Last night, when I instructed Selene to carry out the assassination.
“Selene.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“If I were to become the Absolute One, what do you think will happen to the people in this world?”
It was a concern that had been gripping me for the past few weeks.
As the system says, becoming the Absolute One means having everyone in the dimensions under my control.
It’s entirely possible that I will be in a position where the lives of hundreds, thousands, perhaps millions, depend on my decisions.
Indeed, Selene and Mirien have killed many, and Karne reaped close to ten million lives in China. Asteria wouldn’t be much different.
Similar situations will undoubtedly arise in the future.
When that time comes, will I still be able to remain myself?
That was the question I posed amidst my musings.
“My Lord, may I offer a word?”
Upon hearing my question, Selene knelt on one knee and pleaded for permission to speak.
“Go ahead, speak.”
“Even if every being in the dimension were to meet a miserable end, it must not be considered in the grand purpose of my Lord.”
Hearing Selene’s straightforward answer, I smirked.
“…A worthy response from you.”
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
After all, this world is essentially a big game.
And I am a gamer who prioritizes efficiency.
—-
Back to the present.
“That… What do you mean, Awakened One Nam Joo-yeon…? I merely wish to express regret regarding the unavoidable circumstances that arose…”
Right now, I am facing the Prime Minister, who is drenched in sweat.
He is intently staring at my fingertips, checking whether I am manipulating the status window.
“Why, does thinking you’re about to die clutter your thoughts?”
“S, please spare me. I can explain everything.”
Based on my experience over the past few weeks, I’ve come to realize exactly what stance I must take in this despicable world.
I must utterly remove all elements trying to harm me and make the most out of anything I can use. This world is already doomed; there’s no room for remorse.
“Explain? Why does that matter? If I were to understand your situation, would you die quietly for me?”
“That… isn’t…”
“No, you wouldn’t. I’m the same. I have no need to understand the reasons of those who tried to kill me.”
I admit, my mind is already lost.
However, this world is even more broken than mine.
Even threatening to kill someone, or actually doing it, the law can no longer restrain me.
The man before me seems to have come to the same realization. He lowered his gaze even further from his kneeling position and pleaded desperately with his voice trembling.
“No, Mr. Nam Joo-yeon. That wasn’t my intention. I truly regret it. We at the administrative department will work to prevent such incidents from happening again…”
“No, that isn’t necessary. Do as you want.”
“…Pardon?”
“Anyway, if you make another mistake, Seoul will no longer exist as a city.”
“What do you mean by that…?”
Players of the Disaster Order have extraordinary authority in situations like this.
Because there’s one right only an Awakened One can invoke.
“Fifth Eruption is approaching, isn’t it?”
“…”
“If there were heads rolling, consider this: what would happen to Seoul if I were to miss the next eruption? If I and Yoo Jun-seo were left out?”
The Eruption of The Rift.
A natural disaster that only an Awakened One can control.
And also a potent weapon I can leverage against the government.
“All non-Awakened will die, likely including your government officials too. Some Awakened might die as well, but their survival rate will be much higher.”
“…”
“Those left can perhaps build new communities. It’s already happening frequently in the provinces. I saw it with my own eyes.”
The world is adapting to the new system.
What seemed unrealistic when read in reports or seen in articles became painfully clear when I witnessed a direct example during the recent expedition to eliminate a provincial nest.
The Awakened community in Daejeon, though fragile, functioned like a small nation.
As time goes by, the power of the Awakened will only grow stronger.
And that is due to the Catastrophe, this unknown force, and the unique nature of the eruptions during which its power rains down.
“It seems you still think you’re part of the privileged elite.”
The government, myself, this world — none of us can cling to the old system anymore.
A new world needs new rules.
“If you want to live, it’s better not to question the actions of the Awakened, including me. And if something like this happens again, you will have to wager the lives of everyone in Seoul.”
“…”
“Don’t think I can’t do it. How many do you think I’ve already killed?”
If you sum up the unknowns, it must be close to tens of millions.
No, since it’s my fault for unleashing the Calamities of Disaster Order onto the Earth, perhaps I’ve already killed hundreds of millions.
I chuckled at these senseless thoughts.
