Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 148

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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 148
“Hey! This isn’t what we agreed on!”
{Agreed? I have no recollection of making any agreement with the likes of you.}
“Hey!”
{It was entertaining to watch you struggle and claw your way to survival all this time… but now you’re inviting your own demise.}
“Are you seriously doing this?!”
{Whether you live or die, go ahead and rampage as you see fit.}
Whoosh—
The crushing gravity that had pressed down on my entire body vanished, along with Gaia’s muffled voice.
The message from Gaia that had been displayed before my eyes disappeared as well.
Ding—!
A familiar sound accompanied the appearance of a System Message.
[Skill Conversion Voucher X 3]
Only three?
Could’ve been more generous.
Ding—!
[Starting tomorrow at 7:00 AM, Player ‘Baek Doyun’ will proceed with the second game ‘Giant Punisher’.’]
[Players in the A-1 (Republic of Korea) Channel will not participate in the next game.]
[If any player wishes to participate in the next game, please remain at the Research Institute with Baek Doyun tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM.]
System Messages continued to appear before my eyes in succession.
I understood we were moving on to the next game, but what was this A-1 Channel?
What does that even mean?
Ding—!
[Saving clear records for the A-1 (Republic of Korea) Channel.]
[The names of the Hunting Dog Federation, Hong Ryeon, and the Baekdo Hoping Alliance have been registered in the Hall of Fame for Channel A, which is currently playing No Way Home.]
[Alliances registered in the Hall of Fame will have the chat function activated.]
[It will be possible to explain strategies to other players in Channel A, and channel transfers and support are available with a daily 1-hour limit.]
My head spun from hearing all this unfamiliar information.
“Doyun.”
The group that had been observing the situation approached me.
The same messages were displayed before their eyes as well.
“What’s a channel? Do you know anything about this part?”
Park Sangil asked, and I shook my head in response.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it too. Let me ask the system for now.”
“Will it tell you if you ask?”
“It answers when I ask for information, at least.”
I looked at the System Message and asked.
“What do you mean by a channel?”
[Each channel consists of a total of 10 divisions. Currently, there are channels A-1 through A-10 playing No Way Home. The only channel that has successfully cleared the game is A-1 (Republic of Korea).]
“So No Way Home is Channel A? Then Giant Punisher is B, and Last Odyssey is C?”
[That is correct.]
“Do the other channels have ten each as well?”
[Yes, that is correct.]
“Then there could be Korean players progressing through games other than No Way Home?”
[No. Korean Peninsula players are divided equally across channels 1 through 10, all playing No Way Home.]
“So fifty million Koreans were split into groups of five million and scattered across ten channels?”
[That is correct.]
No wonder the streets felt eerily empty.
Given Seoul’s population, I had always thought it strange that so few survivors reached the First Episode Safe House.
Even in subsequent episodes, the number of survivors seemed disproportionately low.
So they weren’t all gathered in one place—they were divided across ten channels.
Then the zombies we faced… were they truly part of the system?
“What about the zombies we fought? Were they all just programmed data?”
[….]
The System Message offered no response.
Was this information that couldn’t be disclosed?
Or was my question phrased incorrectly?
I couldn’t know the answer, but I needed to extract as much information as possible right now.
“What about other nations using the same channel as us? Have the A-1 countries playing No Way Home also cleared it?”
[That is not the case. Only the A-1 (Republic of Korea) channel shares the main episode, and the clear applies only to A-1 (Republic of Korea).]
So if we had failed the main episode 14-0, “Securing the Research Institute,” we wouldn’t have been forced to venture overseas?
Even if the research materials were incinerated, the system was designed so we could find research materials at another research institute somewhere in Korea.
I had worried needlessly, thinking we’d have to fly all the way to the Middle East if we failed. The system wasn’t quite that brutal.
But then…
“What about the Giant Punisher I’m supposed to play? You said A-1 doesn’t progress to the next game.”
[That is correct.]
