The Regressor Only Protects Me [EN]: Chapter 8

People were huddled together outside the barricade.

Someone was drawing attention.

As Zion approached, Kyungsoo cautiously looked at him.

“Oh, you’re here? S-Zion.”

“Yes.”

“Nothing happened, right…?”

“Nothing happened.”

Kyungsoo glanced back and forth between Zion and Jaehee.

There were no bloodstains.

No signs of a struggle.

Only then did Kyungsoo breathe a sigh of relief.

“That’s a relief. I thought there was going to be a fight again.”

Kyungsoo was genuinely worried about Zion.

Zion glanced at Kyungsoo.

Kwon Kyungsoo, he was a kind person.

Unlike his build, he was timid and avoided fighting if possible.

And he couldn’t stand injustice, and he would act on justice even if it meant he would suffer.

Just now, when he brought Jin Jaehee inside the barricade, he tried to save her without even knowing who the other person was.

If Zion had spoken first, he would have checked the other person’s identity first.

Zion wanted to keep Kwon Kyungsoo by his side for as long as possible.

Kwon Kyungsoo was an essential asset for him to get out of this place.

Personality, values.

This judgment was based solely on his physical abilities, excluding those things.

Zion cautiously called out to Kwon Kyungsoo.

“Kyungsoo.”

“Ah, yes! Zion.”

“…”

Zion hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“It’s going to be hard to survive with that kind of personality.”

It was sincere advice from Zion’s perspective.

Kyungsoo seemed a little surprised; his eyelids fluttered, and then he lowered his head.

“Ah, yes… Do you think so?”

Leaving the dejected Kyungsoo behind, Zion turned his gaze.

Whatever happens, the round continues.

In front of him was K.

“A wonderful and thrilling battle! It was amazing,” K approached, clapping her hands.

The sound of her clapping echoed slowly inside the store.

The sound was eerie.

The people inside the barricade were startled and wary of her.

But K smiled despite the people’s apprehension and said, “Whoa, whoa, calm down. I’m here to manage you, not to threaten you.”

K jumped over the barricade.

And walked through the crowd, clapping her hands.

“Well, well, everyone who survived the tutorial. First of all, congratulations! You’ve passed one stage. This proves that you are a little different from the livestock that just consume food.”

Bang, bang!

At that moment, fireworks that popped out of thin air filled the sky.

“Now, let’s officially start Round 1. It’s going to be really fun, everyone!”

K grinned and watched the people.

Then she walked in the air.

As if there were stairs in the air, she walked up there.

Now everyone here could see K.

Everyone paid attention to K.

Now, no one dared to rebel against K.

“First of all, well… Now that the tutorial is over, let’s officially start the league. The Chinese side has already started Round 1, and the remaining ones are Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. Everyone, let me formally introduce myself. Nice to meet you, players. I’m K, the manager in charge of the East Asia branch. I formally greet you.”

K bowed politely to the people.

No one applauded.

K naturally raised her head and continued, “I’m the manager you’ll encounter a lot as the league progresses. So, if you have any inconveniences or requests before the league starts, please tell me.”

Then, a courageous man shouted.

“Is that even something to say!”

K turned her head and looked at the man.

It was a man sobbing alone in the corner.

“You’re saying to tell you if we have any inconveniences or requests? Then send us home right now!”

K answered the man’s question without hesitation. “Um… that’s not possible. It violates the policy. Didn’t I give you a chance not to follow the policy once?”

“That was… ridiculous…! Just because we didn’t follow the policy… you… you…!”

A woman who was nearby also spoke.

Then K looked at the woman this time and said, “What you can ask me is only within the scope that can be accommodated within the policy. And what I did was justified.”

“W-Why are you doing this…?”

Another student asked K.

K kindly answered the student as well. “Well, I’m just an office worker. All policy matters are instructed by the higher-ups… I’m just sad that Earthlings have been selected as disturbance species. When I went to the zoo as a child, our Earthlings always felt cute… Oh, right! I also have an Earthling doll at my house. My father gave it to me when I was young; he got it from a 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] machine. So, I mean, I like you guys a lot.”

Zoo… doll… office worker…

Zion remembered those three words in K’s words.

K’s words continued.

“But don’t worry! If you win the league, you’ll get more than you can imagine. I guarantee it. Next?”

K shouted confidently for the next question, but no questions came back.

Then Zion raised his hand.

K looked at him with a grinning expression and said, “Yes, Zion.”

“What’s going to happen in the future?”

“Ah, of course, I can’t tell you. You’re not qualified yet.”

Qualification.

Zion remembered that word again.

With Zion’s question, the store regained its silence.

K looked around at the people once and then continued. “Well, it seems like I’ve received all the questions, so let’s start preparing for the game in earnest.”

Clap clap-. Poong!

It was then.

When K clapped twice, a 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] machine appeared in the air.

It was a transparent, round 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] machine.

And the 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] machine was full of capsules filled with colorful colors.

It was the same as the 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] I used to see in front of stationery stores when I was young.

