SFRW-Chapter 85

Ch. 85 Sword God From The Ruined World   

“Go back now.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s command, the Casserian immediately flapped its wings and soared into the sky without a moment’s hesitation, flying away without looking back.  

“Does it hate this place… or me?”  

If asked which was more likely, Seo Do-jun thought… probably the latter.  

With the Casserian sent away, Seo Do-jun remained alone on the vast island of Guam.  

From the moment negotiations with the U.S. government concluded, Guam had become Seo Do-jun’s private property.  

With the monsters that had conquered Guam eliminated and the rift zones closed, Guam felt desolate.  

“I can’t just leave my home open for others to peek at.”  

Seo Do-jun took out magic stone powder from his subspace.  

He then began drawing a Magic Circle without hesitation.  

Compared to the Magic Circle that blocked interdimensional pathways, this one was simple enough to seem rudimentary.  

Seo Do-jun placed a 2-million-won grade magic stone on the circle and chanted the activation phrase.  

The magic circle emitted a bright light, soon spreading a thin membrane across the sky large enough to cover all of Guam.  

Spatial Distortion Magic Circle.  

In the ruined world, this had been one of the basic Magic Circles commonly used during wars between nations.  

Being basic, its only effect was refracting light to prevent clear viewing of what was inside.  

This meant neither America nor anyone else could properly observe Guam’s situation through satellites.  

If they tried, they’d only see distorted, broken images due to the light refraction and spatial distortion.  

This didn’t just apply to satellites. Unless approaching within 100 meters by ship or plane, proper observation was impossible, making spying on Seo Do-jun’s activities nearly impossible.  

Additionally, Seo Do-jun set up another Magic Circle to block interdimensional pathways, preventing rift zones from forming in Guam.  

The problem was the magic stones.  

Even a mythic-grade magic stone obtainable only by hunting Cyclops would be insufficient to protect all of Guam.  

“I could make it work with this, but…”  

Seo Do-jun took out the ultimate-grade magic stone obtained from hunting Heavy Mountain.  

This was an ultimate-grade magic stone never before seen on Earth.  

The magic concentration was incomparably denser than mythic-grade stones, making its value unimaginable.  

Without hesitation, Seo Do-jun threw the ultimate-grade stone back into his subspace.  

Guam only needed to be hidden from prying eyes – it wasn’t valuable enough to warrant using ultimate-grade magic stones.  

He activated the circle using high-grade magic stones instead.  

Seo Do-jun then set up five more interdimensional pathway-blocking circles across Guam.  

If rift zones still formed in unprotected gaps, he decided he’d simply consider it bad luck.  

With external observation blocked and sudden rift zone formations somewhat prevented, Seo Do-jun began drawing another massive magic circle.  

This one was enormous – large enough to build a house on.  

After carefully completing the circle, Seo Do-jun summoned ten Champion Death Knights outside it.  

These knights, who had accompanied him from Guam to Canada exterminating monsters, now had a different gleam in their eyes.  

Death Knights were growth-type guardians.  

While rapid growth couldn’t be expected short-term, they gradually strengthened over time and through combat experience, making them highly desirable as guardians.  

The summoned Champion Death Knights knelt like loyal knights before their lord.  

“Guard this circle.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s command, they surrounded the circle.  

With preparations complete, Seo Do-jun stepped into the circle’s center, holding a golf ball-sized white sphere – Laroc’s Egg.  

Seo Do-jun was undoubtedly strong now.  

But since Brazil’s rift zones were tainted by dark magic, he’d felt the need to grow stronger.  

His instinctive thirst for power also made stagnation unbearable.  

But then…  

“Vaitel…”  

Vaitel’s existence had sharpened Seo Do-jun’s urgency.  

This wasn’t just instinctive desire – he now had a clear goal: he must become stronger.  

His first target: reach the level he’d been at when called ‘Sword God’ in the ruined world.  

Current Seo Do-jun didn’t even reach half that power.  

The reason was simple:  

His body could no longer accept more magic.  

Humans are born inherently weak.  

