Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 133

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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 133
Meanwhile, those at the Shelter couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
“How does it look?”
Lee Kwanghyun lowered his binoculars and turned his head at the voice from behind.
“Why did you come out? I told you to stay inside.”
“The sounds keep coming, so I got anxious.”
It was Jo Yunhwan.
Lee Kwanghyun handed over the binoculars he was holding, and through them, Jo Yunhwan could see the area around the Brain Research Institute.
Zombies moving endlessly.
Mimicry Species, Water Demons, Severing Types, Resonance Species, Giant Zombies—all manner of Mutants were mixed together.
“There are so many of them, aren’t there?”
As Jo Yunhwan swallowed hard and spoke, Lee Kwanghyun gazed toward the Costco direction with a worried expression.
“I can’t believe they’re holding out against that.”
“Shouldn’t we go provide support?”
“We’d only be a burden. Haven’t you noticed the people Baek Doyun took with him?”
“What?”
“Most of them are Shooters. There are only two Makers, and just one Whisper and one Healing Factor. What do you think that means?”
“….”
When Jo Yunhwan made an uncertain expression, Lee Kwanghyun chuckled dryly and continued.
“He’s focusing on defense.”
“Ah….”
“If we go provide support, it disrupts his plan. Even if we were to support, it would only be possible if the number of Zombies here decreases.”
“Then… what should we….”
“We do our job.”
“What job?”
“Points keep coming in, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Keep sending them to the people who moved to the Brain Research Institute. Don’t forget—bullets cost points, and healing costs points too.”
The task those remaining here could accomplish.
Continuously sending the incoming points to those in combat.
That was the best they could do.
“Duck.”
At that moment, Lee Kwanghyun’s eyes widened as he grabbed Jo Yunhwan’s arm and pulled him down.
Jo Yunhwan, in the middle of transferring points, found himself crouching on the apartment rooftop without understanding what was happening.
“Why, why? What is it?”
“Shh.”
Lee Kwanghyun peeked slightly over the railing, then quickly ducked back down and clicked his tongue.
“Damn it.”
“Why? What is it?!”
“A Mutant is circling around the Shelter.”
Jo Yunhwan stood motionless, his expression one of shock.
Meanwhile, Lee Kwanghyun peered over the railing once more, his mind churning.
‘Where did that thing come from?’
The Zombies heading toward Ansim Station were following coordinates embedded in their minds.
Most Zombies and Mutants would be doing the same.
But there was one Mutant circling the Shelter’s retaining wall.
From what I could see, it appeared to be a Mimicry Species somewhere between stage 3 and stage 4.
Had it approached from the entrance of Innovation City rather than from Ansim Station?
Since the Shelter lay on the path to the Brain Research Institute, if it came from Innovation City’s entrance, that would make sense.
When I’d arrived at Innovation City, there hadn’t been any Zombies or Mutants at the city’s entrance….
‘Creatures from other regions are already beginning to cross over.’
The physical capabilities of Mutants had long since transcended human limits.
Even a stage 3 Mutant could easily keep pace with a vehicle traveling at 100 kilometers per hour.
As my thoughts reached this point, Lee Kwanghyun’s eyes twitched involuntarily.
“Three hours and thirty minutes.”
“Pardon?”
“Three hours and thirty minutes, I said.”
Jo Yunhwan’s expression showed complete bewilderment at Lee Kwanghyun’s words.
“What takes three hours and thirty minutes?”
“The time it takes for Mutants from Seoul to reach here.”
“…!”
“And they don’t even need to use the highway. They can cut straight across, so they’ll arrive even faster.”
The estimated arrival time for stage 3 Mutants was three hours and thirty minutes.
Stage 4 Mutants would be faster, and if there were stage 5 Mutants….
‘I can’t just stand here and watch.’
Lee Kwanghyun finished his thoughts and descended the stairs with Jo Yunhwan.
As I opened the entrance and stepped inside, the Survivors in the room approached us.
“We keep hearing explosions outside. Is the situation really that bad?”
A Survivor from the Shelter asked Lee Kwanghyun.
It was a young Kindergarten Teacher who had been looking after the Children.
Lee Kwanghyun glanced around the living room, then spoke to the Kindergarten Teacher.
“Where are the others?”
“They’re in the next room with the Children.”
