The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 163

163. Gladiator (1)

In the dimly lit room, the clang of armor was the only sound.

The oppressive tension stifled any hint of levity.

Before the match, the gladiators traded their everyday clothes for armor and weapons.

Most experienced gladiators were out of commission, leaving ordinary prisoners to fill the ranks for this match.

The matches usually demanded a star player.

However, even that star player had been sidelined by Jin Jaehee, so expectations for the 3rd Ward’s performance were low.

The warden, desperate to meet the victory conditions, ultimately decided to put Jin Jaehee in the arena.

Swish. Swish.

Jin Jaehee began wrapping her body tightly in bandages.

When she needed to move freely, the flesh on her body became a hindrance.

Therefore, she had to bind her chest so tightly that she could barely breathe.

Lee Hoseung, standing beside her, picked up a piece of solid armor and a small hammer.

Then, Jin Jaehee promptly removed Hoseung’s armor.

“Don’t wear it.”

“……Why?”

“Just listen to me. I know what I’m doing. It’ll only get in the way. Just take a shield and a sword. And make sure they’re the lightest you can find.”

Clang-! Clatter!

The armor hit the ground with a heavy thud.

“Armor is only useful against humans. Against monsters, it’s practically a death sentence.”

“Why? Everyone else is wearing armor.”

“They’re all eager to die.”

“…….”

Hoseung didn’t understand Jaehee’s reasoning, but he started taking off his clothes anyway.

The two hadn’t exactly reconciled.

But they weren’t at each other’s throats either.

Their animosity had lessened, and before an awkward silence could settle, they were thrust into the match.

Hoseung watched Jaehee silently as she re-examined her clothing and said,

“You seem to have changed a lot.”

At those words, Jin Jaehee tore a bandage with her teeth and replied,

“I’ve always been the same.”

“No. You used to smile a lot.”

“You must be mistaken.”

Swoosh-!

Jin Jaehee gripped a sharp blade, assessing its quality.

She was looking for a sword that was as sleek as a fencing sword but with some give.

Jin Jaehee scanned the armory and picked up a thin, slender sword that no one else had chosen.

“Do you have… a companion? No. Being trapped here means that companion must have done something wrong too, right?”

“They didn’t do anything wrong, and I’m not particularly worried about my companions. They don’t die.”

“Who are they?”

“What are you going to do knowing now? I’ll introduce you later. Just focus on the battle for now.”

Jin Jaehee swung the sword a few times and then sheathed it at her waist.

Hoseung was wearing nothing but had a hammer.

Jaehee nudged him forward, heading towards the exit.

“I don’t know what this place is, but once we get out, just stick by my side. Don’t ever step forward.”

“I can protect myself.”

“Yeah, right. With your scrawny body.”

“Scrawny……?”

While the two were talking, the guards burst into the waiting room again.

They shouted at the gladiators.

“The match is about to start! Everyone, get ready and come outside.”

The guard said those words and glanced at Jin Jaehee.

Jin Jaehee frowned but remained silent.

The gladiators, having finished their preparations, left the room one by one with grim expressions.

Jin Jaehee also led Hoseung towards the corridor bathed in light.

* * *

The cheers of the crowd grew deafening.

The crowd, a mix of citizens from Mangyeong and Gangnam [two districts or cities], chanted slogans for their favored gladiators.

The number Jin Jaehee received was 3, and Lee Hoseung was assigned 15.

The managers painted the numbers on their backs with black paint.

The conditions for victory in the Colosseum were simple.

Just survive or win.

However, the specific challenges of the Colosseum matches remained a mystery until the gladiators entered the arena.

Sometimes they fought monsters, and sometimes they battled gladiators from other wards.

The gladiators of the 3rd Ward squinted, struggling to adjust to the sunlight after being in the dark for so long.

“…….”

But their vision soon returned.

What awaited them was a massive pile of garbage.

It was a heap of all sorts of refuse, with a white flag planted at the summit.

The gladiators stared silently at the flag.

Even without an explanation, they instinctively knew they had to defend it.

Thud-! Rumble!

At the same time, the iron gates on the opposite side clanged open, and the gladiators of the 1st Ward entered the arena.

“…….”

“…….”

A suffocating tension hung in the air between the two groups.

Then, the host in the arena boomed to the audience.

