SFRW-Chapter 101

Ch. 101 Sword God From The Ruined World 

“Casualties reaching 20,000 and estimated property damage at 52 trillion yen?”  

The catastrophic incident caused by the Inoshishi Gate explosion in Japan became daily news worldwide.  

“Even so, considering the scale, Japan handled it well. If they’d been even slightly slower, it wouldn’t have been 20,000 lives lost—it could’ve easily been 200,000.”  

“Eh—no way. 200,000 is an exaggeration.”  

“What are you talking about? How many buildings and apartments were completely demolished by the stampede of Kowabiru? If people had been inside those collapsing structures, just imagine…”  

The speaker shuddered as if the thought itself was horrifying.  

“Was it really that bad?”  

The city of Yokohama, home to 3 million people, was reduced to ruins.  

Though 20,000 died and 52 trillion yen in property damage was incurred, given the city’s size, the damage could have been far worse.  

“Honestly, considering the monsters that emerged from the Gate were Kowabiru and their numbers were around 300, Japan got lucky.”  

What if there had been a thousand Kowabiru?  

What if, instead of Kowabiru—monsters that only charge in straight lines—they had been larger, more unpredictable creatures?  

What if the monsters had indiscriminately destroyed every building in Yokohama?  

The damage could have rivaled that of a major earthquake or tsunami.  

Of course, aside from the fact that the monsters were Kowabiru and numbered only 300, the swift evacuation efforts by the Japanese government and the Hero Association undeniably minimized the casualties.  

While their efforts deserved applause, the loss of 20,000 lives and the 52 trillion yen required for reconstruction were still devastating blows.  

“But how strong is dark magic that Japan’s top three Heroes struggled so much against mere A-rank monsters?”  

“They say it’s insane. It boosts abilities by at least double.”  

“That just makes me more curious.”  

“Why? You wanna fight one?”  

“Yeah, but not now. Later.”  

“Later?”  

“When my Magic Heart Method surpasses the beginner stage, like the Guild Master said! Even reaching that point would make me at least twice as strong as I am now. Then I’d stand a chance, right?”  

The Casserian guild member’s face was filled with excitement and anticipation.  

Though it was hard to fully believe, since it was Seo Do-jun—the world’s strongest Hero—who said it, they figured it was worth a shot.  

After all, he was teaching them the Magic Heart Method without charging anything or demanding anything unreasonable. Even if his claims were exaggerated, they had nothing to lose.  

“True. If it really works as the Guild Master says… A-rank? S-rank wouldn’t even be a dream anymore!”  

“Exactly! Let’s stop talking and train. Train!”  

The guild members, who unconditionally trusted and followed Seo Do-jun, assumed their positions and began their Magic Heart Method training.  

The sight of guild members practicing the technique was common throughout the training grounds.  

In fact, most of them spent their entire days solely focused on it.  

Though the Casserian Guild had been officially established, their lack of external activities drew curious glances.  

Most new guilds aggressively promoted themselves early on, but Casserian’s members rarely left the guild building, sparking widespread speculation.  

And it wasn’t just the regular guild members.  

The core members of Casserian Guild were gathered in a room.  

“…Are you serious about this?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon, Gloria, and Jung In-joo couldn’t hide their shock.  

The task Seo Do-jun proposed for Casserian Guild was shocking: closing Gates and rift zones.  

While rift zones were one thing, closing Gates was bound to provoke backlash.  

“I know it won’t be easy. The Association has made that clear. So, even if you have objections, hold them back for now.”  

Seo Do-jun cut off any further discussion.  

“Since the Association Chairman opposes this, if we officially close Gates, we’ll be seen as directly challenging and antagonizing the Association.”  

“Then what should we—”  

Jung In-joo’s words were cut short.  

Seo Do-jun hadn’t called this meeting to debate—it was a unilateral announcement.  

“I know damaging our relationship with the Association isn’t ideal. That’s why we’ll close Gates unofficially.”  

‘Unofficially’ meant doing it secretly—effectively breaking the law.  

Arbitrarily closing Gates was strictly prohibited, not just domestically but by the World Hero Association.  

Violating this rule would instantly brand them as international criminals.  

For a Hero, becoming an international criminal meant harsher punishments than most terrorists, bounties on their heads, and global ostracization.  

The mere thought of the world’s strongest Hero becoming a wanted criminal made the three women dizzy.  

