No accident occurred during the third eruption.
The four-star catastrophe that the government and citizens had feared did not materialize, and there were no civilian casualties.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
The media covered Seoul’s achievements almost daily.
[Successful Defense Against the 3rd Eruption: A Second Miracle of the Han River?]
Even now, TV broadcasts praise Seoul as the only city in the world to have prevented an eruption without any casualties.
Moreover, news outlets continue to highlight the efforts of South Korea’s first S-rank Awakener, Nam Jooyeon.
“……It’s almost like a religion at this point.”
At this rate, my face has become so recognizable that I need to wear a mask and hat whenever I go outside.
Despite not being particularly handsome, it seems that a fanbase has even formed around me on online communities.
=
– Have you seen that guy controlling the dragon? Isn’t he the real Dragon King?
– I saw him commanding from the rooftop, and it felt like watching a maestro.
=
As a result, I’ve been given two main nicknames:
Dragon King and Maestro.
Both are embarrassingly cringe-worthy.
“Sigh…”
Kang Sena was right.
The world was eager for a new star to emerge, and I happened to appear at just the right time.
Reading the cringe comments on the community boards makes my face burn.
They’re going overboard with their praise, as if they’re ready to offer their entire being to me.
Some of them even seem to worship me.
How should I put it… It’s like they’re treating me as some kind of deity.
“Ah.”
Speaking of deities, something came to mind.
I searched for “Ascension Cult” on the community boards.
The search yielded quite a few results.
It seems that after the third eruption, the growth of this emerging religious group called the Ascension Cult has accelerated.
From what I gathered, the cult’s doctrine revolves around an obsession with the rifts and calamities, as well as the unconditional worship of the Lord of the Abyss, who is destined to become the world’s ruler.
It’s a suspicious, even dangerous-sounding religion, but in a world where the old religions have lost their power and everything has turned into a game, people might simply be looking for something to cling to.
For ordinary people who have already experienced three terrifying calamities, the name “Lord of the Abyss” probably doesn’t feel like a distant concept.
The difference between the masses who praise S-rank Awakener Nam Jooyeon as Seoul’s guardian deity and the followers who worship the Lord of the Abyss as their sole god isn’t that significant.
While I was lost in these unnecessary reflections, the window of the hotel room opened.
[5★ Charred Saint Selene has returned to the base.]
For some reason, Selene always has a habit of coming and going through the window.
When I asked her about it, she said it was a habit from her time at the convent, where she would sneak out at night.
“Selene, you’re back?”
“Yes, my lord. I have completed my mission and returned.”
“Good. Did you gather any information?”
Honestly, I already had a rough idea from the internet, so I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by what Selene had to report.
“The Ascension Cult. The group that worships the Ruler of the Abyss, that is, you, my lord, is the work of Mirien.”
“…What?”
But what she said was something I could never have anticipated.
*
Selene calmly delivered the information.
After hearing her out, I was able to summarize the information about the Ascension Cult into three main points:
First, the Ascension Cult, which worships the Lord of the Abyss, was created by the 5-star calamity, Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea.
Second, Mirien created the Ascension Cult to brainwash Awakeners and harness their calamities.
Third, Mirien did all of this for me.
After hearing all this, my reaction was:
“What? Why is she doing this?”
Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea—her personality was unclear in the game, but now that the game has become reality, I can say with certainty that she is just as scatterbrained as Selene.
“My lord, please calm your anger. While Mirien has overstepped her bounds, her intentions are entirely for your sake.”
“Mirien created a cult for me? For my goals?”
“Yes. By gathering calamities from the Awakeners in the Ascension Cult, she aims to contribute to your grand plan. Soon, you will conquer the world and ascend as the ruler of this dimension, and she will become your steadfast ally.”
“…”
First, let me point out a few discrepancies in Selene’s explanation.
First, the calamities of the Ascension Cult weren’t “donated” by the Awakeners—they were taken by force.
Second, I have no such grand ambition of conquering the world or becoming the ruler of this dimension.
But I couldn’t tell Selene that.
I could roughly guess why she and Mirien were so insistent on such extreme methods and why they viewed other Awakeners as competitors and enemies.
