SFRW-Chapter 190

Ch. 190 Sword God From The Ruined World

“From now on, Kusak will train you all to acquire simple magical abilities.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Kusak raised his hand with his usual mischievous grin and greeted them.  

“The name’s Kusak. About this tall?”  

He placed his palm at around his ankle height.  

The Casserian Guild members tilted their heads in confusion, wondering what he was doing.  

“Well, let’s just say this is roughly your current level. And I’ll grab you by the collar—or the hair—and drag you up to at least here.”  

He pointed at his waist.  

Every single guild member frowned at Kusak’s gesture.  

Seo Do-jun promptly kicked Kusak in the ribs.  

Thud!  

“Guh—ack!”  

With a scream, Kusak went flying sideways like a paper doll.  

The sight of Kusak being flung away and Seo Do-jun’s unprecedented behavior—something they had never seen before—left everyone wide-eyed, as if they had witnessed something they shouldn’t have.  

Ignoring the chaos, Seo Do-jun introduced Veronica.  

“This is Veronica. She’ll properly teach you swordsmanship.”  

Veronica flashed a smile so enchanting it could shake the composure of any man.  

“Let’s do our best together.”  

She spoke like a demure lady, but—  

“Don’t believe her! She’s a total cheat! Countless men have fallen for that disgusting act! Even Kassal was—”  

“Shut up, you bastard!”  

Veronica’s demeanor flipped instantly as she began mercilessly stomping on Kusak, who was crumpled in the corner.  

The guild members felt their heads go numb at the sight, but Seo Do-jun ignored it and finally introduced Rakun.  

“This is Rakun. He’ll push you to your limits—starting with stamina, then hand-to-hand combat, weapon techniques, and defensive skills.”  

“Training is real combat. As long as you’re prepared, I’ll guide anyone.”  

Rakun, at least, seemed the most normal, and the guild members sighed in relief.  

“D-don’t be fooled! Never trust her if she says, ‘Let’s go eat ramen!’ That perverted witch! That depraved—guhk!”  

“Shut your mouth, you insane bastard! What nonsense are you spewing after seeing something you shouldn’t have?!”  

Kusak, still being stomped into the corner, kept shouting, while Veronica looked ready to murder him.  

No matter how you looked at it, this wasn’t normal.  

The guild members unanimously decided they would only train under Rakun.  

But—  

“What are you doing? Collapsing already?! Get up! I told you, training is combat! You have to be prepared! Risk your life! Have some warrior’s pride!”  

Training is combat.  

They had no idea those words could be so terrifying.  

Rakun was truly—  

Truly—driving them to the brink of death under the guise of training.  

Not a single one of them was normal.  

How had Seo Do-jun ever gotten along with people like this in the past?  

No, more importantly—how had he managed to stay so composed after being around them?  

Once again, the guild members found themselves in awe of Seo Do-jun.  

In any case, Kusak, Veronica, and Rakun were now temporarily employed as the Casserian Guild’s new instructors.  

***

“Uncleeeee!”  

Seo Do-jun felt a twinge of guilt seeing Choi Kang-soo clinging to him and sobbing.  

The man looked utterly miserable.  

“I’m sorry.”  

At those words, Choi Kang-soo cried even harder.  

“Y-you le-left meee thereee… Hic… I-I thought I was gonna diiieee…”  

His words were barely intelligible as he poured out his emotions. Seo Do-jun silently patted his back.  

It took about twenty minutes for Choi Kang-soo to finally calm down.  

No warm words or comfort were necessary.  

“Omnomnom! Slurp! Gulp!”  

A feast was enough.  

From galbitang (beef short rib soup) to braised ribs, japchae, tangsuyuk, bossam, and jokbal—Seo Do-jun had brought an enormous spread.  

The moment the food was laid out, Choi Kang-soo acted as if he had never been crying and began shoveling food into his mouth.  

“Meat meat meat meat meat…”  

His half-lidded eyes and meat-induced muttering even startled Seo Do-jun.  

After a storm—no, a ravenous—meal, Choi Kang-soo finally returned to his senses.  

“Whew! I ate so much I can’t even move!”  

He rubbed his stomach with deep satisfaction.  

