The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 164

164. Gladiator (2)

A day in the Colosseum was uneventful.

There was no routine except for the twice-daily meal distribution and calisthenics to the rhythm of the guards’ clapping.

As sunlight streamed through the bars and the prisoners inside the cell block began to wake, the guards walked down the corridor in turn.

They banged on the iron bars with their clubs, waking the prisoners who were still asleep.

Once everyone was more or less awake, the guards conducted a roll call and prepared for the calisthenics.

At this time, even the most stubborn prisoners would get up and line up.

The reason for the roll call was simple.

First, to check how many had died overnight, and second, to match the number of meals to be distributed that day.

So, the meals always came out according to the number of people. If you didn’t line up, it was as good as skipping a meal that day.

“Calisthenics – prepare!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

The guards began to clap in a steady rhythm.

Most of the prisoners didn’t follow along with the calisthenics.

The guards didn’t scold them much for this.

After the calisthenics, there was breakfast, and after that, it was entirely free time.

The cell block was quite large.

The cell block, the size of a huge sports field comparable to a soccer field, had groups scattered everywhere.

Closed space, hungry people.

Prison life was extremely boring for them.

So, a unique and closed culture developed here.

They would pick up stones rolling around on the ground, make marbles to play games, or hoard delicious things whenever special meals came out and use them like currency.

Of course, there was buying and selling of bodies here, and personal spaces were created by using the supplied blankets and boards to make their own rooms.

Also, even though they were all just prisoners, there was clearly a class society.

First, there was the leader of the cell block, called the Boss.

The de facto leader of the cell block whom everyone relied on and followed, and the person who resolved everything that happened inside the bars.

And the gladiators were led by that Boss.

Recognized for their powerful combat capabilities, they were often called out as gladiators, so no one except the Boss could touch them.

Otherwise, most were made up of ordinary prisoners called lackeys.

The lackeys handled the work assigned by the Boss or gladiators and took charge of all sorts of miscellaneous tasks.

Below them were the untouchables.

To the extent that they were not treated as people even within this cell block, the prison life of the untouchables was extremely miserable.

Cleaning up filth or handling corpses when they occurred was all done by the untouchables.

Anyway, the prison had its own rules.

When Jin Jaehee finished his daily exercise and returned to his room, the prisoners parted like the Red Sea [a biblical reference to the parting of the Red Sea by Moses].

The authority that could be enjoyed by seizing the position of Boss in the cell block was greater than when in society.

Of course, those were things possible because of physical force.

Choi Hyunji, who mainly relied on the power of artifacts, spent her time like any other inmate.

Choi Hyunji couldn’t do anything without the power of artifacts.

She was a player who relied only on the power of artifacts.

Still, one fortunate thing was that Choi Myungjoon, who never lost to anyone in terms of strength, was able to enter the gladiator group.

No one touched Choi Hyunji and Choi Myungjoon.

So, she was able to focus on her work.

Scratch-. Scratch-. Scratch-.

Choi Hyunji hid her body with a blanket and began to scrape the cement off the wall with a metal chopstick.

Well, it wasn’t like she had a grand escape plan; she was just silently scraping the wall like this.

Cement slowly peeling off.

Then someone hit Choi Hyunji’s head, which was covered with a blanket.

“Ah!”

Flap-!

Choi Hyunji threw off the blanket and looked at the person who had hit her head.

“Why did you hit me!”

It was Choi Myungjoon, covered in sweat and his chest heaving, as if he had just come from exercising.

“Are you kidding me?”

“What?”

“Do you think that’ll work?”

“It’s better than being reckless like you.”

“Hey, blockhead. How many people are here? Do you think you won’t get caught just by covering yourself with a blanket? Please think before you act.”

Choi Hyunji’s face contorted at those words.

“I don’t want to hear that from you.”

“Did you hear the news that Jin Jaehee won the gladiator match this time?”

“Huh? Really?!”

Choi Myungjoon squatted down and picked up a small twig from the floor.

Then he bit and chewed on it as if it were a cigarette.

“Yeah. So, our goals are the same. We just need to let Hyungnim [term of respect for an older brother or male friend] or Hayoonha know that we’re trapped here. I don’t know where Hyungnim is, but if we go out to the match and let people know of our existence, everything will be solved. But the problem is that these bastards won’t let me compete in the games. But if I just get to compete, it’s no problem. If I just get to compete.”

Thwack-!

