I Became a Swordsman of a Dystopian World

Ken Sasaki.
Come to think of it, aside from the few days when the Central Control Center officials were relocating to the ant cave, Ken had never once reached out on his own.
Not even to report an issue like a drainage pump malfunction.
It was always other officials who contacted us instead—and every time, I’d heard that Ken had gone out to rescue survivors.
I didn’t have any complaints about that.
The Central Control Center might receive support from the Ark Division, but they’re an independent group—and a reliable ally.
They’re not a subordinate unit that needs to report every little thing.
“Uh, may I ask who you are…?”
Leaving those thoughts aside, I answered.
“I’m with the Ark Division. My name is… classified, due to the nature of the mission.”
The middle-aged woman before me—Boris—looked startled.
“The Ark Division… you say?”
“Yes.”
“I knew it…”
She nodded as if something had finally clicked, then offered me a warm smile and her hand.
“We always listen closely to the Ark Division’s achievements. Thank you for all your hard work.”
“Ah.”
I shook her hand, slightly dazed. Her grip was firm, her smile brightening further.
“It seems we’ve received great help from you again. This area was actually one of our Rescue Headquarters’ target zones.”
“It’s nothing worth special thanks.”
Boris released my hand, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.
“I know it’s late to say this, but if you need anything, please tell us. We’re allies, after all. Our Director maintains a close cooperative relationship with your Captain.”
Well…
That much was true.
A close cooperative relationship…
Right?
If that’s what Ken believed, I could only be grateful.
“Thank you for the offer. But there’s nothing we need help with at the moment. We don’t plan to stay long.”
“Hmm, I thought so.”
What does she keep meaning by ‘I thought so’?
With a serious look, Boris lowered her voice.
“I’ve heard that the Ark Division focuses on extermination of entities. So you’re here because… that thing’s existence reached your division, isn’t that it?”
I had no idea what she was talking about.
“That thing?”
At my question—
“Oh, you didn’t know? Then this area must be…”
She trailed off awkwardly, clearly caught off guard.
“There’s a singularity-class entity here, isn’t there?”
“Ah—yes. That’s what you call them in the Ark Division, right? Correct.”
So the reason there were so few entities around… was really because of a singularity that devoured its own kind?
The thought crossed my mind.
What kind of singularity could it be?
“What are its traits?”
“Well… nothing too special—something that should never have become an entity did.”
A delayed answer.
Her face went pale, as if just remembering it disgusted her.
“An elephant turned into a monster.”
That one line narrowed down the possibilities fast.
“An ordinary elephant?”
“No, one with unusually large tusks.”
“Hmm…”
A low hum escaped me.
Not exactly an elephant, then.
The cold sweat running down my back wasn’t my imagination.
If my guess was right, this could be trouble.
A genetically resurrected extinct species.
The ancestor of elephants—the Columbian Mammoth.
Codename: [Mountain].
A being that could cause the illusion of a moving mountain.
There had been rumors that the Mountain King might be here.
And if that was true—
Then this was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore.
Something didn’t sit right.
An inexplicable sense of discord.
“Hmm.”
Rescue Support Headquarters.
Eastern Team 3, was it?
How had they gotten here so quickly?
Were they nearby by coincidence?
Did they respond immediately to the entities’ strange behavior?
No.
Even if that were the case… something still felt off.
It wasn’t impossible, but every event has cause and effect.
And right now, the cause didn’t match the result.
Something’s wrong. Why exactly did they come to rescue the Egg Residential Complex?
Simply because it was their operation zone and entities gathered here?
On impulse?
Their numbers were far too few for a calculated rescue.
They didn’t look like a team sent to fight through hordes of entities to save people.
Even if not, would they really risk their lives for this place?
It was hard to believe that.

In times like these, altruism wasn’t something anyone could easily afford.
Even so—
The external supporters went about their work as if they’d done it many times before.
Some reinforced barricades while the entities were gone;
Others collected ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) food from blocked-off zones.
It was a scene filled with warmth—yet somehow, I felt detached.
Perhaps it was because of the thoughts I kept buried inside.
Caw!
The crow that kept trying to perch on my shoulder let out a cry.
I patted it absently, lost in thought.
Too many things demanded my attention.
Mountain… huh.
Another issue.
The singularity.
If that thing really was [Mountain], I couldn’t just ignore it.
Four meters tall at the shoulder, at least.
A monster that couldn’t be taken down easily even with heavy gunfire.
Leaving such a creature alone would never end well.
But something bothered me.
Why hasn’t my Danger Detection activated?
If Mountain were truly nearby, the trait should’ve triggered by now.
Unless… it was too far away.
But based on what Boris said, it should be close.
