The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 188

188. Upheaval (1)

Jin Jaehee’s eyes widened, her expression a mix of shock and fury.

Chae Chaeyeon, having trapped Kang Si-On inside the mushroom, smirked. “Oh, my! Could this be the *oppa* [term of endearment for an older brother or male friend] who’s been hoarding all the cigarettes and alcohol? Hayoonha acted like an empress, but she said she was waiting for a hero. Now that the hero’s back, Mankyung’s leadership must be changing hands. Ah, that’s right, *this* *oppa* did it. Maybe Junho will finally forgive me?”

In a flash, Jin Jaehee was upon Chae Chaeyeon, her holy sword a blur as she slashed.

*Whoosh-* *Clash!*

Chae Chaeyeon’s body was instantly cleaved in two.

Jin Jaehee’s voice was cold. “Who dares to forgive whom?”

Chae Chaeyeon’s eyes widened in mock surprise.

Then, she pursed her lips and exclaimed, “Wow, that’s fast! I can’t even see it!”

Her bisected body dissolved into spores and scattered. It was just a clone.

Chae Chaeyeon was still standing unharmed behind Jin Jaehee.

“Woah, calm down! I’m not trying to hurt anyone. Are you, like, a bodyguard or something?”

Chae Chaeyeon’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, and Jin Jaehee was in no mood for pleasantries.

Reason had fled. Kang Si-On had been snatched away right in front of her, and her emotions were a tempest.

She glared at Chae Chaeyeon, her gaze promising violence.

Her eyes burned with an intensity that surpassed anything she’d felt before.

Chae Chaeyeon offered a saccharine smile. “Let’s not start off on the wrong foot, okay?”

But Jin Jaehee was deaf to her words.

“Give him back.”

Jin Jaehee’s eyes narrowed, and Chae Chaeyeon chuckled. “Is Kang Si-On *yours*? Why are you so worked up?”

“I won’t ask again.”

“Ah, noisy, noisy! Why are you being so–”

Before Chae Chaeyeon could finish, she was sliced in two again.

But, as before, it was merely a clone.

Seeing that Jin Jaehee wasn’t listening to reason, Chae Chaeyeon frowned.

“Ugh, are you some kind of monkey?! Do you just charge in like you’re in heat when you see a banana? I’m telling you–”

Even as she spoke, Jin Jaehee attacked again.

*Whoosh-* *Clash!*

Now, Chae Chaeyeon’s patience snapped, and her voice dropped an octave. “So, you’re not the type to listen, huh? You little– Fine, me neither.”

*Clap!*

Chae Chaeyeon clapped her hands together.

“You asked for it.”

At that moment, colossal mushrooms erupted from the earth, dominating the landscape.

*Shushushushushut!*

The mushrooms tore through the asphalt, transforming the battlefield.

On the battlefield, Mankyung soldiers and Metro hunters alike paused their fighting, mesmerized by the sudden fungal invasion.

Chae Chaeyeon’s frown deepened. “You think I’m a pushover, don’t you? Well, I’ll make sure you never think that again.”

The moment Chae Chaeyeon released her clasped hands…

*Pshooooo…*

The artifact’s power surged to life.

Purple spores billowed from the mushrooms, like poisonous smoke. Some mushrooms even spewed spores from their caps like grotesque fountains.

Jin Jaehee, seeing the spores, quickly covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve.

‘Poison…?’

A soldier, caught off guard, inhaled the purple spores.

He let out a strangled cry.

“Cough!”

The soldier aged at an accelerated rate. Wrinkles appeared, his skin sagged, and he withered into a corpse before anyone could react.

Meanwhile, the hunters remained unaffected, protected by their gas masks.

Witnessing the carnage, Jin Jaehee took to the sky to escape the spores.

But the spores were spreading rapidly across the battlefield.

Chae Chaeyeon, surrounded by the swirling spores, looked up and shouted, “You little– Now do you want to talk?! You think I can’t reach you up there?”

Chae Chaeyeon spat on the ground and approached the mushroom pillar imprisoning Kang Si-On.

“Now, now. Let’s see what kind of gift we have for our darling~?”

After all, that woman Jin Jaehee won’t be able to come down here.

The spores spread here are a deadly poison that will kill you if you just take a breath.

Even players couldn’t withstand Chae Chaeyeon’s poison.

Chae Chaeyeon gently placed her hand on the mushroom pillar where Kang Si-On was trapped.

At that moment, the mushroom pillar split along the grain, revealing Kang Si-On’s figure.

