[5★ The Blackened Saint Selene has returned from the expedition.]
[Reward: 20Exp / 4★ Hellfire Guardian]
The status screen monotonelessly announced the rewards.
Though I had gained a 4-Star Calamity, the Hellfire Guardian, I felt no joy.
Of course, it was a happy event that a valuable force to protect my base had increased.
The issue here, however, was the process.
‘Why the heck did you commit murder…?’
First of all, Selene had effortlessly taken care of the Hellfire Guardian in a single strike.
The Disaster Order dictates that each Calamity has a set attribute, and the damage from attacks of the same attribute is halved. Normally, to defeat a fire-attribute Calamity like the Hellfire Guardian, one would send a Calamity with a favorable attribute.
But attacks from The Blackened Saint Selene, thanks to her unique characteristic, are applied at full force against any attribute. Moreover, with her equipped in top-tier endgame gear, the Hellfire Guardian – an already bottom-tier 4-Star Calamity – stood no chance.
Thus, I believed this expedition would by no means end in failure.
It indeed did not.
The problem arose after the Hellfire Guardian was eliminated.
“…”
How had it come to this?
News articles were all fixated on the two words “Actor,” continuing relentless coverage.
It all started a few hours ago when someone released a video.
It was footage from the action cameras of Awakened Ones who had accompanied the military in the Hellfire Guardian extermination mission. In the video, a woman was clearly captured on camera.
None other than Selene.
She single-handedly took out the Hellfire Guardian, a creature dozens of Awakened Ones couldn’t defeat.
Then, she plunged her wedge sword into the chest of a Level 5 civil servant. Though the video was censored, it was so brutal that the moment it went online, it was promptly taken down.
“…Selene.”
“Yes.”
When I called out to Selene, she knelt before me and slightly raised her head.
Her eyes revealed a clear sense of anticipation.
She looked like a pet dog eagerly waiting for praise.
If I let her go without a word of commendation, it felt like something might go wrong, so I quickly added,
“That…first of all, good job.”
“It was all for my Lord.”
Though she said that, her narrow shoulders were trembling with joy.
I cleared my throat and brought up the matter.
“Selene, I need to ask you something. Why did you…kill that man?”
“I apologize. I dirtied the precious sword you gave me with foul blood.”
“That’s not what I mean….”
I looked at Selene.
There was no hint of guilt in her eyes. In fact, the Selene in the video showed not an ounce of hesitation in killing people.
It seemed she deemed it a matter of course.
“That person tried to entice me. It was a wicked temptation. Since I serve my Lord, there was a need to sever the advances of that fellow.”
“Yes. Fine. But why did you kill him? You could’ve just refused.”
“Refusal could lead to further attempts at enticement. However, a dead one has no words. That’s all. Furthermore, they are all potential enemies to my Lord. It is my duty to eliminate all risk factors for my Lord.”
“Selene, usually civilians aren’t viewed as risk factors.”
“I apologize, my Lord. But what is a civilian?”
“…”
I gave up trying to explain how bad an act murder is.
At a point where games have become reality, ethics might not hold much meaning anyway.
Hasn’t it already become normal to walk around with a Calamity that can kill several people, with the government’s approval?
“…”
Meanwhile, Selene looked at me with an innocent gleam in her eyes.
I wondered if she had earnestly asked for a chance to atone by risking her life.
Why Selene was so devoted to me or why she clung onto me was unclear.
It was even a bit frightening in some sense.
But one thing was certain: if I drive her away again, I would definitely not end well.
Loyalty turning into hatred is a simple matter.
I didn’t want to end up a human tanghulu pinned by a wedge sword like the man in the video.
‘I’m in a tough spot.’
Frankly speaking, the guy who died this time? A complete stranger to me. I might feel some guilt, but it’s not like I’m losing sleep over it.
Here’s the one problem.
“Yes. Let’s leave this. Selene, I just have one question.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you say my name?”
