Absolute Dweller-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 succeeded in killing the slime and reclaiming 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.

To maintain the forward base functionality at the Kori and Hanul nuclear power plants, 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's last nuclear power plant, 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 have hunted a Radioactive Slime (Lv. 25).]

[You have gained experience points.]

[19,553,012 KRW has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller's Wallet.]

As I continued diligently hunting radioactive slimes, there was a knock.

Knock, knock, knock.

Someone had come to the living room balcony window.

"Hello, Jae-hyun-nim!"

It was Choi Do-yeon.

『Choi Do-yeon (Lv. 32)』

Awakened Ability: Daughter of the Wind

Level 32.

This wasn’t purely the result of monster hunting.

When Awakened individuals gain their powers, their level is determined based on the grade of their abilities.

Both Lee Ho-beom and Choi Do-yeon, who initially had single-digit levels, became level 30 as soon as they awakened their A-grade abilities.

However, an Awakened individual doesn’t immediately possess the full power of their level; instead, their stats gradually match their level over time.

This explained why Lee Ho-beom and Choi Do-yeon were able to grow stronger so quickly.

Click.

I used my invisible hand ability to open the balcony door and greeted her.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Jae-hyun."

"I'm Choi Do-yeon. Uh, huh?"

As she tried to enter through the balcony, Choi Do-yeon tilted her head in confusion, blocked by an invisible barrier.

There was a transparent barrier surrounding my home in addition to the one encompassing the declared safe zone. This barrier only allowed registered retainers to enter.

But this time, it was different.

"Come in."

"Wha—!?"

The moment I granted her permission, Choi Do-yeon was pulled into the house as if sucked in.

Momentarily losing her balance, she spun mid-air but managed to land gracefully on the living room floor.

"Please, make yourself comfortable on the sofa."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"And where’s Lee Ho-beom?"

"He’ll be here soon!"

Using the Absolute Dweller's Eye, I saw Lee Ho-beom dashing toward us, his entire body crackling with electricity.

[Lee Ho-beom-ssi, stop.]

At my telepathic command, Lee Ho-beom froze in place, his face pale.

"Open the East Gate."

I connected the space in front of him to my house’s front door and granted him entry permission.

[Come in.]

"...Excuse me."

Stroking Kami's head as she sat on my lap, I began the conversation in earnest.

"I have a proposal for the two of you."

Both of them listened intently, their faces tense.

After thoroughly explaining the risks of becoming a retainer, I asked,

"I would like the two of you to become my new retainers."

At that, Choi Do-yeon, who had been listening with sparkling eyes, spoke up.

"So, our abilities... did we gain them because you chose us? Is that right?"

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I shook my head.

"No, that's not true."

"Huh?"

"Your powers belong entirely to you."

I was aware that there was a misconception circulating about this.

It seemed to have arisen because some individuals had gained abilities through the Bond of Subjugation.

"But..."

Judging by her reaction, Choi Do-yeon had been convinced until now that her powers originated from me.

Seeing the stiff expression on Lee Ho-beom’s face, it was obvious what he was thinking.

So, I explained further.

"Of course, your abilities have nothing to do with vampires either."

Lee Ho-beom widened his eyes in shock.

"Pardon? W-What did you just say...?"

"I said that your abilities are in no way related to vampires. As I mentioned earlier, your powers are entirely your own. So, you can rest assured."

Lee Ho-beom let out a sigh of relief.

I asked him again.

"Will you accept my proposal?"

"Y-Yes! Of course!"

Choi Do-yeon nodded quickly, agreeing, while Lee Ho-beom hesitated, then nodded after some deliberation.

"I’ll accept. Even if it’s risky, there’s no reason to refuse if it means gaining power comparable to the others."

And just like that, I welcomed two new retainers into the fold.

***

After accepting Lee Ho-beom and Choi Do-yeon as retainers, I invested money to raise their levels and granted them the power of the stars.

Immediately afterward, they were dispatched to the Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant.

Thanks to this, I was able to bring back Kang Deok-soo and Yoo Hye-rin, with Kang joining the effort to hunt radioactive slimes and Yoo Hye-rin handling administrative tasks.

