SFRW-Chapter 17

Ch. 17 Sword God From The Ruined World

Crash!  

An expensive glass ornament shattered into pieces, and blood trickled down Director Lee’s cheek where the fragments had scratched him.  

“You said he was dead! You said he died after entering the new rift!”  

“…M-my apologies. Even the Hero Association internally confirmed that he must have died…”  

“Don’t make excuses!”  

At the sharp yell, Director Lee had no choice but to shut his mouth.  

Hong Hee-ju was so furious she could barely contain herself upon learning that Seo Do-jun, who had been reported dead, was alive.  

To be honest, she was more than just angry—she was terrified.  

Seo Do-jun had returned alive from a new rift, a place notorious for its near-impossible survival rate.  

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he had literally come back from the dead. Because of that, Hong Hee-ju couldn’t even begin to guess what he might do next or how dangerous his thoughts might be.  

“What are you going to do about this? If you have a mouth, speak!”  

“W-well, I was just about to report—Kang Cheol-woo was retaliated against by Seo Do-jun.”  

“Kang Cheol-woo? Why bring up that useless bastard? And why should I care if he got payback? Wait—retaliation? D-don’t tell me Seo Do-jun found out everything?!”  

Hong Hee-ju’s expression stiffened mid-shout.  

“Given the circumstances, it’s likely…”  

At Director Lee’s cautious tone, Hong Hee-ju’s face turned deathly pale.  

“So that bastard… Does he know…?”  

Did he find out I hired someone to kill him?  

She barely swallowed the words.  

The thought that Seo Do-jun might know everything made her head spin with chaos.  

If the hired killing only reached her husband or father-in-law’s ears, it wouldn’t be a big deal.  

She’d get scolded, but she could handle that.  

But what if the media got wind of it?  

Public outrage, plummeting trust in the conglomerate, and a tarnished image were problems even Hong Hee-ju couldn’t easily manage.  

It was painfully obvious that her husband and father-in-law would pin all the blame on her. She had to prevent this from leaking to the press at all costs.  

“Lock down the media! Warn every outlet that if they dare publish anything about this, both T Group and W Group will come down on them with full force! Make sure not a single word about me comes out of Seo Do-jun’s mouth! No—wait! The police! Silence the police first! Now!”  

Hong Hee-ju screamed like a woman with fire at her feet.  

“You don’t need to worry about the police or media. We’ve already ensured their silence.”  

At Director Lee’s response, Hong Hee-ju’s expression eased slightly.  

“G-good job, Director Lee.”  

After catching her breath, she continued.  

“But you know this isn’t a permanent solution, right? If Seo Do-jun knows everything…”  

Director Lee offered a solution to Hong Hee-ju, who was implying that retaliation was inevitable.  

“That’s why I’m telling you—Kang Cheol-woo’s cousin is Kang Young-pyo.”  

“Kang Young-pyo? The Kang Young-pyo I know?”  

“Correct. Honestly, he was the biggest help in covering this up. It’s something he’d not want getting out either.”  

“Well, if his own cousin was involved in a hired killing, it’d be a huge blow to his image.”  

“Exactly. Why not use this opportunity to ask Kang Young-pyo to handle Seo Do-jun? From what I’ve gathered, Kang Cheol-woo was Kang Young-pyo’s hidden blade.”  

“Hidden blade?”  

“The dirty work Kang Young-pyo couldn’t do himself—mostly illegal tasks—were handled by Kang Cheol-woo.”  

Kang Young-pyo had used his cousin Kang Cheol-woo like a limb.  

To outsiders, it seemed like Kang Young-pyo cared deeply for Kang Cheol-woo, but the truth was different.  

He had no qualms about ordering Kang Cheol-woo to do his dirty work, and Kang Cheol-woo carried it all out.  

That’s why Kang Young-pyo pretended to protect him—to keep him useful.  

Since Kang Young-pyo stood to gain nothing from Kang Cheol-woo becoming embroiled in police investigations or media scrutiny, he had worked to quietly bury the incident.  

Of course, Director Lee had also played a big role.  

