Absolute Dweller-Chapter 223

Rock Golem’s Heart (30,000,000 KRW)

‘30 million won.’

It wasn’t as expensive as expected.

Since my shop skill was at level 7, with a 30% discount applied, it would only cost about 21 million won to purchase.

It was roughly the price of a decent car.

If I planted this in the ground and waited for 15 days, I could make a level 30 Stone Golem.

‘But...’

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The fact that it could be bought in the shop meant it could be enhanced.

I immediately purchased one from the shop.

‘Enhance.’

[Enhancement successful.]

[Enhancement successful.]

[Enhancement successful.]

[Enhancement failed.]

......

......

[Enhancement successful.]

I managed to make one at +10.

Rock Golem’s Heart (Lv. 50) [+10]

▶ Durability increased by 200%

▶ Rock Strength +2

▶ Acquired Skill [Earthquake Wave]

▶ Rock Density +1

▶ Weight increased by 30%

▶ Acquired Skill [Diamond Armor]

The skill [Diamond Armor] was a passive ability that turned the rocks composing the Stone Golem’s body into diamond.

Thanks to the enhancement, it had also leveled up to level 50.

‘The efficiency is insane.’

To be honest, in terms of pure power, a Death Knight would be far stronger.

Even if both were level 50, there would be a significant gap due to the divine power imbued in the Death Knight, which was something the Stone Golem didn’t have.

But...

‘The cost-performance ratio is different.’

The cost of purchasing the Rock Golem’s Heart and upgrading it to +10.

Even with multiple failures at the most expensive 10th upgrade, it didn’t even cost 30 billion.

This was incomparable to the Death Knight, which cost 40 billion from the start.

Moreover, considering the cost of enhancing a Death Knight to +10...

‘It’s not even a comparison in terms of efficiency.’

Furthermore, unlike Death Knights or Skeleton Soldiers, the enhancements didn’t increase the level.

In that sense, the enhancement efficiency of the Stone Golem was nearly insane.

And most importantly...

‘There’s less resistance from people.’

With Skeletons, it was inevitable that everyone would feel some resistance toward them.

This made their usage limited.

But Golems were different.

‘I can place them here and there.’

Just thinking of a few places: hunting team support, rescuing survivors, construction sites, and so on.

Their potential applications were endless.

There was the minor drawback of the 15-day maturation process for crafting, but that was easily solved.

‘Buy 100 Rock Golem’s Hearts.’

The ability to buy in bulk at once.

That alone offset the downside of the 15-day maturation process.

If I wanted, I could summon a thousand or even ten thousand.

‘Enhance, enhance, enhance.’

While grinding through the enhancement process for the Rock Golem’s Hearts...

‘Huh?’

A jackpot happened.

It occurred exactly on the 33rd enhancement.

Rock Golem’s Heart (Lv. 40) [+5]

▶ Durability increased by 500%

▶ Acquired Skill [Safe Zone]

And it happened at +5, not +10.

[Safe Zone]

For the 15 days that the Rock Golem is being created, it temporarily exerts the same influence as a designated safe zone within a 15-meter radius.

‘Whoa.’

Jackpot.

***

[For that reason, it might be better to keep the existence of the Fujita mother and daughter hidden.]

Kim Da-bin could only grimace as she listened to the suggestion.

[Didn’t you say that no one was harmed by Fujita Yumi when she was a mutant?]

[Fujita Kaya claims so, but it hasn’t been verified. And even if no one was harmed by Fujita Yumi, the resentment toward mutants is still very strong.]

Currently, the Fujita mother and daughter were living separately in a shelter that Kim Da-bin had set up.

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

The resistance from the Japanese toward mutants was quite intense.

And it wasn’t even the backlash toward Fujita Yumi’s mutated appearance.

The resentment was severe even toward two people who had returned to human form from being mutants: Nakamoto Hiroshi and Higashi Yuko.

‘It makes sense.’

In the case of Higashi Yuko, who had later acquired citizenship, the situation had been somewhat better.

But Nakamoto Hiroshi, on the other hand, was facing serious opposition, and the reason was simple.

‘Because there were actual victims.’

Takahashi Ryo, who had once put a bullet in Nakamoto Hiroshi’s neck, had lost his comrade while Nakamoto Hiroshi was in his mutant form.

Under Takahashi Ryo’s leadership, Nakamoto Hiroshi’s appearance as a mutant had been exposed to the public, and additional victims had come forward.

In the end, the group of victims was organizing to form a public opinion that Nakamoto Hiroshi should be exiled.

And in fact, their opinions were gaining support.

Most of the Japanese had been directly or indirectly harmed by mutants.

There was a small minority of sympathy, though.

Nakamoto Hiroshi and his party member Sasaki Aiko were currently working to rescue survivors at the forefront of Japan, which is why even a small amount of sympathy existed.

Those who had received direct help from them sided with them.

‘This is tough.’

It wasn’t a problem that could be decided easily.

Using the Eyes of the Absolute, I observed the Fujita mother and daughter.

“Do you understand, Mom? If you raise your right hand, it’s yes, and if you raise your left hand, it’s no.”

The Stone Golem nodded cautiously at Fujita Kaya’s explanation.

‘...As expected, she’s not fully functional.’

This was already the sixth time she had repeated the phrase.

And that was just what I knew.

Fujita Yumi’s mind was unstable.

After going through that process, it was no wonder she wasn’t in her right state.

She was in such a state that she had to be taught body language for yes and no several times, her intelligence had greatly diminished.

The only relief was that she could still recognize her daughter.

Still, Fujita Kaya looked genuinely happy.

‘It’s definitely better to keep them away from the public for now.’

