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Chapter 125

Chapter 125: Preparation

A total of 50 people.

Even after subtracting the five who were already sacrificed and the three Chinese Awakened, there should be 42 people.

However, the current number of Awakened gathered was only 27.

There are probably 15 people scattered around.

The first priority was to find them.

The Awakened split into two groups and searched in all directions.

It was Hayang who helped them a lot in the process.

[TL/N: I had forgotten to give a tl/n last time ;-; but yes Whitey->Hayang]

The Awakened were unaware of Hayang’s presence as it followed them in a transparent state, but Park Si-woo and Seo Ye-rim were different.

Tap, tap.

Tap.

The feeling of a beak on the shoulder. As if guiding them in the right direction, it not only stroked them with its beak but also kindly informed them of the number.

“As expected, very clever.”

Seo Yerim admired quietly as she received the signal.

She had a high level of intelligence that would make even the most ordinary summoned beast blush.

Excellent reconnaissance ability.

She even shared her attributes.

Most importantly…

‘So cute.’

Perhaps because it’s still young, but its appearance is adorable.

Its abundance of charm was an added bonus.

Every time Kim Min-woo called himself “Dad” and showed affection towards Hayang, she felt very envious.

‘I wish I had a pet like this too.’

She desperately wanted to get one.

The problem was that it wasn’t easy.

If it was just an ordinary pet, she could adopt one, but a pet with abilities was a completely different story.

She had to find it inside the Gate.

Mystical abilities + very high intelligence + cute creature.

If such a thing were found easily, everyone would be walking around with pets.

Only a tiny fraction of Awakened, those with exceptional skills and luck, owned such a pet.

Gently, her hand caressed Hayang’s head.

—Coo

A voice was heard in her ear as if in return.

‘Uu…’

She shivered slightly at the cute sound and then held out her finger.

“…Ahem! Let’s go that way.”

“Yes!”

The Awakened nodded their heads without a word. Not only did she have a wide field of vision as an archer, but Awakened were being discovered exactly where she pointed.

It wasn’t just once or twice, but it kept happening, so there was no room for disagreement. In just one day, all 15 people were found

A total of 42 people.

Their occupations and races were also very diverse.

The process of getting in sync was essential.

“Now we will be your training instructors. We will start with individual lessons.”

Seo Ye-rim.

Park Si-woo.

Cedric.

And even Merhen.

Two humans and two undead took on the role of instructors.

Honestly, until then, the awakened had felt more than skeptical.

Sure, they were skilled.

But teaching is a different story, isn’t it?

We are skilled in our own right.

Moreover, a summoned creature as an instructor?

Hmm…

That was roughly the feeling.

However, they didn’t voice their concerns because they wanted to observe first.

First was Park Si-woo.

He took charge of one of the close combat groups divided into ten.

Called Group 1.

The most eye-catching figure in Group 1 was Thompson from the United States.

A bald African American paladin.

Even the muscles of his arm holding the mace were swollen as if they were about to burst.

Whether by appearance or reputation, he could be considered the most eye-catching awakened in Group 1.

“Will Mr. Thompson take charge of the group there?”

“Sure thing.”

Thompson shrugged his shoulders and replied.

“So, what’s the training content? If it’s about coordinating with everyone, there’s not much point in gathering just us…”

“First, we’ll look at the basics. We’ll coordinate after that. For now… just spar with me and hold out.”

“Okay.”

Thompson, having said that, stepped forward first.

Raising his pure white tower shield, he said with a serious look in his eyes.

“I won’t go down easily.”

Thompson spoke while taking a solid defensive stance. Park Si-woo tilted his head at the sight.

“What are you up to?”

“….?”

“Why is it just Mr. Thompson?”

“…Hey Park. Just in case, are you saying all ten of us should attack you?”

“Yes.”

“…Okay. What are you guys waiting for? Come on out.”

At those words, the Awakened, with hesitant expressions, all came forward.

‘…Well, experience doesn’t guarantee anything.’

No matter how young and new Park Si-woo was as an Awakened, in the end, this world revolved around skill.

He had a record of defeating an S-rank Awakened in ten moves. And in this test, he placed third, so there was no denying his ability. Even so, they couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

“…Get ready. We’re not that easy to deal with….”

It was then.

Bang!

With a huge noise.

Argh!

Awakened were seen flying in all directions..

