SFRW-Chapter 78

Ch. 78 Sword God From The Ruined World 

The terrifying thing about evolution is that its direction is entirely unpredictable.  

“All living beings have no choice but to evolve. The moment they grow complacent or fall behind, they face the end of their species. That’s why evolution for survival isn’t a choice—it’s a necessity. The problem lies in its direction. How many people do you think could have predicted that trolls, the weakest species just a few hundred years ago, would develop monstrous regenerative abilities and become what they are now?”  

Ryuntna was one of those who had been deeply concerned about the evolution of monsters.  

Of course, there were plenty who criticized his views, questioning why he would worry about monsters evolving when the world was already hurtling toward destruction.  

Seo Do-jun had also been one of them.  

“You didn’t see this coming, did you?”  

Seo Do-jun smirked bitterly as he thought of Ryuntna, whom he could never meet again.  

Ryuntna had been the kind of colleague who would teach him anything and everything whenever he had the time—annoying, yet now, after his death, one of the most missed.  

If, as Ryuntna had said, the Indilo were beginning to evolve for survival…  

And if that evolution was indeed the flight ability Seo Do-jun had witnessed…  

The fact that the Indilo were preparing to evolve in just six years was shockingly dangerous.  

Hundreds of Indilo flying through the sky?  

“Horrifying.”  

Just how many of Earth’s Heroes would be able to stop them?  

On open ground, even an A-rank Hero struggles against an Indilo.  

If those Indilo started flying, countless cities would turn to ruins, and innumerable lives would be lost—it was as clear as day.  

“…No choice.”  

Though the U.S. government hadn’t yet made a decision, Seo Do-jun couldn’t just stand by.  

If there was even a chance of disaster, the root of it had to be eliminated preemptively.  

“Go wild.”  

As soon as Seo Do-jun gave the order, Casserian stretched its neck and let out a menacing roar.  

—KWAOOOOOOOOH!  

With the Sky Emperor free to unleash its full might, not just the Indilo but even the monsters that had claimed Guam as their territory began trembling in fear.  

Casserian, looking down triumphantly, folded its wings against its body and plunged into a vertical dive.  

Despite the incredible speed and wind pressure, Seo Do-jun stood firm on its back.  

Just before crashing into the ground, Casserian spread its wings wide, stopping a mere five meters above the surface.  

The sheer pressure of its descent alone crushed half a dozen Indilo into bloody pulp.  

—KWA-DDDRRRT!  

Then, with a powerful beat of its wings, feathers sharp as blades scattered in all directions, and the resulting whirlwinds swept through the Indilo horde.  

—GUOOOOOOOH!  

Under the sudden assault of this supreme being—one they couldn’t even dream of challenging—hundreds of Indilo fell rapidly.  

Their iron-hard hides were shredded by Casserian’s feathers, and their mighty horns, capable of smashing boulders, were snapped effortlessly by its claws.  

Some tried to flee using their charging speed, but none could outpace Casserian.  

It didn’t take long for the Indilo horde, which had dreamed of evolution, to be completely wiped out by a single Casserian.  

—KWAOOOOOOH!  

Standing atop the devastated land littered with Indilo corpses, Casserian roared with the dignity of an apex predator.  

“Definitely useful.”  

Seo Do-jun patted Casserian’s neck approvingly, then began collecting magic stones from the Indilo carcasses, storing them neatly in his subspace.  

Meanwhile, Casserian devoured three Indilo in the blink of an eye, filling its stomach.  

“Now that you’re full, let’s keep moving.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Casserian flapped its wings and slowly ascended.  

“You take the skies. I’ll handle the ground.”  

This time, Seo Do-jun didn’t leave everything to Casserian—he drew his sword from the subspace.  

He also summoned ten Champion Death Knights, stored in a Soul Gem.  

Clad in expensive combat suits and wielding gleaming new swords and shields, the knights knelt before Seo Do-jun on one knee.  

They looked like loyal knights pledging fealty to their king.  

“You’re fighting too. Leave not a single monster alive on this island.”  

The moment Seo Do-jun finished speaking, the Champion Death Knights’ eyes began glowing ominously.  

Thus began the extermination of Guam’s monsters.  

With Casserian in the sky and Seo Do-jun and the ten Champion Death Knights on the ground, they swept through the monsters at a terrifying pace.  

After six years of neglect, Guam was finally reclaiming its peace.  

***  

Crunch! Crunch!  

Clark, munching on biscuits as he monitored the screens, frowned slightly, his drowsy eyes narrowing.  

His job in the U.S. Hero Association’s control room was to watch the giant monitors for any incidents across U.S. territory during the night shift.  

