“The Chinese Awakened Alliance is practically in a state of collapse.”
“It does seem that way.”
The alliance building was large and spacious, but inside, it was eerily quiet.
“Not long ago, there was the fifth eruption. The damage from that was catastrophic. To put it in Korean terms, seven A-rank Awakened were killed, and hundreds of lower-ranked Awakened perished.”
Even if you combined all the Awakened affiliated with the Seoul Awakened Association, the number wouldn’t reach five hundred.
China was on a completely different scale.
As Lao Ying mentioned, it seemed that Chinese Awakened, anticipating the worst, had already scattered in all directions.
This exodus had only accelerated after the last eruption.
In the end, the only ones who remained in the alliance were those who had families to protect or those with a strong sense of responsibility.
“What a ragtag gathering.”
Yoo Junseo added a timely remark.
Whether he understood the word “ragtag” or not, Lei Fu, the head of the Awakened Alliance, gave a faint smile.
He opened his mouth, and Lao Ying translated.
“Currently, China is hanging by a thread. The Awakened in Beijing are preparing for a final stand. In the midst of this, they saw how Seoul managed to prevent an eruption without any casualties, and they found hope in that. They are grateful.”
“…Hmm.”
They were so polite and respectful that it was almost unsettling.
“Isn’t it a common saying that all the good Chinese people died in the past? Or maybe they’ve all died now, so they’ve become good?”
Yoo Junseo spouted nonsense again.
He looked at Lei Fu’s rugged face and shook his head vigorously.
“Mr. Nam Jooyeon, isn’t this strange? Why is that guy so nice? With a face like that, he should be acting like a typical ‘Jjangkkae,’ right?”
“Please, stop.”
Lei Fu’s expression stiffened slightly, perhaps understanding the term “Jjangkkae.”
I forced an awkward smile and relayed our business to Lao Ying.
“Anyway, please explain our purpose again.”
We had already briefed the Chinese public security when arranging the flight, but it was better to discuss it face-to-face.
Lao Ying explained about Actor, the most vicious villain who had appeared in Korea, and how his last known traces were in China.
After hearing the story, Lei Fu nodded with a serious expression and brought over a beige envelope.
Inside were a few photos—blurry images of a distant figure, forcibly enlarged.
“…What is this?”
“They say it’s a humanoid calamity that appeared in China.”
After listening to Lao Ying’s translation, I took the photos and examined them closely.
A figure in a revealing evening gown, four pairs of black wings at the waist, crimson hair, and glowing golden eyes.
Despite the poor quality, I immediately recognized who this woman was.
‘Karne, the Mother of Omens.’
It was none other than Karne.
Lei Fu spoke with a grave expression, and Lao Ying translated.
“This woman is the worst calamity ravaging the Hebei region. Unlike other calamities that create nests and stay put, she leads her nest and carries out massacres, causing unprecedented damage. Some even speculate that she might possess self-awareness.”
“…”
‘Of course, she has self-awareness. She’s a 5-star calamity.’
It seemed the Chinese Awakened Alliance hadn’t yet grasped that Karne was a 5-star calamity.
Lao Ying continued translating.
“The Chinese Awakened Alliance has a tradition of giving names to powerful calamities… In this case…”
“In this case?”
“They call her the ‘Black Heavenly Empress.'”
These Chinese really do come up with grandiose names. Look at this.
“Wow… that’s freaking cool.”
Yoo Junseo, impressed by the cringe-worthy title, was practically puffing out his nostrils.
“Extinction Flame Emperor? Crimson Flame Emperor? Blazing Flame Emperor? Hmm…”
Already forgetting about China’s affairs, he was busy thinking of a new title to add before his own name.
*
Even after that, Lei Fu did not hesitate to show his respect for me.
He mentioned watching videos of me defending Seoul as an S-rank awakener and being a subscriber, but it was nothing particularly noteworthy.
“But how did he watch XTube in China?”
Even the ever-polite Lei Fu quietly averted his gaze at Yoo Junseo’s muttering.
In any case, since it was getting late, we decided to start the actual investigation and tracking of the actor tomorrow.
I declined the persistent offer from the Chinese Awakener Alliance to arrange accommodations.
Considering that this is a country of surveillance and control, the conversations we needed to have from now on had to be somewhat discreet.
As soon as I entered the lodging arranged by the embassy, I drew the curtains and manipulated the status window to summon Mirien and Selene.
[5★ Charred Saintess Selene has been summoned.]
[5★ Storm of the North Sea Mirien has been summoned.]
“Let’s start by organizing the information.”
The information provided by the Chinese Awakener Alliance wasn’t much different from what Mirien had told me.
The Black Heavenly Empress.
In other words, the Mother of Calamity, Karne, had become the sworn enemy of the Chinese Awakener Alliance.
“Karne, that woman, is gathering an army and daring to challenge you, my lord. Just give me the order, and I will bring you her head immediately.”
Selene was furious.
Well, actually, she was pretending to be angry.
The holy flames surrounding her body weren’t burning fiercely, after all.
In the end, Selene just needed a justification to kill Karne.
Why is this girl so obsessed with killing Karne?
She had said the same thing to Mirien before, so Selene probably just considers all calamities other than herself as potential enemies.
For the safety of her lord?
I don’t know.
While I understand Mirien’s feelings toward me, Selene’s emotions remain a mystery.
“Anyway.”
I clapped my hands to refocus the situation.
Selene sat quietly in her chair, listening attentively to what I had to say.