The Divine Sword grumbled, calling him a pig, but Choi Kang-soo, now sick of its nagging, ignored it completely.  

“Let’s head back.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Choi Kang-soo asked for a moment and then channeled magic—or rather, divine power.  

His control was incomparable to before, and even Seo Do-jun gave a small nod of approval.  

“Buuurp!”  

Using holy power to aid digestion, Choi Kang-soo stood up with a satisfied expression.  

“Before we go back, shouldn’t you check my progress?”  

His face was filled with confidence.  

Seo Do-jun smirked.  

“You might end up wanting to stay in Guam again.”  

Choi Kang-soo flinched.  

“N-not that much…”  

『What, are you scared after one sentence? Are you forgetting all the hardship you went through? Even if you lose, you should fight with everything you’ve got!』 

The Divine Sword berated him, and Choi Kang-soo nodded.  

“Even if I lose, I want an objective evaluation of my skills.”  

His tone was firm.  

Seo Do-jun drew his sword from subspace.  

“If you’re serious, I’ll respond in kind.”  

“W-wait, that’s not—”  

Choi Kang-soo hesitated again, and the Divine Sword exploded.  

『Ugh! Just drown yourself in the ocean, you hopeless idiot!』  

Amid the sword’s scathing insults, the spar between Seo Do-jun and Choi Kang-soo began.  

Seo Do-jun pressured him from the start.  

Choi Kang-soo’s limbs stiffened under the overwhelming force, but once he tapped into his divine power and the sword’s abilities, he managed to hold his own surprisingly well.  

He had improved a lot.  

Could any ordinary Hero achieve this level of growth from solitary training in Guam?  

Absolutely not.  

The only reason Choi Kang-soo had reached this level was because of the Divine Sword.  

Having trained countless holy knights over the ages, the sword knew exactly how to teach Choi Kang-soo—what methods worked best, what he needed—down to the smallest detail.  

And Choi Kang-soo had followed its guidance religiously, leading to his current strength.  

‘At this rate, he might even rival the Three Generals in pure skill.’  

It was an astonishing improvement, but given that Choi Kang-soo wielded an overpowered Divine Sword, it wasn’t unbelievable.  

However, he still lacked real combat experience.  

“Guhh… As expected, Uncle is an insurmountable wall!”  

Choi Kang-soo despaired at his inability to even graze Seo Do-jun’s clothes despite giving his all.  

『Pack your bags. You’re not leaving this island for another ten years. Ten more years—ten years of hellish training!』  

The Divine Sword stood tall, gazing at the distant sea as it declared this.  

When Choi Kang-soo returned with Seo Do-jun, the happiest person was, of course, Choi Cheol-gwan.  

Naturally—  

“You’re not so weak as to be a burden, right?”  

His gruff fatherly greeting made the onlookers wince at how harsh it was.  

“Father.”  

Ignoring the tone, Choi Kang-soo embraced him tightly.  

“W-what’s gotten into you?!”  

Choi Cheol-gwan was more shocked than anyone—Choi Kang-soo hadn’t shown affection or acted spoiled since he was in fourth grade.  

“I missed you so much.”  

“……”  

Though Choi Kang-soo looked like a mess, his rock-solid body and sincere warmth made it impossible for Cheol-gwan to stay cold.  

He could imagine how much his son had suffered alone on that remote island.  

Slowly, he raised a hand and patted Choi Kang-soo’s back.  

“…You’ve been through a lot.”  

His voice wavered.  

“Father… I’ll be a filial son from now on.”  

Choi Kang-soo didn’t hold back his tears.  

What was there to be ashamed of, crying in front of his father?  

Eventually, tears fell from Cheol-gwan’s eyes as well, and the watching guild members soon found their own eyes growing moist.  

After the emotional reunion, Choi Kang-soo and Choi Cheol-gwan went on a two-day trip together—at Seo Do-jun’s suggestion.  

He knew Choi Cheol-gwan was extremely busy, but restoring his relationship with Choi Kang-soo was far more important.  

When they returned two days later, father and son were completely at ease with each other.  

Choi Cheol-gwan’s steps were lighter than ever as he headed back to his workshop.  

