The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 220

220. Finale (7)

Kang Junho squatted down, lighting a cigarette to compose himself.

Kang Sion and Jin Jaehee sat a short distance away, side by side. Jin Jaehee watched Junho and commented,

“Seeing him like that from here, he’s just a kid.”

At Jin Jaehee’s words, Kang Sion chuckled, reminiscing about the past.

“He was always like that. Once, he came home and flopped down without washing, so I scolded him. He sat alone in the corner of his room with his back turned, sobbing all day long.”

Junho spat. Jin Jaehee frowned.

“He’s completely different now. The Kang Junho you remember sounds adorable.”

“He really was cute. And handsome, too. He was popular even in elementary school. Girls who had a crush on him even came to our house. He got all the good genes. He could have been a celebrity.”

Jaehee was unmoved by Sion’s praise of his younger brother.

“Really…? I think you’re better looking.”

“Sweet talk.”

Sion chuckled, and Jaehee brushed it off.

Sitting next to him, Jin Jaehee smiled faintly and said,

“Now we’ve really met him. Your brother.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you happy?”

It was a strange question, but Sion answered nonetheless.

“I’m happy.”

“Okay.”

Jin Jaehee turned her gaze from Sion to the horizon.

This place was the Silence Zone.

It was clearly a space detached from reality, yet natural phenomena still occurred.

An incredible landscape was reflected in Jin Jaehee’s clear eyes.

Buildings and debris were scattered everywhere, creating a chaotic scene.

The concrete buildings that were barely standing were leaning precariously, on the verge of collapse. The streetlights were bent and twisted, and green leaves were sprouting from the engine compartment of a wrecked car.

The city that had once glowed with neon signs was now destroyed and in ruins.

However, the beauty of the vast nature stretching along the horizon remained timeless.

The spectrum of light, the eerie atmosphere, and the sunset illuminating the sky cast a beautiful glow over the ruined downtown.

On the trailer of a truck, bathed in the sunset’s light, sat two figures. This place could truly be called the end of the world.

Jin Jaehee asked,

“What’s next?”

Sion couldn’t answer the question of what came next.

There was no ‘next’ for them.

They would simply go their separate ways. Sion replaced his answer with a pleasant smile and asked,

“If you go back, would you want to return with your memories, or would you prefer to forget everything?”

Sion looked at Jaehee’s profile. Her face, illuminated by the sunset, was radiant. Her lips pursed slightly as she pondered. Then she said,

“Well, if I had the choice, it would be better to lose my memories. The things we’ve experienced… they feel more like trauma than memories.”

Sion nodded at Jin Jaehee’s answer. They had endured difficult experiences here, whether few or many.

It wasn’t something to cherish as a memory.

It was a memory best forgotten.

Even Kang Sion would have chosen to lose his memories and return if he hadn’t been the one who approached the ‘Door of Truth’ [a metaphorical gateway to ultimate knowledge or enlightenment].

That was the right answer. He didn’t want to hold onto these memories.

But Kang Sion’s situation didn’t allow it. Kang Sion had no choice but to remember, and he didn’t want to burden Jin Jaehee with this pain.

This was goodbye.

Kang Sion frowned and then smiled. He smiled and then frowned again.

Was he happy? Or was he sad?

Jin Jaehee looked at him, surprised.

“Something happened, didn’t it? Just now, right?”

Kang Sion didn’t answer. He couldn’t answer.

At that moment, Kang Sion placed his hand on Jin Jaehee’s right shoulder.

Jin Jaehee looked at him.

But Sion didn’t reveal his expression.

“…I’ll always support you.”

“…Huh?”

“When I listened to your song, it was really good. I wasn’t interested in music at all, but still… you know? If someone who isn’t interested at all says it’s good, then you really have talent. Your voice is amazing. It’s a voice that anyone would love. So don’t give up on music. You can definitely do it. Because the Jin Jaehee I know is like that.”

