The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 54

Another snowy morning for roll call.

“The man kneeling before you now!!! Even in this difficult situation, he committed crimes, further trampling on the feelings of the citizens!!!”

Councilman Gil In-ho was kneeling on the platform, wearing only his underwear and bound.

The police chief, pointing wildly at him, shouted, “This man! Around 1:03 AM last night, he forcibly raped and maliciously bound Mr. Lee Jae-soon, a young officer from our force, and committed violence!!!”

It wasn’t difficult for the chief to frame someone as a criminal, even a politician.

Here, the chief’s words carried immense authority.

Gil In-ho looked at Lee Jae-soon through his blurred vision.

Lee Jae-soon was the chief’s new lover.

Not his, but the chief’s lover.

But now, Gil In-ho was being portrayed as a criminal who had raped her.

“Ms. Jae-soon, come over here.”

The chief slightly lifted Lee Jae-soon’s top, revealing the wounds underneath to the public.

It was covered in bruises, scratches, and bite marks.

All were the results of the chief’s dirty lust.

But now, they were all attributed to Gil In-ho.

“No… I… No… I… didn’t do it…” Gil In-ho muttered quietly.

*Thump-*!

As he opened his mouth, a police officer behind him grabbed Gil In-ho’s neck.

“Be quiet.” The police officer subdued Gil In-ho instantly.

The police chief’s words echoed loudly from the platform. “Look at this man’s act of violence! What did this young woman do to deserve this!”

Gil In-ho couldn’t believe the situation.

He lowered his head, trying to understand what was happening.

But he couldn’t believe it; he couldn’t accept it.

What was happening?

It was easy for the police chief, who held real power, to turn Gil In-ho into a criminal overnight.

“A member of the city council! Disrupting order like this. Can we just leave him alone? The police maintain order! Even though things have turned out this way, our police will work hard to maintain order!”

Some citizens, despite the cold, raised their heads and looked at Councilman Gil In-ho.

The greatest power in inciting people is creating a common enemy.

The police chief had planned this from the beginning.

First, the forces of Dong-an District, and then internal criminals.

All were ‘common enemies.’

He tried to achieve unity through this and seize power.

It would be easy if he used the system, but like Zion, the chief also needed their strong support. [The “system” likely refers to a governing structure or set of rules within their society.]

Even a system is just coercion; it doesn’t move people’s hearts.

“I will dedicate myself entirely to protecting you from these criminals! So please support me! Cheer me on!”

Gil In-ho was mistaken.

He thought the police chief was stupid and being manipulated by him.

But he was the one being manipulated.

Gil In-ho had completely lost in the political game with the greedy police chief.

“Lock him up in the detention center! This criminal bastard! This dirty bastard! This dog-like bastard! How dare you harm innocent citizens!”

*Thoo-*!

The chief spat on the city councilman’s face.

His thick saliva hit the city councilman’s eyebrow and flowed down.

Two police officers dragged Gil In-ho away.

It was then.

*Thud-*!

A citizen who had agreed with the chief threw a stone at him.

*Thwack!*

The stone hit Gil In-ho’s right temple.

His skin tore, and bright red blood flowed down.

“You monster!”

“Kill him, kill that bastard! How dare you…! How dare you!”

“Human scum!”

These were spy citizens whom the chief had hired in advance, promising them cream bread.

Their role was simple: to agree with the incitement.

And citizens who were mentally exhausted were vulnerable to incitement.

As the chief had expected, they needed a common enemy.

“Bad guy! Kill that bastard!”

“I knew we shouldn’t trust councilmen!”

“It’s all your fault that we’ve become like this! The government is the problem! How are you going to come up with a solution!!!”

“Kill that bastard! That wicked bastard!”

“Lock him up in the detention center!”

As the spies began to agree, shouts were heard from everywhere.

The chief, listening quietly to their voices, smiled faintly.

* * *

Gil In-ho was dragged to the detention center.

It was the ‘torture chamber’ that the chief had used since the 1st round. [The “1st round” likely refers to a previous iteration of events or a game-like scenario.]

He had dragged everyone who had opposed him to this place and tortured them.

It was full of blood, and the inside was as cold as a refrigerator.

Gil In-ho was tied to a chair, naked, and the chief’s henchmen brought various torture tools and looked at Gil In-ho.

