A-Rank Awakened One Jo Geon-wook was currently in a rather awkward situation.
The sudden dungeon purge in Yeouido. S-Rank Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon and Management Bureau Chief Yoo Jun-seo had entered it merely hours ago.
And not long after, Yoo Jun-seo came rushing out, and the dungeon erupted.
[Awakened Ones, please assist with evacuating citizens nearby.]
In the blink of an eye, a disaster alert with a danger level akin to a Rift eruption was broadcasted, and the Awakened Ones belonging to the Management Bureau rushed to the scene with palpable tension.
Jo Geon-wook was no exception. Even though it was his day off, he was summoned anyway.
“Damn it, Yoo Jun-seo…”
Truthfully, he didn’t mind working on his day off—it had happened often during his time as a detective. In the current state of the world, what irked Jo Geon-wook was this unpleasant feeling of losing control, of not fully understanding what was happening.
“What in the world are you scheming?”
Jo Geon-wook frowned as he glared at the towering building standing in Yeouido. He tried to follow the trajectory of Storm Dragon Tempestra that had flown through the sky moments ago, but the thick clouds prevented him from doing so.
“Tch.”
Jo Geon-wook clicked his tongue. He was still suspicious of Nam Joo-yean. His appearance during the purge of the nest in Cheonan, his survival from Storm Dragon Tempestra’s attack—it wasn’t that he didn’t acknowledge the accomplishments Nam Joo-yeon had displayed. However, the more Nam Joo-yeon thrived, the more skeptical Jo Geon-wook became.
“Suspicious from the start, declaring the purge of that tower…”
It felt too much like a scripted scenario. After proving himself in the Tempestra purge, Nam Joo-yeon gained S-Rank. In the subsequent nest in Incheon, and during the third eruption, Nam Joo-yeon had only further cemented his reputation. Then without any prior indication, Nam Joo-yeon declared an attack on the tower. And the appearance of Selene, the Blackened Saint and subordinate of the Actor during the raid on the Heavenly Reversal Tower—it was far too coincidental.
Recently, a religious group known as the Ascension Church that worshipped the Actor had risen to prominence. Based on Yoo Jun-seo’s claim that the two had progressed smoothly through the tower, Jo Geon-wook refused to believe the Management Bureau Chief.
“What’s going on?”
Jo Geon-wook frowned as he moved.
As an A-Rank Awakened One, leaving his post was a serious disciplinary offense, but given the investigative purpose, he believed he would be granted leniency. Nam Joo-yeon had disappeared towards the north.
Jo Geon-wook intended to ride a motorcycle parked at the roadside through the rain-heavy streets when—
[Team 4! Team 4! We need support!]
Jo Geon-wook halted his steps at the urgent voice calling through the radio. Listening intently, shock crept over him as he heard the distressing report.
[A 5-Star Calamity appeared in Jung District under Team 4’s jurisdiction!]
“5-Star…?”
[The Blackened Saint, it’s the Blackened Saint!]
The transmission blared, not even specifying the team’s designation, and Jo Geon-wook doubted his own ears.
“5-Star Calamity, in the middle of downtown?”
Something monumental was happening.
—
The Blackened Saint Selene truly deserved the title of “living calamity.”
Every time her sword swung, a gigantic flame erupted, engulfing the streets.
“Keep your distance! Absolutely do not get close!”
As Selene appeared, Awakened Ones each clenched their resolve and rushed to stop the 5-Star Calamity, but upon confronting her directly, they lost their courage.
[5★ Selene, the Blackened Saint is using skill 「Flame Hellfire」.]
Ting Ting.
[2★ Crystal Spider eliminated.]
[Reward: 30Exp / 2★ Crystal Spider.]
[2★ Moss Hunter eliminated.]
[Reward: 30Exp / 2★ Moss Hunter.]
[2★ Ember Fox eliminated.]
[Reward: 30Exp / 2★ Ember Fox.]
[2★ Starlight Crystal Golem eliminated.]
[Reward: 30Exp / 2★ Starlight Crystal Golem.]
[3★ Ghost Ember eliminated.]
[Reward: 50Exp / 3★ Ghost Ember.]
The kill logs kept popping up before his eyes.
Unintentionally, it turned into a spectacle where the Awakened Ones’ efforts to subdue the calamities were thwarted—each time, a group of calamities were extinguished in a single blow, shocking them into panic.
“How… why! It’s clearly a fire attribute!”
“It’s raining!”
Their cries of shock and panic reached Jo Geon-wook, standing at a distance.
“Really… she is powerful.”
Looking down from the rooftop of a building, I whistled softly.
Even amid the downpour, Selene refused to give a single opening. Right now, she was a rampant monster near Seoul Station, and no calamity or weapon could harm her.
An arrow was fired by one of the Awakened Ones, but Selene didn’t dodge. The flames swirling around her body, despite dimming significantly, still managed to easily block both bullets and arrows.
