《Absolute Dweller》 Prologue Prologue One day, the world suddenly copsed. There were various signs that the world woulde to ruin. A global pandemic that swept through the world, wars breaking out like lies, resulting economic downturn and famine, and finally, the nuclear war that unfolded as a consequence. Humanity was undeniably on the path to self-destruction. However, surprisingly, the culprits who severed the lifeline of humanity was not climate crises, meteorites, or nuclear wars. ¡°Damn monsters.¡± Goblins, orcs, trolls, dragons, creatures straight out of a cheap novel. Those monsters were the masterminds behind the downfall of humanity. ¡°No, it¡¯s notpletely over yet. I¡¯m still alive! Surely not just me, but others too¡­¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Roar! A monster bird, twice my size, was charging towards me. ¡°Damn!¡± Taken aback, I stumbled backward and fell. The ce I was in was the living room of my home, the living room on the top floor of a high-rise apartment. Beyond the living room window, which provided a clear view outside, the monster bird was rapidly approaching. With its speed and momentum, it seemed like breaking through the living room window was no problem, and it would likely bite into my neck. However. Crash! The monster bird, flying with full force, mmed its face into the window, then bounced off nicely. Watching it plummet to the ground, it seemed to have lost consciousness. Right after, an alert appeared before my eyes. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] ¡°Whew.¡± That¡¯s right. Just like the clich¨¦d opening of a cheap novel, the world had copsed, and I awakened to a unique ability along with a status window. [The Absolute Dweller] Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration (Passive) Level 1 -No one can invade the dwelling space without the Absolute Dweller¡¯s permission. Perhaps due to my usual lifestyle of never stepping a foot outside my home, I gained this strange ability. But the ability that just saved my life was precisely this. Yeah, I get it. It¡¯s a great thing. The fact that I¡¯m still alive is all thanks to this ability. ¡°Ah, damn.¡± However, the thing that¡¯s irritating about this ability is precisely this. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] Three days since the world copsed. I am still confined to my dwelling space. Chapter 1: The Absolute Dweller (1) Chapter 1: The Absolute Dweller (1) [Episode 01] The Absolute Dweller (1) For now, it¡¯s possible to grasp and turn the doorknob of the entrance door. But the moment I push the door, a sensation as if blocked by a transparent wall urs, and the following message appears. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] ¡°Ah, damn!¡± The doorknob turns, but the door won¡¯t open. ¡®I have to somehow get outside¡­¡¯ I know. At this point, going outside is an insane idea. The world copsed three days ago. The sole reason I¡¯ve survived until now is entirely thanks to my ability. Outside, dangerous monsters are lurking. Encountering just one monster bird that mmed its head into the living room window could turn someone like me into a meal. Nevertheless, despite the danger, I had two reasons to go outside. One is family. ¡®Mom, Dad, even grandparents.¡¯ All my beloved family members are outside. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] ¡°Sigh¡­¡± There were somewhatplicated reasons for being separated from my family. Three rooms. Two bathrooms. In this 30-square-meter apartment, including the narrow space where the living room and kitchen arebined, I was the only one technically living here. My father¡¯s choice led us to buy this apartment,bining a bank loan of 200 million and our family¡¯s entire property of 200 million. Father¡¯s gamble paid off, and the apartment we bought for 400 million surpassed 1 billion in just half a year. As someone not born with a silver spoon, the reason I could afford to live alone in such a luxurious apartment was to fulfill the actual residency of two years to benefit from tax reductions. To avoid a tax bomb, I had to hold onto the house for at least two years before selling it, and that¡¯s how I ended up guarding the house during that time. Of course, things didn¡¯t go smoothly afterward. The copsed economy due to COVID-19 and war affected the real estate market, and the house value that surpassed 1 billion plummeted to 700 million. Moreover, the interest on the money borrowed from the bank was soaring, making it quite precarious. ¡®That¡¯s now a futile story.¡¯ Whether the world has copsed or not, whether it¡¯s the bank debt or the fluctuation of apartment prices, what does it matter? Especially when I can¡¯t sell it anyway. ¡®Please be safe.¡¯ Wishing for the safety of my family, I pressed the call button on my smartphone. [¡¤¡¤¡¤Connecting¡¤¡¤¡¤] As expected. Just like the past three days, no change urred, no matter how long I waited. Phone calls, messages, KakaoTalk¡ªeverything was dead. Knowing it wouldn¡¯t work, I opened KakaoTalk and attempted to send a message. -Mom, are you okay? ¡°Please, just¡­¡± But as expected, the results were the same. ?? Mom, are you okay? The message didn¡¯t send; instead, the resend button appeared. Then it happened. [Temporary error has urred. Please try againter. (Error code: 580, LO)] A new message appeared, and the KakaoTalk apppletely shut down. I tried turning it on several times, but the result was the same. Curious, I looked at the top of my phone, and there was an icon indicating that the data was disconnected. ¡°Damn.¡± I somewhat expected it. In fact, it was more surprising that the data had held up for three days. Large websites like Google and Naver had be inessible on the day the world copsed. Frustrated, I clenched my fist, but it didn¡¯t change anything. ¡®I have to figure something out.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t the only problem. ¡®If I stay trapped like this, I¡¯ll starve to death.¡¯ Not only the inte but everything was getting cut off. Water, electricity, gas, and more. Essential elements for daily life were disappearing rapidly. ¡®At least there¡¯s enough water.¡¯ Fortunately, I had ordered plenty of water from Coupang. There were twenty 2-liter bottles and forty-seven 500ml bottles, all filled to the brim, whether in bottles or cups. I ordered it to avoid the hassle of boiling filtered water each time, andziness had inadvertently saved me. ¡®The problem is food.¡¯ Yesterday, the electricity went out, causing the refrigerator to lose power. Simultaneously, all the side dishes in the refrigerator faced their inevitable demise. Despite trying to keep the door closed and relying on the cold air in the freezer, it wouldn¡¯tst for long. ¡®There are only a few packs of instant noodles left.¡¯ All that remained were three mild-vored Jin Ramen packs. ¡®If I knew it woulde to this, I should have bought instant noodles in bulk¡­¡¯ Thanks to my parents, who replenished the refrigerator with side dishes every week, I never thought about stocking up on food. Now, the remaining food would barelyst a week. ¡®Even if I eat sparingly, it will eventually run out.¡¯ Ultimately, it meant I had to go outside to survive. However. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] ¡°¡­¡± Thanks to this ability thatpletely protected me from fierce monsters, I would eventually starve to death. When the food runs out, I¡¯ll slowly wither away from hunger. ¡®This is the worst.¡¯ With a desperate heart, I reached out through the living room window. If only I could go out, even if it meant going through the window. But. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] ¡°Damn it!¡± I threw a punch towards that now annoying message. Along with the sensation of hitting a solid wall, my fist stung. ¡®What kind of ¡°absolute dweller¡± can¡¯t even go outside his own territory?¡¯ ¡®¡­Pathetic.¡¯ Even now, in this copsed world, I remained the same. A filial son who wouldn¡¯t step outside and leech off his parents, not even providing for them. A 28-year-old parasite, still relying on his parents for allowance and shamelessly eating their food. A worthless leech that didn¡¯t contribute anything to the world. ¡°¡­Damn.¡± But then, a notification sound. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A message appeared, something I hadn¡¯t seen once in the past three days. [Hunted Kellican (Lv. 23).] ¡®Kellican?¡¯ Right after that. [Acquired arge amount of experience points.] [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] Numerous new messages appeared. As I observed them, I suddenly recalled the massive bird creature that crashed heavily against the living room window. I extended my head out of the window to check below. ¡°Squawk!¡± ¡°Kyaak!¡± Around the carcass of the monster bird, dozens of small creatures with greenish skin, goblins, were swarming, feasting on it. Viewed from the high-rise, it looked like an ant swarm. ¡®Are they finishing what¡¯s left?¡¯ It seemed that the goblins hunted the monster bird after it lost consciousness from the impact. Strictly speaking, I was the one who knocked out the monster bird, so I gained experience points too. Thanks to that, my skill level had risen by two steps. ¡®Well, leveling up the homebound skill won¡¯t be of much use.¡¯ However, that judgment was too hasty. [Acquired a new skill.] [There are loot items nearby that meet the conditions.] [Initiating loot settlement.] ¡°Huh?¡± Right after checking the unfamiliar notifications, a change urred. ¡°Keaaak!!¡± ¡°What¡­ what is this?¡± Startled by the sudden outbreak of goblins, I hastily looked down again. There, a slightly different scene unfolded where the feast had taken ce. The festive atmosphere waspletely gone, and the goblins around were uttering desperate screams. ¡®Why is this happening?¡¯ The reason for the goblins¡¯ outbreak was the change in the monster bird¡¯s carcass. ¡®Is it disappearing?¡¯ Parts of the monster bird¡¯s carcass were vanishing in real-time. From the goblins¡¯ perspective, it was as if the meat of their prey was decreasing in real-time. So, they could do nothing but scream. [Loot settlementpleted.] After checking the message, I looked down. ¡®The corpse has decreased by about a third¡­¡¯ [Funds of 2,203,241 won have been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Seeing the number in the new message, I instinctively muttered. ¡®Tens, hundreds of thousands, millions¡­ Two million won? Suddenly deposited?¡¯ For me, who usually received allowance, two million won was an enormous sum of money. ¡®What on earth is happening¡­¡¯ Before I couldprehend the situation, another change urred. sh The living room became a bit brighter. It only reached a level slightly brighter than midday, but nheless, it brightened. ¡®I-is electricity back?¡¯ It was certain that the electricity had been cut off yesterday. I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but the appearance of monsters likely caused severe damage to the city infrastructure. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible for it to recover this quickly. ¡®It¡¯s the skill! I clearly got a new skill earlier!¡¯ In a hurry, I opened the status window to check the changes in the skill. [The Absolute Dweller] Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration (Passive) Lv. 3 -No one can invade the dwelling space without the permission of the absolute dweller. Dignity Maintenance of the Absolute Dweller (Passive) Lv. 1 -Restores the functions of the entire dwelling space to maintain dignity. Shop of the Absolute Dweller Lv. 1 -Allows purchasing registered items in the shop at regr prices. Wallet of the Absolute Dweller Lv. Max -Current bnce: 2,203,240 won Three new skills had been added. Among them, the return of electricity seemed to be due to the skill ¡®Dignity Maintenance of the Absolute Dweller.¡¯ ¡®Restores the functions of the entire dwelling space for dignity maintenance?¡¯ I quickly stood up and ran to where the refrigerator was. Woong The refrigerator, which had be a makeshift icebox when the electricity went out, was now making the sound of the refrigerant circting. Squeak I cautiously grabbed the refrigerator door and applied a bit of force. ¡°!!¡± As soon as I opened the refrigerator door, light greeted me. ¡°It¡¯s working! Electricity has reallye back!¡± Not just the refrigerator. Right next to it, water was flowing from the sink, and the water purifier started working properly. The gas stove and induction also lit up correctly. Curious, I checked my phone and found that the Wi-Fi was connected. ¡®It really returned to normal. To before the world copsed¡­!¡¯ With the return of electricity, the TV andputer also powered on. Of course, the TV, which only transmitted a flickering screen without normal channels, was somewhat useless. However, theputer could still y offline games, so it wasn¡¯t entirely useless. ¡®But seeing a fully functional monitor does bring relief.¡¯ Before the world copsed, I spent most of my time in front of the monitor. Perhaps that¡¯s why just looking at the normally bootedputer screen brought a sense of peace. Could it be said that it felt like returning to before the world copsed? ¡®Inte is connected, but¡­ as expected, there are no essible sites.¡¯ Before the electricity was cut off, there were sites that could be essed. There were constant reports about the worldwide appearance of monsters and rted damages. But now, there wasn¡¯t a single site that I could ess. ¡®The servers must have gone down.¡¯ Until the electricity was cut off, I could ess sites that provided real-time updates on the situation in Seoul. There, giant monsters were demolishing entire buildings. ¡®At least I¡¯m fortunate to be in Busan.¡¯ There were no giant monstersparable to high-rises in Busan. While absentmindedly searching through theputer, I noticed something. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was a file of pictures taken when my family went on a trip to Jeju Ind a long time ago. Back then, my mom, who had just bought a digital camera, took over a hundred pictures to get her money¡¯s worth. Among them, a picture of the three of us taken by someone else caught my eye. ¡°¡­¡± In the photo, I had an awkward smile, while my mom and dad embraced me from both sides, smiling happily. ¡°Mom, Dad.¡± My voice trembled and it felt like tears could pour out at any moment. ¡®I have to bring Mom and Dad back. Absolutely.¡¯ Chapter 2: The Absolute Dweller (2) Chapter 2: The Absolute Dweller (2) [Episode 01] The Absolute Dweller (2) Slurp¨D The freshly boiled, chewy noodles eagerly slid into my mouth. Perhaps due to using less water, the intense vor of the ramen broth stimted my taste buds. Adding a half-cooked egg yolk into my mouth created a perfect harmony. After finishing the noodles, I generously poured the remaining broth over a bowl of rice and ate it together. ¡°Ah.¡± With ramen and ricebined, it felt like my stomach was about to burst. ¡°Hmm.¡± Just a moment ago, I was teary-eyed with my parents¡¯ worries, and now, observing myself voraciously filling my stomach, I felt a bit self-conscious. ¡®Did I eat too well¡­¡¯ Having filled my stomach, I soaked the dishes in water for washing and returned to the area near the living room window. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] ¡®Still impossible.¡¯ I checked, just in case, but it was as I expected. ¡®Although the skill level has increased, I still can¡¯t go outside.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t entirely without hope. ¡®I see a possibility.¡¯ The fact that hunting monsters increases the skill level was a glimmer of hope. As the skill level increased, new skills with additional functionalities emerged. ¡®I might gain a skill that allows me to go outside as the level goes up.¡¯ So, my current goal was clear. ¡®Hunt monsters to level up the skill.¡¯ However, there was a significant issue with this n. ¡®But how can I hunt monsters if I can¡¯t go outside?¡¯ To level up, I needed to hunt monsters, and unfortunately, they were all roaming outside. As someone confined to the dwelling space, my options for hunting monsters were extremely limited. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can rely on luck like just now.¡¯ Catching the monster bird named Kellican was entirely due to good fortune. Being able to stun it thanks to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration skill and seizing the opportunity to finish off the goblins that attacked was also quite lucky. It was unlikely for such fortunate events to ur again. ¡®Goblins might be manageable.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a particrly impressive strategy. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] As you can see, if I reached out just beyond the living room window, an invisible barrier prevented me. However, this only pushed ¡®me¡¯ away. I threw the crumpled tissue that I held in one hand out. The tissue passed emptily next to where my hand was touching, falling outside. ¡®Alright, it works.¡¯ Fortunately, this ce was the top floor of the apartment, the 30th floor. Moreover, perhaps because the Kellican¡¯s remaining carcass was quite heavy, the goblins were still unable to deal with it even now. The Kellican¡¯s corpse yed the role of a perfect lure. If it was a reasonably heavy object, it could serve as a weapon, and if I aimed well, I could probably dispatch the goblins with one blow. ¡®With this, it should be enough.¡¯ 3kg dumbbell. It was an item that my mom personally bought, suggesting that I do some exercise. Of course, I used it only a handful of times. It¡¯s a bit ambiguous to say I used it when I¡¯ve only lifted it a few times. But who would have thought it would be used like this? ¡®Thank you, Mom.¡¯ The problem was the number of dumbbells. ¡®Just two¡­¡¯ Even if I did well, catching only two goblins was the limit. ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ As I pondered while holding the dumbbell, I saw goblins carrying the Kellican¡¯s remaining corpse. There were more goblins than before clinging to the Kellican¡¯s body. Despite their whining, the Kellican¡¯s corpse was slowly moving. ¡®Oh no.¡¯ The goblins were leaving. ¡®I can¡¯t miss this opportunity!¡¯ I had observed them for the past few days, but seeing this many goblins gathered was a first. It was all thanks to the Kellican¡¯s corpse. ¡®Take this!¡¯ Swish! I threw the dumbbell out of the window at a terrifying speed. And¡­ Thunk! ¡°Keak!¡± ¡°Kek!¡± From where the dumbbell hit, there was a gruesome sound of bones shattering, and blood sprayed. ¡®¡­I messed up.¡¯ However, the dumbbell didn¡¯t hit the goblin¡¯s head. Itnded where the Kellican¡¯s head used to be. ¡®It¡¯s down to just one now.¡¯ It was despair. Sure, there were still items like theputer and TV that I could use to catch goblins. But using them just to catch goblins seemed too wasteful. Rationally, I knew these were unnecessary items. But¡­ ¡®How much are these worth¡­¡¯ This was in the realm of sentiment. Maybe I wasn¡¯t that desperate yet. ¡®But I don¡¯t think I can throw the TV orputer body with my strength.¡¯ At best, I could push them out of the window, but that alone wouldn¡¯t reach where the goblins were. ¡®This is just right.¡¯ In reality, the dumbbell didn¡¯t fly far from where the goblins were. It missed, but¡­ ¡®Is there anything else?¡¯ I prayed inside the house, scouring every corner with the hope of finding a dumbbell, but none appeared. Well, even if I were my mom, I wouldn¡¯t have bought a dumbbell for someone like me who didn¡¯t use it even once. There¡¯s no point in buying something I won¡¯t use. It¡¯s just wasting money. ¡®Did those goblins really leave during this time?¡¯ I peeked out the living room window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the goblins¡¯ situation. However, I made eye contact with the goblins. ¡®Darn!¡¯ On top of the Kellican¡¯s head, a goblin held the dumbbell I threw, pointing it towards my location and making gestures with its fingers. ¡°Keck!¡± ¡°Keaeek!¡± The goblins began to rave, pointing at me. It seemed like they had noticed that I was the one who threw the dumbbell. They abandoned the Kellican¡¯s corpse and rushed towards the inside of my apartment. ¡®Are theying up?¡¯ The lower floors of the apartment had already been overrun by the goblins. Judging from the fact that they were dragging the Kellican¡¯s corpse into the apartment, it seemed like they had turned the lower floors into their nest. ¡°Keaeek! Kyaak!¡± ¡°Kegegegek!¡± As evidence, dozens of goblins poured out from there and started screaming towards the high-rise where I was. There were many more goblins gathered much closer than before. ¡®Should I throw the TV? I might be able to kill several at once now. Once the new skill feature is unlocked¡­ Huh?¡¯ Suddenly, I remembered one crucial fact. ¡°Ah!¡± Amidst the chaos when electricity and gas were restored, I had overlooked one skill I hadn¡¯t checked yet. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop Level 1 The shop skill opened along with the dignity maintenance skill. ¡°Open Shop.¡± As soon as I uttered themand, a new window appeared before my eyes. ¡¾The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop¡¿ (Please register items.) ?Current Bnce: 2,203,239 won ? Register Item ¡®Looking at the current bnce, it seems to be linked with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet skill.¡¯ As there were no registered items yet, the screen was empty. Holding the dumbbell in one hand, I approached the shop window and said, ¡°Register item.¡± [Would you like to register this item?] ¡°Sure.¡± At that moment, light emitted from the shop window, scanning the dumbbell I was holding. [Registration of ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell 3kg isplete.] Simultaneously, a familiar image of the dumbbell appeared in the shop window, along with a new item. ¡¾The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop¡¿ ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell 3kg (16,990 won) ?Current Bnce: 2,203,239 won ? Register Item ¡®The price matches what I paid at Coupang.¡¯ It seemed that the market value remained the same as before the world copsed. ¡®I bought two sets from Coupang.¡¯ The image in the shop window showed two dumbbells intersecting each other. ¡°Purchase ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell.¡± [Are you sure you want to purchase?] [Yes / No] ¡°Yes.¡± The moment I confirmed the purchase. Ching! With the sound of coins jingling, the shop window began to emit light towards the living room floor. Zing! Two identical dumbbells appeared there, mirroring the one I was holding. ¡®Perfect!¡¯ Carefully cing the dumbbell I held on the floor, I picked up the newly created one. ¡®Good weight.¡¯ The texture and weight in my hand were exactly the same as the original. ¡®Great.¡¯ Without hesitation, I threw it out the window. And¡­ Thunk! [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience.] [3,345 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] ¡°Yes!¡± ¡®Perhaps due to the goblins being crowded right below, I was able to hit them all at once.¡¯ ¡°Keaaak!¡± ¡°Kekkek!¡± ¡°Kaaaack!¡± With goblins dead below, chaos ensued. I threw the dumbbell once more towards the creatures. This time, as soon as the dumbbell was seen, goblins scattered in all directions. Kwaaaang! Thanks to that, the dumbbell hit the ground, creating a loud noise. ¡°Good.¡± Even though it missed, there was no need for regret. ¡°Purchased three sets of ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell.¡± Ziiiiing! Now that I could easily obtain dumbbells, I threw one again. Swish! Thud! [Hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have gained experience.] [2,512 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] That¡¯s when I seeded in hunting two more goblins. [Skill level has increased.] [Learned a new skill.] ¡®Nice!¡¯ I was a bit worried about goblin levels, but I leveled up faster than expected. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s thanks to the experience from defeating the Kellican.¡¯ The Kellican¡¯s level was an impressive 23. If the experience gained from defeating it was sufficient until just before leveling up, this progress was quite possible. I immediately checked the newly acquired skill. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse Lv. 1 A space where items can be stored. Just looking at the skill name, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disappointed. ¡®Another storage skill this time.¡¯ Without looking further into what kind of skill it was, the description alone conveyed its nature. ¡°Warehouse open.¡± Ding! With a cheerful notification sound, a window simr to the shop appeared. I conveniently ced one of the remaining dumbbells there. [Would you like to store this item in the warehouse?] ¡°Yeah.¡± Ziiiiing! The light pouring out from the store window, simr to the one from the shop window, showered down towards the dumbbell, and the weight of the dumbbell in my hand faded away as if it were an illusion. ¡¾The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse¡¿ ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell 3kg (1) Confirming that the dumbbell had entered the warehouse, I opened my mouth while looking at the empty space. ¡°Summon dumbbell.¡± Jiiiiing! The light emanating from the warehouse, as if it knew, directed itself towards the empty space I was staring at, and soon, the dumbbell appeared from there. Tuck! Having caught the dumbbell that appeared in the empty space, I smiled with a sense of aplishment. ¡°It works.¡± I could summon items from the warehouse to any ce I desired. ¡°If that¡¯s the case.¡± After storing the dumbbell in the warehouse once again, I approached the living room window. Then, reaching out through the window, I spoke while observing the goblins crowded below. [The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the dwelling space.] Confirming the appearance of the notification window, blocked by the transparent wall, I carefully observed the location of the goblins gathered below. And, aiming at the empty space about 3m beyond the transparent wall, I said: ¡°Dumbbell summon.¡± Jiiiiing! Light from the warehouse urately shot towards the location I wanted, and a dumbbell appeared in the empty space. The dumbbell that appeared in the empty space rapidly fell due to gravity. Kwajik! With the dumbbell hitting the head of a goblin, a cheerful notification sound apanied by system messages appeared. [Goblin (Lv. 6) has been hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [2,733 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Chapter 3: The Absolute Dweller (3) Chapter 3: The Absolute Dweller (3) [Episode 01] The Absolute Dweller (3) Fortunately, it¡¯s been a week since I sessfully hunted the Kellican, leveled up my skills, and gained new skills. ¡°Purchase Mild vor Shin Ramyun.¡± [Do you really want to buy it?] [Yes / No] ¡°Yes.¡± Jiing¡ª In the spot where the light emanated from the shop window, a bag of Shin Ramyun Mild vor, containing five servings, appeared. I lifted it to check the expiration date. ¡°The expiration date is three dayster than the ramyun bag I bought a few days ago.¡± As expected, it was always updated to the expiration date on the day of the transaction. Among the newly acquired skills, the most useful was undoubtedly the ¡®Absolute Dwell Master¡¯s Shop¡¯ skill. This skill allowed me to freely purchase items by registering them in the shop. In fact, the reason I didn¡¯t starve to death during this time was mainly because of this skill. ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing that I can only register exactly ten items¡­¡± During this time, I found out a few things while using the shop. For example, you could only register exactly ten items, and once an item was registered, it couldn¡¯t be deleted. Also, ¡°The condition of the first scanned item determines the condition of the items sold in the shop.¡± For instance, when I first registered ramyun, it had three months left until its expiration date. So, every ramyun I bought from the shop had exactly three months left until its expiration date. In other words, the item sold in the shop matched the exact condition of the item when it was first registered. ¡°Well, three months is more than enough to eat and still have some left.¡± In the current situation where there were no suitable side dishes, and delivery was impossible, ramyun was the best option. Sizzling water was poured into a pot, ced on the gas stove, and then the me was ignited. Ddat-ddat-ddack hwaruruk. Having confirmed that the fire was lit, I added the chunky soup base and the powder soup, waiting for the water to boil. Once again, my lunch for today was¡­ ¡°Is it ramen~ Is it ramen~ Oh~ ramen¡­¡± I was humming a song when I suddenly stopped and fell into a moment of self-reflection. ¡°¡­¡± In a world that had copsed, with uncertainty about my parents¡¯ well-being, here I was, singing and humming casually inside the house my parents had provided by investing their entire fortune. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Gurururu. Nevertheless, I had to eat to survive. As I heard the boiling water, I put the noodles in. Watching the ramen absentmindedly, I swirled the noodles with chopsticks at the right moment. Then, at the perfect timing, I cracked an egg into the bowl. A littleter, after transferring it to a bowl, the ramen had the perfect chewiness in its noodles. I had developed a certain knack for this by repeating the process for quite a few days. Slurp. It tasted as expected, but there was a sense that itcked about 2%. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m getting tired of ramyun since I eat it all the time.¡± It had been over three years since I started living alone, but this was the first time I had continuously eaten noodles like this. Usually, my mom visited once a week. Even if she told me to rx, she always cleaned the house, made side dishes, or cooked curry for me. When my mom came and left, the fridge was always full of food, and all I had to do was cook rice. Since I needed to finish everything before the side dishes went bad, there was almost no need to cook ramen. ¡°¡­Mom.¡± It had only been a little over a week since I couldn¡¯t eat the side dishes my mom made for me, but why did I suddenly miss the taste so much? I didn¡¯t miss it this much even during my time in the military. Thunk. Unexpectedly, a single tear rolled down. I absentmindedly wiped my face and thought, ¡°Is my mind deteriorating?¡± Just a moment ago, I was singing while cooking ramen; now I was shedding tears with ramen in my mouth. Even to myself, my mental state didn¡¯t seem great. ¡°I need to get myself together.¡± The ramen was only halfway finished, but I had no appetite. ¡°I should throw it away.¡± Food waste. Originally, I had to avoid producing it as much as possible, and if it did umte, I had to collect it and dispose of itter. However, I now had another option. ¡°Warehouse open.¡± Having opened the warehouse, I looked at the ramen bowl and gave amand. ¡°Store the contents of the bowl. Noodles, soup, and the chunks, everything.¡± [Would you like to store it in the warehouse?] ¡°Yeah.¡± The light from the warehouse illuminated the ramen bowl, and the inside of the bowl was emptied as if it had been washed like dishes. This way, I could store the remaining food. Through various experiments, I had discovered that food did not mix or decay inside the warehouse. ¡°It¡¯s quite useful. I might be able to eat it if I run out of food.¡± After finishing the meal, I roughly rinsed the bowl and piled it up in the sink. ¡°Son! You should do the dishes right away!¡± Seeing the piled-up dishes as if they were a mountain of chores, my mom¡¯s voice, which used to nag me every time, came to mind again, and I felt down once more. ¡°Hoo. Shop open.¡± ¡¾The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop¡¿ ssic Non-Slip Dumbbell 3kg (?16,990) Jin Ramyun Mild vor (?3,100) Jeju Samdasoo, 2L, 12 packs (?12,400) GomGom Our Rice 5kg (?14,890) GomGom Special Eggs, 10 count (?3,950) Easily Digestible Milk, 930ml, 2 packs (?6,220) Yangban Olive Kim 24 packs (?9,800) Can Oil, 900ml, 2 packs (?12,330) Half-empty Ottogi Tomato Ketchup, 500g (?3,350) Orange Peel (?300) ?Avable Bnce: ?1,893,340 ?Register Item Currently, there are a total of 10 items registered in the shop. Starting with the dumbbell registered to catch goblins, items include ramen, water, rice, eggs, milk, seaweed, cooking oil, and other essential daily necessities. The evidence of my first mistake was the ¡®half-empty ketchup¡¯. ¡°I thought it would just be a new product when registered in the shop.¡± But no, it ended upbeled as ¡®half-empty.¡¯ It was a stroke of luck that the ketchup I bought as an experiment was indeed in the same condition as when I registered it in the shop, having never been opened before. And the veryst item in the shop. Orange Peel (?300) Just looking at that makes my blood pressure rise. Confirming that ketchup could be registered in an iplete state, my unnecessary experimental spirit kicked in, and I decided to register orange peels. ¡°I wonder if even this garbage can be registered?¡± It was a pure curiosity that led me tomit this folly. ¡°You moron.¡± The price of curiosity was substantial. Right after trying to register shampoo, I had to face the notification [You can no longer register items in the shop]. ¡°I should have been more careful.¡± I hated my past self for acting without thinking, but what¡¯s done is done. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Seeing that the shop skill has levels, there must be a way to level up. Then the number of items that can be registered should increase.¡± It was absurd for the shop named ¡®Homebound Master¡¯ to be limited to only 10 items. Items registered ranged from a dumbbell for goblin hunting to ramen, water, rice, eggs, milk, seaweed, cooking oil, and other essential daily necessities. Discovering that you can only level up before opening new products was important. This way, you could getpletely new items when registering them in the shop. Looking at the shop window and contemting various thoughts, at that moment, ¡°Huh?¡± ?Avable Bnce: ?1,893,339 Even though I hadn¡¯t done anything, my avable bnce decreased by 1 won. ¡°What is this?¡± Pondering deeply, I could onlye to one conclusion. ¡°It seems the Dignity Maintenance skill also costs money.¡± To maintain electricity, gas, and water, it seemed I had to spend money. Even though I wasn¡¯t doing anything, money was being spent because the refrigerator was running. ¡°This is a big problem.¡± There were many expenses, but there was no way to earn money right now. The only way to make money was hunting goblins, but now that was impossible. ¡°Damn goblin bastards.¡± Goblins were too quick and had already moved their residence. After the day I hunted a few using the dumbbell, they cursed me for a moment and then ran away. Thanks to them, the number of goblins I hunted over the past week was only 13. Most of them were from the first day. Since the goblins moved away, I could barely catch two after the first day. ¡°It¡¯s so inefficient.¡± The first day was quite profitable. Buying a dumbbell set for ?16,990 and killing two goblins would return about ?5,000. It was possible to hunt goblins efficiently because they were gathered under the living room window. Thanks to it, I could hit it no matter how I threw it. ¡®But now, throwing ten of them to catch one goblin?¡¯ It means spending a whopping 170,000 won to catch one goblin. At this rate, even the 2 million won I earned by luckily hunting the Kellican would quickly be used up. ¡®If that happens, it¡¯s over.¡¯ Once I spend all that money, not only the food but also the dignity maintenance skill of the absolute dweller will be cut off. ¡®Damn it. Isn¡¯t there any worthy prey?¡¯ In the past, when I looked down on the apartment walking path, I could always see goblins walking in groups, but now the frequency was too low. Even if I spent the whole day looking out the window, I could only find one or two groups, and among them, the number of goblinsing within the throwing range to kill with the dumbbell was minimal. ¡®At least that one used to be there, so some goblins came.¡¯ The remains of the Kellican that the goblins left behind. Maybe because of that, goblin groups hade a few times. But since the distance to where the Kellican¡¯s corpse was left was far, it was impossible to hunt using the method of summoning a dumbbell from the warehouse, and I had to throw it myself. Naturally, the uracy was outrageously low. ¡®Today, not a single one is visible.¡¯ Moreover, the situation was getting worse. Whether the rumor had spread among the goblins or not, I couldn¡¯t see goblin groups all day today and yesterday. ¡®I need to find some way.¡¯ I needed some groundbreaking method. ¡®For example, a Kellican flying and crashing into the window.¡¯ Thinking again, that was really a stroke of luck. ¡®If that hadn¡¯t happened, I would have dried up slowly.¡¯ If I didn¡¯t have arge amount of experience points to raise the skill level, I wouldn¡¯t have awakened the shop and dignity maintenance skills, and by now, I would have consumed all the food-like food. Maybe I was chewing on raw rice. ¡®Ah, isn¡¯t a stupid Kellican passing by?¡¯ In such a situation, the sky seen from the high-rise apartment was clear without a single cloud, although the sound might seem calm. ¡°The weather¡¯s nice.¡± That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤?¡± A ck dot appeared in the blue sky on the other side, like a dot, gradually getting bigger until it became the size of a fist. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ Only then could I identify what it was. Because I had seen something identical about a week ago. ¡®Kellican!¡¯ It was the giant monster bird, Kellican. A situation that I had imagined several times in the past week. The course of action had already been decided. ¡°Aaah! Here! You monster¨D!!¡± I opened the living room window, vigorously waving my arms to make loud noises so that it could notice me. The creature jumped around loudly to ensure that it could see me. ¡®Please!¡¯ With earnest emotions. ¡°Here! Over here¨D! You damn monster!¡± I aggroed it. And it was a sess. ¡®Got it!¡¯ Our eyes met. The creature was flying directly towards me. ¡®Nice!¡¯ When the excited Kellican mmed its head in my direction, the game would be over. It would fall to the ground, just like the previous time when it fainted. Now there were no goblins to finish off the Kellican¡¯s breathing, but there was no problem. ¡®Because I can finish it off with the dumbbell myself.¡¯ The Kellican was flying towards me at a terrifying speed. However, unlike the previous time, there was no sense of fear. My heart was only burning with anticipation. ¡®If I can just catch that thing, it¡¯s a guaranteed level up.¡¯ Moreover, that creature was evenrger than the one I sawst time. Naturally, its level would be higher. In that case, I would get much more experience points, and it would also provide more money. It was aplete jackpot. ¡°Come on, you bastard!¡± It was at that moment when I was provocatively shouting with all my might. Flutter! Just before the creature hit the window, a strong gust of wind blew. ¡°Ugh!¡± Due to the sudden rush of wind, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± The creature¡¯s figure had disappeared without a trace. ¡®What on earth¡­?¡¯ Where could it have gone? Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. ¡®No way?¡¯ I slowly lifted my head, and my eyes met with the Kellican, standing tall on the rooftop of the apartment, staring down at me. Chapter 4: The Absolute Dweller (4) Chapter 4: The Absolute Dweller (4) [Episode 01] The Absolute Dweller (4) The moment our eyes met, I felt my entire body freeze. Fear wrapped around me, and my feet stiffened. The creature, with its massive size and predatory eyes, was the epitome of a predator. Gulp. The sound of swallowing saliva resonated loudly. In the next moment, Kellican abruptly thrust its mouth toward me. Thunk! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] Only after an invisible barrier blocked the creature¡¯s teeth did I realize that it intended to pounce on me. ¡°Ugh!¡± Blocked by the transparent wall, the creature slid down, but soon pped its wings and ascended. In that state, it pressed its teeth against the wall, aiming at me. Squeak! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] ¡­ ¡­ Right in front of me, watching the creature¡¯s teeth and the inside of its mouth live, a sudden uneasy thought crossed my mind. ¡®It won¡¯t break through, will it?¡¯ Anxiety that the creature¡¯s fierce teeth might prate the invisible wall and reach my throat. As I imagined this, I snapped back to my senses. ¡®I have to do something somehow!¡¯ Without hesitation, I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stood in front of the Kellican. Ignoring my movements, the creature remained focused on chewing the invisible wall. While estimating the length of the knife and the distance to the creature, I reached a conclusion. ¡®The knife is too short.¡¯ The typical kitchen knife had a length of only about 20 centimeters. Considering that my body would be blocked by the transparent wall, the effective range of the knife was barely a handspan. Naturally, to strike the creature, I needed to target a spot close to the transparent wall, but the only ce fitting that description was the creature¡¯s mouth, chewing on the transparent wall. The tough beak and the teeth inside it. Shoving a kitchen knife there didn¡¯t seem to have much effect. ¡®If I want to stab it in the throat, I need to make it like a spear.¡¯ Luckily, I had the right materials. I fixed the kitchen knife to the end of a mop I bought from Daiso and tightly wound it with tape. As I did this, a usible weapon waspleted. Checking that the kitchen knife was securely fixed, I smiled with satisfaction. ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ Squeak! [Unauthorized ess attempt.] The creature remained absorbed in the transparent wall, unaware of anything. ¡®Now!¡¯ With all my strength, I thrust the spear into the creature¡¯s neck, sinking it halfway. Squeal! The creature recoiled in terror, causing the spear toe out and further aggravate its wound. Splurt! The blood spurted from the creature¡¯s body, blocked by the transparent wall, but the amount was quite substantial. ¡®Got it!¡¯ However. Squeal! Despite the blood flowing from its neck, the creature was still moving perfectly fine. Thud! Thud! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] It rammed the transparent wall with its head, venting its frustration. The sight of it violently hitting the wall resembled a wounded beast determined to kill me even if it meant its own death. ¡°Ha, one more time!¡± Regainingposure, I reached out with the spear again. However. Whoosh! ¡°Oops!¡± This time, the creature was attentive to my movements. As I thrust the spear, it caught the spearhead with its beak and pulled it towards itself. Squelch! The stic spearhead from Daiso shattered inside Kellican¡¯s beak, causing me to lose the kitchen knife attached to its front. ¡°If this continues¡­¡± Squeal! There was another small fruit knife, but it wasn¡¯t as sharp as the kitchen knife. Probably wouldn¡¯t inflict much damage. ¡®Plus, with the creature watching me, my attacks are unlikely to hit.¡¯ The only hopeful thing was that even in its frenzy, the creature continued to spew blood from its neck. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] The transparent wall was perfectly blocking the intrusion, so it wasn¡¯t particrly frightening anymore. Just wait patiently, and it would be over. As time passed and the creature¡¯s blood smeared the transparent wall, it was clearly getting exhausted. Finally, the creature, which hadpletely stopped moving, merely stared at me without attacking the transparent wall anymore. It seemed to be contemting something. As I locked eyes with the creature, an unsettling hypothesis came to mind. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ It seemed like the creature had realized that breaking through the transparent wall was impossible. So, what if the creature gave up like this? If it flew away to the sky before dying from excessive bleeding, what would happen? ¡®Looting is only activated when the corpse is nearby.¡¯ The reason for formting this hypothesis was simple. During my time hunting goblins, sess wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Some of them were hit by the dumbbell on their bodies or other ces, and among them, there were undoubtedly those in a state of imminent death. ¡®But if the group took the creature away, they weren¡¯t subject to loot distribution.¡¯ They must have died. Those hit in the chest rather than the head by the dumbbell couldn¡¯t have survived until now. ¡®In that case, it means loot distribution won¡¯t happen if this creature moves a certain distance away.¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be like that. ¡°How much money was this? Are you just going to let it go like that?¡± A captured prey too. ¡®Is there no way to finish this?¡¯ I urgently looked around the house. And in my desperate gaze, cooking oil caught my eye. ¡®Right!¡¯ Maybe I could finish it with that. ¡°Shop open! Purchase 10 sets of can oil!¡± [Are you sure you want to make this purchase?] [Yes / No] ¡°Yes!¡± Zzing¡ª Suddenly, twenty can oil containers, each with 900ml, appeared in a row on the living room floor. ¡°Warehouse open! Only put cooking oil in, excluding stic containers!¡± Zzing¡ª Storing all the cooking oil in the warehouse, I continued to move quickly. I ced kitchen towels next to the broken end of the spear the creature was holding, securing them tightly with tape. Then, I rushed to the kitchen and turned on the gas stove. ¡°Summon cooking oil!¡± I poured all the cooking oil into arge pot and waited until it was sufficiently heated. Tatadadak¡ªHwarruk! As the cooking oil heated up, my anxiety also intensified. Cardddeuk! Carddeuk! ¡®Is this enough?¡¯ The waiting time felt incredibly long. ¡°Store!¡± I stored the summoned cooking oil in the warehouse as it came pouring down, and after soaking the kitchen towel in cooking oil, I immediately lit it. Hwarruk! The gas stove me smoothly transferred to the end of the spear, and I ran to the living room window with it. The creature was still watching me carefully. It seemed particrly wary of the ming spear. Staring at the creature¡¯s head, I said, ¡°Summon cooking oil!¡± Right after that. Zzing¡ª The boiling 18 liters of cooking oil summoned above Kellican¡¯s head poured directly onto its body. -Kiyeek?! Caught off guard by the sudden cooking oil attack, the creature¡¯s gaze turned to the sky. ¡°Die!¡± I stabbed the ming part of the broken spear¡¯s end into the creature¡¯s body. -Kkieeeek! Whether startled by the surprise attack or in pain, the creature iled as it fell from the apartment wall. While the creature was leaving, I could finally smile. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Cooking oil had a high shpoint, making it not easily mmable. However, despite the high shpoint, since it was oil, once it caught fire, it burned very well. Due to that, it sometimes be the cause of kitchen fires. A ming spear was stuck in the Kellican¡¯s torso. The small mes slowly but surely began to spread over the creature¡¯s body, thoroughly soaked in cooking oil. Hwarruk¡ª Initially spreading slowly, the mes soon engulfed the Kellican entirely. Hwarrururuk! As the mes intensified, I could see the startled Kellican frantically moving. Perhaps trying to extinguish the fire, it desperately pped its wings, but such actions only made the fire even bigger. -Keeeeek! With an otherworldly scream, the creature fell to the apartment promenade. Quack! Kuwoong! Its hefty body crashed,pletely destroying a tree on the promenade. Whether the tree served as a cushion or not, the creature was still alive and moving. -Kkwaaeeaak! Desperately rolling around to extinguish the mes clinging to its body, its efforts only managed to spread the fire around, and the mes wouldn¡¯t go out. Hwarrururuk! Its struggles didn¡¯tst long. [Hunted Kellican (Lv. 27).] [You have gained a massive amount of experience points.] [Skill level increased.] [Skill level increased.] [Learned a new skill.] The system notification informed that Kellican¡¯s life had been extinguished. [There are items nearby that meet the conditions for loot.] [Initiating loot assessment.] As the assessment began, the Kellican¡¯s corpse, previously engulfed in mes, started to gradually disappear from below. Unlike the previous case where some parts remained, this time the body vanishedpletely before the notification appeared. [Loot assessmentplete.] [9,347,487 won has been deposited into the wallet of the Absolute Dweller.] Upon seeing the amount, I couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. ¡°Ni-, Ni-, Nine million won?!¡± Given the high level and the fact that I hunted it entirely on my own, I anticipated a decent amount, but I never expected it to be this much. ¡°Almost ten million won!¡± Considering the remaining money I had, I practically had an amount exceeding ten million won. This was a significant sum, and the satisfaction of earning it directly was immense. ¡°Haha.¡± However, the gift from Kellican was not the end of it. [Residential Area Expansion is beginning.] ¡°Hmm?¡± Wooong. With the appearance of an unfamiliar message, I felt that something was changing. ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯ A faint, rippling sensation spread throughout the entire house. At the peak of it, ¡°!!!¡± Suddenly, my field of vision expanded. Wooong! At first, I saw myself sitting in the living room. ¡®Is this¡­ me?¡¯ After that, my field of view quickly began to expand. I could see every corner of the living room, the kitchen, the rooms, and the bathroom. No, it was more like feeling than seeing. I could sense the overall shape of the house, the real-time flow of electricity, the arrangement of furniture, and even the tiny dust particles on the floor. It felt as if I had be the house itself. Wooong! ¡°Ugh!¡± At that moment, I felt a sudden surge throughout my body. My entire body swelled as if it would burst at any moment. And¡­ ¡°This, this is!¡± In reality, my body was expanding. No, to be precise, the area I perceived was increasing. Beyond the front door, through the corridor, wrapping around the elevator, and even extending to the neighboring apartment. Eventually, I could vividly see what was happening in the neighboring apartment. ¡°A person?¡± There were people in the neighboring apartment. A young couple in theirte thirties with two children. ¡°These people?¡± While I didn¡¯t know the others, the husband was a familiar face. I had asionally bumped into him when going to the convenience store or taking out the trash. ¡°People next door?¡± Their conversation sounded as if it was happening right next to me. ¡°Honey, what should we do? I smell something burning. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re on the 30th floor. Most monsters can¡¯te up here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been hearing thumping noises for a while. Is everything really okay?¡± ¡°Dadad. I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°Seoyeon, shh!¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± I could guess why they were trembling in fear. It was probably because of the noise created by the Kellican. Then it happened. ¡°Ugh!¡± The moment I felt that the residential area had expanded to the entire 30th floor, I regained control of my body. ¡°What was that¡­¡± As I tried to organize my thoughts, a new notification appeared before me. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Grant citizenship?] Chapter 5: The Absolute Dweller (5) Chapter 5: The Absolute Dweller (5) [Episode 01] The Absolute Dweller (5) Four pictures were attached to the notification window. A couple in their thirties with two children. All of them were pictures of the people next door. After a brief moment of contemtion, I threw a question toward the system window. ¡°What happens if I don¡¯t grant citizenship?¡± [Entities without citizenship will be expelled from the homebound area.] [Are you sure you don¡¯t want to grant citizenship?] ¡®As expected.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just a casual question. The system understood my words. Or maybe it could read my thoughts. ¡®If not, things like only storing ramen in the bowl in the warehouse or putting only the oil inside the can oil container into the warehouse would be impossible.¡¯ The skill of the Absolute Dweller. Although I didn¡¯t know the exact nature of this power, I had a hunch that to some extent, it allowed two-waymunication. Of course, the system¡¯s exnation wasn¡¯t particrly friendly. It didn¡¯t teach everything. ¡®Being expelled from the homebound area means¡­¡¯ I couldn¡¯t know the exact method of expulsion, but somehow, I felt it wouldn¡¯t be a safe process. ¡°Grant citizenship to all four of them.¡± [Citizenship is granted to Choi Hyeong-jun, Park Hye-won, Choi Na-yeon, and Choi Seo-yeon.] After granting citizenship to the family next door, I immediately opened the skill window. I thought there would be newly awakened skills rted to citizenship. However, ¡°Huh? Something else?¡± The newly awakened skill was not rted to citizen management. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye Lv.1 -In the homebound area, nothing can escape the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. I could immediately realize that the strange phenomenon I just experienced was the result of using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. ¡®Where is something rted to citizens? Ah, found it.¡¯ Surprisingly, something rted to citizens was included in the Absolute Dweller Promation skill. Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration (Passive) Lv. 6 -No one can invade the homebound area without the Absolute Dweller¡¯s permission. ?Citizen Management Within the Absolute Dweller Promation skill, a new button for Citizen Management had appeared. Pressing it revealed brief information along with the pictures of the four people I had seen earlier. ¡õ Choi Hyeong-jun (Trust: 24) (Lv. 9) ¡õ Park Hye-won (Trust: 18) (Lv. 5) ¡õ Choi Na-yeon (Trust: 33) (Lv. 3) ¡õ Choi Seo-yeon (Trust: 42) (Lv. 2) Current Poption (4 / 600 people) ¡°600 people?¡± The number written at the end would likely be the maximum number of citizens that can be epted. Confirming this was easy with the number 4 written in front. However, the number seemed excessivelyrge. ¡®epting 596 more people in the future? Isn¡¯t that number a bit too much?¡¯ Instinctively, I recognized that this function yed a crucial role. ¡°Choi Hyeong-jun.¡± As I called out the name of one of the four citizens, detailed information about the citizen came to mind. ¡ºName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Lv. 9) Trust: 24 Awakening Ability: None Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Experience distribution rate and settlement money distribution rate. This meant that the citizen¡¯s hunting experience and settlement money woulde to me, and I could control the distribution rate as I pleased. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ Was this a function that existed from the beginning and not something newly acquired when leveling up? Perhaps I couldn¡¯t grant citizenship earlier because there was no one in our house? ¡®It was strange from the beginning.¡¯ Initially, I thought the skill I possessed was quite abnormal. While it created a perfect safe zone limited to my home, I was the one confined to that area. ¡®But if granting citizenship was possible from the beginning, the story would have been different.¡¯ If there had been someone living with me from the start, granting citizenship to that person would have been enough. The experience that citizens gained from hunting would havee straight back to me. ¡®Is that how I was supposed to grow?¡¯ One thing became clear after the recent battle with the Kellican: my abilities were more formidable than I thought. While I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how powerful being Level 27 made me, it seemed sufficient to fend off attacks from most monsters. ¡®If only I had awakened my abilities at my hometown instead of here, all my problems would be solved.¡¯ My parents lived in a two-story house, and if I had awakened there, everything would have been different. I could have protected my family safely, and there would have been no issue with growing my abilities. ¡®Hunting wouldn¡¯t be a concern either.¡¯ Considering the way I hunted the Kellican, I could have hunted monsters easily without leaving my house. Just open the front door and attack the monsters from inside the house. In retrospect, my istion was entirely due to awakening my abilities in a high-rise apartment on the 30th floor. If it had been the first floor, I could have stabbed goblins from the living room window and grown my abilities. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything and might have died if I hadn¡¯t been somewhat lucky.¡¯ Originally, it was an ability that should have grown bymanding citizens from the beginning. Now, I could finallymand citizens. ¡®Fortunately, everything worked out in the end.¡¯ In the grand scheme of things, everything had resolved well. ¡®But what¡¯s this?¡¯ There was one item that caught my eye in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s citizen information. ¡°Quest Assignment.¡± Ding! The quest assignment window was divided into quest content, time limit, sess reward, and failure penalty. As an experiment, I filled in each of these sections. ¡°Goblin Hunting, no time limit, no reward, no failure penalty.¡± Ding! ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Goblin Hunting (0/1) Time Limit: 168 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: None. [Do you want to grant the quest as is?] [Yes / No] The quest window appeared, reflecting my preferences. What seemed strange was the reward section. Despite selecting ¡°None,¡± a small amount of experience points was still presented as the reward. ¡®Is there a default reward? Then¡­ how far can we push the failure penalty?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t out of malice; I simply wanted to experiment and see how far it could go. I confirmed that the quest wouldn¡¯t be immediately granted. ¡°Quest failure penalty adjustment, death.¡± Ding! ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Goblin Hunting (0/1) Time Limit: 168 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: Death. [Do you want to grant the quest as is?] [Yes / No] ¡°¡­No.¡± [Canceling quest assignment.] ¡­ I knew it would turn out like this. However, despite having control over the quest content and time limit, the absence of limitations on the failure penalty was quite significant. This clearly indicated that, at any time, I could choose to end the lives of the citizens. The power over life and death of the citizens was in my hands. It wouldn¡¯t be difficult. Even for a quest as simple as killing one goblin, if I set the time limit to just one second, it would be equivalent to an immediate death sentence. ¡°Insane.¡± Facing the real potential of my skill, shivers ran down my spine. The lives of four citizens, or should I say, one citizen, were in my hands. The weight on my shoulders felt overwhelming. For the first time, I was afraid of my own ability. ¡®This is the power of the Absolute Dweller skill¡­¡¯ True to its name, within my dwelling ce, my skill held absolute influence. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ There were numerous ways to exploit the citizens. In extreme cases, using quest assignment to control them for a long period was possible. Just as I did now, by setting the failure penalty as death, it was like sentencing them to execution for any goblin hunting quest. ¡°Crazy.¡± The true capability of my skill, Absolute Dweller, became apparent, and I was overwhelmed with a sense of fear. ¡®How do I handle this?¡¯ There were many ways to use the citizens. In extreme cases, I could exploit them using quest assignment, making them carry out tasks like pawns for an extended period. However, for citizens like the man from the neighboring apartment, Choi Hyeong-jun, whose level was merely 9, setting penalties such as death would require them to go on dangerous hunting quests. Their levels were sufficient to handle goblins, as goblins typically had levels around 6 or 7, but venturing into a world where monsters like the level 27 Kellican roamed was risky. ¡®Moreover, even if I set up a quest, would citizens actively try toplete it? Can they even perform quests at that level?¡¯ One or two goblins wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but surviving in a world where dozens of goblins rushed at them would be difficult. ¡®To rescue Mom and Dad, I need to train citizens to handle goblin hordes or form a team of that caliber.¡¯ The solution was simple. Seeing that there was an experience distribution rate for citizens, it meant that citizens could grow through monster hunting. In that case, I could continuously assign monster hunting quests. While it was possible to force citizens intopleting quests, I didn¡¯t like that approach. Not only was it inhumane, but it would likely create resentment towards me. Moreover, it could act as an unfavorable variable in rescuing my parents. ¡®In the worst-case scenario, Mom and Dad might be in danger.¡¯ What I wanted was not a pawn that simply followed orders blindly. I needed someone who genuinely moved for my sake. ¡®Forcing through quests won¡¯t achieve that.¡¯ To recruit someone, I first needed to win over their hearts. People need to be persuaded, not coerced. ¡®Let¡¯s go with a win-win strategy.¡¯ With my decision made, I headed straight to the neighbor¡¯s apartment. However, upon seeing my reflection in the hallway mirror, I stopped in my tracks. My disheveled beard andfortable tracksuit gave off the typical image of an unemployed person. Moreover, my body was drenched in sweat from the recent battle with Kellican. ¡®First, let¡¯s freshen up.¡¯ I was well aware of how important first impressions were in human rtionships. Shhhh¡­ As warm water washed over me, I checked the skill window and noticed something I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°Huh?¡± [Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop Lv. 1 +] You can purchase items registered in the shop at the regr price. [Skill Points Avable: 3] Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance (Passive) Lv. 1 [+] Restores the overall functions of the dwelling necessary for maintaining dignity. [Skill Points Avable: 3] Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse Lv. 1 [+] An extra-dimensional space where you can store items. [Skill Points Avable: 3] There was a plus sign next to the skill level. ¡®I can raise the skill level!¡¯ Finally, I could register new items in the shop. ¡®As expected, I can¡¯t raise the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration skill with skill points.¡¯ Skills with a plus sign were only the Shop, Dignity Maintenance, and Warehouse skills. The Wallet skill was already at the max level, so it was natural that I couldn¡¯t raise it anymore. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye skill, which had just been acquired, disyed a level of 1, but no plus button appeared. ¡®Maybe there¡¯s a proficiency system?¡¯ Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. The skills to raise levels were predetermined from the beginning. [Are you really going to raise the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop skill level?] ¡°Yes.¡± At that moment, the skill window shed with a golden light. Whoosh! [Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop skill has reached Lv. 2.] [The number of items that can be registered has increased to 20.] [All item prices are discounted by 10%.] ¡°Oh?¡± The limit for item registration increasing was expected. However, along with that, there was even a discount on prices. ¡°Isn¡¯t this nice?¡± Now, I have only 2 points left. Curious, I checked the shop skill, but this time, there was no + button. ¡°It seems like there¡¯s some condition each time you level up.¡± There was one guess that came to mind. ¡°If I fill all twenty slots, the limit for item registration, maybe I can go to the next level?¡± Anyway, the items to be registered were already thought out in advance. The top priority for registration was items that had never been used before. Things like shower supplies and toilet paper. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Chapter 6: Survivors (1) Chapter 6: Survivors (1) [Episode 02] Survivors (1) With 2 remaining skill points, I could invest in maintaining dignity and expanding the warehouse. Nevertheless, the reason for being fixated on the shop was simple. ¡®Because the store skill is much more useful.¡¯ Electricity, water, and gas were already usable, so there was no reason to invest in the dignity maintenance skill. Even if I tried, it wouldn¡¯t result in effects like discounted electricity or water bills. ¡®Hmm. Thinking about it, the area has expanded. Do I need to level up to supply electricity to the next-door neighbor?¡¯ There was also no need to invest skill points in the warehouse. Frankly, leveling up seemed to expand the warehouse space, and so far, there had been no shortage of space in the warehouse. ¡®Later, maybe, but for now, there¡¯s no need to level up.¡¯ What he needed right now was undoubtedly the shop skill. ¡®I have to level it up quickly in the early stages. It¡¯s meaningless if it¡¯s not in good condition.¡¯ Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and so on. When all the essential items needed for daily life are intact, I have to register as many items as possible in the shop. ¡®After the world has gone to ruin, there won¡¯t be any factories producing new products.¡¯ Production is at a standstill, and the remaining survivors will consume at an rming rate. It wasn¡¯t confirmed yet, but convenience stores and markets outside would undoubtedly have been looted, and ces with intact goods would be rare. It had already been ten days since the world went to ruin. ¡®I need to secure as many items as possible and register them in the shop.¡¯ First, he would register the items necessary for survival, and if there was any room left, he nned to register things like c and snackster. ¡®Things that will quickly disappear when human civilization copses.¡¯ Among them, he needed to register everything that had brought him happiness. Tasty things, useful things, necessary things¡ªall of them. As quickly as possible. After finishing my shower, I immediately came out and registered unused shampoo, cleansing foam, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, and lotion. Following that, I registered rolls of toilet paper, wet wipes, and more, consuming 9 slots in an instant. I prioritized filling it with items that are quickly consumed in daily life, focusing on new, unused products. ¡®What should I fill the remaining one with?¡¯ I had already registered everything necessary. While pondering what to register, my attention was drawn to the monitor. ¡°¡­¡± Before the world went to ruin, I had thought it would be nice to have one more monitor. It was because I wanted to watch NewTube (yes, NewTube) or movies while ying games. However, as an unemployed person who didn¡¯t earn money, a monitor that cost over 100,000 won was a luxury, and I endured by watching videos on my phone. ¡®I could fill it with something useless. After all, the goal is to fill all the slots.¡¯ Moreover, I had over 10 million won in cash. I could afford to waste about 1% of it. cing my hand on the monitor, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°¡­Ugh. Let¡¯s get a grip.¡± There were plenty of items more important than a monitor. Towels, nkets, clothes, dishes, pots, vitamins, supplements. In this world where the inte was cut off, the priority of that monitor would be pushed far back. In the end, what I chose was the nearly empty box of packing tape. ¡®With just this, I can make a makeshift weapon like a machete. It should be quite useful.¡¯ Although it wasn¡¯t an item used often before, it seemed like I would use it a lot in the future. ¡°Register tape.¡± [Do you want to register the item?] ¡°Yeah.¡± Zzing¡ª I filled up the expanded item registration window like that. ¡°Bingo.¡± Household Master¡¯s Shop Level 2 [+] ¨C You can purchase items registered in the shop at regr prices. [Skill Points: 2] A plus button appeared next to the shop skill level. Without hesitation, I leveled up the skill. [Household Master¡¯s Shop skill has reached Level 3.] [The number of items that can be registered has increased to 40.] [The item restoration function has been added.] Among the consecutive system notification windows that appeared, I focused on thest one and could not help but space out for a moment, thinking about its meaning. ¡°Huh? They give it at this level?¡± The item restoration function. It meant turning the used items registered in the store into new products. I had been thinking that this feature would appear sooner orter, from when items like half-used ketchup or orange peels were registered. But I didn¡¯t expect it to appear at only level 3. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s worth leveling up the store forcibly.¡¯ It was like taking a step backward to catch a cow. ¡°Open the store.¡± The shop window had more slots, twice asrge as before. The item recovery button was only present next to three out of twenty items. ¡¾Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop¡¿ Half-used Ottogi Tomato Ketchup, 500g (3,015 won) ? Restore Orange peels (270 won) ? Restore A bit of remaining tape (2,700 won) ? Restore ?Current bnce: 11,240,720 won ? Register items As much as I wanted to get rid of the item ¡°Orange peels¡± first, I turned my gaze toward ¡°A bit of remaining tape.¡± ¡°Recover ¡®A bit of remaining tape.''¡± [To recover ¡®A bit of remaining tape,¡¯ you need 150,000 won.] [Do you want to recover it?] Though 150,000 won seemed like a waste, I judged it to be worth investing in since it was an item that would continue to be used. Rather than spending that money to buy several more of ¡°A bit of remaining tape,¡± it was much more efficient to buy aplete product. ¡°Recover.¡± [¡®A bit of remaining tape¡¯ has been recovered.] [¡®A bit of remaining tape¡¯ has transformed into ¡®Yellow Box Tape 80m, 10 pieces.¡¯] The results were satisfying. The price per piece was halved, and the quantity tripled, making it a total of six times more profitable. Additionally, I sessfully recovered the remaining two items. Ottogi Tomato Ketchup, 500g, 2 pieces (5,580 won) Jeju Tangerines, 3kg (16,110 won) ¡°Okay. Done.¡± With this, all the items registered in the store window had turned into perfect items. Now, I could register a total of 40 items in the store. Although I wanted to quickly fill the remaining 20 slots and level up, I hadn¡¯t decided what to register yet. Careful consideration was needed to fill each slot as each one was precious. ¡®Weapons are essential for hunting monsters.¡¯ The only easily obtainable item within the house was a kitchen knife, but I had lost it during the battle with the Kellican. ¡®Let¡¯s register the one from the neighboring house.¡¯ It was time to face the newly epted citizens. ¡®Before that, let¡¯s take a little peek.¡¯ It was a basic principle to explore the opponent before negotiating, as caution is better than regret. ¡°Absolute Eye.¡± As I uttered the skill name. Wooong! I could see myself lying on the bed. It was like changing the perspective from first-person to third-person in a game. ¡®Good. That¡¯s enough.¡¯ The slowly expanding sensation quickly spread throughout my entire territory. ¡®I can see it.¡¯ A young couple, Choi Hyeong-jun and Park Hye-won, were talking seriously in the living room, where no light came in. ¡°Honey, what should we do now?¡± ¡°What can we do? We need to go outside and fetch water. I¡¯ll go get it, so wait here.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s too dangerous!¡± ¡°I know. But there¡¯s no other way.¡± ¡°¡­Is there any ce with water left?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the convenience store nearby to check. It¡¯s quite big, so there might be something left.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, the children came out from inside the room and urged them. ¡°Mom¡­ I¡¯m thirsty¡­¡± ¡°Seo-yeon¡­¡± Hearing the urging of her thirsty child, Choi Hyeong-jun, with a determined face, said, ¡°Trust me. I¡¯ll find a way to get water, so wait here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Park Hye-won just lowered her head with a dismal expression. Tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡®¡­Deactivate the Absolute Eye.¡¯ Having deactivated the skill, I sat on the bed and stared nkly at the ceiling for a moment. ¡®The situation is much more serious than I thought.¡¯ The condition next door was worse than I had anticipated. They seemed to be running out of both food and water. In a way, it was inevitable. It had been over a week since the disaster urred. If they had stayed inside the house all this time, they would have consumed all resources by now. With four people, the consumption rate would be even faster. ¡°Open the store. Purchase Jeju Samdasoo (water brand) and Jeju Tangerines.¡± Ziing¡ª After moving those items to the warehouse, I opened the skill window. Then, I increased the Dignity Maintenance skill. [Do you really want to increase the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance skill?] ¡°Yes.¡± I invested thest remaining skill points into Dignity Maintenance skill to be able to supply electricity and water to the neighboring house in exchange for something substantial. [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance skill is now at Level 2.] [Guest Registration is open.] ¡°Hmm?¡± However, as the Dignity Maintenance skill increased, a new ability appeared unexpectedly. ¡®Vassal? What¡¯s this?¡¯ *** Choi Hyeong-jun checked his condition onest time at the entrance before going outside. A backpack for carrying water and food, functional mountaineering clothes, and his favorite golf club. Driver. Among the golf clubs, Driver was the one that hit the ball the farthest. It was considered powerful enough to handle small monsters in one blow. ¡°Honey¡­¡± Seeing his worried wife and children waiting for him, Choi Hyeong-jun forced a smile as if nothing was wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll be back! Take care of the house!¡± ¡°Okay, Dad! We¡¯ll be waiting and listen to Mom!¡± But then, Choi Na-yeon, with a trembling voice, asked, ¡°Are you really going out, Dad?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be back with water and some food, so listen to Mom until then.¡± ¡°B-But!¡± Interrupting his words, Choi Na-yeon spoke with a trembling voice, ¡°There are those monsters outside, Dad!¡± That day, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family was outside. They were ying together in the yground that had been set up in the apartmentplex. Suddenly, monsters appeared, and soon after, a massacre urred in the yground. The children witnessed goblins brutally attacking humans with their own eyes. ¡°Uwaaah!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family was in the midst of the chaos. At that moment, whether it was the nightmare resurfacing or not, Choi Seo-yeon burst into tears. ¡°Seo-yeon, hush. Be good.¡± Despite Park Hye-won¡¯sfort, Seo-yeon¡¯s crying didn¡¯t seem to stop. The atmosphere was at its worst. ¡®Maybe this could be the end.¡¯ He had a hunch. That relying solely on his own strength might not be enough. The vivid images of people dying at the hands of goblins were still fresh in his mind. Moreover, the situation was uncertain regarding the supplies at the nearby convenience store. ¡®Probably none left.¡¯ Honestly, even though he was preparing to go outside, hecked confidence. He was simply struggling to survive. His two daughters were already showing signs of mild dehydration. Having consumed all the water in the toilet tank, he now had no choice but to venture outside. But the thought that this might be thest time he saw his endearing wife and two daughters might held him back. And then it happened. ????~ Suddenly, a ringing sound echoed, leaving Choi Hyeong-jun frozen in ce. ¡®The doorbell?¡¯ A chill ran down his spine. Sorry, but electricity was cut off long ago. In such a situation, the doorbell ringing was eerie. As he looked around, the face of his wife who was equally terrified, came into view. Choi Na-yeon and Choi Seo-yeon didn¡¯t seem to understand the meaning of this situation, but judging by the fact that their crying had stopped, they also sensed that something was amiss. Probably because of Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s intimidating expression. Choi Hyeong-jun slowly turned his head. The doorbell continued to ring, and there seemed to be somemotion outside. At that moment. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Aaah!¡± Startled by the knocking, Choi Hyeong-jun took a step back, and the three women behind him let out screams of surprise. ¡°Excuse me. Could you please open the door?¡± Choi Hyeong-jun had a gut feeling. ¡®M-Monster!¡¯ It was undoubtedly a monster. Even if he didn¡¯t know how they imitated human speech, they had somehow found their way to where his family was. ¡°Hello?¡± Knock, knock, knock¡ª With each knock from the monster, Choi Hyeong-jun and his family trembled in fear. All they could do was quietly wait for the monster to leave. How long did they wait? Outside became quiet. ¡®Did it¡­ leave?¡¯ A fleeting hope emerged. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± As if telling a lie, the door suddenly opened, and the monster invaded their home. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Aaah! Honey!¡± ¡°Daddyyyy!¡± ¡°Uwaaa!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun desperately embraced his family. In the final moment, driven by the desire for his beloved family to live even one second longer than him, he acted. Choi Hyeong-jun was prepared for death, but what came flying from behind wasn¡¯t an attack from the monster. ¡°Excuse me.¡± With a courteous voice, Choi Hyeong-jun slowly turned around. There stood a young man. In stark contrast to Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family, who had been living miserably for days without proper food or a shower, the young man lookedpletely different. Perhaps he had just taken a shower. His slightly wet hair emitted the faint scent of shampoo and body wash. The surreal fragrance,pletely incongruent with the current situation, added to his mysterious aura. In addition, the subtle sense of presence and charisma made him seem like a giant. Choi Hyeong-jun managed to open his mouth. ¡°W-Who¡­?¡± The young man spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun, your neighbor. May I have a moment to talk?¡± Unable to provide any coherent response, Choi Hyeong-jun stared nkly. The young man, with a helpless face, held up the items he had brought. ¡°It¡¯s water and tangerines. Would you like to have some before we talk?¡± The items the young man brought were exactly what Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family had been desperately wishing for. Water and food! At this point, who he was didn¡¯t matter much. Choi Hyeong-jun nodded hastily. ¡°Come in!¡± Chapter 7: Survivors (2) Chapter 7: Survivors (2) [Episode 02] Survivors (2) The neighbor¡¯s house was overall dimly lit. The lights weren¡¯t on, and it felt dark even in broad daylight, most likely due to the thick curtains covering the entire living room window. ¡®Smart.¡¯ It was a wise choice to avoid potential attacks from flying monsters like the Kellican. ¡®But it¡¯s too dark.¡¯ Realizing this as soon as he stepped out into the corridor, Choi Hyeong-jun understood that the Dignity Maintenance skill could be applied anywhere within his territory. So, he pressed the doorbell and was able to freely open the door. Within the boundaries of his home, everything unfolded ording to his will. ¡®So, it works like this, I suppose?¡¯ Staring at the living room ceiling, he wished, ¡®Light up.¡¯ sh¡ª As the light came on, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family flinched, feeling the sudden warmth. ¡°Ah? The lights are on!¡± The youngest, a 5-year-old who was the family¡¯s baby, expressed amazement without understanding. The others were trembling in fear. Handing over a bottle of Samdasoo water while looking at Choi Hyeong-jun whose eyes were shaking, I said. ¡°First, let the kids drink water.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Thank you.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun carefully took the water I handed to him with both hands. His overly polite demeanor was almost burdensome for me. ¡®Did my first appearance have too much impact?¡¯ Pressing the doorbell and entering unhesitatingly were intentional actions. I pushed the concept of mystery as much as possible while aiming to take control of the conversation. But it seemed to have worked even better than expected. ¡°Na-yeon, Seo-yeon. Let¡¯s have some water.¡± The two people were cautious while giving water to the children, and thanks to that, the kids were also watching me. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± ¡°Seo-yeon! Are you okay?¡± Unexpectedly, in the ufortable atmosphere, Choi Seo-yeon, who was drinking water, started coughing continuously, and the sound of her wheezing could be heard. ¡®Before starting the conversation, I need to lighten the mood.¡¯ Feeling a sense of apology for causing difort, I approached Choi Seo-yeon, took an orange from the box, and went over to her. Squatting down to the child¡¯s eye level, I handed her the orange and initiated a conversation. ¡°Do you like oranges?¡± Even while coughing, Choi Seo-yeon nodded slowly. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°T-Thank you. Cough.¡± Bowing politely, Choi Seo-yeon received the orange and cautiously handed it over to her mother, Park Hye-won, while ncing at me. ¡°Just a moment.¡± Park Hye-won skillfully peeled the orange and fed a piece to Choi Seo-yeon. As the sweet taste entered her mouth, Choi Seo-yeon quickly rxed, revealing a smile. ¡°Hehe. Mom, give me more!¡± ¡°Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As the four-year-old beamed, the frozen atmosphere rapidly thawed. ¡°Mom, me too, me too!¡± About six years old, Choi Na-yeon also ran to her mother and eagerly ate the orange. At that moment, [Citizen Choi Seo-yeon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Choi Na-yeon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Park Hye-won¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] Following that, new messages continued to appear. [Citizen Choi Seo-yeon¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is now open.] [Citizen Choi Seo-yeon¡¯s loyalty has exceeded 30.] [Citizen Choi Seo-yeon has fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration.] Choi Seo-yeon¡¯s trust, which was already high at 42, had now surpassed 50 because of a single orange. I quietly opened the citizen management window to check Choi Seo-yeon¡¯s information. ¡ºName: Choi Seo-yeon (Lv. 2) Trust: 57 Loyalty: 33 Awakening Ability: None Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Not only did the trust increase, but a new index called loyalty also emerged. It started at an impressive 33. ¡®Perhaps because she¡¯s a young child.¡¯ In any case, thanks to this, I could understand the conditions for vassal registration. The vassal registration system was a newly introduced feature that appeared when the dignity maintenance skill reached level 2. I had attempted to register Choi Hyeong-jun, who had the highest level, as a vassal, but it failed with the message ¡®Conditions not met.¡¯ Trust 50 and loyalty 30. That was the minimum condition for vassal registration. ¡°Should I try registering Choi Seo-yeon as a vassal?¡± After some brief thought, I quickly gave up. ¡°She¡¯s too young, and her level is low.¡± Unlike citizens, vassal registration was only possible for ten individuals. Although Choi Seo-yeon, as the first citizen to meet the conditions, could have been registered as a vassal to celebrate, doing so might lead to a situation where cancetion was not possible, simr to the shop window. It felt too wasteful to try it as a test. ¡°It might have a more significant effect than I think. So, if I were to register a vassal, it should be someone at least at the level of Choi Hyeong-jun.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun, a robust man in his thirties, was already at level 9. It made sense to increase Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s stats for smoother monster hunting. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡õChoi Hyeong-jun (Trust: 31) (Lv. 9) The trust had only increased to 31. To reach 50, there was still a long way to go. ¡®Honestly, it feels a bit of a waste to use it on Choi Hyeong-jun.¡¯ At that moment. ¡°Um¡­¡± Choi Hyeong-jun spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to repay this favor¡­¡± ¡°There are various ways.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk separately in the hallway for a moment.¡± ¡°Uh, sure.¡± It was an awkward conversation to have where the family could hear, so I wanted to discuss it privately. I had made up my mind to ask him to risk his life for me. *** As we moved to the corridor and were alone, Choi Hyeong-jun stood stiffly, much like when we first met. To ease the tension, I started with a light question. ¡°Did you receive citizenship?¡± After a moment of hesitation, Choi Hyeong-jun answered. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about that notification that appeared out of thin air, then yes. We received it about thirty minutes ago as a family.¡± I asked to confirm whether citizens were aware of the citizenship grant. ¡°Before that notification appeared, was there anything special?¡± ¡°Well, um¡­¡± ¡°Was there?¡± ¡°Yes. For a moment, my body stiffened, and I couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you for telling me.¡± It seemed that there was a temporary stiffness before being recognized as a citizen. ¡°So, what about monsters?¡± As the Deration skill reached level 5, the entire 30th floor had be my domain. It could be inferred that, as the level increased, the area covered by the domain would expand. In that case, there mighte a time when non-human monsters would appear within the domain. If they could be stiffened or expelled at my will, it would be fortunate, but things were unlikely to go smoothly. ¡®Well¡­ let¡¯s think about that when the timees.¡¯ There was too much to do to worry about unnecessary things. ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward. I¡¯ll help you return to your previous stable life. Cooking meals, taking warm showers¡ªsuch a life.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Not only that, but I guarantee safety within your home. No monster will be able to invade without my permission.¡± ¡°Is that really true?¡± ¡°I promise with my name.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun looked at me with trembling eyes and then spoke with determination. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t do all of this for free, right? What should I do?¡± I remained silent for a moment, casually staring at him before opening my mouth. ¡°The tasks I¡¯m going to ask you to do might involve risking your life. Even so, will you do it?¡± Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s contemtion upon hearing the serious mention of the possibility of death surprisingly didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Yes. I will do it. If it means my wife and children can be safe, there¡¯s nothing I won¡¯t do. Even if it weren¡¯t for you, I was nning to go out and get water and food. I had already staked my life on it back then.¡± Initially, I had thought about immediately sending Choi Hyeong-jun to hunt goblins. However, my thoughts had changed now. It was because of the disappointing appearance he showed during our first encounter. ¡®He seemed so tense even holding a golf club.¡¯ When I pressed the doorbell, I perfectly grasped the inside situation using the eyes of an observer. At that time, seeing the golf club in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s hands made me quite nervous. I even contemted whether to shout not to attack as soon as I entered. But when we actually entered the house, Choi Hyeong-jun couldn¡¯t make a single attack. ¡®He looks more bulky than I thought.¡¯ He had arge build, and his skeletal structure was good, but he seemed more tenderhearted than he appeared. It could be considered a natural reaction for a modern person, but anyway, it was disappointing. ¡®I can handle this.¡¯ Even though I heavily relied on the deration skill, I had experience in catching Kellicans. In the case of goblins, it was all about hitting them with dumbbells, but with the right weapons, I felt confident that I could handle them. ¡®He doesn¡¯t need to be aggressive, but he should be able to fight without panicking if he encounters goblins.¡¯ Until now, Choi Hyeong-jun had shown himself to be a responsible adult willing to sacrifice for his family, but he didn¡¯t seem like someone who could kill or do something simr. Suddenly, his golf club caught my eye. ¡®It¡¯s probably made of solid iron. If he swings it, he could easily smash a goblin¡¯s head.¡¯ I reached out to Choi Hyeong-jun and said, ¡°Can I take a look at that golf club?¡± ¡°Oh, this? Here you go.¡± Taking the golf club, I silently thought, ¡®Shop open. Register item.¡¯ While using the skill of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye earlier, I realized one thing ¨C I could use skills without explicitly mentioning them. Though it required a bit of concentration, it wasn¡¯t that difficult. Zing¡ª After scanning the golf club with the shop window, a new item was registered in the store, visible only to me. Choi Hyeong-jun couldn¡¯t see the shop window or the light that emanated from it. It was a damn expensive golf club. 538,200 won for a used one. ¡°What?¡± This was, even after a 10% discount thanks to the shop level effect, still an exorbitant price of 538,200 won. I asked Choi Hyeong-jun with an incredulous expression, ¡°How much did you pay for this?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ well, I remember paying about 1.4 million won.¡± ¡°1.4 million?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I¡¯ve noticed this before ¨C the damn shop charged more for restoring items than their original prices. Even with a 10% discount due to the shop level effect, it was still not enough. ¡®Restore.¡¯ Just to test it out, I pressed ¡®Restore,¡¯ and an estimate quickly appeared. [To restore the ¡®Used Golf Club,¡¯ you need an amount of 3,870,000 won.] [Do you want to restore it?] ¡°Crazy.¡± To restore it, a whopping 4 million won was required. It was nearly half of the money I had. ¡®Cancel! Cancel!¡¯ Anyway, whether it was used or new, there wasn¡¯t much difference in the items. It seemed better to just buy it at a slightly higher price than to restore it like this. ¡®If I need dozens of these, then maybe¡­¡¯ Before that, it was actually more of a loss to restore it. ¡°Um¡­ is that really what you want? I can give you anything. There are other golf clubs in our house too.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun seemed somewhat relieved. It was understandable; he was seriously talking about his life, and I was inquiring about golf club prices. I quickly changed the topic of conversation. ¡°Uh, well. Do you remember the day the monsters appeared?¡± ¡°I¡­ remember.¡± ¡°That day was a Saturday. It was the weekend. Probably a lot of people were resting at home.¡± Due to the exceptionally good weather, some people would have gone out, but many would have been resting at home. So, there would probably be dozens of people surviving in this apartment, or so I inferred. ¡°Lucky for those who were at home at that time; they should still be alive. Please find those people.¡± Although I hadn¡¯t fought goblins directly, following that a single individual didn¡¯t possess much strength, I believed that goblins¡¯ real powery in numbers. It was decided that Choi Hyeong-jun would find it difficult to hunt goblins alone, so he should focus on increasing the number of troops that could fight goblins. ¡°Please find the survivors and bring them up here.¡± Chapter 8: Survivors (3) Chapter 8: Survivors (3) [Episode 02] Survivors (3) First, I sent Choi Hyeong-jun back home. Survivors in such dire situations wouldn¡¯t just open their doors, so I nned to prepare relief supplies and send them over. While the supplies were being prepared, I instructed him to go home, have a meal, and take a shower. ¡®Water and oranges should be enough.¡¯ If I hadn¡¯t made proper preparations, water would be essential, and oranges, which could be eaten without cooking, were suitable. ¡®Open the shop. Purchase one set of oranges.¡¯ Ziing¨D Buying items from the shop with sheer willpower, ¡®Open the warehouse. Put the box of oranges in.¡¯ Repeating the act of cing items in the warehouse with sheer willpower. Ziing¨D When using the skill in your mind instead of verbally, there was a significant advantage. ¡®The confirmation step is skipped.¡¯ When using the skill with a firm will, the process of confirming was omitted. As a result, the speed of purchasing items from the shop or storing them in the warehouse increased. ¡®Open the shop. This time, purchase one set of bottled water.¡¯ Although there was a disadvantage of consuming mental strength, it seemed useful with practice. ¡®Open the warehouse. Store the water.¡¯ That¡¯s when it happened. [The weight limit for storage in the warehouse has been exceeded.] It was the first time I had seen such a message while using the warehouse. ¡®The capacity is roughly around 100kg.¡¯ Despite being level 1, it had quite arge capacity. ¡®I wonder what additional features the warehouse will have when it reaches level 2.¡¯ Considering that both the Dignity Maintenance skill and the Shop skill added special features as their levels increased, the warehouse would likely follow suit. ¡®Other than an increased capacity, nothing elsees to mind.¡¯ As I pondered this seriously, a familiar message appeared. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡®It¡¯s gone up again.¡¯ Not only Choi Hyeong-jun, but also the trust of the family next door had been rapidly rising since earlier. What I did wasn¡¯t anything special. I simply supplied water, electricity, and gas. [Citizen Management] ¡õ Choi Hyeong-jun (Trust: 40) (Lv. 9) ¡õ Park Hye-won (Trust: 32) (Lv. 5) ¡õ Choi Na-yeon (Trust: 51) (Loyalty: 17) (Lv. 3) ¡õ Choi Seo-yeon (Trust: 63) (Loyalty: 39) (Lv. 2) Current Poption (4/600 people) Both Choi Na-yeon and Choi Seo-yeon have already surpassed a trust level of 50, revealing their loyalty. Since they were young children, their guard seemed to lower quite rapidly. ¡®Fortunately, raising trust seems easier than I thought.¡¯ Although there wasn¡¯t enough data to be certain, it felt rtively easy to raise trust to the point where loyalty was revealed, at least up to 50. While waiting for Choi Hyeong-jun, I spent time as usual looking out the living room window. Perhaps due to doing this every day for a week, I found myself observing outside whenever I had spare time. ¡®The burning has stopped.¡¯ The fire that had erupted when I caught the Kellican surprisingly did not spread into arge ze. ¡®It¡¯ll be sunset soon.¡¯ Today had been quite eventful. The most significant was, of course, the level-up of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration skill, expanding the territory. ¡®Slowly expanding the territory, absorbing people, and eventually growing to the point of sending troops to rescue my family.¡¯ That¡¯s when I noticed. ¡®A person.¡¯ It had been a long time since I saw someone. Someone other than goblins walking along the walking path. ¡®What are they doing?¡¯ Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just one person, but six. They all carriedrge backpacks. Two men among them were heading towards where the Kellican¡¯s remaining corpse was. ¡®Are they nning to eat that?¡¯ It had been dead for over a week now. There was no way the flesh, blood, and organs could withstand a week. Maybe even the smell of rot would be unbearable. ¡®They can¡¯t eat that.¡¯ They seemed to have sensed the smell too. The two men who approached the Kellican¡¯s corpse quickly turned without hesitation. ¡®They are insane.¡¯ Thinking about eating a monster. How hungry must they be to have such thoughts? At the same time, ¡®It¡¯s a relief.¡¯ Leaving aside everything else, the fact that they all came outside together was quite significant. ¡®Open the shop. Purchase mild-vored instant ramen, purchase olive seaweed.¡¯ Ziing¡ª I immediately threw several oranges towards them. The loud sound of ramen breaking attracted their attention in one direction. Raising their heads naturally, I made eye contact with them and waved. ¡°If you want more,e here.¡± They quickly began to pick up the items I threw. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Keyeak!¡± Hearing the noise as the items fell, a group of goblins appeared. ¡°Uh-oh.¡± It was a mistake. I couldn¡¯t even help them properly. Throwing a dumbbell to hit them was too far from where the goblins appeared. ¡°Four of them¡­¡± Even if they were courageous, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for them to kill something. ¡°I should run away.¡± But then, something unexpected happened. One of the men who had been approaching the Kellican¡¯s corpse swung his hand vigorously towards the goblins. Immediately after, something shot out from the man¡¯s hand and hit the goblin on the head. Thud! One goblin fell with a thud. ¡°What?¡± This was just the beginning. Ssash! A woman among the four shot an arrow towards the goblins. Whoosh! ¡°Kwaaack!¡± Thud! It pierced two goblins¡¯ foreheads in an instant. ¡°Ueoeoeo!¡± While doing that, arge man ran towards the remaining goblin and swung a baseball bat. ¡°Kwaang!¡± The battle ended in the blink of an eye. ¡°Huh.¡± They had just started cleaning up the goblins when they raised their heads as if they had fulfilled some promise. I also stared at them. ¡°Please,e up here.¡± However, contrary to my wishes, they only collected the items and disappeared inside another building entrance. That¡¯s when it happened. ????~ It seemed like Choi Hyeong-jun had finally arrived. I focused on the entrance while quietly waiting. ¡®Open.¡¯ nk. ¡®Alright.¡¯ I still had to chant it strongly in my mind, but with practice, it seemed like I could naturally open the door. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Excuse me, huh?¡± Although I clearly heard the sound of the door opening, Choi Hyeong-jun was noting in. He looked bewildered, holding items in both hands. ¡°Why are you like that?¡± ¡°Oh, well¡­ It seems I¡¯m not qualified?¡± ¡°Qualified?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed that even if they were citizens, they couldn¡¯t enter my house freely. Perhaps certain conditions had to be met. ¡®Is it only those who havepleted the vassal registration?¡¯ Choi Hyeong-jun handed over the items he had brought, saying, ¡°These are the items you mentioned. I brought everything that could be used as a weapon.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± In the box, along with a kitchen knife, there was arge toolbox. ¡®Open the warehouse. Take out two sets of water and oranges.¡¯ Seeing water and oranges appearing in real-time next to him, Choi Hyeong-jun took a step back with wide eyes. I spoke to him. ¡°For now, these are supplies to be sent to the 29th floor. Even if it seems empty, just leave them there ande back.¡± ¡°Yes, please leave it to me!¡± Responding energetically, I said to him, ¡°I have one request. Can you move right away?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Originally, the n was to start the operation when the sun rose tomorrow. At night, it was too dark in all directions, and it was dangerous. Choi Hyeong-jun cautiously responded to my unreasonable words. ¡°Um, wouldn¡¯t that be too dangerous?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. In fact, it¡¯s more dangerous during broad daylight.¡± It was my stubbornness, but it made sense to some extent. I had been observing the surroundings like crazy for the past week to hunt goblins. Thanks to that, I learned that goblins were mainly active during the day. The six men and women who were just on a walk on the promenade must have known that and started moving now. Moreover. ¡®I must call them.¡¯ While it was just four goblins, there was hardly anyone who could overwhelm them so decisively. ¡®I must make them on my side.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. ¡°Oh, I understand. Going to the 29th floor won¡¯t be that difficult.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. You can arrange the supplies for each floor starting tomorrow. What I want is for you to bring a set of oranges and water to the 1st floor.¡± ¡°T-the 1st floor?¡± ¡°Just leave the supplies outside the 1st-floor door ande up.¡± The destroyed ramen and kimchi might not be enough. ¡®If they just leave without acknowledging me, they might think of me as some crazy guy, but I need to change their perception.¡¯ I understand. Who could imagine that a crazy guy throwing food from the 30th floor had such abilities? ¡®First, I have to make sure they know I have plenty of food.¡¯ Once I ce oranges and water on the 1st floor, they will surely associate it with me. I threw oranges along with the food just now. ¡®Then, they will have no choice but toe find me.¡¯ Even if it aroused curiosity, I had to make theme to me. ¡°It might be sudden, but I really need your help.¡± ¡°Is it just leaving them on the 1st floor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun nodded resolutely. ¡°All right. It¡¯s not that difficult.¡± Originally, if goblins had settled on the 1st floor, it might have been dangerous. But they were just goblins, and I had chased them away by throwing dumbbells. If it was just leaving items on the 1st floor anding back, it would probably be fine. Even though I had some confidence after observing the outside for a week, I was still a bit worried. ¡°If by any chance you encounter monsters, abandon everything and run to the 30th floor as fast as possible. It should be safe as long as you enter the corridor.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I was sorry and thankful for his sudden request. I wanted to do something for him. ¡®Quest Assignment. ce the box of oranges and water on the 1st floor ande back. Duration: one day. No reward, no penalty.¡¯ ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Details: ce the box of oranges and water on the 1st floor (0/1) Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points Failure Penalty: None ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°If youplete it, you can gain a bit of experience points.¡± ¡°Experience points¡­ Is this like a game? Then, does it have levels?¡± Perhaps because of his rtively young age, he seemed to have a basic understanding of the game system. Thanks to that, I didn¡¯t need to exin much. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Currently, Mr. Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s level is 9. Rising in level will have positive effects. So, I would really appreciate it if you could do it.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± And thus, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s first quest began. *** Choi Hyeong-jun swallowed hard in front of the emergency stairwell entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The lights only reached the corridor. Below that was a space untouched by the mysterious power of the man in the adjacent apartment. The only constion was the presence of a green emergency light. ¡°Hoo.¡± Even though I had to rely on the faint light of the emergency light to go down the stairs, it was even more nerve-wracking with the quite heavy load in my hands. ¡®Monsters probably didn¡¯te up here.¡¯ With every step cautiously ced, I quickly descended to the 20th floor. ¡®Phew. It¡¯s tiring.¡¯ The load was over 15 kilograms, and carrying a golf club just in case made it even more exhausting. Then it happened. ¡°Hmm?¡± From below the stairs, there seemed to be a sound. Choi Hyeong-jun carefully watched the dark stairs below. Gurgle¡­ ¡°!!!¡± This time, it was clearly audible. It sounded like people having a conversation. Suddenly, the tragedy of that day shed in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s mind. People running away in confusion, and goblins attacking people like they were hunting. ¡®I need to go back!¡¯ Choi Hyeong-jun urgently changed direction and headed back up the stairs. But his body didn¡¯t respond properly. His legs trembled, and his heart thumped. He was so shocked he didn¡¯t even think about putting down the load and went up the stairs. In his desperate struggle, the gurgling sound approached faster and faster. In the end¡­ ¡°Ugh!¡± As his legs gave out, he fell down the stairs. Kwung! Kwang! Water sshed, and the sound of the fall echoed throughout the emergency stairs. Oranges from the box rolled all around. ¡°Ugh!¡± He tried to run away, but Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s legs were already paralyzed by fear. ¡®Move! Please!¡¯ Gurgle¡­ Gurgle gurgle¡­ The sound was getting closer and faster. Finally, through the darkness, the shadows of figures were seen flickering in the light of the emergency exit. Fear reached its peak. In panic, Choi Hyeong-jun cowered and held his breath. That was the best he could do now. And then¡­ ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Hiiyah!¡± ¡°Sir, are you okay?¡± Figures appeared in his eyes, cautiously emerging through the darkness illuminated by the emergency light. Chapter 9: Survivors (4) Chapter 9: Survivors (4) [Episode 02] Survivors (4) It was while I was carefully observing the promenade, hoping that they would appear again. [Unauthorized ess attempt by an unpermitted entity.] ¡°Huh?¡± Caught off guard by the unexpected rm, a sudden uneasy thought crossed my mind. ¡®No way, were there still goblins around?¡¯ I became worried about whether something had happened to Choi Hyeong-jun. [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.] I immediately used the skill to check the emergency exit. And there, I could see familiar figures. ¡°Huh? Can¡¯t we go in here?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you see it? A weird message appeared right in front of us.¡± ¡°What? Then how did that old man get in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Six men and women, each holding various weapons. ¡®It¡¯s them!¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect to make contact with them so soon. ¡®They seem quite capable.¡¯ Choi Hyeong-jun did a much better job than I anticipated. To wee them, I turned off the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, and a new notification window appeared before me. Along with pictures of the six people I saw through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. [Entities that satisfy the conditions to be considered citizens have approached the area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] This revealed a new fact. ¡®The citizenship bestowal has changed from mandatory to an offer.¡¯ Unlike Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family, who were within the territory from the beginning, they were outside the territory. ¡®While forcibly granting citizenship is possible for those included during the expansion process, in cases like this, it seems to give them a choice.¡¯ Offer. It literally meant giving them the choice of whether to be citizens or not. If that was the case. ¡®You mean they can refuse.¡¯ How can I erase the option of rejection from their minds? As I pondered over the methods, then¡­ ????~ The doorbell rang. The moment I heard that sound, an idea popped into my head. ¡®This is it.¡¯ Make the act of epting citizenship seem like it¡¯s nothing. If I can make it seem like it¡¯s not a big deal, they will likely ept citizenship without any fuss. [The citizen Choi Hyeong-jun is already on an ongoing quest.] [Would you like to reset the quest?] ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Please reset the quest.] The new quest was simple. Give a meal to the six guests.¡¯ [The quest content has been updated.] At the same time, I checked the situation outside through the wall pad. Choi Hyeong-jun, who had been pressing the doorbell, checked the updated quest content and moved towards the emergency exit with a confused expression. Through the speaker of the wall pad, I could hear their conversation. (If it¡¯s okay with you, would it be alright for us to treat you to a meal at our ce?) (What? But we¡¯re in a situation where we can¡¯t even get in right now.) I seized the opportunity and silentlymanded. ¡®Offer citizenship to all six of them.¡¯ [Offer citizenship to Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, Kim Ga-yeong, Yoo Hye-rin, Kim Geon, and Moon Byeong-ho.] I fixed my gaze on the wall pad screen, ready to unveil my trump card. (Oh! The invisible barrier disappeared!) With a cheerful voice, a sturdy man entered the territory. Judging by the baseball bat in his hand, he seemed to be the man who had killed thest of the goblin group. Following him was another. (Really? As soon as we acquire citizenship, we can enter?) All six of them, one after another, epted citizenship and entered the territory. At that moment. [The number of citizens has reached 10.] [Experience points and settlement funds earned by citizens are increased by 10%.] A new notification appeared, unfamiliar but enough to bring a smile to my face. ¡®Bonus experience and bonus settlement funds, huh.¡¯ It was a nice buff considering the arrival of additional members who would actively participate in monster hunting. A reason to wee them with open arms. ¡®Citizen Management.¡¯ The profiles of the six neers looked satisfying at a nce. ¡õ Ha Dong-geon (Trust: 19) (Lv. 23) ¡õ Kang Deok-su (Trust: 28) (Lv. 13) ¡õ Kim Ga-yeong (Trust: 17) (Lv. 17) ¡õ Yoo Hye-rin (Trust: 30) (Lv. 10) ¡õ Kim Geon (Trust: 15) (Lv. 11) ¡õ Moon Byeong-ho (Trust: 11) (Lv. 10) ¡­ ¡­ Current Poption (10/600) Indeed, their levels were quite different from a typical goblin-ying party. Surprisingly, everyone had a two-digit level, with one person even reaching level 23. ¡®Level 23 is on par with the Kellican I defeated a week ago.¡¯ The strangely high levels were understood as soon as I checked his citizen information. ¡ºName: Ha Dong-geon (Lv. 23) Trust: 19 Awakened Ability: Baseball Throwing Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Settlement Fund Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» ¡®He¡¯s an ability user.¡¯ As I focused on the awakened ability, a brief exnation of his ability came to mind. Baseball Throwing (Grade D) Consumes stamina to increase the power of the ball by three times. The man who had thrown the ball at the goblin horde seemed to be Ha Dong-geon. ¡®So that¡¯s why the goblins were insta-killed.¡¯ For those who had touched a baseball before, it was essentially a rock-like object. If the power increased threefold with the skill, it could be a formidable weapon. While it was a bit disappointing that most of them had low trust levels, it didn¡¯t matter; I could gradually build it up. ¡®For all six of the newly joined members, set the experience distribution rate to 70%.¡¯ [Settings have beenpleted.] I didn¡¯t bother adjusting the settlement funds. There was no ce for citizens to spend money, and I didn¡¯t feel the need to distribute it, so I decided not to bother. ¡®Alright.¡¯ Now, all I needed to do was assign monster hunting quests to them, and I could sit back and earn experience and money. It was time for automatic hunting. Of course, I had no intention of treating them like money-making machines. I nned to face them at an appropriate time, engage in human interaction, and perhaps they could be the key to saving my family. ¡®Before that, let¡¯s take a look at who these people are.¡¯ At the moment when I was about to use the Absolute Eye skill, [Trust level of citizen Ha Dong-geon has increased.] Suddenly, an increase in trust level notification appeared. ¡®¡­ What¡¯s this?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t even seen their faces or had a conversation with them, so how could the trust level increase? [Trust level of citizen Kim Ga-yeong has increased.] [Trust level of citizen Yoo Hye-rin has increased.] ¡°Huh.¡± It seemed like I needed to see for myself what was happening. *** ¡°Pleasee in.¡± ¡°I apologize for the intrusion.¡± The party led by Ha Dong-geon entered Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house, responding to the sudden dinner invitation. Park Hye-won, who hade to greet them at the entrance, was surprised and said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all this about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Can you prepare some food?¡± ¡°Food? I have to make something new¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it. It¡¯s his request.¡± ¡°It might take a while. I¡¯ll get it ready soon.¡± As Choi Hyeong-jun mentioned ¡°his request,¡± Park Hye-won went to prepare the meal without asking further questions. Observing her actions, Ha Dong-geon asked, ¡°Who is this person?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes, other than the fact that he lives next door¡­¡± Hearing his words, Ha Dong-geon looked towards the direction of the front door. ¡®Was it the house across the way?¡¯ The reason their party came here was because of the strange man on the top floor who threw ramen and seaweed. They came hoping to gain something more. ¡°Anyway, he¡¯s a mysterious person. As I mentioned earlier, the power to bring electricity in is also his doing. He has the ability to create water and tangerines.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ha Dong-geon observed the entrance light that brightly illuminated him. ¡®Is it telekinesis?¡¯ Since the day these abilities appeared in the world, he, too, awakened a new ability. There was now that said others couldn¡¯t have simr abilities. ¡®Incredible power.¡¯ The reason he threw food at them was probably because he could create more than just water and tangerines. ¡®He can also create things like the ramen and seaweed he threw at us.¡¯ Perhaps he had the power to create everything he desired. ¡®I should stick with this person.¡¯ Especially in times like this, it was necessary to stick with someone with strong abilities to survive. The ability to supply electricity and create water and food. In the current world, it was a miraculous ability. It had a value that was on a different dimension from his own throwing ability. While thinking about ways to somehow contact him and appeal their abilities to him, Choi Hyeong-jun spoke. ¡°It¡¯ll take some time to prepare dinner, so would you like to take a quick shower?¡± The strongest reactions came from Kim Ga-yeong and Yoo Hye-rin. ¡°Shower?!¡± ¡°We can take a shower?¡± Having electricity was avable was one thing, but having running water was another. ¡®Well, if he has the ability to create water, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult.¡¯ Choi Hyeong-jun responded with a friendly smile. ¡°Yes. Warm water is also avable.¡± ¡°Warm water?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s also thanks to his grace.¡± Kim Ga-yeong and Yoo Hye-rin said in turn. ¡°Step aside! I¡¯m going to shower first!¡± ¡°T-Then, I¡¯m next!¡± Beside them, Choi Hyeong-jun interjected. ¡°There are two bathrooms, so both of you can shower at the same time.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± ¡°One of you can use this one, and the other can use the bathroom in the bedroom. I¡¯ll show you.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± Kim Ga-yeong and Yoo Hye-rin were putting on a cheerful facade for a reason. They wanted to lighten the atmosphere a bit. Lately, things had been too heavy. Once the two women disappeared, only four men remained in the entrance. Kim Geon mumbled, ¡°Senior, is that guy also someone with superpowers?¡± Ha Dong-geon nodded in response. ¡°Probably. He seems to have abilities that are iparable to mine.¡± Hearing this, Kang Deok-su, shoulder to shoulder with Ha Dong-geon, spoke in a loud voice, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged, punk! If that guy gets on my nerves, a swing of my club will¡ª¡± ¡°Are you crazy? What nonsense are you bbing when you¡¯re clearlycking?¡± ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡± ¡°Please, just shut up and stay quiet. Please.¡± ¡°Ahaha. Okay, okay.¡± Ha Dong-geon sighed quietly and said, ¡°Anyway, our goal is to gather as much food as possible here. Don¡¯t make mistakes, and try to present yourselves as good as possible. Got it?¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± During that time, a man who had not responded to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s words was there. Ha Dong-geon put his hand on the man¡¯s shoulder and called his name. ¡°Byeong-ho.¡± Finally, there was a reaction. ¡°Huh? Oh, yes, hyung. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t hear.¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s my fault.¡± Byeong-ho, trying to shake off the dark expression, replied, ¡°No, hyung. What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°Ha. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s because I called everyone together for a housewarming party¡­¡± ¡°No, hyung. I came because I wanted to.¡± The gathering of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was due to the housewarming of the newlyweds, Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-yeong. As the party preparations were in full swing, monsters appeared, and the world fell apart. Naturally, they all ended up stranded at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s house. ¡°Your grandmother will be fine. Definitely.¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Although everyone was worried about their families, Byeong-ho was especially concerned. His only family, his grandmother, had difficulty moving and needed his help. But now, he couldn¡¯t go back home. That day, as soon as the monsters appeared, they all promised to go to Byeong-ho¡¯s house first. However, over the past ten days, despite numerous attempts, they were blocked by goblins every time. It was all thanks to their experience with goblin hordes that they managed to survive. ¡°Once we secure food here, let¡¯s all go to your grandmother¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you, hyung. But¡­¡± Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s voice was trembling heavily. He knew it too well. It was already toote. Ten days had passed since that day. Even if they were lucky and didn¡¯t face a monster attack, the likelihood of Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother being alive was very low. Sigh. What angered him was that his house was so close, visible even from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s ce. Yet, every attempt ended in failure. There were too many surrounding goblin groups, appearing in dozens without warning. ¡°Since it¡¯s nearby, if webine our strength, we can reach it easily. Let¡¯s muster a bit more strength.¡± ¡°Thank you, hyung. But¡­¡± Let¡¯s stop now. It¡¯s okay. He wanted to say that it was a burden for everyone, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it aloud. It felt like a thorn stuck in his throat, causing pain. A heavy silence fell for a moment. No one dared to speak first. ng. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Everyone tensed as the sound of the front door opening echoed. They gripped their baseball bats. Ha Dong-geon also took out a baseball from his pocket. But the moment the door opened and the man¡¯s figure appeared, everyone¡¯s bodies froze. ¡®What, what is this presence?¡¯ The man had an ordinary appearance. He wasn¡¯t extraordinarily tall orrge. On the contrary, he exuded a gentle atmosphere with clean, blemish-free skin thatcked the harshness of the sun. Nevertheless, an oppressive feeling, as if a giant had opened the front door and entered, permeated the room. It felt as if the gaping mouth of a giant beast was staring at them. The sharpened instincts they had developed through numerous close calls screeched a warning. Ha Dong-geon instinctively realized. ¡®This man¡­¡¯ The lives of him and hisrades were tightly held in this man¡¯s hands. His gut feeling told him that if the man decided, he could kill them at any moment. The man spoke. ¡°I will help.¡± With just one sentence, a glimmer of hope sprouted in Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s heart. Perhaps that man¡­ If it were this man in front of him, he felt like he could be rescued from the pit of despair. An unfounded conviction. Chapter 10: Survivors (5) Chapter 10: Survivors (5) [Episode 02] Survivors (5) Seven men and women were crowded around therge table in the living room. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what should we do? There¡¯s not enough space.¡± Ha Dong-geon spoke towards Park Hye-won, who seemed unsure of what to do, ncing around nervously. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s our fault for barging in like this.¡± With seven adults suddenly invading the home where the family of four lived, it was inevitable that there would be a shortage of space. ¡°We didn¡¯t prepare anything, but enjoy your meal.¡± Contrary to Park Hye-won¡¯s humble words, the table was set with a feast. Freshly steamed rice, neatly folded rolled omelets, fluffy steamed egg custard, and perfectly cooked sunny-side-up eggs adorned the table, creating an abundant spread. ¡°Don¡¯t say there¡¯s nothing prepared! This is aplete feast, Unni!¡± Kim Ga-yeong eximed as she praised the table. Park Hye-won pped her hands and returned thepliment. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the ingredients Mr. Jaehyun provided. If it weren¡¯t for him, we would only have rice and tangerines.¡± In reality, there was no way the house that had endured for ten days would have any proper ingredients left. The reason all the dishes were made with eggs was due to that scarcity. As a gesture, he filled the empty refrigerator of Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family with items like milk and eggs and replenished the nearly empty rice container. Through this process, Park Hye-won¡¯s trust level reached 50. ¡®I never thought she¡¯d reach 50 before Choi Hyeong-jun.¡¯ Despite starting with the lowest trust level among Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family, she was a person who found great happiness in small things. ¡°Thank you for the food!¡± As the meal began in earnest, everyone was busy with their spoons, continuously praising the dishes. ¡°Mmm! The steamed egg custard is delicious!¡± ¡°Wow, this rolled omelet is so sweet, like the ones you get at a Japanese restaurant!¡± At that moment, Choi Seo-yeon grabbed Park Hye-won¡¯s apron and mumbled. ¡°Mom, Seo-yeon also wants a rolled omelet¡­¡± ¡°Seo-yeon, sweetheart, Mom will make it for you as soon as the guests finish eating. Okay?¡± ¡°Sniff.¡± Seeing this, Kim Ga-yeong spoke to Choi Seo-yeon. ¡°Seo-yeon, do you want to eat the rolled omelet with Unni?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Without waiting for Park Hye-won to object, Choi Seo-yeon rushed over to Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s side and took the rolled omelet she offered, eating it with delight. ¡°Nom, nom, yum.¡± Her appearance was just like a baby bird receiving food from its parent. At that moment, Ha Dong-geon addressed Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family, who was awkwardly standing in the kitchen. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, please join us for the meal.¡± ¡°Oh, we¡¯re fine. There¡¯s not enough space, and we already ate earlier¡­¡± Contrary to his words, Choi Hyeong-jun was drooling at the sight of the sumptuous feast on the table. Well, what they ate earlier was just in rice with water, so it was only natural. I spoke up, ¡°Come and join us. There¡¯s still food left.¡± ¡°Um, is it okay?¡± In the end, all eleven people squeezed around the table, sitting closely together for the meal. I picked up a neatly sliced piece of rolled omelet and put it in my mouth. ¡°!¡± Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s reaction was not an exaggeration. Park Hye-won¡¯s cooking skills were impressive, and the taste was reminiscent of the rolled omelets sold in Japanese restaurants. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Not only that, but the steamed egg custard had the perfect seasoning. Eating the steamed egg custard directly with rice was enough to make it perfect. ¡°Wow. When was thest time I had home-cooked food like this?¡± It was an exmation from Kang Deok-su. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Not having ramyeon for a meal made me involuntarily think of my mom. Especially with the unnecessarily sumptuous table setting, the feeling intensified. ¡°I hope everyone is safe.¡± I missed my family. Since I learned about Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s situation through the eyes of the Absolute Dweller, my concern for his grandmother was clearly reflected on Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s face. I knew the feeling of worrying about family well. Moreover, the loyalty of the party members, who all moved together for Moon Byeong-ho, touched my heart. Coming here without hesitation and having a meal together was due to that. I could see that they were genuinely good people. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, a heavy silence fell over the dining table. When I looked up to see why, everyone was looking at me, and it seemed like my tense expression had made them uneasy. I tried to soften my expression and pretend everything was fine. ¡°Ahem. Uh, wow, it¡¯s delicious.¡± But everyone seemed to find me somewhat difficult to approach. ¡®It¡¯s strange.¡¯ Perhaps because I have a rtively youthful appearance, there were people who treated me casually or felt at ease around me, so no one had struggled to interact with me to this extent. However, now everyone seemed to find me somewhat difficult to approach, except for one person. ¡°Mom, Seo-yeon is sleepy.¡± It was only the youngest, Choi Seo-yeon, who seemedfortable with me. Even Choi Na-yeon, slightly older than her, seemed to be cautious around me. ¡°Well, Seo-yeon. Should Na-yeon and I go to bed together?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± After Park Hye-won took the two children and went into the room, the conversation resumed in earnest. Park Hye-won spoke to Ha Dong-geon, ¡°Shall we continue with the story we were discussing earlier? What¡¯s the reason you couldn¡¯t go to your grandmother¡¯s house, even though it¡¯s so close?¡± He slowly began to exin, ¡°It¡¯s because of the goblins.¡± ¡°Goblins?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was strange. The scene I witnessed was Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party swiftly annihting four goblins. As I made a puzzled expression, Ha Dong-geon continued with additional exnations. ¡°You¡¯re aware that there¡¯s arge space in the underground parking lot of the apartment, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s obvious.¡± ¡°Perhaps because it¡¯s a good ce to hide like a cave, goblins from around the apartmentplex seem to have gathered there, iming their territory.¡± How spacious was the underground parking lot? A spacerge enough to park thousands of cars. How many goblins could it amodate? ¡°It seems like there are at least several thousand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a more serious situation than I had thought. There were thousands of goblins swarming underground. The dozens I had seen on the sidewalk were just the tip of the iceberg. ¡°And as you know, all the entrances and exits of the apartment are near the underground parking lot. With such arge number of goblins roaming around, we can¡¯t find a way in.¡± I countered Ha Dong-geon¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s an escape route, right?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct. From the beginning, our n was to escape through the escape route, but¡­¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s eyes shook severely as he trailed off. ¡°There was someone there who seemed more dangerous than goblins.¡± ¡°Someone more dangerous?¡± Ha Dong-geon responded with a serious expression, ¡°It seems to be a werewolf.¡± ¡°The exact details are unclear to us. It was too dark, and the danger seemed imminent, so the moment we spotted the creature, we immediately fled.¡± If the escape route was unavable, it was essentially going back to square one. ¡°Essentially, we have to make a frontal breakthrough.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been focusing on reducing the number of goblins for the past few days.¡± Ha Dong-geon confessed with a dark expression. ¡°We¡¯ve killed quite a few goblins, but it feels like their numbers haven¡¯t decreased significantly, and now we¡¯re gradually reaching our limit.¡± ¡°A limit?¡± At that moment, Kim Ga-yeong, who was next to Ha Dong-geon, stepped forward to provide further exnation. ¡°Our main weapons are bows and baseballs. However, since arrows are consumables, they are running out. We try to collect and reuse them, but my husband¡¯s thrown baseballs are also running out.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I can help. Can I see the arrows and baseballs? And the bow as well.¡± Kim Ga-yeong brought the items she used: a bow, arrows, and baseballs. ¡°Here you go.¡± After registering these items in the store, I immediately performed the item recovery. Recovering arrows and baseballs didn¡¯t take much. The problem was the bow. [¡°To restore the ¡®Compound Bow¡¯ in good condition, you need 1,530,000 won.¡±] [¡°Would you like to restore it?¡±] After a moment of contemtion, I made a decision. ¡°Restore it.¡± I might not be certain about other things, but bows and arrows would undoubtedly continue to be very useful. If I were to keep buying items in the future, restoring them seemed like a profitable business. ¡°Do any of you use bows?¡± Hearing my question, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party looked at me with expressions of confusion. I smiled meaningfully at them and thought. ¡®Purchase five sets of bows. Purchase five sets of arrows.¡¯ Ding¨D I pointed to the newly appeared five sets of bows and arrows. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t shoot, use this opportunity to practice. You¡¯ll be using it continuously in the future.¡± The others were not using baseball bats because it was more useful. Since they didn¡¯t have bows, they swung baseball bats instead. However, now all five members were armed with bows. Having a ranged weapon, even if they were inexperienced, was a significant advantage. [Citizen Ha Dong-geon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡­ ¡­ The trust of everyone present in this ce increased simultaneously. ¡°I¡¯m sure this will speed up goblin hunting by several times.¡± ¡°If we have this many arrows, there¡¯s no need to go out of our way to retrieve them. With this, forcibly breaking through the entrance of the apartment is also possible, right?¡± Ha Dong-geon and his party were very excited Especially Moon Byeong-ho, who showed a particrly enthusiastic response. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has increased significantly.] It was understandable. The hope of saving his grandmother was being realized right in front of his eyes. I said to him. ¡°It¡¯s not set in stone yet. Before that, we need to significantly reduce the number of goblins.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No matter how you escape, if the goblins are still alive, thening back is the problem. You¡¯re not nning on not returning, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ha Dong-geon nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes. To ensure safety, we need to first reduce the number of goblins. So, when are you nning to execute the operation?¡± Upon hearing that question, Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s expression darkened again. The more time passes, the less likely it is for his grandmother to survive. I said, ¡°The operation will take ce tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a problem where the faster, the better.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°Tomorrow. I will rescue Mr. Moon Byungho¡¯s grandmother.¡± Upon hearing these words, everyone wore expressions of doubt and uncertainty. Their reaction seemed to question how much they could achieve in reducing the goblin numbers in just one day. After observing their reactions, I dered with confidence, ¡°We will conduct a concentrated hunt.¡± I began to briefly exin the outline of the operation. All of them listened with determined expressions. ¡°Perhaps it might be possible¡­¡± ¡°If things go well¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time, so let¡¯s finish our meal here and move ording to my instructions.¡± That was the moment. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 30,000 won.] Upon checking the notification, I furrowed my brows. ¡®Did I have to spend money?¡¯ Well, if quests could be given for free, it could lead to loopholes. ¡®For example, by giving a very easy quest.¡¯ Providing quests like ¡®Do 10 push-ups¡¯ and gaining a small amount of experience as a quest reward would have been enough. In that case, it would have been possible to slowly raise the citizens¡¯ levels without hunting monsters. ¡®Conversely, it means that as long as you have enough money, you can raise the citizens¡¯ levels as much as you want.¡¯ If the capital was sufficient, it could also be used for tricks. ¡®Unless absolutely necessary, I don¡¯t have to use it.¡¯ My wallet situation was not thatfortable yet. At this moment, a message suddenly appeared saying that Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust had increased, perhaps because he received a reward forpleting the quest. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] At the same time, [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun has met the conditions for registered status.] Finally, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust reached 50. Moreover, there was an alert that he surpassed 30 in loyalty as soon as it was unlocked. ¡®Is that possible? Citizen information, Choi Hyeong-jun.¡¯ ¡ºName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Level 20) [+] Title: [First Vassal] Trust: 51 Loyalty: 62 Awakening Ability: Gori¡¯s Might ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Checking the citizen information, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s loyalty was an impressive 62, higher than Choi Seo-yeon, who was the first to unlock loyalty. With this, registration as a vassal could be done immediately. Vassal registration, Choi Hyeong-jun.¡¯ At that moment, Wooong! Bright light permeated Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s body. ¡°What, what was that just now?¡± ¡°Something shed, it seemed like¡­¡± Ding! [Appointed as the first vassal.] [Acquired ¡®Vassal Summon¡¯ skill as a reward.] {Vassal Summon} Summons a vassal into the room. However, once a vassal is summoned, they can only be summoned again after two hours. The newly acquired skill was very intuitive. If used wisely, it could be extremely useful. In addition, there was a significant change in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s citizen information. ¡ºName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Level 20) [+] Title: [First Vassal] Trust: 51 Loyalty: 62 Awakening Ability: Gori¡¯s Might ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» He had just gained a whopping 11 levels, and a new title, ¡°First Vassal¡± had emerged. Furthermore, he had awakened the ability called ¡°Gori¡¯s Might.¡± Gori¡¯s Might (C) [Passive] Bes the possessor of strengthparable to that of a gori. Examining the title closely revealed its effects. {First Vassal} Experience points and settlement fees for monsters hunted by the vassal are doubled upon payment. Creates an area within a 5m radius outside the room where the ¡®The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye¡¯ can be summoned. Now, sending Choi Hyeong-jun for reconnaissance could provide more detailed information about the outside situation. ¡®What is the plus button next to the level?¡¯ [Would you like to spend 1,000,000 won to raise Vassal Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s level?] Seeing the hefty sum of 1 million won demanded, I immediately turned off the message without any hesitation. ¡®Surprise.¡¯ Just as I was suppressing my shock, I saw Choi Hyeong-jun staring intently at his hands beside me. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Jaehyun. After receiving that light just now, it feels like there¡¯s energy overflowing in me. It feels like I can do anything¡­ Did you do this, Mr. Jaehyun?¡± It seemed to be the effect of Gori¡¯s Might. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± I looked at him and offered a warm smile. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jaehyun. Honestly, I feel like I¡¯ve gotten ten years younger¡­¡± I handed him the newly purchased set of bow and arrows, saying, ¡°Mr. Hyeong-jun, please participate in the operation as well.¡± ¡°Um¡­ yes?¡± Basically, a 10% experience bonus granted to citizens. Because the payment was doubled due to the vassal effect, it was equivalent to gaining 220% experience. Meaning that using Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s hands to hunt monsters was more rewarding than if I did it myself. ¡°Please make sure to catch as many as possible.¡± I reiterated my request to Choi Hyeong-jun, who was in tears. ¡°I will do my best.¡± Trantor¡¯s Note: This novel makes me question math. Chapter 11: Goblin Hunt (1) Chapter 11: Goblin Hunt (1) [Episode 03] Goblin Hunt (1) After finishing their meal, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party descended to the first floor of the apartment. ¡°Dong-geon, do we really need to check the first floor? I saw earlier that even the ss windows were shattered, and the condition is beyond words.¡± ¡°Still, we need to check. Didn¡¯t you hear what Mr. Jaehyun said? We came here as a rescue team.¡± Their first mission was to find all the survivors scattered throughout Building 114 and send them up to the 30th floor. Kim Geon, adjusting his sses, asked, ¡°¡­But is it really necessary to find the survivors? We could just start the operation without worrying about it.¡± At that moment, Moon Byeong-ho sent him a cold gaze and spoke. ¡°Are you doubting him right now?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that. I just meant¡­¡± Ha Dong-geon stepped forward and conveyed Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s intention. ¡°Though you probably already know, the key to this operation is to lure in a massive number of goblins into this apartment. It would be fortunate if the operation goes smoothly and we can handle them all, but if we make a mistake, the survivors on each floor could be in danger. So, we want to take preventive measures before that happens.¡± Although Kim Jae-hyun had never exined it in such a way, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s words sounded convincing. ¡°That¡¯s the deep meaning behind it! It¡¯s an operation to ensure the safety of the survivors! Okay, okay!¡± Kang Deok-su nodded vigorously in agreement. ¡°I knew you were an extraordinary person from our first encounter. Seems like you¡¯re quite impressive.¡± Two women echoed his words, making a fuss. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡°He seems quite handsome, doesn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Wow. Hye-rin, are you interested?¡± ¡°Um, a bit?¡± ¡°Look at this. Seems like it¡¯s genuine, right?¡± ¡°Unni, I¡¯ve been single for three years. It¡¯s about time to start dating, right?¡± ¡°Ahaha, that¡¯s hrious.¡± Kim Geon nced at hispanions with a slightly ufortable expression. ¡®¡­Everyone¡¯s acting weird.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand how they could trust that man so much in such a short time since they met. ¡®¡­Sure, he seems likable, and I acknowledge his abilities, but¡­¡¯ Kim Geon was generally distrustful of people. Preferring logical judgment over emotions and valuing logical reasoning, he found his friends¡¯ behavior strangely off. ¡®Especially that guy, Moon Byeong-ho.¡¯ Perhaps because that man offered to help rescue his grandmother, it seemed like everyone had be his devoted followers. At that moment, Ha Dong-geon spoke up. ¡°Enough chit-chat. Let¡¯s get started. We never know when goblins might pop up, so everyone stay alert.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Sure~.¡± They began searching for survivors. ¡°Let¡¯s start from Unit 101.¡± Fortunately, entering the units on the first floor wasn¡¯t challenging. Both Unit 101 and Unit 102 had their front doors wide open. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The condition of the units on the first floor was much worse than expected. The state of Unit 101, once a stronghold for goblins, was nothing short of a wild cave. Although the goblins had only stayed for a few days, the traces left behind by dozens of goblins were more intense than imagined. ¡°Ugh. The smell.¡± The ce was filled with a severe stench from the goblins¡¯ scattered excrement and decaying remains of half-eaten bodies. ¡°Let¡¯s start searching.¡± Without specific instructions from Ha Dong-geon, everyone naturally scattered to explore the interior. ¡°No one here.¡± ¡°This room is clear.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Just as the search was about to conclude with no significant findings. ¡°Ugh. Bleghhh!¡± The sound of Yu Hye-rin, who was checking an inner room, vomiting up her recent dinner, echoed through the area. Rushing urgently to Yu Hye-rin¡¯s side, Ha Dong-geon frowned deeply as he discovered something. ¡°Hye-rin, are you okay?¡± ¡°Ah, unni. There, over there, human bodies piled up¡­¡± Inside the restroom, goblin-eaten human corpses were stackedyer uponyer. The number of dead people was roughly estimated to be dozens just from the bodies in the restroom. Although he had seen human corpses during the ten-day battle with goblins, this was the first time Ha Dong-geon witnessed such a gruesome scene. Ha Dong-geon spoke, ¡°There seems to be no one here, so let¡¯s move on to the next.¡± The situation in Room 102 wasn¡¯t much different. The entire house was filled with broken items, and in the corner of the restroom, human corpses were piled up and decaying. The only fortunate thing was that they didn¡¯t encounter goblins during the search. ¡°Let¡¯s go up to the second floor.¡± The situation on the second floor wasn¡¯t much different. Breaking the ss from the outside would allow for easy intrusion, making them vulnerable to goblin attacks. Thankfully, things improved from the third floor onwards. Although the corridors were still surrounded by goblin excrement, the front doors were securely closed. Knock, knock, knock. Ha Dong-geon lightly knocked and then said, ¡°Are there any survivors inside?¡± Knock, knock, knock. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone inside, please respond!¡± However, from the third floor onwards, a different problem arose. Since there was no way to open the sturdy iron doors, they couldn¡¯t enter and check inside. Therefore, after trying a few times and getting no response, they had no choice but to give up. ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± It was when they arrived on the fifth floor. Knock, knock, knock! ¡°Is anyone there? We¡¯vee to rescue you! If you¡¯re inside, please respond!¡± As they were knocking with little hope, it happened. nk. For the first time, the door opened. However, it didn¡¯t openpletely. There was a safetytch and locking device, preventing the door from being forcibly opened from the outside. Through the slightly ajar door, a man stuck his head out, scanned Ha Dong-geon¡¯s group, and asked. ¡°Are you really the rescue team?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The man still wore a doubtful expression. ¡°Then, could you give me some water? My throat is really dry.¡± In response, Ha Dong-geon took out a 2-liter bottle of water from his backpack and handed it to the man. ¡°Here you go.¡± As Ha Dong-geon silently handed over the water, the man looked at him in surprise, then asked again. ¡°Are you really the rescue team?¡± ¡°While we¡¯re not affiliated with any government agency, it¡¯s true that we¡¯vee to rescue the survivors in this apartment. If you join us, you won¡¯t have to worry about water or food.¡± The man stared at Ha Dong-geon for a moment, then, with a determined expression, closed the door. A little whileter, the door opened again. Creak. The second door to open had no safetytch. In front of the entrance, behind the man, stood two awkward-looking children ¨C a boy who seemed to be in high school and a girl who looked to be in middle school. ¡°I might not fully understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯ll trust you. So, if we follow you, you¡¯ll make sure we don¡¯t have to worry about food?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The man nodded and extended his hand, introducing himself, ¡°I¡¯m Hong Jung-su. Nice to meet you.¡± After a brief handshake, Ha Dong-geon directed his team, ¡°Ga-yeong and Hye-rin, take them to the 30th floor and then rejoin us.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hearing this, Hong Jung-su hesitated and asked, ¡°30th floor? Shouldn¡¯t we be going out to the 1st floor?¡± Having stayed hidden inside the house since the appearance of the monsters, Hong Jung-su waspletely unaware of the current situation. His daughter, who was next to him, spoke up. ¡°Dad,e on. It must be a helicopter. Let¡¯s go up quickly.¡± She, too, was ignorant of the situation. Kim Ga-yeong addressed them. ¡°Well, not exactly, but if you go up, you can have a warm meal and even take a shower.¡± The one who reacted to this statement was Hong Jung-su¡¯s son, asking eagerly. ¡°Shower?! Is that true?¡± In response, Kim Ga-yeong smiled and replied. ¡°Yes, indeed. And it¡¯s warm water, too.¡± Upon hearing this, Hong Jung-su¡¯s son urged him. ¡°What are you doing, Dad? Let¡¯s go up quickly.¡± ¡°Oh, uh, okay.¡± *** [The number of citizens has reached 90.] [Experience points and settlement funds earned by citizens increase by 90%.] With this, the number of citizens reached 93. Checking the citizens¡¯ status through the citizen management window, there didn¡¯t seem to be anyone particrly outstanding among the neers. ¡®Out of 93 people, is there only one person with an awakened ability?¡¯ The only person with an awakened ability was Ha Dong-geon. ¡®But there seem to be some people who are quite capable. I should consider forming separate teams.¡¯ Among the 83 people Ha Dong-geon rescued so far, some had rtively high levels. Common among them was their consistent self-management, all possessing well-toned bodies. Among them was a level 15 man, and his entire body seemed to be packed with muscles, almost like a bodybuilder. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ Using the skill, the emergency exit area came into view. There, six new arrivals were standing, catching their breath. ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡± Following Ha Dong-geon¡¯s guidance, they headed toward the direction of Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house. Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house had its front door wide open, allowing a clear view inside. The first thing that caught their eyes was the multitude of shoes filling the entire entryway. The number of shoes was so vast that they extended outside the front door in rows. It looked like the scene at the entrance of a room during a college retreat, especially considering the overwhelming number of people. ¡°You cane in.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Alright.¡± What was even more overwhelming was the scene inside the house. It was packed with people as if hosting a home party. Considering the small space of about 30 square meters, having over 90 people inside was unimaginable. Due to the limited space, most people couldn¡¯t sit or lie down properly, so the majority was standing. Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house hadpletely transformed into a refuge for survivors. ¡°Anyone that hasn¡¯t received their first rice ball?!¡± ¡°Here! It¡¯s our turn!¡± ¡°Could you please pass this to those people over there?¡± Moreover, Park Hye-won had be like a cafeteria aunt, tirelessly preparing and serving food. In one corner of the kitchen, Choi Na-yeon and Choi Seo-yeon, who would normally be sleeping in the master bedroom, were sitting close together, nodding off. Due to the unexpected guests, they were forced out of the bedroom. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤I feel a bit sorry.¡± Still, there was no other choice. As much as I wanted to invite some of them into our house, only Choi Hyeong-jun, registered as a vassal, could enter. ¡®Should I add the kids as well?¡¯ Currently, all members of Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family were in a state where they could be registered as vassals. This meant that not only did their truth level exceed 50, but loyalty also exceeded 30. I wanted to bring the two kids into our dwelling and let them sleep in my bed, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. ¡®It¡¯s a shame.¡¯ Registering as a vassal leads to a significant level increase and gaining special abilities. Moreover, the efficiency of earning experience points and money was twice as high as other citizens. However, it was a tough job to send kids who hadn¡¯t even entered elementary school yet to hunt monsters. ¡°I must use vassal registration exclusively for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party.¡± Or I could consider registering those with higher levels among the neers as vassals. ????~ I heard the ringtone and deactivated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye skill. Then, I moved to the entrance and opened the door. ¡°Open.¡± Pressing the doorbell was Ha Dong-gun, who had just entered the entrance. Since he hadn¡¯t obtained the vassal status yet, the authorized space for him was only up to that point. He stood there and started reporting. ¡°These neers are thest survivors.¡± ¡°Have you already checked all the floors?¡± ¡°Yes. I just confirmed the 29th floor and came back.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Although not reaching the goal of 100 people, having 93 was still a decent number. ¡°Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house is almost full, and this should be enough.¡± A whopping 90% bonus experience. Even if only 70% was distributed to Ha Dong-gun¡¯s party, you could still receive 120% total experience points. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± With Ha Dong-gun in front of me, I closed my eyes and used the skill. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ This time, I used Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye on the area where Choi Hyeong-jun was, not in the homebound area. He was working hard near the emergency exit stairs, cutting and peeling something, connecting them again, and cing them on the stairs¡¯ floor. After concentrating for a while, he straightened his back. ¡°Deactivate Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡± Preparations wereplete. I gave Ha Dong-gun a meaningful smile and said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s move on to the Goblin Hunt, Step 2.¡± Chapter 12: Goblin Hunt (2) Chapter 12: Goblin Hunt (2) [Episode 03] Goblin Hunt (2) Descending to the first floor, Choi Hyeong-jun was drenched in cold sweat, trembling like a bamboo tree shivering in the wind. Watching him with concern, Yoo Hye-rin said to him. ¡°Sir, are you really okay?¡± ¡°I-I-I¡¯m fine!¡± He looked far from okay. ¡°Sir! Don¡¯t worry! You must have been in the military if you¡¯re a man before, right?¡± Choi Hyeong-jun patted his own shoulder and replied to Kang Deok-su. ¡°¡­I¡¯m exempt.¡± ¡°???¡± After scanning Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s body up and down, Kang Deok-su asked with sincerity. ¡°With that body?¡± Exceeding 180 in height, with a sturdy physique, even if he were an athlete, it would involuntarily make one nod in agreement. This person was exempt? In Kang Deok-su¡¯s perplexed gaze, Choi Hyeong-jun offered an exnation. ¡°This, this is all fat. It was worse before. Not muscles.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Even if you look closely, it¡¯s muscles. ¡°Focus.¡± At that moment, the team leader, Ha Dong-geon, gathered the attention of the team members. ¡°We will now begin the briefing.¡± They were gathered in the corridor on the first floor. Before entering the underground parking lot, which served as the goblins¡¯ headquarters, they conducted a final mission check. ¡°The ultimate goal of the Goblin Hunt is to lure as many goblins as possible up to the 30th floor.¡± They had already experienced the presence of the transparent wall on the 30th floor. Just before receiving citizenship, Kang Deok-su had swung a bat to directly confirm the strength of the transparent wall. Thanks to that, they could be sure. ¡°With the goblins¡¯ power, we can¡¯t break through the transparent wall. On the contrary, we will be able to attack them from within the wall.¡± So, the objective of this operation was clear. ¡°Lure as many goblins as possible and lead them up to the 30th floor. That¡¯s our role.¡± Ha Dong-geon pointed to the emergency exit stairs leading down to the basement as he spoke. ¡°That¡¯s why we are simultaneously targeting B1 and B2 floors.¡± Kim Jae-hyun, who instructed them on the operation, was even thinking about conducting the Goblin Hunt operation multiple times. Because goblins were clever, he was determined to lure as many goblins as possible, even if it meant pushing beyond their limits in the first attempt. The operation was simple. ¡°Divide into two teams and provoke the creatures on B1, then lure the creatures on B2.¡± The key to this operation was for the B1 team to withstand the goblin waves until the B2 team came up. Everyone looked at Choi Hyeong-jun. That was because he was in charge of blocking the goblins using the emergency exit iron door as a shield on B1. The exact reason was unknown, but Kim Jae-hyun had given him the direct order. Considering Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s physique, it was indeed the optimal role. At that moment, Kim Geon quietly raised his hand. ¡°Say¡­¡± ¡°¡­What if more goblinse than we thought? Won¡¯t we be isted on the 30th floor?¡± Kim Ga-yeong twirled the bow in her hand and spoke. ¡°If they do, we thank them. If safety is secured, I can wipe them all out by myself.¡± ¡°Ga-yeong is right. We have bows, and the goblin horde blocked by the transparent wall will be a good target.¡± Kim Geon looked at the team with a face that sincerely reflected his thoughts. Then he quietly hit the nail on the head. ¡°¡­What about the corpses? Goblin corpses will pile up like mountains. How are we going to handle that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Being blocked by a pile of corpses might prevent us from moving.¡± When everyone fell silent, Moon Byeong-ho calmly responded. ¡°That person will find a way, somehow.¡± And with those words, Choi Hyeong-jun nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. If it¡¯s him, he¡¯ll surely find a way to handle it. Besides, it seems like such a problem won¡¯t arise in the first ce. After all, it¡¯s a mission directly ordered by him.¡± Kim Geon looked at the two with an unsatisfied expression. At that moment, ¡°Kegyeuk?¡± At the familiar sound, everyone turned their heads to the end of the corridor, where three goblins were staring at them. The first to react was Kim Ga-yeong. ¡°Kkiaak¡ª Take this!¡± Swish! Having faced goblins for the past ten days, she had reached a point where her body reacted instinctively upon spotting them. ¡°Puk!¡± In an instant, Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s two arrows pierced through the foreheads of the two goblins. And then. Boom! The remaining one belonged to Kang Deok-su, who ran towards the goblin and swung his bat. Kim Geon asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Senior. If this is going to be the case, why did you bother bringing a bow?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, right.¡± Kang Deok-su, wiping the blood off the bat, responded nonchntly, ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, Kim Ga-yeong muttered in astonishment, her expression changing. ¡°¡­It¡¯s disappearing.¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s disappearing?¡± Kim Ga-yeong quickly took out her phone and turned on the shlight. ¡°!!!¡± In the illuminated area, the goblin corpses were disappearing in real-time. ¡°This is¡­¡± Seeing Kim Geon¡¯s surprise, Moon Byeong-ho smiled casually and said, ¡°See? He¡¯s resolving it in this way. He directly answered your question.¡± Kim Geon couldn¡¯t muster a response, muttering to himself. *** [Citizen Ha Dong-gun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The situation of Ha Dong-gun¡¯s party was being closely monitored with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. When I opened my eyes to see if anything, I found that the trust of the entire party had increased significantly. Now, it was possible to check messages even while using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. At first, the ovepping vision was confusing, but now he could consciously separate the views like using dual monitors. I thought as I looked at them in surprise. ¡®I got lucky.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t intentional, but thanks to Kim Geon¡¯s remark and the coincidental appearance of goblins, a situation conducive to misunderstanding unfolded. It seemed as if he had been watching them, and when Kim Geon asked a question, it coincidentally appeared as if the goblin corpses vanished in response to his answer. ¡®Well, I was indeed watching them.¡¯ As a result. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration.] Even without this incident, Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust was rapidly increasing and surpassed 50. ¡®It happened in just a few hours¡­¡¯ He had already fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration. While the entire Ha Dong-geon party was showing a rapid increase in trust, they still had a long way to go to reach 50. Both Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family and Moon Byeong-ho, who had already fulfilled the vassal¡¯s conditions, shared amonality¡ªthey were both psychologically unstable. It seemed that directly addressing their deficiencies had a significant impact. ¡®Anyway, it worked out well. If possible, I need to increase the number of vassals quickly for growth¡­ Huh?¡¯ When I checked Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s citizen information, I couldn¡¯t help but gasp. ¡ºName: Moon Byeong-ho (Lv. 10) Trust: 55 Loyalty: 88 Awakening Ability: None Experience Distribution Rate: 70% Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» The loyalty value was unbelievably high. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Of course, I had some guesses about Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s attitude, but I expected it to be around 40 to 50. However, 88 was beyond my expectations. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not a bad thing.¡¯ In fact, it was a positive development. It meant that I had someone who trusted me and was loyal to me to such an extent. ¡®The timing for vassal registration is set.¡¯ Thinking about the bright light that surrounded Choi Hyeong-jun when he registered as a vassal, a timely idea came to mind that could be helpful for this operation. *** There was one thing Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party learned after struggling for 10 days. Goblins were sensitive to light. Normally, it wasn¡¯t a problem. If they were always sensitive to light, it would make it impossible for them to roam around during the day. It was at night that they were particrly sensitive. They were most sensitive as they hid in their hideouts. sh! ¡°Kki-gik!¡± ¡°Kki-ik!¡± ¡°Kkwaeak?!¡± In the pitch-ck underground parking lot, thefortable sanctuary of the goblins was invaded by unwee light. ¡°Kkiiieeek!¡± ¡°Kyaahh!¡± The goblins, shrouded in darkness, reacted with difort as the intrusive light disrupted their peaceful abode. The goblins, disturbed during their rest, suddenly vented their anger towards the emerging light. However, the light was only just beginning. Ssyaeeaak! Whoosh! Thud! Arrows, flying through the darkness, pierced through the goblins. Some missed their targets miserably, but several deeply prated the torsos of the goblins. Furthermore, a few precisely pierced through the brows of theirrades. And then¡­ sh¡ª! ¡°What, what¡¯s going on?¡± A massive light, iparable to the light from a smartphone, burst forth from a man. It immediately stimted most of the goblins on the first underground floor. ¡°Kkieeeek¨D! Kkieeeek¨D! Kkieeek¨D!¡± The cries of the goblins instantly spread throughout the entire cave. ¡°Kkieeeek¨D!¡± ¡°Kkieeeeee¨D!¡± ¡°Kkieeek¨D!¡± The cries of theirrades, filled with hostility, echoed through the cave, waking up those who were in deep slumber. Individually, goblins might seem quite weak. However, they were individuals who knew how to ovee their weakness with the strength of the group. There were two things that goblins were particrly sensitive to: one was when their sanctuary was vited, and the other was when they encountered a piercing light that disrupted their peace during the night. Both of these situations were happening simultaneously. ¡°Kkieeeek¨D!¡± ¡°Kkieeeeee¨D!¡± Enraged goblins rushed towards the intruders, venting their frenzied anger. ¡°That¡¯s enough! Fall back!¡± ¡°Team 1, cover! Team 2, retreat to the emergency stairs!¡± Following Ha Dong-gun¡¯s orders, Choi Hyeong-jun, Kang Deok-su, and Moon Byeong-ho, who had been shooting arrows for a while, ran towards the emergency stairs on the first underground floor. Fwoosh! While they were retreating, Ha Dong-gun, Kim Ga-young, Yoo Hye-rin, and Kim Geon shot arrows vigorously at the goblins. Thunk! ¡°Kkieeek!¡± Among them, Kim Ga-young¡¯s archery skills stood out prominently. Her bow skills, which had been steadily honed over the years, urately pierced the goblin between the eyes every time. Thunk! The rest were not that far behind. Perhaps due to the experience of being dragged to the archery range regrly, Ha Dong-gun¡¯s archery skills were also exceptional. Fwoosh¨D! Moreover, the goblins flocking towards the narrow passage were easier to hit than expected. They were all running in a straight line towards the light. ¡°Team 1, fall back!¡± While Team 1 sessfully bought time, Team 2 provided cover fire for their retreat. Thunk! ¡°Kkieeek!¡± Kim Ga-young¡¯s archery skills were mediocrepared to Team 1. However, ironically, it worked to their advantage. Goblins pierced by arrows in the stomach, shoulders, and legs fell in a pitiful state. Thud! ¡°Kkieeek!¡± The goblins that stumbled over their fallenrades blocked the path, one by one. Unlike the corpses disappearing with a single arrow piercing their foreheads, the goblins hit by amateurish archery became excellent obstacles. ¡°Close it!¡± Thanks to this, Ha Dong-gun and his team sessfully closed the emergency exit door. Kwung! Immediately after the door closed, numerous goblins pounded on the iron door. Kugugugugung! Thud! Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun, holding onto the emergency exit stairs, single-handedly withstood the assault. The overwhelming strength of Gori¡¯s Might firmly blocked the iron door. ng! ng! Although the goblins exerted all their strength to open the emergency exit stairs, it was futile against his overwhelming power. Surprisingly, Choi Hyeong-jun sessfully defended against the strength of numerous goblins on his own. Even though it was Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s order, Kang Deok-su, who had been skeptical, was prepared to assist in blocking the door. However, it seemed unnecessary. Choi Hyeong-jun alone was sufficient, eliminating the need to waste additional personnel. All six members descended to the second underground floor. ¡°Sir, just hold on a bit!¡± ¡°Hurry, go!¡± While Choi Hyeong-jun held the emergency exit stairs alone, a simr scenario unfolded on the second underground floor. ¡°Kkieeek!¡± The furious horde of goblins poured into the emergency exit stairs, creating a chaotic noise. ¡°Ugh, haa. Ugh, haa.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun, hearing that, was shivering like someone suffering from a chill. Once again, the nightmare of that moment resurfaced. The sight of people dying in front of him, the moment when screams filled the air, shed back. ¡°I have to do it. It¡¯s something I have to do!¡± If he were to kneel here, everything would be ruined. That was not an option. Kwung! Thud! Thud! Kugung! The doorknob of the emergency exit turned briefly each time, attempting to open the door. Each time, Choi Hyeong-jun used his monstrous strength to prevent it. ¡°Whoooah!¡± What allowed him to stand firmly on both feet were the heavy burdens pressing on both of his shoulders. At that moment, Ha Dong-gun¡¯s group, who had gone to the second underground floor, wasing up the stairs. ¡°Sir! It¡¯s enough now!¡± ¡°Everyone, run!¡± Firing arrows intermittently towards the goblins, Ha Dong-gun¡¯s group rushed upward. Choi Hyeong-jun was delighted. ¡®Good, it¡¯s done. It¡¯s a sess!¡¯ Now he didn¡¯t have to guard this door anymore. With a sense of aplishment, as he was about to lift his foot¡­ ¡®¨DHuh?¡¯ He realized that his legs weren¡¯t moving. The fear and the heavy sense of responsibility pressing on his shoulders gave him the strength to endure, but at the same time, it robbed him of the strength to escape. ¡°Sir!!!¡± ¡°Go ahead!!¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°Go! Quickly!¡± Even Kang Deok-su, who was already at the farthest end of Ha Dong-gun¡¯s group, was quite a distance away from Choi Hyeong-jun. The goblins were approaching closely. Moreover. Kwaaang! As if hitting a fallen foe while down, the goblins broke through the iron door on the first underground floor. ¡°Kkieeek¨D!¡± ¡°Kkieee¨D!¡± ¡°Kkieek¨D!¡± Seeing the goblins engulfed in madness, Kang Deok-su couldn¡¯t summon the courage to go down. However. ¡°Damn it!¡± In a desperate moment, what he chose was not survival but hisrades. Pyeoek! ¡°Get out of here, you things! Sir, quickly this way¨D!¡± But at that moment. Shoosh- ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Choi Hyeong-jun disappeared. Then, all that remained were numerous goblins around him. ¡°¡­Oh damn!¡± ¡°Kyaaa¨D!¡± Seeing the goblin rushing towards him, Kang Deok-su swung his bat in a full arc. Pow! ¡°Kkeeeek!¡± Pwuuk! Fortunately, like Kang Deok-su¡¯s choice, hisrades didn¡¯t abandon him either. ¡°Deok-su! Quickly!¡± ¡°O-Okay!¡± Receiving cover fire from Kim Ga-young and Ha Dong-gun, Kang Deok-su began to climb the stairs three steps at a time. ¡®Faster, faster!¡¯ Squeezing out everyst ounce of strength, he ran towards the 30th floor. Chapter 13: Goblin Hunt (3) Chapter 13: Goblin Hunt (3) [Episode 03] Goblin Hunt (3) Growl. Beneath the bright moon of Hwiyoung Cheong, a sinister red glint shone in the deep shadows created by the apartment. Crunch! Northern alley. The owner of that ce was a humanoid monster covered in rough, pitch-ck fur. Growl! The owner of that ce was a humanoid demon beast. It was a monster with jet-ck hair growing wildly all over its body. Crack! The creature was focused on shattering goblin bones. ¡®I¡¯ll kill them.¡¯ The stench of decay wafted from the dozens of goblin corpses scattered around the creature. Crunch¡ª It was difficult to see this as a simple hunt to satisfy hunger. The dozens of goblin corpses surrounding it were filled with malice. Even now, the creature¡¯s intense focus on breaking goblin bodies seemed more like an outlet for rage than a hunt. ¡®I¡¯ll kill them.¡¯ The goblin corpses were far from intact. All of them were severely mutted and scattered into pieces. ¡°Creak.¡± Surprisingly, not a single human corpse was around. The only thing piled up around the creature was the corpses of goblins. ¡®More.¡¯ Having just finished dismantling a goblin it had in its mouth, the creature looked for his next prey with a red re. ¡®I need more.¡¯ Through the creature¡¯s ears, the detestable cries of goblin creatures echoed. ¡°Kkieeeek¨D! Kkieeeek¨D! Kkieeek¨D!¡± Hearing the excited and glowing cries of the goblins, the creature¡¯s predatory instincts reached their peak. ¡®Underground parking lot.¡¯ Despite having entered theirir once before and suffered numerous injuries, there was no hesitation in its steps. Those wounds had long since healedpletely. ¡®I¡¯ll kill them.¡¯ It was time for the hunt. *** Shoosh- Choi Hyeong-jun appeared with a sound like space distorting. ¡®Phew. That was close.¡¯ Throughout the operation, he had been watching Choi Hyeong-jun with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. In case anything happened, he could immediately use the Vassal Summoning skill. While hoping that nothing would happen, an incident almost urred. Without hesitation, he immediately used the Vassal Summoning skill. ¡®But it takes three seconds to cast the skill.¡¯ In reality, it took a little longer than that because the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye had to be turned off to cast the skill. ¡°Huff! Huff!¡± Breathing heavily, Choi Hyeong-jun, who appeared, checked on me and then opened his mouth with a distressed expression. ¡°Jae, Jaehyun-nim! Ugh!¡± ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Huuk. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Huh?¡± Contrary to his words, blood was oozing out from Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s calf. Checking his calf following my gaze, Choi Hyeong-jun scratched his head and said. ¡°When did this¡­ It¡¯s okay. These kinds of injuries heal quickly.¡± Given the minimal bleeding, the wound didn¡¯t seem too deep. It appeared to be scratched by a goblin¡¯s ws, and considering how dirty goblin ws could be, swift treatment was necessary to prevent secondary infection. ¡®I should register some medicine as well.¡¯ There were more than just one or two items that needed registration. ¡°Please wait here.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Entering the house, I opened the drawer where medicines were kept. ¡®There might be more asions to use them than I thought.¡¯ Battling with monsters was inevitable in the future. As a result, minor injuries becamemonce, and to safely treat them, medicines were necessary. Red potions, fusidin, bandages, cold medicine, digestive aids, Tylenol, and so on. Perhaps due to my frequent illnesses during childhood, I tended to stock up on most things. ¡®There¡¯s even antibiotics.¡¯ Before the world reached this point, I had suffered from a rash and had to go to the hospital for a while. Like most people, I didn¡¯t bother much after recovering to take the prescribed medicine. The prescription medicine from the hospital was left forgotten but still present. ¡®Penicillin.¡¯ Penicillin was an incredibly effective medicine, considered one of humanity¡¯s greatest inventions in medicine. The history of human medicine is often divided into before and after the discovery of penicillin. Given the appearance of monsters and the likelihood of minor injuries, it was the most essential medicine now. ¡®There¡¯s too much to register.¡¯ There were only a few slots left in the store. With just 40 slots, even filling them with essential items felt crowded. Until I could receive skill points, it was wise to save the remaining slots as much as possible. I didn¡¯t know when I would get the essential items. ¡®Will it work?¡¯ There was a trick to saving store slots. It was because I discovered that the toolbox brought by Choi Hyeong-jun could be registered all at once. Even though the toolbox contained various items like a hammer and screwdriver, it was categorized as a single product. ¡®Probably because it was sold as a set from the beginning.¡¯ However, the situation was a bit different with the medicines here. Since they were individually purchased and collected, it was unclear whether they would be recognized as a set. ¡®Let¡¯s give it a try for now.¡¯ After squeezing as many medicines as possible into the first aid kit in the drawer, I attempted to register it in the store. Makeshift Used First Aid Kit (77,330 won) ? Restore ¡®¡­It worked.¡¯ Although it was unnecessarily expensive, and the restoration price was unreasonably high, I confirmed that it was possible to register temporarily made items as sets. ¡®I can restore itter. It¡¯s not urgently needed right now.¡¯ Except for being unnecessarily expensive, it was satisfactory. If neededter, it was also an advantage that I could take out only those medicines and register them separately in the store. Carrying the crudely made first aid kit and a bottle of water, I went outside and saw Choi Hyeong-jun waiting for me with a quiet demeanor. ¡°Please show me the wound.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really okay¡­¡± As I lifted his pants, it clearly looked like aceration caused by a goblin¡¯s fingernails. The wound wasn¡¯trge, but the area around it was already swollen and red, indicating that the condition didn¡¯t look good. ¡°I¡¯ll disinfect it.¡± ¡°Ah, okay.¡± I wiped away the blood with an alcohol swab and applied antiseptic. Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s expression slightly twisted from the stinging sensation, but it soon rxed as I applied ointment. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust increases.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s loyalty increases.] ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°Have this too. It¡¯s an antibiotic. Here¡¯s some water.¡± ¡°Yes, okay.¡± As the treatment ended, right on cue, the area under the emergency stairs started getting noisy. ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ Following the urgent footsteps of Ha Dong-gun¡¯s group, the pursuit of dozens, even hundreds of goblins continued. ¡°We¡¯re here! Just a little more running!¡± Having epted more than 90 people as citizens, I learned a fact. The average level of adult men is around 7-8. However, Ha Dong-gun¡¯s party, including women like Kim Ga-young and Yoo Hye-rin, had levels in the double digits. Perhaps due to their athletic backgrounds, they had significantly better stamina than ordinary people. ¡°Hah! Huff!¡± They were struggling. Observing the situation, I could fully understand. Climbing up to the 30th floor at full speed was challenging enough, but with goblins filled with muscles chasing from behind, it became even more difficult. Moreover, the goblins, running on all four legs like dogs, had an extraordinary speed. The only reason they could escape unscathed up to this point was the shining teamwork of Ha Dong-gun¡¯s party. ¡°Huup!¡± Thud! Moon Byeong-ho at the very back swung his bat, sending two goblins tumbling down the stairs, knocking the goblins behind them like a domino effect. However, the goblins quickly recovered and resumed their pursuit. ¡°Byeong-ho! Keep running!¡± While Moon Byeong-ho ran, Kim Ga-young and Ha Dong-gun, who had arrived first, provided cover fire. They intentionally aimed for the goblins¡¯ stomachs, shoulders, and other vulnerable spots. Thump! Injured goblins became obstacles, dying the advance of other goblins. Truly fantastic teamwork. In the end, everyone safely reached the 30th floor. Thud, thud, thud, thud! Six people poured through the emergency exit like a stream. The scene resembled runners passing the finish line in a short-distance race. Right after that, the goblins following them tried to pass through the emergency exit without slowing down. However. Kugugugung! ¡°Kwae-aeack!¡± ¡°Kkie-eeak?!¡± ¡°Kkiei-ig!¡± Goblins blocked by the invisible barrier began to struggle, not understanding what was happening. ¡°Heck! Huup!¡± At that moment, everyone was catching their breath, but only one person seemed unaffected. Instead, he energetically swung his bat toward the goblins. That person was Moon Byeong-ho, who had shown his prowess just before. Thwack! [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have gained experience points.] [10,085 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] As Moon Byeong-ho smashed the head of a goblin, a cheerful notification rang out. ¡®Efficient.¡¯ Every time he killed a goblin, Moon Byeong-ho received nearly 10,000 won. This was due to the 90% bonus effect obtained by surpassing the number of citizens to 90, along with the double bonus from being a vassal, resulting in a total payout of 380%. The experience points were simrly buffed at 380%. ¡°Heuk! No, Byeong-ho, aren¡¯t you out of breath? Huff.¡± Kang Deok-su was looking at Moon Byeong-ho like a monster. Moon Byeong-ho continued to swing the bat vigorously in response, ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡ªhup!¡± Thwack! [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience points.] [13,711 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] With each swing of the bat, Moon Byeong-ho shattered the head of a goblin. Seeing this, Kim Geon muttered absentmindedly, ¡°¡­crazy.¡± ¡°Could we have done it if Byeong-ho wasn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°But was Byeong-ho always this physically fit?¡± The entire Ha Dong-geon party was astonished by Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s condition. ¡®No wonder.¡¯ The reason Moon Byeong-ho appeared unharmed was that I had registered him as a vassal. And. ¡ºName: Moon Byeong-ho (Lv. 30) [+] Title: [Second Vassal] Trust: 55 Loyalty: 88 Awakening Ability: Teleport ¡ï Quest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» For some reason, Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s level after registering as a vassal, skyrocketed to an impressive level 30. Thanks to this, his strength and stamina had be iparable to others. The awakening ability was Teleport (Grade A). Move through space by consuming mental strength. It was only possible to teleport to a ce with a clear line of sight, and the mental strength consumption increased proportionally with the number ofpanions and the distance traveled. ¡®Registering him as a vassal was a good decision.¡¯ Honestly, it felt like winning the lottery. Although there was a restriction that it could only be used where the line of sight was clear, this ability would undoubtedly be critical in saving my parents. Perhaps that¡¯s why a satisfied smile naturally appeared on my face whenever I looked at Moon Byeong-ho. Thwack! ¡°Kwae-aeak¡ª!¡± [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have gained experience points.] [9,902 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] His diligent removal of goblins, earning experience points and settlement money, was trulymendable. Of course, with the sheer number of goblins, it would take all day to clear them consistently. Fortunately, I had a solution. Now was the timing to move on to the third step of the goblin hunt. ¡°Everyone did really well.¡± As I spoke, everyone turned to look at me. Even Moon Byeong-ho, who had been vigorously beating goblins, turned around to face me. I addressed Moon Byeong-ho, who was looking at me. ¡°Since it¡¯s dangerous, please step back.¡± Moon Byeong-ho tilted his head as if not understanding the meaning, but soon followed my instructions. Once I confirmed that everyone had moved far enough away from the emergency exit stairs, I raised my hand towards the emergency exit. ¡®Open the warehouse. Spit out all the water inside.¡¯ Zzing¡ª The water stored up to the warehouse¡¯s limit turned into a waterfall and poured down. Shooaaaa! ¡°Kkigig?¡± ¡°Kkiiik!¡± Before the goblins, who were startled by the sudden shower, could regain theirposure, ¡°Choi Hyeong-jun, now!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun turned on the power strip running from my house. Zap¡ª At the bottom of the emergency stairs, the stripped wires that Choi Hyeongjun hadid out were tangled here and there. And on top of them were goblins soaked in water. The stripped camouge revealed wires torn into several branches, emitting a vivid current. Soon, a harsh sound echoed throughout the emergency exit. Zzzzzzz¡ª [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] ¡­ ¡­ Dozens of goblins were instantly grilled. ¡®Alright.¡¯ Of course, using electrical attacks to instantly kill was only effective for dozens of goblins in close proximity. There were still well over a few hundred goblins remaining. However, it was not a problem. ¡®If I repeat this a few more times, it should be enough.¡¯ As a fairlyrge amount of current was released, the money in the wallet was quickly depleted, but even more money flowed in. [Gained arge amount of experience points.] [334,464 won has been deposited into the wallet of the Absolute Dweller.] [Skill level has increased.] [Learned a new skill.] At the moment I epted a tremendous amount of experience points. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Forced activation of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. Simultaneously, a fierce pain overwhelmed me. ¡°Argh!¡± It was like that moment before, the intense agony experienced when the Absolute Dweller¡¯s domain expanded. With the sensation of my body swelling, the area expanded explosively. However, this time, the direction of expansion was a bit peculiar. The heightened senses expanded toward the emergency exit stairs. The extended perception through the emergency exit stairs quickly reached straight down to the underground second floor. Every detail of the emergency exit stairs, filled with goblins, was vividly perceived. And. [Hostile entities have been detected by the Absolute Dweller.] [Eliminating.] With a concise notification. Boom! Every goblin¡¯s head, crowding the emergency exit stairs, burst like fireworks. