The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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A Mad Swordsman Returns – Chapter 11

The Blood Ghost Tomb was a challenge I had overcome in my previous life.
I clashed with the Spirit of Blood Ghost in combat and received his teachings.
Through those encounters, I came to understand his nature.

‘He possesses tremendous pride and confidence in his own strength.’

And there was something else.
An aspect in which he was, in a sense, similar to me.

‘He savors combat that brings him genuine enjoyment.’

He loved fighting with a passion that was almost intoxicating.
Just as I relished the exhilaration born from life-or-death struggles, the Spirit of Blood Ghost preferred battles that could captivate him. Similar yet different in their essence.
One might say they were two sides of the same coin.
And so.

“What are you saying? You want me to teach you martial arts?”
“Yes. You need not teach me everything. Just two techniques. That will suffice.”
“The legacy spoken of by the Lord of Training is the martial art I once wielded. To ask me to teach you that art—how is that different from simply demanding the legacy itself?”
“If I win, please teach me the remaining techniques. In exchange.”

I know well how to provoke the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
I understand precisely what words will drive him to grant me what I seek.

“If I lose, kill me. That would be fitting, would it not?”
“…Kill you?”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s eyes narrowed.
Just moments before, he had said this:
If you cannot defeat me, you will be cast out from this place.
He harbored no intention to kill. A form of mercy, one might call it.
Yet I refused that mercy.

“Is a battle fought without stakes truly enjoyable? Combat, by its very nature, demands that one wager their life. I shall stake mine in this contest. And in exchange for that life, teach me merely two techniques of your martial art first.”
“Ha!”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost burst into laughter.
And moments later, that laughter transformed into wild, unrestrained cackling.

“Hahahaha! Such audacity! You ask me to teach you martial techniques so we can enjoy a worthy battle? You’re truly mad!”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s wild laughter echoed throughout the Cavern.
Then, abruptly, the laughter ceased, and he fixed his gaze upon Han Yu-sung.
Eyes stained crimson with murderous intent bore into Han Yu-sung.

“So I like you. I adore madness. Lord of Training! Are you watching? I have a question for you!”
[“Hmm! How fascinating to observe.”]

Words materialized in the empty air.
The fact that he was watching meant he had also witnessed the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s earlier mockery of the Lord of Training.
Yet neither seemed to care in the slightest.

“In your judgment, what is the caliber of this madman?”
[“Magnificent! I would have deemed it impossible, yet this one has been tempered through countless life-and-death battles. Clashes where blood and breath exchange hands! And above all, he possesses a recklessness that borders on the sublime!”]
“Hmm!”

The Lord of Training possessed discerning judgment.
One might say he had an eye for talent.
Through that eye, he had discovered worthy contractors like the Spirit of Blood Ghost and ultimately succeeded in obtaining a legendary name.
This was a man whose discernment was truly exceptional.

“Mad disciple, I shall accept your provocation. I will do as you say. From the moment you begin learning martial arts from me, your path to survival vanishes forever. Either you defeat me, or you perish here. One or the other.”
“I have no intention of losing anyway, so it matters not.”
“Your audacity knows no bounds.”

If I lost to the Spirit of Blood Ghost, I would be cast out of this place.
That was the original condition. But by provoking the Spirit of Blood Ghost, I had changed the terms.
Now, defeat meant death.
The situation had worsened, yet I remained unbothered.
Because I harbored no doubt in my victory.

“Players are convenient yet inconvenient beings. You can acquire martial arts with ease, yet you cannot awaken them through your own enlightenment.”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost placed a hand upon my head.
Crimson energy flowed from his grasp, seeping into my mind.

“Blood Wind Fist Method. This is the martial art I created for the first time.”

[The skill’s creator transmits knowledge to you….]

There were multiple ways to learn a skill.
One of them was ‘transmission.’ Those who obtained a special opportunity and created a skill could pass on their creation to others.
Just like now.

[You have learned two forms of ‘Blood Wind Fist Method (S, Lv.1)’.]
[This is a skill you have already reached the pinnacle with….]
[A portion of the Divine Body’s potential has awakened.]

Han Yu-sung was about to dismiss the messages without thinking.
But he stopped when he saw an unusual message appear.

[The Divine Body’s effect activates.]
[The skill’s level rises by five stages.]

“…What?”

Han Yu-sung froze upon seeing the consecutive messages.
He had no choice.

