<Epilogue>
Time passed.
The sky turned red, and nearly half the continent was reduced to ashes.
It was an inevitable result since one of the pillars that had been holding back the erosion from the Demonic Realm collapsed.
The Apostle of the Dark God, who dismantled the Vatican and killed Cardinal Alexander—a figure believed to possess unprecedented terrifying power—was often referred to as the Demon King by the people, who trembled in fear.
Despite such a fearsome entity descending upon them, the continent still stood.
This was because the Empire remained intact.
A great mage, unparalleled in the history of the continent, serving the Empire, opened the skies and halted the advance of the wicked hordes.
Though the aftermath caused the continental crust to warp and brought about negative changes in the climate, no one could blame the mage for it.
The continent continued its ceaseless struggle under the crimson sky.
And today…
Luna left the Imperial Capital after a long time and visited the Royal Magic Tower.
Most of the functions of the Royal Magic Tower were now under Luna’s control.
Upon entering the deepest part of the Royal Magic Tower, Luna finally opened the last door within.
There, after centuries, she found the final remnants of Resina’s will waiting for her.
Most of Resina’s authority and information had already been transferred or seized by Luna.
Now, there was nothing left with which Resina could oppose Luna.
Luna had come here to destroy the last fragment Resina had left behind.
But before extending her hand, Luna asked Resina first.
“Compromise was possible too. Why did you choose such an extreme option?”
Before everything fell into ruin,
Resina had plenty of means to force Ray and Luna into action.
Yet, Resina chose the most catastrophic path.
Because of this… In the end, things progressed in the direction Resina wanted, but only due to dozens of overlapping strokes of luck.
Resina’s choice had been destructive and uncertain. Still, Luna questioned why she had chosen such a path.
Resina calmly answered Luna’s question.
“The curse that collapses that child’s body and soul is a perpetual contract bound with El-Lam.”
“…”
“You must know by now, but the only way to stop the annihilation of that child is to destroy El-Lam.”
“…”
“I wanted you to have the motivation to kill El-Lam. I wanted to engrave in your heart the compulsion to tear El-Lam apart.”
“…”
“You can do it. Beyond me… beyond Harshia… Fulfill his Nonagram.”
“I’m different from Harshia.”
Luna and Harshia had different talents.
While Harshia’s talent allowed her to create ways for a human body to counter transcendental beings, Luna’s talent was transcendence itself.
“Even if I step beyond and annihilate all entities beyond, including El-Lam… All I would do is take El-Lam’s place. And that wouldn’t fulfill Harshia’s Nonagram.”
Luna’s point was accurate.
That wasn’t Harshia’s Nonagram.
Resina knew this well.
“Yes… From the very beginning… His Nonagram didn’t matter.”
Resina, along with the lingering thoughts she left behind…
Smiled hollowly while yearning for someone she had already lost.
“From the start, all I wanted was revenge.”
Just that. Nothing more.
Episode 0
Episode 0
She must die.
She absolutely must die.
That wretched woman, hailed as the Demon King, must be killed before she ascends.
If it weren’t for that bastard, the Empire might have managed to hold on, albeit barely.
That son of a bitch needed to be torn apart and destroyed before he became the servant of the Dark God.
Human. Northwest direction. Sigini Mountain Range. Female. Silver eyes.
She must be found and eliminated before anyone else gets their hands on her. She must be torn apart, burned, and reduced to ashes.
Kill her. Kill her!
Crush her head! Burn her to ash! Destroy her!!! Kill her!!!
“Hey…!”
Kill her!!! Absolutely!!! Kill her!!!!! Kill her!!!!!!!!!!
“Hey!!!”
“…!!”
BOOM!
Park Jung-hoon startled and jerked back, banging his head against the table.
The pain at the back of his head woke him up sharply, and he clutched his head.
Han Si-hyun looked at him disdainfully and frowned, asking, “What’s wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare while sitting there? Why are you yelling about killing someone?”
“Damn…”
Rubbing his head in pain, Park Jung-hoon groaned in response.
“Ugh… I guess I dozed off for a moment.”
“Mr. Park, please get your act together. Lately, you’ve been really out of it.”
“Ah… Got it, got it.”
“Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“…Then should I go now? I need to restock the beer in the fridge.”
“…Hey, is this even your house?”
“Well, whose house is it then?”
Han Si-hyun and Park Jung-hoon exchanged glances and chuckled.
As Park Jung-hoon waved his hand dismissively, Han Si-hyun exaggeratedly clicked his tongue and left through the entrance.
Alone, Park Jung-hoon went to the bathroom and washed his face with running water to clear his mind.
He repeatedly wiped his face to regain focus.
“…”
He had always loved reading books.
Essays, philosophy, travelogues, literary works from various countries, and even web novels categorized as ‘genre fiction’—he explored them all.
Immersing himself in the text while reading was something he truly enjoyed.
However, this… This level of immersion was excessive.
No, it wasn’t just excessive—it was serious.
*The Fall of the Empire.*
What started as a casual read had recently become something he was excessively engrossed in.
Day after day, he mulled over the novel’s content, pondering when, where, and how to intervene to positively alter the course of history.
Moreover, he had developed a strong hatred for some characters in the story.
“…”
Was *The Fall of the Empire* so engaging that it warranted such deep immersion?
Not really. After all, Park Jung-hoon was practically the only one reading it.
Recently, it felt less like he was immersing himself in the novel and more like someone was forcibly imprinting its contents onto his mind.
Park Jung-hoon sighed deeply.
‘Should I visit a psychiatric hospital…’
It seemed he needed to make an appointment with a psychiatrist.
Since this ‘obsession’ was affecting his daily life, Park Jung-hoon couldn’t stubbornly insist on handling it alone anymore.
Biting his nails, Park Jung-hoon searched for the nearest mental health clinic.
However, the problem Park Jung-hoon was facing wasn’t something that could be resolved by consulting a doctor and getting prescribed medication.
This was a process where Park Jung-hoon’s soul was being subjugated by some transcendent entity.
The animosity Park Jung-hoon felt wasn’t his own.
But Park Jung-hoon couldn’t realize the truth.
There was no way for Park Jung-hoon to perceive the single ‘thread’ connecting his soul to a transcendent existence.
Park Jung-hoon attempted to call the nearest psychiatric hospital to check available appointment dates.
However, at that moment,
A dark current followed the thread connected to Park Jung-hoon and flowed in.
After relentless tracking, the dark current successfully detected Park Jung-hoon’s presence.
Park Jung-hoon. An Apostle cultivated by El-Lam at the cost of immense influence.
A powerful card of the Dark Gods targeted for early removal.
However, the Apostle was incomplete, including the ‘restrictions.’
Upon detecting Park Jung-hoon’s existence, the Dark Gods immediately tried to thwart El-Lam’s scheme.
El-Lam also realized that his Apostle had been discovered.
If left unchecked, it was certain that the Apostle cultivated at the cost of immense influence would be lost.
Tsuuk-!
Despite being incomplete, El-Lam attempted to immediately transfer Park Jung-hoon’s soul to the intended world.
The Dark Gods, however, would not let this happen.
The influences of transcendent beings collided around Park Jung-hoon.
Chaang!!!!
*
‘Where… What was I supposed to finish today…’
Han Si-hyun boarded the subway, fidgeting with his phone to check his schedule for the day.
Today’s schedule was packed once again.
Although Han Si-hyun claimed to aspire for a leisurely lifestyle, somehow his days were getting busier.
After checking the schedule and exchanging a few trivial messages with acquaintances, Han Si-hyun headed towards the bus stop.
However, just before boarding the bus, a call came in.
Checking the screen, Han Si-hyun immediately furrowed his brow.
“Shit… Pal…”
Han Si-hyun muttered a low curse and groaned.
‘Here comes another lecture.’
Han Si-hyun was currently part of a group that provided high-paying private tutoring services to students.
With decent academic credentials, Han Si-hyun joined this group on a friend’s recommendation, intending it to be a temporary side job.
Initially planning to quit soon, Han Si-hyun discovered that he had a knack for teaching others.
His classes received good reviews, gained popularity among parents, and thus, he continued providing private tutoring.
Since the group’s core members prepared quality materials, Han Si-hyun only needed to review them thoroughly and conduct the lessons.
Of course, preparing lessons based on the materials wasn’t easy, but it paid well.
