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Chapter 2: The First Sword

The temporary shelter had been established inside a large school building.

By the time Subin and his family arrived, hundreds of people had already gathered there. Classrooms had been converted into sleeping areas, the playground had become a distribution center, and the school auditorium was being used to treat the injured.

The atmosphere was nothing like a normal emergency shelter.

People were frightened, exhausted, and confused. Some were crying quietly. Others were arguing with officials about missing family members. A few newly awakened individuals stood together in small groups, discussing their abilities with excitement that seemed completely inappropriate given the circumstances.

Subin understood why.

Fear wasn't the only thing humanity had received that day.

It had received power.

His father found a relatively quiet corner for their family. They sat on the floor together, sharing the small amount of food they had brought from home.

His mother kept looking toward the entrance.

"Do you think we'll be safe here?"

His father looked at the armed soldiers stationed outside.

"For tonight, probably."

Probably.

That word had acquired a completely different meaning.

Subin leaned against the wall and watched the people around him.

A young man was holding a small ball of fire above his palm.

Another person had apparently awakened enhanced strength and was demonstrating it by lifting a wooden desk.

A woman was sitting beside an injured child with both hands glowing faintly green.

A soldier walked past carrying a rifle, then stopped when he noticed the woman.

"Are you a healer?"

She nodded nervously.

"Can you heal serious injuries?"

"I don't know."

The soldier looked at the wounded people in the auditorium.

"Then we need you."

The woman immediately stood.

Subin watched silently.

The situation was chaotic, but there was already a pattern beginning to form.

People with useful abilities were being gathered.

Those capable of fighting were being organized.

Those capable of healing were being protected.

Those who had awakened strange or apparently useless abilities were left confused.

Subin wondered where he belonged.

His class was called Sword God.

He still didn't know what that meant.

He had received two skills, but neither had provided detailed information.

He opened the status screen again.

The translucent interface appeared in front of him.

[Name: Subin Vans]

[Level: 1]

[Class: Sword God]

[Strength: 10]

[Agility: 10]

[Vitality: 10]

[Intelligence: 14]

[Mana: 10]

[Skills]

[Sword Comprehension — Passive]

[Swordsmanship Growth — Passive]

[Sword Intent — Locked]

Subin stared at the numbers.

His intelligence was higher than the others.

He had no idea whether that was because of his class or because his natural intelligence had been incorporated into the system.

More importantly, there was no obvious method of increasing his attributes.

He tried touching the numbers.

Nothing happened.

He tried saying "Status" aloud.

The interface disappeared.

He said it again.

It returned.

Subin smiled slightly.

At least that worked.

He examined Sword Comprehension.

A description appeared.

[Sword Comprehension]

[The user's understanding of swords, sword techniques, sword principles and sword-related concepts is greatly enhanced.]

That was all.

Subin thought about it.

Then he looked around the shelter.

There were no swords.

There were rifles, knives, metal rods, wooden sticks and various improvised weapons.

He needed to find one.

Not because he believed he could suddenly become invincible.

He simply wanted to understand what his class could actually do.

"Subin."

He looked up.

His father was watching him.

"You've been staring at that wall for five minutes."

Subin smiled.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"How we're going to survive."

His father remained silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"That's what everyone should be thinking about."

Subin looked toward the entrance.

"I want to go outside tomorrow."

His mother immediately frowned.

"No."

"Mom—"

"You just saw what happened outside."

"I know."

"There are monsters everywhere."

"I know."

"Then why would you go?"

Subin didn't immediately answer.

He couldn't tell her about the system.

He couldn't explain the strange feeling he had whenever he thought about a sword.

Most importantly, he couldn't tell her that something inside him was telling him that he needed to become stronger.

So he gave her the simplest answer.

"If the world is going to stay like this, we can't depend on soldiers forever."

His mother looked at him anxiously.

His father, however, understood.

"You're thinking about your ability."

Subin nodded.

"I want to test it."

His father sighed.

"Don't take unnecessary risks."

"I won't."

That night, Subin barely slept.

The school was crowded, and every few minutes another sound came from outside.

Occasionally, distant gunfire echoed through the city.

Sometimes there were screams.

Sometimes there were explosions.

But the strangest thing was the silence between those sounds.

It made the entire world feel unfamiliar.

Around three in the morning, Subin finally closed his eyes.

He dreamed of a sword.

Not a particular sword.

Just a sword.

He stood in an endless white space holding one in his hand.

He swung it once.

Then again.

Each movement felt natural.

There was no instructor.

No explanation.

Yet his body understood.

When he woke, sunlight was entering through the broken classroom window.

Subin sat up.

For several seconds he remained still.

Then he looked at his hands.

The feeling remained.

He needed a sword.

After breakfast, the shelter became much more organized.

The government had managed to establish communication with several nearby military units. Information was being collected about the monsters, awakened abilities and strange portals that had appeared throughout the city.

A large screen had been placed inside the auditorium.

A government official appeared on it.

"Citizens are advised to remain inside designated safe zones. Military units are currently clearing major roads and residential areas. Do not approach monsters unless absolutely necessary."

The official continued explaining that several people had successfully defeated monsters.

The most important discovery came next.

"Monsters appear to possess something called mana stones. These stones have been found inside the bodies of stronger creatures. Research teams believe they may have significant energy applications."

Subin listened carefully.

The world was already beginning to change economically.

Mana wasn't simply a source of supernatural power.

It could become a resource.

