Chapter 11
The unprecedented catastrophe that engulfed the entire world in Eterna. Amid the chaos, some saw it not as a disaster, but as an opportunity.
The president of South Korea, Han Sung-ho, had no intention of hiding his long-cherished ambitions any longer. Those dreams he'd tucked away in a corner of his heart, smacking his lips in regret—he resolved to unleash them freely now. Establishing a permanent lifelong regime within South Korea. What once seemed like a pipe dream no longer rang hollow. Not with the world's strongest forces—the players—now allied with him.
Unlike the military, these were super-military asymmetric powers classified as ordinary citizens. With them, he could wield absolute force to suppress the populace. While the architects of international law scrambled to save their own skins, who could possibly stand in his way?
Han Sung-ho curled his lips into a smirk. 'The time has come.'
With the world plunged into unprecedented turmoil, the great Western powers were too busy safeguarding their own nations to spare a glance at this tiny Eastern peninsula. He had long since seized control of the legislature and executive through corruption. He had the cooperation of top-tier player guilds that dwarfed public and military authority. And the superpowers, facing a global crisis, turned a blind eye.
It was a perfect alignment of heaven's fortune. 'No better chance than this.' He was certain. And without delay, he set the plan in motion.
"By the way, I hear there's a guild lately raising flags against our policy direction."
"Mm! You're talking about the Silver Tree Guild and the Star Guild."
Lee Cheol-woong nodded, arms crossed. The solid muscles of his forearms flexed and intertwined beneath his white sleeveless shirt.
"The biggest headache... has to be Silver Tree Guild, wouldn't you say?"
Chae Hwa-yeon tapped the desk thoughtfully, her eyes heavy with concern.
Guild ranking No. 3, Silver Tree. Its guild master, Choi Ah-rin, was no one to underestimate. A genius in strategy and tactics—even Chae Hwa-yeon herself had racked her brains facing her repeatedly in guild wars.
"We shouldn't take Star Guild lightly either. They dropped to fifth after losing their former master, but their executives are still a force to reckon with."
Kang Min-cheol, guild master of Hyeonwol, fiddled with his sleeve cuff, his sharp gaze issuing a warning.
Once South Korea's No. 2 guild, rivaling Hyeonwol in strength—Star Guild. But now, its glory had faded significantly.
Still, Kang Min-cheol remembered. The terrifying prowess of Star Guild's executives.
'They lacked nothing—be it raw power or wealth.'
When they'd stormed right up to his doorstep, splashing those exorbitantly expensive consumables like water, his head had spun.
'Lucky that guy logged in at the perfect moment...'
It had been a close call; Hyeonwol nearly lost its unassailable No. 1 spot.
But now... it was time to send that guy packing.
The senior members murmured among themselves.
"The real problem's Cha Eun-joo... That titan of hers is way too strong."
"Speaking of which, Min-cheol, have you prepared countermeasures for Cha Eun-joo?"
"If we can't stop that titan, our casualties will be massive!"
Cha Eun-joo, Hyeonwol Guild's executive. Techno Master, world rank No. 1. The one who wielded Astría Online's ultimate firepower. The very reason Hyeonwol held onto its top spot.
And yet... she opposed Kang Min-cheol and the government's moves.
All eyes turned to Kang Min-cheol with concern. He nodded faintly, a thin smile playing on his lips.
"Conveniently, that battleship—she's volunteered to overhaul it right now. Just issue a raid boss subjugation order around the next update. Then I'll have my executives take care of her."
"Oho! That's a relief."
"Without her, we've eliminated twenty percent of the variables."
The Minister of National Defense and Lee Cheol-woong beamed. The others sighed in relief, patting their chests.
Cha Eun-joo. Kang Min-cheol knew better than anyone how monstrous she was. Which made her a problem. If only she'd cooperated quietly...
"...Alright, we'll leave Cha Eun-joo to Kang Min-cheol. Now, let's discuss how to handle the other defectors."
"But can we really handle the fallout later?"
