Absolute Dweller-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—hunting boss-level monsters and constructing forward bases—was 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 Aizenblade spanned a radius of well over 1 kilometer.

However, the only location suitable for constructing a forward base was not the completely destroyed Line 2 but Konkuk University Station, which was located underground along Line 7.

It was the only place that met the conditions.

“This distance should be reasonable.”

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 as large as I had anticipated.

There were people who blindly believed in Jeong Hyeon-su as though they were brainwashed, but they accounted 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 accept 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 particularly 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 population 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 willingly come over.”

The second reason was that they weren’t completely free from the threat of monsters.

The only places 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.

Once they were saved from the brink of death, I revealed to them that we weren’t members of the JHS cult and asked if they wanted to join us. They readily accepted, saying they never believed in the cult anyway.

The chocolates, cola, and instant noodles we provided them seemed to play a significant role in their decision.

“Although we haven’t issued them citizenship yet...”

I recently learned one important fact.

In the Four Great Gates system, only people with citizenship could use them.

Without a forward base, the only way to accept them as citizens was to transport them one by one using the Calican.

“Like Choi Sang-hyun and his daughter, Choi Sleegi.”

Thanks to them, I confirmed that those without citizenship couldn’t use the North Gate.

Although Choi Sleegi resisted strongly, I forcibly brought her over and granted her citizenship.

At first, she cursed me as a Satan, spitting venomous words. But once she arrived in Seomyeon, showered with warm water, and ate a hot meal, she stopped talking.

Now, she was quietly living with Choi Sang-hyun.

Even though I hadn’t met her directly, her rising trust and loyalty levels toward me indicated she was satisfied with her current life.

“If someone as fanatical as Choi Sleegi can change, those healed by Kim Da-jeong will adapt just as quickly.”

For their sake, I needed to construct a forward base as soon as possible.

[Everyone.]

Using the Communication Ring, I spoke to my nine retainers, who were enjoying a relatively peaceful moment.

[Please prepare yourselves. We’ll be building a forward base.]

Since I had informed them in advance, it didn’t take long for them to get ready.

“Summon Retainers.”

After summoning all nine of them together,

“Open North Gate.”

I opened the gate leading to Konkuk University Station, where Kim Ga-young was waiting.

Moon Ji-hoon, the older of the twin brothers who controlled frost, asked me, “Jae-hyun-nim, where are we going?”

“Konkuk University Station.”

“Huh? Really? That’s awesome.”

“Why’s that?”

“One of my friends went to Konkuk University, so I’ve been there before. It feels nice to go somewhere familiar.”

“You’d best let go of those expectations.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s going to look very different from what you remember, Mr. Moon.”

I stepped aside from the North Gate.

Moon Ji-hoon froze in place as he looked at the view beyond the gate.

“...?”

The area that was once Aizenblade’s territory was now a complete wasteland, utterly destroyed.

“This... is really...?”

I confirmed the harsh reality for the disbelieving Moon Ji-hoon.

“It’s Seoul.”

The shock wasn’t limited to Moon Ji-hoon.

All the retainers who stepped through the North Gate stood frozen, staring at the ruined cityscape with stiff expressions.

“Everyone, please head into Konkuk University Station.”

After confirming that the ten retainers, including Kim Ga-young, were present, I began the forward base construction.

[Ten citizens with a rank of “Knight” or higher are present at the construction site.]

[Construction efficiency increases by 200%.]

[Time remaining until forward base facility completion: 55 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.]

Given the scale of the subway station, the construction time wasn’t too long.

I addressed the retainers gathered at Konkuk University Station.

[Please endure for just three days.]

Once the forward base was completed, I could accept a significant number of JHS followers.

“Well, it’s hard to even call them followers.”

They weren’t staying there out of faith in JHS but rather because it was their only choice for survival.

“I’ll accept everyone who can be accepted.”

As for what to do with Jeong Hyeon-su, the leader of the JHS cult, I planned to deal with him after significantly reducing his influence.

***

Lee Jun-young, who had his life saved by Kang Ye-eun, led his eleven companions to the JHS cult's headquarters in Jamsil.

The moment they first arrived at Lotte World under her guidance, they were stunned.

Electricity powered the attractions, and people were riding the rides as if nothing had happened. It was a sight too surreal to believe.

When they spent the day enjoying the park and gazed at the illuminated Lotte Tower at night, all they could do was marvel. And when they were given a place to stay that rivaled the luxury of a high-end hotel suite, it felt like a dream come true.

“Wow, it’s so spacious!”

“This is all thanks to you, Jun-young. Who would’ve thought we’d ever experience such luxury?”

Although the room only had two beds for the twelve of them, it didn’t matter.

The space itself was as large as a 30-pyeong apartment, making it more than enough for all of them.

“Wait, water! There’s running water!”

“What about the toilet? Try flushing it.”

“It works! It really works!”

“Hey, you over there! Wash up before you get on the bed! Let’s take turns showering!”

Compared to the conditions they’d been living in, this place felt like heaven.

“Just having electricity and running water makes life feel so much better.”

The fact that there was no hot water wasn’t even considered a drawback.

Even a cold shower was enough to make them feel grateful to God.

In fact, the cold water ensured that no one spent too much time in the shower, which was a relief.

“If I can live like this, I don’t care if it’s JHS or whatever—I’ll believe in anything!”

Even if they knew it was a cult, what did it matter?

He was ready to become the most devoted follower if it meant maintaining this lifestyle.

“So soft...”

They had all finished showering and were sprawled across the beds and sofas, completely relaxed when the doorbell rang.

