Player in a Ruined World – Chapter 004
When I turned my head toward the sound, I saw around a dozen figures gathered together.
There was no time to be surprised.
I instinctively lowered my body, suppressed my footsteps, and immediately slipped into the first floor of a nearby villa.
This kind of situation happened often in No Way Home.
Because of the thick fog, zombies couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe.
They mistook each other’s footsteps for prey and approached.
One or two would gather, then three or four, eventually forming a group.
‘What should I do?’
I was only two minutes away from home.
But… I’d have to give up going there.
There was no need to spend 72 hours specifically in my own house.
Also, judging by how the surrounding buildings looked different from what I remembered, there was a chance my villa didn’t even exist anymore.
A group of about a dozen zombies clustered at the alley entrance.
If I used them well…
‘I could use them as a shield.’
They could hide my base and prevent other survivors from approaching.
I shoved the 3D map deep into my pocket and gripped the baseball bat tightly as I headed up the stairs.
A four-story villa.
The first floor was too dangerous.
The second floor was risky—zombies might catch my scent or hear my footsteps.
The third floor made escape difficult in emergencies.
‘The villa next door is the same height.’
The fourth floor would be best—there’s rooftop access, and I could jump to the neighboring building if needed.
Suppressing my footsteps, I checked each floor as I climbed.
It didn’t take long before I sensed something on the third floor.
“Grrr… khak! khk—”
The zombie on the third floor had noticed me too.
Peeking carefully over the stair railing, I saw it sniffing the air and looking around.
‘Damn.’
Did it smell me?
I couldn’t afford to make noise here.
If that zombie screamed, the ones outside would come rushing in.
There was no time to hesitate.
I locked eyes with it and sprinted up the stairs.
Hearing my footsteps, it opened its mouth wide and charged at me.
“Kaa—! Guh!”
Before it could make a sound, I thrust the baseball bat straight into its mouth, blocking it.
A bat can’t fit into a human mouth?
That only applies to humans.
With all my strength, the aluminum bat smashed its teeth like brittle twigs.
The zombie struggled with its mouth jammed.
I pushed it all the way to the wall.
Thud!
I slammed it hard enough to crack its skull—though instead, its jaw dislocated.
Did it not even feel that pain?
It flailed wildly, trying to grab my collar.
“Hup…!”
Gripping the bat with both hands, I crushed its head against the wall and drove it down to the ground.
Crunch!
Its eyes rolled back as its skull split like a watermelon.
No matter how violent zombies are, they still have human bodies.
Even a slight shift in balance makes them easy to overpower.
I didn’t stop there—I kept striking until its face was completely destroyed.
Ding—
[Zombie eliminated.][1 point awarded.]
As its pupils went blank, the system message appeared.
That hadn’t shown up before.
‘Because I didn’t finish them properly before?’
I had just been knocking them away while running through the rain.
To earn points, I had to kill them completely.
I looked down at the cold corpse.
“Ugh…!”
A chill ran through my body, and my stomach churned.
“Urgh—!”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore—I threw up everything I had eaten.
When I treated this like a game, I didn’t notice.
But seeing the mangled corpse in reality…
It felt like something inside me was breaking.
Morality?
Humanity?
Whatever it was, those useless emotions wouldn’t help me survive.
I took several deep breaths, calming my racing heart, and gripped the bat again.
Now then…
‘Time to clean up.’
I checked every unit, opening all the doors to make sure there were no more zombies.
Was it because everyone had been summoned at once?
Every residence still showed signs of people living there, yet there were no zombies.
Strangely, all the doors were unlocked.
Was that the Gaia system’s doing?
There was no point thinking about it now—I focused on the present.
The stairs between the third and fourth floors were blocked with iron bars.
Though the latch was open.
The fourth floor seemed to be the owner’s unit—there was only one entrance.
Holding the bat, I opened the door.
A cozy living room greeted me, along with a faint fragrance.
Air freshener.
I checked every room—no zombies again.
Were zombies only in shared spaces, not private ones?
I’d need to check other buildings to be sure.
Using a towel from the bathroom, I dried my soaked hair and looked at myself in the mirror.
For a moment…
It felt like everything had been a dream.
Like I had simply returned home.
Relief?
Or just tension releasing?
Only then did I notice my arms trembling.
I clenched my hands tightly.
