SFRW-Chapter 302

Ch. 302 Sword God From The Ruined World

“…It’s breaking!”  

Seo Do-jun immediately opened a subspace as the enormous pressure crushed down on his sword barrier. The moment he gripped the teleportation stone, he channeled magic into it.  

—SNAP!  

BOOOOOOM—!  

At the same time, the sword barrier shattered in all directions, and the ground beneath Seo Do-jun’s feet caved in deeply.  

“KASSALLLL—!”  

Gloria, who had been watching, screamed his name in panic.  

“Did he dodge?”  

Vipiens immediately sensed that Seo Do-jun’s presence had vanished far into the distance.  

It wasn’t Teleportation magic.  

From the very beginning, Vipiens had suppressed all magic in the surrounding area, anticipating that Seo Do-jun might try to cast spells. Not only that, but he had also twisted the flow of magic, making it nearly impossible to weave magic without being detected.  

To bypass all of this and still cast a spell, one would need skill enough to be recognized by Vipiens as ‘someone who at least understands magic’.  

Right now, the only mage present with that level of skill was Luam.  

‘Must be an artifact.’  

Even if magic couldn’t be used directly, as long as one could manipulate magic or recite an activation phrase, magical tools could still be employed.  

Of course, someone of Seo Do-jun’s caliber would undoubtedly have acquired such artifacts. Vipiens dismissed it as insignificant.  

As expected—  

Without triggering any magic detection, Seo Do-jun suddenly reappeared in the distance and swung his sword in a wide arc.  

Sword energy fanned out like a peacock’s tail before converging into a single strike aimed straight at Vipiens.  

In response, Vipiens summoned a massive pillar of water.  

WHOOSH—!  

The sword energy tore through the water pillar, sending enormous chunks of water exploding in all directions like bombs, devastating the surroundings.  

Seo Do-jun began closing the distance again, swinging his sword as if performing a deadly dance.  

With each motion, sword energy poured forth in overwhelming quantities—so much that one might think the God of Swords himself was displaying divine might.  

Meanwhile, Vipiens stood firm amidst the storm of slashes, countering with an array of spells. His mastery over magic was so absolute that it justified his title as ‘The Conductor of Magic’.  

Luam and Gloria, witnessing this relentless clash of sword and sorcery up close, could only watch in awe.  

“Gloria!”  

Snapping out of her daze, Gloria turned toward the voice.  

Hyun Joo-yeon, Kusak, and the others—alongside familiar faces like Choi Kang-soo and Shinjo, as well as strangers she had never seen before—were rushing toward her.  

“What happened?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon demanded an explanation. Gloria quickly summarized everything—how they had been separated, how Seo Do-jun had appeared—  

“So it really was that damn Lich’s doing!”  

Veronica glared at Luam with murderous eyes.  

Stripped of his robe, Luam’s skeletal frame looked like nothing more than a defeated remnant of his former self. The shattered remains of undead monsters scattered around him made it clear he couldn’t even muster half his usual strength.  

‘Maybe…’  

Veronica’s eyes flickered toward the Golems standing guard around Vipiens and Seo Do-jun’s battlefield, particularly the crushed undead beneath their feet.  

Vipiens had deployed the Golems to prevent any interference in his fight—which also meant he wouldn’t intervene if they attacked Luam.  

This was their chance.  

Veronica locked eyes with Kusak and Rakun, whispering quietly. They nodded in agreement.  

While helping Seo Do-jun against Vipiens was important, eliminating Luam was just as crucial.  

No—more than that.  

A weakened Luam, left vulnerable like this, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  

‘I’ll go first.’  

Rakun silently raised his shield, signaling he would take the brunt of any counterattack to create an opening.  

As the three moved, Shinjo—quick to catch on—quietly warned Choi Kang-soo to prepare.  

‘Are you sure this will make sure that bastard can’t come back?’  

