Theatrical Regression Life - Chapter 4

The other world is a world in which human thoughts are reflected.

In fact, just saying it like this is very ambiguous. Lee Jaehun didn’t know exactly what that thought is, and it’s hard to know what the hell it reflects.

That’s why the main character in the novel described the Underworld as a ‘destroyed world full of monsters’.

Obviously, the structure of the terrain and the buildings resembled their original world, but the overall atmosphere and composition itself were different, so one could only think of it that way.

Lee Jaehun blinked his eyes as he swept the dusty desk.

‘Is it the same as it was in the novel?’

Perhaps because it was the underworld version based on their company, the most similar place to the original world here was none other than this company.

In reality, the company looked the same as before, with the exception of being badly worn and broken.

Of course, that ‘old and broken’ thing itself would be bizarre.

If the seat that was sitting still was destroyed as if decades had passed in an instant, no matter how strong a person was, it would be quite creepy.

Even the main character in the novel couldn’t come to his senses when he was first eaten by the underworld.

“Where is this? No, it must be our company. Then do you know anything about this situation? Why is this happening….”

“…….”

Lee Jae-hun swallowed a sigh as he saw Jung In-ho in a panic right after he called him.

Perhaps because it was in the early stages, his mentality was weak.

‘It’s a world where you lose your mind just by breathing, so what can you do?’

The underworld is not at all favorable to the people it preyed on, and survivors are constantly tested and traumatized in this vast world.

Surviving here itself was a testament to how strong the spirit was.

Jung In-ho was a survivor, that is to say, he was the most mentally strong among the main characters.

He was probably the only adult male in the crowd, so he must have had a sense of responsibility.

The only remaining ones were two students, a flower shop owner who had never done sports, and an old man.

It was when he got out of the office and met other people in the park in front of the building that Jung In-ho came to his senses.

In short, he is in a state of panic until he leaves the company.

Lee Jaehun, who recalled that point, swallowed his irritation and called the main character.

“Mr. Jung In-ho.”

“… Ah yes?”

It seems that the meaning of the title ‘Jung In-ho’ was properly implanted in his head.

[Note: I think the main character addresses Jung In-Ho formally.]

Seeing that his gaze, which had been shaking like crazy, was fixed on me.

He continued, pointing with his finger in the direction of the bathroom.

“If you look carefully in the drawer of the bathroom, you’ll find the tools. Pack tools, water bottles, and some snacks in them. Then come back here.”

“…….”

“Do you understand?”

When panicked, it was more effective to issue orders than to appease the opponent. Of course, you have to think about the opponent’s mental strength and control it, but the mental strength of the main character he read in the novel did not wear out even if in a state of panic.

Fortunately, Lee Jaehun’s judgment worked, and the main character, who nodded his head blankly, moved his body. Even if he didn’t run, he seemed to be very nervous about the situation, seeing that his steps were fast.

Nervousness, yes. This world made people nervous just by sitting still.

“…….”

Lee Jaehun stood and looked around.

Most of the employees couldn’t come to their senses and were talking nonsense into the air, and the severe ones were shivering while crouching in a corner.

They were clearly distracted by the influence of the Underworld.

So, in fact, the level of wandering of the main character just now can be said to be cute.

At most, there were about two other employees who maintained their spirit.

Slowly clasping his hands, Lee Jaehun grabbed the pipe protruding from the wall.

“… Whoa.”

Snap.

When he pressed down hard, part of the pipe fell off.

In fact, it is unknown why the pipe is sticking out of the inner wall, but this place was the Underside of the world.

Wouldn’t it be normal for a pipe that originally existed somewhere in the building to stick out?

‘Should I say it’s fortunate that I remembered my previous life?’

To be precise, he was fortunate to have a body that could use the skills of his previous life.

If it was the original Lee Jae-hun, he would not have been able to cut the pipe no matter how old and rusty it was.

So he must have tried to survive in a childish way in the novel.

Lee Jaehun, who had checked the strength of the pipe several times, turned his head to see where the footsteps were coming from.

“… … .”

Jung In-ho came out of the kitchen and was coming back here.

He held a pipe in one hand and asked Jung In-ho, who was breathing heavily even though he wasn’t even running.

“Well, have you gotten a hold of yourself?”

“… maybe.”

“Hey. What nonsense are you saying? Are you talking down to me right now?”

At those words, the main character’s hardened face relaxed a little.

