Chapter 46: Bat Yoo Junseo – (2)

Last night, when I ordered Selene to carry out an assassination.

‘Selene.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘If I were to become the Absolute, what do you think would happen to the people living in this world?’

This had been a concern that had gripped me for the past few weeks.

Becoming the Absolute, as the System says, means placing everyone in the dimension beneath my feet.

It’s a situation where hundreds, thousands, even millions of lives could be at stake based on my decisions.

In reality, Selene and Mirien have killed countless people, and Karne harvested nearly twenty million lives in China. 

Astaria wouldn’t be much different.

Similar situations will continue to arise in the future.

When that time comes, will I still be able to remain myself?

That was the question I posed amidst such concerns.

‘My lord, may I speak?’

Selene immediately knelt on one knee and pleaded upon hearing my question.

‘Go ahead.’

‘Even if millions in the dimension were to meet a gruesome death, it would not be a consideration in your grand ambition.’

I chuckled at Selene’s straightforward answer.

‘…That’s so like you.’

It’s not entirely wrong.

After all, this world is just one big game.

And I am a gamer who prioritizes efficiency.

*

Returning to the present.

“W-what do you mean, Nam Jooyeon, the Awakened? I am merely… expressing regret over the unavoidable situation that has occurred…”

I was now facing the Prime Minister, who was sweating profusely.

He was staring at my fingertips, seemingly checking if I was manipulating the status window.

“Why, are you having second thoughts now that you think you’re going to die?”

“P-please spare me. I can explain everything.”

Based on my experiences over the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize exactly what stance I should take in this filthy world.

I will eliminate any element that tries to harm me. 

I will make the most of anything that can be used. 

In a world that’s already gone to hell, there’s no room for guilt.

“Explanation? What does that matter? If I understand your situation, will you die quietly?”

“That’s…”

“No, you won’t. It’s the same for me. I don’t need to understand the circumstances of those who tried to kill me.”

I admit it.

My mind is broken.

But the world is even more broken.

Whether I threaten to kill someone or actually kill them, the law can no longer restrain me.

The man in front of me seemed to have reached the same conclusion.

He lowered his gaze even further, bowing so low that his body almost touched the ground, desperately pleading for his life.

“No, Nam Jooyeon. That’s not what I meant. I truly regret it. The administration will ensure this never happens again…”

“No, there’s no need for that. Do as you please.”

“…What?”

“If you mess around one more time, Seoul will cease to exist.”

“…What do you mean…?”

Players of the Disaster Order, including myself, possess extraordinary authority in situations like this.

There’s a right that only the Awakened can assert.

“The fifth eruption is coming soon.”

“…”

“If you have any brains left, think about it. What will happen to Seoul if I, and even Yoo Junseo, are absent in the next eruption?”

The rift eruption.

A natural disaster that only the Awakened can control.

At the same time, it’s a powerful weapon I can use to rein in the government.

“The non-Awakened will all die, and your government members will be massacred. Well, some Awakened might die too, but their survival rate will be much higher than yours.”

“…”

“The survivors can form a new community. It’s already happening frequently in the provinces. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

The world is changing to adapt to the new system.

What I had only read about in articles and reports lacked a sense of reality.

But after witnessing direct examples during the recent subjugation of a nest in the provinces, it hit me hard.

The Awakened community in Daejeon, though precarious, was functioning as a small nation.

As time goes on, the power of the Awakened will only grow stronger.

All of this is based on the unknown power of the calamity and the unique nature of the eruptions.

“You still seem to be under the illusion that you are the world’s privileged class.”

Neither the government, nor I, nor the world can cling to the old system.

A new world requires new rules.

“If you want to live, it’s better not to interfere with what the Awakened, including me, are doing. If something like this happens again, you’ll have to bet the lives of everyone in Seoul.”

“…”

“Don’t think I can’t do it. How many people do you think I’ve already killed?”

If you include the unknown ones, it’s easily in the tens of millions.

No, considering that I unleashed the calamities of the Disaster Order on Earth, perhaps I’ve killed hundreds of millions.

