Chapter 48: Jagalchi Market (4)

[Episode 11] Jagalchi Market (4)

My grandfather looked slightly different from the eyes of others than the grandpa I knew.

Should I say he looked a bit stricter and scarier?

I could tell that the kind appearance he showed me was only to his family.

‘And it seems like he’s become much more refined.’

It felt like he had become 20 years younger.

It wasn’t just a mood thing.

You could tell just by looking at the way he walked.

He used to be an old man with legs losing strength due to problems in his brain.

But now, he was jumping down from tree roots and walking briskly. Moreover, his face seemed as young as my grandpa from childhood memories.

‘It must be because of his awakening.’

He was an ability user of level 55.

It was natural for his physical attributes to rise sharply.

Moreover.

[Guardian of the World Tree (Passive) (Myth)]

-One chosen by the World Tree

{World Tree’s Vitality}

{World Tree’s Blessing}

{World Tree’s Protection}

My grandpa’s awakening ability had a ‘Myth’ grade rating instead of alphabet numbering.

That was how great its power was.

‘Incredible.’

There were some similarities to the Absolute Dweller skill I had, where multiple additional skills were included in one skill.

‘Is ability hereditary?’

If so, that was even more hopeful.

There was a possibility that my other family members had awakened similar abilities.

That meant abilities that were different in scale from ordinary abilities.

Out of curiosity, I tried to use the Communication Ring on my grandpa.

[Grandpa! Can you hear me?]

However, since it was made exclusively for vassals, my voice couldn’t reach my grandpa.

Unable to do anything about it, I changed the target and asked Ha Dong-geon’s party to convey the message.

[Everyone, he’s my grandfather. Can you please say hello for me?]

Just in time, a man who had been friendly with Ha Dong-geon’s party introduced them to Grandpa.

“This is a new guy, but you wouldn’t believe how talented he is. He can make things out of nothing. Everything here, isn’t it all made by you guys?”

“Is that so?”

After scanning through the materials piled up in the warehouse, my grandpa approached Ha Dong-geon’s party.

Ha Dong-geon stepped forward and bowed his head.

“Nice to meet you, Chief.”

“Chief? I’m the chief?”

“Well…”

Slightly flustered by the blank expression on my grandpa’s face, Ha Dong-geon’s words trailed off, and my grandpa reached out his hand first.

“Well, we were having trouble with water, and you’ve come at just the right time. Thank you for coming.”

“Oh, those things weren’t given by us.”

“What do you mean?”

My grandpa looked back at the warehouse full of materials and asked, “Then where did all these come from?”

“All of those are thanks to Mr. Jae-hyun’s abilities. We came here at the request of Mr. Kim Jae-hyun.”

“What? Jae-hyun?”

My grandpa’s eyes widened.

“Is it the Kim Jae-hyun I know? My grandchild?”

“Yes, that’s right. Kim Jae-hyun who lives in Seomyeon apartments.”

“Oh, so that means Jae-hyun is alive?”

Ha Dong-geon nodded.

“Of course.”

Upon hearing that, my grandpa quickly turned around and said, “Then follow me!”

“What?”

My grandpa walked up to the root he rode when he first appeared and gestured towards Ha Dong-geon’s party.

“Woah!”

Ha Dong-geon’s party climbed onto the root.

The tree root they rode on immediately moved towards the World Tree.

Gudududu-

At the same time, my heart swelled with anticipation.

I thought my mother, father, and grandmother would be waiting there.

Although there was no way to go meet them yet, once the outpost was completed, it would be possible to use the Absolute Dweller’s Door skill to directly visit.

Then, I remembered the system message when Grandpa arrived earlier.

[Conditions have been met.]

[‘Annexe’ added to the list of constructible items.]

That’s right. A new construction option had appeared.

As soon as I met my grandpa, the option ‘Annexe1According to Naver’s dictionary: ‘Annexe (별채)’ as in ‘separate building; outbuilding. A building that stands apart from the main building’. This skill is different from the ‘Outpost (전초기지)’ which is more similar to ‘military outpost’. The functions are slightly different too.‘ appeared.

I briefly released the Absolute Dweller’s Eyes and entered construction mode to check its price and effects.

-Annexe (10,000,000,000 won)

>

A safe area installed outside the homebound area.

The area of the annexe increases proportionally to the homebound area.

When {activated}, it temporarily exerts the same influence as the homebound area.

However, it can only be activated when the Absolute Dweller’s kin is present.

The price was about 8 times higher than the outpost, but the point was that there was no mention of destruction.

Unlike the outpost, once built, there would be no chance of it being destroyed.

In addition, there was a construction subsidy of 10 billion won received after extending the homebound area over the apartment complex. Even after installing solar panels in all buildings, there was still over 7 billion won left.

With an additional 3 billion won, it could be installed.

And now, 3 billion won was not such a burdensome amount.

‘Construct the annexe.’

When I decided to build it, the image of the World Tree and the range of the annexe appeared vividly under my feet. The range of the annexe was on a different scale from the outpost, considering the 10 billion won cost.

It was being built in a dome shape with the size of several hundred meters, covering the entire World Tree.

Its size and appearance was almost identical to where I was, except for the roads extending like blood vessels.

‘Does this mean the range of the annexe increases in proportion to my growth? Not bad.’

With this level of performance, it could be said that the 10 billion won investment was worthwhile.

It was tens of times more valuable than the outpost, which had a limited range.

‘There’s no need to hesitate.’

[This facility requires one Absolute Dweller’s kin to be present during the construction period (7 days).]

[Are you sure you want to install it?]

[Yes / No]

Yes.

Ziing-

[Time remaining until completion of the annexe]

-167 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds

After checking that the construction had started, I came out and activated the Absolute Dweller’s Eyes again.

