Returning Together

"Hey, you crazy bastard! Do your damn job properly! If you're gonna half-ass it, just fucking quit!"

"Ha. This fucking sucks."

Late at night. I lamented as I got off work.

"Ehyu. I'm an Awakener. Why do I have to be the department head's emotional trash can at a company?"

I am Kang Do-yoon.

An ordinary office worker.

The unusual thing is that I'm an Awakener but also an office worker.

So why am I working a company job?

There's a truly sad reason for that.

A few years ago, about 10% of humanity awakened, and I awakened too.

Back when I first awakened, I saw a status window like in novels and was so excited I did spinning 720-degree flips and made a huge fuss.

But that joy vanished in just one week.

Why?

Because while others were flying through the air and blasting fire, I was given an ability I couldn't even use.

First, to use the ability, you have to experience an ability.

But how do you experience an ability? You have to go through it with your own body.

"Fuck, if I have to experience abilities with my body, does that mean I should just kill myself?"

At first, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I tried every possible attempt to somehow make this ability useful.

Once, I begged my cousin, who had awakened a flame ability, to use his flame ability on my finger.

"Kuaaaaaak!"

The result was utterly devastating.

Third-degree burns on my finger. And the understanding I gained.

[Flame : Understanding 0.02%]

A mere 0.02%.

So I gave up and am just living an ordinary life working at a company.

On my way home from work, far off on a billboard, an S-rank Awakener who awakened as a Magical Girl, Lee Da-bin, is advertising something.

Ah. Looking closely, it's a magic wand. Probably a toy commercial.

'Was that the magic wand the recent cooking YouTuber switched to? Is that it?'

That Lee Da-bin person must have earned enough money to just play and eat for life, right?

Since Awakeners make a lot of money.

"Ha. Fuck, I'm so jealous. If only I had awakened a proper ability, I wouldn't be living like this."

Trudging home, I was just opening a ramen pack I bought from the convenience store and boiling it.

"Hmm. What doujin should I check out today."

While browsing some common community sites.

A post with a familiar title popped up.

"Oh! Everything this person recommends is always hot. Did they upload today too?"

I clicked the post, and a familiar short-stack character meme greeted me.

===

Today's nummy nummy~

3925689.

..♡♡♡♥♥♥♥

!!!!!!

===

"Oh, ja-ss. Today it's this one."

Just as I opened the internet app to enjoy it, a breaking news alert caught my eye.

<Breaking News. S-rank Awakener Lee Da-bin in critical condition while raiding the 14th floor. Unconscious state.>

I entered the news as if possessed.

The news was urgently broadcasting the situation live.

The Magical Girl Lee Da-bin with her limbs bent at grotesque angles.

"Ow, ya. What is this."

Despite the mosaic, the photo made me furrow my brow.

And after a moment.

I experienced something unbelievable.

"Hey, you crazy bastard! Do your damn job properly! If you're gonna half-ass it, just fucking quit!"

"What the fuck. Why am I here."

I regressed.

And someone in this world possesses the ability to regress.

"Hey, you crazy bastard! Do your damn job properly! If you're gonna half-ass it, just..."

"Die. Die. You pig. Just die."

"Uh.. uhh? W-wait.."

"Just. How many. Times. Have you. Been fucking with me."

"Euk. Eeuuk! S-save me!"

Kyaaak!

Screams echoed all around.

The pig department head's blood splashed onto my face.

Without a care, I pummeled the pig department head to death with my fists.

And a few minutes later.

"What are you looking at. Everyone get lost."

I drove everyone away with just my eyes and looked at the blue window before me.

"Aha?"

The status window appeared before my eyes.

And for the first time, that status window bestowed upon me the endpoint of 100%.

"Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally?"

What number regression is this?

Even my memories have dulled.

All that remains for me is vengeance.

And lust.

Only the thought of taking revenge on the regression ability user who gifted me this hateful chain.

"Heu.. heuheu.. heuheuheu.. hahahahaha!!!"

Finally! Finally!

Finally! I can take revenge on this damn regressor!

"Ability use. Corruption."

"As expected. It was Lee Da-bin, huh?"

I had roughly realized it around the 30th regression.

Usually when I died, I died inside the tower, but sometimes I would come out and then die after suffering for a while, too.

Anyway.

"How should I... punish this hateful bitch?"

