Swordmaster of the Fallen World

Chapter 7. Paradise Zone, New Seodaemun-gu (1)

Beyond Independence Gate, Independence Park didn’t seem to have changed much.

But the moment we looked at the construction site to the left… we were left speechless.

“What’s that? A clock tower?”

“How is this… possible?”

How could anyone explain this bizarre phenomenon?

Should I say that the area around Independence Gate had turned into a grim scene straight out of 19th-century Europe?

Antique Gothic-style buildings.

Spires.

Clock towers.

Old-fashioned streetlights illuminated the empty streets, and on what was once the road… a double-headed carriage was approaching.

“Am I the only one who thinks this situation is weird?”

“I can’t understand it, but I feel like I know what’s going on.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Do you remember what the Guide said at the beginning? About the level of civilization… What did they call it again?”

“Tuning?”

“Yeah, that’s it. They said they were ‘tuning’ it.”

Civilization Tuning.

Ha, hahaha. I let out a dry laugh.

“So you’re saying they tuned the entire street into the 19th century?”

Honestly, nothing surprised me anymore.

After experiencing shocks beyond reason and logic so many times, perhaps my sensitivity had gone numb.

──BEEEEEEEEEP!

We gasped in shock and held our breaths.

It was the sound of a horn—a chilling sound we had heard when being chased by the Exalted Ones.

And then, the double-headed carriage suddenly stopped right in front of us.

I steadied my breathing and examined the carriage.

Jet-black horses, a jet-black body, and jet-black axles.

The color scheme was eerie enough, and on top of that, there was no driver?

“Is this another boss monster?”

At Park Jiyeon’s forced joke, I gave her a wry smile.

But the message that rang in our ears was what countered her attempt at humor.

[Notification: The Star Messenger of ‘New Seodaemun-gu’ has issued a summons to all hunters in the area.]

By boarding the provided transportation, you will be moved swiftly to the designated gathering location.

[Warning: Failure to comply with the summons will result in expulsion from the Paradise Zone.]

The carriage door slid open.

At Park Jiyeon’s gaze, I sighed and shrugged.

“Let’s at least go hear what this mission or whatever it is has to say.”

The interior of the carriage was unexpectedly cozy and comfortable.

As soon as we boarded, the double-headed carriage began racing down the road on its own.

The scenes outside the window were utterly unbelievable.

“It’s not just near Independence Gate, is it…?”

That was right.

To our horror, everything visible had transformed into a modern European style.

The carriage stopped in front of the Seodaemun-gu Office. Or at least, that’s where it used to be.

The district office had turned into something resembling a grand papal basilica.

The clock tower was tolling incessantly.

After disembarking in the parking lot, we saw numerous other carriages.

They all seemed to have transported hunters here.

“Mister, are you a cop by any chance?”

The person who posed the question was a female soldier in tattered military fatigues.

Her rank insignia read First Lieutenant.

Her face, exhaling cigarette smoke, was worn with fatigue and dirt, but her sharp features gave her a strikingly decadent beauty.

“Baekjun is a sergeant,” Park Jiyeon answered in my stead, and the female soldier nodded.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jung Hayoung. First Lieutenant… or at least I was. Damn, it’s meaningless now. Totally meaningless. Mister, we’re comrades.”

“Comrades?”

“Don’t you get it? It’s black humor. Comrades who lost their paychecks.”

“…?”

As I hesitated, Jung Hayoung tilted her head as if confused.

“After the Capital Defense Command, the National Police Agency also fell, didn’t it? Even the President’s dead.”

I couldn’t say anything.

The National Police Agency fell…?

Does that mean Sung Hyun and Yong Goo… are all dead too?

“My God.”

Perhaps it was because I had been chased by the Exalted Ones.

The thought of ‘That can’t be true’ never crossed my mind.

This was a world where every death felt inevitable.

“Want one?”

“…Sure.”

“Sorry, but just take one puff. It’s my last cigarette.”

I took the cigarette Jung Hayoung had been smoking and inhaled deeply.

The sigh I had been holding in finally escaped.

“What brought Seoul’s two pillars down in such a short time?”

“Short time? Isn’t 24 hours a short time to you?”

