Chapter 141

Chapter 141

Chapter 141 – Savior (2)

A profound quiet descended upon the meeting hall as the unexpected provisions materialized.

Breaking the stillness first, Commander Lee Hak-gi marched toward one of the crates, pried it open, and inspected what lay inside.

The dancing shadows from the candles in the briefing room faintly illuminated the contents.

Catching sight of the instant noodles packed inside, a quiet laugh escaped his lips.

“Ha.”

Once he confirmed that these were indeed pristine packages of instant noodles, Commander Lee Hak-gi shifted his gaze to Moon Byung-ho and questioned,

“Is your name Kim Jae-hyun?”

“No, it is not. I am simply an envoy delivering his message.”

“In that case, did you produce these items?”

“No. Every single item was generated by Jae-hyun. Furthermore, he is currently observing this room and hearing everything we say.”

“A chuckle escaped him again. “From Busan, is that right?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Commander Lee Hak-gi pulled a chocolate bar out of a different crate and peeled back the wrapper.

The crinkling plastic echoed sharply through the hushed hall.

Taking a bite, he remarked,

“With someone like him around, we hardly require any other savior.”

“He is a benevolent man.”

At those words, the entire room dissolved into a flurry of excitement.

“Is this actually happening? All of these things…?”

“Is this really safe for consumption?”

“It hasn’t been tainted with poison, has it?”

“Chug, chug, chug. Look! Over here! We have water, completely fresh water!”

The gathered crowd desperately sifted through the goods under the faint glow of the candles.

Meanwhile, only Commander Lee Hak-gi, having already completed his inspection, stood motionless and kept his eyes locked on Moon Byung-ho.

He commanded,

“Silence, everyone.”

Driven by the sheer authority in his tone, the subordinates who had been greedily checking the provisions froze instantly.

The room returned to its previous hush, with only the leader’s words resonating in the space.

“You claimed he is observing our interactions. Is that true?”

“Yes, it is true.”

“Then, I wish to query him directly. What exactly does he require from us?”

Throughout all of this, I had been silently monitoring the events. I activated my Communication Ring to transmit a message to Moon Byung-ho.

[Inform them that our sole condition is for them to take up citizenship and align with our group.]

Moon Byung-ho passed on my instructions word for word. After a short pause, the commander inquired once more,

“Is that truly the extent of it? We are backed into a corner. To be completely candid, we would willingly submit to servitude if it meant our people’s survival. Thus, please speak plainly—what is your genuine objective?”

“Sir!”

“Servants?!”

Anxious outcries burst from various officers around the table.

Yet, Commander Lee Hak-gi was completely untroubled.

“Do you value your lives so little? If you object, do you possess some alternative method to rescue our people?”

“…….”

After rebuking his subordinates, the leader shifted his attention to Captain An Ki-tae.

“Captain An Ki-tae, I have several inquiries for you.”

“Understood, Commander. Please go ahead.”

“Ever since you aligned with that faction, have you come to feel any reverence or esteem toward Kim Jae-hyun?”

Captain An Ki-tae paused momentarily before replying.

“…In truth, yes. But it is not the kind of loyalty you might be worrying about. It arose entirely of my own free will and assessment.”

This admission triggered a wave of whispering throughout the meeting space.

“Is he suggesting he was subjected to mind control?”

“Come to think of it, he has been praising that group far too much.”

“He is likely embellishing his accounts.”

However, Commander Lee Hak-gi swept aside their doubts with a single remark.

“Even if mental manipulation is at play, do any of you intend to reject the provisions sitting right before us? Colonel Um Jin-su, after going three days without a single meal, are you going to go home to your starving relatives with nothing?”

“…No, Commander.”

“Quite so. A sensible choice. But do not fret too much.”

Having asserted absolute authority over the room, the commander faced Moon Byung-ho once more.

“As is evident, we are ready to agree to any terms. Still, I must ask out of genuine curiosity—should we integrate into your faction, will we be forced to undergo ‘brainwashing’?”

Observing this spectacle, a smirk crept onto my face.

I understood precisely why he was staging this brief performance.

『Lee Hak-gi (Lv. 25)』

Awakened Ability: Ear of Truth

An ability that permitted him to distinguish the absolute truth behind any spoken statements.

Moon Byung-ho responded.

“I cannot say for sure, but a comparable phenomenon might occur.”

What?

He pressed on with an earnest expression.

“From my very first encounter with Jae-hyun, I was overcome with a deep sense of reverence. Yet, I am unsure if that stemmed from his supernatural abilities or his tireless efforts to rescue my grandmother. Ultimately, utilizing the strength Jae-hyun bestowed upon me, I succeeded in preserving the life of my sole surviving relative, leading me to pledge my allegiance to him.”

Upon hearing such a candid and unvarnished reply, Commander Lee Hak-gi’s gaze intensified.

Inwardly, Commander Lee Hak-gi was shaken.

‘Every single thing he uttered is factual.’

Each statement from the enigmatic individual representing Kim Jae-hyun carried nothing but pure truth.

‘Regardless of the situation, experiencing immediate reverence upon meeting a stranger is highly unusual.’

Creatures had manifested, and the entire globe had been upended.

Since he had unlocked a technique to perceive the truth behind verbal declarations, it was entirely plausible that another individual wielded the capacity to manipulate minds.

‘And yet, his response is not how a brainwashed puppet would answer.’

Had he been under psychological coercion, he surely would have claimed, “Mind control does not exist within our ranks.”

‘What an irony.’

Amusingly, learning that mind control might actually occur had bolstered his trust in them.

Commander Lee Hak-gi scanned the numerous crates stacked throughout the room.