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] ¡­ ¡­ Chapter 14: Goblin Hunt (4) Chapter 14: Goblin Hunt (4) [Episode 03] Goblin Hunt (4) ¡°Grrraaaawr!¡± The ce where the dark beast attracted by the goblin cries arrived was in front of the emergency exit stairs of an apartment building. The goblins, oblivious to their surroundings, were solely focused on climbing the stairs, seemingly not caring about anything else. Enraged, the dark beast roared. ¡°Grrrooowl!¡± Only then did the goblins react, facing the sudden threat. ¡°Goblin scum!¡± A single goblin rushed towards the unexpected intruder. Squelch! The dark beast swiftly snapped the goblin¡¯s neck with its powerful jaws. ¡°Grrrgh!¡± The strength of the beast¡¯s jaws was evident as the goblin met an instant demise. However, this was just the beginning. Swish! The dark beast¡¯s ws shed through the air, leaving a trail of goblin blood and entrails in its wake. ¡°Grrraaaawr!¡± With each movement of its teeth and every swipe of its sharp ws, the life of a goblin vanished. ¡°Crrrrrrunch!¡± The appearance of the predator sent the startled goblins scrambling backward. However, in the cramped emergency exit stairs filled with goblins in every direction, there was nowhere for them to escape. ¡°Grrrgh?¡± ¡°Grrrrrrr!¡± Like mice cornered by a cat, the goblins, as if following an unspoken agreement, rushed towards the dark beast. ¡°Snnnaaaaarrrl!¡± wing with its sharp nails, biting with its teeth, tearing through fur, and crawling over bodies. Although thebined efforts of the ten goblins were threatening, the dark beast remained untouched, thanks to the thickyer of fat surrounding its entire body. ¡°Grraaaw!¡± Swish! Despite whatever the goblins were doing, the dark beast focused solely on killing as many goblins as possible. However, if the goblins¡¯ strength was limited to this extent, the goblins that had taken residence in this apartment would have already been massacred by the dark beast. Most goblins couldn¡¯t inflict any harm on the dark beast. Their ws and nails couldn¡¯t prate the thickyer of fat that surrounded the dark beast. However, goblins were cunning and resourceful. In the homes they looted, there were dangerous items, and goblins who possessed these items posed a significant threat to the dark beast. Swish! A sharp kitchen knife pierced deeply into the back of the dark beast. ¡°Roaaar!¡± The dark beast growled in irritation and mmed the goblin against the wall. Thunk! While the goblin with the knife died instantly, there were plenty more goblins ready to take its ce. Swish! This time, an awl was thrust into the thigh. The dark beast roared in irritation and kicked, and the goblin with the awl copsed and died instantly. With each movement and kick of the dark beast, goblins died, but the number of goblins rushing towards it only increased. ¡°Kieeeek!¡± The goblins kept pouring in, and the various tools embedded in the dark beast, such as knives, awls, and scissors, were repeatedly reused by other goblins. Swish! Thud! Squelch! Whether by thrusting the knife deeper through a body m, grabbing the handle and thrusting to inflict more wounds, or pulling out scissors and stabbing again, the dark beast¡¯s body was riddled with wounds. The injuries kept increasing, and even with its monstrous regenerative abilities, it was bing increasingly difficult to endure. ¡°Roaaar!¡± Now, it was reaching its limit. Although its hate-filled heart craved more blood, its survival instinct was stronger. ¡°Roar!¡± Now it was time to escape. As they prepared to flee from the emergency stairs, a peculiar sound echoed from above. ¡°¡­Kuhyung?¡± And in the next moment. Swoosh¡ª ¡°!!!¡± Something overwhelming passed through them, and suddenly, they couldn¡¯t move. And then. Thud! The heads of the goblins all exploded simultaneously. A moment of inexplicable terror engulfed them. It was an instinctual realization. They were now in the jaws of a beast, much like when a prey realizes it¡¯s caught in the grip of a predator¡¯s mouth. The fear was iparable to the feeling of knives or spears piercing their bodies. In that moment of terror. [You have been granted citizenship.] ¡°Haa¡ª!¡± The force that had bound it vanished. Crackle¡ª Simultaneously, the exterior appearance of the dark beast melted away, revealing the face of a middle-aged woman. Relieved of tension, she promptly lost consciousness. *** ¡°¡­¡± A sudden level-up. An expanded territory of the absolute zone. And the sudden demise of hundreds of goblins. Everything was unexpected, but the highlight was this: ¡ºName: Oh Eon-ju (Lv. 33) Trust: 9 Awakening Ability: Werebear Experience Distribution: 0% Settlement Fund Distribution: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Werebear (Grade A) Transforms into a humanoid bear, maximizing all physical abilities and regenerative powers. Somehow, right after the absolute zone expanded, a new citizen was added. And her specs were extraordinary. Level 33, Grade A ability. It was like a pumpkin rolling into a field of vines. And that wasn¡¯t all. [Citizen Ha Dong-geon¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] ¡­ ¡­ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s entire party achieved a trust level of 50. And among them, one person reached a loyalty level of 30 simultaneously, fulfilling the conditions for registration as a vassal. [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Kang Deok-su has fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration.] Upon checking, Kang Deok-su¡¯s loyalty was at 31, just barely exceeding the minimum requirement. ¡®Vassal registration, Kang Deok-su.¡¯ Without hesitation, I immediately registered him as a vassal. Woo-ung! ¡ºName: Kang Deok-su (Lv. 25) [+] Title: [Third Vassal] Trust: 52 Loyalty: 31 Awakening Ability: Steel Knight ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Steel Knight (Grade B) Summons a suit of steel armor and a halberd for full-body protection. ¡®The level of the vassal is proportional to the grade of the awakened ability.¡¯ Choi Hyeong-jun, with a Grade C ability, Gori¡¯s Might, was at level 20. Kang Deok-su, with a Grade B ability, Steel Knight, was at level 25. Finally, Moon Byeong-ho, with a Grade A ability, Teleport, was at level 30. Upon registering as a vassal, the level is determined based on the grade of the awakened ability. ¡®Is the assignment of ability grades entirely random?¡¯ Uponparing the information windows of the three, it seemed that the grade of the ability had no particr corrtion with trust or loyalty. If Moon Byeong-ho obtained an A-grade ability due to high loyalty, then simrly, Choi Hyeong-jun, with higher loyalty, should have obtained a B-grade ability. However, he awakened a C-grade ability, and surprisingly, Kang Deok-su, who barely met the minimum loyalty requirement of 31, acquired a B-grade ability. ¡®It would be good if we could know the conditions for higher-grade abilities to appear.¡¯ This was an important issue. To maximize the efficiency of the limited 10 vassal registrations, it would be ideal to ept individuals who awakened higher-grade abilities. ¡®Also, what happens if we ept someone as a vassal when they already have an awakened ability?¡¯ Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju, the woman just epted as a citizen, both possessed awakened abilities prior to vassal registration. What would happen if I registered such individuals as vassals? ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Just as I was deeply engrossed in my thoughts, a sound like the rushing wind came from behind. Turning my head, I saw Kang Deok-su with an astonished expression asking, ¡°What in the world¡­?¡± The expressions of the others were not much different. Each person¡¯s face reflected a whirlwind of emotions ¨C astonishment, fear, and admiration. At this moment, they probably had a vague idea of how I might appear. ¡®I must look like a monster.¡¯ Their shock wasn¡¯t due to turning the goblins into electric barbecue; it was something else. ¡°Just now, something¡­¡± A tremendous event had urred. They instinctively felt that the lives of hundreds of goblins that filled the emergency stairs had vanished in an instant. So, that¡¯s why they¡¯re making those horrified expressions. Addressing them, I said, ¡°The operation is over. Now please send all the survivors back to their homes.¡± We couldn¡¯t keep gathering citizens in the Choi family¡¯s apartment indefinitely. ¡®With this level up, the emergency stairs, elevator, and the corridors on each floor are all included in the territory.¡¯ Thanks to this, I could now use the elevator freely. ¡®In fact, this apartment has be safe.¡¯ Strictly speaking, the entire apartment had not yet be part of my territory, but by controlling the stairs and the elevator, I practically conquered all the passages leading to the upper floors. Unless monsters like Kellicans broke in through the windows, there was no need to worry about monster invasions. ¡°If anyone is short on water or food, you can take these.¡± After purchasing plenty of water and ramen and cing them in the hallway, I spoke to Choi Hyeong-jun. ¡°Now, please tidy up the cables.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Rustle, rustle¡­ Only the sound of Hyungjun Choi organizing the cables echoed loudly in the corridor. ¡®The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ I used the skill to feel the newly acquired area overall. I could see Oh Eon-ju lying unconscious on the emergency stairs. ¡®1st floor.¡¯ I walked nonchntly to the elevator, supplied power, and pressed the call button. Woong, woong¡­ The elevator worked properly and soon arrived at the 30th floor. ??¡ª [30th floor.] [The door opens.] Calmly stepping inside the elevator, I headed down to the 1st floor where Oh Eon-ju was located. *** The moment the elevator door closed with Kim Jae-hyun inside. ¡°Haah¡ª.¡± Everyone, as if they had made some kind of agreement, took a deep breath and slumped down. The immense charisma emanating from him seemed to press down on the entire space until he left. Breathing itself became difficult under its weight. Ha Dong-geon approached the emergency stairs slowly. Metallic clinks echoed as the state of the emergency stairs, revealed behind Choi Hyeong-jun diligently organizing the wires, reflected the intensity of the recent struggle. Residual water, marks scorched by the electric current on the floor and walls,pletely extinguished emergency lights, and not a single goblin corpse left. The intense moments were still vivid in their memories. ¡°¡­¡± The goblin hunting using electricity was genuinely astonishing. Ha Dong-geon saw the potential and was confident that this method would rapidly reduce the number of goblins. ¡®The problem is whates next.¡¯ Immediately after the electrocuted goblins disappeared, there was a moment when they couldn¡¯t catch their breath. An overwhelming force seemed to cover them, rendering thempletely helpless. Amidst this, Ha Dong-geon witnessed the final moments of the goblins on the emergency exit stairs. ¡®Their heads exploded at the same time.¡¯ There were lucky goblins that survived the electrical attack. Suddenly, their heads exploded simultaneously. If it had just been that, Ha Dong-geon might not have been so shocked. He would have thought it was some kind of special ability. However, ¡®What¡¯s important is that right after that incident, the emergency stairs fell silent.¡¯ The palpable presence of the numerous goblins disappeared as if someone had wiped them out of existence. ¡®Why?¡¯ The thought that the entire apartment was under Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s influence from the beginning couldn¡¯t be erased from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s mind. If that¡¯s the case. ¡®Is he testing us?¡¯ Ha Dong-geon reconsidered the situation. He noticed one significant change. ¡®Byeong-ho.¡¯ Moon Byeong-ho, who showed an unusually strong trust in Kim Jaehyun. The point that caught Dong-geon¡¯s attention was the rapid increase in his physical abilities. ¡®When we lured the goblins to the 30th floor, we overcame several crises thanks to Byeong-ho.¡¯ Though Dong-geon had known Byeong-ho for a long time, he wasn¡¯t such a prominent figure. He yed a part but was far from being the team¡¯s ace. ¡®But suddenly, he became different.¡¯ It was from that moment. When the operation began, after Byeong-ho¡¯s body was engulfed in a bright light. From that moment on, he started to perform like a changed person. If it was because he was chosen. If it was a reward for the loyalty Moon Byeong-ho showed towards Jae-hyun. ¡®¡­It¡¯s frightening.¡¯ What was the limit of that man¡¯s abilities? Did he really just suddenly awaken a superpower one day? ¡®No, in the first ce, is Mr. Jae-hyun even a human like me?¡¯ The unknown turned into fear, fear turned into awe, and it ultimately led to one conclusion. ¡®¡­Whether he¡¯s human or not, the conclusion is the same.¡¯ In order to be saved in this damn world, he had to be chosen by him. Chapter 15: Quest Reward (1) Chapter 15: Quest Reward (1) [Episode 04] Quest Reward (1) Oh Eon-ju had a dream. An afternoon where everything was calm. Watching her most precious son y at the apartment yground. Somewhere in the ordinary days where she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him for fear of him getting hurt. Then, she quietly opened her eyes. Realizing she had woken up from the dream, Oh Eon-ju lightly sobbed. It was a sweet dream. She couldn¡¯t hold back tears because she knew well that such a dream could nevere true. At that moment. ¡°Oh Eon-ju.¡± A man was standing at the emergency exit, looking straight at her. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Perhaps because of the dream, the man in front of her felt strangelyforting. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun.¡± He emitted a peculiar atmosphere. Instinctively, she felt that this man in front of her was the source of the unknown power she had just experienced. That overwhelming presence was hidden behind that softness. ¡°¡­Was it you?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who blew up the heads of the goblins.¡± He nodded slowly, acknowledging it. ¡°Yes, that was me.¡± Really, speaking as if such things were nothing to him. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Was it because of the foggy state of mind just waking up from a dream? Or maybe because of the content of that dream. An absurd thought came to her. ¡®If this man¡­¡¯ Could it be possible? Oh Eon-ju, in front of the unfamiliar man she had just seen for the first time, shed tears and pleaded. ¡°My son, please save my son¡­ Just for a day, even for one day would be enough¡­¡± *** The first encounter with Oh Eon-ju was intense from the beginning. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust in you has greatly increased.] From the moment our eyes met, trust had increased significantly. Starting from that, with only a few words exchanged, another trust increase notification appeared. Exactly when I revealed that I had killed goblins. After that, after staring at me nkly for a while, she burst into tears and made a strange request. ¡°Please save my son, just please save my son¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A plea to save her son. With just that, it was possible to roughly deduce the situation. ¡®Did she lose her child to goblins?¡¯ The emergency staircase was a mess of goblin corpses that Oh Eon-ju had killed. Perhaps because they were the ones she had killed before bing a citizen, the corpses did not disappear and remained in a gruesome state. Heads smashed, entrails spilled, necks broken, and more. It was possible to deduce the urgent situation at a nce. And in those traces, a strong sense of hatred could be felt. ¡®Save him.¡¯ What she was saying now probably didn¡¯t mean recovering her ailing son. Literally, it would be a request to resurrect her dead son. ¡°Urgh.¡± Whether she knew it was an absurd request or not, after saying those words, she could only weep with sorrow. Watching her in that state made my heart ache again. ¡®Is there no way?¡¯ To resurrect someone who¡¯s already dead. In the past, it would have been an absurd thought, but now, in the current state of the world, it wasn¡¯t such a strange concern. Where monsters and superhumans were once mere stories. While contemting, I thought of one possibility. ¡®If this is possible¡­¡¯ When I first gained the ability to assign quests, I tested the limits of penalties. However, I had never tested the limits of rewards. ¡®Quest Assignment. Hunt a thousand goblins, unlimited time, no penalties. Reward¡­ Resurrection of the son.¡¯ Ding! The moment I heard the system notification sound, there was a slight, inevitable sense of anticipation. If this was truly possible, it meant I could resurrect even the dead. And that could apply to my precious ones as well. However. [Unable to assign the quest.] Disappointingly, the attempt to assign a quest ended in failure. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s not possible.¡¯ Well, of course not. No matter how remarkable the ability, it¡¯s unlikely to bring someone back to life. As I was thinking so, it happened. [Insufficient funds to issue the (Quest Reward: Resurrection). Please increase your cash holdings and try again.] ¡°¡­Huh?¡± For a moment, I doubted my eyes. The system window disyed an unbelievable message. However, no matter how many times I reread it, the notification remained unchanged. ¡®So, right now¡­¡¯ What it was saying was clear. ¡®You can bring the dead back to life if you have enough money?¡¯ Even as I tried, I genuinely didn¡¯t believe this would be possible. ¡®Good grief.¡¯ But it really seemed possible. ¡°Sob.¡± Oh Eon-ju¡¯s sobbing figure, stifling her breath, was profoundly pitiful. Although it was cruel, I found myself calcting as she cried. ¡®I can¡¯t estimate how much money will be needed for resurrection.¡¯ Even though I didn¡¯t know the exact amount, it was clear that an enormous sum would be required. ¡®I wonder if it¡¯s worth investing that much money in this person.¡¯ There was no need for a lengthy consideration. Her level and abilities alone made her worth the investment. ¡°Oh Eon-ju. Oh Eon-ju.¡± I spoke to her, lifting her tear-streaked face. ¡°I think I can help.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°I can resurrect your son.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Oh Eon-ju responded with a face that suddenly regained rity. ¡°Really, can you really bring my son back to life?¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s impossible right now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I addressed her, who now looked full of disappointment. ¡°But I promise on my name. I will definitely bring your son back to life.¡± ¡°What do I, what should I do?¡± At this moment, she seemed more desperate to grasp at straws than to believe my words. Her desperation was evident in her expression. ¡°Well.¡± In my heart, I wanted to send her back to my family¡¯s home right away. I wanted to ask her to bring her family to this apartment. Currently, she had the most powerful specs among the citizens. However, sending her alone was too risky due to various uncertainties. The most significant concern was not knowing what level of monsters she might encounter on her way to my family¡¯s home. ¡®I should send her with a surefire force to minimize the risk when sending her once.¡¯ Among the cards I currently possess, the most powerfulbination is to have Oh Eon-ju join Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. In Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, there was Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su registered as vassals. They had achieved levels 30 and 25 respectively, and were in an awakened state with decent abilities. If Oh Eon-ju, who was at level 33, joined them, they would be able to handle most monsters easily. ¡®The best would be to make all seven of them vassals.¡¯ With that, even if they faced monsters of an unbeatable level, there was no need to worry. If all of them were together, it should be enough. It significantly reduced the worry about losing one of them. After organizing my thoughts, I opened my mouth to Oh Eon-ju. ¡°For now,e up with me. There are people I¡¯d like to introduce.¡± *** ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ha Dong-geon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Oh Eon-ju.¡± The ce where Oh Eon-ju was introduced to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was the living room of Choi Hyeongjoon¡¯s family. Although the survivors who had filled this ce with relief supplies had scattered to their respective homes, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and Oh Eon-ju, who came from different neighborhoods, didn¡¯t have a suitable ce to go. Thanks to the kind-hearted Choi Hyeong-jun, they could gather here now. Oh Eon-ju said cautiously. ¡°You were hunting goblins by throwing baseballs, right? And thedy with the bow.¡± Ha Dong-geon, with a surprised expression, asked, ¡°You know us?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me? We¡¯re from the same district.¡± Seeing their puzzled expressions, Oh Eon-ju demonstrated her ability. *Thud!* ¡°Oh!¡± Until just now, Oh Eon-ju had the appearance of an ordinary middle-aged woman, but she had suddenly transformed into a ck-furred beast. Kim Ga-yeong, witnessing this transformation, eximed in surprise. ¡°The werewolf from the alley!¡± The true identity of the werewolf that Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had seen in the alley turned out to be the beast form of Oh Eon-ju. Immediately returning to her human form, Oh Eon-ju casually replied, ¡°To be precise, I¡¯m not a wolf but a bear.¡± ¡°¡­A bear?¡± ¡°Yes, a bear.¡± Thanks to Oh Eon-ju¡¯s unexpectedly calm response, the atmosphere flowed smoothly. ¡®Is this theposure of an adult?¡¯ At that moment, Oh Eon-ju smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve helped you a few times before, didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± As soon as they made a guess, a reaction followed promptly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a coincidence that you helped us at the entrance of the underground parking lot.¡± ¡°Yes, goblins are my enemies and you are friends.¡± They had thought of her merely as someone with good social skills, but from the conversation, it seemed that Oh Eon-ju had a favorable impression of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Thanks to this, the conversation progressed quickly. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that you already know each other.¡± First, Ha Dong-geon briefly exined the situation to Oh Eon-ju. ¡°I see. My grandmother¡­¡± [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust has greatly increased.] ¡°Mr. Moon Byeong-ho, the rescue operation for your grandmother is scheduled to take ce early tomorrow morning. Oh Eon-ju will also be deployed for tomorrow¡¯s operation.¡± The operation was nothing special. By conducting a mass hunt of goblins in the underground parking lot, the number of goblins in the vicinity had drastically decreased. The n was to take advantage of this situation to rescue Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± And so, the pre-operation meeting for tomorrow concluded. ¡°Everyone, thank you for your hard work today, and have a good night. I¡¯ll see you early tomorrow morning.¡± At that moment, Choi Hyeong-jun, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, asked me. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Jaehyun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Am I included in tomorrow¡¯s operation as well?¡± He was sweating nervously. Originally, I had nned to include him in the operation. However, after witnessing Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s performance during the goblin operation, I had to reconsider the n. ¡®Having great strength doesn¡¯t matter if he freezes in front of monsters.¡¯ In fact, Choi Hyeong-jun had been quite a risky factor during the goblin hunt. Knowing this, I couldn¡¯t involve him in the operation. I nodded once and replied, ¡°No. You¡¯re also injured, so take a good rest tomorrow.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± Hearing my response, Choi Hyeong-jun let out a sigh of relief. Park Hye-won, who had been anxiously listening beside him, was relieved. She said with a worried expression. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared some guest nkets, but they¡¯recking.¡± ¡°Is it not enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but¡­ It might be a bit cramped if you sleep in it.¡± It seemed that if two people were left out, everyone would be able to sleepfortably. I spoke. ¡°The rest of you, please sleep here. Only Mr. Moon Byeong-ho and Mr. Kang Deok-su,e with me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Uh, me?¡± I nodded reassuringly toward the bewildered individuals. ¡°Yes, the two of you.¡± Moon Byeong-ho entered the house more calmly than expected, while Kang Deok-su followed, looking quite tense. ¡°The small room over there is the guest room. The nkets are in the wardrobe, so feel free to use them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± As they were about to enter, I addressed them, ¡°Do you know why I called only the two of you separately?¡± Kang Deok-su scratched his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Shortly after, Moon Byeong-ho spoke up, ¡°Is it because we were chosen by Mr. Jaehyun?¡± I nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± I looked at the two of them and continued exining. ¡°Both of you have awakened. Mr. Moon Byeong-ho gained the ability of teleportation, and Mr. Kang Deok-su acquired the ability of a steel knight.¡± Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su widened their eyes. It seemed that my words were hard to believe. I thought to myself. ¡®Quest assignment. Show your abilities in front of me. Time limit: one hour. Penalty: sleep in the hallway. Reward¡­¡¯ Quest rewards, how far could they go? ¡®Increase strength.¡¯ Ding! Sorry, temporarily reducing to 3x/week since I¡¯m really sick. Might¡¯ve gotten norovirus, stay safe & healthy everyone! Chapter 16: Quest Reward (2) Chapter 16: Quest Reward (2) [Episode 04] Quest Reward (2) ¡¶Party Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Showcase awakened abilities. Time Limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds. Reward: Reinforcement of physical strength. Failure Penalty: Sleep in the corridor. [Do you want to bestow this quest?] [Yes / No] ¡°Hmm?¡± As soon as I started the experiment, something unexpected came up. ¡®A party quest?¡¯ It was a system that allowed forming a party and performing quests, rather than bestowing quests individually to Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su. ¡®What could this mean?¡¯ Based on my experience so far, there has never been a feature that appeared without any meaning in my abilities. There must be something better about party quests than regr quests, but I don¡¯t know what those are yet. ¡®Let¡¯s proceed like this for now.¡¯ By trying various things, I might eventually learn about the differences between regr quests and party quests. ¡®Bestow quest.¡¯ Kang Deok-soo looked at the quest window that appeared in front of him and made a puzzled expression. ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying, Mr. Jae-hyun, is that I awakened, like Dong-geon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Steel Knight. What kind of ability is that exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ability to summon a suit of steel armor and a halberd.¡± ¡°Really?¡± That¡¯s when it happened. Swoosh! ¡°Huh?!¡± Moon Byeong-ho suddenly appeared in the middle of the living room. He had sessfully used his awakened ability, Teleport. Seeing this with his own eyes, Kang Deok-su froze in astonishment. Moon Byeong-ho slowly surveyed the surroundings, and soon realized that he had teleported. At the same time, a pleasant notification sounded. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s loyalty has increased.] He bowed his head towards me, expressing gratitude. ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± Then, unexpectedly, he approached the living room window. It was easy to see what he was thinking by such behavior. Addressing him, who was visibly excited. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re trying to go to Grandma¡¯s house directly, but it¡¯s probably going to be difficult.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Mr. Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s ability is powered by mental strength. However, the farther you want to move, and the more people you want to move together, the more mental strength it requires.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Even if you can see Grandma¡¯s house from here, there¡¯s a high chance you won¡¯t be able to teleport there all at once. In the worst case, you might end up teleporting into thin air.¡± If you teleported into empty space, there was only one oue. Falling. ¡°So, for now, it¡¯s crucial to understand your own abilities. Start by figuring out the maximum distance you can travel and how much mental strength is consumed when using the ability.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± While I was restraining Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s sudden advance, Kang Deok-su also seeded in using his ability. Wooong! Pure white light emanated from his body and quickly took shape. Silver armor enveloping his entire body and a halberd poised menacingly. The Steel Knight appeared there. ¡°I-Is this for real?¡± [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯s loyalty has increased.] Simultaneously. [Citizens Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su havepleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 212,317 won.] With thepletion of the quest, a little over 200,000 won was deducted. ¡®About 100,000 won per strength enhancement, huh.¡¯ It was regrettable, but it was a littleforting to think we had invested in the strength of two people who would be our main force. In any case, this confirmed that quest rewards could be used to enhance specific attributes. ¡®Endurance and stamina seem to be at a simr level. Then, could something like this work?¡¯ This time, I decided to give a quest only to Moon Byeong-ho. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Use Teleport. Time Limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Teleport Mastery Enhancement. Failure Penalty: Sleeping in the hallway. [Do you want to bestow the quest as it is?] [Yes / No] ¡®It seems possible.¡¯ It looked like it was possible to increase proficiency in abilities as well. Moon Byeong-ho, who received the quest, immediately used his ability and easily cleared the quest. However. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho haspleted the quest.] [Quest Cost: 70,133 won.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ This time, too, I expected to spend around 100,000 won, but the actual cost was only about 70,000 won. It was 30% cheaper than anticipated. ¡®No way?¡¯ I instinctively realized something. There was a corrtion between the quest content and the cost. ¡®I can adjust the cost based on the quest content!¡¯ I wanted to immediately experiment with my newly discovered knowledge. ¡°Byeong-ho.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How¡¯s your condition?¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± I pointed to the apartment across the living room window and asked, ¡°Do you think you can teleport over there?¡± Moon Byeong-ho carefully assessed the distance and nodded. ¡°It seems possible.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± This time, I raised the overall difficulty of the quest. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Use teleportation to move to the rooftop of Apartment Building 113. Time Limit: 3 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Increase teleportation proficiency. Failure Penalty: Sleeping outside. The rooftop of the apartment, a short time of 3 minutes, and even the penalty of outdoor sleeping, all raised the difficulty of the quest. Despite reducing the numbers through a focused hunt, goblins still roamed outside. Sleeping outside was practically like saying not to sleep. ¡°This¡­¡± Suddenly realizing the increased difficulty, Moon Byeong-ho appeared visibly flustered. I spoke sincerely to Moon Byeong-ho. ¡°You must seed.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Moon Byeong-ho began to gaze at the rooftop of the apartment across with a tense expression. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ In the meantime, I prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. It was in case Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s mental strength wascking, and he ended up appearing in mid-air. If anything happened, I nned on using vassal summoning to bring him back immediately. ¡®Please seed.¡¯ About a minuteter. Whoosh! Moon Byeong-ho disappeared from our house and appeared on the rooftop railing of the apartment across. Right after that. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho haspleted the quest.] ¡°Phew.¡± Fortunately, the quest was sessful, and the oue was much better than expected. ¡®No costs incurred.¡¯ Perhaps due to the increased quest difficulty, there were no costs involved in enhancing teleportation proficiency as a reward. ¡®I see. Is this the way it works?¡¯ Just as I rxed. ¡°!!!¡± Moon Byeong-ho, who was standing on the rooftop railing, staggered. ¡®Vassal Summon, Moon Byeong-ho!¡¯ Surprised, I immediately used the skill and summoned Moon Byeong-ho, who was about to fall from the rooftop. Whoosh¨D Thud! ¡®¡­That was close.¡¯ Luckily, I had been prepared; otherwise, it could have been dangerous if I had been just a littlete. ¡®He seems to have lost consciousness.¡¯ Due to the sudden long-distance teleportation, Moon Byeong-ho had exhausted too much mental energy and was now unconscious. It was evident that he had pushed himself to his limits. I whispered softly in his ear. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Thanks to that, I could confirm that with careful adjustment of the quest details, rewards could be given without incurring any costs. Turning towards Kang Deok-su, who was watching nkly while d in silver armor, I spoke. ¡°Would you mind moving Moon Byeong-ho to the sofa?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I asked Kang Deok-su, who was gently cing the unconscious Moon Byeong-ho on the sofa. ¡°Deok-su, are you good at sports?¡± ¡°What?¡± Kang Deok-su tilted his head for a moment, then nodded. ¡°A bit, yes.¡± I couldn¡¯t see his face because he was wearing full body armor, but I wondered if he might be feeling uneasy. With a soft smile directed at him, I said. ¡°Great. Please do 100 push-ups and 100 squats. Of course, while wearing the armor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡¶Quest Assigned¡· Quest Content: Exercise while wearing armor. ¨C Push-ups (0/100) ¨C Squats (0/100) Time Limit: 10 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Strength enhancement. Failure Penalty: Sleeping outside. I kindly exined to him, who was staring nkly at me. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. There will be goblins running around outside, do you think you can sleep well?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Only then did Kang Deok-su realize the seriousness of the situation and began moving. Nevertheless, even with his background in exercise, Kang Deok-su, who quickly finished the tasks, knelt in the living room, panting heavily. No matter how much he had leveled up, and his strength and stamina had increased, exercising while wearing heavy armor was not easy. [Citizen Kang Deok-su haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 56,149 won.] ¡®It¡¯s much cheaper.¡¯ It was almost half the price. ¡®Still, it seems difficult topletely eliminate the cost.¡¯ As much as I wanted to increase the number of repetitions and intensity, it seemed that doing so would only lead to Kang Deok-su failing the quest. I spoke to Kang Deok-su, who was panting heavily. ¡°Let¡¯s go for one more set.¡± Kang Deok-su, receiving the same quest as before, protested with a tearful expression. ¡°Do I really have to go outside and sleep?¡± ¡°That does seem a bit excessive, doesn¡¯t it? I¡¯ll make a modification.¡± Failure Penalty: 1000 push-ups. Seeing the newly updated failure penalty, Kang Deok-su started exercising without a word. Trembling, he steadily filled the required repetitions. [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯s loyalty has increased.] ¡®Huh? Why is this going up?¡¯ Loyalty was increasing. Is this why they push people to their limits in the military? [Citizen Kang Deok-su haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 39,783 won.] Changing the failure penalty proved effective and the quest cost was further reduced. ¡°Let¡¯s go for one more time.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Kang Deok-su persevered through the quest with sheer determination. [Citizen Kang Deok-su haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 35,249 won.] ¡°It decreased again.¡± This time, even though the conditions were exactly the same as before, the cost decreased further. ¡®Wait.¡¯ There was something different. ¡®Kang Deok-su¡¯s condition was different.¡¯ After the previous two quests, his body was already exhausted. Attempting the quest in such a fatigued state inevitably raised the rtive difficulty. ¡®I roughly understand how this works.¡¯ Ultimately, the higher the level of difficulty perceived by the person performing the quest, the more efficient the system bes. When Kang Deok-su finished all three sets, a new notification appeared. [Citizen Kang Deok-su has used up all avable quest attempts for today.] ¡®Except for party quests, three times is the maximum, then.¡¯ This made sense, and I could now understand why there were separate party quests. ¡®It was a system for additional quests.¡¯ It seemed that when you used up all daily quest limits, party quests could be assigned for additional quest opportunities. As I was organizing my thoughts, another notification appeared. [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯spleted quests are being evaluated.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluation in progress ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] ¡®What¡¯s this again?¡¯ It seemed like a task that took a little time. While the evaluation was underway, I spoke to Kang Deok-su. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You can go get some rest now.¡± Kang Deok-su, with his shining full-body armor and halberd, spoke with a tired voice. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Checking the time, it was already past 1 AM. Considering they had entered the house just past midnight, it had been almost an hour of repeating quests and clears. When Kang Deok-su removed his armor, the strong scent of sweat reached even here. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I take a shower?¡± ¡°Of course. You can use the bathroom over there.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The results of the various experiments were satisfying. ¡®I gained more than I expected.¡¯ First of all, Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su became more aware of their awakening abilities and could use them effectively. This significantly increased our overall power. Especially notable was Kang Deok-su¡¯s newfound abilities. ¡®Just tanking in front while wearing armor will make our operations much more stable.¡¯ It was positive in many ways. The fact that the party was getting stronger meant they could do more. ¡®There¡¯s hope.¡¯ Perhaps soon, I would be able to send them and save my family. ¡®I can do it.¡¯ That¡¯s when it happened. [Evaluationplete.] It seemed like the evaluation for Kang Deok-su¡¯s performed quests had finally concluded. [Strength slightly increased.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ Suddenly, there was a feeling of lightness in my body. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was clear. My strength had increased. This probably happened because all three of Kang Deok-su¡¯s daily quests were focused on increasing strength. ¡®With this, the story changes a bit.¡¯ Now there was a justification for mobilizing the citizens. Still sick this week so going to keep releases at 3/week this and next week (next week to catch up on chapters). Chapter 17: Quest Reward (3) Chapter 17: Quest Reward (3) [Episode 04] Quest Reward (3) Busan1??(¸ªÉ½).. It was an area with many mountains, so much so that the character for ¡®mountain¡¯ (ɽ) was included in its name. During the Korean War26.25 ?? or the Korean War (1950-1953) was a conflict between North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, and South Korea, supported by the United Nations and primarily the United States. The war erupted when North Korean forces invaded the South, aiming to reunify the divided penins. The conflict ended in an armistice in 1953, leaving Korea divided along the 38th parallel, with no formal peace treaty signed. The war had significant geopolitical implications, shaping the Cold War dynamics and maintaining the division between North and South Korea that persists to this day., numerous refugees flocked to Busan3To be urate, the raws say that the refugees fleeing to Busan formed a distinctive feature but I¡¯m not sure how to fit that in.. Generations of families settled in the mountainous region. This shantytown initially formed by refugees eventually developed into a mountain vige. Due to the closely packed houses spread across the entire mountain, the area was filled with numerous narrow alleys. ¡°Run!¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was swiftly moving through a narrow alley, with dozens of goblins glowing behind them, chasing closely. Despite their smaller size, the goblins were agilely closing in the distance between Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. At that moment, at the rear of the group, Kang Deok-su turned around and shouted. ¡°Bastards!¡± Woong! Kang Deok-su emerged from the white light wearing brilliant full-body armor and wielding a halberd. ¡°Hmph!¡± He thrust the halberd towards one of the goblins charging at him. Splurt! ¡°Kwaak!¡± The impaled goblin spurted blood and flew into the air. However, dealing with just one goblin was not enough. The real terror of goblinsy in their ability to exploit the advantage of numbers. ¡°Kiaack¨D!¡± ¡°Kyaaah!¡± Two goblins simultaneously lunged at Kang Deok-su from both sides. One of them held a sharpened knife, making it quite dangerous. However. Thunk! ¡°Kiiik?¡± ¡°Keuk!¡± The goblin¡¯s ws and makeshift knives were ineffective against Kang Deok-su¡¯s full-body armor. ¡°Die!¡± Swish! In contrast, each swing of the halberd Kang Deok-su wielded was taking a goblin¡¯s life with certainty. Goblin blood sttered in all directions. Squelch! After losing severalrades, the goblins realized it was futile to attack Kang Deok-su. The cunning goblins immediately changed their tactics. They ignored Kang Deok-su and ran by him. ¡°These bastards!¡± Kang Deok-su tried to block the narrow alley as much as possible, but he was outnumbered. Thud! While he managed to take down one goblin, three more slipped past him and followed the rest of the group. ¡°Kikik!¡± The goblins that escaped Kang Deok-su taunted him, but theirughter didn¡¯tst long. Thud! A neatly aimed arrow from Kim Ga-young pierced through one of their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the ones that got away!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Even if they managed to slip past Kang Deok-su, the goblins were killed by a barrage of arrows. Thanks to this, Kang Deok-su was able to go wild with peace of mind. ¡°Come at me!¡± Squelch! Under the protection of his sturdy armor, Kang Deok-su swung his weapon mercilessly, and the goblins gradually reconsidered their approach. Because their numbers had already dwindled down to fifteen. More than half of them had been lost to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Kkiik! Kkigik!¡± ¡°Kkiiiiik¨D!¡± Sensing that the situation was unfavorable, the goblins began to retreat. However, their retreat was foiled from the start as a ck beast appeared from the opposite alley, blocking their escape route. ¡°Krrrrraaaagh!¡± After briefly leaving to handle another goblin group, Oh Eon-ju btedly joined the fray. The goblin horde found themselves surrounded on both sides, and from that point onward, it was a one-sided massacre. ¡°Kyaaaah!¡± ¡°Kki¨Deuk!¡± In the front, a human d in silver armor swung a spear, while in the back, a ck beast tore through theirrades. This was a narrow alley. There was nowhere for the goblins to run or hide. Even when they tried to flee, arrows came flying at them like specters, iming their lives. ¡°Kkiieeek!¡± Just a few tens of secondster, the remaining fifteen goblins were annihted. *** [Citizen Oh Eon-ju haspleted the quest.] ¡®Great. This time it¡¯s a sess.¡¯ After several experiments, a point where goblin hunting incurred no cost was finally found. ¡®You have to hunt 100 goblins to bring it down to 0 won. It¡¯s a bit tougher than I thought.¡¯ I was experimenting when the basic payment of 30,000 won without quest rewards would reduce. The initial quest for hunting 10 goblins cost about 23,000 won. When hunting 30 goblins, it fell down to roughly 15,000 won. So, to be precise, somewhere between hunting 30 and 100 goblins might be the point where the quest cost doesn¡¯t ur. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju has used all avable quest attempts for today.] [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯spleted quests are being evaluated.] [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluation in progress ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] Even while checking the notifications, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye was still active. Now that I was somewhat ustomed to this state, it was possible to eat while maintaining the skill. Slurppp- Whilst eating ramen, I calmly observed the situation of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Though they asionally encountered goblin groups while passing through the alleys, there were no issues thanks to Oh Eon-ju¡¯s overwhelming performance. While Kang Duksoo and Moon Byeong-ho also made significant contributionspared to others, they couldn¡¯t quite match Oh Eon-ju. She single-handedly defeated over 140 goblins, a statement in itself4? ? ?? ¨C conveys it all, need more be said?. ¡®Incredible.¡¯ The figure of Oh Eon-ju tearing through goblins was like a fierce beast. No wonder when Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party saw her, they mistook her for a monster. It seemed they would reach the location of Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother without much trouble. That¡¯s when it happened. [Citizen Kim Ga-young haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 2,142 won.] ¡°2,000 won?¡± Of course, Oh Eon-ju wasn¡¯t the only one who received the quest. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party collectively received the quest to hunt 10 goblins. The quest was perfectly identical in terms of content, time, reward, and penalty. However, the cost when Oh Eon-ju cleared the quest and when Kim Gayoung cleared the quest was drastically different. Although I had expected it to some extent, it was a bigger difference than I thought. ¡®It¡¯s confirmed now. Efficiency varies greatly depending on the level of the person performing the quest.¡¯ At level 33, Oh Eon-ju needed to hunt dozens of goblins to reduce the cost from 30,000. On the other hand, Kim Gayoung couldpletely eliminate the basic cost by hunting just ten goblins. ¡®Assign a quest to Kim Gayoung, hunt 13 goblins.¡¯ I increased the number of goblins appropriately and assigned the quest again. [Evaluationplete.] Oh Eon-ju¡¯s daily quest evaluation was finished. [132,966 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ The unexpected reward made me tilt my head for a moment. Kang Deok-su, who had three quests all rted to strength, received a ¡®small amount of strength¡¯ as a reward. Since the quests assigned to Oh Eon-ju were all rted to goblin hunting, I thought the reward would be ¡®a small amount of experience points¡¯. However, upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a settlement payment rather than experience points. ¡®And it¡¯s a lot. Could the additional rewards be random?¡¯ Upon reflection, this might actually make sense. Unlike Kang Deok-su¡¯s quest, which had him do push-ups and squats, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s quest was to hunt a total of 140 goblins. ¡®It might be natural that the reward increased ordingly.¡¯ Just as I was about to move on. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party finally arrived near Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house, and Moon Byeong-ho used teleportation to enter the house. At the same time. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 40,930 won.] The questpletion notification appeared. Unlike others, I had assigned a quest to Moon Byeong-ho with the condition of using teleportation 10 times. The reward was, of course, an increase in teleportation proficiency5You can also think of proficiency as skill level. It¡¯s notpletely the same though as you¡¯ll seeter in the chapter.. I did this to boost Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s teleportation ability as quickly as possible. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has used all avable quest attempts for today.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯spleted quests are being evaluated.] [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluation in progress ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] ¡®I wonder what reward wille out this time?¡¯ Honestly, I was a bit excited. I had given Moon Byeong-ho skill-rted quests. The reward was an increase in teleportation proficiency. Considering the additional rewards were rted to the quest content, it should be a further enhancement of skills. ¡®Should I expect an increase for the store or warehouse? Or maybe for Dignity Maintenance or the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye?¡¯ Surprisingly, dignity maintenance turned out to be a skill where proficiency yed a crucial role. I realized its importance when I was hunting goblins. During the moment when I released electricity to hunt goblins, I realized another potential of this skill. ¡®I definitely felt like I could control the electricity to some extent.¡¯ When the current was discharged towards the goblins, it felt like the will to emit electricity strongly was being directly realized. Since I was actually controlling the supply of electricity with the dignity maintenance skill, it may not just be an illusion. I was confident that if my skill level increased, I would be able to do more. ¡®Increasing the level of the Eye would also be useful.¡¯ At first, using the Absolute Eye made it difficult to take other actions. Now, I can even eat while maintaining the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. In the future, as skill level increases, maintaining the Absolute Eye will be as natural as breathing. ¡®Or maybe it¡¯s a new skill?¡¯ With the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration at level 7, a new skill had been added. Absolute Dweller¡¯s Health (Passive) Lv. 1 ¨C Immunity is significantly increased. It still didn¡¯t seem like a particrly outstanding skill. The effect of increased immunity only meant being less prone to illness, and the reduced risk of secondary infection from bacteria in case of wounds. ¡®However, it seems to have great potential.¡¯ Among the skills acquired so far, this one might be the most exciting. The reason was simple. ¡®If I level this up, something like immortality mighte out.¡¯ At level 1, it was just an increase in immunity, but as the skill level grew, nobody knew how it would change. ¡®Everything is good, but in the end, it¡¯s the damn skill points that are the issue.¡¯ Skill points. Naturally, to upgrade the performance of skills, the level had to be increased. Despite leveling up the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration through goblin hunting, there were no new skill points. ¡®It seems like 3 skill points are given for every 5 levels or something¡­¡¯ That meant, to receive skill points, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration level had to be raised to 10. ¡®Will it only give 3 at that point too?¡¯ Honestly, it felt too stingy. With the store¡¯s item registration slots almost full, it was imperative to invest in it now. Considering the number of items that needed to be registered in the future¡­ ¡®If that¡¯s the case, only 2 points are left.¡¯ Although there were only a few points left, there were too many skills I wanted to invest in. The skill that piqued the most curiosity was the Dignity Maintenance skill. Just being able to control fundamental facilities like electricity, water, and gas was impressive enough. However, at level 2, the vassal skill came out. ¡®It¡¯s a skill that can produce individuals with abilities.¡¯ While conditions such as trust and loyalty were attached, the ability to grant abilities in a world like this had tremendous merit. Just witnessing Kang Deok-su in action against the goblins today, the difference between having abilities and not was clear as day. ¡®Honestly, just increasing the number that can be registered as vassals would be good.¡¯ Currently, the number of vassal registrations allowed was 10. Even if only the number of vassal slots increased without additional functionality, it was well worth investing skill points. ¡®Haah. What¡¯s the use of worrying like this? There¡¯s a long way to go to level 10 anyways.¡¯ Suddenly confronted with reality, he felt a sense of disappointment. At that moment, the daily quest evaluation for Moon Byeong-ho was finallypleted. [Evaluationplete.] ¡®Alright, which skill¡¯s proficiency are we going to raise?¡¯ Full of anticipation while waiting for the reward, at that moment. [Jackpot winner!] [Congrattions.] [Acquire Skill Points.] ¡®What? Jackpot?¡¯ It was an alert I never imagined. ¡®Skill pointse from here?¡¯ Surprised beyond belief, I almost forgot to maintain the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. In a daze, I read the message in front of me and then opened the skill window to confirm. [Current Skill Points: 1] Seeing that, the corners of my mouth lifted up to 10/10. ¡°¡­This is amazing.¡± Chapter 18: Quest Reward (3) Chapter 18: Quest Reward (3) [Episode 04] Quest Reward (3) Using his teleportation ability, Mun Byeong-ho arrived at the home ahead of the rest of the party and quickly entered. Click. He inserted the key, opened the front door, and headed straight to the bedroom where his grandmother was. Moon Byeong-ho, upon finding his grandmother lying in bed under the nkets as usual, breathed a sigh of relief. He approached carefully and spoke. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± When his grandmother woke up, she looked momentarily confused but soon reached out with both hands to cup Mun Byeong-ho¡¯s face. Shortly after, she burst into tears, crying like a child. ¡°Sniff. Grandma, I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t toote, right?¡± Whileforting his grandmother and sharing a moment of understanding, Mun Byeong-ho made a vow. ¡®Mr. Jae-hyun, I will dedicate my life to you.¡¯ *** I watched with satisfaction as Moon Byeong-ho and his grandmother reunited. ¡®Great.¡¯ From my perspective, Moon Byeong-ho could only be looked upon favorably. Rapidly increasing trust and loyalty. Honestly, how many people would dislike someone willing to believe in themselves and pledge loyalty? Even just saying the right things would make that person look good, but in my case, it was visible in numerical terms, so it was even better. ¡®This guy hits the jackpot every time.¡¯ Among Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, he was the first to be recognized as a vassal, awakening the A-rank ability Teleport as he reached level 30. Even when ying mobile games, you tend to like getting high-rarity characters in gacha draws. Moreover, Moon Byeong-ho was not a character in a game, but a real person with a top-tier ability. And this time, he even earned skill points. ¡®There¡¯s really no goose thatys golden eggs.¡¯ At that moment, when Moon Byeong-ho, who had been hugging his grandmother and crying, raised his head with a determined expression, a new notification appeared. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho is already registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] ¡°Huh?¡± I immediately opened the skill window and checked the Vassal Management tab. ?Vassal Management 1. Choi Hyeong-jun (Lv. 20) [+] 2. Moon Byeong-ho (Lv. 30) [+] 3. Kang Deok-su (Lv. 25) [+] (3 / 11 members) The number of slots had increased from 10 to 11. ¡°Ha, hahaha.¡± I was so happy that I burst outughing. ¡®Moon Byeong-ho, you¡¯re totally a god-tier character, a god-tier.¡¯ If you¡¯ve yed an RPG game, you¡¯ve probably heard the term before. God-tier (blessed character). Enhancing, acquiring items through hunting, or opening randomly obtained boxes¡ªcharacters who perform significantly better than others. I couldn¡¯t find a term more fitting for Moon Byeong-ho now. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely nurture you.¡¯ I resolved to provide Moon Byeong-ho with everything I could in the future, whether it was leveling up or quest rewards. Regardless of the cost. The value of what he had already earned for me was easily worth billions. Leaving aside everything else, just ¡®skill points¡¯ had that much value. ¡®Even if it wasn¡¯t that much, it was still close.¡¯ I was worried because all 40 slots were almost filled. No matter how I looked at it, it seemed that I would run out of store slots before I reached level 10. But now that I had skill points, there was no need to worry. All I had to do was level up immediately after filling the slots. ¡®Come to think of it, how much money do I have left?¡¯ Upon checking, there was about 11 million won left in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet. Despite spending quite a bit, there was still some left thanks to the mass hunting. I have earned millions of won from goblins alone. Although the goblins killed alongside the expansion of the homebound area didn¡¯t count for bonus settlements since they were considered killed directly by me, the sheer number earned me quite a fortune. ¡®Let¡¯s check how much it costs to level up our soldiers.¡¯ I pressed the [+] button next to Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s level. And I was shocked by the amount. [Insufficient cash to level up.] [To raise the level of Vassal Moon Byeong-ho, you need 100,000,000 won.] [Increase your cash holdings and try again.] ¡°¡­¡­¡± Faced with the overwhelmingly shocking message, I stood frozen for a moment. ¡®Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million¡­ hundred million.¡¯ 100 million. To raise Byeong-ho¡¯s level by one, a whopping 100 million won was needed. ¡®Sorry, Byeong-ho.¡¯ Unless something special happened, Byeong-ho¡¯s level was unlikely to increase in the future. ¡®But I¡¯ll give you daily quests every day.¡¯ Even if it required spending more money to lower the difficulty, I intended to have Moon Byeong-hoplete all of his daily quests. umting day by day, Moon Byeong-ho would quickly be stronger. Observing Byeong-ho carrying his grandmother back here through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I thought to myself. ¡®If the jackpot hits just one more time, then I¡¯ll seriously consider leveling him. Really.¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect much. Just one more time. ¡®Huh?¡¯ At that moment, I felt someone arrive on the 30th floor through the elevator. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Turning the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes in this direction and checking the corridor, I saw a muscr man and a woman with a slim figureing with something in her hands. ¡®It¡¯s them.¡¯ The average level of adult men was around 7 to 8, but the man was at level 15. The woman apanying him also had an impressive level of 11. They got off the elevator, nced at my house, then headed towards Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house, pressing the doorbell. ????~ Park Hye-won opened the door and greeted them. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Dabin (Da-bin), and this is my younger brother, Kim Minho (Min-ho). We live in Apartment 1701.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. What brings you here?¡± ¡°We have a favor to ask.¡± Kim Dabin spoke with a serious expression. ¡°I know it¡¯s shameless, but could I use your shower just once?¡± I wondered what significant request they had, but it turned out to be merely taking a shower. ¡°A shower?¡± ¡°Yes, a shower.¡± Park Hye-won nodded readily as if understanding. ¡°Of course,e in.¡± ¡°Thank you so much!¡± As Kim Minho entered the house, he extended a box to Park Hye-won. ¡°Ma¡¯am, may I know where I can put this?¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s all this?¡± ¡°I brought some canned goods and various things.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The box he was holding was full of useful items, spanning from cans of tuna to whelks, chicken breast, spam, and more. [Footnote: Golbaengi, a type of seasoned food made by mixing moon snails with vegetables.] ¡®Burn all of that for just one shower?¡¯ During times like these, non-perishable food with a long shelf life was considered as valuable as treasure. Naturally, it was excessivepensation for just one shower. ¡°Oh my. You really don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°No! When youe barging into someone else¡¯s house and make an inconvenient request, you shoulde prepared for this much, right?¡± Kim Minho, who had been acting nervously, revealed his true intentions afterward. ¡°For the future, please take good care of us a bit more¡­ hehe.¡± Only then did their intentions be clear. ¡®Well, that makes sense. It seems like they mean to ask for showers asionally in the future.¡¯ It could be seen as a very clever strategy. In this ruined world, they had realized early-on the value of having electricity, water, and gas. Perhaps they intended to secure that value with bold investments at the beginning. However, from the following conversation, it became apparent that their goal wasn¡¯t solely that. After ncing at Park Hye-won, Kim Dabin cautiously brought up the topic. ¡°Um¡­ do the people carrying the bow and baseball bats live next door?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± After a moment of pondering, Park Hye-won pped her hands as if realizing who they were talking about. ¡°Oh, those people. They aren¡¯t the neighbors. Originally, they lived in a different neighborhood¡­ It¡¯s a bitplicated, to be honest. Anyway, there¡¯s only one person living next door.¡± After hearing Park Hye-won¡¯s words, Kim Dabin asked. ¡°By any chance, is it the person with pale skin who can create things out of thin air and such?¡± ¡°Oh, right. You know about them?¡± Upon hearing this, Kim Minho chimed in with his answer. ¡°Well, you see, we saw them fighting monsters in the corridor yesterday. Among them, that person was something¡­¡± While speaking, Kim Minho shivered. At that timing, Kim Dabin continued his words. ¡°That person was emitting an unusual atmosphere.¡± ¡°More than that, it was somewhat¡­ scary.¡± In response to Kim Minho¡¯s continued answer, Kim Dabin asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Scary? Coming from you with that physique?¡± ¡°No, I know. It¡¯s just that¡­ there was some instinctive fear, you know?¡± At that moment, Park Hye-won spoke to them. ¡°First, don¡¯t just stand there in the entrance like that. Come inside.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Following Park Hye-won¡¯s guidance, they entered the house and soon met Choi Hyeong-jun. Choi Hyeong-jun was doing squats in the living room. ¡°Oh, sir! You¡¯re exercising. But doing squats like that will ruin your knees!¡± When Kim Dabin eximed, Kim Minho immediately approached Choi Hyeong-jun and corrected his posture. ¡°Widen your legs a bit more, and pay attention so that your knees don¡¯t go beyond your toes. Move your hips a bit more to the back.¡± ¡°T-Thank you?¡± Choi Hyeong-jun looked at his wife, Park Hye-won, with a gaze that seemed to seek an exnation. Instead of answering, Park Hye-won took out a can of tuna from the box brought by Kim Dabin and shook it. Meanwhile, Kim Minho, who was correcting Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s posture, was surprised and said. ¡°You¡­ no, Boss. You seem to exercise a lot regrly. Your muscles are amazing.¡± [Footnote: ??? ¨C Boss.] ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°No, but why is your posture¡­¡± Park Hye-won spoke to the confused Kim Minho. ¡°Feel free to shower over there. Ms. Dabin can take a shower in the master bedroom. You can use the towels inside.¡± At that point, I released the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ First of all, they seemed like decent people. Even without them, I was thinking of forming another team with high-level individuals. Adding a few more people to these two would create a suitablebination. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll go once they finish showering.¡¯ After registering the canned goods they brought, it would be possible to level up the shop. ¡®I should chat with them a bit.¡¯ I nned to assign the new team tasks such as procuring supplies and rescuing survivors in other apartment buildings. It was then. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun haspleted a quest.] [Quest cost: 78,145 won.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun has used all avable quest attempts for today.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯spleted quests are being evaluated.] [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluation in progress ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] In the meantime, the quest given to Choi Hyeong-jun had ended. ¡®The efficiency isn¡¯t great.¡¯ I gave him the same strength-enhancement quests that had been given to Kang Deok-su, but despite significantly increasing the number of reps, the quest cost did not decrease much. ¡®It¡¯s probably because of his awakened abilities.¡¯ For Choi Hyeong-jun, who had the ability Gori¡¯s Might, regr body exercises were likely too easy. ¡®Can¡¯t help it.¡¯ For now, even if it cost money, I nned to continue providing opportunities for growth to those who became vassals. I also found out that the additional daily quest rewards were better than I expected, so it was well worth the investment. Just like in the case of Moon Byeong-ho, if a jackpot came out, it would be a huge sess. ¡®Wait a minute. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t Choi Hyeong-jun exercising skill proficiency training? If so, would I get skill points again if the jackpot is hit?¡¯ My dreams were short-lived. [Evaluationplete.] [Strength has slightly increased.] Choi Hyeong-jun promptly betrayed my expectations. ¡®¡­Dammit.¡¯ [Footnote: ??? ¨C To lose spirit or energy because joy or excitement has disappeared.] Because there was such a huge additional rewardst time, this reward felt disappointingly shabby. However, at that moment. [You have hunted a Red Tiger (Lv. 27).] [You have gained arge amount of experience points.] [39,783,200 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] [Skill level has increased.] [A new skill has been acquired.] ¡®What?¡¯ I urgently opened the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to check the situation of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± There, a dead Red Tiger was lying beneath Moon Byeong-ho, who was panting while covered in blood. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Before I could properly grasp the situation: ¡®Ugh!¡¯ The pain began. Chapter 19: Expansion of Influence (1) Chapter 19: Expansion of Influence (1) [Episode 05] Expansion of Influence (1) The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes which had been looking at Moon Byeong-ho was forcibly canceled, and his senses expanded throughout the entire floor. Simultaneously, the area slowly expanded along with a swelling pain that seemed to engulf my entire body. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ This time, it started from the bottom of the 30th floor and slowly expanded downward. Real-time pain where muscles twisted and veins seemed to burst. The expansion finished when the area covered by the floor, extending from the 30th floor, swallowed up to the 21st floor. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] I checked the pictures of the seven individuals that appeared before me. ¡®So, there were still people remaining.¡¯ I thought they had all received citizenship during the goblin hunt, but apparently that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®Grant citizenship.¡¯ [Jo Woo-jin, Kang Hyun-soo, Kim Da-jeong, Nam Ji-ho, Moon Hae-ri, Nam Ah-yeong, Nam Jin-joo have been granted citizenship.] With an additional 7 people, the total number of citizens reached a total of 101. The count had surpassed 100. [The number of citizens has reached 100.] [Experience points and settlement funds earned by citizens increase by 100%.] There were familiar notifications as expected, but there was also an entirely new one. [As the number of citizens has reached a certain level, all citizens gain the ¡®Power of Trust¡¯ skill.] [Footnote: ??? ? ¨C Power of Trust, Trust Power, Trust Energy, etc.] ¡®Power of Trust?¡¯ A new aspect had emerged. Although I wanted to check it immediately, there was something more urgent at the moment. It was checking the status of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ They were running through the alley. ¡®Anyone injured?¡¯ I quickly scanned for Moon Byeong-ho, who was covered in blood earlier. Fortunately, he was in good condition and running with his grandmother on his back. Seeing that, it seemed that the blood I saw earlier didn¡¯t belong to him. ¡®Sigh.¡¯ The problem was Oh Eon-ju. Oh Eon-ju, who was being carried by Kang Deok-soo, was bleeding from her side and had lost consciousness. ¡®She must have been attacked by the Red Tiger.¡¯ The good thing was that she possessed self-healing abilities. I wasn¡¯t sure what happened since I didn¡¯t see the battle scene earlier, but judging from the settlement funds, it was clear that Moon Byeong-ho had delivered the finishing blow. The level of the recently appeared Red Tiger was 27. It was at the same level as the Kellican which I burned to death before. Considering that it gave around 9 million won, the 39 million won couldn¡¯t be exined unless it was a special bonus twice the amount of the settlement funds. ¡®Did it manage to harm her despite the level difference?¡¯ The Red Tiger was level 27. A level 27 monster had dealt a heavy injury to Oh Eon-ju, who was level 33. It seemed that levels weren¡¯t such an absolute measure. ¡®Well, if levels were that absolute, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to defeat the Kellican.¡¯ In that case. ¡®Is there really a need to spend 100 million won to level up?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that I thought the money was wasted. ¡®But this is a big problem.¡¯ Of all the party members, it had to be Oh Eon-ju who got injured. From what I had observed so far, Oh Eon-ju had made significant contributions to the party. The number of goblins she had taken down alone so far outnumbered the total number of goblins the other party members had defeated. It was only natural for me to be worried. ¡®I hope she¡¯s okay.¡¯ However, that was just overthinking. ¡°Kkieeeek!¡± As soon as Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party exited the alley, they effortlessly swept away the goblins they encountered. And that was without Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-soo participating in the battle. ¡°I hit them!¡± ¡°¡­Me too.¡± This was thanks to the arrows from Yoo Hye-rin and Kim Ga-young that had missed before now finding their mark on the goblins¡¯ foreheads. [Footnote: They used to miss their arrows but now they were all urately hitting the goblins.] Furthermore, the arrows fired by them had be much sharper. ¡°What¡¯s going on? My body suddenly feels incredibly light¡­¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯m not even short of breath.¡± Watching their strange reactions, the notification I had seen earlier came to mind. The ¡®Power of Trust¡¯ skill that all citizens had supposedly unlocked. {Power of Trust} (Passive) All attributes increase by (Trust Rating)%. ¡®So, it¡¯s because of this.¡¯ The Ha Dong-geon party had a base trust rating of 50 or higher across the board. Attributes such as health, visual acuity, strength, reflexes, etc. If all attributes rose by 50% or more, it would naturally lead to a rapid rise ofbat power. At that moment, Moon Byeong-ho said to the bewildered group. ¡°You¡¯ve all been chosen by him. Like me.¡± It felt somewhat simr to the experience during vassal registration. With the confidence of someone who had risen to level 30, Moon Byeong-ho continued. ¡°You feel lighter, and energy overflows through your body, right? I experienced the same thing during the goblin hunt. It seems like he¡¯s helping us.¡± Surprisingly, his words had an effect. [Citizen Kim Ga-young¡¯s Loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Kim Ga-young has met the conditions for vassal registration.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s Loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin has met the conditions for vassal registration.] Two citizens have now met the conditions for vassal registration. ¡®Register both as vassals.¡¯ At that moment. Wooong! ¡°What, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡ºName: Kim Ga-young (Lv. 20) [+] Title: [Fourth Vassal] Trust: 58 Loyalty: 32 Awakening Ability: Piercing ¡ïQuest Assignment ¡» ¡ºName: Yoo Hye-rin (Lv. 25) [+] Title: [Fifth Vassal] Trust: 69 Loyalty: 33 Awakening Ability: Poison Mist ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» Looking at their levels, it seemed that each of them had acquired B-grade and C-grade skills. A group of goblins, stimted by the light from their registration, rushed towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s group. As always, the first to react was Kim Ga-young. However, the arrow she shot out reflexively had a faint light attached to it. Whooosh! ¡°!!!¡± The arrow she shot hit the goblin¡¯s forehead urately, like usual. But this time, it was much cleaner, piercing through the goblin¡¯s head, and then one after another, prated the bodies of the goblins rushing from behind. ¡°Keeeek!¡± ¡°Kagak!¡± ¡°Kkeok!¡± Goblins with holes in their bodies rolled on the ground, screaming. Of course, the most surprised was Kim Ga-young. ¡°What, what¡¯s this?¡± This was the effect of her awakened skill. Piercing (Grade C) Consumes mental power to fire a piercing arrow. It seemed that she used the skill subconsciously by concentrating. ¡®I should give them a quest.¡¯ Upon seeing the skill name ¡°Piercing¡± written in the quest, she would instantly know what kind of skill it was. Since Kim Ga-youngpleted the goblin hunting quest she was given earlier, she could be given a new quest. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Details: Hunt goblins using Piercing (0/10) Time Limit: 10 minutes Rewards: Enhance Piercing proficiency Failure Penalty: Fatigue After confirming the quest details, Kim Ga-young began to go on a rampage. With well-aimed Piercing arrows, she took down at least two goblins with a single shot. As Kim Ga-young freely wielded the skill and started her rampage, I hesitated for a moment before deciding to give a simr quest to Yu Hye-rin. ¡®But this ability is a bit ambiguous.¡¯ Poison Mist (Grade B) Consumes mental power to create a lethal poison mist. The ability itself was good. It could probably be used in the underground parking lot to wipe out the remaining goblins. However, there was a problem. It was a B-grade poison mist skill, and it seemed to be extremely lethal. If used incorrectly, it could adversely affect the team members. ¡®I¡¯ll put this on hold and look into itter.¡¯ It seemed unnecessary for Yu Hye-rin to step forward right now. [Citizen Kim Ga-young haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 67,773 won.] [Citizen Kim Ga-young has exhausted all avable quest attempts for today.] [Evaluating the questspleted by Citizen Kim Ga-young.] [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluating ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] ¡°Wow.¡± What happened waspletely different from Choi Hyeong-jun, who had awakened a C-grade ability. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ She was making the most of the prating arrow attribute, incapacitating as many goblins as possible. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she was opening the path herself. [Evaluationplete.] [Experience points slightly increased.] I was slightly hopeful, but it was another disappointment. ¡®Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡¯ If the probability was high, the system message wouldn¡¯t have congratted him on winning the jackpot. Once again, I realized that Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s case was a wildcard. ¡®I probably don¡¯t need to worry.¡¯ The apartment alley was soon visible, and it seemed like Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party would arrive safely. ¡®Should I go meet those people?¡¯ I intended to meet Kim Dabin and Kim Min-ho in person, but upon checking, they were still not done with their showers. ¡®I¡¯ll go in a bit.¡¯ Even though it had been at least 30 minutes since the shower started, it still hadn¡¯t finished. ¡®Should I explore the newly expanded area?¡¯ From the 21st to the 29th floor. About half of the newly expanded area was empty with no one around. The refrigerators in these vacant houses were filled with neglected and rotten food, side dishes, and bugs crawling around. Although the situation was rtively better in the houses with people, the umted waste in the toilets or dirtied interiors due tock of cleaning were another kind of hell. ¡®It¡¯s terrible.¡¯ Perhaps because I could feel the overall situation in the houses, these scenes disgusted me even more. However, one ce stood out in maintaining cleanliness even in these circumstances. ¡®Those are the people I just granted citizenship to.¡¯ It was an ordinary house where Nam Ji-ho and his family lived, butpared to other houses, it was surprisingly clean, to the point of being bewildering. A peculiar point was that the bathtub was halfway filled with water. Upon entering the bathroom, I saw someone filling a water container from the tub, revealing the purpose. Drinking water. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It seemed they had filled the bathtub with tap water before the water supply was cut off. With that, the family of four could secure enough drinking water tost a month. In order to survive immediately, they could also drink the water from the tank behind the toilet, but it was enough for now. ¡®Impressive.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t all. In the living room, there was a camping gas burner, and it seemed they used it to cook instant noodles or rice. Even now, there was some leftover rice in one pot. Moreover, unlike other houses, they seemed to handle waste neatly. Thanks to this, the house they lived in seemed to be in a better situation than the other houses that had received relief supplies from me. ¡®No wonder they didn¡¯t respond to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s rescue party.¡¯ There was no reason for them to willingly open the door for strangers armed with bows. People who had joined Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party during the goblin hunt were in such a desperate situation that they had to go outside where monsters were rampant to find drinking water or food. Most of them had no choice. Unlike them, when Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party came to them, they had the option to choose whether to trust them or not. To be fair, it was weirder for them to believe people who came armed with bows and baseball bats iming themselves to be a rescue team. ¡®I want them.¡¯ The quick action of filling the bathtub with water before the water supply was cut off showed that this person was no ordinary survivor. Someone who could use such resources effectively in a crisis was indeed a crucial asset. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Of course, not all the new survivors who joined had rejected the rescue team based on such rational judgments. In the living room right below our house, 2902, there was a person lying quietly on the floor. At first, I thought she was dead since shey there motionless. ¡®Who is this woman¡­?¡¯ She looked almost as if she were about to die. ¡ºName: Kim Da-jeong (Lv. 26) Trust: 18 Awakening Ability: Heal Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Reward Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ï Quest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Heal (Grade B) Consumes mental strength to heal wounds. I immediately sprinted down towards 2902. Chapter 20: Expansion of Influence (2) Chapter 20: Expansion of Influence (2) [Episode 05] Expansion of Influence (2) [Apartment 2902] It went without saying, but I didn¡¯t bother with things like ringing the doorbell. Instead, I immediately grabbed the doorknob and turned it. Unlocking the front door wasn¡¯t difficult. Dealing with electronic devices within the homebound area was easy for me. However. Click! The safety lock was beyond my control. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ck, ck! ¡®Is there any way?¡¯ For a moment, I thought ofing down through the upstairs window, but it was impossible. Due to the restrictions of the homebound area, I couldn¡¯t fully go outside the window. While there was enough space to extend my hand or head out of the living room window, it wasn¡¯t enough topletely go outside. ¡®Right. The new skill I gained!¡¯ In my desperation, I thought of the new skill I hadn¡¯t checked due to the chaotic situation. Absolute Dweller¡¯s Invisible Hand Lv. 1 ¨C Summons an invisible hand and control it. ¡®Bingo!¡¯ I immediately tried using the skill. Something I felt while using Dignity Maintenance and the Eye was that the most crucial factor in using a skill was one thing: ¡®My will.¡¯ What I wanted was the most important element. The moment I pictured releasing the safetytch on the front door, I felt the sensation of something leaving my body, and the invisible hand attacked the safetytch. Kwoong¡ªsnap! ¡°¡­¡± The invisible hand effortlessly destroyed the safetytch. It was so powerful that part of the front door was bent. As I stared at the severely damaged and now open front door, I btedly thought of a better solution. ¡®¡­I could have just used Vassal Summon.¡¯ Come to think of it, I could have summoned the still idle Choi Hyeong-jun inside to open the door. But what can I do? The spilled water is already spilled. ¡®Let¡¯s save people first and then thinkter.¡¯ The darkened apartment lit up. The bright light illuminated the entire house, and in the center of the living room, I saw Kim Da-jeong lying as if she was sleeping. She was a beautiful person. Even though her life seemed to hang by a thread, her beauty still shone through. ¡®Why is she like this?¡¯ Why the living room floor? There were perfectly good beds in the bedroom and small room. But there wasn¡¯t even a nketid out in the living room. ¡°Hey, wake up. Snap out of it.¡± I gently patted her cheek. There was no response, and when I shook her shoulders and body, it was the same. She just swayed weakly, unable to regain consciousness. The only thing that proved she was still alive was the breath barely hanging on. ¡®Her condition is worse than I thought.¡¯ Wrinkled skin, sunken eyes, dry lips. There was also a slight fever. Despite this, her undeniable beauty was so surreal that it felt like watching a princess from a fairy tale. ¡®It¡¯s a serious case of dehydration.¡¯ It didn¡¯t make sense. Especially since there was still water in the kitchen, with bottles and containers left. There were dozens of small bottled water, each with a capacity of about 300ml. If only she had taken care to drink them in time, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen into such a serious state of dehydration. On the Irish table, there were also snacks like cookies or choctes, and the cab had different types of ramen. There was both food and water, yet she hade to the brink of death. ¡®What is she trying to do?¡¯ Was she really determined to die? Looking at it now, her neatly folded hands seemed to calmly ept death. Even if she had resolved to die, I had no intention of letting her. I must save her. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ In the military, I learned that you should never force water on a patient showing severe dehydration symptoms. It was especially dangerous for unconscious patients, as it could obstruct their airway. ¡®The proper procedure is to send her to the emergency room.¡¯ The only solution was to increase the amount of blood in her body through an intravenous injection. However, there were no intact hospitals left in this ruined world, and there were no paramedics who woulde all the way here. For now, I lifted Kim Da-jeong¡¯s legs for first aid. Elevating the legs would redirect blood to vital organs, helping to maintain their function for a little longer. ¡®If I can¡¯t do anything more, she¡¯s really going to die.¡¯ She was a woman with the Heal ability. I couldn¡¯t let her go so easily. ¡®I must save her.¡¯ I went through each of the skills I possessed, considering every item in the shop and the things in the warehouse, but there was nothing that would be helpful for Kim Da-jeong. After thinking for a while, a clever idea came to mind. ¡®I wonder if I can use it like this?¡¯ There was no need to hesitate. If I tested it right now, it would either work or not. ¡®Quest Assignment, reward is recovery from dehydration.¡¯ The quest content was ¡®Take one breath.¡¯ And then. [Citizen Kim Da-jeong haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 10,000,000 won.] ¡®Sess!¡¯ Even though it cost a whopping 10 million won for the quest, it was worth it. ¡°Ugh.¡± Because the effect was clear. Kim Da-jeong slowly opened her eyes, looked at the bright living room lights, and furrowed her brows. She then raised her arm. ¡°Hey, Miss Kim Da-jeong, are you awake?¡± As our eyes met. [Citizen Kim Da-jeong¡¯s trust has increased.] A notification appeared, indicating an increase in trust. ¡®Here we go again.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t only Kim Da-jeong whose trust increased the moment we met. It happened with Oh Eon-ju, the entire Ha Dong-geon party, and even Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family. A notification about trust increasing appeared on our first encounter. ¡®People I meet in person all seem to have a rapid increase in trust.¡¯ It was kind of obvious. It was natural for trust to rise faster for someone you knew than for aplete stranger. However, having trust rise immediately upon meeting face to face was a bit different. It was weird. The abnormal increase in trust was undoubtedly due to the influence of skills. ¡®Is it because of Dignity Maintenance?¡¯ Kim Da-jeong looked at me with a dazed expression and asked, ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun. I live upstairs.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Gradually, life returned to her eyes. When she came to her senses, she moved out of my arms. ¡°W-Who are you?¡± ¡°As I mentioned earlier, I live upstairs.¡± ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°Your condition seemed severe, so I forcefully opened the door and came in.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± Kim Da-jeong looked around the house with a confused expression. Then. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She seemed to realize something and tears started flowing from her eyes. ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± Kim Da-jeong covered her face with both hands and cried. Her delicate shoulders trembled lightly. ¡°¡­¡± While silently watching her sobbing with bated breath, I pondered. How do youfort someone? What do you say to reach someone¡¯s heart when they¡¯re crying so sorrowfully? I didn¡¯t know. Providingfort, whether through words or understanding their sadness, required some level of familiarity. Constion was something achievable only when you knew someone well enough. Icked that connection. Therefore, I decided to say what I wanted to say. ¡°Ms. Kim Da-jeong.¡± When I called her name, she looked up at me with a tear-stained face. Facing her, I spoke. ¡°Please help me.¡± I chose not to ask what happened or why she was crying so bitterly. There was no need to remind her of painful memories. Instead, I directed her attention elsewhere, to the present reality, thinking it might be less painful. ¡°My colleague is seriously injured.¡± *** Kim Da-jeong stared nkly at the man who introduced himself as Kim Jae-hyun. ¡®What is this man talking about?¡¯ The story, which began with a plea for help and news of an injured colleague, had progressed to the point where he imed she had a special power. ¡®What nonsense is he saying?¡¯ Superpowers? Healing abilities? She felt like a fool for taking him seriously when she heard that someone was injured. ¡®Healing abilities? Did he say that because he knows I¡¯m a nurse? How does he know that?¡¯ Maybe this man read too manyics. Then it urred to her. Maybe this man, who was fervently talking in front of her, wanted tofort her. As someone who had received too much attention from men, she instinctively sensed it. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ A kind person. With the arising goodwill, there came a curiosity about this man. His face, which she vaguely saw earlier, came to mind, and while observing his face as he spoke passionately, she thought. ¡®¡­ He¡¯s quite handsome.¡¯ His clumsy manner somehow knocked on the door to her heart. ¡°Pfft.¡± ¡°Why are youughing?¡± It was fascinating. Usually, men who tried tofort her when she was crying were filled with ulterior motives, but she didn¡¯t feel that from this man. In any case, if this man¡¯s goal was tofort her, he had somewhat seeded. ¡°Alright. Where do I need to go?¡± It was a statement to reciprocate the favor. However. ¡°Just a moment.¡± [You have received a quest.] Quest Content: Use Heal to treat the injured Oh Eon-ju. Time limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds. Reward: Strengthen Heal proficiency. Failure penalty: None. ¡°What?¡± While she nkly read the holographic window in front of her, the man spoke. ¡°No need to move. Since you are in a weakened state, you can stay here and rest. I¡¯ll bring Oh Eon-ju over.¡± Then, out of nowhere, an orange appeared from the air and dropped in front of her. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Then, please rest.¡± Kim Da-jeong, looking puzzled, grabbed the man who was about to leave. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± He looked at the orange she was holding out and answered. ¡°It¡¯s an orange.¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­!¡± There were many questions she wanted to ask: the hologram, the orange that appeared out of thin air, but the words didn¡¯te out properly. Just as she tried to stand up in frustration. ¡°Oh¡ª!¡± She tripped over her own feet and fell. Closing her eyes, she expected the impending pain, but¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± It didn¡¯t hurt. Feeling something odd, Kim Da-jeong slowly opened her eyes. ¡°!!!¡± She could see herself floating in the air. Although she felt as if something was supporting her body, nothing was visible. Kim Da-jeong looked at the man confusedly. He casually said, ¡°Since your body is currently weakened, please be careful while moving. Don¡¯t get hurt.¡± Kim Da-jeong, who carefully descended to the ground, couldn¡¯t close her mouth. ¡°Please wait a little.¡± While Kim Da-jeong stared nkly in the direction the man had left, she earnestly contemted while looking at the orange left in her hand. ¡®Am I dreaming?¡¯ *** [Citizen Kim Da-jeong¡¯s trust has increased.] Having calmed down Kim Da-jeong and descended in the elevator, I received another notification indicating an increase in trust. Her trust had already surpassed 30. It seemed that showing her my abilities at thest moment worked well. ¡®She really didn¡¯t believe it.¡¯ Since the moment she suddenly stopped crying and startedughing, it felt like something had changed. The talk about superpowers and healing must have sounded ridiculous before. ¡®Well, it¡¯s hard to believe until you see it with your own eyes.¡¯ Seeing is believing, and in this case, showing the ability directly was even more convincing. ??¨D [First floor.] [Door opens.] Arriving on the first floor, I walked down the hallway to meet the members of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party at the main entrance. Since they hade near the side road, it was about time for them to arrive. ¡®There they are.¡¯ The first thing I noticed was Moon Byeong-ho, who was running hard while carrying his grandmother on his back. ¡®Well done, Byeong-ho.¡¯ Thanks to Moon Byeong-ho, I had gained a mountain of things today. As I smiled at him, I suddenly noticed something strange. ¡®¡­Why is he running so urgently?¡¯ Running after Moon Byeong-ho was Kang Deok-su, Ha Dong-geon, Kim Ga-young, Yoo Hye-rin, and Kim Geon. All of them were sprinting with clenched teeth, as if they were being chased by something. And soon, the identity of that ¡®something¡¯ became apparent. ¡®What is that¡­?¡¯ Chasing closely behind Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was a massive, red tiger. Chapter 21: Expansion of Influence (3) Chapter 21: Expansion of Influence (3) [Episode 05] Expansion of Influence (3) ¡®There was one more?¡¯ The Red Tiger was unmistakable. However, it was slightly bigger than the one I had seen through Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. Perhaps it was a higher level than the one caught earlier. ¡®It¡¯s money.¡¯ A pumpkin was rolling towards us like a rolling vine. A pumpkin worth at least 40 million won. However, it was not a situation to be happy about. ¡®Looks dangerous.¡¯ Sure enough, Yoo Hye-rin who was following at the back, tripped and fell. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Hye-rin!¡± At the same time, the momentum of the red tiger became even sharper. ¡°Get up quickly!¡± Shaak! Kim Ga-young¡¯s arrow, imbued with the power of Piercing, flew towards the Red Tiger, but it skillfully avoided it by changing its direction while running. Using a broken tree as a foothold, it leaped up and quickly attacked the exact spot where Yoo Hye-rin had fallen. ¡°Keuung¨D!¡± Just before the sharp ws turned Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s back upside down. Shushuk- Yoo Hye-rin disappeared. Kachak¨D! The red tiger¡¯s ws smashed the sidewalk block, creating a long scratch. The sight of the deeply engraved sidewalk with w marks was eerily terrifying. ¡°Krugh?¡± The guy looked puzzled, checking the ground where Yoo Hye-rin had disappeared. ¡°Huk, huk.¡± Yoo Hye-rin, who the Red Tiger was looking for, was teleported next to me. She was panting heavily with a face filled with terror. ¡®That was close.¡¯ If it had been even 0.1 secondster, Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s back would have been ripped by the Red Tiger¡¯s ws. Thanks to using Vassal Summon at the same time she fell, things were barely manageable; otherwise, she would have died due to her mistake. ¡®Still, I gained some time thanks to that.¡¯ The Red Tiger didn¡¯t seem pleased that its prey was taken away just before the hunt. You could tell by its lingering movements that it was not happy about Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s disappearance. In the meantime, Ha Dong-geon and his party distanced themselves as much as possible from the Red Tiger. However, that gap quickly narrowed as soon as the Red Tiger moved. Shoosh! At that moment, Moon Byeong-ho appeared beside me, carrying his grandmother on his back. He used Teleport. ¡®It seems like the range is at least several tens of meters. Looks like his proficiency increased considerably during this time.¡¯ It was probably thanks to the Power of Trust skill. Since all attributes increased, it was natural that mental strength also improved. At that moment. [A being satisfying the conditions for eptance as a citizen has been found.] [Do you want to grant citizenship?] ¡®Grant it.¡¯ After carefully cing his unconscious grandmother down, Moon Byeong-ho spoke to me. ¡°Can you please take care of Grandma?¡± It looked like he was ready to rush toward the Red Tiger any moment now. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Yes? But¡­¡± ¡°Can you trust me?¡± Moon Byeong-ho had a doubtful expression, but eventually nodded. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± After receiving a firm answer, I turned my head back to look at the Red Tiger chasing Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®About 10 meters.¡¯ It was the range of the invisible hand. As for its power, I already confirmed it earlier. The power to crush the solid steel front door in a single blow and the strength to dislodge it from its hinges. ¡®This should be worth a try.¡¯ I quietly waited for the right moment. The first one to enter the range of the invisible hand was Kang Deok-su, carrying Oh Eon-ju. Following him, Kim Ga-yeong, Kim Geon, and finally, Ha Dong-geon crossed the line one by one. With the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Area creating a safe zone, Ha Dong-geon turned around and shot an arrow at the Red Tiger. Thud! Before we knew it, the red tiger hade close. ¡°Roar!¡± Ha Dong-geon, who had been watching the movements of the Red Tiger, had intended to take the initiative at the right timing. If Ha Dong-geon¡¯s n had worked, they could have all safely entered the safe zone. However, reality was not so easy. The Red Tiger rushed even more fiercely. In the process, the arrow Ha Dong-geon shot barely grazed the Red Tiger. Truthfully, it was an attack that didn¡¯t even make a dent. ¡°Dong-geon!!¡± Kim Ga-yeong, who realized the situation btedly, shouted. However, the distance between the Red Tiger and Ha Dong-geon was already too close. It was toote. ¡°Run, everyone!¡± Dong-geon shouted to the group and started running in the opposite direction of the apartment entrance. He realized that there was no way to escape in that short moment and made the bold choice to sacrifice his life. ¡®At least they¡¯re safe.¡¯ Responsibility as a leader. Wise judgment in the situation. Bold execution. Courage that does not sumb to fear. It was rare for an individual to possess all of these qualities. ¡®Hold it.¡¯ Just before the Red Tiger¡¯s fangs descended on Ha Dong-geon. ¡°Kehak!¡± An invisible hand grabbed the Red Tiger¡¯s jaw and lifted its heavy body into the air. ¡°Kraaaaah!¡± Despite thrashing in anger, the Red Tiger¡¯s strikes into thin air had no effect on the invisible hand. It didn¡¯t take much time for the furious strikes to turn into a desperate struggle for survival. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone, including Ha Dong-geon, stood frozen, watching the Red Tiger¡¯s struggle. I calmly spoke up. ¡°Ms. Kim Ga-young.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Finish it, please.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The invisible hand alone could have easily killed, but doing so would result in significant losses. Immediate citizen bonuses wouldn¡¯t be obtained, and the special rewards from the hunt would be forfeited. Since Kim Ga-young could increase the loot by four times, there was no reason for me to do it. Following my words, Kim Ga-young aimed her arrow at the struggling head of the Red Tiger in the air. Woong- A faint light surrounded her arrow. Squelch! Whoosh! It pierced through the Red Tiger¡¯s head in an instant. [You have hunted the Red Tiger (Lv. 28).] [You have gained a massive amount of experience points.] [63,211,776 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] The cries of the Red Tiger that had be increasingly louder disappeared, and as a result, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. And then. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-young¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-young¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s loyalty has increased.] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ The messages indicating an increase in trust and loyalty for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party rang loudly. And. [Citizen Ha Dong-geon¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Ha Dong-geon has fulfilled the conditions for bing a vassal.] Finally, Ha Dong-geon has opened his heart to me. ¡®Vaswsal registration, Ha Dong-geon.¡¯ Ding! *** Woong! A green light emanated from Kim Da-jeong¡¯s hand and flowed into Oh Eon-ju¡¯s bloody side. Oh Eon-ju¡¯s wounds, which looked quite serious, quickly stopped bleeding, and new skin was rapidly forming. ¡®Thank goodness I spotted Kim Da-jeong just in time.¡¯ Oh Eon-ju¡¯s injuries were more severe than anticipated. In her transformed state, the regeneration ability of her humanoid form wasn¡¯t applicable, and havingpleted all daily quests meant that recovery through quest rewards was also impossible. It was a potentially critical situation where Oh Eon-ju could¡¯ve been lost. I asked Ha Dong-geon, ¡°What happened? What¡¯s that red tiger?¡± ¡°It seems like the house where Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother lives was within their territory. We encountered one on our way out after rescuing his grandmother and sessfully hunted it. But there was another one that chased us here.¡± His exnation made sense. ¡®No wonder things felt odd.¡¯ That alley was too clean. Even after searching thoroughly, there was no trace of goblins. In fact, if there had been goblins there, Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother wouldn¡¯t have been safe. ¡®I guess it was the territory of the two red tigers.¡¯ Because it was being guarded, goblins and anything else didn¡¯t dare to invade. Thanks to that, Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother was able to survive safely for a long time. [Citizen Kim Da-jeong haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 73,312 won has been consumed.] ¡°Whew, it¡¯s all done!¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Ms. Da-jeong.¡± ¡°Huh, then can I go home now?¡± Currently, this ce wasn¡¯t Kim Da-jeong¡¯s home. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Of course, this was Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house. ¡°Auntie! Peel some tangerines, please!¡± ¡°Ha ha. Seo-yeon unni~ You can do it. Follow me. Ga-yeong unni, peel some tangerines~¡± ¡°Ga-yeong unni~! Peel some tangerines!¡± I asked her to wait for a moment, and the atmosphere suddenly changed. ¡°Ahjumma! Peel the tangerines!¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Seo-yeon, Unni~ You should do it. Follow along. Ga-yeong Unni~ Peel the tangerines~¡± ¡°Ga-yeong Unni~! Peel the tangerines!¡± The Ha Dong-geon party and Kim Da-jeong, who returned after sessfullypleting the operation, and Kim Da-bin and Kim Min-ho, who had showered here, all gathered at Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house. Choi Hyeong-jun, who had been fidgeting by my side, cautiously spoke. ¡°Uh, Mr. Jae-hyun. We won¡¯t be gathering at my house every time, right? Haha.¡± A sense of resignation could be seen in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s eyes. This was the sadness of a family who had lost theirfortable safe space. ¡°No need to worry. Actually, I was nning to discuss that matter right now.¡± It was awkward to continue using Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house as a shared space. Fortunately, there was a suitable solution. ¡°Currently, Room 2901 is vacant. I will supply everything needed for daily life, including electricity. So, Ha Dong-geon and his party can stay there.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± The one most delighted by this news was not Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party but Choi Hyeong-jun. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to lie.¡± Of course, if the owner appearedter, I nned to return the space. However, in this world filled with monsters, not having returned home until now suggested a high likelihood of not returning in the future. ¡°Miss Kim Da-bin.¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Kim Da-bin, who had been sitting in a corner huddled up, showed a slightly anxious expression as everyone¡¯s attention turned to them. I spoke to her. ¡°Apartments 2101 and 2102 on the 21st floor are currently vacant. I will also provide electricity there. Please inform the other survivors that they can use those ces for showering, sanitation, and other misceneous things.¡± I implicitly hinted that they should note to Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house anymore. Whether she understood or not, Kim Da-bin nodded with a crumpled appearance. ¡°Understood.¡± After the stick, it was time to offer the carrot. ¡°If you wish, you can use one ce freely and the other as a shared space.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. However, there are a few things I¡¯d like the two of you to handle.¡± Kim Da-bin, who had bit the carrot, answered enthusiastically. ¡°Anything you say! We will do our best!¡± I addressed her with a smile. ¡°From now on, I¡¯d like you to y the role of a messenger between me and the other survivors.¡± ¡°A messenger¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The hundred citizens were valuable in and of themselves. Even if they didn¡¯t directly earn experience points or money like Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, there were bonuses that steadily increased with the growing poption. However, that didn¡¯t mean I would leave them alone. ¡°Starting now, please tell them that the team that defeats 100 goblins the fastest will be provided an empty house. They will also not only be provided unlimited food, but also electricity, water, and gas.¡± With nearly one billion in spare funds thanks to the two Red Tigers, supplying electricity and water to all units from the 21st to the 30th floor was not a difficult task. However, I nned to provide these resources selectively, treating citizens differently. ¡°Additionally, if each unit epts ten survivors, we will provide the same treatment to that unit. However, please convey that it may take a bit longer depending on the floor.¡± I would only reward those who proved their worth, giving them appropriatepensation for their demonstrated value. After finishing my speech, I assigned the same quest to all citizens, excluding Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family, who were now my closest aides. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Details: Hunt Goblins (0/10) Time Limit: 168 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points Failure Penalty: Restriction from using public facilities [Do you want to assign this quest?] [Yes / No] ¡®Yes.¡¯ Chapter 22: Expansion of Influence (4) Chapter 22: Expansion of Influence (4) [Episode 05] Expansion of Influence (4) ¡°Huk! Huk! Huk!¡± Baek Sung-min was sprinting for his life through the underground parking lot. ¡°Kik!¡± ¡°Kyaah!¡± ¡°Kiki¡ª! Kikiki!¡± Behind him, a swarm of over a dozen goblins was chasing him. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Who knows where they picked it up from, but the sight of goblins wielding kitchen knives and scissors was terrifying in itself. The des, sticky with blood and dirt, looked dangerous enough to be lethal upon contact. ¡®Just a bit more, a little more!¡¯ The entrance was not far away. ¡°Kkigieek!¡± He could feel the goblins closing in right behind him. Instinctively sensing the danger, Baek Sung-min jumped with all his might. Thud¡ª! Entrance to B1 of the apartment. Right after he threw himself through it. ¡°Hey! Stab them!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Wow, you brought quite a few with you.¡± Three men crouching against one side of the wall simultaneously revealed themselves. They all held makeshift spears, connecting kitchen knives to long sticks. But even with those crude weapons, they had no trouble hunting down goblins. Fwoosh! ¡°Kwaaeaek!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The goblins rushed towards the humans in front of them, regardless of their kin dying beside them. That was their strategy. When one died, another one rushed at the enemy, wing and biting. Thus, they overwhelmed their enemies with sheer numbers, even devouring foes much stronger than themselves. However. Dong! Kagak! ¡°Keek?¡± ¡°Keaek?!¡± The goblins¡¯ onught was thwarted by an invisible barrier. The attack, carried out at the cost of their kin¡¯s lives, waspletely blocked by an unknown force. Fwoosh! Puk! Puk! During this time, the three men inside the invisible barrier were vigorously stabbing the goblins. The goblins, who had rushed in all at once, were trapped between the transparent wall and their fellow goblins pushing haphazardly, unable to escape. The men picked off the goblins like they were ying a doll-grabbing game. Puk! Puk! Puk! ¡°Kkueeaek!¡± ¡°Kkieeek!¡± They mechanically cut off the goblins¡¯ breaths, as if ustomed to such situations. By the time about half of the goblins died in vain, the goblins who understood the situation began to retreat. ¡°Hey! Over there! That one¡¯s trying to escape!¡± ¡°These guys are starting to scatter!¡± ¡°Just stab anywhere for now!¡± As the goblins started to flee, the men boldly stepped outside the transparent wall. The goblins, already losing their determination, either fled or were caught without putting up much of a fight, getting stabbed to death by the crude spears. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll show you something fun.¡± One of the men said while clearing out the fleeing goblins. ¡°Heup!¡± He forcefully threw the makeshift spear. The spear flew several meters and hit a goblin squarely in the back. ¡°Kwaaeaek!¡± ¡°Nice! Did you see that? You saw it, right?¡± ¡°Boss, nice shot~.¡± There was no trace of fear towards the goblins from the men. If anything, they seemed overly rxed. It was because they had already repeated this style of hunting several times. Since the appearance of the goblin quest five days ago, the four people here, including Baek Sung-min, had already cleared the quest to hunt 10 goblins using this method. The man who threw the spear and hit a goblin asked the others. ¡°Hey, how many did you guys catch?¡± ¡°Wait. Um, I got twelve.¡± ¡°I won. I got twenty-four.¡± What they were talking about was the number of goblins killed written on the quest window. Once they cleared the initial quest to hunt 10 goblins, a simr quest was immediately assigned. Although it was a quest to hunt 100 goblins, the second quest had no penalties, so it wasn¡¯t burdensome. They simply used it to count the number of goblins hunted. The man who threw the spear muttered to himself and calcted. ¡°So, if webine the three of us, we¡¯ve hunted over a hundred, right?¡± ¡°Really? Already?¡± ¡°Wow. I was wondering when we¡¯d reach a hundred at first.¡± At that moment, Baek Sung-min, who was catching his breath from behind, protested. ¡°Ah, damn it, Sung-yeop! I swear we¡¯ve only killed like twenty at most!¡± As Baek Sung-min retorted, Baek Sung-yeop responded with an irritated tone. ¡°What¡¯s yourint now? Huh?¡± ¡°Damn it, do you really see that as just twenty?¡± ¡°Seems the same.¡± ¡°Hah¡­ damn it.¡± Upon this, Baek Sung-yeop gave a friendlyugh and patted his brother¡¯s back. The intensity of the pat was anything but light. ¡°Well, if it worked out well, that¡¯s all that matters. What¡¯s there toin about? Besides, we¡¯ll have a new house soon.¡± ¡°I almost died because of you!¡± ¡°Ha, little brother.¡± Baek Sung-yeop said with a frown. ¡°Who do you think came up with this hunting strategy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was me.¡± Baek Sung-yeop continued as if he hadn¡¯t expected an answer in the first ce. ¡°I nned the strategy, and the twins made the spears. So, your role is to act as bait. Aren¡¯t you confident at running?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°In the end, no one got hurt, and it ended well. What are you so unhappy about? If you¡¯re dissatisfied, why don¡¯t you leave the team? We¡¯ve already caught over a hundred without you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the atmosphere grew tense, the twins, Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon, stepped forward to calm down Baek Sung-yeop. ¡°Sung-yeop hyung, be patient. Sung-min did well.¡± ¡°Yeah, Sung-min did a great job acting as bait. He was really fast, wasn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Agreed. I thought he was Usain Bolt~.¡± With their yful tone, Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Whew. This kid really knows how to piss people off. Where did you learn to curse at your older brother?¡± As the mood seemed to lighten, Moon Ji-hoon tapped Baek Sung-min on the back. ¡°Sung-min, hey, you crossed the line a bit with cursing at your brother~. Apologize quickly.¡± Baek Sung-min apologized with his head bowed. ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± Baek Sung-yeop picked up his spear without looking at his younger brother. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go to the 21st floor now. We need to receive the new house.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the old one~ Bring on the new house~.¡± Confident that they were the first team to hunt a hundred goblins, they entered the elevator. However, reality was slightly different from their expectations. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but another team has already received the rewards.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s a team that hunted a hundred before us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Baek Sung-yeop let out a bitterugh. ¡°Hey, Ms. Dabin. Are you trying to make fun of us? It¡¯s not funny. Stop joking and bring out the new house quickly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡± Kim Dabin said with a bright smile. ¡°They¡¯reing. The team that hunted a hundred goblins before you.¡± Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s group turned their heads to look at the team Kim Dabin mentioned. There, a muscr man, a middle-aged man emitting a dignified atmosphere, and a woman who seemed to enjoy chatting were approaching. Overwhelmed by the force they exuded, Baek Sung-yeop subconsciously took a step back. Kim Dabin spoke to Kim Minho, the muscr man. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Saw them. Gave up on the new house and instead, they¡¯ll supply food and electricity to Mr. Ji-ho¡¯s house, and Mr. Ji-ho¡¯s daughters are exempt from quests.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t Mr. Ji-ho¡¯s daughters minors? Shouldn¡¯t minors be exempt from quests?¡± The answer came from Nam Ji-ho. ¡°Both of them are adults.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± With a delighted smile, Nam Ji-ho¡¯s wife, Moon Hae-ri, spoke. ¡°Hoho. Our kids look a little young. They take after their mom.¡± ¡°I-Is that so? Haha.¡± ¡°They¡¯re good at archery too like their father, but you can¡¯t help but be worried about your kids.¡± Honestly, he thought they resembled Nam Ji-ho more than Moon Hae-ri, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. At that moment, Kim Minho suddenly remembered and said. ¡°Oh, right. We were also promised bows and arrows for Mr. Ji-ho.¡± Thepound bows and arrows that Nam Ji-ho and Moon Hae-ri had were borrowed items until the goblin hunt was over. Upon hearing that they would receive them outright, Kim Dabin asked. ¡°Why bows and arrows? Are you nning to continue goblin hunting?¡± ¡°Yeah. Mr. Jae-hyun asked me to clear out some goblins nearby. Those pesky goblin babies. No matter how many you catch, there¡¯s no end to them.¡± Up to that point, Baek Sung-yeop, who had been quietly eavesdropping on the siblings¡¯ conversation, intervened. ¡°Wait a minute. Isn¡¯t this favoritism? You guys are insiders and getting separate bows and arrows! Isn¡¯t this unfair?¡± Upon Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s passionate protest, Kim Minho apuded and opened his mouth towards his sister. ¡°Oh, right. Noona, that person said something simr. If it seems unfair, he said he would give simr benefits to the 2nd and 3rd ce teams and asked you to send them to the 30th floor.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Kim Dabin, wearing a business-like smile, spoke to Baek Sung-yeop. ¡°Did you hear that? Good. Go up to the 30th floor with your party members. That person will be waiting for you.¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Baek Sung-yeop was full of dissatisfaction, but he didn¡¯t express it. After all, as long as he got a house with electricity, water, and gas, that was enough for him. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ??¨D [21st floor.] [Door opens.] As soon as they boarded the elevator, Baek Sung-yeopined to his colleagues. ¡°Ha! ording to rumors, he¡¯s younger than us. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous that others refer to him extremely politely?¡± [Footnote: Everyone uses honorifics when referring/talking to Jae-hyun even though he¡¯s younger. Typically, younger people aren¡¯t treated so respectfully.] ¡°I know right. Pfft. Who does he think he is, Jesus?¡± ¡°Maybe not Jesus, more like a cult leader.¡± ¡°Right! That¡¯s it!¡± While the twins enthusiastically agreed with Baek Sung-yeop, Baek Sung-min suddenly spoke. ¡°I wonder if we have the right to say that while enjoying protection under that person¡¯s abilities.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t we on our way to look good in front of that person?¡± In an instant, the atmosphere in the elevator froze. ¡°Hey, you¡­¡± Just as Baek Sung-yeop was about to say something. ??¨D [30th floor.] [Door opens.] They arrived on the 30th floor. ¡°¡­We¡¯ll talkter.¡± When Baek Sung-yeop stepped out of the elevator and was about to press the bell, there was a metallic click. The front door swung open, revealing a man exuding an indescribable atmosphere. An overwhelming presence that was breathtaking. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Gulp. Upon direct confrontation, Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s disrespectful demeanor from the elevator disappearedpletely. Facing the man, he naturally adopted a polite attitude, lowering his posture. ¡°H-Hello, I-I¡¯m Baek Sung-yeop.¡± The man smiled and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the performance of you and your team. The way you used the transparent barriers for stable hunting was quite impressive.¡± Baek Sung-yeop was secretly astonished. ¡®How did he know?¡¯ While the hunting technique he discovered was gradually spreading among the citizens, it was still known only to a few. He never expected this man on the 30th floor to be aware of it. While he was confused, the man continued to speak. ¡°I will provide electricity, water, and gas to units 1301 and 1502.¡± These were the respective homes of the Baek Sung-yeop brothers and the twins. Although they weren¡¯t receiving new homes, it was eptable. Essentially, what they wanted was a house with utilities, not necessarily a new home. In fact, if their original homes received these utilities, it would be an even better oue from their perspective. ¡°I-Is that possible?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°If we need to live with other survivors to make it possible¡­¡± ¡°Your party has hunted over 100 goblins. It¡¯s more than enough.¡± Baek Sung-yeop, who was genuinely pleased, momentarily hardened his expression. Because he noticed something strange. ¡®How does he know the exact details of our homes?¡¯ At that moment, Kim Jae-hyun spoke with a yful smile. ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯m not a cult leader. Certainly not Buddha or Jesus either.¡± ¡°What?¡± Baek Sung-yeop got goosebumps for a moment. The conversation he and the twins had inside the elevator came to mind. ¡®Surely not.¡¯ Facing the now pale-faced Baek Sung-yeop, the man continued. ¡°I have one small request.¡± ¡°O-Of course. Please tell us!¡± Baek Sung-yeop was ready toply with any request. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯d like you to continue hunting goblins as you¡¯ve been doing. It¡¯s a little small, but I want you to think of these offerings as my sincerity.¡± With his words, items began to appear from thin air. Starting with rice, followed by ramen, onions, carrots, eggs, milk, a set of bow and arrows, as well as three well-made spears. Unlike the crude spears with knives attached to sticks that they had made, these were real spears. Baek Sung-yeop, who witnessed this strange power of making items appear in mid-air, bowed down to his waist and shouted loudly. ¡°T-Thank you! We will do our best!¡± His appearance resembled that of a newly assigned private in the army, eager to serve. Chapter 23: Construction (1) Chapter 23: Construction (1) [Episode 06] Construction (1) I nonchntly watched as Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s group moved objects with grunting sounds. Baek Sung-yeop and the twins, as if aware of their wrongdoing, nced at me. After finishing, Baek Sung-yeop once again bent his waist towards me. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll be going!¡± ¡°Yes, have a good day.¡± With a strict demeanor, Baek Sung-yeop cautiously retreated. ¡ºName: Baek Sung-yeop (Lv. 10) Trust: 39 Awakening Ability: None Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» ¡®Trust has skyrocketed.¡¯ Except for Baek Sung-min, Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s party all had trust values in the single digits. The values shot up dramatically since our first meeting. ¡®Still, thank gosh they¡¯re easy to handle.¡¯ Honestly, people like Baek Sung-yeop were not particrly likable. Those who were excessively boastful and only concerned with inting their own importance like a puffer fish. Baek Sung-min had risked his life to lead the goblins over, yet Baek Sung-yeop only felt pressured to assert his authority or pretend to be strong by throwing a spear. Nevertheless, my reason for supporting them was simply due to a shortage of talent. ¡®Only three teams are willing to go out to hunt monsters.¡¯ Over the course of a week, survivors steadily joined, and the citizen poption increased to a total of 197. However, among them, only three teams showed active interest in hunting monsters. Kim Min-ho¡¯s team, Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s team, and Shin Yoo-ra¡¯s team. Other than these few teams, there was absolutely no interest in goblin hunting. They¡¯d rather save 10 people living in other buildings than hunt monsters. There seemed to be many people, like Choi Hyeong-jun, who felt significant aversion to killing living creatures. Even the quest to hunt just 10 goblins was burdensome for the average citizen. However, the number of people clearing quests gradually increased through the methods Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s party was using. ¡®Shin Yoo-ra¡¯s Team is excessively cautious.¡¯ Despite having two more members than Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s team, the number of goblins hunted had just exceeded 80. It was a considerable difference from Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s team, who had defeated 100 goblins with only four members. ¡®In essence, they¡¯re not much different from ordinary citizens.¡¯ The number of goblins hunted by Shin Yoo-ra¡¯s team members was around 12 goblins per person. At this point, there was not much difference from ordinary citizens who had cleared the hunt 10 goblins quest. ¡®If I assign a quest to hunt 10 goblins every week with the penalty being restricted use of public facilities, they will have no choice but to do it.¡¯ I checked the citizen management window. Current Poption (197/900) Additional Experience +100% Additional Settlement Money +100% Unfortunately, the additional bonus did not increase after 100 people, but nheless, hunting 10 goblins would earn around 60,000 won per week. Team Shin Yoo-ra was slightly better than the rest. But in the end, I had no choice but to support Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s party, which brought in somewhat satisfactory results. A person who expects something from others bes a ¡®subject¡¯, and the one giving bes the ¡®master¡¯. I nned to be the master of Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s party and firmly tame them. ¡®Well, if you diligently cultivate even weeds, they might be somewhat eptable.¡¯ In any case, since they were the second ce team after Kim Min-ho¡¯s party, they deserved a reward. ¡®I¡¯ll adjust the experience distribution rate to 50%. That should be sufficient.¡¯ I didn¡¯t think there was a need to invest too much. What I expected from them was just the utility bills citizens cost. After all, the party that earned the most money was Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®If Baek Sung-yeop resembled even 1/10th of Ha Dong-geon, that would be great.¡¯ A man with true leadership based on responsibility and sacrifice, rather than fake leadership built on showmanship and boasting. Thinking of Ha Dong-geon brought a satisfied smile to my face. ¡ºName: Ha Dong-geon (Lv. 33) [+] Titles: [Sixth Vassal] [Knight] [Spearman] Trust: 70 Loyalty: 78 Awakening Abilities: Throwing, Stabbing Experience Distribution Rate: 200% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» When Ha Dong-geon, who possessed abilities before bing a vassal, the results were different from ordinary individuals. First off, in addition to themon title ¡®Sixth Vassal¡¯ all vassals received, two more titles were added. {Knight} ¨C Increases physical abilities by (Loyalty)%. ¨C A vassal with the Knight title will receive three times the experience and settlement money for monsters hunted. ¡ùNote: Knights can grow by distributing experience. They could obtain 1.5 times more rewards than ordinary vassals, and on top of that, they could grow by distributing experience. The third title that Ha Dong-geon opened was: {Spearman} ¨C Current Proficiency: 11% ¨C As proficiency in spearmanship increases, attack power will also increase. The reason for creating the spears that were given to Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s party was precisely because of this. The store that reached level 4 with skill points earned by Moon Byeong-ho not only increased the discount rate to 20%, but also opened one more special function. [Commercialization] Evolves crude items into seble goods. A crude spear made by taping a kitchen knife to a long stick. After registering it in the store and investing 3 million won, it wasmercialized. As a result, the ¡®crude¡¯bel disappeared, and it became a basic spear. Although it had beenbeled ¡®basic¡¯, its performance seemed quite decent when watching Ha Dong-geon use the spear. Considering the total revenue earned by Ha Dong-geon every time he hunted, the investment wasn¡¯t much. Moreover, Ha Dong-geon was the only one among the vassals who possessed two awakening abilities. [Throwing] (Grade B) ¨C Consumes mental power to throw objects, amplifying attack power by 5 times. It was estimated that this skill evolved from the baseball throwing skill he had at the beginning. [Stabbing] (Grade A) ¨C Consumes stamina to generate a de, creating a temporary de edge. It was a Grade A skill. Although the de that was generated onlysted for an instant, it possessed the power to cut through even reinforced concrete in a single strike. Essentially, he was now the strongest among the forces I possessed. It was then. [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 18).] [You have gained experience.] [1,721,892 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®Orc?¡¯ The hefty settlement money for a Level 18 creature was probably because Ha Dong-geon hunted it. I immediately shifted the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to observe the situation over there. ¡®Tsk-!¡¯ Muscr monsters confronted Ha Dong-geon. They had green skin like goblins, muscr body covered in hair, and protruding tusks from their mouths. A typical appearance of an Orc. Ha Dong-geon took a step forward and thrust his spear towards the creature. Woong! At that moment, a blue energy enveloped the spearhead, neatly tearing through the Orc¡¯s heart. ¡°Kkoek!¡± An Orc nearby seized the opportunity, thrusting a ive towards Ha Dong-geon. At that moment. Ssshaa¨D An arrow flew in from behind, piercing through the forehead of the Orc that was about to attack Ha Dong-geon. Ha Dong-geon threw out a basic spear while side-stepping the Orc that was hit by the arrow. Striking the abdomen of an Orc that was emerging from the subway, creating a loud sound. Quake! The upper body of the Orc was smashed with a loud bang. ¡®That¡¯s worth quite a bit.¡¯ Although it hurt to see him casually throw away an item worth 300,000 won, I felt relieved seeing the amount Ha Dong-geon earned. [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 18).] [You have gained experience.] [1,633,003 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®Yeah, it was originally an item meant to be used like this anyways.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon picked up the ive of the Orc that fell beside him, then moved towards the back where hispanions were. They were temporarily relieved after moving away from the subway station where the Orcs came out. ¡®Orcs, huh.¡¯ After the number of goblins near the apartment decreased significantly, I ordered Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to target the subway. Considering that my parents were in Nambumin-dong, attacking the subway seemed faster than dealing with monsters scattered on the surface. I naturally anticipated that monsters would upy the subway. ¡®But I didn¡¯t expect them to be Orcs rather than goblins.¡¯ Orcs were apletely different level from goblins. They had much higher levels, and naturally, the experience and settlement money they provided was much more. ¡®Awesome.¡¯ With this, the short-term goal was set. ¡®Party quest assignment: Hunt 100 Orcs.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon and his party, who received the quest, began moving towards the subway station again. It was time to leisurely observe their performance. [Unauthorized entities are attempting entry.] ¡°Huh?¡± Someone was touching the boundary of the territory, triggering an alert. Usually, this alert urred in two cases. One was when monsters attempted to invade the territory, and the other¡­ [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] When new citizens came. ¡®Three people?¡¯ It turned out to be a family consisting of a high school-aged son and parents. They were being guided by Hong Jung-su, who lives in Room 501. ¡®With these three, there are exactly 200 now. Grant citizenship.¡¯ When the three epted citizenship. [Offering citizenship to Lim Dong-woo, Son Saet-byeol, and Lim Hyun-seung.] [The number of citizens has reached 200.] [As the number of citizens has reached a certain level, the ¡®Tax Collection¡¯ skill has been unlocked.] A new skill had been unlocked. {Tax Collection} Collects 10% of the cash that citizens possess. However, cash held by citizens does not decrease during this process. -Cooldown: 30 days ¡°Hoh?¡± Until now, I had wondered why the system gave an option to distribute settlement money to citizens. It seemed to be for the purpose of utilizing this skill. ¡®It¡¯s cash citizens possess.¡¯ In other words, to use the Tax Collection skill, settlement money had to be distributed to some citizens. ¡®Once a month is too long.¡¯ The fact that the money citizens have does not decrease meant that the money was being duplicated. The next time the skill is used, there¡¯ll still be the original amount, so the money would continue to increase likepound interest. ¡®Sort of like a bond.¡¯ Considering it as an interest payment from settlement money distributed to citizens made it simple. However, this was the kind of bond where you can¡¯t recover your initial investment. Looking at it in the long run, distributing settlement money to citizens was undoubtedly beneficial. However, at the moment, I was in a situation where every penny mattered. ¡®I at least need to raise Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party specs a bit more and send them to Nambumin-dong as soon as possible.¡¯ Time was crucial to save my parents. I needed to send the dispatch as soon as possible. It was a big concern. ¡®Hm, maybe I can start by distributing settlement money to citizens at a level that won¡¯t burden me too much.¡¯ Anyway, this was an investment for the future. And if they could earn money, citizens might be more proactive in hunting. ¡®For now, maybe I can distribute it to 30%?¡¯ Although it was only 30% from 200%, it still felt strangely a waste. ¡®This is an investment. An investment.¡¯ The fortunate aspect was that most of the money was earned by Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Since everyone, except for Kim Geon, was a vassal, the losses wouldn¡¯t be too significant. At that moment. [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 19).] [You have gained experience points.] [3,211,098 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Thanks to the ongoing hunt by Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, I was able to level up. [Your skill level has increased.] [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration has reached level 10.] [You have gained 3 skill points.] Simultaneously, a feeling of pain swept over. ¡°Ugh.¡± The homebound area traveled all the way to the first floor. And then. [Congrattions!] [You have dered sovereignty over the entire apartment building.] [1,000,000,000 won in support funds has been deposited.] [The ¡®Construction¡¯ function is activated.] A bizarre feature was added. Chapter 24: Construction (2) Chapter 24: Construction (2) [Episode 06] Construction (2) ¡°Construction?¡± The moment I uttered that. Zzzing¡ª When the homebound area expanded, the entire apartment building came into view along with a unique sensation. ¡®Huh. Again?¡¯ I instinctively prepared for the impending pain. ¡®¡­?¡¯ Rather than pain, a new system window appeared. [Current Constructable Facilities] ¨C Sr Power Generator (133,000,000 won) ¨C Convenience Store (219,900,000 won) ¨C Gym (300,000,000 won) [Support Funds: 1,000,000,000 won] Each facility¡¯s price echoed with the sound of zeros, leaving me unable to help but gape. The least expensive was the 130 million won sr power generator. ¡®Sr Power Generator.¡¯ Upon choosing it, a translucent sr power facility appeared on the rooftop of the apartment. It looked like the ones installed on roofs of houses. A brief exnation came with it, stating that any surplus electricity generated per day would be converted into money and deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet. Furthermore, it showed the efficiency value converted into money. ¡®Only 30 million won per year?¡¯ Considering the instation price was 130 million, the amount it produced annually was a mere 30 million won. In other words, to break even, it had to be maintained for at least five years. [Are you sure you want to install it?] [Yes / No] ¡®No.¡¯ It felt like a waste of money. ¡®There are so many other ces to spend money right now.¡¯ As the poption of citizens reached hundreds, the electricity consumption had increased, but it wasn¡¯t necessary to use a sr power generator yet. ¡®It¡¯d be better to invest this money in raising Ha Dong-geon¡¯s level.¡¯ Just as my interest in the construction feature was fading, the support funds at the bottom of the construction list caught my attention. One billion. It was the funds earned through conquering an entire apartment building. However, something seemed a bit off. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ ¡ùSupport Funds: A sum of money that can only be used for construction purposes. ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ This changed everything. Although it was a billion won, it waspletely separate from the wallet. It was money exclusively reserved for construction. ¡®Well, in that case, let¡¯s spend it all.¡¯ Spending the 10 billion that seemed like a windfall, and in turn saving my existing cash, required no further deliberation. [Are you sure you want to install it?] [Yes / No] ¡®Yes.¡¯ [Remaining time untilpletion of the Sr Power Generator Facility] -23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds In an instant, the digits of the support funds changed. [Support Funds: 867,000,000 won] ¡®Sigh. Still feels wasteful.¡¯ Although it was practically game points and could only be used for construction, watching a sum of 1 billion vanish was a bit painful. I hadn¡¯t spent such arge amount before. ¡®Can I install one more, by any chance?¡¯ It was mentioned that any surplus electricity generated and not used by the citizens would be converted to money. With increased electricity production, maybe more money would flow into the wallet. However, it wasn¡¯t as straightforward as I hoped. [Sr power generator facilities can be installed up to one per apartment building.] ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Unfortunately, to increase the number of sr power generator facilities, I needed to raise the level of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration, conquering the surrounding apartments. ¡®What about the convenience store?¡¯ It was priced over 200 million won, but that didn¡¯t matter since I nned to spend all the support funds. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The convenience store turned out to be more innovative than expected. It was a facility that worked in conjunction with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop skill, allowing me to sell items I personally registered. However, the unique aspect was that it didn¡¯t require a cashier. It was a system that produced goods in real-time upon paying in front of the translucent items. ¡®Not bad, hm?¡¯ Until now, creating relief supplies and sending them down was also a task. However, installing a store would allow citizens to purchase the necessary items on their own, eliminating the need for me to worry about it. ¡®Prices can also be set by me.¡¯ The current shop items were avable for purchase at a 20% discount, but by disying them in the store at the regr price, a profit of 20% could be made. Moreover, once this was installed, citizens would inevitably need to be distributed settlement funds, and in that case, the tax collection skill could also be conveniently utilized. ¡®With this, I can increase the ratio of settlement funds distributed to citizens.¡¯ Now that there was a way to recover funds, it didn¡¯t feel too regrettable to distribute settlement funds to citizens. If necessary, I could bring in as much as needed. Even though it might be a bit cunning, raising the prices of essential items like water or rice made it easier to recover money. ¡®Of course, there might be no need to go that far.¡¯ The advantages of the store were not limited to this. ¡®Install it right away.¡¯ Ding! [Please choose a location to install the store.] Unlike the sr power generators that could only be installed on the roof, the store involved renovating an entire (apartment) unit1Can be room/unit/household. One rented area within the apartment building.. Fortunately, there was a suitable ce. ¡®Unit 101.¡¯ The units on the first and second floors, which had been devastated by goblins. Installing the store would instantly renovate the area without the need to clean up. Broken ss and goblin excrement would be cleared away in an instant. [Remaining time untilpletion of the Convenience Store Facility] -47 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds ¡®Last one is¡­ a gym?¡¯ At first nce, I wondered why there would be such a useless facility. Although a gym was included among the apartmentmunity facilities, I had never visited it even once because I wasn¡¯t interested in exercise. However, the gym produced by the construction system had a slightly different meaning. ¡¶Gym¡· A basic training ground for citizens. Strength and endurance can be increased, and efficiency will double when training at the gym. Citizens below level 15 will receive an additional buff of 300%. ¡®Wow.¡¯ I already knew that leveling up through exercise was possible, even if it wasn¡¯t a quest reward. On average, citizens who exercised diligently tended to have higher levels. The fact that Kim Min-ho, a former bodybuilder, was at level 15 demonstrated this. ording to the gym¡¯s description, one could grow to Kim Min-ho¡¯s level almost five times faster. With the exercise buff, using it alongside quest rewards would prove to be very effective. Ding! [Please choose a location to install the gym.] Unlike the store, the gym required a more spacious area. Therefore, I converted the entire second floor into a gym. [Remaining Time Until Completion of Gym Facility] -71 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds After installing the gym, the remaining support funds amounted to about 350 million won. ¡®Used quite well.¡¯ Thanks to the support funds, I didn¡¯t have to use any of my own money, which made me feel refreshed. ¡®Well then.¡¯ The suddenly acquired construction feature was nothing more than an appetizer. ¡®Though it was quite a delicious appetizer with 1 billion in support funds.¡¯ Even so, there was a separate main course. Releasing construction mode and returning to my normal senses, I opened the skill window to check. [Remaining Skill Points: 3] Reaching level 10 had given me three skill points. Moreover, other than the Invisible Hand acquired at level 8 and the Commercialization2I¡¯m almost sure the author¡¯s talking about ¡®Commercialization¡¯, but it¡¯s called ¡®Absolute Dweller Repair¡¯ this time for some reason (does not appear in any of the earlier chapters). skill at level 9, all skills had the [+] button activated next to their levels. There was no need to think. I had already decided which skills to level up. ¡®The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ First, I leveled up the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop skill. [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop is now level 5.] [The number of items that can be registered has increased to 500.] [Itemization function has been added.] ¡®What¡­?¡¯ At level 4, I could only register up to 80 items. However, at level 5, this limit suddenly increased to 500. Additionally, a new function had been added. ¡²Itemization¡³ Registered items can be purchased based on capacity, and products with simr concepts will also be avable for purchase. While the shop skill was undoubtedly a great ability, there were some inconveniences. For instance, you could only purchase items with fixed capacities. For water, you had to buy a package of 12, each with a 2L capacity; and for oranges, you had to purchase a 3kg box. Now, it seemed you could buy these items individually as needed. ¡®I understand the exnation, but what does it mean to buy products with simr concepts?¡¯ As a test, I turned on the shop. ¡°Hmm?¡± However, the level 5 shop was slightly different from before. -Water When I selected a slot that simply said ¡°water¡± instead of Jeju Samdasoo, various kinds of items appeared. ¡°Wow.¡± Starting with the original 2L Samdasoo that was already registered, there were also smaller capacities like 500ml, and it even sold other brands such as ???? (Aysis) and Sparkle. ¡®Not everything is here.¡¯ Even so, the range of choices was much broader than before. ¡®How about other items?¡¯ I immediately tried ramen. In the process of survivors joining, I had registered various types of ramen such as Jin Ramen, Chapagetti, and Shin Ramyun. However, now they were all merged into a single slot. -Ramen In that slot, there were various types of ramen, including Buldak Spicy Chicken Ramyun, Neoguri, and more. ¡®A lot more types than water.¡¯ With just the itemization function, the contents of the shop had be incredibly rich. ¡®The timing is perfect.¡¯ The products had diversified as the convenience store was being constructed, making me pleased in many ways. ¡®Now, let¡¯s level up other skills.¡¯ The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance and the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. As I leveled up the skills, I couldn¡¯t help but raise the corners of my mouth at the newly emerged functions. ¡®This is going to be quite useful.¡¯ *** ¡°Haa!¡± Kang Deok-su, d in silver armor, swung his halberd towards the orc. The orc, in turn, thrust its ive towards Kang Deok-su, but its attack couldn¡¯t prate the silver armor and merely bounced off. Clink! On the other hand, Kang Deok-su¡¯s attack was different. Swoosh! ¡°Gwaaah!¡± The orc¡¯s shoulder was severed with a single stroke. Thanks to the increased strength from daily quests, Kang Deok-su¡¯s attacks had be quite powerful. ¡°Whew.¡± At this moment, Ha Dong-geon talked to him. ¡°Deok-su ya.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious, but what happens if you throw that?¡± Kang Deok-su looked at the halberd that Ha Dong-geon pointed at. ¡°This? Why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Lend it to me for a moment. I want to try something.¡± ¡°What? No, wait¡­!¡± No matter how diligently Kang Deok-su had exercised, Ha Dong-geon was level 33. There was quite a significant difference in their physical specs from the beginning. Kang Deok-su watched helplessly as Ha Dong-geon took his weapon and swung the halberd at another orc. Swoosh! Thud! ¡°Gwahhh!¡± ¡°¡­Hah. Crazy guy.¡± He watched in awe as Ha Dong-geon beheaded orcs with ease. Then. Shiiing! He could only watch helplessly as his halberd soared through the air. ¡°Hey! You can¡¯t really throw that!¡± Ha Dong-geon was calm. Immediately after the halberd pierced through an orc¡¯s body, he said to Kang Deok-su. ¡°Now, release the summon and try summoning it again.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Only then did Kang Deok-su catch on to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s intention, nodding and replying. ¡°Hold on!¡± Ziing¨D The halberd, which had flown far away, disappeared and reappeared in Kang Deok-su¡¯s grasp. ¡°It works! Dong-geon, are you a genius?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get carried away.¡± At that moment. ¡°We need to escape! I¡¯m running out of arrows!¡± Kim Ga-yeong, along with Ha Dong-geon, could be considered one of the core yers in the party. If she ran out of arrows, even if there was plenty of time left, she had to return to the apartment. However. Ziing¨D ¡°Huh?¡± Arrows were being generated in real-time in front of Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s eyes. Chapter 25: Construction (3) Chapter 25: Construction (3) [Episode 06] Construction (3) When I started supplying arrows in real-time, Kim Ga-yeong relentlessly shot arrows without a break. Now, she could shoot arrows randomly, even in situations that didn¡¯t necessarily require support. It was all thanks to the new function that emerged when the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye leveled up. ¡²Multitasking¡³ You can use other skills in the area you are observing with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. With the ability to supply arrows in real-time through the shop, Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s influence doubled. [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 19).] [Experience gained.] [2,100,338 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 19).] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Notifications of hunting orcs were pouring out continuously. It was all thanks to Kim Ga-yeong. The number of orcs she hunted easily surpassed the number Ha Dong-geon hunted. ¡®¡­I didn¡¯t expect this much.¡¯ [Citizens Kim Ga-yeong, Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, Moon Byeong-ho, Yoo Hye-rin, and Kim Geon havepleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 2,332,580 won.] The quest for hunting 100 orcs that was just assigned had beenpleted in no time. ¡®I can¡¯t believe Kim Ga-yeong has the most contribution.¡¯ When assigning a party quest, the order of names was based on the order of contribution to the quest. So, Kim Ga-yeong had killed more orcs than Ha Dong-geon. ¡®Just supplying arrows changes the game like this.¡¯ The higher the contribution, the more quest rewards one received. The reward for hunting 100 orcs was ¡®arge amount of experience.¡¯ [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s level has increased.] ¡®Oh, level up.¡¯ For vassals, there were two main ways to level up. One was to simply level up with money. The method was quite simple¡ªjust press the [+] button next to the vassal¡¯s level. Usually, this method wasn¡¯t used, but he had specially invested 5 million won to raise Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s level to 25. This was because her hunting efficiency was exceptionally high even though she only awakened a Grade C ability. Of course, this method wouldn¡¯t be used much in the future. It was because a more efficient method had been found. ¡®Leveling up is also possible by raising stats or giving experience through quest rewards.¡¯ Moreover, the efficiency was much better when leveling up through quest rewards. This was how I found out. A few days ago, after discovering that the additional rewards forpleting daily quests were quite lucrative, I assigned three daily quests to all vassals and had thempleted. However, on the second day, precisely when Choi Hyeong-junpleted his fifth strength quest, an unexpected notification popped up. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s level has increased.] Upon checking, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s level really did go up to 21. ¡®It costs 1 million won to level up with money, but if you use quest assignments, you can level up in just about five attempts.¡¯ When the quest reward was increased stats, the cost was roughly around 100,000 won. Depending on the quest difficulty and content, the cost could decrease. In the end, by assigning quests, Choi Hyeong-jun leveled up for less than 300,000 won. The cost decreased from 1 million won to less than 300,000 won. Of course, it was a bit tougher from level 25. From level 25 to 30, leveling up once costs a whopping 10 million won, so even if you grew through quest rewards, it usually took a long time. To meet the value of 10 million won, you¡¯d need toplete at least 100 quests. However, through various experiments, there was a way to shorten the time. The method was quite simple. ¡®Just give better rewards for the quests.¡¯ You can set a quest reward like ¡®arge amount of¡¯ experience points. Although it would cost more, the effects can quickly be seen. ¡®And it only cost 2 million won.¡¯ This time, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party earned about 250 million won from hunting 100 orcs. Honestly, investing 2 million won was not regrettable at all, considering the efficiency that was several times the amount invested. ¡®Give the party the same quest. Hunt 100 orcs.¡¯ I was willing to invest more, but unfortunately, that was not possible. ¡®This is the best for now.¡¯ I experimented with words like massive, many, tremendous, but all of them turned into ¡®arge amount¡¯ in terms of descriptions. So, for now, ¡®arge amount of experience points¡¯ was the best option. Setting the quest reward as ¡®experience points¡¯ had another advantage¡ªthe stats that increased varied depending on those who gained experience points. Kim Ga-yeong, for example, showed improvement in vision and agility, while Ha Dong-geon experienced rapid growth in strength and stamina. It was more efficient for each individual to gain the most needed stats without specifying them. Therefore, currently, unless there was a specific reason, experience points were adopted as the quest reward. ¡®It¡¯s a bit disappointing that the skills that can be used for multitasking is limited to the shop or warehouse.¡¯ If I could use the invisible hand, I would have immediately sent Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to Nambumin-dong. A Level 28 enemy was easily overpowered by it. Most monsters could be easily subdued with the invisible hand. However, I couldn¡¯t use the invisible hand because it was a skill that extended from my body and couldn¡¯t reach far distances. ¡®Nevertheless, there¡¯s hope.¡¯ From here to my hometown was about 10 km. It would take about 3 hours to walk, but despite this distance, the reason I didn¡¯t assign them a quest to save my parents was simple. Swoosh. After generously providing Kim Ga-yeong with arrows, I shifted the perspective of the Absolute Dwqeller¡¯s Eye to the rooftop. ¡®¡­¡¯ At the top of a high-rise apartment in the middle of a mountain. As long as I looked from a high ce, I could see quite far. Thanks to this, I could see Seomyeon at a nce from here. Seomyeon, one of the bustling districts representing Busan, was a lively ce illuminated by colorful lights at night. Tall buildings clustered together, and it was a ce young people would gather. But now. ¡®It¡¯s a mess.¡¯ It was a ce filled not with vitality but with death. To the extent that the word hell was insufficient. The roads that were usually filled with cars were now upied by unfamiliar creatures instead of cars, and ck smoke rose from various buildings. Shattered ss. Buildings with deep dents. Even a high-rise building was lying sideways, perhaps from an explosion. Even if a war had broken out, it seemed like the situation would be better than this. Pound. I also knew. In this bloody world, the chances of my family surviving was close to zero. ¡®I have to hurry.¡¯ Nevertheless, I can¡¯t just abandon hope and not do anything. If I don¡¯t believe that my parents are alive, then¡­ ¡®Time is running out.¡¯ It feels like everything will copse right now. ¡®Should I send only Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party?¡¯ Three days ago, Kim Geon met the vassal registration requirements and all of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was sessfully made into vassals. ¡ºName: Kim Geon (Lv. 22) [+] Title: [Seventh Vassal] Trust: 59 Loyalty: 33 Awakening Ability: Crow Command ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» The skill Kim Geon obtained was a Grade C skill that couldmand crows for reconnaissance. Kim Geon yed a significant role in scouting for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party outside the apartment. ¡®No, I shouldplete thebination entirely before sending.¡¯ Thebination I desired was to have a powerful bruiser, Oh Eon-ju, and a healer, Kim Da-jeong, join Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. However, unfortunately, I had not yet won Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty. ¡ºName: Oh Eon-ju (Lv. 33) Trust: 51 Loyalty: 12 Awakening Ability: Werebear Experience Distribution Rate: 70% Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 30% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» In Oh Eon-ju¡¯s case, loyalty was slow to rise. ¡®Kim Da-jeong was registered as a vassal early on.¡¯ Kim Da-jeong, who had rapidly gained trust from our first meeting, quickly opened up and surpassed 30 loyalty. Thanks to that, I could immediately register her as a vassal, and the results were excellent. ¡ºName: Kim Da-jeong (Lv. 30) [+] Titles: [Eighth Vassal] [Knight] [Priest] Trust: 70 Loyalty: 63 Awakening Abilities: Heal, Blessing, Magic Armor Experience Distribution Rate: 100% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» Blessing (Grade A) Consumes mental power to temporarily increase the target¡¯s physical abilities by 70%. Magic Armor (Grade B) Consumes mental power to create a magical armor that protects the target. She even awakened two additional skills. That was the reason I wanted Kim Da-jeong to join. If Ha Dong-geon had a Blessing and Magic Armor, he would be able to overwhelm most monsters. ¡®Certainly, those with awakened abilities from the beginning are overwhelmingly good.¡¯ That was why I was determined to make Oh Eon-ju a vassal. Oh Eon-ju was someone with a Grade A awakened ability. If she became a vaswsal, it would undoubtedly yield good results. If Vassal Oh Eon-ju joined Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, it would be a piece of cake to travel the remaining 10 km to my family¡¯s home. ¡®Is there any way to increase Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty?¡¯ The reason I was so fixated on making vassal registrations was to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances. If all party members sent on the mission were vassals, summoning them in case of an emergency would solve everything. I didn¡¯t want anyone to die. ¡®Is there no way to increase Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty?¡¯ Then, it happened. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju haspleted a quest.] It was a notification that I had been waiting for. She hadpleted the quest to hunt 100 goblins. This was already her second quest today, which meant she had hunted 200 goblins in a single day. Her obsession with goblins persisted. ¡®What should be thest quest of the day?¡¯ Even without thest quest, my wallet was already quite hefty, thanks to the remarkable performance of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. There was a whopping 370 million won in my wallet. The amount was still increasing in real-time. Maybe it could be possible. ¡®Quest reward: resurrection of her son.¡¯ The content was set to rescue my parents in Nambumin-dong. However. [(Quest Reward: Resurrection) cannot be granted due to insufficient funds.] [Please try again after increasing the avable cash.] An alert appeared as if to say it was impossible. ¡®¡­Hmm.¡¯ This much was already expected. ¡®Let¡¯s maximize the quest difficulty.¡¯ The crucial point was to show Oh Eon-ju the possibility of resurrection. ¡®Quest content: Hunt monsters level 40 and above.¡¯ She hadn¡¯t even hunted monsters in the 30s yet. If it was level 40, it would undoubtedly be incredibly powerful, and the reward would be substantial. The difficulty of the quest was also great because of the quest conditions. Moreover. ¡®Time limit is 24 hours.¡¯ Spotting a level 40 monster immediately was already a difficult task. But finding such a monster in just one day would be even more challenging. ¡®The penalty¡­¡¯ I was a bit hesitant to set this. Even though I could cancel the quest at my discretion, just the content was daunting enough. If I mishandled it, the trust I had painstakingly built could crumble. Still. ¡®First, show her the possibility.¡¯ That way, I could raise Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty. ¡®The penalty is¡­ death.¡¯ In the current situation, this was the most extreme quest content I could think of. Ding! [(Quest Reward: Resurrection) cannot be granted due to insufficient funds.] [Please try again after increasing the avable cash.] However, there was no change. ¡®So 400 million won is just not enough.¡¯ It was something I had somewhat expected. Reviving a person¡¯s life was not something that could be achieved with just a few hundred million. This was quite an important issue for me as well. From the moment I saw the resurrection function, I had already prepared to save my family¡¯s lives in the worst-case scenario. ¡± ¡­Phew.¡± At that moment. [Hunted an Orc (Lv. 18).] [Gained experience.] [2,788,221 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Even now, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party continued hunting orcs. Suddenly, I recalled the party quest I had given them. And. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± I realized an important fact. ¡®If it¡¯s this¡­!¡¯ I immediately applied it. ¡®Quest Reward: Son¡¯s Resurrection for a Day!¡¯ And then. Ding! ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Hunt monsters level 40 and above (0/1) Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Son¡¯s Resurrection for a Day Failure Penalty: Death [Would you like to grant the quest?] [Yes / No] It worked. In other words, if the resurrection time was limited to one day, it could be within the range of 400 million won. ¡®Is it worth investing 400 million in Oh Eon-ju?¡¯ There was no need for lengthy consideration. The value of a Grade A skill was clear. Moreover, registering as a vassal would bring three times the efficiency. ¡®Moreover, suppose you hunt monsters level 40 and above¡­¡¯ Monsters under level 30 immediately spat out nearly 100 million won. If the level of monsters was higher, it would undoubtedly generate even more money. ¡®First, I¡¯ll bring Oh Eon-ju to my side.¡¯ Just showing her hope. Call it selfish if you want. Call it devilish if you want. To me, rescuing my family was more important than those things. ¡°Assign the quest.¡± And a few minutester. Tap tap tap tap¡ª I heard someone scrambling up the stairs. They dashed to my front door and knocked on it. Bang¡ª Rather than knocking, it was more like a body m. Behind the front door, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s urgent cries could be heard. ¡°Excuse me! The door! Open the door, please! Mr. Jaehyun!¡± nk. As soon as the door opened, she rushed inside. ¡°Whew, whew.¡± She was panting heavily. Looking straight at me, Oh Eon-ju asked. ¡°T-This, this is¡­!¡± ¡°Yes. There¡¯s a time limit, but it seems possible.¡± ¡°Ohh¨C! Thank you. O-One day is fine. If I can see my son¡­¡± Oh Eon-ju copsed onto the floor. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty has exceeded 30.] [Citizen Oh Eon-ju has met the conditions for vassal registration.] Chapter 26: Construction (4) Chapter 26: Construction (4) [Episode 06] Construction (4) A strange rumor was spreading among the survivors. One that imed killing goblins yielded ¡®money.¡¯ [Goblin (Lv. 7) hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [1,024 won deposited into Citizen Kim Min-ho¡¯s wallet.] ¡®¡­It¡¯s true?¡¯ Kim Min-ho hadn¡¯t expected such a change during the few days he took a break from hunting and cleaned up his house. As Kim Min-ho was momentarily lost in thought, a goblin approached from behind. aash¡ªPhwoosh! Its ambush was thwarted as an arrow pierced through its throat. The one who shot the arrow, Moon Hae-ri, shouted at Kim Min-ho. ¡°Mr. Kim! Stay focused!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± Reacting to the sound, Kim Min-ho tightened his grip on the spear. ¡®Let¡¯s focus on the battle for now.¡¯ This was a ce where tricks like hunting in safe zones from the apartment couldn¡¯t be used. Taking your eyes off for even a moment was almost asking to be attacked by goblins. Some of them also carried dangerous weapons like knives or awls. In fact, Kim Min-ho had already fallen victim a few times and was saved by Kim Da-jeong. ¡°Hup!¡± [Goblin (Lv. 7) hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [1,033 won deposited into Citizen Kim Min-ho¡¯s wallet.] Although Kim Min-ho¡¯s party consisted of only three members, they were quite formidable. Especially Moon Hae-ri, who was a former national team member, and Nam Ji-ho, a former special forces officer, their skill levels were exceptional. During their first hunt, they had made short work of several goblins. While Mr. Kim Jae-hyun initially supplied them with bows and spears, the exceptional skill of Moon Hae-ri and Nam Ji-ho made everything possible. They shot to death at least six goblins from a distance before entering close distance, making the hunt seem easy. In addition, Nam Ji-ho¡¯s skill with the spear was so good that he had no trouble dealing with the goblins that approached. In the beginning, he could almost single-handedly sweep away most of the goblins. ¡®These people are on a different level than someone like me, who just has a muscle for show.¡¯ Of course, Kim Min-ho wasn¡¯t just exercising casually, so he quickly became ustomed tobat. [Footnote: He¡¯s a bodybuilder iirc.] As he became more familiar with using the spear, now the three of them could handle even twenty goblins without any issues. ¡°Whew. Good job, everyone.¡± ¡°You too, Mr. Min-ho~. Hehe.¡± Kim Min-ho asked his party members. ¡°By the way, did you see that? When you kill goblins, it really gives you money.¡± ¡°Yeah. While we did get notifications about goblins and experience points before, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen money. I earned about 5,000 won¡­ Honey, how much did you earn?¡± ¡°6,000 won.¡± ¡°Then if webine ours together, it¡¯s over 10,000 won!¡± Moon Hae-ri seemed to find joy in the money that came every time she killed a goblin. Kim Min-ho remarked, ¡°But where do we use this money?¡± ¡°Well, who knows.¡± Nam Ji-ho casually replied, ¡°Something seems to be happening on the first floor.¡± ¡°Oh my! I saw that too. Maybe we can buy something now?¡± Moon Hae-ri was excited, but Kim Min-ho didn¡¯t have such high hopes. Because they were already living well without any shortages. Kim Min-ho¡¯s family and Nam Ji-ho¡¯s family had been promised full support from Mr. Kim Jae-hyun in recognition of their achievement of being the first party to hunt 100 goblins. With the supply of electricity, water, and gas, they were living a normal life at home. They even received support like eggs and milk, making their lives quitefortable. In fact, they hardly felt the need for money. Nevertheless. ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s make a fortune today.¡± ¡°Shall we?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing bad about having more money.¡± Moneying from goblins stimted their desire to hunt. This wasn¡¯t unique to Kim Min-ho¡¯s party. Even those who had onlypleted the most basic hunt 10 goblins quest and ignored everything else began to take an interest. Things truly ignited after a mysterious space called a convenience store was created on the first floor of the apartment. *** I stared at the air with all my might. At that moment. Crackle¡ªcrackle! Sparks flew from the air. ¡®Sess. Next is¡­¡¯ This time, I shifted my focus to the bathroom bathtub and concentrated on the sensation. Then. Drip¡ª A water droplet formed in the air, coalesced into arger mass, and fell into the bathtub. Splish! Ssh! This time, too, it was a sess. ¡®I¡¯m getting used to it now.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a newly awakened skill. This was purely Dignity Maintenance. ¡®Feels like I¡¯ve be a wizard.¡¯ A wizard using money instead of mana. ¡®At least now I can handle electricity, water, and gas for sure.¡¯ Originally, the supply of electricity, water, and gas was a massive system on the national scale. However, with the appearance of monsters and the copse of the system, the means to supply them disappeared. But by using the Dignity Maintenance skill, I could supply electricity and water anywhere within the homebound area, extending from my house to the entire territory. I could create them. Naturally, I concluded that within the homebound area, I could generate electricity, gas, and water. After a few practices, I could consciously produce them. ¡®Whew.¡¯ At that moment. [The daily sales of the convenience store have been settled.] [320,981 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] A profit of 20% meant 320,981 won. In other words, the daily sales of the convenience store had exceeded 1.5 million won. It was an obvious statement, but it meant that many citizens were hunting monsters, collecting money, and purchasing goods at the convenience store. I immediately used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to look at the convenience store. I could see citizens shopping there. ¡°Hey, how much more do we need to gather?¡± ¡°The price of this bow is 150,000 won, and we¡¯ve collected about 10,000 won today, so it¡¯ll take about 15 days.¡± ¡°Hey, you fool. Haven¡¯t you thought about buying water and noodles for the next two weeks?¡± ¡°Oh, right. If you¡¯re so smart, calcte it yourself, hyung~.¡± Most citizens actually purchased groceries such as water, instant noodles, and c. However, some were ignited with the will to hunt when they saw bows and spears. ¡®Just distributing settlement funds has changed the atmosphere to this extent.¡¯ Perhaps it was because they were ustomed to capitalism. Once private property emerged, citizens began to voluntarily hunt goblins. Now, a weekter, it had be difficult to find goblins near the apartment. Now, citizens had to go outside the apartmentplex to hunt goblins. ¡®Leveling up is going smoothly.¡¯ As the level of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration reached 11, every part of the underground parking lot becamepletely zoned. However, in the process, the number of goblins in the vicinity had dried up to the point where only 10 goblins were killed during the expansion. Now, it was safe to say that there were no goblins inside Apartment Complex 1. ¡®The number of citizens has increased significantly.¡¯ Current poption: (789/11,000 people) Additional experience points +100% Additional settlement funds +100% Due to the citizens¡¯ activities, goblins disappeared, and citizens who had been hiding inside joined inrge numbers. The promise to supply electricity, water, and gas to the house to those who rescued 10 survivors resonated well, and the number of citizens was rapidly increasing. ¡®Poption growth will probably continue exponentially.¡¯ The fortunate thing was that the poption limit increased to 10,000 when I reached level 10. Thanks to that, we could amodate as many as we wanted for a while. ¡®At least I can ept all the survivors inside this apartmentplex.¡¯ Unfortunately, not a single neer had an awakened ability. It was surprising that there wasn¡¯t a single survivor that had an awakened ability. That was how rare awakened ability users were. ¡®In the future, it¡¯s better to focus on registering awakened users as vassals.¡¯ The case of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was unique. Among the numerous survivors within the apartmentplex, he was the only one who came out to hunt goblins. He was part of the initial members who joined at a point when there was no data avable. At first, it was advantageous to increase the number of vassals quickly. The situation led to the case where all party members were epted as vassals. ¡®Now there¡¯s no rush.¡¯ There were only a few slots left for vassal registrations. I didn¡¯t even have the intention of selecting teams like Kim Min-ho¡¯s and Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s, who actively engaged in hunting. The difference between having an awakening ability and not having one was clear and had been keenly felt during this opportunity. [Orc (Lv. 18) hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [1,243,817 won deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®It¡¯s starting again.¡¯ I stopped observing the dynamics of the citizens and shifted my gaze to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. The first thing that caught my eye was a bear running inside the subway station. Even though it was a dark subway station, the bright light emanating from the bear made everything visible. The bear rushed into a group of orcs and directly tore apart one of them. ¡°Roar!¡± With the sound of its neck cracking, one orc copsed. The fate of the other orcs was simr They had to sacrifice their lives without even properly swinging their ives. Kachak! The eyes of the bear, who instantly cut off the lives of seven orcs, emitted an intense red light. Crack! The excited bear gradually reduced its size with a deep breath and turned into a human. ¡°Eon-ju unni!¡± Kim Da-jeong, who ran up from behind, spoke in a friendly manner to Oh Eon-ju. ¡°Are you okay? Are there any injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Even if I¡¯m a bit injured, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Following her, Kim Ga-yeong came forward, sticking out her tongue. ¡°Unni, you¡¯re amazing. We never get a chance to take action because of you.¡± ¡°Sorry for monopolizing everything. I have my reasons.¡± ¡°Why are you sorry, unni? Thanks to you, we¡¯refortable, safe, and it¡¯s totally great.¡± Upon hearing this, Oh Eon-ju responded with a meaningful smile. Oh Eon-ju¡¯s insistence on hunting was because of me. I told her that a certain amount of energy was needed for resurrection, and that was why she aggressively hunted in order to gather it. Thanks to Oh Eon-ju, the orcs that used to swarm around Jeonpo Station had significantly decreased. Currently, I had a whopping 3.1 billion won in my possession. In fact, if the situation was right, I could reward Oh Eon-ju right away. ¡®Bringing in Oh Eon-ju and Kim Da-jeong was the right decision.¡¯ Oh Eon-ju and Kim Da-jeong had an astonishing chemistry. They had be very close while living together, and maybe as a result of that, they got along very well. Oh Eon-ju¡¯s presence, fueled by Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessings, was truly intense. ¡®It¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Even the muscr orcs became powerlessmbs in front of Oh Eon-ju. ¡®Well, it¡¯s only natural looking at her stats.¡¯ ¡ºName: Oh Eon-ju (Lv. 40) [+] Titles: [Ninth Vassal] [Knight] [Warrior] Trust: 66 Loyalty: 66 Awakening Abilities: Werebear, Primordial Vitality, Berserk Experience Distribution Rate: 200% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» {Warrior} Melee attacks be 50% more powerful. Primordial Vitality (Grade A) Regeneration increases dramatically with each additional wound. Berserk (Grade S) Eyes turn red and physical abilities increase by 300% when exposed to blood. Starting at Level 40. Additionally, all the newly-acquired titles and awakening abilities from bing a vassal were creating an almost fraudulent synergy. In her humanoid form, Oh Eon-ju possessed abilities several times more powerful thanks to the Berserk ability. Whenbined with Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing, a monster was born. A horde of orcs at a mere level 18 could be ughtered effortlessly, like trampling worms. At that moment. ¡°ROARRRRR¨C!¡± There was an enormous roar echoing from the subway entrance. ¡®What¡¯s that¡­?¡¯ It was a monster with a body that was one level better than ordinary orcs, wielding a spear that had a wider de than amon ive. At a nce, it was clear that this was the leader of the orcs. The momentum the orcs disyed with its arrival was also formidable. Their eyes were filled with rage and malice. ¡°Graaaaaah!¡± Then, a brilliant radiance emanated from Oh Eon-ju as she charged toward the orcs. However. Bang! ¡°!!¡± Surprised by the sudden increase in size and ferocity, the orc leader stepped back. The next moment. Riipp! Oh Eon-ju¡¯s arm, in an instant, prated deep into the orc¡¯s chest. [Orc Chief (Lv. 28) has been hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [73,263,099 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Immediately after. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju has defeated the leader of ¡®Jeonpo Station.¡¯] [Conditions have been met.] [The construction item ¡®Outpost¡¯ has been added to avable items.] Chapter 27: Seomyeon Station (1) Chapter 27: Seomyeon Station (1) [Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (1) ¡¶Outpost¡· A safety zone installed outside the homebound area. When {activated}, it temporarily exerts the same influence as the homebound area. However, it can only be activated when a citizen with a title of [Knight] or higher is present, and if an unauthorized entity invades and upies the outpost for more than a day, it will be destroyed. The performance was tremendous. However, the price was as immense as its performance. -Outpost (1,300,000,000 won) 1.3 billion won. ¡®Worth the investment.¡¯ With my bncefortably padded by the orc horde at Jeonpo Station, 1.3 billion wasn¡¯t a burdensome amount. ¡®I still have 350 million left in support funds.¡¯ I immediately attempted construction. But when trying to build the Outpost, a phenomenon different from the usual construction mode urred. Unlike the sensation of overlooking the entire apartment area, the sight was focused on the members of the Ha Dong-geon party gathered at Jeonpo Station. However, the system notification that popped up soon after turned anticipation into disappointment. [This facility requires three citizens with the title of ¡®Knight¡¯ or higher to reside during the construction period (7 days).] [Do you want to proceed with the instation?] [Yes / No] ¡®¡­¡¯ So, to build the Outpost, it meant I needed all three¨COh Eon-ju, Kim Da-jeong, and Ha Dong-geon¨Cto stay for a week. ¡®The loss is too great.¡¯ The cost of 1.3 billion for construction wasn¡¯t the issue here. It could generate expected profits in the billions within a week. ¡®The biggest loss is time.¡¯ A week. I had justpleted the party formation and was nning to dispatch Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to my parents¡¯ home. I couldn¡¯t afford to waste a week at this point. ¡®Besides, if it¡¯s Jeonpo Station, there¡¯s no real need for an Outpost.¡¯ Most of the monsters in this area had already been cleared by the Ha Dong-geon party and the citizens. Building an outpost wasn¡¯t really necessary. ¡®I won¡¯t install it.¡¯ As construction mode ended, my senses returned to normal. ¡®Nevertheless, it¡¯s not a bad harvest.¡¯ I really liked the performance of the newly added Outpost. ¡®If only I could build this at my parent¡¯s ce¡­¡¯ If that were the case, I could feel relieved. It would protect my family safely within my territory. ¡®In reality, bringing my family here won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ It was already a challenge for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to break through the field of monsters and reach my parent¡¯s house. However, returning with my family posed an even bigger problem. However, building an Outpost at my parent¡¯s ce seemed like something worth trying. ¡®¡­Please, just stay alive.¡¯ At this point, everything was in ce. ¡®Tomorrow, I¡¯ll send Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to my parent¡¯s house.¡¯ *** ¡°Wow.¡± Kim Geon just stared nkly, watching Oh Eon-ju¡¯s hunting. ¡®Crazy, crazy.¡¯ He had felt it when they went to rescue Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother, but Oh Eon-ju¡¯s fighting style was truly beastly. ¡®How can a person tear an orc apart with bare hands? No, is she even human?¡¯ Although the target changed from goblins to orcs, the scene unfolding before him was the same. No, it was much more overwhelming than before. ¡®¡­Well, that¡¯s obvious. She was strong even before receiving Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s blessing.¡¯ Moreover, like Ha Dong-geon, she was a person who awakened superhuman abilities. After Ha Dong-geon was chosen, he showed a rapid increase inbat power. It could be inferred that she also went through a simr process. ¡®But how did Lord Jae-hyun convince her?¡¯ Oh Eon-ju¡¯s obsession with goblins was obvious to anyone who saw it. Although they didn¡¯t know why exactly, her resentment towards goblins was unmistakably palpable. ¡®She was definitely obsessed with goblins.¡¯ Even when they traveled together, she often acted alone, blinded by the desire to kill goblins. Due to such incidents, after a few days, they ended up moving separately. However, even when encountering goblin groups now, there was no sudden surge in her actions. While she still had a tendency to act independently, she clearly followed instructions. ¡®Could it be¡­¡¯ Rationally thinking, there was only one usible assumption. ¡®¡­Maybe she gained some new ability too?¡¯ Seeing each member of his party, starting from Moon Byeong-ho and Kang Deok-su, awakening special abilities one by one, Kim Geon developed a desire. A desire to awaken superpowers himself. And to achieve that, he consciously tried to idolize Kim Jae-hyun even more. Because he believed that was the key to awakening. ¡®And it worked.¡¯ Although he was thest one in the party to awaken, he awakened a special ability anyways. ¡®If someone receives such abilities, they can¡¯t help but be submissive.¡¯ Now, he was eagerly dedicating himself, wondering if Kim Jae-hyun would notice his talents. It seemed like Oh Eon-ju was in a simr situation. Then it happened. Ding! ¡¶Party Quest¡· Quest Content: Return. Time Limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: None. The order to return has been given. ¡°Time to go back.¡± As Ha Dong-geon¡¯smand was issued, Kim Geon blew a whistle. Shiiing¨D? Upon his whistle, a crow in the corner of the subway station flew over and perched on his arm. Kah¨D Kim Geon smiled as he petted the crow named Kaman. ¡°¡­Good boy, Kaman.¡± Communicating with Kaman turned out to be more enjoyable than expected. Above all, having a presence that could be trusted 100% provided an indescribable sense of stability. ¡®¡­It¡¯s difficult to resist gaining such power.¡¯ At first, he had suspicions about brainwashing, but it wasn¡¯t. After awakening his abilities through Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s blessing, he could still question him if necessary. If it were brainwashing, his mental state wouldn¡¯t be as stable as it was now. Furthermore, Kim Jae-hyun was a person who would provide corresponding rewards for achievements. ¡®¡­So, I could trust him even more.