The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 24

#24. Unfit for Humanity (3)

The Blue Team’s King was an old man.

The old man was sprawled haphazardly on the floor of the branch manager’s office.

He was gaunt, his ribs clearly visible, and his sunken cheeks made him look like a zombie.

His unclosed eyes were bloodshot and red.

He had starved to death.

For the past six days, Kim Dong-gil had locked the Blue Team’s King in his office, preparing for the worst.

It made sense that there was a lock on the outside of this office.

It seemed they had given him food.

However, with Kim Dong-gil and the remaining team members dead, no one could help him eat.

As an old man who couldn’t properly feed himself, he starved to death there.

The old man was Kim Dong-gil’s insurance.

The system had chosen the old man, and Kim Dong-gil, unable to become King himself, had chosen to lock him in the office and protect him rather than expose him to external dangers.

So, Kim Dong-gil’s behavior of looking at his status window was likely due to using a system authority like ‘Delegation.’

This could be confirmed even with my current status window.

Each King could delegate their system and authority to a specific person.

This explained why Kim Dong-gil couldn’t distinguish between friend and foe during the battle on the 3rd floor.

He wasn’t the Blue Team’s King.

Ultimately, Kim Dong-gil’s idea was correct.

We couldn’t find the King until he starved to death.

At that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo approached the old man, his head bowed like a drunkard.

His steps were erratic.

Then, he covered the old man’s face with a small cloth he was holding.

And then he turned back.

Everyone left the branch manager’s office, one by one, horrified by the scene.

Only Jin Jae-hee and I remained there.

The survivors of the Red Team were huddled together on one side of the hallway, sobbing.

‘What should I do now?’

The Black Team’s King is among the 11 people behind me.

One of them had to die.

The thought of the Black Team’s King lurking in the same space, targeting me, filled me with fear.

What should I do?

I had no more time or leeway to delay.

I had to get out of here.

If the Black Team’s King hid their identity and spent several days like this, it would be the worst-case scenario for me.

I had to get out of this shopping mall as soon as possible and find the Black Team’s King as quickly as possible.

As these worries came together, I came to one conclusion.

To identify people one by one through voting.

In the end, this was the only way.

To survive this game, I had to consider killing the teammates who had fought alongside me.

If there was no way to deduce the Black Team’s King, I had no choice but to approach it this way.

And by eliminating one of the remaining 11 people through this method…!

As I reached that thought.

A chilling sensation was felt from behind.

“Ha… !”

Thud-.

A hand was placed on my right shoulder.

Startled, I strongly brushed off the hand on my shoulder.

Thwack-!

There stood Jin Jae-hee, blinking in surprise.

I glared at her, breathing heavily.

“Haa… haa…”

I wasn’t doing anything strenuous, but I was out of breath.

Jin Jae-hee cautiously asked me.

“Cold sweat… are you okay?”

At her words, I wiped my forehead with my hand.

Indeed, cold sweat was pouring down.

I was too nervous.

“Haa.”

I took a deep breath and stood up.

I swept my hair upwards.

The cold air touched my forehead, cooling down the sweat.

“Let’s go back first. Let’s go back.”

I said that twice and walked through them, trudging along.

As I left the branch manager’s office, people naturally followed.

At that moment, Jin Jae-hee whispered to me as I turned around.

“Don’t worry, whatever happens. I won’t let you die.”

I clearly heard her voice, but I made an effort not to respond.

* * *

When we returned to the 11th floor, Jae-hee, sensing movement, looked towards the elevator.

There, K’s baby angels were extinguishing the fire that was rising from the elevator.

Hmming a tune.

Even in my second life, such a scene felt incongruous.

An angel in the form of a baby extinguishing a fire that was burning corpses.

Jin Jae-hee averted her gaze from there and entered the theater.

Everyone was exhausted, and as soon as they arrived at the theater, they collapsed in various places.

Some seemed to be suffering from severe mental anguish.

Jin Jae-hee glanced at them and approached Sion.

He seemed to be sitting and contemplating something.

But Jin Jae-hee couldn’t do anything beside him.

Kang Sion was the great warlord who had the largest force in his previous life.

A man who had risen to the highest position for humanity, whom no one could threaten.

Such a man is now thinking.

He is thinking about the situation he is in and what he should do.

She shouldn’t interfere with him.

Jin Jae-hee’s role is simply to protect him.

And to test and confirm.

That’s all.

The round was now in its final stages.

Jin Jae-hee had to watch with her own eyes how Kang Sion would finish this round.

If he couldn’t even solve this much, then this life’s Kang Sion was not the Kang Sion of his previous life.

Sion looked at his watch.

