Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 130

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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 130
As expected, maximum level.
Increased damage range, increased frequency, and increased damage output.
It would have required 960,000 points to raise this through normal means.
But with the Skill Enhancement Coupon, I elevated it effortlessly—nothing could be more satisfying.
Boom—!
As I continued moving while strengthening my Skill, I suddenly found myself at Ansim Station.
When I turned my head toward the thunderous sound emanating from the Apartment Complex direction, I could see thick smoke rising from a specific location.
I didn’t need to see it with my own eyes to understand.
Kim Hanna was there, and so was the Eighth Mutant Variant.
I rushed frantically toward the source of the sound.
Whoosh—!
Something hurtled toward me at tremendous speed.
I reflexively tried to dodge, but recognizing that familiar silhouette, I stretched out both hands.
Thud! Crash-crash-crash!
Because it came flying at such incredible velocity, I was pushed backward the moment I caught it with both hands.
“…Kim Hanna?”
“Ugh…”
It was Kim Hanna.
Kim Hanna, drenched entirely in blood.
Meanwhile, the Eighth Mutant Variant appeared completely unscathed.
Had that creature thrown Kim Hanna?
Every building in the vicinity had collapsed, and the ground was pocked with craters as though it had been subjected to bombardment.
Without needing to ask, the devastated surroundings testified to how desperately Kim Hanna had fought.
“…You’re late, Baek Doyun.”
Kim Hanna wiped away the blood streaming down her forehead with a bitter smile.
Fortunately, the Zombie King’s regenerative ability had proven effective.
Without that regenerative power, I couldn’t have guaranteed Kim Hanna’s survival.
“Rest now. I’ll handle this.”
“Wait—ordinary attacks don’t work on that thing.”
“Yes, I heard the countermeasure.”
I clenched both fists and fixed my gaze on the Eighth Mutant Variant.
Shockwave’s remaining cooldown was one minute.
Well then, let me assess its level during this one minute.
Boom!!!
I kicked off the ground and charged forward like a tidal wave.
Most Mutant Variants would have their heads severed before they could even react to my speed.
But the Eighth Mutant Variant’s eyes widened in shock, its mouth gaping open.
If it can track my speed with its eyes…
‘Minimum Stage 5.’
It meant possessing power equal to or exceeding that of a Stage 5 Mutant.
In that fleeting instant, I could see the air rippling around its mouth.
“Too late.”
Thud—Boom!!!!!
I drove my fist straight into its face, and a peculiar resistance registered through my fingertips.
But the pressure from my punch overwhelmed whatever resistance it offered, and the creature was driven back dozens of meters.
Crash—!!
It tore through the Building Exterior Wall and flew beyond.
Yet the creature’s body showed no apparent damage.
A Mutant that appeared to be wrapped in a transparent protective barrier across its entire form.
So that’s why they said a Shockwave was necessary?
Then….
“Let’s see how far it can endure.”
I’d found an excellent Experimental Subject.
The Eighth Mutant Variant would continue appearing in the future, and I couldn’t count Shockwave uses one by one each time.
This was the perfect situation to test whether I could defeat it without using Shockwave.
Boom!!!
I charged forward like a bullet leaving a gun barrel, and the creature’s eyes widened as it fixed its gaze on me.
Apparently caught off guard by the unexpected speed, its dilated pupils and rigid upper body came into focus.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash!!!!!
I unleashed punch after punch without pause for breath.
Like an insect pinned beneath gravity, unable to rise, the creature couldn’t even lift its head as it was driven through the ground.
Screech—screech—screech—
The protective barrier-like aura enveloping its body began to distort.
Cracks formed in the Mutant’s ability as it failed to absorb all the impact.
What had been transparent became translucent, a magnetic field wavering like soft pudding.
Then….
“One Strike.”
Ting—!
[One Strike Lv.4: Attacks an enemy with great force.]
[Stacks with other Skills, applying an attack equivalent to twice your Strength.]
-When One Strike Skill is activated, 50 attacks are possible.
-Cooldown: 6 hours.
