The Regressor Only Protects Me Chapter 159

Episode 159. The King of the Three Kingdoms (1)

Jin Jae-hee exhaled lightly.

At that moment, the pygmy on her buttocks let out a groan.

"eww……."

Jin Jae-hee didn't care whether the guy was in pain or not.

She looked at her blood-stained palms.

'It's been a while. I feel tired.'

The greatest advantage of artifact players was their body's resilience.

Because he had recovery abilities that were on a different level from ordinary people, even if his bones were broken, they would heal within a day.

But once the artifact's abilities were gone, things changed.

The battle lasted all night, and afterward, like any other civilian, she was exhausted.

Of course I was hungry too.

She looked down at the guards, sweeping back her blood-stained bangs.

Meanwhile, the senior prison guard who was looking up at Jin Jae-hee couldn't hide his surprise.

“That’s ridiculous… …. Are you saying you took down all the prisoners in the three divisions by yourself? In one night?”

“… … This is awesome. Haha.”

The blood of the prisoners pooled and pooled on the floor of the cell.

Most of them were unconscious and lying on the ground, but some were dead.

It was impossible to believe that this had happened overnight.

At that moment, the officer on duty approached the senior guard and said.

“Well, what can I do? I can’t stop it.”

Basically, what happens behind bars is beyond the prison guards' control.

This is because the nest here is an institution that 'promotes death'.

According to Ha Yoon-ha's strong will, the state never executed an individual.

So, the judicial officials of Man-gyeong came up with a clever idea.

If you lock up prisoners in one place, they will fight each other and die.

That's why there was a huge criminal faction within this nest.

The 3rd Division is the largest of those criminal factions.

But overnight the faction collapsed.

By a woman.

“What is your identity?”

“Senior… … Didn’t you say with your own mouth that you shouldn’t ask why?”

“… … What about the other two guys who came in with that woman?”

“They were similar. That Choi Hyun-ji and Choi Myung-jun went to the 1st Division together. Choi Myung-jun. He wasn’t as bad as this woman, but he was a total monster.”

“Choi Myeong-jun? Are you talking about the beginning of the elite unit?”

The senior guard was surprised and asked the person on duty back.

The worker shook his head.

“No way. I heard he disappeared five years ago.”

“X… … Foot. What the hell is going on? Even the gladiators who were supposed to be at the summit today have ended up like this.”

“Huh?! Senior. Then doesn’t that mean we’re X?”

"shit."

The senior instructor looked up at Jin Jae-hee with eyes filled with fear.

Jin Jae-hee also couldn't take her eyes off him.

'What should I do?'

The senior guard received two packs of cigarettes from an anonymous person and asked for a favor.

In a word, bribery.

An anonymous person ordered Jin Jae-hee to be executed here and her true identity not to be revealed to the outside world.

But the gladiator who was supposed to compete right now became incapacitated, and that woman was the only one left in the third division.

'But that doesn't mean we can't send out gladiators to be used in the summit meeting.'

It was truly a dilemma.

The senior prison guard, lost in thought, came up with a clever idea.

The senior instructor called Jin Jae-hee.

“Hey, can you come down for a minute?”

Gulp-.

His Adam's apple was bobbing up and down.

* * *

A day at the pension was like paradise.

New foods and things to enjoy every day.

Several times a day, people come and go to ask if there are any inconveniences.

The pension had four floors in total, and there was a large swimming pool in the basement.

When was it?

Lunch time at the end of a long day of work.

It was just like the conglomerate house in the drama I saw at the restaurant with the old men, wearing helmets and gloves.

Living in a house like this wasn't really a dream.

If it was something that couldn't be achieved even a little bit in the first place, I wouldn't have even dreamed of it.

My dream is to live in a 200 million won jeonse villa in the metropolitan area and be able to eat three meals a day without worrying about anything.

If I wanted more from there, all I needed was enough for my younger brother's college tuition, his wedding expenses, and a deposit.

'That alone is over 500 million won. I think I saved 300,000 won a month back then.'

It was 300,000 won that I had barely managed to save by scraping together money that I didn't have.

3.6 million won per year.

36 million won in 10 years.

360 million won in 100 years.

Even if you saved like that for 100 years, it would be impossible to accumulate 500 million won.

I burst out laughing at the absurd thought.

But what was before my eyes right now was paradise.

Four full-time chefs were preparing dinner in the restaurant.

The professional masseuse prepares the massage gel and bed for the next massage.

The errand boy who came to find the requested novels came with both hands full of books and organized them on the bookshelf.

A woman who introduced herself as my secretary came into my bedroom naked last night, but I turned her down.

