The Dimensional Swordmaster C1

Chapter 1 How I Ended Up in Another World (1)

Monsters roared.

Yurian tightened his grip around the sword in his hand. Judging by the sound alone, at least four or five monsters lurked nearby, just beyond sight.

“Even if I deal with the ogres right away… are those hellhounds? They sound like fire-attribute monsters.”

He had only one magic stone left. Even if he scraped together every last bit of mana, he couldn’t properly cast a freezing spell—it wasn’t his element to begin with.

At best, a second-circle spell? Would that even be enough to take down a hellhound?

There were only two choices: die here, or grit his teeth and fight to the very end.

Exhaling deeply, Yurian began channeling mana through the blade of his sword. Thank goodness he had bothered to learn swordsmanship early on. Everyone else had insisted that becoming a high-ranking mage was the shortcut to a better life, but while they chased that dream, he had secretly trained with a sword, nurturing his so-called “second job.”

Magic was exhausting work. No matter how powerful a mage was, once their mana was depleted, they were no different from ordinary people.

No—worse, in some cases. Mages lacked stamina, and countless of them had fallen prey to monsters simply because they no longer had the strength to flee.

The reason Yurian, a mere fifth-circle mage, had survived this long was entirely thanks to the swordsmanship he had honed in those early years.

An average mage. An average sword-user. But if one knew how to combine the two, survival—even into the third Monster Subjugation War—was possible.

“…Looks like that luck’s run out, though.”

Yurian swept his gaze across the battlefield with weary eyes.

Every comrade who had come with him was already dead. The stench of blood filled the air, seeping from the mangled corpses of humans and monsters scattered across the ground.

The 81st Monster Subjugation War had ended in utter defeat for mankind. At least, for the first battalion to which he belonged—it had been wiped out entirely.

They shouldn’t have come here in the first place. Guarding the Great Ravine would have been enough. As long as they managed the monsters crossing that natural border, there would have been no problem. But humans, driven by greed, always marched toward annihilation.

Eighty-one times they’d fought this war. And even after crossing the Ravine into monster territory, shouting about “extermination,” what had it accomplished? Nothing but a miserable death like this one.

Yurian nudged aside a comrade’s corpse with the toe of his boot, grimacing.

He had been an orphan since childhood. A mercenary, a wanderer—learning magic and swordsmanship in the mercenary corps just to survive. He had never been particularly attached to life.

If I die, I die. That mindset had carried him this far, and in its own way, that was a miracle.

But now? No miracle was coming. No one would risk their lives to rescue a nameless mercenary stranded deep in enemy territory. Only a fool would send dozens to their deaths for the sake of one disposable man.

So this would be his grave—beneath the screams of winged monsters darkening the sky, among the piled bodies of his fallen comrades.

Yurian let out a small, bitter laugh.

“…What a load of shit.”

Then he crouched low and lunged forward, swinging his sword.

An ogre that had been hiding behind a ridge was struck—the creature’s head flew clean off.

Splattered with thick green blood, Yurian twisted his body and pivoted smoothly.

The second ogre, standing across from him, roared and swung its club. Ducking beneath the blow, Yurian slashed at its knee.

A sharp crack resounded as bone shattered, and the monster dropped to one knee.

Without hesitation, Yurian drove his sword straight through the back of its skull.

There were more of them—another ogre, then another. Ten? No, closer to fifteen.

From farther away, the distant howls of approaching hellhounds echoed toward him, drawn by the battle.

“Goddamn it… seriously.”

It was endless.

Still—what else could he do? Even if there was no hope, as long as his sword could still move, he would fight.

He could feel his mana draining away, along with his stamina, his strength, his will.

So this is how I die, he thought. Soaked in disgusting green blood.

But maybe—just maybe—if he killed even one more monster here, it would make things a little easier for the remaining forces.

Through his fading consciousness, Yurian clenched his teeth. If even one person can live because of me… that’s enough.

His hand still moved. So he stopped thinking altogether, and swung his sword again.

And at that exact moment—

From the distance, the air shimmered and warped violently. The space itself began to twist. Monsters screamed in unison.

“Graaaargh!”

Both the ogres attacking him and the hellhounds charging his way froze and turned toward the distortion.

A deep rumble shook the ground. Monsters shrieked in terror and scattered. Between them, Yurian saw it clearly—

A black hole, expanding endlessly, swallowing everything in its path.

“…What the hell is that?”

