Chapter 107

Whirrr-

In one corner of the living room of the family house, the massage chair hummed as it began its operation.

Dudududu!

Despite the 30% discount applied due to the shop level effect, the chair still cost a hefty four million won.

Yet, the expense didn’t feel wasteful at all.

Not only was that amount insignificant to someone like me, who dealt in the billions, but more importantly, my family absolutely loved it.

Among them, my grandmother and grandfather were the most delighted.

“Oh my, this feels amazing.”

Starting with my grandmother, the entire family took turns using the massage chair, and an hour had passed before it was her turn again to enjoy another session.

“Do you like it?”

“Love it! But, Jae-hyun, where’d you get the money to buy something so expensive?”

“I’m loaded, Grandma.”

Even as we spoke, I was earning hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of won in real-time.

Money from hunting, transaction fees from the marketplace, and profits accumulating from various shops scattered around—all of it added up.

The economic activities of over 230,000 citizens directly translated into a steady income for me.

In such a situation, four million won was nothing more than pocket change.

“Oh, my dear child has grown so much. So, so much.”

Grandma said she had no recollection of the past few months at all.

From her perspective, her unemployed grandson, who spent his days gaming, had suddenly turned into someone who could afford a massage chair worth millions.

As she looked at me with pride, my mom, her mood lifted by Grandma’s happiness, chimed in.

“My son, thank you so much.”

Dad, standing to one side, gave me a warm smile, while Grandpa sat on the sofa next to the massage chair, waiting patiently for his next turn.

This is nice.

The satisfaction I felt now, spending a mere fraction of what I’d spent on retainers, was incomparable.

Come to think of it, is this my first indulgence?

I’d spent hundreds of billions and earned even more, but this was the first time I’d spent such a significant amount purely for personal satisfaction, rather than on essentials.

This isn’t so bad.

At that moment, Dad, who had been smiling warmly, spoke up.

“Jae-hyun, I’d like a Bentley.”

“…Dad, you’ve got money too.”

Knowing how many monsters Dad had hunted, his earnings had to be in the tens of billions.

“That’s not my money—it’s your mom’s.”

“Ah.”

Dad had always been the type to give everything he earned to Mom. Now, under the subjugation contract, he was fully bound to her.

“If you ask Mom, I’m sure she’ll buy it for you.”

“Don’t even joke about it.”

“Come on, with all the money you’ve made…”

From what I remembered, Mom was fairly generous.

“Mom.”

“J-Jae-hyun…!”

Ignoring Dad’s protests, I turned to Mom.

“Can you buy Dad a new car? The old one’s completely wrecked, isn’t it?”

“A car? Is that even necessary right now?”

Given the state of the world Mom had seen—broken roads littered with abandoned vehicles—her reaction wasn’t surprising.

“There are plenty of people driving cars in Seomyeon now. The roads have been repaired. Once other roads are fixed, cars will be even more useful.”

“Really?”

Mom looked skeptical.

She wanted to believe me but couldn’t quite reconcile my words with the state of the world she’d seen with her own eyes.

Her doubt wasn’t unreasonable.

Anyone who had witnessed the devastation caused by monsters would react the same way.

The solution was simple.

Show her.

“Open East Gate.”

Connecting the Seomyeon sky to the living room floor revealed a panoramic view of the city through the gate.

“See for yourself, Mom.”

Peering cautiously through the gate, Mom’s eyes widened like saucers.

“Oh my.”

Through the gate, the well-maintained city streets and citizens traveling by car were clearly visible.

“Is this really Seomyeon?”@@novelbin@@

“Look closely. You can even see our house over there.”

“It’s true…”

“Right now, cars are mainly in use around Seomyeon, but soon the whole of Busan will look like this. So, having a car won’t be a bad idea.”

“You think so?”

Seeing that Mom was starting to come around, Dad gave me a proud smile, as if to say, Good job, son.

Finally—

“Alright, having a car could be convenient for trips to Seomyeon.”

“You’re amazing, honey!”

Mom smiled brightly and turned to Dad.

“So, what kind of car do you want?”

At her question, Dad froze.

“A… a Bentley.”

“How much is that?”

When Mom followed up with a second question, Dad’s voice grew even smaller.

“Uh, about three billion won? Haha.”

He tried to sound as casual as possible, as if the price was no big deal.

“No way.”

Mom’s tone turned firm.

“There are plenty of cheaper, better cars. Why do you need something so expensive? Absolutely not.”

“But honey…”

“No. If you have that kind of money, donate it! Do you know how many people are struggling right now?”

Mom’s words carried weight. She had lived her entire life without indulging in luxury.

While she occasionally spent money on health supplements, she had never shown any interest in designer bags or diamond-studded jewelry.

There was no way she would approve of a car worth three billion won.

Looking at Dad, now crestfallen, I said,

“Why were you even thinking of such an expensive car?”

