Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 126

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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 126
The silhouette of a Mutant materializes from the mist in an instant.
The Seventh Mutant that had been rushing toward Park Sangil caught sight of me appearing suddenly and swiftly extended its hair.
Crash!!
Hundreds of strands of hair embed themselves into the ground like massive nails.
I instinctively evade its attack.
“Ehehehe.”
A strange sound echoes from behind me.
It’s not just one.
Another Seventh Mutant was extending its hair toward both my arms.
At this point, I need to change my plan.
“Frenzy.”
Ding!
[Frenzy Lv. 3: For the duration of 1 hour, you gain immunity to viruses and status abnormalities, and all physical abilities increase threefold.]
-While Frenzy is active, you can use the Target Acquisition function 3 times, with each effect lasting 30 minutes.
-Cooldown: 12 hours.
The 12-hour cooldown on Frenzy bothers me, but once I secure the Research Institute, I’ll have plenty of time to reset it.
Hisssss!!
Steam erupts from my entire body as every muscle fiber begins to tighten intensely.
Whoosh!
I barely dodge the hair streaking toward my crown and grip the sword hilt firmly.
Screech!
As I swing my curved blade, sparks fly from the blade’s edge, severing the Mutant’s steel-like hair.
Ding!
-The Skill ‘Balhwa’ activates!
-For the duration of 10 minutes, strength, agility, stamina, and movement speed increase twofold.
Ding!
-The curved blade’s ‘Baldo’ effect activates!
-Movement speed increases by 20% for 30 seconds.
Frenzy, Balhwa, and Baldo all active simultaneously.
My physical abilities now exceed 1,000.
“Target Acquisition.”
[Designate your target.]
“Seventh Mutant.”
[Seventh Mutant acquired.]
Whoooosh!
The mist that had obscured my vision for months suddenly clears, and everything becomes vivid and clear.
A subtle violet light ripples across the entire body of the Seventh Mutant now visible before my eyes.
Using Target Acquisition not only restores my vision through the mist but also marks the location of the designated Mutant with violet light.
Seeing the clear world again after so long filled me with bewilderment before wonder.
“Focus!!”
Bang!!
Park Sangil’s voice cut through the air as a bullet grazed my earlobe.
Crack!!
The bullet streaked past like an arrow, embedding itself in the temporal lobe of the Seventh Mutant that had been targeting my neck.
How dense could bone be? Even without explosive rounds, I heard the shattering impact.
The Seventh Mutant’s skull—even Park Sangil’s bullets couldn’t penetrate it.
This wasn’t the time for admiration.
I gripped the hilt of my curved blade tighter and drove forward against the reeling Seventh Mutant.
Boom!!
As I pushed off the ground, the pavement fractured in a spider-web pattern, sending stone shards flying in all directions.
Like a bullet leaving the barrel, I closed the distance in an instant, plunging into the Seventh Mutant’s embrace.
Screech!!!
I swung my curved blade without hesitation.
Ting-!
[Seventh Mutant eliminated.]
[40,000 points awarded.]
The diagonal slash tore through its ribs and severed the right shoulder blade in a single, clean stroke.
Shriek-!!
Immediately after, hair from another Seventh Mutant came flying at me.
With no time to change stance, I reversed my grip on the curved blade and deflected the barrage of hair-strands raining down.
Clang-clang-clang! Clang-clang-clang!!
The hair shards embedded themselves in the ground like broken pencil tips.
Thud!
In that moment, another strand of hair from behind wrapped around my right arm.
Three of them? Not two?
Crunch-!
A powerful pulling force wrenched at my arm.
It was trying to prevent me from swinging the blade, but that didn’t matter.
Rip!!
I exerted force instantly, and with a sickening sound of tearing flesh, the hair wrapped around my right arm tore free.
Using the severed hair as a shield, I charged like a tidal wave into the Seventh Mutant that was unleashing its barrage.
Screech-!
Instead of defending, it suddenly thrust its face forward.
A massive head three times the size of a normal human’s.
Had it decided evasion was impossible?
