The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 212

212. Approaching the Truth

Four people gathered around a round table.

‘Kang Si-On,’ sitting to Kang Junho’s left, asked,

“How was it? Good? You finally met the brother you’ve been longing for.”

The Si-On on the left chuckled as he asked, but Kang Junho simply smoked his cigarette.

“But that’s not the Kang Si-On you knew, is it? Nor the brother you wanted.”

Then, Administrator A, sitting to Junho’s right, said,

“It’s the result of abandoning the truth and fulfilling the contract. It was a story that should never have existed. But because you so desperately wanted to see your brother, we willingly granted your wish on the condition that you give us your life. Contractor. You haven’t forgotten the contract, have you?”

Contractor Kang Junho remained silent.

The Absolute, wearing a black mask and sitting opposite Junho, also remained silent.

Junho took a long drag of his cigarette, staring at the Absolute.

A guy impossible to read.

The one at the very top of this League, who has never shown his face and barely speaks.

The Absolute was also staring intently at Kang Junho with piercing eyes.

Junho opened his mouth.

“So, what do you want me to do now?”

At his words, the Si-On on the left chuckled and said,

“Well, the choice is yours, little brother?”

Then, Kang Junho slammed the round table hard with his fist.

Bang-!

He glared fiercely at the Si-On on the left and said,

“Don’t you dare call me… brother with that filthy mouth.”

Even with Kang Junho’s threat, the Si-On on the left wasn’t intimidated at all. Instead, he chuckled even more.

“Haa-. Scary. So scary. In my dimension, my little brother always grew up getting beaten, trembling at just the sound of my voice.”

“……”

“Anyway, these little brothers, they need to be beaten from a young age. They have no respect for their elders.”

“That’s enough.”

Administrator A stopped the taunting Si-On on the left.

At the Absolute’s words, the Si-On on the left chuckled and said slyly,

“Alright~.”

Administrator A spoke again.

“As you know, we’ve already met the Kang Si-On of this world. But he’s not enough to complete the puzzle. My goal is to create one puzzle through this League. In the process, you’ve taken on the destiny that the original Kang Si-On should have borne.”

“……”

“Now, the Management Committee doesn’t care how Kang Si-On turns out. This League is a story we’ve put a lot of effort into creating, so we must create a result and finish it. That’s why we contracted with you.”

Administrator A paused to take a breath and then asked again.

“Let’s revise the contract. Tell me about the contract we’ve made.”

“……”

Kang Junho couldn’t answer easily and smoked his cigarette.

And with his other hand, he kept opening and closing the lid of his Zippo lighter.

The sound of the Zippo lighter’s lid filled the space.

Administrator A said strongly again.

“Contractor.”

“I know.”

Click-. Clack!

Kang Junho gripped the Zippo lighter tightly. So tightly that the veins on the back of his hand stood out.

‘Kang Si-On being a puzzle remains unchanged. However, it’s now impossible for Kang Si-On to become a puzzle on his own.’

To become a puzzle.

That means becoming one puzzle in this multiverse.

The Si-On and the Absolute sitting together now are also among those countless puzzles.

But if Jin Jaehee is by Kang Si-On’s side, the puzzle they’ve painstakingly created will collapse.

From the Absolute’s perspective, it’s like destroying a puzzle they’ve carefully made through the League.

So, they had to find another contractor to avoid such a result.

The Absolute chose Kang Junho as the right person.

The contract between them is simple.

For the complete puzzle-ification of Kang Si-On, Kang Junho is to be sacrificed.

If Kang Si-On’s puzzle is completed, his eternal life will be guaranteed. That was the contract between Kang Junho and the Absolute.

Kang Junho gripped the Zippo lighter even tighter.

Crack-!

Then, the Zippo lighter turned to dust in his grasp.

‘I can’t go back. To that shitty world. That maggot-like life. I can’t go back. Hyung [older brother/term of endearment for a male]. I really don’t understand. Why are you trying to go back?’

If they stay here, they can live like gods.

Everyone will worship Kang Si-On. Isn’t that a better life? There’s no way a life as a part-time worker in a basement is better.

In this world, his brother and he are praised by everyone.

