SFRW-Chapter 20

Ch. 20 Sword God From The Ruined World

“The earnings are good.”  

Seo Do-jun expressed satisfaction with the spoils he had acquired from hunting monsters throughout the day. Instead of the old backpack he had carried when entering the rift zone, he now carries a massive 100-liter backpack. In his left hand, he held the old backpack, stuffed so full it looked ready to burst.  

After hunting the Casserian, Seo Do-jun had swept through the rift zone alone. His hunting speed was so fast that he didn’t even spare a glance at the monster byproducts. The old backpack he had brought reached full capacity in less than an hour.  

Eventually, Seo Do-jun had to seek out Hyun Joo-yeon to borrow another bag. Through Jung In-joo’s request, he obtained the 100-liter backpack that Park Seung-ho had brought.  

“…That much would take our entire guild hunting nonstop for at least 20 hours to gather, wouldn’t it?”  

Park Seung-ho clicked his tongue in disbelief as he looked at the bulging backpack.  

“20 hours? Could we even hunt that long here? And if you compare the contents… We’d need at least three days of hunting, right?”  

As Choi Do-yeon said, considering what was inside the backpack Seo Do-jun was carrying, it was undoubtedly the most expensive backpack in the world.  

“What on earth is his deal?”  

At Jung In-joo’s question, Choi Do-yeon and Park Seung-ho, walking beside her, couldn’t hide their curiosity either.  

One thing was certain.  

“That man… Might be the greatest Hero in South Korea—no, possibly the world.”  

Even though South Korea was considered one of the leading Hero nations, to Seo Do-jun, it was nothing more than a tiny, narrow well.  

Was there truly a Hero who could solo a Casserian?  

Not even the world’s strongest Heroes could confidently claim such a feat.  

Yet Seo Do-jun had hunted a Casserian without proper equipment—not even wearing the combat suit a Hero should have.  

What would happen if this fact got out?  

“People would just call him a lunatic.”  

“He’d become South Korea’s biggest bullshitter, wouldn’t he?”  

Park Seung-ho chuckled at Choi Do-yeon’s words.  

“Let me make this clear—don’t speak of today’s events anywhere. Not that anyone would believe you anyway.”  

At Jung In-joo’s words, the guild members nodded.  

If Seo Do-jun had wanted to reveal himself, he would have gone public long ago.  

If not, he wouldn’t have hidden behind Hyun Joo-yeon when entering the rift zone. Despite his overwhelming power, there were no rumors about him, let alone media coverage, meaning he had deliberately kept his existence tightly concealed.  

“But… What’s their relationship?”  

Choi Do-yeon quietly pointed at Seo Do-jun and Hyun Joo-yeon, who were together.  

“Can’t you tell? They’re in a ‘some’ relationship. A ‘some-man, some-woman’ thing.”  

At Park Seung-ho’s words, Jung In-joo nodded as if she understood perfectly—especially since she knew the extent of Seo Do-jun’s hidden power.  

“Yeah, a man like that is the only one who wouldn’t seem lacking next to Hyun Joo-yeon.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon was globally renowned—her strength, beauty, and personality were all flawless. To stand beside such a woman, a man had to be someone who could thrive in the vast ocean of the world.  

“Some relationship…”  

Jung In-joo had initially thought the same.  

But after observing them closely, she saw nothing between Seo Do-jun and Hyun Joo-yeon that could be called a ‘some’ relationship.  

Especially Seo Do-jun’s attitude toward Hyun Joo-yeon made it impossible to associate the word ‘some’ with them.  

Who would’ve thought someone could treat Joo-yeon like that?  

Jung In-joo found it fascinating how Seo Do-jun treated Hyun Joo-yeon—a world-famous Hero—so casually, even rudely.  

“So, I can’t just sell this freely?”  

At Seo Do-jun’s question, Hyun Joo-yeon looked at him as if the answer was obvious.  

The Casserian was a boss monster that only spawned in this location worldwide.  

So far, the only person who had successfully hunted a Casserian was Park Hae-yeol.  

If the Casserian’s magic stone appeared on the market, what would people think?  

First, they’d want to know who had hunted it. Checking the rift zone entry records would inevitably lead to suspicion of Hyun Joo-yeon.  

“Then the people here would get attention. Including you, Seo Do-jun.”  

At Hyun Joo-yeon’s question of whether he was willing to deal with that hassle, Seo Do-jun frowned.  

If asked what the biggest difference was between the ruined world and Earth, Seo Do-jun wouldn’t hesitate to say the media.  

There was no such thing as extreme media like here.  

But could he ignore the media and the public opinion they shaped?  

If he were living alone, maybe. But now, for Eun-young and his grandmother, he couldn’t choose that path.  

“What if I say you hunted it?”  

“Do you think people would believe that? No, even if they did, what then? How would I prove I had the strength to hunt a Casserian?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon shook her head as if telling him to be reasonable.  

“So, I can’t sell this?”  

Seo Do-jun considered the black market or under-the-table deals, but Hyun Joo-yeon shook her head again, as if reading his thoughts.  

“It’s not just about the Casserian’s magic stone. The stone is secondary—the real issue is your power, Seo Do-jun. That’s the priority.”  

No matter how rare an S-class magic stone was, considering the countless magic stones circulating worldwide, it wasn’t an absolute necessity.  

But the power of a Hero who could solo a boss monster like the Casserian? That was indispensable. Selling the stone would force Seo Do-jun to reveal himself to the world.  

Seo Do-jun weighed the pros and cons of going public.  

Superficially, the pros outweigh the cons—but Seo Do-jun knew the truth better than anyone.  

Once was enough.  