“…”
The problem was that Selene boldly stated the name Actor in front of the camera.
Both the government and the press, along with the public, overinterpreted her statement.
That the master of the 5-Star dungeon called The Abyss, Actor, sent Hellfire Guardians to disrupt the world.
‘Come to think of it, that’s not entirely wrong?’
It’s true that I am the master of The Abyss, and it’s also true that the Hellfire Guardian was originally a Calamity from The Abyss. I even ordered Selene to retrieve it for me.
Selene dealt with it so effortlessly, as if returning a lost dog home, making such assumptions seem plausible from a third-party perspective.
Just because of Selene’s statement, I was now in a position where I could do nothing.
‘I can’t exactly go to the ward office and declare myself as Actor.’
I had heard that the registration period for Awakened Ones was almost over.
They even set up a special investigation team to capture unregistered Awakened Ones. Continuing on this path, I might soon be unable to step out at all.
Sighing quietly, Selene awkwardly replied,
“I dared to say my Lord’s name because…there… is a reason.”
“What is the reason?”
“…A message.”
“A message?”
“To them.”
“…To them?”
“That is nothing for my Lord to concern oneself with.”
Selene deeply bowed her head as if she couldn’t say more.
I had already confirmed through her words and actions that she would willingly offer her life in loyalty to me. She might actually commit suicide if ordered.
Such being the case, there must be valid reasons for Selene to act this way.
“Yes. I won’t ask further.”
“Thank you. My Lord, I’d sacrifice my life…”
Selene continued to ramble but it honestly felt burdensome, so I brought up the status screen and began operating it.
<Master 'Actor's Base>
[Owned Calamities 2/10]
[Owned Experience: 3395Exp]
[Owned Equipment 3/20]
With the Hellfire Guardian now obtained, I could now generally issue base management orders including expeditions.
I set the Hellfire Guardian as the base’s guardian and placed Selene in the adjutant slot.
Even if the Calamities that erupted from The Rift invaded The Abyss, these two alone would ensure no ordinary risks would arise.
‘No ordinary risks, that is.’
Currently, there are four 5-Star class Calamities in the world.
One is Selene standing right before me now. Another resides at Yoido, Mirien. The whereabouts of the last two are unknown, but they’ve probably settled their own dungeons somewhere in the world.
Mirien and the other two characters, like Selene, are 5-Star Calamities. Equipped with top-tier gear, should they invade The Abyss, even Selene would have to prepare for death.
“The immediate threat…is probably Mirien, isn’t it.”
Mirien of the North Sea Storm.
A 5-Star lightning-attribute Calamity.
The vilest and worst magician who captured and used hundreds of thousands of innocent humans as vessels to ascend to the heavens through magic.
There’s no guarantee that Mirien, who was dismissed by me, still maintains the same loyalty as Selene.
However, if Mirien too could be recruited to our base after Selene, there would likely be no one else in this country who could mess with us.
“Selene.”
“Yes.”
“What do you think about Mirien?”
“…Why do you ask such a question?”
“No, if the two of you get along, it might be possible to meet somewhere in the tower….”
“No.”
“…”
For the first time, Selene firmly expressed her position.
A crimson flame flickered in her deep red eyes.
Selene delivered a passionate speech.
“Mirien, that woman is an evil and ferocious witch who knows no gratitude.”
“…That bad?”
“The other two are the same. They all possess the most wicked hearts. Furthermore, their silence despite knowing my Lord still lives amounts to betrayal. They deserve no better than being torn apart.”
“…”
You all weren’t teammates?
In the game, they all harmoniously interacted in the cottage in front of the base.
It was an uncomfortable truth I didn’t want to learn.
“So, let’s set aside the idea of recruiting Mirien for now…”
At my mumbling, Selene slightly curled the corner of her lips in a peculiar, twisted smile.
“First, we need to farm Calamities.”
[Owned Calamities 2/10]
Currently, the Calamities I own are only two.
