The Regressor Only Protects Me Chapter 136

Episode 136. Traces (2)

“Kang Jun-ho… … He was a really small kid. He said he was going to Suwon. Yes.”

At that moment, Zion's eyes wavered.

“What did you say just now?”

“Huh? You’re going to a place called Suwon… … .”

“Before that. Who said you were going to Suwon?”

“Yes? Oh, yes… … . It was a young wanderer named Kang Jun-ho. He was with his colleagues.”

When the name Kang Jun-ho was mentioned, the air in the room became heavy.

The village chief swallowed his breath inwardly.

'Whoa, that young man has a scary demeanor… … .'

As Kang Shi-on's mood suddenly changed, Jin Jae-hee was the first to check Shi-on's expression.

He was trembling with his fists clenched.

Even in Park Ji-soo's memories, there was not a single bit of wavering in him.

But when it came to my younger brother, things were different.

Jin Jae-hee recalled the conversation he had with Sion on the rooftop the day before leaving Man-gyeong.

He said he was ready to accept everything now and just move on.

But Jin Jae-hee was still worried.

“Kang Jun-ho? That name is really random. I don’t know who his parents are though. It’s a shame.”

Choi Myeong-jun, who was already very drunk and excited, kept giggling as if he was enjoying something so much.

Jin Jae-hee gave Choi Myeong-jun a sharp look, but Myeong-jun ignored her and poured himself another glass of alcohol.

Jaehee sighed and looked back at Kang Shi-on.

Zion's expression gradually became more relaxed.

Fortunately, he seemed to have regained his composure.

The village chief asked with a worried tone.

“I think this old man has brought up something unnecessary. Are you okay?”

“It’s nothing.”

Kang Shi-on quickly dismissed the old man's words and became lost in thought.

It was fortunate that I got a clue about my brother's whereabouts.

After I stopped dealing with Manager K, I had no way of knowing where my brother was.

But I couldn't move rashly.

The information that my younger brother Jun-ho had passed through here was a great harvest, but it wasn't enough.

I had to find a way through the forest.

but.

'It's strange not knowing Suwon.'

Kang Shi-on thought about the scenery of the village he had seen so far.

A behavior that is clearly different from that of people outside the forest.

A subtly peaceful village atmosphere.

When I looked back at the village scenery that had seemed so beautiful, it was full of suspicious spots.

'How long has it been since I last saw children laughing?'

Zion recalled his memories.

This world, where power is everything, was especially harsh on children.

Even the youngest children had to fight to survive, and many died that way.

But here, on the faces of the village children, no such atmosphere could be found.

In fact, if you live in such a peaceful village, it might not be strange to see happy children.

But that doesn't make sense on its own.

Are they really completely unaware of the situation outside?

'It's obviously weird.'

Kang Shi-on's eyes gradually became filled with a look of caution and distrust.

Chang opened his mouth with a light smile, trying to change the heavy atmosphere.

“Haha. Oh my. I’m sorry. We’re ignorant and have made you uncomfortable. That… … . Ah! Would you like to meet the artisans who make alcohol? If they saw the black liquid that you drank earlier, they’d definitely be interested.”

“What? No! I will never give you cola.”

Choi Hyun-ji growled, hiding her cola behind her.

Choi Hyun-ji and Choi Myeong-jun didn't know about Kang Si-on's younger brother, so they couldn't read the mood.

“Cola? Oh, so that liquid is cola. Now I understand.”

Chang's attempt to lighten the mood was good, but it was a mistake.

Zion's gaze became sharper at Chang's words.

'You don't know cola?'

I don't even know where Suwon is, and I don't even know what cola is.

These are things that anyone living in 21st century South Korea could not have been unaware of.

“Do you know what the Republic of Korea is?”

Zion threw the bait.

“Republic of Korea? Is that a liquid that you mix with alcohol? Anything is fine. Our craftsmen will definitely like it if they see it… … .”

And Chang took the bait.

'It's clear that they are not trustworthy.'

Is this a gimmick for round 3?

Or are they just pretending not to know?

Zion couldn't stop doubting.

It was obvious that they were hiding something.

So it was dangerous to keep such a close distance with them.

Zion made a decision.

“Then we should get up now.”

Jin Jae-hee, who had the same thoughts as Zion, quickly grasped the situation and began packing his bags.

Choi Myeong-jun and Choi Hyeon-ji, who noticed the sudden change in Kang Shi-on's mood, also started packing their bags without saying a word.

Then the village chief, looking embarrassed, tried to stop the group.

“Hehe, is this really rude of us… … . The sun will set soon, so please stay overnight. It’s really dangerous outside the forest.”

The village chief maintained a hollow smile.

His gentle smile now seemed different.

Jin Jae-hee glared at the village chief's wrinkled eyes that curved into a crescent shape.

avarice.

Those were the eyes of greed.

At that time, Chang also supported the village chief's words.

“That’s right. The nights in the forest are harsh. The light is safe, so please stay and go. As soon as day breaks, I’ll arrange for a guide to take you out.”

Despite Chang's persuasion, the group packed their bags without any interest.

As the group prepared to leave, Chang continued speaking hurriedly.

“Oh, right. Suwon. Are you going to Suwon? I will discuss it with the guide who guided the young wanderer I mentioned earlier. I will make sure to guide you to Suwon tomorrow.”

Kang Shi-on looked at Chang and the village chief.

Two people sweating profusely as if something is urgent.

It was actually funny that it was so blatant and suspicious.

Zion's tension began to ease little by little at the absurd sight.

Kang Shi-on thought.

