Absolute Dweller-Chapter 227

Whoooo—

‘The power of Orochi is resonating.’

The silver energy, which had been quietly dormant in the minds of the people, began to stir little by little.

And with it.

Thud thud thud.

They all collapsed as if they had fainted.

"Eh, eh?"

To be precise, it was those who had once been mutants.

In other words, only those who still carried the energy of Orochi deep within their minds lost consciousness and collapsed.

"Hiroshi! Hiroshi!"

"Come on, wake up!"

"Ichikawa-san!"

Sasaki Aiko and others, who were still standing, began to panic and take care of those who had collapsed.

‘Teleport.’

Swish—

I moved them several hundred meters away.

I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen from the beginning.

Whoooo!

Right after I teleported Sasaki Aiko’s party, the silver energy fully revealed itself.

‘Could it be trying to move here?’

If that’s the case, I’d welcome it with open arms.

After all, the main goal of this operation was to draw it into the domain.

‘Honestly, I was a bit uncertain about this.’

Even though I was opening the door with the energy in Nakamoto Hiroshi’s mind as the medium, I wasn’t sure if it would actually come into the domain.

It had such a huge body, and pulling its gaseous form into the domain would have had its limits.

But.

‘If it’s coming here willingly, that’s a different story.’

It was like a watermelon rolling right into my lap.

However.

‘......’

I scanned the fallen people in the living room.

A total of 14 people, including Nakamoto Hiroshi.

At this rate, there was a high probability that—

‘These 14 people will die.’

Nakamoto Hiroshi, who had already heard and accepted the situation, would understand.

But the other 13 were being sacrificed without knowing anything.

It was almost like I was the one killing them.

I was the one who gathered them here.

‘It’s my responsibility.’

I was fully aware of that.

‘Focus.’

If I played this right, maybe I could save them.

‘Servant registration.’

Ironically, even Hayashi Taro, the head of the Monster Hunting Association, had a high level of trust and loyalty toward me.

After all, anyone would feel grateful to me for helping them return from being mutants to humans.

Thanks to that, the servant registration proceeded smoothly.

‘Servant summoning.’

The place I moved them to was none other than our house in Seodaemun.

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

I did it with the intention of welcoming the creature here if possible.

I had accepted them as servants for this reason.

Only places where servants were registered could allow entry, and the only area in the house that wasn’t restricted was the entrance hall where the shoe cabinet was.

‘Additionally, I can enhance them.’

I hoped that with the protection of the black energy, they might be able to withstand it for a while.

Even though the creature was powerful, this was the center of the house’s proclaimed domain.

It would be relatively weaker here.

And finally.

‘Level up.’

Once they became servants, I could use money to upgrade their stats.

I could spend nearly a trillion to raise them all to level 50.

Fwoosh—

At that moment, the silver energy exploded, expanding with intense force.

‘The power of the stars hasn’t been granted yet.’

It was unfortunate, but there was nothing I could do.

There simply wasn’t enough time.

‘I’ve done everything I can.’

Then.

Whoooosh—

The black energy, which had been quietly under my control, suddenly surged and surrounded me.

And then.

[Is that really so?]

I started hearing a voice in my head.

[Did you really do everything you could? If you had dropped them off as soon as you sensed the anomaly, that would have been enough, wouldn’t it?]

The voice seemed to whisper faintly.

[So, couldn’t it have ended without anyone dying?]

It sounded provocative,

[You registered them as servants because you knew that if they died, your count would go down anyway. You raised their levels with money, probably just for a little twinge of conscience, right?]

The voice mocked me.

[If they die, it’s because you killed them.]

Hearing that voice trying to provoke me, I became calm.

‘It’s him.’

The one who tried to devour me as soon as I reached level 50.

The master of the black energy.

It was definitely him.

‘How irritating.’

That voice ringing in my head, like telepathy.

‘It’s imitating someone else’s voice.’

It was my own voice.

Since I had communicated via telepathy with my avatar before, I could easily recognize it.

‘Let it talk all it wants.’

Am I the one who killed them? I already knew that.

But if I were shaken by something like that, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.

When I asked Ha Dong-geon’s party to go save their families, when I fought the vampires, when I attacked Seoul, when I tried to build domains across the country to establish safe zones.

I had always pushed them into danger.

In that process, many people lost their lives.

My choices had led to people’s deaths.

I had been through that path nonstop.

And because of that.

‘I can’t stop here.’

I couldn’t show hesitation.

In moments of choice, I had to be bold.

I believe that making decisive choices for the sake of those who have sacrificed for me is what I should do.

[You’ve always pushed people into death under the guise of a greater cause.]

So.

[But wasn’t it really for your own growth?]

I couldn’t be swayed by such nonsense.

[Even now. You’re using the excuse of saving mutants to sacrifice these poor 14 people as offerings. In reality, you’re just trying to gain divine power and secure your own safety.]

I sneered as I spoke.

"Of course, it’s only right to take care of myself first, isn’t it?"

I snapped back without giving any room for hesitation.

"There’s no one who doesn’t put themselves first. If anyone says otherwise, they’re lying."

A person who sacrifices their life for someone they love?

That person simply doesn’t make their own life the top priority.

The same goes for those who sacrifice themselves for a greater cause.

They’ve just found something more valuable than their life.

So, everyone actually lives for themselves.

"Therefore, I’ll do everything I can to make sure I don’t lose my body to you. And along the way, I’ll do my best to protect my people."

And the most important thing is.

"To begin with, I never planned to let those 14 people die."

With all my determination.

"I will save them. I’ll make sure of it."

Just as I always have.

"I can do it, and I will make it happen."

