Four pictures were attached to the notification window.

A couple in their thirties with two children.

All of them were pictures of the people next door.

After a brief moment of contemplation, I threw a question toward the system window.

“What happens if I don’t grant citizenship?”

[Entities without citizenship will be expelled from the homebound area.]

[Are you sure you don’t want to grant citizenship?]

‘As expected.’

It wasn’t just a casual question.

The system understood my words.

Or maybe it could read my thoughts.

‘If not, things like only storing ramen in the bowl in the warehouse or putting only the oil inside the canola oil container into the warehouse would be impossible.’

The skill of the Absolute Dweller.

Although I didn’t know the exact nature of this power, I had a hunch that to some extent, it allowed two-way communication.

Of course, the system’s explanation wasn’t particularly friendly.

It didn’t teach everything.

‘Being expelled from the homebound area means…’

I couldn’t know the exact method of expulsion, but somehow, I felt it wouldn’t be a safe process.

“Grant citizenship to all four of them.”

[Citizenship is granted to Choi Hyeong-jun, Park Hye-won, Choi Na-yeon, and Choi Seo-yeon.]

After granting citizenship to the family next door, I immediately opened the skill window.

I thought there would be newly awakened skills related to citizenship.

However,

“Huh? Something else?”

The newly awakened skill was not related to citizen management.

The Absolute Dweller’s Eye Lv.1

-In the homebound area, nothing can escape the Absolute Dweller’s Eye.

I could immediately realize that the strange phenomenon I just experienced was the result of using the Absolute Dweller’s Eye.

‘Where is something related to citizens? Ah, found it.’

Surprisingly, something related to citizens was included in the Absolute Dweller Proclamation skill.

Absolute Dweller’s Declaration (Passive) Lv. 6

-No one can invade the homebound area without the Absolute Dweller’s permission.

ᛗCitizen Management

Within the Absolute Dweller Proclamation skill, a new button for Citizen Management had appeared.

Pressing it revealed brief information along with the pictures of the four people I had seen earlier.

□ Choi Hyeong-jun (Trust: 24) (Lv. 9)

□ Park Hye-won (Trust: 18) (Lv. 5)

□ Choi Na-yeon (Trust: 33) (Lv. 3)

□ Choi Seo-yeon (Trust: 42) (Lv. 2)

Current Population (4 / 600 people)

“600 people?”

The number written at the end would likely be the maximum number of citizens that can be accepted. Confirming this was easy with the number 4 written in front.

However, the number seemed excessively large.

‘Accepting 596 more people in the future? Isn’t that number a bit too much?’

Instinctively, I recognized that this function played a crucial role.

“Choi Hyeong-jun.”

As I called out the name of one of the four citizens, detailed information about the citizen came to mind.

『Name: Choi Hyeong-jun (Lv. 9)

Trust: 24

Awakening Ability: None

Experience Distribution Rate: 0%

Settlement Money Distribution Rate: 0%

★Quest Assignment 🖾Expulsion』

Experience distribution rate and settlement money distribution rate.

This meant that the citizen’s hunting experience and settlement money would come to me, and I could control the distribution rate as I pleased.

‘Could it be?’

Was this a function that existed from the beginning and not something newly acquired when leveling up?

Perhaps I couldn’t grant citizenship earlier because there was no one in our house?

‘It was strange from the beginning.’

Initially, I thought the skill I possessed was quite abnormal.

While it created a perfect safe zone limited to my home, I was the one confined to that area.

‘But if granting citizenship was possible from the beginning, the story would have been different.’

If there had been someone living with me from the start, granting citizenship to that person would have been enough.

The experience that citizens gained from hunting would have come straight back to me.

‘Is that how I was supposed to grow?’

One thing became clear after the recent battle with the Kellican: my abilities were more formidable than I thought.

While I wasn’t sure exactly how powerful being Level 27 made me, it seemed sufficient to fend off attacks from most monsters.

‘If only I had awakened my abilities at my hometown instead of here, all my problems would be solved.’

My parents lived in a two-story house, and if I had awakened there, everything would have been different.

I could have protected my family safely, and there would have been no issue with growing my abilities.

‘Hunting wouldn’t be a concern either.’

Considering the way I hunted the Kellican, I could have hunted monsters easily without leaving my house.

Just open the front door and attack the monsters from inside the house.

In retrospect, my isolation was entirely due to awakening my abilities in a high-rise apartment on the 30th floor.

If it had been the first floor, I could have stabbed goblins from the living room window and grown my abilities.

‘I wouldn’t have been able to do anything and might have died if I hadn’t been somewhat lucky.’

Originally, it was an ability that should have grown by commanding citizens from the beginning. Now, I could finally command citizens.

‘Fortunately, everything worked out in the end.’

In the grand scheme of things, everything had resolved well.

‘But what’s this?’

There was one item that caught my eye in Choi Hyeong-jun’s citizen information.

“Quest Assignment.”

Ding!

The quest assignment window was divided into quest content, time limit, success reward, and failure penalty.

As an experiment, I filled in each of these sections.

“Goblin Hunting, no time limit, no reward, no failure penalty.”

Ding!

《Quest Assignment》

Quest Content: Goblin Hunting (0/1)

Time Limit: 168 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds

Reward: Small amount of experience points.

Failure Penalty: None.

[Do you want to grant the quest as is?]

[Yes / No]

The quest window appeared, reflecting my preferences. What seemed strange was the reward section. Despite selecting “None,” a small amount of experience points was still presented as the reward.

‘Is there a default reward? Then… how far can we push the failure penalty?’