Since specialized departments handled major rift zones and Gates, Clark’s role was mostly uneventful—so much so that his colleagues envied him for the cushy assignment.  

But tonight was different.  

As he fought off sleep with biscuits, a red alert flashed on the monitor.  

The location? The Pacific—specifically, a small U.S.-owned island.  

“That’s Guam…”  

Clark pulled up the satellite feed, and the image of Guam appeared on the screen.  

Thud.  

The biscuits in Clark’s hand fell to the floor.  

On the screen, a massive flying monster was slaughtering the monsters that had overrun Guam.  

“And what the hell is that?!”  

Not just that—a dozen figures in combat suits were also cutting through the monsters.  

But the most unbelievable sight was…  

“…Is that even human?”  

An Asian man wielding a single sword was dismantling dozens of monsters with ease, paralyzing Clark’s rational mind.  

It took Clark a while to snap out of his daze.  

Whoever this was, they were cleaning up Guam’s monsters—and he had to report it.  

As Clark’s report traveled up the chain of command, the quiet American night was thrown into chaos.  

***  

Guam’s ocean, untouched by humans for six years, was breathtakingly beautiful.  

Though the ruined world had seas even more stunning, those memories were too distant, so Seo Do-jun savored the sight before him.  

But the moment was short-lived.  

His phone rang, and he answered immediately.  

As an S-rank Hero, the Association provided him with a satellite phone, allowing contact anywhere on Earth outside of rifts or Gates.  

—What if you hunt all the monsters in Guam before proper negotiations even start?  

It was Association Chairman Na Tae-hwang.  

Despite his words, his tone held no reproach.  

“How are the negotiations going?”  

—The U.S. government seems inclined to approve, but an official announcement will take time.  

Giving territory to a foreigner—even one hailed as a Hero—was bound to stir controversy.  

For Seo Do-jun, an unofficial agreement was enough.  

If Guam was granted to him, that was all he needed.  

—But why do you want ownership of Guam?  

Pre-monster Guam had been a world-class resort, but now? All its appeal was gone.  

With its infrastructure destroyed, restoring it would require immense time and money.  

And given its history, people would hesitate to return.  

So why did Seo Do-jun want it?  

“Thought it’d be nice to own an island.”  

—Is that all? There are plenty of abandoned islands back home.  

“Preferably one in the Pacific.”  

Na Tae-hwang wasn’t one to take such answers at face value, but if Seo Do-jun wouldn’t elaborate, he had no choice but to let it go.  

—Regardless, the U.S. saw you hunting monsters in Guam.  

Seo Do-jun’s expression twisted.  

“…Satellites.”  

He looked up at the sky.  

The biggest difference between the ruined world and Earth was advanced technology.  

A tiny phone could connect him to Na Tae hwang thousands of miles away—something unimaginable in the ruined world.  

He’d assumed they’d track his location, but he hadn’t considered live satellite surveillance.  

—They’re in an uproar.  

This was different from what he’d shown during the U.S. Monster Wave.  

No wonder the U.S. government and Hero Association were shocked.  

Their interest in him would only grow.  

—I don’t know what you did in Guam, but the U.S. might demand something harder than expected in exchange.  

“What do you think they’ll ask?”  

After a pause, Na Tae-hwang replied:  

—If limited to U.S. territory, Guam was their biggest headache. But if they’re giving it to you, they’ll likely ask you to handle problems outside their borders.  

Makes sense.  

Guam was their main issue, but if it was part of the deal, they’d push for more.  

—Canada’s situation isn’t great. They might use that as leverage. Or they might just owe you a favor.  

“A favor?”  

—If it were me, I’d take the latter. Having someone like you on call is invaluable. Solving other countries’ problems brings measurable gains, but being able to handle disasters like the U.S. Monster Wave? That’s priceless.  

Seo Do-jun drew a hard line.  

“I’d refuse. Tell them I’ll only negotiate for immediate, solvable tasks.”  

—What if the U.S. refuses?  

“Then I’ll give up Guam. You said there are plenty of abandoned islands back home, right?”  

In other words, he’d negotiate with South Korea instead.  

Na Tae-hwang would prefer that, but…  

—The U.S. won’t refuse easily.  

Without monsters, Guam still wouldn’t regain its former glory.  

Few natives would return, and the U.S. wouldn’t waste resources on it.  

Guam was as good as abandoned.  

So the U.S. would rather secure some benefit from Seo Do-jun than lose everything.  

“Then I’ll wait for their call.”  

Seo Do-jun ended the conversation.  

Within a day, the U.S. made their offer.