The Final Bastion
New Continent. Adlan Rampart. It was known as humanity’s final barrier, the ultimate line of defense. Crossing that wall would let you reach the empire’s granaries and heartlands in a single breath. Its value was so immense that the fortifications had been built in multiple impenetrable layers, yet ironically, the empire’s centuries of unbroken peace meant those proud walls and fortresses never once had the chance to prove themselves. Not until the demons came.
“……That’s a demon!”
The invasion force that poured out of the demon realm crushed the continent beneath its boots. As if to prove they were not human, they displayed overwhelming combat strength. Every famed general and honored knight who had shaken the world for generations marched out to face evil, yet every last one of them fell silent. The demons were truly strong.
Humanity was pushed back helplessly and defeated. While other kingdoms were violated by the demons in real time, the empire’s Adlan Rampart had become the one and only final bastion. ……If this place fell, it was all over. The empire’s endless history, its potential, every human being alive in this era might be annihilated. Even if anyone survived, they would be raised like cattle by the demons.
That was why the soldiers and commanders standing on Adlan Rampart trembled with the fear of death yet burned with a sense of duty. We have to protect this place no matter what!
But their spirit and courage lasted only until they laid eyes on the true form of the demons.
“……Dear god.”
Every single demon was at least a Sword Expert, capable of manifesting sword energy, and the horde now surging forward looked to number at least in the thousands. No, dear god, does this even make sense? Humanity witnessed true despair. The demons, born for the sole purpose of slaughtering humans, advanced on the wall, and the soldiers of Adlan Rampart wailed as they cried out to the heavens. They believed the end had come.
Until a certain woman appeared.
The woman who suddenly showed up walked down the wall alone and reached her hand into empty air. A weapon comparable to the hero’s holy sword or the imperial family’s treasured blade materialized in her grip. The sword radiated a brilliant golden light, but the moment she stroked it, the color transformed at terrifying speed. Gold became blood-red. The blade that now emitted an eerily dazzling flash drew a lazy arc according to her will. For someone standing before an army, the motion was as calm and slow as clouds drifting across the sky, yet no one would ever think that sword was light.
With that trajectory, the woman brought the blade down.
The sky split open.
The sensation of slicing the sky, splitting the earth, and bisecting armies with every swing was exhilarating. Does it get boring when you’re too strong? Nah, it’s always thrilling. And I’m planning to get way stronger than this anyway.
Anyway, my first impression of the demon bastards was that they were pitch-black and I didn’t like it, but they didn’t die easily and the cutting feel was excellent, so overall they weren’t bad. Yeah, I kind of wanted to keep slashing them for a long time. I was feeling pretty friendly, but the guys whose black blood surged up like waves every time I swung my sword didn’t seem to feel the same.
“It’s a demon! A demon has appeared!”
“Everyone run!”
That was what the pitch-black demons were screaming. The other demons agreed and were hastily retreating. Maybe because their heads were all black, they were experts at exaggeration and fabrication.
“No, you guys attacked first.”
Yet they were pulling back even faster than they had advanced? Watching them retreat with more speed than they had shown marching in, I shook my head. Knowing when to enter and when to leave was certainly an important element of war, but there was one fact they shouldn’t overlook.
“Who said you could leave?!”
I gripped my sword and dashed forward, slaughtering the fleeing demon bastards. Crunch. Crunch. Every time I crushed one of their hard skulls, a demon’s scream rang out, and the faces that had been expressionless when they first arrived grew colorful. It was truly delightful that they could express such a wide variety of emotions.
“Hiiiiiik! O-oh, you’ve arrived!”
After butchering the demons and climbing back onto the wall, even the commander who had worn a rather solemn expression was now making a terrified face. Well, I figured that wasn’t such a bad thing.
You have slaughtered all demons in a short time!
You have concluded the battle against the demons without expending any of the empire’s resources!
You have successfully defended the 29th floor, ‘Adlan Rampart’!
