The Continent's Upheaval (1)
“Absolutely not! How can two S-class Awakened leave Korea all at once?!”
The government officials freaked out, as expected.
These two were the core of Seoul's defense.
Sending them abroad—especially to China, where the rumors were growing uglier by the day—was reason enough to object.
But.
“Does the government even have the authority to control Awakened? Isn't that all handled by the Association?”
The groundwork was already laid.
With the Awakened Special Act repealed, they had no leverage over us anymore.
In the end, all they could do was plead.
“Even so, if anything happens to Korea's pride and joy in China, the nation itself will be in peril. Please, make this choice for the sake of the country…”
“Nothing's gonna happen. Don't worry about it. We'll be back before the next Rift Eruption starts.”
I'd planned the trip for about a week.
With Mirien's tracking magic, finding Karne wouldn't be too hard.
“Besides, if the country shakes just because two people are gone, is it even a country worth calling one? And after the last eruption, what did the nation do for the Awakened? You saw us handle it on our own without any casualties.”
“Uh, errm…”
The government rep couldn't muster a rebuttal to my jab.
Yu Junseo glanced back and forth between me and the guy, then scratched his head with an awkward smile.
“Nam Juyeon, that was supposed to be my line…”
“Does it matter?”
I picked up the receiver.
Before heading to China with Yu Junseo, there was one more person to bring along.
Finding him was easy.
Kang Se-na had already tracked his location.
Moments later, I grinned at the man dragged in like a criminal.
“Wh-why are you taking me?!”
“Because you know China better than anyone.”
China scout, nickname Lao Ying.
He'd be our guide and interpreter.
“I needed someone who knows the situation inside out. That's you, right?”
“Th-that's…”
Lao Ying nodded reluctantly.
And so, the three of us boarded the chartered plane.
I wanted to bring Selene and Mirien too, but with eyes on us, I'd summon them once we hit mainland China.
“But Nam Juyeon, you think the government will just sit still? What if they shoot us down with a surface-to-air missile or something…”
Yu Junseo looked anxious.
“That won't happen.”
The government wouldn't pull something that bold.
It wasn't just me on board—I'd brought safety net Yu Junseo.
As I said earlier, they weren't stupid enough to kill off the two S-class keys to Seoul's defense just to cling to power.
Plus, I had 5★ defensive gear on me, and Mirien and Selene were watching like hawks for any surprises.
No chance of dying.
“You know this is my first time on a plane?”
“Didn't know. Don't particularly care.”
“Uh, ugh. Sorry.”
The plane took off.
As we chatted idly with Yu Junseo, I turned to Lao Ying.
With two S-class right in front of him, he shrank like a mouse before a cat.
“So, scout.”
“Y-yes! Yes, sir!”
“What's the current situation in China? Much different from what we heard a few weeks ago?”
Lao Ying scratched his head awkwardly before speaking.
“Truth is, we can't even compile detailed reports anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“A directive came down from the Party a week ago. Each of the 22 provinces is on their own to survive…”
“...It's the Warring States all over again.”
“Yes. Pretty much. The Awakened Alliance managing them is half-defunct now. Most Awakened have fled to the provinces, except a few loyalists. Some even escaped to India, Russia, or Mongolia.”
“China's that bad off?”
“With the population density, the eruptions from the rifts are massive. The crow disasters have spiked too—half of Hebei Province has fallen to them. No single nation can hold it back anymore.”
“Huh.”
The Mother of Ill Omens, Karne—the cataclysmic disaster I'd released—was tearing China apart proper.
21st-century Taiping Rebellion, basically.
“Nam Juyeon, we're chasing the Abyss's master, Actor, right? So all this chaos in China is Actor's doing too?”
Yu Junseo, who'd been listening, chimed in.
I gave a wry smile.
“Yeah, well. Not a wrong guess.”
Sharp deduction, actually.
Where black wings passed, no living soul remained.
It was always thus in the wake of the Mother of Ill Omens, Karne.
The ground reeked of decay, rivers of fresh blood converging to birth her kin.
“My children. Let us dye the world in our feathers.”
The Mother of Ill Omens smiled faintly, fingers brushing her veiled lips.
She'd long abandoned lingering regrets.
Karne wasn't so steadfast as to cling to severed ties.
“Mother of Life,” “Mother of All”—those titles had become jokes long ago.
Even her final sanctuary, Actor, had cast her aside.
All that remained was the instinct for ruin.
“…”
—It was then.
A fleeting sensation—strange yet familiar—brushed from somewhere.
Faint, minuscule, but unmistakable.
Karne possessed the sharpest senses among all cataclysms.
Her golden eyes narrowed coldly.
Her slit pupils fixed eastward.
“Actor, my child. You've finally come for your mother.”
Her voice was low and soft, laced with irrepressible emotion.
She'd expected him eventually.
But not this soon.
“Intriguing.”
This land was steeped in death.
No one dared approach.
Even spreading the curse of ill omens was to bar Actor's path.
Yet here he came—that tiresome child of hers—seeking her out.
“...Actor.”
Not fully within reach yet, but soon to meet.
Her former master, now mere mortal.
Karne's lips curved slowly upward.
She licked them, raising a hand.
Her huddled raven swarm took flight.
With keen interest, she murmured softly.
“Very well. Let's hear your tale.”
Crimson-black aura coiled from her fingertips.
Karne had no patience to wait.
She'd go to him herself.
And her bare feet turned lightly eastward.
The flight itself didn't take long.
We landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport—no, wait, Shanghai Pudong.
Stepping off the charter, we were hit with the chaotic vibe immediately.
“Was China always this deserted?”
“The airport's been closed for two months now. You're basically the only passengers, aside from cargo flights.”
“Watch your words. It's three, counting me.”
Lao Ying's face crumpled.
He looked desperate to slip away.
I grabbed his shaggy nape and headed toward the welcoming crowd.
Before I could speak, a man stepped forward from the group.
I could tell right away—he was Awakened.
“...That guy's an S-class?”
“Yes... Recently promoted. Codename: Leihu.”
“Leihu, huh. Don't like the look of him.”
I scowled.
Leihu had that full-on thug vibe.
Cropped hair, square jaw, bushy beard.
Phrenology's real—I've seen it.
Nailgun from the first eruption, Han Taekeon from the second, Jeon Tae-min in Daejeon.
I prepped to summon the Rock Crusher via my status window.
Yu Junseo tensed up too.
Leihu arrived before us and started talking.
Couldn't understand the cursed Chinese, but his heated tone and strong accent screamed hostility.
“Hey, what the hell's that stinky bastard saying?”
I smacked Lao Ying's head, demanding a translation.
He glanced at us nervously, then asked cautiously.
“Should I translate it straight?”
“Of course straight. What, you planning to paraphrase?”
“Ah, haha.”
Lao Ying gave an awkward smile and relayed it verbatim.
“I said no paraphrasing.”
“N-no! That's exactly what he said!”
Lao Ying protested desperately.
I furrowed my brow at Leihu.
He offered a handshake with a faint smile, saying something else.
The translation:
Leihu's eyes brimmed with respect for us.
“...Huh.”
He was polite.