Chapter 103

The suddenly summoned retainers looked around the forest with bewildered expressions.

I addressed them calmly.

"Everyone, gather here."

Ha Dong-geon stepped forward and asked, "Jaehyun, what is going on here?"

"I'll explain everything now," I replied, meeting their gazes as I continued.

"This place is not Earth."

The shocking statement stirred murmurs among the retainers. Ha Dong-geon, acting as their representative, asked, "Is this inside a dungeon?"

"No, it isn’t. Honestly, I can't say exactly where this is."

To be frank, I didn’t know the precise nature of this place either.

However—

"That’s not the important part. You all know that my family has lost consciousness."

The retainers nodded solemnly, their expressions turning grim.

I spoke with conviction, "Somewhere in this forest, their consciousnesses are trapped."

Ha Dong-geon’s expression grew even more serious as he questioned, "Trapped? Do you mean your family has been kidnapped?"

"No. Wait."

It wasn’t easy to explain everything in detail. My judgment was based on a mix of intuition and hypothesis.

"Seeing is believing."

Rather than give them a long-winded explanation, it would be better to show them the process of someone emerging from one of the strange growths firsthand.

Just as I was about to use the Absolute Dweller’s Eye to locate a growth containing a person—

Crack!

I noticed a new growth forming in real time.

Inside was—

"Hmm?"

A man curled up in a familiar posture.

"Director Lee Seong-min?"

The director, who should have been watching over my family in the hospital, had somehow appeared here.

"Does this mean...?"

Something had clearly gone wrong outside.

"The infection has spread."

The light that had emerged from my grandmother’s body a week ago, causing my family to fall unconscious, must have radiated outward again.

"Absolute Dweller’s Eye."

I immediately checked the situation outside.

Even while I was in another dimension, the skill functioned without issue.

As expected, Lee Seong-min and the other medical staff were lying unconscious on the floor.

There was no one left to care for my family, but that wasn’t the primary issue.

"The real question is... how far has this spread?"

Previously, the light’s effect was limited to the master bedroom.

But now, the situation outside was far more severe than I’d anticipated.

The entire hospital had come to a standstill, with people everywhere lying asleep, breathing steadily.

Although no one appeared to be in critical condition, immediate action was necessary.

Worse still, the light had extended its reach far beyond the hospital, affecting everyone within a radius of several hundred meters.

[Ms. Davin.]

As soon as I called, Kim Davin’s telepathic reply came.

[Yes, Jaehyun.]

[Immediately block all access to the Nampo-dong area.]

[Understood.]

I hadn’t asked her to care for the sleeping individuals for a simple reason:

"Doing so could lead to secondary and tertiary infections."

An unchecked outbreak could spiral into an endless cycle of new patients.

The best course of action now was to isolate the area around the main house.

"It’s clear that eliminating the root cause of this disaster is the top priority."

Turning back to the retainers, I continued to explain the situation.

Using the Invisible Hand, I carefully detached the growth containing Director Lee Seong-min and brought it to the ground. With a firm pull, I tore it open, revealing Lee Seong-min’s body amidst the sticky liquid.

“!!”

"A person?"

"Wait, isn’t that...?"

Several retainers, accustomed to frequent battles alongside the medical team, recognized Lee Seong-min.

I purchased a suitable robe from the shop and draped it over his body before addressing Kim Ga-young.

"Ga-young, could you use a healing spell on him?"

"Of course."

Kim Ga-young, who had been assisting the medical team with my family’s care, had luckily escaped the light’s reach—probably because I had summoned her just in time.

Buzz—

Her healing spell not only treated injuries but also alleviated status abnormalities.

Cough! Hack! Blegh!

Director Lee Seong-min awoke, violently expelling the sticky liquid from his lungs.

"Director, are you okay?"

When he saw me, his teary eyes welled up, and he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, thank you so much!"

[Citizen Lee Seong-min’s trust has significantly increased.]

[Citizen Lee Seong-min’s loyalty has significantly increased.]

[Citizen Lee Seong-min’s loyalty has reached 100.]

[Citizen Lee Seong-min has been registered as a retainer.]

[Retainer capacity limit has increased.]

With Lee Seong-min’s loyalty reaching its peak, I had gained another retainer.

"Judging by his reaction, it’s definitely him," I thought, although his original body was still breathing in the hospital room visible through the Absolute Dweller’s Eye.

"Even if I rescue my family in this way, it seems they can’t return to their original world."

Would their consciousnesses naturally reintegrate into their bodies if we returned via the East Gate? Or would something go terribly wrong?

I turned to the teary-eyed Lee Seong-min and asked, "What happened outside?"

"There was... a flash of light, and when I came to, I was trapped inside that thing."

"I see. Thank you."

After placing another set of clothes beside him, I resumed my explanation.

