Smurfing is Basic in a Dead Game (1)
The buzz about the nest's natural extinction and humanity's hope lasted barely a day before vanishing. The status window had issued a death sentence to the entire world.
[Time Remaining Until Next Rift Eruption: 42h]
In roughly two days, the second eruption would occur. People wouldn't be caught as defenseless as the first time, but the entire nation would still descend into chaos. Especially with refugees from the provinces flooding into major cities, the streets were now packed with crowds. It was a scene straight out of an apocalypse movie.
Right now, I faced two major problems. The first was the message floating on my phone screen.
[Unregistered Awakened individuals must report to a government office for registration by tomorrow.]
With the eruption approaching, the self-reporting period for Awakened had shrunk to just one day. That brought me to the second problem.
"Even if they tell me to report..."
Thanks to Selene's flashy debut, the notoriety of "Actor, Lord of the Abyss" had already spread nationwide. There was no way I could register as an Awakened under that name. Yet I couldn't exactly live disconnected from society without registering either. I was hiding in the Abyss for now, but I still had a home and a life to maintain.
"Guess I'll have to register under a fake identity after all."
That was the only solution I could think of. It was like creating a smurf account. But there was another issue. The strongest forces I could currently deploy were the Scorched Saint Selene and the Hellfire Watchdog. Both stood out far too much. The Hellfire Watchdog was the very disaster that had killed over a thousand people during the last eruption, and Selene's face was already public knowledge.
"Even with a disguise... it probably won't work."
I sighed as I looked at Selene. Her ash-gray hair and red eyes could be hidden somehow, but there was no covering the burn-scarred skin. A hijab wouldn't cut it either.
In the end, there was only one option.
"Elixir."
Just like in the game, using an Elixir would restore Selene's body to its original state. The problem was that an Elixir was a 4★ consumable item. Obtaining one now was like reaching for the stars.
"I'm sorry."
Had she sensed my dilemma? Selene spoke cautiously.
"I have once again made the body My Lord healed into something hideous."
Selene wore an expression of genuine anguish. It seemed returning to her initial state had been her own choice. Had she deliberately ruined her body again? I held my tongue, afraid that asking why would bring an answer I couldn't handle.
*
The district office was packed with people. Tents lined the streets, and refugees from nearby small towns queued for rations. During the war, everyone had fled south, but now they were all seeking refuge in Seoul—an ironic twist.
"Hey! Get in line properly!"
Someone shouted in my direction. I stood there blankly until a nearby civil servant approached and I spoke up quietly.
"Um, about Awakened registration..."
"Ah! An Awakened! Please follow me!"
The moment I uttered the word "Awakened," the surrounding gazes shifted to ones filled with envy. The civil servant led me to a private room and even offered me what looked like an expensive car. The generous hospitality stood in stark contrast to the people sleeping in tents outside. In this ruined world, the Awakened had become the new privileged class.
"Please fill out these forms. You can also note your controlled disasters and base upgrade status. Write down a contact number for emergencies as well. Do you have any ID?"
"Will a driver's license work?"
"That's fine."
The receptionist handling Awakened registrations handed me the documents with a businesslike expression. I filled them out without complaint. I wrote my name as Juyeon and listed my controlled disasters as one 2★ and four 1★.
"Oh my, you have a 2★ disaster? May I verify that?"
"I got lucky with a synthesis."
I manipulated my status window and summoned the 2★ disaster, the Stardust Golem—a reward from clearing the Cheonan nest last time.
"Impressive. Awakened with 2★ disasters receive separate support funds."
The receptionist pulled out another document with a look of having struck gold. Upon closer inspection, it resembled a contract.
"By the way, if you accept offers from other regions, it violates the Special Awakened Law. It's also called tempering. You could face up to life imprisonment for that..."
According to the receptionist, local governments outside the Seoul metropolitan area were desperate for Awakened to protect their cities and were offering huge sums to poach them from other regions. The old joke about the "Republic of Seoul" had become reality.
