0.01 Second Sword Master

199

0.01 Seconds Swordmaster Episode 199

Hwang Tae-young was a crawler.

A hunter of mid-tier rank, he stealthily roamed the ruined city, gathering what he needed.

On this day, he was traversing the desolate streets to carry out a reconnaissance mission assigned periodically by a corporation.

During his search, he spotted a suspicious civilian, and suddenly, an emergency alarm blared as an S-rank monster appeared.

‘So this is how I die.’

Monsters appeared in every district.

And this was an area where higher-tier monsters did not manifest.

Yet, for some unknown reason, an S-rank demon—one that was difficult to even see, let alone capture—had unexpectedly materialized here.

When faced with that dizzying presence, Hwang Tae-young surrendered to despair.

He knew it was pointless to run, so he lacked even the will to escape.

It was then, in that moment of resignation.

Swoosh—!!

A blade, flashing like lightning, cleaved the S-rank demon in half in an instant.

“······!?”

The great demon fell to the sides without even letting out a scream.

Boom—!!

Its massive body, the size of a building, collapsed, shaking the ground beneath.

“What, what is this!”

It was unbelievable.

To kill an S-rank demon in a single blow.

After the great upheaval, while many hunters banded together to hunt S-rank monsters, it was exceedingly rare for one to take one down alone.

In fact, if one claimed to have slain a great demon in a single strike, no one would believe it.

‘Bar, that just now, it was recorded, right?’

To prepare for any unforeseen circumstances, hunters always keep the recording function on their goggles activated.

That way, they can report the movements of monsters or the conditions of the ruined cities. And just a moment ago…

‘That’s an absolutely amazing video!’

I was already looking forward to what would happen if I uploaded this to an internet video site.

But then—

‘Who on earth is that person?’

A man with a dignified appearance, clad in armor that looked like it belonged in the medieval era, with a flowing red cloak.

Where did that civilian from earlier go…?

* * *

‘He definitely knew my name.’

The guy, giving off a major demon vibe, had distinctly said “Aslan” while exuding magic.

That means he knew my identity, and it implies that he had come all this way targeting me from the start.

Could it be that he is one of the great demons that appear in the game?

But I’ve never seen anyone who looked like him before.

‘Huh?’

While I was lost in thought, my body returned to its original form.

The imposing figure of Aslan, who had been flaunting his red cloak just moments ago, was nowhere to be found.

‘What is this?’

I tried to summon Aslan’s form at will, but no matter how hard I concentrated, there was no significant change.

Just a tightening sensation in my sphincter?

What on earth do I need to do to become Aslan?

“Um, excuse me…”

The man who had initially saved me and brought me here cautiously approached.

“Was that just now your ability, Hunter-nim?”

“Yes?”

“You transformed into another form and took down that S-class great demon in one hit! No one has ever taken down an S-class great demon in a single blow before. Who on earth are you? I can’t believe I didn’t know someone this incredible. I’m truly sorry!”

The man bowed so low that his head almost touched the ground.

How am I supposed to explain this?

It was quite an awkward situation.

“Maybe the response team will arrive soon. The appearance of an S-class demon is a significant incident. Ah! Here they come.”

As the man said, several helicopters and individuals flying solo appeared in large numbers.

Among them, a woman who seemed to be the leader approached the two of us.

“You two over there. Can you explain what the hell is going on?”

At her question, Hwang Tae-young spoke up.

“Ah! Director. I-I’m meeting you for the first time. I’m Hwang Tae-young, a C-class hunter affiliated with KC! And…”

“Yes. No need for your name and rank. Can you explain the situation first?”

“Well… there’s not much to elaborate on. The hunter here caught the S-class demon in one strike.”

“…What?”

She, along with the men behind her who were glaring at me, all had surprised expressions.

“What do you mean? You killed an S-class demon in one strike?”

“Yes! The footage is saved on the goggles here.”

“…?”

Everyone seemed unable to believe it.

She accepted the video from Hwang Tae-young’s goggles and projected it as a hologram.

It seemed like there had been a lot of advancements while I was away.

Whoosh—!!

The video quality wasn’t particularly good, but everyone present could see clearly.

They witnessed the massive demon being split in half and collapsing after being struck by a powerful attack.

“!?”

“Is… is that even possible?”

However, they quickly caught on to something strange.

“But… you’re not the person in the video, are you?”

I had no words to respond to that.

At that moment, a man beside her showed something and said.

“Director. I just checked this man’s identity, and he was reported missing 15 years ago.”

“15 years ago?”

“Yes. He is recorded as having disappeared right after the great upheaval.”

Of course.

That was when I was sucked into the game.

—

Wait a minute.

So, as soon as I entered the game, there was some kind of cataclysm, and that’s what caused all this chaos?

“Alright. I don’t know what happened, but let’s get the details when we return to headquarters. Ah! Before that, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Ha Chae-rin, a director of the KC Group.”

After a brief handshake with me, she turned to her subordinates behind her.

“Please sort out the situation here before the other companies arrive. And let’s have the rest return to the company with the people here.”

“Yes.”

Ha Chae-rin got back into the helicopter and spoke to me.

“Shall we go together? It’s better to head somewhere else than to stay in a place like this, don’t you think?”

She wasn’t wrong.

I didn’t even know how to transform into Aslan, and if demons showed up while I was stuck here, I’d be helplessly doomed.

I followed her into the helicopter.

I wanted to know how this world had changed.

* * *

Ha Chae-rin, an S-rank hunter and the heir of the KC Group, stared intently at the mysterious man who had suddenly appeared.

Could the sudden emergence of the S-rank demon be related to this person?

Fifteen years ago, right after the cataclysm, many people went missing.

