I Did It All

The status window recited the reward in its usual dry tone. I had obtained the 4★ disaster Hellfire Watchdog, yet I felt no joy whatsoever. Of course, it was good news that my base now had another valuable asset to defend it. The problem lay in how it had been acquired.

‘Why the hell did she have to kill someone…?’

First, Selene had dispatched the Hellfire Watchdog in a single strike. In Disaster Order, every disaster possessed a fixed attribute, and attacks between disasters of the same attribute had their damage halved. Normally, to defeat a fire-attribute disaster like the Hellfire Watchdog, one would send a disaster with a favorable matchup. However, the Scorched Saint Selene’s attacks ignored type advantages entirely thanks to her unique trait, dealing full damage regardless. On top of that, she was equipped with endgame-tier gear. There was no way a mere 4★ disaster—widely considered trash even among its rank—could have posed any challenge.

That was why I had believed this expedition would succeed without issue. And it had. The trouble began after the Hellfire Watchdog was slain.

“Damn it.”

How had things come to this? Every news article was now fixated on the two syllables that spelled “Actor,” broadcasting the name nonstop. It had all started a few hours earlier, when someone uploaded a video. The footage came from the action cams worn by the military Awakened who had accompanied Selene on the Hellfire Watchdog subjugation. In it, a woman was captured in crystal-clear detail. None other than Selene herself.

She had slain the Hellfire Watchdog—the very creature dozens of Awakened had failed to kill—with nothing more than a flick of her wrist. Then she drove her wedge sword straight into the chest of a fifth-grade civil servant. The mosaic did little to soften the brutality; the video was taken down almost the moment it appeared online.

“…Selene.”

“Yes.”

When I called her name, she knelt before me and lifted her head ever so slightly. Her eyes shone with unmistakable anticipation, like a loyal hound waiting for praise. Afraid of what might happen if I let the moment pass without a single word of approval, I quickly added,

“Well… good work, at least.”

“It was nothing. Everything I do is for My Lord.”

Her words were humble, yet her narrow shoulders trembled with delight. I cleared my throat and got to the point.

“Selene, I have a question. Why did you kill that man?”

“My apologies. I have sullied the precious wedge sword you gifted me with filthy blood.”

“That’s not what I meant…”

I looked at Selene. There was not a trace of guilt in her crimson eyes. In the video, she had ended a life without the slightest hesitation, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

“The man attempted to sway me with vile temptations. As one who serves My Lord, I had no choice but to sever his wicked hand in a single stroke.”

“Fine. Let’s say that part makes sense. But you could have just refused him. Why kill him?”

“If I refused, he might have tried again. The dead, however, cannot speak. That is all. Furthermore, they are all potential enemies of My Lord. It is my duty to eliminate every threat for your sake.”

“Selene, ordinary civilians aren’t usually considered threats.”

“I am sorry, My Lord. By the way… what exactly is a civilian?”

“…”

I gave up trying to explain to Selene why murder was wrong. In a world where the game had become reality, perhaps ethics no longer held any meaning. After all, it had become commonplace for people to openly carry disasters capable of killing dozens, all under government sanction.

“…”

Meanwhile, Selene gazed up at me with innocent, guileless eyes. She had once begged for a chance to atone with her life. I still didn’t understand why she was so devoted to me, why she clung so desperately. In a way, it was terrifying. But one thing was certain: if I cast her aside again, things would not end well. Loyalty could turn to hatred in an instant. I had no desire to become a human kebab, impaled on her wedge sword like the man in the video.

‘This is troublesome.’

Honestly, the man who died? He was a complete stranger. I might feel a twinge of guilt, but it wouldn’t keep me up at night. There was only one real problem here.

“All right. We’ll move past this. But Selene, I have one more question.”

“Please ask.”

“Why did you say my name?”

“…”

The real issue was that Selene had boldly declared the name “Actor” right in front of the camera. The government, the media, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the public had all latched onto her words. They now believed that Actor, the master of the 5★ dungeon Abyss, had sent the Hellfire Watchdog to sow chaos in the world.

‘Now that I think about it… they’re not entirely wrong.’

It was true that I was the master of Abyss. It was true that the Hellfire Watchdog had been a disaster residing there. And it was I who had ordered Selene to retrieve it. The way she had dealt with the creature—casually, as though fetching a stray dog—made the assumption perfectly reasonable from an outsider’s perspective. Thanks to her statement, however, I was now in an impossible position.

‘It’s not like I can just walk into a district office and announce that I’m Actor.’

I had heard the self-reporting period for Awakened was almost over. They had even established a special investigation headquarters to round up unregistered Awakened. If things continued like this, I wouldn’t even be able to step outside.

I let out a heavy sigh. Selene fidgeted before finally answering.

“The reason I dared to speak My Lord’s name was… well… there is a reason.”

“What reason?”

“…A message.”

“A message?”

“One meant for them.”

“…For them?”

“My Lord need not concern yourself with it.”

Selene lowered her head as though she could say no more. I already knew from her past words and actions that she was prepared to offer her life in loyalty to me. If I ordered her to commit suicide, she probably would. For someone like her to speak this way, there had to be a valid reason.

“Fine. I won’t ask any further.”

“Thank you. My Lord, I shall offer my life to—”

I tuned out the rest of her words; they only made me uncomfortable. Instead, I opened the status window and began operating it.

Now that I had the Hellfire Watchdog as well, I could finally issue proper orders for expeditions and other base management tasks. I assigned the Hellfire Watchdog to guard duty at the base and placed Selene in the adjutant slot. Even if disasters erupted from the Rift and invaded Abyss, these two should be more than enough to handle most threats.

‘Most threats, that is.’

