Chapter 7
Sohee’s low voice echoed through the room.
Then she began reading aloud the purpose of regression she had set for him.
“Dang Je-ik, head of the Dang Clan, intends to regress in order to prevent the hellish war against the Heavenly Demon.”
“He will risk everything to return to the past, sincerely raise the protagonist, and resolve the injustices that could cause the seed of the Heavenly Demon to sprout.”
“He does not know whether this will truly be enough to save the world, but he intends to sacrifice himself if it can contribute even the slightest bit toward success.”
At that moment, Sohee’s voice once again planted the suggestion firmly inside Dang Je-ik’s mind.
When it came to reincarnation, regression, and transmigration, the first step was always establishing a firm purpose.
And through that purpose, it was extremely important to give the person about to regress a powerful conviction and suggestion.
Strong enough that even they themselves would completely believe it.
“…That’s right. I must return in order to save the world.”
Dang Je-ik slowly opened his eyes.
His black pupils, which had been completely dark and lifeless, gradually began to glow red.
It worked.
Sohee opened her mouth slightly and tightly closed the red lucky pouch containing the entire story.
The pouch puffed up until it was plump.
Sohee rose from her seat and stepped aside.
“It’s time to go, Elder.”
Dang Je-ik stood before the door used for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration.
It was called a door, but in reality, it was more like a transportation space framed in a rectangular structure, its interior opaque and impossible to see through.
“Elder, please take this.”
Sohee handed the red lucky pouch to Dang Je-ik, who was staring at the door.
“It is proof that you chose regression.”
“Everything you need is inside it, so please leave without worrying.”
Everything.
It was an incredibly vague phrase.
But Dang Je-ik did not ask any further questions.
If this woman said so, then that was probably how it was.
He gave a slight nod and spoke to her.
“I will never forget this favor.”
“I hope that in the life you have been given again, you can achieve what you desire.”
Dang Je-ik stepped through the rectangular doorway.
The moment he entered the opaque space, a red light rippled inside it and smoothly pulled him in.
Soon, Dang Je-ik disappeared completely.
The door became still once again, as if nothing had ever happened.
Sohee pressed her dry lips tightly together and turned around.
The die had been cast.
The result of the regression would soon appear.
Ignoring her heart, which felt ready to burst from her chest, she hurried back toward the front desk.
One minute.
Two minutes....
She could not sit still at all.
She paced back and forth while staring at the hanging gourd.
How could a mere five minutes pass so slowly?
By the time she had bitten her lips so much that they were nearly wounded—
the gourd finally reacted.
Wooooong—
A faint golden glow appeared inside the translucent gourd, through which its contents could be seen.
The glow flickered once before disappearing.
Then—
Drip!
With a cute little sound, about a spoonful of water gathered inside.
It meant the regression had succeeded.
“Haah.”
Only after seeing that did Sohee finally relax her tense shoulders.
She placed both hands on the front desk and let out a long breath, as if all the strength had drained from her body.
“Looks like he made it safely.”
At that moment, a breeze came from somewhere and brushed across Sohee’s forehead.
And as expected, a dissatisfied lecture immediately followed.
“Why bother getting so nervous?”
It was nothing more than the Moon Jar’s blunt tone and a tiny breeze.
And yet, strangely enough, it reassured her.
“He’s only a character in a novel.”
“Yes, I know. I know, but....”
Then is this place reality?
And what does that make me?
As Sohee’s thoughts started becoming complicated, she tapped the top of her head with her fist and hurriedly made an excuse.
“If it were just a novel, I could read it and close the book, and that would be the end of it.”
“But here, I actually meet them, listen to their stories, and then I keep....”
“Keep what?”
“Nothing.”
Sohee felt like she was about to say something stupid, so she only hit the top of her head a few more times.
“Their original fate had already ended anyway.”
The Moon Jar continued.
“If their reincarnation, regression, or transmigration fails, there is nothing you can do.”
“As long as you did your best, that’s enough.”
“You earned every bit of that money you like so much.”
The Moon Jar clicked its tongue inwardly.
It was obvious that Sohee had been worried sick that Dang Je-ik might fail to regress.
Her routine after every reincarnation, regression, or transmigration was always exactly the same.
The moment she sent someone through, she immediately ran back to the gourd sitting at the front desk.
Then she stared holes into it for about five minutes.
Because if the attempt succeeded, water would gather inside the gourd.
Naturally, if no water appeared even after some time passed, then it meant failure.
Her first several attempts had, of course, ended in failure.
And whenever that happened, Sohee’s condition would hit rock bottom for the rest of the day.
“You’re only someone who increases the probability.”
“There is no such thing as a one-hundred-percent success rate for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration.”
The Moon Jar had told the discouraged Sohee that several times already.
But there was no way her heart could simply obey those words.
