The Regressor Only Protects Me Chapter 45

#Episode 45. Anyang Station (1)

A cloudless winter sky.

Someone appeared in a huge video with the sky as the background.

It was K.

[As of today, the 2nd round of severe cold has been raised to level 2.]

[Hello! This is K, your daily weathercaster.]

[The current temperature in Anyang City is -20 degrees Celsius, and the actual temperature feels like -35 degrees Celsius! Wow! It must be so cold, right? By the way, the coldest winter in Earth’s history that we observed was -76 degrees Celsius. Hmm… … Thinking about it that way, it still seems like a long way off? Haha!]

[It’s very cold today, so when you go out, please wear thick padding or layers of underwear! Also, the ice is slippery, so be careful. Sigh-. I wish I could just rest at home on a day like this. Sob sob.]

[That’s it. This was weathercaster K! Have a happy second round, everyone~!]

The video appeared at 9 a.m. and was played on repeat until 3 p.m.

Minus 20 degrees.

Outside the building it was hell.

The snow has piled up further, and now all the low houses, two stories high, are submerged.

If you go outside naked, wearing nothing, you will freeze to death within 5 minutes.

As the second stage of severe cold arrived, there was a huge problem at the police station.

Now, more and more people are dying from frostbite.

Five people a day at most, three at least.

Most of the elderly and children died from the cold.

It’s already been a week since we tried to restart the boiler.

In the meantime, Jin Jae-hee devoted himself to artifact training, while Kang Si-on and the workers put all their efforts into operating the boiler.

If we don’t solve the cold problem soon, we will all die.

Zion, who was already aware of this fact, had been mobilizing all its manpower for the past week to focus solely on operating the boiler.

And finally, today, it was completed.

Manan Police Station, 1st floor.

There was a huge heating tank there.

The heating tank was so large that it could easily fill a room.

It was an iron water jug brought from the roof of a nearby apartment.

Several layers of coating were applied to prevent melting when heated.

The steel bars supporting the heating tank were installed one by one by workers, and the furnace was located underneath it.

Around it were tents to protect against the cold and snowstorms.

The heating tank was full of snow.

Workers who had barely made it through the cold began to gather here one after another.

“The important thing is not to put out this fire, sir.”

There are many different types of combustion.

Oil, coal, electricity, charcoal, briquettes.

There are only things that cannot be saved.

“The best I can think of right now is briquettes. They burn easily and last a long time. Luckily, I managed to get a few briquettes during a few scouting trips… … but how many days will this last?”

“It’s hard to find briquettes in this area.”

It is rare to find a household that uses briquettes.

Most people use gas boilers, and coal briquettes are already an outdated heating method.

In the end, there was only one way.

Zion called out to Kim Soo-kyung, who was dozing off next to him.

“Ms. Kim Soo-kyung.”

“Oh, yes!”

Kim Soo-kyung was surprised and came close to Zion.

“Please bring all flammable items inside.”

“Ah… … yes!”

“If you have any butane gas or briquettes left, bring them all. And any dry leaves or anything else that can be burned. Just wait. Just bring everything that can be burned.”

“Now, just a moment. Butane gas and… … briquettes… … .”

For a month, the police operated a reconnaissance team steadily.

In the underground warehouse, not only food but also various other items are stored.

There was no other way.

We had to use every means at our disposal to heat it.

Because we need to protect ourselves from the immediate cold.

Zion looked at the boiler man and said.

“Let’s get started. We have no choice but to do it now.”

I really had no choice.

As the weather got colder, people started to die.

There was no turning back now, and all the efforts had to bear fruit.

“Okay, let’s do that. I’ll get ready.”

Lee Jong-cheol hurried the final preparations to start the boiler.

Kang Shi-on looked at them and then went inside the building.

* * *

Within the force, leaders and citizens all came out into the corridor where the connection was made.

The chimney extending from the first floor continues all the way up to the fifth floor above ground.

A chimney is a passage that transports heated steam.

Because of the upward movement of steam, the heated steam will naturally insulate the building and then escape outside the building.

There is a manager in the middle of the conversation who checks for any problems that are discovered.

Zion walked along the chimney.

There were countless people shivering in the cold on both sides of the chimney.