“Please call them. I think we need to change our plan.”
“Yes? Oh, of course!”
When the Kindergarten Teacher brought the people from the Hunting Dog Federation and Hong Ryeon, Lee Kwanghyun briefed them on the current situation with a grave expression.
After hearing the briefing, no one spoke up easily.
“That, that many?”
The Kindergarten Teacher asked with a frightened expression, and Lee Kwanghyun continued, crossing his arms.
“Do you all remember when we discussed terraforming?”
“Yes.”
“This scenario is set in 2030. By that year, Korea’s entire population has transformed into Zombies or Mutants.”
“….”
“Since we’ve arrived from the mid-2020s, the number of Zombies has only increased.”
“So….”
“Fifty million Zombies and Mutants of every variety will converge on the Brain Research Institute within three hours.”
“…!”
“If they’re Stage 5, it could be ninety minutes, or even faster.”
Lee Kwanghyun exhaled slowly and continued.
“No matter how accustomed Baek Doyun and the others are to combat, they won’t survive this onslaught.”
“Then… what are we supposed to do?”
“We need to buy time. When it matters most.”
“But how exactly do we buy time….”
“We have the buses.”
Lee Kwanghyun spoke while surveying the people gathered in the living room.
“Students, it’s been twenty-four hours now, so you can use the free equipment enhancement, right?”
“Yes! We can.”
The students with Maker abilities answered confidently, and Lee Kwanghyun walked toward the window as he spoke.
“Good. Start by enhancing the two buses on the 1st Floor, then enhance all the rifles and ammunition from now on.”
“Yes!”
“Jo Yunhwan, you’ll stay with me and protect the students until the bus enhancements are complete. Get ready.”
Jo Yunhwan’s expression became flustered at Lee Kwanghyun’s words.
“Excuse me? You just said there’s a Mimicry Species lurking around the Shelter, didn’t you?”
“That’s exactly why you need to protect the students until the enhancements are done.”
“Ah.”
“Zombies can’t enter the Safe House, but Mutants can.”
“…I understand.”
“Everyone move quickly and efficiently.”
Jo Yunhwan, momentarily bewildered, quickly regained his composure.
Lee Kwanghyun gathered his equipment and descended to the 1st Floor, his mind working through the situation.
He’d thought they only needed to defend the Research Institute until vaccine development was complete, but that wasn’t it.
He’d assumed this would be a prolonged engagement, but it was actually closer to a short-term assault.
The group that moved to the Brain Research Institute would likely allocate their Skills with a long battle in mind.
But they couldn’t afford to do that.
The Stage 5 Mutants would arrive far more quickly.
They would expend all their Skills in a brief span, and by the time the Stage 3 and lower Mutants and Zombies came flooding in, they’d be completely exhausted.
That’s why the Defense Team at the Shelter was also preparing for deployment.

* * *
Boom!!!
Zombies and Mutants surged forward endlessly.
My stamina depletion exceeded all imagination.
Like holding one’s breath while sprinting a hundred meters, humans cannot maintain respiration when exerting maximum effort.
I had sustained such movement for thirty minutes.
My breathing was irregular, my heart pounding as though it might burst at any moment.
My arms could not rest for even a second, and my legs burned countless calories fighting to maintain balance on the sodden earth.
“Kim Hanna! Handle the Creepers first!”
“There are Jokers too!”
“Send your subordinates forward! We need to scatter the Jokers’ attention!”
As Kim Hanna sent her subordinates forward, the Jokers concealed within the zombie horde recognized them as threats and lunged.
“Sangil! The Jokers first!!”
I shouted toward the Brain Research Institute, and I could see sparks erupting from a specific position.
Bang!! Bang!! Rat-a-tat! Bang!!
The bullets that left the muzzle pierced through the Jokers’ foreheads with perfect accuracy.
Park Sangil—striking rapidly moving targets with flawless precision.
“Baek Doyun, are you alright?”
Kim Hanna approached and eliminated the Zombies surrounding me as she spoke.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and opened my inventory.
“Just give me twenty seconds to catch my breath.”
While catching my breath, I retrieved the Grenades I had stored in my inventory.
Grenades that Park Sangha had crafted for me to use in critical moments.
This was no time to conserve items.
Better to unleash them spectacularly than to hoard them uselessly.
