SFRW-Chapter 52

Ch. 52 Sword God From The Ruined World  

The competition between Seo Do-jun and the Special Team unfolded exactly as Chairman Daniel Lopes had intended—fierce and relentless.  

Beep! Beep! Beep!  

“Rift Zone BA028 has been closed!”  

Beep! Beep! Beep!  

“Rift Zone BA035 has been closed!”  

Beep! Beep! Beep!  

“Rift Zone BA012 has been closed!”  

Beep! Beep! Beep!  

“Rift Zone BA014 has been closed!”  

Whenever Seo Do-jun closed a rift zone, the Special Team would follow suit shortly after. Conversely, if the Special Team closed one first, Seo Do-jun would immediately shut down another.  

In terms of speed, Seo Do-jun was undoubtedly faster.  

The Special Team, however, performed as well as expected.  

Despite the rapid pace of rift zone closures, Chairman Lopes’s expression remained grim.  

While the corrupted rift zones—affected by dark magic—were being closed at a rate of one per day, the remaining zones were being neglected. The fear that another anomaly might occur in those areas made every passing day feel like torture.  

Then, after fifteen days—  

Beep! Beep! Beep!  

“Rift Zone BA022 has been closed!”  

Every rift zone within a 500-kilometer radius of Santarém had finally been sealed.  

“WOOOOOOH!”  

“HAHAHAHAHA!”  

The Rift Monitoring Center staff, who had been working sleeplessly with bloodshot eyes, leaped from their seats in celebration.  

“It’s finally over!”  

Mauro, the center’s team leader, turned to Chairman Lopes with a voice brimming with joy.  

“Sigh… So we’ve only put out the most urgent fires, then?”  

Even Chairman Lopes felt the tension drain from his stiffened body.  

At the very least, the corrupted rift zones that had claimed the lives of five S-rank Heroes were now gone.  

But this was merely extinguishing the most immediate threats.  

By the original operation’s standards, over forty rift zones still remained unsealed.  

“Well, one day of rest should be fine.”  

“Huh?”  

Mauro blinked in confusion, but Chairman Lopes ignored him and turned to his aide.  

“Prepare a banquet for the Heroes who participated in this operation. They’ve worked hard, and they’ll need to keep working hard—so make sure it’s the finest arrangement possible.”  

“Understood.”  

At the aide’s response, Mauro’s mouth twisted bitterly.  

‘Our team suffered too…‘  

He wasn’t asking for equal treatment with the Heroes who risked their lives on the front lines.  

But was it too much to expect even a single word of acknowledgment for his staff, who had gone half a month without proper sleep?  

“You should hold a grand company dinner too—just leave the minimum staff on duty.”  

With those words, Chairman Lopes finally rose from the chair he had been glued to for the past fifteen days.  

“Th-thank you!”  

Pat pat.  

“You’ve worked hard. And keep working hard until this operation is fully complete.”  

Mauro bowed deeply as Chairman Lopes exited the monitoring center.  

***

October 7, 2025.  

Once again, Heroes gathered in São Paulo, Brazil.  

This was the first full assembly since the official meeting a month prior.  

At the gathering, Chairman Lopes began by paying respects to the Heroes who had lost their lives during the operation.  

In that moment, S-rank, A-rank and B-rank were all equal.  

Everyone in attendance mourned and grieved for their fallen comrades.  

It was also the first official announcement regarding their deaths.  

Some agreed with Chairman Lopes’s explanation of why they had died and why the announcement had been delayed—others condemned it.  

Regardless, since the matter had already been settled with the deceased S-rank Heroes’ home countries and families, the announcement concluded without major backlash.  

Journalists who had been cautiously speculating would now rush to publish their articles. And whether people believed the rumors or not, the world would soon learn the truth.  

The fallout would be massive, and there wouldn’t be a single peaceful day afterward.  

Yet Chairman Lopes accepted this as his burden to bear—one he had long prepared for.  

However.  

“You’re leaving?”  

Seo Do-jun’s bombshell declaration—that he was returning to South Korea—was something Chairman Lopes had never anticipated. And something that absolutely could not happen.  

“Th-there are still many rift zones left! Even if you go back, shouldn’t you at least finish this operation first?”  

Flustered, Chairman Lopes even stumbled over his words.  

“Originally, our team only agreed to close the rift zones near Santarém. So now is the right time to return.”  

Strictly speaking, he wasn’t wrong.  

But letting Seo Do-jun—whose power rivaled dozens of S-rank Heroes—leave like this was unthinkable.  

“Can we speak privately?”  

At Chairman Lopes’s pleading expression, Seo Do-jun agreed to a brief one-on-one discussion.  

***

The private talk was short.  

The sight of Chairman Lopes floundering in a corner while Seo Do-jun stood tall, shaking his head indifferently, was nothing short of shocking to the journalists.  

Since photography wasn’t allowed, their inability to capture the moment would haunt them forever.  

Still, a few reporters discreetly snapped pictures with their phones, careful to avoid the security team’s notice.  

“Hyun Joo-yeon, doesn’t that look like a guy getting rejected after a confession?”  

Jung In-joo barely stifled her laughter as she pointed at Chairman Lopes, who was bowing his head dejectedly.  

Hyun Joo-yeon found it amusing too, but she couldn’t help feeling proud of Seo Do-jun, who remained utterly unfazed even in the face of Chairman Lopes’s tempting offers.  

Then, her expression hardened.  

“That vixen!”  

Jung In-joo’s face twisted as well.  

The reason? The slender beauty now blocking Seo Do-jun’s path—Gloria Tyler.  

“Go over there!”  

Jung In-joo shoved Hyun Joo-yeon forward.  

