The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 111

The Mountain-like Existence (2)

‘Hyung [older brother],’

The boy recalled his brother’s face. That day, the boy pretended not to know, but he actually did.

The memory of that day was so vivid and shocking that he couldn’t forget it.

The boy remembered.

Even if he didn’t want to, he had to remember.

His brother was precariously balancing on a toilet bowl that was falling apart, with a noose tied to the steel bar around his neck.

-Junho……!

At the time, the boy brushed it off because he needed to pee, but as time passed, everything became clear.

That day, his brother had tried to kill himself.

He had tried to abandon the world, leaving him behind.

From a young age, the boy had experienced many things and opened his eyes to the world earlier than other children.

Therefore, it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand why his brother had made such a choice.

His brother, who always took care of him.

His brother, who never showed how hard things were, even though they were.

Surely, his brother must have been having a hard time, enough to want to die.

The boy clenched his fist.

‘One week here is one year outside… I wonder if Hyung is two years older now.’

As the boy was deep in thought about his brother, the administrator’s voice reached his ears.

“I promise you. Definitely. I’ll take responsibility.”

But the boy didn’t want to hear the administrator’s voice.

He wanted to hear his brother’s voice.

The brother who had tried to give up his life that day. The brother who had tried to abandon him and run away from the world had completely changed since then.

His brother didn’t rest.

He didn’t rest for a moment.

His brother’s life was extremely monotonous.

Construction site – night job, construction site – night job, construction site – night job, construction site – night job, construction site – night job, construction site – night job.

Watching him, he thought he might collapse.

But his brother was as solid as a mountain.

He did his job as steadfastly as a huge rock.

His brother did everything for him.

His brother always said that he wouldn’t let the boy suffer from malnutrition and fail to grow.

His brother had grown up eating only ramen and porridge made from it during his growth period, so he was shorter than other boys of his age.

But the boy was different.

His brother scraped together money to buy meat and fresh vegetables, and he cooked them carefully and fed them to the boy.

The boy also got to eat vitamin supplements.

But his brother didn’t eat.

In those difficult times.

He should have forced his brother to eat those good foods, even if he had to.

But the boy couldn’t.

Seeing the ‘delicious’ food in front of him at a young age, he didn’t want to be deprived of it by his brother, so he rushed to it first.

The sight of his brother eating the chicken leg of the old chicken, devouring it greedily, was pathetic. His brother always had a patch on his calf.

-Hoo…….

At the time, his brother groaned as he took care of his wounds, and there was a large bruise on his calf.

Then, his brother picked up a piece of chicken, or rather, a piece of flour fried without any meat, and said to the boy.

-Junho, is it delicious?

-Yeah…….

-Eat a lot. You sang about chicken, chicken.

His brother grabbed the chicken neck and took a bite.

Even in the midst of that, the boy tore off the second chicken leg.

Why did he do that?

Why on earth did he do that?

Why couldn’t he give his brother even one piece?

The boy regretted, covering his head.

Now, the boy was still regretting what he had done back then.

“You are now the fastest group to clear the rounds on ‘Earth.’ Probably thanks to you.”

Administrator J said, looking at the boy who was covering his head and blaming himself.

The colleagues next to the boy were busy watching him.

J grinned and continued.

“To think you’d clear it in such a short time. No one expected that.”

“Shut up.”

“So, listen to me. Didn’t I tell you? If you follow my words well, I’ll tell you where your brother is. So, I already told you, didn’t I? I’m going to let you meet him now.”

“I said shut up.”

J slowly approached the boy.

Then, he tempted him like a snake.

“Kang Junho. The strongest player in existence.”

“…….”

“You’re an amazing person. The man closest to winning. You and your subordinates have done what no one else has done. You’ve already cleared three rounds, haven’t you?”

“…….”

“Yes, yes. That’s good. I’ll give you one more piece of information as a special favor.”

After finishing speaking, J stepped back and opened his mouth again.

“The one you’re looking for has just entered the third round and won a huge war. It was such a great result that my colleague was surprised.”

“……What?”

My brother fought a war?

He did that dangerous thing?

The boy’s heart sank.

He just wanted his brother to stay at home, or rather, safely within a good group. His brother was now playing in the League [a competitive gaming environment within the story].

No, no.

Hyung, please just stay in a safe place.

The boy covered his head and blamed himself, and J continued to speak.

“He’s playing the third round. In his time, well… I guess it’s been two or three years since the League started. Because time in this real world has passed while you guys were in that forest. You spent two weeks, so that’s two years. Two years.”

Crack-.

Kang Junho, clenching his teeth once, glared at J and said.

“……What does it matter? You guys are just trying to separate me from my brother anyway. Do you think I don’t know? The beings don’t want me to meet my brother. When I tried to go to Anyang [a city in South Korea], you guys desperately stopped me. Even when I tried to complete the Light quest and take over Anyang first, you guys stopped me. Hiding inside that cunning and damned system. ……I have enough power to meet my brother right now. But it was impossible. Why? Because your dirty system is blocking me. I know. My brother and I can’t meet easily. So, you’re telling me to go to Suwon [another city in South Korea]. Am I wrong?”

J was a little surprised by Kang Junho’s unexpected answer.

J shrugged.

Even as an administrator, he couldn’t handle the man in front of him.

Kang Junho looked like a child on the outside, but he was already mentally mature.

“Haha. If you think so, there’s nothing I can do. But don’t misunderstand. Your meeting with Kang Si-on is also my wish. Because I’m sure that will be the end of this League.”

“……There is no end. Because I know I can’t meet my brother until I’ve annihilated all of you with my own hands. And the only way I can meet my brother without doing that is when there are no more ‘choices to go meet my brother’ left on the ‘path I have to take’ that you guys have set. So, I’m obediently following along. Your way. Either way, it won’t take long. Just like I’ve always done.”