Then, Choi Myungjoon hit his palm with his fist.

“And the bastard who trapped us in this situation… I’ll catch him and kill him. I’ll tear him apart. I don’t know if it’s a son of a bitch or a daughter of a bitch.”

“…….”

Choi Hyunji looked up at Choi Myungjoon, who was saying those words, with her lips rounded, silently.

And she said, as if she was newly amazed.

“Oh, it’s new to hear you say that.”

“Eh, forget it. You rot here. Ptooey-.”

Choi Myungjoon spat on the ground and went back to his place.

But he realized in an instant that he had been stupid.

He clearly had something to say to Choi Hyunji, but he was just trying to go back.

Realizing this, he slowly approached Choi Hyunji again and asked.

“Hey. But, how do you get an artifact?”

At that question, Choi Hyunji lay back and answered.

“Why?”

“No. I mean, how do you get it?”

“How would I know? I got it right after clearing round 1.”

“You know Jung Hyunsoo, right?”

“I know him.”

“He got an artifact in the middle, right?”

“No, you idiot. In my opinion, Jung Hyunsoo didn’t know how to summon the artifact, how to use it, but then he found out through some opportunity. The abilities were all given after clearing round 1.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Choi Myungjoon seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.

And he looked at his wrist.

Choi Myungjoon had been badly injured.

But when he came to this nest, his body was all healed.

Although he was currently being controlled by the red gemstone, something had definitely changed.

* * *

It’s already been 4 days since I stayed at the pension [a type of lodging, similar to a guesthouse].

The bastards were more meticulous than I thought.

They monitored every move and restricted the range of activity.

Even though moving within this pension site was free, the way they restricted it was more difficult than I thought.

From the beginning, they knew that I was alive, so they expected the day when I would return to the force someday, and they were thoroughly prepared for it.

For the past 4 days, I have been manipulating the minions of this pension with the power of the Edict.

To put it bluntly, everything was a lie.

I ordered a total of three people to find out the same information at regular intervals.

But their words were all different, and even the same person sometimes conveyed different facts.

At first, I suspected that the power of the Edict had decreased, but that was not the case.

The mastermind fabricated false information as if it were true to everyone working here, and they are currently believing that their words are the true truth and conveying it to me.

‘They understand the principle of the Edict, and they knew in advance that I would come out like this. What does that bastard want? I confirmed that they can’t treat me carelessly, but I don’t know what that bastard wants.’

Maybe it’s because they fear the power of the Edict that I have.

Of course, I didn’t want to use the power of the Edict for such a trivial matter.

In the process of preparing for an all-out war with Doan, using such a powerful power as declaring a general mobilization order entailed that much risk.

But right now, I don’t have that much support or justification.

I have to solve this difficulty only with myself, with my own strength.

There must be a way.

I couldn’t just sit still in this pension and watch the bastard move first.

There must be something. That something.

A way to let everyone outside know that I am here, even while sitting still inside.

“…….”

Clang-.

The bell attached to the front door shook.

The wind began to blow fiercely.

I got a hint from that bell.

It was a bell.

* * *

Taming Ogres.

That was one of the most powerful powers I had.

Because of this taming, the ogre became Mangyeong’s faithful combat slave and a powerful national defense force. The powerful national defense force formed in this way had the effect of suppressing war.

When I first started taming ogres, and when I put ogres into combat and labor, the citizens of Mangyeong united and began to worship me, which contributed to raising the approval rating to the extreme.

The way to use ogres is simple.

Most of the individuals wandering around Mangyeong now are sensitive to the sound of bells.

Using that bell sound, I can let the entire force know that I am trapped in this Surisan.

At the same time, no damage will occur, and the mastermind will kneel down and submit on his own.

But even if I use the bell, there was a problem.

How to deliver the bell sound to the ogres scattered in each force and gather them.

No matter how big a bell I ring, this place is a bit out of Mangyeong city, so the effect will be minimal.

So, I thought of a sphere.

Use a sphere to make a ‘bell’.

Send the bell made in that way to each part of the force.

Ring the bell to give the ogres a ‘gather’ command.

That will move the ogres.

The bastards have been trained to prioritize absolute commands during bell ringing.

And only I knew the syllables of that absolute command bell sound.

That will gather the ogres to this Surisan area.

Jin Jaehee told me.

When I fainted, I made all sorts of things with spheres and lines.

But whether the current me can do such a thing is unknown.

