Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 144

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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 144
Unlike the other zombies, it remained upright and approached the Brain Research Institute unscathed.
Lee Kwanghyun, Hong Yeonhui, and Park Youngsu quickly shouldered their rifles and activated their skills.
“Precision shot, multi-hit, headshot. Explosive fire, sniper shot.”
Rata-tat-tat!! Tat! Bang!! Bang!!
They unleashed every skill at their disposal before pulling the trigger in unison.
Explosions erupted across the Giant Zombie’s face, chest, and both arms in rapid succession.
The creature staggered as if struck by a grenade launcher.
“GRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”
Yet it did not fall—instead, it charged forward with even greater fury.
“Screeeee, kieeeek…!”
“Hehehehe.”
It was not the Giant Zombie alone.
Dozens, hundreds of Mutants converged upon this location.
“Everyone inside! The Mutants are moving!”
At Hong Yeonhui’s cry, all the companions who had been gazing at the world now cleared of mist rushed frantically toward the Brain Research Institute.
With the vaccine developed, the zombie assault had come to an end.
Yet the Mutants that charged forward with singular purpose still hungered for human flesh.
“What’s happening?! Weren’t we supposed to finish this game once the vaccine was complete?!”
Do Sohee, bewildered, gripped Jo Yunhwan’s arm and asked. Jo Yunhwan swallowed hard before responding.
“I don’t know either. What else could there possibly be….”
No one could provide an answer to the current situation.
The person closest to the truth was Baek Doyun.
Asking Baek Doyun would be the fastest way to get answers, but he was not here right now.

* * *
“Are you joking right now?!”
Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok in the research laboratory slammed their desks, unable to contain their fury.
“We don’t have time to be angry. We need to move now!”
Elder Chulmin, seeing the Mutants rushing toward them from a distance, gestured urgently for Bae Hyeonseok, Song Junhyeok, and the Man Turned Human to follow him.
We thought everything had ended with the message that the vaccine development was complete, but a beat too late, another message materialized before our eyes.
[‘Vaccine Development'(#14-1) has been completed. Beginning ‘Elimination of Remaining Forces'(#Epilogue) now.]
[#Epilogue Elimination of Remaining Forces]
[Mutants bearing the mutation structure of the X-virus are converging on the Research Institute.]
[Mutants whose bodies have been strengthened by specific Mutants (Strengthened Species) possess the power to resist the system.]
[Annihilate all Mutants approaching the Research Institute, and locate and eliminate the Strengthened Species (Tier 5) scattered throughout the nation.]
[Clear Reward: Another World Citizenship X 1]
[Time Limit: Until Another World’s launch.]
[Failure: Humanity that fails to acquire citizenship will perish.]
[Number of Mutants converging on the Research Institute: 7,190.]
[Number of Tier 5 Strengthened Species scattered nationwide: 868.]
An episode that has not yet concluded.
All main episodes have ended, and the epilogue has begun.
The content was to eliminate remaining Mutants, and it would only end after dealing with the Tier 5 Strengthened Species scattered across the nation.
“Elder!”
Kim Hanna rushed into the research laboratory and called out to Elder Chulmin.
“Everyone evacuate to the rooftop.”
“The rooftop?”
When Elder Chulmin made a confused expression, Kim Hanna spoke as if there was no time for explanations.
“Everyone’s up there already, so move quickly! We can explain once you get there.”
“What about you, Hanna?”
When Elder Chulmin asked, Kim Hanna let out a deep sigh before responding.
“I… need to deal with the Mutants first.”
“What’s going on exactly? Is the game continuing?”
“I don’t know either. I’ll ask Baek Doyun when he returns, but for now, please move.”
Ding—!
[All Zombies infected with the X-virus have ceased activity and entered a dormant state.]
[Zombies in dormancy are scheduled to die completely in three months.]
[If you wish to treat the Zombies, please use the cure to heal them, or you may leave them as is.]
[Treated Zombies will be granted citizenship based on the epilogue’s outcome.]
[If the epilogue fails, Zombies turned human will mutate back into Zombies.]
Following that, a System Message appeared before the group’s eyes.
Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok gathered the cure and vaccine, heading toward the research laboratory entrance.