Currently, four 5★-class disasters existed in the world. One was Selene, right in front of me. Another was Mirien, who had made her residence in Yeouido. The remaining two were still unaccounted for, but they had likely established their own dungeons somewhere in the world. Like Selene, the other three 5★ disasters had been equipped with endgame gear. If they ever launched an assault on Abyss, even Selene would have to fight for her life.

“The most immediate threat is… ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Mirien, after all.”

The Storm of the North Sea, Mirien. A 5★ lightning-attribute disaster. The worst of the worst—a mage who had captured millions of innocent humans and used them as vessels in her attempt to ascend to the heavens through magic. There was no guarantee that Mirien, who had been fired by me, would maintain the same loyalty Selene showed. Still, if I could bring Mirien into the fold the way I had with Selene, no one in this country would be able to touch me anymore.

“Selene.”

“Yes.”

“What do you think of Mirien?”

“…Why do you ask such a question?”

“I was just thinking… if you two get along, maybe we could visit her tower and talk—”

“Absolutely not.”

“…”

Selene expressed her refusal with uncharacteristic firmness. Crimson flames flickered within her red eyes. She launched into a passionate tirade.

“Mirien is a vile, savage, ungrateful witch.”

“…Was she really that bad?”

“The other two are no different. Every last one of them is rotten to the core. The fact that they remained silent even after learning My Lord was still alive is, in itself, an act of betrayal. They deserve to be torn apart.”

“…”

Weren’t you all comrades? In the game, they used to interact peacefully in front of the base cabin. I had just discovered that the relationships between my in-game characters had never been particularly good. It was a truth I would rather not have known.

“Then we’ll put off recruiting Mirien for now…”

At my muttered words, Selene’s lips curled into a crooked smile. It looked strangely twisted, but I pretended not to notice.

“First, I need to farm more disasters.”

At present, I only possessed two disasters. To perform synthesis or upgrades, I would need at least five. That was why I planned to send Selene on another expedition to bring back new disasters.

‘I need to clear some dungeons.’

Disasters that survived the Rift Eruptions each built their own nests in safe locations. When a powerful disaster established a nest, others were drawn to it, eventually forming what was known as a dungeon—much like the Abyss where I currently resided.

“Most of Seoul has probably been cleared by now, but there should still be dungeons left outside the city.”

Seoul’s high population density meant a large number of Awakened, but the provinces were different. The land was vast, yet there were few people to protect it. News articles alone were filled with reports of devastating damage in rural areas. Regardless, even 1★ disasters would help grow the base, so I needed to farm them.

“Selene, get ready to head out.”

“Where are we going?”

“Hmm… on a trip.”

“Just the two of us?”

“…Probably.”

“Eek.”

Selene let out a small sound at my answer. I ignored it as well.

*

Following the appearance of the Scorched Saint Selene—the strongest disaster anyone had ever encountered—the establishment of the Awakened Management Bureau proceeded at an accelerated pace. The Bureau, abbreviated as the Management Bureau, was primarily staffed by Awakened whose growth stood out even among those who had self-reported. The soldiers who had participated in the previous Hellfire Watchdog subjugation had also been reassigned to the Bureau. Finally, Yu Junseo was appointed as its director. As the first director, the perks that came with the position were considerable. He had been granted free rein over this massive facility.

“Anyway, since this is our first meeting, I’d appreciate it if everyone treated it seriously.”

Thus began the Bureau’s inaugural meeting. The Prime Minister, serving as chair, wore a grave expression as he activated the projector. Displayed on the screen was the vivid footage of Selene killing a man. Everyone’s faces twisted.

“The ruler of Abyss, ‘Actor.’ What are your thoughts on him?”

At the Prime Minister’s question, several voices spoke up.

“He’s probably the one who turned the world into this mess, don’t you think?”

It was a reasonable assumption.

“Isn’t it possible he’s an Awakened himself?”

“An Awakened?”

Yu Junseo frowned at the soldier’s words. Everyone present—aside from the Prime Minister—was an Awakened and a ruler who had survived a Rift Eruption.

“If someone already possesses a 5★ disaster, they’re using a cheat code. They’re no different from the bastard who ruined the world in the first place.”

“…Is it really that bad?”

“Yes. It really is.”

Yu Junseo answered the Prime Minister’s question. He had seen it with his own eyes—the indescribable power of the 5★ disaster, the Scorched Saint. It wouldn’t be strange to call it an authority.

“And if he were an Awakened, he would have self-reported. Is there an Awakened named Actor on the list?”

“We already checked. There isn’t. He might simply not have reported yet, but…”

“That’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impossible. With that kind of power, why would he become the government’s lapdog? He’s someone who could stand against the world alone.”

“…Hmm.”

The Prime Minister stared at Selene on the projector screen, his expression darkening.

“Then what should we do?”

Mobilizing the military wouldn’t be enough to kill disasters. There were already disturbing reports from China that three 4★ disasters had burned an entire city to the ground. A mere three 4★ disasters had killed hundreds of thousands. How powerful, then, must a 5★ be? If that disaster were to turn Seoul into a sea of flames…

“We need to nurture the Awakened as much as possible.”

Breaking the silence, one of the Awakened—Jo Geon-uk—spoke up. He was the one who had successfully hunted the 2★ disaster Moss Hunter.

“From what I’ve heard, regions outside Seoul still haven’t dealt with the erupted disasters. We should have the Awakened eliminate them to grow stronger—so they can eventually face that witch.”

“…That makes sense. Let’s proceed with that. I’ll coordinate with local governments to make it happen somehow.”

The meeting concluded for the time being. However, just a few days ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠later, they received shocking news from one of the local governments.

“…What? The disasters? Someone killed them all?”

“…Huh?”

Who on earth could it be?