“Huh, huh, huh.”
Yoo Jun-seo gasped for breath as he ran out of the tower.
Although he held the significant position of Bureau Chief of the Awakened One Management Bureau, he was well aware that this was solely due to good fortune. He happened to be at the center of the world’s sudden transformation.
“Huh, huh! Huh!”
Panting, Yoo Jun-seo quickly moved his feet.
He had been almost an average citizen until recently, feeling incredibly lucky about his situation. He thought the world’s system was kindly towards him. Contrary to his past as a mental health beneficiary at the bottom of society, he believed in this new world, he could become a key person, part of the ruling elite.
“Shit!”
However, that was an illusion.
Inside the dungeon where he boldly ventured, Yoo Jun-seo left his comrades behind and fled. His disheveled escape down the stairs left his body bruised and his carefully styled hair for the cameras in complete disarray.
“Shit! Stupid son of a bitch!”
Yoo Jun-seo berated himself, pulling at his hair.
What riches and glory was he seeking by participating in this mutual suicide?
Inside the 5-Star Dungeon, the Tower of Reversal, not only was there Storm Mirien of the North Sea but also The Blackened Saint Selene, the subordinate of Actor. This was his grave mistake and overconfidence.
“… Hey! It’s the Flame King!”
“Wow!”
The crowd still gathered near the tower cheered upon his sudden appearance but soon realized something was wrong when they noticed his disheveled state.
One member of the crowd, B-Rank Awakened One Kang Se-na, who displayed a conspicuously anxious expression, approached Yoo Jun-seo cautiously and asked:
“… Director, what happened inside?”
“… T, that…”
Yoo Jun-seo hesitated to tell the truth.
Could he really confess in front of everyone that he, as Bureau Chief, had abandoned the Management Bureau’s S-Rank Awakened One to escape?
That would be nothing short of social suicide.
“…Inside the tower… The Blackened Saint Selene emerged.”
Yoo Jun-seo understood the nature of power and the harsh truth that a dead person can’t speak. Especially now, in times like these, neither dynamics investigation nor scientific investigation was of any use.
“… I barely managed to escape, but S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon…”
Yoo Jun-seo’s sentence trailed off, but Kang Se-na’s expression turned one of shock.
Simultaneously, he felt an intense sense of guilt.
He was selling out a comrade who sacrificed their life for him.
Jo Geon-wook had suspected some conspiracy regarding S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon, but Yoo Jun-seo now had no choice but to acknowledge the truth.
Nam Joo-yeon was a hero. He had sacrificed his life for Yoo Jun-seo without uttering a single word of blame towards him as he fled in a disgraceful manner.
The last image of Nam Joo-yeon was still fresh in his mind, and so Yoo Jun-seo could not bear to finish his statement.
“Director! What exactly happened?”
“That…”
The Management Bureau employees, including Kang Se-na, began to chime in, and murmurs among the gathered crowd grew louder.
Gurrrrrr.
Behind Yoo Jun-seo, a massive tremor resounded.
The ground shook.
The sky resonated.
More precisely, the heavens and earth heaved.
Ting.
[A dungeon “The Tower of Reversal” is erupting.]
After reading the message on the state window that appeared before him, Yoo Jun-seo could instinctively deduce the cause.
He realized that it was himself who was the reason for the tower’s eruption.
Even after fleeing, the dungeon wouldn’t let him go.
It wasn’t satisfied with consuming the S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon and was now reaching for Yoo Jun-seo, who escaped from the tower, to devour him.
“… Haha, ha…”
Yoo Jun-seo clutched his head.
No matter what, his grave error played a huge role in this eruption.
Now many citizens would die, and all the blame would likely fall on Yoo Jun-seo.
Perhaps it would be better to confess here.
“I… The truth is, I fled from that dungeon…”
Just as he was about to confess the truth amidst the chaos,
“Hey! Look at that!”
Someone’s shout drew everyone’s attention back to the tower. At that moment, something massive rose from the top of the tower.
It was none other than Storm Dragon Tempestra.
Riding on the Storm Dragon’s back was S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon.
“Ooooh!”
“The Dragon King lives! The Dragon King lives!”
Citizens, forgetting that the dungeon had erupted, erupted with cheers.
As the key contributor to the successful defense against the previous eruption, S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon was seen by Seoul’s citizens as an invincible hero who could not be defeated.
“So, what exactly happened?”
On the other hand, Kang Se-na, whose expression had noticeably softened, approached and asked.
Yoo Jun-seo’s expression changed completely.
