SFRW-Chapter 155

Ch. 155 Sword God From The Ruined World

“Nuclear weapons?”  

Park Chul rubbed his face with his hands as if he had just heard something shocking.  

Since the beginning of the rift era, humanity had never once used nuclear weapons.  

How many times had nations possessing nukes been tempted to use them?  

Yet, no country had ever deployed them.  

To put it bluntly, the aftermath of nuclear use was a secondary concern—the real reason was that nuclear weapons had never been the only viable option.  

But now, India had used them.  

“Was India even a nuclear power?”  

Park Chul suddenly wondered if India had possessed nukes. Of course, they must have, since they used them.  

“You could consider them an unofficial nuclear state. There are a few others like that,” Park Sung-wook replied.  

Park Chul sighed, muttering about how some nations just couldn’t help themselves.  

“They must have been confident in the results to use nukes, but do you really think that will solve this crisis?”  

Park Sung-wook still looked doubtful.  

“If they deployed a wide-area shield, they might have avoided damage at the moment of detonation. But the aftermath of a nuclear explosion would be a massive threat to the primitive tribes.”  

Seo Do-jun, for one, believed that even interdimensional beings couldn’t withstand the effects of radiation.  

“I can’t fault the Indian government’s determination to resolve the primitive tribe crisis by any means necessary… but the problem is, if this works once, others might start using nukes too…”  

Even if nukes were used to defeat the primitive tribes and resolve other crises, what would happen afterward?  

More importantly, once the first hurdle was crossed, nations would have no qualms about firing nukes at the slightest provocation.  

Eventually, humans would have to live in a world contaminated by radiation, an environment pushed to the brink of ruin.  

Some might argue it’s better than dying immediately, but Park Sung-wook couldn’t help but question whether survival under such conditions held any real value.  

“Using nukes on their own territory isn’t as easy as it sounds. Not many nations would follow India’s lead so readily.”  

Swallowing his words, Seo Do-jun tried to ease Park Sung-wook’s worries, but humans, once they find an easy path, rarely choose the thorny one again.  

That’s why India’s nuclear strike was undoubtedly being closely watched by many nations.  

If India achieved satisfactory results—  

‘Others will start using nukes too.’  

Seo Do-jun’s prediction was spot-on.  

Pakistan, India’s neighbor and another nation not officially recognized as a nuclear power, also deployed a nuclear missile.  

Two nations had nuked their own territories in a single day.  

Madmen! Nukes aren’t bullets! There’s a reason people say ‘burning down the house to kill a bedbug’!  

└India? Pakistan? Ugh! Those barbaric humans! I knew they’d pull something like this!  

└Those backward countries at least have nukes. What does South Korea have?  

└You don’t know anything! South Korea has Seo Do-jun! And the Casserian Guild as backup. Isn’t that a hundred billion times better than nukes?  

└Seo Do-jun >>>>> nukes. Agreed?  

└Stop spouting nonsense! Seo Do-jun’s still human! One nuke and he’s done for!  

└By the way, where is Seo Do-jun right now?  

I always thought the day would come when nukes would be used, but I never imagined it’d actually happen. Nukes… that’s terrifying.  

└Now that nukes have been deployed, the real nuclear hell begins!  

└Let the official nuclear powers—America, Britain, France, Russia, and China—drop one each! If life’s already hard, let’s all die together! Nuke-lelujah!  

└Might as well cleanse the Earth once and for all. Let’s move to a new world!  

The use of nuclear weapons sent shockwaves across the globe, spreading fear and anxiety to countless people.  

“All teams have reached their destinations as of Team 3. And…”  

Park Sung-wook paused briefly before continuing in a low voice.  

“France is also considering the use of nuclear weapons.”  

This carried a different weight compared to India and Pakistan.  

“Is the situation that dire?”  

Park Sung-wook shook his head at Seo Do-jun’s question.  

“France is also one of the leading Hero nations. No matter how strong the primitive tribes are, I don’t think they’re unstoppable.”  