The city for his brother to live eternally has already been built.

Whatever Si-On thinks, Junho doesn’t care.

His brother living well is his only wish.

The city of Suwon is just a means to protect his brother in this world he left behind.

If his brother knew this, he would surely oppose it and scold him.

So, this is Junho’s plan alone, and his contract.

He has always insisted on that thought.

‘Even if it’s stubbornness, I don’t care. That life was wrong. This world now is the most comfortable and happiest life given to us brothers. That won’t change. Absolutely. There’s no way my thinking is wrong.’

It’s all because of that woman.

That woman has tainted his brother.

Kang Junho thought so and released the strength in his hand.

The remains of the lighter, now dust, fell softly onto the round table.

Then, Administrator A spoke again.

“A complete regression is absolutely impossible.”

“……”

“This League will always be maintained.”

That’s not Kang Junho’s thought, but an inevitable action.

“……So, you must become that sacrifice. That is the price you pay for meeting your brother. And it’s also your way of protecting your brother.”

His brother and he were never meant to be.

But they met through an unreasonable contract, and the price was high.

Kang Junho will be sacrificed to save Kang Si-On, and Kang Si-On will become a puzzle that makes up the world, and become the absolute god of humans, living eternally.

That’s the predetermined ending. An unchangeable ending.

Kang Junho looked at the Absolute and asked.

“What do I have to do?”

The Absolute had been silent until now.

But at Kang Junho’s last question, he finally moved.

The Absolute leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and placed them on the round table.

A voice, neither male nor female, echoed again.

“Exactly one year from now. I will open the gate. We have completed the puzzle we need. Kang Si-On is already qualified enough to come to this world. However, neither the Administrator nor I can interfere in your affairs. So, you must stop her. That woman.”

Junho hesitated and asked again.

“Are you telling me to kill her?”

Junho wanted to avoid that at all costs. Really.

Not for Jin Jaehee’s sake. But for his brother’s sake.

The Absolute said.

“It is your decision. However, if we open the gate, we have no choice but to determine the puzzle of this League. And that puzzle has the right to choose its own future. That is the truth. Truth is a unique ability that even we cannot interfere with. If Kang Si-On chooses to return in that choice, everything will be ruined. Your role is that. To keep Kang Si-On in this world.”

“……”

Junho’s expression twisted with complex emotions.

If he follows his brother’s heart, he should leave him alone to do as he pleases.

But if he does that, it’s meaningless.

Junho didn’t want that.

The Absolute looked at Junho’s distorted face and said.

“I hope you make a wise choice.”

Junho got up from his seat and turned back.

From behind, Si-On’s voice echoed loudly.

That voice was deeply embedded in Kang Junho’s ears.

“Tearful brotherly love!”

“So tragic-!”

“They finally met, but one is destined to die-!”

“Living in the world for a long time, so many interesting things happen!”

“Puhahahahaha! Hey! Live for tens of millions of years. You’ll feel that the emotions you feel are nothing!”

“Puhuhuhu.”

“Puhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha-!”

“Puhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

“Puhahahahahahahaha!”

The guy with his brother’s face continued to burst into laughter with his brother’s voice.

Junho found that laughter very disgusting.

* * *

As the Seoul War came to an end, winter was approaching, but when I came to my senses, winter was over and the flowers along the roadside were blooming again.

Hah Yoonha and I were taking a walk for a while.

There were many changes.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we had achieved tremendous growth.

Mangyeong was no longer at a level that could be governed by an individual.

It had a centralized form of government, but the country could only be run with numerous experts in each field.

There were no more rivals in Mangyeong.

The small groups in northern Gyeonggi, the tribal groups in Gangwon Province.

All bowed their heads before me.

More than that, emptiness came first.

My brother came to visit from time to time, but since Jin Jaehee, who was always by my side, was gone, I felt extremely empty.

Jin Jaehee, who had left to find the Colossus for six months, had not yet returned.

Moreover, contact had been completely cut off two weeks ago.

Her last contact was a letter stating that she had arrived at Baekdusan [Mount Baekdu], the beginning of the Baekdudaegan [a major mountain range in Korea].