Soon, he raised his head again and tried to get up from his seat.

At that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo approached him.

“Let’s eat. Aren’t you hungry?”

Contrary to expectations, Kwon Kyung-soo walked over with canned goods in both hands.

And handed them to Sion.

Sion stared at it blankly, then picked one up.

It was a can of tuna and a bottle of water.

“There are no forks or anything. You’ll have to eat it with your hands.”

Kwon Kyung-soo smiled awkwardly and ate the tuna can with his hands.

No one was concerned about hygiene or formality at this point.

Everyone here hadn’t been able to properly wash or eat for days.

Their appearances were a mess, and some even smelled bad.

Sion stared blankly at the canned tuna and opened it.

He sucked the oil from the tuna into his mouth and dipped his finger in, taking a bite of the tuna.

“Come to think of it, it seems like this is the first time I’ve seen Sion eat something.”

Kyung-soo, who had quickly finished one can of tuna, asked Sion.

Sion was now eating his second one.

“I ate a little bit in between. Jerky, or something like that.”

Thud-.

Sion put the tuna on his finger back into his mouth.

He chewed it slowly, trying to feel full rather than taste it.

Chewing for a long time felt similar to eating a lot.

Of course, it didn’t fill his stomach, but he chewed for a long time to at least feel that way.

Kwon Kyung-soo stuck out his tongue and licked even the small pieces inside the tuna can.

Clang.

Then, he threw the can towards the left wall and took out a cigarette, lighting it.

“Hoo-.”

His cigarette smoke scattered.

Kyung-soo, staring blankly at the burning end of the cigarette, muttered to himself as if talking to himself.

“You can’t even get cigarettes. Here.”

“……”

Sion ate the canned tuna without paying attention.

No, rather, it was Kwon Kyung-soo who wasn’t paying attention.

He continued to say what he wanted to say, whether Sion listened or not.

“So, I rummage through the corpses to get cigarettes. Seriously. It’s not like this is a war movie. You know? War movies. Rummaging through the enemy’s corpses to make it your own… something like that.”

Sion still didn’t answer.

Kyung-soo lit his second cigarette.

“But from some point on… no. I didn’t realize it was wrong from the beginning. I just thought it was natural. Because I wouldn’t be able to endure even a minute here without cigarettes… yeah.”

Sss-, Hoo.

Again, the cigarette smoke scattered.

Kwon Kyung-soo’s hand trembled.

Sion focused on his cigarette-holding hand.

At the same time, he also focused on the hand hidden under his left buttock.

“This, you know. Do you know what this is? Mevius [a brand of cigarettes]. It’s a brand I’ve seen a lot. When I was doing my student teaching, ah. I mean, in my early 20s before I enlisted. Puhahaha! Ah, back then, the kids only smoked this. Behind the playground. So, I wondered what it tasted like… and started smoking it, and well.”

Hoo-.

“That was the beginning. Thanks to that, I’ve been a chain smoker for 10 years now. But do you know whose pocket I picked this up from?”

Chik, zzzzzz……

Kwon Kyung-soo rubbed the cigarette on the ground to put it out.

Nonsensical stories continued to be exchanged.

Until then, Kang Sion had emptied one can of tuna and was drinking water.

Now he began to look back at Kwon Kyung-soo, and he lit his third cigarette.

“It was… a student wearing a middle school uniform… that student had blood gurgling from his neck, and he was still breathing. Do you know what his expression was like? It was like this. Look closely. Kweeeeeek! Keheok! Keheok! Puhahahaha! Ah, our Sion-ssi should have seen that expression too!”

Kwon Kyung-soo suddenly made a grotesque expression and imitated the dead student.

It was the opposite of his usual calm demeanor.

From that moment on, Sion, sensing something strange, put down the canned tuna.

“Kyung-soo-ssi.”

“But you know what? But really. Do you know what I was doing then?”

At that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo’s right eye became moist.

He looked like he was about to cry at any moment.

But Kwon Kyung-soo still wasn’t looking at Sion.

He was just continuing to smoke.

Sion frowned and asked again.

“Kyung-soo-ssi. What are you trying to say right now?”

“No, no! Sion-ssi. Please listen. Please! Just listen to my story. It’s the last time anyway.”

“The la… st?”

Sion frowned at the word ‘last’.

The man Kwon Kyung-soo in front of him was extremely unstable.

His body was constantly trembling, and the person who had been maintaining his composure until now was about to burst into tears.

Kwon Kyung-soo, with a cigarette between his fingers, stared blankly as if recalling something.