Cedric, the close combat instructor of Group 2.

Every time the summoned creature swung its spear among the Awakened, explosions erupted.

“They’ve already started. I’ll go too.”

In his hand, suddenly a holy sword gleamed.

In an instant, the distance closed.

Thompson’s eyes gleamed as he raised his shield.

‘I’ll endure!’

Even without a provocation skill like a warrior, a paladin’s vitality and endurance were superior to a warrior’s.

Moreover, he could use healing skills, though not as well as a priest. If he could just withstand the attacks, the rest of the group members would take care of the rest.

He raised his shield towards Park Si-woo, who was about to swing his sword with full force.

Clang!

An impact was felt on the shield.

In an instant, the Awakened started rushing in from all directions.

Then.

Thompson furrowed his brow.

‘…Too light?’

Considering his posture as if he had exerted all his strength, the attack felt too light. Could it be that in that moment, all his strength was taken away?

Boom!

“Ugh!”

A scream erupted from the side.

Renoir, the French assassin he had briefly greeted earlier.

The flat of his sword was hitting Renoir’s solar plexus like a bat.

Boom!

Boom!

The Awakened began flying in all directions.

‘Could it be, he intended to get close?’

It was definitely a downward strike stance with full power. The more power you put in, the more gaps you create.

The awakened aimed at those openings like pros.

But, naturally, the sword deflected off the shield, sweeping away all the awakened nearby.

‘What kind of monster is this….’

In the blink of an eye, all nine were swept away. Suddenly, he found himself standing alone.

If he couldn’t win in a ten-to-one, let alone a one-on-one, it was pointless.

“Argh!”

In just two moves, the sword was at his throat..

“It’s over. Everyone gather around.”

Members of Group 1 gathered one by one.

“Renoir, you put too much force into your arms when attacking. It makes it hard to counter smoothly, you know? And Viktor, it seems like it’s a habit for you to twist your waist when attacking….”

Park Si-woo pointed out the bad habits of each member one by one.

The awakened thought deeply and nodded.

‘…He seems to be right?’

Thompson also received criticism.

“Mr. Thompson, your body is too stiff. Shouldn’t you hunch more for defense? How about trying it like this?”

Approaching Thompson, Park Si-woo corrected his posture.

“How’s that?”

“Definitely….”

Thompson nodded.

Even though he had only adjusted a few parts of his body, Thompson felt his field of vision widen significantly.

He bowed his head politely and said,

“I apologize. I underestimated you. We were in no position to act arrogantly…”

“No, it’s okay. It happens. To be honest, I’m nothing compared to my brother.”

Park Si-woo grinned modestly.

The Awakened tilted their heads at the sight.

“By brother, do you mean Guild Leader Kim Min-woo?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Well, that guy’s summoned creature is indeed amazing. But we each have our own fields of expertise. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be too humble.”

Thompson encouraged him, patting his shoulder.

“…Different fields? But my brother is better at swordsmanship than me.”

“…Huh?”

The Awakened blinked their eyes.

The scene he had just shown was monstrous enough to instantly understand why he was the Sword Saint’s disciple…

“Park, you’re saying he’s better at swordsmanship than you?”

“Yes. I’ve never beaten him in a spar. Not even once.”

Park Si-woo’s eyes were so serious it couldn’t be taken as a joke. The awakened looked at him with question marks in their eyes.

“…Really?”

“Yes. What would I gain from lying? The basics I’m using now, I learned them all from him.”

“…Not from the Sword Saint?”

“Well, that too, of course.”

“…Huh.”

They already knew that Kim Min-woo used a sword. They also knew that he was quite skilled.

But, to the extent that this genius swordsman, Park Si-woo, had never beaten him with a sword?

‘Is he really that good?’

Then, just how much of a monster was Kim Min-woo?

* * *

Other instructors were relentless in teaching their members as well.

Among them, the most intense atmosphere was…

[Takeru uses Flame’s Fury (A)!]

[Jackson uses Flame Lance (A)!]

—Are you guys idiots? Why would you use them like that?

“Uh….”

“Er….”

—No, you have to think before you use magic, don’t you?

It was Merhen.

With her arms crossed, she looked continuously at the mages as if displeased.

—Fire is hot, right? It burns, right? But why do you just stand still when you use magic?

“B-Because it activates even if I do this?”

