The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 168

168. Assembly (2)

The moment the Ogres assembled, everything within the Faction began to revolve around Kang Si-On.

Kang Si-On’s intention was simple: to reclaim control of the Faction.

The incident at Bitnam was just an accident, and a method was needed to rectify it.

Using force would result in too much loss.

He needed to consider another way.

That’s why Kang Si-On was confined here, devising a plan.

He assessed what the enemies were doing and how the Faction had changed over the past five years, grasping how they had seized control.

Within the Faction, the use of Artifacts was completely forbidden.

However, that was only when used for attack or threatening means; using them for other purposes was not prohibited.

Especially in cases like this, where the purpose wasn’t to attack, it could be justified.

Kang Si-On exploited that point, using the rules to target the loopholes of those who had confined him.

“Ugh, save me! Please! I’m sorry!”

“Please forgive me… Forgiveness…!”

“…”

Kang Si-On, with his hands in his pockets, looked up at them.

The agents who had confined him in this pension were now being devoured alive by the Ogres.

They screamed even as they were being swallowed into the Ogres’ throats.

Kang Si-On felt no pity or sympathy.

He had only one thought in mind.

Purge all accomplices and dissenters.

‘Man-kyung is my city.’

From the beginning, Si-On had planned to make Man-kyung, a single, massive Faction, his own.

Like the absolute monarchy era of France, where the entire Faction was essentially the individual, boasting powerful royal authority.

Si-On governed and controlled the Faction, gradually increasing his power.

But if anyone tried to interfere with his plans, he would mercilessly eliminate them.

There was no mercy in the process.

For disobedient dogs, a suitable club; for dogs that bite their owner, skin them and throw them into a pot.

-Krrr…

The largest Ogre crouched down and placed its palm in front of Si-On.

Si-On climbed onto it, onto its shoulder as before.

He sat on the Ogre’s deeply hollowed collarbone, looking out over the panorama of Man-kyung.

The scenery of the developed city was truly beautiful.

Around the developed city’s scenery, several Ogres still gathering in Suri Mountain could be seen, and hundreds of Ogres centered around this summit were looking up at Kang Si-On alone.

If Si-On were to order them to trample everything in this city here.

They would do it.

If he told them to devour all the humans in the city, they would do that too.

The Ogres were Kang Si-On’s loyal henchmen.

Kang Si-On clenched his fist and withdrew the Artifact.

His spheres scattered throughout the city began to gather again.

After some time, the top executives of the Faction who approached this place prostrated themselves the moment they saw Kang Si-On.

The fear he had instilled in the city was truly effective.

* * *

The Ministers, having confirmed that the Artifacts were gathering in one place, began to move hastily.

“Hurry! We must head to where the spheres are gathering.”

“Now is the time to remain calm. Set up security first, and deploy the military police to control the citizens.”

“Move it. Quickly, quickly!”

The Ministers began to move swiftly.

It was clear that the Hero had returned, and they had to make their own preparations to welcome him.

The situation had changed rapidly.

It wasn’t just the Ministers of Man-kyung who were bewildered by the massive change; the Ministers of Gangnam were the same.

They stood there awkwardly, unable to say a word.

They exchanged words among themselves, but the conversations were not fruitful.

Before they knew it, only the Land Minister, the Commander-in-Chief, and Ha Yun-Ha, who was kneeling and sobbing, remained on the rooftop.

Land Minister Lee Seok-Jin looked at Ha Yun-Ha and thought.

‘The Emperor still doesn’t know what I’ve done. I’ve hidden it thoroughly.’

Land Minister Lee Seok-Jin maintained his composure and approached Ha Yun-Ha.

Then, the Commander-in-Chief blocked his path.

“Do not approach the Emperor.”

“…”

Lee Seok-Jin looked up at Commander-in-Chief Hwang Min-Jae.

He was looking down at Lee Seok-Jin with a fierce expression.

The atmosphere was definitely different from before. Hwang Min-Jae was expressing his willingness to use force at any moment with his entire body.

But he lacked the grounds to act.

Sensing this, Lee Seok-Jin stepped forward confidently.

“Why are you doing this? I’m perplexed that you harbor such animosity towards me.”

Ha Yun-Ha remained silent, and Commander-in-Chief Hwang Min-Jae said to him.

“Within this Faction, it was you and the Ministers of the Progressive Party who were skeptical about the Hero.”

