Absolute Dweller-Chapter 109

Seo Nuri was the sole surviving upper-tier vampire.

She had narrowly escaped death during Vlad Tepes’ ritual, which consumed the power of all other upper-tier vampires.

However, she was far from intact.

"The World Tree... the power of the World Tree..."

Though Vlad Tepes was dead, his blood still coursed through her veins, clouding her judgment.

“I must go...”

What started as a faint whisper in her mind had grown louder and clearer over time, until the blood within her had fully taken control.

Thus, in a daze, she made her way to Busan.

Thunk.

Long before she reached the World Tree, she collided with an invisible barrier, stopping her in her tracks.

This happened at a distance where the World Tree wasn’t even visible, a testament to the vastly expanded domain of Kim Jae-hyun.

Thud.

She fluttered forward, bumping into the barrier multiple times before finally realizing its presence.

“Don’t block me... I must go...”

Vlad Tepes’ cursed blood stirred violently within her.

Bzzzz.

The blood, now carrying even greater power from Tepes’ ritual, radiated energy.

Then—

Crack.

The barrier swelled like an overinflated balloon before bursting with a loud pop.

Seo Nuri, her expression blank, floated through the opening.

Fwoosh!

As soon as she entered the domain, the black aura attempted to incinerate her. However, the crimson energy from Tepes’ blood shielded her.

Though excruciating pain wracked her body, Seo Nuri, now mentally shattered, continued her aimless flight.

Zzzzz.

A spatial rift opened before her, revealing Kim Jae-hyun.

The moment she saw him, the blood within her reacted violently.

“Grr... you...!”

Simultaneously, she felt something pierce her chest.

Ah.

As black flames consumed her heart, Seo Nuri knew it was the end.

Finally...

It was liberation.

Enveloped in black flames, a faint smile graced her face.

After the sudden appearance and incineration of the upper-tier vampire, all that remained was a pool of crimson liquid.

Fwoosh!

The crimson slime-like substance ignited violently with black and red flames, resisting fiercely.

The red energy, similar to that of Lilith and the World Tree, undoubtedly contained divinity.

"But why isn’t this being absorbed?"

When Lilith was drawn into the domain, her divinity was absorbed instantly.

Yet, despite the crimson slime's hostility, it remained intact.

"Absolute Dweller’s Eye."

Enhancing the Absolute Dweller’s Eye with the black aura, I examined the crimson slime and discovered the reason.

“It’s not the main body.”

The crimson slime floating in the air was merely a conduit.

Much like the transparent energy that had infiltrated Grandma’s mind, this crimson energy originated from another dimension.

“The power radiating from this slime... comes from beyond.”

At that moment—

Sssshhhh.

"!!"

An intense gaze emanated from the crimson energy.

Simultaneously—

"What is this?"

Through the black-enhanced Absolute Dweller’s Eye, I caught a fleeting glimpse of the connected dimension.

A pitch-black void.

Within it stood a coffin, wrapped tightly in chains extending from all directions.

Inside the coffin was an imprisoned being.

Clang!

Emotions of rage and hatred radiated from within.

At the same time—

Bzzzz.

An immense energy surged from the crimson slime.

Sensing imminent danger, I activated Invisible Hand and crushed the slime.

Fwoosh!

The black aura-infused claws obliterated the slime, but a small fragment remained intact at the last moment.

Then—

Boom!

The fragment exploded, scattering into hundreds of pieces.

[Dungeon discovered.]

[Dungeon discovered.]

[Dungeon discovered.]

New dungeons sprouted throughout the domain.

From my vantage point, I could clearly see their locations in the middle of the night.

Shifting the Absolute Dweller’s Eye to one of the new dungeons, I accessed its details.

「C-Rank Dungeon」

- City of Intermediate Vampires (0/20)

A dungeon featuring intermediate vampires.

The first thought that crossed my mind—

"Jackpot!"

What initially seemed like a final act of defiance from the being beyond the dimension turned out to be a pathetic outcome.

"A dungeon full of intermediate vampires."

Intermediate vampires were typically level 30 monsters.

Their high levels meant they provided generous experience points and settlement funds.

And that wasn’t all.

From past experience, clearing a new dungeon often yielded crystals as a reward.

"This is a gold mine!"

It was as if a treasure trove had fallen into my lap.

[Everyone.]

It was time to collect.

Lee Jun-hyuk harbored a deep resentment toward vampires.

He had lost Shin Ah-young and Kim Ji-tae to them.

When facing vampires, he was always more brutal than necessary—a form of personal vengeance.

“Kyaaaaah!”

Vampires swarmed from all directions.

Having entered the dungeon alone, there was no chance of support from his comrades.

Yet even as dozens of vampires charged him, Lee Jun-hyuk remained calm.

This was because his abilities made him a natural enemy of vampires.

