Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 14

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

Player of the Ruined World – Episode 014
Park Sangil opened his mouth with a soft cough.
“How old is the Zombie King’s Daughter?”
“She’s around five or six years old. We need to find common ground and win over the Zombie King’s heart.”
“….”
“I hope you can open that possibility for him, so he might trust humans again.”
“Me?”
“You know best what a parent around Kyeongeo’s age thinks, don’t you?”
“You know how I am. I’m not good at persuading people or anything like that. I haven’t even won over Sangha and Sanghun yet.”
“No, your unique way of speaking might actually inspire trust.”
“…My way of speaking? Why would my way of speaking—”
“It sounds like everything’s a bother, but… sometimes it feels more human and genuine.”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
Park Sangil laughed as if it were absurd, raising the corners of his mouth.
I continued with a bland smile in response.
“Sangha and Sanghun will help too. Right?”
Park Sangha and Park Sanghun nodded as if it were obvious.
The energy felt when these three were together was… indescribable, but there was a palpable sense of cohesion.
When their goals aligned, they were the best party members anyone could ask for.
Even the argument from moments ago revealed their unwavering bond—they would never betray each other, which allowed them to speak their thoughts and feelings honestly.
Alone, I would struggle, but with these three brothers, possibilities emerged.
I looked at the three brothers and asked.
“I believe this is our best option. There’s no other way to bring everyone from up there down.”
“….”
“What will you do?”
“Simply put… it’s a strategy of walking into the tiger’s den and shaking hands with the tiger, right?”
Park Sangil rubbed the back of his neck and smacked his lips.
He was right.
“There’s no other way, is there?”
Instead of answering Park Sanghun’s question, I nodded.
Without the Zombie King’s help, I couldn’t bring everyone down.
The elderly could manage some combat with character stat bonuses, but there were far too many children under ten.
And the middle and high school students… would struggle mentally to endure the episodes to come.
With manpower divided for defense, both hunting and survival chances would inevitably plummet.
But if the Zombie King joined us?
Faster growth becomes possible by utilizing the character abilities of the 32 survivors.
There would surely be Makers among them, and Healing Factors as well.
There would be someone with Whisper’s ability, and using that ability, we could share battle conditions with the Zombie King and engage in combat.
If we could only bring them along, if we could only guarantee their survival, it would absolutely be better to have them with us.
I had spoken honestly about everything, so now all the choices rested with the three brothers.
Park Sangil, who had been standing with his arms crossed, exhaled sharply and opened his mouth.
“If there’s even a sliver of possibility, we should try.”
“….”
“Let’s just do it.”
So Park Sangil also harbored reluctance about casting out thirty-two survivors, after all.
The moment a method emerged, Park Sangil chose to join in.
I offered a faint smile as I spoke.
“But there’s one thing—I’d like to set a condition as well, if that’s acceptable?”
“A condition?”
“Park Sangha, Park Sanghun.”
As I called out to Park Sangha and Park Sanghun, both men focused their attention on me.
“I’ve presented a solution that everyone in the current situation can accept. Isn’t that right?”
“That’s true. Really… thank you. Doyun.”
Park Sanghun offered his gratitude with genuine sincerity.
I responded with a satisfied smile.
“Now prove it.”
“Huh? To prove it, we’d have to meet the Zombie King….”
“No, not you and Park Sangha.”
“Then what are you asking us to prove?”
“Those people up there—you said they’re people the Elementary School can trust sufficiently, right?”
“That’s right, I can guarantee that.”
“Then prove it. That they can stand against zombies.”
“…How can I make you believe?”
“By hunting zombies, of course.”
“….”
“We’ve been fighting without rest until now. We need rest too.”
Park Sanghun nodded silently.
The time limit won’t pause while we rest, and the remaining zombies won’t decrease on their own.
Someone must continue hunting zombies.
As Park Sanghun glanced toward Park Sangha, I turned my gaze to him and spoke.
“We still have eight hundred sixty-two zombies remaining, so we need to hunt diligently.”