“Let me explain the theme of the league. Listen carefully, everyone? Well, then. Kids!”

When K shouted into the air, winged baby angels appeared from the air.

The baby angels marched in formation.

Soon, the baby angels blew their fanfare vigorously.

뿌우우우우움~!!!! [Ppuuuuuuum – Onomatopoeia for a trumpet fanfare]

The cheerful fanfare sound filled the store.

The baby angel in the middle shouted at the people.

“I will announce the theme of this league! You disturbance species!”

Unlike their cute appearance, their language expression was quite rough.

두구두구두구두구두구 [Dugudugudugudugu – Onomatopoeia for drumroll].

Two baby angels playing the drums on both sides.

Four more baby angels holding spears on both sides.

Soon, the baby angel holding the fanfare shouted vigorously.

“It’s a King Game!”

The area was in an uproar.

The baby angels seemed excited among themselves, spinning around in the air.

And a 3D map in the form of a hologram unfolded in the air.

It was a 3D map of this shopping mall.

Moreover, it showed where people were.

Zion quickly looked at the map.

Several people were gathered on each floor, about three or four people.

And here on the 7th floor, dozens of people were gathered.

On the last 11th floor, dozens of people were also gathered.

On most floors, there were only three or four people at best.

In the chaotic atmosphere, the baby angel said.

“Then we will reveal the first official rule of this league! Official rules are immutable rules! Well, well! Then we will reveal the three immutable rule books set by the Supreme Cosmic Council!”

빠바바밤-!!!! [Bba ba ba bam – Onomatopoeia for a grand fanfare]

Again, the sound of fanfare.

Zion now felt annoyed by that cheerful sound.

Putting aside those feelings, a huge book began to unfold in the air.

촤르르르륵-! [Chwareureureureuk – Onomatopoeia for pages flipping]

Then, it got caught on the middle page, and the phrase was enlarged in a hologram.

I looked at the phrase.

▶

[Official Round 1 Rules]

[<Ⅰ> Basic Rule: The selected ‘King’ and ‘Citizens’ must protect their assigned area and defend the King. If the assigned King dies, the vassals and citizens are automatically eliminated from the league. Citizens can change their affiliation if the majority of the King and citizens of the affiliated force agree. However, no more than three people can change affiliation per day, and the King is immutable and cannot be changed once selected.]

[<Ⅱ> Disarmament: Every night from 23:00 to 00:00 is a disarmament time, and acts of bonding, confinement, and intimidation, including attacks, are not allowed.]

[<Ⅲ> Final Victory Condition: Only one force survives in the area. The King and citizens of the surviving force can advance to the next round.]

▶

Zion quickly examined and organized the phrases floating in the air.

It wasn’t difficult.

In simple terms, it is a game where the selected ‘King’ within a designated area kills other ‘Kings’ except for himself.

In that situation, you can use other people like citizens to strategically and tactically subdue the opposing King.

In short, it’s like chess.

Except that your ‘piece’ can become the opponent’s ‘piece’ at any time.

‘The first place is this shopping mall.’

A limited place.

The number of people is limited.

Monsters are swarming.

The people here kill each other, fight over territory, and become the ultimate winner.

In short, this place was a battlefield.

A battlefield full of death and darkness.

The rules of the game were roughly understood.

Now, all that was left was how to select that King.

Three avatars popped out of the hologram window.

They were avatars with black, red, and blue skin, respectively.

“From the moment each King dies, all the vassals and citizens belonging to that King die. Just like this!”

The blue avatar stabbed and killed the red avatar with a knife.

At that moment, all the avatars belonging to the red avatar died.

Very brutally.

They were brutally killed by being hanged, beheaded with knives, and torn apart.

It was truly terrifying to see the small avatars die like that.

The avatars in the closed space collapsed one by one.

Then they started chewing on the avatars that had fallen first.

The animation didn’t end as if it were our future.

I turned away.

I didn’t want to see it anymore.

K, who took over the words of the baby angel, said.

“Hehehe, then everyone. Now, let’s select your King that you’ve been waiting for! The King will be a player selected by the Supreme Council.”

K put her hand into the 뽑기 [ppopgi – a random prize 뽑기 machine] machine.

And she stirred the capsules inside with her hand and then took out three capsules.

Zion couldn’t know how that was the method selected by the Supreme Council.

The three capsules floated in the air.

Zion looked at the three capsules and thought.

The more I experience it, the more this world seems like a game.

K picked up one of the capsules and took out a small piece of paper from inside.

“Well, shall we reveal it now? The first Kings selected as ‘leaders’ to save the desperate people in the destroyed world.”

Everyone paid attention to her.

Not a single person made a sound.

Some had suspicious expressions, but now they knew it too.

That the only thing that awaits them if they don’t follow the manager is death, and that the only way for them to survive is to win this damn game.

The expressions of the people were desperate.

K smiled as she looked at it. And soon, she held out the paper she was holding forward.

There was a name written there.

(To be continued in the next episode)