Chapter 160

Chapter 160

Chapter 160 – Restoration (1)

Kim Ga-young followed a very straightforward daily routine.

Her entire day was consumed by hunting monsters.

By this point, she had developed a basic level of communication with the Kellican, eliminating the need for direct guidance from Kim Jae-hyun, and she pursued beasts across the regions of Gangseo-gu, Bucheon, and Incheon.

She was far from the only one active.

Seventeen loyal vassals, including Moon Byung-ho, Kang Deok-soo, and Kim Geon, alongside thirty-seven dedicated hunting squads, were diligently purging the monster population.

In territories distant from the path forged by the Ice Dragon, the only major change was a slightly heavier dusting of snow.

Consequently, unlike the utterly frozen central districts, the survival rate of monsters in these outer areas was much higher, forcing the teams to venture out and handle them directly.

And, inevitably, there were still human survivors to be found.

‘What is that?’

Accumulating levels made a person stronger.

That was an undeniable reality.

However, the specific traits that were enhanced differed greatly depending on the individual.

For instance, Moon Byung-ho, who possessed the gifts of teleportation and concealment, experienced a massive boost in his mental fortitude, whereas Oh Eon-ju and Ha Dong-geon saw their physical capabilities surge dramatically.

As for Kim Ga-young…

“Kan, can you take us down? Toward those orcs.”

Her dynamic vision, a critical asset for an archer, had received the most profound enhancement.

Her eyesight had transcended mortal limitations, easily surpassing the keen vision of apex predators like hawks and eagles.

Because of this, she could easily detect orcs from hundreds of meters in the air, even while they were dragging human captives along.

Sreeeek!

The Kellican gestured its understanding with a nod and folded its massive wings.

Yielding to gravity, they began a steep plunge toward the earth.

Screeeech—

Their velocity surged, and the rushing wind whipped Kim Ga-young’s hair wildly across her face.

Despite the gale, her eyes remained sharply focused, like a bird of prey locking onto its target.

Aiming her clenched left fist toward her quarry, a brilliant light erupted from her hand, coalescing into the elegant form of a bow.

Whoooom

Her right hand, previously resting near her left, drew back toward her chest.

Instantly.

Wooooom!

A shimmering bow and arrow materialized, and the energy string was pulled to its limit.

The second she let go of her right hand.

Screeeech—

A bolt of pure light shot toward the unsuspecting orcs.

Precisely five meters above the cluster of monsters.

Pahhh—!

The solitary arrow of light shattered into dozens of tiny, piercing fragments, raining down in every direction.

Boom boom boom!

Seventeen orcs, who had been marching in a tight formation around the captives, collapsed dead instantly.

As their skulls shattered and they hit the ground, almost at the exact same moment.

Boom—

With a powerful thud, the Kellican flared its wings to stall its descent.

The captives stared up at the sky in sheer disbelief, and Kim Ga-young, leaping down from the beast’s back, addressed them in a reassuring, practiced tone.

“Remain calm. I’m here to rescue you.”

The rescue had occurred so rapidly that the survivors were unable to process it.

Most of them simply gaped at her, completely frozen.

“Eh?”

“Ahhh!”

A few belatedly registered the dead orcs lying around them and sank to the ground in shock.

“Do not fear. The threat has been neutralized. You are out of danger.”

Soothed by Kim Ga-young’s steady voice, a man who had finally grasped the situation found his words.

“Did… did you do this, young lady?”

“Yes. I did.”

The man, his hands still bound, pointed up at the sky with a trembling finger.

“Wh… what is that creature up there?”

“That is my companion.”

“…You tamed that thing?”

“Yes. His name is Kan.”

Kim Ga-young let out a sharp whistle.

On cue, the Kellican tucked its wings and landed gracefully right beside her.

“Ugh!”

The man recoiled, falling backward onto the dirt.

Kim Ga-young offered a gentle smile as she stroked the Kellican’s feathers.

“There is no reason to be afraid of him.”

The man swallowed hard, staring at the massive beast.

Sweeping her gaze over the rest of the group, who were still casting nervous glances around, Kim Ga-young spoke clearly.

“From this moment on, I will protect you. Rest assured, I am going to lead you to a secure sanctuary.”

Those words seemed to break a dam.

“Ugh!”

A woman who had collapsed to the ground earlier began to weep uncontrollably.

“Ugh.”

One after another, the others joined in, until all eight survivors were sobbing in relief.

They had fully expected to meet their ends.

Having been dragged along by the monsters with no hope left, their sudden salvation overwhelmed them, and the tears wouldn’t stop.

Furthermore, several of them were weeping over cold, lifeless bodies.

