SFRW-Chapter 169

Ch. 169 Sword God From The Ruined World

“A new person just passed?”  

“Who?”  

“Just who is this new person?”  

A new person who passed the entrance exam had emerged in the Casserian Guild.  

The interest in the individual who had cleared the Casserian Guild’s initiation test—considered the most convoluted and bizarre in human history—was explosive.  

Sabri Alphonse from France had failed. Even Ivan Rufer, representing New Zealand, had failed. China’s Zhen Ha-lim, Japan’s Mago Yosuke, America’s Chris Twelman and Maximo Obregon, Gael Ruakani—and more.  

Among the S-rank Heroes from around the world who had lined up only to fail the Casserian Guild’s initiation test, who could have passed?  

“W-Who did you say?!”  

“G-Good heavens!”  

“Not just one, but two?!”  

“No way! Seriously?! Both of them passed?!”  

Surprisingly, there wasn’t just one person—there were two.  

Not only that, but both had passed on the same day, in the same test.  

Cain Lester and Capmore.  

Cain Lester had passed on his 8th attempt, while Capmore had passed after a staggering 14 tries.  

A true triumph of human perseverance!  

The Heroes who had taken the test were left speechless at the fact that these two had taken the notoriously difficult test 8 and 14 times, respectively.  

“They’re insane! Absolutely insane! Just taking that test once leaves you nauseous for days—eight times?! Fourteen times?!”  

As if to say such a feat was beyond human, everyone shook their heads in disbelief.  

Rumors of their repeated attempts had inspired quite a few other Heroes to retry the test as well.  

But no one made it past the 4th attempt.  

Most dropped out after the 2nd try, a few stubborn ones held on until the 3rd, and only the most tenacious managed a 4th—but that was the limit.  

So, what did the other Heroes think of Cain and Capmore, who had taken the test 8 and 14 times?  

Tenacious madmen.  

No—more like ruthless madmen.  

“Why would someone who already has so much go through such insanity? Don’t tell me they’re scheming to join the Casserian Guild just to poach its members?”  

“How petty of you to think that way. Weren’t you the one who said in an interview that you’d do anything for your country? Isn’t poaching members your goal?”  

“As I’ve said before, after South Koreans, Americans make up the largest number in the Casserian Guild. There are three of us, you know. Do you understand what that means? It means the Casserian Guild’s second nationality might as well be America. So cut the nonsense and go home.”  

“Out of 65 guild members, a measly two are American, and you think the Casserian Guild is an American guild? I seriously doubt the sanity of your brain cells.”  

“Seems like you’re flaunting the memory of a goldfish. I said three now, including me.”  

“Right, three now. And that makes the Casserian Guild’s second nationality America? Even a passing camel would laugh at that.”  

As Cain and Capmore glared at each other, barely holding back from tearing into one another, Jung In-joo pressed a hand to his forehead.  

The fact that these two were bitter rivals was common knowledge worldwide.  

Whether it was them showing up at a serious, high-stakes debate only to devolve into childish bickering before hurling insults at each other, or one giving an interview to snipe at the other—only for the other to retaliate with a diss interview the very next day.  

The petty, low-level squabbles between these two top-tier Heroes were infamous.  

Their feuds were so intense that even rap diss battles looked like child’s play in comparison.  

‘Why did these two have to pass at the same time…?’  

Jung In-joo already felt a headache coming on.  

Moreover, Cain and Capmore were far too influential to be treated like ordinary guild members.  

One was the world’s top Hero, still unmatched in magical abilities, and the guild master of the Magician Guild.  

The other was of Middle Eastern royal lineage, possessed staggering wealth, and led Sunrise, one of the world’s top guilds.  

Given their backgrounds, even Jung In-joo—who had risen to prominence in a short time—couldn’t help but feel the pressure.  

Whether they sensed his unease or not, the two continued their verbal sparring.  

“The investment prodigy? The Midas touch that turns everything to gold? Ha! How did someone with that brain even get such undeserved praise? Oh, right! Who knows if everything you’ve built was even your own doing? Royal blood must be so convenient, huh?”  

Cain openly mocked Capmore for taking 14 attempts to pass.  

“Why is the superior white supremacist so consumed by inferiority? Ah—could it be because of the Baltimore Rift incident? The one where you confidently stepped forward only to humiliate yourself, and in the end, who was it that resolved the crisis? You just made everything worse with your big talk—Baltimore was almost turned into a wasteland by a monster wave!”  

