The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 113

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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 113

【Trial’s Blessing】.
A blessing that activates only when participating in God’s Trial, allowing one to discover the ‘Hidden Pieces’ concealed within the trial.
That blessing guided me toward the location of the Hidden Piece.

‘If I head in this direction….’

A long arrow materialized before my eyes, pointing the way forward.
I recalled the map of the Battlefield I had observed from the vast sky above.

‘Indeed, it’s to the west.’
[Isn’t that the direction where Death’s Domain was located—that unpleasant place?]
‘Correct. Well, I had anticipated as much.’

I had discovered that the slave race harbored secrets within Death’s Domain, so finding a Hidden Piece there was hardly surprising.
I dismissed the system window that had appeared before me.
Yoon Ga-ram, who had been observing me with puzzlement, approached and asked.

“Han Yu-sung. Has something unpleasant occurred?”
“An unwelcome task has arisen. And you? Have you received your orders?”
“Yes. I intend to address those first. Disagreeable as it may be….”

Yoon Ga-ram cast a displeased glance toward Silvaran.
The Shadow Oath-takers beside her wore the same expression.
The reason for their attitude became immediately apparent.

“Silvaran. Our Lord wishes to invest in the Elfen Tribe, but there are no significant investment opportunities remaining, are there? Most have already closed.”
“I’m afraid we don’t require investments at the moment. Some Lord is currently pouring coins endlessly into us. Once the next stage opens, new investment opportunities will emerge—then your Lord may invest. Of course….”

Many players surrounded Silvaran.
They had come to inquire about investments on behalf of their Lords.
The manner in which Silvaran addressed them was remarkable in several respects.

“Whether your Lord’s faction will have a place remaining, I cannot say.”

An attitude suggesting that investments from other Lords were hardly necessary.
Witnessing this, Yoon Ga-ram clicked her tongue.

“Even the Lord of Shadows receives answers in that manner. It seems investments are pouring in enough to make him stretch out like that.”
“It must be because of the Lord of Justice. I heard they’re dumping coins over there.”
“Yes. They seem confident in their victory in this trial. The other Lords who witnessed it are now investing coins whenever new investment opportunities open up.”

If the Lord of Justice is pouring out that many coins, there must be something to it!
The Lords who reasoned thus continued to flock in.
It was like watching stock traders at work.

[How absurd that the basis for their confidence is you.]

Kakasha was right.
Achiros’s certainty of victory stemmed from Han Yu-sung’s existence.

“In any case, they’re all people I dislike.”
“Where are you going? If you’re heading to the Battlefield….”
“I have somewhere else to go. We’ll see each other later if the opportunity arises.”

I don’t know exactly what the hidden piece, the King of the Fallen Tribe, is.
If I had to guess, it’s connected to the slaves, and might be the one who sent that message to Han Yu-sung in his past life asking for help.
Regardless, I’ll find out once I go and look.

“Ah, tell the Lord of Shadows this: if they haven’t invested yet, don’t spend coins—save them.”
“Pardon? What does that even….”

Yoon Ga-ram asked urgently, but no answer came back.
Han Yu-sung had already left the Main Base, disappearing into the crowd.

“…He’s gone. But what did he mean by saving coins?”
[“Interesting words indeed.”]
“My Lord, will you follow his advice?”

The Lord of Shadows’ words appeared before Yoon Ga-ram’s eyes.
The dark script wavered as if amused.

[“There’s no reason to do it, but no reason not to either. As he said, we can’t invest in the Elfen Tribe anyway….”]
[“For now, let’s wait and see.”]

The script flickered like a shadow before a candle flame, then scattered.

[“What will that man show us this time?”]

* * *

Before long, war erupted.

“Grraaagh! For Belakin! For Graunkal!”
“Don’t step forward! Use the slaves as your vanguard!”
“Elfen Tribe! Unleash your magic! The Forest stands with us!”