“Regardless of what’s happening, we just need to endure it, right?”
When Bae Hyeonseok asked, Kim Hanna answered while splashing water on her face.
“Yes, there isn’t much time left, so please don’t worry and wait upstairs.”
“Then… I’m counting on you.”
“Move quickly.”
Bae Hyeonseok, Song Junhyeok, Elder Chulmin, and the man turned human from a zombie hurried up to the rooftop.
Once Kim Hanna confirmed everyone had moved to the rooftop, she returned to Building B and shouted toward the people inside.
“Everyone, head to the rooftop!”
The people looked flustered at Kim Hanna’s return.
Park Sangha lowered the crossbow he’d been aiming and spoke.
“If we go to the rooftop, we’ll be completely trapped! There’s no evacuation route up there!”
As Park Sangha objected, Kim Hanna pushed his back, saying there was no time to explain.
“There’s an emergency staircase on the rooftop. If something goes wrong, we can abandon this place and move, so everyone head to the rooftop for now.”
“…”
Instead of answering, Park Sangha began thinking rapidly.
Seeing Kim Hanna’s expression, Park Sangha asked with utmost seriousness.
“You’ve determined you can hold them back?”
“Yes. I can do it.”
“…”
“We’ve killed mutants by the tens of thousands outside. I can’t abandon this place for a mere 7,000.”
“…”
“Besides, any mutants of tier five or higher would have arrived long ago, and we’ve already killed them.”
At Kim Hanna’s assessment, Park Sangha exhaled deeply and asked.
“You’re determining that the remaining 7,000 or so mutants are mostly tier three or four and below?”
“Yes.”
“…”
“And we can’t abandon this place either. We don’t even know where else to find a research facility like this.”
“Understood. Then I’ll trust and follow you.”
“Where are Lee Kwanghyun, Hong Yeonhui, and Park Youngsu?”
“They’re outside dealing with the Giant Zombie.”
“Go ahead first. I’ll bring them.”
Kim Hanna leaped over the parked bus and rushed toward where the others were.
Bang! Boom!! Boom boom!! Boom!!
The Shooters outside drew the mutants’ attention, pulling the trigger relentlessly.
“Everyone, get inside! To the rooftop!”
As Kim Hanna shouted at the top of her lungs, the group pulling the trigger relentlessly turned to look at her in unison.
“The rooftop?! Which rooftop?!”
When Hong Yeonhui asked, Kim Hanna pointed toward the Brain Research Institute and shouted.
“I’ll handle the outside, so provide covering fire from the building rooftop! Everyone’s up there, so hurry!”
Following Kim Hanna’s words, the three rushed toward the rooftop.
Kim Hanna gazed at the world where the fog had vanished and swallowed hard.
‘It’s all gone.’
The red dots marking my mind’s eye vanished without a trace.
Just as the zombies on the street had entered dormancy, Kim Hanna’s subordinates too had fallen into that same state.
Kim Hanna found herself alone once more.
Yet fear did not take hold of her.
Most of the mutants approaching this location were fourth-tier or below, and the occasional fifth-tier mutant could be handled easily enough with support fire from the Shooters.
The reinforced giant zombie visible in her field of vision gave her pause, but she judged that even it could be sufficiently contained with support fire.
There was one thing that truly troubled her.
‘Baek Doyun.’
Baek Doyun, who had gone to face the Ninth-Tier Mutant, had not yet returned.
The fact that the mutant still lived meant the Ninth-Tier Mutant remained alive as well.
It was only natural that worry seized her—what if something had happened to Baek Doyun?
Yet the situation did not permit her to send reinforcements.
“…I pray you return safely, Baek Doyun.”
All Kim Hanna could do was pray for Baek Doyun’s safe return; there was nothing else within her power.
In that instant.
Whirrrrr—!!
A cutting wind roared from behind her.
Crash!!!
A deafening impact erupted beside her—as though an eight-ton truck had smashed into a wall.
Simultaneously, a vicious gale swept across Kim Hanna’s surroundings.
Startled beyond measure, Kim Hanna shielded her face with both arms, and in the next moment, she caught sight of the Ninth-Tier Mutant sprawled across the ground.
Before it stood a man, breathing heavily.
