“So, now that I think about it, that sergeant said his level was over 30, right?”
“The monks never tell us their exact levels, but Monk Seungju is probably in the high 20s.”
“...Are you saying a «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» mere sergeant has a higher level than Monk Seungju, the strongest person in this temple?”
“Then how high must the officers in that unit be?”
At that moment, someone spoke up.
“It’s because of us.”
“What?”
“I heard the Awakened grow stronger by accumulating points. But those soldiers were part of a military unit. They probably had a comfortable environment to gather points and grow.”
“...”
“On the other hand, the monks had to use the points they earned to feed us, so their growth had to slow down.”
The result?
The monks ended up weaker than the soldiers.
“In any case, there’s only one thing that’s certain.”
“What’s that?”
“That in the current situation, there’s absolutely nothing we weaklings can do.”
“...”
No one could refute that statement.
Time passed slowly.
In the end, after the morning meeting, the survivors did nothing for the rest of the day as evening approached.
Perhaps the monks and the Awakened were holding a separate meeting.
Aside from those standing guard around the temple, no one was visible.
Then, that evening:
“Everyone.”
“...?”
The temple’s senior monk, the abbot, stood before the survivors and spoke.
“We’ve prepared a meal. Please join us.”
“A meal... you say?”
“Yes. It may not suit your taste, but we’ve made temple food.”
The announcement was so abrupt.
Still shaken from the events of the morning, the survivors didn’t have the energy to question it.
Quietly, they followed the monks to the dining area.
And there, they saw—
“...Wow.”
“W-What is all this?”
An extraordinarily lavish feast had been prepared.
Although it was a temple meal and contained no meat, each dish looked incredibly delicious.
The portions were massive, enough to leave everyone full and still have leftovers.
Of course—
“This is... strange. A feast like this... it doesn’t make sense.”
Anyone with common sense could tell something was off.
However—
“Explanations will be given later.”
“Explanations?”
“You can be assured that nothing is wrong with the food. Please eat without worry.”
Gulp.
For months, the survivors had not had a proper meal.
Especially recently, when they had been surviving on hard, flavorless rye bread.
“To hell with it!”
“H-Hey! Are you really going to eat it?”
“What’s the worst that can happen? If it’s poisoned, we’ll die anyway!”
Finally, unable to hold back, some of the survivors sat down and began eating.
“If the soldiers are going to conscript the Awakened anyway, I’m as good as dead. Might as well eat my fill before I go!”
And so, one man took a bite of the prepared meal.
The moment he swallowed, his eyes widened, and he murmured:
“It’s... delicious...”
“I’m glad to hear you like it.”
After that, he couldn’t stop eating, shoving spoonful after spoonful into his mouth while muttering, “Delicious, delicious...”
“That... good?”
“...Damn.”
At that point, it was impossible for anyone to resist, especially after watching someone else eat so joyfully.
“Damn it.”
“I don’t know what’s going on, but... monks wouldn’t do anything bad, right?”
Eventually, the others gave in and started eating as well.
“W-What is this? It’s really delicious...”
“Maybe it’s just because we’ve been eating nothing but rye bread, but... damn, it melts in my mouth.”
“It’s even better than the food at high-end restaurants...”
“No way, that’s got to be in your head.”
After the soldiers’ visit, the tension and helplessness had left the survivors drained.
But as the delicious food filled their bellies, their spirits lifted.
The once somber dining area became lively with lighthearted chatter as they enjoyed the meal.
Watching this scene, the monks simply smiled quietly.
“...Urp.”
After the meal ended.
*That was so ridiculously delicious I ended up eating without thinking,* someone thought.
*But what exactly was that meal?*
*It was way too good to be just temple food. Did they add something weird to it?*
As people whispered to each other with suspicious looks, the abbot stepped forward and addressed them.
“Did you all enjoy the meal?”
“Yes, yes we did.”
“It was delicious, but... so, what exactly was it?”
“You mentioned earlier you’d explain once we’d finished.”
The abbot nodded at their words.
“As I said before, there’s nothing strange about the food.”
“Then where did you get the ingredients for such a feast?”
“The soldiers gave it to us.”
“...!”
At the mention of the soldiers, whom they had been trying hard to forget, tension returned to the survivors’ faces.
“Why would the soldiers give us something like this?”
“They found out we had around 100 Awakened individuals here and left enough food for them to eat three meals a day for three days. They said they’d return after that.”
For 100 Awakened individuals to eat three meals a day for three days, that would be about 900 servings. Enough to feed the thousand or so survivors sufficiently.
“They also said this: If we join them, they’ll provide enough food like this and help us grow stronger by joining forces with even more powerful Awakened under their command.”
“...Why would they offer such supplies to us?”
“Heh. It’s not my place to complain about receiving alms, but...”
With a chuckle, the abbot spoke in a lighter tone.
“Don’t you think they’re being incredibly rude?”
“!?”
The sudden harshness of his words startled everyone, but the abbot continued nonchalantly.