Five human corpses remained on the ground where the orcs had perished and faded away.

The sight of the survivors grieving over those bloodless, pale forms made the tragedy perfectly clear, requiring no explanation.

“……”

Kim Ga-young walked over to the grieving survivors and spoke softly.

“Excuse me.”

The boy crying the most bitterly possessed a very young face.

Kim Ga-young bit her lip to keep her composure.

The body he cradled appeared to be his mother.

This child, who belonged in a classroom, was instead mourning over his mother’s corpse in the dirt.

He had undoubtedly watched her perish right before his eyes.

Suppressing her emotions, Kim Ga-young spoke.

“From this point on, you will need to carry her. Do you think you can do that?”

“……Where are we going?”

“As I mentioned, you will be following me to a safe haven.”

Wiping his eyes, the boy took a shaky breath and asked.

“Is there truly a safe place? For real?”

“There is.”

Reassured by her absolute confidence, the boy gave a slow nod.

“I will trust you.”

Right at that moment.

[……Survivors, my name is Kim Jae-hyun.]

Kim Jae-hyun’s voice resonated directly in their minds.

[We are going to transport the deceased to a secure area now. Do you permit this?]

The sudden mental voice left the survivors looking startled and confused.

[We will do everything in our power to ensure they receive a proper burial and a dignified send-off. Will you trust me and allow me to take custody of them?]

The young boy was the first to give a nod.

Ziiing—

The moment the boy consented, the body he was holding vanished into thin air.

Seeing this, the others followed his lead, nodding as if caught in a trance.

Ziiing—

In an instant, the five deceased individuals were transferred safely to the sanctuary.

And then…

Whoooosh—

A soothing green glow descended from the air, enveloping the survivors.

Their bare, bloodied feet healed instantly.

Not only did their superficial injuries vanish, but a surge of fresh energy washed over them.

This was a manifestation of Kim Jae-hyun’s power, the life force of the World Tree.

“Huh?”

“What is this?”

Before they could fully process the miracle, new items began to manifest in front of them.

Ziiing—

Sturdy shoes, fresh clothing suited for travel, along with rations and water, appeared before them.

Once they gathered the items hovering in the air, eight bicycles materialized along the edge of the path.

[Please begin your journey as soon as you have gathered yourselves.]

With that, Kim Jae-hyun’s voice faded.

Kim Ga-young turned to the group.

“We move out in five minutes.”

Bicycles were the most efficient way to travel across these ruined paths.

Even though abandoned vehicles and rampaging beasts had torn up the roads, there were still enough narrow pathways for a bicycle to navigate.

Monsters occasionally surged out, attempting to ambush them, but they were instantly neutralized by Kim Ga-young’s light arrows the moment they showed themselves.

After a two-hour journey, they finally reached the towering walls of the territory, where they could register for citizenship.

A gentleman dressed in a clean suit was waiting to greet them.

“I will take charge of guiding you from this point forward.”

The survivors turned their gazes back to Kim Ga-young.

After watching her effortlessly handle every threat for the past two hours, they had developed immense faith in her strength.

“You are inside the secure zone now. There is absolutely nothing to fear. Just follow his lead.”

Reassured by her words, the survivors finally let go of their tension.

“Thank you for everything, Ga-young.”

“We owe you our lives.”

Once they were safely escorted inside, Kim Ga-young mounted her Kellican and took to the sky.

The beast flew toward a towering skyscraper situated in the heart of Sindorim Station.

The structures in Sindorim remained in remarkably good condition compared to the rest of ruined Seoul, and this particular building was no exception.

Once a luxury hotel, it now served as a massive residential hub for countless citizens.

The Kellican touched down on the designated helipad on the roof, where Kim Ga-young patted its head before walking inside.

She made her way to the rooftop restaurant, which routinely offered buffet-style dining, and picked up a plate.

“Ga-young?”

It was Ha Dong-geon.

Her husband, Ha Dong-geon, had been appointed the governor of the Sindorim Station territory, effectively tying him to the area.

However, that did not mean he sat idle inside all day.

He had been exceptionally busy himself.

“Is the dungeon sweep over?”

“We’ve cleared out every single one we’ve located so far.”

He was referring to the dungeons spawning within their borders.

Information regarding these anomalies was still scarce, as they lacked comprehensive data.

Fortunately, with the assistance of Kim Jae-hyun, they could obtain a rudimentary assessment of a dungeon beforehand.

By analyzing the size of the portal or the magical residue surrounding it, they could estimate the strength of the beasts dwelling inside.

Even so, naturally occurring dungeons usually harbored much stronger monsters.

Because of this, clearing dungeons fell primarily on the vassals, with Ha Dong-geon personally taking charge of every rift that manifested in his jurisdiction.