Even though it required effort, Han Si-hyun worked hard to build a good reputation and enjoy the sweet rewards.
Recently, however, a troublesome issue arose.
One student Han Si-hyun tutored in two subjects kept performing poorly.
The person calling was undoubtedly the leader of the group, concerned about the student’s declining grades.
“Ah, here we go again.”
Checking the student’s ID, it was evident that he had played five rounds of games late into the night the previous evening.
The boy simply lacked the intention to study and wasn’t smart enough to excel without effort.
‘Does he even realize how much money his parents are paying me?’
How could someone lack this much maturity?
Ideally, they shouldn’t have accepted this student for tutoring in the first place, considering his grades.
Managing students properly was crucial in the private tutoring business, where word-of-mouth was important.
However, the student’s parents held significant influence, making refusal impossible.
‘His older brother seems fine, but this kid…’
To address the boy’s issues, Han Si-hyun even consulted educational psychology books.
Unfortunately, it had no effect. Han Si-hyun thought this case was hopeless.
Sighing repeatedly, Han Si-hyun eventually answered the call.
“Yes, hello, sir.”
[Oh, Si-hyun. Can we talk?]
“Yes, sure.”
Preparing for a reprimand, Han Si-hyun was surprised when the caller brought up something else.
[It’s about Jung-hoon. He hasn’t sent the practice exam materials he promised to complete and send by this morning. I called him, but he didn’t answer, so I thought I’d ask you if anything’s wrong.]
“What? Jung-hoon missed a deadline?”
[Not exactly a miss, but this is unusual for him, so I thought I’d check with you.]
“Uh… Yes, I’ll confirm and call you back.”
[Thanks. Ah, and Si-hyun.]
“Yes?”
[Ya, you piece of crap, how the hell does a 4th-grade student keep scoring 4s?!]
Click!
Han Si-hyun closed his flip phone, enjoying the satisfying feel of ending the call.
“Man, this guy really exaggerates.”
Muttering under his breath, Han Si-hyun massaged his forehead, recalling the problematic student before changing direction.
‘Jung-hoon doesn’t usually miss deadlines…’
Despite appearing relaxed and bookish, Jung-hoon meticulously handled tasks assigned to him.
If delays were anticipated, he would inform others well in advance.
“Hmm… Something’s off with that guy lately.”
Earlier that morning, Jung-hoon hadn’t seemed normal either.
Ultimately, despite his tight schedule, Han Si-hyun decided to visit Jung-hoon’s place again.
“Did he meet a new girl or something? Doesn’t seem like it… What’s going on with him these days…?”
Grumbling, Han Si-hyun stopped abruptly as he neared Jung-hoon’s familiar mansion.
Sparks and flashes erupted from broken windows.
“…This isn’t good!”
Clearly, this wasn’t an ordinary fire.
Han Si-hyun immediately dialed 119 while rushing toward Jung-hoon’s house.
“Hello! The address is…!!”
Keeping the call open, Han Si-hyun entered the mansion and quickly ascended the stairs.
The flashes and sparks were undoubtedly originating from the second floor.
Despite knowing the danger, Han Si-hyun climbed two steps at a time to ensure Jung-hoon’s safety.
“Jung-hoon! Are you in there…!!”
Upon reaching the second floor, Han Si-hyun froze upon seeing Jung-hoon unconscious and floating mid-air, surrounded by wild flashes and sparks.
“…What the hell is happening?”
Struggling to comprehend the situation, Han Si-hyun’s mind struggled to process what was happening.
At that moment,
El-Lam’s attempt to transfer the Apostle was distorted by interference from the Dark Gods.
The twisted energy from El-Lam engulfed Han Si-hyun, who was near Jung-hoon.
“?!”
There was no way to resist.
El-Lam’s power enveloped Han Si-hyun, severing the tug-of-war centered around Jung-hoon.
Soon, the flashes and sparks swirling around the mansion gradually subsided.
Some time later, firefighters arrived, and Jung-hoon regained consciousness, groaning in nausea.
“…?”
Assisted by the firefighters, Jung-hoon stared in shock at the wreckage of his home.
Meanwhile, Han Si-hyun’s soul, dragged away instead of Jung-hoon’s, seethed with indignation.
