SFRW-Chapter 156

Ch. 156 Sword God From The Ruined World

Canada.  

Park Seung-ho had awakened as a B-rank Hero, and his talent was fully recognized.  

Since he awakened as a B-rank, it was only natural that he would grow into an A-rank under normal circumstances.  

Thus, he received multiple offers to join guilds that ranked within the top ten in the country.  

Despite having the opportunity to walk a stable path that anyone would desire, the reason Park Seung-ho joined the seemingly insignificant Silk Flower Guild was solely because of Jung In-joo.  

Jung In-joo, his friend’s older sister, had been Park Seung-ho’s first love.  

Back in middle school, he had fallen for her at first sight when he saw her as a college student. Of course, it was nothing more than a one-sided crush he kept hidden.  

After joining Silk Flower Guild, he steadily improved his skills, eventually becoming an A-rank Hero and securing a position as one of the guild’s main damage dealers.  

Then, by chance, he participated in a rift-zone hunt with Seo Do-jun and Hyun Joo-yeon, which became the turning point that led him to where he was now.  

As the leader of Casserian Guild’s 7-Man Special Assault Team – Unit 5, Park Seung-ho was more determined than ever.  

Though they were his comrades, the burden and pressure of being responsible for six squad members as their leader weighed on him more heavily than any role he had taken before.  

On top of that, he also bore the responsibility of supporting an entire nation—Canada—so he couldn’t afford to speak carelessly.  

KWA-GANG!  

As the spear in Park Seung-ho’s hand completely shattered the body of a primitive tribal warrior, Lowick McDowell, who was fighting beside him, shook his head in disbelief.  

“Incredible. To take one down in a single strike… That’s truly terrifying offensive power.”  

The primitive tribes emerging from Canada’s rift were so large and sturdy that they might as well have been giants from a fantasy novel.  

Standing over 2.7 meters tall, their rock-like muscles made them nearly impervious to most attacks.  

It was so extreme that even Lowick McDowell, Canada’s strongest Hero, struggled against just five of them at once.  

Though he had since passed the title of ‘Canada’s First Hero’ to Seo Do-jun, Lowick was by no means a pushover.  

Yet, if even he could only handle five warriors, it spoke volumes about how powerful the enemies emerging from Canada’s rift were.  

Of course, the fact that their numbers were significantly smaller than in other countries was at least somewhat fortunate.  

120 primitive tribal warriors, plus an additional 60 reinforcements—meaning Canada had to face 180 warriors in total.  

Even with the nation’s full military might, dealing with them was no easy task.  

As if to prove this, by the time Park Seung-ho arrived on the battlefield, two out of Canada’s five S-rank Heroes had already been severely injured and forced to retreat.  

Lowick McDowell, along with the remaining two S-ranks, was fighting desperately alongside A-rank and B-rank Heroes.  

They were on the verge of defeat.  

In such a situation, Park Seung-ho and his six squad members were monumental reinforcements—no, saviors.  

Every time he swung his spear, another tribal warrior would collapse, their body full of holes, leaving everyone stunned.  

Park Seung-ho, standing before the towering warriors, looked like David before Goliath.  

“Now I understand why Casserian Guild is called the strongest in the world. Whether it’s Kassal or you… There’s truly no safer place than South Korean soil.”  

On the other hand, despite possessing the second-largest territory in the world, Lowick McDowell could only smile bitterly at his nation’s inability to defend it.  

“If not for our Guild Master, I wouldn’t even exist in my current state.”  

“I’ve never met Kassal in person, but I’ve heard enough about him to make my ears bleed. Once this situation is resolved, I’d like to meet him.”  

“I hope you do.”  

At Park Seung-ho’s response, Lowick nodded firmly, promising he would.  

“Then, let’s clean up the remaining ones.”  

Park Seung-ho raised his spear again and charged toward the tribal warriors without hesitation.  

Lowick could only watch with envy.  

***

Germany.  

Choi Do-yeon, leader of Unit 6, was engaged in a fierce battle against the primitive tribes emerging from Bamberg Rift Zone, Germany.  

Wielding a small sword—a weapon commonly favored by female Heroes—Choi Do-yeon cut down the tribal warriors faster than any German Hero.  

“Amazing… I never thought I’d see a woman slip between their legs and slash without even blinking…”  

Choi Do-yeon’s fighting style could be summed up in one word: bold.  

She fearlessly closed the distance, slipping into her opponent’s guard before stabbing with her sword.  

Sometimes, she would narrowly evade an enemy’s strike before ruthlessly smashing their face in with her elbow or knee.  

Despite her delicate, feminine frame and gentle face—which made her quite attractive—Choi Do-yeon fought tougher than most men.  

