In the Name of God - vanish into fiction

The Black Saint was sensitive to the kind of “strength” that allowed one to survive the apocalypse, and he did not care in the slightest about the intentions or emotions of others. Anyone who fell outside the standards he set was cut down without mercy.

If there were people closely connected to someone who erected walls in the name of standards like that, it would probably be the Grade 1 Awakeners of the time, those commonly called “heroes.”

But there was no way a mere Grade 9 Awakener like me would ever have a chance to meet such heroes. Even if I forced an opportunity to meet them, my standing was not impressive enough for them to hand over information.

So for now, the only option was to join a large, influential clan in Korea, preferably one with formidable information-gathering capabilities, and make use of that power.

As I was lost in thought, Echo asked cautiously.

-Do you not think that the Black Saint might already be dead, Master?

“Of course I do not.”

Among the public, there were rumors that the Black Saint had died long ago and that the Association or the heroes were covering it up.

But I did not believe for a second that the child who had risked his life to stop the apocalypse had died meaninglessly and vanished.

“He is not someone who would ever give up easily, whether it is life or anything else.”

I knew that better than anyone.

I tried several times to picture the child’s face that I could no longer remember, then let out a deep sigh.

At the time the holy war ended, he had been the same age as Seong Do-yoon is now, twenty-seven, so by now he would be at least twice that age. It would have been satisfying to trace how dignified he must have grown, and how much of his former self remained.

“But all I remember is that he grew into a tall man, so I cannot even complain if he sulks.”

Echo, who had been floating nearby, gently tapped my shoulder with his soft front paw, as if to encourage me.

‘And lifespan is also a problem.’

To confirm my apostle’s safety and postpone this world’s destruction, I needed to stay alive first.

‘Just clearing dungeons is still not enough.’

So far, the patterns confirmed through the quests given by the current system were only two.

Dealing with humans who harbored killing intent toward me.

And the death of monsters contaminated by shadow.

<The shadow-contaminated Lizardman Warrior has been slain.>
<As a reward, your lifespan is extended by 7 days.>

If bizarre monsters contaminated by shadow like that appeared again, I would be able to secure quite a bit of lifespan.

The adaptation process would hurt badly enough to feel like dying, just like last time, but I was not delicate enough to be frightened by that level of pain. If it meant extending my lifespan, I could endure that kind of suffering even if I had to go through it every day.

‘The problem is that those monsters do not just conveniently drop out of nowhere whenever I want.’

Judging from the fact that even shadow adaptation had a gauge and quests attached to it, that was not something that happened just once and ended. I had a feeling I would encounter it again before long.

After gathering my thoughts, I splashed cold water on my face once more and roughly wiped off the moisture with a towel.

‘Anyway, what matters most right now is the promotion exam.’

The lower promotion exam was held for Grades 8 and 9.

In that exam, where one could rise by up to two grades depending on performance, I was planning to jump straight to Grade 7.

‘I need a clear key that will let me rise to Grade 7, not just raw combat power.’

As I fell back into thought while wiping my face with the towel, Echo tilted his head and kept calling out to me. By the time he called me for the eighth time, I finally replied.

“There is something I want you to look up among the information you can download from the system.”

“What is it?”

“It is…”

I lowered my voice slightly as I spoke. Echo flicked his ears and nodded along, then soon started wagging his tail vigorously.

-There is! It is information that is permitted for download, Master!

“I thought so.”

Echo was my auxiliary module and a being connected to the system.

In that case, it was only natural that he had a certain level of access to the basic frameworks the system had set up in this world.

“Download it immediately and shove it straight into my head.”

Echo usually transmitted words directly into my mind. It was essentially an exchange of information values in the form of something like “language,” “voice,” and “will.”