The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 10

#10. The Vanguard (2)

Team Blue acted first.

They initiated the first move.

It was likely that a leader with quick adaptability had gathered people to their side.

But they only considered their initial action, not the subsequent ones.

If they made the first move to gather information, we could, in turn, gather information about them.

The man who introduced himself as the branch manager surveyed the 7th floor.

Then, he addressed the man behind him.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and distribute it.”

“Yes, Branch Manager.”

The man bowed politely to Kim Dong-gil and then instructed the others to distribute the food.

Several people, who appeared to be employees of the shopping mall, retrieved food from the baskets.

It was high-quality food.

There was bread, fruit, steak, udon [thick wheat flour noodles], ramen [thin wheat flour noodles], fried food, bottled water, and even packaged sushi.

It was food sourced from the shopping mall’s restaurants.

The quality was far superior to ordinary food.

A sweet aroma, potent enough to mask the stench of blood, permeated the store.

People, as if entranced by the smell of food, looked up.

Kim Dong-gil continued to smile and treat people kindly.

“You must be hungry, right? Let’s eat first. There’s water too. Take your time and enjoy.”

Clatter-! Trickle, trickle…….

At that moment, Kim Dong-gil knocked over the bucket next to him.

“Oh, dear.”

He wore an expression as if he had made a mistake, but it was immediately apparent that it was no accident.

The water he had painstakingly collected was mixed with blood, rendering it undrinkable.

I immediately checked my status window.

[Water Supply: 3 -> 2]

The consumption of resources was also quickly updated.

The employees began to grab bottles of water and hand them out to people.

However, the people of Team Red were hesitant to accept the water they offered.

The people here had a general understanding of what was happening.

In a game that only ends when one kills the other, one cannot simply accept food from the ‘enemy.’

But humans are endlessly susceptible to desire.

Sniff, sniff.

The fragrant smell of food spread through the air.

I wasn’t even hungry, but the smell of food made my stomach growl.

Even I was swayed by the temptation.

Ordinary people would not be able to overcome it easily.

“Is it really okay to eat this……?”

As some people, captivated by the food, took a step forward.

Kim Dong-gil smiled and quickly reeled in the bait he had spread.

“Of course. As much as you want.”

“Ah…… Th, thank you!”

“Thank you……!”

People hurriedly grabbed the food.

People inside the barricade also joined the line to receive water and food.

Before long, a long line had formed in front of the basket.

Kim Dong-gil was still handing out food to people.

I pointed to Kim Dong-gil and asked Jin Jae-hee.

“Is that man the king?”

If he was the king of Team Blue, I would take out my gun and kill him at 00:00 [midnight].

That was the fastest way to end the game.

But Jin Jae-hee shook her head.

“I don’t know. What I experienced in my past life was an area that started in the Gyeongnam region [province in southeastern Korea].”

In conclusion, this league, which is implemented in each region, has the same rules officially, but the events that occur within it are different for each region.

It seemed like it would be good to have a few words with him.

In any case, if they were trying to extract information, we had to extract information as well.

I took a step forward.

Suddenly-.

Jin Jae-hee grabbed my wrist.

“You shouldn’t be exposed. They must have come for reconnaissance. I’ll go. You don’t have to use unnecessary strength. If you want, I’ll kill them all for you.”

Jae-hee stepped in front of me and walked forward.

But I grabbed her again.

Slightly surprised, Jae-hee turned to look at me, and I said nonchalantly.

“That’s why I’m going.”

“…….”

And I stepped forward, leaving her behind.

* * *

“Take your time and enjoy. There’s plenty of food.”

Dong-gil treated people kindly.

And he looked around, thinking.

‘A barricade.’

Monsters swarming, strangers, darkness, and yet they gathered these people and created a barricade of their own.

It meant that Team Red also had a leader who was quite clever.

‘It won’t be as easy as I thought.’

Kim Dong-gil was confident of victory before coming to this 7th floor.

Team Blue had secured food and was superior to other teams in terms of population and location.

Kim Dong-gil quickly gathered Team Blue and rallied people around himself and his subordinates.

If they launched an attack immediately after 00:00, they would be able to subdue Team Red without difficulty.

But.

There is a one in a million chance.

If Team Red has ‘something’ that this side cannot respond to, the situation becomes unfavorable.

Kim Dong-gil came to confirm that.

Whether that ‘something’ exists or not.

As Kim Dong-gil was glancing around, a man appeared before his eyes.

