A Perfect Death
Dan Gayeon’s eyes widened as she watched the employee sprint toward the burning building. “That person is…?”
“He’s one of the survivors I found earlier. He was worried that if the supplies inside burned, it would make running the power plant difficult, so he decided to handle it himself.”
Comet glanced at the golem, which was trying to move again after regenerating its arm, then turned away.
“Miss Dan, please restrain the golem. I’ll go protect that man.”
“Understood. Though I doubt I can actually stop it.”
“You’ll manage.”
Comet headed into the building the employee had entered, the sound of the flame golem smashing the ground echoing behind her. As she strolled down the corridor at a leisurely pace, the Princess of Blood and Shadow spoke up.
「Your steps are far too relaxed.」
“For me to lose my composure, either I’d have to be left alone in a place without any souls, or this entire country would have to abandon me. One of the two.”
「That’s an oddly sociable answer for a necromancer.」
“It’s exactly what a necromancer would say. Though the others don’t seem to agree.”
Comet scanned the burning corridor and scratched her cheek. There didn’t seem to be any opportunity for the brave employee to meet a spectacular death. As she climbed to the next floor, she spotted the male employee hammering at a window latch with a metal handle. The lock appeared to have been damaged by the flames and impacts.
The employee turned, and his face brightened when he saw her.
“Awakener! Could you please open this door for me?”
“Is this place important?”
“Not important, but essential.”
Comet grabbed the handle and ripped the door open. The frame crumpled, and the door swung wide. Inside, flames licked along the walls. One side held electronic equipment and tangled wires. She had no idea what they were for. Part of the outer wall had collapsed, offering a clear view outside where Dan Gayeon was dodging the golem’s attacks.
The employee quickly scanned the room and let out a small sigh of relief. The critical components still looked intact. Sparks from the ceiling began raining down onto the electronics.
“Looks like I’ll need an extra pair of hands. Please help me!”
The employee hurriedly rummaged through a nearby drawer and pulled out tools like screwdrivers.
“What would you like me to do?”
“I’ll disconnect the devices. Just gather them somewhere safe from the fire.”
The employee shrugged off his coat and handed it to Comet. Then he began yanking out cables and carefully detaching only the most vital pieces of equipment one by one.
Comet accepted each device and wrapped it securely in the coat. A disturbing creak came from the ceiling. Burning debris trickled down. Both the employee and Comet froze and looked up. The ceiling, unable to withstand the golem’s earlier impacts and the constant flames, was beginning to collapse.
“…Damn it.”
“Should we give up and leave?”
“…No. Just a little longer.”
Comet watched the now-frantic employee, smiled faintly, and secretly channeled her spiritual energy. The collapsing ceiling halted, pressed back by her power.
“Don’t worry. It won’t fall until you’ve finished your duty.”
“That would be wonderful.”
“How much is left?”
“Just a few more pieces.”
Comet took the devices the employee handed her and set them aside. Before long, the man’s face relaxed as he began the final task.
“This really is the last one, right?”
“Yes. Thank goodness the ceiling held.”
Comet glanced upward. A section of the ceiling was floating ever so slightly, held aloft by her spiritual energy. It hadn’t been prevented from collapsing—it was simply being held in place.
“What do you think would happen if the ceiling came down?”
“That’s an odd question. I’d regret doing something so pointless. I’d probably blame myself for throwing away the rest of my life.”
The employee answered while loosening screws.
“Yet here you are, seeing it through to the end.”
「What are you thinking?」
The princess asked, sensing something strange. Comet was pondering something very much in line with a necromancer’s mindset. How should she present a gift to this employee who had earned such a precious opportunity? In an era where miserable, empty, or shameful deaths were the norm, how should she adorn this rare chance at a perfect death?
When the employee handed over the final device and stood up, Comet ended her deliberation. The spiritual energy supporting the ceiling vanished. With a loud crack, the ceiling gave way to gravity and plummeted.
The employee stared up at it blankly. His eyes held neither the regret nor the self-blame he had mentioned earlier. Death was descending from above.
Comet watched the outcome in silence. Then came the sound of someone leaping. The first thing she saw was a hand reaching toward the employee. A familiar face followed, then long black hair. Dan Gayeon wrapped herself around the man and rolled aside.
Comet stared at her in a daze. The ceiling slammed into the floor, sending up a cloud of dust. Flames writhed within the cloud and quickly engulfed the room. The fire surged toward the electronics the employee had saved, only to be pushed back and extinguished by Comet’s spiritual energy.
The outer wall shattered as the flame golem’s fist came crashing in. With one hand, Comet stopped the massive punch while peering through the dust cloud to where Dan Gayeon stood. The shockwave cleared away the dust and flames.
It was in the way.
Her spiritual energy raced along the golem’s arm and burrowed inside. It swept through the creature’s entire body and shattered its core. The golem collapsed in a heap.
Comet sighed as she watched Dan Gayeon and the employee get to their feet, then carefully gathered the electronics still wrapped in the coat.
“You succeeded. Congratulations.”