¡¯ Perhaps it was due to his mood, but every time his trust in Kim Jae-hyun strengthened, he felt his body bing lighter and his mind clearer. In the midst of his wandering thoughts, Ha Dong-geon ced his hand on Kim Geon¡¯s shoulder and spoke. ¡°Geon-ah, I¡¯ll need you to do some reconnaissance.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, sir.¡± [Footnote: Kim Geon calls Ha Dong-geon ¡®sunbae-nim¡¯ here. -nim is a respectful suffix like -san in Japanese, and sunbae is how you call someone older/more senior than you.] While petting Kaman, Kim Geon conveyed his thoughts. ¡®Please take care of the reconnaissance.¡¯ Even without speaking, Kim Geon could convey his will to Kaman. At the same time, Kaman¡¯s will was also transmitted to him. Although they couldn¡¯t share senses, they could roughly grasp whether the outside was dangerous or not. After Kaman flew out of the subway station first, he ryed the situation. ¡°¡­No problem. We can go out right away.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± As they were about to exit the subway station, he noticed something. ¡®Huh?¡¯ In a corner of the subway station, where the darkness was thick. He felt an unknown gaze from that ce. ¡®¡­What is it?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t some kind of illusion. Thanks to the heightened senses frommunicating with Kaman, he noticed it. In that corner, an unknown gaze was felt. At that moment. Squeak- A mouse suddenly popped out of the darkness and disappeared. ¡®¡­What? A mouse?¡¯ Confirming that it was nothing important, Kim Geon followed the group and exited the subway station. Squeak- The mouse that had seemingly disappeared was carefully watching their backs. *** ¡°I hope you can help me.¡± When I mentioned I wanted them to go to Nambumin-dong to rescue my family. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-young¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ For some reason, their trust and loyalty were starting to rise one after another. When I looked up, there were eyes looking at me sympathetically. Among them, Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s eyes were opened particrly wide. ¡°We will help! No, please let us help!¡± Seeing theirpassionate expressions, I could understand what they were thinking. ¡°I understand too. That the chances are low.¡± It was not hard to guess. The things that the Ha Dong-geon party showed while scouting around the apartmentplex had left an impression. Shockingly, we were really lucky. The mostmon monster we encountered was the goblin. No matter how many we killed, they kept appearing endlessly, like cockroaches. That¡¯s why we were lucky. People hiding in the apartmentplex had an advantage for survival. Because it was an apartment, the higher you went, the less influence goblins had, so people could survive. Conversely, the situation in residential areas was dire. The residential areas swept by goblin hordes was such a gruesome sight, and practically every first and second floor of houses were the same way. Corpses, corpses, and more corpses. Every abandoned house had a hellish scene painted by the goblins. Yoo Hye-rin said, ¡°If your family is in an apartmentplex, they should be okay! We also¡­¡± ¡°But my family lives in a residential area.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still, the fence is quite high, and the structure is difficult to invade from the outside, so there is hope.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Haha!¡± Despite her efforts to respond brightly, Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s face was quite dark. I turned a blind eye and continued. ¡°We also took care of the orcs that were upying Jeonpo Station, so please follow the subway tracks to Seomyeon Station.¡± Ha Dong-geon nodded in agreement with my words. ¡°We can transfer to Line 1 at Seomyeon Station and go to Jagalchi Station.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jagalchi Station was the closest subway station to my family¡¯s home. ¡°You can go out from Exit 2. I will provide you with specific directions after you leave the station.¡± At that moment, Kang Deok-su raised his hand and asked. ¡°Why the subway station? Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to go above ground?¡± Instead of answering, I got up and headed for the living room window. Unit 2901, here, it was structured so that you could clearly see the situation in Seomyeon from the rooftop. ck. I pulled aside the ckout curtains and said. ¡°Look over there.¡± The city, which had turned into a mess, came into view at a nce. Copsed buildings, shattered ss windows, and monsters wandering around as if they were the original owners of the ce. ¡°If you go above ground, you will face an endless horde of monsters and likely die while dealing with them. On the other hand, even if there are monsters along the subway tracks, their numbers would be limited. You can also escape in the middle.¡± Kang Deok-su, who saw the disastrous cityscape, nodded in agreement. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to go straight to Jagalchi Station. It¡¯s just a suggestion.¡± I turned around, making eye contact with everyone slowly. ¡°Right now, please aim to upy Seomyeon Station as your goal.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Fortunately, everyone epted my request. There seemed to be a mixture of pity and sympathy, but that didn¡¯t matter. If I could save my family, I could do anything. ¡°Thank you. Get a good rest today, and the mission starts tomorrow morning.¡± With that, I concluded the strategy meeting and went back to my home. That¡¯s when it happened. ????~ The doorbell rang, and when I checked, Oh Eon-ju was waiting in front of the door. Click. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Oh Eon-ju cautiously spoke. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to bring your family using Mr. Jaehyun¡¯s abilities?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t try. Using the quest reward to teleport the target. In fact, it was because of this I was so excited to see Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s awakening ability. I thought, if done well, we could maximize that ability and instantly bring over our families. [Quest reward is impossible.] The result was aplete failure. It was just a guess, but maybe Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother was in a ce beyond my influence. ¡®Just like a goblin that clearly should have died wasn¡¯t settled.¡¯ Moreover, this hypothesis could exin why Oh Eon-ju¡¯s son was able to resurrect. ¡®Because the ce where her child died was within my homebound area?¡¯ If that was really the reason, then even if my parents had died, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. ¡®Because they would be considered dead outside my sphere of influence. Damn it.¡¯ Anyway, for this reason, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had to go rescue Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother directly. ¡°I¡¯m not all-powerful either, unfortunately.¡± If I were omnipotent, I would have been able to leave this damn homebound area. I would have given myself the ability to teleport and immediately gone to meet my family. My abilities had various limitations, and I was not free from them. However, I will struggle as much as possible. By any means I had. ¡°There are things I can do with my abilities and things I can¡¯t.¡± I spoke towards the uneasy Oh Eon-ju. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry too much. The promise with Ms. Oh Eon-ju is a promise I can keep, as I demonstrated before.¡± Oh Eon-ju was someone trustworthy. Just by the fact she came to ask separately in case the others in the group grew doubts about my abilities. She was considerate. Moreover, she was a person with deep thoughts and a tight-lipped mouth, as she never mentioned the story of her deceased son or the promised resurrection in front of others. That was why. What I honestly told Oh Eon-ju was rewarded. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡°Thank you for being honest. Have a good night.¡± ¡°You too, Ms. Oh Eon-ju.¡± Right after I saw her off. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] A familiar notification appeared. Since citizens were constantly joining, it was not unusual. [An entity that satisfies the conditions to be considered a citizen has approached the area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] She was a woman that gave a sharp impression with long hair and a beanie. ¡®Offer it.¡¯ [Offering citizenship to Seo Ye-jin.] [Seo Ye-jin epts the offer.] The process of offering citizenship and the recipient epting it was smooth. However. ¡ºName: Seo Ye-jin (Lv. 31) Trust: 7 Awakening Ability: Queen of Mice Experience Distribution Rate: 0% Settlement Fund Distribution Rate: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» ¡®Ability user?¡¯ I immediately directed the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to the ce the notification hade from. However. Squeak¨D? What was there was not Seo Ye-jin but an ordinary mouse. Chapter 28: Seomyeon Station (2) Chapter 28: Seomyeon Station (2) [Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (2) For Seo Ye-jin, today was a series of surprises. ¡®What on earth is going on?¡¯ As usual, she had released mice in all directions to find food. However, she felt fear from a mouse that had been wandering around Jeonpo Station and immediately shared its senses. A shocking scene unfolded before her eyes. ¡®Those are people ughtering orcs.¡¯ She had seen orcs ughtering people, but today was the first time she witnessed the opposite. A woman transforming into a bear. A woman whose body could shine. A man summoning armor. A woman imbuing arrows with a faint light. A man teleporting. A man controlling crows. In particr, the presence of the woman transforming into a bear was overwhelming. The man fighting with just a spear also seemed extraordinary. Although he didn¡¯t use any special abilities, she could sense that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person at a nce. ¡®Maybe they are all Awakeners¡­¡¯ Until now, she had discovered countless survivor groups. Most of them were ordinary people, and even if Awakeners were included, there was only one per group. The probability that the whole party wasposed of Awakeners was impossible. ¡®Is that even possible?¡¯ However, the true shock began from now on. It happened when she followed them out of Jeonpo Station. ¡°There! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Push them!¡± ¡°Squeeze them tight¨D!¡± Seo Ye-jin was momentarily stunned by the scene. ¡®What in the world is happening?¡¯ Humans were hunting goblins. ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Over the past month, she had witnessed countless scenes of people fighting goblins. However, most of those were struggles for survival. The hunters were the goblins, and humans fought back to resist them. But the scene unfolding before her eyes was theplete opposite. ¡°Kill them!¡± ¡°Kieeak¨D!¡± A group of humans was systematically hunting goblins. They efficiently drove the goblins into a dead-end and mercilessly attacked them. The motions seemed so familiar. As if they had done it several times already. The weapons carried by the people were diverse. Hammers, kitchen knives, golf clubs, aluminum bats, and more. Starting withmon items, there were even people carrying spears or bows. ¡®Those are the weapons the orcs carry.¡¯ The few men holding them were unmistakably wielding ives, the weapon frequently favored by orcs. It didn¡¯t seem like they had acquired them from hunting orcs, as they didn¡¯t appear particrly powerful. Sure enough. ¡°Hey, they¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Deok-su!¡± They seemed to be familiar with the party that ughtered the orcs. The party that had been killing orcs greeted them naturally. ¡®Were they in the same group?¡¯ If that were the case, it made sense that they also had the orc¡¯s ives. ¡°Mister, take this! Many people still don¡¯t have spears. Share it around!¡± They began distributing the orc¡¯s ives, loot they had been carrying. ¡®As expected.¡¯ They began walking in the direction of a massive apartmentplex. Now, things were starting to make a bit more sense. ¡®That party of Awakeners is the leader of arge survivor group.¡¯ A survivor group formed by eight Awakeners. Just thinking roughly, there must be at least a few thousand survivors. Considering the awakening ratio to be roughly one in a thousand, that made sense. ¡®Maybe I should join them?¡¯ Managing everything with her own strength alone was bing increasingly difficult. Running a shelter with thousands of people meant having an abundance of food and water. If so, it was worth making contact. ¡®With my abilities, I can definitely make a strong case.¡¯ The group of roughly thirty survivors she led would surely be weed. Seo Ye-jin knew her value well. ¡®Let¡¯s observe a bit first.¡¯ After distributing the ives, she cautiously followed the Awakeners party heading back to the apartmentplex. As soon as Seo Ye-jin entered the apartmentplex, she was faced with yet another shocking scene. ¡°Kyahaha!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Mom! Look over here!¡± Seo Ye-jin was confused whether the scene she was witnessing was real or fake. ¡®Kids ying in the yground?¡¯ Of course, it was amon sight before the world fell apart. However, the world now was one where monsters roamed everywhere. ¡®What the heck is this¡­?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t believe that this ce was the same world she had experienced over the past month. It was then. ¡°Ye-jin.¡± She broke the sensory link with the mouse and opened her eyes at the familiar voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Jung-soo oppa?¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ve really reached our limit. The most important water ispletely gone. What should we do?¡± Seo Ye-jin let out a bitterugh. She had just seen children ying in the yground, but now she was hiding in the basement of a building, worrying about drinking water. From a fairy-tale-like world, they were suddenly thrust onto the cold floor of harsh reality. ¡®It was foolish to hesitate.¡¯ Thanks to this, she was able to make up her mind. Han Jung-soo, who had been observing the situation, spoke. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m ashamed. I¡¯m always relying on you like this.¡± Seo Ye-jin responded with a smile at Han Jung-soo¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I think I somehow found a way.¡± ¡°A way?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll tell you the detailster, so tell people to get ready for now.¡± ¡°What kind of preparation?¡± ¡°Preparation to go outside.¡± Han Jung-soo widened his eyes and asked, ¡°Outside? We¡¯re going outside?¡± ¡°Yeah. Otherwise, are we just going to wither away and die here?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°If you want to live, stop nagging and go prepare .¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± After confirming that Han Jung-soo was leaving, Seo Ye-jin closed her eyes again and activated her ability. Due to her conversation with Han Jung-soo, she missed the Awakeners party, but it was rtively easy to figure out where they had gone. Because there was a ce where people came and went the most frequently. ¡®Why are there so many people in this building?¡¯ She was waiting to sneak in secretly, but there was no opening. After waiting for a while, the opportunity finally came. ¡®Now!¡¯ The moment the mouse tried to enter the apartment under Seo Ye-jin¡¯smand using its tiny limbs. Thump! Squeak! The mouse banged its head against the invisible wall and bounced back. Then, a strange window appeared in front of Seo Ye-jin. [ess denied.] ¡®¡­What¡¯s this?¡¯ Just as she was confused by the situation. [Would you like to acquire citizenship?] [Yes / No] The invisible barrier and citizenship. Children and parents ying leisurely in the yground a little farther away. Understanding the context of these things, Seo Ye-jin could only nod her head roughly. ¡°Yes! Yes! Definitely yes!¡± It was clear that there was an ability user here who protected the people. They were clearly united around that person. This citizenship seemed like a qualification to enter under that person¡¯s protection. Ding! [You have acquired citizenship.] Was it done? Seo Ye-jin cautiously sent the mouse into the apartment. This time, she didn¡¯t feel any transparent wall blocking its way. However, as soon as she entered the apartment, she ran into people. ¡°It¡¯s a mouse!¡± ¡°Ahhh!¡± For some reason, there were more people on the first floor than she expected, and she had to run away desperately. ¡°It¡¯s running away!¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± People, unaware of the situation, went crazy trying to catch the mouse. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Swiftly, the mouse fled towards the emergency exit and began to climb the stairs with all its might. Once it entered the emergency exit and reached the second floor. ¡®!!¡¯ An unexpected sight unfolded. Treadmills, bench presses, chest presses, seated rows, and numerous other exercise machines filled the space. What was even more surprising than that was the brightly lit LED bulbs hanging from the ceiling and the lively music ying throughout the gym like background music. ??¨D?¨D! ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It felt as if she had traveled through time. As if she had stumbled into a gym somewhere before the world went awry. The scene was so unimaginable that it felt like a dream. At that moment. Thunk! ¡°Ugh!¡± With a sudden impact, the sensory sharing was forcibly cut off. It meant that someone had caught the mouse present there. ¡®Oh, my head.¡¯ Thanks to that, she felt a headache as if her head might burst, but even so, a smile bloomed on her face. ¡°Haha, hahaha!¡± She found a way to survive! ¡®The problem is how to get there¡­¡¯ This was Seomyeon. Realistically, it was too far to reach that ce. In the past, it might have been a fifteen minute walk, but not now. ¡®Since we¡¯d have to break through a monster-infested field.¡¯ If she actively utilized the mice, she and a few others could move. However, bringing more than thirty people would be impossible. They would be wiped out for sure. ¡®Just need to get to Jeonpo Station somehow.¡¯ From there, there were almost no monsters. That Awakeners party had cleared them all. So, if she somehow made it to Jeonpo Station, the way to the apartment would be wide open. ¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯ During this time, she had consistently used mice for reconnaissance, so she was well aware of the surrounding situation. A way to safely escort over thirty survivors to Jeonpo Station. There was only one method avable. ¡®Using the subway tracks.¡¯ ording to the information gathered through the mice, surprisingly, there weren¡¯t many monsters inside Seomyeon Station. However, there was a good reason for that. ¡®¡­Because that ¡´Monster¡µ is in Seomyeon Station.¡¯ Just thinking about that creature sent shivers down her spine. It was such a formidable presence, far beyond goblins or orcs. ¡®However, there might be a chance because of that.¡¯ It was still a living creature after all. If she seized the moment while it was sleeping, it seemed possible. Since the goal wasn¡¯t to fight that thing anyways. They just needed to sneak away. ¡®If I make good use of the mice, it¡¯ll work out somehow.¡¯ *** ¡®Huh?¡¯ My heart sank when I saw the mouse stepped on and killed by Choi Hyeong-jun in the gym. Because I thought it was Seo Ye-jin who had transformed into a mouse. However. [You have hunted a Tamed Mouse (Lv. 2).] [Gained a small amount of experience.] [1,416 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] ¡®Hm?¡¯ Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Checking the citizen management window, Seo Ye-jin¡¯s name was still intact. ¡®Phew.¡¯ Examining her awakening ability, I could grasp the whole story of the incident. Queen of Mice (Grade A) All mice faced by her pledge loyalty to the Queen. Once tamed, mice can be controlled like limbs, and sharing senses is possible. ¡®She was controlling the mouse.¡¯ That said, it wasn¡¯t direct contact, but it was interesting that citizenship could still be offered in such cases. At that moment. ¡°Huh?¡± Outside the living room window, a familiar figure appeared. ¡®What?¡¯ In a way, it could be considered a creature that saved him. Of course, not the creature itself but its species. ¡®Kellican.¡¯ I wonder if there was a designated meeting ce for those Kellicans near my house. This was already their third appearance. ¡®Well, thanks to them, I¡¯m still alive.¡¯ If it hadn¡¯t been for the first one that showed up, I would¡¯ve been helpless and died. In that sense, I felt a bit grateful to the Kellicans. But this time, the creature¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t directed at me. It was observing the yground below with the eyes of a hunter. It seemed to be targeting the ordinary citizens ying in the yground. ¡®That won¡¯t do. Invisible Hand.¡¯ A transparent hand emerged from my body, violently opened the living room window, and reached out towards the creature. Grasp! -Keaack!? I grabbed one of its wings and forcefully pulled it towards me. Bang! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] The creature struggled against the invisible wall, trying to escape my grasp. I looked at the creature and muttered. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± -Keaeaaack! ¡°Vassal Summon, Ha Dong-geon.¡± Shushuk. ¡°Hm?¡± Ha Dong-geon, who was suddenly summoned, looked at the struggling Kellican through the living room window. ¡°Should I take care of it?¡± ¡°Yes, please.¡± I bought a spear from the shop and handed it to Ha Dong-geon. Puk! Ha Dong-geon swiftly stabbed the spear into the Kellican¡¯s neck. [Kellican (Lv. 25) hunted.] [You have gained experience.] [38,567,987 won deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] [Skill level has increased.] The same time I leveled up. Zzing¨D ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The homebound area exploded outwards, engulfing the two nearby buildings on both sides. Chapter 29: Seomyeon Station (3) Chapter 29: Seomyeon Station (3) [Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (3) [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] Most people nearby were already epted as citizens, but it seemed that there were still some who had not. A total of 27 people. Still, the number wasn¡¯trge since citizens had been actively epted. ¡®Grant it.¡¯ I checked again just to be sure, but no new awakened individuals appeared among the 27. It meant that the ratio of awakened individuals was low. ¡®But a Grade A awakener came herself.¡¯ In that sense, Seo Ye-jin was like a pumpkin that rolled in on its own. It seemed that awakened individuals often voluntarily came in this way. ¡®I must make her into a vassal.¡¯ To turn them into vassals, it was necessary to first increase trust and loyalty. Based on experience, the best way to increase trust was through direct face-to-face interaction with the individual. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ha Dong-geon was looking at me with a worried expression from the side. ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go down and take a rest.¡± ¡°Alright. If you need anything, feel free to call me anytime.¡± After sending him away, I searched everywhere for Seo Ye-jin. I thought she might be inside one of the newly added apartments. However, even after thoroughly searching the two new buildings, I couldn¡¯t find Seo Ye-jin. ¡®Where could she be?¡¯ I started to worry a bit. It could be because of the fright from the tamed mouse being identally killed. ¡®I should call her. Assign quest.¡¯ ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Visit the apartment. Time Limit: 48 hours, 00 minutes, 00 seconds Reward: C and chocte bar. Failure Penalty: None. [Do you want to assign the quest as is?] [Yes / No] These were the two best-selling items at the convenience storetely. Regardless of Seo Ye-jin¡¯s exact situation, the reward seemed quite enticing. I was about to assign the quest as it was. ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ Suddenly, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s words echoed in my mind. (Why not use your ability to bring your family members over?) I had tried but failed, and I could hypothesize that it was because my influence didn¡¯t reach far enough. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ Were the individuals granted citizenship under my influence or not? The answer was ¡®under my influence.¡¯ No matter how far away they were from the homebound area, the monsters they hunted were still properly ounted for. ¡®Modify the quest.¡¯ I adjusted the quest time and penalty slightly. ¡¶Assign Quest¡· Quest Content: Visit the apartment. Time Limit: 10 seconds Reward: C and chocte bar. Failure Penalty: Summoning. [Do you want to assign the quest as it is?] [Yes / No] It was a sess. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect to utilize the failure penalty as well.¡¯ I had been fixated on the negative effects of the failure penalty, thinking it should only have adverse consequences. However, now I realized that I could apply the failure penalty ording to my own preferences. ¡®Summoning is possible.¡¯ While it was a one-time use, it was possible to summon ordinary citizens like vassals. It was possible to teleport someone who had acquired citizenship. This was a tremendous discovery. ¡®This could be used to safely bring my family.¡¯ If I could grant citizenship to all my family members, I could use the quest assignment system to bring them into my area. ¡®It¡¯s said that the outpost will gain a power simr to the homebound area when activated.¡¯ In other words, it meant that it was possible to grant citizenship using the outpost. Then what if he sent Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, constructing the outpost, granted citizenship to all family members, and summoned them here using quest assignment? ¡®Perfect.¡¯ Among my ns so far, this was the most feasible one. ¡®The problem is how much it will cost.¡¯ Currently, I had a significant amount of money. Therefore, there was no way to estimate how much it would cost to teleport Seo Ye-jin. In the worst case, all the funds in the wallet could be depleted. ¡®Even so, let¡¯s give it a try.¡¯ It was a problem that couldn¡¯t be solved through thinking. Anyway, it was something that I had to check at least once. At times like this, the answer was simply to face it head-on. ¡®Assign the quest.¡¯ Ding! [ 00 minutes 09 seconds ] I anxiously watched the decreasing time. The quest cost would be charged uponpletion. Now, only 3 seconds remained. ¡®Please don¡¯t exceed 1 billion.¡¯ One-time teleportation. The price was. [Citizen Seo Ye-jin has failed the quest.] [Quest cost: 31,674,894 won.] ¡¯30 million won!¡¯ It was better than expected. ¡°Phew.¡± That¡¯s a relief. It was a bit expensive, but it was good enough for necessary situations. ¡®There¡¯s still much to learn, like the cost increase based on distance, but it works properly anyways.¡¯ The gamble was a great sess. ¡°What, what is this ce? Where am I?¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s voice came from the front door. I approached the entrance and spoke to Seo Ye-jin. ¡°Hello, Ms. Seo Ye-jin.¡± ¡°W-Who are you? Do I know you?¡± I extended my hand towards her, who was sitting on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m the one who granted you citizenship.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s expression gradually turned to shock. ¡°Wait, hold on. You mean, the ce I¡¯m in right now is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the top floor of the apartment you saw through the mouse.¡± She seemed so shocked that she didn¡¯t even think about taking my hand and standing up. While she stared at me with her mouth agape, I handed her a can of cold c and continued speaking. ¡°I apologize for suddenly inviting you like this. It must have been quite a surprise. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun.¡± Soon, a reaction came. [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has increased.] It seemed she finally understood the current situation. At the same time, her trust had also grown. And¡­ ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying that Mr. Jae-hyun summoned me here, right? That strange quest earlier too.¡± ¡°Yes. I assigned that quest.¡± Seo Ye-jin spoke with a slightly brighter face. ¡°Sorry for being shameless, but may I ask for a favor? I have people I¡¯m responsible for. Can you ept them as well?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite challenging to bring everyone here, so I was thinking of taking a gamble¡­¡± Oh boy. I didn¡¯t expect there would be people with her. The number was also quite substantial ¨C a total of 35. [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has increased.] Looking at Seo Ye-jin, who was eagerly anticipating, I spoke with a firm tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that is going to be difficult.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± For a moment, Seo Ye-jin¡¯s pupils trembled wildly. ¡°W-What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to teleport them here using my ability.¡± It was not only impossible to teleport non-citizens, but even if I could, it was also a problem. Bringing one person Seo Ye-jin cost 30 million won, so bringing thirty-five people would require over 1 billion won. I had no intention of investing nearly 1 billion won to save them. Seo Ye-jin seemed shocked by my resolute answer. She crawled towards me, grabbing my knees and pleading. ¡°No! My mother and brother are there! I¡¯ll do anything I can, so please¡­¡± Considering her desperate attitude, I pondered if there was anything I could do. The first most ordinary solution that came to mind was dispatching Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Considering their ability, bringing thirty-five people at once would be more than possible. However, a better solution crossed my mind. ¡®Even though Seo Ye-jin wasn¡¯t in direct contact1Talking about how she used her tamed mouse to touch the area., citizenship was granted.¡¯ That meant the homebound area might¡¯ve recognized the mouse as part of her. ¡®It might work if I do this right.¡¯ To implement the idea that came to mind, I first needed to ept her as a vassal. That way, the title would activate. I checked Seo Ye-jin¡¯s citizen information. ¡ºName: Seo Ye-jin (Lv. 31) Trust: 37 Awakening Ability: Queen of Mice Experience Distribution: 0% Settlement Funds Distribution: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» The trust level, which used to be a single-digit number, had risen to 30 in a short time. ¡®Fast.¡¯ As expected, trust skyrocketed as soon as we met face-to-face. ¡®Just a little more¡­¡¯ I wondered if there was a way to raise trust and loyalty that would be unlockedter. Looking at Seo Ye-jin, who was holding onto my leg with moist eyes, I asked. ¡°Are you really willing to do anything?¡± After some brief hesitation, Seo Ye-jin nodded slowly. ¡°Anything. I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one way.¡± I lowered myself to be at eye level with her, who was sitting and holding onto my knees. Then, I looked directly into Seo Ye-jin¡¯s desperate eyes and continued. ¡°Completely trust me and pledge loyalty to me.¡± ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll save them if you do.¡± A head-on breakthrough. I had chosen the straightforward method of asking her to trust me and pledge loyalty directly. I didn¡¯t think this method would work. But I tried it just in case. If this method didn¡¯t work, I could send Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. However¡­ ¡°I will trust you. I will pledge loyalty. If it¡¯s to save my family, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice my life. How can I prove this determination?¡± [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has greatly increased.] Surprisingly, this method worked. [Citizen Seo Ye-jin trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s loyalty surpasses 30.] [Citizen Seo Ye-jin has fulfilled the conditions for Vassal Registration.] ¡®¡­It worked?¡¯ She fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration in the shortest time among the people I¡¯ve met so far. Perhaps it was due to her desperate desire to save her family. She must have believed my words with all her might. With all her strength. I sincerely said, ¡°Well done.¡± I immediately registered Seo Ye-jin as a vassal. Shiiiing! The characteristic bright light when registering as a vassal emanated from her body. I had a good feeling. Usually, the brighter the light, the better the result. And. ¡ºName: Seo Ye-jin (Lv. 35) [+] Titles: [Tenth Vassal] [Knight] [Tamer] Trust: 52 Loyalty: 33 Awakening Ability: Queen of Mice, Evolution Experience Distribution: 0% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» {Tamer} Increases the stats of tamed creatures by (Loyalty)% and elerates the growth rate of all tamed creatures by (Trust)%. Evolution (A+ Grade) Tamed subjects continue to grow. When a certain level has been reached, subjects will evolve. It was the birth of the Fourth Knight. I asked Seo Ye-jin, who had tears and snot streaming down. ¡°Are there any tamed mice where your family is?¡± Seo Ye-jin nodded urgently. ¡°Bring those mice to your family right away.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I said to her, who was kneeling on the entrance floor. ¡°Come inside. It¡¯s cold out there.¡± Seo Ye-jin followed me inside. Sitting on the living room floor in a half-lotus position, Seo Ye-jin closed her eyes and concentrated. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ The moment I focused my sight on Seo Ye-jin. ¡®I can see it.¡¯ A mouse with short legs was running diligently through a narrow corridor. ¡ºTamed Mouse (Lv. 2)¡» It was a sess. The moment Seo Ye-jin shared her senses with the running mouse, an area where the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye could be used was created. Before I knew it, the mouse appeared in front of people in a frenzy. ¡°It¡¯s a mouse!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ye-jin¡¯s mouse?¡± ¡°Ye-jin! Where did you go?!¡± In front of them who were looking a bit lost, I conjured items purchased from the shop. Zzing¨D ¡°Wow!¡± Starting with water and chocte bars, it mainly consisted of simple items that could be eaten immediately, such as bread and milk. At the same time. [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has greatly increased.] [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s loyalty has greatly increased.] ¡®As expected.¡¯ It seemed that the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes could only be used on mice Seo Ye-jin shared her senses with. But that was enough. Her ability and the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyesplemented each other too well. In the future, tens of thousands of mice crawling through the sewers would be my eyes. ¡®This is insane.¡¯ I had acquired the ultimate reconnaissance unit. Chapter 30: Seomyeon Station (4) Chapter 30: Seomyeon Station (4) [Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (4) The first ce to use Seo Ye-jin¡¯s ability had already been decided. ¡°Are you talking about Songdo Beach1Songdo Beach. when you say Nambumin-dong?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I know! I¡¯ve been there to ride the cable car before! There was a really delicious cold noodle store there.¡± Coincidentally, Seo Ye-jin was someone who had been to Nambumin-dong, where his parents were located. Naturally, she was in a much more advantageous position than Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, who had never been there before. ¡®And just sending mice should be enough.¡¯ While the direct rescue operation would have to be executed through Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, confirming the safety of family members and sending relief supplies with Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice alone was possible. ¡°Leave it to me!¡± [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s loyalty has increased.] I looked at the system messages with a strange gaze. ¡®It went up again.¡¯ Since a while ago, both trust and loyalty were increasing in real time even though I hadn¡¯t done anything. ¡®I knew that face-to-face interactions were effective, but not to this extent.¡¯ Then suddenly, one thought came to my mind. ¡®Could it be because of this skill?¡¯ ¡¾Absolute Dweller¡¯s Spirit (Passive) Lv. Max¡¿ Completely immune to all types of mental abilities. It was a passive skill received from raising Dignity Maintenance to level 3. ¡®Honestly, I thought it was useless.¡¯ Being immune to mental abilities was useless for me, who couldn¡¯t leave the homebound area. Only those with citizenship could enter here, and if there was anyone among them who harbored hostility toward me, they would be immediately eliminated. Just like the goblins that had exploded when the area expanded during the goblin hunt. It was better to have nothing at all than to have something useless. ¡®Back then, I felt like I raised it for no reason, but it seems like a cow catching a mouse while backtracking2identally achieving something you didn¡¯t expect..¡¯ The reason why I raised Dignity Maintenance was because the number of slots for vassal registration increasedst time. In fact, I invested skill points in Dignity Maintenance hoping that the limit would increase. However, I received apletely unrted passive skill and felt discouraged. ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s because the level of Dignity Maintenance has increased.¡¯ I was already aware that there was a simr effect in Dignity Maintenance. Perhaps, the effect had been strengthened as the level increased. Either way, the growth of trust and loyalty had elerated, so investing skill points in Dignity Maintenance wasn¡¯t entirely meaningless. ¡°Then can you do it now?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Seo Ye-jin, despite the sharp first impression, turned out to be a very warm and friendly type. ¡°If possible, please move along the subway tracks.¡± ¡°¡­Subway tracks? Are you talking about Line 1?¡± ¡°Yes, I n to use that route for the rescue operationter.¡± At that moment. ¡°No, you can¡¯t!¡± Taken aback by Seo Ye-jin¡¯s sudden outburst, I asked her for the reason. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a monster living in Seomyeon Station.¡± ¡°A monster?¡± Seo Ye-jin nodded with a terrified expression on her face. What kind of monster could provoke such a strong reaction? ¡°Can you send just one mouse to the ce where that monster is?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± *** Seomyeon Station turned out to be surprisingly spacious. That was because there was a long underground shopping mall on both sides, and was a transfer station where Lines 1 and 2 intersected. It wasrger and moreplex than typical subway stations in Seoul. As a station in the downtown area, it was always crowded. However, now, it had be one of the most silent ces. All because of one presence that had nested there. Deep within the historical ce, the Line 1 tracks. Ssshh¨D The densely arranged scales of a reptile. Long, vertical pupils. A slender, ck forked tongue. upying the cold tracks was a giant snake. Its belly bulged conspicuously, the result of devouring orcs near Seomyeon Station. This creature was the reason why Seomyeon Station was deserted with nothing around. Any monsters or humans who entered unknowingly went into its stomach. The current silence was due to its belly being full. Once digestion wasplete, it would resurface and consume any visible creatures it came across. Snap¨D The owner of Seomyeon Station slowly raised its head toward the direction of the noise. Sensitive to vibrations in the ground, it had already sensed the tiny presence earlier. Yet it chose not to move, as it deemed the energy expenditure for chasing a small mouse that wouldn¡¯t fill a fraction of its stomach too wasteful. Moreover, if the small creature escaped into a hole, there would be no way to catch it. If the tiny creature willingly entered its mouth, that was one thing, but it had no intention of moving to catch that small thing. Ssshh¨D However, conversely speaking, if the small creature approached willingly, there was no reason not to eat it. As a born glutton, it did not discriminate between big or small prey. A little closer. A little closer. Using the minimum amount of energy possible, it patiently waited to catch the mouse. The foolish little mouse kepting closer to it, and it could not understand why. Just a little more. Ssshhh¨D It flicked its tongue, the smell of a mouth-watering rating to its mouth. The moment it was unable to hold back its appetite and was about to move. Squeak¡ª The mouse that had been approaching fearlessly so far ran away. As the mouse disappeared into a mouse hole, the giant snake smothered its appetite. Simultaneously, it made a vow. Next time it appeared, it would immediately attack. *** ¡°¡­¡± As Seo Ye-jin said, there was a giant creature living in Seomyeon Station. The monster¡¯s body length alone was dozens of meters. ¡®Wonder what level something like that is.¡¯ Judging by its size alone, it seemed to easily surpass level 30. ¡®Maybe even over level 40.¡¯ As I was made a serious expression, Seo Ye-jin spoke first. ¡°Did you see it, Mr. Jaehyun? It¡¯s better to give up on using Seomyeon Station.¡± Well, she was right. It was better to break through the monsters on the surface than a ce such a monster was guarding. ¡°How about skipping one station and going to Beomnaegol Station? I¡¯ve seen the skills of your colleagues. With their skills, they should be able to clear the way there without any trouble.¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s suggestion was reasonable. Even I would havee up with a simr n. ¡®If Seo Ye-jin hadn¡¯t joined.¡¯ There was no way to deal with that monster before she joined. But not now. I smiled at Seo Ye-jin and said. ¡°You can go to Room 2701.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can stay there starting today. Oh, you might need to clean up a bit.¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± During this time, more than 800 people had joined, but there were still many empty rooms. The reason for this was because I hadn¡¯t allocated empty rooms to them. These were reserved for citizens who had thoroughly contributed. Seo Ye-jin had the qualifications to receive one of these rooms. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± ¡°Yes, rest well.¡± After sending Seo Ye-jin off, I immediately activated construction mode. ¡®Install sr power generators.¡¯ [Time remaining untilpletion of sr power generator facility] ¨C 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds I built sr power facilities in the two newly-added buildings. Since there was still 350 million won in support funds left, I could build both for free. ¡®This is surprisingly efficient.¡¯ It felt even more so because I was using support funds for construction. This money could only be spent on construction anyways. ¡®Let¡¯s increase the facilities in the new buildings.¡¯ People had organized themselves to take turns usingmunal facilities for meals and going to the bathroom. However, with close to 800 people, the two units on the 21st floor were not enough. ¡®I need to announce various things again.¡¯ Fortunately, Kim Dabin was quite capable, so there wasn¡¯t much to worry about in that regard. I was paying her a decent weekly wage, and Kim Dabin was handling her tasks with enthusiasm. Although the weekly wage I paid Kim Dabin was only 700,000 won, she was quite satisfied with it. In the current situation, it was the equivalent of hunting 700 goblins. Considering that goblins were growing scarcer in the area, its value was even more significant. She was earning more money than her younger brother, Kim Minho, at the moment. ¡®I might need to increase the workforce.¡¯ She didn¡¯t directly appeal to me, but I had heard her express difficulties through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye several times. It was only natural. She was working alone for over 16 out of the 24 hours the public facilities were operating, and her brother, Kim Minho, covered the remaining 8 hours. It was practically the same as abuse. If apany had operated this way before the apocalypse, it would have been reported and exposed immediately. ¡®I need to establish at least a three-shift system. The same goes for the newly-created facilities.¡¯ There was much to do. Amidst the busy work, the next day quickly arrived. ¡®Let¡¯s get started.¡¯ It was time for hunting. *** Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was moving from Jeonpo Station to Seomyeon Station. Even though it was an unlit underground area, all eight members were wearing heamps, brightly illuminating the path. ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± -Kyaaak! The subway tracks leading from Jeonpo Station to Seomyeon Station were upied by bat-like monstersrger than humans. However, they posed no threat to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Swahhh! Pchook! There weren¡¯t many in numbers, and thanks to Kim Ga-young who urately shot through their heads every time, the bats disappeared altogether after a few battles. While quietly following the tracks, Yoo Hye-rin asked Kim Ga-young. ¡°Unni, about the snake in Seomyeon Station that Jaehyun mentioned. Can we really hunt it down?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be fine? Besides, if there¡¯s an emergency, Mr. Jae-hyun can always summon us.¡± ¡°Oh, right. I was worrying for nothing.¡± They were all aware of vassal summoning. After the fight with the Red Tiger, they had a stronger trust in Mr. Jae-hyun after his timely summon of Yoo Hye-rin. ¡°No need to worry too much.¡± Everyone had high trust in Kim Jae-hyun. They believed that no matter how dire the situation, he would always find a solution somehow. As they exited the lengthy tunnel, they finally arrived at Seomyeon Station. ¡°Hoh¡­¡± What awaited them there was a gruesome scene. One of the subways hadpletely derailed and flipped over, leaving blood stains and dead bodies scattered around. There were also corpses with signs of being devoured by the bat-like creatures. ¡°Ugh.¡± The environment was nauseating due to the stench. Ha Dong-geon gathered his party, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s move to Line 1.¡± They stepped over the fallen subway car and entered the station. Unfortunately, the situation inside was no better. The ce was filled with corpses scattered in every direction. Oddly, there wasn¡¯t a single monster like goblins or orcs present. Thanks to this, they were able to easily reach Line 1 through the transfer area. And then¡­ ¡°!!!¡± When Ha Dong-geon and his party illuminated Line 1 with the light of their heamps, they froze in ce. A colossal monster was staring at them from within. Frozen by indescribable horror, a terrified Kang Deok-su shouted. ¡°H-How are we supposed to fight that thing?!¡± At that moment¡­ Kwaaaaang! ¡°Urk!¡± ¡°Get down!¡± An unexpected explosion shook the entire underground space. Beeeeeeep¨D Amidst the deafening noise, a familiar noise sounded. Ding! ¡¶Party Quest¡· Quest Details: Finish off the giant snake. Time Limit: 10 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Arge amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: None. ¡®This¡­? Finish it?¡¯ Ha Dong-geon slowly rose and gazed at the spot where the monster had been just moments ago. There, a giant snake was gasping for breath. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with it?¡¯ As the smoke cleared, the shattered remains of the giant snake¡¯s body were revealed. Its internal organs were scattered in all directions, perhaps from the explosion just now. ¡®I¡¯m not sure what happened, but¡­¡¯ Anyway, it was an opportunity. Ha Dong-geon raised his spear and forcefully threw it towards the head of thestill-breathing giant snake. Swoosh! Chapter 31: Seomyeon Station (5) Chapter 31: Seomyeon Station (5) [Episode 07] Seomyeon Station (5) Giant snakes have a habit of swallowing their prey alive, and this was no easy task. It could be quite dangerous if a living organism inside their stomach made ast-ditch effort, which is why they typically used poison to subdue or strangled their prey to death before swallowing it. However, this didn¡¯t apply to a tiny mouse that wouldn¡¯t fill it at all. Without a second thought, the snake gulped down the mouse, not knowing what the consequences of its actions would be. ¡®Okay, swallowed.¡¯ As Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party arrived at Seomyeon Station, I instructed Seo Ye-jin to make a mouse run into the mouth of the giant snake. The snake devoured it without any hesitation, allowing me to get a clear view of its internal organs. ¡®Open the warehouse.¡¯ There were two skills that could be used while using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. The warehouse and the shop. Dignity Maintenance was not usable because the nature of the area created by the ¡®Vassal¡¯ title was different from the homebound territory. In that created area, only the ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes¡¯ could be used. Therefore, creating things like electricity or gas in this area was impossible. However. ¡®Summon gas.¡¯ It was possible to store the gas created in the homebound area inside the warehouse and then summon it using the warehouse skill. It was a bit of a trick. Whoosh¨D By the time Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party approached Line 1, where the giant snake was, its stomach was already filled with gas. And then. ¡®Summon burning tissue.¡¯ Gas had filled the giant snake¡¯s stomach, and I summoned a pre-prepared burning tissue. Once it was set on fire and stored inside the warehouse, it woulde out in the same state. Since sparks were created in a ce filled with gas, the next result was obvious. BOOOMMMM! A spectacr explosion started from inside the giant snake,pletely tearing its body apart. ¡°Ugh!¡± Next to me, Seo Ye-jin woke up, holding her head. She must have felt the aftermath of losing the mouse in the explosion. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! I¡¯m fine! Just a bit surprised.¡± Although she spoke confidently, her face showed signs of exhaustion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down on the sofa for a bit?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s okay¡­¡± ¡°Do as I say.¡± ¡°Then excuse me for a moment¡­¡± As shey down on the sofa with a weary expression, I said to her. ¡°You did well.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± While checking on Seo Ye-jin¡¯s condition, I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to check on Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. They were unable to recover from the sudden explosion. ¡®I can¡¯t let it be me.¡¯ The giant snake had to die in the hands of vassals who had been granted the title of Knight. That way, I would be able to gain six times the experience points and settlement money. If it died in my hands, it would result in a sixfold loss. ¡®I¡¯ll assign a party quest to Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju: Finish off the Giant Snake.¡¯ Of the two, Ha Dong-geon was the first to react, and the head of the giant snake was smashed apart by his spear. [You have hunted a King Snake (Level 40).] [You have gained a massive amount of experience points.] [1,812,043,879 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] [Citizen Ha Dong-geon has defeated the leader of ¡®Seomyeon Station.¡¯] [Construction of an outpost at ¡®Seomyeon Station¡¯ is now possible.] A staggering 1.8 billion won. [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration has reached level 15.] [You have gained 3 skill points.] Three levels were gained at once, and the pain followed ordingly. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Somehow, as the space expanded, the intensity of the pain seemed to increase proportionally. The haphazardly expanding area stopped expanding afterpletely engulfing 10 residential buildings. Perhaps the advantage was that the speed had increased. ¡®I guess about half remains now.¡¯ Out of the 25 apartment buildings in Block/Complex 1, 13 had been incorporated into the homebound area. Sessfully upying half was an achievement. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] With an increase of 10 blocks at once, there were many people eligible to be citizens. ¡®About 200 people?¡¯ To be precise, 214. More people than expected were hiding inside and holding on. ¡®Grant it.¡¯ The moment I granted citizenship to all of them. [The number of citizens has reached 1,000.] [As the number of citizens has reached a certain level, the skill ¡®Basic Sry¡¯ is now avable to all citizens.] {Basic Sry} (Passive) Experience points and settlement money gained by citizens increase by an additional 100%. ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ Upon checking the citizen information window, I understood. ¡ºName: Kim Min-ho (Level 17) Reliability: 57 Loyalty: 13 Awakening Ability: None Experience Distribution Rate: 70% (+100%) Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 30% (+100%) ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Literally, a basic sry. It meant that even if I adjusted the distribution rate to 0%, they would still receive an additional 100% of experience points and settlement money. ¡®Nice.¡¯ I had been contemting whether to increase the settlement money for the citizens. Because I could recover the citizens¡¯ money through the store, and considering the efficiency of ¡®tax collection¡¯, it seemed beneficial to invest a certain amount of money into the citizens. ¡®It¡¯s a bit regrettable that my trick didn¡¯t work.¡¯ To maximize the efficiency of tax collection, I had experimented with one method. It was to reward money through quests, and in the process, I gave Kim Dabin a weekly wage. However, there was a big problem with this approach. ¡®It charges a 10% fee.¡¯ To pay Kim Dabin 700,000 won, I had to pay a quest cost of 70,000 won. Since the effect of tax collection was duplicating 10% of the money, it essentially became a zero-sum game. ¡®When I get it back, another 10% fee is deducted, so it¡¯s actually a loss.¡¯ To benefit from tax collection, money must be kept for at least three months. ¡®Huh? Wait a minute. So¡­¡¯ I suddenly realized something while organizing my thoughts. ¡®If I leave the money without withdrawing it, a continuous profit of 10% is generated1Please don¡¯t ask me. I have no idea where the math ising from ???¡¯ Every month earned a promised 10% interest rate, or 120% per year. Such a good financial product did not exist anywhere. If it did, it would have 100% been a scam. ¡®Should I invest about 1 billion won?¡¯ While seriously considering this, Seo Ye-jin, who was lying on the sofa, cautiously approached me. ¡°Um¡­ Mr. Jaehyun.¡± ¡°Hm? Yes?¡± ¡°I apologize for making such a request, but is it possible for you to bring mypanions here?¡± There were thirty-five survivors, including Seo Ye-jin¡¯s family. Even though they were provided supplies, it wasn¡¯t a ce to stay for long. Seo Ye-jin had experienced bathing in warm water and sleeping in a cozy bed here. I wanted to provide a normal life for her family as soon as possible. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll help.¡± Seo Ye-jin happily stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°By any chance, can you control mice again?¡± ¡°Of course! I¡¯mpletely fine now!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell them to follow the mouse, so you can guide them.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± After assigning a party quest to rescue the survivors by following the mouse, I activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes and leisurely observed Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Leaving Seomyeon Station wasn¡¯t difficult, considering it had been the giant snake¡¯s territory. All the other monsters had been wiped out. The view of the city from Exit 2 was a horrifying scene of shock and terror. ¡®Complete ruins.¡¯ It was devastating. Flipped cars, bloodstains on the roads, shattered ss windows of the first-floor buildings, and the scattered and decaying corpses were beyond terrible. Silence settled, creating a solemn atmosphere that paradoxically intensified fear. Squeak¡ª Guided by Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse that traveled along the optimal route, there was almost no fighting. They asionally encountered goblins, but that was a piece of cake for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®No need to worry.¡¯ While keeping the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes active, I focused on the skill window. [Avable skill points: 3] ¡®What should I invest in to get the best return?¡¯ In the beginning, the answer was to raise the shop skill unconditionally. At that time, registering items faster and more efficiently was crucial. ¡®However, things have changed now.¡¯ With the shop skill reaching level 5, the increased slots and the ¡®itemization¡¯ function made a significant difference. ¡®Now, filling all 500 slots is another task.¡¯ Despite registering items such as supplements and vitamins, the slots were not even half full. ¡®There¡¯s no need to rush leveling up the shop.¡¯ There were plenty of other ces to invest skill points. A total of five skills had a [+] button active next to its current level: Dignity Maintenance, Warehouse, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Health, and the Invisible Hand. ¡®First, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes should be upgraded.¡¯ Now, it was undoubtedly the most utilized skill. ¡®It works well with Seo Ye-jin.¡¯ It would be a crucial skill when rescuing my family in the future. I leveled it up without any worries. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, level up.¡¯ Wooong¡ª As the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes skill reached level 3. Shwaa¡ª ¡°Urgh.¡± With the sensation that the surface of my eyes was burning, a change urred in the field of vision of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡¸Goblin (Lv. 8)¡¹ ¡¸Goblin (Lv. 7)¡¹ ¡¸Goblin (Lv. 7)¡¹ ¡¸Goblin (Lv. 7)¡¹ The levels of the goblins engaged in battle with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party began to be visible. Upon closer inspection, it was possible to read the characteristics of the goblins. ¡¸Goblin (Lv. 8)¡¹ Height: 103 cm. Has enough intelligence to use tools while living in groups. It has good eyesight, able to see far distances, and possesses sensitive eyes that can distinguish objects without any problems even in dark caves. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Until now, the level was information that could only be revealed after killing the monster. However, now, it was possible just by looking with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡®I was just about to need this ability.¡¯ The simplest way to increase the quest difficulty was to have them hunt higher-level monsters. The problem was that monsters above a certain level were rare. Goblins with single-digit levels were scattered all over, but finding monsters Level 20 and above was challenging. ¡®Honestly, finding a high-level monster is more difficult than hunting them.¡¯ This ability would be essential to fulfill Oh Eon-ju¡¯s wishter. To save on the cost of resurrection, it was necessary to find suitable-level monsters and assign quests to her. ¡®It¡¯s a bit disappointing that I can¡¯t raise the level once more.¡¯ The [+] button was gone next to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, now at level 3, It meant that proficiency was stillcking. ¡®Then, next¡­¡¯ The first thing that caught my eye was the ¡®Dignity Maintenance¡¯ skill. ¡®If the rapid increase in Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust and loyalty is indeed due to the rise in level of Dignity Maintenance, then that alone is enough reason to invest skill points.¡¯ Not only would it be helpful when epting new vassals, but it also had the advantage of maximizing the effects of ¡®Power of Trust¡¯ or the [Knight] title. ¡®Dignity Maintenance, level up.¡¯ When I was about to check the new featured as the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance skill reached level 4¡­ Bang¨D ¡®Huh?¡¯ I was startled by the unexpected sound of gunfire. Checking with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, surprisingly, the owner of the gunshot was a goblin. ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ As the goblin aimed its gun at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party again. Shiing! Swoosh! Moon Byeong-ho teleported behind it, swiftly striking its neck. ¡°Kikigik!¡± The remaining goblins were mercilessly cut down by Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s spear. ¡®Register as an item!¡¯ While Moon Byeong-ho was dealing with the goblins, I registered the gun that had fallen on the ground as an item and directly restored it. S&W M60 (KRW 476,320) .38 Caliber Live Ammunition 100 Rounds (KRW 158,400) I couldn¡¯t help but smile looking at the handgun registered in the shop. ¡®A gun.¡¯ Chapter 32: Summon Familiar (1) Chapter 32: Summon Familiar (1) [Episode 08] Summon Familiar (1) The S&W M60 was a .38 caliber representative revolver used by the South Korean police. Of course, it was rarely used in reality. Despite being just one gun, it was about to bring significant changes. ¡®I can¡¯t disy this at the store.¡¯ Disying the gun had many advantages. It would instantly make people more proactive in hunting monsters. Ordinary people under level 10 could also easily hunt orcs. If there were several citizens with guns, they could handle even more powerful monsters. ¡®The experience and settlement money earned by citizens would also increase exponentially.¡¯ However, there was a significant drawback as well¡ªtoo much risk. ¡®It¡¯s difficult to trust all citizens.¡¯ The way I epted citizens was random. There was no standard or verification process. I epted them all without any checks because I was confident that I could control them regardless of what happened. The increasing poption also brought about many advantages. But having firearms changes the situation a bit. ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee that there aren¡¯t problematic individuals among these people.¡¯ It was obvious what problems could happen if citizens were allowed to possess firearms without proper verification. Envy, resentment, jealousy. idents could happen for various reasons, and in the worst case scenario, people could die. Put extremely, giving guns to mentally unstable people would undoubtedly lead to disaster. ¡®It should only be distributed to verified individuals.¡¯ The criteria was simple. ¡®Only give it to citizens with high loyalty. Filter out the ones that are ineligible.¡¯ There might be dissatisfaction with this tant discrimination, but it was better than idents urring. Granting firearms only to those with high loyalty could also induce an increase in trust and loyalty. ¡®The first person who should receive it has already been decided.¡¯ A person with no mental issues, high loyalty, and the ability to maximize firearms. Moon Byeong-ho was given a newly-purchased gun and 100 rounds of ammunition. Zing¡ª As Moon Byeong-ho suddenly received a gun and ammunition from the air, he promptly bowed his head towards the empty space. ¡®Not in that direction.¡¯ Although he bowed his head in the wrong direction, I understood his meaning. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party quickly arrived at the shelter where the survivors were hiding following the guidance of the mouse, and returned with them without any major issues. ¡°We¡¯re almost there. Shall we go down together?¡± ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun too?¡± ¡°I was thinking about taking a walk since it¡¯s been a while.¡± Heading down with Seo Ye-jin, I walked along the promenade and took a deep breath. ¡°Hooo¡­ Haah.¡± The air was refreshing. With the rapid expansion of the homebound area, the promenade was included. It was a new experience to see it after nearly a month. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] It seems that Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and the thirty-five survivors have arrived at the main gate. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] ¡®Offer it.¡¯ This way, 35 more citizens joined. ¡®Not this time either.¡¯ I checked each citizen¡¯s information, but there was not a single person with awakened abilities. Among the 200 new citizens who joined through the area expansion from leveling up, there were no awakened individuals. Awakened individuals were valuable, and those with Grade A abilities like Seo Ye-jin were even rarer. ¡®Granting awakened abilities is not possible even as a quest reward.¡¯ I¡¯ve already experimented with it. I tried to grant awakened abilities to Nam Ji-ho, who had the best performance among the citizens, but it showed as an ¡®impossible quest reward.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an alert aboutck of funds but an impossible quest reward. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do about a person¡¯s inherent nature.¡¯ So, the only way to turn an ordinary person into an awakened individual was through vassal registration. However, even vassal registration was a system that favored awakeners, so it was safe to assume there were gic factors. ¡®Let¡¯s think about it slowly. Besides, there¡¯s only one slot left for vassal registration.¡¯ I had already filled ten slots. The only remaining slot was the one that opened up when Moon Byeong-ho reached 100 loyalty. ¡®Getting to 100 loyalty seems a bit difficult.¡¯ I deliberately increased the time Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party interacted with me (face to face), but their loyalty level refused to increase beyond a certain point. To be honest, unless there was a special event like with Moon Byeong-ho, it seemed challenging to increase it to 100. The 35 new citizens walked through the main gate into this area. They seemed a bit disoriented as they looked around the apartmentplex. ¡°Mom! Yo-jin!¡± Seo Ye-jin ran to her family and embraced them. ¡°Ye-jin! Where did you go without saying a word? Do you know how worried Mom was?¡± ¡°Sorry, Mom.¡± Even though they were only separated for a day, the mother and daughter tearfully reunited. Seeing that scene, I couldn¡¯t help but think of my own mother. ¡°Wow! Unni, you smell so nice! Did you take a shower?¡± ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s warm water, and you can even take a bath.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. There¡¯s a bed, and you can have warm meals.¡± The faces of the other survivors showed anticipation upon hearing Seo Ye-jin¡¯s words. I addressed Seo Ye-jin, ¡°Miss Ye-jin.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Unit 2701 was assigned to Miss Seo Ye-jin. Feel free to use it as you please, but it might be a bit cramped to amodate over thirty people.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Seo Ye-jin realized the meaning of my words and looked at the faces of the people she had taken care of until now with a puzzled expression. ¡°So, what should we do¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll provide three additional empty rooms. Miss Seo Ye-jin, you¡¯re worth it.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± Supplying electricity, water, and gas to 10 people a residence was amon condition applied to other citizens as well. Due to this, there were quite a few citizens who endured inconvenience and lived together. ¡°You can use Units 2402, 2301, and 1902 in the same building.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best!¡± [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Seo Ye-jin¡¯s trust has increased.] Starting with Seo Ye-jin. [Citizen Hong Dae trust has significantly increased.] [Citizen Seo Yo-jin¡¯s trust has significantly increased.] [Citizen Lee Seung-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Han Jung-soo¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Notifications of trust levels increasing were exploding. ¡®It¡¯s definitely changed.¡¯ There were times before when the trust levels of citizens increased massively, like back when people gathered at Choi Hyungjun¡¯s house for the goblin hunt. At that time, when I used my ability to create food and water, their trust increased. ¡®But there was never a case where it increased significantly.¡¯ Now, with just a word, their trust levels rose rapidly. It was clear that this was an effect of the increased level of Dignity Maintenance. ¡®Come to think of it, I only raised the level without checking.¡¯ An interesting feature had been added when the skill reached level 4. ?Summon Management (0/10) ¡®Hm¡­?¡¯ Upon checking, there was a button to summon a familiar. [Summon Familiar] (1,000,000,000 won) ¡®¡­1 billion?¡¯ It seemed that the new feature was a money-consuming pit. At that moment. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun. Do you have a minute?¡± It was Yoo Hye-rin. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°¡­I have something to discuss.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Seeing Yoo Hye-rin ncing at the other members, I spoke. ¡°Great job, everyone. Go up and rest.¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s group was busy dividing the people who would upy the three rooms, and Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party tactfully excused themselves. After sending them off, I said to Yoo Hye-rin, ¡°Shall we take a walk for a while?¡± ¡°A walk¡­ Yes, sure.¡± Yoo Hye-rin and I walked in silence for a while, and after a few minutes, she spoke first. ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing her hesitating for a while, I said to her, ¡°You can speak freely.¡± ¡°Yes, then¡­¡± With her head bowed deeply, Yoo Hye-rin said. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but I want to leave the party.¡± It was as expected. The feeling that something wasing. She continued, as if feeling guilty. ¡°My abilities¡­ I don¡¯t have a presence in the party, and it might be okay even if I¡¯m not there, so I thought¡­¡± I spoke as gently as possible towards her who was rambling like she hadmitted a crime. ¡°You can speak honestly.¡± Upon hearing that, Yoo Hye-rin bit her lips, then tightly closed her eyes and said. ¡°I¡¯m scared!¡± Her emotions began pouring out like a torrent. ¡°I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m scared of goblins, fighting with orcs, that huge snake, everything is just too frightening.¡± The erupted emotions soon turned into tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a useless person. You went through the trouble of choosing me, but I couldn¡¯t live up to your expectations¡­ Huk1Never wrote a footnote for this before but ¡®Huk¡¯/¡¯Hyuk¡¯ is a sniffling sfx..¡± There had been signs of this before. Even when going to rescue Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother, honestly, Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s contributions were nearly nonexistent. In the final pursuit with the Red Tiger, she almost fell and died, and when hunting the orcs, she didn¡¯t contribute much. Her ability, Poison Mist, could potentially harm team members if misused, making it difficult to utilize. While her physical abilities had improved, enhancing her archery skills significantly, it was questionable whether it was helpful. Even Kim Geon was providing assistance to the team with Kaman¡¯s2Kaman is his crow¡¯s name. scouting, but Yoo Hye-rin wasn¡¯t doing much. She probably knew better than anyone else that she was objectively useless to the party. Despite risking her life to apany the party, the results were not good, making it understandably bitter for her. It seemed like those feelings umted and umted, bursting out today during the encounter with the giant snake. ¡°Hyuk. Wahh.¡± Yoo Hye-rin sobbed sorrowfully from the hardships she had endured. More than fear, a sense of anger and frustration emanated from her. I nonchntly spoke. ¡°It worked out well. I just happened to need an extra pair of hands.¡± ¡°Sniff. Yes¡­?¡± ¡°Are you familiar with Kim Dabin who handles the public facilities on the 21st floor? She seemed to be struggling a lot. Probably because she¡¯s trying to handle everything alone.¡± ¡°Sniffle.¡± ¡°Not just there, I n to create and operate public facilities in each building. So, I needed someone trustworthy and capable of handling these tasks.¡± Yoo Hye-rin, who was covered with tears and had a runny nose, looked up at me. Extending my hand toward her, I said. ¡°If it¡¯s you, Yoo Hye-rin, I believe I can trust you. Will you help me?¡± While Iforted and consoled her, I thought it was a bit regrettable that I had registered her as a vassal. [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Yoo Hye-rin is already registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Reaching loyalty 100 for such a trivial matter. ¡°Huuaaah.¡± When I approached her to console her, she bawled with her face covered by both hands. Suddenly, she clung to me tightly. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard! Please leave it to me! Wahhh.¡± I was momentarily surprised, but soon patted her on the back lightly until she calmed down. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Sniff, I¡¯ll devote all my loyalty!¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± After calming her down, I brought her to Room 2901 and returned home. Then, I eyed one button. [Summon Familiar] (Cost: 1,000,000,000 won) ¡®Might as well give it a try.¡¯ So far, every function that appeared had proven to be useful, and every expense had been worthwhile. Moreover, money was not currently an issue. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s give it a try. Summon Familiar!¡¯ [1,000,000,000 won has been consumed as the cost for summoning a familiar.] Woooong¨D Chapter 33: Summon Familiar (2) Chapter 33: Summon Familiar (2) [Episode 08] Summon Familiar (2) The golden light that bloomed in the air split into eight branches, drawing beautiful lines. As two lines met and formed apleted circle, six lines within it began to move chaotically, carving out intricate patterns. And the ovepping patterns started to create picturesque designs in the empty spaces. When those lines filled the empty spaces, starting from 12 o¡¯clock in a clockwise direction. Paaah! Golden light shone from the magic circle, summoning a golden sphere about the size of a basketball. And then. Shiiiing. The golden egg began to crack and soon openedpletely. From there, something small fell out. ¡°Oh?¡± I instinctively reached out my hands and caught it. The small object in my palm had a smooth texture. There was a lump of fluffy ck feathers. The little creature looked up at me with its bright, round eyes. -Cheep? A cute baby bird was there. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ ¡¸Three-Legged Crow1Samjoko (Èý×ãžõ). (Lv. 1)¡¹ A three-legged crow deity. Born with the power of the sun, but it was still a baby that needed protection. To grow, it needed to be exposed to high-quality sunlight. It looked exactly like a little ck chick. ¡°Hello?¡± -Cheep! When I greeted it awkwardly, the creature energetically responded. ¡°What should I call you?¡± Calling it Three-Legged Crow didn¡¯t feel right, so I wanted to give it a name. ¡°How about calling you Kkami2Can also be written as ¡®Kami¡¯ (but that¡¯s semi-weird since it means ¡®God¡¯ in Japanese), ¡®Gami¡¯. Honestly, I regret the way I spelled so many people¡¯s names but I¡¯m toozy to go back and change all the past chapters. Sorry, Moon Byung-ho, Kim Da-Bin, Kim Min-ho. because you¡¯re a cute ck crow?¡± -Cheep! Cheep! Even though it was just born, it was so full of energy that it seemed to keep talking to him while fluttering its small wings. For some reason, I understood its words. ¡°Do you like it?¡± -Cheep! ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± The fact thatmunication was possible right after birth indicated that Kkami was extremely intelligent. -Cheeep! ¡°Are you hungry?¡± -Cheep! I wondered whether I needed to catch some bugs, but soon realized that¡¯s not what the three-legged crow needed. While carefully paying attention not to drop it, I moved to the living room window. Then, I gently ced it on the sunlit floor. Then. -Cheeepp¡­ It stretched outfortably, closed its eyes, and began to bask in the sunlight with its whole body. ¡°¡­Pretty good.¡± It slept peacefully in that position. Watching the little guy breathe evenly, even my heart became calm. [The level of the three-legged crow has increased.] [The efficiency of the sr power generator has increased by 100%.] ¡®Hm?¡¯ I could understand that the three-legged crow¡¯s level increased while absorbing sunlight, but why did the sr power generator¡¯s efficiency suddenly increase? I immediately entered construction mode and checked the sr power generator. ¡¶Sr Power Generator¡· A facility that produces electricity using sr energy. Generates 80,000 to 100,000 (+100%) won worth of electricity per day depending on sunlight, and any surplus electricity is refunded to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet. The amount of electricity produced by the sr power generator had doubled. ¡®Wait a minute, this way¡­¡¯ I hadn¡¯t built sr power generators in the recently acquired 10 buildings because I had spent almost all of the support funds. Honestly, investing 130 million won in a facility that only generated 30 million won per year seemed like a waste. ¡®But now it¡¯s a different story.¡¯ If the efficiency continued to increase every time Kkami leveled up, then it would be a worthwhile investment. Of course, I couldn¡¯t be sure yet. I couldn¡¯t guarantee that the efficiency would increase every time Kkami¡¯s level rose. At that moment, a notification appeared again. [The level of the three-legged crow has increased.] [The efficiency of the sr power generator has increased by 100%.] In an instant, the efficiency of the sr power generator became three times greater. ¡¯90 million won per year.¡¯ Just a few level-ups elerated not only the speed of recovering the initial investment, but also the profits over time. Upon confirming that, I decided without hesitation. ¡®Build sr power generators in all 10 buildings.¡¯ Ding! [Remaining time untilpletion of Sr Power Generator facility] ¨C 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds After finishing construction mode, Kkami was already fast asleep. While Kkami took a nap under the sunlight, I had a busy day. First, I had to decide where to invest the remaining skill point. ¡®What should I raise with thest one?¡¯ Now, there were only three skills left with the [+] button. Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse, Absolute Dweller¡¯s Health, and the Invisible Hand. ¡®Of these three, the warehouse seems to be the best.¡¯ Honestly, improving health didn¡¯t seem very meaningful. In any case, I couldn¡¯t step a foot outside the homebound area. Bing healthier here wouldn¡¯t be that useful. ¡®Invisible Hand is the same.¡¯ Although it was undoubtedly a powerful ability, what good was that if I couldn¡¯t leave the area? ¡®Still, the warehouse can be used in conjunction with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ But what could be improved by raising the level of the warehouse? ¡®I better keep it for now and focus on raising Dignity Maintenance or the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ Having reached a conclusion, I immediately left the house. First, I went to 3001, the next-door neighbor, and met Choi Hyeong-jun. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you for a favor.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun. Please feel free to speak.¡± ¡°I would like you to take care of 1 billion won for me.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was something I thought of while contemting the Tax Collection Skill. Handing the money to a trustworthy citizen to hold onto would be beneficial based on the skill description. Although there was a 10% initial transferring fee, a regr profit of 10% could be generated every month afterward. After careful consideration, I chose Choi Hyeong-jun as the recipient of the 1 billion. The reason was simple. ¡ºName: Choi Hyeong-jun (Lv. 25) [+] Title: [First Vassal] Trust: 89 Loyalty: 98 Awakening Ability: Gori¡¯s Might ¡ïQuest Assignment¡» His trust and loyalty scores were outstanding. Perhaps due to our frequent encounters, these values had increased significantly. ¡®With this level of loyalty, he should be reliable.¡¯ I immediately gave him 1 billion through quest assignment. [Quest cost: 100,030,000 won.] A 10% fee of 100 million won, and a basic quest cost of 30,000 won was consumed. ¡°Oh, oh my god¡­!¡± At that moment. [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Choi Hyeong-jun is already registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] Choi Hyeong-jun cautiously inquired. ¡°O-Of course, I should keep and not use it, right?¡± That was originally the n. But it turned out that 100 loyalty could be broken with something like this. Considering the value of vassal registration, 1 billion won wasn¡¯t that high a price. ¡°You can use it to some extent.¡± ¡°R-Really?! Thank you, thank you!¡± Next, I took Yoo Hye-rin and introduced her to Kim Dabin. Then, I gave full control over the public facilities staff to Kim Dabin. ¡°Can I really choose whoever I want?¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter. Miss Dabin can make a team. Since you¡¯re the team leader, I¡¯ll double your weekly sry.¡± [Citizen Kim Dabin¡¯s loyalty has increased.] ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll do my best!¡± As I watched Kim Dabin take Yoo Hye-rin, I took a moment to observe the public facilities. Citizens were busy, taking turns cooking meals and waiting in line to use the bathroom. ¡®It seems inconvenient.¡¯ Although it was a public facility, it was originally a regr home. Amodating arge number of people or providing services like a public restroom was difficult. Taking a shower was recognized as a privilege among citizens, so a solution was needed. ¡®But I can¡¯t just give it away.¡¯ Otherwise, the efforts citizens had made to acquire electricity, water, and gas would be undermined. ¡®Is there any solution?¡¯ As I pondered, one idea came to mind. ¡®What if I sell it at the convenience store?¡¯ I registered an item as a test. [One Day Electricity Usage Voucher] (10,000 won) ¡®It works?¡¯ Intangible values could also be registered. The kiosk system allowed automatic electricity supply when the unit and room numbers were entered. ¡®Let¡¯s create water and gas vouchers too.¡¯ I divided them into daily, weekly, and monthly usage vouchers, selling them at prices of 10,000 won, 30,000 won, and 100,000 won, respectively. ¡®There will be buyers.¡¯ If I were a citizen, I would rather find a way to gather money and purchase the vouchers than use such inconvenient public facilities. ¡®And¡­¡¯ The next issue to address was providing firearms. I nned to select individuals with high loyalty for firearms. It didn¡¯t take long to identify those who had achieved a trust of 50 and unlocked loyalty. ¡®All the individuals who meet the conditions arebatants.¡¯ Most of them had face-to-face interactions with me before, leading to the unlocking of loyalty. Among them, Baek Sung-yeop had a loyalty of 57, but I decided not to provide him with a gun. ¡®It¡¯s predictable given his personality.¡¯ If I gave Baek Sung-yeop a gun, I could only imagine him using it for self-promotion or extortion. This is why first impressions are crucial. ¡®In that case, the remaining candidates are Kim Minho, Nam Ji-ho, and Shin Yoo-ra.¡¯ I registered the S&W M60, and due to itemization, other revolvers with the S&W mark were created, and the M60 was the best choice among them. ¡®Let¡¯s meet separatelyter to distribute them.¡¯ Currently, all three of them had gone hunting outside the homebound area. ¡®Seo Ye-jin seems busy¡­¡¯ It looked like she was busy organizing her subordinates. For now, I went to visit Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, waiting in Room 2901. ??¨D [29th floor.] [Door opens.] Kim Da-jeong and Oh Eon-ju, who upied Room 2902, were also gathered in Room 2901. ¡°That snake was level 40?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm. I see¡­¡± In response to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s answer, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s expression seemed somewhat bitter. She probably thought of the quest details from back then. Click. As I opened the door and entered, they all rose from their seats to greet me. ¡°Thank you for your hard work today. Is everyone feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yes~.¡± ¡°Perfectly fine.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do much, really.¡± I responded with a smile to their yful replies. ¡°Thanks to the monster at Seomyeon Station, the surrounding area has be a monster-free clean zone. Especially the subway tracks.¡± Currently, Seomyeon Station was like Muju-gun3Muju-gun or Muju County. I guess not many people are there since it¡¯s a national park?. Although the former boss, King Snake, had died, the news hadn¡¯t spread widely yet. Monsters would be avoiding Seomyeon Station as usual. ¡°There are almost no monsters near Seomyeon Station all the way to Beomnaegol and Beomil Station4Beomil Station, also the Busan Metro..¡± It was already confirmed by Seo Ye-jin¡¯s abilities. Perhaps because it was sitting on Line 1, it was challenging to find even a single monster around the next two or three stops. ¡°Right now is our chance. We need to act before other monsters take over the area.¡± Today, seeing Yoo Hye-rin crying and pleading with me, I realized one thing. The people before me were risking their lives to carry out my request. So, in a way, they were entrusting their lives to me. We were fortunate to know about the monsters at Seomyeon Station in advance thanks to Seo Ye-jin joining. Otherwise, it would have been quite dangerous. The outside world right now was truly a ce where one could die at any moment. I understood that my desire for my family¡¯s safety, my wish to save them, was a kind of greed. ¡®Even so¡­¡¯ Although their lives weighed heavily on my shoulders. ¡°Tomorrow, please head directly to Jagalchi Station.¡± I couldn¡¯t give up. Trantor Note: Map Visual Chapter 34: Summon Familiar (3) Chapter 34: Summon Familiar (3) [Episode 08] Summon Familiar (3) On the floor by the living room window, a small, square pillow held a ck, round ball of fur. As the dark night sky regained its light, the sun peeked over the mountains, announcing the beginning of the morning. The spot upied by the furball was the prime location to bask in the sunlight the moment dawn broke. Under the warm rays of the slowly descending sunlight, the ck furball slowly opened its eyes. Lifting its head, the ck fur ball stretched, absorbing the sunlight with its entire body. [The level of the three-legged crow has increased.] [The efficiency of the sr power generator has increased by 100%.] ¡®It¡¯s already level 5.¡¯ I watched Kkami while sipping my morning coffee in the living room, smiling. With this, the efficiency of the sr power generator had already increased five times. It had transformed into a facility that could recoup the investment of 1 billion in just a year. ¡®All in all, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s worth the 1 billion, but it¡¯s not bad. Retrieving the 1 billion is only a matter of time.¡¯ However, the changes were not limited to that. [The Three-Legged Crow partially releases the power of the sun.] [Inherits a portion of the power of a familiar.] [Awakens basic magic attribute (fire).] ¡®Attribute?¡¯ As the strange notifications arrived, I slowly began to understand what basic magic attribute (fire) was. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ It didn¡¯t take long for the unfamiliar knowledge to feelfortable, as if I had known it from the beginning. I was able to understand it quickly and manipte the power. ¡®Is this how it¡¯s done?¡¯ I raised my index finger and visualized the shape of mes. At that moment. Hwarara. mes blossomed to life. ¡®It feels rather familiar. Ah!¡¯ I soon realized that it was simr to the sensation of generating electricity or gas with Dignity Maintenance. After extinguishing the me the size of a lighter, I then extended my palm, shaping a me about the size of a baseball this time. Hwla. The mes were easily generated, and the heat transmitted was hotter than expected. Having confirmed that, I immediately moved on to the next step. ¡°Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡± Currently, dawn was just about to break. Even if stability had been restored, few citizens ventured out for a walk at this hour. I imagined a me the size of a house while gazing at the empty trail. Hwarururuk! However, the result was only a me about the size of a campfire. ¡®Perhaps this is the limit.¡¯ Honestly, it wasn¡¯t an exceptionally impressive ability. However. ¡®If I do it like this.¡¯ Using Dignity Maintenance to leak gas. Hwarurururuk¨D! mes exploded, pouring fire in all directions. ¡®The dignity maintenance skillplements it well.¡¯ While basic magic attribute (fire) alonecked firepower,bining it with gas created by Dignity Maintenance transformed it into a threat. ¡®No need to bother with burning tissues in the future.¡¯ But that was the extent of it: reducing the hassle of creating a gas bomb. After finishing such a simple experiment, an inexplicable fatigue set in. It might be due to staying up all night, but it was a tiredness that couldn¡¯t be exined by that alone. ¡®I see. It probably uses a different type of energy than Dignity Maintenance.¡¯ The method to use it was simr, but I could intuitively feel that they were fundamentally different types of power. The dignity maintenance skill, no matter how much I used it, didn¡¯t make me feel particrly tired. It only used up the money in my wallet. However, in the case of basic magic attribute (fire), it seemed to consume mental strength instead. ¡®Still, there are endless possibilities for its future development. Kkami will continue to grow.¡¯ Seeing that there was a ¡®basic¡¯ in front, it was clear that as Kkami¡¯s level increased, it would evolve into intermediate and advanced levels. ¡®Let¡¯s eat.¡¯ Perhaps because I stayed up all night, I¡¯ve been feeling hungry. For breakfast, I prepared a simple egg rice drizzled in soy sauce. I ced two sunny side up eggs on top of the rice, drizzled them with soy sauce and sesame oil, and mixed them well. After taking a spoonful and adding kimchi on top, the taste was just as I had expected. ¡®Grandma used to make this often.¡¯ Since my mother was busy working, my grandmother often prepared meals for me. Whenever she did, the dish I frequently begged her to make was egg rice with soy sauce. [Footnote: The dish is called ¡®Gyeran Bap¡®. Looks delicious] I wanted to have the egg rice made by Grandma after so long. ¡®Please wait a little longer. I¡¯ll go to save you soon.¡¯ In the afternoon, system notifications came continuously. [The construction of the sr power generator facility has beenpleted.] [The construction of the sr power generator facility has beenpleted.] ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Since the morning, Kkami¡¯s level had risen by three more levels, and the newly built sr power generators now had eight times the efficiency from the start. ¡®With this level of efficiency, money should start flowing into my wallet slowly, right?¡¯ Until now, the electricity generated by the sr power generator waspletely supplied to the citizens. In fact, more money was going out of my wallet. But now that the efficiency increased eightfold, it was certain that surplus electricity would be left even after supplying all the power. ¡®How much wille in?¡¯ At this time, Seo Ye-jin came to my house. ????~ ¡®She¡¯s here.¡¯ The arrival of Seo Ye-jin, the key personnel for this operation. She had overslept this morning for the first time in a while, took a warm bath, and even had a hot meal prepared by her mother beforeing. This was because I had personally ordered her to get enough rest. It was my consideration for her. After all, the survivor group led by Seo Ye-jin had to endure nearly a month in harsh conditions. I had given them time to unwind with their families. ¡°Hehe. Thank you so much for yesterday.¡± ¡°I just treated you ording to your abilities.¡± Thanks to Seo Ye-jin, the scope of my abilities had expanded significantly. How could I not like it? ¡°I looked forward to working with you today as well!¡± ¡°Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party is currently waiting at Seomyeon Station. You can guide them directly.¡± Seo Ye-jin nodded her head and spoke. ¡°I¡¯ve sent rats along the subway line. We should be able to move up to Choryang Station without any issues.¡± ¡°When you say ¡®up to¡¯ Choryang Station, it sounds like there might be a problem after that.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. To be precise, it¡¯s Busan Station.¡± She continued with a serious expression. ¡°It would be better to see it for yourself.¡± Seo Ye-jin adjusted her sitting posture and immediately initiated sensory sharing. Busan Station, which I saw through the mouse, clearly had many problems. ¡®¡­¡¯ Shwahhh¨D Even before entering Busan Station, the sound of water could be heard, and at some point, the front waspletely flooded. To make matters worse, the ceiling had copsed in the middle of the tracks,pletely blocking the way. ¡®There¡¯s no way to pass through like this.¡¯ It seemed necessary to go up to the surface before entering Busan Station and find an alternate route. At that moment, Seo Ye-jin stopped the sensory sharing and opened her eyes. ¡°As you can see, the tracks are like this, so I continued to send the mice up, but¡­¡± Instead of finishing her sentence, she closed her eyes and initiated sensory sharing once again. I shared her vision through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. And. ¡®Hoh.¡¯ Thendscape above ground was hell itself. The scenery of Seomyeon was like a battlefield. ¡®There are no intact buildings around.¡¯ Everything was in ruins. If the god of destruction were to descend, it might look exactly like this. High-rise buildings were nowhere to be found, and the roads were either overturned or shattered. In fact, the extent of destruction, as if it had changed the terrain itself, felt unreal. Squeak¡ª While the rat moved diligently with its small body, I could observe the surroundings widely through Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. Thanks to this, I could see at a nce what the ce the mouse was running looked like. ¡®¡­Footprints?¡¯ There were deeply imprinted giant footprints. Giant footprints that seemed to be about 10 meters long. In the surreal scene where realism seemed to distort, I was momentarily stunned. ¡®No way?¡¯ Once I recognized that it was a footprint, the destroyed surroundings came back to mind. Broken buildings, shattered roads, and in the center of it all, gigantic footprints. ¡®¡­Giant?¡¯ I could see it indirectly even with just the remaining traces. How serious the tyranny of that monster, which was not present here now, must have been. The traces left behind indicated how impossible resistance was due to the enormous size difference, and how many people had died in overwhelming despair. ¡®Insane.¡¯ At that moment. Kwonggggg¡ª A colossal sound echoed. ¡®Where is iting from?¡¯ At first, I thought it wasing from where the mouse was. But it wasn¡¯t. ¡°M-Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± Kwooooonggg¡ª The house was shaking. The huge roar was noting from Busan Station where the mouse was, but from near my house. ¡®Is it an earthquake?!¡¯ The shaking continued for about ten seconds before stopping. ¡®¡­Something doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¯ The ominous premonition seemed inevitable. In the next moment. Thump, thump, thump! Along with the sound of knocking on the front door, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s urgent voice was heard. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun! Mr. Jae-hyun! You need to see this!¡± Seo Ye-jin and I exchanged perplexed looks. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as I opened the front door, I could see the serious expression on Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°M-My house¡­!¡± Following after him who was running with a pale face, we rushed to Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s living room. Kwooong! You could see the streets of Seomyeon from the window in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s living room at a nce. There, a gigantic monster with an unreal size was destroying an entire apartmentplex. Kwooooongg!¡ª As the creature shoved the apartment building with its massive body, the entire apartment tilted and crashed into other nearby buildings like dominoes. Kwarararang! In the process, thunderous sounds reverberated, and an earthquake urred. Having thoroughly smashed the apartmentplex, the monster turned its attention. Its next target seemed to be the high-rise buildings in Seomyeon. ¡°¡­Vassal Summon.¡± I summoned the entire Ha Dong-geon party that was waiting at Seomyeon Station. The underground was in a precarious state due to the giant¡¯s footsteps, and it was unclear when it would copse. Suddenly summoned as a group, the Ha Dong-geon party looked around with puzzled expressions. ¡°Huh? Why are we here?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Seems like it¡¯s because of an earthquake.¡± As Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party discussed, they froze in unison the moment they saw the scene beyond the living room window. Kwong! The giant was approaching rapidly. Thud¡ªthud, thud! The giant, elerating, rammed straight into Lotte Department Store in Seomyeon. Kwaaaanngggg! The massive department store turned into giant concrete fragments, copsing ruthlessly. Even the white dust that rose could not conceal the horrorsome scene. ¡°¡­!¡± Kwong! The giant emerged from the dust unscathed. And whaty before the giant¡¯s eyes was our apartment. ¡®This is insane.¡¯ Kwong! A one-eyed giant began to approach with its lone eye shining. ¡¸Cyclops (Lv. 51)¡¹ Can my ability withstand this monster¡¯s attack? Even if it does, the remaining buildings not yet included in the area would likely be destroyed. ¡®I have to stop it.¡¯ But how? It was then. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, please give me a chance.¡± With burning determination, Oh Eon-ju stared at the Cyclops. I asked her, ¡°¡­Is it possible?¡± ¡°I will make it possible.¡± Despite the overwhelming appearance of the monster, the only thing that was ignited in Oh Eon-ju was her spirit. ¡°Haa. Alright.¡± I assigned the promised quest to Oh Eon-ju. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Hunt Cyclops (0/1) Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Son¡¯s resurrection for one day. Failure Penalty: Intense pain for one day. TN: It¡¯s getting good now. Chapter 35: Summon Familiar (4) Chapter 35: Summon Familiar (4) [Episode 08] Summon Familiar (4) ??¨D [You have reached the 1st floor.] [Door opens.] While descending in the elevator, I briefly gave operation instructions to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Does everyone understand?¡± They all nodded solemnly. ¡°Well then, please take care.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Together, we headed towards the first floor entrance. ¡°Save us, please, save us, save us¡­¡± ¡°Mom! Ahh!¡± ¡°We¡¯re all going to die!¡± Chaos was unfolding there. Even though these people were technically within the homebound area, they were panicking. Consumed by fear. Kwoongg¡ª [Footnote: I feel like I¡¯ve been using this sfx a lot. It is the same word in Korean but should I mix it up with boom, bang, m, smash, etc?] The sound of the giant¡¯s approaching footsteps grew louder. A colossal monster was visible through the gaps of the apartment buildings. ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯sing this way!¡± Just the fact that the creature was approaching was enough for people to feel the fear of death. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this here. Please hurry to the designated positions for the operation.¡± We split into three groups and moved. Oh Eon-ju led the first group with Ha Dong-geon, Kim Da-jeong, and Kang Deok-su. Kim Ga-young, Moon Byeong-ho, and Kim Geon formed the second group. Lastly, Seo Ye-jin and I made up the third group. Confirming that Groups 1 and 2 were rushing to their designated positions, I opened my mouth to address the panicked citizens. ¡°Ah, everyone, please pay attention for a moment.¡± Despite not being particrly loud, I sessfully managed to capture the people¡¯s attention. Simultaneously, I broadcasted my voice to every household through the broadcasting equipment under my control. ¡°Currently, a giant is approaching our apartmentplex. Those with military experience, please gather at the main entrance. The rest of you, take your children and seek refuge in the underground parking lot.¡± I spoke with as much calmness in my voice as possible. As if something like this was nothing. ¡°Let me repeat. A giant is currently approaching.¡± Whether it was the apparentposure or the effect of Dignity Maintenance, my voice seemed to have a soothing effect, gradually easing the panic. ¡°Right! The underground parking lot! There is an underground parking lot!¡± ¡°Would it be safe there?¡± ¡°Better than staying here for now!¡± People began to move. ¡°Send the children first! We need to go to the underground parking lot right now!¡± As soon as I provided a clear goal, people started moving purposefully. ¡°Dear! Take Do-yoon and go to the underground parking lot.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head to the main entrance. I¡¯vepleted my military service.¡± ¡°What are you talking about! You¡¯re just a middle-aged man who finished his reserve duty!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t nag, just go! Hurry!¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± There were men like him who gathered at the main entrance following my orders, but not everyone had the courage to do so. Only 121 people had gathered at the main entrance. Although the proportion of minors was rtively high among the total poption of over 1200, the number of adult males exceeded 400. It was unreasonable that only 100 served in the military. In the Republic of Korea where military service is mandatory, there wouldn¡¯t be so many sons of gods exempted from service. ¡®They ran away.¡¯ Several hundred people pretended not to know and fled to the underground parking lot. ¡®Cowards.¡¯ The people gathered here weren¡¯t fools, and they knew that if they didn¡¯t fight, they would all die. They didn¡¯t gather here to defend this apartmentplex. They gathered to protect their precious families or themselves. There were even eight women among the 121 people, and I recognized all of their faces. And all eight of them knew each other All six members of Shin Yoo-ra¡¯s team, including herself, were present, and the other one was Moon Hae-ri from Kim Minho¡¯s team. Lastly, there was Yoo Hye-rin. I asked Yoo Hye-rin. ¡°Hye-rin, were you in the military?¡± ¡°No, but¡­¡± ¡°Then why did youe here?¡± ¡°I wanted to be of some help¡­¡± I smiled satisfactorily and nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Then, a short man raised his hand and asked, ¡°But what should we do?¡± It was Baek Sung-min, the younger brother of Baek Sung-yeop. I asked him, ¡°Where is Baek Sung-yeop?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± There was no sign of Baek Sung-yeop and the twins. ¡°Looks like he ran away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the same time, a heavy silence settled. Some people were shocked to hear that some had run away. Some regretted their decision toe to the main entrance. ¡®I need to narrow down the group.¡¯ Deciding to give them another chance, I spoke again. ¡°I will calmly exin the current situation.¡± My gaze swept over their troubled faces. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure we can defeat that monster. In the worst case scenario, we might all die together.¡± As I spoke about the possibility of death, the eyes of those who were wavering shook. ¡°I respect individual choices. If anyone wants to run away now, please do so. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± I turned my back, facing the main entrance. ¡°I¡¯ll count to ten. After that, you won¡¯t be able to run away even if you want to.¡± Kwong! Meanwhile, the giant continued to approach, pushing down buildings along the way, creating a path of destruction. ¡°10, 9, 8¡­¡± Baaaannggg! While I counted, the remains of a destroyed building collided with the ground after being smashed by the giant¡¯s hand, creating a thunderous noise. Immediately after the loud copse, the sound of a man standing up and running could be heard. Once the first person moved, those who were wavering began to move one by one. ¡°¡­3, 2, 1.¡± After counting to 10 and turning around, the number of people had decreased from 121 to 101. Their eyes were still shaking, and their limbs trembled. Nevertheless, they stayed. ¡°More than I expected.¡± Someone made thatment. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act without yielding in the face of fear. In order to survive in a world filled with fear, more courageous people were needed. Therefore, I would favor them. This was not discrimination but fair treatment for those who chose to face their fears. ¡°Thank you for staying. Please take these.¡± I purchased 101 handguns and bullets from the store and distributed them to the people. ¡°Guns?¡± ¡°Real guns?¡± ¡°It¡¯s real!¡± It was just a single handgun for each person. In reality, the firepower was insufficient to deal with the giant. Nevertheless, there was hope on the people¡¯s faces. ¡°I respect individual choices. However, different choices will lead to different oues.¡± [Citizen Park Jong-chan¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is now open.] [Citizen Lee Hyuk-jin¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is now open.] ¡­ ¡­ There was an explosion of notifications about trust and loyalty increases for the 101 people. Among them, there were several who surpassed 30 loyalty in one go, meeting the conditions for vassal registration. ¡®Raise the experience and settlement distribution rates to 100% for those here.¡¯ Since the appearance of the ¡®Basic Sry¡¯ skill after the number of citizens exceeded a thousand, the distribution rates for experience and settlement money for all citizens had been adjusted to 0%. Now, these 101 people would grow twice as fast and earn twice as much money as other citizens when hunting monsters. At that moment. -GRAAAHHHHH! The angry shout of the giant shook the heavens and the earth. ¡®It¡¯s started.¡¯ I observed the situation of Team 1, where Oh Eon-ju was, through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. *** Stab! The Cyclops, with a spear stuck in its calf, howled and swung around. Ha Dong-geon grabbed the spear conjured in mid-air and threw it at the giant once again. Wooong¡ª With the attack power increased fivefold due to his skills, the spear prated deep into the Cyclops¡¯ calf. -Graaaah! Having reached level 36 after killing the King Snake at Seomyeon Station and with Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing, Ha Dong-geon was inflicting quite a bit of pain to the giant with his spear throwing. However, that was the limit. His spear throwing couldn¡¯t threaten the giant¡¯s life. The enraged Cyclops locked onto Ha Dong-geon. As their eyes met, Ha Dong-geon quickly moved away. After leaping from the third floor building, he started sprinting at full speed. When Ha Dong-geon disappeared into the forest of buildings, the Cyclops let out a furious roar. -Uraaahhhh! Just as the Cyclops was about to crush the entire maze of buildings. Swoosh! This time, it felt a stinging pain in its Achilles¡¯ heel. -Aaaah! It was a strike made by Oh Eon-ju, who had transformed into her werebear form. Oh Eon-ju licked her lips as she observed the wound on the giant¡¯s Achilles¡¯ heel. ¡®Too shallow.¡¯ It was just a mere scratch on the skin. Despite receiving Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing, the power was insufficient. However, the moment she saw blood oozing from the giant¡¯s wound. ¡°Rahhh!¡± Her eyes turned bloodshot and her muscles swelled. Based on the sharply-increased physical abilities, she rushed in again and swung her ws. Phuck! This time, she could leave a much deeper wound than before. -Graaaah! The Cyclops let out a scream of pain. ¡®One more hit¡­!¡¯ The giant¡¯s Achilles tendon was exposed through the wound. Although she couldn¡¯tpletely sever it, attacking it would effectively limit the giant¡¯s mobility. As Oh Eon-ju prepared to strike again with her ws. Boom! The giant¡¯s foot rose at an incredible speed, and her ws, missing the target, cut through the air. Immediately after. ammm! Falling faster than it went up, the footpletely shattered the ground where Oh Eon-ju had been. ¡°Cough¡­!¡± While she managed to avoid being directly stepped on with agile movements, getting caught in the ensuing turbulence was inevitable. Baaaaang! Her body flew like a shell, smashing through the wall of a building before finallying to a stop. ¡°Groan!¡± As the Cyclops approached to finish Oh Eon-ju. [Hey! You stupid monster!] Kang Deok-su, wearing his shining armor and a spear, taunted the giant. His voice echoed loudly due to the megaphone. The Cyclops¡¯ eye gleamed as it noticed Kang Deok-su holding a shining silver spear, reminding it of Ha Dong-geon who had just thrown spears at him. This time, it was determined not to let him escape. The giant started running towards Kang Deok-su. Kwooong¨D! Having sessfully provoked the Cyclops, Kang Deok-su sprinted at full speed towards the apartment gate. Meanwhile, Kim Da-jeong, who had been hiding nearby and observing the situation, was running towards the building where Oh Eon-ju had been thrown. Having watched this far, I addressed the 101 citizens armed with guns. ¡°Get ready, everyone.¡± The citizens lined up with their guns, swallowing nervously. ¡°G-Gasp!¡± Behind Kang Deok-su, who was running with all his might, a furious Cyclops with an angry face chased after him. Thanks to the Achilles tendon wound created by Oh Eon-ju, the distance between them was not quickly closing. Kwong¨D Thud! ¡®Here ites.¡¯ The role assigned to Team 1 in this operation was ¡°bait.¡± Their role was to lure the giant into the optimal location to deal with it. And Team 1pleted the mission very sessfully. Kwoong! As Kang Deok-su safely entered the protective shield, the enraged Cyclops reached right in front of the main gate. Kim Geon¡¯s crow, Kaman, rushed towards the giant¡¯s eye. -Aaargh! Surprised by the sudden attack on its eye, the giant stopped in ce and stared in the direction Kaman was flying. At that moment. Swooosh¨D Chook! Kim Ga-young, who was waiting on the roof of an apartment near the main gate, released an arrow that pierced through the Cyclops¡¯s hand, urately digging into its only eye. -GRAHHHHHHH! The giant covered its eyes with both hands and leaned its head back, screaming. Its mouth was wide open. Swoosh! Moon Byeong-ho appeared in front of the giant¡¯s mouth, holding a mouse in his hand and threw it down the Cyclops¡¯ throat. ¡®So far, everything¡¯s going ording to n.¡¯ Although Oh Eon-ju¡¯s injury wasn¡¯t part of the n, it was unavoidable. I wanted to hand the finishing blow to her for the sake ofpleting the quest and for the overall benefit. Unfortunately, the giant in front of them wasn¡¯t an opponent they could afford such leisure. ¡®Finish it when we can.¡¯ Seo Ye-jin, sitting next to me, had already connected her senses to the mouse. The target, of course, was the mouse inside the Cyclops¡¯ throat. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes illuminated the giant¡¯s dark esophagus. ¡®Summon gas.¡¯ The gas stored in the warehouse filled the giant¡¯s esophagus and stomach. In the next moment, I imagined thergest possible me as I could in the darkness. Woosh¨D A me bloomed in the darkness. BAAAANNGGG! Bing the starting point of a massive explosion. Chapter 36: Summon Familiar (5) Chapter 36: Summon Familiar (5) [Episode 08] Summon Familiar (5) Rumble rumble¨D Cyclops spewed out thick mes. The mes, initially jetting out straight ahead, soon shot high into the sky. Haaaaa¨D! The surrounding air seemed to warm up, but soon, nothing could be felt. ¡®It¡¯s blocking the air.¡¯ The homebound area had blocked the air that had be excessively hot. The giant that had been spouting out mes for a while knelt to the ground. Thud! Then, in that position, it began to lean forward. The giant¡¯s shadow was gradually turning towards this direction. ¡°Huh? Whattt?!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s falling this way!¡± ¡°Run!!¡± I calmly spoke to the people who were frantically trying to escape. ¡°Stay in your positions.¡± Everything was going almost perfectly as nned. Now, citizens could concentrate their firepower on the fallen giant¡¯s head on the defensive barrier. It was a sure killing. ¡®I hope the finishing touches are done by the vassals.¡¯ It would have been most ideal if Ha Dong-geon or Oh Eon-ju could finish it, but unfortunately, they still hadn¡¯t shown up. Just as I was seriously considering handing a gun to Seo Ye-jin, who was standing right next to me with a knight title, a ck shadow covered me. I thought I would hear the sound of the giant¡¯s body hitting against the defensive barrier. But. ¡°M-Mr. Jaehyun! Behind, behind!!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun, with a pale face, was pointing behind me. ¡®¡­¡¯ By now, I should have heard the sound of the giant¡¯s head hitting the defensive barrier, but there was no sound at all. Feeling uneasy, I slowly looked back. And there. -Arrrrgh ¡®¡­This can¡¯t be.¡¯ The giant was looking straight down at me with red, bloodshot eyes, exhaling dense smoke from its mouth. ¡°Fire! Begin firing! Protect Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± With Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s urgent voice. Bang¨D Bang¨D Guns held by the citizens fired in unison towards the giant¡¯s eye. -Grraaagh! They were impactful hits in their own way. Even though it was just a handgun, guns were still guns, and the concentrated gunfire from over a hundred handguns was quite threatening. The hail of bullets turned the giant¡¯s eyes into a honeb. The Cyclops¡¯ eye seemed to havepletely lost its function. However, this monster had survived a gas explosion from inside its stomach. It wasn¡¯t something that could be ended with a .38 caliber revolver. -Grraaargh¨D! The giant roared in rage, and the once bold sounds of gunfire abruptly stopped. Immediately after, the giant raised its fist. As if to say it was now its turn. ¡®It¡¯sing¡­!¡¯ Was it due to tension? The massive fist dropping down seemed to y out in slow motion. For the first time, a profound fear of impending death crept in. ¡®Can I block it?¡¯ Could my skill withstand that overwhelming fist? I had some confidence, but I wasn¡¯t certain. Among the monsters that had attacked the defensive barrier so far, the strongest was the Kellican at level 28. The shadow of death loomed thicker over my head. ¡®Invisible Hand.¡¯ As a precaution in case of emergencies, I prepared ast resort. ¡®Gigantification.¡¯ Before starting the operation, I had invested the skill point I had saved and acquired a new ability. The invisible hand that protruded from my body instantly transformed into a gigantic form, preparing to block the giant¡¯s fist. And at that moment. KWAAAANGGG!!! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] The defensive barrier perfectly blocked the full-force punch from the Cyclops. ¡®¡­Blocked it!¡¯ The defensive barrier that blocked the giant¡¯s fist didn¡¯t have the slightest tremor. It stood firmly in ce without showing any weakness. Whether the giant was aware or not, it continued to punch in anger. Bang¨D Bang! [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] Each time, a heavy impact sound echoed, but no shock was transmitted into the area. ¡°Woooow!¡± For some reason, the citizens who were watching started to cheer. ¡°Shoot! Fire!¡± Empowered by the solid defense, the citizens regained confidence andunched a counterattack. Dududududu¨D Bullets started hitting the giant¡¯s fists, arms, legs, and body incessantly. -Graaaah! At that moment, Seo Ye-jin said while holding her head. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, what should we do? Should we try again?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll be able to endure at least one more time.¡± I gritted my teeth, watching the giant strike the defensive barrier with clenched fists. ¡°How do I get a rat into its mouth?¡± Perhaps conscious of the rat bomb, the giant kept its mouth firmly shut even whileunching its attack. ¡®There was an impact.¡¯ The sacrifice of the rat and the subsequent gas explosion seemed to have had an effect. Additionally, the continuous gunfire from the citizens was umting wounds on the giant¡¯s body. ¡®If we continue like this, we might be able to hunt it, but¡­¡¯ The monstrous vitality of the giant made it uncertain when it would finally sumb. We needed the means to deliver a decisive blow. Just then. Swoosh! A spear came flying from somewhere, prating through the giant¡¯s side. ¡®They¡¯re here.¡¯ I could see the rest of Team 1, including Ha Dong-geon, arriving. Oh Eon-ju, now healed thanks to Kim Da-jung¡¯s treatment, was also among them. ¡®Summon supply spears.¡¯ I continued to summon supply-type spears to ensure Ha Dong-geon¡¯s free movement. He naturally grabbed a spear from the air and hurled it towards the giant. Fwoosh! -Graaaah! The giant also struggled in irritation, perhaps feeling the spears piercing its body. Pierce! However, whether the giant was annoyed or not, the number of spears piercing its body continued to increase. Then. Shoooo! Thud! Arrows shot from the rooftop of the apartment, piercing the giant¡¯s body in various ces. Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arrows, imbued with piercing, also joined in poking holes in the giant. Everyone was united in their determination to kill the giant when¡­ Ding! [The Three-Legged Crow has leveled up.] [The efficiency of the sr power generator has increased by 100%.] [The sr power generator has reached maximum efficiency.] The notification indicated that Kkami had reached level 10. [The Three-Legged Crow partially unlocks the power of the sun.] [Inherits some of the sun¡¯s power.] [Basic Magic Attribute (Fire) evolves into Intermediate Magic Attribute (Fire).] As with the previous upgrade, knowledge of intermediate fire magic flowed into my mind, increasing my understanding of fire. However, it didn¡¯t end there. [The Three-Legged Crow detects the invasion of enemies in the area.] [The Three-Legged Crow requests the release of power.] [Do you permit?] [Yes/No] ¡®What?¡¯ A strange notification appeared. ¡®Release of power?¡¯ Considering the mention of enemy invasion, it seemed to be referring to the Cyclops. But what was this little guy going to do? ¡®Let¡¯s try.¡¯ At that moment. [300,000,000 won has been consumed.] ¡®Huh? 300 million?¡¯ Simultaneously, light emitted from the sr generators installed in the 13 apartments. The destination of the light was my home. It concentrated on the living room window on the 30th floor. Paaat! After the intense sunlight focused there. Kwaaak! Something enormous burst through my living room window. ¡®That¡­?¡¯ The creature that spread its wings was a crow at least three times bigger than a Kellican. With glossy ck feathers and three legs, it was unmistakably the three-legged crow. ¡®¡­Kkami?¡¯ A giant Kkami was flying towards us. Then, facing the giant, it opened its beak. Ziiiiing¡ª A powerfulser shot from Kkami¡¯s mouth, piercing straight through the giant¡¯s chest. And the next moment. Baaaang! Cyclops¡¯ upper body slid down. Kkami¡¯s strike had split the giant¡¯s body into two. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± The sound of gasps could be heard¡ªit was an unbelievable sight. -Graaaaaagh! The Cyclops, with only its upper body left, iled its two arms as it fell onto the defensive barrier. At that moment. ¡°Raaah!¡± As if she had been waiting for this very moment, the transformed Oh Eon-ju ran onto the fallen giant¡¯s back. Ascending to the Cyclops¡¯ shoulder in an instant, Oh Eon-ju swung her ws at the giant¡¯s neck. Psshhhh! As her ws sliced through the giant¡¯s flesh, blood sprayed, and simultaneously, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s eyes turned red while her body swelled. ¡°Raaaah!¡± Roaring, she continued to deepen the wound on the giant¡¯s neck with her ws. -Graaaah! As the giant raised its hand to push Oh Eon-ju away. ¡®Invisible Hand, Gigantification.¡¯ The erged invisible hand stretched out to block the giant¡¯s hand. Boom! As a result, Oh Eon-ju could focus on attacking the giant¡¯s neck. Rip, rip!¡ª Finally, her ws tore through the Cyclops¡¯ carotid artery. Spray¡ª Blood began to gush from Cyclops¡¯ neck. The giant¡¯s blood poured down against the barrier like a waterfall. [You have hunted Cyclops (Lv. 51).] [You have gained a massive amount of experience points.] [31,925,374,089 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] At the same time 30 billion was deposited. [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] [Skill level has increased.] My level increased by four at once. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Afterwards, I could feel the area expanding along with a dizzying sensation as usual. All of the remaining 12 buildings became part of my domain. As soon as the entireplex was engulfed, a different change urred. ¡®!!!¡¯ If the pain was too severe, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to scream. My current state was exactly like that. As the entire first district was covered, the expanded area underwent an explosive increase in size. Up until now, the homebound area had been expanding along buildings and surfaces, but now it seemed to devour the air too, ultimately forming a dome-like shape. [Congrattions!] [You have dered the area over the entire Apartment Complex 1.] [10,000,000,000 won of construction support funds has been deposited.] As rewards poured in, system notifications sounded, and when the intense pain that felt like my body was about to burst finally subsided, I copsed on the spot. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun, who hade next to me, caught my falling body. ¡°Are you okay?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look good! Let me take you home!¡± ¡°Please, if you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± Choi Hyeong-jun lifted me by holding my back and knees. ¡°¡­¡± Being carried like a princess by him, I thought to myself. ¡®This is a bit¡­¡¯ Embarrassing. ¡°¡­Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Yes? Why? Is there something ufortable?¡± Just as I was about to ask him to lift me normally. -Cheep¡­ A small bundle of feathersnded on my stomach. ¡°You little¡­¡± I can¡¯t believe you spent over 300 million won at once. Furthermore, it was just a single attack. ¡®But that attack was crucial.¡¯ Of course, it went without saying that the 300 million won spent by Kkami was not regrettable at all. After all, the money earned afterward exceeded 30 billion, so that amount was insignificant. ¡®Summon Familiar. Even if its activity is restricted within the homebound area, it¡¯s incredibly cost-effective.¡¯ In addition, the 1 billion won spent summoning it wasn¡¯t a waste either. ¡®Should I fill up all 10 slots?¡¯ Considering the performance, there was no need to hesitate. When I thought so and looked at the Summon Familiar button. ¡°¡­?¡± I doubted my eyes. [Summon Familiar] (10,000,000,000 won) {Deactivated} Why does it look like there¡¯s an extra zero? ¡¯10 billion? Is it really 10 billion?¡¯ Moreover, it waspletely blocked, making it impossible to test. At the moment curses were about to burst out. [Citizen Oh Eon-ju haspleted a quest.] [Quest cost: 324,576,089 won.] There was the sound of Oh Eon-ju¡¯s wish being fulfilled. Chapter 37: Assembly (1) Chapter 37: Assembly (1) [Episode 09] Assembly (1) Lee Joon-hyuk was an Awakener leading a group of survivors near Seomyeon Station. Although his ability was only to create water, it yed a key role in their survival during these extreme conditions. [Footnote: Assuming it means he can¡¯t attack/fight with it.] Thanks to this, the group of survivors he led had a significantly higher survival rate than other groups. However, as time passed, the advantage of having arge number of survivors was turning into a disadvantage. This was because food was being consumed as quickly as the number of people. Including himself, a total of 24 people. The food consumed by 24 adults was more than one could imagine. ¡®Now it¡¯s really reaching its limit.¡¯ Even the hard-fought food obtained by battling monsters in the vicinity was slowly revealing its limits. ¡®I have to leave for somewhere.¡¯ It was when he was thinking that. Rumbleee¡ª The prelude to despair began to sound on a sunny afternoon. Boom, boom¡ª The ground shook with the sound of something copsing. Since they were underground, they could feel it even more severely. ¡®Is it an earthquake?¡¯ At this time, a man hurriedly came down from above, shouting towards him. ¡°Joon-hyuk! Come up here right away!¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Big trouble! I-It¡¯s a m-monster!¡± Seeing the man¡¯s face painted with terror, Lee Joon-hyuk said. ¡°Calm down and guide me. Where should I go?¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± The ground continued to vibrate as the two climbed the stairs. ¡®No, it¡¯s actually getting worse.¡¯ As Lee Joon-hyuk reached the third floor following the man¡¯s guidance, the identity of ¡®it¡¯ began toe into view through the gap between the buildings. ¡°¡­What is that?¡± There was a giant. Due to its towering height tens of meters high, its figure could be seen from anywhere in Seomyeon. The monster was destroying the buildings. ¡°Joon-hyuk. W-What should we do now?¡± Lee Joon-hyuk stared nkly at the monster and replied. ¡°Hyung.¡± [Footnote: Brother/Bro.] ¡°H-H-Huh?¡± ¡°What can we do? Against that thing.¡± The answer was already clear. ¡°Tell everyone to move underground and hide.¡± ¡°What? B-But¡­!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know? There¡¯s nothing we can do, hyung. Just praying that it doesn¡¯te here is the best we can do.¡± When a predator appears, the prey usually has two options. Run away or hide. However, in Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s situation, the choice to run away was not an option. ¡°Or where else can we go? There are goblins and orcs outside. Where would you run away to? If you fight with them and catch the giant¡¯s attention, it¡¯s all over.¡± ¡°W-Well, that¡¯s¡­ I see. I¡¯ll tell them to hide, but what about you?¡± ¡°I will watch where that thing is going.¡± ¡°A-Alright.¡± After sending the man away, Lee Joon-hyuk moved to the rooftop of the building. Once on the rooftop. ¡°Kiieek!¡± A goblin rushed at him. ¡®Were they still around?¡¯ He casually swung a baseball bat at the goblin rushing towards him. Thunk! The goblin died with a single blow. Lee Joon-hyuk was able to easily hunt goblins because he was an Awakener. Once awakened, you would gain a physique different from ordinary people, and the more you hunted, the stronger you became. Now, he had superior physical abilities and sensesparable to athletes. It far exceeded the specs of the average person. ¡®I don¡¯t feel anything when hunting goblins anymore.¡¯ After reaching a certain level, he couldn¡¯t feel that characteristic sense of growth even when hunting goblins. ¡®Does it have to be at least the level of an orc now?¡¯ His party couldn¡¯t feel that unique sense of growth at all. ¡®Maybe only Awakeners can feel it.¡¯ Fortunately, the giant showed no interest in this building and was gradually moving away. Looking at the giant in the distance, he thought. ¡®If I could hunt something like this, I would grow incredibly strong.¡¯ He knew It was just a useless daydream. However, it was inevitable to harbor such ambitions. If he could catch that monster, he knew that his specs would evolve to the next level immediately. Then, it happened. -Graaaaaaaah! The giant let out a scream of agony. ¡®¡­Hm?¡¯ He focused his gaze and found that someone seemed to be fighting against the giant. ¡®Are they insane?¡¯ He never expected someone to actually do what he had only fantasized about. ¡®They must also be an Awakener.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t encountered another awakened individual yet, but he was certain. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have taken a gamble like this. In Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s eyes, it seemed the person was blinded by a greed for experience points and was recklessly putting the group in danger. ¡®A pathetic person who can¡¯t even grasp the limits of their strength¡­¡¯ However. -GRAAAAAH! Something unusual was happening. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Judging by the pained voice of the giant, the ¡°pathetic person¡± seemed to be effectively dealing some damage. ¡®No way? Can they defeat the giant?¡¯ Such expectations were only fleeting. Kwoooong! The giant¡¯s disproportionatelyrge foot turned into a meteor and mmed down onto the ground. Rumbleeee¡ª ¡°Cough!¡± The buildings in the vicinity copsed helplessly, and the vibration even reached Lee Joon-hyuk. He momentarily lost his bnce and almost fell, but thanks to the enhanced physical abilities and reflexes gained as an Awakener, he managed to stay upright. ¡®¡­They must¡¯ve died.¡¯ While mourning for the Awakener with an unknown name who must have died under the giant¡¯s foot. ¡®Hm?¡¯ The giant began moving again. However, the giant¡¯s steps were strangely slower than before. On closer inspection, it seemed to be limping. ¡®What? They dealt damage to that extent?¡¯ It was shocking. How powerful was that Awakener to be able to fight the giant on equal terms? ¡®What on earth¡­¡¯ How powerful must they be? He had thought that he had continuously grown since the day the monsters first appeared, but there was already an Awakener who was capable of fighting a monster like that. ¡®Would it have been possible if I had gained abat-rted ability too?¡¯ No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t imagine himself fighting that monster. However, after that, an even more surprising scene unfolded. Fwoooshh¡ª! ¡°!!!¡± A massive me shot out of the giant¡¯s mouth. The warm air even swept to Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s location. Such a far-reaching fire. ¡®What kind of monster-like ability is that?¡¯ It was clear that it wasn¡¯t the giant¡¯s ability. If it was, there wouldn¡¯t have been such visible signs of damage. That meant that the ability used belonged to another Awakener. Such overwhelming power¡­ ¡®They¡¯re on apletely different level than me.¡¯ Now, the unidentified Awakeners fighting against the giant seemed more like monsters than the giant itself. With a simr level of ability, there would be jealousy andpetitiveness, but this was way beyond that. It was simply astonishing. One remarkable thing was that the giant also endured that massive explosion with its formidable vitality. After a considerable time of pounding the ground with its fists, the giant suddenly¡ª sh! With a brilliant sh of light, its upper body was severed. ¡°!?!?!?! The battle was over, and suddenly, the entire body of the giant began to disappear. ¡°This is insane.¡± Watching the spectacle from start to finish, Lee Joon-hyuk realized something. ¡®It¡¯s them.¡¯ In order to survive in this damned world, he needed to stick close to them. ¡®I have to find them right away.¡¯ With his decision made, Lee Joon-hyuk immediately went underground and persuaded the others. There was no need for a lengthy discussion. ¡°If Joon-hyuk says we should go, then we should.¡± ¡°Of course. Is there anyone opposing Joon-hyuk¡¯s words?¡± ¡°None.¡± It was because the group of survivors he led revolved around him. They knew that they were only able to survive thanks to him, and everyone understood that they had to leave soon anyways to secure food. Above all, those actively supporting Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s decisions were the only ones left. That was because Lee Joon-hyuk didn¡¯t take anyone who opposed his views in the first ce. It might seem cold, but it was a natural choice for the sake of surviving longer. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Surprisingly, the path to the apartmentplex where the giant died wasn¡¯t too dangerous. Perhaps due to the giant¡¯s rampage, there were no monsters in sight. Furthermore, the group of survivors led by Lee Joon-hyuk wasposed of skilled individuals who had experience hunting not only goblins but also orcs. Although Lee Joon-hyuk yed a major role, the fact that each person was capable was crucial. For various reasons, they reached their destination in less than an hour. ¡°Oppa, is it over there?¡± [Footnote: Another word for (Big) Brother.] ¡°I think so.¡± When Lee Joon-hyuk affirmed, a man beside him observed the apartmentplex and shared his appreciation. ¡°Joon-hyuk, there seems to be something as you said. Even though it is a newly builtplex, it looks too clean.¡± However, that wasn¡¯t the only peculiar thing. ¡°Hyung is right. The surroundings are so clean.¡± There were no human or monster corpses to be found. Even traces of blood were nearly nonexistent. It looked as if someone had cleaned up everything. At that moment. ¡°Huh? Look over there, Joon-hyuk.¡± There were about a dozen people where the man pointed. Most of them were well-equipped with orc spears and bows. Their conversation could be faintly heard, but the content seemed unusual. ¡°Wow, I¡¯m really shocked.¡± ¡°Seriously. We almost died while trying to earn some pocket money by goblin hunting. A giant all of a sudden.¡± ¡°What was that giant?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. By the way, how much did you make?¡± ¡°Me? I caught three goblins today, so I made about 10,000 won? I also gained plenty of experience points. I should go buy some cup noodles.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I only caught two.¡± He could understand what they meant by gaining experience points by hunting goblins. It perfectly matched the sensations Lee Joon-hyuk felt. ¡®But what¡¯s with the money?¡¯ Catching three goblins and earning 10,000 won? What was that about? What the hell did that mean? He didn¡¯t understand. ¡®No, wait. Since they¡¯re talking about gaining experience points, does that mean that they¡¯re all Awakeners?¡¯ In Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s group, that sensation was exclusive to him as an Awakener. However, everyone in that group seemed to be knowledgeable about it. ¡®What¡¯s more, what is this strange feeling?¡¯ There wasn¡¯t a hint of tension from them. No fear of monsters, no desperation for survival. That was why he was sure there must be some connection between them and the Awakener who killed the giant.¡¯ ¡°Joon-hyuk, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hyung, hyung.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow them.¡± As they were about to follow them into the apartmentplex. Bang! ¡°What?¡± An invisible barrier suddenly blocked their way. [Entry not allowed.] And then. [Would you like to obtain citizenship?] [Yes / No] Strange characters appeared in front of them. ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± ¡°Joon-hyuk, what should we do? It seems we need to obtain citizenship to enter.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk, staring at these characters in the air, spoke. ¡°Yes.¡± Ding! [You have obtained citizenship.] After receiving it, the transparent barrier disappeared, allowing them to enter the apartmentplex. Soon after. ¡¶Party Quest¡· Quest Details: Come to 114-3002. Time Limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: None. Once again, a hologram window appeared in front of them. ¡°A quest?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the experience points again?¡± Lee Joon-hyuk said to the group. ¡°Since they¡¯re calling, let¡¯s go.¡± There was no need to worry too much about what was happening. Lee Joon-hyuk himself possessed a superpower to create water from nothing, so it wasn¡¯t strange for someone to have a game-like system ability. Leading his group of 23 people, he headed towards the quest area. ¡°Wee, Mr. Lee Joon-hyuk.¡± The moment he faced him, he instinctively knew. ¡®It¡¯s him.¡¯ The man who made the giant kneel before him. The overwhelming presence of the man in front of him made him think that the term ¡®giant¡¯ suited this person even more than the physicallyrge giant. ¡°I am Kim Jae-hyun.¡± He had the illusion that something like an aura was emanating from his whole body. The dignity embedded in his gestures and speech instinctively evoked a sense of respect. Perhaps, the past social sses of aristocrats, nobles, and royalty were made for such people. Lee Joon-hyuk shook hands with Kim Jae-hyun and bowed at a 90 degree angle. ¡°I¡¯m Lee Joon-hyuk! Pleased to meet you!¡± Chapter 38: Assembly (2) Chapter 38: Assembly (2) [Episode 09] Assembly (2) I looked at Lee Joon-hyuk who bowed his head and checked his citizen information. ¡ºName: Lee Joon-hyuk (Lv. 33) Trust: 48 Awakening Ability: Water Creation Experience Distribution Rate: 0% (+100%) Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% (+100%) ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» Water Creation (Grade B) Consume mental power to create water. Interestingly, he had a high level for his ability grade. Considering that Seo Ye-jin was level 31, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s level could be considered quite high. ¡®And his awakening ability grade is even lower than Seo Ye-jin¡¯s.¡¯ Since it was a Grade B ability, it¡¯s likely that he started around level 25. That means he had leveled up eight times since awakening, indicating that he¡¯s hunted a lot of monsters. He didn¡¯t seem to have any major personality ws. ¡®I think I can trust him.¡¯ With such a high initial trust, he seemed likely to meet the conditions for vassal registration soon. ¡°How many people are in the group?¡± ¡°Including me, there are 24 of us.¡± ¡°Alright. Then I¡¯ll give you three rooms. Room 1802 is for you, and rooms 1501 and 1302 are for the others.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk raised his head in surprise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll provide electricity, water, and gas, so go take a shower first.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. You say you¡¯re giving us a house?¡± ¡°Yes. Because you have that much value.¡± [Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] The praise brought a quick response. ¡°Thank you. We¡¯ll do our best!¡± The other people who stood awkwardly behind Lee Joon-hyuk also bowed their heads and thanked him. ¡°We¡¯ll do our best too! Please give us some orders, we can handle a goblin or two!¡± There was something strange about their words. Considering that his level was only 9, albeit rtively high, it was still average. ¡®If they¡¯ve been hunting, then shouldn¡¯t they have a higher level?¡¯ I asked. ¡°Have you hunted goblins before?¡± He confidently replied. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve probably killed goblins in the triple digits by now.¡± Then it was even more strange. Since acquiring Basic Sry, just hunting a few goblins would quickly propel them to level 10. If he had hunted so many goblins, he should have reached at least the early 10s in level. ¡°Is it the same for the rest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some differences, but most, regardless of gender, have probably hunted dozens of goblins. That guy over there has even in orcs.¡± Yet, the levels of the others were all modest. Although there were some that were over level 10, they all had sturdy physiques from exercise. Considering that most fit people were around level 10, it meant that despite hunting numerous goblins, their levels hadn¡¯t increased much. ¡®Is leveling up something only Awakeners can do?¡¯ It was a newly-discovered fact. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t gain experience even if they hunted monsters. It wasn¡¯t known until now since there were only a few cases of people hunting monsters before obtaining citizenship. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party or Oh Eon-ju, for example. ¡®So gaining citizenship enables growth.¡¯ In essence, obtaining citizenship alone was simr to awakening. ¡®My abilities are greater than I thought.¡¯ The citizen limit was currently 19,000. Meaning I could cultivate 19,000 pseudo-awakeners. I addressed Lee Joon-hyuk. ¡°Is what he said true?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s mostly factual, albeit a bit exaggerated.¡± ¡°Hey! When did I¡­!¡± I was purely in awe. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± I said to them. ¡°Please actively participate in monster hunting. The money you earn from hunting can be used at the shop on the 1st floor. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to register for the gym on the 2nd floor.¡± The reaction of the people hearing my words was the same. ¡°Huh?¡± It seemed like they didn¡¯t grasp the concept of earning money by hunting monsters at all. I already knew that before obtaining citizenship, you couldn¡¯t earn money by hunting monsters, thanks to conversations with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. There were also no notifications popping up when hunting either. Exining all of that to them one by one would take too much time. With a wry smile, I said, ¡°Go to the 21st floor and find Kim Dabin. Tell her I sent you, and she¡¯ll kindly exin everything. And¡­¡± I bought gifts for them from the store. Instant noodles, Choco Pie, c, snacks, and more. Then I summoned 10 sets of bows and arrows and 10 spears. Ziing¨D ¡°This is my humble gift.¡± Hoping they would perform to my expectations. [Citizen Lee Hyun-chan¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Cha Jung-hyun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Jang Jin-young¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ji-tae¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡­ ¡­ After sending them off, I went back into the house. ¡°Si-woo, is it delicious?¡± There was Oh Eon-ju, looking at her son with a happy expression. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s delicious!¡± There was a sumptuous meal prepared in front of the child who looked about five years old. Sausage stir-fry, spam, fried eggs, warm rice, and seaweed soup wereid out. ¡°Mom, whose birthday is it?¡± ¡°Huh? No one¡¯s.¡± ¡°But why is there seaweed soup?¡± ¡°Because Si-woo likes it.¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s so good!¡± Watching Si-woo eat the lovingly prepared meal, Oh Eon-ju had a happy smile on her face. ¡°Is it really delicious?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Si-woo spotted me returning to the living room, he pointed at me with his spoon and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s the magician uncle!¡± I chuckled and waved at him before taking a seat at the table. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°Oh no, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to Si-woo, I get to enjoy such a delicious meal.¡± The resurrected Si-woo couldn¡¯t venture beyond my house. Just like me before the area expanded from leveling up. That was why Oh Eon-ju was here in my house. ¡°Thank you for the meal!¡± After Si-woo finished his meal and dashed over to the sofa, he called for Kkami. ¡°Chirp, chirp,e here!¡± -Cheep As Si-woo approached, Kkami let out a soft sigh and nestled into Si-woo¡¯s embrace. This was because I had instructed Kkami toply with Si-woo¡¯s wishes if possible. Si-woo gently stroked Kkami and said to Oh Eon-ju. ¡°Mom! Please y Godzi!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Normally, Si-woo¡¯s request wouldn¡¯t be feasible. All TV channels had ended, and without inte ess, it was impossible to watch reys on IPTV. But Oh Eon-ju¡¯s house had aputer stored with Godzi videos. She had transferred it to my house and connected it to the TV. [Stegosaurus, the Moving Rock!] Si-woo liked the cartoon, it waspletely downloaded. Watching Si-woo engrossed in the TV, I cautiously broached the topic with Oh Eon-ju. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? What for?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t leave from here. I hadn¡¯t anticipated this.¡± Oh Eon-ju smiled gently in response. ¡°Just being together like this is enough. It¡¯s actually better this way. It would be best if this news didn¡¯t spread.¡± There was no trace of the anger that had always filled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m so satisfied right now. I want to devote my life to you, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Oh Eon-ju¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Oh Eon-ju is already registered as a vassal.] [The limit for vassal registration has increased.] ¡°¡­¡± Even without the system notification, her loyalty was evident in her expression and attitude. Oh Eon-ju waited until I finished eating before approaching her son after washing the dishes. ¡°Si-woo, can Mom watch with you?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She pressed her lips to her son¡¯s head and stayed quietly by his side for a while. Seeing that scene, I suddenly thought of my mother. How is my family doing? ¡®Don¡¯t be anxious.¡¯ It was only a day. To secure this one day, how had Oh Eon-ju been crazily carrying out her missions? I could understand. ¡®Anyway, Ye-jin¡¯s mouse is heading to my parent¡¯s house.¡¯ Although we had some trouble passing through the area near Busan Station which was destroyed by the giant, we were now safely heading towards Jagalchi. ¡®Once the mouse arrives at their house, it can deliver necessary items to my family.¡¯ It could provide food or water, and even hand over weapons like guns. I could even send a message written on a piece of paper using the warehouse skill to let them know I was safe. It was while I was keeping my eyes fixed on the mouse that shared sensory information with Ye-jin when it happened. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] ¡®Again.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Lee Joon-hyuk and his group. Survivors had been gathering in the apartmentplex since we hunted the giant. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has approached the area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] This time, it was six men and women who seemed to be a family. ¡®Offer citizenship.¡¯ I checked with anticipation since there was Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s case today, but there were no awakeners this time. ¡®I¡¯ll tell them to go find Kim Dabin.¡¯ Since there were no awakeners, there was no need to give quests to increase trust and loyalty like with Lee Joon-hyuk. Time flew by, and it was already time to go to bed. ¡°Oh Eon-ju, you can sleep in the bedroom with Si-woo.¡± ¡°No, we can sleep outside¡­¡± ¡°No, sleepfortably with Si-woo. It¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for the consideration.¡± With that, I forcibly ushered them into the bedroom andy down on the sofa. As Iy on the sofa, I heard a luby seeping through the partially closed door. Listening to it made my eyelids grow heavy. That day, I fell asleep like that. The next day passed uneventfully. Oh Eon-ju ate the meal she prepared with Si-woo and watched his favorite cartoons together. Si-woo loved Kkami, while Kkami found Si-woo annoying as he hindered its sunbathing. Oh Eon-ju and Si-woo took a nap together and yed with the toys I bought from the store. Time passed without waiting for even a single moment. It was just one day. The time I could give to Oh Eon-ju and Si-woo. The appointed time passed quickly, and before I knew it, the moment of farewell was approaching. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crying, honey.¡± Oh Eon-ju held her son in her arms and cried endlessly. ¡°But you are crying.¡± With a genuinely curious expression, Si-woo raised his hand to gently stroke his mother¡¯s face. Wiping away Oh Eon-ju¡¯s tears, Si-woo said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Mom.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Si-woo¡­¡± Was that the catalyst? As if all her suppressed emotions had exploded, tears poured out of Oh Eon-ju. ¡°Heuk¡­ Mom¡­ is scared.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared of a world without my son¡­¡± Oh Eon-ju held Si-woo as tightly as possible, making sure he wouldn¡¯t get hurt. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Tears continued to flow from her face. Carefully removing her trembling hands from Si-woo, her voice continued to break. It was painful to watch her unable to control herself and feeling regretful for the passing time. At that moment, Si-woo hugged Oh Eon-ju with his short, tiny arms. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m here. I won¡¯t go anywhere.¡± With a warm voice, Si-woo tried to reassure his mother. ¡°Sob¡­¡± Oh Eon-ju copsed. ¡°Mom, I love you.¡± ¡°I love you too, Mom loves Si-woo too. Si-woo, Mom is¡­¡± At that moment, the promised time arrived. Si-woo¡¯s body gradually became blurry, and his voice faded. Was the child aware of something as he smiled at his mother? ¡°Bye, Mom.¡± And that was the end. ¡°Si-woo, Si-woo! Si-woo!¡± Si-woo was gone. ¡°Sob¡­ ohh¡­¡± For a long time, Oh Eon-ju mourned and cried until the warmth left behindpletely disappeared. Hope. Hope is a flower that blooms only in despair. That was why those who had hope would always find themselves in the midst of despair. To the point of cruelty. ¡°Don¡¯t despair. This isn¡¯t the end.¡± I breathed hope into her once again. ¡°Sniff¡­ Is that true?¡± Oh Eon-ju looked up at me with tear-stained eyes. I nodded slowly. Like a devil¡¯s temptation, Oh Eon-ju listened. ¡°Whenever there¡¯s a chance.¡± [Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust has increased.] [Oh Eon-ju¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [Obtained ¡®Primordial Vitality.¡¯] Out on vacation next week, resuming 3/11. Chapter 39: Assembly (3) Chapter 39: Assembly (3) [Episode 09] Assembly (3) ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Baek Sung-yeop had been in a bad mood since yesterday. ¡®Gone!¡¯ Upon waking up, he found that the supply spear he had received from Kim Jae-hyun and the orc spear he had luckily obtained were missing. Furthermore, his hard-earned wealth was confiscated. Upon waking up, the money he had diligently saved up had disappeared. He wasn¡¯t the only one who experienced that. ¡°Yours is gone too?¡± ¡°Yeah. When I woke up, it was all gone.¡± The weapons and money of the twins, Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon, were also inexplicably missing. Moon Ji-hoon spoke in an irritated voice. ¡°I found out that quite a few people have experienced this. But you know what¡¯smon among them, including us?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t show up when they called for military personnel at the main gate, damn it. Even the guys who went and came back seemed fine.¡± Sighing heavily beside him, Moon Sang-hoon expressed regret. ¡°Ah, we should¡¯ve just gone back then.¡± Hearing that, Baek Sung-yeop immediately grabbed Moon Sang-hoon by the cor and yelled. ¡°Are you ming me?! Huh?!¡± ¡°N-No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± ¡°You bastards agreed too! You said those who follow such orders are idiots. Isn¡¯t that right?!¡± Terrified, Moon Sang-hoon responded. ¡°Y-Yeah, you¡¯re right. Sorry, Seung-yeop.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Baek Sung-yeop clicked his tongue and released Moon Sang-hoon¡¯s cor. He knew it too. It was undoubtedly Kim Jae-hyun who had taken the weapons from them. Even so, he couldn¡¯t get mad at him. They were in the wrong to begin with, so the other side was justified. But honestly, it was because Baek Sung-yeop was afraid of Kim Jae-hyun. ¡®I might get expelled.¡¯ There was one case like that. ording to rumors, someone who got caught trying to touch a minor was expelled on the spot. That criminal waster found dead on the streets, killed by goblins. ¡®If I resist, I might end up like that too.¡¯ In fact, being expelled was practically a death sentence, so he couldn¡¯t even imagine confronting him. Thus, he ended up taking it out on the twin brothers. ¡®Dammit, we should¡¯ve just run out of theplex altogether instead of hiding in the underground parking lot.¡¯ Although it wasn¡¯t confirmed yet, he heard that those who were out hunting when the giant appeared didn¡¯t receive any punishment. If they had fled outside the apartmentplex instead of hiding in the underground parking lot when the giants attacked, he might have escaped punishment as well. ¡®This sucks.¡¯ What made him even angrier was his younger brother, Baek Sung-min, who willingly responded to the call and even received a gun from Kim Jae-hyun. Although he honestly wanted to steal the gun right away, he dared noty a finger on anything directly provided by Kim Jae-hyun for fear of the consequences. Now he found himself having to watch his back even around his own brother. ¡°Sigh. How did ite to this?¡± However, Baek Sung-yeop still didn¡¯t know. What he had experienced so far was just the beginning. He had no idea what treatment the people who werebeled as to be ¡®punished¡¯ by Kim Jae-hyun would receive in the survivor groupter on. Furthermore. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Hunt Goblins (0/20) Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points Failure Penalty: Extreme pain for 1 minute ¡®¡­What¡¯s this again? Extreme pain?¡¯ He still didn¡¯t know what responsibilities they would have to bear in order to live within this safe zone in the future. *** Primordial Vitality. It was one of the A-grade skills Oh Eon-ju possessed, an ability to increase the regeneration rate in proportion to the number of the injuries. ¡®Gaining a skill possessed by a vassal for 100 trust was unexpected.¡¯ At the moment, this skill wasn¡¯t particrly helpful. Since I wouldn¡¯t engage much inbat and couldn¡¯t go outside, I would hardly ever get hurt. However, the fact that I obtained a skill as a reward for 100 trust was noteworthy. ¡®Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust is close to 100. If I were to get Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s awakening ability¡­¡¯ Teleportation. It was a skill that allowed movement to a location with clear visibility. ¡®What if I activate the outpost and then used teleport with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes?¡¯ In theory, if I had enough mental strength, it would be possible to move to that location. ¡®I should strengthen my mental strength.¡¯ In the future, rather than skill proficiency, it seemed more appropriate to give mental strength enhancement as a quest reward. That way, I could strengthen my own mental strength through daily quest rewards. At that time, Oh Eon-ju, who had stopped crying, spoke with a determined expression. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, please send me now. I will go save your family members.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes. I know that the operation should have started yesterday, but it was dyed because of me. Thank you for generously giving me this precious time. I want to repay your kindness.¡± I was grateful that she understood my thoughts, but I felt a bit embarrassed at the same time. ¡°Did I show signs of impatience?¡± ¡°No, I just thought that I would have been impatient if I were in Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s shoes. After all, everyone considers their family to be the most important.¡± Although it was an imperfect method, perhaps thanks to meeting Si-woo once, instead of the raging anger, firm trust was evident in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s why I know how valuable the day you¡¯ve given me is. Thank you once again.¡± Oh Eon-ju¡¯s heartfelt gratitude brought a smile to my face. ¡°Thank you for understanding. Then please wait with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party in room 2901. I¡¯ll be down shortly.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was a reason they weren¡¯t sent off immediately to Seomyeon Station. ¡®Part of the Seomyeon Station tracks copsed due to the giant.¡¯ Not only the subway tracks but also most of the underground area of Seomyeon Station was in ruins. It was natural considering the rampage of that colossus. ¡®We¡¯ll need to find a new route.¡¯ For this purpose, Seo Ye-jin had been diligently guiding the mice since yesterday. Thanks to the whole day of exploration, they had roughly secured a route. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ When I changed to Seo Ye-jin¡¯s vision, it immediately shifted to the mouse she was currently sharing sensory information with. ¡®Hm?¡¯ Something seemed off about the mouse¡¯s condition. -Squeak! It was fleeing as if being chased by something, and its size seemedrger than an average small dog. ¡¸Tamed Giant Mouse (Lv. 7)¡¹ To my surprise, even the name of the mouse was changed. ¡®It¡¯s evolved.¡¯ Among the newly-acquired abilities Seo Ye-jin received upon bing a vassal, there was one called Evolution. It seemed to be the influence of that skill. ¡°Roaaarrr!¡± There was something vigorously chasing the evolved giant mouse. Bodies covered in blood, unfocused eyes, limp limbs, they resembled walking corpses. ¡¸Zombie (Lv. 11)¡¹¡¸Zombie (Lv. 13)¡¹¡¸Zombie (Lv. 11)¡¹¡¸Zombie (Lv. 9)¡¹¡¸Zombie (Lv. 9)¡¹ Dozens of zombies were chasing after the mouse. -Squeak! Zombies swarmed in from all directions, forming a siege around the mouse. The mouse stopped and looked around. With the zombies tightly crowding in, there seemed to be nowhere to escape. If it were smaller, it might have been able to rely on the darkness to escape, but since it evolved, there was no apparent ce to flee. It was ironic. ¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯ Just as I was considering using a gas explosion to wipe out the zombies rather than let the mouse die meaninglessly¡­ The giant mouse, which had stopped, suddenly began to sprint toward the zombies at full speed. I wondered if it was attempting to attack as ast resort, but it swiftly wriggled its way through the legs of the zombies and broke through the encirclement. ¡®Oh.¡¯ It happened to be in the direction the exit was located, and the giant mouse ran hard up the stairs. There. [5 Nampo] A sign with 5 Nampo written on it could be seen. ¡®No wonder why it felt familiar.¡¯ It was too dark to recognize at first, but this was where the Lotte Department Store Gwangbok was located. ¡®So that¡¯s why there were so many zombies.¡¯ It was a Saturday weekend. The department store must have been crowded, and if zombies appeared, they would have spread quickly. There would have been plenty of people in the underground shopping arcade too, so a major disaster must¡¯ve urred. ¡®Given that it abandoned the route to Jagalchi Station and came up here, the situation with the subway tracks must be simr.¡¯ Just as I was seriously considering giving up on the route leading from Beomil Station to Jagalchi Station. -Squeeakk! A monster appeared in front of the giant mouse. With smooth skin and menacing teeth. It was¡­ a shark. ¡¸Land Shark (Lv. 23)¡¹ Snap! The giant mouse fell prey to thend shark¡¯s teeth without a chance to react. Along with it, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes was forcibly closed. ¡®¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a particrly auspicious sign. The distance from Nampo Station, where the department store was located, to my parent¡¯s house was only a few kilometers. However, the fact that such dangerous creatures were roaming around meant that there was a high possibility of simr monsters being near their home. ¡®I need to hurry.¡¯ I made my way to Room 2901 after stopping by Room 2402 to pick up Seo Ye-jin. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Seo Ye-jin.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and Seo Ye-jin exchanged greetings; it was the first time they formally introduced themselves to each other. There hadn¡¯t been any opportunities before this due to one unexpected event after another. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Ha Dong-geon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kim Ga-young!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Oh Eon-ju. Nice to meet you.¡± They quickly bonded with each other since they knew that Seo Ye-jin was able to control mice. In particr, Kang Deok-su showed great interest in Seo Ye-jin. ¡°I¡¯m Kang Deok-su! Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very pretty!¡± ¡°T-Thank you.¡± After exchanging greetings, I addressed them. ¡°Let¡¯s start the operation briefing. As you all know, due to the appearance of the giant, it¡¯s be difficult to pass through Seomyeon Station.¡± Seomyeon Station waspletely devastated by the giant¡¯s footsteps. ¡°However, it¡¯s a shame to give up the subway tracks altogether.¡± While the area near Seomyeon Station was in ruins, the route from Beomnaegol to Choryang Station was still intact. Using Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice to check, it was determined that monsters hadn¡¯t settled into that area yet, making it possible to pass through freely. ¡°Therefore, our first goal is to clear the route to Beomnaegol Station.¡± I looked at Seo Ye-jin as I said this. ¡°From here on, Ms. Seo Ye-jin will exin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Ye-jin took out a neatly folded A4 paper from her bag and spread it out on the living room floor. It was a map drawn by Seo Ye-jin. Kang Deok-suplimented her enthusiastically. ¡°Wow, you drew so well!¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Strange. It seemed just a bit better than elementary school vacation homework to me. In any case, Seo Ye-jin continued her exnation, pointing to the map. ¡°Here is the apartment where we are located. This is Jeonpo Station, and here is our destination, Beomnaegol Station. The rmended route is to follow along this main road.¡± There were rtively fewer monsters along the main road. Even if encountered, they could be fully prepared as they¡¯ve anticipated in advance. ¡®And now, most monsters won¡¯t pose a significant threat to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party.¡¯ Beforeunching the giant hunt, I raised the levels of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to the max by pouring money. It was to make facing the giant the slightest bit easier. Thanks to that, everyone had reached level 30. Now, only Choi Hyeong-jun and Yoo Hye-rin had levels lower than 30 among the vassals. ¡°Before reaching Beomnaegol Station, the spot we need to be cautious about is here. There are orcs operating around Homeplus, with an estimated size of at least five hundred.¡± When Seo Ye-jin mentioned this, Ha Dong-geon asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it unnecessary to engage with them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our goal is to enter Beomnaegol Station and use the subway tracks anyway.¡± ¡°There might be monsters at Beomnaegol Station as well.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s observation was correct. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Even though there are quite a few of them, they¡¯re just goblins, so you can quickly clear out the ones you run into and make your way into the concourse.¡± Seo Ye-jin continued her exnation and pointed to the map. ¡°Once you enter the subway tracks, you should be able to reach Choryang Station without any hindrance. The problem arises at the next station, Busan Station.¡± Kang Deok-su, hearing about Busan Station was partially destroyed by a giant, trembled and asked. ¡°D-Does that mean there¡¯s a giant at Busan Station too?¡± ¡°No, there are only traces left behind by the giant; it seems like the giant has already left. I think it¡¯s the same one that came to our apartment yesterday.¡± ¡°Well then, that¡¯s a relief.¡± The tense expressions loosened as Seo Ye-jin exined. ¡°Anyway, Busan Station, like Seomyeon Station, is destroyed, so after getting off at Choryang Station, you¡¯ll need to cross over from above. You don¡¯t have to worry too much about the area near Busan Station. There are hardly any monsters, probably because of the giant¡¯s presence. But from there on, it would be better to find a different route than the subway tracks.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There are a huge number of zombies inside the tracks. You¡¯ll probably waste a considerable amount of time dealing with them.¡± Seo Ye-jin muttered with a dark expression. ¡°Unless you have the ability to exterminate monsters in confined spaces, this route won¡¯t be a good choice.¡± Everyone in Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party looked at one ce at her words. ¡°Huh?¡± Suddenly receiving everyone¡¯s attention, Yoo Hye-rin stuttered in confusion. ¡°I-I mean, I¡¯ve decided not to go outside anymore¡­¡± Seeing the disappointed expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, Yoo Hye-rin quickly changed her words. ¡°¡­That¡¯s what I said, but Seo Ye-jin ssi.¡± Yoo Hye-rin said in a trembling voice. ¡°I-I think¡­ my ability might be able to help¡­¡± Chapter 40: Assembly (4) Chapter 40: Assembly (4) [Episode 09] Assembly (4) From yesterday until today, Kim Dabin had been busy without a moment¡¯s rest. After receiving the position of team leader, she hired fourteen individuals she had been keeping an eye on. Including Yoo Hye-rin, whom Kim Jae-hyun personally introduced, they began running the team of fifteen members. Tasks such as managing and supervising themon facilities and cleaning were quickly taught, and with people delegated across the three public facilities, the workload became much more manageable. Just when she thought she could catch her breath, yesterday a giant appeared, triggering an emergency, and since then, neers had been pouring in and bugging her. ¡°There are six of you, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You can head to Room 503 in Building 113.¡± Kim Dabin calcted inwardly as she watched them leave. ¡®That makes 49 people in Room 503. Can I squeeze in a few more? It¡¯s risky.¡¯ The neers were all being amodated in themunal spaces. In fact, calling itmunal space was misleading; it was more like a refugee shelter now. Dozens of people slept in cramped narrow rooms, barely able to stretch their legs. That¡¯s when it happened. ¡°Dabin! We¡¯ve finished cleaning the 6th floor!¡± Choi Hyeong-jun came to her to report. It was perfect timing. Room 503 was about to explode anyway. ¡°Good job. Now please organize the 4th, 6th, and 7th floors of Building 110.¡± ¡°Building 110. 4th, 6th, and 7th floors. Got it! Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you too.¡± Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s role was a sort of cleaning duty. Furniture and unnecessary items were cleared away so that it could amodate as many people as possible. As someone who had great strength, he was able to tidy up efficiently even by himself. ??¨D [21st floor.] [Door opens.] As soon as Choi Hyeong-jun left, the elevator arrived and people streamed out. Their behavior of constantly looking around indicated that they were neers who hade from outside the apartmentplex. ¡°Excuse me. Is Kim Dabin here?¡± As expected. ¡°It¡¯s me. Are you new here?¡± ¡°Yes. Actually, we were supposed toe yesterday, but we¡¯rete since we took a shower and had some food first.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­¡± How could neers be able to wash up and eat? Then, Kim Dabin noticed the weapons they were carrying. They were armed with orc spears and bows. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ Quick to catch on, Kim Dabin immediately asked the man who seemed to be the leader. ¡°Have you met Mr. Jae-hyun?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Mr. Jae-hyun asked us to ask you if we have any questions¡­¡± The fact that they met Mr. Jae-hyun before her meant that Mr. Jae-hyun valued them. Grasping this, Kim Dabin put on a business-like smile and asked. ¡°What questions do you have?¡± ¡°We heard that we get paid for killing monsters. What does that mean?¡± ¡°Exactly as it sounds. When you kill monsters, you earn money, kind of like a currency. You can use it to buy food, equipment, and resources like electricity and gas. It¡¯s best to experience it yourself, and since you have equipment already, why not go outside and try hunting monsters?¡± Although the man nodded, he didn¡¯t leave. Kim Dabin, who wanted to rest for a moment after sending him off, asked, ¡°Do you have any more questions?¡± ¡°I heard there¡¯s a convenience store¡­¡± ¡°As the name suggests, it¡¯s a store that sells items. But as for what¡¯s special about it¡­ should I say it¡¯s state-of-the-art? When you order something, the item is instantly created in front of you. It¡¯s kind of like a kiosk? It¡¯s on the first floor, so I rmend going there to use the money you earn from killing monsters.¡± ¡°Hm, I see.¡± It seemed like the man didn¡¯t intend to leave anytime soon. Looking at Kim Dabin, he suddenly extended his hand and introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Lee Joon-hyuk. Nice to meet you, Ms. Dabin.¡± Having received too much attention from men throughout her life, Kim Dabin could immediately read Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s thoughts. ¡®He just wants to hold my hand somehow. Anyway, his poprity¡­¡¯ Pretending not to notice, she shook his hand and replied, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kim Dabin.¡± ¡°Haha. I feel like I had another question¡­¡± As Lee Joon-hyuk continued to speak while holding Kim Dabin¡¯s hand, a sharp voice came from behind. ¡°Joon-hyuk oppa, let¡¯s go monster hunting. It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°Oh? Oh, right.¡± Kim Dabin inwardly thanked the woman, who was ring at her with sharp eyes. ¡®They¡¯re finally leaving.¡¯ Just as she was about to sit down for a moment and rest her eyes¡­ ¡°Excuse me. I was told to find Kim Dabin.¡± When Kim Dabin opened her eyes, she found a family of four this time. ¡°Haa¡­¡± After sighing, she called out to them, ¡°Pleasee this way!¡± It was in the midst of this busy work. ¡°Team Leader Kim.¡± ¡°Oh! Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work.¡± Kim Jae-hyun came to see her. ¡°No problem? I am getting paid to do this job.¡± ¡°Thank you for thinking that way. Are there any shortages?¡± ¡°Currently, it¡¯s still quite sufficient, but if people continue toe in at this rate, we might run out soon.¡± Kim Jae-hyun summoned a note from the air and handed it to Kim Dabin. ¡°Here¡¯s a list of new households that can be used asmunal facilities.¡± There were over 50 units listed on there. Kim Dabin widened her eyes and replied. ¡°This shouldst for a while!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. And¡­¡± Feeling a sense of unease from Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s apologetic expression, Kim Dabin urged him, ¡°Please feel free to speak, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to borrow Yoo Hye-rin for two days.¡± ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Yoo Hye-rin was the one among her team members who had taken over the most work. Basically, Yoo Hye-rin was the only one who could rece Kim Dabin¡¯s role. ¡®That means¡­¡¯ Kim Dabin¡¯s face turned white as she realized the impact on her schedule. With a calm smile, Kim Jae-hyun uttered words more ruthless than anyone else. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving it to you for the next two days, Team Leader Kim.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Of course!¡± Kim Dabin pondered seriously for a moment. Then, with a determined expression, she called out to him. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Would it be possible to add a night shift allowance?¡± Kim Jae-hyun readily nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll double it for you.¡± *** After finishing my showdown with Kim Dabin and returning, Yoo Hye-rin and Seo Ye-jin were waiting for me. Yoo Hye-rin, who had been sprawled on the sofa, suddenly stiffened with tension as I entered. ¡°Have you been resting well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Shall we start again?¡± Yoo Hye-rin got up from the sofa and raised both hands into the air. Then, purple poisonous mist began to gather in the air. ¡®Warehouse storage, Poison Mist.¡¯ Since the warehouse could hold up to 100kg, more gas than expected had been stored, draining Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s mental strength. At a nce, Yoo Hye-rin looked extremely exhausted. ¡®It won¡¯t do.¡¯ I immediately opened the management window and increased Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s level. It required 50 million won, but it was not a waste at all. After all, I was a billionaire now. With her level rising from 25 to 30, Yoo Hye-rin was the first to notice the change, blinking in surprise. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I feel like I¡¯m suddenly gaining strength.¡± The speed of poison mist generation was now twice as fast as before. ¡®Good.¡¯ There was a clear improvement in both her mental strength and skill proficiency. [Storage capacity exceeded.] ¡°That¡¯s enough. You can stop creating it now.¡± ¡°Oh, okay!¡± The remaining purple mist in the air gradually faded and disappeared following Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s will. ¡°But is it really okay if I don¡¯t go myself?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s enough as long as you keep producing Poison Mist here.¡± Afterpleting the preparatory work, I told Seo Ye-jin. ¡°Now, please start.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± As Seo Ye-jin adjusted her posture and started sensory sharing, I saw a dim underground basement through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. The thick darkness was filled with the sound of rotting corpses and the eerie sound of wind rushing out of lungs. This was the central station tform overrun by zombies. ¡°Open the warehouse.¡± Swoosh¨D As poison mist began to spew out from the warehouse, a mouse darted across the tracks. ¡¸Tamed Mouse (Lv. 3)¡¹ Behind the small, unevolved mouse, purple poison mist was being dispersed. ¡°Graargh!¡± ¡°Aaagghh!¡± Excited by the sound of poison mist spewing out, the zombies began to rush forward. However¡­ ¡°Grrr¨D!¡± The moment the zombies inhaled Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s Poison Mist, their movements noticeably slowed. Poison Mist inherently had the function of paralysis. When inhaled, this poison initially slows down movements, eventually causing the body to copse, unable to move. Then, it progresses to a lethal type of paralysis poison that induces suffocation by paralyzing the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. The zombies who inhaled the Poison Mist soon began to fall one by one with gasping sounds. ¡®Good. At least paralysis works for now.¡¯ Initially, I was concerned whether Poison Mist would work on corpses, but fortunately, there were no issues in paralyzing them. However, even after a long time passed, the zombies didn¡¯t die. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Zombies were already dead bodies. They wouldn¡¯t die just because they couldn¡¯t breathe for a while. But simply paralyzing their muscles was huge. This was where n B came into y. ¡°Ye-jin, please.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The army of mice hiding in the darkness jumped out and started ruthlessly gnawing at the fallen zombies¡¯ throats. Crunch! [Hunted Zombie (Lv. 11).] [Acquired experience points.] [120,085 won deposited into the Absolute¡¯s wallet.] [Hunted Zombie (Lv. 12).] [Acquired experience points.] [212,112 won deposited into the Absolute¡¯s wallet.] ¡­ ¡­ Dozens of mice began ughtering the paralyzed zombies. Zzzing¡ª During the process of hunting zombies, some of the mice evolved through acquiring experience points. ¡°Tamed Giant Mouse (Lv. 7)¡± The mice that had grown bigger threw themselves at the zombies¡¯ throats more unhesitantly, rapidly acquiring more experience points. ¡®Do they share the experience points distributed to Seo Ye-jin?¡¯ In addition to 100% of Basic Sry, I had distributed an additional 100% to her. So, the mice were effectively gaining double the experience points from hunting. It was then. Some mice with zombie blood on their mouths began to show signs of distress. ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯ After a moment, the names of the mice changed. ¡®Tamed Zombie Mouse (Lv. 5)¡¯ ¡®Tamed Giant Zombie Mouse (Lv. 9)¡¯ Some remained small in size but turned into zombie rats, while others evolved into Giant Zombie Mice withrger bodies. ¡®This could have been dangerous.¡¯ It seemed that being exposed to the blood of zombies could lead to zombification. While others might not be affected, Oh Eon-ju who actively engaged inbat with ws and teeth was at risk of infection by the zombie virus. Thanks to the tactical use of the mice, we managed to avoid the worst-case scenario. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± Seo Ye-jin looked bewildered. She could sense that something had happened to her cute mice. ¡°How are the mice that turned into zombies? Are they obedient?¡± ¡°What? Uh¡­ They seem to be following my orders, but they¡¯ve be a bit more aggressive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Let¡¯s continue with the operation then.¡± Once again, the warehouse was filled with Yu Hye-rin¡¯s poison mist, and after paralyzing the zombies using Seo Ye-jin¡¯s ability and the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, the zombies were finished off by the mice. By proceeding this way, we were able to quickly eliminate the zombies piled up on the subway tracks from Jungang Station to Jagalchi Station. By then, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was making its way towards Choryang Station on the Bumnaegol Station railroad. ¡®Everything seems to be going smoothly.¡¯ The operation was going ording to n. If we could safely reach Jagalchi Station, then the end was near. I had a strong feeling that this time, I might be able to save my family. Then. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] The notification, which had be tiresomely familiar. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has approached the area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] What was unusual was the number of citizens who had arrived this time. ¡®157 people?¡¯ The number was significant, indicating that survivors who had been hiding in groups somewhere hade. The moment they epted citizenship. [The number of citizens has reached 3,000.] [With the number of citizens reaching a certain level, the ¡®Economic Activity Poption Support Fund¡¯ skill is now avable.] {Economic Activity Poption Support Fund} Assign roles and provide support funds to citizens. The support funds are separate from the cash in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet. ¡ùDaily Wages ¨C Employee: 100,000 won (0/300) ¨C Deputy: 150,000 won (0/100) ¨C Manager: 200,000 won (0/30) ¨C Vice-President: 250,000 won (0/10) ¨C President: 300,000 won (0/3) A pretty good skill has emerged. Chapter 41: Busan Station (1) Chapter 41: Busan Station (1) [Episode 10] Busan Station (1) ¡®It would be perfect to assign positions to Kim Dabin and the public facility management team.¡¯ The originally nned weekly sry of 700,000 won and the daily wage of 100,000 won for employees matched exactly. Now, there was no need to give them money by paying a quest fee. Moreover, that wasn¡¯t the only advantage. ¡®I need to increase the number of management personnel.¡¯ The money paid to citizens from the economic activity poption support fund was all free. However, that amount was not small. If all employees received 100,000 won, that would be 30 million won a day if all 300 positions were filled. The money when all positions, from employees to department heads, were filled was¡­ ¡®It adds up to more than 500 million won a day.¡¯ As this umted, the money that could be obtained through the tax collection skill increased, and on the other hand, some of it would be returned to me through spending at the convenience store. ¡®It¡¯s profitable to assign as many citizens as possible.¡¯ However, no suitable duty other than public facility management had emerged yet. ¡®We need facilities management, cleaning, and security.¡¯ That was all that came to mind right now. ¡®For security, I should focus on those who were gathered at the main gate that time.¡¯ A rough picture was being drawn. First, I immediately appointed Kim Dabin as one of the three department heads. ¡®Kim Dabin epted Choi Hyeong-jun, Yoo Hye-rin, and who else?¡¯ As I was thinking about the names of people to fill the positions with. [Citizen Kim Dabin¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Kim Dabin has been registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] Among those who were not vassals, someone achieved a loyalty of 100 for the first time. ¡®As expected, achieving 100 loyalty immediately makes you a vassal.