South Korea, excluding the metropolitan area, was practically in a state of anarchy.
Government agencies, represented by the Awakened Management Bureau, had already lost control over most areas except for a few key regions in the metropolitan area.
Local governments, which were supposed to manage regional affairs, had long since handed over their authority to local Awakened individuals, except in large cities like Busan.
As a result, news from the provinces was vague and distant to those in the metropolitan area, and media outlets based in Seoul also did not cover local issues in depth.
“…Huh.”
Perhaps that’s why.
The actual situation in South Korea was quite shocking.
As soon as I passed through the heavily guarded checkpoint and entered Chungcheongbuk-do, the scenery changed dramatically.
I couldn’t help but marvel inwardly as I gripped the steering wheel.
‘Who would have thought the world would come to this in just five months.’
Maybe it was because I had been in Seoul for too long, but the rapid deterioration of the landscape outside the metropolitan area felt incredibly unfamiliar.
Fallen signs, cracked roads, streets devoid of people.
It reminded me of the post-apocalyptic games I used to enjoy.
Moreover, all of this damage was caused by the calamities I had unleashed.
Even if I didn’t know at the time, I couldn’t completely absolve myself of responsibility.
“…”
…Even so.
I felt like I had already taken enough responsibility for it.
Just listening to the conversation from the back seat was enough to understand.
“…Mirien, you must not mess up this time. If you ruin our lord’s expedition, I will personally rip out your heart.”
“There’s a saying for times like this.”
“What is it?”
“Mind your own business.”
“Shall we have a face-to-face talk?”
“Why?”
“I’ll sew that disrespectful mouth of yours shut first.”
The Charred Saint, Selene.
The Storm of the North Sea, Mirien.
These two great calamities were currently sitting in the back seat of my sedan.
Originally, I had planned to bring only Selene, but it seemed like bringing Mirien along was necessary to avoid disaster.
And surprisingly, the two were now bickering.
I couldn’t tell if they got along or not.
“…I told you two not to fight.”
“Actor, she keeps picking on me. Scold her.”
“You mage, don’t bother our lord. Do you want to die?”
“…”
What should I say?
This must be what parenting feels like.
Perhaps sensing my discomfort, Mirien kept her mouth shut, and Selene cautiously asked me,
“But my lord, after strengthening our forces by clearing the nests, do you plan to confront Karne?”
“I’d prefer not to fight if possible, but some friction is inevitable to meet Karne.”
Although I had some hints from Selene, I didn’t know exactly what kind of personality Karne, the Mother of Omens, had.
I didn’t know what she was thinking after being abandoned at the base, nor what her ultimate goal was.
But considering Mirien’s report that she had already harvested millions of lives to build her army, it seemed unlikely that Karne would calmly listen and clear up misunderstandings.
Rather, she might cause an even bigger incident than the last eruption of the Reverse Heaven Tower.
There’s only one thing we need to do now.
“We need to clear the nests in the provinces and gather more calamities, and also create equipment.”
“Equipment, you say?”
Calamity synthesis can also yield equipment.
In my case, since I quickly obtained a 4-star calamity, I didn’t need much equipment, but that would change going forward.
“We also need to get the Elixir for Selene.”
“…My lord.”
Selene looked genuinely touched.
She wasn’t in perfect condition.
To heal the internal injuries caused by the flames, she needed a 4-star consumable equipment called Elixir, just like in the game.
Fortunately, with Mirien, who has a high synthesis aptitude, joining our base, obtaining the Elixir shouldn’t be too difficult.
“Anyway, this is for all of us. So, you two, stop fighting and cooperate as much as possible.”
“Okay.”
“Yes, my lord. I will follow you to the abyss.”
“So, our base is the abyss now.”
Despite the ominous scenery passing by outside the window, having a peaceful conversation with the two great calamities in the back seat made it feel like we were on a trip.
Of course, that oddly cheerful atmosphere was shattered the next moment by a giant harpoon flying into the middle of the road.
Crash!
“…Hmm.”
Honestly, I wasn’t that surprised.
The harpoon was stuck far away.
It wasn’t meant to attack us.
It was just to block the road.
“……My lord, it seems there are attackers. Shall I handle them?”
“Actor, there are exactly eleven of them. They’re on the barricade over there. One lightning strike should take care of them.”
Mirien and Selene each made terrifying suggestions.
I shook my head and replied,
“No, that’s not necessary.”
I recognized the harpoon.
[2★ Coral Hunter uses the skill ‘Harpoon Throw’.]
This was the skill of a 2-star calamity, the Coral Hunter.
