Player of a Ruined World - Chapter 96

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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 096
As the Jamsilbridge shook, the group standing upon it lost their balance and began to fall.
Yet even as he tumbled, Park Sangil kept his gun trained on the Giant Zombie’s face.
Click-
He switched from single fire to automatic.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!
Park Sangil unleashed a barrage of gunfire directly at the Giant Zombie’s head.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!!!!
With each thunderous explosion, the Giant Zombie staggered backward, shielding its face with both hands.
Tat-tat!
Seizing that moment, Kim Hanna pushed off the ground and launched herself upward, driving a devastating kick toward the Giant Zombie’s cervical spine.
Ten meters—she had leaped straight up ten meters into the air.
The sight of it inspired awe in all who witnessed it.
Crack-!!!!
A sound like thunder split the heavens and earth, and I could see the Giant Zombie’s cervical spine twist violently.
The problem was….
“Grraaahhh!”
Kim Hanna’s shin had twisted as well.
Seeing her plummet, Elder Chulmin threw down the rifle he had been shouldering and rushed toward her.
He threw himself forward, caught the falling Kim Hanna, and rolled across the ground several times with her in his arms.
Kim Hanna’s condition was already dire.
She had fought countless Mutants near the riverside apartments and faced thousands of Zombies.
On top of that, she had single-handedly battled the Mutant Zombies on the Jamsilbridge before returning, so her regenerative effects were no longer as potent as before.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-
Yet showing no mercy, the remaining Giant Zombie raised its right foot toward Elder Chulmin and Kim Hanna.
A shadow of death loomed overhead.
A colossal sole hurtled through the air.
If one were to witness a meteor falling before their eyes, would it feel like this?
With nowhere to escape, Elder Chulmin shut his eyes tightly, cradling Kim Hanna in his arms.
Crash-!!!
In that instant, a welcome sound reached the group’s ears—the clarion call of salvation.
A vehicle with its high beams flashing rushed relentlessly onto the Jamsilbridge.
Roooar-!!!
Smash-!!!!!
The Sandworm rammed directly into the Giant Zombie’s ankle.
The Sandworm’s effect—it could absorb powerful impacts up to five times per hour.
With its ankle twisted, the Giant Zombie lost its balance and collapsed flat on its face.
Screeeech-!!!
The Sandworm, having struck the Giant Zombie’s ankle, left a long skid mark across the ground as it slid, then accelerated once more toward the fallen Giant Zombie’s temple with a brilliant drift.
Roooar-!! Roooar-!!!
The Sandworm’s sharp front bumper struck the Giant Zombie’s temple.
CRASH!!!!!
The temple burst open, and dark crimson blood poured down like rain.
Screeeech—!! Screeeech!!
The Sandworm that had rammed the Giant Zombie’s head began to stagger, struggling to maintain visibility through the sudden deluge of blood.
Park Sangil seized the opportunity and aimed his rifle at the mangled flesh of the Giant Zombie, whose head was half-blown away.
“Just die already.”
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!!
Bullets tore through the tattered flesh and detonated inside its skull.
The metallic stench of blood drenched their entire bodies, and only after the Giant Zombie’s brain matter was scattered in all directions did—
Ding—!
[Enhanced Giant Zombie has been eliminated.]
[15,000 Points awarded.]
The hunt for the Giant Zombie was successful.
This was the greatest difference between ordinary Mutants and Mutant Zombies.
Ordinary Mutants were new entities that didn’t derive from Zombies as their foundation.
While progressing through the main episodes, ordinary Mutants were divided into Stages 1 through 5, but Mutant Zombies were categorized as either Enhanced Mutant Zombies or standard Mutant Zombies.
“It’s not over yet! Everyone, stay sharp!!”
Before I could even savor the victory, Hong Yeonhui’s urgent voice cut through from beside me.
The endless tide of Zombies still crossing the Jamsil Bridge showed no signs of stopping.
And worse still….
Crack—! Snap! Crackle-crack!
The Giant Zombie, whose cervical spine had been twisted, began raising its upper body again.
An unsettling sound emanating from its neck.
The Giant Zombie was also a Mutant Zombie.
There was no way the matured ones lacked regenerative abilities.
Park Sangil shouldered his rifle again, his eyes fixed on the Giant Zombie’s pupils.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!!!!
