The charred saint, Selene, raised her scorched stake sword like a torch in the pitch-black surroundings.
The area brightened slightly, but she still couldn’t see even an inch ahead.
A dense flock of crows filled the air, circling noisily.
Selene turned her head to check on her lord.
The ruler, Actor, appeared unharmed on the surface.
Still, she asked just in case.
“My lord, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but where’s Karne?”
“I don’t see her.”
Selene frowned.
Out of respect for her lord’s wishes, she had attempted to converse with Karne, the Mother of Omens.
But as expected, Karne had turned hostile toward her lord.
To make matters worse, they were deep inside Karne’s nest.
With Mirien’s support also trapped inside the dungeon, there was little hope for reinforcements.
And now, with her lord by her side, Selene had to protect him as well.
“This is unfavorable.”
Selene quickly assessed the situation.
This was the domain of the Mother of Omens.
Even if Selene gave it her all, defeating Karne would be no easy task.
Coming deep into enemy territory had been a miscalculation.
But this, too, was Selene’s fault.
She had failed to dissuade her lord from his desire to speak with Karne.
Now, Selene had to take responsibility, even if it cost her life.
“My lord, Mirien, that magic-wielder, must be taking measures outside the nest. I will now clear a path. Please ride the storm dragon and escape.”
Selene’s holy flame burned even brighter.
But upon hearing her words, Actor frowned.
“What are you talking about? Are you saying you’ll stay behind?”
“…Yes. But please don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”
It was a lie.
She had no confidence in surviving the heart of enemy territory.
But it was a servant’s duty to instill faith in their lord.
Selene maintained a stoic expression as she insisted, and Actor reluctantly nodded.
“Then I’ll clear the path now…”
As Selene continued speaking, a sharp sense of danger alerted her to an attack from behind.
She quickly turned and thrust her stake sword, clashing with a massive sickle-shaped scythe.
“…Karne, you wench. How dare you try to harm my lord?”
“Of course not. I knew you’d block it.”
The Mother of Omens, Karne, now stood before Selene, wielding her weapon.
Karne’s expression was chilling.
It was clear she had no intention of letting Selene or her lord go.
“If you surrender now, my lord may graciously forgive you.”
As Selene spoke with a grim expression, Karne let out a bitter smile.
“…Forgiveness? What kind of salvation are you hoping for at this point? I’ve already been betrayed twice. I don’t want to grieve a third time. This pitiful mother’s final wish is simply to be devoured by her children on a quiet hill.”
“A sky burial, then.”
“You could call it that.”
“Then please stop this nonsense and die alone.”
Clang!
Karne’s scythe slid along Selene’s stake sword, aiming for her neck.
Selene hastily ducked, and strands of her ashen hair fell to the ground.
Even with her holy flame protecting her, the attack was devastating.
Though the Mother of Omens, Karne, wasn’t a calamity specialized in combat, her advantages within the confines of her nest couldn’t be ignored.
Selene intensified the flames surrounding her body while checking on her lord, Actor.
He was clinging to the storm dragon’s back to avoid being blown away by the wind.
“…You wench. I’ll make you pay for daring to harm my lord.”
[5★ Charred Saint Selene activates the skill ‘Infernal Fireball’.]
A massive explosion.
Roaring flames.
Hundreds, thousands of familiars caught in the blast let out ear-piercing screams as they were obliterated.
But the intended target remained unharmed.
Selene immediately swung her sword to the right.
Clang!
A clear metallic sound rang out.
“…Impressive, Selene.”
Karne was smiling faintly as she blocked the stake sword.
“It’s not impressive. You can’t defeat me.”
“True. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”
Karne agreed.
The Charred Saint Selene was the most combat-proficient calamity within the domain of the ruler, Actor.
Even inside the nest, that dynamic didn’t change.
“But it seems you haven’t fully recovered from your injuries, have you?”
“….”
“Moreover, the divine relic you once possessed has been passed to your master.”
Karne had discerned that Selene hadn’t fully healed from her injuries and that she had handed over the remains of a dead god to Actor.
“Above all, this is my domain. A direct confrontation isn’t the only way to win.”
“Nonsense!”
Selene hastily swung her sword, but Karne vanished, leaving only a faint afterimage.
The next moment, a chill ran down Selene’s spine.
“Ugh!”
