SFRW-Chapter 87

Ch. 87 Sword God From The Ruined World   

At the exact moment Seo Do-jun and Hyun Joo-yeon entered the Seosan Rift Zone.  

Republic of Namibia, Southern Africa.  

On the land that was once the Republic of Namibia but had now become monster territory devoid of any human presence, another monster wave erupted from the rift zone that had established itself there.  

It was the 8th monster wave.  

Bzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzzzt!  

The energy waves pouring from the rift zone were more intense than ever before.  

Crrrrrrack!  

Due to the powerful energy waves, the ground around the rift zone began to split apart.  

Subsequently, the rift zone’s size gradually expanded until—  

Kwaaaaak!  

The very fabric of space tore open, creating a massive fissure.  

Unlike any ordinary rift zone entrance, this one resembled a towering cliff crevice carved by nature itself.  

A gap so vast its depth was immeasurable!  

It was completely different from typical rift zones.  

What kind of monsters would emerge from this wave?  

The monsters occupying Namibia’s former territory had become a significant headache for neighboring countries.  

South Africa to the south.  

Botswana to the east.  

Angola to the north.  

These three nations were exhausting considerable resources—both material and human—to fend off the constant monster incursions across their borders.  

They had even considered dropping a nuclear bomb on Namibia’s territory.  

But nuclear weapons couldn’t eliminate the monsters.  

After the 4th monster wave, an unknown energy phenomenon caused all modern weapons within 350 kilometers of a rift zone to turn into useless scrap metal.  

In other words, no missiles could strike within 350 kilometers of a rift zone.  

Given this, the only option for these three nations was to personally deal with monsters crossing their borders.  

For them, the sudden emergence of an eighth monster wave was an alarmingly critical event.  

“What’s the situation?”  

“Aside from the rift zone’s entrance transforming, there’s no notable change yet.”  

The South African Hero Association had been monitoring everything via satellite since the massive energy surge began.  

Botswana and Angola were doing the same.  

“What kind of monsters would make the entrance expand like this…?”  

“T-they’re coming out!”  

Through satellite imagery, monsters began emerging from the enormous fissure that had replaced the rift zone.  

Given this was the 8th wave, tension filled the faces of those watching the screens.  

However, their tension didn’t last long.  

“Skeletons?”  

Surprisingly, the monsters emerging in the 8th wave were skeletons—mere animated bones.  

The lowest-rank monsters, just clattering bones without flesh.  

Already well-documented from other rift zones, skeletons could easily be handled by D-rank Heroes—or even properly armed civilians.  

“What the hell? All that fanfare just for skeletons?”  

The team leader watching the screen smirked, his earlier tension replaced with relief.  

“Keep watching. We don’t know what might come next.”  

Even as he spoke, his worry had significantly diminished.  

Monster waves typically followed a pattern: the initial monsters indicated the threat level.  

While each wave varied in numbers and types, one rule held true—if powerful monsters appeared early, even stronger ones would follow.  

Conversely, skeletons appearing first meant subsequent monsters wouldn’t be much worse.  

The skeletons kept coming.  

As if endless, hours passed with their relentless march.  

“If it’s just these bonebags, we’re golden.”  

The team leader now lounged with coffee in hand.  

Skeletons could be handled by D-rank Heroes or even conventional firearms.  

No matter their numbers, the military could easily suppress them.  

Boring as the surveillance was, this was the best-case scenario.  

Even if skeletons poured out for ten straight days, he’d gladly take it over a real threat.  

Hours passed.  

The team leader dozed off.  

Staff monitoring the screens yawned, fighting sleep.  

Skeleton numbers had surpassed tens of thousands, yet the atmosphere remained lax.  

“Huh? What’s that?”  

The endless skeleton procession finally stopped, replaced by new monsters—or rather, differently equipped ones.  

Even the drowsy team leader perked up.  

“What appeared?”  

“Still skeletons, but… they’re armed with bone swords, bows, spears, and axes.”  

The team leader widened his eyes at the screen.  

“…What are those?”  

Armed skeletons were unheard of.  

Yet here they were—wielding weapons and shields crafted from bone.  

Still just bones, but undeniably more threatening.  

“Bones are bones. What’s the worst they can do?”  

The team leader stretched and stood.  

“Save some clear screenshots. I’ll wash up.”  

After he left, the armed skeletons kept emerging.  

Soon, another shift occurred.  

“Now what?”  

These skeletons wore full bone armor.  

Their weapons were sharper, more refined.  

Then came skeletons riding bone horses.  

Next, skeletal mages adorned with necklaces of skulls, wielding staffs.  

Finally—  

A figure cloaked in pitch-black robes emerged from the rift.  

“Is that the last one?”  

“For now, yes.”  

Unlike the others, the robed figure stopped right at the rift’s edge.  

“Zoom in.”  

The screen magnified, but the robe obscured its face entirely.  

Then—  

“It’s still a skeleton,” an employee confirmed as bony fingers raised into view.  

At that moment—  

The figure suddenly looked up.  

Directly at the satellite.  

Two crimson eyes glowed from within the hood.  

“…!”  

Everyone flinched.  

“What’s it looking at?!”  

“J-just coincidence, surely!”  

The team leader snapped irritably, though his heart pounded.  

Then—  

The robed skeleton spread its arms.  

Black mist began swirling around it.  

Within seconds, the mist thickened—engulfing the figure, then the sky.  

“Switch feeds! Now!”  

“All satellites show the same! The mist covers everything!”  

“How?! Check every angle!”  

But no satellite could penetrate the mist.  

Unbelievably, it had swallowed the entire region.  

The team leader’s earlier confidence shattered.  

Had they underestimated this wave?  

***

Hyun Joo-yeon couldn’t focus on her magic training.  

The noise from Death Knight Castle disrupted her concentration.  

Not screams or shouts—just the relentless clatter of weapons.  

‘Summons?’  

Seo Do-jun had called the Champion Death Knights summons.  

Bound souls, he claimed.  

‘What does that even mean?!’  

She could accept Casserian’s subjugation—barely.  

Monsters had intelligence, or at least survival instincts.  

Casserian proved highly intelligent and utterly subdued by Seo Do-jun’s power.  

An unprecedented feat, but Seo Do-jun defied all norms anyway.  

But binding souls?  

‘Since when was that possible?’  

Yet here they were—ten Champion Death Knights obeying Seo Do-jun’s every command.  

His words echoed:  

“They’re just bodyguards for Grandma and Eun-young. They’ll only appear in emergencies.”  

God help them.  

Ten Champion Death Knights surpassed any S-rank bodyguard.  

Hyun Joo-yeon knew firsthand—no S-rank could breach such defense.  

‘And he’s training like nothing’s happening…’  

Seo Do-jun’s calm was infuriating.  

Curiosity won.  

She abandoned training and sprinted toward the castle.  

She had to see these ‘summons’ in action.  

Meanwhile, Seo Do-jun remained immersed in channeling magic into his desiccated magic rod.  

The world outside his focus didn’t exist.