The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 131

131. Metro Forces (2)

Six months had passed since the end of the war.

The weather was now midsummer.

It was so hot that you couldn’t bear to go out without short sleeves and shorts.

Some people, unable to bear the heat, jumped into the Anyangcheon Stream [a small river in South Korea] to cool off.

After the bitter cold, a heat wave had arrived.

Familiar scents and sounds filled the streets.

The sound of cicadas and the smell of grass.

The massive alien plant that enveloped the city had created a new ecosystem on Earth.

Even after the war, the soldiers’ main task was to subdue monsters that threatened humans.

Now, even that subjugation operation had become formalized, with over 3,000 soldiers deployed in combat operations.

In the past six months, the population newly entering the force was about five hundred.

Now that many rounds had passed, humans were adapting to the world and beginning to settle down.

As such, the number of newly arriving people was bound to be small.

Unexpectedly, the Metro forces were quiet, and the city was peaceful.

Besides this, Myeonggyeong had undergone many changes.

The biggest change was, of course, the city itself.

Now, they could be called true survivors of the apocalypse.

The sight of so many people gathered on the streets was truly remarkable.

In the ruined city center, new wooden structures were nestled between buildings.

Various huge flowers bloomed between the cracked concrete structures.

Some plants, like Jack’s beanstalk, wrapped around buildings with massive stems and soared upwards.

On top of these, some permitted citizens had built treehouses and lived there.

Children gathered in groups of three or five and ran around, and street gamblers gathered people to start gambling games.

Wherever people gathered, there were inevitably brothels and bars, and the entertainment culture that had taken root after the war was still very popular and had become a major industry.

The number of Ogres had increased to nearly 80.

After the war, the number of human corpses decreased, making it impossible to guarantee their feeding environment.

Therefore, unlike before, they were being raised in a grazing-like system in Surisan Mountain [a mountain in South Korea].

In addition to Ogres, strategic weapons were being developed by new experts.

The existing bows and arrows, crossbows and bolts were improved to be more robust and solid.

Moreover, there was a blacksmith in the street, and many blacksmiths worked faithfully in their respective positions.

There were also many changes in food culture.

The foods they used to eat gradually disappeared, and now they began to eat newly discovered crops as their staple food.

They had discovered alien crops that could be cultivated.

A crop that grew well even in dark, barren land where not a drop of water fell.

It looked like a potato but tasted spicy and sweet like a radish.

Altoran.

Someone named it that, and the people of the force accepted it as it was.

The cultivation method of Altoran was simple.

If you plant the seeds of Altoran in the land around Anyangcheon Stream, you only need to cut the roots periodically and water them.

Of course, it didn’t taste good.

It was just a crop to obtain carbohydrates.

All this labor was done by 2nd class citizens, warriors captured from Dong-an.

In addition to Altoran, there were monsters that could be hunted and eaten.

Spices with five different scents extracted from alien flowers.

Various forms of processed dried jerky and seafood caught only in the nearby Anyangcheon Stream.

The streets were crowded with newly discovered foods every day.

“Selling, selling! Fresh fish caught today. 1 stick per fish.”

“It’s not every day you get this chance~ Double if you guess right! Come on, folks, place your bets! Double if you guess right!”

“Altoran, I’ll give you a bag for 3 lighters. It’s practically free!”

“Hey, mister, come here first. I caught this today. Look at it jumping.”

“Huh. It’s all dead. What.”

“Hey! What do you mean dead! It’s jumping!”

Now, this place was where new cultures, environments, and people lived.

The laughter that had been lost bloomed again on the streets, and new life was born.

When a new life was born, people cheered.

The woman holding the child in her arms went around the whole city and received everyone’s praise.

Now everyone was returning to a normal life.

All of this was the achievement of the city’s king.

……And this city’s king, Kang Si-on, had now finished all preparations to leave this place.

* * *

Choi Hyun-ji was looking at the sky with a blade of grass in her mouth.

Then, she frowned at the pouring sunlight and said.

“A new plan… that’s really difficult, isn’t it?”

Although she was in front of Kang Si-on, Choi Hyun-ji was lying down.

That’s why Jin Jae-hee gave her a warning.

“Hey. Get up.”

However, Choi Hyun-ji was not one to care about Jin Jae-hee’s warning.

She crossed her legs and continued.

“But, you know, being a wanderer? It’s safer to travel alone. It’s dangerous to travel in a group of four.”

Kang Si-on answered with his eyes closed.

“We’ll have to find a way.”

At that time, Choi Myung-joon clenched his fist and shouted.