“Welcome-! Welcome-! Citizens of Mangyeong and Gangnam! We sincerely welcome everyone who has come to the Nest! The theme of this Colosseum is flag pulling! This game is inspired by the heroic myth of Mangyeong’s great hero, Kang Si-on, who survived the first round. The gladiators of each ward will risk their lives to seize the flag you see at the top. But be warned! Mangyeong’s skilled archers will be aiming for the gladiators’ lives!”

At that moment, archers appeared on the barricades surrounding the arena.

Jin Jaehee glanced at the archers, then at the gladiators of the 1st Ward.

Not only the 1st Ward, but also the gladiators of the 3rd Ward looked determined, gripping their weapons tightly.

‘To take the flag, you have to climb the mountain of garbage, but if you climb it defenselessly, you’ll be sniped by the archers.’

It was a truly cruel setup.

Jin Jaehee didn’t know much about Ha Yoonha, but she didn’t think she would orchestrate something like this.

Something was rotten in Mangyeong.

It was clear that the nation’s power had grown since Kang Si-on left the force, but power, greed, and pleasure seemed to be slowly corrupting the citizens.

Jin Jaehee grabbed Lee Hoseung’s wrist and stepped forward.

Jin Jaehee, wearing a Hahoetal mask [traditional Korean mask].

The deal between her and the warden was that her identity would remain secret while she was in the Colosseum.

Originally, she would have to win 7 times, but if she kept her identity hidden for just 3 matches, she would be released from prison.

From Jin Jaehee’s perspective, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

She was confident she would survive, no matter the cost.

Jin Jaehee stared ahead and said to Hoseung,

“Listen carefully. When the game starts, run without looking back and hide in that pile of garbage.”

“There……?”

“Yes. Don’t ask why, just dig into the pile of garbage and stay still, without breathing. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“But you……?!”

“Don’t ask why.”

Jin Jaehee glared at Lee Hoseung, and he quickly nodded.

“……Okay. I’ll try. I don’t know if I can.”

“Do it.”

“Huh?”

Jin Jaehee shouted again.

“Say you’ll do it!”

“Ah, okay! I will.”

Hoseung answered without thinking.

“That’s enough.”

Jin Jaehee focused her attention forward again.

The audience’s roar intensified, and the game began with the host’s signal.

“Woo-ah-ah-ah-ah-!!!!”

“Aaaaargh-!!!!”

The gladiators screamed and charged forward.

Simultaneously, Lee Hoseung sprinted towards the garbage pile as Jin Jaehee had instructed.

Swish!

An arrow whizzed past, grazing Lee Hoseung’s cheek.

It was Mangyeong’s archers.

They were drawing their bows and firing at the gladiators relentlessly.

Lee Hoseung stumbled once, but quickly regained his footing and continued running.

Normally, he would have given up long ago and collapsed on the spot, but now Jin Jaehee was counting on him.

It was thanks to Jin Jaehee that he had found a reason to live again.

*I want to live.*

Fueled by that single desire, Lee Hoseung ran.

Because he wasn’t wearing armor, as Jin Jaehee had advised, he was faster than the others.

Just then, a gladiator from the 1st Ward charged at Lee Hoseung.

Lee Hoseung, oblivious to the danger, kept running.

The gladiator from the 1st Ward seized the opportunity.

He thrust his spear towards Lee Hoseung’s heart.

“?!”

Lee Hoseung realized he was under attack, but it was too late.

But Jin Jaehee was faster.

Swoosh-. Slice!!!

Her blade sliced through the gladiator’s spear.

Then, Jin Jaehee lifted her right foot and kicked the gladiator’s temple with her heel.

Thwack!

The gladiator instantly lost consciousness and fell forward.

Just before he hit the ground, Jin Jaehee finished him off by slitting his throat with her sword.

Slice-!

Bright red blood spurted upwards. Lee Hoseung, witnessing the scene, was awestruck.

Jin Jaehee, landing gracefully, didn’t pause.

She pounced like a predator on the gladiators of the 1st Ward who were attempting to climb the garbage pile.

The audience roared at her dazzling swordsmanship.

“Wow-!!!!!”

“Look at number 3!”

“Hahoetal? I don’t think I’ve seen that gladiator before?”

“Amazing!”

Regardless of the cheers, Jin Jaehee continued to swing her sword.

One, two, three.

The gladiators fell one after another, cut down by her blade.

The other gladiators of the 3rd Ward watched in stunned silence.

They could only gape at her bravery, which had single-handedly turned the tide.

The serial killer from the 3rd Ward shouted.

“Follow the leader!”

“Kill them all!!!”

