NOVEL NEXT Chapter 10
Chapter 10 – How to Treat a Miracle (1)
—–CROW—–
Lim Chan had made a promise to his wife, who had passed away from postpartum complications.
– *W-We have to protect our baby.*
He vowed to protect his daughter, even at the cost of his own life. He pushed aside the grief of losing his spouse. He had no time to wallow in sorrow; he had a child to care for.
Four years had passed since he forced himself to stand up and live. Fortunately, the past faded with time, and the days he spent with his daughter, Lim Ji-hyo, were precious treasures. Even though the sudden virus outbreak had shattered the legacy of humanity, enduring such tragedy was nothing as long as he had his daughter.
Lim Ji-hyo’s existence was more important than anything else in the world to Lim Chan. He would answer without hesitation that if there was anything more precious than his own life, it was his daughter.
Therefore, he could never forgive anyone who tried to take her away from him.
“Get away from my daughter!”
“Aack! Aaaack!”
He grabbed Choi Ji-young’s hair and shook her violently. Ji-young had suddenly appeared and picked up Ji-hyo. Lim Chan kicked Ji-young away, then held Ji-hyo tightly in his arms and screamed in anguish.
“Everyone get out of the way! Get out of the way!”
Lim Chan didn’t have any grand plan or thought in mind. He had already lost his reason, consumed by the fear of losing his daughter. He picked up the metal tray he had dropped and swung it wildly.
Meanwhile, Ji-hyo in his arms began to thrash violently, like a fish out of water. Even though Lim Chan held her tightly, her movements didn’t subside. Instead, they intensified.
*Crack.*
*Crunch.*
Grotesque sounds, unimaginable coming from a human body, started to emanate, and those nearby turned pale. Once the pre-mutation symptoms started, it usually took about half a day for the transformation to complete. However, if the subject was weak, the time could be drastically shortened.
Ji-hyo was currently in that situation.
“Eek…!”
“She’s… she’s changing!”
“It’s a zombie!”
“Run, run! We have to close the ward shutter!”
People scrambled back and fled the ward. But there was one person moving forward.
“Mr. Seong-ho! The transformation will be complete soon! Come this way!”
It was Seong-ho. He ignored Ji-young’s shouts from behind and calmly closed the distance to Lim Chan. He tried to start a conversation.
“Please calm down…”
“Shut up! Stay away! If you come near my daughter, I’ll tear you to shreds!”
Lim Chan was in no state for a rational conversation. Seong-ho clicked his tongue and quickly gave up on talking. Instead, he focused on the tray being swung menacingly and lunged at Lim Chan the moment the swing extended outwards.
The distance between them closed instantly, and Seong-ho used one hand to apply a half guard, a jiu-jitsu technique. Lim Chan’s neck and upper body were pinned, and his struggles ceased. Seong-ho immediately reached out to Ji-hyo.
Lim Chan’s bloodshot eyes widened, and his mouth moved, but his voice was muffled because his throat was pressed.
“My daughter, my daugh…!”
“Stay still if you want to save your daughter!”
Seong-ho cut him off and gently cupped Ji-hyo’s small head with one hand. Immediately after, an intensely bright light erupted. It was the first miracle to descend upon the world since the virus outbreak.
* * *
‘I didn’t intend to reveal my ability like this, but…’
Thanks to it, he had prevented the birth of Butterfly. The system messages filling his vision were proof of that.
「1 Merit Point earned.」
「Congratulations! You have successfully changed the fate of the character ‘Lim Chan’!」
「You have intervened in the fate of the world.」
「Fate Intervention reward granted.」
「Members of the world have witnessed the Fate Pioneer’s actions.」
「Members of the world are being influenced by the Fate Pioneer.」
「The Fate Pioneer’s influence has slightly increased.」
「Discrepancy Score decreased by 12P.」
「Discrepancy Score decreased by 13P.」
「Adjusting reflection value at the manager’s discretion.」
「Discrepancy Score decreased by 5P.」
「Discrepancy Score decreased by 5P.」
「Discrepancy Score decreased by 6P.」
…….
Of course, there were messages that irked him.
‘At the manager’s discretion…’
It was the second time he had seen that message. And both times, the situation wasn’t favorable to him. The first time, his stats were lowered.
‘This time, the rate at which the Discrepancy Score decreases has been halved.’
Seong-ho’s eyes turned cold. Meanwhile, the light began to fade, and he felt a cold sensation in his palm. A virus marble had been successfully created.
‘Let’s finish things here first and then think.’
As Seong-ho looked at Ji-hyo, the white light completely disappeared.
‘This is the first time I’ve used it on someone right before transformation.’
He was confident it would work based on the principle of his power, but he was slightly nervous since it was his first time trying it.
His worries were unfounded; the change was instantaneous.
‘Her fever…’
The child’s body temperature, which he could feel through his hand, began to drop rapidly. The change was so dramatic that it was almost frightening.
‘Can a human body withstand such a drastic temperature change?’
It was a fundamental question. He was worried the child might die from the drastic change.
10 seconds, 20 seconds, 1 minute…
The feverish flush subsided, and the child’s breathing gradually stabilized. The steam emanating from her body also disappeared without a trace. Only after witnessing her stable condition did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Seong-ho pocketed the marble, curling his fingers slightly, and stood up.
“I’ve extracted the virus.”
“…Huh?”
Lim Chan, who had been staring blankly at the sudden burst of light, looked up at Seong-ho. And he wasn’t the only one. Seong-ho could feel the gazes pouring onto him from behind.