¡¯ That meant that achieving 100 loyalty also meant gaining awakening abilities. When I was about to check Kim Dabin¡¯s abilities. At that moment. ¡°Drreong.¡± The loud snoring pulled me out of my contemtion. ¡°?¡± Turning towards the source of the sound, I saw Yoo Hye-rin lying on the sofa, snoring loudly. ¡°Kuuu¨D drreong¨D.¡± Probably because she was very tired, Yoo Hye-rin fell asleep. As I watched her quietly, Seo Ye-jin asked, ¡°Should I wake her up?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Yoo Hye-rin had already finished her job. Rather, she deserved a reward since she pushed herself to her limits. ¡°Let her sleep like this.¡± Using Invisible Hand, I moved her to the bed in the bedroom. She was sleeping so deeply that she didn¡¯t wake up while being carried. ¡°Drrreung¨D kugugugul.¡± Of course, her snoring was still loud and impressive. Watching Yoo Hye-rin disappear into the bedroom, Seo Ye-jinmented. ¡°It sounds like a steam lotive.¡± ¡°Yeah, it does.¡± After closing the door, the loud snoring silenced a bit. ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Ye-jin?¡± ¡°Am I supposed to be tired? I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Then please keep up the good work.¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s scouting abilities surpassed everyone else. The hundreds of mice that spread out in every direction were her eyes and ears, simply iparable. But then¡­ ¡°Huh¡­?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­The link isn¡¯t working.¡± ¡°What?¡± Seo Ye-jin¡¯s abilities were not omnipotent either. ¡°What do you mean? All of a sudden?¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Seo Ye-jin closed her eyes and tested a few things beforeing to a conclusion. ¡°It seems to be¡­ too far away.¡± ¡°But it was working fine earlier, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I think you can go a little out of range while the link is established, but the limit seems to be around the station.¡± ¡®Of all times.¡¯ Just a little further from Jagalchi Station was my parent¡¯s home where my family was waiting. The n was to use Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice to check the condition of my home first, but¡­ That n had now fallen through. ¡°It might be inconvenient, but could you start from Jungang station again?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seo Ye-jin started moving from Jungang station towards Jagalchi Station using shared senses. She moved without hesitation since they had cleared out all the zombies there. ¡®Fortunately, we¡¯ll arrive soon.¡¯ As the mouse moved towards Jagalchi Station, I observed Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party¡¯s situation using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. *** Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party wasing out through exit 1 of Choryang Station. Even though it was a little before 6 p.m., it was already dark outside. This was because the days were getting shorter as winter approached. ¡°Wow¡­¡± The sky over the city without a single light emitted colorful hues like the night sky in a quiet countryside. That was why the scene of the city¡¯s devastating destruction was particrly evident. Giant footprints littered everywhere, buildings copsed to the ground, and concrete debris scattered around. The scene of horrific destruction sparkled under the moonlight like a painting. ¡°It¡¯s insane.¡± ¡°Geon-ah, scout.¡± ¡°Yes, sister.¡± At Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s urging, Kim Geon sent Kaman into the sky. Kkaak¨D Kaman scanned the area from high up and Kim Geon, who received the sensation, ryed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any monsters nearby.¡± Kang Deok-su remarked. ¡°There wasn¡¯t even amon goblin at Choryang Station. Thanks to the chaos caused by the giant, we should be able to pass through herefortably.¡± Kim Geon agreed. ¡°That seems to be the case. Considering this sight, there shouldn¡¯t be any ambitious ones trying to approach here. It¡¯s like a sort of territorial mark. Who would dare to step into the giant¡¯s territory?¡± At that moment, Kim Da-jeong said in a worried voice. ¡°But will it be okay? It¡¯s almost night. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to stay somewhere safe and leave in the morning?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Da-jeong. If you consider the goblins¡¯ habits, night is actually safer. They tend to hide when night falls. That¡¯s why they used to move only at night in the apartmentplex!¡± After thinking for a while, Ha Dong-geon came to a conclusion. ¡°We¡¯ll move. If it bes dangerous, Mr. Jae-hyun will summon us.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s words. Their trust in Kim Jaehyun was so strong that they believed he would somehow help them even in the worst scenario. At that moment, a mouse arrived in front of them. Squeak¨D ¡°Is this the mouse sent by Seo Ye-jin? Let¡¯s follow it.¡± The mouse led Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party along the pre-explored route. Although the mouse wasn¡¯t deliberately guided by Seo Ye-jin, it ran from Jungang station to Jagalchi Station all the same. The mice trained by her were quite smart, so they could guide themselves to some extent. When they arrived at Busan Station following the mouse¡¯s guidance, they saw a giantke in front of them. ¡°What is this ce? Did the giant make this too?¡± ¡°Maybe. That space was probably created when the broken building hit the ground.¡± In front of Busan Station¡¯s high-speed railway building, there was a hole several tens of meters in diameter. It was filled with water, whether seawater or groundwater, and concrete debris floated around like isted inds. Then. Ssh¨D Something rose from one of the inds. At the sudden sound of water, the gaze of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party focused there. ¡®That¡¯s¡­?¡¯ At first nce, it looked like a person. ¡°Is it a person?¡± ¡°It looks like a woman, doesn¡¯t it?¡± That was true, as the upper body was in the shape of a woman. However, the lower body resembled a fish covered in blue scales, not human. The creature, in a half-human, half-fish form, was a Siren. ¡°Aaaaa¨D.¡± The Siren began to sing. No, it was more like a high-pitched shriek. ¡°Aaaaaa¨D!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°W-What is this?¡± Everyone covered their ears with both hands due to the ear-splitting noise. At that moment. ¡°Splish!¡± First, Kang Deok-su and Moon Byeong-ho were sucked into theke in a stiff state. ¡°Deok-su! Byeong-ho!¡± Then, one by one, the rest of the group began to be sucked into theke. Ssh! Glug, glug¡­ The first to react in the sudden situation was Kim Da-jeong. ¡°Magic Armor!¡± Just before being dragged into the water, she used her skill on Oh Eon-ju. Wooooong¨D Bright armor appeared on Oh Eon-ju¡¯s body, and the next second, her body began to swell. ¡°Crack!¡± In an instant, afterpleting her transformation, Oh Eon-ju rushed towards the Siren. Thud! As the transformed Oh Eon-ju swam towards the Siren with fierce momentum, the Siren looked quite startled. The Siren stopped screaming for a moment, which allowed the paralysis of the others to be lifted. Ssh! Swoosh! With a ssh, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear flew through the water and pierced the Siren¡¯s heart. *** [You have hunted a Siren (Lv. 33).] [You have gained experience points.] [350,376,203 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] ¡®What a surprise.¡¯ I was really shocked when Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was sucked into theke by the Siren. There was a moment I considered summoning them back. ¡®It was dangerous.¡¯ Fortunately, they were able to escape the crisis thanks to Kim Da-jeong. ¡®Monsters with special abilities are troublesome.¡¯ Despite being only a level 33 monster, it posed a serious danger to the entire party. ¡®If it wasn¡¯t for Kim Da-jeong¡¯s ability, we would have been in big trouble.¡¯ Her ability, Magic Armor, was not just a skill that blocked physical attacks. It was a magical armor that ¡®protected¡¯ the target from various harmful effects. When they were being sucked into the water by the Siren, it seemed as if they couldn¡¯t move at all, but Kim Da-jeong¡¯s Magic Armor blocked it. That was why only Oh Eon-ju could move freely, and taking advantage of the Siren¡¯s momentary confusion when the paralysis was briefly lifted, Ha Dong-geon threw his spear to finish it off. ¡®Kim Ga-yeong seems to be injured.¡¯ While the others were fine except for getting wet, Kim Ga-yeong seemed to have injured her head during the process. Fortunately, Kim Da-jeong was there and immediately started to treat her. ¡°Phew.¡± No matter how Ithought about it, including Kim Da-jeong in the party was truly a godsend. Blessings and healing when injured were good, but the best thing was knowing that there were things that could counteract special abilities like the situation just now. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyeon¡­¡± At that moment, Seo Ye-jin spoke up with a gloomy expression. Just by looking at her, it was clear what the result was. ¡°It seems to have failed.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ This time, the link was cut before we could even reach Jagalchi Station.¡± ¡°It¡¯s disappointing, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. Please focus on guiding Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± In any case, seeing Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party ovee the crisis gave me more confidence. ¡®These people are the bestbination I cane up with right now.¡¯ Even without Seo Ye-jin¡¯s support, he believed that they could reach his parents just fine. ¡®I can only trust and watch.¡¯ Supplying Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arrows and Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spears in real-time, and utilizing intermediate fire magic as much as possible for support, was the best I could do. ¡®Is there anything else that could be helpful¡­¡¯ At that moment. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have gained experience points.] [7,150 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 6).] [You have gained experience points.] [6,920 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] ¡­ ¡­ The citizens continued hunting diligently even as the sun set, and thanks to them. [Your skill level has increased.] [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration has reached level 20.] [You have gained 3 skill points.] [You have acquired a new skill.] With the level-up, a surge of pain came as well. Chapter 42: Busan Station (2) Chapter 42: Busan Station (2) [Episode 10] Busan Station (2) ¡°!!!¡± This pain was qualitatively different from the pain he had experienced so far. If the pain before had been like his body swelling up, the pain he felt at level 20 was like being stabbed all over with needles. It felt like dozens of needles were piercing his skin from inside and stretching it outwards. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun! Mr. Jae-hyun! Are you okay!?¡± I could hear Seo Ye-jin¡¯s urgent voice, but I couldn¡¯t respond. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun! Breathe! You have to breathe!¡± Just enduring the pain transmitted in real-time was overwhelming enough. I was about to lose my mind during the few minutes of pain. Finally, the area expansion waspleted. ¡°Phew, whoo.¡± Cold sweat was all over my body. As the muscles that had contracted due to pain suddenly rxed, a sense of exhaustion came. I felt a slight weight on my chest, feeling like I could fall asleep at any moment. When I opened my eyes, I saw Seo Ye-jin, looking rmed, with her hands on my chest. Struggling to speak, I asked, ¡°What are you doing¡­¡± ¡°I was trying to do CPR¡­¡± I raised my arms, which felt like wet cotton, and grabbed her hands. ¡°¡­I¡¯m okay.¡± My condition seemed serious enough for Kkami, who was sitting on the sofa, toe over and look at me with a worried expression. -Cheep? ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine.¡± Kkami decided to settle on my stomach instead of the sofa. As I gently stroked him, I felt the drowsiness creeping in. With a lethargic feeling, I closed my eyes and checked the expanded homebound area with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡®It¡¯s huge.¡¯ The area had expanded over a wider area than I had thought. It extended along the road, including a wide area that reached as far as Seomyeon Station and Bujeon Station, swallowing up all the alleys within a 1km radius of the apartmentplex. A bloody vast area. ¡®No wonder it hurt so much.¡¯ Since it was thergest expansion so far, the pain could only be considered natural. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ I desperately wanted to sleep for just five minutes. But now was not the time. I had to watch over Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, who were performing their mission for me. Sitting up to wake myself, I asked Seo Ye-jin for a favor. ¡°Ms. Ye-jin, sorry to bother you, but could you pour me a ss of cold water?¡± ¡°Just wait a moment.¡± I didn¡¯t even have the energy to use Invisible Hand. I had exhausted all my energy enduring the pain, both mental and physical. ¡°Here you go.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After drinking the cold water, I felt a little clearer-headed. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Thanks to you.¡± While observing Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I checked the skill window. I had received 3 skill points for reaching level 20, and it was time to use them. Among the skills with a [+] next to their level, the first skill to level up was already decided. The most important skill for the current operation. ¡®Level up the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes skill is now level 4.] [Multi-perspective functionality has been added.] I immediately tested the newly-added feature. Multi-perspective was exactly what it sounded like¡ªa function where the perspective using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes expanded to multiple viewpoints. It became possible to observe several ces at once. I felt the number of perspectives gradually increasing. ¡®Is three the limit?¡¯ Now, using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes had be as natural as breathing, but with the increase to three perspectives, I found my focus reaching its limit. To increase my concentration slightly, I closed my eyes and began to concentrate solely on the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡®It feels like sitting in a security room with CCTV screens.¡¯ I could see three perspectives simultaneously. One was still showing Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, another showed the busy Kim Dabin, and thest one illuminated people on the street in the newly expanded area. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Suddenly, the goblins¡¯ heads exploded, and then they disappeared without paying?¡± It was the party led by Lee Joon-hyuk, who had recently joined. It was this party that had helped fill the experience points that werecking from hunting goblins. ¡°Joon-hyuk, look over there!¡± A woman pointed towards an alley. ¡°I think the goblins can¡¯te this way?¡± Even when Lee Joon-hyuk approached them, the goblins couldn¡¯t do anything. When they tried to swing their knives and weapons, it bounced off an invisible wall. On the other hand. Pwooook! ¡°Kwajaeak!¡± Attacking goblins from Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s side was possible. ¡°This is totally awesome!¡± His party members were ecstatic. ¡°Hey, me too! I haven¡¯t killed a single one yet!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one! I haven¡¯t either!¡± ¡°Get out of the way! I¡¯m going to shoot my bow! If you don¡¯t want to get hit, get out of the way!¡± Feeling something unusual, the goblins instinctively tried to flee, but it was already toote. Chased by the people behind them, six goblins lost their lives in an instant. ¡°Huh? There are strange messages appearing in the air, do you see them?¡± ¡°Is this your first time seeing them?¡± ¡°Wow. It¡¯s my first time catching them. Joon-hyuk is unusually active today.¡± Surprisingly, they were hunting goblins familiarly. ¡®The man¡¯s words back then weren¡¯t just empty boasts.¡¯ Now, it was possible to hunt within the safe zone, but they were probably battling with at least ten goblins or more before. Yet, not a single person showed signs of tension. It meant that they were truly very familiar with hunting goblins. ¡®At this level, they are among the top tier of ordinary groups I¡¯ve seen.¡¯ They were enjoying the hunt. And they had no hesitation in killing. Not just a few of them, but everyone gathered here was like that. Whether they were able to survive due to such tendencies or by gathering together, they seemed to perceive goblin hunting as a fun game. ¡°But is this also the ability of that person? This wall that blocks goblins, I mean.¡± ¡°Probably. It seems to be an extension of the transparent barrier we encountered at first.¡± ¡°Wow. It¡¯s an amazing ability. Wait a minute¡­¡± One of Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s group members spoke with a worried look. ¡°If we leave his line of sight, wouldn¡¯t our heads also explode like those goblins just now?¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ His statement silenced the excited party members. ¡°S-So, was that just now some kind of warning sent by that person? Like, ¡®listen carefully¡¯?¡± A heavy silence descended upon the entire party. ¡°D-Did we do something wrong?¡± As fear began to spread, Lee Joon-hyuk stepped forward. ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay as long as we don¡¯t leave then?¡± ¡°W-What do you mean, Joon-hyuk?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve all experienced it. Normal bathrooms. Houses where you can take a warm shower, where you can cook and eat warm meals, and sleep in warm nkets.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk looked around at his party members. ¡°So, let¡¯s make sure nothing happens. Behave well, cleanly, and sensibly. If we do that, everything will be fine.¡± [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk has fulfilled the requirements for vassal registration.] Just at the right time, Lee Joon-hyuk fulfilled the minimum requirements for vassal registration. ¡®Vassal registration, Lee Joon-hyuk.¡¯ At that moment, a bright light emanated from Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s body. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Joon-hyuk oppa!¡± Name: Lee Joon-hyuk (Lv. 40) [+] Titles: [Twelfth Vassal] [Knight] [Wizard] Trust: 59 Loyalty: 31 Awakening Abilities: Water Creation, Water Bomb, Water Control Experience Distribution Rate: 0% (+100%) ¡ïQuest Assignment ¡» {Wizard} The power of skills is increased by 100%. Water Bomb (Grade A) Summons highlypressed water and detonates it. The power increases proportionally to the consumed mental strength. Water Control (Grade S) Consumes mental strength to freely manipte the water summoned. ¡®Hm?¡¯ He awakened an S-grade ability. Since Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s initial ability grade was B, I didn¡¯t expect it to work out so well. ¡®Is it because of his high level?¡¯ At the time of vassal registration, he was at level 33, the same level as when Oh Eon-ju was registered. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like just luck¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t know the exact reason, but the result was good. ¡®Anyway, this is amazing.¡¯ This marked the birth of the second S-grade ability user. ¡®Assign quest.¡¯ ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Content: Try using Water Bomb and Water Control. Time Limit: 10 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Mental strength enhancement. Failure Penalty: Mental fatigue. Citizens couldn¡¯t see their status windows. Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t know the information about their newly-acquired awakening abilities either. While they might naturally realize how to use their skills over time, directly informing them of the skill names like this made it much quicker to learn. ¡°Joon-hyuk, are you okay? There was lighting from your body just now¡­!¡± ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk read the quest I gave him and then reached out into the air. Then. ¡°Water Bomb.¡± Kwaaaang! A powerful explosion erupted from the air. And¡­ Shooaaaah! The water droplets from the water bomb turned into a downpour. The raindrops falling over Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party were all created by Lee Joon-hyuk. ¡°Water Control.¡± At that moment. The water stream that was pouring stopped in midair. Moonlight scattered on the suspended water droplets, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Everyone was momentarily mesmerized by the sight that was reminiscent of arge-scale magic performance. ¡°Ugh.¡± However, a momentter, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s concentration wavered. Shooaaaah¡ª The water droplets all fell to the ground at once. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Did you do this, Joon-hyuk?¡± But it seemed like their words didn¡¯t reach Lee Joon-hyuk. ¡°Haha, hahaha!¡± Lee Joon-hyuk, who wasughing like crazy, suddenly looked around and bowed towards the apartmentplex. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!! I will never forget this grace!¡± Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s sudden actions left his party members staring at him nkly. [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk haspleted a quest.] [Quest cost: 70,251 won.] ¡®Why is he doing that? It¡¯s too much.¡¯ Was it really necessary to bow down and hit his head? Although he did awaken a good ability, his reaction was too intense. However, it was nice to see his pure joy, like that of a child. ¡®Assign the quest again.¡¯ I assigned the same quest two more times,pleting the daily quest in one go. [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk has used up all avable quest attempts for today.] [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s performed quests are being evaluated.] [¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤ Evaluation in progress ¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤] While the daily quest evaluation was ongoing, I seriously thought about how to use him. ¡®Should I add him to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t very appealing to just add Lee Joon-hyuk to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party now. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was already well-bnced, and inserting Lee Joon-hyuk might disrupt their teamwork, simr to when I first inserted Oh Eon-ju. ¡®More importantly, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s departure would significantly lower the value of the group he¡¯s currently leading.¡¯ They were united around Lee Joon-hyuk. If he were to leave, there was a high probability that the group would fall apart. ¡®I guess for now, it¡¯s better for Lee Joon-hyuk to continue with his current group.¡¯ [Evaluationplete.] [Mental strength has increased greatly.] ¡®Hm?¡¯ It was really rare for the daily quest reward to include the word ¡®greatly¡¯. It was like winning the lottery, happening maybe once in a hundred times. And yet, it happened now. ¡®Lucky.¡¯ Even without this stroke of luck, dealing with the pain of leveling up was incredibly exhausting. But with the increase in mental strength, it became more bearable. At that moment, I sensed somemotioning from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Chapter 43: Busan Station (3) Chapter 43: Busan Station (3) Busan Station (3) ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Kim Ga-yeong, who had regained consciousness, was crying bitterly. ¡°Huhuh. Dong-geon, sniff.¡± Ha Dong-geonforted Kim Ga-yeong, holding her in his arms. ¡°You must have seen it wrong. It¡¯s okay.¡± Kim Ga-yeong shook her head. ¡°I saw it. Huk, dad, I confirmed it. I definitely saw him¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t continue her sentence. At first, he thought Kim Gayoung, who had hurt her head, was just talking nonsense. ¡°Huuk. Dad, our dad, he¡¯s so pitiful, what should we do?¡± But judging from the atmosphere, that wasn¡¯t the case. Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s drenched figure meant she had been in the water more than once. She had seen her father¡¯s fate inside theke. Dragged in by the Sirens, her father had gone into theke. ¡°Dong-geon, our father¡¯s fate, what should we do? Huhuh.¡± Ha Dong-geon silently embraced her. Kim Ga-yeong sobbed in his arms. Seeing her like that was heartbreaking. She didn¡¯t seem like herself. I suddenly felt uneasy. Kim Ga-yeong had coincidentally met her deceased father, and I wondered if I would be confirming the death of my family too. Such thoughts crossed my mind. ¡®Even in the worst case scenario, there¡¯s always a way.¡¯ n B. If my family were to die, I nned to resurrect them with my abilities, no matter the cost. I realized that the current situation could solve one of my long-standing curiosities. ¡®Quest assignment, target Kim Ga-yeong, quest reward ¨C resurrection of her father.¡¯ However¡­ [Impossible quest reward.] It wasn¡¯t a notification about ack of money. It was a notification of an impossible quest reward. In other words, it meant that it was impossible to resurrect Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s father. ¡­Was it true? Oh Eon-ju¡¯s son died within the homebound area. However, Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s father died in apletely different ce, Busan Station. That was the difference. ¡®Not all deaths can be reversed.¡¯ There were cases where resurrection was possible and cases where it was impossible. Only deaths that urred near the homebound area, under the influence of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration, could be resurrected. ¡®That means¨C¡® If my family had already died, no matter how much money I gathered, resurrection would be impossible. Ugh¡­ For some reason, seeing Kim Ga-yeong grieving for her father¡¯s death made me feel like I was looking at myself. ¡®Sigh.¡¯ I wanted to urge her to move, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to give such an order to Kim Ga-yeong, who was grieving the loss of her family. She had enough sadness, enough pain. ¡°Aaaahhh.¡± Within the heavy silence, only Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s sobbing echoed for a while. That was when Ha Dong-geon spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s bring your father out from there.¡± He gently patted Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s lift him out from there. I¡¯ll go and bring him back.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Seeing Kim Ga-yeong desperately nodding her head with her eyes closed tight, I felt a pang in my heart. Ha Dong-geon gently kissed the sobbing Kim Ga-yeong and immediately went back into theke. Ssh! Ha Dong-geon¡¯s heamp pushed back the darkness underwater and illuminated the scene. ¡®It¡¯s terrible.¡¯ The bottom of theke was like hell itself. There, the bodies of monsters and people who had been dragged in by the Sirens were tangled together. Goblins, orcs, and humans were intertwined in a grotesque disy. ¡®No wonder there was nothing around here.¡¯ It was simr to the time with the Red Tiger. It wasn¡¯t just because of the giant¡¯s rampage; there was nothing around because it was also the territory of the Siren. Ha Dong-geon calmly swam through theke and stopped in front of a man. Honestly, the man¡¯s face was so swollen that it was impossible to recognize. But there was a way to distinguish him. The Korail employee uniform he was wearing and the name tag attached to it. ¡¸Kim Deok-hoon¡¹ Seeing the name written on the tag, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s expression turned grim. I could tell from his expression. ¡®This man is Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s father.¡¯ There was a good reason why Kim Ga-yeong was so sure that he was her father. Ha Dong-geon tried his best to pull him up, but his lower body was wedged between concrete and reinforcement, making it difficult. In the end, I had to step in. ¡®Warehouse storage, Kim Deok-hoon¡¯s body.¡¯ Zzing¡ª Ha Dong-geon watched as the body disappeared and seemed to understand what was happening. After confirming that the body had disappeared, he emerged from the water. ¡®Summon!¡¯ When Kim Deok-hoon¡¯s body appeared, Kim Ga-yeong called out to him in a trembling voice. ¡°Dad¡­¡± Kim Ga-yeong gently stroked her father¡¯s name tag, then covered her mouth with both hands and cried. Why? This time, the expressions of the others around her stood out more than Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s crying. Oh Eon-ju, with her reddened eyes; Kim Da-jeong, with a bitter expression; Kang Deok-su, looking shocked; Kim Geon, biting his lip; and Ha Dong-geon, with tightly closed lips. I realized after seeing their expressions. They had the same eyes as me. Everyone here felt the same way, worried about their families¡¯ life and death. ¡®Was that so?¡¯ I knew. The wish to see their families and worries about their safety wasn¡¯t just my own. Others also had families and naturally worried about their well-being. But I pretended not to know. Because rescuing my family was the priority. ¡®They all gave way to me.¡¯ I knew it in my head, but actually realizing it was like the difference between night and day. I was grateful and sorry to them. And my heart felt heavy. What should I have done? Was I being too selfish? Even so, I couldn¡¯t give up on my family. Moon Byeong-ho, who had been nervously fidgeting as if he were a sinner, spoke to Kim Ga-yeong. ¡°How about asking Mr. Jae-hyun to keep the body for a while? There¡¯s no suitable ce nearby, and we can make a grave near the apartmentplex¡­¡± Kim Ga-yeong slowly shook her head. ¡°Dad would like it here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My dad was a workaholic. He had great pride and even in death, he wanted to be buried near the railway.¡± She uttered in a trembling voice. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to bury him on the railroad tracks.¡± The next moment, I once again transported his body to the warehouse. It was to help them move Kim Deok-hoon¡¯s body, but Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party seemed a little embarrassed when they saw it. Oh Eon-ju spoke with difficulty. ¡°Um¡­ how abouting back to Busan Station afterpleting the mission?¡± It seemed like I was rushing the operation. To clear up the misunderstanding, I assigned a quest to everyone. Quest Content: Make a grave on the railroad tracks. Time Limit: 1 hour 00 minutes 00 seconds. Reward: Small amount of experience points. Failure Penalty: None. [Would you like to assign this quest?] [Yes/No] ¡®Yes.¡¯ It was a little ufortable that this was the only way to convey my intentions. But there wasn¡¯t a majormunication issue. It was just a matter of correcting this. With my intention conveyed, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party began to move towards Busan Station. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± When I opened my eyes, I saw Seo Ye-jin looking at me with concern. ¡°Ye-jin¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± For a moment, I almost said, ¡®It must be nice.¡¯ Since Ye-jin¡¯s family had safely returned to her and were together with her. I almost said I envied her for it. Fortunately, I managed to keep my string of reason. ¡°¨CSpread mice around Busan Station to see if there are any monsters. If it seems dangerous, immediately inform Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I almost showed an embarrassing side of myself. How could I be jealous of someone who had safely reunited with their family? ¡®I¡¯m the worst.¡¯ It seemed that my concentration had weakened, as my sight was now reduced into two, one focusing on the Ha Dong-geon party and the other on the Lee Joon-hyuk party. Lee Joon-hyuk was returning from hunting since I hadn¡¯t given him any quests. Suddenly, I remembered that I still had 2 skill points left. ¡®Come to think of it, I still have 2 skill points left!¡¯ I had been so focused on the multiple views created by upgrading the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes that I had momentarily forgotten about the remaining skill points. ¡®As for the second skill to level up¡­¡¯ Next to the Dignity Maintenance skill, I saw that the level up button was activated. Without hesitation, I chose to level up the Dignity Maintenance skill. ¡®Dignity Maintenance level up!¡¯ [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Dignity Maintenance has reached level 5.] [A new feature, Amazing Draw1It¡¯s a gacha system., has been added.] [You have received 300 crystals.] ¡®Crystals?¡¯ It turned out that crystals were needed for the new feature called Amazing Draw. 300 crystals were provided for one gacha draw. There was no reason to refuse. ¡®Amazing Draw.¡¯ Whoosh! Simr to when I summoned Kkami, a magic circle with an intricate pattern began to form in the air. At the climax, the golden rays emitted by the magical circle gathered and condensed in one ce. Then, with a tinkling sound, something fell on the living room floor. ¡®A ring?¡¯ It was an ordinary-looking gold ring, but it contained a special power when viewed through the eyes of the absolute ruler. A ring that delivers the voice of the Absolute Dweller to vassals. ¡®Hmm, not bad.¡¯ Communication was still not difficult for me. Using quest assignments, I could conveymands easily. By using quest descriptions to convey orders and then canceling the quests, I could transmit information without any loss. When it came to conveyingplex information, I could also write letters and deliver them using the Warehouse skill. ¡®Should I give it a try?¡¯ When I put on the ring, it fit perfectly on my finger, and I immediately understood how to use its power. I spoke to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, visible through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. [Everyone, can you hear my voice?] Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, who were just entering Busan Station, looked up at the sky with surprised expressions. [It seems like you can hear me.] ¡°Yes, we can hear you.¡± [Let¡¯smunicate like this from now on.] The grave was simple, made next to the railroad tracks. After Oh Eon-juid the body in the ground and covered it with soil, it was done. ¡°I thought it was impossible, but my dad¡¯s wish came true.¡± Kim Ga-young finished her short prayer at Kim Deok-hoon¡¯s grave and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go now.¡± [You can stay a little longer.] ¡°It¡¯s enough. I was able to fulfill my dad¡¯s wish.¡± Kim Ga-young opened her mouth as she stood in front of her father¡¯s grave, staring nkly. ¡°Thank you for listening to my stubbornness. My feelings have been relieved a lot.¡± As such, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party began to move towards Jagalchi Station again. After using it, I realized that the ring had many more advantages than I had initially thought. First of all, the biggest advantagepared to other methods was the ability to provide immediate feedback. ¡®Using quest assignment takes time to deliver information, after all.¡¯ There was also a limit to the quality of the information delivered because it had to be given in a format that could be assigned as a quest. Moreover, there was no room for misunderstandings like before. If I took any action, an exnation could be given immediately. It became possible tomunicate in real-time. ¡®Isn¡¯t this surprisingly good?¡¯ There were also several other advantages. ¡®This would be of help with Kim Dabin.¡¯ As I thought of Kim Dabin, I remembered something I had forgotten. ¡®Right. Kim Dabin also awakened, didn¡¯t she?¡¯ More precisely, she had reached 100 loyalty and was automatically registered as a vassal. Naturally, she would have gained awakening abilities as well. ¡®Citizen Information, Kim Dabin.¡¯ ¡¸Name: Kim Dabin (Lv. 25) [+] Title: [Eleventh Vassal] Trust: 77 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Ability: Telepathy ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ Seeing her awakened ability, a smile formed involuntarily. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ How did she awaken such a perfect ability for her job? When I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to see the 21st floor and inform her about her new ability. ¡®Hm?¡¯ I noticed Kim Dabin, surrounded by citizens and looking troubled. Chapter 44: Busan Station (4) Chapter 44: Busan Station (4) [Episode 10] Busan Station (4) ¡°Fifty people together in one unit? Do they think we¡¯re chickens?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just temporary¡­¡± ¡°Temporary? What kind of temporary is that! There are plenty of vacant houses around! We¡¯ve looked around, so what¡¯s the deal!¡± People were gathering in groups, making Kim Dabin ufortable. Each of them expressed their dissatisfaction. ¡°No, at least the kids should befortable.¡± ¡°Stop it and just give us a few empty rooms. We¡¯ll sleep in there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s our principle¡­¡± When I saw that, I moved immediately. Passing by Seo Ye-jin sitting in the center of the living room, I grabbed the doorknob to the bedroom where Yoo Hye-rin was sleeping. The reason for heading here instead of the front door was to use a new skill I got through leveling up this time. Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door Lv. 1 ¨C Can connect doors within the homebound area. It was a new skill that emerged after reaching level 20. ¡®To the 21st floor.¡¯ As I opened the door to the bedroom, instead of the sleeping Yoo Hye-rin, the 21st floor was revealed. ¡°You¡¯re all illegally upying other people¡¯s houses anyway! In this emergency situation, we should help each other and live together. Do you think you can do whatever you want? Huh?¡± There were some who were screaming and going too far now. I said to them. ¡°It¡¯s me. The one who¡¯s illegally upying someone else¡¯s house.¡± The people who were protesting to Kim Dabin now turned their attention to me. I looked directly at the man who had just raised his voice and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but if you¡¯re unhappy with the policy I¡¯ve made, would you please leave?¡± ¡°What-? You little, how dare you talk to us like that¡ª!¡± There was no need for a long speech. ¡°Expulsion, Sung Yoon-sik.¡± I immediately expelled the man who was threatening Kim Dabin. At that moment. [Citizen Sung Yoon-sik is expelled from the homebound area.] Swoosh¡ª Sung Yoon-sik¡¯s body disappeared. He was expelled from the dered area. In the case of expulsion, it would move the person out of the homebound area without injuring or threatening their lives. Of course, it was difficult to guarantee their lives after leaving the homebound area. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ I checked to see if he was sent to an area with monsters. Fortunately, the alley where he was expelled was empty except for darkness. He awkwardly touched the transparent barrier. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] ¡°H-Hey.¡± Sung Yoon-sik¡¯s trembling voice echoed emptily in the alleyway. ¡°I-Is anyone there? Hey¡ª!¡± After confirming his state, I asked the others. ¡°Anyone else have anyints?¡± Everyone was silent as a mute. In the awkward silence, I looked each of them in the eye for a moment before speaking. ¡°As of now, water, electricity, and gas supply for the unit you are using will be cut off.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, what?¡± ¡°Why, this can¡¯t be happening!¡± I looked at thoseining and said, ¡°On the contrary, I would like to ask. What exactly is this situation?¡± I didn¡¯t gather people in one ce because I liked it. ¡°I want to ask. What is the reason for you all being here? ¡°Is it a coincidence that you all came here right after we dealt with the giant?¡± Arge group of 157 people. They had plenty to drink and eatpared to other survivors. Of course, it was natural for such arge group to gather. Although there were no awakeners, they were a group that were notcking in material goods. Nevertheless, the reason they came was obvious. ¡°You came here because you judged this ce to be reliable, a ce that has the ability to defeat monsters like giants, right? To be protected.¡± It was such a noisy event. The reason why people were flocking to this ce was because the battle with the giant was having a kind of promotional effect. ¡°There are hundreds of peopleing here every day with the same thought as you. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± The moment you amodate their demands, three immediate problems will arise. First, empty rooms will be quickly consumed, eventually leaving no space for new arrivals or forcing them to sit on the streets. Second, those who were already citizens will be dissatisfied. And finally, once you give in once, they will endlessly demand more. ¡°I¡¯ll take this opportunity to make this clear now.¡± A forceful upation by the powerful. Honestly, one could view it that way. But I didn¡¯t want to understand their perspective. Why should I act like that when my position is much better? ¡°Your basic rights, welfare, none of that is here. Look at the world. The South Korean government has already copsed, and I am not a representative of the government.¡± The world right now was too cruel to desire such romantic things. ¡°If you want to enjoy rights, please first have the qualifications for it.¡± Honestly, it didn¡¯t look good. Other survivors were making efforts in their own way to adapt to the ufortable environment. They divided into three shifts to maximize the use of space in public facilities for sleeping, sought advice from those who had already adapted here, or paid a fee to existing citizens as rent. They were adapting in various ways. Despite the inconvenience, there were many people who prioritized children and the weak, and many who were trying to ovee it together. However, instead of finding a way, they chose to demand recklessly. They were full. This was the onlyparison I could make. ¡°Go back to your assigned amodation immediately. If you don¡¯t want to lose any more.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, people dropped their heads and left in a hurry. [Citizen Kim Dabin¡¯s trust greatly increases.] Watching this, Kim Dabin sighed and said, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jae-hyun. I survived thanks to you.¡± I smiled and used the Communication Ring. [You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s something I should do.] ¡°Hm?¡± [Gratitude should actuallye from me.] Kim Dabin tilted her head with a puzzled expression. It must have been confusing for her to hear my voice even though I wasn¡¯t speaking. I continued to use the Communication Ring. [Are you surprised?] ¡°Oh, yes.¡± [Perhaps you can do something simr.] ¡°Me?¡± [You¡¯ve heard of telepathy, right? Try thinking of the person you want tomunicate with and speak to them in your mind.] At that moment. [Like this?] Kim Dabin seeded in using telepathy. [Well done. You can learn the exact conditions and limitations by using it yourself.] [T-Thank you!] It felt a bit strange to only use telepathy tomunicate when we were right in front of each other. Then. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± As I turned around, I saw a man whose head was shaved standing nervously. Upon closer inspection, he was one of the people who had rushed towards us earlier. ¡°Do you still have more to say?¡± When I confronted him, the man stammered. ¡°I-I know this is really shameless, but¡­ the friend who was just expelled¡­ Can you forgive him just once?¡± Looking at the man speaking cautiously, I replied. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°While it¡¯s true that Yoon-sik had the loudest voice, it was everyone¡¯s opinion. Actually, it was everyone¡¯s responsibility, so I don¡¯t think Yoonsik should be med for everything. If there are consequences, I will ept them gracefully. So please show mercy just this once¡­¡± Admittedly, expelling Sung Yoon-sik was excessive. Being expelled was practically a death sentence at this point. ¡®Even if you didn¡¯t say that, I was going to let him back in anyway.¡¯ [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] Fortunately, Sung Yoon-sik was still there, knocking on the barrier without going anywhere. Although he was crying with tears and a runny nose. I reached out to the bald man in front of me and said, ¡°My name is Kim Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Han Kyung-hoon.¡± After a brief handshake with Han Kyunghoon, I asked. ¡°May I ask if Mr. Han Kyung-hoon came to me as the representative of that group?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if that opinion just now is agreed upon by others as well. About epting Sung Yoon-sik back in exchange for everyone epting the consequences together.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It was a decision we all made together.¡± I had been wondering when to let Sung Yoon-sik back in. I couldn¡¯t take one person¡¯s life to set an example. So I was actually grateful that they had caved in first. Also, the somewhat negative image of him was being diluted. ¡®You need this level of solidarity to survive, right?¡¯ They were arge group without any awakeners. Just surviving in this world as such a group was proof of their ability. There would surely be some use to them. ¡°Alright. I will grant Mr. Sung Yoon-sik his citizenship again. And I will provide electricity and water, excluding gas, to the public facilities you use.¡± ¡°Is that, is that really true?¡± ¡°I¡¯m letting you off the hook just this once considering your camaraderie.¡± ¡°T-Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± [Citizen Han Kyung-hoon¡¯s trustworthiness greatly increases.] When I think about the children in this group, I want to provide gas as well, but then it bes a precedent. They should suffer the pain of showering in cold water and sleeping on a floor without a boiler for a little. ¡®Since we have electric mats, the children will figure out how to keep warm somehow.¡¯ After Han Kyung-hoon left, Kim Dabinmunicated with me telepathically. [I think Mr. Jae-hyun is a very warm-hearted person.] I also replied using themunication ring. [Me?] [Yes.] Strange. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any warmth from the conversation just now. [Thank you for your kind words.] Could this be a form of ttery? I spoke to Kim Dabin who was looking at me kindly. ¡°I¡¯m considering cing a public facility in each of the 25 buildings, not just the 3 buildings currently assigned.¡± ¡°All 25 buildings?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At the same time, I had the illusion that the dark circles under Kim Dabin¡¯s eyes deepened a bit. ¡°How many team members do you have, Dabin?¡± ¡°There are a total of 15 including Hye-rin and Hyeong-jun.¡± ¡°Would you be able to manage with 100 people? With 4 people per building, it should be manageable.¡± Kim Dabin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she heard that. ¡°A hundred people?¡± ¡°Yes. I will pay each of them 100,000 won per day.¡± She smiled as if she was pleased. It was the smile of capitalism. ¡°If it¡¯s that scale, we should be able to run it stably. Plus, my influence will likely increase.¡± It was then. [The 21st floor.] [Door opens.] Two men and a woman came out of the elevator and approached us. One of the men came forward as the representative and spoke to Kim Dabin. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Do you need a medical team or something?¡± ¡°A medical team?¡± The man introduced himself with pride in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m Lee Sung-min, an associate professor of nephrology at Busan Paik Hospital.¡± As more people gathered, people with different skillsets began to appear. Chapter 45: Jagalchi Market (1) Chapter 45: Jagalchi Market (1) [Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (1) [What should we do?] [We should treat skilled personnel well. How about giving them a room and turning it into a hospital?] [That¡¯s a good idea.] [If we look, we should be able to find enough nursing staff. I¡¯ll leave the establishment and operation of the medical team to you.] With that, all tasks rted to establishing the medical team were assigned to Kim Dabin, and I returned home. Seo Ye-jin was still sitting in the middle of the living room in her cross-legged position, while Kkami was sleepingfortably on the sofa. ¡®Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party is moving without any problems.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was passing directly through the tracks from Jungang Station to Jagalchi Station. It was worth cleaning up the zombies with Yoo Hye-rin and Seo Ye-jin. ¡®As for thest skill point, I should invest it there, right?¡¯ There was a skill I had thought about in advance. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse, level up.¡¯ [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse skill has reached level 2.] [The capacity of the warehouse has increased to 200kg.] [The status quo feature has been added.] [Status Quo] (Passive) Preserves the kic state of the item at the time of storage. I had decided to increase the level of the warehouse because I felt the need for more capacity when using Seo Ye-jin¡¯s gas explosion with the mouse or Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poisonous fog. ¡®Now that the capacity has doubled, I should be able to use it more freely.¡¯ And as usual, there was one more unexpected gift. ¡®Status Quo.¡¯ As I read the description of its function, an image shed through my mind. ¡®Is it possible?¡¯ When summoning an item from the warehouse, it appears in apletely stationary state. Until now, it was so natural that I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. But reading the description of the new feature made me feel its meaning differently. ¡®Preserves the kic state of the item at the time of storage.¡¯ In other words, when I summon something from the warehouse, it will appear in the same state as it was when stored, including any motion. So, in simple terms, if I store a spear I threw with force and then summon it, it wille out of the warehouse at the same speed as when I first stored it. ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ As luck would have it, I had an item that could maximize this situation. ¡®Open shop, purchase S&W M60, .38 caliber bullets, 100 rounds.¡¯ + I grabbed the revolver that appeared in the air and loaded three rounds into the cylinder. After storing the rest in the warehouse, I opened the living room window and aimed at the dark night sky. Warehouse storage¡ª At the moment I pulled the trigger. ¡®Bullet!¡¯ I imagined the shot bullets being stored in the warehouse. Bang! With the sound of gunpowder. Ziiing¡ª! I could see the bullet that had popped out of the muzzle being sucked into the warehouse. It works. For now, everything was perfect. -Cheep! Kkami, who was sitting on the sofa, was startled by the sudden gunshot and jumped up. Seo Ye-jin also woke up, covering her mouth with both hands. She asked me, who was standing at the window holding a gun. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, why are you suddenly¡­?¡± But I couldn¡¯t hear her. Because I was too focused. ¡®If my prediction is correct¡­¡¯ I stared into the cold night air creeping in through the open window. And then. ¡®Summon, bullet.¡¯ When I summoned the bullet towards the night sky. Bang! The bullet created in the air was fired, tearing through the night air. At the same speed as when it was fired from the gun. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ There was a shudder running through my body. ¡®This is it!¡¯ A surefire way to assist Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. The Joker card had appeared. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party arrived at Jagalchi Station and exited through the ticket gate. The station used to be upied by goblins, but the goblins were no match for them. ¡°Kiiaaak!¡± ¡°Kkiak!¡± The overwhelming power of the Ha Dong-geon party caused the goblin horde to flee. Using themunication ring, I said: [You can exit through Gate 2.] Exiting through Gate 2, they were greeted by a three-way intersection with overturned buses and cars. ¡®From here on, it¡¯s uncharted territory.¡¯ Unlike before, when Seo Ye-jin had scouted and prepared a route, this area had nothing prepared. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, where should we go now?¡± [Follow the main road to the left, and you¡¯ll be near your destination in about 1 km.] However, covering that 1 km was no easy task. As they turned the corner of the first building. ¡°Watch out!¡± A monster appeared. ¡¸Land Shark (Lv. 24)¡¹ It was thend shark that had eaten Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse at Nampo Station the other day. Thend shark, popping out of the alleyway, rushed towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s group with its sharp teeth. At the same time. Shwook! Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear stabbed thend shark¡¯s side. Crunch! Oh Eon-jupleted her transformation into a werebear and smashed thend shark¡¯s head, finishing it off. [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 24).] [You have gained experience points.] [13,813,758 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] Ha Dong-geon shouted. ¡°Geon-ah, scout!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± As Kim Geon closed his eyes and concentrated, Kaman, who had flown far away, flew back and perched on his master¡¯s shoulder. Kahh¡ª With a slightly proud cry, itmunicated what it had seen from the sky to its owner. ¡°Senior, it seems like there are a lot of those things around here¨D¡± Before Kim Geon could finish speaking, monsters in the vicinity began to reveal themselves one by one. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ve been surrounded.¡± On the road, giant crabs the size ofrge cars and a flock of marlin with sharp beaks like spears were approaching Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Their eyes were more or less that of predators hunting prey. Shwook! The flock of marlin floating in the sky was the first to rush in. They had sharp noses like spears in front of them. Tang! The signal for battle was lit. Despite the sudden start of the battle, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party skillfully fought back. ¡°Deok-su! Block them!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± d in silver armor, Kang Deok-su blocked the path in front of Kim Ga-young and Kim Geon. ng! The marlin¡¯s beak bounced off Kang Deok-su¡¯s armor and recoiled. ¡°Kacha!¡± He swung his halberd and cleared one away. At the same time. Swoosh! Kim Ga-young¡¯s arrow, imbued with piercing, cleanly shot through the marlin¡¯s head. [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 16).] [You have gained experience points.] [785,230 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] Bang¡ª! Moon Byeong-ho wasn¡¯t the only one holding a gun. Kim Geon, who had no suitable means of attack, was also given one, and his shooting skills were sharper than expected. [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have gained experience points.] [899,202 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] However, it was impossible to mark all of the fish with their small number of people, and one or two of them targeted Kim Da-jeong at the back. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Kim Da-jeong also held a pistol in her hand. Her gun, which had never fired before, burst out for the first time. Bang¡ª However, the bullet fired with closed eyes had no chance of hitting the target. Naturally, the bullet missed, and the marlin lunged for her heart as if nothing had happened. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡®Warehouse summon, bullet.¡¯ At the critical moment, a bullet appeared in front of the marlin and pierced its head. [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have gained experience points.] [231,733 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] Perhaps because I hunted with a bullet fired by myself, the settlement fee was pitiful. ¡°Seo Ye-jin!¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Please shoot for me.¡± ¡°Huh? A gun? Me?¡± I handed the gun to the bewildered Seo Ye-jin and said, ¡°Yes, quickly.¡± There was nothing else she could do at this point anyway. The area where Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was fighting was beyond her sensory sharing range. ¡°W-Where should I shoot?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Seo Ye-jin closed her eyes tightly and fired the gun towards the apartment wall. ¡®Warehouse storage, bullet!¡¯ Bang¡ª! Bang¡ª! The bullet she fired was immediately deployed forbat. ¡®Summon!¡¯ [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have gained experience points.] [1,393,121 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] Even when hunting the same way, hunting with a bullet judged to have been fired by Seo Ye-jin was six times more efficient. ¡°I¡¯ve shot them all!¡± ¡°Reload and go again! Quickly!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I pushed Seo Ye-jin to continue shooting to store as many bullets as possible. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of the gun shook the house, and the smell of gunpowder filled the living room. Creak. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?!¡± Yoo Hye-rin, who had been sound asleep until now, came out of the master bedroom with a shocked expression as if struck by lightning. Bang! Yoo Hye-rin looked at Seo Ye-jin, who was shooting at the living room wall, then pped her own cheeks. ¡°Why can¡¯t I wake up?¡± I was sorry, but I didn¡¯t have time to exin to her one by one. While storing the bullets, I continued to use them to assist Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Da-jeong! Blessing!¡± ¡°Yes, unnie!¡± While I was busy dealing with the marlin from behind, Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju were facing off against a giant crab in the front. ¡¸Giant Crab (Lv. 35)¡¹ Kwooong! Dodging therge w, Oh Eon-ju dove under the crab¡¯s arms and broke its joints. Crack! One of the crab¡¯s legs shattered, causing it to lose its bnce. Shwook! And Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear pierced its mouth. -!!! The crab with its jaw shattered struggled to attack him, but Ha Dong-geon skillfully distanced himself. Ha Dong-geon twisted his body in mid-air and threw a spear. ng! However, the spear couldn¡¯t prate the tough chitin shell and bounced off. Ziiing¡ª I immediately summoned a new spear from the warehouse and gave it to Ha Dong-geon. The next moment, Oh Eon-ju, who had somehow climbed onto the crab¡¯s carapace, kicked hard. Bang! Despite its internal organs shaking from the impact, the giant crab¡¯s shell showed no signs of breaking. ¡°Kheong!¡± Crack! Even with Oh Eon-ju¡¯s nail attack, all she managed to do was leave scratches on the carapace. Shoo! ¡°Everyone, move aside!¡± Moon Byeong-ho, who appeared with teleportation, aimed his gun at the Giant Crab. Bang! However, its tough shell was even deflecting bullets. ¡®It¡¯s incredibly durable.¡¯ Honestly, it seemed impossible to break its shell if it was not broken even with Oh Eon-ju¡¯s strength. ¡®Is there any way?¡¯ It was clear that it was not an ordinary shell. It must have some special ability. ¡®We need to deliver a certain level of impact.¡¯ Rather than attacks like scratching with nails, we needed an impact like hitting with a hammer. ¡°Kheo-eong!¡± Unable to help it, Oh Eonju gave up on destroying the shell and instead opted to destroy the remaining nine legs. Crunch! One by one, the legs of the Giant Crab were decisively torn apart by Oh Eonju¡¯s hands. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ While maintaining a view of the Ha Dong-geon Party, I activated a new field of vision. ¡®I definitely saw something there.¡¯ The new field of vision was focused on Kim Minho¡¯s house, who had a muscr body since our first meeting. There was no way it wasn¡¯t there. And sure enough. ¡®There!¡¯ In one space converted entirely into a training room, a chunk of iron was prepared for bench pressing. Even at a nce, the barbell which looked to be over 100kg, was a weapon in itself. ¡®I¡¯ll borrow it for a moment. Warehouse storage.¡¯ This alone was threatening enough, but we were still 2% short of breaking that tough shell. ¡®Summon.¡¯ First, I summoned it to the highest point within the limits of the homebound area. The heavy barbell pulled by gravity fell freely, and just before it hit the ground. ¡®Warehouse storage.¡¯ I stored the barbell that had been raised to maximum velocity in the warehouse. And. [Oh Eon-ju] ¡°Hmm?¡± [Please jump so that you can see the crab¡¯s shell.] Upon mymand, Oh Eon-ju immediately jumped without question. Crash! Asphalt was destroyed as Oh Eonju¡¯s body rose high into the air. Then, the shell of the giant crab was visible at a nce. Towards that spot. ¡®Summon barbell!¡¯ A barbell weighing over 100kg appeared at the same speed. And. Crash! Crunch! The hard shell was shattered into pieces. ¡°Raaah!¡± Oh Eon-ju didn¡¯t miss the opportunity,nding on the shell and slipping her hand through. And. Rip! She grabbed and tore it apart. In the ce where the tough shell had been. -Thump thump There was a throbbing heart. Phwoosh! Oh Eon-ju¡¯s ws tore through it. [You have hunted a Giant Crab (Lv. 35).] [You have gained experience points.] [931,732,266 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Chapter 46: Jagalchi Market (2) Chapter 46: Jagalchi Market (2) [Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (2) The road leading from Jagalchi Station to my house had a fish market. From crawling fish to flying fish, various types of monsters including crabs and crayfish were moving around. All the seafood gathered lived up to the reputation of Jagalchi Market. Among them, the crustaceans were undoubtedly the most troublesome. ¡°This time it¡¯s a lobster!¡± ¡°Step back!¡± Just like the crab hunted before, a lobster armed with a tough chitinous armor appeared, but the strategy was already familiar. Crash! A barbell dropped like a bomb onto the lobster¡¯s carapace, taking its life. [You have hunted a Giant Lobster (Lv. 30).] [You have gained experience points.] [106,886,599 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Unfortunately, it was credited as my hunt, so the settlement amount was disappointing. But currently, clearing the path was more important than money. ¡®Sorry, Minho.¡¯ The barbell, which had been used several times, was quite damaged. ¡®I¡¯ll register it and buy you a new one.¡¯ Overall, the environment here was much more dangerous than near my apartment. The average level of the monsters was high, and their numbers wererge, making it quite challenging even with the skill of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t raised the level of the warehouse, it could have been dangerous!¡¯ Kim Da-jeong would have been injured in the first battle. Then, Oh Eon-ju and Ha Dong-geon who could not receive blessings would have been significantly weakened, and they would not have been able to defeat the monsters as stably as they were now. Furthermore, the function of the blessing was not simply an increase in physical ability. Wooong. Late at night. In the pitch-ck environment where street lights could no longer be expected, Kim Da-jeong¡¯s ability was acting as a torch, illuminating the surroundings. Just like at the subway station, the light emitted when receiving the blessing was doing its job properly. As humans rely heavily on vision, having a light that brightens the dark night was a huge advantage in battle. ¡°Dong-geon, behind you!¡± I summoned a bullet towards a marlin that was targeting Ha Dong-geon¡¯s back. [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have gained experience points.] [1,326,284 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Support through the warehouse function was top-notch. However, my expression remained serious. ¡®There are too many monsters.¡¯ If it weren¡¯t for my support, there would have been many dangerous situations. Essentially, this road would be difficult to pass with the skills of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party alone. That was the problem. ¡®If Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party finds it difficult to hold out, it means that this environment is even more unbearable for ordinary people.¡¯ The party wasposed entirely of awakened individuals. Moreover, thebination was good, and I even gave firearms to Moon Byeong-ho, Kim Geon, and Kim Da-jeong, whocked adequate means of attack. Yet, just moving 1km was a struggle, to say the least. ¡®¨CThe chance of my family being alive is close to zero.¡¯ I had no choice but to admit it. Perhaps that was why my fear gradually grew as I approached my parent¡¯s house. ¡®But you never know. They might have survived by sheer luck.¡¯ I simply couldn¡¯t let go of hope. When Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was passing near the fish market. I could now say that we were almost there. Despite the devastation, the familiar sight of the neighborhood evoked longing. ¡®Once we enter that alley, we¡¯re home.¡¯ But then, I noticed something strange. An odd tree was upying the center of the road. I immediately ordered the Ha Dong-geon party. [Stop.] A giant tree on the main road. ¡®What is that?¡¯ Was there something like that here? It seemed unlikely. I was born and raised in this city. I knew perfectly well what was where. ¡®There¡¯s no way the city would leave a tree blocking the road like that!¡¯ So, it meant that the tree appeared after the world ended. And its meaning was clear. ¡®It¡¯s a monster.¡¯ I stared at it with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡¸Tree Giant (Lv. 32)¡¹ ¡®As expected.¡¯ Because the area had been full of marine-type monsters until now, I almost mistook it for a normal tree. Given its high level of 30, passing by without knowing anything could have resulted in serious damage. Imanded the Ha Dong-geon party. [That tree is a monster. Attack it.] As soon as the attack order was given, Oh Eon-ju transformed into her werebear form, and Kim Ga-yeong shot arrows at the tree. Whoosh! The arrow, imbued with piercing skill, prated the tree perfectly, but there was no message indicating the defeat of the Tree Giant. Instead. Rumble¡ª The tree slowly began to rise. Rumbleee¡ª [Attack!] There was no reason to wait for the monster to finish preparing. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear immediately flew towards the tree trunk. However, the tree¡¯s tendrils that emerged from its body blocked Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear. Crunch! Although the tendrils were shattered, they managed to block Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear throw without any damage. The tree started walking towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Thud¡ª Its heavy body caused the ground to tremble with each step. Swoosh. Moon Byeong-ho teleported behind the monster, firing his gun at the tree monster¡¯s back. Bang! Bang! The shots hit the monster¡¯s body, but didn¡¯t seem to do much damage. Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s gunshots only managed to crack the tough bark before bouncing off. Thunk! Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arrows fared slightly better. With piercing imbued, they seeded in creating holes through the tree, but that was about it. Thud¡ª The tree monster didn¡¯t seem to care whether there were holes in its body or not. Thud! As it approached, Oh Eon-ju, blessed by Kim Da-jeong, took the lead as usual. Crunch! Roots whipped towards her like whips, but Oh Eon-ju avoided them with graceful movements, and finally could attack the tree monster¡¯s trunk. Kacha! The tree monster¡¯s torso burst open, dealing the most significant blow so far. However. Crunch¡ª Roots under Oh Eon-ju¡¯s feet grew rapidly, firmly gripping her ankles. ¡°Argh!¡± Rumblee¡ª They quickly grew thicker,pletely restraining her lower body. As additional roots extended towards Oh Eon-ju¡¯s heart. Swoosh! Moon Byeong-ho, risking his life, appeared in front of her, touched her shoulder, and teleported her away just in time. Swoosh. ¡®Hm?¡¯ At that moment, I noticed a strange reaction from the tree monster. ¡®Why did its attack stop?¡¯ The moment Moon Byeong-ho appeared in front of Oh Eon-ju. It was a split second, but I could see the tree monster¡¯s attack halting. ¡®Could it be?¡¯ I ordered Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to prepare for the second round with the tree monster. [Let only Oh Eon-ju fall back and the rest attack.] ¡°What? Just Oh Eon-ju?¡± [Yes.] Oh Eon-ju was the vanguard of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Removing her would naturally lead to a significant drop in power. The tree monster, impervious to attacks, was the most troublesome monster they had encountered so far. Everyone was puzzled by the decision to remove their strongest fighter. ¡°Understood.¡± Oh Eon-ju silently stepped back, and although the others were bewildered, they epted themand for the time being. ¡°ording to Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯smand, Oh Eon-ju will step back to protect Ga-yeong and Da-jeong. Deok-su, youe forward.¡± ¡°Okay¨C! But can I do it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re tough enough.¡± ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Ha Dong-geon spoke to Oh Eon-ju. ¡°Please take care of the back.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± As soon as Oh Eon-ju de-transformed and stepped back, a curious thing happened. Thud¡ª ¡°Huh?¡± Thud¡ª When Oh Eon-ju returned to her human form, the tree monster turned around without hesitation and began to return to its original position. ¡°¨CWhat?¡± The tree monster returned to its original spot, then, as if nothing had happened, sat down and transformed back into a tree. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, what just happened? Did you know about this?¡± I was taken aback by how things were unfolding, so I couldn¡¯t answer immediately. ¡®Is it because it doesn¡¯t attack humans?¡¯ Come to think of it, the tree monster had only started attacking after Oh Eon-ju had transformed. Furthermore, its attacks had always been aimed solely at Oh Eon-ju. It had only defended against and pushed away the attacks from the others without retaliating. That was why I had moved Oh Eon-ju back. Now that I think about it, it seemed that it was not Oh Eon-ju herself but her transformed form that had provoked the tree monster. ¡®Then¡ª¡® It was then. Rumblee! The tree monster began to move again, but this time, it moved in the opposite direction of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Appearing there was and shark, a shark-like creature that moved onnd like a snake. Swoosh! Thend shark writhed in agony, impaled by the roots of the tree giant. Thud thud. After subduing thend shark, the tree giant turned around without hesitation and returned to its original position. One of the tree giant¡¯s roots had pierced through thend shark, which was now squirming around. ¡®What¡¯s that?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t strange for monsters to fight each other. Even goblins of the same kind would fight and kill each other, and it was not umon to see orcs and goblins fighting each other. So, it wasn¡¯t strange to see the tree giant subdue thend shark that had encroached on its territory. ¡®What¡¯s strange is that it doesn¡¯t attack humans.¡¯ Despite Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party approaching very close, the tree monster remained motionless, as if it were an ordinary tree. ¡®I could burn it down, but¡­¡¯ While it showed near immunity to physical attacks, it was spected that it would be vulnerable to intermediate-level fire magic. However. ¡®Let¡¯s leave it for now.¡¯ If it only attacks monsters and not humans, it was actually advantageous to leave it be. There was a chance that it could protect Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party in the area it was guarding. [Ignore the tree monster as it doesn¡¯t seem hostile and continue forward. You can enter the alley after passing by the apartment building.] ¡°Understood.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party began to move cautiously. In order to enter the alley beyond the apartment, they had to pass right by the tree monster, so they proceeded slowly, alert of any unexpected events. Fortunately, the tree monster remained still until Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had all passed by. Just as they were about to enter the alley. A part that had been obscured by the apartment building was revealed, and my heart sank. ¡®Heuk!¡¯ There stood a massive tree. It emitted a faint light, whether from the moonlight or its own luminescence, creating a mysterious atmosphere. The size alone was almost 20-30 meters tall and incredibly thick. But of all ces. ¡®That¡¯s¡­!¡¯ The fact that the tree was standing exactly where my house should have been bothered me. Seeing it, uncontroble rage swept over me. It felt like my blood was boiling. Unknowingly, I clenched my teeth and tensed my entire body. The reflection of my face in the living room window was distorted like that of a demon. Until I saw it, I didn¡¯t even realize I was making such an expression. I didn¡¯t even know I was capable of such an expression. ¡®I¡¯ll kill it.¡¯ I thought boiling rage was just a figure of speech. But feeling this emotion coursing through me, it was indeed an apt expression. I felt like I had to explode that tree right now. ¡®Fill it with gas and detonate it. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party can be summoned back with vassal summon.¡¯ Just before I lost my mind and gave the order to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [The presence of blood rtives of the Absolute Dweller has been detected nearby.] A cold system alert interrupted my burning thoughts. -? And at that moment. ¡°Who are you people?!¡± A stranger¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness. Chapter 47: Jagalchi Market (3) Chapter 47: Jagalchi Market (3) [Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (3) ¡°Who¡¯s bothering our Poppi!¡± When Ha Dong-geon¡¯s heamp illuminated the area, the figures were revealed to be middle-aged men and women around their fifties. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah, turn off the light! It¡¯s blinding!¡± ¡°Oops, sorry.¡± They approached Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party with calm strides. After passing by Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and seeing the state of the wooden monster, the men and women began to fuss. ¡°Oh my, this won¡¯t do, there¡¯s a hole here.¡± ¡°It must have been really painful.¡± ¡°Is Poppi okay?¡± Right after that, aint was directed at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Look! Did you guys do this?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± ¡°And you made a peaceful tree like this into this mess?¡± ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± The tense atmosphere was momentarily interrupted by cheers from the side. ¡°Look here! Poppi did it again.¡± The man who had been talking to Ha Dong-geon also went to see thend shark. ¡°Wow, this guy has definitely gained weight.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that tasty though.¡± ¡°What, are you in a position to choose between cold rice and hot rice? If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t eat it.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Honestly, it tastes better overcooked.¡± ¡°Ooh¨Cyou¡¯re being ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.¡± Listening to the familiar dialects transmitted through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I felt a sense of relief. ¡®Is that so..¡¯ Everything became clear at once. The existence of tree monsters that don¡¯t attack people, and the gigantic tree that appeared only in our yard. ¡®It¡¯s an Awakener.¡¯ I could immediately tell who had gained such power. ¡®Grandpa.¡¯ Since I was very young, our house had always been filled with nts. The yard changed trees and flowers every season, and on the rooftop, various trees bore fruit at different times of the year. After my grandpa retired, a field appeared on the rooftop, filled with radishes, onions, lettuce, eggnts, and asionally, he would proudly show off the produce on our dining table. I vividly remember watering the nts and tending to the soil myself every morning and afternoon. ¡®Could that tree be grandpa¡¯s ability?¡¯ A tree that doesn¡¯t attack people¡­ I never thought it could be someone¡¯s awakening ability. I thought it was simply coincidence. It was only natural, considering that out of over thousands of new citizens, there were only five awakened individuals. It was said that even awakening was an extremely rare urrence. However, the ability to manipte trees up to level 30, and even make it grow to tens of meters whose functions are unknown? Up to this point, as far as I know, there was only one Awakener with such an ability. ¡®Only me.¡¯ I was confident that there was no one else who had awakened to abilities simr to mine. That¡¯s why I was angry when I saw the tree upying my house. Monsters with such power could easily run rampant. ¡®There was no way I could¡¯ve known someone else would¡¯ve awakened to this extent.¡¯ And that someone would be my family. Things were falling into ce so perfectly that the chances were lower than winning the lottery twice in a row. Of course, in terms of American lottery odds. ¡®Thank goodness. Really.¡¯ Honestly, I was convinced that my family had died. It didn¡¯t make sense when you thought about it for a moment. High level 20 monsters were roaming the streets, and in the sky, groups of level 10 monsters were flying around. It was an environment where giant crustaceans in the early level 30s, and possibly even higher, existed. How could ordinary humans survive in such an environment? I was already filled with feelings of loss and anger, ready to explode at any moment. The sight of the giant tree growing where the house should have been was just the trigger. But things turned out so well. I felt ashamed of how angry I had been. The anger had onlysted for a few seconds, but if it had stayed a little longer, it would¡¯ve been ugly. ¡°Ha-ha.¡± As I let out a disappointedugh, Seo Ye-jin and Yoo Hye-rin asked with a worried tone. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, what happened?¡± ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡± It must have been unsettling to see me suddenlyughing disappointedly during the operation. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing. Everyone is safe.¡± Before I knew it, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s group was helping to dismantle thend shark. Thanks to their high levels and superior physical abilities, they were able to quickly dismantle thend shark, drawing admiration from those around them. ¡°Oh, to be young again! If only I were 20 years younger¡­!¡± Before I knew it, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was naturally carrying the load and moving with the middle-aged men and women. I used the Communication Ring. [Do you see the giant tree to your left? That¡¯s my home.] Ha Dong-geon, understanding my intention, spoke up. ¡°Excuse me, may I ask where we are going right now? I think we should go where that tree is.¡± ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t we already heading towards Gullu?~¡± An old man next to them asked loudly. ¡°What? Do you know our vige chief1?? ¨C vige chief/head.?~¡± Upon hearing that, I said to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [Please ask for the vige chief¡¯s name.] Ha Dong-geon immediately repeated my words like a parrot, and the old man casually told him. ¡°Our vige chief¡¯s name? He writes it as Ija Bongja Yeolja2?? ?? ?? ???? Actually not too sure about this. I¡¯m making some assumptions here because Jae-hyun will say his grandfather¡¯s name is Lee Bong-yeol (???) in the next few lines..¡± The moment I heard those words, a happy smile spread across my face. ¡®As expected, it¡¯s Grandpa.¡¯ Lee Bong-yeol, the name of my grandpa. The reason my surname is different is that my grandfather was from the maternal side of the family. Since my parents got married, we lived with my grandparents so I had been living with my maternal grandfather and grandmother since I was born. ¡®I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe.¡¯ As we approached the house, I saw people more frequently. It felt like the people gathered here were maintaining the appearance of the world before the monsters took over. There were no broken buildings or corpses strewn on the streets. The more I confirmed this, the more at ease I felt. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for a moment.¡± The space that used to be the front parking lot was now a warehouse, with the bodies of marine monsters likend sharks and sky marlins piled up. There were also people processing them. ¡®There are a lot of people.¡¯ Over a hundred people were gathered here. Most of them were elderly men and women. Nambumin-dong was a city with a very high average age and almost no young people. Many of them were originally engaged in the fishing industry, so they seemed familiar with processing fish. Nearby, some had opened up stands and immediately made sashimi to eat, and the savory smell of grilled fish wafted through the air. It felt like the main area of Jagalchi Market had moved here. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it here.¡± ¡°You caught another one?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right. This is a new guy, but it¡¯s time to eat, so let¡¯s have some sashimi.¡± The man holding a sashimi knife skillfully extracted the flesh of thend shark and put it in a bowl, handing it over. ¡°Here you go!¡± It was a proper te of sashimi prepared with soy sauce, wasabi, and red pepper paste3??.. ¡°Let¡¯s sit here and eat.¡± ¡°What about chopsticks?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any, just eat with your hands like this. Mmm~¡± I hurriedly summoned chopsticks from home to them. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party naturally picked up the chopsticks, but the old man and woman who saw the chopsticks appear out of thin air were startled and eximed in surprise. ¡°How did you do that just now? Are you a magician or something?¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing.¡± Amidst the awkward attention, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party took a piece of sashimi each and put it in their mouths. ¡°Mm?~¡± ¡°Yum!¡± It was sashimi made from freshly caught fish. It couldn¡¯t have tasted bad. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°Great.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had sashimi in a long time.¡± ¡°Right, right, eat a lot.¡± I summoned c, cider, and water for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, who were eating happily. Then. ¡°N-No way?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that c?¡± ¡°Cider! Cider!¡± Adults gathered around them curiously and showed a strong reaction. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, including Ha Dong-geon, handed the summoned drinks to them and said, ¡°Do you want some?¡± ¡°Is it okay?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Hey, hey! I should give it to me first! I took care of you all!¡± ¡°Here¡¯s one for uncle4Probably been mentioned a lot but in Asian culture, you can call strangers ¡®uncle¡¯ or ¡®aunt¡¯. No blood rtion, it¡¯s just a term of address simr to mister/miss..¡± The people who received c and cider drank with excitement. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay to say this about older people, but it was cute to see them sipping and enjoying each mouthful. Seeing this, I chuckled and purchased arge quantity of c and cider for them, along with ramen, rice, eggs, milk, and other stuff. ¡°No!¡± ¡°What in the world?!¡± ¡°Is this all for us to eat?¡± Ha Dong-geon nodded with a faint smile. ¡°It seems so. It looks like a gift from Mr. Jae-hyun to everyone.¡± ¡°Jesus Christ, who is this Mr. Jae-hyun? I should at least give him a bow. Who among you is he?¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s not here.¡± The man who was about to kneel down asked Ha Dong-geon¡¯s with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± After thinking for a moment, unable toe to a conclusion, he asked again. ¡°Well, is this Mr. Jae-hyun someone like Jesus? If he¡¯s not here, is he in heaven?¡± Oh Eon-ju joked with a smile. ¡°Maybe he really is.¡± The people in the warehouse suddenly got busy because of the goods that appeared out of thin air. ¡°Everyone, move this stuff to the warehouse!¡± ¡°Mr. Kim,e over here!¡± Meanwhile, an old man who had been friendly and chatting with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party since the beginning asked. ¡°Hey, do you have any butane gas or gas burners?¡± I immediately purchased those items from the store. ¡°Wow, this is awesome!¡± The old man shouted to the people in the warehouse. ¡°Look at this! This is the item I asked for!¡± ¡°What is it? Gas?¡± ¡°Gas? Really?¡± The reaction was intense, especially from those who were grilling fish. They were cooking by lighting a fire using wood, so the appearance of a gas burner and butane gas was a big deal. ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Here! Bring it over here! Let¡¯s eat some spicy fish stew!¡± ¡°Ramen! Start with ramen!¡± The whole warehouse was bustling with excitement. That¡¯s when it happened. Rumblee- An unusual sound began to echo. The sound that extended from the warehouse roof to the entrance turned out to be the sound of tree roots growing. A person descended from the tree roots and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s all this noise about?¡± He was an old man with thick, magnifying sses and a half-bare head. A strong presence with a stubborn face. As soon as I saw his face, I couldn¡¯t help but be moved. ¡°Grandpa¡­!¡± At the same time. [Family members of the Absolute Dweller have been encountered.] [Opening the power of kin.] ¡ºName: Lee Bong-yeol (Level 55) Title: [Kin] [Ichon] [Druid] Trust: 88 Awakening Ability: Guardian of the World Tree5I will most likely be using both Guardian of the World Tree and World Tree Guardian in the future.¡» [Conditions have been satisfied.] [The construction item ¡®Annex¡¯ has been added to the list of avable items.] Chapter 48: Jagalchi Market (4) Chapter 48: Jagalchi Market (4) [Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (4) My grandfather looked slightly different from the eyes of others than the grandpa I knew. Should I say he looked a bit stricter and scarier? I could tell that the kind appearance he showed me was only to his family. ¡®And it seems like he¡¯s be much more refined.¡¯ It felt like he had be 20 years younger. It wasn¡¯t just a mood thing. You could tell just by looking at the way he walked. He used to be an old man with legs losing strength due to problems in his brain. But now, he was jumping down from tree roots and walking briskly. Moreover, his face seemed as young as my grandpa from childhood memories. ¡®It must be because of his awakening.¡¯ He was an ability user of level 55. It was natural for his physical attributes to rise sharply. Moreover. [Guardian of the World Tree (Passive) (Myth)] -One chosen by the World Tree {World Tree¡¯s Vitality} {World Tree¡¯s Blessing} {World Tree¡¯s Protection} My grandpa¡¯s awakening ability had a ¡®Myth¡¯ grade rating instead of alphabet numbering. That was how great its power was. ¡®Incredible.¡¯ There were some simrities to the Absolute Dweller skill I had, where multiple additional skills were included in one skill. ¡®Is ability hereditary?¡¯ If so, that was even more hopeful. There was a possibility that my other family members had awakened simr abilities. That meant abilities that were different in scale from ordinary abilities. Out of curiosity, I tried to use the Communication Ring on my grandpa. [Grandpa! Can you hear me?] However, since it was made exclusively for vassals, my voice couldn¡¯t reach my grandpa. Unable to do anything about it, I changed the target and asked Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to convey the message. [Everyone, he¡¯s my grandfather. Can you please say hello for me?] Just in time, a man who had been friendly with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party introduced them to Grandpa. ¡°This is a new guy, but you wouldn¡¯t believe how talented he is. He can make things out of nothing. Everything here, isn¡¯t it all made by you guys?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± After scanning through the materials piled up in the warehouse, my grandpa approached Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Ha Dong-geon stepped forward and bowed his head. ¡°Nice to meet you, Chief.¡± ¡°Chief? I¡¯m the chief?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Slightly flustered by the nk expression on my grandpa¡¯s face, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s words trailed off, and my grandpa reached out his hand first. ¡°Well, we were having trouble with water, and you¡¯vee at just the right time. Thank you foring.¡± ¡°Oh, those things weren¡¯t given by us.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± My grandpa looked back at the warehouse full of materials and asked, ¡°Then where did all thesee from?¡± ¡°All of those are thanks to Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s abilities. We came here at the request of Mr. Kim Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°What? Jae-hyun?¡± My grandpa¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is it the Kim Jae-hyun I know? My grandchild?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Kim Jae-hyun who lives in Seomyeon apartments.¡± ¡°Oh, so that means Jae-hyun is alive?¡± Ha Dong-geon nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Upon hearing that, my grandpa quickly turned around and said, ¡°Then follow me!¡± ¡°What?¡± My grandpa walked up to the root he rode when he first appeared and gestured towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°Woah!¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party climbed onto the root. The tree root they rode on immediately moved towards the World Tree. Gudududu- At the same time, my heart swelled with anticipation. I thought my mother, father, and grandmother would be waiting there. Although there was no way to go meet them yet, once the outpost waspleted, it would be possible to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door skill to directly visit. Then, I remembered the system message when Grandpa arrived earlier. [Conditions have been met.] [¡®Annexe¡¯ added to the list of constructible items.] That¡¯s right. A new construction option had appeared. As soon as I met my grandpa, the option ¡®Annexe1ording to Naver¡¯s dictionary: ¡®Annexe (??)¡¯ as in ¡®separate building; outbuilding. A building that stands apart from the main building¡¯. This skill is different from the ¡®Outpost (????)¡¯ which is more simr to ¡®military outpost¡¯. The functions are slightly different too.¡® appeared. I briefly released the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes and entered construction mode to check its price and effects. -Annexe (10,000,000,000 won) <> A safe area installed outside the homebound area. The area of the annexe increases proportionally to the homebound area. When {activated}, it temporarily exerts the same influence as the homebound area. However, it can only be activated when the Absolute Dweller¡¯s kin is present. The price was about 8 times higher than the outpost, but the point was that there was no mention of destruction. Unlike the outpost, once built, there would be no chance of it being destroyed. In addition, there was a construction subsidy of 10 billion won received after extending the homebound area over the apartmentplex. Even after installing sr panels in all buildings, there was still over 7 billion won left. With an additional 3 billion won, it could be installed. And now, 3 billion won was not such a burdensome amount. ¡®Construct the annexe.¡¯ When I decided to build it, the image of the World Tree and the range of the annexe appeared vividly under my feet. The range of the annexe was on a different scale from the outpost, considering the 10 billion won cost. It was being built in a dome shape with the size of several hundred meters, covering the entire World Tree. Its size and appearance was almost identical to where I was, except for the roads extending like blood vessels. ¡®Does this mean the range of the annexe increases in proportion to my growth? Not bad.¡¯ With this level of performance, it could be said that the 10 billion won investment was worthwhile. It was tens of times more valuable than the outpost, which had a limited range. ¡®There¡¯s no need to hesitate.¡¯ [This facility requires one Absolute Dweller¡¯s kin to be present during the construction period (7 days).] [Are you sure you want to install it?] [Yes / No] Yes. Ziing- [Time remaining untilpletion of the annexe] -167 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds After checking that the construction had started, I came out and activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes again. Just as I was about to ask my grandpa not to leave the area while the annexe was being constructed. [Vassals have encountered the Absolute Dweller¡¯s kin.] [Opening the power of kin.] Name: Kim Min-sim (Lv. 21) Titles: [Kin][Ichon] Trust: 99 Awakening Ability: None ¡®Grandma?¡¯ I could see an olddy lying on a stone bed in a familiar room. She looked like she was in a deep sleep. One thing that bothered me was that it was still a little early to go to bed. In addition, my grandpa¡¯s sad expression made me uneasy. ¡°Honey, could you listen to them for a moment?¡± It seemed that it was the first time I heard Grandpa call Grandma ¡®honey¡¯ in such a gentle way. The atmosphere was unsettling. Wooong- With grandpa¡¯s touch, a greenish life force flowed into grandma. Starting from her cheek, the life force enveloped her entire body before being absorbed and disappearing. However, grandma didn¡¯t stir. And Grandpa continued to talk to himself as if familiar with this situation. ¡°They say our Jae-hyun sent them. Jae-hyun is alive!¡± I stared nkly at the scene and then used the Communication Ring. [Please ask Grandpa what happened.] Oh Eon-ju said, ¡°Sir, Mr. Jae-hyun is curious about what happened.¡± ¡°Jae-hyun? How does Jae-hyun know?¡± ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun is currently sharing our vision.¡± It was slightly different from the truth, but I didn¡¯t bother to correct it. I didn¡¯t have the luxury to focus on such trivial matters right now. Grandpa let out a deep sigh and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Jae-hyun, you know there¡¯s Grandpa by your grandma¡¯s side.¡± It was the first time I had seen grandpa¡¯s face filled with sadness. My grandpa had always worn a face close to expressionlessness, but he was now unable to contain the rising sadness. His frowning expression and trembling voice were expressing his feelings. ¡°Grandma was just a bit traumatized.¡± Oh Eon-ju asked. ¡°Since when has she been unable to wake up?¡± ¡°¡­Since that day.¡± That day. Grandma had been asleep from the day the monsters appeared and the world began to copse. ¡°So, could you please tell us about our Jae-hyun? Can you let us hear his voice through that smartphone? Even show his face, maybe that would help her wake up.¡± As I watched my grandpa, who was making a sad expression next to my grandma in aa, I felt like I was going to cry. Relief, sadness, unfairness, fear, and a rage whose target was not exactly clear. An inexplicable whirlwind of emotions ran through my heart. ¡®But still, I¡¯m d that she¡¯s alive.¡¯ It was also fortunate that grandpa¡¯s ability could take care of grandma who fell into aa. Although grandma had been in aa for almost a month, she seemed healthy enough to look like she was just asleep. It was all thanks to Grandpa¡¯s ability. ¡®If only I could give a quest¡­¡¯ Even if it cost money, I could have improved Grandma¡¯s condition. But quests were not allowed to be given to kin. ¡°Grandpa, may I have a moment?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I have healing abilities. I thought it might help¡­.¡± Kim Da-jeong stepped forward. ¡°Go ahead.¡± With Grandpa¡¯s permission, Kim Da-jeong reached out her hand towards Grandma. Wooong. Unfortunately, Kim Da-jeong¡¯s healing could not improve grandma¡¯s condition. Then, I suddenly noticed something strange. The house was too quiet. With seven adults in the house, one would expect at least some curiosity, but no one came. Surely, Mom and Dad should havee down from the second floor by now. I asked with a sense of unease. [¡­¡­Ms. Eon-ju, could you please ask Grandpa about my parents?] ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Oh Eon-ju cautiously asked Grandpa in response to my request. ¡°Sir, do you know where Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s parents are?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grandpa looked at Oh Eon-ju and asked. ¡°Did you say Jae-hyun is watching right now?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll speak as if you¡¯re Jae-hyun.¡± I swallowed hard at his meaningful remark. ¡°Jae-hyun. That day your mother was going to work. Your father went out to make money too.¡± The implication of his words¡­ ¡°They¡¯re probably hiding somewhere together. Your father can¡¯t live without her, so he probably ran to her right away. Maybe they¡¯ve met and are getting by well.¡± The gist of it was conveyed. Grandpa also didn¡¯t think that Mom and Dad were alive. And I knew. Unless at least one of them, like Grandpa, had gained awakening abilities, the likelihood of both of them being alive was close to zero. I knew. But even so¡­ [¡­Everyone, our next goal is Uihwang Nursing Hospital. It¡¯s not too far from here, so can we depart right away?] There was no way. I didn¡¯t have it in me to give up. For even the slightest possibility, just a straw to grasp at. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun¡­.¡± I knew it was greedy, but I couldn¡¯t give up. [No, you¡¯ve already done a lot today, and it¡¯ste. It would be best for you to stay and rest at our house tonight and leave tomorrow.] It was then. [The presence of the kin of the Absolute Dweller has been detected nearby.]. ¡®Huh?¡¯ The System¡¯s mention of ¡°nearby¡± was not referring to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. It was clearly indicating the area near where I was, the vicinity of the apartmentplex. ¡®No way?¡¯ My ¡®kin¡¯ wasing towards this ce. I didn¡¯t need to be told who they were. ¡®Mom, Dad.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t pinpoint their exact location. But. ¡°Ye-jin!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°Pleasemand the mice around you.¡± ¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Find any survivors nearby. Quickly!¡± I had the perfect scouts. Amidst the chaos caused by the sudden appearance of kin, something abnormal was happening on the side of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. There was a loud knock on the iron door. ¡°Chief! Chief! Something terrible has happened!¡± Grandpa, hearing it from the master bedroom, turned his gaze towards the front door, which opened to reveal the man we had seen earlier. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You need toe right away! A huge horde of monsters ising!¡± It was the beginning of a monster wave. Chapter 49: Jagalchi Market (5) Chapter 49: Jagalchi Market (5) [Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (5) The anomaly came from above. From afar, the sky was engulfed in darkness. With human influence halted and artificial lights gone, the night sky of the city became a twinkling jewel box of moonlight and starlight. However, those lights were being engulfed in deep darkness. ¡°Are those all¡­ monsters?¡± The trembling darkness revealed an enormous number of monsters. Various types of marine creatures were flying through the sky. Starting from the sky marlin often encountered on the way here to muchrger sky whales, the night sky was being covered in darkness. Kwoong, kwoong. The scattered tree giants began to gather under Grandpa¡¯s direction. Fortunately, there were around 30 tree giants that could beat and shark. And. Wooong. When Grandpa waved his hand, green vitality flowed towards a tree giant. The tree had been damaged during the battle with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, but it was instantly healed when Grandpa¡¯s vitality touched it. Looking at the healed tree, Grandpa spoke up. ¡°You guys did this?¡± Ha Dong-geon bowed as the representative and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We thought they were monsters so¡­¡± ¡°Hm? But it usually just stays still like trees, right?¡± I spoke to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [The reason the tree giant attacked was because it mistook Oh Eon-ju as a monster. Please show Grandpa directly. We will be fighting together from now on, so he needs to be aware.] ¡°I understand.¡± Oh Eon-ju stepped forward and said to Grandpa. ¡°Can you please take a look?¡± And then the transformation process started. Gududuk. As Oh Eon-ju¡¯s body transformed into the form of a bear, the tree giants immediately reacted. Kwoong. However, when Grandpa red at them, the tree giants stopped and returned to their ces. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying. Our tree acted wrong first.¡± By then, the darkness had drawn near. As Ha Dong-geon prepared to throw a spear and Kim Ga-yeong prepared an arrow, Grandpa opened his mouth. ¡°Stay still.¡± ¡°What? But¡­¡± ¡°Do they look like they¡¯re trying to attack us to you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Listening to Grandpa¡¯s words and looking again, something was indeed strange. If they were aiming for this ce, they would have to gradually lower their altitude. However, the swarm of monsters coloring the sky was approaching from hundreds of meters high. ¡°Look at those movements, those things aren¡¯ting to attack us right now. If we leave them be, they¡¯ll pass by.¡± ¡°What? Then why¡­?¡± Why were so many monsters rushing towards this ce? ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but¡­¡± Grandpa said with a solemn face. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re fleeing from something.¡± What could be the reason for that many monsters to be terrified? Anyway, Grandpa¡¯s prediction turned out to be correct. The monsters that dyed the sky jet ck mostly just passed by above. The night sky waspletely devoid of light, with only the faint light emitted by the World Tree illuminating the surroundings. ¡°Blessing!¡± The blessing enveloped everyone. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a power that increases physical abilities.¡± ¡°What? Do you all have abilities?¡± ¡°Thanks to Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°Jae-hyun¡¯s ability must be great, haha.¡± The flying fish didn¡¯t just pass bypletely without harm. p p! A flock of sky marlin flying low near the ground, were sticking their noses through the walls of tall buildings and apartment buildings. Also, a small number fell to the ground altogether. Seeing this, Grandpa shouted loudly. ¡°Hide inside the buildings!¡± People who were holding various weapons and preparing for battle scattered at Grandpa¡¯smand. Some took refuge in the warehouse where they stored the fish, and some fled to the underground parking lot of nearby apartments. And. Wooong! Grandpa began to prepare for battle in earnest. A wave of green extended out from his body to the thirty tree giants. Kwoong! Kwong! They clumped together closely to form a wall. Grandpa shouted at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party next to him. ¡°What are you doing! Why haven¡¯t you run away?!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll help too!¡± ¡°No need!¡± At that moment, the ground began to vibrate. It had arrived. Kugugugugugugu. The ground shook as if there was an earthquake because so many monsters were moving in. [Everyone, even if the purpose of the monsters is not here, it¡¯s too much for Grandpa to handle alone. Please help him.] I also intended to help all that I can. Along with Ha Dong-geon, the whole party nodded with firm determination. ¡°Go inside!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have a hard time alone!¡± ¡°Haa! I, really.¡± At first, they thought that Grandpa was exaggerating. However, that thought disappeared soon after in the face of the iing monsters. Kugugugugugu! As various types of monster swarms approached. Bang! The grandfather stomped his foot loudly. And then. Boom boom boom! The ground shook with tremendous force. Kwaang! Kwaang! ¡°!!!!¡± The thick roots of the World Tree emerged with loud explosions everywhere. Bursting through the asphalt, they grabbed the mindlessly rushing monsters and became a solid wall between buildings. Numerous monsters gathered together and began to push the wall with their bodies. They had no choice with the influx of monsters pouring in from behind. In order to survive, they had to break through. However. Swish! Sharp thorns spread out from the roots of the World Tree that the monsters were trying to break through. And. [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 24).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Sawfish (Lv. 23).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Blue Crab (Lv. 29).] [You have gained experience points.] Amidst the chaotic notifications, there were no settlement messages because the monsters were hunted by Grandpa. [Kin] All abilities increase by (Trust +10)%, and the experience points of monsters hunted by those with the kin title are increased by 10 times and divided evenly. However, settlement money is exclusively for the target. Grandpa, who had the kin title, monopolized the settlement amount. Instead, he gave half of the tenfold experience points to me. ¡°Huh? What is all this? Money? Experience points?¡± Grandpa was confused as he looked at the words in the air. It was probably because this was the first time he was seeing a system message after being registered as kin. Beside him, the Ha Dong-geon party stood silently with puzzled expressions. I was the same. ¡®¡­Is this the power of a level 55?¡¯ It was absurd to try to help As long as they weren¡¯t getting in the way, it was good enough. Hunting hundreds of monsters with just a stomp. There was no other word but extraordinary. Even while Grandpa stood still, the tree giants were diligently moving, organizing the approaching monsters. Empowered by Grandpa¡¯s strength, the erged roots of the tree giants pierced through even tough chitin armor. [You have hunted a Giant Crab (Lv. 31).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Giant Lobster (Lv. 29).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Sawfish (Lv. 30).] [You have gained experience points.] And then. [Your skill level has increased.] The festival of experience points eventually led to a level up. ¡®Level up? Already?¡¯ I hadn¡¯t even prepared for such a rapid level up. ¡®Urgh!¡¯ Due to the sudden pain, the view of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was turned off and I could sense the apartmentplex. The dome-shaped area surrounding the entire apartmentplex. It rapidly expanded. Feeling your entire body bursting in slow motion would probably feel like this. ¡®Aaaghhh!¡¯ The pain finally ended after the dome swallowed up all the roads that spread out like blood vessels with a radius of 1 km. ¡°Whew, whew.¡± [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] Since the area was vast, many people became eligible for citizenship. It was a huge number in the thousands. ¡®Could Mom or Dad¡­ be among them?¡¯ It was such a huge number that it was difficult to check one by one. However, considering Grandpa and Grandma¡¯s case, if there were rtives nearby, there would have been a message rted to kin rather than citizenship. ¡®Mom and Dad are probably outside this range.¡¯ That was where Seo Ye-jin was diligently searching. Once she found them, there would be an immediate response. ¡®Grant citizenship.¡¯ I epted all the thousands of people. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± Yoo Hye-rin supported me as I was about to copse. My mind was in a mess, but I couldn¡¯t afford to copse from exhaustion. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ I immediately activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to grasp the situation on Grandpa¡¯s side. ¡°Strange.¡± The first thing I noticed was Grandpa tilting his head in confusion. ¡°What is it, sir?¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s tone was more polite than before. Well, anyone would be humble in front of such overwhelming power. ¡°In the past, monsters I hunted would have their flesh disappear, but now even their bones are gone.¡± Ha Dong-geon confidently replied. ¡°That¡¯s probably due to Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s ability. Originally, we would have monster corpses left behind after hunting, but since we went under Mr. Jae-hyun, monster bodies don¡¯t remain.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, are those strange letters appearing in the air also Jae-hyun¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a strange ability.¡± Looking at the situation, it seemed we had safely passed the monster wave. Although there were a terrifying amount of monsters, we managed to survive because we only had to deal with those directly attacking us. In the end, Of course, it was not a scale I could handle alone. To fend off so many monsters alone. Moreover, Grandpa showed no signs of exhaustion. ¡®No matter how much abilities were enhanced by titles or stats increased several times over¡­¡¯ Even if his ability was increased ninefold by the 10x trust multiplier. This was too incredible. It was possible because his original abilities were tremendous. ¡°So, if you guys hunt monsters, they just disappear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then go to the warehouse and call some people.¡± ¡°People?¡± Grandpa looked at the struggling marine monsters that were caught alive by the roots and struggling. ¡°Yes, if you want to eat, you have to kill them while leaving it behind.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call them.¡± As Grandfather said, when ordinary people hunted monsters, the bodies remained intact. ¡®I never thought there would be such an inconvenience.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t even thought about the fact that monsters would be eaten. ¡®Item registration.¡¯ As an experiment, I tried registering the corpse of a dead marlin. Zing- A new item called ¡°Fish¡± appeared in the store. ¡®It¡¯s a sess.¡¯ The price was higher than expected, but considering the size, it was not surprising. Even one would be enough for almost a dozen people. That¡¯s when it happened. [Seo Ye-jin has encountered kin of the Absolute Dweller.] [The power of kin has been unlocked.] I immediately focused the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes on Seo Ye-jin. And there. ¡°Oppa, look over there. Our apartment is intact!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡ºName: Lee Ji-sook (Lv. 50) Titles: [Kin] [Ichon] Trust: 97 Awakening Ability: Ruler¡» ¡ºName: Kim Dong-hyuk (Lv. 42) Titles: [Kin] [Ichon] [Guardian Warrior] Trust: 93 Awakening Ability: Self-defense Spirit1????, borrowing the trantion from Elsword.¡» ¡®Mom¡­! Dad¡­!¡¯ My parents, whom I missed and longed for, were there. [Citizenship is granted to the 23 individuals who are subordinate to kin Lee Ji-sook (Ruler).] ¡®Huh?¡¯ Chapter 50: Encounter (6) Chapter 50: Encounter (6) [Episode 11] Encounter (6) I said to Seo Ye-jin, who was sitting to my left. ¡°Please follow them.¡± The ce my parents were was a few hundred meters away from the boundary of the homebound area. I put on my shoes and grabbed the front door, connecting to the closest area using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door. Most of the surroundings were a mess after the recent attack by the giant, but fortunately, the direction my parents wereing from wasn¡¯t ravaged. When I came out of the building and arrived at the border, I could see a group led by my parents in the distance. I shouted as loudly as I could. ¡°Mom! Dad!¡± It was hard to see with the naked eye, but through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I could see my parents¡¯ expressions clearly. Mom and Dad seemed a little puzzled. I shouted vigorously at them once more. ¡°Mom! Dad! It¡¯s me!¡± At that moment, my mom started quickly running towards me. Whether it was because she was level 50 or the effect of kin, she was running towards me at an incredible speed. ¡®It¡¯s a little scary.¡¯ I had raised my physical abilities such as strength and stamina quite a bit through daily quests, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand such a rush. Fortunately, my mom slowed down and stood in front of me. Then she asked in a trembling voice. ¡°Jae-hyun¡­?¡± Looking at my mom¡¯s crying face, I strangely let out a lightugh. ¡°Yes, mom, it¡¯s me.¡± Mom slowly approached. As the power of kin had already been unlocked, there was no transparent barrier blocking her. Mom passed through the boundary of the area and slowly put her hand on my face. Before I knew it, my mom¡¯s face was stained with thick tears. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, mom.¡± My mom hugged me tightly, then muttered like a spell. ¡°Thank you, God, Buddha. Thank you, thank you.¡± Patting Mom¡¯s trembling back, I said. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well, Mom.¡± By then, Dad came up to me and asked with a calm face. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After exchanging brief greetings with my dad, I surveyed the faces of the people who hade with my parents. There were many women, probably mostly nurses, because my mom used to work at a hospital. One of them was carrying two dogs, and since dogs and cats couldn¡¯t be granted citizenship, I had to personally give permission. ¡°Bark.¡± I granted permission for both dogs before they hit the transparent wall. Upon checking, the owner of the dogs had a skill simr to Kim Geon¡¯s. ¡®Rather than all 23 being awakened individuals, did they receive abilities from mom?¡¯ It could be said that it was somewhat simr to the vassal registration system. [Ruler1One Who Reigns. (Legendary)] -One with the qualities of a King {Subordinate Contracts} {Royal Decree} {King¡¯s Blessing} By signing a subordinate contract, one will awaken an ability. Allows the user to awaken up to 100 individuals without conditions. ¡®It¡¯s a cheat.¡¯ Considering how much the presence of Awakeners in the early stages affected survival, one could imagine how great the ability possessed by my mom was. In addition. ¡®Is Dad¡¯s ability also awakened through a subordinate contract?¡± The skill my dad had was: Self-Defense Spirit (Grade S) Consumes mental power to create a strong energy barrier that protects the entire body. While the barrier is active, physical abilities increase by three times. The reason my dad¡¯s skill was impressive was that the skill description indicated ¡®three times¡¯. If it were simply 300%, it wouldn¡¯t have seemed so incredible. For example, if there were abilities that increased physical abilities by 200% and 300% respectively, when these two skills ovep, it would be 500%. However, if there was a 200% increase and then a skill that triples that, the 300% would be ¡®three times¡¯. Ultimately, it resulted in an efficiency of 600%. ¡®So, right now, my dad¡­¡¯ Basically, kin also received all buffs citizens had. So first, they received the buff Power of Trust. ¡®All abilities increase by 93%.¡¯ And considering the effect of kin. ¡®Additionally, all abilities increase by 930%!¡¯ At this point, there was already an increase of 1123%2Please don¡¯t ask, I don¡¯t know if the math is right or not T_T. ¡®If you activate Self¨CDefense Spirit from here.¡¯ It meant that you would ultimately possess enhanced physical abilities by 3369%. ¡®Insane.¡¯ It was a jump that could easily surpass several levels. Among the remaining 23 people, there was no one else who obtained a Grade S skill like my dad. Although they were all awakened, most of them were B or C grade. ¡®Even so, they¡¯re on a different level from non-awakeners.¡¯ Once you awakened, you could grow through monster hunting. That alone became a significant differentiator. ¡®Anyway, thanks to these people, my parents were able to safelye this far!¡¯ The 23 awakened individuals led by my parents were granted citizenship, but they had a slightly different status from others. It was thanks to my mom¡¯s title effect. {Ichon3I figured this out wayter but ¡®Ichon¡¯ wasn¡¯t some fancy ability Grandpa had (also because the author had a typo the first time it came up). Apparently it means first-degree rtionship (aka direct family, your parents, etc.). It¡¯s simr to the English term ¡°first cousins, second cousins, third cousins¡­¡± I¡¯m going to leave it as ¡®Ichon¡¯ for now since I think ¡®First-Degree¡¯ or ¡®Direct Rtionship¡¯ sounds a bit weird.} Grants the authority to register five vassals and the right to grant an additional 1% of citizenship. Current citizenship granted: (23/2,100 people) ¡ùTax collection possible It meant that the citizenship granted to the 23 people led by my mom waspletely separate. The trust and loyalty disyed in their status windows were also directed towards my mom, not me. My mom also seemed to have the authority to assign quests. I spoke to the people my mom led. ¡°I will divide you into five rooms. If you need anything like rice or ramen, feel free to ask. I will provide everything.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please take a warm shower and restfortably in the room with the boiler turned on.¡± Everyone, including my parents, was looking at me as if I were strange. ¡°Jae-hyun, are you really okay?¡± Mom¡¯s voice was full of worry. I chuckled and pointed at the apartment with a smirk. ¡°Mom, can you see the lights over there?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, I was surprised because there were so many lights¡­¡± ¡°Why is that possible in a world where water and electricity have been cut off?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to briefly check the condition of the buildings around here. Since it was a little distance from where the giant was rampaging, there were many rtively intact buildings. Just in time, there happened to be a suitable building. The ss on the exterior wall was shattered so it looked a bit grim now, but that didn¡¯t matter. As long as I could turn on the lights. ¡°Everyone, watch closely.¡± After drawing everyone¡¯s attention. Snap! I made the lightse into all the buildings around, including that building. Pah! Although half-broken, the sight of the brightly lit city at night was no less spectacr than a splendid performance. I spoke to the people whose mouths were hanging open. ¡°Anyone thirsty?¡± Then, I summoned a cold c in front of them. The people who suddenly grabbed the c were surprised when they found out what it was. ¡°Can we really have this?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Yes? Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you happen to have Zero C? Pepsi.¡± Instead of answering, I summoned the item he wanted. ¡°Thank you!¡± With that, others also started demanding things. ¡°What about Fanta?¡± ¡°Is cider possible?¡± ¡°Everything is possible. Please feel free to ask for anything you want.¡± People drank the beverages happily, like children receiving Christmas presents. I said to them. ¡°Everyone, please follow me.¡± ¡°Woohoo!¡± People cheered and followed me. *** Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door to move around the apartmentplex, I first showed my mom¡¯s subordinates which houses they could use. I also arranged items like ramen, rice, eggs, and milk that they said they needed. ¡°If you need anything, please don¡¯t hesitate toe and tell me.4My corporate life tempts me to write ¡°Please don¡¯t hesitate/Feel free to reach out.¡±¡± Their reactions were enthusiastic. It was only natural, considering how much they must have suffered before getting here. They probably had a hard time not only washing properly but also finding food and water to drink. But now, everything was being resolved at once, so they couldn¡¯t help but be happy. After personally guiding everyone, it was time to take my parents home. My mom asked me with a worried expression. ¡°Jae-hyun, is it really okay for us to use other people¡¯s houses like this?¡± I chuckled at her question. ¡°When they return, of course I¡¯ll return them. Of course, it might be difficult since no one has returned yet.¡± No such person had appeared as of yet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Let¡¯s go home.¡± I connected the entrance to my apartment¡¯s front door. And there. ¡°Mom, Dad! Wee!¡± Awaiting us was Seo Ye-jin and Yoo Hye-rin, standing neatly with their hands together and bowing. Seo Ye-jin, sweating from continuous use of her ability, and Yoo Hye-rin, with her hair in a mess since she had just woken up, were enough to give my parents the wrong idea. ¡°¡­Son, is this our house?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª-Yes.¡± ¡°Then are these two your girlfriends?¡± ¡°No.¡± Dad, standing beside us, jokingly teased. ¡°Wow, our son is popr, huh? He¡¯s a yer?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re both terrible. Please take good care of my son.¡± Then, Yoo Hye-rin went overboard. ¡°We will serve you with all our hearts!¡± Is this the side effect of having a loyalty of 100? Dad whispered to me with his eyebrows raised. ¡°Our son seems to be quite something, huh?¡± Ignoring Dad¡¯s joke, I said to Seo Ye-jin and Yoo Hye-rin, ¡°You two can go back now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With that, I sent the two of them off and only our family remained. ¡°Mom and Dad can wash up.¡± After the two of them bathed and came out, I asked, ¡°Now, tell me. How did both of youe together?¡± ¡°You know Dad¡¯s personality. He was waiting for me to finish work that day, but then the incident happened.¡± My dad used to work as a taxi driver, and he always made sure to pick up Mom when she wasmuting. ¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯ The one who controlled the awakening was Mom. Because Dad was always so devoted to Mom, he was by her side the moment monsters appeared, and as a result, both of them were able toe out safely. ¡°It must have been tough for you toe all the way here.¡± ¡°We were able toe this far because I had your dad.¡± Mom held my dad¡¯s hand with a proud smile. Dad also smiled at Mom. I suddenly said, ¡°Grandpa is doing well.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Grandma is¡­¡± Seeing my expression, my mom asked with an uneasy voice, ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°She¡¯s asleep right now.¡± Mom patted her chest and replied. ¡°Don¡¯t tease Mom. You scared me.¡± I solemnly exined the truth with a serious face. ¡°She has been asleep since monsters started appearing.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Grandma will be fine. Grandpa is there.¡± Mom¡¯s expression turned sad again as she asked, ¡°What exactly happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin everything.¡± I exined about the ability I gained, how I¡¯ve been doing, the events rted to Grandpa, and various other things. That was how the night went on. Maybe because I was with my family, it felt warm and cozy inside the house. *** Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. There, a strange phenomenon urred where marine monsters had been pouring out ontond for several days. The problem was not just the monsters flooding in, but therger issue was the massive number of them infiltrating the ind areas. The survivors who had barely managed to survive goblins or orcs were rapidly decreasing from these higher-leveled monsters. And. ¡°What in the world is that? What kind of monster¡­!¡± Takaki Minakuchi, who had barely survived using his abilities, was stunned to see the giant monster appearing in the sea. Rumble¡ª! The majestic figure rising beyond the stormy sea seemed like a disaster brought down by the gods. He was sure that if that monster pushed ind, everything would trulye to an end. Then¡­ ¡®It¡¯s leaving?¡¯ The monster¡¯s figure began to recede into the deep sea. Only after the creaturepletely disappeared from sight could Minakuchi breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew.¡± Where could the monster have gone? He didn¡¯t know. But wherever it was heading, cruel destruction and annihtion were surely awaiting. Work is going awful. Someone send me some luck .¡¤¡ã?(¨R¡õ¨Q)?¡ã¡¤. Chapter 51: Encounter (7) Chapter 51: Encounter (7) [Episode 11] Encounter (7) The next morning, I informed my grandpa about my parents. The method was simple. All I had to do was pass a smartphone with a recorded video to him. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d use a smartphone like this!¡¯ I always thought of it as an expensive watch, but it turned out to be a million-won digital camera. Confirming the safety of my parents, Grandpa was ecstatic and yed our video several times beside Grandma. ¡°Jae-hyun, can we also watch a video of Grandpa and Grandma?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask them to make one.¡± After watching the video of Grandma and Grandpa taken by Ha Dong-geon, Mom started crying. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to meet them soon.¡± When the annex ispleted, Grandpa can move to the main house using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door. I asked Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to hunt monsters near the base while construction was beingpleted. The reason was time. ¡®I never thought there would be such an effect!¡¯ [At the construction site of the ¡®annex,¡¯ there are three vassals with the ¡®Knight¡¯ title. Construction efficiency increased by 50%.] Ha Dong-geon, Oh Eon-ju, and Kim Da-jeong increased the efficiency just by being there. Originally, the construction would¡¯ve taken a week, but now it was reduced to just four days. Furthermore, due to the monster wave yesterday, the number of monsters near the base had increased tremendously. The level of the monsters was also high, and hunting there was several times more efficient thaning back here to hunt. ¡®Now you have to walk 1km to hunt here.¡¯ After the homebound area expanded to a radius of 1km, the frequency of citizens hunting drastically decreased. This was because citizens who did not know that the area had expanded were still wandering around their usual hunting grounds. Since the area had already been incorporated, the remaining goblins all died yesterday with the level up. [Ms. Dabin.] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.] [There¡¯s something I want you to announce.] [Yes, go ahead.] [Please exin to everyone that the area has expanded. Now, you have to go beyond Seomyeon Station to hunt.] But that wasn¡¯t the only important thing. [And please establish a relief team.] [A relief team?] [Yes. We need people to rescue the survivors within the expanded territory.] In the newly-expanded area, there were thousands of survivors, most of whom were in very serious situations. [Citizen Kang Jeong-ho has passed away.] ¡®Another person died.¡¯ More than ten people have died since yesterday, all within the safe area. The biggest cause wasck of drinking water. People who couldn¡¯t go outside due to monsters were dying of dehydration inside their homes. I had been using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to provide relief supplies whenever I found citizens in dire situations, but I was not enough on my own. If they were still conscious, relief supplies would be enough, but too many were already unconscious. [For those who had requested the establishment of a medical team yesterday, please also include them in the relief team. They will surely be helpful.] [Understood.] I wanted to save as many people as possible. I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to find as many people as possible and, if necessary, I was prepared to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door to directly reach them or even use quest assignment to provide treatment. ¡°Jae-hyun, why do you look so serious?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I briefly exined the situation to my mother. After hearing everything, my mother said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I think I can help.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Some of the people my mother brought with her had simr abilities to Kim Da-jeong. They had abilities like ¡®Heal¡¯ or ¡®Care¡¯. ¡®Care¡¯ was an ability that was excellent for conditions such as dehydration, fainting, and poisoning. ¡°I¡¯d also like to see some of those doctors. If they make a subordinate contract, they¡¯ll probably awaken simr abilities.¡± It was as my mother expected. Almost 80% of them had awakened abilities rted to healing. However, the grades of the awakened abilities varied greatly. Most of them were D or C grades, so the overall level was low. ¡®Still, this alone will be a big help.¡¯ As the relief team began to move, the situation quickly calmed down. Seo Ye-jin searched for survivors, and the relief team was deployed ording to those in the most critical condition. Meanwhile, I supported those in need of supplies using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. These were some incredibly busy days. After three days and nights of hard work, I was able to check every house in the area. Nearly a hundred people had died during this process, but far more were saved. ¡®¡­It¡¯s over!¡¯ When I checked thest house, I copsed onto bed and immediately fell into a deep sleep. After about an hour of sleep, I was awakened by a system alert. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has approached the homebound area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] Since the area had expanded, new citizens had been flowing in. Thanks to this, the number of citizens was approaching ten thousand. ¡®Offer it.¡¯ Padapada¡ª Rain was pouring outside. ¡®Even though I didn¡¯t sleep much, I feel refreshed!¡¯ Thanks to the rewards from daily quests, my stamina had greatly increased. It seemed like the increase in mental strength also yed a major role. At that moment, Kim Dabin¡¯s telepathy came through. [Mr. Jae-hyun.] I used the Communication Ring to respond. [What¡¯s wrong?] [The relief team suggests rescuing people outside the area.] [Outside the area? It could be dangerous.] [I suggested the same, but they say it¡¯s the golden time so we must go out.] I could understand what they were saying. When the apartment¡¯s area expanded, the survivors¡¯ conditions weren¡¯t as critical as they were now. Most people were hungry and thirsty, but there weren¡¯t many on the brink of death due to severe dehydration. Now, most people had reached their limits. The golden time. It could be said that the current moment was like a golden time that would nevere again. If we didn¡¯t act now, many people would lose their lives. Even if we expanded the area in the future, we would likely ept more bodies than survivors. ¡®I¡¯ll save at least one more person.¡¯ Now, the area outside was much more different from the time when only goblin groups were there. ¡®Sea monsters from the sea havee all the way here.¡¯ There weren¡¯t many of them. However, sky marlins were flying through the air, andnd sharks roamed on the roads. asionally, you could also spot giant crustaceans. It was a difficult environment where ordinary people couldn¡¯t even imagine going outside. With the creatures attacking and casualties urring even in the hunting teams, most teams had stopped hunting except for a few. Despite the danger, they were risking their lives to rescue people. They were truly remarkable. ¡®Is it because there are a lot of former firefighters?¡¯ Among the firefighters, there were many who had a strong belief in risking their lives to save others. Perhaps they were the ones actively voicing their opinions. ¡®I admire them.¡¯ [Ms. Dabin, I¡¯ll assign hunting teams to act as guards, so please ask the relief teams to wait for a while.] [Yes, understood.] Currently, there were only two teams that could move to protect others. ¡®Only the team led by Lee Joon-hyuk and Dad¡¯s team.¡¯ The criteria was whether they could defeat a level 30 giant crustacean or not. Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s Water Bomb was surprisingly powerful and could crush the armor of the crustaceans, and the same was true for Dad. That¡¯s when it happened. [You have hunted a Giant Crab (Lv. 33).] [You have gained experience points.] ¡®Is Dad out hunting in this heavy rain?¡¯ Since there was no settlement reward, it meant that one of my kin was hunting. After discovering that his physical abilities had drastically improved since unlocking the power of kin, Dad had developed an interest in hunting. Honestly, at first, I was a little worried and attached Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse to him. However, after seeing him shatter the chitinous armor of the Giant Crab with a single punch, my worries faded. But then¡­ [You have hunted a Hammerhead Shark (Lv. 25).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Sawfish (Lv. 22).] [You have gained experience points.] [You have hunted a Blue Crab (Lv. 28).] [You have gained experience points.] Suddenly, hunting messages started pouring in. No matter how strong Dad was, he couldn¡¯t hunt monsters at this speed. There was only one person who could do this at the moment. ¡®It¡¯s Grandpa.¡¯ I immediately used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. Shwooohh. It was pouring rain there. Crack! Although it was broad daylight, the sky covered in dark clouds only asionally lit up with shes of lightning. [What¡¯s happening?] Ha Dong-geon answered. ¡°It¡¯s a monster wave.¡± As expected, another monster wave was unfolding. ¡®This is already the third one.¡¯ This phenomenon first urred about four days ago. And now, it had happened three times in total. Even though most of the monsters were passing by as usual, the amount was higher than before. ¡®At this rate, the proportion of sea monsters will continue to increase ind.¡¯ Survival for ordinary people would be even more challenging. ¡®Why does this keep happening?¡¯ Kuddddeuk! Looking ahead, I saw the roots of the World Tree in action once again. A vast number of sea monsters were pouring towards the ce, and Grandpa¡¯s wooden root wall was holding them back. Whoosh! m! The sound of monsters being stabbed and smashed constantly echoed. The continuous messages of experience points gained were just a bonus. But this time, there were too many monsters. Rumbleee! Crash!! Grandpa¡¯s wooden root wall was still sturdy, but the concrete building next to it couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure and copsed, creating a gap. Monsters poured in through the gap, squeezing through the cracks that appeared. Swoosh! Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear and Kim Gayoung¡¯s arrows were the first to react. The heads and bodies of the monsters that emerged were blown apart, killing them instantly. However, as the bodies disappeared, new monsters kept pouring out through the gap. ¡°Kacha!¡± Oh Eon-ju transformed into her werebear form, preparing for the impending battle, but her turn didn¡¯te. It was the tree giants who had been waiting behind the wooden root wall who began to step forward. Whoosh! Whoosh! Tentacles stretched out from the tree giants, immobilizing the monsters that flowed in, preventing them from moving. While the monsters struggled, the expanding rootspletely filled the gap. Just as bnce was being maintained by Grandpa¡¯s overwhelming power. Kwarrung! Under the brilliant lightning, something enormous wriggled. ¡®Huh?¡¯ At first, I thought it was just a trick of the eyes. But¡­ Kwarrurrung! With the next lightning sh, I could s¡¯e clearly. ¡®¡­What is that?¡± In the very far distance, something was looking down at us. Although all I could see was a shadow through the rain and dark sky, the fact that it was visible from this distance indirectly indicated how gigantic the figure was. Then. ¡®It disappeared?¡¯ In an instant, the figure vanished. So, at first, I thought it was just an illusion. However¡­ Kugugugugu¡ª The ground shook. Kwagwagwagwag!!1Thank you ChatGPT for donating more sound effects. The vibrations grew stronger, breaking the ground and toppling buildings. In the distance, an apartment that could not withstand the quakes copsed to the side. Baanggg! With a massive explosion, the powerful shaking reached its peak. Boom! And not far from away, the ground swelled up significantly. Kwagwagwag! The concrete burst like a pimple, and a thick pir of earth shot up. sh! Rain-soaked dirt fell away, revealing a massive head covered in white scales. The eyes of a giant reptile nced down indifferently at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party and Grandpa. ¡¸White Dragon (Lv. 63)¡¹ It was the appearance of a monster. Chapter 52: Encounter (8) Chapter 52: Encounter (8) [Episode 11] Encounter (8) In front of the White Dragon¡¯s overwhelming presence, everyone could only stare nkly. Fortunately, the White Dragon seemed to be looking down at them without any particr reaction. ¡®If I use vassal summon now¡­¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party might be able to escape. But Grandpa would die. ¡®That¡¯s not an option.¡¯ Yet, I couldn¡¯t tell them to fight against the White Dragon. Facing a monster like that would be tantamount to telling them to die. It was also impossible to escape with Grandpa and Grandma. As the Guardian of the World Tree, Grandpa could not move beyond a certain distance from it. It wasn¡¯t entirely hopeless, though. ¡®If the annex ispleted¡­¡¯ As the residential area expanded to a radius of 1 km, the annex¡¯s area also increased. In other words, once the annex waspleted, it would be possible to blow off the monster¡¯s head. However. [Time remaining untilpletion of the annex] -38 hours, 21 minutes, 19 seconds Even with construction efficiency increased by 50% andpleting 1.5 times faster, 38 hours meant they would have to endure for over a day. ¡®It¡¯s impossible.¡¯ The only other possibility was to enter the White Dragon¡¯s stomach and cause a gas explosion. However, that ce was beyond So Ye-jin¡¯s influence. It was impossible to cause a gas explosion using mice. ¡®¡­What if one of the vassals enters its stomach?¡¯ The most usible option was Moon Byeong-ho, who had a teleportation ability. If I used vassal summoning right before the explosion, I should be able to save him. ¡®No!¡¯ There was about a 5-second dy when using vassal summon. The timing of igniting the fire was crucial. If it was toote, it would be useless; and if it was too early, Moon Byeong-ho, who had entered the White Dragon¡¯s body, would lose his life. ¡®Moreover, considering the case of the Cyclops, the White Dragon is likely also able to withstand an internal explosion.¡¯ The higher the level, the higher overall abilities as well as durability. One shot wouldn¡¯t be enough. Maybe it won¡¯t work. ¡®Is there no way?¡¯ As I stared at it, hoping to find even a slight weakness. ¡¸White Dragon (Lv. 63)¡¹ A deep-sea monster that inhabits the deep sea. It is in an extremely weakened state just afterying eggs. The White Dragon¡¯s eggs can only hatch at the roots of the World Tree. ¡®Hm¡­?¡¯ The moment I saw that, I thought that perhaps the White Dragon¡¯s intention was not to fight. ¡®Surely not?¡¯ What if it simply needed the World Tree to hatch its eggs? At that moment, the White Dragon moved, and Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party moved to attack the White Dragon. I urgently used the Communication Ring. [Everyone, stop!] If the White Dragon truly had no intention of fighting, there was no reason for us to attack first. [It might sound strange, but please trust me and wait! Please tell Grandpa too! Don¡¯t do anything!] Grandpa was also trying to attack the White Dragon by moving the roots of the World Tree. At mymand, Moon Byeong-ho used teleport to stop him. ¡°Why stop the attack? Don¡¯t you know how important preemptive strikes are in battle?¡± Lee Bong-yeol retorted with a hint of annoyance, but Moon Byeong-ho replied earnestly. ¡°Please trust me just this once. It¡¯s a request from Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Right after that. ¡ºDo not fear. Guardian of the World Tree.¡» Lee Bong-yeol, who was wary of the White Dragon, was startled by the voice that rang in his head. ¡°Guardian of the World Tree?¡± He instinctively understood that it was referring to him. He also understood that the name of the giant tree that had been growing on his rooftop since the first day doomsday began was the World Tree. The White Dragon looked down at the World Tree and continued. ¡ºI didn¡¯t realize it was so small. I¡¯ll have to be careful.¡» Rumbleeee¨D The ground shook. However, the White Dragon¡¯s movements were much more cautious than before. With subtle vibrations, its long white body emerged from the ground. The White Dragon approached Lee Bong-yeol carefully. A voice could be hearding from the White Dragon, who had arrived in front of him. ¡ºMake a contract with me, Guardian of the World Tree.¡» ¡°¡­A contract?¡± ¡ºI will protect you until the World Tree regains its power.¡» At that moment, Lee Bong-yeol felt a burning sensation on the back of his right hand. When the burning sensation subsided, a tattoo with an intricate pattern was engraved on the back of his right hand. It was a white tattoo, the same color as the White Dragon¡¯s scales. ¡ºWhen you are in danger, use it to call me. I wille to you at any time.¡» Immediately after that, an egg about the size of an ostrich egg appeared in front of Lee Bong-yeol. As he received it with both hands, the White Dragon said: ¡ºTake good care of my child.¡» With those words, the White Dragon turned back without any hesitation. Rumbleeee¨D The White Dragon¡¯s figure moved away with much more caution than when it first appeared. Everyone watched in a daze. Finally, Kang Deok-su opened his mouth. ¡°W-We would¡¯ve been screwed if we had attacked!!¡± ¡°¡­We survived because we stayed still as Mr. Jae-hyun ordered.¡± [Citizen Kang Deok-su¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Kang Deok-su has already been registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] ¡­ The loyalties of Kang Deok-su, Kim Ga-yeong, and Ha Dong-geon all reached 100 simultaneously, increasing the limit of vassal registration by 3. ¡®Is the total now 18?¡¯ In other words, six more people could be registered. ¡®If we keep increasing like this, we might have more than 100 one day!¡¯ When a regr citizen reaches 100 loyalty, they are immediately registered as a vassal, increasing the registration limit. While Mom could register 100 awakeners without any conditions, in my case, I had to gradually increase the number. It was a type of umtion. ¡®It would¡¯ve been nice if Mom could ept those she awakened as vassals.¡¯ Unfortunately, that was not possible. Mom tried experimenting with the medical team she awakened this time, but as soon as they entered a subordinate contract, they became unable to be registered as a vassal under Mom¡¯smand. ¡®It would be nice if there was a way to make Awakeners.¡¯ Natural Awakeners were simply too rare. But then. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [You have acquired ¡®Teleport¡¯.] [Jackpot winner!] [Congrattions.] [You have obtained ¡®Awakening Pill (Teleport)¡¯.] ¡®Oh?¡¯ It was the second jackpot win. Once again, it was Moon Byeong-ho. ¡®Wow, how is he so lucky every time?¡¯ The purpose of the Awakening Pill was obvious. It could awaken the Teleport ability when consumed. ¡®How should I use this?¡¯ Two ideas came to mind immediately. One was to give it to a citizen with high loyalty and then register them as a vassal. It would grant a Knight title for free once they awakened and were registered. ¡®The other one¡­!¡¯ Instead of giving up the settlement fee, there was an investment opportunity that could dramatically increase experience acquisition. Considering the two options, I ultimately chose thetter. [Ms. Dabin.] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.] [Please call my dad.] Dad received the strongest buff within my family1It¡¯s technically ¡®kin¡¯ rather than family here.. This was because he was the only one among them who fought directly and used his body in battle. What would happen if Dad was given Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s Teleport ability? ¡®It¡¯s like putting wings on a tiger.¡¯ Perhaps because he was a Taekwondo athlete when he was young, Dad had remarkable agility. I was confident that hisbat power would skyrocket with the addition of a teleportation ability. I immediately handed Dad the Awakening Pill when he came home soaking wet. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Dad epted the Awakening Pill and looked at it closely before asking, ¡°Is it a supplement?¡± ¡°Yes. Just swallow it.¡± When I handed him a bottle of his favorite water, Samdasoo, Dad smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful, my son. Samdasoo is definitely the best water¡­¡± The moment my dad swallowed the Awakening Pill, a bright light emanated from his body. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s going on? Son, did you give me something strange to eat?¡± Dad looked down at his body in confusion. I said to him, ¡°Dad, imagine teleporting from there to here.¡± ¡°Teleporting?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although he looked at me with doubt, Dad was the kind of person who would do as he was told. Shwooh. ¡°Huh?!¡± Naturally, the teleportat skill was activated. And then. [Kin Kim Dong-hyuk¡¯s trust has increased.] [Kin Kim Dong-hyuk¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [You have obtained ¡®Self-defense Spirit.¡¯] ¡°Huh?¡± I got the skill my dad has. And as I looked at it, a sudden idea struck me like lightning. ¡®Wait a minute. Does that mean if I raise Mom¡¯s trust to 100, I can gain her ability?¡¯ Mom¡¯s ability. It meant that I would be able to acquire the ability to create 100 Awakeners. I immediately ran to Mom, who was preparing food in the kitchen. ¡°Son!¡± Although I heard Dad¡¯s voice filled with emotion from behind, Mom was more important right now. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Currently, Mom¡¯s trust is at 97. If I raise it by 3 more, I could immediately gain her ability. ¡°Do you want anything? Something to eat?¡± ¡°So suddenly?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± When I urged her, Mom hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°I kind of want tteokbokki2Spicy rice cake, it¡¯s really good! You can have cheese tteokbokki too (same for ramen)..¡± ¡°Tteokbokki? Okay, wait a minute.¡± I was about to go out to prepare the tteokbokki when I ran into Dad, who was waiting with a moved expression. ¡°Son!¡± He hugged me before I could react. ¡°Dad, why don¡¯t you go wash up first.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry about that. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Dad. After you wash up, you know where Dabin¡¯s room is on the 21st floor, right?¡± ¡°The girl who¡¯s good at her job?¡± ¡°Go see her. There¡¯s something for Dad to do.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Leaving my dad who entered the shower with a grin, I opened the front door and visited Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house for the first time in a while. After ringing the doorbell and waiting for a moment, I heard Park Hye-won¡¯s voice. [Mr. Jae-hyun? What¡¯s going on?] ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± [Come on in first.] With Park Hye-won¡¯s help, I made tteokbokki, but Mom¡¯s trust remained at 97 without budging. ¡®It¡¯s okay. I still have a trump card left.¡¯ There was no need to be impatient. Time would solve it. [The construction of the annex isplete.] At the same time, the cleaning began. [Hostile entities to the Absolute Dweller have been detected.] [Eliminating.] The monsters inside the area were killed in droves. [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 24).] [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 23).] [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 18).] [You have hunted a Giant Lobster (Lv. 29).] [You have hunted a Sawfish (Lv. 30).] ¡­ As it was recognized as my kill, I only gained experience and settlement money at a mere 1x rate, but the amount was enormous. Thanks to that. [Your skill level has increased.] I leveled up at the tremendous amount of experience, and cleaning began once again as the area expanded. [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 23).] [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 18).] And. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] The number of people in the new area along with the annex¡¯s space was in the thousands. ¡®Grant it.¡¯ The moment I granted citizenship to all of them. [The number of citizens has reached 10,000.] [As the number of citizens have reached a certain level, citizens can now acquire ¡®jobs¡¯.] [Conditions have been met.] [A ¡®Job Research Institute¡¯ has been added to the list of construction items.] Various new notifications constantly rang out, but there was something more important. I quickly went to find Mom. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go see Grandpa and Grandma.¡± Dad was out with the relief team saving people. So, I took Mom to the annex first. ¡®The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door.¡¯ After linking my front door to the annex, I opened the door. Creak. Beyond the door, the familiar sight of our house came into view. And. ¡°Grandpa! I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± As I opened the door to the living room, I saw Grandpa sitting next to Grandma. Surprised, Grandpa asked, ¡°Is it Jae-hyun?¡± ¡°Yes, Grandpa.¡± And. ¡°Dad!¡± Mom ran to Grandpa and hugged him. [Kin Lee Ji-sook¡¯s trust has increased.] [Kin Lee Ji-sook¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [Acquired ¡®Subordinate Contract¡¯.] ¡®Bingo.¡¯ Chapter 53: Savior (1) Chapter 53: Savior (1) [Episode 12] Savior (1) After a short chat, Grandpa said he was going to work and went up to the rooftop. The rooftop was filled with a variety of nts, but the most striking was the appearance of the World Tree trunk surrounding the entire house. It was fascinating how the structure still allowed sunlight to reach the rooftop. ¡°How are you doing?¡± ¡°Same as usual?¡± Wooong¡ª ¡°I¡¯ve been well.¡± Grandpa spread green vitality in all directions. It seemed that he was supplying vitality instead of water since it was cut off. Towards Grandpa, I said, ¡°Grandpa, can I show you something cool?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I reached out towards one of the small vegetable gardens that Grandpa had made. There was a hose that usually supplied water to the garden, but it had dried up due tock of water. But then, a stream of water started to spray from there. ¡°How about that, Grandpa?¡± Looking at it, Grandpa frowned and said, ¡°Are you using water from the water tank? Jae-hyun, even using the bathroom is not enough.¡± Since the house was pretty old, there was a water tank on the rooftop. When I checked it, water was almost running out. We also used LPG1LPG ¨C Liquefied petroleum gas. instead of regr gas, but that was already used up. ¡°No, Grandpa.¡± I created water in the air and held it in my palm. ¡°I¡¯m making it.¡± Grandpa looked closely at the water floating in the air and asked, ¡°Is this real?¡± ¡°Yes. I filled the water tank and gas. Electricity wille in too.¡± ¡°All of that is part of your ability?¡± ¡°Yes. From now on, we can live as usual. There won¡¯t be any monstersing in either.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I briefly exined my ability to Grandpa. I also transferred over the authority of the people who were with Grandpa to him. ¡°When you increase trust, loyalty opens up. If you raise it to 30, you can do something called ¡®vassal registration.¡¯ Since you¡¯re the chief, you can register up to three people.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± I could tell from his reaction that he didn¡¯t quite understand the system. It seemed that the concept might be a bit difficult for Grandpa. He hadn¡¯t yedputer games before, and he wasn¡¯t familiar with using smartphones yet. ¡®I¡¯ll teach him slowly, and he¡¯ll get used to it!¡¯ I wanted to make sure he understood the vassal registration system. Grandpa silently continued his work. Watching him pick persimmons and harvest lettuce, I said, ¡°I¡¯ll go down.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I could have walked down, but I activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to test out the new skill. Then, looking at the living room on the first floor¡­ ¡®Teleport.¡¯ Whoosh¡ª I was able to immediately move to where Mom and Grandma were. Other than some slight dizziness, there were no problems. ¡®So it can be used like this!¡¯ Teleportation was also possible through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. ¡®It¡¯s quite useful!¡¯ While the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door required a door, Teleport had no such limitation. The only burden was increased mental power consumption as distance increased. Thanks to diligently increasing my mental power, teleporting once was not much of a burden. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Jae-hyun? Didn¡¯t you go up to the rooftop? What about Grandpa?¡± ¡°He¡¯s working upstairs. How¡¯s Grandma doing?¡± ¡°She just looks like she¡¯s sleeping. Fortunately, she looks healthy, and there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong.¡± Mom had worked in a nursing hospital for a long time, so she could distinguish whether Grandma¡¯s condition was serious or not. Thanks to the regr supply of vitality from Grandpa, Grandma was in very good shape. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ I watched Mom, who was taking care of Grandma with a worried look. ¡®I¡¯ve gained Mom¡¯s ability.¡¯ Subordinate Contracts. After Mom¡¯s trust reached 100, I got her ability to awaken 100 individuals. Immediately, candidates for awakening came to mind. ¡®Those with high loyalty, and those who are actively hunting.¡¯ Among them, those who had good abilities could be vassals. ¡®Generally, those who have higher stats when they be vassals gain higher levels and better abilities.¡¯ As I nned while checking the skill window, there was one list faintly shining. Summon Familiar (1/10) ¡®What is it?¡¯ Upon checking. ¡®Huh?¡¯ [Summon Familiar] (10,000,000,000 Won) (Activated) The 10 billion won ¡®Summon Familiar¡¯ button was activated. Summon Familiar. There was no need to hesitate as I had already seen the ability the Three-Legged Crow possessed. It was worth the investment. ¡®Summon Familiar.¡¯ [Summon Familiar will consume 10,000,000,000 won.] Immediately after. Wooong. Faint green light spread in all directions, drawing aplicated pattern. The moment the magic circle filled with intricate patterns waspleted. Poof! A green-colored egg appeared. It was surrounded by lush leaves. Soon, the leaves began to open wider, and something was revealed inside. With pink clothes like flower buds and wings, it was a fairy. ¡¸Fairy (Lv. 1)¡¹ It smiled with its small mouth and fluttered its wings. Every time the fairy pped its wings, glittering powder scattered around. After a few attempts, it finally seeded in flying. It circled around me, thennded on my shoulder, opened its arms wide, and hugged my face. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Just then. ¡°Ahem.¡± The door opened, and Grandpa appeared. He had finished his rooftop work ande down. As soon as Grandpa came down, he immediately checked Grandma¡¯s condition. Woooong. The moment he spread green vitality evenly over Grandma¡¯s body. Flutter. The fairy quickly flew over and absorbed the green energy emitted by Grandpa with its whole body. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this?¡± [The Fairy¡¯s level has increased.] [Natural recovery rate in the area increased by 100%.] Just as Grandpa¡¯s expression was about to turn scary. Shla¡ª The Fairy fluttered around Grandma, scattering sparkling powder. At that moment, as if it were a lie, Grandma opened her eyes. ¡°!!!¡± With groggy eyes, Grandma looked at Grandpa¡¯s dirt-covered hands and said. ¡°Dear. How many times did I tell you to wash your hands aftering down from the rooftop¡­¡± And. ¡°Why am I so sleepy¡­.¡± Yawning with her hand over her mouth, Grandma fell back asleep. A beatter. ¡°Sweetheart! Dear! Wake up!¡± Grandpa nudged Grandma, but she just breathed peacefully with a rxed face. Then, Grandpa turned to the fairy. ¡°Was it you? Did you do this?¡± He then spread green life force towards the fairy. ¡°Just once. Just try it one more time!¡± However, the fairy stretched as if tired and then fell to its side, falling asleep. ¡°Just try it one more time!¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± I could see tears in my agitated Grandpa¡¯s eyes. Pretending not to notice, I spoke. ¡°Please also regrly supply vitality to this fairy in the future too. As the fairy¡¯s level increases, the time Grandma spends awake will gradually lengthen.¡± And someday, Grandma would fully wake up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed that the summoning of the fairy was not just random. ¡®It¡¯s rted to the World Tree.¡¯ That meant that there were conditions for other summons as well. [Citizen Shim Kyung-taek has died.] Since earlier, messages of citizens¡¯ deaths had been appearing. They were most likely citizens who had recently been epted in the annex. While the apartmentplex area had relief teams out treating people, that was not the case here. ¡®Hundreds more will die.¡¯ I wanted to bring them here if possible, but the relief team was currently busy rescuing people outside the area. Regardless of where they were, people were dying. But whether they lived or died depended on where they were. ¡®It¡¯s not just here.¡¯ People were dying all over the country, and maybe even worldwide. People who died from monsters, starved to death trapped in their homes, or died while fighting monsters. Countless people would die like that. ¡®Why did this happen?¡¯ That had always been the question lingering in my mind. Why did the monsters appear, and why did so many people have to die? But the world never gave me an answer. ¡®I¡¯ve achieved the first goal.¡¯ Saving my family. I was really lucky. Thanks to the fact that my whole family was Awakened, we were able to survive in this world. Now, if only Grandma woke up, it would be perfect. ¡®As for the second goal¡­¡¯ There was always a question that apanied me, about why the world had changed so much. Why was I given such immense power? Compared to ordinary Awakened individuals like Ha Dong-geon, Oh Eon-ju, Kim Da-jeong, and Seo Ye-jin, my abilities were overwhelmingly huge. The only person whose abilities could bepared to mine was Grandpa, but even he fell slightly shortpared to what I possessed. Perhaps my family was given these powers not just because they are my family. But if that were the case, then why again, was I given such immense power? I kept asking, but as always, the world did not show me an answer, and I had to find the answer myself. ¡®There¡¯s a saying that with great poweres great responsibility!¡¯ It was a famous line from a movie in my memories. The fact that the line from the movie¡¯s protagonist still remained in my mind meant that it had significant meaning to me. ¡®As for the second goal¡­ It¡¯s a bit embarrassing, but it¡¯s to save my country!¡¯ Honestly, I¡¯m not sure about the whole world. But if I continue to level up steadily and build outposts or annexes with the money I earn, I might be able to save South Korea with my own hands. ¡®At least, as much as I can.¡¯ Currently, the total poption I can grant citizenship to is 220,000. I should at least fill that up. Among them, only 10,000 people had been filled in by me. ¡®Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t there a message that citizens could acquire jobs after reaching 10,000 people?¡¯ They said that citizens would be able to acquire jobs, but there was no change in the Citizen Management window. ¡®Do we have to build the Job Research Institute first? Construction mode.¡¯ List of avable construction options: -?? ??? (2,500,000,000 ?) -Job Research Institute (2,500,000,000 won) A research institute that studies citizens¡¯ upations. Once research ispleted, citizens can autonomously acquire the job. Currently researchable jobs: -Hunter: Acquires by-products of prey. It seems that the Job Research Institute required arge separate area. Fortunately, there was a tnd in the area that the Cyclops had created a mess of. I imagined constructing the Institute in that ce. ¡®Constructing the Job Research Institute.¡¯ [This facility requires 30 citizens during the construction period (7 days).] [Citizens residing there during the construction period will receive a daily wage of 200,000 won.] [Would you like to proceed with the instation?] [Yes/No] It seemed that I would need to talk with Kim Dabin to recruit 30 construction workers. Chapter 54: Savior (2) Chapter 54: Savior (2) [Episode 12] Savior (2) Cultivate oneself, manage one¡¯s household, govern the country, and bring peace to the world1?????????(ÐÞÉíýR¼ÒÖ·øƽÌìÏÂ) ¨C Thank gosh this idiom had the Chinese words/version next to it.. The first step to saving the world, or rather the country, was to risk one¡¯s life to protect one¡¯s family. And then, in order to save the country: ¡®We need to find the families of the vassals.¡¯ Finding the families of the key people might sound funny, but it was the most efficient way to achieve maximum results. The top priority was to expand territory through leveling up, and the ones who had yed the biggest role in that were the vassals. Since they had been moving for me so far, now it was my turn to work for them. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was currently near Jagalchi Station. The annex area had expanded to just before Jagalchi Station. Since it was a long distance to teleport, I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door to move to the edge of the area and then called them. [Could youe back for a moment?] They had advanced this far to meet Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s parents¨Cor rather, her mother¨Cwho were in Daesin-dong. First, I nned to rescue Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s family near Jagalchi, and then go find other people¡¯s families. During the five days the annex was being constructed, we had been steadily clearing a path to Daesin-dong, but we could hardly advance even 1km due to the monster waves. Moon Byeong-ho, who had returned to the area, was surprised to see me. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun? How did you¡­?¡± ¡°As expected, it was Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s power that wiped out the monsters earlier.¡± Ha Dong-geon, quick on the uptake, asked, ¡°So does that mean this area is now under Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s control?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°If the safe zone has expanded this far, we can proceed with the operation much more safely.¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s not all.¡± I didn¡¯t keep Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party here just to speed up the construction of the annex. It was too dangerous to move to Daesin-dong due to the increased monster density from the monster waves. The best option was to use the subway, but reality was that clearing the way from my house to the subway station would not be easy. However, once the annex waspleted, the whole situation changed. First of all, the area expanded to just in front of Jagalchi Station, so we could enter the subway station directly. And. ¡°We should be able to arrive at Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s family in Daesin-dong today.¡± Kim Ga-yeong asked with a skeptical expression. ¡°Is that possible? Even if a safe zone has been created¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I now have a way to clear the subway tracks.¡± When Seo Ye-jin was brought here, the strategy of filling the subway tracks with poison mist using mice could be used again. ¡°And there¡¯s one thing I¡¯d like to suggest to all of you.¡± *** Seo Ye-jin, who was scouting the tracks connecting Jagalchi Station, Toseong Station, Dongdaesin Station, and Seodaesin Station using mice, said. ¡°It would¡¯ve been a real disaster if you¡¯d just let them go.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The inside of the subway tracks was much more difficult than we had expected. We had guessed that there would be few underground since the surface was full of monsters due to the monster waves. However, contrary to our expectations, the ce was filled with marine monsters that liked dark ces. Creatures resembling catfish, crabs, octopuses, and eels were upying the area. Shwaaaaah! However, those in the enclosed space could only be prey to Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poison mist. [You have hunted an Irond Eel (Lv. 32).] [You have gained experience points.] [625,738,094 won deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] [You have hunted a Dark Octopus (Lv. 27).] [You have gained experience points.] [268,876,356 won deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] It was quite profitable. There was a reason why the settlement money for the monsters that died from Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poison mist was so high. ¡¸Name: Yoo Hye-rin (Lv. 34) [+] Titles: [Fifth Vassal] [Knight] [Toxicologist] Trust: 94 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Abilities: Poison Mist, Poison Dust ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ After Yoo Hye-rin signed a subordinate contract, she acquired the title of Knight, leading to an increase in settlement money. Furthermore, her poison became even more potent, and she gained the ability to produce concentrated poison powder. ¡®Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s not the only one who¡¯s changed.¡¯ I looked at Seo Ye-jin, who was meditating beside me. ¡¸Name: Seo Ye-jin (Lv. 37) [+] Titles: [Tenth Vassal] [Baron] [Tamer] Trust: 72 Loyalty: 76 Awakening Abilities: Queen of Mice, Evolution, Enhancement Experience Distribution Rate: 200% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ In her case, her existing Knight title evolved into Baron, an aristocratic title. {Baron} All abilities are increased by (Loyalty*2)%, and experience points and settlement money from monsters hunted by vassals with the title of Baron are tripled. ¡ùBarons can grow by distributing experience points. While experience and settlement money ratios remained the same, the effect of loyalty on abilities increased tremendously. Not only did it change from physical ability to all abilities, but the increase was also doubled. In addition, a new ability called Enhancement was created. Enhancement (Grade B) Enhance a target that is subordinate to you. The enhanced mice could run much faster and were less likely to die. ¡®And.¡¯ It went without saying that Seo Ye-jin was not the only one to gain the position of Baron. Ha Dong-geon, Kim Da-jeong, and Oh Eon-ju, all of whom were previously Knights, had their titles upgraded. Ha Dong-geon and Kim Da-jeong attained the same rank as Seo Ye-jin, ¡®Baron¡¯ while Oh Eon-ju obtained the title of ¡®Viscount¡¯, a rank higher than that of ¡®Baron¡¯. ¡¸Name: Oh Eon-ju (Lv. 45) [+] Titles: [Ninth Vassal] [Viscount] [Warrior] Trust: 100 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Abilities: Werebear, Primordial Vitality, Berserk Experience Distribution Rate: 200% ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ [Viscount] All abilities are increased by (Loyalty*3)%, experience points and settlement money from monsters hunted by vassals with the title of Viscount are tripled. A vassal with the Viscount title increases the limit of vassal registration by 3 slots. ¡ùViscounts can grow by distributing experience points. There was not much difference from Barons in other aspects, but there was one decisive difference. -A vassal with the Viscount title increases the limit of vassal registration by 3 slots. ¡®Thanks to that, the maximum number of vassals has increased to 21.¡¯ Additionally, Moon Byeong-ho, Kang Deok-su, Kim Ga-yeong, and Kim Geon, all went through an upgrade through the subordinate contract. After confirming that the poison mist remaining in the subway tracks had disappeared, I said to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [Let¡¯s go now.] First up was Kang Deok-su. ¡°Rise!¡± Click, click! ¡¸Name: Kang Deok-su (Lv. 32) [+] Titles: [Third Vassal] [Knight] [Commander] Trust: 93 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Abilities: Steel Knight¡¯s Order ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ Upon bing a Knight, the existing skill ¡®Steel Knight¡¯ was upgraded to ¡®Steel Knight¡¯s Order2The ¡®Order¡¯ here doesn¡¯t meanmand, it¡¯s the kind that¡¯s in medieval ¡®order of chivalry¡¯.¡®. Along with this, he gained the ability to summon not only armor that surrounded his body but also armored golems tomand. ¡°Charge!¡± The knights charged towards the monsters. ng! Each one of them possessed considerablebat power. In some ways, they were even better than Kang Deok-su in armor. Crack! Although it broke apart from the Giant Crab¡¯s attack, it didn¡¯t matter much. ¡°Rise!¡± It was enough to just summon the golem again. The monsters that were aggroed by the armored golems no longer paid attention to other things. ¡°Hahaha! Let¡¯s go!¡± The most excited was Kang Deok-su himself. Following the path opened by Kang Deok-su, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was able to smoothly enter Exit 2 of Jagalchi Station. [The path is clear. Just head straight to Seodaesin Station.] It was roughly 3km away. Running at full speed with superhuman abilities far surpassing those of ordinary people, they arrived at Seodaesin Station in less than five minutes. ¡°We really arrived in just one day¡­!¡± [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s trust has increased.] Kim Ga-yeong stepped out of the gate at Seodaesin Station and said, ¡°¡­If you go out to Exit 2 of Seodaesin Station, you¡¯ll be right in front of our apartmentplex.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When they came out of Exit 2, they heard a familiar sound. ¡°Kkiik!¡± There was a group of goblins on a small grassy area between the road and another road to the right of the exit. They were hunting sky marlins whose noses were stuck in the trees and couldn¡¯t fly away. It was a rather amusing sight. The fact that goblins survived meant that this ce was attacked less by marine monsters. ¡®Perhaps it¡¯s because of the favorable terrain.¡¯ Daesindong was surrounded by small mountains. It was difficult for monsters pouring out from the sea to head towards Daesindong. Theck of marine monsters was probably due to this geographical advantage. Seeing that the goblins were in good shape, it was clear that they had been less affected. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ Tap tap tap¡ª Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party ignored the goblin group and ran. It was only about 100 meters from the subway station to the apartmentplex where Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s mother lived. Running along the alley to the left, they soon reached an apartmentplex. ¡°We¡¯ll go in directly.¡± To get to the main gate of the apartmentplex, they had to take a bit of a detour, but with the physical specs of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, they could use even non-paths as paths. Ha Dong-geon lightly jumped over the 2m high wall, boldly plunging into the flower bed. The others also followed suit, easily leaping over the wall. ¡°Kkiaaak!¡± As soon as they entered the apartmentplex, they were faced with a group of ten goblins. Wooong! At that moment, Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arrow glowed. And. Swoosh! Just before hitting the goblin, the light exploded into dozens of branches. And. Pook pook pook!3I¡¯m sorry, I ran out of ideas for sound effects. I wanted to just write ¡®Pubububuk¡¯ if that makes more sense to you. Each of them became a killing weapon that pierced the goblin¡¯s body. ¡°Kwaeeaaak!¡± [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 8).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] ¡°Kkigigik!¡± The remaining goblins, terrified by the sight, began to flee, and the busy Ha Dong-geon party ignored them and ran. ¡°Where do we go?¡± ¡°This way!¡± Kim Ga-yeong led the way. ¡®Oh?¡¯ When they arrived at the apartment building where Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s mother lived, they found the entrancepletely blocked by wooden boards. It meant there were survivors. ¡®Perhaps.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon smashed the wooden boards with his spear and then turned to his party members. ¡°Ga-yeong and I will go up, so please watch over here.¡± ¡°Okay! Rise!¡± Kang Deok-su and the order of knights guarded the entrance. Creak, creak. Since the elevator naturally wasn¡¯t working, Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-yeong had to use the stairs. With their advanced physical abilities, they arrived at the 19th floor in strides, and Kim Ga-yeong knocked on the door of her house and shouted. Thump, thump, thump! ¡°Mom! Mom¡ª!¡± Her desperate and urgent cry seemed to reach the sky. Click. ¡°Noona4Noona and Unnie both mean older sister. Males call older sisters ¡®noona¡¯ and females use ¡®unnie¡¯.?¡± It seemed to have reached the heavens5The heavens answered her cries.. ¡°Myung-hwan! Where¡¯s Mom?¡± ¡°She¡¯s inside. Oh, and brother-inw too?¡± And then. ¡°Ga-yeong!¡± A middle-aged woman¡¯s voice came from inside the front door. [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [Obtained ¡®Light Arrow.¡¯] As soon as Kim Ga-yeong saw her, she immediately rushed into her arms and cried. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Ga-yeong! My child!¡± After the tearful family reunion, Kim Ga-yeong burst into tears of sorrow. ¡°Sniff, Mommm.¡± ¡°Why are you crying, Ga-yeong? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Dad ah, he, sob.¡± Kim Ga-yeong couldn¡¯t speak for a while and just kept crying sadly. Even though she couldn¡¯t fully exin, perhaps they understood just from that. ¡°No, no¡­¡± ¡°Heuk.¡± As sadness filled Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s mother and brother¡¯s faces, tears soon flowed down their cheeks. ¡°Sob, Mom.¡± ¡°Aigoo, my dear. Ai¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The family of three who were reunited wept sadly for the member missing from their midst. There was a long melody of sorrow. Despite having fulfilled the hope of reuniting with her family, Kim Ga-yeong still couldn¡¯t escape the pit of despair. ¡­ The world was unfair. Some were born into unfortunate families, suffering abuse and growing up in hardship; while others were born with a silver spoon, growing up withoutcking anything. Some faced unjust death, encountering monsters without any abilities; while I livedfortably from the beginning, awakening fraudulent abilities. No matter how much I questioned the world, the only answer that came back was just silence. There was no reason for what had already happened; it was just a fact that had to be epted. All we could do was be grateful for surviving, grateful for reunions, and mourn and grieve for those we would never see again. ¡®Let¡¯s speed up.¡¯ Now, all that remained were the families of Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon. The next target was Jangjeon-dong. The families of the three were all there. TN: Gosh, all the new terms to name took forever. Everyone¡¯s gotten an upgrade! Chapter 55: Savior (3) Chapter 55: Savior (3) [Episode 12] Savior (3) An apartment in Bujeon-dong. A womany weakly on the bed, which took up most of the room. ¡®I¡¯m hungry.¡¯ She was so hungry that it hurt, but she had no choice. Everything edible in the house had been eaten. She had given up on going to the convenience store, where she had risked her life to get food, ever since the ground had be infested with crawling sharks. ¡°Water¡­¡± Onest sip of water. In order to suck up everyst drop of water, she drank from the stic bottle while lying down. Plop. Her arms, too weak to hold up, flopped down, and the stic bottle, which still had a few drops of water left, fell from her mouth to under the bed. ¡®Is this how I¡¯m going to die¡­?¡¯ It would¡¯ve been nice if she could think it wasn¡¯t a bad life. ¡®Absolutely miserable!¡¯ Baek So-ra thought about her life, which had been the worst until the end. If there was a review on her life, it would be full of sympathy. Her only parent, her father, was an alcoholic who would hit her whenever he could. Society, which she wanted to escape from, demanded money from her every day. Rent, utilities, food, and so on. It wasn¡¯t a small amount. She had to work damned hard to survive. Just when she could barely breathe, the world copsed. ¡®Why me¡­¡¯ Why was she born into such a family, and why did she have to live such a difficult life? It would have been better if she had never been born. ¡°Sob.¡± She wanted to live a normal life. Just like everyone else. The type of life where you would eat three meals a day, make friends at school, and maybe even date. That was like a dream to Baek So-ra. It was then. Thump, thump, thump! It wasn¡¯t her room. The vibrations that traveled through the wall seemed toe from downstairs. The depression that had filled her room disappeared without a trace, and her heart began to pound nervously. ¡®Is it a monster?¡¯ Sometimes goblins woulde up. However, if the door didn¡¯t open, they would soon lose interest and leave. She curled up in bed, desperately hoping for the monster to leave. ¡­Even at this point, she still wanted to live? At that moment, she heard something that was like a lie. ¡°This is the rescue team! Are there any survivors!¡± At first, she thought it was a hallucination. A hallucination brought on by desperation. Thump, thump, thump! But it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Are there any survivors here! Please respond! This is the rescue team!¡± It was definitely a human voice. ¡®R-Rescue team?¡¯ Her heart began to pound for a different reason. ¡°Here¡­!¡± She got up from the bed and staggered towards the front door. ¡°There¡¯s someone here!¡± Just before opening the front door, she froze with her hand on the doorknob. ¡®What if it¡¯s a monster mimicking human voices?¡¯ These kinds of things often appeared in novels or movies. Monsters mimicking humans. Just as she hesitated, panicked thoughts streaming through her mind. ¡°I-s this really the rescue team?¡± ¡°Yes, it is. You¡¯re safe now.¡± Hearing the sound outside, Baek So-ra cautiously opened the door. There, she saw the back of a man wearing a shirt with ¡°119¡± written on an orange background, handing water to a man who seemed to be a survivor. Seeing this, Baek So-ra cried. ¡°H-Here! Me too¡­¡± The man approached with a smile, handing over a 500ml bottle of Samdasoo water. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here to rescue you under the instructions of Kim Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the rescue team operating under the direction of Mr. Kim Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°The rescue team is moving ording to Mr. Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s instructions.¡± ¡°???¡± Funnily enough, this was how they identified themselves. Even among the rescue teams, they were jokingly referred to as cultists, but what could they do? It worked. ¡°From now on, we will enter Mr. Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s area. You will all be safe there.¡± When rescuing within the safe zone, simply mentioning his name would revive the survivors¡¯ spirits. In some cases, people who were on the verge of death would get up and recover, so it had be part of the rescue process. [Footnote: They would shake off death itself.] ¡°We¡¯ll escort you outside. Those who can move on their own, pleasee this way.¡± One rescue worker led those who could still move outside the building. ¡°Here! Bring the stretchers! Move quickly!¡± There were some patients in critical condition, but most of them were able to move. Baek So-ra followed the rescue worker at the front of the crowd. But then. Bam! ¡°Ouch.¡± Just as she was about to walk into a congested road with overturned cars, an invisible barrier blocked her path. And then, letters appeared in front of her eyes. [Entry not permitted.] ¡°¡­What is this now?¡± Just as she was bewildered by the sudden phenomenon. [Would you like to acquire citizenship?] [Yes/No] A new message appeared, and inside it, a rescue worker opened his mouth. ¡°Once you acquire citizenship, you can enter the area!¡± Suddenly, she acquired citizenship. Ding! [You have acquired citizenship.] Baek So-ra felt a surge of energy in her body, as if she had drunk water. ¡®What is this¡­!