Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 118

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Player of the Ruined World – Episode 118
As I headed toward the alley entrance, a gas station came into view right beside us.
Park Sangil rushed behind the gas station building and kept his eyes fixed on the apartment, barely peeking his head out.
He gestured for me to come closer, so I quickly moved up behind him.
“How does it look? Can you see any signs of movement?”
“Nothing visible yet.”
“We have to cross the main road to get into that apartment, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Is there no other way?”
“There’s no other way.”
On the way here, the grid-patterned roads had been convenient and pleasant, but now they felt like obstacles.
There was nowhere to take cover.
With that in mind, I gripped my curved sword and spoke.
“I’ll go out first and assess the situation.”
“If you start with that cockroach nonsense again, you’re really getting scolded.”
Cockroach nonsense?
Ah, that’s the thing about how if a cockroach were human-sized, it could run at 200 kilometers per hour, making its movements impossible for the human eye to follow.
So even with a rifle, you couldn’t deal with it…
I’d said something like that before.
But this time, it’s real.
My physical abilities have increased several times over since then, and to be honest… I can now run faster than a modified vehicle.
“Hyung, even if I got shot right now, I’d be fine.”
“…”
In the past, Park Sangil would have made a fuss, telling me to say something that made sense, but now he just quietly stared at my face instead of responding.
It seemed so plausible that he couldn’t think of any counterargument.
And besides, if I use all my skills and run, I can easily break the sound barrier.
With Balhwa and Baldo both activated, I could even reach up to 600 meters per second.
I’ve already far transcended the bounds of humanity.
The only ones who could catch up to me now are Kim Hanna or Mutants of Stage 5 or higher.
Park Sangil wore a contemplative expression, then suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Doyun.”
“I’m really fine, hyung. Let me go out and check the other side…”
“Would you just go out to the main road and stand there?”
“Huh?”
At the unexpected request, I made a bewildered expression, and Park Sangil quietly stroked his chin as he spoke.
“If you just stand there in the middle of the main road… the other side will definitely take some action.”
“…”
“If they attack, they’re enemies. If they want to talk, we can resolve it through conversation.”
“You’re not worried about me anymore?”
“Have you ever listened to what we say when I’m worried?”
That’s true enough.
Since I’ve never backed down from my convictions, I suppose I’ve achieved a certain detachment.
I responded with a wry smile.
“Since Sangil’s hyung says so… I feel a bit disappointed.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t let you die.”
Park Sangil let out an equally wry laugh as he shouldered his crossbow.
Yes, my companions’ physical abilities had already transcended human limits.
Whoever the enemy was, they would react first if any threatening action was taken.
I advanced down the main road with my sword still sheathed.
“Don’t miss a single window.”
“Leave it to us.”
As I approached the median divider in the center of the main road, I began hearing hurried footsteps beyond the thick fog.
With increased physical abilities came heightened senses.
From footsteps alone, I could now visualize the enemy’s positions in my mind.
“Four on the 4th floor, two above the 7th floor, five on the 1st floor.”
I spoke calmly while keeping my gaze forward.
It was a message for my companions at the gas station and a warning for those listening.
“If any of you stick your heads out the windows, they’ll disappear that very day.”
“….”
“If you’re confident, feel free to test it. Just remember—it’s an experiment you can only conduct once.”
“….”
“If you want to talk, come out. You must have had a reason for shining that light on us.”
As I spoke while peering into the fog, a grumbling voice came from somewhere.
They seemed to be conferring among themselves, but their voices were too quiet to make out the exact words.
Twang—!
In that instant, a bolt shot past like lightning from behind me.
It wasn’t fired by them.
One of my companions at the gas station had fired it.
Thud!
A dull sound from the 4th floor.
It seemed someone had stuck their head out the window, but….
Or had they?
From the sound alone, I couldn’t be certain, but it wasn’t the sound of a bolt piercing a human skull.