Gil In-ho vomited blood and begged. “Save me… save me… If you save me, I’ll do anything…”

“……”

The police chief’s henchmen didn’t answer and began the torture.

Their torture continued all day.

The councilman’s screams continued to be heard.

At some point, Gil In-ho stopped even asking to be saved.

He was now screaming to be killed.

* * *

I watched Gil In-ho being dragged away in the first-floor hallway.

He was dragged to the underground detention center, probably heading to the inner torture chamber that I had checked when I went to see Choi Myung-joon last time.

The chief, who had come down from the platform, returned inside the building.

He walked a little, then found me and smiled brightly. “Ah~! Manager! You were here. I’ve been looking for you since yesterday, but I couldn’t find you.”

“Yes,” I answered briefly.

The chief came close and asked me friendly, “Is the bridge work going smoothly?”

“It will be completed within this week,” I reported without lying. It was to reassure him.

The police chief smiled kindly and patted my back. “Yes, I trust the manager. Above all, the citizens follow the manager the best. Haha, I might even lose my position.”

I didn’t show it, but I couldn’t help but be a little surprised at his words.

‘My position……?’

That meant the chief was aware of his position to some extent, that he was following the system.

The chief looked at my expression, then laughed heartily. “Hahaha! Just kidding, just kidding! There’s no way the manager would do that, right?”

The chief chuckled and passed me.

He said it was a joke, but it wasn’t a joke at all; he was testing me.

The chief took a few steps, then turned around and asked me. His discernment became sharper.

“That… the assault team, was it? Ah, that’s right. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think we need to do a little investigation into the tools they’re using. Hammers, saws, things like that.”

“……”

“And we will prioritize managing tools classified as weapons from now on. That’s right, isn’t it? From now on, assault teams and workers who go out to work must return all tools when they leave work. It’s for safety.”

I thought he was just a stupid guy, but he was more cunning than I thought.

Perhaps the proclamation of the decree yesterday was also a calculated move to publicize the incident and solidify his position within the force.

As a result, it could be said that his calculation was successful.

Thanks to that, my approval rating dropped by 10%.

Publicly eliminating the city councilman could be said to be for the same reason.

Moreover, I, who was appointed as the manager, could have my position dissolved at any time with just his one word.

The chief asked me, “Why? Do you not like it?”

But that was the chief’s delusion.

“No. I’ll tell the assault team and workers. I’ll have them return them as ordered.” It was like a worm thrashing about.

“Good, Manager. I like that you listen well. Come up to my office sometime. We should have a drink?”

The chief smiled and went up the stairs.

I left that smile behind and walked outside again.

‘Gil In-ho has been eliminated…….’

Gil In-ho was the number one person in the police force, both internally and externally.

But the ruler chosen by the system is ‘Park Geon-woo,’ the police chief, and I could confirm why he was chosen today.

Killing Gil In-ho seemed like it was to elicit agreement and support from the citizens, but in the end, what he wanted to gain from this was one thing: reaffirming his position, his power.

It would imply that anyone who tries to take his position will end up like Gil In-ho.

Especially, he sent a message to me.

Since Gil In-ho was eliminated, I was the only one who could threaten his position within the police station.

But there’s something he’s mistaken about.

It’s already too late to respond to me.

I’ve been planning to bring him down since the first day I came here.

“Manager, let’s go,” a worker came up and said.

I nodded at his words and followed him out the entrance.

* * *

From Manan Police Station to Anyang 1st Street, the bridge made by connecting the rooftops of buildings was completed on the day that marked a week since the start of work.

The rooftop heights of each building are different.

Therefore, the slope was so steep that you had to crawl almost halfway up in places where ladders were placed as bridges.

Moreover, since it wasn’t a bridge made with safety in mind, you had to take on some risk to cross it.

Nevertheless, the completed bridge was spectacular.

Zion walked directly from the police station to 1st Street along the bridge.

He finished the final inspection, crossing the precarious bridges.

Originally, it took the reconnaissance team at least 3 hours to get to 1st Street, but now that the bridge was completed, it didn’t even take 30 minutes.

He checked the quest window only after arriving at the last building’s rooftop.

[Quest: Government’s Dog]

[Achievement Progress:

●Achieve a citizen comfort level of 30% or higher (current level 35%) / Achieved!

●Resolve the continuous food supply route (1/1) / Achieved!

