Absolute Dweller-Chapter 176

'She's back.'

After confirming that Park Sae-rom had taken out her smartphone from her inventory, I waited for about ten minutes. Soon enough, I saw her store it back inside.

Bzzzz—

Without hesitation, I pulled it out and immediately checked the recorded file.

As soon as I played it, her slightly shaky voice came through.

(Uh... So at first, the people around me suddenly disappeared. And then...)

It was an unorganized report, but that wasn't the important part.

'The fact that she was able to record means she wasn’t in the middle of combat. Her voice doesn’t sound exhausted either. And since she didn’t mention any injuries, that means these shadow creatures are something she can handle alone. Even if they’re strong, she’s at least capable of escaping from them.'

Considering that no notifications had popped up about her hunting shadow monsters since she disappeared, it was more likely that she had simply avoided fighting them.

'Still...'

At least for now, I didn’t need to worry. That alone was a relief.

As I sorted through my thoughts, her rambling report continued.

(And the glass shards on the ground and the windows on the buildings all leak out light. I know this isn’t the time to say this, but it’s really beautiful, you know? I wish I could show you, Jaehyun...)

And then—

(Who are you?)

A stranger’s voice suddenly cut in.

And the recording ended there.

'...That's it?'

There was no follow-up on who that man was, what happened after they met, or how she handled the situation.

And another thing—

'I waited ten whole minutes, and this is all there is?'

The total recording time was 57 seconds.

Even if she had listened to my entire pre-recorded message before responding, it should have taken no more than three minutes.

'And why was the flashlight turned on?'

I didn’t know the exact reason, but something had happened.

Given that the world on her side was overall dark, she might have simply needed light.

'Still, it’s a relief. She seems to be safe.'

Since this was a space outside my influence, I had been uneasy. But it seemed like it wasn’t as dangerous as I had initially feared.

'She disappeared the moment she looked into the mirror.'

If I thought about it simply, it was likely that she had entered the world inside the mirror.

That would also explain the pitch-black sky and why light seemed to leak from shattered glass and building windows.

'If the light from reality is passing through glass and mirrors into the otherworld, then it makes sense.'

And that world—

'It’s definitely ruled by a deity-level being.'

Lilith’s domain immediately came to mind.

The Forest of Death.

A ruthless world sustained by summoning people's spiritual bodies and draining their life force.

'Back then, I could enter Lilith’s domain because of a backdoor.'

Because there was someone in direct connection with that world—her grandmother—I had been able to gain access.

'And the fact that her grandmother was within my domain also played a big role.'

Since I could use Black Eyes within my domain.

'If there's a key to connecting with this otherworld, I have it.'

The mirrors.

My guess was that the mirrors scattered throughout Gwangju were the keys to crossing over into that world.

'If I can pull them into my domain...'

Then, just like before, I might be able to use Black Eyes and enter that world myself.

With that in mind, I knew exactly what needed to be done next.

[1st Team.]

The retainers in the 1st Team, who had been on standby, immediately tuned in.

[I will now explain the mission.]

Using Absolute Dweller’s Eye, I confirmed that seven Kellikans had returned from Gwangju.

Since the situation had been urgent, I hadn’t given them any specific orders, but being the smart creatures they were, they had made their way back to base on their own.

The three that hadn’t returned had likely been sucked into the otherworld like Park Sae-rom.

'And judging by the fact that one contract of subjugation was severed, one of them has already died.'

That meant the otherworld wasn’t an easy place to survive.

[1st Team Leader, take your team and head to Gwangju.]

“...Understood.”

[However, do not land. Survey the area from above, focusing on the outer perimeter of Gwangju.]

“The outer perimeter?”

[Yes. The Silent Domain cannot be infinitely vast. There must be a boundary somewhere in Gwangju. Finding that boundary is our goal.]

Oh Eon-ju, catching onto my intent, spoke up.

“You mean we need to find a viable area to establish a forward base.”

[Exactly.]

The plan was simple.

[We will construct a forward base as close to the boundary as possible, and from there, we will expand our domain.]

And once the domain was established, I would personally enter and interact with the mirrors.

[The difficulty of building the domain should be relatively low.]

After all, there wasn’t a single person or monster in the heart of Gwangju to obstruct domain construction.

