Swordmaster of the Fallen World

Chapter 005. Nightmare Zone, New Jongno-gu (1)

When I touched the information window, even a tooltip appeared.

=====

< Soul Stone of the Old Ones >

[Overview of Description]

– 1: A sticky bluish-black soul stone.

– 2: A remnant of the Old Ones who served the nameless demigod.

[Usage Method]

– By handing it over to the Star Messenger, the power within this stone can be infused into the body or weaponry.

Before the nameless demigod lost its name—

Before it rebelled against the Absolute God of the stars—

These Old Ones, the “Haneubarach,” were its loyal followers.

What was the reason for the massacre they carried out on their master’s home star?

Was it their master’s command? Or was it truly their will?

=====

It seemed like some sort of leveling-up item.

Did this mean I had to continuously hunt monsters to grow stronger?

After hesitating for a moment, I stuffed it into my pants pocket.

It felt unsettling, as if I were submitting to the current system, but to complete the “true hunt,” I had to use this system to grow stronger for now.

But still, the thought of the master’s home star… So Earth’s god had rebelled against some absolute being?

「I am deeply satisfied. Led by the Primeval Hunters, the song of your hunt resounds among the noble stars.」

At that moment, the voice of the Guide echoed through the ruined city.

—

「To those chosen as hunters, listen well.」

I tensed up, taking a defensive stance, but the Guide’s voice remained calm, almost serene.

—

「The power of transcendence will manifest in forms most familiar to you. Is that not rational?」

Indeed… It was perfectly logical.

Augmented reality from the Brainphone and gaming VR capsules.

For modern people, nothing would be clearer than a system like this.

—

「I offer you one piece of advice: transcendence dwells in all flesh. From now on, your eyes shall see what was once unseen.」

Before the Guide’s words had finished, a strange information window appeared in the air and quickly expanded.

Wait a second, this is…?

[Map: Partially Activated.]

Looking again, it was indeed a map.

A map of Seoul, subdivided into its 25 districts.

The map was color-coded in red, yellow, and green.

Just as I began to wonder what the colors meant, the Guide started explaining.

—

「Red areas are ‘Nightmare Zones,’ lands where Exalted Ones reign, making them extremely dangerous.」

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

A staggering seven districts were marked in red.

—

「Yellow areas are ‘Hunting Zones.’ Though these regions are infested with alien creatures, hunters striving hard might allow civilians to travel through.」

This was no less challenging.

Most areas, apart from the Nightmare Zones, were marked as Hunting Zones.

—

「Green areas are ‘Paradise Zones.’ Humanity is safe in these lands. There are no traces of destruction here, and new civilizations are taking root.」

Paradise Zones were limited to only four districts.

Nowon-gu. Seodaemun-gu. Gwanak-gu. Songpa-gu.

—

「Bear this in mind. Outside Paradise Zones, neither the heavens above nor the earth below, not even the waters, will be safe.」

My fingertips trembled faintly.

What kind of cruel game had this wretched being devised?

Out of 25 districts, only four were safe zones.

Not all citizens were given the right to survive.

What kind of life would one need to lead to enter and survive in those safe zones?

Images of people shoving each other down stairs came unbidden to my mind.

—

「In the Paradise Zones, our avatars, the ‘Star Messengers,’ await you. They will explain the hunters’ mission.」

I blinked several times.

The Guide’s form began to dissipate.

Like a snowstorm in winter—slowly, but unmistakably. Then the Guide rebuked us.

—

「Hunters, do you have the leisure to watch us? Do you not know where you are? Hurry to the Paradise Zones.」

I checked the map for [Jongno-gu], my current location.

Being right next to a safe zone, it was easy to find.

[Current Location: Jongno-gu, Seoul]

A sudden chill ran through my veins.

Thinking I must have seen it wrong, I rubbed my eyes, but nothing changed.

[Warning: You are currently in a ‘Nightmare Zone.’]