The Baltimore Rift incident was one of Cain’s worst failures.  

Unfortunately, the monsters specialized in magic had completely overwhelmed Cain and the Magician Guild, leaving them utterly humiliated.  

The ones who had barely managed to stop the impending monster wave were Capmore and the Sunrise Guild.  

“Damn it! You insufferable bastard!”  

“I was about to say the same!”  

As Cain and Capmore looked ready to grab each other by the collars, Jung In-joo glanced helplessly at Seo Do-jun.  

It seemed like Seo Do-jun was the only one who could control these two.  

“Do you two want your passes revoked?”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Cain and Capmore turned to him as if he’d lost his mind.  

If he knew how much they’d suffered to pass, he’d never say such a thing.  

“Keep it in check. You’re guildmates now—it’s best to let go of past grudges.”  

Despite Seo Do-jun’s words, the two merely snorted and turned away from each other.  

No matter what Seo Do-jun said, could years of deep-seated resentment vanish overnight?  

Knowing this, Seo Do-jun didn’t push further.  

Time would fade their animosity naturally. Besides, if they truly harbored lethal hostility toward each other, they wouldn’t be bickering like this.  

“Will you keep your promise?”  

Capmore’s question made Cain and Jung In-joo blink in confusion.  

What promise?  

“I will,” Seo Do-jun replied.  

Relief flickered across Capmore’s face.  

“What promise? What exactly did you promise him?”  

Cain couldn’t hold back his curiosity.  

Especially since it involved Capmore—he had to know.  

“I told him that if he brought me the pass certificate, I’d reveal the Hero growth secret the whole world’s been curious about.”  

“What?”  

“Guild Master!”  

Cain’s eyes widened, and Jung In-joo’s face paled as he realized what Seo Do-jun meant.  

“You bastard! You scheming bastard! What the hell are you playing at? Who do you think you are, trying to steal the Hero growth secret?! So this was your plan all along?!”  

Cain grabbed Capmore by the collar.  

“Let go.”  

Capmore’s gaze turned icy, signaling that Cain had crossed a line.  

“Cain, stop.”  

“Kassal! You’ve been tricked! This bastard never had any intention of joining the Casserian Guild! His only goal was to extract that so-called ‘Hero growth secret’ from you!”  

Even as Cain ranted, Seo Do-jun shook his head.  

“Even if that was his goal, a promise is a promise. So let go.”  

“Tch… damn it!”  

Cain released Capmore’s collar and stomped the ground in frustration.  

“Guild Master, even if it’s a promise, we can’t allow guild secrets to be leaked.”  

Jung In-joo’s voice was sharp.  

If nothing else, now that Capmore’s ulterior motives were exposed, he was determined to stop it.  

If there was one thing the world was curious about regarding Hero growth, it was undoubtedly the Magic Heart Method.  

Of course, even if it were taught, neither Capmore nor the Heroes who learned it from him would grow as much as the Casserian Guild members.  

‘The training absolutely requires the Guild Master’s guidance. But still!’  

The thought of the Magic Heart Method being leaked was unacceptable.  

“If you want, Cain, I can share it with the Magician Guild members too. In fact, I’d like to.”  

“What?”  

Cain stared at Seo Do-jun in disbelief.  

What was he thinking?  

Why?  

Not only was he willing to share the Hero growth secret with Cain, but he was also allowing it to be taught to the Magician Guild?  

Under their bewildered stares, Seo Do-jun simply smiled, utterly relaxed.  

***

“A half-measure?”  

“Not even half, honestly.”  

Seo Do-jun sipped his coffee as he answered.  

Gathered in his room were Jung In-joo, Hyun Joo-yeon, Gloria, and Shinjo.  

“Hmm… I know it’s hard to master without the Guild Master’s direct guidance, but allowing it to be leaked is still hard to accept. Even if it’s just a ‘half-measure’.”  

Jung In-joo was the most opposed.  

Personally, as the vice-guild master, he couldn’t tolerate internal secrets being shared so freely.  

“And I believe I have every right to oppose this.”  

Seo Do-jun nodded, acknowledging Jung In-joo’s stance as vice-guild master.  

“How incredible do you think the Magic Heart Method I taught the guild members is? And do you think it’s the same for everyone?”  

A question mark hovered over everyone’s heads.  

