The Mother of Ill Omens
The Alliance summoned us before the sun even rose the next day. When we rushed to the Alliance headquarters, the place was packed with Awakened and staff—nothing like the quiet from yesterday. It looked like even the off-duty personnel had been called in. They were bustling about moving supplies, their faces etched with tension.
I approached Leihu, the Alliance leader, who was calmly issuing orders at the center of the chaos.
“What’s going on?”
“The Second Shelter fell at dawn.”
“Shelter?”
“…A refugee shelter.”
Leihu explained with a grim expression, and Lao Ying, who seemed to already know the details, gave a bitter smile as he translated. I had already heard most of the story from Mirien last night. Only Yu Junseo frowned and tilted his head in confusion.
“The refugee shelter fell? To whom?”
“Who else? Disasters.”
“…Isn’t that dangerous?”
Of course it was dangerous. The collapse of the Second Refugee Shelter—essentially a human bait tower—meant the disasters had begun their full-scale movement. Disasters never moved of their own accord. Unless deliberately provoked, they stayed put, built nests, and expanded their territory into dungeons. Only after dungeons formed did disasters erupt, and even then the numbers were never that high. In other words, mass migrations like today’s were almost unheard of.
Almost… but not entirely.
5★ Storm of the North Sea Mirien has cast the skill 「Eye of the Storm」!
Beep!
5★ Storm of the North Sea Mirien is observing 5★ Mother of Ill Omens Karne!
5★ Storm of the North Sea Mirien has detected the skill 「Mother’s Call」!
Status windows kept popping up one after another. As expected, the Mother of Ill Omens Karne had begun her full-scale invasion. Selene had said it herself—Karne could have taken Beijing if she wanted. Yet she only moved the day after I arrived in China. That meant…
She was waiting for me.
I didn’t believe in coincidences. Karne possessed tracking skills superior even to Mirien’s. The moment I set foot on Chinese soil, she must have already been following my trail.
Without meaning to, I’ve become the spark that dooms China…
From what I’d heard, the country would have fallen to disasters eventually anyway, but there was no denying my actions had hastened its end. I couldn’t escape responsibility. Guilt stirred in my chest.
But now wasn’t the time for that. I forced the thought down and tapped Lao Ying on the back.
“Ask Leihu what he plans to do from here.”
Lao Ying relayed the question. Instead of answering, Leihu turned his head westward with a resolute expression. Lao Ying shrugged.
“That’s his answer.”
It meant they would fight with everything they had.
“From now on, every Awakened affiliated with the Alliance will head to the First Refugee Shelter. The disasters will definitely target the shelters. Setting up a defensive line there will be far more efficient than defending Beijing itself.”
Lao Ying went on to outline the operation. Leihu looked at me and Yu Junseo with a hint of expectation. Different nationalities, but both S-class Awakened. He seemed to need our help.
“…Guess we don’t have a choice.”
Whether Leihu asked or not, I had already planned to head west with the Alliance. The Mother of Ill Omens Karne was a disaster I had unleashed. Cleaning up after her was my responsibility.
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Excuse me?”
Lao Ying’s eyes widened at my sudden declaration. He had clearly assumed I would abandon tracking Actor and return home. Yu Junseo looked just as shocked.
“Nam Juyeon, this isn’t right. Whether these Chinese people live or die isn’t our problem. The disasters won’t cross the sea. Even if they did, our country’s small enough to defend easily…”
“…You’re not wrong.”
The problem was that I wasn’t entirely blameless for their deaths. Karne had started moving to find me, and coincidentally, her location was right here in Beijing. But I couldn’t tell them the truth. I offered a convenient excuse instead.
“I can’t just turn away when countless lives are in danger right in front of me. Let’s do what we can.”
Lao Ying didn’t bother translating, but the meaning seemed to get across from the atmosphere alone. Every Awakened inside the headquarters turned to look at me at once. Even those who had regarded me coldly yesterday as “the Korean Awakened” now stared with admiration, as if looking at a hero.
“…”
I wished they wouldn’t look at me like that. It made me feel like a villain.
*
‘Shit. Shit, shit.’
Sitting alone in the back seat of the van, Yu Junseo cursed inwardly. How had things come to this? Nothing was going according to plan. This whole trip to China had been Nam Juyeon’s arbitrary decision from the start. Yu Junseo had followed along, thinking Nam Juyeon was finally treating him as a fellow S-class. But what the hell was this situation now?
