Dark Fantasy.
The two men slowly sidestepped, carefully watching each other's movements.
Woojin paid particular attention to the gleaming arrowhead. Its glow was eerie—like the lantern of an anglerfish luring in prey.
I can't block that with a shield.
He hadn't witnessed its power firsthand, yet he felt certain of it.
An unexpected variable—but it didn't matter.
Gripping the machete tightly, Woojin shifted his center of gravity forward. He had made a rough estimate. Now he intended to test it with his own body.
Just as he was about to act—
The light swirling around the arrowhead suddenly vanished.
The old man lowered his bow.
Woojin frowned slightly.
"…Old man. Why lower your bow all of a sudden?"
"Frankly, this feels burdensome. If we take this all the way, I reckon I'll be bleeding too."
"Let's talk."
With that suggestion, the old man sat down on the ground.
It seemed he had first intended to scare off the intruder. But seeing that Woojin had no intention of retreating, he decided to attempt negotiation instead.
Woojin had been slightly stirred, expecting a proper fight—
Yet the tension dissolved more easily than anticipated.
Well… that's probably for the better. I wasn't keen on killing that old man anyway.
Woojin had slaughtered countless creatures in this world, but he had never killed a person.
More precisely, he'd never had the opportunity. Today was the first time he had met another human here.
He hoped this rare encounter wouldn't end in mutual slaughter.
"My name is Hector."
The old man introduced himself abruptly.
Taking it as an invitation to exchange names, Woojin replied readily.
"My name is Kim Woojin."
"Ki-mu-jin…? Quite an unusual name. Hard to pronounce."
Hector furrowed his brow faintly. A Korean name must have sounded alien in this world.
"Call me whatever is comfortable."
"I'll just call you 'Jin,' then. Listen, Jin. I'll overlook you barging into my cabin with muddy feet. But can you leave my territory quietly?"
Hector clearly wanted the unwelcome guest gone as soon as possible. He didn't seem eager for prolonged conversation, so Woojin decided not to waste time.
He gestured toward the cabin behind him.
"There's a fine book inside. If you sell it to me, I'll leave without further trouble."
"You mean the Travelogue of the Demonic Realm?"
"Yes."
"No."
"…"
The answer was firm.
Seeing Woojin's expression stiffen slightly, Hector elaborated.
"Jin, that book isn't mine. I borrowed it. I can't transfer it as I please."
If it had to be returned, it couldn't simply be handed over.
After a brief pause, Woojin offered a compromise.
"Then may I borrow it for a short while? I'll skim through it and return it."
"Such scholarly enthusiasm. Causing all this fuss over a single book… Very well."
With a deep sigh, Hector stood and walked into the cabin.
He left the door open, suggesting he would return shortly.
So Woojin remained seated.
But soon, Hector's voice called from inside.
"…Are you not coming in?"
Ah. So the open door was meant as an invitation.
Woojin rose belatedly and entered the cabin.
Hector sat on the floor, trimming arrows. Glancing sideways to confirm Woojin had come in, he jerked his chin toward the book resting by the sofa.
"Sit there and read."
With that, Hector resumed his work, offering no further words nor even a glance.
Quite bold.
If Woojin wished, he was close enough to split Hector's head with the machete.
Yet the old man remained composed.
Either he trusted Woojin's character—
—or he was confident he wouldn't be caught off guard in this situation.
Letting Woojin inside was likely also a way to keep an eye on the book and prevent theft.
Well, it didn't matter.
Woojin had no desire to stir up unnecessary trouble.
He picked up the book from beside the sofa.
[Travelogue of the Demonic Realm by Yurgis.]
The very book that had caught his attention earlier.
Sitting in a worn chair, Woojin opened it.
[This travelogue compiles the writings and spoken words of Yurgis, a Holy Knight of the Order Alliance, recorded during his lifetime. If you wish to set foot in the Demonic Realm, familiarize yourself with the knowledge contained herein.]
From the very first sentence, unfamiliar terms stood out.
Order Alliance…?
What was that?
Scratching his chin, Woojin glanced at Hector.
The old man seemed absorbed in his own work.
…I'll ask later.
He wanted to voice his questions immediately, but reading further would undoubtedly generate even more.
At present, Woojin had almost no background knowledge.
If he interrupted repeatedly, Hector might throw him out simply out of annoyance.
First, he would read the entire book.
Even if certain words were unfamiliar, explanations might appear later. And if not, he could infer their meaning from context.
Fortunately, the background explanations are very detailed.
Woojin read carefully.
The gist of it was this:
Originally, this world had been quite prosperous.