There had been no perfect death here, but this outcome wasn’t bad either. Good was good.
The employee looked at the devastated room and the perfectly intact devices, then laughed and collapsed backward. He seemed completely drained.
“Huh?! Are you okay?!”
Dan Gayeon panicked.
The employee kept laughing even while lying on the ground and finally spoke.
“I’m not okay!”
“What?!”
“He says he’s fine. You worked hard too, Miss Dan. Next time, try taking down a golem by yourself.”
They returned with the employee to where the military unit was stationed. Any remaining wild dog monsters or fires at the power plant would surely be handled by the government side.
Back at the car, Comet was about to head to Yeouido when she suddenly turned to look at the power plant employee who had come to see them off.
“I don’t think I caught your name. What is it?”
“Kwon Hyeonseung.”
“I see. You have a truly admirable sense of duty.”
After exchanging smiles with Kwon Hyeonseung, Comet climbed into the car. Dan Gayeon took the wheel and started the engine.
「He was a man who understood honor.」
“Indeed. Since he’s not an Awakener, I doubt we’ll see him again.”
Comet whispered so Dan Gayeon wouldn’t hear.
「Fate flows along the path of honor.」
“I don’t think so.”
「What would a necromancer with no sense of morality know?」
“That’s rather harsh.”
Several days passed. The situation had stabilized somewhat. In the meantime, Comet had tried using the Soul Compression Machine she received from the committee chairman on the princess.
「KYAAAAA! YOU SON OF A BITCH!」
It yielded no results. The princess’s mental fortitude was truly remarkable. At this point, Comet gave up on absorbing her and simply treated her as a conversation partner. Surprisingly, the princess didn’t seem to harbor any resentment and faithfully played the role of talking companion. Perhaps she was simply waiting for an opening to possess her. It was a meaningless ambition.
While Comet was enjoying her unemployed lifestyle among the busy civil servants, a man came to visit. At the sound of knocking, she opened the door to find a top-tier ranker she had sparred with a few times during her gaming days. He had an impressively muscular build. While his class ranking and overall ranking weren’t particularly impressive, he held the third spot in the Korean rankings. Since Comet was first in her class, thirteenth overall, and second in Korea, his position was quite high.
“It’s been a while, Comet.”
“Oh, Gunter. I heard you were affiliated with the government, but it’s still surprising to see you in person. You’re a guild master—where did you leave your guild?”
“My vice-master was a civil servant, so the guild got absorbed by the government from the very beginning. May I come in?”
“Yes, please. Would you like something to drink?”
“Orange juice, if you have it.”
“Have a seat. We don’t have orange. Have some tomato juice.”
“Hmm.”
Gunter stared silently at the tomato juice on the table. He must not like tomatoes. But there was no orange juice.
“What brings you here?”
“The security on this room is impressive. It was as troublesome as if it belonged to a top government official. Even though I’m just a civilian without clearance.”
Comet scratched her cheek.
“The chairman seems to be giving me special treatment in more ways than one.”
Gunter gave a small nod and subtly slid the tomato juice glass to the corner of the table.
“I came to ask you something.”
“Ask away.”
“What do you think of the current era?”
“I’m not sure what kind of question that is.”
Gunter looked around the room.
“The times are changing. Those who cannot awaken have no guarantee of survival and are powerless. No matter how many weaklings gather, they cannot defeat a single strong individual. An era is coming where brute force will matter more than the will of the people.”
It wasn’t coming—it had already arrived. The committee operated above the law, and the presidential election that should have been held within sixty days of the president’s death had been indefinitely postponed. The force maintaining the current government was not the people’s will, but the barrel of a gun.
Comet could have shared many thoughts on Gunter’s question, but she chose not to.
“It does seem like chaotic times are ahead.”
“This government won’t last long.”
His decisive tone echoed in the room. Comet didn’t bother to deny it. Seeing how exhausted Dan Gayeon looked every day made it clear that the government was scrambling to reduce consumption of military supplies. It had only been a short while ago that the chairman had bowed his head and asked her to protect the citizens when the final moment came.
“The same will likely happen to this nation.”
Still, it didn’t seem like something to say so openly. Comet crossed her arms. She had a good idea what he was getting at. In chaotic times, those with ambition often turned their thoughts to one particular concept.
“Do you want to become king?”
Gunter opened his mouth, then closed it again after hearing Comet’s question. A brief silence fell.
“What about you?”
“Well… I don’t particularly want to step forward and take the role.”
“You always preferred being alone.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. I did mostly play solo, though.”
“You have no intention of becoming king?”
“None. Necromancy isn’t a discipline whose purpose is to create kings.”
“I see. You’re walking a difficult path. I wish you luck.”
Having gauged his competitor’s intentions, Gunter stood up as if his business was finished. Comet saw him off, then returned to her chair. The abandoned glass of tomato juice caught her eye. Although Gunter hadn’t mentioned it directly, she had a fairly good idea what he had been trying to say.
Leaning back in her chair, Comet stared at the text that had appeared before her.
Chaotic times were indeed approaching.