Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 77

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Player of the Ruined World – Episode 077
“Wh-what?! What are you doing, you lunatic!”
Park Sangil panicked.
I spoke with firm resolve.
“If we wait, only more Zombies will swarm us.”
“But to do it so suddenly… Huh? Wh-what?!”
As if he’d seen a ghost, Park Sangil frantically swatted my hand away and seized the steering wheel.
Vroom—! Vroooom—!
Park Sangil turned the wheel urgently and slammed the accelerator.
His wide, dilated pupils betrayed the urgency of the situation.
There should be considerable distance between us and the Zombies, so why was he so tense?
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—
Then the sound of hoofbeats began to echo, sending chills down my spine.
The hoofbeat sound that erupts when multiple Zombies charge in unison.
I thought I’d heard it plenty of times until now.
But this was…
“GROOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
“KAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!”
The hoofbeat sound accompanied by roars of Zombies that shook heaven and earth.
Vroooooooom—!!!
Park Sangil gasped and stomped the accelerator with all his might.
“Either talk or honk the horn, you maniac! Oh, they’re coming, they’re coming! Oh, damn it!! So damn many, so damn many!!”
Park Sangil stared alternately at the rearview mirror and the road ahead without blinking.
He was so shocked that more than half the words coming from his mouth were profanities.
Park Sanghun in the back seat turned to look behind, then gasped in horror and shouted.
“Step on it, big brother, step on it harder!! So damn fast, those things are so damn fast!! Push it more!!”
“I’m already stepping on it!!”
“So damn fast!! Wow, damn…!! Insane, incredibly fast!”
Just how fast were they for everyone to be this frantic?
They’re still just Zombies, after all.
We’re in a modified vehicle, currently exceeding 100 kilometers per hour.
Besides, my visibility was so limited that I couldn’t even see the Zombies on Gangnam-daero.
So there should be considerable distance between us and them, right?
Doubt crept in, and I turned my gaze to the side mirror.
The moment I pressed my face against the passenger window to get a better look…
“GROOOOOOOOO!!!!”
I could clearly make out the face of a Zombie charging at full speed right behind us.
“…Huh?”
A dumbfounded sound escaped my lips involuntarily.
How was this even possible?
Even though the modified vehicle was traveling at 100 kilometers per hour, the distance between us and the Zombies wasn’t widening at all.
“Damn, they’re so fast…?”
“Yeah, I know. I told you!! These maniacs are insanely quick!!”
Park Sangil, despite not being the one running, gripped the steering wheel as if he were sprinting a hundred meters, holding his breath with tension.
For Zombies to move this fast… had the Zombie King activated a Skill?
King’s Call.
The roars of Zombies that echoed after the horn sounded.
If the Zombie King’s roar was among them… then all Zombies within a 300-meter radius centered on the Zombie King would temporarily have all their physical abilities increased to 60, and would be recognized as the Zombie King’s Followers.
Even if the heavy rain reduced that range to 150 meters, the numbers would still be substantial.
But even so, the current speed of movement doesn’t make sense?
Could it be… he’s using another Skill besides King’s Call?
The Zombie King’s second Skill shouldn’t unlock until the fifth episode?
“Gaia, you bastard… surely not…”
Without realizing it, a voice of resentment toward Gaia escaped me.
What kind of trick have you pulled this time?
Even if the heavy rain reduced King’s Call’s effect to 150 meters, the Zombie King’s Followers right now would number over a thousand temporarily.
They were chasing Vehicle One at 100 kilometers per hour.
It would be impossible unless the second Skill had been unlocked.
‘No, think positively.’
What if I had discovered the Zombie King’s second Skill was unlocked later?
If I’d found out in front of the Rabbit Hole, it would be a disaster.
But now?
We’re just luring Zombies without the Zombie King using his Skills, aren’t we?
That’s good news then.
At No Way Home, King’s Call was a Skill that could be used every 6 hours.
Plus, its duration was 10 minutes.
If the Zombie King’s second Skill that unlocks in the fifth episode is probably…
‘Legion March.’
Yes, if they can keep up with the modified vehicle, the Legion March Skill has been unlocked.
A Skill that doubles the movement speed of the user and all Followers.
It can be used every 3 hours, and its duration is 10 minutes.
