The Scorched Saint Selene (1)
The Daejeon Awakened Clan had grown far larger than the last time I visited. Where once only a few blocks around the government complex had been under their control, their influence now stretched across several kilometers. When I asked about it, the Awakened who had guided me before gave a wry smile.
“The entire Chungcheong region is our territory now. We used to share Sejong with another clan, but during the last Rift Eruption their entire force was wiped out. The civilians and Awakened who survived fled here to Daejeon, so our numbers had no choice but to swell.”
“Sejong City?”
“Yes. Eight 3★ disasters appeared all at once. That was the end of it.”
It was the first I had heard of Sejong’s annihilation. Not only because I had been in China; news from the provinces rarely reached Seoul. The government was almost certainly keeping the media on a tight leash. Without realizing it, Korea had drifted close to a feudal state.
“Well, we’re not complaining. The bigger the clan, the better. Whether it’s fortune or misfortune, the nest that formed in Sejong has become a popular hunting ground, so we should be able to handle the next eruption without too much trouble.”
“Hmm.”
“Ah, here we are.”
When we arrived at the former Government Daejeon Complex—now the clan headquarters—an elevator to the top floor was already waiting, as though everything had been arranged in advance.
“Ah! Hyung-nim!”
The moment I flung open the door to what looked like an office, Clan Leader Jeon Tae-min greeted me with an obsequious smile.
“Drop the ‘hyung-nim’ already. When did I ever become your older brother?”
He was clearly older than me.
“…Uh, then… Boss…?”
“Just call me Nam Juyeon.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Jeon Tae-min’s eyes darted around nervously. His gaze kept flicking to the space behind me, as if worried the disaster from last time might appear again. I saw no need to inform him that Mirien had not accompanied me. A healthy dose of fear was useful for keeping conversations smooth.
“So? The item?”
“Ah! Right here.”
Jeon Tae-min hurriedly opened his interface and pulled an Elixir from his inventory.
Rarity: 4★ Consumable
Effect: Fully restores HP, removes all status ailments and debuffs, revives incapacitated allies at full strength, and restores skill uses.
“We gathered every piece of equipment our members had. We even melted down everything we obtained during the last eruption.”
“Hmm.”
In Disaster Order, equipment items were divided into four categories. First, weapons—Selene’s Wedge Sword of Hellfire and Karne’s Winged Scythe of Shadows fell under this. Second, armor. I still carried mine: the 5★ Shell of the Dead God tucked inside my coat. Third, accessories. Mirien’s Throbbing Moon Heart belonged here. The fourth category was consumables. Unlike the other three, these could not be equipped and were mostly potions, usually ranked between 1★ and 3★. The Elixir was the only 4★ consumable that existed in the game.
“It’s the real thing.”
“O-of course it is. You just saw me take it out of my inventory, hyu— I mean, sir.”
“Call me that one more time and you’ll regret it.”
“S-sorry!”
I took the Elixir. As the highest-ranked consumable in Disaster Order, its effects were exceptional. Full HP recovery was obvious, but it also cleansed every status ailment and debuff, revived fallen allies at full strength, and restored skill charges. A single Elixir could turn an unwinnable expedition into a victory. The developers knew this well; every update they sprinkled in Elixir Fragments as inferior substitutes.
‘Not that I ever used them in actual combat. Too precious.’
I had always been a collector-type gamer—the kind who hoarded every item instead of using it, like a magpie. In the end, a mountain of consumables sat unused in storage. But what could I do? They were too valuable to spend. To me, this Elixir was practically an item made exclusively for Selene.
“Good. Excellent work. I’ll be taking this. Consider your debt paid.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jeon Tae-min nodded vigorously, then spoke with careful hesitation.
“By the way… did you happen to see the text message I sent?”
“You said you had something important to discuss?”
I had no real interest, but I asked anyway as a reward for synthesizing the Elixir. Jeon Tae-min’s face lit up. He clearly had a favor to ask, though his next words were not what I expected.
