Fired Characters from an Idle Game

5. First Eruption – (2)

Scortched Saint Selene.

The one and only fire-attribute 5-star Disaster in Disaster Order.

Selene was the first 5-star character I ever obtained, so I held a certain fondness for her.

In fact, my stronghold experienced explosive growth after acquiring her.

The combat power of a 5-star Disaster was considerable; I was able to sweep expeditions I wouldn’t have even dreamed of attempting before, amassing riches.

It wouldn’t be wrong to call Scortched Saint Selene the hard-working breadwinner who pulled my stronghold out of poverty.

[5★ Scortched Saint Selene is watching you.]

But that was all a story within the game.

Now, reality had become the world of Disaster Order, and Selene seemed to retain her memories from it.

“Master…”

And I had fired her just a week ago.

Was it out of spite for that very fact?

Sélène possessed the appearance of a delicate girl, but her backstory was terrifying beyond compare.

[5★ Scourged Saint Sélène is the Great Witch who incinerated the world. Sélène’s hellfire turned every continent to ash in seven days and nights, eventually forsaking even the world itself to stride into the Rift. She is a living fire demon, and a sinner who falsely claimed the name of God.]

The message that appeared every time I entered the base management screen. Sélène’s tooltip remained etched in my memory.

A great cataclysm that burned an entire world to cinders.

The mere presence of her caused everything around to melt into a crimson hue.

It wouldn’t be strange at all if such a Sélène harbored vengeful feelings toward me, and sought to harm me.

“…”

Only silence swirled between Sélène and me.

Just as I was wondering if I should be the one to break the ice, Sélène suddenly approached and knelt before me on both knees.

Hunkered down, she bowed her head deeply.

“…I’m relieved you’re safe.”

“…”

One thing seemed certain.

The Scourged Saint Sélène still considered me her Master.

And the player in the game was meant to be a dignified, powerful ruler of the world.

If I showed any hesitation here, the flames circling her might target me.

I did my best to compose my voice and spoke.

“Yes. It’s thanks to you.”

“…Ugh.”

Sélène let out a small moan as soon as she heard my voice.

Sélène’s voice was rough and hoarse, perhaps because her vocal cords were scorched by fire. However, despite possessing a voice that anyone would admire for its beauty, Sélène’s shoulders trembled slightly as she cautiously raised her head.

‘She is quite beautiful.’

In the game, she was just crude pixel art, but now that she was real, Sélène’s face was that of a peerless beauty.

Truly, she possessed the beauty worthy of the title “Saint.”

“My Lord. I have been waiting.”

I tried my best not to show any signs of panic and nodded.

At that, Sélène gave an even more heart-wrenching smile and held out a hand to me.

“My Lord, please grant me the opportunity to escort you to my dwelling. This place is far too dangerous.”

What’s most dangerous here is you, actually.

The words clawed their way up my throat.

But this woman still saw me as her master.

Then I, too, must show a solemnity befitting the title.

I deepened my voice as much as possible and answered.

“Granted.”

Then Selene’s tightly pressed lips trembled. Unable to control her expression, she bowed her head deeply.

Along the ashen strands of hair cascading to the floor, clear droplets fell, *thud*, *thud*.

“….”

Could she possibly be crying?

Why?

“…Then, p-please, take my hand.”

Selene extended her hand.

Skin, marred and festering with burns.

Surely, in the game, I’d given her a costly elixir as soon as I pulled her and healed her right up, so why had she reverted to this initial state?

No matter.

Right now, I had no choice but to obey Selene’s words.

I grasped Selene’s hand, and with a nauseating sensation of weightlessness, my vision inverted.

“…Where.”

Everything was crimson.

A crimson cave. That was only a fleeting thought.

As I peered around, a message materialized before my eyes.

[You have entered the Dungeon ‘Abyss’.]

[Subjugate the Dungeon’s Master and claim ownership.]

“Abyss.”

I’d heard of it.

The message that flashed when Disaster Order’s world became reality a week ago.

[The Scorched Saintess Selene scatters the flames of purgatory. The Abyss opens.]

So this was the Scorched Saintess Selene’s dungeon.

As the thought reached me, the status window frantically displayed a message.

[＊Warning＊ Dungeon ‘Abyss’ is a 5☆ Dungeon! It is not suited to Overlord ‘Actor’s’ current level!]

[Promptly evacuate the premises, we advise!]

Reading the message, I understood, naturally.

Narak, as it was Selene’s domain, would inevitably be of 5-star difficulty.

Which meant I’d walked right into the jaws of calamity.

“…Huh.”

Narak, eh?

True to its name, Narak’s landscape was entirely crimson, a cave awash in flames. A place that resembled Hell made manifest.

Could I even escape?

Would Selene even let me?

Lost in those worries, Selene, still holding my hand, knelt once more.

