It took five full days for the ice that had blanketed all of Seoul to lt to an acceptable level.
Despite the scorching sumr weather, vast amounts of snow and ice still remained in shaded areas.
Kang Buk-gu’s leader, Lee Kanghyun.
Right now, he was on his way to et Kim Jaehyun.
"I can’t protect everyone with my strength alone."
To be honest, he had been a little overconfident.
He had successfully hunted boss-tier monsters around Gangbuk-gu, establishing his own territory and securing a safe zone for tens of thousands of people.
His strength had attracted competent allies, and they were indeed highly capable.
They had scavenged food from abandoned marts and houses, set up base camps near Jungnangcheon for clean water, and led the survivors with textbook survival tactics.
But in the end, there was a limit.
The global supply chain had collapsed.
Nothing new was being produced.
A significant portion of stored food supplies had been buried under destroyed buildings.
Even goblins had raided convenience stores, devouring whatever they could find.
Survivors had been forced to resort to eating monster at just to barely hold on.
That was when Kim Jaehyun stepped in, providing crucial supplies.
From that mont on, public opinion had started to shift.
More than half of his leadership team had advocated for rging with Kim Jaehyun’s group.
Yet, Lee Kanghyun himself had insisted on caution.
The only reason his people had respected that decision was because of the credibility and reputation he had built.
"Maybe I should’ve accepted the offer back then. If I had..."
At the very least...
This tragedy wouldn’t have happened.
Twenty-six people had died.
Most of them were the elderly and the young—those least capable of enduring the cold.
"I was powerless."
He had sensed it when the freezing storm was at its worst.
That chilling sensation overhead, the monstrous presence lurking in the sky.
"I couldn’t do anything."
He had always prided himself on his ability to hunt monsters.
But now, even in the one field he was confident in, he had been rendered useless.
And then—
"The Fire Spirits..."
The flas that drove away the darkness and the cold had been unforgettable.
The sheer presence of those elental beings, large and small, had given him a glimpse into Kim Jaehyun’s power.
And above all—
"His vassals."
Those who had introduced themselves as Kim Jaehyun’s vassals had saved countless lives.
The death toll would’ve been much higher without them.
Among them, one woman stood out.
A healer nad Kim Dajeong.
Her ability to heal frostbite and hypothermia had made all the difference.
Kim Jaehyun’s people weren’t just strong.
They were competent.
And they were righteous.
Every single one of them possessed an overwhelming presence, comparable to himself.
"What kind of man is he...?"
Lee Kanghyun lifted his head.
"A man with powers like this..."
Above, a colossal ice do still hovered at 5km altitude.
A monuntal sight visible from anywhere in Seoul.
Unlike the earth below, where residual heat had lted much of the ice, the skyborne fortress remained perfectly preserved.
It allowed a glimpse of the massive transparent barrier that encased Seoul Station’s stronghold.
And the closer he got—
The more overwhelming its presence beca.
As he walked, lost in thought, Kim Minho, who was leading him, suddenly spoke.
"You'll be eting Jaehyun-nim soon."
"Already?"
According to his understanding, Kim Jaehyun’s base was at Seoul Station.
They still had several kiloters to go before reaching it.
"He’s coming to greet you personally."
"...That’s quite an honor."
Kim Minho then muttered to himself as if speaking to soone.
"Yes, we’re just about there."
Lee Kanghyun had seen him do this occasionally.
He had heard it was how he communicated directly with Kim Jaehyun.
"He's talking to him over this distance?"
Just how many abilities did Kim Jaehyun have?
Material generation
Instant teleportation for his vassals
Summoning an army of hundreds of elental spirits
Erecting a massive transparent barrier spanning 5km
Long-range telepathy
Even just the abilities he had personally witnessed were insane.
"There has to be a team of other gifted individuals supporting him, right?"
It was more believable that he was being assisted by multiple high-level ability users.
If Kim Jaehyun himself possessed all those powers alone—
It would be unreal.
After about five more minutes of walking—
They finally t him.
"So this is Kim Jaehyun."
At first glance—
He looked like a normal young man.
But as he drew closer, Lee Kanghyun couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
"...Wasn't he supposed to be in his thirties?"
No matter how he looked at him—
The man standing before him appeared to be in his early twenties at most.
If soone put him in a school uniform, he could easily pass as a high school student.
Yet, despite his youthful appearance, Lee Kanghyun instinctively knew.
"This is him."
Because the presence radiating from his entire being was overwhelming.
At that mont—
[ Would you like to obtain citizenship? ]
[ Yes / No ]
As Kim Minho had warned, a holographic prompt appeared before him.
"I accept."
Ding!
[ You have obtained citizenship. ]
The mont he accepted—
Hwooooom—
He felt a mysterious power washing over his entire body.
And then—
Woooong.
"...I got stronger?"
Energy overflowed within him.
It was similar to the sensation of leveling up after slaying a powerful monster.
Having hunted countless creatures, he knew this feeling well.
"My strength... it’s surging."
The source of this newfound power—
Was the buffs granted to citizens.
Because Lee Kanghyun had already held high trust in Kim Jaehyun, the mont he obtained citizenship, he imdiately unlocked trust-based bonuses.
