Chapter 66: The Queen Became An Obsessed Servant – (1)

The matter with the Busan clan has been settled for now.

Although it wasn’t my intention, Busan’s queen, Shin Dohee, has become a fervent follower of the Actor Cult. 

Instead of expanding her influence, she has begun to focus on stabilizing the peace in Busan.

When I informed Jeon Taemin about this, his face immediately lit up, and he repeatedly expressed his gratitude to me.

“Thank you so much! Because of you, hyung, Daejeon is now safe.”

“Can you stop calling me hyung already?”

I don’t know why he insists on calling me Hyung.

The age difference between us looks like at least ten years.

“But, Hyung, what method did you use to tame that crazy woman? I met her once before, and she didn’t seem like someone you could reason with.”

Jeon Taemin seems to think that I persuaded Shin Dohee.

In reality, the Awakened in the regions are reportedly baffled by the sudden shift in the Busan clan’s atmosphere.

He clapped his hands as if he had just remembered something and continued.

“I saw on the news that a terrifying being called Actor has taken control of Busan.”

Jeon Taemin may be close to a thug, but he’s not stupid.

He rolled his eyes, checking if there were any calamities around me.

Thinking there was no one, he cautiously opened his mouth.

“Could it be that the Actor is…?”

“Hey.”

At my words, Jeon Taemin flinched and his shoulders trembled.

“Do you really need to know?”

At my question, Jeon Taemin immediately shook his head.

Clearly, he’s not completely clueless.

From Jeon Taemin’s perspective, having seen me control a 5-star calamity, it was a reasonable suspicion.

‘Actor.’

The nickname I used in the game is now receiving nationwide attention. 

To me, this situation feels like a third-rate comedy.

‘Even if I reveal myself as Actor in front of everyone, who would dare to stop me?’

Shin Dohee, a powerful Awakened in the region, is loyal to me, and although somewhat forced, Jeon Taemin of the Daejeon clan is the same.

People from the Association, including Yoo Junseo, would be surprised to learn Actor’s true identity, but they wouldn’t dare to oppose me.

Not to mention Lei Fu, with whom I’ve sworn brotherhood.

Even if someone like Jeon Dongwook, who would seek to hold me accountable, were to appear, do they have the power to challenge me, who commands three 5-star calamities?

‘No, they don’t.’

Even if such a person were to appear, they would end up imprisoned in the Tower of Reverse Heaven, just like Jeon Dongwook.

Considering my current strength, even if all the Awakened on the Korean peninsula were to attack me at once, I wouldn’t be in any real danger.

For example, Selene, who has fully recovered from her injuries with the Elixir, is so strong that she wouldn’t even get a scratch from a 3-star calamity.

Ultimately, my goal is to ascend to the position of the Absolute Being as described in the game system.

This double life will eventually come to an end.

In preparation for that, practicing with this thug in front of me isn’t a bad idea.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

“I am Actor.”

“…What?”

“As you said, I am the ruler of 5-star calamities, the master of the abyss, the villain of Busan, the conqueror of China, the damn bad guy. That’s me.”

“…”

At my sudden confession, Jeon Taemin gulped.

It wasn’t a grand statement, but Jeon Taemin seemed genuinely terrified.

Feeling a wave of embarrassment, I coughed and pulled out a fragment of the crown from my inventory.

“So, as the master of the abyss, Actor, I intend to issue a new order to your clan.”

“Yes, yes!”

“When the next eruption occurs, powerful calamities will appear. If you find a calamity holding this item, kill it no matter what and farm the broken crown fragment. Understood?”

Jeon Taemin was quick on the uptake.

Instead of hesitating, he immediately nodded.

“Yes, understood. But what exactly is this item? Does it have something to do with the Elixir you asked for last time?”

“…Hmm.”

Selene and Asteria.

Ultimately, it’s to strengthen my forces.

“It’s not unrelated.”

I gave an ambiguous answer.

*

As soon as I arrived in Seoul, the Awakened Association made a fuss.

To be precise, it was the Association’s chairman, Yoo Junseo.

“I thought you went to Busan for a reason, Mr. Nam Jooyeon. But then, out of nowhere, Actor appeared in Busan. As expected of the Dragon Emperor! You were chasing Actor, weren’t you? If I had known, I would have joined you like we did in China…”

“Enough, can you do me a favor?”

