Fired Characters from an Idle Game

The Life of an S-Class Awakened – (3)

The hotel room was suitably spacious.

Truthfully, I only used it for lodging and meals, spending most of my time traversing to the Abyss via Selene, so the size mattered little.

[4★ Storm Dragon Tempest has completed Calamity Synthesis.]

[Reward: 50 Exp / 2★ Ember Fox]

[4★ Hellfire Watchdog has completed Calamity Synthesis.]

[Reward: 50 Exp / 2★ Leaf Hunter]

While I was occupied with dispatching accumulated synthesis orders and other tasks related to the strongholds, Selene, having returned from the Abyss, inquired of me.

“That woman, Kang Sena, are you truly certain we shouldn’t suspect her?”

An unpleasant expression remained etched upon Selene’s face.

“I hear this place was provided by her. What if that…that woman intends to harm you, Master?”

“Don’t worry. Kang Sena isn’t such a bad person.”

Kang Sena had extended me numerous favors. Not only this hotel room, but also trivial information and even the minutes from meetings held within the Awakened Management Bureau.

From her perspective, it was likely a calculated decision, given my status as an S-Class Awakened. But weren’t human relationships usually conducted in that very manner?

A cooperative alliance.

It didn’t seem like a poor proposition, so I accepted it.

“It appears information is constantly leaking from within the Bureau. Therefore, I too must secure an informant from inside, to keep abreast of the situation.”

“…Indeed, I am perpetually astonished by your sagacity, Master.”

“…”

Was this an instance of forcing someone to kowtow?

Regardless, the decision to place an informant within the Bureau was, in itself, a sound one.

*Ding.*

[Nam Juyeon, it’s Jo Geon-wook from the Management Bureau. Remember me? We fought the Storm Dragon together in Squad 2.]

[Where are you now? We’ve prepared a place for you to stay within the Bureau, so stay here. Don’t wander off to some strange place. We’ve prepared everything you need. Just bring yourself.]

[Nam Juyeon? Are you perhaps ignoring me deliberately?]

As expected, countless text messages like these had been pouring in from the Bureau. I had even received messages from the Director and the Prime Minister, inquiring after my well-being using my personal number. I ignored most of them unless they were strictly necessary.

In truth, I had a valid excuse for disregarding the messages from those high-ranking individuals.

Since yesterday, reporters, media outlets, and even dubious peddlers and religious zealots had been bombarding me with texts, after somehow discovering my phone number.

I had now reached the point where I had completely blocked incoming calls and messages.

I switched the screen and opened an internet browser.

The latest article was, of course, about me.

[Seoul Awakened Management Bureau – S-Rank Awakened Nam Juyeon, “Ultra-High Salary Contract of ₩10 Billion Concluded”]

“…Ugh.”

To have my full name plastered across headlines felt like a different kind of shame than being the Dominator Actor.

I couldn’t resist the urge to open the comment section.

=

– ₩10 billion salary, holy shit, lol. Some people can’t even touch that amount in a lifetime.

ㄴ If you’re so salty, go be an Awakened.

ㄴ If I could, I would, you b*stard.

– Did you guys see the video of the Ilsan Nest subjugation the other day? Awakened were dying like flies; it’s no job for a human.

ㄴ My army friend almost died there, I heard.

– Is being an S-Rank that big of a deal? Enough to give them ₩10 billion for a contract?

ㄴ It’s damn amazing. Don’t you remember when the Hellfire Hounds killed over a thousand people? S-Ranks command monsters of that caliber.

ㄴ Shouldn’t the state control them then? It’s like an individual owning nuclear weapons.

ㄴ Are you an idiot? If that were possible, they wouldn’t have given them the S-Rank label in the first place.

ㄴ So jealous. Bet they can pick and choose any woman they want.

– Someone said their name is Nam Juyeon. Does anyone know what they look like?

ㄴ No personal information other than their name and address has been released yet, so I don’t know.

ㄴ Heard they look pretty average.

ㄴ Most of those claiming to be acquaintances are full of it.

=

S-Rank Awakened.

The Republic of Korea was abuzz with their appearance. No matter which online community you entered, no media outlet failed to cover it.

One day, I was suddenly a superstar, but it still felt unreal.

Selené, who had been peeking at the community reactions over my shoulder, twitched the corner of her lips, and spoke.

“It is fortunate that the ignorant masses are beginning to recognize even a fraction of their liege’s renown.”

“Nothing about this is fortunate.”

The problem was my life from now on.

I had suddenly become an S-Rank Awakened, and people knew my name.

The Management Bureau hadn’t made an official announcement, but it was self-evident that I would be the one representing Awakened protecting Seoul from now on.

