SFRW-Chapter 59

Ch. 59 Sword God From The Ruined World   

Typically, once a Break in a rift zone begins, it takes anywhere from a week to 20 days for a monster wave to occur.  

But the U.S. Hero Association ignored all such data.  

Because this was a rift zone that should never have had a Break in the first place.  

Thus, they had no choice but to prepare for every possible variable.  

“We’re setting the maximum preparation time for the monster wave at three days.”  

In other words, they were assuming the monster wave could begin in as little as three days.  

“Three days… Is that even possible?”  

Erecting barriers, gathering Heroes, and evacuating citizens living in Phoenix in case of unforeseen circumstances—  

Three days was absurdly short for all of that.  

“We have to make it possible.”  

Eric Jonathan, the association chairman, answered firmly.  

This wasn’t a matter of whether they could or couldn’t do it.  

He was making it clear that this was something they absolutely had to do.  

A U.S. government official, looking as though his head was spinning, clutched his forehead and gulped down bottled water.  

They would have to mobilize everything they could.  

From the police to military forces and even civilian aircraft.  

Even if the U.S. economy temporarily ground to a halt, they had no other choice.  

After all, the rift zone where the monster wave would occur was only 75 kilometers away from Phoenix, where three million American citizens lived.  

Eric Jonathan believed that applying the lessons from the monster wave incident in the U.K. was the only way to minimize casualties.  

“What if the Boss Monster comes out of the rift zone?”  

Though it had never happened before, since they were disregarding all existing data, they had to consider it a real possibility.  

The problem was… they had no contingency plan.  

“If the Heroes can’t stop it… In the worst-case scenario, shouldn’t we use ‘that’?”  

The government official cautiously suggested.  

That.  

A nuclear missile.  

The atmosphere turned icy.  

Dropping a nuclear missile on their own soil was an absolute last resort—the worst of the worst options.  

However, there was no guarantee that a nuclear missile would even end the monster wave.  

During the U.K.’s monster wave, modern missiles had proven ineffective.  

Of course, the missiles used in the U.K. weren’t nuclear.  

But what if even nuclear weapons didn’t work?  

Even if they somehow managed to stop the monster wave, the area would suffer severe nuclear fallout.  

Worse, since the nuclear missile wouldn’t destroy the rift zone itself, no Hero would willingly enter the rift zone while ignoring radiation exposure.  

That would mean waiting for a second or third monster wave.  

“That must not happen.”  

Since it wasn’t a fundamental solution, Eric Jonathan flatly dismissed the government official’s suggestion.  

“Of course, it shouldn’t come to that, but what other options do we have?”  

The government official retorted irritably.  

As if he knew exactly what the official was thinking, Eric Jonathan’s expression hardened.  

The idea was to use nuclear weapons to end the monster wave situation, no matter the cost.  

Afterward, the Heroes would have to close the rift zone, so whether they suffered radiation exposure or not was irrelevant to the government.  

In other words, it was a blatant attitude of sacrificing lives for the country.  

An uncomfortable tension passed between the two men.  

“What about requesting help from other countries?”  

“We’ve already sent out cooperation requests, but…”  

How many Heroes would actually go out of their way to help the U.S.?  

Many countries were already openly displeased with the U.S. for secretly recruiting their Heroes.  

Especially China and Russia, which had been rivals even before the Age of Rifts—they would undoubtedly block their Heroes from assisting under various pretexts.  

Beyond that, many countries, whether openly or not, would relish seeing the U.S. in trouble.  

In many ways, this situation was different from the U.K.’s.  

“Then maybe there’s someone who could help.”  

Gloria Tyler, who had been silently listening, spoke up for the first time.  

“Who are you talking about?”  

“Kassal—or in Korean, Seo Do-jun.”  

***

The situation in the U.S. quickly spread worldwide.  

While most were concerned about a repeat of the U.K. incident, many others saw this as an opportunity to knock the U.S. down a peg, thought Eric Jonathan.  

