[What is life, anyway? You just live as it comes.]
[What is life, anyway? You just live as it comes.]
A rest stop we stopped at along the way. The only time I'd ever been on a highway was for school field trips. Since my parents passed away a long time ago, those were the only times I ever went on trips, and when I came out on vacation, I always used the bus terminal, so highway rest stops are a real rarity for me.
"At a rest stop, you absolutely have to buy walnut cakes."
"Damn, I acknowledge that god-tier choice."
Honestly, if you had to pick one thing that comes to mind when you think of a highway rest stop, walnut cakes are guaranteed to be one of the top three. I like nuts, and I also love snacks that are fresh and piping hot, so it's a double combo for me.
But since I'm only eating walnut cakes, my mouth feels parched and my throat is getting clogged.
"I'll go buy some drinks, so wait here."
"Do you have any money?"
"Do I look like a beggar who can't even afford a drink to you? Soldiers get paid well these days."
"Do you get paid minimum wage?"
"..........Sorry."
I had no answer for Sion, so I walked into the convenience store inside the rest stop.
I thought about buying something other than drinks, but since I'm already at a rest stop, it's better to eat something else rather than what you can easily buy at a convenience store. Like butter potatoes or grilled dried squid.
As expected of a rest stop, it was crowded, so I waited for my turn in line. The layout was such that you couldn't leave without passing the entrance and the front of the counter, so several people were waiting there.
About five minutes later, it was my turn, and I placed two small PET bottles down to pay.
"Dunhill, one! Hurry!"
"..........?!"
If it weren't for the middle-aged man who suddenly bypassed the line, walked straight up, and shoved money at the clerk while demanding cigarettes, that is.
What the hell is this clueless asshole?
Can't he see everyone else standing in line?
"Excuse me, sir. Other people are currently waiting in line..."
"So just give it to me quickly! How long does it take to ring up a pack of cigarettes!"
"The time it takes is my time, that's why. Mister, do you have no common sense?"
I said a word to the man who was trying to argue with the clerk.
"What did you say, you little shit?"
"Can't you see everyone else waiting in line? But you cut the line, barged in, and are acting like a dick demanding cigarettes without even waiting—it's clear you have no common sense."
When I called him out, he frowned and raised his voice.
A lot of people like this think that the one who raises their voice the loudest wins. Well, I've seen so many different types of people since I reincarnated, so I know that's not true.
"Where does a young punk like you get off talking down to me!"
"Are you older than me? I thought you were an elementary schooler because you didn't even know how to wait in line."
"This little shit!!"
The guy grabbed my collar and lifted me up. He's actually managing to do it. I'm quite tall, over 180cm, so I don't know if his courage is admirable or if it's just pure recklessness.
"I said the truth, and you grab my collar? You're a total Kkondae. Was cutting the line the right thing to do?"
"Do you know who I am, you little brat!"
"Classic Kkondae line. So what if I know? Are you a congressman? Even if you're in a high position, you're supposed to bow your head, but you're the opposite."
"You little!"
The clerk rushed in and barely managed to stop him. Once he let go of my collar, I shouted to the people around us.
"Help! The guy who cut the line is trying to hit me! Help me!!"
When I shouted loudly, people's gazes turned toward us. People gathered, wondering what the commotion was about. And realizing he was at a disadvantage because people were gathering, the guy spat on the floor.
"Ptui! What shitty luck. Some fucked up asshole had to latch onto me."
"What are you saying, you limp-dicked old man."
"This little shit!!"
We almost fought again, but people stopped us, and it finally calmed down. What a disgusting scene.
When I brought the drinks, Sion had already finished off a bag of walnut cakes.
"You're late. Did something happen?"
"Ran into a shitty Kkondae, stepped in some shit."
"Some people get wiser with age, but there are also those who regress, clinging to past glory. That's why there are many middle-aged men with inflated egos who think they are always right and others are wrong."
"Still, he shouldn't be a nuisance."
What a bunch of idiots.
For a while, Sion and I sat in the corner of the rest stop, sharing drinks and spending time together. Since we hadn't met in a while, we had plenty to talk about.
However, the situation suddenly took a turn for the worse.
"Hm?"
"Oh, this."
