Fired Characters from an Idle Game

54. 5★ Omen Mother Carne – (5)

The image of Selene, the Scorched Saintess, was ever a colossal furnace.

Yet now, the fire deep within her heart was extinguished. Her liege, Actor, was Selene’s greatest flame. With Actor fallen prey to Karne’s wicked scheme, she deemed herself unworthy even to fuel her own life.

‘Liege.’

Thus, guilt, etched into her very bones like searing heat, slowly consumed Selene.

The Scorched Saintess.

The great sinner who burned the world.

Selene, who deserved a judgment hotter than any death, had found salvation only in her liege’s outstretched hand.

But she had failed to protect him.

She had failed to reciprocate her liege’s kindness, the warmth he offered.

“Mirien, I will kill that woman.”

Selene’s resolve was singular.

Whether Actor lived or died, she would claim the head of Karne, the Mother of ill Omens.

She would break that monster’s neck and reclaim her liege.

“I don’t care if you kill her or what, but you’re radiating heat. Can you tone down the inferno?”

Mirien, the Storm of the Northern Sea, retreated, seemingly annoyed, to avoid Selene’s heat. As the Saintly Flame Imprint reflected Selene’s emotional state, the flames swirling around her dripped like viscous, crimson blood.

“Mirien, are you certain this is the place?”

“Pretty sure.”

[5★ Mirien, Storm of the Northern Sea, activates skill 「Eye of the Storm」.]

True to her moniker as the Renegade Mage, Mirien skillfully tracked Actor’s trail. Despite the unfavorable conditions of being inside a nest, her tracking magic pinpointed Actor’s location within a certain cave.

After executing a spatial jump, Mirien and Selene stood before the cave, preparing for battle.

“Look before you leap. Don’t just start swinging your sword.”

“Spell-slinger, I know that without your advice.”

“Fine. Why bother telling you anything?”

Karne, the Mother of ill Omens, specialized in covert and insidious combat.

Nothing would be surprising, no matter what emerged from within. Thus, the two calamities heightened all their senses and stepped into the cave.

No, there was no need to enter.

“…Actor!”

“Liege.”

For inside the cave, the master they sought so desperately walked out on two feet, seemingly unharmed.

Selene rushed to examine Actor. No visible injuries. His complexion suggested no internal wounds either.

Selene breathed a sigh of relief. Yet, something gnawed at her.

It was the awkward smile plastered on their lord’s lips.

“…Lord, Lord. Is something amiss?”

Perhaps an internal injury, not yet visible, afflicted him.

Or had Karne, the Mother of Ill Omens, committed some transgression?

Selene felt her heart plummet.

“…Ahem. Well, you see.”

But our lord, oblivious or perhaps aware of Selene’s inner turmoil, offered a sheepish smile and uttered these words:

“There’s something I need to tell you all…”

Actor slowly stepped aside, revealing a crimson-haired courtesan standing behind him.

And indeed, it was Karne, the Mother of Ill Omens, wearing a benevolent smile.

“…Lord?”

“So it is.”

Selene’s pupils dilated violently.

Actor cleared his throat and began.

“Allow me to introduce… uh, well…”

He trailed off, meeting the sharp gazes of Mirien and Selene before reluctantly continuing.

“My… mother.”

An eternity passed in a fleeting instant.

“…U-Uh?”

It was Mirien who broke the silence.

“…U-Uh… Mother?”

Mirien blinked a few times, then cocked her head. The gesture resembled an owl tilting its face in query.

Finally grasping the situation, Mirien hurriedly glanced at Selene. Having accompanied her this far, Mirien had noticed how agitated Selene had been.

Therefore, she could easily predict how Selene would react to witnessing this shocking spectacle.

“…Hey, Selene? Don’t tell me you’re gonna…”

Just a single phrase, but Mirien’s sense of impending doom was palpable.

Regardless, Selene took a deep breath.

She organized her thoughts.

Her consciousness sharpened, as if ice water had been splashed on her brain.

“…I see. My lord, I understand everything.”

“Selene, you understand?”

“Yes. You don’t need to say any more.”

Selene nodded, comprehending.

Actor’s face lit up, but she continued.

“To dare to ensnare my lord with foul sorcery. Filthy whore, did you think you could live with your feet on this earth after that?”

My lord was bewitched by that harlot.

It had to be that way.

It couldn’t be any other way.

The scorched saintess Selene drew her wedge-shaped blade of hellfire.

[5★ Scorched Saintess Selene casts the skill “Infernal Fireball.”]

“Wait! Selene! Stop! It’s all a misunderstanding!”

A massive explosion erupted.

It took Selene a considerable amount of time to understand the full story of the incident.