"Then, Jaehyun-nim, please assign one more member to our team."

She meant to round their numbers up to ten.

That would maximize construction efficiency.

[Understood. Give me a moment.]

Adding one more person wasn’t difficult.

Today’s primary goal was reconnaissance.

Teams were already split up to test their teamwork.

'Since domain construction is involved, we need someone with numbers.'

While the Gwangju city center was empty, the opposite direction was crawling with monsters.

And to eliminate those monsters as quickly as possible to secure the area, we needed an overwhelming force.

Among my retainers, there were two individuals I could call a one-man army.

Cha Hyun-seung, who commanded a beast legion.

Jung So-ra, who commanded a spirit legion.

Between the two, the better fit for this situation was her.

[Jung So-ra.]

“Yes?”

[Join 1st Team immediately.]

“Huh? But...”

[I will inform your 7th Team Leader separately.]

“Ah, understood.”

I opened the North Gate to let her join 1st Team, then organized my thoughts on what to say to Park Sae-rom.

After that—

'Video would be better than audio this time.'

I launched the camera app and started recording a video message.

Seeing my face on the screen felt a little awkward, but this wasn’t the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} time to worry about that.

"This is Kim Jaehyun. I’ve received your report, Sae-rom. Next time, please use video and capture your surroundings. Also, if possible, let me know how strong the shadow creatures are. If you can, try hunting them, but don’t overdo it."

That should be enough feedback.

"And this is just my speculation, but I believe the place you’re in is the ‘Otherworld inside the Mirror.’ The ruler of that place may possess power comparable to mine."

After sharing my thoughts on her situation, I briefly explained our upcoming mission.

That we would be constructing a forward base and expanding the domain as quickly as possible.

That once preparations were complete, I would come for her myself.

"So until then, please stay as safe as possible. I will stock your inventory with supplies to help you last. Just hold on until we get there."

And lastly—

"As I mentioned before, if you need anything specific, let me know, and I’ll make sure to provide it. Also, I heard a man’s voice at the end of your last recording. I trust that you’re okay."

Once I finished recording, I stored the video in her inventory.

There was already plenty of water and drinks stocked, so I just needed to add food.

Originally, I had planned to buy an emergency supply set from the store, but those contained too much water.

The food inside was mostly snacks like cookies and chocolate pies.

'She has plenty of snacks. A proper meal would be better.'

While scrolling through the marketplace, hoping to find something decent—

'...Monster Chicken?'

Chicken had been one of the first food markets to recover after society collapsed.

BBQ, Kyochon, BHC—you name it.

The sheer number of former fried chicken shop owners in Korea must have been absurd.

But Monster Chicken?

'People have really been experimenting ever since Giant Black Boar...'

It was made from Thunderwing Shadow-Hens.

And judging by how fast it disappeared from listings, it was insanely popular.

'Buy.'

With my marketplace privileges, securing a few wasn’t a problem.

Since I wasn’t sure about Park Sae-rom’s preference, I bought both fried and spicy glazed.

Then, I filled her inventory to its absolute limit with various high-quality meals.

'That should be enough.'

Feeling satisfied, I waited for the inventory to react.

But then—

'...Something's wrong.'

Far too much time had passed with no response.

***

The place Song Tae-young led Park Sae-rom to was a ruined building where every reflective surface had been shattered.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

It wasn't just this building—every structure, every vehicle in the area had been stripped of anything that could reflect light.

Crunch—

Glass shards scattered across the floor cracked under his steps as he walked slowly, stopping in front of an emergency exit.

"This is it," he said.

Park Sae-rom blinked in confusion.

"Here?"

No matter how she looked at it, this didn’t seem like the kind of place people would be staying.

Next to them was a non-functional elevator, and beyond the door ahead, there couldn’t possibly be anything resembling a shelter.

Clack— Creeeeak—

"Ugh."

The moment the door opened, a horrid stench rushed out.

The sight before her was far more dreadful than she had expected.

A stairwell stretching both upward and downward.

A putrid odor wafting from all directions.

Emaciated figures, faces sunken, bodies barely clinging to life.

Lifeless eyes.

If hell existed, it would look like this.

"......."

Without hesitation, Song Tae-young walked into this hell and began searching for his family.

Near the entrance, a woman sat with an exhausted expression. He carefully reached out and touched her shoulder.