Even Shinjo, who would normally support Seo Do-jun unconditionally, was puzzled.  

“Just like weapons have grades, the Magic Heart Method can be ranked too.”  

This was new information.  

Seo Do-jun had never mentioned it before, and no one had imagined there could be multiple versions of the Magic Heart Method.  

“So we’re all learning different Magic Heart Methods?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s question was met with an immediate answer.  

“Not entirely different, but I did tailor them to suit each individual.”  

“That’s…”  

“Just how many Magic Heart Methods are there?”  

Gloria’s question was met with a smile—Seo Do-jun dodged the answer.  

Frankly, even he didn’t know the exact number.  

“Can one person learn multiple Magic Heart Methods?”  

Shinjo’s question got a nod.  

“Of course, though they’d have to be similar in nature.”  

“Then how many have you learned, Guild Master?”  

Shinjo’s innocent curiosity made Seo Do-jun chuckle.  

“In broad terms, just one. But if you divide it into stages, five.”  

The Magic Heart Method of the Vandeyan lineage was singular but had to be learned in stages.  

“So you taught us five different Magic Heart Methods?”  

Gloria’s question got a headshake.  

No matter how much he loved his guild members, he couldn’t possibly teach them the Vandeyan family’s method.  

“I don’t have to have practiced something to know it.”  

Had the world not ended, Seo Do-jun would’ve been endlessly petitioned to pass down the family’s Magic Heart Method to worthy successors.  

At one point, he’d stored countless Magic Heart Method manuals in a pocket dimension.  

‘Studying and comparing them in my spare time even helped refine our family’s method.’  

Thanks to those efforts, Seo Do-jun had naturally memorized countless magic Heart Methods.  

And it wasn’t just those—swordsmanship, spearmanship, divination, martial arts, shield techniques… the list went on.  

But to those unaware, it was simply mind-boggling how much Seo Do-jun had memorized.  

“A-Anyway, so you’re planning to teach Capmore and Cain one of the many Magic Heart Methods you know?”  

Jung In-joo’s voice had softened slightly.  

Hearing that it wouldn’t be the same method they’d learned was somewhat reassuring.  

And—  

‘Surely he won’t give them a good one?’  

He trusted Seo Do-jun would only share an inferior version compared to what the Casserian Guild members had.  

“That’s the plan. And… I intend to ensure they never leave the Casserian Guild’s embrace.”  

Seo Do-jun’s lips curled into a smirk.  

Since the primal tribe’s invasion, Seo Do-jun had been quietly contemplating one thing:  

The Casserian Guild alone wasn’t enough to protect Earth. External expansion was necessary.  

The primal tribe’s invasion had taught him much, and their new form of aggression—different from the ruined world of the past—posed a significant challenge.  

One thing was clear: preserving not just South Korea but the entire planet required far more active assistance.  

Meeting Capmore had sparked a brilliant idea in Seo Do-jun’s mind.  

If he couldn’t bring all Heroes into the Casserian Guild, he’d create a vast framework to unite them.  

Even if they wouldn’t stand with him, many would gladly risk their lives to protect Earth.  

Circumstances might differ, methods might vary—but none of them wanted Earth’s destruction.  

Seo Do-jun had devised a way to embrace them all.  

For that, he needed a binding link—an unbreakable chain tying them to him.  

And he’d realized it through his encounter with Capmore.  

“You’re using the Magic Heart Method as bait to control the Sunrise and Magician Guilds?”  

Jung In-joo clicked his tongue in disbelief at Seo Do-jun’s scheme.  

Every Hero craved strength.  

And if Seo Do-jun began drip-feeding the Magic Heart Method—  

‘Those who taste that power will never break free!’  

Jung In-joo shook his head at Seo Do-jun’s terrifyingly meticulous plan.  

Even Hyun Joo-yeon, Gloria, and Shinjo were looking at Seo Do-jun with wary awe.  

“So, no more objections?”  

Jung In-joo sighed.  

“You really do have everything planned, Guild Master.”  

If Capmore had gone through all that trouble to join the Casserian Guild, only to receive a mere taste of the Magic Heart Method—  

And if that turned the entire Sunrise Guild into a subcontractor under the Casserian Guild’s command—  

‘Born into royalty, only to become a mere lackey… Tsk. This is why a man’s fortune lies in his later years.’  

Jung In-joo genuinely pitied Capmore.