‘What is this?’

It was a message I had never seen before.

* * *

A portion of the Divine Body’s potential had awakened.
I could quickly discern what it was.

[Divine Body (EX)]
· When you learn a skill you have already mastered before, its level increases by five stages. This effect can grow further in the future.

A new effect had been added.
An effect Han Yu-sung had never seen in his previous life. In fact, it was an effect he never needed. Why would he ever learn a skill he had already mastered again?
It was an effect useful only to Han Yu-sung, who had returned.

· This unique ability harbors tremendous potential.

The additional description that appeared when the Divine Technique reached EX grade came to mind.
Was this what that potential truly was?
What’s remarkable is that this is merely a fragment of the potential—the true depth of it remains unknowable.
Regardless.

‘This will prove useful. My opponent is formidable enough as it is.’

The Spirit of Blood Ghost is no trivial foe.
Even my past self—Han Yu-sung, who had grown considerably—struggled against him. In my current state, unproperly developed, it will be far more difficult.
Even accounting for the level adjustment the Spirit of Blood Ghost received.
So the leveled-up Blood Wind Fist Technique will certainly prove helpful.

[Blood Wind Fist Technique (S, Lv.6)]
· Classification: Active.
· A fist technique created by the Spirit of Blood Ghost, comprised of four forms. Currently, only two forms can be executed due to mastering an incomplete version.
· Effects: Strength +10, Attack Power +20%
· Special Effect: The more blood is shed, the stronger the skill’s damage becomes.
* Blood Flash: Strike the opponent like a flash of light, wreathing the fist in blood wind.
* Blood Wind Chain Slash: Compress the blood wind and release it upon impact with the opponent.

The essence of the Blood Wind Fist Technique lies in the ‘blood wind’ itself.
When the forms unfold, blood wind erupts, and its cutting power is formidable. Combined with the special effect that grows stronger with each drop of blood spilled.

‘It was a technique I had no choice but to favor in my past life.’

My past self, Han Yu-sung, had mastered countless techniques.
Among them, the Blood Wind Fist Technique was undoubtedly the most favored.
It was equally a technique that suited Han Yu-sung perfectly.

“Have you fully awakened all the knowledge transmitted to your mind?”
“Yes. I have awakened it all.”
“Then… hmm. Do you not need your wounds healed?”
“It matters not.”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost, observing Han Yu-sung, wore a peculiar expression.
There were many wounds. They must be from the journey here.
He had suggested healing to ensure optimal condition for the battle, but the human had refused.

“Fine. But remember this—I have no intention of going easy on you.”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost dissolved into a faint afterimage and vanished.
Reappearing at a distance from Han Yu-sung, the Spirit of Blood Ghost clasped his hands behind his back.
Then he tilted his head slightly.

“You should be prepared to die.”

Han Yu-sung felt his breath catch in his throat in an instant.
An intangible aura flooded the chamber. It clung to his skin, leaving a sticky and deeply unpleasant sensation.
He knew exactly what this aura was.

‘Killing intent.’

The killing intent to slay the enemy before him.
It was a killing intent that only those who had wagered their lives in countless battles and crossed through numerous death throes could emit.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost was a powerhouse capable of unleashing such refined killing intent.

[An absolutely unbeatable powerhouse.]
[The Divine Gambit’s buff—’Giant Slayer’—activates.]
[All stats +20, fist damage +30%, speed +20%.]

The Divine Gambit’s buff proved it.
A scale of enhancement I had never witnessed in this lifetime.
Han Yu-sung clenched his fists.

“Will you not come? Then….”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost began to move slowly forward.
His form blurred in an instant.

“I will come to you.”

Wind erupted forth.
Simultaneously, a thick, blood-soaked scent filled the air.
Through the killing intent that pressed down upon his entire body, a crimson flash that defied all reaction came hurtling toward him.

Whoooosh!

Blood Island.
A fist wrapped in blood wind—a crimson gale that bled like gore itself—shot forward.
The fist, launched alongside the blood wind that tore through flesh, aimed for Han Yu-sung’s abdomen.

‘Too late to see and react.’

So then.
I predict and move.

Crash!

“Hm!”

Han Yu-sung’s Blood Island collided head-on with the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s fist. This defense was only possible because I had predicted that the Spirit of Blood Ghost would use Blood Island first and moved preemptively.
Two currents of blood wind clashed.

Boom-boom-boom!