The two tribes clashed across multiple fronts.
The Elfen Tribe, with slaves at the forefront, unleashed their magic, while the Belakin Tribe used their own slaves as shields to close the distance.
Players belonging to each tribe followed in their wake.

“Damn it! War breaks out the moment we arrive—this is absolutely insane!”
“I… I need to rack up contributions! If I just accumulate enough, I won’t die!”
“For fuck’s sake, I told you not to step forward! Do you have a death wish?!”

Desperate combat unfolded across every corner of the Battlefield.
Meanwhile, the vanguard unit formed parties and explored the Battlefield.
Hunting monsters, clearing events.

“That’s… a Belakin player!”
“Attack first! Kill every last one of them!”

As they engaged enemy tribe players they encountered.
Elfen players were marked in green, Belakin players in red, making them easily distinguishable from one another.
Thus combat erupted everywhere across the Battlefield.

“Death’s Domain… hmm, it’s not really my preferred locale.”
[You’re worrying about preferences in a situation like this?! You truly are something.]

A lone figure cut through the heart of it all.
It was Han Yu-sung.
Death’s Domain was an uninteresting place in many respects.
The monsters that spawned there were equally tedious. I’d have preferred not to return if I could help it, but circumstances left me no choice.
There was nothing for it but to go.

[This is the place where you failed to conquer before. If you think of this as a chance to succeed this time and make up for it, wouldn’t that stir up some motivation?]
“That’s not a bad way to look at it. Let me think of it that way.”

Kakasha had said something that pleased me.
In my past life, I had failed to conquer Death’s Domain.
Back then, I hadn’t yet obtained the Twin Ghosts. My skills and judgment were both immature.
But this time, things were different.

‘This arrow will guide my path.’

I knew there was something somewhere in Death’s Domain.
What mattered was the signpost that would guide my way.
As long as I had that, this attempt would differ from my past life.
Thinking of it as repaying the failure of my previous life kindled a certain curiosity within me.

[This is Death’s Domain.]
[Entry is forbidden. No one may enter.]
[Forced entry will result in the curse of death being cast upon you.]

After moving for some time, a vast expanse of land spread before my eyes.
A terrible and grotesque landscape completely consumed by the curse of death.
A terrible and grotesque land completely consumed by the ‘Curse of Death’.

[Ugh… I wish to burn it all to ash….]
“Ugh… I want to burn it all down…”

Upon it lay countless rotting corpses piled high.
Even the plants growing from the ground were all in a state of death.
Across this land so full of death, specters wandered about.
Wandering through that land so full of death were the “spirits.”

– Aaaaaaahhhhh….
Ugh… or Argh… or Ahhhhh…

Banshees that shrieked with cursed cries and wielded magic.
And countless undead of the skeleton variety were visible as well.
Undead.
Unfortunately, they were not opponents I particularly favored.
Unfortunately, Han Yu-sung wasn’t the type of person he preferred.

[The more I observe, the more suspicious this becomes. Why would such a zone be necessary in this Battlefield? It feels as though something useless was forcibly grafted onto it.]
“Hard to say. It could be that they couldn’t destroy it, so they left it alone.”

Han Yu-sung drew his sword.

“Or perhaps they preserved it because it serves a purpose.”
[If that’s the case… then the will of the Lord who created this place must be at work here.]
“Exactly. The Greedy Researcher—a Lord like that would surely be watching this place.”

In my past life, while conquering Death’s Domain, I had sensed something.
The deeper we ventured inward, the more it felt as though someone was obstructing our progress.
It wasn’t just something I felt—the entire raid party sensed it.
It was likely the work of the Lord who had created this Battlefield.
This time would probably be no different.

“So then, how do we break through this place…”

The arrow pointed toward Death’s Domain.
It meant there was a hidden piece somewhere within this place.
The question was how to explore a realm that promised death upon entry.
I wasn’t entirely without recourse, though.

‘I’ll have to make maximum use of the Dragon’s Heart.’