“That’s absurd. If the Hero has returned, it’s only natural to show him due respect. Why would I oppose him?”

“Do you think we’re fools? Land Minister.”

The Commander-in-Chief took a step forward, and Lee Seok-Jin naturally took a step back.

“The Hero has returned. And he is at your pension on Suri Mountain. The fact that the Hero sent a kind of ‘request for rescue’ from there is certainly not unrelated to you.”

“That’s speculation.”

“Whether it’s speculation or not, the Hero will explain. Until then, you are arrested because there is a possibility of you fleeing and destroying evidence.”

The Commander-in-Chief reached out to grab Lee Seok-Jin.

But Lee Seok-Jin adamantly refused.

“I refuse. Everything you’ve said is just conjecture. Do you have any evidence? Man-kyung is no longer a barbarically run Faction. Man-kyung is a systematic and civilized Faction. If you want to arrest me, bring evidence that justifies it.”

“…”

Lee Seok-Jin intended to flee. All he needed was to buy a little time here.

But then, Ha Yun-Ha stepped forward.

“Proof?”

Ha Yun-Ha’s voice was low and delicate, echoing on the rooftop.

The Commander-in-Chief turned around, and Lee Seok-Jin looked at her with trembling eyes.

Ha Yun-Ha’s face, which had lifted, was swollen from crying.

Even so, it couldn’t hide the Emperor’s beauty.

“Proof is simple.”

Ha Yun-Ha grabbed her necklace and tore it off, throwing it away.

Thud-. Thwack!

That necklace had been restricting her abilities until now.

With it gone, she could use Artifacts.

Her Artifact was absolute.

Simply by touching someone’s body, she could see their past.

The reason she had been wearing the necklace until now was simple.

To honor the Hero’s wishes.

It was also to adhere to Man-kyung’s basic principle of valuing individual autonomy unless absolutely necessary.

But all of this is meaningless in front of Kang Si-On.

Ha Yun-Ha stood up and approached Lee Seok-Jin.

Swallowing her tears, she extended her beautiful hand to him and said.

“Take it. My hand.”

“…”

Lee Seok-Jin knew very well that taking that hand would be the end.

That’s why he began to bring up the Basic Law [Man-kyung’s constitution].

“It’s impossible for the supreme leader of Man-kyung to violate the Basic Laws of Man-kyung. I refuse.”

In response to Lee Seok-Jin’s rebuttal, Ha Yun-Ha took a steady breath and said.

“The supreme leader of Man-kyung is…”

At that moment, the Commander-in-Chief forcibly subdued Lee Seok-Jin. Lee Seok-Jin let out a cry as he tried to escape, but he couldn’t overpower the Commander-in-Chief with brute force.

Lee Seok-Jin hung his head like a subdued mutt, and Ha Yun-Ha said to him.

“…Only Kang Si-On. I have never once thought of myself as the leader of this Faction. I am merely his proxy.”

Ha Yun-Ha placed her hand on Lee Seok-Jin’s forehead.

At that moment, his past began to flow into Ha Yun-Ha’s mind.

All the criminal acts that Lee Seok-Jin had committed were vividly visible.

Not only the things he had done to Kang Si-On but also the things he had done to his colleagues, information about illegal human trafficking related to the Nest [a criminal organization], and so on.

The moment she confirmed all those facts, Ha Yun-Ha knew.

That all the corrupt crimes that had occurred in Man-kyung were, in fact, directly related to Lee Seok-Jin.

Ha Yun-Ha slowly removed her hand from Lee Seok-Jin’s forehead.

Lee Seok-Jin’s eyes were shaking wildly.

“How dare you.”

Ha Yun-Ha’s beautiful forehead had veins popping out due to the rising anger, and her expression was distorted.

Ha Yun-Ha concluded in a beautiful voice.

“…Mock the Hero.”

A person who doesn’t get angry often changes the moment they do get angry.

Ha Yun-Ha was now beyond just being angry; she was greatly enraged.

Above all, she was furious at Lee Seok-Jin’s actions of mocking her, trapping her, and mistreating the Hero.

“Commander-in-Chief.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Thud-.

Ha Yun-Ha grabbed the Commander-in-Chief’s wrist and handed over all the information she had on Lee Seok-Jin.

Then, turning away from there, she said coldly.

