Fired Characters from an Idle Game

7. The Abyss – (2)

Two days after the eruption of the rifts, while the rest of the world froze, South Korea was rapidly transforming.

Most notably, the existence of the Awakened had been officially recognized by the government.

[All Awakened are required to register at the administrative office nearest to their place of residence.]

[Please be advised that Awakened who fail to voluntarily register may be subject to penalties under special law.]

The message arrived as an emergency disaster alert to the entire nation.

In an instant, an Awakened certification system was implemented. The government, through its spokesperson, announced that the current status of Awakened strongholds and the Calamities they possessed would also be managed by the state.

Particularly, the comical situation occurred where the discharge date of Awakened belonging to the military was postponed by several years.

– Seriously, does this even make sense? Why am I being buried alive at the end of my service, god damn it?

– Truly a country that treats men like dogs.

– kk, suffer, I’m done with reservist training, lol.

– Can’t we just not voluntarily register? How would they even know?

ㄴ Wouldn’t there be Awakened among the cops? They say Awakened can recognize each other.

There were those who voiced their grievances about this, but the world had only changed a little over a month ago.

People’s perception was still rooted in the existing system.

Perhaps that’s why. Instead of rebelling against the authority they feared, Awakened sprung up like mushrooms and voluntarily registered, and the government selected those among them who showed outstanding growth.

It was to deal with the most heinous calamity that had nested itself in Namsan.

“Uhm… It’ll be alright, right?”

“Sure, you worrywart.”

Awakened One Yoo Jun-seo playfully slapped the soldier’s shoulder.

“If we just capture that Rank 4 Calamity, even the President won’t be able to scold us, see? We might even get our service shortened.”

“R-Really?”

“Look, that guy bowing and scraping to us over there? Grade 5 Civil Servant. A bureaucrat. His starting point is completely different from ours, and now he’s just stuck bending over. From now on, Awakened Ones will be at the center of power in this world. We need to grab our piece while we can. You know what? I’m gonna be the Director of the Awakened Management Bureau soon, and when that happens, I’ll make sure all of you Awakened Ones…”

Yoo Jun-seo launched into a fiery speech aimed at the soldier Awakened One accompanying him.

Though it sounded somewhat unrealistic, like chasing clouds, the soldier swallowed hard as he watched the Rank 2 Calamities circling Yoo Jun-seo.

Yes. The world is no longer what it used to be.

This Awakened One could reach the very top.

“Y-You’re right, Asura is different indeed.”

“Hey, don’t call me that.”

He said the words, but the corners of Yoo Jun-seo’s lips twitched upwards.

He who possessed two Rank 2 Calamities, Ember Foxes, had already begun to be called by the grand title of Asura. The reason for being Asura was simply because the Ember Foxes were of the fire element.

Doesn’t it just thrill you?

The label of strongest on the server.

Yoo Jun-seo, once an ordinary citizen, had become a representative of the Awakened overnight.

“Please be careful. The Hellfire Watchdog’s habitat begins from here.”

“I know.”

They were currently heading towards Namsan.

The reason, of course, was to deal with the Hellfire Watchdog.

Soon, the group of Awakened Ones confirmed the Hellfire Watchdog, curled up in a basin, fast asleep.

[4★ Hellfire Watchdog is slumbering.]

“It’s a Rank 4 alright.”

“Doesn’t look that strong, I must say.”

“No, that can’t be. That mutt killed a thousand people during the last eruption, remember?”

Yoo Jun-seo was an ordinary citizen by nature, and he was the type to test a stone bridge before crossing it.

Therefore, he pulled the Ember Foxes back and gestured to the soldier Awakened Ones.

He had no intention of taking risks. He intended to kill the sleeping Hellfire Watchdog in one fell swoop.

The soldiers each unleashed their own disaster. Leaf sprites and forest goblins spilled forth in a flurry.

But perhaps it was too much commotion.

[4★ Hellfire Hound Awakens!]

[4★ Hellfire Hound is Watching You.]

“Son of a b*tch! The b*stard’s up!”

“Fire!”

Someone’s urgent voice was the signal.

Gunfire erupted. The Hellfire Hound was riddled with bullets, but only seemed to twitch as if being tickled.

Then, it howled.

[4★ Hellfire Hound is Enraged!]

Whoosh!

A mane like the sun unfurled.

Even from this distance, the scorching heat was palpable.

“Sic the disasters on it! Keep it from reaching us!”

At one soldier’s shout, the forest goblins and leaf sprites led by the soldiers threw themselves at the Hellfire Hound.

But beings of the grass element were no match for the fire-elemental Hellfire Hound. The goblins melted with a single puff of its breath, and the sprites were torn apart with a single stomp.

“aaagh!”

“Fire! Keep firing!”

Crunch!

The Hellfire Hound bit one soldier to death, then turned its burning gaze towards Yoo Jun-seo.

“Damn it! He’s seriously strong!”

Yoo Jun-seo gestured.

[2★ Ember Foxes Attack!]

Before the Hellfire Hound could pounce, two Ember Foxes bit into its legs.

Being of the same element, the damage was halved. But it was only enough to restrain it. The baton had been passed to Yoo Jun-seo.

No matter the cost, he had to kill that disaster. It was thanks less to noble righteousness than to petty, selfish desires.