The Dimensional Tower admires the explorer’s even swifter and crueler handiwork!
You have completed every trial available from the 11th-floor shelter!
The great explorer who overcame countless trials has earned the right to sail!
Would you like to enter the 30th floor, ‘New Continent’?
It was finally time to step into the middle floors.
Moving to the 30th floor, ‘New Continent.’
Following the will of the great explorer, you are randomly placed on a voyage route.
“Whoa, it’s the ocean.”
When I opened my eyes, the first thing that filled my vision was an endless horizon. A vast blue sea. The refreshing scent of sea air and the sharp tang of salt pierced deep into my nose.
“Now that I think about it, there was a blue sea next to Sichuan, right?”
I suddenly recalled something Grandma had chattered about, but it was already months ago and the memory was hazy. Honestly, I probably would have mixed it up even if it had been the day before. Even after climbing ten floors since then, no one had been as friendly to me as her, so she came to mind more often. In a similar vein, among all the opponents I had crossed swords with so far, none had left as deep an impression as the Sword Demon Yeo Hwi-bin. After that I had raided the kingdom’s treasury, stormed Count Dracula’s castle, and done all sorts of things, but that place had been the toughest and most memorable. It really had been a special floor in many ways. Even Excalibur No. 4 had been smashed to pieces, and the sword I had been eyeing had also been destroyed. Maybe that was why I felt extra gloomy.
Hum—
“Aigo, I wasn’t even thinking about other swords.”
Still, I had swiped a pretty decent blade from that whatever-kingdom’s treasury. It was so clever that it could even read my thoughts, so the journey afterward hadn’t been meaningless. Thanks to smashing everything in sight on my way up, I had also accumulated a ton of achievement points. I figured I should treat myself to some bourgeois shopping later.
Nodding to myself, I skimmed through the mountain of system messages piled up on one side of my vision. There were so many kills that I’d just summarize them.
The Dimensional Tower is now calculating the explorer achievements you accumulated in the shelter.
The Dimensional Tower is shocked by the continuous stream of astonishing achievements and is updating the great explorer’s information!
The great explorer has been granted the Diamond Card — Vajra Plaque!
Titles were already saturated so none appeared, and the same went for levels. I had already transcended the limits back in the lower floors. It made sense that simply reaching the middle floors wouldn’t trigger another jump. ‘Yeah, I was honestly hoping for one, though.’ The story of a rookie explorer holding the highest level in the New Continent would have to wait a little longer.
“Um……”
“Yes?”
“Since I’ve never seen your face on this ship before, may I see your plaque?”
While I was going through various mental compromises, a sailor approached and cast ‘inquiry.’ Because I had been randomly placed on a voyage route, I had boarded a ship that had already set sail. It was quite rude behavior, but something only a newcomer could do? ‘Then I absolutely have to do it.’ Holding that conviction, I grinned and reached into my clothes.
“Ah, one moment please.”
Starting from the middle floors—the New Continent—explorers were issued plaques, and those plaques decided everything. They served as identification and proof of assets, and the color of the plaque determined one’s honor and benefits. ‘And mine is diamond.’ Whether in games or as a metal, a diamond was something that half-devoured any dimension it entered. Having received this Vajra Plaque as a complete rookie, I responded to the inquiry with my shoulders proudly squared.
I had been expecting a reaction like ‘Oh my! A diamond on your very first day on the continent! Are you perhaps a super-genius?!’ but it seemed that ship had already sailed. The moment I slipped my hand into my clothes to pull it out, the sailor standing on the crow’s nest shouted.
“Captain! Pirates approaching!”
“What, pirates?!”
The sailor who had been inspecting me also turned toward the opposite deck where the mysterious pirates had appeared. ……Ah, I guess I got pushed down the priority list.
Scratching my head for a moment, I let out a sigh and drew my sword.
“As a kind-hearted explorer, shall I do a good deed?”
Hum— Excalibur (No. 5) agreed.