Absolute Dweller-Chapter 185

After defeating Shadow Master and erasing the Reverse World, everything progressed swiftly.

The Earl’s Domain on the outskirts of Gwangju was successfully completed without issue, becoming the stronghold for the Jeonnam region, absorbing a large number of survivors from Naju and Damyang.

In Daegu, where Team 3 was stationed, a Viscount’s Domain spanning 3km in radius was completed, 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.

The lack of a significant survivor population 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—so 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 reclamation 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, they completely dominated.

‘The job effects played a major role, too.’

The Sharpshooters, who received buffs to all ranged attacks, were nothing short of nightmares for the goblins.

With their amplified firepower, a single bullet was enough to obliterate a goblin’s body.

On top of that, I was supporting the entire operation in real-time, focusing all my mental energy on assisting them.

Thanks to this, domain construction was now on the verge of completion.

‘And Gyeonggi Province goes without saying.’

Most of the retainers deployed in Gwangju and Daejeon had originally been responsible for Incheon, Gyeonggi, and other parts of the capital region.

The only reason they could be reassigned elsewhere was because of my level-up—which expanded the domain range of the Seoul annex.

Now that Incheon and parts of Gyeonggi Province were included within my safe zone, the areas previously overseen by Teams 5 through 8 were automatically secured.

With the territory expansion, over 100,000 new survivors received citizenship.

As a result, in Gyeonggi Province, rescue teams were now more active than retainers, focusing on locating and guiding survivors within the safe zones.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Due to the high population density of Seoul and the metropolitan area, the number of residents in Seoul had already surpassed that of Busan.

‘Honestly, at this point, the annex has more land, too.’

This was an unintended consequence of Busan being the center of my Household Domain.

Even though the annex in Seoul was only half the size of the Household Domain, more than half of the Household Domain’s territory was ocean, whereas the annex was entirely land.

As a result, for now, the Seoul annex had more usable space.

‘Many of Busan’s survivors relocated to Seoul, too.’

Across the capital region, rescue teams were actively retrieving survivors and distributing emergency supplies.

Meanwhile, construction teams were restoring and building infrastructure, administrative teams were guiding newcomers, and citizens were expanding various industries.

With so many people gathering for different reasons, Seoul was rapidly regaining its former identity as South Korea’s capital.

At the same time, newly arriving survivors were quickly adapting and contributing.

A self-sustaining system had formed, with earlier arrivals guiding newcomers.

It was at that moment—

[‘A Viscount’s Domain’ has been constructed.]

At last, Daejeon’s Viscount’s Domain was complete, allowing for a brief moment of rest.

I turned to Ha Dong-geon, who had endured three days of non-stop torment to complete it.

[You’ve done well, Ha Dong-geon.]

“...It’s over?”

[Yes. Get some rest.]

The moment I gave permission, Ha Dong-geon shut his eyes and passed out immediately.

I relayed the completion notice to the other retainers and hunting teams as well.

[Construction is complete. Well done, everyone. Return to the safe zone.]

As soon as I issued the command, I gave my retainers a small courtesy.

‘Summon Retainer – Jung So-ra.’

I teleported them to their respective rest areas.

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.

Unlike the hunting teams, which worked in shifts, the retainers had gone three days without sleep, constantly working.

The sheer number of goblins pouring into Daejeon had been overwhelming.

The only reason the construction had finished successfully was because Ha Dong-geon had endured the suffering, resisting unconsciousness until the domain was completed.

[You all did an incredible job.]

As I teleported them away, a few people collapsed immediately, too exhausted to even wash up before sleeping.

‘Everything is finally settling down.’

For the past two weeks, aside from brief naps, I had barely slept.

The first few days had been manageable, but as time went on, fatigue built up heavily.

I hadn’t just been sitting idle either—I had been constantly using Absolute Dweller’s Eye and my abilities, depleting mental energy.

The desire to collapse into bed was overwhelming.

‘Still, I should wash up first.’

My entire body was soaked in sweat, making it unbearably uncomfortable to sleep like this.

Stripping off my clothes, I stepped into the hot shower, letting the water wash over me while I reviewed everything I had done—and what I still needed to do.

‘All the metropolitan areas are secured.’

Now, it was time to use them as bases to expand influence into the surrounding regions.

‘Sejong is right next to Daejeon, so as long as the roads are cleared, it’ll be easy. I’ll need to set up a stronghold in Jeonju or Gunsan next. And... I should start scouting Jeju Island soon.’

Even though # Nоvеlight # I had claimed a significant portion of the country, I still hadn’t even conquered half of it.

I was doing my best, but time wouldn’t stop for me.

As time passed, the burden on survivors increased, and the frequency of encountering the living was rapidly declining.

Even when I did find survivors, most were either on the verge of death or practically corpses already.

What I saw through Absolute Dweller’s Eye was nothing short of horrifying.

