The Crazy Battle God Has Returned - Chapter 13

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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 13

Among dungeons, there exists a category known as the Abandoned Dungeon.
These are dungeons that Lords no longer operate—abandoned after outliving their purpose, or discarded because they were designed as single-use ventures.
For this reason, players rarely seek out Abandoned Dungeons.
Typically, a Lord cleanses the interior thoroughly and reclaims anything of value before abandonment, leaving nothing worth the effort to find.
But what if.

“Found it! Haha! I knew something would be left behind!”
“Is there? Really? Quick, we need to escape! Don’t let the others spot us!”
“Wait, there might be more treasures hidden here….”

What if a Lord had fallen and abandoned dungeons they once managed well?
What if they fled so hastily they never recovered the dungeons themselves?
Such dungeons might still harbor precious artifacts.
Players, drawn like hyenas to carrion, converge upon such places with ravenous speed.
The dungeons opened by the Lord of War were precisely such places.

“No, please don’t come… Aaaahhhhh!”
“I-I’ll share! We can divide it! There’s no need to kill…!”
“Hehe. If we kill you all, everything becomes ours. Why would we share?”
“Leave none alive. Slaughter them all!”

Dungeons once operated by the Lord of War.
Players who flocked to seek treasure explored the dungeons and murdered one another to seize what they discovered.
Yet not all had come with such intentions.
Others harbored different purposes.

“…Any traces? Have you found anything?”
“No matter how hard we search, there’s nothing. This doesn’t seem to be the place.”
“Damn it, this is the third dead end! If the others find it first, the Lord’s favor will go to them instead!”

The Sworn Servants of Justice had assembled for a Lord hunt.
The defeated Lord of War had fled to survive, sealing herself within a sacred relic and hiding in a dungeon she once managed.
They had to find her and present her to the Lord of Justice, Achiros.

“Especially from Lee Su-ho—we cannot let him take this prize… Move faster!”
“Yes, sir!”

Achiros commanded the Sworn Servants of Justice to hunt down the Lords, promising great rewards to those who succeeded.
For such a master, the Sworn Servants of Justice moved without rest, day and night alike.
Yet there were others who pursued them.

“They’re moving. We follow their trail.”
“You understand we cannot be discovered, yes? We must pursue them in absolute secrecy.”
“I know. The Lord of War is ours to hunt.”

They were Sworn Servants of a different Lord.
The fall of the Lord of War was already common knowledge. That Achiros sought to hunt her down was equally well-known.
To obstruct Achiros and instead absorb the Lord of War themselves.
These were the Sworn Servants sent by Lords harboring such ambitions.

“It seems pursuers are closing in on us.”
“Damn vultures! Kill every last one of them if they show themselves!”

Some searched for the Abandoned Dungeon, others pursued, and still others clashed with those who pursued them—a chaotic battlefield where multiple Lords and their Sworn Servants became entangled.
Amidst this tangled web of competing powers.

“Found it! Here! We found it!”
“We’ve located the hideout of the Lord of War!”

The Sworn Servants of Justice had discovered the Abandoned Dungeon where their target lay hidden.
The dungeon’s name was the War Lord’s Sanctuary.
This dungeon lay in a place no one had anticipated.
The darkest place is beneath the lamp, as they say.
And from the moment they found the dungeon.

“The Lord of War is inside!”
“Go! Breach through anything blocking our path and advance!”
“Our Lord has sent reinforcements! Lee Su-ho will arrive soon! Hold this position at any cost until the reinforcements arrive! Stand firm with your lives on the line!”
“We must hold them back! We cannot let those cowards have her!”

A battle drenched in blood and flesh had begun.
But they did not know.

“Kang-jun, go ahead first! We’ll hold this position!”
“Good. We’ll defeat the Guardians protecting the Sanctuary and breach through! Let’s move!”
“Go!”

Someone had entered the War Lord’s Sanctuary before them.
He was observing the Sworn Servants of Justice as they broke through the sanctuary.

“I thought my neck would snap off waiting.”

Han Yu-sung.
He moved with concealed steps, employing Unbi Protection.
His presence and footfalls vanished in an instant.

* * *

[Dungeon: War Lord’s Sanctuary.]
[A dungeon opened by the Lord of War. A sanctuary composed of a complex labyrinth where Guardians stand against intruders. Originally designed for a different purpose, the Lord of War hastily altered its function and structure. Due to this, its completion is severely lacking, and no rewards exist.]
[Regulation: No Lord except the Lord of War may peer inside this dungeon. This regulation was established at the cost of a sacred artifact.]
[Entry Restriction: None.]

The Abandoned Dungeon, the War Lord’s Sanctuary.
To describe its location simply, one could say it this way.

‘The darkest place is beneath the lamp.’

The reason was simple.
The War Lord’s Sanctuary was located in Seoul.
Not far at all. This dungeon was hidden beneath Gwanghwamun Station.
Directly below the statue of General Yi Sun-sin, in a separately excavated underground chamber.

‘One had to admire the audacity of concealing it here.’

