The Sword That Devoured a Family
The beginning came from a dream where I used the sound of my father's hammer strikes as a lullaby.
In that dream, I stood before a single sword.
It was a sword, yet not a sword. It had form yet was formless, clearly metal yet not metal at all.
While I marveled at its mysterious shape, the sword spoke to me.
Like an angel.
“Hello?”
Looking back, that was the start of the curse…….
……
…
.
At twenty years old, I had become a young man.
When I realized my talent had reached the heavens, I dreamed again.
In the dream, I was flying through the sky.
Like a bird, like a cloud, savoring that freedom—when suddenly, the sword I had seen as a child appeared beside me.
“We meet again?”
Those two dreams gave me certainty.
This would be the strongest sword humanity would ever produce—no……
“The strongest sword I would ever forge for humanity.”
No, that was actually the beginning of original sin…….
……
…
.
It was bound by no form. Trapped by no technique. A vessel vast enough to embrace the sky, a sword of absolute freedom.
After thirty years of swinging an axe, I finally achieved that dream.
I had completed the strongest sword in human history.
But my joy was fleeting.
When the dream faded, reality revealed itself. My wife, once beautiful as a flower, was now crushed beneath the weight of years. My children, who had grown so much while I wasn't looking, felt like strangers.
The old man in the mirror scolded me. You fool. You chased a dream and turned your back on reality.
Perhaps that was why I cherished my grandson so much. He was the only child who reached out to me with genuine warmth amid my regret.
“Grandpa is the best! I'm going to become a master craftsman just like you.”
If I had stopped him then, if I hadn't taken his hand, if I had only looked into my grandson's eyes as he gazed at the sword……
Would anything have changed?
……
…
.
Through relentless effort, I earned forgiveness for the past I had neglected.
Smiles bloomed on my wife's wrinkled face, and my children slowly opened their hearts.
That was how I spent my fifty-eighth birthday—the happiest day of my life.
That day marked the beginning of every nightmare.
“Aah……”
Disaster struck at the peak of joy, in the worst possible way.
My smiling wife became a cold corpse. My children, who had just begun to open their hearts, lay in pools of blood.
Kneeling in that unreal hell on earth, I looked up—and there stood my grandson.
He was smiling, holding the pure white sword that scattered light like snow.
“Grand……pa……. No.”
A moment later, that white light exploded outward.
Overwhelmed by despair, I couldn't even close my eyes. I should have fainted then. If I had, I wouldn't have heard the horrific sound of the vessel I created being filled with my own family.
When the scattered light finally returned to its place and my wife and children had all vanished……
Only my grandson remained standing there.
No—the thing that had taken my grandson's body.
“Father.”
The strongest sword in human history lost its light.
And perfect darkness was born.
* * *
Ji Jung-chul continued calmly.
“……My grandson. No, the magic sword targets Awakeners to fill its vessel. The chain of murders that occurred in the North Korean gate zone years ago was also its doing.”
“You mean the incident from over thirty years ago? The records say no traces were ever found……”
“Similar incidents likely happened in neighboring countries as well. Japan, China…… I know of at least three or four more cases.”
“Don't tell me…… Don't tell me everything I'm thinking is……??”
“I don't know if it's everything. This old body only knows fragments. But I do know it hasn't been idle. It was born obsessed with learning, after all.”
“Good heavens.”
“Wait, you look tired, sir. May I take over from here?”
Lee Shin stepped forward with a nod. The old blacksmith, clearly exhausted, returned the gesture with gratitude. Lee Shin nodded back and opened his mouth.
“While learning by stirring up trouble across Korea, China, and Japan, the magic sword realized it had reached its limit. Individual strength is outstanding, but what it needs now is to fill a vessel of total volume. In other words, it must increase its own class.”
“……That's quite detailed.”
“It gets even more detailed if you keep listening.”
Feeling its limits, the magic sword searched for a place where it could ‘learn’ the most.
“And conveniently, that place was right nearby.”
“I…… I have a very bad feeling about the word ‘nearby.’”
“You're probably right. The Russian civil war.”
“God help us……”
The Russian civil war, where not a single day passed without conflict.
Awakeners to kill were scattered everywhere. Enough corpses to burst its stomach.
After ‘devouring’ its fill in the Russian civil war, the magic sword dramatically increased its class. Using that power, it became Hyeol-bong, the Third Corps Commander of Xenocratus, the Crain.
“Originally, Xenocratus was just a notorious villain group. What made it a global threat were its three Corps Commanders.”