The SS-rank passive that Han Yu-sung possessed.
Attached to it was ‘Resistance to all status ailments +50%’.
With that effect, I could halve the debuffs of this realm.
While the heart endured, I had no choice but to move as swiftly as possible.

“Kakasha, grant me your blessing.”
[Ugh, as though entrusting the Lord’s protection…]

This trial permitted the intervention of Lords.
Kakasha bestowed his blessing upon Han Yu-sung in exchange for an offering.
Scorching flames erupted from Han Yu-sung’s body.
He stepped into Death’s Domain.

[Death’s Domain rejects you!]
[This realm cannot be entered by the living! The debuff ‘Curse of Death’ activates! This debuff cannot be dispelled!]
[‘Curse of Death’: Physical abilities, speed, and vitality continuously decrease. This debuff stacks endlessly.]

The moment I entered, an ominous aura corroded my entire body.
The essence lingering in the air, the essence clinging to the earth—both burrowed into my skin, and an irresistible ‘death’ spread throughout the realm.

[The Curse of Death is spreading. Please retreat!]

“If I were going to retreat, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

A warning message materialized before my eyes.
At that very moment, Han Yu-sung’s heart began to thunder.
Thump, thump! Mana erupted from my heart, spreading throughout my entire body.

[【Heart of the Dragon】 resists the ‘Curse of Death’.]
[The curse’s spread slows!]

My mana penetrated my entire body, pushing back the encroaching death essence.
But I wouldn’t be able to hold out for long.
Then there was only one choice.

“End this quickly.”

The blood-stained, rusted blade transformed into the Blood Demon Sword.
The undead dwelling in Death’s Domain sensed my presence, and without hesitation, they swarmed toward me.
Hundreds of undead filled my vision.
I swung the Blood Demon Sword.

【Thousand Blood Slash】.

Dozens of crimson blade waves carved through the void.
Undead shrieked and collapsed.
Using 【Swift Step】 and 【Speedster】, I accelerated, tearing through the gaps between them.
Time was running short.

‘Either I die.’

Or perhaps uncover a hidden piece before then.
I summoned my mana once more.

Roooooaaaaaarrr!

A colossal tempest tore through Death’s Domain.

* * *

Meanwhile.
High above the sprawling Battlefield, a pair of eyes observed everything.
The Lord who had orchestrated this Trial’s Battlefield, who had brokered the agreement between the Elfen Tribe and Belakin Tribe as they clashed with mutual annihilation in their eyes.
And the Lord who had offered this Battlefield to God as the stage for this Trial.

[Ah, ahhhh… Exquisite! This sight is, truly….]

The Lord, the Greedy Researcher, had reached a state of bliss.
Behold this spectacle. Countless beings intermingling, clashing against one another.
All manner of Lords, even those bearing illustrious titles that the Greedy Researcher dared not approach, stamping their feet eagerly to invest in this Trial.

[This sensation of holding them in my grasp and shaking them about, ahhhh….]

It was a feeling beyond words.
A rapturous sensation, as though everything moved according to my will.
The Greedy Researcher trembled with ecstasy.
Yet there remained something even more exquisite still.

[Heh, hehehehe. If this Trial concludes successfully… I shall completely absorb that entity, and obtain an illustrious title befitting myself….]

A sinister laugh echoed through the darkness.
Everything was proceeding according to plan. If things continued thus, I could escape the shameful years as a Lord without an illustrious title.
Was this not an opportunity born from the convergence of countless coincidences?
The Greedy Researcher had no intention of letting this chance slip away.

[Yes, if things continue thus….]

My eyes swept across the vast Battlefield.
It was at that very moment.
A sight that made me doubt my own perception appeared.

[…What?]

To the west of the Battlefield, across the sprawling expanse of Death’s Domain.
A wind tore through its heart like madness incarnate, catching my eye.
The undead that stood against it crumbled like autumn leaves in a gale.

[What is this… just who in the world is he?]

The Greedy Researcher’s eyes widened in astonishment.

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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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