Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1162. Internal Stability (1)

For some reason, I felt like running away for love or something. If I were Fake Ki-Young rather than Real Ki-Young, I felt like I would run away for love with Fake Hye-Jin.

It wasn't that I didn't want to resolve the issue, but I couldn’t help but imagine it at this moment.

‘I must be... weak-hearted toward people who treat me kindly.’

I was fully aware that it was just a classic form of escapism.

If Flower Ki-Young was just a puppet that couldn’t change the current situation no matter how hard he tried...

‘Running away with her wouldn’t be a bad idea.’

If we were to keep running away, or if there were a decent deal, Kim Hyun-Sung would probably just leave me alone.

Perhaps it wasn't a bad idea to enjoy small joys in a place where no one can find us.

We could have a son and two daughters; we could build a little cottage, and Hye-Jin could hunt, cook, and fix the house while I cheered her on from the sidelines. It kind of bothered me because that version of Hye-Jin seemed like she couldn’t talk, but so what?

There were many ways to communicate.

Of course, I knew better than anyone that it was a ridiculous thought because Lee Ji-Hye and I would never allow anything to slip past our control.

In fact, even imagining it was impossible. The thought wasn’t even worth serious consideration, not with a mind still heavily influenced by Lee Ki-Young’s way of thinking.

‘Abandon everything and just live happily ever after?’

Regardless of whether I was real or fake, I never compromised. I wasn’t exactly happy about it because it felt like I was shadowboxing, but at the very least, struggling like this was suitable for me—at least until I could clearly see who I really was.

Now was the time where I had no choice but to turn down Jo Hye-Jin’s sincere gaze.

“Who—”

She suddenly pulled my cheek.

Obviously, it felt like she was telling me not to have ridiculous thoughts.

“You’re...”

She pulled my other cheek as if telling me not to say anything absurd.

‘What the hell? What do you want me to do?’

To make things worse, she shook my head so hard that it felt like my face was going to fall off.

‘Come to think of it, I wonder what she thinks of me.’

I wasn’t sure if she was being friendly because I simply looked like Lee Ki-Young or if she was protecting me because I was Dummy Lee Ki-Young, but whatever her reason was, it was giving me a headache.

In addition, I had been thinking about the damned possibilities. The latter seemed more likely, but... when I thought about someone sending her to me because they wanted me to think that I was a dummy, I felt like I was back to square one.

One thing I was sure of was that this version of Jo Hye-Jin was able to carve out her own path—a path independent from the 21st Legion and the Monarch of Sunset.

Secondly, she didn’t seem like a robot moving based on commands, and thirdly, she wasn’t showing hostility toward me.

If I were to talk about her negatively, I'd say she was another card I could use.

Based on my personality and the current situation where there were many variables... I couldn’t really trust her, but still...

‘I finally have someone I can trust.’

That fact was really comforting...

Of course, I wasn’t sure if I needed to treat her like a human... but still... she was better than nothing.

Whatever was happening, I needed to make a good impression.

I frowned, and Jo Hye-Jin had to have realized that I was in pain because she quietly let go of my cheeks. I wanted to yell at her and ask what she was doing, but I couldn’t.

My red cheeks made me look like I was flustered, so I covered my face and took two steps backward.

“Who... are you?” I asked.

“...”

“I mean, I know who you are, but why... why did you save me? Aren’t you a subordinate... of the Monarch of Sunset?” I asked.

Dummy Hye-Jin took out her spear quietly.

I was kind of worried that she was going to stab me, but she started writing on the ground.

— Because I wanted to.

“What do you-”

— There isn’t much I can say. All I can say is that I’m glad that you’re safe.

“Do you know me?” I questioned.

— I don’t know whether you’re the person I know or not, but I’m sure I know you.

“Then which version of me do you know?” I asked.

— The Sub Guild Master of the Blue.

“...”

— And my friend.

Whether it was on the continent or in Dummy World, that was my job. We were indeed friends, but that wasn’t what I was asking.

— I don’t remember anything else. All I know... is that you’re really important to me, but at the same time, I resent you.

‘Did I play jokes on her as well?’

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

“What in the world is... Blue...” I mumbled.

— You’ll... find out.

“Why is the Monarch of Sunset looking for me? Does it have anything to do with this?” I asked.

— I can’t answer that either.

“Did someone send you here?” I asked.

— No one.

“What’s your goal?” I questioned.

— My first goal is to stop the people trying to invade the Ashen Sunset Region. My second goal is to move based on my own will. At the moment, it is to protect you.

Her will seemed stronger than I thought. Assuming that the Monarch of Sunset’s side knew about her existence, a question popped up in my head.

‘What do they think of her?’

Now that I thought about it, I felt like she wasn't Dummy Jo Hye-Jin, as she seemed like she couldn't talk and couldn't really express herself to the 21st Legion.

Since she was here, the real Jo Hye-Jin... was still on the continent.

