Absolute Dweller-Chapter 231

The man was running at full speed, desperately fleeing.

He was being chased.

His multiple compound eyes constantly checked behind him as he ran.

“Hah, hah!”

But then,

“Wait a moment, please!”

Before he knew it, the figure blocked his path.

“Eek!”

At first glance, he appeared to be an ordinary person.

But he was the kind of monster who had effortlessly subdued a house-sized beast with a single kick.

The man was terrified of him.

Because his own appearance was no different from the monsters.

A few days ago, he had miraculously regained his reason, but unfortunately, his body still looked the same as it did when he was a mutant.

So,

‘I'm going to die!’

He was certain that he would be killed by that man.

Just like that monster that had died right in front of him.

In the man’s eyes, the being that blocked his path felt like a reaper.

Was it the desperate thoughts that reached him?

Screech—

His wings, which had been silent until now, moved.

Two pairs of thin, plastic-like wings spread out, veins showing, and began to flutter at high speed.

Whirrrr—

The wings, awakened by the instinct for survival, vibrated with a rough noise.

‘Run. I have to run!’

The man’s body lifted off the ground.

Even as he crashed into building walls a few times, he didn’t stop, soaring toward the sky.

But,

“Listen to me!”

The reaper was suddenly right in front of him.

The man screamed.

“Biiiiiing—!”

His scream didn’t even sound like that of a human.

He shuddered in fear of his own scream, desperately struggling to escape the situation.

But,

“How long do you think it’ll take you to convince me?”

The overwhelming presence of the reaper in front of him made him oblivious to the woman who had been exhaling cold air above his head.

The woman on the back of the giant bird reached out a hand toward him, and a cold wind blew.

Swoosh—

The energy emanating from her wasn’t very threatening, but

Szzzz—

It was enough to ruin the functionality of his thin insect-like wings.

As the wings stopped,

“Biiiiiing—!”

The man fell to the ground.

Thud!

He had ascended so high that his two legs were completely shattered.

The other two legs didn’t break, but they wouldn’t move either.

There was clearly something wrong.

The only good news was,

“Aiko! What on earth are you doing right now?!”

“Calm down, Hiroshi. Do you not understand what time means for those who were mutants? It’s better to subdue them like this and bring them to safety.”

“That’s… right…! Aiko, you’re right.”

It seemed like trouble had arisen between the reaper and the woman who appeared to be her ally.

‘In this gap...’

He tried to crawl away, but it was useless.

The man, named Hiroshi, stood before him.

Just as he thought he was about to die,

“Don’t you want to return to your human form? If you really want to, please don’t run anymore and cooperate as much as possible. Every second counts.”

He said something completely incomprehensible.

‘Return to my human form?’

It didn’t make sense, but still, a faint hope began to rise.

‘Right. If this person wanted to kill me, he could have done it by now.’

He was the one who had subdued a house-sized monster with a single kick.

If he wanted to kill me, I would have been dead by now.

The man spoke,

“Biiing.”

He wanted to ask if it was really true, if he could promise that.

But his transformed oral structure was not suitable for speaking human language.

Even so, the man nodded as though he understood and replied,

“Trust me.”

With a belief in his eyes, the man found himself nodding without realizing it.

“I’m sorry. It will hurt a lot, but please bear with it for a moment.”

As he tried to lift the man’s body,

Whooo—

A green energy blossomed from the air, surrounding the man’s body.

In that moment,

“!”

The sensation in his lower body quickly returned.

The four completely shattered legs were gradually returning to their original state.

‘What is this...?’

He felt familiarity in the endlessly warm and loving energy.

‘That’s the light from back then.’

How could he forget?

The light that had saved him in the hellish darkness when he had been a mutant, drifting aimlessly.

It was the same feeling.

‘Ah!’

As the memories of being saved returned, he fell into ecstasy.

“Thank you, Jaehyun.”

The monster who had cut the breath of a giant monster with a single kick.

He heard him speak, bowing his head toward the air.

‘Jaehyun...?’

The name that didn’t sound like a Japanese name made him very curious.

“Let’s go.”

The man followed their guidance.

“As soon as we arrive, you’ll need to acquire citizenship right away. The sooner, the better. That way, your chances of returning to your human form will be higher.”

A few minutes later, after riding on the back of the large bird, they arrived at Osaka Castle, the symbol of Osaka.

As soon as they reached the entrance,

[Do you wish to acquire citizenship?]

