Swordmaster of the Graveyard - Episode 1
Chapter 1: Now, I Am the Necromancer (1)
As his blurred vision returned to normal, the scenery that entered his eyes was the beginning of the selection exam, which had been like hell.
'Did I really come back?'
A ruined plaza.
In the center, weapons were piled up like a mountain, and people surrounded it.
Nineteen in total.
Twenty including himself.
They were bewildered by the sudden anomaly.
An all-too-familiar scene.
It was a selection exam that held painful memories of plunging knives into each other's chests in order to survive.
Unlike the others, who awakened in an unfamiliar space and couldn't quell their confusion, Jinhyeok wasn't greatly flustered.
Coming to his senses, he found himself in an unfamiliar place.
It was a bewildering situation. That emotion could easily be read on the faces of the others besides Jinhyeok.
Jinhyeok walked through the crowd with heavy steps and picked up a weapon.
It was an action that could provoke or draw suspicion from the confused people, but he didn't care.
He had no intention of staying with them. Even if all nineteen attacked him under suspicion, he had the confidence to handle them.
Sword Ghost.
He had started as an ordinary swordsman, but ultimately became the ghost of the sword who had awakened to everything about the blade.
Though his body had regressed to that of an ordinary adult, he remembered all sword techniques as though he had never forgotten how to breathe.
Jinhyeok, having picked up the sword, scanned the blade with a cold gaze and fell into thought for a moment.
'I will raise them using the hidden pieces told to me by the final five!'
He couldn't do anything alone.
Then, he would create the strongest party before the demon legion invaded.
Jinhyeok possessed an inheritance: his experiences thus far, and the information left behind by the final five.
'The first is Ji Seokgyu.'
If the information given by the Necromancer Ji Seokgyu was accurate, he should be inside this selection exam field right now.
Also, Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had said that a class change scroll to change into the hidden class Necromancer existed in the communal cemetery within this field.
He had hidden in the communal cemetery to evade pursuers and became a Necromancer, and he said he gave the Spectral Swordsman class change scroll, which had been there together with it, to Bae Seojun, who later became his trusted subordinate.
'As Seokgyu said, it would be most efficient for me to secure the Necromancer class this time, so I should give him the Spectral Swordsman class change scroll.'
During their brief conversation before the regression, Seokgyu had told Jinhyeok that he would gladly yield the Necromancer class to him.
A Necromancer who wields a sword. If Jinhyeok, who had mastered all sword techniques, became a Necromancer, the chronic weakness of being unable to exert strength in close combat would be compensated.
Although the Necromancer class was the strongest, Seokgyu's own abilities were outstanding as well, so he would do well even if he changed to a Spectral Swordsman.
'To the communal cemetery.'
He would become a Necromancer at the communal cemetery.
And he would save Seokgyu, who was being chased by pursuers, gain his trust, and recruit him as a comrade.
It wasn't a bad plan.
"Hold on! You there! Put that down!"
A young man shouted upon seeing Jinhyeok holding a weapon. His cry shook the quiet chaos.
Everyone's gaze focused on Jinhyeok.
"Don't shout. It's hurting my ears."
He spat it out as if complaining, but didn't explain the situation. The Guide would appear soon anyway. Once they heard its explanation, they would understand the situation to some degree.
"Aaaah! What the hell!"
Someone let out a sharp scream.
Sure enough, a guide in a suit revealed itself alongside black smoke.
With its pale face and red pupils, it didn't seem human.
"Greetings. I am the 'Guide' who has come to explain the situation you find yourselves in."
The Guide spoke in a cold voice.
The Guide knew something.
Those who instinctively realized this fact focused on the Guide.
A smile formed at the corners of its lips as it began to speak.
"You are good students. I like you. Then, let me first tell you the most important fact."
The Guide's red pupils gleamed.
"This is the field where the selection exam takes place. Wait a moment here! What is the selection exam?"
"……."
"……."
There was no answer.
No one knew. Jinhyeok, who alone possessed information about the selection exam, kept his mouth shut.
"I will speak simply. The selection exam is about weeding out the failures."
"Why are you weeding us out?"
A woman mustered her courage and asked.
The Guide pulled up the corners of its mouth.
"That is a good question. Let me explain simply."
As the Guide waved its hand in the air, a chair appeared. The Guide sat down and opened its mouth again simultaneously.
"You are soldiers who must participate in the war against the demon legion that will appear one day. Therefore, the weak are not needed. Do you understand now?"
No one nodded or gave a positive answer. Everyone found it hard to accept reality.
But the Guide cut to the chase and continued the explanation.
"Then, the background explanation is over, so let me briefly explain the rules."
"There are 400 people in this selection exam field. Roughly 20 to a group. And they each have a ration bag like this. Check your bags."
