The Regressor Only Protects Me

Chapter #3: The World of Apocalypse (3)

The human desire for survival is the most basic instinct.

The appearance of monsters stripped people of their ability to fulfill that fundamental need.

And today, the unconscious fear of “being prey” that mammals possess began to surface in humanity.

In the end, humans realized they were nothing more than pieces of meat, like any other animal.

People shifted from being predators to becoming prey.

The situation inside the mall was dire.

“Get out of the way, damn it!!!”

“Kyahhh! Stop pushing!!!”

“Uwaaahhh! Aaagh! Aaagh!!!”

People crowded toward the exit.

Blinded by their desperation to survive, they frantically tried to open the doors.

They had become creatures driven solely by survival instincts.

Even though no one had been killed by the monster yet, the situation worsened.

Thud! Thump! Crack!

Several people had fallen at the entrance.

Some lost their footing and were trampled by the surging crowd.

Sion ran in various directions searching for an exit and finally reached another stairway.

He glanced at the people crowding the exit and quickly turned away.

The shopping mall’s entrances were limited.

The main entrances were mostly on the first floor, and the underground parking lot connected to the building by car.

But this was the seventh floor.

Assuming there were about 1,000 people inside the mall, everyone would be thinking the same thing in their panic.

Run to the first floor and escape.

If hundreds of people gathered on the first floor, it would surely become a living hell.

Sion decisively turned back and inspected the stairwell he had come from.

‘The black mist hasn’t entered yet.’

It was an unbelievable sight.

A gas-like mist could easily seep through the narrow gaps of the doors.

But so far, the mist had not entered.

As he began to view the situation rationally, a path forward became clear.

Sion covered his mouth and nose with a work towel he had used at a construction site.

Taking a deep breath, he cautiously opened the stairwell door.

Clank! Creak-.

The stench of rot assaulted his nose.

The sight before him was astonishing.

The black mist clung to the walls, motionless.

Literally motionless.

The mist neither advanced nor spread further.

It was a sight that defied all logic and understanding.

Sion approached the wall cautiously.

The surface of the wall rippled faintly.

At the same time, a putrid stench continuously emanated from it.

The towel was useless against the smell.

It was like the odor of a decaying corpse.

Its texture was indiscernible.

A bizarre humming sound, like “Wuuuung~,” echoed around him.

It felt as though his whole body was resonating with the vibrations.

The black mist stretched along the walls, covering both the interior and exterior surfaces of the building.

This meant the entire structure was enveloped by the black mist.

‘…It’s not attacking.’

While the monstrous creatures outside the mist might be threatening to humans, the black mist itself did not seem to pose any immediate danger to them.

Sion slowly and cautiously returned to where the others were.

People were still causing a commotion in front of the opposite stairwell.

There were at least dozens of them.

Losing interest, Sion plopped down onto a nearby chair.

From his observations and feelings so far, he understood one thing.

There was nothing he could do right now.

Something had to change.

And that change happened sooner than expected.

A woman casually browsing children’s clothing in a store.

Her expression was calm.

It was an oddly unnatural demeanor.

No human could remain so composed in a situation like this.

The woman eventually walked out toward the crowd.

“Everyone~! Attention, please.”

She called out to the people.

I moved closer to where the woman was.

She wore a revealing outfit that bordered on vulgar and had a strange pattern covering her eye like a patch.

The woman approached the panicked crowd slowly.

“disruptive species, please focus on me! Let’s wrap this up quickly.”

Her voice drew everyone’s attention in an instant.

It was bright, in stark contrast to the terrified expressions of the others.

That woman seemed to be in charge of this cursed extermination policy.

The people clustered at the exit turned to look at her.

Then she beamed brightly and shouted.

“Hello, disruptive species! I’m Administrator K, dispatched from the Universal Ecosystem Management Headquarters! It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Everyone in the area turned to stare at K with alarmed expressions.

K bowed politely and quickly continued speaking.

“Now, now. Everyone! There’s no need to be so scared. This is just a policy, after all. As beings within the universe, you’re simply adhering to it. So, this isn’t a disaster—it’s a policy! Say it with me, shall we?”

No one repeated her words.

When no one joined in, K softened her expression and chuckled awkwardly.

“Oh dear? No one wants to say it with me… Hahaha. Well, in any case, I hate boredom, so let’s get started quickly. Now, let’s see… The first thing we need to do is…”

At that moment, a woman near the escalator spoke in a trembling voice.

“Pl-please… can’t you just let us go? We… we haven’t done anything wrong… Why are you doing this?”

K was flipping through a peculiar book and seemed uninterested in the woman’s plea.

