episode_0009

“We will begin the test for class allocation! Please follow the instructions of the teachers.”

The entrance ceremony was over.

The classmates gathered and went outside.

It was no exaggeration to say that the class assigned in the test would determine the future of their academy life.

“The first test is to move to the Holy Land and fight virtual enemies. The person who fights and wins against the enemy the fastest will receive a high score.”

They headed towards the depths of the Papal Palace.

Inside the huge building, there were stones as large as buildings.

The Holy Stone.

By touching the Holy Stone, one could move to the Holy Land.

A special place imbued with the power created by the gods themselves to train the chosen heroes.

It was said that monsters were summoned in the Holy Land according to the abilities of the individuals.

“If you are recognized as a hero by the gods, anyone can use this place.”

“Anyone can use the Holy Stone,” the gods said, stating a fact contrary to common sense.

“If anyone can use it, wouldn’t it cause chaos?” I thought.

The Holy Land was an extremely excellent training ground.

Even the chosen heroes had trained in the Holy Land to increase their strength.

If the Holy Land were open to the public, many powerful civilians would emerge.

Humans are beasts.

If there are many powerful humans, this world will turn into hell.

These were the harsh truths felt in a world on the brink of destruction before the regression.

Such flexibility was acknowledged.

“Now, quickly touch the Holy Stone. When I give the signal, you will enter the Holy Land.”

The children approached the Holy Stone.

They touched the Holy Stone.

A chill ran through their palms.

“Test begins!”

With the signal, their bodies sank.

Clouds hung over the peaks.

Tall peaks rose high into the sky.

A place where the gods could dwell.

It looked exactly like the commonly described appearance of the Holy Land.

“Ah, I remember this place. It was created to give power to that child.”

“I miss those days!”

The gods were lost in regret.

Later, they became angry.

“We all worked together to bring peace to this world, why has it now decayed!”

I listened to the words of the gods like a sinner.

I was included among the decayed.

“What mission will I be given when I die? Gatekeeper of hell? Administrator?”

Will I become one of the administrators of hell?

I became curious about the mission I would undertake after death.

“An enemy?”

In the mist, the shadow of Inyeong appeared.

I clenched my fist and tensed up.

I looked at the approaching enemy.

Growl.

Inyeong grew larger.

A giant figure walked out of the mist.

It was an Ogre drooling from its mouth.

“Why is it coming out?”

The Ogre was one of the highest-ranking monsters.

It was a monster that should not appear in the class allocation test.

“Kuuaaaa!”

The Ogre roared.

Its massive body moved agilely.

Kwung!

The ground next to me exploded.

I flew in shock.

“I have to fight and win first.”

I raised my arm.

Just touching the Ogre’s body would mean victory.

I dodged the Ogre’s attacks while flying.

“I got it!”

A swift offense and defense.

I finally touched the Ogre’s wrist.

Kuuaaaa.

The Ogre screamed and fell back.

“Heuk, heuk.”

I breathed heavily.

I thought I was going to die.

I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

Huk.

My body sank down.

“You’re very late, student. Your classmates have already finished the test and gone outside.”

The examiner scolded.

As he said, the classmates had already come out of the Holy Stone and were waiting outside.

The gathering stares were uncomfortable.

I, being introverted, disliked being in the spotlight.

“Kick. Kick. It took me nearly 10 minutes to complete the half-assignment test.”

“So, you’re telling me it took you 10 minutes just to deal with a goblin?”

My classmates looked at me and laughed.

The voice of Su-gun tickled my ears.

“But a goblin? Others were facing goblins?”

I fought for my life, yet others were barely dealing with goblins. It felt unjust somehow.

Even though I didn’t actually die in the Holy Land, the feeling of shedding blood still lingered in my heart.

“Quiet, the scores are being displayed!”

The bishop in charge shouted.

The scores appeared on the holy stone.

My name was at the top.

“Perfect score?”

“Is there a mistake?”

The classmates who were laughing just moments ago now turned pale.

The score was perfect. I emerged victorious against the ogre.

It wasn’t surprising to receive a score above perfect.

“Well, of course! There’s no way you could have defeated an ogre. It seems like there was an error in the holy stone.”

The judges whispered among themselves.

They discussed adjusting my score to the base score if there was an error.

“Sigh…”

God let out a sigh.

A sense of disappointment was conveyed.

I was also slightly disappointed by their actions.

“They messed up the management and now they’re blaming me.”

Who decided to have an ogre appear in the exam room?

I didn’t want to risk my life fighting.

“The Holy Land is a place blessed by the power of God! To doubt the test results is to doubt God himself.”

The person in charge was a mysterious woman.

The peculiar thing was that while others appeared to be in their late thirties, she looked like she was in her early twenties.

“Was there such a person?”

