SFRW-Chapter 297

Ch. 297 Sword God From The Ruined World

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!  

Each time Gloria drew the bowstring, an arrow shot forth, mercilessly piercing through undead monsters and leaving gaping holes in their bodies.  

The problem was the holes.  

The wounds created by the arrows’ penetration couldn’t be healed, even by the undead monsters’ regenerative abilities.  

In fact, as time passed, the areas around the injuries gradually expanded, restricting the monsters’ movements and weakening their strength.  

“So this is the power of the World Tree’s roots, huh?”  

Ratio quickly realized that the debuff affecting the undead wasn’t Gloria’s own ability—it was the power of the bow she wielded.  

The World Tree was a being that could almost be called nature itself.  

Even a single properly grown World Tree could transform an entire planet’s ecosystem, enriching all natural life.  

A bow made from its roots—how extraordinary must its power be?  

No matter how great another bow might be called, none could compare to one crafted from the World Tree’s roots.  

A bow like this could do far more than just inflict fatal wounds on undead monsters.  

“But you can’t use its full potential.”  

Ratio sneered, certain that Gloria couldn’t even utilize half of the bow’s true power.  

To wield it properly, one needed to understand the World Tree’s nature—knowledge exclusive to elves.  

“Your stubbornness is only hastening your death.”  

Ratio watched with a cruel smirk as Gloria, completely surrounded by undead monsters, struggled to even draw her bowstring, eventually resorting to swinging the bow itself like a melee weapon.  

Just as Ratio had said, Gloria was becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the undead onslaught.  

The wind spirit, Dea, had managed to retrieve some arrows, but now only three remained.  

Her only option left was to use the bow as a blunt weapon.  

Swiish—SCREECH!  

A sword forced its way through the wind barrier Dea had created, aiming straight for Gloria’s head.  

Gloria barely managed to dodge backward, slamming one of her remaining arrows into the face of a Dragon Bone Knight.  

‘The power is different!’  

The difference between an arrow fired from the bow and one used as a melee weapon was like night and day.  

It wasn’t just about speed.  

‘It must be the power of the World Tree’s roots.’  

Even an ordinary arrow, when nocked and fired from this bow, gained an inexplicable increase in power—especially against undead.  

Gritting her teeth, Gloria yanked the arrow from the knight’s face and immediately nocked it again.  

At this distance—close enough that a single step forward would bring her within striking range—drawing the bow seemed unnecessary.  

THWUMP!  

But the sight of the Dragon Bone Knight’s face being completely obliterated proved otherwise.  

The problem was arrow consumption.  

She had fired at such close range to minimize damage to the arrowhead and retrieve it quickly.  

But the arrow had shattered the knight’s skull and flown far behind, its tip too damaged to reuse.  

She didn’t even need Dea to retrieve it now.  

She would have preferred to fire freely, but Ratio wouldn’t allow it.  

She had already intercepted several of her shots mid-flight.  

However, she didn’t interfere when she fired in a straight line.  

Her intent was clear: to crush her hope while watching her struggle to the very end.  

Now, only two arrows remained.  

Meanwhile, hundreds of undead still surrounded her, including about thirty Dragon Bone Knights.  

‘If only I had enough arrows…’  

With the World Tree bow, Gloria was confident she could take them all down—if only she had the ammunition.  

But reality was harsh.  

“SKREEEEE—!”  

As a fully formed undead monster charged with a shriek, Gloria gripped her bow and last arrows tightly, bracing for close combat.  

She would save the arrows exclusively for the Dragon Bone Knights.  

And—  

‘I have to maximize their power. One shot must take down at least two.’  

But as time passed, the situation only worsened.  

“No need to intervene anymore.”  

Ratio had considered breaking Gloria’s spirit further, but seeing her slowly collapse from arrow exhaustion made it unnecessary.  

“Even Vipiens won’t have anything to say about this.”  

Gloria would die to the undead, and Ratio would claim the now ownerless bow.  

After all, the Earth hostages—including Gloria—had chosen to hunt monsters near the lair of their own volition.  

Who could blame her if she died in the process?  

“Perfect.”  

Ratio smiled in satisfaction.  

Could there be a more flawless outcome?  

THWIP!  

Finally, the last arrow left the bowstring.  

It took down three Dragon Bone Knights and several undead in one shot, but Gloria’s expression showed no joy.  

“This is the end.”  

Ratio watched eagerly, anticipating her final moments.  

In desperation, Gloria had even tried firing magic arrows, but the excessive drain left her physically exhausted.  

And then—  

CRACK!  

A greatsword crashed down, and Gloria barely blocked it with her bow before being sent stumbling back, her legs giving out.  

‘…Is this how it ends?’  

She had believed her comrades would come, but they never appeared.  

She could guess why.  

If Ratio had gone this far to trap her, she wouldn’t have allowed any interference.  

Even Hyun Joo-yeon, who had fought alongside her, was nowhere to be seen.  

‘Kassal…’  

At the end, Seo Do-jun’s face surfaced in her mind.  

She wished she could see him one last time.  

“SCREEEEE—!”  

A scream of wind tore through the air before scattering violently in front of Gloria.  

Dea, the wind spirit, had thrown herself into protecting Gloria until the very end—only to be forcibly removed.  

