A-rank Awakener, Dongwook Jo, found himself in a rather awkward situation.
The sudden dungeon raid in Yeouido.
Just a few hours ago, S-rank Awakener Nam Jooyeon and Bureau Director Yoo Junseo had entered.
Not long after, Yoo Junseo rushed out, and the dungeon erupted.
[Awakeners, please assist in evacuating citizens near your residences.]
In an instant, a disaster broadcast, akin to a rift eruption, was issued, and all Awakeners affiliated with the Bureau mobilized to the scene with tension.
Dongwook was no exception.
He was off-duty but had been abruptly called in.
“Yoo Junseo, that bastard… causing unnecessary trouble.”
Being called in on his day off wasn’t particularly bothersome.
It had happened often during his detective days.
But in this chaotic world, what irked Dongwook was this unpleasant feeling of losing control and understanding.
“What are you plotting?”
Dongwook frowned as he glared at the towering structure in Yeouido.
He had tried to track the trajectory of the storm dragon Tempestra, which had flown across the sky moments ago, but the thick clouds made it impossible.
“Tsk.”
Dongwook clicked his tongue.
He still harbored suspicions about Nam Jooyeon.
From his appearance during the raid on Cheonan’s Nest to surviving Tempestra’s attack.
Of course, he acknowledged Nam Jooyeon’s achievements.
But the more Nam Jooyeon rose to prominence, the deeper Dongwook’s doubts grew.
“Declaring a raid on the tower out of the blue is suspicious.”
It felt like following a script.
Nam Jooyeon became an S-rank Awakener after defeating Tempestra.
He continued to build his reputation in subsequent raids.
But now, he had declared a raid on the tower without warning. Coincidentally, the dungeon “Tower of the Abyss” had appeared, and within it, the Charred Saintess Selene, a subordinate of the Actor, had emerged. A very convenient situation, wasn’t it?
Recently, a religious group called the Ascension Sect, which worshipped the Actor, had risen.
Dongwook’s reasoning might be a stretch, but according to Yoo Joon-seo, the two had smoothly raided the tower.
However, Dongwook didn’t trust the Bureau Director’s words.
“There’s something going on.”
Dongwook frowned and moved forward.
As an A-rank Awakener, leaving his post would incur severe penalties, but he believed he could get leniency for investigative purposes.
Nam Jooyeon had disappeared to the north.
Dongwook was about to ride a parked motorcycle into the rain when…
[This is Team 4! Team 4! We need backup!]
A frantic voice from the radio stopped him in his tracks.
He frowned and listened closely, only to hear shocking news.
[Team 4’s jurisdiction, a 5-star disaster has appeared in Jung-gu!]
“5-star…?”
[It’s the Charred Saintess, the Charred Saintess!]
The radio didn’t even identify the caller before shouting, and Dongwook couldn’t believe his ears.
“A 5-star disaster, in the heart of the city?”
Something monumental was happening.
*
The Charred Saintess Selene truly lived up to her name as a living catastrophe.
With each swing of her sword, massive flames erupted, engulfing the streets.
“Maintain distance! Do not approach!”
As soon as Selene appeared, the Awakeners rushed in with determined expressions to stop the 5-star disaster, but upon facing her, they couldn’t help but lose their resolve.
[5★ Charred Saintess Selene uses skill ‘Infernal Fireball’.]
Ding.
[2★ Crystal Spider defeated.]
[Reward: 30Exp/2★ Crystal Spider]
[2★ Moss Hunter defeated.]
[Reward: 30Exp/2★ Moss Hunter]
[2★ Ember Fox defeated.]
[Reward: 30Exp/2★ Ember Fox]
[2★ Starlight Crystal Golem defeated.]
[Reward: 30Exp/2★ Starlight Crystal Golem]
[3★ Ghost Flame defeated.]
[Reward: 50Exp/3★ Ghost Flame]
Kill logs kept appearing before my eyes.
Unintentionally, I had stolen the kills from other Awakeners, but they were in panic, seeing multiple disasters fall with a single strike.
“H-how? She’s clearly a fire-attribute!”
“It’s raining too!”
The Awakeners’ near-screams echoed even from a distance.
“She’s… really strong.”
I clicked my tongue as I watched from the rooftop.
Despite the heavy rain, which should have weakened Selene, she didn’t allow a single strike.
She was now a rampaging monster near Seoul Station, and no disaster or weapon could harm her.
An Awakener shot an arrow.
Selene didn’t even dodge.
The flames surrounding her, though diminished, easily blocked bullets and arrows.
Even without the flames, Selene wouldn’t take damage from such weak attacks.
