It was the first time.
Listening to his Master’s past.
[They destroyed Moorim. Only a few people survived, including me.]
It was a shock.
Moorim was destroyed?
[I dreamt of revenge. So, I made the True Moon Swordsmanship. After many years of training, I was able to go one step further. I thought I had reached my limit, but it turns out I could transcend it. After gaining new strength, I succeeded in my revenge.]
Ping-!
Suddenly, one of the pencils popped up and bounced into the air.
[Seems that it won’t last long.]
“What are those for?”
[To avoid their eyes. I created a space that was disconnected from this world. It would soon collapse because it is against the flow of this dimension.]
“They?”
[There is no guarantee that what happened in Moorim would happen in this world. However, since this object appeared, there is a great possibility that it would.]
Ping-!
The second pencil.
The swordsman’s words went faster as if he was in a hurry.
[A tower appeared in Moorim. We were naturally drawn to it. But we were shocked upon entering the tower… there was an entirely different world inside it.]
Ping-!
The third pencil went off. Now, there is one left.
[That item will be useful inside the tower. So, we should take care of it. Above all, you have to be stronger than you are now. The tower… it is where those monsters exist.]
Jin-woo frowned.
Even Master considered them as monsters?
Just how strong are they?
He had a lot of questions, but before he could speak-
Ping-!
The fourth pencil popped up.
The red energy that enveloped them dissolved.
“Master?”
The swordsman held a finger against his lips as if to silence him.
What on earth are they?
What makes Master so nervous?
He had a lot of questions, but they would have to wait.
There is only one thing that he needs to do now.
“Then,” he spoke. “Shouldn’t I start getting stronger now?”
The swordsman laughed.
[That’s right.]
* * *
-Another monster appeared in Seoul, this time causing 33 casualties. It was the 5th sudden haunt in this month alone, and some people wondered if there was a change in…
The stable situation seems to be changing.
-A gate suddenly appeared in Hongdae Station, and monsters that popped out were…
Sudden haunts became increasingly frequent.
However, people didn’t seem to care.
It wasn’t their job; they weren’t affected; it must be an unfortunate accident.
-The government has decided to cooperate guilds to set up preparations and countermeasures…
Above all, they were confident that the situation was under control.
They did not notice that the world was changing little by little.
-The City of the Dead, a level-400 dungeon in Dubai, has been cleared by Mujahideen. Mujahideen ranks 7th in the global guild rankings…
The changes were so gradual that people didn’t notice it.
-Middle Eastern countries, including Dubai, reported the increased frequency of sudden haunts. Gate experts are concerned about the seemingly increased anomalies…
Something unforeseen is happening.
* * *
Clang-!
Swords collided.
The red sword then bent like a snake, aiming for the opponent’s wrist.
Jin-woo, however, avoided the attack by pulling out his hand, then stabbed his sword again.
Clang-!
There was a sharp sound.
It was an attack with tremendous strength and speed.
The swordsman raised his sword at the right moment and blocked it.
However, Jin-woo’s sword suddenly stabbed several more times in dizzying succession, as if the tip of his blade increased to a dozen.
The red sword of the swordsman blocked it every time despite the speed.
“Ugh!”
The moment his last attack was blocked, Jin-woo stepped back, clutching his stomach.
[A recoil happens when an attack charged with inner air is blocked. So, don’t forget to protect yourself while attacking.]
“Yes.”
[It was a good attack, though. Most of all, it was made at the right time. There was no wasted force, and the movement was efficient.]
The swordsman was a teacher that used carrots and sticks appropriately.
Jiing-!
Jin-woo heard the vibrating sound and checked his smartphone immediately.
It was a text message.
-Ogres appeared at Jamsil Station Exit 3, ten of them. All nearby guild members report to location.
“I have to go.”
[Okay.]
Another sudden haunt.
This phenomenon has increased in frequency.
Eventually, the government had to seek help from the guilds.
As a result, each guild devised a plan to provide quick responses to sudden haunts.
Jin-woo hurried.
Surprisingly, he met Sun-woo in the elevator.
“Brother!”
“Are you going, too?”
“Of course.”
Sun-woo is now a guild member of the Taewang Guild.
