The Predatory Genius of a Ruined World - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

—–CROW—– 

“What the, is this it?”

On a sweltering summer night, Seong-ho muttered to himself, nestled under the cool breeze of his air conditioner, engrossed in a web novel.

“It’s really over?”

<Savior of the Ruined World>, the apocalypse web novel he had been enjoying for the past two years, had come to an end.  A tragic ending, with the protagonist and all the surrounding characters dead, and the world destroyed.

“Huh…?”

The atmosphere had been heavy recently, but he never expected the protagonist to die.  Moreover, the death itself was something readers couldn’t comprehend.  It was so absurd that his mind went blank for a while.

After the initial shock wore off, feelings of betrayal and disappointment slowly crept in.

“I praised it, saying it was well-written, and this is how you stab me in the back?”

Seong-ho gave the novel the lowest possible rating and then moved to the comments section for his next task.

The comment section was already teeming with angry readers who had arrived before him.  Thanks to those who spared no criticism or fury, the comments were full of vitriol, and Seong-ho joined their ranks.

Then, a new comment suddenly appeared.

– YourHousePrincess : Everyone’s so busy commenting they forgot the author’s note lol. The author posted a survey link on their SNS. Asking to evaluate Savior of the Ruined World lol. I did it. I feel so much better after cursing them out.

Seong-ho’s fingers stopped.

‘Author’s note?’

He hadn’t even read the author’s note, too stunned by the protagonist’s death.

Curious about the content, he checked, and it was exactly as the comment had mentioned.  Seong-ho decided to follow the example of the reader who had vented their frustrations and felt relieved.

He clicked a link posted on the author’s SNS, and a new window popped up.

‘A survey to evaluate and analyze <Savior of the Ruined World>?’

The wording felt rather stiff to Seong-ho, who had come looking for an outlet for his anger.

The simple page for entering his name and age even had a stark warning message.

「For more accurate analysis and understanding, please answer as specifically and honestly as possible.」

He hesitated for a moment at the unexpectedly serious introduction.

‘I’ll do it, even if it’s just because it’s a waste of the past two years.’

He had a lot to say after two years of following the story.  As the commenter had said, he would probably feel better after getting it all out.

He entered the necessary information and clicked the next button. The first question appeared.

「Do you think the ending of <Savior of the Ruined World> could have been changed?」

‘Of course.’

There had definitely been opportunities. The protagonist had simply missed them all.

Seong-ho immersed himself in the survey, repeatedly answering several questions.  It took him about 30 minutes to meticulously write out fifteen answers.

‘Ah, I have to go to work tomorrow.’

As the time dragged on, he began to wonder why he was doing this.  Just then…

「This is the final question.」

The end was in sight.

「What do you think was the biggest reason the protagonist failed to prevent the apocalypse?」

Recalling the situations in the novel, Seong-ho thought for a moment and wrote down a neither long nor short answer.  Then, feeling relieved, he pressed the complete button.

But just as he was about to put his smartphone down, a sentence caught his eye.

「Before submitting the survey, please check and agree to the precautions below.」

He scrolled down to see the screen filled with tiny letters.

It was already past 1:00 AM.  He had slept late yesterday due to overtime and had come home late today because of a difficult customer complaining about the service.  Tomorrow would be another day full of tasks.

‘It feels weird not to submit it after I’ve already finished the survey.’

Seong-ho checked the agreement box without reading the precautions and pressed the confirm button again.  As soon as the notification that the survey had been submitted appeared, he put his smartphone down on his bedside table without a second thought.

It was the end of an ordinary, peaceful day.

* * *

[Selection Notification]

Hello, Mr. Han Seong-ho. Thank you for participating in the survey to evaluate and analyze <Savior of the Ruined World>.

Among the numerous survey responses reviewed by our Fate Pioneering Team, yours was particularly impressive.

After several meetings, we concluded that you have the highest probability of changing the fate of the world and have decided to deploy you into the fate of <Savior of the Ruined World>.

Accordingly, we are informing you that the Fate Intervention Authority, to which you consented, has been activated.

From now on, Mr. Han Seong-ho, you are required to pioneer the fate of the world as a member within <Savior of the Ruined World>.  This is a matter to which you previously agreed and you cannot refuse or disobey.

We wish the new Fate Pioneer all the best and will conclude this notification. Thank you.

* * *

He thought he had seen a strange text in his sleep.  He wondered if that was even possible while sleeping with his eyes closed, but it was real.

Seong-ho thought he must have dreamt something strange because he took the survey before going to bed.  So he didn’t take it seriously.  He tried to push his faintly awakened consciousness back under the waves of sleep.

However, before Seong-ho could fall back asleep, his body fell to the ground with a thud.

“Ugh!”

Pain from the fall washed over him. He couldn’t breathe for a moment because he had landed on his back.

After a moment of writhing in pain, his mind raced as soon as his airway cleared.

Did I fall out of bed?

Why is the floor so bumpy?

Why is it so cold?

Did I turn the air conditioner on too high before I went to sleep?

The rapidly arising questions soon lost their meaning.  Seong-ho froze stiff the moment he opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.

“Uh…?”

He had definitely fallen asleep in his room.  But now, he was lying on an unfamiliar road.  He was too bewildered to think straight.

Then, another ordeal struck him.

「Detection of dimensional shift.」

「External fate intervention authorized.」

「The system will assist the Fate Pioneer for efficient management.」

「Assigning a manager to Fate Pioneer Han Seong-ho.」

Strange text suddenly began to appear in the air.

Before he could properly process the situation, he heard a strange sound from behind him.

