The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 186

186. Ruler of Seoul (2)

Kang Si-On gently placed Jin Jae-Hee on the riverside and addressed Hwang Min-Jae, who was approaching.

“Take care of Jin Jae-Hee.”

“Yes, sir.”

Hwang Min-Jae acknowledged the order. He directed nearby personnel to attend to the injured Jin Jae-Hee.

The enemy’s anticipated infiltration route had been identified.

Since the entry point into the underground was clear, troops would be dispatched to sever their supply lines, which were stretched thin.

Then, mop up the remaining forces.

Kang Si-On was now ready to play his final card.

All that remained was to secure victory.

Kang Si-On walked towards the riverbank.

Commanders and soldiers from various units had gathered there.

Among them was Lee Ho-Seung, Jin Jae-Hee’s friend.

Kang Si-On addressed them with a commanding voice.

“Once the bridge is destroyed, our preparations will be complete. All that remains is to unleash our courage. Sweep away the remaining forces south of the Han River. I will give this battle everything I have, and I expect you to do the same. Fight for your survival!”

Kang Si-On clenched his fist, prompting a resounding roar from the commanders and soldiers.

“Uwaaaaaaaah-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“Euaaaaaaaah-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Their shouts were deafening.

So deafening, in fact, that they masked the screams of the hunters being devoured by Slediman in the Han River.

Kang Si-On immediately transformed the sphere into a bell.

The clear sound of the bell resonated throughout the entire unit.

The ogres, recognizing their master’s command, raised their heads.

“Kill them. Kill them all…! We are the masters of Seoul.”

Kang Si-On was confident.

He was confident that he would survive the past five years of conflict and emerge victorious from this four-way battle.

* * *

As the full moon emblem created by Kang Si-On’s sphere became visible in the distance, Choi Myung-Joon immediately mobilized his elite team [队员 – duì yuán: team members].

Choi Myung-Joon and his team members blackened their faces with charcoal, steeled their resolve, and left the building.

Already, countless hunters armed with spears and swords were rushing towards the Han River through the streets.

The urgency in their voices was palpable.

“The Mapo Bridge has reportedly collapsed!”

“Those bastards! Are they crazy! Don’t they realize that destroying the Mapo Bridge will hurt them too!”

“Move quickly! The President has ordered all forces to the Han River!”

“Those damn bastards! I’ll kill them all!”

Choi Myung-Joon waited for the hunters to pass, then swiftly crossed the road.

The 800 elite team members moved with precision at Choi Myung-Joon’s command.

Choi Myung-Joon remained vigilant.

Slowly, secretly, and steadily, they advanced towards the enemy’s final stronghold.

The 800 moved as a single entity.

They stopped when Choi Myung-Joon signaled them to stop. They moved when he signaled them to move. They held their breath when he signaled them to hold it.

The highly trained elite team members could communicate without uttering a word.

Any hunters guarding the path were swiftly eliminated.

Swish- Thud!

“Cough… !”

“Ugh… !”

Choi Myung-Joon captured one of the hunters alive.

The hunter struggled to break free, but the elite team members held her down with overwhelming force.

Choi Myung-Joon held a knife to the hunter’s throat and spoke in a menacing tone.

“Answer my questions, and I’ll spare you. Otherwise, I’ll pluck out your eyeballs one by one and kill you as slowly and painfully as possible.”

The captured hunter nodded, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Is it true that the monster from Gangbuk is in Gyeongbok Palace?”

The hunter only wept, offering no response.

Without hesitation, Choi Myung-Joon plunged the knife into the hunter’s eye.

Blood spurted out, and the hunter screamed in agony.

However, the elite team members muffled her mouth, preventing the sound from escaping.

Choi Myung-Joon repeated his question.

“Last chance. Even if you don’t tell me, I can simply capture another one and ask. Is it true that the monster from Gangbuk is in Gyeongbok Palace?”

The hunter nodded frantically, blood streaming down her face.

Immediately after hearing her confirmation, Choi Myung-Joon slit her throat.

Blood gushed out, and her body went limp.

In truth, there was no need to ask.

Choi Myung-Joon already knew the answer.

He was merely confirming it one last time before launching the full-scale operation.

Choi Myung-Joon ordered the team members to proceed as planned.

