When the plot-skips players into the game world

Two... Fifth Power Levels??

The Vagabond froze instantly.

His thoughts stalled for a moment, and an intense sense of crisis erupted from within as soon as he realized it.

——Why are the energy levels of this team getting higher and higher!

He had never heard of any archaeological site that could attract Fifth Power Level Transcendents...

At this moment, the Vagabond was utterly regretful.

Running away now wasn't an option; the deposit had already been taken… Or rather, the deposit had been completely spent today, down to the last coin. At this point, he couldn't even refund the deposit and flee.

...Fine, to hell with it! Dead is dead, who hasn't died before!

Die sooner or later—death is death. At least he had his fill of enjoyment; he had spent all his money, and there was nothing left to regret in death!

The Vagabond gritted his teeth and exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down.

When he got a grip on himself, another thought struck him immediately—

Why doesn't this white-haired woman breathe?

His sense perception was sharp enough to detect breathing sounds through over a hundred meters of distance, even inside a building. It was impossible for him to fail to sense her; she simply didn't breathe.

Listening carefully, she didn't even have a heartbeat!

No wonder she looked lifeless like a doll… Could she be undead? Undead at the Fifth Power Level?

This was indeed the occupational drawback of being a "survival expert." He could only judge how much of a threat someone posed to him, such as "stronger than me," "weaker than me," or "about on par," but couldn't accurately discern the other person's power level or Path. Nor could he tell whether they were alive or a Phantom Demon.

Fortunately, since he was Fourth Power Level, those "stronger than him" were Fifth Power Level in aggregate strength; "roughly the same level" was Fourth Power Level; and anyone weaker required no concern.

"...Yes, Archbishop Your Excellency."

Calculating the opponent's strength quickly in his mind, the Vagabond nonetheless bowed his head with utmost humility to Aiwass: "I am the 'Vagabond,' a Fourth Power Level survival expert."

——Although he wasn't actually afraid of dying, who wouldn't prefer to live well?

Not to mention, he was an [Adapter].

Offering some flattery to a Fifth Power Level healer was nothing to be ashamed of. After all, if something happened to him, he'd still rely on them for treatment.

At this thought, the Vagabond unwittingly warmed to the prospect.

He had been treated before… but the highest level of treatment he had ever experienced was from a Second Power Level Priest.

——He had truly never felt Fifth Power Level divine healing arts—how powerful would they be!

To speak frankly… not even the mercenaries he knew had received treatment from a Fourth Power Level healer.

Would it really be as the legends say, where as long as there's one breath left, they could bring you back to life...

"Do you all seem to have code names?"

Aiwass asked with interest, "Is it to fend off curses?"

"...Yes."

The Vagabond nodded and replied obediently, "Of course, if you want to know my real name, that's fine too..."

After all, for someone of Fifth Power Level to deal with him, they wouldn't need something as trivial as his real name.

The difference between Fourth Power Level and Fifth Power Level seemed like just one level, but it was a gap as vast as an abyss.

In neighboring Avalon, just within the Arbitration Hall, over a hundred idle Fourth Power Levels had been maintained. Over the course of a century, those personnel had been changed countless times... Yet among all those Arbitrators, only the Great Arbitrator Meg had advanced to Fifth Power Level.

The Grand Justice was originally a Legal Mage, the Great Guardian came from the Sky Cavalry, and the Grand Adjudicator was originally an Heir. This fact alone demonstrated that even if a nation controlled all its Fourth Power Level Transcendents, it might not cultivate a Fifth Power Level. No amount of resources from a human nation could forcefully create Fifth Power Levels.

"Then there's no need for me."

Aiwass merely chuckled. "I should pick a code name as well. Otherwise, if everyone addresses each other using code names while calling me by my name... it would sound odd.

"——You all can call me 'The Pope.'"

This audacious code name made the Vagabond's heart skip a beat.

As expected of a Fifth Power Level Transcendent; the ambition alone was enough to intimidate...

...Though a Fifth Power Level Contributor's position would likely align with that of a Cardinal Archbishop. Being a candidate for the Pope wasn't far-fetched...

The current Vicar Pope of the Holy Nation was a human after all, and his time as Pope was bound to be short-lived; his reign would likely end soon. At that point, a new era of Pope selection would begin.

Perhaps by then, "The Pope" might truly become the real Pope!

Though traditionally, the position of Pope should go to The Holy Maiden… now that there was already a precedent for a human becoming Pope, future deviations wouldn't be impossible!

As for "The Pope's" unusually youthful appearance, the Vagabond didn't mind at all. Any Priest mastering the Fire Rite Skill would appear nearly ageless. Whether he looked nineteen or twenty, or even under thirteen or fourteen, wouldn't surprise him.

At that moment, Cardinal Galatea also spoke, her voice icy and crisp: "You can call me 'Doll.'"

"Then everyone may call me… um, just call me 'Sine.'"

The elderly mage with an upturned nose pronounced.

The Vagabond glanced sideways at him.

He remembered vividly that when this long-named Old Mage first joined the team, he had criticized them extensively. He hadn't bothered to register the specifics, but the gist was simply that they were all idiots.

