SWNOVELXO Chapter 28
Chapter 28 – A New Character (3)
—–CROW—–
Two days after growing closer to Lim Chan, the people infected during the zombie clearing began to show pre-transformation symptoms.
Upon hearing the news, Seong-ho immediately grabbed his coat. He left the room and headed to the main building where food was distributed.
It was bustling with people who had come to receive their dinner rations. Seong-ho approached Ahn Hee-seop amidst the crowd and said,
“…You say you can do *what*?”
Seong-ho repeated what he had just said to the stunned Ahn Hee-seop.
“I said I can heal people infected with the zombie virus. So, open the rectory, which you’re using as a quarantine area.”
As he finished speaking, a light flickered in Seong-ho’s palm. The surrounding people gasped and began murmuring amongst themselves, wondering if Seong-ho’s words were true.
Ahn Hee-seop’s eyes narrowed.
“Are you… telling me to believe that? If it’s true, why didn’t you say anything until now?”
Seong-ho recognized the emotions Ahn Hee-seop was displaying. Doubt, distrust, and a faint glimmer of hope. Unlike the conflicted Ahn Hee-seop, Seong-ho continued calmly,
“As if you would have believed me if I had told you earlier.”
“That’s…”
Ahn Hee-seop’s mouth clamped shut. He seemed to have realized that he was currently distrusting Seong-ho’s words. While he remained silent, Seong-ho resolutely continued,
“If you don’t believe me, see for yourself. Check the people showing transformation symptoms, and you’ll see if my power is real or not.”
Ahn Hee-seop’s silence stretched on. Seong-ho let out an exaggerated sigh and pressed him,
“So, can I treat the infected people?”
The sound of a gulp echoed loudly. A moment later, Ahn Hee-seop, his face a mixture of distrust and hope, stood up.
“If there’s a chance to save people, we have to try.”
Finally, the door to the rectory, which was being used as a quarantine area, was opened. People, filled with curiosity, suspicion, and anticipation, flocked to the rectory. Thanks to this, Seong-ho was able to treat the infected in front of dozens of witnesses without much effort. He was then bombarded with a flurry of messages that almost filled his vision.
「1 Merit Point acquired.」
「Members of the world have witnessed the Fate Pioneer’s actions.」
「Members of the world are influenced by the Fate Pioneer.」
「The Fate Pioneer’s influence slightly increases.」
「Discrepancy Score decreases by 7P.」
「Discrepancy Score decreases by 5P.」
「Discrepancy Score decreases by 5P.」
…
As Seong-ho scanned the messages, those infected with the zombie virus began to regain consciousness one by one. Their families and friends rushed to their sides. For those who had thought they would lose their loved ones, this moment was nothing short of a miracle. They shed tears of joy as they embraced their recovered family and friends. And Seong-ho, the one who had gifted them this miracle, was lost in thought.
‘I tried to see if I could extract the virus without direct physical contact, just in case…’
But there wasn’t much of an effect. He could feel the virus in the infected person receding, but it didn’t separate cleanly like when he used his ability with direct physical contact.
‘This won’t be suitable for ranged attacks.’
It was a shame, but there was nothing he could do. Seong-ho clicked his tongue and opened his status window.
‘There were a total of 9 people infected during the barricade clearing.’
Thanks to treating them, not only had his Merit Points increased, but his Discrepancy Score had dropped to the 100s.
‘Just like at the hospital, the reduction effect is greater with more witnesses.’
Now, all that remained was to expand this stage further. Seong-ho looked at the jubilant people and Ahn Hee-seop, who stood frozen among them. He then deliberately made his presence known, raising his voice,
“Now that the treatments are finished, I’ll be going to rest.”
He quickly retreated and descended the stairs before anyone could stop him. However, he stopped before he could even leave the rectory.
“Wait, Han Seong-ho-ssi, just a moment!”
Ahn Hee-seop had rushed down the stairs and called out to him. Seong-ho looked back at him with his usual indifferent expression. Ahn Hee-seop’s request was simple.
“So… you’re asking me to be treated as well? After being deliberately infected?”
Seong-ho feigned surprise in his reply. It was a natural reaction, considering Ahn Hee-seop’s attitude when he had first mentioned his ability to cure the virus. Ahn Hee-seop himself must have been aware of this. Nevertheless, he didn’t back down from his request.
“Not just me, but everyone in the camp. I know it’s ridiculous for me to be saying this now, but I’m asking you.”
He continued even more earnestly,
“This is a chance for me, and everyone in the camp, to confirm our immunity. Please, I beg you.”
He bowed deeply, desperation evident in his voice. He also seemed to be gauging Seong-ho’s reaction, worried he might have offended him. But Seong-ho wasn’t offended at all. Rather, he was quite satisfied that the situation was unfolding as he had predicted.
‘Ahn Hee-seop is someone who desires immunity.’
After openly displaying his healing ability in front of such a person, he had expected some kind of reaction, and indeed, the reaction was exactly as he had anticipated. Thanks to this, Seong-ho could now check the immunity of the hospital staff without much effort. He hadn’t been able to focus on it at the hospital due to the urgency of the situation, but considering the distant future, it was better to have more Awakened individuals. That way, they could minimize casualties when ‘it’ appeared. Of course, there were risks involved in actively selecting Awakened individuals. However, he judged that it was worth taking those risks.
Seong-ho spoke to Ahn Hee-seop, who was anxiously watching him,
“You’re not asking me to do this for free, are you? I think I’ve already done enough for you.”