The Taewang Guild moved the fastest to respond to the government’s request.
They introduced a notification system that communicates the situation to guild members spread around the world.
There was also a compensation policy to motivate the guild members.
As a result, the Taewang Guild players moved faster than the other guilds.
Naturally, this increased their appeal to the public.
Isn’t that what the guilds always wanted? Jin-woo thought.
For Jin-woo, however, his main purpose was the actual battles that the sudden haunts provide.
He trains every day with the swordsman and Sun-woo, but actual battles are better than sparring.
So, whenever a monster appears, he rushes to the scene.
But today, he seemed a little late.
“Huh? Isn’t that Kang Jin-woo, the One Cut Man?”
A man wearing the emblem of the Royal Family Guild approached him, his tone dripping with sarcasm and arrogance.
Nam Jeong-ho.
A player from the Royal Family.
Jin-woo had seen his face a few times because they both worked in the Gangnam area.
“Long time no see,” he greeted him.
“Yes. By the way, you are too late. We started organizing first.”
Nam Jeong-ho pointed over his shoulder.
Jin-woo saw Royal Family players fighting against the ogres.
Two of the monsters were already dead.
“It’s fortunate that there were no civilian casualties,” Jin-woo remarked.
Suddenly, some people approached him.
“Hey… isn’t that Kang Jin-woo, One Cut Man?”
“Yes! Right!”
The couple who approached him trembled.
The man took out a notebook and a ballpoint pen.
“I’m a fan! Can I ask for your autograph?”
“Okay,” Jin-woo took the pen. He was used to signing autographs.
It was awkward at first, but now he’s pretty familiar with the feeling.
As the couple took pictures with him, more people came.
The police tried to intervene and take control of the situation, but there was no way to stop those who had already seen the star.
“Sheesh!”
A disgusted Nam Jeong-ho clicked his tongue and walked away.
Suddenly-
A water column rose from Seokchon Lake.
It was a large column of water that could be seen even though it was hundreds of meters away.
“Lagia!” someone in the crowd screamed.
As the water fell, a huge monster was revealed.
Sharp teeth, long snake-like form, short limbs, and protrusions on its back.
A level 310 monster, Lagia.
It was one of the giant underwater monsters.
“Crazy! Why did a Lagia pop out of nowhere?!”
It didn’t end there.
Smaller columns of water rose, and black shapes could be seen within them.
Fishmen.
“Kekkekeke!”
The fishmen burst into eerie cries.
Jin-woo handed back the notebook to the man.
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, yes.”
The crowd parted to make way for him.
Sun-woo stood next to him.
“I’ll take care of the Lagia,” Jin-woo told his brother, who nodded back.
As Jin-woo pulled out his sword, Sun-woo yelled out.
“The main character in the story!”
A magic circle appeared beneath Sun-woo’s feet, and a bookshelf appeared.
Sun-woo reached out and grabbed one of the books on the shelf.
“Being! Bruce Lee!”
The book floated and shone brightly.
Then, it went inside Sun-woo’s body.
A flash of light.
When it subsided, Sun-woo’s form was visibly different.
“Abyo!”
Sun-woo, who was now moving like Bruce Lee, hit the ground and ran towards the fishmen.
Quazzik-!
A fishman’s face was crushed by his kick.
“Kyak!”
“Kyarreuk!”
The other fishmen roared at him.
Sun-woo, possessed by Bruce Lee, faced the fishmen and brought them down with dazzling kicks and quick punches.
Wow, that’s definitely a useful skill, Jin-woo thought as he watched his brother.
It was a hero-grade skill that Jin-woo gave him.
A Being skill, which allows someone to become the protagonist of any story.
It was not limited to novels and fictional stories. It also included a wide range of real characters and heroes.
Now, Sun-woo is Bruce Lee, dealing with the fishmen with great ease.
My turn, he thought.
Other fishmen blocked Jin-woo’s path as he rushed towards the Lagia.
Threung-!
A blue flash slashed through the fishmen.
Then, Jin-woo appeared behind them.
Thud thud thud-!
The fishmen began falling one by one, like dominoes.
If I drag the battle longer, there would be more damage, Jin-woo thought.
Giant species can wreak great damage just by their movements.