"Honey...?"

"Shhh—."

Though he spoke quietly, it seemed the people around them were already watching.

"Hey..."

A man, lying nearby like a corpse, spoke up.

"You... you found food, didn’t you...?"

"......."

"I can hear it rustling in your pocket..."

Ignoring the man, Song Tae-young lifted his sleeping child into his arms.

Then, he gestured toward his wife, indicating for them to leave quickly.

At that moment—

Grab—

The man on the ground clutched Song Tae-young’s ankle.

Then, he shouted.

"He has food! This bastard brought food!"

The echo of his voice vibrated through the stairwell.

"What?"

"Wait, is it true?"

"Food... there's food!"

The atmosphere shifted in an instant.

Eyes that had seemed dead moments ago now glowed with madness.

"W-Wait! Calm down, everyone—!"

Song Tae-young tried to settle the situation, but the man gripping his ankle yelled again.

"You're planning to keep it all for your family, aren't you?! Where is it?! Where did you hide it?!"

The crowd's reaction became more intense.

"You traitorous bastard!"

Some were enraged.

"Please... just one bite...!"

Others begged.

"......."

Some, resigned to their fate, didn't move at all.

Park Sae-rom hesitated.

To her, these people looked less like humans and more like zombies ready to tear Song Tae-young and his family apart.

They were far from the "comrades" he had spoken of.

‘Should I step in?’

She debated her options.

Then—

Rustle—

Song Tae-young pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket.

"This! I only have this!"

"......."

"I haven’t eaten either! I— I just wanted to feed my kids before I died!"

He shouted, his voice filled with raw emotion.

"Do you know how hard it was to find this?! If you don’t like it, go out and find food yourselves!"

A long silence followed.

"...I’m sorry, Tae-young."

The first to speak was the man who had grabbed his ankle.

"I was just... so hungry... I must have lost my mind for a moment..."

The madness faded.

"I'm sorry for calling you a traitor."

"Sniff... I don’t want to die..."

"Just one bite... please..."

"The kids should have it."

Despair, heavy and suffocating, settled over them all.

Watching quietly, Park Sae-rom nodded to herself.

‘They're still decent people.’

They were on the verge of starving to death.

And yet, they were willing to let a child eat first, even if it meant going without.

That kind of restraint was rare—especially in extreme conditions like this.

There were always those who would kill without hesitation just to steal a morsel.

The only reason these people had lost control earlier was because of their sheer desperation.

‘It'll be easy to take control here.’

If they could be fed properly, they would return to being rational, functioning people.

"Attention."

The moment she spoke, every pair of eyes turned to her.

"A-a new face...?"

"Ah, damn... We must look pathetic."

"Haa..."

Those who were still lucid responded.

The others only turned their empty stares toward her voice.

Ahem.

"Listen up! I have brought precious food!"

The moment she said the word "food," the air changed.

"What?!"

"Food?!"

"Why are you talking down to us?"

Some reacted negatively, but Park Sae-rom ignored them and continued.

"From now on, I will distribute food only to those who swear loyalty to me!"

Her next words made even more people glare at her with distaste.

"...What the hell is wrong with this crazy woman?"

But not everyone felt that way.

"I-I'll do whatever you say!"

"Please... just one bite...!"

Some crawled forward like starving dogs, swearing their loyalty on the spot.

"Good. You will be rewarded."

Others, watching this unfold, couldn't help but chuckle.

The situation was almost comically absurd.

"Idiots."

"Pfft. This is hilarious."

"Am I dreaming? Feels like a pre-death variety show."

Even as they sneered, Park Sae-rom paid them no mind.

She knew the tide was about to turn.

‘Inventory! ...Huh?’

She had intended to take out some of the snacks she had on hand.

But instead—

‘Why is there chicken? Did Jaehyun put this in? Well, whatever. This works even better.’

The moment she pulled it out, the rich, savory aroma of freshly fried chicken cut through the foul stench of the stairwell, spreading in all directions.

"Huh?"

"!!!"

The ones who had crawled toward her were the most shocked.

And as the scent continued to waft through the air, more and more expressions turned to sheer disbelief.

Raising one side of her lips into a smirk, Park Sae-rom declared—

"A reward! Eat!"