[What's the point of life? Just live as it comes]
[What's the point of life? Just live as it comes]
In the year 2000, Earth was engulfed in nuclear flames!
.......Well, that didn't happen. Ah, honestly, I personally found it a bit of a shame; if that had happened, maybe I'd have one less thing to do.
However, instead of nuclear flames, we almost perished because of something else.
It happened when Enemy Species, lifeforms from another dimension, started crossing over through cracks caused by Dimensional Rifts.
The Enemy Species started killing humans indiscriminately, as if we were their mortal enemies. Initially, we responded with firearms and artillery, but progress was slow because the Enemy Species possessed 'Apim Energy,' which granted them strong physical resistance.
Their physical resistance was so extreme that it took an entire division's worth of ammunition just to take down a single Enemy Species. We could have tried carpet bombing, but the Enemy Species appeared in densely populated areas to kill humans, making that option unfeasible.
But not long after, the natural predators of these Enemy Species appeared.
The arrival of Force Users, who wielded the Earth's energy, the Gaia Force.
A single ordinary punch from them was more effective against an Enemy Species than firing a gun. The Gaia Force neutralized the Apim Energy and enhanced the Force Users, allowing them to fight back.
Twenty years have passed since the appearance of the Enemy Species and Force Users.
Despite the appearance of the Enemy Species, humanity did not perish. Human civilization survived, and in fact, through research into the Gaia Force and the Enemy Species, we were able to develop an even more advanced civilization through the study of supernatural abilities.
"That was a hell of a long-winded explanation, but it still feels like some low-tier raid story. The explanation also feels a bit like an old geezer talking......"
Anyway, it has nothing to do with me, so let's skip it.
I am a Reincarnator.
......Ah, damn, I've used this repertoire so many times I'm sick of it, but it's the simplest way to explain things, so it's my favorite line. Anyway, I'll say it again: I am a Reincarnator.
I may look like this, but I'm a veteran who has reincarnated dozens of times. Don't underestimate my experience, you punk.
I'm 22 years old this year. In this life, I wanted to live without any trouble, so I lived quietly like an ordinary person, even went to the military, and am now a fresh veteran.
Once a man goes to the military, he's an ahjussi. It's the sad fate of a South Korean male. Even if I am an ahjussi, 'it' still stands up well every morning. Ah, if a 20-something's doesn't stand up every morning, isn't that more of a problem?
Anyway, I'm thinking about what to do from now on. I have to go to college, for starters. And I need to get a job.
Since I graduated from the liberal arts track, maybe I should just shut up and go down the chicken shop route. Hmm, I'm confident in my cooking, so I'm confident I can make delicious chicken. I've always liked cooking, and having accumulated so much experience through my reincarnations, I've reached a level where I could put an Argentine Backbreaker on your average chef.
Should I really open a chicken shop? Money is just a matter of doing some loading work for a few years. I'm confident in manual labor.
Just as I was thinking about calling up some high school friends for a drink since I just got discharged, a familiar silver-haired girl appeared in front of me.
"Isn't the repertoire of a sudden meeting a bit too typical? I think the appearance of an out-of-the-blue alien heroine is quite the cliché."
"But isn't it the royal road? It's the fastest route that still works today. It's the arrival of the true heroine."
"That's true, but it's so out of the blue. Couldn't you have come to visit me when I was in the military?"
"If you have the confidence to answer that she's your girlfriend when asked who a 10-year-old girl visiting you is, then you could have done that."
"Now that I think about it, I'm so relieved. I almost got called a piece of trash in the unit!!!"
If I were a lolicon, that'd be lucky, but if I got called a pedo, my mental state wouldn't be able to handle it. It's not that I'm afraid of people's gazes, but if the seniors, juniors, and peers I was close with looked at me like I was trash, that would be a bit of a blow.
"Anyway, it's been a while. Since the last life, about 100 years have passed for me. How about you?"
"About 20 years. Still in my prime."
"What's your name in this life?"
"Choi Ak. It's the same as my original name. Talk about a coincidence."
"I really don't understand what people who give names like that are thinking."