Because I haven’t done it.

I squinted and looked at the woman sitting like a doll on the opposite side.

“…….”

The woman was sitting there still, without even blinking an eyelid.

Even though this was my personal space, their surveillance continued.

I had to think of a way to hone my artifact while avoiding their eyes.

It was simpler than I thought.

A space that even they couldn’t see.

That was inside the blanket.

‘Damn it. It’s not easy to move inside the blanket.’

Except for going out for meals, bathroom, and simple breaks, I was lying in bed all the time.

Covered with a blanket, I released the artifact and gathered spheres.

It was hard.

In the first place, it was difficult to change the shape of the sphere into a line.

But to meticulously manipulate and create a sphere into a bell of a certain shape, and even among the shapes of the bell, to create a bell that can make the ‘absolute command voice’ was as difficult as picking stars in the sky.

‘But I have to do it.’

One day, two days, three days.

I repeated it several times and carefully honed the artifact.

Every day, my whole body was covered in sweat, and I fainted several times a day.

To hone the artifact, I had to be prepared for this much effort.

And how many days had passed?

Just when I was worried about what happened to my colleagues, I did it.

I created a ‘bell’.

Now it was time to educate the unruly bastard who didn’t listen.

I don’t know who that unruly bastard is.

* * *

Land Department Head’s office.

Gil Daeheon opened the door and came in, bowing to Lee Seokjin.

Lee Seokjin wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at him.

“How is it? So. Is there anything special?”

Lee Seokjin was exhausted from the ongoing talks with Gangnam for several days.

It was always Lee Seokjin’s job to cater to the tastes of the Gangnam officials.

Gil Daeheon reported to Lee Seokjin.

“There’s nothing special, Department Head. For the first two or three days, he seemed frustrated and wandered around the pension, but now he spends the day in the blanket. There’s nothing else special.”

“……He’s staying still?”

Lee Seokjin couldn’t understand the hero’s actions.

A hero must have something in mind.

But everything would be limited in the blanket.

What on earth is he doing in the blanket?

Lee Seokjin was frustrated because he couldn’t check it himself.

Anyway, he had to end the talks with the Gangnam officials as soon as possible.

The later the disposition of the hero, the more dangerous it would be.

Tuk, tuk, tuk.

Lee Seokjin slowly tapped the desk with his finger.

It was a habit he had when he was thinking about something.

“What’s the situation with the three losers?”

As Lee Seokjin’s voice lowered, Gil Daeheon tensed up and spoke quietly.

“Ah, they’re not dead yet. Choi Myungjoon and Choi Hyunji are not showing any special moves, but Jin Jaehee of the 3rd cell block has currently played a game once and won.”

“What?”

Lee Seokjin glared at Gil Inho with sharp eyes.

Gil Daeheon bowed his head and avoided his gaze.

At that time, the secretary came into the department head’s office.

He slowly brought a cup of warm green tea and placed it on the department head’s desk.

“It’s hot. Be careful.”

At that moment.

Thud-! Thump. Thump. Thump.

Lee Seokjin grabbed the hot green tea and approached Gil Daeheon, who was bowing his head.

And he poured it on Gil Daeheon’s head.

Sizzle-!

“?!”

“…….”

The secretary who brought the green tea was surprised, and Lee Seokjin, who was pouring the green tea, and Gil Daeheon, who was soaked in green tea, were expressionless.

It was green tea hot enough to cause burns.

But Gil Daeheon silently accepted it without changing his expression.

Clang-! Ting, clatter-.

Lee Seokjin threw the stainless steel cup on the floor and said.

“Solve those three bastards right away. I don’t care what you do. Otherwise, I’ll tear you and your family, all your precious things, to pieces and make them ogre food.”

“…….”

Lee Seokjin held out his hand without saying a word, and the secretary quickly brought a towel and placed it in his hand.

Lee Seokjin wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and left the department head’s office.

Gil Daeheon, who had been bowing his head until he had completely left, finally raised his head.

He wiped the water droplets from his glasses with a handkerchief without any change in expression.

Muttering a curse.

“X-bal……. You mean do as you please?”

Gil Daeheon tilted his wet head back and smiled slyly.

“Okay. In my own way. Now I’ll do as I please.”

Gil Daeheon gestured from outside.

Then his subordinate ran up to him.

“……Prepare 30 kids from Metro. Now I’m going to do it my way.”

(Continued in the next episode)