Japanese mage Takehiro’s answer made the Canadian mage Jackson nod in agreement.

—Ah, this is frustrating. Just activating it isn’t the end, you know? Use it like this!

Merhen stomped her foot with annoyance and extended her hand forward.

[Merhen uses Flame’s Fury (SS)!]

[Merhen uses Flame Lance (SS)!]

The same skills as before were activated in her hands in an instant.

But the power was vastly different.

The two spells could be seen flying, melting everything around them with their intense heat.

—You have to activate it with an image in mind. Mana doesn’t just move, it has to move like it’s burning, flickering. Is this difficult?

“……Uh, uh….”

—Ah, seriously. You two, stand still.

Merhen reached out her hand towards the two mages. Instantly taking control of the mana in their bodies, she started moving it as if remotely controlling them.

—Memorize it. Like this. This way. Bubbling. Moving up your hand…

Whoosh!

[Takeru uses Flame’s Fury (S)!]

[Jackson uses Flame Lance (S)!]

—Shoot it like this. Got it?

How talentless could they be that even with her directly manipulating their mana, the output was only that level?

It was truly horrifying.

But she couldn’t give up on teaching them. Kim Min-woo had personally asked her to do it.

It was a situation where communication was impossible, even though they were clearly having a conversation.

What could she do?

She had no choice but to force them to memorize it.

“Yes, yes!”

The two mages nodded their heads frantically.

The A-rank spells they had been using for a long time were suddenly being activated as S-rank overnight.

Their nationalities and ages were all different, but they shared one thought.

‘This is crazy…’

The only magic they had ever used was what they learned from skill books. Honestly, they still didn’t understand most of what was happening.

But they realized they had to change. The two desperately tried to remember the flow of mana that Merhen had just guided them through.

—-Now go to the temple and practice.

“Yes!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Many mages were already gathered at the place Merhen had pointed to.

Mages were sweating profusely, practicing magic relentlessly.

And now, the two joined them.

Sophia, the American mage, clicked her tongue as she stared at the scene.

‘I’m considered a promising talent in the US…’

Her magic skills were outstanding, to the point that it was said she would rank among the top 10 American mages once she reached S-rank.

But compared to that summoned creature, she was like a firefly in front of the full moon.

They said she used magic cancellation as easily as breathing…

‘She’s a real monster.’

Seeing her replicate and cast magic right after witnessing it made her head spin.

A crazy summoned creature.

How on earth did Kim Min-woo obtain such a monster?

Intense curiosity mixed with awe for a moment.

“Instructor! Is it my turn now?”

She asked eagerly, her eyes shining.

With such skill, she was sure to gain something.

—Yes. Go ahead.

[Sophia uses Escape Drop (S)!]

Her only S-rank spell, Escape Drop, was activated.

A massive waterfall crashed down, carving away the ground.

“How was that?”

—It’s a total disaster.

“…Really?”

—Yeah. Still better than those guys earlier, though.

At least she seemed to be considering and using magic.

“How does it compare to Angela?”

—…Angela?

“Yes, the mage who used the Water Dragon Summoning. The one Merhen took the skill from.”

—Hmm…

Merhen furrowed her brows as she pondered. It was quite a dilemma for her.

Ants were already small.

And she had to compare the sizes of those ants.

—You both seem similar…

“But still. There must be someone who’s a little better.”

Sophia kept asking.

She had a competitive spirit towards Angela.

It was rumored that she would be ranked among the top 10 American mages.

In other words, wouldn’t that mean she would be in fierce competition with Angela, who was already in the top 10?

That’s why she wanted to hear good things.

Things like, you can win, and such.

And those words didn’t just have the meaning of encouragement.

Merhen was already famous for her blunt remarks.

If someone like her, known for her honesty, said that Sophia had the potential to surpass the 10th rank…

It carried a different weight than the rumors of the gossipmongers.

It was akin to a kind of guarantee.

Her value would skyrocket.

It was a completely different story between rumors circulating and being confirmed to enter the top 10.

This was one of the reasons why Sophia was clinging to her so persistently.

Merhen frowned at the sight.

‘Annoying.’

What was the point of worrying about which of the ants was better?

She answered casually.

—I don’t know. Maybe you’re a little better.

“Really?!”

—Yeah.

Or not.

It wasn’t Merhen’s concern.