The Awakener Clan in Daejeon had grown significantly since my last visit.
Previously, their territory was limited to just a few blocks around their headquarters, but now it had expanded to a radius of several kilometers.
When I asked about this, the Awakener who had guided me last time gave a bitter smile and explained.
“Now, the entire Chungcheong Province is under our control. Originally, our clan was based in Sejong City and Yanggang District, but after the last eruption, the Awakener Clan that occupied Sejong was annihilated. The civilians and Awakeners who lived there fled to Daejeon, so our numbers naturally grew.”
“Sejong City?”
“Yes. Eight 3-star Calamities appeared, and that was the end of it.”
This was the first time I had heard about the fall of Sejong City.
It wasn’t just because I had been staying in China.
Simply put, it’s hard to get news about the provinces when you’re in Seoul.
The government must be tightly controlling the media.
Without realizing it, South Korea had become something close to a feudal state.
“Well, for us, it’s good news that the clan has grown. Whether it’s unfortunate or fortunate, the nest that formed in Sejong has become a new hunting ground, so we should be able to handle the next eruption more easily.”
“Hmm.”
“Ah, here we are.”
We arrived at the Daejeon Government Complex, which now served as the headquarters of the Awakener Clan.
It seemed the preparations had already been made, as the elevator to the top floor was ready.
“Ah! Hyung-nim!”
As soon as the door to what appeared to be the office was flung open, Clan Leader Jeon Taemin greeted me with a servile smile.
“Can you stop calling me ‘Hyung-nim’? Since when was I your hyung?”
He looked older than me, for sure.
“…Uh, well, then… Boss….”
“Just call me Nam Jooyeon.”
“Ah, yes.”
Jeon Taemin’s eyes darted around.
His gaze was fixed on something behind me.
He seemed worried that the Great Calamity I had brought last time might reappear.
I didn’t bother to tell him that Mirien wasn’t with me this time.
A little fear could serve as a good lubricant for conversation.
“So, the item?”
“Ah! Here it is.”
Jeon Taemin hurriedly manipulated the interface and pulled out an Elixir from his inventory.
[4☆ Elixir]
“We gathered all the equipment our clan members had to fulf your request. We even melted down all the gear we got from the last eruption.”
“Hmm.”
In Disaster Order, equipment items are divided into four categories.
First, there are weapon items, like the Eclipse Spike used by Selene or the Wings of Darkness Scythe used by Karne.
Then there are armor items, like the 5-star equipment I currently carry, the Shell of the Dead God.
Third, there are accessories, such as the Pulsating Heart of the Moon, which Mirien requires for her exclusive quest.
Finally, there are consumable items.
Unlike the other three types, these can’t be equipped and are mostly potions, usually ranging from 1 to 3 stars.
The only 4-star consumable item in Disaster Order is the Elixir now in front of me.
“It’s definitely the real deal.”
“O-of course. You saw me take it out of my inventory just now, Hyung-nim.”
“If you call me ‘Hyung-nim’ one more time, you’re done for.”
“S-sorry.”
I grabbed the Elixir.
As the highest-grade consumable item in Disaster Order, the Elixir’s effects were impressive.
It fully restored health, removed all status ailments and debuffs, revived incapacitated allies to full condition, and even restored sk usage counts.
With just one Elixir, you could clear a raid that seemed impossible.
The developers knew this well, which is why they occasionally dropped lower-grade Elixir Fragments during updates.
‘Though I never used them in battle because they were too precious.’
I was the typical collector-type gamer.
The kind who hoards items meant to be used, never actually using them.
A pack rat, you could say.
In the end, I had piles of consumable items sitting in my inventory, unused.
But what could I do?
I couldn’t bring myself to use them.
For me, this Elixir might as well have been an exclusive item for Selene.
“Good. This is excellent. I’ll take it. Consider your debt paid.”
“Yes!”
Jeon Taemin nodded vigorously, then cautiously brought up another topic.
“By the way… did you see the message I sent you?”
“You said you had something urgent to discuss?”
I wasn’t particularly interested, but I decided to humor him since he had gone through the trouble of synthesizing the Elixir.
