The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 191

191. Three Days (2)

The rumor that the 079th Unit Commander had volunteered spread like wildfire.

The unit members, already on edge about being caught up in a potentially deadly operation, couldn’t suppress their anger.

Something felt off from the very beginning.

This operation involved the 079th Unit, along with the 041st and 080th Units.

The senior soldier spoke to Lee Ho-seung while pulling long socks over his ankle socks.

“It can’t be helped. What else can we do? The 079th Unit hasn’t earned any real merit since the war started.”

The senior’s words were logical.

Up until now, Lee Ho-seung’s unit had mostly followed behind, cleaning up after battles.

In fact, from the battles stretching from Gwanak, Dongjak, to Yeouido, and even the Seocho battle involving Chae Chae-yeon, the 079th Unit had never been at the forefront.

Lee Ho-seung, while attaching a dagger to his waist, asked the senior in a low voice.

“Are we all going to die?”

“Don’t jinx it. Just fetch water properly.”

“Ah, yes.”

Lee Ho-seung quickly went to the water container and filled a 500ml water bottle to the brim.

Plastic was still widely used even after the League’s collapse [referring to a post-apocalyptic societal structure].

Most food was stored in plastic rather than more expensive containers.

Lee Ho-seung generously filled three bottles with water and put them in his backpack.

There was no standard-issue equipment for a Mangyeong soldier.

When enlisting, soldiers were basically given a hiking backpack, which they used as military gear until they went into battle.

Inside the backpack were water, dried food, a lighter to start a fire, and various other necessities.

Lee Ho-seung approached the senior soldier.

He was wearing several layers of support around his waist.

“It’s to protect against getting stabbed in the gut. Want to wear some?”

“I’m okay.”

Lee Ho-seung politely declined the senior’s offer.

He remembered the teachings he had received from Jin Jae-hee back at the nest [likely a training facility or safe house].

Restricting movement would only hinder him in battle.

The departure was an hour away.

And that hour passed in a flash.

The 079th Unit Commander completed all combat preparations, received orders from command, and moved the troops.

The 079th Unit’s objective was to identify the enemy’s movement path and disrupt their operations.

In any case, for Kang Si-on’s main force to enter Mangyeong, they would have to go through Gwanaksan or the underground railroad.

If it were a small number of enemies, they might be able to cross Gwanaksan directly, but if a main force of more than 10,000 people crossed the mountain, the enemy would surely notice and respond.

Therefore, Si-on planned to move a small number of units to Gwanaksan to create a diversion, and then deploy the main force into Mangyeong within 3 days.

So, the 079th Unit was bait.

The unit members arrived at the Gwanaksan area near Seoul National University with heavy hearts.

The 079th Unit Commander addressed his subordinates.

“From now on, move silently. The unit will be divided into three groups, and we will first head to the summit of Gwanaksan. Listen carefully. Our goal is to find the enemy’s underground passage hidden somewhere in Gwanaksan. And if you encounter the enemy during the search, don’t hesitate to engage.”

The subordinates nodded in acknowledgment.

Lee Ho-seung gripped his *hoikal* [a type of knife] tightly and swallowed hard.

Lee Ho-seung and the senior soldier were assigned to the same unit and ordered to ascend Gwanaksan.

The leader of this unit was the senior soldier.

The senior soldier had once been a member of an elite squad, but he was reassigned to a regular infantry unit after failing during training.

No one questioned the senior soldier’s leadership.

“Alright, let’s move out.”

The senior soldier led the troops from the front, heading towards the mountain peak.

Gwanaksan had well-maintained hiking trails, but no one in their right mind would use them openly.

The senior soldier looked around and called for a break.

When hiking, breaks were necessary from time to time.

The soldiers carrying 10kg bags couldn’t reach the summit in one go.

Lee Ho-seung slowly approached the senior soldier and asked.

“What’s the plan?”

The senior soldier seemed nervous.