Its enormous jaws gaped wide as it lunged its snout toward my right arm.
An unexpected response, but with my current physical abilities, it posed no real threat.
Just as a snake cannot bite a cat, its reflexes couldn’t match mine.
Instead of swinging my blade, I pivoted and delivered a spinning kick.
Crack—!!!
The marble shattered, and its temple caved inward.
With its head thrust forward and balance lost, I gripped the sword hilt and drove it upward in a vertical strike.
Squelch—!
[You have defeated the Seventh Mutant.]
[40,000 points awarded.]
In an instant, its head and upper body separated.
After disposing of two Mutants and turning my head, the Seventh Mutant with part of its scalp torn away was staring at me.
I yanked the hair wrapped around my right arm and hurled it to the ground, watching as it began backing away slowly.
Had it realized it couldn’t win?
“Eehehe!”
Despite its torn scalp, it seemed delighted, cackling as it fled toward the Research Institute.
Thwack!
I hoisted the curved blade onto my shoulder.
Huff—!
With all my strength, I hurled it at its retreating form.
The curved blade cut through the air in a straight line.
Crunch—!!
The blade pierced through its spine and penetrated its solar plexus.
The fleeing creature tumbled forward, then desperately began struggling to raise its upper body again.
But with its spine severed, even a Mutant’s lower body would be useless.
“Eehehe? Hieek?”
It let out grotesque moans, staring at the blade that had pierced through its solar plexus.
I pulled the Ssangsudu from my inventory, rushed toward it, and swung the blade.
Thwack—!!
The Ssangsudu’s blade lodged in its carotid artery.
Was it because this equipment wasn’t reinforced with a weapon enhancement coupon?
Even with over 1,000 in physical stats, I couldn’t sever its head in one strike.
So what.
If it doesn’t come off in one swing, I’ll swing twice.
Crack—! Crack! Thwack— Splash!
Like driving an axe repeatedly into hard wood, I hacked away with the Ssangsudu savagely.
Ting—!
[You have defeated the Seventh Mutant.]
[40,000 points awarded.]
The remaining Seventh Mutant’s head fell away as the points message appeared.
After dealing with the three Seventh Mutants that had emerged outside, I looked toward the Research Institute.
“Baek Doyun! The rest aren’t coming out!”
“You can’t see them from there?”
“They’re all hiding!”
Park Sangil’s voice echoed from behind the brain-shaped statue.
The ones inside weren’t coming out.
Had they seen the three corpses lying dead outside and changed their strategy?
These creatures possessed intelligence—they’d concluded that hiding was their best option.
If that’s the case…
‘If they won’t come out, I’ll go in.’
Whoosh—
I could see violet energy flickering like flames within the Brain Research Institute.
With Target Acquisition active, no matter where the target hid or how well concealed it was, it entered my field of vision.
It was as if I’d gained X-ray vision.
Confirming two Seventh Mutants inside the Brain Research Institute, I informed the group behind me.
“They’re all here.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll go in, clear out the Mutants, and come back out.”
“You’re going in alone?!”
Park Sangil shot to his feet in protest, so I gestured for him to calm down and explained.
“I’m using Frenzy.”
“Ah.”
Park Sangil nodded without further objection at the mention of Frenzy.
The group understood.
When I activated Frenzy, I became more Mutant-like than any Mutant we’d encountered.
I rolled my stiff shoulders as I spoke.
“Since I’m using the Skill anyway, I’ll rampage through and come back.”
“If it gets dangerous, get out immediately. I’ll be aiming from here.”
I’d planned to check the archives first with Bae Hyeonseok, but circumstances had changed—there was no need now.
I already knew the enemy’s full strength.
All I had to do was eliminate every Mutant inside, then bring Bae Hyeonseok back in.
I picked up the fallen hwarang from the ground and headed straight into the Brain Research Institute.
Screech—
As I pushed through the glass door, I detected irregular footsteps echoing through the darkened interior.
“Kekeke— Kack—”
The occasional mocking cries of the Mutants.
Did they think they had the advantage now that I was inside?
Let them laugh while they can.
