Swordmaster at the Grave
Episode 0
@U
Prologue
One day, we were dragged into the Other World.
We who were chosen as ‘soldiers’ to stand against the Demon Legion had only one goal etched deep within our hearts.
—Someday, let us return to our beloved home.
With that single, distant hope, we survived the harsh selection trials.
We adapted to life in the Other World.
It was around the time we had grown drenched in peace and were forgetting our purpose. The dimensional gate opened, and the Demon Legion landed in the Other World.
War began. A war to survive.
We fought with the promise that we would survive and return to our beloved homes engraved deep in our hearts.
But…….
We lost.
The Northern Kingdom.
The Central Empire.
The Southern Noble Council.
The three nations supporting the Other World collapsed, and everyone was scattered.
The Demon Legion's ultimate goal was the annihilation of humanity in the Other World.
Flowers of death bloomed in every occupied territory.
The moment despair reared its head, the Necromancer Jiseokgyu—who bore the name of the Other World's strongest—raised a flag.
“The last hope has left its light here! Rally beneath this flag!”
The deeper the darkness of despair, the more intense the light of hope. The final declaration of the Necromancer Jiseokgyu was enough to make everyone tremble.
Beneath his flag, the elite of surviving humanity gathered. Among them was Gangjinhyeok, the strongest swordsman known as the Sword Demon.
In that place where the elite of surviving humanity had gathered, Seokgyu explained the hope he had found.
“If we summon the Angel of Hope, one of us can return to the past.”
“Does that even make sense?”
“I can't believe it!”
At first, no one believed it. But soon, they had no choice but to believe.
They tried to go back. But the place to return to had vanished.
“Now we have no choice but to believe Jiseokgyu.”
It was an unbelievable truth, but they had no choice but to believe it. They needed a final hope.
And so, a painful journey began.
The Demon Legion was powerful, and with every step taken, one person fell.
And at the end of that agony, they found the Temple of Advent.
“It was a long journey.”
Jinhyeok spoke with a bitter expression.
The survivors nodded in agreement.
The number of people at his side was at most four. Even including Jinhyeok, there were only five.
The last elite of humanity, numbering over three hundred, had all died, leaving only five.
“Will we be able to get in safely?”
The Fallen Paladin, Albert Black, said with a worried expression.
They had found the Temple of Advent, but the situation was not favorable.
The area around the temple was already swarming with demons.
“Some of us will die. No one can predict who will survive and regress.”
The Red-Eyed Sorcerer, Remji Baker, spoke. Watching him, the Holy Light, Loen White, opened his mouth.
“Then what should we do?”
“Let's set a regression priority. The one with the highest priority among the survivors will regress.”
Everyone agreed with his opinion and established the regression priority.
First priority was the strongest, Necromancer Jiseokgyu, and second priority was the Red-Eyed Sorcerer, Remji Baker. Third priority was the Sword Demon Gangjinhyeok, and fourth and fifth priority were Albert Black and Loen White, respectively.
“We must share all information. Only one person can regress. The regressor must at least possess all our knowledge to deal with the situation.”
At Remji's proposal, the five gathered there revealed all the information they each knew.
Having familiarized themselves with all the information over several hours, the five elites stood upon the path toward the Temple of Advent.
The front was filled with enemies.
How many would survive here?
No one could guarantee it. Perhaps all of them could die.
“Charge!”
At Seokgyu's shout, the five elites charged toward the Temple of Advent.
* * *
A charge with five lives on the line.
With the Temple of Advent before them, they fell one by one, until finally only the Necromancer Jiseokgyu and the Sword Demon Gangjinhyeok remained.
Even then, they were not in decent shape.
“Hoo! I shall summon the angel!”
Seokgyu hurried the angel's advent.
Jinhyeok nodded instead of answering.
“We had best hurry. They are coming.”
The enemies' presence was drawing near.
“It worked!”
Seokgyu, who had been touching the altar, let out a cheer.
Light gathered above the altar, and the Angel of Hope revealed its form.
“I am the last light left by hope. Who is the summoner?”
Seokgyu took a step toward the angel and opened his mouth.
“I am the summoner. I wish for you to send me to the time when hope shone most brilliantly.”
“That is impossible.”
The angel shook its head.
“……!?”
Seokgyu opened his mouth with a hollow expression.
“No, why?”
“You are a necromancer who has rejected the power of God. My authority does not reach you.”
Seokgyu gritted his teeth.
Aside from his undead subordinates, only the Sword Demon Gangjinhyeok was by his side.
“My lord! The forces on the upper floor have been annihilated!”
A Death Knight with a pale face approached and reported. The situation was dire.
It seemed the undead deployed on the upper floor had already been wiped out.
Having organized his thoughts for a moment, Seokgyu moved toward Jinhyeok.
“Sword Demon Gangjinhyeok. You regress.”
It was a single sentence filled with firm resolve.
Jinhyeok was bewildered.
“But your priority is higher……”
“That is of no use now. Since I cannot do it…… you must.”
“But……”
“I entrust my will and the Necromancer, the strongest hidden class, to you.”
Jinhyeok could no longer say anything. He nodded and stood before the altar.
The angel's gaze turned to him.
“Send me to the time when hope shone most brilliantly.”
“I approve.”
The angel reached out, and a mass of light enveloped him. Instinctively realizing that his regression was imminent, Jinhyeok turned his head to look at Seokgyu.
He was smiling.
“Today, we lost. But now, that will not be so.”