With fragile bodies and unremarkable magic-handling talents, they naturally rank below monsters in the food chain.  

Yet no species surpasses humans in overcoming physical and talent limitations.  

To grow stronger, humans must continuously surpass their bodily and talent limits.  

This applies even to those born with exceptional bones and talents.  

First, the weak human body must be strengthened by dividing it into ‘core’ and ‘shell’.  

The shell refers to bones, muscles, and skin; the core refers to magic roads.  

Currently, both Seo Do-jun’s core and shell have reached their limits.  

Thus, no matter how abundant the magic, his body can’t absorb more.  

Had this not been the case, he could have absorbed all the magic he wanted through magic breathing near the World Tree at the new rift zone.  

What Seo Do-jun needed now was physical enhancement to create a body capable of absorbing more magic.  

This required forcibly breaking through his limits using external means – essentially a shortcut.  

Laroc’s Egg was perfect for forcibly strengthening a weak human body.  

Of course, no achievement comes without cost.  

Placing the egg in his mouth, Seo Do-jun drew up magic.  

Blue magic instantly melted the egg, the liquid flowing down his throat.  

“Guh…!”  

The greater the result, the greater the price.  

Seo Do-jun’s lips split as he clenched his teeth, his face contorted in unprecedented pain.  

Crack! Crack! Crack!  

The transformation began with his shell.  

Bones shattered and realigned to achieve optimal balance.  

This cycle of breaking and reforming repeated throughout his skeleton.  

Rip! Tear! Fuse!  

Next, muscles tore, split, and fused together.  

While bones handled balance, muscles focused on enhancing strength and speed.  

Durability also increased dramatically, making him resistant to most internal and external impacts.  

Just the bone and muscle transformations left Seo Do-jun drenched in sweat.  

Once his muscles surpassed their limits and achieved ideal form, the third phase began: expanding his core – his magic roads.  

During this process, Seo Do-jun melted and absorbed two more Laroc’s Eggs.  

Magic roads are pathways for magic flow within the body.  

Wider roads allow more magic usage, which was why even in the ruined world, mages often risked their lives to expand them.  

Being extremely sensitive, even minor mistakes while expanding magic roads could be fatal.  

Since these were internal changes invisible to the eye, by the time external problems appeared, it was often too late.  

Despite pain like dozens of blades shredding his insides, Seo Do-jun remained focused.  

Having experienced this before, he could endure it.  

Expanded magic roads increase the body’s magic capacity.  

There was once an era when Knights, like mages, practiced Magic Heart Methods to gather magic in one place.  

Though locations varied, most chose the heart or dantian (the body’s central axis).  

Just as mages created magic circles in their hearts (with quantity indicating skill), Knights also condensed magic in their hearts or dantians, with size determining rank.  

During this mainstream era, one Knight questioned:  

“Why must magic be gathered in just one place?”  

This Knight wanted to gather magic throughout his body – not just heart and dantian, but also arms, legs, waist, knees, and neck.  

He argued that distributing magic across all roads was qualitatively and quantitatively more efficient.  

And he proved himself right.  

The greatest Knight, the first Grand Master.  

Vandean.  

The founder of Seo Do-jun’s family line, revered as the greatest knight across the continent.  

Thus, the Vandeyan family devoted more effort than anyone to expanding magic roads, with their Magic Heart Method optimized specifically for this purpose.  

However, enduring the pain of road expansion is never easy.  

Yet Seo Do-jun suffered through the excruciating process without a single scream.  

He knew: the greater the pain, the greater the reward.  

After the blade-like pain came searing flames piercing through his body – the road strengthening phase.  

Seo Do-jun melted and absorbed his two remaining Laroc’s Eggs.  

Strengthening the brutally expanded roads to prevent damage brought equally terrible pain.  

Simultaneously, black liquid oozed from his pores – waste accumulated in his body being expelled.  

Another process occurred simultaneously: skin enhancement.  

His new skin was more elastic yet tougher, with incomparably improved recovery and regeneration.  

