Originally, I, Nam Joo-yeon, may not have been the most polite person, but I did respect my elders and knew my place.
However, the world was turned upside down overnight, and within the newly introduced system, I was undoubtedly one of the strong.
Which meant…
“How dare you suggest that I don’t know what I’m doing and had to have you watch me like a hawk?”
This was a position where I could openly lecture to high-ranking government officials.
What they called “acting superior,” right?
A mere half year ago, I couldn’t say a word back to my part-time boss who would always belittle me, yet now, I’m threatening key national powers.
How did I end up here?
Well, the world is already broken, so what’s a little more damage?
“So…”
In an instant, the roles had reversed.
Everyone in the conference room was my prey.
“Since I’ve had a nice little chat with the Chinese scout, anyone who has an issue, step forward.”
As I finished my sentence, I took a step back.
As a result, everyone in the room turned their gaze toward where I had been standing moments ago. Their eyes naturally fixed on the man lying at my feet—the congressman whose face I had slammed onto the table only moments before.
The man was trembling in what appeared to be spasms, and it seemed he’d need quite a while to recover.
I felt a pang of guilt for hitting an innocent person, but it was unavoidable. If I hadn’t demonstrated my resolve, they would’ve continued to try to intimidate me.
“Do you think that threats like ‘awakening management laws’ or ‘life imprisonment’ would ever scare me?”
Just a few days ago, I might have been frightened.
In fact, there was no need to escalate to this level of aggressiveness.
But things are different now.
Just moments ago, I heard a shocking story from the Chinese scout and Mirien. The calamity I accidentally released, the Mother of Omens Karne, is condensing tens of millions of lives to create her followers.
An incredible twenty million.
Compared to that enormous number, a few lives in this room don’t matter at all.
“…”
That fact strangely diluted the guilt I felt from my current actions.
“Listen carefully. What do you think would happen if I summoned the Storm Dragon right now?”
“…”
“If I summoned the Rock Crusher, do you think even the great underground bunker of the President would withstand a few hits?”
The Awakened One boldly declared they could wipe out the national leadership.
What is this if not a calamity?
Kang Se-na was correct. Awakened Ones, especially S-Rank Awakened Ones, are beings that cannot be controlled by regular authority.
Therefore, if they came at me harshly, I had no choice but to show them what I was capable of.
“One thing you should keep in mind is that annihilating everyone here with Tempestra would be no trouble at all. A single snap of my fingers and your lives depend on my mood.”
I am an entity that you cannot control.
My words, delivered calmly, were met with a chilling silence in the conference room.
The Prime Minister was the one to break the silence. His face had paled, and he slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.
“What…!”
The Prime Minister, too distracted to adjust the glasses slipping down his nose, hastily spoke.
“Nam Joo-yeon! Stop this! If this continues, there’s no turning back! You’d be a murderer! If you kill us, the Republic of Korea will… Nam Joo-yeon…”
“Are you still trying to threaten me?”
“…Ah, no… that was not my intention…”
“The threats belong on my side. If I were to cause a ruckus here, what could the government possibly do about it? What, are you going to have someone shoot me? Do you think I’d fall to a mere bullet?”
I pointed to a man standing against the wall of the conference room. He looked like he was brought along for security reasons—likely a large-framed man in a suit who had his hand on the holster at his waist, ready to draw a gun if things went sour.
Sure, it’s reasonable. Awakened Ones are feared because of the calamities they wield, not necessarily because of their own formidable power.
Still, that only applies to the amateurs.
“Pull the trigger if you want. See if you can kill me.”
To be honest, bullets are scary.
Getting shot is even scarier.
I know the power of a gun, having fired one myself.
That’s why I borrowed one from Selene.
[5☆ Shell of the Dead God]
Calamity equipment can also be worn by Awakened Ones.
This piece of equipment in my possession is specialized for mass civilian killings. Not only is its inherent performance excellent, but it has a special feature that completely blocks all attacks below 3 stars.
And a gun wielded by a non-Awakened person doesn’t even reach 1 star.
“One thing you should remember—if you can’t kill me in one go, it won’t end with just your death. Your family in Seoul will die as well.”
In short, I have no fear.
I said this calmly to the security guard.
“By the way, this is another piece of advice: bullets won’t kill me.”
The bodyguard flinched.
The absurdity of hearing such a movie-worthy line in real life hit me with irony.
My sanity is probably compromised just like the world.
How did I become so fearless?
The reason is simple.
[5★ The Blackened Saint Selene is watching you.]
[5★ Storm Mirien is watching you.]
When beings capable of extinguishing the Earth are watching over me, what do I have to fear from some high-ranking officials?
If anything, I should be worried about my own subordinates—not these suited men.
“Stop! Nam Joo-yeon! I understand! I fully understand, please calm down!”
Finally, after an eternity of silence, the Prime Minister surrendered.
“That… Nam Joo-yeon… what we wanted to say… was never about obstructing or threatening you… we only wanted to resolve things through a peaceful dialogue…”
The Prime Minister’s voice trailed off.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
In the end, he put aside his last shred of pride.