*Groan.*

In an instant, the hair on his body stood on end.

*Growl!*

Seong-ho’s face turned pale as he quickly spun around.

What were those strange letters appearing before his eyes?

Why was he on an asphalt road when he had clearly fallen asleep in his bed?

Why was a chilling wind, cold enough to sting his skin, blowing when it should be summer?

Everything around him was strange, but he didn’t have time to examine each detail.  A monster with a broken arm dangling, its entire body gray, and eyes with only white showing, was running towards him.

“Uh, uh…!”

He was so shocked that he couldn’t even scream.

What Seong-ho felt at that moment wasn’t simple fear. The mere existence of that grotesque creature before him denied all his accumulated common sense and experience. The experience of the world turning upside down and order collapsing. It was pure panic.

Frustratingly, his body was completely frozen, but the unidentified creature continued to approach him. It was too late to run.  The instinct to survive spurred him on.

The moment Seong-ho reflexively raised his left arm to guard himself, the monster, its mouth wide open, kicked off the ground.

The monster’s form, hurtling through the air, seemed to move in slow motion.

The monster bit Seong-ho’s arm.

“Aaargh!”

The faint sound of his skin tearing was as loud as thunder. The searing pain of his flesh being ripped apart brought him back to his senses.

The moment the experience of training blood and sweat to become a professional MMA fighter resurfaced, Seong-ho kicked the monster clinging to his arm in the stomach with all his might.

*Rip!*

With the sound of tearing flesh, the monster was flung off Seong-ho’s arm. Red blood sprayed everywhere, but he couldn’t see it.  Seong-ho focused on rolling over and getting up.

*Flick, flick.*

In a split second, Seong-ho’s eyes quickly scanned his surroundings.

A sharp blade.

Or a heavy, long blunt weapon.

Something wide to shield himself with.

He widened his vision, considering all possibilities, but nothing fitting the criteria came into view.  The streets were desolate, devoid of anything that could help him.

Instead, about 20 meters away, he saw a car with its door open.

The moment his feet were firmly planted on the ground, Seong-ho ran towards the car without looking back.

‘A place to hide! A place to escape!’

As he ran forward with all his might, the drops of blood falling from his arm stained the dry asphalt road.

*Kree! Growl!*

The monster, having gotten back on its feet, followed the trail of blood drops.

The approaching footsteps sent shivers down his spine.  Anxiety washed over him, as if the monster would catch him any second.  A chilling coldness crept up his back and the nape of his neck.  The cold touch of the monster lingered.

Seong-ho pushed off the ground even more desperately.

‘Faster!’

For a few seconds, he held his breath, focusing solely on moving his legs, as if even the energy used for breathing was precious.

“Damn it!”

Seong-ho threw himself into the back seat of the open car. At the same time, he grabbed the car door handle and pulled.

The intense instinct for survival translated into an unbelievably smooth movement.

*Thud.*

*Bang.*

The car door slammed shut just in time, the monster slamming its body against it.  The impact sent the monster tumbling across the asphalt.

Undeterred, it got up and lunged at the car again, only to be thrown back and tumble again, repeating the process several times.

Seong-ho caught his breath inside the car, dust swirling around him, as he watched the bizarre spectacle.

How much time had passed?

As his breathing calmed down, his body started to tremble.

‘What, what is going on?’

His whole body trembled like an aspen leaf, the tremors intensifying.

Just then, strange text appeared before Seong-ho’s eyes again.

「Necessary conditions met.」

[Fate Pioneer Privilege]

Zombie virus infection confirmed.  According to the pre-arranged Fate Intervention Authorization Agreement, the Fate Pioneer is designated as an individual with an immune system.  Please directly input the desired ability to awaken.

: _______

‘Zombie virus, immune system, awakening and abilities….’

Several words jumbled in Seong-ho’s mind.  Immediately after, the title of the web novel he had been reading before falling asleep came to mind.

‘Savior of the Ruined World….’

He also remembered the strange text he had seen in his dream before waking up.

‘Selection Notification… Fate Pioneer….’

No way.

It couldn’t be.

Such a ridiculous thing.

Seong-ho tried with all his might to deny the current situation.  But the monster frantically banging on the car outside was real.  The pain in his arm and the coldness seeping into his skin weren’t illusions either.

If that monster outside was really a zombie infected with a virus…

If this absurd and unbelievable situation was his reality…

‘Abilities, Awakened abilities, what ability would be most useful for me to survive in this world?’

Information from the novel he had been following for over two years became a jumbled mess.  A half-baked, useless power wouldn’t help.

‘There are already incredibly powerful ability users in this world who can breathe fire, create ice, and control lightning at will.’

They were excellent combatants, but they were also replaceable at any time.  Therefore, overwhelmingly powerful abilities weren’t Seong-ho’s priority.  In a ruined world, zombies weren’t the only things to be wary of.

In a sense, humans were more dangerous than zombies.

The survivors who stubbornly clung to life amidst the ruins.

‘Actually, the reason Savior of the Ruined World was ruined was because of humans.’

Having read the entire novel, Seong-ho knew this better than anyone.  That’s why he desperately needed an ability that would be useful against humans rather than zombies.

‘An ability that no one can ignore, an ability that would be welcomed everywhere.’

At the same time, it would be ideal if it were a unique ability that no one else in this world could replicate.

‘What is there?’

What ability would be needed by many, even though he had never encountered it in the novel?

As he asked himself, a word suddenly popped into his mind like a spark.

“He, Healing….”

The muttered sound soon became clear.

—–CROW—–