The elite team members resumed their advance.

They managed to reach the vicinity of Gyeongbok Palace overnight.

And despite the partial damage to Gyeongbok Palace, the monster’s immense size was clearly visible.

Even with attempts to conceal it with cloth, the monster’s presence was undeniable.

Of course, its size was different from Man-gyeong’s monster.

Man-gyeong’s monster was significantly larger and appeared healthier.

As Kang Si-On had predicted, the North King lacked the ability to control the monster.

If left unchecked, the monster would gradually weaken and eventually die.

Choi Myung-Joon surveyed the area.

‘The security is tight.’

Numerous hunters guarded Gyeongbok Palace.

And they appeared distinct from the other hunters.

They lacked organization and wore mismatched clothing and weapons.

But Choi Myung-Joon did not hesitate.

Choi Myung-Joon ordered his team to draw their weapons.

Instantly, the team members unsheathed their *hoikal* [회칼 – hoe kal: a type of Korean knife or short sword].

Until now, the weapons had been concealed beneath their clothing to prevent the blades from reflecting light.

There was no longer a need for concealment.

The battle they had been anticipating was about to commence.

Choi Myung-Joon didn’t even need to issue a command.

They moved instinctively.

They had to proceed with utmost caution, as enemies with guns were positioned ahead.

Perhaps the North King’s forces had grown complacent, as there were fewer than ten hunters armed with guns.

One of the elite team members grabbed a dagger and hurled it at a shooter from a distance of 20 meters.

Swish- Thud!

The thrown dagger struck the shooter’s neck with deadly accuracy.

It was a flawless assassination.

The hunters with guns, startled by the sudden death of their comrade, warily scanned their surroundings, but it was too late.

Swish- Thud thud thud thud!!!

The daggers thrown by the elite team members found their marks with unerring precision.

Dagger throwing was a standard initiation procedure for the elite team members.

As such, they were able to swiftly neutralize the enemies with their exceptional aim.

Choi Myung-Joon slowly advanced towards the main gate of Gyeongbok Palace.

Dozens of elite team members walked alongside him.

Additionally, other elite team members scaled the palace walls and infiltrated the interior in one swift motion.

800 may seem like a small number for a military unit.

But it was a significant force for an assassination squad.

800 assassins. This was an absurdly large number that had the potential to alter the course of the war.

“You-! Who are you!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Get the guns!”

The sounds of combat echoed from beyond the walls.

Choi Myung-Joon opened the palace gate and entered the inner park.

However, Choi Myung-Joon’s elite team members were also caught off guard.

Taang-! Pow!

A bullet struck Choi Myung-Joon’s right abdomen.

“…”

Choi Myung-Joon staggered and touched the bright red blood flowing from his wound.

He looked ahead.

The elite team members were engaged in a fierce battle with the internal security hunters.

It was immediately apparent.

The internal security hunters were professionally trained.

Moreover, they were fighting on par with the elite team members.

Choi Myung-Joon’s gunshot wound began to heal.

He looked around and realized that his elite team members were gradually being pushed back.

Choi Myung-Joon pondered.

‘Gangbuk, could it be…’

According to his *hyungnim* [형님 – hyeongnim: older brother or respected male figure], Gangbuk was a place where organized crime members formed small groups, and eventually, the one who rose to the top through rounds became the king.

He couldn’t be certain.

But the big *hyungnim* Choi Myung-Joon used to serve also ran a violent organization based in Gangbuk.

That’s why Choi Myung-Joon was cautious about this expedition.

Choi Myung-Joon, who first met Kang Si-On at the Manan Police Station, had a reason to get out of jail.

That was to go and serve his big *hyungnim*.

The big *hyungnim* was a benefactor to Choi Myung-Joon.

He had embraced him, who was just a neighborhood thug, in prison and, furthermore, was the first to recognize his abilities.

Choi Myung-Joon had sworn to give his life for his big *hyungnim* and had lived serving him ever since.

However, as he went around with Kang Si-On, the whereabouts of his big *hyungnim* were unknown, and he had forgotten about it.

But now he remembered exactly.

Choi Myung-Joon organized his thoughts.

‘I can’t be sure. They could just be other members.’

Organized crime. Many organizations had disbanded in the 21st century, but some organizations were still continuing their lineage.