Even drenched in blood, the looks she received from the German Heroes were far from ordinary.  

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a woman this badass!”  

“I never knew Asia had women like this! Aren’t Asian women usually quiet and shy?”  

“My heart’s racing! Once this is over, I’m definitely asking her out!”  

The German S-rank male Heroes, without exception, were completely captivated by Choi Do-yeon’s tough charm.  

“Tsk! Poor German bastards. They don’t know our leader doesn’t even consider men weaker than her as real men.”  

“Let them be. Watching some German S-rank get his nose broken in a spar after asking her out sounds fun.”  

Choi Do-yeon had a saying she always repeated:  

“A man must know how to protect a woman. That’s why I’ll only acknowledge those stronger than me as real men.”  

Naturally, within Casserian Guild, there weren’t many men who could claim to be stronger than her.  

So what chance did German S-rank Heroes—who broke into cold sweat when surrounded by just ten tribal warriors—have of catching her eye?  

The moment one of them asked her out, she would undoubtedly test their worth in a spar—beating them down just as ruthlessly as she fought now.  

The squad members could already picture it: swollen eyes, bloody noses, and lips so puffed up they’d have to retreat in shame.  

***

Italy.  

Hwang Jin-joo, the leader of Unit 7, was the polar opposite of her best friend Choi Do-yeon in personality.  

Here, it was Matteo Albertini, an Italian Hero, who was drawing attention.  

“Albertini was this strong?! Is this really the same guy we knew?!”  

“This makes no sense! Just a while ago, he wasn’t any different from me!”  

“Good God! What the hell happened to Albertini? What did South Korea do to turn him into a completely different person?!”  

The ones staring in disbelief were Heroes from the Italian Hero Association.  

Though classified as A-rank, they were essentially backline fillers in intense battles—far from being reliable combatants.  

Just a few months ago, Matteo had been in the exact same position—no, he had been their comrade.  

But now?  

“Even Cannio seems weaker than Albertini…”  

Andrea Cannio, Italy’s S-rank Hero and the face of Italian Hero society, was someone even he now appeared inferior to Matteo—who had once been nothing more than a support-duty A-rank.  

“It’s not just ‘seems’—he IS weaker! Cannio was sweating against six warriors earlier, but look at Albertini! He’s handling eight with ease!”  

“To change this much in just a few months…”  

“When he quit the Association to go to South Korea, I called him an idiot… Turns out, I was the fool!”  

“Damn it! If I’d known he’d become like this, I would’ve gone to South Korea with him!”  

Matteo could feel the heated gazes of his former colleagues.  

Even in the midst of a life-and-death battle, he didn’t miss a single one of those looks.  

‘Lazzaro! You called me an idiot when I said I was going to South Korea, didn’t you? Curcio! Bianchi! You two pitied me, thinking I was delusional, right?’  

Matteo was meticulous—or, to put it negatively, petty enough to remember every slight.  

‘Was I wrong?! WAS I?! While you all stayed in the same place, I changed like this! We’re completely different now!’  

He swung his sword even more fiercely, cutting down tribal warriors with renewed vigor.  

He wanted to show them.  

To prove himself to those who had looked down on him.  

‘Meeting the Guild Master was nothing short of divine revelation! The Guild Master is another God of War, sent by heaven to save this chaotic world!’  

Matteo still saw Seo Do-jun as the God of Battle. And as his loyal servant, Matteo was prepared to dedicate everything to him.  

When the topic of supporting Italy came up, Matteo had begged to be sent—and Seo Do-jun had gladly agreed.  

No, he had even said, “I was thinking the same. I’m counting on you.”  

The meaning was clear.  

As a messenger of God, Matteo was to enlighten the ignorant of his homeland, Italy.  

“May God’s grace be with us—!”  

Matteo shouted loudly in Italian, ensuring everyone heard.  

The faces of Hwang Jin-joo and the other Unit 7 members twisted as if they had bitten into a rotten potato.  

“This bastard’s at it again!”  

“Hey! Matteo’s eyes are rolling back!”  

“This crazy bastard! He did this during training too!”  

“Sometimes, I wonder if religious fanatics look like this!”  

Within Casserian Guild, it was believed that Matteo’s fanaticism was why he had grown so rapidly in such a short time.  

After his loud declaration, Matteo—eyes half-rolled back—began mercilessly slaughtering the tribal warriors.  

He looked like a knight consumed by madness during the Crusades.  

While Hwang Jin-joo and the squad sighed in exasperation, the Italian Heroes were electrified.  

“Ooooooh!”  

“Albertini’s gotten even stronger!”  

“I’ve never seen him fight so bravely!”  

