Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 92

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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 092
Euitaejong’s words struck me harder than I expected.
Yes, there was a time when I enjoyed dog meat soup.
But that was long ago.
Times changed, and in this modern era where food is abundant, far fewer people indulge in such dishes.
It had become the exclusive domain of the elderly—a relic of our impoverished past, nothing more than history.
I had no reason to exchange further words with this creature.
I gripped the hilt firmly and swung the blade forward.
Whoosh!
Euitaejong evaded the strike with an unnatural movement.
He retracted his neck like a turtle, pulling it back to slip past the blade.
Tap-tap-tap!
The creature quickly widened the distance between us, then spoke while keeping his gaze fixed on me.
“I created a fence where humans could live safely. What’s the problem?”
“What you made isn’t a fence. It’s a cage.”
“Why should you decide that? My family over there wants to be enclosed by that fence.”
“Don’t talk about family, you monster.”
“What’s the difference? People keep pet dogs and cats at home. Even zookeepers call the animals in their care family.”
…
“What’s the difference, really? Why can’t I raise them? What’s so wrong about it?”
Euitaejong swayed his elongated neck—like a giraffe’s—left and right, genuinely perplexed.
Hah!
I surged forward, driving into his space.
I swung the blade diagonally, a fraction of a beat faster.
Shwip!
Euitaejong dodged by the thinnest margin.
The blade’s edge merely grazed his cheek.
His tracking ability and reaction speed were far from ordinary.
I gripped the hilt with both hands and spoke.
“What human eats animals from a zoo? What human eats pet dogs and cats?”
…
“You raised them and ate them!”
Euitaejong didn’t understand the distinction between livestock and pets.
A creature with every concept twisted.
I had no time to explain each detail, so I unleashed relentless strikes with my curved blade.
Each time, the creature evaded with a mocking sneer.
How were its joints even constructed?
It moved with serpentine flexibility, contorting its body at angles I couldn’t predict.
Even with my enhanced physical abilities, I couldn’t keep pace with the Mutant’s movements.
I was wearing protective gear and gloves now.
Even wielding a curved sword in hand.
With Strength and Constitution at 204 and Agility at 221, the best I could manage was leaving shallow scratches on its body.
Against Euitaejong, who hadn’t even revealed its true form yet.
Euitaejong’s skin began to swell gradually as it continued evading my attacks.
Had evasion reached its limit for this creature too?
It abandoned its human form and finally began revealing its true nature.
“Why can’t I… raise and eat… like I do with others?”
“…”
“Pigs… you humans… keep them penned and eat them… don’t you?”
As the transformation began, Euitaejong’s voice shifted from human speech into increasingly alien tones.
The transformation speed was excessively rapid.
It wasn’t simply fast because it was a Stage 4 Mutant.
Far faster than the Stage 4 Mutants I knew from No Way Home.
In less than five seconds, the human form that had been 180 centimeters tall transformed into a monster reaching four meters.
Just four meters in height.
With arms spread wide, they’d span twelve meters.
Because of the elongated limbs like a Gakdagwi, even this spacious living room felt cramped.
Unlike its Stage 1 form, its body was far larger, covered in dark, glossy skin.
Just looking at it, I could sense the skin’s toughness.
“You humans… call this… do as I say, not as I do… don’t you?”
“…”
“Just… be honest. You… hate me… don’t you?”
“You said it yourself—you came to kill me. Be grateful I even listened to your nonsense.”
“Kekeke.”
For a moment, I’d harbored a small hope that perhaps I could turn this Mutant into an ally like the Zombie King.
But this creature…
‘It’s dangerous.’
Pure evil incarnate.
I couldn’t keep something like this by my side.
Euitaejong’s mouth split into a grin as it glanced sideways toward the entrance.
Watching the creature’s eyes shift leftward, I instinctively understood.
It intended to slaughter every livestock it had raised.
Thud!
The instant I rushed to block the entrance, it stretched its elongated arm toward the balcony railing.
“Heh, you fell for it, human.”
Crash!
Euitaejong burst through the balcony and leaped outside.
It feinted with its eye movements?
This creature had extensive combat experience.
It read my every move and evaded my attacks repeatedly.