“Don’t worry! Even if it costs me my life, I will protect you, 형님 [hyung-nim, a Korean term for older brother or respected male figure]!”

Since even those who were not wanderers could travel as far as southern Gyeonggi-do [a province in South Korea], he could volunteer for this expedition without any problems.

“What can you do?”

Jin Jae-hee glared at Choi Myung-joon and asked, and Choi Myung-joon instantly frowned and growled.

“Hey, why are you always picking a fight?”

“I hate punks like you the most.”

“Punk? I’m a gangster.”

“Are you proud of that? You punk gangster.”

“Agh! This crazy–!”

벌떡-! [Baldeok – sound of someone jumping up suddenly]

Choi Myung-joon jumped up from his seat, looked at Jin Jae-hee, and growled.

Jeong Hyun-soo, who was next to him, stopped Choi Myung-joon.

“P-Please calm down! Please!”

“Someday, I’ll get you back, huh?!?”

While each executive was having a meeting that wasn’t really a meeting, Kang Si-on was sitting on the sofa, deep in thought.

Moving overground meant taking risks.

Honestly, he wasn’t too worried because he had Jin Jae-hee, but there was a variable.

If he were to lose Choi Hyun-ji or Choi Myung-joon through this expedition…

‘Should I push ahead? Or…’

Kang Si-on rubbed his forehead and fell into 고민 [gomin – worry, contemplation].

At that time, Ha Yoon-ha carefully approached him and said.

“Are you not feeling well? Shall I bring you some water?”

Si-on opened his eyes and looked at Ha Yoon-ha.

In her hands was already a mug of water.

“Thank you. I was thirsty.”

Si-on took a sip of the water in the mug.

Ha Yoon-ha sat quietly next to him and looked at Si-on.

“Are you going to find your… brother?”

“…Yeah. I have to find him.”

“Then please take me on this expedition. I’m sure I’ll be helpful.”

Yoon-ha always wanted to be helpful to Si-on.

Si-on recalled the first time he met Yoon-ha and gave a pleasant smile.

“What you need to do is stay in the city.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry. It will be a short expedition. If the road to Suwon [a city in South Korea] is blocked, we’ll come right back.”

“I’m worried…”

“You have Jin Jae-hee, right? And Choi Hyun-ji too.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry. Until I get back, you can work here for the citizens of Myeonggyeong. You have enough power to do that.”

Ha Yoon-ha’s ability is overwhelming.

You could think of her as a living computer.

In fact, at this point when the head of the Order Department’s health has deteriorated, the most important person in the force was Ha Yoon-ha.

Her ability after succeeding in awakening was literally a superior version of the current head of the Order Department.

Si-on had marked Ha Yoon-ha as the next leader.

Above all, Ha Yoon-ha trusted and followed Kang Si-on well.

“You have to come back early? Myeonggyeong without the King… I really can’t imagine it.”

Yoon-ha asked Si-on.

“Yeah. I have to come back early.”

Si-on answered Yoon-ha.

But what if.

What if, just maybe.

If Si-on finds his younger brother Jun-ho on this expedition.

And if Jun-ho belongs to another place and cannot come to Myeonggyeong.

Kang Si-on will not return to Myeonggyeong.

His goal is to find his brother, after all.

But for now, he promised to return.

* * *

“Please call us anytime. We, Myeonggyeong, wish for the King’s safe return.”

“Resources, food that you need… If you need it, you can use the combat troops as you wish, Si-on-nim [Si-on-respected]. Our bodies already belong to Si-on-nim. If it weren’t for Si-on-nim, we would have died a long time ago.”

“The only king of Myeonggyeong is you. Please return safely and take care of us again.”

The head of the Order Department, the head of the Labor Department, and even the executives of each institution all came out to see him off.

They hid the fact that Kang Si-on was leaving for Suwon on an expedition from the citizens of Myeonggyeong.

Just the fact that the king was not in the force would greatly shake them.

There were four people on this expedition.

The guide Choi Hyun-ji, the porter Choi Myung-joon.

And Kang Si-on and Jin Jae-hee.

“Cough…! Cough!”

Kang Si-on looked at the head of the Order Department, who was coughing.

Her condition had worsened.

Even before the war, she often collapsed, not to mention coughing up blood.

Perhaps it was because she had taken care of the force with the heart of a mother for the past two years without a single day of rest.

The cause of her illness was overwork.

Her ability was outstanding, but due to her illness, a person was needed to succeed her, and that person was Ha Yoon-ha.

“Head of the Department, please take good care of Ha Yoon-ha. And I hope you recover soon.”

