SFRW-Chapter 240

Ch. 240 Sword God From The Ruined World

The dry, fishy scent flooding his nostrils gave Seo Do-jun instant recognition.  

‘Bartloma!’  

He hadn’t held high expectations from the start.  

Even with the reduced number of Guardian Planets (from 39 to 18) increasing the odds, the dimensional portal’s random connections had been proven multiple times.  

Yet fortune favored them—the portal had linked to Bartloma, making Seo Do-jun’s face break into an involuntary smile.  

“Whoa! T-this place…!”  

Choi Kang-soo, emerging from the portal, immediately recognized Bartloma’s landscape just like Seo Do-jun.  

“What? Where is this?”  

At Hyun Joo-Yeon’s question, Choi Kang-soo answered with an astonished expression:  

“It’s Bartloma!”  

His reply made Joo-Yeon, Gloria, and others exchange startled glances, surveying their surroundings.  

“How…?”  

“Which one of us has Lady Luck tagging along?”  

As Gloria implied, someone in their group must have maxed-out luck to pinpoint the one correct location out of 18 possibilities.  

“Fufufu. Late as it is to mention, but truthfully, if I sincerely wish—”  

Rahf, who’d been most shocked about landing in Bartloma, tried to play it cool, but no one paid him any attention.  

“So this is Monster Legion Commander Rebley’s planet.”  

Though Rakun, Veronica, and Kusak had once served Barhaut, none had visited Bartloma before, leaving them engrossed in their surroundings.  

“From here, we begin… No, more accurately—this is both the beginning and the end.”  

Kusak knew all too well Rebley’s value to Barhaut.  

The infamous ‘Planet Conqueror’ title stemmed largely from having Rebley as his right hand.  

Even before recruiting Rebley, Barhaut had destroyed and conquered numerous planets.  

But after gaining an near-infinite monster legion, his speed multiplied exponentially.  

He could now invade two or three planets simultaneously, gradually expanding influence even over weaklings like Earth.  

Thus, to Barhaut, Rebley and Bartloma were far more than mere subordinates or just another Guardian Planet.  

“So if we kill Rebley and liberate this place, Barhaut loses half his power?”  

“Realistically, even more than that.”  

Regardless of Barhaut’s personal combat strength, losing over half his military force would be undeniable.  

Hearing this, Rahf’s eyes blazed fiercer than ever.  

Imagining Barhaut’s devastation and rage at losing such a treasure trove sent endorphins surging through him.  

“Hurry, let’s move!”  

Rahf’s uncharacteristic enthusiasm made the group realize just how deeply he loathed Barhaut.  

“Listen carefully. The only enemy to watch for here is Rebley.”  

Seo Do-jun detailed his first encounter with Rebley.  

“The Eye in the Sky?”  

“There! Right there!”  

Choi Kang-soo pointed at the empty sky.  

“A giant eyeball appears up there, staring down! Seriously, it’s creepy as hell!”  

This was something one had to experience firsthand.  

The difference between hearing about it and facing it directly was monumental.  

“But lightning attacks?”  

“Just random strikes from thin air?”  

Rebley’s method was singular:  

Lightning.  

Yet even Seo Do-jun couldn’t fathom how it worked.  

“From the sound of it… he’s practically a god?”  

At Veronica’s remark, everyone nodded.  

A giant eye surveilling everything from above, and lightning striking without restraint—  

Only a god could manage that, no?  

“Even for a Planet Administrator, how’s that possible?”  

Kusak couldn’t comprehend it, no matter how much Bartloma was Rebley’s domain.  

“One thing’s certain—he wasn’t organic.”  

“Not organic? Impossible!”  

Kusak scowled at Seo Do-jun’s claim.  

“It felt like the entire space was him.”  

Moreover, Rebley’s inability to refute when accused of being inorganic reinforced Seo Do-jun’s belief.  

Kusak’s expression twisted further.  

“That’s a misconception, Kassal. Rebley’s an organic being like us.”  

“Kusak’s right. I’ve never seen Rebley either, but he’s definitely a living creature.”  

“That can’t be… He was clearly—”  

Seo Do-jun couldn’t accept being mistaken.  

Even if Rebley avoided answering, the sensation of the entire space being him felt real.  

But with Rakun now joining Kusak and Veronica in adamantly insisting Rebley was organic, Seo Do-jun had no ground to argue.  

“One rumor about Rebley is that he loves deceiving people. Maybe you were tricked, Kassal.”  

Faced with this, Seo Do-jun dropped his insistence.  

“We’ll know for sure this time. Regardless, all I can advise is to stay vigilant.”  

Though the giant eye observed from above and summoned lightning, it wasn’t unavoidable.  