Danger.

I needed to warn others about this danger.

* * *

I immediately turned and began running. Toward S-042.

The gravel embedded in my knee throbbed, but I gritted my teeth and pushed forward.

The exit area of S-042 was covered in a yellow fog.

As I stepped into that ominous stench, a chilling sound began to echo.

Thunk… Thunk… Thunk…

The dull sound of something being beaten, flesh and bones crushed.

Focus.

I stopped running and took a deep breath.

Leading with the tip of my Dawn Blade, I advanced cautiously.

Right in front of the exit stairs.

The soft glow of the Dawn Blade revealed a faint green hue.

A monster.

Smaller than the one I killed before, but… something was odd.

No matter how small, why was it lying sprawled out on the ground?

Raising my eyes, I saw a woman perched on the monster’s chest.

Her blouse and jeans were torn in several places.

With both hands gripping a laptop, she was repeatedly smashing the monster’s head.

Her ponytail swung wildly with each blow.

No way…

“Park Jiyeon?”

The hands holding the laptop froze mid-air.

When she raised her head to look at me, it was indeed Park Jiyeon, the journalist.

“…Baekjun? How… are you… alive…?”

Approaching her, I drove the Dawn Blade into the monster’s abdomen.

The blade’s light began to burn away the creature’s body.

“This saved me.”

“Oh, so you too… were chosen by a being of the stars… I see…”

Had Park Jiyeon also been chosen as a hunter?

Considering her determination and bravery, it made sense she would receive the Holy Spirit’s Selection.

“Did you kill this thing, Jiyeon?”

I helped her to her feet, clasping her trembling hand.

Seeing her small shoulders and tearful eyes, a surge of sympathy welled up within me.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

I placed the soul stone that had fallen to the ground into her hand.

“It must have been hard and terrifying… but you did well. You protected others.”

“…No.”

“The others, are they inside—”

I abruptly stopped speaking.

Wait.

From my estimation, it took 15 minutes for me to return. Enough time for them to enter S-042 and seal the bulkhead.

Even with that time, why was Park Jiyeon fighting a monster alone outside the station?

“I’m sorry. If only I had been chosen sooner…”

As she bit her lip and turned her head, a dreadful sense of unease crystallized in my mind.

“No, it can’t be.”

I reflexively dashed toward the exit stairs.

What I witnessed there was a hellish scene that took my breath away.

The bulkhead was gone without a trace.

Hwang Chulman.

The boy and girl.

The children’s mother.

Everyone was strewn across the stairs, lifeless, their corpses piled together.

No. No.

I clutched my chest, struggling to breathe.

The corpses were sprawled across the stairs, as if they had died while fleeing.

Which meant…

“Was it because of my poor judgment that everyone…?”

A sharp sense of guilt surged through my body.

It was Park Jiyeon who interrupted that painful thought.

“It’s not your fault, Baekjun!”

“…”

“The shelter was safe. I swear.”

“Then how could this possibly have happened…?”

“There was an earthquake… An earthquake happened.”

An earthquake… Was it that tremor from earlier?

“Then the shelter started shaking violently… Suddenly, there was this deafening roar…”

Park Jiyeon’s voice quivered uncontrollably.

“A huge, enormous monster appeared.”

“A squid-like monster?”

“I… I couldn’t see it clearly. But it was like a snake. When that monster swept past the shelter, the ground collapsed, and…”

Impossible.

The outer walls of the 2040s Seoul Shelter City were said to be 5 meters thick.

Yet a memory flashed, mocking such common sense.

Neither the heavens above nor the earth below, not even the waters, will be safe.
On closer inspection, the shelter city had indeed become a bottomless abyss.

The bulkhead looked shattered from then, and the floor beneath had completely vanished, making entry impossible.

“Through that gap, these monsters started pouring out. People scattered, running in all directions… By now, they must all…?”

