The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 143

143. City of the Dead (1)

Choi Hyun-ji struggled to start a fire, her hands fumbling with the task.

She rubbed a wooden stick against a board, trying to generate enough friction to create smoke.

“Rub it! Just rub it! Fucking rub it!” she muttered.

Choi Hyun-ji started imitating a character from a movie she’d once seen. “Going here, going there… Aish, just fucking rub it! Ugh! Argh! I can’t do it. Haa…!”

After wrestling with the wooden stick for a while, Choi Hyun-ji finally gave up, flopping backward in defeat.

Just then, Jin Jae-hee, who had gone hunting, returned carrying a rabbit-like monster in one hand.

Jin Jae-hee glanced at Choi Hyun-ji’s failed attempt, then activated an artifact with a flick of her finger, effortlessly starting a fire.

“…”

*Thump.*

Jin Jae-hee carelessly tossed the rabbit monster down and sat near Choi Hyun-ji.

Choi Hyun-ji glanced at her, wondering what all her effort had been for.

After a while, Choi Myung-joon, who had gone to fetch water, returned with water containers strapped all over his body, and a small campfire was soon crackling merrily at their camp.

As the flames blazed, the group gathered around the campfire to dry their rain-soaked clothes and warm their chilled bodies.

At the same time, the meat skewered on sticks began to cook, filling the air with a delicious aroma.

Jin Jae-hee carefully laid Kang Si-on down in the warmest spot near the campfire and covered him with a blanket.

“So, what do we do now?” Choi Hyun-ji asked, breaking the heavy silence.

They had dealt with Bitnam, who had revealed his dark intentions, and now all that was left was to escape the forest.

Choi Hyun-ji opened the quest window almost absently.

[Find the Witch’s Trail.]

The quest progress remained unchanged.

“Where the hell is the witch?” Choi Hyun-ji sighed deeply.

Choi Myung-joon also shook his head, looking at the quest window with a frustrated expression.

However, Jin Jae-hee paid no attention to the complaints around her. She remained close to Kang Si-on, focusing solely on nursing him, looking down at him with worried and pitiful eyes.

“Well, there’s no point in us worrying about it right now. Hyung-nim [older brother/respected one] looks exhausted, so let’s rest for a while and then think about it. Haaam…!”

Choi Myung-joon yawned widely and lay down on the spot.

There was some truth to his words. Kang Si-on, the group’s strategist, was unconscious, and they couldn’t decide on their next move. It was probably best to wait for Kang Si-on to recover.

For that reason, no one stopped Choi Myung-joon from lying down and immediately starting to snore.

*Snore-!*

“It’s… almost comforting, though.”

Choi Myung-joon’s terrible snoring, which was usually annoying, felt almost welcome in the subdued atmosphere.

Choi Hyun-ji looked at Jin Jae-hee, who was still tending to Kang Si-on, smiled, and rested her chin on her hand. “Hey, Dong-saeng-nim [term of endearment for a younger sister or female friend]. Do you like Wang-nim [referring to Kang Si-on] that much?”

It was just a joke, tossed out casually to lighten the mood.

But Jin Jae-hee’s reaction was far from light.

“What?” Her voice was sharp.

Choi Hyun-ji had expected a reaction like, ‘Don’t talk nonsense,’ but Jin Jae-hee, uncharacteristically, seemed a little embarrassed and became serious.

Startled by Jin Jae-hee’s reaction, Choi Hyun-ji waved her hands. “No, no, just kidding. You were looking at Wang-nim with such a heartbroken expression.”

Jin Jae-hee didn’t say anything. She just stared at Kang Si-on’s seemingly sleeping face.

Then, after a moment, she sat down, sulking, and said to Choi Hyun-ji in a low voice, “Kang Si-on is strong. Strong enough to lead us all to victory in the League. He is hope. I don’t know how it looks when I look at him, but… I don’t know. Just… don’t ask about that.”

Choi Hyun-ji’s eyes widened, because Jin Jae-hee rarely revealed her inner thoughts.

Regardless, Jin Jae-hee continued, “So, we can’t lose Kang Si-on. That’s all.”

She mumbled and then closed her mouth again.

Choi Hyun-ji suddenly thought of the world before it changed, a peaceful life.

What kind of person was Jin Jae-hee back then? Just living a boring but peaceful life, dating a boyfriend, going on a trip, and sometimes laughing and chatting over a drink—a normal life.

In that world, would Jin Jae-hee have smiled happily too?

Choi Hyun-ji’s heart ached. She went to Jin Jae-hee’s side and sat down without saying a word.