A very small presence that ordinary people wouldn't feel. But that presence began to grow. Something that looked like space twisting like a heat haze appeared in mid-air, and a distortion occurred.
"It's a Dimensional Rift."
"Are those Enemy Species popping out?"
"I'm not from that unit, so I've never actually seen them pop out. I've seen Enemy Species pass by occasionally, but I've never really been involved."
Kiiiiing!!!
Before long, the sound of space trembling could be heard. One of the biggest characteristics of a Dimensional Rift. Only then did the people realize what was happening.
"Ru, run! It's a Dimensional Rift!"
"Aaaaaah!!"
"Ugh, ugh! Don't push!"
Like the monsters in that manga where a knight runs, Enemy Species prioritize killing humans. They'll even run to kill if they see a human, rather than destroying surrounding property. That's why Force Users are deployed so they can reach any densely populated area.
They say it takes a maximum of 20 minutes. It's long, but that's just the maximum; in a decent-sized city, they can actually arrive within 5 minutes.
However, this is the middle of the highway. It's far from Seoul and far from Gangwon-do. It might take the full 20 minutes to get here.
"Alright, there's one way."
"What is it?"
"Run away fast!"
Not my problem.
People might be dying right in front of me, but people die eventually. None of those people are anyone I know, and I have no intention of letting it be known that I'm not normal.
If someone asks, "Why hide your strength?", I'll give them an answer.
Force Users who don't belong to the state and cooperate in killing Enemy Species are taxed. It's a policy that says if you have the ability but want the state's protection, you have to pay the price. Aren't Force Users citizens, too?
I have no intention of working under the state, nor do I have any intention of paying more taxes, so I got up from my seat and prepared to leave this place. But I might have been a bit late, as countless vehicles were crowded at the exit, making it impossible to leave. A pile-up had already occurred up ahead.
"What should we do?"
"We can abandon the car and run."
"The car is a waste."
"I have insurance."
"Let's just take the military uniform out of the car. I need it for Reserve Forces training."
I leisurely walked out, taking only the military uniform and a few other things I'd left in the car. Just in time, at that very moment, crack, the air split open.
And from within, along with strange cries, alien monsters began to pop out.
"Kieeeeeeek!!!"
It was a monster with a disgustingly muscular body and what looked like a bird's head attached to it. The only difference was that the head wasn't entirely a bird's; it was integrated with something hard like a beak.
Its entire body was a dull gray, and its writhing muscles naturally evoked a sense of revulsion. Just like how anything is bad in excess, muscles should also be in moderation.
"Usually, like that, um... what should I call it."
"You can just say, 'Is there a creature where organic and inorganic matter are mixed?' That's why liberal arts majors are a problem. And such creatures are mainly called silicon-based lifeforms."
"It's nice that you're a science major. In the end, both are on the chicken shop career path!"
The Enemy Species that popped out of the crack rushed at the people. The writhing muscles weren't just for show; they grabbed passersby and tore their limbs right off.
To do that to a human body, you need the grip and muscle strength to back it up. But that Enemy Species was doing it easily, as if it were nothing.
"Aaaaaah!!!"
"He, help me! Help...... kek!"
There were no rules to how they killed. Ripping out organs, tearing off limbs, exploding heads. Any method just resulted in killing the person.
Before long, one of them came near and spotted Sion.
It came running toward us, drooling. I blocked it as it tried to reach out toward Sion, who looked the easiest to target.
The muscle strength of the Enemy Species in front of me wasn't just what was visible; it was enhanced by the energy of the rift, possessing enough power to not only destroy buildings single-handedly but also crush thick steel plates into balls.
But it's not happening in front of me.
"Thanks for the manners hand."
"Escorting the wife is a husband's virtue."
Did this bastard just try to touch our Sion?
I didn't have any particular feelings about the appearance of the Enemy Species, but with just that one thing, I was instantly pissed off.
"Your body right now isn't as well-trained as your past lives, is it?"
"Doesn't mean my ability is reset, right? I can use a boost if needed."
Usually, whether it's a return story or whatever, when you see protagonists who are strong and have abilities, they're all-powerful, solving everything with magic or whatever.
I don't have any of that.
The versatility of the abilities I can use is quite wide, but what I'm truly good at is fighting; I can't heal others, erase memories, or anything like that. I can't even manipulate information. I'm fucking useless.