I kept my inventory open and continued pulling out Grenades.
Click—whoosh!!
I yanked the safety pin and hurled it with all my strength into the fog.
Click—whoosh!!
Another pin pulled and thrown.
Click—whoosh!!
Another throw.
Like a pitching machine hurling balls without pause, I continued throwing Grenades until my entire inventory was depleted.
Boom!!! Boom!!! Kaboom!!! Boom!!!
Explosions echoed relentlessly from a distance.
I had to throw them as far as possible to avoid injuring Kim Hanna’s subordinates.
This was not a desperate struggle to reduce their numbers by even a fraction.
It was simply catching my breath while throwing Grenades.
Fortunately, thanks to my passive Regeneration Skill, my ragged breathing gradually steadied, and my aching shoulders and thighs recovered considerably.
I closed my inventory and gripped the Ssangsudu I had set down.
When dealing with multiple enemies, Ssangsudu was superior to the curved blade, so I was using Ssangsudu to handle the zombies.
“Baek Doyun!”
“Switching!”
I moved forward again, supporting Kim Hanna.
As I passed by and checked Kim Hanna’s condition, her state was already far from normal.
Broken nails and one finger bent at an odd angle.
Kim Hanna must have had the Zombie King’s passive Skill as well.
She was moving so violently that her regeneration couldn’t keep pace.
“Kyieeeeeek!!”
At that moment, hearing a grotesque shriek from the left, I turned my head and spotted a massive palm hurtling toward us.
Clang-clang-clang-clang—!
I hastily defended with Ssangsudu, but the sudden pressure from the enormous palm sent me sliding back several meters.
“Kahaaack!! Khaack!”
Seizing the opening, zombies rushed at my shoulder and flank.
I shook off the charging zombies with force and surveyed the direction from which the palm had come.
Based on the palm’s size, it was a Stage 5 Mimicry Species.
The existence of a Stage 5 meant it had come from a location with a densely concentrated population.
Only thirty minutes had passed since the battle began, yet the zombies and Mutants from within Daegu had apparently arrived at the Brain Research Institute.
‘There will be more.’
Just from the appearance of the Stage 5 Mimicry Species, I could anticipate that Stage 5 Mutants would gradually increase in number.
At least it was fortunate that Balhwa had become a passive Skill.
Since the effect was being maintained, I could defeat the Stage 5 Mimicry Species without using other Skills.
I moved the Ssangsudu in my hand to my inventory and drew the curved blade from its sheath, charging into the Mimicry Species’ embrace.
Whoosh-whoosh—!
I sliced through the charging zombies like autumn leaves caught in the wind, fixing my gaze on the Mimicry Species.
‘The abdomen.’
Considering the bodily structure of a bulky Stage 5, targeting the abdomen would be most effective.
In one breath, I burrowed between its legs.
“…!”
I quickly passed through the space between its legs and emerged unscathed.
In that fleeting instant, I spotted a Resonance Species clinging to the Stage 5 Mimicry Species’ abdomen.
That crazy bastard—why was it attached there?
‘Had it been observing?’
Mimicry Species possessed higher intelligence compared to other Mutants.
It seemed to have been watching Kim Hanna and my battle from a distance, contemplating how best to counter us.
Having observed that I targeted the lower abdomen when facing large Mimicry Species, Giant Zombies, and Water Demons, it appeared to have devised this strategy….
The creature clinging to the Mimicry Species’ abdomen was a Stage 5 Resonance Species.
Even a single second of eye contact would have induced mental confusion.
Of course, thanks to the Challenge of the Tyrant Skill, I wouldn’t fall victim to mental confusion, but consuming a limited-use Skill early in combat was an unwelcome situation.
Then….
Boom!!
I kicked off the ground and launched myself into the air.
Rising more than 8 meters high, I turned my head and caught sight of the Mimicry Species’s back through the haze.
Whoosh!!
I drove upward through the sky itself, slamming down on the spine of the Stage 5 Mimicry Species with crushing force.
Crack!!! Crunch crunch!!!
With the sickening sound of its spine twisting, the creature collapsed onto the ground like a flattened spider.
The Resonance Species clinging to its abdomen was crushed instantly, and only the thick, viscous blood oozing between the ground and flesh remained to testify that the Resonance Species had ever existed here.

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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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