It was the sound of a bolt embedding itself in thick wooden planks.
“Wait! We understand! Stop attacking!”
A voice then called out from within the fog.
I tilted my head and asked.
“We haven’t attacked.”
“You said you wanted to talk?! It seems you have shooters, so I’ll come out—please tell them not to fire!”
Had my companions heard?
In the moment I turned around.
-I heard it. Don’t worry about us.
Park Sanghun’s voice reached my mind.
I spoke while looking toward the direction from which the stranger’s voice had come.
“You can come out now.”
Rustle— rustle—
Then two men emerged from the bushes near the apartment building.
I couldn’t tell what they had smeared on themselves, but as they approached, a pungent stench assaulted my nose.
Wait, could this even be called a stench?
It was a strange, indescribable smell somewhere between fragrance and foul odor.
I furrowed my brow and asked.
“What is this smell?”
“It’s perfume.”
“Pardon?”
“If we spray too much perfume, the Zombies can’t smell us.”
They were demonstrating firsthand that excessive fragrance becomes a stench.
After sniffling several times and rubbing my philtrum, they spoke with embarrassed expressions.
“Should we step back a bit?”
“No. Rather, why did you shine that light at us?”
“We wanted to know where you were going.”
At the man’s words, my eyes twitched involuntarily.
A man who appeared to be in his late twenties and another who appeared to be in his early thirties.
As I silently observed both their faces, the man who appeared to be in his late twenties opened his mouth.
“The Brain Research Institute. Am I right?”
“….”
“Is the research facility mentioned in the twelfth episode… the Brain Research Institute here?”
Instead of answering, I studied the man’s face carefully.
There was no doubt or bewilderment in his tone.
Rather, his expression showed anticipation.
If that’s the case, then this person is….
“Are you a No Way Home Player?”
“Yes.”
The man admitted without hesitation.
He said yes so cheerfully that I became even more flustered.
The man then extended his right hand and spoke.
“Apologies for the late introduction. I’m Song Junhyeok.”
As I stared blankly at Song Junhyeok’s hand, he spoke awkwardly.
“Is it not yet time for a handshake?”
“What are you doing here?”
“What else? We’re just trying to survive.”
“Can you hold out?”
“Yes.”
I should be thinking about clearing the episode, not just enduring. What’s the point of merely surviving?
Perhaps my thoughts showed on my face, because the man wore an awkward expression and scratched his head.
Then he spoke with a bitter smile.
“You’re looking at me like I’m pathetic or something.”
“No. That wasn’t my intention.”
I didn’t think he was pathetic—I simply didn’t understand his reasoning.
Crossing my arms as I regarded Song Junhyeok, he stared directly at my face and asked.
“Could I ask you something too?”
“Not until I’ve heard your answer first.”
“Pardon?”
“I asked why you shone that light at us.”
“I answered that I shone it because I knew where you were headed.”
“Knowing where someone’s going doesn’t mean you shine a light at them.”
“…What?”
Song Junhyeok scratched his forehead in apparent discomfort, then glanced at his colleague beside him.
The middle-aged man who had been quietly listening finally spoke.
“The road ahead is dangerous.”
“So you were trying to help us?”
“I know this is a world where kindness without reason is met with suspicion.”
“…”
“But no matter what, we haven’t abandoned our humanity.”
“What do you mean?”
“There were children on the bus.”
I swallowed hard despite myself at his words.
So seeing children on the bus, he signaled us not to go further because it was dangerous?
That’s a charitable interpretation, but we’re still strangers meeting for the first time.
I couldn’t lower my guard.
When I didn’t respond, the middle-aged man continued.
“You can think of it as overstepping. It is overstepping, after all.”
“Because of that light, we became aware of your existence.”
“…”
“You revealed yourselves even though we might attack you, just because there were children?”
“How could we possibly defeat a Player who manufactures and operates a modified vehicle? It really was because of the children.”