‘The person you’re looking for isn’t me; it’s my friend, you idiot!’
Announcement regarding Side Story Serializations + Main Story Epilogue
<Announcement regarding Side Story Serializations>
Hello, this is Mangsin Changi.
The main story of *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* has come to an end thanks to the continuous support of our readers.
Thank you all for appreciating *Swordmaster of the Red Light District*.
Originally, the work was planned to be approximately 400 episodes: ‘Main Story 350 Episodes’ + ‘Episode 0’ + ‘Side Stories 50 Episodes’.
The main story concluded by revealing the ultimate outcome of Ray’s choices and arrangements, and I planned to continue the story afterward through side stories.
Stories like Speira and Johanna’s journey, Luna’s decision and the conclusion of the continental war, and whether Ray would resurrect—all these tales remain untold.
However, I believe that the main story concludes here as Ray, the protagonist, has completed his narrative arc.
Thus, the main story ends at the point where Ray actively influenced events, and the subsequent story will be told in the side stories.
I hope readers understand this division.
The exact timing of the side story serialization is yet to be determined.
After a brief rest and preparation period, I will present the continuation to our readers at an appropriate time.
I will ensure it doesn’t take too long, so please wait patiently.
Although I plan to serialize the side stories, I aimed to make the main story of *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* complete on its own.
However, some details concerning the aftermath of Anthonyus’s fall were intentionally left for the side stories to elaborate on, as they were described briefly in the last episode.
Due to moving some elements from the main story to the side stories, the ending may feel rushed.
For this oversight, I kindly ask for the readers’ understanding.
Initially, I considered hinting at the general flow and conclusion of the side stories within the main story, leaving gaps for readers to imagine the future themselves.
However, fearing it might be irresponsible and disrespectful to the readers, I decided to proceed with the side story serialization.
Had I chosen not to serialize the side stories, the main story’s final episode might have significantly increased in length.
Thank you all for accompanying *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* until its completion.
As an author with much to improve, I humbly request continued interest and support for the upcoming side stories.
+ The main story epilogue is written in plain language and serves as an afterthought.
<Main Story Epilogue>
0.
Why does this character act this way?
Why did this character make such a judgment?
How does this organization in the creative work sustain itself?
There was a time when I continuously pondered and imagined these questions while immersing myself in creative works.
Therefore, when I began writing *Swordmaster of the Red Light District*, I harbored a desire to craft a compelling narrative where the characters seemed alive and moving.
I wanted to write a story where the reader could understand the thoughts and judgments of the characters within the novel.
I hoped the narrative of the novel could reflect the real world.
Thus, I carefully contemplated the situations of supporting characters and the judgments they could make in those situations.
I also paid constant attention to the setting of the world to avoid contradictions.
I believe these efforts contributed to giving *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* a sense of vitality in its narrative.
Additionally, I think these efforts were the driving force behind many readers’ love for the story until its completion.
Of course, upon revisiting the work, there are many regrets and parts I wish I could have improved.
Nonetheless, I am grateful that so many readers cherished *Swordmaster of the Red Light District*.
1.
I am a fan of the Starcraft series.
Hence, there are a few characters and elements in *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* that pay homage to Starcraft.
Originally, Jimmy and Matthew were a single character. However, while casually replaying a Starcraft campaign before serialization, seeing Jim Raynor and Matt Horner inspired me to split the character into two and showcase their chemistry.
Thus, the character was divided, and their names became Jimmy (Jim) and Matthew (Matt).
The pyramid design of the Imperial Capital in the story was conceptualized based on the Terran Dominion Palace illustrated in ‘Augustgrad’ from the Starcraft series.
The depiction of the Dark God and his followers was also influenced by Warhammer 40k.
Furthermore, the scene where Ray’s body is placed on the throne after his death subtly references the Golden Throne from Warhammer 40k.
2.
Without the readers’ participation, it would have been impossible to sustain the long-term serialization, and the numerous stories of *Swordmaster of the Red Light District* would have remained mere fantasies in my mind.
Once again, thank you to all the readers who accompanied this work.
I hope it was a pleasant experience for everyone.
Moving forward, I will strive to leave joyful memories with the readers.
