Swordmaster of the Fallen World

Chapter 1 The End of Childhood, The Hunt Begins (1)

On the day the world ended, I was casually introducing myself.

Of course, I had no way of knowing it would be the last introduction of my life in the pre-apocalypse world.

“I’m Sergeant Kim Baekjun.”

When I introduced myself, people from the old world would often react with surprise or amusement.

– A sergeant? Such a young man? By the way, what rank is sergeant in the police?

– It’s comparable to a staff sergeant in the military.

– Wow, Kim Baekjun! This guy’s got a bright future ahead!

But their reactions always left me feeling more embarrassed than proud.

I didn’t join the police force for fame or fortune. I never sought success or promotion.

I simply wanted to help others. But somehow, I found myself rapidly climbing the ranks.

“Kim Baekjun, 28 years old, a sergeant with the Seoul Metropolitan Police. Wow, the rumors about your achievements seem to hold true.”

It happened at a coffee shop around noon.

I put my teacup down with a shy expression.

“Are my achievements really that great?”

Across the table sat a young woman with a cute demeanor, typing away on her laptop.

Her name was Park Jiyeon.

A journalist from J Magazine who had requested an interview three days ago.

“Oh, come on. Don’t play coy when you already know the answer.”

And so, on the day the world ended, that’s the kind of casual conversation I was having.

“I still don’t know why I’ve been promoted to sergeant so soon.”

“Oh, let’s see if you can keep denying it after this.”

Park Jiyeon turned her laptop screen toward me.

In 2042 and 2043, I had achieved the title of “Seoul’s Top Arrests.”

In 2044, I was named an Honorable Police Officer of Seoul.

In the first quarter of 2045, I had made 195 on-site arrests and swept three shooting competitions. (The rest was summarized.)

It was a Wiki page outlining my career.

I let out a hollow laugh as Park Jiyeon flashed a triumphant smile.

“I thought you might be a lucky hire at first. But after seeing this, I feel nothing but respect.”

Hmm.

Is that something worth boasting about?

Every arrest left me filled with regret. I always thought during those moments,

‘If I’d been a little more competent…’

Fewer people would have died, and fewer would have been injured.

Honestly, I didn’t even want to do this interview.

But it was a directive from the higher-ups to improve the police’s image, so I had no choice.

“Do you have a special secret to making so many arrests?”

“My two and a half years of service with the Special Police Force helped a lot. Before that, I learned various martial arts.”

“Did you learn those to use them in your work as a patrol officer?”

“Yes. Being a police officer was my dream since childhood.”

Park Jiyeon whistled and began typing vigorously.

“What inspired you to become a police officer? You must have had a reason, right? Since wealth and fame clearly weren’t your goals.”

“I do have one, but…”

I trailed off.

I didn’t want to boast about the noble lives of those people.

“You don’t have to answer if you’re uncomfortable. But if you share your story, it could inspire many aspiring officers.”

“What kind of aspiring officers?”

“Our magazine is running a police feature this season, remember? Knowing why Baekjun is so passionate might provide a lot of motivation or valuable lessons.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Only after getting her promise not to distort or exaggerate my story did I begin to speak.

“When I was twelve, my house caught fire. It was so severe that my parents lost their lives.”

I likely would have too.

In that moment, when death lunged at me with certainty—

Through the blazing flames and collapsing walls, they came for me.

– It’s going to be okay now.

That’s what they said as they wrapped me in their arms.

Words that became the compass of my life.

They told me repeatedly not to lose consciousness.

– We’ve come to save you.

I later learned how ferocious the flames were that day.

Entering our house had been tantamount to suicide.

Yet, after saving me, they re-entered the flames to retrieve my parents’ remains.

“They were the ones who saved my life, yet they apologized for not being able to save my parents.”

It was true.

They later visited my hospital room, weeping…

“I can still vividly remember the sight of them crying.”

When I finished speaking, Park Jiyeon hesitated briefly before cautiously opening her mouth.

“Could they be… that legendary firefighter couple who died in the line of duty over a decade ago?”

“Yes. They were also my adoptive parents.”

Those people lived their lives helping others to the very end and died doing the same.

“I admired them sincerely.”

My strained smile surely reflected the tender emotions I felt.

“A life devoted to helping others, even at the cost of one’s own life—I found it deeply moving. One day, I wanted to live like that too.”

We’ve come to save you.

I genuinely wanted to live and die embodying those words.

“That’s the only reason I became a police officer.”

“Not a firefighter?”

“While firefighting is noble, being a patrol officer seemed to offer more opportunities to help people in various ways.”

A brief silence followed.

Park Jiyeon gazed at me with a thoughtful expression, then broke into laughter.

“You’re quite the idealist.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“And that’s why it’s admirable.”

What part of this was admirable?

The lives of my adoptive parents?

When I tilted my head in confusion, Park Jiyeon lowered her gaze back to her laptop screen.

“If you were a character in a novel, you’d definitely be the protagonist.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re tall, and hmm, with looks like these, you’d make quite the—”

That’s when a piercing scream shattered the air inside the café.

“─Aaaaahhh!”

