Chapter 597
Pyo.
That was how he introduced himself.
Pyo looked even older than Roland, and for a Monk, he did not seem particularly muscular.
But his posture was upright, and there was a strange solidity about him.
Su-ho immediately pressed his palms together and greeted him as well.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is An Su-ho, and I have recently become the Pope.”
“I have heard much about you. I understand you are undergoing the Masters’ trials.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“As I am the Master of the Monks, what I can offer you pertains only to the Monks. And although I do not know what sort of things you may have heard outside, we do not reject the Pope. However, if you truly wish to understand and use our power, then you must prove you possess the proper qualifications.”
As expected.
The procedure itself was similar.
And because of that, he was prepared.
“I am fully prepared.”
“That is fortunate. Then, Pope, what do you believe Monks are?”
A similar question.
Since he was not rude like Ruinberg had been, Su-ho answered accordingly.
“I have heard they are the strongest shield protecting the Pantheon.”
“A shield... that is not wrong. However, Monks are closer to armor than shields.”
“Armor?”
“A shield must be held up directly to block attacks, but armor is always worn. Therefore, it can protect you from any direction at all times.”
“I see. That’s impressive.”
“No. It simply means we must be perfect, must endure well, and must possess the greatest patience. Which is why...”
Pyo, whose eyes had almost been hidden beneath his thick brows, lifted them slightly, revealing a faint gaze.
“If you truly wish to gain the acknowledgment and power of the Monks, Pope, then you must prepare yourself for much... no, for far more than you are imagining.”
“I’m prepared. Enduring things also happens to be one of the things I do better than anyone else. So although you may not trust me yet, please watch over me. I do not know whether you’ll acknowledge me, but I am at least coming here after receiving Master Roland’s acknowledgment.”
“Heheh, Roland’s acknowledgment?”
“Yes. I was fortunate enough to defeat him.”
“That is remarkable. Since the Paladin Stone came into being, not a single person has defeated Roland.”
“I was lucky.”
“Luck is only granted to those who are prepared. If that is what the Pope says, then so be it. However, you should not expect even the smallest stroke of luck in this place.”
After speaking, Pyo turned and revealed the scenery behind him.
A vast desert.
Yet within that place that seemed filled with nothing but sand, there was a faint path stretching off in one direction.
“It is the Path of Discipline. Shall we cross it first?”
“Understood.”
“Ah, this time, you will have companions.”
At that moment—
Shushushung!
Centered around Master Pyo, dozens of Monks revealed themselves.
“We greet the Pope.”
“We greet the Pope.”
“We greet the Pope.”
They all pressed their palms together and greeted him simultaneously.
Their clothing was the same as Pyo’s.
Pyo introduced them.
“They are not Masters, but they are Monks who once adorned history. They will accompany the Pope during your first trial.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
“The rules are simple. You need only cross the desert. For reference, while crossing the desert, you may not receive the help of anything whatsoever. Riding summons, recovering stamina through skills or items—all of that is included. The only thing permitted is the Pope’s own physical body.”
“So, in other words, you’re telling me not to cross comfortably?”
“That is correct.”
“But since you said companions, does that mean you’ll be coming too, Master?”
“I will not be participating in this trial.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
When Su-ho nodded, Pyo nodded as well and disappeared.
Seeing him vanish like a mirage, it was obvious he intended to observe him while he crossed the Path of Discipline.
Jack, who had been silently waiting, spoke.
—Looks like you’re in for a rough time.
“Nothing is gained without suffering.”
—Well, have fun suffering. Looks like I’ll be stuck watching again this time too.
“Just don’t hang around beside me and mock me.”
—Yeah, yeah, of course.
After saying that, Jack also disappeared like a mirage, just as Pyo had.
Su-ho turned his head and looked toward the Path of Discipline.
He had experienced something like this before.
Back then, it had been a mission-type Gate. That place, modeled after the Silk Road, had given him a mission to cross 3,000 kilometers alone within a time limit without receiving any help whatsoever.
‘That was horrific.’
But he had done it.
Because if he failed, he died.
All the Monks were staring at Su-ho.
They intended to begin together once he started.
Feeling their gazes, Su-ho immediately opened his status window.
[ An Su-ho ]
Lv: 400Class: Black PopeRank: Guardian GodBetting: ＜Umbra＞＜Heracles＞＜Sword Demon＞Traits▲: ＜New Blood★＞＜Heracles＞＜King of Ruination＞＜King of the Demon Realm＞＜Sun-Moon Body＞Strength (S): 98True Demonic Power (G): 437Super Senses (S): 90Command (N): 220Bonus Stats: 50Out of these, Su-ho invested all acquired stats into Strength.
If it were up to him, he would have wanted to invest in True Demonic Power, but for the sake of this mission, he had no choice but to invest in Strength.