Then…
Don’t tell me—
It wasn’t strong enough to register as a threat?
That it hadn’t yet grown to a level that could endanger me?
Possible.
Not certain, but possible.
Still—
I wouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Not until I saw it with my own eyes.
Looking around, I saw the situation was stabilizing.
“Phew.”
Time to do what I’d put off.
The first task wasn’t confirming the singularity.
It was finding the Mother Computer.
Clearing away my thoughts, I rose to my feet.
Several pairs of eyes turned toward me.
The stares were a bit uncomfortable—but by now, I was used to it.
…Let’s check it out.
I knew where it was.
It would just take a bit of work.
My steps led down to the basement.
The circuit boards were all burned out, so I had to slice through the walls myself.
Caw? Caaaw.
The crow followed, chirping curiously before settling on my shoulder again.
“You’re heavy.”
Caw—
“…?”
That cry sounded odd.
Must’ve been my imagination.
The deeper I went, the thicker the darkness grew.
Thankfully, my Wayless-made glasses let me see even in the dark.
Finally, I reached a small side door in the basement—
and was greeted by a foul, stagnant smell.
Caw! Caaaw!
“Mm.”
The floor was damp.
When I forced the final door open—
Crack!
A sharp noise echoed through my ears—
and a vast hollow chamber appeared before me.
Then came the stench.
“Urgh.”
I had to cover my mouth and nose.
This…
I’d thought I was used to the smell of rot and decay,
but this was on another level entirely.
A grotesque scene that made my mind reel.
“…”
Caaaw!
It was something I almost wished I hadn’t seen.
The true face of the Egg Residential Complex.
Someone lived here?
A makeshift radio on the ground seemed to say yes.
Then who could it have been?
Only one group fit.
Then came a voice.
“You found us.”
“…”
“You’re after the Mother Computer, aren’t you?”
“What is going on here?”
Boris stood there, holding a small flashlight.
“For a moment, I had hoped,” she said, voice cracking.
“That you might’ve come to rescue us.”
Her tone was soaked in self-reproach.
“They were my colleagues.”
That alone told me enough.
I didn’t need to ask.
“They said you came by aircraft.”
“Yes.”
“Please. At least take the children with you.”
Was that cheerful smile from before—
just a mask?
Or had she really seen hope for a brief moment?
I couldn’t tell.
“We couldn’t leave this place either.”
So the “external helpers” weren’t outsiders at all.
They were trapped here—just like the residents.
And as the pieces fell into place, I realized—
those missing links of cause and effect had been perfectly logical all along.
“Don’t end up regretting things like we did… just go back.”
I could guess the reason behind her words.
“It’s because of the singularity, isn’t it?”
“…”
She didn’t answer.
Instead, Boris slammed her head into the wall.
Thud!
“Damn it!”
Thud!
“Damn it—!”
Thud!
“Damn it!!”
Thud!
“Damn it—!!!”
Blood trickled from her forehead.
Had she not stopped, she might’ve seriously injured herself.
“When the hell are reinforcements coming?!”
Her voice cracked as she collapsed to the floor.
“Damn it…”
Her eyes were lifeless—
emptier than any old man’s.
Like staring into an abyss.
Even then, a faint, broken voice echoed through the dark.
—Kzzzt… Thank you for your hard work, even late at night. Entities are sensitive to sound, so…
They had endured—
clinging only to that voice.
That’s why the name Ark had seemed like salvation.
A half-broken military radio on the ground told the rest of the story.
When winter comes, the entities will enter hibernation.
“…”
The voice echoed faintly.
It’s a cold season, but I hope… it brings a little warmth to you.
“…?”
I helped Boris back to her feet.
I didn’t tell her I’d kill the singularity.
Didn’t promise rescue.
Because that wasn’t what I did.
“I’ll fight until every entity in this world is gone,” I said quietly.
There were entities.
I saw them.
And I’d simply eliminate them.
That was the line I’d drawn—
and the only way I could help.
“So don’t fall apart.”
With that, I turned toward the Mother Computer.
A lifeless, half-burned machine.
But my instincts told me it could still be repaired.
It was no bigger than a human head—
yet it could become another beacon of hope for humanity.
A significant find.
“Boris.”
“…Yes?”
“Do you know where the singularity is located?”
“If you’re thinking of doing something reckless, stop. You haven’t even seen—”
“At least for me, it’s possible.”
“That’s nonsense—”
“In the Ark Division, there’s only one person who uses a sword. The Commander.”
For a moment—
Boris’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“No way…”
Her pupils trembled.
Her brow furrowed.
There wasn’t much I could say to her then.
“What do you call the Commander of the Ark?”
“Unknown… among us, that’s what we call you…”
“A fitting nickname,” I said with a faint smile.