It was fortunate that it appeared in the middle of the lake.
If it popped out in the middle of the city, buildings would have collapsed around it as it moved.
“Dokgogu sword!”
[Skill: Dokkogu Sword is activated.]
Jin-woo jumped high off the ground.
The Lagia opened its mouth as it followed Jin-woo’s trajectory in the air.
“Woo-!”
It’s been a long time.
He held the sword with both hands and struck.
Keeek-!
With a terrifying swing, the Lagia’s head was slashed off its torso.
“Wow! He’s really One Cut Man!”
“Did you actually see that?”
“Big kill!”
“Did you take a video?!”
The people gathered near the Seokchon Lake to watch cheered in a frenzy.
They had just seen monsters pop out around them, but they did not seem to be alarmed.
It was as if sudden haunts were getting normalized.
Jiing-!
The smartphone in Jin-woo’s pocket vibrated again.
A text message from Han Yu-ra.
-The White House guild cleared the Ancient Ruins.
Another level-400 dungeon has just been cleared.
“There is only one left now,” he said to himself.
The last level-400 dungeon.
It was located in China.
* * *
Park Tae-sung was in his office, talking to a staff who brought him a report.
“According to our sources, the White House also acquired relics in that dungeon.”
“That’s the third time relics have been retrieved,” he said.
“Yes. It is expected that relics will also appear in the King’s Tomb dungeon that the Red Dragon is attacking.”
“How are they going so far?”
“It has been reported that their progress is at 90% now,” the staff responded.
The last level-400 dungeon, the King’s Tomb.
The Red Dragon, one of the best guilds in China, was in the process of clearing it.
“It’s coming soon,” Park Tae-sung remarked.
“Yes?”
“Make sure to closely monitor the Red Dragon’s progress.”
“Oh, yes.”
The staff bowed and left the room.
Park Tae-sung contemplated for a moment, then picked up the phone.
“It’s me. From now on, we will keep all the alert levels in each station to the maximum.”
He hung up and stared out of the window, watching the peaceful city outside.
“We won’t see this scene any longer,” he murmured as he clenched his fist.
* * *
“Hoo…”
Jin-woo was breathing heavily, covered in sweat.
He wasn’t alone.
Sun-woo, his younger brother, held a wooden sword in front of him.
They were sparring.
[Hmm, your little brother is also quite talented in martial arts.]
Yes?
[He learns quickly. He’s younger than you, but his potential is pretty good. The masters who possessed him must have left him a good influence.]
Jin-woo agreed with the swordsman’s words.
He was facing Sun-woo, but it felt like he was fighting a master.
Suddenly-
[Huh?]
The swordsman looked out the window.
Jiing-!
Right after that, Jin-woo’s smartphone rang.
-Han Yu-ra: Red Dragon has cleared the King’s Tomb dungeon!
The last level-400 dungeon has been cleared.
“What… The King’s Tomb was cleared already?”
“Really? The Ancient Ruins was also cleared not long ago.”
“They started the attacks around the same time.”
[Disciple.]
The swordsman’s tone was urgent.
Why?
[Check the relic, quickly!]
Jin-woo felt nervous with the swordsman’s tone and opened his inventory as quick as he could.
“Inventory.”
“Why are you suddenly…” Sun-woo looked curious.
Jin-woo could not answer.
He looked in his inventory with a surprised expression.
The relic was shining.
He pulled it out.
“Huh? What is that?”
It was the first time Sun-woo saw it.
The moment Jin-woo tried to answer, the relic suddenly trembled.
Then, it shone with bright light.
The bright light hovered around the relic for a few moments; then, it flew out of the window.
“What… what happened?” Jin-woo was at a loss of words.
[Disciple…]
The swordsman was looking out the window.
He could feel a huge ominous energy spreading throughout the world.
[You must get ready.]
Outside the window, above the city, several gates were opening up in the sky.
Jiing-!
Jiing-!
Jiing-!
Jin-woo’s smartphone vibrated continuously.
Numerous disaster notifications.
It was non-stop.
Dozens of messages were constantly coming in.
Suddenly, a notification window appeared in front of both brothers.
[Congratulations]
[You have cleared the tutorial quest]
[The main quest <Proof of Qualification> begins.]