One Strike that stacks even the Strength gained from Skills.
My current Strength had exceeded 2,000.
As I clenched my fist, I felt a level of pressure that was almost unbearable even for me.
Crack—!!!
I drove my fist straight down vertically.
Screeeech!!!
Cracks spread outward in all directions as if an earthquake had struck.
At the same time, the magnetic field-like barrier enveloping the creature’s body turned crimson.
Boom!!!
An unexpected explosion erupted.
The old me would have been caught in the sudden blast.
But sensing the crimson barrier and the heat radiating from my fingertips, I instinctively detected the threat.
By a hair’s breadth, I managed to create distance and escape the blast radius.
Thick smoke and dust obscured my vision.
Beyond it, the silhouette of a human form.
Did my attack fail to connect again?
The moment I prepared to charge forward before it could regenerate its barrier.
Ding!
[You have defeated the Eighth Mutant Variant!]
[50,000 points awarded.]
The points message materialized before my eyes.
After closing the System Message and looking ahead, the creature’s form gradually came into focus.
The barrier shattered, and half of its head had been blown away.
Following that, its body began to crumble.
Like the surface of hardened mud breaking apart.
Before long, the creature had turned completely to dust.
As I approached its location, I could see fragments of the body that hadn’t fully disintegrated scattered about.
Crunch!
Even embers need to be stamped out.
I crushed it completely to powder beneath my feet, then turned to look at Kim Hanna behind me.
Kim Hanna had finished regenerating her body and was staring blankly at the scene.
“Are you alright, Kim Hanna?”
“Just now… what was that?”
“What?”
“At the end. When Baek Doyun threw that punch, I saw a sonic boom.”
That’s possible.
My running speed already breaks the sound barrier, and my fist can extend far faster than that.
Especially since I had activated One Strike as well.
One Strike can be used fifty times, yet I defeated the Mutant with just a single use.
At that, I opened the System Message and spoke.
“Can I cancel an active Skill?”
I thought of the people who possessed Shooter abilities.
When they lowered their guns, the active Skill would be cancelled, freeing them from cooldown restrictions.
I couldn’t compare Buster abilities to Shooter abilities, but having a six-hour cooldown from a single use like this felt… unfair.
Ding!
[Skill One Strike has been cancelled.]
[Usage count has not exceeded 5 times.]
[Cooldown reduction applied.]
[You can use Strike again in 1 hour.]
Oh, that works.
Buster has this feature too?
Until now, whenever I used Strike, I’d exhaust all available uses.
Since I rarely had many uses remaining, I never knew this feature existed.
Even No Way Home doesn’t have this function.
Regardless, reducing the cooldown is beneficial for me.
Given that I haven’t exceeded 5 uses, it appears the system reduces cooldown when usage doesn’t exceed 10% of total available uses.
“Are your injuries alright?”
“I’m fine.”
“Have your Subordinates recovered much?”
“More importantly, what about the Main Episode?”
“The Main Episode is….”
Ding—!
Just as I was about to answer Kim Hanna’s question, a familiar mechanical chime reached my ears.
Simultaneously, a System Message materialized before my eyes.
[You have completed Main Episode #14-0 ‘Securing the Research Institute’.]
[Clear Reward: Legendary Skill Book provided.]
Park Sangil and Bae Hyeonseok must have found the emergency generator.
As I released a relieved sigh, Kim Hanna also gazed at the System Message and asked.
“Completed?! You finished the fourteenth episode? You said this was the last one. So… does that mean it’s all over now?”
“No. I’ve only cleared 14-0 so far.”
“Ah….”
“Not much remains. Please hold on just a bit longer.”
“What should I do?”
“It will be indicated soon.”
Ding—!
[Main Episode ‘Vaccine Development’ (#14-1) now begins.]
[The blood of the Zombie King is required to develop a vaccine against the X Virus.]
[Upon obtaining the Zombie King’s blood, you will proceed to the stage of designating a Lead Researcher to conduct the research.]
[The individual designated as Lead Researcher cannot leave the Research Institute until vaccine development is complete.]