Meanwhile, the prime minister I had intimidated blanched and froze.
Apparently, my not-so-subtle threat was quite effective.
“Understood?”
“Yes, understood!”
“And one more thing.”
With the momentum going, I brought up my request.
“Let’s abolish that damn Awakened Management Act too.”
“…Pardon?”
The Awakened Management Act. An evil law that prohibits every move and relocation of the Awakened, punishable by life imprisonment if refused. It was the leash the government put on us.
In a situation where the government is already bowing like this, it’s already a defunct law. Therefore, it no longer needs to exist.
The prime minister was visibly shocked. After some deep thought, he shook his head and gave a tragic smile.
“I understand your feelings, Mr. Nam Joo-yeon, but laws… they don’t change just because someone says something.”
“Oh, really? Wasn’t that Awakened Management Act created because some guys said a few words?”
“…”
“Yes. By your logic, it might not change with just words. Then let us see how actions can change things.”
“Actions?”
“In tomorrow’s news, you might hear that the newly built National Assembly building has been half-destroyed. Or perhaps we’ll have news like the Speaker being caught in a bomb terror attack.”
“…”
“I think you’ve understood by now. I’m not suggesting; I’m giving an order. If I don’t see meaningful results within the next month, you’d better start praying.”
I flicked my fingers. The prime minister, whose gaze had been fixated on my fingertips since the beginning, flinched at this gesture.
“And one more thing.”
To the completely frozen man, I added with a grin.
“Prepare an aircraft for me. I’m going to visit China.”
I must also prepare against Karne.
—-
After the short dialogue ended, I stepped out of the director’s office. Immediately outside the hallway, Kang Se-na was waiting with a stack of documents in her arms.
“Did everything go well?”
Kang Se-na’s subtle smile suggested she might have heard everything from the conversation within.
“Did you hear?”
“I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. It’s just this building has terrible soundproofing.”
“Does it disillusion you? That the great Dragon King and Maestro is, in fact, an anarchist?”
At my jest, Kang Se-na gave a soft laugh.
“It’s not Dragon King anymore. It’s Dragon Empress.”
She humorously replied to my jest.
“Does it disillusion you? No, quite the opposite. I’ve come to see Mr. Nam Joo-yeon in a new light.”
“To see me anew?”
“While I’m the one who persuaded you to step forward with confidence, I do think someone assertive — whether a tyrant or an outlaw — should be the Bureau Chief in this kind of situation.”
“You just don’t want to work with Yoo Jun-seo, right?”
“Why, aren’t you sharp?”
Kang Se-na smiled, and I shrugged.
Her gaze drifted far away. Meanwhile, Yoo Jun-seo was giving instructions to the Management Bureau staff.
“Director Yoo seems to be thinking about completely disconnecting the Management Bureau from the government. With Mr. Nam Joo-yeon’s help, the Awakened Management Act will soon be gone too, so significant changes will happen within a month.”
“That’s good.”
“Do you think it’s correct to have Yoo Jun-seo as the Bureau Chief?”
“Isn’t that something you would know best?”
Honestly, Yoo Jun-seo is not a capable person. He’s stupid and only cares about himself.
But Yoo Jun-seo knows his limitations.
Unlike an investigator like Jo Geon-wook, his ego isn’t out of proportion to his ability.
He’s selfish, but unmistakably human.
That’s why, while Yoo Jun-seo might not be trustworthy, he’s also not too worrying.
Kang Se-na seemed to share the same thought, sighing deeply.
“Well, what you said isn’t wrong. The leader of the one-eyed group should be another one-eyed person. Not a two-eyed one like you.”
Kang Se-na quickly steered the topic away.
“So, why are you going to China? I hear the situation there isn’t very good.”
“To track down the Actor.”
“Really?”
“…Yeah, that.”
Once again, Kang Se-na nodded without further inquiry.
“One last question, may I?”
“Speak.”
“Are you really not interested in me at all? If one woman isn’t enough, I can bring Eolyn to help out.”
“…”
[5★ Storm Mirien of the North Sea is watching you!!]
“I have no interest. Not even a bit.”
Once again, I saved the world.
The dignity of an Absolute One.
Perhaps.
