Chapter 3: Unleashing Calamity (3)

The Scorched saint, Selene, finally found the rest she had longed for. 

Here, in the False Paradise, there was peace.

Within the rift, no one oppressed Selene. 

Even if she lost control of her power and burned her surroundings, she was not punished. 

She was not falsely accused of being a witch and burned at the stake.

Above all, what Selene loved most was the ruler of this realm.

At first glance, the ruler of the rift seemed almost divine, someone to be revered from afar. 

Yet, contrary to Selene’s expectations, the ruler was kind and gentle.

“Ruler, why did you take in someone like me?”

The ruler never answered Selene’s question.

But instead of words, the ruler showed her through actions.

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ gifts 5★ Scorched Saint Selene with a 2☆ Dwarf Honey Wine.]

“Ah…”

That fleeting display of kindness.

Selene understood just that.

“I will follow your command.”

Selene became his vanguard.

She wielded her sword solely for him, scattered hellfire for him.

A fanatic with a place to belong became an unstoppable calamity.

[5★ Scorched Saint Selene has returned from an expedition.]

[Reward: 300Exp/5☆ Shadowfall Spear]

Every time Selene returned from an expedition with valuable spoils, the ruler praised her.

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ gifts 5★ Scorched Saint Selene with a 4☆ Rosary of Corruption.]

Selene loved the rift.

Here, everything she had ever wished for was present.

A kind master who treated her well, and Selene had the ability to faithfully carry out his commands.

Even as she burned other worlds and pierced the hearts of their inhabitants, becoming a demon of destruction, there was someone who affirmed her.

That alone filled Selene’s heart.

Everything was satisfying.

[A powerful force descends upon the rift!]

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ successfully synthesizes 5★ North Sea Storm Mirien!]

[…]

[A powerful force descends upon the rift.]

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ successfully synthesizes 5★ Star-Devouring Queen Asteria!]

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ successfully synthesizes 5★ Mother of Calamity Karne!]

Though she could not monopolize the ruler’s heart, and many powerful subordinates comparable to Selene appeared, she did not mind.

The ruler is a great being.

She never expected to monopolize someone as insignificant as herself.

All Selene wanted from him was one thing.

Acknowledgment.

As long as she had that, she was willing to burn her body anew to devote herself to her new master.

And so, the Scorched Saint Selene enjoyed a brief respite within the rift.

“Forever, for eternity, I will serve you.”

But.

As if to mock Selene’s wishes.

Happiness did not last long.

[5★ Scorched Saint Selene has been dismissed.]

Just as the gods abandoned Selene, and she abandoned the world.

In the end, even the ruler abandoned Selene.

“Wh-why…?”

Selene stood at her last stronghold.

As she once stood before the pyre, she collapsed in despair.

And she spoke to the ruler as if pleading.

“I-I can do better. I won’t be a burden anymore. I’ll even go to the hellfire and bring back treasures. Please, just give me one more chance. Please….”

Selene could do better.

If there were shortcomings, she could make up for them. 

If punishment was needed, she could cut off her own limbs.

Selene continued to plead.

[The calamity is unleashed. Their power is immense, capable of destroying another world. This decision cannot be undone!]

[Y/N]

But the ruler remained emotionless and did not answer Selene’s pleas.

Yet, as always, the ruler showed his will through actions.

[Y]

Selene was banished back to the outer dimension where she originally came from.

For her, the time without her ruler felt like an eternity.

Drifting through the dimension as if floating, Selene thought.

Why did the ruler abandon me?

No feelings of resentment sprouted.

Only intense self-loathing remained.

The guilt of failing to satisfy her master, the sense of loss from knowing that the happy times would not continue.

All of it became the kindling that burned Selene’s body.

[The Disaster Order’s calamity comes for you.]

When she opened her eyes, it was a new world.

A world different from before. A higher-dimensional world.

Here, Selene could become a new order of the world, rivaling the gods.

But Selene had no will left. 

The flames had long since burned out; she was a log without fuel.

A prison in the form of paradise, without her ruler.

This is hell.

Selene naturally understood.

“…Punishment, I need punishment.”

Selene thought this was a trial her ruler had set for her.

There was no way her master would abandon her.

This was a prison of punishment arranged by the ruler to blame her for her inadequacies.

Selene sought to regain her ruler’s favor through penance.

[The Scorched Saint Selene scatters hellfire. The abyss opens.]

And so, Selene hid herself in the abyss.

Wielding a whip made of fire, she continuously burned her body.

Feeling greater pain, she dreamed of returning to paradise.

That was until recently.

After burning her body for a while, Selene felt a familiar sensation.

“…Ah.”

The largest piece of Selene’s life was only the ruler.

That’s why she knew.

She felt it instinctively.

“…The ruler is in this world. He still wants me, doesn’t he?”

In the depths of the abyss, Selene raised her head.

The most intense flame among all calamities began to move.

*

They say humans are creatures of adaptation.

On the first day, they were terrified; on the second, they were bewildered; on the third, they fought each other. 

By the fifth day, human society had begun to interpret the new world’s system.

=

– Did you guys check the eruption?  Are we supposed to gather minions here?