“Thank you, Uncle.”  

“No need for thanks. Just don’t forget this feeling. You’re all Vice-President Choi Cheol-gwan has, and the same goes for you.”  

“Yes!”  

At Choi Kang-soo’s energetic reply, Seo Do-jun clapped him on the shoulder and said he had someone to introduce, leading him to the guild building.  

As they neared the training hall, Choi Kang-soo grew uneasy at the cacophony of noises—  

Enraged screams, gasping cries, half-mad weeping, curses filled with despair…  

Whatever was happening inside, it was terrifying enough to make him hesitate.  

“What are you doing?”  

Seo Do-jun standing at the door felt like a devil luring him into hell.  

“W-what’s going on in there?”  

“Training.”  

Seo Do-jun answered simply and stepped inside.  

Through the slightly ajar door, Choi Kang-soo caught glimpses—  

A guild member who looked like he’d passed out.  

Another foaming at the mouth.  

Someone covered in bruises, looking like a fallen Smurf.  

“W-what the…?”  

As Choi Kang-soo hesitated—  

“What are you waiting for? Get in here.”  

Seo Do-jun’s urging forced him to take a reluctant step forward.  

『I’ve got a bad feeling. We should flee back to Guam. If you go in there, you’ll end up like them. Let’s just go back. Ten years of training there and…』  

At the mention of Guam, Choi Kang-soo gritted his teeth and pushed the door open.  

The moment he entered—  

“……!”  

He froze.  

What he’d seen through the door wasn’t an illusion.  

If anything, it was worse.  

“Cough! Hack!”  

Park Seung-ho was coughing up blood, looking like he was on the verge of death.  

“You… bastards! I’ll… tear you apart!”  

Hwang Jin-joo’s nose was broken, blood streaming down as he carefully picked up his knocked-out teeth one by one.  

Matteo, the Italian, had his arms and legs twisted grotesquely, lying on the floor like a bug while cursing in broken Korean.  

“T-this is…!”  

The ones who looked like Smurfs or had passed out early were the lucky ones.  

“What are you doing? Heal them first.”  

Seo Do-jun casually nudged Choi Kang-soo forward, unfazed by the carnage.  

For a holy knight, healing spells were child’s play.  

Choi Kang-soo approached Matteo first, channeling holy power.  

A warm white light enveloped him, and his limbs cracked back into place.  

Next was Hwang Jin-joo, who was clutching his five teeth. His nose straightened, and the teeth reattached themselves firmly to his gums.  

Choi Kang-soo went on to heal every groaning guild member.  

“So that’s the kid.”  

Veronica approached Seo Do-jun, watching Choi Kang-soo.  

“What do you mean?”  

“The Holy knight. The one who gave Rebley a good beating. That’s him, right?”  

“Ah.”  

Seo Do-jun nodded in realization.  

“Müte’s armor and Divine Sword were in Palaresta’s possession… Wait, don’t tell me he’s like you, Kassal? A soul transfer?”  

Kusak asked if Palaresta’s soul had moved bodies, but Seo Do-jun shook his head and briefly explained.  

“Müte’s Divine Sword chose him, huh? Interesting. Well, at least I don’t have to bother with healing magic now.”  

“Still… I don’t see much fighting spirit in him as a Holy knight.”  

Rakun tilted his head, unimpressed by Choi Kang-soo’s apparent lack of strength.  

“He’s improved massively compared to before.”  

“Even so, he’s too weak to be of any real help to us.”  

“That’s why I brought him here. From now on, you’ll take turns training him.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Rakun nodded in understanding, while Veronica and Kusak grinned like children who had just been given a fun new toy.  

Gulp!  

Meanwhile, Choi Kang-soo, still healing the guild members, suddenly felt an inexplicable chill as three pairs of predatory eyes locked onto him.  

『You idiot! It’s too late to cry and beg to go back to Guam now! You’re—sigh! But how the hell are those lunatics here?!』 

The Divine Sword, having fought alongside Palaresta, recognized Kusak, Veronica, and Rakun instantly.  

Among Seo Do-jun’s former comrades, these three were infamous—and not in a good way.  

『Well… if the rumors are true, they could push this fool to new heights.』