Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 151

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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 151
A channel?
What… is there really anything to think about or say?
As I stared blankly at Park Sangha, he scratched his forehead and continued.
“It seems like the games are divided into A, B, and C categories, and then numbers are attached after them.”
“That’s right.”
“This is just my theory, but… A, B, and C don’t seem that important. They’re just classifications of the games themselves.”
“Is that so?”
“What matters is the number attached after them. What if all the 1-channels of A, B, and C share the same space, and the 2-channels share with each other, and the 3-channels share with each other?”
Was he suggesting that channels with the same number share the same space, just with different games?
If Park Sangha’s hypothesis was correct, we would move to the B-1 channel and play Giant Punisher.
Instead of answering, I crossed my arms and fell into thought, while Park Sangha continued speaking.
“For example, let’s say there are 10 Earths.”
“Yes.”
“Gaia divided humanity into ten equal parts and transferred them to 10 channels.”
“That’s right.”
“Isn’t the intention to keep only the channels that clear three games first alive?”
“…”
“The channel that survives that is the fourth game—Another World.”
It’s a sufficiently convincing hypothesis.
Isn’t the reward for the final episode citizenship in Another World?
If it’s about giving those who survive until the end a chance at survival…
‘That could be it.’
Gaia said that the deaths of countless people were balance.
Then Park Sangha’s claim that only one-tenth of Earth’s population survives could also be the answer.
Of course, among that one-tenth, most would lose their lives during the game-playing process, so in reality it would be less than one-hundredth.
But there’s one thing Park Sangha overlooked.
“I think it’s too early to be certain.”
“Why?”
“What channel do we belong to?”
“A-1.”
“To be precise, it’s A-1 (South Korea).”
“…”
“This means they’re making distinctions even among the countries belonging to A-1.”
“True.”
“Moreover, the Hunting Dog Federation and the Vermilion Alliance have chat functions activated across all channels in the A category, don’t they?”
“…”
“There wouldn’t be a need to specifically favor channel 1 and exclude other channels like that.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Park Sangha trailed off and nodded instead of refuting.
Park Sangha was quick to acknowledge things, though he pointed out issues just as readily.
I laughed dryly and continued.
“If we think about it now, we won’t find any answers.”
“….”
“We can’t do integration without understanding differentiation, and we can’t do differentiation without understanding integration.”
“….”
“At the very least, we won’t get a clear picture of Another World until we finish the Giant Punisher, right?”
Park Sangha thought it over carefully, and after a moment, he exhaled deeply and nodded in agreement.
“Right, let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“Yes. That’s better.”
“I guess I’m anxious about the next game, so my mind keeps wandering to useless thoughts. Sorry.”
“No, it’s not. Most of the problems you worried about turned out to be pretty close to the right answer.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And you told me this before—if you know the answer, there’s no need to worry, and if you don’t know the answer, worrying won’t help.”
“Ha, that’s true.”
Park Sangha chuckled sheepishly and nodded.
I rested my arms on the balcony railing and continued.
“That’s what you said at the Rest Stop.”
“….”
“That the setting being 2030 might just be a simple game mechanic, so we shouldn’t think too deeply about it.”
“….”
“If we had gotten stuck on 2030 and kept worrying about it… we would’ve just delayed clearing the game.”
Park Sangha leaned against the balcony railing and nodded silently.
Back then, Park Sangha had reassured us not to think too deeply, but he had probably thought more than anyone else.
Since that was his nature and characteristic, I wanted to ease his worries.
“By the way, brother.”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t you curious? About the Giant Punisher?”
“Oh right. An earthquake happened, and then what?”
“The game starts….”
“Because of the earthquake, humans can no longer live underground, and one of the survivors becomes the protagonist, right?”
“How did you know?”
“It’s obvious. Whether it’s a game, drama, movie, or novel, the core of any scenario is the setting and the protagonist.”
I laughed dryly at Park Sangha’s words and continued.
