SFRW-Chapter 116

Ch. 116 Sword God From The Ruined World  

“Is that so?”  

“…Is that all?”  

Na Tae-hwang, the Association Chairman, looked at Seo Do-jun with a puzzled expression, as if wondering how he could remain so composed.  

“It’s hardly worth paying attention to.”  

Seo Do-jun replied lightly and sipped his coffee with an air of nonchalance.  

“I always think this, but the coffee tastes really good.”  

Seeing Seo Do-jun’s expression—looking as if he’d gladly say ‘thank you’ if offered more—Chairman Na Tae-hwang had already instructed his secretary.  

“Please enjoy it.”  

Who would have thought that Seo Do-jun, usually so reserved, would show a faint smile over something as simple as coffee?  

Regaining his composure, Chairman Na Tae-hwang spoke again.  

“This time, we won’t be able to stop them with just a simple public opinion battle.”  

“I didn’t expect things to escalate this far… but I didn’t know they’d hand me the best possible scenario.”  

Seo Do-jun smiled again.  

“The best scenario? Their forces aren’t to be underestimated. They have four S-rank Heroes. In terms of numbers alone, they’re on par with the Casserian Guild. But that’s where it ends. From A-rank Heroes onward…”  

The comparison itself was meaningless.  

How many times greater was the difference?  

The gap was so vast that it was impossible to calculate on the spot.  

Of course, there was no doubt that Seo Do-jun alone could crush them effortlessly.  

But no matter how much Seo Do-jun moved around, it was impossible for him to handle the entire IGA alone.  

They didn’t even need to look far.  

Even now, the IGA was willing to use force to obstruct Teams 1 and 2 of the Gate Closure Task Force.  

A message had just arrived urgently: IGA-affiliated Heroes were blocking the gate that the Gate Closure Task Force had gone to seal today.  

Yang Chang-seop and Go Dong-hyuk had moved to stop Team 1, while Park Hae-yeol had moved to stop Team 2.  

Jang Seong-ho was reportedly on standby, seemingly waiting to act in response to Seo Do-jun’s movements.  

It was clear they intended to dominate from the very beginning.  

Upon hearing this, Chairman Na Tae-hwang had urgently summoned Seo Do-jun.  

Even if the IGA was recklessly escalating the confrontation, he had called Seo Do-jun in hopes of preventing the worst-case scenario.  

“It seems today isn’t the day. Let’s postpone the Gate closure we planned for today and first…”  

“If we back down even once, they’ll grow even more arrogant and try to block us at every turn.”  

Above all, they needed to make it clear that acting so recklessly was pointless.  

“Are you planning to move personally? Jang Seong-ho is likely anticipating your actions.”  

No matter what Jang Seong-ho did, he could never be a match for Seo Do-jun. That was why Jang Seong-ho might act in opposition to Seo Do-jun’s movements.  

He probably had a plan to decisively block at least one location.  

Even if only that succeeded, the IGA could give the impression that they weren’t inferior to Seo Do-jun and the Casserian Guild.  

“There’s no need for me to move. Jang Seong-ho is digging his own grave.”  

Sending Yang Chang-seop and Go Dong-hyuk to deal with Hyun Joo-yeon and Gloria was undoubtedly the right decision.  

Though Shinjo’s strength wasn’t widely known domestically, choosing Park Hae-yeol to hold his own against him was still a decent move.  

But those choices only made sense based on past standards.  

“I should have mentioned this earlier, but you’re going to be a bit busier.”  

“Busier?”  

“The number of S-rank Heroes will increase by about 33. And as time passes, that number will keep growing.”  

“…What did you just say?”  

The contrast between Seo Do-jun, who spoke as if it were nothing, and Chairman Na Tae-hwang, who was utterly shocked, couldn’t have been starker.  

***  

At the same time.  

There were others who were just as shocked as Chairman Na Tae-hwang—no, even more so.  

KWAANG!  

“…Ghk!”  

After tumbling across the dirt, Park Hae-yeol barely managed to stagger to his feet, his eyes bloodshot with fury as he glared at Park Seung-ho.  

An A-rank Hero whose name he’d never even heard properly.  

Yet Park Seung-ho’s spear was sharper and more destructive than any monster Park Hae-yeol had ever faced.  

“You… Who the hell are you?”  

“Park Seung-ho. Just a mere member of the Casserian Guild, and currently a temporary public official in the Gate Closure Task Force.”  