The moment I smashed that zombie’s head replayed in my mind.
I shut my eyes and let out a deep breath.
First…
I needed to organize my thoughts.
After drying off, I entered the study and grabbed a notebook.
I began writing down the current situation.
An emergency episode had been triggered.
This wasn’t part of the original game knowledge I had.
After this, the main episode would likely begin.
Episode 1: Safe House.
Since I was assigned to Seongdong District, a safe house would appear somewhere there.
Once I arrived, I’d inevitably meet other survivors.
I needed to think ahead about how to deal with that.
After Episode 1, there would be a short break, followed by Episode 2.
Episode 2 was probably…
‘Recruit allies.’
An episode where survivors form parties.
I didn’t need everyone.
Just the right people.
Personality mattered—but ability mattered more.
There were five character types in No Way Home.
Having at least one of each would be crucial for survival and growth.
Buster was powerful later on—but weak early.
A Shooter was essential—someone who could see clearly even in heavy rain or pitch darkness.
A Healing Factor was also necessary—someone who could heal all injuries except virus infection.
A Maker was important too—their crafted weapons had special abilities.
A Whisper might seem less useful, but from Episode 3 onward, they became essential.
They allowed communication between party members regardless of distance.
To gather such a team…
‘I need to be strong.’
Civilization was gone.
Law no longer functioned.
Zombies roamed the streets, and humans no longer trusted each other.
A world ruled by strength.
Even though Buster was weak early on, I had rewards from clearing the game and the closed beta.
I needed to use that advantage to grow quickly.
I closed the notebook and stood up.
I wanted to rest—but I couldn’t waste the 72 hours.
I replaced the magazines and notebooks wrapped around my limbs with fresh ones, securing them tightly with packing tape.
My body was shivering, so I grabbed a padded jacket from the closet.
Fresh socks.
Sturdy boots that covered my ankles.
Finally, I wrapped my hands in bandages and reinforced them with tape so they wouldn’t loosen in the rain.
With the mindset that I wouldn’t return until I killed 100 zombies—
I stepped outside.
“Graaah!!”“Grrr…”“Khaak!”
Three hours into hunting, I encountered three zombies at an alley corner.
Without hesitation, I swung the bat at the nearest one’s temple.
Crack!
The sensation of a skull breaking traveled through my hands.
After three hours, I was used to it.
I could even estimate damage just from the vibration.
‘Ten seconds.’
The one I hit wouldn’t recover for at least ten seconds.
Zombies don’t feel pain—but their bodies are still human.
A hit to the temple disrupts vision and balance.
“Graaah!!”
Another zombie lunged at my shoulder.
My swing had already followed through—it was hard to reverse momentum.
A bat isn’t just for swinging.
Gripping it tightly, I jabbed the midsection of the bat into its philtrum.
Thud!
It collapsed backward.
“One left.”
The last one grabbed the bat barrel and pushed with brute force.
Fighting a zombie with strength alone is foolish.
I redirected it and tripped its legs.
No need to overpower—just break their balance.
That way, I conserve energy.
Before they could get up, I crushed their heads like a guillotine.
Crack! Crunch! Thud!
Brains spilled out, mixing with rainwater.
Chunks and fragments were visible.
[Zombie eliminated.][1 point awarded.][1 point awarded.][1 point awarded.]
I gasped for breath.
Even conserving energy, three hours nonstop was exhausting.
‘I’m at my limit.’
Continuing would be greedy.
I needed strength to return.
Using the 3D map, I retraced my path safely.
Without it, moving like this would be impossible.
Judging by the sunlight breaking through clouds, it was probably noon.
“Show my points.”
[Points: 158]
I had planned to kill 100 zombies before returning—but I exceeded expectations.
“Invest in stamina.”
[100 points consumed. Stamina +1.]
Early on, stamina and agility were key.
Strength only needed to be enough to not get overpowered.
Stamina allowed longer hunts.
Agility ensured survival.
Grrr—
My stomach growled.
I opened the kitchen cabinet.
Ramen and a portable burner.
‘Jackpot.’
But—no water.
Electricity and water were out.
Still…
Most people stored bottled water these days.
Sure enough—packs of bottled water filled the cabinet.
Showering? Rainwater would do.
I grabbed an egg from the fridge—
‘Huh?’
Something about it…
felt strange
