Alt Farming is Basic in Trash Games (2)
A Rift is Erupting.
During a Rift Eruption, you can collect various Disasters.
Defeat the Disasters and dominate them. Dominated Disasters will serve as loyal minions to strengthen your base.
The Eruption will end in 6h.
The second Rift Eruption had begun. Unlike the first, this one came with a timely system in place and appropriate countermeasures followed. The Awakened were assigned to teams based on their residence and individual strength. They took charge of their respective districts, while military Awakened positioned themselves on rooftops with heavy weaponry.
“Haa.”
Han Taegun had also awakened during this opportunity and had been summoned by the government. The area assigned to his team wasn’t particularly large, and there were no powerful Disasters. Most were just 1★ Pyramid Imps.
“I need something stronger.”
Han Taegun frowned as he looked at his own Disaster, the 1★ Rock Janitor. He’d heard the Awakened Management Bureau would soon introduce a ranking system. A-rank Hunters, S-rank Hunters, and so on. The forces he could currently command were nothing but 1★ Disasters. At best, that made him C-rank. Even generously, he was only B-rank.
Han Taegun was ambitious. He’d planned to hunt at least a 2★ Disaster during this eruption and show off, but at this rate he’d end up as nothing more than cannon fodder.
‘…Even that bastard has a 2★.’
Perhaps it was because of that urgency that Han Taegun began to feel inferior to another Awakened in his team. Nam Juyeon, if he remembered correctly. When he first saw him, he’d snorted. The guy looked frail, like he’d never properly used his body before. He was probably just some nobody who got lucky and awakened with nothing but a small fry Disaster.
But the moment the eruption started, that man became the protagonist.
[2★ Starlight Dust Golem swings its fist.]
BOOM!
Despite his clumsy appearance, the man possessed a 2★ Disaster. The Starlight Dust Golem crushed a 1★ Broken Crystal Spider in an instant.
[2★ Starlight Dust Golem has defeated 1★ Broken Crystal Spider!]
[Reward: 1 Exp]
The Starlight Dust Golem displayed power on an entirely different level from Han Taegun’s Disaster and racked up achievements one after another. Even the Awakened who had initially looked at Nam Juyeon with disdain began crowding around him the moment they saw his 2★ Disaster.
“Nam Juyeon-ssi. Wow, 2★ Disasters really are strong. I’m jealous. How did you get it?”
“Ah… well… I tried synthesizing and got lucky.”
“…”
The sight of him bragging after pulling a 2★ Disaster through synthesis was infuriating. Inferiority quickly turned into hatred.
‘Wait, if I backstab that bastard, won’t that Golem become mine?’
He’d heard it from some shady group not long ago. Even killing another Awakened was treated as part of this world’s system. When two Awakened fought and one died, the victor obtained the loser’s Disasters and experience points. They called it PK.
If he killed that rookie, Han Taegun could obtain a 2★ Disaster.
‘…I can do this.’
It wasn’t even that difficult. Han Taegun had a burly physique, while Nam Juyeon wasn’t particularly large. The 2★ Disaster was intimidating, but if he could find an opening and smash the back of his head with a brick, he could kill him. First, he needed to separate him from the others so there would be no witnesses.
With malice in his heart, Han Taegun approached Nam Juyeon wearing the most harmless smile he could muster.
“Juyeon-ssi, there seem to be Disasters in that alley over there. Shall we go?”
“…Huh? What about the others…”
“They went to clear the Disasters on the main road. There are soldiers there too, so it shouldn’t be dangerous. Come on, let’s go.”
Convinced by Han Taegun’s reasonable explanation, Nam Juyeon reluctantly nodded. As he led him into the alley, Han Taegun licked his lips in secret.
“You said there are Disasters here?”
“Yes. I confirmed it earlier. See that corner? I heard they’re just beyond it.”
“Hmm.”
The guy was more cautious than he looked. As Han Taegun tried to persuade the hesitant Nam Juyeon, he strode ahead and turned the corner first. He picked up a large rock from the alley entrance. Then he shouted in an urgent voice.
“Aaaagh! Over here! There’s a Disaster here! Help me!”
“Han Taegun-ssi?!”
He heard Nam Juyeon rushing over in a panic. Han Taegun grinned from ear to ear and raised both hands high. It was simple. The moment the guy appeared, he just had to smash his skull.
Nam Juyeon finally showed himself. Han Taegun swung the rock with all his might, but for some reason his arms wouldn’t move. More precisely, he couldn’t feel them at all.
‘Huh?’
Han Taegun soon felt a searing heat below both elbows. When he looked down, he saw his arms cleanly severed.
