SFRW-Chapter 144

Ch. 144 Sword God From The Ruined World

“D-damn immortals… These bastards aren’t even undead! Why the hell won’t they die?!”

“That blood mist is the culprit! It keeps reviving even the dead ones!”

“Gaaah! Die! Just die already!”

The Japanese Heroes fought while screaming in frustration. 

No matter how many primitive tribesmen they decapitated, bisected, or cut in half, the warriors kept reviving, gradually sapping the Heroes’ will to fight.

Though the primitive tribesmen charging bare-handed possessed remarkable physical abilities, that alone wasn’t the problem. 

The real issue was the blood droplet mist that kept reviving even the most brutally slaughtered tribesmen. 

Not even undead monsters could resurrect this quickly. 

Seeing what appeared to be ordinary humans continuously revive no matter how many times they were killed filled the Japanese Heroes with terror.

“There’s no such thing as immortals!”

Swiish-!

“Kill them!”

Crash! Shunk! Stab!

“Keep killing! Just keep killing!”

Crunch! Slash! Slice!

“They’ll die eventually! If we endure, we’ll win! Just hold out… Gahh!”

Hero Hiro embedded his blade into a charging tribesman’s skull, twisting his wrist violently while glaring with murderous eyes.

Krrrack!

With a horrific skull-splitting sound, the tribesman’s head collapsed inward before hitting the ground.

“We will win! Endure! Hold out to the end! If even one of you runs away—!”

Though he didn’t finish the threat, Hiro’s meaning was clear. 

His icy glare conveyed they’d rather die here than retreat, forcing the demoralized Heroes to keep fighting through gritted teeth.

“Where do you think you’re going?!”

Crunch!

Hiro leaped several meters to uppercut a tribesman charging at him. 

As the body flew up with a grotesque scream before crashing down, Hiro’s sword swiftly diced it apart.

‘Dammit! Goddammit!’

Even for Hiro, butchering fellow humans like this wasn’t easy. 

But he had no choice – more pieces meant slower revival. 

Simply beheading them let them regenerate too quickly, forcing this disgusting dismemberment.

‘They’re barely A-rank in strength…’

Their immortality was the real problem. 

No, that was the fatal factor. 

Outnumbered by hundreds who kept reviving no matter how many times they were killed – this was serious.

‘At this rate, we’ll exhaust our stamina first!’

The tribesmen felt no fatigue and never stayed dead, while the Japanese Heroes were different. 

Even bare-handed, their rock-hard fists and kicks inflicted cumulative damage with each hit. 

Morale was another issue – their fighting spirit would eventually break beyond recovery.

‘We need to eliminate that mist first!’

But how?

Frankly, Hiro was severely disadvantaged here. 

While proud of his defense, endurance and stamina rivaling any S-rank Hero, he had few options in this situation. 

Yet he had to try.

Seeing the blood mist, Hiro realized:

‘Someone must be maintaining that! We just need to kill the caster!’

Which meant entering that ominous blood mist.

“Grrr… I’ll slaughter you all!”

Who else would go if not him?

Gritting his teeth, Hiro charged into the crimson fog.

Immediately, his eyes stung upon entry. 

Visibility dropped drastically, severely impairing his perception.

‘Dammit, was this a mistake?’

Though blinded and regretful, Hiro shook his head. 

This was his duty – he quickly shook off any hesitation.

“□□□□□□□□□□!”

Following the incomprehensible chanting, Hiro moved swiftly. 

He crushed skulls of any tribesmen intercepting him until spotting a differently dressed figure.

“That’s the one!”

Long hair covering the face, body wrapped in rags, holding a staff and crystal orb in each hand. 

Most telling was the constant muttering coming from it.

“First, I’ll cut out that noisy tongue!”

As Hiro charged, a massive shadow suddenly emerged behind the caster and rushed at him – no, flew at him. 

The surprise attack gave Hiro no time to react.

Crash-!

A simple body slam.

“Guh-hack!”

Blood sprayed from Hiro’s mouth as he crashed down. 

Despite full-body agony, he desperately rolled away as the shadow smashed his previous position with cratering force.

Standing up while spitting blood, Hiro saw his attacker – a 3-meter tall tribesman. 

While similar in appearance to others, its eyes…

‘No pupils…’

Just blood-red orbs, making its focus impossible to discern.

“□□□□□□□□□□!”

The staff-wielder shrieked sharply, triggering the giant’s attack.

“Not this time!”

Hiro met the charge head-on, determined not to lose again.

