Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 51

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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 051
The message wasn’t visible only to me.
System Messages were floating before Kim Suhan, Kang Haneul, Hwang Anbae, and Do Sohee as well.
The System Messages continued to appear one after another.
[All large-caliber firearms are currently unusable, and the Giant Zombie’s defense cannot be penetrated by the current character’s abilities.]
“A handgun isn’t a large-caliber firearm.”
[System error detected.]
“It’s not an error.”
[Rechecking the hunting process.]
No matter what I said, the System Messages continued to scroll upward, ignoring my words.
Then a large rectangular screen materialized before my eyes, replaying the moment we hunted the Giant Zombie.
A video displayed from above, overlooking the entire situation as if watching our every move.
Gaia, the game’s creator.
I could feel once again that he was a divine being.
[Verification complete. Player ‘Baek Doyun’ is currently displaying abnormal growth speed.]
[Checking whether illegal programs have been used in the player’s game progression.]
[Inspection in progress….]
[No illegal programs detected.]
[Rechecking growth process.]
Messages that continued to appear as the system questioned and answered itself.
What’s going on here?
Is there something wrong with me?
Ding—!
[Special directive from Gaia has been issued.]
[Your growth speed deviates from the Another World protocol, but no illegal programs existed in the path you’ve taken.]
[The system does not deny your growth.]
[To maintain balance with others and balance between Zombies and Mutants, we offer you a choice.]
A special directive from Gaia?
After watching the video of me hunting the Giant Zombie, he’s going to impose different conditions on me?
[First, adjust the difficulty of all Zombies, Mutants, and other Mutants and Episodes to match player Baek Doyun’s growth speed.]
[Second, impose restrictions on player Baek Doyun’s growth.]
You’re going to impose restrictions?
On me?
“Regardless of which choice I make, you’ll respect my decision, right?”
I asked while staring at the System Message, but no answer came.
Whether the system had no intention of answering my question, or whether it was already a finished program, I couldn’t know the truth.
“Please answer my question.”
[….]
“If I choose the first option, will the points provided by Zombies and Mutants also increase accordingly?”
[….]
“I need information to make a choice!”
[Would you like to confirm the information?]
The system responded to the word “information.”
It wasn’t answering my question—it was programmed to deliver messages based on specific keywords or requests.
“Confirm the option information.”
Frustration was creeping in, but I forced myself to remain patient as I asked.
Then.
Ding—!
[Player Baek Doyun’s current Strength stat is 75. This is an excessive stat unsuitable for the second episode.]
“Wasn’t No Way Home supposed to be a game with high freedom? What does it matter what my stats are?”
[I do not understand. Would you like to reconfirm the information?]
“You’re the one who sent us to No Way Home in the first place, Gaia. You chose it because you said it was a suitable game for us. Am I wrong?”
[I do not understand. Would you like to reconfirm the information?]
The same sentence kept repeating.
Fine, if that’s how it’s going to be.
“I choose the third condition.”
[You have selected the third condition.]
[The third condition does not exist.]
Ding—!
[Player Baek Doyun has not made a selection.]
[Proceeding with random selection.]
[Proceeding with the first option.]
I knew it, you bastard system.
Then.
“Second option information.”
[Confirming the conditions and information of the second option.]
Ding—!
[A portion of your Strength stat will be deleted, and points equivalent to that stat will be returned to you.]
[Additionally, 3,000 bonus points will be provided.]
On the surface, it didn’t seem like a bad deal, but there was a trap hidden here.
Points could be obtained anytime.
But the Giant Zombie?
Hadn’t the system itself said it was something I couldn’t catch at this point?
Then I needed to receive something rare and difficult to obtain easily.
“There has to be something other than points, right?”
[Please state what you desire. The Gaia system supports the player’s hunts.]
“Instead of points, provide an inventory system and skill books. To all members of the Hunting Dog League.”
Was that asking for too much?
In fact, No Way Home doesn’t have an inventory system.
But Gaia has created a total of three games.
In Sword and Spear’s World, Last Odyssey had an inventory system.
Since different games were being played by nation, Gaia would surely have an inventory program as well.
An inventory was essential to deploy curved swords, blunt weapons, and various items in their proper places.
There were limits to engaging in combat while carrying stakes in a bag like this.
Moreover, even if my companions completed their second awakening, skills wouldn’t manifest immediately.
There was a possibility that I’d need to progress through skill acquisition episodes even after awakening.
So right now, receiving one skill to start with would be advantageous in every way.
[The requested function is not currently supported by the system.]
I knew you’d say that, you bastard.
I raised the corners of my mouth and asked.
“This won’t work, that won’t work. And then you decide the rewards on your own? Is that a reward?”
[If held for an extended period, the system will automatically select an option….]
“Connect me to customer service.”
[….]
“I want to speak directly with Gaia.”
[….]
“You claim to support player growth? Player Baek Doyun requests to speak with Gaia.”
[….]
“This game won’t even let players submit suggestions to management? If that’s not possible either, this is a garbage game.”
As I spoke while staring intently at the System Message, no new message appeared for a while.
I didn’t back down and continued speaking.
“Get the director out here. What are the operators doing if they’re not managing the game properly?”
Without blinking, I kept my eyes fixed on the message window, and before long, the message window disappeared.
Simultaneously, a low and solemn voice resonated in my mind.
{You show admirable courage.}
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-
Just from hearing that voice, a warning bell rang in my head and a crushing pressure bore down on my entire body.
Startled, I widened my eyes as large as lanterns and tensed my legs.
All the oxygen in the air seemed to vanish, and an overwhelming pressure as if my surroundings had become a vacuum.
If I relaxed even slightly, I felt I would collapse.
{So, what is it that you desire?}
“…!”
{Were you not searching for me?}
“…!”
{The director you sought. I am Gaia.}
Under the suffocating pressure, I couldn’t produce a sound.
As blood rushed to my face and it flushed red, Kim Suhan, who had been watching the situation, rushed over in alarm.
“Huh?! Doyun!”
“Don’t… come…!”
As I shouted with all my strength, Kim Suhan couldn’t hide his bewilderment.
Time is running out.
I had to settle this as quickly as possible, before losing consciousness.
“The system… message… said the Giant Zombie… cannot be… killed…!”
{….}
“If I don’t kill an unkillable existence… ugh! We would… become characters who can never awaken… for the rest of our lives…!”
{….}
“We…! Fought risking our lives! But you’re calling that… an error… and imposing restrictions?!”
{….}
“The error in the first place…! Is the Giant Zombie appearing right now! So… the one who created… the system is at fault!”
{….}
“Am I wrong?!”
I shouted with veins bulging in my neck, but ultimately couldn’t overcome the pressure and was crushed beneath it.
My consciousness was fading.
A ringing sound echoed in my ears, and my vision began to blacken.
Within a 1-meter radius centered on me, gravity seemed several times stronger.
Losing consciousness again like this….
{Enough.}
At that moment, along with Gaia’s voice, the pressure crushing my entire body vanished.
“Gasp! Huff…! Cough!”
I exhaled roughly, forcing oxygen into my collapsed lungs.
So this is what it feels like when the sky turns yellow.
The agony of being unable to breathe… was far more terrifying and helpless than I’d imagined.
{What do you want.}
“Since we cleared an impossible episode… wouldn’t it be fair to give us rewards unobtainable from No Way Home?”
{….}
Ding!
[Gaia’s approval has been granted.]
[The error is acknowledged. The request of player ‘Baek Doyun’ is accepted.]
[However, the second condition—physical ability restrictions—will proceed as well.]
[Do you accept?]
“What about the additional points?”
[….]
After a long silence, a response came.
Ding-!
[Gaia finds your audacity amusing.]
[She says there will be entertainment in watching your desperate survival.]
[444 points are awarded to you and your League Members.]
[Members of the ‘Hunting Dog’ League will have the inventory function activated.]
[All League Members are provided with ‘Skill Books’.]
Ding!
[Your Strength stat decreases.]
[Decreased value: 75 → 60]
[Your Stamina stat decreases.]
[Decreased value: 65 → 60]
[Until the third episode ends, your Strength, Agility, and Stamina stats cannot exceed 60.]
Ding—!
[The League ‘Hunting Dog’ has completed the second awakening episode ‘Giant Zombie Hunt’!]
[Clear Reward: 1,000 points distributed to all League Members.]
Ding—!
[Congratulations! The Hunting Dog League has become the first second awakening party and league. Additional reward of 1,000 points is granted.]
[Each character’s abilities are unlocked.]
System Messages continued to rise without pause.
My ears ached from the relentless dinging sounds, so I lay on the ground with my eyes squeezed shut.
“B-Brother, are you okay?”
“…”
“What’s happening? Just now, something translucent around you seemed to be pressing down…”
“I’ll rest for a bit. You all help the others.”
With my right arm resting across my forehead, I spoke, and Kim Suhan swallowed hard, looking at the friends beside him.
“So Hee, you stay with Baek Doyun.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Please heal him.”
“Okay.”
The group hurried outside, leaving Do Sohee behind.
Just moments ago… I heard the voice of a god.
A voice only I could hear.
Without even seeing his face, I instinctively knew he was Gaia.
Zombies, Mutants, and now even conversing with a god.
I began to question whether I was truly living in reality.

