Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 156

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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 156
Kami-sama?
What are they saying?
“Hontoni, hontoni arigatou gozaimasu!”
It sounds like Japanese, but I don’t understand Japanese.
Even if I don’t know what they’re saying, my neck aches from looking up eighty meters.
“They’re calling us a god?”
Hong Yeonhui’s voice followed from behind.
I turned my head, and Hong Yeonhui shrugged as she spoke.
“Kami-sama. It means ‘god’ or ‘divine one.'”
“You speak Japanese?”
“I know the basics.”
So that’s what counts as basics.
I had no idea.
Regardless, hearing Japanese made it finally sink in.
That we had come to Japan.
Patter-patter, patter-patter—
Multiple footsteps echoed from the surrounding area.
Nearly two hundred people emerged through the undergrowth, their expressions tense as they fixed their gaze upon us.
Their faces mingled awe, concern, and anticipation.
“….”
“…”
“…?”
They were murmuring amongst themselves, but since it was Japanese, I couldn’t understand a single word.
How was I supposed to explain the situation or have any kind of conversation if we couldn’t communicate?
Ding—!
[The languages of A-1 (South Korea) and B-1 (Japan) differ. Would you like to activate the interpretation function?]
A System Message materialized before my eyes.
There’s an interpretation function too?
There’s no reason to refuse.
“Activate the interpretation function.”
[Activating the interpretation function will consume 1,000 points.]
What the—
I nearly cursed without thinking.
Wouldn’t it be nice if they offered this for free?
At least it’s cheap enough that I can tolerate it.
Since I have plenty of points to spare right now, I readily activated the interpretation function.
“Interpretation function activated.”
“Who are they? Where did they come from?”
“I don’t know either.”
“Ano, you didn’t use any strange magic, did you?”
“It’s not magic, sir. We heard gunfire.”
“Where would there be guns in this era?”
“Isn’t that thing the old man is holding a gun?”
The Japanese murmured among themselves.
But more importantly… is this translation function actually working properly?
Tap—tap, tap, tap!
At the sound from above, I looked up and saw the man they’d called a god descending the ladder from the robot.
The moment he stepped down from the robot, he prostrated himself flat on the ground.
“Thank you, divine one!”
What the—
Why is the translation like this?
We’re selling this as a paid feature, and this is the performance we get?
“What the hell is this?”
At the crude curse from behind, I turned my head and spotted Park Sanghun picking at his ear with his pinky.
Park Sanghun, not holding back his words.
Everyone had a similar reaction to me.
“Eh? Wait a minute, what? That’s not Korean, is it?”
Wait a minute?
It’s neither Japanese nor English. I’ve never seen this before.
I opened the System Message and spoke.
“Hey, why is the translation like this? Translate properly!”
[We are temporarily adjusting the processing speed of the translation function for current client optimization.]
“Ah…”
[We appreciate your understanding until client optimization is complete.]
After reading the System Message, I let out a deep sigh and pressed my forehead.
Then the man in front of me lifted his head slightly, looked at my face, and spoke with a bewildered expression.
“S-sorry! Divine one!”
“I wasn’t sighing because of you. And we’re Korean.”
“That… I’m sorry, but I don’t understand.”
Now Japanese and Korean were coming through simultaneously.
What do I do?
I can’t proceed like this.
Then Hong Yeonhui stepped forward from behind.
“Um… We are Korean. Kankokujin.”
“Eh? Really?”
Really is just Japanese, dammit!
Do the translation! Translate it!
As I smacked my lips and looked at the man, a System Message soon appeared before his eyes as well.
[Use translation function?]
Regardless of what’s written, if there’s a question mark in the current situation… isn’t that a message asking if the other side would use the translation function as well?
The man nodded.
“Translation function? Does it work? Can you hear me?”
Only then did the man’s voice come through clearly.
So both sides need to activate the translation function simultaneously for it to work properly.
It seems the client optimization has finally been completed.
“I can hear you.”
“You’re really Korean?!”
“Yes, I’m Korean.”
“But how, how did you come from South Korea to Japan?”