Guiding my actions through mere eye movements would have been child’s play for that creature.
Of course, I hadn’t come unprepared for such a situation.
It was only natural that a Mutant of increased size would flee toward open spaces.
I rushed urgently to the balcony railing and shouted down toward the first floor.
“Kim Hanna! Chase it!!”
“Grooooaaahhhhh!!!”
Instead of Hanna’s response, all the subordinates in the vicinity began roaring in unison.
As I climbed onto the balcony railing, Park Sangil grabbed my arm with an alarmed expression.
“What are you doing?! Are you trying to jump from here?!”
“It’s possible.”
“This is the 8th floor, you madman!”
“I don’t have to jump all at once. I’ll go first.”
Thud!
I kicked off the railing, grabbed the 7th floor railing diagonally below, then descended in a zigzag pattern through the 6th, 5th, and 4th floors.
Elder Chulmin, Park Sangil, and Hong Yeonhui followed behind me.
All of them possessed physical abilities far beyond human limits, so they followed easily in my wake.
“Grooooaaahhhhh!!”
“Kraaaaack! Cough-hack!!”
“Kieeeeeek!!”
The shrieks of zombies and Euitaejong echoed through the mist.
I opened the 3D terrain map and confirmed the path Euitaejong and the zombies had taken.
There was a rear exit to the apartment complex in the opposite direction from where we’d entered.
I didn’t know Euitaejong’s destination, but now that it had revealed its true form, I couldn’t let it escape.
I chased quickly and shouted to my companions following behind.
“A Water Demon might be lurking nearby! Stay alert and follow me!”
“Got it!”
Park Sangil, Elder Chulmin, and Hong Yeonhui shouldered their crossbows and began scanning their surroundings.
Crash!
At that moment, I heard the sound of a wall collapsing from the left, and something moved with lightning speed.
I thought a Water Demon had appeared, but it was Kim Hanna, the King of the Zombies, charging at Euitaejong.
With a single leap, Hanna soared dozens of meters and landed on Euitaejong’s back.
She immediately tore into Euitaejong’s neck.
“Kieeeeeek!!!”
Euitaejong screamed and thrashed about.
It flailed its serpentine, flexible arms in all directions, desperately trying to seize Hanna.
But Hanna, having anticipated Euitaejong’s attack trajectory, twisted her body like a rat and evaded the strikes raining down from above.
Had Hanna already activated a Skill?
Skill: King’s Summons.
It summons all zombies within a 300-meter radius and doubles the physical abilities of the user and their subordinates.
If that were the case, Hanna’s current physical ability would be 300.
It seems I need to reach 300 to handle a Stage 4 Mutant.
“KIEEEEEEK!!!”
Euitaejong shrieked and thrashed wildly before hurling his body toward the apartment’s outer wall.
CRASH!!!
As the impact sent Kim Hanna flying, Euitaejong pushed off the ground with his elongated limbs and leaped upward.
Like a frog launching itself into the air, he vaulted over the wall in an instant and vanished from sight.
“Kim Hanna! Are you alright——!”
“GROOOOOAAAARGH!!!”
I tried to check on her condition, but it seemed unnecessary.
Her eyes blazed with lethal intent as she roared at her subordinates.
Pointless reassurance could wait—now was the time to pursue Euitaejong.
“Balhwa.”
[For 10 minutes, your Stamina, Strength, and Agility stats double, and your movement speed increases by 1.5x.]
WHOOOOSH—!
Every muscle in my body began contracting and expanding in rapid succession.
Blood flow accelerated, and a scorching heat spread throughout my entire frame.
Steam rose from my skin, and within the billowing mist, I caught the scent of Euitaejong’s blood tickling my nostrils.
“I’m going ahead.”
I crouched low and spoke to my companions behind me.
BOOM!!!!
As I pushed off, spider-web cracks erupted across the cement ground.
With a single bound, I soared far beyond the wall, and the villas below began to fall beneath my feet.
Within the swirling mist, I could make out a blurred form moving like a cockroach.
No matter how limited my vision was, I couldn’t miss a 12-meter-long insect in motion.
The moment I landed on an unfamiliar villa’s rooftop, I pushed off again toward where Euitaejong had just been.
