Chapter 58: It Must Be Nice To Have Two Mothers – (4)

In “Disaster Order,” the “Rift” is a device. 

Just like in reality, in the game, the Rift periodically erupts, spewing forth calamities. 

These calamities are collected, synthesized to create higher-tier calamities, and then strengthened to be sent on expeditions. 

The resources gathered from these expeditions are used to upgrade the base, allowing for the collection of even more calamities. 

This cycle repeats until all the calamities in the game are collected. 

In this sense, the Rift in “Disaster Order” is merely a vague entity—a systemic backdrop that spits out the resources needed for the game. 

However, now that the game has become reality, the rules of the game no longer apply.

“The Rift…?”

The Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria, was currently inside the Rift. 

Given that Karne, the greatest of all calamities, had said this using her tracking skills, it was unlikely to be a lie. 

Still, I was utterly confused.

‘Wait, was it even possible to enter the Rift in the first place?’

What lies inside the Rift? 

If this were a comedy movie, the calamities inside would probably be preparing for deployment with parachutes. 

But reality is no comedy. 

The Rift is a completely uncharted territory. 

Neither the game’s lore nor its systems provided any information about what lies within.

Karne, the Mother of Omens, seemed to notice my unease and whispered softly, “Child, I understand your surprise. Normally, it’s impossible to enter the Rift. The Rift itself is an irresistible vortex of power. Even I, or Selene, or Mirien—calamities like us—cannot enter it. But Asteria… she has never left the Rift.”

“…What?”

I was baffled. 

What did she mean by “never left the Rift”?

Karne smiled bitterly and explained, “Selene, Mirien, and I were expelled from our base and emerged into this higher dimension through the Rift. But if there were a being capable of resisting the pull of the Rift, someone with enough power to do so, what do you think would happen?”

“…You can’t be serious.”

“That’s exactly it. Asteria has used her power to create a nest within the Rift.”

The Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria. 

The queen of a forgotten kingdom that even the Transcendents feared. 

A calamity beyond measure, granting powers through the colors of the cosmos. 

Like all games, “Disaster Order” wasn’t immune to power creep. 

The calamities released later in the game were inevitably stronger than those from the early stages, and Asteria, added in the final update, was undoubtedly the ultimate boss.

Her background alone was overwhelming. 

While other 5-star calamities operated on a continental or planetary scale, Asteria’s lore was cosmic. 

This was reflected in her in-game performance as well. 

Compared to Mirien, another mage-type calamity, Asteria was a massive upgrade. 

Her superior abilities made her a favorite of mine in the game.

If Asteria were to appear in reality, she would be a formidable foe, even for other 5-star calamities. 

The reason I sought out Karne first was partly due to her tracking magic, but more so because I was afraid of facing Asteria.

“So, if Asteria has made a nest within the Rift, does that mean she can manipulate the Rift?”

“Not exactly. No matter how powerful Asteria is, she cannot compare to you in your prime, when you were the Ruler of the Rift, clad in divinity.”

“…”

I decided not to correct her. 

I had never been a divine being, nor had I ever ruled the Rift. 

I was just a human. But to these calamities, I was the flawless Ruler of the Rift, the Actor. 

That was the role I had to play.

Instead, I asked another question. “Is Asteria strong enough to carve out a space within the Rift?”

“Her own power isn’t that overwhelming. But… in this case, the problem lies in the crown you gifted her.”

“The crown.”

How could I forget? 

The exclusive quest for the Queen Who Swallowed the Stars required the “Crown of the Great Star,” a 5-star equipment item she had supposedly lost. 

I pulled out a 4-star item from my inventory—a “Fragment of the Shattered Crown”—that I had recently obtained from a nest controlled by a clan in Daejeon. 

Seeing this, Karne nodded.

“Yes. Asteria must have shattered the crown and used its inherent power to fix her coordinates and create a nest within the Rift. The fragments of the shattered crown likely seeped into the calamities within the Rift.”

“So these fragments weren’t intentionally scattered by Asteria but rather accidentally leaked out from within the Rift?”

