‘The survey itself wasn’t too difficult.’

It mostly focused on why the protagonist failed and what possible methods could have been used to overcome that failure.

In other words, Seongho already had a rough guideline for what he needed to do.

‘Although I’m not sure what point in the story I’ve entered…’

Still, he could move forward using his knowledge of the original plot.

Seongho finished organizing his thoughts and spoke aloud to the empty air.

“What happens once I change this world’s ending? Will I be able to go back? Will you send me back?”

No response came.

But he had to believe he could return. If he didn’t cling to that hope, he felt like he might go mad.

‘For now, I’ll try to stay positive.’

That was his only option.

With a resigned sigh, Seongho rubbed his face roughly.

He was still angry and frustrated at everything around him, but this wasn’t the time to give in to those feelings.

Steeling himself, Seongho climbed out of the vehicle.

Then he began stripping the zombie’s clothes.

‘I have to survive first.’

If he wanted revenge, a way home, or anything else, he had to stay alive.

Tears blurred his vision, but his hands didn’t falter as he removed the zombie’s clothes.

Soon, Seongho was wrapped in layers: a T-shirt, a sweater, and a thin padded jacket the zombie had been wearing. They were a bit oversized, but wearable.

After donning the jeans from the zombie as well, he turned his attention to his feet.

Running barefoot across the asphalt had left his feet scraped and bleeding.

‘Of course, I had to get one without shoes.’

In the end, Seongho tore his pajama shorts into strips.

The relatively clean fabric was one of the only things he had left, along with his short-sleeve T-shirt, which he had used to dress his arm wound. He intended to use the shorts fabric to cover his foot injuries.

After placing some strips on the soles of his feet, he tied the rest around his feet to secure them.

“Phew…”

Wincing from the stinging pain, Seongho decided to try using his power on the wounds, just in case.

Unfortunately, nothing happened.

It seemed that this power had no effect on healing wounds.

‘Judging by the lifeless zombie, this power only seems to extract the virus.’

Seeing the zombie lying completely still confirmed it—his power couldn’t return zombies to human form, as he had initially hoped.

‘What about people infected but not yet transformed?’

That was something he would need to test later.

But there was no need for disappointment right now. Perhaps the outcome of his damage claim would change things.

‘That’s a problem for another time.’

With his new clothes on, Seongho began searching the vehicle.

Fortunately, he found some useful items.

A grimy rag, a pair of discarded socks, a paper map with red pen markings, and a lighter under the seat.

‘Half a tank of gas.’

The fact that these items were still here was a stroke of luck, likely because they were hidden under the seat and had gone unnoticed by others.

He stuffed everything into the pockets of his padded jacket.

After a moment of hesitation, he slipped on the socks.

‘It’s unsettling, but…’

With a thin layer of fabric between the socks and his injured feet, he could bear it. The weather was far too harsh for bare feet.

‘I’ll need more clothes and medicine, too.’

To properly treat his injuries, he’d need antibiotics or antiseptics. Whether he could actually find any was a different question.

‘But I have to try.’

After wiping his face with his blood-stained hands, Seongho examined the map he’d found in the car.

Thanks to the previous user’s markings, he quickly identified his location.

‘Station 6, Yeokchon Station… in Eunpyeong-gu?’

He scowled.

‘Why would they drop me in northern Seoul?’

The protagonist’s main activities were in Gangnam, moving from Incheon to Gangnam, and then down to Suwon and Gyeonggi Province. He only ventured north to Gangbuk about four years into the story.

‘Could it be… am I four years in?’

If that were the case, he wouldn’t be able to save or change anything.

He needed to determine what point in the story he was in as soon as possible.

‘Finding a survivor to confirm the timeline would be best.’

Even if he didn’t get information, he needed someone to treat his injuries.

As he looked over the map, an old, familiar name caught his eye.

‘Eunpyeong Hospital…’

Seongho had a connection to that place. The head of his orphanage had been hospitalized there for a long time, so he’d visited often and knew the layout well.

‘That’s where I’ll go.’

In the novel, hospitals often became major camps due to their medical supplies and equipment.

If any survivors had taken refuge there, there might still be medical supplies or even healthcare workers.

Even if the hospital wasn’t occupied, he could still search it or the surrounding area for supplies.

Having made his decision, Seongho set off down the road, keeping an eye out for anything useful.

But, unfortunately, there wasn’t much to find.

‘This doesn’t look like the early days of the virus outbreak…’

The city was in ruins.

The windows of nearby shops were mostly shattered, and the gas caps on abandoned cars were open.

There was almost nothing left in the area.

‘The outbreak happened long ago.’

It could have been at least a year or two—perhaps even longer.

‘If it’s been three or four years, it might already be too late.’

By that time in the novel, there wasn’t much left that Seongho could change.