“Then… do you know about mana too?”
“Mana? That’s an element that appears a lot in fantasy games.”
“Yes, the characters in Giant Punisher have a setting where they can use mana.”
“What?! It’s a world with mana?”
“Yes. The setting is that humanity, having lived underground for a long time without sunlight, awakened to mana.”
“Wow… so I’m going to a fantasy world in a few hours?”
Park Sangha suddenly looked incredibly excited.
Even in his thirties, his curiosity about a world filled with magical power showed no signs of fading.
Though it might have had something to do with Park Sangha’s profession, of course.
I chuckled softly and continued.
“A steampunk fantasy world complete with giant robots.”
“Insane. It’s like a game that contains every man’s wildest dream.”
“Among the three games released by Battle Steam, this one was the most popular.”
“How difficult is it to clear? Harder than No Way Home? Or did you say it was easier than No Way Home?”
At Park Sangha’s question, I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
How should I put this?
“In some ways it’s easy, and in other ways it’s difficult.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Giant Punisher… becomes easy if you exploit the bug, but it’s hard if you don’t know about it.”
Park Sangha stared at me with a blank expression, then asked with a look of suspicion.
“Don’t tell me you…”
“Of course I know about the bug.”
Park Sangha snapped his fingers and shouted yes!
Belatedly, he glanced back, worried about waking the others in the apartment.
I scratched my eyebrow and continued.
“But there’s one problem.”
“A problem? What kind of problem?”
“You saw it yourself while playing No Way Home, but I’m not sure if Gaia will allow that bug.”
“Ah… is it a serious bug?”
“Serious enough to clear Stage 1 in an instant.”
“Stage? So it’s divided by stages rather than episodes?”
“Yes. There are three stages total, and within each stage there are smaller episodes.”
“So that’s why you said episodes weren’t that important.”
Uncertain of what would unfold ahead.
Yet Park Sangha seemed so excited that he placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“If you need anything, just ask. I’ll trust you.”
“Thank you.”
“What’s there to thank me for?”
“You could have stayed here comfortably, but you’re coming with me to the next game. Of course I’m grateful.”
“The supporting cast has to follow where the protagonist goes.”
Park Sangha smiled contentedly and gazed out at the darkening world.
In just a few hours… there would come a moment when I’d miss this scenery.
“It’s already four o’clock. Let’s get some sleep.”
“Yes. You too.”
“Alright.”
In three hours, we head to the channel where Giant Punisher is in progress.
I didn’t know which stage I’d be facing or what episode awaited me, but fear didn’t grip my heart.
Truth be told… even without exploiting the bug, my current physical capabilities would make Stage 1 a breeze.

* * *
In the early morning before sunrise, when deep blue light still lingered in the sky.
I arrived at the Research Institute with the group that had come to see me off.
Collapsed building ruins and mutant corpses scattered in all directions.
Yet there was no musty smell of cement or the metallic stench of blood.
Instead, the crisp scent of the blue dawn tickled my nostrils as I waited calmly for seven o’clock to arrive.
“Doyun.”
I turned at the voice from behind to find Kim Heejoo holding a large box.
Her expression carried an unmistakable hint of apology.
“What is this?”
“Food, clothes, some fruit and snacks. I packed them for you.”
“You gave me some yesterday. My inventory is already full.”
“Still… still, take more with you.”
The desire to provide more, and the underlying guilt of not being able to go with me.
Accepting this box would ease Kim Heejoo’s heart, even if only slightly.
“Thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”
I offered a faint smile and placed the box Kim Heejoo handed me into my inventory.
Those departing on the Giant Punisher were Park Sangha, Park Sanghun, Hong Yeonhui, and Elder Chulmin.
And two more people had been added.
None other than Do Sohee and Kim Suhan.
Many opposed it, but Do Sohee and Kim Suhan wouldn’t budge from their resolve.