“Then why consider nukes?”  

“The decisive factor is the confirmation that nukes work against the tribes. With no way to predict future crises, they’re likely thinking of preserving their current military strength by using nukes.”  

Moreover, France’s geographical position meant they could deploy nukes without major repercussions, which made the nuclear option even more tempting.  

“The choice and responsibility are theirs. All we can do is watch.”  

It wasn’t that Seo Do-jun didn’t understand France’s position—he just couldn’t dictate their decisions.  

And, cold as it sounded, if modern weapons could handle the primitive tribes, nukes weren’t necessarily a bad choice.  

“Are there any other nations in particular trouble right now?”  

This was why Seo Do-jun had stayed in South Korea.  

He remained on standby to prevent the worst-case scenario.  

“For now, most are in similar situations. We’ll need to observe further.”  

Nodding at Park Sung-wook’s answer, Seo Do-jun headed to the monitoring room.  

As soon as he entered, Park Chul shot up from his seat to greet him.  

“Please, take a seat here.”  

At Park Chul’s urging, Seo Do-jun sat where he could see all nine monitors at once.  

“Ten minutes ago, Team 2 engaged in combat. Currently, all teams except Team 3 are fighting.”  

Team 3, led by Gloria and assigned the farthest destination, was en route to the U.S. via helicopter.  

Calmly, Seo Do-jun checked Monitor 1 first.  

Jung In-joo and Team 1 were nearing the end of their battle.  

Though their faces showed fatigue, their condition was good, with no visible injuries.  

“Did archers appear?”  

Park Chul answered swiftly.  

“Yes. There were quite a few, but we reduced their numbers significantly with pre-prepared drone strikes. The rest were handled by Vice-Guild Leader Jung In-joo and members Lee Sung-woon, Hwang Young-hak, and Bae Do-hoon.”  

As Park Chul finished, Park Sung-wook added that other nations had also prepared in advance, allowing for strong initial results.  

“Luckily, they only had one wide-area shield banner.”  

Leaving the impressively performing Jung In-joo and Team 1 behind, Seo Do-jun turned to Monitor 2.  

Hyun Joo-yeon and Team 2 in the U.K. were facing primitive tribes that had previously emerged from the rift zone.  

These tribesmen stood over two meters tall, with red fur and skin, radiating extreme aggression.  

“Are those new additions?”  

There were also wolves with fur as vividly red as if drenched in blood.  

Though not as large as the Black Tiger, their bodies were nearly two meters long, and they wreaked havoc among British Heroes and soldiers.  

The tribesmen didn’t ride the wolves, but this made the beasts an even greater threat to the defenders.  

“They’re vulnerable to firearms, but as you can see, their speed makes them nearly impossible to hit. And since they weave through crowds, we can’t fire recklessly.”  

Seeing Heroes and soldiers bleeding and falling to these wolf-like beasts—  

It almost made fighting monsters seem easier by comparison.  

Still, the situation wasn’t entirely bleak.  

As Hyun Joo-yeon and Team 2 sprang into action, the morale of the British forces, which had been plummeting, began to soar.  

On the monitor, Hyun Joo-yeon’s swordplay against the tribal warriors was peerless.  

Once mocked as South Korea’s weakest S-rank Hero—a mere figurehead—her life had completely changed after meeting Seo Do-jun.  

“Kyah! This is like a scene from a movie! Park Young-gi, we have to capture this perfectly!”  

If Jung In-joo in China had embodied a tough warrior, Hyun Joo-yeon was a mesmerizingly beautiful swordswoman.  

“Hmm… Park Young-gi, can we cover the blood splatter with flower petals or something? Maybe brighten the background too—”  

“Team Leader, this isn’t a game ad. People are fighting for their lives—some have already died. If we do that, we’ll get torn apart online.”  

Park Young-gi’s eyes screamed, Get a grip!  

“I was just thinking out loud.”  

Regaining his composure, Park Chul glanced awkwardly at Seo Do-jun and shut his mouth.  

