WTRM 07

Chapter 7

Sohee’s low voice echoed through the room. She then began reading aloud the purpose for the regression she had established.

“The head of the Dang Clan, Dang Jaeik, wishes to regress in order to prevent the hellish war with the Heavenly Demon. He will risk his life to return, sincerely care for the protagonist, and wash away his grievances so that the seed that will become the Heavenly Demon does not sprout. He does not know whether this will definitely save the world, but he intends to sacrifice himself to contribute even the smallest amount of strength toward its success.”

It was the moment Sohee’s voice once again strongly implanted the purpose of regression into Dang Jaeik’s mind.

After all, reincarnation, regression, and transmigration began with establishing a firm purpose. Through that purpose, it was extremely important to give the person about to regress a powerful sense of conviction and suggestion.

So powerful that even they themselves would be deceived by it.

“…That’s right. I have to return to save the world.”

Dang Jaeik slowly opened his eyes.

The black pupils that had been completely devoid of light gradually began to take on a reddish hue.

‘It worked.’

Sohee opened her mouth slightly as she tightly closed the red lucky pouch containing the entire story.

When the lucky pouch puffed up plumply, Sohee stood up and stepped aside.

“Please go now, Elder.”

Dang Jaeik stood before the ‘door’ of reincarnation, regression, and transmigration.

It was called a door, but in reality, it was a ‘transit space’ in the shape of a rectangular frame, its interior opaque and impossible to see through.

“Elder, please take this.”

Sohee handed the red lucky pouch to Dang Jaeik, who was looking at the door.

“It is proof that you have chosen regression. Everything is inside, so please leave without worrying.”

Everything.

It was an incredibly vague thing to say, but Dang Jaeik did not ask any further.

If she said that was how it was, then so be it.

He gave a slight nod and said to her,

“I will not forget this kindness.”

“I hope that in the life you have been given once again, you achieve what you wish for.”

Dang Jaeik stepped through the square-shaped door.

A red light rippled inside the opaque door, and as it seemed to suck Dang Jaeik inside, he soon disappeared completely.

The door became quiet, as though nothing had happened.

Sohee tightly pressed her dry lips together and turned around.

The die had been cast, and soon the result of the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration would appear.

Putting aside her heart that felt as though it might burst, she quickly ran to the front desk.

One minute, two minutes….

Unable to sit still, she paced around while staring at the hanging gourd.

Why did just five minutes feel as though they were passing so slowly?

By the time her lips, which she had been chewing over and over, were nearly raw, the gourd finally reacted.

Vroooom—.

A faint golden glow appeared and disappeared inside the translucent gourd through which its contents could be seen.

Then—

Plop!

With a cute little sound, about a spoonful of water filled it.

It meant the regression had succeeded.

“Haaah.”

Only after seeing that did Sohee finally relax her tense shoulders.

She placed both hands on the front desk and let out a long sigh, as though all the strength had drained from her.

“He must have gone well.”

At that moment, a breeze blew from somewhere and brushed across Sohee’s forehead.

And, as expected, a scolding voice soon followed, sounding displeased.

“Why bother getting tense?”

Despite the gruff tone and the fact that it was nothing more than a simple gust of wind, she somehow felt reassured.

“He’s just a character in a novel.”

“Yes, I know. I know that. But….”

Then is this place reality? What happened to me?

As Sohee’s thoughts began to grow complicated, she tapped the top of her head repeatedly and offered an excuse.

“If it were a novel, I could just read it and close the book, but here, I actually meet them and hear their stories, so I keep….”

“Keep. What.”

“Nothing.”

Feeling as though she was about to say something foolish, Sohee pounded the top of her head a little harder.

“His fate was already finished anyway. Even if the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration didn’t happen, there was nothing that could be done. If you did your best, that’s the end of it. You got your money’s worth.”

Dal Hangari clicked his tongue inwardly, seeing how worried she had been that Dang Jaeik might fail to regress.

Sohee’s reincarnation, regression, and transmigration routine was always the same.

After sending someone through reincarnation, regression, and transmigration, she would immediately run toward the gourd placed on the front desk.

Then she would stare intently at the gourd for about five minutes.

If the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration succeeded, water would fill the gourd.

Naturally, if no water appeared even after a certain amount of time passed, it meant they had failed.

Her first few attempts had inevitably ended in failure, and whenever that happened, Sohee’s condition for the rest of the day would hit rock bottom.

“You only increase the probability. There is no such thing as a one-hundred-percent success rate for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration.”

