The Tower's Misunderstanding
Yeouido's tower was swarming with people. The crowd was so chaotic that even the police officers on site could only stomp their feet in frustration, unable to control the masses. I'd contacted Yu Junseo to slip in quietly, but somehow word had spread. News articles were already popping up.
"Everything's fine and all, but how about we think this through one more time?" Director Yu Junseo said, his face etched with obvious anxiety.
"That's where a 5-star disaster is. The one they call the Unbeatable Storm or Typhoon or whatever. You've seen her before. The Scorched Saint Selene. Actor's minion. You saw the video where that guy's sword swing killed a 4-star disaster, right?"
"Of course I did."
"Yeah. I was there. That's when I realized it. 5-star disasters are on another level entirely. Humanity right now can't beat them."
"So?"
"What do you mean, 'so'? If you go in there and die, we're screwed! Who's going to protect Seoul if the Dragon King of the Korean Peninsula bites the dust?"
Why had that ridiculous title "Dragon King of the Korean Peninsula" become official? My expression soured naturally. Yu Junseo patted my shoulder and tried again.
"Let's head back, gather more strength, and think about it then."
"And if the tower erupts while we're doing that?"
Yu Junseo tilted his head at my question.
"Well, we can just stop it when it erupts."
Fair enough. That was the correct call. No Awakened in their right mind would willingly enter a dungeon harboring a 5-star disaster. Except me.
"I'm going in anyway."
"You didn't hear a word I said? Nam Juyeon, this is literally suicide!"
"What's it to you?"
Unlike Yu Junseo's concerns, I wasn't entering the tower to conquer it. I was going to meet Mirien and catch up on everything. In other words… this was just a conversation.
"Haa… Nam Juyeon, can't you spare the Management Bureau's reputation just this once? If our S-class Awakened goes into the tower and dies, how much trouble do you think that'll cause?"
Of course, I couldn't explain the real situation to them. After thinking hard, I came up with a decent excuse.
"Director."
"Uh, yeah?"
When I suddenly put on a solemn expression, Yu Junseo looked flustered. I ignored it and spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear.
"It's too late once that tower erupts. Countless citizens will die. There's a potential catastrophe right in the middle of Seoul, and I can't just stand by and watch. No matter the sacrifice, I'll eliminate that latent threat."
The moment I finished, thunderous cheers and applause erupted from the crowd gathered around the tower. Some Awakened and police officers even placed hands over their chests with moved expressions.
"…"
At that point, even Yu Junseo couldn't stop me anymore. What could I say… it was the biggest lie I'd ever told in my life. A twinge of guilt started to rise when—
"…If that's the case, I'm going too."
Apparently, Yu Junseo was moved as well.
"Nam Juyeon, this Director Yu Junseo will accompany you on the subjugation."
"…"
Director Yu Junseo had declared he would join me.
Subjugate the dungeon's master and claim ownership.
The sensation was even more unpleasant than when I'd entered the Storm Dragon's Nest. It felt like my entire body was being soaked in sticky tar. The air inside the dungeon was musty. A chime rang out.
When I'd entered the Abyss, the message had told me to evacuate immediately. This time it didn't. Probably because I now possessed a 5-star disaster. Yu Junseo's situation was different, of course. He stared blankly into the air before turning to me.
"…Did you see that message too? It says to run away quick. Can't we just leave?"
Director Yu Junseo was accompanying me right now. Thanks to that, some pointless article about the dramatic cooperation between the Flame King and the Dragon King followed our tower conquest. But Yu Junseo didn't seem particularly interested in conquering the tower. He cared less about the noble goal of liberating Seoul and more about hating how all the spotlight was on me. Whether that made him a small-minded person or a great one for mustering courage anyway, as Jo Geon-uk had said, Yu Junseo was an easy man to read.
"Nam Juyeon, the air in here is filthy. But it's the perfect place for that bitch to live."
Yu Junseo summoned two 3-star disasters and ordered them to scout, only to receive reports that there was nothing. "The inside is pretty clean, though?"
"…Could you please just shut up?"
I had no idea how many flags he was planting by himself. In any case, Director Yu Junseo's presence was completely useless in this situation. He was an A-class Awakened with four 3-star disasters, but that meant nothing against Mirien. I hadn't come here to fight in the first place. I needed to shake off this cumbersome director somehow, and with my dull brain, this was the only method I could think of.