“It’s about the Busan Clan. They’ve been acting strange lately.”
“Busan? They have a clan too?”
Given that it was Korea’s second-largest city, it was hardly surprising. Their scale might even rival the Seongsimdang launchers. While I was mulling this over, Jeon Tae-min lowered his voice.
“The Busan Clan has grown extremely aggressive. They’re forcibly absorbing neighboring clans and even seizing territories that look like obvious traps. Word is they’re plotting something in Kyushu, Japan, as well… and because of that, clashes with our clan have become frequent.”
“Hmm. But it’s Busan. Whatever they do doesn’t concern us, does it?”
“No… the thing is, from what I’ve heard, the reason they’re expanding their forces is to strike at us.”
“The Busan Clan is going to attack you?”
It was unthinkable in Seoul, but it seemed the feudal lords of the provinces were so deep into their warlord games that they were willing to wage full-scale territorial wars against one another. The two major powers of southern Korea—Daejeon and Busan—appeared to be locked in a delicate standoff.
“It’s not just us. Their ultimate goal is the fall of Seoul. They want to seize the entire Korean Peninsula and rule it themselves.”
“…Hmm.”
“And apparently they have an S-class Awakened like you— I mean, like Nam Juyeon-nim!”
“S-class? They have a 4★ disaster?”
“Yes! It’s only a rumor, but there have been multiple sightings of a 4★ disaster roaming around.”
Jeon Tae-min nodded emphatically. I felt a flicker of genuine interest. Honestly, I did not care what happened to the Daejeon Clan. But if they intended to conquer Seoul, I would have to intervene. More than anything, the mention of another S-class had caught my attention. An unknown S-class Awakened the media had never reported on?
“Understood. I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you, hyung-nim!”
“Again with the ‘hyung-nim’…”
“Ah…!”
*
The Scorched Saint Selene was pacing in a nearby alley.
“Actor told you to wait. Do you really need to stand out here?”
Mirien, the Storm of the North Sea, asked with a long yawn. Actor had only been inside the building for about ten minutes, yet Selene was still lurking nearby, scanning for any potential threats.
“We cannot be certain. If anything were to happen to My Lord…”
“It won’t. I already checked.”
Mirien’s vision was magically enhanced, allowing her to see straight through the building. Selene, however, was a swordsman. She could never use such tricks no matter how hard she tried. In truth, Selene hated that fact. She could not be of use to her master when he needed her most. That truth had become a festering wound ever since she suffered a bitter defeat at the hands of Karne, the Mother of Ill Omens.
“I keep saying this, but you’re way too overprotective of Actor, Selene.”
“It is a vassal’s duty to show absolute loyalty to her lord.”
“I know that, but even taking that into account, it’s excessive. …Not that I’m in any position to talk.”
Mirien herself had once done foolish things to win Actor’s favor. Even so, Selene’s obsession struck her as excessive. The constant clashes with Karne were proof enough.
“Honestly, when I see how overprotective you are, you seem more like a mother than Karne. Like a girl hopelessly in love. No, more like a puppy desperate to be petted.”
Mirien had been speaking lightly, but when Selene remained silent she frowned. Selene stood frozen, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.
“What’s wrong?”
“Storm Witch, what did you just say?”
“…What did I say? Um, that you’re like a puppy desperate to be petted?”
“Before that.”
“That you’re more of a mother than Karne.”
“Between those two.”
“Uh… that you’re like a girl in love?”
“…”
Love. The word struck Selene’s heart like a massive harpoon. The Scorched Saint Selene had finally found the source of the crushing sense of defeat she had been feeling lately. And that was the problem.
“…Wait, hold on.”
Mirien, too, noticed Selene’s strange reaction and gaped.
“Hey, Selene.”
“…”
“…No way.”
Selene could not answer. She must not answer.