I, the final BOSS of the beta test server!

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Gray took a deep breath and forced her heart, which had been boiling with excitement after hearing the news about her brother Luster, to calm down again.

Seeing this, Cecil stopped flipping through the files.

He took out another scroll made of parchment from the drawer of the long table.

The wax seal on the file is also imprinted with the pale gold emblem of the shore keeper.

"Back then, a hundred years ago in Deep Blue Harbor...with his mortal body, Last almost single-handedly wiped out an entire city of Iron Crosses."

"The initial Iron Cross Plague and the descent of the evil god... were forcibly delayed for several months."

"And now... you have done something similar on the northern border."

"So—I think, at this moment, you may already have the qualifications to look for him."

He placed the wax-sealed file on the long table and pushed it gently.

wow-

The file slid across the long table and stopped precisely in front of Gray, who carefully put it away.

"Your guess is correct."

"Noah and the gravekeepers have been silent for three whole years... and now they are indeed about to take action."

"And correspondingly, Rast's side will inevitably be affected by this."

"so--"

His voice paused slightly: "If you want to wake Last up..."

"The changes that will break out soon will be your best and last chance."

"if--"

"If you think you have caught up with him."

……

Looking at the wax seal with the shore guardian's emblem on the file in her hand, Gray's emerald green eyes flashed with a strange light.

This is the seal representing the highest level of confidentiality within the Shore Guards—

At the same time, this is also a key.

A key that leads to the depths of paradise, to where Rast's brother is, giving her the opportunity to stand in front of Rast again.

"I understand, Leader Sissel."

Gray bowed again and quietly retreated with the intelligence scroll.

The top floor of the huge watchtower was once again silent, with only Cecil left.

Watching Gray's figure gradually moving away and disappearing at the end of the stairs, the old man put the documents on the long table away again and then turned around.

He stared out the window at the crowd of people hurrying to and fro in the square below the watchtower, wearing the standard windbreakers of shore guards.

And, beyond the crowd, behind the watchtower... the coastline that appears and disappears, as if it has merged with the skyline.

Gradually, the old man's temperament changed.

It was no longer the gentleness and calmness that an elder showed to a younger person when facing Gray...

His gaze towards the end of the coastline became younger, his long eyebrows raised, and his eyes once again revealed an eagle-like arrogance.

It was like an old and frail lion king who had a premonition of his own death and stood up to inspect his territory for the last time... All the beasts along the way were terrified, and all the lions who dared to challenge the throne had no choice but to retreat.

"That little girl... is still too green, too immature, and too weak."

"Perhaps if Gray is given another five years, she will be able to truly ascend to the throne of Legend—just like how my teacher trained me to become a Legend before handing me over the leadership of the Shore Keepers, smoothly completing the handover between two generations of Shore Keepers."

"but--"

"At this moment, we no longer have another five years."

Cecil's voice was very soft, as if he was confiding, or talking to himself.

Even the most basic members of the shore guard organization have sensed the urgent atmosphere of impending storm.

What's more, it was him.

The old man gently stretched out his hand towards the coastline outside the window.

The next moment, a faint flame slowly emerged from his palm.

Compared to the flame that Cecil showed to Gray on the top of the mountain in Paradise Royal City three years ago, this flame was so unreal, flickering unsteadily... as if it would be completely extinguished at any time.

This is a matter of course—

The flame inherited by the shore keepers has been given to others.

At this moment, what exists deep in the old man's soul is nothing more than the remaining embers from having served as a container for the fire for hundreds of years.

It is like an illusion, a fire that may disappear like bubbles at any time.

Just, at this moment.

This old man is using his own soul as fuel.

At the cost of burning soul and spirit, this shaky illusory flame has never been completely extinguished.

"Sharona, you once said—"

"A soldier's mission is to pave the way for heroes with his life."

"You saw yourself as a soldier, and me as a hero destined to illuminate the long night... and spent your entire life interpreting the meaning and responsibilities of the word 'soldier'."

Cecil's gaze was somewhat distant.

"So, at this moment—"

"Isn't this the duty I, as an old hero of the previous generation, must fulfill?"

"Before I become so old that I can't even walk, and die on my sickbed..."

"To clear away all obstacles in the path of the young, immature successor."

"besides……"

The old man paused for a moment in his muttering.

"As you wished, the misunderstanding between those two people was resolved."

"So that they don't end up like us."

