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Episode 1
Returnee from Adult Worlds
“Interview with South Korea’s 358th Returnee, starting now.”
At the Disaster Response and Safety Headquarters, Grade 7 civil servant Kim Min-jun pressed the record button on the recorder.
Only after his superior, who was sitting beside him, nodded, did he shift his gaze to the woman sitting across from him.
She was incredibly beautiful. No, calling her simply “beautiful” didn’t do her justice. She had an aura that made it impossible to look away.
Softly slanted eyes, long eyelashes, clear and flawless skin without makeup, giving an overall impression of purity and innocence.
If faces were categorized as “puppy-like” or “cat-like,” hers leaned more toward the former.
Yet somehow…
“Strange.”
Looking at her made him feel heat rising through his body. Something about her seemed to trigger him… in a way he couldn’t explain.
“Mr. Kim Min-jun.”
“Ah, ah… yes. Let’s start the interview.”
Startled by his superior’s voice, Kim Min-jun quickly focused on his task.
After all, this woman was a returnee and probably a powerful individual capable of killing him easily. There was no room for carelessness.
One day, monsters and hunters appeared in the world.
At some point, people began claiming they had been pulled into another world and returned—these were the “Returnees.”
After returning to the modern world, returnees had a 100% chance of awakening as hunters, often becoming strong hunters by using the powers they developed in another world.
Of course, not all were powerful.
For example, a female returnee interviewed a few weeks ago claimed she had entered a Japanese animation world and become a “school idol.”
She had no notable power and only possessed useless, trivial skills.
So being a returnee didn’t automatically mean one was remarkable—but you still couldn’t let your guard down.
Many returnees had hidden their powers until revealing them later.
For the sake of world peace, Kim Min-jun needed to determine the full extent of the returnee sitting before him.
“What is your name?”
“Ah…”
The woman opened her mouth dully, then answered in a fragile voice.
“Min Hye-mi.”
“And your age? Do you remember how old you were when you left that world for the last time?”
“I was twenty-one. Yes, twenty-one.”
“Could you state your national ID number?”
The number she gave matched the official records.
Her eyes held a tragic, delicate expression, but Kim Min-jun forced himself to ignore it.
“You don’t need to be afraid, Min Hye-mi. We understand the hardships you experienced in the other world, and we will do everything we can to help you adapt to this world.”
Many returnees experienced trauma after visiting another world. They were called outsiders, ostracized, subjected to experiments, or endured even worse horrors.
“Yes…”
“Do you understand your current situation, Min Hye-mi?”
“So… I’ve returned?”
“Yes, you’ve come back to your original world.”
“There’s no chance I’ll have to go back, right?”
“No such case has been reported so far.”
At this, Min Hye-mi looked around nervously, as if constantly being pursued.
Her fear was noticed by Kim Min-jun’s superior, who spoke to reassure her.
“Min Hye-mi, you are safe here. Government hunters are on guard, and nothing can infiltrate this place.”
“Finally… finally…”
She bowed her head deeply and muttered,
“I’ve escaped those bastards…”
“Excuse me?”
It was clear she had suffered greatly in the other world. Sympathy welled up in Kim Min-jun’s heart.
“To help you, I have a few questions. How many years did you spend there?”
“Probably… about three years.”
Considering that some had spent thousands of years in another world, it wasn’t a long time.
Kim Min-jun nodded and typed on his laptop.
“What was your status there?”
“A maid… I was a maid.”
Being a maid implied a world with a class system.
If she had fallen into a world with a class hierarchy…
Kim Min-jun, thinking of worlds women often ended up in, continued,
“Do you know the term ‘romance fantasy’? Was it similar to that world?”
“Yes, that’s right…”
“Compared to other romance fantasy worlds, was there anything unusual about it?”
“No. There were sword masters and magicians, but those are common tropes…”
“Understood.”
Kim Min-jun began to get a sense of what kind of person Min Hye-mi was.
“Did you experience love there? Were you the heroine of a romance fantasy story?”
“…I suppose I was the heroine, but I didn’t fall in love. I never loved those bastards.”
“Ah, I understand.”
It wasn’t unusual for someone to be unable to form attachments in a foreign world.
Kim Min-jun calmly continued taking notes.
“Do you have any powers from that world?”
“Powers?”
“Yes. Swordsmanship, magic, things like that…”
“No, nothing at all. I’m the same as I was before I left this world.”
“But you awakened as a hunter. Didn’t you see the system interface the moment you arrived?”
“…Ah…”
Her pupils flickered at his words.
At that moment, his superior leaned over and whispered to Kim Min-jun,
“She’s hiding something.”
Ah, perhaps she was the type of returnee who conceals her powers. It was common for returnees to hide their abilities.
Kim Min-jun’s expression showed mild annoyance.
“Can you tell me what skills you have?”
“They’re really nothing special…”
Urged by Kim Min-jun, she hesitated, then slowly listed her skills.
“<Sensitive Presence>, <Handcuff Release>, <Drug Resistance>…”
None of them were particularly impressive. If she was honest, Min Hye-mi was probably not dangerous.
Some returnees were so powerful they posed a threat to the world.
For example, someone who had become a celestial demon in a martial arts world, or a demon lord in a fantasy adventure.
Many returnees had played the strongest roles in their respective worlds.
“Min Hye-mi, I need your honest answers. Please describe the world you were in more thoroughly.”
“It was really ordinary. Just a typical romance fantasy…”
“So, what kind of experiences did you have there?”
Min Hye-mi remained silent, clearly unwilling to talk about something.
Though it could be considered a violation of privacy, returnees were obliged to cooperate for the nation’s safety.
Kim Min-jun spoke firmly again,
“Min Hye-mi, what exactly happened there?”
“I… was a maid. I never did anything of my own volition.”
“Did you meet a so-called ‘male lead’? Male leads often approach returnees in romance fantasy worlds.”
“Those bastards… if they count as male leads, then I guess they were.”
“What happened with them?”
“….”
Again, she fell silent.
Seeing her hesitation, his superior spoke up,
“Come on, give a more detailed explanation of what kind of world it was…”
At that moment, Min Hye-mi suddenly snapped her head up.
For a second, Kim Min-jun thought he saw anger in her face.
Then, as if she could no longer hold back, she shouted,
“You want to know what kind of world I was in?!”
“Mi… Min Hye-mi?”
“Adult-rated, high-level reverse harem, obsessive, kidnapping, imprisonment, devastation!”
“….”
“This work does not reflect the author’s beliefs—AAAH!”
“….”
“….”
“Sorry.”
“Sorry.”
They fell silent, now fully understanding Min Hye-mi.
Indeed, Min Hye-mi was a returnee from an adult-rated world.
