There was a force that had prepared for the Stage of Advent before it even started. The master would have been involved with this power as he was one of the most powerful figures in the world. The name of the force was the World Awakened Association. The pre-Awakened who were from Revolucion and Tomorrow always talked about ‘Joshua von Karjan,’ so it was impossible to forget him.
“He will come, so be prepared.”
“What do you mean by ‘he?”
“Odin. He is your master too.”
Olivia snapped out of that memory.
Odin? Is he Joshua von Karjan? The leader of the World Awakened Association?
She found it hard to understand the reasoning behind her master’s order as so many things had changed. It didn’t matter what kind of secret agreement there had been in the past; everything had lost all meaning. It got worse as time went by. The pre-Awakened had appeared as dangerous enemies instead of reliable colleagues, and the master had to deal with these challenges multiple times.
Fights were inevitable because the previous stages had to be integrated during the preparation period before the new stage. Although the System was no longer malicious and didn’t force them, the Awakened were already aware of the true reality. Also, there was nothing they could do as by now everyone had violent instincts made for survival. Moreover, the quests suddenly became crazy and wild right in the middle of Act Two, Stage Two.
Regardless, the master had awakened as the true ruler, the King of Hell, in this world. Everyone was in awe of the master, and he had the authority to deserve it.
This made his orders even more incomprehensible as Joshua von Karjan was the master’s rival. He was a competitor whom the master had to fight for control, both here and outside! Despite that, the master showed no desire to conquer such a guy and even told her to get ready to greet him. However, it turned out that Odin was not Joshua von Karjan.
The master was the most famous person in the world. Unless a country was ruled by a dictatorship, these leaders usually lost their influence when they finished their terms. However, the master had always been the most powerful in his golden empire. Those who wanted to have a conversation with him should have been around his level.
But this Odin was different. The Korean man who was called by that name and the woman named Mary basically had no obvious connection with the owners of the Jonathan Investment Finance Group. In fact, Odin seemed to have awakened around his early twenties.
Nevertheless, the master wasn’t very formal toward him. It was shocking to see him drunk and excited, and Olivia was even envious of Odin. However, their relationship was beyond old friends. Since he was not visibly equipped with anything, Odin definitely knew how to use the inventory, just like the master. Also, he clearly had the ability to overwhelm Maruka aristocrats as he, oddly enough, had a hideous monster in his party that was completely subordinate to him. Based on all that, the Korean couple were likely both in the challenger section at the very least.
The conversations they had when they got more drunk were even more unbelievable. In fact, the two of them were looking down on the master to a great extent. It was right before the Final Stage. Of course, there would be leaders who had started from different starting points and followed in the same footsteps as the master. Even considering the fact, Odin and Mary’s appearance was indeed shocking. But… what?
“They have a predetermined fate, just as you are originally under me.”
A Korean man named Odin was looking down on everyone. At that moment, Olivia’s heart sank, like the day when she had started serving Jonathan as her master. Emotions began to rise from the deep corner of her heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart beat like a drum.
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However, when she came out of the tent that reeked of alcohol and encountered the terrifying gaze of the Maruka aristocrat, she came back to her senses.
Gasp.
Olivia’s crazily beating heart settled down slowly. Her eyes turned back to their usual coldness.
However, too many years have passed, Odin. I might have been under you a long time ago as I was better back then, but you will only be disappointed in me now.’
Olivia broke through the area where people were preparing for the battle and reached the wooden fence. Reality hit her as she climbed the watchtower. The troops from other camps were encircling her camp. However, since they were also aware of the conflicts between each other, the distance between each group was quite wide. Multiple flags were swaying by the wind. As she had reported to Jonathan, some were large-scale troops, whereas others had only sent elite squads.
Olivia suddenly remembered how Act One, Stage One had been for her as the pressure began to come in. It felt similar to when she was captured by the boss monster Kciphos Gundrak. She wasn’t intimidated by their military force. In fact, this whole situation was predictable and resembled a powder keg that was just waiting to be lit. As soon as that fuse caught fire, it would explode among all the camps that had reached the Final Stage. Civil war would break out between the Awakened! Once it started, it would never stop even if the Final Stage began.
It was not necessary to experience how long the fierce war would last. Olivia once again understood the importance of the order she had received. She had hoped things would work out, as Odin had been confident. However, reality was always disappointing.
Olivia looked around with a heavy burden on her shoulders. The first group she approached was the World Awakened Association (1) because they had the authority to combine both Revolucion and Tomorrow, and it was the group that had brought over the most manpower.
***
Of course, the other stages had equally experienced a tough life up to this point. Oliva walked around with a vicious look in her eyes. Their glares were more obvious than the faintly glowing lights from their equipment.
Then, she saw people who were ready to do anything, and she could tell that they wouldn’t bat an eye even if someone ordered them to cannibalize the enemy. There were enough of them to form one attack squad, and they had a strong presence. Their appearance was disgustingly ugly, to the point where they could be mistaken for ghouls.
Is it because of the plague?
The Barba Corps’ plague was severely contagious.
Isn’t it natural to die if they get infected to that point?