“Arrest them all without exception. I hereby declare martial law.”

Accomplices, traitors, hypocrites, and all the corrupt elements of Man-kyung must be uprooted.

The Commander-in-Chief, holding Lee Seok-Jin, bowed his head to her.

“As you command.”

Commander-in-Chief Hwang Min-Jae was also furious.

Because Lee Seok-Jin’s memories clearly included his longtime brother, ‘Choi Myung-Joon.’

Declaration of martial law.

Man-kyung had now begun the full-scale operation to cut away the rotten flesh.

To cut away the rotten flesh, sacrifices were inevitable.

* * *

The poisonous mushrooms within the Faction tend to sprout from the darkest spaces of the city.

The Nest, the Colosseum.

Armed military police began to pour into the Colosseum.

The military police captain shouted.

“Arrest them all! You may use force if they resist.”

“Yes, sir!”

As the troops poured in, the Colosseum instantly turned into a scene of chaos.

The military police, wielding batons, began to arrest the guards.

The slave market that had been operating here.

Those involved in that market were being arrested one by one.

The resisting guards were subdued with ruthless batons, and their arrests were carried out regardless of status.

Not only the guards but also the slave traders who had been watching the matches from the VIP seats were indiscriminately arrested once they were identified as criminals.

“Who do you think you are, arresting us? We are citizens of Gangnam!”

They argued that they didn’t have to follow Man-kyung’s laws because they were outsiders, but that was meaningless in the face of the Emperor’s orders.

As the military police gripped their batons tightly and approached them, they lowered their tails and surrendered obediently.

Because they were overwhelmed by the chilling fear that resisting would lead to a ruthless death.

The military police finally stormed into the arena.

But their purpose was to escort someone.

Jin Jae-Hee and her companions were watching them from among the piles of gladiators’ corpses.

The officer leading the military police approached them and immediately bowed his head deeply.

“I apologize for not recognizing you sooner. We have come to escort the Hero’s companions under the Emperor’s orders. Please come with us.”

He politely extended his hand.

Then, Choi Hyun-Ji, who had been whining about being scared until now, suddenly shouted triumphantly.

“Yeah! This treatment is over the top! Isn’t it? Who do you think we are!”

“We are deeply sorry. We will escort you to the palace.”

“That’s good enough!”

Choi Hyun-Ji strode forward and tried to follow them, but Jin Jae-Hee was faster.

Jin Jae-Hee blocked Choi Hyun-Ji and approached the military police captain.

The military police captain was extremely nervous and still couldn’t lift his head.

“Give me the key first.”

Jin Jae-Hee pointed to the collar around her neck and said.

The moment she removed the collar, she would be able to unleash 100% of her power.

Nevertheless, the military police captain didn’t hesitate and found the key, handing it to her.

Clang-. Clunk!

The moment she removed the shackles-like collar, Jin Jae-Hee’s eyes were filled with murderous intent.

The military police captain couldn’t even open his mouth due to the murderous aura he felt.

“Who is the ringleader?”

“We are investigating, but… Not yet…”

“Where is Si-On?”

“The Hero is on Suri Mountain. Our top executives are there now.”

“Enough, take me there.”

Jin Jae-Hee’s hair began to turn silver.

She couldn’t hide her rising anger.

The rotten roots of Man-kyung must be cleaned up.

The military police force would not be enough.

And those who dared to try to surpass Kang Si-On had to be uprooted and educated.

She had countless thoughts like these while trapped inside this Nest.

In front of her, the military police captain lowered his head even further and said silently.

“I will guide you.”

Meanwhile, Lee Ho-Seung, who had been watching all of this from behind Jin Jae-Hee, couldn’t calm his trembling heart.

Because he remembered the story that Jin Jae-Hee had told him inside the Nest.

Kang Si-On.

That the moment he saw him, things would change.

That Jin Jae-Hee’s story that he was the only person who could end this league.

Lee Ho-Seung witnessed what had just happened and realized why Jin Jae-Hee trusted Kang Si-On so strongly.

To use an analogy to Go [a strategy board game], he was a person who could reverse the entire situation with a single move, even in a game where everything was blocked.

He was on a different level from the people Lee Ho-Seung had met until now.

Kang Si-On.

In Lee Ho-Seung’s eyes, he was closer to a god than a human.

(To be continued in the next episode)