The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 159

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 159

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully 159

The Returnee (2)

Shin Chang-soo reappeared in the heart of Seoul.

Almost immediately upon his return, Shin Chang-soo began a massacre, causing widespread destruction.

The area where he stood was reduced to ruins, utterly silent.
Divers [individuals with supernatural abilities] responded to prevent further damage, but Shin Chang-soo easily cut them down.

-The returnee’s name is Shin Chang-soo, one of the people who went missing during the Great Disaster…

His identity was confirmed using a photo of his face taken by a citizen at a distance, but no one could stop him.

Shin Chang-soo’s entire family perished during the Great Disaster, and the extent of his power was unknown, making divers hesitant to approach him.

Shin Chang-soo has currently ceased his movements, but the scene captured from afar was horrifying.
A photo showed him sitting atop a mountain of corpses, clutching a sword, revealing the grim reality.

An evacuation order was issued for a 10km radius around Shin Chang-soo, and experts warned that the situation would only worsen unless someone stopped him.

For the time being, the South Korean government attempted to negotiate with Shin Chang-soo.

An order for immediate execution had been issued, given that he had already killed hundreds, but Shin Chang-soo’s detection range was too vast, and his power made him difficult to eliminate.

Even deploying an S-class diver was a gamble.

-Currently, the returnee Shin Chang-soo has stated that he wants to become ‘king’…

However, Shin Chang-soo’s demand was outrageous.

He wanted the current democratic nation to be transformed into a monarchy, with himself as the ‘king.’

The South Korean government couldn’t possibly accept this, so they inquired if he had any other conditions, but Shin Chang-soo remained fixated on his initial demand.

He wanted to be the king of the country.

That was his sole demand, and he refused to consider any alternatives.

Shin Chang-soo, who had murdered hundreds, gave them three days to decide.

He threatened to turn Seoul into a wasteland if they didn’t provide an answer within that timeframe.

Meanwhile, in Sehyun City.

“A returnee horror story.”

Every news channel was covering Shin Chang-soo.

Yoo Seong-woo blinked as he watched the news reports on television.

In just ten hours since Shin Chang-soo’s return, Seoul had been utterly devastated.

Only yesterday, he was happily playing with Knox in the Abyss… but now, a massacre was unfolding up north.

-The Worst Returnee

-The Hero Who Became a Mass Murderer

Anchors rattled off sensational headlines.

Watching them, Yoo Seong-woo couldn’t shake the feeling that he could have ended up the same way.

If he had returned without maintaining his sanity, he might have committed similar atrocities.

In a way, it felt like an incident he could understand.

Not that he was defending Shin Chang-soo, of course…

Suddenly, his smartphone rang. It was a call from Yoo-wol.

“Did you make an appointment with the Witch Council?”

-No, not that…

“Then it must be about Seoul.”

-It seems you’re already aware. A summons has been issued. They’re invoking the clause in the Diver Special Act that compels cooperation with the military in situations equivalent to wartime.

“If it’s stipulated by law, then there’s nothing we can do…”

He had hoped that the people in Seoul would handle it themselves…

But it seemed his wish wouldn’t be granted.

“Ugh, how annoying…”

It looked like he was going to have to make a trip to Seoul for the first time in a while.

* * *

Yoo Seong-woo received a briefing on the current situation in the car en route to Seoul.

Shin Chang-soo, age twenty-seven.

But that was Korean age; based on a different timeline in another world, he might be older.

Notable features included a body covered in scars, disheveled hair… and a single sword.

‘…He’s similar to me when I first came to Earth?’

He was also naked and had messy hair.

He returned with only a sword. He couldn’t help but feel that they were becoming increasingly alike.

In addition, he received a concise overview of Shin Chang-soo’s detection range and combat techniques.

“Magic and swordsmanship… does he seem like a typical hero?”

“The mages at the Magic Tower confirm it’s properly structured magic with consistent rules. It appears he comes from a world where magical civilization is quite advanced.”

“What about swordsmanship?”

“Swordsmanship as well. They say he seems to be using Aura [a manifestation of inner energy]… here’s a video.”

Yoo-wol, who was sitting beside him, showed him a CCTV recording of Shin Chang-soo.

There was some interference due to the magic, but the high-performance camera managed to capture some of Shin Chang-soo’s movements.

Yoo Seong-woo frowned as he watched Shin Chang-soo wield his sword.

‘Swordsmanship that emphasizes practicality. Judging by its high level of refinement, it must originate from the military or a knight order…’

And the shimmering blue energy emanating from Shin Chang-soo’s sword was visible even on camera.

It was definitely Aura.

The color was so intense, even in the video, that it was clear he had reached the level of a master swordsman, making this a valuable opportunity.

“Hmm.”

Yoo Seong-woo considered who else was participating in this operation.

Red Dragon had also been summoned, and the Bonkuk Sword Society was expected to join as well.

Even though it had been devastated once by the Great Disaster, they were still committed to protecting Seoul, the heart of Korea.

“They should move the capital to Sehyun…”

Muttering under his breath, he began to assess the situation.

Shin Chang-soo was undoubtedly powerful.

The marks on his body were a testament to the life he had lived, his will forged into the very sword he wielded.

