The Devouring Genius of a Destroyed World

"You’ll soon understand what I mean," Oh Jong-hyuk said confidently. It was clear that he genuinely believed Seongho would align with his ideology.

"For now, take some time to rest and recover. I have some business to attend to."

"…Sure," Seongho replied.

"Thanks for understanding. We’ll hold a welcoming party tomorrow. You can meet the others then."

"Understood."

With that, Oh Jong-hyuk summoned one of his men and issued instructions.

"Take care of our new Awakeners. Assign them apartments, and make sure they have everything they need."

"I’ll guide them!" Yeom Mi-joo interjected abruptly.

"…Looking like that?" Oh Jong-hyuk raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

"Get yourself treated unless you want to live with a flat nose for the rest of your life."

"But I brought them here—"

"Yes, and you’ll get credit for it. Stop being stubborn and listen while I’m being nice."

His tone was markedly different from the one he had used earlier with his subordinates.

"There’s a limit to how much mischief I’ll tolerate, Mi-joo. Learn to behave," he added before leaving without giving her a chance to argue further.

Pouting, Yeom Mi-joo muttered under her breath, "It doesn’t even hurt that much…"

Seongho caught the oddity in her words.

"Doesn’t hurt?"

Until now, he had assumed she was simply ignoring the pain and forcing herself to move. But she claimed it didn’t hurt at all.

Two broken teeth and a collapsed nose… and no pain?

"Anyway, you heard the boss, Seongho-oppa! See you later!" Yeom Mi-joo chirped, leaving without a second glance.

Seongho stared at her retreating figure, her strange statement lingering in his mind.

"Doesn’t hurt… Doesn’t hurt…"

As he mulled over her words, someone approached him.

"Awakener, I’ll guide you to your accommodations!"

A cheerful man with a bright smile and a firm voice made his presence known.

The guide led Seongho’s group through the camp, enthusiastically explaining its layout and features.

"That building on the south end is Humanities and Social Sciences Hall D. Over 150 slaves are housed there."

"We’re planning to expand to adjacent buildings once the number reaches a thousand or two. At this rate, it won’t take long, thanks to the excellent hunting skills of our Awakeners! Haha."

"As for farming, over there is our field, which spans about 10,000 square meters—roughly one and a half soccer fields. Next year, we plan to double the size by demolishing the basketball and tennis courts to the north."

Most of the information matched what Seongho had already learned from Seo Min-hee, but he listened quietly, feigning interest.

"Impressive, isn’t it? None of this would be possible without the protection of our Awakeners," the guide said, his voice brimming with pride.

Seongho couldn’t help but wonder. Was the man genuinely proud? Or had he been brainwashed into such subservience out of fear?

"This camp was founded when our Awakeners rescued people at the start of the virus outbreak. Most of us owe our lives to them," the guide continued, his eyes sparkling with admiration.

Watching the guide, Seongho felt a complex mix of emotions.

How could someone speak so fondly while living amidst such blatant exploitation? Was it because he hadn’t experienced the abuse firsthand? Or was there an incident that Seongho didn’t know about?

For the first time, Seongho found himself curious about the events that had shaped this camp.

Finally, the guide led them to an apartment complex on the outskirts of the campus.

"This is where our Awakeners stay," the guide said, escorting them to the fourth floor.

"Han Seongho, you’ll stay in room 405. Im Chan, you and your daughter will stay in room 406. If she needs a separate room, we can prepare one by the end of the day."

"No, this will do," Seongho replied, taking the keys on behalf of Im Chan, who was holding Ji-hyo.

"Each room is fully furnished with essentials. There’s a radio on the dining table. If you need anything—water, food, or anything else—just use channel four."

"Got it," Seongho said, nodding. He unlocked the door to room 406 and stepped aside to let Im Chan and Ji-hyo enter.

"Wait… Are you not staying together?" Im Chan asked hesitantly, catching Seongho’s arm.

"This camp doesn’t seem safe yet. It’d be better if we stayed together for now," Im Chan suggested, clearly uneasy.