Park Jiyeon flinched, her expression alarmed.

“W-what…?”

Just as I was about to ask what had happened, the world went dark.

‘What’s going on?’

Instinctively, a sense of dread pierced my mind.

As I hastily donned my police cap and stood up, chaos exploded around me.

Inside and outside the café, people were frantically clamoring, and the interior lights flickered wildly.

“Oh my God.”

“Holy crap, what is that?”

Finally, my vision began to flash red.

It was the emergency alert from my Brainphone—a neural-implanted smartphone.

Park Jiyeon, trembling and gasping for breath, pointed at something outside.

“B-Baekjun. Look over there.”

The moment I turned my head, I forgot how to breathe.

…An angel?

A pure white form with seven pairs of wings.

A crown floating above its head.

A surreal, towering figure that cast its shadow over the entire city.

At first glance, it resembled a mythical angel.

But something felt off.

Not because it had no facial features, or four arms, or a swirling rainbow light emanating from its crown.

There was something about its form that shattered human reason.

[Control… Transmission… Chaos… Guidance… Repeat… Repeat. Emergency Level A2.]

I regained my composure thanks to the calm voice transmitted directly into my mind by my Brainphone.

[Central AI ‘Sunduk’ broadcasting to all police personnel. Area stress level 98. Prevent riots by controlling the scene and guiding citizens to designated safe zones before stress-induced incidents occur.]

Stress level 98.

That number made the severity of the situation clear.

It was the kind of stress level checked during large-scale riots.

Supporting the trembling Park Jiyeon to her feet, I addressed the people in the café.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I’m Sergeant Kim Baekjun of the Seoul Metropolitan Police. A state of emergency has been declared. For your safety, please follow my instructions!”

It was a relief I was in uniform.

The people who had been staring blankly at the angel blinked and began focusing on me, regaining their breath.

“If anyone around you has fainted, please help them up! If you follow the instructions, I will ensure everyone reaches safety!”

Among twenty people, four had fainted. Two men rushed over, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me.

“O-officer? What the hell is that?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did the command center say anything? Damn it, what is that thing?!”

“I haven’t received any detailed information. All I know is that an emergency has been declared, and we’re to evacuate to safe zones.”

Everything was a mystery.

The identity and purpose of that entity that had suddenly appeared.

And why it was silently observing the city.

“News just came in! Apparently, these things appeared in cities all over the world!”

“Is this an invasion of Earth?”

“I don’t know.”

“Shit! Then why are they here? Isn’t that the most important thing? Wasn’t that explained anywhere?”

It was pointless.

Only the invader itself would know the answer.

There was no need to ask anyone else.

“Stay calm and follow me this way!”

Just as I had expected.

When I led the café patrons out into the chaotic streets, the invader began to deliver its answer to humanity directly.

「Humanity is no longer alone.」

For a moment, I couldn’t comprehend what was happening.

When that profound voice echoed across the heavens and earth,

I froze in place.

Everyone else did the same.

“…What did it just say?”

I couldn’t believe it, and I doubted my ears multiple times.

Was this real?

It felt like a scene straight out of a sci-fi comedy where aliens come to make friends.

But something about the language was strange.

This enormous invader, which made a metropolis look like a toy, was speaking in Korean.

「We are emissaries of the supremely exalted beings of the stars, chosen as guides for humanity.」

The Korean it spoke was flawless, even better than that of a seasoned announcer. Its tone was dignified yet strangely kind.

「Humans, we have long awaited this moment of meeting, and now we rejoice. Rejoice with us.」

What happened next was astonishing.

The people who had fainted began to regain consciousness one by one.

“Ugh, my head…”

“Uh… what just happened?”

Perhaps the guide’s friendly demeanor was the reason.

A noticeable sense of relief spread across the faces of the crowd.

It seemed to have everything—

A divine appearance, a familiar native language, and a benevolent attitude.

And yet, something was wrong.

Why was an unfamiliar fear stirring violently within me?

「For the joyous will of the stars, we shall guide humanity onto the rightful path so that it may prevail in the true struggle.」

Summarized, this “rightful path” was as follows:

Meaningless conflicts would be suppressed in preparation for the true struggle.

Technology and science would be appropriately adjusted.

「Do not worry. Humanity will not face this monumental task alone.」

“Did it just… say ‘adjust’?”

The breathless voice murmuring beside me belonged to Park Jiyeon.

“Yes.”

“Adjusting the level of science and technology… doesn’t that mean they’ll decide the state of our civilization however they want…?”

No way.

That was essentially a declaration to dismantle human history.

My head spun, but the guide continued speaking without pause.

「The era of struggle approaches. Nuclear power plants and similar facilities lack sufficient safety. A world solely reliant on electricity is precarious. Civilization will be reverted to the steam engine era.」

It wasn’t a recommendation or an order.

It was a unilateral declaration.

“Steam engine era?!”

The murmurs of the crowd grew louder.

Most looked grim, but a few seemed almost amused.

“Isn’t that like 200 years ago?”

“Our entire era? This must be a joke.”

Desperation welled within me as I pressed my right temple, where the Brainphone’s manual control node was located.