Choi Myung-joon was still snoring loudly. Even if the two didn’t try to lower their voices, it felt like they were whispering.

Choi Hyun-ji suddenly looked at Jin Jae-hee’s profile and gave a sly smile. “Hehe, Wang-nim is… a little short, but he’s pretty. Love and romance are luxuries in this world, but still, if it wasn’t for this kind of world, would he have caught your eye at all?”

A small ripple appeared in Jin Jae-hee’s eyes, but she quickly composed herself and snapped at Choi Hyun-ji, “Go away if you’re going to say stupid things.”

“Hey, don’t be like that. Just thinking about it. If it wasn’t for this kind of world… If Wang-nim ends this shitty League and returns to the original world, as you said…”

*If we return to the original world…*

Jin Jae-hee was lost in thought without realizing it. She recalled the conversation she had with Kang Si-on in Mangyeong.

‘When we return to the original world, what kind of days will Kang Si-on spend?’

And Jin Jae-hee gently imagined her own figure next to Kang Si-on, living in a peaceful world—not a foolish relationship like lovers or love, but as a colleague who has overcome hardships together.

Drinking together until late at night, then going to a karaoke bar and singing with excitement. A really ordinary friendship.

Choi Myung-joon is burying his nose in the small remote control of the karaoke machine next to her, and Choi Hyun-ji is yelling at Choi Myung-joon that the next song is hers.

Such foolish scenes came to mind, but Jin Jae-hee quickly dismissed them.

Was her heart weakened by Choi Hyun-ji’s foolish imagination?

“Stop it. The original world is already over. Now is a world where it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment.”

Choi Hyun-ji pouted as if she was losing energy at Jin Jae-hee’s firm tone, but soon, she opened her mouth again without giving in. “Still, sometimes it’s okay. Looking at the empty air with sad eyes, saying, ‘It was good in the past.’ It’s kind of healing, you know? I think I know why old people keep singing about the old days.”

Then Choi Hyun-ji giggled. She suddenly made a gesture as if taking a picture with her hand and said to Jin Jae-hee, “You know what? I was a YouTuber.”

Jin Jae-hee didn’t answer, but Choi Hyun-ji continued to speak anyway. “Kya! Our Dong-saeng-nim’s visuals are amazing! Do a collab with me later. If I film a video with someone as pretty as Dong-saeng-nim, the views will be a huge hit!”

But Choi Hyun-ji soon scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed expression. “But I only had 1,022 subscribers.”

Jin Jae-hee finally turned to look at Choi Hyun-ji. Choi Hyun-ji made a foolish voice and pointed a finger camera at Jin Jae-hee’s face. “Oh! You beautiful lady there! Do you have a moment?”

In Choi Hyun-ji’s finger camera, Jin Jae-hee made a strange expression. Then she looked at Choi Hyun-ji and let out a hollow laugh. “I know why you only had 1,020 subscribers.”

“1,022 people! Do you know how precious each and every subscriber is?”

“Oh, really. But you know what? My video was once uploaded to YouTube too.”

“What?!? When?!” Choi Hyun-ji was surprised and brought her face close to Jin Jae-hee.

Jin Jae-hee flicked Choi Hyun-ji’s forehead with her finger, pushing her away. “Someone filmed my busking and uploaded it to YouTube. I don’t know who it was.”

“Oh! Busking? How many views?”

“200,000.”

“200,000?!?!? Wow… That’s higher than my YouTube’s total views?” Choi Hyun-ji pursed her lips.

Jin Jae-hee looked away from her. “What’s the point? It failed anyway.”

Jin Jae-hee habitually tried to take out a cigarette but stopped. She promised Kang Si-on she would quit smoking and continue practicing singing.

The two fell silent after that conversation.

*Failure.*

It was a scary word even in the original world, but now it was a word that meant death. The heavy word poured cold water on the atmosphere that had been gently loosened for a while.

The two knew it was time to slowly return to reality.

And then, they both detected an alien smell spreading in the air—a sour smell that blended well with the scent of grass, but a smell that contained thorns somewhere, like a bright rose, beautiful but deadly.

Both turned their heads towards the source of the smell.

“The secret to beauty? I don’t know if there’s a secret. I was just born beautiful.”

There stood a woman, a beautiful woman with a seductive smile.

And…

*Ting.*

A quest window appeared in front of Choi Hyun-ji and Jin Jae-hee.

[Find the Witch. Completed.]

[Hidden Quest: Dungeon Lush Forest]

[Field Boss Area.]

[Content: Kill the Witch.]

[Reward: S-Rank Item.]

The quest has been updated.