¡¯ A refreshing energy seemed to flow through her body. Along with that, she naturally remembered what the rescue worker had said earlier. ¡°Was it Kim Jae-hyun? Is this his power?¡± Could this mysterious power be his ability? ¡®What kind of person is he?¡¯ And a whileter, she arrived with the rescue worker at a hospital on the third floor of a building. The ce was bustling with people. ¡°Please wait here in line.¡± The rescue worker went back to the scene, and Baek So-ra looked around. Most of the people here seemed to be like her, able-bodied individuals. Those in serious condition were being transferred elsewhere. After waiting, she could finally meet a doctor in a white gown. ¡°Are you ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Then the doctor¡¯s eyes glowed as he scanned her body once and said, ¡°You can go down and take the shuttle bus.¡± ¡°What? A bus?¡± ¡°Yes. Next person, please.¡± There were many things she wanted to ask, but she could only leave as the doctor seemed busy. Looking around cautiously, when she went downstairs, there was really a bus waiting. Some windows were broken, but it was still a bus. ¡°We¡¯re departing!¡± The bus, filled with people, began to move. The road seemed to have been minimally cleared for the bus to move. The scenery outside the window was changing rapidly. The chaotic scene of blood and corpses gradually disappeared, and a neatly maintained road appeared. And. ¡®The smell of bread?¡¯ It was a fleeting smell, but she didn¡¯t miss it. Her stomach was growling. It seemed the same for others as well. All eyes were focused on one ce. There was a bakery operating normally. Not just a bakery, but there was also a cafe nearby where people were lining up. And. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The people waiting in line looked calm, as if living a normal daily life. ¡®What about the monsters? The goblins?¡¯ There was no sign of them anywhere. The view from the bus was a series of shocks. Every sight she encountered as she entered the apartmentplex was shocking. People walking their dogs. Children riding bicycles. Even people jogging lightly. ¡®Did the apocalypse just pass over here?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it a stark contrast to herself, who had been trembling in fear of monsters just a while ago? Baek So-ra thought with a bewildered expression. ¡®Did a savior really appear?¡¯ Had her earnest prayers finally reached the heavens? She looked around in confusion. *** [That is all.] I replied using the Communication Ring as I listened to Kim Da-bin¡¯s report. [So, the key point is that the capacity of public facilities is full?] [Yes. Can you increase the number of facilities?] After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I replied. [Send those who had houses nearby back to their homes.] [Will that be fine?] [I¡¯m nning on expanding public facilities outside the apartments. Likemunity centers or neighborhood offices. And I¡¯m also nning on setting up convenience stores in various ces, so it will be possible to livefortably outside soon.] I had a feeling that the limit woulde someday. Fortunately, most of the recent citizens had homes nearby. As the area expanded to a 1km radius, numerous houses came into the area. If people with homes nearby were all sent back, there would be some room to breathe. ¡®There are a lot of empty houses.¡¯ Houses had a much lower survival rate than apartments. ¡®Because goblins can easily break into it.¡¯ Most survivors were concentrated in high-rise buildings such as officetels, studio apartments, and apartmentplexes. While using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to scan for any items to register in the shop, I also selected suitable points to build convenience stores. ¡®I¡¯ll make the houses on the outskirts bases for the hunting teams. A convenience store can be set up around here, and I¡¯ll hire someone to manage it!¡¯ It would be ufortable to keep going back and forth from the apartmentplex. There was a need to create bases on the outskirts. Managing the bases would simply be a matter of assigning duties to employees. With the increase in overall poption, the number of economically-active people was also increasing, so there was no problem with assigning duties. [Ms. Dabin.] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.] I briefly exined the n to Kim Dabin and had her select personnel to manage the bases. [Leave it to me, Mr. Jae-hyun.] Then, I used construction mode to establish stores at selected points and supply basic utilities such as electricity, gas, and water. In the meantime, I also saw the medical team working hard. They were fully supplied at the hospital they were using, and with the avability of medical equipment in the hospital, there was a positive effect on people¡¯s treatments. I had already purchased enough needles and IV fluids, and had told them they could request anything they needed. ¡®It would be great if the area included a university hospital.¡¯ While many things were possible with just a regr hospital, the advanced medical devices at university hospitals would be helpful. ¡®Maybe I can use the outpost?¡¯ Of course, there were still things to do before that. ¡®How far have they reached?¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was now running towards Jangjeon-dong at the fastest speed possible. While they could advance rapidly to Gyodae Station using the poison gas tactic, they would have to clear the way afterwards. [Footnote: ¡®Gyodae/Kyodae Station¡¯ is also known as ¡®Seoul National University of Education station¡¯.] This was because the railway line from Gyodae to Dongnae went above ground midway. From Dongnae Station onwards, it would no longer be an underground subway, but an above-ground railway. There was a limit to using the poison gas tactic in open areas, and from here on, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had no choice but to hunt monsters themselves to advance. One reassuring thing was that the party¡¯s strength had be several times stronger than before. ¡°Kaman, tear them apart!¡± Kaman, three timesrger than a normal crow, tore apart the sky marlins. [Hunted a Sky Marlin (Lv. 17).] [You have gained experience.] [1,295,571 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] This was Kim Geon¡¯s new skill: Rapid Growth. The rapidly-growing crow was able to handle dozens of sky marlin on its own. Bang! Bang! At the same time, gunshots were heard but nothing could be seen. It was an attack by Moon Byeong-ho, who gained the Invisibility skill. Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s bullets, flying stealthily from strategic locations, exploded the monsters¡¯ heads with a single shot. ¡°Rise!¡± On the ground, steel knights summoned by Kang Deok-su aggressively paved the way. Thanks to this, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was able to move forward with minimalbat. As they smoothly ran along the above-ground railway line, suddenly¡­ ¡°Stop.¡± The road was cut off in the middle. The bridge connecting the above-ground railway hadpletely copsed. TN: Thanks for all the well wishes! You¡¯re all so sweet! ?(>¨Œ<)? Chapter 56: Savior (4) Chapter 56: Savior (4) [Episode 12] Savior (4) Ha Dong-geon looked down from above and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down.¡± They were about three stories high, but that was not a problem for them with an average level in the mid-30s. So, the fact that the bridge was broken was not that important in itself. ¡®The problem is who did this.¡¯ How many beings could break a concrete bridge? ¡®Considering there aren¡¯t any giant footprints around, it wasn¡¯t the Cyclops.¡¯ Moreover, the surrounding buildings were more intactpared to the areas swept by the Cyclops. Thus, it must have been the work of another monster. In any case, that meant something powerful enough to break concrete bridges was nearby. [Everyone, be careful.] The ce where Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party descended was near Dongnae Station. To reach their destination, Jangjeon-dong, they had to pass through Myeongnyun, Oncheonjang, Busan National University, and Jangjeon Station. There was about 4km left. As they descended from the above-ground railway, the number of monsters increased at once, but Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party skillfully fought them off and advanced. The most prominent were the armored golems summoned by Kang Deok-soo, who acted as a shield. ¡®At this rate, we should arrive safely.¡¯ With their skills, there should be no problem. ¡®They said it was the same type of apartmentplex!¡¯ Based on experience so far, living in an apartmentplex had the highest survival rate. It was difficult for the mostmon monsters, goblins, to invade. The high poption density also allowed people to unite more effectively. ¡®May they be safe.¡¯ It was then. ¡®Hm?¡¯ The doorbell rang, and I increased a field to show the corridor. There were six middle-aged men and women standing there. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ There had been asional incidents like this in the past. People came to me for various reasons. Some begged, argued, got angry, and sometimes even proposed deals. ¡®This has rarely happened since I left things to Kim Dabin.¡¯ Thinking it was about time, I moved to the entrance to greet them with a light heart. Click. I opened the door with the invisible hand. The people I faced had red eyes. [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Hong Kyung-taek¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Lim Kyung-hoon¡¯s trust has increased.] ¡­ Justing face-to-face with them resulted in a rapid increase in trust. ¡®Is it their first time seeing me?¡¯ If so, they must be newly-arrived individuals. ¡®Well, with thousands of new arrivals, it¡¯s only natural.¡¯ Originally, I was nning to send them off to Kim Dabin right away. However, my thoughts changed when one of them spoke up. ¡°Please lend us a gun.¡± My curiosity was piqued by the group that seemed to be led by Jang Sung-jun. ¡°A gun?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t just lend a gun to anyone.¡± There was one reason to regte firearms even in a world where monsters were roaming. ¡®Because we don¡¯t need guns in my territory.¡¯ The homebound area provided perfect protection against monsters. Only those with citizenship and animals approved by me lived there. Without my permission, not even a bug coulde in, and monsters that are hostile to me would die the moment the area expanded. Apletely safe zone. Why would anyone need a gun here? Jang Sung-jun said, ¡°We need to go outside the area.¡± People who had to venture out into the world full of monsters. For them, firearms were a necessity. ¡®It¡¯s always wee to have more citizens hunting monsters.¡¯ Currently, there was a shortage of people hunting due to the increasing level of surrounding monsters. ¡°So you¡¯re going out to hunt monsters.¡± There was a high possibility of hunting utilizing the safe zone, but I thought it was worth supporting these courageous individuals with firearms. However, Jang Sung-jun shook his head, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not going out to hunt monsters. We¡¯re going to save our families.¡± ¡°!!¡± The appearance of monsters resulted in not only the vassals and I getting separated from our families. Everyone who was living their own separate lives also lost touch. The number of choices people had was as diverse as the number of people gathered in my area. There were those who prayed for their families¡¯ safety and focused on surviving; those who despaired and gave up, thinking their families had died; and even those who risked their lives to see their families again. There was no fixed answer. Because the number of people who ventured out and died needlessly was not small. [Citizen Seo Jeong-ah has died.] Even at this moment, there were citizens dying. As the poption of citizens increased, so did messages about the deaths of citizens. Not all of them had helplessly died in their rooms. Some had bravely ventured outside for their families, only to be killed by monsters. ¡®They¡¯re the same as me.¡¯ After staying up all night worrying about their families and constantly thinking a bout what they could do, they eventually decided to take action themselves, risking their lives. And this group must havee here out of desperation. ¡®I can¡¯t help everyone.¡¯ However, I could at least give weapons to those who hade here. ¡°Are the six of you going together?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Zzing¡ª I immediately provided them with six pistols and ammunition and intended to give them even bigger weapons. ¡°Would you be interested in signing a contract with me?¡± Although I hadn¡¯t yet made a contract with the hunting team, I wanted to give them a chance first. ¡°Thank you! We¡¯ll do anything, anything, if it means we can save our families!¡± The subordinate contract had some strict conditions. I turned to Jang Sung-jun, who had epted the offer first. ¡°Kneel.¡± Jang Sung-jun was slightly taken aback but knelt down as instructed. ¡°I-I¡¯m kneeling.¡± Even with this ability, Mom hadn¡¯t filled all 100 slots for a reason. I approached him and ced my hand on his head. In spite of my shame¡­ ¡ª ¡°Swear to obey me from now on.¡± ¡ª ¡°I swear.¡± The moment he swore allegiance. Paaah! Bright light emanated from my body and got absorbed into Jang Sung-jun¡¯s body, disappearing. And. ¡¸Name: Jang Sung-jun (Lv. 30) Trust: 48 Awakening Ability: Telekinesis Experience Distribution Rate: 0% (+100%) Settlement Distribution Rate: 0% (+100%) ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡¹ Telekinesis (Grade A) Consume mental power to exert physical force. A Grade A skill! An unexpected jackpot. ¡°What was that light just now?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± ¡°Are you okay, Jang Sung-jun?¡± With Jang Sung-jun kneeling with a puzzled expression, it was necessary to exin what had happened. ¡®Shop open, buy one tangerine.¡¯ Zing¡ª I held a tangerine in one hand and assigned a quest to Jang Sung-jun. ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest content: Use telekinesis to lift the tangerine. Time limit: 10 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Mental power enhancement. Failure penalty: None. ¡°Huh?¡± I handed the tangerine to Jang Sung-jun, who was surprised by the sudden quest window. As Jang Sung-jun looked back and forth between the quest window and the tangerine, he hesitated for a moment and then began to focus on the tangerine. And then. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on with the tangerine?¡± ¡°Is Jang Sung-jun doing this?¡± When the floating tangerine reached its peak¡­ Bam! Perhaps Jang Sung-jun exerted too much force, as the tangerine exploded. Seeing this, Jang Sung-jun panicked and apologized. ¡°Ohh! I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Before the tangerine juice could touch my face, it was blocked by an invisible wall and dripped down. [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s trust has reached 50.] [Loyalty is unlocked.] [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s loyalty has surpassed 30.] [Citizen Jang Sung-jun has fulfilled the conditions for vassal registration.] ¡®Vassal registration, Jang Sung-jun.¡¯ It was a big catch. Although the remaining five only awakened abilities ranging from D-grade to C-grade, just one Jang Sung-jun was satisfying enough. Now that vassal registration waspleted, minor support would also be possible. ¡°Did you say it¡¯s the ¡ð¡ð Apartment in Yeonji-dong?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°I wish you luck.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± As Jang Sung-jun¡¯s group left, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party arrived near the next station, Myeongnyun Station. ¡°Graaaargh!¡± A monster suspected to be the culprit that destroyed the above-ground railway line from Dongnae Station to Myeongnyun Station was blocking the path of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡¸Twin Headed Ogre (Lv. 45)¡¹ It was a monster armed with muscles that looked full to bursting on its huge body. Its distinctive feature was that it had two heads. The monster swung its fist towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Whaaaam! The tremendous force of its fist shook the ground. Then. -Swoosh! A giant crow attacked the left head of the ogre. ¡°Caw!¡± When its gaze turned towards the crow. Baaang¡ª A satisfying cracking sound came from the ogre¡¯s right shoulder. With telekinesis, Moon Byeong-ho teleported while invisible and shot a gun into the ogre¡¯s ear. ¡°Graaahhh!¡± The ogre screamed in pain, clutching its right ear. Although its intact head looked at its shoulder, there was nothing there. ¡°Charge!¡± Before the ogre could recover its senses, ten steel knights stuck to its feet and swung their halberds. Whoosh! Whoosh! The sharp de dug mercilessly into the ogre¡¯s foot. ¡°Graaargh!¡± The ogre irritatedly kicked the knights away with its foot. Swoosh! An arrow of light flew towards its left face and exploded. Pabababak!! The arrow of light split into dozens of pieces and hit all over the ogre¡¯s face. The ogrepletely lost sight in its left head. ¡°Graaargh!¡± The ogre covered its face with both hands. ¡°m!¡± Oh Eon-ju moved, seizing the opportunity. Wooong. With Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing, Oh Eon-ju swung her ws, and one of the ogre¡¯s ankles waspletely broken. ¡°Graaaaaaahhh!!!¡± The enraged ogre roared, full of anger. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party paused for a moment, and the ogre began to wildly swing its fists. Quaaang! Quaang! The ground trembled as if there was an earthquake. However, there was nothing left near the ogre. Oh Eon-ju had already withdrawn, and Kang Deok-su¡¯s knights had already been dismissed. ¡°Graaagh!¡± Only the poor ground around the ogre was devastated. And then. Swoosh! An arrow of light flew towards the ogre¡¯s bloody face. Pababak! Taking away the rest of the ogre¡¯s eyes. ¡°Graaaah!¡± With this, the ogre lost all four of its eyes. By then, the roar from its two heads had changed into a scream filled with the anger of being the hunted. It was like the screams of the countless people who had died at the ogre¡¯s hands. ¡°Whew.¡± Ha Dong-geon stood before the ogre that was nowpletely blinded, holding a spear. Wooong! A ck aura emanated from the spearhead Ha Dong-geon was holding. At the same time, he forcefully threw the spear. ¡°Heup!¡± Zooom! The ck aura on the spearhead spread throughout the spear after being thrown, gradually increasing its momentum. Burst! It appeared as if ck mes engulfed the spear. Eventually, when it hit the ogre¡¯s chest. Baaaang! A huge explosion blew the upper body of the ogre away. [Twin Headed Ogre (Lv. 45) has been defeated.] [You have gained arge amount of experience points.] [7,223,743,090 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] And. [Your skill level has increased.] The expansion of the area began along with the regr pain. Chapter 57: Savior (5) Chapter 57: Savior (5) [Episode 12] Savior (5) After enduring the usual pain, the monsters in the domain were converted into experience points, and citizenship was granted to the people. This level-up expanded the dome shape, so the annex was also erged. Up to this point, the process was the typical level-up. The difference was. [A dungeon has been found.] [You have discovered a dungeon for the first time.] [You have gained 100 crystals as a reward.] A dungeon was discovered within the expanded area. ¡®The fact that crystals were given as a reward means that there must be something rted to crystals there.¡¯ The area where the dungeon was found was near the middle of Hwangnyeongsan1Or Hwangny?ng-san. behind the apartmentplex. ¡®I should send Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party.¡¯ They would have enough power with him and all his party members signing a subordinate contract. With the expansion of the area, the radius the relief team was operating in had all entered the domain, so there was no need to attach a hunting team anymore. Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I looked at Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party. They were spread out across the alley, giving off an atmosphere as if a battle had suddenly ended. Since it was a newly-included area in the level-up process, it seemed that the monsters they were hunting had been swept away. I spoke to the bewildered Lee Joon-hyuk. [Mr. Joon-hyuk, please lead your party toe see me.] ¡°Yes, understood.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk began to gather his party members without any questions and started to return to the apartmentplex. While observing their movements, I continued to leave one view on Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. But there was nothing for me to do. With their overall abilities upgraded, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party now had the ability to break through the monster horde on their own. Moreover, since they had eliminated the Twin Headed Ogre, the leader of the area, it was smooth sailing afterwards. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was now heading towards an apartmentplex. The brand name of the apartmentplex where Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon¡¯s families were living could be seen. They had already arrived at their destination. However. ¡°Chwik!¡± As soon as they entered the entrance of the apartmentplex, they were greeted not by the possibility of survival but by a horde of orcs with jet-ck skin. These orcs were different from ordinary orcs. Unlike the orcs in the Jeonpo area who only had ives as weapons, each one of them had a unique weapon. Spears, bows, swords, knives, hammers, axes, etc. Along with the variety of weapons, the red tattoos on their bodies told at a nce that they were not ordinary monsters. And their levels. [ck Orc (Lv. 31)] Even the weakest orcs were in the early level 30s, stronger than the Orc Chief of Jeonpo. And¡­ [ck Orc Warrior (Lv. 35)] The level of the orcs wearing armor was even higher. Furthermore. ¡°Chwik?¡± ¡°Chwik2?? ¨C Don¡¯t ask me why their sfx is kind of cute. It really is that in Korean T_T!¡± Their numbers were constantly increasing. Dozens of ck orcs were pouring out from the underground parking lot right in front of the main gate. The meaning was clear. There would barely be any survivors left here. And that meant there was a high possibility that Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon¡¯s families had all been killed by those monsters. ¡°Rise!¡± Ten steel knights rose along with an angry roar from Kang Deok-su. ¡°Kill them!¡± The knights faithfully carried out their orders. Swoosh! The knights bravely charged at the ck orcs with their halberds. ¡°Graargh!¡± [You have hunted a ck Orc (Lv. 31).] [You have hunted a ck Orc (Lv. 32).] Indeed, their brave charge produced results, sessfully hunting two lower-ranked orcs immediately. However. ¡°Chwik!¡± Kwacha! Kwong kwong kwong! The following ck orc warriors overwhelmed them, and they fell back without making much progress. Although their halberds couldn¡¯t pierce the ck orc warriors¡¯ armor, the ck orc warriors¡¯ attacks crushed their silver armor. The result waspletely different from before. That was how powerful they were. ¡®No wonder why there were no monsters around.¡¯ It was strange that the many marine monsters were nowhere to be seen, but it seemed that they had all been hunted down by them. After exchanging blows, the Steel Knights and the orc horde kept each other in check. Tension ran high. Then. Woooong!3Docs keeps wanting to change ¡®wooong¡¯ into ¡®wrooong¡¯. This ain¡¯t Star Rail Dr. Ratio lol! A spear engulfed in ck energy fell in the center of the orcs, causing a huge explosion. Ha Dong-geon looked at the scene with indifferent eyes and quietly muttered. ¡ª ¡°Battle Start.¡± With the explosion marking the start of the battle, the war began. The most aggressive were, of course, Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon. Baang! Kim Geon¡¯s pistol continued to fire; the steel knights swung their halberds even as their armor crumpled and tore; and Ha Dong-geon, unsatisfied with just throwing spears, charged directly at the orc horde. ¡°Blessing!¡± At the same time, Kim Da-jeong ced a blessing on Ha Dong-geon. His actions were not simply driven by rage. ck orcs were generally high level and agile. The spears didn¡¯t do much damage as the orcs would avoid it, so he decided to charge in himself. Bam! At the same time, Ha Dong-geon was making full use of the steel knights summoned by Kang Deok-su. He steadily pierced the weak points and caught them off guard. ck energy exploded, blowing apart the side of a ck orc. [You have hunted a ck Orc (Lv. 31).] [You have gained experience points.] [731,093,221 won has been deposited in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Ha Dong-geon, who had soared to level 38 with all the hunting, was disying movements befitting his level. Moreover, with the power of trust and the Baron title buff, his abilities were amplified several times. The low-ranking ck orcs could hardly withstand him. ¡°Graaah!¡± On one side, Oh Eon-ju ran wild while Kim Ga-yeong, Kim Geon, and Moon Byeong-ho provided cover. In terms of firepower, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was far ahead of the ck orcs. However. Bam bam bam! ¡°Che.¡± When the warrior ss orcs stepped forward, the one-sided situation began to waver. ¡®Summon warehouse, warhead.¡¯ Fwoosh! Although I was able to help them survive critical moments, the situation would have been a dangerous tightrope walk without my assistance. In the end. Screeeech! With a menacing sound, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s right shoulder was deeply pierced. ¡°Urgh.¡± Despite doing his best, they were outnumbered. If he blocked one side, an attack came from the other. ¡°Heal!¡± Kim Da-jeong¡¯s heal immediately healed the wound, but the future of this fight did not look bright. Orcs kept pouring out endlessly from the underground parking lot. They had killed ten, but more orcs reced them. Moreover, the warrior orcs were not just wielding swords or spears. Swooosh! Stab! ¡°Aargh! Da-jeong!¡± An orc arrow pierced the weakest part of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, Kim Da-jeong¡¯s stomach. Since the arrow was stuck, using heal was futile. This meant they could not rely on Kim Da-jeong¡¯s heals anymore. Although Oh Eon-ju could hold on to some extent with her regeneration ability, Ha Dong-geon could not. If Ha Dong-geon, who had been injured, withdrew from the battle, the bnce of the fight would tilt sharply. This battle had already been decided from the beginning. If they were to flee, now was theirst chance. However, Ha Dong-geon could not easily give the order. ¡°Aaargh!¡± My heart ached seeing him in such a desperate state. Normally, the rightmand would be to flee, but I couldn¡¯t say it easily. Because I sympathized with their anger. So, the method I chose was to empower them. ¡®Ha Dong-geon, level up. Up to level 40.¡¯ From level 35 to 40, the amount needed per raise was 1 billion. I spent 2 billion to raise his level from 38 to 40. At the same time. ¡°Kim Geon, level up. Kang Deok-su, level up.¡± I forced Kim Geon and Kang Deok-su, who were level 32, to level up to 40. It cost more than 10 billion, but it didn¡¯t matter. The amount of money Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had earned so far was more than that, and by killing those damn ck orcs, they would make even more. ¡°Rise!¡± There was an immediate change in Kang Deok-su¡¯s skill. The steel knights, which had been only 10, increased to 30, and their movements became more agile ording to their level. Bang! ¡°Chwik?¡± The strength of their armor also increased. Swooosh! The feeble appearance against the orc warriors had disappeared, and now they began to overwhelm them. 30 steel knights scattered Kang Deok-su¡¯s rage in all directions. [You have hunted a ck Orc Warrior (Lv. 35).] [You have gained experience points.] [1,023,322,854 won has been deposited in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] Additionally, there was a change in Kim Geon¡¯s crows. ¡°Caw!¡± They concentrated on attacking the orcs equipped with bows. Their sharp ws and beaks were injuring the orcs. The orc archers aiming at Kim Da-jeong had no choice but to shoot at the crows threatening them. Meanwhile¡­ Swoosh! Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s light arrow pierced the head of a ck orc archer. ¡®What happened to Kim Da-jeong? Can she return to the front lines?¡¯ With Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s help, Kim Da-jeong managed to pull out the arrow and was gasping while clutching her abdomen. It seemed she had no strength left to use heal. ¡®Quest assignment to Kim Da-jeong, quest reward:plete recovery.¡¯ I granted a quest with no specific content, and the quest reward was immediately applied. [Citizen Kim Da-jeong haspleted the quest.] [Quest cost: 100,000,000 won.] Kim Da-jeong fully recovered with her wound restored. At the same time¡­ ¡®Kim Ga-yeong, Moon Byeong-ho, Kim Da-jeong, level up.¡¯ I raised the levels of the remaining members to level 40. Once again, more than 10 billion won was spent, but it was not a waste. Bang! Moon Byeong-ho, who appeared suddenly, blew off the head of an orc archer. [You have hunted a ck Orc Archer (Lv. 36).] [You have gained experience points.] [1,243,234,460 won has been deposited in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] More money was pouring in, so there was no regret. As much as money was going out, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was doing their part. ¡®Then¡­¡¯ So far, the money earned by them had been used to repair the expanded area, cover electricity, gas, and water used by the citizens, and build new facilities. It wouldn¡¯t be too bad to use the money earned here for Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. The three most efficient fighters against the ck orcs were Ha Dong-geon, Oh Eon-ju, and Kang Deok-su. ¡®Raise Ha Dong-geon, Oh Eon-ju, and Kang Deok-su to level 45.¡¯ Oh Eon-ju, who was level 44, needed 3 billion, and Ha Dong-geon and Kang Deok-su, who had just reached level 40, received a total investment of 15 billion. Level 45. In other words, on par with the Twin Headed Ogre they encountered earlier. Three crazy monsters. As they rampaged, the orcs began to die in droves. ¡°Grooaaar!¡± ¡°Gaaaargh!¡± ¡°Grraaawr!¡± Cornered, the orcs made their final stand. The tattoos that covered their bodies emitted a red light, and their muscles swelled as if they were about to burst. Only the orc warriors were able to unleash the power contained in their tattoos. ¡°Grraaargh!¡± [ck Orc Warrior (Lv. 37)] There was a real-time change in level. However. Boom! With a thrust into the gap in the armor, the ck energy at the tip of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear exploded, blowing off the orc¡¯s head. [You have hunted a ck Orc Warrior (Lv. 37).] [You have gained experience points.] [1,323,546,574 won has been deposited in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] The thirty Steel Knights moved systematically, cutting off the throats of the rampaging orcs. ¡°Crunch!¡± m! Oh Eon-ju directly tore off the orcs¡¯ armor with her enhanced physical abilities. Among Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, there was no one waiting kindly for their awakening. A few minutester. The only ones left standing on the battlefield were the members of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Chapter 58: Savior (6) Chapter 58: Savior (6) [Episode 12] Savior (6) Although they won the battle, there was no one smiling or celebrating. The Ha Dong-geon party quietly cleaned up the area before entering the apartmentplex. The scene inside the apartmentplex was bleak. Especially the lower floors with shattered windows and a chaotic interior. The scattered ss shards, the disastrous interior, and the bloodstains told the story of what had happened there. The strange thing was that there were no intact balcony windows in the apartmentplex. ¡®Did they break the windows as they climbed up floor by floor?¡¯ There was a glimmer of hope with the sturdy front door, but there were signs that the orcs, muchrger than goblins, had scaled up the walls and broken in through the balcony windows. Ha Dong-geon gazed at them expressionlessly. Drip, drip. Rain began to fall drop by drop. The weather had been dark with thick clouds in the sky, and soon a downpour began. Shoooww¡ª No one spoke. They just silently followed behind Ha Dong-geon through the rain. He entered Building 106. Click ck. As they entered the ruined apartment lobby, the sound of stepping on broken ss echoed loudly. The influence of the orcs was widespread. Just by looking at the ground floor units where the entrance doors werepletely gone, one could imagine how terrible things had been. Without giving it a nce, Ha Dong-geon quietly ascended the emergency staircase. When he reached the 10th floor, he stopped in the messy hallway and stared nkly at the entrance to Room 1001. The handle was bent and shattered. It hadpletely lost its function as a door. Creak¡ª The door opened easily with just a pull. One could easily imagine what had happened here; how terrified the people inside must have been as the door broke. ¡°Dong-geon.¡± Kim Ga-yeong grabbed Ha Dong-geon¡¯s wrist, but he calmly shook her off and entered the house. Red footprints. The vivid red footprints scattered through the floor were clearly those of the ck orcs. The house was in disarray, and there were bloodstains in one corner of the living room. Perhaps a sign of resistance, a kitchen knifey alone in the middle of the living room. After staring at it for a while, Ha Dong-geon walked slowly through the house, following the red footprints to the bedroom, the small room, and the bathroom. He walked around the entire house, maintaining his expressionless face, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It was clear whose house this was. Although no bodies could be found, the bloodstains scattered throughout the living room and rooms was enough indication. Yet, there was no emotion on Ha Dong-geon¡¯s face. ¡°Dong-geon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Perhaps because he wasn¡¯t crying, Kim Ga-yeong burst into tears instead. ¡°Cry, you fool.¡± ¡°I was¡­ already expecting this.¡± Ha Dong-geon patted Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s back in his arms and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The situation elsewhere was not much different. Kang Deok-su¡¯s and Kim Geon¡¯s houses also had their front doors open. Perhaps because the apartmentplex was not veryrge, there were no exceptions. However, in the case of the two, there were no bloodstains inside their homes. That was their only hope. Finally, Kim Geon spoke after checking his house. ¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right. This is reality, usually.¡± Ha Dong-geon was expressionless, and Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon looked crestfallen. Unlike Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s situation, they didn¡¯t even have family to mourn together with. They were left alone in the world. Ha Dong-geon said to the despondent Kim Geon and Kang Deok-su, ¡°There¡¯s no need to give up hope yet. They might still be alive somewhere.¡± Because it was Ha Dong-geon who said this, no one could offer any response. Their situation, with a glimmer of hope, was better than Ha Dong-geon¡¯s. Kim Geon said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do from now on¡­¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s answer was simple. ¡°Nevertheless, we still have to live.¡± After saying that, he looked around with an expressionless face. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun. Are you here by any chance?¡± [Yes, I¡¯m here.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you summon us? I¡­ want to rest a bit.¡± [Understood.] Using vassal summon, I called them all. Zzing¡ª As soon as the Ha Dong-geon party appeared, the air seemed to be heavier. The atmosphere was different from what I had only seen through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. The sense of despair they felt spread through the air. Moon Byeong-ho and Kim Ga-yeong, whose families were safe, were bowing their heads as if they were sinners. I was the same. Was it because of my greed that they were toote? If they had gone to save their families just a little earlier, could they have saved them? Such thoughts ran through my mind. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go rest.¡± Just as Ha Dong-geon was about to bow and leave, I spoke to them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± All eyes of the Ha Dong-geon party focused on me when I apologized. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s because I was too greedy.¡± In the end, I didn¡¯t need to struggle so hard. My parents came here on their own with their abilities, and my grandpa was holding up well enough with his good abilities. Even if I hadn¡¯t gone to find them, they would have been fine. And over time, I could have confirmed their safety. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± Ha Dong-geon interrupted me and said. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, you are our savior.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°All of us here, including ourselves, were saved by your abilities.¡± Ha Dong-geon said this with a strong voice. ¡°Thanks to Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s power, we can be here without worrying about food, water, and monsters. If it weren¡¯t for the blessing you gave us, it would have been impossible for us to save Byeong-ho¡¯s grandmother in the first ce, or meet Ga-yeong¡¯s parents. And¡­¡± For a moment, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s voice faltered slightly. In that small gap, I could feel how deeply he was grieving, how he was gritting his teeth and enduring to appear fine. It was heartbreaking. Ha Dong-geon pretended to be fine. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have even been able to indirectly confirm the life or death of our families. We wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to take revenge. The monsters there were at a level beyond us.¡± Ha Dong-geon continued calmly. ¡°There is too much sadness in the world. However, it was not aimed at anyone, just scattered randomly like spilled water. You don¡¯t need to take responsibility for all that. It¡¯s the world¡¯s fault, not yours.¡± He was much more resilient and mature than I had thought. Much more than someone like me. ¡°Please don¡¯t try to carry too much. Mr. Jae-hyun, it¡¯s enough for you to stand there and support us like a giant tree. Just like your grandfather¡¯s abilities. We are grateful to you for providing us shade where we can rest.¡± I was supposed to be the oneforting him, but I ended up receivingfort from him instead. Although his words were warm and kind, for some reason, I felt like I was about to cry. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± [Citizen Ha Dong-geon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Ha Dong-geon¡¯s trust has reached 100.] [Acquired ¡®Throwing¡¯.] It was strange. Just when I felt my trust in Ha Dong-geon reach 100, his trust in me also reached 100. ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Ha Dong-geon bowed his head slightly and left. ¡°Fight on!¡± Kang Deok-su affirmed me with a fist pump. ¡­ ¡°I always appreciate it,¡± Kim Geon left his thanks, ¡°Cheer up, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Mr. Jae-hyun, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to save my grandmother.¡± Kim Ga-yeong and Moon Byeong-ho cheered me on. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Jae-hyun, I would have died in my house back then. Mr. Jae-hyun also saved me when I was hit by an arrow just now, right? My life already belongs to Mr. Jae-hyun,¡± Kim Da-jeong said. [Citizen Kim Da-jeong¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Kim Da-jeong has already been registered as a vassal.] [Increased vassal registration limit.] I received Kim Da-jeong¡¯s sincere words. ¡°The same goes for me. If it weren¡¯t for Mr. Jae-hyun, I would have probably gone crazy.¡± Last but not least, Oh Eon-ju also left her gratitude. Theyforted me and left. ¡°Ha ha.¡± Meeting those people and forming good rtionships with them, I felt truly fortunate. ¡®Savior¡­¡¯ Ha Dong-geon called me a savior, but in truth, I was not qualified to be called such a grand name. ¡®Up until now, I¡¯ve only acted for myself.¡¯ I moved to survive and struggled to save my family. Helping the vassal¡¯s families was just a give and take. They helped me, so I helped them¡ªit was that kind of concept. Any other ordinary person in my ce would have made the same choices ande this far. Did I really deserve to be called a savior? ¡®You asked me to be a big tree!¡¯ It might be a coincidence, but my name also has a simr meaning. nt seeds in ashes, and buds will sprout. They said it was a name given to me with the meaning of bing a big tree that embraces many people. ¡®Yes.¡¯ In truth, after confirming that my family was safe, I was lost. The decision to save my country that I made afterward was simply a goal I set because I felt like I should. It was just that the burden of the power given to me was too heavy, and it seemed like something I had to do. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t a goal I desperately wanted, and I didn¡¯t have the confidence to run for it with all my might. I just thought that if I continued hunting monsters and raising my skill level, that would be only natural. I thought that if I strategically ced constructions and expanded my territory, eventually it would happen. But. ¡®Let¡¯s give it a try!¡¯ The big tree that Ha Dong-geon wanted. I felt like trying to be a tree like that, one that could provide shade where many people could rest just by existing. ¡®Just like my name!¡¯ What couldn¡¯t I do? There were already more than a thousand people relying on me. And. People were stronger than I thought, and they were actively evolving themselves. Doctors joined the medical team, and those in the rescue team made active efforts to save people. Someforted those who were mentally exhausted, some gathered to rescue their families, and even in these harsh conditions, they did their best to take care of the children. It wasn¡¯t just about hunting monsters and making progress. The more people gathered, the more they used their respective abilities to find what they could do and perform them. ¡®All I have to do is just exist in that ce.¡¯ Just by being there, could I be the savior of the people? Where else could there be such an opportunity? ¡®I abandon the grand goal of saving all of South Korea.¡¯ The goal of saving South Korea when I haven¡¯t even saved all of Busan yet was too grand and unrealistic. ¡®I¡¯m going to change my goal.¡¯ Instead, I decided to focus on bing arge tree and creating a ce where people entering my shade could rest more assuredly. Creating opportunities for people to contribute to society by utilizing their own strengths. Creating a society where systems are in ce for people to livefortably. I was convinced that this was what I had to do. ¡®First, I need to concentrate on building a solid foundation!¡¯ What I needed now wasn¡¯t just hunting monsters and leveling up blindly. It was more important to be a shade where people could truly rest. ¡®More people like Kim Dabin are needed!¡¯ Poor Ha Dong-geon ?? Also, if you want to read ahead chapter by chapter, then go to this link: Absolute Dweller Advanced Chapters (novelsama.site). It can also be found under the menu tabs. Chapter 59: Building the Foundation (1) Chapter 59: Building the Foundation (1) [Episode 13] Building the Foundation (1) ????? Click. When I opened the front door, I saw Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party gathered in the hallway. ¡°We all came together because you asked us to.¡± Including Lee Joon-hyuk, there were about 24 adults gathered, making the corridor look very crowded. ¡°Let¡¯s move to a different location for now.¡± Only vassals could enter my house. Since ordinary citizens were only allowed to enter up to the inside of the front door where the shoes were ced, we decided to move to a different location. I went outside and used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door on my front door. ¡®To room 1802 that Lee Joon-hyuk is using.¡¯ It was where seven of them, including him, lived together. They could be considered the key members of the party. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± As I stepped inside, Lee Joon-hyuk asked with a puzzled expression, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say we were moving locations?¡± ¡°Yes. So, we¡¯ve moved?¡± I smiled as I walked through the front door. As they entered, they realized the difference one by one. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This is our house, right?¡± ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± [Citizen Lee Hyun-chan¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Lee Hyun-chan¡¯s loyalty has increased.] [Citizen Shin Ah-young¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Shin Ah-young¡¯s loyalty has increased.] Showing my abilities was indeed the most efficient way to quickly increase trust and loyalty. The members of Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party had all opened loyalty through continuous contact with me. It was because Power of Trust was a way to quickly increase thebat power of the hunting party. I said to them as they buzzed in excitement, ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Even though it was a fairly spacious living room, it felt crowded with more than twenty people. They were currently one of the top hunting teams in the area. Of course, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s presence as the leader was significant, but even without that, the other 23 party members were all actively hunting monsters. ¡®The average level is already in the early 20s.¡¯ All seven core members were in thete level 20s. Lee Joon-hyuk, who had umted the most titles, was still at level 40, the same as when he awakened, but it was natural considering the difficulty of growth as level increased. Most of the monsters they usually hunted were around levels 18 to 25. Anyway, the rtively low-level party members achieved explosive level ups. No matter how the level of the surrounding monsters rose, and even if they had pistols, it was not easy to achieve such results in a short period. This was evidence of their active participation in hunting. I said to them, ¡°I have something I¡¯d like to propose to you all.¡± ¡°Please tell us.¡± ¡°I would like you to sign a contract with me.¡± ¡°A contract?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I briefly exined the subordinate contract. ¡°If you pledge loyalty to me, it will give you awakening abilities.¡± As soon as I finished speaking, there was an intense reaction. ¡°Awakening?¡± ¡°We can be like Joon-hyuk?¡± ¡°Really? For real?¡± Immediately afterwards, there was an outpour of answers. ¡°Me! I¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°I will too!¡± ¡°I was already pledging loyalty from the bottom of my heart!¡± Everyone was positive. It was natural, because they were the ones who had watched Lee Joon-hyuk, a powerful ability user, most closely. ¡°Calm down. Awakening doesn¡¯t mean everyone will gain powerful abilities. So, you should choose carefully.¡± At that moment, someone stepped forward. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± It was Lee Joon-hyuk. ¡°All the people here including me are ready to pledge loyalty to you, Mr. Jae-hyun. Because we know very well that it is advantageous.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± In a yfully changed atmosphere, Lee Joon-hyuk knelt before me, bowing his head. ¡°So, please make a contract with me first, Mr. Jae-hyun. I will give you my full loyalty.¡± Upon hearing this, people around us jokingly said: ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡± ¡°Kneeling? Do we really have to go that far?¡± ¡°Why not? I can do it!¡± Soon, others followed Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s lead, kneeling down on one knee. ¡°Huh? M-Me too!¡± ¡°What, are we all doing this? Then it¡¯s less embarrassing.¡± ¡°Is there a hidden camera?¡± With everyone epting the subordinate contract, it became a matter of course. Their dynamic was definitely different from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Among the people gathered here, there were some who had lost their families and many who had not yet found them, but they always aimed for a cheerful and carefree atmosphere. ¡°You seem embarrassed, Mr. Jae-hyun?¡± They noticed my slight difort and started teasing me more exaggeratedly. ¡°We pledge loyalty, my lord!¡± ¡°Oh, my lord, that¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Hehe, are we filming a historical drama?¡± Amidst the giggles, I ced my hand on Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s head and said, ¡°I ept your oath.¡± Paaat! A bright light emanated from my body and covered Lee Joon-hyuk. At the same time, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s title changed from ¡®Knight¡¯ to ¡®Marquis¡¯, the same as Oh Eon-ju¡¯s case. Thanks to this, the number of vassal registration slots increased by three. Although Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s skill set remained unchanged, the overall quality of his skills would have increased significantly, just like Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. He had be much stronger. ¡°Woahhh!¡± ¡°Awesom!¡± ¡°Did you see that light just now?¡± Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party had already seen many amazing things, so they were no longer easily surprised. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun! My turn next! Please do me first!¡± Shin Ah-young, who could be considered a top member of Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party, raised her hand while kneeling, appealing to me. ¡°Alright¡­¡± In that way, each one of them signed a subordinate contract. As expected, most of them only gained D or C-rank abilities. ¡°Seol Byeong-hun¡¯s ability is Heavy Strike. It¡¯s a skill that temporarily triples destructive power.¡± I directly told them their awakening abilities so that they were aware. ¡°Seo Yo-han¡¯s ability¡­¡± Grade D abilities were simply abilities that enhanced physical strength or improved sensory functions such as vision, hearing, and smell. It was a bit disappointing to call it an ¡°ability¡±, butpared to not having it, it definitely increased their power. From Grade C onwards, there were many abilities that anyone would acknowledge as superhuman. Some could shoot fire or ice arrows, and there was even someone who gained telekinesis like Jang Sung-jun. Of course, the lower the rank, the more the quality would fall shortpared to Jang Seong-jun¡¯s Grade A telekinesis, but they had the advantage of using it in a wide variety of situations. And. ¡®Three people awakened to Grade B abilities.¡¯ Lee Hyun-chan, Shin Ah-young, Kim Ji-tae. All of them were high-ranking members of Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party. ¡®I think I understand it a bit now!¡¯ As samples began to umte, it seemed that I would soon understand when higher-ranked abilities would appear. The fact that all the B-rank abilities came from high-ranking members of Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party was probably not just a coincidence. Most of those who awakened D-rank abilities had levels in thete 10s, the lowest levels in the party. ¡®It¡¯s not just about the level.¡¯ If so, then it was unlikely Jang Sung-jun, who was only in the early 10s when we first met, would¡¯ve awakened an A-rank ability. ¡®There must be something innate.¡¯ Potential, or talent, you could say. ¡®Subordinate contracts are limited to 100.¡¯ So, in the future, it would be best to make contracts with talented individuals as much as possible. ¡®Vassal registration: Lee Hyun-chan, Shin Ah-young, Kim Ji-tae.¡¯ Wooooong! ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Their bodies are glowing?¡± ¡°Huh? I feel lighter all of a sudden.¡± The three who awakened Grade B abilities were immediately registered as vassals and received the [Knight] title. I said to Lee Joon-hyuk. ¡°Mr. Joon-hyuk.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°I actually want to ask you all for a favor.¡± ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± The yful atmosphere of the party quickly turned serious as we got to the point. They could be cheerful when needed and serious when necessary. That was Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party. ¡°With the expansion of the territory this time, the entire Hwangnyeongsan hase under the area.¡± ¡°Hwangnyeongsan? Are you talking about the mountain behind us?¡± ¡°Yes. And it seems that there is a dungeon there.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk responded with a strange expression. ¡°¡­A dungeon? Could it be the type of dungeon I¡¯m thinking of?¡± Most Korean men of my generation or Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s generation in South Korea would be familiar with the concept of dungeons. Mainly because of games that came out under the dungeon genre. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Basically, dungeons were dangerous ces because you never knew what mighte out. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you to explore the dungeon.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting and leaving it to me.¡± Lee Joon-hyuk readily epted the dungeon exploration mission. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to assist. It¡¯s probably best to rest today and start exploring tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then, please restfortably.¡± Just as I was about to go home to rest after finishing my work, I received a message from Kim Dabin. [Mr. Jae-hyun. I have gathered ten skilled people as you instructed.] [I¡¯ll go right away.] Without a moment¡¯s rest, I headed to the 21st-floor public facility. Click. When I appeared in the facility¡¯s living room area using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door, the people waiting there all focused their attention on me. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun.¡± The ten men and women gathered by Kim Dabin were all familiar faces. ¡°Are these the people rmended by Ms. Dabin?¡± ¡°Yes, they are.¡± ¡°Their faces are familiar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I carefully selected only verified individuals from those we worked with. Should I look for others among the newly admitted?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯m satisfied with them.¡± Upon checking, they were all currently designated as the economically active poption, receiving a daily wage. I addressed them, ¡°I n to give each of you a managerial position equivalent to Ms. Dabin¡¯s.¡± Even with the current poption size, there were only a few manager positions filled. Including Kim Dab-in, Lee Sung-min from the medical team, and Baek Seung-min from the relief team, they were the only leaders. There were 12 managerial positions left, so most of them would be given to these individuals. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll work hard!¡± Of course, I didn¡¯t intend to just give it away. I poured cold water on their excitement by saying: ¡°However, there are conditions.¡± The lively atmosphere quickly subsided, and tension began to creep in. ¡°The reason I am choosing you all is simple. With the rapid increase in new citizens, there are various problems arising. I will only grant the manager positions to those who suggest solutions to these problems.¡± Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure what I needed to do for a stable society. I had never been in such a position before. I had never even been a ss president, let alone a president. ¡®The only time that¡¯s simr is when I was a squad leader in the military once!¡¯ But that¡¯s just a duty most South Korean men experienced. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, and I never learned how to lead such arge group like I do now. ¡®I¡¯ll have to learn if I don¡¯t know!¡¯ So, I asked the people. They were elites personally selected by Kim Dabin. ¡°We need a group to maintain public order. Although nothing major has happened yet, if we don¡¯t have a central figure like the police, there will be idents sooner orter.¡± Opinions began to emerge immediately. ¡°There is too much garbage piling up. We need a department to handle this.¡± ¡°We need to clean monster and human bodies in the expanded area. Road maintenance is also necessary. We¡¯ve been doing it in a makeshift manner, but we need a department to manage it efficiently.¡± Ideas were pouring out. ¡®Good.¡¯ Among them, the most intriguing was a somewhat strange idea. ¡°Um¡­ Do you happen to know if there are rifles and other firearms in the police station¡¯s armory? I would like to have personnel assigned to secure them.¡± Chapter 60: Building the Foundation (2) Chapter 60: Building the Foundation (2) [Episode 13] Building the Foundation (2) ¡°They have rifles at the police station? Isn¡¯t that more of a military thing?¡± ¡°Yes. As you know, South Korea has a ceasefire, so to prepare for unexpected situations, they store enough weapons in the police station armory.¡± While searching for people during the rescue operation, I had used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to scan the entire area and had seen police boxes, but there was no armory there. ¡®It seems that onlyrger police stations have separate armories.¡¯ I asked him, ¡°Where is the nearest police station from here?¡± ¡°The nearest one should be the Busanjin Police Station in Seomyeon.¡± ¡°Which way is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s near Seomyeon Station, around the Lotte Department Store.¡± I immediately used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to survey the newly expanded area. Here¡­ The ce he mentioned had been thoroughly destroyed by the Cyclops. ¡®I can¡¯t figure out where it is.¡¯ The area was full of copsed buildings, making it impossible to identify the location of the police station. Looking at the person who suggested the idea about the police station, I said, ¡°Yang Ji-ho, please form a team and start right away.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry too much. Since the area has expanded, the police station is probably included in it. If it¡¯s outside the area, don¡¯t force it.¡± Yang Ji-ho nodded and asked, ¡°But what about the team members?¡± ¡°I will temporarily appoint all team members that you select. Choose them yourself.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± If it¡¯s outside the area, we can use Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice to secure the armory. ¡°Well then, please leave for now.¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Yang Ji-ho left, and I continued the discussion with the remaining people. ¡°Who was the person who mentioned public security earlier?¡± ¡°It was me.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to form a police force, how do you n to recruit personnel?¡± ¡°I want to actively recruit people who used to work as police officers before the apocalypse, because they should already have the abilities.¡± It was indeed a reasonable opinion. If they were former police officers, it meant they had passed the physical and basic personality tests. Although there was a widespread aversion to various upations on the inte, in reality, many people had beliefs rted to their professions. Professor Lee Sung-min, who currently runs the medical team, was one of them. He was a good person who believed in taking responsibility for saving people. Most of the former police officers would be the same. There were many people who fulfilled their responsibilities with good hearts and beliefs, and that was why our society had been running smoothly so far. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s run a trial first. How many people do you think would be appropriate?¡± ¡°For a trial run, I think around ten people would be fine.¡± ¡°Understood. Please form and operate the team yourself. Let me know if you need more personnel.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Then, another person raised their hand and said, ¡°Our team has a project in progress. You may remember from the report I gavest time, but we are currently operating a cafe, bakery, and ice cream shop under your permission. We would like to expand this.¡± I had heard about it through Kim Dabin. It wasn¡¯t difficult to supply electricity or gas, so I remember supporting them right away. Among the projects they were working on, the cafe had received particrly good responses from the citizens. ¡°I will actively support you, so do your best as much as possible.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± In that way, roles were assigned one by one, and the tasks that had originally been concentrated on Kim Dabin alone were divided up. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get moving right away.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± That day, I was busy assigning positions to the newly appointed managers and supporting them. The team selected by Yang Ji-ho had also arrived at the Busanjin Police Station. No, it was the ce that used to be the Busanjin Police Station. Through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I saw Yang Ji-ho¡¯s team looking around with a disappointed expression. One of Yang Ji-ho¡¯s team members asked with a sigh, ¡°Team leader, did you say there was an armory underground?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I guess we can¡¯t even try to enter.¡± The entire Busanjin Police Station building waspletely destroyed. Unfortunately, it had been in the path of the Cyclops. It was in such a state that we couldn¡¯t even try to enter. ¡°Should we at least search the surroundings?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be a good idea. We might still find some firearms.¡± Yang Ji-ho¡¯s team started cautiously searching through the wreckage of the destroyed building. ¡®Here it is.¡¯ I immediately moved my sight underground to search for what appeared like an armory. And¡­ Could it be here? I was able to find a ce that seemed to be an armory. It was a basement with no light, but that was no problem for me. This ce was also part of my territory. I could easily grasp what was in the darkness. But. ¡®Nothing.¡¯ All the gun boxes and ces where ammunition should have been stored were empty. ¡®Someone took all the guns from here!¡¯ And it was before the Cyclops had destroyed the police station. I didn¡¯t know if those people were police officers or civilians who, like Yang Ji-ho, knew that there were weapons in the police station. One thing was clear. ¡®There¡¯s a group of survivors armed with rifles.¡¯ From the look of the armory, it was not just a few. They would have enough rifles to arm hundreds of people with an armory of this size. With that kind of firepower, goblins or orcs would not be a threat. One bullet would end them. ¡®Where did they go?¡¯ Seeing everything emptied like this, it was clear that they were an organized group. ¡®Dangerous.¡¯ I had always granted citizenship to everyone who approached my territory fairly. The same was true when the homebound area expanded through leveling up. I epted everyone, regardless of age or gender, as citizens. That was because citizenship registration was very rxed, and it was ambiguous to set criteria for who to ept and who to reject. What criteria could I set just by looking at them for the first time? So, I decided to ept everyone for now. There were also many more advantages with increases in poption. ¡®But people with guns are dangerous!¡¯ Guns were objects that could not only send monsters, but also people to their demise. It could be powerful weapons when controlled, but not everyone granted citizenship was under my control. There were still many more people who remained in their homes than those who gathered under the guidance of the rescue teams. This meant that there were at least thousands of people I hadn¡¯t confirmed. ¡®There could be people armed with guns among the newly epted!¡¯ I immediately began to scour the surroundings using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. My predictions were correct. Not far away, in a rtively intact vi, I found people who owned rifles. I immediately registered the M16 lying on the sofa in the shop. ¡®Item Registration.¡¯ Next, I looked for bullets to load into the gun. ¡®Where are the bullets?¡¯ However, no matter how hard I searched, I couldn¡¯t find any bullets. Three family members were sitting together in the living room, breaking up instant noodles and sharing it. ¡°Dad, is this thest one?¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, Daddy will bring more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to go out again?¡± ¡°I have to.¡± He picked up the gun that had been lying to one side on the sofa. Then his daughter said, ¡°¡­But you don¡¯t have any bullets left. What are you going to do with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°Are you going to hit the monsters with that? Say something that makes sense!¡± I quietly provided them with relief supplies, including water and ramen. ¡°Huh?¡± They froze at the sudden appearance of relief supplies. ¡®They¡¯ll take care of it themselves.¡¯ Since I also provided a gas burner, they would be able to have a warm meal after a long time. After providing the basics, I focused on finding bullets and finally found a man holding a gun loaded with bullets. He was not breathing. When the Cyclops went wild, he seemed to have been trapped under the copsed building debris. Zzing. I collected the gun he was holding and set fire to his body. Whoosh! With Kkami¡¯s level-up, my fire magic had be powerful enough to easily burn at least one body. ¡®Rest in peace.¡¯ It was my own way of mourning. Afterwards, I searched the area for a while and found others with the same type of gun. But even whenbined, they were only about a few dozen. ¡®There can¡¯t be just these.¡¯ The number of rifles estimated to be stored in the police station armory was at least several hundred. It meant there must be arge-scale armed group somewhere, but I couldn¡¯t find them nearby. ¡®Let¡¯s distribute the rifles where needed for now!¡¯ I immediately focused one field of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes on Jang Sung-jun. Jang Sung-jun and his group, who had left to find their families, were each holding a pistol carefully. Before I knew it, they had ventured outside the homebound area. Seeing them, I used the Communication Ring. [Mr. Jang Sung-jun.] ¡°Huh, yes?¡± [Take these.] Zzing¡ª The expressions of Jang Sung-jun¡¯s group brightened noticeably as they received the rifle sets purchased from the store. ¡°This!¡± Even though they were both guns, pistols and rifles were remarkably different. Moreover, the pistols given to them were not even automatic but revolvers, which had various disadvantages in terms of reloading and firing. So, they tried to avoid battles with monsters as much as possible and only used them when absolutely necessary. But having a rifle changed the game. ¡°This is great!¡± At that moment, they were spotted by a group of orcs in the distance. ¡°Sung-jun! The orcs spotted us!¡± Jang Sung-jun shouted urgently. ¡°Kyung-taek, So-ra, Eun-byeol, please provide covering fire! The rest, quickly grab your rifles and load the magazines! Hurry!¡± Baang¡ª! Following hismand, gunfire echoed in the ruined city. However, it was not actually hitting the orcs. It was just suppressive fire since the orcs were over 100 meters away, out of effective range. Fortunately, it was threatening enough. ¡°Krkrrung.¡± The orcs that were about to charge stopped and started to act vigntly. The loud sound of gunpowder evoked instinctive fear. Perhaps they had experienced it before. Meanwhile¡­ Click! Three military-trained soldiers including Jang Sung-jun finished loading their rifles. They aimed at the orcs with familiarity and pulled the triggers. Bang! Bang! At the same time, one orc¡¯s head exploded, and two others clutched their chests and fell. [You have hunted an Orc (Lv. 18).] [You have gained experience.] [1,221,005 won deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] The orc hit in the head died instantly, and the other two hit in the chest would soon meet the same fate. Bang! Bang! The calm and precise shooting continued, easily hitting the stationary targets at a distance of about 100 meters thanks to their extensive training. ¡°Graaaaagh!¡± Half of the orc group fell with gunshot wounds in an instant. ¡°Chwik! Chwik!¡± Realizing they were the weaker side, the orcs panicked and started to flee. ¡°This¡­!¡± Watching the orcs frantically flee, the faces of Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party were filled with hope. ¡°We can do this!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± With newfound confidence, Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party¡¯s movements became much bolder than before. They were also easily handling the sea monsters roaming the streets, showing abat prowess that was far beyond what they had earlier. ¡®Is this the power of rifles?¡¯ The achievements they were making now could be achieved by any teamposed of citizen soldiers, not just Jang Sung-jun. At the same time, I could be certain. ¡®The South Korean military is strong.¡¯ Unless they were facing monsters like the Cyclops, the South Korean military would most likely be fine. With modern weapons like tanks, fighter jets, mines, and grenades, they would not easily fall. Apart from a few unlucky units, the military was likely in good shape. ¡®Then why?¡¯ Why weren¡¯t theying to rescue the citizens? ¡®There must be a reason.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know yet. Chapter 61: Building the Foundation (3) Chapter 61: Building the Foundation (3) [Episode 13] Building the Foundation (3) Hwangnyeongsan Mountain. Although the height to the summit was only 427 meters, finding a dungeon somewhere in the mountains was not an easy task. There were well-maintained paths like hiking trails, but there were far more areas without paths. These pathless areas were difficult to explore because of the rugged terrain and steep slopes. So, Seo Ye-jin was deployed. ¡°Found it!¡± With hundreds of mice searching, results came in less than an hour. ¡°Please guide Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As expected, the dungeon was located in a rough, unmaintained area of the mountain. Woooong. The entrance emitted a faint blue light under the shade of the trees. ¡¸D-rank Dungeon¡¹ -Lizardman¡¯s Swamp (0/10) The information I saw through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes included numbers. ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ At first, I thought it might be a limit on the number of people allowed, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Let¡¯s enter.¡± Starting with Lee Joon-hyuk, all twenty-four members sessfully entered the dungeon one by one. [Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party has entered the dungeon for the first time.] [Experience and settlement money obtained will be doubled.] The interior of the dungeon was filled with water and trees. It was as if water had taken the ce of where the ground should be. Even the spot where they were standing was filled with water up to their hips. Shin Ah-young frowned and said, ¡°Joon-hyuk oppa. It won¡¯t be easy to attack like this.¡± As she said, it was not an easy situation to move around in. They couldn¡¯t tell how deep it was, so it was dangerous to take hasty steps forward. ¡°We might need to find something like a boat to continue the exploration.¡± There was no need to worry about getting out of the dungeon. Since the dungeon entrance was still there, they could leave anytime they wanted, so it was a structure that allowed them to exit whenever they wished. At that moment, Lee Joon-hyuk said firmly, ¡°No need for that.¡± He showed it through action rather than long exnations. Raising both hands in front of him and spreading them apart. Then¡­ Shwaaaah¡ª The swamp split in half. Water Control, which originally could only be applied to water he created, had its limitations removed as Lee Joon-hyuk leveled up. Muddy ground appeared between the two halves. Lee Joon-hyuk calmly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The group followed after Lee Joon-hyuk, awed by the sight of walls of water over 2 meters high surrounding them, an almost surreal scene. *** ¡°It feels like we¡¯re at the aquarium.¡± ¡°I thought so too. It¡¯s like a tunnel.¡± Not long after, Lee Hyun-chan shouted, ¡°Enemy sighted at 11 o¡¯clock! Three of them! Approaching this way!¡± Lee Hyun-chan¡¯s awakening ability was ¡®Mini-map¡¯, which allowed him to perceive the terrain within a radius of 100m. Through party registration, he also gained the ability to distinguish between allies and enemies. As long as his ability was active, surprise attacks were impossible. Shwaaah¡ª The water split in the 11 o¡¯clock direction ording to Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s will, revealing three Lizardmen. ¡°Fire!¡± Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party had already been equipped with rifles. Dududududu¡ª The three Lizardmen that emerged from the water were instantly killed. [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 21).] [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 22).] [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 21).] Normally, the Lizardmen would have the environmental advantage. Especially in a swamp over 2 meters deep that would limit movements. The Lizardmen that could move freely in the water would have been like grim reapers. Even if it was Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, the environment would have been challenging. However, with Lee Joon-hyuk, the Lizardmen¡¯s advantage was neutralized. ¡°Four at 3 o¡¯clock!¡± Lee Joon-hyuk could force the Lizardmen out of the water. Shwaaaah. Dududududu¡ª [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 22).] [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 23).] [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 21).] [You have hunted a Lizardman (Lv. 21).] Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s ability was aplete game-changer. ¡°We¡¯ll rest here.¡± Whenever they came across suitable terrain, they would take a short break and then move, catching dozens of Lizardmen. ¡®There¡¯s nothing I need to support them with!¡¯ Honestly, it didn¡¯t seem necessary to deploy Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s entire party. Lee Joon-hyuk, Lee Hyun-chan, and a few others providing firepower seemed enough to conquer the dungeon. It was then. ¡°Joon-hyuk!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Something, something is approaching! It¡¯sing towards us at high speed!¡± Before Lee Hyun-chan could finish his sentence, with a loud noise, the leader of the dungeon appeared. Standing on the water, the creature stared down at Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party. [Lizardman Chieftain (Lv. 30)] One head bigger than the average Lizardmen and its whole body covered in hard muscles. ¡°Fire!¡± Dududududu¡ª As bullets poured towards the monster following Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯smand. Shwaaaah¡ª Suddenly, a surging column of water blocked all the bullets. Soon, the water columns that had blocked all the bullets began to attack Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party. However, as soon as Lee Joon-hyuk stretched out his hand, the water currents attacking his party stopped. Staring at the Lizardman Chieftain, Lee Joon-hyuk muttered to himself, ¡°So you can use it like that.¡± Immediately after, Lee Joon-hyuk darted towards the monster. ¡°Joon-hyuk oppa!¡± ¡°Joon-hyuk!¡± Lee Joon-hyuk started running on the water. At first, his feet sank into the water, but it slowly began to support his weight. By the time he arrived in front of the Lizardman Chieftain, he had mastered the art. -?! Lee Joon-hyuk muttered, looking directly at the retreating Lizardman Chieftain. ¡°Water Bomb.¡± As water enveloped its head. BANGGG! It exploded loudly. [You have hunted the Lizardman Chieftain (Lv. 30).] [You have gained experience.] [1,200,238,911 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] At the same time. [Citizen Lee Lee Joon-hyuk has defeated the leader of the ¡®Lizardman Swamp¡¯.] [You have obtained 10 Crystals as a reward.] [You have sessfully conquered the dungeon for the first time.] [You have obtained 100 Crystals as a reward.] The conquest ended too easily. When Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party finished, the dungeon¡¯s description changed slightly upon exiting. ¡¸D-rank Dungeon¡¹ -Lizardman Swamp (1/10) The number indicated the remaining conquest attempts for the dungeon. ¡®Nine more to go.¡¯ If defeating the boss rewarded 10 Crystals, then after nine more conquests, they would have exactly 300 Crystals. Then it would be possible to obtain another item like the Communication Ring. [Mr. Joon-hyuk, how are you feeling?] ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit tired.¡± Conquering the swamp required a lot of mental and physical energy, so feeling tired was expected. [Is it possible to do one conquest per day?] ¡°Yes, no problem.¡± [Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.] *** Kim Minho affectionately stroked hispanion, Sorento, who he hadn¡¯t met in a while. Perhaps because it was parked in the corner, the car didn¡¯t seem to be affected much and was even used as a den by the goblins. Normally, at least one or two windows would have been broken, but Kim Minho¡¯s vehicle showed no such damage. Thanks to this, it was ready to drive immediately after recharging the battery. ¡°Oh wow, what a nice car.¡± Moon Hae-ri eximed. ¡°Feel free to hop in.¡± Kim Minho¡¯s team now consisted of five members, with the addition of two new members. The existing members, the married couple Nam Ji-ho and Moon Hae-ri, were joined by Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun. Vroom. The engine whirred as they all boarded. Before long, the roads around the apartmentplex werepletely empty, and even the roads that had been destroyed by the giant¡¯s footsteps were somewhat repaired. Since there were too many areas near Seomyeon Station that had been destroyed by Cyclops, they headed towards Beomnaegol Station. As they moved away from the apartmentplex, abandoned vehicles and obstacles began to block their path here and there. Kim Minho skillfully avoided them as he drove. ¡°You¡¯re a good driver, Minho.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Kang Sung-cheol eximed in admiration. ¡°It¡¯s so much faster in a car.¡± With the area expansions, it took quite a long time to walk for monster hunting. However, driving saved time and reduced energy consumption. When they arrived at an area quite far from the apartmentplex, monsters began to appear. Kim Minho parked the car randomly at the edge of the area and got out. ¡°Everyone, get your gear ready.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun quickly grabbed their rifles. What was unusual was that only Kang Sung-cheol, Ha Seo-jun, and Nam Ji-ho were armed with rifles. Kim Minho was unarmed, and Moon Hae-ri still carried her bow and arrows. Kim Minho instructed Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun, ¡°Focus on hunting marlins as usual.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun got into the hunter¡¯s positions. Since the prey they hunted left intact bodies, they were entrusted with hunting marlins that were known for their delicious taste. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Kim Minho was not carrying a rifle because of the new ability he had obtained from Kim Jae-hyun. As soon as they left the homebound area, the monsters quickly reacted. Sky Marlins swooped down over Kim Minho. Just before their sharp beaks reached Kim Minho. ¡®Hardening.¡¯ When he used the skill, his skin transformed into hard rock. The sharp beaks of the marlins could not prate Kim Minho¡¯s skin and bounced off. Dududududu! Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun shot at Kim Minho without hesitation. To an outsider, this might seem dangerous, but to them, it was a familiar routine. Even if Kim Minho were to be hit by mistake, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all. His hardened skin couldn¡¯t even be pierced by bullets. Then, a Land Shark appeared from one side and rushed towards Kim Minho. At that moment. Swoosh! Moon Hae-ri¡¯s arrow urately hit the Land Shark¡¯s head. And then. Chachachak¨D Starting from the head, the Land Shark rapidly froze into ice. [You have hunted a Land Shark (Lv. 24).] [You have gained experience.] [2,700,612 won has been deposited into Citizen Moon Hae-ri¡¯s wallet.] Kim Minho wasn¡¯t the only one who was powered up by Kim Jae-hyun. This was the reason why Moon Hae-ri used a bow instead of a rifle. With a broad smile, Moon Hae-ri said, ¡°Goblins are really different when ites to hunting.¡± Although the money entering her wallet was only 100% from Basic Sry, it was still a satisfying amount. As the level of the monsters increased, the amount of money they earned increased exponentially. ¡°Team leader! Be careful!¡± At that moment, a giant monster in chitin armor appeared from a side alley. Dudududu¨D Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun fired their guns diligently, but even so, they couldn¡¯t prate the Giant Crab¡¯s shell. Then, Kim Minho dug into the Giant Crab¡¯s body and threw out a powerful punch. ¡°Hueeup!¡± Crack! The shell showed a thin crack. A few more hits might have been able to shatter it. However. ¡°Keuk.¡± As the price for the attack, Kim Minho¡¯s wrist was also shattered. At that moment. Whoosh! A huge pir of fire shot up from under the Giant Crab. [You have hunted a Giant Crab (Lv. 35).] [You have gained experience.] [151,232,110 won has been deposited into Citizen Nam Ji-ho¡¯s wallet.] ¡°Nice one, Ji-ho!¡± Chapter 62: Building the Foundation (4) Chapter 62: Building the Foundation (4) [Episode 13] Building the Foundation (4) Ha Dong-geon opened his eyes. Dazzling sunlight poured into the bedroom as he pulled open the ckout curtains. The sun was already high in the sky. This was his newlywed home. Since Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s area expanded to the entire apartmentplex, he had moved and lived here with Kim Ga-yeong. Moon Byeong-ho, his grandmother, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon were originally staying in Room 2901. Room 2902 was Kim Da-jeong¡¯s home, but it was now shared with Yoo Hye-rin and Oh Eon-ju. When Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-yeong lived here together, the house felt cramped, so as soon as conditions allowed, they moved. ¡®The smell of soybean paste stew1???? ¨C Doenjang-jjigae).¡¯ Click. When he opened the door and stepped out, he saw his mother-inw and Kim Ga-yeong cooking together in the kitchen. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Myung-hwan?¡± ¡°He went hunting early in the morning.¡± ¡°Without eating breakfast?¡± ¡°You have to go really far if you want to hunt goblins.¡± Currently, although a considerable portion of the roads had been repaired, there weren¡¯t many people with intact cars. As a result, they had to walk over 2km to hunt. ¡°Myung-hwan is also working hard.¡± ¡°He wants to be like us.¡± Ever since Kim Myung-hwan witnessed Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party fighting, he had been going out for monster hunting every day, trying hard to achieve results. In order to be chosen by Kim Jae-hyun, he had to be someone who could produce results through hunting. ¡°I hear he¡¯s doing well these days.¡± He heard that Myung-hwan had formed a hunting team with people his age and was active. Their performance was not bad. ¡°Myung-hwan is talented with a bow, just like me.¡± Of course, Kim Myung-hwan not only had talent but also a good bow. Because Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-yeong had supported him with bows and spears from the beginning, so his starting point was different from others. ¡°Ha-seobang (son-inw)2Son-inw Ha is too much of a mouthful, so I¡¯m going to use ¡®-seobang¡¯ instead of ¡®son-inw¡¯.,e sit.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ha Dong-geon smiled as he looked at the table full of Korean dishes. ¡°Ever since mother-inw came, the food has be very plentiful.¡± Kim Ga-yeong immediately tackled him. ¡°Oh, was I not generous enough before?¡± ¡°We had a lot of delivery back then. Pizza, chicken, yukhoe3Yukhoe (??) ¨C Korean raw meat dish. Sounds weird, but think of it like beef tartar.¡­¡± ¡°C¡¯mon! I cooked for you at least three or four times a week!¡± ¡°Yeah, ramen, fried rice, spam, all of it was delicious.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Mother-inw covered her mouth and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must¡¯ve raised our Ga-yeong too preciously. Still, I thought she would do well on her own after getting married¡­.¡± ¡°Ga-yeong is really good at cooking ramen.¡± After the noisy meal with the three ended, Kim Ga-yeong said: ¡°Should we grill meat for dinner tonight?4Or ¡®Should we eat barbecue tonight?¡¯¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Mom! We¡¯ll go grocery shopping!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As they stepped outside, chilly air brushed against their cheeks. ¡°Should we walk for a bit? To digest.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Kim Ga-yeong took Ha Dong-geon¡¯s hand and led him along the walking trail. Perhaps because the weather had turned cold, there were only the two of them. Kim Ga-yeong asked. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Ga-yeong grumbled as she watched Ha Dong-geon answer nonchntly. ¡°Just tell me if it¡¯s hard. I understand, okay?¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s cold. Let¡¯s quickly buy some meat and go back.¡± Ha Dong-geon had umted over several hundred million won from hunting. Thanks to his central role in the party, he could earn a lot of money with just the basic sry. It wasn¡¯t only Ha Dong-geon. Everyone in the party were also millionaires, if not worth hundreds of millions. ¡®It¡¯s peaceful.¡¯ Unlike the fierce battles they fought outside, the inside of the homebound area was incredibly peaceful. The streets were lonelier now that the weather got chillier, but being able to walk without worrying about monster attacks felt like a blessing. When they arrived at the store, they bought enough meat and vegetables and returned home. Kim Myung-hwan returned around sunset, and they had dinner together. ¡°Noona, listen! Today, I finally seeded in hunting orcs for the first time!¡± ¡°Orcs? You? How?¡± ¡°I pierced its head with an arrow! Mae-hyung5Mae-hyung ¨C elder sister¡¯s husband/brother-inw., you should have seen that scene!¡± That evening was filled with Kim Myung-hwan¡¯s heroic tales. After a hearty dinner, they dispersed to their respective rooms. Kim Myung-hwan went into the small room at the end of the hallway and quickly fell asleep. His mother-inw also slept in what used to be the guest room. Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-yeong went into the master bedroom andy down on the bed. ¡°Good night.¡± ¡°You too.¡± There was silence for a while. Then. ¡°You know?¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s voice echoed in the darkness. ¡°I¡­ why can¡¯t I seem to cry?¡± ¡°Dong-geon ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not an unfilial child, right? But should I say that it doesn¡¯t feel real? It was clearly my home, and the bloodstains were obvious, but it feels like they¡¯re still alive somewhere.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s calm voice didn¡¯t contain any sadness. He continued in a calm, unaffected voice. ¡°I sleep more than usual, and the food tastes good. I should be sad, I should be grieving, but strangely, I can¡¯t seem to do that.¡± Kim Ga-yeong slowly moved and held Ha Dong-geon in her arms. ¡°Ga-yeong?¡± Ha Dong-geon didn¡¯t cry. No, maybe he couldn¡¯t cry. Therefore, it was Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s role to cry in his stead again today. ¡°Ga-yeong, I¡¯m really okay.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I¡¯m not okay.¡± Kim Ga-yeong said in a crying voice, ¡°Let¡¯s stay like this for a little longer.¡± Ha Dong-geon wanted to wipe away Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s tears, but he didn¡¯t have the energy to do so. It was too hard to lift his hand. ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡¯ Sleepiness overwhelmed him. He seemed to be sleeping a lot these days. It wasn¡¯t like this before. No matter how much he slept, he couldn¡¯t get rid of his fatigue, as if his mind was foggy. Would the sun be in the middle of the sky when he woke up again tomorrow? The days seemed incredibly short. It was the first time in his life that he had been sozy, and Ha Dong-geon couldn¡¯t quite adapt to thiszy self. Still, it was too bothersome to do anything. He would just spend another day like today, breathing. Kim Ga-yeong said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her trembling voice turned into a luby, and Ha Dong-geon felt his eyelids growing heavier. ¡®Don¡¯t cry.¡¯ He wanted to say it, he wanted tofort Kim Ga-yeong, but he didn¡¯t have the strength. He had no choice but to surrender to the overwhelming drowsiness. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It will be okay soon.¡± Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s embrace was warm. Like her words. Time flew by. Over the past ten days, everyone worked together to clean up the city, and stability was quickly restored. Talented individuals emerged from everywhere. The ones making the most significant contributions were those who had experience working on construction sites. ¡°Hey, Mr. Kim! Over here!¡± ¡°Start from here!¡± They operated heavy machinery to quickly repair the city destroyed by Cyclops. Experts from various fields stepped up to assist each other. However, there was a problem. ¡®The economically active poption6I did a little research, butbor force/workforce/economically active poption/active poption are all the same thing. Itprises of ¡°all persons of either sex who furnish the supply ofbor for the production of economic goods and services. is full!¡¯ Currently, there were two main ways for citizens to earn money: bing part of thebor force and receiving a daily wage, or hunting monsters. While the workforce increased along with the poption, it was not unlimited. I could provide temporary relief by delivering wages through quests, but this was only a temporary solution. Inevitably, people had to resort to hunting monsters to make a living. Especially students. For them, who had no experience or specialized knowledge, contributing to thebor force was not easy. Even jobs like cleaning bathrooms or taking care of trash were difficult to find due to intensepetition. Ultimately, the only option left for them was to hunt monsters. ¡®The problem is that the level of monsters has risen too high.¡¯ For ordinary people who had just started hunting, the only prey they could aim for was goblins. No, from the perspective of ordinary people, even dealing with goblins was considered quite dangerous. However, there weren¡¯t many ces to hunt goblins. ¡®Except for some areas, all that¡¯s left are powerful monsters like marine monsters or orcs.¡¯ The area where goblins appeared was beyond Hwangnyeongsan Mountain in Yeonsan-dong. Currently, that was the only spot goblins were appearing. Of course, the ce was already upied by veterans who were ustomed to hunting goblins. It was a tough world for children who had just been granted citizenship to live in on their own. Many of them managed to survive thanks to the welfare system¡¯s free distribution centers. ¡®We have to give them a chance!¡¯ Sometimes, there were cases where students were picked up by those who could afford it. However, this was mostly among close friends or acquaintances, and there were still children who fell into blind spots of attention. ¡®If only there were enough goblins¡­¡¯ During the time the territory was expanding, there were plenty of goblins around and there was no problem. People could easily hunt goblins with crude weapons, and they would gradually grow. ¡®I never thought there woulde a day when I would wish for the existence of monsters.¡¯ It was ironic. The monsters that were once like nightmares had now be necessary for maintaining society. While grappling with this problem, a wee notification sounded. [Citizen Lee Joon-hyuk has defeated the leader of the ¡®Lizardman Swamp¡¯.] [You have obtained 10 crystals as a reward.] [You havepletely conquered the dungeon for the first time.] [You have obtained 100 crystals as a reward.] As nned, Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party sessfullypleted 10 conquests of the D-grade dungeon. ¡®Thanks to the first-time reward, I now have 400 crystals.¡¯ The number of crystals needed for the Amazing Draw was 300. ¡®There might be a solution in the draw.¡¯ As I was looking forward to what I would get this time with the draw. [The conditions have been met.] [The ¡®F-grade Instant Dungeon {Goblin Lair}¡¯ has been added to the list of constructable items.] ¡°Huh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but tilt my head at the strange notification. ¡®I can build dungeons?¡¯ -F-grade Instant Dungeon {Goblin Lair} (13,000,000 won) A hunting ground for low-level citizens. A 2x basic sry will be applied to citizens below level 20. Can be conquered 100 times, with approximately 80-110 goblins appearing each time. ¡ùUp to 10 can be installed at once. ¡®¡­This?¡¯ An instant dungeon. It was a facility that could not only solve the hunting problem but also help nurture new hunting teams. The ability to create monsters. I had some awareness that my ability was fundamentally based on ¡®creation¡¯. Maintaining a shop, dignity maintenance. It could be said that my ability included creating gas, electricity, water, and other things. But I never thought I could create monsters. ¡®I¡¯ll use it for now.¡¯ It was a function that was desperately needed in the current situation. ¡®I need to exin it to everyone now.¡¯ I contacted Kim Da-bin right away. [Ms. Dabin.] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.] [Please gather all the head managers.] [Understood.] Through Kim Dabin¡¯s telepathy, the heads quickly gathered. ¡°There will be dungeons within the area in the future.¡± Some of the heads were already aware of the dungeon that Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party was conquering. ¡°Do you mean the dungeon with the Lizardmen?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a bit different. The dungeons that will appear in the future will be much easier.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a dungeon with goblins.¡± The reaction of the head managers upon hearing about the dungeon with goblins was split in half. ¡°What happens if we fail to conquer the dungeon?¡± There were those who were cautious about the dungeon. ¡°If it¡¯s a dungeon with goblins, then it¡¯s quite wee. There are quite a few people thirsting for goblin hunting.¡± And those who weed it. I said to them. ¡°There won¡¯t be anything exceedingly dangerous in the dungeon. However, unlike the dungeon that Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party is currently targeting, you will have to conquer it a total of 100 times, and each time you will need to defeat almost 100 goblins. I think it could be quite a dangerous challenge depending on the level of the party.¡± It was an instant dungeon to support those who made a living by hunting. If someone were to lose their life or get seriously injured there, it would be absurd. ¡°Therefore, I want to establish a clear standard for parties so they can handle fighting 100 goblins.7Not sure if this came across correctly but Jae-hyun means he wants to make sure the party is capable of fighting 100 goblins before they enter, so they¡¯re going to make clear standards for that.¡° Chapter 63: Building the Foundation (5) Chapter 63: Building the Foundation (5) [Episode 13] Building the Foundation (5) A dungeon with 100 goblins. This was not an easy goal. Until now, citizens had hunted goblins mostly through the safe zone or using superiority in numbers. ¡°Even if it¡¯s the same 100 goblins, the difficulty can vary greatly depending on whether they all rush at once or appear little by little. The environment inside the dungeon is also important.¡± Yang Ji-ho hit the nail on the head. ¡°So, I think the first step is to understand what the environment inside the dungeon is like.¡± He was right. For example, the lizardmen swamp that Lee Joon-hyuk conquered had a very favorable environment for the lizardmen. The goblinir would likely also have a favorable environment for the goblins. ¡°We¡¯ll need a vanguard. A vanguard capable of easily handling 100 goblins.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± There were six parties that immediately came to mind. All those who went outside the territory to hunt, including Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s party, were skilled enough to easily handle around 100 goblins. ¡®But it would be a waste to use them as the vanguard.¡¯ Currently, the settlement money they earned from hunting marine monsters was hardlyparable to 100 goblins. ¡®Although Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party is resting¡­¡¯ The Ha Dong-geon party, which could be considered the ace party, was currently on a long break. ¡®Kang Deok-su alone could serve as the vanguard.¡¯ His Steel Knight ability was specialized for dealing with multiple monsters. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Their current condition was not good. I asionally checked on them with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. Among them, Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Geon seemed to be in serious need of psychological counseling. Ha Dong-geon, who had a partner in Kim Ga-yeong, was rtively okay. Because a supportive family was right by his side. Although there were some signs of listlessness and depression, it seemed that he would quickly improve if Kim Ga-yeong stayed by his side. The problem was Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon. The two of them drank heavily at night and slept like the dead during the day repeatedly. They were spending all the money they earned from hunting on drinking. ¡®I might as well force them to work!¡¯ While contemting how to handle them¡­ ¡°How about lending firearms for a limited time for dungeon conquests?¡± It was Kang Han-gyeol, who had appealed for a police force in a previous meeting. ¡°Basic firearms training received by five individuals would be enough to handle 100 goblins as soon as they enter the dungeon.¡± I knew the power of rifles well. As he said, five well-trained riflemen would be able to easily handle it. They could even handle 100 orcs rushing at them without much trouble, let alone goblins. ¡°Is there no other way?¡± However, loosening firearm regtions could lead to trouble. It could cause a major ident if done wrong, and I was anxious because of that. ¡°I understand your concerns, Mr. Jae-hyun. If firearms regtions are rxed, there will certainly be some risk. However, Mr. Jae-hyun, on any battlefield, soldiers would not be given spears or bows instead of guns simply because guns are dangerous.¡± The moment I heard that, I realized that I was worrying too much. Perhaps it was because I grew up in South Korea where firearm regtions were familiar. The world right now was a war against monsters. ¡®People fighting for their lives need to be given guns.¡¯ I only distributed firearms to those currently fighting monsters on the front lines. They were all parties that included vassals. People I could believe in because of their high trust and loyalty. Only a few elite parties were involved in monster hunting. ¡®I wasn¡¯t able to trust people!¡¯ My current self was like a dictator who, afraid of a coup, took guns away from the army. I was undermining the strength of my own army. ¡®If firearms are actively utilized, hunting manpower will increase by several times.¡¯ South Korean men would be ready for immediate deployment as soon as they held a rifle. Naturally, their growth rate would double or even triple. ¡®Believe.¡¯ Of course, I would apply rational punishment for betrayal of trust. But there was no need to regte firearms out of fear of gun idents. ¡°Mr. Kang Han-gyeol.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How many police do we have?¡± ¡°We have 150 in total.¡± ¡°I will provide 500 rifles and 30,000 rounds of ammunition. Can you manage them?¡± ¡°I will do my best.¡± I dered, looking straight at Kang Han-gyeol. ¡°I will abolish the title of ¡®police¡¯ from now on. The department led by Kang Han-gyeol will be referred to as the Dungeon Management Bureau. You are free to recruit as many people as you need. However, your department will be responsible for all aspects of initial dungeon exploration, including issuing firearms for dungeon conquests, and providing basic education for those hoping to attack the dungeon. Can you handle all of these responsibilities?¡± After contemting with a serious face, Kang Han-gyeol replied, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± After the meeting, when I returned home, I immediately activated construction mode. ¡®Instant dungeon construction.¡¯ I decided to try making one for now. [Please select a location to install the F-grade instant dungeon {Goblin¡¯s Den}.] The location was Exit 8 of Jeonpo Station. [Are you sure you want to install it?] [Yes/No] ¡®Yes.¡¯ At the same time. [Construction of the F-grade instant dungeon {Goblin¡¯s Den} has beenpleted.] It waspleted immediately. If left alone, someone among the citizens would report about the dungeon, and Kang Han-gyeol would be in charge of handling the situation. ¡®But before that¡­¡¯ It was impossible to see inside the dungeon even with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. In other words, in order to confirm the environment inside, it was necessary to send a vassal. There just happened to be a suitable candidate. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door.¡¯ I immediately opened Room 2901 and went in. As soon as I entered, the smell of alcohol hit me. Bottles were rolling around the living room floor, and snack wrappers and trash were littered everywhere. I approached Kang Deok-su, who was lying on the sofa snoring loudly, and called his name. ¡°Mr. Kang Deok-su, wake up.¡± However, there was no response at all to my voice. ¡°Mr. Deok-su, please get up.¡± When I shook his shoulders, he finally reacted. ¡°Hmm? M-Mr. Jae-hyun?¡± He still had the expression of someone who hadn¡¯t fully sobered up. Every time he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol wafted out. When I frowned slightly, Kang Deok-su covered his mouth with both hands. ¡°W-What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°¡­A favor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I briefly exined the concept of the dungeon. ¡°So, a dungeon with goblins has appeared? Inside the territory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kang Deok-su asked, his face serious. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a big problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯d like you to help. Since you can handle it alone.¡± ¡°Hmm. I understand.¡± ¡°First, please wash up ande out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After showering, Kang Deok-su looked much better than before. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I led him straight to Exit 8 of Jeonpo Station. Zing¡ª There was a dungeon entrance emitting a faint blue light. It was my first time seeing it in person. ¡°Is this it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing.¡± It would be even more interesting inside. Apletely different environment awaited us. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± After confirming that Kang Deok-su entered the dungeon, I immediately used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to observe him. As soon as he entered the dungeon, he was greeted by pitch-ck darkness where he couldn¡¯t see an inch ahead of him. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun. I can¡¯t see anything here.¡± [I¡¯ll provide a heamp.] ¡®Open shop, buy a heamp.¡¯ I immediately gave him a heamp. When he turned it on, he could see the rough cave walls. ¡°Rise.¡± Kang Deok-su advanced with only one steel knight summon. ¡°Kikik?¡± The first thing that appeared was three goblins. When they saw Kang Deok-su¡¯s heamp, they immediately rushed in. ¡°Kikigik!¡± ¡°Kiik!¡± However, they were quickly decapitated by the Steel Knight¡¯s halberd. Three goblins were swiftly dispatched. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience points.] [18,012 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡°Isn¡¯t this too easy?¡± Indeed, the goblins in the dungeon were inferior to those in reality. Their weapons were rudimentary, like bone or stone knives, and they appeared in smaller numbers. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 8).] [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] Each time three goblins appeared, they were quickly dispatched by the Steel Knight. As they ventured deeper into the cave, it gradually widened, and the number of goblins increased slightly. ¡°Kiek!¡± [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience points.] [17,991 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] However, even with more goblins appearing, they were no match for the Steel Knight. ng! The goblins¡¯ attacks were all blocked by the silver armor, while the halberds of the Steel Knight consistently ended the goblins¡¯ lives. After the Steel Knight had in 94 goblins. [Citizen Kang Deok-su has cleared the ¡®Goblin Lair¡¯.] Unfortunately, no crystal rewards appeared from clearing the instant dungeon. It seemed that crystals could only be obtained from naturally-urring dungeons. Afterpleting the conquest anding out, Kang Deok-su¡¯s face looked much more refreshed than before. Despite finishing, Kang Deok-su looked at the intact dungeon entrance and asked. ¡°Can I do this one more time?¡± ¡°It should be possible.¡± ¡°Then can I do it again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Seeing Kang Deok-su conquer the instant dungeon alone gave me even more confidence. ¡®It¡¯s perfect for training.¡¯ There was no need to worry. Moreover, under Kang Han-gyeol¡¯s leadership, those who challenged the dungeon would be armed with rifles when entering, so there was even less need to worry. ¡®I can even increase it to the maximum at once.¡¯ Leaving Kang Deok-su, who had be engrossed in goblin hunting, I returned home and installed the remaining nine dungeons in strategic locations. ¡®Now, let¡¯s see what I get.¡¯ As soon as I sat on the sofa, Kkami ran over and climbed onto my thigh. -Cheep! I chuckled and gently stroked Kkami with my index finger, ¡°You seem to be in a good mood today.¡± -Cheep cheep! He was usually busy napping under the warm sun, but asionally he would act cute like this. After ying with Kkami for a while, I opened the skill window. And then. ¡®Amazing Draw!¡¯ Drumroll! 300 crystals were consumed, and a golden magic circle emitted a dazzling light. The light from thepleted magic circle soon gathered in one ce and began to expand. Woooong! Red threads seeped in around the golden brilliance. When the entire process was over. A crown adorned with jewels emitted a radiant light. Chapter 64: Vampire (1) Chapter 64: Vampire (1) [Episode 14] Vampire (1) The crown was as effective as it was dazzling in appearance. When worn, effects on citizens are doubled. Currently, there were six effects: -Experience points and settlement fees are doubled. -Power of Trust. -Tax Collection. -Basic Sry. -Economic Activity Poption Support Fund. -Jobs. All these effects would be doubled. ¡®¡­I guess I have to keep wearing it?¡¯ Although it felt a bit cumbersome, the effects when worn were so good that I couldn¡¯t not use it. ¡®Since I don¡¯t have much reason to leave the house anyway, I might as well wear it all the time.¡¯ Just then, there was a system notification that had been ringing since earlier. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience points.] [18,011 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] It was because Kang Deok-su was hunting goblins in the goblinir. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ I carefully ced the crown on my head. Suddenly, I felt a refreshing sensation. And as soon as I put on the crown, there was a change in the notification window. [You have hunted a Goblin (Lv. 7).] [You have gained experience points.] [28,670 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.] ¡®A goblin is worth almost 30,000 won.¡¯ The first digit had changed. Compared to when I hunted goblins myself in the past, which was only worth 3,000 won, it was almost ten times more efficient. The efficiency had increased not only for goblins but for all future hunts. So, if possible, it seemed that I should wear the crown even while sleeping. ¡®Come to think of it, it should be time to collect taxes.¡¯ I had been so busy that I had forgotten about using the tax collection skill and left it idle. When I used the tax collection skill a month ago, the amount wasn¡¯t significant. But now, it would be different. I knew that each member of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party now possessed tens of millions, thanks to the rapid growth of their party. With a bit of anticipation, I used the skill. ¡®Tax Collection.¡¯ If this was also doubled by the crown¡¯s effect, it meant I would receive 20% instead of 10%. So, I expected to receive at least a few billion. However¡­ [A total of 15,674,528,243 won from Tax Collection has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®Oh?¡¯ The amount was different from what I expected. ¡¯15 billion?¡¯ That meant citizens collectively possessed around 750 billion. ¡®I see. Beyond hunting, the money earned from the economic activity poption support fund must be quite substantial.¡¯ The daily earnings of citizens employed in the economic activity poption support fund when added together would easily amount to billions. ¡®It seems people have more money than I thought?¡¯ No wonder the store sales have been unusual these days. Citizens had more purchasing power. ¡®I should start selling cars at the store soon!¡¯ As road maintenance was beingpleted, there was a gradual increase in demand for vehicles. Even if it wasn¡¯t for hunting, having a car made life more convenient in various ways, so there were many people who wanted one. ¡®I could set up a separate store selling cars in the underground parking lot so people can drive it immediately.¡¯ Or, I could set up a store where car dealerships were originally located. However, it was still in the nning stage. ¡®I need to reach level 25 quickly to level up the shop skill and expand the slots!¡¯ All the slots in the shop were currently filled. While it was possible to maximize the efficiency of one slot through itemization, there was a limit. Medical supplies ounted for a significant portion. There were so many types of medications that even with itemization, there was a limit, and the slots were quickly filled. Currently, only medications that the medical team consumed the most were registered and used. That alone filled 500 slots, and there were no slots left to register cars. In other words, in order to sell vehicles, I would need to level up the shop skill. ¡®But, I¡¯m almost at level 25.¡¯ I had steadily leveled up and expanded the area. Now, level 25 was within reach. I even got a crown that would elerate the rate of experience points, so I should reach level 25 in no time. ¡®As the area expands in the future, the demand for cars will increase even more.¡¯ Presently, it was only a few kilometers from the center of the area to the outside. There was no need to buy a car that cost tens of millions of won, and only hunting teams were able to afford it. And even then, only the top hunting teams would have tens of millions of won on hand. ¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a good thing. The fact that citizens are growing wealthy means that tax collection would be better in the future.¡¯ I was increasingly pleased with the crown on my head. ¡®Basic Sry has also doubled, so those who have been making a living by hunting will be in better situations.¡¯ Most citizens had a settlement fee of 0%. Nevertheless, they were able to earn money through Basic Sry, guaranteed to receive 100% of experience points and settlement fees that I couldn¡¯t touch. Now that it had doubled,the growth of citizens would be faster, and their earnings would improve as well. ¡®I¡¯m so lucky this item appeared just as instant dungeons came out!¡¯ Now, even those who did nothing besides goblin hunting wouldn¡¯t have trouble making ends meet. ¡®Moreover, the economically active poption has increased significantly.¡¯ Instead of doubling the support fund, the poption limit had doubled. With the limit doubling at once, there was plenty of room to ept new people. ¡®Great.¡¯ It was ufortable that there were not enough positionspared to the people working. I had no choice but to pay in the form of quest assignment, but now I didn¡¯t have to do that. Just as I was checking the positive effects of the crown one by one¡­ The doorbell rang. ¡°Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡± When I checked, Jang Sung-jun, who had recently asked me to lend him firearms to save his family, was standing at the door. I could tell the result just by looking at his face. Click. When I opened the front door, I saw Jang Sung-jun standing there with a smile on his face. He held a bunch of firearms in his hand and said, ¡°Hello, Mr. Jae-hyun. I¡¯m here to return the items you lent mest time.¡± I chuckled and replied. ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯ve reunited with your family safely.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s all thanks to you, Mr. Jae-hyun. If we had been even a littlete, we might not have been able to meet our families forever. But thanks to your willingness to provide guns, we were able to miraculously save our families.¡± ¡°I just offered the support I could. It was your own strength that saved your families.¡± Jang Sung-jun bowed his head to express his gratitude. ¡°We were in desperate need of that opportunity. I want to thank you once again. You have been continuously looking over us and supplying us with the necessary resources.¡± When their party arrived at the apartmentplex in Yeonji-dong, the residents were engaged in a fierce battle with orcs. However, orcs were too much for ordinary people with no strength, and they were being overwhelmed. That was when Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party appeared. Armed with rifles, Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party quickly wiped out the orcs, bing heroes of the apartmentplex. Furthermore, by distributing the supplies I provided to the people in the apartmentplex, theypletely won over their hearts and sessfully led hundreds of survivors back to our apartmentplex. Fortunately, their families were among the survivors as well. ¡®It proves that most monsters can be suppressed with guns.¡¯ Of course, the fact that I could supply unlimited ammunition was quite crucial. The real-time supply of ammunition made them even more powerful. ¡°Thanks to your continuous support, we were able to muster our courage toplete the mission. Thank you so much for trusting us and lending us the guns.¡± I thought about letting Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party keep the firearms, but I had already handed over full authority over firearms to Kang Han-gyeol. ¡®I¡¯ve already told the other hunting teams to return the guns I distributed.¡¯ Even capable hunting teams could only receive firearms from the Dungeon Management Bureau when needed. ¡®Warehouse storage.¡¯ Zing. After storing all the firearms Jang Sung-jun had brought in the warehouse, I asked him: ¡°Are all your family members and colleagues staying in themon rooms right now?¡± ¡°Yes, they are.¡± ¡°I have a suggestion.¡± Currently, Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party were all under subordinate contracts. Meaning that they had all acquired awakening abilities. ¡®But they¡¯re not good at using their abilities yet since they mainly relied on guns during their operation.¡¯ It was certainly important to cultivate skilled marksmen. However, I believed that people with special awakening abilities needed to be managed separately. Just by looking at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, I could see how much potential a group with awakening abilities had. ¡°Why don¡¯t you create a hunting team with your colleagues?¡± ¡°A hunting team?¡± ¡°Yes, but there is a condition. I want you to go monster hunting using only your awakening abilities.¡± For now, I nned to create a goblin cave exclusively for them to get used to using their abilities. ¡°Are you saying not to use rifles?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± The others less so, but I definitely wanted to use Jang Sung-jun as abat force. ¡®He has a Grade A telekic ability. If trained well, he could beparable to Ha Dong-geon or Oh Eon-ju.¡¯ I said to Jang Sung-jun, who was contemting. ¡°If you actively participate in hunting, I¡¯ll give you three apartment units. And I¡¯ll provide temporary housing for the survivors who came with you.¡± Most would be ordinary houses, but private houses would be much better than sharing an apartment unit with dozens of people. When he heard that I would solve that problem for them, Jang Sung-jun nodded vigorously in response. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s loyalty has increased.] ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask the others too?¡± ¡°If they hear the terms, they¡¯ll definitely ept.¡± I said to Jang Sung-jun who had a determined expression. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so tense. The monsters you¡¯ll be hunting at first will just be goblins.¡± The n was to keep cycling through the Goblin Lair instant dungeon. ¡°It might be difficult to fight at first without rifles, but you¡¯ll soon get used to it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°And Jang Sung-jun, try to use telekinesis regrly. It might be annoying and difficult at first, but once you get used to it, you¡¯ll have a much more powerful weapon than a rifle.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Jang Sung-jun would probably adapt quickly. During the process of saving his family in Yeonji-dong, he had already grown to the early level 20s. ¡®Goblins should be easy to handle!¡¯ Since the levels of the other party members were also decent, the six of them should be able to easily handle around a hundred goblins. ¡®After they get used to using their abilities, they can be sent on a real hunt.¡¯ The detailed schedule would be setter, but as Jang Sung-jun went down with a smile on his face. [Citizen Jang Dae-il has died.] [Citizen Kim Nam-gi has died.] [Citizen Lee Se-hyun has died.] [Citizen Seo Go-eun has died.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ Suddenly, a bunch of death messages popped up. Ten citizens had lost their lives in an instant. ¡®This has never happened before?¡¯ There was no reason for so many people to die at once unless a building copsed or something like that. But then, another strange notification appeared. [You have hunted a Lesser Vampire (Lv. 18).] [You have gained experience.] [2,223,988 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡°Vampire?¡± Chapter 65: Vampire (2) Chapter 65: Vampire (2) [Episode 14] Vampire (2) ¡°S-Save me¡­¡± Bite! Ignoring the woman¡¯s tearful plea, two sharp fangs pierced her neck. ¡°Urk, cough¨C¡± The woman had no strength to resist and just nkly stared into the air. She could feel her blood being sucked out in real-time, feeling nothing but despair. ¡°So cold¡­¡± As arge amount of blood was being drained, her body temperature was rapidly falling. On the other hand, the vitality of the vampire that was absorbing the source of life, blood, was getting stronger. Before long, life vanished from the woman¡¯s eyes. Plop. ¡°Haha¡­.¡± Lesser vampire Jegal Seong-gyu wiped the blood from his mouth, feeling satisfied. It was because he had seeded in arge-scale hunt for the first time. He was also intoxicated by the fact that his power had be strong enough to hunt over ten people at once. ¡°Eat as much as you want.¡± Jegal Seong-gyu smiled proudly as he watched the lesser vampires sucking the blood of the fallen humans. ¡®This ce is a gold mine.¡¯ It was purely by chance that he had obtained citizenship and set foot in this safe zone. At first, a transparent wall blocked his way, but suddenly it proposed something called ¡®citizenship¡¯. Jegal Seong-gyu epted it without much thought, and when he entered the area, he was astonished. ¡®Humans everywhere I go.¡¯ The staple of vampires was human blood. And they became stronger as they ate more humans. Naturally, the more humans there were, the better. Furthermore, not only were there many humans here, but the quality was also good. It seemed to be almost several times better than the ones they hunted outside. Thanks to this, Jegal Seong-gyu was able to quickly be stronger. ¡®I can soon advance to intermediate. Like that person.¡¯ That guy who treated him as useless and discarded him. He was about to obtain power equal to that guy. ¡®But being equal is not enough.¡¯ He needed to drink more human blood to surpass that guy. To make him pay for treating him as worthless. ¡®Revenge¡­¡¯ For that, it was necessary not only to be stronger but also for the group he led to be stronger. ¡®Did one of them die?¡¯ At his current level as a lower vampire, Jegal Seong-gyu could control up to five lowest-ranking vampires. One of them died during therge-scale hunt, but it didn¡¯t matter. It wasn¡¯t difficult to create one lowest-ranking vampire. ¡®Humans spread far and wide here.¡¯ When he reached intermediate level, his subordinates would also be promoted to lower vampires. If they too produced more lesser vampires, his coven would grow rapidly. ¡®Then, I¡¯ll hunt down that guy after eating the humans around here.¡¯ By that time, he would have power to overwhelm him. Where he was originally, finding a human was like trying to pluck a star in the sky. That was why he was kicked out. But on the other hand, this ce was like paradise. A paradise overflowing with prey. While he and his coven grew here, that guy would remain stagnant. ¡®I¡¯ll eat them all.¡¯ He licked the blood around his mouth, imagining the bright future ahead of him. At that moment. Click. ¡°?¡± The door suddenly opened, revealing a man standing there. An unexpected guest came. At first, he didn¡¯t pay much attention. The man who had opened the door to this ce without knowing anything was pitiful. ¡®How sad. Coming here to die with his own two feet.¡¯ Without the need for a separatemand, the lesser vampires immediately reacted to the fresh prey. ¡°Kyaakk!¡± ¡°Gyaaa!¡± As the lesser vampires snarled and rushed toward the man. Boom! The heads of the remaining four lesser vampires exploded simultaneously. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Heavy silence fell. Without any warning. Without any battle. It took Jegal Seong-gyu a little time to process the situation. His mind was rejecting understanding of the current situation1Was going to put ¡®refused to understand the current situation¡¯ but that¡¯s notpletely right.. ¡®What on earth just happened?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand the series of events that unfolded before his eyes. ¡®Did I see that right?¡¯ However, he clearly witnessed it with his own eyes. As soon as his subordinates showed hostility towards that man, their heads exploded as if receiving divine judgment. Upon realizing this tant reality, Jegal Seong-gyu couldn¡¯t help but panic. Fear engulfed his brain. ¡®T-That¡¯s ridiculous!¡¯ One thing he knew for sure was that the power possessed by the being in front of him was beyond hisprehension. Revenge for his subordinates? Blood vengeance? Such thoughts had long disappeared from his mind. In the face of overwhelming power, his personal feelings were insignificant. All that remained was an intense desire to survive. Jegal Seong-gyu knelt down and barely managed to open his mouth. With all his strength, he made an earnest plea. ¡°P-Please spare me.¡± The plea of the weak, which he had heard while he was the predator, was nowing out of his own mouth. A small struggle to survive. Jegal Seong-gyu was making the best choice he could. ¡°P-Plea?guh!¡± At that moment, he felt something grabbing his neck and lifting him up. Soon, his feet couldn¡¯t reach the ground. He struggled futilely in mid-air. ¡°How dare you¡­¡± In front of him was the face of an angry man. At that moment, he instinctively knew. There would be no miracle of forgiveness from this man. Even worms wriggle when stepped on, but he was so insignificant that he couldn¡¯t even resist. When a worm was trampled by an elephant, it was destined to die instantly. Jegal Seong-gyu gave up everything and closed his eyes tightly. There was nothing he could do except ept the choice of the being in front of him. ¡°Urk?¡± It was then. The pressure he felt in his throat suddenly decreased, and his feet touched the ground. Jegal Seong-gyu copsed to the ground weakly, shuddering as he looked up at the man. The man said, ¡°From now on, answer my questions with utmost sincerity.¡± Jegal Seong-gyu nodded frantically. He didn¡¯t care about the quest notification warning of severe pain if he didn¡¯t answer truthfully. He had no intention of defying the man in front of him in the first ce. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He did his best by lying t on the ground to beg for his life. He was prepared to tell the man everything he knew in hopes of a chance. The man spoke, ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Jegal Seong-gyu, a lower vampire. After hearing his story, I felt a headacheing on. ¡®Even monsters can be epted as citizens¡­¡¯ The system message for granting citizenship was worded as a ¡®beingsatisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen2Raise a hand if you expected this development! >u< /¡®, not specifically humans. I didn¡¯t expect this to mean that non-human monsters could also be granted citizenship. ¡®To think that even a monster that feeds on humans could be granted citizenship!¡¯ The influx of citizens continued to pour in even now. In the past, when the number of iing citizens was small, I would carefully examine and confirm the citizenship information of each person. However, with the huge increase in numbers, it had been set up so that if a person eligible for citizenship approached, they would immediately be eligible for citizenship. It was a kind of automatic system. Otherwise, I would have had to ept the continuous influx of citizens while working and sleeping. But I never thought it woulde back to bite me like this. I thought at most there would be some disturbance caused by dirty-minded citizens or criminalsing in. But apletely different problem had emerged. ¡®A vampire, huh?¡¯ I asked him, ¡°You were human before you were bitten?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was an ordinary human and became a lesser vampire after being bitten by a vampire named Ahn Sang-hyuk.¡± The shocking thing was that the vampire in front of me had once been an ordinary human. ¡®Maybe that was why he was granted citizenship.¡¯ Anyway, now that there was a w, I could not just ept anyone anymore. At the very least, as soon as someone was epted, I had to check their citizen information window to see if they were a vampire or not. Moreover, the information of the citizens epted so far had to be rechecked. ¡°You said you have vague memories of the few days you spent as a lesser vampire, and you grew into a lesser vampire by eating humans?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ording to Jegal Seong-gyu, lesser vampires were like beasts with only instincts remaining. They had enough intelligence to understandmands, but the development of consciousness started at lower vampires. ¡°The man who turned you into a vampire, Ahn Sang-hyuk, is a higher-ranking vampire than you are.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± The current lower vampire Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s level was 28. That meant that an intermediate vampire would be higher level than this at the very least. ¡®And if there are intermediate vampires, it means there are also higher vampires!¡¯ While the exact extent of their ranks was unknown, there would at least be an upper level. Their levels were also expected to be quite high. ¡°Where is the base of this intermediate vampire?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in an apartmentplex in Daeyeon-dong.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As I seemed to be ending the conversation, Jegal Seong-gyu begged desperately for his life. ¡°I-I will guide you to where he is! Please punish that viin, the mastermind behind all this, with your own hands!¡± [Citizen Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s loyalty has increased.] His purpose was clear. He was desperate to survive. Moreover, the rapidly increasing trust and loyalty since I met him was making me feel sick. ¡®The loyalty of a monster that eats people¡­¡¯ It was unsettling. I had heard everything I needed. ¡°If you want revenge so badly, why don¡¯t you do it yourself?¡± Jegal Seong-gyu who had be a lower vampire was once a human, but now he was nothing more than a monster that ate people. Naturally, I had no intention of epting or sparing him. ¡®Quest Assignment.¡¯ ¡¶Quest Assignment¡· Quest Details: Kill Ahn Sang-hyuk Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds Reward: Small amount of experience points Failure Penalty: Death ¡°There¡¯s no need to guide me. Go and kill him yourself.¡± The time limit was 24 hours. There was no way Jegal Seong-gyu, who was still a lower vampire, could kill Ahn Sang-hyuk, an intermediate vampire. It was the same as openly telling him to go die. Understanding this, Jegal Seong-gyu urgently said, ¡°Wait, then let me drink human blood. If I be an intermediate, I can surely deal with that guy!¡± ¡°If youy a finger on a human, your head will explode instantly.¡± Jegal Seong-gyu could not answer and bowed his head deeply. I decided to give him a little hope so he wouldn¡¯t despair and attack others. ¡®Shop open. Purchase M16.¡¯ Ziing¡ª Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the rifle and a set of 100 bullets appear before him. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance. An opportunity to get revenge on the one who made you like this.¡± He nodded as he stroked the rifle. ¡°With this¡­ With this, it¡¯s possible! I will try!¡± ¡°Do your best to exterminate all the vampires.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Once again, if you attack anyone other than a vampire with this, you will be killed instantly.¡± ¡°I-I understand.¡± ¡°Leave immediately.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jegal Seong-gyu quickly replied and left the building. The building which he left was littered with bodies. Half of them died with their eyes open, victims of a cruel fate. As I was about to set their bodies on fire, I paused. ¡®They must have had families too!¡¯ In theirst moments, shouldn¡¯t they be able to see their families¡¯ faces? I extinguished the mes and called Seo Ye-jin using themunication ring. [Ms. Seo Ye-jin, there is a man I want you to follow with mice.] There were three reasons for attaching Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice to Jegal Seong-gyu. First, to determine the exact location of the vampires. Second, to prevent Jegal Seong-gyu from handing the rifle over to them. Andstly, if he tried anything foolish, to burn him to death. ¡®I should form a team to kill the vampires!¡¯ If there were humanoid monsters nearby, it was only right to eliminate them all for the safety of the citizens. I¡¯ve never tranted a story with vampires before so I ended up doing some research. For now, I¡¯ll be going with these ranks: Higher Vampires Intermediate Vampires Lower Vampires Lesser Vampires There¡¯ll probably be more informationter on since we¡¯re only up to intermediate vampire rankings. Let me know if there¡¯s a better name or if I swapped the ranks or something. Chapter 66: Vampire (3) Chapter 66: Vampire (3) [Episode 14] Vampire (3) While keeping a close eye on Jegal Seong-gyu with a mouse, I carefully examined the scene of the disaster. ¡®These are people who recently received citizenship when the homebound area expanded.¡¯ People on the fringes of the area. They were people who had not yet received proper relief supplies. Although they had been granted citizenship and entered my territory, they hadn¡¯t even realized that this ce was safe. ¡®What should I do with all these people?¡¯ Most of them were likely alone. But I didn¡¯t burn their bodies because I thought they might have family. ¡®But how do I find their families, and how could I show their bodies in this state to them?¡¯ Those reached by the relief team were guided not only about the safe zone but also about basic knowledge such as earning money by hunting monsters and using it at the store. But these people were different. They somehow managed to survive, but they did not even realize they had entered a safe zone without monsters. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be called aplete safe zone now.¡¯ You can¡¯t call it a safe zone when monsters that ate people coulde and go. ¡®I¡¯d rather they be hostile to me.¡¯ That way, it could have been easily resolved. Like how the heads of the lesser vampires who tried to attack me exploded. In the case of Jegal Seong-gyu, it was probably an instinctive choice for survival, but even when I handed him the gun, he did not show any hostility towards me. Perhaps he mentally submitted because of Dignity Maintenance. ¡®Usually, monsters are eliminated as the area expands.¡¯ The difference between Jegal Seong-gyu and the lesser vampires was that they were ¡®beings satisfying the conditions of being recognized as a citizen¡¯. ¡®Monsters are generally removed, but do they only eliminate ones who have direct hostility towards me?¡¯ It could be said that the system was giving me a choice. Among them, there may be useful species that do not prey on humans like vampires. ¡®Like in Oh Eon-ju¡¯s case.¡¯ Strictly speaking, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s case was simr to that of a vampire. When she was in her beast form, she was closer to a monster than a human. The fact that the grandfather¡¯s tree giant reacted to Oh Eon-ju was evidence of that. ¡®Does that mean it¡¯s leaving me a choice to ept such people?¡¯ Killing such people indiscriminately was certainly a loss considering the benefits gained by epting Oh Eon-ju. However, as with everything in the world, it was not always just an advantage. ¡®Terrible.¡¯ The skin that had turned pale from being sucked by a vampire was unbelievably eerie. ¡®If I had filtered out the vampires from the beginning, this tragedy would not have happened.¡¯ I was determined to take responsibility for this situation. [Ms. Dabin.] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.] He exined the situation to Kim Dabin and asked for advice. [How can we find their families?] However, the answer that came back was a very realistic one. [¡­As of now, it can be said that there is no way. There is noputer database left for identity verification, andmunication is not alive either.] [I see.] [I don¡¯t think many of the citizens have family members. If they¡¯re that close, they would have went to find them before the area expanded. So, it¡¯s safe to assume they don¡¯t have any connections at this point.] It was true. [Is there no way?] After a moment of thought, Kim Dabin replied. [First, we need to find out why people gathered there in the first ce. Or if there are any documents like resident registration cards among their belongings, we might be able to find their addresses.] If their address was nearby, there was a possibility that their families were there. [Thank you for the advice.] [Don¡¯t be too disheartened.] I searched through the belongings of the deceased like grasping straws. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ Instead of searching each body one by one, I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to scan the space as a whole. It was much faster this way. There weren¡¯t as many people carrying wallets or identification cards as I thought. However, it was easy to see why they had gathered here. There was food stockpiled on one side of the building, and traces of living everywhere. They had gathered here to survive. It was then. ¡®Hm?¡¯ There were survivors in the building. Young children huddled together in a corner room, trembling. I had a hunch that they were the remaining family members of those who had died here. At the same time, I could see that those here had tried their best to save those children, even if it meant sacrificing their own lives. ¡®Should I tell them?¡¯ I hesitated for a moment. Among them, there must be the parents or family of those children. Should I inform them of their deaths, or should I just burn everything and tell a well-intentioned lie? I didn¡¯t know. Some of the children seemed like they wouldn¡¯t even fully understand the concept of death yet. Should I really show them this cruel scene? After much deliberation, I came to a conclusion. Scoot, scoot. With meticulous care, I straightened up the bodies which had been left in disarray. Using the Invisible Hand would have been more efficient, but I chose to tidy up the bodies with my own hands. Gently closing the lids of the people whose eyes were wide open. ¡®They look much better than before.¡¯ Their faces definitely looked calmer than before. At a nce, it almost looked like they were just asleep. I then walked slowly towards where the children were. Through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I could clearly see that the children were frightened by the sound of my footsteps. So, I approached them even more cautiously. And knocked on the door. Knock, knock. ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet!¡± The sound of being scared and the sound of being silenced came almost at the same time. Even though they were trying to keep their voices down as much as possible, in silence, even the slightest sound could be heard clearly. I cautiously spoke to them. ¡°Could you please open the door?¡± I felt like the big bad wolf aiming for the three little pigs, but I thought there was no point in dying any longer. ¡°I¡¯ming in.¡± The door was an analog type, but when I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door, I could open it without any resistance, as if it had been unlocked from the beginning. ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± Whether the children knew about the existence of vampires or not, the moment the door opened, they screamed in terror. I greeted them with a wry smile. ¡°Hello? My name is Kim Jae-hyun.¡± I introduced myself without taking a step into the room. As I kept my distance, it seemed like the children were willing to listen. And. [Citizen Yang Ha-yoon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Yang Ha-yul¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Seo Min-woo¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Lee Seo-joon¡¯s trust has increased.] [Citizen Han Ye-jung¡¯s trust has increased.] When the five children faced me, the Dignity Maintenance skill shone. Perhaps feeling relieved by my non-threatening attitude, the oldest girl among them cautiously spoke up. ¡°Who are you, mister?¡± She was a small girl with a physique that seemed no older than an elementary school student. ¡°Um¡­¡± After a moment of hesitation, I said in a slightly uncertain voice, ¡°Should I say I¡¯m part of the rescue team?¡± ¡°Rescue team? Is the rescue team here?¡± Another child asked as the girl¡¯s face brightened, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s a rescue team?¡± ¡°Uhh, that means they¡¯re here to save us.¡± ¡°Really? Then we don¡¯t have to hide anymore?¡± ¡°Mm!¡± As I watched the children¡¯s faces light up, I felt a pang of guilt. ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go together.¡± Listening to the children¡¯s footsteps slowly following behind me, I slowly made my way over. I hesitated for a moment. About whether this was really the right thing to do. Even though it wasn¡¯t a decision I made lightly, I couldn¡¯t be sure it was correct. Then. ¡°Mom!¡± A child called out for their mother as they passed by me. ¡°Wait¡­!¡± Before I could stop them, the child looked into the room and froze. ¡°¡­Mom?¡± The child didn¡¯t enter the room but asked. ¡°¡­Why are you sleeping there?¡± The child¡¯s face was dark. They probably felt the strangeness in the messy room with bloodstains and scattered items that hadn¡¯t been tidied up. The atmosphere alone seemed to hint that something bad had happened. However, though the child could sense that something was wrong, they were still too young to understand the concept of death. At this time, the girl who had spoken to me first, Yang Ha-yoon, looked at me with trembling eyes. I couldn¡¯t say anything, and Yang Ha-yoon rushed into the room, her small eyes taking in the terrible scene. She then slowly walked towards one of the neatly-ced bodies¨Ca woman. ¡°¡­Mom.¡± Yang Ha-yoon sat in front of the woman whoy white as a sheet and burst into tears. ¡°Waaah!¡± The crying of the oldest child quickly spread to the other children. The children began to cry without even knowing why. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to burn the bodies in front of the children. I worried that if the bodies were burned in front of the children, who thought they were just sleeping, it would leave an even greater scar. While there was a meaning in cremation, it wasn¡¯t a sight to show them. It would probably remain a lifelong scar. However, showing them their families¡¯ final moments was for their sake. I was worried that not seeing their family¡¯s final moments with their own eyes might be a lifelong regret. ¡°Grandpa! Please wake up, grandpa!¡± It would be painful. Still, I thought they had to bear it. This difficult world they had to live in would hurt them countless times. But they still had to live on. ¡°Wahhh¡­¡± I spoke to the crying children. ¡°Kids.¡± The children continued to cry. ¡°Now, your mom, dad, and grandpa are going to heaven.¡± I stored their bodies in the warehouse. Zinggg- Praying that it would look less painful than burning, as if they were really going to heaven. ¡°Mom! Dad! Where are you going! Don¡¯t go!¡± The crying children made me wonder if I had made the wrong choice. Would it have been better to lie? ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ There were too many children crying to hug them one by one. ¡°Waaaah!¡± ¡°Heup, mom.¡± ¡°Grandpa. Sob.¡± Seeing the young ones crying without understanding what had happened, my heart ached. Fwoosh. I lit a fire where their bodies had been. Careful not to make it too hot. The mes hovered around the children for a while,forting them in a way. ¡°¡­Mom?¡± If souls were real, they might be staying here, watching over the children with very sad eyes. I tried to convey their hearts. The warm mes lingered until the children had stopped crying and were ready to leave. ¡°Ah!¡± As the mes escaped through the broken window, the children followed it to the window and looked up at the sky. Perhaps thanks to the mysterious atmosphere, the children¡¯s crying hadpletely stopped. I told the children a white lie. ¡°Your mom and dad will always be watching over you from heaven.¡± Maybe it wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°So let¡¯s stop crying and show them our brave faces.¡± One child wiped away their tears and tightly closed their mouth. Their round faces showed determination. It was the smallest child among the five. ¡®I¡¯m sorry!¡¯ I forced them to grow up, and they responded to the one-sided demands. At least for now, it seemed that none of the children would crumble under their wounds. All I could do was pray that they would heal as soon as possible. ¡®I¡¯ll avenge your families!¡¯ In Seo Ye-jin¡¯s vision through the mouse, Jegal Seong-gyu was standing in front of an apartmentplex holding a rifle. ¡®There.¡¯ It seemed he had arrived at the apartment where the vampires were gathered. TN: There might only be two chapters this week. I won¡¯t be home (other than to sleep) for the next few days so there¡¯s not a lot of time to trante. Chapter 67: Vampire (4) Chapter 67: Vampire (4) [Episode 14] Vampire (4) From the moment he openly hunted people within the homebound area, I knew Jegal Seong-gyu was a man without fear. Dududududu¨D Jegal Seong-gyu openly stormed into the apartmentplex, brandishing his gun whenever he spotted vampires. I¡¯m sure I only gave him about 100 shots, but he was shooting like it was a machine gun instead of a rifle. ¡®Is he crazy?¡¯ I heard that intelligence would reach a normal human level when they be lower vampires, but looking at this, could it actually be lower? ¡°Kiaaaek!¡± In any case, Jegal Seong-gyu cleaned up the lesser vampires guarding the entrance with his shooting and entered without hesitation.¡®Seems like there aren¡¯t as many vampires as I thought?¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Graaaah!¡± As soon as he entered the first-floor corridor, the lesser vampires rushed at Jegal Seong-gyu. Dududududu¨D! ¡°Die!1Kick the bucket/croak.¡± Jegal Seong-gyu fired at them, emptying one magazine. Considering that he was firing randomly, the fact he killed nearly ten vampires so far was a good result. Perhaps it was because he had shot at the group in the corridor. Click! Click! ¡°You bastard!¡± After confirming that the bullets didn¡¯te out, Jegal Seong-gyu didn¡¯t think of reloading and instead extended his nails. ¡°Kyaaaack!¡± Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s nails pierced the heart of a lesser vampire that was already stumbling after getting shot. ¡®He¡¯s crazy!¡¯ Watching him continue the melee, I could understand why he was abandoned by the guy named Ahn Sang-hyuk, the guy who had turned him into a vampire. ¡°Argh! Let go!¡± He only barely suppressed two lesser vampires in the melee. One of them was in a shaky state from being shot. In reality, he had caught only one with his ability. Then, he was overwhelmed by the increasing number of lesser vampires. ¡®Warehouse storage.¡¯ Immediately, I confiscated the gun and magazine Jegal Seong-gyu had. ¡°Let go of me! Hey!¡± A woman approached the subdued Jegal Seong-gyu, making a fuss. ¡°I heard a huge noise so I was wondering who it was. It was you, Seong-gyu oppa?¡± ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s me, you bastard!¡± The woman sighed deeply and said, ¡°Oppa, oppa, do you even know why you were abandoned?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re so stupid. Look at you now. You can¡¯t even handle the lowest-level vampires. You¡¯re just wasting food.¡± ¡°Arrrghhh!¡± At the sight of Jegal Seong-gyu yelling in anger, the woman covered her ear exaggeratedly and said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s loud. But there were gunshots just now, right? Did youe in with a gun?¡± Although the woman was scanning Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s body, it was already impossible to find the gun and bullets that had disappeared into my warehouse. The woman approached the lesser vampire shot by Jegal Seong-gyu and inspected the wound. ¡°Did you get shot?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± The lesser vampire nodded dully. The woman turned back to Jegal Seong-gyu and said, ¡°So where did you hide it? The gun.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Jegal Seong-gyu spat at the woman. The woman was hit urately in the face with saliva and pointed firmly with a hardened face. ¡°Kill him.¡± With her permission, the lesser vampires hastily began sinking their teeth into Jegal Seong-gyu¡¯s body. ¡°AGGHHHHHHH!¡± That was the end of Jegal Seong-gyu. [Citizen Jegal Seong-gyu has died.] And then. ¡°Grah, grahhhh!¡± One of the lower vampires who had sunk their teeth into Jegal Seong-gyu began trembling violently. ¡°Hm?¡± The woman watching this smirked and said, ¡°What? Seems like he was more nutritious than I thought? I didn¡¯t expect one to evolve.¡± The body of the lesser vampire swelled up, emitting white steam from all over its body. ¡°Search for something like a gun around here.¡± The female vampire looked down at the scene expressionlessly and then sniffed the air. ¡°What¡¯s this smell?¡± At that moment, I used the Communication Ring to tell Seo Ye-jin. [Ms. Ye-jin, get ready.] Get ready to cut off the connection. Fwoosh! mes roared to life, and the gas that filled the hallway reacted. Rumble rumble rumble rumble! All the vampires gathered there, including the mouse hiding in the corner, were wiped out. Screech©¤! With the death of the mouse, the situation came to an end. [You have hunted a lesser vampire (Lv. 18).] [You have hunted a lesser vampire (Lv. 18).] [You have hunted a lower vampire (Lv. 28).] ¡­ The notification of the hunt rang loudly. ¡®It was a lot closer than I thought!¡¯ If I leveled up again and expanded the territory, there was a high chance that the area they were in would be included. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Jegal Seong-gyu, I wouldn¡¯t have even known about their existence.¡¯ Without knowing about vampires, I would have granted them citizenship without much thought. It seemed to be quiterge in scale. The thought that dozens of vampires with citizenship could wander around my territory was terrifying. ¡®I¡¯m d I found out now!¡¯ I nned to eradicate them before they were incorporated into my territory. There was no need for anyone else to get involved. Now that I knew their location, all I had to do was use Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice and Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poison mist to annihte them. [Seo Ye-jin, Yoo Hye-rin, pleasee to my house.] After using the Communication Ring to call them, I got up from my seat. Choi Hyeong-jun, who had been sitting quietly next to me, spoke up. ¡°Are you leaving already?¡± ¡°Yes. Please take care of the kids for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The rescued kids were temporarily left in Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s house. Currently, Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s wife, Park Hye-won, was diligently bathing the children in the bathroom. Just as I was about to go home to start the vampire extermination operation in earnest, I ran into Yang Ha-yoon, who had finished showering alone. ¡°Mister? Where are you going?¡± There was anxiety in the child¡¯s eyes. It hadn¡¯t been long since she got to know me, and she was afraid of being left alone. Probably because of what she had been through. I smiled broadly like a clown and spread out both hands. And. ¡®Shop open. Buy chocte!¡¯ Like a skilled magician, I summoned chocte out of thin air and handed it to Yang Ha-yoon. ¡°I¡¯m going to work for a while.¡± Yang Ha-yoon took the chocte and looked up at me. ¡°That¡¯s right. Since you¡¯re a rescue worker, you have to go save people again.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± I stroked her head and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± It was then. ¡°Unni, I¡¯m Choi Na-yeon! What¡¯s your name?¡± Choi Na-yeon stepped forward and approached Yang Ha-yoon first. ¡°Oh, me? I¡¯m Yang Ha-yoon.¡± ¡°I want chocte too!¡± This time, Choi Seo-yeon interrupted from the side. Looking at Yang Ha-yoon surrounded by little sisters2Might¡¯ve been mentioned a lot especially if you read other Asian novels, but you can refer to unrted people as brothers or sisters., I asked, ¡°Can you take care of your sisters?¡± Yang Ha-yoon smiled lightly and nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡± With that, I entrusted the children to Choi Hyeong-jun¡¯s family and headed home. While waiting for Seo Ye-jin and Yoo Hye-rin, I meticulously checked citizen information one by one. I wanted to confirm if any other monsters like vampires had mixed in. Seo Ye-jin arrived first. When I looked at Yoo Hye-rin with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, it seemed that she was working at another public facility, so it would take some time for her to get here. Click. As I opened the door, Seo Ye-jin entered the house familiarly. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Seo Ye-jin sat on the sofa, nced at my face and cautiously asked, ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, do you have something you¡¯re concerned about?¡± Since there was still time before Yoo Hye-rin arrived, I talked to Seo Ye-jin, ¡°I was checking the citizen information window. Did you just see it too, Ms. Ye-jin?¡± ¡°Yes. What were they? They didn¡¯t seem like ordinary people¡­¡± ¡°They are monsters.¡± ¡°What?¡± I exined to Seo Ye-jin, who widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°You saw them drink blood at the end, right? They¡¯re vampires.¡± ¡°But wasn¡¯t that man a citizen? I remember he started from inside the territory.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also news to me, but vampires can be granted citizenship.¡± Seo Ye-jin thought about my words for a moment and then asked, ¡°Does that mean human-like monsters such as zombies or ghouls can also obtain citizenship?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± There hadn¡¯t been any zombies included in the territory yet. ¡°But that man¡¯s case was somewhat special. He was originally a normal human like us.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°So, I think that¡¯s why he was able to gain citizenship. Although he was bitten by a vampire and then became one, he was a human before.¡± Seo Ye-jin who was listening to the story asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that simr to the zombies we saw in Nampo-dong? They must have been humans at one point too¡­¡± From what Seo Ye-jin said, it seemed likely that they would also be granted citizenship. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a headache. Maybe there are still vampires somewhere in the territory sucking people¡¯s blood¡­¡± Checking random citizen information screens and also confirming the new ones flowing in was busy enough. I also had to withdraw the system that automatically gave citizenship. Moreover, as the number of citizens reached 30,000, it was bing difficult to distinguish between those who had been confirmed and those who had not simply by their name. Then, Seo Ye-jin said, ¡°When I first epted citizenship, you teleported me here forcibly, right? Can¡¯t you do the same now?¡± It wasn¡¯t something I hadn¡¯t thought about. There had been times when I had used emergency quests to treat people who were suffering from malnutrition or dehydration and had lost consciousness, or had teleported them here in a hurry. ¡®But it costs 30 million won to teleport one person.¡¯ As the territory expanded, the cost of bringing people from the outskirts here was increasing. Teleporting a thousand people would cost 30 billion. ¡®I¡¯d rather spend the money to alleviate their conditions.¡¯ Immediately improving dehydration and malnutrition symptoms and delivering supplies would allow people to survive on their own. Exining the shop and monster hunting systems to people was also the same. In the past, I used to give quests to find Kim Dabin, but now the poption has grown toorge to handle it that way. ¡®Expanding the relief team is much better than using quest assignments!¡¯ Currently, the relief team was operating by giving simple system exnations to able-bodied people and sending those in need of rescue to the medical team. However, due to a chronic shortage of people, they couldn¡¯t handle the growing poption. ¡®And I also don¡¯t want to announce that I can set death as a penalty.¡¯ No one would wee the fact that they could be killed at any time. ¡®It¡¯s a headache.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just because of the vampires. There were many times I worried over this issue. I¡¯ve thought about giving quests to everyone and penalizing those who harm citizens with citizenship, but that was too extreme. What would you think if someone stamped you as a ¡®potential criminal¡¯? ¡®I would lose people¡¯s trust.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to do unnecessary things. ¡®In any case, it looks like I¡¯ll have to intervene personally.¡¯ However, there were limits to what I could do alone. I couldn¡¯t focus solely on this issue. ¡®It would be nice if there was a way to distinguish the inclinations of the citizens.¡¯ That¡¯s when it happened. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] As soon as I turned off the system that automatically granted citizenship, this annoying message resurfaced. I sighed inwardly and checked the information of the new citizens. ¡®No problem. Offer citizenship.¡¯ The moment they epted citizenship, [The number of citizens has reached 30,000.] [As the number of citizens has reached a certain level, the ¡®Achievement System¡¯ is now unlocked.] It was the emergence of a new function to ovee this situation. Chapter 68: Vampire (5) Chapter 68: Vampire (5) [Episode 14] Vampire (5) When a specific achievement is achieved, you can grant a title with a random effect. The exnation was simple, but I immediately grasped how it could be used. ¡®Set up achievement.¡¯ [Please set the achievement content.] ¡®Killing a person with citizenship!¡¯ [Achievement content settingplete.] [Please set the name and effect of the title to be granted upon achievement.]¡®Title name is Murderer. Effect is¡­¡¯ Murder was a serious crime. Death would be paid back with death, but it was necessary to know the circumstances behind it. ¡®Total stats reduced by 80%. Both hands sealed. Brand their forehead with the mark of a murderer!¡¯ The reason for sealing both hands was because if the murderer had a weapon like a gun, it could lead to a catastrophe. When I imaged the effect, the system responded. [The cost of setting this achievement is 40,000,000 won, and the cost for granting the title upon achievement is 4,000,000 won.] [Would you like to proceed with these settings?] ¡®Is it possible for me to remove the title?¡¯ [Possible.] That¡¯s a relief. Then, even if an unjust incident urred, I could hear the situation and resolve it myself. ¡®Set it.¡¯ Ding! [Achievement setupplete.] One worry waspletely resolved. ¡®It¡¯s possible to punish all violent crimes like murder through the achievement system.¡¯ In other words, it was possible to brand criminals whomitted crimes such as murder, rape, and assault with a ¡®title¡¯. Not only that. ¡®On the other hand, it should be possible to give positive achievements for monster hunting, right?¡¯ For example, hunting 100 goblins increases physical abilities. ¡®Hm, how far can it go?¡¯ It was quite a good feature, but it wouldn¡¯t allow everything. ¡®Set up achievement.¡¯ [Please set the achievement content.] ¡®Hunting 100 goblins.¡¯ [Achievement content settingplete.] [Please set the name and effect of the title to be granted upon achievement.] ¡®Title name is Goblin yer. Effect is¡­.¡¯ First, I tried putting in an unreasonable effect. ¡®Gain Awakening Ability.¡¯ [This effect is not possible with this achievement.] As expected, it was impossible. ¡®Then, increase by 10 levels.¡¯ [This effect is not possible with this achievement.] ¡®Then¡­¡¯ After several experiments, the effect of the Goblin yer title was as follows: {Goblin yer} Goblins feel fear, and an additional 10% of Basic Sry is earned when hunting goblins. Although it was possible to increase strength or stamina, the current setting was much more economical. ¡®Next is¡­.¡¯ At this time, my eyes met the gaze of Seo Ye-jin, who had been staring at me from the side. I caught a pleasant shampoo scent from her long hair, perhaps because she was quite close to me. She was dressed in a ck tracksuit, which happened to be the same outfit I was wearing. I remembered registering it in the shop myself. ¡®It looks good on her.¡¯ I said to Seo Ye-jin, ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Seo Ye-jin, who had been staring nkly at me for a while, covered her mouth with both hands. ¡°Oh, sorry. Did I disturb you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Although her sharp eyes gave a prickly first impression, like a slightly aloof cat, she was just like a puppy when talking to her. In the slightly awkward atmosphere, Seo Ye-jin spoke first. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking, if your goal is to find non-human races, why not give a quest? Like, ¡®If you¡¯re a vampire,e here!¡¯, or something like that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in that.¡± To give a quest, I had to be sure about the target. I would already know if the person was a vampire or not when I gave them a quest. ¡°Is that so? Then, um¡­¡± I said to Seo Ye-jin who was thinking seriously, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that anymore. I¡¯ve found a solution.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Ye-jin replied with a bright smile. ¡°As expected, Mr. Jae-hyun is amazing.¡± That¡¯s when Yu Hye-rin arrived. Click. I unlocked the door, and she opened it and came in on her own. ¡°Sorry for beingte.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Shall we start right away?¡± Yu Hye-rin was preparing to produce poison mist immediately. ¡°Just a moment.¡± Before starting to deal with the vampires in earnest, I nned to create the ¡®Vampire yer¡¯ achievement first. A meeting room in the apartmentmunity facility. Intermediate Vampire Ahn Sang-hyuk called together the subordinates who had gone out hunting. The vampires who had been hunting humans nearby gathered at their base in response to Ahn Sang-hyuk¡¯s call. Ahn Sang-hyuk opened his mouth at the gathering. ¡°Shin Sae-rom is dead.¡± Immediately, the eyes of the higher-ups widened, and they began to mutter agitatedly. ¡°Is it because of the burn marks on the first floor?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Sae-rom is dead.¡± Ahn Sang-hyuk waited for themotion to die down before speaking again. ¡°After hearing gunshots, the entire first floor corridor exploded. Traces of bullets were found in the bodies of the lesser vampires nearby.¡± At his words, a male vampire said angrily, ¡°You talking about those bloody cops?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The other vampires yelled excitedly, each saying their piece. ¡°Those bastards! They don¡¯t know their ce!¡± ¡°They¡¯re too cocky because they have guns.¡± ¡°Who¡¯d think they¡¯d attack us first?¡± The first man to get angry, Shim Hyeong-sik, strongly insisted, ¡°We need to kill them right away and take away their guns!¡± ¡°Those arrogant bastards!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Some vampires agreed with him, while others said. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter to take lightly. After all, they have guns.¡± ¡°We need to be careful.¡± ¡°A war with them is too dangerous.¡± There were vampires advocating caution as well. ¡°But why did they suddenly attack us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. While our existence has been known for some time, it¡¯s surprising that they wouldunch an all-out war.¡± ¡°How did they even find out that this is our base?¡± There were more vampires opposed to war than in favor of it. It was inevitable. They knew all too well the terror of ¡°guns¡±. Ordinary humans were nothing more than weak prey, but humans with guns were truly fearsome. However, the vampire society was not a democratic society where the opinions of many were supported. It was a dictatorship where a single decision-maker decided everything. Their dictator, Ahn Sang-hyuk, announced. ¡°We¡¯ll fight back.¡± In an instant, the mood changed. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s kill them all!¡± The radicals who supported the war were delighted. ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Uh.¡± The vampires who had cautioned against it fell silent. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. We won¡¯t engage in a full-blown battle with them.¡± Ahn Sang-hyuk exined the n to his anxious subordinates. ¡°We¡¯ll start by infiltrating their group, pretending to be ordinary survivors. Then, we¡¯ll wait for the decisive moment to bring them down from the inside.¡± One of the cautious vampires asked carefully, ¡°But haven¡¯t we already confirmed that they don¡¯t ept new people?¡± ¡°They, like any other survivor group, are probably suffering from a severe shortage of supplies by now. We¡¯ll use that as bait to infiltrate their organization.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Before exerting their powers, vampires looked no different from ordinary people, which was why such a bold infiltration could be carried out. ¡°As for who will carry out this operation¡­¡± Ahn Sang-hyuk¡¯s gaze slowly swept over his subordinates. It was obvious, but everyone participating in this infiltration operation would be lower vampires. Lesser vampires couldn¡¯t act like ordinary humans. ¡°I¡¯ll do it! Give me a chance!¡± Shim Hyeong-sik, who had been advocating for a war with the police from the beginning, stepped forward. However, Ahn Sang-hyuk shook his head. ¡°Son Gi-hwan, Yoon Hye-ji, Lee Han-gyeol, Kim Bom.¡± He specifically selected the vampires who had advocated caution. ¡°You guys go.¡± The named vampires nodded in response. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°We will live up to your expectations.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡± They were nervous, but felt it was natural. Those radicals who only thought about fighting and bloodshed would never seed in such an infiltration operation. While theirbat strength was stronger than theirs, they boasted superior intelligence. ¡°Ugh, what¡¯s with the weaklings¡­¡± ¡°Sang-hyuk nim, are you sure it¡¯ll be okay? With such a weak team¡­¡± The radicals also dismissed the cautious vampires. They were not only passive in everything they did but also significantly underperformedpared to them. At that moment, Son Gi-hwan, the leader of the cautious faction, spoke to them. ¡°Do you have anyints about Sang-hyuk nim¡®s decision?¡± ¡°What?¡± Shim Hyeong-sik, the leader of the radicals, and Son Gi-hwan, the leader of the cautious faction, faced off against each other in a war of nerves. Other than Ahn Sang-hyuk, they were the only two intermediate vampires, so these two factions formed around them. It was then. Bang bang bang! Someone was banging on the conference room door. Shim Hyeong-sik responded irritably, ¡°Who is it?¡± The door creaked open, and a lower vampire came in. He was also part of the radical faction. Son Gi-hwan said angrily, ¡°The radicals really don¡¯t know any manners.¡± ¡°What? You little¡ª.¡± But then, the lower vampire who entered the conference room shouted urgently, ¡°Huff, huff! You, you need to run away¡­!¡± Before he could finish speaking. Squeak squeak! A mouse ran into the room. And then¡­ Fwoosh¡ª Purple gas surged rapidly behind the mouse, quickly filling the conference room. ¡°W-What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Everyone, stop breathing!¡± ¡°Escape through the window!¡± Crash! ng¡ª The sound of windows breaking echoed loudly through the chaotic conference room. [You have hunted a lesser vampire (Lv. 18).] [You have hunted a lower vampire (Lv. 22).] [You have hunted a lower vampire (Lv. 23).] There were more vampires in the apartmentplex than I had thought. It seemed that these vampires had eaten all the people there to grow stronger. ¡®There are more than a dozen lower vampires alone.¡¯ Thinking again, how did Jegal Seong-gyu have the guts to attack this ce alone? With only one rifle. ¡®He really was a strange guy.¡¯1You¡¯re making me miss him now LOL. He was kinda a riot. Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse was running around, spreading poison gas everywhere. In this situation where they should be running away, a vampire risked his life by throwing himself into the poison mist. [Ms. Ye-jin, please follow that one quietly.] I stopped spreading poison through the warehouse and watched him. Sure enough, the vampires that seemed important could be seen gathered in the room he opened the door to. The vampires gathered here varied in levels. [Lower vampire (Lv. 28)], [Lower vampire (Lv. 29)], [Lower vampire (Lv. 28)] All of them were at least lower vampires, and their levels were in thete twenties. There were also three intermediate vampires. Just by looking at their structure, I could easily tell at a nce who the leader was. ¡®That must be Ahn Sang-hyuk.¡¯ ¡¸Intermediate vampire (Lv. 38)¡¹ He was the highest-level vampire among those gathered here. [It¡¯s now. Enter.] As soon as Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse entered the conference room, it began to spread poison mist in all directions. ¡°Run away!¡± Crash! Some of them were quicker on the uptake than I expected. A few of them flew out and smashed the windows to escape. And then. Thud! Someone grabbed Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse with one hand. It was the intermediate vampire, Ahn Sang-hyuk. Crack! The mouse¡¯s body shattered, and the connection was severed. TN: Ooohh, interesting. Chapter 69: Ace Party (1) Chapter 69: Ace Party (1) [Episode 15] Ace Party (1) ¡°Ugh!¡± Seo Ye-jin woke up with a painful groan. ¡°Are you okay, Ms. Ye-jin?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I waited for a moment, but I didn¡¯t get any system notifications about hunting intermediate vampires. There were two possibilities. One was that the vampire who had ingested the poison gas had died, but since there were no citizens or Seo Ye-jin¡¯s shared senses in the area, the kill was not counted. The other possibility was that he had not died. And then. [You have hunted a lower vampire (Lv. 28).] [You have hunted a lower vampire (Lv. 29).] Seeing that messages were stilling up for hunting lower vampires, it was clear that it was under the influence of the homebound area. Even if there were no citizens present, monsters they had hunted would count. ¡®It wasn¡¯t that far from the expanded area!¡¯ Unfortunately, this meant that thetter possibility was more likely. There were three intermediate vampires there. ¡®I couldn¡¯t kill a single one of them.¡¯ It seemed that only a few of the lower vampires who were slow to react had ingested the poison mist. ¡®That¡¯s too bad.¡¯ If possible, I wanted to take care of everything when there was no information on us. They would have realized by now that the poison mist was very dangerous and that the mouse was producing it. ¡®They might retreat to an enclosed space.¡¯ They would be sensitive to mice if they were around. ¡®They could change their headquarters.¡¯ I said to Seo Ye-jin, who was breaking out in cold sweat, ¡°Ms. Ye-jin, could you check if they are moving to a different location?¡± ¡°No problem. Phew.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Still, thanks to Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poison mist, we were able to deal with quite a few vampires. Now, all that was left were the vampires in the conference room. But all of them were elites in terms of level. ¡®There¡¯s only one party that can handle them!¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Without them, it would be difficult to handle these guys without any damage. ¡®I could send mice again, but that would put too much pressure on Seo Ye-jin.¡¯ They had already experienced it once. If they found a mouse, they might rush in to attack it. Considering how much mental damage Seo Ye-jin would take every time a mouse died, it was not a strategy worth attempting recklessly. While Seo Ye-jin was observing their movements, I decided to check on Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ First, I checked on Ha Dong-geon, the leader. ¡°Huff, huff.¡± He was doing strength training in the gym. Kim Ga-yeong was with him, dressed in leggings. Considering that he had been holed up in the house ever since the battle in Jangjeon-dong, it was a very positive sign. ¡®He¡¯s gotten much better.¡¯ Even though he was still expressionless, I felt that the deep sadness filling his eyes had diluted a lot. It was probably thanks to Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s presence. ¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯ I watched them for a moment. ¡°What do you think about the weights?¡± ¡°It¡¯s much lighter than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­You think this is light?¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s body was indeed in good shape, but the weight he was lifting effortlessly was 350kg. Bench pressing 350kg. It was a realm that was almost impossible for an ordinary human to reach. Even if there were people who could lift it, they would have a muscled body that was the pinnacle of a poption of 8 billion. But they also couldn¡¯t say that lifting 350kg was ¡®light¡¯. His physical abilities at level 45 transcended human limitations. ¡°You should try it too.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kim Ga-yeong watched as Ha Dong-geon casually got up, then sighed softly andy down on the bench press. It seemed that she was more like ying along rather than actually wanting to lift it. Kim Ga-yeong grabbed the barbell, and Ha Dong-geon assisted her. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Kim Ga-yeong pushed with Ha Dong-geon¡¯s call. ¡°Huh?¡± Surprisingly, the heavy barbell loaded with tes was lifted effortlessly by her. There wasn¡¯t even a slight tremble in Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arms. Kim Ga-yeong stared nkly at the barbell she had lifted, then looked at Ha Dong-geon. ¡°Are you the one lifting this?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke around.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± With that, Ha Dong-geonpletely let go of the barbell. ¡°Wai¡­ Huh?¡± Kim Ga-yeong lowered the barbell and then lifted it again. Then, she made a simplement. ¡°¡­Is this for real?¡± ¡°I was surprised too. I wasn¡¯t expecting this.¡± While not at Ha Dong-geon¡¯s level, Kim Ga-yeong was also a monster who had reached level 40. Even though her abilities were maximized in areas like vision and agility rather than strength, she still demonstrated strength far beyond that of an ordinary person. ¡°Now you get why I said it was light, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, it was true.¡± At that moment. ¡°What exactly are you guys?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A man approached them with a shocked expression. He was the only one who directly spoke to them, but everyone in the gym was focused on Ha Dong-geon. ¡°Is there a hidden camera? Is this staged?¡± The man pointed at the barbell with an expression of disbelief. ¡°Can I try lifting it?¡± ¡°It might be dangerous.¡± ¡°No, I just can¡¯t believe it.¡± The man, who had been making a fuss, eventuallyy down on the bench. And. ¡°Ugh! Uggggghhh!¡± He strained with all his might, his face turning red as he tried to lift the barbell. But the barbell didn¡¯t budge. Despite having a thicker body than Ha Dong-geon, he was unable to lift the weight. The man bowed his head in defeat. ¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the doubt.¡± Ha Dong-geon epted the apology with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Watching him, I thought to myself, ¡®It looks like he¡¯s ready now.¡¯ After confirming that Ha Dong-geon¡¯s condition was good, I checked on the other party members. Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon, who had been immersed in sorrow and alcohol, were hunting goblins together. Six goblins rushed towards them, and Kang Deok-su shouted, ¡°Rise!¡± Kang Deok-su¡¯s skill proficiency had noticeably increased. A knight1Thought I should rify but the ¡®knights¡¯ Kang Deok-su¡¯s summoning are essentially armored golems. The author has since used the term ¡®knights/knights of steel/steel knights¡¯ so I¡¯ll be using that too. summoned right in front of the goblins swung a halberd. Thunk! The head of a goblin fell off in a single blow. At the same time, steel knights summoned behind the goblins stabbed halberds into their torsos. ¡°Kkieeek!¡± The movements of the steel knights were much smoother than before. Kang Deok-su was not the only one who improved his skills. Kaaah! A muchrger crow swooped through the narrow cave and down onto a goblin. Without needing to do anything, Kim Geon was steadily reducing the number of goblins. ¡®There¡¯s no need to worry!¡¯ The effect of forcibly taking Kang Deok-su to the goblin den was better than expected. Kim Geon, who had been drinking in sorrow, also escaped from drinking and was actively participating in the simple hunt. Although it was a sight to see two people at levels 45 and 40 hunting goblins that were barely level 10, just hunting together was motivating. Kang Deok-su said to Kim Geon, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since you came out, feeling okay?¡± ¡°Taking a walk in a goblin den. Sunbae2Sunbae is used to address an upperssman/someone more senior. Think of it as ¡®senpai¡¯.¡®s hobby is awful.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Okay, okay. But doesn¡¯t it feel good?¡± Kim Geon chuckled as he watched Kaman break the goblins¡¯ necks. ¡­ ¡°It¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve hunted, and it looks like Kaman is enjoying it.¡± Despite being a dungeon too low-levelpared to their levels, it was perfect for a change of pace. ¡­ Kim Geon suddenly said, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we go hunting?¡± Kang Deok-su answered with a tilt of his head, ¡°Hunting? We¡¯re already hunting, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°¡­I mean, not this goblin hunting, but a proper hunt. Actually, I haven¡¯t just been drinking all this time.¡± Kim Geon smiled meaningfully and whistled. Swoosh! In response, Kaman flew towards him. Watching the scene absentmindedly, Kang Deok-su was surprised to see Kaman¡¯s speed increasing. It was flying towards Kim Geon at a swift pace, as if it was going to attack a goblin. Toward its master, Kim Geon. However, before he could say anything, the speeding Kaman hit Kim Geon. ¡°Geon-ah!¡± At that moment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sunbae.¡± Kim Geon, who was struck by Kaman, lookedpletely different. ¡°¡­Y-You!¡± Not only Kang Deok-su, but I was also shocked. ¡®What?¡¯ Kim Geon¡¯s appearance totally changed. Kim Geon slowly spread his arms. ¡°!!¡± No, it would be more appropriate to call them wings. ¡°This is possible now.¡± Kaman and Kim Geon had merged into one. ¡°So let¡¯s go outside. Not this narrow cave.¡± A new skill. I hurriedly checked Kim Geon¡¯s information in the management window. ¡®Crow Bond?¡¯ The skill originally called Crow Command, had changed to Bond. And it exined that such fusion was only possible for targets with an intimacy of 100. ¡®My gosh.¡¯ There were cases where skills evolved through one¡¯s own power. Thanks to Kim Geon, I learned something new. If Kim Geon could fly in the sky in that form, then the scouting range would be incredibly wide. Although there were monsters in the sky, there was a huge difference between moving on the ground and in the air. ¡®It will be much more convenient from now on!¡¯ I had been thinking of ways to utilize Kim Geon¡¯s crow. For example, carrying Seo Yejin¡¯s mice on its back to move them around. But now, there was no need for that. ¡®Nice.¡¯ It seemed that Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon were also ready. ¡®Let¡¯s see how Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s group is doing.¡¯ Moon Byeong-ho, Oh Eon-ju, and Kim Da-jeong were still out hunting. ¡®I heard they¡¯ve been going quite far these days.¡¯ I focused the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes on Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s party. Drrrrrrr¡ª Oh Eon-ju was driving. They seemed to be returning from a hunt. The road they were driving on had been cleared to one side, so it was probably Oh Eon-ju who cleared it. Sighing softly in the back seat, Moon Byeong-ho said, ¡°Deok-su and Geon-ah will probably just be drinking again today.¡± ¡°Let them be. They¡¯ll sober up on their own with time.¡± ¡°Do you think so?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re strong guys. Let¡¯s give them some time and wait. Time is the best medicine for these things.¡± I wanted to give them some more time to heal as Oh Eon-ju suggested, but no matter how much I thought about it, there was no party besides them capable of facing the vampires. Ha Dong-geon, Kim Ga-yeong, Kang Deok-su, Kim Geon, Moon Byeong-ho, Oh Eon-ju, Kim Da-jeong. Among the parties in my domain, they had received the most investment and therefore possessed overwhelmingly strong power: the Ace Party. I used the Communication Ring to speak to them. [Long time no see, everyone. Have you all been resting well?] Chapter 70: Ace Party (2) Chapter 70: Ace Party (2) [Episode 15] Ace Party (2) A pension on Gwangalli Beach in Busan. There was another group of vampires there. The difference between the vampire group led by Ahn Sang-hyuk and this one was that there was not one leader leading the group, but rather five intermediate vampires each leading their own group, forming a council. ¡°The humans around here are all dried up now.