WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Ceaseless
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the Gate Summoner Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 43: Watches TV. Receives a Gift.
──────
❗This chapter may contain frightening illustrations.❗
This may be a little out of the blue, but...
Kang Yul had not been especially good at making friends during his school days.
Having grown up getting beaten in an orphanage, Kang Yul had matured early, and the world had looked gray to him.
Watching other kids his age run around and play in that world, he had been the sort of idiot to spout edgy adolescent lines like, "I'm different from you. I'm a lone wolf."
'Well, I was completely cured after becoming an adult and tasting the bitterness of capitalist society.'
Because of that, there was no way Kang Yul could have had good relationships with his classmates.
Rumors spread that he was a weird guy, and he would often hear things like, "Doesn't that guy have a mother?" To put it mildly.
'I acted like it didn't bother me, but that really got under my skin.'
Of course, every time, he would put on a somewhat obnoxious smile while thinking, 'Heh heh heh... I am a lone wolf.'
Anyway.
That was what Kang Yul wanted to say badly enough to recall the dark history of his school days.
Wiggle, wiggle~!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: Feels deep affection for you~!
: Feels deeply happy to have become your mother~!
Kang Yul had a mother now.
A small, cute Worm mother with no limbs, wriggling in his arms.
Pat, pat~!
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: Feels deep affection for you~!
: Is so happy to hold you and pat you~!
And a Root mother with a human appearance, though parts of her body were made of plants.
'Seventeen-year-old Kang Yul, you should've seen this....'
...Or perhaps not?
If this had happened during his school days, he might have become the biggest lunatic in school, swaggering around and saying, "Heh heh heh... You fools, I have two mothers!"
Kang Yul had been seriously out of his mind back then, so he probably would have been proud of it.
'This is why childhood environments are important.'
Anyway, with that thought, Kang Yul rose from his spot.
He had been lying in Root's embrace as though it were a bed, half buried in it, and a soft, fluffy sensation covered his entire body. He decided not to pay attention to that.
This much physical contact was natural between a mother and son. If he dwelled on it, he would be the weird one.
Wriggle?
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: Feels deep affection for you-?
The Worm in his arms wriggled as it watched Kang Yul rise.
The wriggle seemed to ask, 'Son, where are you going?'
"Ah, I've been in the Gate too long, so I'm going outside for a bit. I might've gotten messages while I was unconscious."
In truth, that was only half a lie.
Wondering about the situation outside was only incidental. More than that, Kang Yul wanted to confirm what would happen when he went outside after no longer being human.
'But if I say that, Worm will worry.'
So Kang Yul gently stroked the Worm's head with one finger, set it down on the floor, and headed for the Gate's entrance as though nothing were wrong.
Then, when he shifted his gaze slightly to the side.
Stroke, stroke....
﹝Special Characteristics﹞
: Feels deep affection for you....
He saw Root pitifully stroking the spot where Kang Yul had been lying just moments ago.
The stroking seemed full of loneliness, as if it were saying, 'I see... My son is leaving... Leaving this mother behind....'
'I wouldn't call it punishment, but... It's probably better to be a little cold now so things will be easier later.'
Ignoring the pricking in his heart from being an unfilial son, Kang Yul continued forward.
He hesitated for a moment in front of the Gate, wondering, 'Should I really go out...?' But he could not stay inside forever, so he stepped forward.
And at that moment.
An incomprehensible scene suddenly appeared in Kang Yul's mind.
[The Life of the World, the Mother of Life, has blossomed.]
[To repay that grace, the world becomes nourishment for ■■■■ and returns to its primordial form.]
[Bad Ending - Primordial Life]
[(The TV crackles with static.)]
[...Ah, my apologies.]
[You are not ■■■■, Viewer.]
A voice filled with static came from within a black-and-white television.
[Well, well. I have made a mistake.]
The static on the black-and-white TV was so severe that he could not see who the voice belonged to.
Still, it was making exaggerated gestures, so he could vaguely make out its silhouette.
[I sincerely apologize.]
[I never imagined that being would personally give birth to a child.]
[(Bows low enough for its head to touch the floor.)]
The being on the TV bowed deeply toward Kang Yul.
But in the next moment.
[This truly is... (After a brief pause, with an exaggerated gesture.) ...a wonderfully, wonderfully welcome miscalculation!]
The being on the TV spread both arms wide and began to laugh.
[Ha ha! Isn't it?]
[If that being had come out into the world, the lives in the place where you lived would have tried to repay that grace!]
[Everyone would have poured into the streets to worship that being and offer up everything they had.]
[Why, you ask? To repay the primordial grace, of course!]
[After all, the beginning of everything came from that being's movements!]
[Though... (Scratches its face awkwardly.) ...that being has neither affection for nor awareness of the things born that way.]
[Ah, except for you, Viewer!]
Then it winked at Kang Yul.
It did not forget to congratulate him either, clapping clap, clap! as it said, [It's truly fortunate that nothing like that happened!]
Like the host of an old TV program.
The being inside the television was hosting a one-person broadcast for Kang Yul.
[So, Viewer?]
[Please pretend you did not see my mistake this time!]
[I still... (Looks around before approaching the camera and whispering.) ...do not want to get fired!]
[(Audience laughter.)]
[Of course, I am not asking you to overlook it for nothing.]
[From what I can see, the women around you dislike you, Viewer.]
[And the reason is, naturally....]
The being on the TV ran a hand over its face.
Then, wearing a somewhat sad expression, it continued.
[...Oops, if I say any more, the broadcast standards will stop me.]
[Anyway! You have that unspeakable problem, Viewer, but with the 'Gift' I have given you, there will be no problem!]
[I hope you make good use of it!]
[Well then!]
[(The curtain slowly falls.)]
[(Bows politely.)]
[Thank you very much for watching our TV show, 《Another Day, Another Apocalypse》!]
[Then, viewers.]
[We will see you again at the next apocalypse!]
[(Cheerful music plays.)]
[(The broadcast ends.)]
Ding!
['Show Host' has taught you how to become entertainment.]
[You can now become a charming person! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧]
Ding!
[You have discovered 《Another Day, Another Apocalypse》.]
[Exploration Rate increases.]
######
"...Fuck."
Kang Yul had been standing blankly after leaving the Gate, but he came to his senses with a curse.
He was not normally the sort to swear, but the moment he realized, 'Something was done to me again,' the curse slipped out reflexively.
At least the anger from the previous two incidents had disappeared, so he had let them slide. This being, however, had not done any such cleanup.
No, to be precise, it had.
[Anyway! You have that unspeakable problem, Viewer, but with the 'Gift' I have given you, there will be no problem!]
[I hope you make good use of it!]
The problem was that, from Kang Yul's perspective, this was not a good thing.
Kang Yul had already received a Gift that turned him into something inhuman once.
There was no way he could not feel repulsed by a Gift from such a suspicious being.
Besides, this Gift had been foisted on him without even the option to refuse.
So Kang Yul examined every part of his body with a displeased expression, wondering, 'What changed this time...?'
But even after looking himself over for quite some time, he could not see any particular changes. Thinking, 'That can't be right...?' he headed to the bathroom.
Maybe something had changed somewhere his eyes or hands could not reach.
And then.
"?"
The moment he faced the bathroom mirror, Kang Yul could not help doubting his eyes.
Because the Kang Yul reflected in the mirror was...
"...Who are you?"
So breathtakingly handsome that even Kang Yul, another man, could not help admiring him.
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