"As you can see, these trees are a kind of carnivorous plant. They drain people’s life force through the growths attached to their trunks."

The retainers’ expressions darkened.

"Then... does that mean all the trees here...?"

"Yes," I confirmed grimly, "we’re surrounded by countless of these life-draining trees."

"Ha..."

I turned to the shocked retainers and spoke firmly.

"Your top priority is to rescue the people trapped inside those growths. Yoo Han-gil, I’m entrusting you with command."

Yoo Han-gil, who had been quietly listening, looked startled and pointed to himself.

"Me? Me? Are you serious?"

"Yes. Over half of those growths are empty husks. Your clairvoyant ability will ensure efficiency."

In this situation, Yoo Han-gil's ability was more effective than my Absolute Dweller’s Eye, which had a limited range.

"I-I’ll do my best!"

"I’m counting on you."

So far, we hadn’t encountered any other entities in this forest. Even if monsters appeared, the retainers’ combat prowess would be more than enough to handle them.

After leaving the rescue efforts to Yoo Han-gil, I called for Kim Gun.

"Can you carry me and fly toward the center of the forest?"

"Of course."

I climbed onto Kim Gun’s back, and we flew toward the massive tree at the forest’s heart.@@novelbin@@

Flying significantly sped up the journey.

"There it is."

Through the Absolute Dweller’s Eye, I could clearly see a vortex of transparent energy swirling at the tree’s center.

"Please set me down there."

Near the vortex of energy, a large, gaping hole lay exposed, as if inviting intruders.

Once I was on the ground, I turned to Kim Gun.

"Thank you for the ride. Please join the exploration team now."

"I’ll stay with you. You might need me to return."

I hesitated.

"Would that be safe?"

The reason I hadn’t brought all the retainers was the significant danger this place posed.

This wasn’t like fighting the progenitor vampire. In that case, the red energy he wielded was borrowed power, with the true owner elsewhere—much like Ha Dong-geon using black energy.

But the being here? This one was the real deal.

The entire forest was saturated with the transparent energy, indicating the presence of its master, a divine being of this realm.

"It’s too dangerous," I told Kim Gun.

"Wait here instead."

"...Understood."

Leaving him stationed at the entrance, I stepped into the cavern.

As night fell, the surroundings grew darker.

Still, with the Absolute Dweller’s Eye, I could see perfectly, so the darkness posed no real threat.

The cavern carved into the massive tree was far longer than expected.

"The deeper I go, the stronger the energy becomes."

Crackle—

The violently flowing transparent energy clashed against the boundary of my domain, sending faint sparks flying.

Its current state was nothing like the parasitic force draining the World Tree’s life force.

Crackle!

Eventually, my domain began to shrink as the transparent energy battered against it.

"This won’t do."

At this rate, I would deplete my power before even meeting the master of the transparent energy.

Stopping in my tracks, I focused all my energy on compressing my domain.

Buzz—

The expansive domain gradually contracted, concentrating its strength.

By condensing it, I increased its density, allowing it to resist the surrounding transparent energy.

"That’s better."

Though the range of the Absolute Dweller’s Eye also decreased, it was still sufficient for navigating the terrain.

As I stabilized my power—

Click.

The sound of footsteps echoed from deeper within the cavern.

Click. Click.

The sound of heels striking the ground grew louder.

Buzz—

I activated Aura Shield, enveloping myself in a protective layer of energy—a skill inherited from my father.

The shield’s blue glow banished the surrounding darkness, revealing the figure approaching me.

A stunning woman stood there, her presence captivating.

She wore high heels and a tight leather outfit, and a pair of folded wings adorned her back.

Her dreamy, distant gaze seemed to pierce through me as she slowly opened her mouth.

"Hey..."

Her languid voice caressed the air.

"What are you?"

I responded calmly.

"I should be asking you that. Who are you to harm my family?"

"Family...?"

"You’ve taken my family’s consciousness hostage while draining the World Tree’s life force. That’s why I’ve come here personally."

"You came... here?"

For the first time, a flicker of interest appeared in her previously indifferent eyes.

"You mean... you weren’t invited?"

"That’s correct."

At that moment, the transparent energy around her began to ripple violently.

I maintained my composure and said,

"Release my family and my people. If you do, I’ll leave peacefully."

By now, she must have sensed the energy surrounding me.

"There’s no need to fight," I thought.

If she understood that a battle would cost us both dearly, she might opt for a peaceful resolution. My only goal was to save my people.

However—

"Why would I...?"

It seemed she had no intention of negotiating.

Her crescent-moon eyes curved upward, and her face, previously expressionless, flushed with excitement.

"Why should I let you go when you walked into my domain all on your own?"

She licked her lips.

And then—

"Kyahhhh!"

"Keaaaak!"

Shadows around me rose, surging forward to attack.