SWNOVELXO Chapter 27
Chapter 27 – A New Character (2)
—–CROW—–
[Rescue 50 Civilians (31/50)]
The 50-person quest hadn’t failed; it was still in progress. He would be able to complete it once he rescued the remaining 19 people.
‘I want to check if the people I’ve already rescued are counted twice…’
He would be able to find out by treating the infected people at the cathedral camp. Of course, that was for later. So far, he had completed a total of three quests. Two Civilian Rescue quests and one Character Hunting quest. The rewards he received as a result were quite substantial.
‘Three additional Special Ability Stat Points from the rescue quests, and…’
One item that had fallen amidst a bright light. It was a simple necklace with a gold pendant on an ordinary leather cord. He had originally intended to give this item to Lim Ji-hyo. But it felt strange to wake her up just to teach her how to use it. Seong-ho put the necklace away in his pocket and looked at his status window. It was time to allocate his stat points.
[Character Status Window]
– Character Information –
Name: Han Seong-ho
Role: Fate Pioneer
Level: 3 (39/125)
Physical Ability: 7
Special Ability: 1/18
– Activity Information –
Merit Points: 49
Discrepancy Score: 372P
Influence: Only a very small number of the world’s members are aware of you; you have no significant influence.
Title: None
If it were before, he would have invested all his newly acquired stat points into Physical Ability, but the situation was a little different now.
‘If I understand the growth guidelines correctly, the Special Ability stat required for each additional awakening will increase exponentially.’
Even if he reached level 10 and awakened a new power, he wouldn’t be able to use it if his total Special Ability stat was insufficient. His current method of pushing his special ability to its limits wouldn’t be enough. Therefore, he needed to invest his unallocated stat points into his Special Ability stat in preparation for the second awakening. After contemplating his Physical Ability and Special Ability, Seong-ho made his decision.
Physical Ability: 10
Special Ability: 2/19
His Physical Ability had been 10 when he used the Fortune Cookie. If he could fully utilize that strength, he wouldn’t die so easily. He would at least be able to carry his companions and escape if he encountered an unmanageable evolved zombie.
Having allocated all his rewards, Seong-ho stood up. He checked Lim Ji-hyo’s forehead just in case, but she didn’t feel too hot. Breathing a sigh of relief, he took off his shirt and carefully wiped off the dirt and grime accumulated from several days of camping. He lay down on the bed, feeling refreshed, and closed his eyes. Sleepiness washed over him instantly.
How long had he been in that light sleep?
*Rustle.*
Startled by a sudden presence, Seong-ho’s eyes snapped open. He looked to the side and saw Lim Chan, who had returned to the room, taking off his coat. He checked his watch; it was almost 3 am.
“D-Did I wake you? Was I too loud?”
“No, it’s alright. Are you finished with the treatments?”
“Yes, I just finished seeing the last patient.”
“Thank you for your hard work, especially so late.”
“It was nothing.”
Scratching his cheek awkwardly, Lim Chan cautiously said,
“I’m… sorry if you were offended that I took the liberty of helping.”
Seong-ho looked at Lim Chan with a puzzled expression. He seemed to be acting subservient, overly concerned about Seong-ho’s feelings. After a brief hesitation, Seong-ho said,
“I don’t understand why you’re saying that… Was there something wrong with my attitude? If you felt pressured in any way, it wasn’t intentional.”
“…Yes?”
“I didn’t suggest we travel together with the intention of ordering or forcing you to do anything, Lim Chan-ssi.”
“Oh…”
“Even if I suggest or request something, please refuse if your situation or condition doesn’t allow it.”
Lim Chan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“If you had said you couldn’t come with me to Myeong-dong, I would have gone alone.”
If Lim Chan expressed his intentions clearly, Seong-ho could adjust his plans accordingly.
“I’m also benefiting from your help, Lim Chan-ssi, so it makes me uncomfortable when you’re constantly trying to please me.”
“B-Benefiting from my help? What have I done…”
“Did you not see the fire burning all day yesterday? Things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly without you.”
Moreover, he also had professional medical knowledge.
“Thanks to you, I don’t have to worry about injuries and hold back. I’m truly grateful for your help in many ways.”
Lim Chan waved his hands dismissively before Seong-ho could even finish speaking. But as Seong-ho continued to express his gratitude, he smiled sheepishly and said,
“I should be the one thanking you. You saved Ji-hyo, you’ve been taking care of us, and you even looked after her separately today. Thank you so much.”
Perhaps he had been burdened by the pressure to be helpful. Lim Chan’s expression was much more relaxed than before. He sighed in relief, then suddenly pointed at Seong-ho’s hand in surprise.
“Oh? Your wound…”
Looking down at his hand, Seong-ho noticed a long gash on the back of his hand. He must have been scratched while dealing with the zombies.
“Just a moment, I’ll disinfect it for you right away.”
Lim Chan quickly returned with medical supplies.
“This might sting a little.”