“We’ll arrive soon. The crow army is about seventy kilometers from the shelter.”
An Awakened who looked like he had Chinese ancestry briefed Yu Junseo. He didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to face the reality bearing down on him.
Defending against eruptions in Korea was one thing. China’s crisis was on an entirely different scale. The estimated number of disasters alone reached tens of thousands. Among them were three 4★ disasters. Meanwhile, the Chinese Awakened Alliance, even if they scraped together every last member, numbered fewer than a thousand. That meant each person would have to take down at least ten disasters. It was suicide.
‘Nam Juyeon, that bastard…’
Yu Junseo scowled and mentally cursed the man riding in the car behind him. He couldn’t understand Nam Juyeon at all. During the tower raid, he had acted like a hero. But just weeks later, he was blackmailing the government and doing whatever he pleased. Sometimes heroic, sometimes villainous—Yu Junseo had no idea what rhythm Nam Juyeon was marching to.
One thing, however, was certain.
‘In the end, everything he does works out.’
Even if Nam Juyeon’s actions seemed reckless at first glance, they always produced the best results. So maybe his decision to help the Chinese Alliance wasn’t just pointless meddling—maybe he had some scheme in mind.
‘I don’t know. For now, I just need to stick close to that guy.’
There was only one way forward. Yu Junseo resolved to latch onto Nam Juyeon like a parasite. Better to be a well-fed mosquito than a starving butterfly.
Just as he was steeling himself, the road began to rumble.
Kugugu.
The Awakened in the passenger seat spoke into his radio, then turned pale.
“W-what’s happening?”
“Well… the S-class Awakened traveling with us suddenly jumped out of the moving car and flew off riding a dragon…”
“…What?”
Yu Junseo frantically stuck his head out the window. The Storm Dragon Tempestra was gliding through the air with its massive wings spread wide.
“…That crazy bastard, don’t tell me…”
Was he running away? Leaving him behind?
“…”
Yu Junseo felt his chronic condition flare up.
*
4★ Storm Dragon Tempestra has cast the skill 「Flight」!
Flying through a sky choked with fine dust felt distinctly unpleasant. The one silver lining was that I had already ridden the Storm Dragon’s back during Mirien’s rampage. Instead of panicking, I gripped Tempestra’s scales tightly with my left hand and operated the status window with my right.
Summoning 5★ Scorched Saint Selene.
“My Lord, did you call for me?”
“You can see the situation, right? We’re heading straight for Karne at full speed. If any disasters decide we’re enemies and attack, intercept them.”
“…Isn’t charging into enemy lines alone still dangerous?”
“It’ll be dangerous, obviously.”
But I didn’t have time to leisurely drive with the Alliance members. Even now, Karne’s minions were marching toward the human bait tower. I had to get there first and resolve things to minimize unnecessary casualties.
Yet my altruistic reasoning didn’t seem to sit well with Selene.
“This humble one cannot understand why My Lord would care for such lowly creatures. However… since it is My Lord’s command, I will obey without question, even at the cost of my life.”
Selene raised the Wedge Sword of Hellfire. The flames clinging to the blade ignited with golden light, resonating with her Stigma of the Holy Flame. Before long, the sky ahead darkened with the army of ill omens.
5★ Storm of the North Sea Mirien is observing you.
From several kilometers above, Mirien was watching the situation through magic. Even if those ill omens attacked, we wouldn’t be in danger unless Karne herself came.
The remnants of 2★ Ill Omen scatter.
Yet despite all our preparations, Karne’s army didn’t attack us. Instead, the disasters split to either side of Tempestra’s path, clearing the way. It was like the miracle of Moses—almost as if a black sea were parting.
“Looks like Karne wants to meet me too.”
“…My Lord, please do not leave my side.”
The Storm Dragon Tempestra slowed its speed, while Selene kept the Wedge Sword of Hellfire drawn, ready to fight at any moment. We flew along the path lined with crows for some time.
5★ Mother of Ill Omens Karne is observing you!
“Actor.”
“…”
“You’ve had a long journey. Well done.”
At last, I stood face to face with the third 5★ disaster I had abandoned—the Mother of Ill Omens, Karne. She hovered silently in the air, a faint smile playing on her lips.
“…My child. This wretched and insignificant mother has so much she wishes to say to you.”
At the very least, the emotion Karne held toward me right now was not goodwill.
5★ Mother of Ill Omens Karne has cast the skill 「Pitch-Black Colony」!
The pair of wings at her waist began to shine even darker.