The Dragon Bone Knight responsible for removing Dea now approached, its hollow eyes fixed on Gloria.  

Confident she could no longer resist, it loomed over her triumphantly.  

“This is why you shouldn’t overreach. But then again, that’s the mistake you humans keep making.”  

Ratio licked her lips, already envisioning the World Tree bow in her hands.  

“I won’t… I won’t let you take it!”  

Gloria clutched the bow to her chest and screamed.  

Ratio laughed mockingly—  

“WHOOSH—!”  

A burst of emerald light erupted from the bow, engulfing Gloria completely.  

“…What the hell is this?!”  

Before Ratio could react—  

CRUMBLE—  

The undead surrounding Gloria disintegrated the moment the green light touched them.  

Simultaneously, nearby branches reshaped themselves into crude arrows, filling Gloria’s quiver.  

“My strength…!”  

Even more astonishing, her minor injuries vanished—her stamina and magic fully restored to peak condition.  

“What… What did you just do?!”  

Ratio stared in disbelief.  

Undead reduced to ashes. A quiver full of branch-arrows. Gloria, perfectly revitalized.  

Even as a Transcendent, Ratio had never seen anything like this.  

“Who knows? Maybe the bow just really doesn’t want to go to someone like you.”  

Gloria nocked four arrows at once—crude, uneven branches, yet she could feel it.  

These were more powerful than any arrows she had ever used.  

THWIP-THWIP-THWIP-THWIP!  

The four arrows streaked toward Ratio from different angles—some curving wide, others in straight lines or arcs.  

Ratio barely processed the absurdity.  

‘This is impossible!’  

If Dragons were the race of magic, Elves were the race of archery. For an elf, the bow was a matter of pride.  

Yet even with her elven blood, Ratio couldn’t fire arrows like this.  

This was undoubtedly a unique power of the World Tree bow.  

Of course, trajectory alone didn’t make an archer supreme.  

True mastery required speed and power—and with Gloria’s skill, the wind spirit’s aid, and the World Tree bow, she had the potential to surpass even elves.  

‘I have to take it! No matter what!’  

Ratio no longer cared about consequences. Even if it meant clashing with Vipiens, she would seize that bow.  

“I’ll kill you and shoot arrows from your corpse!”  

Ratio drew her own bow—black as her skin—and loosed a volley.  

Arrows she had nocked without Gloria noticing intercepted hers mid-flight, shattering them.  

Gloria, startled by her skill, quickly nocked more branch-arrows.  

If she couldn’t match her speed, she’d overwhelm her with power.  

BOOM!  

“Pathetic! You think you can face me with that?”  

Ratio outclassed her in both speed and strength.  

Gloria had never seen an archer like her.  

‘If only Dea were here…’  

With the wind spirit’s help, she might have stood a chance. But now, escaping alive seemed impossible, let alone winning.  

Just as she had barely escaped the undead thanks to the bow’s awakening, an even greater threat—Ratio—closed in.  

But she refused to surrender now, not after the bow had awakened for her.  

Moving swiftly, she fired again.  

She knew elven combat well.  

From her time on the 39th Guardian Planet, Valitao, she had learned much from the elf Eliana and her comrades.  

Weaving between trees, Gloria fired—only for Ratio to scoff.  

“Ha! You’re really something. Fighting me with elven tactics? Did you think I was some pushover?!”  

Her eyes narrowed as she unleashed a barrage.  

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!  

Unlike Gloria, Ratio didn’t care about collateral damage. Trees and rocks shattered indiscriminately.  

“Tch.”  

Gloria rolled and dodged, barely avoiding the onslaught.  

An elf—who should have been a protector of nature—was instead destroying the forest recklessly. Her tactics were useless.  

“Let’s start by breaking your legs!”  

THWIP-THWIP-THWIP!  

Three arrows streaked toward her lower body faster than she could track.  

She managed to intercept two with branch-arrows, but—  

THUD!  

“GYAH—!”  

One pierced deep into her left thigh.  

The muscle torn, Gloria collapsed. Ratio slowly drew another arrow.  

“Next, I’ll shatter both shoulders.”  

Gloria glared, sweat dripping, frustration burning.  

Even with the World Tree bow, facing a Transcendent like Ratio was impossible.  

Sensing the end, she still refused to let go.  

Ratio adjusted her aim—from her shoulders to her head.  

“Tired of this. I’ll blow your skull off and end this farce.”  

She released the string.  

ZZZIP—!  

Gloria stared straight at the incoming arrow.  

To her, it felt like slow motion.  

‘This is it.’  

She regretted not seeing Seo Do-jun again.  

SNAP—!  

A flash of light.  

The arrow split in half inches from her face, deflected harmlessly aside.  

“…Gloria, why are you here?”  

That voice—the one she had longed to hear.  

Slowly, she looked up.  

Seo Do-jun stood there, his expression hard.  

“K-Kassal…?”  

“We’ll talk later. First—” His icy gaze shifted to Ratio.  

“—I’ll deal with that.”  

Ratio didn’t even register being called ‘that’.  

‘He’s here! HE’S HERE!’  

She wanted to scream for Luam—no, for Vipiens—but an oppressive aura pinned him in place.  

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak.  

‘This… This wasn’t how strong he was before!’  

Cold sweat drenched her back.