Crash-!

“Khuk!”

Though bracing prevented another humiliating tumble, Hiro instantly realized:

‘…This is too much!’

His instincts screamed this foe matched or exceeded his strength as cold sweat poured down his back.

Should he retreat?

While hesitating, the giant unleashed relentless attacks – swinging arms like clubs, kicking, headbutting without hesitation.

‘…What kind of monster?!’

Though overwhelmed by the full-body assault, Japan’s top Hero held his ground, countering with precise sword strikes that split flesh and drew blood.

Technically, Hiro was superior. 

However:

“Damn it!”

The giant’s wounds healed instantly, making attacks meaningless. 

Then:

“□□□□□□□□□□!”

The caster’s chant made blood mist flow into the giant, its muscles visibly swelling.

Thwack!

“Ghk!”

Hiro went flying from a single punch. 

Not just muscles – its strength had skyrocketed.

“Pah!”

Spitting out a tooth with blood, Hiro barely raised his arms in time to block a stomp.

Crack!

“…Ghk!”

One arm broke instantly. 

Even Hiro’s renowned durability was laughable against this power. 

And its speed…

Thud! Crash!

Hiro was sent skidding brutally across the ground by successive gut and chest blows.

“Ghk! Cough!”

‘If not for this damned blood mist…!’

He wouldn’t be so helpless! 

Biting his lip in frustration, Hiro glared as death approached.

‘Is this how I die?’

Just after earning Japan’s strongest title, killed by some nameless savage…

‘…Shinjo, could you have won?’

Yes, perhaps Shinjo – 

Japan’s true strongest Hero would have cleanly blown off this thing’s head.

As a fist flew toward his face, Hiro stared wide-eyed when—

Whooosh!

Blinding blue flames began incinerating the blood mist.

“□□□□□□□□□□!”

The caster shrieked wildly as the giant abandoned Hiro to protect it instead.

“Guhk!”

Though the blue flames scorched Hiro painfully, watching the hated mist burn away felt cathartic. 

Fortunately, as the mist evaporated, the flames died before harming Hiro further.

“Grrr…”

Wincing from injuries and burns, Hiro heard—

ROOOOOAR!

A familiar roar shook his eardrums.

“That sound!”

Looking up, he saw—

South Korea’s pet monster, the guardian of the peninsula – Casserian hovering with massive wings spread. 

And Seo Do-jun descending from above.

Right in front of the battered, burned Hiro.

Swoosh.

When Seo Do-jun looked at him:

“…Hic-guhk!”

Hiro involuntarily hiccuped, each spasm sending agony through his bruised organs. 

Seo Do-jun’s expression clearly asked ‘What idiot is this?’ before losing interest and approaching the caster and its giant guard.

Though Hiro never wanted to see Seo Do-jun again, his survival now depended on him.

“B-be care…hic!…ful! That…hic!…thing’s…hic!”

Suddenly, the giant charged Seo Do-jun like an enraged boar.

Hiro urgently tried warning him, but—

Crunch!

Seo Do-jun sidestepped and backhanded the giant’s face. 

A blood geyser erupted as the colossal body collapsed limply.

“What?!”

Seo Do-jun glanced back at Hiro.

“…HIIIC!”

Only louder hiccups answered. 

Hiro wasn’t the only shocked one – the caster’s eyes nearly bulged out.

Thud!

Staff striking ground.

“□□□□□□□□□□!”

As bizarre words poured out, the crystal orb emitted sickly crimson light.

Creeeeak-!

The earth split open—

Pshoo! Pshoo! 

Spewing thick green smoke.

Thump thump thump!

Seo Do-jun’s calm heartbeat accelerated as he shielded himself with magic.

“…Gaaak!”

Hearing Hiro choking behind him, Seo Do-jun irritably stomped—

CRACK!

Magic split the earth, creating a circular barrier around Hiro. 

Ignoring Hiro’s awestruck gaze, Seo Do-jun turned as—

The giant stood up completely healed despite half its skull being gone.

“…Reviving without the blood mist? No – divine possession?”

The energy felt different – the giant had doubled or tripled in power. 

Such divine empowerment came at a clear cost.

“Determined to kill me?”

It required sacrificing both body and soul to a god. 

But the rewards matched the price.

“GRRRRAAAAH!”

A deafening roar. 

Primal terror. 

Facing the giant’s – no, the unnamed god’s – overwhelming aura head-on, Seo Do-jun’s lips twisted into a smirk.