“Exactly.”

Asteria had shattered the crown I gifted her and used its power to establish her nest within the Rift. 

I didn’t know how she felt about me now, but given that she had destroyed the crown, it was unlikely she held any favorable feelings toward me, much like Karne.

“Actor, what will you do?”

“…There’s no other way. I can’t enter the Rift to confront her directly, so we’ll have to lure her out. To do that, we’ll need to gather all the fragments of the shattered crown.”

There were seven fragments in total. 

Excluding the one I already had, we needed to find six more to restore the crown. 

Once that was done, Asteria would naturally be drawn out of the Rift by the crown’s power.

It seemed like the right plan. 

Karne nodded and gently patted my head. 

It was an odd sensation.

“That’s a good mindset. I’ll always support you, child.”

Karne embraced me with a warm smile, her soft touch brushing against my cheek.

“But, Mother.”

“Yes?”

“When are we going down?”

Karne looked genuinely hurt by my question.

“Do you not want to stay with me?”

“N-no, it’s not that…”

“It’s a rare moment for just the two of us. There’s no one to disturb us, so let’s enjoy this reunion.”

We were thousands of meters in the air, and since I had essentially handed over control of my life to Karne, I had no choice but to nod.

“Actor, I’ve prepared so many things to say to you.”

Like the other calamities, Karne believed that my becoming a mortal must have been for some grand purpose. 

She seemed content just to have this conversation with me. 

Her wings, usually steady, were fluttering with excitement.

“Mother, I…”

“It’s okay. I understand. You came back to me in the end, and that’s enough for now.”

Unlike Selene and Mirien, talking to Karne had a strangely comforting effect. 

Her voice, smooth like a jade bead rolling on a metal plate, was part of the reason. 

Or perhaps it was because, as they say, people yearn for what they cannot have. 

Having never experienced a mother’s love, I was deeply moved by Karne’s affection.

Karne continued to ask me questions—whether this was my original face, if I had prepared a mortal body separately. 

They were difficult questions to answer, but I did my best to come up with excuses. 

For the ones I couldn’t answer, I remained silent, and Karne didn’t press further. 

If this was what a parent-child conversation felt like, it wasn’t so bad.

“…Hmm.”

After some time, Karne smiled bitterly and said, “I think it’s time to head down.”

“Huh?”

Karne folded her black wings.

——Kwaaaaang!

As soon as she finished speaking, a flash of light blinded me, followed by a deafening roar. 

Thunder and heavy rain poured down.

[5★ North Sea Storm Mirien has activated the skill ‘Thunderstorm’.]

It seemed like she was ready to electrocute us if we didn’t come down soon.

*

To lure the Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria, out of the Rift, we needed to gather all the fragments of the shattered crown. 

The fragments were likely scattered across the world, but with Karne joining our base, it wouldn’t be too difficult. 

Her tracking magic was unparalleled, capable of locating even the smallest fragments of the crown across the globe.

“The closest fragment is to the west.”

“To the west?”

“Yes. It’s practically right under our noses.”

“Huh?”

As Karne had said, the fragment was obtained from an unexpected source.

“Brother.”

“Little brother.”

The Awakened Lei Fu, after hearing my explanation, pulled out a small piece of metal from his inventory.

[4☆ Fragment of the Shattered Crown]

“I got this from a calamity that appeared near Shaanxi Province not long ago.”

The second fragment was in the possession of none other than Lei Fu, the leader of China’s Awakened Alliance. 

His decision to join the Korean alliance had turned out to be a stroke of luck. 

It felt like finding a 500-won coin under a vending machine.

With this, finding the remaining five fragments was only a matter of time. 

However, something more urgent had come up.

– ‘Hey, is this Nam Jooyeon? I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m the clan leader from Daejeon…’

That evening, I received a call. 

The Daejeon clan leader, Jeon Taemin, spoke in a hesitant voice.

– ‘I synthesized the item you requested. And… there’s something else I need to tell you.’

Finally, the Elixir was in my hands.