You Didn’t Tell Me the Start of My Transmigration Was a Gate - Chapter 372



Only Krnovel

Special Extra Episode 11

The realization that I had done something terrible to Lee Woon-woo before his return flashed through my mind. Of course, the world would have been turned back right after that, so the time of suffering would have been very short.

If it hadn’t been like that.

That world remains a parallel world, and if I just moved to that parallel world with my memories from before the regression… .

Lee Yun-woo must have had to struggle alone on a perishing Earth.

Comrades fell one by one, and he must have done his best to become a pillar of humanity. However, he would not have been able to turn around the already tilted momentum.

It’s terrifying to even imagine.

Even though I know that it can’t be true.

‘If only I had been returned, Lee Woon-woo and Pyo Yeon-won would not have recalled their memories before their regression.’

There is very clear evidence that the assumption that I was the only one to have crossed over to another parallel universe is completely wrong.

A sigh of relief escaped me. Thank goodness. If I hadn’t had this confidence, I would have groaned in pain again, thinking of those I left behind.

But if it were me, would I have been able to handle something like that? On the other hand, if it was Lee Woon-woo who was stabbed to death by Enoch’s spear… .

The thought of going deeper stopped there. Instead, the priority was to think about how to get out of here right away.

“Similar to the gate clear, there seems to be a condition required to exit here as well. I don’t know what it is yet.”

“… … This type of item that causes illusions like this usually ends when the illusion is destroyed. This is the first time I’ve seen one that implements a completely different space.”

“Then will this also end once we find the main body?”

That seemed like the most reasonable conclusion.

The only problem was, how do you find a single body in this incredibly vast and realistic space?

Since it’s called ‘Mirror of Memory’, it seems like you just have to find the shape of a mirror. But even that could be a trap.

“Let’s take a look around first.”

“That would be good.”

“Even so, I don’t think they’ve implemented the gate yet. For now, I think it’s probably somewhere here.”

Even implementing the gate would be difficult in many ways. I don’t know the exact time, but looking at the scenery outside, it seems like it was during the height of the war. As the pollution accelerated, the gate grew larger and more difficult.

The gates that were appearing by now were probably each and every one of them so difficult that they would require one to risk one’s life.

“Can I go out? Should I tell you in advance?”

“At least one person will follow.”

Lee Yun-woo responded as if it was no big deal.

“If it were me, I would have done that.”

“… … .”

I was at a loss for words at Lee Woon-woo’s answer, so I stared at him for a moment. Then Lee Woon-woo tilted his head as if asking why.

“Isn’t that obvious? He’s not a monster, but he came from another world out of nowhere. They’ll probably post a guard or something. They’ll probably wiretap this room too.”

“…really?”

“Yes. But I guess they’ll just let it slide that this isn’t reality. People in dreams don’t realize that this is a dream.”

Lee Yun-woo responded nonchalantly and took his blanket. He and I were both famous people here, so it was a wise choice.

We walked out of the hotel side by side, covering ourselves with blankets. We decided to pretend not to notice the faint sounds following us.

***

Even though I covered myself with a blanket, I couldn’t completely avoid the hazy dust wind. My breathing became suffocating and my throat became parched.

It was the same even though I was breathing with the blanket over my mouth.

Since it was where the headquarters of the government was located, the situation was better than other places. The polluted air was inevitable, but the roads were relatively clean.

But the roads were still deserted and cars with broken windows were left abandoned everywhere.

There were some lights on in some places in the apartment, but most of them were off. People moved cautiously, like rats hiding in plain sight, as if they didn’t want to be caught.

“… It’s severe.”

Lee Yun-woo muttered softly. He had been through a lot at the gate, but he had never seen a city so completely in ruins.

This is especially true if it is located in the heart of Korea’s capital.

“Why can’t I see any people?”

“The security situation is bad. The only people wandering around are people who have lost their homes or are trying to lose their homes.”

“The police and the hunters?”

“There are vigilantes, but they don’t have much effect. … The hunters have a hard time just clearing the gate.”

I, too, was too busy shooting the gates to care about the lives of the ordinary citizens living here.

If I didn’t move, the hunter next to me would die, and if I didn’t work hard and risk my life, the gate wouldn’t be cleared in time, so I would break out.