“Damn it! Let’s fight too! May God’s grace be with us!”  

“May God’s grace be with us!”  

Inspired by Matteo’s display, they charged forward with renewed vigor, intensifying the battle.  

***

Russia & Egypt.  

The 8th and 9th Units of Casserian Guild’s 7-Man Special Assault Team were also engaged in fierce combat in Russia and Egypt.  

“These damn bastards!”  

Kang Cheon-wuk, leader of Unit 8, couldn’t contain his rage as he watched primitive tribal warriors sink their fangs into the necks of still-living Russian Heroes, draining their blood.  

If they were willing to drink from the living, these creatures were undoubtedly cannibals.  

Kang Cheon-wuk kicked away a warrior whose skull had been split by his axe and checked on the Russian Hero who had just been fed on.  

“…Goddammit.”  

It wasn’t just blood loss—the warrior had torn open the Hero’s carotid artery with its teeth. There was no saving him.  

As the Russian Hero’s body finally went limp, Kang Cheon-wuk’s eyes burned with murderous intent.  

“I’ll… kill every last one of you.”  

Yes, dying in battle was one thing.  

In a fight where blades were pressed against each other’s throats, there was no shame in falling to a stronger opponent.  

But!  

“I won’t let a single one of you fucking monsters live!”  

Kang Cheon-wuk’s axe tore through the frigid Russian air as he swung with brutal force.  

Egypt.  

Shin Min-gi was the most nervous—and the most excited—among the nine squad leaders of the 7-Man Special Assault Team.  

‘Without Uncle Kang Cheon-wuk… How do I handle this alone? Huff! But the Guild Master personally entrusted this to me! Shin Min-gi! Stay focused—I can’t afford to mess up!’  

Shin Min-gi, who had joined Casserian Guild alongside Kang Cheon-wuk, was highly talented and had grown rapidly through sheer, stubborn effort.  

Though not overwhelmingly stronger than other guild members, Seo Do-jun highly valued his tenacity and sense of responsibility.  

In any other guild, some might have objected to Shin Min-gi being appointed as a squad leader—but Casserian Guild was different.  

Absolute trust.  

This wasn’t just faith in Seo Do-jun but also an unshakable belief in their fellow guild members.  

Besides, being a squad leader now didn’t guarantee the same role in future missions.  

This was why Seo Do-jun refused to assign any formal positions (aside from Guild Master and Vice-Guild Master) within Casserian Guild.  

He wanted everyone to remain equal, selecting the most suitable members for each situation.  

As a result, those appointed as squad leaders this time felt an even stronger sense of responsibility, knowing they had to set an example.  

“Here they come! Raise shields!”  

At Shin Min-gi’s command, the seven members of Unit 9 lifted their shields in unison, pressing their shoulders together in a circular formation.  

THUD THUD THUD THUD—!  

BANG! CRASH! BOOM!  

Despite the relentless barrage of heavy spear strikes against their shields, not a single member faltered.  

The Egyptian Heroes watching could only stare in shock.  

The primitive tribal warriors—no taller than 150 cm—had emerged from the rift on horseback and had been sweeping through Egyptian forces like a storm.  

Whether blocking with shields, dodging attacks, or firing guns inside the enemy’s area shields, the Egyptian Heroes had suffered far greater losses.  

The tribal warriors’ mounted combat skills were exceptional, and their spear strikes were powerful enough that even A-rank Heroes couldn’t withstand them.  

But Shin Min-gi and Unit 9 were different.  

“Throw!”  

At Shin Min-gi’s second command, seven daggers shot through the air simultaneously.  

THUNK THUNK THUNK—!  

“Again!”  

THUNK THUNK THUNK—!  

Each dagger struck true, embedding itself in the skull of a tribal warrior and sending them tumbling from their horses.  

Shin Min-gi’s strategy was simple—defend and counter—but its effectiveness was undeniable.  

“We should’ve done it like that!”  

“Easier said than done. First, you’d have to block their cavalry charge, which we can’t.”  

“This is insane! How can they so easily stop those powerful charges? Didn’t their Association just issue those shields as emergency gear?”  

“It’s not the shields! Look closely—magic is flowing through them! I didn’t even know you could infuse shields with magic like that!”  

As the Egyptian Heroes marveled, the tribal warriors only grew angrier.  

“□□□□□□□□□□!”  

They launched another charge, this time with even greater determination to break through and impale their enemies’ heads and throats with their spears.  

“Here they come! Raise shields!”  

Shin Min-gi remained calm, composed, and stubbornly repetitive in his commands.  

‘No matter how many times you try, that method won’t work!’  

The tribal warriors’ powerful cavalry charge crashed into the shields once more—but Unit 9 stood firm.