Although Seong-ho had hoped for this situation, he had no intention of working for free. He wanted to see how much Ahn Hee-seop valued his services.
“…If you tell me what you want, I’ll do my best to accommodate you.”
Ahn Hee-seop gulped nervously. Meanwhile, a wide smile spread across Seong-ho’s face.
* * *
It was decided that the infection and treatment of the camp members would proceed according to a strict plan.
– The number of people I can treat at once is limited.
– Keep in mind that I will not be responsible for those who intentionally infect themselves out of turn.
Excited by Seong-ho’s offer, the camp members set out to find zombies. They still had to wait for the transformation symptoms to appear. Seong-ho turned to head back to his room.
“Ah, Seong-ho-ssi.”
He ran into Jung Han-soo, who was coming out of the nunnery. As soon as Jung Han-soo saw Seong-ho, he stepped aside to make way. He even bowed slightly.
‘He’s doing it again.’
Jung Han-soo had been excessively polite to Seong-ho. He always bowed whenever they met in the camp, and he repeatedly expressed his gratitude for saving him and the other cathedral members. Too much was worse than too little, so Seong-ho had been actively avoiding Jung Han-soo because he felt uncomfortable. Today was no different.
As usual, Seong-ho tried to pass by Jung Han-soo as quickly as possible. That way, he wouldn’t have a chance to speak to him. But just as he was about to hurry past, a word suddenly popped into his head.
‘Quest…’
One step, then two.
Seong-ho stopped abruptly after taking just two steps past Jung Han-soo. He opened the Pioneer’s Cradle again. This time, it wasn’t Chapter 1 with the Q&A, but Chapter 2 with the Pioneer’s exclusive quests.
[Follower Recruitment]
– Make a non-immune survivor sincerely mention a follower keyword.
– Follower Keywords: Believe/Trust/Follow/Obey/Loyal
– Success Reward: Character Information
This was the only Pioneer’s exclusive quest with a vague reward. It wasn’t a stat that could immediately make him stronger, nor was it a useful item.
‘Character Information…’
He wondered what use it could possibly have, but since it was a Pioneer’s exclusive quest, it must be useful in some way. His thoughts were brief, and his deliberation even shorter.
‘What’s the worst that could happen? He’ll just think I’m crazy?’
He wouldn’t see this person again after leaving the camp anyway. Having made up his mind, Seong-ho turned around.
“This might be a strange question, but…”
As soon as he spoke, he knew whether the quest would succeed or not.
“If I said I came to save this world, would you believe me?”
Even as Seong-ho spoke these unexpected words, Jung Han-soo remained politely bowed.
* * *
Back in his room, Seong-ho stared at the system window.
[Follower List (1)]
– Jung Han-soo
He had attempted the quest because it was there, he saw a possibility of success, and he had indeed succeeded. The problem was that the success was a bit different from what he had expected.
[Follower 1]
– Name: Jung Han-soo
– Age: 58
– Status: Worships the Fate Pioneer. Believes the Fate Pioneer is both a savior and a messenger of God, and is prepared to give his life, depending on the circumstances.
– Location: Myeong-dong Cathedral
‘Messenger of God…’
It was a status description that left him speechless every time he saw it. Honestly, he couldn’t believe someone could become like this just because he had saved their life, but considering Jung Han-soo’s circumstances, it seemed plausible. However, there was something in the Character Information that caught Seong-ho’s attention even more than the status.
‘Location.’
He tapped on the words “Myeong-dong Cathedral,” and a holographic map appeared. A red dot was clearly marked on the main cathedral building. The follower’s location information was being provided to Seong-ho in real time. At first glance, it might seem like a meaningless reward, but as soon as he tapped the red dot on the map, that thought vanished without a trace.
[Move to Follower (Jung Han-soo)]
[Transmit to Follower (Jung Han-soo)]
He chuckled at the incredible text options. The reward for the Follower Recruitment quest was the ability to overcome physical distance. Seong-ho could not only move himself instantly but also transmit objects to his follower from a distance.
‘This is a completely insane function.’
The only downside was that it consumed a significant amount of Merit Points. But the ability to ignore physical distance was worth the cost. It was enough motivation for him to diligently recruit more followers in the future.
Seong-ho took a deep breath and closed the system window. He then checked the Merit Points he had earned from treating the infected people.
‘I’ve finally surpassed 50 Merit Points.’
He could now ask questions about the System Administrator and the Discrepancy Score. He didn’t take long to decide which to check first.
‘Unfortunately, I’ll have to postpone it again.’
After finishing his business at the cathedral, he had to go to Seogang-dong, where the New Humanity Society was located. It was a different situation from here, where there was only Go Ji-hoon as an Awakened individual. In the end, Seong-ho decided to deal with the more immediate threat first. Since he didn’t have to worry about being seen, he comfortably opened the Pioneer’s Cradle.
“How many Awakened individuals are there in the New Humanity Society camp?”
「15 Merit Points are required to hear the answer. Would you like to proceed? (Y/N)」
Instead of immediately pressing “Yes,” Seong-ho rephrased his question. 10 people? 20 people? Then 17, then 15. He used specific numbers to elicit yes or no answers. He was able to confirm that there were 12 Awakened individuals in the New Humanity Society with just 4 Merit Points.
‘Damn, that’s a lot.’
Even if he invested all his current and future Merit Points, it might not be enough to understand their power structure. Seong-ho sighed deeply and reorganized his questions.
—–CROW—–