Feeling a knot of worry tightening in his chest, he glanced around.

Suddenly, he ducked, slipping into an alley between two buildings.

He’d seen something moving at the intersection ahead.

Peeking around the corner, he confirmed his sighting: two zombies shambled aimlessly around the intersection.

One of them wore a backpack and winter clothes, while the other was dressed for summer.

That difference suggested that the two zombies had been infected at different times.

Watching the scene in silence, Seongho slowly withdrew.

Fortunately, there was enough distance between him and the intersection, and the zombies hadn’t noticed him yet.

‘I’ll avoid them.’

There was no need to take unnecessary risks.

With only a pair of socks on his feet, he moved carefully to keep his steps silent.

Seongho moved forward, stepping lightly on his heels as he circled behind the buildings.

But after only two or three steps, he stopped.

‘Is avoiding them… really the right choice?’

He needed the virus. To grow stronger, he would have to consume it.

Fighting zombies was inevitable.

‘These look like ordinary zombies with no special abilities…’

Instead of avoiding them, he had to face them.

As soon as that realization struck, Seongho’s heart began to pound wildly, his palms sweating with anticipation.

He wasn’t surprised by his reaction. This was natural.

He was about to do something he’d never done before. Just a few hours ago, he’d been immersed in peace; now, his body and mind resisted this shift.

But he had to overcome that resistance.

‘That’s what it means to face a challenge. Change doesn’t come without risk.’

He whispered the phrase that had guided him for the past 30 years.

Taking a steadying breath, Seongho turned back toward the intersection and pressed himself against the wall, preparing to engage.

‘With this power, I should be able to handle them.’

Having the ability to fight zombies barehanded without needing a knife or axe was a major advantage.

The only problem was that he still didn’t know the limits of his power.

‘Do I need to make direct contact with bare skin? Or does it work through clothing?’

He mulled it over but found no answers.

In that case, he would base his strategy on what he already knew.

Raising his hands, he practiced a few maneuvers. Once he felt prepared, he stepped out from behind the corner.

‘I don’t know how many more zombies are nearby.’

He couldn’t afford to draw unnecessary attention.

Fortunately, the relentless winter wind masked the sound of his movements, muffling his steps.

Still, he stayed cautious, moving on his tiptoes.

After carefully advancing along the edge of the building, he reached the intersection.

Luckily, there were only those two zombies within his line of sight.

This was it—no need to be overly cautious anymore.

Seongho raised his hands and called out.

“Come here!”

His clear voice served as perfect bait.

*Graaagh!*

The zombies whipped their heads toward him so fast he could hear the sound. Then they lunged forward, heads leading, bodies trailing.

Their eerie, unnatural movements would terrify any normal person.

Every instinct screamed at him to run.

But he fought against it.

With his eyes wide open, Seongho forced himself to focus, muttering through trembling lips.

“Stay focused… Keep watching…”

He needed to get used to this.

To survive in this world, he had to be ready to handle zombies like these anytime.

He held his ground, patience and focus sharpening his gaze, like a hunter waiting for his prey to step into the trap.

As the distance between him and the rapidly approaching zombies closed, Seongho lowered his body, crouching down.

Then, with a burst of speed, he launched himself forward, reaching out both hands.

Two zombies. And two hands.

Just as he lunged, his hands lit

 up with a bright white glow, each grabbing a zombie’s neck.

Then a force shoved him backward.

But rather than resist, Seongho allowed himself to fall, going limp as he toppled back.

A flash.

The three of them—a human and two zombies—tumbled across the asphalt.

「1 point of Achievement has been accumulated.」
「10 Points of Dissonance have been accumulated.」
「1 point of Achievement has been accumulated.」
「10 Points of Dissonance have been accumulated.」

The system message confirmed the results of his fight.

“Good. Using the power with both hands works.”

With effort, an awakened’s power could grow. If he could channel it from other parts of his body, not just his hands, he would always have a safety net.

‘It might also be worth trying to project it at a distance…’

Muttering to himself, Seongho rubbed his sore backside as he stood up.

He then retrieved the virus orb that had fallen out of the zombies, swallowing it immediately.

The numbers in his status window changed accordingly.

---

**[Character Status Window]**
- **Character Info**
  - Name: Han Seongho
  - Role: Fate Pioneer
  - Level: 1 (3/5)
  - Physical Ability: 4
  - Special Ability: 2/5
- **Activity Info**
  - Achievement: 3 points
  - Dissonance Score: 30 points
  - Influence: None
  - Title: None

---

Seongho skimmed through his status window, his gaze lingering on the Dissonance score.

It seemed certain now that each zombie encounter raised it by 10 points.

And yet, he still had no idea how to reduce that score.

‘Is it even possible to lower it?’

He didn’t know what purpose the Achievement points served, either.

To make matters worse, he only had two more uses left of his special ability.