The air was clean, the sunlight abundant, the water pure…
But as always—
Human desire had been the problem.
There had once been a kingdom in the north.
A nation so prosperous it had once been called an empire. But with each passing generation, its power and influence gradually waned.
Its weakening strength was reflected plainly in its territory. Having lost its key dominions and fertile lands, the kingdom had been pushed to the very northern edge of the continent.
To reclaim its lost glory, it needed new power.
The king's gaze turned toward ancient ruins in the north.
Relics of a forgotten age.
Deep beneath them lay a massive fissure—sealed tight like a stubborn clam. According to legend, it was a kind of gate.
A gate to another world.
Beyond its crack slumbered unimaginable power and truth encompassing all creation.
Of course, it was merely legend, and few believed it sincerely. The king had ordered research into the ruins out of desperation, grasping at straws.
…Yet it yielded unexpected results.
Investigating the ruins revealed valuable artifacts and treasures hidden across various sites. And when the discovered rune inscriptions were translated, even ancient magic long thought lost was restored.
The legend had been right.
The gate must be opened. The power beyond it must be seized.
For that purpose, the king began pouring enormous funds into the research.
With national-level budgets supporting it, progress accelerated. The secret research, carried out over many years, was completed around the time the king's hair had turned completely white.
The gate opened.
And the catastrophe known to all began.
Beyond the fissure lay nothing but ash, mold—and grotesque monsters.
They poured into this world in hordes.
The speed of their invasion was unnaturally fast—as though they had long been waiting for the gate to open.
In just nine years, humanity lost the north.
The Demonic Realm spread like a plague, unstoppable.
Sensing the crisis, the religious leaders of various nations united to establish the Order Alliance.
Under its leadership, humanity built a massive wall to halt the southward advance of the Demonic Realm.
It was no easy feat, but fortunately the attempt bore fruit.
The allied forces barely managed to defend humanity's last bastion.
This was possible due to the geographical advantage of the barrier—and the innate limitations of the demonic beasts.
The farther they moved from the fissure, the weaker they became.
Thus, the stronger the beast, the more it hesitated to migrate south…
"…Impressive focus."
The sudden voice snapped Woojin out of his thoughts.
He turned his head.
Hector stood there, holding something in his hand, observing him.
"Here. Take it."
Hector extended what he was holding.
Woojin accepted it reflexively.
Warmth spread across his palms.
It was a wooden bowl filled with stew.
"…Why are you giving me this?"
"I can't let a guest starve."
Hector replied gruffly.
He sat down on the sofa and began eating stew straight from his own bowl.
Woojin looked down at the stew in his hands.
Unknown vegetables and chunks of meat floated in the thick broth. The aroma pricked at his nose persistently.
…Eat first, think later.
He scooped up a spoonful with the wooden spoon.
The vegetables were mild, the meat pleasantly chewy.
It tasted just as incredible as it smelled.
Perhaps admiration showed on his face.
Hector snorted faintly when he noticed.
"You trust food given by a stranger quite easily. What if it's poisoned?"
Woojin shrugged lightly.
"Well, I'll treat it like pufferfish."
"Pufferfish? Never heard of someone eating that."
"I hear it tastes excellent."
Woojin himself had never actually eaten pufferfish.
"Remarkable. There are people who eat poisonous fish…"
Hector muttered with interest, taking another spoonful of stew.
Thanks to the trivial chatter and the warm food, the atmosphere loosened slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, Woojin initiated conversation.
"May I ask a few questions?"
"I'll decide whether to answer after hearing them. Go on."
Woojin gestured toward the book he had been reading.
"This book—does it truly record only real events? There are too many unbelievable stories to accept it as historical fact."
"As far as I know, yes. The contents were cross-verified multiple times. It was published directly by the Order Alliance, so they were meticulous about accuracy."
"I see."
Hector's firm response made Woojin fall into thought.
The contents were more alien than he had expected.
Ancient magic. Holy knights. Empire…
Alien—yet not unfamiliar.
…Words I heard often while playing games.
In the RPGs Kim Woojin had played in his youth, such terms were common.
That was why reading the book had felt like reading a game's lore compendium.
Hardly something one would believe to be a historical text.
Yet Hector had stated clearly—it recorded real history.
That answer suggested a possibility.
Like in novels—situations like this appeared often, didn't they?
Did I fall into a fantasy world?
Hit by a truck, open your eyes, and find yourself in another world…
And this world was no ordinary fantasy.
Swords and magic.
A fissure.
A catastrophic incident.
Humanity declining under the pressure of invading monsters.
A setting that combined all of that was commonly called—
…Dark fantasy.