Kim Jae-hyun had been working the couple to the bone.

“Is that so? Does that mean you can finally get some rest?”

“Not quite yet.”

The two sat across from each other at a table, setting down their plates.

Kim Ga-young offered a warm smile.

“It feels like ages since we last shared a meal.”

“We’ve both been running ourselves ragged.”

“That’s true.”

After shelling a shrimp, Ha Dong-geon looked up.

“Did something happen out there?”

Slightly caught off guard, Kim Ga-young countered.

“…Is it that obvious?”

“Extremely obvious.”

Letting out a soft sigh, Kim Ga-young began to explain.

“I encountered a group of survivors today. However…”

She related the grim details of the rescue.

“I later learned they had been staying in a hidden shelter, but the orcs suddenly materialized right inside with them.”

“Out of nowhere?”

“Yes. Right out of thin air.”

Kim Ga-young paused briefly before continuing.

“It seems Da-bin’s theory was correct.”

Ha Dong-geon’s expression grew grim.

“So monsters are still spawning continuously, then?”

This was a theory born from months of firsthand experience.

Beasts were constantly appearing, even if their numbers were fewer compared to the initial day of the apocalypse.

Ha Dong-geon let out a heavy breath.

“A world where danger can materialize at any second, anywhere.”

In truth, they had heard similar accounts from multiple survivor groups.

There were countless reports of beasts appearing out of thin air.

The only reason such accounts were rare was because the vast majority of people who witnessed these spawns did not survive to tell the tale.

Kim Ga-young spoke with gravity.

“If this keeps up, Jae-hyun’s role is only going to become more critical.”

Within the sanctuaries established by Kim Jae-hyun’s power, monsters had never once spontaneously spawned.

Instead, they manifested in the controlled form of ‘dungeons.’

These could be managed systematically, and low-level monsters like goblins or orcs could be commanded at will by Kim Jae-hyun.

“Honestly, Jae-hyun’s power might be the sole salvation left for humanity.”

“I agree. But if that theory holds water…”

As Ha Dong-geon’s voice trailed off, Kim Ga-young finished his thought.

“It means that eventually, a dungeon containing an Ice Dragon, or something even worse, could spawn.”

The vassals were well aware of the Ice Dragon’s existence.

Kim Jae-hyun had informed them directly.

Anyone who had sensed its immense magical footprint, even from a distance, understood just how terrifyingly powerful it was.

Following a tense silence, Kim Ga-young asked.

“…What actually happens if we leave a dungeon untouched?”

They had never allowed a dungeon to remain active for very long.

Thanks to the overwhelming might of the vassals, every rift was dealt with swiftly.

But what if a dungeon appeared that surpassed even the vassals’ ability to clear?

What would be the fallout of an uncleared dungeon?

If the beasts inside began to spill out, what would happen to the world?

Ha Dong-geon responded firmly.

“We will simply have to grow stronger. Far stronger than we are right now.”

“…I agree.”

Overhearing the discussion between Ha Dong-geon and Kim Ga-young, I couldn’t help but let out a silent, dry chuckle.

‘That isn’t going to happen.’

Simply leaving a dungeon alone for a long time would not cause monsters to flood out.

‘I’ve already run the experiments.’

When dungeons first began manifesting, I had the exact same concerns.

Because of that, I deliberately left several dungeons active without clearing them.

I chose rifts containing weaker monsters for the test, and absolutely nothing went wrong.

They simply remained quietly in their dungeon state.

Once I confirmed this, I stopped rushing to clear every natural dungeon that appeared in my territory.

There were always far more pressing matters demanding my attention.

‘So there was never any danger.’

Even if beasts did manage to emerge, the moment they crossed into my territory, their heads would simply explode if they refused to submit to me.

An Ice Dragon would be no exception.

If it dared step into my domain, I could execute it instantly.

‘But there is no reason to tell them that.’

There was no point in dampening the motivation of two vassals who were so eager to push their limits.

‘Time to get back to work.’

My plate was incredibly full.

I had to use my clairvoyance to search for any remaining survivors nearby, while also processing citizenship for the hundreds of thousands of refugees Lee Kang-hyun had escorted back.

The urgent responsibilities were piling up rapidly.

[Your total population of citizens has reached 1,000,000.]

[Having met the population threshold, the ‘Status Window’ is now unlocked.]

As the massive influx of people from Gangbuk pushed my citizen count past the one-million mark, a brand-new system alert popped up.

‘A Status Window?’

In that exact instant.

Whoo-whooo!

With a massive surge of energy, I felt my consciousness rapidly expanding.

‘What is happening?’