Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 53

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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 053
At the mention of a modified vehicle, Park Sangha scratched his forehead and asked.
“A modified vehicle? You mean vehicle customization?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“But… couldn’t we make that ourselves? I think we could find the materials at the hardware store.”
“As I mentioned before, the materials provided by No Way Home don’t exist in reality.”
“…So they’re much better?”
“Yes. They’re superior in every way.”
At those words, Park Sanghun tilted his head and asked.
“For example, what makes them better?”
“Customizing a vehicle isn’t as simple as it sounds. First, you need to find an intact vehicle, and then you have to consider the engine, fuel efficiency, weight, durability, repairs—everything.”
“…”
“But obtaining the blueprint means we can manufacture No Way Home’s vehicles. All the materials needed can be purchased with points.”
“So we can create a vehicle with excellent fuel efficiency, great power, superior durability, high lethality, and easy maintenance?”
“Exactly.”
“This is insane.”
I was shocked too.
A blueprint obtainable from the fifth episode—and an emergency episode at that.
Such an item had appeared now.
Perhaps the Giant Zombie that should have appeared in the fifth episode showed up in the second instead, and because we hunted it, the entire schedule accelerated.
‘Is this why the Gaia system… prevented me from killing the Giant Zombie now?’
It was a moment when I understood the Gaia system’s position for imposing restrictions on me.
Perhaps… we could finish No Way Home much faster?
“Sangha, take a look at the blueprint.”
All the makers in our league, including Park Sangha, had received the blueprint.
On yellow paper were listed the materials and points needed for vehicle manufacturing.
Ding-!
[Do you wish to acquire the blueprint?]
As Park Sangha stared intently at the blueprint, a system message appeared before his eyes.
Of course he accepted.
When the makers pressed accept, another system message appeared.
[You have acquired the modified vehicle technique.]
[Creating a small vehicle requires 50,000 points, while creating a large vehicle requires 70,000 points.]
[Creating a zombie bus requires 100,000 points.]
Park Sangha’s jaw dropped at the staggering price, and he was left speechless.
“W-100,000 points?! Isn’t that way too expensive?”
As expected, with so many members, Park Sangha ignored the small and large vehicles entirely and went straight to checking the bus.
In No Way Home, small vehicles and buses were indeed the most frequently used.
Large vehicles were mostly just used as transportation for five-person parties.
Since 5,000 more points had come in, I checked my player information and spoke.
“Increase my Mentality by 19 and Epidermis by 30.”
[Consuming 1,900 points to increase Mentality by 19. Consuming 3,000 points to increase Epidermis by 30.]
Ding!
[Current Stats: Vitality 60(+5), Strength 60(+5), Agility 60(+5), Epidermis 140, Mentality 150]
[Points Held: 116]
[Coins Held: 4]
Since the Zombies are growing as well, it seemed wise to gradually increase my Epidermis to prepare for any unforeseen circumstances.
Park Sangil glanced at my player information, then shook his head with a wry smile.
“You really are something else.”
“Pardon?”
“It’s like you’re living in a completely different world than those people. You’re practically playing a different game altogether.”
Feeling embarrassed, I scratched my eyebrow, and Park Sangil chuckled warmly before calling to the group.
“Since we can trade points, I think it’s best if we concentrate our points on the Maker for now. What do you all think?”
“Yes!”
“That sounds good!”
“I think that would be best too.”
No one objected.
We needed to concentrate our points on the Maker both to craft the modified vehicle and to produce ammunition.
With no objections, Park Sangil smiled contentedly and spoke.
“Then… let’s head back and have dinner!”
“Yes!”