●Achieve a police force internal available labor force level of 100% (current level 100%) / Achieved!

★ Reward: Achievement Points – 150]

[You have cleared the quest: Government’s Dog.]

[Achievement points will be awarded.]

[You have cleared the quest within 30 days.]

[Additional rewards will be given.]

[Artifact Enhancement Material (Low Grade) X 1]

Zion checked his inventory at the news of the additional reward.

The inventory was a warehouse for each player to store items defined by the system.

[Artifact Enhancement Material (Low Grade) X 1]

[Beginner mineral used to enhance artifacts]

Since the revolver disappeared, Zion’s inventory window had always been empty.

But it would be different if he gained the qualification of ‘Lord.’

[A new quest has arrived.]

As soon as he cleared one quest, another quest appeared.

According to Jin Jae-hee, the quest was from the middle stages onwards, but the fact that it had already appeared before him was definitely strange.

There is no such thing as coincidence in the world defined by the system.

Everything was inevitable.

The status window that appeared before Zion’s eyes was also the result of inevitability.

[Quest: Revolution]

[Achievement Progress:

●Eliminate the Chief (0/1)

●Achieve an approval rating of 60% or higher (current level 38%)

●Proclaim a Decree (0/1)

★ Reward: Achievement Points – 200]

‘…….’

And as if to show it, the system was demanding it from Zion.

Revolution.

The quest window that appeared before his eyes seemed to be telling him that it was time.

Zion raised his head and looked at the people who had come with him.

As always, Jin Jae-hee was guarding his side, and behind him were the special forces gathered around Choi Myung-joon.

They were all looking at Zion, waiting for Zion’s decision.

And Zion no longer hesitated.

“Let’s start tonight.”

Everyone nodded at his words.

* * *

That night, the police force’s greatest combat power was the 200 combatants belonging to the arrest team.

Besides that, there were approximately 50 internal order maintenance troops.

They were armed with truncheons and police shields.

Dawn was still the same; it was a time of control.

Only the police could walk in the hallway.

The police formed teams of two and stood guard in 2-hour shifts.

From the 2nd to the 4th floor, to monitor the citizens in the residential area, they held flashlights and walked, avoiding the bodies of people sprawled out like corpses.

Snoring, teeth grinding, and sobbing were everywhere.

In that, two police officers walked quietly.

Whether they turned the flashlight to the left or to the right, the scene was the same: everyone was sleeping, wearing thick clothes.

*Thud, thump!*

“……?!”

Then, one of the police officers suddenly disappeared.

In the 2nd-floor residential area, where there was literally nothing but darkness, he suddenly disappeared with the light.

The police officer on the other side was startled and called him. “Hey…… hey……?!”

*Thump, thump.*

The remaining police officer passed between the people, trying to find the disappeared police officer.

The police officer stood out because he was wearing a police uniform.

Soon, he was able to find his colleague in the place illuminated by the flashlight.

Only then did the remaining police officer breathe a sigh of relief. “What are you doing? Did you fall? Seriously, be careful…… Ah.”

His body stopped as he approached the fallen police officer.

He raised the flashlight a little higher to check his face.

“Ugh…… Keuheok…… Eoeok……!”

Three men were gagging the fallen police officer, and a knife was stuck in the police officer’s neck.

*Poosh…… Poosh!*

Blood was gushing out like a fountain from the neck where the knife was stuck.

Because three adult men were gagging him, he couldn’t even scream.

“Shh……”

One of the three looked at the police officer holding the flashlight and rubbed his finger on his lips.

But the police officer was horrified and shouted, “Rio…… Riot……! It’s a riot……!!!”

At that moment, the three men rushed towards the police officer who was about to shout.

*Thump-*! *Clatter!*

The men knocked down the police officer, gagged him like the first police officer, and slit his throat.

Only when the two police officers were completely subdued did beams of light begin to pour out into the 2nd-floor residential area.

“……”

“……”

“……”

1 o’clock sharp.

It was a breathtaking moment.

The room was full of snoring and teeth grinding, but now only their faint breaths filled it.

As soon as the patrolling police officer died, a man who was watching the situation quietly gestured to them.

As the man gestured, the group who killed the police officers burrowed back among the sleeping people.

Then, they nonchalantly began to sleep again.

(To be continued in the next episode)