But I'm incredibly good at fighting. To the point where I'm sick of it.
"Kiek?!"
I lightly grabbed the guy's wrist and twisted it, and there was a snap sound as it broke. Even without using Gaia Force, the representative ability of this world, I have a completely different ability.
My ability is 'Interference'. It manifests solely by my own will, and depending on my will, my intent, it's an ability with infinite applications as long as it falls under the category of 'interfering'.
Rather than an energy-based ability like Gaia Force, think of it as a power similar to telekinesis.
Thanks to that, even if I lacked strength with my bare body, I could use my ability based on my body to exert enough force to break the Enemy Species' wrist.
"Kieeeeeeeek!!"
The Enemy Species whose wrist I broke spewed its anger at me along with the surging pain. As it tried to swing its fist to blow me away, I put more strength into the wrist I was holding and lifted the guy up.
I threw it away. All the way out, to the outside of the rest stop.
"Should we walk to Seoul?"
"A walk wouldn't be bad, would it?"
"Want a piggyback ride?"
"Then I should have worn a skirt instead of pants."
"Usually it's the opposite, right? Then the feeling of the thighs......."
Just as we were about to leave the rest stop, which had become a living hell, I heard a groan nearby.
Among the vehicles the Enemy Species had made a mess of, one was completely flipped and crushed, looking like it would be hard for even one person to escape. The groaning seemed to come from inside it.
"He, help, me......."
The glass was already broken, but due to the impact of flipping over, the window frame was crushed to the point where it was hard for even a head to get out. He couldn't get out on his own, and a trembling hand was sticking out, asking for help.
Looking at the voice, the face visible inside the window, and the car, I wondered if such a coincidence could exist. Or maybe because his personality was like that, he drove like that too.
I squatted down and spoke to the Kkondae who couldn't get out of the flipped car.
"Do you remember me?"
"........?"
"It's been about 30 minutes; if you can't remember, you should suspect dementia. Right?"
"You.......?"
He finally remembered who I was.
To him, I was just an unlucky person, but to me, he was a clueless Kkondae who almost caused an accident with a sudden lane change and even cut the line.
"I'm a Force User. If I use some strength, I could save you from here."
"He, help me! Please!"
"But I won't."
It's different from the case with other people.
Right now, as the Enemy Species are killing civilians, I'm just watching the dying itself because I'm indifferent to those people dying.
But in the case of this Kkondae, I'm watching for a different reason.
It's not that I'm indifferent to him dying; I'm watching because I want him to die.
I grinned at him.
"A clueless Kkondae like you would be better off dead so you don't cause trouble for others later. Right?"
"He, help me! I'll do anything! I'll give you all the money you want! Please, save me!"
"No."
I stood up from my seat without hesitation. I could see the Enemy Species that were far away approaching.
As I moved further away from his car, he let out a scream that was close to a shriek from inside.
"Save me! Help me! Someone help me! Fuck! You dog! Help me! Save me! Ugh, aaaaaaah!"
One of the Enemy Species came running, heard his voice, and lunged at him.
It grabbed the arm that was sticking out and pulled.
"Ugh, aaaaaaah! It hurts, aaaaaaah! Gyaaaaaah!!"
If you pull something out through a narrow hole, the object is bound to get damaged. That's no different even if it's a person.
Of course, since a human's durability is nothing compared to the Enemy Species' strength, it didn't turn out as bad as you might imagine, but it was still quite a gruesome sight.
The Kkondae who was being dragged out as his shoulder was crushed against the window frame eventually had his arm torn off first because his body's durability couldn't hold out. If there's one point where he's unlucky, it's that the bleeding is heavy and his condition is serious, but he's still alive.
Well, if it's lucky that he'll die soon anyway due to shock, then that's that.
"Watching people die is enough through a screen. I don't want to see it in reality."
"Then should we have wiped those guys out?"
"You don't like getting involved in unnecessary things. You don't have to do that on purpose."
Was she trying not to say it on purpose, thinking of me?
I was so touched by Sion that I stroked her hair. Isn't my wife too cute?
Compared to us, who were giggling, there were screams and agony behind us. It was a contrasting scene, but I ignored it.
It's not like anyone I know is getting hurt, so why should I care?