Disaster Order is a neglected, collectible game.
Therefore, there were countless calamities for the player to collect. There were over three hundred calamities in total, with forty of them being 4-star calamities and seven being 5-star calamities.
I had collected all the calamities except for three 5-star calamities.
And now that the real world has become the system of Disaster Order, the four 5-star calamities I possessed, along with the other three hundred calamities, have settled into this world.
Even now, if you turn on the news, you can easily see calamities with familiar faces causing massive slaughters all over the world.
The world has come to this because I quit the game. I felt a little guilt, but there was nothing I could do to change it. After all, it’s not like I could instantly fly to the other side of the world and stop them.
Besides, there’s a mountain of problems right in front of me that need to be dealt with first.
“Asteria, Karne. We need to track these two.”
Likewise, Asteria and Karne must be somewhere in the world. They must also be aware that I am alive and living in this world.
Asteria and Karne were the third and fourth 5-star calamities I acquired. Since Selene and Mirien were the first and second, the time spent together with Asteria and Karne was relatively short. However, it’s not like I neglected them.
Rather, because I obtained them later, the base was already well developed, and I was able to give them full support. In other words, I didn’t fall short of anything; if anything, I gave them more.
Even Mirien, who only received an artificial heart, committed murder to help me. There’s no reason to think the other two would be any different.
“At any rate, it’s highly likely that both of them are up to something reckless. We should at least know where and what they’re doing.”
Tracking might have been difficult with just Selene, but with Mirien around, it wasn’t impossible.
Selene specialized in one-on-one combat, whereas Mirien was raised as a typical damage dealer. Especially her tracking skill was incredibly powerful, enough to cover an entire continent.
“Mirien, can you find the whereabouts of those two?”
“… Hmm. Well, it doesn’t seem entirely impossible…”
“Please.”
Mirien’s expression was far from pleasant. However, the moment I used the word “please,” her expression changed, and she nodded.
While Selene prefers to be commanded imperiously, Mirien likes to be treated gently.
“If I cast tracking magic from the tower roof… it might take seven days and nights… but I should be able to find them.”
Mirien finally voiced her words after checking my reaction.
“By the way, Actor, I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“Even if I’m on the roof, you have to come visit me at least once a day, even for a short while. Show your face.”
Mirien’s request was nothing unexpected. Although I have her under my command, because of her numerous exploits, I needed to periodically check that she wasn’t causing trouble.
However, Mirien’s request seemed particularly annoying to Selene. She frowned intensely and took a step forward.
“That magic-brat, what makes her think she can tell the Lord to come and go? Get your mind straight and focus on your assigned task.”
“What makes you think you can order me around?”
Mirien’s face turned ferocious, and a chilly atmosphere settled between the two of them.
In this way, the personalities and tendencies of Mirien and Selene were as different as heaven and earth. The fact that I kept these two separate at different bases was because of this.
“You two, weren’t you just getting along fine? Did you lie to me?”
At the comment, Mirien and Selene finally averted their gazes.
“Anyway, Mirien, I’ll visit you once a day as you requested, and if that’s too hard, at least once every two days. Don’t worry.”
“Okay!”
“And Selene, you have separate business with me. Don’t interfere with Mirien pointlessly.”
“Lord, I had no intention of interfering with that girl.”
“Fine, now let’s move on.”
I clapped my hands to clear up the situation.
Now I intended to gather information on Asteria and Karne. It would be better to ask Selene, who was with us at the base the longest, rather than Mirien.
“Selene, do you remember what kind of personality Asteria had?”
“That woman…”
“Don’t say she was wicked or had a dark soul. Be as objective as possible.”
I stopped Selene’s words before they came out. She pouted but reluctantly began her story.
“…Asteria is an enigmatic woman.”
“Enigmatic?”
“…She never shows her emotions strongly. She neither rages nor rejoices. She remains detached no matter what happens. In my opinion… she’s almost like a god. It’s as if she views all living beings beneath her, like gazing at tiny creatures from a distant universe.”
“…The universe?”
“Yes. Even in the rare moments when she does show emotion, it’s impossible to tell if it’s genuine. She’s that mysterious, and also daunting.”
“Queen Who Swallowed the Stars – Asteria.”
I somewhat remembered her background setting.
An ancient queen who was imprisoned for all eternity for drawing the universe’s hatred. Asteria awakened her unique power, ‘color,’ broke out of her prison, and revived her kingdom. Her new kingdom desecrated by breaking stars and consuming their power flourished. Ultimately, the world, unable to withstand her strength, led Asteria into a world within The Rift.
‘A fearsome setup.’
Compared to Selene, who merely burned a world, and Mirien, who used hundreds of thousands as test subjects, her scale is extraordinary.
That’s because Asteria, Queen Who Swallowed the Stars, was a 5-star character added through an update.
An “adult’s considerations,” as they say.
“Lord, there is something you should be aware of.”
“What?”
“Asteria’s gaze upon you is not indifferent, but rather closer to benevolence. That woman regards you not as someone to serve but as a subject of her people to protect.”
“…Selene, you’re saying she’s the opposite of you, right?”
“Exactly.”
Well, she is titled a queen, so she would naturally see governing and ruling as common.
