hyeon," she spoke in hushed tones.

Her father's voice came through the phone, "What's going on, dear?"

"When I mentioned the name Jinwoo to Hyeon, he seemed to be in pain. It's like his head started hurting," she explained, worried evident in her voice.

There was a brief pause before her father responded, "Jinwoo, you say? Well, they were found together in that dungeon, weren't they? That's strange.."

Hyeon's mother sighed, "I think you're right. Maybe discussing Jinwoo triggers something in Hyeon. We should avoid bringing it up for now."

Her father agreed, "Yes, let's not push him. It's crucial for his recovery. We can talk about it later when he's more stable."

With that decision made, Hyeon's mother thanked her father and hung up. She hoped that by respecting Hyeon's current state and avoiding the topic of Jinwoo, they could provide him with the space and time he needed to heal both physically and mentally.

5 days later.

KNOWING HOW TO OPEN THE HIDDEN MESSAGE is really a bad idea! Hyeon who is currently in their garden, trying to complete the Daily Quest: Strength Training. He is panting and out of breath.

"HAAA!"

[ DAILY QUEST: STRENGTH TRAINING - COMPLETE ]

Hyeon immediately rolled his body on the grass while panting hard. His legs wiggled and his arms hurt like hell! But he should do all this Daily Quest or else he will receive that hell penalty again!

Hyeon stands up and flexes his slender arms.

"Hmp! This fine Strength Training pad off I don't look the same as before." Hyeon said to himself while looking at his toned stomach and slightly muscle on his shoulder, biceps and forearm.

"Well I'm a mage, I don't need to look buff."

Hyeon nodded his head and looked at his own stats.

[Name: Kim Hyeon]

[Job: Mage] [HP: 80]

[Fatigue: 0]

[Level: 1]

[Title: Novice]

[MP: 75]

[Stats]

Strength: 8

Dexterity: 12

Stamina: 7

Agility: 9

Intelligence: 50

Constitution: 8

Perception: 11

(Available ability points: 5)

[Skills]

Arcane Bolt: Unleashes a basic magical projectile towards the target.

Mana Shield: Creates a protective barrier using mana, reducing incoming damage by 20% for a short duration.

Elemental Grasp (Fire): Allows manipulation of basic fire elements for both offensive and defensive purposes.

After expecting his stats Hyeon sighed and he fished the gold key from his pocket.

'I guess it's time to figure this out.' The key's info screen popped up in green writing.

[ITEM: DUNGEON KEY]

Acquisition Difficulty: E

Category: Key

A key that will take you to an instance dungeon. It can be used at the exit of the Tokyo Subway Station.

ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS
archmage sovereign

Kim Taejoon (김태준) - Hyeon's Grandfather

Kim Minji (김민지) - Hyeon's Mother

 Kim Seongho (김성호) - Hyeon's Father