“Not sure what tricks he has, but everyone proceed with extreme caution.”  

Being Barhaut’s most prized location, they assumed preparations would be thorough.  

***

“How much longer must we wait to go to Earth?”  

An arrogantly towering man—not quite human, with a third eye on his forehead, a bald gleaming head, and limbs densely furred like an ape’s.  

Fortunately, his face was otherwise ordinary, but the arrogance in all three eyes repelled onlookers.  

“No guarantees. So quit whining and wait quietly!”  

Opposite him sat a diminutive dwarf, baring fangs in irritation.  

His tiny frame—not even reaching the man’s waist—and fragile-looking limbs clashed violently with his rough tone.  

But his pitch-black eyes and sharply upturned outer corners radiated ferocity.  

“Such temper.”  

The man awkwardly averted his gaze out the window.  

“Rixis. One more complaint, and I’ll rip your skull off to craft a new monster—so shut your trap!”  

“Fine, got it.”  

The giant meekly bowing to someone half his size was almost comical.  

But knowing the dwarf’s identity, no one would dare mock him.  

“Already strained monster production after last time’s damages, and now this pest keeps nagging…”  

Grumbling, the dwarf fiddled with dozens of black orbs.  

His sharp, cold features contrasted with what might’ve been called a cute dwarf’s voice if not for his face.  

“Damn it! Wasting Barhaut’s authority on a shithole like Earth! If not for those bastards—!”  

Rixis broke his five-minute silence:  

“Can’t be helped, right? With so many Guardian Planets liberated, Barhaut must be anxious. He’s rushing to send me for good reason!”  

Puffing up, Rixis implied his deployment would ease Barhaut’s worries.  

The dwarf’s eyes narrowed.  

“Without me, how’d trash like you cross to Earth? Never forget—you’re just Barhaut’s obedient slave!”  

“Slave?!”  

“Raising your voice at me?”  

The dwarf’s glare made Rixis grit his teeth.  

“Rebley! I know you outrank me! But I serve Barhaut just like you—don’t disrespect that!”  

“So?”  

The dwarf—Rebley—turned fully toward him,provoked.  

“…That’s all.”  

“Spineless worm!”  

Rixis pretended not to hear, casually picking his ear.  

Disgusted, Rebley resumed adjusting the black orbs to expedite monster deployment.  

Then—  

“…What’s this now?”  

Rebley stiffened at an unfamiliar group appearing in one orb.  

“What? What?”  

Rixis scrambled behind Rebley to look.  

“Humans? How’d humans get in? What’s happening?”  

“Shut up!”  

Rebley scrutinized the orb, his fingers beginning to tremble.  

“T-these bastards!”  

“Who? You know these humans? Since when does Rebley, holed up in Bartloma, know humans?”  

Rebley gnashed his teeth audibly.  

“They’re from Earth.”  

***

Since arriving on Bartloma, Seo Do-jun’s group had hunted monsters nonstop.  

Though destined for liberation, they couldn’t ignore the hordes.  

Preventing another Barhaut or Rebley meant exterminating every monster in sight.  

“…Heard the stories, but this is staggering.”  

The sheer numbers overwhelmed them.  

“Are all these monsters preparing to invade Earth?”  

“Likely.”  

Most monsters reaching Earth through rifts originated here, barring exceptions.  

Only Barhaut and Rebley knew how many were deployed at once.  

“Uncle slaughtered so many last time… Do they breed like rabbits? How’re there still so many?!”  

Choi Kang-soo had witnessed Seo Do-jun’s massacre firsthand.  

Yet the endless swarms now covering the land defied belief.  

“How’s the magic suppression?”  

During the last visit, Seo Do-jun had struggled under it.  

But now, feeling none, he regularly checked the others’ status.  

“None so far.”  

“Me neither.”  

“All good.”  

Fortunately, no one seemed affected.  

“Maybe the Sauron Eye triggers the suppression.”  

Seo Do-jun glanced skyward at Choi Kang-soo’s theory.  

Whenever Rebley’s eye appeared, he wouldn’t be caught off guard again.  

“Another horde over there! Let’s wipe them out!”  

Rahf charged ahead more aggressively than ever, forcing the group to follow.  

Amidst the chaotic slaughter of diverse monsters, an arrogant voice boomed:  

“Hey—you there!”  

Simultaneously, a figure plummeted from the sky with explosive force.  

KWA-BOOOM!  

The impact alone fissured the ground, pulping nearby monsters and sending Koroka skidding back before his wings stabilized him.  

And another—  

Crackle!  

A man wreathed in blue lightning stood firm, raising his sword toward a formidable foe.  

“That power… vaguely familiar. Who are you?”  

The three-eyed giant, Rixis, radiated intense hostility toward Shinjo.