Ten days later, we successfully eradicated the radioactive slimes that had been swarming around the Wolseong base.

With Seo Ye-jin’s scouting abilities using the Ratmen and Lee Hyun-chan’s mini-map skill that pinpointed enemy locations, we managed to eliminate most of the radioactive slimes.

"At last, I can take a breather."

The decisive moment came when the forward base at Hanbit was completed, allowing us a small window of respite.

At least in Korea, there was no longer any fear of radiation leaks.

"But we can't let our guard down."

Even in this crisis, the presence of the slimes at the Wolseong base posed a greater threat than the nuclear accident itself.

The damage remained ongoing.

"Absolute Dweller's Eye."

After dealing with the radioactive slimes, Seo Ye-jin began surveying the extent of the damage in the surrounding areas.

“Oh no... oh no...”

What Seo Ye-jin’s scouting mice revealed through their eyes was utterly tragic.

People with flesh rotting away, their bodies covered in boils and skin diseases. Others, their hair completely fallen out, reduced to pitiful, gaunt figures.

While they were technically alive, most were far from being able to lead normal lives.

"..."

Death and despair hung in the air.

For many, it would have been considered a mercy to have died instantly from radiation poisoning, coughing up blood.

What was even more despairing was the fact that this was only the beginning.

The existence of radioactive slimes had caused contamination far more severe and widespread than a mere nuclear accident, turning vast swathes of land into death zones.

Land dyed in red death.

In the face of radiation, there was no discrimination—plants, animals, humans, and even monsters all faced the same fate of death.

"The damage is just too immense."

The survivor groups that had formed their own factions around Ulsan were not exempt from radiation’s impact.

While I extended citizenship offers to these groups, only about half of them accepted the proposal.

The others, already severely exposed to radiation, had little time left.

At most, they had about a month to live.

"Damn it."

I had focused on building internal strength for a reason.

The number of citizens I could accept under the "Household Declaration" skill was proportional to my level. At level 34, the maximum number of citizens I could take in was 340,000.

Even with the citizenship extensions granted by my bloodline’s effects, the cap was only about 350,000.

It was a clear limitation.

At the time, I had already taken in nearly 250,000 citizens, which made me hesitant to extend my influence further.

That was why I chose to focus on consolidating my position rather than aggressively expanding nationwide.

But now, the situation had changed.

"The current maximum population is 3.6 million."

When a certain level was reached, the population limit would increase tenfold.

That milestone was level 35.

"Now I can accept as many as I want."

It was now possible to take in all of Korea’s remaining survivors.

"I need to save as many people as I can before another tragedy like the radioactive slime occurs."

With the sudden increase in population capacity, my next target was clear.

"Seoul."

The city that held the majority of Korea's population—Seoul, along with Gyeonggi Province.

The time to advance there had come.

"But I need to prepare thoroughly first."

There was no telling what kind of monsters awaited in Seoul.

That was why I planned to do everything within my power to prepare.

"I’ll raise the retainers’ levels as much as possible..."

My goal was to bring the minimum standard up to level 45 or 50.

Some retainers, like Ha Dong-geon, might even be raised to level 55.

"I’ll also use all the skill points I’ve earned."

Once fully prepared, I would begin the push into Seoul.

***

Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

Together with Gyeonggi Province, the metropolitan area was home to about 23 million people—nearly half of the country’s population.

With countless convenience facilities and high-quality public infrastructure, the city brimmed with possibilities as a hub of human activity.

But such a city had also become host to monsters worthy of its reputation.

Dozens of monsters, each the size of skyscrapers, had emerged.

Transcendent beings wielding unimaginable power appeared one after another, their strength far beyond what humans could hope to contend with.

In their territorial disputes, countless lives were crushed.

As everything in the capital area was centralized, all of Korea’s essential functions had come to a halt.

However, even amidst despair, a glimmer of hope appeared.

Just as powerful monsters emerged, so too did powerful humans, who began forming their own factions.

These humans drove out the monsters, and as they did, survivors flocked to these safe zones, forming communities.

Seven groups of survivors, each led by a transcendent human, came into existence.

For a time, these factions maintained a delicate balance among the monsters.

But one day, the arrival of certain individuals shattered that balance.