Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: EP. 48 – No Need for Elaborate Goodbyes Among Men
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EP.48 – No Need for Elaborate Goodbyes Among Men./Afterword confirmed.
The military is a love-hate entity for men.
If you've served even once, you'll know what that means.
You can't just hate it outright or love it unconditionally...
It wasn't all bad, but when you look back, only the horrific memories stick...
There were definitely fun and meaningful experiences, but time reveals they weren't all that profound...
Someone hearing this might call it pointless philosophizing, but plenty of guys would get it.
That's what a love-hate thing is like.
Like a girlfriend wearing her sneakers backward...
"Why do you keep talking to yourself? And you ain't never even dated a girl."
"...Dokgo bro, facts hurt, man."
"Hey! Call me Platoon Leader! We're in the army, not outside!"
"A letter from the heart..."
"......Just call me bro."
Dokgo grumbled his complaints, while Lee Han eyed him with curiosity, thinking, 'Ah, if I hadn't gotten promoted, I'd have decked this punk.'
'Feels way too real.'
Not just the face—his speech, personality, everything matched the Dokgo bro he knew.
This guy's dad must've read some wuxia novel that stuck with him and named him 'Dokgo Gupae.' Maybe because of the name, he had this big-brother vibe.
He didn't mess with the troops, looked out for them. Even when guys like Lee Han called him 'bro,' he'd just mutter and let it slide.
So even the soldiers with the ironclad belief that 'officers are the enemy' counted Dokgo as 'one of us.'
'He was a good guy...'
How impressive was it for an officer to be seen as an ally? Only those who knew would appreciate it.
Lee Han smirked.
"Why the grin?"
"Nah, just happy to see your face."
"...?"
"You know how it is."
"...Crazy bastard."
...No need to nail the cursing so realistically.
'What a bullshit [trap].'
And a vicious one at that...
Lee Han didn't need much time to realize he'd fallen into a vicious trap.
A bit of confusion at first, but he'd figured out it was an 'illusion.'
And one hell of...
'Incredibly well-crafted illusion.'
An illusion that felt real in every sense—sight, sound, smell, taste, pain.
The breeze felt cool, food had flavor, workouts hurt and left you winded.
With senses this lifelike, anyone else might've doubted if they'd actually revived in their past world.
But Lee Han didn't ignore the nagging 'wrongness' prickling at the back of his mind.
A vague unease.
That discomfort clued him in that this world was fake.
And the biggest proof?
Bang!
"Whoa! Snake, what the hell—gunshot from your fist?!"
"No way...!"
The Strike of Wonder, his own technique, the proof of his hard work—history itself taught him.
...This world was nothing but illusion.
'The reactions are just a hair delayed.'
Microsecond level.
A normal person wouldn't notice.
It was that tiny a discrepancy.
But how many times had those micro-delays saved Lee Han's life?
He could deny anything else, but not his own training.
That would mock his life.
So this world was full of lies.
'How do I wake up?'
He'd realized it was an illusion.
There had to be a way to shatter it.
Which was...
"-Oh, right, something I gotta do first."
Lee Han suddenly remembered there was something he needed to handle in this illusion.
None other than...
"-You crazy son of a bitch! You can't just beat up the battalion commander and his son like that!"
"Felt damn good though, right?"
"......Th-that's not the point...!!"
"Kehkeh."
"Don't laugh like a weirdo, man!"
Lee Han laughed heartily inside the military stockade.
A decade-old grudge—no, forty years' worth—burst open like a dam breaking.
In his past life, he had a few grudges.
Top of the list: the battalion commander and his lieutenant son, the root of all his stress as a sergeant.
Back then, meek obedience and playing the nice guy were virtues, so those two were blood enemies to him.
Beating them for a solid seven hours was merciful compared to what they'd put him through.
But Lee Han still had more asses to kick.
'It's all illusion anyway—might as well settle scores.'
No way out yet, so why not enjoy it?
Kwang!
Lee Han busted out of the stockade right away.
Sticking around meant punishment for insubordination and assaulting superiors. If he was getting punished anyway, might as well do everything first.
His body here was weak compared to his real self's power, but in modern society, even this was Superman-level.
Lee Han tracked down his revenge targets one by one.
"Long time no see, teach."
"Wh-who...?"
"They say abusers don't remember their victims. Even in an illusion, it pisses me off. Anyway, no need to remember. Just take as good as you gave me."
He ripped out the spine and eyeballs of the teacher who'd treated him like dirt for being poor and orphaned.
"Living it up, you assholes. Guess you gotta be rotten to make bank? All foreign luxury cars. Rot in hell."
"H-how the hell are you here..."
"Not important. Point is, I can't forgive you."
"W-wait...!"
For the schoolyard bullies, he gave them the full tendon-tearing, bone-crushing treatment.