Saying that with a firm resolve, I felt a sense of relief.

Then, the black energy that had been swirling around suddenly dissipated, and the voice in my head faded away.

And then.

Flash―!

The silver energy exploded and enveloped me.

The next moment.

"?"

Nothing happened.

The silver energy dissipated as if nothing had occurred.

"What’s going on?"

At that moment, the silver energy gathered into a small mass, taking the form of a snake.

A small silver serpent with eight heads and eight tails.

Its true nature was immediately apparent.

‘But why does it look like this?’

The eight heads all focused on me, and then the creature made a request.

[Kill me!]

What is going on now?

***

Yokoyama Saito.

He was gripping Takahashi Ryo’s collar harshly and questioning him.

"Are you telling me to accept that nonsense?"

Takahashi Ryo answered without budging.

"Yes."

As he slightly turned his body, the hand gripping his collar dropped helplessly.

"Ugh."

Yokoyama Saito, who wasn’t awakened, felt a slight injury to his wrist ligaments from that alone.

He grabbed his aching wrist with one hand and vented his frustration.

"Are you really okay with this? Can you really forgive that bastard for such a reason?"

"As I said earlier, the real culprit is the one who created the mutants. Nakamoto Hiroshi has no sin."

"Stop kidding me!!"

Yokoyama Saito couldn’t accept it.

"Are you saying he’s innocent? My family was slaughtered!"

There was no way he could forgive him.

The mastermind?

What use was that?

In the end, it was that monster that killed his family.

If that monster hadn’t existed, his family would still be alive next to him.

He was filled with rage.

So, he provoked Takahashi Ryo on purpose.

With words he thought would make him angry.

"Right. You said you lost your girlfriend, right? Well, it wasn’t even your wife, just a girlfriend, so maybe she wasn’t that important. But I lost my family!"

At that moment, Takahashi Ryo, with a fiery gaze, responded.

"Watch your mouth if you don’t want to die."

"Die? If you can kill me, go ahead, you murderer. Hah! Come to think of it, all you awakened bastards are nothing but trash who keep killing people whenever you get the chance! I guess you could understand other murderers since you’re one yourself?"

He knew he was crossing a line, but he couldn’t control his exploding emotions.

Takahashi Ryo spoke calmly.

"I also tried to kill him at first. But he saved my girlfriend’s younger sister’s life. He risked his own life to save his mutant sister. Now, maybe, I think Ayako, who is dead, might have sent me a message."

Looking at Takahashi Ryo’s seemingly detached appearance.

"...Ha!"

Yokoyama Saito couldn’t suppress the overwhelming anger rising in his chest.

So now.

"That mutant, that woman must have suddenly changed her position because she’s a mutant, right?"

If Nakamoto Hiroshi’s actions were a sin, then everything his sister did while she was a mutant would also be a sin.

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"Tell me! What form did she take when she was a mutant? I’ll spread it to everyone!"

At that, Takahashi Ryo’s face twisted like an evil spirit.

Yokoyama Saito immediately added another jab.

"Why? Did your sister look a lot like your girlfriend? Did you think your girlfriend had come back to life? Now, you’re trying to get along with your girlfriend’s sister?"

At that moment.

Pah!

"Kuhk!"

The heavy fist of the awakened struck his solar plexus.

"Kuh, ugh!"

He looked down at himself as he gasped for breath, and Takahashi Ryo spoke.

"Do you know why you’re so upset? It’s because you’re weak. With the power you have, you can’t do anything, so you want me to join you in your revenge."

He crouched down and whispered in his ear.

"Revenge? Do it if you want. Why are you whining for me to do it for you?"

With those final words, he spat and walked away.

"Kuhhh."

He was furious.

At Nakamoto Hiroshi, who killed his family.

At Takahashi Ryo, who flipped his stance so easily.

And most of all.

"Kraaaak!"

At his own powerlessness, unable to do anything.

Then.

[Do you want power?]

A voice began to speak.

It was a voice that sounded strangely familiar.

And then.

"!!!"

A black energy slithered up from the ground and wrapped around him.

The fear of the unknown situation surged through him.

[Didn’t you need power?]

"!"

In that moment, he realized.

The voice in his head was one he had heard before.

It was the kind, warm voice he had heard when he received supplies.

The atmosphere was different, but it was definitely that person.

‘Kim Jae-hyun...!’

The one who reigned at the top of this system.

It was him who had spoken to him.

"I need... I need power!"

He cried out desperately.

Then.

Whoooosh―!

The black energy, which had blossomed from all directions, enveloped him.

"!!!!!!"

Power surged through his entire body.

He no longer felt the pain in his solar plexus.

He struck the floor with his fist.

Boom!

Cracks appeared in the concrete floor, but his fist was perfectly fine.

It was only slightly numb.

"Hah, hahaha!"

At that moment, he felt as if he could kill all his enemies right away.

He rushed forward.

Heading toward the direction Takahashi Ryo had gone.

And then.

"Takahashi Ryo!"

"......?"

As Takahashi Ryo turned around.

Pah―!

Without slowing down, he drove his fist straight into his solar plexus.

"Kuhk!"

Takahashi Ryo flew, unconscious, and slammed into a derelict building.

Just as he was about to raise his fist to finish him off.

[Stop.]

The voice in his head froze him.

[Didn’t you want Nakamoto Hiroshi’s life?]

"Y-Yes!"

[This level is insufficient. You need to grow stronger.]

"What should I do?"

Then, a response followed.

《Quest》

Quest Content: Hunt Mutants (0/10)

Time Limit: 24 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds

Reward: Power.

Failure Penalty: Death.