SFRW-Chapter 86

Ch. 86 Sword God From The Ruined World  

Seo Do-jun, who had strengthened his body with five Laroc’s Eggs, showed visible changes in his appearance.  

He had grown slightly taller, and his entire body’s proportions were now perfectly balanced, resembling a statue rather than a living being.  

Of course, Seo Do-jun himself paid no attention to these external changes.  

What mattered was the expanded magic load.  

“The Laroc’s Eggs are truly remarkable.”  

Just considering the expanded magic load, it surpassed even the body he had as the Sword God in the ruined world.  

Given the right environment, he now had a perfect foundation that could not only restore his former power as the Sword God but potentially accumulate over twice that strength.  

“Thanks to the influence of the Eternal Ember, the power of magic has been further enhanced…”  

Having absorbed the Eternal Ember to compensate for his lack of power, even with the same amount of magic as before, he could now wield greater strength.  

In short, he had gained the potential to surpass his former self.  

Removing his dirtied clothes from the bodily impurities expelled during the magic load expansion process, Seo Do-jun took out fresh clothes from subspace.  

After completely erasing the traces of the now-useless magic circle, Seo Do-jun was about to dismiss the Champion Death Knights standing guard when he suddenly smirked.  

“Shall I test just how much my physical abilities have improved after breaking through my limits?”  

This would serve as a sort of sparring session.  

Using only his fists and feet without a sword, Seo Do-jun engaged ten Champion Death Knights in combat.  

Crash! Crack! Bang!  

Seo Do-jun’s fists and feet mercilessly pounded against the combat suits worn by the Champion Death Knights.  

Even without imbuing any magic into his bare hands and feet, their destructive power was extraordinary.  

With just his enhanced bones, muscles, and skin, he could unleash destructive force that most Heroes couldn’t hope to match.  

It wasn’t just about increased destructive power either.  

Whoosh! Swish!  

Seo Do-jun effortlessly dodged the Champion Death Knights’ attacks as they sliced through the air.  

The lightness in his steps made his entire body move like a feather, and his well-balanced muscles ensured his posture never faltered, no matter the situation.  

His swift, ever-changing movements felt entirely different from before.  

“Is that all you’ve got?”  

Excited by his enhanced physical abilities that surpassed even his time as the Sword God, Seo Do-jun pressed the Champion Death Knights harder.  

Though the Champion Death Knights did their utmost to wield their swords against their master as commanded, their skills proved insufficient. One by one, their combat suits were crumpled beyond recognition, their swords and shields shattered as they were forced to the ground.  

Thud!  

With a final downward strike from Seo Do-jun that crushed a Champion Death Knight’s shoulder armor, forcing it to kneel, the sparring session came to an end.  

“When will these guys ever improve?”  

Clicking his tongue, Seo Do-jun looked at the ten Champion Death Knights who had been utterly defeated by him without even using magic properly.  

Dismissing the scattered Champion Death Knights, he took out his phone.  

After a brief ring, the call was answered immediately.  

“Brother!”  

Eun-young’s cheerful voice never failed to bring a smile to Seo Do-jun’s face.  

“Eun-young, did you go to school well today?”  

“Yeah! Brother! When are you coming?”  

“I’m about to leave now. Eun-young, can you go to Seri?”  

“I’m playing with Seri right now!”  

“Really? I’ll call again.”  

Seo Do-jun promptly switched to a video call.  

“Brotherrrrr!”  

On the screen, Eun-young waved her hands excitedly.  

“Eun-young, show Seri the phone screen.”  

“Seri! It’s Brother!”  

Seri’s listless face, now turned into Eun-young’s playground, appeared on the screen.  

“Come here now.”  

At Seo Do-jun’s words, Seri’s pupils trembled briefly before her face disappeared from view.  

“Seri! Brother! Seri flew up into the sky!”  

At Eun-young’s startled voice, Seo Do-jun ended the call after saying they’d meet soon since Seri was coming to him.  

