[ TWATF ]

Chapter 26: Dead man (1)

[There's something worse than dying. If you have visited <Chaos> at least once, you would know.]

- Yoo Surha, the 2nd Squadron Captain of [Rupture]

Episode 5. Dead man

T

hree days later.

Jaehwan was standing at the entrance of <Twilight's Fall> with his scabbard. The work that he thought would take one day actually took three, but it was still much shorter than the average of three weeks for processing a horn. Meikal and a few artisans came out to say goodbye.

"...Are you really going on your way?"

"Yeah, I got what I needed."

He also had some unexpected information. When Jaehwan [Understood] the [Craft], he acquired some interesting information. Those monsters were not naturally occurring. The Garnak horn had already been [Crafted] before they worked on it. That meant-

'Monsters are the creation of someone else.'

There was no telling who did it and for what purpose, but they were carefully crafted masterpieces for sure. Jaehwan tapped on the scabbard and said, "I like it."

It seemed like his sword also liked it as it let out a satisfied cry. The scabbard glowed with a black light. Its durability and ability to cut off dark energy from the outside was great, but the scabbard also had a power to scare off trihorns and below with something called [Presence of Garnak], which was useful. Meikal looked at the scabbard and asked,

"Oh, did you choose your sword's name?"

"No."

"If it's alright, can I name it for you?"

Meikal smiled and said, "I felt something after watching you for three days."

They were short but impactful days.

"I don't know what you wish to do and why you showed me that 'world'."

Meikal remembered the world. After he came out from it, everything seemed like a lie. He would probably never be allowed to see that world again. It was because of Jaehwan that Meikal, who was too used to the skill and interface, managed to see the world. Was it a dream? A hallucination? Or...

Meikal looked at Jaehwan.

"But I know one thing."

Whatever it was, one thing wascertain.

"The people in this world will not like you."

In this world, the truth did not mean justice. People here were too used to the reality of their ways. They did not like uncertainty and complication and this man was a mix of all that.

"Some might be astonished by you, but most will not."

Meikal thought about Jaehwan when he first walked in. A man who knew of no modesty.

"Some might fear you."

He was violent.

"Some will belittle and look down on you."

And he looked foolishly weird.

"Some will ignore you."

Meikal knew. He knew what Jaehwan did would buy him hatred. The world would reject him and some would even want to kill him.

"But you still want to save that 'world?"

Meikal wanted to stop him. Even if the world he was shown was great, and the world contained something that all people of <Great Lands> had to know, Meikal wished for Jaehwan to give up on it and live instead.