"Don't insult my parents, you punk! That's a parent-insult!"
For reference, my parents died 20 years ago when the Enemy Species appeared. I was the only one who survived and was raised in a Facility that was operating at the time.
Throughout my repeated reincarnations, it's rare for me to have parents. I don't know why they never wait for me to be filial. This is a bit sad.
"Anyway, let's do that thing like usual."
"That thing? Ah, that thing."
I have a pattern I follow every time I meet this girl. It's become so standardized that it just feels like a ritual now.
"My name is Sion Hanon! An alien of the Hanon race and a user of supernova explosions!!"
"No, that wasn't it?!"
"Just kidding. I'm an alien who does otaku stuff as a hobby."
"What is that half-assed setting!!!"
It's 2020, but in this timeline, that manga is still being serialized, and it was a joke that people in the know would get.
As expected, Sion and I click so well; our hearts are in sync.
"Still, it's not like I didn't prepare. I did a few things during the 2 years you were in the military."
"What did you do?"
"First of all, do you have a car?"
"No."
"Do you have a house?"
".....No."
"Do you have any savings?"
"...........No."
Hey, don't touch a man's pride. I can just earn it from now on.
"Don't worry, I have all of that. It's natural not to have those things at that age."
"Did you earn money for 2 years just to make that one joke!!!"
"Of course!"
Don't say that so proudly!!
Roughly speaking, this is my relationship with Sion.
We crack jokes and look like friends, but... inside, we're closer. She and I are both Reincarnators. We've been a married couple since way back.
I've reincarnated countless times. She has only reincarnated once, but since she's a long-lived race, the flow of time means nothing to us. So, we've lived happily as a married couple for a long time. We're soulmates. She's the true heroine.
"First, let's eat and talk. Is there a place to eat around here?"
"The area around Sachang-ri is a rip-off, so no. Military base areas are always overpriced, so let's go eat somewhere else."
"What do you want to eat? I have plenty of money, so don't worry about the cost and pick."
"But you, how did you make money? To multiply money in 2 years, you wouldn't have enough time to run a business, right?"
"I earned it by doing the one thing a Stock Gallery user can't do."
"I see. There's nothing like sitting around and making a killing. Though I don't know if that 'killing' is the kind where you lose everything or the kind where you make a fortune."
Anyway, let's go eat meat, meat. Since I got discharged, the first thing I want to eat is meat grilled on a pan.
For reference, where I am is Sachang-ri. The exact location is Sachang-ri, Sanae-myeon, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do. It's where the 27th Division, known for its grueling training, is located. I was in the Engineer Battalion directly under the division... Ah, I'm discharged, so let's stop talking about the military. I saw a lot of dirty things in many ways.
"Did you serve your full military service in this life too?"
"Yeah, I've been through a lot of shitty things anyway, so I figured there wouldn't be anything shittier, just as a test."
"Your thoughts?"
"There's always a shittier thing under a shitty thing."
The First Sergeant is a son of a bitch.
"They say a soldier's main enemy isn't North Korea, but the officers."
"If a war breaks out, I'm going to desert and go around putting holes in anyone Sergeant rank or higher with my gun."
I'm not joking. It wouldn't be strange to shoot those guys. It wouldn't be strange if a 'problem soldier' pointed a gun and said, 'Sergeant Kim, why did you do that to me back then... tell me.' That's what war is.
Well, Korea and the whole world are currently at war in real-time.
But do I give a damn?
In this world, where monsters, commonly called Enemy Species, appear, and even though countermeasures have been prepared, news of people dying keeps popping up, a hero is needed. A hero to defeat the Enemy Species and take down their source.
But that's not me.
Definitely not. If someone asks me to do it, I'll tell them they've got the wrong genre and to get out.
-The world is ending, please save us!
-Heh, fuck off. As long as my people don't die, who cares if the world ends.
That's roughly my mindset.
"Do you have a driver's license?"
"I got it quickly when I was on leave. How many times have I gotten a driver's license?"
"That's a relief. I bought a car just in case, and it's a good thing you have a license."