Jaehee smiled faintly at Sion’s sincere encouragement.

“Yeah. We promised. You were going to come to my concert, remember?”

“Become famous enough to hold a concert. I’ll definitely be there.”

“Of course. I’ll become so famous that you’ll know me without even trying. Then I’ll be friends with a really famous singer, right?”

“Do you have a favorite singer?”

“I do. I have a lot. There are singers I admire, and people I definitely want to meet.”

“If you become too famous, you won’t ditch me, will you? You know, how people ditch their friends when they become really famous and rich.”

“Even if the sky falls, that won’t happen. I’ll never ditch my friends. Especially my best friend. I’ll even buy you a house later.”

“Easy to say. How much does a house cost in Seoul? Do singers even make that much money?”

“I’ll buy you a car too.”

“Okay~ Why do you keep saying you’ll buy me things? Just give me concert tickets for free.”

“Concert tickets are a given.”

Sion and Jaehee shared a burst of laughter.

Jaehee was the only person Sion could talk to openly.

Of course, the same was true for Jaehee.

After talking for a while,

Sion calmed himself and said,

“You… you were the first friend I ever made. So I hope every day of your life, from waking up to falling asleep, is filled with happiness. I’ll always support you, wherever you are. Even if you forget me.”

“You’re talking like you’re leaving.”

Jaehee said with a giggle. But Sion only smiled faintly and didn’t answer. Then Jin Jaehee’s expression instantly changed.

“You don’t mean…”

Sion realized that the time was up. He glanced once at the quartz [likely a reference to a power source or object of significance within the story] illuminating the ruined downtown and then looked back at Jaehee.

“…Let’s go home now.”

“Wait a minute…”

Jin Jaehee reached out to grab him. But…

His figure disappeared like a mirage.

At the same time, Jin Jaehee realized that she was in a different place.

* * *

The Absolute, left alone at the Door of Truth, sat at the bottom of the white jade stairs, lost in thought.

It was the first time.

Someone had obtained the qualifications of a Puzzle [a being with unique abilities or potential within the story’s universe] but didn’t open the Door of Truth. It was such a waste.

If he had opened this door, he might have gained knowledge of even higher value.

But that didn’t happen, and no Puzzle was created in this league. The Absolute took off his mask and took a deep breath.

“Pitiful… is that what it means?”

The Absolute contemplated Kang Sion’s last thought. Why, despite being in the highest position in the universe, did he feel pitiful?

Of course, Kang Sion was more valuable because he didn’t open this door.

It was simple logic.

It was like giving someone a choice between a pile of 100 million won [Korean currency, roughly equivalent to $75,000 USD] and no reward at all.

Of course, opening the Door of Truth couldn’t be measured in monetary value, but if you had to, it couldn’t be expressed in human terms.

Returning to the example, almost everyone would choose 100 million won.

But Kang Sion chose to have nothing.

That was a choice that no one had ever made before.

‘A strange and amazing person…’

While she was lost in thought, a path opened in another space.

From that space emerged 102, bearing Kang Sion’s face. He hummed.

“Aberrant species. Aberrant species~ Is this the end of the cleanup?”

102 was the designation given because he had opened the Door of Truth in the 102nd universe.

The man who encountered Sion in Radiance was also 102.

He was currently traveling through the 65,282,636,518th universe.

102 approached the Absolute and tilted his head.

“What? Where’s Kang Sion?”

“He’s gone.”

The Absolute answered, putting on the black mask. At the Absolute’s words, 102 was startled and shouted.

“What?! No way! How can that be? I went through so much trouble to make that guy a Puzzle!”

“What trouble?”

The Absolute glared at 102.

102 could have recovered Kang Sion, the Puzzle completed in Radiance, but he left him to do as he planned, saying that the situation was interesting. That butterfly effect had continued to this point. 102 said, sounding wronged.

“You said it too! You wanted to watch it play out. That plan, I mean.”

Kang Sion’s unfinished plan.