I had assumed he’d go for something around one billion at most, never imagining he’d aim for three billion.

“Honestly, that price is more about branding than functionality. Mom’s right—let’s go for something cheaper but good.”

“My son, a Bentley is my dream…”

Looking at Dad’s forced smile, I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. But to someone like me, who had lived an ordinary life until recently, a three-billion-won car was incomprehensible.

“Isn’t it just for showing off?”

“That’s the point!”

Dad stressed again,

“That’s what matters!”

“……”

“The envy in their eyes! The moment all eyes are on you when you step out of the car! That’s what you’re paying for!”

Dad’s heartfelt plea left me dumbfounded.

He wanted to spend three billion won purely to impress others?

Honestly, spending three billion on upgrading game items feels more reasonable.

At least upgraded items remain, and if you’re lucky, you can even resell them for more.

Still…

Seeing how badly he wanted it, I relented.

“Do you really want it that much?”

The spark of hope in Dad’s eyes grew into full-blown excitement.

“…Son?”

“This is a one-time thing, though.”

“Son!”

Beaming with joy, Dad pulled me into a hug.

“I’m so proud of you!”

Considering his contributions during the vampire battle, this didn’t seem like too much to give in return.

Open shop.

However, there was one problem.

“Huh?”

The brand wasn’t listed in the shop.

It was such a high-end vehicle that I hadn’t encountered it before, and therefore, I hadn’t registered it.

I’d probably have to go all the way to Seoul to find a Bentley.

But even if I did…

The cost of restoring it would easily reach tens of billions.

That’s a bit much.

Sensing my hesitation, Dad quickly jumped in.

“A man’s word is his bond!”

“…What?”

“Son, I raised you to be a man among men!”

In other words, he was telling me not to go back on my word.

If he wants it this much, I guess I’ll get it for him.

It’s not like I was short on money.

“There’s just one problem.”

“What is it?”

“We need to find a Bentley, even if it’s in a wrecked state.”

“If that’s all, leave it to me!”

With Dad’s determination, I felt like he’d find a way to get one no matter what.

At that moment, Mom looked at me with concern.

“Son, isn’t this a bit much?”

“It’s fine, Mom.”

Reassured, Mom smiled warmly.

“All right, let’s eat. I bought beef for dinner.”

While Mom and Grandma headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal,

“Jae-hyun.”

Grandpa cautiously approached me.

“Yes, Grandpa?”

“I’ve been wondering… Did you really do something in that world?”

“Yes.”

“Then… does this mean your grandma won’t fall into that endless sleep anymore?”

“You don’t have to worry about that anymore. I’ve taken care of it.”

“That’s a relief…”

[The trust level of Lee Bong-yeol has increased.]

[The trust level of Lee Bong-yeol has reached 100.]

[You have acquired 'Life Force of the World Tree.']

As the system confirmed Grandma’s complete recovery, I felt warmth in my heart.

Grandpa really cares.

His genuine concern for Grandma came through even in the system messages.

“Ahem.”

Grandpa cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“Jae-hyun… anything will do for me.”

That night, I ended up buying Grandpa a Mercedes.

After dinner, I used the Absolute Dweller’s Door to return to my apartment in Seomyeon.

Having lived there for years, it now felt more like home than my old room at the family house.

Beep!

As soon as I arrived, Kami, who had been pacing around the living room, jumped onto my shoulder, greeting me enthusiastically.

“I’m back.”

As I stroked Kami’s head, a thought crossed my mind.

Could this little guy have once possessed divinity, like Lilith?

Had he been reduced to a familiar after his divinity was consumed by the system?

My familiar list now read [3/11], meaning one more had been added.

Originally, the capacity had been ten, but with Lilith’s addition, it increased to eleven.

It seems like a new slot unlocks each time certain conditions are met.

I wondered if all familiars were somehow tied to beings that once had divinity.

Then what about me?

Fwoosh.

I summoned a black aura into my palm.

If Lilith’s words were to be believed, this power was divine in nature.

Does that mean I’m a god?

The White Dragon had once claimed it would be impossible to save my family from Lilith.

In hindsight, there was some truth to that statement.

If I hadn’t possessed divinity, I wouldn’t have been able to enter Lilith’s domain and would have lost my family forever.

Or worse, I might have failed to let go of my family, leading to all remaining humans on Earth being dragged into Lilith’s world for a tragic end.

And if I hadn’t learned to use my power when I encountered the progenitor, the result would have been the same.

I was lucky.

Put another way:

It was dangerous.

Everything—from realizing my power to subduing Lilith—had happened purely because of luck.

There’s no guarantee my luck will hold forever.

To ensure future safety, I needed a clear understanding of my power.

Fwoosh.

That night, I stayed up researching the black aura, burning the midnight oil with unwavering focus.