– If you’re curious, go ask God Taichang directly.

– Would he even answer if I asked?

– ࿁ ࿁

– This feels like a tycoon game, right? Strengthen your base, farm experience and items, and give them to your subordinates.

– So we don’t have to fight directly? It’s not like an RPG?

– First, we need to deal with the calamity from the first eruption. We’ll know more then.

– This is a scheme by Bill Gates and Elon Musk! Only those vaccinated can see the message!

– LOL.

– Looking for party members to hunt with in two days.

– Where?

=

“Sigh…”

I let out a bitter smile as I watched the ever-changing opinions on the community.

A variety of opinions were pouring in. 

Some users had insightful observations about the genre of Disaster Order, while others openly posted about looking for party members, something you’d typically see in a game community.

However, that user’s post received a lot of comments. 

It seemed some had already formed guild-like groups, studying the game’s system.

And why wouldn’t they? 

Reality was no longer reality.

Just last week, who would have imagined?

That the world would become a game.

[Time until next rift eruption: 39h]

“Two days…”

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Media outlets that had been highlighting earthquake damage and mysterious structures now focused on the new world order instead of the victims.

What is Disaster Order? 

What is a ruler? 

What do the calamities signify?

And the status window was quite helpful in this regard.

[In the world of Disaster Order, rifts erupt at regular intervals.]

[Calamities will pour out. The ruler must subjugate them to ascend to a higher existence.]

[Create a base. Gather calamities, use them as fertilizer to leap forward.]

Rulers, commonly referred to as Awakened, emerged.

A kind of social syndrome.

At the national level, it seemed they wanted to suppress this phenomenon through public authority, but a video that spread rapidly on SNS became a hot topic.

A massive black tower rising in Yeouido. 

Footage of soldiers entering the dungeon where the North Sea Storm Mirien resided, filmed from a distance.

As soon as the leading soldier stepped inside the tower, a massive black storm engulfed the surroundings. 

The storm moved as if alive, greedily swallowing the soldiers around the tower like a ravenous beast.

Hours passed, but none of the soldiers who were swallowed emerged from the tower.

The video spread like wildfire, and everyone who saw it could only think one thing.

‘This is not a problem that can be solved with conventional means.’

From then on, stories about Awakened began to flood the community.

Concerns about rift eruptions also grew.

And what about the religious groups?

Some worshipped the new system as divine punishment, others argued for a rational approach, and then there were the anarchists, doomsayers, and conspiracy theorists, all clashing in a chaotic battle.

In short, it was a mess.

There was hardly any meaningful content in the community, as rare as rain in a drought.

“…Let’s just do what I need to do.”

I turned off the internet and looked at another window.

Ding.

[No base set. Cannot check status.]

[Ruler ‘Actor,’ please set up a base.]

[Failure to set up a base may result in penalties.]

The translucent message window kept urging me to set up a base.

The base is the alpha and omega of Disaster Order.

With a base, you can collect calamities, synthesize them, and enhance equipment. 

Sending out expeditions is also a function managed through the base’s organization window, so setting up a base is essential for anyone starting the game.

“Essential, but not necessary right now.”

However, I did not create a base.

Unlike others, I had already deeply immersed myself in this shitty game.

As such, I was well aware of the negative effects of carelessly creating a base early on.

Especially since I couldn’t use tricks like rerolling now.

‘It’s not too late to create a base after thorough preparation.’

Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve been idly wasting my time.

I’ve been steadily preparing for this eruption.

“…A baseball bat should do, right?”

If this world strictly follows the game’s rules, the first eruption won’t bring out strong calamities.

Mostly 1-star calamities, like goblins.

Occasionally, a 2-star calamity might appear, but if it seems too much, I can just run away.

A baseball bat with nails should be enough to handle them.

“Preparation seems about done.”

I wrapped some insulation tape around the baseball bat and leaned it against the front door.

Actually, there was something more concerning than the rift eruption.

I opened the achievement management window by manipulating the status window.

[Achievement Unlocked: Beloved by Calamities]

[Reward: 1,000Exp]

“…”

A new achievement.

The amount of experience is absurd.

With this, I could upgrade the initial facilities by three levels if I set up a base now.

“…This feels dangerous.”

That’s why I’m uneasy.

Beloved by calamities?

It doesn’t seem like the game’s progress is carrying over.

It’s a relief that nothing has happened so far.

“Well, let’s just do what I need to do.”

Overthinking won’t help.

I steeled my resolve and glared at the timer at the top of the status window.

*

[Time until next rift eruption: 0 h]

[The rift erupts.]

Exactly one week after the rift’s appearance, it erupted.

[The calamities are coming for you.]

The first rift eruption was, as expected, mostly weak calamities.

[1★ Forest Goblins have appeared!]

[1★ Leaf Fairies have appeared!]

[…]

[2★ Moss Hunter has appeared!]

[2★ Ember Fox has appeared!]

However, there was one thing that differed from expectations.

[Dungeon ‘Abyss’ has erupted.]

[5★ Scorched Saint Selene is roaming the area.]

It wasn’t just the rift that erupted.