Bullets streamed continuously from the muzzle.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!!!
The deafening blast accompanied thick smoke rising from the Giant Zombie’s face.
“GRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
The Giant Zombie covered its eyes with its right hand and roared, then began sweeping its other arm wildly across the area.
As if to obliterate everything in its path.
The palm swept away parked vehicles and Zombie corpses like a broom.
There was no escape route.
Park Sangil’s eyes widened as he pulled the trigger toward the approaching left hand.
Bang-bang!!! Boom!!! Crash!!!
I had to sever at least a finger to create an opening somehow.
Zombie corpses and various debris obstructed the trajectory of the bullets.
Watching the Giant Zombie’s left hand sweep toward him with devastating force, Park Sangil could only despair.
He had been running without rest all this time.
Growing stronger, doing his utmost to survive.
Yet an insurmountable wall still existed.
Whoooosh—
In that moment, the sound of wind cutting through empty air.
Park Sangil, having surrendered all hope, reflexively turned his gaze skyward.
Something that appeared as a tiny speck was plummeting toward this location.
That form, resembling a human silhouette….
“Huh?”
CRASH!!!!!!!
A human form descended like a shell in an instant.
The moment of impact sent a thick cloud of dust billowing across the area.
Park Sangil squinted reflexively, shielding his face with his hands.
Through the gaps between his fingers, something blurred came into view.
“…!”
Belatedly comprehending the situation, Park Sangil found his jaw hanging open.
The Giant Zombie’s left hand, which had been sweeping toward him with overwhelming force, was now falling into the Han River.
In a single strike, the Giant Zombie’s wrist had been severed.
Lifting his head with startled eyes, the human form that had been there was already gone from view.
Then.
Ding—!
[Enhanced Giant Zombie has been eliminated.]
[15,000 Points awarded.]
A message confirming the Giant Zombie’s elimination appeared.
With a dazed expression, I gazed toward where the Giant Zombie had been.
I could see the Giant Zombie’s head, cleanly severed from left temple to right temple.
Above the Giant Zombie’s head, fountaining with blood, stood a man gripping dual swords, his gaze fixed on Jamsil Bridge.
“D-Doyun? Baek Doyun!”
Park Sangil, coming to his senses belatedly, called out to him.
Baek Doyun wiped the blood smeared on his face with his sleeve as he spoke.
“You’ve worked hard. Rest for a moment.”
Thud!!
Baek Doyun kicked off the Giant Zombie’s head and launched himself toward Jamsil Bridge.
Park Sangil stared after him with a vacant expression.
He had cleared some fifty meters in a single bound.
Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding—!
[Zombie eliminated.]
[10 Points awarded.]
[Zombie eliminated.]
[10 points awarded.]
[Zombie eliminated.]
[10 points awarded.]
[Zombie eliminated.]
[10 points awarded.]
…
….
Points notifications streamed in relentlessly.
My eyes and ears ached from the constant barrage, so I disabled the point alerts and watched Baek Doyun rampaging through the zombie horde.
We had started from the same place, yet somehow Baek Doyun had already ascended to heights beyond my reach.
The word “hunting” no longer seemed appropriate.
It was a massacre.
“Brother!”
I turned at the voice behind me and spotted Park Sangha and Park Youngsu descending from the Sandworm.
Right, this wasn’t the time to stand idle.
“Why did you come here?”
“Wouldn’t this have been dangerous without me?”
….
“I heard gunfire and came to check. Thought something had gone wrong.”
At Park Sangha’s words, Park Sangil cleared his throat and spoke.
“…Thanks. I’m alive because of you. More importantly, where are Sanghun and the others?”
“Suhan is still focused on recovery. The Sandworm repairs are finished.”
“Is Suhan’s condition that bad?”
“He’s fine now. He just needs a bit more rest and he’ll be back to normal. But… what is this situation?”
Park Sangha stared speechlessly at the corpses of zombies scattered everywhere and the Giant Zombie.
“This isn’t the time for chitchat!”
At that moment, Hong Yeonhui, who was fighting the approaching zombies, shouted toward the Park brothers.
Hong Yeonhui was engaged with the oncoming zombies.
Park Sangil checked his remaining bolts and ammunition in his inventory, then drew a curved blade and gripped it in his hand.
“We’ll talk later.”
“Got it.”
Just as the two were about to rush toward the zombies.