Lee Cheol-woong raised a skeptical eyebrow at Han Sung-ho's words.
"Sure, it's fine now, but once the world stabilizes, the international backlash could be brutal."
Han Sung-ho remained impassive. "Don't worry. We have justification."
"What...?"
"Anyone refusing to cooperate during a national emergency can be punished under the treason laws. It's an ironclad rule, not just here but internationally."
"Hm."
Lee Cheol-woong rolled his large eyes before squeezing them shut in understanding.
The meeting proceeded smoothly thereafter.
South Korea overflowed with high-quality players relative to its landmass. Territory could be reclaimed anytime. But they needed to pace it—keep the public's eyes fixed on the monster threats. In the meantime, prune the rebellious player factions quietly. With so many players, power gaps wouldn't be an issue.
Various agendas were debated. Soon, only the final one remained.
Kang Min-cheol spoke up. "The search for Sertina proceeding well?"
"Of course. Though on this tiny scrap of land, the odds of her showing up are nil."
Han Sung-ho chuckled dryly. Kang Min-cheol's brow furrowed.
"That sounds like complacency to me."
"We're short on manpower for reconstruction as it is. That said, we are searching."
Kang Min-cheol arched an eyebrow. "Any progress?"
"We sent out disaster alerts via text, but no sightings yet."
"Fine. No sightings in this cramped country means none."
Chae Hwa-yeon stretched her arms overhead. "Yaaawn... Let's wrap this up and call it. Sitting here's getting tough."
"Mm, agreed. In a densely populated place like Korea, that savage beast would've been spotted by now."
Even Lee Cheol-woong chimed in. The prolonged meeting had worn everyone down. The world had changed drastically; there was much to discuss.
Kang Min-cheol scanned the weary faces with a disdainful glare, then snorted and leaned back.
"Meeting over?"
"Seems the players are tired, so let's end it here."
Han Sung-ho smiled, bowing slightly before straightening. "Everyone, good work. I look forward to our continued cooperation."
A dozen chairs scraped back in unison. The meeting concluded.
A week holed up at home was unbearably dull. She'd just started adapting to the outside world when it felt like leaves were sprouting from her body.
But soon...
She clutched her phone, staring obsessively at the numbers, waiting for them to change. She'd checked it nearly fifty times in the last hour.
And finally.
Update complete.
Welcome to the world of Astría Online!
A surge of intense mana welled up, flooding her body. The overwhelming power coursed through her veins. Strength returned. She clenched and unclenched her fist, savoring the invincible sensation.
...It's artificial, after all.
The massive mana wave blanketing the entire Earth in an instant—it felt like something pouring in from elsewhere, impossible to shake off.
Small footsteps pattered over, and the adjacent door burst open.
"Sertina! You're back?"
It was Tier. I nodded in satisfaction.
"...Yeah."
Then I sauntered toward the front door.
Time to meet the Seoul Forest Station survivors—the grateful souls who'd kept my secret to the end.
"Gather everyone. We're heading out to found the guild right now."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Tier saluted with a bright smile. After days bunkered together against threats, her wariness had plummeted to rock bottom.
One by one, Lee Min-ho, Yunsia, Kim Min-seok, and Hwang Cheol-ho emerged from their rooms. Together, we rode the elevator to the first-floor lobby.
A dozen people already camped out, waiting. They waved enthusiastically, faces alight with joy.
"Sertina!"
"You're revived!"
In a way, these were people I'd kept alive. Was this what it felt like to be a mother bird?
I gave a casual wave and sank into a lobby chair. Such warm welcomes weren't my style.
Someone spoke up curiously. "Decided on a guild name yet?"
Guild name...
Oh, right—I had one in mind.
I pressed my index finger to my lips, lost in thought for a moment.
Over the past centuries, while rejected by all...
The one crimson sword that steadfastly stayed by my side.
A lost relic of the past. The ancient hero's blade.
No one remembered its name.
But I did. Because the Voice told me.
That sword's name was...
—Eterna
"Eterna."
The sole companion in that barren world.
I uttered it once more in this one.