*Ding!*

[Progress has been updated.]

[5★ The Scorched Saintess Selene pledges her loyalty to you.]

“Huh?”

[Congratulations, Master ‘Actor,’ you have cleared the Dungeon «Narak» Expedition.]

[Reward: 2000 Exp / 5★ The Scorched Saintess Selene]

“This is insane….”

But that wasn’t all.

[Achievement Earned: The Scorched Saintess Selene]

[Achievement Earned: The Hottest Calamity]

[Expedition Challenge Achievements Completed. Additional rewards will be granted.]

[Reward: 300 Exp / 4☆ Synthesis Stone]

Overwhelmed by the cascade of notifications, I clapped a hand over my mouth.

And then, I stared at the gray-haired calamity kneeling before me.

Currently, the Scorched Saintess Selene was, without a doubt, my subordinate.

‘Could it be…?’

Am I now the master of this dungeon?

*

Selene’s life existed solely for the sake of her master.

She swore it the moment she entered the rift, and even after being abandoned, Selene’s vow remained unshaken.

“The Dominator… He exists in this world. He still… He still desires me.”

Selene rediscovered the place where she must offer her insignificant life.

[Dungeon ‘Abyss’ is erupting.]

[5★ Scourged Saint Selene roams the land.]

The eruption of the rift, in that process, Selene also slipped out of the dwelling where she had briefly resided.

While wandering outside, Selene discovered a detestable rabble impersonating the Dominator. They too sought to collect calamity and ascend into a higher being; competitors of her Lord.

Unacceptable.

[5★ Scourged Saint Selene scatters flames.]

“Ah, aaa! Save meeeee!”

And so, she killed them.

Killed and burned, leaving only ashes behind.

Reduce the competition.

For she believed this was the only way Selene could atone to the Dominator.

[5★ Scourged Saint Selene gazes upon Dominator ‘Actor’.]

Having sown destruction in such a way, Selene finally came face to face with the Dominator of the Rift.

“Selene.”

She was inadvertently flustered.

The Lord before her was a far cry from what she had always known.

“My Lord.”

In Selene’s memory, the Dominator wore a voluminous robe emblazoned with runic characters and possessed a face concealed by a veil.

Thus, Selene had never known the face of the Lord to whom she was so loyal, the Dominator of the Rift.

Nor had she wondered.

It was only natural. The Dominator was a divine existence living on a far higher plane than Selene, and such a trivial being must not dare question Him.

Yet, Selene was now seeing the Dominator’s bare face.

He was human.

Selene’s sharp senses discerned that this human before her was the Lord to whom she had dedicated her life.

*Why… why do you take on the form of a human?*

She thought.

Why shed the veil of divinity and degrade Himself into a mere human?

That question rose up to the end of Selene’s throat, burned raw with scars.

However, she asked no more.

It was the Lord’s will. A being as lowly as herself had no need to wonder. Surely, there was a grand design at play.

Thus, instead of pressing further, Selene knelt on both knees and spoke.

“…I am relieved you are unharmed.”

“Yes. It is thanks to you.”

For the first time, the Overlord conveyed his meaning to Selene through the medium of words.

He was even praising her.

The Overlord’s voice, heard for the first time, was exceedingly ordinary, yet warm.

Selene felt tears welling in her eyes.

“…Hng.”

Ah, I am not abandoned.

In this new world, I have earned the right to stand by the Overlord’s side.

“My Lord, I have been waiting.”

And the Overlord’s taking on a human form must also be for this purpose.

He has arranged this expedition to a new world. Becoming human is the grand foundation upon which he will place this higher dimension beneath his feet and ascend to a position beyond even that of a deity.

And Selene desired to become fuel for the Overlord’s purpose.

For the Scorched Saintess, that was her only worth.

“My Lord, please grant me the opportunity to serve you in my abode. This place is far too dangerous.”

If that were so, Selene must serve the Overlord so that she would not be abandoned again.

Even if it meant carving and burning her own body, she must protect the human-formed Overlord.

This dimension is dangerous. Many enemies lurk. The thought of how much danger the Overlord, now in human form, would be in, tore at Selene’s heart.

“I grant it.”

The Overlord said in a solemn voice, taking Selene’s hand.

And so, she resolved to serve the Overlord, as she always had.

[5★ Scorched Saintess Selene pledges allegiance to Overlord ‘Actor’.]

[Dungeon ‘Abyss’ has been cleared by Overlord ‘Actor’.]

This world is dangerous.

Using this body as fuel, I will burn away all that obstructs and forge a path.

Even if it means my former comrades from the Rift, even if it means the entire world.

Selene quietly, reaffirmed her task.

“….”

But, because her head was bowed, she failed to notice the look of troubled complexity etched upon the ruler’s face as he gazed at her.