“Wait a moment! Park Sangha!”
Park Youngsu’s voice called from behind.
Park Sangha turned, and Park Youngsu pointed to the blood of the Giant Zombie smeared on the vehicle’s windshield and asked.
“Doesn’t this vehicle have washer fluid? This won’t come off!”
“We’ll clean it together later! First, the zombies!”
The Park brothers gripped their curved blades and charged toward the zombies crossing the Jamsil Bridge.

* * *
Were there truly no survivors in this place?
Songpa and Gangnam—neighborhoods right beside each other.
But the situation in Songpa District was far worse than I had anticipated.
While Gangnam had its share of Zombies, Songpa District had become nothing more than a land of the dead.
Only after ninety minutes of continuous combat with the Zombies could I finally clear the Jamsil Bridge.
I climbed atop the mound formed by the corpses of Zombies and surveyed the surrounding area.
“Doyun.”
Park Sangil’s voice came from behind me.
“Yes, hyung.”
“What happened to the Severing Type?”
“I shook it off. Just as you said, there was a Liquefaction Type there.”
“So the Mutants attack each other too?”
“No. The Liquefaction Type didn’t deliberately attack the Severing Type.”
As I explained what had happened at the postal distribution center, Park Sangil slowly nodded and spoke.
“Then the Severing Type’s main body is still alive.”
“Yes. Since we escaped, it’s probably searching the surrounding area right now.”
“Then the survivors who were in the riverside apartments…”
Park Sangil trailed off, his gaze shifting away.
It seemed he chose not to ask further, knowing what I would say.
I descended from the mound of corpses and patted Park Sangil’s shoulder.
“You said it yourself before, hyung? Heaven helps those who help themselves.”
“…”
“They chose to become slaves. There’s nothing we can do for people like that.”
Rather than argue, Park Sangil simply nodded.
Elder Chulmin, who had been retrieving bolts, approached and spoke.
“I agree with what you’re saying, Doyun.”
“Thank you.”
“And… I’m sorry.”
“Sir?”
“This all started because I overstepped my bounds, didn’t it?”
Elder Chulmin, who had said it was right to give the survivors the chance to choose for themselves.
I responded with a faint smile.
“That’s not wrong at all.”
“…”
“And we were right to check the riverside apartments before we left, since we missed the Water Demon. Please don’t blame yourself.”
It might have seemed like hollow comfort, but it was the best I could offer.
The Elder understood this, and he patted my back with a faint smile.
Kim Hanna approached us next.
-You’ve worked hard.
Characters scrawled on a worn notebook with a half-broken ballpoint pen.
I smiled wryly at Kim Hanna’s notebook and spoke.
“On the way, I should stock up generously on notebooks and pens for you, Hanna.”
Kim Hanna chuckled and continued writing characters.
-You didn’t retrieve it?
“Retrieve what?”
-The weapon. You threw it. At the Mutant with the large eyes.
Ah, she was talking about the curved blade I’d hurled at the Resonance Species?
Since Kim Hanna seemed to regret it even more, I opened my inventory.
Whoosh—
The curved blade emerged from the inventory.
Kim Hanna stared at the curved blade in my hand with a surprised expression, then quickly wrote.
-Why do you have that? You definitely threw it.
“It’s equipment bound to me. Bound equipment automatically returns to my hand after 10 seconds, even if it leaves my grasp.”
-That’s fascinating. That function.
“Originally, No Way Home didn’t have this feature. It seems this function came along when the inventory system from another game appeared.”
It was originally a function from Last Odyssey.
Since the inventory system from Last Odyssey had manifested in our world, the bound equipment retrieval function naturally came with it.
The one drawback was that only melee weapons qualified.
Projectiles from ranged weapons were not recovered.
Shortly after, Hong Yeonhui returned from her reconnaissance patrol.
“The Severing Type doesn’t seem to be pursuing us.”
“That’s a relief. We can focus on clearing the L Tower.”
“You used a lot of skills, didn’t you?”
“It’s fine. The cooldown is over.”
Before departing, I checked my currently available skills and remaining points.
“Show me my current stats.”
[Current Stats: Health 204, Strength 204, Agility 221, Skin Defense 600, Mentality 600]
[Damage Reduction: 15%]
[Points Available: 170,250]
[Coins Available: 3]

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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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