The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 70

#70. City within a City: A Wanderer’s Tale (1)

The rising steam from Sion was the only sign of hope in the frozen city.

A wanderer in a tattered robe walked through the ruined downtown.

A year had passed since the city’s borders had collapsed, leaving it vulnerable.

Many players were wandering the area, unaffiliated with any faction.

The wanderer, who had journeyed from Paju, Gyeonggi Province, passed through Seoul and headed towards Gwacheon and Anyang.

But a city visible in the distance brought the wanderer’s endless journey to a halt.

“…….”

The wanderer gazed at the city, where white snow and vibrant green plants intertwined on a bridge choked with frozen cars.

As the second round neared its end, plants never before seen on Earth bloomed within the city.

Their size and appearance were unlike anything terrestrial.

Giant vines wrapped around entire buildings, living plants spread like moss on concrete, and flowers bloomed in a riot of colors.

And from one corner of the city, plumes of smoke rose into the sky, like factory chimneys.

“What is that?”

The wanderer pursed her lips and unfolded a map from her inside pocket.

She wiped the snow off a frozen car and spread the map across the hood.

“Let’s see… Gwacheon’s Requiem, Dongan’s Warriors… So, is that Dongan-gu?”

The wanderer initially assumed it was Dongan-gu.

In southern Gyeonggi, the only significant powers were Gwacheon’s Requiem and Dongan’s Warriors.

But the wanderer frowned as she studied the map.

“Huh? It’s not Dongan-gu… it’s Manan-gu. That place over there.”

Could it be a colony controlled by Dongan-gu?

The thought flickered through her mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

The Wanderer Community.

In this world, wanderers were the most knowledgeable group of players.

Within that community, players shared information about the major forces that dominated the landscape.

Dongan’s Warriors were a frequent topic of discussion.

Dongan’s Warriors were currently at war with the forces of Uiwang, and she had even acquired their map.

So, this place couldn’t be Dongan’s Warriors.

It was more likely an independent force she hadn’t encountered before.

“Hmm…….”

Originally, the wanderer intended to pass through Dongan and head down to Uiwang, towards her final destination, Suwon.

Rumor had it that a massive force was based in Suwon.

Suwon had established its own social system, with Suwon Hwaseong Fortress as its capital [a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major historical landmark].

Moreover, the city was known as the wanderer’s graveyard, as they were extremely wary of outside interference.

But seeing those plumes of smoke, the wanderer’s adventurous spirit wouldn’t allow her to simply pass by.

“Shall we take a look?”

The wanderer smiled, her sense of adventure piqued, and tucked the unfolded map back into her inside pocket.

She was about to set off.

But, as always, obstacles stood in the wanderer’s path.

-Krrr…….!

Thump, thump!

A bizarre creature crawled on all fours. It resembled a wolf, but its size was comparable to a hippo.

A rare monster known for chewing on people’s bones: a Crimson Mane Wolf Clan member.

The wanderer turned her head and looked at the wolf.

“Ah, this is the habitat of the Wolf Clan!”

New information.

The wanderer cheered at the discovery.

The wanderer had been playing this league differently from other lords and players from the start.

Wanderers viewed this extraordinary world, its monsters, and its dungeons as an RPG game [Role-Playing Game].

Their primary goal was adventure, not conquest or exploration.

The wanderer took off her robe.

Revealing brown hair that cascaded down to her waist.

Even though the world had been destroyed for quite some time, she still wore modern clothes.

She wore jeans and a belt that hugged her thighs, paired with a woolly field jacket.

“Wow. This is already fun.”

Swoosh-.

She naturally summoned her artifact.

A black scythe with a massive blade materialized in her hand.

-Krrr…… Kaaaaaa!!!!!

“…….”

S-slice.

With a single swing of the scythe, the wolf and the landscape behind it were cleanly bisected.

* * *

Wanderer Choi Hyun-ji.

She was now standing in line at the Man-gyeong Immigration Office.

To enter the city within a city, Man-gyeong, one had to go through immigration.

Armed soldiers guarded the immigration office, and the long line showed no signs of shortening.

“Phew-.”

Choi Hyun-ji, bored with the wait, smoked a cigarette while observing the building to her left.

Graffiti covered the walls.

-All who come here, labor is a sacred duty and the order of the Great Lord who saved us.

-Get lost. Dongan-gu’s underlings.

-Get lost. Manager’s kin.

The graffiti was scrawled across the wall in large letters, like a propaganda poster.

Choi Hyun-ji tilted her head slightly and studied the soldiers of Man-gyeong.

They wielded kitchen knives tied to poles as makeshift spears.