A deafening roar erupted.
The thunderous sound born from two blood winds colliding.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s eyes narrowed—it hadn’t anticipated a response.
But there was a vast difference in mastery of fist techniques.
The blood wind conjured by the Spirit of Blood Ghost consumed Han Yu-sung’s blood wind and tore through his entire body.

“Ho, this is….”

No—it hadn’t torn through.
Han Yu-sung’s blood wind had resisted with stubborn tenacity.
Only after that blood wind was completely consumed did Han Yu-sung gain enough time to move to his next action.

‘Even having just learned it, I’m wielding it to this degree.’

Han Yu-sung stepped into a movement technique.
A violent tempest swirled around me. Transformed into a savage wind, I obscured the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s vision while drawing both fists back in a wide arc.
Blood wind coiled around my two fists.

‘Remarkably swift.’

Blood islands streaked across the air in rapid succession, engulfing the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
First the abdomen—his gaze shifted there, then to the neck. He lowered his stance progressively lower, and finally aimed at the ankles with a spinning motion.
As the Spirit of Blood Ghost attempted a counterattack, I retreated using footwork, then unleashed a spell.

‘Targeting only vital points. A remarkably precise judgment.’

Each attack was saturated with killing intent.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost swept away the disorienting lightning that clouded his vision and stomped the ground.
His form blurred.

“Hmph, you possess quite impressive footwork!”
“I was fortunate to obtain it.”
“Fortune, you say! Do you think that same fortune will serve you now?”
“That is…”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost appeared directly before Han Yu-sung as I retreated using footwork.
Then something caught my eye.
My right hand was stained crimson with blood wind.
My fist drove down toward the ground with tremendous force.

“There’s only one way to find out.”

Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!

The earth split open with a deafening roar.
The blood wind condensed within my fist released explosively, shattering the ground into fragments, and a massive gust laden with stone dust erupted forth.
In that instant, the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s vision was obscured.

‘Blood Wind Shattering Strike! He employs his first learned fist technique in such a manner!’

My form vanished.
Where had I gone? There was no need to search for long.

Boom!

Directly behind the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
Another Blood Wind Shattering Strike struck his back with devastating force. The unleashed blood wind raged savagely, tearing at his entire body.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost, experiencing such sharp pain for the first time in ages, let out a sinister laugh.

“You pass.”

Blood sprayed across the cavern.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost licked his own blood from the corner of his mouth, stamping the ground beneath his feet.
Han Yu-sung felt the killing intent pressing down on his entire body intensify.

‘So it begins.’

Everything until now had been nothing more than reconnaissance.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost had been measuring Han Yu-sung’s worth.
Was he an opponent worthy of genuine effort? Could he provide entertainment?
Han Yu-sung had met his standards.

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

In exchange, the Spirit of Blood Ghost began to reveal his true power.
The distance closed. Blood needles shot toward Han Yu-sung’s heart. The moment he blocked them, the Spirit of Blood Ghost twisted his waist and swept his leg upward.
Han Yu-sung retreated a step, evading the assault.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s left fist scraped across the ground as it hurtled toward him.

A vicious tearing sound split the air.

Blood wind transformed into claws like those of a savage beast, tearing deeply across Han Yu-sung’s chest.
Han Yu-sung gasped, unleashing his blood needles in response. The Spirit of Blood Ghost met the attack head-on and countered with his own assault.

“Hahahaha! This is exhilarating! Quite satisfying!”
“Hgh…!”

The exchange of blows continued without pause.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost laughed maniacally, pressing his relentless offense. Han Yu-sung parried what he could, evaded what he couldn’t, and struck back whenever the opportunity arose.
Witnessing this, the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s smile deepened further.

‘He’s reacting to my attacks. His eyes are tracking me, following my movements.’

It was the result of innate talent combined with hard-won experience.
Having endured countless battles and accumulated immense power, the Spirit of Blood Ghost recognized it well.
The human before him—Han Yu-sung—carried the same scent as himself.
That was why he was all the more pleased.

“Can you withstand this as well?!”

A crimson aura erupted from the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
Han Yu-sung felt the blood-tinged winds intensify even further.

‘It comes.’

I knew what attack was coming.
But I couldn’t evade it. The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s imminent assault was the kind I couldn’t even react to or counter with my current strength.
Not with who I am ‘right now’.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve been cornered like this.’