“G-go where?!”  

“You blockhead! Go see what kind of secret meeting they’re having!”  

“Secret meeting? They’re talking right in front of everyone—”  

“Whatever! All men are the same! No matter how cold they act, when a stunning woman bats her eyelashes, their shoulders puff up and their hearts waver! Seo Do-jun is a man too! Do you want to lose him because you’re standing here like an idiot? If not, go! Go chase that vixen away!”  

With another push, Hyun Joo-yeon reluctantly approached Seo Do-jun and Gloria.  

“Uh, hello.”  

When Hyun Joo-yeon greeted Gloria first—  

“Long time no see.”  

—Gloria responded with a relaxed smile, making Hyun Joo-yeon instinctively glance at Seo Do-jun for his reaction.  

“Think carefully about what I said. This could be a great opportunity for you too, Kassal.”  

‘Think carefully? Opportunity? What did she say to him?‘  

Hyun Joo-yeon burned with curiosity but wasn’t brazen enough to interrupt and ask outright.  

Still, it bothered her—keeping her expression neutral was a struggle.  

“I’ll think about it.”  

“I hope you make the right choice, Kassal.”  

Gloria smiled softly, locking eyes with Seo Do-jun.  

Any other man would have been left slack-jawed by her beauty, but Seo Do-jun’s expression didn’t change.  

‘Is he… impotent? No, what am I thinking?!‘  

Hyun Joo-yeon shook her head violently, dispelling the absurd thought.  

“Since we’ve met like this, can I ask you for a favor?”  

“Anything for Kassal.”  

“The Gold Market is opening again soon, right? I was thinking of checking it out—could you get me an invitation?”  

The Gold Market.  

An exclusive auction held annually on December 1st in Las Vegas.  

Hosted by the U.S. Hero Association, it was world-renowned.  

Rare and extraordinary items changed hands in real-time auctions, and Seo Do-jun’s interest stemmed from one particular item sold there two years prior—  

Snowflame Herb.  

An eight-leafed herb famous even in the ruined world.  

Simultaneously harboring the essence of fire and ice, the Snowflame Herb contained magic of unimaginable density. It was something Seo Do-jun needed.  

Of course, there was no guarantee it would appear again.  

But there were other items he wanted, and with his current wealth, he had resolved to attend.  

Though he could secure an invitation through Chairman Na Tae-hwang, Gloria—an S-rank American Hero—could likely provide one effortlessly.  

“I can get you as many Gold Market invitations as you want. But there’s a condition.”  

“A condition?”  

If it was unreasonable, he’d dismiss it without hesitation.  

“Come to my house one week before the Gold Market.”  

“Your house?”  

“One week?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s face twisted at the word ‘house,’ while Seo Do-jun frowned at ‘one week.’  

Their contrasting reactions made Gloria glance between them curiously.  

“Nothing untoward, I assure you. There are people I’d like to introduce you to, and if possible, I’d love to hunt rift zones together in the U.S.”  

“A week… Do I need to answer now?”  

Gloria shook her head with a smile.  

“You can take your time. But I trust you’ll say yes—so I’ll give you the invitation now.”  

She held out her hand to Seo Do-jun.  

“Give me your phone.”  

Without hesitation, Seo Do-jun handed it over. Gloria quickly dialed a number and pressed call.  

Her own phone vibrated immediately.  

After returning Seo Do-jun’s phone, she tapped on hers.  

Ding-dong.  

“Check it. It’s a Gold Market VIP membership pass.”  

As promised, the pass had been sent to Seo Do-jun’s phone.  

“Better than a one-time invitation, right?”  

“Thanks.”  

A VIP pass was far more valuable than a standard invitation—Seo Do-jun was genuinely grateful.  

Hyun Joo-yeon, aware of its worth, could only stare at Gloria in shock.  

She wanted to ask for one herself but held back, not wanting to owe anything.  

“Can I contact you through this number?”  

Seo Do-jun nodded indifferently.  

Hyun Joo-yeon felt a pang of irritation but turned away—this wasn’t her place to interfere.  

But then—  

“The most beautiful women from America and South Korea, all in one place?”  

Kang Young-pyo.  

They had met briefly before the rift zone operation but hadn’t interacted since.  

Now, he was the one approaching first.  

“Hero Seo Do-jun, you’ve got quite the charm, don’t you? Laughing and chatting with beauties like this. Well, with your looks and the internet buzzing about you, I guess women just flock to you, huh?”  

Though he spoke with a smile, his eyes were cold. His tone dripped with sarcasm.  

Seo Do-jun simply crossed his arms and stared at him.  

Kang Young-pyo didn’t like that either.  

‘Arrogant bastard! Let’s see how long you can keep smiling!‘  

Everywhere he went, it was Seo Do-jun this, Seo Do-jun that.  

A sudden S-rank Hero with no prior information, shrouded in mystery.  

Then, in Brazil, he clashed with Takashi and defeated him—propelling his fame beyond South Korea.  

And now, even Chairman Lopes was protecting him.  

Kang Young-pyo had ears—he roughly understood the situation.  

‘Single-handedly closing rift zones?’ 

He refused to believe it.  

No matter what others said, as a member of the Special Team, he had fought monsters strengthened by Dark magic himself. The idea of Seo Do-jun doing it alone was absurd.  

There had to be something else.  

Some deal between the South Korean and Brazilian Hero Associations.  

That was the only explanation Kang Young-pyo could accept.  

‘I don’t know what you’re hiding or what backroom deals you’ve made, but after today’s humiliation, public opinion will turn against you!‘  

Kang Young-pyo glanced at his watch.  

Right on cue, someone entered the banquet hall.