“First Corps Commander Belphegor, who wields the Word of Truth. Second Corps Commander, the fallen priest ‘The One Crowned with Thorns.’ And Third Corps Commander, the master of the magic sword, Hyeol-bong.”
“There's probably one more by now. The ‘Saint’ who will open a new world.”
“……A Fourth Corps Commander?!”
“Heh, that's the core of it, but not important right now. Shall we return to the point? Anyway, Hyeol-bong is the magic sword forged by Master Ak-bong, and the conclusion is that what's happening in South America right now isn't a simple coup.”
“Phew…… Hold on. Time out. This is moving way too fast. Let's have some coffee. I desperately need caffeine. Would anyone else like a cup?”
After ordering coffee, Kim Mi-young sank into her chair.
Even as a high-ranking Bureau mage, the secrets of the world seemed too much to bear.
Lee Shin nodded in understanding.
‘Well, it was notorious even in GM.’
There was a reason it was called the worst DLC and worst quest in history.
A mad DLC that turned a nurturing simulation genre into a chaotic action-adventure in an instant.
He remembered how much the users had cursed it because of that.
Yet despite such harsh reviews, Lee Shin's personal evaluation was different.
‘It was actually a pretty well-made DLC.’
The archmage rejected by Europe.
The priest abandoned by Africa.
The magic sword born in Asia.
A calamity created when villains from each continent gathered. An age of madness.
‘The story was solid, but the real strength was the buildup. Killing the villains was just the beginning—an opening act for the world-level events that would follow.’
Of course, even considering that, it was a DLC that didn't care much for casual players.
What was a game over, anyway? But if it had shown this level of detailed consideration, it wouldn't have been made by a nerd in the first place.
Well, at least it stayed true to its roots.
While Lee Shin was lost in thought, Kim Mi-young seemed to have collected herself and sat up straight.
“Alright. So the Blood Phoenix of the Crain was born from the magic sword forged by Master Ak-bong, and that sword is currently causing trouble in South America.”
“Yes, that's correct.”
“Then what is the Crain's ultimate goal? They must have one, or they wouldn't be pulling this insane stunt and settling in South America.”
After going in circles, they had finally reached the core question.
Why had Xenocratus—the Crain—suddenly appeared in South America?
Only one person could answer that.
Kim Mi-young and Ak-bong's gazes turned to Lee Shin. With a far more serious expression than before, he carefully opened his mouth.
A disaster capable of inflicting damage on a national scale. The worst calamity in human history.
The reason a failed attempt meant game over.
“A Level 9 Gate.”
“!!”
“!!”
“The entire South American continent is in danger.”
A nuclear bomb that could blow up a continent.
A Level 9 Gate had been loaded.
* * *
Amazon Gate danger zone.
A dark-skinned Crain was praying toward the mana field of the towering gate.
Another Crain, dragging a magic sword along the ground, looked down at him in disbelief.
“What are you doing?”
“Can't you tell? I'm praying toward the holy land.”
“No, I'm asking why you're praying.”
“Because it is a holy land.”
“……Damn it. Tch. This is why I can't stand you Second Corps black guys.”
“You just said something rude. I have the strength to snap your waist in half.”
“Ha. Is this what happens when you send someone out on patrol? They're just spouting nonsense?”
Shut up and get up.
The Crain kicked the praying man's rear. The black Crain flipped him off as he stood.
The two continued their patrol.
“Camp 20 was cleaned up by your Second Corps, right?”
“Completed as of yesterday.”
“Survivors?”
“All returned to God's embrace.”
“That damn god of yours again.”
“I can forgive rudeness toward me, but rudeness toward God is unforgivable.”
“Here, mana herb.”
“I won't forgive you.”
As if by agreement, both Crain bit into mana herbs.
They lit each other's herbs and continued talking.
“How are the coup forces doing? Our Third Corps secured the funding, and the Second Corps was supposed to carry out the coups in neighboring countries. Where was it again? Brazil and Colombia……”
“You mean the lands of the apostates.”
“This bastard never stops…… Haa, just answer. Apostates or heretics, how's it going?”
“It is an act carried out by God's will. Everything must proceed according to God's will.”
The Second Corps' role was to sow chaos using the widespread African diaspora in South America.
Since the very countries that should have reported anomalies to the Bureau first were caught up in coups, there was no way for anyone to learn about the Crain's construction of a holy land.
“While no one knows, the Fourth Corps Commander, the Saint, will transport the gate……”
“Hey, watch your mouth.”
“What, it's just us.”
