Savior (5)
After hearing about the shameful conduct of South Korea's so-called proud leadership, I listened to a long briefing on Seoul's current situation and the distribution of power.
The reality in Seoul was more serious than I had imagined.
Following the meeting with Commander Lee Hak-ki, there was one particular appointment on my schedule.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes. This is the bathhouse facility scheduled to reopen soon."
There were more than dozens of initiatives spearheaded by Kim Dabin.
From essential daily needs to rebuilding the communications network, revitalizing commerce, creating jobs, supporting refugees, and restoring buildings at this point, it would be easier to list the sectors she hadn't touched.
This bathhouse in front of me was just one of many results born from those projects.
"Impressive. But why here, instead of in Seomyeon?"
"We prioritized buildings among the larger bathhouses that were still relatively intact. As you know, most of the public bath facilities in Seomyeon were heavily damaged..."
"I see. Good work."
As it happened, this place was quite familiar to me.
Haesupia, huh.
It was just about a five-minute walk from my parents' home.
Turning my head, I could even spot the World Tree.
Its towering height-stretching several hundred meters-was one thing, but the thickness of its trunk looked wide enough to encompass an entire
apartment complex.
What was more astonishing was that this place was several hundred meters away from the tree's base, yet its massive roots had stretched all the way here.
And the surroundings had become so overgrown with trees that it was hard to tell whether this was still part of the city or if it had become part of the forest.
As a result, Haesupia, now shrouded in foliage, looked both familiar and strangely foreign.
The building itself was unmistakably the bathhouse I used to frequent as a child, but the environment around it had changed completely.
"Shall we go in?"
Unlike the outer walls of the building, which were choked with vines and underbrush, the dozens of steps leading to the entrance were neatly cleared.
At the top of the stairs was the reception counter, just as I remembered it.
Walking beside me, Kim Dabin explained, "Unusually, the building wasn't just intact the auxiliary facilities were also well-preserved. So we were able to use the shoe lockers, locker rooms, and even the key system without needing replacements."
As her explanation ended, the staff member waiting behind the counter retrieved a men's bath key and handed it to me.
"I-It's an honor to meet you, sir!"
I gave the nervous employee a smile, and a familiar chime rang out.
[Citizen Choi Ji-woo's trust level has increased.]
[Citizen Choi Ji-woo's loyalty has increased.]
Notifications about rising trust and loyalty levels had been pinging nonstop for a while now.
It wasn't usually this intense.
Normally, simple things like making eye contact or small talk wouldn't trigger loyalty and trust increases at this rate.
If it did, there'd be chaos every time I stepped outside.
But things were different when I was out for food or a walk-nothing unusual happened then.
This current reaction was because they fully recognized who I was.
The owner of this place, and the one known as "Kim Jae-hyun."
That clear recognition triggered responses like this.
Following Kim Dabin's lead, I made my way to the men's bath area on the third floor.
Then I turned to her and asked, "...Are you planning to follow me into the bathhouse?"
She replied, "I'll assist with your bath."
"6
""
By assist, she probably meant that.
The kind of thing you see in dramas or movies.
Where a noble or royal gets bathed, dried, and dressed by attendants...
Then, with a playful smile, Kim Dabin added, "Just kidding."
"R-Right?"
"But if you wish, I'd be more than happy to—"
"No, thank you.'
""
After quickly putting an end to her prank, I entered the inner part of the bathhouse.
I walked down a long corridor made of marble, and eventually came to a place where hundreds of lockers were lined up.
'Locker number 333.'
I found the locker with that number, put my clothes inside, then hung the key on my left arm and headed toward the bathhouse.
As I passed through the locker room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the full-length mirror.
My body, with its finely sculpted muscles and balanced proportions, looked like it had been drawn in a picture.
The soft and ordinary body I once had was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a perfectly proportioned physique that exuded confidence in the mirror.
'They say little by little, a mountain is built.'
The increasing strength and stamina from daily quests had shaped this body.
'Not bad.'
When I opened the bathhouse door, a warm, humid air gently massaged my body.
In the case of Haesoo Pia, there were many types of baths, and each bath was large enough to accommodate a dozen or so people.
Being alone in such a place made me feel like royalty.
After lightly washing my body in a shower booth, I soaked in the hot spring where a toad statue spouted water.
A tingling sensation spread from my toes throughout my body, and I felt all my muscles relax comfortably.
"Hah."
A sigh of admiration escaped me.
The water was incredibly clean, perhaps because it had not been used by anyone else.
"Ah, this is nice."
I imagined my mom and grandmother, who love baths, would especially enjoy
Soaking in the warm water in an empty bathhouse, a pleasant drowsiness began to wash over me.
'Just a little... I'll sleep...'
I slowly closed my eyes, feeling the steam rising from the warm water brushing my face.
Srrrk
'...Please.'
'Our... please...'
'...I miss you.'
'Please, save us!'
'Help! Someone is trapped under here!'
'Please!'
'Aaaah!'
'Help! Ahhhh!'