『Destroying his Life-Force Vessel would be the surest method, but that’s impossible right now. This is the only way.』  

Choi Kang-soo nodded at the Divine Sword’s response.  

No signal was needed.  

Rakun inhaled sharply—  

THUD—!  

Like a coiled spring released, he shot toward Luam, leaving deep footprints in the ground.  

A technique he had developed after being taken hostage by Vipiens—using the earth’s energy to enhance his charge.  

The air itself exploded as Rakun closed the distance.  

Luam, distracted by Vipiens’s magic, barely had time to react before raising a skeletal hand.  

CRACK—!  

A wall of blackened earth erupted in front of him—  

SMASH!  

Rakun plowed straight through, shield-first.  

“…Insolent!”  

Luam felt unbearable humiliation at being charged by someone who wasn’t even a Transcendent.  

At the same time, his rage toward Vipiens—who had reduced him to this state—grew even fiercer.  

‘I’ll turn every last one of you into undead!’  

Swearing to enslave all who mocked him, Luam tried to cast a spell—  

‘Damn it! Vipiens!’  

His magic was slower than usual.  

Vipiens’s twisted magic flow disrupted his casting.  

And because of that—  

CRACK!  

Before Luam could summon a spear of darkness to impale Rakun, the shield slammed into his ribcage.  

The impact sent him stumbling back, his spell collapsing again.  

“HAAAH!”  

Rakun brought his shield down on Luam like a hammer, smashing him repeatedly into the ground.  

BAM! BAM! BAM!  

Though Luam’s bones—harder than dragon bone—didn’t break easily, he had never been treated like this before. His skull rattled violently under the relentless assault.  

Only after being bashed seven times did Luam hastily summon Death Knights to restrain Rakun.  

But Rakun wasn’t alone.  

“Damn it! Why is the magic flow so messed up here?!”  

Kusak, snarling in frustration, frantically weaved hand signs before conjuring a massive fire dragon.  

ROOOAR—!  

“I’ll melt every last bone of yours!”  

The fire dragon’s maw gaped wide, swallowing Luam whole.  

Kusak had learned this technique from Vipiens himself.  

The spell’s power had increased exponentially—enough that even a Transcendent couldn’t ignore it.  

“GGRRAAHH—!”  

Luam let out an involuntary groan as searing pain wracked his bones.  

Yet even in agony, he slowly began casting.  

WHOOSH—!  

Black flames erupted beneath him, engulfing Kusak’s fire dragon in an instant.  

If Kusak’s flames were the embodiment of pure heat, Luam’s were the fire of death—devouring all life.  

As the fire dragon rapidly weakened, Kusak’s face twisted in frustration.  

The difference in power was clear.  

Even in this pitiful state, Luam was still a Transcendent.  

Just as the fire dragon was about to vanish—  

“If you’ve been burned, you need to cool down!”  

A torrent of water crashed down on Luam like a waterfall.  

SPLAAAAASH—!  

But this wasn’t just water—it was infused with razor-sharp sword energy, capable of slicing through anything it touched.  

CRACK! SPLINTER!  

“GRAAAH—!”  

Luam barely suppressed a scream as the water hammered into his bones.  

Veronica’s attack was far more brutal than Rakun’s or Kusak’s.  

Having inherited the power of the Water God, she was only growing stronger.  

CRACK… CRACK…  

As rifts spread across his bones, Luam’s eye sockets blazed with green fire.  

“You insects!”  

Just as dark magic erupted from his body—  

BOOOOM—!  

A thunderbolt speared through Luam’s chest.  

Shinjo’s strike—a true Transcendent’s full-powered attack—was devastating even to Luam.  

CRUNCH!  

Part of his ribcage shattered, and his skeletal body swayed unsteadily.  

“Ghk! Y-You…!”  

“You’re getting your ass kicked, yet you keep calling us insects? Pathetic.”  

Choi Kang-soo stepped forward, grinning viciously.  

Holy flames ignited around him as he raised the Divine Sword.  

