The Regressor Only Protects Me Chapter 14

#Episode 14. Flag Picking (1)

“It’s flag picking!”

Jiying-.

Once again, a holographic map of the shopping mall unfolded.

The residence area of each team was indicated.

First of all, I looked at the map and noticed something strange.

A feeling of anxiety that has been felt little by little since the game started.

There was no indication of the residence of the ‘black team’ on any of the floors.

Of course, the black team’s goal flag was marked.

The black team is definitely inside this shopping mall, although their numbers and strength are unknown.

It is an undeniable fact because it is the rule.

I looked at the holographic map.

On the third floor is the blue team’s flag.

On the 6th floor is the black team’s flag.

On the 9th floor is the red team’s flag.

They were each stuck on different floors.

“Different flags reside on three different floors. The third floor is the blue team’s objective, the sixth floor is the black team’s objective, and the ninth floor is the red team’s objective. How’s that? Easy, right?”

In conclusion, the red team needs to capture the flag on the 9th floor, which is the floor closest to the blue team.

Conversely, the blue team must capture the flag on the third floor, which is close to the red team.

Although it was said to be easy in words, it was ultimately a game that required consideration of the balance between offense and defense.

“There will be a huge penalty for teams that fail to collect the target flag. So, you have to capture the target flag at all costs.”

Bingle, bingle.

K spun around in the air and then lay down.

It literally fell out of thin air.

I couldn’t tell what the penalty was, but from what she said, it would be a penalty comparable to death.

That will probably turn the game around.

In this game, I absolutely had to recover the flag.

“Because you guys didn’t fight, I had no choice but to make a choice. That’s why you should have fought quickly. Blood was flying and my guts were spilling out! Yes?”

K glanced at me.

I was also looking at her.

She watched me consciously.

From the moment we first met, until now.

The reason was unknown.

K continued his explanation, twirling his finger around.

“The time limit is 4 hours from now. By the way, if you kill the king in this game, the first round ends at that point. The rules are simple, right?”

Mulberry!

Popcorn appeared in K’s hand.

She stirred inside the popcorn bucket and popped one into her mouth.

And then he said nonchalantly.

“Then, game start.”

She spoke nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.

And the moment she finished speaking, two people came running down the escalator heading to the second floor.

They shouted, gasping for breath.

“There has to be something! There has to be something!! There has to be a rat with a flag on its head!”

“There’s a monster on the third floor!”

They were the two people who had been entrusted with night watch.

I looked back at them once, at K once.

Lee Se-beom, who was standing next to me, asked quietly.

“What are you going to do?”

At that moment, for some reason, his question sounded strange.

What are you going to do?

Is there another way?

There is no choice but to face the situation in front of you.

“We have to get started.”

I called the people together again.

People gathered around me one by one with the aforementioned expressions on their faces.

Now the real battle with the Blue Team has begun.

In a split second, I came up with a clever idea.

“Wait a minute. Lee Se-beom, Lee Joo-yeon.”

He called the two siblings.

* * *

11th floor, Blue Team, residential area.

“Okay. Do you understand? Then let’s get started right away. No questions will be taken.”

K, who was there, also finished explaining the rules of the special game to them.

Then Kim Dong-gil looked at K and said.

“I heard there’s a huge penalty, what is it?”

Then, K looked back at Kim Dong-gil with a frown on his face.

“You are not obligated to tell me that. If I had to tell you that, I would have told you long ago. Didn’t I tell you a few seconds ago that I wouldn’t take questions? Please think about it at least a little before you speak, Dong-gil.”

“… … .”

At her words, Kim Dong-gil quietly lowered his hand.

‘That’s a bitch.’

It got complicated.

The Blue team eventually tried to overwhelm the Red team with their ability to sustain food and water supplies.

But that plan was completely ruined by K.

This meant that I had to pick a fight with the Hong team even though I knew they had a gun.

Some sacrifices had to be made.

“What should I do, branch manager?”

“… … Pick only 10 people. Only the healthy ones. We have to guard the 9th floor first.”

“all right.”

His subordinates bowed politely to him as they selected people.

We selected ten tall, well-built men.

They were a group of thugs who caused trouble even within the Blue Team.

They were a group that occasionally rebelled against Kim Dong-gil.

Even for Kim Dong-gil, it was difficult to organize them into an attack force.

That’s why they were organized into a garrison.

Kim Dong-gil ordered others to take up arms.

They were armed with cleavers and knives.

At least with weapons they will crush the Red Team.

But that was just Kim Dong-gil’s thoughts.

