The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 128

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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 128

Han Yu-sung emerged from the space consumed by darkness.
As if it had completed its purpose, the space crumbled away, and soon vanished without a trace.
Watching it disappear, I recalled the words I had heard moments before.

[At last, one worthy of the Swordsman God’s qualifications has appeared….]
[I am still waiting.]
[For me….]

It was the voice I heard when I grasped the Nameless Blade.
From the sound of it, there seemed to be some secret connected to the “Swordsman God.”
But I decided not to dwell on it too much.
I had never been fond of wasting time brooding over such riddles.

‘If there’s a secret, I’ll become entangled with it in some form or another.’

What is hidden eventually reveals itself.
It was a truth I had learned through my previous life.
Without forcing myself to uncover it, if I simply observe the flow, I will eventually understand.
There was only one thing I needed to remember now.

‘Whatever it is, it’s a secret connected to a Transcendent.’

The overwhelming presence I felt when that voice spoke.
Without a doubt, that “I” was a Transcendent.
One that even ordinary Lords could not dare approach.

‘A being from Murim who wields demonic arts… The Heavenly Demon? No, that can’t be.’

I knew there was a Covenant Bearer called the Heavenly Demon in Murim.
An ancient monster who had lived for centuries, if I recall correctly.
I heard he had been desperately struggling for a long time, wanting to become a Lord, but had achieved no significant results.
That’s why he terrorizes the lands around him, and though his power is monstrous, he’s a headache in many ways.
The Heavenly Demon I knew was only that one.

“Kakasha. Is there a Lord among you called the ‘Heavenly Demon’?”
[Hmm? No, there isn’t. Unless you mean the Blood Demon, or that wanderer fellow.]
“So there isn’t one, then….”

I walked through the Treasure Vault with an expressionless face.
In the end, there was no need to rush, no need to panic.
Above all, there was one thing I needed to think about right now.

“I still have one more right to choose an item.”
[Now that you mention it, that’s true. What will you choose?]
“I’m not sure. A skill? Well, an item works too.”

I already had plenty of skills useful for fighting multiple enemies, so I wanted a skill that would be useful when fighting a single opponent.
Or perhaps an item that could strengthen my skills.
Kakasha looked at me with eyes full of anticipation.

[My lord, don’t you think that crimson aura might appear again?]
“I wish it would, but there’s no sign of it happening.”
[Awww….]

It seemed the Incarnate was hoping I’d discover something more.
Unfortunately, nothing like the incident with the Nameless Blade occurred.
Considering that the internal structure of the Multidimensional Treasury continues to change, my knowledge from my past life wouldn’t be of much help anyway.
So then.

“Kakasha, search around. Find something good.”
[Leave it to me!]

This time, I decided to leave it to Kakasha.
It’s a fact I sometimes forget, but Kakasha is a Lord. Moreover, one with an epithet, a transcendent being who has lived for an unfathomably long time.
She has seen countless items and possesses the discernment to match.
I thought her eye for quality might be able to find a good item.

[Hmm, uuuugh…!]

In truth, even as I said this, I didn’t hold great expectations.
Watching the small fairy form strain and struggle forward, my anticipation would bloom only to fade away just as quickly.
Still, I followed along just in case.

[There’s an unusual aura emanating from this display case!]

Kakasha had found something.
He stopped before the display case and rummaged through its interior.
From the depths, he withdrew a small ‘Essence’ that had been buried there.

[Lord’s Essence (Mythic)]
· The final essence left behind by a Lord now fallen into ruin.
· Upon consumption, all stats increase by +15. Additionally, it upgrades S-rank skills and brings them to maximum level.

“No way—I actually found this.”

My eyes widened at the unexpected item.
In some ways, this discovery was even more astonishing than finding the Nameless Heavenly Sword.
To uncover such a treasure in a place buried under countless items.

[Kufufu, don’t underestimate my experience! With this keen sense of mine, finding items like this is child’s play!]
“I see. You found it because you’re also a fallen Lord.”
[W-what are you saying!]

An indignant Kakasha grabbed my hair forcefully.
Regardless, this was an unexpected windfall.

“So I’ve obtained two Mythic-rank items now? This is insane.”

The Nameless Heavenly Sword and the Lord’s Essence.
Plus a new stat called ‘Magi’.
The haul was beyond reason. I’d thought securing even a single Mythic-rank item or SS-rank skill would be a tremendous gain.
Yet I’d surpassed even that.