Twenty-four hours?

I couldn’t believe my ears.

Exchanging glances with Park Jiyeon, I saw the same incredulous look on her face.

“Why? Isn’t that a long time to hold out?”

It was absurd.

Had we been unconscious for that long?

But if that were the case, wouldn’t we be starving? Yet that wasn’t the case.

“…All the advanced equipment, like 4.5th-generation tanks, disappeared. What could they fight with? They barely managed with outdated 3rd-generation tanks.”

“Wait a second. What happened to the citizens who originally lived in Seodaemun-gu?”

For a moment, Jung Hayoung stopped inhaling cigarette smoke.

For the first time, a flicker of disturbance passed through her eyes.

Suddenly, she spat on the ground.

“…Do you know which areas got wiped out first?”

“Jongno-gu?”

“Seodaemun-gu, Nowon-gu, Gwanak-gu, Songpa-gu.”

Those names felt oddly familiar.

Wait a second…

“Aren’t those all Paradise Zones?”

“Yeah. Didn’t they kill or expel all the original residents before setting up this so-called Paradise?”

“…?”

“I’m just piecing together what I heard over the radio and the current situation.”

…What kind of insane hypothesis was this?

Sensing the enormity of my shock, Jung Hayoung placed her cherished cigarette in my mouth.

The cigarette smoke burned my lungs.

“By the way, Mister, that sword of yours is seriously cool. Is it a Unique Skill?”

“Well… I guess you could say that. No, it is.”

“Damn lucky. The Holy Spirit’s Selection is such a crapshoot.”

Just then, a high school boy in a school uniform approached Jung Hayoung, grinning unpleasantly as he rubbed against her.

“Cute noona. Can’t you spare me a cigarette too? Hm?”

It was uncomfortable.

Without even glancing at him, Jung Hayoung kept puffing on her cigarette.

She even motioned for me to stay still when I tried to intervene.

“You sure have a loose tongue. I just talked a bit because Mister and the lady over there looked so clueless.”

“Why are you ignoring me? Show me that aloof face of yours.”

“Here’s the point. There are no fools—or rather, humans—left in this world. Only three types of beasts remain. Civilians barking like stray dogs, begging for food…”

In an instant, something shocking happened.

Jung Hayoung drove her boot into the high school student’s shin.

“Ahhh!”

The student clutched his shin in agony.

In the same moment, Jung Hayoung pulled out her pistol and fired three shots.

“…and idiots like this bastard, thinking they’re kings just because they’ve become hunters.”

Blood spilled from the fallen student’s head, pooling on the ground.

Park Jiyeon grabbed my arm, letting out a stifled scream.

“Jung Hayoung, you just…”

By the time I reflexively grabbed Jung Hayoung’s shoulder, everything was already over.

I had no chance to stop her.

Her speed was easily twice as fast as the monsters we had faced before.

Was her Unique Skill acceleration?

Jung Hayoung sighed, shoving a cigarette butt into one of the bullet holes.

“Because only psychos like me are left. How about that? Feeling awake now?”

A brief silence passed.

Then a [Warning Window] appeared, urging us to proceed quickly.

Jung Hayoung scanned my face and gave a faint, lifeless smile.

“Don’t look at me like that, now that we’ve gotten to know each other.”

“You just… killed someone. Should we be laughing together?”

“What do you want me to do about the way the world is? Do you expect me to play the saint all by myself?”

“…?”

“That little punk? If I wasn’t a hunter too, I would’ve done worse. That kid has already raped four or five girls.”

Jung Hayoung finished speaking, then stomped on the boy’s head with her boot as she walked toward the government building.

“If you’ve got time later, let’s talk. Most men are walking around with dead fish eyes, but at least you seem normal, Mister.”

Park Jiyeon and I couldn’t move from that spot for a long time.

The arm Park Jiyeon had wrapped around mine trembled violently.

I was trembling too.

But for a different reason.

…My god.

I closed the high school student’s lifeless eyes.

Not because I wanted to justify his beastly behavior.

But because something about this… felt wrong.

Too wrong.

Not just Jung Hayoung, but everyone else was treating this killing as if it were completely normal.