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t increase the number of vampires anymore. We¡¯ll all starve to death at this rate.¡± They were currently in a state of stagnation. Survivor groups in the area had all been sessfully suppressed. Those who had been in Gwangalli were either killed by vampires or had be vampires themselves.Oh Yeo-reum, the only woman among the vampires gathered, sighed as ifmenting, ¡°That¡¯s what I told Lee Joon-young. That he should stop foolishly increasing the numbers.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Was I wrong? Isn¡¯t this all happening because your people have been indiscriminately increasing the number of lesser vampires, huh?¡± Lee Joon-young scowled at Oh Yeo-reum and opened his mouth. ¡°My methods were not wrong. I have achieved the most results among us¡ª¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just because you have a lot of numbers?¡± ¡°You¨Cbitch!¡± When Oh Yeo-reum spoke sarcastically, Lee Joon-young looked like he was about to rush at her. ¡°Stop.¡± At this time, a middle-aged man who had been watching the meeting quietly with his chin resting on one hand intervened and stopped the two vampires. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Be careful. Someday, I¡¯ll crush that cocky jaw of yours.¡± ¡°What? You¡¯re so full of yourself when you can¡¯t even use your brain properly.¡± Although they were still spatting, the atmosphere did not be as violent as before. The other vampires continued the meeting without batting an eye. ¡°How about we take this opportunity to move somewhere else? Somece with more humans than here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± However, the man who had mediated between Oh Yeo-reum and Lee Joon-young quietly shook his head and replied. ¡°No.¡± Reactions followed immediately. ¡°Why not? Jun-ho, why do you insist on staying here? Why don¡¯t you want to leave? If we stay here like this, we¡¯ll all starve to death.¡± Their emphasis on Kim Jun-ho¡¯s words came from the fact that he was the first vampire, like Ahn Sang-hyuk, to create this organization. However, rather than ruling like Ahn Sang-hyuk, he wanted a horizontal rtionship, so other vampires were free to express their opinions. There was no response, and the man who had been shooting questions pounded his chest, ¡°I¡¯m so annoyed. Even though you were the ones who made us vampires and helped us live a new life, I can¡¯t starve to death here without knowing the reason. I have to leave.¡± At that moment. ¡°That¡¯s not eptable.¡± A strange voice popped out. ¡°Who¡¯s there!¡± The man who had dered his departure turned his head towards the sound, when suddenly. Pook! ¡°Ugh!¡± A strange man who emerged from the darkness bit into his neck. ¡°Gulp, gulp!¡± In an instant, the man¡¯s blood was sucked dry, and he dried up like a mummy. The vampire who had drained all his blood slowly pulled his mouth away from the man¡¯s neck and made a briefment. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s ripe.¡± The intermediate vampires who had been watching the scene in a daze began to rage. ¡°This crazy bastard!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± Lee Joon-young, who was sitting right next to him, swung his fist at the strange man. But. Stab! Lee Joon-young¡¯s fist cut through the air, and the strange man¡¯s right hand pierced Lee Joon-young¡¯s heart. In that state. Pook! The strange man sunk his fangs into his neck and began to suck Lee Joon-young¡¯s blood just like before. Another intermediate vampire, who had taken out a kitchen knife, quietly approached, watching the scene. ¡°Aaaagh!¡± Taking advantage of the moment when the strange man was busy sucking Lee Joon-young¡¯s blood, he aimed for the man¡¯s back. ¡°Heup!¡± Pook! The kitchen knife plunged deep into the strange man¡¯s back. ¡°Heh heh! Where do you think you¡¯re sneaking¡ª!¡± However, he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence. Pssht! The blood sttered by the knife rose up and prated through his throat. ¡°Gah! Urgh! Agh!¡± Squelch! The tentacles made of blood greedily devoured the man¡¯s blood. The body of the intermediate vampire whose throat had been pierced quickly dried up. At the same time. Without even a chance to rebel, Lee Joon-young turned into a withered mummy and breathed hisst. ¡°Tsk tsk. Hm, not bad.¡± ng! The kitchen knife that had been lodged in the man¡¯s back fell to the ground, echoing loudly. ¡°If you run away like rats.¡± In an instant, a vein of blood stretched out from the man¡¯s back and silently pierced Oh Yeo-reum¡¯s back as she tried to flee quietly. ¡°Hiiiek!¡± With a new scream, the man¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°You thought you could survive?¡± ¡°Please, I was wrong. Please spare my life¡­ Gulp..¡± But there was no mercy. Squelch! Simrly, Oh Yeo-reum dried up without even a proper rebellion. ¡°Hmm. Quite impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Kim Jun-ho, who had been watching everything until then, looked nkly at the strange man and spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yeong-hoon nim.¡± In an instant, Jeong Yeong-hoon, the monster who had devoured four of hisrades, smiled broadly and replied. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. About a month?¡± ¡°¡­It seems around that.¡± ¡°Yeah. Have you been well?¡± ¡ª ¡°Thanks to the power you gave me, I¡¯ve managed to survive somehow until now.¡± ¡°I see. Good job.¡± Kim Jun-ho asked calmly. ¡°Is it my turn now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is this why you ordered me to stay still here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Kim Jun-ho sighed heavily and pleaded. ¡°Please spare me.¡± Upon hearing this, Jeong Yeong-hoon burst intoughter. ¡°Do you still not understand why I¡¯m doing this?¡± ¡°I understand. Rather than going around finding and sucking the blood of humans one by one, the concentrated blood of intermediate vampires would be more helpful to you, right?¡± ¡°Oh, you know it well.¡± Blood that had sttered out of Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s body split into branches and approached Kim Jun-ho. One of them turned into a sharp needle and stabbed Kim Jun-ho in the face. A drop of blood flowing from the wound was absorbed into Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s body through the blood vein. ¡°You seem quite smart. Then you must know even better, right? There is no way to survive by begging for life. It would have been better toe at me with all your strength, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I am not the type to engage in fights with no chance of winning.¡± ¡°Hehe. Interesting.¡± Kim Jun-ho said calmly. ¡°At present, this organization has numerous lower vampires and lesser vampires. They may be more nutritious than ordinary humans, but I suppose there is no value in you hunting them yourself. Until you return, I will produce three more intermediate vampires.¡± ¡°I heard that the humans around here are scarce. How? Are you nning to leave here?¡± ¡°But the vampires are still here.¡± He continued to exin. ¡°The vampires with thergest numbers are the ones led by Lee Joon-young. First, I will brand Lee Joon-young as a traitor and throw him to the rest of them.¡± ¡°¡­Keep going.¡± ¡°Those who have tasted the blood of their own fellow vampires will realize the efficiency of hunting their own kind. They will realize that it¡¯s better to hunt down the same lower vampires than to hunt down dozens of ordinary humans. If left alone, they will naturally hunt and grow into intermediate vampires.¡± Having listened to Kim Jun-ho¡¯s exnation, Jeong Yeong-hoon burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! This is interesting! So that¡¯s how you¡¯ll live, even if it¡¯s just for a few more days. What a truly remarkable guy. Kek.¡± ¡°If I prove my worth to Yeong-hoon nim, you can go to another ce and continue your role as a farm owner.¡± ¡°Wow, were you thinking that far?¡± ¡°If you spare me, I¡¯ll be the goose thatys golden eggs for you.¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Jeong Yeong-hoonughed hard for a long time, then he tilted his head 45 degrees and advised Kim Jun-ho. ¡°Just in case, if you¡¯re thinking of somehow buying time to be like me, then get rid of that thought.¡± ¡°Higher vampires don¡¯t start out as low-borns like you do: you have to be chosen by ¡®him¡¯. I was a higher vampire from the beginning, and no matter how much you struggle, you can¡¯t be one.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ll remember that.¡± The strands of blood that hade out of Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s body slowly returned. ¡°Kek.¡± Jeong Yeong-hoon, who had been giggling for a while, hinted. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to it, farm owner.¡± With that, he disappeared into the darkness again. Kim Jun-ho didn¡¯t move for a long time after he left. He sat there as if time had stopped, staring silently into the darkness. Drrrk.1Chair scraping against floor noise. Kim Jun-ho finally got up from his chair and searched the bodies of his dead colleagues. His face, which had been expressionless all along, distorted like a demon. ¡°¡­You bastard.¡± With eyes full of anger, he dealt with the bodies of those he had raised as vampires himself. Crack. He gritted his teeth and thought to himself. ¡®I wonder if he would have made that expression before he died.¡¯ The fact that the man had spared him was nothing more than a whim. Confident that no matter what he did, Kim Jun-ho would not be able to do anything. ¡®It¡¯s annoying.¡¯ As Kim Jun-ho vowed to get revenge, Jeong Yeong-hoon was already deciding on his next destination. ¡°Hmm. Where was it? I think it was some apartmentplex.¡± ¡­ It took less than Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to gather. Thanks to Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon¡¯s depression, Room 2901 had turned into a den of alcohol and garbage. I briefly exined about the vampires there.2These sentences don¡¯t really fit together but it really is written this way. Essentially, Kim Jae-hyun met Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party in Room 2901 to brief them, even though Room 2901 had turned into a garbage den. ¡°¡­That¡¯s why I¡¯ve called you all here.¡± Ha Dong-geon, after hearing everything, asked. ¡°Are they still there?¡± ¡°Yes. They haven¡¯t shown any signs of movement yet.¡± I was still monitoring them using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes. Thanks to Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice taking full control over the sewers of the apartmentplex, it was possible to see through their movements clearly. ¡°With your skills, you should be able to clean them up without any trouble.¡± The highest-leveled individual there, Ahn Sang-hyuk, was only a level 38 intermediate vampire. They couldn¡¯t possibly match Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, all of whom were at least level 40. Honestly, for their party, this was no different from a walk in the park. ¡°Ms. Ye-jin¡¯s mouse will guide you to the apartmentplex where they are at. It¡¯s closer than you think, so you¡¯ll arrive soon.¡± Even if there were any unforeseen circumstances, most of them wouldn¡¯t pose a threat to them. ¡°One thing that worries me is that they were once humans.¡± Ha Dong-geon calmly answered me. ¡°But now they¡¯re just monsters that prey on humans.¡± ¡°¡­Will you be okay?¡± As someone who had confronted Jegal Seung-gyu, a lower vampire, I knew very well. ¡®They look no different from humans on the outside.¡¯ It felt strange to kill them with gas explosions or poison mist, even though I knew that they were cruel monsters who saw humans as prey. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party probably wasn¡¯t much different from me in that regard. ¡®The more you kill, the more used to it you get.¡¯ I was even more worried because they were already suffering from trauma. ¡°Are you really sure?¡± Ha Dong-geon seemed to notice my worry and looked straight at me, saying carefully, ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worried about, Mr. Jae-hyun. But I think this is a process we must go through to live in this changed world.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know how many more cases like this there will be in the future. Not monsters that resemble humans, but times when we must kill real humans. When that timees, I won¡¯t hesitate.¡± Ha Dong-geon said with a pale smile. ¡°Think of this as a dress rehearsal for that time. It¡¯s okay. If I get mentally broken by this, I¡¯ll just take a break again. I think drowning in alcohol like these guys isn¡¯t a bad way to cope.¡± He spoke in a tone full of conviction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Neither I nor my party members are so weak. Even if our spirits are broken in the middle, we¡¯ll get up again. Just like today.¡± I replied with a wry smile. ¡°I was worried for nothing.¡± His determination was clearly conveyed. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you again this time.¡± It was the return of the Ace Party. Chapter 71: Ace Party (3) Chapter 71: Ace Party (3) [Episode 15] Ace Party (3) Ahn Sang-hyuk stared into the air with a solemn face. Around him, the senior1Senior as in these are the leaders. Think council or board members. vampires were each voicing their opinions. ¡°We should attack them right away! This is war!¡± ¡°Rather than that, we should move our base. If the enemies keep attacking us in the same way, this ce will be our grave.¡± Even in this situation, Shim Hyeong-sik and Son Gi-hwan were facing off against each other. ¡°Hey! Haven¡¯t you heard that there¡¯s no paradise where you fled from2Meaning this is the haven/paradise. You won¡¯t get another one if you abandon it.?¡± ¡°The enemy is a group capable of terror attacks with just one mouse. It means there¡¯s no benefit to staying in a location that¡¯s already been exposed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why we should attack first!¡±In response to Shim Hyeong-sik¡¯s shout, Son Gi-hwan grimaced and replied. ¡°Do you even know who the enemy is?¡± When Shim Hyeong-sik heard that, he was stunned for a moment before retorting. ¡°Who else, damn it! Don¡¯t you know already? Those bastards are the only ones! The idiots with guns!¡± ¡°No.¡± When Ahn Sang-hyuk opened his mouth, Shim Hyeong-sik immediately softened his tone and asked. ¡°Do you know who they are, Sang-hyuk nim3Not sure if ¡°Sang-hyuk nim¡± or ¡°Sang-hyuk-nim¡± looks better.?¡± Ahn Sang-hyuk shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it¡¯s clear that no one in that group has such abilities. And¡­¡± There was something more serious than the fact that the mouse could emit poisonous gas. ¡®The bodies disappeared.¡¯ He could clearly see one of the lower vampires in the room being poisoned to death, but his body vanished like an illusion as soon as he died. ¡®It¡¯s the same as the explosion!¡¯ Back then, only traces remained, but not a single body was left. In addition, a number of vampires also disappeared shortly after the mouse spewing gas entered the room. ¡®It was done by the same people.¡¯ Both the explosion and the poison gas. ¡®It wasn¡¯t the police bastards.¡¯ In other words, there was another group targeting them. ¡®Why?¡¯ They didn¡¯t know anything about their identities, purposes, or powers. ¡°Sang-hyuk nim, we need to leave this ce immediately with all the surviving vampires.¡± If they thought rationally, Son Gi-hwan¡¯s words were correct. Staying here would only result in continuous attacks from a group with unknown powers. ¡®But¡­.¡¯ Ahn Sang-hyuk couldn¡¯t easily make a decision even though he knew about it. It was because of the request from the person who saved him and turned him into a vampire. He had ordered Ahn Sang-hyuk to stay here. He told him to grow by hunting down and devouring everyone in the apartmentplex until he returned. Currently, he was faithfully carrying out that order and extended his influence4Turned them into vampires. to other survivors. ¡®If I wait a little longer, my benefactor will return.¡¯ That was why he couldn¡¯t leave this apartmentplex. ¡°Strengthen the guard. If you find any mice nearby, kill them on the spot. That is all.¡± ¡°Sang-hyuk nim!¡± Shim Hyeong-sik and Son Gi-hwan both expressed dissatisfaction with his decision. But Ahn Sang-hyuk was firm. ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡± After a brief silence, the two bowed their heads in obedience. It was then. Crash! The conference room door opened, and a lower vampire gasped for breath. ¡°En¡­emy!¡± His words were cut short. Bam! A spear from somewhere struck his body and pinned him against the wall. Sshhhhh¡­ Soon after, the lower vampire¡¯s body scattered like sand and disappeared. Ahn Sang-hyuk¡¯s eyes gleamed. ¡°¡­.What¡¯s that?¡± He could immediately tell that the uninvited guests were the ones that were in charge of the mice that emitted poison gas. ck, ck. Some could slowly be heard walking here. The number of footsteps in the silence was only one. Soon, he appeared. He pulled out the spear stuck in the wall and looked around the conference room. ¡°Crazy bastard!¡± Shim Hyeong-sik rushed at him. Although Shim Hyeong-sik was unarmed, his sharp fingernails were weapons in themselves. However. Swish! Before Shim Hyeong-sik could properly swing his nails, the man¡¯s spear cut Shim Hyeong-sik¡¯s throat. Shim Hyeong-sik disappeared without even being able to scream. ¡°Hmm.¡± Seeing that, Ahn Sang-hyuk thought to himself. ¡®If this continues, it¡¯s game over.¡¯ He had tried to wait for his benefactor, but the grim reaper hade instead. His contemtion was brief, and the conclusion was simple. ¡°Son Gi-hwan.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Sang-hyuk nim.¡± ¡°Stop him.¡± With those words, Ahn Sang-hyuk ran towards the already broken window. ¡°H-Hey, you bastard!!¡± Son Gi-hwan cursed and ran out the opposite window. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Son Gi-hwan¡¯s final scream was heard from behind. The next moment, Ahn Sang-hyuk felt a chill down his spine and rolled to the side. Swoosh! A spear flew past him and out of the broken window at high speed. Quickly getting up, Ahn Sang-hyuk flew out of the window. However. ¡®¡­What¡¯s this now?¡¯ As soon as he came out, he was greeted by suspicious figures wearing full te armor. It was obvious something was fishy since this wasn¡¯t medieval Europe. ¡®What the he¨C!¡¯ But his thoughts were cut short. A burst of light erupted before his eyes. ¡°No, damn it!!!¡± Immediately after, an arrow of light tore through his body. Boom! ¡°Argghhhhhh!¡± He fell heavily to the ground at the pain of his whole body getting torn apart. And then. Thud! sh! The halberds held by the steel knights mercilessly hacked his body. [You have hunted an Intermediate Vampire (Lv. 38).] [You have gained a huge amount of experience points.] [1,823,003,273 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] The extermination of the vampires ended much more ndly than expected. Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju were running through the building, dealing with the remainders. The vampires who fled outside were chopped down by Kang Deok-su¡¯s Steel Knights. Even if they tried to take advantage of gaps in the encirclement, Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s arrows of light were ready for them, and they couldn¡¯t escape from Moon Byeong-ho, who moved around invisibly. Most importantly, it was impossible for them to escape Kim Geon¡¯s field of vision as he fused with Kaman and monitored the apartmentplex. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s partypletely annihted the vampires. [Citizen Kang Deok-su has eliminated the leader of ¡®Dae-yeon Blue Castle Apartment Complex.¡¯] [Construction of an outpost is now possible in the Dae-yeon Blue Castle Apartment Complex.] ¡®An outpost¡­¡¯ It was a message that asionally appeared when a monster that was the leader of the area was defeated. ¡®It¡¯s not as useful as I thought.¡¯ Among the construction functions, it was the only one that had never been used. ¡®It¡¯s more like a waste5?? ¨C not having much value, but would be a waste to throw away..¡¯ That¡¯s how it seemed until now. The area they were in was quite close to the homebound area. It was only a matter of time before it became included in the area after leveling up. ¡®There¡¯s no need to spend money and turn it into an outpost.¡¯ An area suitable for building an outpost should be at least a few kilometers away. Furthermore, to build it, they had to defeat the area¡¯s leader and three vassals with the title of [Knight] had to stay for a week. After that, the divine beings who obtained the title [Knight] had to continue to stay, and so on. ¡®It¡¯s too inefficient!¡¯ I still hadn¡¯t found a reason to create an outpost. While pondering on how to utilize the outpost, Seo Ye-jin opened her eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s clean now. I think all the vampires have been killed.¡± After confirmation through scouting with the mice, I used the Communication Ring to inform Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [Thank you for your hard work, everyone. You can return now.] Ha Dong-geon asked Kim Geon who was still flying in the sky as the party gathered at the entrance, ¡°Were there any survivors inside the apartment?¡± Kim Geon, who now looked like a crow, slowly shook his head and replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t found any so far. Most of the windows have curtains, so we¡¯ll would have to check each house individually to confirm.¡± I had a slight hope, but it was not easy to find survivors. ¡®Well, to ordinary people, Kim Geon might look no different from a monster.¡¯ Even if they saw Kim Geon, they wouldn¡¯t send a notice for help. Inparison, vampires who looked like ordinary humans probably had an easier time deceiving people. They could juste to the entrance with water or emergency rations and say they came to rescue them. ¡®But there must be survivors!¡¯ Even in our apartmentplex, there were quite a few people who remained suspicious and didn¡¯t open the door until the end. I wanted to support them with relief supplies, but there was no way. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ While I was thinking that. Kim Geon opened his beak and said, ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun, someone is approaching this way.¡± Ha Dong-geon was checking the party and preparing to return. ¡®It¡¯s not too bad.¡¯ Although the vampires looked like humans, Ha Dong-geon felt no particr guilt in taking their lives. Because they reminded him of the ck Orcs. The reason why the vampires had taken the apartmentplex as their base was obvious. There were few ces as densely popted as an apartmentplex. It was obvious how they had lured and eaten them here. Because of that, he could ruthlessly end their lives without feeling any mercy. Killing and eliminating them even gave him a small sense of satisfaction. ¡®It¡¯s definitely not normal, even for me.¡¯ But what does that matter? The world was already crazy. It might be weirder to not go crazy living in such a world. ¡®It¡¯s just monster hunting.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon could feel a small goal forming in his heart. He wanted to wipe out all the monsters that had appeared in this world. Fortunately, he was chosen by Kim Jae-hyun and given an overwhelming amount of power. His party with his friends also had an unparalleled position within Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s domain. ¡®It might really be possible.¡¯ In the process of overwhelming the vampires with his immense strength, he found himself harboring a single hope in his heart. ¡®With Mr. Jae-hyun, maybe we can eliminate all the monsters in this world¡­¡¯ He would never forgive the monsters. Especially those who had taken residence in apartmentplexes. He would never show mercy to them. As he engraved this firm resolve in his heart¡­ ¡°Who are you all? Why do you smell so delicious?¡± A young man suddenly appeared before them with a smile. [It¡¯s a Higher Vampire. Be careful.] At that moment, Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s voice rang in Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, and simultaneously, their expressions changed. ¡°Rise!¡± Kang Deok-su was the first to move. A Steel Knight summoned in front of the man swung a halberd. Crack! But the steel knight fell weakly at the man¡¯s kick. ¡°!!¡± ¡°What?¡± The steel knight summoned by Kang Deok-su was not something that could be easily defeated. Its power was clear just by looking at its appearance. However, Kang Deok-su didn¡¯t only summon one steel knight. Another steel knight summoned behind the man thrust its halberd deep into the man¡¯s right shoulder. But the de couldn¡¯t dig more than a few centimeters deep. Normally, their halberds could easily cut through most monsters. Suddenly. Swoosh! Tentacles of blood shot out from the man¡¯s shoulder, digging into the silver armor. Immediately after. Slice slice slice! The armor was ripped apart as if it were paper. As Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party stared nkly at the scene, the man¡¯s mouth curled up on both sides. ¡°This is fun.¡± TN: Happy Memorial Day! Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found here or on Patreon. Chapter 72: Ace Party (4) Chapter 72: Ace Party (4) [Episode 15] Ace Party (4) Kim Da-jeong sensed that the situation was getting unusual and used her skill. ¡°Blessing!¡± Light shone from Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju, who nked the Higher Vampire from both sides. At the same time. ¡°Rise!¡± Kang Deok-su summoned the Steel Knights in perfect synchrony. The Steel Knights that only had their upper bodies summoned under the feet of the Higher Vampire stabbed upwards with their halberds. Stab!Even though spears were embedded in his sides, the Higher Vampire remained unfazed. Then. Dududududu! A sudden barrage of gunshots rang out from behind the vampire. The Higher Vampire baptized with bullets in the back of his head slowly turned his head. Bullets were falling out of his head in the meantime. He furrowed his brow, as the presence he had felt just moments ago hadpletely disappeared. Perplexed, he lightly spun around. At the same time the halberds that had been embedded in his sides shattered, his body shot forward towards the remaining party members. ¡°Haha!¡± ¡°!!¡± Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju almost simultaneously swung their ws and spears at the vampire. They appeared to collide with each other, and at the same time, the Higher Vampire charged towards the rest of the party. The two exchanged nces for a brief moment, and Oh Eon-ju turned to the left first. Then, Ha Dong-geon twisted his body in the opposite direction, pulling his hand holding the spear back hard. Swoosh! ck mes erupted on the spear de and shot towards the vampire. The tentacles of blood that emerged from the vampire¡¯s sides tried to block Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear shattered in an instant. ¡°Hm?¡± Just as the Higher Vampire turned his head, feeling something was amiss. Paak! Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s light arrow from the front struck him. Crash! Dozens of light fragments tore into his body, and a ck ming spear arrived at the same time. The Higher Vampire clicked his tongue and swung his hand. Kwang! The spear shrouded in ck mes fell out. However, the vampire¡¯s hand, which had not been hit until now, was burning ck. Frowning, the Higher Vampire muttered to himself. ¡°What is this?¡± The Higher Vampire stared at the ck mes burning on his hand, ignoring the deep wounds caused by Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s light fragments. In fact, the small wounds created by the light fragments were quickly filled with blood and then disappeared without a trace. It was a regeneration abilityparable to that of Oh Eon-ju in her werebear form. As the Higher Vampire slowed down, staring at the ck mes burning on his hand¡­ ¡°Grahh!¡± Oh Eon-ju swung her nails towards his heart. Shwah! At that moment, the blood that extended from the vampire¡¯s body wrapped around Oh Eon-ju¡¯s arm, then used her own power to throw her. Baaaanngg! Oh Eon-ju smashed through the walls of the apartment building, still in her charging stance. Swoosh! At that moment, another light arrow flew towards the vampire. Since there had been no damage before, the Higher Vampire ignored it and tried to move forward. However. Wooong! It was different from when the light shards exploded in all directions like a shotgun. Feeling something ominous, the Higher Vampire tried to grab the arrow. But. Fwoosh! ¡°?!¡± The light arrow infused with the Piercing skill shot through the vampire¡¯s grasp and went straight towards his heart. Thanks to ast-minute dodge, the arrow narrowly missed his heart. ¡°Heuk. Heuk.¡± For the first time, the Higher Vampire¡¯s face distorted like a demon. ¡°I was originally going to kill the supports first, you know? Because that¡¯s the standard.¡± His eyes filled with madness turned towards Kim Ga-yeong. ¡°If you had stayed still, you could have lived a little longer, you stupid¡ª¡± His words were cut off. No one was interested in his muttering, and there was no reason to wait. Kwaaang! The vampire flew to the side to evade the spear covered in ck mes, his eyes bloodshot with anger. ¡°Aaargh! You filthy beasts!¡± With a roaar, the vampire¡¯s thighs and calves swelled up greatly. Then. Kwaaang! As the concrete floor shattered, the vampire¡¯s body shot towards Kim Ga-yeong at high speed. Shwah! In addition, strands of blood shot out from both of his hands, aiming for Kim Ga-yeong. However. Swoosh! Just before his attack couldnd, Kim Ga-yeong vanished like an illusion. It was Moon Byeong-ho who teleported her away. Smash! The tentacles made of blood only stabbed the empty ground. Fwoosh¡ª At the same time, purple mist came out of the Higher Vampire¡¯s nose. ¡°Whew.¡± And it coincided perfectly with the moment the vampire took a breath. Bang! The Higher Vampire managed to escape from the purple mist and gasped for breath. ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± The vampire, having inhaled arge amount of Hye-rin¡¯s poison, trembled as he got up. His veins from his neck to his face were visibly swollen, and tears of blood streamed from the burst blood vessels in his eyes. Slowly surveying the surroundings, the Higher Vampire could now see Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju approaching him. Kim Da-jeong and Kim Ga-yeong, whom he had been targeting, had moved quite far away by now. Moreover, they were firmly surrounded by Steel Knights. ¡°Kek.¡± The Higher Vampire chuckled briefly, then spoke. ¡°Amazing. Are you really humans? What are you?¡± Ha Dong-geon matched the pace of the Higher Vampire who suddenly spoke to them well. ¡°I¡¯m actually more curious about you. What are you? Who is the one leading the vampires, and where are they? If you want to live, answer me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so pitiful. I didn¡¯t expect to be threatened by prey. Did you say you wanted to know where we came from?¡± The Higher Vampire chuckled inwardly. ¡®Foolish beings.¡¯ His goal was to buy time. That was all. ¡°We are the new humanity who have been blessed by ¡®him¡¯. I don¡¯t really know who he is, though I can tell you where he is.¡± Smirking meaningfully, the Higher Vampire looked at Ha Dong-geon with a smile. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Before that, answer my question first. There must have been some of my cute little vampires here. What happened to them?¡± ¡°Killed them all.¡± ¡°¡­Oh¡­¡± The Higher Vampire¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. ¡°Even so, I don¡¯t smell any blood at all. Do you drink blood too? They were my carefully crafted prey, you know.¡± At that moment, the Higher Vampire smiled inwardly as the victor. His preparations were nearlyplete. Thump! Thump! Thump! The Higher Vampire¡¯s heart beat roughly as blood circted rapidly through his body. The rapidly-moving blood gradually expanded his body. As his muscles swelled more and more with the overflowing blood, energy filled his body and was ready to explode at any moment. Ha Dong-geon said meaningfully, ¡°It seems like your purpose was to buy time.¡± The vampire revealed a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s toote to realize now!¡± Just before he could explode his muscr strength, the man in front of him said something strange. ¡°Did I keep up this unnecessary conversation for nothing?¡± ¡°What?¡± At that moment. Zing¡ª Something strange appeared right in front of the vampire¡¯s nose. A 20kg weight temonly seen in gyms. ¡°?¡± The moment he recognized it. Smash! The te,unched at an incredible speed, blew off the vampire¡¯s head. After the te that was elerated as much as possible with gravity smashed the vampire¡¯s head, I used the Communication Ring tomand Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. [As I said before, the vampires¡¯ main bodies are their hearts! Destroy the heart!] Even though his head flew off, the vampire was not dead yet. As evidence, the system message indicating a sessful hunt did not appear. Fwoosh! ck mes erupted from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s spear and prated the vampire¡¯s heart. [You have hunted a Higher Vampire (Lv. 49).] [You have gained a huge amount of experience points.] [36,124,284,637 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] A huge amount of experience and settlement money came in. Thanks to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Crown, the amount of experience and settlement money was several times greater. Thanks to that. [Your skill level has increased.] [Your skill level has increased.] I leveled up continuously for the first time in a long time. [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Deration has reached Level 25.] [You have gained 3 skill points.] With a pleasant notification. ¡°Urk!¡± It came. The feeling of everything in the area shrinking and expanding around me began. It didn¡¯t take long for the area to finish expanding. ¡®!!!!¡¯ I was somewhat used to doing nothing and just enduring the pain at this point. Crack! I also understood why I couldn¡¯t adapt now too. It was because the pain was getting stronger as my level increased. Was it because I jumped two levels at once? The painsted quite long this time, and the smell of blood began to drift from my mouth. Unknowingly, my gums were being torn apart from clenching my teeth. Fortunately, the wound was recovering in real-time thanks to Oh Eon-ju¡¯s ability, Primordial Vitality. The pain of my gums being torn apart didn¡¯t even register properly. Because the pain of expanding the area was so intense that it was not easy to even notice minor pains. After what seemed like an endless amount of time, the pain ended, and the tension in my body was released. A sense of exhaustion came over me. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun¡­¡± When I opened my eyes, Seo Ye-jin was looking down at me with tears in her eyes. When our eyes met, Seo Ye-jin wiped away her tears and asked, ¡°Did your territory expand again?¡± ¡°¡­How did you know?¡± ¡°You be like this every time your territory expands.¡± It urred to me that Seo Ye-jin was present when I leveled up many times. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] I saw the newly-expanded area and the people in it. ¡®I just want to ept them all, but¡­¡¯ I had to check them one by one just in case there were vampires among them. However, it was daunting to see thousands of photos filling my view. After painstakingly checking each one and confirming that they were all normal, I granted citizenship. Among the new citizens, there were as many as three with awakened abilities, but I didn¡¯t have time to check their abilities in detail. [Thank you for your hard work, everyone. You cane back now.] After sending a message to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, I said to Seo Ye-jin, ¡°Ms. Ye-jin.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to rest for a bit. I¡¯m so tired.¡± Seo Ye-jin nodded her head. My eyelids were heavy. I epted the iing fatigue and fell into a deep sleep. Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 73: Ace Party (5) Chapter 73: Ace Party (5) [Episode 15] Ace Party (5) It was a dark room. ¡®Where is this¡­?¡¯ In one corner, there were traces of something burnt, perhaps because of fire, and in another, there seemed to be food gathered. Curiosity led me to move my feet to see what was there. Thud. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± A cold, slightly sticky sensation shook my mind as I felt it on my feet. As soon as I realized it was blood, I saw the bodies of countless people lying on the floor.Some had a paleplexion from having their blood drained, unable to even close their eyes in peace. I was overwhelmed by the vivid scene of death. Then. ¡°Ugh!¡± The bodies all widened their eyes at once. Startled, I took a step back. Bump. I felt something hit my calf from behind and turned around. ¡°Huk. Heuk.¡± Children were crying. Representing the five children, Yang Ha-yoon looked at me resentfully with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Why did you do this? Why did you let the bad people in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I wanted to make some excuse, but my mouth was shut tight, and I couldn¡¯t say anything. I tried to open my mouth with all my might, but my body wouldn¡¯t listen. The children cried, ming me. ¡°Huek. It¡¯s all because of you.¡± ¡°Mom died because of you.¡± My head began to spin, and the children suddenly stopped crying. With nk expressions, they looked at me and said: ¡°Please save us. You can save my mom, can¡¯t you?¡± How did those kids know? Other than Oh Eon-ju, even Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party didn¡¯t know. Then. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± Oh Eon-ju¡¯s voice came from behind. When I turned around, Oh Eon-ju was looking at me with sad eyes. ¡°You saidst time, that it¡¯s not the end.¡± ¡°Si-woo¡­ I miss Si-woo.¡± Oh Eon-ju approached me and grabbed my shoulders, begging. ¡°I¡¯ve been working hard all this time, right?¡± Oh Eon-ju continued with a cold expression to me who was unable to respond, ¡°¡­Is it because it costs a lot? Is that it?¡± Then, Oh Eon-ju¡¯s body swelled up, and a bear¡¯s mouth opened towards me. When I tightly squeezed my eyes. ¡°Wahhhh.¡± The pressure that was pressing on me disappeared, and faint sobbing sounds began to be heard. When I slowly opened my eyes, there was Kim Ga-yeong, holding onto a body bloated from water, crying. Kim Ga-yeong slowly looked up at me, her face covered in tears. ¡°Is it true? Can¡¯t you save my dad? Why?¡± Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Kim Gun around the crying Kim Ga-yeong slowly turned to look at me. They didn¡¯t say anything, but it felt like they were saying: Is there nothing you can do for us even after we risked our lives to find your family? That¡¯s what they seemed to ask. Then, the background gradually darkened, and people began to appear one by one. They reached out to me and began to approach like zombies. There was no way to escape. Because they were already behind me. They continued to murmur and approach me. ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°Mr. Jae-hyun!¡± ¡°Kim Jae-hyun!¡± Here and there, my name hovered like an echo, and the hands of the people who had narrowed the distance reached me. Thud thud thud. ¡°Ugh!¡± Rough hands pressed down my body. And the pain began with their touch. My body felt like it would burst, just like when the territory expanded. And my head felt like it would explode. ¡°Aaaaahhhhh!!!!¡± Right after that, I woke up from the dream. ¡°¨CAhh!¡± Waking up in bed, I instinctively felt around my body. It didn¡¯t hurt. I was fine. ¡°Whew, whe.¡± Breathing heavily, I slowly realized that this was my bedroom. It seemed that Seo Ye-jin had moved me here. Thanks to her, I could sleep well. ¡®It was a vivid nightmare, but still!¡¯ The ckout curtains were drawn, and it was midnight, so the room was filled with darkness. Just like the sight I had seen in my dream. Using Dignity Maintenance, I turned on the light. sh. The room brightened, and I regained some stability. ¡°Phew.¡± I dreamt vividly every day, but today¡¯s nightmare was particrly real. Maybe it was because I saw the corpses up close. ¡°Come to think of it, why did those bodies remain?¡± At that time, even the vampires had obtained citizenship. They were in my territory. But the bodies of the citizens they had killed remained. ¡®Do human bodies not get processed? Or is it because they have citizenship?¡¯ Either way, it was a sight I didn¡¯t want to see in the future. It¡¯d be best to create an achievement specifically for vampires. Even if they were mistakenly epted, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem that way. Ding! [Achievement settingsplete.] If a person with citizenship bes a vampire, their abilities will be severely limited, and a mark will appear on their faces. This way, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry too much. ¡®I got 3 skill points!¡¯ One of them was already decided. ¡®I should level up the shop skill first¡­¡¯ [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop has reached level 6.] [The number of items that can be registered has increased to 1000.] [All products are discounted by 30%.] Up to this point, the functions were as expected. In the case of the shop, a 10% discount effect was added every even level. However. [¡®Enchant¡¯ function has been unlocked.] [Conditions have been met.] [¡®Enchant Workshop¡¯ has been added to the list of constructible items.] [Footnote: Maybe ¡®Enchantment¡¯ would make more sense in some cases. It¡¯s ??? in the raws which is just Enchant though.] This was an unexpected addition. ¡®Enchant? Is it thatkind of enchant?¡¯ It seemed that to use enchantments, I needed to build an Enchant Workshop. ¡®Construction Mode.¡¯ Woong¡ª The cost of building the newly-added Enchant Workshop was 5 billion won. The Enchant Workshop didn¡¯t require a particrlyrge space for its price. ¡®I can just build it right next to the store.¡¯ That ce happened to be empty. Even though Kim Dabin had cleaned it up, there were still traces of goblins¡¯ contamination. I thought I could clean it up by building the Enchant Workshop over it. ¡®Construct Enchant Workshop.¡¯ Ding! [Please select a location to install the Enchant Workshop.] ¡®Room 102.¡¯ [Time remaining untilpletion of Enchant Workshop.] -71 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds At that moment, I could see a button under the remaining time that I had never seen before. {Complete Immediately} ¡®Hm?¡¯ Since it was a function I had never seen before, I casually touched it. [Would you like toplete the construction of the ¡®Enchant Workshop¡¯ immediately?] [8 crystals are required toplete the facility immediately.] It seemed that each crystal would reduce the construction time by about 10 hours. I currently had 100 crystals. Considering that I could use the Amazing Draw with 300 crystals, I couldn¡¯t waste them like this. [Footnote: It just urred to me that maybe a better name would¡¯ve been ¡°Miracle Draw¡±.] ¡®Cancel.¡¯ [Canceling the immediatepletion.] ¡®Come to think of it, there seemed to be an unidentified dungeon in the newly-expanded area. I should check it out.¡¯ Although I couldn¡¯t say for sure where it was, I had a rough idea of the area where the dungeon had appeared. ¡®I wonder what kind of dungeon it will be this time.¡¯ Since I had gained quite a lot from the dungeon conquests before, I was looking forward to this one as well. ¡®I can draw one more time if I gather 200 more crystals.¡¯ Both the Communication Ring and the Crown were great. If possible, it would be most efficient to use the crystals only for the Amazing Draw. ¡®Now I have two skill points left.¡¯ I needed to think a little about where to invest these. ¡®It¡¯s getting harder to level up as my level is higher.¡¯ It meant that level 30 might be far, far away. Since I had a frustrating experience of filling up all the shop items and not being able to level up, I had to be careful about using skill points. ¡®In order to level up quickly, I have to hunt high level monsters.¡¯ Although the experience points from small monsters were helpful, it was iparable to hunting a high level monster like the Higher Vampire this time. I was pleased when I thought about the great contribution Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party made in the hunt this time. ¡®They really are the Ace Party.¡¯ As soon as they returned, they threw an extravagant party. They made billions by wiping out the vampires, and the Higher Vampire at the end earned them a whopping 360 billion. No other hunting team had ever achieved such a record, even after struggling outside for a month. They could truly be called an Ace Party. ¡®Looks like luck ys a role too!¡¯ With the exception of Moon Byeong-ho who won various things from the beginning, the Ha Dong-geon party was generally lucky. There weren¡¯t many parties that frequently encountered high level monsters like their party. Even if they did encounter high level monsters, there were no parties with the ability to hunt or tackle them. ¡®The settlement fee and experience points increase exponentially as you go up in level.¡¯ For example, killing hundreds of goblins below level 10 was simr to killing one orc in thete level 10s. The difference was evident. In terms of experience points too, killing an orc provided more. This phenomenon became more pronounced as level went up. ¡®However, the problem is that very few monsters are at that level, and they¡¯re highly dangerous.¡¯ Although we were able to hunt the Higher Vampire this time thanks to the Ha Dong-geon party¡¯s great performance, to be honest, it was very risky. ¡®If there were two advanced vampires, even Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill them without any harm.¡¯ In the end, to level up quickly, you had to hunt high level monsters, but there were few of them and they came with great risks. ¡®There¡¯s no guarantee that high level monsters wille out in the future.¡¯ I had no intention of recklessly looking for high level monsters. In that case, the speed of leveling up would inevitably slow down. ¡®So, let¡¯s just leave the skill points for now.¡¯ Since I might fill up all the shop slots again before reaching level 30, it seemed like a good idea. ¡°Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡± As I habitually activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I first checked on the children entrusted to Choi Hyeong-jun. Seven children, including Choi Na-yeon and Choi Seo-yeon, were sleeping on the living room floor wrapped in nkets. The children seemed to have gotten quite close in just one day. ¡®Next is¡­¡¯ I checked the floor right below, where Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon lived. As for Moon Byeong-ho, he lived with his grandmother in another unit that I had given away, and Yoo Hye-rin lived with Oh Eon-ju at Kim Da-jeong¡¯s house. ¡°Drrreeong~ Kurururul.¡± It was stillmon to see empty bottles rolling around, but Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon were not asleep from drinking. Next, I naturally looked around Kim Da-jeong¡¯s house, Room 2902. I thought everyone would be asleep, but Oh Eon-ju was awake alone. She was flipping through photos of Si-woo on her now useless smartphone. ¡­ I used the Communication Ring to speak to Oh Eon-ju, who was quietly flipping through pictures in the living room. [Ms. Eon-ju.] Surprised, Oh Eon-ju looked up. [Could youe up for a moment?] There was something I wanted to ask her. After opening the front door, Oh Eon-ju cautiously entered and waited for my question. ¡°¡­This vampire should have been worthy of a quest, so why didn¡¯t you ask for an opportunity?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Although she replied, Oh Eon-ju noticed that I was talking about ¡®resurrection¡¯. After a while, Oh Eon-ju spoke. ¡°I experienced a miracle that day thanks to you, Mr. Jae-hyun.¡± She made a sad expression and continued. ¡°But after that, I saw Ga-yeong¡¯s father pass away and watched my colleagues who lost their families. I heard about Da-jeong¡¯s story too. ¡°I felt a lot watching everyone in pain and struggling. If I stubbornly insisted on wanting to see Si-woo, it would eventually be a problem. If the tail is too long, it will be caught. I thought that it could make things difficult for you, and society that had just regained stability could be chaotic. I don¡¯t want my son to be the seed of controversy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Everyone is embracing simr pain and living on, and I have concluded that I don¡¯t need to be an exception.¡± Oh Eon-ju bowed and said with a smile. ¡°Thank you for giving Si-woo and I a miracle. It still feels like a dream that we were given time to say goodbye¡­ I received greatfort.¡± Her expression waspletely different from when we first met. Unlike the instability back then, her gentle expression now exuded a sense of calm. ¡°Thank you for your care. Good night.¡± I suddenly realized that she was much older than me. Somehow, her words offort consoled me. I felt like I could fall asleep peacefully now. After that. A month passed by in the blink of an eye. TN: Oh Eon-juuuu (?_?) ? Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 74: Eve of the Storm (1) Chapter 74: Eve of the Storm (1) [Episode 16] Eve of the Storm (1) Baek Sung-yeop1Dammit, I should¡¯ve just named him Baek Seung-yeop instead. was attacking the goblin dungeon along with the twin brothers, Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon. ¡°Kiaaak!¡± As soon as the goblins spotted them, they panicked and started to retreat. This was because all three of them had the Goblin yer title, which not only evoked instinctual fear in goblins but also added an extra 10% to their basic sry. However, theirck of tension upon seeing the goblins was not solely due to the effect of the title. Dududududu¡ª It was because they were also armed with rifles rented for dungeon raids. ¡°Kkiaaak!¡±Ten goblins fell like autumn leaves. Hunting goblins in the dungeon was actually easier than hunting those outside the safe zone. This was because the weapons the goblins had were no more than dull stone knives. They were much less threatening than goblins wielding stolen kitchen knives or scissors from some household. Dudududu~! Baek Sung-yeop frowned at the gunshots echoing through the cave. Despite having earplugs, his ears were ringing from the incessant gunfire reverberating around him. He was checking the goblins who had been shot and fallen. [Questpleted.] [Rewards will be given.] [You have gained a small amount of experience.] ¡®Have we taken down all fifty?¡¯ Baek Sung-yeop, who hadpleted the quest that had be his daily routine, stretched. At that moment, thest goblin corpse disappeared, and the dungeon exit appeared in the air. Confirming this, Baek Sung-yeop asked hispanions. ¡°How much is left?¡± ¡°About ten?~¡± ¡°Me too~¡± The two only had to hunt forty. Yet, Baek Sung-yeop was the first toplete the quest. Smiling triumphantly at their answers, he said, ¡°Then you guys go on your own to the next dungeon. I¡¯m clocking out early.¡± Then, Moon Ji-hoon asked him. ¡°Hey, could youe with us?¡± ¡°Haha. Uh-huh. What are you guys going to do without me? Build your independence, build your independence.¡± Moon Ji-hoon asked him to stay because dungeon attacks required at least a group of three. It would be difficult if Baek Sung-yeop left like this. Although Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s attitude was nonchnt, Moon Ji-hoon persisted. ¡°Haha. Yeah, buddy. How could wee to a dangerous ce like this without you?¡± ¡°Agreed~¡± Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon were trying to amodate Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s preferences because of the quest penalty. A long time ago, when a giant appeared in the city, they chose to avoid responsibility and flee. As a result, they were forced to constantly receive hunting quests. The excruciating pain that came for a minute when they failed to clear the quest in time. ¡®There was nothing more hellish than that.¡¯ Although they had rarely experienced it since the dungeons appeared, it was a pain they had frequently endured in the past when the goblin poption was dwindling. If they received the penalty, every minute felt like an hour. ¡®I never want to experience that pain again.¡¯ Although the number of goblins they had to catch had increasedpared to before, there was no need to worry too much. Inside the dungeon, a hundred goblins poured out at once, and it was easy to hunt them as long as they had guns. They just had to endure the sound of gunfire that echoed throughout the cave, but the difficulty of goblin hunting was not much. Baek Sung-yeop condescendingly said, ¡°Alright, fine. You guys will be very anxious without me, so I¡¯ll apany you.¡± Moon Ji-hoon answered back, barely holding back his expression. ¡°Thanks, Seung-yeop.¡± The twins tolerating Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s behavior was not just because of the minimum number of people needed to clear the dungeon. Back in the days when there were no dungeons, or in other words, when they couldn¡¯t rent guns, they had received quite a bit of help from Baek Sung-yeop. During that time when they had to fight goblins with makeshift spears, Baek Sung-yeop had helped them in many ways. ¡®So we have to endure it!¡¯ Thinking about the help he had given them, he could endure this much condescension. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside for now.¡± After exiting the dungeon, the three approached the staff member who was waiting in front. Originally, they were supposed to return their firearms, heamps, and other equipment. However¡­ ¡°Can we start another raid right away?¡± Dungeon raid schedules were usually set in one-hour intervals, and the typical time for a party toplete a dungeon raid was around 40 to 50 minutes. Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s team, who had been tirelessly hunting goblins, hadpleted the dungeon raid in less than 20 minutes. Thanks to this, they were able to make such a proposal. Since this was not an umon urrence, the staff member epted their request smoothly. ¡°Sure, you can.¡± ¡°Then please.¡± After checking their equipment and refilling their spare magazines with ammunition, they immediately went back in. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The three of them went back into the dungeon andpleted the raid in about 20 minutes once more. After returning their firearms and equipment to the staff, they confirmed the raid reservation for tomorrow and went their separate ways. ¡°See you tomorrow then.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± Before going home, Moon Ji-hoon asked Moon Sang-hoon. ¡°Should we buy something?¡± ¡°Hmm~ Meat~?¡± ¡°Meat sounds good. Let¡¯s grill some for dinner tonight.¡± They found the convenience store on the first floor and looked around for something other than alcohol and meat to buy. As they were forced to hunt goblins every day, their financial situation was quitefortablepared to others. They earned about 5,000 to 6,000 won per goblin, and they caught over 100 goblins a day. This meant they were earning over 500,000 won a day. Even after subtracting the cost of renting equipment for dungeon raids and the cost of ammunition, they still made a profit of over 200,000 won per person. Thanks to this, they didn¡¯t need to worry about spending money. They loaded c, snacks, and other items along with alcohol and meat and got into the elevator. When they arrived home, their mother weed them. ¡°My boys are here? What did you bring today?¡± ¡°We bought some meat.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s grill meat~!¡± After organizing the things they had bought, Moon Ji-hoon went straight to the bathroom in the bedroom and took a warm shower. ¡°Phew. Feels like I gained weight.¡± After a quick shower, he heard the sound of water from the bathroom near the living room. He roughly dried his hair with a towel and opened the door to see Moon Sang-hoon floating in the bathtub. ¡°Taking a bath again?¡± ¡°It feels good~¡± ¡°You did a great job today.¡± ¡°You too~.¡± Moon Ji-hoon was the older brother, but the two of them didn¡¯t care about such trivialities. They had been like friends since they were born. Sitting on aputer chair, Moon Ji-hoon stared nkly out the window. ¡®The sky looks beautiful.¡¯ These days, Moon Ji-hoon sometimes thought. Maybe it¡¯s better now than before. When monsters appeared in the world, things got tough for a while. He remembered the extreme situation where electricity, food and water were cut off, and they couldn¡¯t go outside. But it all changed when a person named Kim Jae-hyun appeared. The concept of a safe zone was born, and they could use it to hunt goblins. After being recognized for their achievements and being able to use electricity, water, and gas, they were able to regain stability in their daily lives. There were times when it was difficult due to the quest penalties, but now, with dungeons and the ability to use guns for goblin hunting, it was honestly much easier. ¡®At least it¡¯s better than back then.¡¯ He felt that now was better than when he graduated from college, worked for a small business, and received a tiny sry. ¡®I couldn¡¯t find any hope back then.¡¯ It was a time when he felt like he was just enduring each day rather than living it. But now, each day was full of life. ¡®I hope it continues like this¡­¡¯ Suddenly, the face of the person who brought this peace came to mind. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for him, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to dream of this peace.¡¯ Moon Ji-hoon liked the current sense of stability. So, remembering him, he sincerely prayed. ¡®May this peace continue.¡¯ At that moment. Wooong¡ª ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Light shone from Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s body. He could feel energy flowing throughout his body. After the light subsided, Moon Ji-hoon muttered to himself in confusion. ¡°What was that?¡± He didn¡¯t know yet. Contrary to what he desired, spectacr events awaited him in the future. [Citizen Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Moon Ji-hoon will be registered as a vassal.] [Vassal registration limit has increased.] I was eating the pasta made with Seo Ye-jin when the system window appeared in front of me. ¡®Who was Moon Ji-hoon?¡¯ I tried to recall who this individual who had achieved 100 loyalty on his own was. ¡°Ah!¡± He was one of the twins who stuck with that bully named Baek Sung-yeop. He was also one of those I had arranged for the daily goblin hunting quests to be assigned through the system. Because he had run away when the Cyclops appeared in the past. ¡®But why did he suddenly reach 100 loyalty?¡¯ While I was puzzled, Seo Ye-jin called me. ¡°Oppa, what¡¯s wrong? Does it taste weird?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I exined to Seo Ye-jin, who was looking at me with anxious eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not that, something came up just now. Wait a moment, Ye-jin2Hmmmm, they¡¯ve changed the way they address each other..¡± ¡°Oh, take your time.¡± Reaching 100 loyalty wasn¡¯t something that could be easily achieved. Up to a certain point, trust and loyalty could rise quickly just by contact with me, but the higher it was, the harder it became to increase loyalty. In particr, reaching 100 loyalty was difficult to achieve unless there was some special event. ¡®Vassal management, Moon Ji-hoon.¡¯ I immediately checked his specs. ¡¸Name: Moon Ji-hoon (Lv. 30) [+] Titles: [Twentieth Vassal] [Goblin yer] Trust: 89 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Ability: Cold Emission Experience Distribution Rate: 0% (+200%) ¡ïQuest Assignment¡¹ Cold Emission (Grade A) Expend mental power to emit cold air in all directions. I could tell that it was a decent ability just by seeing that it was Grade A, but I would need to see how he used the ability to know exactly what it was. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ Moon Ji-hoon was sitting bare in a chair, probably just out of the shower. There were no quests currently assigned, whether it was because the daily goblin hunting quest had already beenpleted or there were no quests assigned. ¡®Nice!¡¯ I immediately assigned a quest to use his ability. As soon as the quest was assigned. ¡°W-What? What¡¯s this¡­?¡± I could see Moon Ji-hoon checking the quest details in panic. It seemed that he mistakenly thought the quest he had just received was a goblin hunting quest. I used the Communication Ring to address him. [Hello, Mr. Moon Ji-hoon.] ¡°Eek!¡± Moon Ji-hoon was startled by my sudden voice and, as a result, his chair tipped over backwards. Casually, I spoke to him again. [Please check the quest details again.] ¡°Oh¡­ A-Are you, by any chance, him?¡± [Him?] For a moment, I recalled the ¡°him¡± that the higher vampire had mentioned. As my voice sharply changed, Moon Ji-hoon stammered and continued his exnation. ¡°T-The one on the 30th floor¡­! I-I¡¯m sorry! I can¡¯t remember your name!¡± I spoke to him as he bent over at the waist naked. [Please check the quest details.] ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Moon Ji-hoon checked the quest window and then tilted his head. ¡°Cold Emission¡­?¡± At that moment. Crackle, crackle¡­ Sharp chunks of ice rose around his body. Soon, his room filled with chill, and the surroundings began to freeze. ¡°What?¡± Seeing this, I made up my mind. ¡®Indeed, it would be a waste to use such an ability on just goblin hunting!¡¯ Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 75: Eve of the Storm (2) Chapter 75: Eve of the Storm (2) [Episode 16] Eve of the Storm (2) I said to Moon Ji-hoon, who was staring at the frozen wall nkly. [Mr. Moon Ji-hoon, please gather your party members ande up to the 30th floor.] [Mr. Moon Ji-hoon?] ¡°Oh, yes, yes! W-What did you say?¡± [Pleasee up to the 30th floor. It will only take a moment.] ¡°Oh, understood!¡± After calling Moon Ji-hoon, I finished my meal. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡±¡°Was it good?¡± ¡°Yes, very.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± I ced the used dishes in the dishwasher, turned it on, and then sat on the sofa. Kkami took over myp, and I gently stroked him. Cheeeep. Seeing the rxed Kkami, I smiled slightly, and Seo Ye-jin sat next to me. ¡°Kkami seems to have low energy these days. Maybe because the days are getting shorter.¡± I chuckled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s how he¡¯s always been.¡± The image I had of Kkami was mostly of him lying under the sunlight with anguid expression, sunbathing. ¡°Oppa, want to watch a movie?¡± ¡°A movie?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an old movie called ¡®The Notebook¡¯.¡± ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It was being sold. Ta-da!¡± Seo Ye-jin hummed proudly while taking out a USB. ¡°Just a minute, oppa!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Running to the kitchen, Seo Ye-jin started preparing something with a rustling sound. ¡®Things like this areing out a lot these days.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just movies. Dramas, YouTube videos, novels,ics, music, and so on. Various content was being traded among citizens. Of course, most of them were files downloaded illegally. Even if it was purchased legitimately with money, sharing it with others for a fee was illegal. However. ¡®With the world in chaos, does it even matter?¡¯ In fact, one could argue that illegal downloaders were preserving humanity¡¯s cultural heritage. Anyway, there were quite a few people who exchanged videos or sold them directly for money. The strange thing was that most of the small-scale transactions among citizens were conducted in ¡®cash¡¯. It was possible for citizens to trade money in their wallets. But there was a ¡®transaction fee¡¯ like when I gave money to citizens. To save on the 10%mission, most of the transactions used cash. Because of this, about two weeks ago, there were citizens who smashed nearby ATMs or searched for vacant houses to get cash, calling themselves ¡®Treasure Hunters.¡¯ ¡®It was quite helpful.¡¯ The fact that a new profession like Treasure Hunter had emerged was a wee development. Because there were limits to the economically active skill and monster hunting. Furthermore, thanks to the cash they brought in, various transactions began to take ce more actively. The cash they brought in exponentially increased the number of ways people could earn money. There were also used car dealers who found decent cars abandoned on the road and resold them, and various people selling food began to appear. There were also those who sold content, like the movie Seo Ye-jin bought. Everyone started to earn money in their own way. To what extent were cash transactions utilized? Among some people who made a living by hunting monsters, there were those who bought goods at the store, received cash, resold the goods, or those who bought cash with a 10% transaction fee. This was because there were products that could not be traded without cash. ¡®Well, in a way, you could say I was a Treasure Hunter too.¡¯ Of course, I was a bit different from ordinary people. While they were struggling to destroy ATMs or open doors of vacant houses to get cash, I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes and the warehouse to raid the bank vault. Thanks to that,the small room in my house was still full of cash. While I was lost in my thoughts¡­ Pop, pop, pop! There was a sound like something popping in the kitchen, and the smell of popcorn spread throughout the house. ¡°Popcorn?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The smell alone is great.¡± After a while, Seo Ye-jin came with a bowl full of popcorn. ¡°Ta-da!¡± I tried one; it was deliciously salty and buttery. ¡°You made it well.¡± ¡°This is basic1Doesn¡¯t require a lot of cooking skill, it¡¯s one of the basics/fundamentals.!¡± I ruffled Seo Ye-jin¡¯s hair and said, ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll enjoy it.¡± She smiled broadly and plugged the USB into the TV in the living room. After turning off the lights, a perfect movie theater was created. Although the sound of the dishwasher running could be heard, it wasn¡¯t bothersome. As the movie started, Kkami¡¯s eyes sparkled, and he began to watch the TV with a bright face. Seo Ye-jin gently stroked Kkami¡¯s head and said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fun, right, Kkami?¡± Cheep! It was one of the few times Kkami appeared energetic. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes.¡¯ When I checked with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I saw Moon Ji-hoon, Moon Sang-hoon, and Baek Seung-yeop gathering and preparing to head up. [Mr. Moon Ji-hoon, I¡¯m sorry but can youe early tomorrow morning?] ¡°Huh? Yes?¡± [I have some urgent business.] ¡°Oh, I see. I¡¯lle early tomorrow morning.¡± As I looked to the side, I saw Seo Ye-jin and Kkami deeply engrossed in the movie. ¡®It¡¯s peaceful.¡¯ After watching them for a moment, I turned my head and watched the movie. While watching the movie, I began to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes to look around the entire area. First, I noticed the well-maintained roads. There weren¡¯t any destroyed or abandoned vehicles, and a small number of cars were driving by. It wasn¡¯t as much as before the world changed, but traffic facilities like traffic lights were also operating normally. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to the restoration skill.¡¯ The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Restore2This skill was previously just ¡®Restore¡¯, although it has Absolute Dweller tacked to it now. was a skill that wasn¡¯t used much. That¡¯s because it required a lot of money, and there was no reason to spend it to repair broken windows or houses. Other than repairing the window that Kkami broke when he transformed and the door of Room 2902 where Kim Da-jeong lives, I hardly used the skill. I used the construction skill to build sr power generators or a gym in ces destroyed by the Cyclops. Therefore, there was no need to repair small things or copsed buildings. However, as the use of roads increased, there were many cases where I had to restore the damaged roads. Immediately after realizing that it would be a skill I would use a lot in the future, I invested one of the two remaining skill points in the Restore skill. ¡®That was a jackpot.¡¯ As the Restore skill became level 2, a new function called ¡®y Doll3?? ¨C y/a doll made with y. Production¡¯ was created, which was a jackpot. Just then, in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, I saw a road undergoing restoration work. ¡®They¡¯re working hard.¡¯ It was a ce where the Cyclops left behind a huge footprint, and the y dolls were busy moving around. Kugugugu. When the y dolls reached out their hands to the broken concrete, it slowly restored and regained its former appearance. ¡®It¡¯s definitely worth the high cost!¡¯ It was a whopping 300 million for each one. But I liked their performance so much that I filled all 30 of them, which was the maximum. It cost 10 billion in total, but it would have cost several times more if I had used the Restore skill to repair all the roads in the past month. ¡®Good thing I leveled up the Restore skill!¡¯ I once again experienced the infinite possibilities of leveling up kills, but I still couldn¡¯t easily use thest skill point. There were many ces to use the skill point. Dignity Maintenance, which always had attractive functions, was good, but I also wanted to increase the limit of the warehouse, which was 200kg. In addition, I was drawn to Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes, which I used almost every day, as well as the Invisible Hand, Health, and the Door. All of these skills were worth leveling up. ¡®But¡­¡¯ There was a reason I hadn¡¯t used thest skill point for a whole month. ¡®I¡¯m still only level 25.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t experienced a level up ever since defeating the Higher Vampire and reaching level 25 a month ago. ¡®It feels like the required experience points have skyrocketed!¡¯ There hadn¡¯t been any high-level monsters like the Higher Vampire, but I could proudly say that we¡¯ve hunted plenty of monsters. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party sessfully attacked the new dungeon with a limit of 30, and when the attack count was over and disappeared, a new dungeon was immediately created. ¡®Yet it still seems to be insufficient.¡¯ I had to reach level 30 to acquire a new skill point. But even getting to level 26 was so difficult, so reaching level 30 would be even harder. Naturally, it meant that it would take longer than now. ¡®The monsters around here have also significantly decreased.¡¯ Thanks to the active hunting teams including Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, the number of monsters around here had dried up. Now, it was necessary to go a long distance to hunt monsters, so it became standard to travel by car. ¡®I need to create hunting points elsewhere.¡¯ I was thinking of finding an area rich in monsters and creating an outpost there. ¡®Once an outpost is created, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door can be used.¡¯ Moreover, there was a high probability that high-level monsters were established in other areas. ¡®If there were a few more Higher Vampires, I would¡¯ve reached level 30 in no time.¡¯ However, I didn¡¯t expect much. I thought it was unlikely that there would be a bunch of high-level monsters. At least for now. ¡°Ugh!¡± A man lifted in the air clutching his neck struggled to survive. He desperately scratched at the thick hand wrapping around his neck with his sharp nails in vain. ¡°Hey. What was your name again?¡± ¡°Ugh! Aargh!¡± ¡°I see. You can¡¯t speak in this state.¡± When he released his grip, the man who fell to the ground gasped for air. ¡°Ugh! Huff, hoo.¡± Panting heavily, the man slowly raised his head and looked up. The monster strangling his neck was huge. With a height that seemed to exceed 2 meters, and a body that was covered with solid muscles like rocks. Just looking at its body, it seemed more like an orc than a human. The monster opened its mouth. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°..My name is Kim Jun-ho, gasp.¡± Contrary to the rebellious look in his eyes, Kim Jun-ho spoke calmly and respectfully. ¡°Alright. Do you know Jeong Yeong-hoon?¡± ¡°!!¡± Seeing Kim Jun-ho¡¯s reaction, the monster spoke nonchntly. ¡°Yeah, yeah, that son of a bitch who likes to act tough.¡± Kim Jun-ho revealed his teeth and showed his hostility towards the monster. ¡°Did he send you?¡± ¡°What?¡± The monster said with a frown. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m working for that idiot?¡± The monster muttered with a look of deep displeasure. ¡°Tsk. Judging by the fact that you don¡¯t even know that bastard is dead, you probably don¡¯t know where he died either.¡± ¡°W-What? He¡¯s dead?! That bastard?¡± The monster, with a face now showing disinterest, waved its hand without a word. Bam! In an instant, Kim Jun-ho¡¯s head flew off. The headless body of Kim Jun-ho slowly copsed forward. The monster reached out towards Kim Jun-ho¡¯s body. Gurgle. All of Kim Jun-ho¡¯s blood gathered and slowly floated up into the air. When the monster slowly opened its mouth, sharp fangs could be seen gleaming in the darkness. Chomp! The blood was sucked into the creature¡¯s mouth, and after finishing its meal, the monster slowly stepped out of the office. There, hell unfolded. The bodies of dozens of vampires were scattered around, some of them still writhing and clinging to life. The monster walked slowly towards them. Then, as it had done to Kim Jun-ho, it reached out its hand. Gurgle. Blood surged up and disappeared into its mouth again. ¡°Hmm.¡± The monster who had been smacking its lips frowned and grumbled. ¡°Where the hell did that fucking bastard die?¡± Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 76: Eve of the Storm (3) Chapter 76: Eve of the Storm (3) [Episode 16] Eve of the Storm (3) Moon Ji-hoon was still in shock. ¡®The rumors were real.¡¯ Stories about people with mysterious abilities were quite popr among the citizens. Rumors that those chosen by him would gain superpowers had spread widely. The existence of superpowers spread so widelyrgely due to the influence of the ¡®medical team¡¯. Many people had experienced the use of their abilities directly to treat patients. Moon Ji-hoon was one of the people who had directly experienced this miracle. ¡®I never thought I would be chosen like Ms. Da-jeong!¡¯ Before the dungeon became operational, Moon Ji-hoon fought battles with goblins outside the safe zone every day, risking his life.Goblins were weak, but it wasn¡¯t easy to hunt them down with crude weapons as they swarmed in groups. Even if they utilized the safe zone, there were still dangerous moments, and he had been stabbed by a goblin¡¯s knife before. ¡®I really thought I was going to die then.¡¯ After being transported to the nearby medical team and waiting for treatment in the emergency room, he was lucky enough to meet Kim Da-jeong, who happened to be there. She emitted a green light and instantly healed his wounds. Even when she pulled out the knife stuck in his back, he didn¡¯t feel any pain. The wound just disappeared with a tingling sensation. Experiencing that miracle firsthand, Moon Ji-hoon was able to truly appreciate the existence of the being that had suddenly turned this huge space into a safe zone. He realized how powerful the man he had met face to face just once was. Not only had he created a huge safe zone, but if he could really create such superhumans as rumored, what kind of being was he? Moon Ji-hoon sincerely regretted fleeing to the underground parking lot with Baek Sung-yeop back when the giant appeared. Because fleeing at a crucial moment meant he would no longer be chosen. ¡®But he gave me a chance too.¡¯ Moon Ji-hoon looked down at his palm and exerted his power. Crackle. As a chill spread around his palm, ice crystals began to form. ¡®With this power, I can clear the goblin dungeon alone.¡¯ He was confident that he could crush the goblins even without a gun. At the same time, he was grateful. ¡®He knew that I had changed my mind!¡¯ Honestly, he was d. It meant that he recognized his repentance and desire for atonement. ¡®This is a chance.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to miss this opportunity. He would prove his worth to him no matter what. ¡®I¡¯m going to leave a deep impression on him. Moon Ji-hoon, you can do it!¡¯ Sunlight began to seep through his room window. The day was brightening. ¡®He said early in the morning, so I should start getting ready now.¡¯ Moon Ji-hoon had stayed up all night. Yet strangely, he wasn¡¯t tired at all. Adrenaline was surging in his head. First, he opened the door to his brother¡¯s room and called his name. ¡°Sang-hoon.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Wake up. We have to get ready now.¡± In only his underwear, Moon Sang-hoon looked at Moon Ji-hoon with a dazed expression and asked in a groggy voice, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°You need to get up, shower, and get ready to go. Hurry up.¡± Despite Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s urging, Moon Sang-hoon checked his smartphone. Although other functions had stopped working, it still performed amazingly as a clock. ¡°¡­Oh, what? It¡¯s only seven o¡¯clock. I want to sleep more.¡± Anticipating this reaction, Moon Ji-hoon pulled back the nket and ced his hand emitting chill on Moon Sang-hoon¡¯s back. ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Still not getting up? Even like this?¡± ¡°S-Stop it! Okay, okay, I¡¯ll get up! I¡¯ll get up, okay?¡± After forcibly waking him up and sending him to the shower, Moon Ji-hoon went straight to Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s house. When he pressed the doorbell, his brother Baek Sung-min, not Baek Sung-yeop, came out. ¡°¡­Ji-hoon hyung?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Sung-min ah.¡± Moon Ji-hoon looked at him with a warm smile. Unlike him, Baek Sung-min had courageously seized the opportunity when the giant appeared. In recognition of that, he was given the special privilege to own a gun andter even became the leader of the rescue team. It seemed like he was preparing to leave for work. ¡®But I was chosen by him before you.¡¯ As far as he knew, Baek Sung-min did not possess any special abilities. That fact alone made him feel like a winner. ¡°Where¡¯s your brother?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping.¡± ¡°Can you wake him up? He called us early in the morning.¡± ¡°He?¡± Moon Ji-hoon pointed upward with his index finger and spoke in a subtle voice, ¡°The one on the top floor.¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Jae-hyun?¡± ¡°His name is Mr. Jae-hyun?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Kim Jae-hyun.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Moon Ji-hoon repeated the name in his mind, vowing to never forget it again. Then, Baek Sung-min said with a smile. ¡°Wow, this guy¡¯s still sleeping even though it was Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s call? Hasn¡¯t he woken up yet?¡± ¡°Could you tell him to get ready ande as soon as possible?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Baek Sung-min¡¯s handling of the situation was very decisive. Thanks to him, the three of them were able to gather in front of Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s house less than 30 minutester. Baek Sung-yeopined with a loud yawn, ¡°Haaa. What kind of person tells people toe so early in the morning? Who does he think¡ª¡± At that moment. ¡°Hey.¡± Moon Ji-hoon cut off Baek Sung-yeop and advised him sternly, ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± Normally, he would have let it pass, but for some reason, those words were particrly grating today. ¡®How could you take such an opportunity for granted¡­!¡¯ He recalled the moment of awakening. When he gained the ability to use this power, he had felt Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s gaze. The conversation that followed also showed that he could clearly see his situation. There was no way he could tolerate such remarks in a situation where Kim Jae-hyun might be watching. ¡°¡­What?¡± Baek Sung-yeop was shocked by his strong reaction, ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.¡± ¡°You punk¡­!¡± As Baek Sung-yeop clenched his fists, Moon Sang-hoon stepped forward to defuse the tension. ¡°Hey~. Both of you are sensitive since you just woke up~. Let¡¯s stop and go up~!¡± Baek Sung-yeop calmed down at Moon Sang-hoon¡¯s carefree remark, growling at Moon Ji-hoon: ¡°Watch yourself.¡± *** While they went up in the elevator, tension remained high between the two. Ding¡ª [30th floor.] [The door opens.] Just as they were going to press the bell of Room 3002, the front door opened as if waiting for it. Moon Ji-hoon bowed to Kim Jae-hyun. ¡°H-Hello!¡± Baek Sung-yeop looked at Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s behavior disapprovingly. Just by looking at their eyes, I could roughly guess what the party¡¯s atmosphere was like. ¡®It seems like they¡¯re not that close.¡¯ I thought they got along because they had been coordinating for quite some time, but it seemed that I had misunderstood. ¡®Then there was no need to gather all three!¡¯ I wanted to hear Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s honest feelings, so I said to Moon Ji-hoon, who was still bowing. ¡°Only Mr. Ji-hoon, pleasee in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Since Moon Sang-hoon and Baek Sung-yeop were not registered as vassals anyways, they could only go as far as the entrance where shoes were ced. ¡°Please wait outside for a moment.¡± ¡°Okay~¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± I took Moon Ji-hoon to the living room and asked straightforwardly, ¡°Do you n to continue partying with them?¡± I had called Moon Ji-hoon here today because I judged that his ability was too valuable to be wasted on goblin hunting. I had nned to enhance his specs by signing a subordinate contract to grant him the [Knight] title and, if he wished, make simr contracts with the other two to bolster their strength. However, if the atmosphere of the party wasn¡¯t harmonious, there was no need to go through the trouble. Moon Ji-hoon answered cautiously, ¡°I will follow as Mr. Jae-hyun wishes.¡± I shook my head slightly and said, ¡°I want to hear Mr. Ji-hoon¡¯s honest thoughts.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± After hesitating for a moment, he opened his mouth and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to be with Baek Sung-yeop. But I want to take my brother.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Looking at Moon Ji-hoon, I said, ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to propose to you.¡± I briefly exined the subordinate contract and gave him a choice. Moon Ji-hoon¡¯s response was concise. ¡°I¡¯m honored!¡± He immediately epted the subordinate contract, was promoted to a [Knight], and gained an additional ability called ¡®Cold st¡¯. His level remained at 30, but it was a noticeably powerful ability. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ I intended to add Moon Ji-hoon to Lee Joon-hyuk¡¯s team. ¡®Lee Joon-hyuk, who maniptes water, and Moon Ji-hoon, who controls cold, will surely have a strong synergy.¡¯ I thought I might be able to form another ace party like the Ha Dong-geon party. Afterpleting the subordinate contract, I went out to the corridor where Moon Sang-hoon and Baek Sung-yeop were waiting. I said to them. ¡°Congrattions. I will free you from the quests from now on.¡± Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s face brightened. ¡°R-Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s thanks to Mr. Moon Ji-hoon, so be grateful.¡± Seeing Baek Sung-yeop¡¯s expression stiffening, I thought, ¡®People are really easy to read.¡¯ While their personalities weren¡¯t to my liking, they were better than those who wore masks and pretended to be someone they weren¡¯t. They were much easier to deal with than those types of people. ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know that you ran away when the Cyclops appeared. The quest was a punishment for that.¡± In the suddenly somber atmosphere, I continued. ¡°When that happens in the future, it will not end in a light punishment like now, so please keep that in mind.¡± I said to Baek Sung-yeop, whose expression was gloomy, ¡°Mr. Baek Sung-yeop, please go down now.¡± ¡°Huh? Just me?¡± ¡°Yes. I still have things to discuss with the others.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After sending Baek Sung-yeop away, I exined the subordinate contract to Moon Sang-hoon as well. ¡°That¡¯s great~¡± Moon Sang-hoon epted the offer happily. ¡®I wonder how this will turn out.¡¯ This was rather like an experiment. ¡®If awakening abilities are really determined by genes,¡¯ The results would show now. ¡°Kneel before me and swear your loyalty.¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Wooong. Afterpleting the contract and checking, Moon Sang-hoon¡¯s awakening ability also included ¡®Cold st¡¯, just like Moon Ji-hoon. ¡®So that¡¯s it.¡¯ When I checked his loyalty, I found that Moon Sang-hoon¡¯s loyalty surpassed the conditions for vassal registration. ¡®Vassal registration, Moon Sang-hoon.¡¯ Along with a bright light, a vassal with the same ability as Moon Ji-hoon was born. That¡¯s when it happened. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] Just as I was checking the information of the new citizens. ¡®Awakener?¡¯ A new Awakener hade. ¡®Grant citizenship first!¡¯ The moment they epted citizenship. [The number of citizens has reached 50,000.] [As the number of citizens have reached a certain level, the ¡®Exchange¡¯ will be opened.] Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 77: Eve of the Storm (4) Chapter 77: Eve of the Storm (4) [Episode 16] Eve of the Storm (4) Bang! The charred body of thend shark fell to the ground, emitting a shockwave. Kim Min-ho1Not the biggest of changes, but Kim Min-ho was spelled Kim Minho before. Going forward will be Kim Min-ho. rxed his skin hardening after confirming the disappearance of the body. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°Thanks for the hard work2??????? is kind of like a greeting/phrase people say at the end of working. A more English equivalent would be ¡°Nice job/Great work today.¡± In Japanese, you might¡¯ve heard ¡°Otsukaresama desu/deshita.¡±!¡± Kang Sung-cheol¡¯s voice came from behind. The youngest members of the team, Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun, were collecting the bodies of the sky marlin scattered around. In the case of ordinary citizens, the bodies of monsters disappear as if they were illusions after dying. However, for those with the Hunter profession like Kang Sung-cheol and Ha Seo-jun, the bodies of the monsters they hunt would remain.The main business of Kim Min-ho¡¯s party was to sell these. Sky marlin were one of the popr foods with lots of meat and tender texture. Although it was avable in the convenience store, the sky marlin there was too expensive. Since it was sold several times cheaper, the sky marlin brought by Kim Min-ho¡¯s party were pretty in demand. Kim Min-ho pointed to a still wriggling sky marlin and said, ¡°Sung-cheol, don¡¯t kill that one. Leave it behind.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After loading the sky marlin onto the truck, Kim Min-ho¡¯s party gathered around the remaining sky marlin bodies. Kang Sung-cheol stepped forward naturally, pulling out a sashimi knife and cutting the throat of the sky marlin. Then, he skillfully began to prepare it. After quickly finishing the work, Kang Sung-cheol started to make sashimi. Next to him, Ha Seo-jun brought disposable tes and wooden chopsticks and distributed them to the party members. ¡°What about the dipping sauce3??, a reddish dipping sauce.?¡± ¡°Here it is!¡± Large pieces of sliced sky marlin sashimi were set on disposable tes, and they started eating with chopsticks. ¡°Mmm!¡± Moon Hae-ri eximed with admiration, raising her thumb and praising Kang Sung-cheol. ¡°Sung-cheol, it seems like you¡¯re getting better at making sashimi!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Kim Min-ho dipped arge piece of sashimi into the sauce and put it in his mouth, mumbling, ¡°Somehow, aren¡¯t you getting tired of eating this over and over?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking!¡± At that moment, Moon Hae-ri raised a chopstick covered in red dipping sauce, ¡°Why don¡¯t we start a business too? There are many restaurants opening these days, and I think it would do well if we sell this.¡± Kim Min-ho shook his head, ¡°Noona, this tastes good because we¡¯re eating it fresh. You can¡¯t get this taste if sold at a store. We tried itst time, you know.¡± ¡°By our trading partner that¡¯s running a business?¡± ¡°Yes. Even if it¡¯s sold by an expert, the freshness is not the same.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ what if I froze it with my ice arrows? Or getting a freezer truck or something for storage?¡± ¡°Ai4?? is a type of sigh. You might¡¯ve seen ¡°aiyah¡± or ¡°aish¡± before. Maybe even ¡°hai¡­¡±., noona. Once it¡¯s frozen, it¡¯s much lower in quality. Why else would we be eating sashimi here? It¡¯s because it¡¯s much tastier this way.¡± Moon Hae-i nodded as she took another bite of sashimi, ¡°That¡¯s true. Mmm, it¡¯s delicious.¡± At this time, Kang Sung-cheol put out a suggestion, ¡°Then how about this? We could receive tourist groups and show them the hunting process, and they can also eat some sashimi for free. Wouldn¡¯t that be fun? There are a lot of people these days looking for something exciting.¡± Kim Min-ho refuted the suggestion, which seemed usible at first. ¡°Say something sensible. You must¡¯ve lost your touch because there haven¡¯t been any idents recently, but this is a really dangerous ce. Wake up.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Kim Min-ho was silent for a while, then carefully asked Kang Sung-cheol. ¡°So, how much were you thinking of charging per person?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What you just mentioned. How much were you thinking of charging each person?¡± ¡°Um¡­ 50,000 won per person¡­?¡± When Kang Sung-cheol said uncertainly, Kim Min-ho chuckled and replied, ¡°Hey, how would you make a living on that? We should charge at least 100,000 won per person.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re right.¡± Ending the meaningless conversation, Nam Ji-ho put down his chopsticks and said, ¡°Everyone, we need to hurry. We have to return before the meat quality drops.¡± ¡°Oh, yup.¡± Everyone hastened their eating at his words. Kim Min-ho, stuffing himself hurriedly, pondered seriously. ¡®Would it be better to sell them frozen?¡¯ These days, they had to drive quite far even in a car to encounter monsters. Unlike about a month ago, the number of people driving vehicles within the area had increased, causing traffic jams. Therefore, as soon as the hunt was over, they had to gather the sky marlin and return immediately. If the hunt took too long, the freshness of the fish would drop. But if they froze the sky marlin like Moon Hae-ri suggested, it would be different. ¡®We can hunt for longer.¡¯ They would be able to transport arge quantity of sky marlin at once. ¡®Even if we sell them cheaply, this way is much more profitable!¡¯ There was a reason for sayings like ¡°Birds in the hand are worth two in the bush.5The things we currently have are worth a lot more than the things we have a chance of getting.¡± )¡± ¡®Plus, it¡¯s still winter right now, so the freshness is maintained; but in the summer, the quality of the meat will deteriorate rapidly.¡¯ Eventually, they would still have to sell frozen meat. ¡°Should I look for a freezer truck or something like that?¡± It was then. [The ¡®Exchange¡¯ is now open.] ¡°Huh?¡± A strange notification appeared before him. ¡°The Exchange?¡± As he expressed his doubt. ¡°Oh?!¡± [Exchange] ¨C [Exchange Search] ¨C [Register an Item] A translucent hologram window appeared. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Sensing something, Kim Min-ho quickly ran to the truck. He held up a sky marlin and said, ¡°Register an item.¡± Then. [Please set the price.] After setting the usual price, a new notification appeared. [A 5% registration fee is required to register this item.] [Would you like to register it?] There was a lot of money in Kim Min-ho¡¯s wallet. ¡°Register it.¡± At that moment. Ziiing¡ª The body of the sky marlin disappeared and was registered on the Exchange. Soon after, the sky marlin was registered at the top of the Exchange¡¯s products. Afterwards, various products began to appear one after another. A few minutester. [The sale has beenpleted.] He cheered as he saw the amount deposited in his wallet. ¡®The money came in!¡¯ Although the registration fee was gone, it was still a sizable amount. Considering the convenience of the transaction, a 5%mission fee was almost negligible. Kim Min-ho recalled the taste of the fresh sashimi still lingering in his mouth. What would happen if he put freshly-killed sky marlin up on the Exchange? ¡®This is going to work.¡¯ Kim Min-ho¡¯s excitement rose as if he was going to fly off. ¡°Hyung, what¡¯s up with you?¡± ¡°Sung-cheol.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve hit the jackpot.¡± *** I wasn¡¯t particrly fond of transactions between citizens. It was because the 10% fee from their transactions did not go into the wallet butpletely disappeared into air. The more active the transactions between citizens became, the less efficient the ¡®Tax Collection¡¯ skill would be, so I couldn¡¯t be happy about it. Therefore, I was slightly happy when cash transactions were activated. Because less money would be thrown away on transaction fees. But. ¡®From now on, cash transactions willpletely die out!¡¯ The moment I checked the Exchange¡¯s functions, I could sense that the value of cash would plummet. ¡®It¡¯s too convenient.¡¯ The process of buying and selling goods was drastically simplified. Most cash transactions were currently conducted through face-to-face transactions. However, the Exchange was different. The seller only needed to register the item on the Exchange, and the buyer only needed to decide to buy the item. It was an innovative way to reduce time and space. Using this function made the 5%mission fee feel like nothing at all. ¡®It worked out well.¡¯ I smiled. There was one crucial difference between transactions among citizens and transactions using the Exchange. Namely: [521,026 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet from the Exchange.] [1,024 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet from the Exchange.] [30,113 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet from the Exchange.] [577 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet from the Exchange.] ¡ª¡ª- The point was that the 5%mission fee that citizens paid to the Exchange woulde into my wallet. That was different. And, due to the effect of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Crown, the moneying in was doubled. From my perspective, there was no reason to not wee the existence of the Exchange. ¡®Plus, it seems to be more useful than I thought?¡¯ For example, if I registered a weapon on the Exchange and canceled the registration when needed, I could save the hassle of carrying the weapon. By paying only a 5%mission fee, it could be used like a sort of inventory. ¡®There¡¯s no need to do that though!¡¯ If there were a variety of items registered on the Exchange, I could just purchase the item when needed. ¡®It will be useful in many ways!¡¯ There were already signs that transactions were bing more active. As I watched the amount deposited in real-time on the Exchange, I couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled. This wasn¡¯t the only good news. ¡®Citizen Management Window.¡¯ A new Awakener had joined. ¡ºName: Yu Han-gil (Lv. 39) Trust: 21 Awakening Ability: Far Sight6??? ¨C the ability to observe and prate into things or the ability to find out something that happened far away immediately. Experience Distribution Rate: 0% (+200%) Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0% (+200%) ¡ïQuest Assignment ??Expulsion¡» The irvoyance ability was Grade A. However, even considering that, his level was quite high. ¡®Even if he started at level 30 after awakening his Grade A ability, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to reach that level.¡¯ I had a suspicion. ¡®They¡¯re all armed with guns.¡¯ If Yu Han-gil had been actively hunting monsters with a gun, it wouldn¡¯t have been impossible for him to reach level 39. ¡®I have to confiscate all the guns first!¡¯ Through the Warehouse ability, I confiscated all the guns and bullets they had. As the guns they were holding disappeared in real-time, the people became agitated. ¡°I-It¡¯s dangerous!¡± ¡°As expected, let¡¯s go back!¡± ¡°All the guns are gone!¡± Yu Han-gil responded calmly, ¡°Everyone, please calm down!¡± However, those who had lost their guns, their lifeline to fight monsters with, could not calm down easily. ¡°Are you telling us to calm down? We came all the way here following your words, and now the most important weapon is gone! How are you going to take responsibility?¡± ¡°I apologize for the guns. But you¡¯ll change your mind once you see for yourself.¡± It seemed that Yu Han-gil, the Awakener, was not the representative of that group. Looking at the situation, it seemed that the man who kept ming and arguing with Yu Han-gil was the representative of their group. The man who seemed to be the representative sighed and held his head with both hands, ¡°Haa, Han-gil. This is not something I can do for you. It¡¯s dangerous to even move from here without guns.¡± ¡°I told you, there are no monsters here.¡± ¡°Do you think that makes sense? In this situation?¡± ¡°You know what my ability is.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± I gave the bickering group a quest toe to me. ¡®Even if they had guns, they managed to pierce through the monsters and arrive here. I should talk to them!¡¯ It was then. [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been approached the area.] [Would you like to offer citizenship?] In the past, new citizens used toe without warning, but not anymore. Everyone who was going toe had alreadye, and the rest were either dead or finding their own way to survive. Thus, it was rare for people toe in session like this. ¡®Is it just one person?¡¯ He looked like a rugged, muscr man. Without much thought, I checked his information. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ A Higher Vampire had appeared. Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 78: Skirmish (1) [Episode 17] Skirmish1[??? ¨C skirmish or prelude] (1) ¡®Level 50¡­.¡¯ It was one level higher than the one I saw before. But considering how the higher the level, the more significant the difference, it was certainly not to be ignored. ¡®Offer citizenship.¡¯ I immediately offered citizenship to him. ¡®ept it!¡¯ Controlling over 50,000 citizens was a challenging task, but controlling a single problematic citizen was extremely easy. It was possible to restrict them through quest assignments, and penalties could be imposed, including death.Essentially, the moment he epted citizenship, the game was over. Of course, it wasn¡¯t all advantages. ¡®I¡¯d miss out on experience points and settlement money, but¡­¡¯ This was just spection, but if someone with citizenship is hunted, there would be no rewards. ¡®When Jegal Seong-gyu killed citizens, their bodies remained intact.¡¯ Back then, even though Jegal Seong-gyu had citizenship, the bodies of the citizens he killed did not disappear. Naturally, there were no experience points or settlement funds. ¡®It was the same with the lesser vampires who died after I confronted them.¡¯ The lesser vampires who showed hostility towards me had their heads explode, but their bodies remained intact. They too held citizenship and were not settled. Based on those cases, it was clear that this vampire would be the same. ¡®If I grant citizenship and then kill them, I get nothing.¡¯ Even so. ¡®A higher vampire is too dangerous. Ideally, it should be dealt with here and now.¡¯ While I would lose out on experience points and money, considering the safety of the hunting teams roaming outside the territory, this was the best choice. ¡®Moreover¡­¡¯ If it epted citizenship, I intended to extract information from it. ¡®It keeps bothering me.¡¯ The ¡®him¡¯ mentioned by the higher vampire defeated by Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party kept nagging at me. It was clear that ¡®he¡¯ possessed power beyond higher vampires. Could Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party really handle it if heshowed up? What if heBulge. His right arm swelled, and the skin flushed red. Immediately after. BOOOM! A tremendous punch struck the transparent barrier, creating a huge explosive sound. Shockwaves spread across the barrier, getting absorbed. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] Of course, his punch did not break through. The barrier remained intact without even a small crack. Instead, it was the higher vampire¡¯s fist that was damaged. Crackle crackle. My expression hardened as I watched its hand heal in real time. ¡®This guy is dangerous.¡¯ Although he hadn¡¯t broken through the barrier, the force and impact of his punch just now were not something to be taken lightly. ¡®It seemed even more powerful than the Cyclops¡¯ punch!¡¯ Judging by the shockwaves and the explosive sound that resounded from the barrier, it seemed stronger than the Cyclops¡¯ reckless punches. ¡®Is it an ability?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think that the vampire had an awakening ability. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party was also showing results far stronger than their level thanks to their awakening abilities. The higher vampire killedst time also controlled blood as if it were an extension2Like they were limbs. of its body. It must be a simr kind of power. At that moment, he turned away. As I slowly watched him move move away from the barrier, I thought: ¡®I can¡¯t just let him go like this!¡¯ I immediately used the Communication Ring. [Ms. Dabin, please tell all the hunting teams in Suyeong-gu to return immediately.] [Understood.] First, I called back all the hunting teams that were likely to encounter the vampire. Then. [Ye-jin, pleasee up to my house.] I called Seo Ye-jin and, [Everyone, an urgent matter hase up that needs to be dealt with.] I thought about it for a moment before calling Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party just in casee. Because I had a trump card. ¡®Should I call him?¡¯ *** The higher vampire, Go In-seok, was hastening his steps with a frown. ¡®What kind of power is that¡­?¡¯ A giant transparent barrier. He had clearly witnessed the shockwaves spreading across the entire barrier after striking it with a punch. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ The barrier was so massive. It was so big that it was impossible to measure. It was almost like a barrier surrounding an entire city. Despite its enormous scale, it remained unscathed even after Go In-seok¡¯s full-force punch. ¡°There¡¯s an existence capable of maintaining such arge-scale barrier constantly?¡± A chill ran down his spine. As soon as he saw that, he immediately understood how Jeong Yeong-hoon died. ¡®Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s death was definitely caused by the being inside that barrier.¡¯ Go In-seok was able to gauge the existence inside just by the size of the barrier, because he had already experienced something simr before. An incredible existence with iprehensible power. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Go In-seok looked down at his smashed right hand. Bones stuck out through the skin, and as he watched his hand slowly regenerate, he thought. ¡®Even with his greatness, could he do something like this?¡¯ The ¡®citizenship¡¯ proposal he received was also strange. The moment the offer appeared, he inexplicably recalled the moment he first became a vampire, when the Great One¡¯s blood flowed into his mouth. Instinctively, he felt that epting the offer was something he should not do. ¡®This is not something I can handle alone. I should return.¡¯ With that conclusion, Go In-seok headed back to his base. Unaware that a small mouse was trailing him. Tracking a higher vampire was not particrly difficult. If he had run at full speed, there would be fewer ways to track him, but fortunately, his leisurely pace allowed Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mouse to keep up. However, even that had its limits. ¡°What do we do? I think the connection is about to be lost.¡± Seo Ye-jin had be much more skilled and could now maintain the sensory link while conversing. Additionally, the distance which she could share senses with the mice had significantly increased. Still, the connection would be lost soon. ¡°Where did you say the vampire was now?¡± ¡°He just passed Sinhaeundae Station.¡± That meant the vampire was moving extremely far away. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Is it over?¡± Seo Ye-jin, who was sweating profusely, answered with a gloomy expression. ¡°Mm, I¡¯m sorry¡­.¡± I patted Seo Ye-jin¡¯s head,forting her. ¡°You did well. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party is chasing after him anyways, so it¡¯s fine.¡± Seo Ye-jin smiled and replied. ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°You must be tired. Try to get some rest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As I watched Seo Ye-jin carefully lie down on the sofa, I thought to myself. ¡®Is he nning to go all the way to Gijang?¡¯ I had hoped to find out the vampires¡¯ base through him, but it seemed their base was much farther away than expected. ¡®Could it be Ulsan?¡¯ The tracks the higher vampire was walking on was the Donghae Line, which ran from Busan to Taehwagang Station in Jung-gu, Ulsan. Choosing the Donghae Line among many possible tracks was significant. ¡®If the vampires¡¯ base is really in Ulsan¡­¡¯ It would make sense that another higher vampire hade a month after the previous one was killed. ¡®¡­What if.¡¯ It was a grim assumption, but¡­ ¡®What if the vampires have taken over all of Ulsan?¡¯ Ulsan was a huge city with a poption of 1 million. If such arge poption became nourishment for the vampires, how many higher vampires would there be? ¡­Terrible! Realizing this, I could foresee the potential consequences when the higher vampire, who had scouted our area, reached his destination. In the worst scenario, a monstermanding dozens of higher vampires coulde here. ¡®We must not let him go!¡¯ The conclusion was clear. I said to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, who was closely following the higher vampire. [We¡¯re switching to n B.] At that moment, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party members began to move swiftly. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eyes¡¯ Shwaaaah¡ª Kim Geon, who was flying in the sky merged with Kaman, quickly swooped down towards the railway tracks. At the same time. ¡®Open warehouse. Release poison mist.¡¯ Pwisshhhh¡ª Purple poison gas spewed out from beneath Kim Geon, drifting to the ground and blocking the higher vampire¡¯s path. The tracks from Sinhaeundae Station to the next station, Songjeong Station, was built above ground, making this possible. ¡°Hm?¡± Suddenly confronted with the purple gas, the higher vampire stopped and looked up at the sky. The moment his attention was diverted to Kim Geon flying above, Moon Byeong-ho, who had been stealthily tracking the vampire from the closest range, began firing his gun in rapid session. Dadadadada¡ª! Dadadada¡ª! It was an attack aimed precisely at the vampires¡¯ weakness¡ªthe heart. However. Crunch crunch. Click click¡ª The bullets lodged in the vampire¡¯s back began to pop out one by one. The vampire¡¯s entire back was stained red. ¡°Grrr. You bastards¡­¡± With a face twisted in rage, the vampire rushed in. A punch was aimed directly at Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s position. ¡°!!¡± Although momentarily flustered, Moon Byeong-ho remained calm and used teleportation to evade. Whoosh! As the vampire swung at empty air, a light arrow flew from the left, once again aiming at the vampire¡¯s heart. ¡°Grrk!¡± The higher vampire rolled forward to dodge the arrow. As the vampire began to stand up again. Swoosh! A spear imbued with dark energy flew towards him. ¡°Rise!¡± And silver armored knights rose around him. The higher vampire clicked his tongue and threw himself into the poison mist. A foolish choice. No matter how much he held his breath, he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid inhaling the gas. Once Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s paralysis poison prated his body, tracking him down would not be difficult. Moreover. ¡®Oh Eon-ju is already waiting on the other side of the poison mist wall!¡¯ It meant that even if you tried to escape, you were still trapped in Buddha¡¯s palm3Sun Wukong reference.. [Mr. Kim Geon, please assist Oh Eon-ju and buy as much time as possible.] The n was to have Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party join together to take down the higher vampire. However¡­ BOOM! Suddenly, an explosion was heard from within the poison mist. Simultaneously, a gust of wind dispersed the mist in all directions. From within it, the higher vampire, whose entire body turned bright red, slowly emerged. ¡®Not good.¡¯ The vampire throwing himself into the poison mist wasn¡¯t to escape but to buy time to unleash his abilities. Chink! A steel knight charged at him. However. ng¡ª! The halberd wielded by the steel knight slid off without even piercing the vampire¡¯s skin. The higher vampire sneered and swatted the steel knight away. Boom! The heavy steel knight flew through the air like a toy. In the chilling silence, the vampire smirked. The next moment. ¡°Grrk!¡± The higher vampire charged at Ha Dong-geon and swung his fist. Ha Dong-geon tried to block the attack by gripping his spear with both hands, but¡ª Crunch! The vampire¡¯s fist shattered the spear in an instant and continued forward. BOOOOOMMM! With a loud sound, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s body was sent flying backwards. Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . Chapter 79: Skirmish (2) [Episode 17] Skirmish (2) Go In-seok watched Ha Dong-geon fly out. ¡®He¡¯s not an ordinary human.¡¯ He had intended to smash his head. But at the moment of impact, Ha Dong-geon lifted his body into the air, drastically reducing the force of the blow. Moreover, Ha Dong-geon reacted precisely to his punch. Although he couldn¡¯t fully block it and his spear shaft broke, his reaction speed was impressive. In addition. Fwoosh.Go In-seok looked at the broken spearhead embedded in his chest, emitting a ck fire. This was evidence of a counterattack. Just before being sent flying, Ha Dong-geon had thrown his spear. Despite the unstable posture, the spear had enough power to pierce Go In-seok¡¯s skin. ¡®That was close!¡¯ If it had gone a bit deeper, it would have pierced his heart. Go In-seok pulled out the spear, but the wound still burned with the ck energy. He frowned and used his blood to extinguish the ck mes. Sizzle¡ª ¡®I need to kill him first!¡¯ Just as he was about to run over and finish off Ha Dong-geon. Dadadada! A loud gunshot rang out right in front of Go In-seok. However. Ding¡ªDing¡ª The bullets couldn¡¯t prate Go In-seok¡¯s skin and bounced off in all directions. As Go In-seok ran in to kill Ha Dong-geon, he swung his fist with all his might towards the source of the gunfire. Whoosh! He missed again, but it wasn¡¯t entirely in vain. Crack! ¡°Urgh!¡± Moon Byeong-ho, unable topletely avoid the punch thrown from such close range, appeared as the invisibility was broken. When Go In-seok intended to deal with this pesky fly first and lifted his leg¡­ Thud! Suddenly, burning pain shot through both his eyes. ¡°Arrrrggh!¡± Go In-seok grabbed his eyes and screamed. His vision went dark, but just before losing his sight, he clearly saw it. Moving bullets appearing out of thin air. He stomped the ground where Moon Byeong-ho had been. Boom! Of course, Moon Byeong-ho was no longer there. ¡°Tsk!¡± A light arrow flew towards Go In-seok, whose eyes were streaming with blood. He instinctively felt the threat and moved away. Thud! The light arrow containing Piercing narrowly missed him, but it grazed his left arm. ¡°Damn it!¡± He cursed and charged towards the source of the arrow. ¡°Rise!¡± At that moment, steel knights emerged, blocking his path with their bodies. Crunch! Go In-seok swung his fists wildly, crushing the armor of the steel knights. However, it didn¡¯t matter if a few fell away. Kang Deok-su could summon up to thirty steel knights. One by one, they hung on to Go In-seok¡¯s arms and legs. ¡°You dog bastards!¡± Go In-seok was furious. Individually, none of these opponents were a match for him. The one using invisibility was only mildly annoying, and the one summoning steel golems was also only wasting his time. The only real threats were Kim Ga-yeong, who shot suspiciously powerful prating arrows, and Ha Dong-geon, with his ck mes. Even then, they would¡¯ve been crushed in an instant if they fought against him alone. ¡®Worthless things!¡¯ Individually, they were insignificant, butbined, their coordinated attacks overwhelmed him. Moreover, it was difficult to respond with his vision impaired. ¡®I need to regenerate my eyes first!¡¯ He focused all his regenerative power on his eyes. Just then. Swoosh! Sensing something flying towards him with threatening energy, Go In-seok twisted his body. It wasn¡¯t possible to dodge fully because the steel knights hampered his movements. Thunk! Soon after, something sharp pierced his shoulder. Fwoosh! He had experienced this energy once already. Go In-seok clicked his tongue as he felt ck mes flicker across his right shoulder. Just a bit longer. He just needed to hold on a little longer. Whoosh! A light arrow narrowly missed his heart. And then. ¡®It¡¯s done.¡¯ Go In-seok slowly opened his left eye. He had concentrated all his regenerative power in one eye to restore it as quickly as possible. At first, his vision was blurry, but it got clearer with each blink. As the world came back into focus, he saw an arrow of light heading straight for his heart. Crack! Go In-seok easily dodged it with a twist of his body and began to move in earnest. Boom! He instantly shook off the steel knights clinging to him and pulled the spear out from his shoulder. Then, he charged towards the woman with the bow. Because he judged her light arrows to be more threatening than Ha Dong-geon¡¯s thrown spears. Bulge! Veins bulged on his legs as he surged forward. BANG! He crushed the concrete beneath him and practically flew towards Kim Ga-yeong, aiming his fist at her heart. But then. Whoosh! Moon Byeong-ho appeared out of thin air. Perhaps remembering the experience of losing his eyes while trying to attack before, Go In-seok reflexively closed his left eye. He reached out towards Kim Ga-yeong and Moon Byeong-ho, intending to grab and drain them of blood. However. Whoosh! Just before his hand could reach them, both of them disappeared into the air. With nothing in his hand, Go In-seok opened his left eye slightly, his expression twisting as he clicked his tongue. Turning slowly, he saw Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, Moon Byeong-ho, Kim Ga-yeong, and dozens of steel knights surrounding him. That wasn¡¯t all. ¡°Graaahh.¡± From where the poison mist had cleared, a bear was running with a woman riding on its back. As Oh Eon-ju approached with Kim Da-jeong on her back, she stretched out her hands towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. Wooong! A bright light enveloped the four members, and their auras grew even stronger. Go In-seok smirked. ¡°So, you¡¯re the ones that killed that fool Jeong Yeong-hoon.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party stared at him silently. Go In-seok observed them and said with a bitter expression. ¡°What a pity. I was too arrogant.¡± The tension on the battlefield was palpable. ¡°Two¡­ No, if I had just brought one more, it would be your side who would die.¡± Then, Go In-seok moved first. ¡°!!¡± However, this time, he wasn¡¯t moving towards Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party but in the opposite direction. Ha Dong-geon shouted after seeing Go In-seok attempt to leap over the fence blocking both sides. ¡°Chase him!¡± But at that moment, [There¡¯s no need for that.] Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s voice was heard. At the same time. ¡°Arghhh!¡± A death cry from the higher vampire echoed from beyond the fence. Immediately after, silence fell over the area. ¡°¡­What?¡± Moon Byeong-ho, who had teleported to the top of the fence, stared nkly below. There, a middle-aged man, whose entire body was covered in a blue aura, stood with one hand piercing through the higher vampire¡¯s heart. Soon, the vampire¡¯s corpse disappeared as if evaporating. Moon Byeong-ho was momentarily paralyzed with shock. ¡®Even if we had weakened him¡­¡¯ The vampire¡¯s skin, heated to a red glow, was impervious to bullets. Only Ha Dong-geon¡¯s ck-med spear and Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s piercing arrows had inflicted effective damage. Yet, here was someone who had prated the vampire¡¯s heart with his bare hands. Watching the man who destroyed the higher vampire¡¯s heart in a single strike, Moon Byeong-ho shuddered. ¡®Who is this guy?¡¯ Then. Whoosh¡ª The man¡¯s figure vanished and reappeared next to Moon Byeong-ho. ¡°Whoa!¡± Seeing someone other than himself teleport for the first time, Moon Byeong-ho lost his bnce and fell off the fence. Whoosh¡ª In an instant, the man disappeared again and caught Moon Byeong-ho just before he hit the ground. The man smiled gently and asked Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°You must be my son¡¯s friends, right?¡± While the others were still in shock, Ha Dong-geon, already familiar with the man, greeted him. ¡°Long time no see, Sir1??? ¨C Mr. Father/Dad, Father/Dad Sir, Father-nim/Dad-nim..¡± ¡°Sir?¡± Ha Dong-geon introduced the man to the others who were tilting their heads. ¡°This is Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s father.¡± Following Ha Dong-geon, Kim Dong-hyuk also greeted him. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Watching my dad finish off the vampire, I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Phew.¡± When Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party began to pursue the higher vampire, I reached out to my dad for help. ¡®I knew he was strong because of the kin buff, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be this overwhelming.¡¯ Even though Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had their own buffs from titles and were stronger than their levels suggested, they couldn¡¯tpare to my dad, who was shrouded in Self-Defense Spirit. [You have hunted a Higher Vampire (Lv. 50).] [You have gained arge amount of experience points.] There was no settlement money due to the kin penalty, but the experience points were significantly boosted. Naturally. [Your skill level has increased.] I leveled up. ¡°Haa.¡± I braced myself for the pain that came along with the expansion. ¡ª It felt like my brain was going to melt from the pain. Fortunately, the expansion process was faster thanst time, perhaps because I only leveled up once. ¡°Tss, whew.¡± [A being satisfying the conditions to be recognized as a citizen has been found.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] After checking the new people included in the expanded area and granting citizenship one by one, I copsed onto the sofa. ¡°Are you okay now, oppa?¡± ¡°Mm, it¡¯s done.¡± Seo Ye-jin handed me a ss of cold water. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± As I drank the cold water and crunched on the ice, I felt a bit more rxed. ¡®I have to endure this pain four more times to get skill points.¡¯ At that moment. [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has used all avable quest attempts for today.] [Evaluating the questspleted by Citizen Moon Byeong-ho.] [Evaluating ¡­] I made sure that all of the vassals, including Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party,pleted three quests each day. The efficiency was great for the cost, so I didn¡¯t miss a single day. Naturally, the rewards from the daily quests were piling up, though I didn¡¯t particrly expect much. ¡®Will it increase my mental strength this time?¡¯ I pondered seriously while looking at the notifications. ¡®Is there a way to develop pain tolerance?¡¯ If I gave them painful quests, would their pain tolerance increase? As the number of people grew, so did the number of those doing stupid things. I wondered if I could punish those people and find a way to increase my pain tolerance to prepare for leveling up. While I was lost in such nonsensical thoughts. [Evaluation Complete] Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s daily quest evaluation waspleted. [Jackpot Winner!] [Congrattions.] [You have gained a skill point.] The reward I had received once before, appeared before my eyes. ¡°Huh?¡± I was stunned by the unexpected gift. *** A man slowly rose from a bathtub filled with blood. Sculpture-like muscles emerged from beneath the blood. The room, over 355 square feet in size, was like a small bathhouse. As he stood up, a naked woman who had been waiting beside him diligently wiped the blood off him with a towel. The man waited briefly before slowly opening the bathroom door. A woman was kneeling outside, waiting for him. He spoke to her. ¡°Go In-seok is dead.¡± ¡°!!¡± ¡°You need to go to Busan.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The woman bowed her head deeply. Advanced chapters for Absolute Dweller can be found or on . The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 80 At a pension near Gwangalli Beach in Busan, another vampire group had established itself. Unlike the faction led by Ahn Sang-hyuk, this group didn¡¯t follow a single leader. Instead, five mid-level vampires each controlled their own faction, forming a council-like structure. ¡°The humans around here arepletely gone.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t keep increasing the number of vampires. At this rate, we¡¯ll all starve to death.¡± They had reached a standstill. Every nearby survivor group had already been subdued. The remaining humans in the area had either been killed or turned into vampires. ¡°Oh Yeoreum,¡± the only woman among the vampires gathered, sighed in frustration. ¡°I told you, Lee Jun-young, stop mindlessly increasing your numbers like an idiot.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Am I wrong? Isn¡¯t this mess because your underlings have been turning people into low-level vampires left and right?¡± Lee Jun-young¡¯s expression twisted as he red at Oh Yeoreum before speaking. ¡°My method isn¡¯t wrong. I¡¯ve achieved the best results among us.¡± ¡°Only because you¡¯ve got more mouths to feed, you idiot.¡± ¡°You bitch¡ª!¡± Lee Jun-young gritted his teeth and looked ready to pounce. ¡°Enough,¡± said a middle-aged man who had been watching the argument with his chin resting on his hand. He stepped in to mediate. ¡°Hmph. You¡¯d better watch it. Someday, I¡¯ll smash that smug face of yours,¡± Lee Jun-young growled. ¡°Oh, please. With your bunch of halfwits who can¡¯t even think for themselves?¡± Oh Yeoreum scoffed. Though she was sarcastic, the hostility between them didn¡¯t escte further. The others continued the meeting as if this argument were a routine urrence. ¡°What if we relocate to an area with more humans?¡± one of them suggested. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of that too.¡± But the man who had intervened earlier, Kim Jun-ho, quietly shook his head. ¡°No.¡± The response was immediate. ¡°Why not, Jun-ho? Why are you so obsessed with staying here? You¡¯ve been against leaving from the start. If we stay, we¡¯ll all starve together.¡± Kim Jun-ho¡¯s authority carried weight. As one of the original vampires who had formed the group, his influence was second only to Ahn Sang-hyuk. Unlike Ahn, however, he preferred a horizontal hierarchy, allowing others to voice their opinions freely. But his silence frustrated one of the others, who mmed his chest in agitation. ¡°This is insane! Even if you were the one who turned us and gave us new lives, I¡¯m not dying here without a reason. I¡¯m leaving.¡± At that moment, a voice interrupted. ¡°You can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The man dering his departure turned toward the source of the voice. Thunk! ¡°Gah!¡± A stranger leaped from the shadows and sank his fangs into the man¡¯s neck. ¡°Guh¡­ guh¡­!¡± The victim¡¯s body shriveled like a desated husk as his blood was drained. The vampire, now finished, withdrew his mouth and smirked. ¡°Hmm. Well-aged.¡± The mid-level vampires, who had been frozen in shock, erupted in anger. ¡°You lunatic!¡± ¡°Kill him!¡± Lee Jun-young, sitting closest to the intruder, swung his fist. But¡ª Thunk! Lee Jun-young¡¯s attack missed, and the stranger¡¯s hand pierced his chest, gripping his heart. Still holding Lee Jun-young¡¯s heart, the vampire sank his fangs into Lee¡¯s neck and began to drink deeply. A mid-level vampire watching from behind drew a kitchen knife from his coat and crept toward the stranger¡¯s back. ¡°Haaah!¡± He thrust the knife into the intruder¡¯s back with all his strength. ¡°Got you, bastard!¡± But his victory was short-lived. Squelch! Blood burst from the wound like a crimson tendril, piercing the attacker¡¯s throat. ¡°Guh! Gah!¡± The blood tendril wriggled and consumed his body greedily. The vampire, whose throat had been punctured, rapidly withered into a lifeless husk. At the same time. Lee Jun-young, who hadn¡¯t even had the chance to resist, dried uppletely, ending his life as a withered husk. ¡°Not bad. Not bad at all,¡± the stranger muttered while smacking his lips. ng! The sound of the knife falling from the man¡¯s back echoed loudly as it hit the ground. ¡°Running like a little rat, are we?¡± In an instant, a tendril of blood shot out from the man¡¯s back, stretching toward Oh Yeoreum, who had been stealthily trying to escape. ¡°Eek!¡± A sharp scream escaped her as the tendril pierced her back. ¡°Did you think you could survive?¡± the man sneered, his lips curling upward. ¡°P-please! I was wrong! Spare my life... ack...¡± But mercy was not on offer. Squelch! Oh Yeoreum, like the others, dried up into a shriveled husk without a chance to resist. ¡°Hmm, not bad at all,¡± the man remarked, savoring the taste. Kim Jun-ho, who had been silently observing the scene unfold, finally broke his stunned silence and addressed the stranger. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yeong-hoon.¡± The monster who had devoured four of hisrades in mere moments¡ªJeong Yeong-hoon¡ªbeamed with a bright smile. ¡°It has, hasn¡¯t it? A month, I think?¡± ¡°...It seems about that long,¡± Kim Jun-ho replied tly. ¡°Well, how have you been?¡± Yeong-hoon asked casually, as though nothing out of the ordinary had urred. --- ¡°Thanks to the power you granted me, I¡¯ve managed to survive so far,¡± Kim Jun-ho said calmly. ¡°I see. Good work.¡± Kim Jun-ho then asked, with no trace of hesitation, ¡°Is it my turn now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Was that why you ordered me to stay here without moving?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Kim Jun-ho let out a deep sigh, the kind that seemed to sink the ground beneath him. Then, he pleaded, ¡°Please spare me.¡± At that, Jeong Yeong-hoon burst into heartyughter before responding, ¡°You still don¡¯t understand why I¡¯m doing this?¡± ¡°I do. It¡¯s because drinking the condensed blood of mid-level vampires like us is more beneficial than going around hunting humans one by one.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite perceptive.¡± Tendrils of blood extended from Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s body, splitting into several strands that slithered toward Kim Jun-ho. One sharp strand darted forward, piercing Kim Jun-ho¡¯s face. A drop of blood trickled from the wound and was absorbed into Yeong-hoon¡¯s body. ¡°You¡¯re smart, but surely you also realize begging for your life won¡¯t change anything. If anything, you¡¯d have been better off throwing everything you had at me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t engage in fights I know I can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Heh. Amusing.¡± Kim Jun-ho continued, his tone steady. ¡°Currently, this organization consists of numerous low- and lowest-level vampires. While their blood is certainly more nutritious than that of ordinary humans, I assume it¡¯s not worth your time to hunt them personally. By the time you return, I will have created three more mid-level vampires.¡± ¡°I heard there aren¡¯t any humans left in this area. How will you manage that? Are you nning to leave?¡± ¡°Not quite. But there are still plenty of vampires.¡± Kim Jun-ho borated further. ¡°Thergest group belongs to Lee Jun-young¡¯s faction. My n is to dere him a traitor and offer his remains as food to the others.¡± ¡°...Continue.¡± ¡°Once they taste the blood of their own kind, they¡¯ll realize how much more efficient it is to cannibalize their fellow vampires rather than prey on dozens of ordinary humans. Left to their own devices, they¡¯ll naturally devour each other and evolve into mid-level vampires.¡± After listening to Kim Jun-ho¡¯s exnation, Jeong Yeong-hoon erupted intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re something else! You¡¯re really nning to w out a few more days of survival like that? Impressive, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± ¡°If I can prove my value to you, perhaps I could relocate to another ce and continue serving as a farm manager.¡± ¡°Oh? So, that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking?¡± ¡°If you spare me, I¡¯ll be your golden goose.¡± ¡°Pwahaha!¡± Afterughing for a long while, Jeong Yeong-hoon tilted his head slightly and offered a word of advice. ¡°Just in case, don¡¯t entertain the idea of stalling for time to be like me. High-level vampires aren¡¯t born from lowly beginnings like yours. You have to be chosen directly by Him. I was a high-level vampire from the start, and no matter how hard you try, you¡¯ll never reach that level.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± The blood tendrils slowly retracted back into Jeong Yeong-hoon¡¯s body.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Good.¡± Still chuckling, he added, ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting great things from you, farm manager.¡± With that, he disappeared into the shadows. For a long time after Jeong Yeong-hoon left, Kim Jun-ho remained motionless. He simply sat in the dark, staring ahead as if time itself had stopped. tter. Eventually, Kim Jun-ho stood from his chair and began inspecting the corpses of his fallenrades. His expression, which had remained nk up to this point, twisted into something monstrous. ¡°...That bastard.¡± With rage burning in his eyes, he began gathering the remains of the vampires he had personally raised. Crunch. Grinding his teeth, he thought to himself, I wonder¡­ will you still wear that smug look when you¡¯re on the verge of death? It was clear to him that the only reason Jeong Yeong-hoon had spared him was out of sheer whimsy¡ªconfidence that no matter what Kim Jun-ho did, he would never pose a threat. You¡¯re a nuisance. As Kim Jun-ho vowed revenge, Jeong Yeong-hoon was already deciding on his next destination. ¡°Hmm. Where was it again? Some apartmentplex, I think.¡± Meanwhile, the party led by Ha Dong-geon assembled in under an hour. In room 2901¡ªa mess of discarded bottles and garbage thanks to Kang Deok-su and Kim Geon¡¯s indulgences¡ªthey were briefed on the vampire situation. ¡°...And that¡¯s why I called you here,¡± the protagonist exined after detailing the circumstances. After hearing the exnation, Ha Dong-geon asked, ¡°Are they still there?¡± ¡°Yes, they haven¡¯t made any significant moves yet.¡± The protagonist was currently keeping a close watch on the vampires through the Absolute Eye. Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice hadpletely taken over the sewers of the apartmentplex, making it easy to track their movements. ¡°With your skills, it should be no problem to handle them. Even their strongest member, Ahn Sang-hyuk, is only a level 38 mid-level vampire. None of them can stand against your team, where everyone is at least level 40.¡± For Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, this mission was little more than a walk in the park. ¡°Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice will guide you to the apartmentplex. It¡¯s closer than you¡¯d think, so you¡¯ll be there in no time.¡± Even if unexpectedplications arose, it was unlikely they would pose a threat to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party. ¡°The only concern is that these creatures were once human,¡± the protagonist added. Ha Dong-geon replied calmly, ¡°But now they¡¯re just monsters that prey on humans.¡± ¡°...Are you sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡± Having faced the low-level vampire Jegal Seong-gyu before, the protagonist understood all too well how simr these creatures looked to humans. Even while knowing they were malevolent beings, he couldn¡¯t shake the difort he felt when they were exterminated en masse with gas explosions or poison. He suspected Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party might feel the same. Though it gets easier the more you kill, the protagonist thought, he remained concerned for the mental health of the already weary party members. ¡°Are you really sure you¡¯re okay with this?¡± he asked again. Sensing the concern, Ha Dong-geon met his gaze and spoke earnestly. ¡°I understand what you¡¯re worried about, Jae-hyun. But I think it¡¯s something we have to go through if we¡¯re to survive in this changed world.¡± ¡°...What do you mean?¡± ¡°There maye a time when we¡¯ll have to kill not just monsters that look human, but actual humans. If that dayes, I won¡¯t hesitate.¡± With a faint smile, Ha Dong-geon continued, ¡°Think of this as practice for when that timees. It¡¯s fine. If the pressure gets to us, we¡¯ll take a break, like today. Even drowning in a bottle like those two isn¡¯t a bad way to cope.¡± His tone was full of conviction. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Neither I nor my team are that fragile. Even if we falter, we¡¯ll pick ourselves back up¡ªjust like today.¡± The protagonist chuckled and replied, ¡°I suppose I was worrying for nothing.¡± Ha Dong-geon¡¯s resolve was clear. ¡°Let¡¯s rely on you once again for this mission.¡± The ace party was back in action. Chapter 81 "Nice work, Byeong-ho." I¡¯d received countless rewards from daily quests, but skill points were a rarity¡ªthis was only the second time I¡¯d ever gotten one. ¡°It was Byeong-ho back then too.¡± A lucky streak is a lifetime streak, it seems. Ever since I acquired the invisibility skill through the Binding Contract, even my presence had be invisible, but here he was, making himself useful in an unexpected way. Grinning at the thought of spending the free skill point I¡¯d earned thanks to Moon Byeong-ho, Seo Ye-jin tilted her head curiously and asked, ¡°What¡¯s got you so happy, oppa? Did something good happen?¡± ¡°Hmm. I hit the jackpot.¡± ¡°Jackpot?¡± Ruffling her hair as she looked up at me in confusion, I replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that something good happened, that¡¯s all.¡± The one skill point I had left had been reserved for upgrading my shop skill. At the current leveling pace, I figured I¡¯d max out the shop slots before reaching level 30, so I hadn¡¯t put much thought into where else to invest it. Looking over my skill menu, I pondered, ¡°The safe choice is probably the Dignity Maintenance skill...¡± From vassal registration to summoning familiars to drawing sacred artifacts, all the innovative functions hade from this skill. I was curious about what new feature might get added this time. ¡°Or should I upgrade the Warehouse skill?¡± Lately, the warehouse¡¯s 200 kg capacity had felt woefully insufficient. Its State Preservation function, which maintained the kic energy of stored items, had transformed it from simple storage to an invaluable tool inbat. Even during the recent fight with the mid-level vampire, I¡¯d used the warehouse to summon a stored projectile right in front of the vampire¡¯s eyes, blinding it. ¡°It¡¯s been more useful than I expected.¡± Another strong contender was the Absolute Eye skill, which I relied on heavily. ¡°It¡¯s indispensable now.¡± Few skills could rival the Absolute Eye in versatility. I¡¯d grown ustomed to the multi-vision feature and could easily manage three or four views simultaneously, even stretching to seven when necessary. ¡°But I don¡¯t feel the need to upgrade it just yet.¡± Though leveling it up might unlock new features, I was already satisfied with its current capabilities and saw no pressing reason to invest in it. My gaze shifted to The Absolute Ruler¡¯s Health. ¡°Would upgrading this reduce the pain of leveling up?¡± The thought was tempting, but I quickly dismissed it, shaking my head. ¡°Too much of a gamble.¡± If the upgrade turned out to be something mundane like Increased Regeneration, it would feel like a waste. Besides, I already had Oh Eon-ju¡¯s Primal Vitality skill, which drastically boosted my regenerative ability when wounded¡ªa reward for reaching 100 trust with her. And then there was the fairy. Summoned to the World Tree at my family¡¯s estate, it significantly boosted natural recovery rates within its domain during level-ups. At level 9, it was already providing a 900% efficiency boost, allowing minor wounds to heal in real-time. But most importantly, ¡°I don¡¯t get injured.¡± I was bound to the safe confines of my domain, and even in the rare case of an intrusion¡ªlike with Jegal Seong-gyu¡ªany hostile intent toward me would result in their head exploding, ending the threat instantly. ¡°I can¡¯t waste a skill point, even if it¡¯s free.¡± I went over each skill carefully, from Invisible Hand to Home Restoration to Absolute Door, considering where the point would be best spent. Finally, I made my decision. ¡°Stick to the safe choice.¡± [Do you wish to upgrade The Absolute Ruler¡¯s Dignity Maintenance skill?] ¡°Yes.¡± Woong! The skill menu shed with a golden glow. [The Absolute Ruler¡¯s Dignity Maintenance has been upgraded to Lv. 6.] A notification popped up, announcing the addition of a new feature. ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked at the name of the newly unlocked function. ¡°...Is this for real?¡± ******** In Room 2902, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, Seo Ye-jin, and my father were gathered together. I was the first to speak.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Judging by their movements, it¡¯s highly likely the vampires¡¯ main base is in Ulsan.¡± After a brief pause, I continued. ¡°In the worst-case scenario, the entirety of Ulsan might have fallen under the vampires¡¯ control.¡± ¡°!!¡± The expressions of those listening darkened immediately. Ulsan, a major industrial city with a poption of over a million, would be a devastating asset for the vampires. If they had used the city¡¯s poption as sustenance... ¡°It goes without saying that there will be even more high-level vampires. And based on what thest high-level vampire said, there¡¯s probably someone¡ªor something¡ªof an even higher rank leading them.¡± The high-level vampire we¡¯d recently killed hadn¡¯t said much, but his final words were chilling: ¡°If I¡¯d brought just two more of us¡ªno, even one¡ªit wouldn¡¯t be me dying here, it would¡¯ve been all of you.¡± If the vampires¡¯ organization consisted of only a handful of high-level members, he wouldn¡¯t have been so confident. Coming here alone had likely already been a strain on their resources. Yet he spoke as though summoning two or three high-level vampires was no issue at all. Turning to Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, I asked, ¡°If two or more high-level vampires show up, could you handle them?¡± A brief silence followed before Ha Dong-geon responded. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°I see.¡± There wasn¡¯t no way to manage it, though. ¡°Throwing money at the problem would work.¡± As my vassals, they could undergo artificial level-ups using money. If I raised Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party to level 50, the same level as a high-level vampire, victory was feasible. ¡°The problem is the cost¡ªbillions.¡± From level 45 onward, each level required a staggering 10 billion won. Thanks to a month of continuous hunting, their levels had risen by one or two, but the expense remained astronomical. At that moment, my father raised his hand. ¡°Son, I think I could handle three of them by myself. If your mother came along, we could probably take on even more.¡± He wasn¡¯t exaggerating. When paired with my mother, my father¡¯s physical amplification effect would activate, and with her King¡¯s Blessing skill, hisbat stats would soar even higher. Add Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing, and he might truly be able to wipe out all the high-level vampires singlehandedly. ¡°But...¡± Could even they handle the entity the vampires referred to as ¡°that one¡±? ¡°There¡¯s too little information.¡± Then, Kim Geon spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll go scout Ulsan.¡± ¡°You, Mr. Kim Geon?¡± ¡°Yes. With my ability, I can make it there and back in no time.¡± Merged with his familiar, Kkamangi, Kim Geon could fly at speeds exceeding 100 kilometers per hour. Ulsan was only about 50 kilometers away, meaning he could arrive in under 30 minutes if he flew at full speed. The problem was that if Ulsan turned out to be a vampire stronghold, Kim Geon would be in serious danger. Still... ¡°Then...¡± It was a necessary risk. ¡°I¡¯ll monitor the situation closely. If it bes dangerous, just buy a few seconds of time¡ªno more than that.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With just a few seconds, I could summon a vassal to rescue him. ¡°Please take care of this.¡± Meanwhile, in Ulsan, Seonuri was preparing to carry out her master¡¯s orders. ¡°What kind of monster could be there?¡± Two high-level vampires had been killed. While both were considered entric, they were far from weak¡ªamong high-level vampires, they were among the stronger ones. ¡°I¡¯ll have to be careful.¡± Her master had chosen Seonuri for the reconnaissance mission not because she was stronger than the fallen vampires, but because of her unique abilities. True vampires directly empowered by their master each possessed a unique blood-based ability. Swoosh. Standing on a rooftop, Seonuri extended her arms as streams of blood surged from her back, intertwining and forming a pair of crimson wings. p. After a few test ps, she boldly leapt from the rooftop, soaring high into the sky. The buildings below shrank rapidly as Ulsan¡¯s cityscape unfolded beneath her. The ability to fly¡ªit was a skill tailor-made for reconnaissance. ¡°Let¡¯s check things out quickly and return.¡± As she neared Busan, she swept her gaze across the area, looking for anything unusual. The exact location where Jeong Yeong-hoon and Go In-seok had fallen was unclear, so she nned to conduct a broad survey before narrowing her focus. However... ¡°What is that?¡± Seonuri blinked, unable to believe her eyes. Near the coastline, in a small vige, stood an enormous tree. ¡°How can it be that big?¡± The tree defied perspective, its massive form dominating the center of the settlement. Stranger still, there wasn¡¯t a single monster in the vicinity¡ªnot even the faintest trace of one. Seonuri instinctively understood. ¡°That tree¡­ it¡¯s definitely the one. Those two were killed by that tree.¡± It was no ordinary tree, evident at a nce. But then¡ª ¡°Hmm?¡± She noticed a few other peculiarities. ¡°...Humans?¡± There were people moving near the tree. Dusk was settling, and lights began flickering on here and there. At first, Seonuri thought they were lighting fires. But as she focused, she realized something else entirely. ¡°Electricity? They¡¯re using electricity?¡± The lights illuminating their homes weren¡¯t mes but LED bulbs. ¡°I need to get closer.¡± Hiding herself in the shadows, she cautiously flew lower. Suddenly¡ª Thud. ¡°Huh?¡± A transparent wall appeared in front of her, halting her progress. [ess Denied.] A strange holographic screen materialized before her eyes. ¡°...What is this?¡± As she stood there, startled by the unexpected situation¡ª [Would you like to obtain citizenship?] [Yes / No] A new prompt appeared on the screen. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± It seemed clear that acquiring ¡°citizenship¡± was necessary to pass through the invisible barrier. The realization sent shivers down Seonuri¡¯s spine. ¡°It recognized me!¡± Suddenly, she remembered how two high-level vampires, both stronger than her, had been effortlessly killed here in Busan. ¡°I-I need to get out of here!¡± Determining that further reconnaissance was too dangerous, Seonuri pped her wings frantically, her body soaring back into the sky. Terrified, she raced toward her home base in Ulsan. But as she flew, her gaze fell on something else. ¡°What is that now?¡± An area of the city was brightly illuminated, standing out like a beacon. It looked as if that ce alone had escaped the apocalypse. The lights spilling from the apartment buildings resembled starlight, and cars were even moving along the roads. ¡°What is going on here?¡± A sense of inexplicable dread filled Seonuri as she observed the sight. Without lingering, she beat her wings harder, putting as much distance as she could between herself and the eerie scene. Chapter 83 A new high-level vampire had appeared. Out of habit, I offered citizenship again, but as expected, it was rejected. ¡°What a shame.¡± If I could have secured citizenship, the control would have shifted entirely to me. I could have used quests to extract information about the scale of the vampires'' forces or the entity they called ¡®that one.¡¯ I could have even eliminated the vampire outright. Most importantly, I could have prevented them from returning with any information about me. In fact, I might have even been able to spread false information back to their base. A winged vampire, though... Stopping a vampire capable of flight was, unfortunately, out of my reach. The only one who could feasibly catch up was Kim Geon, with his own ability to fly, but I doubted he could take down a high-level vampire on his own. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped.¡± Besides, the amount of information this vampire could take back was limited¡ªjust the sight of the World Tree, the transparent barrier that protected it, and the offer of citizenship. ¡°Their response was quicker than I expected.¡± The first high-level vampire had taken a month to appear after the previous one was killed. Naturally, I assumed it would take a simr amount of time again. But less than a day after the second high-level vampire was killed, a third had shown up. ¡°Do they sense the deaths of their underlings?¡± It wasn¡¯t out of the realm of possibility. Even I received system notifications whenever my citizens died.@@novelbin@@ Still, this turn of events had its benefits. Thanks to Kim Geon¡¯s pursuit, I now knew the exact location of their base. Kim Geon was currently tailing the winged vampire. His superior speed,bined with the dark feathers of his familiar blending into the night, allowed him to follow without being noticed¡ªfor now. While watching Kim Geon maintain a steady distance behind the vampire, I heard my father call out from the kitchen ind. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± I replied, keeping myself on edge in casebat broke out. ¡°Can we talk for a bit?¡± ¡°Of course. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± He held up a bottle of soju and asked, ¡°Want a drink?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks.¡± ¡°Shame.¡± He poured himself a ss, then smiled as I offered to pour for him. ¡°Fill it to the brim.¡± The soju rose above the rim of the ss, held in ce by surface tension. Satisfied, my father nodded and took a sip. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You shoulde home more often. Your grandmother misses you.¡± Grandma was still asleep most of the time. Thanks to the fairy¡¯s growing power, she could now stay awake for ten minutes or so, but she spent most of her days resting. My mother was devotedly caring for her, so I didn¡¯t worry too much. Still, I hadn¡¯t visited her in a long time, and that was on me. ¡°I¡¯ll visit soon.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The ramen my father had made,plete with ham and dumplings, was the perfect drinking snack. ¡°Want a bite?¡± ¡°...Sure.¡± He handed me a bowl and chopsticks. The greasy broth coated my tongue as I took a sip. It was exactly as I¡¯d expected¡ªdelicious. My father¡¯s ramen, with its mix of ingredients, had always been surprisingly good. ¡°Taste good?¡± ¡°Yes, very.¡± With that, he finally got to the point. ¡°About the vampires.¡± He emptied his ss, then continued, ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± I refilled his ss and replied, ¡°First, we need to gauge their numbers.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Depending on their scale, we¡¯ll n how to eliminate them.¡± My father raised a question that caught me off guard. ¡°Do we have to eliminate them?¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°If those vampires have taken over all of Ulsan, isn¡¯t it dangerous? What if your people are put at risk?¡± His gaze was serious. ¡°Do we really need to take that risk? Even if theye here to fight, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to handle them then. And if ites down to it, we can just retreat into your safe zone. The barrier will protect us, and we¡¯ll be fine.¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. If the vampires attacked, they wouldn¡¯t be able to prate the transparent barrier. ¡°Why, then?¡± he asked. I paused, asking myself the same question. Why am I so determined to take the fight to them? Images of the dead shed through my mind¡ªthose who had perished due to my carelessness despite having gained citizenship. I saw the faces of children crying over their lost parents. ¡°I...¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to let something like that happen again. Despite all the precautions I had in ce, I couldn¡¯t shake the anxiety. I wanted to cut off any potential for tragedy at the root. ¡°A month ago, I mistakenly epted a vampire as a citizen,¡± I began, recounting the events of that day. My father listened in silence, his face hardening as I described the horrors that had unfolded. ¡°Dad, they eat people. I can¡¯t let that happen.¡± As I spoke, I felt my resolve crystallize. ¡°Even if Ulsan has fallen into their hands, there will still be survivors. I¡¯m going to exterminate the vampires there and save those people.¡± I forced a sheepish smile and added, ¡°Of course, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party will take the lead, but I¡¯m not just sitting idly by. I¡¯ll do everything I can to help. This time, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± My father suddenly downed his soju in one go and let out an appreciative exhale. ¡°Whew. Sorry.¡± ¡°...For what?¡± With a slightly flushed face, he awkwardly refilled his ss and avoided my gaze. ¡°I thought you were doing this for the experience points.¡± ¡°...Excuse me?¡± ¡°Well, killing vampires gives a lot of experience, doesn¡¯t it? So I thought¡ª¡± I shot him a withering look as he gulped down more soju. ¡°You¡¯re drinking too much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Want more ramen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Trying to change the subject, my father muttered, ¡°Anyway, sorry for misunderstanding.¡± I finished eating and cleaned up just as the high-level vampire reached Ulsan. She didn¡¯t slow down as she entered the city, and fortunately, Kim Geon hadn¡¯t been spotted yet. ¡°Goodnight, Dad.¡± ¡°Yeah, goodnight.¡± After ensuring my father had gone to bed, I focused all my attention on The Absolute Eye. ¡°She should be arriving soon.¡± The high-level vampire flew over Ulsan¡¯s center, Samsan-dong, before sharply descending. ¡°So, this is their base.¡± From above, the city looked normal¡ªno copsed skyscrapers, no massive footprints. ¡°I¡¯m going in.¡± [Be careful.] From a distance, the city appeared peaceful. But as Kim Geon approached, the true nature of the city began to reveal itself. ******** ¡°Hah¡­ haah¡­!¡± Park Sae-rom was running for her life. From behind, the sound of excited vampires chasing her filled the air. ¡°A human!¡± ¡°Catch her!¡± Park Sae-rom¡¯s luck had run out. Hearing her presence, a swarm of starving vampires had gathered in an instant. Before she knew it, vampires were closing in from the front and sides, baring their fangs. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Desperately holding back her sobs, she struggled to find a way to survive. Just as she began climbing over an apartmentplex fence¡ª ¡°There she is!¡± ¡°A human, over there!¡± ¡°Move aside!¡± She froze mid-climb as more vampires surged toward her from inside theplex. ¡°Ah, shit. I¡¯m screwed.¡± She regretted it¡ªregretteding here, only to die a pointless death. She had overestimated her abilities. At that moment¡ª ¡°Ugh?!¡± A sudden force gripped her shoulders and armpits. Park Sae-rom soon realized she was being lifted into the air. Slowly tilting her head upward, she saw the form of a monstrous crow. ¡°Hah¡­¡± It was absurd. She had escaped the vampires, only to be captured by this strange creature. ¡°Then again, at least I¡¯m out of there. If I stay sharp, maybe I can escape this monster too.¡± She clung to the thought that, given enough time, her abilities would allow her to turn the situation around. For now, she nced down at the vampires below, who were barking in frustration like dogs chasing a lost prey. The sight amused her enough to momentarily forget her predicament. ¡°You idiots! Go to hell, you morons!¡± she shouted gleefully. ¡°Please be quiet.¡± A calm voice interrupted her triumphant yelling. Startled, Park Sae-rom slowly looked up. ¡°...Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t draw more attention from the vampires, please,¡± said the crow, its beak moving unnaturally as it spoke human words. She mped her mouth shut, dumbfounded. The crow monster carried her to a nearby rooftop, setting her down gently before perching nearby. Its beak opened again. ¡°I have a few questions for you.¡± Still wary, Park Sae-rom took a few steps back and asked, ¡°W-what is it?¡± ¡°How much do you know about the vampires?¡± ¡°...About the vampires?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well¡­ if you destroy their heart, they die?¡± The crow fell silent for a moment before responding. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°Wait! Hold on! I have a question too!¡± Park Sae-rom interrupted. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Squinting her eyes suspiciously, she asked, ¡°Are you¡­ human?¡± It was a question born of a slim hope. In a world overrun by monsters, it wouldn¡¯t be strange for some humans to undergo transformations. A talking crow was still easier to believe than some miraculous monster suddenly learning to speak humannguages. The crow answered, ¡°I am human.¡± ¡°Prove it.¡± After a brief hesitation, the crow¡¯s form began to shift. A ck bird separated from its body and fluttered away, leaving behind a perfectly ordinary man. ¡°Is this sufficient?¡± !! ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± The man turned to her and said, ¡°Now, please tell me what you know about the vampires. How many of them are in this city?¡± ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re asking about their gathering spots? Lucky for you, I¡¯m an expert in that.¡± ¡°Please share your knowledge.¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can just give such valuable information away¡­¡± The man¡¯s expression grew cold as he stared at her, unimpressed. ¡°You¡¯re quite shameless.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just who I am,¡± Park Sae-rom replied with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯m kidding, of course. I¡¯m not that heartless. Just do me a little favor¡ª¡± She was about to ask for help escaping the vampires¡¯ territory when the air hummed, and a c and chocte bar materialized in front of her. ¡°¡­Will this suffice?¡± the man asked. Dumbfounded, Park Sae-rom grabbed the c first and popped it open. Fizz. The sound of carbonation was heavenly. She raised the can to her lips and gulped it down. ¡°!¡± The c was the real deal. The sharp fizz stung her throat, but instead of pain, she felt pure bliss. Draining the can in one go, she let out a loud burp. ¡°Buuurp!¡± Reaching for the chocte bar in the man¡¯s hand, she was stopped as he pulled it back slightly. ¡°Answer my questions first,¡± he said firmly. With a sparkle in her eyes, she replied, ¡°What would you like to know, master?¡± Chapter 84 Park Sae-rom muttered while chewing on a chocte bar. "It''s not like the entire Ulsan area is crawling with vampires. It''s roughly... about half?" It wasn¡¯t an entirely hopeless figure. At least it didn¡¯t mean the whole city had turned into vampires. "The southern part, below the Taehwa River, is vampire territory, so it¡¯s dangerous. But as soon as you cross the river, it¡¯s fine. Over there, humans are more dangerous!" Listening to her through the Absolute One¡¯s Eyes, something felt off. This ce was clearly located south of the Taehwa River. In other words, it was vampire territory. I immediately activated the Ring of Communication and conveyed my thoughts to Kim Geon. [Could you ask her why she was being chased in vampire territory?] Kim Geon nodded slightly and parroted my words. "If this area is vampire territory, why were you being chased here?" "Ah, that? Things just got a little messy." Finishing off the chocte bar, Park Sae-rom effortlessly switched to informal speech. "Anyway, how much more of that stuff can you make? Like the one from earlier?" When Kim Geon gave her a sour look, Park Sae-rom nced around nervously and added a polite tone. "Y-you?" I chuckled at the exchange and bought a 1.25-liter bottle of c and a pack of ABC choctes from the shop. Buzz¡ª The cold c and choctes materialized mid-air, and Park Sae-rom¡¯s eyes immediately sharpened. Before Kim Geon could grab them, she darted forward and snatched both the c and choctes. Finally, I got my answer. "Why do you think I risked my lifeing all the way here? Obviously, to get food. I have people I need to feed." Before even finishing the food in her hands, she was already back to speaking informally. Kim Geon let out a faintugh, but Park Sae-rom leaned in and made a suggestion in a sweet voice. "So, about that... Could you maybee with me for a bit?" Kim Geon¡¯s silent gaze, which seemed like a polite refusal, made Park Sae-rom¡¯s voice grow even more urgent. "No, seriously. Judging by how you look, you¡¯ve got a lot of questions, too. Why don¡¯t we go somewhere safer and have a more in-depth conversation?" She had a point. Talking here, in vampire territory, wasn¡¯t exactly the best idea. ''Honestly, I¡¯ve already learned what I needed to know.'' It was a huge gain just to confirm that there were still survivor groups north of the Taehwa River. ''The only other useful information might be about their organization.'' From what Park Sae-rom said, it didn¡¯t sound like all the survivor groups were united. I was curious about their situation. [Let¡¯s go and hear her out. I¡¯m also curious about why humans are more dangerous.] Kim Geon nodded slightly and asked, "Where do we need to go?" "First, transform." As Kim Geon reverted to his ck-winged form, Park Sae-rom stared at him in amazement and pointed across the river. "Over there." "Got it." Kim Geon confirmed the direction and pped his wings, soaring into the sky. "Huh? Wait! I¡¯m not on yet¡ª!" Park Sae-rom¡¯s sentence was cut short. Kim Geon had already grabbed her by both shoulders with his talons and lifted her into the air. "Hey! Wait a second! That hurts! It really hurts!" "Just bear with it." "You son of a¡ª! Carry me on your back!" "No." "Why?!" Kim Geon spoke tly. "You stink." Park Sae-rom froze, her face filled with shock. "...What?" "You reek. Badly." It was true. The Absolute One¡¯s Eyes didn¡¯t just provide vision¡ªthey also detected scents and airflow, and Park Sae-rom did, in fact, smell terrible. It made sense. In this ruined world, where even finding drinking water was a struggle, the chance to properly wash was practically nonexistent. I was once again reminded of how much of a blessing my domain¡¯s resources truly were. "You bastard! Get down here! Now!" Park Sae-rom thrashed and shouted, but Kim Geon remained calm. "Hold still. You¡¯ll fall." "Ugh." ncing down at the ground far below, Park Sae-rom quickly quieted down. With a look of satisfaction, Kim Geon pped his wings harder, winning the battle of wills. "...That¡¯s all." Seo Nuri bowed deeply as she finished her report. She clenched her eyes shut. The more she spoke, the more she realized how insignificant her findings seemed. All she¡¯d gathered was information about a giant tree, a massive protective wall, and something called ¡°citizenship.¡± She hadn¡¯t figured out how those things had led to the deaths of Jeong Yeong-hoon and Go In-seok. Bracing herself for criticism, she waited. "Interesting." !! Seo Nuri¡¯s eyes snapped open in surprise. "A tree only the size of an apartment building, huh."@@novelbin@@ She was flustered. It was the first time she¡¯d seen the man in front of her show any emotion. He always wore an expressionless face, issuing orders like a machine. The idea of him smiling had never crossed her mind. "Hmm." Sinking deeper into the sofa, the man raised his wine ss. He swirled the crimson liquid¡ªblood¡ªbefore taking a sip and giving a shortmand. "Guide me." Seo Nuri blinked in confusion. "Pardon?" The man calmly set his ss on the table and rose from his seat. Then he spoke again. "Guide me to where that tree is. I¡¯m going there myself." It took a moment for his words to register. Seo Nuri quickly responded, flustered. "Y-yes, sir! I¡¯ll take you there immediately!" ******** The ce Park Sae-rom guided us to was a Homeplus, housing a sizable survivor group. It was a massive organization with a poption nearing a thousand. But what intrigued me more was¡ª "Yo, Park Sae-rom. Still alive, huh? Who¡¯s the newbie behind you?" "Back off. I¡¯ve already imed him." "What? Now I¡¯m even more curious because you said that." "Go eat shit." A rough exchange of greetings with a middle-aged man. He was: ¡ºJung Woong (Lv. 21)¡» Awakening Ability: Stone Fist ''Another one.'' An awakened. ''That¡¯s already the third one.'' I¡¯d only encountered about a hundred people in this thousand-strong group, yet I¡¯d already found three awakened individuals¡ªincluding Park Sae-rom. ''Five total now, counting everyone I¡¯ve met so far.'' And I hadn¡¯t even conducted a full sweep of the poption. Just following Park Sae-rom to the Homeplus rooftop, I¡¯d already spotted two more awakened among the crowd. ''Why are there so many?'' Based on my experience, this ratio didn¡¯t make any sense. ''This shouldn¡¯t be possible.'' Out of over 50,000 people I¡¯d taken in so far, there had only been six Naturals¡ªthose like Ha Dong-geon and Oh Eon-ju, who were awakened before bing vassals. That was roughly one awakened per 8,000 people. Yet here, with just around a thousand people, there were already three. ''This ce might be a hidden treasure trove.'' Naturals generally showed better performance, whether they became vassals or signed subordination contracts. For me, gaining citizens with high potential was a jackpot. ''It¡¯s frustrating that I can¡¯t issue citizenship right away.'' Park Sae-rom led the way, confidently pushing open a door marked ¡°Staff Only¡± in the dimly lit Homeplus. The glow of a shlight weed us. "Ugh. Haven¡¯t you cleaned this up?" "What¡¯s up, Park Sae-rom?" "Oh? You¡¯re back already?" "What the hell? You¡¯re early. Failed, huh?" Park Sae-rom flipped them off. "Screw you guys. Is that how you talk to a leader who barely made it out alive?" "Leader, my ass. Where¡¯s your backpack?" "I ditched it to survive, you bastards." She shook her head irritably, probably recalling the chase by the vampires, and tossed the c and choctes onto a sofa. "Whoa, is that c?" "Oh! Guess you didn¡¯tpletely fail after all." While herpanions tore into the choctes, Park Sae-rom grabbed the shlight on the table and shone it at Kim Geon. "So, what are you curious about, dear customer?" "Who¡¯s this guy?" "Shut up and stay still." Her tone oozed confidence, clearly intending to milk us for information fees¡ªprobably spurred by Kim Geon¡¯s earlierments. ''No need to waste time.'' I¡¯d already nced through the Homeplus during our approach. The situation wasn¡¯t great. From their worn-out faces and shabby appearances, it was obvious they were short on supplies. Large supermarkets like this had clear advantages¡ªess to tools, food, and other essentials. But even a well-stocked warehouse couldn¡¯t sustain them forever. They were already reaching their limit. Park Sae-rom had risked her life just to scavenge some food. ''Open the shop.'' I decided to give them what they craved the most. And far more than they expected. ''Shock therapy.'' Cans of water, tuna, and Spam. Ramen, fruits, snacks, drinks¡ªan avnche of supplies materialized in boxes around Kim Geon. "W-what?" Park Sae-rom cautiously approached the growing mountain of boxes, opened one, and¡ª Rip¡ª It was filled with c, her favorite. "No way." She froze like a broken robot. "...Amazing." Then¡ª "Huaaaaah!" She burst into tears. I was momentarily stunned by the unexpected reaction. Even Kim Geon stood awkwardly frozen in front of her. Herrades inside reacted quickly. "Sae-rom? What¡¯s wrong?" "Are you okay?" "What is it?" They gathered around her, confused by the sudden sobbing and the piles of boxes. "I-I don¡¯t get it... What¡¯s going on?" "What the hell? Where did all thise from?" As they stared at the supplies in disbelief¡ª "Ahhh!" "Sae-rom, calm down!" Herrades tried to console her as she sat on the floor, crying uncontrobly. Meanwhile¡ª "Holy shit! Look! It¡¯s ramen!" "What? No way!" Chaos erupted as they tore through the boxes. "Wait, why is it all Jin Ramyeon Mild?!" "Hey, Jin Ramyeon¡¯s good, okay?" "Whatever, just gimme one. I¡¯m eating it raw." In the middle of the frenzy, Park Sae-rom crawled over to Kim Geon, tears still streaming down her face. "A-anything you want to know... hic... just ask, master... hic." The shock therapy had worked¡ªtoo well. ''Feels a little bittersweet.'' Still, she¡¯d risked her life to feed her people. That wasn¡¯t something just anyone could do. "Hic, this is like winning the lottery. Hic, jackpot!" From that moment on, Park Sae-rom answered every question sincerely, like a devoted servant. Chapter 85 ording to Park Sae-rom, the survivor groups were mainly divided into three factions: the Sports Complex Group, the Jungang-dong Group, and the Industrial Zone Group. "We belong to the Sports Complex Group," Park Sae-rom exined, her tone now much calmer. Kim Geon asked, "This looks like a supermarket, so why is it called the Sports Complex Group?" I¡¯d been wondering the same thing. Park Sae-rom quickly rified. "This isn¡¯t our main base. The Sports Complex Group is named after the main base near the stadium. Our headquarters is actually at the police station nearby." "A police station?" "Well, technically, it¡¯s the whole area around the police station, but everyone just refers to it as the main base. Our group¡¯s leader is the police chief, so people naturally call it that." It was surprising information. ''So the thousand people in the supermarket aren¡¯t even the whole group?'' The survivor groups in Ulsan were muchrger than I had anticipated. "We¡¯re part of the supply division¡ªSupply Team 3. That¡¯s why we¡¯re stationed here." Supply Team 3. That implied there were at least two other teams of simr size. If Teams 1 and 2 were asrge as Team 3, the supply division alone had around 3,000 people. ''Then what¡¯s the total poption?'' I told Kim Geon to ask about the group¡¯s structure and poption size. Park Sae-rom tilted her head slightly and replied, "There are three supply teams and threebat teams. The total poption... I think it¡¯s a little over 10,000." "Are the other groups that big too?" "Ours is thergest, but the others aren¡¯t that much smaller." So just in this region, there were about 30,000 survivors. "There are also smaller groups that aren¡¯t part of the big three. Most of them gather around apartmentplexes, and their numbers are pretty substantial too." There were far too many survivors. ''How can there be so many??'' It didn¡¯t add up. The number of citizens under my protection was around 50,000¡ªand that included everyone in Seomyeon and Jagalchi Marketbined. Yet here, with no apparent protection, tens of thousands of survivors had managed to hold out? ''And this area has vampires far more dangerous than goblins or orcs...'' The strength of the higher vampires was overwhelming. Unless someone with abilitiesparable to mine was protecting these people, such a survival rate should have been impossible. The high ratio of awakened individuals only added to the mystery. Park Sae-rom kept talking, eagerly sharing what she knew. "The Jungang-dong Group is based near the Taehwa River. They¡¯re kind of heroes, holding back the vampires. We sendbat units to help them stop the vampires from moving north. The real problem is..." Her expression darkened. "The Industrial Zone Group. Those bastards are just bandits. They steal, kill, and do whatever they want. They¡¯re worse than the vampires. That¡¯s why I said humans are more dangerous." Her words felt off. ''...Why hasn¡¯t she mentioned any other monsters?'' No goblins, no orcs¡ªjust humans? I told Kim Geon to ask about goblins and orcs. Park Sae-rom let out a dryugh. "Goblins? Orcs? Are you joking?" She was beingpletely serious. And it wasn¡¯t just her. "Have you ever seen an orc?" "Nope. Never seen a goblin either." "Wait, but he looks dead serious. Are they real?" The others in the group were just as clueless. Noticing Kim Geon¡¯s confusion, Park Sae-rom hesitated and added, "Uh, sometimes giant boars show up. They¡¯re good for food." An awkward silence followed. "Anyway, want to meet the leader of Supply Team 3? I can take you." But before we could proceed¡ª [Unauthorized entity attempting entry.] ''Huh?'' [Entity eligible for citizenship approaching your territory.] [Would you like to propose citizenship?] A system message appeared, showing an image of a woman. ''That¡¯s...!'' The winged vampire woman Kim Geon had chased earlier. I had confirmed through the Absolute One¡¯s Eyes that she¡¯d reached Ulsan. ''How did she¡ª'' And once again, she was at Jagalchi Market¡ªnear my main base. I tried to extend the Absolute One¡¯s Eyes to view the scene, but¡ª "Argh!" A sudden, piercing pain shot through me. [Unauthorized entity attempting entry!] [Unauthorized entity attempting entry!] [Unauthorized entity attempting entry!] Multiple alerts popped up in rapid session. The pain felt like a hot iron branding my insides. But I endured it¡ªI¡¯d faced worse during level-ups. Focusing through the Absolute One¡¯s Eyes, I locked onto the location. A woman pped her wings, retreating into the distance. And then¡ª ''There¡¯s another one?'' A man floated beside her, gliding effortlessly through the air. ''Who is he?'' The system had only gged one entity. But there was clearly a second figure. Unlike the woman, the man had no wings¡ªbut still hovered as if gravity didn¡¯t apply to him. Then¡ª ''What is that...?'' Fwoosh! Dark red mes red against the transparent barrier protecting my territory. The pain corresponded exactly to the burning spot. And there¡ª ''...A hole?'' A tear, as if a de had cut through the barrier. The mes faded as the tear slowly sealed itself, leaving no trace behind. ''What the hell...?'' The man turned and looked directly at me, his eyes gleaming with hunger. ¡ºTrue Progenitor (Lv. 62)¡» ...... The creature stared at the area for a moment before vanishing behind the female vampire. A monster. The situation was now abundantly clear. ''It¡¯s not that they couldn¡¯t take Ulsan.'' If that thing had wanted to, it could have wiped out the entire city on its own. ''They deliberately left it alone.'' I couldn¡¯t guess its exact intentions, but it was obvious that it had allowed the survivors to remain. ''Should I abandon this ce?'' The mere thought of confronting such a monster sent a chill down my spine. The fear of provoking it gnawed at me. ''This is a first.'' The transparent barrier had been breached. And the implications were severe. ''That means it¡¯s possible to force entry into my domain.'' A high-level monster breaking in without citizenship. It was a catastrophic threat. Worse yet, there was no guarantee the system¡¯s protection¡ªwhich destroyed hostile intruders¡ªwould even apply to that creature. ''If it enters...'' Would I survive? Chances were¡ª ''I¡¯d die.'' A shiver ran down my spine. That primal fear, dulled by thefort of the safe zone, was resurfacing. ''It backed off this time, but...'' Who knew when it would return? Ulsan and Busan were too close. And the fact that it hade all the way to my domain left me uneasy. ''I can¡¯t just leave this unchecked.'' Ignoring the threat would be a death sentence. ''That gaze...'' It wasn¡¯t the look of someone leaving for good. It was the gaze of a predator waiting for the right moment. It woulde back. ''If a confrontation is inevitable...'' I needed to seize control while I still had the chance. ''First, I need to cut down their numbers.'' I wasn¡¯t nning to charge in recklessly. There was a strategy¡ªone that would maximize damage against the vampires. ''Looks like it¡¯s finally time for this.'' Establishing an outpost. I intended to stake a im in Ulsan. ''Building an outpost requires two things.'' The first wasnd that met the conditions for construction. The second was three vassals with the rank of [Knight] or higher. ''I can send Ha Dong-geon¡¯s team for the manpower...'' The problem was thend. Based on past experiences, outpost construction required clearing out boss-level monsters upying the area¡ªsuch as goblin chiefs or orc warlords. But here¡¯s the catch¡ª ''There aren¡¯t any goblins or orcs here.'' Instead, the area was infested with vampires. To build an outpost, I¡¯d need to carve out space in their territory. ''That would draw too much attention.'' The vampire leader would definitely get involved. Even though it had only made a small breach in the barrier, the power it disyed was terrifying. If it interfered, the oue would be unpredictable. ''I need to dy its involvement as much as possible.'' Taking all of this into ount, the Homeplus that Park Sae-rom led me to seemed like the best spot for an outpost. ''It¡¯s not ideal, but it¡¯ll have to do.'' As I reactivated the Absolute One¡¯s Eyes, focusing back on Kim Geon, I saw Park Sae-rom introducing a man. "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Shin Jung-min." "Hey! Bow lower, Team Leader! Do you even know who this is?!" "Wow, Sae-rom speaking formally? This must be someone important." A short man approached Kim Geon with an easygoing smile, extending his hand. I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ''Well, well.'' This guy wasn¡¯t ordinary. ¡ºMid-Level Vampire (Lv. 33)¡» Seo Nuri remained silent on the way back to Ulsan. The man following behind her wore a cold expression. Seo Nuri kept ncing nervously, but the man was fixated on his hand, reying the recent encounter in his mind. ''What was that power...?'' He had been in high spirits when he first discovered the young World Tree. He believed he could either burn it down or possibly consume part of its power. But as he approached, an unknown force had stopped him. Even with the Blessing of the Great One, his attempt to break through had failed. ''It wasn¡¯t the World Tree¡¯s power.'' The barrier protecting the tree clearly came from something else entirely. The man stared at his hand. His grotesquely burned right hand twitched as it slowly regenerated. For someone with his regenerative ability, this level of damage was absurd. ''Unbelievable.'' All he had managed to do was create a small hole. And the cost had been severe. ''If I had forced my way in...'' He might not have survived. He recalled the massive scale of the barrier and the overwhelming presence radiating from within. ''I¡¯ve never felt anything like that before.'' He trembled slightly. Fear. And awe. ''Could it be a god... descended into this world?''@@novelbin@@ His body shuddered at the thought. ''The night of the full moon is approaching.'' On that night, when the blood-soaked earth would be reborn under the Blessing of the Great One, ''Then...'' The blessing would rapidly expand its territory, eventually devouring even that magnificent power. ''This could be an opportunity.'' A twisted smile crept across his lips. Chapter 86 "The Team 3 leader is a vampire?" "Yeah." It was hard to believe. But¡ª ''It¡¯s Jae-hyun¡¯s word.'' I couldn¡¯t ignore it. Still, the idea that the leader of a survivor group was a vampire felt too coincidental. ''Something¡¯s off.'' As Kim Geon mulled over the situation with a serious expression, Park Sae-rom let out a dryugh. "Are you joking?" "No." Kim Geon¡¯s firm response made Park Sae-rom hesitate before replying. "Alright. I¡¯ll trust you." Even without full confidence, she made her stance clear. "So, what do you need me to do?" "You trust me after just one day?" "I trust your abilities." Park Sae-rom smirked and added, "Besides, if things go wrong and I get kicked out, you¡¯ll take care of me, right?" "I promise." Park Sae-rom squinted and asked, "By the way, did you used to wear sses?" "¡­How did you know?" "Because you keep pushing them up like they¡¯re still there." "¡­Oh." Park Sae-rom grinned. "So, why don¡¯t you wear them anymore? Did you get LASIK?" "No. My vision improved after I got my abilities." At first, his eyesight had only improved slightly, but after merging with Crow and forming a contract with Kim Jae-hyun, his vision had be nearly perfect. It wasn¡¯t just his eyesight. His role within the group had solidified as a scout. His decision toe to Ulsan was a way to prove his worth to Kim Jae-hyun. "But seriously, what¡¯s the n? If Team 3¡¯s leader is really a vampire, we have to do something." Kim Geon repeated Jae-hyun¡¯s instructions. "For now, we don¡¯t do anything. Just keep an eye on him." "You mean we gather evidence first and then take him down? Got it." That wasn¡¯t quite it. Jae-hyun had simply told them to wait. ''They¡¯re arriving tomorrow.'' Jae-hyun¡¯s party was set to leave early in the morning and arrive by the afternoon. ''That¡¯s when it¡¯ll start.'' From Kim Geon¡¯s perspective, the survivors and vampires here seemed to be in a tense stalemate. Once Ha Dong-geon¡¯s team got involved, the bnce would undoubtedly shift in favor of the survivors. ''With Jae-hyun¡¯s power, uniting the survivor groups shouldn¡¯t be hard.'' Being in Ulsan made Kim Geon realize again how extraordinary Jae-hyun¡¯s abilities were. Here, people risked their lives for scraps of food, even resorting to murder to steal supplies. ''Without Jae-hyun, we wouldn¡¯t be much different.'' Limited resources would have forced people to fight, and survival might have meant killing others. "I¡¯m going to the bathroom." Park Sae-rom asked, "Number one or number two?" "¡­Why do you care?" "If it¡¯s number two, you¡¯ll have to go outside. I was going to show you a good spot." "It¡¯s number one." "Got it. Go left and you¡¯ll find a public restroom." The bathroom reeked from the entrance. Inside, the smell was even worse. Theck of running water and electricity had left it filthy. No overflowing sewage, at least, but the sight was revolting nheless. Looking at the mess, Kim Geon felt another wave of gratitude toward Kim Jae-hyun. ''We¡¯re able to live like humans thanks to him.'' Kim Geon muttered under his breath. "Jae-hyun, are you there?" [Yes, what¡¯s the matter?] "Can I tell her about you now? She seems trustworthy." Park Sae-rom still believed Kim Geon¡¯s powers came from his own abilities. It felt good to be trusted but also burdensome. ''I need to clear this up eventually.'' [Do as you see fit.] "Thank you." Kim Geon¡¯s sense of loyalty deepened as hepared the harsh reality here to their safe zone. ''I¡¯ll do even better from now on.'' Holding his breath, he returned to the group. "What do you think Jae-hyun will do about the Team 3 leader?" Kim Geon wasn¡¯t doubting Jae-hyun, but killing the leader, who had strong ties with the survivors, could lead to bacsh. ''We need solid proof first.'' Revealing the vampire¡¯s true identity wouldn¡¯t be easy. ''Jae-hyun must already have a n.'' The next afternoon. Ha Dong-geon and the rest of the team arrived in Ulsan. With Park Sae-rom¡¯s help, they blended into her group. Shortly after¡ª Bang! A gunshot echoed through the base. [You have in Mid-Level Vampire (Lv. 33).] [Gained arge amount of experience.] [Deposited: ?1,133,423,899.] [Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has eliminated the leader of Ulsan Homeplus.] [Outpost construction now avable.] ''It¡¯s done.'' As expected, killing the vampire cleared the requirements for building an outpost. I had hesitated at first. There was a chance the leader might be a ¡°good vampire,¡± like something out of a movie. But Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s investigation erased any doubts. He had used invisibility to check the vampire¡¯s private quarters¡ªand found a corpse. A young girl¡¯s lifeless body, pale with two puncture marks on her neck. It was clear she had died from blood loss. The sight left no room for hesitation. I immediately ordered Moon Byeong-ho to take the shot. Now, the vampire¡¯s subordinates burst into the room. Moon Byeong-ho, still invisible, watched from the shadows as they scrambled. With the vampire¡¯s body gone, they naturally turned to the corpse. "Boss! Are you here?!" They searched frantically until¡ª "H-Hey! Over here!" "What? What is it?" One of them, visibly shaken, pointed at the girl¡¯s corpse. "I-It looks like a vampire attack." "The bite marks on the neck were undeniable proof that it was a vampire attack." And then¡ª "Isn¡¯t this the girl who went missing after being rescued a while ago?" Their expressions turned grim. The circumstantial evidence pointed to a shocking conclusion. "Was the Team Leader really a vampire...?" In the heavy silence, Moon Byeong-ho slipped away from the scene. [Good work.] I confirmed that Moon Byeong-ho had sessfully exited and immediately activated Construction Mode. From my vantage point, Seomyeon and Jagalchi Market appeared like miniature models. Beyond the domain¡¯s border stretched a vast expanse of darkness, broken only by the faint glow marking Ulsan¡¯s Homeplus, where Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had settled. ''Outpost construction.'' [This facility requires 3 citizens with the title of ¡®Knight¡¯ or higher during the 7-day construction period.] [Proceed with construction?] [Yes/No] ''Yes.'' Then, an unexpected bonus popped up. [6 citizens with the title of ¡®Knight¡¯ or higher detected.] [Construction efficiency increased by 100%.] [Time remaining until constructionpletion: 83 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.] Seeing the reduced time, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ''Saved some crystals there.'' I hadn¡¯t nned to wait seven days anyway. [Complete immediately? Requires 9 crystals.] "Do it." A hum resonated¡ª [Eligible citizens detected.] [Grant citizenship?] The entire Homeplus was now part of my domain. ''Bingo.'' Details of the thousand residents filled my vision as I scanned through the data. "Seven awakened... and 19 vampires." I swept my gaze over the newly acquired territory. Many stood frozen, unsure of what had just happened. I marked the locations of the 19 vampires. ''Summon vassals.'' I summoned my forces¡ªHa Dong-geon¡¯s party, Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s team, and the newly recruited Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon¡ªcing them near the vampires. Then¡ª sh! I supplied electricity to the Homeplus, flooding the area with light. Preparations wereplete. ''Grant citizenship.'' The regr survivors, now forcibly granted citizenship, checked themselves in confusion. Some stared nkly at the suddenly illuminated ceiling. And then¡ª "Aaaah!" The vampires screamed. -90% stat reduction. Buffs canceled. Continuous pain inflicted. A red mark branded on their foreheads. These were the effects of the [Vampire] title¡ªautomatically applied when a citizen turned into a vampire. "W-What¡¯s going on?!"