“A favor? You’re not asking me to go to China again, are you? No, I said I’d help, but we need to consider the situation and timing…”

“It’s not that.”

Ignoring Yoo Junseo’s fuss, I brought up the same request as before.

“I need something identical to this.”

I took out a fragment of Asteria’s crown from my inventory and placed it on the desk.

Yoo Junseo seemed to recognize it as a 4-star item through the status window and licked his lips.

“…Why do you need a 4-star item?”

“This is… well…”

I pondered for a moment and came up with a plausible reason.

“It’s Actor’s crown.”

“Ah, Actor’s crown… what?”

Yoo Junseo, who had been nodding, blinked a few times.

“This?”

“Yes. To be precise, I need to gather all the fragments. Once I have all the pieces, I plan to pull Actor out from within the rift. If we can kill him, all the dungeons on the Korean peninsula will collapse.”

It’s not a lie.

Once I obtain Asteria, I won’t need to wear the mask of an S-rank Awakened anymore.

Yoo Junseo gulped. Then he gestured to Kang Sena beside him.

“Sigh. Alright, I’ll send out a notice to the affiliated Awakened. The rift eruption is approaching, after all.”

Kang Sena, who was saying this, looked extremely haggard. 

Her face was the epitome of an overworked office worker.

“But if what you’re saying is true, then Actor is the mastermind behind the scenes in the rift.”

Yoo Junseo tilted his head and spoke.

“Then what does this Actor want from us to be doing all this?”

“…Hmm.”

A seemingly stupid but sharp question.

I thought for a moment and answered.

“I don’t know either.”

I really didn’t know.

The Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria.

What could she be thinking?

Unless she tells me directly, there’s no way to know.

*

“What a fool.”

――Whoooosh.

The Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria, stood alone in the void.

This was inside the rift. The sensation was familiar. 

The universe that once lay at Asteria’s feet was still there, and her body was wrapped in a strange hue.

Soon, the hue spread like thick fog, seeping out of the void.

Observing the outside from within the rift was difficult, but the hue Asteria extended made the near-impossible miracle possible.

Asteria observed the world through the fragments of the crown she had scattered outside the rift. Soon, she spotted the person she had marked.

“Actor.”

Asteria murmured softly. 

The long ears on her head and the small tail at her waist twitched in response.

Nothing had changed.

Then and now.

The absolute powerhouse feared even by the universe’s constraints.

The defeated one imprisoned for eons.

The fallen queen leading the revival of a new kingdom.

The woman who held the last divine spark.

All of these described Asteria and the path she had walked.

“I must rebuild it.”

The Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria, desired to swallow the universe. 

She wished to wield the blade of vengeance against those who had brought her down and become the ruler of all dimensions once more.

And she had found the person who could make her wish come true.

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ gifts the 5★ Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria, with the 5☆ Great Star’s Crown.]

Actor.

The infinitely human divine spark extended a warm hand to Asteria.

With him, rebuilding the kingdom would not be difficult.

[The Rift’s Ruler ‘Actor’ dismisses the 5★ Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, Asteria.]

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Until he cast her out.

It was a future that Asteria, who was close to a transcendent being, had not anticipated.

Actor had rejected her. 

He possessed immense power and had proposed cooperation with her. 

Yet, in the end, he had expelled her from the base.

“Haha.”

For a moment, her emotions surged violently.

Asteria could have taken his rejection as an insult.

But was that important?

Asteria had already endured far worse.

The time when cosmic beings feared her and imprisoned her.

The painful years spent in endless solitude, ruminating over the fall of her kingdom.

Compared to that, Actor’s rejection was not even worth a pang of sorrow.

Of course, Asteria was not submissive enough to give up quietly.

“I will find you to the end.”

Asteria will rebuild her kingdom.

And in the process, Actor is absolutely necessary.

He is destined to be her first vassal.

As the kingdom’s scribe, he must assist Asteria in rebuilding the nation by her side.

That is his given mission.

If Actor does not accept it willingly, then he will be forced to take his place.

That is what a ruler does.

Asteria raised her finger.

The beast-like ears twitched.

The hue emanating from her fingertips spread, dyeing the space.

[The rift erupts.]

There are no more choices.

Even if he runs, rejects, or resists.

The hue from the universe will twist causality.

Actor is hers.