He wiped away beads of sweat, took a sip of water, and answered nonchalantly.

“Huh? Why are you asking me that? I don’t know either.”

“Excuse me?”

“You little punk. Just fight whoever shows up. What does a mere soldier have to do with tactics or anything?”

“…….”

It made sense, but the senior soldier held his life in his hands. Unable to back down, Lee Ho-seung asked again.

“Still, there must be something, right? Like… a strategy for when we encounter the enemy. Or, an escape route.”

“Even if you ask three times, my answer will be the same. I don’t know.”

Clink- clink-.

The senior soldier closed the lid of the water bottle.

Then, looking at the Seoul scenery visible below Gwanaksan, he said.

“I’ve realized something while doing this.”

“What is it……?”

“Soldiers are just pawns. Even if we rack our brains and make plans within this small battle, our minds go blank when we actually encounter the enemy, you know? Everything we’ve planned so far becomes useless. So, nothing matters. Just fight. Run away if you want to. Don’t overthink it.”

Lee Ho-seung didn’t fully understand his words.

But he decided to agree.

As he said, even if he asked three times, the answer would be the same.

But Lee Ho-seung added one thing.

“I’ll be by your side, senior.”

“Alright.”

The senior soldier calmly tore open a piece of beef jerky.

The break didn’t last long, and they arrived at the summit of Gwanaksan around noon.

* * *

The unit members, who had searched the Gwanaksan area from noon to evening, gathered at the summit, but nothing had happened.

Lee Ho-seung stepped away from the group and looked at the Mangyeong downtown area visible from the summit of Gwanaksan.

A sea of fire.

There was no other way to describe the scene.

The whole city was burning, and gunshots echoed everywhere, as if they would consume everything.

The people inside must be suffering.

‘Who are you to worry about others?’

Lee Ho-seung shook his head and returned to the group.

The commander of the 079th Unit was kicking the ground and irritably complaining.

“Why is it that there are no enemies wherever I go? They should be visible.”

The squad leaders gathered around the commander, offering insincere comfort.

Lee Ho-seung joined the group, sat down, and rested.

The quiet solitude of the mountain overlooking the summit was eerie.

While looking at the hillside, Lee Ho-seung clutched his stomach.

‘Damn it. Why now? I have a stomachache…….’

He looked around.

The soldiers were all exhausted, hanging their heads and resting.

Lee Ho-seung gathered dry leaves and went down the hillside.

In fact, he hated doing his business outside.

Even before this situation, he always preferred to do his business at home.

He also avoided public restrooms or department store restrooms.

But given the circumstances, he couldn’t be picky.

Ho-seung scouted for a suitable place and went quite deep.

It was a spot that others couldn’t easily find.

Lee Ho-seung lowered his pants and exposed his bare buttocks.

But nothing happened.

Even though his stomach really hurt and he was trying to relieve himself, nothing came out in this situation.

After sitting like that for a while, Lee Ho-seung realized that the ground he was stepping on felt strange.

‘……Oh, shit.’

Lee Ho-seung pulled up his pants and stomped on the ground with his feet.

It felt like stepping on soft grass.

At that moment, Lee Ho-seung’s heart sank.

He started groping around, digging up the dirt.

After digging up some dirt, he found a green net like the kind used on golf courses.

Lee Ho-seung took out the *hoikal* from his waist and cut the green net.

And he found a wooden door.

Anyone could tell that this was a secret passage for hunters [referring to individuals who scavenge or raid for resources].

‘…….’

Lee Ho-seung carefully put his ear to the wooden door and listened.

In the deep night, along with the sound of an owl, a young woman’s voice could be heard from inside the passage.

“Ah, mister! Did you fart?! Ah, really, let’s ventilate. It’s not like you took a dump.”

“Do that. But be careful. It seems like the Mangyeong guys have pushed up to the mountain peak.”

“How can those people come here? We’re underground.”

The young woman’s footsteps were getting closer and closer.