In the ruined world, Seo Do-jun had been the brightest star.  

He fought harder than anyone to protect the dying world, but betrayal from comrades, the screams of dying people, endless loneliness, and exhaustion—  

Outwardly, it might have seemed glorious, but the reality was different. He had no desire to shatter his peaceful life now for a mere Casserian’s magic stone.  

“Then exclude these and handle the rest.”  

Seo Do-jun cleanly gave up on selling the Casserian’s magic stone.  

If an opportunity arose later, maybe. But not now.  

Hyun Joo-yeon looked at him in surprise as he abandoned the sale so easily.  

“You’d give up even though fame would bring more benefits? You could become the most renowned Hero in South Korea—no, the world—overnight.”  

At her question of whether he’d discard this chance to take revenge on those who had ignored and scorned him, Seo Do-jun just clicked his tongue.  

“I have no intention of living driven by petty spite.”  

Petty spite.  

Hyun Joo-yeon had no response to that and simply stared at him.  

Calling it petty spite was an understatement—the temptation was enormous.  

How many people could give that up so easily?  

For Hyun Joo-yeon, it was a moment that made her reconsider Seo Do-jun entirely.  

Then, suddenly, she frowned.  

“…Why am I…?”  

At some point, she found herself holding the backpack filled with the magic stones Seo Do-jun had asked her to sell.  

First a guide, now a magic stone disposal team?  

As an S-rank Hero revered by all, Hyun Joo-yeon found her situation absurd.  

***  

Though it was disappointing that he couldn’t sell the Casserian’s magic stone, Seo Do-jun confirmed that hunting in the rift zone was incomparably more efficient than Gate hunting. He resolved to continue rift zone hunts regularly.  

Of course, he couldn’t rely on Hyun Joo-yeon’s help every time, so he needed a way to freely enter the rift zone.  

“Eun-young liked Hanwoo beef, right?”  

Seo Do-jun smiled faintly, remembering how much Eun-young enjoyed Hanwoo.  

Thinking of treating her to Hanwoo for dinner, he headed home—only for his expression to harden as he arrived.  

The scene in front of his house, courtesy of President Hwang Chang-seop, was the reason.  

Unfamiliar cars, men in suits, and their unsettling atmosphere.  

If they were just thugs or gangsters, it would’ve been easier to deal with.  

Prosecutors.  

The weight and pressure of that word alone made even Seo Do-jun uncomfortable.  

“Brother!”  

As he entered the house, Eun-young, who had been terrified, spotted him and rushed into his arms.  

Holding her, Seo Do-jun glared coldly at the men who had ransacked his home.  

“You bastards…”  

“Seo Do-jun?”  

A man cut him off, stepping forward and flashing a badge.  

The name ‘Park Chul-yong’ was printed proudly alongside his title—Prosecutor.  

“I’m Prosecutor Park Chul-yong from the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office. You’re acquainted with Hwang Chang-seop, President of HCS Capital, correct?”  

Before Seo Do-jun could answer, the sleazy-looking prosecutor smirked and continued.  

“As of now, you are under emergency arrest on charges of participating in illegal high-interest private loans alongside President Hwang Chang-seop.”  

“Arrest?”  

At Seo Do-jun’s quiet question, Prosecutor Park nodded.  

“You know what you and that bastard President Hwang Chang-seop did, right? See this? This is a warrant. It says you violated the Financial Real-Name Act, laundered money, and engaged in illegal debt collection. Assault and threats are just the basics. In all my years as a prosecutor, I’ve never seen a punk as young as you pull off such a spectacular crime spree. Officer Jo! Cuff him and throw him in the car!”  

At the prosecutor’s command, a burly detective approached and cuffed Seo Do-jun.  

“Don’t leave a single electronic device behind—confiscate everything as evidence!”  

“Yes, sir!”  

As the investigators, wearing dress shoes, ransacked the house and swept all of Seo Do-jun’s belongings into evidence boxes, his grandmother sat in shock as if her life had collapsed. Eun-young burst into tears beside her.  

Watching this, a fiery rage surged inside Seo Do-jun.  

He wanted to beat every last one of them down.  

But what would happen afterward?  

The image of his dazed grandmother and crying Eun-young kept flashing in his mind.  

Gritting his teeth, Seo Do-jun forcibly suppressed his anger.  

“Come this way!”  

When the detective roughly grabbed him, Seo Do-jun shook him off and glared.  

“W-What kind of look is that…?”  

The detective instinctively stepped back, his spine chilling under Seo Do-jun’s fierce gaze.  

Seo Do-jun exhaled sharply and approached Eun-young and his grandmother first.  

After calming them down—his grandmother worriedly asking what was happening, Eun-young trembling in fear—he finally followed the detective into the car.  

As Seo Do-jun obediently got in, Prosecutor Park Park Chul-yong’s phone rang loudly.  

Checking the caller, he immediately answered.  

“Yes, Director Lee.”  

[I called to check on the situation.]

“We’ve raided President Hwang Chang-seop and HCS Capital’s headquarters. We’ve just finished preparing to transport Seo Do-jun to the prosecutors’ office.”  

[Any incidents?]

“Neither President Hwang Chang-seop nor Seo Do-jun caused any trouble. They both cooperated.”  

[Is that so? I was worried… Well, that’s a relief. Ah! Your daughter is preparing to study abroad, right? Our group happens to have a scholarship program for overseas studies. Would it be alright if I wrote her a recommendation letter?]

“Hahaha! I’d be grateful if you did.”  

[Then I’ll send the letter to your residence today. I hope this case is resolved properly.]  

“No need to worry. I became a prosecutor to rid society of such trash. Hahahaha!”