BOOM!!!!
The distance between us closed in an instant.
The fleeing cockroach came into sharp focus before my eyes.
I gripped my curved blade with both hands and swung it with the resolve to end this in one strike.
“Kik?!”
SCREEEECH—!!!!!
In a split second, Euitaejong twisted his direction so desperately that his fingers scraped against the asphalt.
My blade sliced off his ear and crashed into the ground.
A heavy impact transmitted through my fingertips.
Electric sensation shot through my entire body, and my shoulders throbbed with pain.
Zigzagging cracks spread across the ground in the wake of the blade.
I wrenched the blade free and swung it toward Euitaejong again.
WHOOSH!
I made contact.
A distance I couldn’t reach before—but with Balhwa active, I could finally strike him.
I felt the sensation of flesh being carved away, so I quickly steadied my breathing and unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes.
“Kieeeeeek!!”
Overwhelmed by my speed, the creature abandoned its escape and curled its elongated limbs around itself defensively.
With each slash that carved through Euitaejong’s flesh and severed its joints, a dull impact transmitted through my fingertips.
Not enough. Still not enough.
Even with a weapon reinforced to the highest level, I couldn’t finish a Stage 4 Mutant in a single blow.
Without blinking, without breathing, I kept my eyes wide open and continued my relentless assault until its life finally ceased.
Crack—slash! Whoosh! Thud—whoosh!
The Gakdagwi’s right arm was severed, its left knee was cut clean through, and blood began spraying in all directions.
Just a bit more, just a bit more relentless assault and I could sever its neck….
“Squeeeeeeeee!!!”
“…!”
In that instant, a deafening sound like a pig being slaughtered echoed across the heavens and earth, and I felt my mind go numb.
My eardrums ruptured, and something seemed wrong with my cochlea.
My vision wavered left and right, and strength drained from my limbs.
As I staggered and turned my head, I could see the Water Demon’s face right behind me.
Long hair cascading down to the ground and a gaping lower jaw.
This creature… had screamed right behind me.
If it had been an ordinary Stage 1 Water Demon, it would have attacked me physically first, but now that it had reached Stage 4, it had begun to think strategically.
Like a spider waiting for prey to become ensnared in its web, it had first rendered me completely defenseless.
I hadn’t noticed at all.
Consumed by the thought of killing Euitaejong, adrenaline had surged excessively, and I failed to notice the Water Demon’s approach.
I tried to swing my curved blade, but my body wouldn’t obey.
Unable to maintain my balance, I collapsed face-first onto the ground and flailed helplessly.
Then, the Water Demon’s ten fingers transformed into long awls, spreading wide as if to shred my entire body.
Thud-thud-thud—thud—thud-thud-thud—!
Dozens of crossbow bolts embedded themselves across the Water Demon’s entire body.
Like a vampire struck by a silver arrow, the Water Demon shrieked and began to retreat.
“…!”
Someone seemed to be shouting, but I couldn’t hear them because my eardrums had ruptured.
All I could hear was endless ringing in my ears.
With great effort, I turned my head and could see my companions rushing toward me.
“…Ah!”
“Doyun!!”
The voices of my companions gradually became audible.
With Park Sangil’s support, I raised my upper body.
“Baek Doyun! Open your eyes, open them properly!”
“…What?”
I thought I had been keeping them open the whole time, but apparently that wasn’t the case.
I shook my head vigorously and blinked my eyes repeatedly.
Gradually, my focus began to return.
If my eardrums had truly ruptured, this would be impossible.
The reason sound returned to my ears and my vision cleared was singular.
It was thanks to the passive skill I possessed.
[Passive Skill ‘Regeneration’ is now active.]
A skill that recovers accumulated fatigue and wounds at a hundred times normal speed, and can even regenerate severed limbs within forty-eight hours.
Since I wasn’t losing excessive blood, the regeneration’s effects were manifesting rapidly.
My torn eardrums regenerated, and the ringing that had plagued my ears began to subside.
Rat-a-tat-tat!! Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Elder Chulmin and Hong Yeonhui fired bolts relentlessly at the Water Demon, then glanced back to check on me.

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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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