@@novelbin@@ "What¡¯s wrong?! Are you okay?!" Their worriedpanions rushed to help them¡ª But¡ª "Kyaaaah!" No longer in control, the vampires bared their fangs and lunged at the humans. Weakened by the title¡¯s effects, they created openings for my vassals to step in. Thud! sh¡ªStab! Crash¡ªSmash! Vampires were subdued across the store using a variety of methods. Confirming that no civilians were hurt, I turned to Seo Ye-jin, who had been waiting beside me. "Let¡¯s go." "Okay." ck¡ª We stepped out to see Park Sae-rom staring at the brightly lit room with a dazed expression. I addressed her. "Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kim Jae-hyun." Chapter 87 Although there were only a few dozen of us, taking control of the Homeplus building was not difficult. This was thanks to the fact that vampires had been hiding among them and that the retainers had easily subdued them. The people, under the retainers'' control, exited the Homeplus building and gathered in the wide square. At the center of the gathering were neen vampires, kneeling like beasts and growling. Unable to leave the Homeplus premises where the domain wasn¡¯t established, I climbed to the rooftop to observe the scene from above. Raising a megaphone, I began to speak. [Testing, testing.] The eyes of the crowd slowly turned toward the rooftop. After finishing the microphone check, I officially addressed them. [Greetings, everyone.] My voice echoed across the square through the megaphone. The remaining citizens, who had been staring at the vampires, now turned their attention to me. [Some of you may have already realized this, but those creatures are vampires who had been hiding among you.] The eyes of those who had narrowly escaped vampire attacks or had witnessed them up close grew cold and sharp. Everyone here bore a deep-seated hatred for vampires. This was because most of the people gathered here had experienced the death of family members or friends at the hands of vampires. The revtion that vampires had been pretending to bepanions while hiding their true nature infuriated them. ¡°Those traitorous bastards!" "I¡¯ll kill them with my own hands!" "Kill them!" Some people charged toward the vampires with fierce determination but were stopped by Jang Seong-jun¡¯s telekinesis. His A-rank telekinesis, which had improved significantly, effortlessly restrained dozens of people. ¡°Kim¡¯s a vampire? Is this true?" ¡°Judging by their reaction, it doesn¡¯t seem like a baseless im. They say he tried to bite those nearby." "Wait a minute, now that I think about it¡­ I have a suspicion. Back then¡­¡± Some people were still skeptical, but the notion that a dozen or so vampires could remain hidden among the survivors without leaving any traces was nearly impossible. "What? That really happened?" "I''m telling you! At the time, I thought I was mistaken, but now it all makes sense if that guy is a vampire!" "...Damn it." "Why? Do you have a suspicion too?" "...Do you know what happens if you sleep with a vampire?" "¡­You don¡¯t catch something, do you?" With testimonies popping up from all directions, the vampires'' identities became increasingly solidified in people''s minds. "Where¡¯s the team leader?¡± ¡°Did you hear the rumor? They say the team leader was a vampire too.¡± ¡°Team Leader Shin Jung-min? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± There was no need to inform everyone of all the details. Doing so would only incite unnecessary chaos. ¡°Who are those people?" ¡°I don¡¯t know. Aren¡¯t they from headquarters?" "That makes sense. How else would they have all those guns?" "The people from headquarters are incredible. How did they identify the vampires so quickly?¡± Before long, the crowd came to perceive us as being part of the Comprehensive Sports Complex Group''s headquarters. [These creatures cunningly infiltrated yourmunity, pretending to be ordinary people, while secretly revealing their true nature and taking innocent lives.] Angry voices erupted from the crowd. [We are here to expose their crimes to the world and punish them.] Some sharp individuals began to grasp the purpose of this gathering and started demanding the vampires'' execution. "Kill them! Kill them! Kill them!" Under their lead, the cries for the vampires'' deaths grew louder and more numerous. There was no one herepassionate enough to pity the vampires who survived by drinking human blood. Everyone present had endured too much loss¡ªbecause of vampires. ''Exile the neen vampires.'' The reason for dragging them outside instead of dealing with them inside Homeplus was precisely this. When their citizenship was revoked, the vampires momentarily showed expressions of relief as if freed from their torment. I issued an order to the retainers restraining the vampires. [Execute them.] The moment my voice, carried by the megaphone, resounded throughout the square¡ª Bang! Bang! Gunfire echoed, and bullets tore through the vampires'' hearts. [You have hunted a Low-Level Vampire (Lv. 22).] [You have hunted a Low-Level Vampire (Lv. 26).] [You have hunted a Mid-Level Vampire (Lv. 31).] ¡°Wooooooo!¡± The people erupted in cheers as the vampires were executed. [Citizen Kim Joo-won¡¯s trust level has increased.] [Citizen Jung Guk-il¡¯s trust level has increased.] [Citizen Lim Chae-eun¡¯s trust level has increased.] The crowd''s cheers carried a hint of madness. The frustration of surviving in this twisted world and their rage toward the vampires were embodied in those shouts. This was the world we lived in. In a world gone mad, you couldn¡¯t survive without going a little mad yourself. ''Absolute Vision.'' I activated the skill as I looked toward the room where Park Sae-rom and Seo Ye-jin were waiting. ''Teleport.'' The teleport skill I acquired when Moon Byung-ho¡¯s trust level reached 100 allowed me tobine it with Absolute Vision. Although greater distances required more mental energy, I had yet to experience any strain. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here,¡± Park Sae-rom greeted me awkwardly. ¡°So¡­ what should I do from now on?¡± I smiled faintly and replied, ¡°Surprising.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± "I thought you¡¯d speak informally when we first met."@@novelbin@@ Park Sae-rom¡¯s face turned red as she stammered an apology. ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± What I meant as a light joke to ease the tension seemed to have backfired, as she hung her head low like a scolded child. Sighing lightly, I shifted the topic. ¡°Your supply team¡¯s main job was to provide resources to the Central District Group and the Cha-ri unit dispatched there, correct?¡± The Central District Group, headquartered just above the Taehwa River, fought daily battles against vampires crossing the river. Thanks to their sacrifices, the Comprehensive Sports Complex Group could enjoy rtive stability, providing resources and deploying the Cha-ribat unit. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Continue doing what you¡¯ve been doing. Let us know what supplies you need, and we¡¯ll provide them.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Oh, and starting today, you¡¯re the leader of Supply Team 3.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ What?¡± Park Sae-rom¡¯s eyes widened as she asked in disbelief. ¡°You heard me. You¡¯ll lead this team.¡± After a few hups, she reluctantly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best!¡± [Citizen Park Sae-rom¡¯s trust level has significantly increased.] Contrary to my expectations, Park Sae-rom performed well as a team leader. While some initially opposed her, that resistance didn¡¯tst long. After all, I provided unlimited supplies to back her up. How many people could hold a grudge against someone who brought them from worrying about daily survival to pondering what to eat for dinner? While Park Sae-rom managed Supply Team 3, I and my retainers were busy gathering precise information about this area. The busiest of all was Seo Ye-jin. The mice she had tamed spread across Ulsan, serving as scouts. Bybining her sensory-sharing ability with Absolute Vision, we gained an almost perfect understanding of the survivor groups situated north of the Taehwa River. "Unbelievable." The situation was far worse than I had anticipated. "The higher-ups of the organizations are all vampires." The Comprehensive Sports Complex Group, the Central District Group, and the Industrial Zone Group. Vampires were at the center of these three major survivor factions. In fact, the top positions in all three groups were upied by high-ranking vampires. The only ces untouched by vampires were small survivor groups clustered in apartmentplexes or tiny viges. "Ridiculous." The entirety of Ulsan was effectively in the palm of the vampires. This wasn¡¯t a case of survivors and vampires fighting a precarious bnce of power. The city waspletely under the vampires'' control, with the survivors acting as puppets dancing to their tune. "This is like..." A massive breeding ground. Ulsan was now essentially a vast human farm run by vampires. "I thought I was in a rtively safe position." This was no different from setting up a forward base in the heart of enemy territory. "What to do?" The original n had been to unite the survivor groups into a single entity. With the abundant resources I had, it wouldn¡¯t have been particrly difficult. Before they caught on, I nned to issue citizenship to everyone, making them fully loyal to me. The idea was to arm them and form a military unit to wage war against the vampires. "That¡¯s ruined now." It had gone awry from the start. All the key positions in the survivor groups were upied by vampires, so no matter what I did, information would flow straight to them. "If that¡¯s the case¡­" My options in this situation were extremely limited. The most provocative and effective choice was clear. "I have no choice but to stir things up." Mid-rank vampire Jung Hyun-seok climbed the apartment stairs with a wide grin. After reaching a fairly high floor, he scanned the emergency staircase to ensure no humans had followed him. "Nobody¡¯s here." Satisfied, he opened the door to the emergency exit and entered. Soon, he arrived in front of Apartment 1004 and knocked rhythmically, like Morse code. Knock-knock, knock-knock-knock. After a moment, the door clicked open. "You¡¯ve arrived." "Yes." The door was cautiously opened. "Is everything ready?" "It¡¯s perfect." Jung Hyun-seok¡¯s face lit up with excitement. "Let¡¯s go in." Completely absorbed in the task ahead, they failed to notice the front door had briefly opened and closed again before fully shutting. Passing through a dusty kitchen that seemed long-abandoned, they arrived at the master bedroom. In contrast to the living room, the bedroom was spotlessly clean. "I¡¯ve been waiting for you," said another man, bowing to Jung Hyun-seok as he entered. In the room were four individuals, including Jung Hyun-seok and two other male vampires. On the freshly made bedy a naked woman, seemingly drugged, unable to regain consciousness. Jung Hyun-seok licked his lips as he eyed her exposed body. As he approached the bed, he made a small incision on her arm and licked it. Immediately, he frowned. He turned to the lower-ranking vampires waiting nearby. "How much of the drug did you inject?" "Three doses, sir." Jung Hyun-seok red at him. "I told you to limit it to two doses for smaller individuals." The man next to him tried to defend himself. "You said only for those under 160 centimeters..." "Idiot. Can¡¯t you see how thin she is? You should¡¯ve adjusted the dosage ordingly." "...I apologize." After bing a vampire, it had be far more intoxicating to drink drug-infused blood than to inject the drugs directly into their veins. However, if the concentration of the drug was too high, the blood''s taste would be dull, which annoyed him. Jung Hyun-seok, smacking his lips, softened his expression and said, "Well, this isn¡¯t too bad." His face was brimming with anticipation. Just as Jung Hyun-seok brought his mouth toward the woman¡¯s neck¡ª Bang! A loud gunshot rang out, and one of the vampires standing by copsed. "Huh?" Before he couldprehend the situation¡ª Bang! A second gunshot followed, and another low-ranking vampire dropped to the ground. It wasn¡¯t until then that Jung Hyun-seok grasped the gravity of the situation. He got up from the bed and surveyed the area with heightened vignce. "What¡­ What¡¯s going on?" However¡ª Bang! A gunshot echoed from behind him, and his heart was obliterated. With all three vampires now dead¡ª Sshhh. Moon Byung-ho materialized from thin air, wrapped the woman in a nket, and lifted her. Standing by the veranda window, he nced outside. Swoosh. As Moon Byung-ho and the woman disappeared, the three vampire corpses in the room began to slowly vanish as well. Chapter 88 "Unbelievable." The situation was far worse than I had anticipated. "The higher-ups of the organizations are all vampires." The Comprehensive Sports Complex Group, the Central District Group, and the Industrial Zone Group.@@novelbin@@ Vampires were at the center of these three major survivor factions. In fact, the top positions in all three groups were upied by high-ranking vampires. The only ces untouched by vampires were small survivor groups clustered in apartmentplexes or tiny viges. "Ridiculous." The entirety of Ulsan was effectively in the palm of the vampires. This wasn¡¯t a case of survivors and vampires fighting a precarious bnce of power. The city waspletely under the vampires'' control, with the survivors acting as puppets dancing to their tune. "This is like..." A massive breeding ground. Ulsan was now essentially a vast human farm run by vampires. "I thought I was in a rtively safe position." This was no different from setting up a forward base in the heart of enemy territory. "What to do?" The original n had been to unite the survivor groups into a single entity. With the abundant resources I had, it wouldn¡¯t have been particrly difficult. Before they caught on, I nned to issue citizenship to everyone, making them fully loyal to me. The idea was to arm them and form a military unit to wage war against the vampires. "That¡¯s ruined now." It had gone awry from the start. All the key positions in the survivor groups were upied by vampires, so no matter what I did, information would flow straight to them. "If that¡¯s the case¡­" My options in this situation were extremely limited. The most provocative and effective choice was clear. "I have no choice but to stir things up." Mid-rank vampire Jung Hyun-seok climbed the apartment stairs with a wide grin. After reaching a fairly high floor, he scanned the emergency staircase to ensure no humans had followed him. "Nobody¡¯s here." Satisfied, he opened the door to the emergency exit and entered. Soon, he arrived in front of Apartment 1004 and knocked rhythmically, like Morse code. Knock-knock, knock-knock-knock. After a moment, the door clicked open. "You¡¯ve arrived." "Yes." The door was cautiously opened. "Is everything ready?" "It¡¯s perfect." Jung Hyun-seok¡¯s face lit up with excitement. "Let¡¯s go in." Completely absorbed in the task ahead, they failed to notice the front door had briefly opened and closed again before fully shutting. Passing through a dusty kitchen that seemed long-abandoned, they arrived at the master bedroom. In contrast to the living room, the bedroom was spotlessly clean. "I¡¯ve been waiting for you," said another man, bowing to Jung Hyun-seok as he entered. In the room were four individuals, including Jung Hyun-seok and two other male vampires. On the freshly made bedy a naked woman, seemingly drugged, unable to regain consciousness. Jung Hyun-seok licked his lips as he eyed her exposed body. As he approached the bed, he made a small incision on her arm and licked it. Immediately, he frowned. He turned to the lower-ranking vampires waiting nearby. "How much of the drug did you inject?" "Three doses, sir." Jung Hyun-seok red at him. "I told you to limit it to two doses for smaller individuals." The man next to him tried to defend himself. "You said only for those under 160 centimeters..." "Idiot. Can¡¯t you see how thin she is? You should¡¯ve adjusted the dosage ordingly." "...I apologize." After bing a vampire, it had be far more intoxicating to drink drug-infused blood than to inject the drugs directly into their veins. However, if the concentration of the drug was too high, the blood''s taste would be dull, which annoyed him. Jung Hyun-seok, smacking his lips, softened his expression and said, "Well, this isn¡¯t too bad." His face was brimming with anticipation. Just as Jung Hyun-seok brought his mouth toward the woman¡¯s neck¡ª Bang! A loud gunshot rang out, and one of the vampires standing by copsed. "Huh?" Before he couldprehend the situation¡ª Bang! A second gunshot followed, and another low-ranking vampire dropped to the ground. It wasn¡¯t until then that Jung Hyun-seok grasped the gravity of the situation. He got up from the bed and surveyed the area with heightened vignce. "What¡­ What¡¯s going on?" However¡ª Bang! A gunshot echoed from behind him, and his heart was obliterated. With all three vampires now dead¡ª Sshhh. Moon Byung-ho materialized from thin air, wrapped the woman in a nket, and lifted her. Standing by the veranda window, he nced outside. Swoosh. As Moon Byung-ho and the woman disappeared, the three vampire corpses in the room began to slowly vanish as well. Chapter 89 The City Draped in Darkness A ck crow, its massive wings spanning as wide as an adult man''s height, soared across the night sky of a city stripped of its lights. It perched momentarily on the rooftop of a building before vanishing into the gloom. Squeak¡ª On that same rooftop, a mouse, small and unassuming, raised its head and scanned its surroundings. Soon, it found a narrow crevice and, without hesitation, slipped inside. Momentster: Hisssss¡ª Purple toxic gas began spreading through the building via the venttion ducts. Like blood coursing through veins, it crept outward, spilling steadily into the building''s interior. Inside the Building The vampires, oblivious to the encroaching danger, went about their routine. "Are the preparationsplete?" "...Thirty low-ranked vampires are on standby," came the reply. "Good. Deploy them in two hours." The building, positioned snugly near the southern district of the Taehwa River, was bustling with dozens of vampires. Their main task? Regrly dispatching small groups of vampires at consistent intervals. "Uh, Team Leader?" "Hm?" "How much longer do we have to keep doing this? Why are we persisting with such a wasteful war of attrition?" The mid-ranked vampire addressed as Team Leader drew deeply on his cigarette, the glow of its tip faintly illuminating the dim room. The subordinate, a lower-ranked vampire, voiced his frustration with a pained expression. "Honestly, if we all band together, wiping out the humans across the river would be nothing! Guns or not, there''s no reason to hold back like this¡ª" The passionate tirade was cut short as cigarette smoke was blown directly into his face. Cough, cough! The mid-ranked vampire, who had been silently watching him, finally spoke. "I understand your frustration." Lifting a blood pack from a corner of the room, he added, "It''s suffocating, isn''t it? Getting by on this miserable excuse for sustenance, especially when there are fresh humans in abundance across the river." "...Yes, that''s exactly it," the subordinate agreed, his tone heavy with longing. "I can¡¯t even remember thest time I tasted living human blood," the Team Leader continued. He truly empathized, having once felt the same frustration before learning the truth about the city. After a moment¡¯s pause, he decided to soothe his subordinate''s unrest. "Those humans across the river," he began, "are sacrifices for an important ritual." "...What?" The subordinate''s puzzled expression prompted further exnation. "Wait and see. On the night of the full moon, the Festival of Blood willmence." "...Are you saying¡ª?" "Yes. Wait for the right time." "Understood!" Judging by his expression, the subordinate interpreted this as a deration of an impending all-out assault on the full moon. However, the reality was far more grim¡ªwhat awaited was not a battle but a massacre. "When that timees..." As the Team Leader indulged in his fantasies of the blood-soaked festival, a hissing noise pulled him from his thoughts. Hisssss¡ª Purple gas began billowing from the venttion ducts, filling the room. The faint glow of the cigarette illuminated the mist, alerting the vampire to the growing danger. "What is this?" Sensing the threat, the mid-ranked vampire instinctively held his breath. And then: Thud! The sound of his subordinate copsing to the floor broke the silence. "!!" Realizing the gravity of the situation, the mid-ranked vampire dashed toward the window and leapt out. Crash! The shattering ss cut into his flesh, leaving deep gashes that dripped with blood. Yet he paid no mind to the pain. "What the hell is going on?" He stared at the building he had just escaped from, watching as purple gas seeped ominously through the broken windows. And then he noticed something even more shocking: the same gas was pouring out of multiple buildings nearby. "Not just one or two...!" From the six or seven structures visible from his vantage point, tendrils of purple smoke drifted ominously into the night. "What is happening...?" His thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream. "Aaaagh!" A vampire stumbled out of an alley, only to be pursued by the clinking sound of armored boots. ng, ng¡ª! A silver-d knight closed the distance. "Please, spare me!" the vampire begged. But the halberd showed no mercy, impaling the creature through its heart. Thunk! The vampire let out a final gasp before copsing. His body began disintegrating into ash. "What a cruel nightmare," the mid-ranked vampire muttered, almostughing at the absurdity of it all. Vampires being hunted like prey¡ªit was a sight so surreal it felt like a twisted dream. "Was I too eager for the Festival of Blood?" Perhaps his subconscious had turned the massacre into this vivid nightmare, flipping the roles of predator and prey. And then: Thwack! A glowing arrow pierced through his chest. A momentter, mes erupted from his back, searing his flesh with excruciating pain. "This... isn''t a dream?" The realization struck just as his heart shattered. Thud. The cold concrete against his cheek was thest sensation the mid-ranked vampire felt as his life slipped away. For a creature that had devoured dozens of humans, it was a pitiful end. A Coordinated Assault The n was clear from the start: assassination with Moon Byeong-ho''s stealth, terror with Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice and Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s poison gas, and gueri tactics using Ha Dong-geon¡¯s and Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s parties. If they were going to be discovered eventually, they might as well make an explosive debut. [You have in a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 22).] [You have in a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 26).] [You have in a Mid-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 31).] The notifications continued to ring as vampires turned into experience points and mary rewards. ''The higher-ups will receive reports soon enough.'' Once they grasped the situation, the leader and the high-ranked vampires would make their move. But there was no need to worry¡ªthey had already prepared for that. After two days of reconnaissance, they had mapped the entire vampire poption in Ulsan. ''Eleven high-ranked vampires in total.'' Currently, the leader and all eleven high-ranked vampires were under constant surveince. "Yoo Han-gil, any updates?" The man, seated cross-legged with his eyes closed in deep concentration, shook his head. "None. They haven¡¯t received word yet." Yoo Han-gil, a natural awakener who had recently joined them, possessed the power of irvoyance. Since forming a contract and pledging fealty, his abilities had be even more refined. Thanks to Yoo Han-gil¡¯s abilities, the exact locations of all high-ranked vampires across Ulsan were being tracked in real time. ¡°Inform me immediately if anything unusual happens,¡± I instructed. ¡°Yes, understood,¡± Han-gil replied, maintaining his concentration. Leaving the monitoring of high-ranked vampires to him, I turned to Yoo Hye-rin. ¡°Have you rested enough?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, please proceed.¡± ¡°...Yes!¡± Despite the sweat pouring down her face, Yoo Hye-rin continued producing toxic gas. The gas was immediately absorbed into my storage and subsequently transferred into buildings where Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice were scouting. ¡°Urgh.¡± Overworked to her limits, Hye-rin copsed, her head drooping lifelessly. She had passed out standing,pletely drained of her mental strength. Using my Invisible Hand, I gently moved her onto a sofa. ¡°Well done,¡± I said, acknowledging her effort. Now that Hye-rin was down and further gas attacks were no longer an option, it was time to focus on directly supporting the retainers engaged inbat against the vampires. ¡°Ye-jin, are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seo Ye-jin, aside from reconnaissance with her mice, had another critical role¡ªloading ammunition into the warehouse.@@novelbin@@ To avoid disrupting Han-gil¡¯s focus with gunfire in the building, I teleported us both to the rooftop. ¡®Store interface, open. Purchase firearms.¡¯ Whirrr¡ª An M16 rifle and live rounds materialized in midair. Ye-jin caught them with practiced ease, loaded the magazine, and prepared the gun for firing. Click. Shouldering the rifle like a seasoned soldier, she aimed it skyward. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°Shoot.¡± Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! The muzzle spat fire as 30 rounds were stored directly into my warehouse. As soon as the barrel overheated, she set the gun down and purchased another. With swift precision, Ye-jin reloaded the new weapon. ¡°Here goes again.¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! After repeating this process several times, we had stored hundreds of freshly fired rounds in the warehouse. Those bullets were soon put to use. Thwack! [You have in a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 26).] [Experience points acquired.] [82,937,011 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s ount.] The bullets Ye-jin fired were being used in real-time to assist the retainers in battle. Thanks to her involvement, all additional benefits were applied to the hunt. From my vantage point, I scanned the battlefield with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, eliminating vampires lurking in the retainers¡¯ blind spots. Then, a warning sounded from the Eye monitoring Yoo Han-gil. ¡°Jae-hyun, one of the high-ranked vampires is moving,¡± he reported. I turned to Ye-jin, who was still firing relentlessly. ¡°Ye-jin, stop.¡± ¡°Are we done?¡± ¡°One of the high-ranked ones is on the move.¡± We quickly stored the rifles and ammunition from the rooftop back into the warehouse and teleported to the room where Han-gil was stationed. ¡°Han-gil, what¡¯s the situation?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s Vampire 11,¡± he replied. For efficiency, we had numbered the high-ranked vampires from 1 to 12. The leader was Number 1, with lower numbers indicating higher strength. Vampire 11 was one of our targeted enemies. ¡°So, as you predicted, 11 was the first to act?¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t help it. Gunfire right next to their location would force a response,¡± I replied. The operation zone had been deliberately set near Vampire 11¡¯s base to provoke this very reaction. Among the high-ranked vampires, Number 11 was rtively weaker, making it a prime target. To ensure a swift and decisive victory, we had prepared our ace card. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ Temporarily ceasing support for the retainers, I focused the Eye entirely on Vampire 11¡¯s location. The vision revealed a thick, oppressive darkness cloaking the area. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s arge-scale assault. Humans have invaded,¡± came a voice, growing angrier and louder. ¡°Humans? Impossible¡ª¡± The closer the voice drew, the more it confirmed their heightened state of agitation. From my experiences with high-ranked vampires, I had learned a few crucial lessons. First, never give them time. When we encountered Go In-seok, his body had turned red-hot, drastically increasing hisbat capabilities. This meant they could enter a heightened battle state if allowed. ¡®Don¡¯t give them time to unleash their full abilities.¡¯ And second: ¡®Only two abilities pose a serious threat to them.¡¯ One was Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s Light Arrow. Her piercing skill imbued with light energy consistently dealt devastating damage to vampires. The other: ¡®Ha Dong-geon¡¯s ck Aura.¡¯ Just then, Vampire 11 emerged from the building. From the shadows of the outer wall, where he had been waiting, Ha Dong-geon descended from above. Boom! Landing squarely on the vampire¡¯s back, Dong-geon plunged his spear, enveloped in ck Aura, straight into its heart. Thud! [You have in a High-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 41).] [You have gained arge amount of experience points.] [2,831,489,221 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s ount.] Chapter 90 Ha Dong-geon, who had taken down a higher vampire in a single strike, continued to wipe out the remaining vampires nearby all on his own. "Spending money paid off." Currently, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s level was 50. At level 50, Ha Dong-geon demonstrated overwhelming power against the vampires. Each time he swung his spear, shrouded in ck energy, another vampire¡¯s heart burst apart. Even though the vampires present were high-level mid-ranked ones, chosen to support the 11th vampire, they were no match for him. "[You have hunted a Mid-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 38).] [You have gained arge amount of experience.] [?1,882,834,100 has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.]" In the blink of an eye, Ha Dong-geon had eliminated one higher vampire and five mid-ranked vampires. He slowly turned his back to them. Inside the building, the remaining vampires stared at Ha Dong-geon in shock, unable to grasp what had just happened. Moments ago, the 11th vampire and his mid-ranked subordinates had stood there. Now, a lone human wielding a spear upied that spot. Moreover, all the corpses of the vampires Ha Dong-geon had defeated had beenpletely absorbed by the system, leaving not even a drop of blood behind. One vampire, losing hisposure at the sight of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s unscathed appearance, yelled in panic, "W-What are you doing?! Attack him!" Responding to hismand, the vampires charged at Ha Dong-geon all at once. However, even with their numbers, vampires weaker than the mid-ranked ones who had supported the 11th vampire were no threat to Ha Dong-geon. His spear shed horizontally. Shhhk! "[You have hunted a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 22).] [You have hunted a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 26).] [You have hunted a Low-Ranked Vampire (Lv. 24).]" The ck energy-infused spear cleanly cut through the hearts of three vampires in a single stroke. It was as if their bodies were as soft as tofu to his weapon. The vampires that had been charging at him froze, their expressions turning pale with fear. Unfortunately for them, it was already toote to flee. They had ventured too close to Ha Dong-geon. As he took a single step forward, the tip of his spear naturally found its way to another vampire¡¯s heart. Thunk! The spear pierced the vampire¡¯s heart, shattering itpletely before returning to him. Step. When Ha Dong-geon advanced again, his spear moved forward, slicing through yet another vampire¡¯s chest with ease. Shhhk. Every time Ha Dong-geon moved, the vampires charging at him fell like autumn leaves. From the perspective of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, watching from above, it was no different from moths flying into a me. Ha Dong-geon danced alone, and the vampires willingly threw themselves onto his spear. By the time he stopped moving, all the vampires in the area had been wiped out. "Ugh..." The only one left was the vampire who had initiallymanded the others to attack. Hesitating for a moment, he turned and began to run at full speed. However¡ª Crunch! He didn¡¯t make it far before meeting his end. Ha Dong-geon¡¯s thrown spear obliterated the vampire¡¯s upper body. The spear lodged itself into the wall, forming a small crater. Using themunication ring, the protagonist asked Ha Dong-geon, "[Shall I get you a new one?]" Ha Dong-geon pulled the spear from the wall and replied, "No need." Despite the impact, the spear¡¯s de remained intact. "That was worth the money." While Ha Dong-geon¡¯s ck energy significantly boosted the spear¡¯s durability, it still had its limits. Throwing it with such force often rendered the weapon unusable. However, the spear Ha Dong-geon was now using was different. "Expensive, but enchanted gear really pays off." The shop skill had unlocked the "Enchant" feature¡ªa double-edged sword of a system. It allowed magical enhancements to be applied to items, but building the enchantment workshop alone required a staggering ?5 billion, and each enchantment cost a hefty sum. Worse, the enchantment system was akin to a lottery. The results were ranked by grade, frommon to advanced, rare, and so on. Mostmon-grade enchantments were barely noticeable¡ªadding slight strength or stamina boosts that didn¡¯t feel worth the ?3 million price per attempt. Even advanced-grade enchantments offered decent abilities, but their cost-effectiveness was questionable. "I gave up on it after a few tries..." That was until a curious user eventually rolled a rare-grade enchantment: "Durability Enhancement." Though simple, the effect was incredible, as seen now. As Ha Dong-geon leveled up, he required sturdier weapons, and this enchantment met that need. "And..." The spear he wielded wasn¡¯t stolen from the user who first unlocked the rare-grade enchantment. It came from a significant advantage of enchanted items. "They can be registered in the shop." The spear,plete with its rare-grade enchantment, had been purchased from the shop. Once enchanted, items could be registered and mass-produced indefinitely. The price was reasonable too. While rare-grade enchanted items cost three times more than their unenchanted counterparts, they were well worth it. Of course, there was a downside. "It¡¯s a bit of a waste to sacrifice a shop slot for it." Enchanted items couldn¡¯t be grouped with others. Each upied a separate slot in the shop¡¯s inventory. Even so, the benefits were undeniable. "There¡¯s plenty of room in the shop slots for now. I¡¯ll reserve it for essential options. And besides..." Though it was only spection, there was almost certainly a grade above rare. If fortune struck, the jackpot could lead to mass-producing extraordinarily powerful items. At that moment: "Jaehyun-nim, Vampires 7 and 9 have started moving," Yoo Han-gil warned. I checked the map of Ulsan spread out on the desk. "Seven and nine, huh? We don¡¯t need to worry about Number 7." "What?" Number 7 was located far from the operation zone. The quick response from that vampire had a clear exnation. "I¡¯ve already sent our strongest force there." Their territory was being torn apart, leaving them no choice but to react. Though I couldn¡¯t monitor the situation through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, as they weren¡¯t one of my retainers, I wasn¡¯t particrly concerned. "Huh?" Yoo Han-gil, who had closed his eyes to focus, suddenly looked startled and opened his mouth. "[You have hunted a Higher Vampire (Lv. 46).] [You have gained an immense amount of experience.]" A message appeared, indicating the higher vampire had been eliminated. "Se-Seven¡¯s been taken out!" Large amounts of experience, but no financial deposit¡ªa hallmark of a sessful hunt by a family member. It was my father who had taken care of the Number 7 vampire. "Good." We had already sessfully eliminated two of the eleven higher vampires. At the same time, Ha Dong-geon was wiping out the vampires inside the building without my help, rescuing the captives there. "Level 50 really is a different league." His level was higher than that of most higher vampires. Combined with buffs like the Power of Trust and the Baron¡¯s Title, mid- and low-ranked vampires couldn¡¯t hope to match him. "The same goes for other locations." It wasn¡¯t just Ha Dong-geon. Kim Ga-yeong, Kang Deok-su, Oh Eon-ju, and Moon Byeong-ho had all been raised to level 50. I had boosted the levels of everyone else as much as possible, too. As a result, each retainer demonstrated the strength of an army, rapidly destroying the vampires¡¯ forces. "Better than expected." The fact that they were focusing entirely on rescuing survivors in the operation zones meant they had already taken care of all the vampires in those areas. "Things are progressing much faster than I anticipated." Even the higher vampires¡¯ responses were slower than expected. We had prepared for a worst-case scenario where we might have to abandon the survivors and recall the retainers. But everything was going surprisingly smoothly. "Their reaction suggests they never even considered being attacked." Thanks to that, the operation was unfolding sessfully. "In that case, I might as well aim higher." After assessing the overall situation, I used themunication ring to givemands to the retainers. "[Team A and Team B, hand the survivors over to the others and follow the mice¡¯s guidance. Vampire 9 is approaching.]" The n was tobine the stronger forces of Team A and Team B to hunt Vampire 9. "Yoo Han-gil." "Yes." "Where exactly is Number 9 right now?" Yoo Han-gil opened his eyes and pointed at the map. "They¡¯re moving from here to this location." The vampire was heading straight toward the operation zone. "No need to go looking, then." It was as if the vampire was willingly sticking its neck into the trap where my retainers were waiting. "Ye-jin, guide Team A here and Team B there." "Got it." By the time Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice joined the retainers to guide them, I received another report. "Jaehyun-nim, we¡¯ve arrived." From the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, which I had left hovering in a corner, I heard Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s voice. Focusing my consciousness there, I saw Moon Byeong-ho standing on the rooftop of an apartment, looking down at a building below. "[Are you ready?]" "Yes." "[Then proceed immediately.]" Moon Byeong-ho nodded and disappeared into thin air. Momentster¡ªwhoosh, whoosh!¡ªthe vision of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye flickered multiple times as the environment shifted rapidly. After five or six such movements: ¡¸Higher Vampire (Lv. 50)¡¹ The Number 4 vampire, leader of a survivor group at the sportsplex, and a former police chief appeared in view. Unaware of the events unfolding, the vampire was calmly continuing his meal.@@novelbin@@ "[Can you get a little closer?]" The vampire, sinking his fangs into the neck of an unknown woman, began to growrger in the view. ''Open the warehouse.'' The "State Preservation" feature from the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse Level 2 allowed stored items to maintain their original condition. This applied not only to kic energy but also to skills imbued into items. ''Piercing Arrow, summon.'' Kim Ga-yeong¡¯s skill-infused arrows were no exception. "Hm?" The vampire stopped feeding and raised his head. But¡ª Thwack! Three glowing arrows materialized in midair and pierced his heart. "Ugh!" "[You have hunted a Higher Vampire (Lv. 50).] [You have gained an immense amount of experience.] [?46,195,742,382 has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.]" Hunting higher vampires that yielded vast amounts of experience¡ªit was already the third one today. "[Your skill level has increased.]" Chapter 91 Team C, which had taken over the survivors from Teams A and B, arrived in front of the Prosperity Bridge. However, crossing the bridge was no simple task. Rat-a-tat-tat! Gunfire erupted from the other side, aimed directly at them. It was an understandable reaction. From the perspective of those guarding the bridge, every entity that had attempted to cross until now had been a vampire. Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon turned to the leader of Team C, Kim Min-ho, with troubled expressions. "What should we do?" "They¡¯re too aggressive. They won¡¯t even listen to what we have to say." Kim Min-ho grinned at them and answered, "What else? We break through." "Break through?" The twin brothers looked bewildered. Sure, breaking through was possible. They had enough firearms, and the retainers had special abilities that could help. "But those people aren¡¯t vampires; they¡¯re regr humans, aren¡¯t they?" Killing humans was not an option. "And even if we have powers, one bullet is all it takes to end us!" They couldn¡¯t guarantee how much damage their side would sustain in a direct confrontation. This assessment was based on theirck of understanding of Kim Min-ho¡¯s ability. "You two haven¡¯t seen it yet, have you?" "Seen what?" While the twins looked confused, Kim Min-ho¡¯s already muscr frame began to swell further, his skin texture changing visibly. In moments, his body exuded a presence as solid and imposing as stone itself. Kim Min-ho opened his mouth to speak. "Stay here and wait." Even his lips had hardened, causing his pronunciation to sound slightly off, but his voice only seemed more solid as a result. And then¡ª Thud. Thud. Thud! Kim Min-ho charged toward the other side of the bridge like a tank. Rat-a-tat-tat! A hail of bullets greeted him, but he didn¡¯t so much as flinch as he surged forward. Ting! Ting! The concentrated barrage of bullets struck his chest and bounced off harmlessly. Like a bulldozer, Kim Min-ho pressed onward, causing panic among those on the other side. They had never encountered anything like this while dealing with vampires. "Retreat! Fall back!" As the defenders attempted to flee in chaos, Kim Min-ho stomped the ground with immense force. Boom! The asphalt cracked, and his massive body shot forward like a cannonball. Crash! With a ground-shaking impact, Kim Min-honded right among the defenders, standing before the one who had just issued the retreat order. "Nice to meet you." His solid voice echoed heavily in the stunned silence. "I¡¯m Kim Min-ho from the supply team of the Sports Complex Group." The stunnedbat team leader, caught off guard by the unexpected introduction, instinctively responded. "Han Kang-min, Combat Team 2 Leader of the Central District Group." "Nice to meet you." Still struggling to grasp the situation, Han Kang-min listened as Kim Min-ho continued. "We¡¯ve been rescuing survivors from vampire-upied areas. Please clear the way." Elsewhere, in a dimly lit chamber: The ruler of the vampires, the progenitor d Tepes, was unlike the typical vampires inhabiting Ulsan. Unlike those who had once been human, d had inherited noble blood from the very beginning. How could this be...? d looked down at his trembling hand. His right hand, which had been charred to ashes while breaking through the barrier protecting the World Tree, had regenerated new flesh. Yet, despite healing all his wounds, he felt as if the searing pain was returning. The reason was clear. The energy that had just spread across the area¡ªit was identical to the one that had burned his hand. Am I... afraid? He shouldn¡¯t have been. As one who carried noble blood, he was bound to maintain his dignity. d clenched his hand, forcibly halting its tremors. Even so, this energy... He couldn¡¯t understand it. That kind of power is supposed to remain confined to that ce, bound to the World Tree. And yet¡ª Why am I sensing it nearby? Though he couldn¡¯t determine its source, he had unmistakably felt a surge of energy rippling outward with a resonance simr to that of the World Tree¡¯s power. "Hmm." d Tepes pondered, knowing that he should investigate the origin of the energy wave immediately. Yet, the fear of this unknown power held him back. "Park Jae-chan, Lee Yeon-do, and Choi Jeong-il are dead." Almost simultaneously, three higher vampires had lost their lives. Whether this was intentional or not, their deaths seemed unusual. These higher vampires had been personally blessed by d¡¯s blood. Though fundamentally limited due to their lesser origins, they were selected because they could partially withstand the power of his blood¡¯s blessing. They weren¡¯t the type to die easily. Yet they had died. "And once again, the power of the blessing haspletely disappeared." It was the same as what had happened with Jeong Yeong-hun and Go In-seok in Busan. Normally, when a higher vampire perished, the amplified power of the blessing¡ªfueled by the life force they had consumed¡ªshould have returned to d. That was the natural order. But this time, nothing came back. It was as if their existence had beenpletely erased from the world. "I must find out what¡¯s going on." Instead of heading directly to the presumed origin of the event, d decided to visit the locations where the higher vampires had vanished. It was a way to distract himself from the growing fear deep within his chest. "Regardless, the Night of the Full Moon is approaching. No matter what they do, they cannot change the tide." Higher vampires would not have died so easily. Their battles with the enemies would have been filled with blood and death, which would serve as offerings for the uing Night of the Full Moon. The enemies, unknowingly, were aiding the ritual. "Whether they like it or not, they will be sacrifices for the Feast of Blood." For now, identifying the cause of the blessing¡¯s disappearance took priority. Resolving himself, d moved toward the building where Lee Yeon-do, one of the in higher vampires, had fallen. When he arrived¡ª "¡­?" He was met with an intense sense of unease.@@novelbin@@ "Why is it so clean?" It was strange. This was a site where a higher vampire had been killed. He had expected the ce to be a chaotic mess from the battle, yet the building appeared as if nothing had happened. There wasn¡¯t even a trace of blood. "No bloodstains?" d¡¯s face hardened. Battlefields were meant to be soaked in death and blood. Here, however, there was no stench of blood or death. It was as if the vampires gathered here had collectively vanished into thin air. "What in the world¡­?" He scoured the building, but not a single corpse could be found. The vampire forces that had apanied Lee Yeon-do hadpletely disappeared. "This... this cannot be." At that moment¡ª "Hm?" d felt another connection to a higher vampire sever. Another death. The scent of blood. A strong smell of fresh blood wafted from somewhere nearby. Without hesitation, d flew toward the source. Focusing all his senses on the area, d soon noticed something odd. "¡­The scent of blood is fading?" The inexplicable sensation became clear when he arrived. "What...?" Humans were hunting vampires. Arrows of light pierced vampire hearts, silver knights wielding halberds stabbed their chests, and the humans¡¯ bullets tore through the vampires¡¯ bodies. That much d couldprehend. Humans of extraordinary strength had always existed in the world. But then¡ª Ssshh. The bodies of the in vampires vanished almost instantly from the humans¡¯ hands. The blood pooling from their hearts disappeared along with the corpses. "This is..." It wasn¡¯t merely that the bodies were vanishing. d, with his ability to sense the flow of energy, could see it clearly. The humans were devouring everything the dead vampires left behind. It was then that he understood why the power of the blessing hadn¡¯t returned. "This power... it¡¯s dangerous." He had to eliminate those humans immediately. Fortunately, despite their power, they were weakpared to him. "I¡¯ll kill them all here and now." But just as d moved¡ª Ssshh¡ª "!!??" The humans disappeared without a trace. "Hah." A hollowugh escaped his lips. Then, hisughter grew louder. "Hahaha!" Afterughing for a long while, his expression gradually turned cold. "It can¡¯t be helped." Reluctantly, he made his decision. "Let¡¯s start right now, iplete as it may be." "Haah, haah¡­" It was a close call. Who would have thought that the enemy would begin moving during a level-up? "Just a littleter, and it could¡¯ve been disastrous." Despite the pain of leveling up, I managed to use the retainer summoning skill to assist both Teams A and B based on Yoo Han-gil¡¯s updates. In the end, Vampire 9 was sessfully eliminated. For a first operation, it was a resounding sess. Nearly a thousand low-ranked vampires and four higher vampires had been taken down. While low-ranked vampires could be handled with enough firearms, the elimination of four higher vampires was significant. "The problem is, now the enemy is fully aware of us." The guerri operation had seededrgely because the enemy had no understanding of our strength. Now that our capabilities had been exposed, the vampires would undoubtedly prepare for us. "It will be nearly impossible to achieve such results again without taking damage." We could no longer rely on bold strategies like this one. Still¡ª "Chipping away at their forces little by little shouldn¡¯t be too hard." With Seo Ye-jin¡¯s abilities, most vampires could be wiped out efficiently. Once Yoo Hye-rin¡¯s mental strength recovered, we would use Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice for sabotage while Moon Byeong-ho hunted the vampires hiding among the survivor groups. "I¡¯ll start by taking control of the northern Taehwa River areapletely." The goal was to build forces capable of fighting the vampires on equal footing, not survivors who merely lived under their shadow. "By consistently assassinating higher vampires with Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s skills and the Piercing Arrows, we¡¯ll whittle them down." The results of this first operation exceeded all expectations, and I was satisfied. However¡ª "Jaehyun-nim! Something terrible has happened!" Nothing ever goes entirely as nned. I turned to Yoo Han-gil. "What is it?" "The vampires... they¡¯re rampaging!" Chapter 92 Survivors in Ulsan often lived together inmunal spaces rather than enjoying private amodations like apartments. It was a setup that resembled military-style group living. In the indoor gymnasium of Ulsan Sports Complex, hundreds of peopley sprawled across the floor, using whatever they could find¡ªsleeping bags, nkets, or mats¡ªto sleep. It was a grim scene, reminiscent of something from a disaster movie, but there was no other choice. The copse of water, electricity, and gas systems had rendered the concept of "home"rgely meaningless. "Ho-beom, Ho-beom, wake up." Lee Ho-beom, who had been dozing under a nket he¡¯d luckily managed to scrounge up, frowned as he heard the familiar voice calling him. "Ugh, what now?" The person waking him was Choi Do-yeon, his childhood friend and peer. Despite themunal living arrangement, men and women were freely mixed. There simply weren¡¯t enough resources or energy to enforce separation. Survival issues took precedence over petty concerns about gender segregation. Do-yeon spoke with a serious expression. "Come with me to the bathroom." "Seriously, Do-yeon? Can¡¯t you just go by yourself?" "Come on, don¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s scary out there." "Sigh." Ho-beom sighed but got up anyway. ''There are those creepy rumors about perverts, and I need to go too, so whatever.'' Do-yeon smiled and teased, "Thanks, Ho-beom. You¡¯re the best." "Let¡¯s just go." The two left the gymnasium. Though there weremunal bathroom facilities in the indoor gymnasium, they were no longer usable due to theck of running water. Instead, the flowerbeds outside, overgrown with grass and weeds, had be makeshift toilets. As they approached, a foul stench of urine and feces greeted them. Despite the rule to use the flowerbeds, excrement was scattered across the asphalt and nearby streets. "Let¡¯s finish up quickly and go back." "¡­Ho-beom." "What?" "I need to do¡­ uh, number two." "Oh,e on." "Keep watch for me, okay?" Do-yeon disappeared behind some trees, and Ho-beom sighed again as he looked for a rtively clean spot in the flowerbed to take care of his own business. "Hey! Are you done yet?" "Almost!" When Do-yeon returned, she looked relieved. "Ah, it feels so good. It¡¯s been days since I¡¯ve had a proper bowel movement." "Gross. Did you clean up properly?" "Of course! I saved wet wipes just for this moment." Her cheerful tone quickly turned somber. "How long are we going to live like this?" "..." Ho-beom knew the answer. ''Probably forever.'' Thefortable life of the past was gone for good. Things would only get worse, not better. Though he said nothing, Do-yeon seemed to read the meaning in his eyes and lowered her head. "This is so depressing." "Anyway, we¡¯re all supposed to go fetch water tomorrow. The higher-ups said we¡¯re running low." Ho-beom tried to change the subject, but even that was hardly uplifting. "Another tough day, huh?" "Yeah." The survivors in Ulsan could be considered lucky. They had the Taehwa River nearby, arge and essible water source. A purification system using charcoal and sand had been set up in the gymnasium. While far from perfect, it made the river water drinkable. The purified water was bottled and distributed to survivors in the Sports Complex Group. Those staying in the gymnasium bore the responsibility of managing the water supply for everyone else. "Hey, Ho-beom." "Yeah?" "Don¡¯t you ever want to just end it?" Ho-beom looked at her with a bitter expression. Do-yeon continued in a bright tone that contrasted her words. "I mean, what¡¯s the point of struggling to survive like this? Let¡¯s just die together." Everyone here, including Do-yeon, was battling their own form of mental illness. Ho-beom and Do-yeon had already seen several suicides, including that of Do-yeon¡¯s mother. "Do-yeon¡­" Ho-beom couldn¡¯t find the words. Do-yeon had leaned into him, pressing herself against his chest. From his embrace, she whispered, "If not, could you just kill me instead?" "..." At some point, she had begun crying. "You like me, don¡¯t you?" "Please, Ho-beom. Do something¡ªanything." Her tearful plea stirred Ho-beom¡¯s emotions. For a moment, he imagined himself kissing her, maybe even giving in to the impulse to take her right there. Perhaps granting her wish and then following her into death wasn¡¯t such a bad idea. ''I must be insane.'' He realized he was just as broken as she was. Holding her tightly in aforting embrace, he struggled to suppress the tumultuous desires within him. And then¡ª "Kyahhh!" A piercing scream came from the gymnasium. At first, Ho-beom thought it was just someone having another fit. But then¡ª "Ahhh!" "Run for your lives!" "It¡¯s a vampire!" People began spilling out of the gymnasium in a frenzy, making it clear this wasn¡¯t just a panic attack. And then¡ª "Kaahhh!" A monster followed the fleeing crowd. The creature was at least a head taller than an adult man, its body stained entirely red. It grabbed a nearby person and sank its fangs into their neck. "S-Someone¡­ help¡­" Ho-beom froze on the spot as he watched the horrifying scene. ''Is¡­ is that a vampire?'' Something felt off. Ho-beom had seen vampires before. He could never forget the ones who had taken his parents right before his eyes. ''That thing?'' The vampires he knew didn¡¯t look like monsters. They appeared human¡ªordinary, even. But this¡­ this was entirely different. ¡°Kaahhh¡ª!" The monster before them was not like the vampires Ho-beom had seen. Its massive frame and blood-red skin were more akin to a demon than a bloodsucker. St! Moreover, it didn¡¯t seem interested in just drinking blood. Unlike the vampire that had leisurely drained his parents'' blood right before his eyes, this monster only bit into its victim¡¯s neck momentarily before tearing it apart and moving on to the next target. "Ahhh!" The monster¡¯s ws and fangs shredded through human flesh, not to feed, but seemingly for the sole purpose of killing as many people as possible. Ho-beom¡¯s instincts screamed. If I stay here, I¡¯ll die! To survive¡ª I have to run! He grabbed Do-yeon¡¯s wrist and tried to flee. But¡ª "What are you doing?!" Do-yeon stood frozen, her eyes fixed on the monster, unable to move. All she could do was take a few hesitant steps in the direction Ho-beom was pulling her. "Snap out of it! Do you want to die here?" When Ho-beom scolded her, Do-yeon looked on the verge of tears and stammered, "M-my legs¡­" She didn¡¯t seem resigned to death; she looked like a normal person paralyzed by the fear of imminent death. "Damn it!" Ho-beom hoisted her onto his back and started running. But they didn¡¯t get far. Growl! Another vampire appeared, blocking their path. This one hadn¡¯te from the gymnasium but from elsewhere, standing in their way like a harbinger of doom. It¡¯s over. The image of the creature¡¯s enormous maw descending toward his neck yed out in slow motion. He braced for the end. But then¡ª BOOM! Something exploded. "Gah!" Ho-beom fell backward,nding hard on the ground. Do-yeon, still on his back, tumbled off and shivered in terror beside him. Ho-beom wiped the remains of the vampire¡¯s flesh off his face and looked ahead. Where the monstrous vampire had stood moments before, a headless corpse nowy crumpled on the ground. A spear, wreathed in ck mes, was embedded in the asphalt. A spear...? While he stared in a daze, a man appeared and pulled the weapon free. ...Who is that? The man exuded an aura of mystery. It wasn¡¯t just the fact that he had defeated the monster with a single blow. Even without witnessing his power, anyone would have immediately realized he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. Ah! Ho-beom, who had a sharp eye for details, quickly noticed the reason. He¡¯s too clean. His hair wasn¡¯t disheveled, and his clothes were spotless. He looked like someone from before the vampires had appeared, like someone who took warm showers every day. The man scanned the surrounding survivors and spoke in an unusual tone. "Follow the mice when you see them." With that, he turned and left, moving at a speed that seemed inhuman. What the hell was that supposed to mean? The bizarre statement left Ho-beom speechless. But then¡ª "Look, a mouse!" Sure enough, a small mouse appeared. Squeak! It ran along the path before stopping and looking back, as if beckoning them to follow. While the others stood frozen, Ho-beom, carrying Do-yeon, took the first step after it. Squeak! Seeing him follow, the mouse started running again. Ho-beom chased after it, and soon, the rest of the survivors began trailing behind him. A system message appeared: [An individual meeting the conditions for citizenship is approaching your territory. Would you like to offer citizenship?] There were no vampires among the new arrivals. That was to be expected. Every vampire had transformed into a monster and was now rampaging. The chaos had started in the southern Taehwa River area, where vampires resided, and had spread to those hidden among the survivors on the other side of the bridge. By now, all vampires throughout Ulsan were in a state of uncontroble frenzy. Grant citizenship. As the vampires began rampaging, I had to act immediately. First, I eliminated the vampires hidden among the survivor groups. Then, amidst the confusion, I directed the remaining survivors to the Homeplus shelter. As a result, thousands of new survivors had already joined us. We¡¯re running out of space. There was no way the small Homeplus shelter could amodate all the survivors in Ulsan. I¡¯ll have to send some to Seomyeon. There was only one way to do it. I had to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door skill. However, the skill wasn¡¯t omnipotent.@@novelbin@@ Keeping the door open drained mental energy significantly, and the number of survivors I could send to Seomyeon in a limited time was restricted. To make matters worse, the vampires¡¯ leader could appear at any moment. Monitoring the retainers¡¯ real-time situations across the area was already a full-time job. I have no choice. I needed to lighten the load. Time to use skill points. I had two options:
  • Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye
  • Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door
I had to choose one to level up. I¡¯ll... [Are you sure you want to upgrade the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door skill?] "...Yes." Woong! [Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door skill has been upgraded to Level 2.] Chapter 93 The power was far greater than anticipated. Previously, using Babel was powerful enough to shatter the chitinous armor of crustacean monsters. Now, it could bring down a massive bridgerge enough to amodate vehicles with a single strike. "Far more incredible than I imagined." The secret to this power was none other than: "Seodaemun Activation." It was achieved by utilizing one of the Four Great Gates, Seodaemun, unlocked as the Absolute Dweller''s Door skill leveled up. Ziiiiing¡ª In the air above the home base in Seomyeon, a new space began to form. ¡®The original function of Seodaemun is as abyrinth.¡¯ Within a confined space, the start and end points were connected by an unseen Seodaemun. For instance, if Seodaemun was applied to an apartment corridor, anyone trapped inside would endlessly wander the hallway, unable to escape. An eternal maze. However, I had no intention of using it as abyrinth. The Seodaemun structure generated in midair was vertically elongated. The entrance at the bottom led to an exit at the ceiling, creating a loop. Currently, I couldpletely control the interior of Seodaemun as I willed. For now, I had removed all air from the space. "Babel, purchase." I summoned a customized barbell set to the maximum weight limit of 200 kilograms, suitable for storage. The barbell appeared in midair and began elerating under gravity¡¯s influence. In the vacuum of Seodaemun, free from air resistance, the 200-kilogram mass silently gained speed. The barbell, striking the floor of the Seodaemun space, reappeared at the top, falling again. It repeated this pendulum-like¡ªor rather, free-fall¡ªmotion from the heavens to the earth. "This should finish it off." Given enough time, the barbell had reached a speed double that of what had previously destroyed the bridge. One strike from this would instantly kill even the most formidable foe. "It''s a pity I can¡¯t take direct credit for the kill..." But it was far better than risking the lives of my retainers unnecessarily. "I trust Father¡¯s strength, but considering the opponent..." Currently, my father and the retainers were stationed a fair distance from the target building. It was far enough away, but even I couldn''t urately gauge the exact destructive power of this. So I issued a warning to the retainers. [Everyone, brace yourselves for impact.] Even if the shockwave reached them, the considerable investment in leveling up their defenses would minimize any risks. Using Bukdaemun to relocate them further away wasn¡¯t an option¡ªit had a one-hour cooldown. ¡®I can¡¯t waste time.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t predict when the progenitor would finish preparing for battle. Once ready, it would undoubtedly move, rendering this attack ineffective. "This is the moment." I could only trust my retainers to endure the impact from hundreds of meters away. [Mr. Kim Gun, please position yourself above the target building.] Once all preparations wereplete, I asked Kim Gun to remain in the airspace above the target. Shifting my perspective to the sky, the building housing the progenitor and higher vampires looked as small as a toy, barely visible. The fact that the hotel was a high-rise made it easier to identify. "Open storage. Retrieve Babel..." The barbell, now brimming with kic energy, filled the Absolute Dweller''s storage. At the same time¡ª "Ugh?" My vision cked out momentarily, and a searing pain wracked my head. "...Mental exhaustion?" Perhaps there was a hidden restriction on storage usage beyond mass. "At least it worked." Forcing myself to focus despite my brain feeling on the verge of shutting down, I realized one thing:@@novelbin@@ "This isn¡¯t something I can do repeatedly." To achieve even greater power, I¡¯d need to level up the storage skill. ¡®The more weight, the greater the power.¡¯ The next skill points should be invested in the storage ability. "Ugh." The longer I endured, the sharper the pain grew. It felt like a storm of razor des tearing through my mind. "I can¡¯t hold out much longer." I needed to release this immediately. "Absolute Dweller''s Eye." With my enhanced vision, I fine-tuned the alignment from above. The extreme altitude made spatial perception challenging, but the Eye of the Absolute Dweller wasn¡¯t merely a visual tool. It provided a sense of the entire space, aiding precise adjustments toward the target. Focusing on the trajectory of the barbell stored in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s storage, I carefully unleashed the monster I had created. "Summon Babel." The 200-kilogram steel mass appeared midair, its velocity akin to that of a meteorite. Tearing through the atmosphere with a fiery trail, it struck the target building precisely. The moment the destructive force hit the ground¡ª sh! A burst of light illuminated the darkness. And then¡ª KABOOM! An ear-splitting roar erupted as a small ball of fire swelled in the heart of Ulsan, soaring skyward. BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! The shockwave rippled outward, engulfing everything. Seonuri lowered her head anxiously toward the man. The apex of vampires. He was submerged in the hotel pool, now filled to the brim with blood. Unlike his usual blood baths, the scale of this one was massive. Gazing at his back, Seonuri spoke. "Everyone has gathered." In total, eight higher vampires were present in the pool. They were all the remaining higher vampires, gathered in one ce. Unable to endure the suffocating silence, a muscr man among them broke the ice. "What¡¯s the meaning of this sudden gathering?" Despite their wariness of the man in the pool, their curiosity was evident. The one before them, the master and pinnacle of all vampires, was the only one capable of such an act. Atst, he spoke. "The time hase." At his words, the higher vampires exchanged nces. Among them, a clean-cut man in a suit asked, "Do you mean the Blood Festival?" "Yes." "But wasn¡¯t it supposed to begin on the night of the full moon?" "The situation has changed." d Tepes, the pinnacle of vampires, slowly rose from the blood-filled pool. As he turned his back, the higher vampires hastily knelt on one knee, lowering their gazes. Surveying them, d spoke indifferently. "Interlopers have appeared." He continued with a nk expression. "Pak Jae-chan, Lee Yeon-do, and Choi Jeong-il are dead." ¡°¡°!!!¡±¡± All the higher vampires raised their heads in shock. Although they had found it strange that certain individuals hadn¡¯t shown up, they had never imagined that they might have been killed. Before the initial shock could fully sink in, d continued. ¡°Jung Young-hoon and Go In-seok have also been killed by them.¡± The second revtion struck them like a blow to the back of the head. The muscr man, his expression filled with confusion, spoke up. ¡°...Are you saying Seok is dead?¡± No matter what, the idea that Go In-seok, of all people, had died was difficult to ept. ¡°That can¡¯t be...¡± As confusion gripped the group, the man in the suit stepped forward once again. ¡°Do you intend to act personally?¡± d smiled faintly and nodded in response. ¡°Yes. I will handle this myself.¡± The man in the suit bowed his head respectfully. ¡°We will assist you to the best of our abilities.¡± The other higher vampires echoed his sentiment. ¡°Leave it to us.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll crush thempletely.¡± ¡°What are your orders?¡± d slowly scanned the group before speaking. ¡°I need your sacrifices.¡± His voice, unfittingly calm, carried through the air. ¡°Give your lives to me.¡± At that moment, the higher vampires believed his words to be metaphorical, assuming he meant that the situation was dire enough for them to fight with their lives on the line. ¡°dly!¡± ¡°Just give themand!¡± But¡ª Saah! When the pool of blood surged toward them, they realized something was terribly wrong. Some began resisting, but their strength was insignificantpared to the man at the apex of all vampires. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± Seonuri, who was closest to the pool, was the first to bepletely engulfed by the blood. The other higher vampires struggled in their own ways to protect themselves. ¡°Get back!¡± Chiiiik! One sprayed acidic blood toward the oing flood. ¡°Hup!¡± Another attempted to slice through the blood with a weapon formed from the very same substance. But their resistance was fleeting. ¡°Gyaaah!¡± The tidal wave of blood swept through them like a tsunami, leaving almost no one standing. Those engulfed by the blood were instantly drained of life, their bodies withering until nothing was left. Even their corpses dissolved into the pool,pletely absorbed. The one whosted the longest, surprisingly, was Seonuri, who had been the first to be swallowed. ¡°Ugh!¡± Using her wings to shield her body, she trembled in fear, consumed by terror. But gradually, the waves of blood subsided and returned to the pool. Realizing that she had survived, Seonuri was filled with confusion. ¡°Why... Why am I still alive?¡± Even the more powerful higher vampires had been absorbed without being able to resist. There was no way her blood wings alone could have defied that overwhelming force. At that moment¡ª ¡°Ah!¡± She gasped as d¡¯s hand gripped her chin and turned her face toward him. And then¡ª Shhhh! A torrent of blood surged into her eyes. ¡°Kyaaaargh!¡± Her screams echoed as unbearable pain coursed through her, but d showed no mercy, forcing the blood into her. When the agony finally ceased, one of her eyes had turned crimson, as red as blood itself. ¡°Ugh... Hic...¡± As she whimpered in pain, d spoke. ¡°Be my eyes in the skies above the city.¡± Instinctively realizing that obedience was her only path to survival, Seonuri hurriedly bowed her head. ¡°Yes... Yes, as youmand!¡± She broke through the window and flew into the sky. Her movements were driven purely by the primal instinct to survive. As she pped her wings desperately, rising higher into the air¡ª sh! A sudden burst of light red behind her. And almost simultaneously¡ª BOOOOOOOM! A deafening roar apanied by a powerful shockwave overwhelmed her. Seonuri didn¡¯t even have time toprehend what had happened before she lost consciousness entirely. Chapter 94 Rumble¡­ Concrete dust from the destroyed building spread out in a thick, hazy cloud. ¡®...What in the world is this?¡¯ Jang Sung-jun could hardly believe the scene of destruction unfolding before his eyes. Was this a dream or reality? Though it was still night, and the dust had not yet fully settled, making visibility poor, his abilities as a telekinesis user allowed him to sense the transformed surroundings. ¡®Expand.¡¯ As he extended the range of his telekic spatial perception, his jaw gradually dropped. ¡°!!!¡± Thanks to his consistent use of telekinesis, Jang Sung-jun¡¯s spatial awareness had expanded to a radius of several hundred meters. ¡®This is impossible.¡¯ This allowed him to confirm the reality of the situation before anyone else. ¡®Unbelievable.¡¯ Where the target building¡ªthe hotel¡ªhad once stood, there was now a massive crater several dozen meters wide. It was as if an enormous bomb had gone off. The surrounding buildings werepletely devastated. Those closest to the explosion were half-destroyed, while even those over a hundred meters away were heavily damaged. ¡®This must be¡­ Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s doing.¡¯ Right before the explosion, Kim Jae-hyun had issued a warning and ordered everyone to maintain a considerable distance from the target. This sight could only have been caused by Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s power. ¡®Is this truly¡­¡¯ Something one person could aplish? However, Jang Sung-jun didn¡¯t know that what he was seeing was far weaker than Kim Jae-hyun had calcted. The barbell had elerated far too much. The heat generated by air friction had caused over half of its mass to vaporize, significantly reducing its destructive power. Even so¡ª Squirm. ¡°Huh?¡± Jang Sung-jun sensed something stirring within the crater. [Stay alert, everyone! It¡¯s not over yet..!] Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, sounding strained. And then¡ª ¡®What?!¡¯ Jang Sung-jun sensed the squirming presence rapidly approaching their location. He shouted in rm, ¡°Everyone, get back!¡± But in doing so, he unintentionally revealed his position to the mass of blood hurtling toward them. ¡®This is dangerous!¡¯ Sensing the iing threat, Jang Sung-jun hastily wrapped himself inyers of telekic barriers. Oneyer, twoyers, threeyers¡ª Despite his best preparations¡ª Thud! The blood mass pierced through his barriers with ease and impaled his abdomen. ¡°Urgh!¡± Then¡ª Squelch, squelch. Blood began draining from Jang Sung-jun at an rming rate. It was only then that he realized what had pierced him¡ªa tentacle made of blood. Focusing his mind, Jang Sung-jun retaliated. ¡°Hup!¡± He sharpened his telekinesis into a de and shed at the tentacle impaling him. sh! The tentacle was severed, and dark red blood spilled onto the ground. Some of the blood sttering in the air was undoubtedly Jang Sung-jun¡¯s own. ¡°Haah¡­ Haah¡­¡± Panting heavily, havinge face-to-face with death, Jang Sung-jun red in the direction from which the tentacle hade. A figure was slowly approaching, limping toward him. It was clear the entity wasn¡¯t in perfect condition, likely due to being hit directly by the falling "bomb." Then¡ª Swish, swish! Jang Sung-jun sensed another presence appearing behind the figure. ¡®It¡¯s him! Mr. Jae-hyun¡¯s father!¡¯ Jang Sung-jun had witnessed Kim Dong-hyuk¡¯s strength firsthand. True to the formidable reputation of Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s family, he had single-handedly wiped out rampaging vampires on a bridge¡ªa scene that still sent shivers down Jang Sung-jun¡¯s spine, reminiscent of Zhang Fei defending Changban Bridge. But¡ª ¡®...What?¡¯ Suddenly, both the vampire and Kim Dong-hyuk¡¯s movements disappeared from his telekic perception. It felt as though his abilities were malfunctioning. Boom! Boom-boom! Explosions echoed in the distance. A battle was unfolding, but Jang Sung-jun realized he couldn¡¯t follow their movements. ¡®This is beyond me.¡¯ The thought of using his telekinesis to assist the fight now seemed like sheer arrogance. Crumble! As the remains of a nearby building copsed, Jang Sung-jun swallowed hard. Then¡ª Squirm. The pool of blood on the ground stirred, setting off rms in his hyper-alert senses. Whoosh! Reacting instantly, Jang Sung-jun leapt away using telekinesis. Momentster¡ª Squelch, squelch. The blood swelled up, forming the grotesque figure of a vampire shaped entirely from blood. It charged at him. Staying calm, Jang Sung-jun crafted a telekic de and aimed for its heart. Slice! The vampire appeared to be easily subdued. But then¡ª Stter! The severed blood mass surged over him. Sizzle! The blood clinging to his body began dissolving him instantly. ¡°Aaaargh!¡± And this wasn¡¯t happening in just one ce. As the dust settled over the city at night, the iplete moon illuminated the streets, where vampires made of blood shed with Jae-hyun¡¯s retainers. [Citizen Kim Gun¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Kim Gun is already registered as a retainer.] [Retainer limit has increased.] [Citizen Jang Sung-jun¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Jang Sung-jun is already registered as a retainer.] [Retainer limit has increased.] Two retainers¡¯ loyalty had reached 100, increasing the limit by two slots. Yet even this development did not bring any relief. ¡®Why are those monsters¡­?¡¯ The vampires fighting against the retainers were unmistakably higher vampires. ¡®Seven of them.¡¯ Though their faces were nk, their distinct features made it clear who they were. ¡®All of them except that female vampire who came with him earlier are here.¡¯ No notifications of higher vampire kills had appeared, which had already felt strange. Now it was clear¡ªthey had be like this. ¡®Were they consumed by him?¡¯ Judging by their appearance, they had been devoured by the one they had worshipped as their lord. ¡®This is troublesome.¡¯ The real issue was that their power seemed amplified after being consumed. ¡®And they have no weaknesses.¡¯ The usual rule of destroying their heart no longer applied. Their bodies, being entirelyposed of blood, had no hearts to target. ¡°Piercing Arrow, summon.¡± Even Kim Ga-young¡¯s arrows, which pierced their chests with precision, were ineffective. ¡®The only abilities that seem to work are Jun-hyuk¡¯s water maniption and the twins¡¯ freezing powers.¡¯ Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s water control and the freezing abilities of Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon were effective, thanks to their unique traits. However, the rest were struggling to hold their ground. Fortunately, Kim Da-jeong was among them. Her healing abilities, enhanced by leveling up, could restore even severe injuries in an instant. Of course, healing wasn¡¯t an all-epassing solution. However. ¡®Assign quest to Jang Sung-jun. Quest reward:plete recovery.¡¯ [Citizen Jang Sung-jun haspleted the quest.] [100,000,000 KRW has been consumed for the quest cost.] There was nothing that couldn¡¯t be solved with money. The problem was that even this method of using quest assignments had its limits. ¡®Three times per individual is the maximum.¡¯ The atmosphere on the battlefield was shifting rapidly, and it was clear the retainers were being pushed back. ¡®This is not good.¡¯ Fighting against vampires that couldn¡¯t die only drained stamina and morale. To make matters worse, each of these creatures was a higher vampire, wielding unique powers derived from their maniption of blood. Confronting them was no easy task. ¡®They¡¯re nothing more than puppets.¡¯ Ultimately, the root cause had to be eliminated for this situation to end. ¡®Father can¡¯t handle it alone.¡¯ Thanks to the shockwave from Babel¡¯s impact and Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessings, the bnce of power had been barely maintained. But little by little, the tide was turning against him. ¡°If this keeps going...¡± It would be a disaster. Once all the quest opportunities were exhausted and my support was cut off, the retainers wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the blood-drenched vampires. If those creatures then joined the fight between my father and the progenitor, the oue would be inevitable. ¡®I was hoping Father would finish the hunt himself.¡¯ The best way to maximize experience gain was for a family member to hunt the monsters directly. This method allowed for a fivefold experience bonus alongside the buffs all citizens received. ¡®It¡¯s disappointing, but there¡¯s no other choice.¡¯ This was an enemy I had intended to kill with my own hands anyway, so there was no point in regretting it now. ¡®The time is now.¡¯ After a moment of hesitation, I made my decision. Among all the retainers present, only one met the conditions necessary to use that. [Ms. Oh Eon-ju, can you approach the target closely?] If Oh Eon-ju left the frontlines, the other retainers would struggle more. But as long as the puppetmaster vampire was dealt with, this battle would end. ¡°Grrr!¡± Oh Eon-ju nodded as if to say she understood, thenunched herself forward. She used the crumbling walls of nearby buildings, shattered by the earlier explosion, to leap toward the center of the st zone. Crash! Concrete fragments scattered as Oh Eon-ju charged toward the crater''s heart. Boom! Crack! Father and the vampire were locked in a fierce battle. The progenitor¡¯s blood continuouslyshed out at Father, who was holding his ground with a protective aura enveloping his entire body. A faint glow of Kim Da-jeong¡¯s blessing shimmered around him, but its dimming light signaled that its effect was nearing its end. Father used teleportation at a critical moment to dodge an attack and reappeared behind the vampire, aiming for a decisive blow¡ª Thunk! ¡ªbut his kick was blocked by a blood membrane that materialized instantly. The shockwave rippled outward, and another barrage of blood surged forth, scattering explosively in every direction. Even as a bystander, the battle was harrowing to witness, with no clear opening to intervene. [Can you get closer?] ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Oh Eon-ju hesitated, her instincts wary of the overwhelming danger. For a moment, I considered leveling her up. But the cost to raise her from level 50 to 51 was staggering. ¡®300 billion won.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an unmanageable sum. The profits from battles against vampires far exceeded it. ¡®Retainer management. Level up Oh Eon-ju.¡¯@@novelbin@@ I invested 1.5 trillion won, raising her level to 55. The hesitation in her eyes disappeared, and her gaze locked onto the battle between Father and the progenitor. ¡°Grrr!¡± Determined, Oh Eon-ju surged toward the progenitor. At that moment¡ª BOOOOM! The blood swirling around the progenitor suddenly exploded outward. And then¡ª ¡°Grrr?¡± A torrent of blood flooded the surroundings, turning the ground crimson. It looked as though they were standing atop a river of blood. ¡®What is this¡­?¡¯ From Oh Eon-ju¡¯s perspective, it was hard to grasp what was happening. But from Kim Gun¡¯s aerial vantage point, the entire scene was clear. A massive river of blood flowed throughout the city, forming a vast circle with the progenitor at its center. The rivers, originating from the outskirts, converged toward him. It resembled a ritualistic blood festival. ¡®Is this the Blood Festival they spoke of?¡¯ Crack-boom! A massive lightning bolt struck, and a dense mist of blood spread from the crater¡¯s center. ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha ha!¡± The progenitor¡¯s maniacalughter echoed within the mist. It was clear something extraordinary¡ªand catastrophic¡ªwas about to happen. The ominous crimson energy surrounding the progenitor began to swell, increasing his size. ¡°Grrr!¡± Oh Eon-ju reached her destination just in time. Then¡ª ¡®Domain Expansion.¡¯ Vwooom! A bright light radiated outward from Oh Eon-ju, covering a narrow semicircr area with a radius of 15 meters. Though small, it was imbued with immense power. This was a newly unlocked feature of the "Dignity of the Absolute Dweller" skill at level 6. It was a one-time use ability tied to retainers with 100 trust and loyalty, with a brief duration. ¡®Descent.¡¯ sh! The surroundingndscape flickered and shifted as I descended. When I opened my eyes again¡ª ¡°Kyaaaaargh!¡± I found myself at the heart of a blood-soaked hellscape, where the apex of vampires, engulfed in ck mes, writhed in agony. I spoke to the progenitor. ¡°The festival is over, you damned mosquito.¡± Chapter 95 The Absolute Dweller cannot leave the domain of the Dwelling. This limitation also applied to Descent. Thus, a preliminary step was necessary: the area where I would descend needed to be transformed into a domain. In other words, this ce now shared the same properties as the Dwelling or an outpost. The reason I deliberately descended before the progenitor to provoke it was simple: [A hostile entity to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.] To activate the system¡¯s feature of eradicating anything hostile to me. [Eliminating.] With that concise notification¡ª Thunk! The progenitor¡¯s head exploded, and it seemed the situation had been resolved. But its resilience far exceeded my expectations. Sash! The progenitor¡¯s decapitated body dissolved into a torrent of blood. And then¡ª ¡°Grrr!¡± I heard Oh Eon-ju¡¯s desperate growl in her beastly form. Her wide, panicked eyes were focused on something behind me as she extended her hand toward me. Right after¡ª BOOOM! A massive sound erupted from behind. I turned to see the progenitor ring at me with blood-red eyes, its gaze burning with hatred. The blood tentacle it had stealthily extended toward me trembled just inches away from my face, stopped by¡ª Buzz¡­ ¡ªa transparent barrier, rippling faintly within a one-meter radius around me. ¡®How is it still alive?¡¯ Could it be because the true body of vampires lies within their hearts? No, I was certain that wasn¡¯t the full story. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ I used the skill to assess its condition, and it was evident that it was far from unscathed. Its movements were noticeably sluggishpared to before my descent. Its distorted expression andbored breathing were clear indicators. This was only natural. Ordinarily, this space was inessible without citizenship and impossible to navigate without my permission. The fact that it had invaded and moved within my domain was nothing short of miraculous. ¡®There¡¯s something about that me.¡¯ Whoosh! The progenitor¡¯s entire body was still engulfed in ck-red mes. ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± Its agonized screams reverberated as it struggled to endure the pain. Observing the mes consuming its body, I realized something. ¡®Are they fighting each other?¡¯ Thanks to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I could see it clearly. The ck and red mes were battling for dominance over its body. The ck energy resembled the aura Ha Dong-geon used. ¡®Could it be¡­?¡¯ Recognizing it instinctively, I knew the ck energy originated from me. At the same time, I understood why the progenitor could resist within my domain. ¡®It¡¯s the red energy protecting its entire body.¡¯ The same red energy had enabled it to pierce the transparent barrier earlier and now allowed it to act freely within my domain without permission. At that moment¡ª [A hostile entity to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.] [Eliminating.] As the system notification appeared again, the progenitor¡¯s floating body and the blood tentacle it had extended toward me swelled grotesquely. Then¡ª Boom! This time, the progenitor¡¯s entire body exploded in midair.@@novelbin@@ Thud! Chunks of its flesh sttered onto the blood-soaked ground, melting away as they disintegrated. But¡ª ¡®There¡¯s no system notification.¡¯ Again, the notification for a sessful hunt didn¡¯t appear. This meant the progenitor wasn¡¯t dead. Even though both its head and heart had exploded earlier, it was still alive. ¡®...So the heart isn¡¯t its true body?¡¯ Then¡ª Bubble, bubble. The blood pooling on the ground began to boil and frothed violently, releasing a crimson mist into the air. Visibility dropped sharply, but with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye active, tracking its movements wasn¡¯t difficult. I saw the blood mist condensing behind Oh Eon-ju. Without hesitation, I activated a skill. ¡®Invisible Hand.¡¯ The moment the progenitor¡¯s body materialized¡ª Thwack! The Invisible Hand pierced its heart, halting its ambush on Oh Eon-ju. Then¡ª ¡®Erge.¡¯ Boom! The Invisible Hand that had impaled its heart expanded, obliterating its entire body. But the destroyed body quickly dissolved into the blood mist, vanishing once again. ¡®I see now.¡¯ The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye wasn¡¯t just a skill to observe and sense spaces. The Sage¡¯s Eye feature unlocked at level 3 allowed basic information like a monster¡¯s level outside the domain. But within a domain, its functionality was far superior. In a properly established domain, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye lived up to its name, analyzing andprehending everything within its scope instantaneously. That¡¯s how I realized¡ª ¡®Its true body isn¡¯t the heart. It¡¯s the blood here, all of it.¡¯ The reason the progenitor kept reviving was that its tangible body wasn¡¯t its true form. If its body parts were equivalent to hands or feet, its true essence was the vast pool of blood covering the ground. ¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯ To kill it, I would need to destroy all the blood. Realizing this, Imanded the system to execute my will. In that instant¡ª Fwoooosh! [A hostile entity to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.] [Suppressing.] Boom! The blood mist and the pools of blood covering the ground exploded simultaneously, annihting everything. ¡®As expected.¡¯ I had often pondered the manifestation of the system''s power. Why did some beings qualify for citizenship when the Dwelling expanded, while others were marked for eradication? The term "hostile entity" in the system notifications was frustratingly vague. If the system were truly absolute, incidents like Jegal Seong-gyu infiltrating my domain to turn citizens into vampires or devouring them wouldn¡¯t have urred. But it did happen. I had considered various hypotheses about the criteria, and one of them was now proving urate. ¡®First, its head was destroyed, then its body exploded from the heart outward.¡¯ If the system''s power is closely tied to my awareness, then the current situation makes sense. Because I recognized that the progenitor''s true form was the blood itself, this oue was possible. And¡ª ¡®Control over power confirmed.¡¯ Previously, the system notifications referred to "eliminating" entities, but now it had shifted to "suppressing" them. ¡®What seemed like automatic responses from the system can, in fact, be controlled by my will.¡¯ This was definitive proof. Feeling a rush of satisfaction from confirming my hypothesis, I turned to where the fully subdued progenitory. The vast pools of blood that had soaked the ground and the mist that had filled the air were gone, leaving behind a frail man bowing his head to the floor, trembling uncontrobly. The ck-red mes that had consumed his body were extinguished. ¡®Suppressed.¡¯ That¡¯s what it meant. The progenitor had been stripped of all usable energy and power. Even his youth had been taken by the system. His vitality¡ªthe very source of a vampire¡¯s strength¡ªhad been suppressed to the point that he was barely alive. The man, now half-bald and with the remaining hair thin and ghostly white, was a pitiful sight. I addressed him. ¡°Hey.¡± I could have killed him outright, but I still had questions about the mysterious red energy he had wielded. ¡°What exactly was that red energy you possessed?¡± As I gradually released the force pinning his face to the ground, the man struggled to lift his head. His face was twisted in despair, but he ignored my question and asked one of his own. ¡°What¡­ are you?¡± He clearly had no intention of answering me. ¡®Well, it¡¯s not like he¡¯d just tell me if I asked.¡¯ Since I hadn¡¯t suppressed him specifically to extract information, I wasn¡¯t too disappointed. The vampire, his teeth gone, spoke with a slurred voice. ¡°Why¡­ does a being like you¡­ exist in this world¡ª cough!¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, coughing up ck blood instead. It was clear he had reached his limit. Tears streamed down the progenitor¡¯s face as he muttered to himself. ¡°Ah¡­ the connection to the Great One¡­ the blessing¡­!¡± He seemed to have lost his sanity. ¡°Oh Eon-ju.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Finish it.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Oh Eon-ju, no longer in her beastly form, nodded. Her body was battered and barely holding together. Before I descended, when the progenitor unleashed his power and bathed Ulsan in blood, a massive shockwave had erupted. My father, who had been fighting closest to the progenitor, had been flung all the way to the vicinity of the Taehwa River. Naturally, Oh Eon-ju, who had also been nearby, had suffered significant injuries. Despite this, she had risked her life to approach the progenitor. It was only fitting that she deliver the final blow. ¡®It¡¯s economically sound too.¡¯ I had poured substantial funds into my retainers in preparation for battles against vampires. Even the newly recruited retainers had been leveled up to their maximum potential, regardless of cost. ¡®The higher the level, the worse the efficiency.¡¯ Still, I had no regrets. If I had invested conservatively, the losses would have been far greater. Thud! The progenitor, stripped of all its power, met its end as Oh Eon-ju¡¯s hand pierced its heart. Its withered body disintegrated from the heart outward, vanishingpletely. [You have hunted Progenitor (True) (Lv. 62).] [You have gained an enormous amount of experience.] [9,958,584,949.23 KRW has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s wallet.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ For a moment, I thought I had misread the number. ¡®Millions, tens of millions, billions, tens of billions¡­¡¯ The money from hunting the progenitor was a staggering¡ª ¡®9.9 trillion won?!¡¯ Nearly 10 trillion won had been deposited. ¡®Wait¡­ is this right?¡¯ The money from this single kill exceeded all my previous earningsbined. ¡®Even with all the benefits stacking¡­¡¯ It was likely the crown I wore that had yed a significant role in this. The crown amplified the bonuses citizens received and,bined with Oh Eon-ju¡¯s title of Viscount, resulted in a final payout nine times the original amount. And¡ª ¡®If the mary rewards are this absurd¡­¡¯ Naturally, the experience points were equally astronomical. [Your skill level has increased.] [Your skill level has increased.] [Your skill level has increased.] [Your skill level has increased.] [Your skill level has increased.] The result was a cascade of explosive skill level-ups. ¡®Ah, damn it. This is bad.¡¯ Immediately afterward¡ª Swish¡ª As the time for Descent ended and I returned to my Dwelling¡ª ¡°!!!!!!¡± The unbearable pain began. Chapter 96 When I regained consciousness and opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling and system notifications I hadn¡¯t yet reviewed. ¡°[The Dwelling Promation has reached Level 30.]¡± ¡°[You have acquired 3 skill points.]¡± The notification regarding the skill point acquisition appeared, followed by another: ¡°[The number of citizens has reached 100,000.]¡± ¡°[The increase in the citizen poption has unlocked the ¡®Power of the Star.¡¯]¡± The newly unlocked feature was tied to the growing citizen poption. Checking the citizen information revealed it to be a type of enhancement system. By investing money, I could strengthen the citizens.@@novelbin@@ Each enhancement added a star, increasing their overall stats¡ªa system that seemed quite useful. Naturally, the category of ¡°citizens¡± included the retainers, meaning I could now enhance them as well. ¡°Thanks to the Crown, the enhancement effects will be doubled.¡± I decided to focus on enhancing the retainers first before considering the other citizens. ¡°How much time has passed?¡± Thest thing I remembered was alternating between fainting from pain and waking up again, only to be plunged back into suffering. The countless cycles of consciousness and unconsciousness made it difficult to gauge the passage of time. ¡°Has it been about a day?¡± I got out of bed and drew the curtains, revealing the sun high in the sky. Since it had been midnight when I leveled up after killing the progenitor, at least several hours had passed. ¡°That was close.¡± The sudden expansion of the domain brought a surge of new people into the system. However, I had been in too much pain to manually grant citizenship to the neers. ¡°Good thing I automated citizenship allocation.¡± I had temporarily enabled an automated system to process the influx of survivors pouring in from Ulsan to Homeplus. This decision also benefited those arriving from Busan. Without it, the newly arrived people would have been unable to move until I regained consciousness. The longer I remained unconscious, the greater the suffering they would have endured. ¡°It¡¯s a relief, but¡­ it¡¯s also more work.¡± I¡¯d need to carefully inspect the new arrivals to ensure none of them were vampires in disguise. ¡°Still, I almost didn¡¯t make it.¡± The pain from leveling up five times in one go was overwhelming. The agony of leveling up had been intensifying with each progression, and jumping from Level 27 to 32 brought an entirely new level of torment. ¡°Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡± As soon as I stabilized and regained full awareness, I activated the skill to check the retainers¡¯ locations. The operation was still ongoing. Thankfully, there were hardly any vampires left, and no battles were taking ce. The retainers were entirely focused on rescuing survivors. However, I couldn¡¯t sense the connection with three of them. ¡°¡­Did three of them die?¡± Kim Ji-tae, Shin Ah-young, and Hong Gyeok-taek were gone. I hadn¡¯t expected toplete the operation without casualties, but seeing the losses firsthand left a bitter taste in my mouth. ¡°...¡± I offered a moment of silent tribute to honor their souls, then used the Ring of Communication to assess the situation. I reached out to Seo Ye-jin, who was seated cross-legged at the Homeplusmand post, busily controlling her rodents. ¡°[Ye-jin.]¡± ¡°Oh, Oppa?¡± She opened her eyes, looking around. ¡°[Can you brief me on the current situation?]¡± Nodding, Seo Ye-jin began to speak. ¡°Yeah. Just like you ordered, we¡¯ve been prioritizing rescuing survivors for the past two days. Luckily, after you killed the vampire progenitor, the berserk state of the lower-ranked vampires disappeared except for the weakest ones¡­¡± ¡°[Wait a moment. Two days? Are you saying I¡¯ve been unconscious for two days?]¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her eyes were filled with concern. ¡°It¡¯s because of that, isn¡¯t it? How are you feeling? Are you okay?¡± ¡°[¡­I¡¯m fine now.]¡± ¡°Thank goodness.¡± She let out a sigh of relief before asking, ¡°Where are you right now?¡± ¡°[At home. I¡¯lle over soon.]¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door, I teleported to the Homeplusmand post to inspect the overall situation. There wasn¡¯t much for me to intervene in. The weakest vampires, even in their berserk state, were so feeble that the retainers were easily dealing with them. The real problemy hidden among the survivors. ¡°Keek!¡± Lower and mid-tier vampires, indistinguishable from normal humans at a nce, had infiltrated by mingling with the survivors. The foolish ones who obtained citizenship revealed their identities instantly and were subdued by Jang Sung-jun¡¯s telekinesis before being confined in the basement. The vampires weren¡¯t executed outright because they had gained citizenship. Killing a citizen would incur massive penalties as a ¡°murderer,¡± so confinement was the only option. ¡°[Execute them.]¡± One by one, I revoked their citizenship and hunted them down, eliminating all the vampires. After clearing out all the vampires from the basement, I asked Seo Ye-jin: ¡°The survivors don¡¯t seem very cooperative. When did this start?¡± ¡°Hmm. I think it began after the vampires¡¯ berserk state ended.¡± When the berserk vampires were threatening their lives, the survivors hade to Homeplus seeking safety at all costs. But now that the progenitor was dead and the berserk state had ended, they saw no reason to follow our directives anymore. Instead, many had grown suspicious of us. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it be for now.¡± ¡°The survivors?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t want to cooperate, we¡¯ll leave them alone.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is there a problem?¡± Seo Ye-jin sighed softly. ¡°The monsters from the surrounding areas are starting to gather in Ulsan.¡± ¡°Monsters?¡± ¡°Yes. They must have sensed the progenitor¡¯s death.¡± With the domain¡¯s ruler gone, other creatures were moving in to im the vacant territory. ¡°Hmm.¡± The people in Ulsan likely had no understanding of the threat posed by these monsters. Living within the safety of the vampires¡¯ walls, they had no idea they were merely livestock. ¡°Let¡¯s withdraw for now.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s okay?¡± ¡°Dragging them along against their will would only breed resentment. It¡¯s better to let theme to us when they¡¯re ready.¡± Although some would inevitably fall victim to the monsters during that time, it was a better option than fostering unnecessary conflict. ¡°Summon Retainers.¡± After recalling all retainers scattered across Ulsan, I addressed them. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. This concludes the operation.¡± Returning home after wrapping up the situation in Ulsan, I took stock of the current state of affairs. ¡°The domain has expanded significantly.¡± Even at Level 27, it had already stretched close to the sea. Now, at Level 32, it had expanded to include part of the ocean. Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I could see the seabed clearly. Oddly, there seemed to be more stic waste than marine life. ¡°I can¡¯t even gauge how vast it is.¡± Surveying only the edges of the domain made it impossible to grasp its full extent. ¡°Maybe this will work.¡± Switching to construction mode, I observed the domain from a high vantage point. This allowed me to estimate its scale. ¡°It¡¯s nearly merged with the annex domain.¡± The two ovepping domains near Busan Station, which had previously intersected only slightly, now resembled a Venn diagram with more than half their areas merged. Since the ovep covered most of Busan¡¯s major districts, it effectively meant the entire city was now part of my domain. ¡°This ovepping part must have eased the pain considerably,¡± I thought. Even so, the sheer agony had been unbearable. ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for the ovep...¡± The pain might have been enough to send me into shock and kill me. ¡°I really need to find a way to manage this.¡± Surveying the expanded domain left me with a bitter taste. ¡°So, only 100,000 people survived in this vast area?¡± Of the 230,000 survivors, 30,000 had been rescued from Ulsan, meaning only 100,000 were left in Busan. ¡°Too many people died.¡± With Busan¡¯s original poption around 3 million, this meant a survival rate of just 7%. In just a few months since monsters appeared, 93% of the poption had perished. ¡°The new survivors are mostly clustered around water sources.¡± The Nakdong River, Suyeong River, and Oncheoncheon Stream were key locations. Those who had managed to survive over the past few months had gathered near these rivers. ¡°But the situation here doesn¡¯t look great either.¡± While proximity to water solved the problem of drinking water, food remained an issue. A quick inspection revealed they had been surviving by hunting monsters. They had been using creatures like the Sky Marlin, which came from the sea, as food. However, with the recent expansion of my domain, the surrounding monsters had been eradicated. ¡°I¡¯ve identally wiped out their food source.¡± Some areas near the Nakdong River still bordered monster zones, so hunting was technically possible. But for those granted citizenship, hunting monsters yielded no usable resources as the corpses disappeared. ¡°Good thing the trading system exists.¡± Many survivors had been using the trading system to buy food with the money earned from hunting monsters. ¡°I should build some shops and facilities nearby, maybe assign a few hunters...¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be a need to forcibly merge these groups with the ones in Seomyeon. They had already established their own hierarchies and rules, and forcing integration would likely lead to friction. A few basic forms of support would suffice to help them survive on their own. ¡°Setting up an instant dungeon nearby should do the trick.¡± I didn¡¯t intend to take responsibility for everyone. ¡°But I need to make them see the benefits of obtaining citizenship.¡± I was nearing the limit of how many people I could grant citizenship to. ¡°At Level 32, I can have up to 320,000 citizens.¡± Of those, I had already epted over 230,000. ¡°When I was at lower levels, the number of citizens I could ept grew significantly with every five levels.¡± From hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands. But now, the limit had teaued at 10,000 per level. ¡°There wille a time when I can¡¯t grant citizenship anymore.¡± When that happened, I would need to be more selective about who received it. Those without citizenship would be forced to live outside my domain. ¡°Hmm. But...¡± There was one strange thing I had noticed. ¡°Why are there so many Awakened here?¡± Far downstream of the Nakdong River, far from where I was. Like Ulsan, this area seemed to have a rtively high proportion of Awakened individuals. ¡°Even if most of them have low-level abilities, the number of Awakened here is unexpectedly high.¡± Was it just coincidence that there were fewer Awakened in Seomyeon? ¡°Maybe the high number of non-Awakened survivors in Seomyeon was because of me. Or perhaps...¡± Several hypotheses came to mind. ¡°Maybe my presence suppresses the number of Awakened.¡± If the amount of energy avable for Awakening in a given area was finite, I might have absorbed it all myself. ¡°...My powers are absurd, after all.¡± Citizens granted my citizenship were vastly stronger than ordinary people on average. Without being Awakened, they couldn¡¯t gain anything from hunting monsters. But those with citizenship gained experience points from monster hunts and grew stronger. For citizens under Level 15, even exercising at a gym could raise their level. It was only natural that my citizens had higher average levels. ¡°In a way, every citizen I ept is like a low-level Awakened individual.¡± The sheer magnitude of my power became clear to me once again. ¡°It¡¯s overwhelming.¡± I suddenly recalled the words of the progenitor. It had spoken of me as if I were an existence that didn¡¯t belong here. I opened my hand and let my power manifest. Fwoosh. ck energy surged like mes. ¡°What exactly is this?¡± The progenitor had clearly known more than I did. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a human turned vampire.¡± I was sure of it. The system had determined it wasn¡¯t an entity eligible for citizenship. Its immense power. The subtle nuances in our brief exchange. Everything about it was fundamentally different from other vampires. ¡°It was a monster.¡± Like goblins and orcs, it was a creature from another world that had crossed over here. ¡°Where do monsters evene from?¡± It was an old question. From the moment goblins appeared on the apartment walking path and I awakened my power, bing trapped inside my own home, the question had lingered in my mind. ¡°...Hah. Whatever. Let¡¯s test the new feature.¡± The Power of the Star. The first citizen to receive a star would, of course, be¡ª ¡°Moon Byeong-ho.¡± Chapter 97 The decision to choose Moon Byeong-ho over Ha Dong-geon for the first attempt at bestowing the Power of the Star was straightforward. ¡°[Would you like to use 100,000,000 won to bestow the Power of the Star on Citizen Moon Byeong-ho?]¡± ¡°[Sess rate: 65%]¡± The sess of the process wasn¡¯t guaranteed, as there was a 35% chance of failure. At a nce, 65% might seem reassuring, but anyone familiar with the cruel nature of probabilities¡ªespecially South Korean men who¡¯d experienced mandatory service gacha systems¡ªknew how dangerous that remaining 35% could be. ¡°Failing with a single attempt that costs 100 million won is not an option.¡± Thus, I chose Moon Byeong-ho, the luckiest of the retainers, to minimize the risk. ¡°Bestow.¡± At that moment, a sh of light burst from Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s information screen. And then¡ª ¡°[The Power of the Star has been sessfully bestowed upon Citizen Moon Byeong-ho.]¡± It was a resounding sess. Name: Moon Byeong-ho (Lv. 50¡î) [+] Titles: [Second de] [Knight] [Assassin] Trust: 100 Loyalty: 100 Awakening Abilities: Teleportation, Invisibility Experience Distribution Rate: 200% (+100%) ¡ï Quest Enabled [¡î]
  • All stats increased by 100%.
¡°Not bad.¡± Since the Power of the Star was an effect applied to citizens, it was amplified twofold by the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Crown. In other words, all of Moon Byeong-ho¡¯s stats were now increased by 200%. Considering the hundreds of billions of won already spent to raise his level, achieving such a massive enhancement for just 100 million won was an exceptional deal. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely need to enhance the other retainers as well.¡± The Power of the Star didn¡¯t just enhance physical abilities¡ªit boosted all abilities, including mental power, the primary resource for using skills. Following Moon Byeong-ho, I bestowed the Power of the Star on Ha Dong-geon, Kim Ga-yeong, and Oh Eon-ju. Each enhancement seeded on the first try. However, when it came time to enhance Kang Deok-su¡ª Puhk! ¡°[Enhancement failed.]¡± ¡°Ah.¡± For the first time, there was a failure. A new message appeared: ¡°[Star Dust has umted for Citizen Kang Deok-su.]¡± ¡°Star Dust?¡± I discovered what it was when I attempted to enhance him again. ¡°[Would you like to use 100,000,000 won to bestow the Power of the Star on Citizen Kang Deok-su?]¡± ¡°[umted Star Dust (50%) increases the sess rate.]¡± ¡°[Sess rate: 85%]¡± The umted Star Dust had increased the sess rate by 20%. An 85% sess rate meant nine out of ten attempts would likely seed. ¡°Bestow.¡± As the sh of light erupted again, a thought crossed my mind. ¡°What happens when the Star Dust reaches 100%?¡± And then¡ª Puhk! ¡°[Enhancement failed.]¡± ¡°[Star Dust has umted for Citizen Kang Deok-su.]¡± ¡°[Star Dust for Citizen Kang Deok-su has reached maximum capacity.]¡± ¡°¡­I wasn¡¯t that curious.¡± Regardless, I now understood the effect of fully umted Star Dust. ¡°[Would you like to use 100,000,000 won to bestow the Power of the Star on Citizen Kang Deok-su?]¡± ¡°[Star Dust is at maximum capacity.]¡± ¡°[Sess rate: 100%]¡± ¡°¡­Bestow.¡± sh¡ª ¡°[The Power of the Star has been sessfully bestowed upon Citizen Kang Deok-su.]¡± While the process seeded, it wasn¡¯t exactly satisfying. Star Dust ensured a 100% sess rate once fully umted, but this meant the cost of bestowing the first star ranged from a minimum of 100 million won to a maximum of 300 million won. Not bad, considering the investment wasn¡¯t entirely wasted. Enhancing all twenty-one retainers to one star ended up costing around 3 billion won¡ªnot as expensive as I had anticipated. Even if the first attempt failed, the 85% sess rate for subsequent attempts ensured the majority seeded without too much trouble. ¡°All done.¡± There had been no hesitation in enhancing the retainers. I had already invested tens of billions of won to raise their levels beyond 40. Spending a few more billion to double all their stats was a no-brainer. Failing to invest adequately and losing retainers would be a much greater loss. ¡°What about two-star enhancement?¡± Naturally, I began with Moon Byeong-ho. ¡°[Would you like to use 300,000,000 won to enhance the Power of the Star for Citizen Moon Byeong-ho?]¡± ¡°[Sess rate: 55%]¡± The cost for a second enhancement was a steep 300 million won, with only a 55% sess rate.@@novelbin@@ Slightly better than a coin toss¡ªmeaning one out of two attempts would likely fail. ¡°¡­Enhance.¡± With another sh of light¡ª ¡°[The Power of the Star bestowed upon Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has been enhanced.]¡± The system confirmed the sess. [¡î¡î]
  • All stats increased by 200%.
  • Gains 50% additional experience.
¡°Hm?¡± The existing stat boost had doubled, and a new ability had been added. My instincts urged me to try for a three-star enhancement immediately. ¡°[Would you like to use 1,000,000,000 won to enhance the Power of the Star for Citizen Moon Byeong-ho?]¡± ¡°[Sess rate: 45%]¡± The cost had skyrocketed to 1 billion won, and the sess rate had dropped below 50%. Still, there was no hesitation. And then¡ª ¡°[The Power of the Star bestowed upon Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has been enhanced.]¡± True to his reputation, Moon Byeong-ho did not betray my expectations. [¡î¡î¡î]
  • All stats increased by 300%.
  • Gains 50% additional experience.
  • Gains 50% additional mary rewards.
The third effect, additional mary rewards, appeared. ¡°This means I¡¯ll have to enhance everyone to three stars.¡± Even with the growing number of citizens, the majority of my ie still came from monster hunting. In particr, the mary rewards earned by the retainers constituted thergest share. ¡°An extra 50% is huge.¡± Thanks to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Crown, this effect would be doubled to 100%, and the retainers¡¯ titles would triple it again. In other words, a three-star enhancement would result in a 300% increase in mary rewards. Considering the current mary efficiency for retainers was already at 900%, this would boost their contributions by roughly 1.3 times. Given that the retainers earned billions from their hunts, the cost of bestowing the Power of the Star would be quickly recovered. While I was enhancing retainers to three stars, a telepathic message from Kim Da-bin interrupted me. ¡°[Jaehyun-nim, everyone is gathered.]¡± I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to nce at the public facilities, where Kim Da-bin, Seo Ye-jin, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, and Kim Min-ho¡¯s party were all waiting in ck suits. I teleported there using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door, dressed in a sharp ck suit myself. Looking at the neatly dressed retainers, I spoke. ¡°Shall we go?¡± Closing the door to my room, I linked it to another destination with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door. As the door opened, a faint wailing reached us. We had arrived at a funeral hall, a ce to bid farewell to the deceased. The battle against the vampires had imed more than just the lives of retainers. Some died at the hands of berserk vampires, others during their escape, and some while fighting to hold back vampires crossing the bridges. People had lost family, friends, and lovers. Here, those who had lost loved ones were gathered for a joint funeral. Tragically, only a small number of the deceased had been properly recovered. Many mourners clutched a single flower, unable to even find a photograph of their loved ones, as they paid their respects. The sound of crying and wailing was ceaseless. ¡°Sob... Honey...¡± The mourners here were, ironically, the lucky ones. Most of those who had died in Ulsan were left alone, their deaths unacknowledged on deste streets. We passed the joint funeral and entered a small room where about twenty people had gathered. ¡°Jaehyun-nim, you¡¯ve arrived.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± These were members of Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s party, a group contracted to me for their talent in monster hunting. Two of the deceased retainers, Shin Ah-young and Kim Ji-tae, had been part of this party, making Lee Jun-hyuk the host of this funeral. Unlike survivors in Ulsan, they still had ess to smartphones, allowing photos of Shin Ah-young and Kim Ji-tae to be disyed inside. After paying my respects, I stepped aside, and the other retainers followed suit. When Lee Jun-hyuk approached me as the host, he spoke. ¡°Thank you foring despite your busy schedule.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right that I came.¡± The war against the vampires had been my decision. Therefore, it was my responsibility to bear the consequences of the sacrifices it entailed. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know. I¡¯ll provide whatever support you require.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Still, it pained me that this was all I could offer. ¡°Would you like a meal?¡± ¡°No, I still have other ces to visit.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± After offering my condolences, I moved on to Hong Gyeok-taek¡¯s funeral. Fewer people had gathered there. Hong Gyeok-taek had been part of Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party, but the host of this funeral wasn¡¯t Jang Sung-jun. ¡°Who are you, mister?¡± A young girl, appearing to be a middle school student, was hosting the funeral in mourning attire. She was Hong Gyeok-taek¡¯s daughter, Hong Jin-ah. She was one of the family members Jang Sung-jun¡¯s party had risked their lives to rescue and was Hong Gyeok-taek¡¯s only surviving family. With swollen eyes, the girl looked up at me. Her gaze, initially nk, soon seemed to recognize me. ¡°...Jaehyun-nim?¡± Though I didn¡¯t respond, the reactions around her confirmed her suspicion. She knelt before me. ¡°Jaehyun-nim, you¡¯re Jaehyun-nim, right? Please, bring my dad back to life. You can do it, can¡¯t you? Please?¡± Among the citizens, my abilities were greatly exaggerated. Ironically, her request might have been within my reach. Though I couldn¡¯t grant full resurrection, as I had done with Oh Eon-ju, it was possible to allow a temporary reunion for a day. However, such actions were fleeting and ultimately harmful. As Oh Eon-ju had warned, they could sow seeds of discord, with others demanding why their loved ones hadn¡¯t been revived. At that moment, Oh Eon-ju stepped forward and embraced the girl. The girl hesitated, trying to push her away, but then noticed the tears streaming down Oh Eon-ju¡¯s face. After a brief pause, the girl hugged her back and began sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Waaahhh!¡± The world was filled with too many wounded people. Too many needed sce. The harsh world left countless people hurt, yet the world took no responsibility. Who should shoulder this pain? I had vowed to take responsibility, but could I truly bear it all? This immense grief and suffering¡ª ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I could only hope that such pain would no longer be reproduced in the world. ¡°What can I do?¡± If the problem was the world itself, perhaps I needed to change it. But could I? I didn¡¯t know. All I could do was resolve to do my best. ¡°To make this world a little better.¡± As the mournful cries of the bereaved filled the night, it grew darker. Chapter 98 Lee Ho-beom was a survivor from Ulsan. Tadadadak. As he cracked two eggs into a frying pan greased with oil and turned on the gas stove, he thought to himself: "I never thought I¡¯d be able to live like this again." An utterly ordinary life. Compared to the days spent in group shelters or makeshift camps, this felt like a dream he hadn¡¯t dared imagine. Each day was new, filled with gratitude and wonder. He still vividly remembered the moment he first arrived here. When he¡¯d reached the apartmentplex, he had been skeptical. In Ulsan, apartments were excellent spots for scavenging essentials like clothes and food, so he assumed the same logic applied. When the guides said they would show him to his amodation, he expected to be led to a gymnasium or a basic shelter. But when he discovered that the entire apartmentplex had working gas, electricity, and running water, it was like someone had struck him on the back of the head with a hammer. Although the apartment required some cleaning, it was equipped with essential appliances: a rice cooker, washing machine, dryer, refrigerator, and even a seemingly useless TV. The kitchen came fully stocked with basic utensils, and food and water were easily essible from the nearby store. Although money was required to purchase these supplies, they¡¯d initially received financial support, so he hadn¡¯t worried about it. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this is real.¡± There were moments when he wondered if he had actually died at the hands of the vampires and this was just a hallucination conjured by his dying brain. "That all of thises from the power of one man is unbelievable." He first learned about that man, Kim Jaehyun, through the rescue team. The rescuers often mentioned his name when treating the wounded. At first, Lee Ho-beom had dismissed it as fanaticism, suspecting them to be part of a cult. But when he witnessed gravely injured individuals recover miraculously, his skepticism wavered. Having been personally saved by Ha Dong-geon, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Lee Ho-beom to believe in such stories. He had seen with his own eyes a man who wielded mysterious powers to obliterate berserk monsters in an instant. And when he believed in Kim Jaehyun¡¯s existence¡ª "Strength surged through my body." Exhausted from carrying Choi Do-yeon on his back, he suddenly felt vitality return to his limbs. It was an experience he¡¯d never had before, as if his faith had been tangibly rewarded. He clearly remembered the moment when his weak, malnourished body had been invigorated in an instant. ¡°Thank you again for today.¡± The miracle he experienced at his lowest point was something he would never forget. Feeling grateful for the small daily miracles in his life, he finished preparing breakfast. After scooping fresh rice from the cooker and setting out some seaweed, Lee Ho-beom called out toward the bedroom: ¡°Hey! Choi Do-yeon!¡± When there was no response, he opened the door to find her bundled in a nket like a cocoon, fast asleep despite him waking her earlier. ¡°Hey! How long are you going to keep sleeping? Get up!¡± Shaking her awake, he was met with her groggy, half-asleep reply: ¡°¡­Just ten more minutes¡­¡± Frowning, Lee Ho-beom yanked the nket off her. Choi Do-yeon shivered briefly, curling herself into a ball, and mumbled: ¡°Five more minutes¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, forget it. I¡¯m eating without you.¡± Frustrated, he stomped back to the kitchen and started eating. He cracked open an egg, letting the yolk run over his rice, and mixed it with a spoon. Wrapping a bit of the mixture in seaweed, he took a bite and repeated the process a couple of times before Choi Do-yeon finally emerged from the bedroom and sat across from him at the table. ¡°Thanks for the food.¡± Her smile and casual words melted away his irritation, and he let out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯m such a pushover.¡± It had been over a week since the two of them started living together in this apartment.@@novelbin@@ Both had lost their families and naturally relied on each other, so living together felt inevitable. Despite this, they remained just friends, which bothered Lee Ho-beom, though he didn¡¯t show it. He didn¡¯t want to ruin their peaceful routine. ¡°What time do we need to leave?¡± ¡°Right after this meal.¡± ¡°Huh? But I need to shower.¡± ¡°You have a hat.¡± ¡°No way. Today¡¯s the first dungeon raid!¡± Choi Do-yeon hurriedly shoveled food into her mouth before rushing off to the bathroom. Shwaaaa¡ª The sound of the shower echoed through the apartment as Lee Ho-beom finished his meal and cleared the table. He prepared for their outing. ¡°Goblin Dungeon, right?¡± Over the past week, they had attended training sessions on firearms and Goblin Dungeon strategies. Today was their first field practice. Each team consisted of eight members. For Lee Ho-beom and Choi Do-yeon, their teammates were three married couples. Although all eight were first-timers and understandably nervous, an overseer would apany them, so there was no need for excessive worry. Lee Ho-beom nced at his hand, deep in thought. ¡°Should I say something?¡± At that moment¡ª Crackle! A faint spark of blue electricity flickered across his hand. He had discovered this ability only four days ago. He had felt an odd energy stirring within him, and through experimentation, realized he could generate electricity. ¡°It was definitely back then.¡± Just before stepping through the ming portal called Namdaemun, he had felt a terrifying aura emanating from across the Taehwa River. Everyone present had felt it. The oppressive killing intent had sent everyone into a panic, with some descending into chaos. ¡°Ever since that moment, I¡¯ve sensed this strange power inside me.¡± He was certain it was connected to the vampires. If this power truly originated from them, it might be a precursor to turning into one. He had heard rumors of vampires possessing mysterious abilities. The thought chilled him, but he buried the suspicion deep inside, sharing it only with Choi Do-yeon. ¡°If this power reallyes from them, I might not survive.¡± For now, he kept it a secret. ¡°No good wille from revealing it. I need to hide it as much as possible.¡± He tried manifesting the power again, this time more strongly. Chapter 99 "I''m back." As I opened the front door and stepped inside, my grandfather''s voice immediately came from the master bedroom. "Who is it?" "It''s me." "Jaehyun?" "Yes, Grandfather." When I entered the master bedroom, I saw my grandmother lying peacefully with her eyes closed on the stone bed, as usual, while my grandfather sat beside her, silently taking care of her. "Where''s Mom?" Just then. "Son? Is my son home?" I heard my mother''s voiceing from the kitchen. Grandfather offered an exnation. "She''s cooking right now. You haven¡¯t eaten, have you?" "No, I haven¡¯t." "Then join uster for a meal." "Yes, Grandfather." I approached the bed. On top of Grandmother''s nket, a fairy was curled up, dozing off. When I gently touched it, the fairy looked up at me with drowsy eyes, stretched its body, and gave a big yawn. Then it spread its wings and flew up, circling around me. "Yes, I¡¯m d to see you too." The fairy was currently level 13. Considering Kami had already surpassed level 20, its growth rate was noticeably slow. Still, after reaching level 10, the fairy¡¯s ability had increased the natural recovery rate of all citizens within the domain by 900%. Thanks to the fairy''s presence, minor injuries could be healed instantly just by entering the domain. When the fairynded on my shoulder, I extended my hand toward it. It hugged my hand with its tiny arms, rubbing its cheek against the back of my hand. After spending a little time ying with the fairy, I turned my attention to checking on Grandmother''s condition. "How is Grandmother doing?" "Same as usual." Thanks to Grandfather infusing her with green life energy and Mom¡¯s meticulous care, Grandmother had been able to maintain her health. But it seemed that wasn¡¯t enough to make her fully recover. "She looks like she¡¯s lost a bit of weight..." No matter how incredible Grandfather¡¯s powers were, she had been unable to consume proper nutrients for months now. It wasn¡¯t sustainable. "What exactly is the problem?" At first, I had hope seeing Grandmother briefly open her eyes with the fairy''s abilities. I thought that if the fairy continued to grow steadily, one day she might wake up fully. But waiting for the fairy to grow at this rate would take too long. "If this keeps up, Grandmother¡¯s body will reach its limit." That was uneptable. I had to figure out a solution. At that moment, Grandfather approached Grandmother and used his power. Wooong As the green life energy emanated from his hand and flowed into Grandmother¡¯s body, I instinctively observed it. "That power..." Previously, I had thought it was just one of his many abilities. But upon closer inspection, its nature was distinct. This energy resembled the ck aura I possessed and the crimson energy of the vampires. And then. Ziiing Before I could fully grasp the nature of the power, I felt a strange sensation I hadn¡¯t noticed before. "Interesting." Out of habit, I activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to observe the green energy being absorbed into Grandmother''s body. With the skill, I could identify what had been merely a vague sense to my naked eye. The green energy was absorbed into her body, gradually diminishing. No, to be precise, it was being devoured by another energy within Grandmother¡¯s body. Something inside her was ravenously consuming the green energy Grandfather was releasing. Only a fraction of the energy managed to remain and sustain her life. The entity consuming his power was... "A transparent aura?" It was then that I became aware of the transparent energy growing inside Grandmother¡¯s body. Instinctively, I realized. "This is the cause." The reason Grandmother couldn¡¯t wake up was undoubtedly due to that energy. "If only I could deal with this..." The transparent energy was most concentrated around her head. When I reached out my hand toward it¡ª sh! "!" The moment my hand touched the transparent energy, it red up violently, spreading outward. And then¡ª I saw an entirely different scene before my eyes. An endless blue sky. A vast forest densely packed with trees and a gigantic tree at its center. Majestic mountains decorating the horizon in brilliant hues. Pah! As I pulled my hand away from the transparent energy, I returned to reality. "Huff, huff!" "Jaehyun! What¡¯s wrong?" Grandfather, rmed by my sudden reaction, patted my back. The green life energy emanating from his body surrounded me, and the warmth quickly calmed my breathing. "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine." "What happened?"@@novelbin@@ "I¡¯m not sure either." What had I just seen? It was clear that the transparent energy in Grandmother¡¯s body was connected to it. Just then. Fwoosh! ck mes rose, ready to incinerate the transparent energy surrounding Grandmother¡¯s head. The energy had dared to oppose me within my domain. But I consciously suppressed the mes. "If I recklessly burn this energy, Grandmother won¡¯t survive." I could easily destroy it. This was my domain, and the transparent energy in her body was cornered. But the energy had been parasitizing her body since before I established this annex, creating a small domain of its own within her head. Burning it away would inevitably harm Grandmother. If I wasn¡¯t careful, I could destroy everything in the process. "I need another way." There had to be a method to expel the energy while keeping Grandmother safe. "Grandfather, when will Grandmother wake up?" "Why?" "I have something I want to ask." "To your grandmother?" "Yes." "We''ll wake her up after we finish eating and everyone is gathered." The fairy could only awaken Grandmother once every three days, and even then, it was limited to about ten minutes at most. Because of this, they would choose a time when the whole family could gather and have enough time to talk to her. "Grandmother will be happy. Last time, when she woke up, she kept asking where you were. Did you know that?" "Dad told me." Just then, Mom''s voice came from the kitchen. "Dad! Jaehyun! Dinner¡¯s ready!" The kitchen table was set with a meal Mom had prepared with great care. Soybean paste stew, an assortment of side dishes, steamed mackerel, and grilled rockfish filled the table, stimting my appetite. Grandfather took the head seat at the table and made a jokingment. "You roasted the expensive akamochi just because the precious son came home?" "You like it too, Dad. And it¡¯s not even that expensive at the store." Since fishing for fresh catches was no longer possible, all kinds of fish¡ªfrom mackerel and pock to tuna¡ªhad been registered in the system. Because the fish were now standardized asmodities, anyone with enough money could purchase even thergest catches. The rockfish on the table, for instance, was an impressive size. Though Mom said it wasn¡¯t expensive, a fish of this size must have cost quite a bit. Not that money was an issue. "Where¡¯s Kim Seobang?" "He¡¯s at work. He¡¯ll be back soon." Dad¡¯s daily earnings were enormous. Thanks to his family title, the monsters Dad hunted were exclusively credited to him, and the revenue from his hunts regrly exceeded hundreds of millions of won. With such substantial ie, spending money on food was barely a drop in the bucket. "These days, his earnings must have increased even more." After defeating the progenitor and incorporating most of Busan into the domain, hunting now required traveling much further away. To facilitate travel, I had set up the South Gate for convenient ess to Ulsan¡¯s forward base. The South Gate had to be installed on a transparent barrier, so I used Jeonpo Station, right in front of our apartment, as the forward base. It was a worthwhile investment. Moreover, setting up a forward base within the domain came at half the cost, and it didn¡¯t require a knight-level retainer for activation, making operations even more efficient. Beep beep beep ¨C Ding-dong! Just then, the front door opened, and Dad walked in. "Mmm~ Smells delicious. Is that akamochi?" The grilled rockfish Mom prepared was tender and vorful. Even though it was arge fish with plenty of meat, the four of us quickly stripped it to the bones with our chopsticks. "Thank you for the meal." After finishing dinner, the whole family gathered in the first-floor master bedroom where Grandmother was resting. Mom spoke gently to the sleeping Grandmother. "Mom, you¡¯ve been waiting for a long time, haven¡¯t you? We¡¯re going to wake you up now." With those words, Grandfather released green life energy toward the fairy. The fairy absorbed the green energy with a pleased expression. Then, it fluttered around above Grandmother, scattering sparkling dust. At that moment. Sssrrr¡ª Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I observed the transparent energy as it retreated into the domain it had created in Grandmother¡¯s head. When the energy fully withdrew from her body and settled into the small area within her head¡ª "Mm..." Grandmother slowly opened her eyes. Mom was the first to speak to her. "Mom, are you feeling okay? Are you in pain anywhere?" Grandmother nodded faintly, her expression still dazed. "Look here, Mom. Jaehyun is here." "Jaehyun...?" At Mom¡¯s words, Grandmother slowly turned her head toward me, her face lighting up with a faint smile. "Yes, it¡¯s you... My grandson is here." "Yes, Grandmother. It¡¯s me." "Mom, are you thirsty? Here, have some water." Grandmother seemed unable to regain full rity of mind. ¡®Even though the duration has lengthened, the issue remains the same.¡¯ Thest time I visited, she had been able to wake up for only about three minutes. Back then, she quickly fell back asleep, so I hadn¡¯t thought much of her dazed state. But now, even though she¡¯d been awake for nearly five minutes, her dreamlike expression made the gravity of the situation clear. "Grandmother." "Mm...?" "I want to ask you something." I looked at her and asked, "Do you know anything about a giant tree and a forest?" "A giant tree...?" "Yes, a giant tree." For a fleeting moment, when I saw the dense forest and the massive tree, one thought came to mind. "It seemed like Yggdrasil..." Could Grandmother¡¯s condition be connected to the World Tree? "The World... Tree...?" At that moment¡ª Wooong¡ª The transparent energy, which had been cautiously observing from its domain, suddenly surged outward. In an instant, it engulfed Grandmother¡¯s entire body. "Mom!" Grandmother copsed, losing consciousness. Then¡ª Fwaaah¡ª A brilliant light burst forth. [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s mind blocks the attack.] As the system notification appeared¡ª Thud. Mom, Dad, and even Grandfather copsed, losing consciousness. I was the only one left standing. Chapter 100 Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had been enjoying an extended break ever since their battle with the vampires ended. It was a stark contrast to the days when they hunted monsters tirelessly without a single day of rest. There were several reasons for this change. First, their financial situation was robust. Chosen by Kim Jae-hyun and granted power, they had umted an enormous fortune from hunting countless monsters. As an ace party, they had faced powerful monsters, earning them wealth that exceeded tens of billions just from basic rewards alone. In Oh Eon-ju¡¯s case, having personally finished off the progenitor vampire, she possessed assets worth over a hundred billion. With that kind of financial security, there was no pressing need for them to keep risking their lives hunting monsters. Second, there was ack of suitable hunting grounds. The primary hunting ground for most people had shifted to Ulsan because Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s domain had expanded significantly. Now that the domain epassed all of Busan, hunting required traveling at least 10 kilometers away, often to ces like Gimhae, Yangsan, or Gijang. Even with ess to vehicles, hunting was challenging since only parts of the roads near Seomyeon had been properly maintained. In other words, even reaching the hunting grounds involved a tiresome and lengthy journey. Given this, many parties that had previously hunted monsters outside the domain flocked to Ulsan, facilitated by the connection between Jeonpo Station in Seomyeon and the Homeplus in Ulsan. Initially, they hunted the remaining mid-level vampires in the city, but that was short-lived. The vampires, having lost their leader, scattered in all directions to save themselves. Meanwhile, misceneous monsters from the surrounding mountain ranges began flooding into Ulsan, seemingly aware that the progenitor who ruled the domain was gone. As a result, Ulsan became overrun with monsters, most of which were goblins or orcs¡ªnot exactly rewarding prey worth the effort. Most importantly, Kim Jae-hyun had given them a specific assignment. Ha Dong-geon turned to Kim Gun, who had just returned from scouting the skies. "Did you find anything?" Kim Gun reverted to his human form and replied, "...No, senior. There¡¯s no sign of a dungeon entrance." Their task, assigned by Kim Jae-hyun, was to search for and conquer dungeons. ¡°Dong-geon, are you okay?¡± Kang Deok-su, who was nearby, asked with concern. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Never mind...¡± Kang Deok-su¡¯s expression mirrored Kim Gun¡¯s as they looked at Ha Dong-geon. The reason was the location they were currently exploring¡ªJangjeon-dong, where the three of them had grown up. Their family homes were nearby. The apartmentplex had been overrun by ck Orcs. While Kang Deok-su and Kim Gun had some hope that their families might have survived, Ha Dong-geon¡¯s situation was different. His home had been covered in blood. "I¡¯m fine. It doesn¡¯t bother me." Kang Deok-su sighed softly. As a friend of twenty years, he knew too well that Ha Dong-geon was just pretending to be strong. ¡®I told him we should go somewhere else.¡¯ Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party had split into two groups for the exploration. Kang Deok-su had tried to send Ha Dong-geon far from this area. But Ha Dong-geon had insisted oning here, citing the excuse that his familiarity with the area would make the search more efficient. ¡®You stubborn fool.¡¯ Of course, Kang Deok-su could understand his friend¡¯s feelings. Even if his home had been a bloodbath, there was still the hope that his family had survived somehow. "...I¡¯m not much different." Except for the blood, Kang Deok-su¡¯s situation wasn¡¯t all that different from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s. He knew that in a world like this, it was unlikely his family had survived. Yet he couldn¡¯t let go of the faint hope. That¡¯s what family meant. Besides¡ª ¡®Since all of Busan is now a safe zone, maybe...¡¯ If luck was truly on their side, his family might still be alive. Perhaps, while exploring the dungeons, they might find them by chance. Even knowing it was improbable, he couldn¡¯t abandon hope. Ha Dong-geon spoke then. ¡°Gun, take a break for now. When the sun sets, scan the skies again. If there¡¯s a dungeon entrance, it should stand out.¡± ¡°...Understood, senior.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take Line 3. Deok-su, check Line 4.¡± "Got it." The area they were in was the Busan National University campus. Because the campus buildings were numbered, dividing the search was straightforward. Kang Deok-su faced a beige buildingbeled ¡°416 Biological Sciences¡± and let out a small sigh. Like the other buildings, the interior bore the marks of a desperate struggle for survival. Bloodstains and the stench of rotting corpses filled the corridors as he meticulously checked every room. When he reached the restroom, something moved inside, startling him. But he quickly realized it was just his reflection in a mirror and let out a small sigh of relief. ¡®That scared me.¡¯ Kang Deok-su didn¡¯t feel the need to go deeper into the restroom. If there were a dungeon entrance here, it would have been emitting light from the dark interior. Still, he took out his smartphone, turned on the shlight, and briefly illuminated the inside. The restroom was in utter disarray. It reeked of excrement, and corpses of monsters and humans were piled together around the body of a wolf-like creature¡ªa monster the size of an adult man, which had been spotted all over the campus. ¡®If these things were roaming around, survival would have been hopeless. Then that person too...¡¯ He realized once again how lucky he had been. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t gone to Dong-geon¡¯s housewarming that day...¡¯ He might have encountered monsters like this instead of goblins. ¡®No, if I¡¯d stayed home, I would¡¯ve died at the hands of those damned ck Orcs.¡¯ Without being chosen by Kim Jae-hyun, he wouldn¡¯t have survived. ¡®...This world is truly cursed.¡¯ These monsters roamed near what used to be his home. ¡®Even if my parents managed to escape sessfully...¡¯ They likely fell victim to the monsters. As Kang Deok-su turned to leave the restroom, he paused in front of the mirror.@@novelbin@@ ¡®...I look just like him.¡¯ The face in the mirror, with its unkempt beard, was a spitting image of his father. ¡°Dad...¡± Staring at the reflection that resembled his father, the ache of longing grew stronger. ¡®I miss you.¡¯ And then. ng! A noise came from deeper inside the restroom. Kang Deok-su immediately reacted. ¡°Rise.¡± He no longer needed to speak the words aloud to summon his silver knight. In front of the stall where the noise had originated, the silver knight appeared, ready to open the door. tter, tter! The door, unsurprisingly, was locked. "Aaaah!" A high-pitched scream came from inside. Realizing btedly that they were within a safe zone, Kang Deok-su shouted, "Calm down!" He quickly dismissed the silver knight. Moving closer, he shone his phone¡¯s shlight toward the stall and spoke again. "It¡¯s fine now. Please open the door." "No! Go away!" From inside came the trembling voice of a terrified woman. "Please, you¡¯re safe now." "Get lost!" Her voice carried deep mistrust. ¡®There¡¯s no other way.¡¯ Kang Deok-su knew he couldn¡¯t afford to waste time coaxing her into opening the door. The quicker this was resolved, the better. He grabbed the stall door and exerted his strength. Crack! The lock shattered instantly, and the door swung open. ¡°Gasp!¡± A startled sound came from within. The woman tried to block the door with her body, but she was no match for Kang Deok-su, who had reached level 50. As the door was forced open, the woman looked up at Kang Deok-su with a pale face. Without a word, he shone his shlight on her. "Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt you." He extended his hand to pull her out, but before he could touch her¡ª "Don¡¯t you dare touch me!" Her scream was piercing, and something about her voice struck Kang Deok-su as oddly familiar. Then¡ª "...What?" Recognition dawned on him. "Yesol?" "How long can they hold on?" I asked with a tense expression. Dr. Lee Sung-min, who was examining my grandfather¡¯s condition, replied, "It¡¯s just a matter of them being unconscious. With proper care, they could survive for months or even years. There are many cases of vegetative statessting for years. However..." Dr. Lee nced at my grandmother and cautiously added in a worried tone, "Despite receiving top-notch care and sufficient nutrients, your grandmother¡¯s condition is deteriorating." It had been a week since the light emanating from my grandmother caused my entire family to lose consciousness. At first, Dr. Lee had confidently stated it was simply a case of sleep. But as my grandmother¡¯s condition worsened, even he grew rmed. "At this rate, she may only have a month, possibly as little as a week, before things be critical." He finished his exnation, watching my reaction nervously. I couldn¡¯t hide the frustration on my face. ¡®I need to find a solution within a week.¡¯ My family¡¯s state wasn¡¯t just ordinary sleep. The transparent energy within their bodies was actively consuming their life force in real-time. For my mother, father, and grandfather, there was no immediate danger. All three were above level 50, their superhuman physical capabilities and vitality allowing them to endure with just intravenous fluids and nutrients. But my grandmother was different. Even with the family buff, she was only level 21, and she had already been in a weakened state from months of unconsciousness. Her declining health had worsened over the past week. With my grandfather¡¯s power no longer avable, I tried recing it with Kim Da-jeong¡¯s healing abilities, but it wasn¡¯t enough. In just one week, my grandmother had visibly wasted away. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ My sense of urgency grew. ¡®Should I try it?¡¯ I considered forcibly burning away the transparent energy¡¯s domain. It was an extremely dangerous method, but doing nothing would mean losing everything. ¡®If only I could assign quests, I might have a chance to try something.¡¯ My frustration only deepened. Then, suddenly¡ª Wooong¡ª My grandfather¡¯s peacefully resting right hand began to faintly glow and flicker. Wooong¡ª The vibration-like pulsation of light caught my attention. Boom! A faint tremor shook the entire domain. [An unauthorized entity is attempting to enter.] A familiar system message appeared before my eyes. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ I immediately used the ability to identify the source of the disturbance. What I saw was¡ª ¡¸White Dragon (Lv. 63)¡¹ The enormous creature that had visited this ce once before. Chapter 101 The White Dragon was staring intently at the transparent barrier from beneath the ocean surface. ¡®Come to think of it...¡¯ I recalled the time it had suddenly appeared and talked about forming a contract to protect us. The glowing tattoo on the back of my grandfather¡¯s hand was proof of that contract. A thought crossed my mind. ¡®Does it know something about this situation?¡¯ The vision of the lush forest and the massive tree I had seen when I touched the transparent energy came back to me. It seemed certain that the energy was linked to Yggdrasil. Initially, I thought it was Yggdrasil¡¯s doing. But after seeing my grandfather¡ªa guardian of Yggdrasil¡ªbeing affected, I changed my mind. Moreover, the power my grandfather wielded, drawn from Yggdrasil, waspletely different in nature from the transparent energy rooted in my grandmother¡¯s head. While it was undeniably connected to Yggdrasil, the fact that it had attacked my grandfather suggested it was not on friendly terms with the World Tree. ¡®And the White Dragon seemed to know a lot about Yggdrasil.¡¯ Considering it had entrusted its offspring to me, it appeared that Yggdrasil was essential for the hatching of its eggs. ¡®I¡¯ll need to ask it directly.¡¯ Although I couldn¡¯t leave the domain, the White Dragon was already at the barrier¡¯s edge. All I needed to do was reach it. ¡®Opening the East Gate should suffice.¡¯ The East Gate was a rtively simple feature of my domain. It allowed me to open a portal ¡°anywhere¡± within the domain. Unlike regr doors, it created a portal in the air, enabling instant movement. It was a refined version of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door but inferior to the North Gate, which could open portals to any location where my retainers were present, even outside the domain. ¡®Still, it¡¯s proving useful now.¡¯ I was currently in a four-person hospital room just in front of the family home. With the edge of the domain being 10 kilometers away, it would have taken considerable time to get there on foot. Even with teleportation, my current mental stamina only allowed me to travel 2 kilometers at a time, and reaching the White Dragon¡¯s location would have required swimming several kilometers through the sea. But¡ª ¡®Open the East Gate.¡¯ With the East Gate, I could create a portal anywhere within the domain and speak to the White Dragon without the hassle. Ziiing¡ª A circr portal formed in the air, gradually expanding. Beyond the portal, seawater shimmered, and light from the hospital room spilled through, illuminating the ocean depths. Thankfully, no water poured into the room¡ªI could control such things. On the other side of the portal, the White Dragon was staring directly at me. Realizing I didn¡¯t need to cross over tomunicate, I addressed it. ¡°I have questions for you.¡± The White Dragon¡¯s aura grew sharp as it responded. [Why does someone like you seek Yggdrasil?] ¡°...What?¡± [Greed invites disaster. No matter how transcendent you may be, coveting a divinity beyond your capacity leads only to ruin.] It seemed the White Dragon had misunderstood. ¡®At least I can follow its train of thought.¡¯ Clearing up the misunderstanding was crucial to continuing the conversation. ¡°You seem mistaken. I¡¯m not after Yggdrasil¡¯s power.¡± At the same time, I expanded the portal¡¯s size.@@novelbin@@ When my grandfather¡¯s unconscious figure came into view, the White Dragon¡¯s sharp aura softened. ¡°This is my grandfather. He has been asleep like this for the past week. Not just him¡ªall my family members are in the same condition. Do you know anything about this?¡± The White Dragon stared at my sleeping family through the portal before finally speaking. [It¡¯s the work of the Owl.] ¡°Owl?¡± [A parasitic creature that survives by clinging to Yggdrasil.] Fortunately, the White Dragon seemed well-informed about the cause of this disaster. ¡°What must I do to wake them up?¡± I asked with hope in my voice. But the White Dragon¡¯s answer was not what I wanted to hear. [Burn all the infected.] For a moment, I considered who it meant by ¡°infected¡± before opening my mouth. ¡°What...?¡± [Once a soul has been collected by the Owl, it can never return. Before its power spreads further, you must kill the infected and burn their bodies.] [If you do so, Yggdrasil will remain safe. The guardian¡¯s power will pass on to you, its blood kin.] When I didn¡¯t respond, the White Dragon cautiously added, [There is no other way, regrettable as it is.] Suppressing my anger, I addressed the creature. ¡°Exin everything you know about the Owl. What does it have to do with Yggdrasil and these dreams?¡± If it was parasitizing Yggdrasil, it should have been leeching nutrients from its trunk or roots. How could it im to be connected to Yggdrasil while feeding on innocent humans? Fixing my re on the White Dragon, I spoke coldly. ¡°Answer me. Unless you want to see your eggs burn alive at Yggdrasil¡¯s roots.¡± The White Dragon hesitated for a moment before speaking in a strange tone. [To your eyes, Yggdrasil must seem like nothing more than a great tree.] ¡°What are you saying?¡± [Even for someone transcendent, the world visible to mortal eyes is limited. But Yggdrasil¡¯s true essence resides in the rift between dimensions. The Owl uses human minds as conduits to ess that rift and siphon power from Yggdrasil¡¯s core.] Despite its detailed exnation, it was difficult to grasp its meaning fully. But intuitively, I understood the gist. ¡°Can you borate further?¡± [So that''s it...] Even after asking several more questions, the White Dragon simply repeated the same points over and over. "Thank you for your cooperation. Don¡¯t worry about your eggs." With that, I closed the East Gate and turned to Dr. Lee Sung-min, who had been standing by. "I need to step out for a moment." "Take your time and don¡¯t worry," he replied. "Thank you." Teleporting to the hospital rooftop, I looked out at Yggdrasil. The World Tree had grown so massive that it now towered over most apartment buildings. ¡®I need to start with that.¡¯ At that moment¡ª [An unauthorized entity is attempting to enter.] [An unauthorized entity is attempting to enter.] I noticed the White Dragon attacking the transparent barrier from the distant sea. Its icy breath froze the surrounding waters and hammered against the barrier, but the transparent wall held firm against the onught. Though the attack seemed menacing, it achieved nothing. ¡®It¡¯s trying hard.¡¯ I had initially been concerned because its level surpassed even that of the progenitor vampire, but my worries proved unnecessary. ¡®I don¡¯t sense any energy simr to my ck aura from it.¡¯ With that, I was certain. Without my permission, the White Dragon could not breach my domain. Satisfied, I turned my attention back to Yggdrasil and teleported to its highest branches. The White Dragon, staring at the frozen sea around it, was in shock. ¡®How...?¡¯ Its attack had beenpletely thwarted by a barrier created by what it perceived as a mere mortal. The dragon had intended to destroy the barrier and personally eliminate those tainted by the Owl. It had sensed that the young human valued his family above even Yggdrasil. The dragon was prepared to be hated by the next guardian, even if it meant its offspring would be incinerated before they could hatch. It had resolved to act for the greater good. But it had failed at the very first step. ¡®Impossible.¡¯ The White Dragon gauged the scale of the barrier based on the area of the sea it had frozen. The transparent wall was unimaginably vast, both in breadth and height. For such a massive barrier to withstand its icy breath without a single scratch, it would require an unfathomable amount of energy. What shocked the dragon even more was the absence of any discernible aura from the barrier. ¡®This can¡¯t be.¡¯ There was only one exnation for this phenomenon. ¡®That human has achieved divinity?¡¯ If the barrier before it was a manifestation of divine power, it made sense. Only power of equal standing could breach such a barrier. But the idea was absurd. ¡®A being with divinity cannot exist in this world.¡¯ That wasmon sense. ¡®Even if he were an avatar of a god, such a feat would be impossible.¡¯ If such power were achievable, the world would be overrun with divine chaos. There was only one remaining possibility. ¡®A new god is being born.¡¯ Only the birth of a myth could ount for such an extraordinary urrence. The World Tree was truly colossal. From its initial height of just a few dozen meters, it had grown to surpass even the tallest skyscrapers, now standing several hundred meters tall. If it grew any further, it would likely dwarf nearby Mount Cheonma. ¡®It¡¯s incredible. And this isn¡¯t even its true form?¡¯ The White Dragon had insisted that Yggdrasil¡¯s true essence was beyond the perception of mortal eyes. But what about the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, imbued with divine authority? Sitting on one of Yggdrasil¡¯s branches, I closed my eyes. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ I directed all my focus toward the World Tree, shutting out everything else¡ªthe other retainers, the domain¡¯s surroundings, and even my own body. From the treetop to the trunk, down to the roots, I spread my vision across Yggdrasil. Twelve perspectives collectively scanned the entire tree. At first, nothing changed. It was just an enormous tree. ¡®I can¡¯t give up.¡¯ My family¡¯s lives were at stake. Hours passed as I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to scrutinize the entire domain, but no new discoveries emerged. ¡®This won¡¯t work.¡¯ A breakthrough was needed. ¡°They said Yggdrasil¡¯s true form exists in a dimensional rift?¡± How could I peer into that realm? I ovepped my visions, concentrating them on a single perspective, but nothing changed. Then¡ª Wooong. An unfamiliar energy began to emanate from the branch I was sitting on. ¡®This...?¡¯ The green energy resembled the life force my grandfather used from Yggdrasil. As it enveloped my body, it stirred something within me¡ªan epiphany. The ck aura. This power, which I had recently begun wielding, was the source of all my skills. The electricity, gas, and water produced by the Refinement skill, the portals connecting spaces, and the invisible hands extending from my body¡ªall originated from the ck aura. Even the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye was born from it. And so¡ª Fwoosh. ck aura began to swirl in the air. In the space where the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye operated, the ck aura ignited and coalesced into a singr form. A ck eye. When its eyelid slowly lifted¡ª ¡®Ah!¡¯ A new world unfolded before me. From the branch I sat on, green energy poured forth, illuminating everything around it. As the ck eye moved, my vision expanded, revealing Yggdrasil¡¯s full form and the streams of green energy radiating outward. At first, I thought it was simply life force dispersing into the world. But I quickly realized I was wrong. ¡®I can see it.¡¯ The green energy filling the sky and earth formed the shape of an enormous tree. The true form of Yggdrasil was there. Chapter 102 The essence of the World Tree, hidden within the dimensional rift, looked both like a colossal solitary tree and an expansive forestposed of tens of thousands of trees. A pulsating stream of life surged, forming a massive flow. "This must be the true form of the World Tree." The breathtaking scenery naturally elicited awe. "Beautiful." Lost in thought, I stared nkly at the sight for a while before shifting my focus to the hospital room where my familyy unconscious. Through the ck eye, the hospital room was suffused with the energy of the World Tree. And then¡ª "So this is why they described it as parasitic." The World Tree''s life force continuously flowed into the transparent energy consuming my family¡¯s consciousness. The scene resembled parasites clinging to roots and draining nutrients. However, that didn¡¯t mean this transparent energy was inherently insignificant. "That energy is fundamentally the same as my ck energy or the World Tree¡¯s life force." If I were to borrow White Dragon¡¯s phrasing, it possessed "divinity." "I see why it can exist within my domain without permission." Possessing divinity and being partly tethered to the dimensional rift housing the World Tree¡¯s essence allowed it to exist without direct confrontation. "But where does the World Tree''s energy it consumes go?" If it were functioning normally, the transparent energy should have grownrger or be denser with the life force it absorbed. Yet, no visible change urred. It seemed to vanish as quickly as it was absorbed. "Strange." Initially, I thought it was merely inefficient at absorbing life force, but that wasn¡¯t the case. Upon closer examination, I began to discern its structure. "So that¡¯s it." The ravenous energy consumed the life force, which then moved elsewhere through the transparent energy. These parasites clinging to the World Tree¡¯s essence were acting as conduits, channeling the absorbed life force elsewhere. "In that case..." What would happen if I fed it my ck energy? Without dy, I teleported to the hospital room. "You''re here, Mr. Jaehyun." Director Lee Seong-min, who had been vigntly watching over the room, immediately bowed. "Anything unusual?" "Nothing at all." Fortunately, nothing had happened while I focused my attention on the World Tree. Pointing to the ck eye floating in the air, I asked him, "Director, can you see that?" Lee Seong-min nced around the room and replied, "The refrigerator, sir?" "Never mind." It seemed Lee Seong-min couldn¡¯t see the ck eye. "That¡¯s a relief." If the ck eye drew attention whenever it was used, it would be troublesome. I approached my grandmother¡¯s bedside. Through the ck eye, I saw her headpletely overtaken by the transparent energy. I carefully extended my hand, generating ck energy. "What if something goes wrong?" There was a chance it wouldn¡¯t ept my energy or that the transparent energy could spiral out of control. However¡ª "I can¡¯t just stand by and do nothing." Despite the risk, I had to attempt something to resolve this situation. "Grandmother, I¡¯ll save you." Buzz¡ª The ck energy emanating from my hand slowly moved toward my grandmother¡¯s head. The transparent energy leeching off the World Tree¡¯s life force naturally swallowed my ck energy as well. Whoosh! I could feel the ck energy being pulled into the transparent energy''s core and transmitted elsewhere. "Not enough." But the quantity was insufficient to determine its destination. "A little more." I began to pour more ck energy into it. Buzz¡ª "Just a bit more." Gradually increasing the amount, I eventually reached a point where over 80% of the energy absorbed by the transparent force was mine. At that moment¡ª "There it is." I could distinctly perceive where the energy was flowing. As soon as the ck energy coalesced in one location¡ª "East Gate, open." The East Gate¡ª A portal enabling movement anywhere within my domain. Since my domain stemmed from the power of ck energy, I could momentarily establish a connection to the unknown location where the transparent energy was transmitting the World Tree''s life force. Rumble¡ª Beyond the East Gate, a lush forest came into view. Without hesitation, I leaped through it. Meanwhile, Lee Seong-min, noticing Kim Jaehyun¡¯s sudden disappearance, silently resumed his vigil. His role was to monitor the family and respond immediately to emergencies. Since the safety of Kim Jaehyun¡¯s family was at stake, the best team of experts had been assembled to care for them. "Not that it made much of a difference." Despite the top medical professionals¡¯ efforts, no progress had been made. MRI and CT scans showed no abnormalities. This phenomenon wasn¡¯t a medical issue but something beyond ordinaryprehension. "All we can do is provide basic care." Even that felt futile. For ordinary humans, measures like repositioning their bodies to prevent bedsores might have been necessary. But aside from the grandmother, everyone in this room was a superhuman. Their durability far exceeded that of ordinary people. "Honestly, even without us..." There likely wouldn¡¯t have been any issues. Just then¡ª sh¡ª! A brilliant light erupted from Kim Jaehyun¡¯s grandmother, spreading in all directions.@@novelbin@@ Thud¡ª Lee Seong-min lost consciousness before he even realized he was falling. "Hmm?" When his consciousness returned¡ª "What... What¡¯s this?" He couldn¡¯t move his body. "Where am I?" Though his eyes wouldn¡¯t open, every sensation in his body was alive. "Liquid? Water?" He quickly realized he was submerged in some kind of fluid. "This isn¡¯t just water. It¡¯s sticky." As a doctor, he tried to analyze the situation calmly¡ªbut only briefly. A faint hum reverberated. ¡°W-what? My strength is draining?¡± Lee Seong-min, feeling the unknown sticky liquid gnawing away at his energy, was thrown into a panic. ¡°P-please help me, Jaehyun!¡± All he could do was pray. And he wasn¡¯t alone in this ordeal. The light that had spread from the hospital room expanded across a wide area, trapping thousands of nearby people in the same predicament as Lee Seong-min. Among them, Lee Seong-min was rtively better off. Thanks to the contract of subordination granted by Jaehyun¡¯s mother, Lee Ji-sook, he had gained abilities that significantly increased his level upon awakening. This gave him the strength to endure. But for ordinary citizens, it was a different story. Those who hadn¡¯t reached level 10, especially young children with limited energy reserves, were in grave danger. For them, surviving even two days would be nearly impossible. A silent prelude to despair was ying. The moment I sessfully passed through the East Gate, the scattered ck energy around me coalesced toward my body. And then¡ª Buzz¡ª A familiar barrier formed around me. ¡°This isn¡¯t quite like my domain.¡± The most noticeable difference was the barrier¡¯s position. Currently, my domain extended about 10 meters in radius around me. However, the barrier itself adhered tightly to my body, as if it were armor. ¡°It feels simr to when I used Descent.¡± Back then, the barrier had also protected my immediate surroundings, while the domain spread far and wide. And now¡ª ¡°Sure enough, the domain moves with me.¡± I could sense it instinctively. ¡°This state won¡¯tst long.¡± I had to achieve my goal as quickly as possible. Without dy, I began to investigate. ¡°Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡± Here, I didn¡¯t need to infuse ck energy to activate the ck eye. Hum¡ª The surroundings were filled entirely with the transparent energy. ¡°This is aplete reversal.¡± Even though it was parasitic, I couldn¡¯t underestimate this entity. It undoubtedly possessed divinity. This vast forest was entirely its domain, and I had willingly walked into enemy territory. My entire domain barely spanned 10 meters in radius. ¡°I should¡¯ve poured more power into it beforeing in.¡± Regret wouldn¡¯t change the past. ¡°No need to rush. This time, I¡¯ll scout, then retreat once the East Gate¡¯s cooldown ends.¡± The next time I entered, I¡¯d fully unleash my ck energy to flood this ce before diving in. ¡°A forest, huh?¡± I had noticed the peculiar nature of this environment from the moment I entered. And soon, I understood why it felt off. ¡°There¡¯s no sound.¡± In a forest, one should hear the buzzing of insects, the chirping of birds, or even the rustling of leaves in the wind. Yet, there was nothing. An ominous silence enveloped the entire forest. ¡°It¡¯s as if the whole forest is dead.¡± The foliage and trees were unsettling in their appearance. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Each tree bore strange, tumor-like growths. Since I could use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye within my domain, I activated it to examine the contents of one such growth. Most were hollow, but during the fifth inspection, I found one containing something. ¡°¡­This.¡± Inside the growth was a shriveled corpse submerged in sticky liquid. ¡°It¡¯s not human.¡± The mummified corpse resembled a human but had sharp, elongated ears, marking it as another species. And then¡ª Jerk¡ª The corpse, which I assumed was lifeless, twitched. It was still alive. The moment I realized this, I tried to tear the growth open using an invisible hand, but¡ª Slither¡ª The body of the other species dissolved like a mirage, vanishing. Pop! All that remained in the now-empty growth was the sticky digestive fluid. ¡°¡­No way.¡± I looked up to see countless growths of varying sizes clinging to the trees. ¡°Teleport.¡± I teleported to the treetop. ¡°Invisible Hand.¡± Using the Invisible Hand to stabilize myself by gripping the trunk, I surveyed the surroundings. The endless expanse of trees stretched out like an ocean, sending shivers down my spine. ¡°Ha.¡± A hollowugh escaped my lips in disbelief. Somewhere within this impossibly vast forest, my family¡¯s consciousnesses were trapped¡ªlikely encased in those bizarre growths, just like the other species. ¡°Searching every inch of this ce is impossible.¡± Only one option remained. I fixed my gaze on the colossal tree at the center. ¡°Strike the head.¡± There was no other way. It was time to end this. ¡°Summon Retainers.¡± Buzz¡ª I summoned all mybat forces. Chapter 103 The suddenly summoned retainers looked around the forest with bewildered expressions. I addressed them calmly. "Everyone, gather here." Ha Dong-geon stepped forward and asked, "Jaehyun, what is going on here?" "I''ll exin everything now," I replied, meeting their gazes as I continued. "This ce is not Earth." The shocking statement stirred murmurs among the retainers. Ha Dong-geon, acting as their representative, asked, "Is this inside a dungeon?" "No, it isn¡¯t. Honestly, I can''t say exactly where this is." To be frank, I didn¡¯t know the precise nature of this ce either. However¡ª "That¡¯s not the important part. You all know that my family has lost consciousness." The retainers nodded solemnly, their expressions turning grim. I spoke with conviction, "Somewhere in this forest, their consciousnesses are trapped." Ha Dong-geon¡¯s expression grew even more serious as he questioned, "Trapped? Do you mean your family has been kidnapped?" "No. Wait." It wasn¡¯t easy to exin everything in detail. My judgment was based on a mix of intuition and hypothesis. "Seeing is believing." Rather than give them a long-winded exnation, it would be better to show them the process of someone emerging from one of the strange growths firsthand. Just as I was about to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to locate a growth containing a person¡ª Crack! I noticed a new growth forming in real time. Inside was¡ª "Hmm?" A man curled up in a familiar posture. "Director Lee Seong-min?" The director, who should have been watching over my family in the hospital, had somehow appeared here. "Does this mean...?" Something had clearly gone wrong outside. "The infection has spread." The light that had emerged from my grandmother¡¯s body a week ago, causing my family to fall unconscious, must have radiated outward again. "Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye." I immediately checked the situation outside. Even while I was in another dimension, the skill functioned without issue. As expected, Lee Seong-min and the other medical staff were lying unconscious on the floor. There was no one left to care for my family, but that wasn¡¯t the primary issue. "The real question is... how far has this spread?" Previously, the light¡¯s effect was limited to the master bedroom. But now, the situation outside was far more severe than I¡¯d anticipated. The entire hospital hade to a standstill, with people everywhere lying asleep, breathing steadily. Although no one appeared to be in critical condition, immediate action was necessary. Worse still, the light had extended its reach far beyond the hospital, affecting everyone within a radius of several hundred meters. [Ms. Davin.] As soon as I called, Kim Davin¡¯s telepathic reply came. [Yes, Jaehyun.] [Immediately block all ess to the Nampo-dong area.] [Understood.] I hadn¡¯t asked her to care for the sleeping individuals for a simple reason: "Doing so could lead to secondary and tertiary infections." An unchecked outbreak could spiral into an endless cycle of new patients. The best course of action now was to iste the area around the main house. "It¡¯s clear that eliminating the root cause of this disaster is the top priority." Turning back to the retainers, I continued to exin the situation. Using the Invisible Hand, I carefully detached the growth containing Director Lee Seong-min and brought it to the ground. With a firm pull, I tore it open, revealing Lee Seong-min¡¯s body amidst the sticky liquid. ¡°!!¡± "A person?" "Wait, isn¡¯t that...?" Several retainers, ustomed to frequent battles alongside the medical team, recognized Lee Seong-min. I purchased a suitable robe from the shop and draped it over his body before addressing Kim Ga-young. "Ga-young, could you use a healing spell on him?" "Of course." Kim Ga-young, who had been assisting the medical team with my family¡¯s care, had luckily escaped the light¡¯s reach¡ªprobably because I had summoned her just in time. Buzz¡ª Her healing spell not only treated injuries but also alleviated status abnormalities. Cough! Hack! Blegh! Director Lee Seong-min awoke, violently expelling the sticky liquid from his lungs. "Director, are you okay?" When he saw me, his teary eyes welled up, and he bowed deeply. "Thank you, thank you so much!" [Citizen Lee Seong-min¡¯s trust has significantly increased.] [Citizen Lee Seong-min¡¯s loyalty has significantly increased.] [Citizen Lee Seong-min¡¯s loyalty has reached 100.] [Citizen Lee Seong-min has been registered as a retainer.] [Retainer capacity limit has increased.] With Lee Seong-min¡¯s loyalty reaching its peak, I had gained another retainer. "Judging by his reaction, it¡¯s definitely him," I thought, although his original body was still breathing in the hospital room visible through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. "Even if I rescue my family in this way, it seems they can¡¯t return to their original world." Would their consciousnesses naturally reintegrate into their bodies if we returned via the East Gate? Or would something go terribly wrong? I turned to the teary-eyed Lee Seong-min and asked, "What happened outside?" "There was... a sh of light, and when I came to, I was trapped inside that thing." "I see. Thank you." After cing another set of clothes beside him, I resumed my exnation. "As you can see, these trees are a kind of carnivorous nt. They drain people¡¯s life force through the growths attached to their trunks." The retainers¡¯ expressions darkened. "Then... does that mean all the trees here...?" "Yes," I confirmed grimly, "we¡¯re surrounded by countless of these life-draining trees." "Ha..." I turned to the shocked retainers and spoke firmly. "Your top priority is to rescue the people trapped inside those growths. Yoo Han-gil, I¡¯m entrusting you withmand." Yoo Han-gil, who had been quietly listening, looked startled and pointed to himself. "Me? Me? Are you serious?" "Yes. Over half of those growths are empty husks. Your irvoyant ability will ensure efficiency."@@novelbin@@ In this situation, Yoo Han-gil''s ability was more effective than my Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, which had a limited range. "I-I¡¯ll do my best!" "I¡¯m counting on you." So far, we hadn¡¯t encountered any other entities in this forest. Even if monsters appeared, the retainers¡¯bat prowess would be more than enough to handle them. After leaving the rescue efforts to Yoo Han-gil, I called for Kim Gun. "Can you carry me and fly toward the center of the forest?" "Of course." I climbed onto Kim Gun¡¯s back, and we flew toward the massive tree at the forest¡¯s heart. Flying significantly sped up the journey. "There it is." Through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I could clearly see a vortex of transparent energy swirling at the tree¡¯s center. "Please set me down there." Near the vortex of energy, arge, gaping holey exposed, as if inviting intruders. Once I was on the ground, I turned to Kim Gun. "Thank you for the ride. Please join the exploration team now." "I¡¯ll stay with you. You might need me to return." I hesitated. "Would that be safe?" The reason I hadn¡¯t brought all the retainers was the significant danger this ce posed. This wasn¡¯t like fighting the progenitor vampire. In that case, the red energy he wielded was borrowed power, with the true owner elsewhere¡ªmuch like Ha Dong-geon using ck energy. But the being here? This one was the real deal. The entire forest was saturated with the transparent energy, indicating the presence of its master, a divine being of this realm. "It¡¯s too dangerous," I told Kim Gun. "Wait here instead." "...Understood." Leaving him stationed at the entrance, I stepped into the cavern. As night fell, the surroundings grew darker. Still, with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I could see perfectly, so the darkness posed no real threat. The cavern carved into the massive tree was far longer than expected. "The deeper I go, the stronger the energy bes." Crackle¡ª The violently flowing transparent energy shed against the boundary of my domain, sending faint sparks flying. Its current state was nothing like the parasitic force draining the World Tree¡¯s life force. Crackle! Eventually, my domain began to shrink as the transparent energy battered against it. "This won¡¯t do." At this rate, I would deplete my power before even meeting the master of the transparent energy. Stopping in my tracks, I focused all my energy onpressing my domain. Buzz¡ª The expansive domain gradually contracted, concentrating its strength. By condensing it, I increased its density, allowing it to resist the surrounding transparent energy. "That¡¯s better." Though the range of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye also decreased, it was still sufficient for navigating the terrain. As I stabilized my power¡ª Click. The sound of footsteps echoed from deeper within the cavern. Click. Click. The sound of heels striking the ground grew louder. Buzz¡ª I activated Aura Shield, enveloping myself in a protectiveyer of energy¡ªa skill inherited from my father. The shield¡¯s blue glow banished the surrounding darkness, revealing the figure approaching me. A stunning woman stood there, her presence captivating. She wore high heels and a tight leather outfit, and a pair of folded wings adorned her back. Her dreamy, distant gaze seemed to pierce through me as she slowly opened her mouth. "Hey..." Hernguid voice caressed the air. "What are you?" I responded calmly. "I should be asking you that. Who are you to harm my family?" "Family...?" "You¡¯ve taken my family¡¯s consciousness hostage while draining the World Tree¡¯s life force. That¡¯s why I¡¯vee here personally." "You came... here?" For the first time, a flicker of interest appeared in her previously indifferent eyes. "You mean... you weren¡¯t invited?" "That¡¯s correct." At that moment, the transparent energy around her began to ripple violently. I maintained myposure and said, "Release my family and my people. If you do, I¡¯ll leave peacefully." By now, she must have sensed the energy surrounding me. "There¡¯s no need to fight," I thought. If she understood that a battle would cost us both dearly, she might opt for a peaceful resolution. My only goal was to save my people. However¡ª "Why would I...?" It seemed she had no intention of negotiating. Her crescent-moon eyes curved upward, and her face, previously expressionless, flushed with excitement. "Why should I let you go when you walked into my domain all on your own?" She licked her lips. And then¡ª "Kyahhhh!" "Keaaaak!" Shadows around me rose, surging forward to attack. Chapter 104 Kim Gun stood guard at the cave entrance, obeying Kim Jaehyun¡¯s orders, but he couldn''t shake a growing sense of regret. "...This feels wrong." The pitch-ck interior of the cave seemed endlessly ominous. "Should I go in after him?" While Kim Jaehyun''s abilities were undeniably extraordinary, they didn¡¯t guarantee his safety. Even someone like Kim Dajeong, with her remarkable healing and blessing skills, required constant protection during battles. "But still..." Kim Gun couldn¡¯t disobey Kim Jaehyun¡¯s directmand. "I¡¯ll have to trust him and wait." Turning his head, Kim Gun was momentarily struck by the surreal beauty of the forest. The setting sun bathed the endless trees in an ethereal, dreamlike glow. He nced down at the vast forest below, gauging its height instinctively¡ªa skill honed through years of flight. "...About a kilometer tall?" That meant the tree he was perched on rivaled mountains in height. And he wasn¡¯t even at the tree¡¯s summit. "If I include the very top, it¡¯s over two kilometers." Considering that even South Korea¡¯s Jirisan and Hasan didn¡¯t exceed two kilometers, the sheer size of this tree was absurd. Its massive trunk was so thick that, from a distance, it resembled a mountain nted at the forest¡¯s center. A thought crossed his mind. "Could it be connected to that tree?" The enormous tree near Jagalchi Market came to mind¡ªa tree that had grown so rapidly it now dwarfed even apartment buildings. "Didn¡¯t they say it was being nurtured by Jaehyun¡¯s grandfather?" The idea was unsettling. "Could that tree, once fully grown, also create a forest filled with man-eating trees?" The thought alone was terrifying. "...No, that can¡¯t be. Jaehyun¡¯s family wouldn¡¯t allow such a thing." Kim Gun shook his head, dismissing the possibility. At that moment, as the twilight faded into darkness, the forest waspletely engulfed in shadow. And then¡ª "...What?" The forest seemed to be reborn. "What¡¯s going on...?" A sinister energy rippled through the trees. Kim Gun''s instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. A chill ran down his spine. He turned toward the cave and froze. "!!!" Beasts born of shadow poured out from the cave¡¯s darkness. "Argh!" Reacting instinctively, he leaped into the air just as¡ª Boom! The cave erupted, spewing darkness. Kim Gun pped his wings and steadied himself midair, staring in shock at the scene below. "What in the world...?" Then he remembered who had entered the cave. "Jaehyun!" As night descended and shadows consumed the forest, monsters emerged from every direction. The retainers, led by Yoo Han-gil, were forced into battle without warning. But these weren¡¯t ordinary retainers¡ªthey were battle-hardened veterans. Bang! Yoo Han-gil ceased using his irvoyance and drew his gun, firing at a shadow beast. However¡ª "Kyahhh!" The bullet pierced the creature¡¯s forehead, but it had no effect. The monster charged forward, unharmed. This was a rare urrence for Yoo Han-gil, whose precision attacks almost always proved effective. Then¡ª Fwoosh! mes erupted, engulfing the shadow beast and reducing it to ashes. "Over here! Everyone, gather here!" Not all attacks were futile. Abilities like Nam Ji-ho¡¯s pir of fire were devastating to the shadow beasts. And¡ª sh! Ha Dong-geon, Kang Deok-su, and Oh Eon-ju¡ªthe retainers with the most overwhelmingbat power¡ªcut through the shadow beasts with ease. Their shared advantage? Their bodies were enveloped in radiant light. The source of that light was Kim Dajeong¡¯s blessing skill.