Their bodies twisted in ecstatic agony—how twisted was that?
And then...
"Y-you! Why the hell are you here?!"
"Eh, that last beating wasn't enough."
"S-stay back! I said stay back!!"
He hunted down the battalion commander and his son again for round two.
Could revenge feel this refreshing?
'Who says revenge is hollow?'
"Feels this good—whoever said that never tried it."
"......"
"Right, Dokgo bro?"
"...Hey, shit. Ease up, you psycho..."
Dokgo Gupae approached, scratching his head. God knows how long he'd been tailing him, watching silently as he pummeled the duo.
"Then you should've stopped me."
"Like you'd listen?"
"Nah, probably not."
"Yeah, that's you."
"......"
Lee Han stared at Dokgo Gupae appraisingly, then nodded slowly.
"...You're not Dokgo bro after all."
"What bullshit?"
"You nailed the others' impressions, but failed on Dokgo. Hell, you might've convinced me this is illusion faster because of it...?"
"......"
"The Dokgo Gupae I know is a bigger wuxia nut than me. He'd be more curious about my techniques than this rampage. But zero interest in my moves? Not my Dokgo."
The guy who'd led Lee Han into wuxia, debating novels late into the night.
If Lee Han had a wuxia master, it'd be Dokgo Gupae.
"Got teased as a kid for the name, but it made him love wuxia even more."
"......"
"So, what are you? The illusion's master?"
"......Hmph. Never thought you'd catch on over something this absurd..."
The man wearing Dokgo Gupae's face looked deflated, like he hadn't expected to get busted so quick.
And also...
"Never imagined you'd clear the 'Gateway' this fast."
"...Gateway?"
"That's what this world you call illusion is named. It's like a security measure against intruders. Hasn't activated in nearly three hundred years."
"That smug bastard..."
Lee Han thought of the show-off who'd bragged.
Thought he was hot shit, but he'd led him right into this trap.
"Don't blame him too much. It got breached, after all. And the Gateway isn't all bad. Plenty of benefits. Like overcoming past traumas."
"...Still just beating hallucinations. Kinda pointless, no?"
"Hmm, can't say that for sure."
"?"
"The Gateway is [Mystery] itself. The holy laws cast by countless priests, plus the relic's power inside the sanctuary—it's potent enough to build a world like reality. ...Even summons real 'souls,' even from 'other worlds.'"
"!?!!"
Lee Han's eyes flashed.
That meant...!
"So I..."
"Did get revenge. You struck their souls—they'll ache forever without knowing why, misfortune piling up. Rough life ahead."
"......Holy shit."
Lee Han was more shocked than ever.
He'd buried past grudges after reincarnating, never dreaming they'd resolve like this.
'No wonder it felt so satisfying, different punch...'
What luck!
Lee Han gawked, baffled why this was called a gateway or security measure.
This was a golden opportunity on steroids.
To that thought...
"Nah, it is a gateway. Normal folks lose memories and self here, get trapped in eternal trauma. You're a knight with a tempered soul, so you held on."
"......"
"Even overcoming trauma requires finding me, the [Gatekeeper]. You cleared yours fastest among intruders and tracked me down. Congrats."
"Th-this is worth congratulating?"
Passing was great, but he was here to steal a relic...
Celebrating felt awkward.
But the gatekeeper shrugged lightly.
"A righteous knight like you breaking in means something. Or the temple's up to no good."
"......"
"Temple screws up big every thirty years or so. Corruption too. Old story. Haha."
"...Not funny..."
"Don't expect much from humans anyway."
"......"
...Lee Han pondered the temple's deep shadows but found it novel they went thirty years clean sometimes.
'Why'd they have to corrupt while I'm in the kingdom, damn it.'
A twinge of resentment.
"Life..."
"Haha, that's life. Don't despair."
"......Whatever. Just let me out."
"Hey, watch your tone with superiors."
"You're the gatekeeper."
"Puhaha, busted."
"......Huh?"
Lee Han looked up sharply.
A familiar laugh, different from the gatekeeper's.
Hearing it, he checked the gatekeeper's face—no, Dokgo Gupae's—and his eyes widened.
"-You look healthy. Glad. I'll visit your grave later. Nah, the kids you saved go often. Can't believe they're in middle and high school already. Heh!"
"......Dokgo bro?"
Lee Han called out late, eyes meeting, hand reaching out.
But...
Flash!
"......"
Next instant, eyes open—nothing in front of him.
As if nothing had been there from the start.
Lee Han.
Ha!
"...Could've given me more time to chat."
He shook his head with a wry smile, marveling at the [Mystery]'s grandeur—but the smile faded quick.
"...You look healthy. That's good."
Satisfied at meeting an old bond once more.