Absolute Dweller-Chapter 117

‘So, the vampires have infiltrated here as well?’

It wasn’t entirely surprising.

Their base was in Ulsan, and they had already extended their reach as far as Busan.

Located roughly between Ulsan and Busan, this place wasn’t an unlikely spot for one or two vampires to appear.

‘If I deal with this one, will the conditions for establishing a forward base be fulfilled?’

This situation was slightly different from what had occurred in Ulsan.

The vampire at the Ulsan Homeplus had played the role of leader among the humans there.

However, the vampire in front of me seemed to be treated as a complete newcomer.

Moreover—

“The rookie essentially saved all of our lives. Hey, Min-jun, we’re seriously grateful.”

From what I overheard, it sounded like the mid-tier vampire had saved people’s lives.

“That can’t be right.”

Every vampire I’d encountered until now had been a bloodthirsty beast.

Even humans who were turned into vampires would lose their humanity and transform into monsters consumed by their thirst for blood.

The idea that such a creature could save human lives was hard to believe.

[Mr. Kim Geon, could you ask the director if there have been any recent deaths or disappearances?]

At my question, the director shook his hands vehemently.

“There hasn’t been anything like that. Our employees have been working here for a long time and know each other well. If someone were missing, it would’ve been reported immediately. The military also does headcounts every morning and evening, so we’d notice if anyone disappeared.”

His words left me conflicted.

‘Could this really be a “good” vampire?’

There had been no incidents so far, and the vampire had apparently even saved lives. The situation was baffling.

Could a vampire suppress its instincts and genuinely strive to live among humans?

At that moment, Kim Geon stepped away from the group and spoke quietly.

“Jae-hyun, what’s going on?”

Even in a whisper, his words were crystal clear to me, thanks to the active Absolute Dweller’s Eye.

[That man, Lee Min-jun, is a vampire.]

“...So those creatures are still lingering.”

[They consumed all of Ulsan, after all. They might still be expanding their influence elsewhere.]

“Should I handle it?”

[Hmm. What do you think? Do you believe a “good” vampire could exist?]

Kim Geon shook his head decisively.

“It’s impossible.”

His firm stance prompted me to ask further.

[Why are you so certain?]

He had heard the same conversation I did, yet he seemed absolutely convinced. There had to be a reason.

“After the vampire war, we hunted the ones that remained in Ulsan. During that time, there was a girl who begged us to spare her mother, who had been turned into a vampire. She pleaded with us, saying her mother hadn’t completely lost her mind and could still be saved. But that girl was bitten to death by her own mother.”

“The mother was just a low-tier vampire, still retaining some of her memories and personality. If a ‘good’ vampire could exist, that incident wouldn’t have happened.”

Hearing this, I became convinced.

[So this one is just putting on an act.]

“Exactly.”

But killing someone who had earned everyone’s trust without clear evidence was not an option.

[We’ll need definitive proof.]

That night, Lee Min-jun waited eagerly.

‘Finally, it’s nighttime.’

This organization was a nuisance.

Being tied to a critical facility like a nuclear power plant, it operated under a highly closed system with strict security measures, including CCTV. It was a challenging environment to act freely.

However—

‘I have this ability.’

Biting his finger, Lee Min-jun transformed into a bat and carefully left the dormitory.

Avoiding the cameras he had already scouted, he quietly infiltrated Seo Ju-won’s room.

Swoosh.

Once safely inside, he returned to his human form, smiling as he saw Seo Ju-won sleeping under a blanket.

‘How long has it been since I’ve had a proper meal?’

Even as a human, Lee Min-jun had a habit of saving the best for last.

Though his humanity was long gone, his instinct to savor the most desirable prey remained intact.

‘The tastiest one here.’

Among the group with mediocre abilities, Seo Ju-won stood out as the best choice.

Standing over Seo Ju-won’s bed, Lee Min-jun whispered, “Enjoy your rest. I’ll take it from here.”

Just as he bared his fangs and lifted the blanket—

Click.

The sound of a switch flipping echoed behind him, and the room lit up brightly.

“Huh?”

Then—

“That’s as far as you go.”

A voice spoke from the empty air.

Lee Min-jun froze, his expression hardening as he glared at the seemingly empty space.

Soon—

Swoosh.

Moon Byeong-ho emerged, holding a phone recording the scene.

The moment Lee Min-jun saw his face, he turned pale and shouted, “Y-you’re—!”

His eyes shook violently.

The face before him was one seared into his trauma.

He had witnessed this man effortlessly kill his superior, a high-tier vampire, without resistance.

Back then, Lee Min-jun had only survived because he had been in bat form, unnoticed by Moon Byeong-ho.

Moon Byeong-ho glared at him and asked, “Do you know me?”

“N-no! I don’t! I swear!”

Desperately, Lee Min-jun tried to transform into a bat.

But in the blink of an eye, Moon Byeong-ho disappeared and reappeared right in front of him.

Then—

Shhk!

A dagger pierced Lee Min-jun’s heart.