His stats had amplified significantly.
"This is also his power?"
Slowly, he stepped forward.
And then—
Woom—
A strange energy swept over him.
"Is this the transparent barrier that Minho ntioned?"
His sensitivity to mana allowed him to feel the difference.
And then—
"...It’s warm."
Although much of the ice had lted, its lingering effects remained. The weather still felt like early winter.
However, the mont he stepped through the transparent barrier, it felt as if spring had arrived.
"It’s as if only this place was untouched by the cold."
He had heard about it.
But seeing it with his own eyes was sothing else entirely.
At that mont, he realized once again just how extraordinary the man before him was.
Inside the domain, Kim Jaehyun welcod them with an extended hand.
Despite his young appearance, he carried an aura of calm authority.
"It’s a pleasure to et you. My na is Kim Jaehyun."
"…Lee Kanghyun."
After a brief handshake, they were given a tour of Seoul Station’s stronghold.
The apartnt complexes, where Gangbuk-gu’s survivors would stay.
The trading post and other facilities.
Listening to the explanations, Lee Kanghyun suddenly spoke up.
"Would it be possible to visit Busan?"
He had already heard enough about all the various benefits and features while waiting for the ice to lt.
Instead of those things—
He wanted to see it for himself.
"People who’ve been there can’t stop praising it. I’d like to visit Seomyeon."
"There’s no reason you can’t."
Ziiing—
Space distorted, forming an oval-shaped portal in midair.
Beyond it—
An unfamiliar scene unfolded.
The sound of music drifting through the streets.
Clean roads, with cars moving in sync with traffic signals.
People, dressed comfortably, walking down the streets.
"……."
Even after hearing reports about it—
He couldn’t believe it.
It was a scene straight out of the past—before monsters had appeared.
"Let’s go."
Following Kim Jaehyun through the portal, he stepped into another world.
Imdiately—
Even the air was different from ruined Seoul.
"Hah…"
"Whoa."
The others who had followed him were equally stunned.
"Am I dreaming?"
It felt like a dream.
This place was too different from the world they had known.
Seoul had been completely frozen over.
But here—
There was no tension.
There were no monsters lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.
And people—
They weren’t even wary of monsters at all.
It was as if the very idea of monsters attacking didn’t exist here.
As Lee Kanghyun and his group wandered, looking around in disbelief,
Kim Jaehyun, who had naturally blended into the surroundings, spoke.
"There’s a great barbecue place nearby. It’s just about to open—let’s go."
They followed Kim Jaehyun’s lead.
Although it was a bit early for dinner,
two tables were already occupied.
Ssssss—
The sound of sizzling at filled the air, making their mouths water.
Even though Kim Jaehyun’s aid had prevented them from starving,
his supply rations had never included at.
And the at grilling right now—
It wasn’t just any at.
"This is from the Giant Black Boar monster. It’s several tis tastier than regular pork belly. It’s also much more expensive, but today’s my treat. Enjoy."
This restaurant, which had opened relatively recently,
specialized exclusively in monster at.
It had already beco so popular that by 6 PM, there would be no seats left.
"Table for six."
"Sit anywhere you like."
The staff were highly professional.
By the ti they sat down,
all the side dishes were already set.
"Ten servings of pork belly, please."
"Coming right up!"
Not long after—
The kitchen brought out the prepared at.
This restaurant’s high turnover rate ant they had everything ready in advance.
Ssssss—
The at sizzled as it hit the charcoal grill.
Kim Jaehyun grilled it himself.
Once it turned golden brown,
he cut it into bite-sized pieces and distributed it to the five guests.
"Eat up."
"…Thank you."
Lee Kanghyun was the first to take a bite.
The others followed.
And then—
"!!!"
They all exchanged the sa look.
"It’s delicious."
But that didn’t even co close to describing it.
"Eat as much as you want."
Without saying much else, Kim Jaehyun kept grilling.
And everyone else—
They were too busy eating to talk.
"Another ten servings, please."
"Got it!"
It wasn’t until they finished all twenty servings that their chopsticks finally slowed down.
"Should we get so naengmyeon and doenjang jjigae?"
"Who wants naengmyeon?"
They ended up ordering:
6 bowls of rice
1 soybean paste stew
2 spicy naengmyeon
1 cold naengmyeon
And within monts—
Everything was gone.
Then, suddenly—
"Hngh…"
A choked sob echoed at the table.
Park Jimin—the only woman in their group.
She had burst into tears.
"Hic… Why… Hic. Why am I crying… I’m sorry…"
Hurriedly, she wiped away her tears.
But the n sitting around her—
Their eyes were just as red.
"Another two servings, please!"
"Coming right up!"
"One bottle of soju, please!"
"On its way!"
Thankfully, the noisy atmosphere of the restaurant drowned out their sobs,
so they didn’t draw too much attention.
Lee Kanghyun glanced at his crying comrades.
Then—
He looked around at the other custors.
People laughing, chatting, eating, drinking.
Their expressions—
They weren’t faking it.
Closing his eyes for a mont, he made a decision.
"Tomorrow, we’ll bring everyone to Seoul Station."
"A wise choice."
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