“You think a piece of trash like you can beat me?!”  

Luam, sensing true danger, gathered every last shred of his magic.  

Light and darkness clashed—  

BOOOOOM—!  

A deafening explosion.  

Choi Kang-soo’s feet skidded to a halt, unable to advance further.  

Luam cackled.  

“You think you can face me? You’re a thousand years too early!”  

“I don’t need a thousand years. I’ll crush you right here, right now. Divine Sword—let’s go!”  

The holy flames around Choi Kang-soo blazed even fiercer.  

WHOOSH—!  

The Divine Sword unleashed its full power, tilting the balance between light and darkness.  

Luam’s instincts screamed in warning.  

Even though his Life-Force Vessel was safely hidden, there was one thing he had to avoid at all costs—  

The Shackles of Light.  

Just as all living beings had ranks, so too did sacred artifacts.  

The Divine Sword in Choi Kang-soo’s hands was a Transcendent-grade relic—capable of sealing even Luam’s soul within its light.  

In simple terms, it meant imprisoning Luam’s soul inside the sword.  

Of course, doing so would require the Divine Sword to permanently dedicate part of its power to keeping Luam contained—a fatal limitation.  

But despite the cost, both Choi Kang-soo and the Divine Sword were determined to do it.  

“GGRRAAHH—!”  

Luam’s agonized scream echoed as the purifying light slowly consumed him.  

His entire body trembled violently.  

He needed to escape—but couldn’t.  

The light crept up from his feet, encasing him completely.  

“V-Vi… Pi…!”  

The only one who could save him now was Vipiens.  

Luam struggled to call out—  

But Vipiens’s cold gaze told him everything.  

He wouldn’t lift a finger.  

‘Lord… Barhaut!’  

With his final plea unanswered, Luam’s form crumbled into ash, his soul sucked into the Divine Sword.  

『Done!』  

The Divine Sword confirmed the sealing was complete before withdrawing its holy power.  

Had it not been for Choi Kang-soo, the sword would never have been able to imprison a Transcendent like Luam.  

‘So I can’t use Transcendent-level holy power anymore?’  

『Unfortunately, Luam’s soul is too powerful. We could release him, but…』  

Choi Kang-soo grimaced. As much as he hated losing that power, freeing Luam was unthinkable.  

‘Sealing Luam is enough of a contribution.’  

『That is the duty of a true Holy Knight.』  

Sacrificing one’s own strength to destroy or seal away evil—that was the path of a divine warrior.  

The Divine Sword believed Choi Kang-soo had taken his first step on that path.  

Now, the group—Rakun, Kusak, Veronica, Shinjo, and Choi Kang-soo—turned their attention back to Vipiens.  

He had watched Luam’s sealing without lifting a finger.  

His utter lack of camaraderie sent chills down their spines—but at the same time, it made them realize just how confident he was in his own power.  

“What now?”  

Veronica’s question hung in the air.  

Helping Seo Do-jun against Vipiens was one thing, but facing even just the 20 Golems was daunting.  

“Fight. Break. Destroy.”  

Grichuk drew his sword, stepping forward.  

“Stay where you are. After I kill Seo Do-jun, I’ll kill all of you too.”  

Vipiens shattered Seo Do-jun’s sword energy with a wave of his hand before summoning a rain of fire over the group.  

Just as the overwhelming flames were about to engulf them—  

THUD—!  

Vipiens’s body lurched violently.  

A crimson spear had pierced through his collarbone.  

“Huh…?”  

Everyone stared in shock.  

Seo Do-jun, equally stunned, stepped back and scanned the surroundings.  

“This…”  

Vipiens’s face twisted as he stared at the spear embedded in his flesh.  

“A little off-target? Or did you twist your body at the last second? I thought it was perfect… Well, I suppose catching a ten-thousand-year-old lizard in one strike was too much to ask.”  

A unfamiliar voice.  

A dark-haired, handsome man walked forward, smirking.  

Ketera.