Ding-dong~♬

A visitor had arrived.

“Is everyone resting well?”

It was Kang Ye-eun, the one who had brought them here. She was holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a blue plate filled with fine chocolates in the other.

“What’s all this?”

“A welcome drink and some welcome chocolates.”

Their voices rose in excitement at the mention of wine and chocolates.

“Is that real wine?”

“Chocolate!”

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Kang Ye-eun expertly pulled out wine glasses from the cabinet and set them on the table.

“There are only two glasses. Sorry about that.”

“No need to apologize! We can drink without glasses!”

“In that case, why don’t we share sips from the glasses?”

Thus, the drinking began, and the atmosphere naturally became more relaxed.

“These chocolates are rare, so make sure to only take one each.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

She offered the chocolates on the blue plate.

The youngest of the group eagerly grabbed one and popped it into her mouth, followed by everyone else who quickly claimed their own piece.

As they chewed the chocolate, smiles of delight began to shift into subtle grimaces.

“Huh?”

“What’s this taste?”

“What...?”

Even Lee Jun-young felt it—the unpleasant, fishy taste that spread in his mouth as he bit into the chocolate.

“Did it... go bad?”

A moment of awkward silence hung in the air.

“It’s... delicious!”

“Thank you for the treat.”

Despite the strange taste, they all forced smiles and expressed gratitude.

After all, they had eaten worse things before, and it seemed rude to complain when they were being treated so well.

Kang Ye-eun, seeing their reactions, smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Then, with a meaningful tone, she asked, “How was your day? Did you enjoy yourselves?”

“Yes! Thanks to you, it felt like a dream.”

“I think I had more fun than I did before those damn monsters appeared.”

Watching their responses, Kang Ye-eun chuckled softly and said, “If you become citizens of the heavens, every day will be like today.”

“What...?”

“Are there any awakened ones among you?”

There was no response, as none of them were awakened.

When the silence lingered, Kang Ye-eun continued, “That’s unfortunate. Depending on their abilities, awakened individuals can rise to the rank of ‘Yeongdo’ immediately.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Our cult has a hierarchy. By eating the chocolates, all of you have now become ‘Followers.’ Congratulations.”

“...”

“To become citizens of the heavens, your first goal should be to achieve the rank of ‘Practitioner.’”

Lee Jun-young muttered blankly, “Practitioner...?”

Kang Ye-eun smiled brightly.

“It’s simple. Each of you just needs to bring one new follower, just like yourselves. Then, you’ll become Practitioners.”

“What happens when we become Practitioners?”

“You’ll be guaranteed better food and better sleeping arrangements.”

“And after that?”

“If you diligently study our teachings and attend prayers, you’ll soon be able to rise to the rank of ‘Seondo.’”

“Seondo?”

“Yes. At that point, you’ll gain limited access to the Sanctuary for prayers.”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Everyone understood how difficult and dangerous it was to find even a handful of survivors.

“Twelve people...”

To bring in that many survivors would require risking their lives.

Sensing their despair, Kang Ye-eun offered a lifeline.

“Don’t be too discouraged. Half of you can become Practitioners right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Technically, it’s my credit, but if you report that each of you introduced another person here, you can become Practitioners immediately. Since you’re an even number, you can divide perfectly.”

“Is that... okay?”

“Of course! Compared to bringing you into the Sanctuary, this is nothing.”

Lee Jun-young felt a pang of guilt.

It suddenly struck him that there was no way they could enjoy such luxury without any sacrifices.

“I’m sorry if we’ve caused you any trouble...”

“It’s fine! Instead, I hope you’ll work hard to climb the ranks as repayment.”

“We’ll do our best.”

“Great. Then please decide on the six Practitioners by tomorrow morning. See you then.”

It didn’t take long for them to decide who would be Practitioners, as they had spent a long time together and knew each other well.

Those who frequently went on expeditions stayed as Followers, while those who handled chores and guarded the area became Practitioners.

The real shock came the next day when they were shown the living arrangements for Followers and Practitioners.

“What the hell...”

Both groups were assigned tents by the Han River.

Followers received single-person tents, while Practitioners were given slightly larger tents that could accommodate up to four people.

Aside from the daily rations of bread and milk, it seemed worse than squatting in an abandoned house.

“Apparently, you need to be at least a Seondo to live in an actual house. But it only takes about a week of attending prayers, so it’s not a bad deal. The rations improve, too.”

“So, we just have to make it to that rank.”

“Exactly.”

Lee Jun-young clenched his fist as his companion spoke.

“Looks like we’ll be working together again.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll go alone.”

“What?”

“I know just the place to find six people. Moving as a group will only slow me down.”

“But...”

“Stay here with the others and attend prayers. The sooner we climb the ranks, the better.”

With that, he left.

That evening, Lee Jun-young succeeded in his gamble, and all of his companions were able to become Practitioners.

“Unbelievable! I didn’t think you’d actually pull it off!”

“Have a little faith next time.”

“Thank you, Jun-young.”

The next morning, something unimaginable happened.

Rumble.

With a deafening quake,

Boom—

The ground beneath Lotte World, Lotte Tower, and Seokchon Lake began to rise.

“What the hell is that...?!”

Then,

Thud!

Lee Jun-young turned in horror as his companions, who had been talking to him moments ago, began collapsing one by one.

“Tae-hyun! Ji-hyun! What’s happening to you all?!”

Soon,

“...Huh?”

Overwhelmed by drowsiness, his vision went dark.

When he came to,

‘What... what is going on?’

He saw his soul floating toward the land that was now ascending into the sky.