Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 127

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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 127
Lee Kwanghyun crossed his arms and asked in response to Song Junhyeok’s explanation.
“The people who went ahead will handle any zombies at Ansim Station before we get there, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. Though I was surprised there were so many zombies remaining.”
Team 1 and Team 2 departed from the Shelter, and the Food Procurement Team set out ten minutes later.
They traveled on foot, and when they arrived at Ansim Station, they showed signs of alarm.
It was because zombies still remained at Ansim Station.
Of course, a dozen or so zombies posed no threat to Lee Kwanghyun, Han Hye-ri, and Kim Hanna, so they disposed of them.
Thus they thoroughly cleared out the nearby Convenience Store.
Han Hye-ri picked up the shopping basket she’d set on the ground and spoke.
“Since we’ve come this far, we’ve gathered quite a bit of supplies. Should we head back soon?”
“There’s a Hypermarket just ahead. What if we just check that out?”
At Song Junhyeok’s words, Lee Kwanghyun laughed heartily.
“Ha! You’re really trying to squeeze every last bit out of our time here, aren’t you?”
“With more mouths to feed, I thought it would be good to stock up in advance.”
“Fair enough. For now, pack all the supplies we’ve gathered into the shopping baskets and hand them over to me and Hyeri.”
All manner of groceries piled up in front of the checkout counter.
Han Hye-ri and Lee Kwanghyun transferred all the shopping baskets into their inventories.
Song Junhyeok, clearly envious of the inventory function, kept grinning as he spoke.
“I’m so jealous of the inventory function. How did you get it?”
“I don’t know either. Baek Doyun gave it to me.”
“Of course, Baldo. I really envy you.”
“Is that why you want to check out the Hypermarket too?”
“Ha! Yes, that’s right. Thanks to you two, my hands are free, so I keep getting greedy.”
It was best to be greedy while one had the chance.
Thinking now was the opportunity, Song Junhyeok intended to gather all the supplies in the vicinity.
“Where’s the Hypermarket?”
“If you go straight along the road from here, you’ll reach an Apartment Complex. It’s right in front of that.”
“An Apartment Complex?”
“Yes, I’ll guide you.”
“The Apartment Complex is a bit…”
“Pardon?”
As Song Junhyeok tilted his head in confusion, Lee Kwanghyun cleared his throat and spoke.
“Before we left, Baek Doyun said not to be too greedy.”
“Greedy? About what?”
“The Apartment Complex. He said there are many blind spots there, and there could be Mutants or other Survivors, so don’t even go near it.”
“Ah, then should we just call it here and head back?”
Song Junhyeok readily agreed.
As Lee Kwanghyun wore a contemplative expression, Han Hye-ri checked the count of ammunition and bolts as she spoke.
“We have plenty of ammunition right now, so couldn’t we just check the immediate surroundings and come back?”
“….”
“The point messages keep climbing, so it looks like Team 1 and Team 2 are doing fine.”
“Then… should we stick around a bit longer since we need to restore Hanna’s subordinates?”
“Yes.”
As the Food Procurement Team emerged from the Convenience Store, the zombies surrounding the entrance came into view.
Song Junhyeok stood frozen, not even blinking.
In contrast, Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri walked forward with composure.
“Come back! It’s dangerous….”
“Kim Hanna’s subordinates.”
“Yes?”
“Look at their eyes—they’re docile.”
As Lee Kwanghyun pointed to the zombies, Song Junhyeok let out a short exclamation and wore an embarrassed expression.
“I still… can’t get used to it.”
“If they were street zombies, they would’ve attacked us long ago.”
“I see.”
“Let’s move. Is it that way?”
“Follow me.”
Song Junhyeok pushed through the subordinates and headed toward the Hypermarket.
Kim Hanna had left only her subordinates here.
As the number of those she could command increased, maintaining headcount became its own challenge.
After moving roughly 200 meters behind Song Junhyeok, the Hypermarket he’d mentioned came into view.
Lee Kwanghyun glanced around and asked.
“I don’t see Hanna. Can we go in without her?”
“Are you scared, sir?”
Han Hye-ri spoke with a bland smile, and Lee Kwanghyun’s expression turned serious.
“Hyeri, this isn’t the time for jokes. We don’t know what’s inside.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Everyone stay here. I’ll go in first and check, then come back.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Han Hye-ri gripped her crossbow as she spoke, and Lee Kwanghyun nodded while taking his own crossbow in hand.
The two moved toward the Hypermarket first, while Song Junhyeok and the Shelter survivors left standing alone on the street kept watch nervously, waiting for them to return.