And resources created industries.

Industries created wealth.

Wealth created power.

The old world might be dead, but a new civilization was already being built from its remains.

After the announcement ended, Subin approached one of the soldiers.

"Excuse me."

The soldier looked at him.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any swords?"

The soldier stared at him.

"A sword?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I awakened a sword-related ability."

The soldier looked at Subin from head to toe.

"You've never trained with one?"

"No."

The soldier laughed lightly.

"Then don't try to become a hero overnight."

"I'm not."

The soldier studied him for a moment.

"There are kitchen knives inside. Some people have been using them. We might have a few old ceremonial swords somewhere in storage, but I don't know if they're usable."

"Can I see them?"

"Talk to the shelter coordinator."

Subin thanked him and left.

It took nearly an hour before he found someone who could help.

Eventually, a maintenance worker led him into a storage room at the back of the school.

Boxes were stacked everywhere.

Old sports equipment.

Broken furniture.

Cleaning supplies.

And hanging against the wall was a collection of old fencing equipment.

Subin's eyes immediately focused on one object.

A practice sword.

It wasn't impressive.

The blade was dull.

The grip was worn.

There were scratches across the surface.

But the moment Subin touched it, something changed.

His mind became quiet.

The surrounding sounds seemed distant.

He could feel the weight of the weapon.

Its balance.

Its center of gravity.

The slight unevenness in the grip.

The distribution of metal along the blade.

His fingers adjusted automatically.

The sword suddenly felt familiar.

A notification appeared.

[Sword detected.]

[Sword Comprehension activated.]

Subin's eyes narrowed.

The sword in his hand seemed different.

Not physically.

His understanding of it had changed.

He raised the practice sword.

He performed a basic downward strike.

Nothing happened.

He performed another.

Then another.

The movement was awkward at first.

But after every swing, something improved.

His wrist angle corrected itself.

His shoulder relaxed.

His feet shifted.

His breathing became synchronized with the movement.

Subin stopped.

He looked at the sword.

"What..."

He swung again.

This time the movement was cleaner.

Again.

Better.

Again.

Better.

He continued.

Ten swings.

Twenty.

Fifty.

A hundred.

Sweat began running down his face.

His arms became tired, but his movements continued becoming smoother.

He wasn't consciously calculating every movement.

His body simply learned.

At one point, he accidentally struck the edge of a wooden storage cabinet.

The dull sword cut into it.

Subin froze.

He pulled the blade out.

There was a deep mark in the wood.

He stared at it.

A practice sword shouldn't have done that.

He examined the weapon.

The blade itself was undamaged.

Another notification appeared.

[Swordsmanship Growth activated.]

[Basic Swordsmanship proficiency increased.]

[Basic Swordsmanship: 1% → 4%]

Subin's eyes widened.

He immediately understood.

His class wasn't simply giving him strength.

It was giving him an extraordinary learning ability specifically related to the sword.

The more he practiced, the faster he learned.

He continued swinging.

Four percent became five.

Then seven.

Then ten.

Subin stopped only when his arms were trembling.

He looked at the status window.

[Basic Swordsmanship — 12%]

Twelve percent after less than an hour.

He smiled.

It wasn't arrogance.

It was excitement.

For the first time since the invasion began, Subin felt that he had something he could rely on.

He wasn't helpless.

He wasn't ordinary anymore.

But he still needed real combat experience.

A practice sword wouldn't be enough.

As he returned toward the shelter, he heard shouting outside.

Subin immediately moved toward the entrance.

Several soldiers were running toward the gate.

"Monster attack!"

The words spread through the shelter.

People panicked.

Subin looked outside.

A creature had entered the street.

It resembled a wolf, but it was almost twice the size of an ordinary one.

Its body was covered in dark gray fur.

Its claws scraped against the road.

A soldier raised his rifle.

"Everyone stay inside!"

Gunfire erupted.

The creature jumped.

Bullets struck its body, but it continued moving.

One soldier was knocked aside.

Another fell.

The monster charged toward the entrance.

Subin's hand tightened around the practice sword.

His father grabbed him.

"Stay back!"

Subin looked at the monster.

Something inside him became incredibly calm.

His fear didn't disappear.

But his mind became focused.

He could see the creature's movement.

Its shoulders moved before its legs.

Its right side was slightly slower.

Its center of gravity shifted before every leap.

Subin didn't know how he knew these things.

He simply understood them.

The monster lunged.

A soldier tried to block it.

Subin moved.

He slipped past the soldier.

The practice sword rose.

For a brief instant, everything seemed to slow.

Subin stepped forward and swung.

The sword struck the monster's neck.

The creature crashed onto the ground.

Silence filled the entrance.

Subin stared at the fallen monster.

He hadn't expected that.

The practice sword had actually killed it.

A notification appeared before his eyes.

[Monster defeated.]

[Level 1 Grey Fang Wolf defeated.]

[Experience acquired.]

[Level increased.]

[You have reached Level 2.]

[Attribute points acquired: 5.]

Subin looked at the screen.

Then at the dead monster.

Then at the sword in his hand.

Around him, everyone was staring.

The soldiers.

The civilians.

His parents.

Nobody spoke.

Subin slowly lowered the sword.

He didn't feel like a hero.

He didn't feel powerful.

He simply felt that something had finally begun.

The world had changed yesterday.

Today, Subin Vans had taken his first step into that new world.

And he already knew one thing.

He needed a real sword.