Park Jiyeon suddenly fell silent, her face overtaken by fear.

That fear began to creep over me as well.

I focused my senses on the surrounding presence.

…Gugugugugu…

I could hear it.

From underground.

I pressed my ear to the ground.

The sound of something collapsing… Something massive churning through the deep underground… It was getting louder.

“Could this be…?”

A shiver ran down my spine.

Coupled with Park Jiyeon’s testimony, it wasn’t hard to imagine what was happening below.

“Yes… That.”

Park Jiyeon nodded in response to my question.

Suddenly, the vibrations stopped.

It was the moment I stood up.

At the same time, a glaring red warning window appeared in front of me.

[Warning: The Exalted One, the Foolish Serpent Barfah’tika, has ‘vaguely’ sensed your presence.]

Time until full detection: (10) minutes.

The minions of the Exalted One are tracking you.

Leave the area immediately!

A cold sweat drenched my hands in fear.

The Nightmare Zone was a place ruled by Exalted Ones.

Interpreted through a gaming perspective, it was…

“A boss monster’s domain?”

And we were total beginners here.

Before I could finish my thought, the ground started to shake violently.

It was coming.

Closer and closer.

“…”

“…”

We, the two hunters, exchanged glances.

The next moment, we began running desperately.

Like prey fleeing from a predator.

As we ran, we bit our lips and choked back sobs.

Tears of mourning for the dead?

Or tears for ourselves, left in the depths of this abyss of destruction?

Sajik-ro was jam-packed with abandoned vehicles.

I hurriedly sprinted along the main road to the right.

Park Jiyeon followed, her breathless voice calling out.

“W-Where are we going?”

“The Sajik Tunnel. We’ll escape through there.”

The Sajik Tunnel.

The shortest route from Jongno-gu to Seodaemun-gu.

Of course, passing through there wouldn’t be the end of it, but it would mean we were 90% out of Jongno-gu.

I glanced at the edge of my vision.

Specifically, at the [Warning Window], where a timer was ticking down.

[Time until full detection: (6) minutes.]

“Can you maintain this pace?”

“I’ll… I’ll try. Yes, I’ll try.”

If we kept our current pace, we’d barely make it out.

For a fleeting moment, I allowed myself optimism.

The pursuers shattered that optimism immediately.

Squelch… Squelch squelch… Squelch squelch squelch…

Footsteps echoed from the opposite side of the main road.

The thick yellow fog obscured their forms, but I could tell there were at least four or five of them.

「KKAAAAAKAKAKAKA!」

「SHISHISHISHISHISHISII.」

Sinister laughter rang out.

As if on cue, the footsteps began chasing us ferociously.

“W-What do we do? Do we fight? Should we fight?”

Park Jiyeon gasped for breath, glancing nervously behind her. I shook my head.

“Just keep running!”

The outline of the tunnel began to emerge through the fog.

“Reaching there is our top priority.”

Though the situation was dire, we weren’t caught easily.

I’d never run faster in my entire life.

Was it because my physical abilities had improved after becoming a hunter?

When we finally reached the tunnel, the alert window read:

[Time until full detection: (4) minutes.]

Not great, but manageable.

The real problem lay elsewhere.

“The bulkhead is closed…”

The tunnel was blocked by a bulkhead.

Not just any bulkhead, but one specially designed for the Northern War.

The construction company had boasted that even outdated tanks would struggle to breach it.

For a moment, I hesitated.

Could I slice through it?

Could this broken sword destroy such a massive wall?

This wasn’t a blunt weapon meant for smashing; it was a blade for cutting and stabbing.

「SHISHISHISHISHISHISHISSHISHI.」

A slimy sound of tentacles writhing came from just behind us.

The monsters had already caught up.

There was no choice left.

The moment I resolved myself, Park Jiyeon brushed past me and ran to the bulkhead.

“Move, move! I… I can do it!”

Can do it? She said?