Absolute Dweller-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 Plant.

‘There it is.’

As the territory expanded, it quickly engulfed the apartment complex.

At the same time, I noticed that the monsters entering the territory froze in place.

[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 monetary rewards.

However—

‘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 apartment complex, including the Ratmen I was targeting, was restrained without being killed.

Meanwhile, monsters in other parts of the newly expanded territory—those I wasn’t focusing on—met their usual fate.

[Hostile entities detected within the Absolute Dweller’s domain.]

[Eliminating threats.]

In an instant, they were obliterated, converted into experience points and monetary rewards.

The Kellicans nesting in the same apartment complex as the Ratmen were spared, thanks to my restraint.

[Entities meeting the conditions for citizenship detected.]

[Would you like to grant citizenship?]

After completing 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.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I’m fine now."

As she wiped my sweat with her sleeve, I turned to her.

“Ye-jin.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s move immediately.”

There was no longer any need to send her out with my father as an escort.

East Gate Opened.

The East Gate connected directly to the basement parking lot of the apartment complex.

“Let’s go.”

Taking Seo Ye-jin’s hand, I stepped into the East Gate.

While the Absolute Dweller’s Eye allowed me to see my surroundings clearly, Seo Ye-jin could only see what the light spilling from the East Gate illuminated.

Flash—

Using the Majestic Dignity skill, I restored power to the parking lot’s facilities, illuminating the semi-destroyed basement parking lot in stark detail.

And then—

“Oppa, what is this...?”

The parking lot was filled with rats—no, Ratmen.

Dozens, maybe hundreds of Ratmen stood frozen in place, as if they’d been petrified.

“What do you think? Can you tame them?”

Seo Ye-jin scanned the immobilized Ratmen nervously.

At that moment:

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s trust has increased.]

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s loyalty has increased.]

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s loyalty has reached 100.]

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin is already registered as a retainer.]

[The retainer limit has increased.]

‘Huh?’

Seo Ye-jin’s loyalty, which had been stuck at 99 for a long time, finally reached 100.

It seemed that our growing bond, strengthened by shared experiences, had broken through the stagnation.

Swallowing nervously, Seo Ye-jin said, “I’ll... I’ll give it a try.”

She cautiously approached the nearest Ratman and pulled something small and square from her pocket.

It was a tiny cube of cheese.

As soon as she unwrapped the cheese, the immobilized Ratman reacted. Though its body remained frozen, its eyes rolled toward the cheese in Seo Ye-jin’s hand.

Feeling unsure, Seo Ye-jin glanced at me and spoke cautiously.

“Oppa, could you... um... let this one move?”

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

After studying the Ratman’s reaction for a moment, she nodded.

“I think it’ll be fine.”

“...But why have you suddenly started speaking so formally?”

“I-I have?”

“Even now. Listen to yourself.”

When I pressed her, Seo Ye-jin darted her eyes around nervously before mumbling in a small voice.

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“It’s just... seeing all this makes you feel a bit unfamiliar, oppa...”

“Just talk comfortably, like usual.”

“...Okay, I mean... yeah.”

“Alright. Ready?”

“...Yeah.”

I turned my attention to the Ratman frozen in front of her.

「Ratman (Lv. 17)」

It didn’t emanate any hostility or threatening energy.

From the moment Seo Ye-jin encountered it, it had seemed subdued, almost submissive.

Though I doubted there would be any issues, I summoned an invisible hand as a precaution and carefully released the Ratman from its restrained state.

Then—

“Eek!”

Freed from its restraints, the Ratman immediately bit Seo Ye-jin’s hand.

I prepared to crush the Ratman’s head with the invisible hand, but—

“Oppa! I’m fine! Please wait!”

Seo Ye-jin urgently stopped me, her voice panicked as she saw the sharp look in my eyes.

I asked, “Are you hurt? Is your hand okay?”

“I’m fine! I was just startled.”

Though shaken, Seo Ye-jin gently patted the Ratman’s head with her free hand as it chewed on her other hand.

“There, there. Good boy. Good boy.”

A faint glow radiated from Seo Ye-jin’s hand as she stroked the Ratman’s head.

At the same time—

“From now on, your name is Alpha-1. Got it?”

「Tamed Ratman (Lv. 20)」

The Ratman’s description and level changed as it appeared in the Absolute Dweller’s Eye.

‘Its level went up by three!’

Seo Ye-jin closed her eyes, seemingly trying to establish a deeper connection with the newly tamed Ratman.

Moments later...

Seo Ye-jin, having successfully tamed the Ratman, looked at me with a bright smile.

"I did it!"

