Chapter 161

Chapter 161 – Restoration (2)

The sensation closely mirrored the expansion of his territory during a level increase.

Yet, there was a minor distinction in the nuances.

Rather than the current boundary pushing outward, it felt as though a completely fresh territory was being appended to his realm.

‘It shares a resemblance to deploying Descent.’

Or perhaps like establishing a new forward base.

Fortunately, there was no physical discomfort.

‘Absolute Dweller’s Eye.’

He directed his focus toward one of the newly established zones and triggered the skill.

CRACK—!

SQUEAL—!

A sharp firearm discharge echoed through the air, followed shortly by a high-pitched, pig-like shriek.

This was far from a positive outcome.

Their quarry was a creature tough enough to withstand a direct torso strike from a heavy sniper rifle.

Only a headshot would do the job.

But hitting the skull of a target located a thousand meters away was a grueling challenge.

“Damn it, so close!”

Click—

A man with a blank expression ejected the spent shell from his rifle and muttered.

“Stop fussing around. You’re disrupting my focus.”

“…Apologies.”

Squinting through his optic sight, he pulled the trigger once more.

CRACK—!

Another thunderous blast shook the surroundings, but this time, the forest fell completely silent.

The projectile had clean penetrated the beast’s cranium.

“Great shot!”

Click—

The marksman grumbled as he began packing his gear.

“Seriously, I told you to shut up. Always talking…”

“Ah, Tae-jun, your precision is incredible today, as usual.”

Hong Tae-jun and his comrades earned most of their living by hunting a beast referred to as the Giant Black Boar.

True to its name, it was a colossal dark swine, and its flesh had recently turned into one of Seomyeon’s most sought-after goods.

Praised for its incredible tenderness and rich taste, it flew off the shelves despite carrying a steep price tag.

“Let’s go claim the prize.”

“Sure.”

The reason the creature’s body remained intact after death was because Hong Tae-jun had transitioned his class to Hunter.

Furthermore, all four members of his team were likewise Hunters.

“The monster population around here is dwindling compared to before.”

“It’s likely due to the widening of the safe zones.”

“True… If this keeps up, we might run out of prey. Tae-jun, how are we going to make a living then?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The group reached the spot where the dead Giant Black Boar lay without running into any trouble.

The carcass was truly immense.

A single specimen could yield tons of meat, making a single hunt worth upwards of a billion won.

However, trying to sell the entire animal at once was both incredibly costly and slow, so their standard method was to carve it up right there and sell the portions.

Slash—

They sliced open the main vessels to bleed the carcass.

While they waited for the blood to drain, Yoo Seong-min sighed.

“Man, this is getting tedious. Catching swordfish was way more exciting.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, even if a few orcs ambushed us, at least we’d break even.”

“Break even?”

“Yeah, obviously. Tae-jun is getting every single kill, leaving the rest of us empty-handed.”

“You do realize we divide the profits equally, right?”

“I’m not talking about the cash—I mean the experience. You’re hogging all of it.”

For those who sustained themselves by hunting beasts, experience points were a tangible reality.

Each time a monster fell, a floating screen appeared displaying not just their earnings but also their level and experience, making it impossible to ignore.

And for Korean citizens in their thirties and forties who had grown up playing Lineage, these concepts of progression were completely familiar, even to those who had never been hard-core gamers.

However, perspectives on this phenomenon differed.

“At this rate, Tae-jun, you’re going to leave us in the dust.”

“Humans don’t have levels.”

Some, like Hong Tae-jun, maintained that levels did not apply to mankind.

“Are you kidding? If monsters have levels, why wouldn’t we? And if we don’t have levels, why do we accumulate experience?”

Others, like Yoo Seong-min, were convinced that people had levels too.

Unlike the general public, which remained divided, most Hunters sided with Yoo Seong-min.

The explanation was simple.

“Tae-jun, as a Hunter, you must feel it too—that sudden surge of strength whenever you gain experience!”

Hunters could perceive their own physical growth through the experience points they gathered from their hunts.

“And how else can you explain our current physical capabilities?”

“…That’s just the outcome of rigorous physical training.”

“Come on, Tae-jun. Were we not training just as hard before the world fell apart?”

Yoo Seong-min grabbed one of the Giant Black Boar’s massive legs and lifted it.

“Do you honestly believe normal training could make us this powerful? Be real with me.”

“…”

Hong Tae-jun fell silent.

Because in his heart, he knew it was true.

Before the onset of monsters, no matter how hard he pushed himself, lifting a total of 500 kg across the big three lifts was an insurmountable barrier.

But now?

Not only was 500 kg a breeze, but he could easily lift over 2,000 kg.

And he hadn’t even been training that intensely.

‘If there were no levels, this would be impossible.’

Even so, the reason he kept denying the level theory was—

“Tae-jun, come on. Give me a turn to shoot next time.”

This very issue.

“Stop being ridiculous. You don’t have the marksmanship.”

“How do we know if you never let me try?”

“You already tried.”

“Can’t you just give me one more shot?”

Hong Tae-jun was kept as the group’s designated sniper because he was simply the most skilled marksman among the five.

Giant Black Boars were so massive that the others could hit their bodies easily, but none of them could consistently pierce the skull.

“Just one shot! I promise I can pull it off!”

“No.”

“Oh, come on! You just want to keep all the experience for yourself, don’t you?”

“…Sigh.”

He knew that if he admitted levels were real, this exact argument would break out every time—so he was forced to deny it.

“Boss, if you’re letting Seong-min have a go, let me be first. At least I can hit the body.”