How had the world changed so drastically overnight…?

And what could possibly be done to restore it to the way it was?

“The answer is simple.”

The one who responded was, ironically, one of the minions of the beings who had turned this world into a game.

“The only way to restore your world is to complete the hunt.”

The one who spoke these words was an elegant lady who seemed entirely unconnected to hunting—at least judging by her transcendental beauty.

Hair that sparkled like starlight.

Eyes the color of blood, and a radiant, pristine white robe.

Though her face was partially hidden by a veil, the murmurs from the men when she appeared spoke volumes about her appearance.

And who was she, you ask?

“Until then, dawn will not break upon this land.”

She was the Star Messenger.

“For all eternity, this city will remain trapped in the night.”

A moment of silence followed.

We hunters sat in the second-floor chapel of the building, attentively listening to the Star Messenger.

“What exactly does it mean to complete the hunt?”

It was I who broke the silence with a question.

I desperately wanted to know how to turn the world back to normal.

The Star Messenger gave me a graceful smile.

“A good question. You, who have achieved the accomplishment of the Vanguard.”

“Excuse me?”

“I meant it as a sign of respect. If it came across as rude, I apologize.”

“What are you talking about?”

At that moment, I was startled.

Above my head, the words [Vanguard Hunter] appeared.

It was like a title system from a video game.

Then, cheers erupted around me.

“Wow, Vanguard? That title is badass.”

“It’s not a title; it’s an achievement, you idiot.”

“Cool? I think it sounds super cringy, honestly…”

…Was I being mocked?

As I let out a short sigh to prompt her for an explanation, the Star Messenger finally spoke again.

“Very well. The way to complete the hunt is quite simple.”

A [Map] of Seoul appeared before everyone’s eyes.

It was different from the one we had seen before.

The ‘Paradise Zones’ and ‘Hunting Zones’ were grayed out, while the ‘Nightmare Zones’ were highlighted vividly.

[Nightmare Zone]

The name alone sent a chill down my spine, causing the hairs on my body to stand on end.

It was, quite literally, a land of nightmares.

It was a place I wanted to avoid at all costs.

And yet—

“Enter the nightmare. Unless you hunt the seven ‘Exalted Ones,’ the mission of the hunt will not end.”

We were being told to go in.

“Forever, I might add.”

A stunned silence filled the room.

People were too confused to process the situation.

When the gravity of the situation finally sank in, Park Jiyeon murmured in a hollow voice beside me.

“How are we even supposed to kill something like that…?”

Angry shouts erupted from all around.

Honestly, the fact that everyone had stayed calm until now was nothing short of a miracle.

“What’s the reason behind this bullshit, you bastard?!”

“Why are you suddenly doing this to us?! What did we even do wrong…?”

“Isn’t this enough already? Please, just stop and let us go. I’m begging you.”

The Star Messenger dismissed the countless questions with ease.

“As I’ve already mentioned, there is no other way to reclaim your world.”

I swallowed hard.

The overwhelming despair I felt at that moment…

But the Star Messenger smiled as if she were enjoying herself.

“But if you succeed? Heh, the entire world will transform into a paradise. And all of you… will ascend. How does that sound? Doesn’t it excite you?”

Someone shouted.

“Why should we believe anything you say?!”

To that, she responded,

“You don’t have any other choice but to believe me.”

A helpless silence followed.

It was a silence that no one could refute.

At that moment, a massive man spoke up, representing everyone’s anger and questions.

He looked like he had been a body trainer, given his enormous build.

“So, basically, you’re telling us to kill all the boss monsters, right?”

“From humanity’s perspective, that’s one way to look at it.”

“And what happens if we die while hunting?”

The giant persisted, but the Star Messenger avoided giving a direct answer again.

“The path to transcendence is inherently narrow and treacherous.”

“Transcendence, my ass. What you’re saying is, if we die, it’s over, right?”

The Star Messenger didn’t reply.

The chapel fell silent, as if cold water had been poured over it.

The giant burst into laughter, then turned toward the hunters.

“Everyone, listen to me. My name is Oh Byungkwon, and I’m a lieutenant colonel who served at the Capital Signal Defense Command headquarters.”