“Ah… How much will he like it? I’ve introduced him to the *hyung* [older brother] he’s been dreaming of. Now he won’t be able to get away from me.”

Chae Chaeyeon caressed Kang Si-On’s cheek.

On Kang Si-On’s face, the face of Kang Junho faintly appeared.

Of course, in Chae Chaeyeon’s eyes, Kang Junho was much cooler and taller.

“Junho praised *oppa* to the skies. But he’s not that great in person… Well, anyway, he’s definitely the Kang Si-On I saw in the picture.”

Chae Chaeyeon withdrew her hand again and closed the mushroom pillar.

But before the mushroom pillar was completely closed.

*Puaaak-!*

Kang Si-On suddenly opened his eyes and reached out his hand.

“?!”

“…!”

Si-On’s hand grabbed Chae Chaeyeon’s neck.

And Si-On slowly came out of the mushroom pillar and pounced on her.

The two immediately fell backward.

*Thud!*

Kang Si-On got on top of her and, still strangling her neck, said.

“You cheeky bitch…”

At that moment, the lines formed around Kang Si-On began to spin rapidly.

Like a fan spinning.

*Whirr-* *Whirr-* *Whirr-.*

The spores flew in all directions along the wind created by the lines.

Chae Chaeyeon was choked by Kang Si-On and gasped.

Kang Si-On frowned at Chae Chaeyeon and said.

“…Don’t you dare touch.”

At that moment.

Jin Jaehee descended from the sky, not missing the opportunity to let the spores fly away.

And she immediately plunged the holy sword into Chae Chaeyeon’s forehead.

The moment the holy sword was embedded in Chae Chaeyeon’s forehead, the ground completely collapsed.

*Thud-* *Boom!*

A huge sinkhole was created here, and everything was sucked into it.

Jin Jaehee picked up Kang Si-On and flew away from the scene.

The two looked down at the scene where dust was rising.

There was no movement from Chae Chaeyeon.

The spores were all scattered by Kang Si-On.

All that remained on the battlefield was a huge sinkhole and the withered corpses of soldiers.

Kang Si-On said to Jin Jaehee, who was holding him.

“Put me down.”

“Okay.”

Kang Si-On got out of her arms and floated in the air.

He coughed once or twice and looked around.

His allied forces had suffered considerable damage due to Chae Chaeyeon’s attack.

The poison attack only harmed the soldiers of Mankyung, except for the hunters wearing gas masks.

Si-On was also complacent in that he didn’t initially guard against outsiders.

Of course, it’s not easy to be wary of outsiders in the midst of turmoil.

But more than that, Kang Si-On was more shocked to hear the story of his younger brother Junho.

At that time, Chae Chaeyeon appeared from the thick dust.

She groaned and muttered. “Ah… That definitely hurts a bit. A lot. Cough! Cough!”

But Jin Jaehee quickly subdued Chae Chaeyeon, who had barely gotten up, and slammed her back to the ground.

Kang Si-On followed Jin Jaehee to the ground and asked Chae Chaeyeon.

“What did Junho… say?”

Then Chae Chaeyeon, who was caught in Jin Jaehee’s grip, said with a smile. “Now you’re talking. Yes~? Cough cough! Oh, my, your brother is waiting. Kang Junho is. Haha. Or, well. Didn’t you care about your brother?”

At Chae Chaeyeon’s absurd provocation, Jin Jaehee tightened her grip.

*Squeeze…*

Chae Chaeyeon gasped as if in pain, then smiled again.

“Cough cough! Ah, I understand. I understand, so let’s talk after you let go of my hand.”

“Speak in this state.”

At that time, Si-On approached them, grabbed Jin Jaehee’s wrist, and stopped her.

“Wait. Not right now.”

After the commotion caused by the spores, the hunters were reorganizing their ranks and approaching again.

Reorganization was necessary after the sudden change.

Gunshots rang out again, and Kang Si-On began to gather spheres and trap Chae Chaeyeon.

Kang Si-On rationally assessed the situation and ordered.

“Let’s go back to the university first. We’ve lost too many troops.”

At Si-On’s words, Jin Jaehee summoned two holy swords and replied.

“I’ll cover you. Retreat with the troops first.”

She grabbed the two holy swords and immediately rushed towards the hunters.

* * *

*Splash-!*

Hot water was poured on Chae Chaeyeon.

She frowned slightly and then smiled. “It’s refreshing. Ahaha. Wakes me right up.”

Chae Chaeyeon was tied to a tree.

Her wrists were handcuffed with red gemstones, and her whole body was covered in wounds and bleeding profusely.