It was only natural.

Gates opened everywhere, and monsters burst forth.

But at the same time, those with abilities known as hunters also appeared, giving humanity a chance to fight back.

And there, they discovered something peculiar.

Missing persons reappeared in the very places they had vanished from.

The dates varied.

Some returned after a day, while others took weeks or even months.

“And the longest record was someone who went missing for five years and then reappeared. But today, you’ve broken that record. You’ve returned after fifteen years.”

It was the first case of someone returning after fifteen years.

A record-breaking return.

But what Ha Chae-rin was curious about wasn’t that.

“I also came back after being missing for a year. People like us are called resurrectors. And no one can clearly explain why we went missing or what we did during that time. Because all the missing persons have completely forgotten what happened during that period.”

Ha Chae-rin was also someone who had been missing for a year.

And when she returned, like everyone else, she too couldn’t remember where she had been during her time of disappearance.

I vaguely knew I was in another world, and as I returned to my original world, I gained a peculiar ability.

“And one last thing. Among those who went missing and then returned, there’s something I remember vividly and uniquely.”

That is,

“The red cloak.”

Not everyone remembers it, but some of the resurrected clearly recalled the red cloak. For some, it symbolized destruction, while for others, it represented salvation.

“And so the holy prophets left behind such words. One day, a man waving a red cloak will change the world. Of course, they didn’t specify whether that would mean destroying the world or saving it.”

Because of this, there were fraudsters parading around in red cloaks, claiming to be the saviors, and a religion arose that sanctified the red cloak.

“In the footage, you were wearing a red cloak. And you killed an S-class demon in a single blow. I want to verify whether this is truly a coincidence or not. Could you show me your ability?”

“······.”

The man listed as missing under the name Kim Do-han.

He remained silent, his expression stoic.

“Mr. Kim Do-han?”

“······Why should I do that?”

“Pardon?”

“Why should I show you my abilities?”

“Well, it’s because… we need to confirm whether you are indeed the being the prophets spoke of.”

“I have no interest in prophecies or anything of the sort. I simply wanted to know what happened in this world while I was gone. I don’t feel obligated to show you my abilities.”

Ha Chae-rin let out a hollow laugh.

Is this man out of his mind right now?

Well, thinking it over, he wasn’t entirely wrong.

“Director.”

Team Leader Lim Woo-young, who had been displeased with the man from the start, stood up.

As his massive frame, over 2 meters tall, rose, everyone swallowed hard.

“I can’t believe this guy actually caught an S-class demon. He might just be putting on a show as if he did it himself.”

He approached Kim Do-han with heavy footsteps.

“Hey. Be honest. You didn’t do that, did you? Are you spouting some ridiculous lie? You, who look like you can barely stand, caught a demon all by yourself? That’s nonsense.”

Isn’t Lim Woo-young known for his fiery temper?

I had thought he would cause trouble at least once.

That’s why Ha Chae-rin didn’t particularly stop Team Leader Lim Woo-young.

If that man wouldn’t cooperate, they had to make him cooperate by force.

“Speak. Don’t just stand there with your mouth shut, you b*stard.”

In a fit of rage, Team Leader Im Woo-young grabbed his opponent by the neck.

It was then that it happened.

“How dare you—”

Swish—!!

With a chilling slicing sound, Im Woo-young’s arm was severed and fell to the floor.

Not even realizing what had cut off his arm, Im Woo-young stared blankly at the severed limb and screamed,

“Ugh, aaah!”

His scream echoed, shaking the very walls of the office.

“How dare you lay a hand on my body with those insect-like hands.”

And his opponent had transformed into the man in the red cloak from the video.

‘How did he cut me?’

Im Woo-young’s body was composed of a substance far harder than diamond.

That was his special ability, the reason he had earned the title of an S-rank Hunter.

Yet that man had sliced through Im Woo-young’s arm as if it were mere clay.

The problem was that he hadn’t even seen the motion of the blade being drawn.

“This, this b*stard!!”

Im Woo-young shouted angrily and lunged at his opponent.

However,

“Bow down.”

Thud—!!

That massive body crumpled to the ground at the mere utterance of those words.

“Ugh, ugh—.”

“How dare a creature less than a bug defy me?”

The man in the red cloak stomped on the back of Im Woo-young’s head.

The floor cracked like spider silk beneath the impact.

“Th-That can’t be!”

“Subdue him!”

The agents in the same conference room rose from their seats, attempting to subdue the man.

But,

“Who told you to move without my permission?”

No one could even lift a finger.

The overwhelming pressure left them breathless.

“Cough-!”

“Ugh-!”

Several had already fainted on the spot, and the agents who burst into the conference room upon hearing the commotion also collapsed, frothing at the mouth.

At least the higher-ranked hunters, including Ha Chae-rin, were barely holding on, but,

‘W-What kind of monstrous power is this?’

They too were just managing to keep their wits about them, and Ha Chae-rin felt her vision blurring.

“How dare you not only ignore my warning but also insult me?”

The suffocating killing intent spread thickly, riding on the red cloak.

“I will kill you all right here.”

Just as he was about to clench his fist.

Feeling a sense of crisis, Ha Chae-rin gathered all her strength and shouted.

“P-Please spare me!”

“······?”

“I-I’ll do anything you ask, so p-please spare me.”

At those words, the man withdrew his power.

Only then could they finally breathe the air they had been holding.

“I have many questions to ask you.”

He dramatically fluttered his cloak and sat down in a chair.

The way he rested his chin on his hand made him look like a king overflowing with majesty.

“If you answer sincerely, I will spare you.”

Ha Chae-rin slowly nodded her trembling head.