It was clear from the very first greeting that Kang Sena was quite shaken.
“Oh my, isn’t this the guardian of Seoul, the Dragon King and Maestro, Nam Jooyeon?”
That’s what she said.
Normally, Kang Sena, who would have greeted me like that, simply bowed her head slightly upon seeing me.
Her complexion was pale, almost ashen.
It seemed that Seo Yerin’s disappearance had hit her hard, leaving her deeply shocked.
“Did she go missing here?”
“Yerin’s radio, along with the belongings of other missing Awakened, were found here. It’s clear that something happened around this area.”
Kang Sena bit her lip as she looked around.
Aside from a few traces left behind, the surroundings were eerily clean.
“It doesn’t seem like we’ll find any clues here. Especially since there’s no CCTV footage.”
It was already a park with little foot traffic, and the disappearances occurred during the eruption of the rift when civilians were hiding in the air-raid shelter.
In the current situation, it was nearly impossible for Kang Sena to find any leads.
Even the investigators from the Management Bureau couldn’t be expected to produce meaningful results.
“What was Seo Yerin doing here?”
“I’m not sure. Yerin’s team, Team 7, was in charge of this area, Seoul Forest, but there was no need for the team leader to come here personally.”
“…Hmm.”
“According to other Awakened from the team, the Awakened in Seoul Forest weren’t responding, so she came here herself… That means something must have happened here. Nam Jooyeon, do you have any Disaster with investigation skills?”
“I have Lucifen.”
I nodded and summoned the 3-star Disaster, Faded Specter Lucifen, to survey the area.
Soon, Lucifen found a clue just a few meters away.
“…Lightning?”
A lightning-shaped mark was scorched into the nearby vegetation.
The parts touched by the mark were strangely blackened.
“This… seems like the work of a Disaster.”
Kang Sena’s expression darkened.
Perhaps she was imagining the worst-case scenario for Seo Yerin. In reality, her fears weren’t far off.
Although I didn’t tell her, the truth was that the 5-star Disaster, Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea, had taken Seo Yerin.
“…I’ll head back now. I need to inform the Management Bureau about this situation…”
Kang Sena stammered as she looked at me.
“Nam Jooyeon.”
“Yes. I’ll help. I’m an S-rank Awakened, after all.”
I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Kang Sena only managed an awkward smile.
“…Thank you. I’m glad you’re here, Nam Jooyeon.”
I hadn’t been fishing for gratitude.
“Hmm.”
That wasn’t the reaction I expected.
After Kang Sena returned to the Management Bureau, I stayed at the scene.
I moved to a nearby public restroom to ensure no one was watching, then summoned Selene.
The foul smell emanating from the men’s restroom made Selene’s brow furrow slightly.
I ignored it and asked, “Selene, what exactly did Mirien do? You were in the same place, right?”
“…I’m not a mage, so I don’t know the specifics of Mirien’s magic. But it’s clear that the lightning she shot attacked that woman.”
“She didn’t kill her, right?”
“No. If Mirien had truly intended to kill her, the woman would have been obliterated the moment the lightning struck. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Mirien carried her away herself.”
“…To recruit her into the Ascension Church?”
“Most likely.”
Things had just gotten more complicated.
Mirien seemed to be gathering Awakened from various places, aiming to steal their Disasters and build an army.
A Disaster that was already extremely dangerous on its own was now amassing a military force.
No matter how you looked at it, this was a dangerous situation.
“What do you think Mirien will do once she’s gathered her army?”
“She’ll conquer the world. And then she’ll offer it to you, my lord.”
“…”
Indeed.
Disasters act according to their ruler’s will.
The ultimate goal of every ruler is to become the absolute sovereign of the world.
Mirien was merely following her own standards to achieve that goal.
However, I still hadn’t set my own path in this transformed world.
And I wasn’t foolish enough to support my subordinate’s plan to bring about the world’s destruction.
At least, not yet.
“Selene, can you track Mirien?”
“I’m sorry, my lord. I have stealth skills, but no tracking skills.”
Hearing that, I recalled memories from the game.
Selene was a 5-star Disaster, particularly specialized in combat.
Skills related to synthesis, daily life, tracking, or investigation were practically nonexistent for her.
“Then how did you find Mirien last time?”
“I had help from the Hellfire Watchdog.”
Come to think of it, the Hellfire Watchdog did have tracking-related skills.
In Disaster Order, tracking skills were considered almost useless, but now that the game had become reality, they were quite handy.
Was that why Selene had asked if she could accompany the Hellfire Watchdog some time ago? It was all for tracking purposes.
“Then can’t we just tell the Hellfire Watchdog to track Mirien?”
“Mirien isn’t a fool. By the time I realized her intentions, she would have thoroughly erased her traces. I’m not defending that mage, but if Mirien decides to hide, no one in this world will be able to find her. Unless it’s someone like Karne, who’s specialized in tracking and assassination…”
“…Then what about going to the tower directly?”
If Mirien’s whereabouts are unknown, why not just go straight to her base?
“That’s dangerous, my lord.”
“Even if it’s dangerous, according to you, Mirien won’t directly harm me, right?”
“That’s true, but…”
“And Selene, you wouldn’t lie to me, would you? Or have you been lying to me all this time?”
“N-no, of course not.”
I think I’ve got a handle on how to deal with Selene.
I shrugged and turned my gaze toward Mirien’s tower.
It was quite a distance from Seoul Forest to Yeouido, but the 21st-century Babel Tower, towering as if it could touch the sky, was clearly visible.