I couldn’t recall.

She didn’t play a significant role in the world after the apocalypse.

“I don’t have to kill her.”

I’m not a crazy murderer.

I intended to send only those who satisfied God to the afterlife.

“Uh, Erina Bishop, even God makes mistakes sometimes. He is not infallible.”

A priest with a humble appearance appeared.

That was it. It was a signal to quietly cover up when something troublesome happened.

He said that because there was no boss around to get angry at his actions.

“But the boss who watches closely was nearby.”

God sharpened his gaze.

“Why isn’t the divine punishment coming down on me?”

He always punished me well…

I was very disappointed in a God who discriminates against people.

“But she’s bold. To speak disrespectfully of God in the Vatican.”

This place was where the heroes appointed by God gathered.

A place where God was watching closely.

Speaking disrespectfully of God in the Vatican was similar to asking to be killed.

“Stop, do not speak such disrespectful words any longer.”

Bishop Erina shook her head.

“Oh, surprisingly, she seems very devoted to her faith.”

She didn’t leave a mark in history, but her devotion to God was sincere.

“I will acknowledge Emil Brown’s score in my name.”

Bishop Erina announced loudly.

“For the first time in history, we have a perfect scorer. Remarkable.”

She came up to me and grabbed my hand.

“Emil, you’re amazing!”

Daphne clapped her hands.

Her cheers echoed around the room.

There was no response.

Jealousy and envy were directed towards me.

“Yes, this feeling. This is what I wanted.”

The jealousy and envy from my classmates.

The attention from those around me.

For this moment, I was the protagonist of the story.

I enjoyed the feeling of being on stage and basking in the attention.

“Sigh…”

The disapproving gaze from Erina’s subordinate was palpable.

There was a lot of pent-up emotion. Under a competent boss, subordinates suffer.

“But at least this humiliation ends today.”

I heard a faint muttering.

“Huh? But it feels like I’m forgetting something?”

A sense of urgency washed over me.

I was forgetting something.

“Oh…right. The attack is scheduled for today.”

The attack by the Lich was planned for today.

As the thought crossed my mind,

Boom!

A loud noise shook the ground.

“What’s happening!”

“It’s an attack! The undead are attacking the Papal Palace!”

Chaos erupted outside.

“It has begun.”

The Lich’s attack on the Papal Palace had begun.

“Everyone, gather around me! We will now move to the safe zone.”

Bishop Erina waved her hand.

The people of the Papal Palace were not hesitant to send the newly trained rookies into battle.

The chaos subsided in an instant.

They lined up in an orderly fashion and moved towards the safe zone.

Thud.

A heavy iron gate came down.

I felt relieved at its thickness.

It was thick enough to withstand even a dragon’s breath.

“Phew, at least we’re safe for now.”

Bishop Erina let out a sigh of relief.

She seemed reassured by the heavy iron gate.

“Surprised you, huh.”

Daphne chuckled.

She seemed quite surprised.

“…”

Suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze.

I turned my head to see Freya glaring at me.

‘Why is she glaring at me?’

I tried not to look at her.

“Eek.”

Startled, Freya averted her gaze.

‘Such a timid human.’

I shook my head.

Since the last attack, she had been scared of me.

“Everyone, pay attention!”

Erina calmed the tense atmosphere.

“When can we go outside?”

One of the colleagues asked.

“I don’t know.”

There was no telling when this situation would end.

‘It took about a day, right?’

But I knew.

It would take about a day for the situation to calm down.

The sudden attack. The power of the Lich, ninth rank.

The constant stream of undead armies made it impossible to engage in a war of attrition.

The Pope tried to resist, but he couldn’t muster enough power to defeat the Lich.

In the end, the situation ended when the Lich retreated on its own.

‘Just a day…I can wait for it to end soon.’

I could endure the hunger for a while.

I lay down on the floor to pass the time.

“You’re quite relaxed in the current situation.”

Marzita approached.

She didn’t seem to like me lying down.

“Marzita, lie down too. Standing up makes you hungry.”

I suggested she join me.

Hunger was the most painful thing among the basic needs. If a person couldn’t eat for two days, they would lose their sanity.

“…”

Marzita looked bewildered.

She walked away.

I lay on the floor, waiting for time to pass.

I let myself go with the flow.

I didn’t expect the situation to unfold like this.

If I went out and killed people, I would only attract suspicion.

In times like this, it was important to sit still and not stand out.

‘God will understand, right?’

While God may have wanted sacrifices, He would surely understand this much.

I felt good about abandoning my original plans.

Being the top scorer in a half-baked test was enough attention for me.

It felt good not to kill people for a long time.

My plan was perfect.

But change came easily.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Someone was knocking on the door.

“Please help…”

The knocking presence was a person.