Absolute Dweller-Chapter 194

The 10 K-9 howitzers, linked by [Barrage], equally shared the +10 enhancement effects.

▶ Maximum range increased by 30 km.

▶ Projectile velocity and power significantly boosted.

With these enhancements applied directly to the propellant charges, the shells flew faster and harder, cutting through the air like unstoppable meteors.

A formation of 10 high-explosive shells surged toward the north in perfect synchronization.

And then—

Vwooom—

At 2 kilometers, the first split occurred.

It was the effect of [Multiplying Shells].

The 10 shells instantly became 20, each maintaining an equal trajectory, ensuring a wide-area bombardment.

Not long after, at 4 kilometers, the skill activated again.

From the original shells, yet another set split apart.

Now, there were 30 shells in the air.

And as they continued their relentless flight, the same process repeated every 2 kilometers.

This cycle continued until the shells passed 40 kilometers.

By then—

200 shells were raining down at terminal velocity.

Each 40kg steel shell was now hurtling toward the ground with terrifying force.

And their destination—

—Gwoooohhh...

The main force of the Corrupted Corpse army, packed tightly in dense formations.

Not a single one of them even reacted to the incoming barrage.

After all—

None of them possessed the cognitive ability to perceive high-speed projectiles traveling over 1km per second.

And then—

BOOOOOOM!!

The 200 shells, perfectly synchronized by [Barrage] and [Multiplying Shells], struck the ground simultaneously.

The shockwave from the impact triggered the shell fuzes.

Ssssshhh—!

A spark ignited.

And then—

KA-BOOOOOM!

A cataclysmic explosion tore through the battlefield.

Puhh! Thud! BOOOM!

The +10 enhancement, which increased firepower by 40%, effectively doubled the explosion’s destructive radius.

Anything near ground zero was completely vaporized.

Even those farther away weren’t spared.

The shrapnel from the fragmenting shells acted like razor-sharp blades, shredding everything within a 50-meter radius per impact zone.

And this exact destruction sequence was now occurring across 200 separate craters.

Rumble... Rumble...

The entire impact zone had been turned into scorched earth.

Where a dense army of corpses once stood, there were now 200 freshly formed craters, collecting rainwater like silent graves.

***

System Messages Flooded My Vision.

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 28).]

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 20).]

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 26).]

......

......

At that moment, the results of my entire financial investment became undeniable.

A single concentrated barrage.

And the profit it generated—

[19,672,110,933 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller's wallet.]

196 billion won.

Nearly 200 billion won had just entered my account.

‘It’s a good thing I’ve been conservative with my spending.’

If I had been careless, throwing money around recklessly, I might have lacked the necessary funds when it truly mattered.

I silently thanked my past self for avoiding frivolous expenses and began assessing the battlefield.

But this wasn’t just about money.

The biggest impact was—

‘The massive level increase among the Alpha Battery soldiers.’

The ones who had experienced the most growth were the active-duty military personnel.

After all—

Civilians could only level up if they possessed official citizenship.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

Non-citizens—unawakened people—couldn’t gain levels no matter how many monsters they killed.

The only way for a non-citizen to level up was through physical training.

That’s why most ordinary people started around Level 10, even if they had fought many monsters.

But this battle changed everything.

‘Assigning the lower-leveled soldiers as gunners was the right call.’

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For citizens, experience gain followed a “sole-kill” system.

Even if multiple people fought a single monster, the final blow determined who received the full experience and money.

‘It would be nice if a party system was introduced.’

That way, we wouldn’t have to micromanage who delivered the finishing blow or redistribute funds manually afterward.

Regardless—

In just one attack, the 10 gunners who fired the barrage had gained between 2 to 5 levels each.

And most importantly—

‘This was only the first strike.’

Despite wiping out nearly 1,000 enemies, the Corrupted Corpses’ numbers hadn’t diminished significantly.

‘We have more than enough shells.’

I could have immediately reinvested the earned money into buying more ammunition,

But there was no need.

My Warehouse was already overflowing with shells and propellant charges.

Recently, I had raided an ammunition depot—the so-called “Munition Warehouse”.

Unlike the rear bases in Busan, which had nothing but training mortars,

The Chungcheong Province depot was fully stocked.

This facility had been built specifically for storing massive amounts of artillery shells and explosives.

And I had cleaned it out completely.

As I checked the stockpile, I couldn't help but appreciate South Korea’s meticulous war preparedness.

‘Thank you for the generous stockpile.’

Though a small part of me felt guilty for using government war supplies,

Technically, I was still defending the country.

Even without my orders, the Alpha Battery was executing their mission flawlessly.

Yoo Han-gil, acting as our clairvoyant observer, constantly relayed updated coordinates to the artillery teams.