“You’re asking us to request those people hunt zombies while we rest?”
“Yes. I’m planning to get about two hours of sleep. I’ve been caught in the rain constantly lately, and my body’s been trembling with chills. By that time, the zombie count should be reduced by half.”
“…Half?”
Park Sangha’s voice carried a note of bewilderment.
Park Sanghun’s expression was hardly different.
I shrugged casually.
“You all say you can trust those people, but I haven’t experienced it myself.”
“….”
“Thirty-two survivors—even if we account for five children under ten who can’t participate in combat, the remaining twenty-seven must be capable of fighting.”
“….”
“If twenty-seven people can’t catch four hundred zombies in two hours—and these are the same mindless corpses from the first episode—there’s no point in continuing.”
“….”
“With twenty-seven people, that’s one zombie every eight minutes per person. I’ve set my own standard. Is that too difficult?”
I’m not asking them to hunt like I do—like a madman.
Even at a leisurely pace, one zombie per person every eight minutes was achievable.
No one voiced an objection.
I neither approved nor disapproved of their joining us.
I simply asked them to prove themselves.
To show whether they could be trusted, whether they could fight alongside us.
“That’s my condition. If they can’t meet it, I can’t fight with them.”
“Doyun, wait. Those people are exhausted….”
“I presented the best plan based on what Sangha and Sanghun said. Are you saying you won’t acknowledge my will?”
Park Sangha scratched his forehead, while Park Sanghun bit his lip hard and clenched his fists.
Soon, his expression grew serious as he asked.
“Doyun, would it be okay if I… helped those people?”
“Sanghun, you’re going to fight too?”
“Yeah.”
Park Sanghun—I’m not sure whether to call him compassionate or soft-hearted.
But because he’s this way, our group gains vitality.
“I won’t object to that much.”
“I’ll help too.”
Park Sangha raised his hand to volunteer, so I made them both promise solemnly.
“I’ll allow you to help those people if they’re in danger, but promise me you won’t take the lead in hunting zombies.”
“I promise. No, I swear.”
“Good. I won’t ask children from four to eight years old to fight. But everyone else has to participate in the hunt. The elderly, the middle schoolers—everyone.”
Park Sangha and Park Sanghun nodded in agreement, so I checked the time and spoke.
“In exactly two hours, I’ll check if the remaining zombies are four hundred eighty or fewer.”
“Okay!”
With everyone in agreement, there was no need to say more.
After finishing my words, I entered the empty room.
The moment I closed the door, I sank to the floor and sighed deeply, washing my face with my hands.
Part of it was physical exhaustion, but using my mind so much had drained my spirit.
I’m trying to appear composed, but… conversations with people feel awkward and uncomfortable to me.
Especially when our opinions clash like this.
Would it help to say my social skills aren’t good?
That’s why I was so flustered when Sanghun brought thirty-two people.
It’s a personal issue—too embarrassing to confide in anyone.
Fatigue washes over me.
Perhaps… I should get some rest.
I lay on the bare floor, my back pressed against the cold surface.

* * *
Tap, tap-tap.
A faint pressure on my right arm pulled me from sleep.
I opened my eyes halfway and sat up, only to see Kyeongeo’s face come into view.
“…What are you doing here, Kyeongeo?”
“Huh? Uncle’s awake!”
“Oh… yeah, hello.”
Feeling awkward, I rubbed the back of my neck as I spoke, and Kyeongeo hesitantly got to her feet.
She then bowed deeply toward me.
“Thank you so much!”
“Hm?”
“Uncle Doyun, Mommy said you caught all the monsters outside!”
“…”
“So I was doing massage for you!”
“Massage? Ah, I see.”
“Yes! Mommy and Daddy say it feels refreshing when I do this!”
A smile spread across my face without my realizing it.
I gently stroked Kyeongeo’s head, a faint smile on my lips.
Such a remarkable child, barely five years old.
I stretched and got up from the floor, checking the current time.
I’d only meant to sleep for thirty minutes, but I’d ended up sleeping for a full two hours.