There were also archers with bows.

Their outfits varied, but they all wore a red cloth around their left shoulders.

Some soldiers wore blue cloths, likely indicating their specific unit or affiliation.

‘Systematic.’

The wanderer’s purpose was to gather information.

Choi Hyun-ji was already collecting data by observing her surroundings, even before entering the city.

The line to enter Man-gyeong stretched on for hours.

When it was finally Choi Hyun-ji’s turn, she was led by the soldiers into a tent made of cloth.

It seemed they were separating casual travelers from those seeking to settle in the city.

Choi Hyun-ji was greeted by a young girl with a blue cloth on her shoulder.

Fourteen to sixteen years old, perhaps?

She had a youthful appearance, like a middle school student.

But the girl was focused on the list in front of her, paying no attention to Choi Hyun-ji.

Choi Hyun-ji tossed her cigarette aside and sat down in front of the girl, and a moment later, a voice spoke.

“Name.”

The girl’s voice was weary.

Choi Hyun-ji silently answered the girl’s question.

It was a necessary procedure for joining the force.

The process was systematic and well-planned.

From her original occupation to gender, age, place of origin, and purpose.

The girl wrote down Choi Hyun-ji’s information on paper.

“Expected length of stay?”

“Uh… um… I don’t know?”

When Choi Hyun-ji gave a vague answer, the girl glared at her.

Choi Hyun-ji laughed awkwardly and replied.

“About five days…? Something like that.”

“……Sit up straight.”

“Pardon?”

“Put your back against the chair and sit up straight.”

“Ah… yes.”

The girl’s tone was cold and authoritative.

The girl’s name was Ha Yoon-ha.

She was one of the ‘players’ hired by Lord Kang Sion.

Ha Yoon-ha possessed the ability to store information in her head and access it like a library at any time.

Therefore, she had been appointed as the head of the immigration office, managing and supervising everyone who entered.

All tasks assigned by Kang Sion.

Choi Hyun-ji followed her instructions obediently.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do [a common idiom meaning to adapt to the customs of the place you are in].

Since most forces established their own social systems, she had to learn new cultures and systems each time she visited.

Of course, this was the first time she had encountered such a systematic and meticulous place.

Immigration in a destroyed world.

Ha Yoon-ha continued to explain the ‘Traveler’s Law’ that must be followed within ‘Man-gyeong’.

“Under no circumstances should violence be used against others or harm be inflicted in Man-gyeong. Night traffic is also prohibited. Night is defined as the period from 10 p.m. to sunrise. You may only reside in Man-gyeong for the number of days allowed. Violation of these rules may result in punishment according to the Lord’s decree. ……Finally, currency is used in Man-gyeong. The currency is this.”

Yoon-ha held up a red plastic lighter in her right hand and shook it casually.

Choi Hyun-ji glanced at the lighter and nodded.

“Basically, without this lighter, it will be impossible to reside in Man-gyeong. So, we have a system in place for wanderers who don’t intend to stay.”

“Oh… what is it?”

The concept of wanderers was recognized and accommodated in this city.

This indicated that the lord understood the system well.

In fact, just observing how this city was organized, one could infer the lord’s capabilities.

Choi Hyun-ji was curious about the identity of the lord of this force.

Yoon-ha clasped her fingers together and said.

“It’s a barter system. You can exchange anything you have that is deemed useful for this lighter.”

“Oh… how much is one lighter worth?”

“Enough to get a ration once.”

“Hmm~”

Choi Hyun-ji examined the lighter, estimating the value of the currency.

One ration per lighter.

In Man-gyeong, one could consider the value of this plastic lighter to be roughly equivalent to a bowl of Gukbap [a common and affordable Korean soup with rice].

In the original world, Choi Hyun-ji often used the price of Gukbap as a benchmark, classifying meals cheaper than Gukbap as cheap and those more expensive as high-end.

Choi Hyun-ji smiled at the girl.

“Okay. I’m quite well-known among wanderers, you know? Let’s see… what would be a good trade…….”

Choi Hyun-ji began rummaging through her large bag.

She was a fairly high-ranking and capable wanderer.

Therefore, she possessed many items that would be valuable in northern Gyeonggi, Seoul, and Anyang.

Thump.

Choi Hyun-ji’s lips curved into a smile as she placed a cassette tape on the desk.

In fact, three cassette tapes.

“How about this? Does it tickle your fancy a bit?”

In a world where electricity was scarce, cassettes and cassette tapes were highly sought-after items.

Moreover, the cassette tapes Choi Hyun-ji possessed contained 100 Korean songs, including relatively recent hits.