[You have exhausted your right to select items.]
[The Multidimensional Treasury closes. We hope to see you again next time!]

With all rewards claimed, it was time to depart.
I gazed contentedly upon what I had obtained.

Whoooosh!

A brilliant light consumed him.
Silence returned to the Multidimensional Treasury as the visitor vanished.

* * *

[The victor of the Hero’s War has been determined.]
[Congratulations! Draken Race and all players belonging to your faction!]
[You have achieved victory in this trial!]
[Soon, a special ‘reward’ targeting the entire world will arrive!]

God’s Trial, the Hero’s War, had ended.
Players who survived the trial returned to Earth one by one, greeted by their acquaintances and families.
Yet something seemed off about the survivors’ expressions.
Without exception, they all wore vacant stares.

“Ah, wait. Could it be…?”
“Again?”

Those who witnessed the spectacle felt a powerful sense of déjà vu.
It was inevitable. After the previous trial, Dragon’s Tomb, had ended, this exact same situation had unfolded.
Who had been responsible for reducing the players to this state back then?

“What did that Asian, Han Yu-sung, do this time?”
“What happened during this trial?”
“Wait, just wait a moment. Let’s all calm down, please.”

It was Han Yu-sung.
The player who had performed impossibly in the previous trial, making his name known not only throughout Korea but across the entire world.
The survivors explained what they had experienced in the Hero’s War.

“So, named Lords like the Lord of Justice and the Lord of the Dead made massive investments in their respective races….”
“Han Yu-sung, who belonged to the same race as the Lord of Justice, discovered a new race? The Draken or something?”
“And then he even brought in Lords he had connections with….”
“He swept through the entire trial by himself, is that it?”

In a sense, it was a story similar to what they had heard from the previous trial.
Han Yu-sung had performed beyond expectations and cleared the trial.
It was a narrative that could be summarized that simply.
However, there was one crucial difference.

[A mere player is on friendly terms with the Lords? WTF?]
[Not a Lord. Lords—plural. And Lords with epithets at that!]
[Everyone knows how disdainfully the Lords treat humans. Especially those with epithets. But those Lords….]

They had been swayed by a player’s persuasion and switched their allegiance to a different faction.
And not even at the behest of their own sworn master, but at the word of another Lord’s sworn servant.
This was something else entirely.
Player Communities across nations erupted in chaos upon hearing the news.

[Hey guys, I have a friend who participated in the Trial, and he said the Lords Han Yu-sung is acquainted with are Pleasure, Shadow, and Cultivation?]
[Pleasure? That bastard’s gotta be insane, right? Besides giving good rewards for the Difficult Realm, I hate even being associated with that Lord;;]
[Cultivation’s supposed to be quite the eccentric too. If Han Yu-sung can get along with these lunatics, isn’t he a bit off his rocker himself?]
[Who isn’t a little crazy in this day and age….]
[Wait, Shadow? That arrogant Lord?]

All three were renowned Lords among their kind.
To have persuaded such Lords—what sorcery had he employed?
Did he possess such deep connections that persuasion could even work?
Those unfamiliar with the details could only jump to conclusions.

[Wow, Han Yu-sung really is completely insane. Looks like he screwed over both the Lord of Justice and the Lord of the Dead, huh?]
[Yeah;; I know someone who made a contract with the Lord of the Dead, and he’s losing his mind right now. Absolutely furious;;]
Even the Lord of Justice was confident she’d win, so I heard she dumped a ton of coins into it lol
[Probably because Han Yu-sung and Lee Su-ho were on the same team]
[What’s Lee Su-ho been up to lately anyway? Heard he couldn’t do anything this time either?]
[But this….]

And they grew alarmed, simultaneously seized by dread.
Those active as players understood this well.

[Is Han Yu-sung really going to be okay with this?]
[Considering that I lost a lot of coins and lost my pride, I don’t think I can just sit still. I heard that other monarchs also suffered more damage than expected.]
[No matter how you look at it, retaliation’s coming;;;]

How the Lords respond in situations like this.
What they treasure above all else is coin.
Han Yu-sung’s actions had resulted in staggering coin losses.
Whether it was the Lord of the Dead or the Lord of Justice, they would certainly move in some form.