“While smoothly advancing through the dungeon, we realized this dungeon was about to erupt. So Nam Joo-yeon and I had a discussion. I would go outside to evacuate the citizens, while Nam Joo-yeon would stay behind to find and eliminate the cause of the eruption.”
“Really?”
“Of course, really. Don’t you trust me?”
“…”
Kang Se-na’s eyes narrowed but, fortunately, didn’t press any further.
Yoo Jun-seo hastily got into the car waiting for him.
It was time to return to his role as the Bureau Chief.
—
*
Does anyone know what it feels like to fly without any protective gear?
Probably not. And if they do, chances are they’ll be discussing it with King Yama the next moment.
That said, what I’m experiencing right now is quite rare.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra used skill 「Flight」.]
Whoosh!
Cold winds hit my face.
The relentless downpour battered my face, making it hard to breathe.
Of course, I don’t have any protective gear right now, but there is some safety measure—The Blackened Saint Selene hides within a barrier, ready for any accident.
Even so, it wasn’t very pleasant holding onto one scale of Tempestra, who’s wildly fluctuating high in the sky.
“Hmph.”
Thankfully, Tempestra, perhaps caring for its master, kept its head high as it flew, providing an acceptable ride.
“Selene, are you listening?”
Selene was hidden within the barrier, unseen.
However, communication was possible.
“Yes. My Lord, I am listening.”
“We need to find Mirien. Do you have any idea where she might be?”
“I do not know.”
Ultimately, if we wanted to track Mirien down, we would have to summon the Hellfire Guardian.
“Lord, may I ask one question?”
“Sure, but I’m pretty anxious not knowing when I’ll fall, so can you make it quick?”
“… What do you plan to do with Mirien?”
Selene’s calm question.
She seemed poised to light her fires again.
“The weather is rainy, so unleashing her full strength won’t be easy… but if necessary, I will burn everything to ashes to kill her.”
“…”
If I ordered Selene to kill Mirien, she would likely expend all her energy fighting, perhaps even detonating in a catastrophic final attack.
Indeed, among the ultimate skills of the 5-star calamities, Selene’s was essentially a self-destruct technique.
But that’s not at all the future I want.
“Selene, are you crazy? Who’s this guy who’d kill his underling because of a misunderstanding?”
“… Then?”
“Go and resolve it through dialogue. Even if it was a misunderstanding on my part, I would treat it the same.”
Actually, Mirien’s misunderstanding wasn’t entirely unexpected.
I had declared the tower assault, and in a way, I had also intended to remove Mirien—though as an excuse.
Just, I hadn’t realized she would see and hear everything.
An oversight on my part, assuming Selene’s ignorance of worldly matters meant Mirien was the same.
“… We should find Mirien first.”
“Yes. Correct. However, if Mirien chooses to hide with intention, we have no means of finding her currently.”
“Selene, you don’t understand human hearts well enough. After such a major event, she wouldn’t just hide away completely, would she?”
“… Your Grace?”
By now, the barrier’s duration had ended, and Selene revealed herself.
Soaked by the torrential rain, Selene’s flames were noticeably dimmer.
“Lord, you cannot think of Mirien as a simple human. She is a catastrophe in human form.”
“… But to my eyes, both of you look human.”
Of course, they’re both rather unethical and uncompromising humans…
“At any rate, isn’t she one of my old subordinates from The Rift?”
Now that our reality has become a game, the reality of the games I once played persists as well.
Thus, the ruler of The Rift, Actor, and the four major calamities under his command remain.
The goodwill I bestowed upon them, and the feelings they hold towards me, are all real.
So, shouldn’t I, as the ruler of The Rift, show at least some of that side?
“Generally, in situations like this, the other party is expected to come find us.”
“….”
“Thus, I’ll give you an order.”
“Yes. What is it?”
I smirked and pointed to the forest of buildings visible below.
“Why don’t you wreck a few buildings down there? Burning them without destruction works too. Just make sure not to hurt anyone. Absolutely.”
“If Awakened ones arrive to attack, only remove the calamity.”
“… Is that seriously allowed?”
“It’s important here to draw attention. All Awakened individuals of Seoul need to gather in one place.”
Startled, Selene asked,
“And what do you plan to do, my Lord?”
“Obviously, I need to find that girl, Mirien.”
“… B, but shouldn’t that…”
“Selene, if you’re going to say it’s dangerous, just follow my order.”
After hearing my words, Selene appeared somewhat moved and leaped from the back of the Storm Dragon with her fiery spear of wrath in hand.
“Ah.”
I should have asked her to stay until she lands.
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra used skill 「Flight」.]
“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!”
This time, it truly was a flight without any safety measures.
—
