The remaining tasks were clear.
[0:05 - Orca has been attempting to enter the battlefield (The clash site of the two evils).]
Now was the perfect time to move the Awakened to a safe area and prepare for the final battle while Doom Kaos was distracted by the fight against the Old One. Considering the possibility that Doom Kaos could intervene in the System, every minute and second was urgent.
[0:06 - Orca has been attempting to enter the battlefield (The clash site of the two evils).]
I said as soon as I found Yeon-Hee in the castle, “I need to use your kids.”
***
Seong-Il never forgot this moment. It came without warning, just as it had in the old days.
Whoooosh-!
However, there was one difference this time. He was slightly aware of the force wrapping around his body and sucking him somewhere. The words coming sharply into focus in the center of his reddening vision had matched with his old memories. The only difference was that some of the words had changed from ‘beginning’ to ‘end.’
[You are entering the Final Stage.]
During the brief moment of being transported, the confusion on Seong-Il’s face disappeared. Even when he realized that the place he had been moved to was a pitch-black area that was approximately three square meters in size with no separate exit, his expression did not change.
Rather, a faint smile was on his lips because he had a hunch that it was the moment when his long war was heading toward the end.
Finally. Finally…
Moreover, the Stage of Advent had been governed by the fucking Old One, but it would not be the case now. Therefore, Seong-Il did not take a combat stance even when he noticed an unidentified presence intruding into the space.
[Hello, Awakened. Congratulations on entering the Final Stage. I am Lu-Jiah, the guide who will welcome you.]
“You guys must be the guides again.”
The Guides’ faces became distorted at Seong-Il’s calm comment.
[I was going to say, ‘You, who have suffered hardships at the Stage of Advent and survived the war in outer space to reach this point, deserve our guides’ respect…’ But ‘you guys?’]
[ ( ｰ̀дｰ́ ) ]
[It seems that you have not grasped the situation yet. I will let it slide this time, but please be careful.]
[You might feel scared of this pitch-black space, but it is actually not like that.]
“Scared? Not at all. Anyway, let me ask you something…”
[Please do not interrupt Lu-Jiah either.]
[You seem to boast about your strength, but Lu-Jiah has the authority to send the Awakened to a ‘good place’ at any time. Do you get it? Please ask questions after Lu-Jiah finishes speaking. For now, please shut the fuck up. ( ･᷄д･) I have to start from the beginning, ugh.]
[This pitch-black space might be scary to you, but the truth is different. This is a place to evaluate the Awakened. Your new position will be determined from the stage where you will be replaced based on your current level, rank, and reputation scores.]
[Please do not worry too much. Unlike the rebels you encountered in the Stage of Advent, we, the new guides, are extremely fair and reasonable.]
[Now, let’s take time to evaluate you.]
[‘Name: Kwon Seong-Il,’ ‘Level…’]
However, the interrupted message was never completed.
Seong-Il asked, “Why did you stop?”
[Umm…umm… Mr. Kwon Seong-Il? Is this true?]
“What do you mean?”
[You are cruel. You must have been happy to make fun of poor Lu-Jiah. (╥﹏╥) ]
[If you had told me earlier, then I would have behaved with utmost respect. It is an immense honor for Lu-Jiah to meet Mr. Caliber Kwon Seong-Il, the High Priest of the Human Corps. I would like to greet you again.]
[If you remember my name and speak well of me to the higher-ups, then I, Lu-Jiah, would have no other wish.]
[And from the next stage, which will officially start, it seems that I will have the authority to manage the stage, thanks to Mr. Kwon Seong-Il… I look forward to working with you.]
“Gosh, enough chit-chat. Let’s get to the point.”
[Aww. How can I evaluate such a person like you? Awakened Mr. Kwon Seong-Il, you have definitely been given a free pass!]
[ (ღゝ◡╹)ノ♡ Please remember my name, Lu-Jiah! This is a gift from Lu-Jiah, filled with love.]
[You have obtained a challenger box.]
“Gift? Gift? Shut up. You said your name is Lu-Jiah, right?”
[It seems there is a misunderstanding.]
“What misunderstanding? It is a part of the power he painstakingly acquired.”
[That is why I said it was a gift from the System. Lu-Jiah just added my love to it.]
“Whatever. Has Mary noona entered as well?”
[Mary…. Mary noona…? Is that… Don’t tell me… (｡◕ˇдˇ◕｡) No way.]
“You are really the most cowardly among the cowards.”
[But thanks to Mr. Kwon Seong-Il, I expect that I will be promoted soon. So, let’s move on to the ‘Preparation Stage,’ the first Act of the Final Stage.]
[Let’s shout it out together. Awakened Mr. Caliber Kwon Seong-Il has been given a free pass~!]
“Hold on. Wait a second.”
[Excuse me?]
“I don’t like you, man. Bring me your higher-up.”