Nevertheless, Kang Si-On did not sympathize at all.

This was the price for massacring Mankyung soldiers with poison gas.

Originally, she should have been executed immediately, but Kang Si-On kept her alive.

Because there was information he needed to know.

He grabbed Chae Chaeyeon’s neck and lifted her up.

“Just answer the questions I ask. Where did you come from? And what’s this about my brother?”

“You shouldn’t be doing this to me…”

Chae Chaeyeon laughed even as she was bleeding.

She looked at Kang Si-On lewdly.

“I’m Junho’s girlfriend. Even if you’re his brother… Do you think Junho will stand still?”

“What?”

Kang Si-On frowned.

“What did I do… Is it a big deal that a few soldiers died… Besides, I clearly said let’s talk first.”

“…You tried to kidnap me.”

“I was protecting you! What your bodyguard couldn’t do… Hehehe… I did it for you… Ah, I’m really sad. I was expecting so much because you’re Junho’s brother.”

At Chae Chaeyeon’s words, Jin Jaehee bit her lower lip hard.

Chae Chaeyeon slightly opened her eyes and said.

“*Oppa*… Junho has been desperately looking for you. For the past 5 years… Where have you been hiding so well?”

“Where was Junho?”

“Junho was always in Suwon. He said he was going to look for *oppa*, but well. Eventually, he ended up living in Suwon… Ah, ah. It stings.”

Chae Chaeyeon moved as if she was uncomfortable.

The sound of chains was loud every time she moved.

Chae Chaeyeon turned her blurry eyes and looked at Jin Jaehee.

“But- I don’t know if the bodyguard is a bit emotional. Or should I say, thoughtless? Of course, it’s my fault that I immediately locked Si-On *oppa* up… No, honestly, I’m not a Mankyung soldier. What does it matter if I lock him up or not? Besides, she doesn’t even know what my purpose is and just rushes in and slashes without rhyme or reason… Ask before you act! Bodyguard-nim.”

Chae Chaeyeon’s eyes turned to Kang Si-On.

“Junho would never have done that.”

The question was strange.

Junho would never have done that.

It was Kang Si-On who felt his heart pounding when Chae Chaeyeon compared Kang Junho and Jin Jaehee.

Jin Jaehee was furious and shouted at her.

“Shut up. What do you know…!”

But at that moment, Kang Si-On cut off Jin Jaehee’s words and shouted.

“You too!”

Jin Jaehee flinched at his shout.

It was the first time.

It was the first time Si-On had shouted at Jaehee.

He turned to Jin Jaehee and said.

“…You need to be a little more rational. Don’t always act emotionally.”

Jin Jaehee shrank her shoulders when he shouted again.

Si-On turned his head back to Chae Chaeyeon, but he was glancing at Jaehee.

Chae Chaeyeon, who was watching the two of them, smiled secretly.

Kang Si-On now looked back at Chae Chaeyeon and asked.

“You can contact Suwon directly, right?”

“Where would that be? I have to go there myself.”

“Are you saying you’re going to go through the dense forest yourself?”

“Yes. Yes~ As you know, my ability is Poison, so I’m immune to the poison of the forest. So~ let me go. I’ll keep your torture a secret. Okay?”

“I can’t let you go. You killed my men, and you have to pay the price.”

“Junho will definitely hate it…”

Kang Si-On’s hand trembled slightly.

Jin Jaehee, who was sensitive to his small changes, noticed this.

Kang Si-On was a strong man in front of any being, but he became weak only in front of his younger brother.

Kang Si-On wanted to be considerate of Kang Junho.

Because Chae Chaeyeon could really be Kang Junho’s lover.

Kang Si-On was very careful.

More than any choice he had made in the past league.

And Jin Jaehee was also holding her breath and waiting for Kang Si-On’s choice.

This was a crossroads.

At this moment, Kang Si-On’s feelings were the most important.

Kang Si-On’s choices narrowed.

Even though Chae Chaeyeon was his subordinate, should he punish her for killing Mankyung’s soldiers?

Or should he release Chae Chaeyeon and have her bring Kang Junho to Mankyung?

Frankly speaking, Jin Jaehee desperately hoped that Kang Si-On would choose the former.

A country is not run by personal feelings.

If emotions are involved in handling official duties, it will surely lead to ruin.

Chae Chaeyeon was an existence that deserved to be punished.

That’s why Jin Jaehee expected Kang Si-On to make a wise choice.

After a long silence, Si-On opened his mouth.

(To be continued in the next episode)