“That’s…”
“A friend in Fukuoka told me that all routes out of the country are currently blocked.”
Fukuoka?
That place close to Busan?
The man’s words sparked my curiosity as well.
“All routes out of the country are blocked?”
“Yes. Apparently there’s a massive barrier spread across the sea.”
“A barrier?”
“Yes, I heard that a barrier extending all the way to the sky is enveloping Japan.”
“…”
“Ah, wait. Could you perhaps be Koreans who were living in Japan?”
I scratched my sideburns at the man’s question and spoke.
“Actually, I have a few things I’m curious about. Could you explain them to me?”
There’s no need to answer all of his questions right now.
I can listen to their story first, and then explain things at my own pace afterward.
They seem like decent people on the surface, but I can’t know what’s really going on inside.
The man looked back at his companions, then pointed behind him and spoke.
“We have our village over there. Would you like to talk there?”
“…”
“Ah, there’s no ill intent. You don’t need to be wary. It wouldn’t be polite to keep the person who saved our lives standing here while we talk.”
At the man’s words, I also turned to look at my companions.
Park Sangha furrowed his brow and scratched his eyebrows, then strode forward purposefully.
“I’m Park Sangha.”
Park Sangha suddenly extended his right hand.
The man stared blankly at Park Sangha’s hand, then grasped it with both hands and spoke.
“I’m Sato Takuni. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Should I call you Sato?”
“Yes, that’s correct. How should I address you? I’m not sure how to pronounce Korean names.”
“Just call me Sangha.”
“Sangha. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s Sangha, not Sangah.”
“Sangah.”
“…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Thank you for saving us. I’ll explain the details once we reach the village.”

* * *
After walking for about twenty minutes, the sprawling vegetation gave way to a desolate wasteland.
Smoke rose lazily from the center of the barren expanse.
It appeared as though an enormous chasm had been torn open, yet I couldn’t even begin to estimate its diameter.
As we drew closer to the center, the truth of this place finally revealed itself.
Whoooosh—hisssss!
Beyond the relentless plume of scorching steam, the silhouette of a village began to emerge below.
The ceiling of the Underground Village had collapsed.
It was exactly as the Giant Punisher Stage 1 had depicted it.
An earthquake had brought the ceiling crashing down, forcing humanity to venture into the world above.
And what awaited them was none other than….
‘Colossal monsters.’
“This way,” Sato said.
Sato guided us toward the metal staircase installed along the cliff face.
As we descended the elliptical stairs for quite some time, the rich scent of earth and the metallic tang of rust began to tickle my nostrils.
The atmosphere was unmistakably that of a steampunk underground city.
A world built upon the advancement of steam engines and the industrial revolution, infused with fantastical elements.
That was steampunk.
“Hahahaha! Come on, catch me if you can!”
“Hey! You better not get caught!”
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, I spotted children darting through the cramped, uneven alley.
“You brats! How many times do I have to tell you running in the alley is dangerous?!”
“Huh? Mister Sato!”
“Wow! Mister Sato’s here!”
The children who spotted Sato rushed over and clung to his legs.
“Mister! Are you hurt?! There’s blood on your head!”
“Huh? Haha! I’m fine, fine. This is nothing.”
“Does it hurt a lot, mister?”
“Not at all. Besides, I’m not a mister—I’m only twenty-five.”
“No way! If you have a beard, you’re a mister! Hehe, Mister Sato!”
“No, this is a fashion statement….”
“Mister! Mister! By the way, while you were gone, Midori said something to me….”
The children chattered away to Sato, recounting everything that had happened today.
Watching them, I found myself turning back to glance at my companions.
Without thinking, I turned to look at my companions at the sight of that.
My companions were looking at me too.
It seemed they all thought it was okay to be honest with these people.
When the Grade 3 Monster appeared just moments ago, I never imagined the village would have this kind of atmosphere.
A brutal survival game.
I had imagined a desolate world devoid of any hope.
But this… it looked like a small village on the outskirts of Europe during the height of 19th-century industrialization.
“This way, please.”