They are not at a level where they can pose a major threat right now.

Even with that in mind, there was still a lot to be gained from them.

Zion said calmly.

“Then, can you guide me to the accommodation where Kang Jun-ho and his group stayed?”

“Of course. Of course. I will guide you right away.”

Chang said that with an urgent expression.

* * *

The accommodation that Chang guided us to was on the outskirts of town.

A tree-shaped accommodation that has grown into the shape of a house, just like any other house in Bitnam.

It was a quiet place, away from the hustle and bustle of the town.

As soon as Chaeng left the dorm, Jin Jae-hee came to me as if she had been waiting for me.

“I think they’re hiding something. And.”

Jaehee sniffed.

“It smells. It smells like blood. It’s everywhere in town.”

"are you okay."

I roughly unpacked my luggage and gave Jin Jae-hee a small wink.

Jin Jae-hee immediately realized what it meant and quietly left the dorm with me.

“Brother! Where are you going?”

"walk."

Leaving Choi Myeong-jun behind, Jin Jae-hee and I walked through the forest together.

The Forest of Light was much larger than the forest on the outskirts.

The forest itself was large, but everything in the forest was larger.

Plants that looked like bracken, the size of small trees, were scattered everywhere, and the unidentifiable leaves that were split like maple leaves could have been used as parasols.

Even the insects in the forest were huge.

Ants the size of the palm of your hand were crawling in a line, and when something like a dragonfly flew by somewhere, you could hear the sound of a propeller turning.

If you were to see the forests of the Mesozoic Era when dinosaurs lived, would they have looked like this?

As I was looking at the forest without saying anything, Jin Jae-hee spoke to me, fidgeting.

“I guess it’s because of Junho? Since he said he stayed here… … .”

I nodded slightly.

“Normally, I wouldn’t want to stay in such a suspicious town for even a second. But they told me my brother’s name first. For some reason, I think there might be traces of my brother here. It might be dangerous, but there’s still a lot of information I want to get from here. Sorry.”

“What is there to be sorry about? If you do, I’ll just cut it all up here.”

I snickered as she casually promised to slaughter him.

“I decided to stay here because of you. Honestly… … . I don’t think they can beat us. And, they might actually be kind to us.”

“That’s true.”

“Let’s go back to Man-gyeong after we’ve gotten everything we can get.”

“… … Okay. Okay.”

Jin Jae-hee nodded.

* * *

The night in the forest was terribly quiet.

A time when even the noisy grasshoppers hold their breath to avoid the forest monsters.

“Ugh… … . Ugh!”

In that quiet forest, the voice of a man desperately gasping for breath echoed.

He was running forward, staring blankly in fear.

The man, who seemed to be being chased by something, did not notice the tree roots sticking out from under his feet and fell over.

The man, covered in mud all over his body, desperately got up and ran again.

As he felt this silence chasing him, slowly suffocating his breath.

“O King of the ten thousand worlds… … ! O King… … ! Huuuuu… … . Huaaaaah… … ! Where are you?”

The man shouted in a voice that was almost tearful.

The moment he stopped to catch his breath, which had been puffing up to his chin.

Two sparkling eyes emerged from the bushes next to me.

WHEEK!

“Kwaaaaak!”

A noose flew from the bushes and wrapped itself around the man's leg in an instant.

The man fell to the floor, unable to move.

“Hee, heeeek! Save me!”

The man looked at the owner of the noose approaching him.

A pair of eyes that sparkle even more in the dark forest.

It was slowly approaching the man.

and.

“Kkwaaaah! Kkw… … .”

The thing tore the man's body apart in an instant with its sharp teeth.

It was a hideous face.

A mouth that is wide open and twisted.

And the sharp teeth packed tightly inside.

Drool was flowing out of his mouth.

and.

Knock knock! Knock knock! Knock knock!

Dozens of teeth began to crush the man's bones and tear his flesh.

The creature seemed happy as it ate the corpse of the man it had just hunted.

Just then, a light emerged from between the bushes.

The light slowly approached the something, and the something also turned its head towards the approaching light.

The light drew closer and closer to the thing, revealing itself through the bushes.

The one who revealed himself was a man of light.

It was a brim.

Chaeng lifted the light and pointed it at something.

"you……!"

Something saw the light that Cheong had raised and writhed its whole body like a dog being scolded by its owner.

Long hair that reaches down to the waist.

Pointed ears sticking out between them.

And a grotesque mouth that gapes open as if twisted.

Chaeng let out a deep sigh as if he couldn't stop himself.

“Haa… … . Hana. I told you not to eat humans recklessly. What if they are a tribute to the witch?”

The unidentified monster that stretched out its tentacles to hunt the man was none other than Hana.

One of them smiled awkwardly, holding a half-bone human thigh.

“Hehehe. It’s delicious! It’s delicious! I was hungry! The human died! I’m sorry!”

Chang looked at Hana as if he was dumbfounded.

But I didn't want to scold the innocent little kid who didn't know anything.

“The village chief will scold you. Eat everything without missing a single one. Wash it thoroughly in running water before you come back. Next time, make sure to eat with the villagers. And by the way, since you still can’t speak human language, you should refrain from doing so in front of guests.”

“Okay! Let’s eat! Let’s eat together! Be happy! Our townspeople! Our guests!”

“And, hide the bones separately. I’ll make a necklace for you later.”

One of them smiled bashfully, revealing teeth full of flesh.

Chaeng tousled one of his hairs with a look of helplessness on his face.

Chang was always clumsy when it came to scolding his cute younger sibling.

(Continued in the next episode)