‘...I’m exhausted.’

After finishing my shower, I used telekinesis to completely remove any lingering moisture from my body.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Instantly dry and refreshed, I collapsed onto my bed.

The moment I closed my eyes, sleep rushed over me.

Amidst my fading consciousness, I could still sense my Avatar’s presence.

Currently, my Avatar was roaming the domain, clearing dungeons—essentially taking over the role my father had once played.

With immense power and an undying nature, my Avatar was perfectly suited for dungeon raids.

On top of that, it served as a continuous source of experience points.

‘Still a long way to level 60, huh.’

[You have hunted Lee Gaksu (Lv. 41).]

As expected, my Avatar’s hunting experience was being accumulated over time.

Through my Avatar’s senses, I could distinctly feel the experience flowing in.

However, the wall of level 60 was far too high.

Simply clearing a few dungeons and defeating boss-tier monsters wasn’t enough to bridge the gap.

‘Still, if I keep hunting steadily, I’ll reach level 60 eventually.’

And once that happened, I would receive three more skill points.

The three skill points my Avatar had recently earned had been invested as follows:

One point into Household RestorationOne point into Absolute Dweller’s VaultThe last one was reserved for Absolute Dweller’s Shop, since I was nearing the slot limit.

With Household Restoration reaching level 3, I could now produce more Clay Soldiers—a significant increase.

Originally, I could only summon 30, but now that limit had expanded to 100.

Since labor demands had risen due to the Seoul annex, the new domains in major cities, and various expansion projects, I hired to the maximum limit.

This was why Seoul’s restoration had accelerated significantly.

Meanwhile, Absolute Dweller’s Vault, now level 6, had experienced a massive storage capacity boost.

It could now store up to 30 tons—a huge leap from before.

Even the citizens' personal inventories had expanded from a mere 10kg to 100kg.

With the Absolute Crown effect, their storage doubled to 200kg.

While neither Household Restoration nor Absolute Dweller’s Vault had introduced new features, their existing abilities had improved to a highly satisfactory level.

And as for the last skill point, I was saving it for Absolute Dweller’s Shop.

As my Avatar’s senses drifted in my mind, my thoughts scattered and, eventually, I fell into deep sleep.

***

Seoul, South Korea.

From Euljiro to Gwanghwamun, an area once filled with towering skyscrapers, construction was in full swing.

Among the various structures, the high-rise hotels were the primary focus of restoration—they were simply the most efficient facilities for housing large groups.

Hotels offered ample space, along with bathhouses, pools, gyms, and other conveniences.

In an apocalyptic world overrun by monsters, they were perfect shelters for survivors who needed to gather in groups.

Due to high demand, high-rise hotels were given top priority for restoration.

Grrrrkk!

(Work, work! Let’s go!)

And then—

Grrrk! Grrrkk!

(This is my zone! Back off!)

Grrrk? Grrrkkk?

(What? Shouldn’t we just work together and get the job done faster?)

A minor dispute broke out as Clay Soldiers overlapped in their work zones.

This was a common issue when a large number of Clay Soldiers were deployed—it usually persisted until all overlapping tasks were completed.

However, recently, a new hierarchy had begun to emerge.

Grrrkk? Grrrkk?!

(What did you just say? What generation are you?!)

......Grrrk.

(......I’m Second Generation, sir.)

Grrrrrrrrkk! Grrkk!

(You’re just a newbie! Get lost!)

A strict caste system had developed.

The original 30 Clay Soldiers—the First Generation—had established dominance over the newly added 70 Clay Soldiers, the Second Generation.

Grrrrkkk!

(I’m sorry!)

The Second Gen Clay Soldier backed off immediately, effectively ending the dispute.

Watching this, a First Gen Clay Soldier puffed up proudly and continued working.

Of course, it didn’t forget to scold the Second Gen standing nearby.

Grrkk. Grrrk, Grrrkk.

(Tsk, tsk. Too slow.)

......Grrrrk.

(......I’m sorryyyyy.)

In reality, there was a clear skill gap between First Gen and Second Gen Clay Soldiers.

Having performed various tasks over time, the First Gen Clay Soldiers had developed far superior work efficiency.

To an outsider, the difference might seem insignificant, but for Clay Soldiers, this was a critical distinction.

After all, work was considered sacred to them.

Being fast and efficient directly correlated to status.

Grrrr—.

(Hah....)

Some even—

Grrrkk. Grrrrkkk!

(You’re doing it wrong! Watch and learn!)

—went as far as intruding on workspaces to demonstrate proper techniques.

Though this would normally be considered a major offense in their society, the Second Gen Clay Soldiers welcomed it enthusiastically.

Grrrkkk! Grrrrkkk!

(Thank you! I’ll learn from you!)

After all, improving their efficiency meant rising in status.

Thanks to these unique interactions, the Second Gen Clay Soldiers were rapidly honing their restoration skills.