This is… an opportunity for us.
For the next 3 hours, the Zombie King will be in a state with no Skills available.
“Hyung, how many minutes until we reach the Rabbit Hole?”
“I don’t know! At this speed, we’ll arrive in 5 minutes.”
“Drive around for 10 minutes.”
“What?”
“We need to buy as much time as possible until the Zombie King’s Skill wears off.”
“Ugh…! I don’t have the luxury of thinking that far ahead!”
The wipers moved ceaselessly.
The RPM climbed roughly upward.
Park Sangil kept his eyes fixed on the road, not blinking once.
As we entered the Sinsa-dong Intersection, Park Sangil quickly jerked the steering wheel to the right.
Screeeech—!!
The vehicle that had been racing at 100 kilometers per hour suddenly swerved, and my organs twisted violently, nausea rising in my throat.
Gripping the assist handle with my right hand and covering my mouth with my left, I turned to look behind us.
“Ugh….”
Park Sanghun puffed out his cheeks and hastily fastened his seatbelt.
And behind Sanghun, the faces of Zombies came into view.
Dozens of Zombies looked ready to cling to the vehicle at any moment.
“Sangil! Can’t you go any faster?! They’re going to grab onto us at this rate!”
“Damn it…!”
Roooooaaaar—!!!
The RPM reached its limit.
The modified vehicle’s speed had climbed to 140 kilometers per hour.
Racing at 140 kilometers per hour on a regular road.
Even a small pothole felt like a massive impact.
And moving into the alleys was unthinkable.
If a speed bump appeared, the car would simply fly.
Heavy rain had left puddles scattered everywhere, and when we hit them, the steering wheel would twist sharply against the strong resistance.
And that wasn’t all.
Crash—!!!!
When the triangular spike attached to the front bumper struck some unknown obstacle, a deafening roar and heavy impact transmitted directly through the vehicle.
Each time, the car lurched violently, and Park Sangil had to endure all those impacts with the grip strength of both hands.
He gripped the steering wheel with all his might to keep it from turning, and continued pressing the accelerator.
Screeeech—! Screech—!
Upon reaching the Euljiro XX Intersection, Park Sangil turned the wheel to the left and glanced out the driver’s side window.
The Zombies were gradually falling behind.
Right, even the Zombie King’s Followers would struggle to keep up with a modified car racing at 140 kilometers per hour.
“Ha! No matter how fast they are, they’re still just Zombies!”
Park Sangil’s confidence swelled.
“Slow down, hyung.”
“What?”
“We can’t shake them off completely. We’re supposed to be luring them, remember?”
“Oh.”
Did I really forget?
Overwhelmed by the pressure of the pursuing Zombies, it seemed I’d forgotten that we were in the middle of luring them.
As Park Sangil checked the side mirror and reduced our speed to 70 kilometers per hour, hundreds of figures rapidly approaching came into view.
Roooooaaaar—!!
The RPM climbed rapidly once more.
But the modified vehicle’s speed wasn’t increasing.
“Hyung, go faster! It’s catching up!”
“I’m flooring it!! Why isn’t this working?!”
The RPM was climbing frantically, but the vehicle wasn’t accelerating.
Had the vehicle malfunctioned?
‘No.’
The sensation of the rear wheels spinning uselessly.
Surely not.
The moment I turned my head, I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.
The Zombie King was gripping the rear of Vehicle One.
It was holding back the modified vehicle’s output alone?
Was it because the acceleration hadn’t kicked in yet?
No, even so, this shouldn’t be possible.
This is….
Could it be the third Skill?
‘Dignity of Authority.’
Once every three hours, for 30 minutes, all of the Zombie King’s physical abilities doubled.
This was supposed to be a Skill unlocked in the sixth episode?
Then the current Zombie King’s stats are….
“240….”
“What did you say?!”
As I muttered under my breath, Park Sangil glanced at me with a twisted expression.
If I mentioned the Zombie King’s stats in this situation, Park Sangil and Park Sanghun might fall into panic.
They would feel the despair of facing an unbeatable enemy, a wall they couldn’t overcome.
With no other option, I exhaled a long breath and asked.
“Sangil’s Hyung, doesn’t it seem like we can’t make it?”