"Understood. Awakened Juyeon-nim, the registration process is complete. Here's your Awakened registration certificate. Please memorize this number as well. If there's a summons, you must arrive at the designated location within one hour."
"A summons?"
"To protect the citizens, of course."
The receptionist handed over a detailed summons notice and explained further—from the legal penalties for ignoring a summons to maintaining the dignity of the Awakened. I responded half-heartedly and finished the paperwork.
As I stepped outside the community center, I heard shouting. Refugees were arguing, apparently over someone cutting in line or stealing ration tickets amid the chaos. The harsh reality hit me, and I quickened my pace.
Selene was waiting outside. With her hood pulled low to conceal her identity, she somehow looked oddly cute.
"Have you finished your business?"
"Yeah. Showing them this made things go smoothly."
I showed her the 2★ Stardust Golem nestled in my arms. Despite its name, it was adorably small. Even so, it was a disaster capable of easily crushing dozens of people.
[Kkiiing....]
"Selene, what's wrong? You're scaring it."
"...It's nothing."
At some point, Selene had started glaring at the golem. When I chided her, she finally looked away. For a brief moment, I caught her clicking her tongue.
"Anyway, tomorrow during the eruption, I'll have to step up as an Awakened too."
According to the civil servant, Awakened were expected to clear disasters outside the shelters to protect the citizens inside. However, I couldn't bring Selene or the Hellfire Watchdog to the next eruption. They were far too conspicuous.
"So tomorrow, I'll be fighting with this Stardust Golem."
"It will be dangerous."
"If things get really bad—if it looks like I'm going to die—then you can help."
"I will remain nearby."
Selene nodded reluctantly. Even so, there would likely be almost no situation where she needed to intervene directly. The second eruption would mostly consist of 1★ and 2★ disasters, with 3★ ones appearing only rarely. Nothing major would happen, right? I held onto that optimistic hope.
Yet Selene seemed to be preparing for the worst as she spoke cautiously.
"May I offer one piece of advice?"
"What is it?"
"If any disaster other than myself approaches My Lord, you must never accept them."
I frowned, not understanding. Selene slowly shifted her gaze. Whether by coincidence or not, her eyes landed on the massive tower rising in Yeouido.
*
A towering spire. A woman with jet-black hair and deep blue eyes—Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea—sat on the top-floor terrace, gazing downward. In her hand was a smartphone.
Since arriving in this dimension about a month ago, Mirien had spent time mastering the new culture. Now proficient with the device called a smartphone, she skillfully activated it and played a video.
The image showed her former comrade Selene wielding the Wedge Sword of Hellfire. She spoke in a dry, emotionless tone.
"The only lord I have is the Ruler, Actor. That is all."
"...That bitch."
Mirien muttered a curse and gripped the phone tightly. The device cracked under the pressure, but she paid it no mind—she could simply restore it with magic. Her attention was fixed solely on Selene standing below the tower and the Ruler of the Rift beside her.
"Trying to monopolize the Ruler?"
That harlot wouldn't have said such a thing without reason. It was a message—a declaration of war sent to her former comrades scattered across dimensions. Selene was more than capable of it. A beast filled with ash and lye inside. A harlot who should have died at the stake had survived thanks to the Ruler's favor.
Mirien found it utterly infuriating.
"...How dare she, how dare she..."
She wanted nothing more than to unleash grand magic and overturn the very ground Selene stood upon. But she couldn't. A Ruler in human form lived openly on this land. And though Mirien had been cast aside, she still harbored feelings for the Ruler. It was similar to Selene's fanatical loyalty, yet somehow different.
"...He was supposed to be mine alone..."
What Mirien felt for him was undeniably romantic love. The mage who had dreamed of defying the heavens had fallen for a mere human.
"...I must protect him."
Her obsession with magic, once feared even by gods, had transformed into a protective instinct.
"I must prove... who is more useful to the Ruler."
This would soon become the spark of ruin.