"Water Bomb."

The water bomb above his head compressed into a single point before bursting into thousands of droplets at the decisive moment.

The droplets spread in every direction with incredible speed, and while their force was considerable, they lacked the power to kill.

However—

Shwick!

The incoming vampires were easily left with small wounds.

And then—

"Control Water."

Once wounded vampires entered Lee Jun-hyuk’s range, they were as good as trapped.

Blood, predominantly composed of water, became his to control within his sphere of influence.

“Kyaaah!”

“Graahhh!”

Screams of agony echoed as blood within the vampires’ bodies reversed course, flowing backward.

For ordinary humans, such an event would result in instant death from shock. But these vampires had durability and regenerative capabilities far beyond that of normal humans.

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Despite their torment, they couldn’t die because Lee Jun-hyuk had left their hearts untouched.

From the moment he gained control over their blood, he could have destroyed their hearts at any time.

But he chose not to, out of sheer will.

“Guhh... ugh!”

The vampires, powerless to stop their blood from tearing through their veins, could only endure.

With bloodshot eyes, they groaned in pain as Lee Jun-hyuk observed them coldly and began walking forward.

Thump!

With every step he took, the heart of the farthest vampire exploded.

Lee Jun-hyuk ensured the vampires were eliminated just as they neared the edge of his range.

Thud! Pop!

As hearts burst and their comrades collapsed into lifeless corpses, the remaining vampires quaked in fear.

At three stars—his power’s current maximum—Lee Jun-hyuk had grown exponentially stronger.

His skill proficiency and overall strength were leagues beyond what they had been before.

Without sparing a glance at the carnage, Lee Jun-hyuk pressed forward, his gaze devoid of emotion.

Even amidst this overwhelming battle, his deadened eyes didn’t waver—until he faced the dungeon boss.

Clank.

Standing before him was a vampire clad in blood-red armor and wielding a two-handed sword.

It was identical to the one he had faced before—the vampire who had beheaded Shin Ah-young and pierced Kim Ji-tae’s heart.

"...I’ve found you."

This was why Lee Jun-hyuk had relentlessly cleared vampire dungeons.

To face this very creature.

“Create Water.”

Water erupted from every direction, flooding the area around him until the battlefield became submerged up to knee height.

With this, the fight began.

Splash, splash!

The armored vampire charged at him with astonishing speed.

Though initially splashing through shallow water, it quickly reached a depth just below its knees as it neared Lee Jun-hyuk.

Unperturbed, the vampire swung its massive blade in a wide arc.

Whoosh!

But the sword never reached Lee Jun-hyuk.

Water tendrils, surging up its body like living ropes, restricted its movements.

Shhhhhh.

Starting from its legs, the water gained momentum, coalescing into a massive bubble that engulfed the vampire entirely.

Then—

“Water Bomb.”

As he activated the skill—

BOOM!

A colossal explosion obliterated the vampire entirely.

That was the end.

Once their heart was destroyed, vampires couldn’t regenerate.

[You have cleared the dungeon.]

The system’s notification announced the dungeon’s completion, but Lee Jun-hyuk’s gaze lingered on the spot where the vampire had died.

Because back then, he and his team had also destroyed its heart.

Though their fight hadn’t been as one-sided, they had worked together to break the vampire’s heart multiple times.

Yet it hadn’t died, and the prolonged battle had cost Shin Ah-young and Kim Ji-tae their lives.

"If I’d been this strong back then..."

He knew his current strength was thanks to Kim Jae-hyun’s abilities.

Logically, he understood that it wasn’t a product of his own effort.

Still, he couldn’t shake the thought that if he had tried harder, things might have been different.

The skills he used in this fight were the result of tireless research and experimentation since that day.

Clenching his fist tightly, Lee Jun-hyuk stared at the dungeon’s exit.

"I need to become even stronger."

With a crooked smile, he stepped toward the exit.

"Nine more to go."

Given the dungeon’s nature, its structure and boss were identical every time.

"This time, you won’t die so easily."

[Conditions met.]

[New construction options available: D-Rank Instant Dungeon: Lesser Vampire Cave, C-Rank Instant Dungeon: Vampire Manor, B-Rank Instant Dungeon: Greater Vampire Estate.]

Clearing all the vampire dungeons within the domain had unlocked new instant dungeons.

"Vampire dungeons, huh."

Though different in form, they reminded him of Lilith, who had been fully absorbed into the system after losing her divinity.

Unlike Lilith, who became a familiar, vampires were absorbed in the form of instant dungeons.

"Can the system really devour divinity like this?"

Whether such predatory behavior was intrinsic to beings with divinity or unique to the system was unclear.

"I’ll just have to keep watching."

At that moment—

[Mr. Jae-hyun, are you there?]

It was rare for Kim Davin to initiate telepathic contact.

[What’s the matter?]