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Seeing the corpse maintaining the barrier, I could roughly guess what had happened here.
The woman who had created this barrier must have sacrificed her life to form a dome that could keep everyone inside safe.
The problem was… not everyone who survived within the barrier was a good person.
They must have killed each other when the food ran out.
The barrier itself wasn’t particularly complex. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of it could have entered or left freely.
But the survivors, too afraid to leave for food, chose to remain inside. As rations dwindled, they turned on each other. The last survivor either succumbed to injuries or starved to death.
I looked at the woman who had sacrificed herself for these people.
So clean, so serene… even in death.
I knew her.
“Serenity.”
She was the first person gifted with the power of vengeance, called the hope of humanity—her name meaning “peace.”
Though she was called the hope of humanity only in Korea, she was renowned as a magic swordsman who had awakened both magic and aura abilities.
She was famous for her skill and power, yes, but more importantly, she had shown the selflessness to sacrifice herself for others.
“…You should have limited your sacrifices.”
If she hadn’t poured her life entirely into this barrier, if she had instead created a barrier just large enough to protect people and become a spiritual support… perhaps more could have survived.
This was a painful lesson.
I stood before her, thoughts heavy, and ignited a fire with my own hands.
It wasn’t magic.
Samadhi Evolution (Three Stars True Fire).
Samadhi is the ability to perceive the essence of things. Samadhi Evolution sees and burns the essence itself.
I burned the essence of Serenity—the duty she had sacrificed to create this barrier.
It was a way of telling her not to linger, not to be tied by obligations, and to pass on to heaven. A kind of funeral.
…Admittedly, it was strange—a Buddhist or Taoist-style funeral while telling someone to go to heaven—but it didn’t matter.
I couldn’t make a coffin. I couldn’t make flower offerings.
Serenity’s corpse, consumed by the Samadhi Evolution, vanished without even ashes.
But I did not stop there. I turned to the countless corpses scattered around her. Though they had killed each other to survive, they too had the right to be judged in heaven. I burned them as well.
After a moment of silence, I found a place to sit.
“…Ha…”
This had been my last hope. A boundary recently expanded through my cultivation—a trace of survivors.
Yet all I found were the remnants of the dead.
“…My senses stretch across Korea… North Korea… parts of China… Japan…”
I felt no survivors. Only monsters. Countless monsters that had ravaged the Earth. Only the dark aura that had birthed them.
There may be survivors beyond my perception, but finding them would require crossing the sea. I was too tired.
“Phew…”
But I could not give up.
I sat cross-legged, meditating. Clearing my mind, I prepared to continue the search. Even if it meant crossing countries, continents, or failing entirely, I could not abandon hope.
“Good…”
When I finished meditating, my senses picked up movements—monsters moving within a 10-kilometer radius. Their destination was…
Here.
I looked up. The dome-shaped barrier that had protected this place just moments ago was gone. Serenity’s body—the core of the barrier—had disappeared.
The monsters had realized the barrier was gone. They rushed in. To attack the people inside… the people who had already become corpses.
“…Just my luck.”
I felt a sickness in my stomach. Time to relax? No. If I slaughtered these monsters, things would improve—at least a little.
I drew the sword I had placed in my bag. Old, yes—but soaked in the blood of countless monsters. Nearly a magic sword, it vibrated slightly as if eager for battle. The demon sword itself sensed the monsters and trembled with anticipation.
“Phew…”
I took up my stance and swung the sword. A light horizontal cut.
Kwaaaaah…!
But the result was anything but light. Monsters far from me all exploded in death simultaneously.
Woohoo…
My sword protested, craving the blood of the monsters. I ignored it.
…You’re not afraid.
Thousands of monster corpses littered the ground, yet more rushed forward, trampling over the bodies.
So much magic must have been inside the barrier… Serenity’s magic is being coveted.
How desperate must one be to defile her power that they would overcome the fear of death?
With that thought, I took my stance. My intent: kill them all.
“Phew…”
After slaughtering the monsters, I saw myself coated in blood. Not my own—monster blood.
So much blood… it’s flowing like a river.
Too much to ignore. I needed to purify it with the internal energy I had accumulated.
“Purification… Cleanliness.”
Word magic. A mantra of my own design, adapted from traditional spells for a martial artist like me. Not exactly magic—more like a ritual. But effective.
The blood of the monsters turned to clean water. My body, soaked in the liquid, glistened.
I opened my mouth to dry myself…
“Geon-…”
“Drying” was almost complete when I jerked my head down.
Swoosh…!
Something sharp whizzed past where my head had been. I spun, swinging my blood-soaked sword.
Clang!
My sword was lightly blocked. And I saw… a creature.
“…Human?”
“Krkrk…”
Bipedal, wielding a sword-like object. Not human. Just a monster capable of using tools.
The problem was…
Bang!
“Kuh?!”
Its strength was extraordinary. Its weapon blocked my sword with ease, and the creature could toss me aside with sheer force. I landed hard, observing.
“Krkrk…”
What is this… a new species?
Bang!
Its body shot toward me at impossible speed. I barely recognized it in time. My sword raised, but it effortlessly dodged and struck my face with a punch.
Kwaaaah…!
I couldn’t even scream.
My martial arts allowed me to survive, but without it, my head would have been gone.
I widened my eyes, studying its movements.
“…Ha.”
It wasn’t just strong—it was efficient. Every movement precise, better than mine. A low-intelligence monster with superior skill.
And then…
Clang.
It felt as if the gears that made up my body had stopped. Broken. And new gears slid into place, filling me.
“…Hahahahaha…!”
Joy and despair collided. The joy of completing my martial art thanks to this fight. The despair of realizing I couldn’t defeat it even now.
What have I lived for…?
The monster tore my arms from me midair.
Did I live just to die so pointlessly?
Then it tore my legs, leaving me helpless.
Is it all over like this…?
Finally, the monster drove its sword through my heart. Simultaneously, my martial art was completed, and my vision went dark.
【User Han Geonwoo has completed their martial art.】
【Searching for a suitable name…】
【Martial art name decided: 【Harmonic Divine Skill】】
【Due to its high level, 【Harmonic Divine Skill】 attempts to perform complete body transformation.】
【Due to its high level, 【Harmonic Divine Skill】 attempts partial body reincarnation.】
【Error.】
【Error.】
【User Han Geonwoo cannot be located; body transformation failed.】
【User Han Geonwoo cannot be located; partial reincarnation failed.】
【Searching alternative…】
【User Han Geonwoo confirmed dead.】
【User resurrection requested.】
【Impossible.】
【User Han Geonwoo initialization requested.】
【Attempting initialization…】
【Error.】
【Harmonic Divine Skill prevents initialization.】
【Failed to reset User Han Geonwoo’s memory.】
【Failed to reset User Han Geonwoo’s martial art, 【Harmonic Divine Skill】.】
“…Waaah…!”
Pierced through the heart by an unknown monster, witnessing my martial art’s completion… and then system messages I couldn’t comprehend flashed past.
And for some reason… I was crying.
“Congratulations. It’s a healthy boy.”
“Thank… you… thank… you.”
My consciousness sank into darkness, hearing those voices.