It was Baek Doyun.

* * *
A few minutes before I arrived at Kim Hanna’s location, I found myself in a dire predicament.
‘Please… move…’
No matter how hard I tried, my body refused to obey.
I had continued moving northward while engaging the Mutants, and before I knew it, I had reached the foothills of Palgong Mountain.
The problem was that my body’s movement had come to a complete halt midway up the mountain.
Like shackles firmly clamped around my ankles, my body—pushed to its absolute limits—had slipped beyond my control.
A flesh that responded only to external stimuli.
One Ninth-Tier Mutant remained, and it showed no signs of approaching me, instead observing me intently.
Having witnessed other Ninth-Tier Mutants turn to pulp upon approaching me, this one refrained from recklessly charging and instead studied me carefully.
The reason was simple.
It wanted to know how to kill me—how to counter me.
Sssick—
The Mutant’s lips curled upward as it slowly backed away.
Had it realized that if it didn’t charge at me… I couldn’t move?
“Kueeeee…!!”
The creature let out a grotesque laugh, as if it found this situation amusing.
It then turned its head toward the Brain Research Institute and assumed a crouching starting position.
That bastard… had realized it didn’t need to fight me.
I needed to stop it, yet my body still refused to obey.
If I could produce sound, I could deactivate the active Skill, but without my voice, I couldn’t even close the System Message that appeared before my eyes.
Bae Hyeonseok and Song Junhyeok had succeeded in developing a vaccine.
But No Way Home hadn’t ended; another episode, bearing the name epilogue, had begun.
Boom—!!!
The Ninth-Tier Mutant then shot toward the Brain Research Institute like an arrow.
Damn it.
What the hell was happening?
This felt exactly like ‘lag’—what occurs when a server exceeds its processing capacity or request volume.
When a server becomes overloaded, only the most fundamental source code operates.
And the most fundamental source code for humans would be… the survival instinct.
That’s why my body had focused all its attention on external stimuli.
Annihilating threats that posed danger to me.
Beyond that, I couldn’t process any other data.
I never imagined such a drawback would come with obtaining such overwhelming power.
Ding—!
[The duration of Skill Whirlwind has ended.]
A System Message then appeared before my eyes.
Only then did my body, which had been held in tension, relax, and a tingling sensation spread throughout my entire frame.
Thump—thump—
As I slowly moved my legs, the tingling sensation faded and my mind began to clear.
The overload dissipated, and I regained control of my body.
Boom!!!
Without hesitation, I rushed toward the Brain Research Institute.
The Ninth-Tier Mutant—letting even a single one slip away could result in catastrophe.
Since this creature could traverse hundreds of meters in just one second, I kicked off the air and moved at full speed.
Whoooosh—!
The piercing howl of wind struck my eardrums, and I couldn’t even open my eyes properly.
But as the silhouette of the Ninth-Tier Mutant gradually came into view, I pushed myself even harder.
Boom!!!
Alarm had a limit of five uses.
I landed once on the rooftop of an Unnamed Building, then leaped upward again.
Upon hearing the sound, the Ninth-Tier Mutant startled and increased its speed.
With so many escape routes available, why was it heading toward the Brain Research Institute?
‘Could it be that…’
I think I understand its intention.
Since I killed its ally, it wants revenge in kind.
Whirlwind’s duration would end soon, and Balhwa would follow five minutes later.
I had to eliminate this creature before Balhwa expired.
In an instant, I had escaped Palgong Mountain and returned to the Urban Area, and the Brain Research Institute was already coming into view.
The distance between me and the Ninth-Tier Mutant was now merely fifty meters.
Kim Hanna’s figure in front of the Brain Research Institute came into sight, and I could confirm the Giant Zombie and countless Mutants approaching the institute.
The Ninth-Tier Mutant spotted Kim Hanna and immediately lunged toward her.
I threw every ounce of strength I had at the creature, and only just before it could strike Kim Hanna did I manage to land a flying kick to the back of its head.
Boom!!!
With a sound like shattering stone, the Ninth-Tier Mutant tumbled across dozens of meters.
“Huff… huff… huff…”
As I turned around, breathing heavily, I found Kim Hanna staring at me with an expression of shock.

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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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