Once an hour, someone comes by to ask if everything is okay and if there's anything else you need.

All of this is the luxury of the haves.

Luxuries that only the wealthy can enjoy.

The pleasures that I had not been able to enjoy while living in this world were right next to me after the world was destroyed.

“… … .”

I had a slightly dangerous thought.

Anyway, my younger brother is strong.

It's a well-known fact that my younger brother is strong.

Being strong in this world means you will do well wherever you go.

If that's the case, then the reason why I have to go out of my way to find my younger brother fades away.

If my brother is alive, there will definitely come a day when we will meet again, and that will be the end of it.

I was now treated as a hero by one faction, and the country was doing everything it could to ensure my comfort and stability.

Was this the dream I wanted?

It was confusing.

Maybe I've been living in such a small world that I can't accept the big world.

I don't know.

As of now, I really can't answer my own question.

I looked up at the sky.

It was a clear, cloudless sky.

I looked up at the sky and said.

“Secretary.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

They came and bowed their heads to hear my orders, anytime, anywhere.

“Where is my colleague?”

“… … What. Are you talking about a colleague?”

“The three people who were with me.”

“… … I would like to ask the bailiff.”

She bowed her head to me again and tried to back away.

But I didn't let that get to me.

“I command.”

“… … .”

They are the people of Mankyung.

The man called the Executor may not be a citizen of Mankyung and cannot take orders, but those working here are different.

I can 'order' them.

“Information about my colleagues. If you know, tell me everything. If you don’t, find out.”

The secretary stared blankly for a moment, then lowered his head and spoke.

"……All right."

She backed down meekly.

One thing was certain.

The fact is that I am trapped here, and no one inside Man-gyeong could treat me like this.

Finding out information was the priority.

The guy who locked me up here is definitely not an easy guy.

If I stay here and gather information, I'll throw out some bait to see how they'll react.

* * *

The Palace of Man-gyeong, Anyang City Hall.

Palace security is tighter than usual.

Because I got a piece of information.

– Circumstances of an assassination attempt on King Man-gyeong within the Metro forces have been detected.

This was an official document that could never be tampered with by an individual, as it was a telegram collected by a spy belonging to a special force directly under the king.

This intelligence was a stroke of luck for the land department head, Lee Seok-jin.

It was a very good opportunity to lock Ha Yoon-ha up in the palace under the pretext of protecting her.

The royal inner corridor. The Hall of Humility.

Lee Seok-jin looked at the murals that filled the walls while wearing a suit.

Manan Police Station shivering in the bitter cold.

Anyang citizens flock to Manan Police Station following the rising bonfire.

Kang Shi-on executing the police chief.

Citizens who were persecuted during that time.

Citizens who are enthusiastic about the military that is finally winning and improving.

The hardships and footsteps of salvation that Man-gyeong experienced after the war.

… … and the hero, Kang Shi-on.

All of this was a mural to commemorate the past seven years.

Lee Seok-jin had a somewhat unique idea.

This isn't just a simple game, it's a new world that has been created after the apocalypse.

So, the modern society that refers to the 21st century has now ended, and a new era has begun.

New Age.

The idea of the Land Department Director Lee Seok-jin was that the unit of time, previously measured as AD (the year of Christ), should now be changed to NA (NEW AGE).

The idea is inspired by human history. The early members who founded the ancient kingdoms held overwhelming wealth and power, which they passed down from generation to generation. That is how they were able to carve their names into history.

It was clear what Lee Seok-jin wanted.

A city called Man-gyeong.

Among the original founding members, the name Seokjin Lee is left behind.

It is also about accumulating great wealth and becoming a famous family.

The round will go on forever.

After round 3, there are rounds 4 and 5.

Further on, up to 30 rounds, 50 rounds.

It was a reasonable guess, considering that even after 7 years, he still hasn't cleared the 3rd round.

At that time, someone called Lee Seok-jin.

“Manager Lee.”

A man of enormous stature walked towards me from a distance.

Hwang Minjae.

He said that he was the strongest of Choi Myeong-jun's subordinates in the past.

Now, he has been promoted through the ranks to become the captain of the elite unit and the supreme commander of Man-gyeong.

“Ah, Commander. Nice to meet you.”

Lee Seok-jin extended his hand, but Hwang Min-jae ignored him.

Hwang Min-jae did not trust Lee Seok-jin.

He had one belief: he did not trust anyone whose eyes were torn.

Lee Seok-jin slowly withdrew his outstretched hand.

'What a shameless kid. When will this kid get his due?'

However, Lee Seok-jin smiled while controlling his expression, and Hwang Min-jae opened his mouth.