At this, Jeon Taemin’s face brightened.
It seemed he had a request to make.
However, what he said next was somewhat different from what I had expected.
“Well, you see… the Busan Clan has been acting a bit strange lately.”
“Busan? There’s a clan there too?”
Well, it was the second-largest city in South Korea, so it wasn’t that surprising.
In fact, their scale might have been even larger than the Sungsimdang Launch Site.
As I pondered this, Jeon Taemin whispered,
“The Busan Clan has become increasingly aggressive. They’ve been forcibly merging with nearby clans to expand their influence, even taking over areas that seem like they’d be more trouble than they’re worth. Rumor has it they’re also plotting something in Kyushu, Japan… Anyway, because of that, we’ve been clashing with them more often.”
“Hmm. But it’s Busan, right? What they do doesn’t really concern us, does it?”
“Well… I’ve heard that the reason they’re expanding so much is to attack us…”
“The Busan Clan is planning to attack you?”
It was hard to imagine such a thing happening in Seoul, but it seemed the local feudal lords in the provinces were deeply engrossed in their power plays, even engaging in territorial wars.
The two major powers in the southern part of the Korean Peninsula, the Daejeon Clan and the Busan Clan, seemed to be in a subtle conflict.
“It’s not just us. Their ultimate goal is to capture Seoul. They want to take control of the entire Korean Peninsula.”
“…Hmm.”
“They even have an S-rank Awakener there, just like you!”
“An S-rank? They have a 4-star Calamity?”
“Yes! It’s just a rumor, but there have been multiple sightings of a 4-star Calamity roaming around.”
Jeon Taemin nodded vigorously.
I felt a considerable amount of interest.
Honestly, I didn’t really care what happened to the Daejeon Clan.
However, if they were planning to take over Seoul, I might need to intervene.
Moreover, the mention of an S-rank piqued my curiosity.
It meant there was a hidden S-rank Awakener in South Korea who hadn’t been revealed to the media.
“Alright. I’ll look into it.”
“Yes, Hyung-nim!”
“I told you to stop calling me that.”
“Ah….”
*
The Charred Saintess, Selene, was pacing nervously in a nearby alley.
“So, the Actor told us to wait, right? Do you really need to be out here?”
The North Sea’s Storm, Mirien, yawned lazily as she spoke.
It had only been ten minutes since the Actor entered the building, yet Selene was already scouting the area, looking for any potential threats.
“You never know. If something were to happen to our lord…”
“It won’t. I’m keeping an eye on things, remember?”
Mirien’s vision, enhanced by magic, could easily see through buildings.
But Selene was a swordswoman.
She couldn’t use such tricks no matter how hard she tried.
In fact, Selene hated that.
She couldn’t be of help to her lord when he needed it.
That fact, especially after her bitter defeat at the hands of Karne, the Mother of Omens, was a sore point for her.
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Selene, you’re too overprotective of the Actor.”
“It’s my duty as a servant to be loyal to my lord.”
“I get that, but even so, you’re being too obsessive. …Not that I’m in any position to talk.”
Mirien, too, had once done foolish things to win the Actor’s favor.
But even to her, Selene’s obsession seemed excessive.
It was evident from how often she clashed with Karne.
“Honestly, Selene, you’re more like a mother than Karne is. You’re like a love-struck girl. No, more like a puppy trying to get attention.”
As Mirien rambled on, she noticed that Selene had fallen silent and frowned.
Selene was staring blankly, her mouth slightly agape.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mage, what did you just say?”
“…What did I say? Uh, that you’re like a puppy trying to get attention?”
“Before that.”
“That you’re more like a mother than Karne.”
“And in between?”
“Uh… that you’re like a love-struck girl?”
“…”
Love.
The word struck Selene like a harpoon, piercing her heart.
The Charred Saintess, Selene, had finally realized the root of the bitter sense of defeat she had been feeling lately.
That was the problem.
“…Wait a minute.”
Mirien, too, noticed Selene’s strange reaction and her mouth fell open.
“Hey, Selene.”
“…”
“…No way.”
Selene couldn’t answer.
…She couldn’t answer.