Park Seung-ho’s mocking reply made Park Hae-yeol clench his fists.  

“You little bastard, are you mocking me?!”  

Park Hae-yeol kicked off the ground and charged straight at Park Seung-ho.  

Swish—  

The man pulled his left foot back and twisted his upper body in the opposite direction.  

‘Who the hell does he think I am, an amoeba?! Does he think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?!’  

He’d plant his left foot again, untwist his torso, and thrust his spear. It was the same attack pattern as before.  

Park Hae-yeol planned to dodge the spear tip the moment his left foot moved, close the distance, and shatter his ribs.  

Swish—  

The left foot moved.  

Park Hae-yeol’s gaze locked onto the opponent’s shoulder and the spear tip moving in a straight line.  

‘Damn, he’s fast!’  

The thrust was so fast that the word ‘lightning’ wouldn’t do it justice.  

It was astounding that someone with such spear skills had remained unknown until now.  

But Park Hae-yeol focused more on dodging than admiring.  

Pat—  

Even though he had fully committed to dodging, he couldn’t evade it completely, feeling a burning pain in his shoulder.  

It had only grazed him, but he had successfully dodged the attack as planned.  

‘I’ll pay you back tenfold!’  

Now, he just needed to push off his toes, close the distance, and put all his strength into a punch—  

KWAAJAK!  

“Keuk!”  

Before he could even push off, Park Hae-yeol’s lower body completely collapsed.  

An immense pressure weighed down on his shoulder, accompanied by pain so intense it felt like his bones were breaking.  

Sitting pathetically on the ground, Park Hae-yeol could only gape at the spear shaft pressing down on his shoulder.  

He probably wanted to say:  

How the hell can you pin down my full-force thrust so easily?!  

“The ‘De Instructors’ are seriously strong. They brushed off attacks like this like nothing… But seeing an S-rank like you get subdued this easily really shows the difference in levels.”  

Park Seung-ho looked down at Park Hae-yeol, pinned under his spear, and spoke calmly.  

Of course, Park Seung-ho knew Park Hae-yeol had been agitated and underestimated him.  

But even if Park Hae-yeol had fought seriously, Park Seung-ho was confident he could’ve subdued him without much trouble.  

On the other hand, Park Hae-yeol had no idea what nonsense Park Seung-ho was spouting, but one thing was clear:  

“I’ll kill you!”  

Park Hae-yeol’s face twisted like a demon’s at the sight of Park Seung-ho—a mere A-rank—looking down on him.  

Clear killing intent!  

Earlier, though he had lost his temper, he had still restrained himself from outright murderous intent.  

But now, it was different.  

Kill him!  

Whether he was a Casserian Guild member or not, Park Hae-yeol couldn’t stand seeing that smug face in front of him any longer.  

With brute strength, Park Hae-yeol pushed Park Seung-ho’s spear away.  

A bluish magic haze erupted from his entire body.  

Park Hae-yeol, who fought with hand-to-hand combat thanks to his superior physique, had originally been a mixed martial artist.  

Having spent over 15 years as a fighter, his body was honed for combat. Unlike other Heroes who relied on weapons, Park Hae-yeol trusted only his own body.  

As a result, he had become a world-renowned Hero in unarmed combat.  

After pushing the spear away, Park Hae-yeol quickly aimed for Park Seung-ho’s legs, dropping low for a tackle.  

Park Seung-ho, unfazed even by the lightning-fast tackle, raised the butt of his spear.  

POW!  

The moment Park Hae-yeol thought he had a firm grip on Park Seung-ho’s legs, he saw the spear butt swinging up toward his face and had no choice but to cross his arms to block.  

Skrrrt—  

Scraping deep grooves into the ground as he was pushed back, Park Hae-yeol gritted his teeth at the throbbing pain in his elbows.  

‘This is an A-rank?!’  

What a joke.  

No matter how much he had underestimated his opponent at first, there was no way an A-rank could humiliate him like this.  

Even that last attack proved it.  

If his opponent had really been an A-rank Hero, he would’ve countered with a punch instead of blocking with both arms and then followed through with the tackle.  

Then, he would’ve slammed Park Seung-ho to the ground and pummeled his face into pulp.  

But that was only possible if his opponent was an A-rank Hero, no matter how skilled.  

‘He’s a newly promoted S-rank!’  