She had such a strong sense of responsibility that she deeply immersed herself in the stories of those about to undergo reincarnation, regression, or transmigration.
She carefully analyzed every part of their circumstances and even spoke with them directly to understand their emotions.
That was precisely why Sohee had both passion and talent for this work.
Unfortunately, her heart had not matured enough for her to comfort herself by simply saying, I did everything I could.
“Anyway, he made it safely, so that’s all that matters.”
“Why didn’t you tell him?”
“Tell him what?”
Sohee looked at the Moon Jar with a puzzled expression.
“That he won’t remember anything that happened here.”
“Ah....”
“I will never forget this favor.”
Apparently, the Moon Jar had remembered Dang Je-ik’s final words.
Sohee shrugged.
“He won’t even remember saying that.”
She dropped into her chair and leaned comfortably against the soft backrest.
She had already gone through that process plenty of times before.
You won’t remember anything that happened in this motel, so live happily in the life you’re given from now on.
Whenever she told them that, the only result was that their farewells became unnecessarily long, with emotions running high on both sides.
Even if reincarnation, regression, and transmigration were technically nothing more than jobs she was paid to carry out, it was difficult to sever a relationship cleanly after listening to someone’s story and accepting their emotions.
It was probably the same for the other person.
After all, a supporting character rarely had the chance to reveal their deepest feelings like this.
It’s better for them to leave without knowing anything.
Sohee quietly stared at the gourd.
The mark had risen by only the tiniest amount.
The only way to retire from the Reincarnation, Regression, and Transmigration Motel and return to reality.
Sohee suddenly widened her eyes and glared at the gourd for no reason.
“Ah! My water drops!”
Not long after arriving here, Sohee had once screamed in despair after seeing that the gourd, which originally contained a few drops, had become completely dry.
Fortunately, there had only been a handful of drops inside at the time.
“You lunatic manager!”
“......”
“You’re the first idiot to pour bottled water into the gourd!”
“Did you seriously think the water drops received as payment for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration would be the same as ordinary water?”
“But did the original reincarnation water drops really have to disappear too?”
“Yes, they did, you idiot.”
“This place isn’t that forgiving.”
“I thought maybe it might work.”
“Then why did you bring water from the well too?”
“…Because if bottled water didn’t work, I thought I’d try the village spring water.”
“You cause trouble in such creative ways.”
“I’ve lived a long time, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Sohee had tried all sorts of things in her desperation to return quickly.
But in the end, none of them worked.
The only option was to diligently help supporting characters and extras reincarnate, regress, or transmigrate, and steadily collect the resulting water drops one by one.
+105 days. 1:55 p.m.
I Became the Immortal Heavenly Demon — Dang Je-ik.
Regression successful.
Sohee wrote the short entry beside Dang Je-ik’s name in the guest ledger.
It was almost two in the afternoon, the hour when everyone in the village took their nap.
They barely had any customers anyway, but it was still the official time when she could comfortably close the motel and rest.
Feeling considerably lighter, Sohee leaned back against her chair and closed her eyes.
“This goes here... Hmm, and this one fits perfectly over here.”
Liri was one of only two employees at the Reincarnation, Regression, and Transmigration Motel.
Her eyes sparkled brightly as she neatly arranged dyes and fragrances inside the cabinet.
There still were not many people visiting the motel.
So for now, Liri had stocked the cabinet with the most commonly used scents and colors, organizing them by type.
Including Dang Je-ik, who had just left, a total of six people had successfully completed reincarnation, regression, or transmigration so far.
Every single one of them had been delighted to experience once again the exact colors and scents of rooms filled with memories from their lives.
Some had spent their final time resting peacefully.
Others had stayed while crying and laughing endlessly before eventually leaving.
“I thought I’d never be able to smell this scent again.”
Every time Liri remembered those words, her heart pounded as though it might burst.
This was the first place where Liri’s natural talent had ever been acknowledged.
Not only Sohee, the manager, but even the guests staying in the rooms constantly praised her.
I need to do even better.
So that they could become even happier because of her.
Liri smiled as she looked at the cabinet she treasured like a precious jewel.
At that moment, slanted sunlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and struck the rows of glass bottles.
The colorful dyes contained within the transparent bottles shimmered beautifully.
“…Pretty.”
Unlike the village, which was filled with achromatic colors—including Liri herself—her workshop alone was dazzlingly beautiful.
Despite what she had just said, however, she hurried over and carefully shut the blackout curtains.
If sunlight entered, the dyes might fade and the fragrances could deteriorate.
“There. Done.”
She took a deep breath.
The lily fragrance she had tested earlier that day still lingered faintly at the tip of her nose.
With a warm, fluffy feeling filling her chest, Liri finished organizing everything and was just about to leave the workshop when—
a light knock sounded from the door.
“Liri, can I come in?”