For synthesis or enhancement, at least five are required. Thus, I intended to send out an expedition to bring back new Calamities.
‘I need to visit dungeons.’
Calamities that are not wiped out in The Rift’s eruption set up their own lairs in safe places.
When a powerful Calamity sets up a lair, other Calamities flock towards it, gradually forming what we call dungeons. They’re like where I am in The Abyss now.
“Seoul has probably cleared most, but there should still be dungeons left elsewhere.”
Seoul, being a city with a high population density, had a large number of Awakened Ones. The provinces, however, were different.
The vast areas have fewer people to protect.
Just look at the stories; the damage in rural areas was catastrophic.
In any case, even if it’s just a 1-Star level dungeon, farming Calamities is necessary for the growth of the base.
“Selene, get ready.”
“Where are we going?”
“Hmm… travel.”
“J-Just the two of us?”
“…Isn’t that right?”
“…”
At my words, Selene let out a small moan.
I ignored it.
After the appearance of the strongest Calamity ever seen, The Blackened Saint Selene, the establishment of the Awakened One Management Bureau accelerated.
This Awakened One Management Bureau, abbreviated as Management Bureau, mainly consisted of Awakened Ones who stood out in their growth potential among those who voluntarily registered. Even the military personnel who participated in the previous Hellfire Guardian extermination mission were transferred to serve in the Management Bureau.
The inaugural Director position was taken by Yoo Jun-seo, and fitting his title, the perks were considerable. He could use this massive property as he pleased.
“Anyway, since this is the first meeting, I hope we take it seriously.”
Thus, the first meeting of the newly launched Management Bureau began.
The Prime Minister, appointed as the chairperson, turned on the projector with a complex expression.
There, a vivid footage of Selene killing a person was displayed.
Everyone’s face distorted.
“So, what do you all think about the master of The Abyss, Actor?”
The question from the Prime Minister sparked various comments.
“Perhaps this guy is the one who put the world into this state?”
A reasonable conjecture.
“Could he possibly be an Awakened One?”
“Awhat?”
One of the soldiers’ remarks made Yoo Jun-seo frown.
Everyone here, except the Prime Minister, are Awakened Ones, masters familiar with the outbreak of The Rift.
“A guy already with a 5-star Calamity is basically using cheats. It’s not much different from the one who wrecked the world.”
“…Is it that bad?”
“Yes. It is.”
Yoo Jun-seo answered the Prime Minister’s question.
It was unmistakable.
The unfathomable power of the 5-star Calamity, The Blackened Saint Selene.
That power could easily be called an Authority.
“And if this guy was an Awakened One, wouldn’t he have registered? Is there an ‘Actor’ on the list of Awakened Ones?”
“I’ve checked already, but there wasn’t. He might not have registered yet…”
“Not possible. With such power, why would he become the government’s pawn? He can stand up to the world alone.”
“…Hmm.”
The Prime Minister darkly stared at the Selene on the projector and said,
“So, what should we do?”
The national defense would be futile against Calamities.
A chilling rumor from China reports that three 4-star Calamities torched an entire city.
Three 4-star Calamities killed hundreds of thousands of people. How terrifying would a 5-star Calamity be? If this Calamity were to turn Seoul into a sea of fire…
“We must train as many Awakened Ones as we can.”
Breaking the silence, one of the Awakened Ones, Jo Geon-wook, spoke.
He was an Awakened One who successfully defeated a 2-star Calamity, the Moss Hunter.
“I heard that in regions outside of Seoul, they haven’t cleared the Calamities that erupted yet. We should have the Awakened Ones eliminate them and grow strong enough to counter that witch.”
“…It makes sense. Let’s do it that way. I’ll work with local governments to make it happen.”
The meeting concluded for the time being.
Nevertheless, a few days later, they received shocking news from a local government.
“…What? Calamities? Who exterminated them all?”
“…Huh?”
Who exactly was it?