That moment.
“GROOOOAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”
A roar echoed from nearby.
Song Junhyeok spun around in alarm, and multiple footsteps began sounding from the direction of the Apartment Complex to the right.
“What do we do? Should we go back?”
“It’s dangerous, this is dangerous!”
“We’ve come in too deep.”
The Shelter survivors stared at Song Junhyeok with panicked expressions.
The Survivors of the Shelter looking at Song Junhyeok with bewildered expressions.
While Song Junhyeok hesitated, unable to make a decision, Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri, who had moved to the Hypermarket, approached.
“Get inside. Everyone move back.”
Lee Kwanghyun pointed to the Real Estate Agency building directly behind them.
The Survivors from the Shelter hurried into the Real Estate Agency building, while Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri entered last, their gazes fixed on the world beyond the glass.
“What is that? What’s that sound?”
“It’s a Zombie’s cry.”
“I’ve never heard a roar this loud before.”
As Song Junhyeok stared at Lee Kwanghyun with a frightened expression, Lee Kwanghyun let out a dry laugh and spoke.
“It’s Kim Hanna’s roar.”
“…Pardon?”
“Looks like she used a Skill. There must be quite a few Zombies over in that Apartment Complex.”
“A Skill, you say…?”
“Something like the Zombie King’s Summon or whatever—using it lets her command the Zombies in the area as Subordinates.”
“Ah.”
“If she’s using a Skill, there must be quite a few decent Zombies over there.”
“Isn’t that a dangerous situation? If it’s the Zombie King’s Summon, the Subordinates’ physical abilities would be enhanced too…”
Song Junhyeok had also served as an elder of No Way Home.
He knew enough about the Zombie King’s Skills to worry about any potential danger.
Lee Kwanghyun stared out the window without blinking, then let out a relieved sigh and spoke.
“It doesn’t seem to be a dangerous situation.”
“How can you be sure?”
“There are hundreds of Subordinates in front of the Convenience Store, and they’re not coming this way.”
“…”
“If it were truly dangerous, she would’ve called even those Subordinates.”
At Lee Kwanghyun’s explanation, Song Junhyeok’s shoulders relaxed.
The Survivors from the Shelter felt the same relief.
Meanwhile, Han Hye-ri pointed straight ahead and asked.
“Then why is that one just standing there?”
“Huh?”
“The roar was clear enough to reach here. Shouldn’t the Zombies who heard the roar become Hanna’s Subordinates?”
“That’s right.”
“But that one is just standing there, staring at us?”
“Huh? Where?”
“Over there.”
Han Hye-ri pointed to the Park across from the Real Estate Agency.
Lee Kwanghyun’s gaze followed the direction of her finger, and he could make out a figure standing motionless between the trees in the Park, staring directly at them.
“That is…”
Lee Kwanghyun stared intently at the unfamiliar presence.
His pupils dilated, and his expression turned ashen.
“Move back.”
“What?”
“Everyone, get out through the back door!”
As Lee Kwanghyun shouted, the people hiding in the Real Estate Agency office hurriedly began searching for the back exit.
‘What is that thing?’
Lee Kwanghyun’s mind raced.
He recalled every piece of information he knew, but he had no memory of any Zombie or Mutant that looked like this.
A Zombie with horn-like protrusions on its forehead.
Wait, was that even a Zombie?
Its build and appearance were no different from human, yet it emanated an indescribable sense of wrongness.
It was like staring at a spirit photograph.
A normal person would have their arms hanging at their sides when standing upright, but this creature held its arms at forty-five-degree angles to both sides.
Click-click—click-click—
Then came a strange sound echoing from the Park.
He couldn’t tell if it was coming from the creature’s body or its mouth.
But… Lee Kwanghyun felt it instinctively.
The creature had found us, and it was ready to attack.
Lee Kwanghyun frantically opened his inventory and shouldered his rifle.
This wasn’t something he could handle with a crossbow.
He instinctively understood that this was an entity that required a rifle, all his Skills, and a single decisive strike.
“Precision shot, multi-hit, headshot. Explosive fire, snipe.”
“What are you doing, sir! Hurry!”
Han Hye-ri’s voice came from behind.
Lee Kwanghyun swallowed hard and spoke.
“Go ahead.”
“What?!”
“Don’t look back. Run straight to the Shelter.”
“Sir!”
“If we all run together, we all die.”
As Lee Kwanghyun spoke while keeping his eyes on the Unknown Variant, Han Hye-ri bit her lower lip, hesitating.
“Go, now!”