Thump, thump, thump.

As Zion walked, people looked at him.

Everyone was aware of it.

The footsteps that Kang Si-on has walked over the past week.

The absurd plan he carried out to save everyone here.

The very idea of running a boiler in a destroyed world is something that is usually unimaginable.

The only one who can do something here, rather than just vaguely waiting for a rescue team that will never come.

That person was Kang Si-on.

People followed his footsteps and looked toward Zion, but Zion only looked at the chimney.

Now all that remains is the final check.

Once the inspection is complete and the boiler is running, the citizens will recognize that Zion is their true leader.

Zion slowly and carefully inspected every last bit of chimney.

‘Okay. Perfect.’

My breath kept leaking out between my lips, and my toes felt like they were freezing.

Stage 2 is this cold right now, so I don’t even want to imagine stages 3 and 4.

Zion entered the narrow hallway.

A long chimney stretched through the middle, and citizens were standing along both walls.

The child is shivering and is held tightly by his parents.

‘Okay. It’s okay here. Okay. Okay. Again. Okay. Okay.’

Check, check, check.

You absolutely cannot fail.

It had to be a success no matter what.

We don’t have much time left.

“Administrator.”

“Administrator… …Administrator.”

“Administrator. Administrator… … !”

As Zion walks, voices can be heard faintly from around him.

Zion walked on, keeping all the voices in his ears.

And finally, I got to the 5th floor.

Upon inspection, the condition was found to be good.

I came back down to the first floor.

Zion looked at the person in the heated room and said.

“Let’s get started.”

His words set fire to it.

The boiler started up.

* * *

There was an old man.

Four days ago, his wife of 40 years froze to death.

The body was dumped a long way south of the police station.

The day before yesterday, the young daughter of the son and daughter-in-law froze to death.

The coldness still remained in the palm of his hand as he held his frozen granddaughter.

Yesterday, my son and his wife ran out of the police station.

I decided that I could no longer live here.

The old man came here with a family of five, but in the end he was the only one left.

dump-!

The old man knelt before the chimney.

Then he slowly approached and touched the chimney.

As if just touching it wasn’t enough, he put his right cheek against the chimney.

“… … .”

“… … .”

Everyone in the hallway was looking at the old man.

Soon the old man shed tears of emotion.

“Thank you… … Thank you… … Thank you… … Thank you so much… … .”

A warm sensation rising from the palms and cheeks.

It was a warm feeling that I felt after a month.

The boiler was started.

Kang Shi-on’s plan worked out exactly as planned.

“Ahh… … He was right… … He… … Haha… … Ahh… … It’s warm… … Haha, it’s warm! This can is warm.”

The people around him also clung to the chimney as they watched the old man’s tears of emotion.

Although it was faint, a warm sensation was clearly felt on my skin.

People gathered one by one in the chimney, as if possessed by something.

When someone saves you from a disaster, that person becomes deified.

It is to admire and respect the one who saved your life and gave you a new future.

This boiler was a salvation for them.

Rep. Gil In-ho smiled faintly as he looked at the people possessed by the boiler.

“Sir, what did I tell you? That guy could do it.”

“Wow-. Hehehe. No, this is really amazing. Who would have thought they would make a boiler in a place like this?”

Rep. Gil In-ho raised one corner of his mouth and lit a cigarette.

Phew-.

Gil In-ho exhaled cigarette smoke.

The envy and respect of these citizens that I feel now.

‘… … After being structured, I can make it all mine.’

All of these achievements that Kang Si-on has accomplished could be made his own with just one word.

That was the power of city council member Gil In-ho.

Ultimately, the more Kang Shi-on continues to achieve something, the more it will become his own achievement.

Gil In-ho was aiming for that.

‘Hahaha. Do more. More.’

Gil In-ho dropped his cigarette in the hallway, put it out, and chuckled.

He was smiling broadly, as if everything was going according to plan, but there was something he had overlooked.

Gil In-ho still can’t give up the idea that the government will function.

In the end, he didn’t even realize that he was delusional.

That was when.

Knock knock knock-!!!

It was police officer Kim Soo-kyung.

He came up from the fourth floor and was tapping a silver pot with a spoon.