Specifically, enough time for two casualties to occur.

*

“What the….”

Meanwhile, Lei Hu, the leader of the Chinese Awakened Alliance, couldn’t for the life of him understand the situation unfolding before his eyes.

At the defensive line erected at the First Refugee Camp, the Alliance’s Awakened ones were barely managing to hold back the tens of thousands strong hordes of calamity.

Calamities in the shape of birds poured down endlessly. Eventually, they even handed out equipment to the refugees in the camp and had them help. Nevertheless, the war situation went from bad to worse, but fortunately, the Alliance had two glimmers of hope.

Two S-Rank Awakened individuals who had come over from Korea.

Having heard that a Calamity from Korea was heading this way and come to track it down, the two Awakened ones had, to everyone’s surprise, readily offered to help upon learning about China’s situation.

The existence of those two was truly a great strength.

Even now, the Crimson Emperor’s guardians of crimson flames were enduring the attacks of hundreds of calamities single-handedly. Lei Hu also possessed a 4-Star Calamity, but he wouldn’t be able to provide as reliable support as the Crimson Emperor.

“…The Crimson Emperor aside, what about the Dragon Emperor….”

However, what Lei Hu was worried about was the Awakened one Nam Jooyeon, who had suddenly departed towards the place where the Calamities were gathered.

It was perhaps odd to worry, since they had the strongest force, even when including the Alliance. That said, it had been revealed directly afterwards that this place was a 5-Star Dungeon.

No matter how much the Dragon Emperor was an S-Rank among S-Ranks, would they be able to survive after coming face-to-face with a 5-Star Calamity?

Feeling a considerable amount of guilt for having driven benefactors who had offered to help them into a death trap, the Awakened ones of the Chinese Alliance continued their bloody battle.

“Squad Three! Wiped out!”

It wasn’t as if there were no losses.

Nearly two-tenths of the awakeners, already numbering a thousand, were either dead or wounded. The front lines were being maintained by a hair’s breadth, but there was no guarantee they could hold out forever.

Supplies were running low, and the awakeners were beginning to tire. Though the Calamity took the place of battle, the mental exhaustion couldn’t be ignored.

“Retreat…should we?”

Layhoon considered it seriously.

To boldly abandon the First Encampment, and wage a defensive war within the city of Beijing.

Casualties would be considerable, and the Federation could never absolve itself of the responsibility.

Layhoon bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

[5☆ Dungeon ‘Nest of Ill Omens’ is dissipating.]

[Reward: 100 Exp]

His worries were all for naught as the surroundings abruptly brightened.

The veil lifted, and sunlight poured in.

After a night of continuous defensive battles, morning had finally arrived.

“…This is.”

Layhoon’s eyes widened as he cupped the remnants of the dissipating veil in his hand, now particles of light.

The Calamities turned tail the moment the notification of the dungeon’s destruction appeared. Everyone was at a loss for words, watching the retreating horde disappear into the distance.

“…We, we did it!”

Someone shouted, understanding the situation, and a single cry became a thunderous roar of jubilation.

Even as everyone hugged and rejoiced, Layhoon frowned, his gaze fixed on Yoo Junseo, the S-Class Awakener.

Just then, Yoo Junseo also looked at Layhoon, and their eyes met.

Though words weren’t exchanged, they shared the same thought.

“…Adjutant, prepare the vehicle.”

“Yes, sir.”

Layhoon and Yoo Junseo hurriedly boarded the van and headed in the direction where the Calamities had disappeared.

How long did they drive?

The vehicle could go no further.

The road was buried in a thick layer of ash.

“…This is.”

Before them lay countless Calamities, piled high as ash.

These Calamities hadn’t even dissipated upon death.

“Lord Yeomje, is this your doing?”

“Then…”

Could it be that Yongje, who had abruptly left for this place, had dealt with all these calamities? Was such a thing even possible for one man alone?

The group advanced cautiously, half in disbelief, pushing through the ashes, and soon found themselves facing a shocking sight.

“…What.”

Yoo Junseo was the first to be astonished.

It was as if a god of destruction had passed through. Centered around a cave nestled on the mountainside, countless traces of battle remained. The trees on the mountain had been uprooted or cut down, and lightning-shaped scorch marks scarred the rocks.

And that wasn’t all.

At the cave entrance, countless sword marks were etched alongside congealed crimson blood.

Anyone who saw it would clearly understand that a fierce battle, too terrible to put into words, had taken place here.

“…If Yongje was the one who did this…”

Leihu continued, his voice trembling.

“…Then even the title of S-class is an understatement for him.”

As another classified S-class Awakened, Leihu knew.

He was beyond the heavens.