In fact, even without the flames, a blow like this would do nothing to damage Selene.
[5☆ Shell of the Dead God]
It wasn’t just the Inferno Halberd Selene wielded that was a 5-Star weapon.
The Shell of the Dead God she wore could block any attack under 3-Star, being an exceptional piece of defensive equipment.
With its natural properties resisting damage and enhancing defensive attributes through sheer power, it was truly a disaster tailored to massacring civilians.
And that was my base’s guardian, Selene, the Blackened Saint.
“Alright, you’re doing a great job drawing everyone’s attention.”
Having seen this much, I stopped concerning myself with Selene.
Standing beside me on the rooftop was a Hellfire Guardian dressed in a giant dog’s raincoat, snuffling energetically through the downpour to track Mirien’s trail. Actually, I wasn’t worried about the tracking being difficult.
‘This must be the Brainstorm.’
Very few calamities in the Disaster Order possess weather skills. Their effects range from altering the field’s attributes to enhancing same-attribute allies within the party.
The exceptional performance of weather skills naturally makes them markers of calamities who possess them. Mirien’s nickname, Storm of the North Sea, originated from her own unique skill, Brainstorm.
Back when I was enthusiastically gaming, I often positioned Mirien alongside storm and lightning attribute calamities like Tempestra, using her as a weather setter and support in the team.
[4★ Hellfire Guardian used skill 「Scent Tracking」.]
Ting.
[4★ Hellfire Guardian has detected the origin of the skill 「Brainstorm」.]
“Okay.”
Just as I anticipated, the Hellfire Guardian easily identified the source.
The direction it turned its head towards was unmistakably north.
The state screen was kind enough to even display the results of the tracking skill visually.
“Seongbuk-gu…”
I smirked bitterly.
It seemed I would have to fly off once again, alongside Tempestra.
—
When Storm Mirien regained consciousness, she found herself surrounded by unfamiliar scenery.
She cautiously inspected the situation.
She had placed herself under the protection of Divine Thunder and lost control, going mad with attacks. She had no recollection after that. The last thing she remembered was the fierce battle on the top floor of the tower.
It was clear she had fought against Selene. Her tattered cloak was scorched, her face smeared with soot, and the awareness of her body followed with a wave of fiery pain from burns all over her.
“Impossible.”
Mirien slumped to the cold ground and slowly looked down at her hands.
Based on her condition, she had lost control, going completely berserk in her fight with Selene. Likely, she escaped from the tower for some reason and ended up here. If she had inadvertently caused any harm to the Actor during the fight with Selene…
“…It’s happened.”
The moment this worst-case scenario entered her mind, her head went cold.
Her body, heart, and soul felt like they were crumbling.
“…”
Mirien stepped back unsteadily.
She had certainly earned hatred. A rift they could never mend. She realized she herself had become a living corpse.
Why was she still living? She wreaked havoc, causing damage to the Actor.
Wasn’t she just a massive hindrance to the Actor, as Selene had said?
Perhaps it would have been better if Selene’s sword had pierced her heart. Perhaps reclaiming the heart she had been given by the Actor would have been a relief.
“Huh…”
A bitter laugh escaped her.
Holding onto her trembling body, she shook her head.
Severe headaches wracked her body.
Panic set in.
If he were to see her now, what expression would he make?
Would he frown? Would he wear a cold expression? Or would he turn away without even a glance?
Would he never call her name again?
The mere thought of it made her chest constrict, feeling as if she couldn’t breathe. Her fingertips trembled.
“There’s no turning back.”
The conclusion came quickly.
As Mirien raised her hand, her unique skill, the Brainstorm, continued to drench the entire city in torrential rain. And with her grand magic, it would be no difficult task to unleash countless lightning bolts through it.
Rather than waiting for a future of nothing but destruction without him, wouldn’t it be better to break the world entirely? And when Selene comes to stop her, it would simply be the time to give her life.
Right as Mirien gathered her mana,—
[4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra used skill 「Flight」.]
A massive shadow loomed above her.
Mirien looked up dully. Tempestra, Storm Dragon. Once her ally but now the Actor’s subordinate.
For that reason alone, there was only one reason for Tempestra to come find her.
“…Actor.”
A human figure precariously clung to the back of the massive Tempestra.
Breath caught in Mirien’s throat. She had thought it was all over, but the precious heart given to her by the Actor still caused trouble. The new life he had given her stubbornly throbbed, urging life forward.
“Y…You…”
She opened her mouth, a flood of things she wanted to say, but—
She wanted him to reprimand her, yet she didn’t want him to abandon her.
Above all else…
“…Don’t… don’t turn your back on me.”
“If I intended to turn my back, would I have risked my life to come find you?”
Contrary to Mirien’s expectations, the Actor’s lips curved into a slight smile and he nodded before leaping down from the Tempestra’s back.
“…Wha?”
From dozens of meters above.
Mirien’s mind froze.