When I first played Disaster Order, the tooltip displayed this message:
[Defeat the calamities, subjugate them, and become the absolute ruler of the world.]
Even when the reality was overwritten by the system of Disaster Order, this message appeared.
In other words, all calamities are ultimately meant to converge toward ruling the world.
As if to prove this, both Selene and Mirien are trying to make me the ruler of the world—the absolute one.
In the end, the ultimate goal of this game is to collect calamities and become the absolute ruler.
…It’s all too absurd.’
But I’ve already witnessed the overwhelming power of the 5-star calamities with my own eyes.
If I could control all of them, ruling the world wouldn’t be impossible.
And the game’s goal isn’t just for me.
‘Other Awakeners.’
For now, the national system is still functioning, so Awakeners are bound by the law.
But what will happen when they grow stronger and can no longer be controlled by public authority?
What will the thug who threatened me with a nail gun during the first eruption, or the scum like Han Taegeon who tried to stab me in the back, do if they gain powerful calamities like the 4-star ones?
I’ve already heard that some Awakeners in the provinces have broken away from the government and formed new factions.
The central government is focused on protecting Seoul and the metropolitan area, and local governments lack the power to control them.
Will South Korea soon become a society ruled by Awakeners?
If that happens, will I have to confront other Awakeners?
Is Selene’s advice to reduce the number of competitors truly wise?
“I don’t know.”
I don’t know.
I don’t know.
For now, it’s a distant future.
Absolute ruler, world dominator—I was just a part-timer trying to make ends meet not long ago.
Right now, I just need to deal with what’s in front of me.
The immediate concern is the emerging religious group, the Ascension Cult, created by Mirien.
Investigators from the Management Bureau, including Jeon Dongwook, are tracking Actor’s whereabouts, and they will inevitably come after the Ascension Cult and me.
As long as the nation remains functional, I need to maximize the benefits of the Management Bureau and public authority.
Just as I was making this decision, my phone rang.
The caller was Kang Sena.
Maybe she had new information.
Or perhaps she was just going to tease me by reciting news headlines.
“What’s up?”
“Mr. Nam Jooyeon, I’m sorry to bother you, but I have something urgent to tell you.”
Without her usual pleasantries, Kang Sena abruptly said.
“Seo Yerin, that girl, has gone missing. Along with five D-rank Awakeners from Team 7.”
Missing.
The sudden, heavy word made my heart sink.
I cautiously asked,
“…Is there any clue? CCTV footage or something…”
“There was a power outage in that area at the time. Plus, with electricity being scarce these days, it’s not easy to keep CCTV running 24/7…”
“…I see.”
A power outage.
It felt like I had grasped a clue.
“What does the Management Bureau say?”
“They said they’ll dispatch an investigation team soon, but… who knows when that will be.”
Indeed, in the current state of the world, the police won’t move for just a few missing people.
Kang Sena asked in a desperate voice,
“Do you have time right now? If we’re even a little late, I don’t know what might happen…”
“…Alright. I’ll go.”
After agreeing, I hung up.
I put down my phone and looked at Selene. Her red eyes had a strange glint.
“Selene, this disappearance case… It’s Mirien’s doing, isn’t it?”
“…Yes. Coincidentally, I was also there.”
“…Did Mirien take Seo Yerin?”
“I believe she didn’t kill her.”
Seo Yerin.
I only saw her briefly during the Incheon Nest operation.
That was the extent of our connection.
But if she was taken by Mirien, it’s partly my responsibility.
“Selene, can I talk to Mirien?”
“…No, my lord. That woman is vicious and cruel, and also…”
“Enough.”
The status window told us to subjugate the calamities and become the absolute ruler of the world.
I don’t know what Selene thinks of me or why she’s so loyal.
But if she depends on me, I’ll make the most of it.
“I’m just giving you an order, Selene.”
“…”
“So follow my lead.”
The red eyes of the Charred Saint Selene widened for a moment.
But then she nodded with a brighter smile than ever before.
“Yes, my lord. Even if the path leads to the abyss, I will follow.”
“…Selene, we’re already in the abyss.”
“Understood.”