Probably because he saw ‘Lee Jaehun’ of the original world, not of the other world.

It must have been able to suppress the anxiety of being in a remote place a little bit.

It was a method that the main character often used in novels to stabilize his mind and body.

However, it seemed quite strange that the memories of the original world were from Lee Jaehun’s scolding, which he hated, but he couldn’t overlook such a trivial thing.

Aren’t there still plenty of things to do?

Lee Jae-hun calmly recalled what he remembered.

‘In the novel, the main character leaves the company with only a few alert employees.’

Immediately after being devoured by the underworld, it was broad daylight with the sun still rising, and the company, which was the reference point, was currently in a state where the underside was less prominent. Thinking about the future, leaving the company quickly was a wise choice.

Thanks to this, all the remaining employees were eaten and killed by the underworld, but it was difficult to see this as the goal of the main character who did not know much about this world.

Assistant manager Jung In-ho was just trying to look around with a few people who were at least able to communicate in order to grasp the current situation, which had changed in an instant.

And to put it into the probability he created, there was something Lee Jaehun had to say at this point.

Holding the pipe skillfully, he said to Jung In-ho.

“I should look around first. Bring the people who are awake here, Assistant Manager Jung. And get a grip.”

“Why… Are you so calm?”

“Fuck, I’m so damn glad I look calm right now.”

He really meant it. Even the swear.

But at the same time, there was also intent.

“It doesn’t make sense to be the only one calm in this situation.”

When he was already eaten by the underworld, the main character asked him, ‘What’s going on?’

He didn’t know if Jung In-Ho had instinctively realized that Lee Jaehun was able to predict the current situation, but if he stayed calm alone in a situation like this, it would be easy to be misunderstood.

But in order to successfully take the first steps into the underworld, it took one of them to stay calm, at least as far as the park in front of the company.

It is difficult to expect that from other employees or the current protagonist, and in the end Lee Jaehun has to play that role.

Yes, Lee Jaehun was perplexed by this situation caused by being eaten by the Underworld.

He was amazed, nervous, and anxious, but he was trying hard to keep his composure due to his usual brash self and the questionable setting he made last night.

So it had to be through a language that would not have caused any real damage, rather than a stealthy act, that could inform him of his current condition.

And there is no word that can better describe a person’s condition than swearing.

Whether Lee Jaehun’s thoughts were right, the suspicion that had crept up in the main character’s eyes subsided.

“Excuse me.”

“…….”

What a nasty kid.

It seemed like he couldn’t suppress all the doubts in his heart, but he expected this much.

In the first place, it is safe to say that the relationship between assistant manager Jung In-ho and him was the worst, so this is rather passable.

Originally, when people reach their emotional limits, they look for someone to shift responsibility to.

If it’s a guy with whom he doesn’t usually get along well, it’s perfect, and the Underworld can drive people crazy enough.

Of course, he wouldn’t have even thought of Lee Jaehun creating this situation.

Even in his own thoughts, Lee Jae-hun did not have that kind of ability, and for some reason, he was only suspicious of him, who seemed familiar with this situation.

Lee Jaehun blinked slowly as he saw the main character dragging an intern and a supervisor.

“At least, I brought these two because they seemed to be able to communicate, Boss.”

“… Kang Min-ah is the chief, and this is… was it Intern Roh Yun-Sok?”

There will probably be a lot of things like this in the future, he didn’t intend to create a stumbling block from the beginning.

‘It’s still as per the novel.’

These two were taken by the main character in the novel to understand the situation.

A total of 5 people, including one employee from another department, who they met while going outside, wandered around the company in a group, and at this time, the main character was led by intern Roh Yun-sok, who usually enjoyed exercising.

Technically, the main character was not in charge until the park episode.

However, their original purpose was not to leave the company but to understand the situation, and above all, only four people successfully left the company.

Lee Jaehun spilled the title of manager Kang Min-ah.

‘If this is the case… .’

I’ll make that nasty bastard rest his eyes for a while.

Thinking so, Lee Jaehun looked at Assistant Manager Jung In-ho, who was blocking his gaze toward Manager Kang Min-ah.

It was to prevent Lee Jaehun’s usual old trashy behavior.

It was so natural that it made him annoyed.

Of course, he didn’t intend to waste his emotions with such annoyance, and it was good to keep the main character’s good tendency when thinking about the future.

Because he possesses the mental power recognized by the novel.