Despite their hideous appearances, they were still alive and staring at her. She had faced lots of different phenomena as she came closer to the Final Stage, but this was one of the weirdest.
Her guide interjected, “It would be better if you stop looking around so obviously. I don’t know how strong you are, but don’t forget where you are.”
Olivia realized that their guide was also afraid of them.
The leader of the World Awakened Association (1) was standing alone in front of where the bonfire was burning, and he was wearing a robe, like how the Maruka aristocrat was disguised in the robe of a necromancer. Olivia had an ominous feeling, so she quickly looked around for a retreat option.
“Nice to meet you.”
At that time, something began to ring in her ears. She didn’t understand what it was, but Olivia knew that feeling. She felt this sensation when the Awakened in the challenger section were communicating through telepathy.
She frowned. “Please say it out loud.”
“I asked if Jonathan Hunter was alive.”
The voice sounded like something scratching against a metal plate. His vocal cords had probably been torn apart, and it was clear that he was squeezing his throat to make his voice operate. Also, he had a vibe gloomier than a necromancer. When he lifted his head and turned his gaze from the bonfire to her, Olivia inwardly moaned.
Huh!
She could see through the darkness in the hood. The face that was there couldn’t be described as that of a human. The skin tissues seemed to have hardened after melting, and the bone structure was twisted. Also, there were tainted scabs that looked like green mold covering his face. The only thing she could consider as human was his sharp, blue eyes.
“Is he alive?” he asked.
“Yes.”
His eyes flickered. “Since when have you been with him?”
“From Act One, Stage Two.”
Olivia first answered the man’s questions, then gruesome laughter burst out loud from the hood. The group ultimately depended on the propensity of the leadership. To Olivia, his eerie laughter felt like a sign that indicated the beginning of a civil war.
The World Awakened Association (1) is… dangerous…
Contrary to her expectations, the man abruptly said, “Tell Jonathan to chill, I’m not here to kill him. As long as I’m protecting the camp, he can ignore the provocation of the others here… So weak.”
He turned his head back after finishing his sentence. Just like earlier, he was now looking at the bonfire as he shook his thick hand.
Protecting? Who the hell is this guy? Wait… is he…?
Oliva felt a thunderbolt burning up from her toes. When it exploded in her head, a name came to her mind.
Joshua von Karjan!
Olivia couldn’t believe it because he had been a handsome guy during the press conference. Even though she couldn’t remember his face accurately, she could recall the aristocratic vibe he gave off back then.
“Are you Joshua by chance?” she asked.
A green mist rose above his robe’s shoulder line, then it spread in the air. It was a poisonous fog!
Olivia’s equipment lit up an emergency light immediately. She couldn’t afford to plead, and she couldn’t widen the distance between them as it was impossible to know how far this fog had traveled. Therefore, she reflexively summoned her main force, the Summoned Object Djinn[1]. The Djinn appeared with a brilliant blue light similar to the barriers in dungeons. It was more than four meters tall, and the fog had already reached that point.
The Djinn was surely her lifeline. It pushed the fog away from the center and made a gap for her.
“W…wait! Please listen to…!” Olivia raised her voice, but there were things that rushed in faster. She couldn’t bear to see where they started. They came from her and the bonfire’s shadow and were unidentified black summoned puppets.
Psss!
They flew towards her at once. When the Djinn created a shield with his arm to protect Olivia, several puppets persistently targeted the arm. Each time, the poisonous fog created waves and made the surroundings resemble spaces in fantasy. However, the Djinn didn’t just sit and wait. Every time it emitted light from its mouth and swung one of its arms, the puppets burst into smoke. Unfortunately, their numbers were overwhelming. No matter how many times Djinn killed them, they stuck to it endlessly.
Srrr-
One of Djinn’s arms that was protecting Olivia finally evaporated when a black summoned puppet died.
Euk!
Olivia suddenly felt something pulling her, then she fell down.
Thud!
Her gigantic Djinn hurried to catch up, but it failed to break through the attacks from the black summoned objects that soared up in the air.
[Warning: The Ring of Sphinx has been incapacitated.]
[Warning: The Combat Anklet of Ganesha[2] is about to be destroyed.]
[Warning: The Noble Necklace of Tara[3] has been destroyed.]
[Warning: The Summoned Djinn is at stake.]
[Warning:...]
Warning, warning, warning! Notification messages sprang up at the same time as the shock impacted her entire body. Olivia opened her eyes wide as the man in the robe of a necromancer was now sitting on top of her stomach. He was strangling her with one hand and trying to dig her eyeballs out with the other.
“O…” Olivia managed to make a sound. “Odin…”
The man’s rough fingertips stopped exactly in front of her pupils. The power that was squeezing her neck also loosened.
“Keuk. Cough, cough. Odin told me to gather everyone in his name.”
No way…
Olivia saw a flash of light in his blue eyes.
“Master…”
His eyes were filling up with tears.
1. A type of spirit in Islamic Mythology that can appear in human and animal forms and influence humankind for either good or evil purposes. ☜
2. An elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom. ☜
3. A Hindu goddess who represents compassion and offers salvation from the suffering of rebirth. ☜
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