Absolute Dweller

Chapter 105

Lee Bong-yeol's appearance completely overturned the tide of the battlefield.

Crunch, crunch—

The entire forest moved in accordance with Lee Bong-yeol's will, annihilating enemies while simultaneously creating protective barriers for the people.

This phenomenon wasn’t confined to the immediate area.

Quite literally, the entire forest responded to his will, dealing with the shadow beasts as they emerged from the darkness. Before those creatures could act, roots or tree trunks would engulf them.

Of all the retainers, only Yoo Han-gil, who possessed a clairvoyant skill, could witness the spectacle in its entirety.

“This is unbelievable.”

Having previously fought alongside the retainers during the battle against the vampires, Yoo Han-gil knew just how powerful they were. He was well aware of the extraordinary combat capabilities of Ha Dong-geon’s party, the ace among the retainers.

But this...

“This is on a completely different level.”

Even when all the retainers combined their strength, they could barely fend off the endless hordes. Yet, the appearance of a single individual had completely reversed the situation.

In fact, calling it a “battlefield” now felt almost embarrassing.

The area where the retainers had gathered was utterly tranquil.

Moreover, within a radius of several kilometers, the continuous extermination of shadow beasts resembled more of a massacre than a battle.

Watching Lee Bong-yeol converse with Ha Dong-geon, Yoo Han-gil couldn’t help but wonder:

“Is this truly something a single human being is capable of?”

The combat scenes involving the retainers were remarkable, yet they were still within the realm of comprehension.

Though they had far surpassed the limits of ordinary humans, they were still, fundamentally, human. Their feats seemed achievable for individuals endowed with talent and good abilities.

But what was happening now transcended understanding.

In truth, there was a reason for Lee Bong-yeol’s overwhelming power.

While his abilities, honed alongside the World Tree, played a significant role, the more critical factor was that this forest was a space created from the World Tree’s life force.

For the forest, which had grown by consuming the World Tree’s vitality, the appearance of Lee Bong-yeol, its rightful master, was a natural event. Without hesitation, the forest submitted to him.

It was inevitable that Lee Bong-yeol could wield greater power here than in the world where asphalt replaced earth and buildings replaced trees.

Just then, Kim Da-jeong approached Yoo Han-gil.

“Mr. Yoo Han-gil?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you just standing there looking dazed?”

“Oh, it’s just...”

Yoo Han-gil, unable to take his eyes off Lee Bong-yeol, asked Kim Da-jeong:

“Is he one of the retainers?”

“Him?”

Kim Da-jeong followed Yoo Han-gil’s gaze to Lee Bong-yeol and explained:

“No, he’s a member of Jaehyun’s family. He’s his maternal grandfather.”

“Oh...”

At that moment, Yoo Han-gil realized something.

“If he’s a member of his family...”

It started to make sense.

This was the family of the man who had created a vast safe zone that encompassed an entire city, blocking monster invasions, providing a semblance of pre-apocalypse comfort, and saving tens of thousands of lives from being bred as livestock by vampires.

From their first meeting, Kim Jaehyun had defied all logic. It wasn’t surprising that his family would be equally extraordinary.

“So, his family members all possess incredible power as well.”

Yoo Han-gil could only marvel.

Then, a thought struck him.

“Wait, did Jaehyun see what I did?”

He recalled his earlier attempts to dissuade Lee Seong-min from recklessly rescuing people.

He had yelled at him to give up, warning that they would all die otherwise.

And now, among the survivors was a member of Jaehyun’s family.

Depending on how one interpreted it, Yoo Han-gil’s actions could be seen as problematic.

Feeling a rising sense of urgency, Yoo Han-gil thought he needed to do something—anything.

“If I use my abilities, I can rescue more people faster.”

But then...

I offered her a warning.

“Eating something you can’t handle will only give you a stomachache. Are you prepared for that?”

And then,

Wooong—

I slightly opened the domain that I had compressed to its limits.

The area expanded by several meters, instantly engulfing the shadow creatures within.

[An entity hostile to the Absolute Dweller has been detected.]

[Eliminating.]

The creatures exploded, vanishing into experience points and rewards.

The woman’s already twisted expression contorted further as she sighed and finally asked,

“...What do you want?”

She seemed ready to negotiate now.

“I’ve made myself clear from the beginning. Release my family and my people immediately. If you do that, I will not return.”

Her eyes burned with hostility as she retorted,

“Do you even realize how absurd your demands are? A mangy stray cat invading my domain dares to threaten me?”

“It was you who targeted my family first.”

Remaining calm, I countered her words, causing her to grit her teeth. Finally, she relented, lowering her tail—not metaphorically, but literally—as she replied,

“Fine. I yield.”

Wooong—

A transparent light began radiating from her body.

Then she spoke,

“My name is Lilith, the Master of Nightmares and the Usurper of Sanctuaries. What is yours?”

When I didn’t respond, Lilith clicked her tongue in irritation.

“Are you going to make the pact or not?”

“A pact?”

“Yes, a pact. I’ll release everyone as you’ve requested, and in return, you’ll promise never to trespass in my domain again.”

It seemed she was proposing a method of ensuring mutual trust.

However, her terms gave me pause.

“Erase all traces of your invitations as well. And include a clause that you won’t harm or interfere with my people in any way, directly or indirectly.”

One of Lilith’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

‘As expected, she had something planned.’

Oddly, her reaction reassured me.

While I wasn’t entirely sure what kind of pact this was, her response indicated there were significant penalties for violating it.

If the pact were properly established, she would no longer be able to touch us.

“Fine. I’ll agree to those terms.”

As Lilith stared at me intently, I asked,

“So, what do I need to do?”

“...Focus your power. Then, swear upon your name.”

Just as we were about to seal the pact under Lilith’s guidance—

[The Absolute Dweller’s mind blocks the attack.]

A disconcerting notification appeared.

“Huh...?”

Lilith’s expression twisted in confusion.

At the same time,

[Skill level has increased.]

“Huh?”

Fwoosh—

The compressed domain erupted outward, expanding in all directions.

And then—

“Aaaaargh!”

Lilith’s anguished scream echoed through the cavern.

[An antagonistic divinity has been detected by the Absolute Dweller.]

[Absorbing the lower-tier divinity.]

“Wa—wait...!”

With a strange notification, an overwhelming surge of power poured into me.