“What can I do about it?! The controls aren’t responding!”
Thud! Thunk! Thud-thud-thud!
The Zombies that followed began wrapping around the modified vehicle in unison.
“Uh, uh? I can hear it! I can hear it!”
Park Sanghun in the back stretched both arms wide, helpless, while Park Sangil continued pressing the accelerator.
Like a small boat caught in a violent storm, the modified vehicle shook relentlessly.
At least the wheels were still rotating, so with each turn of the wheel, the Zombies’ bones and flesh were ground away, and blood smeared across the windows.
If even the wheels had stopped moving, it would have flipped over long ago.
There was no time to hesitate any longer.
“Tell me my available Points.”
[Available Points: 26,820]
[Available Coins: 4]
Seeing the System Message appear before my eyes, I spent the Points without a moment’s hesitation.
“Invest 24,000 Points in Mentality and 2,500 Points in Epidermis.”
[Consuming 24,000 Points to increase Mentality by 240, and 2,500 Points to increase Epidermis by 25.]
Ding—!
[Current Stats: Vitality 60(+15), Strength 60(+15), Agility 60(+15), Epidermis 175, Mentality 400]
[Damage Reduction: 10%]
[Points Remaining: 320]
[Coins Remaining: 4]
For every 50 points my Mentality stat increases, the duration I can maintain reason during Frenzy extends by 5 minutes, and the sleep state decreases by 1 hour.
So now that I’ve raised my Mentality stat to 400, I should be able to maintain my sanity for up to 40 minutes.
After those 40 minutes pass, I’ll spend the remaining 20 minutes raging like a madman.
I just hope I don’t wander too far this time.
And I hope my predictions hold true.
“Sangil’s Hyung, lure the Zombies and head to the Rabbit Hole first. Let’s reduce their numbers once we get there.”
“Go first? What are you planning to do now?!”
“No time to explain. At this rate, even the car will get smashed first.”
Thud! Screech—! Crack—!
Before I could finish speaking, the metal bars protecting the car window were torn away, and cracks began spreading across the glass.
“Inventory.”
The inventory materializes at my fingertips.
I pulled out the gauntlets from there, equipped them, grasped the door handle, and whispered.
“Frenzy.”
Thump—
My heartbeat echoed clearly, and I felt a scorching heat as all the blood in my body ignited.
Ding!
[For 1 hour, you become immune to the virus, and all physical abilities increase threefold.]
[You lose your sanity while the effect persists.]
Ding—!
[Your Mentality stat has reached 400.]
[You can maintain your sanity for 40 minutes.]
Crack—!
Thick veins bulged from the back of my hand to my forearm, and my vision began tinting red.
It was because the sudden surge of adrenaline had elevated my intraocular pressure.
Every muscle in my body tensed like a taut rubber band, responding sensitively to even the slightest movement.
Not yet.
Not yet… this isn’t enough.
“…Balhwa.”
Shhhhh—!
My muscles contracted and expanded repeatedly, and my blood flow rapidly accelerated.
A sensation as if my entire body was burning away.
Along with pain as though my body might explode at any moment came a corresponding surge of overwhelming power.
Ding—!
[For 10 minutes, your Stamina, Strength, and Agility stats increase by 2x, and your movement speed increases by 1.5x.]
From this moment on, I…
will overwhelm the Zombie King.
CRASH!!!
I threw the door open with all my might, and the door panel snapped clean off, sending the Zombies attempting to break through the window tumbling like dominoes.
Park Sangil stared at me with a shocked expression.
“Baek Doyun, you…!”
As I turned back with fierce eyes, he swallowed hard and closed his mouth.
This was no time to worry about each other.
It was time to break through.
I grabbed the passenger seat where the door had been torn away and shoved the modified vehicle forward.
VROOOOOOM—!!
The modified vehicle finally tore through the horde of Zombies.
Over three thousand Zombies chased after us.
What was remarkable was that not a single one of those countless Zombies lunged at me.
No, only one.
The Zombie King, who had been clinging to the rear of the vehicle before being thrown to the ground, slowly raised his upper body and fixed his gaze upon me.
“Grrrrrrr…”
In those eyes grinding their teeth at me burned an unfiltered madness and rage that hungered for my flesh.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————