The reason it had remained undiscovered until now was simple: the Lord of War had hidden the dungeon using a Mythic-grade item.
The problem was that as time passed, the item’s effect had worn off.
And so the hidden dungeon was revealed.

‘That was precisely this time period.’

I remember it was an incredibly chaotic period with Lord hunting.
A perfect opportunity to absorb a fallen Lord. A perfect opportunity to gain favor by offering a fallen Lord.
Thus, all manner of Lords and Sworn Servants flocked here, and a great war erupted, leaving the entire area in ruins.
Han Yu-sung had found the dungeon before that could happen.

Whoooosh—

As the item’s effect wore off, I entered the Abandoned Dungeon that lay revealed before me.
The interior of the War Lord’s Sanctuary was a rather intricate labyrinth. It would have been manageable if it were merely a maze of twisted passages, but there was one additional complication.

[I… will… not… permit… intrusion.]
[Protect… the Lord.]

Guardians protecting the Sanctuary.
Soldiers whose bodies were forged entirely of steel, powered by mana coursing through their mechanical frames.
They were vigilantly watching for any intruders.
Formidable opponents, judging by their levels.

‘I could dispatch them if I had to, but…’

There was no reason to expend the effort.
Soon enough, the other Lords would succeed in locating this Abandoned Dungeon.
Wasting my strength on these Guardians made no sense.
It was far wiser to conserve my power for the Sworn Servants of Justice.
Having reached this conclusion, I activated Unbiho to conceal my presence and footsteps, then waited for the Sworn Servants of Justice to arrive.

CRASH!

“Ugh! Gah, argh… my arm…!”
“Someone deal with that damned metal scrap!”
“Healing comes later! We have no time! Advancing inward!”

Right on schedule, the Sworn Servants of Justice arrived.
An exploration unit and vanguard force that had discovered the War Lord’s Sanctuary. Upon entering, they rapidly carved their way through the labyrinth.
Moving with such urgency that they didn’t even tend to their own wounds.

‘The situation is indeed dire.’

The Sworn Servants of the other Lords were in pursuit.
There was no time to hesitate. And there was one more reason for this desperation.

“I cannot let Lee Su-ho steal this achievement from me…!”

It’s a competition.
The Sworn Servants of Justice compete for the favor of the Lords. Even among those bound to the same Lord, this holds true.

‘Not all Sworn Servants are equal.’

There exists a hierarchy of sorts within the ranks of the Sworn Servants.
The highest rank one can generally attain is that of Apostle. These individuals bask in the favor of their Lords and receive benefits superior to any other Sworn Servant.

‘The Lord of Justice likely hasn’t appointed any Sworn Servant as an Apostle yet.’

In my past life, I had appointed Lee Su-ho as an Apostle.
But now, there would surely be others vying for that position.
Whoever contributes significantly to this endeavor will earn Achiros’s favor. They would gain an advantage in the competition for the Apostle rank.
That’s why I need to find the Lord of War before Lee Su-ho does.

‘In my past life, I believe it was Lee Su-ho who found her.’

I searched through my memories.
Lee Su-ho had arrived late from another location, assessed the situation, entered this place, and discovered the Lord of War. That’s how I remembered it.
And in doing so, he had solidified his position even further.

‘Then the vanguard failed?’

I examined the faces of those in the vanguard.
Most were unfamiliar. But among them, one face stood out—someone I recognized.
A woman wielding twin daggers.

“Jung Seo-hyun! How much further!”
“The presence is getting closer. We’re almost there! Let’s hurry!”
“Good, just a bit more! Let’s go!”

The woman called Jung Seo-hyun—she appeared to be of the Rogue class.
Upon seeing her, my eyes narrowed.
A familiar person. Someone difficult to forget.

‘Lee Su-ho’s confidant. So that’s how it turned out.’

Aside from Jung Seo-hyun, I had never encountered the others in my previous life.
Most likely, they perished here.
But Jung Seo-hyun survived, and in the future, she committed countless atrocities as Lee Su-ho’s closest confidant.
Han Yu-sung clicked his tongue and shifted his stance.

“This will be easier than I anticipated.”

* * *

BOOM!

“Gasp, huff!”
“Is… is this the last one?”
“Yes. I can sense a presence beyond that metal door.”

The colossal Guardian collapsed.
It had been guarding the firmly sealed metal door. Beyond the door, an overwhelmingly powerful presence emanated so intensely that my skin prickled. The metal door was covered in countless barriers.
The metal door was covered in countless barriers.

“Kang-jun, take a look at this.”
“Barriers. They’ve installed everything imaginable to buy time.”
“Can we dispel them? It won’t be easy. If we just smash through, the durability is extraordinary. It doesn’t seem to be ordinary metal.”
“It will take time, but it’s possible. The level isn’t exceptionally high.”

Yoo Kang-jun exhaled deeply as he examined the metal door.
No time to waste on pointless resistance. Fortunately, whether hastily prepared or not, the barrier’s level wasn’t beyond dispelling.
It was entirely manageable.

“I’ll leave the barriers to you, then.”
“Right. I’ll be defenseless while concentrating on dispelling them, so watch my back. Seo-hyun, sense if anyone else is approaching.”
“I’ll do that. Just trust us.”