* * *

The two checked the quest window in front of them. Unlike Choi Hyun-ji, who was stunned by the situation, Jin Jae-hee quickly grasped what the existence in front of her was.

Witch. She was the key to escaping this forest.

Thinking quickly, she moved at a tremendous speed, a speed that Choi Hyun-ji couldn’t even react to. Her sword sliced through the ground and swung strongly towards the witch.

*Chwaaaak-! Swaaaak!* Just swinging the Holy Sword upwards, the sound of the air tearing shook the forest.

“Guh… Cough! What, what!” Choi Myung-joon also opened his eyes wide in surprise at the sound of the air tearing and checked the quest window that appeared in front of him.

“X-bal [a curse word]!” While Choi Myung-joon hurriedly got up and prepared for battle, the witch, who had been attacked by Jin Jae-hee, was surprised and opened her eyes wide.

“You surprised me, little girl. You can’t swing such dangerous things around.”

“…What?” Jin Jae-hee frowned slightly. The Holy Sword had the ability to cut through anything in this world, but it was strange. She had clearly cut the witch in front of her, but the witch was standing there unharmed with a nonchalant expression.

Not only that, but several vines had already risen from the spot where Jin Jae-hee was standing, wrapping around the air. The forest, which had only looked beautiful until just now, had become a huge enemy.

Every leaf on the tree, every blade of grass growing on the ground, all seemed to wriggle, sharpening their blades towards Kang Si-on’s group.

“I’m sorry, child. Our children are very filial [devoted to their parents], so they get angry when you attack their mother. Can you understand?” the witch said, waving her hand gently with a smiling face.

Jin Jae-hee looked closely at the witch. ‘There’s no substance.’ Jin Jae-hee realized why she hadn’t been able to sense the witch’s presence beforehand. The witch’s appearance is an illusion; the main body was not here.

“I came out because some children harmed the ghouls I was taking care of, but you seem to have quite the skills. You will also become my material.”

After finishing speaking, the witch got to the main point. She turned her gaze to Kang Si-on, who was lying down, and opened her mouth again. “But he is still beautiful, even more beautiful when I see him in person…”

The witch had a blissful face and couldn’t take her eyes off Kang Si-on. The witch had been collecting beautiful humans through ghouls—humans with beautiful faces, humans with beautiful bodies—but the best beauty among them was still the soul.

“That unwavering inner self, an unyielding will, so beautiful!” Kang Si-on’s soul was truly perfect, to the point where it couldn’t be compared to that of other humans. The witch really wanted to have Kang Si-on’s beautiful soul.

“Child, your face is pretty good, but next to that little boy, that beauty loses its light,” the witch said, scanning Jin Jae-hee’s face. Jin Jae-hee shuddered at the chilling gaze and summoned the artifact again.

“It’s no use, child.”

*Kwaaaang! Kwaang!* The continuous sound of the air tearing shook the forest again. Jin Jae-hee’s sword, which could cut anything in half with one blow, could not touch the insubstantial illusion.

The witch even laughed as if Jin Jae-hee’s attack was funny. “Ahaha! It’s fun, little girl. How can you be so attached to an attack that won’t even reach?”

Jin Jae-hee frowned slightly at the witch’s words. The witch threw out a word with a smiling face: “Stupid woman…”

The witch was so greedy for Kang Si-on, but Jin Jae-hee, who was sticking close to him and protecting him, was annoying. The witch could avoid Jin Jae-hee’s attack, but she couldn’t deal damage. It was impossible for the witch to have Kang Si-on alone.

But if she couldn’t do it alone, wouldn’t it be a good idea to make a strong ally? The witch had been diligently preparing to make Kang Si-on her own since Kang Si-on’s group entered the forest—a way to break down Kang Si-on, who was wary and had a strong mind.

That was the existence of ‘Kang Jun-ho,’ whom Kang Si-on was obsessed with.

“It was difficult, but I put everything into it and completed it! Now, even that strong spirit has been reborn as my beautiful work.”

At that time, the surrounding bushes scattered in a mess, and a group of monsters appeared.

“…!” Jin Jae-hee was surprised and looked around. The ghouls, who she thought were dead—no, who were definitely dead—were revived and walking.

One child walking behind the witch: Hana. The girl’s neck was bent backward, approaching like a zombie.

It was black magic, black magic that revives the dead for a certain period of time and continues to attack until the caster-designated enemy dies.

The witch wore a strange smile. “For 3 days, my children will attack you. My own zombies, who never die, will attack endlessly.”

The ghouls—no, now zombie ghouls—slowly approached the expedition.

(To be continued in the next episode)