After finishing preparing to attack, the subordinate approached Kim Dong-gil and said.

“Ready, branch manager.”

“Let’s go.”

Under his direction, a total of 89 attackers began to descend the escalator.

* * *

Time limit 24 hours.

We have to decide the outcome within a short period of time.

Therefore, we too must move as quickly as possible.

In any case, the Blue team has the advantage in terms of operational human resources, and the Blue team also has the advantage in terms of individual weapon level.

“Hey, is this okay?”

“I’ve gathered them all here too.”

“Hyung. Is this enough? A fire extinguisher.”

A team of three students collected fire extinguishers placed throughout the store.

It would be nice if I could carry it on my back, but I didn’t have time for that right now.

I told those three students.

“You just have to follow my orders and spray the extinguisher. Remember. Move only on my orders. And always stay by my side.”

“……yes!”

“yes……!”

The children nodded.

[The Digestive Unit (1) was created.]

I quickly looked at the next people.

Three figures using completed crossbows.

Lee Se-beom, Lee Joo-yeon, and me.

Still, it was right for people who had used it at least once to hear about it.

We carried the bags provided in the store and filled them with arrows.

While I was loading the arrows, a man came running towards me.

“Student, I’m ready too.”

I listened to the middle-aged man and turned to the other side.

There stood the main assault force of twenty-two men, each carrying two spears on their shoulders.

Most adults, except students.

Still, it was made up of people who could be considered healthy here.

Still, they will be no match for the numbers of the Blue Team.

The Blue team will have at least 70 troops.

“Okay. Please line up and wait in front of the escalator.”

“Okay, student.”

[The Javelin Unit (1) was created.]

Jiiik-!

The three of us each put 17 arrows into our sports bags and carried them on our backs.

[Crossbow Unit (1) was created.]

For some reason, Lee Joo-yeon, who was excited, smiled and said.

“I feel nervous for some reason. It feels like I’m in a survival arena.”

“My life is on the line, my heart is pounding? Sister, is that what you’re talking about?”

“Oh, why are you so annoyed? I just said it.”

I pushed my way through the noisy siblings and approached the men in full force.

I looked around at the people.

1 scout / 4 food crafters / 6 night watchmen / 3 crossbowmen / 22 javelins / 3 firefighters.

The Hong team consists of a total of 39 people.

The six guards were ordered to defend the garrison.

In any case, since we could not figure out all of their infiltration routes, we also needed troops to guard the garrison.

There are still barricades here, though they are still unstable.

First and foremost, the most important thing is to capture the flag on the 9th floor.

The flag defense battle on the third floor was entirely a matter of luck.

The penalty had to be avoided at all costs.

Everyone was determined and ready.

I told them.

“Just move as I instruct.”

I continued to explain the operation to them.

People who were listening to the explanation seemed surprised, then reminded, and then nodded in agreement.

“We will survive. I will make it happen. Trust me and follow me.”

With those words I walked out between them.

And I got on the escalator first.

There were 28 people behind me.

* * *

7th floor, food supply center.

Kwon Kyung-soo, who was making goblin jerky in the bathroom, cautiously checked the entrance when he felt a presence.

Then, a woman who had been blowing on the embers inside approached him and asked.

“Mr. Kyungsoo, what’s wrong?”

“Shh, someone is coming. Turn off the lights.”

after-.

At Kyungsoo’s words, people quickly put out the remaining fire.

They waited for Kyungsoo to speak.

Kyungsoo carefully came out of the bathroom and looked around the 7th floor.

And it was not difficult to check the members of the Blue Team.

“… … .”

Kwon Kyung-soo’s eyes widened as he confirmed them.

The blue team was coming down in formation.

At least 50 people, if not more, were coming down, each armed with a weapon.

Their appearance was majestic and confident.

And in the very front row, the branch manager, Kim Dong-gil, was walking.

I’ve thought of an escape route.

If you turn left here, there are stairs.

“Let’s hurry. The Blue Team is moving.”

Kwon Kyung-soo hurriedly grabbed some goblin jerky.

Following him, the others also prepared to leave in a hurry.

I had to tell Zion about this quickly.

Kwon Kyung-soo and his team members hurried down the stairs.

Then, Kwon Kyung-soo stopped walking down the road and spoke to the people.

“Hey, go down first! There’s something I need to check.”

“Hey, Kyungsoo?!”

And then he quickly climbed back up.

Soon after, Kwon Kyung-soo joined his team and went down to the floor where Kang Si-on was.

