WTRM 06

Chapter – 06

She narrowed her eyes at the hotel, which probably wasn’t giving this place any thought at all. Sometimes, it annoyed her when the hotel manager, Chunrok, smiled at her, but yes, the other side hadn’t actually done anything wrong.

Right. They’re just following the rules over there, too.

Just as Sohee was about to feel sorry for getting so angry at them for no real reason, Chunrok, sensing her gaze, met her eyes.

He gave her a beautiful, gentle smile, then naturally shifted his gaze toward the empty entrance of the motel.

……?

Was he mocking her?

It was only for a brief moment, but the corner of his mouth had definitely lifted. Even though he was quite far away, she could tell that much for certain!

He’s definitely looking down on me!

Sohee glared at him, but Chunrok seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever and skillfully began welcoming the stream of his own guests.

Sohee whipped her head around.

It was probably better for her mental health not to look at him at all.

“Sir Dal Hangari.”

“What.”

“I’m definitely going to succeed. I’m going to revive this place so much that I’ll make a mark in the history of the reincarnation, regression, and transmigration motel.”

“Do. That.”

Sohee clenched both fists tightly.

Although Dal Hangari had answered gruffly, he somehow felt a pang in his heart. He found Sohee admirable for constantly burning with determination, yet he also felt sorry for her.

In fact, compared to the other managers, Sohee had been one of the least troublesome.

There had been those who fell into depression and wasted several months, those who constantly nitpicked about everything they disliked about the motel, and even those who declared they would never undergo reincarnation, regression, or transmigration and intended to stay here for the rest of their lives.

At least Sohee never complained about the situation she was in.

All her concerns were about the criteria for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration that her clients had to meet.

Even so, Dal Hangari had no choice but to make her mentally tough.

She didn’t even know how long she would have to stay here, and the more dissatisfied she became with the world, the harder things would become for Sohee herself.

A tilted scale, an inescapable fate, absolute providence.

If she understood these unfavorable conditions for reincarnation, regression, and transmigration, then even if she failed, at the very least she could blame the rules.

Dal Hangari hoped that someone as responsible as her wouldn’t fall into a deep sense of guilt.

Sohee opened the drawer beneath the front desk.

Inside were three lucky pouches lined up side by side: red, green, and white.

Red for regression, green for possession, and white for reincarnation.

Each pouch held the new story of the person undergoing reincarnation, regression, or transmigration, and they had to carry it with them when they left this place and returned to the world of the work.

Sohee stared intently at the lucky pouches before, as if she had made up her mind, taking out the red one.

“I’ll meet every single one of these conditions and make sure Elder Dang Jaeik regresses.”

Exactly three days later, Sohee went up to Dang Jaeik’s room carrying the red lucky pouch and a file containing his story.

“Miss, is this… really right?”

Dang Jaeik looked bewildered by the regression story Sohee had prepared.

“Please read everything first. We can talk afterward.”

Dang Jaeik looked at Sohee, then began reading through what she had prepared once again.

The head of the Sacheon Dang Clan, Dang Jaeik, from the web novel I Became the Immortal Heavenly Demon.

He regresses to twenty years before his death in the great battle, to the time when the Heavenly Demon experiences his first death and is reborn. He then takes in the protagonist, who was abandoned immediately after birth, and raises him under his protection.

Up to this point, he understood.

It was also what Dang Jaeik himself wanted.

What confused him was the next sentence.

His purpose in regressing is one thing: to become the master of the protagonist destined to become the Heavenly Demon and prevent the destruction of the world….

His master?

Prevent the destruction of the world?

He had clearly said that all he wanted was to protect his family.

Dang Jaeik patiently continued reading the rest.

At last, his eyes settled on the story concerning the purpose of Dang Jaeik’s regression in I Became the Immortal Heavenly Demon.

“Hongseon.”

“Yes, Elder.”

To Hongseon, who had ended his life as the Heavenly Demon in the past, Elder Dang Jaeik had been his only pillar.

He had endured and endured for all this time because of that feeling. But from the moment his complete memories returned after being reborn, a terrible rage repeatedly surged up from deep within his soul according to the contract dwelling there, and now he could no longer endure it.

His sister had taken her own life because of the harassment of an old nobleman. There were the people who had tormented his parents like animals, and those who had simply insulted, trampled on, and treated him as a toy. There had been countless times when he tried to flee from them, only to be caught and beaten nearly to death.

Eventually, even his parents, who had tried to protect him, were sold away and met their deaths. From that moment on, Hongseon’s life was no longer his own.

Because someone came to him, consumed by revenge and rage.

[I will make it so that no one can ever stand above you. All you have to do is make a contract with me.]

Though he did not know what ominous thing had proposed the contract, Hongseon could not refuse.

He was simply consumed by a rage that made him want to kill them all.

He did not know that this would become the fate that would turn him into the Heavenly Demon for countless eons….

Even if he had known, would he have refused that contract? Back then, if it meant crushing those bastards beneath his feet, he would have been willing to sell even his soul.

Hongseon knew that something within him, something both himself and not himself, was violently churning.