From receptionist Ha Yoon-ha’s perspective, it was bound to be tempting.

“…….”

Yoon-ha looked at the cassette on the desk and coughed.

She seemed surprised.

Choi Hyun-ji was usually very careful about parting with such valuable items.

She only intended to use them when she was in a truly desperate situation or urgently needed money.

But she was curious.

About this place, Man-gyeong.

She wondered what kind of person the lord who built this city was.

“……O, okay. I’ll accept it.”

Yoon-ha pulled the cassette to her side and began counting the lighters.

The highest amount ever offered.

* * *

Choi Hyun-ji, having left the immigration office, immediately felt that she had made a good deal selling the cassette tapes.

“Wow…… Yahahaha……! Wow……!”

Before her lay the central shopping district of Man-gyeong.

Residents were spreading mats on the sidewalks of the main road, lighting fires, and preparing food.

The old villa villages that lined both sides of the street now served as residential spaces.

Many people were drying blankets on window frames or shaking out laundry.

It was the seventh day, the only day off of the week, and Choi Hyun-ji had arrived in Man-gyeong at the perfect time.

The streets were already bustling with city residents.

“Wow. It’s really amazing. What is that? Is that a well? Did they drill through the concrete floor? Oh my. Oh my. Oh my.”

Choi Hyun-ji explored the city with the wide-eyed wonder of a child visiting an amusement park for the first time.

She examined the wares of the mat merchants and sampled the street food.

What surprised her most was that the residents here no longer had to worry about ‘eating’ and ‘drinking’.

This was undoubtedly due to the efforts of the lord.

Ha Yoon-ha, who had been quietly observing the scene, frowned.

She turned to Choi Hyun-ji and said.

“Hey. I’m busy today. Go to your assigned room quickly.”

“Hey-! S, surely! Is there a bathhouse here too?”

Choi Hyun-ji was surprised to see the bathhouse sign and asked.

Ha Yoon-ha smiled and shrugged.

“Yes. Man-gyeong has everything. All thanks to the achievements of the Great Lord, Kang Sion, over the past year. If you stay…….”

“Hey-! Is this it? The accommodation I’ll be staying in?”

Above the old and worn-out CE convenience store sign, ‘Wanderer Accommodation’ was painted in red.

A wrinkled old woman was reading a novel at the checkout counter, and the space that once held shelves now contained waiting chairs and small tables.

“Oh. Yes…… that’s right.”

Ha Yoon-ha put her hands in her pockets and slowly approached Choi Hyun-ji.

The second floor was a restaurant, and the third to fifth floors were used as accommodations.

This was lodging for non-residents of Man-gyeong, originally a motel building.

Choi Hyun-ji was already arguing with the old woman at the counter.

“Room 303. Money.”

“How much is it?”

“Six.”

“Per night?”

“Yes.”

“Wow- a rip-off. Six bowls of Gukbap?”

“If you don’t like it, sleep under a plank in the alley like those people.”

At the old woman’s words, Choi Hyun-ji glanced at the alley across the street.

There, wanderers who had come from other cities, like herself, were chatting and laughing around a bonfire.

Choi Hyun-ji pouted and handed over a bag full of lighters.

Clatter-!

A substantial amount at a glance.

“……?”

The old woman was startled and looked up at Choi Hyun-ji.

Choi Hyun-ji smiled and said.

“About ten nights. You’ll give me food, right?”

“……Okay. Once a day though. 6 p.m. Check the time in the central square of the village.”

“Okay~”

Ten nights equaled sixty lighters, sixty bowls of Gukbap.

Choi Hyun-ji, having explored the city a bit, was convinced.

She wanted to stay here a little longer.

She also wanted to meet the lord who had built this city.

One or two days wouldn’t be enough.

And Choi Hyun-ji handed over that many lighters again.

It was to obtain the most important information.

“But grandma. Shall we make a deal?”

“……What is it?”

The counter old woman, who was counting the lighters, glared at Choi Hyun-ji with wide eyes.

Choi Hyun-ji glanced at Ha Yoon-ha, confirmed that the girl wasn’t paying attention, and whispered again.

“The lord of this city…… ah, that is. Did you say Kang Sion?”

“Ahem-! You have to add ‘nim’ [a Korean honorific suffix]?! You must not address the Lord without honorifics here.”

“Ahaha. Yes. Yes. Lord Kang Sion. Can you tell me a little about that Lord Kang Sion? Achievements or… what… history?”

Choi Hyun-ji was incredibly curious.

Who was this man named Kang Sion who had created such a city?

(Continued in the next episode)