Kang Si-on held the head of the department’s hands tightly and asked.

The head of the Order Department nodded weakly.

“Leave it to me. And… I hope you return safely.”

“Yes. Head of the Department. We’ll be on our way now.”

Kang Si-on left like that.

The executives of Myeonggyeong worried that there might be even a small stone on the road the king was going, and promised to support all the power the force had when Si-on needed it.

His back as he walked into the ruined city center.

The executives stayed in that spot until the king’s figure disappeared.

This expedition would be at most a week, and at least three days.

Kang Si-on said it was just reconnaissance, and the executives who were seeing him off also didn’t think much of it.

After all, he would be back soon.

But contrary to everyone’s expectations, they did not return for five years.

* * *

It was five years later that they returned.

푸드득-! [Pudeudeuk – sound of flapping wings]

A pigeon flew in and sat on the broken window frame.

The woman who was writing a report to send to Kang Si-on got up from her seat.

The woman in the pure white silk dress took out some birdseed and approached the pigeon sitting on the window frame.

The pigeon naturally pecked at the birdseed placed on the woman’s palm.

The woman saw the letter tied to the pigeon’s leg.

The woman’s eyes shook as she looked at the letter.

-The King has returned. It’s real. He is now at the border. It’s Geumjeong Station [a subway station in South Korea].

“Haa…!”

The woman was overwhelmed with emotion and covered her mouth with her hand.

The door was opened forcefully.

덜컹-! [Deolkeong – sound of something heavy clattering or banging open]

The startled pigeon fluttered and flew through the open door.

Following that, a woman ran down the hallway towards it.

Seeing that, the executives who filled the hallway quickly stood on either side and cleared the way.

Following that, two men came out of the room that the woman had burst out of.

“Your Majesty…!!”

“Your Majesty…!!! Where are you going!”

The subordinates called her ‘Your Majesty’.

But even with their calls, the woman did not stop walking.

Instead, she ran and ran.

The woman quickly went down the stairs of the police station.

The soldier at the entrance straightened his back in an instant at the appearance of the king.

The woman passed the soldier and ran straight out.

She passed through the marketplace.

She encountered a small monster pulling a cart and an old man riding in the cart.

우당탕-! [U-dang-tang – sound of something heavy falling or crashing]

“Ugh-!”

-끽끽 끼리릭! [Ggik-ggik, ggireurik – squeaking and creaking sounds]

The woman quickly passed them both.

Now, the central market of Myeonggyeong, which was crowded with people, unfolded.

People were bustling in the marketplace, buying and selling goods and bargaining.

“Dyaco. 10 for 2 lighters.”

“Why is it so expensive? It wasn’t like that yesterday.”

“Production has decreased. Well, I heard that the Metro forces are sending more expeditions?”

“Really? Is another war breaking out?”

“Because of those bastards who insist on being called Korea, war is almost every month…”

It was then.

“Get out of the way-!”

“Every day…? Oh, Your Majesty!”

“I said get out of the way!”

우당탕-! [U-dang-tang – sound of something heavy falling or crashing]

The woman burst past the shop owner and customer who were bargaining.

She didn’t stop.

She ran and ran.

She didn’t care about the eyes around her.

Because she had rushed out of the palace, the woman was barefoot.

“Haa… Haa… Haa…!”

The woman was out of breath, but she endured it.

Because she believed it was true this time.

The true king of Myeonggyeong had returned.

The forgotten hero had returned.

The telegram from the border was such great news that even the current king of Myeonggyeong ran out barefoot.

A long time of 5 years had passed.

During the time Si-on did not return, Myeonggyeong was ruled by Ha Yoon-ha.

As the new king.

Ha Yoon-ha, who was now a graceful lady, ran barefoot towards the border.

‘Why? Why until now?’

Why hadn’t there been a single contact for 5 years.

From the point when 3 years had passed since the expedition, the executives of Myeonggyeong thought that Kang Si-on had died.

But Ha Yoon-ha did not believe those words.

Even after 5 years, Ha Yoon-ha believed that Si-on was definitely alive.

She continued to send him letters.

She endlessly sent exploration teams and expeditions towards the lush forest.

Nevertheless, neither the exploration team nor the expedition returned.

But Ha Yoon-ha believed.

That he would definitely return someday.

And today.

Right now.

She finally received the news that he had returned.

The border began to appear.

There were already many people gathered.

Ha Yoon-ha squeezed out all of her remaining strength and pushed through the people.

That’s how Ha Yoon-ha approached right in front of the border.

And… She soon arrived at the border checkpoint where people were gathered.

(Continued in the next episode)