30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 213: Men Don’t Need Many Goodbyes

The military is a complicated existence for men.

If you've been through it even once, you'll understand the meaning of this statement.

It's something you can't just love or hate... It wasn't necessarily bad, but when you recall it, all that comes to mind are horrible memories... There were definitely some enjoyable and meaningful experiences, but as time passes, you realize they weren't as meaningful as you once thought...

If someone heard this, they'd probably say it’s unnecessarily philosophical, but I’m sure many would relate.

That’s what ambivalence is like. Just like a girlfriend wearing her rubber shoes backwards...

“You keep talking to yourself. And you’ve never even had a girlfriend, right?” “...Dogo-hyung, don’t hit me with facts like that.” “Hey! Call me platoon leader! The military isn’t outside, you brat!” “Love letters...” “...Just call me hyung.”

Dogo-hyung, grumbling and venting his dissatisfaction, was exactly how Ihan remembered him. Ihan looked at him with fascination, muttering to himself, “Ah, if it weren’t for my promotion, I would’ve hit him by now.”

“Such a realistic vibe,” Ihan thought.

It wasn’t just his face, but his tone and personality matched exactly what Ihan knew from the real Dogo-hyung.

Apparently, Dogo-hyung’s father had read a martial arts novel that left a strong impression, and he named him ‘Gupa’—perhaps due to this influence, Dogo-hyung had a sense of maturity about him.

He didn’t treat his soldiers harshly, and he knew how to look after them. Even when people like Ihan called him hyung, he just grumbled, taking it lightly.

And that’s why, despite the soldiers firmly believing that ‘officers are the enemy,’ they always designated Dogo-hyung as ‘one of us.’

“He was a good person...”

Being called ‘one of us’ by an officer was no small achievement, something only those who’ve been in the military would understand.

Ihan couldn’t help but laugh lightly.

“Why are you laughing?” “No, it’s just that I’m happy to see your face.” “...?” “Something like that.” “...You crazy bastard.”

There was no need to replicate even the cursing this realistically.

“What a ridiculous [trap].”

A very nasty one too...

***

Ihan didn’t need much time to realize he had fallen into a vicious trap.

There was some confusion, but he soon realized that this was a ‘fantasy.’

And it was...

“A terribly well-made fantasy.”

A fantasy where even the senses and pain felt real. The breeze was cool, food tasted real, and exercising was both painful and breath-taking. The sensory feedback was so convincing that if it were anyone else, they might have doubted whether they had actually resurrected from their past life.

But Ihan didn’t ignore the “discomfort” that lingered at the back of his mind.

An unease. It was that feeling that made him realize that this world was nothing but an illusion.

And the biggest proof of that was...

Bang!

“Wow! What the hell is that gunshot coming from your fist, snake?!” “Unbelievable...!”

A marvel, the martial art he had created, the evidence of his effort, and history had taught him...

...That this world was just an illusion.

“It’s a tiny delay in the reaction.”

A microscopic level of delay. Had it been a normal person, they wouldn’t have noticed it.

But how many times had this microscopic difference saved Ihan’s life?

He couldn’t deny the efforts he had put in, even if everything else in this world was false. Denying his own efforts would be an insult to his life.

So, this world was full of lies.

“How do I wake up from this?”

Having realized it was an illusion, Ihan knew there must be a way to break it.

That would be...

“Ah, there’s something I need to do before that.”

Ihan suddenly remembered there was something he had to do in this illusion.

It was nothing other than...

“Hey, you crazy bastard! How could you beat up the company commander and his son like that?” “At least my stomach feels better now, doesn’t it?” “...That’s not the issue!!” “Hehe.” “Stop laughing like that, you jerk!”

Ihan chuckled loudly in the military prison.

It was an exhilarating moment, like a decade’s worth of, no, maybe forty years' worth of accumulated frustration being released all at once.

***

In his previous life, Ihan had a few enemies he held grudges against.

The number one on his list was, without a doubt, the battalion commander and the lieutenant—specifically, the battalion commander’s son—who had been the source of his stress during his time as a sergeant.

Back then, Ihan had believed that being obedient and living like a fool was a virtue, so those two were nothing short of mortal enemies in his eyes.

The seven hours he spent beating them senseless was, honestly, much more lenient compared to what they had done to him.

However, Ihan still had many people he wanted to beat up.

"Since this is just an illusion, I might as well get some revenge," he thought.

Since he didn’t know how to escape yet, he might as well enjoy this world for now, right?

Bam!

Ihan immediately escaped from the military prison.

If he stayed there any longer, he’d just end up punished for insubordination and assault on an officer. Since he was going to be punished anyway, he might as well do what he needed to do and take the punishment.

Though his body was weak compared to his actual abilities, in modern society, even this pathetic strength would be treated as a Kryptonian-level power.

Ihan sequentially visited those he wanted revenge on.

"It’s been a while, teacher." "Who—who are you?" "They say the perpetrator doesn’t remember the victim, but this illusion just makes it worse. Anyway, you don’t need to remember. Let’s just say you’ll get a taste of what you did to me."

He took out the spine and eyeballs of the teacher who had treated him like nothing because he had no money or family.

"Must be nice living like this, huh? Must be that living poorly isn’t the way to make money. Only foreign cars, you rotten bastard." "How... how did you get here...?" "That’s not important. What matters is, I can’t forgive you."

He made sure to show the bullies from his school days a full course of their bones and muscles twisting as they screamed in joy.

Then...

"Why are you here, you bastard?" "Ah, I felt like I needed to do a little more than just beat you."

