SFRW-Chapter 90

Ch. 90 Sword God From The Ruined World

Inside the plane heading to South Africa.  

Hyun Joo-yeon and Gloria couldn’t easily start a conversation due to Seo Do-jun’s unreadable expression.  

‘How long is he going to stay like that?’  

‘We finally meet after so long…’  

Walking on eggshells around Seo Do-jun, both women felt extremely uncomfortable.  

What should they say?  

Should they ask about the black mist again?  

As they agonized, Seo Do-jun took out his vibrating phone.  

“What’s the situation?”  

His low, heavy voice filled the cabin.  

Short replies followed.  

When the brief call ended, Hyun Joo-yeon quickly spoke up.  

“Was that the Association Chairman?”  

“Yeah.”  

“What did he say?”  

“The Heroes who entered Namibia have lost contact.”  

“That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dead! Couldn’t it just be communication failure…”  

“South Africa sent reinforcements. They’ve lost contact too.”  

South Africa had ignored Seo Do-jun’s warning not to enter, and was now paying the price.  

Gloria, who didn’t understand South Korean, asked Seo Do-jun to explain in English.  

His answer shocked her too.  

“Kassal, just tell us straight. What is that black mist?”  

When Gloria broke the ice, Hyun Joo-yeon also seemed relieved.  

“Right. We need to know to prepare.”  

Seeing how long they’d patiently waited, Seo Do-jun decided to ease their frustration.  

“If what I suspect is correct, this is truly dangerous. This isn’t just about Namibia’s former territory anymore. The worst-case scenario could affect all of Africa and Europe.”  

Both women’s faces showed astonishment.  

Africa was enormous – and Europe too?  

It sounded unbelievable.  

But even this was Seo Do-jun downplaying the severity.  

“So what exactly is the black mist?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon couldn’t bear the suspense any longer.  

Reading her expression demanding a straight answer, Seo Do-jun obliged.  

“Skeleton Mist. That’s what I believe the black mist is.”  

While it had an official name, it was commonly called Skeleton Mist.  

“What effects does this Skeleton Mist have that worries you so much, Kassal?”  

Now that they knew the name, Gloria wanted details.  

“It’s a mist that skeletonizes everything – living creatures, long-dead corpses, all of it.”  

“…What?”  

“That’s… impossible…”  

The revelation stunned both women into silence.  

‘Avarr… Is it really him?’  

Seo Do-jun examined a photo on his phone – a black-robed figure with glowing red eyes staring at the sky.  

The last skeleton captured emerging from the enlarged rift.  

Even Seo Do-jun couldn’t be certain of its identity.  

But…  

‘If it really is Avarr… Then Vaitel being on Earth is no coincidence either!’  

This represented Seo Do-jun’s worst-case scenario.  

* * *  

“Kuhahaha! I almost can’t believe you’re the same Vaitel I knew!”  

The mocking words angered Vaitel, but he couldn’t refute them.  

Amused by Vaitel’s silence, his companion burst into frivolous laughter.  

Running fingers through disheveled hair, Vaitel finally spoke.  

“You’re just as powerless here.”  

“Me?”  

The other scoffed, gesturing to his skeleton army.  

“Well, you’re better off than me thanks to these bones. But your power has limits too, doesn’t it?”  

“Limits? In this weak world? Even limited power is more than enough! We’re fundamentally different, Vaitel. Can’t you see that? Or won’t you admit it? Kehkehkeh!”  

“Yes, fundamentally different. From trash like you.”  

“Trash?!”  

Though the other’s voice turned sharp, Vaitel continued dismissively.  

“I’ll admit you have the advantage here – in this environment, within the Skeleton Mist’s limited range.”  

His nasty smirk made clear that was the only concession.  

When the other tried to protest, Vaitel cut him off.  

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know the Skeleton Mist’s weakness?”  

“Weakness?”  

The other – Avarr – chuckled dismissively.  

“That without a constant influx of living energy, the mist’s range shrinks and the skeletons weaken? You thought I didn’t know?”  

Avarr’s laughter died instantly.  

“…H-how?”  

His voice shook.  

The Skeleton Mist’s fatal flaw – left alone, it would weaken – was his most closely guarded secret.  

“Don’t worry. You’re probably the only one who knows.”  

“Worry? Pah! Who’s worried? And what does it matter? There’ll always be creatures entering my mist!”  

In their ruined world, Avarr’s Skeleton Mist had slaughtered countless humans, contributing greatly to the apocalypse.  

This earned him the King’s favor and his current position.  

“That’s exactly why you’re stupid.”  

“Stupid?! Me, Avarr Teleiman, the continent’s greatest dark mage?!”  

Avarr Teleiman – a once-famous dark mage from their ruined world.  

Self-proclaimed ‘greatest’, though no one else agreed.  

A talentless hack driven by revenge after being expelled from the Mage Tower.  

His one ‘achievement’ was the Skeleton Mist.  

“The Skeleton Mist can’t be moved once deployed, correct?”  

Immobility – another weakness.  

“So what?”  

“Deploying it over dead land was your worst mistake.”  

Had he chosen a populated city, the mist could have doomed this world already.  

But the fool wasted it on abandoned territory.  

Avarr stammered, realizing his error too late.  

In his eagerness to make an entrance, he’d maximized the mist’s range without checking for living targets.  

“How long to redeploy?”  

Avarr exploded. “Why should I tell you?!”  

“Have you forgotten we share the same goal?”  

Avarr’s jaw clicked angrily.  

“…I need time to gather death energy and prepare the death poison.”  

“How long?”  

“Hard to say. I’d need to kill at least 400,000-500,000.”  

Vaitel frowned – no small number.  

In this security-conscious world, mass killings would be challenging.  

Though one well-placed spell in a crowded tourist spot could kill tens of thousands instantly.  

The real problem came after.  

“Even after killing, gathering energy and preparing the poison would take at least six months…”  

Vaitel stopped listening.  

After painstakingly raising his synchronization rate to 30%, this fool had ruined everything.  

“Don’t worry! My undead army will conquer this weak world in no time!”  

“Undead army?”  

Vaitel turned away, done with this idiot.  

“Where are you going?”  

“I’ve had enough of your stupidity. We’ll work separately.”  

“Stupid?! You dare call me stupid after kneeling before my undead army?!”  

As Avarr raged, Vaitel walked away without looking back.  

“Dismissing me and my army?”  

Avarr decided then to prove who was more valuable to the King.  

“No matter! I’ll make what I need! The stupid one is you, Vaitel! Muhahaha!”  

Confidently laughing, Avarr ordered his skeleton legion:  

“Capture every living creature outside the mist and bring them here!”  

In their ruined world, when the mist lacked victims, this method had served him well.  

This weaker world with its inferior ‘Heroes’ would be even easier to dominate.  

“Capture all humans you see and make them your comrades! Kuhahaha!”  

At Avarr’s command, the skeleton army divided into three groups – north, east, and south – and began their advance.