SFRW-Chapter 193

Ch. 193 Sword God From The Ruined World

The assault team that entered the Tepic Rift Zone quickly began clearing the area.  

Inside the rift zone, which closely resembled a desert environment, there were many types of monsters.  

Monsters resembling scorpions larger than elephants hiding in the sand, swarms of ants bigger than average dogs, winged snakes dozens of meters long that sprayed venomous liquid several meters—and more.  

Since these monsters could cause significant harm if they escaped the rift zone, the assault team hunted every one they saw as they advanced.  

“I wish we could hunt every single monster in this rift zone,” Gloria said.  

The others nodded in agreement, but—  

“We didn’t come here to deal with small fry. The people left behind can handle these, so let’s not waste time,” Kusak retorted.  

His words made sense.  

Unless a monster was right in front of them, they didn’t have the luxury of tracking down every hidden creature.  

It was also proof of their confidence in the remaining Casserian Guild members’ abilities.  

Following Kusak, who had volunteered as their guide, they traveled for half a day before discovering a massive passage.  

The enormous tunnel, at least ten meters in height and width, was pitch black—pure darkness itself.  

Just looking at it gave off an ominous feeling.  

“We have to go in there?” Choi Kang-soo frowned, clearly displeased by the tunnel that looked like a black hole.  

“What, scared?” Kusak chuckled.  

“Scared? No, it just looks disgusting. Who’d want to dive into sewage?”  

“That’s your analogy?” Kusak sneered before pulling out a long rope from subspace.  

The shimmering silver rope, crafted by alchemists from the ruined continent of Reverka, was incredibly durable—resistant even to sword energy.  

“Just in case, let’s tie ourselves together. We don’t want anyone getting lost in the wrong place.”  

Since even Kusak couldn’t predict what might happen inside the passage, this was the safest method.  

Choi Kang-soo, who had experience with this before, was the first to tie himself.  

“You’re quick,” Kusak teased.  

Before Choi Kang-soo could retort, the others began securing themselves one by one.  

“If outsiders saw this, they’d think we were criminals being transported in chains,” Hyun Joo-yeon remarked, eliciting small laughs from the group.  

“Alright, shall we go in?”  

With some tension eased, Kusak led the way as they stepped into the passage.  

The journey to the Tirotio Dimension had truly begun.  

***    

“Tirotio was originally a dimensional planet—Barhaut’s homeland. Though smaller than Earth, it was a far more advanced world.”  

“To put it simply… it was the most coveted planet among conquerors.”  

“I heard it was the focal point of the purest magic across all dimensions. Naturally, lifeforms born there were incredibly strong.”  

“Among them, Barhaut was said to be part of Tirotio’s royal family. Whether due to internal rebellion or external invasion, his dynasty fell, and he alone survived, clawing his way to power. He’s a monster. So he sought to become a god—well, in a way, he already is. At the very least, he became a being capable of invading and conquering planets at will.”  

“After Barhaut began his conquests, his first act was to completely fortify his home planet. How, you ask?”  

The moment part of their bodies touched the passage, they felt themselves being sucked in.  

Helplessly pulled by an irresistible force, their senses spun as if flipped upside down.  

It was like being grabbed by the legs and swung around by a giant.  

“Ugh…”  

Choi Kang-soo groaned, pressing his throbbing head as he opened his eyes.  

Fortunately, the entire team was still tied together, all groaning in the same spot.  

“Where the hell is this?”  

The first thing Choi Kang-soo saw was a vast, green grassland.  

“Valitao. A dimensional planet once ruled by the ‘Lords of the Forest’ rather than humans.”  

Kusak’s expression soured as he added, “Well, now it’s just a shield to protect Tirotio.”  

“Where does this rank among the thirty-nine planets?” Seo Do-jun asked.  

Kusak let out a dry laugh.  

Only Seo Do-jun, Hyun Joo-yeon, Gloria, Shinjo, and Choi Kang-soo didn’t understand why.  

“Why? What’s so funny?”  

Choi Kang-soo sensed something ominous in Kusak’s laughter and pressed for an answer.  

Veronica answered instead.  

“Looks like Barhaut already noticed us. Valitao is the last of the thirty-nine planets.”  

“The last…?” Hyun Joo-yeon frowned.  

“The dimensional passage I used to reach Earth was from Gigamerxi, the seventeenth planet. But ending up in Valitao means… damn it, Barhaut detected our movement.”  

In other words, Barhaut had realized the restrictions on Kusak and the others were gone.  

Not that they expected him to remain oblivious.  

“Did he predict we’d counterattack?” Seo Do-jun asked.  

Kusak shook his head.  

“Probably not. That’s too far-fetched. More likely, Barhaut’s defensive nature made him reroute all dimensional passages to Valitao. After the Gem of Authority was shattered, he became extremely paranoid.”  

The assault team’s faces hardened at Kusak’s explanation.  

To summarize:  

“So we have to go through all thirty-nine planets to reach Barhaut?”  

Exactly.  

As Kusak nodded, Choi Kang-soo wiped his face in despair.  

“You’re insane… How the hell are we supposed to break through all of them?”  

This was madness.  

He wanted to suggest turning back, but there was no point.  