He went to beat up the battalion commander and his son again.

How could he feel so refreshed?

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"Ah, so those people who say revenge is hollow, who are they?"

"This feels so good, whoever said that must’ve never taken revenge."

"......"

"Ah, right, Dogo-hyung?"

"...Hey, damn. Stop doing this, you crazy bastard."

Ihan glanced at Dogo-gupa, who had been quietly watching from behind, even when he was beating the battalion commander and his son. Dogo-gupa approached, his hair disheveled.

"Then you should’ve stopped me. Don’t act like I wouldn’t have listened." "You’re right, I wouldn’t have."

Ihan looked at Dogo-gupa for a long while, before nodding slightly.

"You’re definitely not Dogo-hyung."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"You seem to have imitated everyone else well, but you failed to imitate Dogo-hyung. Maybe it’s because of you that I’m even more convinced this world is an illusion?"

"......"

"The Dogo-gupa I know is more obsessed with martial arts than I am. If anything, he’d be more interested in the techniques I use than in this kind of reckless revenge. But you’re not interested in any of that? That’s not the Dogo-gupa I know."

He was the one who had introduced Ihan to martial arts novels, and at some point, they even discussed them together.

If Ihan had a martial arts master, it would have been Dogo-gupa.

"He probably got teased as a kid because of his name, but his love for martial arts grew because of it."

"......"

"So, what about you? Are you the owner of this illusion?"

"Hmm, I never thought I’d be found out for such a ridiculous reason."

Dogo-gupa—or rather, the man with Dogo-gupa’s face—looked at Ihan with a wry expression, as if he hadn’t expected to be caught so quickly.

Also...

"I didn’t expect to pass the ‘Gate’ so quickly either."

"...Gate?"

"That’s the name of the world you call an illusion. Originally, it was a security measure to block illegal intruders. It’s been activated after nearly 300 years."

"That bastard, acting all smug..."

Ihan remembered the spear holder.

He had thought they were impressive, but in the end, they had been the ones who led him into this trap.

"Don’t be too harsh on him. Even though it’s an illegal intrusion, it still got through. Plus, this Gate isn’t all bad. There are many benefits to it. For example, it can help you overcome past traumas."

"...But that’s just an illusion, so it doesn’t really mean anything, does it?"

"Hmm, I wouldn’t be so sure."

"?"

"This Gate is [mystical] itself. The sacred arts used by countless priests are powerful, but the relics inside the temple are just as powerful. They can create a world that feels real... It even calls forth ‘souls’ that exist, even if they belong to people from ‘another world’."

"!?!!"

Ihan’s eyes widened at that.

So, that means...!

"Then I..."

"You’ve taken your revenge. You’ve struck the soul, so they’ll suffer their pain for life, not even knowing why. Misfortune will keep piling up on them. Their remaining life will be filled with hardship."

"......Oh my God."

Ihan was more shocked than ever.

Honestly, after his reincarnation, he had buried his grudges, but he never expected them to be resolved like this.

'No wonder it felt so satisfying, and I felt so refreshed...'

What luck!

Ihan widened his eyes, struggling to understand why this was called a Gate or a security measure.

This was nothing short of an extraordinary twist of fate.

In response to Ihan’s thoughts...

"No, it’s really a Gate. If you were an ordinary person, you wouldn’t have been able to keep your memory or sense of self here. Normally, people would be swallowed by this Gate and struggle forever in their trauma. But you’re a knight whose soul is honed, so you’re able to keep your memory and sense of self."

"......"

"Plus, even if you overcome the trauma, you still need to find me, the [Gatekeeper], to maintain this Gate. In that sense, you’ve done something extraordinary by overcoming your trauma so quickly and finding me. So, congratulations."

"This... this is something to be congratulated?"

It was indeed a happy thing to pass through the Gate, but in the end, he was still here to steal the relic...

He felt oddly uncomfortable being congratulated for something like this.

But the Gatekeeper answered lightly.

"If a soul as pure as yours entered, there must be a reason behind it. Or maybe the temple is doing something wrong."

"......"

"The temple causes trouble and corruption every 30 years. It’s pretty common, haha."

"...I don’t think this is something to laugh about..."

"I don’t expect anything from humans anyway."

"......"

Ihan thought about the deep darkness of the temple but was at least relieved that there had been no corruption in the last 30 years.

'Why did they have to cause corruption when I was in the kingdom, I wonder?'

He felt a bit of dissatisfaction.

"Life..."

"Haha, that’s just how life is. Don’t get too depressed."

"......Forget it, just get me out of here already."

"Ah, how rude to speak to your superior like that."

"You’re the Gatekeeper."

"Ha ha, you got me."

"......Hmm?"

For a moment, Ihan raised his head.

The sound of laughter, not from the Gatekeeper, but from somewhere else, filled the air—an oddly familiar laugh.

Upon hearing it, Ihan looked at the Gatekeeper’s face... no, at the face of Dogo-gupa, and his eyes widened.

"Good to see you’re healthy. I’ll visit your grave sometime. You know, the kids you saved? They’re already in middle and high school now. Can you believe it? Heh!"

"...Dogo-hyung?"

Ihan called out to him, their eyes meeting, and he reached out his hand.

But...

Flash!

"......"

When Ihan opened his eyes again, no one was there.

It was as if nothing had been there from the start.

Ihan sighed.

"...They could’ve at least given me some time to talk."

He shook his head with a wry smile, realizing the true greatness of [mystical forces], but the smile didn’t last long.

"...Glad to see you’re healthy."

He was just content to have met a familiar bond.