"Good job."

Seo Ye-jin quickly continued taming more Ratmen.

"You’ll be Alpha-33 from now on."

Watching her assign names to each Ratman, I couldn’t help but ask.

"Ye-jin."

"Yes?"

"Is that how you usually name them?"

"Yeah. It’s easier to call them that way."

"I see... But what’s the meaning of ‘Alpha’?"

"Doesn’t it make it easier to distinguish them from regular mice?"

By the time she successfully tamed up to Alpha-189, something caught my eye.

‘What’s that...?’

In one corner of the basement parking lot, there was still a dark area untouched by the lights.

All the ceiling lights in that section had been shattered, leaving it shrouded in shadows.

Amid the silence and darkness, a massive creature loomed, staring at us.

「Queen Ratman (Lv. 43)」

‘...A queen?’

I tilted my head at the designation.

The creature revealed by the Absolute Dweller’s Eye was covered in rippling muscles, more fitting for a king than a queen.

‘It looks more like a king than a queen!’

Regardless of its name, this was a jackpot.

‘The level is high.’

Level 43.

Even in a world teeming with monsters, creatures above level 40 were exceedingly rare.

Unless they were special beings like upper-class vampires, such monsters usually served as regional overlords. It was no wonder they were uncommon.

‘This level is more than sufficient!’

If Seo Ye-jin could tame this one, we would have no trouble entering the radiation-contaminated Wolseong base.

"Ye-jin, do you think you can handle this one?"

After staring at the Queen Ratman in silence for a while, Seo Ye-jin replied in a trembling voice.

"...I’m not sure."

She was clearly overwhelmed by the Queen Ratman’s size and charisma.

Unlike the other Ratmen, the Queen Ratman’s gaze was unbroken.

Even in its restrained state, its spirit remained intact.

Its burning eyes made it seem as though it would charge at us the moment it was freed.

"I’ll try."

"Alright, let’s give it a shot."

The prospect of taming this one was too good to pass up.

If we could subdue this creature, resolving the radiation crisis seemed within reach.

‘First, I need to break its spirit. Release it.’

The moment it was freed—

Whoosh—

Just as expected, it lunged at us immediately.

Its razor-sharp claws slashed toward us, but I deflected the attack using the invisible hand.

Boom!

A deafening sound echoed through the basement parking lot.

Squeak! Squeak!

From Alpha-1 to Alpha-189, the tamed Ratmen frantically moved to protect Seo Ye-jin.

The Queen Ratman, seeing this, let out a furious roar.

ROAARRR!

It sounded like a dinosaur screaming right in front of us, but I felt no threat.

This was my domain—my house.

‘Enlarge.’

Crack!

The invisible hand extending from my body grew larger, completely destroying the parking lot ceiling.

I infused the hand with black energy, and its form solidified.

Fwoosh—

The massive hand, engulfed in black flames, now resembled a monstrous claw from the depths of hell.

The overwhelming sight brought silence to the room.

Even the ferocious Queen Ratman, who had been thrashing like a wild beast, froze in place.

With a deliberate motion, the blackened hand moved and pressed down on the Queen Ratman’s massive head.

BANG—

The Queen Ratman was completely overpowered, pinned to the ground by the giant hand.

Its enormous head sank into the floor of the basement parking lot, and I finally looked down on it from a higher vantage point.

‘Now, if I let Ye-jin use her ability on it...’

At that moment—

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s trust has increased.]

[Citizen Seo Ye-jin’s trust has reached 100.]

[You have acquired the skill Enhance.]

Seo Ye-jin’s trust, which had been stuck at 99 for so long, finally hit 100.

‘Enhance?’

It was a skill that allowed Seo Ye-jin to strengthen creatures she had tamed.

Although I didn’t have any tamed creatures myself, I instinctively knew how to use the skill.

I focused on Seo Ye-jin and activated it.

Fwoosh—

Black energy began to emanate from Seo Ye-jin’s entire body.

"Huh?"

Her presence intensified noticeably, and she looked at me with a bewildered expression.

"Oppa, what... what is this?"

Smiling at her confusion, I said, "Why don’t you give it a try now?"

As I stepped back from the Queen Ratman’s face, Seo Ye-jin bit her lip and nodded slowly.

She approached the creature cautiously.

With the invisible hand no longer holding it down, the Queen Ratman was completely free.

However, even with its newfound freedom, it couldn’t move properly as Seo Ye-jin drew closer.

She gently reached out and stroked a burn-like scar on the Queen Ratman’s face.

At that moment—

「Tamed Queen Ratman (Lv. 43)」

She had successfully tamed it.