Though Seongho found it more convenient to have separate rooms, he relented. "Fine."

Once inside, Im Chan put Ji-hyo down and turned to Seongho.

"Do you have something to say?" Seongho asked.

"Well… I’m not certain, but…" Im Chan hesitated before continuing, "I think there’s drugs in this camp."

Seongho’s expression instantly sharpened. "What did you just say?"

"D-Drugs," Im Chan stammered, unnerved by Seongho’s intense gaze.

He hurried to explain, "When we came down from the rooftop earlier, I smelled marijuana. And that woman, Mi-joo… the way she sniffs and inhales—it’s like she’s using something through her nose."

"Sniffs through her nose?"

"Yes, like this." Im Chan mimicked a snorting motion. "It’s a way to inhale powdered or liquid substances. It spreads through the body quickly."

Seongho fell silent, his mind racing. He hadn’t expected this revelation.

"Honestly, it’s just a suspicion… No, I’m almost certain. Drugs are circulating in this camp," Im Chan concluded, his face filled with worry.

"How do you know the smell of marijuana?" Seongho asked, the question slipping out reflexively. His knowledge of Im Chan’s future made him wary of anything drug-related.

Im Chan looked horrified. "What?! No! That’s not it!"

He waved his hands frantically. "I used to work in the ER. We had patients come in with acute intoxication. The smell is unforgettable."

Seongho glanced at Ji-hyo, who was sitting nearby, carefully removing her socks.

‘Right… There’s no way he’d use drugs with his daughter here.’

Seongho’s tension eased slightly, though his thoughts remained complicated.

Drugs in the New Humanity Association camp?

‘How is that possible?’ Seongho thought.

The notion that someone else might be producing and supplying them struck him. It was a chilling realization.

The situation reminded him of the cannibalism incident. Even after eliminating the instigator, Go Ji-hoon, cannibalism hadn’t disappeared. Ahn Hee-seob had to take up the role of hunting other cannibals to suppress it.

Drugs would likely follow the same pattern. Removing one supplier wouldn’t solve the problem entirely.

‘I’ve been too naive,’ Seongho thought bitterly.

He turned to Im Chan. The man had spotted something Seongho himself had missed.

"Could you look into this further?" Seongho asked.

"Me?"

"If you get the chance, try to find out what kind of drugs are circulating and where they’re coming from."

"I… I’ll try."

"You don’t need to push yourself. Just keep an eye out," Seongho reassured him.

After unpacking, Seongho tested the radio on the dining table.

"Room 406. We need warm water for three people."

"Understood, Awakener. It will be delivered within ten minutes," came the prompt reply.

While waiting, Seongho inspected the room. It was well-equipped with clean towels, toilet paper, a solar generator, an electric blanket, thick winter bedding, a comfortable sofa, a gas burner, a kettle, and basic cooking utensils.

The abundance of supplies seemed excessive for an unoccupied room, likely a display of the camp’s resources.

‘Well, I won’t complain as long as it’s comfortable,’ Seongho thought.

Just as he was testing the electric blanket, a notification from the system caught his attention.

"Rumors about the Pioneer of Fate are spreading."
"The Pioneer of Fate’s influence has slightly increased."

Startled, Seongho quickly opened his status window.

[Character Status Window]

• Name: Han Seongho
• Role: Pioneer of Fate
• Level: 4 (5/250)
• Physical Ability: 10
• Ability: 26/29
• Contribution Points: 21
• Discord Points: 311
• Influence: Over 100 individuals in the world are now aware of the Pioneer of Fate. Those who know of you will be more inclined to listen to your words.

‘So the rumors are spreading among the people from the hospital and Myeongdong… But what does "more inclined to listen" actually mean?’

The implications of this development were unclear, leaving Seongho deep in thought.

A knock at the door interrupted him. Expecting the water delivery, Seongho opened the door.

"Ah, you’re here," he began, but stopped short.

The man standing before him wasn’t carrying water but a paper bag.

The instant their eyes met, a vivid sentence appeared before Seongho’s mind:

"With a single glance, his illusions ensnared you in an inescapable swamp."