Rumor had it, according to Kang Sena, that a scout seeking to recruit me overseas had infiltrated the country, concealing their identity. The government, it seemed, was in a frenzy to apprehend them.

This must be why Jo Geon-wook kept texting me. From the Bureau’s perspective, they’d want to put a leash on an S-class Awakened like me, someone beyond their usual standards, and keep me under control at any cost.

The government had offered an outrageous sum of money, along with tax exemptions, a grand mansion near Seoul with staff, and security befitting a head of state, complete with a private jet.

However, I’d refused the government’s offer of protection, along with the other perks.

“Selene.”

“Yes, Master. Is there something you wished to say?”

Having already brought the 5-star Calamity, Selene, under my thumb, there was no need for any additional security. It also felt wrong to be indebted to the government.

Besides, there was already one more unwanted guard attached to me.

A guard every bit as… enthusiastic as Selene.

Mirienne, the Storm of the Northern Sea.

She, too, was a 5-star Calamity.

“How was Mirienne?”

Yesterday, Selene had returned after finishing her conversation with Mirienne.

I intended to ask about the whole story.

Selene paused for a moment, carefully selecting her words before speaking.

“…Fortunately, that woman, Mirienne, understood my words perfectly.”

“Understood perfectly?”

“Yes. As a mage with an exceptional intellect, Mirienne readily grasped what I wished to convey. In the process, just as Master instructed, there was no unnecessary fighting. She understood my earnest request that she step down from this matter.”

Listening only to Selene, one could easily believe the story ended on a heartwarming note.

However, Selene always withheld crucial information.

Just in case, I asked.

“…Selene, you didn’t happen to… threaten Mirienne or anything, did you? Was the atmosphere tense?”

“Master, I was once a being who served a false god. Would I, of all people, disregard the weight of sin that falsehood carries?”

“…”

She was bringing up her past; I couldn’t say anything further.

If Selene said she handled it nicely, well, it didn’t really matter, I suppose.

But what was this subtle unease, this unsettling feeling that stirred within my heart?

As I pondered this, the hotel phone rang.

I picked up the receiver to hear a tired voice on the other end.

[Nam Ju-yeon, if you were going to stay in a hotel like this, you could have at least given me a heads-up.]

“Jo Geon-uk, is it?”

[Right. The Bureau’s been hounding me to find Ms. Nam Juyeon, so I practically flipped every hotel near Seoul.]

So, Jo Geon-uk finally tracked me down.

Well, I was just about to respond to the Bureau’s calls anyway, so maybe it doesn’t matter.

[We know your location being leaked has caused Ms. Nam Juyeon a great deal of trouble. We sincerely regret that.]

“You came all this way to tell me that?”

[Of course not.]

Jo Geon-uk chuckled, then got to the point.

[A Nest has appeared in Incheon.]

“A Nest…”

[A Nest with a Tier 3 Calamity. We’d like Ms. Nam Juyeon, as an S-Rank Awakened, to subjugate it. Ms. Nam Juyeon is an Awakened affiliated with Seoul, so you aren’t technically obligated to subjugate a Nest in Incheon, but if the port gets blocked, things could get messy. The government has prepared a substantial incentive.]

I frowned at Jo Geon-uk’s words.

“I have a question. If it’s just a Tier 3 Nest, wouldn’t other Awakened be burning to subjugate it?”

[Yeah. There are plenty of Awakened who’d love to get their hands on a Tier 3 Calamity, but there’s a minor problem.]

“A minor problem?”

[As Ms. Nam Juyeon well knows, Incheon is by the sea.]

“Don’t tell me…”

[Yeah. That’s exactly it. The Nest appeared in the ocean.]

A Nest that appeared in the ocean would inevitably be teeming with water-attribute Calamities.

And the dungeon’s attribute being water itself carries significant weight, both in Disaster Order and in this world where the game has become reality.

In a water-attribute dungeon, water-attribute Calamities receive stat bonuses, giving a Tier 3 Calamity combat power rivaling that of a near-Tier 4.

It was a headache-inducing situation, and I understood, to some extent, why Jo Geon-uk had been so desperate to find me.

[It’s your debut stage as an S-Rank Awakened. You need to show a subjugation that drastic so people won’t even think about messing with you, wouldn’t you agree?]

“…Ugh.”

Jo Geon-uk said it jokingly, but I couldn’t bring myself to laugh.

But it wasn’t something I could refuse.

[Why don’t you check your account?]

At Jo Geon-uk’s words, I opened my mobile banking app.

And I confirmed the weekly salary of 300 million won deposited into the account, along with the 1 billion won that had been deposited as a signing bonus.

“What the heck, let’s do it.”

Financial Therapy was truly magnificent.