[Haha, whatever happens, this should be entertaining. Might as well watch the fireworks.]
[Who knows? Maybe he’ll overcome it with some ingenious method again.]

At that moment, the entire world would grow loud with commotion.
While the players were discussing this incident.

[Behold! The Sanctuary of the Lord of War!]

Han Yu-sung, the center of attention, found himself in an unfamiliar space.
The ground was desolate, and countless weapons jutted from the earth in all directions.
And at the boundaries, scorching flames surged upward in a violent display.

[The Lord of War with whom you are contracted has reclaimed her Sanctuary.]
[The Lord invites you to her Sanctuary!]

It was the Sanctuary of Kakasha, the Lord of War.
A Sanctuary—a space prepared in a separate world where a Lord resides.
Kakasha had once possessed a Sanctuary as well, but lost it in her battle against Achiros, and it was absorbed without a trace.
Restoring it would require an astronomical amount of coins, so she hadn’t even dared attempt recovery. Yet here it was, appearing as a reward.
I had effectively saved an enormous sum of coins.
The problem was.

“It’s cramped as hell. Is this even about 160 square feet?”
[Ugh, ugh! This is already something I’m sensitive about…! Coins! Everything lacks coins! If only I had more coins!]

The Sanctuary was extraordinarily small.
Now that I thought about it, the reward message had stated that only a “portion” of the stolen Sanctuary would be restored.
Given that it was only a portion, the size made sense.

“Well, we can discuss the Sanctuary later. You said I could test out Magi here? I don’t see anything particularly suitable for that.”
[Wait and see. If it’s a Sanctuary, then… hmm!]

Kakasha concentrated her power.
Then flames erupted from the ground, forming a massive wall.
A wall forged from flames and countless weapons combined.

[Phew, this sensation of exerting power. It’s been so long. There! I crafted this wall with care, so it’s sturdy. Test yourself against it!]
“Alright, let me try ‘Crimson Wind Chain Shatter.'”

Han Yu-sung stood before the wall.
At a glance, it was an extraordinarily sturdy structure. To demolish it, Halden-style swordsmanship would be more suitable than the Blood Storm Fist Technique.
However, to test the demonic energy, the Blood Storm Fist Technique was the better choice.
He planted his feet firmly and extended his body forward.

Crack-crack-crack!

A fist wreathed in blood storm crashed against the wall.
Soon, the unleashed blood storm engulfed the wall.
The blood storm, sharper than any blade, tore through the stone, and thick dust billowed upward.
And yet.

“It didn’t work.”
[Kufufu! It’s been a while since I made one, but it turned out splendidly!]

The wall remained unbroken.
The blood storm had left its mark, but it fell far short of shattering it.
As expected, I wasn’t greatly disappointed. The Blood Storm Fist Technique was better suited for facing multiple enemies than for breaking through solid objects.

[Now you must use demonic energy. Do you know how to wield it?]
“Yes, somehow I do.”

I didn’t know why.
The moment I obtained the demonic energy, I understood how to channel this power.
Perhaps the Nameless Heavenly Technique had contained knowledge along with the demonic energy itself.

“Huuuh….”

Han Yu-sung drew in a breath and focused his mind.
I felt the magical power circulating within my inner being. And though its quantity was still modest compared to that, I also sensed the ‘demonic energy’—formidable in its intensity.

Han Yu-sung slowly constructed an image in his mind.
An image of demonic energy layered atop magical power.
When the image finally took shape, I thrust my fist forward.

Boom!

My fist made contact with the wall.
In that instant, silence fell.
Normally, the moment our fists collided, the compressed blood wind should have been released.
Had I failed to control the dark energy?
The moment Kakasha thought this.
Black energy surged from Han Yu-sung’s entire body.

CRAAAAAASH!

The blood wind erupted from the tip of Han Yu-sung’s fist.
Not crimson—a blood wind infused with black energy.
Utterly different from the Blood Wind Chain unleashed moments before, it was ferocious and wild beyond measure.

BOOOOOM!

The massive wall shattered into fragments, scattering debris in all directions.
Witnessing this spectacle, Han Yu-sung and Kakasha locked eyes.
And without either moving first.

“What?”
[W-what…?]

Both tilted their heads in bewilderment.
As if unable to comprehend what had just transpired.

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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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