I, the Final Boss of the Beta Server!

Chapter 140: Revenge Against Brother Rast

“Revenge... opportunity?”

“Leader Sisel, are you saying...?”

Hearing the words of the old man at the head of the long table, Grey instinctively lifted her head.

Those emerald green eyes—calm and indifferent even when standing at the epicenter of a plague, even when facing the tide of tens of thousands from the Iron Cross—

At this moment, they rippled violently like a deathly still surface of water struck by a falling stone, unable to maintain their previous serenity.

“You’re saying... Big Brother Rast... there’s finally some movement from the Gravekeepers?”

However, in the face of the girl’s urgent question, Sisel did not respond directly.

The white-bearded old man merely lowered his gaze calmly, pulled out a scroll of parchment from the long table, and began to slowly peruse it.

It was a dossier kept within the Shoreguards, meticulously documenting Grey’s journey—from passing the newcomer’s assessment, officially joining the Shoreguards, to carrying out her first mission... all the way to the present day.

“In three years’ time, from an unknown newcomer to where you are now...”

“I’ve watched every step of your journey.”

“Even though you carry the flame of Shoreguard inheritance, your progress cannot be explained solely by that fire.”

As he flipped through the scroll, a trace of nearly imperceptible relief flashed through the elder’s aged eyes.

“Seems my judgment—and Sharonah’s—weren’t wrong back then.”

“You truly are someone we can entrust with the future of the Shoreguards.”

Upon hearing the name “Sharonah,” Grey’s eyes trembled slightly.

Sharonah—Deputy Captain of the “Lost Paradise” plan... the real name of her Shadow Maid sister.

To this day, the Lost Paradise plan had become an old tale from three years ago... the Shoreguards had sealed the mission's details, and so most within the organization merely saw it as another sacrifice-heavy operation, knowing nothing of what lay beneath.

But—

To someone like Grey, who had experienced the Lost Paradise plan firsthand... even after three years, the memories remained vivid.

She knew the entire scope of that operation, the whole truth.

And the betrayal—

The heart-wrenching betrayal that had directly led to Shadow Maid sister’s death.

“Big Brother Rast...”

Grey’s voice was no longer calm. Her long-silent heart seemed to have been struck by a heavy hammer, letting out a trembling resonance.

“Calm yourself, Grey.”

“I know how long you’ve waited and hoped for this moment.”

“But in your current state, even if you truly stood before him, you would find no outcome except defeat.”

The old man's voice came again.

It wasn’t loud, yet it had a penetrating power, etching itself clearly in Grey’s ears.

And so, slowly—

Grey took a deep breath, forcing her heart—boiling over from hearing news of Brother Rast—to fall silent once more.

Seeing this, Sisel finally stopped flipping through the dossier.

From the drawer of the long table, he retrieved another parchment scroll.

Sealed with fire lacquer, bearing the faint golden emblem of the Shoreguards.

“Back then, Rast—at Deep Blue Port a century ago... as a mere mortal, almost single-handedly annihilated an entire city of Iron Cross forces.”

“He forcibly delayed the outbreak of the first Iron Cross plague, and the Descent of that Evil God... by several months.”

“And now... you’ve done something similar at the northern border.”

“So—I think, at this very moment, perhaps you finally possess the qualifications to seek him out.”

He gently pushed the fire-sealed scroll onto the table.

Swish—

The scroll slid across the table, stopping precisely in front of Grey, who carefully took it up.

“Your guess wasn’t wrong.”

“Noah and the Gravekeepers—silent for three whole years—are indeed preparing to act.”

“And accordingly, Rast’s side will undoubtedly be stirred in response.”

“So—”

He paused briefly. “If you want to wake Rast up... harshly—”

“The upcoming upheaval will be your best, and perhaps your last chance.”

“If—”

“You believe... you’ve caught up to his footsteps.”

...

Staring at the fire-sealed scroll in her hands, marked with the Shoreguard’s emblem, Grey’s emerald eyes sparkled with light.

This represented the highest level of confidentiality within the Shoreguards—

At the same time, it was a key.

A key that led to the depths of Paradise, to the location of Brother Rast, and gave her the chance to once again stand before him.

“I understand, Leader Sisel.”

Grey bowed once more, and quietly departed with the intelligence scroll in hand.

The spacious top floor of the Watchtower returned to silence once again, with only Sisel remaining.

Watching Grey’s gradually departing figure vanish at the end of the stairs, the old man retracted the files from the long table, then turned around.

He looked out the window, at the square below the Watchtower, where people in Shoreguard-standard trench coats hurried to and fro.

And beyond the crowd, behind the Watchtower... the faint, almost invisible coastline that seemed to merge with the horizon.

Gradually, the old man’s demeanor began to shift.

Gone was the warmth and calm of a senior speaking to a junior—

His gaze toward the end of the coastline grew youthful again, long brows rising, his expression regaining an eagle-like dominance—

As though an aged lion king, sensing his own death, rose one final time to patrol his territory... along the way, all beasts trembled; be they jackals or young lions eyeing the throne, all could only retreat in awe.

“That little girl... is still too green, too immature, and far too weak.”

“Perhaps if Grey had another five years, she would truly be able to ascend to the seat of Legend — just like how my teacher only entrusted the leadership of the Shoreguards to me after training me to the level of Legend, ensuring a smooth transition between two generations of Shoreguards.”

“But—”

“At this very moment, we no longer have another five years.”

Sisel’s voice was very soft, as if confessing, or muttering to himself.

Even the most grassroots members of the Shoreguards had already sensed the looming, stormy tension.

Let alone him.

The old man gently reached out toward the coastline outside the window.

In the next moment, a faint spark slowly emerged in the palm of his hand.