After thinking briefly, one good idea came to mind.

The contents of that doujin I had seen during the most recent regression.

"Infinite Climax Torture, was it?"

I definitely remember it being about how no matter how much the girl cried and screamed, they didn't stop, and in the end, they sent her off until her mind was completely shattered.

Alright. I've decided.

"Let's set it to: Female Depravity Climax by Kang Do-yoon who possesses <Corruption>."

"Ha.. haha! Hahaha!"

Now all that remains is to find Lee Da-bin.

I kicked off the sky and moved to where Lee Da-bin was.

The Tower. To the 14th floor.

At that moment, on the 14th floor of the Tower.

The raid team was facing a gigantic monster.

"Squad A! Aggro! Squad B! Circle right and tail strike!"

Lee Da-bin, radiating the aura of a seasoned veteran, was skillfully commanding the battle.

Right before her eyes, a familiar status window appeared.

'Hm? This is an alert I've never seen before in all my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠regressions?'

Since it was a case that had never occurred in 100,000 regressions, she clicked the notification with a sense of anticipation she hadn't felt in who knows how long.

Then the status window that appeared.

'Regression? NEW?'

Lee Da-bin clicked the icon with anticipation.

Coincidentally, this regression was her 100,000th.

Especially since abilities evolve the more and longer you use them, her expectations were even higher.

'When Rebound Cure evolved into Healing. That was really nice.'

< Rebound Cure : Reduces damage received from the recoil of your abilities. >

< Rebound Healing : Drastically reduces damage received from the recoil of your abilities. >

Around the 60th regression.

Just when the mental damage was gradually becoming overwhelming even with the power of Rebound Cure, the skill evolved.

'Ever since I got this Rebound Healing, the burden when regressing has disappeared.'

But if the Regression skill gets upgraded?

'Could it be that when I regress, I can carry over things like stats or something?'

It had always been inconvenient. Returning to my initial stats every regression made it hard to readjust.

"Let's see...?"

And the status window that appeared before the expectant Lee Da-bin.

"Uh..?"

Something is strange.

Definitely, regression was an ability like this:

She rubbed her eyes once, unable to believe the letters before her, but nothing changed.

"Lee Da-bin! Focus!"

"Ah! Yes! Squad C! Rear strike!"

She felt something was wrong, but now was the time to clear the 14th floor.

Lee Da-bin temporarily closed the status window and focused on the situation before her.

That was the moment.

"Kkuweeeeeeek!"

Something fell from the sky like a meteor and instantly killed the 14th floor's final boss, T-Giant-Ultra-Maximum Rex, in a single blow.

And from afar, drenched in the boss's blood, the figure trudged step by step toward Lee Da-bin.

Even from a distance so far it could only be heard via radio, the approaching figure locked eyes precisely with Lee Da-bin's pupils.

Lee Da-bin focused magic into her eyes and stared at the mysterious figure.

'A dress shirt... and suit pants?'

"An office worker?"

The moment Lee Da-bin finished speaking, the office worker waved his hand and smiled brightly.

Seeing that, a chilling, inexplicable sensation made Lee Da-bin try to step back, but.

She closed and opened her eyes for just a moment, and the mysterious man appeared right before her as if he had teleported.

"Heu.. heu-eup!"

After countless regressions, Lee Da-bin thought there was nothing left that could surprise her.

But when he appeared before her, she was startled.

"Hi.. hik-eup! Heup! Wh-who..!"

Hiccupping, Lee Da-bin.

To that Lee Da-bin, the figure before her smiled kindly.

"Hello? I'm called Kang Do-yoon. Nice to meet you, Da-bin-ssi."

"Ye.. yes? Hik-eup! Ah, yes.. hik-eup.. N-nice.. to meet you.."

Faced with his so dazzlingly bright smile that her tension momentarily melted away, Da-bin reflexively returned the greeting.

"It really is Da-bin-ssi, right? Wow.. I was seriously going crazy and all because I wanted to see you, Da-bin-ssi..."

"...?"

Sensing something off, Lee Da-bin tried to step backward, but it was already too late.

"Did you enjoy regressing?"

"Pardon?"

"Did you enjoy regressing, I asked."

And the moment Lee Da-bin closed and opened her eyes.

She, stripped of all clothing, was seated on a strange device.