The letter was using a classic method through pigeons.

‘What are you doing and where are you? That’s enough.’

After walking a few steps, Choi Myungjoon approached.

Choi Myungjoon stood before me and bowed his head deeply.

I looked at him.

“We are gathering the specific dwarves you mentioned, and everything from materials to red ore mines, manpower, and military is proceeding smoothly.”

“Okay.”

Choi Myungjoon was about to turn back after finishing his report, but he came back and said to me.

“Ah……. Hyung [older brother/term of endearment for a male]?”

I looked at him again.

“You don’t look too good. Is something wrong?”

At his concern, I smiled and shook my head.

“It’s nothing. Get to work. You said you’re with Jung Hyunsoo these days?”

“Yes. Even if we conquer Seoul and there are no more rivals on the Korean Peninsula, we can’t neglect war preparations. We will continue to train. And now, I have to go there to carry out guard duty.”

“Okay.”

Choi Myungjoon said to Hah Yoonha, who was next to him.

“Kid. Take good care of Hyung [older brother/term of endearment for a male]. I’ll be going ahead.”

“……Yes. Don’t worry.”

“Hyung [older brother/term of endearment for a male]. Then I’ll be going.”

Choi Myungjoon bowed to me and turned back.

I looked at the bridge again.

In any case, the city’s development is going smoothly.

This is Yeouido [large island on the Han River in Seoul].

The only bridge connecting the north and south of Seoul was destroyed because of the war, but the pillars remained.

I built a structure on top of those pillars and rebuilt the bridge.

The power of the ogres was also used in the construction of this bridge.

They cut the trees into pieces and connected the pillars to create a pedestrian path.

Of course, it was impossible to build a bridge as sturdy as modern technology, so ships played a big role in moving across the Han River.

Originally, Slediman, who had occupied the Han River, blocked the passage of ships with his ridiculous appetite and violent nature.

But Slediman’s natural enemy was the ogre.

In fact, Slediman solved the ogres’ food and housing problems at once.

Thanks to this, the Han River was transformed from a Slediman field to an ogre field.

One difference is that all these enormous monsters understand and carry out my orders.

Seeing humanoid monsters over 10m tall living around the Han River was quite a sight.

I asked Yoonha, who was silently matching my pace beside me.

“How’s the bridge? Were there any complaints from users?”

“Not at all. Rather, it has become a landmark of Seoul. There are even groups of wanderers coming from far away to see this bridge.”

Once the Slediman swarming in the Han River were taken care of, the bridge construction project was not a difficult task.

The ogres moved the huge rocks and trees, and the technicians of Mangyeong stepped in for the work that required precision.

It took only a month to build a bridge in Yeouido.

And this Yeouido has become the new center of Seoul.

To the south is Suwon.

To the east is Gangnam, Gangwon.

To the north is northern Gyeonggi.

To the west is Incheon.

It is the center connecting the four regions.

Owning that center brought about tremendous economic effects.

The biggest foundation for a country to grow is economic power and population.

The ‘Yeouido Central Market’ that I have now is bigger than the Suwon market that my brother has.

As the news that the war was over spread to each region, new customers came to the market, which led to an increase in population.

The formation of the market greatly contributed to the development of the country.

All of this was also a project planned by Hah Yoonha.

Yoonha smiled and pulled my sleeve.

“Come on. Let’s cross the bridge now. They’ve probably finished preparing by now.”

To Yoonha, who said that, I asked.

“Do we really have to do this?”

I didn’t feel like it.

But Yoonha’s thoughts were different.

“Of course! I think this is not a choice but a duty. Not only me, but everyone who makes up the force thinks so. It’s a symbol. A symbol. National leaders need symbols, and I think this is too late.”

“I don’t really feel like it.”

“Everything is prepared. Just visit. Wait a minute. We need to hurry before you change your mind. Carriage!”

Yoonha ran out and brought a carriage.

I sighed softly and got into the carriage that Yoonha had brought.

The carriage crossed the newly built bridge and headed north.

How long has it been?

The Blue House [presidential residence in South Korea] was visible in the distance.

(Continued in the next episode)