Lee Ho-seung’s heart began to race.

Lee Ho-seung, with trembling hands, pulled up his zipper and tried to leave.

But the young woman was faster.

Creak-!

The wooden door opened slightly, and the young woman made eye contact with Lee Ho-seung.

The two stared at each other in silence.

“…….”

Lee Ho-seung, holding the zipper of his pants, stared at her blankly.

She had a very young face.

Even though the world was in this state.

A girl with flawless white skin. Smooth bobbed hair, round and large eyes.

She was wearing a red scarf around her neck, which looked quite worn.

If you had to guess her age, it would be around twenty to twenty-two years old.

Even if you stretched it, maybe twenty-three.

The inside of the wooden door was clearly an underground passage.

There were sparsely placed things to eat and a lantern that emitted light.

The young woman’s face began to distort slightly.

She was frightened by the *sikkal* [another type of knife, possibly a kitchen knife] that Lee Ho-seung was holding.

Lee Ho-seung was confused about what he should do.

‘……Do I have to kill this woman?’

This young-faced girl?

Lee Ho-seung decided to run away for now.

He had to run away and inform the 079th Unit.

But at that moment, a burly man who popped out from inside the underground passage pushed the young woman aside and subdued Lee Ho-seung.

Then, after covering Lee Ho-seung’s mouth to prevent him from screaming, he dragged him into the underground passage.

The burly man said to the young woman.

“Ji-hye! Close the door quickly!”

“Yes…… Yes! Mister!”

The woman named Ji-hye closed the wooden door.

Creak…… Thud!

Lee Ho-seung struggled in the man’s grip.

The man took out a small dagger from his waist.

He said to Lee Ho-seung.

“Don’t resent me too much!”

“……!”

Lee Ho-seung squeezed his eyes shut.

He thought he was going to die like this.

But Ji-hye stopped the man. Ji-hye clung to the man’s hand and shouted.

“Mister! No!”

“Don’t stop me! Ji-hye. If we let this guy live, he’ll definitely bring the main force!”

“No, no! Stop it! Mister, please!”

Ji-hye clung to the man’s thick arm and stopped him.

Lee Ho-seung desperately hoped that the woman’s persuasion would work.

His life depended on the woman’s decision right now.

Ji-hye and the man argued several times, and eventually the man decided not to kill Lee Ho-seung.

Lee Ho-seung barely escaped from the man’s grasp and took a ragged breath.

“Phew……! Haa……! Hooo……!”

All of Ho-seung’s weapons had already been taken away.

Lee Ho-seung found his glasses, which had fallen far away, and crawled on his hands and knees to put them on.

He carefully got up and said.

“Ah……. Thank you. Thank you so muc……!”

But what flew towards Lee Ho-seung was the man’s fist.

Whoosh- Pow!!!

The man’s fist accurately struck Lee Ho-seung’s right cheek.

Lee Ho-seung fainted and fell backward.

Thud-!

“Mister!”

Ji-hye approached the man and pleaded with him again.

But the man couldn’t concede this much.

“I have to knock him out, at least. This guy is a soldier from Mangyeong!”

“Still, there’s no need to hit him…….”

“Augh! Ji-hye! Why are you so *chakhae ppajin* [excessively kind/naive]?! Don’t you know we’re at war?! If it were the opposite situation! Do you think this man would spare us?!”

“I know……. I know……!”

After that, Ji-hye lowered her head slightly and sobbed.

“……You promised.”

At Ji-hye’s weak voice, the man lost his strength.

In the end, it turned out like this again.

In the end, he had no choice but to listen to Ji-hye.

When he heard her frail voice, he really couldn’t refuse.

But the man warned Ji-hye.

“Instead, you take care of him. If this guy takes a dump, you clean it up. If he pees, you clean it up too. You feed him too. You keep watch too.”

At that voice, Ji-hye pouted her lips and asked.

“Is he a dog…….”

“Or I’ll do it my way.”