Absolute Dweller-Chapter 161

It took five full days for the ice that had blanketed all of Seoul to melt to an acceptable 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 successfully hunted boss-tier monsters [N O V E L I G H T] around Gangbuk-gu, establishing his own territory and securing a safe zone for tens of thousands of people.

His strength had attracted competent 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 collapsed.

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 accepted the offer back then. If I had..."

At the very least...

This tragedy wouldn’t have happened.

Twenty-six people had died.

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Most of them were the elderly and the young—those 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."

He had always prided himself on his ability to hunt monsters.

But now, even in the one field he was confident in, he had been rendered useless.

And then—

"The Fire Spirits..."

The flames that drove away the darkness and the cold had been unforgettable.

The sheer presence of those elemental beings, large and small, had given him a glimpse into Kim Jaehyun’s power.

And above all—

"His vassals."

Those who had introduced themselves as Kim Jaehyun’s vassals had saved countless lives.

The death toll would’ve been much higher without them.

Among them, one woman stood out.

A healer named Kim Dajeong.

Her ability to heal frostbite and hypothermia had made all the difference.

Kim Jaehyun’s people weren’t just strong.

They were competent.

And they were righteous.

Every single one of them possessed an overwhelming presence, comparable to himself.

"What kind of man is he...?"

Lee Kanghyun lifted his head.

"A man with powers like this..."

Above, a colossal ice dome still hovered at 5km altitude.

A monumental sight visible from anywhere in Seoul.

Unlike the earth below, where residual heat had melted much of the ice, the skyborne fortress remained perfectly preserved.

It allowed a glimpse of the massive transparent barrier that encased Seoul Station’s stronghold.

And the closer he got—

The more overwhelming its presence became.

As he walked, lost in thought, Kim Minho, who was leading him, suddenly spoke.

"You'll be meeting Jaehyun-nim soon."

"Already?"

According to his understanding, Kim Jaehyun’s base was at Seoul Station.

They still had several kilometers to go before reaching it.

"He’s coming to greet you personally."

"...That’s quite an honor."

Kim Minho then muttered to himself as if speaking to someone.

"Yes, we’re just about there."

Lee Kanghyun had seen him do this occasionally.

He had heard it was how he communicated directly with Kim Jaehyun.

"He's talking to him over this distance?"

Just how many abilities did Kim Jaehyun have?

Material generationInstant teleportation for his vassalsSummoning an army of hundreds of elemental spiritsErecting a massive transparent barrier spanning 5kmLong-range telepathy

Even just the abilities he had personally witnessed were insane.

"There has to be a team of other gifted individuals supporting him, right?"

It was more believable that he was being assisted by multiple high-level ability users.

If Kim Jaehyun himself possessed all those powers alone—

It would be unreal.

After about five more minutes of walking—

They finally met him.

"So this is Kim Jaehyun."

At first glance—

He looked like a normal young man.

But as he drew closer, Lee Kanghyun couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

"...Wasn't he supposed to be in his thirties?"

No matter how he looked at him—

The man standing before him appeared to be in his early twenties at most.

If someone put him in a school uniform, he could easily pass as a high school student.

Yet, despite his youthful appearance, Lee Kanghyun instinctively knew.

"This is him."

Because the presence radiating from his entire being was overwhelming.

At that moment—

[ Would you like to obtain citizenship? ]

[ Yes / No ]

As Kim Minho had warned, a holographic prompt appeared before him.

"I accept."

Ding!

[ You have obtained citizenship. ]

The moment he accepted—

Hwooooom—

He felt a mysterious power washing over his entire body.

And then—

Woooong.

"...I got stronger?"

Energy overflowed within him.

It was similar to the sensation of leveling up after slaying a powerful monster.

Having hunted countless creatures, he knew this feeling well.

"My strength... it’s surging."

The source of this newfound power—

Was the buffs granted to citizens.

Because Lee Kanghyun had already held high trust in Kim Jaehyun, the moment he obtained citizenship, he immediately unlocked trust-based bonuses.

His stats had amplified significantly.

"This is also his power?"

Slowly, he stepped forward.

And then—

Woom—

A strange energy swept over him.

"Is this the transparent barrier that Minho mentioned?"

His sensitivity to mana allowed him to feel the difference.

And then—

"...It’s warm."

Although much of the ice had melted, its lingering effects remained. The weather still felt like early winter.

However, the moment he stepped through the transparent barrier, it felt as if spring had arrived.

"It’s as if only this place was untouched by the cold."

He had heard about it.

But seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

At that moment, he realized once again just how extraordinary the man before him was.

Inside the domain, Kim Jaehyun welcomed them with an extended hand.

Despite his young appearance, he carried an aura of calm authority.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kim Jaehyun."

"...Lee Kanghyun."

After a brief handshake, they were given a tour of Seoul Station’s stronghold.

The apartment complexes, where Gangbuk-gu’s survivors would stay.

The trading post and other facilities.

Listening to the explanations, Lee Kanghyun suddenly spoke up.

"Would it be possible to visit Busan?"

He had already heard enough about all the various benefits and features while waiting for the ice to melt.

Instead of those things—

He wanted to see it for himself.

"People who’ve been there can’t stop praising it. I’d like to visit Seomyeon."

"There’s no reason you can’t."

Ziiing—

Space distorted, forming an oval-shaped portal in midair.

Beyond it—

An unfamiliar scene unfolded.

The sound of music drifting through the streets.Clean roads, with cars moving in sync with traffic signals.People, dressed comfortably, walking down the streets.

"......."

Even after hearing reports about it—

He couldn’t believe it.

It was a scene straight out of the past—before monsters had appeared.

"Let’s go."

Following Kim Jaehyun through the portal, he stepped into another world.

Immediately—

Even the air was different from ruined Seoul.

"Hah..."

"Whoa."

The others who had followed him were equally stunned.

"Am I dreaming?"

It felt like a dream.

This place was too different from the world they had known.

Seoul had been completely frozen over.

But here—

There was no tension.

There were no monsters lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.

And people—

They weren’t even wary of monsters at all.

It was as if the very idea of monsters attacking didn’t exist here.

As Lee Kanghyun and his group wandered, looking around in disbelief,

Kim Jaehyun, who had naturally blended into the surroundings, spoke.

"There’s a great barbecue place nearby. It’s just about to open—let’s go."

They followed Kim Jaehyun’s lead.

Although it was a bit early for dinner,

two tables were already occupied.

Ssssss—

The sound of sizzling meat filled the air, making their mouths water.

Even though Kim Jaehyun’s aid had prevented them from starving,

his supply rations had never included meat.

And the meat grilling right now—

It wasn’t just any meat.

"This is from the Giant Black Boar monster. It’s several times tastier than regular pork belly. It’s also much more expensive, but today’s my treat. Enjoy."

This restaurant, which had opened relatively recently,

specialized exclusively in monster meat.

It had already become so popular that by 6 PM, there would be no seats left.

"Table for six."

"Sit anywhere you like."

The staff were highly professional.

By the time they sat down,

all the side dishes were already set.

"Ten servings of pork belly, please."

"Coming right up!"

Not long after—

The kitchen brought out the prepared meat.

This restaurant’s high turnover rate meant they had everything ready in advance.

Ssssss—

The meat sizzled as it hit the charcoal grill.

Kim Jaehyun grilled it himself.

Once it turned golden brown,

he cut it into bite-sized pieces and distributed it to the five guests.

"Eat up."

"...Thank you."

Lee Kanghyun was the first to take a bite.

The others followed.

And then—

"!!!"

They all exchanged the same look.

"It’s delicious."

But that didn’t even come close to describing it.

"Eat as much as you want."

Without saying much else, Kim Jaehyun kept grilling.

And everyone else—

They were too busy eating to talk.

"Another ten servings, please."

"Got it!"

It wasn’t until they finished all twenty servings that their chopsticks finally slowed down.

"Should we get some naengmyeon and doenjang jjigae?"

"Who wants naengmyeon?"

They ended up ordering:

6 bowls of rice1 soybean paste stew2 spicy naengmyeon1 cold naengmyeon

And within moments—

Everything was gone.

Then, suddenly—

"Hngh..."

A choked sob echoed at the table.

Park Jimin—the only woman in their group.

She had burst into tears.

"Hic... Why... Hic. Why am I crying... I’m sorry..."

Hurriedly, she wiped away her tears.

But the men sitting around her—

Their eyes were just as red.

"Another two servings, please!"

"Coming right up!"

"One bottle of soju, please!"

"On its way!"

Thankfully, the noisy atmosphere of the restaurant drowned out their sobs,

so they didn’t draw too much attention.

Lee Kanghyun glanced at his crying comrades.

Then—

He looked around at the other customers.

People laughing, chatting, eating, drinking.

Their expressions—

They weren’t faking it.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he made a decision.

"Tomorrow, we’ll bring everyone to Seoul Station."

"A wise choice."