——Ridiculous. Truly intelligent individuals wouldn't spend all day calling others morons?

In the Vagabond's view, the Path of Wisdom was the path that only foolish people chased!

How many truly wise men obsessed over pursuing higher wisdom? To them, wisdom was likely just a tool for achieving their goals!

But before this Fifth Power Level clergyman, the Elder Mage now showed utmost courtesy and sincerity, even entertaining the notion of choosing a code name for himself.

"...Um," Professor Bard hesitated, "Do I need one?"

"Not at all, Professor."

Aiwass smiled and said, "Why not let them call you Professor? After all, you truly are one."

...To have a Fifth Power Level clergyman call someone "Professor"?

Upon hearing Aiwass's remark, the entire group inwardly jolted.

And Little Cat stared fixedly at Professor Bard, suddenly asking, "Have I seen you before?"

"Oh… yes."

Professor Bard nodded and replied cheerfully, "We met five years ago. Back then, you were still at Third Power Level, working as an 'assassin.'"

Running into a former teammate from previous expeditions who had survived and returned seemed to bring Bard Professor a sense of good fortune.

"Allow me to continue introducing everyone…"

Assuming the code name "Sine," the Elder Mage solemnly elaborated: "This gentleman is called 'Encyclopedia,' a Dream Traversing Monk and a Horus native."

The man with tawny skin, thick eyebrows, and deep eyes, clad in white robes, nodded slightly.

He rose, crossing his arms to touch his shoulders, then bowed slightly: "A Dun blesses you."

Aiwass, intrigued, turned his eyes toward "Encyclopedia," studying him briefly.

When "Encyclopedia" faltered under his gaze, Aiwass simply nodded faintly: "Dawn Celestial Marshal bless you."

"A Dun" was the term the Horus People used for Dawn Celestial Marshal; it was rumored to be Dawn Celestial Marshal's true name.

The Horus People were somewhat different from other humans. They didn't directly worship the Nine Pillar Gods but rather worshipped the "Three Suns" first. Among them, the third Sun was Dawn Celestial Marshal, also called A Dun.

It was precisely because Dawn Celestial Marshal, as a Celestial Marshal of the Path of Devotion, posed a threat to Candle Master. As a result, the Horus People weren't popular with Elves and the Holy Nation. Some Elves even equated Horus People with Dwarves—given that the Dwarves were regarded unfavorably by the Elves for their worship of Flame Celestial Marshal.

Although Candle Master didn't personally care about such matters… If Candle Master did care, they would simply dispatch their Eternal Vanguard to crush the opposition. Before Serpent Father initiated the "Final Transcendence," the Path of Devotion had the most Celestial Marshals—precisely because Candle Master gladly shared Path Power with others.

"Rare folk indeed, the Horus People."

The Vagabond murmured.

The Horus Empire was an even earlier empire than Helasal Empire.

From the dawn of humanity, the Horus People had established their own nation, coexisting in the same era as the Primordial Empire and the Parthian Ancient Country. It wasn't until Helasal Empire's peak, when they teamed up with the Parthians to crush the Horus People, claiming a third of Horus's territory, that the Horus Empire's endless expansion was finally halted.

Ultimately, the Horus Empire generated an unyielding desert storm, isolating its borders entirely for five centuries, thereby preserving its remnant lands. It was said that the original Iris Domain was once a part of the Horus Empire. Because the Duke who carved out this territory was named Iris Duke, it was conferred as Iris Duke's Domain.

The Irisflower People share a particular legend… They claim that the curse of the Son of the Moon originated from the Horus Empire.

When the Horus People suffered defeat, they supposedly laid down a curse: May the invader's nations fracture, their monarch dethroned, their lands rendered barren, their wealth drained, their morals corrupted, and their blood spilled like rivers.

Whether this curse held true, it seemed that the Parthian Ancient Country indeed lost their king. Meanwhile, Helasal Empire fractured, its morality degenerated, and the fertile lands claimed by the Parthians transformed into deserts. Out of dread for Horus curses, neither Parthian nor Iris Kingdom dared to touch Horus's even smaller territory.

This explains the Horus People's rarity.

Though rarer still were these… Or rather, this pair.

Vagabond mused, directing his gaze to the final two individuals.

One was a solemn-faced ascetic wearing tattered coarse cloth, with bright eyes and muscles so strong they strained his garment.

The other was an unfamiliar, eastern-featured man in a gray robe.

He had long black hair and a goat-like beard. He carried an eerie chill, such that standing beside him made the surroundings perceptibly cooler. Though he seemed to be around forty or fifty years old, he kept his eyes closed, merely nodding at Aiwass.

"This is a Temple Guardian Monk named 'Mu.' Only one closed syllable… because he made a vow of 'silent meditation,' forbidding speech, we all call him this."

The Elder Mage explained, "The other is a Great Sorcerer from the Primordial Empire.

"The Sorcerer's name is Zhu Tang. He keeps his eyes shut at all times. He and Mr. Mu journeyed together through Parthia's desert regions. Because of their traits, the Parthians named them 'The Mute and Blind.'"