“The sky knows, the earth knows, and God knows.”
“Well. If that's how it is.”
That was how they bought time and blocked all information.
Everything was proceeding exactly according to plan. Everything was going smoothly.
Yes—until a single spear flew in.
Thud――!
“Guh!”
The Crain who had been speaking of God was flung backward by the thrown spear and pinned to a tree.
“An amb……!
The black Crain beside him tried to shout ‘ambush,’ but before he could finish, a figure that had closed the distance from the forest drove a sword through his neck.
The figure looked down at the fallen man and frowned.
“Hmm……”
“What's wrong, Gwang-seob?”
Indeed.
The one who had closed the distance and driven a sword into the Crain's neck was Sword Master Park Gwang-seob. The one who had thrown the spear was Spear Ghost Yang Kang-cheol.
“Hey, Yang Kang-cheol. My sword went through his neck, but not only is he still breathing fine, his wound is healing. Is that even human?”
“Did you eat something weird? What's with the nonsense?”
“Look.”
The two crouched in front of the fallen Crain. There, the wound pierced through the neck was visibly regenerating in real time.
Startled, Yang Kang-cheol quickly stood and checked the one pinned to the tree.
The spear had gone straight through the heart. It should have been instant death. Yet…… remarkably, the bleeding from the heart was stopping of its own accord.
“Is this what I'm thinking it is?”
“Yeah. Just like that arrogant representative said.”
The moment Sword Master and Spear Ghost nodded at each other, a similar scene was unfolding in the distance as well.
“Senior.”
“Ru-ha senior.”
“Shh. Yu-shin, Eun-seo, keep an eye on the surroundings for a moment.”
Cross Iruha had placed his hand on the fallen Crain's chest, while Hwarang Kim Yu-shin and Guardian Yeo Eun-seo scouted the area behind him.
“He was definitely born human, and he hasn't been modified either…… So why isn't he human?”
“Didn't our representative tell us?”
“That's right, Ru-ha senior. The representative might be a bit unpleasant, but he doesn't say things that are wrong.”
“Is it really as Representative Lee Shin said?”
― ‘From now on, the Crain you encounter won't be ordinary villains. No—they won't even be human at all. This isn't some empty reassurance to ease your conscience. It's a fact. They are not human.’
Words they had heard during Lee Shin's briefing on the way here.
There had been many strange things said, but the claim that the Third Corps members were no different from living undead because they had been devoured by the magic sword was particularly absurd.
Undead that retained their will from life? That couldn't exist. How long had they been active? They'd never seen or heard of such a thing.
Yet faced with the fact that all of it was true, Cross Iruha couldn't believe it.
Just how far ahead had that representative seen?
And this question was shared by the man known as Korea's national-level weapon.
“These Crain…… and this gate…… Everything is exactly as the representative said, Master.”
Son Yul spoke while surveying the surrounding landscape. Sanwang Kim Jong-phil draped an arm around his shoulder and stood beside him.
“I told you, Yul. He's not my disciple.”
Some said Lee Shin had gotten lucky and captured Sanwang, writing a legend. That the legend of Mir Guild was built by Sanwang.
But.
“No. We're partners. He's the only one who can understand the view I see.”
“More than me?”
“Yes. More than you.”
Just then—
Static crackled. Jjijijik, jjijijik.
Kim Jong-phil smiled at the voice mixed in with the noise.
“This guy isn't normal either. Right?”
“Yes.”
Immediately after, a clear voice came through the expedition team's in-ears.
― “Aah? Can you hear me? They said the Bureau made this with top-grade mana stones, but why is the performance like this? Can everyone hear meee~? Each team, tap your in-ear to send a signal.”
Team 4, Sword Master and Spear Ghost, tapped their in-ears.
Team 3, Guardian, Cross, and Hwarang tapped.
Team 2, Fist King, Black Star, and Light Sword tapped.
And finally, Team 1—Sanwang and Divine Archer—tapped.
A dream team composed of Korea's strongest rankers, and leading them was this man.
― “All confirmed. Once again, this isn't difficult at all. Just do exactly as I instructed. Only what I told you to do.”
Even if it was a mission born from the misjudgment of nerd kids. Even if it was a quest countless people had criticized. Even if it was that insane thing called a game over.
If it was part of this GM, then the ultimate veteran who loved even despair.
That was him.
― “The only truth in this world. That's me, Lee Shin. So don't worry about anything and just trust me.”
Expedition Commander.
Lee Shin.
― “If everyone's on board, we're departing.”
The bus is leaving.