“AI Sunduk, can you hear me?”

All I got in response was a sharp, high-pitched static.

‘The Central Control AI of Seoul is down?’

An unprecedented situation…

If Sunduk failed, all subordinate AIs would fail as well.

My heart pounded furiously.

“Sunduk! Are you seeing this insane situation? Sunduk? Sunduk! Headquarters, do you copy?”

There was no response now, not even static.

As I lowered my sweat-soaked right hand, I noticed Park Jiyeon staring at me anxiously.

“Could it be… the system… has collapsed, Sergeant?”

Then my temple felt empty.

The place where the Brainphone was embedded.

I kept groping for it, but there was nothing—nothing at all.

The Brainphone had vanished.

“What the…?”

“Mom? Mom? Hello?”

People looked bewildered, touching their temples in confusion. Had everyone lost their Brainphone?

“Jiyeon, is your Brainphone functioning?”

“Of course… wait, what? What’s going on?”

I inhaled sharply, stunned.

A chilling thought raced through my mind.

‘Is civilization really being adjusted? Was the concept of Brainphones deleted?’

But why were other things still intact?

In this absurd situation, some people began shouting questions at the guide.

“What is the will of the stars?”

“What do you mean by an era of struggle? What are we supposed to fight against?”

The guide could apparently hear them, even from a distance.

「The will of the stars is…」

Strangely, the voice sounded sorrowful.

And that was the prelude to destruction.

「For the chosen among humanity to be freed from the burdens of life.」

Suddenly, the sky tore open.

From one horizon to the other.

At the same time, a dense darkness descended upon the city.

「And to be reborn in the truth of the stars.」

A gaping rift.

From it, something pitch black bubbled and churned.

A faint, sickly stench wafted through the air.

‘This is dangerous… really dangerous.’

Sensing the peril instinctively, I pushed through the crowd, shouting urgently.

“Citizens, you can’t just stand still!”

「But the current humanity is too weak and can only prove its worth through struggles with the otherworldly.」

But people, entranced, stood frozen, gazing at the sky.

Meanwhile, flocks of birds, driven by primal fear, fled madly.

“You must evacuate to the safe zones immediately!”

My breath grew more labored.

Why was everyone just standing there, paralyzed?

No matter how much I shook or shouted at someone, it was no use.

「Only through the struggle can humanity prove its worth and be chosen by the beings of the stars.」

Then, something black plummeted from the rift.

It writhed like a massive blob of mucus.

And what followed was an incomprehensible cascade of disasters.

First,

The giant mass of mucus divided into countless forms in mid-air, spreading slowly across Seoul.

Second,

Against the backdrop of this slimy rain, strings of starlight formed enormous, glowing text in the sky.

ㆍHoly Spirit Selection

– The beings of the stars have always sought worthy apostles.

– Only those who prove the value of their flesh shall receive the baptism of transcendence.

Holy Spirit?

The value of flesh? Baptism?

「Humanity! Struggle, prove yourselves, and be reborn.」

With those words, the citizens who had regained their senses began to tremble violently.

Their pupils quaked, their lips twitched, and their shoulders shuddered.

‘It won’t take long.’

For confusion to turn into unease.

For unease to transform into terror.

And for terror to erupt, plunging everyone into collective panic.

‘So I can’t let this go unchecked.’

Just as someone was about to scream for the first time,

“Jiyeon, cover your ears.”

I drew my multi-purpose service revolver and fired a sound grenade into the air.

──BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

The effect of the metallic screech was remarkable.

It interrupted the growing wave of panic in the crowd.

When even the echoes faded, all eyes on the street were fixed on me.

“Everyone, stay calm!”

My police megaphone amplified my voice in all directions.

Desperate cries erupted from here and there.

“Officer! You have a plan, right? Surely the Blue House or the Control Command sent instructions?”

“Are you blind?! Don’t you see that black thing?!”

“Look at those people down the street! They’re all running away!”

I raised both hands, pretending to remain composed.

“I know this is a lot to ask! I’m just as human as you are!”

I couldn’t fully grasp the situation, but I could at least piece it together in my mind.

A transcendent being, the guide, had appeared and made declarations:

The era of struggle had arrived.

Civilization would be reshaped.

Humanity must prove its worth to the beings of the stars.

In that case, those blobs must be the “something” humanity is meant to fight.

“But in emergencies like this, the calmer and more orderly we are, the more lives we can save. Think of it as an evacuation drill.”

I was terrified myself, my entire body trembling.

But by shouting these words, I was also trying to steady myself.

“I am Sergeant Kim Baekjun of the Seoul Metropolitan Police.”

As a police officer, I had a duty to protect citizens no matter the circumstances.

“And I ask you to follow my lead from now on.”

And I had a mission to save these helpless people facing disaster.

We’ve come to save you.

Those words embodied the path my adoptive parents had shown me.

“If you do, I will do everything I can to keep all of you safe.”

As soon as I finished speaking,

a light as radiant as dawn condensed into strings of text before my eyes.

[??? The Master of Broken Dawn gazes upon you.]