It was Kang Si-on.

Kim Dong-gil turned his gaze from his surroundings to Si-on.

Dead eyes.

There was no emotion, and no compassion could be found in his eyes.

Thud, thud.

His steps lacked strength.

Even though it was the first time he had met this man, Kim Dong-gil felt a chill down his spine.

It was an incredible killing intent.

“Why did you come down?”

Si-on’s first words were unexpected.

He cut straight to the chase without any prior greetings or introductions.

Kim Dong-gil sneered inwardly.

‘He doesn’t intend to waste time.’

He didn’t know if Kang Si-on in front of him was the ‘king’ of Team Red or not.

But he was definitely one of the strongest forces in Team Red.

Kim Dong-gil had a good eye for this kind of thing.

That’s why he was able to get promoted so quickly in the company.

“Hahaha.”

Dong-gil forced a laugh.

He always started with a smile when dealing with difficult opponents.

“Well, I came to share food with you all. Shouldn’t we survive together in this disaster?”

“You must have received the explanation about the round, right?”

As expected, even if he tried to change the subject, it didn’t work with Kang Si-on.

Dong-gil made a flustered expression and waved his hands.

It was a thorough act.

“No! Not at all. Not at all! Student, you’re saying something terrible.”

Kim Dong-gil strongly denied Si-on’s words.

And he continued calmly.

“We will never condone that crazy game. Telling people to kill each other! Why would we believe those monster’s words? We’ve decided not to care about that. How about it? Let’s all join forces. There must be a way to escape this building!”

Kim Dong-gil appealed.

Now, how will you react?

Kim Dong-gil thought so and turned his eyes to look around.

The people of Team Red were eating food and paying attention to this side.

Kim Dong-gil’s statement now is a kind of justice.

His idea that he has no intention of following this crazy game.

And the idea that we should all join forces to endure this disaster.

Ordinary people would have no choice but to accept his proposal.

Because good citizens need justice that suits them.

Moreover, if it is someone who gave them food, the sense of trust will be further amplified.

‘Ah, perfect.’

Kim Dong-gil is a master of social skills.

He knows very well what people’s hearts are and how to use them.

It is an ability he has acquired over 20 years of working life.

After recruiting the members of Team Red in this way, he will launch a full-scale attack the moment 00:00 passes.

The biggest opportunity is when the enemy is off guard.

But Kim Dong-gil overlooked something.

Team Red already knew.

That if they don’t follow the game, they will only die.

That’s why Kim Dong-gil’s plan couldn’t work.

‘……Uh…… Uh?’

By now, you should be agreeing with me?

Kim Dong-gil thought as he looked at the people of Team Red who were maintaining their immobility.

Then Si-on took another step forward and said to him.

“Cooperation?”

“…….”

The air became heavy with Si-on’s words.

Si-on said.

“Then let’s do this. All the members of your Team Blue come to Team Red. According to the rule book, you can change teams at any time if the king agrees. And bring your king to me. If we kill only your king, this game will end with only one person dying. That’s the only way to cooperate with us. How about it? Can you do that?”

“Ah.”

Dong-gil was at a loss for what to do with the situation that had been reversed in an instant.

He couldn’t bring himself to speak.

Si-on’s words were the answer.

As a result, if only two of the three kings die, the other ordinary ‘citizens’ have no reason to die.

Si-on had figured that out first, and he was wielding it as a counterpunch to Dong-gil.

Dong-gil had fallen victim to his own trick.

Because of Si-on’s one word.

Kim Dong-gil raised one eyebrow.

‘What…… What is this bastard?’

Kim Dong-gil saw it for the first time.

That wasn’t acting.

Calmness in this situation.

And the eyes of trust that the people behind him are sending.

This person is a monster.

Dong-gil now began to whine.

“No! We don’t want any killing. We don’t have to follow the rules set by those guys, do we? Don’t we?”

He repeats what he said.

It’s like a child’s tantrum.

Kim Dong-gil looked around, trying to get agreement.

But none of the people of Team Red agreed with him.

“Ah, so, student. Let’s join hands once. The police will be here soon. Until then.”

Dong-gil held out his hand to Si-on.

Slap-!

But Si-on coldly rejected Dong-gil’s hand.

Si-on left him and said.

“There is no next time. If you come like this without warning next time, you will all die then.”

“…….”

The men of Team Blue who were handing out food stopped in their tracks.

Kim Dong-gil stared blankly at Si-on and put his hand in his pocket.

Now there was no need for acting.