Magic? No, it wasn’t. He couldn’t feel any mana flow. The black void simply continued to grow, devouring the world in shadow.

The sound of monsters being consumed faded into nothingness.

Instinctively, Yurian stepped back.

But before he could even turn and run, the black hole suddenly expanded—massively, all at once.

He didn’t even have time to scream before his entire body was sucked into the darkness.

There were many names for that phenomenon.

“The Anomaly,” “The End,” “Apocalypse,” “Armageddon”—all these terms had been used to describe the appearance of the First Dungeon.

One day, black holes appeared across the world, spewing forth endless hordes of monsters.

In the process of fighting them, the world underwent a cataclysmic transformation. Along with the emergence of dungeons came the awakening of Hunters, and the need arose to create a system to manage them.

Thus, the Hunter Management Bureau was established, and research into dungeons and gates began in earnest.

Humans were creatures of adaptation. It took less than ten years for people to grow accustomed to the new reality of monsters and dungeons.

Through global cooperation, Hunters and gates were systematically managed. Dungeon-related information was made publicly accessible to all.

At first, it was to help citizens prepare for danger—but ten years later, the purpose had changed. People now idolized Hunters and adored the peace built upon their sacrifices.

Thanks to the Bureau’s efficient system, dungeon breaks no longer occurred.

Safety and familiarity dulled humanity’s fear, and dungeon information became little more than entertainment.

Which guild had cleared which dungeon, how long it took, what grade it was, and what rare items were discovered—these things thrilled the masses.

Top-ranking Hunters became international celebrities.

According to the global guild rankings released by the Hunter Management Bureau, three Korean guilds were listed among the best in the world.

The Myeongja Circle, known for its first-generation Hunters; Moran, where every member was A-rank or higher; and Yeollak, home to S-rank brothers Gong Sijin and Gong Siyoung.

Of these, Yeollak ranked the highest—its fame matched only by its burden of responsibility.

Yeollak oversaw Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, and even parts of Chungcheong Province.

It handled dozens of minor dungeons daily and was required to personally inspect any dungeon above B-rank.

Today was no exception. At 4 a.m., an emergency call came in. An A-rank dungeon had appeared in Incheon, and Yeollak’s ace, S-rank Hunter Gong Siyoung, was the first to respond.

“Don’t bother calling anyone else. I’m going in alone.”

— Siyoung! At least take a partner…

“I said no. They’ll just slow me down.”

Before the nagging voice on the other end could continue, Siyoung hung up without hesitation. There was no time to wait for backup—and he had no patience for unnecessary company.

As he strode forward without a backward glance, he spotted a man in a Hunter Bureau uniform standing at the gate’s entrance, rubbing his tired eyes.

When the man saw Siyoung approaching, he jolted upright and waved frantically.

“Over here! Hunter Gong Siyoung!”

Panting, he ran up to him. Siyoung gave a curt nod as the man checked the entry log on his tablet.

“April 6th, 4:21 a.m. New A-rank dungeon entry—Yeollak Guild’s Hunter Gong Siyoung, and…”

The man trailed off, glancing behind him.

“…And?”

“I’m alone. May I enter?”

“Uh—what?”

“I asked if I can enter.”

The man hesitated, flustered. Even for an S-rank Hunter, entering a dungeon solo was highly unusual.

Before he could suggest waiting for others, Siyoung had already stepped forward.

“Wait—Hunter! Hunter Gong Siyoung!!”

Without giving him a chance to stop him, Siyoung strode straight into the black gate.

As always, that strange, water-like sensation enveloped him, followed by the weightless feeling of gravity flipping upside down.

When he opened his eyes, a familiar system window greeted him.

[System Notification]

▶ Entered “A-Rank Dungeon.”

▶ Attribute: Fire / Sensory Impairment

▶ Overflow in 11 hours.

▶ Current Party: 2 members.

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“Two…?”

But he was certain he was the only one who’d entered. A glitch, maybe?

As he frowned at the display, a red alert window suddenly popped up before his eyes.

[Warning!]

※ Certain areas show traces of prior clearing.

(Unknown User) has used Skill: “Unknown.”

The Boss Monster has been defeated.

[System Notification]

▶ “A-Rank Dungeon” Cleared.

Completion Time: 10 minutes 21 seconds.

Reward: (Unknown User) has obtained the title .

Party attack power +10%, HP regeneration +5%.

Effect lasts for 30 minutes post-entry.

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