Thus, Seo Do-jun’s body broke through its limits, both shell and core growing stronger.  

***  

After hearing Seo Do-jun say “I’ll be counting on you,” Hyun Joo-yeon began visiting his house more frequently.  

She especially found Magic Heart Method training much more effective at his new home.  

“It really is different.”  

After starting the training, Hyun Joo-yeon had sought magic-rich locations as Seo Do-jun suggested.  

She’d climbed little-visited mountains and practiced near seas and rivers, as less disturbed nature supposedly had richer magic.  

There were effects, but not enough to justify long trips – just slightly better results.  

But Seo Do-jun’s new home was different.  

While not comparable to Gates or rift zones, it was far more effective than mountains or seas.  

“There must be something special here.”  

Because it was Seo Do-jun, Hyun Joo-yeon was certain some secret was hidden here.  

Regardless, she now preferred training on the rooftop of Seo Do-jun’s house, where the view was wide open.  

“Sister, are you here?”  

Eun-young came up to the rooftop looking for Hyun Joo-yeon.  

“Finished filming?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon knew Seo Do-jun had contracted streamers to post videos online, helping erase people’s fear of the Casserian.  

She’d also seen Eun-young and sometimes Ha-yoon filming with the Casserian twice.  

In Hyun Joo-yeon’s opinion, once these videos started uploading in earnest, their impact would be significant.  

The Casserian’s behavior was enough to completely overwrite its previous image.  

“Yeah! Sister, were you meditating again?”  

Eun-young only knew the Magic Heart Method as meditation.  

“Did you practice, Eun-young?”  

“Brother makes me do it every morning before school!”  

Though it could be bothersome, Eun-young diligently followed Seo Do-jun’s instructions.  

“Listening well to your brother – you’re such a good girl.”  

Eun-young smiled brightly at the praise.  

As she watched Eun-young’s pretty smile, Hyun Joo-yeon tilted her head.  

“Eun-young, have you grown taller?”  

Moving closer, Hyun Joo-yeon confirmed Eun-young had definitely grown.  

Just a month ago, Eun-young’s head had only reached Hyun Joo-yeon’s chest.  

Now she was at least 10cm taller.  

“Yeah! I’m taller than Ha-yun now!”  

Eun-young said proudly, making Hyun Joo-yeon’s eyes widen.  

“Taller than Ha-yoon?”  

Ha-yoon was quite tall for her age.  

When Hyun Joo-yeon first saw them together, Ha-yoon had been nearly a head taller.  

“Now that I think about it…”  

Hyun Joo-yeon recalled recently seeing Eun-young and Ha-yoon looking about the same height during filming.  

Now Eun-young claimed to be taller, making Hyun Joo-yeon wonder if the 8-year-old was growing too rapidly.  

While children grow at different rates, Hyun Joo-yeon had never heard of an 8-year-old girl growing over 10cm in such a short time.  

“Eun-young, are you feeling any pain or discomfort?”  

“Pain? No?”  

Looking at Eun-young’s face, she clearly didn’t seem unwell.  

Her eyes shone brightly, her complexion was healthy, and her skin practically glowed.  

Lately, she’d become much more energetic too – not something achievable through just eating well.  

‘Could it be from practicing the Magic Heart Method?’  

“Magic is the source of all energy. Those who can handle it live much healthier, longer lives than those who can’t. Heroes? You’ll be able to defend yourself far better than those amateurs.”  

Hyun Joo-yeon had once asked if Eun-young wanted to become a Hero.  

That was Seo Do-jun’s response.  

Eun-young had once proudly mentioned how all her classmates got the flu while she remained healthy.  

At the time, Hyun Joo-yeon had said she was lucky and reminded her to wash her hands well since she could still catch a cold.  

‘It was because of the Magic Heart Method.’  

What would happen if people learned this truth?  

Freedom from illness and long life are everyone’s foremost wishes.  

And if it also helped children grow?  

“…He’s hiding truly incredible treasures.”  

The fact that Seo Do-jun had shared such a treasure with her moved Hyun Joo-yeon deeply once again.