Now that my physical abilities exceeded one thousand, my five senses had transcended human limitations.
I could pinpoint their locations by footsteps alone, and gauge distance by the slightest temperature fluctuations.
Coming inside posed no disadvantage for me.
‘Left, second floor.’
Even across different levels, I could track their positions by the footsteps overhead.
Huff—
I vanished like smoke, my footsteps silent and deliberate.
There was only one objective.
From this moment forward, I would eliminate everything that was not human.

* * *
“Is the situation around Costco really that bad?”
Han Hye-ri, gathering groceries at the convenience store, asked Song Junhyeok standing beside her.
Song Junhyeok checked the canned goods in his basket before answering.
“It’s quite bad. That’s not a place where survivors can live.”
“….”
“How about your group?”
“Us? What do you mean?”
“The personnel who boarded the modified vehicles earlier.”
“Oh, Team 1 and Team 2? You don’t need to worry about them.”
As Han Hye-ri spoke casually, Song Junhyeok wore an awkward expression and continued.
“That somehow makes me even more anxious.”
“It’s fine. Honestly, they’re scarier than the zombies.”
“Are they strict?”
“No, they’re genuinely good people.”
“Then what’s scary about them?”
In response to Song Junhyeok’s question, Han Hye-ri placed the instant noodles she was holding into her basket and spoke.
“They’re too strong.”
“Pardon?”
“Normally they’re easygoing gentlemen, but their eyes change completely when they fight.”
“Well, that’s because it’s a life-or-death situation….”
“That’s what scares me. I realized that’s what killing intent really looks like.”
Instead of answering, Song Junhyeok nodded slowly and continued gathering groceries.
Ding—ding—
The convenience store door opened, and Lee Kwanghyun, who had been standing sentry outside, entered.
“Did everyone hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“There was a massive explosion from the Costco direction. You didn’t hear it?”
Those inside the convenience store had not heard the explosion.
But Lee Kwanghyun, who had been outside, wore an expression of alarm at the distant sound.
“This is unsettling.”
“Why?”
“I heard a familiar sound. Something like the roar of a Giant Zombie.”
At Lee Kwanghyun’s words, Han Hye-ri laughed lightly and spoke.
“Worry about us instead. Who should be worried about whom?”
“Still….”
“How can you leave your post as a Sentry like this?”
At Han Hye-ri’s sharp remark, Lee Kwanghyun let out a low grunt and gazed out through the glass at the world beyond.
“I’m worried the zombies might swarm over if they hear that noise.”
“Which is exactly why you should be standing guard even more.”
“Hanna told me to come inside and wait.”
“Hanna did?”
“She said she had something else to do and told me to wait in here.”
Lee Kwanghyun clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Song Junhyeok looked back and forth between Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri with a pleased smile.
“The Hunting Dog Federation members all seem to get along well.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes, you all seem close.”
“Well… I suppose we are.”
Han Hye-ri answered while fidgeting with her bangs, and Song Junhyeok picked up the shopping baskets from the floor as he spoke.
“If things go well, we could all have a party together today. The haul has been good.”
“A party? Ha! Elder Chulmin would love that.”
As Lee Kwanghyun burst into hearty laughter, Song Junhyeok glanced at the situation outside and continued.
“Actually, this is the first time I’ve come out this far.”
“Really? Why?”
When Lee Kwanghyun asked, Song Junhyeok spoke with some embarrassment.
“I was too scared. We’ve never left Innovation City before.”
“This isn’t Innovation City?”
“No, it’s near Ansim Station.”
“We just followed along since we didn’t know the way… but isn’t Ansim an area where the zombies haven’t been cleared?”
“That’s right. Before we left, Baek Doyun said that Kim Hanna needed to restore her Subordinates.”
“I see.”
Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri readily accepted the explanation upon hearing Baek Doyun’s name.
Song Junhyeok continued speaking.
“The areas near the Shelters we’ve already secured are nearly depleted of supplies, we can’t go to Costco, and since the modified vehicle was heading toward Ansim Station anyway, I came this way too.”

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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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