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Ch. 41 Sword God From The Ruined World   

Rumors about a clash between a South Korean Hero and a Japanese Hero spread rapidly.  

Even the Brazilian Hero Association’s attempts to suppress the rumors were futile—all thanks to the members of the Silk Flower Guild who had witnessed the incident firsthand.  

“Keep this to yourself, okay? Last time…”  

“Is that you, Young-jin? Yeah, I’m doing well. The weather in Brazil is nicer than I expected, and the food suits my taste. But listen, this is top secret. Yeah, top secret! So don’t tell anyone! Actually, we had a run-in with the Japanese Heroes…”  

“What? Those damn Japanese right-wing monkey bastards spouting nonsense again? Those sons of—! Ugh! I should’ve crushed them last time! Huh? No, it’s nothing major. Just a few days ago, we had a showdown with the Teikoku Guild in Brazil. Ah! But you can’t spread this yet…”  

“You know Hero Seo Do-jun, right? Yeah, the eighth S-rank Hero! That guy is seriously incredible! What’s so incredible about him? Well… I saw it with my own eyes…”  

Just between us, it’s a secret, don’t tell anyone else, and so on.  

The Silk Flower Guild members spilled the story to their families and acquaintances.  

Naturally, such ‘secrets’ were never kept.  

In no time, the rumors spread across South Korea and soon reached the ears of reporters.  

For journalists who chased after any sensational story, the enigmatic tale of Seo Do-jun was irresistible—a scoop juicy enough to make their mouths water.  

They churned out articles at lightning speed.  

At first, it was just unverified hearsay, but as fact-checking progressed, the entire country became plastered with news about Seo Do-jun.  

“What’s the public sentiment like?”  

In response to Chairman Na Tae-hwang’s question, Deputy Director Min Hong-gi answered promptly.  

“Public interest in Hero Seo Do-jun has exploded like never before. He’s already been the top search term online for three days straight.”  

“Well, it makes sense. The internet’s buzzing with rumors that he single-handedly beat down Takashi—of all people.”  

A faint smile crept onto Na Tae-hwang’s face as he spoke.  

Takashi was the central figure of Japan’s far-right faction, notorious for spewing anti-Korean remarks without hesitation.  

How many times had Na Tae-hwang clenched his fists in frustration at Takashi’s provocations?  

And now, that same Takashi had been utterly crushed by Seo Do-jun. If not for his position, Na Tae-hwang might have danced in joy.  

Any sane South Korean citizen—aside from the pro-Japan faction—would share the same sentiment, making the public’s explosive interest in Seo Do-jun entirely understandable.  

“But is it really true that the Japanese Hero Association has given up on investigating the incident?”  

Deputy Director Min Hong-gi wore a look of disbelief.  

Takashi wasn’t just any Hero—he was the face of Japan itself.  

For a Hero of his stature to suffer such a humiliating defeat at the hands of a Korean Hero was unthinkable. The Japanese Association should have been tearing into their opponent by now—just as they always did.  

They were the type who would obsessively dig up flaws in their adversaries to cover up their own shame and losses, rallying public opinion to save face.  

So instead of feeling triumphant about the news from Brazil, Min Hong-gi was more worried about whether Seo Do-jun, Hyun Joo-yeon, and the others would end up in trouble.  

“The person involved requested no investigation, so the Japanese Hero Association had no choice.”  

“I heard that too, but… Did Takashi really say that?”  

“Hard to believe, but that’s what they say.”  

At Chairman Na Tae-hwang’s dry chuckle, Min Hong-gi’s brow furrowed.  

“I’m concerned they might be scheming something behind the scenes.”  

“Even if they are, there’s nothing we can do about it right now. After all, we’re in the position of the parents of the kid who threw the punch, while Japan’s the parents of the kid who got hit. Unless Japan makes the first move, we can’t intervene.”  

It wasn’t wrong.  

