Chapter 92

HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Demon God ]

Chapter 92

After a brief pause, Hong Kyungjun spoke again.

“...When you say ‘quite a long time,’ how long exactly...?”

Seeing him hesitating was rare, indicating that even someone as straightforward as Lee Jaehun was a bit of an unfamiliar subject for Hong Kyungjun.

‘But still... he couldn’t have been completely unprepared for this.’

Lee Jaehun tilted his head slightly, considering.

Given the nuances and abilities Lee Jaehun had displayed, Hong Kyungjun, being smart, couldn’t have been unaware of this background. Despite that, his reaction suggested he found ‘Lee Jaehun’s’ past rather poignant.

While pondering how to answer Hong Kyungjun’s question, Lee Jaehun finally responded with a hint of uncertainty.

“...I don’t remember very well.”

“.......”

“But it’s probably been over 10 years...?”

Yes, at least a decade.

The detailed background was still undecided, but for his life to make sense, the time ‘Lee Jaehun’ had been consumed by the otherworld had to be quite lengthy. After all, spending just a year or two wouldn’t be enough to create such a capable yet disturbed individual.

“What do you mean by ‘probably’?”

“I really don’t remember. I never kept count. Did you keep track of the exact number of days since you arrived in this world, Detective?”

“.......”

“I was the same way.”

And now, to lighten the mood a bit.

“Even after leaving this world... I didn’t want to know exactly how much time had passed.”

“...You can leave? From here?”

Hong Kyungjun’s question widened the eyes of everyone else present.

‘They’re probably so overwhelmed they didn’t even consider escape.’

When despair is intense, hope becomes too painful to even look at.

With monsters everywhere and their sanity eroding under the otherworld’s sky, it was natural they couldn’t even imagine the possibility of escape. Given how fragile the people in this world were, such an understanding was acceptable.

Lee Jaehun nodded roughly.

“It’s possible, if you’re lucky and capable.”

“Luck... and capability?”

“There are monsters that, when killed, allow you to return to reality. There’s no specific type or location, so you need luck to find one. And since those monsters are generally very strong, you also need capability.”

“Ah...”

The exclamation came from someone other than Detective Hong Kyungjun. It was a mixture of relief from learning something new and despair at the realization of the daunting task ahead. As Lee Jaehun said, they needed both luck and skill.

Unlike the others, Hong Kyungjun had regained his composure by now.

“...So, Lee Jaehun-ssi, have you killed such monsters? How many?”

He was confirming whether Lee Jaehun possessed such ‘capability’ and indirectly asking how many times he had visited the underworld.

After sweeping his hand over his mouth, Lee Jaehun answered.

“I’ve killed them twice. I don’t know about the rest.”

“...You don’t know?”

“If you sacrifice one person to kill it, the rest can survive and leave. Survivors far from me, whom I didn’t know about, must have killed them.”

“How many times in total?”

“...Three or four times, maybe?”

“I see.”

Hong Kyungjun continued.

“So, Lee Jaehun-ssi, you’ve visited this world at least five times.”

Upon hearing this, Lee Jaehun sensed the room growing quiet again.

He avoids looking at Intern Noh Yeonseok out of sheer annoyance, but he couldn’t avoid the others sitting almost directly across from him. They seemed to finally feel some sympathy or pity for him.

‘...I might have exaggerated a bit, but it adds up.’

Lee Jaehun had an unusually precise understanding of how to escape the otherworld. He could provide such objective information because he had read about this world in a novel. It was almost impossible to gain such clear knowledge from just a visit or two.

In truth, from a ‘survivor’s’ perspective, it’s challenging to grasp the bigger picture when you’re struggling to survive. Who cares about the origins or rules of this world when you’re about to die? And since the issue wasn’t about survival skills but about ‘escaping’, it would take at least five visits to be this confident.RêAd lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only

Lee Jaehun inwardly sighed.

‘Well, this route isn’t bad....’