If the Guild Master became an international criminal, the guild itself would collapse.  

They’d be shunned, hunted by other guilds, and forcibly disbanded.  

The recent fall of Black Tiger Guild, led by Kang Young-pyo after he was labeled a criminal, was a prime example.  

“Then why even establish the guild?!”  

Jung In-joo raised her voice, furious.  

She had handed over her own guild, Silk Flower guild, after years of running it.  

Seo Do-jun hadn’t forced her, but if this was his plan all along, he should’ve said something sooner.  

“If this is the plan, it’s better to close Gates officially.”  

At least that wouldn’t make them international criminals.  

“Right. Find some justification, or pretend it was an accident. Even if it causes controversy, it’s better than becoming wanted.”  

Though difficult, it was the lesser evil. Gloria and Hyun Joo-yeon sighed deeply as they suggested alternatives.  

Furious Jung In-joo, despairing Gloria and Hyun Joo-yeon—Seo Do-jun looked at them and reiterated his stance.  

“I know this is hard to accept now, but it’s only a matter of time. Gate incidents will worsen, and when they do, closing Gates—officially or not—won’t be an issue.”  

His words were filled with certainty.  

The only question was how long they had to wait.  

“I told you clearly, didn’t I? The purpose of Casserian Guild. I didn’t establish it to commit international crimes, so don’t worry.”  

How could they not worry?  

Yet, seeing Seo Do-jun’s calm expression, Jung In-joo couldn’t stay angry.  

Fine. At least he’s not crazy enough to self-destruct. She reluctantly nodded.  

“You said you’ll close Gates unofficially… How?”  

If caught, it’s over.  

If they were really going through with this madness, they might as well pray they don’t get caught.  

At Hyun Joo-yeon’s question, Seo Do-jun gave a simple, one-word answer everyone understood immediately:  

“Sergei Konovalov.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon and Jung In-joo gasped in realization, while Gloria—usually unflappable—furrowed her brows and glared at Seo Do-jun.  

She looked like she had a lot to say, but in the end, she just sighed and muttered:  

“Haah… That devil.”  

***  

In the early days of the Rift Era, conflicts between superpowers were intense.  

They quickly recognized the potential of magic stones as a new energy source—one that could become the ultimate weapon for global dominance.  

The competition escalated when superpowers succeeded in converting rift zones into Gates.  

The U.S., Russia, and China invested heavily in sabotaging each other—unofficial Heroes secretly closing rival Gates, assassinating promising talents, and more.  

Their actions disregarded peace and safety, pushing the limits of morality.  

At the time, Russia was ahead.  

China had the most Heroes, and the U.S. converted rift zones the fastest.  

But Russia’s edge came down to one thing:  

“If not for that devil, we’d have twice as many S-rank Heroes now! And Gates too!”  

Gloria gritted her teeth.  

Sergei Konovalov.  

Officially, just a name and an unofficial Russian S-rank Hero.  

Rumors said he was ex-intelligence, but nothing was confirmed.  

Yet, his track record suggested elite training in espionage, assassination, infiltration, and sabotage.  

His skills were so feared that the U.S. dubbed him the ‘Devil Hero’. 

Konovalov’s greatest strengths were disguise, assassination, infiltration, and destruction.  

No one knew his real face—his identities were layered so deeply that even intelligence agencies couldn’t unravel them.  

He assassinated over 300 talented Heroes and closed 57 Gates single-handedly—an unmatched record.  

“But what happened to Konovalov?”  

The U.S. declared him a ‘national enemy’, but he vanished without a trace.  

Some rumors claimed he died in a Gate, a theory Hyun Joo-yeon found plausible.  

“I don’t know either.”  

Even Gloria, with her U.S. connections, had no answers.  

Regardless, Konovalov’s abilities were unparalleled.  

And now, Seo Do-jun was invoking his name.  

He was declaring himself the next Konovalov.  

“But isn’t that too risky? You’ve already publicly advocated closing Gates. If they start mysteriously closing, won’t people suspect you?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s point made Jung In-joo and Gloria nod.  

The Association Chairman had privately agreed, but since Seo Do-jun had openly challenged the Hero Association and other guilds, suspicion was inevitable.  

“Let them suspect. If they can prove it, so be it.”  

His confidence left the women baffled.  

And true to form, Seo Do-jun’s next move shattered all expectations—faster than anyone anticipated.