“So, what happened was. So… ah. Ah…! That dying student was begging me to save him… but I was taking a cigarette from that student’s pocket… I was rummaging to see if there were any cigarettes… to be exact. Sss- hoo-. But do you know what’s really scary? I thought it was natural…! Sss- hooo-. Puhahaha! It’s not natural, but…! …Why. Sion-ssi? Why… are you shaking now? Sss- hooo-”

Kwon Kyung-soo looked back at Sion, exhaling cigarette smoke.

The cigarette smoke collided with Sion and scattered.

Flinch.

Sion trembled slightly.

And Sion looked at Kwon Kyung-soo.

His eyes were bloodshot, and tears flowing from both eyes were gathering on his chin past his cheekbones.

Kwon Kyung-soo didn’t seem to want to wipe away his tears.

“But this isn’t normal, is it? If Sion-ssi is a human!!! You know that’s not normal! Right!?!!! Tell me!!!”

“Dangerous. Step back.”

Thump!

At that moment, Jin Jae-hee, who was behind Sion, came forward and blocked Kwon Kyung-soo.

A shining blade was in front of Kwon Kyung-soo’s eyes.

The people inside the theater were surprised and then got up from their seats one by one.

They looked at the three people.

Kwon Kyung-soo looked at the blade.

“Haa… hahahaha. Ah, right. Jae-hee-ssi keeps interfering… Can’t you just leave me alone?”

Sion took out a gun without him noticing.

And with the gun hidden behind his back, he prepared to shoot at any time.

Only then did Kwon Kyung-soo wipe his tears with his sleeve.

“But you know… my role is only up to here anyway.”

“Get up.”

Jin Jae-hee ordered, holding the sword to Kwon Kyung-soo’s neck.

But Kwon Kyung-soo didn’t budge.

“I’m… the Black Team’s King. And my role is over.”

“Then die.”

Swoosh-!

Jin Jae-hee swung her sword.

There was no hesitation.

It was a quick moment.

It was a speed that ordinary people couldn’t even react to.

But at that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo twisted his body and knocked Jin Jae-hee down.

“?!”

Thud!

Kwon Kyung-soo knocked Jin Jae-hee over and pressed her chest with both legs.

He was almost consumed by madness and shouted at Jin Jae-hee.

“You think you’re the best, right? No, you’re wrong!!!”

Kwon Kyung-soo drooled and glared at Jin Jae-hee under his legs.

Jin Jae-hee under him only glared at Kwon Kyung-soo without saying anything.

She deliberately showed a gap and fell.

Even if her body is weak, she wouldn’t be subdued by an ordinary person.

But Jin Jae-hee was thinking the same thing as Kwon Kyung-soo.

That her role was only up to here.

At this moment, Kang Sion had to solve this situation himself.

He had to prove himself that he had the qualifications to win this league.

Jin Jae-hee wanted to confirm that.

At that moment, Kang Sion took out his gun and tried to shoot Kwon Kyung-soo in one go.

But Kwon Kyung-soo was one step faster.

Whir- Bang!!!!

Kwon Kyung-soo grabbed Sion’s arm, who was trying to shoot him, and twisted it back.

The bullet fired at Kwon Kyung-soo was lodged in the ceiling.

There was only one bullet left now.

Kwon Kyung-soo cried out desperately.

“Sion-ssi…!!! X발 [a Korean curse word, similar to ‘fuck’]. That’s not how you shoot a gun. Who shoots a gun so close! Yeah?! Is this a movie?!!! It was wrong from the start!!! Sion-ssi. You didn’t serve in the military, did you? I’ve been holding a gun for 10 years. How many times could I have snatched your gun by now. But why didn’t I? That answer. Don’t you want to hear it? Huh? Huh?? Huh???”

“Keuheuk… euueuk!!!”

Kyung-soo twisted Sion’s arm further.

Sion groaned as if in pain.

Sion tried to escape from his grasp, but Kwon Kyung-soo didn’t budge.

The physical difference between the two men was significant.

Kwon Kyung-soo was a former special forces soldier with a sturdy build, over 180cm tall.

Kang Sion was just a day laborer with a thin build, less than 170cm tall.

When the two men faced each other head-on, the outcome was obvious.

At that moment, Lee Joo-yeon and Lee Se-beom rushed to stop him.

But at that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo grabbed Sion and pointed the gun at his temple.

“Stop! Or I’ll shoot.”

At that sound, the two siblings stopped there.

Cold sweat formed on Lee Se-beom’s right temple.

He could never let Sion die.

Lee Se-beom slowly spoke to him.

“No…”

“Why?”

“What do you want… anything.”

“What do I want? Well. A lot.”

Kwon Kyung-soo smiled weakly.

Kang Sion was still in his arms.

And the muzzle was still touching Kang Sion’s temple.