If that happens, the monsters that poured out would slaughter civilians mercilessly.

Just maintaining that precarious balance was overwhelming.

“No matter how harsh the gate is, it can’t get to this point… … .”

That was when.

In a dark, back alley, someone reached out.

“I, uh, over there… .”

The person who was out of breath just from speaking continued to speak with trembling hands.

“S, save me, ugh… Water, at least water… … Just a sip of water…”

The man was panting as if he was about to suffocate. His skinny body was clearly visible under the sunlight through his clothes that were no different from a rag.

The man, so skinny that his knuckles stood out, was begging for something to drink, not something to eat.

His hair was unkempt, his eyes were bloodshot, and there was evidence of vomit on the floor, despite him not having eaten anything.

I knew right away what had caused that man to become like this.

It wasn’t bad enough for me, but it wasn’t the case for Lee Woon-woo. Lee Woon-woo hesitated and couldn’t hide his surprised expression.

He covered his mouth tightly with the hand holding the blanket, as if he was holding back vomiting.

I took out a bottle of water that I had brought with me and threw it away.

“Please eat.”

“Thank you, thank you, oh my, thank you… .”

The man disappeared into the alley without even being able to utter a word of thanks.

Sasa sasa sasa.

It sounded like a bug moving. Most of that bucket of water will be taken by others, but I can still quench my thirst.

I grabbed the stiff wrist of Lee Yun-woo and walked briskly.

“… What just happened.”

“what.”

“that person.”

Lee Yun-woo said with a pale, tired face.

“You look like you’re sick. Is there an epidemic going on here?”

“It’s not an epidemic.”

I answered calmly.

“It’s pollution addiction.”

“… … Contamination.”

“That’s what happens when pollution builds up in the body.”

Perhaps because it was his first time witnessing the dangers of pollution, Lee Woon-woo’s eyes shook incessantly.

High concentrations of pollution appear like black oil on their own. Any living thing covered in it will die instantly.

But there was something more dangerous than direct death.

It is the accumulation of pollution in the body.

The pollution that flowed through the gate slowly consumed the Earth, and the extent of the contamination became increasingly severe.

The damage to the hunters who entered and exited the gate was also severe, but as they were awakened, they were strong and could withstand it.

More serious were the casualties among civilians.

“Is this a common thing here?”

“The problem caused by pollution is the skin of a new foot. In a situation where there is a shortage of basic necessities, not to mention drinking water, there is no room for hygiene, so diseases run rampant, and malnutrition diseases that were eradicated long ago are becoming common again.”

“… … .”

“Not many people die from pollution alone. That person earlier probably… suffered from various illnesses due to malnutrition in a weakened state from pollution.”

In a word, it was a domino effect.

In an already precarious situation where they could collapse at the slightest touch, the problem of contamination has been added, so they no longer have the capacity to endure.

“I told you.”

I looked at Lee Woon-woo, who had his mouth tightly shut, and reminded him once more.

“This world was being destroyed.”

That’s what it meant to fight for the survival of humanity.

“So fast that there is no way to do anything.”

I was helpless against Toluk. Looking back at the world before the regression, it was such a mess that it was laughable.

Because it’s a place where just surviving from day to day is all you can do.

The sandstorm blew and the blankets were fluttering in the wind. Even at this moment, there must have been many people in that alley, eagerly waiting for an opportunity to snatch up these blankets.

Lee Yun-woo’s purple eyes trembled slightly as he stared at me.

“you…….”

His face is distorted as if in pain.

Why are you making that face? It seemed like you were dragging Lee Woon-woo in for no reason and making him see something unsightly.

I thought he might blurt out some resentful words. But what Lee Woon-woo said in a deeply depressed voice was completely unexpected.

“I’ve been through a world like this.”

“… … .”

“How on earth….”

Lee Yun-woo bit his lower lip. It seemed as if he was swallowing the words he wanted to say.

I was momentarily speechless at the words that were so different from what I had expected.

Lee Yun-woo acted as if he was in more pain. He was the one who went through this mess, but he acted like he was the one who rolled in the mud.

I didn’t know what to say in response.

Should I say that I’m okay, that it’s already in the past? Or… should I say that I’ve been in pain for a long time because of these memories?

I had no idea whatsoever.

I didn’t say that the beginning of the regression was the gate.