“The other A channels haven’t cleared it yet, right? Why am I being forced to move to the B channel?”
[Player ‘Baek Doyun’ has been detected exploiting system loopholes and can no longer access the A channel.]
In other words, I cleared the game too quickly, and they don’t want me staying in No Way Home.
“What? You’re basically exiling me to the B channel?”
[Player ‘Baek Doyun’ will advance to the B channel, and from that point onward, you cannot interfere with the A channel.]
Ah, now I understand.
Since the A-1 (Republic of Korea) channel can provide support to the A channel for one hour per day, my remaining would accelerate the strategies of other A channels. That’s what it means.
So Gaia is… trying to send me to another channel.
But there’s one thing Gaia is forgetting.
‘I’ll destroy it all.’
I’m the person who cleared all three games Battlesteam released.
And.
I know every loophole in every game.
“Kuhahahaha!!”
I burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Park Sangil, who had been watching me, raised his eyebrows and asked.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, the situation is just hilarious.”
“You find this situation hilarious?”
“Because of Gaia. She said she’d send me to Giant Punisher.”
“But you said you wanted to do Last Odyssey.”
The group couldn’t approach due to the gravitational pressure.
But it seemed they had heard the entire conversation between Gaia and me.
“That was a lie. From the start, I’ve been wanting Giant Punisher.”
“…What?”
His expression showed complete bewilderment.
Then Park Sangha, who had been observing the situation, approached.
“Regardless of what’s going on, Doyun got what he wanted, right?”
“Yes. I deliberately provoked Gaia. Because I wanted to do Giant Punisher.”
“Is that easier?”
“No. Compared to Last Odyssey, it’s overwhelmingly harder.”
“…Are you a masochist?”
Park Sangha raised his eyebrows and leaned his upper body back.
I scratched my head and continued.
“It’s not that… I was thinking further ahead.”
“Further ahead? What do you mean?”
“The fourth game, Another World. If it unfolds like the games we’ve played, where lives hang in the balance… I’ll need overwhelming power.”
Park Sangha stroked his chin thoughtfully, then furrowed his brow with a look of profound understanding.
“So?”
“Another World is a game I have no information about. To clear such a game, it’s better to grow stronger beforehand.”
“So you need Giant Punisher for that?”
“Yes.”
“In other words… these three games are like a flu shot for you?”
“Exactly.”
Park Sangha, as always, grasped the situation faster than anyone else.
The one person who knows the endings of all the games.
When I spoke of it so casually, everyone seemed to swallow their questions.
“Come with me.”
Then Elder Chulmin approached and spoke.
If he wanted to come along… did that mean he’d do Giant Punisher with me?
“No. It’s dangerous. It’s safer if I go alone.”
“I want to go.”
“But…”
“If you’re thinking of dissuading an old man’s stubbornness, you might as well give up.”
“….”
“If the people here can live safely, that’s enough for me.”
“Elder, still… please reconsider once more….”
“I have no face to show them.”
“Sir?”
“The friends who went before are here, aren’t they? I can’t find peace in myself living well alone.”
Elder Chulmin wore a bitter smile.
Friends who went before….
The memories of those Elders surfaced belatedly in my mind.
The other Elders who had lived together with us at the Safe House.
When I first used Frenzy and lost consciousness, those scoundrels attacked the Safe House.
The Elders who fought to protect the children until the very end lost their lives to those monsters.
Without saying anything, Elder Chulmin patted my shoulder and spoke.
“You might think you don’t need my help, but there will surely come a moment when I’m necessary.”
“….”
“If I can step forward when help is needed, then… I think I’ll be able to close my eyes in peace.”
Elder Chulmin spoke with a forced smile.
There was no need to oppose someone whose resolve was already set.
“Understood. Let’s go together.”
“Then me too!”
As Park Sanghun raised his right hand enthusiastically, Park Sangha beside him widened his eyes in shock.
“Are you insane?”
“Why? Were you planning to send only Doyun and Grandfather Chulmin?”
“No, that’s….”