The Guide pulled out a small backpack from the empty air and threw it forward.
Despite the Guide's suggestion, no one tried to check. In the end, Jinhyeok checked.
It was food.
Inside the bag was a woefully insufficient amount of food for twenty people to survive. If they rationed it, it might barely last three days.
"There should be enough food for twenty people to last about three days."
"Is it true?"
As soon as the Guide finished speaking, a man looked at Jinhyeok and asked. Jinhyeok nodded instead of answering.
"And the selection exam does not end until 100 people remain."
The Guide spoke wearing a cold smile. The implications of its words were huge.
A limited space, limited food, and ample weapons.
It was obvious that fighting would break out.
"You understand what I'm saying? Food is limited, but the game doesn't end until 100 people remain."
The Guide pointed at the mountain of weapons with its index finger.
"It doesn't matter whether you group together or scatter. If you don't want to starve to death, kill and steal. That is the only answer."
The moment the Guide finished speaking, people moved to grab weapons.
They had belatedly realized the need for weapons.
Watching them, the Guide smiled in satisfaction.
"Remember. The weak are not needed."
The Guide disappeared with black smoke.
"You there, hand over the rations over here."
A man holding a spear spoke to Jinhyeok.
Jinhyeok took out his own share of the food, then threw the bag.
He had planned to leave the group with only enough food for one person anyway.
"Wait, why are you stealing the rations?"
Though the situation was chaotic, a woman with short hair who had been observing Jinhyeok closely pointed it out with a sharp voice.
"What do you mean?"
The woman who had been crying all this time raised her head and asked.
"That man! He stole the rations!"
"What?"
Men with robust physiques who had finished assessing the situation surrounded Jinhyeok. The madness of the group gave them courage.
"I only took my share."
Jinhyeok spoke with an expressionless face.
"Cut the crap and hand over the food!"
An impatient man aimed his spear threateningly. At that sight, Jinhyeok furrowed his brow.
"Lower it unless you want your arm to fly off."
"Give it a try."
The man with the spear shrank back slightly at the killing intent Jinhyeok quietly exuded, but the madness of the group still dominated him.
"Nothing will happen if you let me leave quietly."
"There are nineteen of us and you're alone, you idiot."
The men drew their swords and aimed their spears.
Group psychology bared its sharp fangs.
They thought that subduing Jinhyeok would buy them some leeway. And they also wanted to show off in front of the women.
But such shallow thoughts had awakened the reaper of death.
"Everyone! We need to take back the food that bastard took!"
"Exactly!"
"Everyone grab your weapons!"
Incitement had begun.
The armed men narrowed the distance to Jinhyeok. The first to swing his spear was the one who had been warned moments ago.
Jinhyeok evaded the spear and looked at the man with a sneer.
"I said I'd cut off your arm."
Swish.
The sword Jinhyeok drew was swung.
"Kuaaaack!"
An arm cut off all too easily.
The man who lost his arm gushed red blood from the severed surface and collapsed.
"H-he hurt a person."
"That crazy bastard is trying to kill people!"
The wave of incitement spread. Even those who had been passive raised their weapons to 'survive'.
'I need to show overwhelming strength.'
It was a moment that called for shock therapy.
His eyes quickly scanned the surroundings. He grasped every movement of the enemies, and their paths.
Without a moment's hesitation, a sharp blade without the slightest delay severed the enemies' breaths. For one who had lived as a Sword Ghost for twenty years, there was no wasted movement.
It was truly the Sword Ghost's blade dance.
When the cruel sword dance ended, none of those who had rushed at Jinhyeok remained standing on two feet.
Only two survived, having been too frightened to rush at Jinhyeok.
Jinhyeok silently divided a portion of the food to them and moved his steps toward the communal cemetery in the selection exam field that Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had spoken of, in order to obtain the hidden class.
Based on past experience, he needed to conserve as much strength as possible during the selection exam.
The communal cemetery was not far away. It wasn't particularly hidden, so it wasn't hard to find.
It looked like an ordinary communal cemetery, but a secret slept within it—the chance to become a Necromancer, the strongest hidden class in history.
'I was being pursued. I barely shook them off and reached the communal cemetery. And I began rummaging through the graves to find a weapon. It was probably the central grave. Where the Necromancer class change scroll was…...'
Jinhyeok chewed over the words Seokgyu had left behind and dug up the central grave.
A black coffin was revealed.
As he strenuously opened the coffin lid, a skeleton wearing black robes was revealed.
The ominous black robe had remnants of mana lingering on it, and above its head, two old books were placed.
'You will see black books. That is the tome of death that serves as the Necromancer class change scroll and contains skills. The other is the Spectral Swordsman class change scroll.'
Jinhyeok lifted the black book.
—Dost thou reject the gods? If so, I promise thee the mightiest of names.