Yeah, that confidence—that’s why he dared to face me despite knowing who I was.  

Park Hae-yeol exhaled sharply, finishing his assessment.  

Objectively speaking, this guy was stronger than expected.  

‘Damn it! Why is it always me…?’  

Park Hae-yeol’s gaze shifted behind Park Seung-ho.  

Seeing Shinjo standing there with his arms crossed, Park Hae-yeol felt a surge of frustration. Why did such unlucky situations always happen to him?  

Logically, retreating now would be the right choice.  

‘But I’m going to break that bastard’s limbs!’  

Park Hae-yeol’s eyes, filled with murderous intent, locked onto Park Seung-ho again.  

‘I’ll show you that even among S-ranks, there are gaps in strength!’  

Park Hae-yeol charged at Park Seung-ho again.  

“Do you really think rushing in blindly will…!”  

Just as Park Seung-ho clicked his tongue, about to mock him for repeating the same mistake—  

SWOOSH!  

Sand scattered into his eyes.  

Momentarily blinded, Park Seung-ho panicked and stepped back, giving Park Hae-yeol the perfect opportunity.  

GRAB!  

Though he had charged head-on, Park Hae-yeol suddenly appeared behind Park Seung-ho, locking his arms tightly around his waist.  

“Ugh—!”  

Park Hae-yeol arched his back like a bow and slammed Park Seung-ho headfirst into the ground.  

CRASH!  

Cheap move?  

What a joke.  

Was it fair for his opponent to wield blades and spears against an unarmed fighter?  

If they could use weapons, then anything Park Hae-yeol could grab became his weapon.  

Expecting chivalry in a life-or-death fight was ridiculous.  

“Now, let’s finish this…!”  

“That scared me.”  

Hearing Park Seung-ho’s perfectly calm voice, Park Hae-yeol looked at him in disbelief.  

Astonishingly, Park Seung-ho had braced the spear tip against the ground just centimeters before impact, mitigating the damage.  

Had he used the spear to absorb the shock in that split second?  

Just as Park Hae-yeol processed this, Park Seung-ho twisted free from his grip.  

“Now that I think about it, I’d forgotten something.”  

Park Seung-ho spun his spear casually as he continued.  

“Park Hae-yeol, your nickname is ‘Brawler,’ right? Ah, no—shouldn’t there be a ‘Dog’ in front of that?”  

Dog Brawler.  

It was the one thing Park Hae-yeol hated hearing the most.  

Not an official title, but a mocking nickname someone had given him.  

Hearing it always made him see red.  

“I’ll rip your head off!”  

Park Hae-yeol lunged again, and Park Seung-ho focused intently, not missing a single movement.  

‘Even if he became an S-rank first, I’ve fought far stronger opponents than him! Our ‘De Instructors’… they’re on another level!’  

The ‘De Instructors.’  

A secret known only to the Casserian Guild members—their real combat mentors.  

The gap had been enormous from the start, and no matter how fast they grew, the instructors always stayed one step ahead.  

They were the Death Knights that Seo Do-jun had gathered to train the guild members.  

Thinking about the Death Knights—whom he had never once defeated—Park Seung-ho felt no pressure facing Park Hae-yeol.  

‘He’s leaking magic like crazy!’  

After properly learning magic control, Park Seung-ho knew how to regulate his magic and use it efficiently.  

And one more thing—  

‘Decarhan Spear Arts!’  

Park Seung-ho’s spear began glowing blue.  

Seo Do-jun had taught the Casserian Guild members the lost arts of the ruined world whenever he could.  

For spear users like Park Seung-ho, it was the Decarhan Spear Arts.  

For swordsmen, sword techniques. For those who used other weapons or their bodies, he generously taught various martial and combat skills.  

Park Hae-yeol couldn’t believe his eyes.  

The single spear had split into seven in an instant, all thrusting toward his body!  

“Wh-what kind of…?!”  

STAB STAB STAB STAB STAB STAB!  

The spear arts of the ruined world, taught by Seo Do-jun, made their debut on Earth through Park Seung-ho’s hands.  

“Tch! If I’d known Park Hae-yeol was this weak, I would’ve fought him myself!”  

“Why is Park Hae-yeol so weak?”  

“Was he all talk with that kind of skill?”  

“Right? Am I the only one who thinks so? He’s seriously weak.”  

The Casserian Guild’s publicly known strength was just the tip of the iceberg.