[The rift is erupting.]
[From the rift’s eruption, various calamities can be collected.]
[Defeat the calamities and dominate them. The dominated calamities will strengthen your base as loyal subordinates.]
[The eruption will end in 6 hours.]
The second rift eruption had begun.
Unlike the first, this eruption had a timely system in place, and appropriate measures followed.
Awakeners were assigned to teams based on their residence and personal power.
They were tasked with specific areas, and military-affiliated Awakeners took positions on rooftops with heavy weapons.
“Sigh.”
Han Taegeon had also become an Awakener this time and was summoned by the government.
The area assigned to Han Taegeon’s team wasn’t large, and there were no strong calamities.
Most were 1-star Pyramids.
“I need something stronger.”
Han Tae-geon frowned as he looked at his calamity, a 1-star Rock Cleaner.
He had heard that the Awakener Management Bureau would soon introduce a rating system.
A-rank Hunters, S-rank Hunters, and so on.
Currently, Han Taegeon could only summon 1-star calamities.
At best, he would be a C-rank, or maybe a B-rank if he was lucky.
Han Taegeon was ambitious.
He intended to capture at least a 2-star calamity during this eruption to live comfortably, but if things continued like this, he would end up as a doormat.
‘Even that bastard has a 2-star.’
Perhaps it was due to this urgency.
Han Taegeon began to feel inferior to another Awakener in his team.
Nam Jooyeon, was it?
At first glance, he had scoffed.
A frail-looking guy who had never properly used his body.
He must have been lucky to become an Awakener and only had a weakling like a Small Ghost.
But when the eruption started, it was that guy who became the protagonist.
[2★ Stardust Golem swings its fist.]
Bang!
Despite his clumsy appearance, he had a 2-star calamity.
[2★ Stardust Golem has defeated 1★ Shattered Crystal Spider!]
[Reward: 1Exp]
Nam Jooyeon’s Golem displayed power incomparable to Han Taegeon’s calamities, quickly racking up achievements.
Other Awakeners who had initially looked down on Nam Jooyeon flocked to him, bowing and scraping when they saw his 2-star calamity.
“Mr. Nam Jooyeon. Wow, a 2-star calamity is really strong. I’m envious. How did you get it?”
“Ah… well… I got lucky with synthesis.”
“…”
It was ridiculous that he had gotten a 2-star calamity through synthesis and was now flaunting it.
Inferiority soon turned into hatred.
‘Wait, if I kill that bastard, won’t I get that Golem?’
He had heard from a shady group not long ago.
Murder between Awakeners is also treated as part of this world’s system.
If two Awakeners fight and one dies, the survivor gets the dead’s calamities and experience.
PK, they called it.
If he killed that brat, Han Taegeon could get a 2-star calamity.
‘…Is it worth it?’
It wasn’t that hard.
Han Taegeon had a burly build.
In contrast, Nam Joo-yeon wasn’t very big.
Though the 2-star calamity was scary, if he could find an opening and hit him with a brick, he could kill him.
First, he needed to get him alone without witnesses.
With malicious intent, Han Tae-geon put on his most innocent smile and approached Nam Joo-yeon.
“Mr. Jooyeon, there seem to be calamities in that alley. Shall we go?”
“…Uh, what about the other team members…”
“They went to deal with the calamities on the main road. There are soldiers there anyway, so it’s not dangerous. Come on, let’s go.”
Nam Jooyeon reluctantly nodded.
Leading him into the alley, Han Taegeon secretly licked his lips.
“Are there calamities here?”
“Yes. I checked earlier. See that corner? They said there are some beyond there.”
“Hmm.”
He was more cautious than he looked.
To persuade the hesitant Nam Jooyeon, Han Taegeon quickly walked ahead and turned the corner.
He picked up a brick lying at the corner of the alley.
Then, in a panicked voice, he shouted.
“Ahhh! Here! There’s a calamity here! Help!”
“Mr. Han Taegeon?!”
The sound of Nam Jooyeon rushing over was heard.
Han Taegeon grinned ear to ear and raised both hands above his head.
It wasn’t hard.
As soon as he appeared, he would smash his head with the brick.
Soon, Nam Jooyeon appeared.
Han Taegeon swung the brick with all his might, but for some reason, his arm wouldn’t move.
More precisely, he couldn’t feel it.
‘Huh?’
Han Taegeon soon felt an intense heat below his elbows.
