30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?! novel Chapter 213

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?

"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.