[Yes / No]

A strange message appeared in the air.

He realized that this was what Hiroshi had meant by citizenship.

There was no hesitation.

‘Yes!’

As soon as he accepted citizenship,

Ding!

[You have acquired citizenship.]

A miracle happened.

Crack—

His body, which had been no different from an insect monster, began to change rapidly.

Creek—

His body shrank in size, and the compound eyes that had occupied much of his head shrank back to their rightful place.

His lower body, which had been closer to an insect than a human, regained its original form, and the four thin legs combined into two normal legs.

And then,

“Aah—!”

His voice returned.

“Aah—!”

The sound that came out of the man’s mouth was no longer a terrifying monster’s scream, but the voice of a human.

It was the voice he had longed for so much.

The man looked down at his hands.

There they were—his perfectly normal hands.

He slowly touched his face and body with those hands.

No longer the rough shell of a monster, but the soft human skin was there.

He wanted to say something, but there was no time.

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

“Aahhh!”

The man struggled to contain his emotions as his tears streamed down his cheeks. His joy, not fully expressed in words, poured out through his cries of happiness. It was an overwhelming feeling of relief and gratitude that he couldn't hold back.

As he wept, a soft touch on his back brought him comfort. It was as if someone understood his pain, someone who empathized with his suffering. He looked up to see the proud, smiling face of Hiroshi Nakamoto.

"Welcome," Hiroshi said warmly.

The man, still trembling from his emotions, managed to respond with a voice full of tears. "I... I'm back."

It wasn't the guttural growl of a monster, but the words of a human being.

"Do you not remember your name?" Hiroshi asked.

"That's right," the man answered.

He gave a bitter smile as he noticed the genuine concern in Hiroshi's eyes. "I suppose it’s because my body hasn’t fully returned to normal."

Despite regaining his human form, remnants of his time as a mutant still lingered. His body had mostly returned to its human shape, but his eyes were still the black compound eyes of a monster, and small antennae remained on his forehead. Two pairs of large wings still protruded from his back, and his overall appearance was far from human.

The memories of his life as a human were vague, distant.

Hiroshi paused before speaking again, his voice filled with compassion. "It could be temporary amnesia. It's still too early to make any firm conclusions."

The man stared at Hiroshi, sensing the warmth in his words.

"Did I... do something to my face?" the man asked.

"No," Hiroshi replied, though he could tell that the man was puzzled. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

Hiroshi had not only helped him regain his human form but had also been looking after him, making sure he was comfortable. Despite his lost memories, the man knew that it wasn’t easy to show this much kindness to a stranger.

Hiroshi’s answer was simple and clear: "I was once a mutant too."

"Ah."

With those words, everything made sense.

"I see."

"People who have been mutants can recognize other mutants. The reason I could tell you weren’t a monster was because I’ve been through it myself. Mutants can distinguish between themselves and monsters." Hiroshi paused for a moment, then continued, "It’s rare, though, for someone to come back from being a mutant. That’s why we’re always short on help."

After a brief pause, Hiroshi spoke again.

"Since it's hard to keep calling you 'that person,' how about we give you a name for now?"

"A name?"

"Yes."

"Could you... could you name me, Hiroshi-san? I’d like you to name me since you’re my benefactor," the man asked, looking up at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi seemed taken aback but responded, "I’ve told you before, it wasn't me who saved you..."

"I know. The one who saved me is a man named Kim Jae-hyun," the man said, having learned this from what he’d been told earlier.

After repeating it several times, the man knew that the one responsible for these miracles was a man named Kim Jae-hyun, and he was from Korea.

"But still, Hiroshi-san, could you give me a name?"

Hiroshi, slightly flustered, thought for a moment.

"How about... Yamma?" he asked, unsure.

"Yamma?"

"Was that too uncreative? Let me think again."

"No," the man said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yamma... I think it fits. Please call me that from now on."

Hiroshi smiled, relieved that the man liked it. "I’m glad you like it."

"Like I said, people who were once mutants can recognize each other. There are very few who have returned from that state, so we are always short on personnel. But, if you could, would you help us out, Yamma-san?"

Yamma understood the request immediately. Helping those who were in the same predicament as him. There was no reason to refuse. In fact, it was something he wanted to do.

"I will. Please, let me help!" he replied eagerly.

Hiroshi nodded with a smile. "The task itself is simple. All you need to do is bring mutants here and help them obtain citizenship."