Kwon Kyung-soo looked at everyone and said.

“The condition for the Black Team’s King to win is to survive in this shopping mall for 6 days. If that happens, even if several Kings survive, I will win. And in exactly 10 minutes. It will be the 7th day since we came here.”

At that sound, Lee Se-beom checked his wristwatch.

11:50 PM.

As he said, in 10 minutes, it would be the 7th day since this game started.

Kwon Kyung-soo was silent for a moment, then continued.

“I thought about it a little… whether God can forgive everything we’ve done here… something like that.”

“……Wait.”

Sion, who was in Kwon Kyung-soo’s arms, said.

He was breathing a little heavily.

“You could have won if only 10 more minutes had passed. Why did you bother exposing your identity. It’s contradictory.”

“……”

Sion was right.

Kwon Kyung-soo could have won if he had just quietly spent his time.

But he didn’t.

He deliberately approached Sion, exposed his identity, and launched a surprise attack that might have succeeded.

The result was this.

Kwon Kyung-soo smiled faintly, shedding tears, and said.

“You’re like that until the end… haha. Okay. Well… I’ll tell you the reason.”

It was that moment.

His right arm, which was holding Sion, was trembling like crazy.

It was the trembling of a man gripped by fear.

Sion could fully feel that trembling.

“I told you? I… I don’t think I can live as myself anymore.”

He lowered the gun that was aiming at Sion’s temple.

But still, the situation didn’t change.

Because he was still holding the gun in his hand.

“I kept thinking. Whether I should survive or not. If I kill you here, you and 10 others will die. Right?”

“Gyeo, Kyung-soo-ssi…! J, calm down!”

“P, please! Put that gun down first!”

“If Sion-ssi dies, we’ll all die!”

Rather, the other Red Team survivors were even more anxious.

But Kwon Kyung-soo said to them.

He was smiling faintly, but tears continued to flow from his eyes.

“If I get out of here… it’s clear that it will be a series of such events anyway…! Then I’ll go crazy someday…? I kept thinking. Whether I’m a man fit for the end…! Huh? Sion-ssi. Do you think I’m fit for the end? I said it earlier. Why I didn’t take your gun even though I could have. And when we were picking flags… the fact that I secretly went out and caught monsters… the fact that I quickly informed you that the Blue Team was attacking… my actions were full of contradictions. But the… reason… was Xna [likely a typo, should be ‘so’] simple. I was weighing it. Whether the person who should survive here is you… or me!”

“……”

Sion, who was in Kwon Kyung-soo’s arms, didn’t say anything.

At that time, Lee Joo-yeon carefully slipped back, taking advantage of the confusion.

And picked up the crossbow.

It was a slim chance, but this was the best she could do now.

Lee Se-beom discovered Lee Joo-yeon and carefully blocked Kwon Kyung-soo’s view.

Lee Joo-yeon inserted an arrow into the groove.

‘I have to hit it. I have to…!’

Joo-yeon repeated that to herself.

And carefully pulled the band.

Kwon Kyung-soo cried out to the people, weeping.

“But… no matter how I think about it! The man fit for the end is not me. Sion-ssi. Sion-ssi, you’re calm even in this situation? Huh? Don’t tell me… you were enjoying it? This is hell. Hell. Now hell is unfolding!”

Lee Joo-yeon carefully raised the crossbow.

And aimed at Kwon Kyung-soo’s head.

Both hands were trembling like crazy.

But Joo-yeon didn’t let go of her tension until the end.

This one shot.

If she didn’t hit it, the Red Team would be finished.

While Lee Joo-yeon was aiming at him, Jin Jae-hee watched silently.

If Jae-hee wanted to, she could have cut off Kwon Kyung-soo’s neck in an instant and ended the situation.

But she didn’t.

There was no need to, and Jin Jae-hee needed to confirm how the current situation would end up anyway.

The Kang Sion of the previous life cleared the first round without her and rose to the position of monarch.

If he were to die even in this situation, it meant that this life’s Kang Sion was not fit to reach the final round.

Jae-hee watched the situation.

Quietly holding her breath.

Kwon Kyung-soo’s words continued.

“So… I’m escaping from hell. I’m… I’m escaping. Goodbye. Goodbye, everyone. Goodbye!!”

Flick-!

At that moment, Kwon Kyung-soo’s hand holding the gun was raised.

And almost simultaneously, Lee Joo-yeon released the band containing the arrow.

Shuk!

The arrow flew towards Kwon Kyung-soo.

But as expected, the gun came first.

Bang-!

A gunshot rang out.

Soon, a notification window popped up.

[Round 1 has ended.]

[The surviving team is…]

(To be continued in the next episode)