There was a high chance that she was a combat doll modeled after Jo Hye-Jin.

In addition, she wasn't really made to resemble her. She was also covered in armor, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone thought she was a living armor with Jo Hye-Jin’s battle program installed in it.

It was highly likely that she hadn't even considered the possibility that she was thinking this way. Her appearance in the video earlier looked like someone who had completely lost their humanity.

“Are you truly aware of who you are?” I asked.

— A little.

“Is the Monarch of Sunset’s side aware of this truth?” I questioned.

— They’re not.

‘It’s clear... she doesn’t know anything.’

Excluding Hee-Ra and Ji-Hye noona, no one really knew about the Dummy World, so she obviously never even thought about it.

I wasn’t sure whether this dummy was the same dummy at the time, but it was undeniable that Ji-Hye noona and Lee Ki-Young were involved in all this.

‘Why did I come back?’

If we were the same dummies...

The Dummy World was abandoned when the continent became a dungeon...

‘Was there a reason why the dummies had no choice but to sign a contract?’

Now that I think about it, there was one reason.

‘Server maintenance cost?’

Even a perfect server needed maintenance, as it was still a program at its core.

The dummies probably sought stability while proclaiming independence, but there was no way that they could generate funds to maintain and update the servers themselves.

While it was possible for a short time, it was a band-aid solution. It could never be a long-term solution. Whenever we were short on funds, we could just gather holy power outside, and the Dummy World wasn’t any different.

‘If anything, they might be worse.’

Now that I thought about it, the Dummy World was full of side effects and variables after so many experiments and resets. It wouldn't be strange if there were issues with some data, and they could have signed a contract to fix it.

I wanted to confirm this assumption, but unfortunately, Dummy Hye-Jin seemed like she didn’t know anything, and to make things worse, it seemed like she was under some restrictions.

There was no point in investigating any further.

“In that case...” I paused.

“...”

“What are you planning on doing with me?” I asked.

— Humans are coming.

‘Ah, so they’re on their way here. Looks like running away isn’t an option.’

— I must return as well. I received a mission.

“...”

— Sub guild master.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what that means... what you want, and what’s happening to me,” I said.

— I understand that you’re confused about many things, but there’s one thing I would like to say...

“...”

— You must believe in yourself.

‘Yeah, I want to believe in myself as well.’

'I want to believe in myself more than anyone, but I really can’t trust myself.'

“...”

'This jerk is always scamming people, so who in their right mind will trust him? To make matters worse, he even scams himself.'

I knew there was a reason behind his actions. However, I couldn't help but feel that there was a reason to be anxious about his actions this time.

“...”

— Ki-Young, you have to trust yourself.

I wasn’t sure if she was saying that because she knew something or if she was simply trying to give me courage.

However, it worked, as I felt a bit more courageous.

‘It’s really funny how things can change with that one comment...’

She was correct, too. Whatever the case was, I was aware of the fact that playing this game and winning would be advantageous for me.

In addition, Lee Ki-Young would always play games in which he would win.

‘I don’t know what you want.’

Whether I was real or fake, I never compromised.

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young.”

“The saint is over there!”

“Mr. Lee Ki-Young!”

“Are you okay?”

“He’s here! We found him!”

I heard voices from afar. I turned around briefly, and when I looked at Jo Hye-Jin again, I could no longer see her. I thought it made sense since both sides considered each other as enemies, but I was kind of sad that she hadn't said goodbye to me.

Soon, the players approached me with the members of the Flower and Fertility Familia.

They checked my condition and examined the guys who had almost crossed the Jordan River.

William had to have gone in the opposite direction because I saw him late. As soon as he got here, he examined me and reached out to remove the kidnappers’ masks.

However, I raised my hand and stopped him.

“Please don’t remove them, Mr. William,” I said.

“Pardon?” William asked.

“I don’t think we need to know who they are. I’d appreciate it if you could think of today as a mistake and move on without any further discussion,” I requested.

“But... but, Mr. Lee Ki-Young, these people—”

‘That’s why we need to make sure we use them as meat shields. We’re at a critical moment where every bit of strength counts.’

“I’m sure it’s because they were anxious, scared, and afraid. They didn’t act out of a desire for their own safety but because they were thinking about Rohen. If we make this an issue and put them on trial, we might be able to unite our allies, but we won’t be able to win over everyone,” I explained.

“...”

“And...” I paused.

“...”

“Their choice... may not be the... wrong choice,” I continued.

“What... do you mean, Mr. Lee Ki-Young?” he asked.

“What I’m trying to say is that perhaps what the Monarch of Sunset truly desires isn’t Rohen, Mr. William,” I answered.

“...”

“It’s hard to explain the details, but... I get the feeling that I’m more deeply involved than I thought,” I added.

‘I need to strengthen him first.’

“I think... there’s a certain power inside me, and they’ve been desperately looking for it,” I said while giving off a doomsday vibe.