[5☆ Dead God’s Husk]
The Infernal Stake Sword Selene wielded wasn’t her only 5-star equipment.
The Dead God’s Husk she carried was the ultimate defensive gear, blocking all attacks below 3-star.
With her innate resistance to fire and her equipment covering her defenses, she was a disaster specialized in slaughtering the weak.
That was my base’s farming specialist, the Charred Saintess Selene.
“Good. She’s drawing attention well.”
Having seen enough, I stopped paying attention to Selene.
On the rooftop beside me was a Hellfire Guard Dog wearing a large dog raincoat.
Despite the heavy rain, it was sniffing diligently, searching for Mirien’s trail.
I didn’t think tracking would be difficult.
‘This must be Thunderstorm.’
In Disaster Order, weather skills were possessed by only a few disasters.
Their effects included changing field attributes and strengthening party members of the same attribute.
Given their outstanding performance, weather skills often became the identity of the disaster possessing them.
Mirien’s epithet, “Storm of the North Sea,” came from her unique skill, Thunderstorm.
Back when I was heavily into the game, I often used Mirien and Tempestra, along with other sky and lightning attribute disasters, with Mirien as a weather setter and supporter.
[4★ Hellfire Guard Dog uses the skill ‘Scent Tracking’.]
Ding.
[4★ Hellfire Guard Dog has detected the skill ‘Thunderstorm’.]
“Okay.”
As expected, the Hellfire Guard Dog easily pinpointed the skill’s origin.
The direction it turned its head was none other than north.
The status window even kindly displayed the tracking skill’s results visually.
“Seongbuk-gu…”
I gave a bitter smile.
In the end, I had no choice but to fly off with Tempestra again.
*
When Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea, regained consciousness, her surroundings were unfamiliar.
She slowly assessed the situation.
Mirien had cast the Blessing of Thunder on herself, lost her sanity, and went on a rampage.
She had no memory after that. Her last memory was of the fierce battle on the top floor of the tower.
She had definitely fought Selene.
Her cloak was tattered and charred, and her face was covered in soot. Up to that point.
Realizing this, a burning pain from her wounds surged through her body.
“No way…”
Mirien sat on the cold, collapsed floor and slowly looked down at her hands.
Given her condition, she must have fought Selene in a frenzy.
Then, for some reason, she fled the tower and hid here.
If, during the fight with Selene, she had caused any harm to the Actor…
“…I’ve done it.”
The moment she thought of the worst possibility, her mind went cold.
Her body, mind, and soul felt like they were crumbling.
“…Ugh.”
Mirien staggered back a step.
She had definitely earned his hatred.
An irreparable conflict.
She realized she was a living corpse.
Why was she even alive?
Rampaging on her own, causing harm to the Actor.
As Selene had said, she was nothing but a huge obstacle to the Actor.
Wouldn’t it have been better to have her heart pierced by Selene’s sword?
To have the heart bestowed by the Actor taken back?
“…Huh.”
A bitter laugh escaped.
She held her trembling body and shook her head.
A severe headache struck.
Fear belatedly washed over her.
If he saw her, what expression would he make?
Would he frown?
Give a cold look?
Or would he ignore her entirely?
Would he never call her name again?
The thought tightened her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Her fingertips trembled.
“It’s irreversible.”
The conclusion came quickly.
Mirien spoke and raised her hand.
Her unique skill, Thunderstorm, was pouring rain over the entire city.
And with her grand magic, it wouldn’t be hard to summon countless lightning bolts.
Rather than waiting for a future without the Actor, filled with destruction, wouldn’t it be better to destroy the entire world?
If Selene came to stop her, she would gladly throw her life away.
As Mirien thought this and began gathering mana…
[4★ Tempestra uses the skill ‘Flight’.]
A massive shadow loomed overhead.
Mirien looked up blankly.
Tempestra, once her subordinate, now belonged to the Actor.
Thus, there was only one reason Tempestra would come looking for her.
“…Actor.”
The human barely hanging onto Tempestra’s massive back.
Mirien’s breath caught.
She thought she had given up, but the precious heart given by the Actor still caused trouble.
The life he had given her still pulsed with vitality.
“I… I…”
Mirien opened her mouth.
She had much to say.
She wanted him to scold her.
But she didn’t want to be abandoned.
Above all…
“…Don’t turn away from me.”
“If I were going to turn away, would I have come looking for you like this, risking my life?”
Contrary to Mirien’s expectations, the Actor smiled and nodded.
Then, he leaped off Tempestra’s back.
“…Huh?”
From dozens of meters in the air.
Mirien’s thoughts froze.