* * *
“Baek Doyun!”
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been lying there.
I could see Park Sangil rushing toward this place.
Behind him, I could also make out the faces of Park Sangha, Park Sanghun, and Elderly Grandfather Kwak Cheolmin.
Everyone had returned alive without a single injury.
Judging by how pale the Middle School Students with Healing Factor abilities looked, the healers had worked hard.
“What happened? You took down that massive thing? Really?!”
“It’s over there.”
“…!”
When I pointed to the corpse of the Giant Zombie behind us, Elder Chulmin beside me spoke as if bewildered.
“It’s so dark around here, and it’s so huge that I thought it was a wall.”
“It would’ve been easier to just destroy a wall.”
I told everyone the story of what happened while hunting the Giant Zombie.
Everyone seemed at a loss for words, spouting nothing but exclamations like wow, insane, and incredible.
“Doyun, did you see the episode completion message?”
“Yes. I confirmed it.”
“So this means… we’ve awakened?”
It didn’t seem to feel real to him.
I laughed flatly and asked.
“On the surface, there aren’t any particularly noticeable changes.”
“The appearance might be the same, but… I can’t tell what else has changed?”
“Open your player information.”
The group checked their player information without hesitation.
“Huh?!”
Kim Suhan behind me couldn’t close his gaping mouth as he looked at his information.
I turned my head slightly to check Kim Suhan’s stats.
[Current Stats: Strength 40(+10), Stamina 40(+10), Agility 40(+10)]
Everyone’s base stats had become 40.
On top of that, all stats increased through protective gear were +10.
Now that I saw it this way, my stats really did seem excessively high.
The group’s changes didn’t end there.
“Brother, this is….”
A red light was blinking at the bottom of Kim Suhan’s player information.
I instinctively pressed the blinking light.
[There is an item you have not yet acquired.]
[Would you like to check the item?]

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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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