When I fixed him with a hard stare, he exhaled slowly and spoke.
“I was hoping you’d be someone I could reason with, but it seems I was wrong.”
“I’m not accusing you—I’m asking. I understand your intentions were good, but from your perspective, it was a foolish choice.”
“…”
“You gain nothing and lose everything. So why would you…”
“I’d rather live as a fool than live as a bastard. Does that answer your question?”
“….”
“How does anyone live without losing anything? What’s the point of clawing your way through life like that?”
The man suddenly accelerated his words.
Though unintended, it seemed I had touched a nerve with this man.
With so much pent up inside, the middle-aged man’s furrowed brow wouldn’t ease easily.
As I watched him silently, he shoved both hands into his pants pockets and continued.
“I saw a Player traveling with children in a world gone to ruin, so I tried to help. Is that enough?”
“….”
“If you’re going to keep questioning me, just go your own way. Don’t start unnecessary trouble.”
“That’s not what I meant….”
“Take the kids and go die or live—do whatever you want. Got it?!”
A man with thorns in his words.
He’d come to help out of concern, but my questioning tone had clearly offended him.
Was my tone too harsh?
‘This isn’t what I meant.’
I know I have no talent for conversation.
I should have brought Sangil along.
“Doyun.”
At that moment, Sangil’s voice came from behind.
Sangil approached slowly with both hands raised above his head.
Then Song Junhyeok and the middle-aged man looked at Sangil with cautious expressions.
“Don’t be alarmed—I have no intention of attacking.”
“….”
“This friend here lacks talent for conversation, so I came to help.”
“Ah….”
Song Junhyeok alternated his gaze between Sangil and me, then extended his right hand toward Sangil.
“I’m Song Junhyeok.”
“I’m Park Sangil. I was listening to your conversation from behind, so may I continue from here?”
“Ah, yes.”
With just Sangil’s arrival, the atmosphere softened considerably.
The middle-aged man’s furrowed brow had relaxed into a calm expression as he looked at us.
I stayed close beside Sangil, ready for any contingency.
If bullets or bolts came flying from the opposite window, I needed to protect Sangil.
Sangil glanced toward the apartment and asked.
“Are there children over there as well?”
“….”
The middle-aged man grew cautious at the question about children.
I actually liked that response.
People with something to protect are always strong.
“This conversation seems like it will take a while. Wouldn’t it be better to continue inside?”
At Sangil’s words, Song Junhyeok and the middle-aged man exchanged glances instead of answering.
They hadn’t intended to let us in, but the situation was unfolding in a way that made them uncomfortable.
Sangil understood their position and spoke with a gentle smile.
“If it’s inconvenient, we can look elsewhere.”
“Wait, hold on!”
Song Junhyeok asked us to wait a moment, then began whispering with the middle-aged man in hushed tones.
I quietly observed their backs and felt the need to ease their wariness.
That way, I could get answers to the questions that still troubled me.
“Song Junhyeok.”
“Yes?”
“I’d like to apologize first.”
“…What?”
“I have a nature where I need all my questions answered before I can have a proper conversation. If I seemed somewhat aggressive, I apologize.”
“…”
Song Junhyeok glanced at the middle-aged man.
My polite apology seemed to have softened the sharp edge of his wariness considerably.
“May I ask just one thing?”
As I looked at them and asked, the middle-aged man stared intently at my face and questioned me.
“What is it? Your question.”
“You said you’re holding out here, but from my perspective, I couldn’t understand that, so I think I came across as rather sharp.”
“…”
“Isn’t clearing episodes the right way to end the game and survive?”
“…”
“But just holding out makes no sense to me. Isn’t that the same as entrusting your lives to someone else?”
Finally understanding why I had spoken so pointedly, the middle-aged man answered in a calmer voice.
“That’s because we know.”
“Know what?”
“That there’s someone who will end this game for us.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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