Would it really be such a big deal if a tiny fraction of the vast U.S. territory was reduced to ruins by a monster wave?  

Naturally, these countries rejected the U.S. Hero Association’s requests for cooperation under various excuses.  

However, since the U.S. Hero Association was also part of the World Hero Association Federation, many nations still extended their support.  

Among them, the South Korean Hero Association decided to dispatch its Heroes.  

Seo Do-jun was the first to board a flight to the U.S., at Gloria’s request, regardless of the association’s official stance.  

On the plane, Seo Do-jun recalled Gloria Tyler’s words.  

“Kassal, I’ve prepared special compensation for you. From the day you join, you’ll receive 10 million dollars daily.”  

That was over 10 billion won in Korean currency.  

10 billion won per day.  

To Seo Do-jun, there was no sweeter side gig than this.  

“And if you close this rift zone like you did in Brazil… I’m prepared to give you a 1 billion dollars reward.”  

1 billion dollars!  

This was on a whole other scale.  

The reward was in a completely different league from Brazil’s.  

Of course, Seo Do-jun wasn’t naive enough to lose his rationality over money.  

“I’ll be honest. We don’t have the means to deal with this rift zone’s Boss Monster.”  

Seo Do-jun looked at the Boss Monster photo sent to his phone.  

“Heavy Mountain.”  

He never thought he’d see this thing on Earth.  

One of the top-tier monsters from the ruined world, Heavy Mountain was vividly etched in Seo Do-jun’s memory.  

Extreme defense, long-range attacks spanning up to a kilometer, inexhaustible stamina, unlimited regenerative abilities based on the environment, and even the ability to spawn a legion.  

It was on a completely different level from any Boss Monster Earth had faced so far.  

It was a true ‘Boss Monster’ in every sense.  

While it had many strengths, its weaknesses were equally clear.  

First, its mobility was severely limited.  

Due to its massive size, it could only move about two kilometers a day at most.  

Second, its enormous body meant many vulnerable points—though its extreme defense made most attacks useless, there were still plenty of places to strike.  

Lastly, its abilities fluctuate drastically based on the environment.  

For Heavy Mountain, the environment was one of its most critical factors.  

In a favorable environment, defeating it would be nearly impossible—but in the opposite case?  

“This thing might be easier to kill than I thought.”  

In that regard, Seo Do-jun was lucky.  

After closing the rift zone in Brazil, he had gained a power that was practically a disaster for Heavy Mountain.  

“1 billion dollars… Should I buy more land?”  

Maybe another 10,000 pyeong, or go double this time?  

Seo Do-jun chuckled to himself before closing his eyes.  

***

Fortunately, the rift zone in Break didn’t trigger a monster wave for over a week.  

This gave them ample time to prepare, but it also deepened fears that the eventual wave would be far stronger than anticipated.  

Amid this situation, Heroes from various countries who had accepted the U.S. Hero Association’s request began gathering.  

Among them, of course, were Japanese Heroes.  

“Are you Seo Do-jun?”  

A fearless Japanese Hero abruptly picked a fight with Seo Do-jun.  

Seo Do-jun, who had been comfortably resting while receiving VIP treatment from the U.S. Hero Association, looked at the Japanese Hero who had rudely approached him.  

A muscular build, a rough face, and a pitch-black suit—  

The man in his late forties looked like a stereotypical Japanese yakuza.  

“What, got something to say?”  

Seo Do-jun replied dismissively, clearly annoyed.  

Honestly, Seo Do-jun had no preconceived notions about Japanese people.  

The historical issues between South Korea and Japan were as irrelevant to him as the affairs of another country.  

Though he lived under the guise of a South Korean named Seo Do-jun, his mindset wasn’t tied to nationality—he couldn’t care less where someone was from.  

“I came to see what all the hype was about… But you’re just an overrated nobody.”  

The man judged Seo Do-jun as falling far short of his expectations.  

Unfazed, Seo Do-jun waved his hand dismissively.  

A gesture telling him to buzz off.  

This only further trampled on the Japanese Hero’s pride.  