* * *
Our Safe House stands across from Haengdang Station.
At the very top of Building 118, our sanctuary awaits.
Kim Heejoo, Jo Yunhwan, Lee Kwanghyun, and Kim Miyeon came barefoot to greet us, welcoming our safe return.
The children stood before the entrance, gazing at the stalwart League Members with radiant smiles.
Though the world has crumbled into ruin, this is a place where children can smile.
In an age like this, could there possibly be another place like it?
“Are you hungry? Come inside. Everyone’s been waiting.”
Kim Heejoo gestured for us to enter.
The members of Parties 1, 2, 3, and 4 ate their fill at dinner, washing away the day’s exhaustion.
As we dined together, we shared stories of the Second Awakening and tales of those bastards from the Organization.
Most of the conversation centered on Party 1’s heroic exploits in hunting the Giant Zombie and the vivid recounting of Parties 2, 3, and 4’s encounters with hundreds of Zombies.
Ding—!
At that moment, a System Message materialized before our eyes.
[Episode #2-1 Unbreakable Bonds has ended.]
[Unbreakable Bonds (#2-1) has been updated to Stolen Sanctuary, Seizing Sanctuary (#2-2).]
[#2-2 Stolen Sanctuary, Seizing Sanctuary]
[Survivors, through #2-0 Recruiting Allies, you have each acquired your own forces.]
[From this point forward, attack or defend your respective Safe Houses to plunder the enemy’s supplies and seize their sanctuaries.]
[Additional points will be awarded based on the number of Safe Houses you occupy.]
[Safe Houses with fewer than 20 residents are not recognized as valid Safe Houses.]
[Occupying a Safe House with 20 or more residents grants 500 points.]
[Occupying a Safe House with 50 or more residents counts as occupying 2 Safe Houses.]
[Occupying a Safe House with 100 or more residents counts as occupying 6 Safe Houses.]
[When defending a Safe House, points equal to the above conditions are awarded based on the number of enemies attacking.]
[Occupying or defending a Shelter counts as occupying or defending 10 Safe Houses.]
[Occupying or defending a Safe House counts as occupying or defending 30 Safe Houses.]
[Territorial War End Time: 3 days from now.]
[Clear Reward: 5,000 points]
[Failure: —]
The expressions of everyone who read the System Message hardened.
I felt the same way.
Though the message suggested failure carried no penalty, reality was far different.
The moment we lost our Safe House, we would either die or be enslaved.
Park Sangil was so shocked that he didn’t even notice the toothpick fall from his mouth.
Park Sangil soon looked at me with a bewildered expression.
“Doyun, what is this?”
“….”
“Stolen Sanctuary, Seizing Sanctuary? Are they seriously telling us to attack other survivors?”
“It appears… that’s exactly what they’re asking.”
Park Sangil found himself at a loss for words.
An episode explicitly demanding murder.
Then Park Sangha beside him cleared his throat and asked.
“Doyun, how did it progress in the game?”
“At No Way Home, the second episode ended with recruiting allies.”
“It ended? So you moved to the third episode after finishing recruitment?”
“More precisely… the recruitment period lasted about three to four days.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“During the process of recruiting allies, we got to know each other, grew closer, and then encountered bad people and fought them.”
“….”
“Remember when I told you during the first episode that reality seemed to change far more intricately than the game?”
“…yes, it did.”
“I think this is similar. Given that the system is explicitly ordering a massacre… it seems the system still judges there are many survivors.”
As I calmly shared my thoughts, a heavy silence descended over the living room.
Just moments ago, we were celebrating the defeat of the Giant Zombie and successful second awakening, and now suddenly an episode demanding we target survivors had appeared.
From within a silence that seemed unlikely to break easily, Elder Chulmin’s voice emerged.
“Our destination is already determined, is it not?”
“Sir?”
“Those called the Organization. Haven’t they been killing people even before the 2-2 episode began?”
“….”
“Now that the episode encourages mutual slaughter, they’ll run even wilder.”
Elder Chulmin was right.
We had to deal with the Organization before they grew more reckless.
Besides, they said the Organization had captured the Maker, so if those bastards obtained the clear reward, it would be disastrous.
They would eventually become a threat to us, so it would be wise to nip them in the bud before their power grew further.
I drank the water in my cup in large gulps and spoke to my companions.
“Party One and Party Two will handle the Organization.”
“No, it would be safer to mobilize up to Party Four this time. Regardless of what kind of people the Organization is, their scale must be considerable, right?”
“That’s not the case, Elder.”
I cut off Elder Chulmin’s opinion sharply, and everyone began to listen to my thoughts.
“The name of this episode. It’s ‘The Sanctuary Stolen and the Sanctuary Taken.'”
“….”
“We mustn’t forget that we’re in the Safe House. It’s a place everyone covets.”
“So your thinking is… many will be targeting this place, is that what you’re saying?”
“Exactly. All sorts of people will come here. Among them will be many of those trash who attacked us before.”
“I thought the opposite. Didn’t you say that taking the Safe House is equivalent to occupying eight sanctuaries?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“That’s dangerous, isn’t it? How many lunatics would actually attack this place?”
“In this world, it’s the madmen who only see points and charge forward who hold the steering wheel, not those who think rationally.”
“….”
The expressions of everyone in the party grew increasingly grave.
Having experienced it once before, the vivid memory of that helplessness came flooding back.
I looked at Park Sangha and spoke.
“Sangha, how many days does it take to manufacture a vehicle?”
“Small ones take a day, large ones take two days, and buses take four. But this is my first time with something like this… I’m not sure if I can actually make it.”
“You just need to use Points. The system will handle the manufacturing itself.”
“Like with weapons or protective gear?”
“Yes. You just need to make the selection.”
“That’s convenient.”
Park Sangha shrugged his shoulders and nodded in agreement.
I continued speaking.
“We need two small vehicles for Party 1 and Party 2 to move.”
“Do we really need small vehicles specifically?”
“Regardless of what kind of people this ‘Organization’ is, they’ve likely already built their own fortress. Small vehicles are good because they’re mobile and easy to escape in.”
Then Hwang Anbae, who was holding chopsticks, raised his right hand and spoke.
“Me, me! Then I’ll manufacture the small vehicles with Sangha!”
“Since Points are insufficient, the defense team should also concentrate their Points on the Maker.”
“Us too?”
When the Healing Factors asked, I nodded and spoke.
“Not all of them, but for now it’s better to concentrate on the Maker.”
“Yes!”
“And the other Makers should focus on bullet manufacturing and pistol production.”
“Yes!”
“Elder Chulmin, please oversee and manage the children. Since we’re dealing with firearms, I’d appreciate it if you could supervise.”
As the situation was quickly organized, Lee Kwanghyun, who had been listening to the discussion, slightly raised his right hand and asked.
“If there are people attacking the Safe House… we just eliminate them all, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
…
A situation where we’d have to point guns at people.
Lee Kwanghyun seemed to have much on his mind.
I stared intently at Lee Kwanghyun and spoke.
“Kwanghyun, if you hesitate, your wife and all of us here will be put in danger.”
…
“You need to be resolute.”
Lee Kwanghyun took a deep breath from the depths of his lungs and exhaled, then nodded.
“Trust me.”
“Offense is important, but defense is more important than offense.”
“No matter what happens, I’ll protect this place.”
He had kept saying he wanted to do outside activities, but now it seemed he understood the importance of defense.
I looked at the League Members gathered in the living room and spoke.
“Makers, please use the points you’ve earned today to craft protective gear and weapons for the defense team.”
“Looks like we’re in for an all-nighter.”
Park Sangha spoke with a forced smile, despite the grim circumstances.
He deliberately projected a brighter demeanor to keep the students from succumbing to anxiety.

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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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