Swordmaster of the Fallen World

Chapter 2 The End of Childhood, The Hunt Begins (2)

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

What… is this?

A notification window resembling something from a game appeared as the world underwent a rapid transformation.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to dispel the doubt clouding my mind.

‘Now isn’t the time to be distracted.’

Fear is highly contagious.

But hope, too, has a powerful ripple effect.

I fervently wished that would be the case.

“A p-policeman,” someone stammered.

“What’s a policeman doing here?”

“Damn, probably a cop who’s at the top of their class or something.”

“And so young, too?”

Thankfully, the citizens began to calm down one by one.

Those who had been on the verge of screaming.

Even some who had been fleeing toward us.

“So, you’re saying they’re capable? And they even have a real gun!”

It wasn’t my feeble words that reassured them.

It couldn’t have been.

The fact that this was a secluded alleyway with little traffic.

And the fact that I was wearing a uniform likely prevented the chaos from spreading further.

“Thank you, citizens.”

But rather than relaxing, I needed to hurry.

The viscous meteoric rain was dangerously close now.

It looked as though it would crash to the ground within the next 10… no, 15 minutes.

“Are there any police officers, private security personnel, or off-duty soldiers among you? It’s not mandatory, but we could use your help.”

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Then, a man in his mid-30s stepped forward.

His name was Hwang Chulman, a Senior Police Officer. He saluted me politely.

“I am deeply moved. You’ve reminded me of the mission of the police.”

Following him, three sturdy men and two resolute women stepped forward in turn, each identifying themselves as off-duty soldiers.

“Thank you for responding to such a difficult request.”

I shook hands with each of them in gratitude.

Their breathing was labored, and their hands were slick with nervous sweat.

Hwang Chulman, who shook hands with me last, hurriedly asked,

“Where do you plan to evacuate all these people?”

“We’re heading to Area S-042. It’s a subway station.”

Since 2023, subway stations in Seoul had been retrofitted into shelter cities to prepare for nuclear attacks.

These underground strongholds also housed government offices and military-police command centers.

“S-042! Since it’s on the outskirts, we’re less likely to encounter other evacuation groups.”

“It’s about a 10-minute walk.”

Hwang glanced at the murmuring crowd and the torn sky, then let out a sigh.

“It might take longer. No, it will take longer.”

“That’s why we must leave immediately. I’ll organize the formation now.”

First, I pointed to the female soldiers.

“I’ll lead the entire group from the front with the female soldiers.”

Then, handing megaphones to the three men, I continued.

“You’ll help control the middle of the formation with the civilians in your groups. We’ll signal emergencies with flares.”

Lastly, I nodded at Hwang Chulman.

He was armed with a firearm and an electric baton, making him the most reliable force we had.

“Hwang Chulman, you’ll take the rear. Call for assistance immediately if there’s an emergency.”

Unexpectedly, Hwang blinked in surprise.

“The rear? Just me?”

“Didn’t you equip yourself with basic police gear like I did? You have a gun and an electric baton.”

By my estimation, the rear wasn’t particularly dangerous.

No pursuers were after us.

Not yet.

“What if I fall behind?”

No matter how much I reassured him, Hwang refused to back down.

As my frustration began to mount, an unexpected person volunteered as an ally.

“Then I’ll take the rear with him.”

It was Park Jiyeon.

Her face radiated determination, her long hair tied back in a ponytail.

Wearing simple jeans and sneakers, she seemed ready to run if needed.

“Jiyeon?”

As we tilted our heads in confusion, she cleared her throat.

“Why? I completed my military service as a sergeant and went through all the evacuation drills. I’ll be fine.”

That was true.

Perhaps the reason Seoul hadn’t completely descended into chaos yet was because both men and women were subject to conscription.

“But young lady, you might get left behind! And if the subway station’s bulkhead seals off in an emergency…”

Hwang trailed off in alarm, and Jiyeon winked at me.

“I’m not worried about being left behind.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m Sergeant Kim Baekjun’s lifelong fiancée. Isn’t that right?”

Though I’m bad at lying, I’m not entirely oblivious.

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

At that moment, all the color drained from Hwang’s face.

“Ah, understood. L-let’s go quickly. I’ll take the rear.”

Why the sudden change?

As I turned back to check, my heart skipped a beat.

Hwang hadn’t relented because of Jiyeon’s bold lie.

The worst of the worst had come.

The first blob of viscous material had landed in Seoul.

***

A splitting headache throbbed in my skull.

As we exited the outer road of Seoul, a hellscape unfolded before us.

Explosions erupted in all directions, shaking the ground with violent tremors.

The echoes of collapsing high-rise buildings reverberated.

“Aaahhhh…!”

“Help… someone, help…”

From afar, shouts and screams intertwined in a tragic cacophony.

At some point, only wails and sobs remained.

“There’s a monster over there, too!”

A shriek erupted from Female Soldier A, who was guarding the left flank.

She was right.

A sickly yellow substance clung to the exterior wall of a 15-story residential-commercial building.

I had a bad feeling…

Fwoosh… I hastily fired an emergency flare.

The smoke signaled the group to veer into a side alley.

But then, it wriggled… wriggled… The creature’s body pulsed violently, and the unthinkable happened.

The building’s outer wall began to melt away, tilting toward us.

My God.

Oh my God.

It looked as if some living thing had taken a bite out of the structure.

I screamed like a madman.

“Run! Run! Run for your lives!”

We would’ve all been dead.

If we had been even slightly slower in changing our path to the alley.

A deafening roar tore through the air… and five seconds later, a ferocious dust storm swept through the street behind us.

“My God.”