Yoo Jun-seo, resolved, was about to plunge his weapon into the Hellfire Hound’s gaping maw when…

[2★ Ember Foxes are Terrified!]

[4★ Hellfire Hound is Terrified!]

It appeared from beyond the ridge.

It was something in the form of a woman.

Adorned in a veil of flame, the woman let her ash-grey hair fall long.

Even the Ember Fox, even the Hellfire Hounds flinched back, heads bowed low in terror.

“…W-what, what is that woman?”

“An Awakened remnant?”

“No, no way. It’s a, a Calamity.”

“A Calamity? A Calamity in the form of a person exists?”

“If it’s strong enough, yeah, it exists!”

Yoo Jun-seo, being the closest, saw it clearly.

The nameplate floating above her head.

[5★ Scortched Saint Selene]

A name known by perhaps everyone in the world.

One corner of the four great pillars that constitute this world.

The Scortched Saint Selene had manifested right here, right now.

The flame she wore did not stop at merely incinerating the surrounding area, it melted even the surviving Forest Imps and Leaf Fairies.

A flame of a different caliber.

Not a being the Ember Fox could even hope to stand against.

Soon, the Scortched Saint Selene drew her sword toward the Hellfire Hounds.

Watching this, Yoo Jun-seo was able to confirm the information of the sword she wielded.

[5☆ Hellfire Wedge Sword]

‘Five-star? Even the equipment? Just why?’

From what he had seen so far, wild Calamities did not use equipment.

Does that mean someone is controlling that Calamity?

They farmed five-star equipment in just ten days?

Even a five-star Calamity?

[5★ Scortched Saint Selene scatters Hellfire.]

Swirling flames enveloped the spot where the Hellfire Hounds stood.

The Hellfire Hounds didn’t even have time to scream before being consumed by the flames, reduced to mere ash.

That was the end of it.

[4★ Hellfire Hound has been defeated.]

[Reward: 20 Exp]

The experience points trickled down, dividing amongst Yoo Jun-seo and the soldiers who stood nearby.

Presently, Selene’s gaze fell upon the soldiers, then upon Yoo Jun-seo.

“…h, hngh…”

Yoo Jun-seo scrambled backward, tripping over a stray stone and collapsing onto the ground.

Was this how he would die?

But, contrary to expectation, Selene seemed disinterested. She turned her head and began walking in the direction from whence she came.

A relieved sigh escaped his lips, but just then, the portly civil servant who had been observing from afar came rushing forward, shouting.

“E-excuse me, Awakened One! Might I inquire as to your esteemed name!”

The Awakened could recognize other Awakened, or the calamities themselves.

But that bean-counting official was no Awakened. Thus, he mistook this great calamity for a simple Awakened.

To think, one strong enough to slay a Hellfire Hound in a single blow. It was only natural to try and secure her.

But that was no Awakened.

It was a disaster in human form.

“Hey! Stop! That woman is…”

Before Yoo Jun-seo could finish his warning, Selene turned her head.

Their eyes met, and the civil servant plastered on a businesslike smile.

“I, well… I am a representative from the Awakened Management Bureau. If you wouldn’t mind, perhaps we could visit a nearby cafe and have a chat…?”

“…”

“Ahahaha. The Management Bureau has prepared a plethora of facilities for the Awakened. Become affiliated with the government… become a hero… W-we, the Management Bureau, offer an annual salary of 500 million…”

“…”

“N-no, 1 billion!”

“…”

“W-whatever you desire, we will provide it… is it?”

The civil servant’s voice trailed off mid-sentence.

As his cool rationality returned, he realized that the woman before him was not human.

What human would wander around in broad daylight wearing a tattered nun’s habit? And what of this chilling atmosphere surrounding her?

“You are.”

At long last, a voice filled with fire emerged.

It was raspy, yet undeniably beautiful.

“…Are you trying to force me to betray my allegiance?”

“Huh?”

“My Lord is Actor, Master of the Abyss and Ruler of the Rift. How can a single blade serve two masters? It is blasphemy, an insult to me and my Lord both.”

“Uh… uh…”

The civil servant was just about to force a sheepish smile.

*Thunk!*

The wedge of hellfire burst forth from his chest.

Blood erupted like a geyser.

“This is your punishment. Never again reach out with those filthy hands. For me, there is only one Lord. Actor. That is all.”

Selene flicked the blood from her blade even before the last word left her lips, then turned away.

Rushing flames enveloped her.

The next instant, nothing.

Well, almost nothing.

The paunchy man’s corpse remained, alone.

“….”

Neither the Awakened soldier nor Yoo Jun-seo could quite grasp what had just transpired; they were simply stunned.

How long passed like that?

Recovering his composure, Yoo Jun-seo mulled over the words of the Rank 5 Calamity, the Scorched Saint Selene.

“…A-Actor?”

Yoo Jun-seo mumbled.

This incident would be more than enough to plaster the two syllables, Actor, across newspaper headlines for months to come.

*

[Great Calamity, Scorched Saint Selene, Appears in Namsan!]

[Actor, the Ruler of the Rift, Is He the Mastermind Behind This Incident?]

[The Government Suspects the Hellfire Hounds Massacre Was Orchestrated by Actor, Master of the Abyss…]

[…]

“…I’m screwed.”

Overnight, I had become the enemy of the world.

Not just Master of the Abyss, but I might as well descend there myself.