“I’ll keep it brief. If you’re worried about the king’s safety, why don’t you call the captain of the current elite unit? The captain who’s been dispatched to the lawless zone?”

“The captain of the elite unit? Oh, you mean Jeong Hyeon-su?”

“Yes. With Jeong Hyeon-su’s skills, wouldn’t the King’s safety be guaranteed?”

Jeong Hyeon-su, captain of the elite unit.

He was one of the hero's loyal followers who received player training from Kang Shion.

The current ruling class is comprised of 60% conservative forces who support the hero and pledge loyalty to him.

On the other hand, the progressive forces that want challenges and changes suitable for the new era were evenly matched at around 40%.

Jeong Hyeon-su and Commander-in-Chief Hwang Min-jae are leaders representing the conservative forces.

And Lee Seok-jin was the sole leader of the progressive forces.

It was only natural that the relationship between the two was not very good.

In any case, the fact that Jeong Hyeon-su was back in power and active was not a very welcome thing for Lee Seok-jin.

Jeong Hyeon-su was truly a new era war hero.

Three years ago, in a turbulent time, a legendary event occurred.

A total of 28 thousand people.

It was the number of soldiers that the Metro forces brought down to conquer Man-gyeong.

In contrast, Man-gyeong, which was going through a time of adversity, had less than 3,000 regular soldiers.

One, Jeong Hyeon-su.

With only 3,000 men, he completely destroyed the Metro forces.

He didn't just destroy the enemy, he almost annihilated them.

After this war, the Metro forces changed course, abandoned Man-gyeong, and invaded the Gangnam forces.

Jung Hyun-soo grew even more through that incident and has now become an indispensable player for Man-gyeong.

'That Jung Hyun-soo is coming back into the power? It can't be. It can't be. I tried so hard to get Jung Hyun-soo out of the power.'

Lee Seok-jin had to desperately stop that.

Lee Seok-jin calmly explained to Hwang Min-jae.

“At this point, the only one who can protect the citizens from the murderers in the lawless zone is Captain Jeong Hyeon-su. Besides, if we call in Captain Jeong Hyeon-su, the palace guards will lose face. This is important intelligence, but we will definitely find the cause and resolve it. Trust the guards. And if you make a fuss over just a piece of intelligence… … Don’t you think it’s strange?”

The Palace Guard is an organization that originally belonged to Hwang Min-jae's unit.

So, Lee Seok-jin slowly provoked Hwang Min-jae by touching his pride.

Of course, Hwang Min-jae frowned.

“Of course, the guards are fine. But I said this out of consideration for the king’s safety. And more than anything, I think Captain Jeong Hyeon-su needs some rest. He has been on a repressive campaign for two years without rest, so I’m giving him this opportunity to rest.”

“Rest? Commander. I’m sorry to say this. We don’t rest because we work in administrative positions within the force. Just yesterday, three employees collapsed from overwork in the Land Department. Even if Jeong Hyeon-su returns, he won’t have time to rest. He might even be busier. He had free time to rest in the lawless zone, but now he won’t even be guaranteed that kind of free time here. For that reason, the credibility of his return is low.”

“Hey, Manager Lee.”

“Commander. I know. Our goals are different. But. But? We share the same roots. The fact that we live in this city, built by the great first king of Man-gyeong, ‘Kang-shi-on’, remains unchanged. I myself only wish to do things that are beneficial to the power.”

Hwang Min-jae's expression softened.

Because what Lee Seok-jin said is right.

They are ultimately from the same root.

When the steam from the boiler first rose at Manan Police Station.

People saw hope and endured the bitter cold, believing that only the one who created the steam could save them.

Hwang Min-jae recalled.

In the bitter cold of the weather, people were freezing to death leaning against streetlights, and the wisps of hope rose from Manan Police Station.

Hwang Min-jae never wanted to deny the existence of hero Kang Si-on.

Rather, I wanted to believe that he was alive.

But the welcome news that was delivered to the forces ended up as just an incident, and now it has become zero again.

“… … Good. I guess I was short-sighted. I’ll do as you say.”

Hwang Min-jae nodded obediently.

Lee Seok-jin smiled.

Then he pointed to the opposite hallway with his hand.

“Let’s go, Commander. The King will be waiting for you.”

“… … Okay.”

Lee Seok-jin walked ahead, and Hwang Min-jae followed behind him.

Since Hwang Min-jae was following Lee Seok-jin, he couldn't see Lee Seok-jin's expression.

His smile was wicked and evil, the corners of his mouth hanging down to his ears.

(Continued in the next episode)