How much time had passed?  

Within less than an hour, he sensed Casserian’s presence.  

“Stay there.”  

As Casserian prepared to land, Seo Do-jun kicked off the ground and leaped up.  

Thump!  

Landing in his usual spot, Seo Do-jun ordered Casserian to head home, and the monster began flying back the way it came with great effort.  

“I can’t keep relying on this method every time. I need to find an alternative.”  

To be clear, Casserian was meant to be a guardian protecting his grandmother and Eun-young at home, not his personal transport monster.  

However, no other monster specialized in long-distance travel like Casserian, making it hard for Seo Do-jun to give up.  

He needed to either find a new guardian to replace Casserian or devise another method for long-distance travel.  

Lost in thought, Seo Do-jun remained preoccupied all the way home.  

***

Hyun Joo-yeon was the first to notice the changes in Seo Do-jun.  

While his grandmother and Eun-young simply thought he looked more handsome and dashing, Hyun Joo-yeon saw something different.  

She could tell at a glance that his height and physique had clearly changed from before.  

‘Is this change also due to the Magic Heart method?’  

Hyun Joo-yeon could only vaguely speculate that this must be the case.  

The next day, Hyun Joo-yeon visited Seo Do-jun’s house again.  

“What are you doing?”  

She couldn’t hide her curiosity as she watched Seo Do-jun take out magic stones and carve something into them with a small knife.  

“Magic… I’m making teleportation stones using magic stones.”  

Seo Do-jun, who had been engraving magic circles, gave a vague answer.  

“Teleportation stones?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon tilted her head at the unfamiliar term.  

As if explaining would be bothersome, Seo Do-jun stood up, holding a completed teleportation stone.  

At his gesture to follow, Hyun Joo-yeon stepped outside with him.  

Seo Do-jun channeled magic into the teleportation stone in his hand.  

Pop.  

His figure blurred before reappearing at the far end of the yard.  

“……!”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.  

Then Seo Do-jun’s figure blurred again, and he stood before her once more.  

“Th-that… was that… teleportation?”  

As Hyun Joo-yeon stammered in amazement, Seo Do-jun nodded as if to say it was close enough.  

Teleportation stones.  

They were common artifacts in the ruined world.  

Anyone who could handle magic stones and magic could use them.  

However, being consumable artifacts, they were luxuries only the wealthy could afford and served as a reliable source of income for mages.  

“So you’re saying that by stimulating it with magic, you can move to any desired location?”  

“Exactly.”  

However, distance and usage limits depended on the grade of the magic stone.  

Low-grade magic stones only allowed movement within 10 meters and could be used twice, making them largely impractical.  

Intermediate-grade magic stones costing around 2 million won increased the range to 1 kilometer and allowed about 30 uses, making them far more useful.  

In other words, a teleportation stone made from an intermediate-grade magic stone could cover up to 30 kilometers in total distance.  

“Are there any limitations?”  

Of course there were.  

“It can’t pass through obstacles.”  

Not only obstacles but also barrier magic rendered them useless. Even a fist-sized rock thrown into the projected path could cause significant backlash.  

In short, teleportation stones were only truly effective when used in open skies free of obstructions.  

Back inside, Hyun Joo-yeon examined the teleportation stones Seo Do-jun had completed.  

Every single one was made from upper intermediate-grade magic stones worth 10 million won each.  

With about 50 stones, that amounted to 500 million won.  

But considering their value?  

‘Those… are priceless!’  

Hyun Joo-yeon thought they were worth at least ten times—no, even more than that.  

“Just how do you know how to make these?”  

She genuinely wanted to ask:  

Who are you?  

***

Seo Do-jun prepared for his first rift zone hunt in a long time.  

Currently, rift zones are the best places to absorb large amounts of magic. Having used up most of his magic stones making too many teleportation stones, he decided to kill two birds with one stone by hunting in a rift zone.  