Looking down, he saw his arms cleanly severed.
“…Huh, huu. Bl, blood…”
Han Taegeon screamed and stepped back.
But that was a mistake.
Because something touched his back.
But it wasn’t a wall.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra is watching you.]
A massive wyvern-shaped dragon now filled the entire alley.
“…Wh, when… did…”
Han Taegeon couldn’t comprehend what was happening before his eyes.
And he didn’t need to.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra bites.]
The massive wyvern bit Han Taegeon’s upper body.
Without his arms, he couldn’t resist and was torn in half, dying instantly.
*
Crunch!
An Awakener whose name he didn’t know was now a corpse, only his lower half remaining.
He didn’t feel particularly sorry. He had been waiting around the corner with a brick, after all.
He must have coveted my calamity.
They say physiognomy is a science. He deserved to die.
But that wasn’t the current problem.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra is watching you.]
Storm Dragon Tempestra.
A 4-star lightning attribute calamity.
Unlike the Hellfire Guard Dog, which was considered trash, this one had decent performance and was classified as a top-tier lightning attribute calamity.
“Damn.”
I hastily stepped back.
Why is this thing here?
A 4-star calamity had appeared in this eruption.
It was incomprehensible. I quickly manipulated the status window to summon the Hellfire Guard Dog instead of the Stardust Golem to face it.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra steps back.]
But instead of showing hostility, Tempestra slowly stepped back, then leaped into the air.
With a massive flap of its wings, the Tempestra flew into the sky.
The direction was none other than Yeouido, where a tall tower stood.
“Are you alright?”
Selene, who had been hiding in the shadows, appeared beside me.
I pointed to the lower half of the man’s corpse and asked.
“…Selene, did you do this?”
“No. I only cut off his arms. You told me to refrain from killing, so I followed your orders.”
“Then that Storm Dragon…”
“It wasn’t me.”
“Did it run away because it was afraid of you?”
“No. I observed the situation. It seems it had eaten and was full.”
Selene said something absurd.
That massive wyvern wouldn’t be satisfied with just half a body.
I narrowed my eyes and stared at Selene. When our eyes met, she pursed her lips, as if she had something to hide. Her cute cheeks puffed up, but I ignored it and asked.
“Selene, was this Mirien’s doing?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“It seems so.”
Selene reluctantly answered.
She glared at the tower with a somewhat displeased expression.
“That spellcaster seems to be after your life. If you order me, I will bring her head immediately. Please allow me to go on this expedition.”
Selene was eager.
But the Storm Dragon Tempestra didn’t recognize me as an enemy. Instead, it killed the Awakener who tried to backstab me and left leisurely.
This meant one thing.
“Selene, that’s not it. Mirien is…”
As I tried to explain the situation to Selene, she hastily stepped back and grabbed the air.
[5★ Charred Saint Selene uses skill 「Obsidian Veil」.]
“Hey! Be careful! There’s a 4-star calamity here…!”
A short-haired man got off a motorcycle and ran over.
He panted as he approached, then frowned at the lower half of the Awakener’s body lying in the middle of the alley.
“We received a report that a giant bird flew from here. A 4-star calamity, they said. Are you a witness?”
“…It seems so.”
“What about this corpse?”
“It killed him and left. I hid and survived.”
The man frowned.
On his chest was a Management Bureau badge with the name Jeon Dongwook written on it.
[2★ Moss Hunter uses skill 「Whisper of the Forest」.]
Soon, Jeon Dongwook summoned his calamity. The 2-star Moss Hunter used its tracking skill to thoroughly search the area. Fortunately, the Moss Hunter didn’t find Selene.
A 5-star calamity’s stealth skill couldn’t be detected by a mere 2-star tracking skill.
“…I see. It’s unfortunate for this Awakener, but it’s good that you survived. What’s your name?”
Jeon Dongwook asked for my name, and I answered nonchalantly.
“Nam Joo-yeon.”
“Right. Nam Joo-yeon. Nam Joo…yeon?”
But Jeon Dongwook seemed to remember something and looked at me with narrowed eyes.
Just then, the Moss Hunter returned with two arms.
The man’s arms, cleanly severed by Selene’s divine swordsmanship.
The cross-section was as smooth as if cut by a machine.
A suspicious scene in every way.
A subtle tension flowed.
“Could you come with me for a moment?”
“…Yes.”
I nodded obediently.