……

Gray had no idea what kind of mood she was in when she walked out of the watchtower, opened the wax-sealed file bag, and flipped through the contents.

However, when she came to her senses again, she was already on a busy city street.

It was exactly the same as when Gray had just passed the newcomer assessment of the shore guard, declined her companions' celebratory dinner, and walked alone on the street.

Just, at this moment.

On the same street, the figure of the young man whose face made her feel at ease was no longer there.

"Little Gray..."

The familiar voice awakened Gray from her deep memories and brought her back to reality.

She turned around and saw the girl with a ponytail looking at her with a worried look on her face: "Little Gray, what's wrong with you?"

"Ever since leaving the Watchtower, he's been standing on the street holding this confidential dossier, looking distraught."

"Do you want me to take you to the hospital? I happen to know a doctor from the Order of Plenty. Her abilities are very effective in healing mental injuries."

"I'm sorry, Agnese, I'm really fine."

Looking at her familiar best friend, an apologetic smile appeared on Gray's pretty face.

She recalled how she had ignored Janice in the square before: "Also, I'm really sorry about what happened before... I was a little too anxious."

"No, you don't have to apologize, Grey."

Janice shook her head, her orange ponytail floating in the air: "I know."

"Everyone says, little Grey, you've been chosen by His Majesty Cecil as his successor and the next leader of the Shore Guardians."

"The higher you stand, the more responsibilities you have to shoulder and the more things you have to consider. I understand all of this."

"After all, you and I are no longer the newbies we were when we first joined the Shore Guard... Many of my comrades say that you, Little Gray, are already one of the strongest among the Shore Guard, second only to Leader Cecil."

"With your abilities, you will succeed His Majesty Cessel and become our next leader. No one will find fault with you."

The strongest person under Leader Cecil?

So, is this how other shore guards view me?

Listening to Janice's words, Gray couldn't help but feel a little dazed.

Her transformation began three years ago after she returned to the Watchtower from Paradise City.

As the next leader chosen by Cecil to inherit the legacy of the Shore Guardians... Gray is naturally no longer facing the relatively easy, even comfortable and leisurely life she had as an ordinary reserve member.

It was personally supervised by Leader Cecil, and the senior leaders of the entire Shore Watch organization participated in its customization and supervision—an extremely harsh, hellish training.

In order to develop her Sequence Long Stage, Gray had to continuously carry out extremely high-risk missions for three years, relying on no support from any teammates and leaving herself no escape route...

Wandering alone in the most difficult areas, facing the most dangerous enemies, every mission is like dancing on the edge of a knife, putting yourself in a dangerous situation where you will have no chance of survival or even no chance of survival.

Only in this way can Gray fully develop the power called "destiny" deep in her soul and squeeze out her potential in a short period of time.

Frankly speaking, when she learned about the devilish training she was about to face... Grey actually had thoughts of quitting. She thought about returning the spark she had obtained to Leader Cecil, or even quitting the Shore Watchers altogether.

This is the kind of training that the purely selfish girl who once wandered across the continent, solely concerned with her own interests, would never accept.

However, even Gray herself couldn't believe it, and in the end she really persevered.

Because I want to gain power.

If I had the power earlier, I wouldn't have been so powerless when facing Brother Last on the high cliff on that rainy night, leaving only the helpless and furious cries.

She hated herself for being like that, watching the people and things she cherished slip through her fingers, while she could only kneel in the rain and cry helplessly.

Nothing can be undone, nothing can be done.

"Little Grey—"

"Because... is there any news from Captain Last?"

Janice's voice was hesitant, but she finally asked.

As a member of the team that carried out the Lost Paradise Project, Janice personally experienced the entire process of the plan and naturally knew the truth about the betrayal.

She has a clearer understanding of Captain Last's position in Grey's heart and the inexplicable feelings Grey has for him.

"Ah."

Gray nodded and resealed the confidential file in her hand.

The confusion in her eyes was fleeting.

During these three years, Gray has been forcing herself not to pay attention to Paradise or the news about her brother Rast.

Because she knew that she was too weak at that time and was not qualified to stand in front of that person.

but--

At this moment.

Perhaps I have finally caught up with the figure that was once out of reach.

And there was only one thing left for her to do.

"Find Brother Rast and take revenge."

"Reject his ideas and tell him in person that his long-held belief in using any means necessary to achieve power is wrong."