Lee Jaehun nodded his head and opened his mouth as if confirming the actions of Assistant Manager Jung In-ho.

“Something seems to have happened, but you are the only ones who have taken care of yourselves. I need to go outside and figure out what’s going on, so follow me.”

“Oh, uh… Yes.”

“Intern Roh Yun-Sok. I heard you used to exercise.”

The intern looked a little surprised at his question.

It must be because the General manager, who usually doesn’t treat interns as human beings, knows his hobby.

“Yes Yes. That’s true, but… .”

“Good.”

Lee Jaehun could tell without looking that the main character frowned at his words.

In the novel, intern Roh Yun-sok took the lead on his way out of the company, and Lee Jaehun, the manager, pushed him, who seemed to be the strongest person, into the leading position.

Even making ridiculous threats, asking if he thought he could become a full-time employee if he didn’t listen.

However, they did not know what to do in the Underworld, nor did they understand the situation.

Obsessed with their positions in the real world, they put Roh Yun-sok at the forefront according to the words of the old man.

[Note: I mentioned this before, but if you see Old Trash, Old-Fashioned, Trashy, and such being used, I’m usually translating it from the word kkondae(꼰대). Just wanted to mention this because it is used a lot to describe the MC. ie) the Ultimate Kkondae, the Kkondae Manager, The Kkondae Boss, etc…]

Of course, it goes without saying that the value of manager Lee Jaehun fell further in the mind of the main character who saw the series of operations.

But come now, Lee Jaehun, who had no reason to do such a stupid thing, naturally continued his words.

“I’m in the front, you’re in the back.”

“… Yes?”

“Why don’t you understand what I’m saying at once? Be at the back when you move, Assistant Manager Jeong or Director Kang can decide the order on their own.”

Even if he didn’t want to curry favour with the main character, this was a necessary order.

Lee Jaehun knew how dangerous the world was when he recalled the memories of his previous life, but even those who did not know it felt threatened by the current situation.

Instinctively, he sensed the danger of this world.

‘From the description of the main character, it seemed as if he would be eaten by a monster at any moment.’

Actually, it wasn’t a false statement.

Having already been devoured by the underworld, and being in a position to be attacked by countless monsters in the future, he could feel the survival instinct to that extent, in this place that makes people more instinctive than anywhere else.

Thanks to this, even in this sudden situation, they listened to Lee Jaehun.

Once again, when panic arises, the fastest way to settle the situation was to issue an order.

Wouldn’t they, who were threatened by the underworld, also realize the validity of this proposal?

After realizing that everyone else besides the four of them was unable to communicate, it seemed that they had made up their minds to some extent, and Lee Jaehun, who had been quietly watching them, opened the door to the department office.

He groaned softly.

“… Huh.”

The corridors of the building were twisted like a maze.

“what what what… That… .”

“… This is our company right… ?”

“This… .”

The employees that had been absent-minded until now were agitated by the influence of the underworld.

Those who couldn’t even come to their senses screamed or collapsed in their seats, and even those who were sane went white.

The distortion of the underworld was eating away at the mental strength of those who lived in a peaceful world. Just by looking at it.

And Lee Jaehunn was affected as well, so he bit his lip and fixed his pipe.

The trauma of his previous life washed over his head like water.

Lee Jaehun did not bother to hide the fear that followed.

“… Boss, can we move?”

“… we should be.”

It was because he had to show the main character that he was also a victim of this situation.

Lee Jaehun stepped outside the office.

Crushed pieces of cement were stepped on by shoes and made a small noise, and the cave-like curved hallway was unusually large, it even made a humming sound.

Goosebumps rose from just one light step.

The sound pierced his ears like a centipede, but Lee Jaehun didn’t bother screaming.

“…….”

Anyway, yes. Everything was as seen in the novel.

He slowly reflected on what he was afraid of.

If it was death, it was a gift to me, and if it was life in the eternal underworld, the probability of that was small.

As long as Lee Jaehun was by the main character’s side, the result was one of two things.

Either get eaten by the underworld and die or live and return to reality.

Wouldn’t it be impossible to try to achieve more results than that? He didn’t have a choice.

That’s why there was no worst outcome for Lee Jaehun.

“Who has a pen?”

When he recalled his past life, there was nothing worse than that.

* * *

Jung In-ho was quietly staring at Lee Jaehun.

“… It should be at my desk.”

“Bring it, as many as you can.”

“I will.”

Dark eyes filled with doubt.