Selene coiled her holy flame around herself, preparing for the next attack.
But Karne wasn’t targeting Selene.
“…My lord!”
Karne had appeared on the back of the storm dragon, her hand resting on Actor’s neck.
A dark energy surged, and he lost consciousness, slumping forward.
Selene felt as if her blood was boiling. Her flames burned even more fiercely.
But Karne didn’t engage.
[5★ Mother of Omens Karne activates the skill ‘Mother’s Call’.]
“Devour him.”
The calamities swarmed in, and Karne’s figure disappeared.
Selene was left alone, staring blankly at the familiars of misfortune flying toward her.
Crunch.
The sound of gnashing teeth echoed.
*
“….”
Alright, let’s calmly assess the situation.
I, along with Selene, had attempted to speak with Karne.
But the conversation failed, and a battle broke out.
While watching Selene and Karne engage in a fierce fight, I was suddenly knocked unconscious by Karne, who appeared behind me…
“Ugh.”
My head was throbbing, and my body felt heavy.
My limbs were strangely numb.
As I lifted my head, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.
My hands were tightly bound by crimson chains.
“Actor.”
In the dark cave, the Mother of Omens, Karne, was watching me.
“Don’t worry. It’s just the two of us here.”
“I see.”
I understood the situation.
I was utterly screwed.
“Actor, you’re as composed as ever. Even in a situation like this, you remain so calm.”
“….”
I wasn’t calm—I was too stunned to speak.
It had been a grave mistake not to anticipate that Karne would target me instead of Selene.
But I never expected her to bring her familiars into the nest.
That wasn’t possible in the game.
Because of this, Mirien’s support, which was outside the range, was cut off, leaving Selene vulnerable.
As a result, I was now face-to-face with the great calamity, the Mother of Omens, Karne.
The moment I realized this, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
Misinterpreting my expression, Karne smiled bitterly and spoke.
“I understand why you’re looking at me like that. I’ve done something terrible to you.”
Her tone was warm, but her face remained expressionless.
The calamity before me could slit my throat with a single gesture.
And I was nothing more than a defenseless meal laid out before her.
But instead of resigning myself, I shook my head and focused my gaze.
There’s a saying that even if you’re caught in a tiger’s den, you can survive if you keep your wits about you.
And I had a feeling that Karne was a relatively tame tiger.
“…Karne, why did you bring me here? You had the chance to kill me.”
“A mother wouldn’t kill her child.”
Karne spoke indifferently, but there was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
Indeed, Karne’s feelings toward me were a mix of love and hate.
While she resented me enough to bring about the world’s destruction, she couldn’t bring herself to kill me directly.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“Then what do you plan to do with me?”
“I want you to witness it firsthand. The sight of my familiars covering the world in darkness.”
It seemed Karne intended to show me the world’s destruction up close.
“…I see.”
At a loss for words, Karne slowly approached me and reached out her hand.
Her long nails brushed aside my hair, and her soft touch trailed down my nose, resting on my lips.
“…I must admit, I find your mortal form… quite appealing. This face, this voice—it’s all new, yet… strangely familiar.”
“Karne, this is all a misunderstanding. I didn’t fire you…”
“No.”
Cutting me off, Karne tapped my lips a few times with her finger.
“Actor, this mother understands everything. I don’t need you to say it—I already know.”
What does she think she knows?
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back.
Karne had no intention of listening to me.
She was solely focused on bringing about the world’s destruction through her familiars.
Calamities, after all, exist to bring about ruin.
Karne was no exception.
“….”
This can’t go on.
I need to divert Karne’s attention.
The only card I can play is this:
Just as the Charred Saint Selene serves her lord with unwavering loyalty.
Just as the Storm of the North Sea, Mirien, yearns for a gentle love.
I must play the role of the ideal ruler, Actor, that the Mother of Omens, Karne, desires.
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and gathered my thoughts.
Alright, think, Actor.
No one knows Karne better than you do.
“….”
The answer to my dilemma came quickly.
The Mother of Omens, Karne, referred to herself as a mother.
Which means…
“Hey.”
I took a deep breath and called out to Karne, who had turned her back to me, in the most innocent voice I could muster.
“M… Mom.”
At that single word, Karne whipped her head around to stare at me.
Her eyes, which had been calm until now, wavered.