“Is there any way we can talk to Karne?”
Reflecting on Mirien’s previous case, most conflicts arise from a lack of communication.
Of course, Mirien’s paranoia and subsequent rampage were problematic, but the fact that we didn’t even attempt to communicate was clearly a mistake.
Isn’t this situation with Karne the same?
“If we talk, I think we can clear up any misunderstandings.”
“…My lord, it’s too dangerous. This is different from the last incident with the magic sack. That magic sack…”
“Can you stop calling me ‘that magic bundle’? I have a name, it’s Mirien.”
“…This ‘magic bundle’ had a somewhat commendable thought of wanting to be of help to you, which is why things didn’t escalate further.”
“Hey!”
“But that whore Karne is scattering her minions, bringing about destruction. So…”
“I know. I know. Karne has already caused millions of casualties.”
I hastily meditated.
If I stayed still, Mirien looked like she was about to summon lightning.
“Honestly, I can’t say I’m not at fault for what Karne has become.”
The catastrophe I unleashed is causing immense damage.
If I were in my right mind, I might be overwhelmed with guilt and consider hanging myself.
That’s why I’ve given up on being in my right mind.
“But she was once a member of my base.”
Reality was a game, and I was a veteran player of that game.
Everything that happened in the rift was real, and the result of me firing them is what we’re dealing with now.
If it’s a mistake, then it’s a mistake.
Then it’s also my responsibility to fix it.
Dealing with Karne’s rampage is entirely my responsibility.
“…So, I want to face Karne directly and talk to her. All of you, will you understand?”
At my words, Selene loosened her lips.
Mirien, who had been quietly listening, suddenly jumped onto my lap.
“I’m fine with whatever Actor wants to do. Unlike that fox bitch.”
“…Who would dare go against our lord’s wishes?”
Selene’s blazing eyes were directed at Mirien.
I cleared my throat to draw attention, and only then did Selene look at me and force a smile.
“However, my lord, please promise me one thing.”
“To prioritize my safety? I’m already doing that.”
Selene nodded slightly in response.
The plan was set.
First, meet Karne and attempt to talk.
If talking doesn’t work…
“Shall we kill her?”
“No, don’t kill her.”
Mirien smiled sweetly while saying something terrifying, and I shook my head.
The fact that the catastrophe’s way of thinking always concludes with killing is frightening.
“But my lord, there’s one thing that puzzles me.”
“What’s that?”
“This city, Beijing, is very vulnerable. If Karne had wanted to, she could have easily overrun it and turned it into a city of death. However, the whore has been gathering her minions without taking over this city… I find that somewhat curious.”
“That? We can find out right now.”
Mirien responded to Selene’s question.
One of Mirien’s eyes now had a hexagonal star-shaped light floating in it.
[5★ North Sea’s Storm Mirien activates the skill ‘Eye of the Storm’.]
After a moment, Mirien raised one corner of her mouth.
“Huh? These humans are smarter than I thought.”
“Mirien, what do you mean?”
“Actor, you know how low-level catastrophes are stupid, right? They only move to devour more humans. They seem to have exploited that habit.”
“…Exploited the habits of catastrophes?”
“Yeah. There are several huge towers built around the city. They’ve stuffed people into them like beehives. Hmm. Can we call them human bait towers?”
I was speechless.
Using their own citizens as bait.
A very Chinese way of thinking, given their overflowing population.
*
“Damn it, night shift again?”
Chen Tao, an Awakener from the Federation, grumbled as he pulled out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.
Click—.
The rain was drizzling, and the lighter wouldn’t catch.
“Piece of junk.”
Lately, this damn lighter hadn’t been working.
Forcing the cigarette to light, Chen Tao stretched and looked up at the sky.
The pitch-black night sky showed not a single star.
The air in China was still a mess, and the cause was the boiler running in this Second Containment Zone.
Chen Tao sat on the railing, cigarette in mouth.
“Calling it a refugee shelter, my ass.”
This place was known as the Second Refugee Shelter, but in reality, it was a shield made by grinding up humans.
Most of the people inside, who were provided with basic necessities, were refugees from other cities, mostly the elderly and weak.
Coldly speaking, they were people of no value.
People with no chance of survival. In the end, the state had gathered its own citizens, who should have been protected, in one place and used them as bait.
If a calamity were to invade?
Just let them die.
Their sacrifice would become fuel for recovery.
That’s what the Party Chairman had said.
“Not my problem, though.”
Chen Tao flicked the cigarette ash and stood up.
Honestly, even though he was part of the Awakener Federation, he couldn’t care less about this damn shelter.
In a world that had gone to hell, he was just sticking with the Federation to get by.
With no family to protect, if things got tough, he could just run away.
“Huh?”
But such thoughts were quickly rendered meaningless.
The pitch-black night sky split in half.
At first, he thought it was just clouds.
Maybe it was sandstorm dust.
But it didn’t take long for Chen Tao to realize what it really was.
“C-Crows!”
It was a flock of crows.
Thousands, no, tens of thousands of black wings covered the sky.
The cawing of the crows tore through the air like falling bombs.
And at the center of those flapping wings—
“…The Black Heavenly Empress.”
The Awakener guarding the shelter felt a terror that froze his blood.
A black empress with crimson eyes, soaring through the air with massive wings spread.
A sinister aura flowing like a black curtain, descending toward the earth with an ominous omen.
—The Mother of Calamity, Karne.
The news of the Second Containment Zone’s annihilation reached the Federation headquarters half a day later.