“What the hell?”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Seong-ho, do you see the rifle in my hands?”

“I’ve got one too, don’t I?”

Kim Seong-ho grinned as he spoke.

“Hyung-nim, I earned my position fairly, so what’s the issue? This is getting sad.”

“……”

“If you really want to dispute it, why don’t you head to the range, defeat Tae-jun first, and then complain?”

Hong Tae-jun smiled slightly and said, “Thanks, Seong-ho.”

“For what? Taking down that pig is a massive pain. The best sniper needs to drop it in one shot. If we mess up, we’ll be in for a nightmare.”

“Hey, even Tae-jun missed his first shot, remember?”

“True, but he still hit the beast right in the head while it was thrashing around. Do you think you could manage that?”

“…No.”

“See?”

Confronted with Kim Seong-ho’s practical reasoning, Yoo Seong-min finally capitulated and grumbled.

“Sigh. Nobody here understands the danger we’re in. If only we had something like a status screen to check our levels—”

In that very instant.

【Name: Yoo Seong-min (Lv. 23)】

Class: {Hunter}

Title: [Goblin Slayer] [Orc Slayer]

Awakening Ability: None

Funds: 72,343,223 won

Yoo Seong-min went rigid as he stared at the glowing holographic display that had suddenly manifested in front of his eyes.

“What on earth is this…?”

As he stared at it with a stunned expression, Kim Seong-ho called out to him.

“Hyung-nim, are you pouting now?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“A grown man pouting over this, seriously.”

“Seong-ho, you don’t see this?”

“See what?”

“Say ‘status window’.”

“…Status window? Wait, what?”

Just as Kim Seong-ho stood frozen in bewilderment by the glowing window that appeared in front of him, Hong Tae-jun roared.

“AMBUSH!”

Simultaneously, an arrow whistled through the air and struck Kim Seong-ho directly in the abdomen.

“Urgh!”

“Seong-ho! You bastards!”

Yoo Seong-min grabbed the falling Kim Seong-ho and dragged him behind the massive frame of the Giant Black Boar to use as cover.

He immediately raised his firearm toward the direction of the projectile and opened fire.

CRACK—!

That single gunshot was the spark that transformed the hunting ground into a chaotic battlefield.

Ratatatat—

But their circumstances were incredibly grim.

The orcs had completely surrounded them.

Hong Tae-jun clenched his teeth.

“We are in deep trouble.”

“How did this happen?”

“Those monsters were waiting for us.”

It meant the orcs had orchestrated an ambush, using the Giant Black Boar as live bait.

“What? But why…”

“Most likely revenge.”

The total number of orcs that Hong Tae-jun’s team had slain was enough to fill a truck.

This was their bloody counterstrike.

“Damn it.”

Perhaps it wasn’t an assault specifically planned for Hong Tae-jun’s group.

They weren’t the only hunters targeting the swine in this region.

“We are absolutely finished.”

Right then—

[Would you please remove the arrow from Kim Seong-ho’s body?]

“Huh?”

“What was that?”

An unfamiliar voice echoed directly in their minds.

[I am Kim Jae-hyun.]

“What—?”

As citizens, Hong Tae-jun and his companions knew the immense significance of that name.

“B-but if we pull it out, he’ll bleed to death…”

[Please do it quickly.]

“…Understood.”

Though terrified, Yoo Seong-min complied with Kim Jae-hyun’s directive.

The shaft had gone completely through Kim Seong-ho’s body, with the tip protruding from his back.

After snapping off the front and back of the shaft, he slid the arrow out.

“Argh!”

Right after Kim Seong-ho let out a cry of agony—

WOOONG—

A soft green glow spread outward, sinking deep into his injury.

And then—

“Wait, what?”

The flow of blood stopped.

“Seong-ho, how do you feel?”

“My stomach…”

Kim Seong-ho pulled up his shirt to inspect the area. The wound had healed completely, leaving no trace.

“What is this magic…?”

But—

“KWAAARRGH!”

While they were caught off guard by Kim Jae-hyun’s sudden help, the surrounding orcs charged toward them in a frenzy.

Simultaneously—

“Oh.”

A volley of arrows rained down upon them.

‘We’re dead.’

At that very moment—

“…??”

An unbelievable event transpired.

The descending arrows suddenly froze mid-air.

Then, they reversed direction—

“GRAAAAHH!”

“GUAACK!”

“KWEGH!”

Dozens of projectiles twisted and flew like living serpents, tearing through the charging orcs.

“My god…”

Everyone stared in utter bewilderment, their mouths hanging open.

Then—

WOOONG—

A brilliant white light erupted beside Kim Seong-ho.

[Citizen Kim Seong-ho’s Loyalty has increased.]

[Citizen Kim Seong-ho’s Loyalty has reached 100.]

[Citizen Kim Seong-ho has been registered as a Vassal.]

[The Vassal limit has increased.]

After utilizing telekinesis to eradicate the orc ambush, I compiled the new insights I had gathered.

‘Now, I can apply Absolute Dweller’s Eye to any citizen who possesses citizenship.’

This was far more significant than merely providing citizens with status displays to review their progression and titles.

Previously, I was restricted to employing certain powers only if I possessed vassals.

Now, however, I could activate them for any citizen.

‘The range remains incredibly limited, though…’

Vassals provided a domain extending five meters outward.

In contrast, citizens with status displays only offered a tiny, immediate-range zone of influence.

This meant that the warehouse and storefront utilities were still largely unavailable, but I experienced no issues using the abilities unlocked when Loyalty reached 100.

And the outcome—

‘This is a massive development.’