Choi Myung-Joon hoped that the king of Gangbuk here was not his big *hyungnim*.

“Haa…”

Red smoke emanated from Choi Myung-Joon’s mouth.

His artifact ability was Berserker.

It wasn’t as flashy as Jin Jae-Hee’s impact, nor was it as practical as Choi Hyun-Ji’s.

But the reason why this artifact was called the God of War was simple.

Because the more he was injured, the more superhuman power he could unleash.

Especially in a one-to-many situation, Choi Myung-Joon’s power was absolute.

As Choi Myung-Joon charged forward, the elite team members next to him also rushed in to support their comrades.

Swish- Crack!!!!

Choi Myung-Joon lunged at one of the hunters and twisted his neck in an instant.

A nearby hunter, startled, swung his *hoikal* at Choi Myung-Joon.

“You, you bastard!”

Thud-!

The *hoikal* pierced Choi Myung-Joon’s side, and the more it did, the stronger he became.

Boom- Pow!!!

The hunter’s face was caved in by Choi Myung-Joon’s simple punch.

The hunter sprayed blood in all directions and collapsed dead.

Once again, a hunter with a gun fired bullets.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets fired by the hunter struck Choi Myung-Joon’s shoulder, thigh, and ribs, respectively.

It was a serious injury that would have subdued an ordinary person instantly.

But the more he was injured, the faster and stronger he became.

Boom-! Crack!!!

Choi Myung-Joon’s fist was now so powerful that it exploded beyond the level of caving in the target.

Every time he swung his fist, the finely broken human skull burst in all directions.

Choi Myung-Joon did not stop.

He swung his fist at every guard he saw.

Boom-, Crack!

Boom-, Pow!

Now his fist was more powerful than ordinary bullets.

There was an explosion every time he swung his fist.

No matter how trained the guards protecting the monster were, they were no match for Choi Myung-Joon.

Choi Myung-Joon continued to massacre the enemy at the forefront.

He turned hunters with guns, hunters with swords, and even hunters who rushed at him all at once into blood paste with his bare fists.

Even before he obtained the artifact ability, Choi Myung-Joon was already a monster.

The moment such a monster obtained the artifact ability, he became a god.

The God of War.

Once the security forces of Gyeongbok Palace were roughly cleared, one of the elite team members rushed up to Choi Myung-Joon and reported.

“Captain. 105 team members died, about 200 were injured, and there are no enemies left.”

“…”

Choi Myung-Joon looked around.

Their blood and corpses were scattered all over the inside of Gyeongbok Palace.

Choi Myung-Joon took a deep breath.

There was still one place to check.

Choi Myung-Joon ordered his subordinate.

“Kill the monster.”

“Yes, sir.”

Choi Myung-Joon left those words and walked forward.

The team member asked him as he walked.

“Where are you going?”

But Choi Myung-Joon did not answer.

The place he was heading to was Geunjeongjeon.

* * *

Geunjeongjeon of Gyeongbok Palace.

It was originally a space where the king’s inauguration ceremony or grand ceremonies were held during the Joseon Dynasty.

Until now, quite a bit of its form had been maintained, and inside Geunjeongjeon, there was the *eojwa* [어좌 – eojwa: the king’s throne] where the king sat.

The *eojwa* was a seat that only the king of northern Seoul could sit on.

An old man was sitting in that seat.

A middle-aged man nearing old age with graying hair.

North King Kim Guk-Jong.

He was the former boss of the Black Dragon Clan and is now a man who has been conquered by the Metro forces and become the *gyoju’s* [교주 – gyo ju: religious leader or cult leader] sword.

Kim Guk-Jong had a huge black dragon tattoo on his back.

Just like Choi Myung-Joon.

Kim Guk-Jong was sitting on the *eojwa* like a king, looking down.

Choi Myung-Joon walked up to that Geunjeongjeon.

His heavy footsteps echoed in Geunjeongjeon.

Choi Myung-Joon said.

“…I hoped it wasn’t you.”

Kim Guk-Jong did not answer.

After a moment of silence, Choi Myung-Joon spoke again.

“…I really hoped it wasn’t you.”

Kim Guk-Jong still did not answer, and Choi Myung-Joon finally entered Geunjeongjeon.

There was a trail of blood on the path he had walked.