His eyes, resembling those of the Heavenly Demon, had already begun turning yellow and red.

Dang Jaeik quietly watched Hongseon, who was suffering alone.

An indescribable emotion passed through his eyes.

Even knowing Hongseon’s fate, he had raised and cared for him from infancy. At first, he had taken him in with the intention of persuading him, but he could no longer say that his feelings remained the same.

“I suppose you have to walk that path.”

“…….”

“It seems there’s no way to stop it.”

Hongseon knelt down.

Then he held out the long sword at his side to Dang Jaeik.

It was the sword Dang Jaeik himself had bestowed upon him when Hongseon had become one of the Dang Clan’s most distinguished guards through his exceptional skill.

“Please leave for Maeamsa. That is one place I cannot do anything about. So please, take your family and go there….”

“Hongseon.”

“No. Just kill me! Otherwise, I will kill everyone according to my fate.”

I can’t endure this heart of mine being torn to pieces any longer….

Hongseon pounded his chest with his fists.

Fate.

Dang Jaeik could not say anything.

The Heavenly Demon’s contract, that fate, was once again driving Hongseon toward certain death.

By now, every clan must have received the sign announcing that the Heavenly Demon had returned.

Dang Jaeik’s throat bobbed heavily.

“Kill you….”

He gazed intently at Hongseon.

“I have no intention of adding weight to your resentment.”

Hongseon raised his reddened eyes and looked at him.

The Elder, who was always gentle and dependable, looked particularly haggard today, and Hongseon clenched his fists.

Dang Jaeik withdrew the warm gaze with which he had been looking at Hongseon and stared toward the distant mountains.

“I can no longer protect you. Today will be the last day I stand against all the righteous clans to protect you.”

Hongseon closed his eyes.

Tears rolled down his cheeks.

“I’m sorry. For not realizing it sooner and not embracing you throughout your countless past lives. For the one who reached out his hand when you were drowning in the mud and wanted to die not being me, but that wretched contract.”

“……!”

Hongseon, who remembered the past, stared at him in shock.

So Elder Dang Jaeik already knew about this cursed fate!

Hongseon found it difficult to breathe.

Did he take me in even though he knew that one day I would kill every clan and all their families….

Why?

Why, of all things?

“Just remember one thing.”

Dang Jaeik’s eyes were red, and he gave him a smile that was clearly his last.

Then he held out a dagger symbolizing the members of the Dang Clan.

“Remember that someone once tried to become the sword that would cut through that tenacious fate of yours.”

Sohee looked at Dang Jaeik’s face after he had finished reading everything.

It seemed he was still confused by the thought of becoming this close to someone destined to become the Heavenly Demon.

“The purpose of your regression is ‘regressing to save your family from the Heavenly Demon.’ You’ll protect the protagonist from childhood and raise him.”

“…That’s right.”

Sohee let out a short breath.

“But it’s difficult to regress with such a personal goal. So I twisted it just a little. Instead of ‘family,’ we’ll make it ‘an attempt to prevent the destruction of the world.’ Even if that isn’t actually the case, from now on, this is our purpose.”

Sohee’s gaze hardened.

From this point onward, there could be no mistakes.

The purpose of regressing to save the world had to become firmly established in Dang Jaeik’s mind and heart.

“So the manifestation of the Heavenly Demon cannot ultimately be prevented.”

“That’s the author’s intention. We can’t interfere with the larger framework of the Heavenly Demon reincarnating dozens of times, so we’re choosing a way to achieve our goal within that framework.”

She would disguise the true goal of returning to save his family behind the noble cause of saving the world, then accomplish his real purpose.

Dang Jaeik seemed to have seen through the intention she had left unspoken as well, and he nodded.

“…….”

Dang Jaeik paused to catch his breath.

It was still difficult for him to accept such a deep emotional connection with the Heavenly Demon, with whom he had no connection whatsoever.

Even so, Dang Jaeik thought this direction might not be so bad.

If it was for the sake of protecting his family, what wouldn’t he be willing to do?

After scanning the paper once more, Dang Jaeik asked Sohee,

“Could this perhaps be the Heavenly Demon’s final reincarnation? And if I return and help him, perhaps….”

The unspoken words were clear: Perhaps we might really be able to save the world.

Sohee smiled.

“That might be possible. Who knows what kind of breakthrough the Heavenly Demon, after reincarnating dozens of times, might achieve in this life he spends together with you.”

“I see.”

He read the contents again and again.

Before he knew it, he was gradually becoming absorbed in the story, and he nodded.

“You are right. I intend to take in the Heavenly Demon and reform him. Through that, I will prevent the destruction of the world….”

With those words, Dang Jaeik unconsciously slowly closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Sohee opened the mouth of the red lucky pouch she had brought with her.

In an instant, the surroundings became as quiet as a mouse.

A stillness descended, as though only Dang Jaeik, with his eyes closed, and Sohee sitting before him existed.

Sohee looked straight at Dang Jaeik.

“The head of the Sacheon Dang Clan, Dang Jaeik, from the novel I Became the Immortal Heavenly Demon, wishes to regress.”