Even if they did, there was no alternative—and worse, dimensional passages disappeared after use.  

As if to prove it, the passage connecting to Mexico’s Tepic Rift had already shrunk to an impassable size.  

In minutes, it would vanish completely, leaving them no way back to Earth.  

“Don’t overthink it. I never expected this to be easy,” Seo Do-jun said, untying the rope as he surveyed their surroundings.  

The planet was breathtakingly beautiful, with endless green forests.  

Smaller than Earth, its population had dwindled drastically since Barhaut’s conquest.  

Barhaut stacked conquered planets like shields around Tirotio.  

Kusak called them ‘shield planets’, and all thirty-nine had to be breached to reach Barhaut.  

“Here’s the plan: Kassal, you’ll liberate each planet and claim a reward.”  

“A reward?”  

“Anything. Whatever helps you grow stronger to face Barhaut—even if it’s forced.”  

Kusak’s plan wasn’t bad, Seo Do-jun thought.  

Originally, they were supposed to start at Gigamerxi (the seventeenth planet) and move toward Tirotio.  

But now, they had to start from the very end.  

Kusak, Veronica, and Rakun sighed in frustration, but Seo Do-jun saw it differently.  

I never assumed it’d go smoothly. Might as well take the positives.  

Starting from the thirty-ninth planet instead of the seventeenth meant more opportunities for growth.  

Of course, it’d be harder and take longer—but the difference would be immense.  

Once everyone untied, Kusak stored the rope in subspace.  

“You said ‘Lords of the Forest’—are they spirits?” Seo Do-jun asked.  

Kusak shook his head.  

“I’ve only heard stories. This is my first time on Valitao.”  

When Seo Do-jun looked at Veronica and Rakun, they also shrugged, clueless.  

“Acting all knowing when you don’t even have a damn clue… We’re screwed,” Choi Kang-soo muttered, eyeing the trio.  

“Do you even know what Barhaut’s like? He’s so distrustful he wouldn’t let even his most trusted subordinates roam freely. What do you expect us to know?” Kusak shot back.  

“Oh, so that’s something to brag about?”  

Already irritated by the derailed plan, Kusak scowled at Choi Kang-soo’s taunts.  

But Choi Kang-soo wasn’t backing down.  

After three months of life-or-death training, he had grown exponentially—and he’d barely tapped into the Divine Sword’s full power.  

If he unleashed it now—  

“What? Wanna fight right here?”  

Kusak was a mage—a battle mage specializing in fire, but still a mage.  

Against a Holy Knight like Choi Kang-soo, the matchup wasn’t favorable.  

“Getting cocky now, huh?” Kusak’s eyes flared dangerously.  

Choi Kang-soo’s gaze sharpened in response.  

“Whether I crawl or fly, we’ll see when we fight.”  

Neither was willing to back down.  

“You want blood?”  

“Yeah, let’s see whose blood gets spilled.”  

“Heh. Cute how this brat acts tough just because of his Divine Sword.”  

“Talent, hard work, genius—none of it matters. You know what’s the strongest? Gear advantage!”  

“Let’s test that gear of yours.”  

“Easy. But bet your life on it. I’m in a real bad mood right now—thanks to you!”  

As the two heated up, Seo Do-jun stepped in.  

“Both of you, enough.”  

That was all it took.  

Choi Kang-soo immediately stood down like a disciplined soldier.  

“To move to the next planet, we need to find this one’s overseer first, right?” Gloria asked.  

Still glaring at Choi Kang-soo, Kusak answered, “Right. Kill or persuade them to open the passage.”  

“How do we liberate the planet?”  

“Not sure. But once we find the overseer, we’ll figure it out.”  

Though speculative, they had no choice but to trust Kusak.  

“Alright. Let’s find the overseer,” Seo Do-jun said, taking the lead.  

The forest was vibrant—so full of life it was hard to believe it had been conquered.  

Birdsong filled the air like nature’s symphony.  

Sunlight filtered warmly through the trees, and the breeze carried a refreshing chill.  

“…This place is wonderful,” Gloria murmured, closing her eyes with a smile.  

It felt like reading a book under a giant tree would bring pure happiness.  

Hyun Joo-yeon, too, was enchanted by the forest’s scent, and even Shinjo wore a rare, soft smile.  

Just as the team relaxed—  

Twang!  

A tiny gust of wind, and an arrow shot toward them.  

Clang!  

Veronica’s sword flashed like lightning, deflecting the arrow aimed at Hyun Joo-yeon.  

“Stay alert—!”  

Hyun Joo-yeon had already drawn her sword, aware of the attack.  

Veronica tsked and sheathed her blade.  

[□□□□□□□□□□!]  

An unknown voice echoed through the forest.  

Kusak quickly cast a translation spell.  

As a grand mage, his magic ensured language wouldn’t be a problem.  

[Humans! Get out!]  

The voice was hostile, dripping with hostility.  

Worse, an overwhelming bloodlust prickled at their skin from all directions.  

“Well, this is lively,” Kusak smirked.  

Flames flickered around him, multiplying rapidly—over thirty in seconds.  

[Do not harm the forest!]  

The voice grew more agitated as Kusak summoned even more fire.  

“No.”  

[…Then die!]