“And don’t worry. I plan to go with you. If anything happens, you can protect me.”
“…Yes. I will protect you with my life, my lord.”
“However… the issue here will be people’s attention.”
The area around Mirien’s tower was already under strict control by the police and military.
It was a forbidden zone, impossible to enter casually.
But as it turns out, I had the power to bypass them.
The label of an S-rank Awakened, more powerful than even members of the National Assembly or the President in emergencies.
I took out my phone and dialed a number from my contacts.
The ringtone didn’t even go past three.
[···Nam Jooyeon?]
Yoo Junseo, the director of the Awakened Management Bureau, answered the phone with a mix of doubt and caution.
This was the first time I had called the bureau director directly.
As such, even over the phone, I could sense a certain tension in Yoo Junseo’s voice.
What could this unpredictable S-rank Awakened possibly want to say?
Yoo Junseo was clearly apprehensive.
And that apprehension was about to be proven right.
“Yes, this is Nam Jooyeon. I have an urgent request.”
[···Oh, alright. If it’s a request from an S-rank, I’ll have to hear it out. But next time, please follow the proper procedures and…]
“I’m going to assault the tower in Yeouido. Please clear out the police and military personnel.”
There was a sound of someone choking on the other end of the line.
Over 50% of all Awakened in South Korea were concentrated in Seoul.
If you included the metropolitan area, that number rose to nearly 70%.
In contrast, Awakened in the provinces were severely lacking.
Every time a rift eruption occurred, there were massive casualties, but the media strictly controlled any information about these incidents.
“Those bastards, now they’re talking about the Miracle on the Han River, patting themselves on the back and acting all high and mighty.”
The Awakened in Daejeon were no different.
Exhausted Awakened wanted to move to Seoul, and dozens had already left.
The vast land of the metropolitan city was being protected by barely two hundred Awakened.
Even if you filtered out the ones who were actually useful, it was hard to say if they made up even 30% of that number.
Meanwhile, the authorities were only interested in finding ways to control the Awakened.
The signs of division were already there, and it was inevitable that the Awakened would take action.
They wanted to establish a new nation for Awakened. The weary Awakened formed a new community and occupied an empty city near Daejeon.
“They’re talking about a Seoul Republic. Well, we’re the Daejeon Republic now.”
What someone had said as a joke was becoming a reality.
Just as warlords had emerged in history, the Awakened had become a force effectively controlling Daejeon.
The gathered Awakened had enough power to defend a small district.
Jeon Taemin was one of them.
He wasn’t affiliated with the Management Bureau, nor was he a government lackey, but he was a powerful Awakened with two 3-star Disasters.
Thanks to his efforts, Daejeon had handled the third rift eruption smoothly, and they nominated Jeon Taemin as the leader of the new republic.
He wasn’t one to refuse a rotten crown.
“Honestly, isn’t Jeon Taemin more impressive than Seoul’s Dragon King? That guy gets all sorts of support to fight, while we built everything from the ground up.”
“That’s right.”
“Seoul already has two 4-star Disasters. It won’t be long before they collapse. When those Management Bureau bastards come begging to us, we won’t even listen.”
“That’s true.”
“How about we invade Seoul during the fourth or fifth rift eruption? By then, our guys will have plenty of 3-star Disasters, and we can even take on the military.”
“Now you’re talking sense. But it’s not the right time yet.”
Jeon Taemin chuckled as he listened to his subordinate’s flattery.
He glanced at the news article on his phone, showing footage of S-rank Awakened Nam Jooyeon wielding the Storm Dragon.
It was certainly an impressive sight, but Jeon Taemin felt nothing.
“Hey, are 4-star Disasters really that scary? If we gather enough people, it’s not impossible to fight them, right?”
Jeon Taemin joked.
Just then, he refreshed the page, and a new news article popped up.
[S-rank Awakened Nam Jooyeon Declares Assault on Yeouido Tower]
“Huh?”
Jeon Taemin clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Yeouido Tower. He had seen the footage of soldiers being brutally slaughtered while trying to approach it.
And yet, this guy was declaring an assault? He must be out of his mind.
“Hey, this S-rank guy seems to be planning to kill himself. Did you see this?”
Jeon Taemin asked his subordinate, seeking agreement.
But no response came.
Jeon Taemin felt a twinge of irritation.
Wasn’t this the same guy who had been showering him with flattery just moments ago?
Why the silence?
He finally noticed something was off and turned around.
His subordinate’s neck was twisted.
The man’s mouth hung open, his tongue lolling out.
“…”
They say when people are too shocked, they can’t speak.
Someone approached Jeon Taemin from behind.
“Ugh!”
Jeon Taemin collapsed without even putting up a fight.
No, he couldn’t even fall properly, as his wrist was grabbed, leaving him dangling over the desk.
Soon, he felt a cold, icy sensation on his wrist.
A slender, pale finger grabbed the phone he had been holding.
“…You, you’re!”
But Jeon Taemin’s eyes widened in shock.
More than his own horrified expression, the intruder’s face showed even greater panic.
Her gaze was fixed on the phone screen Jeon Taemin had been looking at moments ago.
[S-rank Awakened Nam Jooyeon Declares Assault on Yeouido Tower]
The woman, Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea, stared at the article for a long time.
Then, her pink lips parted, and a trembling voice escaped.
“Is… is the Actor coming for me?”
The owner of that beautiful voice was clearly more shaken than Jeon Taemin, whose life was in danger.