At Lee Kwanghyun’s shout, Han Hye-ri clicked her tongue and bolted toward the back door.
“Just hold on a little longer! I’ll be back soon!”
Depending on what stage of Mutant it was, only Lee Kwanghyun and Han Hye-ri could survive a fight with this creature.
Han Hye-ri had to move with the Shelter Survivors for their safety.
So to buy even a moment by grabbing that creature’s ankle in the Park…
“Die, you bastard.”
Lee Kwanghyun had to buy time.
He aimed at the Unknown Variant’s brow and—
Bang!!!
He pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Boom!!!
But what in the world was happening?
The bullets had clearly struck its head and detonated, yet the creature stared at Lee Kwanghyun as though it had suffered no impact whatsoever.
Lee Kwanghyun took aim at its head once more and squeezed the trigger repeatedly.
Bang—bang—bang—bang—!!!
Kaboom!! Boom!! Crash!!
Successive explosions sent thick smoke billowing upward, and nearby trees ignited in flames.
Yet the Mutant stood unscathed, its gaze fixed upon Lee Kwanghyun.
Had the bullets missed?
‘No.’
I was using precision aiming with sniper enhancement active.
There was no way the shots could have missed, and the explosions had definitely occurred at its head.
Yet not even the smallest scratch had appeared, and its eyes hadn’t blinked once.
Thud—thud—thud—
Soon the creature, which had remained motionless until now, began walking toward Lee Kwanghyun.
Not charging, not glaring with murderous intent, but walking with an unsettling calm.
That very composure struck Lee Kwanghyun with far greater terror.
It was as though the creature’s gait itself was teaching him that he was nothing—something it could kill effortlessly whenever it wished.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat!!!
Kaboom—kaboom—kaboom—kaboom!!!!
Like a cornered rat, Lee Kwanghyun unleashed a barrage of gunfire, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Yet the creature continued its advance, utterly unharmed.
Only then did I understand.
Just before the bullets could touch its body, they were detonating in mid-air.
‘This can’t be real. This… this can’t be real.’
Rifle Enhancement strengthened the ammunition being fired, and enhanced bullets dealt doubled damage.
And I was even using a Skill on top of that—yet I couldn’t inflict a single wound.
At this level of enhancement, I should be able to deal significant damage even to a strengthened Giant Zombie.
At minimum, there should be scratches!
Gripped by terror, Lee Kwanghyun pulled the trigger without pause.
Click—click-click—click—
Soon the ammunition ran dry, and only the hollow sound of empty clicks echoed.
Through the dissipating smoke, the Mutant’s face became visible.
Eyes filled with nothing but whites.
An expression hollow and vacant, as though its very soul had been sucked away.
Lee Kwanghyun felt his spine chill, but he snapped back to his senses and swung the rifle like a club.
He brought the stock down with all his strength against the creature’s face.
Zzzt—!
An unbelievable resistance met his strike.
Approximately five centimeters from its body, there existed something like an invisible barrier.
Not a solid barrier, but rather a resistance similar to how opposite magnetic poles repel each other.
The creature then opened its maw wide toward Lee Kwanghyun.
Shrieeeek—!
In an instant, Lee Kwanghyun’s hearing went numb.
It wasn’t a piercing scream like the Water Demon’s cry, yet his hearing paralyzed and vertigo crashed over him all at once.
Thud—!!
Simultaneously, his entire body felt the sensation of weightlessness.
Crash!!!!
Lee Kwanghyun flew backward like a spring and slammed directly into the wall.
“…Cough!”
The Mutant hadn’t taken any action.
It hadn’t struck with its hands, hadn’t kicked with its feet.
It had merely opened its mouth, yet Lee Kwanghyun was launched backward like someone hit by a truck, flying all the way to the wall.
Something had ruptured in his lungs—Lee Kwanghyun coughed up blood and collapsed.
Lee Kwanghyun lay there in confusion.
He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what had just happened to him.
Crunch— crackle— crunch—
The Mutant approached, trampling through shards of glass.
Looking closely, its body hovered minutely above the ground.
It was suspended in the air, yet the glass on the ground continued to shatter.
‘Gravity? A magnetic field?’
Even amid the chaos, Lee Kwanghyun’s mind didn’t stop working to discern the Mutant’s nature.
He needed to understand something—anything—so he could relay it to the others later.
But that too….
Screeeech—
The Mutant opened its maw once more.
Lee Kwanghyun let out a hollow laugh at the sight of its face.
“I have to survive first before I can tell them anything….”
Boom!!!
Lee Kwanghyun was crushed flat against the ground.

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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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