“…Hrk, hrgh. B-blood…”
Han Taegun recoiled in horror. But that was a mistake. Something touched his back. It wasn’t a wall.
[4★ Tempest Dragon Tempestora is watching you.]
Before he knew it, a massive wyvern-shaped dragon had filled the entire alley.
“W-when did…”
Han Taegun couldn’t comprehend what was happening before his eyes. And he didn’t need to.
[4★ Tempest Dragon Tempestora bites down.]
The massive wyvern tore into Han Taegun’s upper body. Without arms, he couldn’t even resist as his body was ripped in half and he died.
*
CRUNCH!
The nameless Awakened became a corpse with only his lower half remaining. He didn’t feel particularly sorry for him. The guy had been acting suspicious, hiding around the corner with a rock. He must have been after my Disaster. They say physiognomy is science. He got what he deserved.
But that wasn’t the current problem.
[4★ Tempest Dragon Tempestora is watching you.]
Tempest Dragon Tempestora. A 4★ Disaster with the Sky attribute. Unlike the Hellfire Watchdog that was treated as garbage, this one had solid performance and was considered an excellent all-rounder even among lightning-attribute Disasters.
“Shit.”
I quickly backed away. Why the hell was that thing here? A 4★ Disaster had appeared in this eruption too. It made no sense. I hurriedly opened my status window to swap out the Starlight Dust Golem for the Hellfire Watchdog.
[4★ Tempest Dragon Tempestora retreats.]
Instead of showing hostility toward me, Tempestora slowly backed away before leaping into the air. With a powerful flap of its wings, it soared into the sky, heading straight for Yeouido and the tall tower there.
“Are you alright?”
Selene, who had been hiding in the veil, appeared beside me. I pointed at the corpse that was now only a lower half.
“…Selene, was that you?”
“No. I only severed his arms. You instructed me to refrain from killing, so I merely followed your words.”
“Then that Tempest Dragon…”
“It was not under my command.”
“Did it run because it was afraid of you?”
“No. I observed the situation. It seems it had eaten its fill.”
Selene said something ridiculous. There was no way that giant wyvern would be satisfied after eating just one upper body. I narrowed my eyes and stared at Selene. When our gazes met, she pressed her lips together as if she had something to hide. Her cheeks puffed up cutely, but I ignored it and spoke.
“Selene, was this Mirien’s doing?”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“It appears so.”
Selene answered reluctantly. She glared at the tower with clear displeasure.
“That magic brat seems to be targeting your life, my lord. If you give the order, I will bring back that witch’s head immediately. Please permit the expedition.”
Selene burned with fighting spirit. However, the Tempest Dragon hadn’t recognized me as an enemy. Instead, it had killed the Awakened who tried to attack me from behind and left without a care. What that meant was simple.
“Selene, that’s not it. Mirien is…”
Just as I was about to explain the situation to Selene, she suddenly retreated and grabbed at the air.
[5★ Scorched Saint Selene uses the skill 「Ashen Veil」.]
“Hey! Be careful! There’s a 4★ Disaster here…!”
A man with a short sports haircut got off his motorcycle and came running. He approached while panting, then frowned when he saw the lower half of the Awakened lying in the middle of the alley.
“I received a report that a giant bird flew away from here. They said it was a 4★ Disaster. Are you a witness?”
“…It seems so.”
“What about this corpse?”
“The thing killed him and left. I survived because I was hiding.”
The man frowned. A name tag from the Management Bureau was pinned to his chest, with the three characters “Jo Geon-uk” written on it.
[2★ Moss Hunter uses the skill 「Forest Whisper」.]
Jo Geon-uk summoned his Disaster. The 2★ Moss Hunter used its detection skill to thoroughly search the surroundings. Fortunately, it failed to find Selene. A 5★ Disaster’s concealment skill couldn’t be detected by something as low as a 2★ detection skill.
“…Right. It’s unfortunate about this Awakened, but I’m glad you survived. What’s your name?”
Jo Geon-uk asked for my name, and I answered casually.
“Nam Juyeon.”
“I see. Nam Juyeon. Nam Ju…yeon?”
However, Jo Geon-uk narrowed his eyes as if he had remembered something. At that moment, the Moss Hunter, having finished its search, brought back two arms. The arms of the man that Selene had cleanly severed with her divine swordsmanship. The cross-sections were as smooth as if they had been cut by a machine.
The scene was suspicious no matter how you looked at it. A strange atmosphere began to flow.
“Would you mind coming with me for a moment?”
“…Yes.”
I nodded obediently.