I let out a bitter smile at such a pointless thought.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, who had heard my threats, was frozen, pale as a sheet.

It seemed my non-persuasive coercion had been effective.

“Understood?”

“Y-yes!”

“Ah, and one more thing.”

I brought up a demand that had just occurred to me.

“Let’s abolish that Awakened Management Law.”

“…What?”

The Awakened Management Law. 

A draconian law that restricts every move and relocation of the Awakened. 

Violators can face life imprisonment. 

It’s essentially a leash the government has put on us.

In a situation where the government is groveling like this, the law has become meaningless. 

Therefore, there’s no reason for it to exist.

The Prime Minister was visibly flustered by my words. 

After furiously racking his brain, he shook his head and forced a pitiful smile.

“I fully understand your feelings, Nam Jooyeon. But laws… they don’t change with just a few words…”

“Oh, really? Wasn’t that Awakened Management Law also created by a few words from those vote-seeking bastards?”

“…”

“Right. As you said, laws don’t change with just a few words. So let’s wait and see. Actions speak louder than words.”

“…Actions?”

“You might hear news tomorrow morning that the newly built National Assembly building has been half-destroyed. Or maybe the chairman will be caught in a bomb terror attack and die, just like today’s news.”

“…”

“I think you understand by now, but I’m not making a request. I’m giving an order. If there’s no meaningful progress within the next month, you can start preparing for your own execution.”

I flicked my finger. 

The Prime Minister’s gaze had been fixed on my fingertips, and his eyelids twitched in response to my gesture.

“Ah, one last thing.”

I smirked at the completely frozen man.

“Prepare a flight for me. I’m going to China.”

I needed to prepare thoroughly for Karne.

*

After the brief conversation, I left the director’s office. 

Outside the corridor, Kang Sena was waiting with a bundle of documents in her arms.

“Did the conversation go well?”

The subtle smile on Kang Sena’s lips suggested she had overheard the entire conversation.

“Did you hear anything?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. The soundproofing in this building isn’t great.”

“Are you disillusioned? That the great Dragon King and Maestro is an anarchist?”

I joked, and Kang Sena let out a soft laugh.

“It’s Dragon Emperor now.”

She responded with a joke of her own.

“Disillusioned? Not at all. In fact, I’ve gained a new respect for you.”

“New respect?”

“I was the one who persuaded you to go out with confidence in the first place. In a situation like this, I even think that a tyrant or a lawless person with strong principles should be the director of the management bureau.”

“Isn’t it just that you don’t want to work with Yoo Junseo?”

“Oh my, how sharp of you.”

Kang Sena smiled, and I shrugged.

Her gaze turned to the distance. 

Yoo Junseo was giving instructions to the management bureau staff.

“Director Yoo Junseo seems intent on completely separating the management bureau from the government. With your help, the Awakened Management Law will soon be abolished, so meaningful results should come within a month.”

“That’s good.”

“Do you think it’s right to put that man in the director’s seat?”

“You’re the one who knows best, aren’t you?”

Honestly, Yoo Junseo isn’t a capable person. 

He’s foolish and only looks out for himself.

But Yoo Junseo knows his place.

Unlike investigator Jeon Dongwook, whose ego is inflated beyond his abilities.

He’s selfish, but undeniably human.

That’s why Yoo Junseo isn’t reliable, but he’s not worrisome either.

Kang Sena seemed to share my thoughts, letting out a deep sigh.

“Well, you’re not wrong. In a group of one-eyed men, the leader should be one-eyed too. Not a two-eyed man like you.”

Kang Sena quickly wrapped up the conversation and changed the subject.

“So, why are you going to China? I heard the situation there isn’t great.”

“To track down Actor.”

“Really?”

“…Well, yeah.”

Once again, Kang Sena didn’t press further and simply nodded in agreement.

“One last question, if I may?”

“Go ahead.”

“Are you really not interested in me? If one woman isn’t enough, I can bring Yerin to help.”

“….”

[5★ Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea, is watching you!!]

“I’m not interested. Not in the slightest.”

Once again, I upheld the dignity of the Absolute.

Probably.