It was disappointing that his plan to instill wariness with an entrance like something out of a horror movie had failed. He had hoped to maintain a certain distance with this approach, but nothing seemed to go his way.

Unaware of Lee Jaehun’s nonchalant thoughts, Hong Kyungjun remained serious.

For the first time in his life, he was acting out with an unprecedented amount of energy. If only he handled his work with that much vigor, I wouldn't have scolded him so much.

"Director, seriously, why didn't you tell us something like that...!"

"...Who would benefit from me saying that...?"

"Not everything has to benefit someone for it to be said, please! This is why people debate whether you're human or not! You might think you're normal, but that's not normal! You need therapy!"

"Yeonseok, that's a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"...No, I didn't mean to curse or anything."

As he snapped his mouth shut, Lee Jaehun found it amusing and burst into a hollow laugh. Just grow up, get out of here, and see what happens. I'll squeeze you until you can't cry anymore.

Choi Jungman, who had been quietly observing Lee Jaehun, gently interjected.

"...So, is it true? That you’ve been here since elementary school?"

"...? Why would I lie about that?"

Of course, there was a reason, though they didn't know it.

But from their perspective, there was no reason for him to lie.

What could Lee Jaehun gain from fabricating his history here? Unlike in the real world, staying longer in the otherworld didn't earn you a higher pension.

And seeing Lee Jaehun's nonchalant face made Kim Kijeong's expression twist.

"...Have you ever received any counseling...?"

"...Why would I need counseling?"

"Not formal therapy, but something like psychological treatment..."

"Treatment?"

"..."

Why is this conversation heading in this direction?

'Was it supposed to go this way?'

As the conductor, who usually said whatever he wanted, closed his mouth, the university student sitting cross-legged next to him cheerfully raised his hand and spoke up.

“If it's that bad, you must have had trouble with daily life. Have you ever thought about getting counseling for your mental health?”

“Are you insulting me right now? Should I take that as an insult?”

“...No? It wasn’t an insult, I was being sincere.”

“Huh.”

What an earnest fool.

Recalling the impression he had when he first read about this university student in a novel, Lee Jaehun touched his lips as he took in the reactions of those around him, labeling him as a madman. Honestly, it was even more uncomfortable because he actually was mentally disturbed.

After a moment of contemplation, Lee Jaehun spoke up slightly.

“...It didn’t affect my daily life.”

“Just because it didn't cause problems doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Even if it looks fine on the surface, there could be issues with your common sense, nightmares, or hallucinations....”

“You should really shut up now.”

Choi Jungman, with a sour expression, clamped Vivian’s mouth shut, but the bitter look on Lee Jaehun’s face didn't disappear after hearing enough. No matter how crazy he was, being called a madman to his face was a different issue.

Seeing Lee Jaehun like that, Detective Hong Kyungjun, who had been quiet until now, spoke up.

“As someone in this profession, it's awkward for me to say this... but are you sure there weren't any issues?”

“Huh.”

“I’m not trying to label you as crazy or insult you. I’m not trying to profile you as a suspect either.”

Yeah, right.

‘You can't help but be suspicious, damn it.’

Well, Detective Hong did have a criminal radar. He must have felt uneasy about Lee Jaehun multiple times, so it was natural for him to be instinctively suspicious.

Of course, that was partly what he was aiming for....

“...It’s fine. At least in reality, I’ve never committed a crime.”

He felt a bit of unfounded loneliness.

It's not like he’d actually done anything crazy. He just mentioned visiting here when he was young.

Suddenly, he thought,

‘Will I be able to adapt properly once I get out of here?’

The otherworld had some similarities to his previous life. That's why Lee Jaehun could reveal his peculiarities so openly, but when he finally escapes here, he wondered what would happen. He worried whether he could live with a soft mindset like these people.

Of course, it was a useless delusion for now.

“If I’ve offended you, I apologize, but it wasn’t my intention to interrogate you.”

“...It’s a relief if it wasn’t.”

In any case, right now, Lee Jaehun was a valuable presence here.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

HELHEIM SCANS

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Demon God ]