“That’s cold of you.”
As Park Sanghun laughed heartily, Park Sangha pressed his right hand to his forehead and looked at Park Sangil.
Park Sangil gazed at Kim Heejoo and Park Kyeongeo beside him, then soon hardened his resolve and spoke.
“Heejoo, with Doyun’s help, I could also defeat the Giant Punisher….”
“No.”
Kim Heejoo refused flatly.
Her eyes held a terror more frightening than any expression I’d seen before.
I also looked at Park Sangil and spoke.
“That’s right. You need to stay with Kyeongeo, Sangil.”
“But….”
“Even if this place is relatively safe, we still need to handle the Tier-5 Reinforcement Type. If you don’t step up, who will?”
“….”
As Park Sangil’s expression grew troubled, Park Sangha opened his mouth.
“I’ll keep watch over Doyun along with Sanghun, so the married man stays here.”
“Hey, Park Sangha.”
“A free bohemian like me should be the one to leave.”
I couldn’t help but look even more surprised at Park Sangha’s words.
Regardless, Park Sangha crossed his arms and continued speaking.
“Someone has to be around to repair the protective gear if it breaks.”
“Hyung….”
Lee Kwanghyun and Hong Yeonhui raised their hands next, saying they would come along too.
The high school and middle school students, and even the survivors from Hong Ryeon, did the same.
However, Lee Kwanghyun was dragged away by Kim Miyeon, who had him by the ear, and the students were opposed by Park Sangha and Elder Chulmin.
“Hong Yeonhui, you stay here too. We’ll need the Shooter’s abilities to handle a Tier 5 Reinforcement Type.”
As I spoke matter-of-factly, Hong Yeonhui tilted her head and replied.
“Who said I was following because of you?”
Hong Yeonhui approached Park Sangha’s side, took his hand, and offered a faint smile.
I couldn’t help but be surprised at the sight.
Park Sanghun was no different.
“What?! Hyung, what is this?!”
“Haha! I knew it! I knew you two would be like this!”
Elder Chulmin laughed heartily as if he’d known all along.
I’d noticed something tender passing between them in their gazes for some time now… but I never expected they were actually like that.
Park Youngsu approached next.
“I’ll come along as well.”
“No. Please stay here, Yeongsu.”
Hong Yeonhui objected to this.
“But….”
“Please help Sangil and Kwanghyun. We need to be prepared for any unforeseen circumstances here as well.”
At Hong Yeonhui’s words, Park Youngsu bit his lower lip, his eyes glistening, before suddenly performing a deep bow and speaking.
“Thank you for everything! Because of all of you… I was able to come this far!”
Park Youngsu, whom I’d come to know while progressing through the Giant Zombie elimination episode.
The haggard appearance from back then had vanished, replaced once again by the upright gaze of a police officer.
Meanwhile, I noticed Jo Yunhwan sitting in the corner, unable to do anything either way.
It seemed the words wanting to come with us couldn’t leave his lips.
Not out of fear, but who wouldn’t understand his heart—unable to leave behind his only niece, Yeonya?
“Jo Yunhwan?”
“Ah… Baek Doyun. I….”
“It’s alright. You’ve worked hard all this time.”
….
Jo Yunhwan bit his lower lip, his eyes reddening, before taking my hand with a sniffle.
“From Haengdang-dong to here… I’m truly grateful.”
“I’m grateful too. Thanks to the Defense Team, I was able to focus on the main episodes.”
The group gathered on the rooftop, moved by the moment, all smacking their lips or wiping away tears that had gathered in their eyes.
The atmosphere was growing heavy, so I looked at everyone and spoke.
“Come on! Let’s not be like this. How about we get thoroughly drunk tonight?”
Speaking to everyone, Park Sangha raised the corners of his mouth in surprise and asked.
“What’s gotten into you? Since when does Baek Doyun suggest drinking?”
Meanwhile, Elder Chulmin laughed heartily, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
“Hahaha! I’m all for it anytime!”

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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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