I would provide support, without a doubt.

There was a lot I had gained thanks to Fujita Yumi.

It was then.

[An individual who meets the conditions to be accepted as a citizen is approaching the boundary of the shelter.]

[Would you like to offer citizenship?]

I shifted my view to the boundary of the area.

“Huff, huff.”

The first thing I saw was Nakamoto Hiroshi, completely wrecked and covered in injuries.

Not only had he been injured, but part of his body had undergone mutation.

‘What’s going on?’

He had reached 100 loyalty and became a vassal.

According to experiments, vassals didn’t undergo mutations even when attacked by mutants.

But right now, Nakamoto Hiroshi’s appearance was clearly abnormal.

Half of his face had turned black, his one eye was glowing blue, and his legs were unnaturally swollen.

He was on the verge of mutating.

What was strange was that he had some kind of monster attached to his side.

“Jae-hyun! Jae-hyun! Please save this person!”

A pair of horns had sprouted from his head.

His eyes were stained red, and his skin was a bluish color, veins bulging out.

The creature, with the appearance of an ogre, was...

[Ichikawa Kana (Lv. 26)]

Awakened Ability: Hide-and-seek

A mutant.

As soon as I assessed the situation, I immediately offered citizenship.

[Ichikawa Kana accepts the offer.]

Crack―

The moment she accepted citizenship, a fragile woman emerged from the monster’s form.

She then spoke to Nakamoto Hiroshi.

[Please come into the safe zone immediately.]

He stumbled into the safe zone as if collapsing.

Whoosh―

At the same time, the mutant factor that had overtaken him was purified, and his body began to return to its original state.

I asked Nakamoto Hiroshi, who was lying flat on his back, taking deep breaths.

[That was a close call. What happened?]

“Huff. I encountered her during the rescue mission. I thought if it was Jae-hyun’s power, it could be reversed...”

From what I knew, Nakamoto Hiroshi’s operation site was about 10 km away from here.

[So you dragged her all the way here by grabbing her by the hair?]

Even though he had obtained citizenship, received multiple buffs, and his abilities had been enhanced, he was only level 30.

For him to subdue and bring a level 26 monster, he must have suffered quite a bit.

He would have had to make excessive contact and would have been attacked repeatedly on the way here.

That’s how the mutation progressed.

Thanks to that, I realized that being a vassal didn’t mean complete safety.

‘How often is there a situation like this where they have to stay in contact for so long, though?’

Really.

[That was reckless. You could have mutated again.]

Had the situation continued, that would have been the result.

If a mutant were to be formed while having citizenship, and even as a vassal, who knew what the result would be?

But it certainly wouldn’t have been positive.

“I’m sorry, but...”

Nakamoto Hiroshi gave a wry smile and continued.

“I just couldn’t leave her.”

[....]

“...I’m sorry.”

How could I scold him for saving someone?

In the end, one person was saved.

[No, you did well.]

As we were talking, I saw Sasaki Aiko and his party members running toward us from a distance.

[That’s enough for today, you should rest.]

“But...”

[That’s an order. The other person must be confused, so take her and get her something to eat.]

Ichikawa Kana, whom he had saved, had fainted.

It was no surprise; after being subdued in a headlock and dragged over 10 km, she must have passed out.

When I pointed that out, Nakamoto Hiroshi nodded in agreement.

“I understand. Thank you for your consideration.”

Nakamoto Hiroshi was truly doing his best.

Furthermore, it was tricky to punish him for the crimes he committed while in his mutant form.

To be honest, for him, it must have been like waking up after fainting and finding himself a murderer.

But if that was the case, who was supposed to take responsibility?

“Sigh.”

What’s the right answer?

No, is there even a right answer?

Maybe there are more problems in the world where there is no clear solution.

***

Takahashi Ryo was completely drunk again today.

“Damn it.”

Everything had gotten better than before.

He no longer had to stay up at night, guarding against monsters, nor did he need to go out looking for food, enduring hunger and thirst.

But everything was still the worst.

“Damn it!”

That bastard was still alive.

Takahashi Ryo hated Nakamoto Hiroshi.

He had lost Ichikawa Aya, the woman he had loved more than anything, to that man’s hands.

‘Damn it! I can’t believe he’s still alive.’

The bullet he had shot had gone straight into Nakamoto Hiroshi’s neck, and he had fallen from a 20-story building.

He had assumed that was the end, but to his surprise, Nakamoto Hiroshi had returned alive.

Creak—

He wanted to kill him.

‘That bastard needs to pay for what he did.’

No one else would do it—he would personally cut off that bastard’s breath.

“Ugh. I’ll kill him...”

Just as he was about to go back to his seat after ranting in the bathroom.

‘That woman?’

It was the woman he had seen before.

The one who had swung a knife at him in the PayPay Dome.

He had heard that she was in a relationship with Nakamoto Hiroshi.

When he had accidentally run into her at the meat shop, a brilliant idea had struck his mind.

To make that bastard feel the same pain that he had felt.

Wasn’t that the best revenge?

‘I’ll make you experience the same thing I did.’

Suppressing his burning desire for revenge, Takahashi Ryo quietly followed the woman.

She entered a room.

‘Just as I thought!’

There, inside, was Nakamoto Hiroshi.

‘Nakamoto Hiroshi!’

A twisted smile of joy appeared on his face as he was about to pull a knife from his pocket.

“Takahashi Oppa?”

A voice so familiar.

It was the voice of someone who resembled her.

With a frozen face, he turned his head.

There, sitting before him, was...

“...Kana?”

Her younger sister, whom he had thought was dead, was sitting there, looking up at him.