It was to stop the league [likely a multiversal competition or conflict].

The plan was simple.

Make Mangyeong [a fictional city or organization] the most powerful force in the Korean Peninsula with the strongest defense and marketability. And fortify the city centered around Seoul.

That way, Mangyeong would be dedicated to protecting the Dragon [a significant entity or resource].

Stop the conquest war. Stop the round progress altogether.

What was the effect of that?

It was to make the ‘beings’ watching this league lose interest.

A show that the audience doesn’t find interesting must end.

In fact, Kang Sion’s plan worked. Despite becoming the most powerful force in the Korean Peninsula, Mangyeong did not capture the Dragon.

That way, their league stopped.

The Absolute and 102 were both impressed.

To think that a lowly human would think that far. But the Absolute’s position was different.

“It was a meaningless act.”

“But it was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Haa-.”

The Absolute stood up from his seat.

Then 102 became very nervous.

The Absolute raised his finger and said,

“You’re going back in now.”

At that moment, countless glass tubes began to appear in this area. Inside those glass tubes were countless Puzzles.

The Absolute brought over a glass tube with ‘102’ written on it.

That glass tube was empty.

102 was startled and said,

“Ah! No! I’ve only been playing for 1000 years!”

“Then I’ll wake you up again in 1000 years.”

“Ah-! Jaehee! Help me!”

“I told you not to call me by that name.”

The Absolute opened the glass tube and threw 102 into it.

102 hit the glass tube a few times, asking to be taken out, but the Absolute didn’t listen.

102 fell asleep again.

The Absolute looked around for a Puzzle to help with the next league. And one number caught her eye.

1.

In fact, all the Puzzles that made up this place were revolving around 1.

The Absolute made 1 come closer.

This was the first league, the Big Bang.

And the Absolute was the person who won the first league.

The person in glass tube 1 was Kang Sion. Of course, Kang Sion in the Absolute’s universe.

The Absolute slowly stroked the glass tube and muttered to himself.

“Yeah… Maybe not knowing is the best choice after all.”

The Absolute’s goal was one.

To collect Puzzles and find out the truth.

Puzzles are generated by a certain phenomenon in the league.

No, in fact, a Puzzle can be seen as this universe.

What the Absolute has recently learned is that this universe is made up of square-shaped Puzzles.

If you collect those Puzzles, it seemed like you could find out.

Who ‘created’ this league that even the Absolute doesn’t know about.

The Absolute was also the first Puzzle of the league.

But even after collecting and collecting for hundreds of millions of years, you can’t know.

About those beings truly hidden behind the Puzzles.

‘Who could it be.’

Who the hell are they?

What kind of people are they and where do they live?

Now, the Absolute was very envious of Kang Sion, who was going back.

In the end, that was the right answer.

Even if you become a higher-dimensional being, you become curious about something even higher.

Human greed is endless, so they are unhappy.

Recently, the Absolute has become curious about something else.

Especially after going through this league, that curiosity has intensified even more.

-Am I really alive? Am I a conscious life form? Or am I just living as someone else injects me?

…I don’t know. What am I?

The Absolute was terrified and pained by that curiosity, but in the end, she would hold a new league to solve this curiosity.

The Absolute brought the Earth in the primordial universe.

And copied it to open a new league again.

The Absolute held the league again.

Creating ‘beings’ and creating ‘managers.’

The Absolute’s eyes turned to a shopping mall.

The newly created Kang Sion was receiving a fleece jacket from a clerk.

‘Until my curiosity is resolved… I’m going to do this forever. I’m sorry, but I have to collect Puzzles.’

The Absolute smiled faintly.

This time it’s reincarnation. Or should I do possession? What kind of case should I make?

And after taking a few breaths, he held the league.

“With this.”

The 65,282,636,519th league is held.

In this eternal abyss of knowledge, the Absolute will experience an eternally endless life and be forgotten. An endless eternal life.

The path of eternal life.

(Continued in the next episode)