Seong-ho sighed softly and spoke to Lim Chan, who still seemed out of it.
“I extracted the virus. She won’t turn.”
Lim Chan stared blankly at him, as if he couldn’t comprehend his words, then suddenly gasped. He frantically hugged the child.
“J-Ji-hyo? Ji-hyo…”
He fumbled, then looked back and forth between Seong-ho and the child in shock, realizing that Ji-hyo’s fever had subsided.
“This… this… what… thank you, thank you! Ugh! Thank you!”
Just as Lim Chan started sobbing again…
“M-Mr. Seong-ho?”
He turned around and saw Choi Seung-jo standing in front of a crowd of onlookers.
“…What just happened?”
He was breathing heavily, as if he had rushed over after hearing the news. Seong-ho sighed deeply and said, “This doesn’t seem like a good place to explain.”
He gestured towards the people behind him, and they quickly averted their gazes. Meanwhile, Seong-ho leaned towards Ji-hyo, pretending to check on her condition by placing his hand on her forehead, but his real purpose was different.
– *Let’s talk privately.*
He whispered to Lim Chan, who was still crying, and Lim Chan’s shoulders flinched. Seong-ho, seeing that Ji-hyo was fine, continued, “I extracted the virus, but she did have a fever, so let her rest for now.”
“…Yes, yes, I understand.”
As soon as Seong-ho removed his hand from Ji-hyo, Choi Seung-jo intervened.
“Let’s move if it’s uncomfortable to talk here. Follow me.”
Seong-ho glanced down at Lim Chan and then followed Choi Seung-jo.
* * *
*Creak.*
The closed door of the hospital room opened, and the people who had been eavesdropping quickly scattered. Seong-ho glanced at them and left without a word. They stared after him for a moment, then rushed into the room. Choi Seung-jo was standing there, looking dazed after his conversation with Seong-ho.
“Dad!”
“Mr. Seung-jo!”
“Mr. Seung-jo!”
The people who rushed to him bombarded him with questions.
“What did that man say?”
“His name was Seong-ho, right? Right?”
“Did he say what he did to Ji-hyo?”
Choi Seung-jo, who had been standing there blankly, snapped back to his senses at the barrage of questions. He relayed his conversation with Seong-ho to the people.
“…He said he can cure the virus. He said it’s the ability he awakened.”
The surprised people reacted in various ways.
“Gasp!”
“Such a miracle…!”
“Haha, that’s right! That’s right! There could be such an ability!”
“So, Ji-hyo is really going to be okay?”
None of them dismissed the shocking news as false. They had seen the child, who had been on the verge of transformation, now sleeping peacefully. The faces of those who had witnessed the miracle firsthand were flushed with excitement and hope. The atmosphere in the room heated up.
Choi Seung-jo, however, recalled the past conversation with a serious expression.
– *If you wish, I can use it on the others who were bitten yesterday.*
At that time, his expression had brightened, just like the people before him now. But unfortunately, that couldn’t last. Not for him, nor for these people.
– *But I have conditions. Two weeks’ worth of food, sufficient medical supplies, and ample meals until I leave.*
Choi Seung-jo relayed Seong-ho’s demands to the people. A chilling silence filled the room. They exchanged glances for a few minutes. Someone gulped and broke the silence.
“That man… he’s going to leave the hospital?”
When Choi Seung-jo remained silent, the air in the room grew colder, as if the previous excitement had been a lie. The tense atmosphere changed when someone spoke in a trembling voice.
“You’re… you’re not just going to let him leave, are you?”
The words were framed as a question, but the meaning was completely different. The man who asked the question was already expressing his vehement disagreement with his expression. The others weren’t much different.
“Mr. Seung-jo, y-you’re not, are you?”
“With that man’s ability, we can all live without worrying about the virus!”
“Try to persuade him to join our camp! We have a lot to offer!”
Choi Seung-jo calmed the agitated people.
“I’ve already offered him the best distribution conditions. As Ms. Hye-ju said, we have plenty of people, food, and medicine.”
“That man really! You should have told us that first!”
“W-What did he say?”
“What did he say?”
“Did he say he’ll stay?”
The pressure from the barrage of questions was immense. He felt burdened even though he had no part in Seong-ho’s answer. Choi Seung-jo gulped and spoke in a slightly quieter voice.
“…He said he’ll think about it.”
It was an insufficient answer to reassure the people who were afraid Seong-ho might leave. Several people who had been exchanging glances spoke.
“W-What if he decides to leave after thinking about it? What will we do then?”
“Shouldn’t we prepare for that possibility?”
“Is there any way to keep him here?”
“He’s still young, how about asking the young women to… you know…”
“That’s an idea! He’s a man, after all, he might be tempted.”
“That’s a bit… how about we all go and beg him?”
“Do you think he’ll stay just because we beg him?! There’s nothing more foolish than relying on pity.”
“Why are you shouting if you disagree?!”
“This isn’t the time to fight amongst ourselves!”
The raised voices escalated into shouting. The heated atmosphere subsided a few minutes later.
“Why don’t we just… lock him up in the basement…?”
Choi Ji-young, who had followed the others in, spoke, gulping nervously. Everyone fell silent at her words. And after a brief pause, they all spoke at once, as if they had planned it.
“That’s right! There’s that option!”
“Let’s tie him up with the rope we have and go to the hardware store down the street. We can get chains and locks there…”
“Let’s use that windowless room in the basement!”
Slowly, but surely, hope turned into madness and consumed the people. And the shadow watching from outside the room quietly retreated.
—–CROW—–