Opening the door and stepping into the living room, a savory and sweet aroma tickled my nostrils.
Just from the smell alone, my mouth watered and my eyes brightened.
This was… the smell of ramen.
Swallowing my saliva, I glanced toward the kitchen and spotted Kim Heejoo cooking ramen.
“Doyun, you’re up?”
“…Where did you find this?”
“The burner and ramen? They were in the cupboard. Are you hungry?”
Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t eaten a single meal all day.
The aroma only intensified my hunger.
“Where are the others?”
“They went out to deal with zombies.”
“Park Sangil too?”
Park Sangil went out as well?
Come to think of it, he’d initially opposed the thirty-two people joining us, but when I said I had a plan, his expression brightened.
Despite appearances, Park Sangil wasn’t the type to be truly ruthless.
“Everyone except the children went out, just like you said.”
“Was there no one who objected?”
“They all said we need to work together. Said we have to deal with the zombies within the time limit, that we should all stick together.”
“….”
“That’s how people are. Even Park Sangha and Park Sanghun… that’s why they opposed it so strongly.”
“There were no opposing voices?”
“Right, everyone understood your decision. They had seen and experienced things at the elementary school too, after all.”
So that’s why Park Sanghun had reacted so emotionally.
Did he have that much confidence in the 32 survivors?
Well, I’ll find out by watching.
The pot in the kitchen is unusually large.
It seems like she’s preparing to boil a large batch of ramen so everyone can eat together when the hunters return from their expedition.
“Let me help. Let’s do it together.”
“Huh? No, no. You should rest, Doyoon.”
“How can you say that? Let me help.”
“No. I think I’ll feel better if I at least boil some ramen.”
Kim Heejoo smiled bitterly while preparing the ramen.
Indeed, Kim Heejoo had been confined to the house all this time.
The justification was that she needed to care for Kyeongeo, and I had agreed with that reasoning.
But it seemed Kim Heejoo didn’t see it that way.
Hiding away in the safe house felt uncomfortable and awkward to her.
She had found something she could do, something she needed to do.
Kim Heejoo spoke with that bitter smile.
“It’ll be done soon. Play with Kyeongeo, Doyoon.”
“…Understood.”
Tug—
As I lowered my head at the sensation of a small hand grasping my sleeve, Kyeongeo looked up at me with bright, sparkling eyes.
“Doyoon, change clothes.”
“Hm?”
“You need to change your clothes. Otherwise you’ll catch a cold.”
Right, I had collapsed into sleep without even changing out of my wet clothes.
How could such a small child be so sharp and articulate?
The shy, affectionate way she spoke was simply adorable.
At first, I thought she was just an introverted child, but after she opened her heart to me, she seemed to have become more affectionate.
I walked to the master bedroom and opened the wardrobe, finding it full of clothes someone had been wearing.
I selected clothes that fit and changed into them while checking the episode progress.
[#1-1 Safe House Construction]
[The Safe House is currently not safe.]
[Eliminate all zombies within the Safe House.]
[Remaining Zombies: 411/1,000]
[Time Limit: 19 hours]
[Clear Reward: 1,000 Points]
[Failure Condition: Safe House Destroyed]
[Your Safe House is located at Han O Apartment, Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul.]
411 zombies remaining?
I’d eliminated over 400 in just two hours.
Was it because there were more people now?
At this rate, it’ll be over soon.
Ding—!
[Remaining Zombies: 410/1,000]
[Remaining Zombies: 409/1,000]
…
….
The numbers continued to decrease even now.
Thud— thump—
Multiple footsteps echoed from outside the window.
The thick fog made it difficult to see clearly, but I could make out blurred human silhouettes beyond the curtain.
Multiple people were engaged in combat with the approaching zombies.
[Remaining Zombies: 404/1,000]
[Remaining Zombies: 403/1,000]
Once all the zombies fell, the people in the fog began checking on each other’s conditions.
They meticulously examined whether anyone had been bitten or injured.
After confirming their safety, I watched them approach Building 105.

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