“Uryaah!” [battle cry]

With Jin Jaehee leading the charge, the 3rd Ward gained the upper hand.

The swirling blade never faltered, and the blood gushing from the bodies of the dead formed a river.

Until the moment when a gladiator from the 3rd Ward seized the flag. She was ruthless, impervious to the arrows raining down.

Jin Jaehee, standing atop the corpses of the 1st Ward gladiators, surveyed the scene.

A champion had emerged.

The audience was captivated by the champion.

Whether it was sports, politics, or any other arena, people were drawn to compelling figures.

Blood-stained black hair, the long sword and dagger in her hands, and her sharp, predatory eyes.

As the 3rd Ward pulled down the flag and secured victory, the audience erupted in cheers and applause for Jin Jaehee.

“Woo-ah-ah-ah-ah-!!!!”

“Number 3! Number 3! Number 3! Number 3!”

“Amazing! It was an amazing performance!”

“Really, the best! It was the best game of my life!”

Amidst the cheers and applause, Lee Hoseung crawled out of the garbage pile.

And he could only stare at Jin Jaehee.

She had grown so much over the past 7 years.

Only he had stagnated.

Jin Jaehee was still Jin Jaehee.

* * *

That night, the victorious ward was given a special meal.

Greasy meat and some alcohol were delivered by the guards.

The prisoners of the 3rd Ward began to praise Jin Jaehee before raising their glasses.

“You’re amazing! Leader!”

“Really, it was incredible.”

“As expected of the leader!”

“All of you, get lost.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jaehee ignored the attention and returned to her corner of the prison.

It was inside the prison, but it was the leader’s office, which had a makeshift partition made of cloth and blankets.

Flap-.

Jin Jaehee lifted the blanket and went inside.

A makeshift bed made by stacking blankets given to prisoners.

Next to it was a wooden box, and boxes were laid on the floor to insulate against the cold.

It was a more terrible living environment than the Manan Police Station in the 2nd Round, but Jin Jaehee adapted to any space.

As soon as she went inside, she took off the compression bandage.

“Hoo-.”

Only then could she breathe evenly.

When she made strenuous movements, she felt like she wanted to tear off her breasts first.

At that moment, Lee Hoseung hesitated and followed her in, but quickly averted his gaze at the sight of her undressing.

Jin Jaehee ignored his gaze, put on her clothes, and sat down in one corner.

After a while, Lee Hoseung slowly entered again.

“Why…… Why did you call me?”

“Why? Aren’t you cold? If you sleep outside.”

Jin Jaehee lifted her personal cup, which was on the wooden box, and moistened her throat.

Lee Hoseung shook his head.

“I’m not cold. I’m used to it.”

“So you survived the 2nd Round.”

“The 2nd Round was hell. To the point where I’d rather die. No, actually, I still want to die.”

“If you say you want to die in front of me again, I’ll beat you to death then.”

At those words, Hoseung squinted and looked at Jin Jaehee.

Jin Jaehee was frowning and growling.

“You’ve become a bit… Violent? You seem to have changed.”

“Anyone can see that you’re the one who’s changed.”

“Okay, okay.”

Lee Hoseung didn’t sit close to her, but sat down on the floor a good distance away.

Jin Jaehee took out a slightly hardened piece of bread from the wooden box and threw it to Lee Hoseung.

Hoseung tried to catch the bread that was floating in the air, but missed it.

“Let’s get out together. If I ask, my companion will accept you too.”

“Your companion? What does he do?”

Hoseung brushed the dirt off the bread with his hands and asked.

Jin Jaehee hesitated for a moment about how to introduce Kang Si-on, and then answered.

“The only person who can end this league.”

“The only person who can end the league……?”

Lee Hoseung pondered her words.

It was strange.

How she could be so sure about one person.

Since she was young, Jin Jaehee didn’t trust others easily.

She always suspected ulterior motives, and nine times out of ten, she was right.

For Jin Jaehee to strongly trust someone meant that there was something special about them.

“To win the league, you have to clear at least the rounds, but seeing as you, a companion of that person, are trapped here, it doesn’t seem like you’re having a smooth journey?”

“I’m not trying to win the league. I’m thinking of ending the league.”

“What?”

Lee Hoseung was startled and looked at Jin Jaehee.

That was impossible.

But Jin Jaehee was certain.

That Kang Si-on was the only person who could end this league.

The existence of Kang Si-on was the only reason she left her friends in Busan and came up to Anyang.

“I believe it.”

(To be continued in the next episode)