[Zombie waves will continue until the Lead Researcher completes vaccine development.]
Similar to the previous Safe House activation episode.
During Safe House activation, zombies within a certain radius had swarmed frantically.
I wonder how this episode will unfold….
Ding—!
[Confirming the nation currently progressing through No Way Home’s final episode.]
[Target: Republic of Korea]
[The coordinates of the Daegu Innovation City Brain Research Institute, designated as the Research Institute, are input to all zombies, Mutants, and Mutant Zombies across the Korean Peninsula.]
“What?”
My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the System Message that materialized before my eyes.
The radius covers the entire Korean Peninsula?
That meant every zombie, Mutant, and Mutant Zombie on the Korean Peninsula would be drawn to this place, didn’t it?
Ding!
[The wave will commence once the Senior Researcher designation is complete.]
[Please acquire the Zombie King’s blood and designate a Senior Researcher within 24 hours.]
[Clear Reward: Legendary Skill Book.]
[Failure: Death.]
As I stared blankly at the System Message, Kim Hanna from behind tapped my shoulder and asked.
“What does this mean? Acquire the Zombie King’s blood and designate a Senior Researcher?”
“We’re making a vaccine using Kim Hanna’s blood.”
“I understand that, but….”
Kim Hanna must be confused as well.
With so much information suddenly flooding in, it was natural not to know where to start or what measures to take.
Even for me, who knew what was coming, this situation was bewildering.
In No Way Home, the scope of the zombie wave was limited to the city where the Research Institute was located.
But reality… was targeting the entire Korean Peninsula.
I thought we had barely escaped Seoul.
Now all the Mutants and zombies from Seoul were following us down to Daegu.
“Let’s head back for now. We still have 24 hours, so it would be best to return and discuss this with the others.”
Kim Hanna and I hurried toward the Brain Research Institute.
There we met Team 1 and Team 2, then returned to the Shelter in the modified vehicle.

* * *
The meeting stretched on late into the night.
Rather than celebrating the completion of Episode 14-0, everyone spent a headache-inducing time grappling with the problems posed by Episode 14-1.
“So, no matter what, the Senior Researcher position has to go to either Bae Hyeonseok or Song Junhyeok, right?”
At Park Sanghun’s words, the Survivors in the Shelter cried out in vehement opposition.
“Didn’t you say that if someone is designated as Senior Researcher, they can’t leave the Research Institute? How many times do we have to tell you that Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok can’t handle that?”
“And if you suddenly ask us, who have no information whatsoever, to conduct vaccine research, how are we supposed to do that?”
“We’re not asking you to ‘designate’ a Senior Researcher. Once someone is designated as a researcher, the information necessary for vaccine development will become available.”
“Then what else are you suggesting?”
“There are materials at the Brain Research Institute, and Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok can provide support from the sidelines anyway.”
“But ultimately, both of them need to be there. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we provide support while the two of them serve as Senior Researchers?”
I tried my best to maintain neutrality.
I lacked confidence in such conversations, and if I stepped in, it would only create a coercive atmosphere.
But as the discussion continued to circle endlessly, I finally sighed and opened my mouth.
“I understand both sides’ positions. So please, both of you, calm down a bit.”
“I’m not speaking out of excitement—I’m just stating facts.”
Park Sanghun spoke as if aggrieved, so I patted his back and offered a thin smile.
Park Sangil, Park Sangha, and Hong Yeonhui, who had been observing the situation, also refrained from speaking easily.
It seemed they believed that if they stepped in, the influence of the Hunting Dogs and Hong Ryeon would only grow stronger.
Eleven hours remained.
The clock hand had long since passed midnight, and if we slept and woke, there would be precious little time left to make a decision.
Since we needed to decide soon, I turned my gaze toward Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok.
“What do the two of you think?”
“Pardon?”
“Bae Hyeonseok, Song Junhyeok—we haven’t heard your opinions yet.”
“….”
Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok were also gauging each other’s reactions.
After observing thirteen hours of conflicting opinions, I reached one conclusion.
Now Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok’s resolve had to solidify.

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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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