The woman fell to her knees and begged K.

“Please… please… I’m pregnant. There’s a baby inside me. So please…”

As the woman knelt, other citizens nearby began pleading as well.

One by one, they all clasped their hands together and begged.

The sound of sniffles filled the air, and K finally responded.

“Hm. I see. I almost forgot. Humans always try to avoid confronting the reality before them. I must’ve briefly overlooked that fact. I did mention earlier that this is meant to heighten your sense of reality, didn’t I?”

Clap-!

K closed her book and looked at the woman.

Her smile was unsettling.

“Very well. Before we move on to the first round, let’s select those who won’t comply with the extermination policy.”

Spin-.

When K drew a circle in the air with her finger, areas marked with [O] and [X] signs appeared in the store.

The crowd murmured in confusion.

“According to Article 1, Section 3 of the Universal Ecosystem Disruption Act, all disruptive species have the right to refuse compliance with the policy. That right must be guaranteed by the administrator.”

Some people faintly smiled.

Seeing their reactions, K’s lips curled upward as well.

“Those who won’t comply with the extermination policy, please move to the left where the [X] is. Those who will comply, go to the right where the [O] is. You have… let’s say, about five minutes?”

Clap! Poof!

K snapped her fingers, and a colorful digital clock appeared in midair.

The clock had a clown face that laughed maniacally.

[Ke-ke-ke-ke-keh! Move, bugs! It’s morning! Ke-ke-ke-ke-keh! Move, bugs! It’s morning!]

Startled, K stammered as she waved it off.

“Oh, that’s my alarm. Let me fix that.”

Clap!

She snapped her fingers again, and this time, a proper clock appeared.

It displayed exactly five minutes.

“Ahem! Now, please make your choices. There’s not much time. Those things will be coming soon!”

Things?

I frowned at K’s words.

That bizarre laughter was filled with malice.

One by one, people began hesitantly moving.

Most chose the [X] option, refusing to comply.

Even those who initially hesitated soon joined the [X] side.

I also got up and walked toward my choice without hesitation.

I chose [O].

As I entered the [O] area, I turned to look at the [X] section.

Everyone there was staring back at me.

Their faces were flushed, as if they couldn’t comprehend my decision.

They glared at me in disbelief.

No one else had chosen the [O] option.

“What an interesting result. I didn’t expect such an extreme divide.”

K smiled as she approached me, standing in the [O] section.

She circled around me, her gaze sharp.

“Player, is there a reason you chose [O]?”

K’s question was laced with mockery, as if she already knew the answer.

I remained silent, feeling no need to respond.

Then people in the [X] section began yelling at me.

“Hey, are you insane?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Yeah! We can’t accept this crazy policy. Come over here right now!”

“Listen, I’m a soldier. The safest way to handle a terrorist situation is to comply with their demands first.”

“Yes, student. Come over here quickly!”

Some wore expressions of disbelief.

Others looked at me with pity.

Some seemed genuinely worried.

All of them were pale, staring at me.

But I stuck to my choice.

If you thought about it for even a moment, the answer was obvious.

“Three minutes remaining~.”

As time passed, the citizens grew more agitated and began trying to persuade me.

“Hey! Student! Stop being stubborn and come over here!”

“Yeah! What’s wrong with you? Just follow the terrorist’s orders for now. That’s the only way the police or firefighters can do anything!”

Police, firefighters.

An amusing thought.

I wasn’t obligated to save them.

Even if I did save them, it didn’t mean they would side with me.

I wasn’t a good person.

The world isn’t a place where being good lets you survive.

Whether the world ends or not.

“Leave him alone! If that bastard wants to die, why waste your breath trying to convince him?”

It was a middle-aged man who had picked a fight with me earlier near the stairwell.

After his remark, the citizens who had been trying to persuade me slowly gave up.

I could still hear the man muttering.

“Damn idiot. Kids these days ruin their lives because they’re too stuck in their own opinions. Tsk, tsk. Back in my day, no one cared about having personal opinions.”

Why was he so full of resentment toward others?

The man didn’t hold back his disdain for me, a total stranger he’d just met today.

I didn’t respond.

No, I didn’t need to.

Because in three minutes, that man would die.

At that moment, a voice echoed in my mind.

I was slightly startled but didn’t show it.

-Player, can you hear me?

I lifted my head and looked forward.

There was K, grinning as she watched me.

I frowned.

K spoke.

-Hey there~. I’m bored. How about we play a game? A special game, just for you and me.

I didn’t answer.

But K continued grinning as her voice resonated in my mind.

-If you can convince more than half of these citizens to choose ‘O,’ you win. If more than half stay in ‘X,’ I win.