Jung Seo-hyun turned away with a faint smile.
Yoo Kang-jun grasped the metal door and focused his mind. The Sworn Servants of Justice here were comrades he had fought alongside for a long time.
He could trust them with his back.

‘While they protect me, I’ll dispel this as quickly as possible.’

Yoo Kang-jun’s mana infused the metal door.
I sensed the countless barriers installed on the metal door. My mana made contact with the barriers, and I began dismantling them one by one according to their difficulty.

‘Lee Su-ho, before that bastard arrives, I need to find a way…’

The Sworn Servant favored by the Lord of Justice is Lee Su-ho.
There are no shortage of Sworn Servants who envy that position. Any Sworn Servant with power desires to seize Lee Su-ho’s place.
Shamefully, I was no exception.

‘Finding the Lord of War first is a tremendous contribution. With this, I should be able to receive a great reward from the Lord. I cannot let this be taken from me.’

I drew upon more mana and concentrated intensely.
The barriers dissolved one after another.
How much time had passed? With both sight and sound cut off, I could perceive nothing.
The only sensations were mana and barriers.

‘Just a little more, just a little more.’

Only a handful of barriers remained.
I dismantled the barriers while sweat poured down my face. Then I focused my mind as I poured mana into the final remaining barrier.
How long did I concentrate like that?

Click!

“It’s done, it’s finally done!”

With a sound like a lock opening, the barrier dissolved completely.
I opened my eyes, my face flushed with exhilaration. The metal door, now fully unsealed, began to creak open.
Beyond it lay an empty cavern.

“Brother, you opened it?”
“Y-yes! I opened it! The cavern is…”
“It seems completely empty. No guardians, no traps.”

The cavern was truly vacant.
There were no guardians or traps like those we had encountered on the way here.
All that existed was an altar. And upon it, a single ‘sacred relic’.

“I sense a formidable power emanating from that blade. It seems….”
“That must be a sacred relic. You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes, you’ve all worked hard too. But what about the others besides you?”
“They’re all sleeping.”
“Sleeping?”

Yoo Kang-jun turned his head, bewildered by an answer he never expected.
Then a sight he could scarcely believe entered his vision.

“This, this is….”

Blood carpeting the floor.
Yoo Kang-jun’s comrades lay sprawled across pools of blood, their eyes wide open as if unable to comprehend what had befallen them.
Only one person had survived.
Jung Seo-hyun, gripping a dagger that dripped with blood.

“Forever.”
“Gack, ugh…!”

Two daggers pierced Yoo Kang-jun.
One at the throat, the other at the heart.
Both were vital points, and he had no time to react. Yoo Kang-jun collapsed, blood spraying from him like a fountain.
His eyes gazed toward Jung Seo-hyun.

“Why, why….”
“Because I can’t have my brother offering that sacred relic.”
“Can’t, have you say, what does that….”

Jung Seo-hyun licked the blood from her dagger and smiled wickedly.

“Because my brother Su-ho is the one who will offer it.”
“Su, Su-ho, I, Su-ho…?!”
“Yes. You didn’t know? I decided to serve under my brother Su-ho. Or rather, I should say I was originally with him, and I just came here.”

Lee Su-ho desired to become the sole existence.
Within the Sworn Servants of Justice, there were multiple factions. Lee Su-ho had planted his subordinates within those factions or created traitors among them.
It was all to crush or eliminate his rivals.
Jung Seo-hyun was an example of this.

“No, that won’t work. The other Sworn Servants of Justice will….”
“It’s fine. I have something from Lee Su-ho. All I need to do is secure that holy relic and hold out until Lee Su-ho arrives. Simple, right? Since it’s so dramatic, the Lord will like Lee Su-ho even more.”
“You, traitor….”

Cough!

Yoo Kang-jun vomited blood in a torrent.
His vision darkened progressively. The light drained from his eyes.
Yoo Kang-jun felt death approaching and let out a desperate cry.

‘Someone, please, anyone.’

Avenge me against that traitor….
But no one would hear it. Yoo Kang-jun laughed bitterly at the futility, and slowly began to close his eyes.
It was then that he felt it.

Whoooooosh!

“…?!”

A gale sweeping in like a tempest.
Followed by a blood-red wind crashing down.

Crack!

“Gah, ahhh…!”

A blood-soaked fist struck Jung Seo-hyun with devastating force.
And massive dragon fangs tore into both her arms.
Was he seeing an illusion?
Yoo Kang-jun could not tell.
He only hoped this was real as he slipped toward death.

“Ugh! Ahhhhh!”

Jung Seo-hyun screamed as her bones shattered under the crushing impact.
She had no time to react, no chance to respond. The moment she felt the wind, the fist was already upon her.
In her eyes, bleeding and dimming, the face of a man appeared.

“How does it feel to be blindsided?”
“What…!”

Han Yu-sung threw another punch.
With a sickening crack, Jung Seo-hyun flew backward and crashed into the wall.
Overwhelmed by pain beyond endurance, her body went limp.

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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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