SWNOVELXO Chapter 26
Chapter 26 – A New Character (1)
—–CROW—–
Due to the horde of zombies that had swarmed the cathedral, the streets were relatively deserted. The zombies in Myeong-dong were likely wiped out thanks to this incident. As a result, it didn’t take long to reach the building where Lim Chan was.
Seong-ho paused on the stairs, sensing a presence.
“Lim Chan-ssi, it’s me, Seong-ho.”
After some bustling sounds, Lim Chan appeared.
“Seong-ho-ssi, you’re here!”
Perhaps startled by the sudden commotion, he was tightly gripping a baseball bat he had found somewhere in the building.
Seong-ho calmed him down and briefly explained the people behind him.
“These are people from the cathedral. They’re victims who weren’t involved in the cannibalism, so don’t worry.”
“Ah, yes, yes…”
“Ahn Hee-seop-ssi, this is Lim Chan-ssi, one of my companions.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ahn Hee-seop.”
“Hello, I’m Lim Chan.”
After a brief exchange of names with Ahn Hee-seop, Lim Chan cautiously asked,
“Are we leaving now?”
Seong-ho shook his head. It was too late, and there was also the issue of those who might have been infected during today’s zombie clearing. He planned to wait at least until they showed symptoms of transformation. It was a golden opportunity to reduce his Discrepancy Score.
“I’ve received permission to stay for a few days, so let’s think about our departure date later.”
Lim Chan nodded in understanding.
After gathering their belongings, Seong-ho’s group returned to the cathedral with Ahn Hee-seop. The camp members were busy cleaning up after the day’s events. Naturally, most of them were injured. Noticing this, Lim Chan cautiously spoke up.
“Wouldn’t it be helpful if I pitched in?”
His voice was soft, but it was loud enough for Ahn Hee-seop, who was accompanying them to the nunnery, to hear.
“What do you mean by ‘pitching in’?”
There was a slightly interrogative tone to his question, laced with vigilance. Flustered, Lim Chan stammered,
“Ah… w-well, um, I’m a nurse, so, that’s what I meant.”
Ahn Hee-seop’s eyes widened. He briefly looked back and forth between Seong-ho and Lim Chan with a complicated expression. Not only had this man suddenly appeared and saved them, but now he had even brought a precious medical professional. His mind must have been racing. After struggling with his complex emotions for a moment, Ahn Hee-seop continued in a slightly cautious tone,
“Then, would you perhaps be able to tend to the injured? We’ll compensate you separately.”
“Uh… would that be alright? Seong-ho-ssi?”
“You don’t need my permission. Do as you see fit, Lim Chan-ssi. If you’re worried about Ji-hyo, I’ll look after her, so don’t worry.”
Lim Chan, who had been hesitant as if gauging Seong-ho’s reaction, finally agreed to treat the injured. The cathedral camp welcomed the sudden appearance of a professional medical worker.
After Lim Chan left, Seong-ho and Lim Ji-hyo arrived at their two-person room in the nunnery.
“Ahjussi… Ji-hyo’s thirsty.”
Seong-ho immediately took out water from his backpack and gave it to Lim Ji-hyo. Then, he suddenly tilted his head.
“…Do you have a fever?”
“Huh? No, I don’t! Ji-hyo’s not hot!”
Lim Ji-hyo immediately denied it, but Seong-ho still looked uncertain. He touched her forehead, and she did feel a little warm.
‘It’s not burning hot, but…’
Just in case, Seong-ho used his special ability. However, her temperature didn’t drop, and no virus beads were created.
‘She’s not infected with the virus.’
If she were sick, Lim Chan would have known.
‘I think he would have told me if she was sick.’
Young children generally have slightly higher body temperatures, so he might have been mistaken. But in this uncertain situation, his deliberation was brief.
‘It can’t hurt to be careful.’
Seong-ho picked Lim Ji-hyo up and said,
“Let’s wash up and rest quickly.”
“Hmm?”
Seong-ho moved busily. First, he turned on the kerosene heater in the room. Then, he requested clean water from the cathedral camp. While he heated the water on the heater, he went outside and collected several smooth, round stones. He then carefully washed Lim Ji-hyo’s hands, feet, and face with the warmed water. Just in case, he also warmed some drinking water and gave it to her. Meanwhile, the stones he had placed on the heater were now hot. Seong-ho removed Lim Ji-hyo’s coat and shoes and placed the heated stones inside the bed.
About an hour later, Lim Ji-hyo, now relatively clean, was tucked into the warm blankets.
“Ji-hyo sleepy?”
“Yes, sleepy.”
“But I’m not sleepy…”
Lim Ji-hyo’s grumbling lasted only a moment. She had been looking up at Seong-ho with wide eyes, but she soon drifted off to sleep.
*Soft breaths.*
After confirming her even breathing, Seong-ho began cleaning up. He disposed of the dirty water and tidied up the room, which took about five more minutes. Just as he sat down on a chair, thinking he was finally done,
「The review results for the damage claim filed against the Fate Pioneer Team have arrived. Would you like to view the results? (Y/N)」
Seong-ho flinched in surprise at the sudden message, his eyes narrowing.
‘They said it would take up to 7 days.’
Today was the 8th day since he had fallen into this damned world. Even calculating by hours, it had been slightly over 168 hours. He had fallen into this world around noon, and it was now night.