The Guide Lu-Jiah’s face was immediately filled with sadness.
***
[You have entered Act One, the Stage of Preparation.]
At first glance, it was an old classroom. As Seong-Il was sitting in the spot directly in front of the lecture stand, empty desks also caught his attention. He wondered if he had returned to the mainland for a second, but it was slightly different from a typical classroom.
There seemed to be more desks than usual. The proof that this was not the mainland was clear even when looking out the windows towards the playground and the corridor. There was nothing in that direction.
This was, again an independent time and space. Seong-Il turned his gaze toward the Guide that had entered the classroom.
[The other Awakened are still going through the evaluations. They will be coming in one by one.]
“I told you to bring the higher-up. Did you ignore me? Or is this a rule set by Him? Let’s make things clear. If He was the one who started this, I wouldn’t argue.”
[Hello, Priest. Sorry for introducing myself late. I am in the equivalent position as you. I am the Priest of our Lu-seah Tribe, Lu-luah.]
“If you’re lying, then this won’t be fun.”
Seong-Il’s red eyes crinkled into a faint smile.
[You have partially seen through the target.]
[The Anxious Child (Tribe)
He is one of the priests of the Lusea tribe.
LV: 5**]
“It must have brought the right one. Anyway, what is going on? The scared guy from before did not know anything.”
[That is an obvious question. The Caliber has the right to know everything. Currently, Saint Dragorin is in the middle of a fight between two saints. According to the System…]
“Just say He.”
[Well…you must know to a certain extent…so…it won’t matter that much. Okay.]
[The…the…the…]
“Why are you shaking so much?”
[*** is indeed 〻( `ω´)〻 terrifying. The ones below me might not know, but at least, I, Lu-Luah, know very well about ***’s horrifying power.]
[Anyway, *** has summoned all of you for your safety and for future use. The small black space where you were first transported to, and this place here are also within ***’s domain. We, the Lu-seah tribe, have also been summoned as the Guides to the Final Stage.]
“What I am curious about is what that use is.”
[That is what Lu-Luah wanted to ask Mr. Caliber. But you know nothing. Are you really sure your ***’s close aide?]
[Hehe, you were not fooled by that. Of course, I was joking. As fellow priests, let’s talk openly. This is a crucial time now.]
[It will be important how the fight between the two saints ends, but depending on ***’s decisions afterward, both the human corps and Lu-seah tribe may end up swimming in a sea of blood. If we make a mistake, then we could all end up in hell. You know what a sea of blood is, right?]
[Even so, the lesser ones are excited without knowing the situation. They are the dumbest ones in the world, right?]
[Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right?]
Seong-Il sensed the tension that the Guide was feeling from its unusually talkative behavior. On a closer look, he noticed that its small face was rigid.
“Hehe. I see you guys are going to the battlefield, too?”
[So, please speak well to ***. It is creepy just to think about it, but I will try. If you say so, Lu-Luah will deliver it to ***.]
[I don’t know what *** saw in us small and weak ones…. But it’s really like that… We won’t be of any help to you, Awakened. Rather, we will probably be a burden.]
[Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Right?]
Seong-Il commented, “You guys are truly pitiful.”
[Alright, alright~ What can I say to someone who can’t even take care of himself despite his physique?]
[We are all dead now. You and I will be torn apart under ***’s plan. Waaaaaah! I am so excited. What an honorable death!]
[I am shuddering with joy. 〻( `ω´)〻This is definitely not because I am scared.]
“If you keep blabbering like that, then I will crush your head first. As you said, what is the point of fighting with a fellow priest like you?”
Seong-Il couldn’t help but laugh inside. Although the Guide was complaining like that, they were in a position where they had to follow Him no matter what. In other words, those who had presided over the fate of the Awakened in the Stage of Advent had become merely His servants now.
“It seems like there will be plenty of times we need to help each other. Don’t you think so?”
[...]
“Stop whining, and let’s do our best, Lu-Luah.”
[You are the only one who called my name right.]
“My tongue is a bit twisted.”
Starting from then, Awakened started to appear in the empty seats. They showed up as if they were growing from the chairs they sat on. Seong-Il noticed at a glance that they belonged to the same group in the Stage of Advent.
He started off, “There are some I have not seen in a while and others that I have. Anyway, it’s so nice to see you.”
“It is an honor to see you, Mr. Caliber.”
“It is an honor to see you, Mr. Caliber.”
Seong-Il’s smile while dealing with the Guide slowly faded away. The end was really near. Not just him, but everyone was appearing with that look in their eyes.
That was why Seong-Il was ready to put everything he had into it. Starting with that, he drew out what he had deliberately hidden, conscious of Hera and other competitors.
Seong-Il spoke in English, “There is a well-known saying from earlier generations. If you're willing to survive, then you will die. If you're willing to die, then you will survive. There is no more correct phrase for us than that. Welcome to my group.”
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