As a result—

BOOOOOOOM!

Once again, the 10 howitzers unleashed another devastating salvo.

A few moments later—

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 27).]

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 26).]

[You have hunted a Corrupted Corpse (Lv. 29).]

......

......

Once again, experience points and settlement funds poured in.

[17,732,087,121 won has been deposited into the Absolute Dweller's wallet.]

Another 100-billion-unit transaction, and once again, the gunners' levels increased.

After repeating the same process about eight times, the total earnings exceeded 1 trillion won.

Then—

[Jaehyun-nim, the enemy has entered Bravo and Charlie Battery's firing range.]

A system notification confirmed that my real-time revenue was about to triple.

[Open fire.]

With my retainers handling the vanguard and the artillery battalions bombarding from 60–70km away,

The Corrupted Corpse army's advance was successfully stalled.

However—

‘As expected, they’re still pushing forward.’

Despite the massacre, the horde continued its steady march southward.

But—

‘That’s fine.’

I had plenty of ways to stop them.

[Hey.]

At my call, the Avatar, still panting and collapsed on the ground, looked at me with an exhausted, exasperated expression.

"What... now?"

[We need to thin out their numbers. I’m going to use Meteor—get airborne.]

"...Can't I just rest for a bit?"

[Stop whining and get up.]

Right now, the Avatar was positioned deep inside the Corrupted Corpse army’s main force.

It made more sense to test its [N O V E L I G H T] new technique on the densely packed main body rather than on the scattered vanguard troops.

And in practice, every time it unleashed that technique, the kill count skyrocketed.

[You know I do all the work, right? Just give me a clear line of sight.]

As I urged the Avatar to move, I activated an enhancement, and Black Energy flared across its body.

The Avatar sighed and muttered—

"Let me know when you're ready."

[Got it.]

Just as I always did when preparing Meteor,

I isolated an enclosed space using Seodaemun, purchased a 10-ton iron sphere, and positioned it.

Then—

A thought struck me.

‘What would happen if I enhanced this?’

After all, the 10-ton iron sphere was still a purchasable shop item.

It was meant to be a disposable tool for Meteor, but...

What if I enhanced it?

Honestly, it was just a heavy, round lump of metal.

But if I upgraded it, what kind of effect would appear?

‘Let’s find out.’

It wasn’t expensive, and with money constantly pouring in,

A few billion won wouldn’t hurt.

So, I went for it.

[Enhancement successful.]

The first effect—increased durability.

‘Predictable.’

[Enhancement successful.]

[Enhancement successful.]

[Enhancement successful.]

Even at +4, there was no major change.

Another durability boost appeared, and then an increase in weight.

‘Tch. I don’t need more weight.’

I could already buy heavier spheres from the shop.

Spending extra money just to increase weight was a waste.

[Enhancement successful.]

At +5, the first unique skill appeared—[Auto Repair].

It allowed the sphere to self-restore over time if damaged.

‘Hmmm.’

At +6, +7, +8, and +9, nothing groundbreaking appeared.

The enhancement success rate also plummeted, making it feel like a waste of money.

Especially when I failed 12 times in a row at +10—

I briefly regretted my decision.

Still—

‘I’ve come this far. Might as well see it through.’

And finally—

[Enhancement successful.]

The moment I reached +10—

‘Huh?’

A new skill appeared.

[Impact Fuze].

The skill description was simple—

"Detonates upon impact, with explosive power proportional to the force of collision."

“Wow.”

This was perfect for Meteor.

‘Let’s test it right now.’

I transported it into Seodaemun, allowing it to accelerate at maximum speed, then stored it in Warehouse.

And then—

[Ready.]

The Avatar, already expecting this, teleported into the sky.

Swoooooosh—

Heavy rainfall blurred visibility, but I didn’t need a clear view.

After all, the entire northern region was swarming with Corrupted Corpses.

As long as I aimed northward, I’d hit something.

‘Summon.’

I released the enhanced iron sphere at a slight downward angle.

It immediately ripped through the air, accelerating toward the ground.

Just in case, I launched it far away—

Even though I could revive in three days, I wasn’t keen on getting killed by my own attack.

Zzzzzzzzzzt!

The sphere parted the rainfall, creating a temporary vacuum in its path.

Then—

BOOOOOOM!

A thunderous impact erupted as the sphere struck the ground.

A blinding white light filled the sky.

"......What the hell is that?"

The Avatar's stunned voice echoed.

At the point of impact—

A massive firestorm erupted outward.

Like the formation of a mushroom cloud—

"!!!!!"

KA-BOOOOOOM!

A devastating shockwave engulfed the battlefield, slamming into the Avatar.

Then—

[Skill level has increased.]

Meteor had leveled up.