-I’ve thought about it all dawn and I’m telling you now. The Healing Factor will definitely be needed.
-If So Hee goes, I’m going too!
They’d whispered with their same-aged friends all night—apparently discussing participation in the next game.
Do Sohee was barely a middle school student.
The timid child who once couldn’t speak properly now expressed her opinions clearly and firmly.
Of course, I had opposed it.
Not because I distrusted Do Sohee, but because I didn’t want to burden her unnecessarily.
But Hong Yeonhui sided with them.
-It’s their choice. We have no right to oppose it.
-So Hee and Suhan are still young. We should guide them to make wise decisions….
-They’re our comrades who cleared No Way Home with us. We should respect that.
When I thought about it, she was right.
Since I wasn’t Do Sohee’s guardian, I couldn’t simply object.
But why was Kim Suhan following along?
That was obvious.
Kim Suhan, who had always been particularly awkward around Do Sohee.
I thought Kim Suhan was uncomfortable with Do Sohee for some reason, but now I understand.
Kim Suhan has feelings for Do Sohee.
“You’ve got everything packed?”
At Park Sangil’s question, I checked the equipment I’d stored in my inventory.
“Yes, I’ve packed food, a curved sword, Ssangsudu, spare grenades, and everything else. I’m already wearing the protective gear.”
“What about Sangha and Sanghun, Yeon-hee and Elder Chulmin, So Hee and Suhan?”
Everyone checked their respective inventories with confident expressions.
Park Sangil exhaled deeply and nodded.
“Take care of yourselves out there.”
“Yes, understood.”
“We’ll prepare everything so you can rest comfortably when you return.”
“A spacious bath would be nice.”
“Ha! Alright, I’ll have it ready.”
Afterward, Park Sangil’s expression turned somewhat bitter.
I tilted my head and asked.
“What’s wrong? Sad to see us go?”
“Ha! Well… my heart feels heavy.”
“It shouldn’t be heavy. We need to find and eliminate a Level 5 Mutant before the fourth game starts, so we need to move quickly.”
I shifted the mood that was growing heavy with half-joking, half-serious words.
Park Sangil understood my intention and laughed heartily.
“Ha! Right. As if I know where to find a Level 5 Mutant and catch it.”
“Actually, I have a gift for you because of that.”
“A gift?”
“Yes, something you’ve been wanting for a long time.”
“Is there something I’ve been wanting?”
Uncertain, Park Sangil kept tilting his head.
I pulled out the 3D terrain map I’d kept in my pocket and handed it to Park Sangil.
“It’s a gift.”
“Huh?! This is…”
“I unlocked the binding. You can use it from now on.”
“You unlocked the binding?! Is that even possible?”
“The main episode of No Way Home ended, so the binding on the 3D terrain map came undone. I found out while experimenting with various things at dawn.”
Park Sangil stared at the 3D terrain map with a dazed expression.
He was wondering if he should accept this.
I took his hand and placed the 3D terrain map on it.
“It’s yours now.”
“Doyun…”
“The epilogue clear condition includes eliminating Level 5 Mutants, right? I think it showed how many were left, didn’t it?”
“Let me check.”
Park Sangil opened the system window and checked the epilogue clear conditions.
[Annihilate all Mutants approaching the Research Institute, and locate and eliminate the Reinforcement Type (Level 5) scattered across 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: 0 (Clear)]
[Number of Level 5 Reinforcement Types scattered across the nation: 868.]
“It’s displayed. The count of Level 5 Reinforcement Types.”
“In episodes where specific Mutants and remaining numbers are shown, the enemy positions appear on the 3D terrain map.”
“….”
“From now on, you’ll need this more than I will. Take it.”
Park Sangil seemed moved by how I continued to think of our group until the very end, his lips trembling slightly as he furrowed his brow.
He then spread both arms wide and looked at me, and I embraced him with a soft cough.
Instead of an awkward farewell, we patted each other’s backs and exchanged a silent wish for safety.

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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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