Even in a kids’ fight, the one who got hit was expected to react first. The one who threw the punch stepping forward to explain things would only look desperate.  

“Hopefully, nothing happens, but if Japan does try something, we can’t just sit back and take it. That’s why I’m telling you—compile everything Takashi and the Teikoku Guild have done. If we’re attacked, we need to counter properly.”  

“Understood.”  

Min Hong-gi exuded confidence, certain that exposing Takashi and the Teikoku Guild’s dirty laundry wouldn’t be difficult.  

“But can we really take this at face value?”  

“About Seo Do-jun?”  

“Yes. It’s just… by common sense, it’s too hard to believe.”  

The claim that Takashi had been beaten like a dog in a one-sided assault wasn’t just hard for Min Hong-gi to swallow—online debates about its authenticity were fierce.  

“Now that you mention it, there’s been more than one unbelievable thing lately.”  

Chairman Na Tae-hwang smiled faintly as he spoke.  

Just confirming that his instincts hadn’t been wrong was already a massive gain for him in this incident.  

And strangely, he even felt a premonition—that the global hierarchy of Heroes might be on the verge of upheaval.  

***

“Damn it!”  

Kang Young-pyo, lying in a first-class airplane seat, ripped off his sleep mask as if he couldn’t possibly rest.  

“What the hell is going on?!”  

Takashi had been Kang Young-pyo’s most powerful hidden blade.  

The price he’d paid to wield that blade had been steep—not just money, but several lucrative domestic businesses he’d handed over.  

Of course, since Takashi had failed, those deals were now void.  

But that wasn’t the problem.  

“I never thought Takashi would fail.”  

The fact that Takashi had failed was far more devastating to Kang Young-pyo than losing money or businesses.  

“A one-sided beating…”  

For Kang Young-pyo, it was an unbelievable—no, an unacceptable claim.  

He knew Takashi’s abilities better than anyone.  

“There’s definitely something else going on.”  

Otherwise, Takashi wouldn’t have failed. And he certainly wouldn’t have taken full responsibility and avoided an investigation into the incident.  

“If there’s something even Takashi had to avoid…”  

The first thing that came to mind was the Hero Association, but Kang Young-pyo knew Chairman Na Tae-hwang’s character better than anyone.  

Na Tae-hwang wasn’t the type to compromise with injustice or act improperly, even for a fellow South Korean.  

In other words, if the rumors were true, Seo Do-jun had beaten Takashi one-sidedly, and Na Tae-hwang wouldn’t shield him for it.  

Meaning, the Chairman hadn’t pulled any strings behind the scenes.  

“Dammit! I can’t make heads or tails of this—it’s driving me insane!”  

But one thing was certain:  

He had to stain his hands with Seo Do-jun’s blood.  

And since Takashi had failed, Kang Young-pyo needed to be even more meticulous and cautious.  

“Things have gotten complicated… but the skies of Brazil will still be the last skies Seo Do-jun ever sees.”  

Kang Young-pyo was confident.  

He had the most foolproof method to kill anyone—not just Seo Do-jun.  

***  

D-1.  

Only one day remained until the Brazil rift zone Sealing Operation.  

Two days prior, Heroes from around the world had gathered in São Paulo for the mission.  

The atmosphere was chaotic.  

No matter how thoroughly the Brazilian Hero Association had prepared, controlling a gathering of Heroes with wildly different personalities was impossible.  

The clash between South Korean and Japanese Heroes had only made things worse.  

With the rift zone operation already demanding full focus, the tense undercurrent between Korea and Japan further fractured the group’s cohesion.  

South Korea and Japan had never been on good terms, and now, with this disgraceful incident, even small gatherings of Heroes from both sides felt like ticking time bombs.  

Despite the situation, the Brazilian Hero Association calmly proceeded with the planned schedule:  

The full operation briefing, subdivided individual briefings, a morale-boosting party—everything they could prepare.  