'I curse you! I'll curse you even after I die!'
I opened my eyes then.
The sound of water spouting from the toad statue continued to strike my ears.
I slowly raised my hand from the warm water and splashed my face.
[Ms. Dabin, how much time has passed?]
[About 10 minutes. Is something wrong?]
[No. I just dozed off for a bit.]
I lifted my head and looked up at the ceiling, feeling the warm water swirl around my body.
'That dream again.'
It was a nightmare, with unknown voices echoing in the darkness.
I couldn't tell who the owners of the voices were.
Were they the voices I heard during the disaster in Jamsil? Or were they from refugees needing help? Or perhaps voices of people being chased by monsters?
'Were they the voices of the people who died because of me?'
If not, it could simply be a hallucination created by my own guilt.
'I thought I had prepared myself, but maybe it wasn't enough.'
When the time came to actually kill the JHS fanatics, I had hesitated repeatedly, so perhaps my resolve wasn't as strong as I thought.
I didn't have any desire to be a good person to everyone.
Concepts like good or bad people are relative and change depending on one's personal perspective.
For example, to the 144,000 citizens who almost sacrificed their lives to Jeong Hyun-su, I might have been a savior, but to Jeong Hyun-su and his followers, I would have been no different from the Grim Reaper.
'My choices caused the deaths of hundreds.'
I didn't want to make excuses like it was inevitable.
Those people's lives were erased entirely by my decision.
It was the same in other situations.
To the vampires, I must have been a nightmare, and to the monsters, I would be the very embodiment of hell.
'That will never change.'
I will continue to kill monsters, vampires, and zombies.
Even if they were once human, or if it was a decision made for survival, nothing will change.
It's the same with humans.
"I will make a choice, and as a result, there will be people who die."
'Considering the situation in Seoul that I heard from Commander Lee, we will likely have to kill many people during the process of recapturing Seoul.'
Perhaps there will be casualties on our side as well.
Just like during the Vampire War, we might have to hold funerals.
Even so, I was determined to walk the path I believed was right.
I couldn't hesitate. Not with 500,000 lives resting on my shoulders.
'This is just a nightmare.'
It didn't bother me at all.
I had been lost in thought for a moment, but then I stood up, left the bathhouse, and dried my body with a towel.
Though the time I had spent asleep was short, the fatigue in my body had completely disappeared.
It had been a while since I'd been to a bathhouse, but more than that, it was the result of my physical conditioning.
The stamina I had gradually built up through daily quests, combined with the power of Oeun's ability, the Primordial Vitality, was making me into a superhuman.
The Primordial Vitality was a power that greatly enhanced regenerative abilities every time I sustained wounds.
'I haven't been injured yet, so I haven't experienced its effects.'
However, it wasn't just limited to wounds-it was also effective against physical fatigue.
The more stamina I consumed, the more the Primordial Vitality activated and helped me recover the stamina I had lost.
As long as my mental strength was sufficient, my stamina seemed endless.
Thanks to this, I could recover from fatigue even after a brief 10-minute nap.
After drying off and putting on my clothes from the locker, I stepped out to find Kim Dabin waiting for me.
It seemed that she had been waiting in front of the elevator while I was
bathing.
"You came out quickly."
"I've been here often."
"I see. How was the bath?"
"It was great. It feels like it could open right now."
"Thank you."
As Kim Dabin escorted me down to the counter, I asked, "By the way, aren't there any places like this in Seomyeon? I think there was a famous bathhouse somewhere near Dongnae."
"They're working hard on restoration efforts there," she replied.
"Restoration efforts?" I echoed.
She continued, "The clay figurines are at work there."
The clay figurines (±) were like rough golems made of clay, obtained by leveling up the 'Restoration of the Absolute's Residence' skill to level 2.
We had spent a hefty 300 million per figurine and created 30 of them in total. Their help in restoring the ruined city had been immense.
"I see. But don't overwork them. They're the type who work day and night without rest. You never know when they might collapse."
I jokingly added, and Kim Dabin lightly responded, "I don't think I'll collapse. I've let go of the obsession of thinking I must do everything myself."
"That's a relief."
"Some of them are finishing their work, so should I give them a day off? Maybe with some sweet desserts?"
"That sounds good."
While we were exchanging jokes, one thought suddenly popped into my mind.
"Wait."
Before meeting with Commander Lee, this thought had been filling my head.
'Could I possibly use the remaining clay figurines to level up the Job Research Institute?'
I immediately turned to Kim Dabin.
"Kim Dabin, where are the remaining clay figurines?"
"...They're at the Daeyeon-dong apartment complex. Is there something you need them for?"
"I have something urgent to try."
I took 3 clay figurines and headed to the Job Research Institute in Seomyeon.
At that moment...
[To level up this facility, 3 clay figurines are required for the construction period (7 days).]
[Would you like to level up the Job Research Institute to level 2?]
[Yes / No]
"Level up."
[3,000,000,000 won will be consumed.]
I had found the solution.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]