It wasn’t out of malice; I simply wanted to experiment and see how far it could go.

I confirmed that the quest wouldn’t be immediately granted.

“Quest failure penalty adjustment, death.”

Ding!

《Quest Assignment》

Quest Content: Goblin Hunting (0/1)

Time Limit: 168 hours 00 minutes 00 seconds

Reward: Small amount of experience points.

Failure Penalty: Death.

[Do you want to grant the quest as is?]

[Yes / No]

“…No.”

[Canceling quest assignment.]

… I knew it would turn out like this.

However, despite having control over the quest content and time limit, the absence of limitations on the failure penalty was quite significant.

This clearly indicated that, at any time, I could choose to end the lives of the citizens.

The power over life and death of the citizens was in my hands.

It wouldn’t be difficult.

Even for a quest as simple as killing one goblin, if I set the time limit to just one second, it would be equivalent to an immediate death sentence.

“Insane.”

Facing the real potential of my skill, shivers ran down my spine.

The lives of four citizens, or should I say, one citizen, were in my hands. The weight on my shoulders felt overwhelming.

For the first time, I was afraid of my own ability.

‘This is the power of the Absolute Dweller skill…’

True to its name, within my dwelling place, my skill held absolute influence.

‘What should I do?’

There were numerous ways to exploit the citizens.

In extreme cases, using quest assignment to control them for a long period was possible. Just as I did now, by setting the failure penalty as death, it was like sentencing them to execution for any goblin hunting quest.

“Crazy.”

The true capability of my skill, Absolute Dweller, became apparent, and I was overwhelmed with a sense of fear.

‘How do I handle this?’

There were many ways to use the citizens.

In extreme cases, I could exploit them using quest assignment, making them carry out tasks like pawns for an extended period. However, for citizens like the man from the neighboring apartment, Choi Hyeong-jun, whose level was merely 9, setting penalties such as death would require them to go on dangerous hunting quests. Their levels were sufficient to handle goblins, as goblins typically had levels around 6 or 7, but venturing into a world where monsters like the level 27 Kellican roamed was risky.

‘Moreover, even if I set up a quest, would citizens actively try to complete it? Can they even perform quests at that level?’

One or two goblins wouldn’t be a problem, but surviving in a world where dozens of goblins rushed at them would be difficult.

‘To rescue Mom and Dad, I need to train citizens to handle goblin hordes or form a team of that caliber.’

The solution was simple.

Seeing that there was an experience distribution rate for citizens, it meant that citizens could grow through monster hunting. In that case, I could continuously assign monster hunting quests.

While it was possible to force citizens into completing quests, I didn’t like that approach. Not only was it inhumane, but it would likely create resentment towards me. Moreover, it could act as an unfavorable variable in rescuing my parents.

‘In the worst-case scenario, Mom and Dad might be in danger.’

What I wanted was not a pawn that simply followed orders blindly. I needed someone who genuinely moved for my sake.

‘Forcing through quests won’t achieve that.’

To recruit someone, I first needed to win over their hearts. People need to be persuaded, not coerced.

‘Let’s go with a win-win strategy.’

With my decision made, I headed straight to the neighbor’s apartment. However, upon seeing my reflection in the hallway mirror, I stopped in my tracks.

My disheveled beard and comfortable tracksuit gave off the typical image of an unemployed person. Moreover, my body was drenched in sweat from the recent battle with Kellican.

‘First, let’s freshen up.’

I was well aware of how important first impressions were in human relationships.

Shhhh…

As warm water washed over me, I checked the skill window and noticed something I hadn’t seen before.

“Huh?”

[Absolute Dweller’s Shop Lv. 1 +]

You can purchase items registered in the shop at the regular price.

[Skill Points Available: 3]

Absolute Dweller’s Dignity Maintenance (Passive) Lv. 1 [+]

Restores the overall functions of the dwelling necessary for maintaining dignity.

[Skill Points Available: 3]

Absolute Dweller’s Warehouse Lv. 1 [+]

An extra-dimensional space where you can store items.

[Skill Points Available: 3]

There was a plus sign next to the skill level.

‘I can raise the skill level!’

Finally, I could register new items in the shop.

‘As expected, I can’t raise the Absolute Dweller’s Declaration skill with skill points.’

Skills with a plus sign were only the Shop, Dignity Maintenance, and Warehouse skills.

The Wallet skill was already at the max level, so it was natural that I couldn’t raise it anymore. The Absolute Dweller’s Eye skill, which had just been acquired, displayed a level of 1, but no plus button appeared.

‘Maybe there’s a proficiency system?’

Either way, it didn’t matter.

The skills to raise levels were predetermined from the beginning.

[Are you really going to raise the Absolute Dweller’s Shop skill level?]

“Yes.”

At that moment, the skill window flashed with a golden light.

Whoosh!

[Absolute Dweller’s Shop skill has reached Lv. 2.]

[The number of items that can be registered has increased to 20.]

[All item prices are discounted by 10%.]

“Oh?”

The limit for item registration increasing was expected. However, along with that, there was even a discount on prices.

“Isn’t this nice?”

Now, I have only 2 points left. Curious, I checked the shop skill, but this time, there was no + button.

“It seems like there’s some condition each time you level up.”

There was one guess that came to mind.

“If I fill all twenty slots, the limit for item registration, maybe I can go to the next level?”

Anyway, the items to be registered were already thought out in advance.

The top priority for registration was items that had never been used before.

Things like shower supplies and toilet paper.

“Let’s give it a try.”