-Even if you lose, there’s no penalty. It’s just for fun~. Fun.

K shrugged.

-But I guarantee, if you win, I’ll give you a beneficial item. You know I’m not lying, don’t you?

I glared at K.

K stared back at me.

There didn’t seem to be any reason to refuse her proposal.

But I was curious about her intentions.

From the administrator’s perspective, I was just another insignificant disruptive entity.

Why had she singled me out?

Was it because I alone had chosen the [O] option?

There had to be a deeper reason.

I glanced at the timer.

Two minutes remained.

I had to convince a large number of citizens within those two minutes.

I opened my mouth.

“If you stay in [X], you’ll all die.”

At my words, the citizens finally turned their attention toward me.

I shifted my gaze from K to the crowd.

“Come over to [O].”

I kept it simple.

If I tried to explain myself too much, they’d think I was crazy.

There would inevitably be someone who challenged me.

Like that man.

“What’s your proof? Have you lost your mind?”

The moment the man took the bait, I reeled him in.

“If we don’t play this game, we’ll die.”

“If we play, we’ll die anyway. That woman said we don’t have to play if we don’t want to!”

“And if we don’t play? Do you think she’ll just send us home peacefully?”

Of course, that was possible.

K hadn’t specified what would happen after the choice.

But if you examined the situation a little more closely, the answer was obvious.

Even a child could understand her intentions.

Most of the people here weren’t in a stable mental state.

They couldn’t view the situation rationally.

When rational thought fails, emotions take over judgment.

“If we play! Then will we get to go home? This bastard, seriously!”

“If we play, our lives might be extended…”

“Who are you to say that?! Are you in cahoots with her?! I saw you exchange glances with that woman… You’re with her, aren’t you?! This bastard! I knew it! Everyone! This guy’s with her! Let’s kill him!”

The man interrupted me, shouting in anger.

His voice was so loud that it echoed throughout the store.

He needed someone to vent his frustrations on.

And he chose me—the youngest and easiest target.

A pathetic man.

“If you want to die, do it alone! Why are you trying to drag others into this? People like you ruin the country…”

“Shut up and listen.”

My words brought a sudden chill to the air.

I stared directly at his face and continued speaking.

The man, stunned, widened his eyes.

“She said we’ve been designated as disruptive species. Disruptive species are species that threaten ecosystems and must be eradicated by civilizations that dominate them. That’s what the term means. We’re those disruptive species. In other words, we’ve always been under the control of a higher life form far superior to Earth’s civilization. This policy’s purpose is to exterminate almost all of humanity, leaving only a few survivors. Do you really think that administrator over there will let us live because she opposes the policy? No, that would go against the policy itself.”

“Pfft…!”

Hearing this, K let out a laugh.

Judging by her reaction, my hypothesis seemed correct.

And from that moment, citizens began hesitantly moving from [X] to [O].

“We don’t have the power to decide. If we try to avoid the policy, our chances of survival are slim. But if we follow the policy, we might survive—for now. After all, the first round hasn’t even started yet.”

“You… you…!”

“That woman is gambling with our lives, but the answer is already decided. The choice is [O].”

With that, I looked at the timer.

Only 15 seconds remained.

“If you still don’t get it, you’re better off dying here. Like him.”

“You bastard!!!”

The man shouted furiously, but the situation had turned in my favor.

“…I think that guy’s right.”

“Y-yeah… he’s probably right!”

“Quickly!”

One by one, people began crossing from [X] to [O].

At first, the younger crowd led the way, followed by the majority.

“What?! Are you all crazy?! You’re believing that lunatic’s nonsense?!?!”

The man panicked, desperately trying to stop them, but their decisions didn’t change.

When the timer reached 5 seconds, fewer than ten people remained in [X].

I looked at the man.

He hesitated but ultimately didn’t cross over.

And the timer soon hit zero.

At that moment, the man reached out toward [O].

“W-wait.”

But it was already too late.

Boom!!!

The man’s body exploded in all directions before my eyes.

His body turned into chunks of flesh, scattering everywhere.

There was a brief moment of silence.

But only for a moment.

“Kyahhhhhhh!!!”

“Uwaaah! Aaaaah!!!”

Screams rang out from all directions.

The man’s shredded remains twitched and writhed on the ground.

Calmly, I wiped the blood from my face with my sleeve.

Then came the sound of clapping.

Clap-. Clap-. Clap, clap, clap.

K approached with a bright smile, clapping her hands.

“Bravo! That was amazing, Player. You won.”

K was smiling, but I couldn’t bring myself to smile back.