“Yamaguchi Hiro! That’s my name!”  

An S-class Japanese Hero and one of Japan’s top three Heroes.  

Though Takashi was considered one of the top four based on individual ability, the gap between him and Japan’s top three was undeniable.  

Yamaguchi Hiro was certain Seo Do-jun knew exactly who he was.  

After all, he was a globally recognized Hero representing Japan.  

Of course, Seo Do-jun recognized him the moment he saw his face.  

He just didn’t consider him worth his time.  

“I don’t know what you did to Takashi, but it won’t work on me. I’ll make you pay for the shame you brought upon Japan!”  

As if declaring a challenge, Yamaguchi Hiro unilaterally issued his warning before leaving.  

“…National trait, huh?”  

Seo Do-jun couldn’t care less about Yamaguchi Hiro or anyone else.  

If someone picked a fight, he’d just deal with them accordingly.  

“Takashi didn’t come?”  

Though Takashi had suffered a severe neck injury from Kang Young-pyo’s surprise attack, emergency treatment had saved his life.  

Rumors said his voice had changed due to damaged vocal cords.  

But that was the least of his problems.  

Regardless, Takashi had attempted something dishonorable, bringing shame to Japan and severely damaging his standing in his own country.  

Still, he remained a useful puppet to Seo Do-jun.  

“Given that Kang Young-pyo’s also gone quiet, it’ll take some time.”  

Kang Young-pyo, who had disappeared in Brazil, was hiding better than expected.  

No one knew if he was still in Brazil or had fled to another country. If he had any sense, he’d stay in hiding for a while.  

The longer he did, the tighter the noose around Hong Hee-ju’s neck would get.  

But that was a problem for later. Right now, Seo Do-jun focused on what was coming.  

The magic in the rift zone under Break was gradually intensifying.  

“At most three days, at the earliest tomorrow—the monster wave will begin.”  

Though thousands of Heroes had gathered, Seo Do-jun was the only one who could confidently predict the monster wave’s arrival.  

And just as he predicted, two days later, the monster wave began.  

Monsters poured out from the rift zone’s entrance, now 70 times wider than before.  

Howoooooo!  

Starting with two-meter-tall wolfmen, every monster documented by the U.S. Hero Association set foot on American soil without exception.  

As the wave began, the meticulously prepared U.S. government launched its attack.  

Ratatatatatatatatat!  

Piyung—! Piyung—! Piyung—! Piyung—!  

Kwagagagagagang!  

The first step was testing whether modern weapons worked on the monsters emerging from the rift zone.  

“Inconclusive.”  

About half of the monsters were vulnerable, while the other half weren’t.  

Modern weapons alone couldn’t stop the monster wave.  

When conventional attacks failed, the U.S. Hero Association stepped in.  

Among them was the Magician Guild, which had long piqued Seo Do-jun’s interest during preparations.  

A guild composed solely of magic-wielding Heroes—the rarest of abilities.  

Creating fireballs in midair, summoning lightning, or hurling water bombs—the Magician Guild’s flashy and overwhelmingly destructive attacks made short work of the monsters.  

Thanks to their efforts, the monster wave seemed disappointingly weak.  

“This is nothing! Puhahahaha!”  

A white Hero from the Magician Guild laughed heartily as he watched monsters turn to ashes under his flames.  

“Let’s see how long that laughter lasts.”  

No sooner had Seo Do-jun spoken than new monsters emerged from the rift zone’s entrance.  

Six-meter-tall boulder-like creatures—Deambsi, commonly known as golems.  

“You’re next!”  

The laughing Hero hurled a massive fireball at the Deambsi.  

Just like the other monsters, he expected it to crumble into ashes.  

Kwaaaang!  

The fireball exploded, flames spreading in all directions.  

But.  

“…What the hell…?”  

The Deambsi stood motionless, completely unharmed.  

The Magician Guild’s overwhelming firepower, which had dominated the wave so far, instantly turned ice-cold with the Deambsi’s arrival.