"How did you bring that here? Did you drive with that stature?"
"I called a designated driver."
"........A designated driver from Seoul to Gangwon-do?"
"I paid double, plus a tip, so they drove it for sure. Throwing money around is what it's for."
"Please refrain from abusing your power."
A black sedan. I'm a guy, but I'm not that interested in cars, as long as they roll safely, so I don't know the specific model, but I could tell which company it was from the unique emblem on the front.
It's that company that makes Mercedes-Benz.
"You didn't buy a used car, you bought a new one?"
"If we're going to ride it, isn't a new one better? We have plenty of money, so from now on, we can just abuse our power together."
"Let's live with some common sense. Don't be a nuisance. Anyway, it doesn't look like there's any work for me here regarding my main job yet."
I'm a Reincarnator, but I do have a job. It's a job where I usually play around because there's nothing to do, but when I do it, I do it.
Let's save that story for later and just head up to Seoul. Even if I'm going to eat meat, it's best to eat it in society rather than next to a military base.
"They say there are people called Force Users in this world. Aren't you going to do it? Can't you do it if you set your mind to it?"
"Do it for what? That's a 3D job (dirty, difficult, dangerous). It's dirty, hard, and difficult, and on top of that, they're treated like shit just like firefighters, so there's no benefit to doing it."
First of all, since individuals having power is inherently a bit dangerous, most Force Users move as part of the Korean Enemy Species Countermeasure Union (KFU), a state agency.
It's different abroad, but the Korean system is no different from a second military. Haha, I just got discharged, and you want me to join the military again? Fuck that.
They say they pay a decent amount, but it's small compared to the price of a life. The working environment isn't good either, so I'm convinced that the government officials are skimming the budget and running things like dogs.
The policy is shitty too. They say if a Force User doesn't do the work of catching Enemy Species, they have to pay more taxes. They're all citizens, whether they're Force Users or not, but they call it the price for not doing work you're capable of, or something like that.
Enemy Species have physical resistance, so guns don't work, but since most Force Users' attacks do work, it's possible because they can be controlled by the military. Just because you have a spear that can pierce armor doesn't mean you can block bullets with that spear.
Unless, of course, you're so damn strong that you can deflect bullets with the spear.
"Let's stop talking about that. It has nothing to do with me anyway. Let's just focus on driving while driving."
"We haven't met in a long time, aren't you going to give me a prairie-dog style greeting?"
"Don't say things like that while driving!"
At least do it at home or at a motel. We're a couple who does everything, but there are basic things a person should keep. I don't care about morality, but I at least keep to not being a nuisance to others.
What if I get distracted while driving and hurt someone?
"Let's take the Chuncheon Expressway and get to Seoul quickly. I want to eat meat, meat."
"After eating meat and replenishing my stamina... hmm, hmm."
"You want to do it in broad daylight?!"
"It's been a while since we met, so I'm sexually frustrated too."
Oh boy, I'm a soldier who couldn't even masturbate properly, so I've got a lot built up.
Today, either Sion or I is going to die. It's going to be mind-blowing.
"Oh, fuck?!?!"
In an instant, while driving, a car in the next lane cut in front of me without even turning on its blinker. No, you son of a bitch, smaller than a cat's nuts. And then, just like that, it passed two lanes over to the side at once. What a shitty way to drive.
It's a good thing I reacted quickly, otherwise there would have been an accident. Does that guy have two lives? I only have one.
"No road rage."
"..........I know."
I thought about making a scene, but I stopped. Today is the day I met Sion, and I'm in a good mood. Normally, I would have ripped the door off that guy's car, dragged him out, thrown him, and smashed the car into two pieces.
My temper has really mellowed out.
There are many egoists in the world, but among them, I am an egoist who has no interest in others. I have no interest, but as much as I have no interest, I live quietly so that others have no interest in me. My principle is to cause no harm.
Unlike me, I get annoyed by people who are a nuisance to others and think only of themselves.
I probably won't meet that rude bastard like that driver again.
...........Or so I thought, until I arrived at the rest stop.