After finishing speaking, Kang Junho got up from his seat and put both hands in his pockets.

Then, he slowly approached J.

Then, Lee Joo-yeon, who was guarding his side, stopped Kang Junho.

She was the woman who had played the first round with Kang Si-on.

“Junho! If you touch the administrator……!”

“Am I wrong……? You X-bal [a vulgar Korean expression] bastard?”

Despite Lee Joo-yeon’s dissuasion, Kang Junho strode towards J and threatened him.

Kang Junho’s eyes were full of murderous intent, and his whole body exuded killing intent and dignity. It was an overwhelming majesty comparable to a divine being.

J was smiling, but he was actually afraid of Kang Junho, who was looking down at him.

‘Those brothers are a pair.’

Kang Junho said to J.

“You said you’d grant any wish if you win the League? With the power of God.”

“Yes-. If you win, that is.”

Now the smile disappeared from J’s face.

Seeing J’s cold expression, Kang Junho laughed as if he had lost his mind.

“Puhahahahaha……!”

After laughing for a while, the boy’s face instantly contorted.

It was a wicked expression that could never come from the boy’s face.

Kang Junho scanned J with sharp eyes and threatened him, baring his teeth.

“Good. I’ll chew it up. That dirty bait you threw.”

“…….”

As Kang Junho took a step towards J, J took a step back.

“I’ll bite that bait until the needle is shattered, and until you guys finally drown yourselves.”

It wasn’t just Lee Joo-yeon who was by Kang Junho’s side.

There was one more man and one more woman.

They were all subordinates who faithfully followed Kang Junho.

Also, they were all the best players in the League.

They were the Wanderers Alliance [a group of players].

A player raiding party that didn’t have a fixed force and focused only on clearing rounds.

The leader was Kang Junho.

Kang Junho finished speaking.

“……You can look forward to it. And now I’m going to protect my brother.”

Everything is for the sake of protecting his brother, Kang Si-on.

Kang Junho was willing to give his life for his brother.

And when all of this is over, Kang Junho will create the world he dreamed of with his brother.

A world where they no longer have to suffer because of damned money and damned people.

Kang Junho, who had made up his mind once again, turned around.

As he turned around, his colleagues nearby also followed him out of the subway station.

Among Kang Junho’s subordinates, the woman with pink hair waved her hand at J.

“Bye-. Bye-. See you again.”

Then she giggled and followed Kang Junho out.

They headed to the subway station.

The subway station is originally ‘underground,’ but the meaning of underground disappeared the moment all the ground except for the station sank.

The huge monster surrounding the subway station.

Green Dragon.

The biggest predator of the third round was subjugated by Kang Junho.

With this, Kang Junho was given the title of ‘Dragon Slayer’ and became the best player in the League.

This was the first achievement in the world.

“Haha.”

And J, who was watching their backs, was sweating.

He forced himself to smile calmly and muttered to himself.

“Well, I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

Anyang, Bisan-dong Defense Complex.

“Cough! Cough!”

“Hold your breath, Hyun-soo. It’s not good to inhale too much smoke.”

“……Yes. Lord. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t even talk.”

Si-on supported Jung Hyun-soo and came out of the apartment.

Choi Myung-joon’s elite troops were already sweeping up the remnants here.

Choi Myung-joon, who was continuing the battle in the distant flames, discovered Kang Si-on and rushed over.

“Hyung! You’re safe! I’m glad. But…… is that Jung Hyun-soo?”

“Take him to Mangyeong [a district in Anyang], treat him first.”

“Ah, yes! I understand.”

Choi Myung-joon was now a yes-man who didn’t change a single word of Kang Si-on’s words.

Choi Myung-joon supported the fainted Jung Hyun-soo.

“Kid. Hold your breath. You’re inhaling smoke. ……But what did you do to get so hurt?”

“I’m…… sorry. General…… Commander.”

“I told you not to talk. You’re inhaling smoke.”

“General…… Commander asked……?”

Choi Myung-joon took Jung Hyun-soo and left the apartment complex.

Kang Si-on wiped the sweat flowing from his forehead and looked around.

The Bisan-dong battlefield was already in the final stages.

The heavy fire was gradually decreasing due to the downpour that had been falling since earlier, and the warriors who had hidden in various parts of the apartment voluntarily shouted surrender and ran out into the street.

The Bisan-dong Suicide Squad also grabbed their weapons one by one and ran into the complex to face Kang Si-on.

The Bisan-dong Suicide Squad sighed in relief and was greatly pleased by the lord’s visit.

“It’s the lord!”

“As expected, the lord came himself!”

“Lord!”

“Lord!!!”

The soldiers didn’t even know that the fire was fierce and flocked around Kang Si-on.

The meaning that the figure Kang Si-on had for them was more than just ‘lord.’

The soldiers began to put out the fire, and Kang Si-on looked around them and nodded.

Everyone fought well.

These troops who survived in Bisan-dong were truly the icing on the cake.

It was as if the beings who should have been sacrificed had survived thanks to Jung Hyun-soo’s awakening.

But he still had questions.

Artifacts are clearly given to those who are ‘selected’ by the administrators after the second round is over.

He couldn’t understand why Jung Hyun-soo had obtained the power of the artifact now.

A system error?

No, as Jin Jae-hee said, there are no errors in this game planned and executed by God.

Then this was also a planned result.

Nevertheless, what was clear was that this was a great benefit to both the force and Si-on.

In any case, what Mangyeong needed most was a powerful player.

The war is over.

All that’s left is to mop up the remnants.

Kang Si-on looked at the soldiers of Mangyeong cheering for him and then left the complex.

(To be continued in the next episode)