But the global Heroes weren’t interested.  

Their attention was fixed on the South Korean Hero who had brutally assaulted Takashi—a world-famous, proven powerhouse.  

Heroes weren’t so different from ordinary people.  

If anything, their shared world made their curiosity even more intense.  

“Wherever we go, all eyes are on you.”  

Jung In-joo shook her head at the Heroes’ stares.  

Even in the hotel buffet, while eating, they couldn’t stop gawking at Seo Do-jun. It was grating.  

This had been going on for three days straight.  

No matter where they went, the heated gazes made even Jung In-joo’s face burn, despite not being the one involved.  

Seo Do-jun, however, was unfazed.  

Whether people stared or not, he just filled his plate with whatever he wanted to eat.  

“That guy’s not normal either. Right?”  

Jung In-joo nudged Hyun Joo-yeon, who was standing beside her.  

“He’s definitely different from ordinary people like us.”  

“Ordinary? Pfft! Well, compared to him, we are pretty ordinary.”  

Jung In-joo burst into giggles for no apparent reason.  

But her laughter abruptly died when she scowled at something.  

“Hyun Joo-yeon, that white bitch is back! Go stop her!”  

“…Stop her from what?”  

“Look! She’s batting her eyelashes and wagging her tail at Seo Do-jun! And her clothes—half her chest is out! What the hell does she eat to have boobs that big? D-cup? No, maybe E? Or… maybe even bigger than I thought?”  

Jung In-joo subconsciously compared her own chest and grimaced.  

A tall, voluptuous blonde—Gloria Tyler—sat across from Seo Do-jun as he settled with his plate.  

An American S-rank Hero, Gloria had never once missed the annual Top 10 Most Beautiful Heroes in the World list.  

And Gloria Tyler was…  

“A whole year younger than me…”  

Hyun Joo-yeon felt inexplicably irritated by Gloria’s chest, which seemed ready to burst out of her top.  

“Oh? Wow… So he is just a man after all. Can’t take his eyes off her.”  

Jung In-joo pouted in disappointment after noticing Seo Do-jun’s gaze drifting downward instead of at Gloria’s face.  

“What are you doing? Go protect him already!”  

Unable to bear watching Seo Do-jun and Gloria exchange words, Jung In-joo shoved Hyun Joo-yeon forward.  

Half-reluctant, half-willing, Hyun Joo-yeon approached their table.  

As she hesitated awkwardly, Seo Do-jun spoke first:  

“You here to take an order or something?”  

Her face flushed bright red.  

“W-what are you talking about?”  

“Then why are you just standing there?”  

Realizing how strange she must look standing at their table without a plate, Hyun Joo-yeon quickly turned to leave.  

“I haven’t touched this yet, so eat first if you want.”  

Seo Do-jun stood up and began filling a new plate.  

“Have a seat.”  

Gloria smiled at the flustered Hyun Joo-yeon.  

With no other choice, Hyun Joo-yeon sat beside Seo Do-jun.  

The food on the plate was untouched—neatly arranged by color and seasoning, as if prepared by someone who lived solely on buffet cuisine.  

“The more I see, the more I like him.”  

Gloria gazed at Seo Do-jun as he filled his plate.  

“You’ve barely even met him.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s retort came out sharper than intended, but Gloria just smiled softly.  

Even to another woman, Gloria’s smile was breathtaking.  

“Some people, you can understand at a glance. Others, you could know for years and still not grasp. Kassal seems cold and aloof on the outside, but I can tell—his heart is warmer than anyone’s.”  

“Ka…ssal?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon tilted her head in confusion.  

“He said it’s his American name.”  

“……”  

He had an American name?  

For some reason, Hyun Joo-yeon’s mood soured.  

The fact that Gloria knew about it before she did—despite not even knowing it existed—was intensely irritating.  

“Kassal, huh?”  

Stab. Stab.  

Her fork strikes were more aggressive than ever.  

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