He shouted at the people.

“Get out of the way!! Quickly!!! Get out of the way! This is the administrator’s order!”

Kim Soo-kyung ran along the chimney and banged on the pot diligently.

* * *

1st floor of the police station.

Boiler manager Lee Jong-cheol felt the warmth coming from the chimney and smiled brightly.

“Wow, Admin! It’s a success! It’s a success! Wahahaha-! We restarted the boiler.”

The surrounding workers let out a small cheer.

Shhh-.

At that moment, Zion smiled for the first time.

It was the first smile he had seen since coming to the police station.

“Thank goodness, this is just the beginning.”

As he says, this is just the beginning.

There were no problems getting it up and running right away, but they still haven’t figured out how to maintain it.

Only by resolving this can the boiler be considered fully restarted.

People had to be kept safe from the cold and their labor force had to be fully restored.

But somehow the urgent fire was put out.

Now I can take a breather.

At that moment, Kim Soo-kyung came up from downstairs, smiling brightly.

It was Kim Soo-kyung who was on the 5th floor, the last floor that the boiler reached.

“Manager! It’s a success. The warmth is definitely transmitted to the 5th floor. Hahaha.”

It seems that warmth is transmitted to the very end as well.

Zion looked at the burning flames.

The water inside the heating tank is boiled and the heat generated is sent to various parts of the building through the chimney.

And the heat comes back to this heating tank, and the boiler continues to maintain a constant moisture level.

As long as there is no external shock, and the fire is not put out, the temperature of the heat will continue to keep the building warm.

“The citizens were all clinging to the chimney and hugging each other, and it was chaotic. I wonder if these were the citizens who were getting sick day by day because of the cold. It was really fortunate. You were really amazing! Manager!”

Kim Soo-kyung said with a smile, but Zion’s expression was distorted.

At the same time, the boiler managers’ expressions became distorted.

“Ms. Soo-kyung. Right now. Mobilize all police forces and tell the citizens to get away from the chimney.”

“Oh, yes? Why… …?”

“Do as you are told. Right now!”

“Ah… … Ah, yes!!!”

Kim Soo-kyung quickly ran downstairs.

The chimney is really weak.

Even if it’s made of metal, it will probably bend if an adult applies just a little force.

If even the slightest hole appeared, the equipment had to be re-installed.

I spent a whole week losing sleep over making this, so I couldn’t just let it get ruined like this.

Especially citizens who are thirsty for heating.

Their desires will not be easily quelled.

Zion was only thinking about the immediate heating system, and missed the most basic thing.

“Ah, that was a mistake. It’s my responsibility as manager.”

Zion let out a sigh of relief.

Then the surrounding workers tried to dissuade him.

“No, what is wrong with the manager? Absolutely not.”

“That’s right. If it weren’t for the manager, I wouldn’t have thought of this.”

The workers each said a word to Zion.

The age difference between them was so big that they were basically uncle and nephew.

But now they all recognized Zion, who was as young as their nephew, as their leader.

It had only been a week since they met and started working together.

But during that week, a miracle finally occurred.

The person who created the miracle was the one who was fit to be their leader.

“Thank you, admin.”

Boiler manager Lee Jong-cheol bowed his head slightly and expressed his gratitude.

Zion looked at him like that and smiled slightly bitterly.

At that moment, Kim Soo-kyung, who had gone down, came running back up out of breath.

“Haa… … Haa… … ! I relayed everything! And, Administrator… … Haa… … ! The police officer just now… … and the orders… … everything. Yes… … Haa.”

Kim Soo-kyung was out of breath.

Because the weather was cold, I felt like my lungs were freezing even after just a little bit of running.

Kim Soo-kyung took a deep breath and asked again.

“Administrator… … What’s next?”

Kim Soo-kyung took a deep breath and looked at Kang Si-on.

Zion looked at the city beyond the wall.

Manan Police Station is located at a fairly high altitude, so you can see most of the city’s scenery.

The city that came into their eyes was completely covered in snow.

It was unthinkable that a person, or even a living being, could live there.

Zion stared blankly at it, then looked back at Kim Soo-kyung and answered.

Everyone was surprised by his words.

(Continued in the next episode)