With resources of this scale, they could easily resolve their most pressing crisis.

‘Captain An Ki-tae’s assertions were likewise completely genuine.’

Although the precise mechanics of Kim Jae-hyun’s capabilities remained a mystery, it was undeniable that he could ward off beasts, supply massive amounts of sustenance, hoard weaponry and munitions, and guarantee utility access—electricity, water, and heating—for the sanctuary.

Every claim was valid.

‘This is…’

The outcome had been decided from the very start.

‘I must agree to this regardless.’

Rejecting the offer meant certain death for everyone. There was never a realistic alternative.

Even if it ultimately meant losing his own autonomy, he was prepared to guide the population into integrating with that group.

Still, his stubborn line of questioning was meant to address those who still possessed agency.

This was a unique faction composed of Awakened individuals.

He wished to afford an option to those who were self-sufficient enough to survive on their own.

‘However…’

Listening to the envoy’s reply, he began to feel that uniting with this faction might actually be beneficial.

It was merely an instinct, but a powerful premonition told him he could rely on the figure behind this representative.

Nevertheless, he could not stake the survival of hundreds of thousands of followers on a mere gut feeling.

Following a prolonged period of intense reflection, Lee Hak-gi finally broke his silence.

“Could I speak with your leader face-to-face?”

The messenger replied immediately.

“Certainly.”

The commander was somewhat taken aback by how readily the request was granted.

“To begin, let us go out.”

Prior to leaving the room, Commander Lee Hak-gi issued commands to his subordinates.

“Allocate all of these provisions to the people.”

“Understood, Commander.”

As they trailed behind the guide down the corridor, a window offering a view of the heavens came into sight.

Suddenly, the guide uttered an unexpected request.

“Grasp my hand.”

“What?”

“It will quicken our journey.”

Sensing the absolute honesty in the guide’s tone, Commander Lee Hak-gi took hold of his hand without hesitation.

And in that instant—

Whoosh—

“Ugh!”

A sudden surge of vertigo washed over him as the floor beneath him seemed to vanish entirely.

Before he could even dry heave—

“Brace yourself for just a second.”

Whoosh!

The second displacement left his mind reeling.

Ultimately, after a third instantaneous leap, Commander Lee Hak-gi’s boots touched solid earth.

“Blarggh!”

Instantly, he regurgitated the chocolate candy he had consumed moments before.

He continued to retch, but with his stomach being virtually empty for several days, nothing else followed.

Just at that moment—

Clack. Clack.

The sound of footsteps drifted up from the staircase descending into the subterranean transit station.

Commander Lee Hak-gi ceased his gasping and instinctively peered downward.

A figure radiating an incredibly mysterious aura was taking measured steps up the stairs.

His hair was impeccably styled, lacking any oil or dirt.

His complexion was flawless, devoid of any imperfections.

His garments were immaculate, bearing not a speck of dust.

Yet, more than anything, his bright and serene eyes appeared to look straight through reality itself.

“Ah…”

The second Commander Lee Hak-gi made eye contact, he felt a wave of incomprehensible sentiment wash over him.

With a solitary look, it became clear—this individual was extraordinary.

It transcended simple aesthetics.

The ambient energy he radiated, his sheer gravity, and his magnetism—all of it evoked a profound sense of awe.

At last, the youth opened his mouth.

“Pleasure to meet you. I am Kim Jae-hyun.”

Following my face-to-face encounter with Commander Lee Hak-gi, his entire group was rapidly integrated into our system.

Consequently—

[The total population has reached 500,000.]

[As the population has reached the required milestone, the ‘Inventory’ function will be unlocked.]

Ultimately, our registered base had exceeded half a million people.

[The current rank of ‘Absolute Dweller’s Warehouse’ is inadequate to enable the ‘Inventory’ feature for the citizens.]

[Please increase the skill rank.]

The utility of this function was self-evident from its title.

‘Does this grant every individual their own pocket dimension for storage?’

Based on the subsequent notification, it appeared that unlocking this utility required upgrading my storage-related ability.

‘There is no reason to act in haste.’

I had exhausted all my remaining skill points prior to marching into Seoul.

Furthermore, my Absolute Dweller’s Declaration was currently sitting at rank 37.

To acquire more points, I would have to advance my level at least three more times.

‘No need to hurry.’

An alternative trick serving a similar purpose was already widely used by the populace.

They made clever use of the trading post by registering their private gear into one of their twenty designated slots and leaving it there for a full day.

By setting an absurdly high price, they guaranteed that the listing would remain unsold.

Once the duration ended, the item was automatically relocated to their temporary holding area, where they could access it whenever they wished within seven days.

Because food items did not degrade while hosted on the market, this loophole had become immensely popular, particularly among the monster hunters.

‘Hence, spending precious development points on the inventory feature is unnecessary unless some bonus points magically fall into my lap…’

Right at that moment—

[Citizen Moon Byung-ho has exhausted his daily limit of quest submissions.]

[Calculating the results of the objectives completed by Citizen Moon Byung-ho.]

[…… Assessment in progress ……]

The newcomers led by Commander Lee Hak-gi were currently being guided by my subordinates to ensure their safe transfer to Konkuk University Station.

As per standard procedure, I had distributed daily tasks, and they had dutifully carried them out.

[Assessment finalized.]

With the expansion of my network of retainers, these alerts popped up dozens of times daily, so I had grown accustomed to brushing them off.

However, the next alert caught my eye—

[Grand Prize!]

[Congratulations.]

[You have obtained a skill point.]

An unexpected stroke of luck had occurred.

‘Byung-ho… you came through again?’