But Hyun Joo-yeon’s fighting was indeed a breathtaking spectacle.  

Even as she mercilessly slit throats and cut down enemies, the overwhelming impression was one of beauty rather than brutality.  

‘She’s truly forging her own sword.’  

A smile touched Seo Do-jun’s lips.  

The Giovante Swordsmanship he’d taught her was neither this elegant nor this dazzling.  

Yet, in Hyun Joo-yeon’s hands, it had gained both.  

She was brilliantly carving her own path.  

When Shinjo had achieved enlightenment, Seo Do-jun had suffered under her relentless training. But since then, he’d noticed her gradual transformation.  

This was the result.  

Even so, her growth was astonishingly fast.  

Meaning, her talent far exceeded what Seo Do-jun had initially assessed.  

Moreover, external stimuli had pushed her to another level.  

‘No need to worry about the U.K. In fact… this might elevate her further.’  

Nothing taught like real combat.  

Seo Do-jun was the same.  

Born with radiant talent, trained in the finest swordsmanship schools, and tempered through grueling discipline.  

But what truly shaped him were countless life-or-death battles.  

He fought, and fought, and fought.  

That was how he became the Sword Demon, the Sword King, and finally, the Sword God.  

Without those battles?  

Even with supreme talent, elite training, and relentless discipline, he’d never have reached those heights.  

In the U.K., Hyun Joo-yeon bore everything alone.  

The pressure was crushing, the burden suffocating.  

But—  

‘Overcoming all that is what makes you real.’  

Seo Do-jun believed in her.  

She would prevail and return stronger than ever.  

After watching her with the pride of a mentor, Seo Do-jun skipped Monitor 3 and fixed his eyes on Monitor 4.  

“Wow… Was Shinjo always this strong? Weren’t the Big Three supposed to be evenly matched?”  

Shinjo stood out like a crane among chickens—so transcendentally powerful that even Casserian Guild members paled in comparison.  

“I’m ashamed of ever doubting the Guild Master’s decision.”  

As Park Sung-wook bowed his head, Seo Do-jun reassured him it was unnecessary.  

If Hyun Joo-yeon was like a disciple, Shinjo was Seo Do-jun’s most trusted knight.  

Loyal, capable, and reliable—no matter when or where.  

***

Crash!  

Shinjo’s sword knew no hesitation.  

Tribal warriors who had terrified even A-rank Heroes fell like wheat before his blade.  

No resistance.  

No evasion.  

No blocking.  

If Shinjo swung at you, your only option was to die.  

“…How is this possible?”  

Yamaguchi Hiro could only stare in disbelief.  

Once, he and Shinjo had been equals. Though surpassing him seemed difficult, Hiro had still been considered a peer.  

Now, Shinjo stood on an unreachable peak.  

The gap was so vast that Hiro couldn’t even process it.  

And then there was Mago Yosuke.  

“…Incredible.”  

Just as shocked as Hiro, Yosuke had once shared the title of Japan’s Big Three.  

When Shinjo left Japan for South Korea, Yosuke had disapproved.  

Shinjo was Japan’s strongest sword—he belonged in Japan.  

Though Yosuke had admired him too much to publicly criticize, he’d believed Shinjo’s choice was a mistake he’d regret.  

But that belief shattered now.  

Shinjo had returned many times stronger, single-handedly crushing Japan’s crisis.  

Despite all the accusations of betrayal, Shinjo’s unwavering patriotism in this decisive moment would shame his detractors.  

‘Kobayashi… what did you learn in the Casserian Guild? How did you change so much in so little time?’  

The key lay with Seo Do-jun, the man Shinjo had sworn loyalty to.  

Yosuke burned with the desire to meet him.  

‘Can I become like you, Kobayashi?’  

Clutching his weapon, Yosuke stared at Shinjo’s back with fiery eyes.  

If possible, he’d follow in his footsteps.  

“But…”  

Exhaling deeply, Yosuke’s eyes filled with resignation.  

He knew it wouldn’t be easy.