Just as I was about to ask my grandpa not to leave the area while the annexe was being constructed.

[Vassals have encountered the Absolute Dweller’s kin.]

[Opening the power of kin.]

Name: Kim Min-sim (Lv. 21)

Titles: [Kin][Ichon]

Trust: 99

Awakening Ability: None

‘Grandma?’

I could see an old lady lying on a stone bed in a familiar room.

She looked like she was in a deep sleep.

One thing that bothered me was that it was still a little early to go to bed. In addition, my grandpa’s sad expression made me uneasy.

“Honey, could you listen to them for a moment?”

It seemed that it was the first time I heard Grandpa call Grandma ‘honey’ in such a gentle way.

The atmosphere was unsettling.

Wooong-

With grandpa’s touch, a greenish life force flowed into grandma.

Starting from her cheek, the life force enveloped her entire body before being absorbed and disappearing.

However, grandma didn’t stir.

And Grandpa continued to talk to himself as if familiar with this situation.

“They say our Jae-hyun sent them. Jae-hyun is alive!”

I stared blankly at the scene and then used the Communication Ring.

[Please ask Grandpa what happened.]

Oh Eon-ju said, “Sir, Mr. Jae-hyun is curious about what happened.”

“Jae-hyun? How does Jae-hyun know?”

“Mr. Jae-hyun is currently sharing our vision.”

It was slightly different from the truth, but I didn’t bother to correct it. I didn’t have the luxury to focus on such trivial matters right now.

Grandpa let out a deep sigh and said, “It’s okay. Jae-hyun, you know there’s Grandpa by your grandma’s side.”

It was the first time I had seen grandpa’s face filled with sadness.

My grandpa had always worn a face close to expressionlessness, but he was now unable to contain the rising sadness.

His frowning expression and trembling voice were expressing his feelings.

“Grandma was just a bit traumatized.”

Oh Eon-ju asked.

“Since when has she been unable to wake up?”

“…Since that day.”

That day.

Grandma had been asleep from the day the monsters appeared and the world began to collapse.

“So, could you please tell us about our Jae-hyun? Can you let us hear his voice through that smartphone? Even show his face, maybe that would help her wake up.”

As I watched my grandpa, who was making a sad expression next to my grandma in a coma, I felt like I was going to cry.

Relief, sadness, unfairness, fear, and a rage whose target was not exactly clear.

An inexplicable whirlwind of emotions ran through my heart.

‘But still, I’m glad that she’s alive.’

It was also fortunate that grandpa’s ability could take care of grandma who fell into a coma.

Although grandma had been in a coma for almost a month, she seemed healthy enough to look like she was just asleep.

It was all thanks to Grandpa’s ability.

‘If only I could give a quest…’

Even if it cost money, I could have improved Grandma’s condition.

But quests were not allowed to be given to kin.

“Grandpa, may I have a moment?”

“What is it?”

“I have healing abilities. I thought it might help….”

Kim Da-jeong stepped forward.

“Go ahead.”

With Grandpa’s permission, Kim Da-jeong reached out her hand towards Grandma.

Wooong.

Unfortunately, Kim Da-jeong’s healing could not improve grandma’s condition.

Then, I suddenly noticed something strange.

The house was too quiet.

With seven adults in the house, one would expect at least some curiosity, but no one came.

Surely, Mom and Dad should have come down from the second floor by now.

I asked with a sense of unease.

[……Ms. Eon-ju, could you please ask Grandpa about my parents?]

“…Alright.”

Oh Eon-ju cautiously asked Grandpa in response to my request.

“Sir, do you know where Mr. Jae-hyun’s parents are?”

“…”

Grandpa looked at Oh Eon-ju and asked.

“Did you say Jae-hyun is watching right now?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then, I’ll speak as if you’re Jae-hyun.”

I swallowed hard at his meaningful remark.

“Jae-hyun. That day your mother was going to work. Your father went out to make money too.”

The implication of his words…

“They’re probably hiding somewhere together. Your father can’t live without her, so he probably ran to her right away. Maybe they’ve met and are getting by well.”

The gist of it was conveyed.

Grandpa also didn’t think that Mom and Dad were alive.

And I knew.

Unless at least one of them, like Grandpa, had gained awakening abilities, the likelihood of both of them being alive was close to zero.

I knew.

But even so…

[…Everyone, our next goal is Uihwang Nursing Hospital. It’s not too far from here, so can we depart right away?]

There was no way.

I didn’t have it in me to give up.

For even the slightest possibility, just a straw to grasp at.

“Mr. Jae-hyun….”

I knew it was greedy, but I couldn’t give up.

[No, you’ve already done a lot today, and it’s late. It would be best for you to stay and rest at our house tonight and leave tomorrow.]

It was then.

[The presence of the kin of the Absolute Dweller has been detected nearby.].

‘Huh?’

The System’s mention of “nearby” was not referring to Ha Dong-geon’s party.

It was clearly indicating the area near where I was, the vicinity of the apartment complex.

‘No way?’

My ‘kin’ was coming towards this place.

I didn’t need to be told who they were.

‘Mom, Dad.’

I couldn’t pinpoint their exact location.

But.

“Ye-jin!”

“Y-Yes, what is it?”

“Please command the mice around you.”

“W-What?”

“Find any survivors nearby. Quickly!”

I had the perfect scouts.

Amidst the chaos caused by the sudden appearance of kin, something abnormal was happening on the side of Ha Dong-geon’s party.

There was a loud knock on the iron door.

“Chief! Chief! Something terrible has happened!”

Grandpa, hearing it from the master bedroom, turned his gaze towards the front door, which opened to reveal the man we had seen earlier.

“What’s going on?”

“You need to come right away! A huge horde of monsters is coming!”

It was the beginning of a monster wave.