“Hmm…”  

Hong Hee-ju’s eyes gleamed at Director Lee’s explanation.  

“I’ll need to meet him first.”  

Kang Young-pyo, an S-rank Hero representing South Korea, was not someone just anyone could meet.  

Not only was he formidable as an individual, but as the leader of ‘Black Tiger’, one of the top three Hero guilds in the country, he was harder to meet than most corporate CEOs.  

But Hong Hee-ju was different.  

“Arrange a meeting as soon as possible. Ah, what did President Hwang Chang-seop say?”  

“President Hwang Chang-seop said his debt was already settled, but given that his men are now protecting Seo Do-jun’s family, it’s clear he’s switched sides.”  

“Trash sticking together, how fitting. Contact Prosecutor Park immediately. They’ll pay for daring to abandon me and side with Seo Do-jun.”  

“Understood.”  

Hong Hee-ju’s sharp eyes burned with unbearable hatred and murderous intent.  

***  

“Name: Seo Do-jun. Age: 23. Entered a gate on May 25th and is presumed to have awakened there. The one who sent him into the gate was Kang Cheol-woo.”  

“A hired Gate killing?”  

“Yes. The client was Hong Hee-ju, executive director of T Group and wife of Seo Jung-jin, president of T Electronics—effectively T Group’s next matriarch. She’s also the second daughter of W Group.”  

“A full-blown golden spoon madam. Go on.”  

“Seo Do-jun is Seo Jung-jin’s illegitimate son. He was barely acknowledged by Seo Kyung-chul, Head of T Group at age 7 and brought into the family, but six years ago, after Hong Hee-ju gave birth to a son to inherit the family, he was kicked out within a year.”  

“Cruel, even for blood relatives. So, to sum up, Hong Hee-ju hired someone to kill Seo Do-jun to protect her son’s future.”  

“Correct.”  

“How much did Kang Cheol-woo get for the job?”  

“3 billion won.”  

“That’s all?!”  

In a world where people killed for as little as a million won, 3 billion was a massive sum—but for T Group, it was pocket change.  

“Stupid bastard.”  

The man listening to the report clicked his tongue in disdain.  

“So, what happened to Kang Cheol-woo?”  

“He’s permanently disabled. His ankles and wrists were severed and crushed by heavy firepower, his eyes blinded, and his tongue cut out. He’s barely alive… But normal life is impossible now.”  

“Turned into a complete cripple. Brutal bastard.”  

Despite his words, the man smirked.  

At least Seo Do-jun hadn’t killed him.  

If it were him, he’d have dismembered Kang Cheol-woo on the spot and crushed his skull.  

“But why did Hyun Joo-yeon help him? She even testified for him to the police. Well, it made things easier… But what’s their relationship?”  

“They’re not particularly close. It seems they had some kind of deal.”  

“What deal?”  

“We haven’t figured that out yet.”  

“Dig deeper into what they agreed on. And Hong Hee-ju will come to me soon. That woman has a lot to say to me.”  

The man, Kang Young-pyo, was certain Hong Hee-ju—who had hired him to kill Seo Do-jun—would seek him out.  

“What are you planning?”  

“First, proper compensation. Do you know how much I spent to cover this up? And Kang Cheol-woo’s mess will inevitably fall on me… 3 billion under T Group’s name is chump change. Don’t you think?”  

Kang Young-pyo grinned like a predator eyeing its prey.  

“Also, the ‘public nuisance’ who entered the new Mapo rift is Seo Do-jun.”  

“The same guy? Wasn’t he dead?”  

“It seems he survived.”  

“Hmm… Is that so? Look into it further.”  

***  

“Hero Hyun Joo-yeon, identity confirmed. Please complete your exploration safely.”  

After finishing the final identity check, the Hero Association member overseeing the rift zone granted permission to enter.  

There were a total of thirty-seven rift zones in South Korea.  

Currently, five were undergoing gate transformations, while the remaining thirty-two were only accessible to authorized Heroes who scheduled hunts.  

‘Only one entrance, and they strictly verify identities even though they know it’s Hyun Joo-yeon.’  