And there’s no way wild calamities would be roaming around a perfectly fine city.
Sure enough, several figures appeared from behind the barricades lining the road.
They were Awakened individuals wearing rough outerwear and masks.
“Stop! This is the territory of our Daejeon Clan!”
“…Huh.”
With reality turning into a game, words like “clan” or “guild” were now spoken without embarrassment.
It was still unfamiliar.
*
Daejeon had the largest group of Awakened in Chungcheong-do.
Since they hadn’t given themselves a name, they were called the Daejeon Clan after the region.
They were the ruling rank effectively controlling Daejeon.
I had heard that the government had already lost power in the provinces.
This was my first time seeing a society led by Awakened individuals.
“From here on is our territory.”
The Awakened guiding me was a seasoned man with a 3-star calamity.
“There’s a market here. You can buy and sell items using experience coins.”
Fortunately, my reputation seemed to hold weight even in the provinces.
And the Daejeon Clan wasn’t so exclusive as to turn away an S-rank Awakened.
When I expressed my intention to clear the nests, they facilitated a meeting with the clan leader.
“And… this is where the clan leader resides.”
The Daejeon Clan had taken over the government office as their base.
I wondered where all the civil servants who were supposed to be here had gone.
I didn’t ask.
I had a feeling the answer would be grim.
The interior of the government office was chaotic.
There were partitions everywhere, and most entrances, including windows, were boarded up.
“Tight security.”
“It’s been less than a month since this happened. Recently, some strange person broke into the base and killed over a dozen people. They weren’t even caught. Thankfully, the clan leader drove them away.”
“Huh…”
“By the way, do you have any weapons or such items on you?”
“No.”
Fortunately, they didn’t conduct a thorough search.
I discreetly touched the 5-star equipment, the Shell of the Dead God, in my pocket.
It felt like stepping into the lion’s den alone, but with this equipment, I wouldn’t be easily harmed.
[5★ The Charred Saint Selene uses skill ‘Obsidian Barrier’.]
[5★ The Storm of the North Sea Mirien uses skill ‘Shadow Drift’.]
Moreover, two 5-star calamities were following me, using stealth skills.
The man guiding me didn’t notice and led me to a large room on the 7th floor without suspicion.
“Brother Jeon Taemin, I’ve brought the S-rank Awakened you were informed about.”
“Let him in. Just him.”
A gruff voice came from behind the door.
I carefully grabbed the doorknob and entered the room.
Inside was a man with a large eye patch, Jeon Taemin.
Broad shoulders, a menacing face, and tattoos covering one arm.
He didn’t look much different from the thug who had threatened me during the first eruption.
If that guy had survived, he might have been in a similar position to Jeon Taemin now.
As I was lost in such trivial thoughts, Jeon Taemin rested his chin on his hand and spoke.
“So, you’re the S-rank? You look too pretty for your own good.”
Jeon Taemin’s voice was full of hostility.
It seemed he was quite wary of a famous Awakened from Seoul entering his territory.
I tried to keep a straight face and nodded.
“What’s your business?”
“Nest extermination.”
He seemed to have already heard from his subordinates, as his brow furrowed.
“The nests are ours.” He refused.
“…You’re refusing even though I’m offering to clear the nests for you?”
“You’re naive. It’s more profitable to leave the nests be than to destroy them. Sure, they erupt and kill a few people now and then, but those are just non-Awakened. Not our concern.”
Jeon Taemin sneered as he looked at me.
He was as unpleasant as he looked.
“Get lost. I’ll even send you off with a meal if you’re hungry. Go to the cafeteria downstairs and mention my name.”
“…”
What should I do?
I had no intention of leaving quietly.
Perhaps I should show the difference in power.
But before I could act, Jeon Taemin’s face turned pale with horror.
“…You, you!”
He wasn’t looking at me.
He was staring at a point behind me, frozen in fear.
[5★ The Storm of the North Sea Mirien cancels skill ‘Shadow Drift’.]
Before I knew it, Mirien had canceled her stealth skill and was standing beside me.
But I didn’t feel like blaming her.
“Th-that woman! Why!”
Jeon Taemin recognized Mirien.
He fell off his chair, clutching his shoulders and trembling as if suffering from PTSD, a far cry from his earlier composure.
“…What’s going on, Mirien?”
When I looked at her for an explanation, she scratched her cheek and gave a sheepish smile.
“Actually, I came here before and killed a few people.”
“…”
Mirien’s words reminded me of what the Awakened who guided me earlier had said.
‘Recently, some strange person broke into the base and killed over a dozen people. They weren’t even caught.’
“…”
Was it you?
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