His strength, honed through immense hardship, was unmatched by ordinary Divers [individuals with special abilities who combat monsters].

‘Hmm, Jiwoo could probably handle this too. And Hong Seo-hwa is joining as well…’

It seemed this would be quite interesting. He also considered how he might use Shin Chang-soo as a benchmark to improve their skills.

* * *

Arriving in Seoul, he went directly to the operations room, carefully positioned outside Shin Chang-soo’s detection range.

Hong Seo-hwa and the others who had been summoned were already present.

Seong Un-ryong, an S-class member of the Bonkuk Sword Society [a prestigious Korean swordsmanship organization], gave him a curt nod.

Yoo Seong-woo returned the nod and settled into a seat.

“…Thank you all for coming.”

The soldier briefing the operation swallowed nervously, looking at the assembled faces.

How many S-class Divers were in this room?

And then there was Yoo Seong-woo, a monster considered stronger than any Diver alive.

With this team, he couldn’t imagine them losing to Shin Chang-soo.

As he began to explain the operation, Yoo Seong-woo interrupted.

“Do we even need this operation?”

“It’s an operation designed to effectively deal with the enemy…”

“What do you know about him? There’s no need to waste time planning an elaborate operation. He’s not the kind of guy you can just surround.”

Yoo Seong-woo had seen the video.

Shin Chang-soo had moved quickly, but that couldn’t have been his maximum speed.

What they needed wasn’t a physical encirclement of Divers, but magical countermeasures.

“Call the mages. Setting up a barrier will be far more effective.”

“It’s impossible to erect a barrier outside his detection range…”

“Who said anything about setting it up outside? You have to go inside. I’ll go in first and keep him occupied while the mages complete the barrier. It’ll be much easier that way.”

If things went as Yoo Seong-woo described, it would certainly be easier.

But if Yoo Seong-woo failed to contain Shin Chang-soo, it would be a disaster.

As if sensing that concern, Yoo Seong-woo said, “Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility for holding him down.”

His words caused a stir in the operations room.

The carefully laid plans to capture Shin Chang-soo were crumbling with a single sentence.

“You want us to scrap the plan based solely on your word? On what basis?”

The middle-aged soldier in charge of the operation glared at Yoo Seong-woo.

The plan to eliminate Shin Chang-soo was the result of collaboration between several tactical experts.

To have some outsider dismiss it so casually, even if that outsider was the celebrated hero Yoo Seong-woo, rubbed him the wrong way.

In particular, the military tended to look down on Divers, seeing them as glorified monster hunters and ignoring their insights.

At the soldier’s words, Yoo Seong-woo frowned. “And what basis do you have? What do you even know about Shin Chang-soo?”

“We’ve meticulously analyzed him and created a comprehensive plan. Once the Divers have him pinned down, the snipers will finish him off.”

“You call that crap a plan… Did you even see the power he wields? Sniper rounds will just bounce off. You’ll only make him angrier.”

“How can you be so sure without even trying?”

“Do I have to taste it to know if it’s shit or soybean paste [a common Korean dish]? I just don’t want you guys eating shit. If you don’t like it, go bother someone else.”

Yoo Seong-woo pulled out his Returnee card [implying he has knowledge from another world]. Since he was a returnee himself, he reasoned that he understood Shin Chang-soo better than anyone else in the room.

And unfortunately, there were no other returnees among the soldiers.

Everyone fell silent as Yoo Seong-woo continued.

“Then it’s settled. The soldiers are pulled back, and only the Divers go in. Call the mages and have them set up a barrier while we engage him.”

With that, Yoo Seong-woo rose from his seat.

He left the operations room with a leisurely air, prompting some to chuckle in disbelief.

Those who supported him, including Hong Seo-hwa, followed him out.

Watching them go, the soldier clenched his fist.

* * *

Shin Chang-soo sat atop a mountain of corpses, clutching his sword.

The confusion in his mind seemed to lessen as he held the sword, the scent of blood strangely calming.

And the faces of the people, terrified and fleeing…

“After all, humans… are the same everywhere. I… I have to do something about it.”

Muttering to himself, Shin Chang-soo raised his head.

The sky was overcast.

He had returned at night, and half a day had passed, so it should be bright.

But the sky remained cloudy and dark. The day this sky clears will be the day he is fully enthroned as king, and everything is set right.

The otherworlders didn’t understand.

He toiled and struggled as they demanded, fulfilling their every whim.

But instead of reward, he was met with rejection.

He only wanted to go home, but the residents of the other world now saw him not as a comrade, but as an enemy.

So he fought.

He cut, cut, cut, and cut again…

He broke down walls and burned houses.

Those who looked at him with fear and contempt were all enemies.

After defeating several knight orders and beheading the king, a brilliant light burst from the king’s necklace and transported him to Earth.

But Earth was broken.

His hometown was so devastated that it needed to be rebuilt.

‘I won’t make the same mistake again. So, I’ll become king myself…’

Shin Chang-soo resolved, raising his sword high.

A drop of blood clung to the tip of the blade.

Shin Chang-soo, staring at the thick drop of blood, shouted, “…Now the hardship is over! Happiness begins!”