Suddenly, Han Yu-sung found himself thinking such thoughts.
How long had it been since I faced a crisis of this magnitude?
When I crushed Lee Su-ho? No, by then I had already accumulated enough power to overwhelm him.
It had been ages since I found myself in a life-threatening situation like this.

Thump, thump!

I felt my heart pounding violently.
Extreme tension wrapped around my entire body—the kind that would leave an ordinary person rigid and paralyzed with fear.
But I was not ordinary.
The tension instead sharpened every nerve in my being.

“Exhilarating.”

A smile naturally bloomed across Han Yu-sung’s lips.
Combat with the strong. A dire situation where a single misstep meant death. The tension that arose from it. These were all things I savored.
And what I enjoyed most of all was.

[You possess an indomitable will.]
[The final flame ignites. All attributes surge dramatically.]

The exultation of overcoming this ordeal and crushing my opponent.

Screech!

The sound of flames roaring filled my ears as a power I had never felt in this lifetime surged from my heart.
My body, which had been cooling, now burned with fierce heat, and my consciousness awakened.
And everything before my eyes stretched out.
As if someone had forcibly grasped the flow of time and elongated it.

‘I can see it.’

The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s movements were no exception.
His fist shot forward. Though only one fist was launched, dozens of fists crossed through the empty space.
He was unleashing a barrage of consecutive strikes at an unbelievable speed.

‘But all of those are illusions.’

Deceptive attacks meant to confuse my vision.
The true aim was different. The Spirit of Blood Ghost unleashed his barrage with his left fist while stepping with his true intent. His upper body twisted, and his right fist drew back to his waist before swinging wide behind him, gathering magical power.
The magical power transformed into a blood wind that settled into his right fist.
That blood wind soon took the shape of a dragon’s head.
The blood wind soon transformed into a shape resembling a dragon’s head.

“Blood Dragon Light.”

If the Spirit of Blood Ghost landed it, instant death.
Should I unfold the Cloud Treading Step and evade? No, I wouldn’t fall for it now.
Above all, I myself had no desire to do so.
Above all, Han Yu-sung himself didn’t want to do that.

What needs to be done now.

My feet moved in a dizzying footwork pattern.
Transformed into a fierce gale, I hurled myself into the storm of cascading fists.
My face bore a savage smile like that of a beast.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s eyes widened.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost opened his eyes wide.

“Is this bastard trying to get himself killed?”

And the next moment, his pupils dilated with shock.

“Huh, what…?”

Han Yu-sung evaded every single punch from the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
Without slowing his pace, he twisted his body minimally to slip past attacks, and deflected the unavoidable ones with his blood island.
Executing an incredible acrobatic display, the ‘Mad Wind’ descended upon him.
Han Yu-sung reached the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s front in an instant.

‘My physical abilities have undergone a dramatic transformation. How?’

A question suddenly surfaced in the Spirit of Blood Ghost’s mind.
A question he should not have entertained now.
Mere fractions of a second, yet it slowed his movements.
No matter. The Blood Dragon Technique was already complete.

“Die!”

The Spirit of Blood Ghost’s right fist shot forward.
A punch fired at incomprehensible speed. The blood wind transformed into a dragon’s head, its maw gaping wide, razor-sharp fangs descending upon Han Yu-sung.
The fist struck his heart, the teeth swallowed his head.
Han Yu-sung died instantly.

Whoooosh!

“An afterimage…!”

That should have been the end.
Han Yu-sung’s form grew hazy like mist before vanishing entirely.
The Spirit of Blood Ghost was aghast at the footwork he witnessed.
How relentlessly he had pressed Han Yu-sung.
There had been countless moments when that footwork could have been deployed.
Yet Han Yu-sung had endured without using it.

“A tenacious one indeed. Waiting for this singular moment alone…”
“Yes.”

A voice emerged from behind the Spirit of Blood Ghost.
The voice of Han Yu-sung, who had repositioned himself behind him using the Mad Wind footwork.
And the very instant that voice reached his ears.

Crack-crack-crack!

“I’ve been saving it. For this very moment.”

Spirit of Blood Ghost gazed down at his chest.
Han Yu-sung’s fist had pulverized his heart.
His entire body lay shredded by the crimson tempest he himself had unleashed.

A soft hiss escaped him.

Spirit of Blood Ghost’s lips curved into a satisfied smile.
A smile that had bloomed unbidden, beyond his control.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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