If only physical ability was permitted, then strengthening physical ability was the proper answer.
Having finished his preparations, Su-ho let out a long breath and asked the surrounding Monks,
“Then shall we begin?”
“We are prepared.”
“Then.”
He took his first step.
Fwup—
At the same time, his foot sank slightly.
As expected of a sandy desert.
Even this alone would demand considerable fatigue.
‘This is going to become a marathon from hell.’
It was not that he felt no fear.
But what did it matter?
In the end, this was something he had to face anyway.
So he decided to trust it.
His own fighting spirit.
Step by step, he truly began crossing the Path of Discipline.
***
The sunlight was scorching, and the sand was scorching as well.
Still, fortunately, his suit pants were long and his shoes sturdy, so sand did not get into them.
‘Where did I hear that? That wearing a suit is actually more suitable for surviving in a desert.’
Of course, that was probably by ordinary human standards, but that did not mean it was useless for a superhuman like Su-ho.
Su-ho suddenly looked up at the blazing sun.
‘Should’ve brought sunglasses.’
His body had already transcended the human realm to the point where he could stare directly at the sun with the naked eye, but even so, bright light was still bright.
Thinking all sorts of pointless thoughts, he continued walking.
He thought it was not a bad trial.
After all, he was someone who considered every moment precious, someone who planned every second of his life and even reduced his sleep in order to move exactly according to schedule.
So when else would he ever have the chance to spend time this idly under the pretext of a trial?
If luck went poorly, probably not for years.
The wind blew.
The strong wind carried sand with it, striking against his skin sharply.
It did not hurt, but it was irritating.
Suddenly, he thought about masks.
As he let useless thoughts spin around in the washing machine inside his head, whether out of habit or occupational instinct, his idle thoughts soon retreated, and thoughts about the trial itself began occupying the main stream of his mind.
‘Pyo... what exactly does he want from me?’
Pyo had merely told him to cross the desert.
That was why his thoughts became complicated.
If there had been some other clear instructions, that would be one thing, but he had only been told to cross it.
‘Does he truly want me to traverse this desert, or does he want me to gain some sort of realization within this endless desert?’
For some reason, it felt like the latter.
If it had been the former, there would have been a time limit.
Then what did Pyo want him to realize in this desert?
That seemed to be the greatest problem.
But no matter how much he thought about it, no answer appeared immediately.
And it felt like it would stay that way for quite some time.
So he decided to change the direction of his thoughts.
Glance—
Su-ho looked at the Monks walking beside him.
They walked like machines, but he could feel all of them enduring pain in their expressions.
‘But he told me to cross with these guys. Does that mean everyone has to make it across together without any dropouts?’
Suddenly, he became curious.
“Excuse me.”
“Yes.”
“How should I address you gentlemen?”
“Please call us however is comfortable.”
“Then I’ll call you teachers. And may I ask something about the trial?”
“We will answer within the limits of what we are permitted to say.”
“Thank you. In this trial, does everyone have to cross together without anyone dropping out before reaching the destination?”
“We cannot answer that.”
Hm.
So that’s how it is?
After pondering briefly, Su-ho decided to test something.
“Would it be alright if I increased the pace a bit?”
“As much as you wish.”
“Then I’ll run.”
A sandy desert where every step sank deeply.
Su-ho began running.
The moment Su-ho increased his speed, the Monks also began running alongside him.
‘If the result can’t be predicted, then there’s no choice but to verify it myself.’
Surely your stamina isn’t better than mine?
There was no way.
If that were the case, one of you would have become Pope.
As expected.
The moment they began running at increased speed, the Monks’ expressions rapidly worsened.
But Su-ho ignored it.
And so they continued running mechanically for a long time, until night descended upon the desert.
The desert night was cold.
Not simply chilly, but painfully cold.
To the point where it was hard to believe this was the same desert he had crossed during the day.
However, Su-ho was not suffering very much.
That was thanks to the capabilities of his transcendent body.
But the Monks were different.
Their clothing was much thinner than Su-ho’s, and they were barefoot.
It was probably agonizing for them.
Then it happened.
Thud—
The sound of someone collapsing.
Turning his head, Su-ho saw that the Monk at the very back had fallen.
Without realizing it, Su-ho stopped running and approached the fallen Monk.
“Uh, are you oka—”
At that moment—
Pop!
The Monk he had been about to support exploded lightly with a popping sound, turning into smoke and disappearing.
It was absurd.
But somehow, the situation felt a little funny.
When he turned his head, the Monks were staring at him with hardened expressions.
‘Ah, so this is the kind of thing it was?’
A smile spread across Su-ho’s lips.
Because it felt like he had finally found the first direction.
Su-ho stood back up and said with a grin,
“Then shall we increase the pace even more now?”
At those words, the Monks’ expressions darkened even further.