His social skills don’t work at all on this man.

Kim Dong-gil admitted defeat.

For now, that is.

“Okay. I understand.”

Kim Dong-gil’s tone suddenly changed.

He took out a cigarette from his right jacket pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

Whoosh-.

Kim Dong-gil blew cigarette smoke in Kang Si-on’s face.

Then he immediately coughed.

“Cough……! Cough!”

In fact, Kim Dong-gil didn’t know how to smoke.

It was just a bluff.

It was an action he took when belittling subordinates or intimidating them.

“Ahem, ahem…… But you know. Do you think this kind of behavior will be tolerated in our store? I am the branch manager here.”

Kim Dong-gil was talking about the barricade.

A disaster is a disaster, and property is property.

That was Kim Dong-gil’s logic.

Kim Dong-gil blew out cigarette smoke again.

“Cough! Cough……! Kah! Spit!…… Hoo…… What do you think? If we go out and take legal action against this…….”

Kim Dong-gil scanned Kang Si-on from head to toe.

It was the clothing of a day laborer.

Kim Dong-gil smiled and finished his sentence.

“……It’s probably more money than you can earn in your entire life, isn’t it? What should we do?”

Hahaha.

Dong-gil laughed once.

Hahahahahaha…….

The vanguard of Team Blue awkwardly followed him and laughed.

But even in this situation, Si-on was not flustered.

Si-on thought.

The man in front of him is more stupid than I thought.

Kim Dong-gil still thinks that the world flows according to laws and regulations, and that the police maintain order.

He thinks this damn game is only happening within this building.

There was nothing more to say to such a fool.

Si-on sighed briefly, as if he had lost interest.

Kim Dong-gil, who was watching the scene, now openly frowned.

And then Dong-gil revealed his true nature.

“You impudent little brat…… How old are you? Don’t you know who I am? You don’t seem to understand the situation…….”

Is it gangster mode now?

Haa-.

Si-on sighed again and looked at his wristwatch.

It was a five-thousand-won digital watch.

11:55.

5 minutes until 00:00.

“It was said that attacks are allowed from 00:00, right?”

“……!”

Dong-gil was startled and quickly looked at his wristwatch.

It was a 20 million won luxury watch.

Dong-gil checked the time and looked around.

The people of Team Red were already holding mops and glaring at them.

And Si-on drove the final dagger into him.

Thud.

The two men were quite close, and even if Si-on took something out from below, Dong-gil couldn’t have noticed.

Dong-gil, trembling slightly, looked at the object touching his stomach.

It was a gun barrel.

‘Gu…… Gu…… Gun…….’

Team Red has a gun.

The shape of that gun began to fill Kim Dong-gil’s eyes.

He began to tremble.

Si-on said to him.

“Get lost. If you come like this again, I’ll just kill you then.”

It was a threat with a basis.

It was a threat with power.

Kim Dong-gil became infinitely pathetic in front of that gun.

Gritting-.

Kim Dong-gil gritted his teeth.

In his entire life, this was the first time he had been humiliated like this.

He had lost to a day laborer in words.

He is the branch manager of a shopping mall. He has an annual salary of 400 million won, a luxury sports car, an apartment in Gangnam [affluent district in Seoul], and even success as a member of society, but he was intimidated by a day laborer earning 120,000 won a day.

‘Haa, damn it. This is cheating.’

Kim Dong-gil was furious, but he couldn’t express it.

There was no choice.

There was no time, and the number of Team Blue members here was ridiculously small compared to Team Red.

Kim Dong-gil clenched his fist and turned around.

“Let’s go.”

“Br, Branch Manager……?”

“Don’t say anything, just follow me!”

“Yes…… Yes…….”

Thud, thud.

Kim Dong-gil walked towards the escalator.

Then Si-on provoked him.

“Ah, right. Thanks for the food.”

The food that Team Blue brought will become the stamina of Team Red’s people.

Kim Dong-gil nervously threw the cigarette he was holding on the floor and began to climb the escalator.

Only then did Si-on remove his expression.

Barricade.

Solidarity.

And a gun.

With this, Team Blue will not attack rashly either.

Si-on turned around and returned to the barricade.

‘Okay, I’ve bought some time. What should I do now?’

I’ve bought some time.

At least a day, or maybe two days.

I had to prepare for Team Blue’s attack.

And soon an operation came to Si-on’s mind.

Si-on called her.

“Jin Jae-hee.”

(To be continued in the next episode)