As I followed Sato Takuni toward the center of the village, I could see women bursting out from their homes in a single stride as doors flew open.
Soon, women were embracing the fighters.
They were likely the wives of the fighters who had gone into battle.
“Sato! Sato’s back!”
“Sato!”
“Sato! Sa! To! Sa! To!”
In an instant, people were chanting Sato’s name.
Sato, seeming embarrassed by the attention, rubbed the back of his neck and timidly raised his right hand.
I could spot some people looking at us with confusion.
Noticing this, Sato calmed the crowd and shouted.
“Everyone! We have guests today!”
“Guests?”
“Yes! These people here!”
Then came looks filled with wariness.
“Are they from Kyoto?”
“Kyoto people aren’t guests!”
“Who knows what schemes they’re hiding!”
Was it because we were dressed neatly?
People were shouting that Kyoto people weren’t welcome.
Then Sato hastily opened his mouth.
“They’re not from Kyoto! They’ve come from South Korea!”
“South Korea?”
“Yes, if it weren’t for these people today, things would have been really dangerous.”
“How did Koreans end up here…?”
“The fighters will tell you what happened outside. I have things to discuss with these people, so please wait a moment, even if you’re curious.”
“If Sato says so, then that’s how it is!”
Sato Takuni seemed to have considerable trust from the villagers.
By rough estimate, there were about 200 people, and they were all welcoming Sato.
But what about those Kyoto people?
I knew Osaka and Kyoto were quite close to each other.
But were they on bad terms?
“They hate each other.”
Then Hong Yeonhui, who was behind me, spoke up.
“Huh?”
“Kyoto and Osaka. They apparently hate each other.”
“Why?”
“That’s… a long story if I explain the details. Just know that’s how it is.”
It seemed Japan had regional conflicts much like South Korea did.
Accepting this, I followed Sato Takuni, and before long, a massive building came into view behind the Central Plaza.
“Please, come inside.”
As I stepped indoors following Sato Takuni, the interior revealed itself to be warm, its walls covered in cypress wood—a stark contrast to the exterior patched haphazardly with steel plates.
“Takuni!”
A woman descended from the 2nd Floor Stairs, calling out Sato Takuni’s name as she rushed toward him in a single stride.
Sato Takuni offered a faint smile, then spread both arms wide and embraced the woman.
“I’m back. Natsumi.”
“Are you okay? You’re bleeding from your forehead! Are you badly hurt?”
“Just a minor scrape. The seatbelt snapped.”
The woman named Natsumi’s eyes grew red-rimmed.
I’d heard that in Japan, only the closest of friends call each other by their given names.
Judging by how they addressed each other by name rather than surname, their relationship must be quite deep.
Shortly after, the village elders descended from the 2nd Floor, each offering their own words of greeting upon Sato Takuni’s return.
“Oh, thank the heavens, we are grateful.”
“Sato, you weren’t hurt?”
“Your body, your body is alright?”
“You took the medicinal tonic I gave you this morning, didn’t you?”
Watching the people’s expressions, I found myself recalling the faces of my companions at the A-1 Channel.
Whenever I returned from a hunt… they would always rush out to greet me in a single stride.
That scene overlapped with this moment.
“Everyone, I have a guest I’d like to introduce to you.”
“A guest?”
The people who had been watching only Sato Takuni turned their gaze toward us.
“Are they from Kyoto?!”
“Kyoto won’t do, Sato!”
What in the world was the relationship between Kyoto and Osaka that it warranted this reaction?
More importantly… do we really look like people from Kyoto?
What grudge could possibly make them so wary?
Sato Takuni positioned himself between the adults and us, briefly explaining what had transpired outside.
Upon hearing his explanation, the people suddenly bowed deeply to us and spoke.
“Thank you, thank you so much!”
“Ah… a deity from South Korea, we are blessed.”
Being bowed to by the elders only embarrassed me further.
I hastily returned their bows, stealing a glance at Sato Takuni.
“Well then, please come inside. Let’s go in and have a light meal while we talk.”
Sato Takuni summarized the situation for us.

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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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