'The day the gates of the abyss opens, the age of men will come to an end.'
It was a part of the prophecy that had been passed down since ancient times. But very few truly believed in it and rightly so, for for thousands of years, mankind had never been on the brink of destruction.
However, the prophecy was true.
One night, when the moon was particularly red, the gates of the abyss opened, and monsters poured out.
The Lord of the Undead, the Wailing Eye, the Frost Dragon, the Wraith Knights, the Giant King, the Ruler of the Abyss, and more.
Monsters that only existed in legends swept through the world, and the glory and civilization built by mankind crumbled into nothingness.
However, mankind did not give up. Desperate to survive, they fought back against the monsters, and it was around this time that Heroes, or Warriors as they were called, appeared.
Seven brave heroes passed the ordeal and the Great Warrior 'Ulan' was one of them.
The Barbarian Chieftain, Ulan Bator.
The possessor of monstrous strength comparable to that of a giant, and the strongest power in charge of the hero's party's vanguard.
As if to demonstrate this, Ulan advanced forth, boasting of his formidable strength, as if there would be no defeats on his path.
But in the cave of giants, his advance halted.
"Huuk! Huuk!"
Crimson blood flowed down his chin while dozens of arrows pierced his body, the giants' arrows included which by human standards resembled a spear.
That wasn't all.
His abdomen was punctured, and his entrails were mangled. His face was charred and his left arm was blackened by poison.
It wouldn't be strange if he died right away.
"Huuk! Huuuu!
While exhaling in a series of ragged breaths, Ulan recalled his past memories.
One of the Rulers of the Abyss.
Immediately after falling into the Giant King's trap, three of his companions were gravely wounded.
To make matters worse, the deadly poison poisoned even the Saint, the Hero party's only healer.
The imminent crisis of annihilation was at hand. But they must not die just yet, for the Heroes were mankind's last hope.
So Ulan volunteered to stay here, to give his comrades time to retreat, and to reduce the number of enemies by one more.
And the mission was a success.
The surrounding scenery was proof.
Corpse, Corpse, Corpse!
The corpses of giants piled up a mountain. The blood that flowed from the mountain formed a river, and beyond that, a monster many times larger than the other giants lay dying - Largtan, the Giant King.
The king who fought Ulan to the end.
He, too, was about to die soon.
〘It was a great fight〙
That's when he spoke up, in a voice filled with admiration.
〘Hero. Your name, I ask.〙
There were many names that called him.
The Great Warrior of the Meadow, the Giant Slayer, the Red-Eyed Barbarian, the Great Chieftain and so on.
But all his feats and glory were worthless in the face of death, so he calmly revealed his true name.
"······Ulan."
After a short answer, he spoke in a slurred voice.
〘Ulan, Ulan. I will remember.〙
After muttering Ulan's name over and over again, Largtan smiled contentedly.
〘Let's meet again in the abyss and fight, Ulan. At the end of the abyss, I wait for you······〙
At the end of the voice that gradually faded away, his body turned to ashes. It was an unusual end that only the monsters of the abyss faced.
After the death of the Largtan, the Giant King, Ulan felt it too.
That there was not much left in his life.
"Huuuu!"
His blurred vision while his breath came in ragged gasps.
Then, the records of life he had experienced for decades flashed through his mind like a flashlight.
Memories of being born as a warrior in the meadow, becoming a Hero by challenging a legend, holding the most beautiful woman of the clan in his arms, and fighting for mankind.
In this flood of memories, there were also many moments of regret and lingering attachment.
That of not being able to reach the status of a Superhuman.
For failing to prevent his brother's death.
Not being able to take responsibility for his clan to the end, etc.
There were many regrets, but the biggest regret of all was meeting his end here.
'·······I was not strong enough.'
If only I had more strength.
If only my body had been stronger.
If he had a stronger axe than the one that broke during the fight with Largtan, he might not have died like this.
The lingering regret continued biting its tail.
Ulan, who had reached the end of the road, realized it was longing; a longing for a new life, for opportunities that would never be given to him again.
'If I could live again, I would…'
At that time, I will not regret it.
I will train my blessed body to even greater extremes, and challenge the realm beyond Great Warrior based on my my seasoned experience and knowledge.
I will wield weapons far more powerful than those I have now. I will keep the promises I made with my companions to stop the Lords of the Abyss and return safely.
Ulan made a silent promise.
Before long, just as his consciousness was about fade away, something unexpected happened.
Flash!
A pure white light suddenly emanated from the shabby necklace that was hanging around his neck. Ulan tilted his hazy eyes to look at it.
'·······the Mark of a Hero.'
About 30 years ago in the distant past, when he was still a warrior of the meadow.
It was a mark obtained as a reward for challenging the 'Trial of a Hero', a legend passed down through the generations of his clan. But why is it suddenly shining?
When his mind was filled with doubts.
Boom!
The burst of light engulfed the cave and just in time, Ulan's consciousness was cut off.