There was a little blood on the hem of his clothes as he came down to the first floor.

* * *

Kim Dong-gil deployed defense personnel on the 9th floor.

And his main force went down from the 7th floor to the 6th floor.

“……shit.”

Those were the first words out of Kim Dong-gil’s mouth when he arrived on the 6th floor.

Kim Dong-gil looked at the monster with the flag on its head wandering between the display cases.

Ring, ring, ring.

He was less than 1 meter tall.

The skin was smooth and smooth, and there were legs, but no arms.

And he had a flag on his head.

The flag on the 6th floor was black.

The flag monster didn’t seem interested in this group.

Still, I continued to wander around this floor.

‘Damn, what on earth has this world become?’

Ppoduk-.

Kim Dong-gil ground his teeth.

It’s been three months since I became the manager of the shopping mall.

Starting from the bottom, I have worked my way up to this point, bowing my head to the strong and trampling the weak.

This was the way that Kim Dong-gil, who came from a poor family, lived.

Now that I’ve finally reached the top, I’m finally in a position where everyone can look up to me.

It was absurd to think that the world would end.

But there was still some mercy left for him.

It was the mercy that remained because he was human.

“Don’t attack first. Capture those who give up the fight.”

“Yes, branch manager.”

They are, in the end, just like us.

Under the principles set by the system, we were put in a position where we had to kill each other.

However, if there is a way for Kim Dong-gil to win without shedding blood, he will choose that method.

The first attempt was also intended to avoid showing as much blood as possible.

This time again, they were induced to surrender.

That was Kim Dong-gil’s way.

“It’s the third floor. Manager.”

“Get ready.”

Everyone swallowed hard at Kim Dong-gil’s words.

The main force of the Blue Team slowly walked into the third floor.

Their flashlights illuminated the dark third floor.

It was quiet.

Creepy.

The smell of a rotting corpse seemed to be coming from somewhere.

And in front of the store on the other side, there was a flag monster of the Blue Team.

“Manager, it’s over there.”

“Don’t move yet.”

There’s a pretty dangerous guy on the Hong team.

He won’t just hand over the monster without any resistance.

That’s why Kim Dong-gil was careful.

Soon the change began.

Chwiiik-! Chwiiik!!!!

A sound of something erupting was heard from ahead.

The surprised members of the Blue Team flinched.

And then white smoke began to rise before their eyes.

Rather than acting, the movement was more like flour being sprinkled in the sky.

Even though I tried shining a flashlight here and there, my vision was obscured by smoke.

The Blue team was instantly taken aback.

Kim Dong-gil covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve.

And then I realized what the smoke was.

“……fire extinguisher?”

It was at that moment that he realized the identity of the smoke.

Shake-!

An arrow piercing through smoke.

‘arrow?!’

As if in slow motion, the arrow passed right through Kim Dong-gil’s eyes and struck the forehead of a subordinate standing next to him.

width!

Bright red blood spurted into the air.

“Uh… … Uh… … ?”

The subordinate touched his forehead with a bewildered expression and then fell backwards.

thud!

The subordinate died with an arrow embedded in his forehead.

Before I could prepare for the situation, another arrow flew in.

Shake-!

This time it grazed Kim Dong-gil’s right cheek.

“Ugh!”

If it had missed even a little, it would have been instant death.

Blood flowed from his right cheek.

Kim Dong-gil touched the blood with his trembling fingers.

And only after seeing the bright red blood did he open his mouth.

“this person……!”

Kim Dong-gil staggered.

Soon, people around him helped him up.

Visibility was poor due to white smoke all around.

Normally, he should have responded rationally.

But at this moment, he was not rational at all.

It was because of that thought that he wanted to keep the Hong team alive with human judgment.

It was arrogance.

It was greed.

In the end, they were just ‘enemies’ who killed and killed each other.

Just like the life Kim Dong-gil has lived so far.

Survival of the fittest.

The new world needs new powers.

Excessive compassion actually brings about death.

The veins on his temples flared.

A trickle of blood ran down his cheek and clung to his chin.

He muttered.

“Kill them all… … … ”

“Hey, branch manager?”

Swish!

Another flying arrow.

It hit the shoulder of the woman behind him.

The woman fell backwards, screaming.

Only then did Kim Dong-gil shout.

Desperately.

“Every single one of them! Kill them all-!!!!! Charge, everyone!!!!”

With his desperate scream, the main force of the Blue Team, a total of 79 people, rushed into the fog at once.

They all had kitchen knives in their hands.

(Continued in the next episode)