“If they’re going to provide food, shouldn’t it be for everyone to share? Instead, they deliberately gave it only to the Awakened. When we spoke to them, it became clear—they only see the Awakened as human beings. The rest of us? They look at us like insects.”
“Urgh.”
“And so, after much discussion... we’ve decided to resist.”
“R-Resist?”
“Forcing those who refuse to fight into the battlefield and treating those who disobey as less than human... That’s not just against Buddhist principles—it goes against basic human decency! We cannot join such an organization.”
“M-Monks...”
The survivors looked at the monks, overwhelmed with emotion.
The monks had already sacrificed so much to protect the survivors.
Now, they were being offered a chance to join the soldiers and receive food, strength, and safety.
But the monks refused that opportunity.
Even in a world that had fallen apart, they still clung to their humanity.
Most of the survivors were merely visitors seeking refuge at the temple.
A few of them, moved by the monks’ resolve, even began to cry.
“That meal just now... it was your last supper.”
“W-What do you mean by that?”
“We are weak. Though we’ve chosen resistance... it likely won’t amount to much.”
“That can’t be! Aren’t you monks incredibly strong? You’re far stronger than any group of bandits, even their Awakened!”
“That’s what we thought, too... until we met those soldiers and realized we were mistaken.”
At those words, the survivors recalled the helmet they had seen that morning.
A helmet crushed as though someone had squeezed it with their bare hands.
“We tried to stop them at the gates, but in the process, Monk Hyeyeon was gravely injured.”
“...!”
“No matter how we resist, we will eventually succumb to their strength. And when that happens, we won’t be able to protect you. So, please... run.”
“Run?”
“You all enjoyed the meal, didn’t you? You wouldn’t make it far on an empty stomach, but now you should have enough energy to escape.”
Only then did the survivors realize why the monks had distributed the food.
“This temple has been safe because we protected it. If we are taken, the temple will be defenseless against the monsters. So please... find a safe place to hide.”
At that moment, one of the monks standing behind the abbot muttered bitterly,
“If only we had a few more Awakened...”
Though his voice was quiet, someone in the crowd heard him.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Pardon? Oh, it’s nothing.”
“No, it’s clearly not nothing. What difference would a few more Awakened make?”
Faced with the persistent questioning, Monk Seungju sighed and began to explain.
“To be honest, we’re not entirely outmatched by the soldiers. We’ve trained in special martial arts, while they rely on their accumulated points to increase their stats. Our average combat ability isn’t far behind.”
“But earlier, you said we didn’t stand a chance.”
“The problem is numbers.”
With a heavy sigh, Seungju continued.
“They know we’re strong, but we are too few. If we had more people, they wouldn’t be able to act so recklessly.”
“...!”
“And if we had used our points to increase our stats, we could’ve defeated those brutes. But we couldn’t, because we used everything to feed all of you.”
In light of this, someone suggested:
“Then... what if we start now?”
“Excuse me?”
“If we Awaken and stand by your side, wouldn’t that help?”
“That’s not a bad idea, but...”
“Is it even possible? I heard new Awakened aren’t very strong.”
As some survivors voiced their doubts, Monk Seungju stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“It might be possible.”
“Really?”
“It’s true that newly Awakened individuals have low stats, but the martial arts we practice are unique. Even someone with low stats can perform at several times their potential once they’ve trained.”
“But would that be enough against those soldiers?”
“Think about it. Those soldiers are stretched thin trying to suppress the massive monster forces in the northwest.”
“...Ah!”
Right now, the temple might be easy for the soldiers to subdue.
“But the more of us there are, the more difficult it will be for them. Unless they bring their full forces, which they can’t, as most are busy fighting monsters.”
“Then... it really might be possible.”
“I believe it’s highly likely. However...”
Seungju looked at the crowd with a worried expression.
“For this to work, you must Awaken. Then, you’ll need to train under me and fight monsters to grow stronger. Are you not afraid?”
Fear of Awakening had kept the survivors from taking this step until now.
But one man stepped forward and spoke.
“I’ve heard from the soldiers that the world is changing.”
“Jinsu’s father?”
It was Hong Jeongsu, the man who had opposed the monks at every turn.
“We’ve been too reliant on the monks, failing to adapt to the new world. It might be too late, but we must adapt now.”
The man who always argued with the monks, even exploiting them, now spoke calmly and respectfully.
“If even Jinsu’s father thinks so... then I agree.”
With a small smile, Seungju nodded.
“Very well. Let us begin Awakening the survivors.”
“Yes!”
“They’ll be back in three days, so we must Awaken as many as possible and teach them the basics of martial arts. It will be intense, but can you endure it?”
“Haha, what kind of weaklings do you take us for?”
“We’re ready. We’ll push ourselves as hard as we need to.”
And so, everyone in the temple began working together, Awakened and non-Awakened alike, united in purpose.
Meanwhile, from a distant peak overlooking the temple:
“It seems everything is going according to plan.”
“Ugh. Pretending like that was exhausting.”
A single soldier, smirking as he gazed down at the temple, adjusted his uniform.
It was none other than the military chef.