But then.  

“Let me come with you.”  

Somehow catching wind of his plans, Hyun Joo-yeon attached herself to him.  

“Chairman Na Tae-hwang mentioned you’d be entering a rift zone.”  

Seo Do-jun clicked his tongue at the chairman’s loose lips.  

“It’ll be more fun with company, won’t it?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon was visibly excited at the prospect of entering a rift zone with Seo Do-jun after so long.  

Practicing magic cultivation together, hunting monsters—just the two of them inside.  

‘What’s so special about dates? This is what a real date should be.’  

Moreover, inside a rift zone, they’d be free from prying eyes.  

Imagining it made her smile in anticipation as she took the passenger seat. With no other choice, Seo Do-jun got behind the wheel and headed for Seosan.  

As the car approached the West Sea, Hyun Joo-yeon’s cheerful expression twisted.  

“Are we… going to Seosan?”  

Among South Korea’s intensity level 3 rift zones—Seosan, Sokcho, Namhae, Gimhae, Okcheon, and Hamyang—Seosan was the closest to Seoul.  

“It’s nearby.”  

“Can’t we go somewhere else?”  

“I already decided on Seosan—it’s too late to change now. Besides, Seosan is the best choice.”  

Not only was it the closest, but simple locations like Seosan were rare for undisturbed magic cultivation. There was also another reason.  

“This is the place I visited once before and never returned to…”  

Frowning, Hyun Joo-yeon stared at the Death Knight Castle.  

The Death Knight Castle required guild-sized groups for efficient hunting, making it inaccessible to solo hunters like Hyun Joo-yeon without a dedicated guild.  

Of course, Death Knights weren’t particularly difficult opponents now.  

The real problem was…  

She had hoped for a rift zone with a more date-friendly atmosphere.  

Many rift zones had beautiful scenery and pleasant environments.  

The dark, gloomy aura of Death Knight Castle shattered all her romantic expectations.  

Regardless of Hyun Joo-yeon’s thoughts or feelings, Seo Do-jun took out a pendant and a Soul Gem borrowed from his grandmother and Eun-young.  

“Isn’t that the pendant you gifted them?”  

“Correct.”  

“Why did you bring it?”  

When Hyun Joo-yeon looked at him puzzledly, Seo Do-jun met her gaze briefly.  

“Don’t be surprised no matter what. And try not to… ask questions.”  

“Huh? What do you—…!”  

The thirty Champion Death Knights bound within the two pendants and one Soul Gem materialized.  

Hyun Joo-yeon was so startled she instinctively took a combat stance.  

But something felt off.  

‘Combat suits? And swords and shields?’  

Though she’d only seen them once before, she remembered clearly—these weren’t the standard armor, swords, or shields of Champion Death Knights.  

Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!  

As one, all thirty Champion Death Knights dropped to one knee and bowed their heads to Seo Do-jun.  

“We’re raiding the castle now.”  

The thirty Champion Death Knights would handle hunting the Death Knights in the castle.  

Seo Do-jun also ordered them to prioritize safety over combat efficiency, forbidding any casualties.  

As the thirty Death Knights charged toward the castle, Hyun Joo-yeon stared blankly, her face filled with more astonishment than ever before.  

The reason Seo Do-jun had specifically come to Seosan Rift Zone was to train these Champion Death Knights.  

“…You can’t expect me not to demand an explanation this time, right?”  

Hyun Joo-yeon’s expression hardened, determined to get answers.  

Strangely, it was always Hyun Joo-yeon who ended up entangled in his secrets.  

Though unintentional, Seo Do-jun considered it a peculiar bond between them.  

And in another sense—  

‘Does she consider me a comrade?’  

Perhaps.  

If asked to name someone on Earth he could trust at his back, Seo Do-jun realized it would be Hyun Joo-yeon.  

Of course, first he’d have to properly explain the current situation to earn that trust.