As Seong-ho looked at the rather deep gash, his mind wandered again. The levels he needed to gain. The number of viruses required for that process. The Special Ability he could increase with his unallocated stat points. Even the growth of his Physical Ability, which he couldn’t neglect for his own safety. He was burdened with so many things he couldn’t afford to overlook. Because of this, his thoughts kept drifting.
“While I’m at it, I’ll also change the dressing on your forearm. I should have taken care of it earlier, but I was too preoccupied…”
He missed what Lim Chan was saying. As a result, he couldn’t stop Lim Chan from unwrapping the bandage on his left forearm.
“Oh…?”
“Oh dear.”
He had inadvertently revealed his forearm, which had completely healed after eating the Fortune Cookie at the hospital. Seong-ho inwardly clicked his tongue as he watched Lim Chan freeze in surprise.
‘That wound should have taken at least a month or two to heal.’
It was natural for him to be surprised to see it healed in just a few days. Seong-ho hesitated, scratching his cheek awkwardly, and then sighed deeply. He began to speak in a cautious tone.
“There will be a lot of strange things happening around me. Things that don’t make sense, things that are miraculous, things that are strange… You’ll keep seeing things that defy common sense.”
Lim Chan hesitantly looked up.
“But it will be difficult for me to explain how these things are possible.”
“…”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Lim Chan-ssi. It’s just that I’m not in a position to properly explain what I’m going through, what I have to do in the future…”
He didn’t know why he had fallen into this world. He didn’t know what the System and the Fate Pioneer Team were. He didn’t know how the Fortune Cookie that had healed his arm worked. He knew nothing for certain. In such a situation, it was impossible to give a convincing explanation.
After Seong-ho finished speaking, Lim Chan cautiously opened his mouth.
“Th-Then… w-would it be alright if I… d-don’t ask?”
“…I would appreciate it.”
Someday, when he knew more about his situation…
“When the time comes that I can properly explain, I’ll tell you everything.”
“Ah, I understand…”
Although his voice was stiff, it was an affirmative answer. Breathing a sigh of relief, Seong-ho pulled down his sleeve, covering the healed wound.
“Um…”
As Seong-ho adjusted his sleeve, Lim Chan gulped and said,
“…D-Do your injuries always heal that quickly?”
Lim Chan seemed embarrassed by his own question.
“I-I’m not prying… If your wounds always heal like that, I don’t think you’ll need me…”
He looked a little dejected. It seemed that Lim Chan placed great importance on his role and contribution within the community. Seong-ho decided to answer honestly about this matter.
“No, my injuries only heal this quickly in special circumstances.”
“Ah, then I can definitely help you when you’re injured… Oh! I mean, I’m not hoping you get injured!”
Lim Chan suddenly waved his hands frantically. Seong-ho chuckled at his flustered, red face. Lim Chan mumbled in a barely audible voice,
“W-What I mean is… if you get injured, please tell me…”
“Yes, of course.”
At Seong-ho’s amused reply, Lim Chan’s face turned even redder. He fanned himself for a while to cool down, then cleared his throat and stood up.
“I-I should wash up too.”
“You can use the water here. I’ll go dispose of this since it’s dirty now.”
“Ah, it’s alright. This is still clean enough.”
Seong-ho handed the tumbler to Lim Chan, who insisted on using the murky water, and said,
“From now on, you can easily get water from here. So, wash up with clean water.”
“Yes? You want me to get water from here?”
“No, I’m saying you can get water *from* here.”
As he explained that the water was unlimited, Lim Chan’s eyes widened in disbelief. While he was frozen in surprise, Seong-ho went to dispose of the dirty water. When he returned, Lim Chan took the empty basin and hesitantly started to move. He eyed the tumbler suspiciously.
“Oooooh!”
He jumped in surprise as he saw the continuous stream of water. He examined the tumbler with fascination, then suddenly smiled and looked at Seong-ho.
“Haha, I wish strange things like this happened every day.”
It was the brightest Seong-ho had ever heard him sound. Seong-ho smiled back and called out to Lim Chan.
“I’m sorry to ask this out of the blue, but I’d like to check something.”
“What is it?”
Looking at Lim Chan, who had paused mid-wash, Seong-ho opened the Pioneer’s Cradle.
*Flip.*
The book opened with its characteristic rustling sound and hovered in the air. He couldn’t keep hiding while receiving rewards. So, since he had already revealed something unreal, he decided to check if Lim Chan could see the Pioneer’s Cradle. The result of this gamble was somewhat unexpected. While it would have been normal for him to be surprised and ask what it was, Lim Chan simply waited for Seong-ho to speak, without even glancing at the Cradle.
“Can’t you see anything?”
“…Yes? Is there something I should be seeing?”
His darting eyes looked anxious. It seemed that the Cradle really wasn’t visible to others. Just in case, Seong-ho placed a nearby object on top of the Cradle. Lim Chan’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, uh! The towel is floating…? I-Is this another one of those strange things?”
Although it wasn’t visible to others, it seemed to have a physical presence.
“Yes, a very strange thing. Thank you for checking.”
“Oh… yes, yes. I’m glad I could be of help.”
Now he wouldn’t have to worry about being seen every time he opened the Cradle.
—–CROW—–