Dal Hangari had told the discouraged Sohee this countless times, but there was no way she could simply control her feelings like that.

She was so responsible that she would immerse herself deeply in the stories of those scheduled for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration, meticulously examine every detail, and even exchange emotions with them through direct conversations.

Sohee had that much passion and talent for this work.

Unfortunately, however, her heart had not yet matured enough to comfort herself by simply saying that she had done all she could.

“Anyway, he made it there safely, so that’s good.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

Sohee looked at Dal Hangari with puzzled eyes.

“That you remember nothing about what happens here.”

“Ah….”

“I will not forget this kindness.”

Apparently, Dang Jaeik’s final words had reminded her of it.

Sohee shrugged.

“He won’t even remember saying that.”

Sohee plopped down into a chair.

Then she leaned back comfortably into its softness.

She had already gone through that process before.

You won’t remember anything about what happened at this motel, so go and live happily with the life you’ve been given.

The result had only been unnecessarily prolonged goodbyes and emotions running wild on both sides.

No matter how much ‘reincarnation, regression, and transmigration’ was simply one of the jobs she did for money, once she had heard and accepted the other person’s story and emotions, it was not easy to cut off the relationship cleanly.

The same was probably true for the other person.

A supporting character would never have a chance to open up their innermost feelings like this.

‘It’s better for them to leave without knowing anything.’

Sohee quietly stared at the gourd.

The level had risen by a very tiny amount.

‘The only way to retire from the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration motel and return to reality.’

She unnecessarily widened her eyes as she stared at the gourd.

“Ah! My water droplet!”

Not long after arriving here, Sohee had screamed when she saw the gourd completely dried out, without even a single water droplet inside.

Still, it had only been a few drops at that early stage, so she had been fortunate in that regard.

“You crazy manager!”

“……”

“You’re the first person to pour bottled water into the gourd. There’s no way the water droplets you receive as payment for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration are the same as ordinary water, right?”

“But can the water droplets that were originally in the gourd really disappear?”

“Of course they can, you idiot. This place isn’t that easy to fool.”

“I thought maybe it would work.”

“Then why did you go draw well water?”

“…I thought I’d try using the spring water from this village if bottled water didn’t work.”

“You’re finding incredibly creative ways to cause trouble. After living this long, I’ve seen all kinds of things.”

She had tried every possible method to return quickly, but ultimately, none of them had worked.

All she could do was diligently help supporting characters and extras undergo reincarnation, regression, and transmigration, steadily and faithfully accumulating the water droplets.

+105 days. 1:55 p.m. I Became the Immortal Heavenly Demon, Dang Jaeik. Regression successful.

Beside Dang Jaeik’s name in the guest ledger, Sohee left a short note.

Soon it would be two o’clock, the time when everyone would go down for their afternoon nap.

There were hardly any guests anyway, but during the official hours when she could comfortably close the doors and rest, she leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes, feeling much more at ease.

“This goes here. Hmm, this one is just right over here.”

One of the only two employees at the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration motel, Riri arranged the dyes and fragrances neatly in the cupboard, her eyes shining brightly.

There still weren’t many people visiting the motel.

So, for the time being, Riri had prepared the most popular fragrances and colors, arranging them by type and placing them in the cabinets.

Including Dang Jaeik, who had just left, a total of six people had successfully undergone reincarnation, regression, and transmigration so far.

All of them had been delighted to experience once again the exact colors and fragrances of rooms that carried memories from their lives.

Some had spent their final moments resting peacefully before leaving, while others had spent their time laughing and crying until the very end.

“I never thought I’d be able to smell this fragrance again.”

At those words, Riri’s heart had pounded as though it would burst.

Here, for the first time, Riri’s innate talent had been recognized.

Sohee, the manager, as well as the guests staying in the rooms, never held back their praise for her.

‘I have to do even better.’

So that they could become even happier because of her.

She was smiling as she gazed at her precious cupboard when sunlight slanted through the gap in the curtains and touched the rows of glass bottles.

The colorful dyes inside the transparent bottles shimmered brightly in a rainbow of colors.

“…Pretty.”

Unlike the village, which was filled with dull, colorless surroundings, her workshop here was dazzlingly beautiful.

However, contrary to her words, she hurriedly closed the blackout curtains carefully.

If sunlight entered, the dyes could fade, and the fragrances could also deteriorate.

“Now it’s done.”

She took a deep breath.

The scent of lily that she had sampled today still lingered at the tip of her nose.

With a warm, contented feeling, she finished organizing everything and was just about to leave the workshop when she heard a light knock.

“Riri, can I come in?”