@@novelbin@@ Seeing this, Kim Dajeong shouted, "Blessing!" A brilliant light spread to all the nearby retainers. "Now, attack! You¡¯ll be fine!" As she predicted, the retainers¡¯ attacks, enhanced by the blessing, began to affect the shadow beasts. Bang! While ranged weapons like guns still couldn¡¯t harm the creatures, melee weapons imbued with the blessing tore through the shadows with ease. "Keaaak!" With theirbined strength, the shadow beasts began to falter. Although the monsters were immune to physical attacks, their methods of attack¡ªbiting and scratching¡ªwere rtively weak. They barely left scratches on the retainers, whose levels far surpassed ordinary humans. However¡ª "Kyahhh!" The real problem was the sheer number of beasts. No matter how many the retainers defeated, new shadow creatures continuously emerged from the forest¡¯s darkness. Yoo Han-gil, using his irvoyance to assess the situation, called out, "We need to move! The farther we get from the central tree, the slower they spawn!" With a clear direction, the retainers rallied. "Run!" "Rise!" At Kang Deok-su¡¯smand, fifty Steel Knights emerged, forming a wall against the shadow army. "Blessing!" Kim Dajeong cast her blessing on the Steel Knights, imbuing their halberds with radiant light. sh! The Steel Knights became an imprable defense, annihting the shadow creatures as the retainers sprinted toward their destination. While shadow beasts still blocked their path¡ª sh! Kim Ga-young¡¯s Light Arrows split into dozens of shards, slicing through the monsters ahead. Meanwhile¡ª "Rooooar!" Amid the chaos, a crimson-eyed bear rampaged through the shadows. Crash! With each swing of Oh Eon-ju¡¯s berserk bear¡¯s massive paw, the shadow beasts burst like balloons. As Yoo Han-gil had indicated, the farther they moved from the central tree, the fewer shadow beasts appeared. However, their relief was short-lived. Boom! Darkness descended from the sky, blocking their path. "...What now?" The retainers stopped, looking upward at the ominous figure descending before them. The night sky was filled with ck owls, their presence suffocating. At their center was a massive shadowy mass, a swirling vortex to which the owls converged. The shadowy column blocking the retainers¡¯ path was but one of the tendrils extending from that ominous sphere. Grooooan¡ª The writhing mass pulsed, and then¡ª Shaaah! A colossal pair of wings unfurled. The shadow coalesced into the form of a giant owl, its wings spreading with ominous majesty. Swoooosh! Each p of its massive wings unleashed a gust of overwhelming pressure that tore through the forest. ¡°Ugh!¡± Craaaack! The violent winds uprooted trees, breaking them like twigs and forcing them to bow in the direction of the owl¡¯s wingbeats. As the shadowy sphere solidified further¡ª Fwoosh! A spear infused with ck energy flew toward the sphere¡¯s core. Boom! The resulting explosion sent another wave of shock and fury through the forest. "Kiieeeek!" The owl screeched, and its piercing cry reverberated across the darkened forest. ¡°Attack with everything you¡¯ve got!¡± At Ha Dong-geon¡¯smand, a second spear soared through the air, ripping through one of the giant owl¡¯s wings. With theirposure regained, the retainersunched an all-out assault. Thud! Crack! The Moon brothers, Mun Ji-hoon and Mun Sang-hoon, targeted the owl¡¯s legs, while¡ª Boom! Fwoosh! Nam Ji-ho¡¯s fiery pir erupted between the beast¡¯s legs, setting it aze. ¡°Raaaargh!¡± Using Mun Byeong-ho¡¯s assistance, Oh Eon-ju leapt onto the shadow owl¡¯s head, shing at it with her ws. Screech! The shadow beast''s form tore apart, its fragments scattering into the air. However¡ª Hum¡ª Darkness converged around the beast once more, reabsorbing the fragments and rapidly regenerating its wounds. The ck owls circling overhead swooped down, merging with the giant shadow, healing it even faster. Despite their best efforts, the retainers¡¯ attacks were undone as quickly as they were dealt. In the midst of their struggle, amanding voice rang out. ¡°Everyone, move aside!¡± Kim Ga-young¡¯s voice drew everyone¡¯s attention. Woom! She stood with her bow drawn, a massive arrow of light nocked and aimed at the shadow beast. The arrow, over two meters long and as thick as a cannon barrel, radiated blinding energy. Then¡ª Thwang! Kim Ga-young released the arrow, unleashing a brilliant beam of light that illuminated the entire forest. Boom! Boom! Boom! The arrow obliterated the shadow owl¡¯s upper body, eradicating it and the ck owls surrounding it in a single, devastating strike. Thud! Exhausted, Kim Ga-young copsed to the ground. But the reprieve was short-lived. Groooan... The light that had cleansed the sky faded, reced once more by encroaching darkness. The forest resumed its grim activity, birthing shadow creatures anew. "...Unbelievable," Mun Ji-hoon muttered, his expression one of despair. Yoo Han-gil¡¯s voice cut through their daze. "This is our chance! We need to move farther away from the central tree¡ªnow!" The retainers snapped back to attention and prepared to retreat when a shout broke through. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave these people behind!¡± It was Lee Seong-min. True to his role as a doctor, he had been tending to the unconscious individuals who had spilled from the ruptured growths during the battle. Even amid the chaos, he risked his life, using healing energy to save them. Lee Seong-min¡¯s instincts, honed through a lifetime of walking the line between life and death, wouldn¡¯t allow him to abandon those in need. However, good intentions don¡¯t always yield good oues. "Leave them! Hurry!" Yoo Han-gil shouted, grabbing Lee Seong-min¡¯s arm. "I can¡¯t do that!" "Get it together! If we stay here, we¡¯re all going to die!" Unlike the retainers who had long lived under Kim Jaehyun¡¯s protection, Yoo Han-gil was a recent addition, still hardened by the realities of survival. "Move!" Just then¡ª "Wait!" Lee Seong-min broke free and ran toward a half-destroyed growth, its sticky digestive fluid oozing out. Yoo Han-gil scowled, his frustration evident. "Do whatever you want," he muttered. In peacetime, suchpassion might have been admirable. But in a battlefield like this, it was a liability¡ªa danger not only to thepassionate individual but to the entire team. Every unconscious person Lee Seong-min saved was nothing more than dead weight, jeopardizing their survival. "If we save them all, we¡¯re all going to die," Yoo Han-gil thought grimly. Just as he was about to abandon Lee Seong-min to his fate¡ª Rustle... The forest began to move. Crack! Creak! "What the...?" Yoo Han-gil froze as roots erupted from the ground, skewering the shadow creatures. In an instant, the surrounding monsters were swept away. As Yoo Han-gil stood ck-jawed at the sight, a voice called out from behind. "Are you Jaehyun¡¯s friends? What¡¯s going on here?" The one who had saved them was Lee Bong-yeol, the guardian of the World Tree and Kim Jaehyun¡¯s maternal grandfather. Chapter 105 Lee Bong-yeol''s appearancepletely overturned the tide of the battlefield. Crunch, crunch¡ª The entire forest moved in ordance with Lee Bong-yeol''s will, annihting enemies while simultaneously creating protective barriers for the people. This phenomenon wasn¡¯t confined to the immediate area. Quite literally, the entire forest responded to his will, dealing with the shadow beasts as they emerged from the darkness. Before those creatures could act, roots or tree trunks would engulf them. Of all the retainers, only Yoo Han-gil, who possessed a irvoyant skill, could witness the spectacle in its entirety. ¡°This is unbelievable.¡± Having previously fought alongside the retainers during the battle against the vampires, Yoo Han-gil knew just how powerful they were. He was well aware of the extraordinarybat capabilities of Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, the ace among the retainers. But this¡­ ¡°This is on apletely different level.¡± Even when all the retainersbined their strength, they could barely fend off the endless hordes. Yet, the appearance of a single individual hadpletely reversed the situation. In fact, calling it a ¡°battlefield¡± now felt almost embarrassing. The area where the retainers had gathered was utterly tranquil. Moreover, within a radius of several kilometers, the continuous extermination of shadow beasts resembled more of a massacre than a battle. Watching Lee Bong-yeol converse with Ha Dong-geon, Yoo Han-gil couldn¡¯t help but wonder: ¡°Is this truly something a single human being is capable of?¡± Thebat scenes involving the retainers were remarkable, yet they were still within the realm ofprehension. Though they had far surpassed the limits of ordinary humans, they were still, fundamentally, human. Their feats seemed achievable for individuals endowed with talent and good abilities. But what was happening now transcended understanding. In truth, there was a reason for Lee Bong-yeol¡¯s overwhelming power. While his abilities, honed alongside the World Tree, yed a significant role, the more critical factor was that this forest was a space created from the World Tree¡¯s life force. For the forest, which had grown by consuming the World Tree¡¯s vitality, the appearance of Lee Bong-yeol, its rightful master, was a natural event. Without hesitation, the forest submitted to him. It was inevitable that Lee Bong-yeol could wield greater power here than in the world where asphalt reced earth and buildings reced trees. Just then, Kim Da-jeong approached Yoo Han-gil. ¡°Mr. Yoo Han-gil?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why are you just standing there looking dazed?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just¡­¡± Yoo Han-gil, unable to take his eyes off Lee Bong-yeol, asked Kim Da-jeong: ¡°Is he one of the retainers?¡± ¡°Him?¡± Kim Da-jeong followed Yoo Han-gil¡¯s gaze to Lee Bong-yeol and exined: ¡°No, he¡¯s a member of Jaehyun¡¯s family. He¡¯s his maternal grandfather.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± At that moment, Yoo Han-gil realized something. ¡°If he¡¯s a member of his family¡­¡± It started to make sense. This was the family of the man who had created a vast safe zone that epassed an entire city, blocking monster invasions, providing a semnce of pre-apocalypsefort, and saving tens of thousands of lives from being bred as livestock by vampires. From their first meeting, Kim Jaehyun had defied all logic. It wasn¡¯t surprising that his family would be equally extraordinary. ¡°So, his family members all possess incredible power as well.¡± Yoo Han-gil could only marvel. Then, a thought struck him. ¡°Wait, did Jaehyun see what I did?¡± He recalled his earlier attempts to dissuade Lee Seong-min from recklessly rescuing people. He had yelled at him to give up, warning that they would all die otherwise. And now, among the survivors was a member of Jaehyun¡¯s family. Depending on how one interpreted it, Yoo Han-gil¡¯s actions could be seen as problematic. Feeling a rising sense of urgency, Yoo Han-gil thought he needed to do something¡ªanything. ¡°If I use my abilities, I can rescue more people faster.¡± But then¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± What he saw through his irvoyant skill made him realize his efforts weren¡¯t needed. The trees, sprouting strange pods, were moving on their own to release the people trapped within. Moreover, Wooong The life force emanating from the trees was reviving those people and bringing them back to their senses. The forest itself was rescuing people, rendering Yoo Han-gil¡¯s exploration skills unnecessary. ¡°If this keeps up¡­¡± He shuddered at the thought of being disfavored by Kim Jaehyun. ¡°I need to do something¡­ anything.¡± Then, out of the corner of his vision: ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that¡­?¡± Among the survivors being rescued en masse, Yoo Han-gil spotted a familiar face. It was none other than Kim Dong-hyuk, Kim Jaehyun¡¯s father, who had distinguished himself in the war against the vampires. ¡°Oh! Hey! I found Jaehyun¡¯s father! I found him!¡± As shadow beasts tried to breach the fortified zone, system messages echoed: [An entity hostile to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.] [Eliminating.] Thud! Thud! The beasts were eliminated the moment they entered the area. While this constant skirmish was draining, it wasn¡¯t all bad. [You have hunted a Shadow Owl (Lv. 23).] [You have hunted a Shadow Bat (Lv. 17).] Experience points and rewards continued to pour in. The beasts killed at the perimeter granted standard experience, but the ones Lee Bong-yeol hunted were a different story. [You have hunted a Shadow Wolf (Lv. 16).] [Experience acquired.] [You have hunted a Shadow Hound (Lv. 26).] [Experience acquired.] The massive amounts of experience points earned from Lee Bong-yeol¡¯s efforts alone stabilized the situation. With Lee Bong-yeol around, even the most overwhelming tide of shadow beasts seemed manageable. Moreover, the process of locating and rescuing survivors had greatly elerated. ¡°Once my mom and grandma are rescued, it¡¯s just a matter of time.¡± Luck had been on their side. Most of the survivors were clustered in a single area, thanks to which their rescue efforts had been swift. If they had been scattered throughout the forest, the oue might have been far less favorable, even with Lee Bong-yeol¡¯s immense power. ¡°Just a little more time, and everyone can be saved.¡± Still, concerns lingered. When the survivors¡¯ spirits returned to their bodies in the real world, would they be able to reintegrate seamlessly? That problem aside, their release from the forest was already a monumental achievement. At that moment, the seemingly endless onught of shadows ceased, and she appeared. Standing silently with a grim expression, the woman met my gaze. I asked with deliberate politeness, "Have you reconsidered your stance?" ¡°¡­Who are you, really?¡± Her rigid demeanor, so different from just hours ago, suggested she now fully understood the gravity of the situation. ¡°You must realize that the longer this drags on, the worse it will be for you. As for me, once I rescue my people, I can simply leave.¡± ¡°Those who were invited will return here naturally after some time passes.¡± ¡°When that happens, I¡¯ll simplye back and rescue them again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯lle back and cause another uproar?¡± ¡°This time, I¡¯ll make it a longer one.¡± Her expression twisted in anger. For a moment, silence hung in the air. [You have hunted a Shadow Giant (Lv. 39).] [Arge amount of experience has been gained.] Though I couldn¡¯t confirm it with the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, it seemed my grandfather had eliminated a massive shadow creature. The woman bit her crimson lips, visibly frustrated. Despite the losses she was suffering, her inability to back down was evident in the greed flickering in her eyes as she looked at me. I offered her a warning. ¡°Eating something you can¡¯t handle will only give you a stomachache. Are you prepared for that?¡± And then, Wooong¡ª I slightly opened the domain that I hadpressed to its limits. The area expanded by several meters, instantly engulfing the shadow creatures within. [An entity hostile to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.] [Eliminating.] The creatures exploded, vanishing into experience points and rewards. The woman¡¯s already twisted expression contorted further as she sighed and finally asked, ¡°¡­What do you want?¡± She seemed ready to negotiate now.@@novelbin@@ ¡°I¡¯ve made myself clear from the beginning. Release my family and my people immediately. If you do that, I will not return.¡± Her eyes burned with hostility as she retorted, ¡°Do you even realize how absurd your demands are? A mangy stray cat invading my domain dares to threaten me?¡± ¡°It was you who targeted my family first.¡± Remaining calm, I countered her words, causing her to grit her teeth. Finally, she relented, lowering her tail¡ªnot metaphorically, but literally¡ªas she replied, ¡°Fine. I yield.¡± Wooong¡ª A transparent light began radiating from her body. Then she spoke, ¡°My name is Lilith, the Master of Nightmares and the Usurper of Sanctuaries. What is yours?¡± When I didn¡¯t respond, Lilith clicked her tongue in irritation. ¡°Are you going to make the pact or not?¡± ¡°A pact?¡± ¡°Yes, a pact. I¡¯ll release everyone as you¡¯ve requested, and in return, you¡¯ll promise never to trespass in my domain again.¡± It seemed she was proposing a method of ensuring mutual trust. However, her terms gave me pause. ¡°Erase all traces of your invitations as well. And include a use that you won¡¯t harm or interfere with my people in any way, directly or indirectly.¡± One of Lilith¡¯s eyebrows twitched slightly. ¡®As expected, she had something nned.¡¯ Oddly, her reaction reassured me. While I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what kind of pact this was, her response indicated there were significant penalties for viting it. If the pact were properly established, she would no longer be able to touch us. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll agree to those terms.¡± As Lilith stared at me intently, I asked, ¡°So, what do I need to do?¡± ¡°¡­Focus your power. Then, swear upon your name.¡± Just as we were about to seal the pact under Lilith¡¯s guidance¡ª [The Absolute Dweller¡¯s mind blocks the attack.] A disconcerting notification appeared. ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Lilith¡¯s expression twisted in confusion. At the same time, [Skill level has increased.] ¡°Huh?¡± Fwoosh¡ª Thepressed domain erupted outward, expanding in all directions. And then¡ª ¡°Aaaaargh!¡± Lilith¡¯s anguished scream echoed through the cavern. [An antagonistic divinity has been detected by the Absolute Dweller.] [Absorbing the lower-tier divinity.] ¡°Wa¡ªwait¡­!¡± With a strange notification, an overwhelming surge of power poured into me. Chapter 106 Before the contract was finalized, Lilith had to exert all her willpower to suppress the mockingughter that threatened to escape from within. "Is this guy aplete idiot?" Despite his considerable power, his knowledge was severelycking.@@novelbin@@ It was evident that he was a rookie, having only recently attained divinity. To Lilith, he was the perfect, plump prey. A contract, after all, was a binding agreement. Contracts between those who possessed divinity indeed carried a degree of binding force. However, the binding force always favored the party with a higher status among the contracting parties. In essence, the stronger side had the ability to manipte the contract as they pleased. "A novice who just acquired divinity? What a godsend!" Lilith¡ªthough her own divine status had been parasitically cultivated by feeding off the World Tree¡¯s power¡ªwas by no means weak. This very dimension, her personal realm, was born from her parasitic feeding off the roots of the World Tree that extended into various nes. Although this dimension was inferior, incapable of birthing life, she ruled as its sovereign. "I¡¯ll enjoy devouring you." If she could properly digest the power of the novice standing before her, her status would ascend to an entirely new level. "In exchange, you¡¯ll experience the happiest dream of your life." Before formally sealing the contract, Lilith intended to prepare a little prelude. To establish a contract, their powers needed to intertwine, inevitably revealing parts of their true selves to each other. "I¡¯ll exploit that opening." Having wed her way up from being a mere nightmare spirit, showing dreams and illusions was her specialty. "You¡¯ll live happily ever after in a dream, that¡¯s all." While she could simply manipte the contract to her advantage using their disparity in power, the gains wouldn¡¯t outweigh the losses. To fully absorb the novice¡¯s power, she first needed to make him submissive. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As their powers intertwined under Lilith¡¯s guidance, "Now!" Her power seeped into the gaps. Then¡ª Crackle! A stinging sensation apanied the realization that her power was evaporating. "Huh¡­?" Lilith immediately sensed that something was going terribly wrong. Momentster¡ª Boom! A torrent of explosive energy erupted from the novice, enveloping Lilith. "Aaaaah!" It felt as though her entire body was being roasted alive. "What¡­ what is this?" Paralyzed by iprehensible pain, she couldn¡¯t gather her thoughts. Suddenly¡ª Chill Fear incarnate manifested before her eyes. Forgetting even the agony consuming her body, she trembled in sheer terror. It wasn¡¯t until nearly half her existence had been consumed that she realized¡ª Slowly, bit by bit, It was devouring her very being. "No, no¡ª!" Her soundless cries of despair dissolved alongside her unfulfilled ambitions, sinking into the void. In her final moments, Lilith cursed her foolishness. She failed to recognize the obvious truth: anyone who could freely infiltrate her dream-infused forest was of higher status than herself. As this simple fact escaped her notice, she vanished into silence. [Calm Like Still Water (Ã÷çRֹˮ) has activated.] As Lilith¡¯s divinity was absorbed, a massive surge of energy flowed into me. Coupled with the effects of my recent level-up, the inevitable pain began. However¡ª "Is this the effect of Calm Like Still Water?" The pain was excruciating. Yet, it felt oddly detached, as if it wasn¡¯t mine to bear. Though my body screamed in agony, my mind observed it from a distance, detached from the suffering. Being able to maintain rity amidst such pain proved more useful than I anticipated. "Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye." Even as I endured the torment, I utilized the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to monitor other areas. "Open shop. Purchase water." I also provided necessary supplies to my retainers. "This way, there¡¯s no downtime from the level-up." It wasn¡¯t as though I couldpletely ignore the pain. The growing pains from leveling up were undoubtedly severe, and they didn¡¯t seem to diminish. But maintaining rationality and using skills during the ordeal was a tremendous advantage. Moreover¡ª [Mr. Davin, can you hear me?] [Yes, Mr. Jae-hyun. Loud and clear.] Themunication ring functioned without issue. [How¡¯s the task I entrusted you with?] [As per your instructions, we¡¯ve blocked all ess to Nampo-dong and are prepared to deploy forces if necessary.] [Good. Maintain that status for now.] [Understood.] Despite absorbing Lilith¡¯s power, I hadn¡¯t dispatched rescue teams yet¡ªnothing had been confirmed. "Sending in a rescue team prematurely could endanger them too." Caution was the best course of action for now. "My domain is expanding." This wasn¡¯t about the real world. In this world, my domain was growing in real-time. More urately, Lilith¡¯s domain was being integrated into mine. As I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to survey the expanded territory, I spotted Kim Gun unconscious inside a cave. [Mr. Kim Gun. Wake up.] "Ugh¡­" [Mr. Kim Gun.] After repeated calls, he slowly opened his eyes. And¡ª "Mr. Jae-hyun!" He immediately shouted my name upon regaining consciousness. [What¡¯s the matter?] "Monsters were pouring out from inside the cave earlier! Are you alright?" Reassuring him, I replied, [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine.] "Are you sure?" [Yes. Instead of worrying about me, could you head outside and assist the others?] ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Judging by his determined expression, he was ready to face shadow beasts. However, with Lilith subdued, their production had ceased entirely. Currently, my retainers were focused on rescuing people. After verifying that Kim Gun had joined the others in the rescue efforts, hours passed. "It¡¯s over." At longst, the torment came to an end. ¡°Phew.¡± As the effect of Calm Like Still Water dissipated, the sensations in my body returned to normal. While clenching and unclenching my fists to assess my condition, I noticed a small creature wriggling in front of me. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Though it wore clothing clearly designed to appear seductive, its stubby limbs made it look more adorable than anything else. There was no need to think deeply about it. The Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye provided the information immediately: ¡¸Nightmare Lilith (Lv. 1)¡¹ A demon of dreams. At the same time: [A new familiar has been registered.] A cheerful notification informed me that Lilith had been added to the list of familiars. And then, a sudden realization struck me like lightning. "This is¡­" It was the structure of this dimension. This forest was an imperfect world, born entirely from parasitically leeching off the World Tree¡¯s power. It manipted intelligent beings in dimensions near the World Tree¡¯s roots to gain ess to the tree itself. To do this, it dominated their minds and summoned their consciousness into this realm through dreams. This was the true nature of the "invitation" Lilith had mentioned. The invited beings were rendered immobile and turned into catalysts, drawing on the World Tree¡¯s power. "Disgusting." This entire forest was nothing more than a massive grave, built on the sacrifice of countless lives. And it wasn¡¯t just happening on Earth. Across countless dimensions where the World Tree existed, innocent lives were dragged into this ce, buried alive, and their agony served as the foundation for this world. Even now, thousands¡ªno, tens of thousands¡ªwere being exploited. "This abomination must be destroyed." There was no hesitation. I began forcefully returning all those who had been summoned to this world back to their original dimensions. I knew this process would cost me a significant portion of my newfound power, but I didn¡¯t care in the slightest. It was then¡ª ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?!¡± A small, pitiful voice shrieked beside me. ¡°If you do that, this world will copse!¡± The source of the pathetic cries was, predictably, Lilith. As the ruler of this world, she must have felt the effects of my actions. ¡°That¡¯s exactly the point.¡± ¡°W-what¡­! Why¡­?!¡± Ignoring her frantic protests, I continued my work. My grandfather and father, who were rescuing others alongside my retainers, and even my grandmother and mother, who were still trapped, were all sent back to their original world. And then¡ª RUMBLE! Massive cracks spread across the world, and it began copsing in real-time. This malformed structure, maintained solely by the lifeforce of its victims, crumbled the moment that lifeforce was removed, like a sandcastle swept away by waves. There was no need to worry about my retainers. "Summon retainers." I could simply reverse-summon everyone back to the real world. CRASH! The forest was falling apart. Distant areas disintegrated as the ground, trees, and even the sky crumbled together. Through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I watched this apocalyptic scene unfold, as if witnessing the end of the world. CRACK! The destruction soon reached the massive central tree. Through the gaping cracks, the sight of the entire forest copsing wasid bare. ¡°Noooo!¡± Lilith screamed in despair. Watching her wail over the destruction of her entire world, I spoke: ¡°Remember this feeling well. It¡¯s the same despair felt by all the people who were sacrificed for your petty greed.¡± The despair of those dragged into this world, frozen in pods, unable to move¡ªwhat they endured must have been far worse. Not only was their world destroyed, but their lives were ultimately sacrificed for it. RUMBLE¡­ The waves of destruction, which seemed as though they would annihte everyst fragment of the world, suddenly stopped. The grand forest no longer existed. The blue sky was gone, and the massive central tree had been reduced to nothing but remnants. What remained was a small space, spanning only a few hundred meters. Lilith stood there, staring nkly at the diminished world, tears streaming down her face. "May you wither away in agony, just like this world." I prayed for her to meet a fate even more miserable than anyone else dragged into this ce. "Open East Gate." Leaving Lilith behind in the shrunken remains of her world, I crossed the East Gate back to reality. And there¡ª ¡°Mom! Oh, thank goodness you¡¯re awake. I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too old for this.¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Grandfather, grandmother, mother, father¡­ And me. For the first time in what felt like forever, the entire family was together again. Chapter 107 Whirrr- In one corner of the living room of the family house, the massage chair hummed as it began its operation. Dudududu! Despite the 30% discount applied due to the shop level effect, the chair still cost a hefty four million won. Yet, the expense didn¡¯t feel wasteful at all. Not only was that amount insignificant to someone like me, who dealt in the billions, but more importantly, my family absolutely loved it. Among them, my grandmother and grandfather were the most delighted. ¡°Oh my, this feels amazing.¡± Starting with my grandmother, the entire family took turns using the massage chair, and an hour had passed before it was her turn again to enjoy another session. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°Love it! But, Jae-hyun, where¡¯d you get the money to buy something so expensive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m loaded, Grandma.¡± Even as we spoke, I was earning hundreds of thousands¡ªor even millions¡ªof won in real-time. Money from hunting, transaction fees from the marketce, and profits umting from various shops scattered around¡ªall of it added up. The economic activities of over 230,000 citizens directly tranted into a steady ie for me. In such a situation, four million won was nothing more than pocket change. ¡°Oh, my dear child has grown so much. So, so much.¡± Grandma said she had no recollection of the past few months at all. From her perspective, her unemployed grandson, who spent his days gaming, had suddenly turned into someone who could afford a massage chair worth millions. As she looked at me with pride, my mom, her mood lifted by Grandma¡¯s happiness, chimed in. ¡°My son, thank you so much.¡± Dad, standing to one side, gave me a warm smile, while Grandpa sat on the sofa next to the massage chair, waiting patiently for his next turn. This is nice. The satisfaction I felt now, spending a mere fraction of what I¡¯d spent on retainers, was iparable. Come to think of it, is this my first indulgence? I¡¯d spent hundreds of billions and earned even more, but this was the first time I¡¯d spent such a significant amount purely for personal satisfaction, rather than on essentials. This isn¡¯t so bad. At that moment, Dad, who had been smiling warmly, spoke up. ¡°Jae-hyun, I¡¯d like a Bentley.¡± ¡°¡­Dad, you¡¯ve got money too.¡± Knowing how many monsters Dad had hunted, his earnings had to be in the tens of billions. ¡°That¡¯s not my money¡ªit¡¯s your mom¡¯s.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Dad had always been the type to give everything he earned to Mom. Now, under the subjugation contract, he was fully bound to her. ¡°If you ask Mom, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about it.¡± ¡°Come on, with all the money you¡¯ve made¡­¡± From what I remembered, Mom was fairly generous. ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°J-Jae-hyun¡­!¡± Ignoring Dad¡¯s protests, I turned to Mom. ¡°Can you buy Dad a new car? The old one¡¯spletely wrecked, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°A car? Is that even necessary right now?¡± Given the state of the world Mom had seen¡ªbroken roads littered with abandoned vehicles¡ªher reaction wasn¡¯t surprising. ¡°There are plenty of people driving cars in Seomyeon now. The roads have been repaired. Once other roads are fixed, cars will be even more useful.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Mom looked skeptical. She wanted to believe me but couldn¡¯t quite reconcile my words with the state of the world she¡¯d seen with her own eyes. Her doubt wasn¡¯t unreasonable. Anyone who had witnessed the devastation caused by monsters would react the same way. The solution was simple. Show her. ¡°Open East Gate.¡± Connecting the Seomyeon sky to the living room floor revealed a panoramic view of the city through the gate. ¡°See for yourself, Mom.¡± Peering cautiously through the gate, Mom¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. ¡°Oh my.¡± Through the gate, the well-maintained city streets and citizens traveling by car were clearly visible. ¡°Is this really Seomyeon?¡± ¡°Look closely. You can even see our house over there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Right now, cars are mainly in use around Seomyeon, but soon the whole of Busan will look like this. So, having a car won¡¯t be a bad idea.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± Seeing that Mom was starting toe around, Dad gave me a proud smile, as if to say, Good job, son. Finally¡ª ¡°Alright, having a car could be convenient for trips to Seomyeon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, honey!¡± Mom smiled brightly and turned to Dad. ¡°So, what kind of car do you want?¡± At her question, Dad froze. ¡°A¡­ a Bentley.¡± ¡°How much is that?¡± When Mom followed up with a second question, Dad¡¯s voice grew even smaller. ¡°Uh, about three billion won? Haha.¡± He tried to sound as casual as possible, as if the price was no big deal. ¡°No way.¡± Mom¡¯s tone turned firm. ¡°There are plenty of cheaper, better cars. Why do you need something so expensive? Absolutely not.¡± ¡°But honey¡­¡± ¡°No. If you have that kind of money, donate it! Do you know how many people are struggling right now?¡± Mom¡¯s words carried weight. She had lived her entire life without indulging in luxury. While she asionally spent money on health supplements, she had never shown any interest in designer bags or diamond-studded jewelry. There was no way she would approve of a car worth three billion won. Looking at Dad, now crestfallen, I said, ¡°Why were you even thinking of such an expensive car?¡± I had assumed he¡¯d go for something around one billion at most, never imagining he¡¯d aim for three billion. ¡°Honestly, that price is more about branding than functionality. Mom¡¯s right¡ªlet¡¯s go for something cheaper but good.¡± ¡°My son, a Bentley is my dream¡­¡± Looking at Dad¡¯s forced smile, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit sorry for him. But to someone like me, who had lived an ordinary life until recently, a three-billion-won car was iprehensible. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just for showing off?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the point!¡± Dad stressed again, ¡°That¡¯s what matters!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The envy in their eyes! The moment all eyes are on you when you step out of the car! That¡¯s what you¡¯re paying for!¡± Dad¡¯s heartfelt plea left me dumbfounded. He wanted to spend three billion won purely to impress others? Honestly, spending three billion on upgrading game items feels more reasonable. At least upgraded items remain, and if you¡¯re lucky, you can even resell them for more. Still¡­ Seeing how badly he wanted it, I relented. ¡°Do you really want it that much?¡± The spark of hope in Dad¡¯s eyes grew into full-blown excitement. ¡°¡­Son?¡± ¡°This is a one-time thing, though.¡± ¡°Son!¡± Beaming with joy, Dad pulled me into a hug. ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± Considering his contributions during the vampire battle, this didn¡¯t seem like too much to give in return. Open shop. However, there was one problem. ¡°Huh?¡± The brand wasn¡¯t listed in the shop. It was such a high-end vehicle that I hadn¡¯t encountered it before, and therefore, I hadn¡¯t registered it. I¡¯d probably have to go all the way to Seoul to find a Bentley. But even if I did¡­ The cost of restoring it would easily reach tens of billions. That¡¯s a bit much. Sensing my hesitation, Dad quickly jumped in. ¡°A man¡¯s word is his bond!¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Son, I raised you to be a man among men!¡± In other words, he was telling me not to go back on my word. If he wants it this much, I guess I¡¯ll get it for him. It¡¯s not like I was short on money. ¡°There¡¯s just one problem.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°We need to find a Bentley, even if it¡¯s in a wrecked state.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s all, leave it to me!¡± With Dad¡¯s determination, I felt like he¡¯d find a way to get one no matter what.@@novelbin@@ At that moment, Mom looked at me with concern. ¡°Son, isn¡¯t this a bit much?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Mom.¡± Reassured, Mom smiled warmly. ¡°All right, let¡¯s eat. I bought beef for dinner.¡± While Mom and Grandma headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal, ¡°Jae-hyun.¡± Grandpa cautiously approached me. ¡°Yes, Grandpa?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ Did you really do something in that world?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­ does this mean your grandma won¡¯t fall into that endless sleep anymore?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore. I¡¯ve taken care of it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± [The trust level of Lee Bong-yeol has increased.] [The trust level of Lee Bong-yeol has reached 100.] [You have acquired ''Life Force of the World Tree.''] As the system confirmed Grandma¡¯splete recovery, I felt warmth in my heart. Grandpa really cares. His genuine concern for Grandma came through even in the system messages. ¡°Ahem.¡± Grandpa cleared his throat awkwardly. ¡°Do you have something else to say?¡± ¡°Jae-hyun¡­ anything will do for me.¡± That night, I ended up buying Grandpa a Mercedes. After dinner, I used the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door to return to my apartment in Seomyeon. Having lived there for years, it now felt more like home than my old room at the family house. Beep! As soon as I arrived, Kami, who had been pacing around the living room, jumped onto my shoulder, greeting me enthusiastically. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± As I stroked Kami¡¯s head, a thought crossed my mind. Could this little guy have once possessed divinity, like Lilith? Had he been reduced to a familiar after his divinity was consumed by the system? My familiar list now read [3/11], meaning one more had been added. Originally, the capacity had been ten, but with Lilith¡¯s addition, it increased to eleven. It seems like a new slot unlocks each time certain conditions are met. I wondered if all familiars were somehow tied to beings that once had divinity. Then what about me? Fwoosh. I summoned a ck aura into my palm. If Lilith¡¯s words were to be believed, this power was divine in nature. Does that mean I¡¯m a god? The White Dragon had once imed it would be impossible to save my family from Lilith. In hindsight, there was some truth to that statement. If I hadn¡¯t possessed divinity, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter Lilith¡¯s domain and would have lost my family forever. Or worse, I might have failed to let go of my family, leading to all remaining humans on Earth being dragged into Lilith¡¯s world for a tragic end. And if I hadn¡¯t learned to use my power when I encountered the progenitor, the result would have been the same. I was lucky. Put another way: It was dangerous. Everything¡ªfrom realizing my power to subduing Lilith¡ªhad happened purely because of luck. There¡¯s no guarantee my luck will hold forever. To ensure future safety, I needed a clear understanding of my power. Fwoosh. That night, I stayed up researching the ck aura, burning the midnight oil with unwavering focus. Chapter 108 Kim Davin sent a telepathic message in a tense tone. [Manager Yang, please connect.] A moment of silence passed. Then¡ª Bzzzz. The phone on Kim Davin''s desk vibrated. On its screen appeared: [Manager Yang Ji-ho] 010-1234-5678 Yang Ji-ho''s phone number. Kim Davin pressed the call button and switched the phone to speaker mode. At that moment: [Hello?] Yang Ji-ho¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°It¡¯s connected!¡± ¡°No way! It actually worked!¡± Cheers erupted from all around. [Hello? Can you hear me? You can hear me, right?] The monumental first call had been established. Kim Davin smiled and used his actual voice instead of telepathy. ¡°Yes, Manager Yang. I can hear you loud and clear.¡± [Oh, Director! Does that mean it worked?] ¡°It seems so.¡± [Yes¡ª!] Cheers rang out from the other end as well, celebrating the sessful connection. It really worked. As people¡¯s lives stabilized, the administrative team under Kim Davin¡¯s leadership gained some breathing room. Kim Davin had mobilized personnel to restore TV, inte, andmunications, but there had been many challenges. While the expansion of Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s domain had brought telmunications equipment and facilities under control, experts with the necessary knowledge were scarce. The biggest issue was that most facilities in Busan were merely ry stations, while the central hubs were concentrated in Seoul. Without a main server, the process had been painstakingly slow. But we did it somehow. With a proud smile, Kim Davin sent a telepathic report to Kim Jae-hyun. [Mr. Jae-hyun, we¡¯ve sessfully restored themunicationwork.] [Great work.] Hearing Kim Jae-hyun¡¯s words of encouragement filled him with a deep sense of pride. Wanting to share that pride with his team, he spoke up. ¡°You all did an amazing job.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± The team celebrated their sess by calling their loved ones. ¡°Hello? Mom? It¡¯s me!¡± ¡°Yeah, calls will work now.¡± ¡°Surprised, huh? Hehe.¡± The ry of calls continued endlessly, spreading joy like wildfire. Meanwhile, Kim Gun sat on a rooftop, releasing his fusion with Kkamang. Having heard about the attempt to restore thework, he had charged his phone in advance. Unlocking it and opening the phone app revealed the familiar keypad. When he entered 010, his family¡¯s numbers appeared at the top of the list. Phew¡­ Taking a deep breath, he stared at the saved contactbeled Mom. With trembling hands, he tapped the number. Her number appeared on the screen, and with a finger shaking so badly it seemed pitiful, he pressed the call button. Then¡ª Ring-ring. The call tone began. ¡°!!¡± Kim Gun¡¯s eyes widened in shock. There¡¯s no ¡°phone is off¡± message! That meant her phone was on, which in turn meant she had charged it. And that could only mean¡ª Mom¡¯s alive! Tears welled up, and his vision blurred. Wiping his eyes, he stared at the phone¡¯s screen. And then¡ª [...Hello?] A voice came through. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Kim Gun froze, unable to call out for his mom. The voice on the other end was unfamiliar. It wasn¡¯t his mom¡¯s voice. Ignoring the despair wing at him, Kim Gun spoke slowly, trying to confirm. ¡°Hello?¡± [Who are you, mister?] The innocent, childlike voice shattered his heart. ¡°¡­Ha.¡± He let out a hollow sigh as despair began to take over. Then¡ª [Auntie! There¡¯s a call for you!] A faint glimmer of hope emerged from the other end. Finally¡ª [Hello? Who¡¯s this?] The hesitant, slightly bewildered voice was unmistakable. ¡°Mom!¡± The despair that had been flooding his heart receded, reced by tears that burst forth like a dam breaking. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me! It¡¯s Gun!¡± Hot tears streamed down his cheeks as he clung to the phone, sobbing. [What? Really, is it really Gun?] ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s me!¡± [Oh¡­ Oh, my baby¡­!] For a while, the call was filled with nothing but the sound of their sobs. But for them, that was enough. The fact that her son, her mom, was alive was more than they could have hoped for. ¡°Mom¡­ sniff¡­ Where¡¯s Dad?¡± [He¡¯s safe too.] ¡°Phew¡­ Where are you now? Where are you?¡± [We¡¯re¡­ in a shelter.] ¡°Wait there. I¡¯ming. I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± The confirmation of survival through the restoredmunicationwork wasn¡¯t limited to Kim Gun¡¯s family. Many others who had been forcibly separated by the copse of the world were able to confirm the safety of their loved ones. Observing these scenes through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, a smile naturally spread across my face. I¡¯m d I started providing free electricity a few days ago. The citizens within my domain couldrgely be divided into two groups: those who understood my abilities and those who didn¡¯t. The group aware of my abilities was self-sufficient, earning money and buying what they needed from the shops. The other group, unaware of my abilities, often didn¡¯t even understand the purpose of the shops I¡¯d built, let alone that they could buy essentials like electricity, water, and gas. To address the challenges faced by the uninformed citizens, I implemented a bold measure: providing free electricity across the entire domain for several days. ¡°After all, thanks to the sr power generators scattered around, the loss is negligible.¡± The sr power facilities had been steadily increasing in number, but their origins were rather unconventional. "Initially, it was all about waste disposal." When the domain expanded, monsters killed within the system left no corpses. However, bodies of monsters and people left from before the domain''s expansion remained untouched, along with abandoned vehicles, piles of garbage, and debris from battle-damaged buildings. Construction became the all-epassing solution. Whether it was a gym, a shop, or a sr power nt, initiating construction would cause all the surrounding waste to vanish. By gathering problematic trash into specific areas and then initiating construction, I systematically dealt with the refuse. The facilities built this way had grown to the point where they could now supply electricity to all of Busan. ¡°Though, Busan only has about 200,000 people.¡± Moreover, thanks to Kami¡¯s growth, the efficiency of the sr power nts had increased tenfold, addressing their primary drawback of low efficiency. "At this point, it¡¯s practically creation." And the source of all this power was¡ª Fwoosh. The ck aura emanating from me. "Divine power imbued within." Through various experiments, I discovered that the ck aura had only one intrinsic capability: pure destruction. I brought the ck aura, flickering on my fingertip, to the empty soda can I had just finished. Fwoosh! The ck mes consumed the can entirely at mymand. [141 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet.]@@novelbin@@ The process of the trash vanishing was no different from the disappearance of monster corpses, and thepletion of the process also deposited settlement funds. "Efficient enough." This power fundamentally used the settlement funds in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Wallet. The energy consumed to incinerate the can was about 30 won, leaving a profit of 100 won. While small-scale trash yielded minor returns,rger refuse yielded substantial sums. "It¡¯ll also speed up road clearing." Previously, vehicles abandoned on roads had to be cleared manually. Now, I could simply burn them away, earning profits in the process. ¡°Scrapping cars pays surprisingly well.¡± Discovering that I could recycle problematic waste in this manner was a gratifying achievement. "Pure destruction is all the ck aura can do on its own." But the settlement funds earned could then be converted into creative power through skills. "Destruction and creation, huh?" From its structure, this power genuinely felt divine. "Still, the real utility of the ck aura lies inbining it with skills." When added to a skill, the destructive energy of the aura significantly amplified the skill¡¯s effect. "Though it¡¯s expensive¡­" Oveying the ck aura onto a skill consumed money at an rming rate, often costing billions. "But the results are worth it. Now then..." I contemted the one remaining skill point I had. After experimenting with the ck aura recently, a temptation had begun gnawing at me. "Should I just go for it?" The skill that produced the most destructive results when paired with the ck aura was, without a doubt, Invisible Hand. It amplified the aura¡¯s destructive properties, making it far more devastating. "And thanks to the North Gate, the utility of Invisible Hand has also improved." The North Gate allowed activation of the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye anywhere, enabling me to open a gate near retainers and provide support as needed. This also meant I could utilize the Invisible Hand through the North Gate. At that moment¡ª [An unauthorized entity is attempting entry.] A notification appeared, apanied by a faint pain. "What?" Activating the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I quickly identified the intruder. "Him?" A winged vampire stood at the boundary, an upper-tier vampire under the progenitor¡¯smand. What was peculiar, however, was the crimson energy radiating from the vampire¡¯s hands. "Something¡¯s different." The vampire exuded an unsettling aura. Suddenly, the transparent barrier surrounding the domain swelled and shattered. ¡®!!¡¯ [Calm Like Still Water (Ã÷çRֹˮ) activates.] Despite the pain coursing through me, my mind remained clear. As the vampire entered the domain, its entire body began to ignite, but the crimson energy enveloping it seemed to stave offplete incineration. Its movements, precise and deliberate, were directed toward the World Tree. But¡ª "Open East Gate." The East Gate opened, bringing the vampire right before me. ¡°Grr, you¡­?¡± The twisted expression on its face confirmed my suspicion. "It¡¯s the remnant of that progenitor." Activating Invisible Hand and oveying it with the ck aura¡ª Fwoosh! ck ws extended from the transparent hand. And then¡ª Stab! The ws pierced the vampire¡¯s heart in an instant. Fwoosh! ck mes erupted from its heart, consuming the vampire entirely, leaving not even ashes behind. Chapter 109 Seo Nuri was the sole surviving upper-tier vampire. She had narrowly escaped death during d Tepes¡¯ ritual, which consumed the power of all other upper-tier vampires. However, she was far from intact.@@novelbin@@ "The World Tree¡­ the power of the World Tree¡­" Though d Tepes was dead, his blood still coursed through her veins, clouding her judgment. ¡°I must go¡­¡± What started as a faint whisper in her mind had grown louder and clearer over time, until the blood within her had fully taken control. Thus, in a daze, she made her way to Busan. Thunk. Long before she reached the World Tree, she collided with an invisible barrier, stopping her in her tracks. This happened at a distance where the World Tree wasn¡¯t even visible, a testament to the vastly expanded domain of Kim Jae-hyun. Thud. She fluttered forward, bumping into the barrier multiple times before finally realizing its presence. ¡°Don¡¯t block me¡­ I must go¡­¡± d Tepes¡¯ cursed blood stirred violently within her. Bzzzz. The blood, now carrying even greater power from Tepes¡¯ ritual, radiated energy. Then¡ª Crack. The barrier swelled like an overinted balloon before bursting with a loud pop. Seo Nuri, her expression nk, floated through the opening. Fwoosh! You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 110 [Do you know about intrs?] "Intrs? Are you referring to the ones used inpanies or the military?" "Yes, that''s correct." Think of it as a simplified version of the inte¡ªessentially a small, privatework that operates exclusively within an organization. "Someone independently set up an intr server." "Alone?" "Yes. It seems they utilized the newmunicationwork we recently developed to build it." "Are you saying they built that all by themselves?" "It''s not yet clear if it''s a single individual or a group." Even with the rebuiltmunicationwork, such a task wouldn''t be easy. Curious, I asked Kim Dabin. "How can I ess it?" "If yourputer is connected by LAN cable, you should be able to ess it right away. I''ll send you the address via text." Following the address sent by Kim Dabin, I found myself on amunity board.@@novelbin@@ Somehow, new posts had already been appearing for the past few hours. "[What''s this? (1)]" "[Aaaargh! (3)]" "[Hello. (11)]" Among the many posts, there was one that appeared to have been written by Kim Dabin herself. "[To the Server Administrator: I¡¯d like to meet you. (49)]" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 111 Kim Dabin felt a wave of confusion wash over her at the sudden announcement of her vacation. ¡®I still have mountains of work to do¡­¡¯ She¡¯d heard that Yoo Hye-rin would be covering for her, but even someone as capable as Yoo Hye-rin didn¡¯t know all the ins and outs of her tasks. The urge to send telepathic instructions and request updates was overwhelming. However, Jae-hyun¡¯s direct order to stay away from the office meant she couldn¡¯t act on that impulse. ¡®Should I ask them to send me myptop?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t impossible. All work-rted files were stored on a USB drive plugged into her officeptop. She could ask her team to bring it to her or even use the exchange system to get it delivered in real time. ¡®Just checking the progress isn¡¯t really working, right? It¡¯s more like reading a book¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ Her brain, so entrenched in work, rationalized that monitoring progress wasn¡¯t work¡ªit was leisure. ¡®Yes, that¡¯s a good idea.¡¯ Her work addiction was so severe that even the thought of engaging in something work-rted brought a smile to her lips. Having made up her mind, she sent a telepathic message to Yoo Hye-rin, her most trusted teammate. [Yoo Hye-rin, if you have time, could you bring me myptop from the office when you leave? I¡¯d really appreciate it.] Though the request was personal and unrted to work, their friendship was close enough for it not to be an issue. Shortly after, Jae-hyun¡¯s voice echoed in her mind. [Dabin, why do you need yourptop?] Caught off guard, she cautiously replied. [Oh, I just thought I could read through some documents if I had time¡­] Though she tried to justify it to herself, she knew deep down that this was still an extension of her work.
  • [{BEST} Reasons to Use the Gym (123)]
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You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 112 [Citizen Kim Dabin''s trust level has increased.] [Citizen Kim Dabin''s trust level has reached 100.] [You have acquired the skill ¡®Telepathy.¡¯] The telepathy skill seemed to be one of the most useful abilities acquired so far. While the Ring of Communication had a simr function, it only allowedmunication with retainers. Telepathy, on the other hand, enabled direct interaction with ordinary citizens as well. At that moment, Kim Dabin spoke up. "Representative Jae-hyun, do you have a moment?" "Why?"@@novelbin@@ "I know a great dessert shop, and I¡¯d like to introduce it to you. My treat!" "Really? Where is it?" As I prepared to use the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Door, she stopped me. "I¡¯d like to walk today. I want to see more of the city¡¯s scenery." "Alright, let¡¯s do that. I was out for a stroll myself." "Perfect! The caf¨¦ is about a twenty-minute walk from here. I¡¯ll guide you." Following her lead, we began walking toward the bustling district. The shopping area in front of the apartmentplex had flourished, even more so than before the monsters appeared. Since the core of the domain had expanded around the apartmentplex, themercial area naturally thrived. "There are a lot of seafood restaurants here." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 113 ¡°Haah!¡± Jang Ho-won woke up with a start, his face stiff with tension as he tried to steady his breathing. Cold sweat drenched his bedding, clinging to his body. ¡®A dream¡­?¡¯ It had felt far too real. In his dream, the aged Unit 2 reactor at the Kori Nuclear Power nt had exploded. The resulting chain reaction caused an ident with the spent nuclear fuel stored on-site, leading to further explosions and an escting disaster. The powerful radiation released killed not only the humans but even the monsters within the nt in just a few days. With no one left to control the remaining six reactors, their fates were sealed. One by one, they exploded, transforming the Busan-Gyeongnam region into a literal hellscape. ¡®Was that¡­ really just a dream?¡¯ Jang Ho-won couldn¡¯t dismiss the dream so easily, and with good reason. As a member of Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s party and someone bound to Kim Jae-hyun through a subordination contract, he had awakened to a unique ability: Precognitive Dreaming (ÓèÖª‰ô). The ability to foresee the future through dreams. Jae-hyun had explicitly exined this to him, so he remembered it clearly.@@novelbin@@ However, until now, he had only experienced ordinary dreams, causing him to nearly forget about the ability. But this dream felt different. The texture, the detail, the vividness. His instincts screamed that this was no ordinary dream. ¡®This isn¡¯t just a dream.¡¯ If that was the case, there was only one course of action. ¡®I need to report this.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 114 The timeline for when the precognitive dream mighte true was uncertain, so I wasted no time assembling a team. Ha Dong-geon, Kim Ga-young, Moon Byeong-ho, Kang Deok-su, Kim Geon, Seo Ye-jin, Yoo Hye-rin, Kim Da-jeong, Oh Eon-ju, Lee Jun-hyuk, and finally, my father. The structure was straightforward: Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party, with my father and Lee Jun-hyuk hired as mercenaries. ¡®This is the best option for now.¡¯ There was no concern about Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s party. Recently, he had been operating solo, while the rest of his team focused on clearing minor dungeons within the domain to level up. Aside from the party leader, Lee Jun-hyuk, the only member I had taken in as a retainer was Lee Hyun-chan, who possessed the ¡°Mini-map¡± ability. Even so, the other 19 members were formidable, all having surpassed level 30. Among citizens who were not retainers, they stood at the pinnacle. Their party¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t merely a product of the abilities gained through subordination contracts¡ªit was their natural aptitude for dungeon clearing. They had no qualms about killing monsters, adapted quickly to various scenarios, and made excellent use of avable resources.@@novelbin@@ In short, they were exceptionally capable. ¡®That¡¯s how they survived in Seomyeon¡¯s chaos.¡¯ Before I expanded the domain, Lee Jun-hyuk¡¯s party had managed to survive in monster-infested Seomyeon. Only the strong could endure such an environment. These were the ones who had been weeded out and proven their worth. As I reflected on this, I received a telepathic message from Kim Dabin. [Representative Jae-hyun, everyone is assembled.] [I¡¯ll be there soon.] In the living room, my father sat on the floor, strumming his guitar and humming a tune. "Dad, it¡¯s time to go." "Alright." He carefully set his guitar aside and approached me. Hesitating for a moment, I spoke. "Dad." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 115 The battle between Kim Geon¡¯s crows and the Kellycans ended absurdly quickly. ¡®He¡¯s gotten incredibly strong.¡¯ Although the opponents were merely Level 20 monsters, the performance was overwhelming. This was the result of raising the power of the stars to three stars. The increase in all stats affected not only physical capabilities but also amplified the power of his skills. The evidence was clear in the significantly elevated levels of the crows connected to Kim Geon. As Kim Geon flew further away from the apartmentplex, the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye allowed a clear view of the retreating scene. ¡®So this was the Kellycans¡¯ nest.¡¯ For me, these monsters held a peculiar significance. When monsters first appeared and I was trapped at home, powerless to act, it was a Kellycan that flew in and died, setting everything in motion. In a way, it was a monster that had saved my life. ¡®It was close by all along.¡¯ For creatures like Kellycans, a distance of about 10 kilometers could be covered in just a few minutes. ¡®I think I understand why it came to our apartmentplex.¡¯ Judging by the fact that their nest was also in an apartmentplex, it seemed they preferred this type of environment for nesting. From their perspective, they might view an apartmentplex as a rocky mountain teeming with food. Their instinct to break through the windows as soon as they spotted me was likely a habit formed in their nests. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, the people who lived near those nests...¡¯ In areas frequented by goblins, survival rates were generally higher for those living in apartmentplexes. Houses were too easy for goblins to invade. However, near the Kellycans¡¯ nests, people living in houses might have had a better chance of survival. Using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I expanded my vision to examine the apartmentplexes adjacent to their habitat.@@novelbin@@ As expected. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 119 To be safe, I decided to check on the newly integrated forward base at the Kori Nuclear Headquarters. The Kori facility housed a total of eight reactors: Kori Units 1 through 4 and Shin-Kori Units 1 through 4 located nearby. Except for the dmissioned and permanently shut-down Kori Unit 1, all reactors were operational, generating massive amounts of electricity. The power output from these reactors was so immense that it could easily meet the energy demands of all citizens with plenty to spare. ¡®Like the sr power facilities, any surplus electricity seems to be converted into money.¡¯ This alone was reason enough to seize control of every nuclear power nt in the country. The daily revenue from such facilities would be staggering. ¡®No issues here.¡¯ Fortunately, the Kori nt appeared to be functioning without problems. ¡®Among my territories, the one closest to Wolseong Base in Gyeongju is¡­¡¯ The forward base at Ulsan Homeplus. If something had gone wrong at Wolseong, it was likely that changes would be noticeable in the Ulsan region as well. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯ Surveying the forward base at Ulsan Homeplus, I initially noticed nothing unusual. People seemed to be going about their daily lives as usual. ¡°Where are we heading today?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check out the Buk-gu area. We haven¡¯t explored there much yet.¡± ¡°Man, I hope we find another decent foreign car like yesterday.¡±@@novelbin@@ Thanks to the presence of the vampire progenitor in Ulsan, monster activity was rtively low, leaving many vehicles intact. The city, being an industrial hub, also had a wealth of luxury cars, including expensive imports, attracting citizens eager to scavenge. These two were part of such a group. ¡°I¡¯m not even asking for a luxury car. Just something functional would be nice.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯d be good enough.¡± Even secondhand vehicles fetched hundreds or thousands of dors, making the search worthwhile. Monster hunting and scavenging supplies from abandoned homes were added bonuses. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 120 Kim Min-ho leaped toward the approaching Pelican, grabbing it by the neck mid-air. Crunch! A chilling sound echoed as the Pelican¡¯s neck snapped, its head lolling limply. The creature pped its wings briefly before plummeting lifelessly to the ground. Thud! [You have hunted a Pelican (Lv. 25).] [Experience points gained.] [5,431,024 KRW has been deposited into Citizen Kim Min-ho¡¯s wallet.] ¡°Hah¡­¡± Fighting flying monsters was always tricky for Kim Min-ho. It was challenging to handle them unless they came at him directly. But there were ways to lure them in. ¡°Sung-chul! Seo-jun! One more time!¡± ¡°Yes!¡±@@novelbin@@ Kang Sung-chul and Ha Seo-jun aimed their guns at the sky, firing at the circling Pelicans. Ratatatat! The gunfire provoked the Pelicans, triggering their aggressive instincts. One folded its wings and dived straight toward Kang Sung-chul. Yet Sung-chul stood his ground without flinching. Just before the Pelican¡¯s beak pierced his chest¡ª ¡°Hup!¡± Crack! Kim Min-ho¡¯s solid punch smashed the Pelican¡¯s head clean off. [You have hunted a Pelican (Lv. 24).] [Experience points gained.] [4,322,008 KRW has been deposited into Citizen Kim Min-ho¡¯s wallet.] The remaining Pelican, preparing to attack, froze at the sight of itspanion¡¯s decapitation. With a screech, it fled back into the sky. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 122 ording to Kim Min-ho¡¯s report, a monster called "Ratman" was inhabiting the basement of the apartmentplex where the Kellican flock had nested. As its name suggested, the creature resembled a rat in appearance, which led me to believe Seo Ye-jin¡¯s ability might work on it. [Their average level is estimated to be around 16.] Considering that Seo Ye-jin¡¯s tamed, evolved giant mice were only in the low level-10 range, this was a much higher starting point. If we could tame them and add them to our forces, we¡¯d gain a power boost of at least two or three levels. If we added zombification on top of that, their level would rise by another two stages. ¡®Not bad!¡¯ If they reached level 20 and were enhanced with Seo Ye-jin¡¯s Enhance skill, they might even survive long enough to reach the Wolseong base. [Additionally, there appears to be a monster acting as their leader.] [A leader?] [Yes. Since we haven¡¯t hunted it yet, we don¡¯t know its exact level, but judging by its size and the aura it exudes, it¡¯s unlikely to be at a low level.] [Can you describe it in more detail?] [Certainly.] ording to Kim Min-ho, who had directly encountered it, the massive rat monster was about 5 meters tall, with an imposing and muscr physique. ¡®If even Kim Min-ho found it intimidating¡­¡¯@@novelbin@@ Ever since we prepared for the Vampire War, all the retainers had been trained to a minimum level of 45. Moreover, they were all boosted with the three-star power of the stars. If Kim Min-ho¡¯s team¡ªtrained to this level¡ªfelt threatened by the creature, it was likely at least close to their level. ¡®It might even exceed level 40.¡¯ Considering the Ratmen underlings were only in their mid-teens in level, it was unlikely the leader surpassed level 40. However, even exceeding level 30 would be significant. ¡®If Seo Ye-jin can tame it, this crisis might be easier to resolve than I thought.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 123 With my mind sharpened by the effect of Calm Reflection, I observed the expanding territory in real time. Finding the Kellican¡¯s nest wasn¡¯t difficult, as Kim Geon had pinpointed its exact location during his flight toward the Kori Nuclear Power nt. ¡®There it is.¡¯ As the territory expanded, it quickly engulfed the apartmentplex. At the same time, I noticed that the monsters entering the territory froze in ce. [Hostile entities detected within the Absolute Dweller¡¯s domain.] Normally, any monster entering the safe zone would meet a predetermined fate: the moment they exhibited any hostility toward me, their heads would explode, turning them into experience points and mary rewards. However¡ª ¡®Restrain them; don¡¯t kill them!¡¯ Having faced the progenitor during the Vampire War, I had learned to consciously control the system¡¯s power instead of relying on unconscious responses. [Restraint applied.] The effect was immediate. Every monster within the apartmentplex, including the Ratmen I was targeting, was restrained without being killed. Meanwhile, monsters in other parts of the newly expanded territory¡ªthose I wasn¡¯t focusing on¡ªmet their usual fate.@@novelbin@@ [Hostile entities detected within the Absolute Dweller¡¯s domain.] [Eliminating threats.] In an instant, they were obliterated, converted into experience points and mary rewards. The Kellicans nesting in the same apartmentplex as the Ratmen were spared, thanks to my restraint. [Entities meeting the conditions for citizenship detected.] [Would you like to grant citizenship?] Afterpleting the process of identifying and granting citizenship to the humans within the newly expanded territory, the pain coursing through my body gradually subsided. With it, the effect of Calm Reflection ended. ¡°Whew.¡± As I opened my eyes, I saw Seo Ye-jin looking at me with a worried expression. Calm Reflection felt akin to an out-of-body experience, splitting my consciousness into two: one part endured the pain, while the other remained mentally clear. However, my body still had to bear the pain, leaving me drenched in cold sweat and grimacing throughout the expansion process, which clearly worried Seo Ye-jin. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 124 Seo Ye-jin tamed the scattered Ratmen in the underground parking lot while Ha Dong-geon''s party transformed the Hanul Nuclear Power nt into a forward base. Simr to the Kori Nuclear Power nt, the construction time had increased with additional costs, but there were ways to handle it. Park Sae-rom and Kim Da-bin guarded the forward bases in Ulsan and Kori, while Seo Ye-jin was busy taming Ratmen here. Excluding these three, all the retainers were summoned to the Hanul Nuclear Power nt, and the construction of the forward base began. This was for a specific effect. [More than ten citizens with titles of "Knight" or higher are gathered at the construction site.] [Construction efficiency has increased by 200%.] [Time remaining until thepletion of the forward base facility construction:] -239 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds. "Complete it immediately!" [Would you like toplete the construction of the ''Forward Base'' facility immediately?] [Toplete this facility immediately, 24 crystals are required.] "Yes." Woo-ooong! With the sessful creation of the forward base at the Hanul Nuclear Power nt, a safe zone was established.@@novelbin@@ Just like what happened at the Kori Nuclear Power nt, all hazardous nuclear waste disappeared, leaving behind only the functionality of electricity generation. "I''m running out of crystals now!" Only 38 crystals remained¡ªjust enough to immediatelyplete another forward base of the same scale as Kori and Hanul. "Hmm!" There were two remaining nuclear nt sites in South Korea that hadn''t been imed yet. One was the disaster-stricken Wolseong nt. The other was the Hanbit nt located in South Jeo Province. The choice was practically made for me. "I''ll have to give up on Hanbit!" The "immediatepletion" feature had to be used for the radiation-contaminated Wolseong nt. "It¡¯s the only way to minimize radiation exposure." Thend emitted such intense radiation that even Seo Ye-jin''s zombie-affiliated rats would die trying to approach it. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 125 Boom! Boom! Boom! The spears summoned from Ha Dong-geon¡¯s arsenal detonated in a chain reaction upon the radioactive slime¡¯s head. The slime, which had engulfed an entire building, burst open as ck mes erupted across its body, melting it away. The sight of the ck aura burning the radioactive slime confirmed the attack was effective. However¡ª "It¡¯s not enough!" The firepower fell far short of what was needed. Glurp, glurp. The green liquid surrounding the ruptured and burnt areas of the slime quickly gathered, fully healing its wounds. "This thing won¡¯t die easily!" I had somewhat anticipated this from the moment I checked its level using the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. ¡¸Slime (Lv. 56)¡¹ Even in this wretched world, monsters above level 50 were exceedingly rare, and every single one of them was formidable. This creature was far beyond level 50.@@novelbin@@ Even the Cyclops that appeared in Seomyeon had only been in the early 50s, which gave me a rough idea of the slime¡¯s strength. "Aside from progenitors and white dragons, this is the highest-level monster I¡¯ve encountered so far!" It wouldn¡¯t be an easy fight. p! A parachute unfurled from the back of a Ratman, significantly slowing its descent. This would allow us tond a few more hits. Even now, Ha Dong-geon was diligently hurling spears imbued with ck aura while simultaneously restocking his arsenal. But judging by how the slime had endured thest attack, it was clear the firepower was insufficient. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 126 "Open the warehouse, summon Ha Dong-geon''s spear." Kwaaang! [You have hunted a Radioactive Slime (Lv. 26).] [You have gained experience points.] [21,008,321 KRW has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller''s Wallet.] Although we seeded in killing the slime and reiming the Wolseong base, the fragments of slime scattered everywhere were far too numerous. As a result, I had been steadily reducing the number of radioactive slimes whenever I had time. Seo Ye-jin, stationed at the Wolseong base, used the Ratmen to track the radioactive slimes, and we finished them off by summoning Ha Dong-geon''s spear, as we were doing now. Of course, it wasn''t just Seo Ye-jin and me handling all the slimes. Currently, there were seven retainers at Wolseong base tasked with eradicating radioactive slimes. Alongside Seo Ye-jin were Lee Jun-hyuk, Lee Hyun-chan, Moon Hae-ri, Nam Ji-ho, Ha Dong-geon, and Kim Ga-young. We had gathered as many retainers as possible who could attack without approaching the radioactive slimes. That didn''t mean the other retainers were idle.@@novelbin@@ To maintain the forward base functionality at the Kori and Hanul nuclear power nts, I had dispatched the twin brothers Moon Ji-hoon and Moon Sang-hoon, while Park Sae-rom was assigned to the forward base in Ulsan. Kim Da-bin continued to handle administrative work, and the remaining ten retainers were sent to turn Korea''sst nuclear power nt, the Hanbit base, into a forward base. To maintain the construction efficiency boost of 200%, ten retainers were stationed there. "We''re really short on retainers." The primary reason was that ten retainers were tied up for ten days at the Hanbit base for the forward base construction. Even Yu Hye-rin from the administration and the neighbor, Choi Hyung-jun, had been mobilized and sent to Hanbit base, emphasizing just how short-staffed we were. That was why I had summoned Lee Ho-beom and Choi Do-yeon. "Both are talented individuals who have awakened A-grade abilities." Even among dungeon hunters, their names were fairly well-known. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 128 The elevator inside the Lotte Tower. Heading to the top floor, it carried two women.@@novelbin@@ One was dressed in a sharp, tailored suit, while the other wore a figure-hugging dress. Though their styles were different, they shared striking simrities¡ªboth were young, stunningly attractive, and radiated charm. The woman in the dress had her hands sped together, eyes closed, murmuring something under her breath. The suited woman nced at her and spoke. "Na-ri." "Y-yes?" "There¡¯s no need to be so nervous. We¡¯re on our way to hear the words of the Lord." "¡­Yes." "You¡¯re very fortunate. Not many are granted the privilege of a private audience with Him." "I know," Bae Na-ri replied, her voice trembling with awe. She was overwhelmed with gratitude. The being she was about to meet was no ordinary man but a god descended upon the mortal realm. In this monstrous world consumed by judgment, where survival seemed impossible, she believed she had endured because of her unwavering faith in Him. The god who had descended from the heavens to save humanity had summoned her. It would be a lie to say she wasn¡¯t nervous. Ding¡ª? "We¡¯ve arrived." The elevator doors opened slowly. "This way." As they walked through a luxurious marble corridor, a door appeared at the end. When they stepped inside, they entered avish living room. The floor, like the hallway, was covered in pristine white marble, and the carefully ced furniture exudedfort and opulence. The suited woman confidently walked across the room, opening the door to the master bedroom and stepping aside. "Please, go in." "You¡¯re noting with me, Eun-hye?" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 129 "The apartmentplex over there, by Olympic Road, building 14," Choi Sang-hyun pointed to a dimly lit apartment cluster. Thanks to the lights from Lotte Tower, it was possible to discern its location, but it was unclear exactly which building he was referring to. Kang Deok-soo, who was riding on the back of a Kelikan with him, asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Olympic Road?¡± Being natives of Busan, most of them were unfamiliar with the geography of this area. ¡°It¡¯s the road right next to the Han River. Head that way, toward the river.¡±@@novelbin@@ ¡°Oh, got it. Message received.¡± Hearing their conversation, I sent a telepathicmand to the Kelikan carrying Kang Deok-soo. [Drop them off at the building next to the river.] Since the Kelikan bound to the Contract of Subjugation couldn¡¯t understand humannguage, I had to issue orders directly through telepathy. Only Kim Da-bin among my retainers couldmunicate with Kelikan via telepathy, but she was already overwhelmed with administrative tasks, and overworking her further wasn¡¯t an option. Thankfully, I could use telepathy near retainers where the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye was active, making this setup manageable. With a p of their wings, six Kelikan instinctively began descending onto the rooftop of the apartment. Choi Sang-hyun urgently corrected them. ¡°It¡¯s the next building over. Right next door!¡± Despite not understanding human speech, the Kelikans adjusted their course toward the rooftop of the adjacent building, disying their basic intelligence. Sessfullynding on the rooftop of building 14, Choi Sang-hyun and Ha Dong-geon¡¯s party quickly descended to the 8th floor. And then. Click. Choi Sang-hyun unlocked the door to unit 803. Inside was¡ª ¡°Sleegi! Choi Sleegi!¡± ¡°Dad!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 130 Gundae University Road Entrance. Once brimming with the youth and energy of college students, the street had been reduced to a deste wastnd. Shattered one-room buildings and crumbledmercial establishments dominated the surroundings. Broken signsy in pieces, scattered on the ground, and steel structures jutted out from the cracked concrete. The only traces of life were dried bloodstains smeared between the debris. This area wasn¡¯t just devoid of people¡ªit was nearly impossible to spot even a single monster. The reason? A single monster had imed this territory. nk¡ªnk¡ª The creature,rger than an 8-ton truck, vaguely resembled a Stegosaurus in shape. Not a single scrap of flesh clung to its massive frame, which wasposed entirely of sharp, gleaming des. Its body was riddled with gaping holes, revealing that no blood flowed through it. A steel golem made entirely of des. Aizende.@@novelbin@@ This was its domain. Thud¡ª Every step it took with its de-like feet left deep gashes in the concrete below. As it slowly patrolled its territory, a noise caught its attention. Rustle¡ª The moment it detected movement, Aizende''s massive head turned sharply in the direction of the sound. The man who identally locked eyes with the monstrous golem turned pale. ¡°Eek!¡± He immediately spun around and started to run. Crash¡ªCRASH¡ª! You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 131 "This time, it¡¯s Konkuk University Station." I hadn¡¯t spent all my time investigating the JHS cult. The original purpose of entering Seoul¡ªhunting boss-level monsters and constructing forward bases¡ªwas being carried out simultaneously. While investigating the JHS cult, I naturally ended up hunting monsters near their headquarters in Jamsil. Through this process, I gained a clearer understanding of the conditions necessary for establishing a forward base. ¡°Hunting monsters of at least level 30, finding a location suitable for forward base construction, and most importantly¡­¡± My will. Even now, that much was clear. Looking down from the sky, the territory of Aizende spanned a radius of well over 1 kilometer. However, the only location suitable for constructing a forward base was not thepletely destroyed Line 2 but Konkuk University Station, which was located underground along Line 7. It was the only ce that met the conditions. ¡°This distance should be reasonable.¡±@@novelbin@@ Among the current candidates, it was the closest location to Jamsil. ¡°This spot will do.¡± One thing I learned while investigating the JHS cult was that their number of fanatical followers wasn¡¯t asrge as I had anticipated. There were people who blindly believed in Jeong Hyeon-su as though they were brainwashed, but they ounted for only about one in ten. More than 70% of the followers stayed with the JHS cult not out of faith but for safety and food. ¡°If I issue them citizenship and ept about half of them, they¡¯ll quickly forget about the JHS cult and adapt to life in Busan.¡± There were two reasons I was so confident about this. First, their treatment under the cult wasn¡¯t particrly good. While people who had awakened various abilities had banded together to form a society, it had its limits. Food was insufficient to feed the poption of over 100,000 adequately, and for drinking water, many had to live in tents near the Han River. This meant that their living conditions were harsh. ¡°Once they learn about the environment on our side, many of them will willinglye over.¡± The second reason was that they weren¡¯tpletely free from the threat of monsters. The only ces that could be called truly safe were Lotte World and Lotte Tower, known as the Sanctuary. Even at this moment, people were being attacked and killed or injured by goblins. Some were in critical condition because their wounds couldn¡¯t be treated, and in such cases, Kim Da-jeong personally stepped in to heal them. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 133 Moon Byeong-ho stared directly into Jeong Hyeon-su¡¯s crimson eyes and sneered. ¡°Spouting nonsense, are we?¡± At that moment, Jeong Hyeon-su¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°What¡­?¡± Before he could finish, Moon Byeong-ho drew a pistol from his coat and fired directly at Jeong Hyeon-su¡¯s head. Bang! The sound of the gunshot echoed as Jeong Hyeon-su¡¯s head snapped backward. But¡ª ¡°¡­How troubling,¡± Jeong Hyeon-su muttered, slowly straightening his head. The area where the bullet struck was slightly red and swollen, but otherwise, he appeared unharmed. ¡°Just what are you?¡±@@novelbin@@ Watching the scene unfold through the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I exhaled in relief. ¡°That red glow¡­ he was trying to use mind control.¡± The crimson gleam in his eyes made it clear that something sinister was afoot. Thankfully, Moon Byeong-ho was unaffected. ¡°Are retainers immune to mind control?¡± I had anticipated the possibility that Jeong Hyeon-su might have mind-controlling abilities, especially given the reports of awakened individuals being used as puppets within the cult. However, I hadn¡¯t expected that he could wield such power himself. ording to the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, his ability wasbeled ¡°Manifestation of Illusions,¡± granting him the power to make illusions real. This meant¡­ ¡°His mind-control ability is a derivative of his main power.¡± Jeong Hyeon-su had somehow created an entirely new ability using his existing one. ¡°He can create awakened abilities¡­ unbelievable.¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 134 The light veil spreading out from Kori swiftly formed into a massive spherical shape. [Now.] I signaled Kim Geon. Just before he entered through the North Gate. ¡®Summon steel marbles.¡¯ I summoned them above the prayer hall. From the sky to the prayer hall where the cultists were gathered, a red line stretched downward. Screeeeeeech¡ª! The red line pierced through the floating ground and reached the very bottom. Boom! A massive explosion erupted from the deep pit that had formed when the sanctuary was torn apart, shaking the surroundingnd. ¡°Hah, ha¡­¡± I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead and opened my eyes wide. [You have hunted a Cultist {Celestial} (Lv. 15).] [You have hunted a Cultist {Celestial} (Lv. 15).] [You have hunted a Cultist {Celestial} (Lv. 15).] ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ As the sanctuary was pierced by arge hole and the prayer hall was half-destroyed, the aftermath of the explosion killed countless cultists instantly. Every high-rise building in the vicinity, including Lotte Tower, had either copsed or been shattered.@@novelbin@@ This was the carnage I had created with my own hands. The sight of blood and corpses scattered everywhere made me feel nauseated for a moment, but I gritted my teeth and held it back. ¡®I didn¡¯t kill them all.¡¯ The steel marbles had prated theirnd entirely, which reduced the intended impact. And then, suddenly¡ª sh! The light veilpleted the perfect sphere. At that moment¡ª ¡°Hah, hah¡­¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± ¡°Ahahahahahaha!¡± Laughter erupted among the surviving cultists. It wasn¡¯t just Jeong Hyeon-su¡¯sughter. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 135 I frowned. [You have hunted a Cultist {Celestial} (Lv. 15).] [You have gained experience points.] [?132,001 has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller''s wallet.] When his head exploded, it had undoubtedly been Jeong Hyeon-su. But by the time the calctions wereplete, the corpse had transformed into the body of an unknown female cultist. Ha Dong-geon turned to me and asked, ¡°Shall we pursue?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Killing him wasn¡¯t the goal anyway.@@novelbin@@ The true objective was the core of this small world. ¡®That must be it.¡¯ A small, glowing blue orby before me. As I approached it and ced my hand gently upon it, the wails of souls reverberated through me. It carried the sorrow of people whose freedom had been stolen, their anger palpable. ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°Not by myself! I need your power!¡± I had a vague idea of what she meant by ¡°my power.¡± I extended my hand toward her. ¡®Enhance.¡¯ I bestowed my power. ck mes surged across Lilith¡¯s entire body as her small frame began to rise into the air. [Lilith, the Subus, is requesting the release of her power.] [Do you grant permission?] [Yes / No] ¡®Yes.¡¯ In that moment¡ª You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 136 A massive piece ofnd, over a kilometer in diameter, was plummeting from several hundred meters above ground. If it struck as it was, the damage would be catastrophic. To make matters worse, the area below was densely packed with the 144,000 people who had been sacrificed. The loss of life would be unimaginable.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I have to stop this, no matter what.¡¯ The only silver lining was that thend was descending slowly. While the core sustaining the false world had been destroyed, not all of its power had vanished yet. Residual energy from Jeong Hyeon-su, the cult leader, was causing the massive piece ofnd to float down gradually. However, that energy was running out, and the speed of descent was steadily increasing. If the remaining energypletely dissipated, everything would end in disaster. [Evacuate those closest to the crash site first! Move quickly!] I immediately issued orders to the retainers nearby. Those who had been unable to enter the sanctuary began carrying unconscious survivors to safety. But even with the full capabilities of my retainers, it was impossible to evacuate everyone in time. ¡®I have to stop the crash itself.¡¯ There was no other way. [Seong-jun!] The first person who came to mind was Jang Seong-jun, who wielded telekinesis. [Minimize the damage!] I cast an enhancement spell on him, amplifying his telekic abilities to their maximum. Jang Seong-jun immediately understood my instructions and acted on them. His telekinesis, imbued with dark energy, spread across the entire piece ofnd.
  1. It required a visible destination.
  2. It required physical contact with those being transported.
  3. Upon teleportation, all motion energy was reduced to zero.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 137 "Ugh¡­"@@novelbin@@ Lee Joon-young clutched his head as he got up. It felt like his skull was about to split open from the pain. Looking around, he saw hispanions groaning in agony just like him. ¡®What the hell happened?¡¯ One by one, hisrades had copsed, and soon after, an overwhelming drowsiness had taken hold of him, forcing him to fall as well. ¡®I feel like I had a weird dream¡­¡¯ A dream where countless people, including himself, were floating toward thend in the sky. "Urk!" Joon-young immediately covered his mouth, suppressing the urge to vomit. "Kh¡­" It had been a horrifying dream. He couldn''t recall it in detail, but the emotions he had felt in it remained seared into his mind. A blinding light, unbearable pain, and a chilling, iprehensible fear of his very existence being erased. That terror, engraved deep in his soul, was still vividly present. ¡®Was it really just a dream?¡¯ Could it really have been something so simple? Even if it was, how could he exin the bizarre phenomenon that had urred just before he lost consciousness? Everyone¡ªhisrades, the people around them, even himself¡ªhad copsed at the exact same moment. There was no way that had been a mere coincidence. ¡®But we all woke up just fine¡­¡¯ He turned his gaze toward the sky where the Sanctuary had once hovered, but there was nothing there. Still feeling uneasy, Joon-young hesitantly called out to Kim Tae-hyun, who was lying beside him, rubbing his forehead. "Tae-hyun." "Mm¡­?" "Did you¡­ have a dream or something?" "A dream?" "You know, something terrifying? At first, we were floating toward thatnd in the sky, and then¡ª" Before he could finish, Tae-hyun abruptly cut him off. "It felt like falling into the ocean with countless others. A storm was raging, the whirlpools were violent." "What?" "And there was that light¡ªso bright it felt like my mind was melting." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 139 It was the first time I had ever witnessed the moment of awakening. ¡®irvoyance, huh.¡¯ The man named Lee Joon-young had yet to realize it himself, but during his panic attack, he had awakened his ability. And upon awakening, he had instantly reached Level 30¡ªwhich meant his ability was ssified as A-rank. Even among those with the same ability, rankings varied based on the individual¡¯s potential. A prime example was Jang Sung-joon¡¯s telekinesis. Plenty of people had awakened telekic abilities, but only he had ever received an A-rank evaluation. In the case of irvoyance, I had only seen two other users before¡ªand both had been rated D-rank. ¡®But A-rank? That¡¯s rare.¡¯ Still¡­ ¡®What makes an A-rank irvoyance so special?¡¯@@novelbin@@ For something like telekinesis, a higher rank meant increased power output and finer control. But for irvoyance¡­ did a higher rank really make much of a difference? ¡®Might as well mark him as a candidate for retainer registration.¡¯ Lately, I had been actively increasing my number of retainers. With the rise in forward bases, more retainers were needed¡ªbut more importantly, my skill level had increased, drastically expanding the number of retainers I could register. When I upgraded Noble Dignity to Level 7, my base retainer limit had increased to 100. Slots gained through loyalty bonuses were counted separately, so my total cap had reached 133. ¡®If he¡¯s awakened an A-rank ability, he¡¯s more than qualified.¡¯ I generally preferred to recruit high-ranking awakened individuals as retainers. It was simply more efficient. Of course, I didn¡¯t just select people based on their abilities alone. I evaluated their character, their morals, and their willingness before making any offers. ¡®First impression isn¡¯t bad.¡¯ Lee Joon-young had awakened under the pressure of absolute fear.
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You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 141 The reason Kim Jaehyun had called Lee Jun-young was simple. [Citizen Lee Jun-young¡¯s Trust Level has increased significantly.] [Citizen Lee Jun-young¡¯s Loyalty Level has increased significantly.] Jaehyun had already been keeping an eye on him since he had awakened an A-rank ability, but today alone, his name had appeared multiple times in system notifications. And then¡ª [Citizen Lee Jun-young¡¯s Trust Level has reached 100.] [Ability ¡®X-ray Vision¡¯ has been acquired.] His trust level had suddenly maxed out, granting him the X-ray Vision ability. ¡®This is a first¡­¡¯ For citizens who had joined early, it wasn¡¯t unusual for their Trust and Loyalty levels to rise. Simply recognizing Jaehyun¡¯s abilities and name had been enough for people¡¯s trust and loyalty to grow. But it was his first time seeing the word ¡°significantly¡± attached to a notification like this. ¡®I¡¯ve seen levels increase rapidly before, but never this drastically.¡¯ Even the usual rapid increases had only urred when he met someone face-to-face. Yet, he had never met Lee Jun-young before. And this was the first time that Trust had hit 100 before Loyalty.@@novelbin@@ ¡®There aren¡¯t many of my vassals who have reached 100 in Trust either¡­¡¯ This was nothing but good news for Jaehyun. After all, it meant that another person had met the conditions to use ¡°Descent¡± (??). The fact that he could borrow the awakened ability of someone with 100 Trust was nice, but what truly mattered was that it increased the number of times he could use Descent. ¡®I have to make him my vassal.¡¯ That was why he had invited Lee Jun-young. Using telepathy, he reached out to the young man, who had just finished clearing the goblin dungeon. [Would you be willing to meet face-to-face for a conversation?] ¡°Y-Yes! Of course!¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 142 ¡®So he¡¯s finally making his move.¡¯ An Ki-tae was a neer who had been issued citizenship just three days ago. The reason I had been able to put Moon Byeong-ho on his tail the moment he showed suspicious movements was simple¡ªI had never taken my eyes off him since the moment he entered. Even while cleaning up the aftermath of the Jamsil incident, I continued monitoring An Ki-tae and his group through Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. At first, I had kept an eye on them because of their levels. An Ki-tae¡¯s group consisted of six people, and half of them were awakened individuals with notably high levels. An Ki-tae himself was level 32, while the other two were at level 28 and level 27, respectively. Since all three had awakened B-rank abilities and had likely started at level 25, it meant they had hunted a significant number of monsters. That alone made them worth keeping track of. But then, they began exhibiting suspicious behavior.@@novelbin@@ ¡®They were talking about when to make their report.¡¯ In other words, they were spies. From the conversations I overheard, it became clear that they had infiltrated the JHS cult with a specific goal in mind. However, the sudden Rapture had urred, and after consuming the chocte distributed by the JHS, they had nearly been sacrificed as live offerings like the rest of the believers¡ªonly to survive thanks to me. Among them, An Ki-tae had been the first to recover his senses, and he had witnessed everything. He had seen the countless souls flocking back to their bodies in an awe-inspiring sight, the massivendmass plummeting from the sky in a cataclysmic disaster, and the retainers risking their lives to stop it. And finally, he had seen the transcendent power that had minimized the catastrophe. ¡®That¡¯s why his loyalty and trust levels were unusually highpared to others.¡¯ The people who hadn¡¯t seen that event had abysmally low trust and loyalty scores, but An Ki-tae¡¯s were both over 80. It was an ironic situation¡ªa spy who had high trust in me. Regardless, once I had confirmed they were spies from another organization, I couldn¡¯t afford to take my eyes off them. And now, atst, he had begun moving. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 143 A heavy silence settled over the conference room as the sudden appearance of supplies left everyone stunned. The first to break the silence was Commander Lee Hak-gi. He walked over to the nearest box, his footsteps echoing through the room, and opened it. The flickering candlelight inside the conference room barely illuminated the contents. When he saw the cup noodles inside, he let out a dry chuckle. "Heh." Commander Lee tore open the lid, inspecting the contents to ensure they were intact before turning his gaze to Moon Byeong-ho. "Are you Kim Jae-hyun?" "No. I am merely a messenger delivering his words." "Then, are you the one who created all of this?" "No. All of these supplies were created by Jae-hyun-nim himself. Even now, he is watching this conversation and listening to our discussion." "Haha¡­ from Busan, you say?"@@novelbin@@ "Yes, that is correct." Commander Lee pulled a chocte bar from another box and unwrapped it. The rustling of the packaging echoed softly in the room. He took a bite and said, "He''s as good as a savior." "He is a great man." With that, the room erupted into chaos. "This is real? All of this...?" "Is this actually edible?" "There''s no poison in it, right?" "Gulp, gulp, gulp¡ª! Here! There''s clean water!" You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 144 Since the daily quests were proving to be highly efficient, I had been assigning them to as many citizens as possible. As a result, I was collecting hundreds of rewards per day, with the contents varying depending on the nature of the quests. Most of the time, since the quests involved hunting monsters, the rewards were small amounts of experience points. Given the sheer number ofpleted quests, asional jackpot rewards did happen. However, even then, the reward was just arge amount of experience. But this time, it was skill points. ¡®Well, I can''t ignore that.¡¯ I was also curious to see exactly what this newly unlocked Inventory feature could do.@@novelbin@@ ¡®The question is whether the Inventory unlocks at level 5.¡¯ Currently, my Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse skill was at level 4. If I was unlucky, leveling it up still might not unlock the Inventory. ¡®Even so, there¡¯s no downside to upgrading the Warehouse.¡¯ Aside from supporting my retainers, the Warehouse was also my most powerful offensive weapon. By using the Warehouse tounch Meteor, I could wipe out most monsters with ease. ¡®The higher the weight capacity of the Warehouse, the stronger the Meteor bes.¡¯ There was no reason not to invest in this. [Are you sure you want to level up Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse?] "Yes." Vwoom! [Absolute Dweller¡¯s Warehouse has been upgraded to Lv. 5.] [Conditions met.] [Inventory has been unlocked.] You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 145 [Citizen Yoon Sung-min''s trust level has increased.] [Citizen Yoon Sung-min''s trust level has reached 100.] [You have gained a massive amount of experience points.] ''Again?'' This was already the third time. A case where trust reached 100 before loyalty. Starting with Lee Joon-young, who had irvoyant abilities, two more had now achieved a trust level of 100. For non-awakened individuals, instead of gaining the abilities they possessed, experience points were awarded. But exactly how much was difficult to estimate. Considering the descriptor "massive amount," it was certainly not a small sum. ''Citizen management, Yoon Sung-min.'' With themand, two names appeared before me. As the number of citizens grew, cases of people sharing the same name started to appear. Fortunately, identifying the right person wasn¡¯t difficult. After all, there was only one with a trust level of 100. ''So it¡¯s this guy.'' A plump middle-aged man wearing sses with a friendly impression.@@novelbin@@ ''His loyalty is high too.'' Yoon Sung-min¡¯s loyalty was at 63, which was incredibly high considering he hadn¡¯t been a citizen for long. I activated the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to check his location. And there, ¡®¡­Hah.¡¯ A cult preacher was fervently praising me, spreading his doctrine.
  • Priest: Gains the ¡®Heal¡¯ ability.
  • Warrior Research [Inactive] (Unlocks at Level 2).
  • Marksman Research [Inactive] (Unlocks at Level 2).
  • Spearman Research [Inactive] (Unlocks at Level 3).
  • Archer Research [Inactive] (Unlocks at Level 3).
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 146 After hearing about the glorious actions of the nation¡¯s leadership, the conversation naturally shifted to the current state of Seoul and its power structure. The situation in Seoul was far more dire than I had imagined.@@novelbin@@ Once my meeting with Commander Lee Hak-gi was over, I had a scheduled event to attend. ¡°This is the ce?¡± ¡°Yes. This will be the newly opened bathhouse.¡± The number of projects Kim Da-bin had spearheaded easily surpassed dozens. From essential living infrastructure, telmunications restoration, economic revitalization, job creation, refugee aid, and building repairs¡ªit was difficult to find an area she hadn¡¯t touched. The bathhouse before me was simply one of the many results of her efforts. ¡°This is impressive. But why here instead of Seomyeon?¡± ¡°We prioritized buildings that were in the best condition. As you know, most of the bathhouses in Seomyeon were severely damaged¡­¡± ¡°I see. Good work.¡± Coincidentally, this was a very familiar location for me. ¡®Hae Supia, huh.¡¯ A five-minute walk from my family¡¯s home. Turning my head, I could see the World Tree standing tall in the distance. Its height alone, reaching hundreds of meters, was overwhelming, but its trunk was so massive it could easily engulf an entire apartmentplex. Despite being several hundred meters away from its origin, its thick roots had spread all the way here. And with the surrounding area now overgrown with trees, it was hard to tell if this was still a city or a forest. As a result, Hae Supia¡¯s exterior, enveloped by greenery, felt both familiar and foreign. The structure was undeniably the same bathhouse I had visited often in my childhood, yet its surroundings had changed beyond recognition. ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Unlike the outer walls, which were covered in vines and dense foliage, the dozens of steps leading to the entrance had been meticulously cleared. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 147 Shin Dong-hoon was a soldier. Beforeing to Busan, he had been stationed at Wangsimni Station, primarily assigned to perimeter security. Before the monster apocalypse fully erupted, he had been a sergeant under the Capital Defense Command, just on the verge of his discharge. On the very day he was supposed to go on final leave, the monster apocalypse struck, and the world fell into chaos. He had nned to spend the day in Seoul with his fellow soldiers, having a drink and rxing¡ªonly for disaster to unfold. Because of that, he had been unable to return to his hometown in Jeju, where his parents were. Instead, he was trapped in Seoul. With the government dering a national state of emergency, all military personnel were recalled, and from that moment on, the war against monsters began. Their mission was to rescue and evacuate civilians. But in reality, they aplished nothing. None of them had ever trained for something like this. Every building they entered was filled with corpses and orcs, while outside, behemoths roamed freely, tearing apart military tanks like toys. And then came the worst of them all. A colossal Cyclops, as massive as a skyscraper. The way it rampaged through buildings, reducing them to rubble, made it seem like a god of destruction had descended upon the earth. It was a monster on a scale beyondprehension, something that his rifle was utterly useless against. BOOOOM!!! With a deafening explosion, entire buildings were obliterated. And Shin Dong-hoon ran for his life. BOOM¡ª!@@novelbin@@ The giant pursued him. He wanted to run faster, but his body wouldn¡¯t move properly. It was like wading through water, his limbs sluggish, as if his own body was refusing to obey him. ¡®I¡¯m going to die like this¡­!¡¯ Then, his legspletely froze in ce. Above him, a massive shadow of death loomed. Slowly looking up, he saw the giant¡¯s enormous foot descending toward him. ¡®No¡­!¡¯ There was nowhere to run.
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  1. The remation of Seoul
  2. Monitoring newly arrived individuals
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 148 Shin Dong-hoon¡¯s ability was instant eleration, graded at A-rank.@@novelbin@@ He could move at extreme speeds while holding his breath¡ªbut I had yet to see him actually use it. ¡®And the people with him aren¡¯t ordinary either.¡¯ Three B-rank Awakened and six C-rank Awakened. Aplete elite squad. This group had been personally formed by Commander Lee Hak-gi and had significant experience in monster hunting¡ªenough to sessfully clear an Orc Dungeon in record time. ¡®And Shin Dong-hoon is already level 37.¡¯ At that level, he was among the highest-ranked citizens, aside from my retainers. Citizens had an EXP buff that elerated their growth. For promising individuals, I had even manually increased their EXP gain, making it three to four times faster than normal. But Shin Dong-hoon had surpassed that advantage and reached an even higher level. Which could only mean one thing. ¡®He¡¯s been hunting high-level monsters.¡¯ Hisbat record since obtaining citizenship was exceptional. ¡®He¡¯s well-regarded among his team, and he seems like a solid guy.¡¯ That was more than enough for me. ¡®I should offer him a spot as a retainer.¡¯ I was also considering recruiting Lee Jun-ho, Park Seong-jun, and Kim Ki-tae, the three B-rank Awakened in his squad. Recently, after upgrading Dignified Leadership, my retainer limit increased by 100, leaving plenty of room. ¡®But this Hunter profession¡­¡¯ Bing a Hunter was actually incredibly simple. I just had to assign a profession quest, and for Hunters, the condition was killing 30 monsters. Even 30 goblins would do. And since I could issue firearms, clearing the Hunter profession quest was as easy as taking candy from a baby. ¡®If they really want it, I can grant it¡­¡¯
  • Time remaining: 11 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
  • Push-ups: (0/100)
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 149 [Citizen Shin Dong-hoon haspleted the ss advancement quest.] [10,000,000 won has been deducted as quest costs.] [Citizen Shin Dong-hoon has acquired the ''Warrior'' ss.] At the same moment that Shin Dong-hoon shattered the wooden dummy¡¯s head in the warrior¡¯s chamber, a notification appeared, signaling the sessfulpletion of the ss advancement quest. ¡®Clean execution.¡¯ It was my first time seeing him use his abilities. His instantaneous speed was impressive, but his control over that sudden eleration was even more incredible. Shin Dong-hoon hadplete mastery over his body. And¡ª ¡®Hisbat sense is outstanding.¡¯ It was just a single exchange, but he had more than proven his worth. ¡®Still, the test dummy''s level was higher than I expected.¡¯ For one, it was level 25. A level 25 wooden dummy naturally had formidable physical specs, but considering the various buffs that citizens received, even a level 20 could have put up a fair fight. The real issue, however, was that the dummy fought like a well-trained soldier. ¡®Not many will qualify for the warrior ss.¡¯ Honestly, unless someone was an awakened like Shin Dong-hoon, there wasn¡¯t much reason to go through the hassle of bing a warrior. Most people preferred firearms over melee weapons when it came tobat. Even among Shin Dong-hoon¡¯s squad, the only one who had the potential to advance to a warrior was Lee Jun-ho. The rest either specialized in long-range attacks or were simply stronger with firearms than they were with their abilities. For those who primarily used guns, the sharpshooter ss would be a better fit.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I just hope the sharpshooter ss advancement isn¡¯t too difficult.¡¯ I¡¯d need toplete the research and see the quest in action to be sure, but with Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I could already get a rough idea of what the test involved.
  • Time remaining: 11 hours, 41 minutes, 35 seconds
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 150 "Then, I will ept Shin Dong-hoon as my vassal first."@@novelbin@@ "I look forward to serving you." Shin Dong-hoon''s trust and loyalty levels were just about at the minimum threshold for vassal registration. His trust was at 50, the point where loyalty unlocks, and his loyalty had reached 30, the minimum required for vassal status. The truth was, meeting him in person today had significantly boosted both, making this registration possible. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for this to happen. As more people joined, different cases arose. Some had such low trust that loyalty never even unlocked, while others had exceptionally high trust from the beginning, allowing loyalty to be avable right away. There were also cases where both trust and loyalty were difficult to raise, just like now. ¡®He¡¯s the cautious and mentally strong type.¡¯ People like this, however, tended to reach 100 trust quickly once given a strong enough reason. ¡®Ha Dong-geon was the same way.¡¯ He was now one of the few individuals whose trust and loyalty had both reached the maximum 100. ¡®Vassal registration, Shin Dong-hoon.¡¯ Wooooong! A bright light enveloped Shin Dong-hoon, then seeped into his body. Ding! [Citizen Shin Dong-hoon has obtained a title matching his ss.] [A synergy effect has been triggered.] ¡®Huh?¡¯ I checked Shin Dong-hoon''s status window in the vassal management panel. Name: Shin Dong-hoon (Lv. 45) [+]
  • While holding your breath, distort time and move up to 10 times faster.
  • By snapping your fingers, consume mental energy to rewind time.
  • The amount of time rewound depends on total mental energy.
  • Currently, maximum rewind duration: 13.07 seconds.
  • Melee attacks deal +50% damage.
  • Temporarily enhances physical abilities by 100%. (Cooldown: 1 hour)
  • Melee attacks deal an additional +50% damage.
  • Melee attacks deal +50% damage.
  • Melee attacks deal an additional +50% damage.
  • A safe zone that can be established outside the Sanctuary.
  • The size of the territory expands in proportion to the noble rank of its ruler.
  • When {Activated}, it temporarily exerts the same influence as a dered Sanctuary zone.
  • However, {Activation} is only possible if a vassal with at least the [Baron] title resides there.
  1. Choi Hyung-jun [First Bell] - 1,245 P
  2. Moon Byeong-ho [Second Bell] - 176,342 P
  3. Kang Deok-soo [Third Bell] - 75,123 P
  4. Kim Ga-young [Fourth Bell] - 99,388 P
  5. Yoo Hye-rin [Fifth Bell] - 87,819 P
  6. Ha Dong-geon [Sixth Bell] - 783,210 P
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 151 Lee Jun-young activated his irvoyance ability. Right now, he was inside the Sharpshooter''s Chamber, preparing toplete his ss advancement quest. The structure resembled a firing range, with multiple targets appearing and disappearing at various locations. However¡ª@@novelbin@@ ¡®I can see them all.¡¯ For Lee Jun-young, who possessed irvoyance, obstacles and cover were meaningless. Tang! All he needed to do was time his shots for when the targets emerged from behind cover. Tang! If he had chosen to use one of the bows or crossbows disyed at the entrance, the difficulty might have increased slightly. But in his hands was the rifle personally provided by Kim Jaehyun. Tang¡ª! The moment all ten targets were hit¡ª [Phase 2 begins.] Kim Jaehyun¡¯s voice echoed in his mind. Lee Jun-young already knew that Phase 2 would start after clearing ten targets and what to expect. Jiiiing¡ª Using irvoyance, he could see through the cover where no targets had appeared before¡ª Now, wooden dummies were materializing behind the barriers in real time. Each of them was armed with a bow or crossbow. ¡®They¡¯reing.¡¯ Three of them appeared almost simultaneously, aiming at Lee Jun-young. But¡ª Tang¡ª! Since he could already see their exact locations, they posed no threat whatsoever. The moment one of them peeked out, Lee Jun-young¡¯s bullet obliterated its head.
  1. Those who had experienced danger but decided to push forward.
  2. Those who had not yet faced real danger.
  • 167 hours, 59 minutes, 53 seconds
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 152 Here''s the uncensored, detailed English trantion of the passage while maintaining strict adherence to the original text:@@novelbin@@ As soon as the forward bases at Seoul Station and Sindorim Station werepleted, a notification appeared. [A number of individuals meeting the conditions for citizenship have been detected.] [Would you like to grant them citizenship?] Thousands of pieces of information filled my vision. This was the result of gathering all the small survivor groups that had been living near Seoul Station and Sindorim Station. Normally, I would have had to go through each person''s details one by one before epting them, but that wasn¡¯t necessary this time. ¡®Grant citizenship.¡¯ Since my vassals were responsible for bringing in the survivors, every single person had already been screened using the Absolute One¡¯s Eye. Even if I had to process this many people at once, it wouldn''t be a problem. ¡®All I need to do is scan their information using Absolute One¡¯s Eye.¡¯ By momentarily focusing the Absolute One¡¯s Eye on this area, I could check thousands of individuals in mere seconds. [Thank you all for your hard work.] First, I expressed my gratitude to the twenty vassals who had stayed on-site to oversee the forward base construction. [Now, we will begin the full-scale remation of Seoul.] There had already been one failed attempt at reiming Seoul. At first, I assumed that by simply eliminating all the boss-level monsters in Seoul, it would naturally fall under our control. That was a massive miscalction. Despite the efforts of my vassals, a shocking revtion emerged while rescuing scattered survivor groups. The casualties had actually increasedpared to when we hadn¡¯t intervened. Without tigers, foxes take over the mountain. We had eliminated the strongest monsters, but weaker ones quickly filled the vacuum, expanding their influence.
  • Baron (??) ¡ú 1km radius
  • Viscount (??) ¡ú 3km radius
  • Earl (??) ¡ú 5km radius
  • Ha Dong-geon
  • Moon Byeong-ho
  • Lee Jun-hyeok
  • Jang Seong-jun
  • Kim Da-bin
  • It allowed directmands to civilians.
  • It was invaluable for giving precise orders to the Kellican-type monsters.
  1. A vassal with a noble title
  2. A "safe zone" like a forward base
  • 119 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds
  • 71 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 153 The serene temple, bathed in warm sunlight and filled with the sound of chirping birds¡ª Should have been echoing with chants of Buddhist scriptures at this hour. But instead, an eerie silence filled the space. Blood and corpsesy scattered everywhere.@@novelbin@@ Before the tranquil visage of the Bodhisattva Guanyin¡ª Crunch¡ª ¡°Uuuuh¡ª.¡± A monk was being devoured alive. Rows of circr teeth busily ground through his intestines, chewing and tearing without pause. The creature, resembling a giant leech, had multiple tentacles extending from its grotesque body, tightly restraining the monk in its grasp. He could neither struggle nor scream as the monster¡¯s gnashing teeth ripped into his abdomen. The only blessing¡ª Was that pain had long since abandoned him. All that remained was cold and fear. As death crawled over him, consuming him bite by bite, the monk summoned thest of his strength to turn his head. Through blurred vision, he saw a child. A young shaved-headed novice monk, peeking from behind the great Buddha statue. Tears streamed down the boy¡¯s terror-stricken eyes. The monk wanted to tell him to run¡ª But he could no longer speak. His intestines, liver, and stomach had already been devoured. He forced his lips to move, but only faint wheezing escaped. His world darkened, his vision shrinking¡ª Until only the novice monk¡¯s trembling eyes remained. He prayed. Not for nirvana, nor for his own salvation. But for the monster¡ª To be satiated enough to spare the boy. To overlook him. To move on without noticing. To let the child live. And as his sight plunged into total darkness, his sense of touch faded, and¡ª You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 155 With Cha Hyun-seung''s addition to the group, the pace of survivor rescues elerated significantly. Hundreds of beasts moved in perfect coordination, and each of them was far stronger than the average monster, making a huge difference in their operations. Excluding the retainers, only about 300 citizens were directly participating in the Seoul remation mission.@@novelbin@@ This was the result of strictly selecting only the top-tier forces¡ªthose who had reached at least level 30. The number of citizens who met this requirement was incredibly low. In total, only about 0.3% of the entire poption¡ªapproximately 1,700 people¡ªhad reached level 30. And among them, only the top 300 had been selected to take part in the rescue operation, highlighting just how dangerous Seoul truly was. ¡®Monsters over level 30 are asmon as pebbles on the street.¡¯ Some were even fully covered in iron armor, while others were immune to physical attacks, making them impervious to gunfire. One wrong move, and death was inevitable. Naturally, caution was necessary. Seo Ye-jin¡¯s mice were used to scout for nearby dangers and survivors, allowing them to set the safest possible route before proceeding. Yu Han-gil¡¯s irvoyance ability was deployed in real-time to identify threats, while Kim Jae-hyun coordinated the movements of his retainers ordingly. To prepare for emergency situations, they even relied on Shin Dong-hoon''s time distortion ability. Even if it onlysted a few seconds, the ability to turn back time proved incredibly effective in preventing fatal situations. Yet, despite these precautions, there were still casualties¡ªpeople suffering serious injuries or even dying in the field. This was why Cha Hyun-seung¡¯s beast army was nothing short of revolutionary. Not only were they all exceptionally high-level, but their diverse species and unique characteristics allowed for adaptive strategies in various situations. However, the most important factor was that Cha Hyun-seung was well-known in the area. When they found survivor groups, convincing them to leave their hideouts was always a difficult task. But with Cha Hyun-seung himself leading the rescue efforts, the situation changedpletely.
  • JHS (a cult-like group)
  • The military faction
  • Cha Hyun-seung¡¯s forces in Yongsan
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 156 "Sora-nim, was that really necessary?" Even as her closest aides questioned her, Jung Sora simply smiled calmly. "Can¡¯t you see what we¡¯ve gained in return?" "That is¡­" Her aides hesitated, taking a moment to nce around. The temporary shelter they had been assigned was overflowing with supplies. Instant rice, cup noodles, dried seaweed, Choco Pies¡ªthere was more than enough to sustain everyone present and then some. After being officially epted by Kim Jae-hyun, they had brought thousands as a vanguard, and tens of thousands more from their main faction. Yet despite that staggering number, ample provisions awaited them. But even more astonishing was the electricity and running water. Since the monster outbreak, power grids had long been destroyed, and the entire city had been without electricity for years. Normally, such a situation would only be possible in a building with emergency generators or through special abilities. Given the circumstances, thetter seemed far more likely. "It was all true." They had all heard the intelligence reports. Even Jung Sora and her closest aides had been briefed on what was happening in Busan.@@novelbin@@ But the reports had sounded too absurd, too impossible. They had dismissed them as exaggerations or the ramblings of people under mind control or hypnosis. "Ji-woong-ssi, is there anything wrong with our minds right now?" Park Ji-woong''s Awakening Ability allowed him to create illusions so tangible that they felt real. And as someone who manipted mental states, he possessed exceptionally high resistance to mind-based interference. That same Park Ji-woong firmly dered: "¡­There are no effects at all. Everything we¡¯re seeing and feeling is real." Jung Sora looked down at the paper cup of coffee in her hands. "We already confirmed that before, didn¡¯t we? None of our informants showed any signs of mental maniption. And most of them chose to bring their friends, family, and loved ones with them here." Taking a sip of coffee, she let her gaze drift across the humanitarian supplies, microwaves, and other conveniences scattered around them. She smiled bitterly. "This is just a temporary shelter. Yet even here, this level of preparation is possible. Compared to our faction, where everyone was slowly starving to death, the difference is like heaven and hell." "¡­¡­" One of the intelligence officers had used the exact same phrase before. The memory left the closest aides visibly shaken. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 157 Kim Min-woo followed behind Park Sung-hyun, feeling deeply uneasy. ¡®Konkuk University Station, huh.¡¯ Park Sung-hyun had dered that they were going to eliminate a viin who was using illusions to deceive people at that location.@@novelbin@@ ¡®This time, there¡¯s some truth to it¡­ but still.¡¯ Min-woo had heard firsthand ounts from people who had been there. The idea that one could travel to Busan through Konkuk University Station already seemed absurd, but the other stories were even harder to believe. They spoke of abundant food supplies, electricity, running water, gas, and even fully operational restaurants and caf¨¦s. ¡®That¡¯s impossible.¡¯ Something like that simply couldn¡¯t exist. Honestly, Park Sung-hyun¡¯s im¡ªthat someone was using illusions to manipte people for an unknown purpose¡ªseemed more usible. Even so, Min-woo couldn¡¯t fully trust what Park Sung-hyun said. ¡®The man¡¯s lied too many times before.¡¯ Like the boy who cried wolf. There had been several times when Park Sung-hyun had mobilized troops like this. The justification was always simr:
  • ¡°It¡¯s a den of rapists.¡±
  • ¡°They¡¯re cannibals who eat people.¡±
  • ¡°We¡¯re avenging ourrades.¡±
At first, Min-woo had believed everything and killed without hesitation. But recently, he had uncovered the truth about Park Sung-hyun and his leadership. He had overheard a conversation while trying to catch a rat. (So, where¡¯s the next human hunt happening?) (Hmm. We¡¯ve cleaned out this area, so we need to go farther out.) (Heh. I really prefer going on these little trips just with us. Boss, please save any pretty girls for me. Hehehe.) (Hey, those are mine.) (Tch. I told you before, don¡¯t talk to me, you disgusting cannibal. You make me sick.) (Hah. Don¡¯t you know the saying? ¡®A pretty meal is a good meal.¡¯) To think that every single member of the leadership¡ªexcept for him¡ªwas absolute trash. Park Sung-hyun and his officers were nothing but monsters in human skin. One was obsessed with rape, another was a deranged cannibal. And soon after, Min-woo realized the true reason why Park Sung-hyun regrly disappeared. It was for "human hunting." His trust in the man shattered instantly.
  • For stealing food from storage.
  • For speaking out against him.
  • For trying to escape the faction.
  • Kyaaaaak!
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 161 It took five full days for the ice that had nketed all of Seoul to melt to an eptable level. Despite the scorching summer weather, vast amounts of snow and ice still remained in shaded areas. Kang Buk-gu¡¯s leader, Lee Kanghyun. Right now, he was on his way to meet Kim Jaehyun. "I can¡¯t protect everyone with my strength alone." To be honest, he had been a little overconfident. He had sessfully hunted boss-tier monsters around Gangbuk-gu, establishing his own territory and securing a safe zone for tens of thousands of people. His strength had attractedpetent allies, and they were indeed highly capable. They had scavenged food from abandoned marts and houses, set up base camps near Jungnangcheon for clean water, and led the survivors with textbook survival tactics. But in the end, there was a limit. The global supply chain had copsed. Nothing new was being produced. A significant portion of stored food supplies had been buried under destroyed buildings. Even goblins had raided convenience stores, devouring whatever they could find. Survivors had been forced to resort to eating monster meat just to barely hold on. That was when Kim Jaehyun stepped in, providing crucial supplies. From that moment on, public opinion had started to shift. More than half of his leadership team had advocated for merging with Kim Jaehyun¡¯s group. Yet, Lee Kanghyun himself had insisted on caution. The only reason his people had respected that decision was because of the credibility and reputation he had built. "Maybe I should¡¯ve epted the offer back then. If I had..." At the very least... This tragedy wouldn¡¯t have happened. Twenty-six people had died. Most of them were the elderly and the young¡ªthose least capable of enduring the cold. "I was powerless." He had sensed it when the freezing storm was at its worst. That chilling sensation overhead, the monstrous presence lurking in the sky. "I couldn¡¯t do anything."@@novelbin@@ He had always prided himself on his ability to hunt monsters.
  • Material generation
  • Instant teleportation for his vassals
  • Summoning an army of hundreds of elemental spirits
  • Erecting a massive transparent barrier spanning 5km
  • Long-range telepathy
  • The sound of music drifting through the streets.
  • Clean roads, with cars moving in sync with traffic signals.
  • People, dressedfortably, walking down the streets.
  • 6 bowls of rice
  • 1 soybean paste stew
  • 2 spicy naengmyeon
  • 1 cold naengmyeon
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 163 It felt simr to the sensation I experienced whenever my territory expanded after leveling up. However, there was a subtle difference this time. Rather than my existing territory growing in size, it felt like new locations were being added to my domain. ¡®It¡¯s simr to when I use Descent.¡¯ Or like the feeling I got when establishing a forward base. Thankfully, there was no pain involved this time. ¡®Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye.¡¯@@novelbin@@ I focused on one of the newly created domains and activated Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. *** BANG! Squeaaaal¡ª! A thunderous gunshot rang out, followed by a prolonged, high-pitched squeal¡ªlike a pig being ughtered. It wasn¡¯t exactly a good sign. The target was a monster so resilient that even a .50 caliber anti-materiel sniper round to the body wasn¡¯t enough to kill it. Only a direct headshot could ensure a clean kill. Butnding a shot on a target¡¯s head from 1 kilometer away was far from easy. "Damn, close!" ck¡ª A man with a nk expression ejected the spent shell casing from his sniper rifle. "Stop making a fuss. You¡¯re messing up my concentration." "¡­Sorry." The man peered through his scope once more and pulled the trigger. BANG! This time, there was no follow-up squeal. The round had pierced straight through the target¡¯s skull. "Nice shot!" ck¡ª The sniper grumbled as he began clearing his weapon. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 164 A woman with a devastated expression sat copsed on the floor of the silent one-room apartment. The middle-aged woman, appearing to be in herte forties, clutched a nket that had been carelessly strewn across the floor and began to sob. ¡°Hic¡­ hic¡­¡± There were traces of the past left behind. A bed filled with stuffed animals. Aptop with an apple logo. Thick textbooks for her major. Clothes hanging on a rack. The cheerful and lively clothing hanging there made it clear that the owner of this one-room apartment had been a female college student. ¡°Hic¡­ Ji-yeon¡­¡± Everything in this room was a remnant of her daughter. A nket that hadn''t been washed for so long that it carried a stale scent. A bathroom left unattended, piled with filth. The filthy state of the room itself spoke volumes about how much she must have suffered, making it all the more painful.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Mom is sorry. I came toote¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.¡± On the mattressy the corpse of a young girl, long since decayed, its stench filling the room. A girl who had starved to death without ever managing to leave this ce. ¡°You must have been so lonely. You must have been terrified.¡± Hwang Eun-byeol gently caressed the rotted cheek of her daughter¡¯s corpse and continued speaking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She remained there, weeping for a long time. Then, someone entered the one-room apartment. ¡°Ms. Hwang Eun-byeol?¡± The man stood frozen for a moment, unable to speak upon seeing the grieving woman in front of her daughter¡¯s lifeless body. ¡°Mom is sorry.¡± Hearing her endlessly muttering the same words was enough to piece together what had happened. She repeated it as if she were a sinner, as if she could atone for her guilt by saying it over and over. The man approached her and spoke. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 165 ????~ ????~ Jung Sora slowly opened her eyes. Still groggy, she reached for her phone, which was ring an rm beside her pillow. After checking the time, she flopped back down onto the bed. ????~ Without even turning off the rm, she burrowed deeper into the nkets, a peaceful expression settling on her face as she drifted back to sleep. The rm, which had turned off on its own, red again after a set time. This time, she reached out without looking and expertly silenced it before pulling the nket over her head again. Ten minutester. ?????? It wasn¡¯t an rm this time. Her phone disyed a call from a contact saved as [Nagging Machine]. ¡°Hello.¡± [Sora-nim. It¡¯s time for you to wake up.] ¡°Just ten more minutes¡­¡± [No. Get up now.] His firm tone made it clear that there was no room for negotiation. Jung Sora sighed quietly before replying.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m up. Thanks for the wake-up call, Ji-woong.¡± Only then did she slowly sit up, stretching out her body. ¡°Hnngh¡ª Haah!¡± She rolled around on the soft nkets, loosening up her body before casually stripping off her clothes and heading to the bathroom. Sssshhhhhh She turned on the shower, checking the temperature with her toes before stepping under the warm water. ¡°Hmmm~?¡± A hum of contentment escaped her lips as water droplets trickled down her skin. Then¡ª The droplets shivered. They gathered into tiny, translucent figures, forming miniature water spirits that twirled around her, dancing in a graceful circle. While Sora focused on scrubbing her body with a shower ball, the spirits meticulously washed her long hair, applying shampoo, treatment, and conditioner in perfect sequence.
  • 3 Deputy Managers
  • 10 Assistant Managers
  • 30 Supervisors
  • 100 Employees
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 167 ¡®Spirit Master, huh.¡¯ So the unlocking condition was Sallion reaching level 10? Of course, just because the ss was unlocked didn¡¯t mean I had immediate ess to it. It might still require further research at the Job Research Lab before I could make use of it. Currently, my Job Research Lab was level 5. ¡®Good.¡¯ After checking, I found that Spirit Master research was already avable. That was because its research condition was level 5, just like Priest. [Would you like to begin researching the ss "Spirit Master"?] [Yes / No]@@novelbin@@ ¡®Start it.¡¯ Ding! [Spirit Master] ...Research in progress...
  • Time remaining: 39 hours 59 minutes 58 seconds
Right at that moment¡ª [Trowell¡¯s level has increased.] [The earth¡¯s power within your domain has increased by 100%.] Trowell had reached level 7. ¡®Elquines is level 9, Sylphid is level 8, and Trowell is level 7.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t sure how the Spirit Master advancement worked, but it seemed like a good idea to get all the Spirit Kings to level 10 if possible. While absorbing the World Tree¡¯s life force, the flickering fireball twitched and spoke to me. [...Why are you looking at me like that?] "Just wondering. Can you keep bringing them along like this?" [Of course. Just trust me.] "I¡¯ll count on you then." [H-hmph.] Sallion was surprisingly simple-minded, making him easy to handle. ¡®Most of my work here is done.¡¯
  • Quest: Visit the Job Research Lab and change ss to "Sharpshooter."
  • Time Limit: 168 hours
  • Reward: Small EXP, Firearm License, K-2 Assault Rifle
  • Failure Penalty: None
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 169 Heinrich¡¯s Law Also known as the so-called 1:29:300 rule, thisw serves as a warning against safety negligence. It suggests that before a single catastrophe urs, there are 300 warning signs and 29 minor idents. In other words, major idents do not happen by mere coincidence¡ªthey emerge as a result of repeated minor incidents. As I listened to Kim Da-bin¡¯s report, I let out a small sigh and spoke. "You''re saying this is already the 31st case like Kim Myung-hwan''s?" "Yes." There had already been more than 30 cases of individuals sustaining severe injuries after encountering monsters immune to firearms. Just as thew''s numbers suggested, when considering only cases where monsters were impervious to bullets, the total had already exceeded several hundred. This was a very ominous sign. As I wore a serious expression, the people gathered in the meeting room began to sense the tension. To ease the stiff atmosphere, I asked in the softest voice possible. "Why is that? If these dangerous monsters are near the safe zone, our retainers should be hunting them down every day." Kim Da-bin responded. "The only reason we haven''t had any fatalities is thanks to the efforts of our retainers. With the increasing number of people participating in the front lines, the frequency of idents has been decreasing, which is a meaningful trend." In other words, if not for the retainers, there would have already been casualties.@@novelbin@@ "¡­I don¡¯t understand. If these monsters were deemed a threat, they should have already been dealt with." Seo Ye-jin, who could conduct extensive searches using rodents, and Yoo Han-gil, who had irvoyance, had been working together to identify threats. The retainers then intercepted those threats, effectively sweeping through the Seoul area. On top of that, after the Ice Dragon''s appearance, even the weaker monsters had been wiped out, significantly reducing the overall danger level¡ªor so I thought. Even after that, I had instructed the retainers to patrol the zones and eliminate any remaining threats. Yet, it seemed that still wasn¡¯t enough. "It is suspected that the cause is the monster respawn phenomenon." You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 170 [The Job Research Institute haspleted research on the job "Spirit Summoner."] ¡®Finally.¡¯ The biggest issue at the moment was the existence of monsters immune to firearms. Most of the incidents and idents stemmed from these creatures. The Spirit Summoner was a job designed to counter such monsters. ¡®The problem is the job transfer difficulty.¡¯ Every job had its own job transfer quest. For example, to be a Priest, one had to achieve 100 Trust. ¡®Since the research conditions for Spirit Summoner were the same as Priest, requiring a level 5 Job Research Institute¡­ that means the difficulty should be simr, right?¡¯ Currently, fewer than ten people had managed to transfer to Priest. That was how difficult it was to reach Trust 100. ¡®The transfer condition for Spirit Summoner¡­ is a contract with a spirit?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t clear what exactly that entailed. The citizens¡¯ status windows didn¡¯t even have an entry like Spirit Affinity. ¡®I''ll understand once I initiate the transfer myself.¡¯ I had already chosen the first person to be a Spirit Summoner. [Jeong Sora, do you have time?] She was an odd one¡ªthe moment she joined, she immediately hit Loyalty 100 and Trust 100. In fact, thanks to Jeong Sora, I had been able to ept the Four Great Spirit Kings as familiars, and the Spirit Summoner job itself had been born. In a way, Jeong Sora was the original Spirit Summoner.@@novelbin@@ ¡®She even received the [Spirit Summoner] title when she became a retainer, so she should gain additional synergy with the job.¡¯ For many reasons, she was the perfect candidate. ¡°Yes! I have time!¡± Unlike the serious first impression she gave, Jeong Sora was actually quite lively and cheerful.
  • The wisp-like tiny mes were mostly ¡¸Lesser Fire Spirits (Lv. 8)¡¹.
  • The sparrow-sized ones were ¡¸Low-Tier Fire Spirits (Lv. 16)¡¹.
  • The huge firebird, towering over Jeong Sora, was ¡¸High-Tier Fire Spirit (Lv. 43)¡¹.
  • "Lesser Water Spirits (Lv. 7)"
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 172 The eight team leaders,posed of retainers, were strictly chosen based on their noble ranks. After all, to establish territories, a noble title was ultimately required. The higher the title, therger the territory one could establish, making it an inevitable decision. For this reason, most of the selected leaders were those who had been with me for a long time. The first to be chosen were Oh Eon-ju and Ha Dong-geon. Both had already experienced constructing territories, which gave them extra merit. Since enduring pain was necessary when forming a domain, it was only natural to entrust this responsibility to experienced individuals. Next, the ones chosen were Moon Byeong-ho, Kim Ga-young, Kim Geon, Kang Deok-soo, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Jang Seong-jun. These six individuals made up the rest. ¡®All of them hold the Viscount title.¡¯ It was unfortunate that Ha Dong-geon''s party had to be split up, but it was unavoidable. The noble title system ultimately depended on contribution points.@@novelbin@@ Typically, when someone with an awakened ability was appointed as a retainer, they would start with the Knight title. However, to advance to Viscount, a minimum of 110,000 points was required.
  • Baron required 10,000 points.
  • Viscount required 100,000 points.
The only group that possessed this level of contribution was Ha Dong-geon''s party. ¡®I would have preferred not to split them up¡­¡¯ But in order to establish safe zones across a wide area, this was the best possible decision. In the end, the finalized list was as follows:
  • Team 1 Leader: Oh Eon-ju
  • Team 2 Leader: Ha Dong-geon
  • Team 3 Leader: Moon Byeong-ho
  • Team 4 Leader: Kim Ga-young
  • Team 5 Leader: Kim Geon
  • Team 6 Leader: Kang Deok-soo
  • Team 7 Leader: Lee Joon-hyuk
  • Team 8 Leader: Jang Seong-jun
Each team consisted of ten members, totaling eighty retainers. Normally, I managed around thirty Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye channels at once. However, at this moment, I had only activated eight¡ªone per team. With that setup, I ryed instructions through the Ring of Communication. [As you all know, today''s main objective is reconnaissance.]
  • Team 1: Gwangju
  • Team 2: Daejeon
  • Team 3: Daegu
  • Team 4: Gangwon Province
  • Team 5: Incheon
  • Teams 6 to 8: Gyeonggi Province
The operation zones were assigned based on poption size and density. The first goal was to analyze the level of monsters appearing in each region. [Good luck.] You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 173 A high-level, rapidly reproducing, and queen-centered monster species. Aside from the Giant Wasp Colony, there had been two other candidates. But now, with only one slot remaining for a Subjugation Contract, a decision had to be made.@@novelbin@@ And there was one main reason why I chose the Giant Wasps over the others. ¡®With this, we might be able to secure mobility.¡¯ The difference before and after taming Kellikans had been massive. Thanks to their mobility, we had been able to im nuclear power nts across the country and establish forward bases. Without them, we wouldn''t have been able to push into Seoul so soon. However¡ª ¡®There¡¯s a limit to how many Kellikans I can tame using Subjugation Contracts.¡¯ Back when the number of retainers was still small, this hadn''t been an issue. But now, with 85 retainers, I couldn''t provide Kellikans for everyone. Even now, the teams assigned to Gyeonggi Province were forced to travel on foot. ¡®If we can use the wasps as mounts, not just the retainers but the entire hunting team could have mobility.¡¯ I had experimented with providing motorcycles and bicycles, but nothingpared to flying. ¡®For now...¡¯ I turned to the now-docile Queen Wasp and gave amand. [Do not attack humans.] At that moment¡ª A huge wave of pheromones radiated from the Queen. BZZZZZZZZZZ¡ª Immediately, the nearby wasps swarmed toward her like a storm cloud. Even with Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I couldn''t fully interpret the pheromonal signals, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess what was happening. Just moments ago, these wasps had viciously attacked my retainers. But now? They hadpletely stopped. ¡®Looks like mymand has taken effect.¡¯ So far, everything was going smoothly. However, the change only applied to wasps that had been near the Queen. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 175 Park Sae-rom immediately pressed the stop recording button the moment the stranger appeared. Then, she turned the phone''s screen light toward the direction of the voice. "Ugh?" The man flinched at the sudden light, but only for a brief moment. "You¡ªYou!" Seeing the smartphone in Park Sae-rom''s hand, the man panicked and lunged toward her. The sight of a man, farrger than herself, rushing at her in the darkness could have been straight out of a horror movie. But Park Sae-rom remained calm. "Hey, Bixby."@@novelbin@@ Gxy phones had a rather amusing feature. Ding¡ª? "Lumos." A famous spell from a well-known novel. sh! Just like that, the shlight turned on. "Argh!" A burst of light, far brighter than the phone screen, struck the man¡¯s eyes. Instinctively, he raised his arms to shield himself. And then. "¡­¡­!" He felt a chilling sensation at his neck and opened his eyes. "From now on, only answer what I ask." Even as cold sweat dripped down his back from Park Sae-rom¡¯s icy voice, the man still had something to say. "D-Destroy that phone! Right now¡ª!" "What?" "I-If you don¡¯t, everyone will die. Everyone will die!" Even though his life was on the line, the desperate look on the man''s face made Park Sae-rom hesitate. "Why do I need to destroy this phone?" she asked. "Break it, now! You have to¡ª!" The moment the man, flustered, reached out his hand, she hooked her foot around his leg and tripped him, pinning him downpletely. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 178 [It seems like this is the boundary of the Otherworld.] On the smartphone screen, there was nothing but pitch-ck darkness. A thick mist of darkness loomed over the area, making it look unmistakably dangerous at a nce. [¡­¡­Ahem. Where exactly is this?] Park Sae-rom looked around and found a sign that hadn¡¯t been swallowed by the dark mist. She took a picture of it. [It says Geumnam-ro! Is that Lotte Department Store over there?] With the inte down, that little bit of information wasn¡¯t enough to pinpoint the exact location. But that wasn¡¯t a problem. The boundary of this world had already been identified. ¡®A little over a 4km radius centered around Gwangju.¡¯ That was Team 1¡¯s achievement. Not only had they determined the extent of the Otherworld¡¯s influence, but they were also already in the process of constructing a forward base near the boundary. With ten retainers stationed there, construction efficiency had been boosted to 300%, so it wouldn¡¯t take too long. Park Sae-rom, who had been diligently recording footage of the nearby buildings, cautiously switched to selfie mode and spoke. [¡­¡­Should we try going inside that mist? That¡¯s what we¡¯re supposed to do, right?] Then, the video ended. After reviewing the entire footage, I immediately pressed the record button and gave a brief instruction. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Now, just meet up with Song Tae-young¡¯s survivors and wait for the rescue.¡± There was no longer any reason to take unnecessary risks, now that the boundary of the Otherworld had been identified from the outside. But there was one thing I was curious about.@@novelbin@@ ¡°Can you answer this quickly? How many hours has it been since you arrived there, Sae-rom? Please reply as soon as possible.¡± With those final words, I stopped the recording and stored the phone in my inventory. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 179 "I can leave the Absolute Dweller¡¯s domain." I had already suspected it when I first created the Avatar, but confirming it for myself like this was a different experience entirely.@@novelbin@@ ¡®I really can step outside.¡¯ When I turned around, I could faintly sense the existence of a transparent barrier. ¡®Faintly?¡¯ It was only then that I realized something important. ¡®The connection to my main body has weakened.¡¯ Before stepping outside the domain, my consciousness had been fully shared with my main body. Even though the Avatar was a separate form, I had still been receiving real-time visuals from my Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. There had been no need for spoken wordsmunication had been seamless. But now, I couldn¡¯t feel the presence of my main body¡¯s consciousness at all. ¡®Inventory.¡¯ Ding! It was empty, but at least it was functioning properly. ¡®Marketce.¡¯ Same result. It looked slightly different from what the administrator¡ªthat is, my main body¡ªwould see, but it was identical to what an ordinary citizen would see. It seemed that I was subject to the same buffs as regr citizens. ¡®Then how does something like the Power of Trust apply?¡¯ Even when looking at my own status window through my main body¡¯s Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, there had been no indicators for trust or loyalty. ¡®Loyalty aside, I wouldn¡¯t even be confident about a trust level of 100.¡¯ Believing in oneself with absolute certainty wasn¡¯t exactly easy. And pledging undying loyalty to myself? That was nonsense. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 180 ¡®Should I consider this fortunate?¡¯ The moment my Avatar entered the Otherworld, I lost ess to Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye and Telepathy, just like Park Sae-rom. However, when I closed my eyes and focused, I could still receive all the sensory information from my Avatar. That meant I could gather intel without the hassle of recording it on a smartphone. But I had no way to intervene. ¡®So the Shadow Castle was actually a monster.¡¯ A massive shadow monster¡ªthat was the true form of what we had assumed was a castle. Without Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, I couldn¡¯t determine its exact level, but there was no way it was low. ¡®Still, I suppose this is fortunate. It¡¯s not moving.¡¯ I concentrated on my Avatar¡¯s senses, trying to gather more information, but aside from the fact that it was a living being, there wasn¡¯t much to learn. ¡®No matter how I look at it, it seems like the only way to escape the Otherworld is to kill that thing¡­¡¯ But defeating it with just my Avatar seemed impossible. ¡®Do I have no choice but to wait for the domain to bepleted?¡¯ Even as I pondered, Thousand-Mile Vision was constantly feeding me more information. The Otherworld wasn¡¯t only popted by shadow creatures. There were orcs, goblins, and various other monsters living inside as well. However, their fate was no different from that of humans. In front of the shadow monsters, both monsters and humans were nothing more than prey. ¡®The time difference makes everything look like slow motion.¡¯ Since reality moved five times faster, the visual dataing from my Avatar felt like a scene with special effects. I watched as an orc embedded a battle axe into a shadow monster, only for the shadow monster¡¯s body to explode, instantly killing the orc. ¡®That explosion is the real problem.¡¯ Eventually, Thousand-Mile Vision reached the outer edges of the Otherworld, where a thick ck mist spread. The mist-covered area wasrger than I expected, but inside, it waspletely empty.@@novelbin@@ ¡®The survivor group¡­ Were they thest ones?¡¯ It seemed like Song Tae-young¡¯s group, whom Park Sae-rom had encountered, were thest survivors. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 182 ¡®Fortunately, summoning retainers still works.¡¯ I summoned only the three who had been on standby: Lee Joon-hyuk, Jang Seong-jun, and Jeong Sora. And immediately¡ª ¡®Enhancement.¡¯ I used Enhancement to reinforce their bodies.@@novelbin@@ A sinister ck mist nketed the area outside the domain, thick and ominous. As soon as the three of them, now wrapped in ck energy, joined the front lines, the situation barely bnced out. Had I been even a littlete, the shadow creatures¡¯ attacks would have reached the transparent barrier. ¡®Good. Just in time.¡¯ Though Jeong Sora had summoned fewer elementals than I had, her spirits exhibited far greater influence thanks to her new Spirit Master ss buff. What stood out the most was the high-tier fire spirit she had personally contracted after bing a Spirit Master¡ª Ryan meheart. Whoosh¡ª Every time his ming sword swung, dozens of shadow creatures were cut down. BOOOOOOM¡ª! He was essentially doing the work of dozens of regr spirits alone. ¡®And he¡¯s doing it outside the domain.¡¯ Currently, my spirits were positioned inside the domain, forming a battlefront. As the domain expanded, it gradually pushed forward, clearing away the dark mist that nketed the Outer Edge of the Inner World. The scene was one of light driving out darkness, with the spirits firmly anchored within the domain¡¯s glow. The reason was simple. ¡®They need to stay inside to receive the buff.¡¯ The Spirit Kings I had contracted had gained a level-up buff, enhancing the strength of all spirits by up to tenfold. And yet, despite this massive boost, Ryan meheart, who fought outside the domain, still outperformed them all. A level 51 spirit should not have been able to exhibit this level ofbat ability. ¡®The Spirit Master buff is really insane.¡¯ You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 183 ¡®The other shadow creatures didn¡¯t provide experience or settlement rewards upon defeat.¡¯ Normally, when using Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye, even ordinary humans, monsters, and animals like cats and dogs disyed a level. The only exception, when levels didn¡¯t appear, was for summoned entities, like the Iron Knights controlled by Kang Deok-soo. Creatures brought into existence through an awakening ability had no disyed level. ¡®That means all of these shadow creatures¡­¡¯ They must have been summoned by that monster¡¯s ability. That exined why they provided no experience or rewards. ¡®Level 71, huh.¡¯ Excluding the Ice Dragon, this was the highest-leveled monster I had encountered so far. ¡®But¡­ its actual strength doesn¡¯t feel that overwhelming.¡¯ Right now, my avatar was fighting it alone. If the Shadow Master truly possessed the full power of a level-71 creature, there was no way my avatar could handle it alone. Even with my retainers taking care of everything else, allowing the avatar to focus all its strength, the level gap was absurd. The avatar was only level 50. Even with the Avatar title buff, which increased all stats tenfold, there was still toorge a difference. Sure, my avatar was exceptionally strong for its level. But the monster was also exceptionally weak for its level. ¡®It¡¯s probably abined level, factoring in all the shadow creatures it controls. And¡­¡¯ I used Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye to observe the battle more closely. The avatar¡¯s entire body was d in a dark blue aura, forming a suit of armor¡ªa fusion of Aura Protection and ck energy. Normally, merging awakened abilities with enhancement skills resulted in a synergy boost. But for the avatar, the efficiency was on an entirely different level. Using Teleport, the avatar suddenly reappeared right in front of the Shadow Master. And struck forward with its fist. At the same time, the dark blue energy that had been spread across its body concentrated entirely into its fist.@@novelbin@@ And then¡ª FLASH¡ª A burst of ck holy radiance exploded, and in an instant¡ª The avatar¡¯s fist pierced through the Shadow Master¡¯s head. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 184 The three skill points I obtained in exchange for the experience and settlement money from a level 71 monster. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ Since it was the highest-level monster I had encountered so far, the experience must have been immense. But I didn¡¯t feel even the slightest regret. What was the reason for leveling up in the first ce? Of course, the expansion of my Household Domain that came with leveling up was meaningful. But more than that, it was to acquire skill points. Currently, the skill level of Household Promation stood at 40. My skill level was on apletely different scalepared to that of my retainers and citizens. If I had the same leveling system as them, I would have reached at least level 60 by now. Except for some citizens, I had set the experience distribution rate to 0%, meaning that most of the experience they gained from hunting monsters flowed directly to me. I was receiving far more experience than even the general citizens who received base sries. Over 500,000 citizens were hunting monsters in real-time, constantly supplying me with experience. Considering this situation, the fact that Household Promation was at level 40 was because its level waspletely separate from the levels of humans and monsters that I could observe through Absolute Dweller¡¯s Eye. ¡®And to raise this level, I need an astronomical amount of experience.¡¯ Taking all of that into ount, even if I hunted Shadow Master... ¡®Even if I had received the full experience, would I have gained three levels?¡¯@@novelbin@@ It was highly likely that I wouldn¡¯t have reached level 45, the threshold required to obtain a skill point. Yet, just from one hunt by my Avatar, I had obtained three skill points. ¡®This is amazing.¡¯ And then, the settlement money. Since Shadow Master had been level 71, I must have earned at least trillions in one go. ¡®But at this point, money isn¡¯t urgent.¡¯ Now, the ie my citizens generated was more than enough. Given enough time, I would have no problem maxing out the levels of all my retainers to level 60 and still have excess funds. In other words, my Avatar, which converted experience and settlement money into skill points, was no different from a golden gooseying eggs. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 185 After defeating Shadow Master and erasing the Reverse World, everything progressed swiftly.@@novelbin@@ The Earl¡¯s Domain on the outskirts of Gwangju was sessfullypleted without issue, bing the stronghold for the Jeonnam region, absorbing arge number of survivors from Naju and Damyang. In Daegu, where Team 3 was stationed, a Viscount¡¯s Domain spanning 3km in radius waspleted, securing a safe zone. Meanwhile, in Gangwon Province, ten forward bases were established in Chuncheon, Hongcheon, Hoengseong, Pyeongchang, Yeongwol, Gangneung, Yangyang, Sokcho, Goseong, and Inje, allowing for the reception of survivors. However, after relocating all citizens from Gangwon to Seoul, most of these forward bases were abandoned. Theck of a significant survivor poption made it unnecessary to establish domains. The total number of people rescued throughout Gangwon Province was less than 10,000. ¡®The environment was just too harsh.¡¯ Unlike major cities, resources were extremely scarce, and the mountains were crawling with monsters. Only factions strong enough to resist the monsters descending into cities in search of prey had managed to survive. Thus, the Gangwon campaign was concluded by simply establishing forward bases in key areas and quickly absorbing survivors. At this point, with every retainer being a valuable asset, it wasn¡¯t worth the manpower loss to keep ten people stationed just to maintain forward bases¡ªso I decisively abandoned them. Instead, this freed up more forces to reinforce other regions. ¡®The Daejeon campaign is progressing smoothly, too.¡¯ Daejeon, which was overrun with monsters, was handled with overwhelming numbers. Cha Hyeon-seung¡¯s beast army and Jung So-ra¡¯s spirit army spearheaded the operation, with a total of 39 retainers deployed, alongside the hunting teams that had previously been part of the Seoul remation operation. Unlike in Seoul, where the high average monster level had made things tense for the hunting teams, in Daejeon, where the strongest threats were mere goblin swarms, theypletely dominated. ¡®The job effects yed a major role, too.¡¯ The Sharpshooters, who received buffs to all ranged attacks, were nothing short of nightmares for the goblins.
  • Jung So-ra was sent to her apartment in Seoul.
  • Those with homes in Busan were teleported to Busan.
  • Cha Hyeon-seung and his beast army were moved to Yongsan via North Gate.
  • One point into Household Restoration
  • One point into Absolute Dweller¡¯s Vault
  • Thest one was reserved for Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop, since I was nearing the slot limit.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 186 Hunting Team 31. A squad of nine members, they had participated in both the Seoul Remation Operation and the Daejeon Domain Construction Operation. While they hadn¡¯t made any notable contributions during the Seoul campaign, they had distinguished themselves in Daejeon, earning personal recognition from Kim Jae-hyun. Moreover, Kim Jae-hyun himself had promised generous rewards. Now, all nine members were in celebratory spirits, downing drinks in a festival-like atmosphere, all because of that reward. "Cheers!" Gulp, gulp, gulp¡ª A man who had just downed a frosty mug of draft beer in one go let out an exaggerated gasp before speaking. "Hahhh¡ª! So, this means that¡¯s really our home now, huh?" "This is insane! Absolutely nuts!" The reward they had received was two apartment units in the sameplex where Kim Jae-hyun lived. Of course, they had been promised additional financial and administrative benefits, but to them, the most valuable reward was their new homes.@@novelbin@@ At that moment, a woman whose face had already turned beet red from drinking suddenly stood up and shouted. "You bastards, I told you I¡¯d prove myself this time!" "Team Leader! Three cheers!" "Wooooo!" The team members all joined in, chanting her name. "Kim Hye-na! Kim Hye-na! Kim Hye-na!" It was basically chaos, but no oneined. After all, the entire bar was in a simr state. Kim Jae-hyun had rented out the entire establishment, hosting a massive celebration for the hunting teams that had contributed to the Daejeon Domain Construction. At that moment, a man sipping his drink from the side murmured to himself. "¡­Is it really that great?"
  • Kim Myeong-hwan had switched to Marksman, overwhelming the goblins with his firepower.
  • Kim Hye-na, now a Spirit Caster, had shielded the barrier multiple times using her contracted Earth Spirit.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 187 "Ah." Waking from her dream, Kim Hye-na instantly recalled the series of drunken disasters she had causedst night.
  • Leaning on Kim Myeong-hwan¡¯s shoulder under the pretense of being tipsy.
  • Clinging to him, whining that he should stay with her.
  • Ending up piggybacked all the way to his house.
  • And finally, meeting his mother¡ªwhile stillpletely wasted.
Realizing howpletely ruined her first impression was, Kim Hye-na buried her face into the pillow in pure agony. "Aaaarrghhh!" If only she had forgotten everything, it might have been a small mercy. But unfortunately, no matter how much she drank, she always remembered everything in painstaking detail. She knew that Kim Myeong-hwan lived with his mother. But she had assumed that his mom wouldn¡¯t be home that night. I mean, seriously¡ª Who would expect their mom to be there when a guy brings a drunk girl home? "Of all the ways to meet my future mother-inw¡­" Thinking about how utterly trashed her image must be, she let out a deep sigh. "Haaa¡­" There was only one person to me¡ª Her drunk self. "If I drink again, I swear I¡¯ll change myst name." It wasn¡¯t like she had always been a heavy drinker. Back then, just three shots of soju would knock her out cold. But ever since her level had increased, things had changed. Now, even if she practically funneled an entire bottle of soju straight into her stomach, she wouldn¡¯t pass out. She¡¯d just get a little tipsy, feel good, and have fun. Not only that¡ªshe never got hangovers. In a way, she had unlocked the true joy of drinking. "You idiot. You absolute moron¡­" Still half-buried in her nkets, she kicked her legs in frustration before instinctively reaching into her inventory and pulling out her phone. Although themunity forums had only recently been established, their influence had grown massively¡ª Because they were now the only way to ess the inte.@@novelbin@@ Naturally, she clicked into the ¡®Kim Ga-young Gallery¡¯, where she immediately noticed a new post¡ª¡®Today¡¯s Ga-young Noona¡¯. "Whoa, jackpot."
  • Why did he bring her home, knowing his mom was there?
  • Did he just see her as a little sister?
  • That¡­ would be kind of disappointing.
  • Survivors sharing their experiences of being rescued by her.
  • Clips of her using Light Arrows to hunt monsters.
  • Discussions about herbat style, personality, and even her fashion choices.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 188 Before the full-scale monster apocalypse broke out, South Korea was already a country at war. To be precise, it was a nation in a truce¡ªa state of temporary cessation of hostilities. However, since a truce is not the same as an official end to war, there were still real military shes, such as the Cheonan warship incident and the Yeonpyeong Ind bombardment. That was why. Right now, before my eyes, stood a tank painted in the distinctive camouge pattern of the Ministry of National Defense. It¡¯s been a while. A K-9 self-propelled howitzer. When fully loaded, it weighed close to 47 tons¡ªone of the South Korean Army¡¯s main artillery pieces. Having served in the artillery during my time in the military, I had seen it a few times in person. Of course, I was part of the 155mm artillery unit that used weapons from the Korean War era, but I had once watched a K-9 in action from afar during a live-fire exercise. I never thought I¡¯d see one again. Even though I hadpleted my full-term service in the artillery, I had never seen a self-propelled howitzer outside of my active duty period.@@novelbin@@ After all, my reservist training was in Busan, which was in the deep rear, far from the front lines where weapons like these were stationed. Even during reserve training, self-propelled howitzers were nowhere to be found. I had thought I would never see one again in my lifetime. Yet here I am, looking at it once more. With the expansion of the Absolute Territory into Seoul¡¯s satellite regions, it became possible to absorb the mechanized infantry division¡¯s firepower stationed in Gyeonggi Province. And it wasn¡¯t just the K-9.
  • Allows purchasing of registered items at their set price.
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 189 K-2 rifle and M16. These were the firearms mostmonly used by civilians. Perhaps because they had personally trained with them during their military service, those in their 20s and early 30s tended to prefer the K-2, while those in theirte 30s and older leaned toward the M16. These were also the standard rental weapons provided for instant dungeon raids, and over time, they had be the default choices for most survivors. Personally, I preferred the K-2. It was the rifle I had used during my active-duty service, and its performance was nearly identical to the M16, but at a price of 650,000 won, it was half the cost of an M16. Purchase. That was why the first test subject for enhancement was the K-2. Bzzzt¡ª After inspecting the rifle¡¯s condition, I immediately started the enhancement process. A new enhancement slot had appeared in the Absolute Dweller¡¯s Shop, and all I had to do was ce the weapon inside and press the Enhance button. As soon as I selected the K-2 for enhancement, the rifle vanished from my hands, and its image appeared inside the enhancement slot. Beneath it, the cost and sess rate were disyed.@@novelbin@@ The enhancement cost was exactly 650,000 won¡ªthe same price as the K-2 rifle itself. So discounts don¡¯t apply here? Normally, thanks to my Absolute Shop skill upgrades, all store prices were automatically discounted by 30%, meaning I could usually buy the K-2 for 455,000 won. But when it came to enhancements, the system used the full base price. So the more expensive the item, the higher the enhancement cost? I usually avoided wasting money unnecessarily, but 650,000 won was nothing to me now, so I pressed the Enhance button without hesitation. [K-2 Rifle Enhancement: Proceed?] [Yes / No] The first enhancement had a 100% sess rate.
  • Cooldown: 300 seconds
  • [Extended Magazine] ¡ú Increased ammo capacity
  • [Steady Aim] ¡ú Temporarily maximized uracy
  • Durability Increase
  • Pration Increase
  • Dynamic Vision Boost
  • Cooldown: 600 seconds
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 190 Moon Byeong-ho and Kim Geon were soaring across the skies over the northernmost frontlines of Pocheon and Cheorwon, carrying out a special mission assigned to them by Kim Jae-hyun. From atop a crow¡¯s back, Moon Byeong-ho scanned the ground below and asked, "What¡¯s that ce?" "¡­Just a regr vige." Their mission was to secure ammunition from military bases. Of course, if the goal was purely to stockpile ammunition, it would have been far more efficient to search rear-echelon storage depots instead of the front lines, but that task had already been assigned to others. Even locating military bases was not as easy as it seemed. Despite being on the frontlines, these areas were still inhabited, with farms, viges, and settlements scattered throughout. "I never thought so many people would still be living in the front line regions." "¡­Yeah, same here." It turned out that simply flying over thendscape wasn¡¯t enough to pinpoint military bases. Both of them had served in rear-area units, meaning they had little to no knowledge of the front-line military instations. But¡ª "¡­Found one." That didn¡¯t mean it was impossible. The distinctive barracks, the wide parade ground, and the military vehicles camouged in the so-called ''frog pattern''¡ªall of these uniquely military features made it easy to identify a base. For Kim Geon, who possessed superhuman eyesight, recognizing these details from the sky was second nature. However¡ª "¡­Looks like another dud."@@novelbin@@ There was one consistent issue they kept encountering at every base. At the center of each military basey a massive crater. From the air, it looked as if a meteorite had struck, making it easy to spot from a distance. Which likely meant¡ª "Another explosion?" It was highly probable that those sites had once been ammunition depots. The traces of a massive detonation were clear. If an ammunition storage facility suffered a major impact, it would result in exactly this kind of destruction. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 191 Kim Geon led his flock of crows northward. He didn¡¯t have to go far¡ªas soon as he entered the DMZ, he saw the vanguard of what Ri Seong-ho had called the Undead Legion. ¡®Now I understand why he used that term.¡¯ The creatures in the horde were incredibly diverse. There were human-shaped zombies, but also orcs, goblins, and even wild animals like deer and rabbits, all turned into undead monstrosities. Some of them appeared physically intact, with no obvious signs of wounds or decay. However, Kim Geon was certain they belonged to the Undead Legion. The reason was simple¡ªthey reacted violently to his crows. "Kyaaaaak!" The moment they sensed him, they let out an ear-piercing shriek and charged toward the sky. Seeing them react so aggressively, it was clear that Ri Seong-ho had been telling the truth. ¡°Jae-hyun-nim, are you there?¡± [Yes.] ¡°It appears those things can detect living beings, just as the defector imed.¡± [It does seem that way.] After a brief pause, Kim Jae-hyun gave him an instruction. [Can you gradually increase your altitude?]@@novelbin@@ ¡°Understood.¡± Kim Geon had been flying low, about 30 meters above the ground, to observe their reaction. Now, he gradually ascended. At around 150 meters, the aggression of the undead significantly decreased. However, not all of them stopped reacting. About one in ten still turned their heads toward the sky and let out shrieks, as if sensing something. From the way they suddenly reacted as he passed overhead, it was clear that they weren¡¯t detecting him through sight or sound¡ªthey were reacting to the presence of life itself. Moreover, when one of them sensed him and shrieked, the nearby undead would synchronize, all turning their aggression toward the sky. [The response to living beings seems to vary between individuals.] ¡°Should I go higher?¡± You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 193 After the inspection wasplete, I ryed the current situation and operation details to eachmander, then personally transported them to their assignedbat zones. I deployed Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie artillery batteries to the outposts closest to the frontlines and ced them on standby. There was still time before the main force of the Corrupted Corpses, which were advancing in tight formations, entered our firing range. ¡®The problem is the vanguard.¡¯ ording to Kim Geon¡¯s reconnaissance, the barbed-wire fences at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) were holding them back for now. However, barbed wire alone wasn¡¯t enough topletely halt their advance. In fact, some corpses had already breached the barriers. The first breach urred in Paju, but I wasn¡¯t worried about that area. I had stationed Lee Joon-hyuk at Imjin River. With his Control Water ability, Lee Joon-hyuk was the most dominant force among all my retainers when surrounded by water. He was one of the few fighters I had trained up to Level 60, and even when I first met him, hisbat sense was unmatched. And now¡ª Swoooosh¡ª The rainy season had begun, and heavy rain was pouring across the entire country. With the Imjin River swelling and downpours falling from the sky, It was the perfect battlefield for Lee Joon-hyuk. In real-time¡ª [You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 31).] [You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 29).] [You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 26).] ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ He was dominating the battlefield.@@novelbin@@ Three massive water dragons rampaged through the enemy ranks, ughtering the Corrupted Corpses. And these weren¡¯t summoned water spirits¡ªthey were fully controlled by Lee Joon-hyuk himself. ¡®If he contracts with a water spirit, his power would skyrocket¡­¡¯ Even during our battles in the Otherworld, his synergy with Elquines had been exceptional. And yet, I had never pushed him toward a Spirit Master ss. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 194 The 10 K-9 howitzers, linked by [Barrage], equally shared the +10 enhancement effects. ? Maximum range increased by 30 km. ? Projectile velocity and power significantly boosted. With these enhancements applied directly to the propent charges, the shells flew faster and harder, cutting through the air like unstoppable meteors. A formation of 10 high-explosive shells surged toward the north in perfect synchronization. And then¡ª Vwooom¡ª At 2 kilometers, the first split urred. It was the effect of [Multiplying Shells]. The 10 shells instantly became 20, each maintaining an equal trajectory, ensuring a wide-area bombardment. Not long after, at 4 kilometers, the skill activated again. From the original shells, yet another set split apart. Now, there were 30 shells in the air. And as they continued their relentless flight, the same process repeated every 2 kilometers. This cycle continued until the shells passed 40 kilometers. By then¡ª 200 shells were raining down at terminal velocity. Each 40kg steel shell was now hurtling toward the ground with terrifying force. And their destination¡ª ¡ªGwoooohhh¡­ The main force of the Corrupted Corpse army, packed tightly in dense formations. Not a single one of them even reacted to the iing barrage. After all¡ª None of them possessed the cognitive ability to perceive high-speed projectiles traveling over 1km per second. And then¡ª BOOOOOOM!!@@novelbin@@ The 200 shells, perfectly synchronized by [Barrage] and [Multiplying Shells], struck the ground simultaneously. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 195 The capital city of Heilongjiang Province, a sub-provincial city¡ªHarbin. Before the monsters appeared, it was a megacity with nearly 10 million inhabitants. Yet, by the time monsters emerged worldwide, Harbin¡¯s living poption had already dropped to zero. The reason? On that fateful day, a single entity descended upon Harbin. A being that rejected death, trampled over life, and ascended to divinity. Its arrival turned a city of 10 million into a legion of 10 million undead. Thus, unlike most ruined cities, Harbin bore few signs of destruction. Instead, the entire metropolis had fallen into a foreboding silence. It was neither alive nor dead. The city mirrored its master. At its center¡ª Rattle. The sound of bones shifting echoed through the still air. A bodyposed entirely of white bone. Hollow, empty eye sockets. Though it looked fragile at first nce, the skeletal figure emanated an air of indifference. Its empty gaze was fixed¡ªtoward the south. It felt it. A massive surge of power pulsing from the south. Simultaneously, it sensed the shattering of countless entities, the very ones that had been feeding it life force. ¡­¡­ It stood motionless, its gaze locked in ce. Then¡ª@@novelbin@@ Swoooooosh¡ª! A sinister aura swirled around it, and three figures emerged. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 196 {Retainer Party System} A maximum of five members could be bound together around a retainer, forming a single party. The party would share experience points and settlement funds, and all members would benefit from the title-based experience and settlement fund amplification effects granted by the retainer. Simply put, it was a type of party system. ¡®Sharing experience points and settlement fund amplification effects, huh?¡¯ In other words, even regr civilians, just by being part of a retainer party, would gain up to 900% of the experience points and settlement funds. ¡®That¡¯s insane.¡¯ It just so happened that the personnel onboard each K-9 self-propelled howitzer were exactly divided into groups of five.@@novelbin@@ From a conventional standpoint, the logical choice would be to distribute them among the artillery units and merge them into a single entity¡ª ¡®But that would be meaningless.¡¯ Why had I chosen to ept non-awakened artillerymen as retainers in the first ce? ¡®To maximize the experience and settlement funds being generated at this very moment.¡¯ It would have been impractical to pull back the awakened retainers fighting near the ceasefire line just to reassign them to the howitzers. Besides, I had already assessed the resolve of the soldiers during the formation review. Even so, epting non-awakened individuals as full-fledged retainers was still inefficient. So, how could I minimize losses while maximizing the benefits? ¡®Just recruit all those responsible for pressing the fire buttons into the retainer party.¡¯ There was no need to officially register them as retainers¡ªsimply including them in a retainer party would suffice. Apparently, retainers could form their own parties, but since I had the authority, I could forcibly bind them together. ¡®Bind.¡¯ The moment I epted all artillerymen in charge of pressing the fire buttons into the retainer party, the profit margin skyrocketed. ¡®About 700 billion per minute.¡¯
  • Current Bnce: 103,298,090,221,887 KRW
You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) Chapter 197 Impact Burst. It was a technique personally named by the Avatar.@@novelbin@@ By fusing ck energy with protective qi, the Avatar couldpress it to its limit within their fist before unleashing a devastating explosion. It was an incredibly powerful technique, but its wide area of effect meant that its potency was diluted. And because of that¡ª Some of the skeleton knights had managed to survive. tter¡ª Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t because they were tough enough to withstand Impact Burst. To be precise¡ª ¡°What the hell is that guy?¡± The ones who survived had been positioned behind the Death Knight, who had blocked the Impact Burst head-on with his sword. [ording to the Absolute Ruler¡¯s Eye, it¡¯sbeled as a Death Knight.] ¡°¡­The kind I¡¯m thinking of?¡± Having read countless web novels, I didn¡¯t need an exnation. [Probably.] ¡°So you¡¯re saying this whole mess is because of that guy?¡± [Not exactly. It¡¯s just a Level 50 monster.] ¡°Just Level 50?¡± The Avatar activated irvoyance, scanning the Death Knight in detail. His longsword was wreathed in a sinister violet aura. ¡°...That¡¯s some serious energy for something with a low level.¡± [I agree.] The violet aura surging from the Death Knight¡¯s sword¡ª It carried divine essence. Just as I was studying him closely, the Death Knight suddenly kicked off the ground, charging toward the Avatar at full speed. You didn''t buy this chapter Buy Now (5 coupons) The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!