“That… we admit it was somewhat impolite… but I offer my deepest apologies. Please… spare our lives.”
“You should’ve said that earlier.”
“Mar… if we’ve made any mistakes towards you since the beginning, we will correct them… please don’t be angry…”
Seeing the Prime Minister humbled like that, the other high-ranking officials in the room joined in with apologies.
The tense atmosphere dissipated instantly, and Yoo Jun-seo let out a sigh of relief.
I didn’t intend to create more chaos either.
“I only spoke with the Chinese scout not for immigration but to chase down the Actor.”
“…the Actor? The Lord of the Abyss?”
“Yes. That Actor. It seems they’re heading to China.”
At this, the Prime Minister’s expression brightened, though misunderstandings were far from resolved.
“So let me say one thing.”
With that, I held up my index finger and continued.
“Mind your own business.”
In truth, that’s all I wanted to say.
Toppling the state or replacing the cabinet is meaningless in a world this ruined.
In fact, it’s more advantageous for me that the government, though incompetent, continues to function.
There are still many things within the national system I need to manage, like networking with other Awakened Ones, for example.
“Nam Joo-yean!”
As I walked down the hallway, Yoo Jun-seo hurried after me.
He must’ve run, because he bent over, panting for a bit.
“What is it.”
“Ah, no, it’s about what happened in the conference room…”
Could Yoo Jun-seo actually be here to criticize me after I just intimidated him minutes ago?
“Are you trying to act friendly now? Frankly, you’re no different from the others.”
As I frowned, Yoo Jun-seo looked shocked and started shaking his head.
“No, no, that’s not what I think, Nam Joo-yeon!”
“Then what?”
“There’s something I wanted to say.”
Yoo Jun-seo cleared his throat and spoke.
“Nam Joo-yeon, you were amazing today!”
“…”
“In fact, that was my job, but I only imagined it. Yet, there you were! You were like a superhero! Wow! Putting Nam Joo-yeon at S-Rank was definitely the best decision of my life!”
The ominous atmosphere from before was completely replaced by Yoo Jun-seo’s cheerful acceptance.
His tone was filled with sincerity.
It seems I’ve gained a fan, and my head started to throb.
Regardless, Yoo Jun-seo grabbed my hands and kept talking enthusiastically.
“So, how about it? Maybe you should take over as Bureau Chief while we train these government kids.”
“I decline.”
“…Wouldn’t you?”
“Just give me some leeway, Yoo Jun-seo. They won’t interfere with the Management Bureau for a while anyway. Make sure to solidify the system so that Awakened Ones don’t suffer unnecessarily.”
I wanted to push Yoo Jun-seo away. After all, he was filled with thoughts of exploiting me too.
But I reconsidered.
Building a good relationship with the Management Bureau, including Yoo Jun-seo, wouldn’t be a bad idea.
After all, the world is falling apart.
It’s only natural for collaborators to stick together.
And among the people I’d met, Yoo Jun-seo was one of the easiest to handle.
“That… means I’ll be your solid supporter from now on, right?”
“That’s one way to look at it… isn’t it?”
“Great! I’ll work hard on it!”
And there he was, grinning foolishly and nodding vigorously, confirming my fears.
“Lord, did negotiations end well?”
“You were amazing, Actor!”
As soon as I returned to the base, the two major calamities greeted me.
The Blackened Saint Selene and Storm Mirien.
Truthfully, these two were hundreds of times more intimidating than any president to me.
“Selene, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to keep using this equipment for a while longer.”
“It’s fine. I have the Pyre Gauntlet. Moreover, it is more reasonable for you to prioritize your safety over someone like me.”
Selene’s face was brimming with joy.
Apparently, today’s chaos at the Management Bureau matched the ideal image of a ruler that Selene admired. Mirien, as always, liked whatever I did.
“Anyway, Selene.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“Prepare. We’re going somewhere.”
“…May I know where?”
Selene’s expression hardened, assuming I was about to head to China.
I was not stupid enough to not realize meeting Karne right away was akin to suicide.
“South.”
“…South, my Lord?”
“Yes. South. To the nest controlled by the Awakened Ones’ community.”
There, we’ll gather calamities.
The Mother of Omens Karne is creating her army in China. She’s currently just a potential threat, but her ultimate goal is the destruction of the world.
We will inevitably face her eventually, so I must build up enough power to at least battle her forces when that time comes.
[Headquarters Upgrade: Barracks]
[■■■■□□□□□□]
[Required Experience: 800Exp]
I pressed the barracks upgrade button four more times.
Soon after, I felt a chill.
I turned my head to find Mirien tilting her head at me in curiosity.
“Actor… why… why am I not coming?”
Confused by the unexpected reaction, I didn’t have time to respond before Selene interrupted.
“…Is the Lord not saying, you should play house like a little girl? Stop your nonsense and stay here.”
“You b*tch think the hole in your face is a mouth? I’ll kindly drill another one if you want.”
Another UFC match was brewing, and I was ready to pull my hair out.