She might be difficult to deal with.
“Well, what about Karne?”
Mother of Omens – Karne.
She was a demi-human demon who used various summons, including crows, embodying a versatile concept. I recall using her character often because she contributed well in any combination.
Karne’s background setting was absurd, as expected of a 5-star calamity. From memory, she spread a plague that harvested more than half of the world’s life.
“Mother of Omens, Karne?”
“Yeah. Do you know anything?”
“…That slut…”
“Selene, no more bad words.”
“That woman is… completely opposite to Asteria.”
“Opposite?”
At my question, Selene nodded and looked upwards, towards the stairs leading to the top floor of the tower.
“Karne’s personality is similar to Mirien’s.”
“…Is she lusting after me?”
“Similar, but different. To Karne, Lord is akin to a child that needs to be cared for.”
Selene cautiously spoke, watching my reaction.
“…Maternal love.”
“…”
It seems neither of them is entirely normal.
—
“Ah, Dragon King! You’re finally here!”
“Please, can we not use that title?”
“The reporters are watching. Smile.”
Director Yoo Jun-seo warmly smiled, putting his arm around my shoulder and grinning widely at the camera. Awkwardly, I stood next to him with a forced smile.
The current location was Seoul City Hall, right next to the Management Bureau building.
“Isn’t it funny that we’re receiving a presidential commendation?”
I had come to Seoul City Hall to receive this commendation.
The Blue House had partially collapsed due to the earthquake caused by Selene, so the president’s residence was temporarily moved to Seoul City Hall.
“Hey, did you know that the two of us are now called the ‘Dual Kings’? The Dragon King and the Flame King?”
Yoo Jun-seo whispered quietly so the reporters couldn’t hear.
That ridiculous title of Dragon King was driving me insane, but the media has already labeled me as such.
By now, I’ve fully resigned myself. At least the even worse title of Maestro hasn’t stuck.
“Don’t overthink it too much. I promised I’ll take care of you after this matter, so don’t be upset.”
For some reason, Yoo Jun-seo has been looking at me differently since that incident.
It was because the act with Selene to get rid of him was too effective.
I even made sure to affirm his lies to protect his reputation.
In Yoo Jun-seo’s eyes, I must seem like an exalted hero.
“So, you know. As a management director, I pondered what I could possibly do for the Dragon King.”
Even after the medal ceremony, Yoo Jun-seo kept talking to me without reading the atmosphere.
“Recently, there’s been talk internally that it might be better for S-Rank Awakened Ones to take the position of management director. Nam Joo-yeon, what do you think about being the director of the Awakened One Management Bureau…?”
“I’m not interested.”
“…That’s what I figured. Yeah, it’s a shame. Everyone will be disappointed.”
Even as he said that, Yoo Jun-seo’s smile was broadening. He seemed completely overjoyed that he gets to keep his position as director.
There’s no greater materialist.
Kang Se-na once called it “a position beyond his level.” That remark was spot-on.
“Then… what do you need? Equipment support? Or perhaps attaching the army during nest raids…? Oh, right, we already did that one, didn’t we…?”
Yoo Jun-seo’s voice began fading as his pre-planned lines ran out.
I sighed deeply and spoke.
“Just clear out the crowds near my original home.”
“Ah, of course. That’s right. Also, how about moving to somewhere better? People from the Management Bureau won’t bother you, and I’ll assign security nearby. Oh, they’ll definitely not be intrusive, so please don’t worry.”
Upon realizing I nodded in agreement that he means a penthouse, Yoo Jun-seo finally relaxed.
“Anyway, last time was truly amazing. I was almost branded as a traitor of the Korean Peninsula.”
Yoo Jun-seo smiled like an ordinary citizen and shook his head.
As I half-heartedly responded to the meaningless conversation, Yoo Jun-seo suddenly stopped. He was watching my reaction.
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
“No, it’s just… I have one favor to ask of Nam Joo-yeon.”
“If you’re trying to make me participate in some useless event, I’ll expose the truth right away.”
“No no, it’s nothing like that!”
Startled, Yoo Jun-seo revealed his purpose.
“…A few days ago, I received a report from Kang Se-na saying the reason you declared the tower attack was to save the missing people?”
“That’s right.”
“Then couldn’t you find one more person?”
I roughly guessed why Yoo Jun-seo was asking this.
“Are you talking about Jo Geon-wook?”
“Ah, yes. Looks like you’ve already heard. That’s correct. The guy just disappeared out of the blue, and the situation is strangely coincidental. Also, Jo Geon-wook isn’t the type to vanish without a word. Honestly, his position within the Management Bureau isn’t insignificant, and he’s one of the twenty A-rank Awakened Ones in Korea…”
“You’re asking me to look for him?”
“Umm… Yes. Fact is, Nam Joo-yeon is the most outstanding Awakened One in Korea, so you figured out the presence of missing people in the tower on your own, so I thought that perhaps you might also know where Jo Geon-wook is…”
“…”
Hearing Yoo Jun-seo’s words, I came up with an idea.
“Yes. I will definitely track down Mr. Jo Geon-wook.”
A subtle way to manipulate the Management Bureau to my liking.
And a method to erase doubts about Actor.