Seo Do-jun couldn’t help but click his tongue inwardly at the tighter control than he’d expected.  

He could’ve forced his way in, but that wasn’t a good long-term solution. To freely hunt in rift zones, he’d either need Hyun Joo-yeon’s continued help or find another method.  

Of course, relying on her forever wasn’t an option, so Seo Do-jun had no choice but to devise another plan.  

“But Hyun Joo-yeon, you were the one who suggested hunting in a rift zone first. What’s going on?”  

A woman in her early thirties standing beside Hyun Joo-yeon looked at her curiously.  

“Just… Felt like doing something productive.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s evasive expression was anything but relaxed.  

Her gaze drifted to the back of the group, lingering on Seo Do-jun, who had his hood up, hiding his face.  

‘Just one condition: if you get me into a rift zone, I’ll sell you all the Hero magic stones I have at market price.’  

It was an absurd offer, but Hyun Joo-yeon couldn’t refuse—she needed those magic stones.  

“Why? Because hunting in rift zones is way more efficient than Gates.”  

She was baffled that his reason for entering such a dangerous place was that simple.  

‘Should I have just bought Hero magic stones through my uncle?’  

She regretted not waiting for Seo Do-jun to sell his stones to Stone MAN, but she didn’t have the luxury of time.  

Lately, she’d been compared to other S-rank Heroes, and since she operated independently without backing from any major faction, she’d been excluded from critical missions. She needed to boost her strength, even if just a little, using Hero magic stones.  

With no way of knowing when Seo Do-jun would sell his stones, Hyun Joo-yeon had no choice but to accept his terms.  

“Tell me the truth. Who is that guy?”  

Jung In-joo, an A-rank Hero and leader of the Silk Flower Guild, pointed at Seo Do-jun. She was Hyun Joo-yeon’s close friend.  

“Just someone I know.”  

“Just someone? You expect me to believe that?”  

Jung In-joo smirked teasingly.  

“Not a boyfriend… Is he going to be?”  

“It’s nothing like that. I just owe him a favor, so I’m helping him out in return.”  

“You? Owe a favor?”  

The Hyun Joo-yeon she knew would never be indebted to anyone. Jung In-joo stared at her skeptically.  

“Anyway, it’s complicated, so stop asking. Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m doing.”  

At Hyun Joo-yeo’s near-lament, Jung In-joo dropped the subject. She didn’t have time to pry anyway.  

Rift zones were categorized into Intensity 1, 2, and 3—higher numbers meant greater danger.  

An Intensity 1 rift zone required at least 30 A-rank Heroes to enter.  

Of course, if an S-rank Hero like Hyun Joo-yeon was present, the minimum dropped to just 3 A-rank Heroes.  

Their party consisted of S-rank Hero Hyun Joo-yeon, A-rank Hero Jung In-joo, three other Silk Flower Guild members, and Seo Do-jun.  

A very modest group entering a rift zone.  

“Fine, I’ll hear the details later.”  

Even with Hyun Joo-yeon’s strength, Jung In-joo knew the dangers of rift zones and couldn’t afford to chat.  

“Hwang Jin-joo and Choi Do-yeon, keep perimeter watch. Park Seung-ho, stay alert to attack the moment monsters appear. As for Seo Do-jun…”  

Jung In-joo, who had been giving orders without hesitation, glanced at Hyun Joo-yeon.  

She didn’t know what instructions to give Seo Do-jun—or if she even should give him any.  

Hyun Joo-yeon was equally clueless about Seo Do-jun’s abilities.  

Then—Seo Do-jun kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.  

As everyone stared in confusion—  

Screeeeech!  

A monstrous chicken-like creature (officially named Cockastrian), larger than a bull, flapped its massive wings as it charged toward them.  

“It’s here! Everyone, be careful! Seung-ho, attack on sight—!”  

Thud!  

Squaaaaawk!  

Crash!  

Before Jung In-joo could finish, the Cockastrian—majestic mid-flight—was punched by Seo Do-jun, let out a pitiful shriek, and slammed into the ground.