“Guhh—”

With a faint groan, his heart stopped, and his body disintegrated into ash.

[You have hunted a Mid-Tier Vampire (Lv. 38).]

[You have gained a significant amount of experience points.]

[2,133,619,548 KRW has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller’s wallet.]

[Citizen Moon Byeong-ho has defeated the leader of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant.]

[A forward base can now be established at the Kori Nuclear Power Plant.]

I had been slightly worried about fulfilling the conditions, but everything had worked out perfectly.

"Forward Base Construction."

[The facility is too large.]

[Adjusting construction time and cost.]

[This facility requires three citizens with the title of “Knight” or higher during the 30-day construction period.]

[Do you wish to proceed with construction?]

[Yes/No]

The construction time had significantly increased, and the cost had risen tenfold.

‘130 billion won? That’s not too bad.’

The construction cost was acceptable. The real concern was the construction time.

‘It’ll take an entire month?’

720 hours.

It also indicated that completing it immediately would require 72 crystals.

‘Proceed for now.’

I still had a trump card left.

[More than ten citizens with the title of “Knight” or higher are present at the construction site.]

[Construction efficiency has increased by 200%.]

[Time remaining for completion of the forward base construction:]

239 hours 59 minutes 59 secondsThanks to the additional effect, the construction speed was boosted to 300%, cutting the time down to one-third.

Having allocated an excessive number of retainers paid off.

‘This will do.’

Though it required more crystals than initially anticipated, considering the size and danger of the Kori Nuclear Power Plant, it was a reasonable investment.

‘Finish it instantly.’

[Do you wish to complete the “Forward Base” facility instantly?]

[Completing the facility will require 24 crystals.]

‘Yes.’

Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.

At that moment—

Whir—

[A qualified entity has been detected within the area of influence.]

[Do you wish to grant citizenship?]

The entire Kori Nuclear Power Plant came under my influence.

[Solar power facilities have been discovered.]

[Solar panel efficiency increased by 900%.]

The solar power systems installed within the facility were integrated into the system, drastically increasing their output.

But that wasn’t all.

[Nuclear power facilities have been discovered.]

[A new constructible item, “Nuclear Power Plant,” has been added.]

The nuclear power facility was incorporated into the system, providing a new energy source.

Electricity generated from the nuclear plant began to spread across the entirety of the domain in Busan.

Simultaneously—

[Removing nuclear waste.]

Before I could act, the spent nuclear fuel was eradicated.

‘It’s done.’

The results exceeded expectations.

‘I’ve prevented the worst-case scenario.’

It seemed everything was resolved.

[Thank you all for your hard work.]

But at this point, I still didn’t understand the true meaning of “precognitive dream.”

Precognitive Dream (夢)

A dream that shows what will happen in reality.

Jang Ho-won couldn’t shake his unease.

The dream had felt far too vivid.

Even though he had been told that everything was resolved on the same day he had the dream, he couldn’t put his mind at ease.

‘Why do I feel like this?’

He couldn’t pinpoint the reason.

Maybe it was just intuition.

“Hey, Hyung, could you help me one more time?”

“Everything’s been taken care of. Why are you so worried? Don’t you know? The entire Kori Power Plant has been designated as a safe zone, just like Ulsan Homeplus.”

“I know, but I can’t help feeling uneasy.”

As soon as he had the dream, he reported it to Lee Jun-hyuk, assuming that handing it over to higher-ups would be the end of his role.

He returned to his usual routine, clearing dungeons.

But he couldn’t focus.

“If you were that concerned, why didn’t you volunteer to participate in the operation?”

“I regret not doing that now.”

As the one who had the precognitive dream, he felt he should have personally confirmed with his own eyes that everything was resolved.

“Sigh. Fine. I’ll wrap things up here. You go check it out.”

“Thanks, Hyung!”

Jang Ho-won hurriedly drove his compact car back to the apartment complex.

He sprinted to the administrative headquarters and burst into Kim Da-bin’s office.

Panting, he ignored the stares and rushed straight to the administrator.

Recognizing him, Kim Da-bin asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Could you send me to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant?”

Seeing the serious expression on his face, Kim Da-bin replied, “Calm down first. Did you have another precognitive dream?”

“No, it’s different this time.”

“Then...?”

“I have a bad feeling. I need to see the Kori Plant for myself.”

Kim Da-bin studied him for a moment before nodding.

“All right. Please wait a moment.”

Kim Da-bin reported to Kim Jae-hyun through telepathy, and with permission granted, the East Gate was opened.

Whir—

A portal leading to the Kori Nuclear Power Plant appeared before Jang Ho-won.

But as soon as he saw it, his face went pale.

“This is... the Kori Plant?”

“Yes. Is something wrong?”

“This... this isn’t the plant I saw in my dream!”

“What do you mean?”

“This isn’t it! The place that explodes is—!”

At that moment—

Boom! Rumble-rumble—

The ground on the other side of the East Gate began to tremble faintly.