Compared to the moment three years ago atop the mountain in the Royal City of Paradise, when he had shown Grey this same flame — this spark now appeared far more illusory, flickering unsteadily… as if it could extinguish completely at any moment.

It was only natural —

the Flame of the Shoreguard’s legacy had already been passed on to another.

At this very moment, what resided in the depths of this old man's soul was nothing more than the lingering embers left from having carried the flame as its vessel for centuries.

A flame like a phantom, one that might vanish into bubbles at any moment.

Only, at this moment.

This old man was using his very soul as kindling.

Burning soul and spirit as the price, he sustained the flickering, crumbling flame to prevent its complete extinguishment.

“Sharonah, you once said—”

“‘A soldier’s mission is to pave the way for a hero with their life.’”

“You saw yourself as a soldier, and saw me as a hero destined to light the long, endless night… and you spent your life interpreting what the word ‘soldier’ meant and what duties it bore.”

Sisel’s gaze grew a little distant.

“Then, right now—”

“Is this not the duty I, as the old, former hero, must fulfill?”

“Before I grow so frail I can’t walk anymore, and die on a sickbed…”

“To clear all the obstacles on the path of the still-young, still-immature successor ahead of her.”

“And also…”

The old man’s self-talk paused slightly.

“To resolve the misunderstanding between those two people, just as you wished.”

“So that they won’t end up with the same fate as ours.”

…

Grey herself didn’t know what kind of mood she was in when she left the Watchtower and opened that fire-lacquer sealed dossier to read its contents.

However, when she came back to her senses, she was already on a bustling avenue in the city center.

Exactly like that time when she had just passed the Shoreguard’s rookie test, refused her companions’ invitation to a celebratory dinner, and walked alone through the streets.

Only, this time.

That familiar figure of the young man whose mere face could once bring her peace was no longer on that same street.

“Little Grey…”

“Little Grey…”

A familiar voice pulled Grey out of her deep memories and back to reality.

She turned around to see the ponytailed girl looking at her with worry: “Little Grey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Since you came out of the Watchtower, you’ve just been standing here in the street holding that classified dossier, looking like your soul’s been sucked out.”

“Do you want me to take you to a hospital? I happen to know a healer from the Bounty Sequence — her ability is great for treating mental trauma.”

“Sorry, Yanice. I’m really fine.”

Seeing her familiar close friend in front of her, a guilty smile surfaced on Grey’s delicate face.

She recalled how she had neglected Yanice earlier in the plaza: “And, I’m really sorry about before… I was just too anxious.”

“No need to apologize, Little Grey.”

Yanice shook her head, her orange-red ponytail swaying in midair: “I understand.”

“Everyone says that Little Grey has already been chosen by His Excellency Sisel as his successor, the next leader of the Shoreguards.”

“You’re standing at a higher place now. What you bear, and what you must consider, is much more — I can understand that.”

“After all, we’re no longer the rookies who just joined the Shoreguards… Many of our peers say Little Grey is already one of the strongest under Leader Sisel within the Shoreguards.”

“To have you succeed His Excellency Sisel as our next leader — no one could raise any objection.”

One of the strongest… under Leader Sisel?

So this is how the other Shoreguards see me?

Listening to Yanice’s words, Grey couldn’t help but feel a little dazed.

Her transformation had begun when she returned to the Watchtower three years ago from the Royal City of Paradise.

As the one chosen by Sisel, inheritor of the Shoreguards’ flame — what Grey faced was naturally no longer the leisurely and even comfortable lifestyle she once had as an ordinary reserve member.

It was an unimaginably harsh, hellish training, personally overseen by Leader Sisel and jointly supervised and crafted by the entire upper echelon of the Shoreguards.

To develop her Sequence progression, Grey had to undertake extremely high-risk missions continuously for three years — without relying on any teammates, and without leaving herself any way out…

Wandering alone through the most grueling regions, confronting the most dangerous foes, each mission was like dancing on the blade’s edge, placing herself in nine-deaths-one-life — or even certain death — scenarios.

Only this way could Grey fully awaken the power buried deep within her soul — the one called “Destiny” — and completely exhaust her potential in a short time.

To be honest, when she first learned of the demon-like training awaiting her… Grey had indeed wavered in her heart, thinking about returning the flame she had received to Leader Sisel, or simply quitting the Shoreguards altogether.

This was training that the former girl, who once roamed the continent thinking only of her own interests in pure egoism, would never have accepted.

But even Grey herself found it hard to believe — in the end, she truly endured it.

Because she wanted strength.

If she had gained power earlier, then that night on the high cliff in the rain, she wouldn’t have been so powerless in front of Brother Rast, left only with the wails of impotent fury.

She hated that version of herself — helplessly watching as cherished people and things slipped through her fingers, while she could only kneel and weep in the rain.

Unable to change anything.

Powerless to do anything.

“Little Grey—”

“Is it because… there’s news about Captain Rast?”

Yanice’s voice carried a trace of hesitation, but she still asked in the end.

As a member of the squad that carried out the Lost Paradise plan, Yanice had experienced the entire operation firsthand, and naturally knew the truth of that betrayal.

She also clearly understood Rast’s position in Grey’s heart, and the mysterious feelings Grey held for him.

“Mm.”

Grey nodded and re-sealed the classified dossier in her hand.

In her eyes, the slight confusion vanished in a flash.

For the past three years, Grey had forced herself not to pay attention to Paradise, not to seek out any news of Brother Rast.

Because she knew she had been too weak back then — unqualified to stand before that man.

But—

At this very moment.

Perhaps she had finally caught up to that once unreachable figure.

And there remained only one thing she had to do.

“To find Brother Rast and start my revenge.”

“To deny his ideals, and tell him in person that the belief he held all along — that power must be sought at all costs — was wrong.”

“And then, bring him back to the Shoreguards.”