Yamma looked up, noticing the lights were on in the building. Electricity had been restored.

‘What kind of power does Kim Jae-hyun have that can do all this?’ he wondered. Regaining his human body, restoring electricity, and even running water.

Curiosity overtook him, and he asked, "Hiroshi-san, where is Jae-hyun-nim?"

Hiroshi answered casually, "Jae-hyun is probably in Busan right now."

"Excuse me?"

Yamma was sure he must have misheard.

"Busan... the Busan I know?"

"Yes, that’s right. In Korea."

"Wait, what?"

Korea was far from Osaka. How could someone have this kind of power to do all of this?

Hiroshi seemed to understand his confusion. "I know. It's amazing, right? This is a base we set up quickly to rescue survivors. It takes a long time to travel to places like Fukuoka, so this was the quickest solution."

Yamma still didn’t fully understand, but he was more concerned about what happened next.

"Since we're short on hands, you'll be put to work right away, but would you like to eat first? What do you like?"

Yamma looked around, confused. There was nothing in sight that looked like it could be eaten.

However, when asked what he wanted, a thought suddenly came to his mind.

"I’d like some ramen..." he said, his memories of the warm broth and chewy noodles flooding back.

After all he had been through, eating ramen felt like an impossible dream.

But then,

"You’re in luck. We only had Korean-style ramen until recently, but a new place just opened. They’ve been around for 50 years and their taste is great."

"Really?"

What kind of a strange situation was this?

But the strange part came next.

Ziing—

Hiroshi pulled two bowls out of thin air.

And then—

Ziing—

Something appeared out of nowhere, and the comforting aroma of ramen spread through the air.

"I’ll explain the work while we eat."

Yamma didn’t hear anything else Hiroshi said. He was completely mesmerized as he picked up his chopsticks and lifted the noodles.

And then,

Slurp—

As he slurped with all his might, the chewy noodles danced in his mouth.

Perfectly cooked noodles with just the right amount of chew, and the deep, flavorful broth.

It was real ramen.

"This... this is..."

Yamma couldn’t finish his words.

Hiroshi smiled knowingly as he explained, "This is all thanks to Jae-hyun-nim’s abilities."

As Hiroshi mentioned his name, Yamma felt a strong sense of trust toward Kim Jae-hyun rise from deep within him.

He understood now why Hiroshi always referred to him with the respectful 'nim' attached.

"Ugh."

Tears suddenly welled up.

"Sniff, slurp—"

Tears fell into his ramen bowl.

"It’s so good, it’s so good!"

Had there been some special seasoning added to his tears?

The ramen with tears mixed in was by far the best ramen he had ever tasted in his life.

The man struggled to contain his emotions as his tears streamed down his cheeks. His joy, not fully expressed in words, poured out through his cries of happiness. It was an overwhelming feeling of relief and gratitude that he couldn't hold back.

As he wept, a soft touch on his back brought him comfort. It was as if someone understood his pain, someone who empathized with his suffering. He looked up to see the proud, smiling face of Hiroshi Nakamoto.

"Welcome," Hiroshi said warmly.

The man, still trembling from his emotions, managed to respond with a voice full of tears. "I... I'm back."

It wasn't the guttural growl of a monster, but the words of a human being.

"Do you not remember your name?" Hiroshi asked.

"That's right," the man answered.

He gave a bitter smile as he noticed the genuine concern in Hiroshi's eyes. "I suppose it’s because my body hasn’t fully returned to normal."

Despite regaining his human form, remnants of his time as a mutant still lingered. His body had mostly returned to its human shape, but his eyes were still the black compound eyes of a monster, and small antennae remained on his forehead. Two pairs of large wings still protruded from his back, and his overall appearance was far from human.

The memories of his life as a human were vague, distant.

Hiroshi paused before speaking again, his voice filled with compassion. "It could be temporary amnesia. It's still too early to make any firm conclusions."

The man stared at Hiroshi, sensing the warmth in his words.

"Did I... do something to my face?" the man asked.

"No," Hiroshi replied, though he could tell that the man was puzzled. "Why are you being so kind to me?"

Hiroshi had not only helped him regain his human form but had also been looking after him, making sure he was comfortable. Despite his lost memories, the man knew that it wasn’t easy to show this much kindness to a stranger.

Hiroshi’s answer was simple and clear: "I was once a mutant too."

"Ah."