Boom! With a thunderous noise, the Hellfire Watchdog appeared in midair and glared at Yu Junseo.
"…Shit! That damn mutt!"
At the same time, Yu Junseo quickly assessed the situation. Of course, he never dreamed the Hellfire Watchdog was a disaster I controlled, so he jumped to conclusions.
"Th-this is Actor's dungeon! We have to run!"
Yu Junseo spun around and started backing away, putting me in front of him. So when things got dangerous, he planned to throw me away and flee. Not bad. In fact, it was convenient if he acted that way.
I summoned the Storm Dragon and prepared for combat. Yu Junseo panicked, glancing back and forth between the Hellfire Watchdog and me. He was probably thinking this matchup was doable. But I had no intention of giving him a choice.
Suddenly, the Scorched Saint emerged from the abyss floating in midair. A great disaster clad in dark red flames. The moment he saw her, Yu Junseo's hands went limp and dropped whatever he was holding.
"…Ah."
Yu Junseo let out a low groan, then—
"Aaaaaah! I told you not to come in!"
He immediately turned tail and ran. Abandoning even his companion as he fled—how predictable. When he reached the tower entrance, Yu Junseo tripped over his own feet and started crawling on all fours. But some last shred of conscience remained; before exiting, he turned his head to look at me. I delivered the line I'd prepared.
"I'll buy you time, so run!"
When I shouted with a desperate expression, Yu Junseo pressed his lips together, nodded vigorously, and bolted out of the tower. For a defeated soldier, he looked far too solemn. Once Yu Junseo had completely left the tower, I relaxed my body. I recalled the Storm Dragon and Hellfire Watchdog as well.
"Whew. The uninvited guest is gone."
"My Lord, if I may be so bold, there could not have been a better place to kill that man."
Selene was spouting nonsense.
"No, we can't kill him. If I come out of here unscathed while he doesn't, what will people think? Especially with someone like Jo Geon-uk already suspicious of me."
"Then we should kill that Jo Geon-uk fellow as well, should we not?"
"Selene, shut up."
"My apologies."
I looked up. The tower was built like a hollow cylinder, with a spiral staircase stretching all the way to the sky. It was quite impressive.
"How long is this going to take to climb?"
I sighed and started ascending the spiral staircase. The tower was so tall that the stairs were endless.
"Forgive me, but would it be permissible for me to carry My Lord up the stairs?"
Selene asked carefully, but I refused. Being carried up the stairs in her arms would feel like taking a step down as a human being, as a man.
"It's fine. It's good exercise."
After about an hour of quietly climbing, I couldn't help but let my mind wander. By now, Director Yu Junseo was probably explaining the situation outside. They wouldn't attempt to re-enter the dungeon. Not after learning this tower was a demonic realm harboring two 5-star disasters. So what would happen to me? Should I prepare an excuse in advance? While I was thinking that, Selene suddenly spoke up.
"My Lord, there is one thing that concerns me."
"What is it."
"The Storm of the North Sea, Mirien, is a woman with… rather severe persecution delusions."
"…Huh?"
"And… her hearing is sharper than anyone else's."
Selene frowned as she looked up toward the top of the tower. She seemed to have a lot she wanted to say but was holding back because she was in front of me.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"It is that each and every one of My Lord's actions… could be interpreted quite differently by Mirien."
Only after hearing Selene's words did I feel something was off. While we were having that conversation, we arrived at the top floor of the tower. The door was wide open. At the end of a long corridor, a woman with a similarly slender build sat on a small chair. The Storm of the North Sea, Mirien. The one I'd only seen in the game was now real, standing before my eyes.
"…Haa."
Meanwhile, Selene let out a quiet sigh, as if she'd guessed something.
"…"
Hearing that sigh, perhaps, the great disaster sitting alone on the chair—the Storm of the North Sea, Mirien—lifted her bowed head. Through her jet-black hair that reached her shoulders, her blue eyes held no vitality. Mirien was a cold-looking beauty, but her face was filled only with despair. Disheveled hair, smeared eye makeup. With a haggard expression, Mirien parted her lips.
"Actor, why are you trying to kill me?"
"…"
Only then did I finally understand what Selene had been trying to tell me.