“Holy sh—”

The evacuation line paused briefly, catching their breath as they blankly stared at the street we had just been on.

I climbed on top of a vending machine to check on the rear formation.

Hwang Chulman and Park Jiyeon were nowhere to be seen.

Had they fallen behind?

As we waited for about a minute, the citizens began to clamor.

“Officer, aren’t we leaving?”

“I’ll confirm the rear team’s arrival and we’ll move right away.”

At that, a woman pleaded desperately.

“I’m hearing strange noises! Please, let’s just go. Please!”

“If we turn that corner and go a bit further, the shelter is just ahead. So─”

“─Damn it, let’s just leave! They’ve probably all been crushed in the collapse! If we wait, we’ll all die too!”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

Leave them behind so easily?

It was then that five figures emerged from the dust cloud, thankfully including Hwang Chulman and Park Jiyeon.

Hwang signaled that the entire rear team had joined.

I immediately jumped down from the vending machine.

“We’re leaving right now.”

Turning the corner, we ran for about a minute until the wide expanse of the M-intersection came into view.

Right in the center was the enormous entrance to S-042.

“Aaaaaah!”

“Run, run for your lives!”

The screams came from across the avenue.

People, gripped by terror, were sprinting toward us.

In their panic, they trampled over anyone who fell without stopping.

What… What is this?

The yellow fog was so thick that nothing beyond it was visible.

But the shrieks of “A monster! A monster!” were painfully clear.

Followed by the unmistakable sound of someone’s final cry.

“Full speed! Run at full speed!”

When we finally reached the entrance, all semblance of control evaporated.

Refugees pouring in from both sides surged toward the entrance, down the escalators, into the underground shelter, like madmen.

As though salvation awaited them if they pushed others aside and descended first.

“Officer…”

Someone tugged at my sleeve just then.

“Please… help us…”

I looked down to see a girl, about ten years old.

Her clothes were covered in dust, and her hands were stained with blood.

“What’s wrong? You can’t stay here. Go down quickly.”

“No! My mom is over there!”

“Your mom?”

My chest tightened.

The mother was pinned under the rubble of a collapsed building, her legs crushed.

“We can’t get her out. She told us to leave, but I don’t want to go without her!”

A boy, who resembled the girl, was sobbing as he desperately tried to lift the debris with his bare hands.

The mother shouted toward me.

“Officer, please… take these children… please…”

This was the worst possible location.

The yellow fog was advancing from that direction.

Laughter, eerie and unnerving, mingled with the sound of approaching screams.

“Ah.”

I hesitated for a moment.

Would saving only the children be the best choice?

Trying to rescue the mother as well might result in all of us dying.

I wasn’t sure if I was being pragmatic or succumbing to fear.

Then it happened.

As if relishing the chaos, radiant starlight began pouring down.

One, two, three, four, five.

Like spotlights illuminating a stage.

And just like a brainphone message, the starlight infused my mind with a bizarre voice.

It was utterly horrifying, yet comprehensible enough.

[We are watching you.]

I instinctively tilted my head up to the sky.

「Holy Spirit’s Selection」

No way.

Could it be… those beings the Guide spoke of?

You… so, you’re telling me you’ve unleashed this disaster and are laughing at us from the best seats in the house?

I gritted my teeth.

Fine.

I understand what you want.

And now, this defiance burns within me.

Even if it kills me, I won’t play your game.

Clenching my fist, I glared at the night sky. Then at the Guide, who overlooked the city from afar.

Yes, look at me.

Watch me closely.

The next moment, I grabbed the girl and tucked her under my arm.

Defying the flow of refugees, I sprinted toward the rubble where her mother was trapped.

There was no turning back now.

The mother’s face twisted in despair as she frantically shook her head.

“No! Officer!”

“I can do this.”

I found a sturdy metal rod and began working.

But it wasn’t easy.

Just as I thought I was making progress, the rod snapped under the pressure.

“Please leave! Go now!”

“I won’t.”

“At least save my children, I beg you.”

“Why should I save only the children?”

The last of the refugees passed by us. I shoved my hands into the debris.

“There’s a way to save both you and the children, isn’t there?”

Damn it.

Damn it.

Damn it.

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

Even as I pushed until my fingers felt like they’d burst, the debris wouldn’t budge.

The children were helping too, but it made no difference.

“Baekjun!”

Someone called my name from behind.

Startled, I turned to see Hwang Chulman and Park Jiyeon, panting heavily.

Hwang stared blankly and asked,

“The evacuation is complete. Why aren’t you inside?”

“Help me with this. Please.”

Hwang assessed the situation and hesitated, his words fumbling.

“W-What? Something this big… You’d need ten strong men. It’s… more realistic to just… give up…”

“Helping right now is more realistic!”

But Park Jiyeon shouted instead, adding her strength to the effort.

“This is insane. Utterly insane.”

In the end, Hwang grumbled and reluctantly lent a hand.

If this were a movie, this would’ve been the moment of a miraculous rescue. But reality was never so kind.

The next moment, the yellow fog crept closer.

The stench of rotting eggs hit like a punch. The mother murmured in despair.

“It’s here, isn’t it? It’s here? Please, just go! Please, now you really have to go…!”

Squish.

Squish.

Squish.

Wet, slithering footsteps approached from beyond the fog.

It was chilling.

Just hearing it made every hair on my body stand on end.

“L-Let’s just leave! Something, something is coming, don’t you hear it?”

Hwang, panicked, began to back away in terror.

“Baekjun. I… I can’t… hold on… any longer…”

Even Park Jiyeon seemed ready to give up when─

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

A mysterious…

A mysterious voice resonated in my head, calm like light.

And then, a miracle occurred.