With those words, everything made sense.

"I see."

"People who have been mutants can recognize other mutants. The reason I could tell you weren’t a monster was because I’ve been through it myself. Mutants can distinguish between themselves and monsters." Hiroshi paused for a moment, then continued, "It’s rare, though, for someone to come back from being a mutant. That’s why we’re always short on help."

After a brief pause, Hiroshi spoke again.

"Since it's hard to keep calling you 'that person,' how about we give you a name for now?"

"A name?"

"Yes."

"Could you... could you name me, Hiroshi-san? I’d like you to name me since you’re my benefactor," the man asked, looking up at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi seemed taken aback but responded, "I’ve told you before, it wasn't me who saved you..."

"I know. The one who saved me is a man named Kim Jae-hyun," the man said, having learned this from what he’d been told earlier.

After repeating it several times, the man knew that the one responsible for these miracles was a man named Kim Jae-hyun, and he was from Korea.

"But still, Hiroshi-san, could you give me a name?"

Hiroshi, slightly flustered, thought for a moment.

"How about... Yamma?" he asked, unsure.

"Yamma?"

"Was that too uncreative? Let me think again."

"No," the man said, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yamma... I think it fits. Please call me that from now on."

Hiroshi smiled, relieved that the man liked it. "I’m glad you like it."

"Like I said, people who were once mutants can recognize each other. There are very few who have returned from that state, so we are always short on personnel. But, if you could, would you help us out, Yamma-san?"

Yamma understood the request immediately. Helping those who were in the same predicament as him. There was no reason to refuse. In fact, it was something he wanted to do.

"I will. Please, let me help!" he replied eagerly.

Hiroshi nodded with a smile. "The task itself is simple. All you need to do is bring mutants here and help them obtain citizenship."

Yamma looked up, noticing the lights were on in the building. Electricity had been restored.

‘What kind of power does Kim Jae-hyun have that can do all this?’ he wondered. Regaining his human body, restoring electricity, and even running water.

Curiosity overtook him, and he asked, "Hiroshi-san, where is Jae-hyun-nim?"

Hiroshi answered casually, "Jae-hyun is probably in Busan right now."

"Excuse me?"

Yamma was sure he must have misheard.

"Busan... the Busan I know?"

"Yes, that’s right. In Korea."

"Wait, what?"

Korea was far from Osaka. How could someone have this kind of power to do all of this?

Hiroshi seemed to understand his confusion. "I know. It's amazing, right? This is a base we set up quickly to rescue survivors. It takes a long time to travel to places like Fukuoka, so this was the quickest solution."

Yamma still didn’t fully understand, but he was more concerned about what happened next.

"Since we're short on hands, you'll be put to work right away, but would you like to eat first? What do you like?"

Yamma looked around, confused. There was nothing in sight that looked like it could be eaten.

However, when asked what he wanted, a thought suddenly came to his mind.

"I’d like some ramen..." he said, his memories of the warm broth and chewy noodles flooding back.

After all he had been through, eating ramen felt like an impossible dream.

But then,

"You’re in luck. We only had Korean-style ramen until recently, but a new place just opened. They’ve been around for 50 years and their taste is great."

"Really?"

What kind of a strange situation was this?

But the strange part came next.

Ziing—

Hiroshi pulled two bowls out of thin air.

And then—

Ziing—

Something appeared out of nowhere, and the comforting aroma of ramen spread through the air.

"I’ll explain the work while we eat."

Yamma didn’t hear anything else Hiroshi said. He was completely mesmerized as he picked up his chopsticks and lifted the noodles.

And then,

Slurp—

As he slurped with all his might, the chewy noodles danced in his mouth.

Perfectly cooked noodles with just the right amount of chew, and the deep, flavorful broth.

It was real ramen.

"This... this is..."

Yamma couldn’t finish his words.

Hiroshi smiled knowingly as he explained, "This is all thanks to Jae-hyun-nim’s abilities."

As Hiroshi mentioned his name, Yamma felt a strong sense of trust toward Kim Jae-hyun rise from deep within him.

He understood now why Hiroshi always referred to him with the respectful 'nim' attached.

"Ugh."

Tears suddenly welled up.

"Sniff, slurp—"

Tears fell into his ramen bowl.

"It’s so good, it’s so good!"

Had there been some special seasoning added to his tears?

The ramen with tears mixed in was by far the best ramen he had ever tasted in his life.