‘Of course, I was a little preoccupied with everything that happened.’
It was true that they were later than the promised time. But there was no way for him to complain about the delay right now.
‘Let’s see the contents first.’
He pressed the “Yes” button, and a bright light flashed. Something fell from the air. Seong-ho instinctively caught it. But he didn’t have time to examine it closely. A message popped up in the center of his vision.
[Review Results for the Damage Claim Regarding the Infringement of the Fate Pioneer’s Activity Guarantee Based on the Fate Intervention Permission Agreement]
He frowned at the ridiculously long title. But it was too early to be surprised. The main text below the title was even longer.
[Greetings, Fate Pioneer Han Seong-ho.
I am the Head Administrator of the System Central Management Division, responsible for overseeing Fate Intervention. First, I sincerely apologize for the disruption to your Fate Intervention process due to this unfortunate incident. I also sincerely apologize for the delay in delivering the results due to the extended review process. We promise to provide you with smooth service in the future, ensuring a seamless Fate Intervention experience without any such unfortunate incidents or regrets regarding the use of Points. First, the damage claim discussed in this review…
(Omitted)
…Therefore, the consensus of the System Central Management Division is that the Administrator’s judgment was not incorrect. Indeed, the privilege you requested, Fate Pioneer Han Seong-ho, is an ability with a very poor compatibility, threatening the world’s existence. However, the System Central Management Division also agrees that the Administrator should not arbitrarily adjust the requests of a Pioneer who has rightfully paid Points to intervene in fate. After a long discussion regarding this matter, the System Central Management Division has decided on the following compensation:
– Compensation 1: Modify the Fate Pioneer’s special ability to allow for “growth” beyond its current state, with the growth occurring through additional awakenings.
– Compensation 2: Adjust the amount of virus required for leveling up, a prerequisite for “growth,” to be lower than the current amount, and increase the amount of virus obtainable from zombies.
– Compensation 3: Designate the period during which the Fate Pioneer’s request was denied as an unfair treatment period, and reflect this by raising the “growth limit” by one level.
– Compensation 4: Provide one “survival item” as compensation for the review time exceeding the pre-announced deadline.
However, the growth guidelines are determined by the System Central Management Division and cannot be changed under any circumstances. For detailed information on the growth guidelines, please refer to the attached document. Please be advised that the Fate Pioneer is solely responsible for any consequences of failing to meet these conditions. Once again, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by this unfortunate incident… (Omitted).]
After carefully reading through the lengthy message, including the effusive apologies, Seong-ho opened the attached document.
[Special Ability Growth Guidelines]
– 1st Awakening: From the moment of awakening the special ability, you can extract the zombie virus from an infected person’s body.
This section corresponded to the ability Seong-ho was currently using. And next…
– 2nd Awakening: From the moment you reach level 10…
After quickly scanning the contents, Seong-ho squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists. Despite the lengthy explanation, the conclusion was simple.
‘I can further develop my special ability beyond simply removing the zombie virus.’
Although the System Central Management Division had set the growth conditions, he now had a foundation for using the special ability he had originally desired. This alone was an encouraging result. Seong-ho pondered as he reviewed the long guidelines.
‘Their claim that the power I requested was a threat to this world wasn’t just empty words.’
It meant they couldn’t just let loose an unrestrained horse without any safety measures. Although he wasn’t completely satisfied,
‘At least a possibility has opened up.’
It was much better than having his ability unilaterally downgraded. Seong-ho breathed a long sigh of relief. Only then did he have the leisure to examine the object in his hand.
“A tumbler?”
As soon as his eyes landed on the white tumbler, a system window appeared.
[Never-Emptying Tumbler]
– A survival item specially crafted by the System Central Management Division, providing an infinite supply of drinking water.
“Oh.”
This was quite a pleasing reward. He could carry preserved food or rely on Lim Chan’s ability to grow crops for sustenance, but he always had to carry drinking water. It was difficult to find potable water in the city, and there was no guarantee that it would rain. But with this single item, that worry was gone. Seong-ho immediately opened the lid of the tumbler. He poured the water into an empty basin.
*Glug, glug, glug.*
The stream of water didn’t stop until the basin was full. It wasn’t an amount that could have come from a mere 500ml tumbler. Seong-ho pocketed the tumbler with a satisfied expression.
‘The compensation was satisfactory enough.’
Next was time to check the Fate Intervention Rewards and the exclusive quest rewards.
“Check Fate Intervention Reward.”
[Required Rewards]
– 10 Merit Points
– 1 Stat Point
[Optional Rewards]
– Fortune Cookie (×1)
– Invisibility Candy (×1)
「Please confirm your optional reward.」
The Fortune Cookie and candy, which had disappeared from the reward list, were offered as options again. The number of Merit Points and Stat Points offered as required rewards had also decreased.
‘As I thought, there seems to be a difficulty level for Fate Intervention.’
Seong-ho chose the Fortune Cookie without much hesitation. He was curious about the Invisibility Candy, but that curiosity wasn’t more important than a recovery item directly linked to his survival. As he caught the Fortune Cookie falling from the air, the tension and anxiety he had been unknowingly carrying eased considerably.
‘Reassuring.’
After carefully storing the Fortune Cookie in his pocket, Seong-ho looked up.
‘Next is the rescue quest.’
He opened the Pioneer’s Cradle, and the questions he had about the rescue quest were answered.
—–CROW—–